Home Blog Page 1694

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Las Vegas Post-Race Report – 10.30.22

By
Official Release
-

TODD HAS STRONG RUN ON A MILESTONE DAY
Several Team Toyota drivers in contention for the championship

LAS VEGAS (October 30, 2022) – J.R. Todd had a milestone day in Las Vegas as the Indiana-native earned his 300th round win before leading Toyota with a semi-final finish. Ron Capps goes into the season finale in second, still in contention for this third championship

In Top Fuel, Shawn Langdon, Antron Brown and Steve Torrence all scored first round wins. Justin Ashley, Brown and Torrence are all still within championship contention heading into Pomona.

Toyota Post-Race Recap

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Race 21 of 22

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS 

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Shawn LangdonDHL Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSecond RoundW. 3.770 v. 3.879(Baldwin) L. 3.762 v. 3.764(Holeshot Loss – Schumacher)
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSecond RoundW. 3.709 v. 3.751(Kalitta)
L. 4.156 v. 3.732(B. Force)
Steve TorrenceCapco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSecond RoundW. 3.690 v. 3.719(Hart) L. 3.733 v. 3.732(Prock)
Justin AshleyPhillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel DragsterFirst RoundL. 3.754 v. 3.695(Millican)
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterFirst RoundL. 3.751 v. 3.709(Brown)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS 

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny CarSemi-FinalsW. 3.944 v. 3.992(Pedregon) W. 3.889 v. 3.957(J. Force) L. 3.898 v. 3.878(Hight)
Ron CappsNAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny CarSecond RoundW. 3.891 v. 4.008(Campbell) L. 3.938 v. 3.914(Tasca)
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny CarSecond RoundW. 3.906 v. 9.415(Lee) L. 3.907 v. 3.894(Hight)

TOYOTA QUOTES

J.R. TODD, DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsports

Final Result: Semi-Finals

How do you feel going into the last race of the year?

“I’m really proud of the effort the guys put forth this weekend. I’m mad at myself for the semifinals. Rounds like that, late in the day – you have to be on your game on the starting line. I can be way better than that. I messed up on my part, but at the end of the day, we’ve got a good DHL Toyota heading into Pomona. It would be nice to close the season with a win for sure.”

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

Final Result: Second Round

How was your race?

“Certainly not the weekend we wanted here at Las Vegas for the fall race. We wanted to get back to the final round like we did here at the spring race. We have to qualify better. That’s key. We had a solid opening round lap with that 3.70 against Dougie (Doug Kalitta) with the tool wars and that’s always important to us and our Matco family. Round two was tough. Brittany (Force) was a juggernaut all weekend in qualifying and we were just a tad too aggressive. Our Matco dragster was trucking early, but the track just wouldn’t hold it. It’s tough. We’ve still got a shot going into Pomona (Calif.) in two weeks and that’s all you can ask for. We’re going to test here tomorrow and dial our tune-up in for the Pomona Finals.”

# # #

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.

CHEVROLET NCS AT MARTINSVILLE: Elliott, Chastain Advance to Championship 4

By
Official Release
-

NASCAR CUP SERIES
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
XFINITY 500
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES & QUOTES
OCTOBER 30, 2022

ELLIOTT, CHASTAIN ADVANCES TO NASCAR CUP SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP 4
Chevrolet looking for 34th NCS Driver’s Championship

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
2nd Kyle Larson, No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1
5th Ross Chastain, No. 1 Moose Fraternity Camaro ZL1
8th William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1
11th Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1
13th Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Worldwide Express Camaro ZL1
19th Erik Jones, No. 43 U.S. Air Force Camaro ZL1

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS
POS. DRIVER
1st Christopher Bell (Toyota)
2nd Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)
3rd Ryan Blaney (Ford)
4th Brad Keselowski (Ford)
5th Ross Chastain (Chevrolet)

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship Racew will get underway next Sunday, November 6, at Phoenix Raceway at 3 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on NBC, the NBCSports Gold App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES:

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 MOOSE FRATERNITY CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 5th

What were your thoughts on those final laps?

“For me, I back up to the last pit stop and just having a chance. My pit crew gained us a few of spots and gave us a chance. We got in front of the No. 11 (Denny Hamlin) there and he missed turn three a bit. He fired the first shot and then I returned it. He returned it, I returned and I was finally like ‘you know what, I’m going to wreck’ so I’m just going to let him go and I’ll run right with him. He gained a few spots; he was just better.

I did everything I could. I couldn’t keep pace and I couldn’t pass. I really struggled to pass all race long. I double-checked off turn two that we had to have two spots. We were out and I couldn’t see who the leader was. I grabbed fifth gear, got up against the wall and came to the finish.”

Would you call that a hail mary?

“I don’t know what you want to call it. I’m proud that we had a chance. That’s all that we ask for. Like I said, it was the combination of the last few weeks and the previous 34 races to get us here. That’s all we ask for.

Yeah, I took a crazy move that nobody would have ever thought. When I committed, I had no idea if it would work. With the access gate off turn four, I didn’t know if it would catch me and stop me. But I knew that I would try and it wasn’t going to hurt us.”

Are you exhilarated right now or are you exhausted?

“I’m over the moon excited. This is a life accomplishment, a career accomplishment, for everybody at Trackhouse Racing, Justin Marks and Pitbull and the vision of this team. For our partners that came on board – Worldwide Express, Moose Fraternity, Jockey, AdventHealth and Kubota.

All we asked for was a chance.”

You were second at Phoenix Raceway earlier this year. A career accomplishment, but now you have another big career accomplishment ahead of you.

“Yeah, we do. I don’t know what to think about it yet. I have to digest this first.

Our No. 1 Moose Fraternity Chevy wasn’t good enough for what we needed to go race for a win, but we’re racing for a championship.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 2nd

Larson on the ability to pass in this race versus the spring race:

“It must have been a little bit easier. The No. 11 (Denny Hamlin) was able to drive to the lead there. The leaders lapped a lot of cars today. To me, it seemed to be very close to normal Martinsville, but maybe still a little bit harder to pass when you got within a car length.”

You’re in a unique position going into Phoenix. You’re not in the championship on the driver’s side, but you are on the owner’s side. Do you assess it like last year, just go into the championship all-out?

