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Brett Moffitt Returns to AM Racing at Kansas Speedway

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KANSAS CITY, Kan: AM Racing confirmed today that 2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Brett Moffitt will return to the organization and pilot the team’s flagship No. 22 Chevrolet Silverado RST in Friday night’s Kansas Lottery 200 at Kansas Speedway.

Moffitt’s efforts will be supported by longtime partners The Rasmussen Group and its subsidiaries Concrete Supply and JMT Trucking as well as Destiny Homes.

Moffitt, a native of Grimes, Ia. will make his third Truck Series start for the Statesville, N.C.-based team after piloting the team’s second entry at Knoxville Raceway in 2021 and the No. 22 earlier this season.

“I am really excited to get back behind the No. 22 Chevrolet Silverado RST for AM Racing at Kansas,” said Moffitt. “We’ve had a fair amount of success at Kansas Speedway over the years in trucks.

“Thanks to everyone at AM Racing for allowing me to get back in their truck for this race and all of the partners for their support throughout this year.”

Moffitt, 30, will make his seventh Truck Series start at the 1.5-mile speedway and looks to catapult AM

Racing to its first career Truck Series win while eyeing his 13th Truck Series win at the site of his last timely victory in the 2020 Clean Harbors 200.

In addition to the win, he has posted two top-five and four top-10 finishes at Kansas.

“Hopefully we can repeat 2020 and be able to take the folks from Concrete Supply, JMT Trucking and Destiny Homes back to victory lane again,” added Moffitt.

Longtime Motorsports veteran Jamie Jones will serve as Moffitt’s crew chief for the 19th Truck Series race of the season.

“AM Racing is proud to have Brett Moffitt back behind the wheel of our No. 22 Chevrolet Silverado at Kansas Speedway,” said team principal Kevin Cywinski. “Brett has been an asset to our organization in his two prior races with us and we know given his talent and track record at Kansas we will have an opportunity to contend for the win.”

In addition to Concrete Supply, JMT Trucking and Destiny Homes – AM Technical Solutions, Aspen Aire Inc., Circle B Diecast, Gilcrest Jewett, Sparco and Vista Investments will serve as associate marketing partners for the event.

Since 2013, Moffitt has competed in 91 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races capturing three poles, 12 wins, 39 top-five and 53 top-10 finishes and has led more than 1,200 laps. In his first full season of Truck Series competition, Moffitt captured the Truck Series championship title in 2018 driving for Hattori Racing Enterprises.

For more on Brett Moffitt, please visit BrettMoffitt.com, like his Facebook page (Brett Moffitt Racing) or follow him on Instagram (@brett_moffitt_racing) and Twitter (@brett_moffitt).

For more on AM Racing, please visit AMRacingteam.com, like their Facebook page (AM Racing) or follow them on Twitter (@AMRacingNASCAR).

The Kansas Lottery 200 (134 laps | 200.1 miles) is the 19th of 23 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2022 schedule. Practice begins on Friday, September 9, 2022, from 2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Qualifying will follow immediately beginning at 2:30 p.m. The 36-truck field will take the green flag shortly after 6:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. ET) with live coverage on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (CT).

About The Rasmussen Group:

The Rasmussen Group is an Iowa-based company with over a century of construction experience and expertise. Based in Des Moines, Iowa, the Rasmussen Group represents a variety of multi-faceted construction companies.

With companies specializing in bridge construction, marine contracts, concrete and asphalt supply, paving, heavy hauling, dump trucks, crane operations, and fabricating steel, the Rasmussen Group can provide excellent, complete customer service with one phone call.

Our diversified experience across many collaborating construction fields ensures for an on-time, safe, professional build that will keep your project on budget and provide for its successful completion.

Run by the fourth generation of the Jensen family, our values and commitment have not changed since 1912.

We treat our employees fairly and like family and believe in giving back to the communities that have supported us for over a hundred years. Our personal relationship with our clients is still the most important aspect of our business.

About Destiny Homes:

At Destiny Homes, there is no shortage of dedicated and experienced professionals ready to serve the families who put their trust in them to build a new home. The hard-working staff at Destiny Homes has over 150 years of combined experience in helping families achieve homeownership.

Destiny Homes’ passion is that every essential worker in the current economy has the opportunity to own a new home. It goes beyond sticks and bricks; it’s about helping customers achieve homeownership which in turn keeps the economy strong.

Destiny Homes is proud of their focused effort in helping families achieve affordable homeownership and how that process strengthens the communities where we live, work and play.

About AM Racing:

AM Racing is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) team headquartered in Statesville, N.C.

Established in December 2015, AM Racing is prided on faith, honesty and intelligent performance.

The No. 22 team has named Austin Wayne Self as its primary driver for the 2022 season while also expanding to a second No. 37 truck with a rotation of drivers this season.

Gilliland Brings CITGARD Back to Front Row Motorsports in Kansas

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Official Release
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Familiar FRM Partner Back Again on No. 38 Ford Mustang

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 6, 2022) – Continuing to build on his rookie season, Todd Gilliland welcomes CITGARD® back to Front Row Motorsports (FRM) and the No. 38 Ford Mustang. The partnership between FRM and CITGARD began in 2018 and will continue this weekend at the Kansas Speedway.

CITGARD, a CITGO Petroleum Corporation brand, is a line of heavy duty, next generation engine oils formulated with proprietary additive technology to protect engines from running at higher temperatures and fuel injection pressures, while meeting tighter wear limits and lower emission requirements.

The red and white scheme has always been a fan favorite. Gilliland is looking forward for the historic NASCAR brand to return to the track.

“There is a lot of history with CITGARD in NASCAR,” said Gilliland. “We are now creating our own history with them, and our next chapter together is this weekend at Kansas. It is so cool to race the CITGARD brand and join the legends of the sport who have raced this brand. It is really an honor.”

Gilliland finished 25th in his first NASCAR Cup Series race at the Kansas Speedway earlier this year and has three Top-10 and one Top-Five finishes at the track in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He is ready to get back to the track again with a more aggressive strategy.

“The first half of this season, we were coming to the tracks with an approach of completing the race and getting experience,” continued Gilliland. “We are now looking to get better results. Our mindset is different and how we approach the race weekend is a little different. We want to go and race these guys hard.”

For more information about CITGARD, visit www.citgolubes.com.

Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race begins at 3:00 p.m. ET on USA.

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 and WISE-EV Partner Again at Kansas Speedway

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Official Release
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No. 34 Team Looks to Add Another Top-10 to Season Tally

 MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 6, 2022) – Michael McDowell and WISE-EV started their partnership strong. The team was up front during the NASCAR All-Star event at the Texas Motor Speedway and again at the WWT Raceway when McDowell had a career-best number of laps led. Heading into Kansas Speedway this weekend, McDowell and the WISE-EV Charging team are looking for another great race and even better finish for the new Front Row Motorsports (FRM) partner.

