BRASELTON, GA (26 Sept. 2022) – Spending the 2022 IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup North America presented by Visit Cayman Islands season coming to grips with a brand-new car, Irish Mike’s Racing is set to close the campaign with a doubleheader weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Craig Conway drives the No. 97 Diamond Suzuki Porsche 992 in the Pro-Am class, while Conor Flynn pilots the No. 95 FlynnCo Cars/ Chillout Systems Porsche 992. The series races in a pair of 40-minute races during the Motul Petit Le Mans weekend, at 5 p.m. on Thursday and 10:55 a.m. on Friday (all times ET).
Moving to the new Porsche 992 platform for the 2022 season, Irish Mikes Racing has shown continued progress, learning about the new Porsche while bettering their finishes at each two-race weekend.
“We excited to see 2022 coming to an end, and we’re real excited looking to 2023,” Flynn said. “It’s always nice to close it out at Road Atlanta – one of my favorite tracks in the country. It always makes for a happy ending to the season, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Conway is coming off a pair of 10th-place finishes in the Pro-Am class in the Porsche Together weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, while Flynn placed 15th and 12th in the lead Porsche Pro category.
“I’ve been to Road Atlanta a lot, and I really like it,” Conway said. “I’ve done a few SCCA Run-Offs there back in the Nineties and I’ve done tons of IMSA races. So I don’t have to learn the track, so that’s a good thing heading into the weekend.”
Learning the Porsche 992 after campaigning the 991 has been a major transition, even tougher than the team anticipated.
“I’m preparing to figure out the 922 there, opposed to the older car,” Conway said. “Hopefully, we can keep doing what we’ve been doing the last few races, and keep getting faster and moving up the order. Moving from the 991 to the 992 has been very difficult. The newer car is harder to learn, finding how to get to the limit of the car. It’s been a very difficult transition, not only for the drivers, but the crew and everyone on the team. I can’t tell you why, but we’ve struggled. We were doing well with the 991, and now we’ve found ourselves near the back of the pack. We’ve been working on it as a team, learning all the new setup stuff, and finding out all that works on the new car. For the drivers, we’ve been learning where we can go and how far we can push it.”
Conway ended the 2021 campaign with back-to-back third-place finishes at Indianapolis and Road Atlanta.
Flynn also visited the podium last year at Road Atlanta, placing third in the opening race of the weekend.
“We’ve been learning a lot in terms of setup and development on our new 992s, which are totally different from what we’ve raced in the past,” Flynn said. “It’s been a hard learning curve for both drivers and crew, getting used to what works on the new car and what adjustments to make, because it behaves a lot differently from the 991. Each weekend has been like learning from scratch.”
The season finale opens with a pair of practices on Wednesday, at 9:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 27, 2022) – NASCAR Cup Series rookie, Todd Gilliland, and his No. 38 Georgia Peanuts team head back to Superspeedway racing this weekend at Talladega (Ala.) for NASCAR Cup Series action on the high banks.
This weekend at Talladega will be the second primary race for Georgia Peanuts with Todd in 2022, with the first being at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the spring.
“It is great to be back in the Georgia Peanuts Ford this weekend at Talladega,” Gilliland said. “I love racing in the Georgia Peanuts red and having the full support of peanut farmers across Georgia behind me.”
Gilliland comes to Talladega this weekend hoping to close out his 2022 rookie season with solid runs. Coming of an 18th place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway and a 28th-place finish this past weekend in Texas, Gilliland is hoping to have a strong run this weekend.
“It is crazy to think that my first year in the NASCAR Cup Series is coming to an end,” continued Gilliland. “We have been able to string together a few good runs in these last few races and I want to keep that momentum going at Talladega and give Georgia Peanuts a strong result.”
Gilliland and the Georgia Peanuts Ford Mustang will hit the track at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET on NBC.
About Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team– from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.
George Kurtz, Kevin Boehm claim SRO America driver championships
Weekend sweeps in both GT America and TC America for CrowdStrike Racing
Kurtz, Colin Braun remain in GT World Challenge America title hunt heading to Indy
SEBRING, Fla. (Sept. 27, 2022) – CrowdStrike Racing, George Kurtz and Kevin Boehm are champions again in SRO Motorsports America following a weekend of wins at Sebring International Raceway. Competing in racing’s penultimate event, the team tallied four victories and five podium finishes in six races.
Entering the race weekend well ahead in the points, Kurtz wrapped up his GT America Powered by AWS championship on Saturday with three races left in the season. The next day, Boehm won the Touring Car championship in TC America Powered by Skip Barber Racing Schools.
Each series has two more races left on the calendar, with the finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“It’s a fantastic championship for the CrowdStrike Racing by Riley Motorsports team and a great championship for Mercedes,” said Kurtz, co-founder and chief executive officer of CrowdStrike. “I couldn’t be happier with the performance of everyone this year. It’s great to clinch this championship with three races to go.”
Said Boehm after claiming his championship: “There’s so much work that goes on behind the scenes unnoticed. I have to thank every one of those folks so much. For CrowdStrike and AWS, to get another championship with them, to win it today and clinch it here… what a season!”
