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First-ever Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix boosts local economy by $350 million

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Official Release
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Fans cheering in the grandstands during the F1 Miami Grand Prix weekend on Sunday May 8th, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Fla (Brandon Brieger/F1 Miami GP).
  • 3,000 local workers paid in excess of $100 million in the lead-up and during the event
  • Tourism benefits as visitor spending totals $150 million during race week
  • A total of 243,000 spectators visit the Miami International Autodrome across three days
  • TV viewing figures up nearly 30% as 23 million watch the live action across the US

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – South Florida Motorsports (SFM) has released the findings of the first Economic Impact Report for the Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix which reveals the local economy was boosted by nearly $350 million. Compiled by leading economic consultants Applied Analysis, the report details the specific fiscal benefits to the South Florida and Greater Miami regions, including Miami Gardens.

“We were proud to deliver on the commitment Stephen Ross made to impact the local economy and the people throughout our community; especially right here in Miami Gardens,” said Richard Cregan, CEO of the Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix. “Our team worked selflessly to create a campus and experience that was unique to the international culture of Miami. We look forward to growing the event and the positive impact it will continue to make here for years to come.”

In the first week of May, the venue hosted the first-ever Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix held around a new 19-turn circuit known as the Miami International Autodrome, built around Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The race, which is one of 23 races worldwide comprising the 2022 Formula 1 Championship and will take place at the Miami International Autodrome for at least the next nine years.  The weekend attracted over 243,000 spectators across the three days and culminated with a thrilling race as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen beat the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. 

As well as enjoying the on-track action, fans were able to soak up the incredible atmosphere of the event which quickly became the hottest ticket in town. Celebrities from the worlds of film and pop mingled with sports stars in luxury VIP hospitality areas, such as Hard Rock Beach Club and MSC Cruises Yacht Club while international DJs performed to the entire campus and Miami restaurants served up the best local cuisine.

Driving Economic Impact and Salaries for Local Workers

The report highlights the overall economic impact of the race which has rivalled, if not exceeded, other events held in the South Florida market area. The operational and net visitor spending impacts are likely to recur in future years and have the potential to expand as the event matures. When operational activities and net visitor spending are aggregated, the overall economic impact reaches $349 million annually and supports more than $100 million in salaries and wages for over 3,000 local workers.

Visitors and Viewership

Visitor spending in the Greater Miami region during race week reached over $150 million. The average visitor to Miami for the race spent a total of $1,940 while in the city, which was nearly double the typical non-Formula 1 visitor. In addition, 84% of visitors traveled to Miami primarily for the event and 66% of attendees were out-of-town visitors. The tourist influx data revealed the country with the largest number of visitors was Canada, closely followed by the United Kingdom, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina.

The race was an extraordinary success from a broadcast perspective with 23 million US viewers spread across the weekend. The Saturday qualifying audience was 7.6 million rising to 15.4 million for Sunday’s race. In addition, viewership increased 27% compared to the 2021 US Grand Prix in Austin, TX across the weekend.

In the United States, race day viewership grew by 106% compared to the 2021 US Grand Prix with 2.2 million viewers, while on the F1 Web/App there were 140 million views (up 39% on the 2021 US race) and 118.6 million page views (up 50%) and 288,483 new followers. During the weekend F1 surpassed 19 million followers on Instagram, increasing its followers by 1.4 million since the start of the year.

Construction Jobs and Empowerment

Initial planning on the newest venue in Formula 1 started in the spring of 2019, while the first moment of ground-breaking on the campus was in April 2021.  A total of $50 million in salaries and wages were earned by 867 local employees during the construction phase of the project alone. The report concludes that the total economic impact of the track construction reached approximately $143 million when the indirect (vendor purchases) and induced (employee spending) impacts are considered.

Commitment to Miami Gardens

The Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix made an intentional commitment to empower and directly benefit the City of Miami Gardens and its residents. Fourteen minority owned restaurants were featured throughout the Campus and in partnership with Food Rescue US South Florida, Sodexo and Turn 5 Kitchen were able to donate edible food local shelters.

Furthermore, the F1 in Schools program administered through the Miami Gardens Parks and Recreation Department and Seeking Education Empowers Knowledge (S.E.E.K) brought STEM education directly to Miami Gardens students.  In addition, 12 students from Miami Gardens received event internships and 1,500 tickets were distributed to local residents. There was also a commitment to sustainability across the Campus with the elimination of 99.4% of single use plastics at Hard Rock Stadium. Aluminum water bottles, free water stations with reusable cups and plastic free serving vessels, plus three biodigesters to eliminate food waste, were in addition to other recycling facilities around the circuit.