“Some of our better finishes of the season have been at intermediate tracks, and tracks that we have visited for the second time,” commented McDowell. “When we look back at our notes from the spring here at Kansas, given the track conditions, we know what changes to make in order to capitalize on a great finish.”

“We didn’t finish the way we had wanted with our last race with WISE-EV on board at Gateway,” continued McDowell. “But we ran up front through the beginning and middle stages of the race. We just need to finish it off and give WISE-EV a great result. It is awesome when a new partner joins us for multiple races. Now, we are ready to give them a top-10. We just need to keep doing what we have in the recent weeks, and it should all come together.”

McDowell and his WISE-EV Ford Mustang team will race in Kansas this Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET with live coverage on USA.

ABOUT WISE-EV

WISE Power is changing the way the world uses energy through innovative storage and fast EV charging technology. The Las Vegas-based company provides solutions for home, business, industry and utility-scale applications with forward-thinking system design and comprehensive support infrastructure. For more information visit getwisepower.com and wise-ev.com.

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.

Thwaits Bids to Cement Championship Status at Legendary Watkins Glen

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Official Release
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Watkins Glen, NEW YORK – September 6, 2022 – Round 9 of the 2022 Trans Am presented by Pirelli Championship season TA Class will take place over the weekend of September 7 to 11 at the legendary Watkins Glen International. The Franklin Road Apparel team’s Showtime Motorsports supremo Ken Thwaits is poised in an incredible P2 overall in the Driver Championship with 176 points and just three rounds remaining. It is also Round 10 of the TA2 Class Championship where Franklin Road Apparel driver Cameron Lawrence sits in P9 with 133 points, just one behind Mike Skeen. He will be joined in the TA2 race by 21 year old Austin Green, son of 1994 NASCAR Busch Series Champion David Green.

“Strictly speaking, I should be in dreamland,” stated Ken this week. “I’m in P2 overall in the TA Class driving the lead car for my own team. Realistically, I was never going to challenge Chris [Dyson] this year for top spot so to be in P2 as we head to the final stint in the season is success the whole team can share. The thing with motorsports though is that you always want more. I’ve been on the podium four times this year and that’s where I’m starting to believe I belong!”

Ken’s Tennessee based Franklin Road Apparel are partnering with Trans Am for the SpeedTour event. Looking ahead to the TA2 race Ken added, “Cameron has had a bit of a rough deal of it over the last few weeks but he’s a former Champion and a total professional. I know he’ll bounce back. There is certainly no better place to do it than at the Glen and no better race than the Franklin Road Apparel Classic.”

“We’ve also got Austin Green driving for us and that’ll be exciting. It’s great to see these young drivers coming through and they sure do push us older guys hard!”

Joining Ken in the TA Class for Showtime Motorsports at Watkins Glen is the high profile NASCAR driver Justin Marks. A native of the great state of Missouri, 41 year old Justin is the owner of Trackhouse Racing Team in the NASCAR Cup Series and currently lives in Tennessee. A winner in 2016 at Mid Ohio in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, he last competed in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, driving the No. 93 for Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian. Justin will be behind the wheel of the No. 5 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro in the Trans Am Franklin Road Classic.

Coinciding with the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Festival and organized in conjunction with the SVRA, it’s a feast of action for motorsports fans but on track is the serious business of racing for points and results as the season heads towards its climax. Watkins Glen is in fact where road racing in the United States began way back in 1948 when Cornell University student Cameron Argetsinger organized a race through the upstate New York village of Watkins Glen. In 1956, the races were moved to the purpose-built Watkins Glen International, one of the first such courses in the world. Since then, every major racing series has come to “The Glen,” including Formula One, Can-Am, Trans-Am, IMSA, IndyCar and NASCAR.

Since the inaugural Trans Am event at the track in 1968, Trans Am has raced 33 times at ‘The Glen’ and this year Cameron and Austin get to test on the track at 12:05pm ET on Thursday, September 8 with the second session at 5:15pm ET that afternoon. Official practice is at 11:45am ET on Friday, September 9 with qualifying in two groups from 5:25pm ET that afternoon.

Saturday’s TA2 feature race is sponsored by Trans Am Apparel creators Franklin Road and is billed as The Franklin Road Apparel Classic. Lights go green for the big event at 11:10am ET on Saturday which is run over 30 laps of the circuit.

Ken’s qualifying session for the TA Class race isn’t until the TA2 race is over at 5:50pm ET on Saturday with the race itself at 11:05am ET on Sunday, September 11.

Highlights of both races will be shown on the CBS Sports Network. Please check your local listings.

Find Trans Am apparel perfect for you or a gift online here: https://www.franklinroad.com/collection/?mode=grid&sort=popular&brand=2300974

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

Exciting Quarterfinal Battle for Hagan at Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals

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Official Release
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Menards NHRA Nationals
  • Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) driver Matt Hagan took his No. 7 qualified Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to a quarterfinal appearance at the prestigious 68th annual Dodge Power Brokers Hot Rod Association’s (NHRA) U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park
  • Hagan closes out the regular season with three wins, three runner-up finishes, five No. 1 qualifier awards, and sits third in the Funny Car standings behind Robert Hight and Ron Capps as the points reset for the upcoming NHRA “Countdown to the Championship” six-event playoff series
  • TSR Top Fuel pilot Leah Pruett and her Dodge Power Brokers dragster kicked off race day at the “Big Go” from the tenth spot but saw her run cut short by a dropped cylinder in the opening round
  • Pruett sits seventh in the Top Fuel points standings heading into the playoffs having earned her team’s first category win at the Dodge Power Brokers Mile-High Nationals in Denver and a No. 1 qualifier award in Sonoma 
  • Funny Car driver Cruz Pedregon qualified ninth aboard his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat but was unable to advance past the first round after losing cylinders on his first lap and will start the playoffs seeded eighth

September 5, 2022, Indianapolis, Indiana – After finishing runner-up in an exciting National Hot Rod Association’s (NHRA) All-Star Callout specialty race final during qualifying at the 68th annual Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals, Tony Stewart Racing’s (TSR) Matt Hagan found himself in another tremendous battle in the quarterfinals of the world’s biggest and best known drag race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Hagan, whose quicker 3.900-second elapsed time run in Sunday’s Callout race-within-a race was just 0.004-seconds short of beating Ron Capps’ holeshot effort, had another tremendous drag race in the elimination rounds of the “Big Go” against points leader Robert Hight.

