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Sammy Smith dominates for first Xfinity Series career win at Phoenix

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.

In the valley of the desert where a handful of NASCAR’s future stars battled against the all-time series winner and champion Kyle Busch, a new star shined the brightest as rookie Sammy Smith notched his first NASCAR Xfinity Series career victory in the United Rentals 200 at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, March 11.

The 18-year-old Smith from Johnston, Iowa, led a race-high 92 of 200-scheduled laps, including the final 52, as he withstood a flurry of cautions, a 15-lap dash to the finish and a late charge from teammate Ryan Truex to claim his first Xfinity career victory in his 13th start in the series and become the first first-time winner across NASCAR’s top three national touring series for the 2023 season.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, Cole Custer notched his first Xfinity pole of the season after posting a pole-winning lap at 129.959 mph in 27.701 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Justin Allgaier, who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 129.706 mph in 27.755 seconds.

Prior to the event, Kyle Busch and Jeffrey Earnhardt dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to their respective cars. Parker Kligerman also dropped to the rear of the field in a backup car.

When the green flag waved and the race commenced, the field fanned out to multiple lanes through the frontstretch dogleg as Custer, who also went through the dogleg, retained the lead ahead of Daniel Hemric and Sheldon Creed while Allgaier fell back into a side-by-side battle with John Hunter Nemechek for fourth. At the conclusion of the first lap, Custer led ahead of Hemric and Creed while Allgaier retained fourth in front of Nemechek and the field.

Through the first five scheduled laps, Custer was leading by nine-tenths of a second over Creed followed by Hemric, Allgaier and Nemechek while rookie Chandler Smith, Josh Berry, rookie Sammy Smith, Riley Herbst and Austin Hill were in the top 10. Behind, Ryan Truex was in 11th ahead of Ryan Sieg, Sam Mayer, Brett Moffitt and Kaz Grala while Jeb Burton, Josh Williams, Brandon Jones, Kyle Sieg and rookie Parker Retzlaff rounded out the top 20.

At the Lap 10 mark, Custer extended his advantage to more than a second over Creed while third-place Allgaier trailed by more than two seconds. By then, Nemechek and Hemric remained in the top five while the two Smiths involving Sammy and Chandler battle for sixth. In addition, Kyle Busch cracked the top 20 after starting towards the rear of the field.

Ten laps later, Custer continued to lead by more than two seconds over the new runner-up competitor Allgaier while Creed fell back to third as he trailed by more than two seconds. Behind, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Nemechek and Sammy Smith were in the top five in front of Herbst while Hemric was back in seventh in front of teammate Chandler Smith, Josh Berry and Austin Hill. By then, Ryan Truex was back in 11th in front of Mayer and Brandon Jones while Kyle Busch was up in 14th.  

Another eight laps later, the first caution of the event flew when the back bumper from Leland Honeyman’s No. 45 Alpha Prime Racing entry came loose and fell onto the frontstretch. The cause of the loose bumper happened a few laps earlier when Honeyman got loose and made contact against the outside wall towards Turn 1.

With 10 laps remaining in the first stage, the event proceeded under green. At the start, Custer bolted ahead with the lead as the field fanned out through the dogleg again. Behind, Sammy Smith challenged Allgaier for second while Creed, Nemechek, Sammy Smith and Herbst battled for fourth. Shortly after, Allgaier launched a challenge to the outside of Custer for the lead but was unable to prevail as Custer maintained the lead on the inside lane.

Then on Lap 37, Allgaier made his move to the outside of Custer as he assumed the lead in his No. 7 hellowater Chevrolet Camaro through the backstretch and back to the frontstretch. A lap later, the caution returned when Berry, who was running in eighth, got bumped by Chandler Smith as he spun in the middle of Turn 3. Despite the spin, the entire field managed to dodge Berry as he continued without sustaining any damage. During the caution period, some led by Nemechek pitted while the rest led by Allgaier remained on the track.

With two laps remaining in the first stage, the event resumed under green. At the start, the field fanned out to four lanes through the dogleg and through the frontstretch as Allgaier retained the lead. Behind, Creed made his way into second in front of a bevy of competitors that continued to fan out to multiple lanes. This, however, allowed Allgaier to pull away from the field.

When the first stage concluded on Lap 45, Allgaier claimed his second stage victory of the 2023 Xfinity season. Creed fended off Sammy Smith for second followed by Herbst and Hemric while Custer, Busch, Mayer, Nemechek and Chandler Smith were scored in the top 10.

Under the stage break, some led by Allgaier pitted for the first time in the event while the rest led by Mayer and Nemechek remained on the track.

The second stage started on Lap 55 as Mayer and Nemechek occupied the front row. At the start and with the field fanning out through the dogleg, Nemechek muscled into the lead on the inside lane while Hill and Mayer battled for second in front of a flurry of competitors. As the battles around the circuit proceeded, the caution returned during the following lap when Moffitt, who was running just outside the top 10, got loose underneath Jeremy Clements and spun in the middle of Turn 3, though he was narrowly dodged by the field.

During the following restart on Lap 62, Nemechek rocketed with the lead on the inside lane while Hill made his way into second. Behind, Ryan Truex and Jeb Burton challenged Mayer for third, though the later prevailed exiting the backstretch. As Nemechek retained the lead, Berry, who spun towards the conclusion of the first stage, carved his way back to sixth with multiple battles ensuing behind.

Following another caution period for a two-car incident involving Connor Mosack and Josh Williams in Turn 2 on Lap 68 and another restart on Lap 74, Nemechek battled and fended off Hill to remain the lead on the inside lane. Shortly after, however, NASCAR assessed Nemechek a pass-through penalty through pit road as a result of Nemechek dipping his No. 20 Safeway/Albertsons Toyota Supra below the frontstretch’s double yellow line boundary, which was deemed a violation. With Nemechek penalized, Hill assumed the lead followed by Sammy Smith while Ryan Truex, Mayer, Berry and Busch occupied the top six.

By Lap 84, the caution flew when Berry, who was running in fourth, got bumped by teammate Mayer as he spun his No. 8 Jarrett Logistics Systems Chevrolet Camaro in Turn 2 and towards the pit road’s entrance while being dodged by Busch. By then, Nemechek, who was mired in the next-to-last position in 37th place, managed to remain on the lead lap while Hill retained the lead in front of Sammy Smith and Truex. During the caution period, a majority of the field led by Hill pitted while the rest led by Allgaier remained on the track.

With two laps remaining in the second stage, the event restarted under green as Allgaier and Anthony Alfredo occupied the front row. At the start, Allgaier and Alfredo dueled for the lead through the frontstretch with the field behind fanning out to multiple lanes. As the field continued to battle through the backstretch, Allgaier pulled away as he commenced the final lap of the second stage. With no competition luring behind, Allgaier claimed his second consecutive Xfinity stage victory of the season and third overall at the Lap 90 mark. Hill carved his way back to second followed by Hemric, Sammy Smith and Kyle Busch while Alfredo, Mayer, Herbst, Kaz Grala and Creed were scored in the top 10.

