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Kaulig Racing Post-Race Report | Circuit of the Americas (COTA)

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Allmendinger Wins Back-to-Back NASCAR Xfinity Series Races at COTA

 Pit Boss 250 Presented by USA Today

AJ Allmendinger, No. 10 Celsius Chevrolet

  • AJ Allmendinger qualified on the pole for the Pit Boss 250 Presented by USA Today.
  • Allmendinger dominated the first stage in the No. 10 Celsius Chevrolet leading all 14 laps until the stage break. This was Allmendinger’s 12th NXS road course stage win, making him the series-leader for road course stage wins.
  • Allmendinger restarted on the 11th row in stage two and sustained right side damage when the field went five-wide going into turn one on the start. The No. 10 Celsius Chevy did not have a tire rub after this contact, so the team stayed out during the caution and restarted in 25th on lap 22. Charging through the field quickly, Allmendinger came back from over nine seconds back to finish sixth in stage two.
  • Restarting on the third row for the third stage, Allmendinger made his way to the front and battled with the No. 17 for the lead.
  • He went on to earn Kaulig Racing’s first NXS win of the 2023 season in the Pit Boss 250 Presented by USA Today.

“William Byron is one of the best ones in the sport right now, seeing all Cup races he’s winning. I knew it was going to be tough, I was just trying to fight to get back up to the front there. I’m so proud of everyone at Kaulig Racing. The Celsius Chevy was really hooked up, and with all the damage we had, it didn’t hurt the car. I spent a lot of years not winning anything, so I’m going to celebrate every one of them like it’s my last one. You never know. As much pressure as I put on myself, I’m always going to try to live up to it. The pit crew was awesome, and I’m so proud of everyone on this team.” – AJ Allmendinger

Daniel Hemric, No. 11 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet

  • Daniel Hemric qualified 11th for the Pit Boss 250 Presented by USA Today.
  • In the opening stage, Hemric had contact early on with the No. 20 car. With minimal damage on the right side, he was able to rebound and finish 13th in stage one.
  • After pitting under caution, Hemric gained 12 spots on a restart on lap 22 in the second stage, and went on to finish stage two in 16th.
  • In the final stage, Hemric maintained his track position and recorded his career best finish at COTA, coming home sixth.
  • Hemric was one of four drivers who qualified for Dash 4 Cash taking place at Richmond next weekend.

“What a battle this weekend was. I put us behind by not getting up to speed quick enough and didn’t do a great job putting together a lap in qualifying. Looking back, had I qualified better I could have been a little ahead of the carnage at the beginning of the race. I have a lot to clean up, but I had a really fast Kaulig Racing Chevy Accessories Camaro. I look forward to going to Richmond and being a part of the Dash 4 Cash.” – Daniel Hemric

Chandler Smith, No. 16 Quick Tie Chevrolet

  • Chandler Smith qualified 27th for the Pit Boss 250 Presented by USA Today but would start at the rear due to an unapproved adjustment prior to the start of the race.
  • Smith battled through contact with multiple cars and dealt with minor damage during the first two stages.
  • Spotter Freddie Kraft noted that Smith’s biggest area to work on going forward from stage one was to drive through the esses in a straighter line.
  • At the end of the second stage, Smith restarted in 18th and was told to save his tires instead of racing for stage points to save his car for the end.
  • He finished 12th in his NXS road course debut after adjusting his driving style all 46 laps.

“Our team dealt with a lot throughout the race today. We made contact with a few other cars just trying to learn the track. It was a hard day’s work, and I really appreciate my crew chief, Bruce (Schlicker), guiding me all day while making adjustments to better my understanding of the track. Honestly, 12th is not a bad result, but it’s time to get back in the top five next week at Richmond.” – Chandler Smith  

EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix

Justin Haley, No. 31 Celsius Camaro ZL1

  • Justin Haley qualified 23rd for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix
  • The first caution flag fell early on lap one, with Haley moving up three spots. Following his first pit stop of the day, Haley was forced to come back down pit road to cut a piece of the splitter that was rubbing his right front tire. He finished the first stage in 35th.
  • Haley made it back up to as high as 22nd before the green flag pit stops cycled through, putting him 25th at the end of the second stage.
  • During the final stage, the No. 31 car suffered power issues, but was repaired during a pit stop. Haley made it as far as 12th on one of three overtime restarts, was spun, and went on to finish 19th.

“We fought adversity throughout the entire weekend in our No. 31 Celsius Camaro ZL1. We lacked some speed in practice but were pretty decent in qualifying. We had to pit twice during our first stop and then had a battery issue. We just couldn’t get the track position back until the very end. We made it back up to 12th before we got spun on one of the restarts. With all the issues we fought, a top 20 was not bad for the day.” – Justin Haley

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions Farmsmart Camaro ZL1

  • AJ Allmendinger qualified seventh for his 400th NCS start in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix.
  • Allmendinger quickly moved through the field to finish third in stage one.
  • With the pit strategy, Allmendinger finished 13th in the second stage.
  • In the final stage, Allmendinger made it as high as second in the No. 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions FARMSMART Camaro. Two laps short on fuel, the team pitted under caution and restarted on the seventh row. On the restart, Allmendinger got a push from behind resulting in damage that ultimately ended his day with eight laps to go. He was scored 34th.

