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TOYOTA RACING – NOAPS Indianapolis Post-Race Report – 07.25.26

By
Official Release
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SAWALICH DELIVERS SECOND STRAIGHT TOP-FIVE FINISH AT INDY
Solid day for Joe Gibbs Racing with all four Supras in the top-12

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (July 25, 2026) – William Sawalich earned his second straight top-five finish as he brought his Supra home in fifth overall to lead Toyota in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Sawalich led several laps and scored stage points in both stages to close the gap to the Chase field with two races remaining in the regular season.

Sawalich led a strong Joe Gibbs Racing performance as the team put four Supras in the top-12. Rookie of the Year leader Brent Crews finished sixth, while Brandon Jones was ninth and Taylor Gray was scored 12th.

TOYOTA RACING Post-Race Recap
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS)
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Race 22 of 33 – 250 miles, 100 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Carson Kvapil*
2nd, Justin Allgaier*
3rd, Ross Chastain*
4th, Chase Elliott*
5th, WILLIAM SAWALICH
6th, BRENT CREWS
9th, BRANDON JONES
12th, TAYLOR GRAY
18th, HARRISON BURTON
21st, DEAN THOMPSON
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

WILLIAM SAWALICH, No. 18 SoundGear Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

What was it like out there?

“We led a few laps until the JRM (JR Motorsports) freight train blew by. It was just tough to be up there without any help. I think our SoundGear GR Supra was pretty good today. Good result but were looking for a little bit more heading into Iowa.”

BRENT CREWS, No. 19 YoungLife Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 6th

Heck of a comeback today, tell us about your race.

“Thank you. We passed a lot of cars with our YoungLife Supra. We went back and forth, back and forth there. We didn’t get to practice and had to put on a new splitter, so that first run we were just crashing the splitter and falling back a lot. After 10 laps, I felt like we were really good, got up to the front and had a good day going, and then obviously that pit stop happened. I think we went from 36th to sixth in about 30 laps, so about a car a lap. Really happy for this team, and excited to head to Iowa.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of over 50 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

CHEVROLET NCS: Hocevar, Suarez Sweeps Front Row for the 2026 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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NASCAR Cup Series
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Brickyard 400
Team Chevy Post-Qualifying Report
July 25, 2026

Hocevar, Suarez Sweeps Front Row for the 2026 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 STARTING LINEUP:
1st – Carson Hocevar
2nd – Daniel Suarez
6th – Michael McDowell
8th – Alex Bowman
9th – AJ Allmendinger
10th – Kyle Larson

  •  In just his third career NASCAR Cup Series start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar will lead the field to the green flag from the pole position for the 2026 Brickyard 400. The pole – Chevrolet’s fifth of the season and 11th all-time in NASCAR’s premier series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – came after the Michigan native laid down a lap of 48.232 seconds, at 186.598 mph, around the famed 2.5-mile Indiana oval.
  • With a qualifying lap of 48.288 seconds in his No. 7 Chevrolet, Daniel Suarez landed second on the speed chart to give the Spire Motorsports pairing a front row sweep for the second time this season – an effort also accomplished by the teammates at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this season.
  • Saturday’s qualifying session for NASCAR’s premier series ended with Chevrolet earning the highest representation in the top-10 of the starting lineup for the crown jewel event. Michael McDowell posted a sixth-place qualifying effort to give all three Spire Motorsports entries a starting position within the top-10. Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson were eighth and 10th, respectively, with Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger in ninth.

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet – Pole Win Quotes

Carson, if you win tomorrow’s Brickyard 400, how are you going to top that Talladega celebration?

“I don’t know. I don’t think the track is longer, but the grandstands are a little longer, so I could find plenty of other stuff to do. But I don’t know… I think it will just kind of come to me. I don’t want to say it out loud because I think Roger Penske would kill me if he knew some of the ideas I had. But also, too, there’s tradition here, so you’ve got to really watch yourself a little bit. But yeah, they were getting pumped up after qualifying, so I can’t imagine how loud they would be if we do win.”

With you being on the pole, some of the guys that are in the rear of the field, do you think they’re going to have to do some fuel strategy or flipping the stage and all that to kind of stay up with the lack of passing in this race?

“Yeah, I’m sure they will. It’s a really good thing that they pay my crew guys a lot of money to figure that out for me. If I had to do more than just drive the car around in circles, we would all be screwed (laughs). Luckily, they’ve got really smart guys to know what the guys behind us are doing and the guys around us from a fuel strategy and pit strategy standpoint. I feel like it’s a lot easier to stay up front than get up front, especially on the fuel side of it. You’ve got to take your lumps at some point. Ultimately, hopefully, pit stall one helps, too.”

What is the significance of having a pole win here at a place like this for the Brickyard 400?

“Yeah, it’s just cool for me to get anything here (at Indianapolis Motor Speedway). If I was 20 years into my career and I hadn’t won anything in Indy, I’d look into a marathon or something, just so I could get an award here. It doesn’t matter what it is, it’s just really cool to get something here. I get to look out at the backstretch behind this media center here and there’s a parking lot with a bunch of rubber. That’s where I grew up racing quarter midgets. I have a few bricks from that, and now, I can cherish a pole award at least on my third time here. Hopefully, that can give us a good advantage for tomorrow. Anything here is super important, just because the prestige of this place really raises everybody’s intensity. Everybody’s trying here, if not a little bit more, because they know how much it means to everybody. Yeah, it’s super cool.”

With you going off to all these galas and big events, do you need poles and wins more than others just to say, ‘OK, yes, I’m doing these things, but I’m also performing’?

