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Keen Parts Partners with The Laughlin Family Foundation to Help Raise Awareness and Support Rare Cancers

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Official Release
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MOORESVILLE, N.C– (August 22nd, 2022) – Keen Parts / CorvetteParts.net, NASCAR Driver Ryan Ellis, and Alpha Prime Racing are proud to announce today that Keen Parts / CorvetteParts.net will be utilizing their sponsorship of the No.44 Chevy to support the Laughlin Family Foundation, which raises money to help those affected by rare cancer through education, awareness, and research.  This fundraising campaign will run through the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race, the Food City 300, at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday, September 16th, 2022. The No.44 CorvetteParts.net / Keen Parts team will also be running a pink, white, and lavender color scheme at the race – the lavender color representing all of those affected by cancer, and as a tribute to The Laughlin Family Foundation. 

During the duration of the campaign, fans who donate $100.00 or more will be able to get their name, or name of choice, on Ellis’ No.44 CorvetteParts.net Chevy as part of their “300 Laps Against Cancer” campaign – 300 names will be available, representative of the 300 laps of the race. Names will be spread from the trunk of the racecar down the side, integrated into the scheme. Fans can also show their support by recognizing someone who has been affected by cancer through the $100.00 donation. The deadline for name purchasing/submission is September 7th. Special event crew shirts will also be available for preorder for $75 beginning Monday, August 22nd until Friday, August 26th.  Donations and crew shirt pre-orders can be made here: https://www.thelaughlinfamilyfoundation.org. In addition, VIP pit passes for the September 16th race will be available for auction, as well as other one-of-a-kind sports memorabilia. 

Limited corporate/individual on-car sponsorships are also available through donations starting at $2500 – please email courtney@thelaughlinfoundation.org or ryanellisracing@gmail.com to inquire about pricing/locations. All proceeds will benefit The Laughlin Family Foundation’s fight against rare cancers. 

As part of this initiative, Keen Parts is also a proud sponsor of the 2nd Annual Laughlin Family Foundation Celebrity Golf Tournament on Monday, September 12th, 2022 at the Crofton Country Club in Crofton, Md. Two VIP pit passes to the September 16th race with meet and greets with Ellis and Craig Laughlin, as well as a sponsorship on Ellis’ CorvetteParts.net racecar will be available for auction exclusively at this event. Ellis will also be participating as a celebrity golfer at the tournament. 

This will be the second year in a row that Tom and TJ Keen have chosen to raise money for the Laughlin Family Foundation. Last year, they raised over $20,000, which was split between the Laughlin Family Foundation and Susan G Komen. They’re hoping to raise over $100,000 this year.

CorvetteParts.net, a family-owned business owned by Tom and TJ Keen, sells parts and accessories for Corvette-lovers of all generations. They have been loyal NASCAR sponsors and friends of many within the industry since 2011, supporting drivers of all levels since then. The Keen’s elected to donate much of their sponsorship space to these foundations to raise money for these great causes. Just a few weeks ago, the Keen’s ran a special Autism Awareness / Autism Acceptance scheme at Michigan International Speedway with a colorful hand-drawn car, created by the family of former NHL Player Chris Thorburn and his wife Sara. Their three children, Bennett, Mary, and Oscar, sketched out the car’s design at home.

The Laughlin Family Foundation’s mission is to help spread awareness, education, and research for rare cancers. Craig Laughlin, former NHL player, and current NBC Sports Washington analyst, started the foundation when his wife Linda was diagnosed with a rare gynecological cancer in 2018. To date, the foundation has raised over $300,000 and awarded Johns Hopkins School Of Medicine a $100,000 grant in 2021, which funded the first-ever endometrial cancer symposium. This symposium brought together many of the best health experts and doctors in the world to educate the community, doctors, nurses, and patient advocates on the best practices and treatment options for endometrial cancers, with a goal to help save women’s lives. 

“I’m really excited that we are doing this event together again this year. It’s so great that Tom and TJ Keen have chosen to help raise money and awareness with their sponsorship. We had a lot of working together last year and we raised a lot of money with a short turnaround. Now that we have a little more time to get creative with the fundraising, and the ability to combine our race’s efforts with the golf event, we’re hoping we can raise even more money for this great cause,” said Ellis, driver of the No.44 Keen Parts Chevy. 

“Tom and I are honored to be a small part of the Laughlin Family Foundation’s mission to bring awareness once again to a disease that is devastating to families everywhere,” said TJ Keen. “We hope that this race week is successful in raising money to help however we can for the fight against cancer.”

“We are thrilled that Tom and TJ  Keen at CorvetteParts.net and Ryan Ellis chose to collaborate with us for a second year in a row to help support and raise awareness for rare cancers. Last year was a great success as we raised over $20,000, and we hope to build on that in 2022. All rare cancer diagnoses combined account for 40% of cancer deaths in the United States, so we are grateful and honored to work with Tom, TJ,  and Ryan again to help create awareness and save the lives of those affected by rare cancers,” said Craig Laughlin of The Laughlin Family Foundation.

Tune in information: The Keen Parts’ special Laughlin Family Foundation No.44 Chevy scheme will make its on-track debut at 2:35pm ET on Friday, September 16th for a short practice session. Two-lap qualifying follows practice at 3:10pm ET leading into Friday night’s Food City 300, with coverage beginning at 7:30 pm ET on FS1. Stay tuned to Ryan’s and Keen Parts’ social media for giveaways and more information!

About Keen Parts / CorvetteParts.net:

Keen Parts is a leading manufacturer and retailer of Corvette parts and accessories. We have over thirty years of happy customers all over the world and look forward to helping you with your Corvette needs. We are not an anonymous Corvette website. Our retail shop and warehouses are located in Cleves, Ohio just north of Cincinnati. We are right off Interstate Highway I-74 and only six minutes from Cincinnati. We stock parts available for Corvettes from 1953 to the present. If you own a Corvette, we have the Corvette parts and accessories that you need! Visit  www.CorvetteParts.net or call 1-800-757-KEEN (5336).

Ultimate Fan Experience With Tremendous Number of Interactive Exhibits & Exciting New Programming Set in Midway For This Weekend’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway

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Official Release
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The Midway at Daytona International Speedway will be a bevy of fan activities this Friday and Saturday during the Coke Zero Sugar 400 and Wawa 250 weekend (Aug. 26-27).

