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Odometer mileage stop: Volkswagen

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Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

Since now the world is undergoing total globalization, in such conditions it is not so easy to hide the real mileage of a car. Many drivers are wondering how to stop winding up the mileage in their cars. You have to call a specialist, inspect the car and install parts at space prices. But it is even easier to purchase a special mileage blocker, which is suitable for all car brands. What is its main essence?

Stop kilometers

The km stopper vw device works flawlessly and regularly, there is no deception here. There is a special program that determines whether the mileage in the car is twisted or not. When the car is inspected, the instruments immediately show the real mileage of the car in each block. It is for this reason that many drivers turn to specialists to somehow resolve this issue before inspecting the car. So, the mileage is changing in the direction of decreasing. As it turned out, there is a special smart device that can control the mileage of a car.

This is a unique device for the car, which helps to stop the run, even if the car is in motion. It is enough just to take an hour to your car and connect everything to start using the mileage blocker and be surprised at its effectiveness in work. There will be no extra numbers on the panel in the cabin; the mileage will be completely reset. Let’s say you drove 20 kilometers, and the readings on the panel will remain unchanged. Is it convenient? Of course yes.

The most interesting thing is that a mileage blocker is suitable for almost all Volkswagen models – and this is a great advantage for this car!

Benefits of Stop Kilometers

There are many benefits to a mileage blocker. Below are only the most significant points that are worth mentioning:

  • installation is quick and very easy, the connection of all elements is quite clear, and the connecting elements are made of high-quality materials, plus they are original;
  • the driver himself can control the switching on and off of the stop mileage in his car, he can also turn on the mileage blocker even from a remote distance;
  • installation does not require soldering;
  • the system is very easy to operate;
  • the device is connected behind the speedometer, it is not even visible;
  • mileage does not increase when the device is in working condition;
  • as soon as the device is turned off, the kilometers are counted in the usual mode;
  • for the entire period of operation of the blocker, there has not yet been a failure or error in the operation of the device.

The mileage blocker for the car is just a real find! It’s especially cool when the device matches the brand of the car, you don’t even have to think that something could go wrong. Almost all modern brands of cars support the same version of the blocker – and this is its main advantage.

Stewart-Haas Racing: Goodyear 400 from Darlington

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Official Release
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STEWART-HAAS RACING
Goodyear 400

Date: May 14, 2023
Event: Goodyear 400 (Round 13 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile oval)
Format: 293 laps, broken into three stages (90 laps/95 laps/108 laps)
Note: Race extended two laps past its scheduled 293-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Martin Truex Jr., of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing (Chevrolet)

SHR Race Finish:

● Kevin Harvick (Started 20th, Finished 2nd / Running, completed 295 of 295 laps)

● Ryan Preece (Started 32nd, Finished 15th / Running, completed 295 of 295 laps)

● Chase Briscoe (Started 31st, Finished 17th / Running, completed 295 of 295 laps)

● Aric Almirola (Started 17th, Finished 21st / Running, completed 295 of 295 laps)

SHR Points:

● Kevin Harvick (3rd with 400 points, 29 out of first)

● Chase Briscoe (16th with 275 points, 154 out of first)

● Aric Almirola (26th with 221 points, 208 out of first)

● Ryan Preece (29th with 201 points, 228 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● This was Harvick’s best result so far this season. His previous best was a trio of fifth-place finishes – Feb. 26 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, March 12 at Phoenix Raceway and April 2 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway.

● Harvick earned his fourth top-five and his sixth top-10 of the season. It was also his 14th top-five and 19th top-10 in 31 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington.

● Harvick’s 14 top-fives and 19 top-10s at Darlington are the most among active NASCAR Cup Series drivers. (Denny Hamlin is next best with 12 top-fives and 16 top-10s.)

● Harvick finished eighth in Stage 1 to earn three bonus points and seventh in Stage 2 to earn seven more bonus points.

● Harvick led twice for five laps to increase his laps-led total at Darlington to a series-leading 818. (Hamlin is next best with 801 laps led at Darlington.)

● Harvick has now led 11,565 laps since joining SHR in 2014. He has led 15,980 laps in his entire NASCAR Cup Series career.

Race Notes:

● William Byron won the Goodyear 400 to score his seventh career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his third of the season and his first at Darlington. His margin over Harvick was .781 of a second.

● There were eight caution periods for a total of 47 laps.

● Twenty-two of the 36 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Ross Chastain remains the championship leader after Darlington with a 27-point advantage over second-place Christopher Bell.

Sound Bites:

“We had a good car all day. We just could never get up toward the front. Our Sunny Delight Ford Mustang struggled in traffic today, but we were really good at the second half of the run and just struggled at the beginning of the run. We had good track position and then had a bad pit stop under green, but had everything work out at the end. I didn’t have anything for William (Byron). The front is tore up pretty good, but they did a great job and just kind of kept ourselves in the game and you never know what’s gonna happen.

“I think if you would’ve dropped us in first or second place we probably could’ve run there. The Fords struggle in traffic with this particular aero package and it’s hard to make up ground, and then we lost a bunch of ground on pit road under the green flag pit stop. Then we got toward the end and missed all the wrecks. Well, we came out the other side of the wrecks. We were in the wrecks, but just didn’t have any damage to the wheels and tires, just structural damage. William ended up being the only car that didn’t have damage and he just drove off, so still a good day for our Sunny Delight Ford Mustang and we’ll just keep plugging away.”

– Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 SUNNYD Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the non-points NASCAR All-Star Race on Sunday, May 21 at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway. The race starts at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio beginning at 5:30 p.m. with the undercard NASCAR All-Star Open.

Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal Sweep Weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Leading the Charge for Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport

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Official Release
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(Monterey, Calif.) May 13, 2023 — An impressive season opening weekend for Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport (WTRAndretti)’s Lamborghini Super Trofeo (LST) stable was highlighted by two overall wins by Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal, as well as two additional overall podiums and four top-five class finishes.