“There is a lot on the line for us and our team. Two opportunities to bring Mr. H (Rick Hendrick) a championship and we would love to do that.

We were decent at Phoenix (Raceway) earlier this year, but I’m sure we’ll be a lot better than we were the last time.”

Larson on Christopher Bell’s win:

“It’s pretty cool to see Christopher (Bell) earn those two wins to advance; into the Round of 8 and now into the Championship 4. That’s a pretty spectacular job with what he did there today to get to the lead earlier around the midway point, and there again late. It was fun to be a part of the battle. I was hoping I could edge him out, but it’s really cool to see the job that him and his team did the last month or so.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 11th

You ran second or third most of the day up until the very end.

“We just need to finish it off better. We have a shot at the championship next week and that’s a big deal. We’ll be ready.”

Are you happy with what you did today? You got the stage points you needed and put yourself in position.

“Making it to the Championship 4 is obviously a big deal. I wish we could have finished better there at the end. We ran first, second or third there all day and just kind of slipped there at the end. It’s frustrating, but like I said, it’s nice to make it through.”

At Phoenix earlier this year, you ran well until a stint there with about 10 laps to go. How do you feel about going in there?

“We’re ready to go.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 8th

“Unfortunately, we weren’t really in the game. I knew that early on in the race, we were making some progress, but we just struggled all day. The first three-quarters of the race were pretty miserable. Nothing like what we had in the spring. We were just tight with not a lot of pace. The No. 24 Liberty University Chevy team kept their heads down and got a decent finish out of it, so that was a good lesson for the day.”

TEAM CHEVY RACE QUICK NOTES

Stage One:

· Kyle Larson scored his fourth NASCAR Cup Series pole win of 2022 at Martinsville Speedway, leading the field to the green in the Round of 8 elimination race. Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Chase Elliott, was second-fastest in qualifying to give Chevrolet a sweep of the front row starting spots.

· Stage One went caution-free, with Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson (68 laps led) and Chase Elliott (52 laps led) leading a combined 120 of the 130 laps in the stage.

· Chevrolet playoff contender, Chase Elliott, led Team Chevy to the end of the stage in the second-position.

· Stage One Team Chevy Top-10:

2nd Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1

4th Kyle Larson, No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1

9th Ross Chastain, No. 1 Moose Fraternity Camaro ZL1

10th Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Worldwide Express Camaro ZL1

Stage Two:

· In similar fashion, Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 team scored valuable stage points, recording a second-place finish in Stage Two.

· Elliott led Chevrolet to four top-10 finishes in the stage for the second time of the race.

· Stage Two Team Chevy Top-10:

2nd Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1

3rd Kyle Larson, No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1

9th Ross Chastain, No. 1 Moose Fraternity Camaro ZL1

10th Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Worldwide Express Camaro ZL1

Final Stage / Post-Race Notes:

· Two Chevrolet drivers will make up the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4, with Hendrick Motorsports’, Chase Elliott, and Trackhouse Racing’s, Ross Chastain, set to compete for the NCS driver’s championship title next weekend at Phoenix Raceway.

· This marks Elliott’s third consecutive appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4, with his first in 2020 delivering the Georgia native his first career championship title in the series.

· Chastain’s berth into the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 comes in his first career appearance in the series’ playoffs. This is also Trackhouse Racing’s first Championship 4 appearance in the organization’s second season in NASCAR’s premier series.

· Chevrolet – who already clinched its series-leading 41st NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championship – will head to Phoenix Raceway looking for its 34th NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championship.

 
 
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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

Toyota Racing NCS Post-Race Recap — Martinsville 10.30.22

By
Official Release
-

BELL CLAIMS MARTINSVILLE VICTORY TO ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIP 4
Second Must-Win Scenario for Bell Pays off with Championship Berth

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 30, 2022) – Christopher Bell needed to win today’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway in order to advance to the final four and battle for the championship. For the second time this season, Bell and his DeWalt Camry TRD team was able to deliver in a clutch scenario and claim the victory. Bell led 150 laps (of 500) in today’s race and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Denny Hamlin led 203 laps, but on the final lap was passed by Ross Chastain and ultimately fell out of the top four in points. Hamlin would finish sixth in the race and was joined in the top-10 by Bubba Wallace in the ninth position.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Martinsville Speedway
Race 35 of 36 – 263 miles, 500 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, CHRISTOPHER BELL
2nd, Kyle Larson*
3rd, Ryan Blaney*
4th, Brad Keselowski*
5th, Ross Chastain*
6th, DENNY HAMLIN
9th, BUBBA WALLACE
20th, TY GIBBS
21st, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
30th, KYLE BUSCH
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DeWalt Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

What were you thinking on the final restart trying to catch Chase Briscoe?

“Mom and dad, we did it, wow. I can’t believe it, man. To come here in Martinsville, this place has always been so tough on me. Just pre-race looking up, seeing all the fans, this place is packed.

I don’t even know what to say. Just thank you so much to DeWalt, Rheem, Toyota, everyone on this Joe Gibbs Racing 20 team. They believed in me since day one. We went to Xfinity and did pretty well, struggled on the Cup side for the first little bit. They stayed with me. Very appreciative to be here. I don’t even know what to say.”

What is it about this race team that you can come through like this in back-to-back rounds?

“I say it all the time, but the driver is just a small piece of the puzzle for these races. The reason why this car won today is because it was the best car on the racetrack. Adam Stevens, Tyler William, this entire 20 group, they just never give up. When our back is against the wall, looks like it’s over, they show up and give me the fastest car out here. I don’t know, man. Words can’t describe this feeling.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Freight Direct Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 6th

It was an unbelievable move that cost Denny a chance for his fifth chance to go to the Championship 4. Can you believe it came down that way?

“You got to execute all day. We just didn’t control the race when we had control of it. Each caution we just kept losing some spots. That’s the way it is. But thank Chris Gabehart (crew chief), the whole FedEx Camry team for giving me a fast car today. It was unbelievable when it was out front. Yeah, just couldn’t quite hang on to it there on pit road. But congrats to Chris (Christopher Bell), those guys just did an amazing job, really capitalizing and doing well, winning races when they needed to. Hopefully they can carry the banner for us.”