Lights! Camera! Action! NASCAR Track App to Introduce Trivia Competition and Allow Fans to be Part of Light Show During Saturday’s ‘Last-Chance to Make NASCAR Playoffs’ Coke Zero Sugar 400

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 22, 2022) – While both the Coke Zero Sugar 400 and Wawa 250 Powered by Coca Cola races at Daytona International Speedway will take place this weekend under the lights, fans young and old alike will have plenty – and we mean PLENTY – to do throughout the days and nights – including lots of fun via the new NASCAR app – for a ‘world-class’ experience like no other.

The track’s Midway, located on the outside of the track’s frontstretch (parallel to International Speedway Blvd.), will be a bevy of fun and exciting interactive activities for families, beginning at noon on Friday and Saturday, leading up to both big races – the Wawa 250 (7:30 pm Friday) and Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7:00 p.m. Saturday), the ‘last-chance’ race to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

The Midway will be a packed house, with 50 exhibits and activations to get long-time fans, as well as newcomers to the sport of NASCAR and The World Center of Racing, amped up while enjoying multiple performance acts amidst the multitude of fan experiences.

Before NASCAR’s warriors battle or the final playoff spot, there will be plenty of can’t-miss, fun things to do, which can be found at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Here’s the Cliffs notes of that tremendous list (which includes the Midway and the Frontstretch grandstand):

So Much to Do! Some of the 50 interactive displays consist of a host of Daytona International Speedway and NASCAR corporate partners, plus a NASCAR Kids Zone, NASCAR teams’ merchandise haulers, the Coca-Cola eNASCAR Gaming display, NASCAR track pace cars, Axe Throwing, Caricature Artists, Car Corral, local dance companies and martial arts academies at the FEVO Group Performance Stage, the internationally acclaimed XPOGO stunt team, the popular Trackside Live Stage Presented by Race for the Championship, and much more.

The Trackside Live Stage Presented by Race for the Championship brings guests a live show filled with Q&A’s, concerts, performances and more. It will be the site of appearances from multiple drivers and NASCAR dignitaries for fan question/answer sessions. Friday’s slate includes drivers’ Austin Hill, Alex Labbe and Landon Cassill while Saturday showcases the premier series latest winner, Kyle Larson, along with Tyler Reddick, Ty Gibbs, William Byron and seven-time DAYTONA 500 Champion Richard Petty.

Musical acts scheduled to be in the Midway include Stereo FM, 95 South, Blue Stone Circle, country singer Celeste Kellogg, and country singer and lifelong NASCAR fan Tim Dugger.

Lights! Camera! Action! Fans are encouraged to download the NASCAR Tracks App in order to be a part of their own show with the #LightUpDAYTONA experience. Following the command on Friday and Saturday, as well as during the 2nd stage break in the Coke Zero Sugar 400, fans will be asked to hold up their phones with the camera facing the track. The app’s functions will then light up those phone camera flashlights, creating a light show that flashes to the tune of the music and video playing at the track. NASCAR-themed trivia will also be available through the Tracks App, where fans can test their knowledge on all things stock car racing every hour (4) leading up to pre-race for both days.

To participate, fans simply download the NASCAR Tracks App from their app store prior to heading the race (once in the app and under Daytona International Speedway, select ’light show’ and allow microphone/camera access). The Speedway public address announcer will prompt fans to open the app, and inaudible triggers will take over, pulsing fans’ smartphone flashlights and LED screens in sync to the beat of music. The light show technology doesn’t require cellular service, Bluetooth or a Wi-Fi connection. Fans can keep the app open after the light show so not to miss the chance to take a synchronized selfie with their frame of choice. Along with the light show, fans will participate in a series of interactive trivia, competing against friends, family, and other fans for the chance to win a prize.

Walk of Fame Unveil! As is tradition, a block of concrete that will highlight the handprint, footprint and signature of the DAYTONA 500 Champion – 2022 Champion Austin Cindric – will be unveiled at the DAYTONA 500 Champion’s Walk of Fame in front of the track Ticket and Tours Building Friday (Aug. 26). Fans can witness the unveiling and see Cindric, along with Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher during the official ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Cindric, a NASCAR Cup Series rookie became a part of DIS history earlier this year, securing the win in The Great American Race in his No. 2 Team Penske Ford. Cindric will join a host of other DAYTONA 500 Champions, who have their name as part of the Walk of Fame.

Fireworks Celebration! Fans should also stick around for the huge, celebratory fireworks show immediately following Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, just before the winner makes his way to the Ruoff Mortgage Victory Lane.

Entering the Coke Zero Sugar 400, 15 drivers have secured a spot in the 16-driver NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The man on the bubble is defending Coke Zero Sugar 400 winner Ryan Blaney, who sits third in the championship points standings but has yet to win thus far in 2022. He currently holds a 25-point edge of Martin Truex, Jr. for the final Playoff position. If a 2022 non-winning driver is victorious, however, that driver will take the final Playoff position.

To locate maps of Daytona International Speedway, or for more ticket information, including infield Fanzone passes to the upcoming race weekend, visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

Fans can also stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as the all-new NASCAR Tracks App, for the latest speedway news.

About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training. The iconic venue was the site of a host of motorsports events early in 2022, beginning with AHRMA Classic Motofest and the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA in January, and the 64th DAYTONA 500, which debuted the first points race for NASCAR’s ‘Next Gen’ car as part of Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth, in February. The tradition-rich 81st Annual Bike Week At DAYTONA returned in March, featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200. May saw the “Welcome to Rockville” concert and the Heroes Honor Festival while during July 4th weekend, the track, in association with Torneos, hosted the first annual Daytona Soccer Fest. The NASCAR Cup Series returns for the final race of the regular season with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Aug. 27 while Saturday, Aug. 26 will see the Wawa 250 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

VIR is Critical Point in Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship

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Official Release
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DANVILLE, Va. (August 22, 2021) – With a schedule of events that features the best of the best when it comes to North American circuits, Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires is returning to VIRginia International Raceway after a five-year absence. This historic track, loved by drivers, is an ideal setting for what may prove to be the championship-deciding races of the season.

With a maximum of 380 points available in each race, the championship is still wide open coming into VIR, but the same cannot be said leaving VIR; one bad race or one dominating win could determine who is in play for the $250,000 championship prize from Mazda in the finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) has been leading the way at the top of the points all season and enters the event with a 255-point advantage. But fellow MX-5 Cup veterans Gresham Wagner (No. 5 Spark Performance) and Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports) have been nipping at his heels all year long. A drive-through penalty for passing under yellow and the resulting 26th-place finish in Race One at Road America hurt Thomas’ point lead, but will it prove fatal in his hunt for the title?