Behind the wheel of the No. 1 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Huracán EVO2, dressed in Harrison Contracting Company red, Marcelli and Formal picked up right where they left off after the 2022 season, winning in dominant fashion at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. For Race 1, Formal placed the No. 1 on class pole position while Marcelli captured overall pole position in Race 2. As the green flag fell for both races, it was smooth sailing for the reigning Pro class champions straight to victory lane.

Fellow Pro class driver Ryan Norman joined Marcelli and Formal on the podium as the Lamborghini Super Trofeo newcomer finished second place overall in both rounds of the season opening weekend. In Norman’s LST debut, the Ohio-native got up to speed quickly in the Pro class and was challenging on the heels of his No. 1 car teammates.

Nate Stacy piloted the No. 8 WTRAndretti Lamborghini Huracán EVO2 in the Pro Class during the WeatherTech Laguna Seca doubleheader and earned double top-five class finishes in both races. Stacy was on track for a potential top-10 finish overall in Saturday’s Race 1 before unfortunate contact late in the race dropped the No. 8 further back in the field.

Graham Doyle collected two top-five finishes in the LB Cup Class at his first Lamborghini Super Trofeo weekend. The 17-year-old quickly got the feel of his No. 10 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán EVO2 and continued to learn and improve with each session on track.

The Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America schedule continues next to Watkins Glen International for Rounds 3 and 4 of the season. Race 1 is set for Friday, June 23rd, 2023 followed by Race 2 on Saturday, June 24th, 2023.

Kyle Marcelli, No. 1 WTRAndretti Lamborghini Super Trofeo (PRO)
“Today was the first time I’ve tried the new Hankook rubber. I have been playing around on used tires all weekend. Man, what a difference, this car comes alive at the start of the stint. I was really pushing to get that lap record, but I think I missed it by a half of a tenth. Just a great weekend for WTRAndretti. Four cars under the stable. All the drivers have done just a fantastic job. We are really grateful to have some strong teammates to push us. We are still searching, looking for speed, but never going to give up. We have a great team around us in WTRAndretti. These races are really won back at the shop. You need to show up, unload quick. You don’t have time to go searching for big changes to find speed. It all starts with a good crew, good teammate and then execution. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”

Danny Formal, No. 1 WTRAndretti Lamborghini Super Trofeo (PRO)
“First of all, want to say thank you to the WTRAndretti team for this incredible machine they gave us this weekend. Kyle gave me a great car for the second stint and, honestly, the weather helped a bit. I’m liking the Harrison Contracting Company red on the podium. It is looking really good. Thankful for them, Lamborghini Palm Beach and Kyle for being a great teammate. Yeah, two for two. We have won here every year with WTRAndretti. Super happy and motivated for Watkins Glen where Kyle and I will be doing double duty. Super excited and very grateful.”

Ryan Norman, No. 84 WTRAndretti Lamborghini Super Trofeo (PRO)
“Overall, this has been a great weekend. Just continuing to build the relationship with the WTRAndretti team. I have great teammates around me as well with a lot of experience. I am learning from them every time out. During that second race, things were looking really good. After the pit stop, in the Corkscrew, I kind of went over the curb there and damaged the floor a bit, I think. It was making things a little challenging in that second stint. But overall, to pull off second again, was great! I am looking forward to Watkins Glen.”

Nate Stacy, No. 8 WTRAndretti Lamborghini Super Trofeo (PRO)
“Man, it was a complete 180 from yesterday’s race. I felt a lot more confident and kind of got those first race jitters out of the way. While I know we struggled a little yesterday, we really came back around today. I drove like I should drive. I feel like I got more locked in with the car. The WTRAndretti crew has been awesome and supporting me through this learning period. I know it is not easy for them, they want to go out and win races. I appreciate them willing to work with me during this learning period and hopefully by the end of the season, we will be racking up some wins and challenging Kyle, Danny and Ryan for the win.”

Graham Doyle, No. 10 DEX Imaging with WTRAndretti Lamborghini Super Trofeo (LB Cup)
“Today’s race was great. Cleaned it up a little bit from yesterday. I learned a lot yesterday, being my first race EVER! I definitely got some of the corners down and learned a lot from Kyle and Danny. They were huge contributor to my performance this weekend. As we work further on the No. 10 DEX Imaging race car and with the WTRAndretti team, I think we are looking at some good finishes in the near future. This weekend was great!”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI’S DRIVER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, Wayne Taylor Racing, now with Andretti Autosport (#WTRAndretti), is a leader in sportscar racing, recognized worldwide for fielding championship winning racing efforts since 2007. WTRAndretti has run a stable of championship winning cars and drivers in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series for over half a decade, forming the basis of their Driver Development Program. Since its inception in 2015, the team has clinched eight North American PRO Driver, Team and Dealer Championship titles, fielded the first woman World Finals race winner and became the overall 2017 Champions at the World Finals in Imola, Italy. WTRAndretti’s Driver Development program has grown into interim classes and series as it evolves to encompass a greater variety of skill and experience levels. WTRAndretti currently fields a GTP program with it Championship winning No 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 effort as well as GT3 programs in both the IMSA Michelin Endurance Championship and Fanatec GT World Challenge with Harrison Contracting Company, Acura, Honda Performance Development (HPD) and Racers Edge Motorsports.

CORVETTE RACING AT LAGUNA SECA: What Might Have Been

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Official Release
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Fourth-place finish in team’s 25th race on Monterey Peninsula

MONTEREY, Calif. (May 14, 2023) – Corvette Racing’s 25th start at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca didn’t end the way the team had hoped as the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R finished fourth in GTD PRO in Sunday’s MOTUL Course de Monterey.