What can you say about the move that Ross Chastain made on the final lap?

“Certainly. We’re trying to battle. Obviously, I was trying to get in there. But it’s racing. It’s what racing is here as Martinsville. Actually pretty happy with somewhat how clean it was there towards the end, as crazy was it was with guys on different tires. Can’t say enough for my team to give us a shot. We were in 20s for most of the season in our points because of our up-and-down execution. We’re going to end up fifth in points. That is what it is. Great move. Brilliant. Certainly a great move. When you have no other choice, it certainly is easy to do that. But well executed.”

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.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Martinsville Post-Race Cup Quotes

By
Official Release
-

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Xfinity500 Post Race | Sunday, October 30, 2022

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
3rd – Ryan Blaney
4th – Brad Keselowski
7th – Joey Logano
10th – Chase Briscoe
12th – Harrison Burton
14th – Todd Gilliland
15th – Cole Custer
16th – Aric Almirola
17th – Kevin Harvick
18th – Michael McDowell
25th – Chris Buescher
27th – Austin Cindric
29th – Cody Ware
31st – JJ Yeley
35th – BJ McLeod

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Kohler Generators Ford Mustang – “We were solid all day. We had the spin there early and recovered from that. We had a good call at the end by Matt McCall to take two tires, but we just weren’t quite strong enough. We kept locking up the left-front and had a good shot at it. I was gonna cross over the 14 and he parked it and then everybody ran over me from behind and just never got another shot at it, so that was unfortunate, but, overall, it was a really good race for our team and another day of solid progress.”

DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THE 1 WAS COMING THAT FAST? “No.”

WHAT MORE DID YOU NEED TO WIN? “We were that fifth to tenth place car and just needed a little bit more speed out of it to make something happen.”

CAN YOU RECAP YOUR DAY? “We had some ups-and-downs for sure and at the end we rebounded with a nice top five. I’m proud of our recovery and our effort. We had a good day on pit road and a good call there at the end to take two tires, but just needed a little bit more speed out of our car to make that count.”

IS RFK GETTING STRONGER? “It feels like progress. It’s hard to say it’s not, so we’re happy with that.”

THE LAST FOUR RACES HAVE BEEN PARTICULARLY GOOD. “Yeah, it’s just nothing is as fast as you want it to be, but we’re still digging and trying to get all we can get.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – “It just wasn’t quite enough. It was a wild day. I didn’t think we were great to start. We kind of faded at the end of that first stage, but we got better throughout the night, which is good, and found ourselves in second on the second-to-last run and kind of ran the 20 down. I got to him and then you burn your stuff up trying to pass somebody. There weren’t many passes for the lead tonight and then the last restart I thought I was in a good spot on the bottom. I thought more pandemonium was gonna happen than that and the 20 got down and he was able to kind of go to work and I couldn’t really get going as good. It’s unfortunate not to transfer, but proud of the effort. I didn’t do a great job the last two weeks and put us in a bad spot, but I’m proud of everyone all year and we’ll try to go run well at Phoenix.”

YOU WERE REELING IN THE 20 AND THEN THE CAUTION CAME OUT. HOW DID THAT CHANGE THINGS? “I ran him down by a little ways and got closer, but I just couldn’t pass him. You kind of burn your stuff off trying to pass somebody and he kind of drove away from me. We still had a shot at it there with the last caution and just didn’t get through the traffic as good as he did and once he was able to get the lead. I’m proud of the effort tonight by everybody, but it just wasn’t quite enough.”

DID YOU SEE THE MOVE THE 1 MADE? WHAT DID YOU THINK? “I just saw it and I guess I wish I should have done it. I guess we’ll all start doing it now coming down to the end of the race.”

IS THAT GOOD OR BAD? “I don’t care. That’s for you all to say.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang – STAYING OUT WAS THE ONLY OPTION. “Yeah, that was kind of the only play I felt like we really had. I was honestly surprised nobody else stayed out in front of me. We couldn’t really pass all day long, so we knew if we restarted eighth, where I think we were running, we probably would have run seventh or eighth. I thought it was gonna work for a second. I thought if the race was 10 less laps I was probably gonna win, but I just fell off a cliff really hard there at the end. It’s unfortunate, but I had a shot. The penalty early in the race killed us. Like I said, it was really hard to pass and had to scrap and claw position by position and it took us a really long time to get back up there, but I thought our car was pretty good towards the end. It would have been nice to be on even tires, for sure. I felt like we had a car capable of running up front and battling for the win, but that was really the only play we had left.”

AFTER THE PENALTY YOU RESTARTED STAGE 2 IN 18TH PLACE AND STAYED THERE FOR THE ENTIRE STAGE AND COULDN’T MAKE UP GROUND. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE IN THAT SITUATION? “It’s frustrating. It felt like when I was back there I was probably better than the 10 cars in front of me, but you just can’t pass them. You’re just stuck. We definitely need to figure out the short track package. It’s a struggle. You literally can’t pass. I’d say maybe the 11 on the long run was good enough. He could pass, but you had to be almost a half-second better than the guy in front of you to even have a chance, so it was definitely frustrating from that standpoint. I just wish we didn’t get the penalty. If we would have stayed in the top four or five, we probably would have ran in the top four or five all day and then at the end you have a chance to do four tires and maybe win the race. I thought our car was good enough to battle for the win, but the penalty really killed us.”

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF CHASTAIN’S MOVE? “I wish I would have done it the last eight laps. I would have won the race. I knew he was almost a point out I thought I heard them say, so I knew down the backstretch he was probably about seven car lengths back from me I knew I was probably gonna get drove through, so I was watching my mirror and I saw how fast he was coming and I gripped the wheel because I thought this is gonna hurt pretty bad, and then luckily I saw him go to the wall. It was well-executed on his part. I think all of us have thought about that, just none of us have ever been brave enough to ever try it. I’m very curious to see what kind of hole that opens up because I think now if it’s the last lap at Martinsville and maybe even Richmond, just go wide-open on the wall. I think you’ll see the whole field do it. I mean, it’s that big of an advantage, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens now because now that we all know it’s that big of an advantage, I mean, at the end if you’re running second or third even you’re gonna do that because you’re gonna win the race. I’m curious to see what plays out after that.”