“Obviously the finish was not what we wanted but I’m really proud of the effort from the start of the weekend. To go from Friday where we were not good at all to being better Saturday. Not sure if our car was race winning, but thought we had a top three, top four call all day. Really disappointed to get caught up in the wreck and not really score any points but trying to take the positives out of it. We know that we can struggle early and find speed in the race car. We definitely had speed the whole race and ran up front. We’ve got to clean up some other stuff, but other than that, just taking the positives to get ready for the next road course and build on that.” – AJ Allmendinger  

 
About Kaulig Racing™

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and has won back-to-back regular-season championships. Before becoming a full-time NCS team, Kaulig Racing made multiple starts in the 2021 NCS season and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team expanded to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 with Justin Haley piloting the No. 31 Camaro ZL1, and an all-star lineup featured in the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. Haley will continue to drive the No. 31 full-time in 2023, alongside AJ Allmendinger, who will drive the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. The team will continue to field three, full-time NXS entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by an all-star lineup that will be announced at a later date, the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Hemric, and the No. 16 Chevrolet driven by Chandler Smith. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

Buescher, 17 Team Earn Hard-Fought Top-10 at COTA

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Official Release
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Fifth Third Bank Ford Rebounds Big in Chaotic Ending at Road Course Race

AUSTIN, Texas (March 26, 2023) – Chris Buescher and the Fifth Third Bank team employed a never give up approach in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at COTA to earn a solid eighth-place finish, Buescher’s sixth-straight top-10 in road course racing.

“It was our first bumper car race of the year,” Buescher said after the race. “Our Fifth Third Ford Mustang ended up pretty solid there towards the end, we got a solid top-10 out of it. That’s a big testament to this team and its ‘never give up’ attitude.

Buescher had his work cut out for him starting from the 32nd position, but wasn’t fazed, even earning stage points in stage two on his way to the team’s second top-10 of the season.

“I had to really power through, and we had some issues there that probably came from getting run into … backwards a couple times. But, I’m proud of everybody. That was a good finish for a really hard-fought day.”

The opening stage of 15 laps had a pair of cautions, one on lap two for a spin by teammate Brad Keselowski, and the other at lap 11 as crew chief Scott Graves immediately called the No. 17 to pit road as the caution flew. Buescher was 19th on the ensuing restart and ended the stage in 20th.

Stage two, also 15 laps in distance, was less hectic with no full-course yellows. Buescher ran long on track and ultimately gained the lead for a lap before finishing fifth in the stage. From there, he was solidly inside the top-15 for the remainder of the day working to 11th by lap 43 on a restart.

After the last pit cycle played out with around 10 to go, Buescher got back to 16th on a restart with seven laps remaining before a string of yellow flags occurred, resulting in three-straight NASCAR Overtime restart attempts.

Despite a chaotic ending, Buescher maintained composure and maneuvered to seventh on what was the final restart, going on to finish eighth.

The No. 17 team returns to action next week at Richmond Raceway. Race coverage Sunday is set for 3:30 p.m. on FOX. Radio coverage can be heard on MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – COTA

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Official Release
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CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
RACE: TEXAS GRAND PRIX DATE: MARCH 26, 2023

AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 DISCOUNT TIRE FORD MUSTANG

START – 3RD STAGE ONE – 2ND STAGE TWO – 22ND FINISH – 6TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric finished with a respectable sixth-place finish at the end of Sunday’s Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas. The driver of the Discount Tire Ford Mustang was destined for a strong performance in Sunday’s 231.88-mile marathon, starting from third position after a fierce run in qualifying. Cindric wasted little time claiming the lead, doing so during the restart on Lap 5. In a spirited battle for the lead, Cindric remained among the top three throughout the opening segment, finishing Stage 1 in the second position. A lengthy pit stop on Lap 23 caused the driver of the Discount Tire Ford Mustang to lose significant track position, and he ultimately finished Stage 2 22nd in the running order. Cindric hovered around the 20th position early in the final stage, but maneuvered through various late-race cautions to secure his second top-10 finish of the season.

CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “Great to lead some laps. Good to be able to show some speed in our Discount Tire Ford Mustang. It’s one of those days where you win or lose as a team. There were quite a few miscues on pit road that probably kept us from having the track position. Then, it’s a fight. Fair recovery to finish sixth. A lot of things had to go our way for those restarts. But for a long, hot day, we never gave up.”