“The VIR rounds definitely could decide the championship, but I still think it will all come down to Road Atlanta,” Thomas said of the season finale.

Wagner, the defending MX-5 Cup Champion, has had a rocky 2022 season, but is slowly mounting a comeback. The Virginia-native is on home turf this weekend, although this will be his first MX-5 Cup race at VIR.

“Virginia has a couple of great club courses, and lots of local short ovals, but VIR is the only professional-level road course in the state, and it’s definitely the closest to me,” Wagner said. “It’s still around a three-hour drive from home, but that’s a lot closer than anything else on the schedule. For a long time, VIR has been a go-to for shakedowns and testing, but the first time I ever raced there was earlier this year in the SRO TC America series. I was always a bit disappointed to see VIR leave the schedule just as I started in MX-5 Cup, so I’m excited to have our series back at VIR, both as a home race for me and as a great track in its own right.”

The rookies have turned up their game in the second half of the season. Connor Zilisch (No. 72 Hixon Motor Sports) swept the Road America weekend, winning both races from pole. This propelled him to third in the championship.

Joey Atanasio (No. 43 Formidable Performance Development) has been a threat all season, but a disappointing weekend at Road America knocked him back to fifth in the championship, and second to Zilisch in the Rookie of the Year standings. That honor comes with an $80,000 prize from Mazda at the end of the year.

Just behind Atanasio in the points is another rookie, Bruno Carneiro (No. 21 Hixon Motor Sports), who always finds himself running at the front of the field and if not for a DNF in Race Two at Road America would be in the championship top five.

A trio to keep an eye on this weekend could be the three drivers who have previous experience at the track in MX-5 Cup competition, Glenn McGee (No. 23 JTR Motorsports Engineering), Rossi Lee (No. 48 Spark Performance) and Alex Bachoura (No. 33 Spark Performance).

In addition to having two drivers on the team with prior MX-5 Cup race experience at VIR and the defending champion who calls Virginia home (Wagner), Spark Performance team owner Nathanial Sparks is, in fact, the last driver to win at VIR. He beat driver Chris Stone to the finish line by a thrilling 0.017-second in 2016.

The stage is set for two critical races in the MX-5 Cup Championship. Race 1 is scheduled for 1:00pm ET on Saturday, August 27. Race 2 will go green at 10:30am ET on Sunday, August 27. Both races will be streamed live on RACER.com and IMSA.com/tvlive.

About: The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. The series has been operated by Andersen Promotions since 2017 and is currently sanctioned by IMSA. Mazda-powered grassroots champions can earn Mazda scholarships for this pro-level series. The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup champion is awarded $250,000 as the top rookie nets $80,000.

Find out more at http://www.mx-5cup.com.

Jr III Racing Returns to VIR with Double Prototype Challenge Entry

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Alton, Va. (22 August 2022) – Jr III (“Junior Three”) Racing will be back in IMSA Prototype Challenge (IPC) competition this weekend, bringing a two-car campaign to Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in the second to last event of the IPC season on August 28 (8:40am ET, Peacock).

As close as the team will get to a home course advantage this season, the Charlotte-based crew will return to the Prototype Challenge hunt with Terry Olson and Courtney Crone co-driving the No. 3 Jr III Racing Ligier JS P320 and the solo-entry of Ari Balogh in the No. 30 Airbnb JS P320.

Crone learned a lot at her debut at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and will return to a more familiar road course at VIR. After a seven-week hiatus, she is ready to get back in the No. 3 Jr III Ligier to build upon her IPC season as she heads to VIR eighth in championship standings.

“I love VIR, and I’m super excited going into this weekend,” said Crone. “I had a good run there last year, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how the Jr III Ligier handles around the track. It turned into one of my favorite race tracks very quickly last year. With the elevation and speed of the track, it gives it a really old school feel that I love. I’m stoked that Terry (Olson) will be back in the car with me, and it will be good to get back to our regular championship hunt. I think we’ll be in a good position to get a good result this weekend.”

At the State of the Series event at Road America, Crone was named a finalist for second annual IMSA Diverse Driver Development scholarship, which would result in a great partnership with IMSA and financial support in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge or IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge in 2022.

Hopping back into the prototype for the first time since Mid-Ohio, Olson will return to the 3.27-mile track where he has had much success at in the past. In 2021, the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North American champion won both races in the LB Cup. Olson also got the opportunity to test the LMP3 with the dedicated Jr III Racing crew in preparation for Round 4.

“Part of the magic of VIR is understanding the nuances of each turn,” said Olson. “To go fast, I believe you need deep knowledge and experience with each and every turn. I hope my GT car experience has helped build my understanding of how to navigate this beautiful track. One of the biggest challenges of VIR is staying out of trouble. As always, my goal is to run fast and clean. Courtney (Crone) had some great laps at VIR last year, so I am very excited to be co-driving with her. As we saw in testing, Jr III brings its A game to VIR, so I expect our cars to be competitive.”

In Jr III Racing’s previous IPC season, Garett Grist and Balogh brought the No. 33 Airbnb Ligier JS P320 to the IPC podium with a bold, strategic last lap to earn a third place finish at VIR and a fastest lap of the field by Grist at 1:40.735-seconds.

With only two IMSA Prototype Challenge races remaining, the green flag for Round 4 of IPC competition waves at 8:40am ET on August 28 with flag-to-flag coverage on Peacock.

MODIFIED AND SPORTSMAN PLUS VINTAGE HI-LITES SATURDAY RACING AT GRANDVIEW

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FREEDOM 76 RACE WEEKEND FAST APPROACHING ON SEPTEMBER 16-17
CRAIG VON DOHREN AND BRIAN HIRTHLER LEAD THE CHASE FOR THE 2022 CHAMPIONSHIPS

BECHTELSVILLE, PA. – The 60th anniversary season of auto racing action at Grandview Speedway is heading towards crunch time as far as the chase for the 2022 track championships are concerned, with just three weeks of point race competition remaining on the schedule heading into this weekend’s action.

On Saturday, August 27, the racing program will feature the T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds and the T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman in another NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series program starting at 7:30 pm. The show will include qualifying events for both classes leading up to the 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified feature race, the 25-lap T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman feature, and the Outlaw Racing Series Vintage Racers will join in the program participating in a feature event only.