AS STOUT AS YOUR CAR WAS HOW HARD IS THIS TO SWALLOW AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN GETTING THIS FAR? “It’s frustrating. The penalty really took us out of it. You just couldn’t pass. We were running third or fourth and got the penalty and went back to 18th and literally ran 18th pretty much the rest of the day until we were able to get one spot at a time on restarts, so win as a team, lose as a team. Those pit crew guys kept me in the playoffs a lot of the time, so it’s unfortunate that I don’t think we really had a pit road penalty all year long and it came at this race, but we’ll go on to Phoenix and try to redeem ourselves. I felt like in the last six races we’ve had five top 10s, so this is the kind of speed and momentum we need to have going into the start of next year. I feel like we’re really hitting our stride, so that’s encouraging. I feel like we’re more than capable of being a top 10 team every week, it’s just a matter of putting it all together and we’ve been doing that a lot better at the end of the year.”

WAS ROSS’ MOVE GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP? “I don’t know. That’s a great question. I mean, we could have all done it, so, I mean, I guess it’s fair in that sense. It’s not like he was the only guy that was able to do it. I wish that I would have done it now, obviously, looking back on it. It’s like a 50/50 deal because any of us could have done it, but is it fair to those seven guys he passed? Probably not, but all seven of us could have done the same thing. Like I said a second ago, I’m very curious to see how this changes the complexion at the end of these short track races because you could for sure do it here, it’s been proven. You could do it at Richmond probably. There are a couple other racetracks – the Coliseum you could do it. There are a lot of racetracks we could probably do this now every time, so it’ll be interesting to see. I don’t think they’re gonna penalize him, but maybe it’s something to look at going into next year just with the rulebook. I think it’s a pretty black and white thing to put in the rules, but kudos to him for doing it. We could have all done it. We just didn’t do it.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang – “It was interesting. We were OK. I thought we were capable of running in the top five for sure. We had that fire and had to pit to fix the fire and we lost our track position and then it’s just hard to pass. You get a couple spots here. You get a couple on a restart. You get a couple on pit road and then we kind of found ourselves in the spot you don’t want to be in – you are the point person. If the 11 passes me, he’s in. If he stays behind me, he’s out. That’s like the last guy you want to be, so I figured I was gonna get knocked out of the way at some point. We accomplished our goal. We did a really good job on pit road. We needed some good stops and got some momentum there. We had a solid race car. I didn’t make any enemies and I still have my crew chief next week. Those were the goals and we did that.”

Devon Morgan claims World Short Track Championships at Charlotte

By
Official Release
-
Devon Morgan brought home a victory in the World Short Track Championships at the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday. (Photo: Jacy Norgaard)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Concord, N.C. (Oct. 30, 2022) – Devon Morgan’s fantastic 2022 campaign continued Saturday in the World Short Track Championships located at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Dirt Track.

Despite facing heavy odds from the start of his heat race, Morgan persevered through the adversity and drove up to the front of the field in the main event to add a World Short Track Championships victory to his growing resume.

Morgan had always wanted to claim a win at Charlotte’s dirt track ever since his racing career began. Accomplishing that feat on Saturday proved to be more nerve wracking for Morgan than he initially anticipated, but that only made his victory even more rewarding.

“It means a lot to win this race,” Morgan said. “We ran the [World Short Track Championships] in 2018, 2019 and 2020, so to come back this year driving for Mitchell Henderson in the Street Stock and get the win means so much. Charlotte had such an unreal atmosphere this weekend with so many great cars, but just having the opportunity to race there is unreal.”

A random draw ended up determining the lineups for each heat in the World Short Track Championships. Morgan selected the number 54 on his draw, which placed him seventh in his heat race.

Morgan was not going to let the circumstances deter his confidence and he proceeded to climb his way to third by the time the checkered flag flew. That effort ultimately put Morgan 11th on the grid for the Street Stock feature.

Once the green flag was displayed in the main event, Morgan managed to find a rhythm on the bottom groove and methodically worked his way into the Top 5 before taking control of the race during its closing stages to earn one of the biggest victories of his career to date.

Morgan relied on his experience across different disciplines of dirt racing to stay composed and put himself in a great position to win.

“I knew we were going to be pretty good since I felt we had one of the best cars all weekend,” Morgan said. “With so many fast cars starting up ahead of us, I initially wasn’t sure if we were going to win, but I made up a lot of ground on the bottom. Once we reached the halfway point, I knew I had a shot, so I kept my head down and kept digging on the bottom.”

The win in the World Short Track Championships is one of many highlights for Morgan this year. Along with claiming a checkered flag in the Dash for Cash championship at Hartwell Speedway, Morgan also joined Coltman Farms Racing as a driver for the team’s Limited Late Model program.

For Morgan, the 2022 season has been about enjoying the moment and improving after each race. He feels confident about his current trajectory in dirt racing and looks to build upon his triumph in the World Short Track Championships.

“It feels great to have a year like this, especially after the one we had last year,” Morgan said. “I feel like I’m on top of the world, but I’m taking everything on a race-to-race basis. We want to stay on top of the world and we’re hoping to carry over this momentum into the next race.”

Morgan is not sure of when his next race will be, but he plans to assist Coltman Farms Racing teammates for the World Finals at Charlotte’s Dirt Track. He also hopes to contest the Georgia State Championships at Lavonia Speedway.

Devon Morgan would like to thank his mom, dad, crew, his fans, Mitchell Henderson, Coltman Farms Racing, MPM Marketing and all his sponsors in Jiffy Lube, ML Performance, KRC Power Steering, Team SRI Motorsports, Morgan Motor Company Inc., AutoBank & RV Sales, Strange Oval, FK Rod Ends, Acrylics Plus LLC, Buffalo Grill of Greenwood, Stevens Towing & Recovery, Jimmy’s Family Restaurant, Seymore Towing, Meredith Battery, Armour Metals, RAC 4×4 Off Road, Masters Performance, Franklin Enterprise, Done Right Construction, Wiley X and Chicken Bone Alley.