RYAN BLANEY No. 12 MENARDS/KNAUF FORD MUSTANG

START – 38TH STAGE ONE – 27TH STAGE TWO – 34TH FINISH – 21ST

RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 team had an up-and-down afternoon at Circuit of The Americas, ultimately concluding with a 21st-place finish. Despite starting towards the back of the field, Blaney made up eight positions on the opening lap and was up 15 spots by lap 10 in 23rd. Following a four-tire stop with a round of adjustments under caution on lap 12, Blaney crossed the line 27th at the end of Stage 1. On lap 17, Blaney was spun by the No. 5 on the entrance of turn 12, sending him into the gravel while sustaining damage to the left rear. Blaney brought the No. 12 Ford Mustang to pit road as the race remained green, causing him to go a lap down in 35th. He eventually rejoined the lead lap via the free pass following a caution on lap 41. With nine laps to go, Blaney broke into the top-15 on the restart before the race went into what would be the first of three overtime attempts. On the first overtime restart, Blaney was turned by the No. 91 at the apex of turn one, causing the left rear tire to go down before the caution flag waved. Blaney battled back through the field on the following two restarts before settling for a 21st-place finish.

BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “Certainly, wasn’t the day we were looking for. Starting in the back we managed to gain quite a few spots early but got hit really hard in the left rear and had to make repairs. Glad we had a shot late for a decent finish, but those overtime restarts are crazy and sometimes it works out and other times it doesn’t.”

JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG

START – 15TH STAGE ONE – 22ND STAGE TWO – 11TH FINISH – 29TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Joey Logano started 15th and finished 29th in a wild Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. The driver of the Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang ran amongst the top-10 the majority of the day before late race issues spoiled a good finish. Logano would receive an early pass-thru penalty for shortcutting the esses on lap six. The defending Cup Series champion managed to overcome the time lost to bring home a 22nd-place finish in Stage 1. Using early pit strategy, Logano made his way into the top-10 by lap 24 and brought home an 11th-place finish in Stage 2. He would run as high as second place by lap 41 and would settle in ninth when the caution waved with four laps to go. Logano managed to make it through the carnage of two green-white-checkered restarts, but unfortunately his luck ran out in overtime attempt number three when he was spun out. He would cross the line in 29th position at the race’s end.

LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “We had a decent day going with the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang. Paul (Wolfe) made some good strategy calls to gain track position. Felt like we had a top-10 car, but depending on how the end played out maybe a top-five. The restarts at the end normally play out that way and we ended up spun out. We’ll move on to Richmond.”

WHAT’S NEXT: The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Richmond Raceway on Sunday, April 2. Coverage of the event will be carried on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Mechanical Failure Ends Keselowski’s Day Early in COTA

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Official Release
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Wyndham Rewards Ford Solid Midway through Chaotic Road Course Race

AUSTIN, Texas (March 26, 2023) – In the return to COTA for the NASCAR Cup Series’ third event at the 20-turn circuit, Brad Keselowski’s day ended prematurely due to a mechanical failure. He finished 35th.

NASCAR’s newest road course rules were on display Sunday for the first time as stage breaks are eliminated, with stage points being awarded at the scheduled lap end of each stage under green-flag conditions. Keselowski worked his way up to 21st by the end of the opening stage of 15 laps that saw a pair of caution flags early, the first resulting from a spin by the No. 6.

Stage two ran all green as Keselowski finished 28th. He again powered his way into the top-20, advancing to 19th at lap 48 with 20 to go. Then, with 11 to go, his Ford Mustang came to a rest on the track as a mechanical failure sent him to the garage for the afternoon.

The No. 6 team returns to action next week at Richmond Raceway. Race coverage Sunday is set for 3:30 p.m. on FOX. Radio coverage can be heard on MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

Jenson Button Goes the Distance in NASCAR Debut

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Official Release
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Former Formula One World Champion Drives Mobil 1 Ford Mustang to 18th-Place Result at COTA, Completing Full Race Distance in 39-Car Field

Date: March 26, 2023
Event: EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (Round 6 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas (3.426-mile, 20-turn road course)
Format: 68 laps, broken into three stages (15 laps/15 laps/38 laps)
Note: Race extended seven laps past its scheduled 68-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Start/Finish: 24th/18th (Running, completed 75 of 75 laps)
Race Winner: Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing (Toyota)

Overview:

Jenson Button finished 18th in his NASCAR Cup Series debut Sunday at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. The 2009 Formula One world champion qualified 24th for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix and kept his No. 15 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang relatively clean throughout the 68-lap race around the 3.426-mile, 20-turn road course. Button was joined on the grid by fellow F1 champion Kimi Räikkönen and the duo spent much of the race in close quarters. Räikkönen qualified just ahead of Button in 22nd, but Button got the better of Räikkönen in the race, finishing 11 spots ahead of the 2007 title winner.