“Yeah, well, the fuel for the jets to all these places isn’t cheap, as well as the dirt late model stuff we run and everything. We’ve got to sell a lot of t-shirts, and people buy t-shirts for winners and pole award winners. The more t-shirts we can sell, the more cool galas, fun dirt races and stuff we can go to. My boss, Jeff (Dickerson), isn’t getting questioned of why we’re spending money.

But yeah, a pole award hopefully helps. I was in a dirt race a few days ago. It has no translation to Indianapolis Motor Speedway qualifying, but now I can sit here and say ‘yeah, I need to be in more dirt late model races because obviously it works’. At least that’s the excuse I’m going to use.”

You’ve been really stacking up just small victories here, one thing after another. You’re clearly not an overnight success, but if we could use that with you this year, it seems like you’ve been an overnight success. Is there a certain driver that maybe you aspired to be like when you were growing up, that you just kind of emulate where you’re at in your career now, or is this just part of the plan?

“Yeah, I was a massive Dale Jr. fan. I just get to have fun doing and racing how I want to race. All these guys are guys I couldn’t have predicted racing with, and them allowing me to prep how I want to prep, race how I want to race, say and do the things I want to say, and spend my off days doing what I want to do. I feel like it’s a unique situation that I’m in, but I feel like if you were sitting here and asked the same question, I think they’d be like, he’s a pretty unique driver too, I guess. So, I guess it’s mutual.”

You posted earlier this week the prototype of your first win diecast car from Talladega. I guess you knew that was coming, the afterglow and the after effects of getting that win, but what is it like to actually see that become a reality?

“It’s super cool for me to see that car with all the markings. I still remember it super vividly. It’s just fun that the real life car has been assembled and re-ran. But for me, I get to almost relive it with the diecast a little bit and get to see all the details they put into it. It’s almost as if they get to roll the car back into a showroom. Maybe 15 years ago with the old car, they could have rolled that over and retired that car. But with the Next Gen car, you’re like, ‘okay, cool, it’s Talladega, all right, we’re going to line this thing up for Richmond or something’. It just runs everywhere with these cars.”

How did the track today feel to you all the way around?

“It felt good to me. It felt smooth. Somebody asked me what I thought about the racetrack with bumps, and I was like, yeah, I didn’t even know there were bumps. I just love running around this track. I could do it all day long.”

What is your favorite Brickyard 400 that you’ve watched or seen?

“Man, honestly, it’s not a race. The one I always loved watching was the tire test from, I believe, 1992. The first tire test before they put the grass in. I love watching that because they’re running on the apron, so the second lane actually has more banking. They’re running the top, and the guys on the bottom are getting loose. And then, I believe they tested in ‘93 and then raced ‘94. They retested in ‘93 with the grass and stuff, and it was a lot more single file. It’s really funny for me to hear Rusty Wallace and AJ Foyt complain about dirty air. So I was like, ah, hell, you look at Twitter, that wasn’t a thing. You know, in the 1990s, there was no such thing. So it was really funny to hear that in ’93. There were some races here and there that the finish was cool, but Dale Jr. never really ran great here, so I was like, I’ll just stick to watching the Indy 500. I loved watching the 500, obviously. But from the Cup side, I was just watching the ’92 tire test and all the old footage.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future.

GM Motorsports, including the Cadillac Formula 1® Team develops and proves advanced technologies in the most demanding environments, accelerating innovation in performance, safety, efficiency, and electrification for its production vehicles. Cadillac Racing is one of the leading manufacturers in the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships (WEC). Chevrolet competes in single seaters in the US IndyCar series, and in NASCAR with multiple team partners and drivers. Corvette customer teams compete in GT series across the globe including IMSA and WEC. Learn more at GM.com.

Ford Racing NASCAR: Brickyard 400 Qualifying

By
Official Release
-

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Brickyard 400 Qualifying – Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Saturday, July 25, 2026

Ford Qualifying Results:

13th – Ryan Blaney

15th – Chris Buescher

16th – Brad Keselowski

19th – Joey Logano

26th – Josh Berry

30th – Zane Smith

33rd – Noah Gragson

34th – Ryan Preece

35th – Austin Cindric

36th – Todd Gilliland

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Kroger/Minute Rice Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “This is what we come to the racetrack for every week is to figure out how to put a trophy up on the shelf and bring the team to Victory Lane. Obviously, there’s a little extra history when we come to Indy and a racetrack that’s been here well over 100 years at this point. With NASCAR’s history here over the last 30ish years, I think it’s important to note that it’s become part of our history as well and there’s a lot that goes into this race weekend. It means a lot to us. We’ve been really good this weekend so far. I’m pretty disappointed with myself on our qualifying lap. I feel like I did not maximize and that’s got us starting deeper than we would have liked. We’ve got some work to do tomorrow, but we’re certainly capable of it.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Body Guard by Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We had a really tough stretch in June and we lost a lot of points. We were sitting in the top 10 and then DNF’d in probably three or four races in a row there. Some of it was our fault and some if it was not, and we’ve got to have more weeks like we had in North Wilkesboro. If we do what we did in North Wilkesboro the next four or five weeks, we’ll be just fine.” IT SOUNDS SIMPLE. “You need to have those races where you score 30-plus points for the next four or five weeks. Mathematically, that’ll get us there and I think we feel like we can do that. We just can’t have bad races.”

