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Petty GMS Race Recap: Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL

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Ty Dillon, No. 42 QuickChek Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 28th
FINISH: 25th
POINTS: 28th

Ty Dillon Post-Race Thoughts: “Really disappointed in the way that our race ended today in Charlotte. We ran clean all race and had a chance at stealing a really good finish, but I ran off track and put us in a bad position. Frustrated, but with the end of the race being so hectic, I feel like it was bound to happen. I’m thankful to QuickChek for the support and to my guys for sticking with it. We’ll head to Las Vegas and hope to rebound next weekend!”

Erik Jones, No. 43 FOCUSfactor Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 26th
FINISH: 11th
POINTS: 18th

Erik Jones Post-Race Thoughts: “We had a good FOCUSfactor Chevy today and we were on track to get another top 10 finish, but just barely missed it after contact on the closing laps. Dave (Elenz, crew chief) and the team made the right changes all race to get our handling better and put us in position for a strong run and finish. We’ll keep building and head to Las Vegas next week to a track I enjoy, and try to get us another win.”

ABOUT PETTY GMS:

Petty GMS competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, operating the No. 42 Chevrolet for Ty Dillon and the No. 43 Chevrolet for Erik Jones. Founded in December 2021, Maury Gallagher, championship team owner of GMS Racing, purchased a majority interest of Richard Petty Motorsports. Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty, known as “The King,” remains a key stakeholder of the organization. For more information, please visit www.pettygms.com.

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RCR NCS Post Race Report: ROVAL

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Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Get Bioethanol Chevrolet Team Earn Strong Top-10 Finish at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL

Finish: 10th
Start: 15th
Points: 14th

“We had a strong Get Bioethanol Chevrolet today at the ROVAL. It was probably one of the best road course cars we’ve had, so props to everyone at RCR and ECR. I made a mistake early and had to serve a pass-through penalty for missing the front stretch chicane on lap 1. Luckily, we were able to rebound and raced our way into the top-10 fairly early in the race. Our pit crew was fast all day and gained us spots on pit road, and Justin Alexander made the right adjustments to keep the No. 3 Chevy in the hunt. It was challenging to make the call to pit or stay out during the last few restarts. It was wild at the end of the race. Everyone was shoving and racing hard. I’m happy to leave with a top-10 finish and look forward to Las Vegas Motor Speedway next week.” -Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick, 3CHI Team Grab 14th Top-10 of the Season At The ROVAL

Finish: 8th
Start: 4th
Points: 13th

“Overall, it was a solid day for our 3CHI team. We brought a really fast race car to the ROVAL and we followed our strategy. We did a lot of things right, but we’re naturally disappointed because we wanted to win today since we’ve had a lot of speed on road courses this year. Unfortunately, we had a little hiccup on our Stage 2 pit stop that forced us to take long when we refueled and we lost track position in the third stage. We fell a little bit behind, but we were in a position where if a caution had come out we could have been okay. I pushed really, really hard to try to close the gap to the No. 9 car and burned my tires up. When those cautions came at the end of the race, I didn’t have much left to lean on.” -Tyler Reddick

Ford Performance NASCAR: Logano, Blaney and Briscoe Advance to the Round of 8

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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Bank of America Roval 400 | Sunday, October 9, 2022

FORD FINISHING RESULTS

2nd – Kevin Harvick
6th – Chris Buescher
9th – Chase Briscoe
14th – Brad Keselowski
15th – Aric Almirola
18th – Joey Logano
21st – Austin Cindric
24th – Cole Custer
26th – Ryan Blaney
27th – Michael McDowell
28th – Harrison Burton
30th – Todd Gilliland
31st – Josh Williams
32nd – JJ Yeley
33rd – Loris Hezemans
38th – Joey Hand

KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang – “I knew we were gonna have to have a perfect corner there with Christopher having such fresher tires. He was able to get through traffic and was able to roll through a little bit more speed in turn one, turn two, turn three and turn four and just got in front of me, but we were able to hold Kyle off so it’s still a good day. Our Mobil 1 Ford Mustang guys did a great job of putting us in position and having a chance. We were half a lap there from being in the right spot. It didn’t all work out, but still a good day.”

WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE FINAL RESTART? “I knew we were in a bit of a pickle there with Christopher on new tires and I just didn’t want to blow the first corner, I wanted to give us a chance he was just able to roll more speed than we were and from there it was just kind of like damage control and make sure you bring the thing home and that’s what we did. They did a good job. They got us in position and that caution coming out killed us there. We were half a lap from coming to the white and caution, so they did a good job.”

HOW CLOSE WAS IT FOR YOU ON FUEL? “I never lost fuel pressure, so not as close – maybe they were counting on a couple green-white-checkers, I don’t know. I never know what their strategy is until about Tuesday, so they’ll tell me why Tuesday and how close we were. I just do what I’m told like a well-trained dog.”

REWARDING TO COME OUT WITH A DECENT FINISH? “It is. This is a tough racetrack just to get a good finish because of the fact that it turns into being rough at the end. We were half a lap from getting to the white and probably winning the race, but just not quite as good on the restart compared to Christopher and his new tires, but still a great day.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – “It was nice to come in here with decent points and do a good job in the stages. It’s a shame because I thought our car was super fast, but when you’re stage points racing you just bury yourself and you’re just trying to stay out of everyone else’s junk there at the end. We still ended up getting in other people’s junk because people are running you over and spinning you out, but luckily we had a good points cushion. It seemed to be exciting on the cut line. We’ll go on to next week and it’ll be good.”

WHAT HAPPENED ON THE LAST RESTART? “Get run over by people just like Indy. I don’t know who ran me over, but put them on the list I guess.”

YOU HAD A CUSHION. HOW WAS IT TO HAVE THAT? “It was a help. It never hurts, but you come in and we did the stage game in the first stage and got our points, but then you just bury yourself the rest of the day and it was so hard to pass today. You kind of bury yourself right at the beginning and it doesn’t matter how fast your car is, you can’t come from 25th and drive up through there. We did a good job. We had a plan coming into this weekend with where we were on points and stuck with that plan. It’s a shame it has to be that way, but on the other side you just try to be as smart as you can.”

WHAT ABOUT THE NEXT ROUND? “I’m looking forward to getting to Vegas. I think we’ve come a long way on our mile-and-a-half program. Between Vegas and Homestead and obviously Martinsville is a strong place for us in the spring, so I’m looking forward to it. We’ve just got to put together good races with no mistakes and keep doing what we’ve been doing. I’d really like to win and not have to worry about the next two weeks, but I think this team has been doing a great job. They’re really focused right now.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang – “My guys did a great job all weekend. We had a long shot, but had a shot at it and kept ourselves in the game. Obviously, I had a great shot at the end. That last caution really stung because we would have been in without that last caution. Old tires against new tires. I wish we would have had probably some better track position and probably do a few things right here and there, but, overall, great to have a shot, great to be in the playoff picture. I learned a lot in my rookie season racing against a lot of the best. I was a bit of a bonehead on the last couple restarts just trying to make something happen with 30-lap worse tires than everybody around me, but, overall, great experience but just a little bit short.”

THOUGHTS ON THE LAST LAPS. “Very, very crazy. I would not recommend doing restarts with 30-lap older tires compared to everybody else that have less grip. It was just crazy and being only a couple spots ahead I was fighting for everything I had. My driving standards were probably a little bit lower than I usually like keeping them, but just desperate at that point. Desperate times call for desperate measures. We were in a really great position before that first green-white-checkered. We had a few spot margin and had a decent gap behind. The caution came out and I felt like that sealed our fate in some ways. Even then, I was one point out and needed the spot and tried to get it. I didn’t get myself clear and it was just a mess on the back chicane, so, overall, definitely some things I feel like we could have done better to execute today, but I definitely feel like we could have some more progress with the car, but, otherwise, great to be part of it and have a shot. We’re still coming to the final race, it’s just unfortunate we didn’t finish.”

