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NTT INDYCAR SERIES event at Portland International Raceway named the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland

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Official Release
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Single Day tickets go on sale to the public tomorrow at 10 a.m. PT

PORTLAND, Ore. (Aug. 1, 2023) – BITNILE.COM has been announced as the title sponsor of the annual NTT INDYCAR SERIES event at Portland International Raceway (PIR), Sept. 1-3, 2023. The Labor Day weekend motorsport festival headlined by the 110-lap penultimate race of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season will be called the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland.

Starting at 10 a.m. PT tomorrow (Aug. 2), Single Day tickets go on sale for the three-day event at PIR featuring non-stop action with 10 total races from five different series. Ticket prices start as low as $25 for Single Day General Admission and $70 for Single Day Grandstand seats. Three-day tickets remain available for purchase and offer the best value. Fans should visit raceportland.com/indycar to buy tickets for the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland weekend.

BITNILE.COM, owned by BitNile Metaverse, Inc., is a rapidly growing virtual world with over 1.4 million engaged users. Earlier this year, the platform debuted social gaming with the launch of roulette, offering users an opportunity to play for fun or real money prizes, and the site also allows gamers the opportunity to drive on virtual race tracks including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. BITNILE.COM also sponsors Ed Carpenter Racing, an NTT INDYCAR SERIES team that will be represented by Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay and Rinus VeeKay in the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland.

“I firmly believe that the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland embodies the essence of innovation and technology, mirroring the cutting-edge nature of the metaverse world we operate,” stated Milton “Todd” Ault III, executive chairman of BitNile.com and Ault Alliance. “By sponsoring this thrilling event at Portland International Raceway, we aim to share our passion for technological advancement with the world, creating an electrifying experience for IndyCar fans both at the track and in the metaverse.”

The 2023 BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland marks the 29th running of this event, adding to the rich history of open-wheel racing in the Rose City. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES headlines the weekend and takes the green flag Sunday, Sept. 3, in a late-season race that could decide and finalize the championship chase. The series points leader after the completion of the past four Portland rounds (2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022) has gone on to claim the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship.

“We are thrilled to welcome our new title sponsor and partner BITNILE.COM to the team!” said Jerry Jensen, general manager of Green Savoree Portland, which owns and operates the event at PIR. “BITNILE.COM is already such a great supporter of IndyCar racing through their sponsorship of Ed Carpenter Racing. With this new partnership, we look forward to growing this event, building off a strong foundation of classic IndyCar races dating back to 1984, with invaluable support from BITNILE.COM.”

This year’s field will feature returning race winners Scott McLaughlin (2022), Alex Palou (2021) and Will Power (2019). The grid is anticipated to also boast other notable drivers such as 10-year Formula One veteran Romain Grosjean and, including Power, eight Indianapolis 500 winners: this year’s winner Josef Newgarden, four-time winner Helio Castroneves, 2008 winner and six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Simon Pagenaud and Alexander Rossi.

The three top open-wheel development series that feed into the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will also race at PIR on Labor Day weekend. INDY NXT will battle on Sunday, Sept. 3, for 35 laps on the 1.964-mile, 12-turn permanent road course. Drivers from USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires and USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires will contend for championships as both series conclude their seasons with tripleheader races across the weekend. Additionally, the U.S. Touring Car Championship will add exciting sports car action to the event lineup.

Children 12 and under receive free general admission to the event. This also includes complimentary access to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Paddock throughout the weekend when accompanied by a ticketed adult. PIR is located less than a tenth of a mile from a public transit stop – the Delta Park/Vanport MAX Station on TriMet’s MAX Yellow Line – making a trip to the track exceptionally affordable for families.

For all ticket pricing, grandstand locations and additional festival information, visit raceportland.com/indycar. Stay up to speed on the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland on social media all year long by following #PortlandGP.

About BitNile Metaverse, Inc.:

Founded in 2011, BitNile Metaverse (Nasdaq: BNMV) owns 100% of BNI, including the BitNile.com metaverse platform. The Platform, which went live to the public on March 1, 2023, allows users to engage with a new social networking community and purchase both digital and physical products while playing 3D immersive games. In addition to BitNile.com, Inc., BitNile Metaverse also owns three non-core subsidiaries either directly or indirectly: approximately 66% of Wolf Energy Services Inc. (OTCQB: WOEN) indirectly; 100% of Zest Labs, Inc. directly; and approximately 89% of Agora Digital Holdings Inc. directly. BitNile Metaverse also owns approximately 70% of White River Energy Corp (OTCQB: WTRV).

About BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland:

Portland International Raceway (PIR) is the home of the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland. PIR is a 1.964-mile, 12-turn permanent road course owned by the City of Portland and operated under Portland Parks & Recreation. Opened in 1960 to host sports car and drag racing, the 268-acre property hosts over 550 events annually including automotive and motorcycle road racing, motocross, cruise-ins and other special events including the Rose Cup Races. PIR has been the site of many memorable INDYCAR races. Al Unser Jr. won the inaugural one in 1984, and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned in 2018 after an 11-year absence with 2017 and 2020 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato taking the checkered flag. The Father’s Day race of 1986 featured Mario Andretti passing his son Michael on the last lap and winning by 0.070 of a second. The closest three-way road racing finish in INDYCAR SERIES history took place at PIR in 1997 when the top three were covered by just 0.055 of a second. In 2021, Alex Palou’s victory in Portland propelled him to win the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship. The Grand Prix of Portland is owned and operated by Green Savoree Portland, LLC, which also promotes NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Pacific Office Automation 147 event at PIR (June 2-3, 2023) and whose affiliates own and operate three additional INDYCAR SERIES races: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding (March 3-5, 2023), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2023 Accord Hybrid (June 30-July 2, 2023) and Honda Indy Toronto (July 14-16, 2023).

For more information, visit raceportland.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @PortlandGP or follow updates on Twitter @Race_Portland and Instagram at @Race_Portland using #PortlandGP.