RYAN PREECE, No. 60 Thornton’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT WOULD IT MEAN FOR YOU TO KISS THE BRICKS HERE? “I grew up coming here as a kid in quarter midgets. They used to have it, it was called the JSCA Nationals. We were at Gasoline Alley, so I have a couple of rings from that when we were eight or nine years old, so this place has always been pretty special to my father and myself, so it would mean a lot.” WHAT IS YOUR VIEW OF THE BRICKYARD 400 AS A CROWN JEWEL EVENT? “When you drive into Indianapolis Motor Speedway, do you feel the aura of this place? I think that says it.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Not seeing any track time definitely doesn’t help or give you much confidence in what to do with the car, especially when the conditions are as different as they are. Speeds are a lot faster. I think we figured out the source of our issue after the session was over. Unfortunately, we kind of went through everything but what we thought was the issue, so I feel as though the car should be good for the race.” ELECTRICAL? “Yes, electrical.” HOW DOES A DEEP STARTING POSITION AFFECT YOU? “This is a restart and strategy race more than any of them really, so being able to be this far behind early is a disadvantage for sure, but I think there are a lot of options and a lot of opportunities. We still have to give ourselves opportunities to get points throughout the day, but I’ve started deeper than this and finished well, too. It’s a long race.”

Carson Hocevar wins the pole for the 2026 Brickyard 400

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Adam Lovelace for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Carson Hocevar scored the Busch Light Pole Award for the 2026 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) on Saturday, July 25.

The event’s starting lineup was determined through an on-track qualifying session that consisted of a single-car, single-lap qualifying format. During the session, each of the 39 competitors vying for 39 starting spots cycled around IMS once to post the fastest lap amongst one another. The competitor who posted the single fastest lap was awarded the pole position.

During the session, Hocevar, who was the seventh-fastest competitor during Friday’s practice session and was the 30th of 39 competitors to qualify, posted a single-lap qualifying run at 186.598 mph in 48.232 seconds. The lap was enough for the Portage, Michigan, native to maintain the top-starting spot and notch the biggest pole position of his career.

With the pole, Hocevar became the 22nd competitor to win the pole position for the Brickyard 400. He also notched his third NASCAR Cup Series career pole, the fourth for Spire Motorsports and the duo’s first since Texas Motor Speedway in early May. The pole achievement brought both joy and enthusiasm for Hocevar and the Indiana fans as the latter group cheered once Hocevar raised both arms victoriously with the pole sealed.

“It’s just unbelievable,” Hocevar said. “I don’t know if [the fans]’re cheering just because I beat Denny [Hamlin] or just the fact that we’re on the front row, but I’m super pumped. Denny stole one from me from Michigan. This is hometown for [co-owner] Jeff [Dickerson] and everybody at Spire. It’s just fun to use our own notes for the last two years and get these cars better and faster and just enjoy it. These guys work really hard. It’s 200+ people in the shop at Spire Motorsports…they put so much in Indy. They put so much in this program, they put so much into Spire, so to be on the front row with Daniel and everybody, I’m just pumped. It’s so cool. I l just love this racetrack, I love Indy, and this crowd’s pretty awesome.”

Hocevar will share the front row with teammate Daniel Suarez, the latter of whom qualified with the second-fastest lap at 186.382 mph in 48.288 seconds and posted his first front row start for the Brickyard 400 for the first time ever. Ironically, Sunday’s Brickyard 400 will mark the second time this season that Spire Motorsports’ Hocevar and Suarez will start on the front row for a Cup event after both achieved a similar feat at Texas.

Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs and Denny Hamlin, the latter of whom was the last competitor to qualify, will start in the top five. Michael McDowell, Corey Heim, Alex Bowman, AJ Allmendinger and Kyle Larson completed the top-10 starting grid, respectively. Notably, Bubba Wallace, the reigning Brickyard 400 winner, will start in 29th place and Joey Logano, winner of last weekend’s Cup event at North Wilkesboro Speedway, qualified in 19th place.

With 39 competitors vying for 39 starting spots, all made the main event.

Indianapolis – Qualifying Position, Best Speed, Best Time:

  1. Carson Hocevar, 186.598 mph, 48.232 seconds
  2. Daniel Suarez, 186.382 mph, 48.288 seconds
  3. Tyler Reddick, 186.077 mph, 48.367 seconds
  4. Ty Gibbs, 185.966 mph, 49.396 seconds
  5. Denny Hamlin, 185.835 mph, 48.430 seconds
  6. Michael McDowell, 185.762 mph, 48.449 seconds
  7. Corey Heim, 185.456 mph, 48.529 seconds
  8. Alex Bowman, 185.368 mph, 48.552 seconds
  9. AJ Allmendinger, 185.345 mph, 48.558 seconds
  10. Kyle Larson, 185.315 mph, 48.566 seconds
  11. Chase Briscoe, 185.269 mph, 48.578 seconds
  12. Cole Custer, 185.265 mph, 48.579 seconds
  13. Ryan Blaney, 185.197 mph, 48.597 seconds
  14. Erik Jones, 185.060 mph, 48.633 seconds
  15. Chris Buescher, 184.991 mph, 48.651 seconds
  16. Brad Keselowski, 184.896 mph, 48.676 seconds
  17. John Hunter Nemechek, 184.877 mph, 48.681 seconds
  18. Riley Herbst, 184.782 mph, 48.706 seconds
  19. Joey Logano, 184.699 mph, 48.728 seconds
  20. Austin Dillon, 184.699 mph, 48.728 seconds
  21. William Byron, 184.574 mph, 48.761 seconds
  22. Ross Chastain, 184.540 mph, 48.770 seconds
  23. Christopher Bell, 184.287 mph, 48.837 seconds
  24. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 184.245 mph, 48.848 seconds
  25. Shane van Gisbergen, 184.237 mph, 48.850 seconds
  26. Josh Berry, 184.128 mph, 48.879 seconds
  27. Chase Elliott, 183.887 mph, 48.943 seconds
  28. Ty Dillon, 183.869 mph, 48.948 seconds
  29. Bubba Wallace, 183.861 mph, 48.950 seconds
  30. Zane Smith, 183.494 mph, 49.048 seconds
  31. Connor Zilisch, 183.132 mph, 49.145 seconds
  32. Austin Hill, 183.083 mph, 49.158 seconds
  33. Noah Gragson, 182.990 mph, 49.183 seconds
  34. Ryan Preece, 182.786 mph, 49.238 seconds
  35. Austin Cindric, 182.726 mph, 49.254 seconds
  36. Todd Gilliland, 182.726 mph, 49.254 seconds
  37. Cody Ware, 182.072 mph, 49.431 seconds
  38. Casey Mears, 179.522 mph, 50.133 seconds
  39. Daniel Dye, 178.962 mph, 50.290 seconds