Prior to facing Hight, the Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat set the tone by recording the top speed of the event (at that point) with Hagan’s 3.881-second winning run at 334.07 mph against No. 10 seed Alexis DeJoria in the opening round. Once staged for the quarterfinal showdown, Hagan hit the throttle just 0.004-seconds behind Hight as the two adversaries battled side-by-side the entire length of the legendary dragstrip. While Hagan took his HEMI-powered ride for his quickest run of the weekend at 3.867 sec./ 334.65 mph it was 0.006-seconds short of turning on the win lights ahead of Hight’s 3.861 sec./ 331.77 mph lap.

The quarterfinal finish brought Hagan’s regular season to a close and, with three wins, three runner-up finishes, and five No. 1 qualifier awards, puts the TSR driver third in Funny Car standings (behind Hight and Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals winner Ron Capps) as the points reset for the upcoming NHRA “Countdown to the Championship” six-event playoff series.

TSR pilot Leah Pruett qualified tenth on the Top Fuel eliminations ladder and staged her Dodge Power Brokers dragster in the right lane next to seventh-seed Billy Torrence for the opening round. Pruett had the quicker launch but lost a cylinder early in the run, ending her hopes of advancing further. Pruett, who earned the TSR team’s first Top Fuel Wally at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals in Denver in July, closes out the regular season in seventh place.

Three-time Funny Car winner at the “Big Go”, Cruz Pedregon qualified in the No. 9 spot aboard his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and had No. 8 seed J.R. Todd as his first round opponent. Both competitors had a good light, but when the Cruz Pedregon Racing machine began to drop cylinders, the driver/owner opted to abandon the run. Pedregon will head to the playoffs seeded eighth in the category.

The NHRA “Countdown to the Championship” begins with the first of six playoff events, the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Pennsylvania, Sept. 15-18. FS1 will air qualifying highlights on Friday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. ET and Sunday, Sept 18, at 11 a.m. ET, while FOX will have race day coverage beginning at 2 p.m. ET.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES: 

Leah Pruett, Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster  

(No. 10 Qualifier – 3.725 seconds at 332.51 mph)

Round 1: (0.068-second reaction time, 5.129-second elapsed time run at 146.56 mph) loss to No.7 Billy Torrence (0.081/3.740/324.20)

“Indy always brings the unexpected. We said that at the beginning of the week. Our team is not known for dropping cylinders at the hit. Roll the dice and about every 50 laps or so, it might give you one of those and that’s exactly what happened in the first round. As a sensitive driver, after our Q5 run, I felt something wasn’t right. I gave the car a pedal and you can’t out-recover a cylinder. It’s disappointing for sure because we had high hopes and high expectations and a high-performing Dodge Power Brokers dragster that showed glimpses of victory during qualifying. To go out early in the weekend is definitely below our standards. This is the end of the regular season, so it’s better to have it happen now. We have plans of potentially testing before the Countdown. We’re going to figure out as much as we can and then hit it from there to solve these little glitches. It’s not the most ideal weekend we’ve ever had, but we have the power of our Power Brokers behind us and that’s going to give us momentum into the Countdown.”

Matt Hagan, Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car  

(No. 7 Qualifier – 3.892 seconds at 333.41 mph)

Round 1: (0.067-second reaction time, 3.881 seconds at 334.07 mph) defeats No.10 Alexis DeJoria (-0.149/10.086/78.68)

Round 2: (0.060/3.867/334.65) loss to No. 2 Robert Hight (0.056/3.861/331.77)

“What a wild, crazy weekend but what a special weekend because it is the U.S. Nationals. You don’t know how many years you get to race here and be a part of the Big Go and to have the pinnacle of our season right here before the Countdown, it’s just awesome. Our team really came together and put a great race car underneath me. We just came up short in two really close drag races this weekend that were within thousandths-of-a-second apart. You’re talking about inches on the finish line. It’s tough to be on the backside of a good drag race but what’s positive about it is that our Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is running good and it’s responding to the changes that the crew chief is making.

We really rallied around each other and that really showed this weekend. We’re putting all those rounds together and (Crew Chief) Dickie (Venables) is really stepping up and throwing down against (Robert Hight’s crew chief Jimmy) Prock. I feel we’re moving in the right direction and we’re going into this Countdown really strong. (Ron) Capps is going to be tough. There’s a bunch of cars out here that are tough. We’ve just got to keep digging, working hard, and I’ve got to hit the practice tree more and as a team we have to come together and make that happen if we’re going to win championships.”

“I think we’re all chasing Robert (Hight) right now. He’s running good. He’s won six races. They have a very consistent car in the heat and in the cool, but we’ve got (Crew Chief) Dickie Venables who is one of the best out there and I wouldn’t trade him for anybody. Right now we’ve just got to get into throwdown mode and a Countdown mode. We’ve got to win two or three of those six (playoff) races to really run for a championship and win this thing. I know we can do that. 

We had a great start to the season winning three races and a bunch of No. 1 qualifiers, but then it kind of fell off a little bit. These things come in cycles and peaks and valleys, and I feel like it’s our time to get back into the cycle. We’ve got to go out there and just bring everything that we can to the table. I’ve got to dig deep on the tree and these guys got to dig deep as far as putting a good tune up in it. I think if we do that collectively, we’ll be really hard to beat.”

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

(No. 9 Qualifier –   seconds at   mph)

Round 1: (0.043-second reaction time, 7.086 second elapsed time run at 101.45 mph) loss to No.8 J.R. Todd (0.036/3.856/330.88)

“I don’t think we ever had three dropped cylinders in a row at the step of the throttle, so there’s definitely something mechanical going on. We’re going to really take everything apart and probably try going to go test somewhere and get it figured out before Reading. Our Dodge Funny Car just ran so easy on Friday night with that 3.90 and it was right where we wanted and then we just struggled from that point on. 

We’re disappointed but at the same time we know we have a championship caliber car here and the team’s upbeat. We’re just going to figure it out and go to Reading prepared. The great part is that our second season starts now. Throughout my career, I have always finished strong, and I believe we are shaping up to have that happen again this year. My dad taught me this; ‘Things happen for a reason.’ Sometimes you learn more from tough weekends than ones when you are at the top of your game.”

NHRA CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS:

Following the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park

FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Robert Hight 1570 (6)

2.  Ron Capps: 1291 (3)

3.  Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 1244 (3)

4.  Bob Tasca III: 1164 (3) 

5.  John Force: 1149 (1)

6.  J.R. Todd: 871

7.  Alexis DeJoria: 824

8. Cruz Pedregon (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 801

9.  Tim Wilkerson: 730

10. Blake Alexander: 582

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Brittany Force: 1356 (4)

2.  Mike Salinas: 1200 (4) 

3.  Justin Ashley: 1195 (2) 

4.  Steve Torrence: 1169 (1)

5.  Josh Hart: 882

6.  Antron Brown 839 (2)

7.  Leah Pruett (Dodge Power Brokers): 810 (1)

8.  Shawn Langdon: 809

9. Doug Kalitta: 801 

10. Tony Schumacher: 703 (1)

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News

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

@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram

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

Dodge//SRT

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

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

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

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

Mopar

This year marks the 85th anniversary of Mopar.