Kurtz Doubles up in GT America
The weekend victories added to the highlights and high marks on the season for CrowdStrike, the Official Internet and Cloud Security Provider for SRO Motorsports America. Kurtz clinched his GT America title in the No. 04 CrowdStrike/AWS Mercedes-AMG GT3 using much of the same moxie as he has all year: with patience, decisiveness and speed.
He started second and swapped the lead on the opening lap with Jason Harward before settling into second for the first 15 minutes. The two drivers worked through the GT4 class traffic and ran three-wide in the middle part of the circuit with Kurtz taking back the lead on a tidy move into a tight hairpin turn that saw the CrowdStrike/AWS Mercedes AMG emerge first – a position Kurtz didn’t relinquish the rest of the way.
“I went for it and was able to put it away,” Kurtz said. “It was clean racing by everyone this weekend. The pressure is off here so it’s a matter of doing the best we can in collecting more podiums, trophies and hopefully some wins.”
He got his wish in Sunday’s GT America race. Kurtz led the first half of the race before falling back to second in traffic in a bit of a role reversal. Once clear, however, Kurtz was able to chase down the race leader, erasing what had been a 3.2-second gap with 10 minutes remaining to move back to the lead a lap later.
“Jason did a great job, but the CrowdStrike Riley guys gave me another really good Mercedes-AMG,” Kurtz said. “We had the lead for a good bit of the race but got held up in traffic. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose in traffic. He did a great job of clearing it. Once I got through it all, I just put my head down and cranked out some really good laps to the end and was able to get by him to notch another win.”
Boehm Goes Back-to-Back for TC Title
Boehm won his second title in TC America – going along with his 2020 TCA crown – in dominating style. He swept the weekend in the No. 9 CrowdStrike/AWS Honda Performance Development Civic Type R TC to give him eight wins on the season.
Boehm won from pole position by leading from flag-to-flag in Saturday’s first TC America race of the weekend after a tough battle in the race’s opening half with fellow TC competitor Clay Williams. Boehm never flinched with an error-free run to win for the first time at Sebring in SRO competition.
“When you’re in front, it seems like every noise and every little vibration is something that is going to doom you for the race,” Boehm said. “But we had a great qualifying and got a massive lap in. I knew it didn’t represent the pace of everyone else, so when the race started things were close. They kept me honest but I didn’t make any mistakes.”
Sunday’s clincher wasn’t quite as routine… but it was close. Boehm took the lead on the opening lap from second on the grid but slotted back to his original starting spot by the halfway mark. Down 1.5 seconds, Boehm began to reel in the leader and made the winning and championship-clinching with 12 minutes to go, using traffic to retake the advantage.
He went on to win by seven seconds.
“The first thing that comes to mind is teamwork,” Boehm said. “I’m out there on the track and it looks like I’m there all alone. But there is a giant group of people that were celebrating when we cross the line. We owe so much to them and all their hard work. If you take any of those pieces away, it all falls apart. I’m glad to be a part of the team and bring the whole thing up. It’s nothing about me. It’s about the teamwork.”
Kurtz, Braun Stay in GT World Challenge Contention
Kurtz and Colin Braun rebounded from a tough Road America weekend to climb back on the podium in a hotly contested Pro/Am category of Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS.
They teamed for a runner-up finish in Saturday’s 90-minute race in the No. 04 CrowdStrike/AWS Mercedes-AMG. That plus Sunday’s fourth-place finish unofficially put Kurtz and Braun second in Pro/Am points going into the Eight Hours of Indianapolis in two weeks, which will be worth double the amount of points over a standard GT World Challenge race.
Kurtz began second in Saturday’s race and drove the first 40 minutes before the mandatory pit stop for fuel, tires and driver change to Braun. The No. 04 CrowdStrike/AWS Mercedes-AMG exited the pitlane right on the bumper of the class-leading car. Braun never trailed by more than a half-second the rest of the way but was happy to take second-place points.
“George did a great job. We had a great pit stop from the CrowdStrike Riley guys,” Braun said. “We came in nose-to-tail and left nose-to-tail. It gets down to the point where you’re just waiting for someone to make a mistake because of the competitiveness of this class and how tight it is. You’re waiting for something to happen and keeping the pressure on. We were closer and closer and finished close. I’m proud of the guys. They did a super-good job. The Mercedes was good on tire wear but it wasn’t quite enough to make that lunge move I needed to get past. All in all, it’s good for the points and gives us some good confidence.”
Operation Motorsport
Among the groups Boehm credited for his success this weekend and all season is Operation Motorsport. A not-for-profit, Operation Motorsport provides a chance for retired and disabled service members to use their skill sets in a variety of areas including paddock operations, car and tire prep, marketing, social media and other key areas that are part of a racing program. At CrowdStrike’s signature user conference, Fal.Con, last week in Las Vegas, the company announced a landmark, multi-year partnership with Operation Motorsport.
In his first-ever season working as a team member, U.S. Army Sgt. Adam Poppenhouse (Ret) was able to celebrate with Boehm, CrowdStrike, AWS and the Skip Barber Racing team following Sunday’s championship-winning effort.