About McCallister Precision Marketing

McCallister Precision Marketing (MPM) focuses on assisting up-and-coming race car drivers with career advancement and promotion. McCallister Precision Marketing helps drivers build confidence in front of and behind the camera, giving them the tools they need to advance to the next level. The company also provides companies with a strategic plan for their sales, marketing and promotional needs. We believe in building positive relationships with our clients so that we may provide them with the most professional, yet personal guidance they need, in order to achieve their racing goals. Our clients include race car drivers, race team owners, companies and racing series’. We also work closely with charities and charity events. For more information on McCallister Precision Marketing, visit www.MarketWithMPM.com, email TonyaMac44@MarketWithMPM.com or call 803-361-6199.

NITRO RALLYCROSS RETURNS TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH ACTION-PACKED FIRST DAY AT GLEN HELEN RACEWAY

By
Official Release
-

FRASER McCONNELL TOPS GROUP E BATTLE BRACKETS, EARNS TOP QUALIFIER POSITION
BRIAN DEEGAN EDGES OUT TRAVIS PASTRANA IN SIDE-BY-SIDES FINAL; GEORGE MEGINNIS WINS NRX NEXT FINAL

Competition Continues Sunday with Full Slate of High Stakes Finals

(Los Angeles, CA / Saturday – October 29, 2022) Nitro Rallycross returned to Southern California Saturday, kicking off a wild weekend of racing at iconic Glen Helen Raceway as part of its inaugural global series. The disruptive new motorsport with, “cars that fly and tracks that thrill,” delivered the goods Saturday with gripping head-to-head action, tight passes and nail-biting finishes, all on a challenging course punctuated by a 100-ft gap jump.

In Group E, fast-rising Jamaican phenom Fraser McConnell took Top Qualifier position in an exciting Battle Brackets final against Oliver Eriksson (SWE). It marked McConnell’s first win in Nitro RX’s new top class.

Both drivers had to advance through Nitro RX’s heavy-hitters in order to reach the final, with Eriksson beating defending 2021 series champion and Minnesota 2022 winner Travis Pastrana (USA) as well as Sweden 2022 winner Andreas Bakkerud (NOR), while McConnell dispatched UK 2022 winner Robin Larsson (SWE).

In Saturday’s final, Eriksson bolted out of the start and held McConnell off at the first turn. McConnell hung tight however and soon pulled off a brilliant pass, swinging high before dropping down to overtake Eriksson on the inside. McConnell then held back Erkisson, with the two getting sideways in the corners, before McConnell pulled away to seal the win.

As top qualifier, McConnell goes into Sunday with pole position in his choice of the first two heats.

Group E Qualifying Order (Round 4):

PositionCar #NameNationTeam
135Fraser McConnellJAMDRR
216Oliver ErikssonSWEOMSE
323Kevin ErikssonSWEOMSE
413Andreas BakkerudNORRX Cartel / DRR JC
5199Travis PastranaUSAVermont SportsCar
621Conner MartellUSAVermont SportsCar
74Robin LarssonSWERX Cartel / DRR JC
842Oliver BennettGBRXITE Energy Racing

In NRX NEXT, George Megennis (USA) claimed the top of the podium with a solid win after third place finishes at round four in Sweden as well as rounds five and six in Minnesota. Jimmy Henderson and Lane Vacala combined to make it an American sweep of the NEXT podium Saturday.

In a double-header weekend, the full NRX NEXT field will compete again on Sunday with another opportunity to earn hardware.

NRX Next Final (Round 7):

FinishCar #NameNationTeam
19George MegennisUSA#YELLOWSQUAD
244Jimmy HendersonUSABAK 40 Motorsport
355Lane VacalaUSADRR
436Casper JanssonSWEOMSE
599Eric GordonUSABAK 40 Motorsport

For Nitro RX’s special Side-By-Side contest, Pastrana pulled double duty while renewing his longtime rivalry with fellow moto legend Brian Deegan (USA). Deegan and Pastrana traded first place Side-By-Sides finishes earlier this month during Nitro RX’s US launch, and that pattern continued at Glen Helen with the two battling throughout Saturday. Neither refused to settle for second, taking the Side-By-Side final all the way to the wire, with Deegan getting the better of Pastrana – on this day – by less than four-hundredths of a second. Canada’s Gregoire Michaud rounded out the podium.

Pastrana will have an opportunity for a rematch though, with the full Side-By-Sides roster set to square off once more on Sunday. 

Side-By-Sides Final (Round 1):

FinishCar #NameNation
138Brian DeeganUSA
2199Travis PastranaUSA
327Gregoire MichaudCAN
467Ben MaierUSA
549Robin ShuteGBR
6111Jeff MatiasevichUSA
757Lia BlockUSA
813Leticia BufoniUSA

More finals trophies – in all three classes – are on the line Sunday. For Southland fans, tickets are still available for purchase at nitrorallycross.com. General admission tickets are $25 each while VIP Club Nitro RX passes offering premium amenities and exclusive experiences are $125 each (all prices plus additional taxes and fees). Camping passes are also available. Kids 12 and under can even enjoy all of the high-speed action for free.

Fans outside of Southern California can also watch live on Peacock in the U.S. as well as on YouTube worldwide.

Event partners for Nitro RX Los Angeles include A SHOC Energy – Thrill One Sports & Entertainment’s Official Energy Drink –  Yokohama Tire, Smirnoff Ice Smash, Myenergi and Guaranteed Rate. 

ABOUT NITRO RALLYCROSS

Launched in 2018 by motorsports icon Travis Pastrana and the innovators of Nitro Circus, Nitro Rallycross has revolutionized motorsport. With innovative purpose-built courses, banked turns inspired by the wide-open action of Supercross and short-form, head-to-head competition, Nitro RX creates high-impact, thrill-packed racing. Nitro RX’s custom-built tracks – featuring the biggest jumps seen in motorsports – create unrivalled racing excitement. The full-throttle competition is now set to go global with Nitro Rallycross’ expansion into a full standalone championship series. Nitro RX is also adding Group E, an electric circuit featuring the all-new FC1-X, the most powerful Rallycross vehicle ever built. For more information, visit NitroRallycross.com.