Jenson Button, Driver of the No. 15 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang:

“It was an emotional rollercoaster. At first, it was terrible. I mean, I must’ve been last by the end of it, and I was just like, ‘Everyone, go. I just need to drive and find a rhythm.’ I’ve never gone through a corner two wide, so often. And trying to place my car in the right place – I just got it wrong every time. Normally, if you’re a little bit slow through a corner, nobody tries to overtake you from the outside – because they’re not going to make it all the way on the next one. But here they do, because they get a wheel inside for the next one, and if you turn in, you turn around. The first stint was really bad. It was embarrassing for me. I was like, ‘Alright guys, we need to pit, freshen the tires and I need some air. I need some fresh air.’ I got that. The pace was good, consistency was good. I was really happy, and passed a few cars, which was nice. We got a little bit unlucky with the safety car because it was just two laps before our window. Pitted, then the next stint was mayhem. We also made a couple of changes that just didn’t work. Big oversteer – went from the car feeling great to really difficult to drive. I also had a massive whack from Kimi (Räikkönen), and it fell off after that. The car wasn’t quite right. Every time I turned in, the rear tires would chatter, then immediately to oversteer. It was really difficult, but toward the end, we made some good calls stopping and putting on fresh tires. I enjoyed the last three restarts – got good placement and good overtaking moves from the outside. Finished 18th after almost stopping because I had heat exhaustion. It was so hot. I don’t have a fan in my seat, which really didn’t help me too much. It was so hot, I thought I was going to faint in the car. So, I stopped twice for a minute. They put ice on me, gave me loads of water, and I went back out. I was so close to getting out of the car because I thought I was going to faint. I must’ve drank eight-nine bottles of water during the race. The team kept me calm, and it’s the reason why we got a good result in the end. So, I was happy.”

Notes:

● This was Button’s sixth overall start at COTA. He made five Formula One starts at the track between 2012-2016 with a best finish of fifth in the 2012 United States Grand Prix.

● Button won 15 grands prix in a nearly two-decade F1 career (2000-2017), including a dominant six-win campaign in 2009 that netted him the championship. Upon retiring from F1 in 2017, the British driver has taken on a variety of challenges with NASCAR being the latest. It began with sports cars in the Japanese Super GT Series’ GT500 class, where he won the 2018 championship. He then ran a five-race stint in the 2018-2019 FIA World Endurance Championship, a drive that included the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Button has even competed in off-road endurance racing, running the Mint 400 and the Baja 1000 in 2019.

● Tyler Reddick won the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix to score his fourth career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first at COTA. His margin over second-place Kyle Busch was 1.411 seconds.

● There were eight caution periods for a total of 17 laps.

● All but 10 of the 39 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Ross Chastain leaves COTA as the championship leader with a 19-point advantage over second-place Busch.

Next Up:

Button’s next NASCAR Cup Series race is the Grant Park 220 on July 2 on the streets of downtown Chicago. The 100-lap race around the temporary 2.2-mile, 12-turn street course begins at 5:30 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast live on NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Button’s final Cup Series race of the 2023 season is the Verizon 200 at The Brickyard on Aug. 13 on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Race Recap: Circuit Of The Americas

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Noah Gragson, No. 42 Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 10TH

FINISH: 20TH

POINTS: 26TH

Noah Gragson Post-Race Thoughts: “Had a solid day in our Black Rifle Coffee Camaro. We ran inside the top-10 and top-15 for a large part of the day with good speed. We kept working on the car. Luke Lambert and the rest of the guys called a great strategy. The pit crew did an awesome job. We put ourselves in position during the green-white-checkers to be in the top-10. I ended up getting spun and rallied back. We never quit. I’m very proud of our Black Rifle Coffee team and excited to get to Richmond and try it again.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 8TH

FINISH: 23RD

POINTS: 21ST

Erik Jones Post-Race Thoughts: ““Frustrating day here in at COTA. I felt like we had a pretty fast Allegiant Chevy but it seemed like we kept getting hit. There were a couple times there on restarts that we just flat got ran over. Wrong place wrong time for sure, and it stinks that we weren’t really able to have anything to show for the speed we had. I’m thankful that we were able to show as much promise as we did early on with a good run in qualifying, and I can tell we are moving in the right direction at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. Onto Richmond.”

Jimmie Johnson, No. 84 Club Wyndham Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 31ST

FINISH: 38TH

POINTS: 38TH

Jimmie Johnson was collected on a Lap 1 multi-car accident at Circuit Of The Americas.

Post-race thoughts: “What a disappointing finish. Unfortunately we got off to a slow start yesterday and qualified poorly. We all know what happens when you start in the back and unfortunately we were caught up in that. Just a wild and crazy first lap that was taking place. I thought I had the wreck missed, but I just saw a flash of red out of nowhere. I guess there was more going on the outside of the No. 6 car (Brad Keselowski) as it was spinning, and I saw him and just got collected. I’m most disappointed for Club Wyndham. They came on board for this race, and they’ll be with me at the Coca-Cola 600. Really disappointed we couldn’t give them a better show.”

ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:

LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is a professional motor racing team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, owned by Maury Gallagher and Jimmie Johnson. LEGACY MOTOR CLUB operates two full-time entries, the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Noah Gragson and the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Erik Jones. The team also fields a third part-time entry, the No. 84 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, for Johnson’s limited racing schedule in 2023.

Based in Statesville, N.C., LEGACY MOTOR CLUB operates alongside GMS Racing, which fields three full-time entries in the NASCAR Truck Series. Since the formation of GMS Racing in 2012, Gallagher, along with one of the NASCAR garage’s most accomplished figures, Team President, Mike Beam, built a victorious organization, capturing the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championships, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championships, accumulating over 65 wins across six national racing circuits.

Our mission at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is to create an inclusive environment for auto-racing enthusiasts, celebrate the past and future legacies of our partners and team members, and to compete for race wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.

Reddick-ulous: Tyler Reddick Survives Triple-Overtime Finish to Win EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix

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Official Release
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Tyler Reddick celebrates his first win of the season and the first for his 23XI Racing team this year at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on Sunday, March 26, 2023 in Austin, Texas. Photo Credit: NASCAR at COTA/Harold Hinson Photography

AUSTIN, Texas (March 26, 2023) – Restart after restart, Tyler Reddick put up a monster performance under the hot Texas sun to earn his first win of the season and the first this year for 23XI Racing at Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas (COTA).

After leading only two laps in two previous EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix starts, Reddick had the dominant car Sunday, leading 41 circuits and outlasting the field in a raucous triple-overtime finish. Eight cautions bunched up the field, including three overtime attempts, but strong restarts kept Reddick out of the melee and in command of the race.

“It means the world,” Reddick said. “This whole 23XI team has been working all winter long to make the road course program better. The only thing that was really on my mind today was how to hang on. It was pretty warm in the car. Thankfully we didn’t have one more overtime; I might have been in trouble. I wouldn’t say I was nervous. I didn’t quite get every restart done perfectly, but we got the one that mattered – the last one.”

When the dust settled, Kyle Busch, who made the move to Reddick’s former Richard Childress Racing team during the offseason, finished second.

“Tyler obviously is a really good road racer,” said Busch. “He proved it driving this car last year. I was able to get in it and run right back to him. I’ve been trying to emulate the things he did in order to make this car fast last year, but not quite all the way there. They had a whale of a car.”

Alex Bowman finished third, with Ross Chastain’s battered Trackhouse Racing machine crossing the finish line fourth after contact with several cars in Turn One led to the final overtime caution. Polesitter William Byron was fifth.

“That’s just how this stuff goes; I’m mad at a bunch of people, and a bunch of people are mad at me,” Chastain said. “Nobody had anything for Tyler. We were all clawing. I love this place, and I love road course racing. The fight to get better never stops. We ended up with a good finish, but it wasn’t the prettiest.”

Reddick’s performance impressed his boss, team owner and fellow NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin, who finished 16th.

“We knew that they were fast, knew that it was a matter of time before they would march their way to the front,” Hamlin said. “Certainly, they’ve got a lot of opportunity to build a lot of Playoff points and hopefully make a run.

“It’s a big pressure situation for Tyler. You’ve been the dominant car all weekend. There’s not much to gain. It’s yours to lose. To be able to manage those pressure situations, it’s huge.”

Tickets:

Fans can lock in their seats for the 2024 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas online at www.nascaratcota.com/events/renewals.

Follow Us:

Keep track of all things NASCAR at COTA by following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@NASCARatCOTA). Keep up with all the latest information on the NASCAR at COTA website and mobile app.

Tyler Reddick wins first race with 23XI Racing at Circuit of The Americas

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Official Release
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AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 26: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 Monster Energy Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on March 26, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

By Holly Cain
NASCAR Wire Service

AUSTIN, Texas – Tyler Reddick prevailed in three overtime re-starts to claim his first trophy of the year – and first with his new team, 23XI Racing, with a 1.411-second victory over two-time series champion Kyle Busch in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix – the NASCAR Cup Series’ first road course race of the season.

It was a field of international champions and NASCAR’s very best at the famed Circuit of The Americas course but for most of the race the outcome looked to be decided in a good ole Texas duel between the two fastest cars all weekend driven by Reddick and Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron. The pair exchanged the lead, lap after exciting lap for most of the afternoon.

And on the final two-lap restart Reddick was able to put his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota out front exiting Turn 1 – a tight left-hander – and power forward to the lead; while Busch and third-place finisher Alex Bowman, fourth-place finisher – and defending race winner – Ross Chastain and fifth-place Byron fought door-to-door bumper-to-bumper as they chased after him.

