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CAPPS CLAIMS NUMBER ONE QUALIFIER FOR TOYOTA GR SUPRA IN POMONA FINALS

Torrence’s Top Fuel Dragster Scores Number Two Qualifier

POMONA, Calif. (November 12, 2022) – Ron Capps and his NAPA Toyota GR Supra team struggled through Friday’s qualifying sessions and found themselves on the outside looking in at the top-16 cars. But when the final round came about Saturday afternoon, Capps posted the top time of 3.837 to claim the number one qualifier position. Capps now finds himself within 57 points of the Funny Car championship with eliminations starting Sunday morning from Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California.

In Top Fuel, Steve Torrence posted the number two qualifier time with a pass of 3.647, but was behind one of the two championship contenders, Brittany Force, who claimed the number one qualifier spot only six one-thousandths quicker.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
Auto Club Raceway of Pomona
Race 22 of 22

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
Brittany Force*Monster Energy Top Fuel Dragster*1st (3.641)S. Chrisman
Steve TorrenceCapco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster2nd (3.647)R. August Jr.
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster6th (3.693)J. Hart
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster7th (3.696)J. Ashley
Justin AshleyPhillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster10th (3.706)A. Brown
Shawn LangdonDHL Toyota Top Fuel Dragster12th (3.751)A. Prock

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
Ron CappsNAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car1st (3.837)J. Arend
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car6th (3.862)J. Campbell
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car9th (3.917)T. Wilkerson

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA QUOTES

RON CAPPS, NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports

FC Qualifying Result: 1st

Can you talk about the emotion involved in claiming the number one qualifier heading into the championship run tomorrow?

“I got on the radio and I was screaming and yelling, it was like going down the road to Disneyland and getting on Space Mountain for the first time as a kid. I was fighting for my life to keep it between the guardrail and the center line and it was just hunting and moving. A lot of times, you think that would take ET (elapsed time) away, but I felt the clutch come in sooner than normal and today I could just tell. Yesterday we had issues, turned out it was ignition issues and we found it, but today it just had max cackle that Gary Scelzi always talked about. When your car is just banging and popping and sounding good at idle and you do the burnout and you think, ‘This might be too much,’ it sounded like that all day today. We were worried that the conditions might cool off too much with it being late in the day, but it held its own and Guido got in the box a couple times during the oil down and it just got to where I was asking for us just to get down and have a good run. We’re not going to see these conditions again this year so it’s great to end this way. We started the season with the number one qualifier at the Winternationals as a new team owner and I thought it would be crazy and how much better could it get. Then we go on to win five races and get the pole here at the end. This is what I talk about when you get into a race car like this and you wish you could make those big runs at the big moments, but when you actually have the capability and the personnel and the tools and obviously the sponsors with NAPA and Toyota, but you can actually strap in and go not only do I wish I can or do I think we can, but I know we can go out and throw down with the best. It’s a great feeling so what a way to end qualifying.”

What does it do knowing you have a possible match-up with Robert Hight in the semi-finals tomorrow?

“It’s just an emotional roller coaster. First it’s the interview on the top end and then we come up and see my family on the fence – all 80 of them that we got tickets for. That’s all fun and that’s what makes this so special, right? Then to get up here and I forgot all about the math and we get up here and Paul Mecca and our Gearwrench tools guy are like, ‘Did that get us below two rounds?’ So to have you guys tell us that not only did it, but it got us three points under, it gets better and better. Then I find out that we’re on the same side of the ladder so like I said, it’s a different day tomorrow. New track, new people, new opponents, big moments. I’m going to wake up tomorrow in my motorhome trackside and have a chance of possibly winning a world championship once again in NHRA. Possibly not, but there’s a good chance. There’s not a better feeling to wake up and stand here and realize that as a kid I used to watch the big moments and now I’m part of some of them.”

How do you calm yourself down in a situation like tomorrow with the championship on the line?

“Some drivers have to be completely silent and sit in the tow vehicle and I’m sending Instagrams out and tweets. Leah (Pruett) asked me last year when I have the time to do all this stuff and I told her, ‘When I get into the staging lanes.’ I answer my emails and send my tweets and funny Instagrams and Facebook stuff before I get suited up and it keeps my mind calm. And if anyone here is A.D.D., they will understand. It’s backwards, but I just try to stay busy. I’ve been through this moment so many times, it doesn’t matter, you still wake up with a pit in your stomach and bald eagles flying around your stomach. That’s what it’s all about.”

ALEXIS DEJORIA, Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, DC Motorsports

FC Qualifying Result: 6th

After a career-best pass in this qualifying session with 3.862, what does that say about this race team?

“Well, it definitely lifted up in the front, I could feel it a little bit, but it was nice and smooth. I didn’t get out of the groove too much. The temperature is great right now. Our last one would have been good, but I’m so nervous about crossing the center line or touching it and getting 15 points taken away. So I’m a little gun shy. I can’t say enough about our team, they are so rad and our crew chiefs are so rad. This year has really been building for next season. We have a badass car. We have a badass team and my whole crew is just freaking awesome.”

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

TF Qualifying Result: 2nd

How do you feel about your championship chances with Brittany Force and Justin Ashley running strong in qualifying?

“There’s still a chance, but that door is definitely not open very much. Anytime you can run quicker than that Monster car on any lap, that’s a big deal and it’s crazy to think we ran .64 and we’re still number two. That’s a testament to how bad to the bone those guys are, but these Capco Contractors boys on this Toyota dragster, we definitely want to finish the season on a bang and finish strong. We kind of shot ourselves in the foot and just experimented entirely too long and couldn’t get it back in time. It’s been a good year, but I’m glad it’s over. We still have a shot to play spoiler tomorrow, but it would entail two of the best cars out here to go out early. We’re not going to hope for that, but we’re just going to go out and give it all we’ve got and maybe we can play spoiler.”

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.

CORVETTE RACING AT BAHRAIN: What a Run to GTE Pro Podium!

Second place for Milner, Tandy, No. 64 C8.R in season, class finale

SAKHIR, Bahrain (Nov. 12, 2022) – Corvette Racing’s never-give-up mindset came to the forefront again Saturday as a total team effort led to a runner-up GTE Pro class finish in the Eight Hours of Bahrain and the final race of the year in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy came home second in the last race for the GTE Pro category with the No. 64 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R. It marked the pairing’s third podium finish of the season and second runner-up result, the first coming in the season-opening 1,000 Miles of Sebring.

Milner, Tandy and Corvette Racing captured the Six Hours of Monza earlier this year as part of the team’s globe-trotting first season in the WEC. Saturday’s result provides a nice springboard to the 2023 season and a GTE Am campaign with the mid-engine Corvette C8.R.

Saturday, the Corvette team’s fortunes took a dramatic change just past the one-hour mark. After starting fifth in class – and sitting at the bottom of the GTE Pro timesheets throughout practice and qualifying – Milner gained track position by going a lap longer than three other GTE Pro cars in his opening stint and made his first pit stop during the race’s first full-course caution just past the one-hour mark.