Under the stage break, a few drivers including Allgaier and Alfredo pitted while the rest led by Hill remained on the track.

With 100 laps remaining, which marked the event’s halfway mark, the final stage started as Hill and Hemric occupied the front row. At the start, a three-wide battle ensued through the frontstretch as Kyle Busch and Hemric challenged Hill for the lead.  In the process, Sammy Smith made it a four-car battle as he joined the battle while Busch carved his way into the lead by a hair over Smith. Soon after, Smith launched his challenge on Busch for the lead before prevailing in Turn 2 with 97 laps remaining. As Smith assumed the lead, Busch fell back to second while Hemric, Hill and Mayer were scored in the top five. Meanwhile, Ryan Truex was in sixth in front of teammate Nemechek, who rallied from his restart penalty, while Herbst, Custer and Chandler Smith were scored in the top 10.

With 90 laps remaining, Sammy Smith was leading by more than a second over Busch followed by Hemric, Hill and Nemechek while Mayer, Herbst, Ryan Truex, Custer and Chandler Smith occupied the top 10. Behind, Creed was in 11th ahead of Brandon Jones, Kyle Weatherman, Grala and Parker Kligerman while Berry, Jeb Burton, Allgaier, Moffitt and Ryan Sieg were running in the top 20.

Fifteen laps later, Sammy Smith extended his advantage to more than three seconds over the new runner-up competitor Hill as Busch, who had debris on his front grille, slipped back to third to remove the debris behind Hill’s rear bumper. By then, Nemechek moved up to fourth in front of Mayer while Herbst, Hemric, Custer, Chandler Smith and Creed were running in the top 10.

With 62 laps remaining, the caution flew when Gray Gaulding wrecked against the Turn 1 outside wall as his event came to a late end. During the caution period, the field led by Sammy Smith pitted, but Hill reassumed the lead following a stellar pit service from his No. 21 crew followed by Busch while Sammy Smith dropped to third. Nemechek, Herbst and Mayer exited fourth through sixth while Allgaier gained four spots to move up to eighth.

Down to the final 53 laps, the event restarted under green. At the start, Hill led a stampede of competitors through the frontstretch until Kyle Busch pulled his No. 10 LA Golf Chevrolet Camaro even to Hill’s outside through the backstretch. As the field returned to the frontstretch, Busch peaked ahead with the lead, but Hill fought back on the inside lane. Then As Sammy Smith drew himself in between Busch and Hill to regain his lead through Turn 2, the caution returned when Creed got loose beneath Custer as he spun his No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro in Turn 2 while being dodged by the field. At the moment of caution, Smith had reassumed the lead in front of Busch and Hill.

During the following restart with 44 laps remaining, Smith fended off Kyle Busch to retain the lead through the frontstretch and entering the backstretch. In the process, Busch came under attack from Nemechek for the runner-up spot, which he lost in Turn 3 while Hill fell back to fourth in front of Berry and Allgaier. As the field behind jostled for late positions, Smith maintained the lead as he also started to extend it over teammate Nemechek while third-place Busch trailed by more than a second.

Then with 30 laps remaining, the caution flew when Alfredo got loose and spun in Turn 2. By then, Sammy Smith was leading by more than two seconds over teammate Nemechek while third-place Busch trailed by more than three seconds.

When the race restarted under green with 24 laps remaining, Kyle Busch launched a three-wide challenge on Sammy Smith and Nemechek in his bid for the lead through the frontstretch. Then in Turn 1, Nemechek went up the track and tagged the outside wall as he began losing spots. Meanwhile, Busch and Smith dueled for the lead through the backstretch, but Smith prevailed on the outside lane to remain as the leader. As Smith began to pull away during the following lap, a flurry of competitors running in the middle of the pack fanned out and jostled for late positions. Then with 22 laps remaining, Allgaier, who nearly got turned by teammate Brandon Jones in Turns 3 and 4 while running ninth, collided against Kaz Grala, who got pinned by Moffitt, and wrecked into the outside wall across the frontstretch as his eventful event came to an end with a wrecked race car.

During the following restart with 15 laps remaining, Smith rocketed his No. 18 Pilot Flying J Toyota Supra away with the lead on the inside lane while Busch battled and just fended off Hill for second. Through the backstretch, Chandler Smith made his way into third followed by Ryan Truex as Hill fell back to fifth. Back at the front, Busch tried to launch an attack beneath Smith on the backstretch, but Smith fended off Busch to retain the lead as Chandler Smith joined the battle in his No. 16 Quick Tie Chevrolet Camaro.

Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Sammy Smith was leading by nine-tenths of a second over the new runner-up competitor Ryan Truex, who was piloting Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 19 Toyota Genuine Parts Supra, while Busch was being challenged by teammate Chandler Smith for third. Meanwhile, Herbst carved his No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang to fifth while Nemechek, Creed, Hill, Berry and Hemric occupied the top 10.

With five laps remaining, Sammy Smith continued to lead by nearly half a second over teammate Ryan Truex, who continued to reel in on his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate for the lead and potential win, while third-place Busch trailed by more than a second in front of teammate Chandler Smith and Herbst.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Sammy Smith remained as the leader by six-tenths of a second over teammate Ryan Truex, who kept Smith close within his sights but was running out of time to bid for the lead. Despite Truex executing a late valiant effort for his first NASCAR victory, he ran out of time as Smith was able to cycle his No. 18 Supra way back to the start/finish line and claim his first checkered flag in the series.

With the victory, Smith, whose previous best result was 17th through the first three scheduled events, became the 172nd different competitor to win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series level, the 21st to win an Xfinity event while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing and the third different winner of the 2023 season. He also became the youngest series winner at Phoenix and the fourth-youngest overall at age 18 years, nine months and seven days. In the process, he recorded the record 16th Xfinity victory for JGR at Phoenix.

“It’s amazing,” Smith, a two-time ARCA Menards Series East champion, said on FS1. “It’s a dream come true. Just thanks to Pilot Flying J, TMC, Allstate Peterbilt Group, Toyota, all the guys on the [Joe Gibbs Racing] team for giving me this opportunity. It’s awesome.”

Teammate Ryan Truex notched a career-best runner-up result in his first of six scheduled starts with Joe Gibbs Racing for this season, which marked his third runner-up finish in the series overall and his first runner-up result in the series since Phoenix in March 2019, which occurred while driving a part-time stint with JR Motorsports.

“I thought we were good at the start,” Truex said. “Man, I think the track just changed a lot more than I expected it too. That long run, we were really bad. I was just hanging on, but [crew chief] Jason [Ratcliff] and these [No. 19] guys let me complain on the radio and made the right adjustments. That was a good restart at the end. Glad I could at least try to make it exciting. Congrats to Sammy. He was just the class of the field all day. His car just looked so good. [He] Could really kind of do whatever he wanted. Just thankful to be here. Thanks to Toyota Genuine Parts. Sammy was just a little bit faster, but I’ll try again next time.”