CrowdStrike also is a proud part of American Corporate Partners (ACP), which provides CrowdStrike mentors for service members looking to transition to the private sector, and a partner with HireMilitary, to provide meaningful internship experiences to service members exiting the military via the DoD SkillBridge program.
CrowdStrike Racing next participates in SRO Motorsports America’s season-ending event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Oct. 6-9.
For more information, visit CrowdStrikeRacing.com. Follow #CrowdStrikeRacing on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for updates.
Highlights Include Exciting Lineup of Fan-Favorite Events Joined by New Site at Detroit, 13 Races on NBC
INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022) – INDYCAR has announced a 17-race schedule for the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES as the sport’s brash and bold athletes will be showcased with traditional weekend dates, 13 races on NBC and an exciting, late-summer swing leading to another climactic ending to the 2023 championship.
The 2023 season opens Sunday, March 5 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida. Thrilling, wheel-to-wheel racing then will take place all spring and summer, including the 107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 28, before the season ends with a stirring climax Sunday, Sept. 10 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California. The journey to a championship includes a stretch of eight races in the final nine weeks of the season, giving fans action nearly every weekend.
“The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is on an impactful upward trajectory, making progress at a pace that befits our thrilling style of competition,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “The 2023 season provides an opportunity to further build on this trend, bringing our sport and its stars to more markets and households and reaching new consumers across the globe.”
For just the fourth time in the last 50 years, the INDYCAR SERIES will have 13 or more races on network television in the United States. The total appearances on broadcast television become 15 with the addition of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying coverage, Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21, ahead of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The first seven events of 2023 will be featured on NBC, including the “500.” The season also finishes with six of the final seven races on network television. The 2023 season will include three races on USA Network and for the second consecutive year one exclusive race on Peacock. Peacock will present live simulstreams of all races on NBC and USA Network, as well as live coverage of all qualifying and practice sessions next season.
In partnership with NBC Sports, the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES was the most-watched season in six years and the most watched across NBC Sports on record. Powered by NBCUniversal’s popular streaming service, Peacock, the 2022 season also was the most-streamed season on record.
Half of the 2022 season’s 16 races on television featured a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of more than 1 million viewers, the highest mark since 2008. Last year’s season opener, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by RP Funding, was the most-watched season opener in 11 years.
“We’re very excited for our 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule and to build on this past season’s viewership milestones,” said NBC Sports, VP, Programming Mike Perman. “In providing comprehensive coverage across NBC, Peacock and USA Network, NBC Sports is once again looking forward to telling the stories of these world-class drivers and this compelling series.”
Traditional Dates, Races Return
The 2023 schedule includes the diversity that has been the hallmark of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the only open-wheel series on Earth that races on ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses. Drivers will compete in seven road course races, five street circuit events and five oval races.
After the 2023 season opens for the 13th time on the palm tree-lined Streets of St. Petersburg, Sunday, March 5, North America’s premier open-wheel racing series returns to Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 2 for the series’ 36th race on the action-packed oval.
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach follows with its traditional mid-April date hosting the NTT INDYCAR SERIES on Sunday, April 16. It is the 39th time the INDYCAR SERIES has been featured on the iconic streets of Southern California as the event hosts its 48th edition.
Barber Motorsports Park plays host to its 13th NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, Sunday, April 30 before the series moves into the traditional Month of May cadence at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: the GMR Grand Prix on Saturday, May 13, “500” qualifying weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21, and the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, Sunday, May 28.
To date, tickets for the 107th edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” are moving at a near-record pace, after a near-sellout crowd of more than 300,000 attended the 2022 race.
The traditional early June date for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear returns in 2023, but at a brand-new site. The debut of the Streets of Detroit circuit, a move to the downtown site from its previous location at Belle Isle Park, takes place Sunday, June 4.
The nine-turn, 1.7-mile street circuit will provide unprecedented access with more than half of the event’s footprint open to the public. It is also a homecoming and a connection to the event’s heritage, which began on the downtown streets of the Motor City in 1982.
USA Network will feature the early-summer swing on the classic American road courses of the Sonsio Grand Prix presented by AMR at Road America, Sunday, June 18 and The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, which returns for another Fourth of July weekend celebration, Sunday, July 2. Road America will feature a newly repaved 4.048-mile layout. Mid-Ohio matches Long Beach as it hosts INDYCAR SERIES racing for the 39th year.
Summer Homestretch
The 2023 season hits its stride with eight races in the final nine weeks. Peacock once again will provide an exclusive presentation of the Honda Indy Toronto on Sunday, July 16, for the series’ annual appearance in Canada’s largest city.
After that, six of the final seven races will be featured on NBC broadcast television. It begins with two events expected to be even bigger and better than in 2022: the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend and the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix.
The doubleheader at Iowa Speedway is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, July 22-23. In 2022, with support from Hy-Vee, the wildly popular weekend featured world-class concerts and thrilling wheel-to-wheel action at “The Fastest Short Track on The Planet.”