Going long gained Milner 30 seconds and – more importantly – three positions to second place by the time the race went green again with 75 minutes running. From that point on, Milner masterfully managed his pace and tires on a hot and slippery surface for the next hour before handing off to Tandy for a double-stint under another yellow period.

The C8.R continued to show life with changes from the Corvette Racing engineers and crew following Friday’s qualifying. Tandy was able to fight and overtake one of the two Porsches and challenge eventual race-winner Ferrari despite behind handfuls of seconds behind throughout practice.

Milner got back in in the Corvette just past the halfway point – again, under a full-course yellow – and held second position throughout his 70-minute run before a final swap back to Tandy for the final 2.5 hours.

As much as the pre-race adjustments to the C8.R paid off, the pit work by the Corvette Racing crew and engineering strategies – both fuel and tire usage – kept the team in contention throughout. That bore out in the pit stops with the C8.R crew nine seconds quicker in its cumulative pitlane time throughout the race than the other two podium cars in GTE Pro.

The end of the WEC season brought to an end an iconic era of GTE Pro racing. Corvette Racing, naturally, has been part of GTE Pro in the WEC – including the 24 Hours of Le Mans – since the first year of the class in 2011. Its participation in GTE-rules racing was amplified in 2014 with the birth of the GT Le Mans (GTLM) category in IMSA, which used the same technical rules that existed for GTE.

Taking into account both championships, Corvette Racing has an exemplary record in GTE/GTLM competition with 32 victories at racetracks around the world to go along with five Drivers and Team championships and four Manufacturers crowns in IMSA

Corvette Racing will return to FIA WEC competition in 2023 with Ben Keating and Nicky Catsburg teaming in a GTE Am Corvette C8.R. The season begins March 17 at Sebring International Raceway.

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTE PRO: “That was definitely a lot better than we were anticipating! It’s great to be back on the podium in the last race of the year and the last GTE Pro race. It’s a little bittersweet. If you look at our season as a whole, we had a great year. There was still a lot to be had. If Le Mans had gone the way it was going for us, Nick and I would be World Champions as drivers so that’s a bit of a bummer. But that’s racing. I’m happy to end this class on a high note and be back on the podium for Corvette Racing. I’m super-proud of the work that all these guys have done this year. We realistically had a championship season, and everyone should be super-proud.”

(On the race): “We were really lucky with the timing of that second full-course yellow and to be in position to take advantage of that. That catapulted us back in the race. Ultimately we didn’t have the pace to run with the Ferrari. The plan from the beginning was to run our own race and be smart on the strategy to see where we end up. The engineers had me save quite a bit of fuel. We did whatever we could do to be as perfect as possible and let the result be determined by everybody else and not by us. Our goal was to drive our own race and see what happened.”

NICK TANDY, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTE PRO: “What a great way to finish the season. It shows again that in a long endurance race, all the pieces and parts of the puzzle – most of those being the people involved – make a huge difference. From a team point of view, we ran an absolute faultless race from start to finish. We got lucky with strategy but we put ourselves in position to get that luck. From then on, we made the Corvette the best that it’s been to drive all week. We had pace in the race when others saw theirs drop. From the pit crew to the engineering group, everyone who has been looking after the team, getting us and the car here and ready, it’s been a great day for Corvette Racing. We finished probably three places further up than we should have, and that’s due to great execution from every single team member. It’s a great way to end this season.”

(On the race): “We got lucky with the early yellow. Actually we had looked at it early and said maybe the only chance we’d have is to try and play something on the fuel strategy game. That worked out well for us and the 51 Ferrari. We gained about 30 seconds on the other three cars when we pitted. Then we were looking to see where we were in the meat of the race when the sun came down. We weren’t too bad on pace, and I had a great fight with Michael (Christensen, No. 92 Porsche) for a few laps. It was a good run out there.”

(On the full season): “I think you can see that all of us at Corvette Racing have enjoyed it. It’s been good fun. It’s been frustrating at times but overall everyone is pleased with what we’ve done by coming in for the full season. We’ve won a race and been competitive at most events. We’ve got experience not just for Corvette Racing but also for all our partner teams at General Motors. Everything we’ve done and learned will help not only this teams but hopefully others in the future. It’s good to come here and see everything and bring people to these events and tracks with regulations we haven’t seen before.”

LAURA WONTROP KLAUSER, GM SPORTS RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “We’re really proud of all the accomplishments by everyone on the Corvette Racing program this year in the World Endurance Championship. It was our first time in this series, and we knew it was going to be a learning season. To win at Monza, to lead as many laps as we did at Le Mans, and to finish second at Sebring and now here at Bahrain… I’d say we did pretty well! There is a lot we can and will take from this into the 2023 season. A huge thanks to everyone at Chevrolet, GM Performance, Pratt Miller and many, many more who supported us and made this possible. We’re already looking forward to Sebring next year!”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

DYER MOTORSPORTS CONCLUDES ITS 2022 SEASON NEXT WEEK AT BAKERSFIELD AND PLACERVILLE

(Yucca Valley, CA, November 10, 2022) Nearly nine months after it started, Dyer Motorsports will finish its 2022 racing with four races next week. The first race will be the “6th Annual Western States Lightning Sprints Championship” at the Bakersfield Speedway on Tuesday, November 15th. That will be followed up by a day of travel and then three straight nights of racing in the “Hangtown 100” at the Placerville Speedway on November 17th, 18th, and 19th.

The race at Bakersfield will be the final points-paying race for the CLS and for the Civil War Series matching the California Lightning Sprint Cars vs Northern California’s Bay cities racing association.  Jeff Dyer and his son Seth will both be competing at Bakersfield.  Jeff comes into that race tied for fourth in the championship series point standings.  He also brings in the best 2022 main event finishing average at the track, 3.2 of all riders who have started three main events there.  On May 14th at the track, Dyer turned in his best 2022 appearance on the Kern County oval when he placed second in the 25-lap main.  In his other four starts at the track, he has finished third and fourth two times each.

Bakersfield is the track where Seth launched his lightning sprint career with the CLS on June 11th.  Two weeks ago the 15-year-old had turned in the best qualifying effort of his rookie season when he timed in 10th fastest of 16 cars at the Ventura Raceway.  He followed that up by leading every inch of the way to score the first heat race win of his lightning career.  Despite only running

After Tuesday at Bakersfield, Dyer Motorsports will drive 316 miles north to the Placerville Speedway for the “Hangtown 100.”  Phelan’s Cal Smith, who spent years racing in the SCRA Sprint Cars and ¾ midgets, will jump into Seth’s car and join Jeff in the season-enders.

In addition to the lightning sprints, Tuesday’s show at Bakersfield will also include the “November Classic” for the USAC National Midgets.  Gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00.  Fans can save $5.00 per ticket by ordering in advance at https://www.myracepass.com/tracks/1113.  The historic track is located at 5001 N. Chester Ext. in Bakersfield.  The track website is https://www.bakersfieldspeedway.com/ and the office phone is (661) 393-3373.