The Deadliest Intersections in Florida

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SM
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Photo by Ryan Besgrove on Unsplash

Every year, thousands of car accidents happen. The odds of getting into one are higher than you would think. It is frightening to know that in 2016, 26% of all fatal car accidents were caused by an intersection. This number is expected to rise as more people commute in their cars. How can you protect yourself from being a victim? You might think that being cautious will take care of it all, but there is one thing you can do that will make a difference in the safety of your commute. That is to ensure you know the safest intersections in your area. Many people disregard the importance of safety and the need for precaution. Because of this, they end up stuck in the middle of a road after an accident or someone being injured or worse. Here are several intersections in Florida we rank as being riskiest:

Top 10 Deadliest Intersections In The State Of Florida

1. Fort Lauderdale

It is no surprise that the intersection of Dixie Highway and Commercial Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale would be listed among the deadliest in Florida. In 2017 alone, there were eight fatalities from accidents at this intersection, making it one of the most dangerous in all of Broward County. The location itself is somewhat troubling. Commercial Boulevard is a bustling street, and there is a high volume of traffic at the intersection. Additionally, there is no traffic light at this intersection, making navigating even more challenging. These factors make this location one of the most dangerous in Florida.

2. Tampa

Tampa Bay has more than its share of risky intersections. The intersection of Hillsborough Avenue and Fletcher Avenue in Tampa has been responsible for 15 deaths since 2012 on its own, with 36 total injuries during that period. That makes this intersection one of the most dangerous locations in Hillsborough County for driver safety. “We get a lot of people calling us about their accidents on Hillsborough Ave.,” said Gregg Spagnolia, Esquire, an attorney working out of Rhino Lawyers in Tampa. “With such high volume traffic, people must take more precautions in the area.” 

The intersection is bustling and is at the city’s heart. Hillsborough Avenue is also a major thoroughfare and carries a high traffic volume. It only worsens when you consider that there are no lights or left turn lanes to provide added protection for drivers at this intersection.

3. Fort Pierce

Fort Pierce has been a hot spot for high-profile accidents over the past few years. As of 2016, seven fatalities from collisions happened in Fort Pierce, which ranks among the top ten deadliest intersections in Florida for driver safety. The most recent accident was an accident that took place on Highway A1A, which happened on March 26th. A 21-year-old man was killed after he drove his car into a tree.

4. West Palm Beach

West Palm Beach’s most dangerous intersection is Jefferson and Palmetto boulevards. It is known as one of the most dangerous in Florida. In 2016 alone, there were 15 deaths at this intersection in West Palm Beach. The bustling intersection has no traffic lights and left turn lanes to help drivers navigate it safely. An accident happened on May 2nd when a man died after being involved in an accident with another person right before running into a pole and hitting the ground head first.

5. South dixie highway

There is a high volume of traffic that comes through this intersection every single day. And because of this, it is one of the most dangerous in South Florida. The intersection has been the site of numerous accidents over the past few years, including one in early March. A driver was killed after he drove his car into a telephone pole at this intersection in Hialeah.

6. Miami

Miami is no stranger to devastating traffic accidents, and many people feel that the worst happens on Brickell Avenue and Southwest 2nd Street, which makes it one of the deadliest intersections for driver safety in Miami-Dade County. This intersection ranked as the fifth most dangerous intersection in Miami-Dade County. In 2016 alone, there were five deaths in this location and twenty-four injuries. 2017 has been no better, with four deaths in the nearby streets of Southwest 1st Avenue and Southwest 2nd Street, which are just a block away from the deadliest intersection.

7. Pensacola

Pensacola is another community that has its fair share of deadly intersections. Pensacola Boulevard and Fairfield Drive are one of the most dangerous, which is why they made it to number six on our list. It accounted for five deaths and thirty-one injuries. It is also ranked as one of the most dangerous intersections in Escambia County for driver safety. This intersection is another one that has no traffic lights, which can make it quite challenging to navigate through safely.

8. North federal highway

It is another bustling intersection, and it gets worse when you consider that there are no lights or any mechanism that helps keep the traffic flow going smoothly. In 2016 alone, this location had eight fatalities, making it one of the deadliest intersections in South Florida.

