Home Blog Page 1566

Motor Driven Adventure Apparel Brand Off The Grid Signs on for Second Season with Boyd

By
Official Release
-

Mooresville, NC (March 13, 2023) – Sponsorship and the adventure continues for apparel company, Off The Grid Surplus, as it was announced today they will be back as a supporter of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Spencer Boyd. Their first primary race of the season will be at the Atlanta Motor Speedway race on Saturday, March 18, 2023.

Spencer Boyd commented on the renewal, “I’m humbled that Off The Grid is back on board this year. They were our primary (sponsor) at Phoenix last season, but they know motorsports enthusiasts are all over our great country, so I’m excited to have them at Atlanta to kick off their season with our team. As for their gear, I love their stuff! While our crew shirts look like their Thunderbolt shirt, my go-to are their flannels.”

Off The Grid is the motor-driven adventure brand, built to inspire more connection through adventure. They find retreat in motorized adventure, whether it is off-road racing in a Jeep, camping in Baja or connecting around the campfire. They make functional clothing with this lifestyle always front-of-mind hoping to inspire people to get away and connect with each other, person to person.

“The NASCAR fans are great”, noted founder of Off The Grid Surplus, Josh Patterson. “We’ve seen a great response from them and Spencer is a great fit for our brand. I love the diversity of our customers because they span the high banks of NASCAR tracks to the sand of the desert. We were just at King of Hammers to see those guys battle it out so for us it’s about making clothes for people like us.”

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 18, 2023 airs live on FS1 at 1:00pm ET.

NASCAR TOUR COMES TO ATLANTA FOR TRIO OF THRILLING RACES THIS WEEKEND

By
Official Release
-

HAMPTON, Ga. (March 13, 2023) – It’s race week in Atlanta and the anticipation is building for one of the most exciting weekends of racing on the NASCAR schedule.

Atlanta Motor Speedway hosts races across all three of NASCAR’s national touring series, with the Fr8 208 and RAPTOR King of Tough 250 doubleheader on Saturday and the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series hitting the track for the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday.

Fans camping at the speedway will start arriving on Wednesday, and thousands more will congregate at the historic speedway for a weekend full of racing and entertainment. In the meantime, final preparations are being made around the facility for the big weekend.

“We’ve been getting ready for fans since the checkered flag fell in July,” said AMS Executive Vice President and General Manager Brandon Hutchison. “This weekend can’t get here fast enough.”

As flags and banners are hung around the property and the racing surface receives a fresh coating of paint, it all sets the stage for what is expected to be a thrilling weekend of NASCAR action in the sophomore season of the new-look, 28-degree banked Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“Last March we saw 46 lead changes amongst 20 differerent drivers and side-by-side racing all day long,” said Hutchison. “AMS has the most compelling and exciting racing on the circuit. You’ve gotta be here for the Ambetter Health 400 weekend.”

Tickets and camping for the Ambetter Health 400 weekend March 17-19 are available now at www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com or by calling 877-9-AMS-TIX.

About the Ambetter Health 400 weekend:

Atlanta’s spring NASCAR weekend is headlined by the Ambetter Health 400 on Sunday, March 19, with intense, door-to-door racing around the historic high banks of Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The race weekend also features Atlanta’s same-day NASCAR doubleheader on Saturday, March 18, 2022. The thrills of the Fr8 208 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race and the RAPTOR King of Tough 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race all happen in one action-packed day that race fans look forward to every year.

More information on the March 17-19, 2023, Ambetter Health 400 weekend and ticket availability can be found online at AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.

Follow Atlanta Motor Speedway:

Keep track of all of Atlanta Motor Speedway’s events by following on Twitter, Instagram, and become a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Atlanta Motor Speedway mobile app.

FREE GRANDSTAND ADMISSION ANNOUNCED FOR BUSH’S BEANS PRACTICE DAY ON APRIL 7 AT BMS

By
Official Release
-

FANS ASKED TO DONATE CANS OF BUSH’S BEANS TO SUPPORT FOOD DRIVE

BRISTOL, Tenn. (March 13, 2023) – Bristol Motor Speedway officials announced today that all fans will receive free grandstand admission to Bush’s Beans Practice Day on Friday, April 7. Track officials are asking fans who are able to donate cans of Bush’s Beans or other canned foods in exchange for the free grandstand admission to kick off the Food City Dirt Race weekend.