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

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

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

Follow Dodge, Mopar and Stellantis news and video on:

Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Dodge brand: www.dodge.com

Mopar brand: www.mopar.com

DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com

Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com

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

Instagram: @DodgeMoparMotorsports, @DodgeOfficial and @OfficialMopar

Twitter: @Dodge, @OfficialMopar and @StellantisNA

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

CORVETTE RACING AT FUJI: Far East Beckons for First Time

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Milner, Tandy, No. 64 C8.R aim to keep momentum from Monza class win

DETROIT (Sept. 6, 2022) – The last time Corvette Racing visited a ‘new’ track, it resulted in its first victory as an entrant in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

It’s time again for the team to venture to a new venue as the WEC resumes with the Six Hours of Fuji at historic Fuji Speedway. It’s the fourth round of this year’s GTE Pro championship with Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy the most recent winners at Monza in the No. 64 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R.

The 16-turn 2.84-mile Fuji circuit has a good blend of technical and high-speed sections that will put a premium on engineering setup and strategy.

As is the case at the majority of circuits on the WEC calendar, Corvette Racing can lean on the knowledge of past experience of Tandy at Fuji, where he has made two career WEC starts albeit in prototype machinery.

While Fuji will be new to Milner, he does have experience racing in Japan as part of the Asian Le Mans Series more than a decade ago. That doesn’t mean that he and Corvette Racing will go in blind as the engineering team has spent many days in Chevrolet’s Driver in the Loop simulator to explore and establish baseline setups with Milner assisting and getting to know the circuit.

Fuji will be Corvette Racing’s 32nd venue during its nearly 25-year run of racetracks around the world with Bahrain still to go in the WEC’s season finale.

The No. 64 Corvette opened the WEC season with a strong second-place showing at the rain-shortened 1,000 Miles of Sebring. Things were trending the right way for the Tandy/Milner pairing at the Six Hours of Spa before a red flag just past the one-hour mark wiped out the team’s first planned pit stop and effectively put the Corvette a lap down before finishing fourth.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans was a cruel blow with the No. 64 C8.R eliminated while leading just shy of the 18-hour mark. Spirits lifted within the team following a thrilling class victory at Monza where the team won a fuel-mileage race for its first WEC win outside of Le Mans.

The Six Hours of Fuji for the FIA World Endurance Championship is scheduled for 11 a.m. JST Sunday /10 p.m. ET Saturday from Fuji Speedway in Japan. Qualifying is set for 2:40 p.m. JST/1:40 a.m. ET on Saturday. The race will air live on MotorTrend with live streaming coverage of the race and qualifying on the MotorTrend Plus app. Radio Le Mans will broadcast qualifying and the race.

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: : “I’ve done four days in the sim on Fuji. We’ve done quite a bit of work on it so far. It’s a super cool track. It’s really fast in a lot of places. It’s unique in some ways in that there are a lot of long-duration corners there. Car balance and tire life will be super important. There are things we can do on the setup side to help us put all of those things together. The sim also gives us a chance to take some really big swings at it and experiments so to speak with setup to find something with the car that we haven’t tried before. While it’s nice for me to be able to drive these tracks on the sim beforehand, I feel like it’s definitely a big help to go to these tracks and get in the car and get going right away. It’s for sure speeding up the learning process for me and but it’s also helping us quite a bit on car setup as well. I think we’re pretty happy with our simulator program and the benefits that it offers us.

Continuing momentum from Monza: “Just because we won Monza doesn’t mean we are on a streak or a roll or whatever. We have to work as hard as we have to be as competitive as we possibly can to get the most out of the car. Focusing on yourself is always the best strategy to get the most out of package. While it’s nice to think we were owed something, we did a good job to get the car where we wanted it to be. The Corvette basically from the first practice was already really good; we were able to just tweak it a little bit throughout the weekend. We have to continue on that path – working really hard on the simulator and in engineering as they always do to figure out ways to get more out of it, which we’re doing. If we continue putting in the hard work, the results will continue.”

NICK TANDY, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Fuji is an F1-type of circuit where the surface is pretty smooth. It’s on quite a flat area. But it’s a track where it’s difficult to know the best way to go about setup philosophy. There’s this huge straight where you need obviously straight-line speed, but there are a couple other high-downforce corners. Turn Three there is a long right that is one of the fastest and most committed sections of racetrack anywhere in the world. Of course you want to trim your car out to be fast on the straight, but you can’t afford to give up downforce in these areas. It lends itself to good racing because there is a slipstream effect if you can stay close to the cars in front of you through the last sector and down the start/finish straight. There’s also the weather aspect. Fuji in September can see very changeable conditions and the rain can come in quickly. I’ve only been there twice but it’s the track where I have the least level of experience personally. It will be one of our toughest challenges as a team, I expect, being new to the circuit for the first time.”

Motorsport culture in Japan: “Japan is a motorsport country and they have a huge following. There always is a massive turnout for the World Endurance Championship. They want to see the cars, and they want to see the racing. I’m sure having Corvette Racing for the first time in Japan will be a big thing for the Japanese who have never come to America or come to Le Mans to see the Corvettes. They’re always super excited about seeing the cars, and the people are super nice and respectful for everyone who comes over to race in front of them. I’m looking forward to being in the car and with the team to show them about Corvette Racing.”

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

Tony Stewart Racing: Indianapolis Event Recap for the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals

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Official Release
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Leah Pruett & Matt Hagan
Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel & Funny Car Drivers
Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals
Sept. 2-5 | Indianapolis

Event Recap

Leah Pruett, driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster:

● Earned No. 10 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.765 ET at 325.22 mph).

● Maintained No. 10 provisional qualifying position after Q2 on Saturday (6.245 ET at 109.56 mph).

● Maintained No. 10 provisional qualifying position after Q3 on Saturday (3.725 ET at 332.51 mph).

● Maintained No. 10 provisional qualifying position after Q4 on Sunday (6.484 ET at 104.15 mph).

● Secured No. 10 qualifying position based off Saturday’s Q3 run. In Q5 on Sunday, Pruett ran a 5.442 ET at 126.40 mph.

● Ran a 5.129 ET at 146.56 mph in Round 1 of eliminations on Monday, lost to Billy Torrence (3.740 ET at 324.20 mph).

● Currently seventh heading into the Countdown to the Championship, 140 points behind leader Brittany Force.

Matt Hagan, driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car:

● Earned No. 8 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.938 ET at 309.49 mph).

● Maintained No. 8 provisional qualifying position after Q2 on Saturday (5.581 ET at 126.38 mph).

● Earned No. 5 provisional qualifying position in Q3 on Saturday (3.892 ET at 333.41 mph).