WHAT WAS DONE IT MEAN MAKING IT THIS FAR IN YOUR ROOKIE SEASON? “I would have like to make it further. That’s the way I look at it. I don’t look at this as an opportunity that everyone is gonna have every year. If you’re in a good car with a good team it’s still not guaranteed. We had one guy make it in on points this year and that’s it. There’s past champions that missed out on the playoffs. I’ve got a guy standing next to me right here (Larson) that I think is one of the best drivers, if not the best driver in the field, and he’s not advancing on. This is not an easy format. It’s not a forgiving format and there are guys who have had worse luck than I have. If we have Texas go how it should have and not have to pull off a miracle and miss the 47 spinning, we finish in the top three and we probably pit and put on tires and have a simple end to our race today, but, either way, that’s not how this sport works. It’s not that easy and it’s not an opportunity that’s guaranteed every year and I want to make the most of it.”

WHEN IT’S HARD TO PASS, RESTARTS BECOME EVEN MORE IMPORTANT? “Yeah, restarts were definitely everything. Like stage two, I got hosed. We just had a slow car get caught in the middle of me and the 11 and I went from maybe gaining one or two spots on the restart to losing six and you spend the entire stint trying to pick that six back up.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang – HOW MUCH WERE THEY UPDATING YOU AT THE END? “That was a rollercoaster of emotions. To be easily in and then that caution came out and the 3 just dumped me. Thinking we were out again. I knew at the end there it was gonna be chaos. I feel like all respect goes out the window every time we have a caution at the end of one of these things. Johnny just did a really good job of giving me the ball there at the end and letting me have tires and just trying to go for it. I’m sure I made a couple people mad there at the end, but I had no idea – they just kept telling me every point is gonna matter here, so I just kept trying to pass everybody I could and got lucky that a couple of those holes opening up, but I’m just proud of my team. Nobody believed we were gonna get past the Round of 16 and here we are in the Round of 8 and three really, really good racetracks for me coming up, so I’m looking forward to them.”

DID YOU KNOW YOU HAD TO MAKE THAT LAST MOVE TO GAIN POINTS? “Yeah, I was making good ground. I knew the 3 had literally wrecked me two laps before and I was wanting to give it back to him because I was so mad and then I just knew I had to go. It’s a tough spot for the non-playoff guys. The 43, I kind of put him in a really bad spot and put myself in a bad spot too, but I was just shoving him because I had to get going knowing that every spot was gonna make the difference. My team came over the radio and told me I was one point out and that was the 43 car that I needed to pass, so I kind of shoved him out of the way and then the 3 got by both of us and then I had the back straightaway to do a Hail Mary and luckily somebody caught it and I was able to move on.”

EMOTIONS COMING OUT OF THE CAR? “I feel happier than I ever have when I’ve won a race before, truthfully. I know what this team is capable of, especially in this next round. Homestead, I feel like, is by far my best racetrack. Vegas, I’ve been able to have a lot of success there and Martinsville we were really fast. If we can get to Phoenix, we know we have a good car there, too. To have a one in eight chance to win a NASCAR championship is an unbelievable feeling and I think that’s why it feels even bigger than a win.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang – WHEN IT’S HARD TO PASS IS THAT WHY WE SEE WHAT WE DO AT THE END? “You’ve got guys that were onesies, twosies that were gonna barely make it and when you have desperate situations like that, people just send it and it ends up to be a mess. I’m sure there are a lot of scorecards that everybody kept today and I didn’t dump anybody, so that was great. No one’s mad at me (laughing).”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE NEXT ROUND? “I feel good. I like Vegas. We had a pretty good test at Miami and Martinsville has been one of Penske’s best racetracks as of late, so I feel pretty good about it.”

Andy Petree Receives Prestigious Smokey Yunick Award

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Official Release
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Longtime NASCAR crew chief, mechanic, team executive and television personality Andy Petree, right, was presented with the Smokey Yunick Award on Sunday by Speedway Motorsports President and CEO Marcus Smith, prior to the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400. (HHP/Harold Hinson photo)

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 9, 2022) – From a weekly short-track racer to a NASCAR championship crew chief to a NASCAR Cup winning team owner, Andy Petree’s more than 40-year racing career has encompassed every facet of the sport; a professional journey that has led to him being named this year’s recipient of the prestigious Smokey Yunick Award.