Bristol Motor Speedway through its Speedway Children’s Charities chapter has partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank and Feeding America for the food drive that will take place on April 7. The free day of racing will showcase the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams, who will be fine-tuning their racing vehicles in two separate rounds of practice.

Guests should bring their Bush’s Beans products or any type of canned foods to any BMS entrance where there will be collection bins for both Second Harvest Food Bank and Feeding America stationed to collect all donations.

“We are proud to partner with our good friends Second Harvest Food Bank and Feeding America for this important initiative to help feed those in need throughout our Appalachian Highlands region,” said Jerry Caldwell, president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway. “We have opened our Bush’s Beans Practice Day to provide free grandstand admission to all fans to come out and enjoy the racing. All we ask in return is that our guests who are able bring a can of Bush’s Beans or some other canned food to donate for this important food drive.”

Friday’s Bush’s Beans Practice Day will feature two Cup Series practices at 6:35 p.m. and 8:32 p.m. Two practices also will be held for the Craftsman Truck Series, at 5:35 p.m. and 8:02 p.m.

On Saturday, both series will compete in heat races during Bush’s Beans Qualifying to determine their race-day starting positions. Four 15-lap heat races in both the NASCAR Cup Series and Craftsman Truck Series will be conducted to determine the starting lineups for each main race. Bush’s Beans Qualifying heat races for the Food City Dirt Race in the Cup Series will be held at 6, 6:15, 6:30 and 6:45 p.m. The four Bush’s Beans Qualifying heat races for the WEATHER GUARD® Truck Race on Dirt will be held at 4:30, 4:45, 5 and 5:15 p.m. The Bush’s Beans Qualifying heat races on Saturday will precede the WEATHER GUARD® Truck Race on Dirt, which will take the green flag at 8 p.m. ET (FS1, MRN Radio, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio).

The Bristol race weekend will culminate with the NASCAR Cup Series returning to its roots with the historic Food City Dirt Race on Sunday evening, April 9 (7 p.m., FOX and PRN Radio).

To purchase tickets for the Food City Dirt Race, WEATHER GUARD® Truck Race on Dirt and Bush’s Beans Qualifying, please visit the BMS website, or call the BMS Ticket Sales Center at (866) 415-4158.

About Bristol Motor Speedway
Forged amid the scenic mountains of Northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line, Bristol Motor Speedway is The Last Great Colosseum, a versatile multi-use venue that hosts major auto races, football games, concerts and many other captivating events. The facility features a 0.533-mile concrete oval race track with 28-degree corner banking and 650-feet straightaways that offers racing in several NASCAR touring series, highlighted by two major Cup Series weekends each year. In 2020, the track also served as host of the prestigious NASCAR All-Star Race, and in 2021 began converting to a temporary dirt track each spring to take the Cup Series back to its racing roots. While at the track, fans are offered a unique viewing experience courtesy of Colossus TV, the world’s largest outdoor center-hung four-sided video screen with a 540,000-watt audio system. The adjacent quarter-mile dragstrip, Bristol Dragway, offers more than 50 events annually, including the marquee NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The Thunder Valley Amphitheatre presented by Ballad Health transforms Bristol Dragway into a premier outdoor concert venue for the world’s greatest music performers. Three football games have kicked-off inside the oval, most notably the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, where border rivals the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech met before an NCAA-record crowd of 156,990. In existence since 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway was purchased in 1996 by Speedway Motorsports, a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States.

Jr III Racing Kicks Off IMSA WeatherTech Season at Sebring

By
Official Release
-

Sebring, Fla. (13 March 2023) – Jr III (“Junior-Three”) Racing will head to Sebring International Raceway for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring to kick off its 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship campaign this weekend. The visit to the Florida track marks the second of two back-to-back IMSA event weekends for the Charlotte-based squad.

Piloting the No. 30 Airbnb Ligier JS P320 will be Jr III Racing regulars Ari Balogh and Garett Grist; Dakota Dickerson will complete the lineup for the second consecutive year.

The 2022 season marked Jr III Racing’s first IMSA WeatherTech championship campaign, and the team and drivers showed that they were well prepared for the challenge. Jr III Racing ended the season with four podium finishes, helping pave the path to finishing third in the championship point standings. Jr III Racing started its IMSA program in Prototype Challenge in 2019, growing its competitive presence in that paddock and then building on that program with a WeatherTech effort starting in 2022.