Sheldon Creed muscled his way to third in front of Herbst while Chandler Smith, who had a last-lap dust-up with Kyle Busch, completed the top five. Nemechek, Hill and Berry finished sixth through eighth, respectively, while Busch, who got sideways beneath teammate Chandler Smith and hit the Turn 1 outside wall on the final lap, ended up ninth. Hemric completed the top 10 in the final running order.

There were 14 lead changes for eight different leaders. The race featured 11 cautions for 69 laps. In total, 33 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.

Following the fourth event of the 2023 Xfinity Series season, Austin Hill continues to lead the regular-season standings by 30 points over John Hunter Nemechek, 39 over Justin Allgaier and 40 over both Chandler Smith and Riley Herbst.

Results.

1. Sammy Smith, 92 laps led

2. Ryan Truex

3. Sheldon Creed

4. Riley Herbst

5. Chandler Smith, two laps led

6. John Hunter Nemechek, 19 laps led

7. Austin Hill, 22 laps led

8. Josh Berry

9. Kyle Busch, three laps led

10. Daniel Hemric

11. Sam Mayer, four laps led

12. Cole Custer, 38 laps led

13. Brett Moffitt

14. Anthony Alfredo

15. Parker Kligerman

16. Ryan Sieg

17. Kyle Weatherman

18. Parker Retzlaff

19. Ryan Ellis

20. Jeremy Clements

21. Josh Williams

22. Jeb Burton

23. Brandon Jones

24. Connor Mosack

25. Kyle Sieg

26. Joey Gase

27. Leland Honeyman

28. Bayley Currey

29. Brennan Poole

30. Patrick Emerling

31. Joe Graf Jr.

32. Garrett Smithley

33. Jeffrey Earnhardt

34. Kaz Grala, one lap down

35. Blaine Perkins – OUT, Suspension

36. Justin Allgaier – OUT, Accident, 20 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner

37. Gray Gaulding – OUT, Accident

38. Dawson Cram – OUT, Fuel pump

Next on the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is a trip back to the south for the series’ first of two visits this season at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. The event is scheduled to occur next Saturday, March 18, at 5 p.m. ET on FS1.

NHRA AT GAINESVILLE RACEWAY: Team Chevy Saturday Qualifying Report

By
Official Release
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CHEVROLET IN NHRA
AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA
TEAM CHEVY SATURDAY QUALIFYING REPORT
March 11, 2023

CHEVROLET SHOWS STRENGTH IN SEASON-OPENING NHRA GATORNATIONALS QUALIFYING AT GAINESVILLE

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA (March 11, 2023) – Qualifying for the 2023 season-opening AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals has been completed, setting the ladders for Sunday’s eliminations at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Florida. Team Chevy led the way in Top Fuel, with Brittany Force setting the stage as the No. 1 qualifier, her 43rd in NHRA, and facing Keith Murt No. 16 in Round 1. Qualifying No. 12, Austin Prock will take on No. 5 Clay Millican in the first round on race day.

In Funny Car, 16-time champion John Force qualified No. 2 with his pass of 3.878 ET at 332.59 MPH. Teammate Robert Hight was right behind Force in the No. 3 spot, going 3.879 ET at 333.99 MPH.

Pro Stock saw Troy Coughlin, Jr. besting Elite Motorsports teammate Erica Enders with his Q3 run, taking the top spot in qualifying with his pass of 6.515 ET at 212.29 MPH. He will face No. 16 qualifier Larry Morgan in Round 1 tomorrow morning, while last year’s champion Enders will take on No. 15’s Jerry Tucker.

In FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown, Aaron Stanfield led the way in his COPO Camaro after qualifying No. 1 with a run at 7.655 ET at 179.49 MPH. Pairing down the field from 24 cars qualified to 12 in Round 1, then to six in Round 2 Saturday afternoon, the remaining challengers will compete for the Gatornationals Wally in eliminations Sunday.

“It’s pretty cool to be able to accomplish that with your team,” notes Force on her 43rd No. 1 qualifier in 213 races. “No. 1 qualifiers are always great as long as we deliver on Sunday. That’s the main thing. We struggled with that in the past; we’d have all these No. 1 qualifier hats. We’d grab points, but then we would struggle so bad on race day. The game plan coming into the last few seasons is we wanted to do both, and we definitely turned things around last season where we ended up with the championship. So same game plan coming into this season, and we’ll have to deliver tomorrow.”

“We’re just getting started,” stated Coughlin Jr. “We hope we can build off of it. It’s a testament to the boys in the engine shop. They’ve worked hard on the dyno. It’s a long, seven days a week job for those guys. They work hard, a lot of research and development, a lot of hours that go into that. My family had a similar deal with that with Coughlin Brothers Racing. So we have an idea of the time that it takes and the effort that it takes. Big kudos to them. To have a pole right off the bat, that’s a huge honor.”

Today’s Gatornationals qualifying from Gainesville will be broadcast Sunday morning on FS1 at 9 a.m. ET, leading into race day eliminations starting at noon ET on FOX.

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.

Pair of Solid Top-10s for Silver Hare Duo at NOLA

By
Official Release
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Fourth-Place Connor Zilisch Just Misses Second Career TA2 Podium;
Rookie Ben Maier Scores First Top-10 in Just His Second Race

Overview:
Date: March 11, 2023
Event: New Orleans SpeedTour (Round 2 of 12)
Series: Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli
Division: Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series
Location: NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, Louisiana
Layout: 2.75-mile, 16-turn road course
Format: 37 laps or 75 minutes
Weather: Partly cloudy, high-70s
Race Winner: Brent Crews of Nitro Motorsports

Silver Hare Racing:

● Connor Zilisch – Started 11th, Finished 4th (Running, completed 37/37 laps)
● Ben Maier – Started 18th, Finished 10th (Running, completed 37/37 laps)

Connor Zilisch, Driver, No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro:

“It was a really good day for the entire Silver Hare team. We struggled throughout the early parts of the weekend but nobody gave up and we knew we had the potential to be fast. In the race, I think we got some of that potential out of the car that we knew we had. We threw the kitchen sink at it before the race, just trying to get the most out of it that we could, and the guys worked their tails off to get us a good, fast car. That really paid off for me and Ben (Maier). I think I actually started 13th because the polesitter didn’t make it off the grid in time, and people got lost and I think I got put back a row on the inside. So 13th and ending up in fourth place, it’s hard to be disappointed with that, although I was right there with the podium finishers at the line. Maybe a little bitter about that, but we’ve got 10 more races this year and 10 more opportunities to get ourselves up on the top step of the podium. I’m just super proud of the guys and the progress that we made this weekend. They worked so hard to get me up to the front and our hard work is paying off. And even though we missed testing at the beginning of the year, we’re making up for it with hard work and dedication. I’m just proud of all these guys and proud of Ben for getting another Silver Hare car up in the top-10, and I just can’t wait for Road Atlanta in two weeks.”