Both Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia led in class during the fourth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, but a costly late-race penalty ended any chances of the team’s ninth class victory at Laguna Seca.

As it did a year ago when it led early, Corvette Racing played to its strength Sunday with a pit stop near the 30-minute mark under full-course yellow. Taylor had moved up to fourth in class at the start and brought the C8.R to the pit lane for four tires and fuel. A quick stop gained Taylor two spots to second, which became three to first when the then-leading No. 9 Porsche was penalized for leaving pitlane with pit exit closed.

Taylor continued to lead to the one-hour mark when Corvette Racing engineers brought him in again under another full-course yellow for fuel, tires and a driver change to Garcia. Another quick stop got Garcia out second in class – only because the No. 23 Aston Martin took less fuel and no tires to leave the pitlane first.

The order remained unchanged when the final scheduled GTD PRO stops began with 67 minutes to go. The No. 3 was the next-to-last car to pit for fuel and four more tires as Garcia rejoined second and 3.8 seconds behind the Aston Martin.

Disaster struck during the race’s final full-course yellow inside the final hour when Garcia inadvertently followed the GTD PRO leader around the safety car, which resulted in the penalty.

Corvette Racing’s next event in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on Sunday, June 25 from Watkins Glen International.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FOURTH IN GTD PRO: “It’s a situation where when it’s green, you’re fighting all the GTDs. But when it comes to the safety car, we aren’t the same category. So we need to figure that out. The safety car split the GTD field. The GTD leader was the real GT leader, so that’s why everyone behind us moved to the right to get a pass-around, and the 23 moved to the right, as well. But because we were the GTD PRO leaders, we should have stayed where we were. But that’s the way the rules are. I just made a mistake and went to follow the 23 when they were wrong. I had a big queue of GTDs behind me, and all I could see behind me were GT cars moving to the right. So that’s what confused me. If I could have seen the Mercedes or Lexus GTD PRO cars behind me staying to the left, I would have figured it out. But there were a ton of cars between us. It’s a mistake that shouldn’t happen. On race pace, we had a car to win. We did everything right on strategy to be in the lead. As we showed at the end, I think we had a little more on tire degradation. We’ll review what happened, do a full analysis of the situation, and I know this won’t happen again.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FOURTH IN GTD PRO: “With how the weekend started, we were definitely behind the eight-ball with our issues in practice. It was a good bounce-back to be closer to the front in qualifying than a year ago, and our race pace today seemed pretty strong. We were able to get to the lead with a great pit stop after the second yellow. Once we were in clean air, the car was strong and we could kind of control the race. We definitely didn’t have the fastest car. But we had track position, and around here that’s so important. The guys did a good job. All our stops were smooth and clean. It’s one of those things where one little thing where can really impact a race. It’s one of those things that happen, and I can guarantee you it won’t happen again. This will be a big learning lesson.”

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.

Cadillac Racing finishes first, third at Laguna Seca

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Official Release
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Bourdais, van der Zande drive No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R to victory

MONTEREY, Calif. (May 14, 2023) — Sebastien Bourdais joined the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R crew on the pit wall to cheer Renger van der Zande to the checkered flag Sunday in the MOTUL Course de Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

The celebration continued in an emotional Victory Circle as the team recorded its initial win in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Grand Touring Prototype class and its first since July 2022.

“With the two months we’ve had lately, this feels really good,” said Bourdais, who earned his 11th IMSA victory. “I’m really, really happy for the boys. You can see it. Emotions run high, and it’s not because of a race win. We had to dig ourselves out of a big hole. It’s really good for the whole group and for Cadillac. Renger did awesome as always. I couldn’t be happier for everyone involved here.”

The victory was the first for Cadillac Racing in prototype competition at the racetrack and the second overall. Max Papis drove a Cadillac CTS-V to the win in the 2005 Speed World Challenge GT race. Cadillac, which has won two of the four GTP races this season, increased its prototype win total to 29 since 2017 and 68 in all classes since 2004.

The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R, co-driven by Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims, earned third place after starting fourth and reclaimed the GTP driver and team championship points lead.

“It was a great weekend for Cadillac Racing with the No. 01 Cadillac leading the field home at Laguna Seca and the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac also getting a podium,” Cadillac Global Vice President Rory Harvey said.

Bourdais and van der Zande won three races in 2022 in the No. 01 Cadillac in the final season of DPi competition. Disappointment overrode prospects in the first three races of the IMSA season and in an FIA World Endurance Championship appearance two weeks earlier at Spa-Francorchamps. Even this weekend, a shunt in the first free practice session and an off-track adventure in the sand/gravel negated a proper qualifying simulation and Bourdais qualified sixth in the nine-car GTP field.

“This team has been pushing really hard, long hours, dealing with the ups and downs of racing, so congratulations on a great race victory,” GM sports car racing program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser said. “I hope they enjoy every second of this win and they take a minute to relax because we have to get ready for the next race.”

That is the centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 10-11. The IMSA race-winning car will be prepped and shipped to France for the classic endurance race in which Bourdais and van der Zande will be joined by endurance driver Scott Dixon.

Bourdais handed off the wheel to van der Zande during a full-service stop under caution with 1 hour, 36 minutes left in the 2-hour, 40-minute race on the 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course and rejoined the field in seventh position. With 1 hour, 22 minutes left, Derani bolted to the lead and set the quickest lap of the race at 1 minute, 16.421 seconds in increasing the margin over the No. 10 Acura.

Van der Zande overtook the No. 10 for second with 1 hour, 11 minutes left and retained the spot until Derani brought the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R onto pit lane for fuel, tires and the mandatory driver change to Sims. Van der Zande made his final pit stop two minutes later and the Cadillacs ran 1-2 when another full-course caution slowed the field.