● The Pep Boys All-Star Funny Car Callout served as Round 4 of qualifying. Hagan ran a 3.895 ET at 334.15 mph, defeating Alexis DeJoria (7.413 ET at 92.95 mph).

● In the Pep Boys All-Star Funny Car Callout Semifinal, which did not serve as Round 5 of qualifying, Hagan ran 4.180 ET at 255.73 mph, defeating Robert Hight (10.119 ET at 82.57 mph).

● The Pep Boys All-Star Funny Car Callout Final served as Round 5 of qualifying. Hagan ran a 3.900 ET at 328.86 mph, losing to Ron Capps on a holeshot (3.936 ET at 330.47 mph).

● Secured No. 7 qualifying position based off Saturday’s Q3 run.

● Advanced to Round 2 on Monday:

●  Round 1: 3.881 ET at 334.07 mph, defeated Alexis DeJoria (10.086 ET at 78.68 mph).

●  Round 2: 3.867 ET at 334.65 mph, lost to Robert Hight (3.861 ET at 331.77 mph).

● Currently third heading into the Countdown to the Championship, 40 points behind leader Hight.

Notes of Interest

● Hagan drove his Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to a runner-up finish in the Pep Boys All-Star Callout. It marked his first final-round appearance in five Funny Car specialty races.

● Although Hagan lost to Robert Hight in Round 2 of eliminations on Monday, Hagan was victorious against Hight in Sunday’s All-Star Funny Car Callout Semifinals. Hagan and Hight are now tied with a 21-21 record.

● Pruett clinched her position in the Countdown to the Championship by finishing seventh in the regular-season point standings.

● TSR team owner Tony Stewart joined Brian Lohnes and Tony Pedregon during the FOX broadcast of Monday’s eliminations.

Leah Pruett, Driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster

“Indy always brings the unexpected. We said that at the beginning of the week. Our team is not known for dropping cylinders at the hit. Roll the dice and about every 50 laps or so, it might give you one of those and that’s exactly what happened in the first round. After our Q5 run, I felt something wasn’t right. I gave the car a pedal and you can’t out-recover a cylinder. It’s disappointing, for sure, because we had high hopes and high expectations and a high-performing Dodge Power Brokers dragster that showed glimpses of victory during qualifying. To go out early in the weekend is definitely below our standards. This is the end of the regular season, so it’s better to have it happen now. We have plans of potentially testing before the Countdown. We’re going to figure out as much as we can and then hit it from there to solve these little glitches. It’s not the most ideal weekend we’ve ever had, but we have the power of our Dodge Power Brokers behind us and that’s going to give us momentum into the Countdown.”

Matt Hagan, Driver of the Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

“What a wild, crazy weekend, but what a special weekend because it’s the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals. You don’t know how many years you get to race here and be a part of the Big Go and to have the pinnacle of our season right here before the Countdown, it’s just awesome. Our team really came together and put a great racecar underneath me. We just came up short in two really close drag races this weekend that were within thousands of a second apart. You’re talking about inches on the finish line. It’s tough to be on the backside of a good drag race, but what’s positive about it is that our Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat is running good and it’s responding to the changes that the crew chief is making. We really rallied around each other and that really showed this weekend. We’re putting all those rounds together and Dickie (Venables, crew chief) is really stepping up and throwing down against Robert Hight’s crew chief (Jimmy Prock.) I feel we’re moving in the right direction and we’re going into this Countdown really strong. (Ron) Capps is going to be tough. There’s a bunch of cars out here that are tough. We’ve just got to keep digging, working hard, and I’ve got to hit the practice tree more and as a team we have to come together and make that happen if we’re going to win championships.”

Next Up

The next event on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule is the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals Sept. 15-18 at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pennsylvania. It is the first race in the six-race Countdown to the Championship, where the top-10 drivers in each of the four professional categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle – vie for the title in their respective divisions.

Chevrolet sweeps top seeds for Countdown

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
DODGE POWER BROKERS NHRU.S. NATIONALS
LUCAS OIL INDIANAPOLIS RACEWAY PARK IN BROWNSBURG, INDIANA
SEPT. 5, 2022

Chevrolet drivers deliver epic U.S. Nationals performances

• Five-time Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson reaches 100-win milestone
• No. 1 Top Fuel qualifier Brittany Force finishes as runner-up for second year in a row
• Robert Hight advances to Funny Car final round for ninth time in 16 races
• Team Chevy drivers sweep the top seeds for the Countdown to the Championship
• David Barton prevails in all-COPO Camaro final of Factory Stock Showdown

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 5, 2022) – The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) U.S. Nationals always produces riveting storylines involving Chevrolet teams and drivers, and the 68th edition of the “Big Go” delivered another epic race day at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

  • Greg Anderson became the second driver in NHRA professional categories to reach 100 career victories as the five-time Pro Stock champion drove the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS to his seventh U.S. Nationals win.

“I kept asking myself what do I have to do to win? It just wasn’t meant to be. It was meant to be in Indy,” said Anderson, who delivered the 360th win for Chevrolet in the class since 1970. “When you can win here at Indy and to get the 100th here, I couldn’t ask for anything better. It means everything to me.”

Sixteen-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS, leads all drivers with 155 career wins. Sportsman racers Frank Manzo (105), Dan Fletcher (105), and David Rampy (100) — have also reached the century mark in victories.

Said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet vice president of Performance and Motorsports: “Congratulations to Greg and his Camaro SS team on this incredible milestone victory. The 100 wins are the result of Greg’s skill as a racer combined with a great team that has prepared his race car over the years. This is also a very special tribute to his mother, late father and family who have always supported his passion for drag racing and the NHRA. We are extremely proud of Greg’s 100 wins – all with Chevrolet/GM.”

  • Team Chevy drivers Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) – past NHRA champions with Chevrolet – sewed up top seeds in their respective professional classes for the six-race Countdown to the Championship that begins Sept. 16-18 at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pennsylvania.

“We’re going into the Countdown and you’re seeing the competition really come alive, really pick up,” said Force, who was the No. 1 qualifier in the 2021 Countdown opener at Maple Grove Raceway. “That just makes it tough. It puts more pressure on our team, all of John Force Racing. But it’s going to be good, it’s going to be tight and it’s going to be close, and this Countdown is going to be fun.”

  • No. 1 Top Fuel qualifier Brittany Force, who reset her own track elapsed time and speed records a day earlier in qualifying in the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster, finished runner-up for the second year in a row. She also finished second in the special Pep Boys All-Star Top Fuel Callout.

Force, who has four wins, added to her point total with her second final-round appearance in 16 races this season.

Force will look to 2023 to join her father John, a five-time winner, and sister Ashley, who’s won three times, as a U.S. Nationals champion. No Indy-winning parent has had two offspring also win the U.S. Nationals.