Ben Maier, Driver, No. 75 Gel Blaster/Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro:

“Connor and I had sort of the same setup. We were pretty good at the beginning of the race, and during the middle part, it got really gripped up so we were really fast during that part. Then, at the very end, we just lost drive and we were slipping all over the place. Made it from 18th to 10th, so I’m happy with that, my first top-10. I’ve only had six sessions ever in a TA2 car, a Silver Hare car, and two of those were races. I’m really excited for more races, going to tracks that are new to me, to learn new tracks in these cars, the elevation changes at all the tracks we go to, the bridge at Nashville, all things that look like they’re really fun. Hopefully we can keep progressing toward the front. It seems like we’re definitely improving each time we get in the car and that makes me feel good about what we can accomplish this year.”

Next Up:

Round three of the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli takes the Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series competitors to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta March 24-26 for the Mission Foods Atlanta SpeedTour. The event begins with two open test sessions on Friday, March 24. Practice on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn road course is set for Saturday morning, March 25, followed by qualifying that afternoon. The 40-lap, 75-minute race will run Sunday, March 26, at 12:15 p.m. EDT. Coverage will be live streamed via the Trans Am Series and SpeedTourTV channels on YouTube, with a delayed broadcast on MAVTV set for 8 p.m. EDT on Thursday, March 30.

About Silver Hare Racing:

Silver Hare Racing is a fulltime competitor in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s newly renamed Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series. The multicar team has won the TA2 Masters class championship three times (2018, 2019 and 2020) with driver and team co-owner Maurice Hull. Under the leadership of Hull’s wife, co-owner and team manager Laura Hull, Silver Hare Racing provides a variety of services that includes private testing and arrive-and-drive programs. The team offers six professionally built and maintained TA2 chassis from Howe Racing and operates from a state-of-the-art facility in High Point, North Carolina. For more information, visit SilverHareRacing.com.

TeamSLR’s Thad Moffitt Finishes 14th at NOLA

By
Official Release
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Late-Race Bid for Solid Top-10 Spoiled when TA2 Newcomer Gets Spun from Behind

Overview:
Date: March 11, 2023
Event: New Orleans SpeedTour (Round 2 of 12)
Series: Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli
Division: Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series
Location: NOLA Motorsports Park in Avondale, Louisiana
Layout: 2.75-mile, 16-turn road course
Format: 37 laps or 75 minutes
Weather: Sunny, high-70s
Race Winner: Brent Crews of Nitro Motorsports
TeamSLR: Thad Moffitt – Started 17th, Finished 14th (Running, completed 37/37 laps)

Noteworthy: M1 Racecars was represented on the podium for the second time in the opening two races as Rafa Matos of Peterson Racing brought home a third-place finish today. M1 Racecars swept the podium at the season-opening race two weekends ago at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway by the race-winning Matos, his Peterson Racing teammate Austin Green in the runner-up position, and TeamSLR driver Connor Mosack finishing third after qualifying on the pole and leading 20 of the 27 race laps.

Thad Moffitt, Driver No. 43 Safety-Kleen Chevrolet Camaro:

“The TeamSLR guys brought a really fast Safety-Kleen Chevy. We were really good in the slow-speed stuff, really good in the esses handling-wise, and we struggled with some drive off. But the last 10 laps of the race, we ran top-five lap times, according to Scott Sr., and Scott Jr., so I feel like the speed was there, but again we got turned – unfortunate circumstances, went back to 16th and got back to 14th before we ran out of laps. We just need to keep our heads down and keep working and work toward Road Atlanta in two weeks. We’ve been turned twice in the first two races from what I thought was a good solid position. It makes me feel like maybe they’re picking on the new guy. I try to race these guys with respect and I’m not going to stop racing them with respect, but somehow this has to come to an end.”

Next Up:

Round three of the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli takes the Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series competitors to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta March 24-26 for the Mission Foods Atlanta SpeedTour. The event begins with two open test sessions on Friday, March 24. Practice on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn road course is set for Saturday morning, March 25, followed by qualifying that afternoon. The 40-lap, 75-minute race will run Sunday, March 26, at 12:15 p.m. EDT. Coverage will be live streamed via the Trans Am Series and SpeedTourTV channels on YouTube, with a delayed broadcast on MAVTV set for 8 p.m. EDT on Thursday, March 30.

About TeamSLR:

TeamSLR (Scott Lagasse Racing) competes fulltime in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s newly renamed Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers TA2 Series in a multifaceted effort that includes dedicated entries in the TA2 division, customer programs, driver coaching and car construction. Its history dates back to 1985 and covers a wide spectrum of motorsports, including NASCAR, IMSA, SCCA, ARCA and ASA. TeamSLR is a family-owned organization run by Scott Lagasse Sr., and Scott Lagasse Jr., The father-and-son duo have combined to win more than 120 races and seven championships across a variety of series and styles of racecars, from paved ovals to road courses to dirt tracks. For more information, please visit us online at www.TeamSLR.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and on LinkedIn.

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Gainesville Post Qualifying Report — 3.11.23

By
Official Release
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CAPPS’ TOYOTA GR SUPRA CLAIMS NUMBER ONE QUALIFIER AT NHRA SEASON KICKOFF
Toyota Dragsters Qualify Second and Third in Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 12, 2023) – Ron Capps picked up where he left off last season by claiming the number one qualifier spot for Sunday’s NHRA season kickoff race at Gainesville Raceway. The reigning 2022 Funny Car Champion ran his quick lap of qualifying in the final round on Saturday with a pass at 3.874 seconds. Toyota teammates J.R. Todd (sixth) and Alexis DeJoria (ninth) will also start amongst the top-10 qualifiers.

In Top Fuel, Steve Torrence (second) and Doug Kalitta (third) both posted times of 3.723 in their Toyota dragsters. Antron Brown (sixth), Justin Ashley (ninth) and Shawn Langdon (11th) will line-up to start the 2023 season Sunday morning.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
Gainesville Raceway
Race 1 of 21

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
Brittany Force*Monster Energy Top Fuel Dragster1st (3.699)Massey
Steve TorrenceCapco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster2nd (3.723)Palmer
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster3rd (3.723)Massey
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster6th (3.734)Langdon
Justin AshleyPhillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster9th (3.768)Salinas
Shawn LangdonCMR Construction and Roofing Toyota Top Fuel Dragster11th (3.776)Brown

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
Ron CappsNAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car1st (3.874)Haddock
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car6th (3.900)Alexander
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car9th (3.954)Pedregon

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

FC Qualifying Result: 1st

What does it mean to start the season off with the P1 qualifying spot?

“Obviously after last year to get the pole in Pomona and to win the championship was great, but to start the season off, we had a plan in testing and Guido and the guys on this 2023 GR Supra body, you just want to come out and do okay. To come out here and make a statement. It’s very tight in qualifying. The speed was up. I can’t say enough about our Toyota people and all the help we get with our NAPA folks – just a team effort.”

How do you feel going into tomorrow’s race?

“You never want to be cocky about tomorrow. It’s nice to have the number one spot and have the choice. The yellow hats are great for number one qualifier, but those trophies at the end of Sunday are more important. You sleep better on Saturday night for sure.”