Petree was presented the award Sunday by Speedway Motorsports CEO and President Marcus Smith prior to the fifth edition of the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“Like Smokey, I came from humble beginnings, and I feel blessed to be able to make a career out of this,” said Petree, who now serves as the vice president of competition for Richard Childress Racing. “Just having Smokey Yunick and my name on the same plaque is very special. It’s very humbling, and I appreciate it.”

Petree joins a lengthy list of NASCAR greats who have received the honor, including Cotton Owens, Banjo Mathews, Ralph Moody, Ray Evernham, Dale Inman, Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, Waddell Wilson, Larry McReynolds and Gary Nelson.

Legendary car owner and mechanic Henry “Smokey” Yunick instituted the award in 1997 to annually recognize an individual who rose from humble beginnings to make a major impact on the motorsports industry. Yunick passed away on May 9, 2001, and Charlotte Motor Speedway has continued the award in his memory.

“It’s such a pleasure to present this award every year,” said Marcus Smith, the president and CEO of Speedway Motorsports. “Our sport has an amazing history. Smokey was renowned for his innovation and his creativity, and every year, we’re paying honor to the legends that paved the way for the rest of us today. We’re really pleased to present it to Andy Petree this year.”

Born in Newton, N.C., Petree grew up listening to cars driven by Ned Jarrett, Bobby Isaac, Tommy Houston and Harry Gant roar around Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway. He started his racing career as a mechanic for friend John Settlemyre, who won five consecutive track championships at Hickory, 1977-81.

However, Petree wanted to build his own car to race at the weekly short track. With the help of friend Jimmy Newsome, Petree constructed a 1968 Chevrolet Nova, but the two young men ran out of money before they could purchase an engine for it. Ned Jarrett agreed to provide the duo an engine on one condition, his younger son, Dale, would drive the car. That endeavor led the three friends to form DAJ Racing, an acronym for the first names of the team’s three partners – Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree and Jimmy Newsome. However, Petree didn’t confine himself to building cars. Occasionally he would race at Hickory, but he quickly realized his future was in working on race cars.

In 1981, Petree joined Junior Johnson’s operation as a tire changer for Darrell Waltrip, who earned his first NASCAR Cup championship that season. He then moved to the team owned by brothers Leo and Richard Jackson and worked his way up through the ranks. In 1987 at age 28, Petree was named crew chief for Phil Parsons.

When the Jackson brothers decided to own separate race teams, Leo Jackson purchased Hollywood stuntman and director Hal Needham’s operation and Petree went with him to become Harry Gant’s crew chief. Petree and Gant recorded nine victories during their four-year stint, including four straight in September 1991.

After 1992, Richard Childress needed a new crew chief for five-time NASCAR Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, and he set his sights on Petree. The duo proved successful, claiming back-to-back championships in 1993 and 1994. In three seasons together, they won just under $10 million, two championships and 15 races.

When Leo Jackson decided to retire, he offered to sell his team to his former crew chief. Petree accepted and Andy Petree Racing was born, first as a single-car team and then later a two-car operation. In 322 races over an eight-year period, Petree’s team recorded two victories, 16 top-five and 54 top-10 finishes, six poles and $17.6 million in winnings.

Petree, who had five NASCAR Xfinity races under his belt as a driver, briefly returned to competition after shutting down his Cup operation. He competed in one Modified, seven Camping World Truck Series, and two ARCA races before turning his attention to television.

Petree was a color commentator for ESPN/ABC 2007-2014. In 2015, he was hired by Fox Sports as a rules analyst for its NASCAR telecasts but he didn’t return the following season. He joined Richard Childress Racing in 2017 as its vice president of competition.

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Kaulig Giving™ Helps Daniel Hemric Grant Additional Scholarship at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

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Defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Daniel Hemric, left, will return to Kaulig Racing next year. (NASCAR photo)

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 9, 2022) – Kaulig Giving™ has joined Daniel Hemric in supporting local Rowan-Cabarrus Community College students by contributing to Hemric’s Be The Change Scholarship endowment. By doing so, the annual scholarship, seeded in 2019, will be awarded to two students in 2022.