On the restart with 41 minutes left, van der Zande got a run on Sims and completed the pass for the lead that he did not relinquish. Van der Zande, competing in his 100th North American sports car race since 2013, picked up his 19th victory.

Derani and Sims will be joined by endurance driver Jack Aitken for Le Mans. The Cadillac Racing trio of Hypercar entries will also include the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R, co-driven by Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook, that is the full-time FIA World Endurance Championship entrant.

The next IMSA race is June 23-25 at Watkins Glen International in New York.

No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R

Sebastien Bourdais: “Everyone knows how challenging the last couple of months have been since our Sebring retirement. It’s never fun to go through those phases, but it’s part of racing. It’s something you have to pull through. I think the whole group was starting to lose a little bit spirits, I’d say. So it’s really good that we’ve gotten our head out of it with a win today. The weekend started really bad again with a crash on Friday that compromised the amount of testing we had and data we got for long runs. It trickled down to Saturday because we didn’t get a qualifying sim, so the effort wasn’t that great to get sixth. The start was kind of chaotic and we ended up buried in seventh or eighth. The guys did a really good call on strategy and cycled us to third. Things were starting to look up at that point. The car was starting to come alive and the track gripped up. It felt good and I could start to push and run the two leaders down. Then the yellow came out and it put us all the way back to seventh. Renger came out and did it again! I couldn’t ask for a better teammate. When he’s put in those positions, I don’t think there is anybody better than him. He made some pretty critical passes to get us to the front and managed from there. I’m super happy for Cadillac. You could see the emotions running through everyone, and this sets up as best as possible going to Le Mans. We’ll try to carry that momentum.”

Renger van der Zande: “Thanks to Seb for the nice words. We are a good team and are fantastic teammates with everyone. Chip Ganassi Racing and Cadillac with all the effort they are putting in, it’s days and nights of work. They aren’t sleeping much. So it’s amazing to pay it off with a win like this. Like Seb said, we cycled a few times to the front and the back. I love this place. Laguna Seca is one of the best racetracks. It’s a very interesting track for setup. The tire wear is high, and you need to set up the car for it. From a driver’s perspective, you need to manage it as well. Coming from a big shunt at Spa to win this race is what you call lows and highs! This is our Le Mans car. It’s going to Le Mans and it’s a winner. It’s a winning car that will get flown over to Le Mans and fight for the big one. Today, we’re going to celebrate a bit. There’s not much time to Le Mans to put everything in perspective that we learned today about the car, the engine, the hybrid, the braking and all the systems that in there. It’s so nice when we get a win like this. One of the tricks they gave me in the car gave me this win with braking. I’m really proud of the whole team. I was testing Tuesday at Portimao and then Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Laguna Seca. It’s been a good day and a good week.”

No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R

Pipo Derani: “It was a good race. Happy for Cadillac with a win and on our side happy with my stint. IMSA racing is so unpredictable and there are so many things that can go into account. It was a good points day for us with the Whelen Engineering Cadillac. The whole team did a fantastic job and happy to go away with a podium. We continue to push this fight forward.”

Alexander Sims: “Pipo was doing a fantastic job and had really good pace. I was given everything I could have been given to do the job, but ultimately I didn’t have the same pace as Pipo and I made two costly errors in terms of the restart and getting my tires up to temperature properly and Renger driving on the outside of me and then just being too cautious in traffic and Nick (Tandy) got around me. Good points day and nice to be on the podium.”

CHEVROLET NCS: William Byron Caps off Chevrolet’s Weekend Sweep with Win at Darlington

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Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
GOODYEAR 400
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
MAY 14, 2023

William Byron Caps off Chevrolet’s Weekend Sweep with Win at Darlington

Chevrolet’s Series-Leading Eighth NCS Win of the 2023 Season

· The win is Byron’s third NASCAR Cup Series win of the 2023 season – a series-leading feat – and his seventh career win in NASCAR’s premier series.

· Byron’s triumph marked the 100th all-time win for the iconic No. 24 – all captured with Chevrolet.

· The victory extended Chevrolet’s series-leading NASCAR Cup Series win record at Darlington Racing to 44 all-time victories at the 1.366-mile South Carolina oval.

· The winningest manufacturer in NASCAR Cup Series history, Chevrolet now sits at 841 all-time wins in NASCAR’s premier series.

· Chevrolet swept the NASCAR tripleheader race weekend at Darlington Raceway, with Christian Eckes and the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Silverado RST team taking the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win, and Kyle Larson and the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS team taking the NASCAR Xfinity Series win.

 
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 – Race Winner Quotes

One year ago the frustration, the fire, that we saw in you of being wrecked from the lead with two to go. Now you come back here a year later, a little bit of redemption. Put into words what this one means.

“Yeah, it’s pretty amazing. My granddad passed away on Thursday, and just man, I wish my family could be here. Just things have a way of working out, honestly. It just worked out that way today. We didn’t have the best third stage. We just kept battling, and things just kind of came back around.

Want to wish happy Mother’s Day to my mom. My sister just graduated school, so big day. Definitely didn’t expect this. But just thankful for a great team. Just things have a way of working out, and to come back here to Darlington and have it go exactly the other way.”

There’s a lot to celebrate, obviously. It’s NASCAR’s 75th anniversary. You do it at the second oldest track at Darlington. I just heard your team say win No. 100 for the No. 24. What can you say about this team and the process that you guys have gone through this year?

“Yeah, I’m just thankful that I was able to get in this No. 24 car. I was too young at the time I feel like, but growing up, maturing and just having a great team around me and being able to build the core that we have. I have a great group of guys – Rudy (Fugle, crew chief), Brandon McSwain, Tyler (Jones, car chief), everybody on the team does a great job preparing good cars, and we work hard at it. It’s nice to see it go our way once.”