United Rentals Racing: Ryan Preece Michigan Advance

By
Official Release
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RYAN PREECE
Michigan Advance
No. 41 United Rentals Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: FireKeepers Casino 400 (Round 23 of 36)
● Time/Date: 2:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Aug. 6
● Location: Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn
● Layout: 2-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 200 laps / 400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 45 laps / Stage 2: 75 laps / Final Stage: 80 laps
● TV/Radio: USA / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Pure Michigan: Ryan Preece and the No. 41 United Rentals Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) are heading to the 2-mile oval at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn for Sunday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at 2:30 EDT. Coverage will be live on USA, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

● By The Numbers: In five NASCAR Cup Series starts at Michigan, Preece has a best finish of seventh that came in the August 2019 event when he piloted the No. 47 for JTG-Daugherty Racing. His most recent start at the track was in 2021, when he started 32nd and finished 21st. He also has one NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the track in 2016 for JD Motorsports. He started 24th and finished 19th.

● Welcome Back, United Rentals: This weekend, United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE: URI), the largest equipment rental company in the world, returns to the No. 41 Ford Mustang serving as the primary sponsor. United Rentals has an integrated network of 1,449 rental locations in North America, 13 in Europe, 27 in Australia and 19 in New Zealand. In North America, the company operates in 49 states and every Canadian province. The company’s approximately 24,700 employees serve construction and industrial customers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners and other customers. The company offers approximately 4,700 classes of equipment for rent with a total original cost of $19.3 billion. United Rentals is a member of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, the Barron’s 400 Index and the Russell 3000 Index®. The company is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. Additional information about United Rentals is available at UnitedRentals.com.

● Turns for Troops: Making every lap a lap of honor. Join United Rentals in supporting military veterans and families. Through the Turns for Troops program, United Rentals will donate $50 for each lap that one of its three sponsored drivers complete at specific races throughout the season. Funds from the Turns for Troops program benefit SoldierStrong or Operation Homefront. Click here to learn more.

● Last Weekend: Last weekend on the .75-mile Richmond (Va.) Raceway oval, Preece and the No. 41 team showed speed during practice and qualifying en route to a fifth-place finish. The finish marked Preece’s first top five of the season, the third of his career, and the team’s first top-10 finish of the season. During Saturday’s qualifying session, Preece earned the 11th-place starting position for Sunday’s race, his best starting position since qualifying on the pole at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in April. He was happy with his car from the start of the race and finished sixth in Stage 1 and seventh in Stage 2, gathering crucial stage points. Adjustments by the team throughout the race kept the balance of the car to Preece’s liking and he weathered a late-race restart en route to his fifth-place finish.

● ARCA Menards Series West Win: In June, competitors took on Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway for the season’s second road-course race. Preece kicked off the weekend on the West Coast with a victory in the ARCA Menards Series West race on Friday afternoon. He qualified his No. 9 Bonanza Ford on the pole. From there, he dominated the race by leading 55 of 64 laps and crossed the finish line 9.675 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Sammy Smith.

● Where He Stands: Preece heads to Michigan 25th in the driver standings with 382 points.

● VIP Race Day Experience: RaceChoice.com, a proud partner of Preece, has launched their second special racing experience giveaway for fans this season. Fans can enter today through September 30. The winner will receive airfare and a two-night stay in Phoenix, Arizona for race weekend. RaceChoice.com will also give the winners two pit passes for the race and a meet-and-greet with Preece, driver of the No. 41 SHR Ford Mustang. Click here for more information.

Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 United Rentals Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

You were pretty confident heading into last weekend’s race at Richmond and it was one of those races that you had circled on your calendar. What made you feel so confident?

“My confidence came from seeing what Chad (Johnston, crew chief) has given here in years past and we talked a lot about what we were going to need. And I said, ‘Man, if you can get me to roll the center, I’ll deal with loose in,’ so that’s what he gave me and my United Rentals Ford Mustang was pretty stout. I like Richmond and I come from a short-track background, so this track fits my style and we knew what we needed to do. If we run more like this every week, we’re going to have more opportunities to challenge for wins and that’s what we’ve been working toward.”

Your fifth-place finish at Richmond was your best of the season so far. What does that do for you and the team heading into the next few races before the playoffs?
“I’m really proud of our team and how hard we’ve worked to get here. If we consistently bring cars like that and all of us keep ourselves accountable, we’ll continue to be where we want to be. I’m really happy with a fifth-place finish, but I know we can do even better and get those wins. That’s what we’re all here to do – win. We’ve all got the tools and the motivation to do it, and every week we’ve shown how strong we are. We’re going to keep doing that.”

Heading to the 2-mile oval at Michigan this weekend, what are your thoughts about the track?
“I’m looking forward to Michigan. All the cars at SHR have been pretty good at these longer, superspeedway-style racetracks. It’s going to be important to stay out of other people’s messes and just be patient throughout the race. Michigan is such a fast track and every decision you make is crucial. You want to be able to take off on the straightaway and be on the throttle to gain as much speed as possible. We’ll be able to get a gauge on where our car is at during practice and qualifying and then we can come up with a game plan for the race. We want to keep these solid finishes coming and it would be awesome to bring home a win for Ford at Michigan.”

No. 41 United Rentals Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Ryan Preece
Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

Crew Chief: Chad Johnston

Hometown: Cayuga, Indiana

Car Chief: Tony Cardamone

Hometown: Bristol, Virginia

Engineer: Marc Hendricksen

Hometown: Clinton, New Jersey

Engineer: Scott Bingham

Hometown: Lawrenceville, Georgia

Spotter: Andy Houston

Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Devin Lester

Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

Rear Tire Changer: Kevin Teaf

Hometown: Tallahassee, Florida

Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons

Hometown: Tyler, Texas

Jack Man: Kapil Fletcher

Hometown: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Fuel Man: Dwayne Moore

Hometown: Griffin, Georgia

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Joe Zanolini

Hometown: Sybertsville, Pennsylvania

Underneath & Interior Mechanic: Clint Leatherwood

Hometown: Rockmart, Georgia

Shock Specialist: Aaron Kuehn

Hometown: Kensington, Connecticut

Tire Specialist: Matt Ridgway

Hometown: Carrollton, Georgia

Engine Tuner: Jimmy Fife

Hometown: Orange, California

Transporter Co-Driver: David Rodrigues

Hometown: Santa Clarita, California

Transporter Co-Driver: Charlie Schleyer

Hometown: Youngsville, Pennsylvania

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: ‘Going for Race Wins’

By
Official Release
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Second in GTD PRO points, No. 3 C8.R wants more starting in Elkhart Lake

DETROIT (Aug. 1, 2023) – It’s getting close to crunch time for Corvette Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. And there’s no better place for the perennial powerhouse team to accelerate its title push than historic Road America.

