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Toyota Racing NXS Post-Race Recap — Talladega 10.1.22

TWO TOYOTA TOP-10s IN TALLADEGA XFINITY RACE
Gibbs and Jones Solid Heading to Roval for Playoff Cutoff Race

TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 1, 2022) – Ty Gibbs (seventh) and Brandon Jones (eighth) scored top-10 finishes in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. Both will head to next week’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval to look to secure their positions in the next round of the Playoffs.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Talladega Superspeedway
Race 28 of 33 – 300.58 miles, 113 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, AJ Allmendinger*

2nd, Sam Mayer*

3rd, Landon Cassill*

4th, Ryan Seig*

5th, Josh Berry*

7th, TY GIBBS

8th, BRANDON JONES

13th, TREVOR BAYNE

23rd, DEREK GRIFFITH

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

TY GIBBS, No. 54 Sport Clips Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 7th

How were you able to save the car from the early spin and recover for a top-10 finish?

“I don’t know if I saved it to be honest with you – unless it looked like I did. We did have a lot of damage on the right front and that affected our balance. We lost a lot of our right front splitter and it popped my right front into the air and that impacted the balance and control. We regrouped as a team and went back out and finished seventh. I think we’re 50 points to the good, which is not locked in, but it’s a good position. Better than a lot of these guys and we’ll just keep going. We’ve got a good program for the Roval too. This is a hard round so we just have to make it through.”

Josh Berry was very complimentary of you post-race in how you stayed with him. How difficult is it to run with other manufacturers?

“I really do like Josh (Berry) and I’ve raced with him for a long time and have a lot of respect for him. It comes down to where the 18 (Trevor Bayne) went to the outside of me and I really had nowhere to go and so I jumped up and ended up pushing the 8 (Berry) and gave him a really big shove and to be honest with you, I was surprised that he was able to hang onto it. It looked like he was on rails. I wish we could have finished a little better, but that’s what we had. Thank you for the opportunity and thankful to stay out of trouble.”

BRANDON JONES, No. 19 Menards/Little Hugs Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 8th

How was your race overall?

“Honestly, I think that’s what we needed to do aside from just go win the race, I think we needed to get stage points in at least every stage. The second stage had some challenges, but the first one was really good and still a top-10 result there. Wanted to win. We were talking earlier as teammates that maybe if we would have taken the run a little bit sooner, maybe we would have had the chance to win. It just takes so long to build up a run that maybe we just gave ourselves just one shot at it instead of two. If we could change anything, maybe we would try a little sooner. All in all, I couldn’t ask for a better Talladega finish to come home with all of us finishing the race.”

How do you feel about your points position heading into the Roval next weekend?

“Going to the Roval, we’ve had extremely fast Supras at the Roval here lately and all these road courses that we’ve run at, we’ve been able to run top-five and a few we’ve even been in contention to win the race. We have a lot of positivity and a lot of momentum going into that one.”

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.

DiBenedetto survives overtime finish for first Truck career victory at Talladega

Photo by Corey Grantham for SpeedwayMedia.com.

A timely caution amid a major wreck during the finish of an overtime attempt generated a new winner in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series as Matt DiBenedetto was awarded his first career win in the Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, October 1.

The 31-year-old DiBenedetto from Grass Valley, California, placed himself in prime position of contending for the win as he was running in the top five during the final lap of the first and only overtime attempt that was caused when Carson Hocevar intentionally spun to draw a caution with four laps remaining. Approaching the frontstretch and the finish line, DiBenedetto went three-wide on Playoff contender Ben Rhodes and Bret Holmes as he launched his bid for the win.  Despite getting forced below the double yellow line by Rhodes as Rhodes wrecked along with a host of other competitors, DiBenedetto managed to cross the finish line sideways in the runner-up spot after being edged by Holmes. Following an extensive review of the finish, however, DiBenedetto was deemed the winner due to being out in front at the moment of caution prior to taking the checkered flag and completing the race, thus claiming his first NASCAR national touring series career victory.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, Playoff contender John Hunter Nemechek claimed his seventh pole position of the season after posting a pole-winning lap at 178.767 mph in 53.567 seconds. Joining him on the front row was teammate and Playoff contender Chandler Smith, who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 177.732 mph in 53.879 seconds.

When the green flag waved and the race started, Nemechek jumped ahead with an early advantage as the field stacked up in two tight-packed lanes through the first two turns. Through the backstretch, Nemechek retained the lead ahead of teammate Chandler Smith while Zane Smith started to challenge on the outside lane. Despite Zane Smith gaining a run through the frontstretch, Nemechek moved up to block him as he went on to lead the first lap.

A lap later, a side-by-side battle for the lead between Zane Smith and Nemechek occurred while the field behind started to fan out to three lanes.

Through the first five scheduled laps, Nemechek was leading by a hair over Zane Smith followed by Ty Majeski, Chandler Smith, Carson Hocevar, Colby Howard, Matt Crafton, Corey Heim, Jordan Anderson and Christian Eckes.

By Lap 10 and with the field settling into two tight-packed lanes within the draft, Nemechek continued to lead ahead of Zane Smith, Hocevar and Crafton while Chandler Smith and Jordan Anderson battled for fifth. By then, half of the remaining eight Playoff contenders were running in the top 10 with Eckes in eighth. Behind, Ben Rhodes was in 12th, Stewart Friesen was in 17th, Grant Enfinger was back in 23rd and Ty Majeski settled in 27th.

Then with two laps remaining in the first stage, the first caution of the event flew when the No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado RST piloted by Anderson, which was running in fifth place, went up in smoke and flames at full speed. With the truck up in flames, Anderson, who was trying to keep his truck below the apron with reduced speed, managed to avoid contact with the field as he then steered his flaming truck towards the inside wall in Turn 2 before escaping it. He would then be airlifted to a local hospital to be further evaluated with burns.

The caution for Anderson was enough for the first stage to conclude on Lap 20 as Nemechek secured his seventh stage victory of the 2022 season. Zane Smith settled in second followed by Hocevar, Chandler Smith, Tanner Gray, Colby Howard, Rhodes, Heim, Tyler Ankrum and Eckes. Meanwhile, Playoff contenders Friesen, Enfinger and Majeski were scored in the top 20.

Under the stage break, the leaders led by Nemechek pitted, most for fuel, as Chandler Smith exited first followed by teammate Nemechek, Friesen, Rhodes, Heim and Eckes.

The second stage started on Lap 26 and at the start, Chandler Smith and Rhodes dueled for the lead in front of Nemechek as the field stacked up entering Turn 2. Then as Rhodes gained another strong run on the outside lane to overtake Chandler Smith for the lead, the caution returned when Colby Howard spun in the middle of the pack and towards the backstretch after cutting a left-rear tire.

When the race restarted on Lap 31, a tight side-by-side battle for the lead ignited between Rhodes and Chandler Smith through the first two turns before Nemechek gave teammate Chandler Smith a small draft to lead through the backstretch. Rhodes, however, fought back on the outside lane with drafting help from teammate Eckes as the field battled in a tight side-by-side pack.

During the following lap, the caution flew when Lawless Alan blew a right-front tire and went dead straight into the outside wall in Turn 3. With debris flying out of Alan’s wrecked truck, Bryan Dauzat and Hocevar also received damage. This caution provided mixed strategy amongst the field as some pitted while others remained on the track.

With two laps remaining in the second stage, the race proceeded under green. At the start, Rhodes and Chandler Smith dueled for the lead in front of the pack and they remained dead even for the lead when they returned to the frontstretch and started the final lap of the second stage.