The 2026 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is scheduled to occur on Sunday, July 26, at 2 p.m. ET on TNT Sports, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network, SiriusXM and HBO MAX.

Sheldon Creed wins first O’Reilly pole of 2026 at Indianapolis

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Adam Lovelace for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Sheldon Creed qualified on the pole position for the Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) on Saturday, July 25.

The event’s starting lineup was determined through an on-track qualifying session that consisted of a single-car, single-lap qualifying format. During the session, each of the 38 competitors vying for 38 starting spots cycled around IMS once to post the fastest lap amongst one another. The competitor who posted the single fastest lap was awarded the pole position.

During the session, Creed, who was the 14th-fastest competitor during Friday’s practice session and was the 20th of 38 competitors to qualify, utilized his one-lap qualifying trial to post a lap at 169.591 mph in 53.069 seconds. The lap was enough for Creed to retain the top-starting spot for Saturday afternoon’s main event at IMS. 

With the pole, Creed notched his fifth NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series career pole position, his first at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and his first since EchoPark Speedway in July 2025. The Alpine, California, native also recorded the second consecutive O’Reilly pole for Haas Factory Team at Indianapolis. Creed’s best result at Indianapolis is fifth place from the 2024 season as he strives to finish four places higher and contend for his second victory of the 2026 O’Reilly campaign.

Creed will share the front row with Carson Kvapil, the latter of whom posted his fastest qualifying lap at 169.498 mph in 53.098 seconds and is coming off a runner-up result at EchoPark Speedway. Sam Mayer, Jeremy Clements and Taylor Gray will start in the top-five. Brandon Jones, Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, William Sawalich and Sammy Smith completed the top-10 starting grid, respectively. Notably, Justin Allgaier, the points leader and winner of the recent O’Reilly event at EchoPark Speedway, will start in 13th place.

With 38 competitors vying for 38 starting spots, all made the main event.

Indianapolis – Qualifying Position, Best Speed, Best Time:

  1. Sheldon Creed, 169.591 mph, 53.069 seconds
  2. Carson Kvapil, 169.498 mph, 53.098 seconds
  3. Sam Mayer, 169.246 mph, 53.177 seconds
  4. Jeremy Clements, 168.789 mph, 53.321 seconds
  5. Taylor Gray, 168.700 mph, 53.349 seconds
  6. Brandon Jones, 168.618 mph, 53.375 seconds
  7. Chase Elliott, 168.508 mph, 53.410 seconds
  8. Ross Chastain, 168.464 mph, 53.424 seconds
  9. William Sawalich, 168.448 mph, 53.429 seconds
  10. Sammy Smith, 168.231 mph, 53.498 seconds
  11. Corey Day, 168.205 mph, 53.506 seconds
  12. Jeb Burton, 168.196 mph, 53.509 seconds
  13. Justin Allgaier, 168.190 mph, 53.511 seconds
  14. Ryan Sieg, 168.139 mph, 53.527 seconds
  15. Brent Crews, 168.070 mph, 53.549 seconds
  16. Rajah Caruth, 167.716 mph, 53.662 seconds
  17. Parker Retzlaff, 167.657 mph, 53.681 seconds
  18. Patrick Staropoli, 167.227 mph, 53.819 seconds
  19. Austin Hill, 167.128 mph, 53.851 seconds
  20. Anthony Alfredo, 167.100 mph, 53.860 seconds
  21. Mason Maggio, 167.050 mph, 53.876 seconds
  22. Kyle Sieg, 166.657 mph, 54.003 seconds
  23. Nick Sanchez, 166.599 mph, 54.022 seconds
  24. Harrison Burton, 166.442 mph, 54.073 seconds
  25. Dean Thompson, 166.408 mph, 54.084 seconds
  26. Jesse Love, 166.276 mph, 54.127 seconds
  27. Blaine Perkins, 166.184 mph, 54.157 seconds
  28. Brennan Poole, 165.758 mph, 54.296 seconds
  29. Preston pardus, 165.578 mph, 54.355 seconds
  30. Garrett Smithley, 165.229 mph, 54/470 seconds
  31. Lavar Scott, 165.062 mph, 54.525 seconds
  32. Josh Bilicki, 164.396 mph, 54.746 seconds
  33. Ryan Ellis, Owner Points
  34. JJ Yeley, Owner Points
  35. Joey Gase, Owner Points
  36. Nathan Byrd, Owner Points
  37. Blake Lothian, Owner Points
  38. David Starr, Owner Points

The 2026 Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is scheduled to occur on Saturday, July 25, at 4 p.m. ET on the CW Network, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network, and SiriusXM.