The 4.048-mile, 14-turn road course is the site of the upcoming IMSA SportsCar Weekend, which culminates Sunday with the eighth round of this year’s GT Daytona (GTD) PRO championship. The Corvette Racing duo of Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor are hoping for a return to its winning ways in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R.

The pairing won last month in class at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – the first victory of 2023. A second win this season would go along nicely with a 2020 triumph at Road America in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class. With only four races to go, victories are what will help the Garcia/Taylor tandem and the No. 3 C8.R team most in the hunt for the GTD PRO title.

Although they finished fourth two weeks ago at Lime Rock Park, the result was enough to move into second in class championship standings – 151 points from the leaders with 1,500 points still available with four races left. However, pole positions and race wins are the most immediate goals for Garcia and Taylor with points taking care of themselves after that.

To get back on the top step of the class podium, Corvette Racing will need to come to grips – literally – with a recently repaved Road America surface. In years past, Road America was notorious for eating up tires with high levels of degradation. That very likely won’t be the case this year with substantially more grip available to the field of 46 cars.

Road America and the Corvette brand have a lengthy history dating back nearly 60 years. Chevrolet routinely used the track to test and validate the performance of early-generation Corvettes with that tradition continuing into the present day. Road America was the site of the first on-track running of the Corvette C8.R in 2018, and the mid-engine Corvette continues to write new chapters at each event.

The IMSA SportsCar Weekend race at Road America is scheduled for 10:10 a.m. ET on Sunday, August 6. The race will air live on USA beginning at 11 a.m. ET and stream live on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions beginning with Friday morning’s practice at IMSA.com with the race call also on XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “We don’t really know what to expect at Road America. It’s a kind of track where you can run a completely different configuration that is completely opposite than the rest. So maybe there’s more room to play with setup in order to go completely against everyone else. At most other IMSA tracks, everybody is kind of running the same full-downforce, full-everything. At Road America, there’s a little bit more play. I don’t know how the new surface will affect things. Tire degradation used to be very big there, but I anticipate the tire deg to not be as big as such a big thing there this year. Let’s see. We are definitely knocking on the door every single race.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Road America is great and has given me a lot of good memories. One of my first wins with the C8.R was there in a downpour late in the race. It wasn’t necessarily our strongest track last year, so hopefully with the new repave we can make some gains on everyone else. We’ve done some simulation work to perfect what we can do on our side to get as much performance out of the car as possible. From this point, it’s all about going for race wins.”

2023 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD PRO (After seven of 11 events)

Driver Standings

  1. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 2,462
  2. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2,311
  3. Daniel Juncadella/Jules Gounon – 2,302
  4. Klaus Bachler/Patrick Pilet – 2,281
  5. Alex Riberas/Ross Gunn – 2,083

Team Standings

  1. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 2,462
  2. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 2,311
  3. No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 2,302
  4. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 2,281
  5. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 2,083

Manufacturer Standings

  1. Lexus – 2,462
  2. Chevrolet – 2,311
  3. Mercedes-AMG – 2,302
  4. Porsche – 2,281
  5. Aston Martin – 2,094

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: By the Numbers

  • 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 25 years of racing: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette
  • 4: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at Road America since 2002 – Corvette C5-R (2002-2004), Corvette C6.R (2005-13), Corvette C7.R (2016-19) and Corvette C8.R (2020-current). This year’s race is the second at the track for the GTD-spec, mid-engine racing Corvette
  • 4: Number of cars Tommy Milner passed in the final 15 minutes of the 2016 Road America race. He and Oliver Gavin went on to win in class and capture the GTLM Drivers Championship
  • 8: Number of victories at Road America for Corvette Racing, the most of any entrant in IMSA
  • 8: Pole positions at Road America for Corvette Racing by four different drivers
  • 10: Number of drivers who have won races at Road America for Corvette Racing – Gavin (four); Olivier Beretta (three); Johnny O’Connell (two); and Kelly Collins, Ron Fellows, Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen, Milner, Andy Pilgrim and Jordan Taylor (one each)
  • 12: Fastest race laps for Corvette Racing drivers at Road America. That includes the last three of the last four seasons: Tommy Milner (2019 and 2021) and Antonio Garcia (2020)
  • 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
  • 14: Number of IMSA victories at Road America for Chevrolet, the second-most of any manufacturer in IMSA
  • 22: Number of Road America events for Corvette Racing counting this year’s IMSA race
  • 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
  • 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship
  • 126: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America, eight at Le Mans and one in the FIA WEC
  • 278: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999
  • 12,395.03: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 20 previous trips to Road America. That represents 3,054 laps or 105 trips across Lake Michigan.
  • 359,327.91: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon and more than halfway back!