When the second stage concluded on Lap 40, Chandler Smith received a draft from teammate Nemechek to surge ahead of Rhodes and capture his sixth stage victory of the 2022 season. Teammate Nemechek settled in second while Friesen, Rhodes, Enfinger, Eckes, Ankrum, Heim, Zane Smith and Majeski were scored in the top 10. By then, all of the eight Playoff contenders cracked the top 10 and had scored at least one stage point.

Following the second stage’s conclusion, Zane Smith nursed his No. 38 Love’s Travel Stop Ford F-150 into his pit stall after he cut a right-rear tire and damaged the right-rear fender of his truck. Once pit road became accessible for the field, some led by Nemechek pitted, mainly for fuel, while names like Chase Purdy, Bret Holmes, Johnny Sauter, Matt DiBenedtto, Hailie Deegan and Clay Greenfield remained on the track. Prior to the restart, names like Nemechek and Chandler Smith pitted again to top off on fuel and for damage repair.

With 49 laps remaining, the final stage started as Chase Purdy and Bret Holmes occupied the front row. At the start, Holmes cleared the field and assumed the lead on the outside lane followed by Matt DiBenedetto as the field started to fan out to three lanes through the backstretch.

At the halfway mark on Lap 47, Holmes was leading ahead of DiBenedetto, Purdy, Johnny Sauter and Derek Kraus while Jack Wood, Enfinger, Eckes, Blaine Perkins and Carson Hocevar were scored in the top 10. By then, Eckes was the lone Playoff contender running in the top 10 while the remaining seven were mired inside the top 30.

With less than 40 laps remaining, Eckes made his way to the top of the field followed by Holmes, Hocevar, DiBenedetto and Sauter while Ryan Preece, Kraus, Purdy, Wood and Enfinger were in the top 10. With two of eight Playoff contenders running in the top 10, Rhodes and Majeski were in the top 20 while Friesen, Nemechek, Chandler Smith and Zane Smith were mired back from 25th to 28th, respectively.

Then nearing the final 30 laps of the event and with most of the front-runners veering to pit road for service under green, the caution flew when Hailie Deegan, who entered pit road too fast, hit her tire carrier and caused a tire to roll out of her pit box and onto the infield grass, which prompted the tire carrier to bolt to the infield grass and retrieve the tire. Following the pit stops, additional names like Friesen, Sauter and Purdy were penalized for speeding on pit road.

Down to the final 26 laps of the event, the race proceeded under green as Eckes and Hocevar occupied the front row. At the start, Hocevar was drafted into the lead followed by Enfinger before Eckes fought back on the outside lane through the backstretch. Soon after, Eckes and Hocevar engaged in a tight side-by-side battle for the lead in front of the pack running tight through two drafting lanes.

Five laps later, the caution returned when Colby Howard spun in front of Nemechek in Turn 4, though he managed to straighten his truck and not sustain any significant damage nor collect others.

With 18 laps remaining, the race restarted under green. At the start, Eckes received a push from teammate Rhodes on the outside lane to remain as the leader by a mere margin before Hocevar fought back on the inside lane with drafting help from Preece. 

Three laps later, the caution flew when Playoff contender Grant Enfinger, who was starting to fall off the pace in Turn 3, was bumped by Austin Wayne Self as both slipped sideways and pounded the outside wall. In the process, Sauter and Tanner Gray were collected as all four sustained significant damage to their respective trucks.

During the following restart with 10 laps remaining, Hocevar received drafting help from Preece to lead the inside lane while teammates Eckes and Rhodes fought back on the outside lane. As the field returned to the frontstretch, the front-runners were mired in a tight pack between two lanes as Eckes and Hocevar remained dead even for the lead.

Then with five laps remaining of the event, Hocevar, who was battling Eckes for the lead, dropped his truck below the apron and was falling off the pace after cutting a tire. Then with the race remaining under green while the lead pack zipped by, Hocevar remained on the track below the apron and looped his truck around past the start/finish line. This prompted NASCAR to draw the caution as Eckes was ahead followed by teammate Rhodes, DiBenedetto, Bret Holmes and Preece. In addition, NASCAR issued a one-lap penalty to Hocevar for intentionally causing a caution as the field was sent into overtime.

During the start of overtime, teammates Eckes and Rhodes battled for the lead through the first two turns. Then through the second turn and the backstretch, Rhodes received drafting help from Holmes to briefly pull away with the lead before the rest of the front-runners caught up to them through Turns 3 and 4. By then, Holmes navigated his way into the lead as DiBenedetto and Rhodes dueled for the lead.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Holmes was leading ahead of Rhodes, DiBenedetto, Eckes and Preece. Through the backstretch, Rhodes was drafted into the lead by Eckes before both ThorSport Racing teammates dueled for the lead in front of the pack. 

Then entering Turn 4, Rhodes started to pull ahead of Eckes when Heim got bumped as he wrecked his No. 51 JBL Toyota Tundra TRD Pro into the outside wall. With Heim coming back across the track and collecting more competitors, Holmes and DiBenedetto went three-wide on Rhodes approaching the start/finish line. While Holmes remained on the outside lane, DiBenedetto made contact with Rhodes as he was shoved below the double yellow line. The contact got Rhodes sideways as nearly the entire field wrecked while crossing the finish line. Back at the front, however, Holmes edged DiBenedetto by 0.002 seconds to score what appeared to have been his first NASCAR national touring series career victory.

Following an extensive review of the final lap incident, the battle for the win and who was out in front at the moment of caution, NASCAR determined that the caution was displayed before Holmes crossed the finish line to complete the race and that DiBenedetto was out in front when the caution was displayed, thus being declared the official winner.

With the victory, DiBenedetto, who has made 248 career starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, achieved his first career victory in his 338th career start across NASCAR’s top three national touring series and in his 21st career start in the Camping World Truck Series. The victory was also the first for Rackley-W.A.R. Racing, a team that debuted in 2021. 

DiBenedetto’s victory marks the seventh consecutive season where the Truck Series Playoff event has been won by a non-Playoff contender with the streak spanning to the series’ Playoff inception in 2016. He also became the sixth different competitor to record a first Truck career victory at Talladega.

“Oh man, it’s such a long time coming!” DiBenedetto said on FS1. “Praise God. I’m so thankful. [My fans] have bared with me through so much in me being a reckless human being sometimes just through life. This one’s life-changing. I’m out of breath. I think I was more nervous waiting and hearing what would happen. My spotter, Doug Campbell, is awesome. We worked together so good. I think in the Cup Series, we led on like the white flag twice here or something at Talladega. So, I owe a lot to him. At the end there, we were just really committed to staying on the bottom [lane] and pushing. This [truck], it pushed well, so I was just committed to staying there and pushing whoever was in front of me. I’m so thankful. So thankful! This is amazing. This team deserves it.” 

Once the final finishing order was displayed, Rhodes was awarded the runner-up spot despite ending up with a wrecked truck while Holmes was shuffled back to a career-best third place.

“It’s tough to lose something that close,” Holmes said. “We lost an ARCA race that close, I don’t know, probably lost it closer today. I want to win here so bad, I can’t stand it. I have so many people here from my hometown, friends, and family. Growing up and racing at the dirt track across the road, it just would mean the world for me to win here. It seems like the last couple years in ARCA we’ve been right there, the Truck races we’ve been right there. It’s just super tough, hate we couldn’t pull it off for everybody. Wish the race ended at the finish line because I feel like we would’ve had it…It’s tough to lose that one, for sure.”

Preece ended up fourth while Eckes completed the top five. Deegan notched a career-best sixth place despite being involved in the final lap accident while Purdy, Colby Howard, Parker Kligerman and Tyler Ankrum completed the top 10 on the track.

Notably, Playoff contenders Chandler Smith, Zane Smith, Friesen, Majeski, Nemechek and Enfinger finished 14th, 17th, 20th, 23rd, 24th and 29th, respectively.

