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DISAPPOINTING WEEKEND FOR No. 93 HARRISON CONTRACTING COMPANY ACURA NSX GT3 EVO22 TEAM AT NOLA MOTORSPORTS PARK

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(Deland, Fla.) May 1, 2023 — Returning to the site of the pair’s first win in 2022, Ashton Harrison and Mario Farnbacher had their sights set on repeating last year’s success in the No. 93 Harrison Contracting Company Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 with Racers Edge Motorsports and Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) at NOLA Motorsports Park.

The driver pairing displayed impressive speed inside the No. 93 Rely on Red Acura as Harrison qualified third for Saturday’s Race 1 and Farnbacher claimed pole position for Sunday’s Race 2 in the Fanatec GT World Challenge PRO class. As the field finally saw the green for Race 1 after a two-hour delay due to rain and standing water, track conditions played a heavy hand in the action on track. Harrison held steady in the first stint before handing over the car to Farnbacher. At first, the wet track conditions appeared manageable, but as the track began to dry, an unfortunate mistake occurred when Farnbacher hit a puddle, causing the car to go off the track and into the gravel trap, ultimately resulting in the team’s elimination from Race 1.

Sunday’s Race 2 brought better weather conditions and Farnbacher led the PRO class to the green flag from pole position. First lap contact created difficulties for the Farnbacher, but he was able to work his way back up into the lead of the PRO class. Once Harrison took over inside the No. 93 Rely on Red machine, it looked to be a promising result, possibly even a class win, before contact with the second-place class competitor forced the No. 93 Rely on Red Acura off track and into the gravel, placing the team multiple laps down and out of podium contention.

The No. 93 Harrison Contracting Company Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 with Racers Edge Motorsports and WTRAndretti team next head to the Circuit of the Americas on May 19 for Rounds 5 and 6 on the Fanatec GT World Challenge schedule.

No. 93 Harrison Contracting Company Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 DRIVER QUOTES:

Ashton Harrison:
“Obviously, not the way we expected the weekend to go. I’m really proud of everyone’s efforts at Racers Edge Motorsports, HPD and the support from Harrison Contracting and WTRAndretti because we came into the weekend really strong, and we obviously had high expectations, but I know we went into each race full push the whole time and I think we did our absolute best. Even though the results aren’t what we wanted, I do believe that we continue to showcase the performance of Racers Edge, Mario and I and the competition that we have the rest of the season. I’m looking forward to regrouping and getting ready for COTA in a few short weeks.”

Mario Farnbacher:
“It wasn’t our weekend. We had good pace, not our strongest car, but I think we had good overall pace to perform. We were able to collect some good points through the race week. Unfortunately, with the wet track in Race 1 drying, I personally made a mistake. Ashton did a fantastic opening stint, her first time in this car in the rain, so that was a very good start for her, and she gave the car to me in a good position to fight on track. Unfortunately, I had a slight mistake but that’s what happens sometimes. We’re all human and there is always room for error, even as a pro driver. Really sorry to the team and the points lost. In Race 2, we had contact from a competitor that caused damage to the car and I drove the entire stint with the effects of that damage. Ultimately, even with not the best car, we were able to get by the leading class car. Then I gave the car over to Ashton, and she did a really good job defending the lead from the second-place class car before unfortunately he made contact and took the position away and we ended up in the gravel. Very disappointed about the outcome of this weekend. We had a good car, just couldn’t make a lot of it. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Obviously, this weekend wasn’t meant to be. We’ll put our heads up, learn from our mistakes and focus on Texas where we are going to come back strong and turn around from what we lost this weekend”

About Harrison Contracting
Harrison Contracting Company, Inc. (HCC) is a commercial painting and facility maintenance contracting company headquartered in Villa Rica, GA with divisional offices in Florida and Texas. HCC provides repainting/reimaging and facility maintenance services nationwide, and new construction painting across the southeastern US. At HCC, red is more than the company color, its culture. RED stands for Reliable, Experienced, and Diligent, and is the cornerstone for all we do. We are more than just your painter; we are your partner.

About the HPD Driver Academy Program
The Honda Performance Development (HPD) Driver Academy Program was developed to enable qualified racers to accelerate their racing career via ‘on-track’ and ‘off-track’ training from experienced Acura/Honda professional drivers, HPD-supported teams, and HPD personnel. The program includes sessions in the championship winning Acura NSX GT3 Evo or Honda Civic Type R TCR teaching the special knowledge and various skills required for professional sports car racing. The program is available by application-only and is limited to eight students per year.

About Honda Performance Development
Honda Performance Development, Inc., (HPD) has a rich heritage creating, manufacturing, and supporting Honda Racing and Acura Motorsports customers since 1993 from pinnacle racing in INDYCAR and IMSA to commercial racing programs. HPD is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and leads all of Honda and Acura’s high-performance racing programs in North America, specializing in the design and development of race engines, chassis and performance parts, as well as technical and race support.

Iowa Lottery Named Official Partner of Knoxville Raceway

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KNOXVILLE, Iowa (May 1, 2023) – Fans of Knoxville Raceway hit the jackpot when officials from the “Sprint Car Capital of the World” announced that Iowa Lottery has been named an Official Partner of the legendary half-mile dirt oval located on the Marion County Fairgrounds.

Iowa Lottery will activate its partnership with Knoxville Raceway by rewarding VIP lottery players with one-of-a-kind, at-track experiences throughout the 2023 season. Meanwhile the lottery will partner with track as the presenting sponsor of the July 14 Sara Evans and Walker Montgomery concert. Finally, the partnership will reach a fever pitch August 10 with Iowa Lottery Qualifying Night for the 62nd running of the NOS Energy Knoxville Nationals.

Since the lottery’s start in 1985, Iowa Lottery players have won more than $5.4 billion in prizes while raising more than $2.3 billion for the state programs that benefit all Iowans. Today, lottery proceeds help Iowa in multiple ways. They help Iowa veterans and their families through the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund. They help the families of Iowa peace officers, firefighters and corrections employees who die in the line of duty. And they provide help for a variety of significant projects through the state General Fund.

“The Iowa Lottery seeks out exclusive experiences it can offer to its players as premium prizes, and this opportunity to partner with Knoxville Raceway delivers on that front,” said Jon Roth, Iowa Lottery Chief Revenue Officer. “We’re glad to highlight an Iowa racing institution through our work. It will be an exciting summer of racing – and winning – for lottery players and race fans.”

The Knoxville Raceway calendar of events stretches from the middle of April through mid-September and includes weekly championship racing for 410, 360 and Pro Series Sprint Cars. In addition to the famed Knoxville Nationals, the World of Outlaws, United States Auto Club (USAC), All Star Circuit of Champions and Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series all make regular stops at the iconic venue, drawing crowds from across Iowa and around the globe.

“Knoxville Raceway has been fortunate to build relationships with an incredible group of partners, both locally and at a national level and we’re thrilled to add Iowa Lottery to that family,” said Knoxville Raceway General Manager Jason Reed. “Our partnership with Iowa Lottery is a win-win and affords both the track and the lottery rich opportunities to grow our customer bases. We’ve been handicapped by the weather recently but we can’t wait to get the season started and introduce new fans to Knoxville Raceway and the Iowa Lottery.”

Tickets for Knoxville Raceway’s 2023 season are now available online. Suite availability, camping and parking information is also available at track’s website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram platforms as it becomes available.

About Iowa Lottery …
Since the Iowa Lottery’s start in 1985, its profits have helped make Iowa a better place to live, work and raise a family. The Lottery provides entertainment and prizes to its players while at the same time raising billions of dollars for the state programs that benefit all Iowans. Through the years, Lottery funds have been used in a variety of ways to enhance the state, including projects to create new recreation areas, support research at Iowa’s public universities, benefit Iowa veterans, support surviving family members of Iowa peace officers and fire fighters who die in the line of duty, develop new products and techniques for agriculture, and promote tourism. For that, the Iowa Lottery thanks its players. When you play the Lottery, Iowa wins.

About Knoxville Raceway…
Located on the Marion County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Iowa, Knoxville Raceway is a half-mile dirt track that hosts winged CT525, 360- and 410-winged sprint car racing Saturday nights from April to September. The “Sprint Car Capital of the World” also hosts the Knoxville Nationals, sprint car racing’s most prestigious event, every August. Additionally, the storied venue hosts the 360 Knoxville Nationals as well as the Late Model Knoxville Nationals. Knoxville Raceway is the third-largest outdoor stadium in Iowa with 20,377 seats and 33 luxury suites.

CORVETTEPARTS.NET TO HONOR KEVIN HARVICK WITH NO.43 CHEVY THROWBACK SCHEME

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KeenParts.com / CorvetteParts.net will run a special throwback scheme honoring NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick at the upcoming NASCAR Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway. Ryan Ellis and the No.43 Chevy Camaro will run a scheme inspired by Kevin Harvick’s infamous GM Goodwrench Quicksilver scheme he ran in 2005 in the NASCAR All-Star race.

Harvick announced earlier this year that the 2023 season would be his last full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series. His Hall-of-Fame caliber career has been highlighted by a NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2014, a Daytona 500 win in 2007, two NASCAR Xfinity Series championships (2001 and 2006), and 60 NASCAR Cup Series victories.