STEVE TORRENCE, Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Torrence Racing

TF Qualifying Result: 2nd

How do you feel about your car’s performance in qualifying and chances for tomorrow’s race?

“Great day for the Capco Toyota dragster. We went out and we were a little too conservative in the Callout first round. Went up there this round and really made some improvements. I still think there’s a lot of room to improve, just looking at the time slip, but we’ll go from there. I’m excited going into race day – I feel like we have a really good car. Better than I’ve had in a year. Confident and moral and everything is really high over hee on the team and we’re ready to go.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 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 43 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 the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

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.

Kyle Larson tops Cup Series qualifying to win Busch Light Pole at Phoenix

By
Angie Campbell
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Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Kyle Larson was fasted in NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Phoenix Raceway and claimed the Busch Light Pole Award for Sunday’s United Rentals Work United 500. He led the session in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a 130.237 mph lap, earning his second career pole at Phoenix and his 15th career pole.

Larson also topped the practice session Friday and explained the significance of starting on the pole at the one-mile track.

“It means a lot,” Larson said. “Qualifying is really important here. We got the pole in 2021 and that really helped us win the championship race. Joey (Logano) had an extremely fast car in the fall last year, but he got the pole as well and won. So I think that number one pit stall means a lot.

“Happy to be quick this weekend,” he added, “quick in practice and have it translate to qualifying.”

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin was second fastest (129.931 mph) followed by Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron (129.922 mph). Brad Keselowski will start fourth in the No. 6 RFK Racing Ford (129.762 mph) and JGR’s Christopher Bell rounded out the top five at in his JGR Toyota (129.580 mph).

Ross Chastain, Michael McDowell, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch and Erik Jones completed the top-10 in qualifying.

The United Rentals Work United 500 is scheduled for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX with radio coverage by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Starting Lineup:

Phoenix-Cup-Series-Starting-Lineup12304_STARTROW

CHEVROLET NCS: Kyle Larson Takes Pole Position at Phoenix Raceway

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
PHOENIX RACEWAY
UNITED RENTALS WORK UNITED 500
TEAM CHEVY POLE WIN PRESS CONF.
MARCH 11, 2023

KYLE LARSON TAKES POLE POSITION AT PHOENIX RACEWAY
Five drivers from four Chevrolet teams qualify in top-10

· After topping the speed chart in yesterday’s practice session, Kyle Larson (No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1) posted a lap of 27.642 seconds, at 130.237 mph, to take the pole position for tomorrow’s NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 at Phoenix Raceway.

· The pole win marks his first NASCAR Cup Series pole of 2023; his second NCS pole at Phoenix Raceway; and his 15th career pole in 299 NCS starts.

· Larson delivered Chevrolet its second NASCAR Cup Series pole of 2023; its manufacturer-leading 20th NCS pole at Phoenix Raceway; and its manufacturer-leading 736th all-time in NCS competition.

· Five drivers from four different Chevrolet teams qualified in the top-10 including: Larson (pole winner – Hendrick Motorsports), William Byron (third – Hendrick Motorsports), Ross Chastain (sixth – Trackhouse Racing), Kyle Busch (ninth – Richard Childress Racing) and Erik Jones (10th – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB).

· FOX will broadcast the NASCAR Cup Series United Rentals Work United 500 on Sunday, March 11, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can also be found on the MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

 
TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 STARTING LINEUP:
POS. DRIVER
1st Kyle Larson, No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1
3rd William Byron, No. 24 Valvoline Camaro ZL1
6th Ross Chastain, No. 1 Kubota Camaro ZL1
9th Kyle Busch, No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Camaro ZL1
10th Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Camaro ZL1

TOP-FIVE UNOFFICIAL STARTING LINEUP:
POS. DRIVER
1st Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)
2nd Denny Hamlin (Toyota)
3rd William Byron (Chevrolet)
4th Brad Keselowski (Ford)
5th Christopher Bell (Toyota)

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 – Pole Win Press Conference Transcript

Larson on the importance of qualifying well at Phoenix Raceway:

“It means a lot. Qualifying is really important here. We got the pole in 2021 and that really helped us win the championship race. Joey (Logano) had an extremely fast car in the fall last year, but he got the pole as well and won. So I think that number one pit stall means a lot.

Happy to be quick this weekend; quick in practice and have it translate to qualifying.”

Talking to Brad Keselowski, he said it’s not a surprise that you’re on the pole position and you’ve been fast this weekend. Cars are really slipping and sliding in the corners. Does that play into your dirt background, or is it just that you have a fast race car this weekend?

“Honestly, I think we’re all so good at this level that once you get to this level, I don’t think it really matters what your background is. And two, I think our team brought a really good car because I can’t honestly tell the difference in aero packages. I think that just shows how they did their homework and brought a great car here. I felt like William (Byron) was really good yesterday in practice, as well, and he qualified third. I look at him as being one of the guys to beat, along with (Kevin) Harvick. I would say maybe with him (Kevin Harvick); he was always good here with the lower downforce stuff, and the last few years, he hasn’t been as dominant. He showed in practice yesterday that he was really good.

Maybe there’s something to it, but I don’t really feel any different, so I think it’s more just that my car is good.”

Just as you were progressing through qualifying there, how confident were you that you were going to be on the pole?

“Well, I didn’t expect to lay down the lap that I did on the first round. I felt like we were going to have a good shot for the top-five in Group B. All those guys ran 60’s, and I was like ‘Man, it’s tight. I’ve got to put a good lap down here’. We were able to go like three-tenths quicker or something. So then I was really confident going into the next round. But then you get talking to yourself and you’re like ‘Man, did I overuse the tires there in the first round? Am I going to have enough for the next round? I’m in Group B versus Group A and their tires are cooler’. So you’re trying to talk yourself out of it. It was obviously much closer of a gap. I lost those three-tenths that I had in the first round. You can feel that time. I got a little bit loose going into (turn) one and had to wait a little bit longer than I wanted to on the throttle. I didn’t hit the chip long down the backstretch like I did the first time. I over-slowed into (turn) three. I got a good exit, and then you’re just staring at your lap time on the dash waiting for it to pop up a good lap. I saw the 60 and I knew that we got the pole. But yeah, you’re trying to talk yourself out of it a little bit while you’re sitting pit road.”

Where do you think your advantage is? You led practice and you led both rounds in qualifying. Where do you think you’re beating everybody else?

“Looking at SMT, I felt like my ability to roll some center-corner speed in (turns) one and two kind of gave me a little bit of an advantage. There’s definitely some cars that are better than me in (turns) three and four, but we’re all so competitive over there too. I feel like there’s a lot of room behind the wheel to get a lot better in (turns) three and four. I think my car is fine.. I think I just need to do some things different and get even better in (turns) three and four and then we should be really good.”

You said you expected no difference from yesterday, so I assume it felt just like it did yesterday for the most part?

“Qualifying trim, I feel like you always have more grip. My first round especially felt very, very good. The next round, I lost grip and was kind of slipping and sliding a little bit more, but I also did in the fall. First round to second round, I slipped more.”