There were 25 lead changes for 11 different leaders. The race featured nine cautions for 36 laps.

Results.

1. Matt DiBenedetto, one lap led

2. Ben Rhodes, two laps led

3. Bret Holmes, six laps led

4. Ryan Preece

5. Christian Eckes, 25 laps led

6. Hailie Deegan

7. Chase Purdy, six laps led

8. Colby Howard

9. Parker Kligerman

10. Tyler Ankrum

11. Kaden Honeycutt

12. Clay Greenfield

13. Derek Kraus, three laps led

14. Chandler Smith, 17 laps led, Stage 2 winner

15. Timmy Hill

16. Parker Retzlaff

17. Zane Smith, one lap led

18. Kaz Grala

19. Jack Wood

20. Stewart Friesen

21. Bayley Currey

22. Matt Crafton, one lap led

23. Ty Majeski, one lap led

24. John Hunter Nemechek, 20 laps led, Stage 1 winner

25. Johnny Sauter

26. Corey Heim – OUT, Accident

27. Blaine Perkins – OUT, Accident

28. Carson Hocevar, one lap down, 12 laps led

29. Grant Enfinger, one lap down

30. Austin Wayne Self – OUT, Accident

31. Tanner Gray – OUT, Accident

32. Jennifer Jo Cobb – OUT, Clutch

33. Lawless Alan – OUT, Accident

34. Dean Thompson – OUT, Accident

35. Bryan Dauzat – OUT, Dvp

36. Jordan Anderson – OUT, Accident

*Bold indicates Playoff contenders

Playoff standings

1. Ty Majeski – Advanced

2. Chandler Smith +30

3. Zane Smith +18

4. Ben Rhodes +3

5. Christian Eckes -3

6. Stewart Friesen -3

7. John Hunter Nemechek -5

8. Grant Enfinger -29

With the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season nearing its conclusion, the Playoff’s Round of 8 will next continue at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 22, where the Championship Round field will be set. The event’s coverage is scheduled to commence at 1 p.m. ET on FS1.

Toyota Racing NCWTS Post-Race Recap — Talladega 10.2.22

TWO TUNDRAS TALLY TALLADEGA TOP-FIVES
Wild Talladega Finish Results with Four Tundras in the Top-10

TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 1, 2022) – Tundra teammates Ben Rhodes (second) and Christian Eckes (fifth) scored the top-finishes for Toyota in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Alabama’s Talladega Superspeedway. The two ThorSport Tundras were running one-two coming to the white flag, but a wild finish and accident coming to the checkered flag mixed up the final results and sent several trucks crashing and spinning through the infield.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Talladega Superspeedway
Race 21 of 23 – 100 Laps, 250 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Matt DiBenedetto*

2nd, BEN RHODES

3rd, Bret Holmes*

4th, Ryan Preece

5th, CHRISTIAN ECKES

7th, CHASE PURDY

10th, TYLER ANKRUM

11th, KADEN HONEYCUTT

12th, CLAY GREENFIELD

14th, CHANDLER SMITH

15th, TIMMMY HILL

20th, STEWART FRIESEN

22nd, MATT CRAFTON

23rd, TY MAJESKI

24th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK

25th, JOHNNY SAUTER

26th, COREY HEIM

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

BEN RHODES, No. 99 Kubota Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, ThorSport Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

What happened in the final lap of the race with the accident?

“As the saying goes, I haven’t’ seen the replay. I can’t help but feel that I had a hand in on that big one somehow. I believe that I went up to block and came back down and the hole was already filled and I didn’t know it. Split second decision. I hate it for my team and everybody at ThorSport most of all. They worked so hard to get these trucks there and we were right there to lock our ticket into Phoenix and now we have to really put in the work at Homestead to make sure we get in for another championship run. I just know we were on the bottom and I had a really, really good push. I felt like I got pushed out a little bit in the trioval, but again, I haven’t seen a replay and I saw the outside start to pull out and I knew we were going to lose momentum as that group pulled out. But they had a run still somehow and as I moved up to block, they filled the gap and I think I made contact, but again, I haven’t seen the replay for sure. Just hate it for Kubota and everybody involved. It’s s shame to be that close to punching your ticket and not get it.”

What would you have done differently on the final lap to try to get the win?

“Honestly, I think everything worked out fine until the last few hundred feet. If I could change it, I would have just stayed right on the bottom. I’m not saying we could have got the win, maybe we would have had second, but we wouldn’t have a torn up race truck right now. A lot of things would have been better for really everybody involved.”

CHRISTIAN ECKES, No. 98 FarmPaint Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, ThorSport Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

What happened in the final lap of the race?

“Just wrong lane. I thought the 25 (Matt DiBenedetto) would push me better than the 32 (Bret Holmes) and I was just wrong. They passed us and I tried to do some different moves. I’m not really sure what happened there at the end, I’m not sure if the 51 (Corey Heim) bailed on me or what. Coming to the checkered, I finished seventh and had a decent points day and the truck is mostly in one piece. We’ll move onto Homestead.”

TYLER ANKRUM, No. 16 LiUNA! Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Hattori Racing Enterprises

Finishing Position: 10th

How was your race overall?

“Had a pretty good handling truck. It was a little darty, but we ran up front all day long and inside the top-10 and were running sixth there at the end. Just made a wrong decision to push the 51 (Corey Heim) and he spun. Actually happy to finish at race at Talladega. I can say for once that I want to come back. We’ll have a better speedway truck for the next one.”

TY MAJESKI, No. 66 Tenda Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, ThorSport Racing

Finishing Position: 23rd

What happened in the final lap of the race that ended your race early?

“We were just trying to make some moves at the end and trying to get the top formed and it just never came through and got passed by a couple trucks there at the end. Coming out of four, they all started wrecking and we were in the top lane and in the top lane, a lot of times you really don’t have anywhere to go. Got into a few trucks and another superspeedway race in the infield care center.”

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 24th

How was your race today?

“Up and down. Maximized stage points there with Chandler (Smith) in the first stage and in the second stage, put ourselves in a good position to gain as many points as possible. Just didn’t work out there at the end. Stuff happens and I was one of the trucks that was spinning through the grass there. Probably lost around 10 or 12 spots there by spinning through the grass. It hurt our points day a little bit and we’re now just four points behind the cut going into Homestead.”

COREY HEIM, No. 51 JBL Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 26th

What happened on the final lap of the race?

“I’m really not sure. I haven’t seen a replay, but just going for every spot I can get and it looked like we had a chance to win with our Tundra TRD Pro. Generally this is how it goes at Talladega, it’s unpredictable and you know, one driver doesn’t cause a wreck. There’s going to be another one half a lap later. Did everything I could today with my JBL Tundra TRD Pro today. KBM gave me a great truck and looking forward to the next one for sure.”

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.

Toyota NCS Talladega Quotes — Christopher Bell 10.1.22

Toyota Racing – Christopher Bell
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 1, 2022) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was made available to media prior to the Talladega Superspeedway race this Saturday:

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

How do you approach these next few races with no Playoff winners as of yet?

“Yeah, it’s not the position we want it to be in, you know, going into Texas. I knew that Texas was going to be a very, very important race. And I mean, I thought that we would perform well and we did perform well before the DNF so you know, our goal leaving Texas was to be above the cutoff line and maybe have a little bit of a bonus going in into Talladega and the Roval. And unfortunately, that’s not the way it played out. And now, the only way forward is going to be to try and score as many points as we can. So going to have to race hard all day tomorrow and see where the cards fall.”

How much of a benefit is it to start on the pole knowing you’re after stage points and did you have more emphasis on starting up front against the other Playoff drivers?