Keen Parts is a leading manufacturer and retailer of Corvette parts and accessories. We have over thirty years of happy customers all over the world and look forward to helping you with your Corvette needs. We are not an anonymous Corvette website. Our retail shop and warehouses are located in Cleves, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati. We are right off Interstate Highway I-74 and only six minutes from Cincinnati. We stock parts available for Corvettes from 1953 to the present. If you own a Corvette, we have the Corvette parts and accessories that you need! Visit www.CorvetteParts.net or call 1-800-757-KEEN (5336).

“I’ve been racing in NASCAR now for about eleven years now, and Kevin is one of those guys I’ve looked up to since before I even entered the sport,” said Ryan Ellis, driver of the No.43 CorvetteParts.net Chevy Camaro. “He’s an old-school driver who has earned respect through hard work and has done a phenomenal job representing our sport. He’s definitely one of my favorite drivers, and I know he is also one of TJ Keen’s favorites. I really hope we can do a great job on track carrying this beautiful scheme around Darlington Raceway, and I hope that fans love this scheme as much as we do. Tom and TJ Keen have always been so big on giving drivers and teams the opportunity to choose throwback schemes. TJ even let me honor my grandfather a few years ago with a throwback scheme that meant nothing to anyone outside of

my family, so for us to be able to race a scheme that honors a driver we’re both a big fan of, hopefully, gives her some of the joy that she and Tom have been able to provide for us for years. And hopefully, it helps draw attention to their Corvette Parts business CorvetteParts.net because they work so hard to support teams like ours.”

Ellis briefly stepped away from the driver’s seat in 2016 as a career to become the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Go Fas Racing. It was there that he met Tom and TJ Keen of CorvetteParts.net. When Go Fas closed its doors at the end of the 2020 season, Ellis took the leap back into the driver’s seat, primarily supported by the long-time sponsor of the GFR team, CorvetteParts.net / Keen Parts. Since then, the Keen’s have backed Ellis, leading to him joining the Alpha Prime Racing team in 2022. They’re scheduled to be the primary sponsor for Ellis and the No.43 Chevy for six races this season, with Darlington being the first of the six.

TUNE-IN INFORMATION:
The Shriner’s Children’s 200 will be broadcasted live on FOX beginning at 1:30 pm ET Saturday, May 13th. A brief 30-minute practice for Saturday’s 200-mile race will take place Friday at 5:05 pm, with single-car qualifying following at 5:35 pm. Radio coverage will be on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM.

ABOUT KEEN PARTS / CORVETTEPARTS.NET
Keen Parts is a leading manufacturer and retailer of Corvette parts and accessories. We have over thirty years of happy customers all over the world and look forward to helping you with your Corvette needs. We are not an anonymous Corvette website. Our retail shop and warehouses are located in Cleves, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati. We are right off Interstate Highway I-74 and only six minutes from Cincinnati. We stock parts available for Corvettes from 1953 to the present. If you own a Corvette, we have the Corvette parts and accessories that you need! Visit www.CorvetteParts.net or call 1-800-757-KEEN (5336).

ABOUT ALPHA PRIME RACING:
Alpha Prime Racing is a NASCAR Xfinity Series team co-owned by NASCAR driver Tommy Joe Martins and Alpha Prime Sports Founder and CEO Caesar Bacarella. The team was initially founded in 2009 under the name Martins Racing and has since grown into a three-car Chevrolet team, adding the No. 43 Chevrolet in 2023, primarily piloted by Ryan Ellis.

Blake Bainbridge Joins GMS Racing as Crew Chief for the No. 43 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Team

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Official Release
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STATESVILLE, NC (May 1st, 2023): GMS Racing today announced a shift in leadership for the No. 43 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team, effective immediately ahead of the next race at Kansas Speedway.

Blake Bainbridge will assume the role of Crew Chief for Daniel Dye, replacing Travis Sharpe, who has amicably parted ways with the organization. Bainbridge joins the team from Halmar-Friesen Racing, where he most recently served as Crew Chief on the No. 52 NCTS entry driven by Stewart Friesen.

Bainbridge’s experience in the NASCAR industry runs far and wide spanning over two decades, holding a career both on top of the pit box and behind the wheel. In addition to his knowledge of the NCTS garage, the Hueytown, AL native has also spent time competing in the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series, where in 2004, he won at Darlington Raceway for Rusty Wallace Racing with driver Jamie McMurray.

“You know, I’m really looking forward to taking on a new challenge with all the talented people at GMS Racing. I haven’t really known Daniel all that well, but from looking at how well he was able to run in ARCA last year, I can tell that he is hungry to prove himself. Having the chance to guide a rookie is something that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed during my career, so working Daniel is going to be fun. I’m thankful for the opportunity and am ready to make the most out of this season with our No. 43 team.” remarked Bainbridge.

Daniel Dye continues to challenge for Sunoco Rookie Of The Year honors during his freshman season. The second-generation driver from Deland, Florida, made the move up the development ladder following a successful year-and-a-half stint in the ARCA Menards Series in which he won at Berlin Raceway in 2021 and finished runner up in the series points standings in 2022. In seven NCTS races ran this year, Dye ranks 21st in points with a best finish of 16th place at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“We are always looking at the ways we can improve our program and believe that bringing Blake onto the team will do just that. Blake is well-known in the garage area and has a ton of talent, so he will be a perfect fit for Daniel as he continues to learn the ropes of the Truck Series in his rookie year. We are appreciative of everything that Travis has done for our organization in helping build our third truck team, and definitely want to wish him the best moving forward in his career.” stated Tom Ackerman, Technical Director for GMS Racing.

The next event for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will be held at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, May 6th. Fans can tune-in to FOX Sports 1, MRN Radio, and Sirius XM NASCAR for live coverage of the Heart of America 200. Continued updates on GMS Racing will be shared via the team’s social media handles, @GMSRacingLLC.

ABOUT GMS RACING:

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Truck Series operating the No. 23, No. 24, and No. 43 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs for drivers Grant Enfinger, Rajah Caruth, and Daniel Dye. Since the team was formed in 2012, GMS Racing has won five titles across multiple series, including the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championship, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championships. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. including operations for GMS Fabrication. The GMS Racing campus also houses operations for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, a team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

Spectacular Spa one-two for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing

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Toyota City, Japan, May 1, 2023 – (JCN Newswire) – TOYOTA GAZOO Racing won an exciting one-two victory in the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps after a spectacular third round of the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Belgium.

Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez won the race from pole position in the #7 GR010 HYBRID to earn a Hypercar hat-trick for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing from the opening three races of 2023, following the team’s victories in Sebring and Portimao.

A remarkable fightback from a back-row start saw Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa, in the #8 GR010 HYBRID, earn an unexpected second place. They now lead the drivers’ World Championship by five points over the #7 crew.

Its seventh consecutive Spa victory means TOYOTA GAZOO Racing takes a 33-point World Championship lead over Ferrari into the centenary edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours on 10-11 June, the mid-point in the seven-race season.

Multiple incidents, changing weather and close battles throughout the 37-car field entertained a 72,000-strong crowd as a record 13 Hypercars fought for supremacy around the spectacular 7.004km Spa circuit, located just 120km from the team’s base in Cologne, Germany.

The action began right from the start when Mike led away on dry tyres, despite light rain. He dropped to seventh against competitors on wet tyres, but soon had a grip advantage and took sixth prior to a safety car period. Sebastien, also on dry tyres, made up an impressive 15 places on the opening lap.

The GR010 HYBRIDs charged through the field at the restart. Mike went from sixth to the lead in just over a lap whilst Sebastien cleared the LMP2 field and took seventh by lap 10. He maintained that momentum, passing the Glickenhaus and #5 Porsche on his way to fourth before the first pit stops.

Mike extended his lead to 30secs until the second-placed #3 Cadillac crashed after the 90-minute mark, and the resulting safety car closed the field. That incident put Sebastien into third and the GR010 HYBRIDs were soon running one-two after the Porsche #6 suffered a technical issue early in the third hour.

Jose took the wheel of the #7 and stretched his lead over Ryo, who was struggling with balance issues in the #8. He led by around a minute at half distance, but the gap was again reduced by another safety car period, midway through the fourth hour.

Jose held a slender lead when he handed the #7 to Kamui with just under two hours remaining. Brendon replaced Ryo in the #8 and briefly led, until Kamui overtook thanks to his hotter tyres, but the battle was put on hold moments later due to yet another safety car.

That set up a grandstand finish between the GR010 HYBRIDs with little separating the pair in the closing stages. With 45 minutes remaining, they made their final pit stops and Kamui resumed just behind Brendon, but closing fast after setting the fastest lap of the race.

A thrilling overtake at Raidillon put the #7 back in front and Kamui stretched his lead, taking the chequered flag after 148 laps to earn the #7 GR010 HYBRID’s second win of the season, by 16.637secs from Brendon in a perfect preparation for the Le Mans 24 Hours on 10-11 June.

Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car #7):

“That was a fantastic job from the whole team to get the maximum result possible from this race. Thank you to the team and everyone who supports us for their big effort to achieve this. It was absolutely amazing to drive the GR010 HYBRID here at Spa, especially in front of a such a crowd. I really felt a big support today; I have never seen so many spectators around here. It has been a challenging week, particularly in terms of tyre management. When you have new tyres you have massive grip but you get degradation so it was not easy to decide how much to push. We can be very happy to be here with a one-two after no issues during the race, considering how challenging it has been. In my stint I was fighting with the #8 car and it is never easy to fight against your team-mate but I think we made a good show. Now we aim to keep this going for Le Mans.”

Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car #7):

“That was a fantastic job from the whole team to get the maximum result possible from this race. Thank you to the team and everyone who supports us for their big effort to achieve this. It was absolutely amazing to drive the GR010 HYBRID here at Spa, especially in front of a such a crowd. I really felt a big support today; I have never seen so many spectators around here. It has been a challenging week, particularly in terms of tyre management. When you have new tyres you have massive grip but you get degradation so it was not easy to decide how much to push. We can be very happy to be here with a one-two after no issues during the race, considering how challenging it has been. In my stint I was fighting with the #8 car and it is never easy to fight against your team-mate but I think we made a good show. Now we aim to keep this going for Le Mans.”

Mike Conway (Driver, car #7):

“It was a crazy race but a great result for both cars. It was a tricky call at the beginning on the tyres but we knew it probably wasn’t going to rain again. We just had to survive as best we could. I lost a lot of positions but when the track dried, we had the right tyres and I picked off the guys ahead. The race went well but it was hard because as soon as we built a gap, it was eroded by a safety car. We made some good calls and Kamui and Jose did mega stints, pushing all the way to the end. Car #8 did well to finish second, so I am really happy to get such a result for the team.”

Jose Maria Lopez (Driver, car #7):

“I am very happy for the team to get a one-two from such a difficult race. As usual here at Spa the track conditions were challenging. We made a tough call to start with slicks on a damp track but it really paid off, thanks to Mike’s great stint. There were different emotions during the race; endurance racing is always like this. At one point I had a comfortable lead then the safety car reset it to zero. I had cars behind me on better tyres so had to deal with that. It was a brilliant performance by everyone on the team; the engineers, pit crew, Mike and Kamui, and of course the #8 car. I am so happy for everyone who worked very, very hard this weekend. It has not been easy but it paid off.”

Sebastien Buemi (Driver, car #8):

“Second place is a great recovery drive. Starting 36th on the grid and coming back to second place, after actually fighting for the win, is a real achievement. The win for car #7 makes it a perfect day and I am really happy for the team. It was an eventful race, particularly at the beginning with the rain, but I tried to stay out of trouble and just continue to move up the field. This is a good preparation for Le Mans; now we can get ready for June.”

Brendon Hartley (Driver, car #8):

“It is an amazing result for the whole team and a big recovery job from our car. Sebastien made an amazing start in tricky conditions and got through the field cleanly, after the team made the right call on tyres. That was a big decision, but it was the right one. Car #7 deserved the victory because they had a little more pace than us today, particularly in the middle part of the race. We went in a different direction on set-up; I couldn’t challenge Kamui in the final stint. We were one set of tyres down after what happened in qualifying so we can be very happy to finish second and take these points.”

Ryo Hirakawa (Driver, car #8):

“Considering our starting position, I am quite happy with this result. It was not easy all week, but we kept fighting and never gave up. Big thanks to the engineers, mechanics and of course Sebastien and Brendon who drove really well, for making it possible to recover a strong result after the disappointment in qualifying. A one-two for the team is the perfect result and the best preparation for Le Mans. Now I am looking forward to that.”

6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps – Result:
1st #7 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing 148 laps
2nd #8 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing +16.637secs
3rd #51 Ferrari AF Corse (Pier Guidi/Calado/Giovinazzi) +1min 14.439secs
4th #5 Porsche Penske (Cameron/Christensen/Makowiecki) +1min 17.264secs
5th #2 Cadillac Racing (Bamber/Lynn/Westbrook) +1 lap
6th #38 Hertz Team Jota (Da Costa/Stevens/Ye) +1 lap

News URL: https://www.acnnewswire.com/press-release/english/83444/

URL: https://plus.google.com/+toyotaglobal | Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/ToyotaMotorCorporation/ | Twitter : https://twitter.com/TOYOTA_PR/ | Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/user/toyotajpchannel/ | Linkedin : https://linkedin.com/company/toyota |

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Charlotte Post-Race Report — 4.30.23

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TWO TOYOTA GR SUPRAS MAKE CHARLOTTE FUNNY CAR FINAL ROUND APPEARANCE
Torrence Takes Toyota Top Fuel Dragster to Final Round

CHARLOTTE (April 30, 2023) – Two Toyota GR Supra Funny Cars made their way into the final quad in Sunday’s Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord, N.C. Alexis DeJoria and Ron Capps transferred into the final round after weather wreaked havoc on the overall race schedule. DeJoria was able to secure a runner-up result with a pass at 3.872 seconds. Capps would claim semi-final points with a pass at 3.923 seconds.

In Top Fuel dragster competition, Steve Torrence advanced to the final quad, but would red light and his time disallowed in the last round.

The NHRA Drag Racing Series will enjoy two off-weekends before returning to competition at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, IL, May 19-21.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
zMax Dragway
Race 5 of 21

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Steve TorrenceCapco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSemi-FinalW. 3.697 vs. J. Hart (W) 3.702 vs. T. Schumacher 3.753 vs. D. Mercier DNS W. 3.705 vs. J. Hart (W) 3.706 vs. D. Foley 3.791 vs. B. Force 7.420 L. 3.717 (red light) vs. A. Prock (W) 3.684 vs. L. Pruett 3.708 vs. J. Hart 3.756
Justin AshleyPhillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel DragsterRound TwoW. 5.820 vs. A. Prock (W) 3.686 vs. J. McNeal 4.607 vs. M. Salinas 5.853 L. 4.224 vs. A. Prock (W) 3.715 vs. L. Pruett 3.753 vs. P. Dakin 3.774
Shawn LangdonCMR Construction & Roofing Toyota Top Fuel DragsterRound OneL. 6.932 vs. L. Pruett (W) 3.702 vs. P. Dakin (W) 3.757 vs. D. Kalitta 5.799 
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterRound OneL. 6.346 vs. B. Force (W) 3.694 vs. D. Foley (W) 3.779 vs. C. Millican 5.268
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterRound OneL. 5.799 vs. L. Pruett (W) 3.702 vs. P. Dakin (W) 3.757 vs. S. Langdon 6.932

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny CarFinal RoundW. 3.854 vs. C. Green (W) 3.951 vs. M. Hagan 4.343 vs. D. Creasy Jr. 4.469 W. 3.883 vs. R. Capps (W) 3.881 vs. B. Tasca III 5.302 vs. C. Green 4.228 L. 3.872 vs. R. Hight (W) 3.888 vs. R. Capps 3.923 vs. J. Force 3.924
Ron CappsNAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny CarSemi-FinalW. 3.885 vs. B. Tasca III (W) 3.891 vs. T. Wilkerson 5.276 vs. D. Richards 7.659 W. 3.881 vs. A. DeJoria (W) 3.883 vs. B. Tasca III 5.302 vs. C. Green 4.228 L. 3.923 vs. R. Hight (W) 3.888 vs. A. DeJoria 3.872 vs. J. Force 3.924
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny CarRound OneL. 5.530 vs. R. Hight (W) 3.926 vs. M. McIntire Jr. (W) 3.940 vs. A. Laughlin 4.155

TOYOTA QUOTES

RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports

Final Result: Semi-Final

How challenging is a weekend like this with weather issues and four-wide racing?

“These are tough weekends, and these four-wide races add so many different elements on top of everything else. Not to mention, to have the weather like we had and working around that all weekend, it was challenging, but I’m so proud of my team because we worked hard and were able to turn things around on race day. Of course, it hurts not to win the race. We really felt like we were going to run an .85 or an .84, and that’s what Guido was trying to do, but not a bad weekend overall considering where it started.”

JUSTIN ASHLEY, Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Davis Motorsports

Final Result: Round Two

After an exciting advancement out of round one, how did you feel about round two?

“We qualified really well and we stole one in round one so we felt good going into round two. We couldn’t capitalize on that round, but we’ll learn from it and will move on to Chicago. I enjoy the four-wides, but I’m looking forward to getting back to the more traditional style of racing. We’ll go back to the shop and look at everything to continue to find ways to improve just like everyone else out here. I feel good about having a fast and consistent race car at this point in the year. We’re happy with where we are right now and there is going to be a lot of shuffling in the points between now and when the countdown starts.”

ANTRON BROWN, Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, AB Motorsports

Final Result: Round One

Coming off of the win in Las Vegas, how frustrating is it to get eliminated first round in Charlotte?

“This certainly wasn’t the race day we were looking for here at Charlotte coming off the win at (Las) Vegas two weeks ago and here last fall, but it just wasn’t meant to be today. This zMax track was tough to tame after the rains overnight and we just had too much power in that first round. We’ll learn from this and lick our wounds and get ready for Joliet (Ill.) in a few weeks. And we’re excited to get back to Route 66 (Raceway) and the Chicagoland area for the first time in a few years. That’s a great market for Matco Tools and FVP and Factory Motor Parts and the home track for FDC Coffee and we want to put on a good show for our partners. And, we get to race in the Mission 2Fast 2Tasty Challenge on Saturday for the first time. It’s a long season, we’ll regroup and hit it hard at Joliet.”

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.

Mercedes-AMG GT3 Teams and Drivers Secure Three Overall Race Wins and a Podium Lockout in Fanatec GT World Challenge and GT America Competition at NOLA Motorsports Park

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Official Release
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NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams and drivers across three racing series delivered another winning performance in SRO Motorsports America Competition at NOLA Motorsports Park this weekend. Three Mercedes-AMG GT3 teams combined to secure three overall race wins and a podium lockout to highlight a string of additional class wins, podium finishes and a Mercedes-AMG GT4 runner-up result decided in a photo finish.