  • No. 2 Funny Car qualifier Hight, driving the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS, advanced to his ninth final round in 16 races.

Anderson also surpassed 900 career round wins – second only to John Force’s 1,412 in NHRA history. Anderson defeated Fernando Cuadra Jr. in one semifinal, while Glenn ended Enders’ U.S. Nationals round winning streak at 10.

“The best win ever. I can’t thank the (team owners) Black family enough for this opportunity; 100 wins together. They’ve made me live me dream all these years. Rick Hendrick, you have another cool trophy coming to your collection.”

John Force’s quest for his sixth U.S. Nationals Funny Car victory came to an end in the semifinals. Force, the No. 4 qualifier in the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS, has advanced to at least the semifinals in nine of the 16 regular-season races and will prepare to chase his 17th Funny Car world title in the Countdown.

Austin Prock, the No. 14 qualifier in the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster, fell in the first round.

In an all-COPO Camaro final of the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown, David Barton of Reading, Pennsylvania, took the points lead through six of the eight events in the season-long series with a victory over No. 1 qualifier Aaron Stanfield of Bossier, Louisiana.

“There’s really stiff competition out here, so you have to take it one round at a time,” Barton said. “We tried to stay focused and here we are in the winner’s circle. Two to go and we’re going to try to hold onto the points lead the best we can.”

An interview with Pro Stock winner GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS:

HOW MEANINGFUL IS THE MILESTONE?

“It’s incredible. I kept asking myself what do I have to do to win? It just wasn’t meant to be. It was meant to be in Indy. I’ve made no bones about telling everybody all my career how special Indy is to me. It’s an out-of-body experience when you can win here at Indy and to get the 100th here I couldn’t ask for anything better. It means everything to me.”

YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY AS A DRIVER. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR WORK ETHIC?

“I had a good, basic skill set when I came to Warren (Johnson). There’s no question that Warren opened my vision to a lot of different things and educated me on a lot of things. I learned that northern Minnesota work ethic that has followed me all my career. I tell people every day that I’ve never met anyone in my life that has failed by working hard. I’m not a brain surgeon. I’m not the smartest whip out there, but I work hard. That’s a valuable lesson.”

YOUR THOUGHTS ON BEING IN THAT EXCLUSIVE CLUB?

“It’s incredible. About three years ago when I was trying to chase down Warren with 97 (wins), I tried not to think about it. I was having too much fun racing, still thinking I could race forever. I don’t think I’m done by any means but I’m definitely closer to the end of my career. It’s hard to come out and compete with these kids so I know my days may be numbered but I’m not done. I think I’ll get a few more and I plan on doing this until I can’t win anymore. Sometimes, it’s good to have a few of us crusty old veterans out here. I used to win Indy fairly often. We won six times between 2001 and 2011 and I thought I’d have 10 of them at some point. I’m not going to get there but I think this is the most special one of all.”

YOU WOULDN’T HAVE 100 WITHOUT WINNING INDY SEVEN TIMES.

“It’s fantastic. I remember back in the day when we were winning quite often; it’s been since 2011 that I’ve won the U.S. Nationals. It’s been a long time, but from 2001 to 2011 we won six times. When you haven’t won here in so long, you can really appreciate it.”

YOU GOT TO TELL RICK HENDRICK THAT YOU GOT THE BIG ONE AT THE U.S. NATIONALS.

“Pretty incredible. He oozes cool. He loves to win. He doesn’t do this just for fun. He does it because he loves to win, he wants to win. When you call him or he calls you when you’ve won, he’s over the moon. It’s always a wonderful phone call.”

STARTING TO PEAK AT THE RIGHT TIME WITH THE COUNTDOWN NEXT?

“We just weren’t quite up to par, and we were getting outrun by (Elite Motorsports), basically. We have done a lot of work over the last three months, and it is starting to pay off. We are starting to climb that ladder back up with a car that can win again.”

CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT

TOP FUEL

BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, FLAV-R-PAC/MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET DRAGSTER: “Overall, not a bad weekend for this Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac team. We can’t complain. We qualified No. 1, ran for the Pep Boys Callout money, got beat in the final. Race day, Monday, had another final round appearance. So, it’s positive all around,. Our biggest objective coming in was leaving with the points lead and we did just that. Everything resets in the Countdown but we’re in the position we want to be in, and we head to Reading, Pennsylvania next.”

AUSTIN PROCK, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONTANA BRAND/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER: “I thought this Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster had a little more out there to get around the champ. When you go up and duke it out with (Steve) Torrence there’s always some extra motivation and a little extra competition at the line. I left on him so I did my job but it’s a team sport, win as a team, lose as a team, it can go both ways. We made a full pull, which we struggled to do through qualifying, so hopefully that’s something we can consistently do and gain some power heading into the Countdown. We get a charity spot but hopefully we can hurt some feelings during the last six races.”

FUNNY CAR

JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “Well, we went some rounds, had some good runs in this PEAK Chevrolet. We were able to find some consistency. That’s good, especially heading into the Countdown in two weeks. We’re fifth in points, which means after the reset, only 50 points out of the lead. Things can change quickly but we’re in it, we have a chance and that’s what we’re going after. Huge thank you to all the fans out here. You’re who we do this for, you bring us motivation.”

ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “Not a bad day for this Auto Club team. Granted, not the way we wanted this afternoon to go, but we’re not putting our heads down. The Auto Club guys have been working hard all weekend, it’s a marathon here at the U.S. Nationals. We made some really good passes, went some rounds and we’re going into the Countdown in that number one spot. Now the real work starts, only ahead 20 points with the standings resetting for the Countdown, just have to take it one weekend at a time, one run at a time. I’ve said it before, it’s going to take another two or three wins to get that championship, that’s what we’re looking for.”

About Chevrolet

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

VIR Victories for Round 3 Racing after up and down weekend

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Official Release
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ALTON, Va. (5 September 2022) – Round 3 Racing went into round eight of the World Racing League powered by Hagerty event at VIRginia International Raceway looking for redemption on last year’s run of bad luck. All four cars endured lengthy red flags during the races, with the crew and drivers contending with both heavy rain and Virginia’s warm summer temperatures. Despite some setbacks, the team earned that redemption–and some new hardware– with five podiums throughout the weekend.
No. 401 TEAM HAGERTY MOTORSPORTS BMW M4 GT4 (GTO)

The Hagerty Motorsports team got off to a fast start, scoring their fifth pole award of the season on Friday. Cole Loftsgard set the quick time once again for the GTO field. Loftsgard started in the car for Saturday’s race, battling a vibration caused by a piece of debris. He then passed the controls to the Hagerty-liveried BMW GT4 to Brad McCall in second place three hours into the race. McCall worked his way up to first place when a caution rang out due to a car in the wall. Just as the double yellow was called, the BMW spun and was hit head-on, forcing the car to retire for the weekend.