INDYCAR returns to the unpredictable Streets of Nashville on Sunday, Aug. 6. Last year, the fan-favorite event, marked by concerts and entertainment, featured the closest street circuit finish in INDYCAR SERIES history when six-time series champion Scott Dixon edged Scott McLaughlin by a margin of .1067 of a second.
With the Brickyard Weekend returning to a traditional August date, the NASCAR-INDYCAR tripleheader on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course features the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ Gallagher Grand Prix, Saturday, Aug. 12 on USA Network.
The series finishes the season with three races on three consecutive weekends – all on NBC – beginning with the final oval of the season at World Wide Technology Raceway for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500, Sunday, Aug. 27.
From there, it’s the traditional two-race, West Coast swing featuring Portland International Raceway and the newly repaved WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
The 29th Grand Prix of Portland is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 3 while the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion will be crowned and receive the Astor Challenge Cup at the 26th Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey on Sunday, Sept. 10.
“We have worked hard to achieve date and venue equity, which has been an ongoing goal at INDYCAR,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “We are excited to return to downtown Detroit, and the repaves at Road America and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will add new challenges for the drivers and teams. The intensity level will also be at an all-time high as we conclude the season with three weekends in a row.
“As we build off the record-breaking 2022 season, we could not be more enthusiastic to see how 2023 unfolds.”
Start times for the 2023 events will be announced at a later date.
Three events over the course of two days are scheduled to take place on Saturday and Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway with all three of NASCAR’s top series conducting playoff races. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series will run a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon with the NASCAR Cup Series set for a Sunday afternoon green flag.
This Week’s Schedule:
Saturday, October 1 – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, 12:30 p.m. ET (FS1) Saturday, October 1 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 4 p.m. ET (USA) Sunday, October 2 – NASCAR Cup Series, 2 p.m. ET (NBC)
ROUND OF 12 NCS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 8 Advance After Charlotte)
· Ford has 31 all-time series wins at Talladega, including 10 of the last 14, and 11 of the last 16. · Ford has won at least one Talladega Cup race each of the last 10 years. · Ford has won 10 of the last 14 Cup races at Talladega.
ROUND OF 12 NXS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 8 Advance After Charlotte)
· Ford has 6 series wins at Talladega. · The first Ford victory in the series was by Chad Little in 1995. · Six different Ford drivers have series wins at Talladega.
ROUND OF 12 NCWTS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 4 Advance After Homestead)
2nd – Zane Smith (+21 above cut line)
FORD IN THE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES AT TALLADEGA
· Ford has 1 series wins at Talladega. · That victory came in the inaugural series race when Mark Martin won in 2006.
TALLADEGA WINNINGEST PLAYOFF TRACK FOR FORD
No track has been more successful for Ford in the playoff era than Talladega Superspeedway, which has produced nine wins since the postseason format was established in 2004. Here is a list of Ford drivers who have won a playoff race at Talladega: Dale Jarrett (2005); Jamie McMurray (2009); Matt Kenseth (2012); Brad Keselowski (2014 and 2017); Joey Logano (2015 and 2016); Aric Almirola (2018); Ryan Blaney (2019). Second on the list is Homestead and Kansas with seven each.
TEAM PENSKE ROLLING AT TALLADEGA
Team Penske has won 9 of the last 16 NCS races at Talladega Superspeedway. Brad Keselowski started this run by winning in 2014 and registered four victories at the track before joining Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing this season. Joey Logano won in back-to-back seasons (2015-16) while Ryan Blaney has followed suit, winning twice in the last three years at Talladega.
TEAM PENSKE WINS AT TALLADEGA SINCE 2014
2014 – Brad Keselowski (Talladega 2)
2015 – Joey Logano (Talladega 2)
2016 – Brad Keselowski (Talladega 1)
2016 – Joey Logano (Talladega 2)
2017 – Brad Keselowski (Talladega 2)
2018 – Joey Logano (Talladega 1)
2019 – Ryan Blaney (Talladega 2)
2020 – Ryan Blaney (Talladega 1)
2021 – Brad Keselowski (Talladega 1)
KESELOWSKI CLIMBING ALL-TIME TALLADEGA WIN LIST
Brad Keselowski is the winningest active driver at Talladega with six NASCAR Cup Series victories and is tied for second on the all-time list with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon. The track’s all-time winner is Dale Earnhardt Sr., who won 10 times during his NASCAR Hall of Fame career.
Ford Talladega Highlights:
BAKER PROVIDES MOORE SUCCESS
The first time Ford went to victory lane at Talladega Superspeedway was May 4, 1975 when Buddy Baker, driving for Hall of Fame car owner Bud Moore, held off David Pearson on the final lap. The win was Baker’s ninth career victory and came after he took the lead with 18 laps to go. One of the key decisions in getting Baker to the checkered flag first came when his team opted for two tires on its final pit stop of the day while Pearson and the Wood Brothers decided on gas only. Even though Pearson steadily gained ground on the final lap, Baker was able to hold on by half a car length to win. That started a streak which saw Baker and Moore win three straight Talladega races.