Pit gates will open at 4 pm. with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm. warm-ups will be starting at 6:15 pm. Adult grandstand admission is $18, while children ages 11 and under are admitted free of charge.

Prior to the racing action on Saturday will be the weekly Low Down and Dirty Meet and Greet. This week’s drivers include Modified driver Steve Young along with Sportsman driver Ryan Graver. The Meet and Greet is held in the main gate area starting at 5 pm. and is a great time for fans to meet the drivers up close, collect some autographs, take photos, and talk racing one on one.

The 52nd annual Freedom 76 Modified Championship is the next big event on the schedule, coming up on Saturday, September 17. Lap sponsorships at $20 per lap are now available by contacting Tina Rogers, Tommy Kramer or Jeff Ahlum at the track on race night. Lap sponsorships are a great way for fans to wish their favorite driver’s good luck in the big race, or for businesses to do some advertising. All lap sponsorships will be read on the public address system each week leading up to and including race night on September 17, as well as a listing in the track program Grandview Groove, and will be posted on social media.

The Freedom 76 weekend begins on Friday, September 16 with the 9th annual Freedom 38 Sportsman Championship race paying $2000 to the winner, along with practice time for Modified drivers wishing to participate in the Freedom 76.

On Friday, pit gates open at 3 pm with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm. and racing at 7:30 pm. Adult Grandstand admission is $15, with children ages 6-11 paying $5, while children ages 5 and under admitted for free. Pit admission on Friday is $35, and no license is required. There is no rain date for the Friday event.

For the Freedom 76 on Saturday, September 17 for the Modifieds, Pit gates open at 9 am for inspections, Grandstand ticket windows open at 3 pm. with racing starting at 7 pm. Fans will be able to enter the Grandstand areas between 9 am. and 12 Noon to reserve seats with blankets.

Adult Grandstand tickets on Saturday will be $40, while children ages 6-11 are $10, with children ages 5 and under admitted for free. Pit admission will be $45, and no license is required. There will be no advanced tickets sold for this event, and the rain date is Saturday, September 24.

Those wishing to camp at the Speedway please note: Campers can enter the grounds in the fourth turn area on Saturday, September 10 and remain there until the 18th. However, because there are no hookups, sleeping in the campers can only take place September 16-18.

The chase for the T.P. Trailer Modified championship took another twist this past Saturday night, as point leader Craig Von Dohren was able to add to his slim point lead with his seventh point race win of the season, while second place challenger Brett Kressley had a difficult night, suffering a flat tire, sending him pit side and to the back of the field to start the race over again, ending the night in eleventh position. Von Dohren leads Kressley 4022 to 3830.

Doug Manmiller maintains the third position in points with 3736 after scoring another top five finish in fifth, while Jeff Strunk sits fourth in points with 3569 after another strong run with a third-place outing. Duane Howard had a difficult night all evening long, but fought his way through it, and ended up with a thirteenth-place outing to remain fifth in points with 3336 entering this Saturday’s action.

The current top ten in T.P. Trailer Modified points are 1. Craig Von Dohren – 4022, 2. Brett Kressley – 3830, 3. Doug Manmiller – 3736, 4. Jeff Strunk – 3569, 5. Duane Howard – 3336, 6. Tim Buckwalter – 3211, 7. Jared Umbenhauer – 2626, 8. Ryan Grim – 2322, 9. Kevin Hirthler – 2169, 10. Cory Merkel – 2165.

In the T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman division, the racers pulled off another 25-lap non-stop feature for the second week in a row, with Mark Kemmerer scoring the win, becoming the eleventh different winner of the season. Current point leader Brian Hirthler added a little to his lead, finishing two spots ahead of second place point man Dylan Hoch on Saturday, with Hirthler ending the race in fourth and Hoch in sixth. Hirthler leads Hoch in points 3138 to 2868.

Kyle Smith and Jimmy Leiby both had finishes outside the top ten last Saturday but remain in third and fourth respectively with 2300 and 2293 points each. Mike Schneck Jr. also finished outside the top ten but remains in the fifth spot in points with 1968.

The current top ten in T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman points are 1. Brian Hirthler – 3138, 2. Dylan Hoch – 2868, 3. Kyle Smith – 2300, 4. Jimmy Leiby – 2293, 5. Mike Schneck Jr. – 1968, 6. Dakota Kohler – 1837, 7. Parker Guldin – 1815, 8. Cody Manmiller – 1752, 9. Jesse Hirthler – 1688, 10. Ryan Graver – 1656.

Since the 1960’s, Grandview Speedway has been presenting exciting wheel to wheel NASCAR stock car racing every Saturday Night starting in April and running through September, plus special events. Grandview Speedway is located at 43 Passmore Road, Bechtelsville, Pa. 19505, just off Route 100, ten miles north of Pottstown, Pa.

Information is always available at www.grandviewspeedway.com or on Facebook, or by telephone at 610.754.7688.

UPCOMING EVENTS –

Saturday, August 27 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage – 7:30 pm.

Friday, September 2 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro and Outlaw Racing Series Vintage – 7 pm

Saturday, September 3 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman plus Wingless Super Sportsman – 7:30 pm.

Saturday, September 10 – CHAMPIONSHIP NIGHT – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman – 7:30 pm.

Friday, September 16 – 9th annual FREEDOM 38 CHAMPIONSHIP for T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman $2000 to win, plus Modified practice – 7:30 pm.

Saturday, September 17 – 52nd annual FREEDOM 76 MODIFIED CHAMPIONSHIP for T.P. Trailer Modifieds – 7 pm.

Tony Stewart Racing: Brainerd Event Recap for the NHRA Nationals

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Official Release
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Leah Pruett & Matt Hagan
Mopar 85th Anniversary Top Fuel & Funny Car Drivers
NHRA Nationals
Aug. 19-21 | Brainerd, Minnesota

Event Recap

Leah Pruett, driver of the Mopar 85th Anniversary Top Fuel Dragster:

● Earned No. 10 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (4.907 ET at 146.10 mph).

● Earned No. 3 provisional qualifying position in Q2 on Friday (3.702 ET at 330.47 mph).

● Scored one bonus point for third-quickest run of the session.

● Dropped to No. 5 provisional qualifying position after Q3 on Saturday (3.706 ET at 332.51 mph).

● Secured No. 6 qualifying position based off Friday’s Q2 run. In Q4 on Saturday, Pruett ran 4.439 ET at 178.28 mph.