“It was a great weekend for the team overall,” said Loftsgard. “It was awesome to see the phenomenal results for all our teammates. The 401 will be back strong as ever at Sebring. Next time, we’ll see if we can put all four cars on the podium.”

No. 609 TEAM SENTINEL BMW M4 GT4 (GTO)

Starting the weekend with a qualifying run that didn’t fully show the kind of car the No. 609 team had, Ron Hugate, James Candelaria, and Brian Ghidinelli were determined to show forward progress come race time.

Hugate started the race from behind the wheel, quickly charging forward several spots. Two hours into the race, Candelaria took over the BMW GT4 entry. Shortly after getting behind the wheel, he was forced into the grass to avoid contact with another car, causing a spin into the wall. Candelaria came down pit lane so the team could check for significant damage; luckily, the car was able to continue. With just under three hours remaining in Saturday’s race, the Round 3 Racing squad made the strategic call to park the BMW for the day in preparation for Sunday’s race.

Ghidinelli started Sunday’s 8 hour enduro from behind the wheel with a grid placement of nineteenth; within the first twenty minutes of the race, he had worked his way up to sit ninth and was soon fighting for the eighth position. After a red flag and pit rotations, Ghidinelli passed the BMW off to Hugate in the lead. Hugate came out of pit lane in fourth during the green flag stop. Hugate maintained the fourth position while handing it off to Candelaria for the remainder of the race. Candelaria drove to the front of the field, keeping his position to bring home their second podium of the season.

“What a great way to end the weekend,” Candelaria said. “Coming into VIR, we knew we had the car and the drivers to run up front. Excellent driving by brian and Ron put us in a position to challenge for the win. Despite not being able to hold off Choice Racing, I’m proud of our performance. Next stop SEBRING!”

No. 701 TEAM COOPER TIRES PORSCHE CAYMAN (GP1)

The No. 701 Cooper Tires team began Saturday’s race with Zack Ping in the seventh position behind the wheel. Ping drove the car up to fifth place before handing it over to Ayla Agren in fifth. Agren battled for position, making up for lost laps and handing it over to Loni Unser in fourth place. Unser faced two long red flags but pushed to second place once the action resumed to take the checkered flag in podium position.

The team started Sunday’s race from sixth with Agren behind the wheel. Agren quickly jumped to fifth as a caution rang out within the first five minutes of the start. After almost three hours in the car, she handed it over to Unser in second place. Unser maintained the top three during her stint, passing the Porsche to Ping in second. Ping passed for the lead and protected the position through two lengthy red flags and many cautions to race to a hard-fought class victory.

“It was a great weekend for the 701 team with Loni, Ayla, and myself,” Ping said. “We were able to stay consistent and, for the most part, clean. Having a second-place finish on Saturday and a win on Sunday helps us in the championship. Huge shoutout to Aaron, our car chief, Brad, and Buz McCall for letting me be a part of the great team and trusting me to drive their car. Sunday was just simply lovely; all Round 3 Racing entries for Sunday’s race finished on the podium! I’m looking forward to the next race!”

No. 605 TEAM HAGERTY DRIVERS CLUB PORSCHE BOXSTER (GP3)

During Saturday’s race, Hannah Grisham, Buz McCall, and Carter Pease shared the driving duties on board the Hagerty Drivers Club Porsche. Pease took the opening stanza of the race, fighting for over three hours before handing the car over to McCall. A penalty pushed the team back to fourth, but Grisham battled forward to third, where she brought the Boxster home after undergoing a couple of red flag stops in the final hours of the race.

First up in the car on Sunday was Grisham, who started from third. After battling back and forth, Grisham brought the Boxster to Pease in the first place. Pease maintained the first position when handing the car over to Dennis Neel in the rain. Neel faced two red flags and heavy rain with keeping the two-lap lead in the GP3 class; Neel brought the Boxster across the start/finish line in the first place.

“Overall, the No. 605 team had a great weekend,” said Grisham. “We battled hard for the third place finish during Saturday’s race after some misfortune came our way. On Sunday, I started in the car and was able to drive it from third to first, where we held our position throughout the race. Thank you, Hagerty, Brad, and Buz, for making this all possible!”

The Round 3 Racing crew will have to wait nearly two months to return to race action, heading to Sebring International Raceway, October 28-30, for another doubleheader weekend. The Sebring event will mark the penultimate race of the weekend as the 2022 championship heads to a finale in December.

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TPC Racing Takes Title Fight to Texas Finale after Clean and Competitive Porsche Sprint Challenge North America Weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

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Official Release
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  • Season-High Five TPC Racing Entries Leave Wet and Wild Porsche Sports Car Together Fest Weekend at “The Brickyard” Unscathed and with Solid Results
  • David Williams (992) and Michael Levitas (991) Advance in the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America Championship Top-Three Heading into the Season Finale in Two Weeks at Circuit of The Americas (COTA)

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (September 5, 2022) – TPC Racing and its season-high five entries in the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama powered through a wet-and-wild Labor Day Weekend at the Porsche Sports Car Together Fest at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), leaving the “Racing Capital of the World” unscathed and with a string of solid race results across three different series championships.

The second-annual all-Porsche festival and doubleheader race weekend on the 2.439-mile IMS road course within the famous “Brickyard” oval were the next-to-last rounds on the 2022 schedule prior to the season-ending races at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in two weeks. Two of TPC’s three full-season entries came into the holiday race weekend in top-three title contention in their respective championships and left in even better points positions after securing top finishes in both weekend races.

David Williams scored TPC Racing’s best results at Indy with a pair of fourth-place finishes on Saturday and Sunday in the top-tier Porsche 992 class. Williams put together typically consistent and competitive showings in his No. 37 Mission BBQ Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and has provisionally moved up to second from third in the 992 championship standings.

Williams, returning to competition with TPC Racing this year for the first time since 2015, was making his debut at Indianapolis where he nearly reached a third-place podium finish in Saturday’s race. The COTA weekend marks his competition debut on the Austin, Texas Formula 1 circuit.

Williams has moved to second in the 992 championship rankings with 511 points, 53 points out of first place and 47 points ahead of the third-place competitor.

Another TPC Racing championship contender provisionally jumped from third to second in the Porsche Sprint Challenge 991 class for slightly older GT3 Cup models. Michael Levitas ran in the lead pack in both weekend races at Indy, backing up a top-five finish in Saturday’s first race with a sixth-place run in Sunday’s final round in his No. 36 Erin Levitas Foundation/TPC Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

Fifth in the 991 point standings prior to Road America just two races ago, Levitas heads into the season finale at COTA second in the championship just 43 points shy of the leader and 16 points ahead of the third-place competitor.