For the second-straight SRO Motorsports America event, the weekend’s overall race winners were the No. 04 CrowdStrike Motorsports with Riley Mercedes-AMG GT3, co-driven by George Kurtz and Colin Braun, and the No. 101 TKO Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Memo Gidley.

Both teams factored into the most impressive result of the weekend which was a top-three podium lockout in Sunday’s second GT America powered by AWS 40-minute sprint race. Gidley took the victory to sweep the NOLA weekend with his third and fourth GT America victories in this season’s first six races. He was joined on the podium by Kurtz in second and a resurgent Jason Daskalos who finished third in the No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.

After just missing out on a podium finish last month at Sonoma Raceway, Daskalos also followed Gidley to the finish line in Saturday’s opening GT America race for a top-two Mercedes-AMG GT3 finish that was topped only by Sunday’s result. The strong NOLA finishes provisionally keep both Gidley and Daskalos first and second in the GT America early-season championship standings after the first half-dozen of this year’s 18 scheduled races.

Kurtz closed out the NOLA weekend with a convincing overall and Pro-Am class victory in Sunday’s featured Fanatec GT World Challenge America 90-minute race. Co-driving with longtime teammate Colin Braun, Kurtz stayed clear of several late-race incidents to secure his and the team’s second victory in this year’s first four GT World Challenge races.

Saturday’s rain-delayed GT World Challenge opener saw co-drivers Scott Smithson and Bryan Sellers step up for the best Mercedes-AMG results of the race with a second-place Pro-Am finish and top-five overall result in the No. 08 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.

In Pirelli GT4 America competition, co-drivers Michai Stephens and Jesse Webb couldn’t have come closer to their first overall race win together in the No. 34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 on Sunday. The 60-minute race was the only Pirelli GT4 race of the NOLA weekend after Saturday’s scheduled opener was postponed after a lengthy rain delay.

On Sunday, Stephens and Webb appeared to take their third-straight class win and maiden overall victory after co-driving to a pair of Silver-division victories in their first race weekend together last month in Sonoma. Stephens muscled past the race leader on the final lap of the race, but a drag race down the front straight to the checkered flag was too close to call.

Although race timing reports list Stephens as taking the No. 34 across the finish line .004 of a second ahead, officials awarded the victory and Silver-class win to their competitor by a similar margin after an apparent photo-finish review.

Saturday’s scrubbed race is expected to be added as third make-up race on a scheduled Pirelli GT4 doubleheader event weekend later in the season.

Additional NOLA weekend winners included Anthony Bartone and Andy Pilgrim in the No. 43 Bartone Bros. Racing with RealTime Mercedes-AMG GT3. The team and drivers secured uncontested Am-class wins in both Fanatec GT World Challenge races to highlight an otherwise up-and-down weekend that was considered a learning experience.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in SRO Motorsports America competition is an all-series weekend of competition at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, May 19 – 21. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer GT Daytona (GTD) and GTD Pro teams in turn next compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, May 12 – 14.

Memo Gidley, Driver – No. 101 Flying Lizard/TKO Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Frankly, I didn’t think we had it this weekend until Saturday morning. We made a couple of changes and went out in qualifying, and it shocked me. The car was feeling really good, and I knew we had a good chance then. On new tires, we were fastest again. We got caught in traffic, and second place was closing, but our car was better with the tires. The longer we went, I could just keep peeling off the laps without trying to hustle the car too much. On Sunday, I just put my head down and tried to get a little bit of a gap so that those guys would battle each other, and ultimately that’s what I think hurt them and allowed me to have some clear laps. The TKO Mercedes-AMG GT3 was hooked up and really great. The foundation of this group comes from Flying Lizard, which is awesome. TKO Motorsports stepped in and sponsors my car and provides people as well, and it’s the same thing. The entire group is very competitive.”

George Kurtz, Driver – No. 04 CrowdStrike Motorsports with Riley Mercedes-AMG GT3: “You’ve got to give credit to the CrowdStrike Riley team. They did a fantastic job, the strategy was amazing, they kept Colin out for as long as possible and gave me a great lead. We had a perfect pit stop. We made it interesting with a few restarts, but we were able to pull it out and it was a picture-perfect win. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 was so good here, it just did everything really well. The GT America race was great for Mercedes-AMG, one-two-three. We came from behind two spots to get P2, really battled hard with Jason, and I just had to pick my spot at the end. There were only a few minutes left, so we got it done in the esses through traffic and were able to put it away. We’re happy to be a part of the Mercedes-AMG family and look forward to the next race.”

Colin Braun, Driver – No. 04 CrowdStrike Motorsports with Riley Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I’m super proud of the strategy from the guys on the box. They are the best in the business. It was full push and I think we dropped a second a lap and put some good laps in to build the gap. It looked like it was going to be a relatively straightforward day and then we got all those yellows at the end. George did a fantastic job surviving the restarts each time and it was just very good execution all around.”

Bryan Sellers, Driver – No. 08 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We’re really close as a team. I think you can see a lot of potential from both cars. You can see some speed from both cars. Now it’s trying to get things to fall in our direction a little bit. For sure, we have a little bit more work to do in terms of speed to get the last little bit out, so we have to figure out how to get there to get a win. But I’m very happy with how the team is progressing. Each week we continue to build more and more continuity and more and more confidence and knowledge. I’m really looking forward to the next couple here and seeing what the future brings.”

Anthony Bartone, Driver – No. 43 and No. 427 Bartone Bros. Racing with RealTime Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We had some ups and downs this weekend. At the end of the day, as long as we learned something, that’s the objective. In GT America race one, I made a mistake and then in race two we got a penalty. I just went back out and worked on my race craft and got some guys. In Fanatec GT World Challenge we keep refining the car and getting more seat time for the future.”

Michai Stephens, Driver – No. 34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “The racing just goes to show how wonderful this series and the car itself is. All due credit to the Mercedes-AMG GT4 platform with the support of JMF/Conquest Racing and a tremendous teammate in Jesse Webb. It was nice to be there on the final step, and we tried to put it across the line nose first and we just got edged out at the end. So be it. We’re here, we’re enjoying all that we can, and it was neat that the Mercedes-AMG GT4 was still under us at the end of the race.”

Jesse Webb, Driver – No. 34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “This Mercedes-AMG GT4 is a beautiful platform to drive. It’s so balanced and a driver’s car. It was an unfortunate end to the day, but P2 is still a great result for us. What an incredible finish to be side by side across the line, and the entire race was a scrap the whole way through. It was one that kept you on the edge of your seat and I can’t complain. It was a good day at the office.”

CHEVROLET IN NHRA AT CHARLOTTE: CHEVROLET SWEEPS PRO CLASSES

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET IN NHRA
CIRCLE K NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT
APRIL 30, 2023

CHEVROLET SWEEPS ALL THREE PRO CATEGORIES AT ZMAX DRAGWAY IN CHARLOTTE

AUSTIN PROCK, ROBERT HIGHT, DERIC KRAMER TAKE HOME WALLYS FROM THE CIRCLE K NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS TO GIVE CHEVROLET 428 TOTAL NHRA PRO WINS

  • Robert Hight, in the John Force Racing Camaro SS Funny Car, notched his second win of the 2023 NHRA season, the 63rd of his career, his seventh at zMAX Dragway, and the 157th class win for Chevrolet
  • Austin Prock, from John Force Racing, notched his first Top Fuel win of the season, the fourth of his career, and 20th for Chevrolet in Top Fuel
  • Deric Kramer of KB Titan Racing raced his Camaro SS to his fifth career NHRA Pro Stock victory, his first since Charlotte 2019, and the 252nd victory for Chevrolet in the Camaro body
  • John Force raced to a semi-final finish
  • Brittany Force (Top Fuel) went out in semi-final quad with tire shake
  • Chevrolet was represented in all three pro category final rounds.
  • Brittany Force earned her 45th No. 1 qualifier Saturday, her third in a row in 2023.
  • Matt Hartford earned the No. 1 qualifier spot Saturday for KB Titan Racing, with teammate Dallas Glenn earning No. 2 for second consecutive event

CHARLOTTE (April 30, 2023) – After more than a three and one-half hour rain delay, the NHRA Circle K Four-Wide Nationals resumed at zMAX Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway near Charlotte, NC. Chevrolet was represented in all three Pro classes, Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock final rounds, and came away with three wins.

Robert Hight drove his John Force Racing Camaro SS Funny Car to his second victory of the 2023 NHRA season and the 63rd of his career over runner-up Alexis DeJoria. Scoring a semi-final finish in the final Funny Car quad run was 16-time NHRA Funny Car Champion John Force and Ron Capps.

It was Austin Prock, driver of the John Force Racing Top Fuel dragster, capturing the Wally for the Bowtie brand in Top Fuel, earning his fourth career victory and first of the season against runner-up Leah Pruett. Josh Hart and Steve Torrence scored semi-final finishes in the final quad run of the event.

Deric Kramer kept KB Titan Racing’s winning streak alive, scoring the Wally in Pro Stock with a win in his Camaro SS over teammate Dallas Glenn. Matt Hartford and Fernando Cuadro, Jr. were the semi-finalists.

Len Lottig took his COPO Camaro to Factory Stock Showdown Winner’s Circle, notching his first win this season, with his last coming at Gainesville in 2022.

Up next for the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series is the Gerber Collision and Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Joliet, Illinois May 19-21, 2023. Broadcast of Sunday’s eliminations will air live at 6 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1).