The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours weekend will mark Jr III Racing’s second WeatherTech start at the former Florida airfield. Last season, the trio of Balogh, Grist, and Dickerson teamed up to score a runner-up finish.

“We had a great race last year at Sebring, and I think we can do it again this year,” said Dickerson. “I enjoy racing with Ari (Balogh) and Garett (Grist) and honestly the whole Jr III Racing crew. This team is a family, and it’s great to be a part of it. Sebring can be a tough track, but I don’t doubt that we can get back on the podium.”

The Sebring event weekend will include the World Endurance Championship 1000 Miles of Sebring on Friday, followed by the marquee event on Saturday, March 18th, with IMSA’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

“We are ready to be back at the track,” said Grist. “We have been lucky to have some time testing at Sebring before the Twelve Hour. It seems like it has been such a long off-season since we didn’t compete in Daytona for the 24 Hour, but I think that time has been used to our advantage because we’ve had more time to prepare for the season ahead. We’ve made many improvements during the offseason, and I can’t wait to see how the season plays out.”

Catch live coverage of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Peacock TV starting at 10 am ET on Saturday, March 18th. Continuing coverage of all twelve hours will be on Peacock, with the final six hours also being covered on USA Network starting at 4:30 pm ET.

Gary Martin Hays & Associates Backs Gilliland at Atlanta

By
Official Release
-

Brings Safety Message to NASCAR Fans

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 13, 2023) – Front Row Motorsports (FRM) and Gary Martin Hays & Associates, one of Georgia’s top personal injury law firms, announced today a partnership with Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 Ford Mustang team. Gary Martin Hays & Associates will be the primary partner of Gilliland for the Ambetter Health 400 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend.

The partnership is highlighted by a Gary Martin Hays & Associates design on the No. 38 Ford Mustang and a safety message for Georgia motorists that Gilliland will promote through his social media channels and other media. This is the company’s first partnership in the NASCAR Cup Series and are proud to do so with a third-generation family driver.

Gary Martin Hays & Associates has been impressed with Gilliland’s success in his career in such a short time. Hays knows that Gilliland will be able to compete for the win at the now unpredictable Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“My law firm is excited to partner with Todd and his team for this pivotal event at the Atlanta Motor Speedway,” said lead attorney Gary Martin Hays. “The new racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway has proved that anything can happen. We believe in Todd and his capability to win.

“We also want to use the partnership to promote safety behind the wheel. Our goal is to bring three major lessons learned in NASCAR to motorists in Georgia. One, don’t speed — leave that to the professionals on the racetrack; two, don’t text and drive; and three, check your car’s tires often. It’s simple, but it can save lives. We hope for a safe, fun, and exciting race weekend in Atlanta.”

Gilliland is eager to return to Atlanta with the new partnership.

“The new Atlanta Motor Speedway has become one of the most exciting races on our schedule,” said Gilliland. “It’s awesome to have Gary Martin Hays & Associates on the car this weekend and it’s cool they are helping to spread a safety message to motorists. It’s always good to get reminders or think about driving safely when you’re on the road. This is a good program for everyone.”

The Ambetter Health 400 is scheduled for this Sunday, March 19 with live coverage on FOX, the Performance Racing Network, and Sirius/XM NASCAR radio at 3:00 p.m. ET.

To learn more about the partnership, visit Gary Martin Hays & Associates’ social media pages @gmhlawfirm.

ABOUT GARY MARTIN HAYS & ASSOCIATES
Gary Martin Hays is an award-winning personal injury attorney whose Georgia law firm has recovered over $1 billion for injured victims and their families. The firm specializes in cases involving personal injury, wrongful death, workers’ compensation, inadequate security, and social security disability claims. For more information, visit www.GaryMartinHays.com.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

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

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

By
Jeffrey Boswell
-
Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. William Byron: Byron was strong early in the United Rentals Work United 400, winning Stage 1. After falling back from the front late, Byron used a fast two-tire pit stop, and two timely cautions, to win his second consecutive race.

“That’s two in a row,” Byron said. “And I really don’t know which flag to keep as a souvenir – the checkered or the yellow. Sometimes, your reputation as a great driver is built on the backs of those not-so-great drivers.”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick, historically dominant at Phoenix, blew by Kyle Larson for the lead late, but a sure win was foiled by a late caution. Harvick eventually finished fifth.