Corvette Racing at Road America (wins in bold)

2002

No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GTS (Fellows pole; Gavin fastest race lap)

No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins – 1st in GTS

2003

No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GTS

No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins – 5th in GTS (Gavin pole, fastest race lap)

2004

No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GTS

No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GTS (Beretta pole, fastest race lap)

2005

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT1

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1 (Gavin pole, Beretta fastest race lap)

2006

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 1st in GT1

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GT1 (Gavin fastest race lap)

2007

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap)

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1

2008

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 3rd in GT1 (Gavin pole, fastest race lap)

2009

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 3rd in GT2

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 6th in GT2

2010

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Johnny O’Connell – 4th in GT2

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GT2 (Gavin pole, fastest race lap)

2011

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner – 14th in GT

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 5th in GT

2012

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 6th in GT

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GT

2013

No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 2nd in GT

No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 3rd in GT

2014

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 6th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTLM

2015

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTLM

2016

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 6th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GTLM (5th to 1st in final 15 minutes)

2017

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM

2018

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLM (Garcia fastest race lap)

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 2nd in GTLM

2019

No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLM

No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM (Gavin pole, Milner fastest race lap)

2020

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTLM (Garcia fastest race lap)

No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 2nd in GTLM

2021

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM (Taylor pole)

No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 3rd in GTLM (Milner fastest race lap)

2022

No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 3rd in GTD PRO

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

INDYCAR, IMS Productions Use IRIS Clarity from IRIS Audio TechnologiesTo Provide Broadcast Audio

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Official Release
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IRIS Clarity Isolates Voice, Removes Noise from Race Communications for Global INDYCAR Broadcasts

INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023) – Leading AI voice isolation specialist IRIS Audio Technologies (IRIS Audio) is working with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, North America’s premier open-wheel racing series, to eliminate background noise in real-time from the broadcasts of one of the loudest and most extreme sporting environments.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, which consists of 17 races across the United States and in Canada, is broadcast to millions of viewers globally. With IRIS Clarity, IMS Productions, which produces INDYCAR broadcasts, now provide crystal-clear radio transmissions, placing viewers right at the heart of the race action whether they are watching live on TV, using the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA or following the action across INDYCAR’s social media channels.

Trained on tens of thousands of hours of noise and human voice, IRIS Clarity’s AI-powered software can identify and isolate the voice and remove all noise in real time from all forms of digital communication. To achieve this with INDYCAR, IRIS Audio’s United Kingdom-headquartered team had to overcome multiple technology challenges, including individual race car setups, and catering to the wide variety of racetracks on the INDYCAR schedule, from high-speed ovals to complex street courses, which impact signal strength and audio quality depending on transmitter positioning.

The solution comes in the form of a custom IRIS Clarity plug-in for Dante, a computer network created by Audinate and used by IMS Productions that transmits audio with utmost fidelity. A significant upside to this implementation is that IRIS Clarity now works on all Dante-supported applications, including arenas and stadiums, recording studios, conference centers, theaters and more.

Jacobi Anstruther, CEO and Founder of IRIS Audio said: “We continue to be motivated by bringing our innovative technologies to the forefront of human performance. INDYCAR is the perfect arena to showcase and challenge our engineers. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate how clarity in mission-critical communications is not only vital for success and performance but also instrumental to experiencing the action in real-time.”

The partnership with INDYCAR follows IRIS Audio’s earlier audio partnerships with more integrations of IRIS Clarity to follow across a range of sporting and other use cases where mission-critical communications are essential to performance.

Kevin Sublette, IMS Productions President, said: “We are focused on getting viewers closer to the action, and there is nothing like listening in to the driver and pit crew audio to understand how a race is unfolding. With IRIS Clarity, we are able to do just that by removing the background noise and getting clearer audio from the drivers and race teams. We have been working to perfect the implementation since the start of this season and gave our partnership the green light after a successful weekend at the recent Indy 500.”

Rob Reng, CTO and Co-Founder of IRIS Audio said: “This was an extremely fun and challenging project to bring IRIS real-time voice isolation to an exciting and high-performance use case. IRIS technology paired with Dante audio transmission allows us to bring the audience right into the excitement of each race by clearly transmitting driver communications, letting them hear every important moment with Clarity. It’s a fantastic showcase of how portable our SDK is, and how dozens of concurrent channels can be processed with AI technology on a single computer — something that simply wasn’t possible before IRIS.”

About IRIS Audio Technologies

IRIS Audio Technologies is an audio technology company with a mission to enable the world to Listen Well. Our suite of patented products leverages decades of research into the effects of sound on the brain, prioritising focus, productivity, and wellness for all. By harnessing the science of sound, IRIS Audio dramatically improves how people experience audio across all digital platforms, from video meetings to streaming, podcasts to audiobooks, and multiple sectors including call centres, public services, and motor racing.

Precision Racing L.A. Unveils Monumental Driver Lineup and New Partners

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Official Release
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Jaxon Bell, Spencer Schmidt, and Aidan Yoder bring talent and a rich history to the team’s lineup for the remainder of the Toyota GR Cup Series

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Precision Racing L.A. based in Southern California continues to expand its reach and success in the Toyota GR Cup Series. The team has announced Jaxon Bell, son of former IndyCar driver and current NBC motorsports analyst Townsend Bell, Spencer Schmidt, son of IndyCar driver and minority owner of Arrow McLaren Sam Schmidt, and Aidan Yoder, Precision Racing’s top driver, will complete the team’s Toyota GR Cup lineup.

Having just started his competitive racing career last year, 20-year-old Jaxon Bell has split his time this season between one spot start in the Toyota GR Cup, as well as being the championship leader in the 2023 Skip Barber Formula Race Series.Bell made his Toyota GR Cup debut in the most recent round at Virginia International Raceway.

Bell impressed with points paying finishes in both races, coming home 8th and 5th, while having some close battles with the GR Cup Championship front runners. He currently sits 11th in the GR Cup Championship standings despite missing the first two rounds of the season.

Bell said, “I can’t wait to experience my first street race in Nashville with Precision Racing L.A. In my first season of racing there have been many ‘firsts’ but this should be extra special. I grew up watching my dad race Indycars so I’m excited to get to share the weekend with the NTT Indycar Series. There are still some drivers like Castroneves and Dixon who have known me since I was 2 years old! I also want to thank my sponsors, The Agency, Rotiform, and SynerComm who have made all of this possible. Mario has put together a great race team and I’m thankful for the chance to go compete and hopefully score more championship points.”