“We started Kaulig Giving™ in 2018 to support many different causes just like Daniel’s Be the Change scholarship,” said Matt Kaulig, Kaulig Racing team owner and Executive Chairman of Kaulig Giving™. “Helping students to further their education and pursue their passion is something many of the organizations we are involved in advocate for. Daniel being a part of the Kaulig Racing family made this an easy decision for us to get involved in ‘Be the Change’ and support the community he grew up in.”

Through the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Foundation, the scholarship is available to a student from Cabarrus or Rowan County that qualifies for financial aid and has chosen a field of study in motorsports, welding, or mechanical engineering.

“I can’t say thank you enough to Matt Kaulig and Kaulig Giving™ for their donation to the Be The Change Scholarship,” said Hemric, who drives the No. 11 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Kaulig Racing. “Kenzie and I started this scholarship to help folks like us, because if not for racing, pursing a certification at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College would’ve been a great career path for me. Thanks to Kaulig Giving, this year we’re going to be able to help two students pursue that dream.”

“We are grateful for the incredible generosity of Kaulig Giving™ and Daniel and Kenzie Hemric,” said Sarah Devlin, Chief Officer of Governance, Advancement, and Community Relations of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. “Their investment in our students makes it possible for them to achieve their dreams and provide a better life for themselves and their families. The combined gift doubled the Daniel Hemric Be the Change Endowment, exponentially growing the number of students who benefit from their generosity while preparing them for the immediate job needs in our area and those of the future.“

Scholarships are provided through the Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Foundation and students enrolled at Rowan Cabarrus Community College can discover more information about The Daniel Hemric Be the Change Scholarship online at www.rccc.edu/foudnation/apply-for-scholarships or by email at foundation@rccc.edu.

About Kaulig Giving

Since 2018, Kaulig Giving™ has partnered with more than 200 nonprofit organizations in Northeast Ohio and beyond to create a lasting impact for children and families. As an integral part of the Kaulig Companies Charitable Giving Programs, Kaulig Giving continues to help support the well-being of children and families through direct giving, community involvement, and partnerships with like-minded organizations. To learn more about Kaulig Giving and its current partners and projects, visit https://www.kauliggiving.com.
 
About Kaulig Racing™

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and made the Championship 4 round in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. They will continue fielding three, full-time NXS entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Landon Cassill, the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Hemric, and the No. 16 Chevrolet driven by AJ Allmendinger. With multiple wins, Kaulig Racing has come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. The team made multiple starts in the NCS in 2021 and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The young team has acquired two charters for the 2022 NCS season, with Justin Haley competing as its first, full-time driver in the series. The team’s second entry will be shared by part-time teammates AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric and Noah Gragson. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

Monster Energy Racing: Riley Herbst NXS Race Report from Charlotte Roval

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Herbst Finishes 32nd at Roval
Late-Race Accident Ends Monster Energy Driver’s Race and Playoff Run

Date: Saturday, Oct. 8
Event: Drive for the Cure 250 (Round 29 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval (2.28-mile, 17-turn road course)
Format: 67 laps, broken into three stages (20 laps/20 laps/27 laps)
Start/Finish: 11th / 32nd (Accident, completed 67 of 72 laps)
Point Standing: 11th (2,080 points)

Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 67-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: A.J. Allmendinger of Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: A.J. Allmendinger of Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Brandon Jones of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Overview:

A 32nd-place finish in the Drive for the Cure 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race Saturday at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval ended Riley Herbst’s playoff run. The driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing had finished among the top-five in each of the race’s first two stages – fifth in Stage 1 and second in Stage 2 to earn a total of 15 bonus points – before getting entangled in an eight-car accident in turn two of the 2.28-mile, 17-turn road course 12 laps short of the finish. Heading into the final stage, Herbst was five points above the playoff cutline before contact from the No. 18 car of James Davidson on lap 48 damaged the right-rear corner of the No. 98 machine. This necessitated an unscheduled pit stop, which put Herbst deep in the 38-car field and ultimately contributed to him being collected in the multicar wreck. One final incident during a late-race restart on lap 69 ended Herbst’s race for good, leaving him 20 points shy of advancing to the Round of 8.