“Losing like this really sucks,” Harvick said. “Building such an insurmountable lead, only to have it wiped away by a caution, makes me sick to my stomach, much like Hunt Brothers Pizza.”

3. Kyle Larson: Larson started on the pole at Phoenix, and used a quick two-tire pit stop with eight laps to go to gain the lead. Larson was leading with two laps to go, but another late caution forced another restart, and Larson couldn’t hold off William Byron. Larson finished fourth.

“Let’s face it,” Larson said, “Kevin Harvick should have won this race. Harvick went by me on Lap 269 faster than Hunt Brothers Pizza through your digestive system.”

4. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished ninth at Phoenix, as all four Hendrick Motorsports cars finished in the top 10, with William Byron taking the win.

“Hendrick Motorsports builds cars that almost any driver can put in the top 10,” Bowman said. “Take Josh Berry, for example. He basically came off the street and was able to drive Chase Elliott’s car to success. So, driving a Hendrick car is a springboard to success, whereas Chase himself is a snowboard to the hospital.”

5. Christopher Bell: Bell posted his second top 10 with a sixth in the United Rentals Work United 500.

“Former Formula 1 world champions Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen are scheduled to drive in the Cup race at the Circuit Of The Americas on March 26th,” Bell said. “I think that would be a great time to prank those two guys by convincing them that NASCAR also begins races with a standing start.”

6. Kyle Busch: Busch overcame a slow Stage 2 pit stop and came back to finish eighth at Phoenix.

“It just goes to show that if you work hard and have a sizable budget,” Busch said, “anything is possible. That, of course, is a reference to my lawyer that got me out of that jam in Mexico. And yes, bribery does work.

“Some people are calling me the ‘Ja Morant of NASCAR. I think that’s a compliment. In any case, let’s holster that comparison for now.”

7. Ross Chastain: Chastain finished 24th in the United Rentals Work United 500, after dropping from the top five on the final restart.

“Sometimes,” Chastain said, “your car is fast, like Michael Waltrip at Daytona in 2001. Sometimes, your car is slow, like Michael Waltrip running through the grid on Sunday. Mine was both.”

8. Joey Logano: Logano struggled with handling early and never was competitive up front on his way to an 11th-place finish at Phoenix.

“That handling caused early contact with Martin Truex Jr.,” Logano said. “Luckily, Martin didn’t get too angry. I mean, he could have pulled a ‘Mexican Kyle Busch’ and gone ‘ballistic.'”

9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started second at Phoenix but faded fast on the final restart, finishing 23rd.

“I just had no grip at the end,” Hamlin said, “which made the handling of my No. 11 Toyota a disaster. In a car sponsored by Shingrex, you could say my car drove like ”S’ on a shingle.'”

10. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished second at Phoenix, posting his first top-5 finish of the season.

“Congratulations to William Byron,” Blaney said. “I think his celebration of putting on that oversized big hat is cool. Funny thing is, that hat would fit Ryan Newman perfectly.”

The Heart of Racing Looks to Carry Winning Momentum into Sebring 12 Hour

By
Official Release
-

Sebring, Fla. (13 March 2023) – After starting the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship off with a win at Daytona, The Heart of Racing (HOR) looks ahead to the second round of IMSA WeatherTech competition at the Mobile 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The March 16-18 Super Sebring weekend will include the World Endurance Championship (WEC) 1000 Miles of Sebring on Friday ahead of IMSA’s day-to-night classic on Saturday.

The Rolex 24 hour lineup of Alex Riberas, Ross Gunn, and David Pittard will once again be paired in the No. 23 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 to take on the 3.74-mile Florida circuit. The trio led 208 laps at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January until a suspension issue resulted in the team finishing seventh in GTD PRO competition.

Pittard will make his Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring debut, but already knows his way around the circuit having won the 2022 WEC 1000 Miles of Sebring in an Aston Martin Vantage. The trio will be hunting down a podium result on Saturday to gain championship momentum in the second event of the IMSA 2023 season.

HOR’s Rolex 24 Hour winning lineup of Ian James, Roman De Angelis and Marco Sorenson will combine in the GTD class No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3.

Like Pittard, Sorensen is no stranger to Sebring, having run the WEC 1000 Miles of Sebring in 2022 and scoring a runner-up finish. De Angelis and James have competed at the IMSA twelve-hour event together for the past three years, highlighted by runs to second (2020) and third (2021) as the duo look to add another significant trophy to their roster again this weekend.