The 23-year-old Spencer Schmidt made his Toyota GR Cup debut for Precision Racing L.A. in the series’ most recent race last month at Virginia International Raceway. Schmidt has high hopes of one day following in his father’s footsteps and racing in IndyCar. Not only will he race the remainder of this season in Toyota GR Cup, he’s also racing in the Skip Barber racing series this year.

“It is quite the cliche in motorsports, but I want to be just like my dad in more ways than just my racing career,” Schmidt said. “Off-track, he is a strong and honest businessman that looks to give more value than he receives in his professional and personal relationships. He didn’t begin pursuing a professional racing career until he

was well into his twenties and managed to make it all the way to the top. He will always be the hardest worker in the room and never let someone tell him he can’t do something.”

For the upcoming Toyota GR Cup Nashville Grand Prix, Schmidt will be sponsored by Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers, the lead sponsor for the Nashville race, and is excited to continue with Precision Racing L.A. through the remainder of the 2023 season.

Precision Racing L.A.’s top driver, 20-year-old Southern California native Aidan Yoder, will have a new sponsor – IT powerhouse and TRD Partner Segra. Yoder is happy to change liveries and represent a nationally known brand partner of Toyota who compliments his own philosophy on and off the track.

“When Mario asked if I was willing to represent Segra, the first thing I asked was: are they aligned with me and who we are as a team? The answer was an emphatic yes. I’m honored to carry Segra with me for the remainder of the season,” Yoder said.

Aidan has had an excellent start to this inaugural season of the GR Cup finishing in the top 10 in four of the total six races and taking Pole Position at Circuit of the Americas.

“Every driver, partner and crew member contribute something unique to the team. Everyone’s passion for racing aligns perfectly with our team’s core values and we firmly believe that this lineup will take Precision Racing L.A. to new heights,” said Mario Biundo, Team Principal, Precision Racing L.A.

About Precision Racing L.A.

Powered by L.A. Honda World Racing, Precision Racing L.A. is an in-house pro racing team based in Los Angeles, California. With years of experience in SRO and IMSA competitions, Precision Racing L.A. delivers the most professional experience, demonstration in attention to detail, and an endless pursuit to achieve the top step of the podium. For more information on Precision Racing L.A., please visit https://www.precisionracingla.com/.

Flying Lizard Lamborghinis Roar into Action for Super Trofeo at Road America

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Official Release
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ELKHART LAKE, Wis., (August 1, 2023) — Flying Lizard Motorsports is set to unleash its quartet of Lamborghini race cars as the team arrives at the fan-favorite Road America circuit for the next two rounds of the Super Trofeo series. Fresh off another podium performance at Watkins Glen International, the team will again race this weekend in support to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, looking to continue to climb up the ranks of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America championship standings.

“Road America has always been a favorite of the drivers, and we have had many successes there in the past,” said Program Manager Darren Law. “It is going to be interesting this year as the track has been repaved and produces very quick lap times. It is also tricky because anytime you are offline the surface is very slick, so good race craft will be important and passing will be a challenge. We always enjoy racing at Road America, the fans are great and the surrounding area is a lot of fun.”

The team’s recent success at Watkins Glen International, where they splashed to a podium finish, has added to their momentum and confidence. With the Road America event promising another exhilarating showdown, the four Lizard Lamborghinis will be sure to return to the podium that the team graced in 2022.

In the No. 14 pink Unicorn Lamborghini, Slade Stewart and Andy Lee have been shown to be a formidable new pairing this season, progressing as the entry advanced as the LB Cup championship-winning entry to compete in the more challenging Pro/Am class this season. The No. 41 of Paul Nemschoff and Marc Miller was the first effort to earn a podium this season, as well as the first duo on the team to return for a second time. The No. 64 of Tom Tait kicked off the season strong with a career-best fourth-place result, and continues his hunt for the illustrious first podium result in a highly competitive class. The No. 68 of Chris Bellomo and Flying Lizard veteran Johannes van Overbeek are the sole Lizard lineup to earn a win for the team, hungrier than ever to do it a second time this weekend.

Measuring a circuit length of 4.048 miles long, Road America is the longest road course on the 2023 Lamborghini Super Trofeo schedule. Between its 14 turns, the Wisconsin track boasts high-speed straights and well-known sections like “The Carousel,” “The Kink,” and “Canada Corner.”

The adrenaline-packed weekend at Road America will feature the four Lizard entries participating in two practice sessions to dial in and prepare each race car on Friday, August 4th. The morning of Saturday, August 5th will host the qualifying sessions for each race, followed by a garage tour open to the public at 12:30 PM. Race one will begin that evening at 3:50 PM CT, followed by race two on Sunday, August 6 at 1:25 PM CT. Fans unable to attend the event can watch live on imsa.com/tvlive.

EVENT SCHEDULE | ALL TIMES CENTRAL

Friday, August 4

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM Practice 1

2:10 PM – 2:55 PM Practice 2

Saturday, August 5

10:20 AM – 10:35 AM Qualifying 1

10:40 AM – 10:55 AM Qualifying 2

12:30 PM Garage Tour

3:50 PM – 4:40 PM Race 1 (imsa.com/tvlive)

Sunday, August 6

1:35 PM – 2:25 PM Race 2 (imsa.com/tvlive)

2023 Race Schedule

May 12-14, 2023

Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

Salinas, California

June 22-25, 2023

Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America

Watkins Glen International

Watkins Glen, New York

August 4-5, 2023

Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America

Road America

Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

August 25-27, 2023

Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America

VIRginia International Raceway

Alton, Virginia

September 15-17, 2023

Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis, Indiana

November 16-17, 2023

Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America

Autodromo Vallelunga Piero Taruffi

Campagnano di Roma, Italy

About Flying Lizard Motorsports
Based out of Sonoma, California, Flying Lizard Motorsports is one of the most iconic sports car teams in motorsports, having celebrated ten driver and team championships, as well as competed internationally at the 24 Hours of Le Mans eight times.