9. Pembroke Pines

Eleven people have been killed at the Pembroke Pines intersection of Flamingo Road and Stirling Road. Pembroke Pines is another community that traffic accidents have utterly decimated over the last few years, and this intersection is one of the most dangerous. It has had a total of twenty-one injuries since 2012. This intersection can be complicated to navigate safely because of all the high-end stores and restaurants and traffic from Coral Springs and Hollywood, two major streets that intersect with Flamingo road.

10. Alton road and dade boulevard

Alton Road and Dade Boulevard is a bustling intersection right in Miami’s heart. In 2017 alone, there have been fifteen deaths at this location, including two accidents just one day apart. In both accidents, drivers were killed after hitting vehicles during morning rush hour. Another accident happened when a driver lost control of their car and hit a telephone pole.

Final Thoughts

Intersections are often the scene of some dangerous accidents, and few people realize that many intersections across the United States have been responsible for dozens of deaths and injuries. These intersections also rank high on our list of the most dangerous intersections in Florida. When you are in a car, driving at 45 mph and being surrounded by fast-moving vehicles, it only takes one second to destroy a life. And when you consider that an intersection is often the site of countless dangerous accidents with hundreds of injuries and deaths, this becomes clear. When driving your vehicle somewhere in Florida, find out if your state has an open road law and use it to your advantage to get through traffic as safely as possible.

What to choose: BMW M3, M4 or BMW M5, M6?

By
SM
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Photo by Artiom Vallat on Unsplash

BMWs have a reputation for reliability combined with contemporary luxury. BMW prides itself on being ultra-drive machines, and they deliver on performance. For those interested in purchasing used BMW cars or other vehicles, it’s worth exploring the market for used cars Calgary.

The BMW M-series has many different options. Today, we will examine some of the different M-series cars and their main differences.

M3 and M4 Similarities

Both these cars have similar body styles and are equipped with manual transmissions. They also have identical drivetrains. The two include 6-cylinder engines, turbocharged to enhance the horsepower at a whopping 473. Both cars are constructed for premium performance, with optimum handling technology.

These cars have stylish, sporty exteriors that will appeal to the eye. Both cars push boundaries.

The differences between M3 & M4

The most notable differences between the M3 and M4 are the number of car doors. The comfort of the M3 makes it a better companion for everyday use. However, due to the weight of the M3, the M4 would be the fastest car if speed is a top need for you.

M5 & M6

For a good reason, these two cars are above the M3 and M4 and in a league of their own. The M6 has a more aggressive, futuristic aesthetic in terms of design. However, the drawback is that it doesn’t allow for comfortable rear space for adults, giving the M5 an advantage.

The M5 has 617 horsepower and can go from 0 to 60 in 3.1 seconds, well under the four-second mark. The torque is 502 lb-ft @ 1600 and is identical in the M5 and M6. 

The standard by BMW for both cars is rear-wheel drive with the option of all-wheel drive, known as XDrive in the BMW lexicon.

Disadvantages

The disadvantage of the M3 & M4 is that it is costly to own in terms of maintenance. This makes it poor ownership post-purchase over the long run. By the way, powerful BMW M-engines need to be maintained and serviced with quality parts. Check out genuine BMW parts here. Properly maintained, the powerful m-series engines will give you a long and happy driving life.

The M5 4395 cc compared with the M4, which is 2979cc, is an astounding engine capacity difference. 

The M6, compared to the M4 is also smoother in terms of noise and sound concerning the engine. If you own a BMW and want to ensure its performance and diagnose any potential issues, consider using an OBD2 Scanner for BMW.

The M4 & M5 are XDrive while the M3 and M4 are not, and considering that the latter two come with a substantial price tag, that is a disadvantage.

The M5 and M6 may pack power, but this comes at the cost of being bulkier and heavier, and it is pertinent to remember that the 0-60 time is the same.

Conclusion

The common thread between M3, M4, M5, and M6 is that they are all high-performance vehicles.

What it comes down to in the end is your preference: a sports car with the wrapping of a family car, or a coupe?

Everything about Custom Painting

By
SM
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Photo by Rajesh Kavasseri on Unsplash

The art world has always debated ready-made and custom-made paintings. Of course, people have valid points for both types of artwork. But today, more than half of people are more interested in custom paintings. This is because they are loved at first sight. They provide people with charm and attract people with their insight. 

However, there is a lot of confusion between custom and readymade paintings. Still, the question arrives whether a custom painting is worthy, whether you should opt for grateful dead’s custom painting, and what makes them a better choice, how they can buy a custom painting from online websites.