Gates will open at 3:00 p.m. each day with racing at 6:00.  Fans can find the track at 100 Placerville Drive in Placerville. Advance tickets for Placerville are available at https://www.eventsprout.com/event/hangtown-2022. The website is https://www.placervillespeedway.com/ and the track phone is (530) 344-7592. 

Jeff is racing in memory of his grandfather Glenn Sels throughout the 2022 season.

Dyer would like to thank the following for making the 2022 season possible in the #4 Lightning Sprint Car.  Dependable Machine Inc., Haircuts By Susie, Jobu Racing, LBA Investigations, and Dyer Motorsports. 

For the USAC/CRA #39 sprint car, Straight Time Stirrups, Dependable Machines Inc., Hair Cuts By Susie, Jobu Racing, Justice Brothers, and Specialty Fasteners make it all possible.

If you would like to be a part of Dyer Motorsports in 2022, call (760) 267-0298.

Jeff Dyer 2022 Results

3-5      Imperial Valley Raceway                POWRi Southwest                                                  13th A Main

3-25    Bakersfield Speedway                    California Lightning Sprints                                     4th A Main

3-26    Perris Auto Speedway                    USAC/CRA                                                               13th A Main

4-1      Keller Auto Speedway                    USAC/CRA                                                               14th A Main           

4-2     Thunderbowl Raceway                   USAC/CRA                                                               23rd A Main           

4-16    Bakersfield Speedway                    California Lightning Sprints                                     3rd A Main

4-23    Mohave Valley Raceway                USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                                           14th B Main

4-30    Ventura Raceway                            California Lightning Sprints                                     2nd A Main 1

4-30    Ventura Raceway                            California Lightning Sprints                                     2nd A Main 2

5-14    Bakersfield Speedway                    California Lightning Sprints                                     2nd A Main

5-14    Bakersfield Speedway                    USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                                          14th A Main

5-21    Ventura Raceway                            California Lightning Sprints                                     2nd A Main

5-28    Perris Auto Speedway                    USAC/CRA Sprint Cars                                          DNS

6-11    Bakersfield Speedway                    California Lightning Sprints                                    4th A Main

6-25    Ventura Raceway                            California Lightning Sprints                                     11th A Main

7-16    Ventura Raceway                            California Lightning Sprints                                     3rd A Main

7-23    Ventura Raceway                            California Lightning Sprints                                     2nd A Main

8-6      Santa Maria Raceway                     California Lightning Sprints                                     13th A Main*

8-25    Silver Dollar Speedway                  California Lightning Sprints                                     16th A Main

8-26    Placerville Speedway                      California Lightning Sprints                                     17th A Main

9-10    Lemoore Raceway                          California Lightning Sprints                                     11th A Main

9-17    Perris Auto Speedway                    POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints                       2nd A Main

9-24    Bakersfield Speedway                    California Lightning Sprints                                     3rd A Main

10-1    Barona Speedway                           POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints                      13th A Main

10-8    Mohave Valley Raceway                California Lightning/POWRi Southwest                    11th A Main

Seth Dyer 2022 Lightning Sprint Results

6-11    Bakersfield Speedway                    California Lightning Sprints                                     12th A Main

6-25    Ventura Raceway                            California Lightning Sprints                                     15th A Main

7-16    Ventura Raceway                            California Lightning Sprints                                     10th A Main

7-23    Ventura Raceway                            California Lightning Sprints                                     10th A Main

8-6      Santa Maria Raceway                     California Lightning Sprints                                     14th A Main

8-25    Silver Dollar Speedway                  California Lightning Sprints                                       DNS

9-10    Lemoore Raceway                          California Lightning Sprints                                     14th A Main

9-17    Perris Auto Speedway                    POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints                       16th A Main           

9-24    Bakersfield Speedway                    California Lightning Sprints                                     18th A Main

10-20  Imperial Valley Raceway                POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints                       11th A Main

10-29  Ventura Raceway                            California Lightning Sprints                                    13th A Main

Twenty Races on Tap for ARCA Menards Series in 2023

The ARCA Menards Series will again race 20 times at 19 tracks in 2023, kicking off its 70th Anniversary Season with its 60th race at Daytona International Speedway and concluding, for the second consecutive year, with its championship event at its home track Toledo Speedway. 

The series will compete on one of the most diverse lineup of racetracks in motorsports, including superspeedways, intermediate speedways, paved short tracks, a pair of road courses, and a pair of one-mile dirt tracks. 

The highlights: 

  • The season opener will mark the 60th visit for the ARCA Menards Series to Daytona International Speedway dating back to 1964. The race will once again be held on the same day as the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the day before the Daytona 500. 
  • A pair of short track races at Berlin Raceway and Elko Speedway highlight the month of June. 
  • In addition to the return of the wildly-successful same-day doubleheader with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on August 11, the series will add another same-day twin-bill with the Trucks at The Milwaukee Mile on August 27. 
  • The series will race in conjunction with the NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway, which is the only track to host two series races in 2023, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Pocono Raceway, and Michigan International Speedway in addition to conjunction races at Daytona International Speedway, Phoenix Raceway, Talladega Superspeedway, Watkins Glen International, and Bristol Motor Speedway. 
  • The series will make its fourth visit to both Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Watkins Glen International for its two road course races. 
  • For the second straight year, the series will conclude its season with three consecutive short track races at Bristol Motor Speedway, the series-leading 109th visit to Salem Speedway, and Toledo Speedway. 

The series will also hold one combination race with the ARCA Menards Series West, at Phoenix Raceway in March, while events at Iowa Speedway, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, The Milwaukee Mile, and Bristol Motor Speedway will be combination races with the ARCA Menards Series East. 

The complete 2023 ARCA Menards Series schedule: 

Feb. 18 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, FL 
March 10 Phoenix Raceway Avondale, AZ 
April 22 Talladega Superspeedway Talladega, AL 
May 6 Kansas Speedway Kansas City, KS 
May 26 Charlotte Motor Speedway Concord, NC 
June 17 Berlin Raceway Marne, MI 
June 24 Elko Speedway Elko, MN 
July 7 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, OH 
July 15 Iowa Speedway Newton, IA 
July 21 Pocono Raceway Long Pond, PA 
Aug. 4 Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, MI 
Aug. 11 Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park Brownsburg, IN 
Aug. 18 Watkins Glen International Watkins Glen, NY 
Aug. 20 Illinois State Fairgrounds Springfield, IL 
Aug. 27 The Milwaukee Mile West Allis, WI 
Sept. 3 DuQuoin State Fairgrounds DuQuoin, IL 
Sept. 8 Kansas Speedway Kansas City, KS 
Sept. 14 Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol, TN 
Sept. 30 Salem Speedway Salem, IN 
Oct. 7 Toledo Speedway Toledo, OH 

All dates are tentative and subject to change.   