The Lizards burst on the American Le Mans Series scene in 2004, competing in the GT class until 2012. In 2013, the team moved to the GTC class, still competing in legendary events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Daytona. In 2014, the team expanded its program to include running two Audi R8 LMS in the TUDOR Championship, and in 2015, again expanded the program to include two Porsches in Porsche Club racing. Flying Lizard closed out the season with a dominating win at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill with Toyo Tires, a win they repeated in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The 2020 season proved the team’s most successful to date, earning four titles in the GT4 America championship. Flying Lizard Motorsports has proven to be a championship contender no matter the race series or race car. For more information, visit lizardms.com.

About Lamborghini Newport Beach

Lamborghini Newport Beach is the authorized sales & service franchise for Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. serving Orange County, California.

Representing Lamborghini since 2010, Lamborghini Newport Beach is continuously one of the top US retailers year after year. With many years of combined experience, their team of professionals has all the knowledge and expertise necessary to assist you with purchasing the Lamborghini of your dreams, or properly maintaining the one in your garage. All Lamborghini Newport Beach technicians are fully factory certified, and all sales staff holds master certifications. Their newly opened state of the art facilities are now located at 44 Auto Center Drive, inside the Irvine Auto Center.

About Emerald Center

Emerald center is a premier lifestyle and home furnishings retail mixed use center featuring IKEA and over 2 million square feet of mixed use development serving the Southeast Phoenix market. Emerald center is located at the Northeast corner of I-10 and Warner Rd., Tempe, AZ.

About Chandler Pavilions

Chandler Pavilions is the most successful retail power center in Chandler, Az. With Marquis tenants including Home Depot, Lowes, Sam’s Club, REI, Flemings Steak House, and over twenty restaurants l, totaling 2 million square feet of retail tenants. Chandler Pavilions is located at the northeast and southwest corners of I-10 and Ray Rd, Chandler Az.

Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 Chicago Pneumatic Compressors Ford Mustang Team Michigan International Speedway Competition Notes

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Official Release
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TEAM AND RACE NOTES

The red and black Chicago Pneumatic Compressors scheme joins Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 Ford Mustang this weekend. The team heads to Brooklyn, Michigan to compete at the Michigan International Speedway.

Chicago Pneumatic Compressors joins Gilliland and the No. 38 team for the first time this season. Chicago Pneumatic last partnered with Front Row Motorsports at the Chicago Street Race where they finished seventh with Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team. Gilliland and the No. 38 team look to bring Chicago Pneumatic the same success this weekend.

Track activity will begin on Saturday with practice and qualifying at 12:35 p.m. ET. Sunday’s 400-mile race is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET on the USA Network.

COMPETITION NOTES

Out of his three starts at the 2-mile, D-shaped oval in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, Gilliland has two fifth-place finishes, with one coming in the No. 38 Ford F-150 for FRM. Now, Gilliland looks to take his past success with him as he returns to Michigan for his second Cup start at the speedway.

CREW CHIEF RYAN BERGENTY

“Michigan is the home of Ford and that’s what is the most important to all the Ford teams when we come to Michigan. We always have a big contingent of Ford leadership at the track and we always want to perform for them.”

DRIVER TODD GILLILAND

“You always want to run well for Ford, but especially at Michigan. This is their home track and Ford has always had a ton of success here. So, it’s important. It means a lot to them and to us.

“And I am just as excited to have Chicago Pneumatic Compressors ride with me in Michigan. They are one of our many partners here at Front Row Motorsports and I’m looking forward to representing them. I can’t tell you how important their compressor is at the shop in our paint booth. They keep us running for sure.”

About Front Row Motorsports

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

Ford Going For Ninth Straight Cup Victory at Michigan International Speedway

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Official Release
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MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY NOTES

Saturday, August 5 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
Sunday, August 6 – NASCAR Cup Series, 2:30 p.m. ET (USA)

There is no track on the NASCAR circuit that Ford has been more successful at than Michigan International Speedway, which is where the NASCAR Cup and NASCAR Xfinity Series will be racing this weekend. Ford has won eight straight Cup races at the facility and 43 overall, which is the most for the manufacturer at any track.

FORD ALL-TIME MICHIGAN WINS LEADER

No manufacturer has had more success at Michigan International Speedway than Ford, which comes into this weekend looking to extend an eight-race winning streak. Since the track opened in 1969 there have been 105 NASCAR Cup Series races and Ford Motor Company has won more than half of them (52%). Overall, the company has 55 MIS victories with 43 being Ford and 12 Mercury. David Pearson is the track’s all-time leader in wins with nine (all Mercury) while Bill Elliott has the most Ford wins with seven.

FORD LOOKS TO EXTEND MIS WIN STREAK TO NINE

Ford comes into Sunday’s scheduled race having won the last eight series races at the two-mile facility with five of the last seven coming courtesy of Kevin Harvick. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver became the first driver in NASCAR history to win races on back-to-back days at the same track when he did it during the weekend doubleheader in 2020. Ryan Blaney continued the streak in 2021 when he held off William Byron and Kyle Larson while Harvick snapped a 65-race winless drought with last year’s win. Here’s a look at Ford’s current winning streak:

YEAR – DRIVER
2018 – Clint Bowyer (1) and Kevin Harvick (2)
2019 – Joey Logano (1) and Kevin Harvick (2)
2020 – Kevin Harvick (1 and 2)
2021 – Ryan Blaney
2022 – Kevin Harvick

HERITAGE TROPHY SUCCESS

Since Michigan International Speedway began handing out the Heritage Trophy to the winning manufacturer in August 2013, Ford has taken it back to World Headquarters in nearby Dearborn more times than any other manufacturer. Ford has won 10 races since the trophy came into existence while Chevrolet has won six and Toyota one.

Kevin Harvick: “I know how much Edsel and everybody at Ford enjoys winning at Michigan, and I know the emphasis that comes from the car and I know that Doug and his group put a lot of emphasis on that and that comes straight from the top because when you go to Michigan you want to be able to take that manufacturer trophy home and put it in your facility until next year. Fortunately, for us, Michigan has just been a racetrack that we’ve had a lot of success at and with the emphasis that Ford has put on that and you add that to what Stewart-Haas Racing does with the race cars, it’s been a track that hasn’t been topped by many other tracks and it comes at an important racetrack for Ford and its brand.”