Your organization wasn’t part of the test here in January. Denny (Hamlin) didn’t test, but his organization did and most of the teams in the top-10, except for maybe one, had somebody here at the test. Were you concerned at all coming in that you guys not being part of the test would put you behind by a tick?

“I can’t speak for Cliff (Daniels, crew chief) and everybody, but me personally, yes. I was concerned because I had heard that the lower downforce hurt the Chevy’s more aero-dynamically than the other manufacturers. Ross (Chastain), from what everybody told me, was terrible once they went to this low downforce stuff – or something similar to this – at the test. Ross was really good here in the fall. Honestly, Ross was great everywhere last year and great here both races.

So yes, I was concerned. I didn’t expect to be top of the charts both days. But after the long run that we made in the first run of practice, I was like – OK our times look really good all throughout the 30 laps that I ran. So yeah, I think that kind of changes your opinion pretty quickly after you look at the lap-tracker. Obviously, I knew I was quickest, but one lap doesn’t really matter in practice.

I’m just happy that our team obviously did some good homework and prepared a great setup car.”

With your dirt track background and how many fans came over with you, talk about the F1 drivers coming over and racing at COTA. Is that exciting for you to see them come over and does that light your fuse for your future?

“I wouldn’t say it lights my fuse for my future, but it’s really exciting to have guys of that caliber resume come and compete in the NASCAR Cup Series. It’s great for our sport.

And two, I think it’s going to showcase our tough our sport is. I don’t know who Jenson (Button) is running for, but Kimi (Räikkönen) in a Trackhouse car. They won two road course races last year, so there’s no arguing that he’s not in great equipment. So if he does good, average or whatever, I think it shows the competition level of our sport, which I believe is the toughest in the world.

Yeah, it’s exciting to have them. Having guys like Conor Daly, Travis Pastrana, Jonathan Davenport – it’s more than just the Formula 1 drivers. I think it just showcases how diverse our sport is and how diverse this car has allowed our sport to be. It’s neat.

And yes, it’s not what they grew up doing; racing a heavy stock car. But for us, you can kind of measure yourself a little bit and you can learn a lot. We have a lot of data to look at that we can study a guy who strictly grew up open-wheel road course racing and see kind of how their driving style is different and how we can apply some of what they do to our style.”

Kyle, now that you live out here part of the time, does it give you any more connection to the track?

“I mean, maybe. Yeah, I guess.. I got to sleep in my own bed last night and tonight.

I’ve always liked coming here, even before I owned a house here. I don’t feel more connected I guess, but it’s just nice having somewhere to go. But we would typically always rent a house. Denny (Hamlin) usually rents a house and we would split the costs and stay with him. I always look forward to this race because of that. It’s kind of a vacation, in a way, and now it’s like we’re snowbirds I guess (laughs).

It’s been good. Enjoy it and the kids love it. I’ve got my family here, so it’s great.”

 

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes – Phoenix (Joey Logano Media Availability)

By
Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series – Phoenix Raceway
United Rentals Work United 500 | Friday, March 10, 2023

Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang, met with media members ahead of qualifying at Phoenix Raceway Saturday morning, discussing what it is like to be back at the track where he won the championship last November, changes to the package for this weekend and more.

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang – LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE, YOU WON A CHAMPIONSHIP. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE BACK? “It was great when we were here last time. Obviously some memories of sitting here post-race and enjoying ourselves a lot. It was really special, but like I have said most of this year, that was last year and everything is reset. We have to do it again.”

WHAT CONCERNS DO YOU HAVE WITH THIS AERO PACKAGE? ANY ADVANTAGES OR DISADVANTAGES? “The ultimate goal with changing aero packages is trying to make racing better at the short tracks. I was here as part of the test and I will say that of all the things we tried at the test, this is the best direction. It was something that honestly wasn’t even on the cars to try while we were here. We kept cutting the spoiler off of it and a few of the drivers were like, “why don’t we just take all the Lexan off of it? Let’s try that?” Because it kept going in the right direction as we were doing that. That is kind of how we ended up in this place now. Are you ever going to be able to fix dirty air? No. It is in every form of motorsports now, no matter what. No matter what you are racing, race cars depend on air at some level. But the less that is on the car, the less of a difference it is when you get behind another car. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the right direction. Is it the fix? I don’t know if I would call it the fix but it is definitely the right direction to make racing better on the short tracks. It will make things more fun for the drivers and more entertaining for the fans because of a few things. One, the cars are harder to drive and you are forced to move around the race track more which opens up opportunities to find clean air. That is one part that was a struggle last year, everyone was in the same lane and you couldn’t even move around to find clean air. Now, you saw it in practice yesterday, cars were moving up into the second and third lane in practice. It is pretty clear to me that that will happen in the race. If you are a good car and can run the bottom, you are going to pass some cars. So there are more options for the drivers and more fall-off, which is something we have asked for. There will be more comers and goers possibly as drivers overuse their tires, abuse them, get the balance off from short run to long run, it will make more passing on the racetrack which is good for racing.”

IT SEEMS WHENEVER THERE IS A NEW EXPERIMENT (CLASH, GATEWAY, NEXT GEN) YOU ARE THE GUY TO BEAT. IS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU MENTALLY PREPARE FOR OR IS IT A TESTAMENT TO THE TEAM? “I think it is a lot about the team, to be honest. I think as the team adapts very quickly I think we are able to have a lot of different discussions around things and even during the race we can adapt as we see things. The racing will be different, so as far as on the track, Coleman and myself will be dissecting that as the race goes and where we want to be on restarts and picking lanes. As far as the car setup and stuff, Paul (Wolfe) works on the car and Penske in general. For whatever reason, change has been good for us. I don’t know why that is, but it seems we have been able to adapt fairly quickly on things. This is a big change in the aero package, but it is and it isn’t. The parts and pieces that made a lot of cars really strong last week I expect will keep them really strong this week as well. Whether it is the big spoilers or the small spoilers.”

KYLE BUSCH SAID THAT WITH THIS PACKAGE HE DRIVES IT REALLY ON THE EDGE AND HE HAS TO FIND THAT NEW EDGE. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT ADJUSTMENT, EVEN THOUGH IT ISN’T A LOT DIFFERENT, YOU HAVE TO MAKE IN A BASICALLY EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND FORMAT? “Basically, to me, the driver is more impactful when you take downforce away from the car. When you are forced to use your feet and your hands more. You are off the gas more and have to use the brake more, you have to be smoother with things, I feel like that separates the field a little bit. Not only is that how you make speed but also what direction your car is going to go on the long haul. What tires you use the most, what the fall off looks like, all these things. it is really closer back to what we were when we had the small spoilers on the car. I think that is the right step. I still feel like we need more horsepower but I think that is the race car driver in me that always wants more horsepower. I think the whole field probably wants more power. I think directionally we are going the right way. Taking drag out is essentially adding power. Taking downforce away gets you off the gas and using the brakes more.”

DO YOU HAVE TO ADJUST? “Yeah, you have to adjust everything, How you drive. What you look for. What speed is going to be like, what restarts will look like. It completely resets a lot of things which is fine, it is good.”