Schedules for the ARCA Menards Series East and West along with the complete ARCA Menards Series platform broadcast schedule, including event start times, will be released at a later date. 

For further information please visit ARCARacing.com; for up-to-the-minute updates follow @ARCA_Racing on Twitter. 

About ARCA 

The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum in Toledo, Ohio, and acquired by NASCAR in April 2018, is the leading grassroots stock car sanctioning body in the United States. Bridging the gap between NASCAR’s top three national touring series and weekly racing all across the country, the organization administers more than 100 events annually, including the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.  For more information about ARCA visit www.arcaracing.com, or follow ARCA on Facebook (@ARCARacing) and Twitter (@ARCA_Racing). 

CORVETTE RACING AT BAHRAIN: Closing the Gap

No. 64 Corvette continuing to make progress ahead of season, GTE Pro finale

MANAMA, Bahrain (Nov. 11, 2022) – Corvette Racing will start the final race for the GTE Pro class in the FIA World Endurance Championship fifth in the category. Nick Tandy set a lap of 1:57.539 (103.023 mph) around the Bahrain International Circuit on Friday evening in the No. 64 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R that he will share with Tommy Milner.

It’s the first trip to Bahrain for the Corvette Racing and the mid-engine C8.R as the team and its fellow WEC competitors close the season in the Middle East.

The single-car team worked throughout Thursday and Friday’s practice sessions to try and come to grips – literally and figuratively – with the circuit layout and racing surface. The high temperatures in the desert present a challenge to tire life with high levels of degradation expected to factor in Saturday’s race.

Corvette Racing’s two manufacturer competitors – Porsche and Ferrari – have the benefit of multiple years of experience at Bahrain, especially having contested a doubleheader a year ago at the circuit. As a result, the gap to the front is considerable – nearly 1.4 seconds – but Corvette Racing engineers were hard at work after the session pouring over data to make further improvements before Saturday’s race.

The goal is to add one more victory in GTE Pro competition to its tally of 32 around the world, taking into account the category in the WEC as well as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT Le Mans (GTLM) class, which ran from 2014-2021.

The Eight Hours of Bahrain for the FIA World Endurance Championship is scheduled for 2 p.m. Arabian Standard Time (AST) / 6 a.m. ET Saturday from the Bahrain International Circuit. The race will air live on MotorTrend with live streaming coverage of the race on the MotorTrend Plus app and Radio Le Mans’ online audio coverage.

NICK TANDY, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – QUALIFIED FIFTH IN GTE PRO: “Obviously the point staring us in the face is that we are slowest in the class, which is sad for everyone. We did a lot of work from Free Practice Three to qualifying, and actually the car was fantastic. My lap in qualifying was one that I was pleased with and probably was one of the best I’ve done this season. The gap to the front, while at almost 1.5 seconds, is the closest we’ve been all weekend. So as a team, we’ve done a terrific job. It doesn’t take away from the fact that we’re going to start from the fifth position. To end qualifying in GTE Pro like this is frustrating. But we can all be proud as a team for continually progressing and making the car better for us drivers. It was really pleasurable to be out there again in this C8.R in qualifying trim and driving fast.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

2023 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding tickets are on sale now

Three-day tickets provide fans access to the best available seats

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Nov. 11, 2022) – Three-day tickets to the 2023 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding are on sale to the public. The 19th annual event is set for March 3-5, 2023, in downtown St. Petersburg.

Tickets are available online at gpstpete.com or by calling 727-898-4639 with pricing starting at $125 for reserved 3-Day Grandstand seats and $65 for 3-Day General Admission. Additionally, junior pricing is available for fans ages 12 and under. Pit and Firestone Paddock Passes can also be purchased. Single-day tickets will be released for sale in early 2023.

“The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding will be here soon! Fans need to be in St. Pete to see the start of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and should act now to secure the best seats with great sightlines along our stunning waterfront,” said Kim Green, co-owner, chairman and CEO of Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC, organizers of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. “St. Pete’s downtown scene is one of the most spectacular in all of motorsports, and we can’t wait to have all our fans join us here again at this great event!”

The weekend schedule, highlighted by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ season-opening race, will have a full complement of racing series on track. Open-wheel development series INDY NXT by Firestone, USF Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires and USF2000 Presented by Cooper Tires will battle on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn street course. Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup and GT America Powered by AWS will provide fierce stock car racing action as well.

For ticket pricing and event information, visit gpstpete.com or follow Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on social media using #FirestoneGP. Joining the E-Club also provides insider access to the latest news and offers. The complete weekend racing and festival schedule will be released in early 2023.

About Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg:
The 19th annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding is a race event held during Florida’s spring break season. Traditionally the site of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ season-opening race, St. Pete is a destination city hosting this annual motorsports tradition and offering a festival atmosphere with its downtown location. The temporary circuit is a 1.8-mile, 14-turn configuration using the streets circling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, The Dali Museum and extending onto the runways at Albert Whitted Airport, which overlooks the waterfront of Tampa Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina. Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding is owned and operated by Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC. Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC is owned by Green Savoree Racing Promotions 2, LLC whose other subsidiaries also promote three additional INDYCAR SERIES races, The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (June 30-July 2, 2023), Honda Indy Toronto (July 14-16, 2023), and Grand Prix of Portland (Sept. 1-3, 2023).

For more information, visit gpstpete.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page at @GPSTPETE or follow the event on Twitter @GPSTPETE and Instagram @GPSTPETE using #FirestoneGP.

Front Row Motorsports Ends Another Historical Season

Will Celebrate First Championship in Nashville

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (November 11, 2022) – In another year of “firsts”, Front Row Motorsports (FRM) will celebrate its first NASCAR championship during Champion’s Week in Nashville, Tenn. from November 30 through December 1. Zane Smith and the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team secured FRM’s first championship by winning last week’s race at the Phoenix Raceway.

The win at Phoenix capped a four-win season for the FRM truck team led by partners Ford, MRC, Love’s Travel Stops, Speedco, Fr8Auctions.com, Boot Barn, Horizon Hobby, RTA, First Phase, SEM and Plan B Sales. Smith finished in the top-10 in every race this season except for four. His remarkable season ended at Phoenix with an exclamation point after earning the pole, winning all three stages and the championship.

FRM also continued to excel with its two-car NASCAR Cup Series operation. Michael McDowell and the No. 34 team had 12 top-10 finishes and two top-five results. McDowell had two third-place finishes that came at Sonoma in June and Talladega in October. McDowell’s average finish in 2022 was nearly four positions higher than any other in his Cup Series career. McDowell was once again anchored by Love’s Travel Stops on the No. 34 Ford Mustang. Other partners included Fr8Auctions.com, Horizon Hobby, WISE-EV, Stage Front Tickets, Navage Nasal Care, Chicago Pneumatic and FloRacing.com.