“No, I mean, Speedway poles, they’re not much to do with me, it’s more so about the team and with us winning the pole here in the spring, we thought that we would have a good shot at it but you know, you can go from the back to the front and from the front to the back, you know, a handful of times before they paid the points that lap 60. So. You know, I think that winning the pole is a great testimony to the team, but really has no effect on the race tomorrow.”

Is it possible for Talladega to become more intense than it normally is for this race weekend?

“Yeah, I’m trying to think in like into last year’s Playoff race, it rained, and I made it to the end of the race. So I don’t remember a lot of wrecking in this race in the you know, a year from now. But I don’t know. I think that people will be calm especially to start the race. And then whenever it comes time to get those points it’s going to ramp up and the likelihood for a wreck is going to increase.”

How challenging is it to move up and back through the field with this car?

“So I would say that Talladega generally is a little bit easier to move back and forth than Daytona just because of the width and typically the lanes aren’t as blocked up. But you know, generally speaking, I don’t have a ton of experience on superspeedways with this car. I wrecked out really early at the Daytona 500. And then the Daytona fall race, I wrecked out early again. Talladega I guess I had an okay run but wasn’t racing for the win at the end of the race because I got trapped a lap down. So you know, I hope that the Toyotas are able to get together because it seems like that’s been at least my most successful Speedway races whenever I have a group to work with and not kind of fending for myself. Yeah, I don’t know if that really answers it. But you know, Speedway racing has not really been kind to me. So hopefully we can change that narrative tomorrow.”

Were you able to attend or view the driver’s meeting with Jeff Burton yesterday?

“Yes, I was able to call in and listen and for sure that the positives are that you know, there is stuff in the works to better specifically the rear impacts. And ironically, that’s been the majority of my crashes this year has been rear impacts and they’ve hurt really bad. So I’m glad that there’s stuff in the works to improve those style impacts. And hopefully we can just continue to improve the safety of the Next Gen car because the wrecks hurt right now.”

Do you ever look back on any of your impacts and have concerns that it was a concussion and not just a simple headache?

“I mean, it’s hard to say you know a headache is definitely not a good sign or a good symptom, but from the days moving on past that I don’t recall any symptoms that raised any red flags that says I shouldn’t get in the race car the following week. So, if that was the case, then I definitely would have raised my hand and say, ‘Hey, guys, something’s not right.’ But fortunately, I guess I’ve been able to heal or, you know, just the symptoms have gone away.”

Do you feel like you’re in a must-win situation yet?

“I mean, pretty close. I think that if we were going anywhere except Talladega it would be more likely to be a must win, but tomorrow, there’s going to be likely crashes and out of the 12 cars, I would assume that some of those 12 cars are going to have bad days. Hopefully it’s not me and you know, so with that being said, we’ll evaluate the points after Talladega and see where we’re at. So yeah, I think, you know, that is one thing that is working to my advantage in the position I am in. Because, you know, you never know what’s going to happen at Talladega. And it could be a good day for me. It could be a bad day for me, we just don’t know.”

Starting from the pole tomorrow, do you feel more pressure to gain stage points in the race?

“Yeah, that’s number one on our goals, for sure. And it was before we even qualified. So before Texas, our ideal situation was to score high points at Texas. And then basically ride at Talladega and try and, you know, miss the wrecks early on in the race and take our top 20 or whatever we were able to get at Talladega. And with us getting no points at Texas, it forces our hand to have to go through those stage points. So starting on the pole, hopefully we’re able to maintain track position throughout the first 60 laps, but it’s such a long run. And we have to have a green flag pitstop in there. So it’s just a long way to go before they pay out stage points, but for sure we have to be in the running of it. And we’re going to have to continue if we want to transfer on.”

How does wrecking in a midget compare to wrecks in this Next Gen car?

“I’m trying to think, but I guess they are similar. If you hit your head, you hit your head. And definitely the rear impacts for whatever reason or impacting your head, that’s an issue. But yeah, so I would say if you hit your head, you hit your head.”

Do you brace forward in midget car wrecks like they’re asking you to do in the Next Gen cars?

“So typically that is my brace impact. I will lock out my HANS tethers, grip the wheel and just kind of close my eyes and brace for impact, but it is interesting that’s the worst thing to do for rear impact. And I’m sure it’s the same way to sprint car too. So you know, one thing that we’ve been talking about is, you know, decreasing our Hans tethers, which ironically, Kyle Busch has been really, really hard on that ever since he had his incident at Daytona years ago. So that was whenever I was first getting started in NASCAR and he pushed that hard on me to make sure that our HANS tethers are as short as we can stand. So I’ll probably take another step and shortening those just so that my head is more contained. But yeah, definitely brace impact is, you know, lock your head forward and grip the wheel as tight as you can.”

Is it odd that the narrative has changed with this Next Gen car to dangers or concerns in stock car racing versus the dangers of sprint car racing?

“Yeah, I think it’s very, very, very surprising and not where we want to be for sure as stock car racing in general. But the good news is, is that we realize where we’re at, I think, as an industry and at least from our meeting yesterday it seems like NASCAR’s you know, they understand where we’re at to and everyone’s focused on moving forward. But yeah, it’s surprising, and I don’t think anyone would have seen it coming a couple years ago.”

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: Almirola and Briscoe Earn Top 5 Starting Spots at Talladega

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
YellaWood 500 Qualifying | Saturday, October 1, 2022

FORD QUALIFYING RESULTS
4th – Aric Almirola
5th – Chase Briscoe
11th – Joey Logano
15th – Harrison Burton
17th – Austin Cindric
18th – Brad Keselowski
19th – Ryan Blaney
23rd – Chris Buescher
24th – Kevin Harvick
28th – Cole Custer
29th – Michael McDowell
34th – Todd Gilliland
35th – BJ McLeod
36th – JJ Yeley
37th – Cody Ware

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang – “I think more and more these speedway races are turning into track position races. You’ve got to run up front and score stage points and do all those things. I feel good about it. I feel like our Smithfield Ford Mustang has a lot of speed in it, obviously, from qualifying. That will parlay over into the race and people know you have a fast race car they want to work with you. You have more friends and more teammates.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang – “I’m happy with how it is. I don’t think any of us expected to qualify that well, truthfully. We were definitely more prepared to race well rather than qualify well, so I was really surprised that first round. When I knew we had the potential to get the pole, honestly, I was kind of glad we ended up fifth. I don’t really want to be on the front row tomorrow. I feel like then you can’t really control how guys are pushing you and things like that, whereas in fifth I can kind of settle in and find my spot. I’m definitely looking forward to where we start tomorrow. I think we have a really good car and it’s just a matter of putting it all together.”

CODY WARE, No. 51 Nurtec ODT UBCF Ford Mustang – HOW ARE YOU FEELING? “Overall, I’m happy to be here to cut a lap in qualifying. It’s just one lap, but I had no pain there, so that gives me even more confidence going into tomorrow. I’m just happy with the way that I’ve had a good group of guys with me with Dr. Bill Heisel and OrthoCarolina and everyone who has been a part of the rehab and recovery process. It’s gonna be a long road, but it’s cool to be back here at Talladega the week after a pretty gnarly hit and still be in the No. 51 Nurtec ODT Mustang just has me very excited and happy. I’m happy to be here with all the support and care and just want to go kick some butt this weekend and do what we did at Daytona.”

WERE YOU SURPRISED WITH THE VIOLENCE OF THE WRECK? “It was definitely the hardest hit I’ve taken, but I think, all in all, it obviously sucks that I got hurt, but with how bad it was it could have been way worse and to walk away from that with relatively no major injuries and be able to continue to race and not miss anything is a testament to me being lucky, but also the cars being safe for now. I just obviously want to be part of the process. There are a couple of guys out with concussions and obviously I’m hurt, but my injury maybe could have happened whether it was this car or the Gen 6 car, so I’m not faulting the Next Gen car with that. I think we obviously need to do a good job of working together, instead of trying to get angry about it – just working together with drivers, teams and NASCAR themselves to continue to make these cars safer and I think we’ll be able to do that and get that job done.”