● Ran a 3.822 ET at 279.85 mph in Round 1 of eliminations on Sunday, lost to Shawn Langdon (3.760 ET at 329.34 mph).

● Currently tied with Langdon for sixth in the Top Fuel championship standings, 445 points behind leader Brittany Force.

Matt Hagan, driver of the Mopar 85th Anniversary Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car:

● Earned No. 3 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (3.912 ET at 330.23 mph).

● Scored one bonus point for third-quickest run of the session.

● Earned No. 4 provisional qualifying position in Q2 on Friday (3.893 ET at 327.74 mph).

● Maintained No. 4 provisional qualifying position in Q3 on Saturday (3.893 ET at 332.26 mph).

● Secured No. 1 qualifying position in Q4 on Saturday (3.843 ET at 331.36 mph).

● Scored three bonus points for quickest run of the session.

● Advanced to Round 2 on Sunday:

●  Round 1: 9.940 ET at 71.63 mph in a bye.

●  Round 2: 6.187 ET at 259.81 mph, lost to Alexis DeJoria (5.712 ET at 229.31 mph).

● Currently second in the Funny Car championship standings, 250 points behind leader Robert Hight.

Notes of Interest

● Hagan’s No. 1 qualifier in the NHRA Nationals marked his fifth of the season and the 48th of his career.

● Pruett’s track record time of 3.640 ET set in 2017, remains intact after the 40th annual NHRA Nationals at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway.

Leah Pruett, Driver of the Mopar 85th Anniversary Top Fuel Dragster

“As we’ve gotten further into the season, we’ve gotten further into our pool of knowledge. First round, we joined the rest of the field of having traction problems. It seemed to be difficult for all the teams. Going into Q2, we had a nice and spicy 3.70, which was something we felt was right inside our target for getting down the track, especially during a night session. The next day, we felt like we could improve upon that and our avenue was new. We tried a new theory of accelerating the car. At the end of the day, it’s an acceleration game when we break it into multiple parts down the track. It was either going to throw down or throw up, and what did it do? We ran almost the exact same time with a 3.70. That opened up a Pandora’s Box with theories about how we can apply power. We went back to our raceday tune-up for the final session to get ready for Sunday. We didn’t quite make it down the track. Going into raceday, sometimes you’ve got mountains and sometimes you’ve got valleys. Raceday was not our most shining moment. We dropped a cylinder and I did not have my most impressive self against somebody we continue to race throughout this entire season, I think more than anyone else. We will peak again and there’s not going to be a better time to do it than at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals. We’re still in a healthy spot in the championship and now we’ve learned more and we’ll gain more.”

Matt Hagan, Driver of the Mopar 85th Anniversary Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car

“What a tough weekend in Brainerd. We had canceled flights and we were down a couple crew guys that were sick. Our Mopar 85th Anniversary Funny Car ended up No. 1 qualifier, but blew up a lot of parts doing it. Things got hot and greasy in the second round and no one seemed to be going down the racetrack. We were one of the cars that couldn’t get down the track, so it ended up being a pedalfest. Alexis (DeJoria) smoked it a little further out there and got it to recover. It was just a tough round. As a veteran driver, you feel like you should win because of pedaling the car, letting it relax and getting it hooked back up. It’s tough when you smoke it at the hit like that and don’t get any momentum to move forward. We’ll pack everything up to head to Indy and get ready for the Countdown after that.”

Next Up

The next event on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule is the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals Sept. 2-5 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. It is the regular-season finale before the Countdown to the Championship begins Sept. 15-18 with the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pennsylvania.

The top-10 drivers in the standings in each of the four professional categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle – qualify for the Countdown to the Championship. With an insurmountable 641-point advantage over 11th-place Jim Campbell, Hagan has already clinched his spot in the six-race Countdown. Pruett, meanwhile, has a 122-point margin over 11th-place Clay Millican and will look to secure her place in the Countdown at Indianapolis.

Wright Motorsports Takes World Challenge Points Lead at Road America

By
Official Release
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ELKHART LAKE, Wis., (August 21, 2022) – This weekend at Road America, Wright Motorsports reclaimed the points lead in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS Pro/Am class. Charlie Luck and Jan Heylen produced a stout performance in the No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R, earning a third and fourth place finish in Rounds 9 and 10 of the championship.

“Our goal heading into this weekend was to close the gap in the points,” said Team Owner John Wright. “We not only did that, but we took back that lead from the Crowdstrike Mercedes. The competition was tight this weekend, but our guys really fought for this one. It’s great to be back on top, but we have to be more vigilant than ever to stay there.”

Despite the mixed weather conditions leading up to the qualifying sessions, the Wright Motorsports Porsche clocked in admirable lap times, setting Am-ranked Luck up to start from third place in Saturday’s race one and Pro-ranked Heylen to start from fourth on Sunday.

The start of race one tested many of the competitors, as contact between two cars near the front of the field forced many entrants off course to avoid calamity. Luck expertly avoided the wreck, unlike the championship leader, the No. 04 Mercedes AMG GT3 of George Kurtz. With the incident later cleared, Luck restarted the race from second place in class and sixth overall, behind the No. 23 of Charlie Scardina. After a strong battle with Ashton Harrison in the No. 93 Acura, Luck closed out his stint in third place, and co-driver Jan Heylen jumped in the No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R to conclude the race. Heylen raced hard from his first lap, closing the gap to the second place car of Mario Farnbacher ahead. In the end, the Porsche’s power was no match for the Acura. With the pre-established balance of performance in the Acura’s favor, Heylen kept his race clean and stayed patient while Farnbacher and Bill Auberlen fought side-by-side for top position. The battle of the leaders allowed Jan to close his gap and contend for second place, but in the end, the clock ran out and he finished third, getting a valuable boost in championship points.

Energized by the strong finish the day before, Heylen took the green flag on Sunday, eager to again make the most of the 90 minutes of racing ahead. The front end of the field went three-wide and then crowded into turn one on the start. Heylen squeezed through to come out in second place, holding off heavy pressure from Bryan Sellers in the No. 08 Mercedes AMG GT3. The Acura of Mario Farnbacher led the pair, riding high on the momentum of the previous day’s race win. Little action happened in the first half of the race, as the field spread out across the four-mile circuit. Lady luck again shined on Wright Motorsports, as the championship contending Mercedes of Colin Braun suffered a bodywork issue, forcing the car to pit and lose valuable track time as it underwent repairs.