Brad Keselowski: “Racing in Michigan is special because of the fact of how close it is to all the OEMs and all the people that work on the lines or work in the corporate offices and make things happen in the OEM world. That makes it really, really special and any success you have in front of them means the world.”

Ryan Blaney: “When we won in Michigan in 2021 Edsel Ford was there, so that was super cool to have him there in Victory Lane with me and to keep the Heritage Trophy at Ford’s headquarters. That’s something we take a lot of pride in and that was a cool moment. I talked to Edsel a little bit before that day, and he told, ‘I’ll see you in victory lane.’ I think the first thing I said to him was, ‘Well, I guess you were right. You told me so.’ It was super cool. Obviously, Michigan is so important for Ford to win there right in Ford’s backyard, and then to have Edsel there was just like the cherry on top.”

Aric Almirola: “I’m excited because I thought we had a good tire test there. Michigan has been a great racetrack for Ford over the years, so I’m looking forward to going to Michigan. I think we should have an opportunity there. Kevin won last year, so it’s not gonna be easy, but I think Ford has always figured out how to find a way to get to victory lane, so I would love for that to be our opportunity.”

TEAM PENSKE REGISTERS 50TH WIN WITH FORD

Joey Logano started and won from the pole for the second time in his career at Michigan International Speedway when he captured the June race in 2016. Logano finished ahead of Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson with Penske teammate Brad Keselowski ending up fourth. The new aerodynamic package, promising to produce lower downforce, didn’t disappoint as there were 14 lead changes with Logano leading six times for 138 total laps. The win gave Team Penske its 50th Cup win with Ford and produced the 100th victory for Roush Yates Engines in the NASCAR Cup Series.

MERCURY AND FORD SWEEP MIS OPENING SEASON

Ford Motor Co. swept the inaugural season of NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway in 1969 when Cale Yarborough (Mercury) and David Pearson (Ford) took turns going to victory lane. Yarborough won an intense battle in the track opener on June 15 after passing Lee Roy Yarbrough with three laps to go to take the Wood Brothers to victory lane. That capped a finish which saw Yarborough, Pearson and Yarbrough swap the lead 20 times over the final 146 laps. The second date took place on Aug. 17 and this time it was Pearson and Holman-Moody taking the checkered flag. Pearson sat on the pole and led 79 of the 165 laps completed. The race, which was originally scheduled to be a 600-mile event, was halted at that point and declared official due to rain. Pearson went on to win a record nine times at MIS, which puts him as the speedway’s all-time NCS winner.

FOUR STRAIGHT FOR AWESOME BILL

Bill Elliott is the only driver to win four straight NASCAR Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway, sweeping both events in 1985 and ’86, and he capped that impressive streak in dominating fashion. Elliott led 125-of-200 laps on Aug. 17, 1986 to beat Tim Richmond to the finish line and win the Champion Spark Plug 400. Elliott went on to win seven career races at MIS and currently ranks third on the all-time list, trailing only David Pearson (9) and Cale Yarborough (8).

JARRETT WINS FIRST CUP RACE

Dale Jarrett registered his first NASCAR Cup Series victory in memorable fashion at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 18, 1991. Jarrett, who was in his second season driving for the Wood Brothers, found himself in a furious battle with Davey Allison, who stalked him over the final dozen laps in his No. 28 Texaco Havoline Thunderbird. Allison made a move to the outside coming off turn four and got alongside Jarrett as the two took the white flag together. They took turns exchanging the lead, but never left each other’s side. As they came off turn four both Fords made contact, but it was Jarrett who ended up edging Allison by eight inches at the finish line.

BIFFLE WINS FORD’S 1,000TH

Greg Biffle posted Ford’s 1,000th NASCAR victory when he took the checkered flag on June 16, 2013 in the Quicken Loans 400. The milestone win, which included combined victories in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck, NASCAR XFINITY and NASCAR Cup Series, was Biffle’s second straight at MIS and fourth overall.

HERITAGE TROPHY FIRST

When Joey Logano won the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 18, 2013 it represented his first win with Ford and new car owner Roger Penske. But it also marked the first time the speedway awarded the Michigan Heritage trophy, which goes to the winning manufacturer of every NASCAR Cup Series race at MIS. Logano, who won the pole and led a race-high 51 laps, passed Mark Martin for the lead with four laps to go after Martin’s car ran out of gas.

MEMORABLE WEEKEND FOR MARTIN

NASCAR made its second trip of the 1993 season to Michigan in August and resulted in Mark Martin completing a sweep for Ford. Martin kicked off the weekend by leading 92-of-100 laps in his Jack Roush Ford Thunderbird to give Ford its first series win at MIS. He followed that up by leading 81 laps the following day to capture the Cup Series race as well.

DOUBLE DUTY DOMINANCE

Mark Martin and Carl Edwards are the only Ford drivers to win multiple series races at Michigan. Edwards was first victorious in 2008, and his 2011 performance gave Ford its most recent victory. Edwards completed the pass on fellow Ford racer Ricky Stenhouse Jr. during a long green-flag run with eight laps remaining. While Edwards held on for the win, Stenhouse Jr. leapt to the top of the leaderboard – ultimately helping Ford to its third series manufacturers’ championship. Both Martin (1993) and Edwards (2008) have another commonality – winning both series races on the same weekend.