DO YOU FORESEE ANY ISSUES WITH BEING ABLE TO RUN THE FULL DISTANCE TOMORROW? “Right now, we have a pretty solid plan with Dr. Heisel to make sure that I have an air cast system put in place. I have an oversized shoe for my right foot, so we’re gonna have a lot of bracing and casting as well as some local anesthetics and some non-narcotic pain medication to get me through. It’s pretty standard. You’ve got a lot of guys in the NHL and NFL that use those methods to play through an injury. Thankfully, I just have a very minor impact fracture, so I’m confident and my doctors are confident that I’m not gonna have any pain or complications. If there was any risk of me getting re-injured or exacerbating the recovery process, I wouldn’t be in this weekend.”

WILL YOU HAVE A FILL-IN DRIVER AVAILABLE JUST IN CASE? “I think we’re in talks right now. We don’t have a stand by driver confirmed, but I’m 100 percent confident I’m gonna see this race through start to finish, but just in case the unexpected happens, we’re in talks to maybe have someone in place.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Kohler Generators Ford Mustang – WHAT’S THE TENSION OR ANXIETY LIKE GOING INTO THIS WEEKEND? “It’s a little bit of a time warp back to the early 2000s and I think the racing will be just a little bit different accordingly. I don’t know if that’s better or worse, but a little bit of a time warp. I think we’ve gotten to a point where for a while there the racing was so aggressive because nobody was ever afraid of getting hurt. Who knows, maybe it will come back a little bit which probably isn’t a bad thing.”

DOES THAT MEAN SINGLE-FILE? “I don’t know if you’ll see that. Maybe just some of the less gratuitous moves that seem really terrible.”

WILL DRIVERS REALLY RACE DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY COULD GET A CONCUSSION? DO THEY SEE THIS AS REALITY NOW? “Whether they would admit it or not, there’s no doubt you race differently when you’re more afraid of getting hurt, so we all have business decisions to make there. As to how it affects who and what amount, I wouldn’t say I’m an expert on that.”

YOU ARE ACCUSED OFTEN OF MAKING TOO DARING OF A MOVE HERE? WILL YOU RACE DIFFERENTLY? “I don’t think so. No, I’m pretty comfortable with the moves that I make here,.”

CAN YOU TELL YOURSELF WHEN YOU’RE WRECKING TO PUT YOUR HEAD BACK? “It happens really fast, so I think generally you can train to some extent on things like that, but ultimately when you’re in the heat of the moment it doesn’t always work out. But for some of us, hopefully we can learn from that and be able to apply it. I know that I hope not to be in that situation where I have to apply it, but if I do find myself in it, I’m gonna try to.”

ARE YOU DOING ANYTHING IN YOUR CAR TO CHANGE IT? “We changed some of the padding to that regard and really tightened up the back of my head rest so I can’t have a really sharp movement backwards for this week. I think that should be helpful.”

WAS THAT FOR THIS WEEK? “Yeah. I normally do that for the plate tracks, but I’ll just do it everywhere now.”

YOU DON’T APPEAR AS FRUSTRATED AS SOME OTHERS, BUT YOU HEAR THAT FROM OTHER DRIVERS, RIGHT? “Maybe because it’s I have so many other things to be frustrated about. No, I think there are people working on it. It would be one thing if there was a magic wand with a solution and just wasn’t being applied. It would be one thing if nobody was working on anything, but there are people working on things right now and there are projects underway. I have reasonable expectations of those projects. The fact that there’s movement and there’s acknowledgement and NASCAR is working on things, confidence is fine for me.”

DO YOU FEEL THAT’S BECAUSE YOU ARE AN OWNER AND DRIVER NOW? “I’m sure it affects my view absolutely in the sense that I get to sit in meetings I didn’t sit in before where I have a better context of things that are happening. There’s more transparency for sure being in that spot.”

YOU EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT DOCTORS DIAGNOSING CONCUSSIONS YEARS AGO. HAS YOUR OPINION CHANGED ON THAT AT ALL? “It’s no doubt that it’s an inexact science, diagnosing a concussion. I think any doctor would tell you that. I would take Kurt’s word for it if he doesn’t feel well enough above anybody else. I haven’t talked to Alex at all, but I don’t see him coming out and saying, ‘Hey, I still feel really good.’ Ultimately, I still believe in empowering athletes or drivers that if they feel good enough to race, they should be allowed to race.”

HARVICK SAYS SAFETY COSTS MONEY AND THAT’S BEEN SOME OF THE HURDLES TO FIX THIS. HOW MUCH ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING AT SPENDING AS AN OWNER? “Honestly, I don’t think the projects that I’m aware of, at least, are that expensive. The rear clips are a couple thousand dollars. If we have to replace every one of them next year, in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t mean anything to our budget. Now, as you get into other parts of the car, it has bigger effects, but I don’t think that there’s a cost-minded objection, at least not from my point of view to the things that I’ve heard at this point in time. I can’t speak for every owner either, but I think changing some rear clips and changing the rules on them for next year is really not a big needle mover for cost.”

IS THERE A CHANCE FOR CHANGE THIS YEAR BEFORE THE SEASON ENDS? “I don’t see that, just being realistic. I would like to think it would be, but given the timelines of we only have three to four weeks left in the season if you think the Phoenix cars are all being built next week or in two weeks – just the way the teams rotate the cars. They’re usually three to four weeks ahead, so I don’t see us having anything different before the year is over. I think we need to be working right now to have something for Daytona.”

DO YOU KNOW MUCH ABOUT THIS CRASH TEST HAPPENING NEXT WEEK IN OHIO? “Yeah, I think there is some sensible work being done. You have to keep in mind that when this car was built it was a bit of a pandemic baby. There was a lot of simulation work done and all those things, but there wasn’t a lot of real world crash testing simply because you couldn’t do those things. I think in the sense of it being a pandemic baby, we’re going through some of those hurdle right now to work through those challenges.”

WEREN’T THERE CRASH TESTS IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER AT TALLADEGA? “Yes, there was one at the end of last year, but that was just one impact and it certainly wasn’t anything representative of what you saw at Texas or with Kurt at Pocono.”

CHEVROLET NCS AT TALLADEGA: Chase Elliott Press Conference Transcript

NASCAR CUP SERIES
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
YELLAWOOD 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
OCTOBER 1, 2022

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session at Talladega Superspeedway. Press Conference Transcript:

LAST WEEK AFTER YOUR ACCIDENT, OBVIOUSLY YOUR CAR CAUGHT FIRE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT? WE SAW WITH THE PREVIOUS CAR AFTER A BIG WRECK, YOU WOULD SEE A FIRE, TOO. BUT I’M CURIOUS WITH THIS CAR IF YOU’VE SEEN ANYTHING THAT CONCERNS YOU?

“I mean, yeah, it seems like it happens pretty easily. It’s hard to say. To your point, with the other car; you’d have wrecks and cars would catch on fire then, too. I’m not exactly sure what caused that. It obviously happened really fast and then it was on fire really quick. It had blown the brake line off of it because I didn’t have any brakes. So I assume it was probably pumping brake fluid in there. I don’t know if that was potentially making it worse as I was trying to get stopped.

I don’t know.. but it happened really quick and I’m not sure what the culprit really was.”

YOU SAID EARLIER THIS YEAR – AND YOU TWEETED AGAIN THIS WEEK – THAT WITH THE NEW CAR, WE SHOULD NEVER GO BACKWARDS IN ANY SENSE AND IN ANY AREA. GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE STATE OF THINGS NOW, AS DRIVERS, WHERE DO YOU WANT TO SEE THINGS GO FROM HERE?