Todd Gilliland and the No. 38 Ford Mustang team completed their rookie season with two top-10 and one top-five finishes. Gilliland led laps during four different races. His highlights included finishing fourth at Indianapolis and pulling away while leading at Watkins Glen. Gilliland also finished seventh at Talladega after racing up front all day. Gilliland was primarily supported by First Phase, Boot Barn, Frontline Enterprises, Ruedebusch Development and Construction, Georgia Peanuts, Black’s Tire and Auto, Chicago Pneumatic, Southeastern Equipment, Entrepreneurs’ Organization of South Florida, Trident Seafoods, Cross Country Adjusting, CITGARD, The Pete Store and YANMAR.

“We knew that 2021 was a great season when we won the Daytona 500, but everyone dug in and we had an even better 2022 defined by our first championship,” said Jerry Freeze, General Manager, Front Row Motorsports. “It’s a testament to the men and women working at Front Row Motorsports, our drivers and all our partners. They worked hard to improve and we’re getting stronger on and off the track. More people are taking notice of what we’ve been building and now we just need to keep getting better. We’re excited about what we can do in 2023.”

FRM will next compete at the 2023 Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum on February 5 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series. The team is the 2021 Daytona 500 champions and 2022 NASCAR Camping World 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 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters.

Rosberg X Racing aiming to fend off rivals as Season 2 finale awaits

A technical problem just the before the Final in Chile saw Rosberg X Racing miss out on valuable points, while their nearest championship challengers closed the gap. Ahead of the final round of Season 2 in Uruguay, we caught up last year’s championship winners to check out their preparations ahead of the title decider.

After topping Qualifying at the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix in Chile before a dominant Semi-Final 1 performance, Rosberg X Racing (RXR) looked on course to get the result they needed to secure back-to-back Extreme E titles.

However, a rare mechanical failure ensured they were unable to take part in the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix Final – the first time RXR out have missed out on a Final appearance in Extreme E. Worse still, Nico Rosberg’s outfit had to watch their championship rivals pull back valuable points ensuring the title battle is now a four-way fight ahead of the Season 2 finale in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

The Uruguay Natural Energy X Prix will mark a fascinating contest, as RXR look to secure their second Extreme E championship in a row with challengers X44 Vida Carbon Racing, ACCIONA | SAINZ XE Team and No.99 GMC HUMMER EV Chip Ganassi Racing in hot pursuit.

Despite the team’s Extreme E pedigree, their woes in Chile ensure RXR may not be entering with all of the upward momentum after sitting out the Final last time out.

Nevertheless, since the series’ inception in 2021 they have been the benchmark in the championship having won five of the nine X Prix to date.

So, how will the team fare in Uruguay and will drivers Johan Kristoffersson and Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky be changing anything in their driving style for the final round of 2022?

Johan Kristoffersson, RXR, said: “Our team has proven that we have great pace, and we’ve worked really hard this season to remain on top. We still have a healthy lead in the championship, and I’m looking forward to regrouping ahead of the final race in Uruguay.

“We’ll be bringing our a-game and hope to make the dream happen there.”

Not only are RXR serial winners in Extreme E, but they have also demonstrated their outright speed in Qualifying in 2022 making the team even more formidable.

However, given what is at stake at the Uruguay Natural X Prix, could we expect a more cautious approach out on course?

Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky, RXR, added: “There’s definitely a lot at stake going into the final round of this season. You do need to be cautious and not always take big risks, but I just want to get back behind the wheel and give it my all. In Extreme E anything can happen so it’s important that we remain focused, stay on our toes, and do the best that we can do.”

Find out if RXR claim back-to-back Extreme E titles at the Season 2 finale, the Uruguay Natural Energy X Prix in Punta del Este, Uruguay, on 26-27 November.

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

About Extreme E:

Extreme E is a radical new racing series, which will see electric SUVs competing in extreme environments around the world which have already been damaged or affected by climate and environmental issues. The five-race global voyage highlights the impact of climate change and human interference in some of the world’s most remote locations and promotes the adoption of electric vehicles in the quest for a lower carbon future for the planet.  

To minimise local impact, Extreme E races will not be open to spectators, with fans instead invited to follow the action through live TV broadcast, and on social media. 

The St. Helena, a former passenger cargo ship, has undergone a multi-million Euro refit to minimise emissions and transform her into Extreme E’s operations hub. The ship will be used to transport the championship’s freight and infrastructure, including vehicles, to the nearest port, minimising Extreme E’s footprint, as well as being used to facilitate scientific research through its on-board laboratory.

Extreme E is also pioneering hydrogen fuel cell technology which will enable its race fleet to be charged using zero emission energy. This innovative solution from AFC Energy uses water and sun to generate hydrogen power. Not only will this process emit no greenhouse emissions, its only by-product will be water, which will be utilised elsewhere on-site. 

Season 2 Calendar:  

Neom, Saudi Arabia
19-20 February 2022
Sardinia, Italy
06-07 July 2022
Sardinia, Italy
09-10 July 2022
Antofagasta, Chile
24-25 September 2022
Punta del Este, Uruguay
26-27 November 2022

About Continental Tires: Founding Partner and Official Tire Partner

Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent, and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. Continental generated preliminary sales of €37.7 billion in 2020 and currently employs more than 235,000 people in 58 countries and markets. In 2021, the company celebrates its 150th anniversary.

The Tires business area has 24 production and development locations worldwide. Continental is one of the leading tire manufacturers with more than 56,000 employees and posted preliminary sales of €10.2 billion in 2020 in this business area. Continental ranks among the technology leaders in tire production and offers a broad product range for passenger cars, commercial and special-purpose vehicles as well as two-wheelers. Through continuous investment in research and development, Continental makes a major contribution to safe, cost effective and ecologically efficient mobility. The portfolio of the Tires business area includes services for the tire trade and fleet applications, as well as digital management systems for tires.

About ENOWA

About ENOWA: ENOWA is a world-class energy, water and hydrogen company founded in NEOM, Saudi Arabia. ENOWA produces and delivers clean and sustainable resources for industrial and commercial applications using a customer-centric smart and connected system, designed to be circular and takes advantage of NEOM’s optimal solar and wind energy profile. ENOWA benefits from NEOM’s greenfield site, which has no legacy infrastructure, to advance Energy, Water, and Hydrogen innovation. 

ENOWA will act as a catalyst and incubator for developing new, sustainable energy and water businesses while creating a robust economic sector regionally. Through its commitment to renewable energy and efficient water management, ENOWA seeks to become a global reference for industry leaders and setting a benchmark for sustainable economic circular systems around the world.For more information, please visit enowa.neom.com

About NEOM:
 NEOM is an accelerator of human progress and a vision of what a New Future might look like. It is a region in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea being built from the ground up as a living laboratory – a place where entrepreneurship will chart the course for this New Future. It will be a destination and a home for people who dream big and want to be part of building a new model for exceptional livability, creating thriving businesses and reinventing environmental conservation.