Heylen closed out his stint in second place, pitting during the mandatory window to pass the torch on to Luck. The Am driver joined the race ahead of the No. 08 DXDT Racing Mercedes of Scott Smithson, and the two raced nose-to-tail for the next 20 minutes until Smithson made the pass for second place. Luck then immediately had pressure from Chandler Hull in the No. 94 BMW, who took the position, resulting in a fourth place finish for the Wright Motorsports squad. The strong finish over the No. 04 Crowdstrike with Riley Motorsports Mercedes brought the Wright duo back to the top as the points leaders, unofficially holding two points over the No. 93 Acura of Ashton Harrison and Mario Farnbacher.

The battle for the Pro/Am title remains tighter than ever with just two events remaining. Sebring International Raceway will host the final doubleheader of the season, September 23-25. The 2022 season will conclude at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indy 8 Hour, October 7-9.

Charlie Luck // No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R

Overall, we had a good weekend. We didn’t finish quite as high as we wanted to with a third place yesterday and a fourth place today. We made up some points so we’re a few points into the lead right now. More importantly, I’m looking forward to Sebring. That’s a really good track for our car. We’re still down on power compared to the Mercedes, BMW, and Acura, so I think we got out of here in really good shape. If you had asked me if I’d be happy coming out of here with the points lead, I’d say yes. Also, wished we had a little bit more in the tank so to speak. We are ready to go to Sebring. I wish it was tomorrow.

Jan Heylen // No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R

It was a really good points weekend for us, I think that’s the positive. Charlie had a strong qualifying session and his pace was really good. Overall, it was a good weekend with a Balance of Performance that was not favorable to us. For us to finish where we did and to make up points just shows that we have a good team and that Charlie bringing his A game. I am looking forward to coming to the track again knowing that we have a chance to win again. It’s been a long time.

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

Winward Racing Sweeps Fanatec GT World Challenge Races while George Kurtz and the No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 Team Add Sunday GT America Win

By
Official Release
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ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams kept up their winning ways at Road America, the picturesque 4-plus mile permanent road course in Elkhart Lake, Wis. After completing a historic weekend sweep across all three IMSA classes it competes in the first weekend of August, Mercedes-AMG teams added three more victories in SRO Motorsports America competition on the third weekend of August. Winward Racing scored Saturday and Sunday overall and Pro class victories in both 90-minute Fanatec GT World Challenge powered by AWS races with its No. 33 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, while CrowdStrike Racing by Riley Motorsports added a Sunday overall win in GT America powered by AWS action, with its No. 04 Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Road America has put the “win” in Winward Racing, which recorded its second and third victories of the month at the track. After scoring an IMSA class victory two weeks ago, the Winward Racing pair of Russell Ward and Philip Ellis backed it up with a weekend sweep in their No. 33 Mercedes-AMG GT3. This marked their third straight Pro class wins, but first and second overall this season after finishing second to the Pro-Am class No. 04 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of George Kurtz and Colin Braun at Watkins Glen.

The Mercedes-AMG GT3 pace was on display with Winward Racing and U.S. RaceTronics (USRT) locking out the front rows.

Ward paced the field from pole position in Race 1 through a long yellow, maintained the gap after the restart until the pit stop window opened, and handed off to Ellis who ran untroubled from there en route to the victory.

Sunday’s Race 2 was even more dominant, with Ellis building more than an 18-second lead on the field from pole before his pit stop. He handed over to Ward, who also managed the gap well throughout his stint. The team managed to push on despite a slow puncture on the right front but held on without any further issues to complete the weekend sweep in a caution-free race.

Kurtz recorded a second and first in the two 40-minute GT America powered by AWS races in his No. 04 Mercedes-AMG GT3. His Saturday race featured a rally after a spin on the opening lap, recovering from near the back of the overall field all the way up to second just 0.423 of a second off the lead.

He returned to his winning ways on Sunday, with a controlling lights-to-flag victory in the race that was stopped a few minutes short of the full distance due to a heavy accident involving a GT4 car on the front straight. The win is his sixth in 12 GT America races, giving the CrowdStrike driver a 50-percent strike rate of victories this season.

The CrowdStrike by Riley team persisted through a challenging weekend in the two GT World Challenge America races. The No. 04 car was collected in an opening lap incident on Saturday, forcing a change to a backup chassis. After the team worked tirelessly to prepare the second car, poor luck struck again with an incident in Sunday’s race as the hood went up on the opening lap.

Kurtz and the No. 04 CrowdStrike Riley team have provisionally extended their lead in the GT America season-long championship. With two race weekends left in the GT America schedule, Kurtz holds an 83-point lead in the GT America driver standings, 233-150, with the No. 04 holding an 82-point lead in the GT America team championship, 241-159. With the tough GT World Challenge America weekend, Kurtz and co-driver Colin Braun are now locked in a three-way battle with two other competitors for that championship.

Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports recorded a pair of podiums in Pirelli GT4 America action. The No. 34 Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Gavin Sanders and Michai Stephens finished third in Silver on Saturday, continuing after suffering contact from another competitor that hit the car’s left rear prior to the team’s scheduled pit stop. The pair improved to second in Silver on Sunday, courtesy of a storming first stint from Stephens where he gained double-digit positions from his grid spot before handing over to Sanders for the final stint.

Longtime Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing team Lone Star Racing made its return to SRO America competition this weekend in Pirelli GT4 America. Cameron Lawrence and Zane Hodgen shared the No. 4 Mercedes-AMG GT4, recording a best finish of seventh in Pro-Am and ninth overall in the 30-plus car field on Saturday.

Also of note, DXDT Racing recorded three top-five finishes in GT World Challenge America Pro/Am, including the best finish of the season for the No. 08 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Bryan Sellers and Scott Smithson. A move from Smithson on another competitor through the grass netted them a second-place finish on Sunday to go along with a fourth-place finish on Saturday. The sister No. 63 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Dirk Mueller and David Askew recorded a fifth-place finish on Saturday.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in SRO Motorsports America competition is the Sebring International Raceway event in Sebring, Fla., September 23-25.

George Kurtz, Driver – No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “The comeback drive Saturday was great. I think we needed another lap or two and we might have gotten it. But all things considered given the start – I just got a little too deep and got sideways in Turn One – to be able to come back and get second with good, solid points is a testament to the team and the hard work everybody put in. On Sunday it was a good battle with Andy (Pilgrim) and trying to manage the gap and the tires if there was a yellow. Unfortunately, there were two, but we managed to get the win and good points coming out of this weekend. I’m already looking forward to Sebring.”