The Super Sebring weekend will open with practice on Thursday ahead of Friday’s qualifying session to set the grid. Catch live coverage of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Peacock TV starting at 10:00 am ET. Continuing coverage of all twelve hours will be on Peacock, with the final six hours also being covered on USA Network beginning at 4:30 pm ET.

The Heart of Racing Sebring 12 Hour Quoteboard:

Roman De Angelis: “Coming from a win at Daytona is amazing for the whole Heart of Racing team. Like Daytona, Sebring is a tough race to win and a lot of it comes down to luck. We’ve had success with podium finishes at Sebring in previous years so I’m hoping we can keep the ball rolling and hold the lead in points. It’s important we keep our eyes on the long term goal: the championship.”

Marco Sorensen: “We have the same goal as you always do when you go racing, and that’s to win! Sebring is a more difficult track to race on, but I’m sure we will have a good chance. This will be my first Mobil 1 Twelve Hours start, but I’ve competed at Sebring in WEC. IMSA and WEC are quite different, in IMSA you have more restarts and it creates harder racing.”

Ian James: “The team made a big focus in the off season to get a better start to the year in endurance races which paid off at Daytona. We hope to continue that momentum into Sebring. We have had a couple of podium finishes there, just haven’t made it to the top step yet. Our goal is to continue building on what we have and I think if we just keep that as our focus everything else will fall into place.”

Alex Riberas: “To be honest, right after the Rolex 24 we were all eager to get back on the horse, especially after the potential we were able to display. I think T17 is the biggest challenge without a doubt at Sebring. Everyone knows in Sebring you have to respect the bumps and going through T17 will quickly remind you why. It’s fast, extremely bumpy and to top it off you exit right on the wall, if you do it right. You can go from hero to zero in a quick second. I love it because this corner would be repaved in any other country, while here it’s just part of the history.”

Ross Gunn: “ We had a difficult Daytona finish in the No. 23 car, but in general we had a positive performance from everybody so we’re looking to get back on track at Sebring.We are excited to have David back for Sebring. He performed very well here last year in WEC, winning in the GTE-AM car, so we are very excited to welcome him as a teammate. We had a very positive test at Sebring recently. It’s not usually a circuit that favors the strengths of our car, but we will be working hard to make sure we can bring as much performance as we possibly can.”

David Pittard: “From a performance perspective, I am very happy with how Daytona went, and I believe we can carry the Sebring weekend. From the No. 23 car’s perspective, we have a new engineer and I’m new to the car, but our pace at Daytona showed that these changes were seamless so there is a great vibe on the team headed into Sebring. Daytona’s final result wasn’t what we had hoped for. We still scored maximum points at the six and twelve hour marks, so we are close to the endurance championship lead. Scoring consistently across this race as well as aiming for another win at Sebring is my main focus. The Heart of Racing cars have a lot of pace. Because of this, I think both car crews can push each other to learn faster and build two competitive cars to fight for points and wins at Sebring!”

About The Heart of Racing

The Heart of Racing races to raise funds and awareness for Seattle Children’s Cardiology Research. The team competes internationally with concurrent campaigns in IMSA, SRO, Formula Drift and the 24H SERIES. Last season The Heart of Racing won the IMSA GTD Championship title in the No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3. The Heart of Racing team hosted their first all-female driver shootout in November of 2022, bringing to the team Hannah Grisham and Rianna O’Meara-Hunt for the 2023 SRO GT4 America season. To contribute to The Heart of Racing’s fundraising efforts please visit: https://give.seattlechildrens.org/fundraiser/3642390

Kaulig Racing Post-Race Report | Phoenix Raceway

By
Official Release
-

Kaulig Racing Post-Race Report | Phoenix Raceway
United Rentals Work United 500

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Action Industries Camaro ZL1

  • AJ Allmendinger qualified 22nd for the United Rentals Work United 500.
  • Allmendinger battled handling in the No. 16 Action Industries Camaro ZL1 throughout the entire race.
  • During stage one, Allmendinger made his way up to 18th before the rear faded, ultimately finished the stage 22nd. Under caution at the stage break, Crew Chief, Matt Swiderski, called for an air pressure adjustment to help with the handling of the car. Allmendinger restarted for the second stage at the tail end of the longest line after speeding on pit road.
  • Allmendinger lacked front turn and speed to move through traffic in the second stage. After green-flag pit stops, the No. 16 fell a lap down and would later take the wave around under caution. Allmendinger finished 20th for the day.