FORD’S NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT MICHIGAN
1969 – David Pearson (2)
1984 – Bill Elliott (1)
1985 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)
1986 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)
1987 – Bill Elliott (2)
1988 – Davey Allison (2)
1989 – Bill Elliott (1)
1990 – Mark Martin (2)
1991 – Davey Allison and Dale Jarrett
1992 – Davey Allison (1)
1993 – Mark Martin (2)
1994 – Rusty Wallace and Geoffrey Bodine
1996 – Rusty Wallace and Dale Jarrett
1997 – Ernie Irvan and Mark Martin
1998 – Mark Martin (1)
1999 – Dale Jarrett (1)
2000 – Rusty Wallace (2)
2002 – Matt Kenseth and Dale Jarrett
2003 – Kurt Busch (1)
2004 – Greg Biffle (2)
2005 – Greg Biffle (1)
2006 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2007 – Carl Edwards (1)
2008 – Carl Edwards (2)
2012 – Greg Biffle (2)
2013 – Greg Biffle and Joey Logano
2016 – Joey Logano (1)
2018 – Clint Bowyer (1) and Kevin Harvick (2)
2019 – Joey Logano (1) and Kevin Harvick (2)
2020 – Kevin Harvick (Sweep)
2021 – Ryan Blaney
2022 – Kevin Harvick

FORD’S NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT MICHIGAN
1993 – Mark Martin
1995 – Mark Martin
1998 – Jeff Burton
2001 – Ryan Newman
2008 – Carl Edwards
2011 – Carl Edwards

Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Martin Transportation Systems/ Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang Team Michigan International Speedway Competition Notes

By
Official Release
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TEAM AND RACE NOTES:

Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team will travel to the Michigan International Speedway this weekend.

McDowell and the No. 34 team will have returning partner Martin Transportation Systems (MTS) and Love’s Travel Stops with them.

A loyal Love’s Travel Stops customer headquartered in Byron Center, Michigan, MTS is a family owned and operated transportation and logistics company with a fleet of over 1,100 trucks and employs over 2,500 drivers and support staff. MTS provides dedicated, just in time “JIT” services to its customers with a dedication to safety, customer service, and technology.

The MTS/Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang will first hit the track Saturday with practice and qualifying at 12:35 p.m. ET. Sunday’s 200-lap event is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET.

COMPETITION NOTES:

After finishing 22nd at the Richmond (Va.) Raceway, McDowell and the No. 34 MTS/Love’s Travel Stops team continue their push for a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The team is 16th in points and 18 points ahead of the cut line.

McDowell comes into the Michigan Speedway with 16 previous starts at the track in the NASCAR Cup Series. His best qualifying result came just last season when he started 14th. His best finish at the track is 20th.

CREW CHIEF TRAVIS PETERSON:

“We will be ready for Michigan. I’m confident in that. We know we have better cars and Michael is driving at his best right now. The challenge is always the race strategy. Will it be fuel mileage? Will it be just a bunch of long runs? That’s what makes it fun as a crew chief.”

DRIVER MICHAEL MCDOWELL:

“This season has given us the best chance to finish well at Michigan. It’s because I am confident in Travis and the team. I know they will bring me a great MTS/Love’s Travel Stops Ford come Sunday.”

“I’m excited to have MTS returning to Michigan for the third year in a row. They are a longstanding partner of Love’s, similar to Love’s and their partnership with us at Front Row Motorsports. I love to see these relationships come together on and off the track, and the success that entails.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

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

FAST AND FLAVORFUL: RIVIANA FOODS’ MINUTE® RICE IS COOKING ASCO-PRIMARY OF NO. 47 KROGER RACING TEAM AT MICHIGAN

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Official Release
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HARRISBURG, N.C. (August 1, 2023) – The No. 47 Kroger Racing team embraces a fast-paced lifestyle, and their Michigan International Speedway co-primary MINUTE® Rice, a brand under the Riviana Foods Inc. umbrella, accommodates their busy schedule. MINUTE Rice offers flavorful and convenient products, like MINUTE Rice Cups, which are packaged in convenient, single-serve BPA free cups and ready in one minute, as well as Instant Rice and Quinoa, which is ready in five minutes and 10 minutes depending on the grain type.

The brand aims to make fans hungry with their paint scheme, as they feature a Fiesta Rice bowl, a fresh and satisfying recipe using MINUTE White Rice Cups, on the sides of DAYTONA 500 CHAMPION Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s Kroger Racing Camaro at the two-mile D-shaped speedway for the FireKeepers Casino 400 on Sunday, August 6.

“Riviana Foods is thrilled to have its MINUTE Rice brand on display for this highly anticipated race,” said Erica Larson, Director of Marketing at Riviana Foods. “Racing fans’ love for things fast aligns perfectly with MINUTE Rice’s brand, so partnering with the No. 47 Kroger Racing team allows MINUTE Rice to reach new consumers in an exciting and fast-paced way.”

MINUTE Rice is reaching millions of brand loyal NASCAR fans through the Kroger Racing partnership. Also, Kroger Racing’s driver is locked into the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs and will be receiving increased media attention as the Round of 16 competition prepares to kick off at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, September 3.

“We felt strong about making the Playoffs, but you never want to count your cards before everyone is finished,” said Stenhouse Jr. “Being locked in, we can really focus on what we have been talking about. That’s executing and taking a car and finishing better than where we should have. That’s what we have got to do in the Playoffs. We’ve got to make sure that we maximize our day, no matter how our car is handling. We’re focused on having a solid day with our No. 47 Kroger® / MINUTE® Camaro at Michigan.”

In 2017, Stenhouse Jr. made a strong case for the championship.

“That year, I had some good runs and made it to the third round,” said Stenhouse Jr. “That was cool. I feel confident in this race team about where we are at, and I feel good about advancing. We have to make sure we execute on the race track, have a fast car and eliminate mistakes. We’ve got to hit our stride these next few races to make sure we go into the Playoffs strong and advance for sure.”

While the countdown is on for the Playoffs, Stenhouse Jr. is aware that there is still more work to be done as he prepares to enter Michigan International Speedway, where his best finish to date is 8th-place.

“Looking back at the two-mile Fontana track (Auto Club Motor Speedway), we were okay, but we were not as good as we hoped to be,” said Stenhouse Jr. “We’ve got some work to do on our two-mile program, and hopefully we learned some things at Pocono (Raceway) that can help us at Michigan.”

Live coverage of the FireKeepers Casino 400 begins at 2:30 PM ET on USA, MRN and SIRIUSXM NASCAR Radio.

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