Hagan and Dodge Power Brokers Funny Car Qualify No. 2 at Nevada Nationals

By
Official Release
-
NHRA Nevada Nationals

Hagan and Dodge Power Brokers Funny Car Qualify No. 2 at Nevada Nationals, the Penultimate Event of NHRA ‘Countdown to the Championship’ 

  • Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) driver Matt Hagan qualified his Dodge Power Brokers Funny Car No. 2 for the 22nd edition of the Nevada Nationals and heads into the penultimate event of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) “Countdown to the Championship” still in contention for the crown
  • Hagan earned the second place position on the eliminations ladder with the quickest run of the final qualifying session
  • A three-time event winner in the last five years at Las Vegas, Hagan goes into race day 83 points behind the points leader Robert Hight 
  • TSR Top Fuel pilot Leah Pruett qualified her Dodge Power Brokers dragster 11th in a competitive field for Sunday’s eliminations
  • Defending Funny Car event winner Cruz Pedregon qualified 13th aboard his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

October 29, 2022, Las Vegas, Nevada – Just two race days remain in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) “Countdown to the Championship” and Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) driver Matt Hagan showed he is determined to stay in the heat of the battle for the Funny Car crown by qualifying his Dodge Power Brokers charger SRT Hellcat No. 2 for the 22nd annual Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the penultimate event of the six-race playoff series.

The three-time world champion sits third in the Funny Car standings going into Sunday’s elimination rounds after finishing runner-up to Ron Capps (second in points) at the previous race in Texas to put himself within 78 markers of the category leader Robert HIght heading into the weekend. 

Following a pair of qualifying passes on Friday, the Dodge Power Brokers Funny Car was provisionally fifth after setting the third-best run of the first session with a 3.898-second lap at 333.25 mph to earn a bonus point. But Hagan, who has three wins (2017, 2019 and 2020) in the last five fall editions of the Las Vegas event, pressed even harder on Saturday to record a strong 3.862 sec./330.23 mph final qualifying run and earn three additional  bonus points for the quickest pass of Q4. More importantly, that also put his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in the No. 2 spot on the eliminations ladder behind Hight who leads Hagan by 83 points heading into race day. Hagan’s opening round opponent will be No. 15 seed Steven Densham.

TSR Top Fuel pilot Leah Pruett and her Dodge Power Brokers dragster were provisionally ninth after two Friday qualifying laps with a best run of 3.746 sec./329.18 mph, then improved their performance in the third session with a strong 3.716 second pass at 331.69 mph in a competitive field. That run put Pruett 11th on the eliminations ladder and paired her with No. 6 seed Mike Salinas for Sunday’s first round. Pruett is focused on going rounds on Sunday to help her break back into the Top Fuel top-ten as the team’s first season nears an end.

Last year’s Nevada Nationals Funny Car event winner Cruz Pedregon comes into the weekend ninth in points and while his team may not be in the championship hunt the way they were last season coming into Las Vegas, the team continues to make performance gains with the Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and is ready to play spoiler. Pedregon qualified 13th with the 3.945 sec./ 318.77 mph pass he made on his first qualifying pass and will battle No. 4 seed J.R. Todd in the first round.

Two shows with qualifying highlights from the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will air on FS1 on Sunday, Oct. 30, at 9:30 a.m. ET (Q1 and Q2) and 12:30 p.m. ET(Q3 and Q4). Race day coverage on FS1 will begin at 5 p.m. ET.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: 

Leah Pruett, Tony Stewart Racing Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster  

(No.   Qualifier – 3.716 seconds at 331.69 mph) 

Qualifying 1: 12.009 seconds at 55.93 mph

Qualifying 2: 3.746 sec./329.18 mph

Qualifying 3: 3.716 sec./331.69 mph

Qualifying 4: 3.960 sec./228.15 mph

Matt Hagan, Tony Stewart Racing Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car  

(No. 2 Qualifier – 3.862 seconds at 330.23 mph) 

Qualifying 1: 3.898 seconds at 333.25 mph (1 bonus point for third quickest of session)

Qualifying 2: 4.353 sec./199.67 mph

Qualifying 3: 5.066 sec./147.09 mph

Qualifying 4: 3.862 sec./330.23 mph

Cruz Pedregon, Cruz Pedregon Racing Snap-on® Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

(No. 13 Qualifier – 3.945 seconds at 318.77 mph)

Qualifying 1: 3.945 seconds at 318.77 mph

Qualifying 2: 6.963 sec./102.64 mph

Qualifying 3: 4.967 sec./153.70 mph

Qualifying 4: 5.085 sec./146.10 mph

NHRA CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS:

Following Nevada Nationals qualifying at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Robert Hight 2532 (8)

2.  Ron Capps: 2511 (5)

3.  Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 2449 (3)

4.  John Force: 2386 (1)

5.  Bob Tasca III: 2351(3)

6.  Tim Wilkerson: 2261

7. J.R. Todd: 2255 

8. Alexis DeJoria: 2239 (1)

9. Cruz Pedregon (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 2222

10. Blake Alexander: 2150

11. Jim Campbell: 2149

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Justin Ashley: 2461 (3)

2.  Brittany Force: 2388 (4) 

3.  Antron Brown 2370 (3)

4. Steve Torrence: 2361 (2)

5.  Mike Salinas: 2342 (4) 

6.  Josh Hart: 2307 (1) 

7.  Austin Prock: 2302 (1)

8.  Doug Kalitta: 2284

9. Shawn Langdon: 2270

10. Clay Millican: 2249

11. Leah Pruett (Dodge Power Brokers): 2211 (1)

12. Tony Schumacher: 2184 (1)

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News

Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.

@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram

The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

Dodge//SRT

For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with a lineup that delivers unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT Hellcat versions of the Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger and Dodge Durango, as well as an R/T plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version of the all-new 2023 Dodge Hornet, representing the brand’s first-ever electrified performance vehicle. Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock; the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world; and the 710-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, the most powerful SUV ever; and best-in-class standard performance in the compact utility vehicle segment with the Dodge Hornet. Combined, these four muscle vehicles make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

In 2022, the Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market), making it the only domestic brand ever to do so three years in a row. In 2020, Dodge was named the “#1 Brand in Initial Quality,” making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). 

Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Mopar

This year marks the 85th anniversary of Mopar.