“I felt like we had a good plan going into the race after practice. We fought tight the whole race. My guys worked hard to try to make it a little better, but we definitely had it too tight which is what we thought would be the right thing from practice. We maximized everything we could, and we are learning what we need to do from practice to the race. We’ll work to be better next time.” – AJ Allmendinger

Justin Haley, No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1

  • Justin Haley qualified 26th for the United Rentals Work United 500.
  • After firing off tight, Haley’s No. 31 Leaffilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1 began running free in the opening stage. He finished the stage in 29th place and pit for multiple adjustments to tighten up the car.
  • Haley made his first, green-flag stop of the day on lap 120 for tires and fuel, and went on to finish 29th and one lap down in the second stage. The team made adjustments to the car to get it handling the way it did during Haley’s second run of the day.
  • The team continued to work on the No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1 throughout the final stage, but ultimately could not get back on the lead lap and finished 27th.

“It was a rough day for our No. 31 team. We definitely have a lot to work on with our short track program. Hopefully we can figure out where we fell short and learn from it for next time.” – Justin Haley  

United Rentals 200

Chandler Smith, No. 16 Quick Tie Chevrolet

  • Chandler Smith qualified sixth for the United Rentals 200.
  • Smith fought through a loose-handling car over the first two stages. He brought home one point in stage one after a tenth-place finish and finished outside the top-ten in stage two.
  • He began climbing up the leaderboard in the second half after the No. 16 Quick Tie Products crew made adjustments to add more lateral grip during pit stops.
  • Smith took advantage of multiple late-race restarts to gain ground on the leaders, even battling with eventual winner Sammy Smith for the lead with under 20 laps to go.
  • During the closing laps, Smith combatted with teammate Kyle Busch and passed him for third on the penultimate lap. Smith hung on to finish fifth – his third-straight NASCAR Xfinity Series top-five – after contact with Busch on the last lap.

“A good result for the Quick Tie Chevy Camaro at the end there. We got a little better, a little better and a little better over the course of the race. The car wasn’t too bad at the end there. We’ve got something to work with when we come back here for the Championship in November. I can’t thank Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice enough for the opportunities and our great partners in Quick Tie and Celsius. I’m having a blast right now.” – Chandler Smith

Kyle Busch, No. 10 LA Golf Chevrolet

  • In an effort to fix the fuel pump of the No. 10 LA Golf Chevrolet, Kaulig Racing forfeited its chance at qualifying and made an unapproved adjustment, relegating Kyle Busch to a 37th-place starting position for the United Rentals 200.
  • Busch ran top-three lap times throughout the first stage and made his way to 14th before the first caution came out on lap 29. He went on to finish the first stage in seventh place, 30 spots from his starting position.
  • After making air pressure and track bar adjustments, Busch continued to improve throughout the second stage and went on to finish fifth.
  • Busch led the opening laps of the final stage before settling in second. Although Busch lacked longevity in drive, he managed to stay in the top three before tangling with teammate, Chandler Smith, on the final lap. He crossed the line in ninth place.

“I appreciate all the hard work by everyone at Kaulig Racing. We had an issue in practice this morning and the ECR guys did a good job solving that issue. We started in the back but we were able to work our way into contention for the win with our LA Golf Chevrolet. Unfortunately it didn’t work out for us.” – Kyle Busch

Daniel Hemric, No. 11 Cirkul Chevrolet

  • Daniel Hemric qualified third for the United Rentals 200.
  • Hemric started off strong in the first stage while learning the groove of the car. With consistent lap times and a good restart, Hemric finished the first stage in fifth place.
  • After making air pressure adjustments, Hemric improved on short runs, and charged up the field to finish third in the second stage.
  • Hemric went on to finish 10th, his second-straight top-10 finish after earning points in both stages.

“This was definitely a step in the right direction with our Phoenix package. We worked on our Cirkul Chevrolet all day. At the start of the final stage, we helped the short runs tremendously. We lost a little bit of front turn, which cost us a couple spots. We had one hiccup on pit road with an untimely air hose getting hung up on the splitter, which put us back 18th or so for the next restart. I’m proud of the effort and communication.” – Daniel Hemric  
 
 
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.