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:

POS. DRIVER

1st William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Throwback Camaro ZL1

3rd Chase Elliott, No. 9 LLumar Throwback Camaro ZL1

7th Kyle Busch, No. 8 Lucas Oil Camaro ZL1

8th Justin Haley, No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1

TOP-FIVE UNOFFICIAL RESULTS:

POS. DRIVER

1st William Byron (Chevrolet)

2nd Kevin Harvick (Ford)

3rd Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)

4th Brad Keselowski (Ford)

5th Bubba Wallace (Toyota)

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at North Wilkesboro Speedway with the NASCAR All-Star Race on Sunday, May 21, at 8 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Worldwide Express/UPS Camaro ZL1

Finished: 29th

The second-to-last restart, what happened in turn one?

“Full commit into (turn) one. I got really tight, drove up and turned myself. I wanted to squeeze him, I wanted to push him up. We had been trading positions back-and-forth all day and I wanted to push him up, for sure, but definitely didn’t want to turn myself into the wall.”

How frustrated do you think Kyle Larson is going to be with you after this one?

“I’m the one standing here talking to you (at the infield care center). For everyone at Worldwide Express, Unishippers, GlobalTranz and to drive the big brown truck today with UPS on the hood was a dream come true. We had a shot and that’s all we could ask for.”

You had one of the dominant cars today, but Kyle Larson also had a dominant car. Take us through what happened.

“Just fully committed into turn one and got way tighter than I thought. For our Worldwide Express Chevy and driving the big brown truck with UPS on the hood today – definitely wanted to squeeze him (Kyle Larson) up, but didn’t want to turn myself and ultimately took ourselves out of the race.”

Chase Elliott, No. 9 LLumar Throwback Camaro ZL1

Finished: 3rd

I know you wanted to win, but you had a solid race.

“It was a solid finish, for sure. I felt like our No. 9 LLumar Chevy was plenty good enough to go up there and battle with those guys to win. I just struggled so bad in traffic; way worse than other guys do driving this caliber of a car. I just feel like from that standpoint, I’ve got a lot of work to do on my end. Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and our team has done a really good job preparing good racecars. Our pit stops really kept us in the game all day. Obviously we got really fortunate and lucky with those cautions coming out.”

Chase, your best finish since returning from the injury. I know it wasn’t easy. You had to start mid-pack. Take us through the race and how you felt at the end.

“Yeah, I feel like our car was plenty good, really, throughout the whole day. I just do such a terrible job getting up through traffic. I get stalled out behind guys, and I just feel like people driving cars like mine don’t do that. They tend to get up through there and get to where they belong.

I feel like everything on the other side of the wall and the car that I was driving was really, really good, so I need to just try to improve and keep going to work on the areas that I’m struggling in and try to build on the improvements we’ve made. But I certainly have a long ways to go.

Really proud of our No. 9 LLumar Chevy team’s effort to keep us in the fight. Pit stops were unreal, and obviously got really lucky there at the end with those guys crashing, and then the caution coming out quick for myself and guys like Brad (Keselowski) to keep our spots like that.

I’ll certainly take third, and appreciate all the effort this weekend. We’re making some small gains here and there, just got to get some more.”

Justin Haley, No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1

Finished: 8th

“Overall we had a good day. We found a good package in practice that we utilized to get a pretty decent qualifying spot compared to where we’ve been. We just kept our heads in the game all day, made some good changes and caught a few lucky breaks. We’re happy with today’s finish as a team. “

Noah Gragson, No. 42 Sunseeker Resorts Camaro ZL1

Finished: 26th

“Great day overall for our No. 42 Sunseeker Resorts Chevy team. I thought everybody at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB did a great job. I know it’s not the finish we want, but I think that’s the best race we’ve put together throughout the year. Not being so result-orientated, but more on just building the process and getting better as a team. This process is the most important thing to me right now. It’s been tough this year. I thought we put together a really good race, even with damage. We’re getting better – from practice, to qualifying, to the race. Those improvements, it’s going to take more weeks of it, but we need strong weeks like this. The pit crew did an unbelievable job day long. We picked up spots on pit road it felt like every time. I think this team is going to start getting into a rhythm now. These tracks coming up – a few of them I’ve ran, but it’s a little different running with a different organization. But once we get through these early summer months and start going to tracks for a second time, I really think we’re going to build on this program. Really happy with our day. Grateful for the process, improving and all the guys’ hard work.”

TEAM CHEVY RACE HIGHLIGHTS:

Stage One

· Team Chevy drivers took the third through seventh-place starting positions in today’s NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, led by the reigning Daytona 500 Champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and the No. 47 Kroger / Country Crock Camaro ZL1 team.

· The only caution in Stage One fell on lap 37 for fluid on the track, allowing the field to come down pit road for the race’s first round of pit stops. Daniel Suarez was issued a pit road speeding penalty, forcing the No. 99 Quaker State Camaro ZL1 team to restart the race from the rear of the field.

· Kyle Larson also had an issue during his pit stop under caution, putting the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 team back in the 23rd position for the restart with 47 laps to go.

· The remaining portion of the 90-lap opening stage went caution-free, with William Byron and the No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 team leading the Bowtie brigade in the runner-up position.

· Four drivers from four different Chevrolet teams recorded stage points with a top-10 finish in Stage One:

2nd William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1

4th Ross Chastain, No. 1 Worldwide Express / UPS Camaro ZL1

5th Kyle Busch, No. 8 Lucas Oil Camaro ZL1

7th Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Kroger / Country Crock Camaro ZL1

Stage Two

· During a round of pit stops during the stage break, Kyle Larson’s No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 pit crew laid down a quick stop to gain Larson four positions on pit road – the most positions gained among the top-10 cars.

· A strong contingency of Team Chevy drivers were represented in the top-10 of the running order mid-way through Stage One with William Byron – running in second – leading the manufacturer to five of top-eight positions at the lap 123 marker.