ROUND 1 RECAP

Top Fuel:

· No. 1 Brittany Force, her 45th No. 1 qualifier award, and No. 16 Doug Foley defeated No. 8 Antron Brown and No. 9 Clay Millican

· No. 7 Austin Prock and No. 2 Justin Ashley defeated No. 10 Mike Salinas and No. 15 Jacob McNeal

Funny Car:

· No. 7 John Force, and No. 2 Cruz Pedregon defeated No. 10 Blake Alexander and No. 15 John Smith.

· No. 3 Robert Hight and 11 Mike McIntire, Jr. defeated No. 11 JR Todd and No. 14 Alex Laughlin

Pro Stock:

· No. 1 Matt Hartford, and No. 8 Deric Kramer advanced over No. 9 Troy Coughlin, Jr. and No. 16 David Cuadra.

· No. 13 Aaron Stanfield, along with No. 6 Greg Anderson defeated No. 4 Christian Cuadra and No. 9 Chris McGaha

· No. 2 Dallas Glenn and No. 15 Fernando Cuadra, Jr. defeated No. 7 Camrie Caruso and No. 10 Mason McGaha.

· No. 3 Kyle Koretsky, along with No. 14 Jerry Tucker, defeated No.6 Erica Enders and No. 11 Bo Butner, III

SEMIFINALS

Top Fuel:

· Austin Prock defeated Ashley, Pruett and Dakin

Funny Car:

· Robert Hight, defeated J Force, Pedregon and McIntire

Pro Stock:

· D. Glenn, M Hartford and D Kramer defeated K Koretsky, J Tucker, A Stanfield and G Anderson, to advance to the Four-Wide Finals..

FINALS

Top Fuel:

· A Prock defeated Pruett, Torrence and Hart to capture Wally

Funny Car:

· R Hight defeated DeJoria. J Force and Ron Capps to win Wally.

Pro Stock:

· Kramer defeats Glenn, Hartford and F. Cuadra, Jr. to win Wally

ROBERT HIGHT, AUSTIN PROCK, DERIC KRAMER NHRA WINNER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:

ROBERT HIGHT:

THOSE CHANGES PAID OFF WITH THE WIN, HOW GOOD OF A FEELING IS THAT TODAY?

“This is a big weekend for us. The car went down the track in every run and really hats off to the NHRA and the Safety Safari. They have had challenging conditions all weekend and I know they have worked long, long hours. They couldn’t get rubber on the track earlier in the week with it raining. And they just did a great job, and as you can see, there was a lot of side-by-side racing. All four cars, all four lanes. Great E.T.s and speed. So good job to NHRA Safety Safari. Its tough enough to do two lanes, and prep them right, but to do four, they really deserve to be sitting up here and not me. We did change our car around. Two first round losses in a row and we stayed and tested in Vegas on Monday. And we actually had some ignition problems and I was thinking ‘awe man, we aren’t really going to get the data that we need with the clutch’. Because the engine didn’t run right. But Jimmy (Prock) says, ‘nope, we are going to be fine’. To come in here and make seven respectable runs, and get down the track every run. You can see it in his eyes that there is more left in him. He is really excited. I am proud of him easing into it and not overdoing it and giving me a chance to win. When you are up against the group that we had in the final, whoever comes out on top, that is a big deal.”

HUGE WIN OBVIOUSLY WITH MATT (HAGAN) GOING OUT EARLY FIRST ROUND AND YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO MAKE UP GROUND

“You get excited, and you hear that he lost first round and you know the door is open and the opportunity is there. You can’t let that effect you, you have to just stay focused and one run at a time. First round I had a horrible light, but got my act together on the second and third and we got the job done. So, its 40 points to the winner in the final. So, that is a big swing here. This was a big day for us and we needed this to get right back in this hunt. And I think he and I are the only ones that have won this year. He’s got one on me, so I have to catch him.”

HOW MUCH DID THE TWO-HOUR WAIT EFFECT YOU PERSONALLY?

“Its not easy. You know, you have got to get up for these runs. You can’t stay up all day long and stay ready like that. You have to kind of relax a little bit, hope it quits raining, and get back up all over again. Its not what you like to do. You want to get out there because you have already waited long enough for first round, you know? You want to get this show on the road.”

AUSTIN PROCK

YOU FINISHED FIRST IN ALL THREE QUADS AND YOU WERE ASKED EARLIER TODAY IF YOU LIKE THIS FOUR-WIDE AND YOU SAID YOU WOULD LIKE IT IF YOU WIN IT. WALK US THROUGH YOUR RACE DAY

“It was a great weekend overall. Just like Robert’s (teammate Hight) car, we went down the track all seven runs this weekend. And to rebound like we did after an awful weekend in Vegas, really shows how strong this team is. I never have had much success here in Charlotte and believe I went out from pretty much going out every first round to winning it. Super proud of my team and this category is just brutal right now, so they are extra special.”

WHAT WAS YOUR PERSPECTIVE OF THE FOUR-WIDE?

“I felt like I came into Vegas with a better mindset of how to handle it. And having them back-to-back like we did, you are just more comfortable coming into the second four-wide. So, now that I am comfortable going four-wide it’s going to feel odd going back to two-wide. It really is as hard as you make it.”

DID YOU SEE STEVE JUMP OUT AHEAD OF YOU AND WERE YOU WORRIED THAT HE MIGHT HAVE A HOLESHOT ON YOU?

“I had two people red light against me today. The first one I spent my composure, and it was a 70 red, I think. When Steve hit the gas, it startled me, and I kept my composure again and I was .049 on the tree. I think I was .049 both times that someone red lit against me. I heard them leaving and I was like, ‘crap am I late?’. I am going down there, and I saw his header flame out of the corner of my eye, so that caught my attention. I probably drove it inside a little bit. When you are in the outside lanes, if you are quick, you can catch the win light. I missed that, so I didn’t even know I won until I turned the corner. I didn’t know if he red lit or he just got a massive hole shot on me. I don’t use a radio, so this four-wide stuff, when you are in the middle lanes, its miserable sitting in the shutdown area because you don’t know what you ran or if you won, lost, or what. So, my crew chiefs were so confident today that they told me we are going to go out there and out-run everybody. I didn’t even look at the time slip, but I believe we did.”

DERIC KRAMER

CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT IS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND AFTER GETTING BACK INTO THE WINNERS CIRCLE?

“Yeah, absolutely. It’s a fun car to drive. First and foremost, and that is enough to keep someone out here. But once you hoist the Wally and you get that feeling, just like Jason Line told me about my very first win, is that once you do it, you want to win another. When the drought is so long and you think it’s never going to happen again, that when it finally does, its euphoria.”

YOU MADE IT TO THE FINAL QUAD AT VEGAS AND NOW WIN HERE. ARE YOU STARTING TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT HOW THINGS HAVE GONE?

“I think we as a team have been struggling with the car for the last couple of years. Just little gremlins that occasionally show up. And we were able to solve those right before the end of the year and then we were able to build momentum in the offseason. We go to the finals in the race and then we stayed and tested the next day, and just getting more and more laps makes me comfortable, makes the crew more comfortable, we get more data, and it just all compiles. If the car is consistent, and the car is fast, then it takes pressure off of you and then all you have to do is go out there and do your job as best you can. Then the chips chips will fall wherever they do. When the car is running that good, there is a good chance you can keep going.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with 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.

John Force Racing Reigns At Circle K 4-Wide Nationals

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Official Release
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(From left) Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle), Deric Kramer (Pro Stock), Austin Prock (Top Fuel) and Robert Hight (Funny Car) scored victories in Sunday's Circle K NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway. (HHP/Harold Hinson photo)

CONCORD, N.C. (April 30, 2023) — Neither a rain delay nor stiff competition could dampen the spirits of John Force Racing throughout Sunday’s Circle K NHRA 4-Wide Nationals. One of drag racing’s most accomplished teams shined brightest when the sun came out, using a Top Fuel win by Austin Prock and a Funny Car victory from Robert Hight to pull a nitro sweep at zMAX Dragway.

Brittany Force, Prock’s Top Fuel teammate, earned No. 1 qualifier honors on Saturday. When it counted on Sunday, though, it was Prock in command, scoring his fourth Top Fuel win and his first in four-wide competition. Prock bested finalists Leah Pruett, Steve Torrence and Josh Hart with a 3.684-second, 330.88-mile-per-hour pass to collect another coveted Wally.

“It was a great weekend overall,” Prock said. “I’ve never had any success here at Charlotte, and I went from basically going out in the first round every time here, to winning the whole thing. Now that I’m comfortable going four-wide, it’s going to feel weird going back to two-wide. It feels good to get a win early in the season like this, and it sets us up at John Force Racing to have a really good year.”

Hight’s heroics in a frantic final round of Funny Car action — bolstered by a quick .053-second reaction time — gave him the victory over Alexis DeJoria by a scant .0139 seconds. Neither Hight’s elapsed time of 3.888 seconds, nor his 328.30-mph speed across the line, were tops among the final four. Combining a quick reaction time to his run, though, gave the three-time champion the edge he needed.

“This is a big weekend for us,” Hight said. “There was a lot of great side-by-side racing. Good job to the NHRA Safety Safari. It’s not easy to prepare four lanes. We did change our car around (Sunday). We had two first-round losses in a row, and we stayed and tested (after the previous race in Las Vegas). To come in here and make seven respectable runs down the track, I’m proud to win. When you’re against groups like we had in the final, to win it is a big deal.”