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

“Man, we had a shot to make it to the next round. I wish the outcome had been different. We were having such a strong race and then one small incident of contact in the final stage derailed it all. I wish we could’ve stayed out of trouble and advanced, but there’s still four races to go and four chances to win. We’ll regroup and head to Las Vegas.”

Notes:

● AJ Allmendinger won the Drive for the Cure 250 to score his 15th career Xfinity Series victory, his fifth of the season and his fourth straight at the Roval. His margin over second-place Ty Gibbs was .582 of a second.

● There were nine caution periods for a total of 15 laps.

● All but 10 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 Alsco Uniforms 302 on Saturday, Oct. 15 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It will be the fourth race of the seven-race playoffs and the first in the Round of 8. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Double Top Ten For Showtime Motorsports at VIR as Progress Continues

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Alton, VIRGINIA – October 9, 2022 – Showtime Motorsports with partner Franklin Road Apparel continued their upward trajectory at Virginia International Raceway on Saturday, October 8 when the Tennessee based team scored two top ten finishes in a highly competitive TA2 race for Round 11 of the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli championships.

Team principal Ken Thwaits has made a major investment in Trans Am, his trademark Chevrolet Camaros are now a fixture of the paddock and the team continues to evolve. The race at VIR saw the debut in a Showtime car with the exciting young driver Dylan Archer and the young up-and-comer didn’t disappoint. Sponsored by the Food Processing Equipment Company, Dylan made relentless progress through the race in the No. 4 Camaro to nab a top ten finish in P8 at the checkered flag. A fine result to go alongside Cameron Lawrence in the Franklin Road Apparel No. 6 car who was one place ahead of him.

Billed as the Mission Foods VIR Speed tour, the weekend began well for Cameron Lawrence who made the top ten testing session with a time of 1:51:785. Quicker conditions for the second testing session saw Cameron post an even better time 1:50:748 for an impressive P3 in the list. Driving out of Keller, Texas Dylan Archer was P11 in the same session with the time of 1:52:803.

In official practice Cameron in the No. 6 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro sat P6 after a lap of 1:50:612. The Lakeway, Texas driver then maintained his good form in qualifying with a time of 1:50:513 to secure a top ten on the grid.

It was no surprise that Ken had a smile on his face when we spoke to him after the race, “It was a great race for us. Both cars were driving well off the trailer which helps on these weekends. Cameron qualified P10 and finished in P7 and had some good battles. Dylan was P15 on the grid and finished P8. This was his first race for Showtime Motorsports and he showed us what a great driver he is. He did a great job. We want to get a better result eventually but we’re digging and we’ll get there. We’ll see what happens but two top ten finishes is definitely something to smile about!”

The Showtime TA Class cars are in action on Sunday when Ken in the No. 7 Franklin Road Apparel car is joined by Keith Grant in the sister No. 5 car. Meanwhile the final round and climax of the season is now just a few weeks away. November 4 to 6 are the days when the muscle car road show hits the Formula One home of the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas.

TV Broadcasting for this weekend is as follows:

TA2 – Oct 12, 7:00p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network
TA2 (Encore Presentation) – Oct 13, 12:30 a.m. ET on CBS Sports Network
TA/XGT/SGT/GT – Oct 13, 8:00p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network
TA/XGT/SGT/GT (Encore Presentation) – Oct 14, 12:30 a.m. ET on CBS Sports Network

About Showtime Motorsports:
The Showtime Motorsports team is based in Franklin Tennessee and is the power behind the Franklin Road Apparel brand. Showtime is responsible for preparing the cars for the track and keeping Ken Thwaits’ outstanding classic Camaro collection in tip top condition. Showtime Motorsports have now entered cars in both the TA and TA2 classes in the legendary Trans Am muscle car series with growing success. Showtime have a dynamic, passionate and hugely talented staff of professionals dedicated to success and excellence both on and off the track.