· With green-flag pit stops taking place at the mid-way point of the stage, Byron regained the second position as the field cycled through.

· In the closing laps of Stage Two, Chastain closed in on then-race leader Martin Truex Jr., ultimately taking the lead on lap 151.

· The battle for the stage win continued all the way to the green-white checkered flag, with Chastain ultimately taking the stage win – his fifth stage win of the season.

· Chastain led Team Chevy to five top-10 finishes in Stage Two, including a sweep of the top-four positions:

1st Ross Chastain, No. 1 Worldwide Express / UPS Camaro ZL1

2nd Kyle Busch, No. 8 Lucas Oil Camaro ZL1

3rd Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1

4th William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1

9th Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Kroger / Country Crock Camaro ZL1

Final Stage / Post-Race Notes

· Continuing a strong performance on pit road, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 pit crew powered off another fast stop during the stage break, getting Larson off first on pit road for a front-row starting spot for the green flag of the final stage.

· Running only a handful of laps at the start of the final stage, a caution flew on lap 193 for a multi-car accident involving Team Chevy drivers Erik Jones, Noah Gragson, Austin Dillon and Daniel Suarez. Dillon and Suarez’s teams were unable to make repairs, forcing an early departure from the race for both teams.

· After posting top-10 finishes in both stages, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. brought out the fifth caution of the day after spinning in turn three. Minimal damage to his Camaro ZL1 allowed the team to make repairs and continue in the race.

· Team Chevy drivers occupied the top-four running positions when another green-flag pit cycle began with 45 laps remaining in the race. As the green-flag stops cycled through, Larson regained the lead on lap 263.

· Larson and the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1 team was pacing the field when a spin by Ryan Newman with 18 laps to go brought out the sixth caution of the race. With the lead pack hitting pit road, race leader Larson pit for four tires and fuel, ultimately winning the race off pit road. Larson took the bottom lane at the choose cone to lead the field to the green with 13 laps to go.

· The final caution of the race involved the race’s top-two drivers – Larson and Chastain – ultimately setting up a green-white-checkered flag for the finish.

· Taking the final restart of the race from the front-row, Byron powered his No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 to the lead, leading the final two laps en route to his series-best third NASCAR Cup Series win of the 2023 season.

 

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.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes – NCS Darlington 1 Post-Race Quotes

By
Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Goodyear 400 | Sunday, May 14, 2023

FORD FINISHING RESULTS

2nd – Kevin Harvick

4th – Brad Keselowski

6th – Harrison Burton

9th – Ryan Blaney

10th — Chris Buescher

11th – Todd Gilliland

15th – Ryan Preece

17th – Chase Briscoe

18th – Joey Logano

19th – Austin Cindric

20th – Aric Almirola

28th – Ryan Newman

33rd – Michael McDowell

36th – Brennan Poole

KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 SunnyD Ford Mustang – “We had a good car all day. We just could never get up toward the front. Our Sunny Delight Ford Mustang struggled in traffic today, but we were really good at the second half of the run and just struggled at the beginning of the run. We had good track position and then had a bad pit stop under green, but had everything work out at the end. I didn’t have anything for WIlliam. The front is tore up pretty good, but they did a great job and just kind of kept ourselves in the game and you never know what’s gonna happen.”

KEVIN, HOW WAS YOUR DAY? “I think if you would have dropped us in first or second place we probably could have run there. The Fords struggle in traffic with this particular aero package and it’s hard to make up ground, and then we lost a bunch of ground on pit road under the green flag pit stop. Then we got toward the end and missed all the wrecks. Well, we came out the other side of the wrecks. We were in the wrecks, but just didn’t have any damage to the wheels and tires, just structural damage. WIlliam ended up being the only car that didn’t have damage and he just drove off, so still a good day for our Sunny Delight Ford Mustang and we’ll just keep plugging away.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Castrol GTX Ford Mustang – “I felt like at the end it turned into a wreckfest and we got tore up and salvaged what we could salvage. Ultimately, we were a fifth or sixth-place car all day and ended up fourth. It was a real solid day. I felt like the whole team did a great job. At the end it just turned into chaos and had all those wrecks and I was in the wrong lane and got tore up and from there we were just salvaging what we could, but it’s nice to come out of here with a fourth, a lot of stage points and something to hold our head up high with.”

HARRISON BURTON, No. 21 DEX Imaging Ford Mustang – “I felt like we kind of just bounced around 15th after we lost the top 10 track position early on pit road. That was a mixture of my fault and the pit crew, so it’s kind of nice we got the last caution and it was a chance for both of us to redeem ourselves and felt like we did that and got a decent finish out of it. I’m really proud of the DEX Imaging Ford Mustang guys and the Wood Brothers. It was a fast car. I mean, it felt relative to our alliance teammates at Team Penske. That’s been our goal as of late is to try and run with those guys and, relative to them, we were right there. It’s a good day for us and something to build on.”

HOW BADLY DID THIS TEAM NEED A GOOD FINISH LIKE THIS? “We really needed it. The last few weeks we’ve kind of been on the other side of it, where we’ve been fast and didn’t have anything to show for it. This week was kind of the opposite. We were probably a 10th-place car and finished sixth. That was just about execution at the end, restarts at the end and getting a decent finish.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford Mustang – “Track position was big. We got decent in the second stage. We long-pitted and I thought we made up good ground. We went from 18th to eighth and our car was pretty respectable there. but then the track went tight on us and we lost a little bit of speed and handling. We lined up there at the end and just got caught. They stacked up and destroyed the nose, so it was just one of those days.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang – “We worked hard today with our Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang to get it better. We got rolling pretty good and avoided the last two wrecks. We really wanted to see what we could do with those last 10 green flag laps to see what we could do with it, but just didn’t get that opportunity. The way this day started, we’d have taken a 10th if you would have told us we could get there. We still have a little work to do, but it’s such a track position sensitive race again. We were just planted and basically stuck and that’s why the restarts are as chaotic as they are.”