“I’ve been wanting to win here in a Cup car for a long time,” the 27-year-old Californian Reddick said, who now has four NASCAR Cup Series wins, but noted this was his first as a Toyota driver and with his 23XI Racing Team – co-owned by fellow competitor Denny Hamlin and NBA superstar Michael Jordan.

“It means the world,” said Reddick, who sat down on the track and leaned against his car with a bag of ice after winning to cool down on the typically Texas-hot afternoon. “This whole 23XI team has been working hard all winter long to make the road course program better and was extremely motivated to come in here and improve performance. Just so proud of this Monster Energy team and TRD (Toyota Racing Development). All the resources they’ve put in to turn around the road course program means a lot.”

As often happens late in a road course race, patience lags and urgency increases. That was certainly the case Sunday with three different overtime restarts deciding the outcome. Reddick and Byron’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet combined to lead 69 of the race’s 75 laps with Reddick out front a race best 41 of those, most of them after hard-fought challenges and back-and-forth corner after corner with the race polesitter Byron.

“It feels good to get a top five, but we had a top-two race car really with the 45, he was really better than everybody, but I thought we were a close second,” said Byron, a two-race winner already in 2023, whose fifth-place finish at COTA was his career best on a road course. “We’ll keep building on it.”

Busch’s runner-up effort was an impressive comeback. He had been mid-pack for most of the afternoon but gambled on fuel strategy to move forward during some late race cautions in regulation.

“Even if we were on equal tires, they were lights out,” said Busch, driver of the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.

“Overall, for as much effort as we put into coming here and focusing on this place and all the testing we did in the offseason, we’re coming out of here with a good finish. Tyler’s obviously a really good road course racer.”

In addition to the NASCAR stars, the field that raced Sunday included four big names from other racing genres including IMSA champion Jordan Taylor, who drove the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for injured former COTA winner Chase Elliott; a pair of former Formula One champions in Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen and popular IndyCar Series regular Conor Daly.

Among these four, the Englishman Button – the 2009 Formula One champion – claimed the top finishing position, 18th in the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford. Taylor, a two-time winner at COTA in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series finished 24th but made a huge impression in his debut after qualifying fourth.

Raikkonen, the 2007 F1 World Champion from Finland, finished 29th but ran as high as fourth place late in the race. Daly only got 16 laps into the race before his team had to take his No. 50 The Money Team Racing Chevrolet behind the wall for extended repairs. He finished 36th.

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson didn’t even get a full lap of green flag racing in only his second start of the 2023 season. The owner-driver of the No. 84 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Chevrolet was collected in a multi-car accident that eliminated his Chevrolet and left him 38th in the standings.

Team Penske’s Austin Cindric, 2023 DAYTONA 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr., RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs and Front Row Motorsports’ Todd Gilliland rounded out the top-10.

Chastain takes over the championship lead by 19 points over Busch. Ty Gibbs, who finished ninth, continues to lead the Sunoco Rookie of the Year points standings.

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to competition next Sunday in the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

NASCAR Cup Series Race – EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix

Circuit of The Americas

Austin, Texas

Sunday, March 26, 2023

            1. (2)  Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 75.

            2. (9)  Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 75.

            3. (6)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 75.

            4. (12)  Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 75.

            5. (1)  William Byron, Chevrolet, 75.

            6. (3)  Austin Cindric, Ford, 75.

            7. (18)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 75.

            8. (32)  Chris Buescher, Ford, 75.

            9. (17)  Ty Gibbs #, Toyota, 75.

            10. (36)  Todd Gilliland, Ford, 75.

            11. (27)  Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, 75.

            12. (20)  Michael McDowell, Ford, 75.

            13. (29)  Kevin Harvick, Ford, 75.

            14. (13)  Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 75.

            15. (19)  Chase Briscoe, Ford, 75.

            16. (21)  Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 75.

            17. (25)  Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 75.

            18. (24)  Jenson Button, Ford, 75.

            19. (23)  Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 75.

            20. (10)  Noah Gragson #, Chevrolet, 75.

            21. (38)  Ryan Blaney, Ford, 75.

            22. (16)  Harrison Burton, Ford, 75.

            23. (8)  Erik Jones, Chevrolet, 75.

            24. (4)  Jordan Taylor, Chevrolet, 75.

            25. (37)  Cody Ware, Ford, 75.

            26. (33)  Josh Bilicki(i), Chevrolet, 75.

            27. (5)  Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 75.

            28. (15)  Joey Logano, Ford, 75.

            29. (22)  Kimi Raikkonen, Chevrolet, 75.

            30. (39)  Aric Almirola, Ford, 74.

            31. (14)  Christopher Bell, Toyota, Accident, 73.

            32. (26)  Ryan Preece, Ford, Accident, 68.

            33. (28)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Accident, 62.

            34. (7)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, Accident, 60.

            35. (30)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, Driveshaft, 56.