NEOM will include hyperconnected, cognitive towns and cities, ports and enterprise zones, research centers, sports and entertainment venues and tourist destinations. As a hub for innovation, entrepreneurs, business leaders and companies will come to research, incubate and commercialize new technologies and enterprises in groundbreaking ways. Residents of NEOM will embody an international ethos and embrace a culture of exploration, risk-taking and diversity.

For further information email media@neom.com or visit www.neom.com and www.neom.com/en-us/newsroom

About CBMM: Founding Supplier

CBMM is the world leading supplier of niobium products and technology. Headquartered in Brazil, with offices and subsidiaries in China, Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States.

CBMM offers technical innovation to customers around the globe through a team of over 2,000 highly trained, dedicated professionals providing cutting-edge niobium products and technology to over 400 clients in around 40 countries.

About PANGAIA

PANGAIA is a materials science company on a mission to save our environment. We are a global collective of one heart and many hands — scientists, technologists, designers — creating essential products from innovative tech and bio-engineered materials.About LVRSustainable
LVRSustainable is the section of LuisaViaRoma that offers a carefully curated selection of the best sustainable brands and carries out special collaborations with non-profit entities, charitable organisations, and brands to support social and environmental causes. LVRSustainable aims to build a global sustainable community and to promote supporting conscious fashion based on the following criteria: organic, vegan, fair trade, eco-friendly, women’s empowerment, community engagement, recycling & upcycling, and luxury craftsmanship.

About LuisaViaRoma
LuisaViaRoma is one of the world’s leading online luxury fashion retailers. Founded in 1929 by the Panconesi family with the opening of a small hat boutique on Via Roma in Florence, to then creating LUISAVIAROMA.COM in the 2000s it became the first online fashion platform to combine an avant-garde concept store with a strong digital presence. Currently, over 230 people from all over the world work at LuisaViaRoma. Based in Florence, the company ships to over 120 countries and closed 2020 with a turnover of approximately 180 million euros, of which over 90% resulting from online sales and over 75% from purchases by international customers.

About Zenith: Official Timekeeper and Founding Partner

ZENITH: TIME TO REACH YOUR STAR.

Zenith exists to inspire individuals to pursue their dreams and make them come true – against all odds. Since its establishment in 1865, Zenith became the first watch manufacture in the modern sense of the term, and its watches have accompanied extraordinary figures that dreamt big and strived to achieve the impossible – from Louis Blériot’s history-making flight across the English Channel to Felix Baumgartner’s record-setting stratospheric free-fall jump. Zenith is also highlighting visionary and trailblazing women – past and present – by celebrating their accomplishments and creating in 2020 its first-ever collection dedicated entirely to them, Defy Midnight.

With innovation as its guiding star, Zenith features exceptional in-house developed and manufactured movements in all its watches. Since the creation of the El Primero in 1969, the world’s first automatic chronograph calibre, Zenith has gone on to master fractions of the second with the Chronomaster Sport and its 1/10th of a second precision and the DEFY 21 with a precision of 1/100th of a second. Zenith has been shaping the future of Swiss watchmaking since 1865, accompanying those who dare to challenge themselves and break barriers. The time to reach your star is now.

About Allianz: Founding Partner and Official Insurance Partner

The Allianz Group is one of the world’s leading insurers and asset managers with more than 100 million private and corporate customers in more than 70 countries. Allianz customers benefit from a broad range of personal and corporate insurance services, ranging from property, life and health insurance to assistance services to credit insurance and global business insurance. Allianz is one of the world’s largest investors, managing around 790 billion euros on behalf of its insurance customers. Furthermore, our asset managers PIMCO and Allianz Global Investors manage 1.7 trillion euros of third-party assets. Thanks to our systematic integration of ecological and social criteria in our business processes and investment decisions, we are amongst the leaders in the insurance industry in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. In 2020, over 150,000 employees achieved total revenues of 140 billion euros and an operating profit of 10.8 billion euros for the group.

About Vodafone Business: Official Technology and Communication Partner

With expertise in connectivity, global scale and the leading IoT platform, Vodafone Business is a leading technology communications company helping organisations succeed in a digital world and keeping society connected. Vodafone’s purpose is to connect for a better future, enabling an inclusive and sustainable digital society, and many of its solutions have sustainability and inclusivity embedded.

Unique in its scale as the largest pan-European and African technology communications company, Vodafone transforms the way we live and work through its innovation, technology, connectivity, platforms, products and services. Vodafone operates mobile and fixed networks in 21 countries, and partners with mobile networks in 52 more.  As of 31 December 2021, they had over 300m mobile customers, more than 28m fixed broadband customers and over 22m TV customers.

This collaboration will see Vodafone Business leading innovations and capabilities such as 5G, MPN, IOT and MEC, integrated into Extreme E’s global operations and will include full involvement in the purpose- driven elements of the series, with special prominence on Extreme E’s Legacy Programmes and the Science Laboratory on board the St Helena.Through its IOT solutions, Vodafone Business is helping sustainability efforts, including agriculture, forestation and decarbonisation of energy grids.

Find out more on http://www.Vodafone.com/business  and follow Vodafone on its social media channels:

Twitter: @VodafoneGroup

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/company/vodafone

About ALLCOT:

ALLCOT Group, Extreme E’s Official Environmental Credit Supplier, provides innovative project development, carbon markets, and sustainability advisory services since 2009. Allcot’s unique approach is based on using Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, its linkage to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), non-market approaches, and other market mechanisms.

ALLCOT Group aims to lead and accelerate the global transition towards a climate-neutral society by 2050. ALLCOT provides knowledge and expertise to implement climate change intervention initiatives and carbon projects that rely on nature-based and technology-based approaches.


ALLCOT supports firms and public bodies in developing their own emission reduction initiatives by providing consulting services for various carbon quantification standards (CDM, VCS, GS), as well as for various sectors (forestry, waste, renewable energy, transportation, sports).  The entire carbon credit value chain is encompassed by these consulting services created under the Paris agreement.

To learn more about ALLCOT, please visit www.allcot.com

About Neat Burger: Official Vegan Partner

Neat Burger is one of the world’s fastest growing plant-based sustainable burger chains, backed by key investors Formula 1 Champion and X44 Extreme E team owner, Lewis Hamilton, and actor and environmentalist, Leonardo DiCaprio.
Established in 2019, Neat Burger has achieved not only a loyal fanbase but industry recognition too, having won for a second year running the UK’s Best Vegan Restaurant of the Year at the Deliveroo Restaurant Awards and it was nominated for the 2021 GQ Food & Drink Sustainability Award. Most recently, the brand was awarded PETA’s inaugural Company of the Year Award for its game changing approach to plant-based diets, encouraging people to eat delicious, protein-packed plant-based meals.

As part of its mission to create a sustainable future, Neat Burger is working with Eden Reforestation Projects on its large-scale reforestation initiatives. In 2021, Neat Burger funded the planting of over one million mangrove trees in Madagascar.

About EY: Official Innovation Partner

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, strategy, transaction and consulting services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients.