Toyota Racing NCS Post-Race Recap — Darlington 5.14.23

By
Official Release
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WALLACE TALLIES TOYOTA TOP-FIVE AT DARLINGTON
Eventful Race at the Lady in Black Yields a Camry Top-five Result

DARLINGTON, S.C. (May 14, 2023) – Bubba Wallace endured an eventful final stage of Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway to claim a top-five finish. Wallace started on the outside of the front row and contended within the top-five and top-10 for much of the race. Fellow Toyota teammate, Martin Truex Jr. started from the pole position and led a race-high 145 laps (of 295), but contact coming to the end of stage two caused handling damage to his Camry and an accident from the third position on a restart ultimately ended the day for the No. 19 Toyota.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Darlington Raceway
Race 13 of 36 – 400.2 miles, 293 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, William Byron*
2nd, Kevin Harvick*
3rd, Chase Elliott*
4th, Brad Keselowski*
5th, BUBBA WALLACE
12th, DENNY HAMLIN
14th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
16th, TY GIBBS
22nd, TYLER REDDICK
31st, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 Dr. Pepper Toyota Camry TRD, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

Definitely a battle on the track today, but a top-five finish. How do you feel about your result?

“Yeah, unfortunately we had that one bad pit stop that set us behind, but this team never gives up. It feels good to rebound fifth. I keep looking at that pylon and I’m still pissed off. There are a couple cars up there that were in a wreck that got put back in front of us. That’s bull crap and it’s frustrating that we got beat like that because I feel that our car was really good, especially at the beginning. I thought we were a second-place car to the 19 (Martin Truex Jr.). All in all for Dr. Pepper, Toyota, this 23 team, proud of our guys, proud of the pit crew for rebounding and giving us a shot with a good points day.”

How strong was your race car today?

“I thought we were a second-place car. I put that down in the debrief and thought the 19 (Martin Truex Jr.) was really strong. I don’t know what got him in the back. Pit stops hurt us, that one kind of set us back, but they rebounded and executed the rest of the time. Appreciate that. Just aero, such a big aero place even when tires wear out. The groove goes to the top and you’re just trying to find your way. Proud of our team and proud of our team for staying in it. Things were starting to fall our way there and ended up fifth. Solid points day. Continuing to climb so it’s good.”

How was your race today overall?

“It was a good day and a good day for our Dr. Pepper Fastest Can Camry was almost the fastest can. We were close. It was a good points day and we have to keep climbing. It’s a long, long season with a lot of races left in front of us. I said it last week, it should be scary for the rest of the field that we’re on this roll and on this roll for momentum reminds me a lot of the fall last year. Just have to keep building off of it. We have the week off next week – let’s go get in some fights and win a million dollars and then go kick their ass at Charlotte like we did last year. Just a frustrating day. I feel like we could have finished third. There were two cars in front of us that had some damage from the wreck and they got put back in front of us. I know I’m beating a dead horse and it doesn’t mean anything, but it’s frustrating because we got beat by that today.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 31st

What happened on the restart that ultimately ended your race?

“When we got into (Ross) Chastain there at the end of the second stage going for the win in that, it knocked the tow out so we were tight from there on out. Just an unfortunate deal. There was plenty of room there, but he just came off the wall and hit me. Like I said, knocked the tow out in the right front. Pretty crappy from there and then on that restart I guess I just got real tight and I don’t even know who I squeezed into the wall, but I apologize to them. Probably my fault, just got real tight and couldn’t stay down the track.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 22 electrified options.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

William Bryon Tames Darlington, wins third race of the season

By
Angie Campbell
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Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

William Byron was in the right place at the right time at Darlington Raceway and took advantage of the opportunity to score his third NASCAR Cup Series win of the season in overtime at the track “Too Tough to Tame.”

As the final laps wound down, Ross Chastain and Kyle Larson wrecked each other while racing for the win, bringing out the final caution flag and setting up an overtime finish in the Goodyear 400.  

“Larson’s crew chief, Cliff Daniels, was furious and expressed his anger on the team radio.

How does that make any sense, running us into the fence? That’s three races he’s taken us out of—the 1 car—three races he’s taken us out of.”

Chastain, who finished 29th, took the blame for the incident but indicated it was not intentional.

“Full commit into Turn 1,” he said. “I got really tight and drove up and turned myself. I wanted to squeeze him. I wanted to push him up. We’d been racing back and forth all day. But I definitely didn’t want to turn myself.”

Bryon, now in the lead, led the field back to green and held off Kevin Harvick to capture his seventh career Cup Series victory and the 100th NASCAR win for the No. 24 car.

But it was also a bittersweet moment for Byron.

“Yeah, it’s pretty amazing,” he said. “My granddad passed away on Thursday, and just, man, I wish my family could be here. Just things have a way of working out, honestly. It just worked out that way today. We didn’t have the best third stage. We just kept battling, and things just kind of come back around. Definitely didn’t expect this.”

Kevin Harvick finished second followed by Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, and Bubba Wallace, rounding out the top five.

“We had a good car all day,” Harvick said. “We just never could get up towards the front in our Sunny Delight Ford Mustang. Struggled in traffic today, but we were really good at the second half of the run and just struggled at the beginning of the run.

“But we had good track position, then had a bad pit stop under green, and then wound up having everything work out there at the end, didn’t have anything for William. The front is torn up pretty good. But they did a great job and just kind of kept ourselves in the game, and you never know what’s going to happen.”

Martin Truex Jr. was dominant for much of the race, winning Stage 1 and leading 145 laps, but developed handling issues after contact with Chastain and finished in 31st.