DAVEY ALLISON’S FIRST WIN
Ford has had many milestone moments at Talladega Superspeedway, including the first NASCAR Cup Series win for the late Davey Allison, who won the Winston 500 on May 3, 1987. The race came down to a restart with 10 laps to go in which Allison found himself behind Dale Earnhardt in the outside lane. Earnhardt bolted to the lead when the green flew and Allison tucked in right behind him through turns one and two. As they came off the second corner, Allison went to the inside and easily passed Earnhardt for what proved to be the winning pass. Terry Labonte ended up finishing second with Earnhardt third. Allison went on to win 19 NCS races, including three at Talladega.
ROBERT YATES RACING’S FINAL WIN
When Dale Jarrett won the UAW-Ford 500 on Oct. 2, 2005 it ended up being the final trip to victory lane for Robert Yates Racing. This race came down to a green-white-checker restart, where Jarrett was positioned fourth. He was still in that spot when they came around to start the final lap, but quickly moved to the outside as Tony Stewart grabbed the lead on the inside lane. The two drivers battled side-by-side down the backstretch before Jarrett powered his way in front. Seconds after getting the lead, Kyle Petty was involved in a single-car accident that brought out the caution as the cars entered turn three. Jarrett was declared the winner after NASCAR verified that he was in front at the time the yellow flag was thrown. The win was RYR’s 57th triumph in the NASCAR Cup Series, and came six years after the team won its only championship with Jarrett in 1999.
FORD’S NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT TALLADEGA
1975 – Buddy Baker (Sweep)
1976 – Buddy Baker (1)
1979 – Bobby Allison (1)
1983 – Dale Earnhardt (2)
1985 – Bill Elliott and Cale Yarborough
1987 – Davey Allison and Bill Elliott
1989 – Davey Allison and Terry Labonte
1992 – Davey Allison (1)
1994 – Jimmy Spencer (2)
1995 – Mark Martin (1)
1997 – Mark Martin (1)
1998 – Dale Jarrett (2)
2005 – Dale Jarrett (2)
2009 – Jamie McMurray (2)
2012 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2013 – David Ragan (1)
2014 – Brad Keselowski (2)
2015 – Joey Logano (2)
2016 – Brad Keselowski (1) and Joey Logano (2)
2017 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (1) and Brad Keselowski (2)
2018 – Joey Logano (1) and Aric Almirola (2)
2019 – Ryan Blaney (2)
2020 – Ryan Blaney (1)
2021 – Brad Keselowski (1)
FORD’S NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT TALLADEGA
1995 – Chad Little
1997 – Mark Martin
2002 – Jason Keller
2009 – David Ragan
2015 – Joey Logano
2017 – Aric Almirola
FORD’S NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT TALLADEGA
Defending Champion and Promising Rookie chasing Championship leader with $250,000 on the line
BRASELTON, Ga. (Sept. 22, 2022) – The 2022 Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires championship will come down to the final checkered flag of the season at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Three contenders are in the hunt for the $250,000 championship prize including a defending champion and a rookie.
A slim 140 points cover the top three drivers in the championship: Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering), Gresham Wagner (No. 5 Spark Performance) and Connor Zilisch (No. 72 Hixon Motor Sports). With 380 points up for grabs in each of the two races, every position is important.
Wagner has been in this situation before; he is the reigning champion and earned that title in last year’s doubleheader finale at Road Atlanta. This time, however, Wagner comes into the final event chasing rather than leading. He is 55 points behind Thomas.
“My approach doesn’t change much from last year,” Wagner said. “If there was a bigger difference in the points gap it may feel different, but it’s similar to last year. The points are close enough that you have to aim to win the race, and whoever can manage to do that will likely come out with the championship. I think the one variable this year is having Connor [Zilisch] in third, with how well he’s been driving the last couple of races. Ultimately, I think you just have to approach it the same as any other race, and how I did last year, and go out, race hard and aim for first.”
Last year at Road Atlanta, Wagner took the Race 1 win over Thomas by only 0.015-second, sliding across the finish line nearly sideways. In Race 2 it was Thomas who took the win as Wagner played it safe with the championship in his grasp.
His strong showing last year has Thomas feeling confident coming into the final two races of the season.
“I feel really good,” Thomas said. “Road Atlanta is one of my favorite tracks and I feel confident in the equipment my team have prepared for me. I’m looking to pick up right where I left off here last year!”
Zilisch has more than proved that Mazda made the right decision choosing him for the MX-5 Cup Shootout Scholarship. The rookie has won three races this season and finds himself in contention for the championship alongside series veterans.
“Regarding the title fight, my game plan doesn’t change,” Zilisch said. “I show up to the track to win and that’s the attitude I’m taking into Road Atlanta. Whatever else happens, happens, and as long as I know I did the most I could have, I will be happy.
“My rookie season has exceeded expectations, in categories such as growth as a driver, and even just a person off the track. I’ve made lifelong friends and memories that I will cherish forever. This opportunity was once in a lifetime, and I’m grateful that I was able to experience Mazda MX-5 Cup firsthand.”