A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved over 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, Mopar  expanded to include technical service and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

Complete information on Mopar is available at www.mopar.com and the newly redesigned Mopar blog at blog.mopar.com. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Follow Dodge, Mopar and Stellantis news and video on:

Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Dodge brand: www.dodge.com

Mopar brand: www.mopar.com

DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com

Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge and www.facebook.com/mopar

Instagram: @DodgeMoparMotorsports, @DodgeOfficial and @OfficialMopar

Twitter: @Dodge, @OfficialMopar and @StellantisNA

YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge, https://www.youtube.com/c/mopar and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Las Vegas Post-Qualifying Report – 10.29.22

By
Official Release
-

ASHLEY LOOKS TO EXTEND POINTS LEAD FROM THIRD STARTING SPOT

Former champ J.R. Todd leads the Toyota Funny Car contingent

LAS VEGAS (October 29, 2022) – Justin Ashley saved the best for last as he moved inside the top half of the ladder in the final qualifying session. The points leader ran a 3.686 to move up to third and draw Clay Millican. Shawn Langdon also had a strong qualifying effort inside the top-five.

In Funny Car, former Las Vegas winner and Funny Car champion J.R. Todd qualified a season-best fourth. Ron Capps, who began the weekend just 10 points out of the Funny Car points lead, qualified his GR Supra in sixth.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Race 21 of 22

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
Brittany Force*Flav-R-Pac Top Fuel Dragster*1st (3.665)Bye
Justin AshleyPhillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster3rd (3.686)C. Millican
Shawn LangdonDHL Toyota Top Fuel Dragster5th (3.696)K. Baldwin
Steve TorrenceCapco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster7th (3.698)J. Hart
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster8th (3.708)A. Brown
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster9th (3.710)D. Kalitta

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
Robert Hight*AAA of Southern California Funny Car*1st (3.857)T. Haddock
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car4th (3.870)C. Pedregon
Ron CappsNAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car6th (3.889)J. Campbell
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car8th (3.919)P. Lee

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

TF Qualifying Result: 3rd

How much confidence does that run in the final session give you going into tomorrow?

“A lot of confidence. To wrap up qualifying with a nice solid run like that – and to be truthful – no matter how we ran in that last session, I would have had a tremendous amount of confidence, and rightfully so, because this team has gotten up on race day every time, no matter where we qualified, but that is a really good base for us. Conditions are going to be similar tomorrow, so it gives us more data and information to overlay going into race day.”

What are your goals for tomorrow?

“For right now, my goals are to win round one. I will take it from there. Every race we come into trying to win, so that goal is not going to change – not that we are now in the Countdown, we are not going to change what we do. We are going to keep everything consistent and the same. Our goal tomorrow is to make it a long day and to put this Phillips Connect Toyota in the winner’s circle, but right now we are focused on Clay Millican. He’s a really tough competitor and we want to put our best foot forward in the first round.”

J.R. TODD, DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsports

FC Qualifying Result: 4th

How much are you looking forward to race day?

“That Friday night run was really encouraging. We’ve been trying to run like that for a while, just need to work on our consistency a little bit. We were definitely trying to run better tonight, and for whatever reason, it slowed down. The car is going down the track. I feel like we definitely have a really good DHL Toyota GR Supra that is capable of winning here. We’ve won here in the past – a few times – and it would be nice to leave here with a trophy on Sunday.”

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.

Pole for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in Mexico City

By
Official Release
-

Mexico City. 29 October 2022 – For the second time Max Verstappen has topped the qualifying times in Mexico City, but for the first time the World Champion will start from pole position in his Red Bull for Sunday’s FORMULA 1 MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX Presented by Heineken.

Back in 2019, Verstappen was quickest in Qualifying but had to drop three grid places for a yellow flag infringement promoting Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to pole. No such problem this time. With a best lap of 1:17.775 and an average lap speed of 199.220km/h the 25-year-old double champion secured his sixth pole of 2022 and the19th of his F1 career.

“Very lovely that!” the Dutchman told his team after holding off the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. “It was a close one! We made a few adjustments and the car got into a better rhythm.”

The hopes of hundreds of thousands of Mexican fans were dashed when Sergio Pérez could not join his team-mate on the front row, after finishing fourth fastest.

“It was a big shame,” said Pérez. “We had an electrical issue throughout qualifying. I was pretty much blind, I had no indication of my lap times. To be P4 is not the end of the world, but today I believe we could have fought for pole.”

But Verstappen lifted the Mexican mood: “Checo will be there tomorrow,” he said, “I’m sure we’ve got a fast race car.”

Russell complained of brake problems throughout the hour but apologised to his Mercedes team after his final run when he ran wide on entry to the Foro Sol and lost any chance of catching the Red Bull. “The team deserved more today,” said the 24-year-old Englishman. “They’ve produced a really great car for this weekend – it was just a terrible lap from me.”

Ferrari could do no better than fifth for Carlos Sainz and seventh for Charles Leclerc, as Sainz complained: “we were fighting the car too much”, but the surprise package was Valtteri Bottas sandwiched between them.

Bottas, now 33, was on pole at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez last season for Mercedes, but to be in the top six in his Alfa Romeo is in some ways an even more outstanding effort. “It’s really uplifting for the whole team,” said the Finn. “It’s been an easy car to drive and since FP1 I’ve had confidence.”

The last three positions in the top 10 are shared by the McLaren of Lando Norris and the two Alpines of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon – another mouth-watering prospect for Sunday — as those two teams battle for fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.

Right behind them is Daniel Ricciardo in the second McLaren, who was eliminated in Q2 along with Chinese newcomer Zhou Guanyu in the other Alfa Romeo, AlphaTauri pair Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly, in addition to Kevin Magnussen’s Haas.

There had been a landmark moment for the Haas team as Magnussen made it into the second stage of qualifying – the first time the American team has got one of their drivers out of Q1 in Mexico. However, Magnussen carries a grid penalty and will drop back, while team-mate Mick Schumacher was sixth at one point, until his best lap time was deleted for exceeding track limits in Turn 2 and the German was also eliminated.

No joy for 2017 Mexican pole-winner Sebastian Vettel: in his final appearance at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez the Aston Martin driver could manage only 17th in Q1.