“When we got into Chastain there at the end of the second stage going for the win in that, it knocked the toe out, so we were tight from there on out,” Truex said. “Just an unfortunate deal. There was plenty of room there, but he just came off the wall and hit me.

“Like I said, knocked the toe out in the right front. Pretty crappy from there, and then on that restart (Lap 281), I guess I just got real tight, and I don’t even know who I squeezed into the wall, but I apologize to them. Probably my fault, just got real tight and couldn’t stay down the track.”

Ross Chastain currently leads the Cup Series points standings. Christopher Bell is second (– 27), Harvick is third (– 29), Denny Hamlin is fourth (– 36) and William Bryon is fifth – 42.

Jeansonne Gets Long-Awaited First Mazda MX-5 Cup Win in Monterey

By
Official Release
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The new Northern California resident held off teammate for home track victory and moves to championship lead

MONTEREY, Calif. (May 14, 2023) – Round Six of the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires was a fairytale for Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 JTR Motorsports Engineering) as he converted his pole position into a dramatic breakthrough victory on Sunday. The former Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout Champion has been chasing a win since 2021 and finally captured it in front of a crowd of supporters after coming home just 0.170-seconds clear of the field.

Jeansonne was joined on the podium by teammate and defending series champion Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Engineering) and Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports).

The start of Sunday’s Mazda MX-5 Cup race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca was delayed by more than an hour due to thick fog that impacted visibility for corner workers. When racing was finally underway, the cold and damp track surface resulted in several off-course excursions and the first full-course caution was issued before a full racing lap was completed. It was just enough time for Saturday’s race winner Connor Zilisch (No. 72 Hixon Motor Sports) to snag the lead from Jeansonne.

Zilisch held the top spot on the restart and a lead pack started to form that included Jeansonne, Thomas and Nate Cicero (No. 83 McCumbee McAleer Racing).

The second full-course caution came out following a multi-car incident in Turn 10, including one car making a dramatic track exit with a series of flips before coming to a stop on its roof. Thankfully, the driver, Zane Hodgen (No. 4 JTR Motorsports Engineering), was okay and got out of the car under his own power and was cleared by IMSA medical officials.

During the caution period, the race story took another dramatic turn as Zilisch pulled off track from the lead, with a broken axle, handing the lead to then second-place Thomas before green-flag racing even resumed.

With the fog fully cleared, a perfect sightline emerged. Jeansonne put his head down and focused on a good restart. His path to victory was slowed for one final full-course caution for John Jodoin (No. 39 McCumbee McAleer) who became stuck off track in the gravel.

Just ten minutes remained when the race went green for a final sprint to the checkered flag. Jeansonne kept his cool as he built a small margin to the field on the restart, but Thomas, the 2022 MX-5 Cup Series champion and Daytona race winner put up an intense fight, chasing Jeansonne all the way to the finish. Jeansonne crossed the line just 0.170-seconds ahead of his JTR Motorsports Engineering teammate as the squad claimed a 1-2 finish.

“I was tired of reading about how I haven’t won yet!” said Jeansonne. “So today was a good day to get it done at my home track. I have a lot of friends here and Turn2 Drivers Club guests here, my sponsor. I’m so thankful for the support. What an awesome race, man. Jared [Thomas] was putting the pressure on me. I was just trying to hit my marks and not make any mistakes. He was so fast. I just had to stay perfect to stay ahead of him. I can’t think of a better way to do it than with a one two with my teammate.”

“It was a weird race with the delay and the fog, so we started later than what we were supposed to. We did a lot of waiting around for a while. We had one really long caution. I’m sending prayers to my buddy and teammate Zane [Hodgen]. I really hope he’s okay.”

Even though Thomas and Jeansonne share a transporter as teammates, they didn’t go easy on each other as Thomas used every trick he had to find a way by at the end.

“I’m going to fight him to the death because that is what is going to making him a better race car driver,” said Thomas. “They (wins) don’t mean anything if they are easy. I’m super excited for him. I hope Zane [Hodgen] is okay, it’s never a good thing when you see one of your cars in a wreck like that. I hope he’s okay. Another podium for both JTR cars. Just a good weekend and a great weekend for me to get back in the car.”

With a fog-induced delay, a dramatic crash and a pair of hectic restarts, Rollan used his experience and poise to race his way back to the podium and he got the chance to celebrate with his mom post-race.

“The race was good and I’m happy to be on the podium, it’s my first podium (of the year),” said Rollan. “Happy Mother’s Day, thanks to my mom for being here and I look forward to getting another podium again soon. I got some damage on the first lap avoiding Gresham’s [Wagner] spinning car in (turn) six. So that hurt the handling of the car, but I was happy to go from seventh back to third. It sucks that Connor [Zilisch] couldn’t finish. I’m happy to get the podium and happy to keep a nice consistent season going and looking forward to the next one.”

Cicero, the current Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout winner, got his first top-five finish by crossing the line in fourth. Bryce Cornet (No. 65 Spark Performance) completed the top five.

The provisional point standings see Jeansonne move to the top of the field with 1,810 points, as the DNF for Zilisch contributed to him losing the championship lead (1,670 points). Rollan holds third with 1,630 points.

Each race winner receives $6,000 from Mazda, but whomever is atop the point standings at season’s end will receive $250,000.

Speaking of cash, Hanna Zellers (No. 74 Hixon Motor Sports) scored $2,000 for being the top finishing female of the race. A prize she won in Saturday’s race as well.

Mazda MX-5 Cup has some time off before Rounds Seven and Eight at Watkins Glen International, June 22 – 24.

About: The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. The series has been operated by Andersen Promotions since 2017 and is currently sanctioned by IMSA. Mazda-powered grassroots champions can earn Mazda scholarships for this pro-level series. The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup awards more than $1 million in prizes and scholarships.

Find out more at http://www.mx-5cup.com.

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