Beyond Miami: Why Tampa Is Florida’s Next Luxury Car Rental Hotspot

By
SM
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Photo by depositphotos at https://depositphotos.com/

Florida exotic car rentals are synonymous with Miami for years, and it’s not surprising with the likes of South Beach, Brickell, and Wynwood. A less obvious change has been taking place in the state, however. Tampa is slowly emerging as the second busiest market for luxury travel in Florida, with business travelers, yacht owners docking along Tampa Bay, and vacationers using Tampa as a base to explore Florida’s Gulf Coast. As the same class of exotic and luxury cars, available in Miami, has developed, so has the demand for them in the West.

What’s fueling the growth of luxury travel in Tampa?

Tampa’s appeal is no coincidence. The city has poured significant resources into its downtown waterfront; its business district has seen an increasing number of corporate relocations and headquarters; and its marina facilities have made it an increasingly popular stop for private yacht owners cruising the Gulf. Then throw in a constant flow of conference and convention visitors coming and going through the Tampa Convention Center, and you have a city that has a need for a premium transportation experience that doesn’t fit the rental car counter model.

Much of this demand has been stimulated by business travelers. A car that seems good enough for a corporate office, a client dinner, and a weekend trip to the coast is worth it – and that’s what the exotic rental market has taken over. The Mercedes-AMG G63 fits Tampa perfectly for a number of reasons.

The Mercedes-AMG G63 fits Tampa perfectly for a number of reasons.

Among the vehicles that are making headway in this growing market, the Mercedes-AMG G63 is definitely the most popular, particularly in matte black. It’s a car defined by its contradictions – boxy, upright, almost utilitarian in silhouette, yet with a twin-turbo V8 that brings it firmly into the realm of supercars when it comes to performance. It’s equally believable that it’s parked outside a high-rise in downtown Tampa on a business trip and driving down a gravel driveway near the coast on a weekend vacation.

The G63 is a solution to a problem that a Ferrari or Lamborghini can’t solve: it’s not too much in the business world. It respectively looks great in the parking garage next to other executive cars and yet it is clearly a Mercedes-AMG from the moment the engine starts.
The ways rental providers are expanding to meet Tampa demand.The ways rental providers are expanding to meet Tampa demand.
Exotic car rental providers like Amani Miami have begun to expand their car rental fleets directly into Tampa instead of it being an afterthought. That means the same cars that are available in South Florida – the G63 AMG, Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Cullinan Spectre, the Lamborghini Urus lineup – are now available with the same delivery and pickup options as they would be in Miami. That translates to the same booking process, white-glove delivery experience, and fleet quality for a business traveler flying in to Tampa International, but with a different set of hotels.

A Market Worth Watching

This regional expansion is part of a larger trend in the luxury travel economy in Florida: The high-net-worth traveler isn’t just staying in South Beach and Brickell. The business and waterfront development in Tampa is continuing to expand and so will the demand for renting out exotic cars there. If you’re thinking of a Tampa vacation that requires more than just a rental counter experience, it’s definitely worth considering a G63 AMG rental and getting it delivered to Tampa well in advance of your travel dates, especially during busy business travel times when availability is limited the most.

Front Row Motorsports: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park NCTS Race Report- Layne Riggs / Chandler Smith

By
Official Release
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Layne Riggs | Chandler Smith
Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race Report
Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park 200
Date: Friday, July 24, 2026
Event: Race 16 of 25
Series: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Location: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (0.686-miles)
Length of Race: 200 laps over one hour, 42 minutes, eight seconds

FRM Finish:

Layne Riggs (Started 1st, Finished 1st / Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Layne Riggs (Started 2nd, Finished 4th / Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)

FRM Points Standings:

Layne Riggs (1st)
Chandler Smith (3rd)

Layne Riggs Key Takeaways

Stage One: 1st / Stage Two: 1st / Race Result: 1st

“I just feel like we’ve finally perfected every part that we need,” said Riggs. “I’m super confident coming to every single racetrack. I know exactly what it takes to go fast. That’s three poles now. I’ve got the win tonight. It was just an amazing truck and it’s just fine-tuning the little things, going to these tracks for the second, third, fourth time and seeing them and knowing exactly what it takes to win at these places after getting my teeth kicked in at some other ones. I’m super proud of everybody. Man, what a truck. Thank you to all of our partners – BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing, BKB 57 in London tomorrow night. Everybody tune in on Vice TV. It’s going to be a brawl as you see on the quarterpanel. Ford Racing, all of your help. They give us the tools to go fast. These guys make my job easy and I think we’re just going to keep carrying on that momentum. It’s a statement win. I think we’re the ones to beat, for sure.”

Chandler Smith Key Takeaways

Stage One: 3rd / Stage Two: 3rd / Race Result: 4th

“We wanted to go out before the Chase starts and try to collect as many wins and stage points as possible to have good momentum going into the Chase,” said Smith. “Nevertheless, a top five finish today. The truck wasn’t ever really where I wanted it to be. The few times that I did contend for the lead with Layne, I just couldn’t contend with the 34 truck tonight. That truck was very similar to what I experienced last week, so I understand what it feels like to be on the receiving end now. Congrats to the 34 crew. I’m happy for them and proud of them and all of Front Row Motorsports. That’s back-to-back wins, two weeks in a row, and that’s really cool for the organization. I think we’ve got a little bit of a break now, which I’m not really looking forward to that, but I’m looking forward to the next few races coming up.”