Should Wagner prevail, it will be the first time in series history that MX-5 Cup has had a repeat champion.
“Regardless of how fast you are or the experience of being a champion, the series has always been really competitive without much room for error,” Wagner said. “When you look at last year, I only had one finish outside of the top six, five wins and 10 podiums, and just managed to win. When you have a series that demands that level of performance, it gets really hard to compete at that level for two years without some bad luck or mistakes. This year, I’ve managed to get back in the championship picture through some recent misfortune for others, otherwise my mistakes this season would have eliminated me a while ago.”
As a MX-5 Cup Shootout Scholarship winner and former Rookie of the Year, a championship for Thomas would be fulfilling a path set in motion years ago.
“For me it would mean that hard work turns dreams into reality as a driver and a team owner, Thomas said. “Ever since I won the MX-5 Cup Shootout in December of 2019 the number one goal has always been to win the championship. In my book winning a MX-5 Cup Championship is one of the most prestigious championships in North American sports car racing due to the extreme level of competition.”
With extreme competition comes extreme rewards; the 2022 MX-5 Cup Champion will walk away with $250,000 from Mazda. Payouts continue through 10th in the point standings, plus an $80,000 prize for the Rookie of the Year.
You can bet a lot of competitors will use that money to come back to MX-5 Cup in 2023, especially with Mazda increasing its prizes to $1 million courtesy of per-race payouts. In each race the top 10 finishers will win prize money; $6,000 for a win, $5,000 for runner-up, $4,000 for third, $3,000 for fourth, $2,000 for fifth and $1,000 for sixth through 10th. Additionally, if at least two female drivers start the race, the top finishing female driver will win $2,000.
The level of competition and the support from Mazda are two of the reasons drivers keep coming back to MX-5 Cup. No longer is the series a stepping stone to other championships, instead it is a destination unto itself. That is why the finale at Road Atlanta may be the best races of the weekend or even the best of the year. Don’t blink, because you may miss the move worth $250,000.
About: The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. The series has been operated by Andersen Promotions since 2017 and is currently sanctioned by IMSA. Mazda-powered grassroots champions can earn Mazda scholarships for this pro-level series. The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup champion is awarded $250,000 as the top rookie nets $80,000.
BRASELTON, Ga., (September 27, 2022) — Dallas-based NTE Sport/SSR is in the south this week for the grand finish to the 2022 WeatherTech Championship season. Trio Don Yount, Jaden Conwright, and Marco Holzer rejoin together for the 10-hour endurance race and 25th Anniversary of the Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road America in the GTD No. 42 Huracan GT3 Evo.
“We’re aiming for a strong finish in the Petit Le Mans,” said NTE Sport owner Paul Mata. “We’ve all poured our hearts into this season, and we haven’t yet had the results that match the effort and pace we have had. We have a great lineup and any attrition withstanding, I know we have what it takes to get to the front of the highly competitive GTD class.”
Yount remains hungry for his first Petit Le Mans win after coming close in 2017 with a second-place result in the PC class with BAR1 Motorsports. Holzer last competed in the event in 2014, where he secured the victory for Team Falken Tire, racing alongside full-season drivers Wolf Henzler and Bryan Sellers.
Conwright, winner of the IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship, is wrapping up a compelling season of driver development. Accomplishments including his first professional pole position, earned within the NTE Sport Super Trofeo program, lend to the strength of the pairing NTE Sport and Conwright have with each other.
Last year, the team finished ninth at the 10-hour endurance event, after starting in a well-earned second place position and enduring a tough battle to the checkered flag.
Though the group has built momentum across the 2021 season, they have endured heartbreaking endurance results at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, and the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen. With Yount, Conwright, and Holzer all sharing top-10 finishes at the Petit Le Mans across their driving history, their combined experience and teamwork from this season coupled with mechanical developments made to the No. 42 GTD Lamborghini provide promising chances of a podium.
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is a 12-turn, 2.54-mile world-class course situated on a sprawling 750 acres in the heart of stock-car country. Also known for its family-friendly atmosphere, kids 12 & under are always free entry. Yount, Conwright, and Holzer will be competing against a field of 15 other GTD entries while navigating four other classes (DPi, LMP2, LMP3, and GTD PRO) containing an additional 32 cars. Racing begins on Saturday, October 1 at 12:10 pm EST with flag-to-flag coverage on Peacock.
EVENT SCHEDULE | All Times Eastern
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
9:50am – 11:20am – WeatherTech Championship Practice 1
2:55pm – 4:25pm – WeatherTech Championship GTD Practice 2
7:30pm – 9:00pm – WeatherTech Championship Practice 3
3:40 pm – 3:55 pm – WeatherTech Championship GTD Qualifying
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1
9:15 am – 9:35 am – WeatherTech Championship Warm Up
12:10 pm – 10:10 pm – 25th Annual Motul Petit Le Mans
DRIVER QUOTES
Don Yount
Heading to the season finale we have a strong car and strong co-drivers. We have had solid performances and some bad luck and are ready to have it all come together. NTE/SSR and Paul have the car ready. Let’s see what we can do in Atlanta.