The third full-season TPC Racing entry competing at Indy was Rob Lorndale in his No. 6 TPC Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in the 991 class. Lorndale was the only TPC competitor that participated in last year’s inaugural Porsche Sports Car Together event at IMS and put that experience to good use as he continues developing his race craft in the competitive Porsche Sprint Challenge arena.

Improving three spots from his qualifying session in each sprint, Lorndale cracked the top-15 in the stacked 991 field in both races. His Saturday race finish of 14th was backed up by a 15th place run in Sunday’s finale.

Canadian driver Shaun McKaigue overcame on-track issues to record some decent 991 results of his own in his first race at Indianapolis in the No. 34 TPC Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. His weekend-best run was 12th on Saturday but he also shook off a contact incident in Sunday’s final race for a top-20 finish. McKaigue returns to TPC in the No. 34 for the season-ending race at COTA.

TPC made its return to the Porsche Sprint Challenge Cayman class at Indy with debuting team driver Rhamses Carazo in the No. 711 TPC Racing Porsche Cayman. After surviving a rain-drenched first race Saturday, Carazo went on a tear in Sunday’s finale, improving nine positions for a 15th place finish in his first full race weekend in five years. Carazo returns to the TPC No. 711 Cayman for the COTA finale.

A three-day weekend event, the Porsche Sprint Challenge season-finale at COTA begins with practice on Friday, September 16. Qualifying Saturday morning sets the stage for the first of two weekend races for both the GT3 and Cayman divisions later that day. Sunday’s final rounds – all races are 35 minutes plus one additional lap – close out the weekend.

Harris Levitas, TPC Racing Director of Race Operations: “It was a real clean weekend. The TPC Racing team did an incredible job all week long. The Porsche Sports Car Together Fest event was really cool, and it was awesome to be out here at Indy for strictly a Porsche-centered event. Everything from GT3 cars to pretty much all of the race cars, it was an amazing sight. All of the TPC Racing cars performed flawlessly. David Williams had his best showing of the year with two solid fourth-place finishes, and his closest ever finish to almost having a podium. He is there, a win is in sight, and he earned solid points to stay well within the top three in the 992 championship. Michael Levitas nearly pulled off a pair of top-five finishes and that was enough for him to advance in the 991 championship. We need to work on his focus on restarts, but he still finished ahead of the car he needed to stay in front of to gain title points. Good for him on that. Rob Lorndale had two solid finishes and just nice clean races, and Shaun McKaigue did the same thing. Unfortunately, in race two Shaun had side-by-side contact and had to pit to inspect the front suspension, but we sent him back out and he still had a pretty solid finish. In the Cayman category, Rhamses Carazo did an amazing job. He hadn’t been racing in five years and was just fantastic behind the wheel. In race one in the pouring rain, he made up some positions at the start, but the race ended under yellow. On Sunday, we had more yellows, but on every start and restart, Rhamses was on it and in total he passed nine cars. Super proud of him, super proud of the entire team and we are just going to take this solid momentum into the season finale at COTA.”

Rhamses Carazo, Driver – No. 711 TPC Racing Porsche Cayman: “The first race was pretty fun. I got stuck in traffic behind two slower cars, so when I finally passed them, I was already behind the pace of the other guys. I pushed my car the most I could, but the race ended with a yellow flag and that was it. I only gained a few positions, but it was a good race. We did very good Sunday from the green flag and gained three or four positions right at the start of the race. I am getting more comfortable in the car. I feel much better in the car now after five years out of it. My pace was pretty good and as planned we finished in the middle of the pack. I think at COTA we can do something a little bit better. I have been there before in another car when I raced in FARA.”

David Williams, Driver – No. 37 Mission BBQ Porsche 911 GT3 Cup: “It was my first time at Indy and it is just a fantastic place. I actually really like the race track. It is a beautiful blend of kind of some high-speed hairy sections and then some low-speed rhythm stuff. On Saturday I had a fantastic car, we just nailed the setup, and I had a really, really good car. I had third-place for a while and lost it there on the next to last lap, but it was still a good day. We had to start on rain tires, and I don’t have a lot of time on wets, so it was good experience for me. On Sunday it was not quite as fulfilling. Still finished fourth in class, but not quite the race I wanted. I just need to keep working on my race craft, but certainly the team did an awesome job supporting me through the whole weekend. I have only been to COTA once, I think it was roughly around 2014 in GT3 Cup with TPC. I am excited to get back to COTA. It’s a big, interesting place and I recall it having its difficult spots. We have a couple of test days going on, which I will value, and Billy Johnson has been doing a great job supporting me and coaching me, so I am looking forward to working with him down there and trying to get up to speed.”

Shaun McKaigue, Driver – No. 34 TPC Racing Porsche 911 GT3: “Great weekend. TPC Racing put a good car on the road for me, the crew did a great job giving me support, and I can’t thank everybody there enough. They all did a great job of helping me out and coaching me, so that was a real bonus, and we really brought our times down in practice and qualified well. Was really happy with that part of it, but race one was a bit of an unusual race, and I had an unfortunate incident – a bit of a spin – but I managed to still place decently. In race two, I had an unfortunate incident again, but great racing and everyone at TPC was wonderful. We recovered and I just kept running my own race. That was the best I could do with that, but it was a little unusual Saturday running rain tires on a drying track. It made it very interesting but just a great experience. I learned a lot and I am really looking forward to COTA with all of the experience now that I have gained. I have to say, the Indianapolis facility itself is so spectacular, it’s pristine, so clean and run so well. The track itself is a lot of fun, quite challenging, but especially for an infield track, it’s a lot of fun.”

Rob Lorndale, Driver – No. 6 TPC Racing Porsche 911 GT3: “I am feeling very good about the races at Indy, especially the second race. I was in the thick of it and put together my best laps of the weekend in the race. I was able to pull off some nice passes which is something our coach Billy Johnson and I have been talking through, being able to pass more effectively and more efficiently during races. It was a positive from that standpoint. It certainly helped that I had been at Indy before. It was not as difficult to pick up the track as it might have been if it were new to me. What I found is that from practice session one the track felt familiar, and I was able to build from there. Comparing how I felt last year at Indy to this year, there was vast improvement. I was much faster, and that is always a good feeling.”

About TPC Racing: TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sportscars. TPC Racing specializes in R&D and sales of high-performance modifications for Porsche sports cars and race cars, offering a wide range of vehicle upgrades. Best known for a line of forced induction solutions for the Porsche 911, Cayman and Boxster, a long-time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled TPC Racing to become experts in Porsche service, tuning, and racing. In 2000, TPC Racing began entering races under its own banner, scoring an SGS-class Championship in 2004 in the Grand-American Rolex Series and was a class winner in the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona, and captured the 2013 and 2016 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA Gold Cup Championships. More information can be found at www.TPCRacing.com.

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