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS

Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization competing in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Founded in 2004 by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, FRM has earned top honors including a 2021 Daytona 500 victory and the 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship. Based in Mooresville, N.C., FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and No. 38 entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, along with the No. 34 and No. 38 teams in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. For more information, visit FrontRowMotorsports.com and follow Front Row Motorsports on social media — X: @Team_FRM, Instagram: @teamfrm, Tik Tok: @Team_FRM, YouTube: @FrontRowNASCAR, and Facebook: facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

ARCA Menards Series / ARCA Menards East at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park Post-Race Notes

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Official Release
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  • Kaden Honeycutt (No. 17 Mohawk Northeast / MMI Services Toyota) scored his second career ARCA Menards Series victory and his second win of the season in Friday’s LiUNA! 150 Presented by Ideal Garage Door at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.Honeycutt’s previous victory this season came in the opening act of a same-day doubleheader with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series; his win tonight at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park was also the opener of a same-day doubleheader with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
  • Thomas Annunziata (No. 70 JBL.com Toyota) matched his best career ARCA Menards Series oval track finish with his fourth career runner-up finish. Annunziata, who won at Lime Rock Park two weeks ago, also finished second in his series debut at Daytona International Speedway in 2024 and earlier this season at Toledo Speedway and Berlin Raceway.
  • Annunziata unofficially closed the gap in the battle for the ARCA Menards Series championship to just three points; leader Jake Bollman (No. 20 Nitro Motorsports Toyota) finished in seventh to give up five points in the battle for the crown.
  • Sioux Chief PowerPEX Pole Award winner Carson Brown (No. 28 Grizzly Coolers Chevrolet) led early before giving up the lead to Honeycutt. Brown cut Honeycutt’s advantage from over 2 seconds to a matter of car lengths inside of the final 20 laps, and even nosed ahead to lead a couple of laps but Honeycutt was able to return the favor in traffic. Brown eventually lost power momentarily with just six laps to go to lose second position, but the car came back to life and he was able to maintain the third position.
  • The battle for the ARCA Menards Series East championship took a big turn as leader Tristan McKee (No. 77 Freeway Chevrolet) was involved in an early incident while battling for position with his championship rival Max Reaves (No. 18 Cook Out Toyota). Reaves was able to continue with no damage, but McKee spent 43 laps in the garage area making repairs, resulting in a 34th-place finish. With his ninth-place finish, Reaves unofficially takes the lead in the ARCA Menards East standings by just five points over McKee with three races remaining.
  • Gavan Boschele (No. 25 ShopGavan.com Toyota) finished fourth, his fifth top-five finish in six starts so far this season. Boschele was also doing double duty in Friday; he made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut driving a Toyota for TRICON Garage.
  • Reigning ARCA Menards East champion Isaac Kitzmiller (No. 79 A.L.L. Construction / Carter CAT Chevrolet) had a solid night, finish in the fifth position. It’s his second career ARCA Menards Series top-five finish and his fourth top-five in five ARCA Menards East starts in 2026.
  • Andrew Patterson (No. 40 Habegger / WinSupply Chevrolet) finished sixth, his first top-ten finish of 2026 and best finish since he finished second at Salem in September.
  • Ashton Higgins (No. 15 Alliance Driveway Solutions Toyota) finished seventh in his first ARCA Menards Series start since he finished 19th in his series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2022.
  • Hometown hero Zachary Tinkle (No. 53 Racing for Rescues Toyota) scored his second consecutive top-ten finish in his family-owned ride in the tenth position. Tinkle hails from nearby Speedway, Indiana and lives just seven miles from Lucas Oil Indianapolis Speedway.
  • The next race for the ARCA Menards Series is the JR & CO 150, a combination race with the ARCA Menards Series East at Iowa Speedway on Friday, August 7. The race, set to begin at 7 pm ET / 6 pm CT, will be televised live on FS1 and broadcast on select affiliates of the MRN Radio network nationwide. ARCARacing.com will have live timing & scoring data throughout all on-track activity and live race audio. Follow @ARCA_Racing on X (formerly Twitter) for up-to-the-minute updates.

About ARCA 
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum in Toledo, Ohio, and acquired by NASCAR in April 2018, is the leading grassroots stock car sanctioning body in the United States. Bridging the gap between NASCAR’s top three national touring series and weekly and regional tour racing all across the country, the organization to sanctions over 100 races per year in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, ASA STARS National Tour, ASA CRA Super Series, ASA Midwest Tour, ASA Southern Super Series plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways. For more information about ARCA visit , or follow ARCA on Facebook (@ARCARacing) and Twitter (@ARCA_Racing). 

About Menards
A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states.  Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building.  You’ll find a large selection of lumber, roofing, siding, construction blocks, trusses, doors and windows, plus cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, paint, plumbing supplies and more.  To complete the job, Menards has quality hand tools, power tools, fasteners, electrical tools plus storage options and supplies for everyone from the weekend warrior to the pro!
 
Menards has what you need to complete your outdoor projects and keep your yard in tip-top shape including mowers, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers and more, plus a beautiful garden center stocked with plants, shrubs, trees, landscaping tools, grass seed, fertilizer options, outdoor décor and patio furniture.  Menards also has everyday essentials like health & beauty products, housewares, pet and wildlife supplies, automotive items and even groceries.  And at Christmas, an Enchanted Forest display area with impressive trees, lighting, decorations, ornaments, inflatables and more. 

Menards is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too!  For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.