            36. (35)  Conor Daly, Chevrolet, Transmission, 16.

            37. (11)  Bubba Wallace, Toyota, Accident, 10.

            38. (31)  Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, DVP, 0.

            39. (34)  Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, Accident, 0.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 72.886 mph.

Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 30 Mins, 32 Secs. Margin of Victory: 1.411 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 8 for 17 laps.

Lead Changes: 16 among 7 drivers.

Lap Leaders: W. Byron 1-5;A. Cindric 6-7;T. Reddick 8-12;W. Byron 13-23;T. Reddick 24-31;C. Buescher 32;W. Byron 33-38;T. Reddick 39-41;W. Byron 42;J. Logano 43;W. Byron 44-46;T. Reddick 47-57;D. Suarez 58;C. Bell 59;T. Reddick 60-61;W. Byron 62-63;T. Reddick 64-75.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Tyler Reddick 6 times for 41 laps; William Byron 6 times for 28 laps; Austin Cindric 1 time for 2 laps; Christopher Bell 1 time for 1 lap; Joey Logano 1 time for 1 lap; Chris Buescher 1 time for 1 lap; Daniel Suarez 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 24,2,16,48,1,99,8,9,20,41

Stage #2 Top Ten: 45,3,34,4,17,47,5,43,14,42

Stewart-Haas Racing: EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix from COTA

By
Official Release
-

STEWART-HAAS RACING
EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix

Date: March 26, 2023
Event: EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix (Round 6 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas (3.426-mile, 20-turn road course)
Format: 68 laps, broken into three stages (15 laps/15 laps/38 laps)
Note: Race extended seven laps past its scheduled 68-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing (Toyota)

SHR Race Finish:

● Kevin Harvick (Started 29th, Finished 13th / Running, completed 75 of 75 laps)

● Chase Briscoe (Started 19th, Finished 15th / Running, completed 75 of 75 laps)

● Aric Almirola (Started 39th, Finished 30th / Running, completed 74 of 75 laps)

● Ryan Preece (Started 26th, Finished 32nd / Accident, completed 68 of 75 laps)

SHR Points:

● Kevin Harvick (4th with 186 points, 25 out of first)

● Chase Briscoe (23rd with 96 points, 115 out of first)

● Aric Almirola (28th with 70 points, 141 out of first)

● Ryan Preece (29th with 69 points, 142 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Harvick finished fourth in Stage 2 to earn seven bonus points.

● Briscoe finished ninth in Stage 2 to earn two bonus points.

● Preece finished 10th in Stage 1 to earn a bonus point.

Race Notes:

● Tyler Reddick won the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix to score his fourth career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his first at COTA. His margin over second-place Kyle Busch was 1.411 seconds.

● There were eight caution periods for a total of 17 laps.

● All but 10 of the 39 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Ross Chastain leaves COTA as the championship leader with a 19-point advantage over second-place Busch.

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Richmond 400 on Sunday, April 2 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

NHRA AT PHOENIX: Team Chevy Post-Race Report

By
Official Release
-

CHEVROLET IN NHRA
NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS
CHANDLER, ARIZONA
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT

TEAM CHEVY TACKLES TRICKY TRACK AT NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS WITH DOUBLE-UP VICTORIES IN FUNNY CAR AND PRO STOCK

CHANDLER, Ariz. (March 26, 2023) – As the sun sets on the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park for the final time, a pair of Chevrolet Camaro SS drivers were hoisting their Wallys in the air. Robert Hight raced to his 62nd NHRA victory in Funny Car (his 27th with Chevrolet), while Camrie Caruso nabbed her first victory in Pro Stock, Chevrolet’s 368th in the division and 249th with the Camaro, on what proved to be a tricky track for many throughout the weekend. In doing so, Caruso became the second female Pro Stock winner in NHRA history.

In Funny Car, the John Force Racing pair of John Force (BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS) and Robert Hight (Flav-R-Pac/Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS) qualified No. 8 and No. 9 respectively, facing each other in Round 1. With Hight coming out on top over J. Force, he then overtook the No. 1 qualifier of Bob Tasca in Round 2 to move on to the semifinals. Facing a strong-running Chad Green, Hight made a strong effort to nab the win light with his run of 3.900 ET at 329.34 MPH and advancing to the finals.

Facing last year’s champion Ron Capps, Hight beat Capps on reaction time with a difference of .001, getting the jump and the winlight with his pass of 3.930 ET at 328.62 MPH to earn the Arizona Nationals Wally. With his four round winlights in Phoenix, Hight is within reach to notch his 600th round win in his next race at Pomona, now holding 597 round wins in 399 races.