Mercedes, winless and with just one pole position in 2022 so far, threw down the gauntlet to the field in the third practice session as Russell and Hamilton made it a 1-2 for the Silver Arrows.

The track also welcomed an array of legendary drivers for the Freightliner Legends Cup by Fibra UNO – the support race of the FORMULA 1 MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX Presented by Heineken – and Mexican driver Michel Jourdain Jr. looked unbeatable during the second session setting a fastest lap of 1:51.435.

Driving GTM car #1, Jordain dominated the Saturday session of the race that has brought together some of the biggest stars that delighted IndyCar fans during the first decade of the century and made CART one of the favourite championships in Mexico.

Behind Jordain was Luis “Chapulín” Díaz, another Mexican who won the Daytona Prototypes race at this track in 2006, with a time of 1:51.932.

Alex Tagliani from Canada, was the fastest among the international drivers with 1:52.235, ahead of Mexican Mario Dominguez, who managed a best lap time of 1:52.239 before making contact with Bruno Junqueira halfway through the session, as the Brazilian was attempting an overtake on the outside in the “esses” section of the track. Mario stood his ground on the inside and they touched, apparently without consequence.

Bruno Junqueira rounded out the top five, followed by the Canadian and fan favourite Paul Tracy. Casey Mears, Max Papis, Mark Blundell and local legend Adrián Fernández completed the top ten.

“The track is a little slick, but we were already expecting it would be like this,” said Jourdain. “It’s the same for everyone, so we need to focus on the sections where we manage a minimal advantage over the others,” he added.

On Sunday, the race that has reunited these legends will be part of the celebrations to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first Grand Prix in Mexico City.

For further information on FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2022 Presented by Heineken visit: http://www.mexicogp.mx/

About the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2022 Presented by Heineken

Recognized with the award “F1’s Best Event” for the five past editions, the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO 2022 Presented by Heineken has proven to be much more than a sporting competition to become an unparalleled promotional platform to share with the world Mexico City’s rich cultural heritage and tourist attractions.

About Formula 1®

The history of Formula 1® began in 1950 and is the most prestigious motorsport competition in the world, as well as the most popular annual sports series in the world. Formula One World Championship Limited is part of Formula 1 and holds the exclusive commercial rights to the FIA Formula One World Championship™.

Formula 1 is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: LSXMA, LSXMB, LSXMK, BATRA, BATRK, FWONA, FWONK) attributed to the shares of the Formula One Group.

The logo of F1 FORMULA 1, FORMULA 1, F1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX, PADDOCK CLUB and related brands are registered trademarks of Formula One Licensing BV, a Formula 1 company. All rights reserved.

For further information about Formula 1®, visit: www.formula1.com

About CIE:

Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento, S.A.B de C. V. www.cie.com.mx

Established in 1990, Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento (“CIE”) (BMV: CIE) is an outstanding participant in the out-of-home entertainment industry in Latin America. It promotes and produces concerts, music festivals, theater shows, and sporting, family and cultural events. CIE operates Centro Citibanamex, which is a venue for expositions and conventions in Mexico City, and the amusement park El Salitre Mágico in Colombia. The Company also produces corporate events and events for the public sector. CIE promotes and markets the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Mexico City.

Corporación Interamericana de Entretenimiento is a publicly traded company whose shares have been listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange since 1995 under the ticker symbol “CIE.”

Monster Energy Racing: Riley Herbst NXS Race Report from Martinsville

By
Official Release
-

Herbst Powers His Way to Third at Martinsville
Monster Energy Driver Earns Career-Best Eighth Top-Five Finish of the Season

Date: Saturday, Oct. 29
Event: Martinsville 250 (Round 32 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (.526-mile oval)
Format: 250 laps, broken into three stages (60 laps/60 laps/130 laps)
Start/Finish: 8th / 3rd (Running, completed 269 of 269 laps)
Point Standing: 10th (2,167 points)
Note: Race extended 19 laps past its scheduled 250-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.
Race Winner: Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Brandon Jones of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Overview:

Riley Herbst and his No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) survived multiple NASCAR overtimes to equal a season-best finish of third during Saturday’s Martinsville 250 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. It was the Las Vegas native’s eighth top-five finish of the season, a career high. After starting eighth for the scheduled 250-lap race, Herbst ran consistently in the top-10 during the first two stages, finishing sixth in Stage 1. Later, with less than 15 laps to go in Stage 2, crew chief Richard Boswell made the call to bring his driver down pit road for fresh tires and fuel, and Herbst resumed 18th. He picked up one position by the stage’s end, then stayed on track during the break and restarted sixth for the final stage. He began to struggle with the balance on his No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang, but Herbst persevered in working his way into the top-five during the opening laps of the stage. Over the final 100 laps, he avoided numerous incidents and remained in or near the top-three during the flurry of NASCAR overtimes. Herbst restarted fifth, in the inside lane, for the final overtime restart and again avoided mayhem among the leaders en route to his first top-five finish at Martinsville.

Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“That was wild. That’s Martinsville, though. Our No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang was the best I’ve had at this track, and we had a shot to win at the end. We were so close, but to finish third is just a testament to the hard work that this team puts in each and every race. I wish we could go to Phoenix with a chance to win the championship, but we’ve grown so much this season as a team. I can’t thank the guys enough for sticking by me through the ups and downs.”

Notes:

● Herbst earned his career-best eighth top-five of the season and his first top-five in five career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Martinsville.

● Herbst finished sixth in Stage 1 to earn five bonus points.

● Herbst’s third-place result bettered his previous best finish at Martinsville – sixth, earned twice, in October 2020 and in the series’ previous visit in April.

● This was Herbst’s third straight top-10 at Martinsville. He finished 10th last October and sixth earlier this year.

● This was Herbst’s second straight top-10. He finished eighth in last Saturday’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

● Ty Gibbs won the Martinsville 250 under caution to score his 10th career Xfinity Series victory, his sixth of the season, and his first at Martinsville.

● There were 14 caution periods for a total of 91 laps.

● Twenty-three of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship on Nov. 5 at Phoenix Raceway. It will be the final race of the seven-race playoffs. The race starts at 6 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

1...1,6931,6941,695...6,648Page 1,694 of 6,648