“I don’t feel like we should have ever been in this position to begin with, to need to go forward. We should have gone forward with a new opportunity at a new car, in my opinion. You have all of these years of experience, knowledge, time of racing, crashing these cars and teams working on them and building them. It just blows me away that we can have something new in 2022 that offers all of this technology and all of this time and experience of so many super talented people in this sport and we allow it to go backwards, especially with safety. It’s just super surprising to me that we allow that to happen. But we did and now it’s just about how do we go forward from here; making sure we’re making the right choices to improve what we have and keep things like what happened to Alex (Bowman) this week from happening. And what happened to Kurt (Busch).. those types of incidents didn’t result in injuries in the past handful of years from just me watching. Obviously, I’m not doctor, but I’ve watched a lot of cars back into the wall and those guys be fine.

I just hate to see that. No one is immune to it. It could be me next week, or it could be any of my peers or fellow competitors. Nobody wants to see that no matter how much you like or dislike a guy, in my opinion. I just hate to see us go backwards and I’m afraid that we have in some of those areas. But look, it’s just about how do we come together and how do we go forward from here. I think there are a lot of really smart individuals to try and help make that happen, and I’m confident that we will. But it’s crucial that we do, in my opinion, because having guys out during the playoffs right now – or any time for that matter – shouldn’t be happening and I think it’s taking away from our product on Sunday. That should be the focus; who wins, who loses, how the race was, how a guy did driving his car and how his team executed a good or a bad race.”

DO YOU AND OTHER DRIVERS FEEL POWERLESS IN THIS KIND OF PROCESS? I ASK THAT BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE VOICED YOUR COMPLAINTS FOR AWHILE NOW ABOUT THIS CAR AND NOTHING HAS MOVED IN THE DIRECTION THAT YOU GUYS ARE HAPPY WITH.

“There’s probably more of a process and more of a group now to potentially voice some of those opinions and try to get them across.. probably more than there’s ever been. You can say and voice those thoughts and that’s really kind of the end of it. It’s not our sand box, so at the end of the day, we might have an opinion or might try to voice it and do it through the correct channels, but ultimately the final decision is not up to us. So from me personally, that’s kind of where you lead it and you can just hope for the best. Like I said, it’s not our sand box and there’s not really a whole lot we can do about it.”

NASCAR IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A CRASH TEST IN OHIO NEXT WEEK. WHAT KIND OF COMMUNICATION ARE YOU DRIVERS GETTING ON THIS AND ARE YOU HOPEFUL THAT WILL LEAD TO SOMETHING?

“I haven’t heard any of the rumors and I haven’t heard much about that particular test. But heck, we had plenty of enough time to test this car, crash it and do all the things that we need to do to ensure that some of these things aren’t happening that are happening now. We had a ton of time to do that. And this car was delayed an entire calendar year, on top of that. You have to think, we got an extra year of time to work on it and we’re still in this position.

There’s no excuse for going backwards. We have too many smart people, too much technology, too many years of crashing and racing at all of these same race tracks to have some of these things going on, in my opinion. Test next week or no test next week; we should not be in the position that we’re in. When you come out with a new product, you should take steps forward; not stay the same or go backwards, especially in the safety category, in my opinion.

And look, don’t take me the wrong way.. we’re very fortunate and I’m very grateful to do what I do. This is my job and that’s crazy, right. I’m not ungrateful for what I have and the opportunities that have been presented to me. But you just hate to see something take steps the wrong way.”

OBVIOUSLY, A LOT OF FRUSTRATION AND WE’RE SENSING IT NOT JUST FROM YOU.. WHAT WOULD BE THE RIGHT THING RIGHT NOW?

“Obviously, last week was a bummer, for the sake of the entire race and all of the guys that wrecked, myself included. I didn’t really feel like we did anything wrong and unfortunately we were punished for it, along with a lot of other drivers and teams. But I don’t really know what you do today. From Texas last week to Talladega tomorrow, I’m not sure what is realistically feasible to have that quick of a fix. I’m just disappointed that we have put ourselves in this box to begin with. It’s not realistic to change something in six days. I just hate that we put ourselves in the position that we’re in. As an industry, we’re smarter than that and I know the men and women that work in the garage on these race teams are smarter than that because I work with them every day. I just think we’re better than that and we shouldn’t be where we’re at right now.”

WHEN YOU HAVE TWO DRIVERS GET HURT LIKE THEY HAVE IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS AND NOW YOU’RE AT A TRACK LIKE TALLADEGA WHERE YOU’RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOME RISKY MOVES.. HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THIS WEEKEND IN THE SENSE OF WHAT THE POTENTIAL IS AND WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING FROM A PERSONAL POINT-OF-VIEW?

“That’s a tough one and I’m not really sure what the right answer is. But you come off a week like we had at Texas and somebody getting injured and you’re coming into here, where odds are we’re probably all going to hit something at some point tomorrow and probably not lightly. Do you just not show up.. do you just not run? I don’t think that’s feasible to ask. There’s always an inherent risk in what we do and it’s always been that way. My frustration, as I’ve referenced here in the past few minutes, is I just hate that we put ourselves in the box that we’re in right now. It’s just disappointing that we’ve put ourselves here and we had the choice. We did this to ourselves as an industry and that just should have never been the case. We should not have put ourselves in the box that we’re in right now.

So my disappointment lies in that.. that we had years in time and opportunity to make this thing right before we put it on track and we didn’t. And now, we’re having to fix it and I just hate that we did that. Like I said, I think we’re smarter than that and I think there’s just a lot of men and women that work in this garage that know better and we shouldn’t have been here.

But as far as the race goes, unfortunately or fortunately, however you want to look at it; you have to go and do your best to try and win and do all of the same things that you would do in the past to give yourself an opportunity to win the race. I don’t really see that you have a ton of choices, other than just try to trust in the process that things are going to get better and hope we’re taking steps in the right direction and we’re doing it in a timely manner.”

YOU KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE SPORT, SO YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE KNOWLEDGE THAN MAYBE SOME OTHERS. BUT YOU ARE PART OF A GENERATION OF DRIVERS THAT, FOR THE MOST PART, HAVEN’T HAD TO WORRY AS MUCH ABOUT SAFETY BECAUSE THE SPORT HAS HAD A VERY GOOD SAFETY RECORD FOR SO MANY YEARS. WHAT IS THIS PERIOD LIKE IN HAVING TO MAYBE ADDRESS OR LOOK AT THIS ISSUE MORE THAN YOU HAVE THROUGHOUT MUCH OF YOUR RACING CAREER?

“Obviously, things have gotten better over the years, for sure. There’s been a ton of gains in how the cars are built. I feel like, in the past, we always as an industry and even from the outside looking in before I was a part of it; if they weren’t on the forefront of something happening, they took those experiences that they had and they made it a lot better in a short period of time and that has been going on for years. Granted, there’s been some bad accidents and we’ve lost drivers over the years and nobody ever wanted to see that; but the safety aspect has improved and gotten better and better. I feel like NASCAR has been super on top of that in years past and that’s why I’m just so disappointed and shocked that we went backwards in what we did, especially in this day in age and all the things we have access to and whatnot.

That’s my point and I’m not going to say much more than that, other than I’m just disappointed that we put ourselves in the box that we’re in. We’re better than that. We shouldn’t be here. We had plenty of time to build this car the right way; to crash test it the right way, come out of the box and hit the ground running to put on a great show for the people that are watching. Let that be the story and put the best foot forward to keep drivers from getting injured. There’s always going to be risk and that’s part of it. We all accept that and we’re all very grateful to do what we do. I certainty am very lucky, whether we’re in the position that we’re in or not. So don’t take me the wrong way, but I just hate that we got ourselves in the box that we’re in because we shouldn’t be here.”

GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT YOU JUST SAID AND EMPHASIZED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MINUTES AND HOW THE INDUSTRY IS SMARTER THAN THIS.. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? HOW DID WE GET TO THIS POINT WHEN WE HAD ALL OF THIS TIME TO BUILD THIS CAR?

“I don’t know… you tell me. I don’t have a good answer for you on that. I really don’t. That is what baffles me. I have no idea how we got here.”

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.

Team effort makes for a positive finish for the Stoner Car Care team

The Stoner/Automatic Racing team makes a fast change of a major component to take the checkered flag in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season finale

BRASELTON, Ga. (30 September 2022) – Stoner Car Care Racing fielded by Automatic Racing put together a true team effort over the past 24 hours, fixing a major cam shaft issue to put the car on the Fox Factory 120 grid and to take the final IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge checkered flag of the season.

Braselton native Casey Carden joined team veteran Ramin Abdolvahabi behind the wheel of the No. 09 Stoner Car Care Aston Martin Vantage GT4. The Grand Sport class qualified late on Thursday afternoon, and Abdolvahabi put the car in 20th position on the starting grid despite a red flag that ruined his fast lap and left him with just one dash to set a quick time.

But when the team returned to the garage, they discovered a cam shaft failure that necessitated a complete change out of the part – which is easier said than done, as the cam shaft is deeply buried in the engine compartment. The team’s mechanics methodically took apart the front of the car, changed the part in record time, and hustled the Aston Martin to the grid.

Taking the green flag in the 39-car field, Abdolvahabi settled into a solid race pace quickly, battling for position and laying down consistent laps. Setting the team’s quick race lap of 1:29.118 on lap nine, he avoided multiple cars going off course or making contact, though the race ran caution-free his entire stint.

Making solid passes and taking advantage of issues with cars ahead, Abdolvahabi worked his way up to seventh position before coming to pit lane and handing the car to Carden.

“The car felt good; more than a little traffic to deal with, but it felt good,” said Abdolvahabi. “Surprisingly the whole stint went without a yellow which is kind of crazy for Road Atlanta, but I was doing my time so all in all, a good stint. Despite the cam shaft problem, it’s been a good weekend. Casey knows the place, it was great working with him. The team always comes together and gives a car to us that we can drive, and that’s all we can ask for.”

Carden figures he has “tens of thousands of miles” at Road Atlanta, having grown up in Braselton and raced at the track most of his life. He came out of pit lane P22, but unfortunately mired in the TCR field. But more unfortunately, Carden was hit from behind late in the race, going up through the Esses, nearly putting him off track and out of the race. He recovered quickly, though with a damaged car. With an outstanding effort, he brought the car home P23.

“When I came out of the pits, I didn’t find my rhythm as fast as I would have liked and when you get caught up in a situation you shouldn’t be in, things happen,” said Carden. “We got dealt a pretty cruel card with some contact and were just fortunate enough to bring it to the finish, because we don’t quit and certainly at least wanted to deliver a finish for the team. It was a wonderful experience with a wonderful team. They brought a good car and did everything to provide a really good weekend for everybody involved. Everyone is super professional and I hope this isn’t the last time.”

Carden and Automatic Racing team manager David Russell have known each other for the better part of a decade, and while disappointed with the result, Russell was pleased with the effort from both team and drivers.

“A large part of the race for us was getting the car to the grid because we learned last night that one of the cam shafts had gone awry, so we had to fix that,” said Russell. “It’s a fair amount of expose because we had to take the whole front of the car off to do that. I was really proud of the guys because they got that done in time and they got it done properly. Big thanks to Aston Martin with (Aston Martin motorsports partner/distributor) CSJ Motorsports and their guys, they were super helpful in that process. It was a good weekend all in all, a joy and pleasure to have Ramin and Casey with us.”

The Stoner Car Care team continues to support End Alzheimer’s Racing, carrying decals on the car to help their efforts to raise funds and awareness.

The Stoner Car Care Racing team will start the 2023 Michelin Pilot Challenge season at the Roar Before the Rolex 24, January 20-22.

About Stoner Car Care

Stoner Car Care produces high-performance car washes, waxes, polishes, and dressings for auto enthusiasts and car care professionals. The Stoner Car Care line-up includes Invisible Glass, America’s #1 Automotive Glass Cleaner, along with many other appearance products. Whether driving, washing or waxing, Performance Matters! Stoner car care proudly formulates all of our product since 1942. www.stonercarcare.com

About Invisible Glass

Automatic Racing sees their way to victory with Invisible Glass, the top-selling automotive glass cleaner in the United States. The Invisible Glass product line includes aerosol and spray bottle cleaner, Invisible Glass with rain repellent for windshields and wiper blades. Find more online at https://www.invisibleglass.com

About Automatic Racing

Based in Orlando, Automatic Racing is one of the longest-running teams in the paddock, forming in 2001 and competing in all but one of the 11 MICHELIN Pilot Challenge races at Daytona. The team has been developing, preparing and racing the prestigious Aston Martin Vantage GT4 since 2012. Automatic Racing won the 2017 MICHELIN Pilot Challenge title. https://automaticracing.com

About End Alzheimer’s Racing

End Alzheimer’s Racing began in 2019, as father and son duo Bill and Alex Slupski – both experienced kart racers who also work in sports car racing – chose racing as the “vehicle” for their program to promote awareness and raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association. Through End Alzheimer’s Racing, they want to be an integral part of the support network for families dealing with Alzheimer’s and other dementias and be part of the cure that ends Alzheimer’s disease. http://act.alz.org/goto/endalzheimersracing

No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 Earn Hard-Fought Third Place Starting Position for the MOTUL Petit Le Mans

Braselton, GA. (September 30, 2022) — The final qualifying of the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and of the DPi era, took place Friday, setting the grid for the famed MOTUL Petit Le Mans. Ricky Taylor piloted the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 around the 12-turn road course to post a lap time of 01:08.802 (132.902 mph) and will start Saturday’s season finale in third position after a very close qualifying session amongst competitors. Utilizing every inch of the track in hopes of earning a pole position, Taylor slid off into the Turn 5 gravel in the closing minutes but recovered with no damage to the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05, securing a second row starting position.

With the result, the blue and black squad’s season points total increases to 3,096, and they enter tomorrow’s enduro 14 points ahead of their rivals in the sister Acura team. With pole position for the other Acura today, the marque is guaranteed to secure the drivers’, teams’ and manufacturers’ championships in the race. All that is left to be seen is which Acura squad will take the crown.

“Qualifying was important for points,” said Ricky Taylor. “Going into it, if we outqualified the No. 60 Meyer Shank Acura, they had a lot to lose in terms of championship points. So, we were trying to increase the gap over 20 points which would’ve made a big difference for tomorrow. We would have loved to get the pole and qualify ahead of the No. 60, but in the scheme of the points it didn’t change a whole lot. I’m feeling good since it’s such a long race and the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura team does such a good job strategizing and putting us in a good position. I’m very confident in our lineup and our team compared to them over the course of 10 hours. I’d put my two teammates up against those guys any day. I think we are all feeling optimistic and strong for tomorrow.”