WHEN DID YOU START CONSIDERING TRACKHOUSE AS A TEAM YOU WOULD BE COMPETING AGAINST FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP? “We saw speed in their cars fairly early in the year. Kind of right off the bat. And you were like, ‘Okay, it is a new car, let us all figure it out and see if they are still there.’ Obviously, they are still there. They are still there now and they are hitting every area for the most part when we come to the speedway. Even on pit road they are super fast. They have done a good job at bringing the heat to the racetrack or sure. I would say at this point it is not some one-off thing. That is honestly what I was hoping for (laughter). I would say they are definitely a competitor that is here to stay.”

DID YOU NOTICE ANYTHING IN THE PRACTICE SESSION LAST NIGHT THAT YOU CAN CARRY FROM YOUR WIN HERE IN NOVEMBER? “It is very different. The car is just going to drive worse, no matter how much you work on it, it is not going to drive as good as it did last fall. There is no downforce on the car in comparison. To me, it felt a lot more like the old cars did where you are sliding the back a little more into the corners and fighting a little more the loose in, tight center, loose off. It seems like it has more of that, which makes sense. There is less downforce so the car is going to be crappier to drive. As long as everyone else’s car does that, it is good racing. You don’t wanna be the only one like that but I am pretty sure everyone was hanging on a lot more than what they were.”

CHEVROLET NCS AT PHOENIX: Daniel Suarez Press Conference Transcript

By
Official Release
-

NASCAR CUP SERIES
PHOENIX RACEWAY
UNITED RENTALS WORK UNITED 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 11, 2023

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY INSURANCE CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Phoenix Raceway. Press Conference Transcript:

We interviewed you last week in Las Vegas and you told us there were some details that your car needed, although your car was pretty fast.

“I feel like the car yesterday was good; not great and not bad. Just good. Probably the best we’ve had a car in a while. We’re one more step in the right direction. I think the positive is that we know what we need and I feel like we’re in the ballpark. Right now, yesterday, we didn’t have a winning car but we had a car that in my opinion can have the potential for it.

We’ll see. We made some adjustments for today and hopefully we get it.”

You are established in NASCAR now. Have you planned a long term future to help young talents in Mexico to come over and do the same like you did?

“Well, maybe one day. I try to help as much as I can every day. But I’m not looking for the talent, right. I’m just helping whoever comes and asks me for help. I wish I had somebody like that when I was coming here. I didn’t have anyone that I was able to ask for advice or help in my early days in the United States. I’m always very, very open to help. We’ll see what happens in the future, but for now, my main focus is my career. Win more races and championships and continue to grow.

But yeah, I enjoy seeing more diversity in the sport. I’m a big part of that and I’ve been able to help a handful of drivers – at least 10 drivers – come in from different countries. So that’s great and I’ll continue to do that.”

Going to COTA in a couple of weeks; the site of Trackhouse Racing’s first win. What has allowed Trackhouse to stay near the front over the last year since that last win?

“That’s a very good question. I think it’s a combination of many things, starting with our people. We have great people; great engineers, good pit crews. I think that if we look back to one year ago.. one year ago we were a team that was very promising. I feel like right now, Trackhouse is a reality. I think we have shown that we’re here to stay and to be competitive. Last year was a very good year and this year, so far, has gone in a very good way.

We have to continue to work; not feel comfortable and not stay still because everyone is working very hard. I feel like that has been one of the keys of Trackhouse to continue to evolve and continue to move forward.”

You’re driving with the new package yesterday. What differences did you notice and how did you personally have to adjust in the car?

“The car has way less grip. It’s almost like when you have new tires, it’s almost like you have 10-lap tires with the previous package. So the car is quite different. The main goal of this package was to make the racing better and make the car drive better in traffic. I don’t really know where we’re at when it comes to that because we haven’t raced with it yet. I guess we’re going to find that out tomorrow. For sure, the car is more difficult to drive and for sure we’re going to have to move around more. But to what extent, I don’t really know yet. We’re going to find out tomorrow.”

You had a really strong start to the regular-season with top-10s in every single race. Phoenix (Raceway) obviously hasn’t been your best track overall. What are you going to need to do this weekend to continue that top-10 streak?

“I think that my car has another top-10 in it. We have worked really hard in Phoenix just because, like you mentioned, it’s been a tough place to us in the last two years. Before that actually, I was pretty good here. We have worked very hard. We have put a lot of effort and time into this place, and I think that’s showing a little bit. We’re not quite there yet, but I think we’re moving in the right direction.”

In just the growth of Trackhouse Racing – as you have the growth of your team, you have more success. Obviously there are different people that are leaders, but certainly the drivers are looked at as a leadership position. How have you evolved or how are you trying to evolve your role as a leader in the organization or with your No. 99 team?

“That’s another very good question. I feel like I’ve learned a lot in how to be a better leader. I’m very tough to myself when it comes to my performance; the way I work, my discipline and stuff like that. Sometimes that was making me also be tough with other people. Maybe sometimes knowing the smart way. Sometimes being ambitious and really wanting something bad is a good thing, but if you’re not smart about it, it can be a bad thing. So I feel like I’ve grown a lot in the last 12 months about how to be better; how to be a better leader for my group. If we want to achieve this goal to get here, how we’re going to get here in a smart way and everyone pushing the train forward.

So I have learned a lot to that. I give a lot of credit to Josh Wise and a lot of people that have helped me in our group to be better. And I feel like it’s a continuous process. I don’t feel like I’m perfect right now, but I can guarantee you that I’m better than I was a year ago, and I hope that I’m going to be better in a few months than I am right now.

But yeah, I think myself, Travis Mack (crew chief), Tony Lunders (competition director) and many leaders at Trackhouse – I feel like we are continuing to get better and continuing to move forward. Like I said, we have great people. My pit crew – last year in the first half of the season, we struggled a lot. And then in the second half, we had a lot of speed, but we were super inconsistent. Really my pit crew for this year is exactly the same group of guys and I feel like right now, I probably have one of the fastest pit crews out there. It’s everything about training, working together and making sure that everyone knows that we have each other’s backs.

I’m very happy where we’re at right now and I think we’re moving in the right direction.”

As you alluded to, it takes many, many people to have success with an organization. But one person you mentioned was Josh Wise. From your perspective, how has he been able to unlock certain things out of you or open certain elements of you to help you grow in ways that you hadn’t before? What kind of difference would it have made had you run into him five years earlier?

“Josh (Wise) is a race car driver. He’s a very smart guy, to start with. And also, he has a degree in psychology, so he understands how the mind works better than the average person. I have known him for a long time, but when I started working with him a little bit closer, I feel like I was able to understand it a little bit better. How to approach things as one of the leaders of my team. He has helped me a lot and like I said, it’s a continuous process. I don’t think I am where I want to be. It’s always a ‘going up the mountain’ kind of battle. But I feel like I’m definitely in a way better position than what I was 12 months ago and for that, I’m very, very thankful. I think that because of him, I’ve been able to also help a lot of individuals in my team to continue to move forward.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Veloce Racing claims maiden victory in Desert X Prix Round 1

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Official Release
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11 March 2023, Saudi Arabia: Veloce Racing secured their first ever victory in Extreme E following a penalty for on course winners Rosberg X Racing (RXR) in the Grand Final of the opening round in NEOM, Saudi Arabia.