Ron Capps set a new Funny Car track record for speed at 335.57 mph in Sunday’s first round of eliminations. John Smith finished second in his quad, but was disqualified for crossing the center line, handing John Force a trip into the next round. Force later advanced to the finals before falling to teammate Hight.

Deric Kramer ended a dry spell dating back to the 2019 Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals, with his fifth career Pro Stock win. Kramer edged hometown favorite Dallas Glenn by .0047 seconds, using a 208.88-mph run in 6.555 seconds to record an emotional victory.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Kramer said. “Once you win one of these, there’s nothing you want to do more than win another. After you hoist (a trophy) and you don’t hoist one for a while, you feel like it’s never going to come. But we got it done today.”

Gaige Herrera swept the weekend in Pro Stock Motorcycle competition. The 29-year-old Californian topped the charts in Friday’s opening rounds of qualifying, and bettered his result to earn a No. 1 qualifier on Saturday. Herrera finished the job on Sunday, holding off Matt Smith with a 6.71-second, 202-mph run — a Pro Stock Motorcycle track-record elapsed time — to earn his second career triumph.

NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Tony Stewart, who scored his first career NHRA Top Alcohol dragster victory two weeks ago at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, nearly made it two in a row on Sunday. Stewart advanced to the final round, finishing second by .0046 seconds to Mike Coughlin, who won thanks to a triple holeshot.

TICKETS:
To purchase tickets to upcoming speedway events, including the Sept. 22-24 Betway NHRA Carolina 4-Wide Nationals, fans can visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com. Children 13 and under are admitted FREE to NHRA events with a paid adult, and every ticket doubles as a pit pass.

MORE INFO:
Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway and get the latest news by following on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan.

CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT BARBER: TEAM CHEVY RACE RECAP

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Official Release
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2023 CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA INDY GRAND PRIX
BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE RECAP

APRIL 30, 2023

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN SCORES VICTORY AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK
McLaughlin Captures Chevrolet’s 8th Victory at Barber in 11 Events, Team Chevy’s 108th in INDYCAR Since 2012

  • Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske earned his fourth career victory in the NTT INDYCAR Series and Chevrolet’s 108th victory since 2012.
  • Team Penske’s Will Power joined McLaughlin on the podium finishing third.
  • Five Team Chevy drivers finished in the top-10 at Barber Motorsports Park.
  • All three Arrow McLaren INDYCAR Chevrolets finished in the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix top-10.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (April 30, 2023) – Capturing his first win of 2023, and the fourth of his NTT INDYCAR Series career, Scott McLaughlin and the No. 3 Good Ranchers Team Penske crew aced the day to win Chevrolet’s 108th victory in the 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era. As an engine manufacturer, the Bowtie brand has now captured the eighth victory at Barber Motorsports Park in 11 races since 2012.

“I call it a happy driver strategy,” reflected McLauglin. “I was a lot happier doing that. So thankful and first weekend with Good Ranchers on the car. What an amazing thing for them to be with us this weekend. My team advanced me there to victory lane. We had great fuel, went past (Romain) Grosjean there on a little bit of strategy, advanced past him and feel really good about it. Really happy to advance to victory lane and I am really happy about it.”

Taking over the lead from Grosjean with 19 laps remaining, McLaughlin cruised to victory on a three-stop strategy after leading 24 of the 90 laps. Grosjean finished second, and McLaughlin’s teammate Will Power, in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, completed the podium in third.

Leading the pack of Team Chevy drivers at the green flag from third, Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, also on a three-stop strategy in the No. 5 Chevrolet, finished in the top-five in fourth to close the gap in the championship standings from 15 points behind to three. Joining him in the top-10, teammates Alexander Rossi, in the No. 7 Chevrolet, and Felix Roseqvist, finished 8th and 9th, respectively.

Up next for Team Chevy is the prestigious month of May, shifting gears to the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the GMR Grand Prix May 12-13, 2023 followed by the Indianapolis 500 Sunday, May 28, 2023.

TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 RESULTS:

POS. DRIVER

1st Scott McLaughlin

3rd Will Power

4th Pato O’Ward

8th Alexander Rossi

9th Felix Rosenqvist

2023 CHEVROLET BY THE NUMBERS:

186: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR.
108: Wins in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012.
121: Earned poles since 2012.
7: Manufacturer Championships since 2012.
7: Driver/entrant champions since 2012.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES):

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Chevrolet at Team Penske:

WAS IT THE CONTACT AT THE START OF THE RACE THAT CAUSED YOUR ISSUES TODAY?

“It sure felt like it. It’s hard to say, but right after this hit, I felt like I had a right rear going down. So, I radioed in for them to check the right rear pressure and it looked fine, but something else felt very odd. The story of the race was that when there were new tires on the car, it was drivable. It was off, definitely the right to left asymmetrically off, but it was drivable on new tires. And that was masking it. The problem was the left rear was getting destroyed, which is not the tire that was hit. But whatever was going on over here, was having some effect over there. We just couldn’t hang on at all and it went bad. I just wish we had the car that we had in warmup, and we would have been just fine. But this was just evil. Just an evil-handling car. We were literally just holding on the whole race. Every second after was just a disaster and what a shame because obviously, we had the winning strategy. It was a great day for Team Penske so I am obviously happy for the team, but we were in position and another one just gets away. This one got away pretty badly. So, very demoralizing for the whole group.”

THE RESULTS SO FAR THIS SEASON HAVE TO BE FRUSTRATING?

“Yeah, just pretty unlucky. I hate saying luck, but it’s a big part of it. Luck and timing kind of go hand in hand and it’s certainly not been on our side. If we are getting that out of the way and we are going to have great timing and great luck for the rest of the year, then I am all good with it. It would be a shame if that trend continues. We will just turn the page and go to the month of May. Incredible group here and it’s not anything to do with them, it’s just some unfortunate timing.”

THE GP IS FIRST, BUT ON THE OVAL YOUR CAR LOOKED PRETTY AMAZING. WHAT IS THE CONFIDENCE LEVEL GOING INTO THE MONTH OF MAY?

“Yeah, sky high. I felt really good that day in practice. I felt so good this morning and I was ready for today and ready for what we were doing. So, that is what makes it so demoralizing. We literally had the car three hours ago and for something to happen and to go so disastrously it’s just odd. You can’t even get mad about it. It’s just a strange situation. My confidence level is still sky high with this group.”

Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Chevrolet at Team Penske:

AS FAR AS THE BATTLE WITH GROSJEAN, WAS ST. PETE IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND?

“No, we racers just get on with it. You are only as good as your last race and you get on with it. We talked man to man and as far as I am concerned and he is concerned is that we race hard and press on. There’s no hard feelings between the two of us, but I am glad to get a win here for the Thirsty Threes. It’s been coming, we have been close, we just couldn’t get it the last few rounds, but we got it now.”

THE MONTH OF MAY STARTS TOMORROW, HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT?

“May is going to be an awesome time for us and I can’t wait. Best race in the world is coming up here soon. We ended April on a good note. Just happy for my team, for Chevy for the fuel mileage. We had a hell of a strategy here today and I am super pumped.”

Will Power, No. 12 Chevrolet at Team Penske:

“Yeah, it was an extremely good day. When I saw everyone saving fuel there, we talked about doing a three-stop and I felt like it was better to do that, but the guys made the call. It was just super-fast when we got clear air. That was the key to getting up to third. I had a real fast car and it’s a pity we didn’t start further up. Chevy did a great job with the engine and obviously got to thank Verizon for all the support because we are on another championship run. We are just chipping away here, and we are going to get a win soon. We just have to keep at it, improve in qualifying, and just having fun. Enjoying it a lot.”

WHAT DID YOU NEED TO GET UP TO SECOND AND POSSIBLY CHALLENGE MCLAUGHLIN?

“The tires had gone too much. Like I could do a faster lap time, but as soon as I got to his dirty air, I just couldn’t get close enough. I tried everything I could and even made a couple of big mistakes just trying and I just couldn’t get to him. I tried to save the push to pass until I got to him, but there’s nothing….you just get to that air pocket and you just can’t. The tires were gone too much. It wasn’t worth throwing a third place away trying something stupid, so I just took the points.”

HOW ARE YOU FEELING AFTERWARDS FROM A SORT OF HOT DAY?

“Pretty good. It’s always tough the first 10-15 laps, then your muscles settle in and you are good to go. But yeah, I was able to push the whole way. Still fit for an old bloke.”

Conor Daly, No. 20 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:

“We definitely had pace when we decided to switch to the three-stop strategy. Unfortunately, we got caught behind the 14 car and he decided to put me off the track. Not soon after, we got ran off by the 15 car and that one definitely sent us to the back. It was just too hard to recover from there.”

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

“This was a tough race! It started off pretty well even though I was saving tires and fuel pretty hard. It turned out not to be enough and at the end of my first stint, I was just too far off. We were committed to the two-stop strategy and we had to stay out. The next two stints on black tires were pretty good, but I think that yellow helped out some guys on the three-stopper. I did everything I could, but it’s really hard to get the tire deg right and save fuel at the same time.”

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

“We had to get a massive number, and I really don’t know how we kept up the pace like that at the end. It was a great car, and I’m very happy with how we did this weekend. Obviously, when you look back now with how everything played out, I think we were on the wrong strategy. No one made a mistake, that’s just a roll of the dice you have to take at the beginning of the race. Scott McLaughlin and Will Power were on the good end of it, a couple others too. Nevertheless, it was a really strong result for us. I’m happy with P4.”