About INTERprotección: Official Insurance Broker

INTERprotección is composed of a group of Mexican insurance, reinsurance and surety bond brokerage companies. With global presence and recognition, INTERprotección has more than 40 years of experience in management and comprehensive risk consulting in the Mexican market. Its business model is focused on bringing the client to the forefront and offering them the best service through innovative and disruptive products, more recently with its new brand ​inter.mx,​ its insurance digital platform that is transforming the insurtech game. Follow INTERprotección on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter @I​NTERproteccion

About Enel X Way: Official Smart Charging Partner

Enel X Way is the Enel Group’s new global business line entirely dedicated to electric mobility. Currently, Enel X Way manages approximately 320,000 charging points, both directly and through interoperability agreements in place worldwide1. As a global platform for e-mobility, the company is focused on developing flexible charging technologies and solutions to improve the customer experience by supporting the electrification of transport for consumers, businesses, cities and public administrationsFind out more on https://enelxway.it/en/home  and follow Enel X Way on its social media channels:LinkedIn:  Enel X Way

Twitter: @enelxway

Instagram: @enelxway 

Facebook: @enelxway

1 Public and private charging points, including points of interoperability.

About XITE ENERGY: Official Energy Drink Partner

XITE ENERGY was founded by Oliver Bennett and Megan Jones straight out of university two years ago. XITE brings disruptive innovation within the beverage industry; a new frontier to energy drinks. Designed around functionality but with no limitations on health, XITE ENERGY uses functional ingredients that are fused together to provide a cognitive boost, combining natural flavours, natural caffeine and zero sugar.

CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CAR SERIES POINT BATTLES TO BE SETTLED AT BAKERSFIELD – PLACERVILLE TO FOLLOW

David Gasper will try to make it two in a row in the CLS title chase and the Civil War. D&P Photography

(Torrance, CA, November 10, 2022) The California Lightning Sprint Car Series will wrap up its 28th season of racing with four races next week. The first race will be the “6th Annual Western States Lightning Sprints Championship” at Scott Schweitzer’s Bakersfield Speedway on Tuesday, November 15th. That race will be the final points race for the CLS in 2022. It will also be the final of the annual “Civil War Series” featuring the CLS versus Northern California’s Bay Cities Racing Association. After that, the club will journey north for the last three races of the year at the annual “Hangtown 100” at the Placerville Speedway on November 17th, 18th, and 19th.

Three key positions in the standings will be decided in Bakersfield on “The West’s Fastest 1/3 Mile High Banked Clay Oval.” The overall championship will come down to a pair of young drivers. Defending series champion David Gasper of Santa Barbara is first in the championship standings. He has a 77-point lead over Palmdale’s Eric Greco going into the event. Camarillo’s Cody Nigh has third place pretty much locked up. However, Yucca Valley California Highway Patrol officer Jeff Dyer and five-time series champion Bobby Michnowicz of Oak Hills are tied for fourth.

In the battle for the championship, Greco’s main event average finish at Bakersfield this year is 3.5. Sixteen-year-old Gasper’s average finish is 4.25. Gasper broke before the main event and did not compete in the season opener on March 25th. At the club’s second appearance at the track, he broke again and was forced to drive someone else’s car to a 10th-place finish in the A main. In addition to the 10th-place result, Gasper has a fifth and has won the last two races at the track. Greco’s best finish at Bakersfield was a second, and he placed third two times.

Like Gasper, Michnowicz had a disastrous first two stops at Bakersfield this year when he broke before the mains. To top that off, he did not make it to the third race of the year at the track. In the last two races there, the driver who will celebrate his 59th birthday at the track on Tuesday has a pair of second-place finishes. Dyer has had a good season at the oval that is affectionately referred to as the “Okie Bowl.” In five starts he has not placed worse than fourth. He came home second one time and finished in third and fourth two times each. That gives him a fine 3.2 finishing average at the track this year. That is the best among the CLS regulars who have started at least three of the races at the facility in 2022.

Another top-10 battle that will be decided on Tuesday will also determine who is the rookie of the year. Going into the last race in the series at Ventura two weeks ago, Fillmore’s Connor Speir was 6th in the championship standings and fellow rookie Will Browne of Glendora was seventh. Speir had a 72-point advantage over Browne heading into that contest. However, Browne’s fourth-place finish combined with Speir’s 11th narrowed the advantage to 39-points. Each of the freshmen has started all five races at Bakersfield this year. Brown’s best finish was a fourth and Speir’s best was a seventh (two times). Speir’s finishing average at the track is 11.00, while Browne’s is 7.20.

Tuesday will also be the final of five races in the “Civil War Series.” CLS drivers man the first five positions and BCRA racers make up sixth through 10th. Like the regular season CLS championship point standings, Gasper is the point leader in the CWS with Greco second. Gasper, who won the triple crown last year winning the “Civil War Series,” and CLS titles as well as being named Rookie of the Year, is 63 points ahead of Greco. Michnowicz is third and trails Greco by 18-points. Browne ranks fourth and is only 13 points out of third with Nigh in fifth.

Starting in 2017, the “Western States Lightning Sprints Championship” has seen four different winners in its first five years of existence. Indiana’s Andy Bradley won the first one and was followed by Kingsburg’s Doug Nunes in 2018. Michnowicz won two in a row in 2019 and 2020. Last year San Diego’s A.J. Bender, a rising star in the USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, took the Western States title driving for Sexton Gatlin racing.

Bender, who won two CLS races at Bakersfield earlier this year driving for Mike Schweitzer, will be driving for Sexton Gatlin Racing again on Tuesday. Joining him will be new POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series champion Brent Sexton and his 18-year-old son Grant. The younger Sexton won the season opener at Bakersfield in a photo finish on March 25th. Brent has CLS wins at Santa Maria on August 6th and Mohave Valley on October 8th.

After one night off, the CLS drivers will head north for the three-night “Hangtown 100” at the Placerville Speedway. The non-points event will be co-sanctioned by the BCRA. Last year, USAC racing star Logan Seavey of Sutter, California won the opening night and the finale on the red clay ¼ mile oval. Sandwiched in between was a victory for Colorado Springs, Colorado star Chris Crowder. Bender, who finished second on all three nights of the 2021 “Hangtown 100” last year, will be in Schweitzer’s #41 Lightning Sprint at Placerville. He will also be driving the #1 LKK midget he steered to fourth in the championship standings and to the “Rookie of the Year” honors in this year’s USAC Western Midget Series.

Tuesday’s show at Bakersfield will also include the “November Classic” for the USAC National Midgets. Gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00. Fans can save $5.00 per ticket by ordering in advance at https://www.myracepass.com/tracks/1113. The historic track is located at 5001 N. Chester Ext. in Bakersfield. The track website is https://www.bakersfieldspeedway.com/ and the office phone is (661) 393-3373.