Jaden Conwright
The 2022 season has been a good year with a lot of ups and downs, but I’m looking forward to finishing strong this weekend at Motul Petit Le Mans. Road Atlanta is the second of two tracks that I visited in 2021, so I’m very much looking forward to revisiting a circuit that I’m already familiar with. The race will be intense in itself, but these potential poor weather conditions are going to make things even more difficult. It’ll be a hard-fought event, but I have the best team behind me and Don and Marco in the car alongside me.
Marco Holzer
I’m super happy to be back at Road Atlanta since my last time in 2014 when I won with Falken Tire, driving with Wolf Henzler and Bryan Sellers. I’m really looking forward to being back. It’s such a great event. I hope this rain will stay away, and we can have a clean race. Our goal is to finish the season on a high note after some bad luck.
About NTE Sport NTE Sport is based in Dallas, Texas, and first raced in 2020. Owner Paul Mata has been in the industry for over 20 years before starting his own team and has always focused on bringing together a diverse group of individuals to provide new opportunities and bring new people into the sport. Past female drivers include Sheena Monk and Ashley Freiberg, and drivers from diverse racial backgrounds include Ryan Nash, Jaden Conwright, and Kerong Li. Dedicated to bringing highly skilled individuals from various backgrounds, NTE Sport aims to continue to make North American sports car racing a fun, welcoming, supportive environment while participating in the most competitive series in North America.
About Star Spangled Racing Based in Jacksonville, Florida, Star Spangled Racing is a newer sports car racing team, established in 2020 by first-generation immigrant Tiger Tari from Turkey. Tari is an accomplished businessman, race car driver, and philanthropist with big motorsport ambitions. Star Spangled Racing provides driving opportunities in the USA and Europe. Follow on Instagram here.
About Southwest Funding Southwest Funding began operations in 1993 under the name Dallas Residential Mortgage. We enjoyed great success early on and before long we were serving the entire state of Texas. This growth caused us to change our name to Texas Residential Mortgage.
As we continued to grow and thrive in the industry, Texas Residential Mortgage was changed to Southwest Funding to better accommodate our growing business in other states. Today we’re still thriving, thanks in part to happy customers who have spread the word about what our company is doing to help borrowers get a home loan that fits their situation in an enjoyable and timely way. www.southwestfunding.com
Lamborghini Dallas Lamborghini Dallas has earned the Highest Rated Lamborghini Dealer in the United States award by DealerRater 10 years in a row. With a state-of-the-art showroom, factory-certified service facility, parts depot, and a team of master technicians, Lamborghini Dallas is dedicated to the legacy of the famed raging bull. As a member of Boardwalk Auto Group, we cultivate a focus on top-flight performance. It’s the driving force behind every nameplate we represent, every car we maintain, and every customer we have the privilege to serve. Performance. It’s what we do.
Group A Apparel
We are an action sports apparel brand for the adrenaline minded athlete. Focused on Functional Fitness, Motorsport, Surf, Snow, Skydiving, etc., we aim to support and grow the ever evolving ecosystem of global action/adventure sports.
PEAK Performance Joins as Associate Partner on the No. 38 F-150
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 27, 2022) – Love’s Travel Stops will reunite with Zane Smith at the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway this weekend. New, PEAK Performance will be an associate sponsor to the No. 38 Ford F-150 team to help promote their exclusive line of PEAK products available at Love’s Travel Stops across the country.
PEAK is a leader in the automotive and heavy-duty products ranging from PEAK Global Antifreeze, Final Charge, PEAK Windshield Wash, and of course BlueDEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid. Fans can find these and other great products at over 500 Love’s Travel Stops locations across the country.
The iconic Love’s scheme will adorn the No. 38 Ford F-150 for the first time since Smith’s season-opening win at the Daytona International Speedway in February. Since Daytona, Smith has earned two more additional wins and is in the midst of a championship run. He hopes the new Love’s and PEAK partnership will bring him the good luck needed at Talladega.
“It is awesome to walk around the shop and see the yellow Love’s No. 38 for this weekend,” Smith stated. “Having a partner like PEAK come on board as an associate is also special. They have been a part of this sport for a long time and it’s cool to have such a staple brand on our truck.”
“We’ll need all the luck we can get at Talladega. This is always a wild race and luck plays such a big part of it. But, we’ll be smart and I know that we can win this race.”
Smith is currently fighting to lock himself in the NASCAR championship finale at Phoenix in November.
“Our team is focused for these next two races in hopes of getting to Phoenix,” said Smith. “Chris (Lawson) and everyone on our No. 38 truck program has worked really hard to bring a fast truck this weekend at Talladega, hopefully we can get in to victory lane and punch our ticket to the championship race.”
Smith and the No. 38 Love’s/PEAK Performance Ford F-150 team will tackle the Talladega Superspeedway this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
About Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team– from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.
McDowell to Carry PEAK Performance and Love’s Colors on No. 34 Ford
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 27, 2022) – Michael McDowell and his Love’s Travel Stops team will have a new associate partner this weekend at the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. PEAK Performance will debut on the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang to promote their exclusive line of PEAK products available at Love’s Travel Stops across the country.