THAT CAN’T BE SUPER COMFORTABLE SITTING IN THE CAR LIKE THAT AFTER A LONG RACE?

“I was lifting so much, and we had to get a massive number and I really don’t know how we kept up the pace like that. Great car, and if we look back at this weekend and look back at how we played that, I think we were on the wrong strategy. But no one made a mistake, that is just a roll of the dice you have to take. That’s racing. Scotty (McLaughlin) was on the good end of it, (Will) Power was on the good end of it and a couple of other guys. Nevertheless, it was a really strong result for us. Happy with fourth, but the month of May is coming up, the busiest month of the year. The big cookie is also coming up, so pumped for that.”

HAD YOU BEEN ABLE TO GET UP FRONT, MIGHT THAT HAVE CHANGED THE STRATEGY?

“It might have changed the strategy a little bit. I mean Scott was behind us and he finished first. It was all about that we didn’t make the call to come in for the three-stopper. When you look at it back now, we might have done it a little bit differently if you see exactly how the yellows played out and all that stuff. But that was a chance in one in a hundred. They really got lucky with that one. All the three-stoppers. It is what it is and we made the best of what we had, and we maximized it. We were against arguably four Hondas that were extremely strong and it definitely had us on the edge of our seat to keep them behind us.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE BACK IN A RHYTHM NOW? AND ARE THESE THE DAYS THAT CAN LEAD TO A CHAMPIONSHIP?

“Yeah, I mean obviously Long Beach was not the ideal (race). This is what we want, and this is what we know we can do. We will go into the Indy GP with the same approach just like we will the rest of the season. We want to win races. We have yet to win in 2023, but we have been there every single race. Obviously, not all of them have worked out the same. This is really solid. For four races, we have had three top-fives.”

Felix Rosenqvist, No. 6 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“I’ve bummed for my McClaren team. In the first lap, I just didn’t anticipate how early everyone would brake, and I touched Josef (Newgarden). So, luckily he didn’t get caught into it but I basically spun myself doing it. Got out into the gravel and got back. Yeah, we were last at a point, but the guys just did such a good job on the stand getting us back in the game. It was really fun. I thought for most of the race we were just rolling. Hell of a recovery for basically starting last.”

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

“There were a lot of positives from today. I think we underperformed in qualifying. You can look at everything in hindsight and look at it differently, but, ultimately, the car was fast all weekend. We are continuing to gel and learn together as a team, so overall, I’m happy. It’s just when you have pace, and only walk away with eighth, it’s disappointing. It’s a good problem to have.”

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

“It was a solid Sunday for us considering we didn’t qualify. Just tough with strategy, we struggled with the car. I think we were a little bit too free on entry and a little too tight in the middle but all in all a top 20 for us is something to walk away with. We completed all the race laps and you know what, can’t complain. So, looking forward to the month of May now and we’ll go from there.”

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

“Great race here at Barber, finished P22 after starting pretty close to the back [P25]. Crazy race, lots of really cool passes, always something going on, very busy race. Pretty proud of what we were able to do today. I think there was potential to maybe be in the top 15, but we had a couple mistakes happen, but overall very positive and very happy with the race.”

Callum Ilott, No. 77 Chevrolet at Juncos Hollinger Racing:

“It was a bit of an interesting race for a while. We were struggling quite a bit. Took a gamble in the middle to try and overcut some people with better fuel and make the tires last. It wasn’t working; we were P24 for a while, and then into that final restart I was P24 and we managed to pull it back to P13. So we just came alive, the car came alive. It was a good effort. Really happy with that. Gets us positively moving on to the rest of the year. It will be exciting to get to the Indy road course. It’s another track that’s quite good for us. A few things to improve. I think it was an enlightening weekend for that, but yeah, definitely a lot of positives going on for the next one.”

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

“We finished here P26. It’s a shame that the position we lost, we did a pit stop on the strategy. But anyway, it is what it is. But on the racing, we’re still learning. I’m really happy with finishing the race. I’ll continue my improvement.”

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 GOOD RANCHERS TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET — Win Press Conference Transcript:

A LOT OF STORYLINES FOR YOU IN THIS RACE. TO GET A WIN HERE, IT’S GOT TO FEEL GOOD.

“Feels awesome. I think we have had the pace. Obviously, St. Pete we were strong, contending for wins, maybe not Texas, but Long Beach we were right there. I’m really proud to sort of execute today. Probably the most complete race I’ve ever driven in an INDYCAR, to be honest, from a strategy perspective, picking people off. It was getting pretty tough in the middle when we were making passes, lap traffic, whatnot. Ultimately when Grosjean got me out of the pits, didn’t catch me by surprise. Well, he caught me napping. It was a great move by him. To reset, go again, then pass him back with the pace that we had, that’s a proud drive for me personally, but from a team perspective, really proud. Good Ranchers first time on the car. They’re going to be big supporters in INDYCAR. Their enthusiasm they have got for the series I think is just great. They have people like that willing to spend money in our series, that are so passionate. They didn’t have customers here this weekend, they had staff and the CEO. It’s a good vibe. Really proud for them. Yeah, perfect way to kick off what is going to be a massive month.”

THE BATTLE BETWEEN YOU AND ROMAIN, IMMEDIATELY EVERYONE WAS THINKING ST. PETE.

“I knew it.”

WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND AS YOU’RE TRYING TO HOLD HIM OFF?

“I thought if I hit him this time, it would be bad (smiling). Racing him like we normally do, very clean. I knew it was going to be hard passing him. It was a matter of me biding my time. I asked the guys, Where are we at on fuel? Had a bit more than him. Allowed me to pressure him a bit more, use a bit more to overtake, whatever. I had a lot more overtake up my sleeve. Ultimately that’s what helped me pass him. I think the way I got the run up into turn eight was purely by push to pass. I was able to save that. Once we got out in front, it was just a matter of managing it till the end.”

WHEN THAT BATTLE IS HAPPENING, YOU KNOW YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE THE FRESHER TIRES AT THE END OF THE DAY, WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A MOVE, TRY TO REPASS HIM.

“Yeah, but it was hard. I thought I’d be on the safe side when I had the reds on. Thought I might have been able to get him back. But he had great pace. I knew I couldn’t sit behind him too long. I had to pressure him. Yeah, that’s what we did, managed to get the pass.”

RACING AT ALABAMA, BARBER, YOUR TAKE ON WHAT IT’S LIKE RACING OUT THERE?

“Personally, I think this is our best road course that we go to. Especially now it’s my favorite (smiling). Honestly, it’s a great place. The state of Alabama do a fantastic job with how they look after things. Obviously (indiscernible) before that. A beautiful place. I remember coming here the first time going, Whoa, this is amazing. But to drive an INDYCAR around here at high speeds, high commitment, is some of the best driving you’ll ever do. I’m telling all my friends back in Australia like Shane van Gisbergen. People are asking, like, the track looks awesome. Yeah, this is next-level commitment. They’ve got a gym here. I’m very excited they extended the contract multi-year for more races here, especially now I know I’ve got a good car. Very cool, cool place.”

THE INDY 500, YOU DOUSE YOURSELF IN MILK. THE NESTLE DRUM STICKS, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT?

“John has been there for 40 years. He always as ice creams after, especially after we win. I had an ice cream after qualifying yesterday and I sucked. Maybe I just needed more ice cream.”

OBVIOUSLY, WITH THE NEW SPONSOR, THE STAKES ARE HIGH. WHEN GROSJEAN GETS PAST YOU, WHAT’S YOUR LEVEL OF FRUSTRATION? ARE YOU THINKING WITH EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN ST. PETE, YOU KNOW THERE’S GOING TO BE MAJOR CONTACT, IT’S NOT GOING TO GO AS NICELY THIS TIME AROUND?

“Never thought that. I ultimately was just like, Okay, got past me, caught me napping. That was a great move by him. I had car pace and fuel on hand. I think ultimately, I would have got past him anyway with how much he had to save fuel. I wasn’t stressed. I was annoyed I cost myself maybe cruising in some ways, saving fuel, driving to my number. Ultimately it made the race win a lot more satisfying passing for the lead after being passed at the end of the exchange.”

POWER WAS ON REDS TILL THE END. DID HIS PACE CONCERN YOU AT ALL?

“No, no, no. I was full, like, in control. Honestly, I felt like the car was so good, I was just hitting my number, did what I needed to do. I knew if Power got to me, I had pace and fuel on hand to push till the end.”

THERE WAS CONCERN ON THE RADIO ABOUT FUEL. DID THEY TELL YOU WHY?

“No. Ultimately I think we were looking after our engine. Whenever you get that call halfway through the last lap, you poop your pants a little bit. Yeah, I was pretty nervous.”

WHEN YOU’RE RUNNING ON A DIFFERENT STRATEGY TO THE TWO-STOPPERS WERE, THE RACE STARTS TO PLAY ITSELF OUT, HOW MUCH IN YOUR MIND ARE YOU THINKING YOU HOPE YOU MADE THE RIGHT MOVE OR WE SHOULD HAVE GONE THE OTHER WAY?

“Yeah, I just trust my team. The only concern I had was why we stopped a couple laps after Josef and we lost track position on him. We eventually sort of caught up and passed him. I wasn’t too stressed about that. It was just a matter of just maximizing what I had, what my cards were. That was getting through traffic and using that car pace. We talked about that in the strategy meeting this morning. Sort of knew what I had to do. At the end of the day I see a 10th of what everyone else sees on the stand. I know I’ve got the best guys in pit lane calling my strategy. I just trust them. It’s a boring answer, but legitimately for me I was ticking laps off in my head, driving the best I could, doing what I needed to do.”