Green flag for the 25th Anniversary of MOTUL Petit Le Mans waves at 12:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 1 with full 10-hour coverage streaming on Peacock, and partial television coverage on NBC from 12:00-3:00 p.m. ET. The night stints will be covered on USA Network between 7:00-10:30 p.m. ET.
DPi STARTING GRID:

1.) Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian (No. 60 Acura ARX-05) Oliver Jarvis, Tom Blomqvist & Helio Castroneves (133.381 mph)

2.) Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing (No. 02 Cadillac DPi) Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn & Ryan Hunter-Reay (132.929 mph)

3.) Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 (No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05) Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque & Brendon Hartley (132.902 mph)

4.) JDC Miller Motorsports (No. 5 Cadillac DPi) Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook & Loic Duval (132.804 mph)

5.) Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing (No. 01 Cadillac DPi) Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais & Scott Dixon (132.704 mph)

ABOUT KONICA MINOLTA

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is reshaping and revolutionizing the Workplace of the Future. The company guides and supports its clients’ digital transformation through its expansive office technology portfolio, including IT Services (All Covered), intelligent information management, managed print services and industrial and commercial print solutions. Konica Minolta has been included on CRN’s MSP 500 list nine times and The World Technology Awards recently named the company a finalist in the IT Software category. Konica Minolta has been recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for fourteen consecutive years, and received Keypoint Intelligence’s BLI 2021 A3 Line of The Year Award and BLI 2021-2023 Most Color Consistent A3 Brand Award for its bizhub i-Series. Konica Minolta, Inc. has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for nine consecutive years and has spent four years on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list. Konica Minolta partners with its clients to give shape to ideas and works to bring value to our society. For more information, please visit us online and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter. The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 effort and Wayne Taylor Racing is supported by an outstanding lineup of partners including Harrison Contracting, Acura Motorsports, Hammer Nutrition and CIT.

Cadillac grabs front-row start for Motul Petit Le Mans

Bamber drives No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R to second in quals for 10-hour race

BRASELTON, Ga. (Sept. 30, 2022) – Earl Bamber recorded a lap of 1 minute, 8.788 seconds in the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories DPi-V.R on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta course in the 15-minute qualifying session to earn a front-row start in the 25th Motul Petit Le Mans.

Bamber, co-driving with Alex Lynn and Ryan Hunter-Reay in the 10-hour race, was 0.233 of a second off securing the fifth Motul Pole Award of the season for Cadillac Racing.

The No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R topped the time sheet in two of the three practice sessions a day earlier. The sister No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R paced the field in the afternoon session.

Bamber and Lynn teamed with Neel Jani to win the Twelve Hours of Sebring in March.

The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, with Tristan Vautier behind the wheel, qualified fourth. Sebastien Bourdais, who claimed four pole positions in the 10 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races, qualified fifth in the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R.

Kamui Kobayashi qualified sixth in the No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R, while reigning DPi champion Pipo Derani will start seventh in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R.

The field, competing in the final race of the DPi era, is separated by a half-second.

Peacock will have flag-to-flag streaming coverage of the race starting at noon ET Saturday, Oct. 1. NBC will telecast the race from noon-3 p.m. ET, while USA will pick up coverage from 7-10:30 p.m.

Cadillac Racing lineup, starting position and quotes

No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R (Chip Ganassi Racing)

Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Ryan Hunter-Reay

Bamber drove in the qualifying session (start second, 1:08.788): “We had a really good car all weekend and something to challenge for the pole but there was a yellow and some traffic on a key lap. I think we have a really good race car, Alex and Ryan are really strong and we definitely have the potential to win this one. Now we just need to execute tomorrow.”

No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R (JDC-Miller MotorSports)

Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook, Loic Duval

Westbrook drove in the qualifying session (start fourth, 1:08.853): “I’m just upset because we had a front-row car today and I got tangled up with a car coming out of the pits and debating whether he was going to let me by or slip in behind me and that kind of disturbed me a little bit on those two laps where the tires were at their best. I have a would have, could have, should have feeling. I feel like I got the most out of the car. It is a little upsetting because it was the last qualy of the year and last of the DPi era. We’ve been struggling the last few races so I would have loved to put it on the front row. I’m proud of what the team has done coming in here with no testing and giving us such a good car. There are 10 hours to go tomorrow.”

No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R (Chip Ganassi Racing)

Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais, Scott Dixon

Bourdais drove in the qualifying session (start fifth, 1:08.905): “I’m obviously disappointed because we’ve had a lot of speed this year and some great cars, which allowed us to put the car on pole four times. It’s not the way I wanted to finish qualifying in the DPi era, but we’ll see if we can make the car a little better for tomorrow and go at it for 10 hours.”

No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R (Action Express Racing)

Jimmie Johnson, Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Rockenfeller

Kobayashi drove in the qualifying session (start sixth, 1:08.984): “We tried our best but the race is not only the qualy. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I’m happy for the work everyone has done. We have to put together a smooth race to come out on top in the last race of the DPi era. I definitely enjoyed this car and will miss driving it in the future.”

No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R (Action Express Racing)

Pipo Derani, Olivier Pla, Mike Conway

Derani drove in the qualifying session (start seventh, 1:09.075): “The field is very tight, so it could have been either way. Not ideal to qualifying seventh, but in general the car looks like it’s better than when it started the weekend. It’s going to be a fantastic race. Very interesting for the fans having all those cars really close on pace. It’s a 10-hour race, so qualifying is not the most important thing with the field so close, which means everyone is really competitive.”

About Cadillac

A leading luxury auto brand since 1902, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio that features distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com.

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD ATLANTA: Getting Closer to the Front

Garcia takes fifth in GTD PRO ahead of 10-hour Petit Le Mans finale

BRASELTON, Ga. (Sept. 30, 2022) – Antonio Garcia and Corvette Racing will start on the third row of the GT Daytona (GTD) category and fifth in GTD PRO on Saturday for the 10-hour Petit Le Mans – the final race of this year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Garcia set a best lap of 1:19.444 (115.099 mph) around Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R. He will team with Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg as the race goes green at 12:10 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock, XM 207).

Garcia was 0.609 seconds off Jack Hawksworth’s pole-winning time in GTD PRO. However, there is only a 0.165-second margin from third to fifth.

As has been the case at every IMSA round this season, it’s the first event for Corvette Racing at Road Atlanta in the GTD category after eight years in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class. Compared to previous years, the GTD-spec Corvette runs with more weight, less power, an anti-lock braking system and a spec Michelin tire.

This year’s Petit Le Mans is the 25th running of the endurance classic with Corvette Racing looking for its ninth class victory since its first race there in 1999… but first since 2010. That long-awaited victory would help Garcia and Taylor secure second place in the GTD PRO Drivers Championship and also go a long way toward winning the Michelin Endurance Cup – a collection of the four premier long-distance races for the WeatherTech Championship.

The season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona and Petit Le Mans bookend the Endurance Cup, which sees Chevrolet second in the Manufacturers standings entering Road Atlanta. Garcia, Taylor and Catsburg won the Endurance Cup’s second round – the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring – in March to move into contention.

The 10-hour Petit Le Mans is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 1. The race will air live on NBC from noon-3 p.m. ET and from 7-10:30 p.m. ET on USA. Peacock will have live flag-to-flag streaming from noon-10:30 p.m. ET. IMSA Radio will provide live audio coverage Saturday on IMSA.com, XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – QUALIFIED FIFTH IN GTD PRO: “I wouldn’t consider that decent. My lap was probably decent but I feel like I had a tiny bit more. It was difficult to put together with how the car behaved and how bad traffic was. Traffic interaction wasn’t great, and that killed a little momentum. That’s the same for everyone.

“When you come to these kind of races where the car count is big and Road Atlanta is only an 80-second lap, your chances of getting in the way of someone or someone getting in your way are higher. It’s difficult to really gauge when you have to push and when do you have your time to go and try for a quick one. When I decided to go, it wasn’t a great moment. I had two cars coming out of the pits and because of that it snowballs into bigger problems. It’s never easy and never easy here. We’re up there (in the GTD order). It’s still a 10-hour race, which is a long way so qualifying doesn’t mean a lot. For sure we have some extra feedback on how the car behaves and I’m sure we’ll have a better Corvette tomorrow.”

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 80 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.