Kevin Hansen and Molly Taylor put in a consistent drive for the Desert X Prix Round 1 Grand Final, and while it looked like an outright win was within their grasp they ended the race in second behind Nico Rosberg’s outfit.

After crossing the finish line in first place, RXR received a penalty for speeding under a yellow flag, dropping the team from first to third and ensuring Veloce Racing took the top step on the podium for the first time. ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team finished third on course, but jumped up to second after RXR received their time penalty.

Winners of the series’ first Redemption Race were the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team having seen off championship debutants Carl Cox Motorsport. Tanner Foust and Emma Gilmour came out as best of the rest in a race of two halves, as the session was red flagged following racing incidents for Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E and ABT CUPRA XE.

Kevin Hansen, Veloce Racing, said: “It feels great. To come back to Saudi Arabia and get my first Extreme E win with this new team, with Molly, and in the country that I had such a career changing accident, this is such a highlight.

“Both of us believe so much in what the engineers and mechanics are doing, so we feel so safe when we get in the car. We believe in what we are going to drive and I think that is also giving some results.”

Molly Taylor, Veloce Racing, said: “I think all of us in the team clicking right from the beginning and developing and improving. We were able to start at a really good level in Uruguay form there they’ve been really good at bringing the best out of every aspect that we look into.

“Our Team Principal Luc [Alphand] knows what it takes to win. Having that faith in someone like that, who’s got the scores on the board, who knows what you’re feeling, and knows how to translate that into results, I think that’s a real advantage for us.”

Grand Final

As the top five teams from Qualifying took on the first ever Grand Final in Extreme E, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team’s Mattias Ekström seemed to have the better start of the group.

As the Swede swung round the outside, RXR’s Johan Kristoffersson stayed closest to the apex of the corner, and the inside line paid off as he charged to the front of the field.

Veloce Racing’s Hansen slotted into second place behind Kristofferson after an impressive move on the outside saw him pass Ekström and No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganssi Racing’s RJ Anderson. The American then dropped to the back of the pack behind Fraser McConnell in the X44 Vida Carbon Racing ODYSSEY who took fourth.

The front four were nose-to-tail with no team gaining an advantage having all used their ENOWA Hyperdrive at the start. As the Swedish trio broke away, Hansen refused to let Kristoffersson go as Ekström also held them both in his sights.

McConnell began to reel in the cars in front as he pushed his ODYSSEY 21, with No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing out of contention having come to a stop on course. The race was soon over for X44 Vida Carbon Racing as well, as technical issues denied Lewis Hamilton’s outfit a shot at the podium.

Up ahead the drama continued, with Ekström beginning to drop off the pace as Kristoffersson continued to shut the door on Hansen in the Veloce Racing ODYSSEY 21 as the teams entered the Switch Zone.

Following the driver change, Veloce Racing’s Taylor took up the chase as she looked to take the lead away from RXR’s Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky. The Australian looked in with a chance, until she ran wide and dropped time.

Åhlin-Kottulinsky crossed the line in first, with Veloce Racing finishing second and Laia Sanz coming home in third for ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team. Celebrations were interrupted, however, when Nico Rosberg;’s outfit were penalised for speeding in a yellow flagged zone. The 136-second penalty saw the team drop to third, handing Veloce Racing their maiden victory in Extreme E.

Laia Sanz, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: “We have had a good start to the championship so I think in the end it was a great day!

“We showed good pace in Qualifying and we got the Traction Challenge points so we are happy as we showed that we can win some races. But the level is crazy and everyone fights so hard so it will be difficult.”

Mattias Ekström, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team, said: “We are really happy to have finished second today! I’m happy for myself on getting the call from Carlos [Sainz Snr.] but even more happy for him as team boss being here to see us finish second.

“It was all going well until I came to RJ’s [Anderson] car which was a misunderstanding on my part with the slow zone but I will take that lesson with me.”

Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, Rosberg X Racing, said: “The team did an amazing job, there were tough fights out there in Qualifying 1 and 2 but the team put the car back together amazingly.

“We were happy to make it the Final. Johan made an amazing start but then I made a mistake in the slow zone. I thought it was 18 for the slow zone not 17, so that was unfortunate of course but in the end a good job from the team.”

Johan Kristoffersson, Rosberg X Racing, said: “It’s always nice to be on the podium but it’s never the nicest thing to cross the finish line first and not win!

“Given that the track is so rough, its impressive that no cars stopped because of the hard impacts from the bumps so that’s well done to Spark for making the cars so reliable and also well done to our team.”

Redemption Race

The remaining five teams fought it out in the Redemption Race to determine sixth to tenth place in the Desert X Prix Round 1 standings.

A strong start from eventual race winners NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team saw Tanner Foust take the lead ahead of ABT CUPRA XE’s Nasser Al-Attiyah and JBXE’s Heikki Kovalainen, whose impressive Extreme E debut showed no signs of faltering.

An incident at the back of the pack saw the Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E ODYSSEY 21 endure its second roll of the day. As Al-Attiyah shut the door on Carl Cox Motorsport’s Timo Scheider, the German veered into Timmy Hansen sending his ODYSSEY 21 into a spin and Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E out of the race.

This was the first of three DNFs in the race, as Al-Attiyah also rolled his ABT CUPRA XE ODYSSEY 21 over the top of the NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team as the Qatari attempted to undercut Foust for the lead.

The remaining trio still on the move avoided the wreckage, with Kovalainen taking the lead in the chaos, and pulled into the Switch Zone as the leader as a Red Flag stopped the race.

As the action got back underway, Gilmour used her ENOWA Hyperdrive immediately to close the gap on Hedda Hösas, but the JBXE team soon dropped to the back before retiring from the race with technical issues, meaning the New Zealander crossed the finish line first ahead of Carl Cox Motorsport’s Christine GZ.

Results:

Grand Final:

  1. Veloce Racing 11:56.291
  2. ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team +16.709
  3. Rosberg X Racing +2:08.041 (PENALISED)
  4. X44 Vida Carbon Racing DNF
  5. No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing DNF

Redemption Race:

  1. NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team 28:55.292
  2. Carl Cox Motorsport +5.552
  3. JBXE DNF
  4. ABT CUPRA XE DNF
  5. Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E DNF

Championship Standings:

  1. Veloce Racing: 26 points
  2. ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team: 21 points
  3. Rosberg X Racing: 15 points
  4. X44 Vida Carbon Racing: 13 points
  5. No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing: 11 points
  6. NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team: 8 points
  7. Carl Cox Motorsport: 6 points
  8. JBXE: 4 points
  9. ABT CUPRA XE: 2 points
  10. Andretti ALTAWKILAT Extreme E: 1 point

To learn more about Extreme E, visit – www.Extreme-E.com

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