Russell Ward, Driver – No. 33 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Starting up front makes it easier. It feels great, we’ve been chasing it all year. Sonoma, Watkins and now this. We’ve known the pace is there. The pit stops were perfect, Philip’s stint was perfect, and I just had to bring it home. It was a perfect weekend!”

Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 33 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We’ve always been there, and it feels so good to have it in the pocket as well. We should have had it last year at this same track, and last race as well at Watkins Glen. But thankfully now we’ve had it here within two weeks at the same track, Road America. It feels good. This is probably the track that suits the Mercedes-AMG GT3 most on the whole calendar. It has a lot of high-speed corners, hard braking. It suits us very well. We knew that last year. We knew what we had to do on the Pirelli. We had the experience from two weeks ago in IMSA as well. How to set up the car. It doesn’t come up as a surprise, but it’s so nice we grabbed it.”

Bryan Sellers, Driver – No. 08 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We had a solid, needed clean weekend for our No. 08 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. Saturday Scott kept his nose clean and stayed out of trouble on the start and that put us in good position for the pit stop. The car was in good shape and was able to get Michael for position at Turn 3. Then Scott did a great job pressuring on Sunday for the podium. We seem to have a little better tire life. When others go full attack, they hurt the fronts. Charlie (Luck) likely had no choice with pressure from Scott. We encouraged him to use the tire up.”

Gavin Sanders, Driver – No. 34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “Our car was fantastically set up, predicting what would happen. We made the first stint go as it should have, managing the gap and get as close for the second stint. Saturday was an unfortunate way to end – we don’t like with any races like that – getting scuffed up. But we somehow still got a podium and that’s thanks to the teamwork and effort!”

Michai Stephens, Driver – No. 34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “Thankfully growing up in the city of Chicago, you have to navigate the highways similar to a race track. All in all, a tremendous effort from the team, after being in a down and out position by way of yesterday’s incident. Everyone did their part Sunday, and then some.”

Cameron Lawrence, Driver – No. 4 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “Zane did awesome; he’s been with A.J. (Petersen) and Lone Star for a bit and we’ve been prepping the car running at Cresson by the Motorsports Ranch. We fought through a vibration in the left rear on Saturday, but it held on. The Lone Star guys did a great job to get us back, and the setup in general was great. The Mercedes-AMG GT4 is so good in all weather conditions, so we were ready for whatever came.”

Hagan Captured 48th Career No. 1 Qualifier with Mopar 85th Anniversary Funny Car; Quarterfinal Performance at Brainerd International Raceway

By
Official Release
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2022 Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
  • Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) driver Matt Hagan captured his 48th career No. 1 Qualifier position with his Mopar 85th Anniversary-themed Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car at the 40th annual Lucas Oil National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Nationals then drove to a quarterfinal performance on race day at Brainerd International Raceway
  • Hagan leaves the Minnesota event second in the Funny Car championship standings as the team prepares for the final event of the regular season and the prestigious Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals 
  • TSR pilot Leah Pruett qualified her Mopar 85th Anniversary dragster sixth for eliminations at Brainerd International Raceway and despite an early exit remains in a three-way battle for a top-five position in the Top Fuel championship battle with one event remaining before the playoffs begin
  • Cruz Pedregon qualified his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in the top-five for eliminations for the ninth time this season, had a clean first round pass but was unable to advance, dropping to eighth in the Funny Car standings

August 21, 2022, Brainerd, Minnesota — Carrying the Mopar 85th anniversary livery on his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car at the 40th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) driver Matt Hagan captured the No. 1 Qualifier position for the fifth time this season then drove to a quarterfinal finish in the penultimate event of the regular season at Brainerd International Raceway.

The defending winner of the event earned his 48th career No. 1 Qualifier honor, the fifth most in the Funny Car category, with his final qualifying pass in the lane next to points leader and provisional pole sitter Robert Hight as the last pairing of the session. Hagan powered his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to a 3.843-second elapsed time run at 331.36 mph, one quickest runs of the season, to steal away the pole position, collect a total of six bonus points and a bye-run for the opening round of eliminations. The Q4 run had some added drama when the body of Hagan’s racecar that sported the Mopar 85th Anniversary paint scheme honoring the legendary brand was damaged by a fiery explosion in the final feet of the qualifying run, necessitating a change to the Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat body for Sunday’s elimination rounds.

Hagan launched his race day with the new Dodge body and a solo run that didn’t go quite as planned when a cylinder went out at the hit of the throttle. The TSR team turned the car off to save any further damage and regroup for their next round against No. 8 seed Alexis DeJoria. The quarterfinal saw both competitors hit the throttle, immediately lose traction and find themselves in a pedalfest to the finish. Unfortunately, Hagan wasn’t able to regain control of his nitro machine quickly enough to battle to the finish to extend his raceday. 

While disappointed with the result, Hagan remains second in the Funny Car championship standings as his team now prepares for the cornerstone event of the season, the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, and the final regular season event before the NHRA’s ”Countdown to the Championship” playoff series.

A two-time Top Fuel winner (2017 and 2019) at Brainerd International Raceway, Leah Pruett took her Mopar 85th Anniversary dragster for a 3.702 sec./330.47 mph run on her second qualifying lap on Friday to post the third quickest pass of the session and collect a bonus point. The TSR pilot’s lap was good enough to put her sixth on the eliminations ladder and set up a first round pairing with No. 11 seed Shawn Langdon with whom she is jostling for position in the points standings.

Pruett had a decent lap going until just after half-track when her ride began to drop cylinders and put an end to her run and chance to advance. She and her TSR team now turn their attention to the “Big Go” where they will work to capture their first Wally from the storied event. While currently tied for sixth place with Langdon in the Top Fuel standings, Pruett is also among three competitors battling for the fifth place position in the Countdown with just one event remaining ahead of the playoffs.

For a ninth time this season, Funny Car driver Cruz Pedregon qualified his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in the top-five for eliminations with a 3.888 seconds pass at 326.16 mph. The driver and team owner had a clean first round pass against No. 12 seed Bobby Bode that unfortunately wasn’t enough to turn on the win light and prematurely ended his day, dropping the Cruz Pedregon Racing machine to eighth place in the Funny Car standings.