Jr III Racing Wins Twice at Sebring

By
Official Release
-

Garg breaks through for double-win VPRC weekend in Sebring

Sebring, Fla. (13 March 2023) – Jr III (“Junior-Three”) Racing scored its first IMSA win on Sunday morning and then repeated the feat in the afternoon to claim a double-win weekend in Sebring. Jr III Racing driver Bijoy Garg had a breakout event on board the No. 3 S2 Cyber Ligier JS P320, earning his first-ever IMSA’s VP Racing SportsCar Challenge (VPRC) victory on Sunday after claiming pole position in qualifying earlier in the weekend.

The winning weekend marked another positive benchmark for Jr III Racing, which made its first-ever IMSA start in 2019 and has continued to build its customer programs at the professional level. The VPRC outing was held as part of the prologue weekend to the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, with the two 45-minute sprint races featuring some 30 entries between the LMP3 prototypes and the GTX-class GT4 machines.

Race One

Starting the race in pole position, Garg had a smooth start to hold onto the lead going into the high-speed first corner. He quickly built a gap of over four seconds as his lap times continued to improve with each circuit of the 3.74-mile track.

As the race progressed Garg continued to lay down fast lap times improving in each sector of the track. Around the halfway mark, Garg had caught up to GSX traffic before a full course caution for debris on the back straightaway slowed the field.

The track went back green with just under five minutes remaining. Garg restarted from first and was able to once again quickly place a gap between him and the rest of the field. The rookie sports car driver took the checkered with a 3.479-second lead.

Race Two

In VPRC, the starting lineup of the second race is determined by the driver’s fastest lap in qualifying and second fastest lap in race one, because Garg had the fastest lap in both qualifying and race one he started from pole position for race two.

On lap one an incident between two LMP3 cars caused a full course caution right away. There were 35 minutes remaining in the 45 minute race when the track went green once again. Garg fell to second place early on, but stayed on the bumper of the leader, Dan Goldburg.

Just past the halfway mark, Garg made a decisive move under braking to take the lead in turn seven. Garg was able to build a bit of a gap between himself and the rest of the field while setting the fastest lap of the race – 1:57.903 seconds on his way to a second win in as many outings.

“It feels great to go back-to-back this weekend,” said Garg. “It has given me a lot of confidence for the rest of the year. Today was special though because not only did I get my first sports car win, but we also scored Jr III Racing’s first IMSA win! The team brought a great car for me and I really appreciate all their hard work. We had two different types of wins today, the first win was all about pace and the second win was about passing. Overall we had a really good weekend and I’m really happy about having the fastest car all weekend.”

Since starting IMSA competition in 2019, Jr III Racing had earned three IMSA Prototype Challenge podium finishes before growing to compete in IMSA WeatherTech competition in 2022 and taking four podiums on the season.

“The team has earned the wins we had today,” said Billy Glavin, owner of Jr III Racing. “Bijoy scored us our first IMSA win, and had an amazing drive in both races. In race one he had a great late race restart that put him in a position to take the checkered. Then in race two Bijoy had a great pass in turn seven that got him the lead. He kept his head down and hit his marks. A big congratulations to everyone on the team!”

The next VPRC event for Jr III Racing will take place July 22 and 23rd at Lime Rock Park. This will be the first race for LMP3 cars at the famed Connecticut track as the all-new VPRC series is added to the traditional July event.

WEC preview: Cadillac seeks to make splash in debut

By
Official Release
-

No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R team takes Prologue momentum into Sebring opening race

SEBRING, Fla. (March 13, 2023) – The next chapter in Cadillac Racing’s dual series of competition will be written this week with the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R making its FIA World Endurance Championship debut in the 1000 Miles of Sebring.

Its sister racecars – the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R and the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R – on Saturday will seek to give the iconic brand three consecutive victories in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in the second race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

This past weekend’s WEC Prologue, incorporating four free practice sessions totaling more than 12 hours on the 3.741-mile, 17-turn Sebring International Raceway course, was instrumental in the Cadillac Racing team’s preparation for the opening endurance race Friday starting at noon local and the season in general in the electrified Hypercar class.

The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R will compete in all seven rounds of the WEC calendar, including the centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, and face 10 Hypercar competitors in the eight-hour kickoff event.

Evaluation, exploration and operational practice – key as there are notable differences in pit stop and race procedures compared to the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship — complemented drivers Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Richard Westbrook gaining pace through more than 200 laps on the bumpy circuit that originally was a World War II airbase.