2026 Niece Motorsports NCTS Race Recap: Indianapolis Raceway Park

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Official Release
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NCTS RACE RECAP: LUCAS OIL INDIANAPOLIS RACEWAY PARK
Event: TSport 200 (200 laps / 137.2 miles)
Round: 16 of 25 (Regular Season)
Track: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Date & Time: Friday, July 24 | 8:00 PM ET

No. 44 Acceptance Insurance Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Andrés Perez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers

Start: 10th | Stage 1: 11th | Stage 2: 11th
Finish: 11th | Driver Points: 13th | Owner Points: 19th

Read Andrés’ Bio

  • Key Takeaway: Andrés Pérez de Lara and the Acceptance Insurance team put together a solid outing in Indianapolis. Pérez de Lara qualified the highest out of his Niece Motorsports teammates with his fourth top-10 start of the season, and just barely missed out on extra points by finishing 11th in stage one and two. The No. 44 Silverado was in position to capture a top-10 finish, but got tangled up with a lapped truck with less than five laps to go. Pérez de Lara crossed the finish line in 11th-place.
  • Andrés Pérez de Lara’s Post-Race Thoughts: “I had a really fun night here in IRP. I think our truck was really, really fast, so it was a solid day overall. I wish we could have kept our top-10, but we just got caught up in a mess with a lapped truck at the end which really killed our chances at getting it. It’s very frustrating to lose it there in the last couple laps after such a strong and solid day, but we’ll take the positives out of tonight. It’s good to run like that on a short track, and we’ve got two more ahead of us, so hopefully we can keep it up.”

About Acceptance Insurance: Acceptance Insurance is a proud member of Confie, the largest personal lines agency in the U.S. We believe in investing in the communities we serve by offering affordable insurance solutions so our customers can have peace of mind. Our agents and team members uphold our values, which include promoting excellence, responsibility and caring.

Acceptance has been in business for over 50 years. We have over 700 agents in over 288 neighborhood locations ready to give you the service, respect and savings you deserve. We come to you so you can find the solutions you need, regardless of your background and driving record. We offer easy solutions to meet your unique needs.

No. 42 Operator Standard Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Parker Eatmon | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski

Start: 14th | Stage 1: 10th | Stage 2: 13th
Finish: 12th | Driver Points: 33rd | Owner Points: 24th

Read Parker’s Bio

  • Key Takeaway: Parker Eatmon and the Operator Standard team ran well all night long at IRP. Eatmon started the 200-lap race in 14th and drove inside the top-10 at the end of the first stage. The No. 42 team held serve after stalling on pit road on the first stop of the night, but stayed in the hunt through stage two. Keeping his cool, Eatmon remained on the lead lap all race long. He earned his career-best finish of 12th-place in just his third NCTS start.
  • Parker Eatmon’s Post-Race Thoughts: “I’m pretty happy with the way our night went at IRP. We weren’t too good on the short run, but our long run truck was really good. I knew that we would be solid after practice, and I just can’t thank Landon Polinski enough for working on it and giving me a good Operator Standard Silverado all night. There were a bunch of different lanes we could run out there. I was predominantly running the top, and it was a lot of fun. Overall, it was a good night, and we will keep building on this for the next ones to come.”

About Operator Standard: Operator Standard is the first daily operating system for your life. A full-life execution system that builds discipline, identity, and consistency through pressure, structure, accountability, and community. Not a habit tracker, not a mastermind, not a coaching group, not a motivation app. It’s a daily operating system, powered by ARCANE, the AI brain inside the app, designed to turn you into someone who follows through every single day. Nothing on the market works like this. Join 15,000+ Operators who use The Operator Standard to execute, win the day, and become someone they actually respect.

No. 45 J.F. Electric Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Landen Lewis | Crew Chief: Phil Gould

Start: 20th | Stage 1: 15th | Stage 2: 15th
Finish: 35th | Driver Points: 24th | Owner Points: 8th

Read Landen’s Bio

  • Key Takeaway: Landen Lewis and the J.F. Electric team had a tough night in Indianapolis. Lewis started the race in 20th-place, but passed a handful of trucks in the first stage. Despite losing a lap, the No. 45 team made significant progress with the handling after making adjustments in stage two. Lewis was fighting for the free pass in the final stage when two trucks made contact directly in front of him. With nowhere to escape, Lewis got collected in a hard crash. He was credited with a 35th-place finish with an early exit.
  • Landen Lewis’ Post-Race Thoughts:

Interviewer: Landen, you told me you were in the wrong spot at the wrong time. What positives can you take from tonight?

“Oh, just a lot of positives for sure. We made the truck way better from stage one to stage two, and I think we were running like the sixth-place lap times which I thought was great. We drove up to ninth without being scored ninth, so I’m just proud of the group effort we had. Our J.F. Electric / Utilitra Chevrolet was really fast tonight. We made it better all night long. I guess we got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. I definitely don’t like to be standing here, but it is what it is and you have those moments throughout racing. It’s just how you come back from them.”

About J.F. Electric: J.F. Electric is an electrical contractor that provides engineering expertise, backed by construction and installation know-how in a diverse range of service offerings, from utilities and commercial projects, to industrial and telecommunications customers. When having a long family history in an industry, a company not only builds on its knowledge and experience, it takes pride in cultivating a solid understanding of client needs, all the while nurturing strong relationships with its employees. Evolving through five generations of the Fowler family, J.F. Electric has matured into a well-managed and thoughtfully diversified electrical contractor which is poised to continue its growth and expansion into the future.

About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team that has competed in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series since 2016. The team is owned by Josh Morris of DQS Solutions and Staffing and the Fowler Family of J.F. Electric and Utilitra, and was founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. At its 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Salisbury, NC, Niece Motorsports is a full-service race vehicle build shop as well as a customizable fabrication shop for any manufacturing needs.

Follow the Team: To keep up to date with the latest team news, visit niecemotorsports.com or connect on Facebook and Instagram (@NieceMotorsports) as well as X (@NieceMotorsport).