“This whole Funny Car field is stacked from top to bottom,” noted Hight. “To win one of these races, you’re going to have to go through four hitters. We did that today. You just never give up. When you have Jimmy Prock as your crew chief, you just know you’re one run away from fixing this thing and being back to where we need to be. He races aggressive. I don’t need to tell you guys that. He wants a low ET every round, and we had that today. We had four rounds where we were all low ET. That’s Jimmy Prock’s style of racing and it makes my job easy. I just got to go up there and stand on the gas, do my job, and keep it in the lanes. Pretty impressive that they didn’t give up.”

Marking her second final round appearance of her young Pro Stock career, Camrie Caruso, in her Tequila Comisario/Powerbuilt Chevrolet Camaro SS for the newly formed KB Titan Racing, raced to her first Wally after beating Elite Motorsports’ Bo Butner, III in his Johnson’s Horsepower Garage Chevrolet Camaro SS at the start and to the line with her pass of 6.592 ET at 210.31 MPH.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Caruso. “I’m so thankful and blessed for all of my sponsors and all of my teammates. It’s just been such a great start to the season and I’m so thankful. It was awesome. Honestly, I have a great team and great partners, and I couldn’t do it without any of them. It was crazy how close we were but we said it yesterday, if we all do our job, we’ll win the race.”

“We were very fortunate a couple of rounds to squeeze by like we did,” said Butner, III. “We had some good luck on our side. The car made a very good run in the final. We still don’t need to be that late. We’ll try to work on that a little bit, but the car was really good today.”

Hitting the track first for Team Chevy to start race day, Brittany Force and her Flav-R-Pack/Monster Energy Chevrolet Top Fuel team showed speed and strength they’re known for to post the top speed of the event with her pass at 336.23 MPH. Unfortunately for B. Force, Round 2 proved tough a second weekend in a row and was eliminated after smoking the tires on the run. With her John Force Racing teammate making his first run of the day as a solo pass, Austin Prock, in the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, was also knocked out in the second round of race day.

Up next for the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series is the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals Friday, March 31-Sunday, April 2, 2023, at the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, California. Broadcast of Sunday’s eliminations will air live on April 2 at 7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1).

ROUND 1 RECAP

Top Fuel:

No. 5 Brittany Force defeated No. 12 Josh Hart with a strong run of 3.682 ET at 336.23 MPH to clock top speed of the meet at the time of her pass.
No. 3 Austin Prock defeated No. 14 Jim Maroney on a solo pass after Maroney faces mechanical issues on the starting line.
Funny Car:

No. 9 Robert Hight defeats No. 8 John Force after Force gets Hight on the line with reaction time but shakes the tires at half-track, Hight taking the win with a pass of 3.911 ET at 325.37 MPH.
Pro Stock:

No. 11 Bo Butner, III defeated No. 6 Erica Enders with his pass of 6.565 ET at 208.17 MPH.
No. 8 Camrie Caruso defeated No. 9 Deric Kramer with her 6.564 ET run at 210.57 MPH.
No. 4 Aaron Stanfield defeated No. 13 Jerry Tucker with his pass at 6.558 ET at 208.55 MPH.
No. 5 Matt Hartford defeated No. 12 Mason McGaha with his run of 6.552 ET at 210.24 MPH.
No. 2 Kyle Koretsky defeated No. 15 Chris McGaha with a .003 reaction time and a pass of 6.657 ET at 209.49 MPH.
No. 10 Greg Anderson defeated No. 7 Troy Coughlin, Jr. with his run of 6.561 ET at 209.26 MPH.
No. 3 Dallas Glenn fell to No. 14 Fernando Cuadra, Jr. after a strong pass by Glenn at 6.561 at 209.88 MPH.

ROUND 2 RECAP

Top Fuel:

Prock fell to Steve Torrence in a close race after getting off the start line first with a .093 reaction time and a pass of 3.768 ET at 327.59 MPH.
B. Force fell to Leah Pruett after smoking the tires on the start.
Funny Car:

Hight defeated No. 1 qualifier Bob Tasca with a pass of 3.936 ET at 330.07 MPH.
Pro Stock:

Butner, III defeated Cuadra, Jr. with a run of 6.591 ET at 208.17 MPH.
Caruso defeated Cuadra after double-bulbing her opponent and Cuadra timed out, making a solo pass to the win light.
Korestky gets the win over Anderson with a run of 6.589 ET at 209.20 MPH.
Hartford defeated Stanfield with a pass of 6.559 ET at 209.49 MPH.

SEMIFINALS

Funny Car:

Hight defeated Green with his pass of 3.900 ET at 329.34 MPH, setting low ET of the event at the time of the round.
Pro Stock:

Butner, III defeated Koretsky after Koretsky red lit on the start.
Caruso defeated Hartford in a close race with her pass of 6.568 ET at 210.41 MPH.

FINALS

Funny Car:

Hight defeated Capps with his pass of 3.930 ET at 328.62 MPH.
Pro Stock:

Caruso defeated Butner, III with her pass of 6.592 ET at 210.31 MPH.
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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.

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