The Cadillac V-Series.R topped the time chart in one session with a best lap of 1 minute, 48.429 seconds and was near the top in the others with no down time in its initial outing in WEC spec.

“It’s been a really positive two days. It’s a whole new program, the WEC, and it feels like it. But what a start we’ve made and there is so much more to come,” Westbrook said. “The whole team is just going to get stronger and stronger and I think everyone is excited. The Cadillac is really strong, but we knew that from Daytona, so we have a nice base to work with. There’s a lot to be positive about going into the race week.”

Bamber and Lynn co-drove a Cadillac DPi-V.R to victory in the 2022 Twelve Hours of Sebring to lead a Cadillac sweep of the podium. Lynn is a two-time overall winner (2017, 2022) in a Cadillac DPi-V.R and Bamber has an overall and class win in the Twelve Hours of Sebring. Westbrook co-drove a Cadillac DPI-V.R to the runner-up finish last March.

“I think we have a talented crew and we’re looking forward to going racing,” team manager and strategist Stephen Mitas said.

The 1000 Miles of Sebring will mark the second race for the trio in the new Cadillac V-Series.R powered by a 5.5-liter V-8 normally aspirated engine developed by GM’s Performance and Racing propulsion team paired with the spec energy recovery system. They co-drove to fourth place in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January.

“Testing is limited so going to Daytona is a good way in race conditions to get the team and drivers aligned and prepared for the WEC season,” Mitas said. “The more experience you get, particularly with a new team, is only going to benefit you and reduce your learning curve.”

The first of three free practice sessions will be held Wednesday morning. The 1000 Miles of Sebring is scheduled for noon ET/5 p.m. CET Friday. The 15-minute qualifying session is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. ET Thursday (12:30 a.m. CET Friday).

The race will air live on MotorTrend with streaming coverage of the race and qualifying on the MotorTrend app. Radio Le Mans will broadcast the race, qualifying and all practice sessions.

See the exciting Cadillac V-Series lineup

Spectators can view the Cadillac V-Series performance vehicle lineup at the Cadillac display in the midway, including the Escalade-V, CT5-V Blackwing and the CT4-V Blackwing. Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday.

The CT5-V Blackwing is a Car and Driver 10Best again for 2023: “…the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is the greatest sports sedan on sale today, if not of all time.”

Additionally, the 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Sebring IMSA Track Edition, with a special matte black paint in honor of the 12-hour race and a symbol of racing in the dark, will be on display in the Cadillac Corral.

Spectators will also have the opportunity to participate in a Cadillac ride and drive program Thursday-Saturday with the exciting performance vehicle lineup at the track.

What the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R drivers are saying

“It’s great to back at Sebring, where Cadillac has had a lot of success including our win last year. Now we’re here with a different challenge with a new Cadillac V-Series.R and looking forward to it. The Prologue went well. We were at or near the top of the chart every session – doing long runs, learning the tires and getting in full race preparation mode because there are short practice sessions when we roll back out Wednesday and it’s right into the race. Brand new team in terms of we did Daytona but now this a WEC team with a European-based crew, so we’re all learning. Looking forward to the race.”

— Earl Bamber

“I think we’ve built a great car. Us joining the World Endurance Championship is a different form of racing and something we have to adapt to and we’re learning a lot every day. We’ve been building up for this moment for a while and I’m impressed with how things are going. From my side I’m extremely excited to come back to a track where I’ve had loads of success. The personnel we’ve put together are extremely talented and we have to keep building. The car has been reliable and quick, which are the two main ingredients and that’s what gets everyone excited. I think we have a really talented driver crew, a fast car and those are the two bits that are hard to get. Once you’ve got that, the rest comes naturally.”

— Alex Lynn

“Really looking forward to Sebring to kick off a whole new era in sports car racing, particularly for the Cadillac entry into the world championship. This will be a slightly shorter race than I’m used to, but different now with the new Hypercar contingent. It will be fascinating, not just for us, but for the fans. I think everyone is really excited to see how that competition shakes out. Obviously, after Daytona, we have a lot of confidence in our car reliability-wise, but we have no idea how we will fare on pace. We have a little understanding how we compare with Porsche, but it’s going into the big unknown with the Hypercars. We’re all so excited and can’t wait to kick this season off.”

— Richard Westbrook

1...1,5651,5661,567...6,651Page 1,566 of 6,651