Ford Hot Streak Continues as Riggs Wins Truck Series Race at LOIRP

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Official Release
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Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
TSPORT 200 — Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park
Friday, July 24, 2026

FORD HOT STREAK CONTINUES AS RIGGS WINS AT LOIRP

  • Tonight’s repeat win for Layne Riggs is his fifth of the season, a career-best, and matches his total from the previous two years combined.
  • Ford has seven wins this season and five of the last seven overall.
  • Tonight’s victory extends Ford’s winning streak at LOIRP to four after Ty Majeski won back-to-back in 2023 and 2024.
  • Riggs now has 10 career series victories, which is second on the all-time Ford list. Greg Biffle is Ford’s all-time leader with 16.
  • Riggs has won four of the last seven series events, including back-to-back triumphs at Charlotte and Nashville.
  • The win is FRM’s 22nd all-time and seventh in 2026, which is the most for the organization in one season.
  • Riggs has five wins to go with Chandler Smith’s two.
  • Overall, Ford has won 136 series races.

Ford Finishing Results:

1st – Layne Riggs

3rd – Ty Majeski

4th – Chandler Smith

15th – Ben Rhodes

21st – Jake Garcia

23rd – Cole Butcher

29th – Frankie Muniz

30th – Monty Tipton

36th – Jackson Macenko

LAYNE RIGGS, No. 34 BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing Ford F-150 – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW – “I just feel like we’ve finally perfected every part that we need. I’m super confident coming to every single racetrack. I know exactly what it takes to go fast. That’s three poles now. I’ve got the win tonight. It was just an amazing truck and it’s just fine-tuning the little things, going to these tracks for the second, third, fourth time and seeing them and knowing exactly what it takes to win at these places after getting my teeth kicked in at some other ones. I’m super proud of everybody. Man, what a truck.” HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO KEEP THE FOOT ON THE GAS WITH THE CHASE COMING UP? “I think it’s as important as ever. Our only goal is to be the number one seed going into the Chase because with the format it doesn’t really matter. It doesn’t matter if we have every win or are the number one seed by one point, it’s gonna be the same outcome for points when the Chase starts. I think we put a pretty good buffer on everybody tonight. We just have two solid races after this and keep managing that points lead.” YOU SWEPT THE STAGES AND LED ALL BUT TWO LAPS. WHAT DO PERFORMANCES LIKE TONIGHT SAY ABOUT YOU AND THIS TEAM? “I think they’re just statement wins. Man, what a truck. I mean, I was on cruise control there for so much of the race. He kept me honest there at the end. I was honestly those last 15ish laps in traffic I was running as hard as I could and I couldn’t get away from him. I know we had a pretty good gap, so a great job by my spotter, Josh. He did a great job navigating me through traffic. I had that one mishap on the restart and just spun the tires really, really bad and when you get these tires spinning, they’re just so hard to recover. Thank you to the guys behind me for not turning me around. I know that easily could have happened. I’m not sure where Chandler finished. They had a good run for him as well. He got it last week and we had to flip the script and do it again this week. Thank you again to all of our partners – BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing, BKB 57 in London tomorrow night. Everybody tune in on Vice TV. It’s gonna be a brawl as you see on the quarterpanel. Ford Racing, all of your help. They give us the tools to go fast and, man, what a race truck. These guys make my job easy and I think we’re just gonna keep carrying on that momentum. It’s a statement win. I think we’re the ones to beat, for sure.” WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS TRACK THAT ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE SUCCESS? “I think just my short track experience racing the CARS Tour, having so much time with just learning how to finesse that right foot. There’s not a lot of tracks you go to where you have to do that, and just here it’s really about tire management, keeping that right-rear tire on it. My crew chief, Dylan (Cappello), my engineer Jonathan Coates. They do a great job at the Ford Racing simulator helping give me what I need every single week to go faster and faster. It’s the same truck that has won both of our Bristol races and both of our IRP races. The win percentage, I think, is over 50 percent for it. It’s just awesome to be able to bring that back, bring the same setup back. I said, ‘Man, let’s just bring the same thing we had back. If we get beat straight-up, then we’re just gonna have to go to work next year,’ but I didn’t want to mess ourselves up. Man, what a truck though. It’s amazing.”

CHANDLER SMITH, No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford F-150 – YOU’VE CLINCHED A SPOT IN THE CHASE. WHERE DOES THAT SET YOUR SIGHTS NOW? “Truthfully, my sights aren’t any different than they were a few weeks ago. We wanted to go out before the Chase starts and try to collect as many wins and stage points as possible to have good momentum going into the Chase. Nevertheless, a top five finish today. The truck wasn’t ever really where I wanted it to be. The few times that I did contend for the lead with Layne, I just couldn’t contend with the 34 truck tonight. That truck was very similar to what I experienced last week, so I understand what it feels like to be on the receiving end now. Congrats to the 34 crew. I’m happy for them and proud of them and all of Front Row Motorsports. That’s back-to-back wins, two weeks in a row, and that’s really cool for the organization. I think we’ve got a little bit of a break now, which I’m not really looking forward to that, but I’m looking forward to the next few races coming up.”

TY MAJESKI, No. 88 Serta/Menards Ford F-150 – A GOOD RUN, BUT THE 34 WAS LIGHTS OUT. “Yeah, I really didn’t even see him all day. He was obviously really good. We just needed a solid day. We’ve had an up-and-down season that has been well documented since Daytona. This was supposed to be a down race for us and we finally broke that up-and-down line graph. Our rebound starts here. It was obviously a good points day, so we’ll take this momentum to our best track at Richmond and try and get a couple spots better.”

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