Wright Motorsports Finishes Second in GT World Challenge America Championship

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., (October 9, 2022) – The 2022 season for the Fanatc GT World Challenge America powered by AWS came to a close this weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The three-wide battle for the championship title in the Pro/Am class concluded with Wright Motorsports finishing the endeavor in second place, narrowly missing the top honors by one position.

“The competition in this year’s battle was as strong as ever, and it was an honor to be amongst such a tight field,” said Team Owner John Wright. “This crew and these drivers performed flawlessly again and again, and it really shows. For Charlie Luck to be fighting in the championship in the final race, in his rookie season in the Pro/Am class is really something to be proud of.”

The Porsche customer racing team entered the season finale with the points lead, fully prepared for a tight battle in Saturday’s Indianapolis 8 Hour. The No. 45 Porsche, piloted by Charlie Luck, Jan Heylen, and Elia Erhart showed strong pace all weekend long, but a rare mechanical issue sent the team back to the garage for lengthy repairs just two hours into the race. Though the crew brought the No. 45 back out and into the race in impressive time, valuable ground was lost.

While the team reentered and ran several laps down, the No. 45 Porsche remained ahead of the No. 04 Crowdstrike with Riley Motorsports program as needed, and within just one position of the eventual winner, Racers Edge Motorsports. The team’s perseverance paid off, as other cars would suffer from mechanical issues and retire or also run several laps down from the competition. Of the cars racing for points in the GT World Challenge America championship, the Wright Motorsports entry finished in sixth place in the Pro/Am class.

Father and son-in-law Charlie Luck and Jan Heylen concluded their 2022 race season with seven podiums, four wins, and 10 top-five finishes. The pair started the season off with back-to-back wins and remained championship contenders all the way to the season finale in Indianapolis.

The team will make announcements for future racing plans in the coming months.

Charlie Luck // No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R

I’m incredibly proud and feel mighty blessed that we are in second in the championship. This is such a complicated, challenging, extremely difficult journey that we’re on for seven weekends and countless test days and there’s so much incredible talent here at Wright Motorsports. We have nothing to be but grateful and thankful and really, proud.

Jan Heylen // No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R

It has been an awesome season, but I’m disappointed with how the day went. Out of all races, today is where we have a mechanical. The car was really good all season long and everybody did a good job, we just came short. I am thankful for the really good job by the team all year and to Charlie for putting this program together. I’m so happy to be part of this. Hope we can go back next year and try for one better.

Elia Erhart // No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R

The race was okay. We had a small issue at the start but then we had a good speed all race and were able to push hard. It’s a shame to lose the championship, because of one point. The team did an amazing job. The car was very, good and very fast. It was a pleasure for me to drive for Wright Motorsports, and I’d like to thank everyone who made that possible. Maybe we’ll try it again.

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Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series and international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy, and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team, and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship. In 2021, Wright Motorsports had a wildly successful season, capturing nine championships across their five racing efforts.

Daniel Hemric Returning to Kaulig Racing in 2023

By
Official Release
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Hemric Returns to No. 11 Chevrolet

 CONCORD, N.C. (October 9, 2022) – Kaulig Racing is thrilled to announce the return of reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) champion, Daniel Hemric for the 2023 season.

Hemric, who signed on for a one-year deal with Kaulig Racing for the 2022 NXS season, has signed an extension for the 2023 season in the team’s No. 11 Chevrolet.

“Kaulig Racing has welcomed me with open arms and I’m excited about the future we’re building together,” said Hemric. “I believe in Matt Kaulig and Chris Rice’s vision for this team, and know we’ve got some unfinished business to take care of next year. 2023 starts today.”

Hemric, who earned a spot in the 2022 NXS playoffs, has secured one pole award, two top fives, 10 top-10 finishes and has led 66 laps in the 2022 season so far.

“Daniel Hemric has played such a vital role in growing our Xfinity Series team,” said Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing. “He and his teammates, AJ (Allmendinger) and Landon (Cassill), work together so well and lean on each other in a way that no other team does. We are really excited to continuing that success with Daniel as part of this family.”