HOW CLOSE DID YOU COME TO TOUCHING ROMAIN? DID YOU TOUCH IN EITHER OF THOSE?

“I think we touched when he passed me a little bit. But it was fair game. It was awesome racing, man. It was exactly what INDYCAR was. Yeah, ain’t no procession here, that’s for sure. It was a lot of fun.”

WHEN YOU HAVE HAD AN INCIDENT LIKE YOU HAD IN ST. PETE RACING WHEEL TO WHEEL THROUGH A CORNER, DO YOU HAVE TO APPROACH WHEN YOU’RE PASSING SOMEONE ANY DIFFERENT OR DO YOU LEARN SOMETHING FROM THAT TYPE OF INCIDENT TO BETTER PREPARE YOU TO PASS THAT SPECIFIC DRIVER COMING INTO ANOTHER SITUATION THAT WAS SIMILAR TODAY?

“No, no, no. Just play your cards as you get dealt. Take risks where you need to. You got to learn from your mistakes obviously. We both had our opinions on the incident from St. Pete. We’re over it now. For me, I think for him as well, it was just press on. Yeah, I think we showed today it’s no big thing affair. It’s just hard racing. We’ll race each other to every bit of the track, use each other up when we need to. That’s just part of it and that’s why I enjoy racing Romain.”

WHAT DID YOU SEE FROM YOUR VANTAGE POINT WHEN YOU MADE YOUR MOVE IN TURN FIVE? WAS IT A LITTLE BIT OF A WIGGLE COMING THROUGH? DID YOU FIND YOURSELF AT THAT POINT WAITING FOR HIM TO MAKE A MISTAKE OR MOVE?

“I was pressuring him. I knew he was starting to save fuel and stuff. I was biding my time. I was really surprised. I didn’t think I was going to pass him at that point. Sort of just took my chance. I had a lot more push to pass than he did. I just used push to pass all the way up to seven, managed to clear him. He was never going to sort of pass me into eight. If he did pass me into eight, he was probably going to crash me. Just sort of hoped to God that he didn’t do that, and he didn’t. We got out of there and pressed on.”

HE CAME INTO THE SPORT AT THE SAME TIME, ROOKIE SEASONS UPS AND DOWNS AT THE SAME TIME. EVEN THOUGH YOU HAD THE INCIDENT IN ST. PETE, SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT, AREN’T AFRAID TO BANG WHEELS, HAVE A LOT OF TRUST IN EACH OTHER. HOW DO YOU VIEW OR HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE ROMAIN AS A COMPETITOR ON TRACK?

“ He’s got a never-give-up attitude. I think that’s why he’s been in F1 for so long, come over here and been quite successful. At the end of the day you know you’re going to have a hard battle with him. I feel it’s give or take. If you give him nothing, he will give you nothing. It’s the whole tit for tat. I really enjoy racing him. No hard feelings. We spoke about what happened, yeah, and just get on with it. I’ve had great battles with him. I actually really enjoyed the battle today. It’s a lot of fun. Obviously, I came out on top, but it’s still a lot of fun.”

WE’VE HAD A WIDE VARIETY OF RACES. ST. PETE WAS A BRAWL. THE BIG OVAL AT TEXAS, ANOTHER INTERESTING RACE. TALK ABOUT HOW YOU APPROACH IT WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO GET WHEN YOU COME TO A RACETRACK.

“I think it’s just the product of INDYCAR. But play your cards how you’re dealt. Today could have been a two-stop, or a three-stop like we did. We thought it was a three-stop was the right way. We have the opportunity as a series to change that up. That’s why it makes it so exciting. I think the addition of push to pass, stuff going on as well, is a good thing. It’s such a good racing product. I don’t know how to explain it. I think we’re very lucky with the level of drivers, how hard we can race the cars. The cars are very strong. The difference in compounds. The tires are really good. Firestone built a really good tire that’s able to race in hard conditions all the time. Yeah, I don’t know. I just think it’s INDYCAR. It’s not a about winning every race in this racing series, it’s all about just being consistent in the championship. That’s exactly what our goal has sort of been since the start.”

YOUR STRATEGY MEETING, YOU WRITE EVERYTHING IN PENCIL, HERE IS WHAT WE THINK WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO?

“It all depends on yellows. If there was an early yellow, our thing probably wouldn’t have worked that well. Two-stoppers would have looked really good. Yeah, you just got to play your cards how you think you’re going to be right, hopefully, it comes off. You can’t beat car pace. That’s the best part, you can’t beat car pace.”

WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET — Podium Press Conference Transcript:

TELL US ABOUT YOUR DAY. TRYING TO CLOSE THE GAP ON ROMAIN (GROSJEAN) TOWARDS THE END.

“Yeah, in the first stint when I saw everyone saving fuel about eight to 10 laps in, I said to the guys, maybe we should switch to a three-stopper here. Do you want me to push? It was the best thing to do at that time. Yeah, it worked out well. We had a very fast car. Any time we had clear air, we were pumping out some seriously quick times. During that last sequence is where we gained a ton of track position. I was able to do 67s in the last few laps. Yeah, using the tires up. As soon as I started getting Romain’s dirty air, he was doing a really good job of sort of saving fuel and also getting big exits, not making mistakes. I did everything I could to get to him and I just couldn’t get there.”

WILL, DID WE SEE YOU GO BACK TO MAYBE LAST YEAR’S CHAMPIONSHIP STRATEGY WHERE BETTER TO GET THIRD THAN TO PUSH IT?

“I mean, I did everything to get to him and try to get him. Yeah, obviously there’s that fine line, right? You can overdo it, which I did have a big moment in turn two where I was opposite like that.”

“So, yeah, I mean, just had to weigh that up. I simply couldn’t close that gap. Yeah, he was doing a good job. My tires were sort of used up. Dirty air. Tried with push to pass. Nothing I could do. That’s the most I could get out of the day. Extremely happy with it. Extremely, extremely happy to finish third.”

TWO TEAM PENSKES IN THE TOP THREE, WITHOUT ONE OF THEM BEING JOSEF, SHOWS HOW FAST THIS MCLAUGHLIN KID IS.

“Yeah, two races where I followed him on the same bloody strategy. He ended up ahead. That all ebbs and flows in the season when you’re doing a good job. If you’re doing your job, you’ll get what you deserve, whether that’s good or bad. Depends how good you do your job.”

WILL, YOUR SEASON HASN’T BEEN BAD, BUT IT HASN’T BEEN GOOD. A QUARTER OF THE WAY THROUGH THE SEASON NOW, HEADING TO INDIANAPOLIS, HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT TO GET THE KIND OF FINISH YOU GOT TODAY?

“Yeah, look, if I finished fifth I would have been happy, or sixth, even eighth honestly. There are days that it’s a bad day that get you. I would say in the start of my season, it’s just been pretty good. I wouldn’t say it’s a bad start of the season at all. I’ve been happy with all the results except for one, which was Texas. You can’t win ’em all. In fact, it’s very difficult to win one or two in a season. You just have to keep racking up good finishes.”

WILL, HOW MUCH OF A BENEFIT IS FINISHING ON THE PODIUM GOING INTO THE MONTH OF MAY? DOES IT BODE WELL FOR THE MONTH OF MAY?

“Yeah, I mean, it’s good for the whole group on the car. Obviously mentally for yourself, it’s a very positive thing. Everything’s heading in the right direction. Indy is a very, very different animal in terms of the 500. Obviously, you have the Grand Prix before that. But, yeah, the 500 is a very standalone, tough, unique event. Yeah, we’re hoping to be in the game this year. We’ve been pretty disappointed with the performance the last few years. We’ll wait and see. You don’t say anything. We’ve done a lot of work.”

WILL, YOU WERE THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT COIN. WHAT DOES THAT FEEL LIKE?

“I mean, last year I did the two-stop, was doing what he had to do, went from 19th to 4th. This year we did the opposite thinking that the fuel mileage will be harder. If there’s not a yellow, the number is going to be too big and the lap time deficit is too much. Yeah, it kind of turned out like that. I think the yellow helped the three-stoppers a bit. Would have saved those guys a little bit of fuel. It was perfect timing for our pit stop. But, yeah, it’s a lot more fun when you get to just go all out, qualifying laps every lap. I really enjoy that sort of racing. I have to say what he did is extremely difficult and technical. To finish 20 seconds ahead of the next guy is pretty impressive.”

WILL, YOU HAD GREAT PACE TOWARDS THE END OF THE RACE. YOU’VE DONE WELL HERE AT BARBER. IS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT THIS TRACK THAT FITS YOUR DRIVING STYLE?

“They’re all different. These days you’ve got to be an expert at every track. It requires a lot of homework, which every single driver does now, as you can see from qualifying. I’ve just got a good group around me making the right decisions in the race. It is a real process to put a whole race weekend together without mistakes. That’s what I’ve worked very hard on over the last couple years. I struggled this weekend. I basically qualified 11th. I think our potential was just on the verge of the top six. We were pretty close to where we needed to be. Then executed in the race. Yeah, I love the track. I think it’s a phenomenal event. The appearance, presentation they do, is really good. It’s setting the example for all promoters. Yeah, I hope we continue to come here for years.”

About Chevrolet

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