PEAK is a leader in the automotive and heavy-duty products ranging from PEAK Global Antifreeze, Final Charge, PEAK Windshield Wash, and of course BlueDEF Diesel Exhaust Fluid. Fans can find these and other great products at over 500 Love’s Travel Stops locations across the country
“It’s so cool to see the iconic PEAK logo on our car this weekend with their partnership with Love’s Travel Stops,” said McDowell. “I’m a huge race fan and PEAK has been in all forms of motorsports ever since I can remember. But this is great for the fans, too. They can stop at Love’s Travel Stops and get exclusive products from PEAK, a brand that everyone knows and trusts. That’s cool.”
McDowell is hoping to get PEAK and Love’s Travel Stops to victory lane this weekend. There is no better track for McDowell and the team to do that. McDowell has two top-five, and three top-10 finishes at the superspeedway. McDowell’s best finish of third came at the track just last year. The 2021 Daytona 500 winner is always ready for speedway racing.
“Front Row Motorsports always performs well at Talladega,” continued McDowell. “We know it’s a great opportunity for us to win. We finished eighth in the spring race, and we still have a very strong speedway program. There really is no better race for PEAK to join Love’s at. We will be contenders.”
McDowell and his Love’s Travel Stops/PEAK Performance Ford Mustang will race at the Talladega Superspeedway this Sunday at 2:00 p.m. ET on NBC.
ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team– from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.
STATESVILLE, NC: GMS Racing is proud to debut an innovative partnership with Logitech G, the global leader in PC and console gaming gear, for a two-race primary sponsorship in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The most iconic name in gaming will be featured on Jack Wood’s No. 24 Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway during the month of October.
Whether it’s headsets, keyboards, mice, or sim racing wheels, Logitech G products can be found all throughout the NASCAR garage area. Just this past week, the brand introduced their new Logitech G PRO Racing Wheel, the first in their lineup to use Direct Drive along with their industry-leading TRUEFORCE feedback technology.
Everyone knows that a great wheel needs a great set of pedals, so the engineering team also unveiled some all-new Logitech G PRO Racing Pedals, featuring a modular design with a load cell brake pedal and customizable strength settings. The new products are the perfect training tool for professional drivers and esports racers alike, and will both make a big splash in the sim racing market.
Logitech G recently brought Jack Wood onboard as one of their official athlete ambassadors a few months ago, and look to heighten their involvement within the sport by promoting their brand on track for the first time in the company’s history. Hardcore sim racing fans will instantly recognize the black, white, and cyan color scheme as it makes its first laps this weekend.
Wood is excited to jump behind the wheel of the Logitech G Chevy, stating “I’ve been counting down the days till we could finally release this awesome partnership with the team at Logitech G. Their brand aligns perfectly with what I enjoy doing off the track. When I first got started in racing, I used Logitech’s racing wheels to get me up to speed, so to bring them into sport in such a big way is really special. I know that there is going to be a lot of fans from the esports community on our side as we carry their iconic colors, and I am so glad to have their support at Talladega and Homestead.”
The rookie has one previous NCWTS start at Talladega which came last season, but will be making his first career start at Homestead-Miami later this month. With minimal track time, Wood credits the Logitech G family of products for helping him gain an edge before he competes at these venues.
“Logitech has a long heritage of innovating racing simulation products that offer the most realistic racing experience at home. We’re thrilled to sponsor Jack Wood in the #24 Chevrolet Silverado for GMS Racing at Talladega and Homestead, a new up-and-coming driver, who loves racing on our products, with an exciting future ahead of him,” said Jim Hoey, head of simulation gaming at Logitech G.
Watch Jack Wood debut the No. 24 Logitech G Chevrolet Silverado RST at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, October 1st at 12:30 PM ET on FS1. The following race at Homestead-Miami Speedway is also scheduled for Saturday, October 22nd at 1:00 PM ET on FS1. Follow Jack across all social media platforms with his official handle, @DriverJackWood.
ABOUT LOGITECH G:
Logitech G, a brand of Logitech International, is the global leader in PC and console gaming gear. Logitech G provides gamers of all levels with industry-leading keyboards, mice, headsets, mousepads, and simulation products such as wheels and flight sticks – made possible through innovative design, advanced technologies, and a deep passion for gaming. Founded in 1981, and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, Logitech International is a Swiss public company listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (LOGI). Find Logitech G at logitechG.com, the company blog or @LogitechG.
Logitech and other Logitech marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Logitech Europe S.A and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries.
ABOUT GMS RACING:
GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series operating the No. 23 and the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs, as well as the ARCA Menards Series with the No. 43 Chevrolet SS. Since the team was formed in 2012, GMS Racing has won five titles across multiple series, including the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship, the 2015 ARCA Menards Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA Menards Series East championships. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. including operations for GMS Fabrication. The GMS Racing campus also houses operations for Petty GMS, a two car full-time NASCAR Cup Series team formed in 2021.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow GMS Racing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