The focus now shifts on preparing for the world’s biggest drag race and the NHRA Camping World Series’ marquis event, the prestigious 68th annual Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals, August 31-September 5, at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES:

Leah Pruett, Mopar 85th anniversary Top Fuel Dragster  

(No. 6 Qualifier – 3.702 seconds at 330.47 mph)  

Round 1: (0.099-second reaction time, 3.822 seconds at 279.85 mph) loss to No. 11 Shawn Langdon (0.045/3.760/329.34)

“As we’ve gotten further into the season, we’ve gotten further into our pool of knowledge. First session, we joined the rest of the field in having traction problems. It seemed to be difficult for all the teams. Going into Q2, we had a nice and spicy 3.70, which was something we felt was right inside our target for getting down the track, especially during a night session. The next day, we felt like we could improve upon that and our avenue was new. We tried a new theory of accelerating the car. At the end of the day, it is an acceleration game when we break it into multiple parts down the track. It was either going to throw down or throw up and what did it do? We ran almost the exact same time with a 3.70. That opened up a new Pandora’s box with theories about how we can apply power. We went back to our race day tune-up for the final session to get ready for Sunday. We didn’t quite make it down the track. Going into race day, sometimes you’ve got mountains and sometimes you’ve got valleys. Race day was not our most shining moment. We dropped a cylinder and I did not have my most impressive [reaction time] against somebody [Langdon] we continue to race throughout this entire season, I think more than anyone else. We will peak again and there’s not going to be a better time to do it than at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals. We’re still in a healthy spot in the championship and now we’ve learned more and we’ll gain more.”

Matt Hagan, Mopar 85th anniversary Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car  

(No. 1 Qualifier – 3.843 seconds at 331.36 mph)

Round 1: (0.074-second reaction time, 9.940 seconds at 71.63 mph) bye-run

Round 2: (0.081/5.198/259.81) loss to No. 8 Alexis DeJoria (0.126/4.638/229.31)

“What a tough weekend in Brainerd. We had canceled flights and we were down a couple of crew guys that were sick. Our Mopar 85th Anniversary Funny Car ended up No. 1 Qualifier, but blew up a lot of parts doing it. Things got hot and greasy in the second round and no one seemed to be going down the racetrack. We were one of the cars that couldn’t get down the track, so it ended up being a pedalfest. Alexis (DeJoria) smoked it a little further out there and got it to recover. It was just a tough round. As a veteran driver, you feel like you should win because of pedaling the car, letting it relax and getting it hooked back up. It’s tough when you smoke it at the hit like that and don’t get any momentum to move forward. We’ll pack everything up to head to Indy and get ready for the Countdown after that.”

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

(No. 5  Qualifier – 3.888 seconds at 326.16 mph)

Round 1: (0.119-second reaction time, 3.947 seconds at 322.65 mph) loss to No. 12 Bobby Bode (0.098/3.931/316.08)

“After qualifying the Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat in the No. 5 spot with a great 3.88 second run at over 326 miles per hour, we went up against No. 12 qualifier Bobby Bode who qualified with a 4.11-second run. We went up there and the car ran well and it was just a good close drag race. We lost that round by a slim margin, but I’ve gotta be better than that on the reaction time. I left a little bit on the table there and Bobby took full advantage of it so give those guys credit; they did what they had to and took us out. We’ll go back and we’ll get better. We just have to keep on working and fine tuning. The team provided me with a great car after we initially struggled a little bit with the new car. We went with our backup car and made runs of 3.93, 3.88, and then first rounds 3.94. Those are really good solid winning runs so we’ll work on that and get ready for our biggest race of the year at the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals in Indy.”

NHRA CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS:

Following the Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway

FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)

1.   Robert Hight 1411 (6)

2.  Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 1161 (3)

3.  Ron Capps: 1105 (2)

4.  Bob Tasca III: 1043 (3) 

5.  John Force: 1033 (1)

6.  J.R. Todd: 789

7.  Alexis DeJoria: 735

8. Cruz Pedregon (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat): 752

9.  Tim Wilkerson: 645

10. Chad Green: 524

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)

1.  Brittany Force: 1206 (4)

2.  Mike Salinas: 1112 (4) 

3.  Steve Torrence: 1076 (1) 

4.  Justin Ashley: 1070 (2)

5.  Josh Hart: 797

6.  Leah Pruett (Dodge Power Brokers): 761(1)

6.  Shawn Langdon: 761

8.  Tony Schumacher: 703 (1)

9. Doug Kalitta: 692

10. Antron Brown 668 (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 muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT versions of every model across the lineup. For the 2022 model year, 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 Dodge Durango SRT 392, America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV. Combined, these three muscle cars make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

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). In 2021, Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market) — making it the only domestic brand ever to do so two years in a row.

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 nearly 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. 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

Petty GMS Race Recap: Watkins Glen International

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Official Release
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Ty Dillon, No. 42 Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 28th

FINISH: 16th

POINTS: 29th

Ty Dillon Post-Race Thoughts: “I’m really proud of our result today with our Allegiant Camaro ZL1. We’re just building momentum, man, and it takes time in this sport to build relationships with a lot of new people, but it feels like Jerame (Donley, Crew Chief) and I are starting to click. The last three weeks, we’ve been running really strong and doing what we want to do. We cashed in a lot of stage points today, but were also able to turn it around and finish 16th. That’s really hard to do on these road courses, and we did it. Really proud of our effort, we’re building momentum at a good time.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 FOCUSfactor Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 31st

FINISH: 10th

POINTS: 17th

Erik Jones Post-Race Thoughts: “Best road course car we’ve had all year. Thanks to the 43 guys, the hard work is paying off. We need to qualify a little better, but a good day and finish for our FOCUSfactor Chevy. Honestly, I was kind of hoping for more rain. I was having fun when the track was wet. Watkins Glen is one of my favorite road courses, so I’m glad to leave with a top 10 and head to Daytona next weekend.”

ABOUT PETTY GMS:

Petty GMS competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, operating the No. 42 Chevrolet for Ty Dillon and the No. 43 Chevrolet for Erik Jones. The newly formed team brought together two storied organizations in December 2021. Over the last decade, owner Maury Gallagher built a victorious team, capturing two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championships, one ARCA Menards Series title, and two ARCA Menards Series East championships, as well as 65 wins and 235 top-five finishes across six series. Richard Petty, a member of the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2010, serves as Chairman of Petty GMS. Petty, known as “The King,” accumulated 200 wins and was the first of three drivers to win seven championships in the Cup Series. For more information, visit www.pettygms.com.

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