In addition to his full-time NXS season, Hemric piloted Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS), which he shared with teammates AJ Allmendinger and Noah Gragson.

“We are so excited to have Daniel back next year in the car that started all of this, our No. 11 Chevrolet,” said team owner, Matt Kaulig. “Over the past year, Daniel has embraced what it is like to be a part of the Kaulig Racing family and has been instrumental in growing our team. We can’t wait for another great season together next year.”

With Kaulig Racing’s 2023 NXS lineup set, Hemric will kick off his second year with the team at Daytona International Speedway in the NXS season-opener on Saturday, February 18. Partnership information for the 2023 season will be announced at a later date.
 
 
About Kaulig Racing™

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and made the Championship 4 round in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. They will continue fielding three, full-time NXS entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Landon Cassill, the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Hemric, and the No. 16 Chevrolet driven by AJ Allmendinger. With multiple wins, Kaulig Racing has come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. The team made multiple starts in the NCS in 2021 and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The young team has acquired two charters for the 2022 NCS season, with Justin Haley competing as its first, full-time driver in the series. The team’s second entry will be shared by part-time teammates AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric and Noah Gragson. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

Runner-Up Result for TeamSLR’s Connor Mosack at VIR

By
Official Release
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Teammate Chris Liesfeld Delivers Top-15 Finish

Overview:

Date: Oct. 8, 2022
Event: Mission Foods VIR SpeedFest (Round 11 of 12)
Series: Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli
Division: TA2
Location: Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in Alton
Layout: 3.27-mile, 17-turn road course
Format: 30 laps or 75 minutes
Weather: Sunny, mid-60s
Race Winner: Brent Crews of Nitro Motorsports

TeamSLR:

● Connor Mosack – Started 1st, Finished 2nd (Running, completed 31/31 laps)
● Chris Liesfeld – Started 24th, Finished 15th (Running, completed 31/31 laps)

Note: Mosack scored the pole for the TA2 race at VIR. It was his series-leading fifth pole of the season and his second in a row.

Connor Mosack, Driver No. 28 Open Eyes/Nacarato Truck Centers/Nic Taylor Custom Fit Underwear/M1 Racecars Ford Mustang:

“I felt like the guys did a really good job getting our Open Eyes/Nic Taylor car up to speed. It was really good in qualifying. I was a little worried about how our long-run speed was going to be, but I felt like it was there in the race and I was just riding along once we got the lead. I thought we were in a really good position when that last caution came out with just six or seven to go. We fired off good and I thought we were in a good spot, but it just didn’t work out. I think we have the speed to win this next race and, hopefully, win the championship.”

Chris Liesfeld, Driver No. 96 Fields Racing/M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro:

“I struggled a little bit even though this is a track I’m familiar with. Nonetheless, I had a great race with Tom Sheehan. We swapped positions a couple of times in the race, but we kept it clean and that’s the way to do it. I had a good time doing that.”

Next Up:

The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli heads to Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, for its season finale Nov. 4-6. The Austin SpeedTour on the 3.46-mile, 20-turn road course begins with a pair of open test sessions on Friday, Oct. 4, followed by practice and qualifying on Saturday, Oct. 5. The weekend culminates with the 30-lap, 75-minute race on Sunday, Oct. 6. Coverage will be livestreamed via SpeedTourTV.com and the SpeedTourTV page on YouTube.

About TeamSLR:

TeamSLR competes fulltime in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli in a multifaceted effort that includes dedicated entries in the TA2 division, customer programs, driver coaching and car construction. Its history dates back to 1985 and covers a wide spectrum of motorsports, including NASCAR, IMSA, SCCA, ARCA and ASA. TeamSLR is a family-owned organization run by Scott Lagasse Sr., and Scott Lagasse Jr., The father-and-son duo have combined to win more than 100 races and seven championships across a variety of series and styles of racecars, from paved ovals to road courses to dirt tracks. For more information, please visit us online at www.TeamSLR.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and on LinkedIn.

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