Advance tickets for Placerville are available at https://www.eventsprout.com/event/hangtown-2022. Gates will open at 3:00 p.m. each day with racing at 6:00. Fans can find the track at 100 Placerville Drive in Placerville. The website is https://www.placervillespeedway.com/ and the track phone is (530) 344-7592.

California Lightning Sprint Car Series Point Standings

  1. David Gasper – 2045
  2. Eric Greco – 1968
  3. Cody Nigh – 1812
  4. Jeff Dyer – 1716
  5. Bobby Michnowicz – 1716
  6. Connor Speir – 1456
  7. Will Browne – 1417
  8. Jon Robertson – 1193
  9. Pat Kelley – 1111
  10. Dominic Del Monte – 784

Civil War Series Point Standings

  1. David Gasper – CLS – 514
  2. Eric Greco – CLS – 451
  3. Bobby Michnowicz – CLS – 433
  4. Will Browne – CLS – 420
  5. Cody Nigh – CLS – 385
  6. Greg Dennett – BCRA – 383
  7. Dakota Albright – BCRA – 358
  8. Harlee Aguilera – BCRA – 331
  9. Matt Land – BCRA – 329
  10. Brandon Leedy – BCRA – 302

The following companies have become marketing partners with the CLS in 2022. They have offered up more than $13,000.00 in contingencies that will be awarded on top of the regular racing purses and they will be paid out throughout the year. Yoshimura R&D, Hoosier Tires West, T-Shirts By Timeless, Extreme Mufflers, Saldana Racing Products, Rod End Supply, Speed Mart, Cold Fire West, West Evens Motorsports, RC Fuel Injection, Jake Swanson Shock Technology, Advanced Racing Suspensions, CSI Shocks, Eibach Springs, Triple X Race Components, King Racing Products, Hyper Racing Products, Rebel Gears, Vahlco Wheels, Wilwood Disk Brakes, Fuel Safe Systems, MPI, Circle Track Performance, E-Z UP, Hepfner Racing, Smith Titanium, and Hoosier Speed.

If you or your company would like to become a partner of the longtime racing organization, contact Jon Robertson via email at mailto:jon.robertson@sbcglobal.net or by calling (310) 367-9050.

2022 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule

March 25 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – Grant Sexton

April 2 Merced Speedway Non-Wing –– Civil War #1 – David Gasper

April 16 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – A.J. Bender

April 30 Ventura Raceway Winged (Make Up Main) David Gasper

April 30 Ventura Raceway Winged – Bobby Michnowicz

May 14 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – A.J. Bender

May 21 Ventura Raceway Winged – Eric Greco

June 11 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – David Gasper

June 25 Ventura Raceway Winged – David Gasper

July 9 Ventura Raceway Winged – David Gasper

July 23 Ventura Raceway Winged – Dave Gasper

August 6 *Santa Maria Raceway Winged – Brent Sexton

August 26 Silver Dollar Speedway Winged – Civil War #2 – Connor Spier

August 27 Placerville Speedway Winged – Civil War #3 – Bobby Michnowicz

Sept. 10 Lemoore Raceway Winged – Bobby Michnowicz

Sept. 24 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – Civil War #4 – David Gasper

October 8 Mohave Valley Raceway Winged – With SWLS – Brent Sexton

October 29 Ventura Raceway Winged – Bobby Michnowicz

Nov. 15 Bakersfield Speedway Winged – With USAC Midgets – Civil War #5

Nov. 17 Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – With USAC Midgets – No Points

Nov. 18 Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – With USAC Midgets – No Points

Nov. 19 Placerville Speedway Non-Wing – With USAC Midgets – No Points

To keep up with the CLS online, please visit the website at http://racecls.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/californialightningsprints

PAST CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS

1994 Tony Everhart

1995 Gary Sexton

1996 Rob Sczymczak

1997 Jon Rahe

1998 Chris Rahe

1999 Brent Sexton

2000 Greg Bragg

2001 Greg Bragg

2002 Greg Bragg

2003 David Cardey

2004 Keith Janca

2005 Johnny Bates

2006 Donny Gansen

2007 Shane Rossen

2008 Brent Sexton

2009 Stuart Hielschier Sr.

2010 Jarrett Kramer

2011 Tim Brown

2012 Bobby Michnowicz

2013 Stephen Limon

2014 Bobby Michnowicz

2015 Bobby Michnowicz

2016 Bobby Michnowicz

2017 Bobby Michnowicz

2018 Jarrett Kramer

2019 Jarrett Kramer

2021 David Gasper

Reasons to Attend a NASCAR Racing Event

If you’ve always watched NASCAR races on TV, you’d never be able to truly understand the clear difference between NASCAR and other American sports. For every true NASCAR fan, it is highly crucial to attend at least one event to get the live experience in full color.

There are a lot of things that make live NASCAR races the greatest of all experiences. First, you could spot the vibrant colors of the various cars assembled, with the vibration of the engines coursing through your body. Second, you’d be able to go on apps for betting on sports to make a wager on who you think would win the race.

Third, the aroma from the barbecue grills would envelop your olfactory system allowing you to enjoy the 200mph rides at full blast.

Here are some key reasons you need to attend a NASCAR racing event:

NASCAR cars

If you love racing and prefer the screech of a Formula 1 engine, you’d still be taken by the power of NASCAR V8 engines. The speedways for NASCAR races are generally small, and the design of the bleachers makes the arena seem like a new-age coliseum.

The pre-race

The aesthetic sight of numerous cars getting into the parking lots by morning is wonderful to behold. If you’re a spectator, you can get to the pit lane to spot the teams as they’re getting ready for the race. 

When the games are about to start, you and thousands of other spectators will hear the announcer’s order to the racers. A few moments after the announcement, you’ll spot the F18 jets speeding over the track. The entire experience leading up to the race is super intense!

Getting into the events

The price of a NASCAR ticket is way cheaper than that of the F1. You also get a lot more value for a NASCAR race. The only negative part of watching NASCAR race events is the hotel cost during this period. That’s why many NASCAR fans purchase RVs to sleep in during these events.

NASCAR’s suspense

NASCAR racing events have a knack for getting decided on the last lap. During any event, at least half of the 40 drivers on the racetrack have a chance of coming first. This boosts the suspense level for NASCAR fans, which is the game’s main attraction.

There have been instances where the last racer on the starting grid finished in the top 5 positions by the final lap of the game. This is more common for long races where the fans view the last couple of laps with heightened suspense. The screams from fellow spectators would keep your adrenaline high and increase your excitement level.

The merchandise

A NASCAR race is an event you have to attend if you’re a gift shopper. No matter what type of merchandise you want, you’ll find it being sold with your favorite driver’s name and colors.

There’s great ease in accessing the merchandise since they’re sold outside the tracks. You can get anything from a sweatshirt to a mini-car at these events.

If you’re a NASCAR fan and haven’t attended a race, you’re missing out on a lot. Numerous things make NASCAR races worth it, including the sale of merchandise, NASCAR’s suspense, the event experience, and the cars.