If you are also juggling the same questions, you are at the right place. Here is a proper guide that will tell you everything about custom painting. So, without wasting time, let’s roll down and learn everything about custom-made painting and why you should opt for it. 

What is custom painting?

No doubt you must have heard about customization. Today, people prefer customization in everything from clothes to shoes to paint. Yes, you heard it right. Customization painting is a great way to highlight your personality. In addition, you have access to decide on the painting’s colors, style, and meaning. 

Besides this, customization painting is also a great gift for your loved ones and friends. Besides this, you will find many applications that create a custom painting for you at an affordable price. Moreover, even you can find many artists who can create custom paintings for you. They will charge you as low as $100 to as high as $10000.

In addition to enhancing the aesthetic appeal of your home with custom painting, it’s crucial to consider the overall condition of your property. For homeowners in Alpharetta, ensuring that your roof is in top shape is equally important. Partnering with a reliable roof replacement company alpharetta can provide peace of mind, knowing that your home is protected from the elements. This comprehensive approach not only boosts curb appeal but also maintains the structural integrity of your home, making it a wise investment for the future.

What are the types of custom paintings?

You have several options if you want to create a custom painting for your place. These paintings will speak for you and reflect your style. However, the list is highlighted below; you can check and choose a custom painting according to your needs.

  • Flames

Flames are a traditional custom painting that uses ultra-realistic features from one color. In this kind of painting, the patterns are unlimited. However, grateful dead and ghost flames are the patterns that come into this customization. It uses flaming colors that rest on body colors. People often opt for grateful dead custom painting on shoes, shorts, and t-shirts. 

  • Racing stripes

This kind of customization painting reflects the racing cars and comes in different fashion styles. From just one stripe on the driver’s side to 2 strips on the center, this customization painting provides you with many adventurous vibes. 

  • Metallic paints 

If you want your vehicle to shine in the crowd, metallic painting is ideal. It makes things shine out in the sun. Besides, the metal flakes added to provide light. So many people use this kind of custom painting in their house to make it look shiny. 

  • Fade

Fade is a unique type of custom painting that mixes two colors. In this painting, the transition appears seamless. It makes the colors blend until they perfectly meet. 

  • Airbrushing

Custom airbrush painting is a highly popular type and offers you a variety of purposes. First, it makes you offer a painting that highlights accurate details and morals. In this kind of painting, you can choose whatever you want, and airbrushes will add a dramatic look to your painting. 

Why is custom paint an ideal choice?

Custom painting is unique, reflects your personality, and adds charm to your place. Besides this, there are several other reasons as well that make custom paint an ideal choice to opt for. You can have a look below as they are highlighted for your reference. 

  1. Your emotions and interest speak for yourself.

Custom is something that is made by order. Whenever you opt for custom painting, it provides uniqueness and differentiates it from common generic products. Art is something that reflects your personality, and customization adds emotion to it as well. Besides this, you do not have any boundaries on the custom-made art. They provide you with tones of options to pick from. 

  1. Customization is key to the uniqueness

If you buy a new place or office, with the help of custom artwork, you can add warmth, uniqueness, and traits to your space. Besides this, it will transform your place into a better one. You can use a splash of colors and wall art on any part of your office or house. With custom painting, you get an environment that matches your personality. 

  1. People will be unstoppable to ask where you get it from

Believe it or not, custom painting has a lot of power. You can create them according to your taste, and people will seamlessly ask you where you bought them from. Your painting will speak for you and reflects you. 

  1. Your painting will match your interior

In the language of interior designing, your custom painting matches your interiors. It is tailor-made with exact dimensions that suit your place. Besides this, you can opt for any color, style, and design that match your interior. It complements your space and enhances it. Customization is suitable for any kind of space, whether office or house. 

Tips for Choosing the Right Size Artwork

Are you planning to make the changes in your space? If yes, then you must opt for the artwork. Just deciding to select the artwork is not sufficient; a person must opt for the right size for the same. There are various sizes of frames available for the people:

  • Mini canvas size
  • Small canvas size
  • Medium canvas size
  • Large canvas size

To make the right size selection as per the space, a person can keep certain tips in mind. Let us look at various tips for better understanding:

  1. Do the proper measurement for the space. The measurement must be done both vertically and horizontally. It will help in framing an idea of the exact size of the artwork.
  2. The size of the artwork will also depend on the kind of farming a person selects.
  3. A person must always follow the artwork’s proper rules to give the whole place an attractive look.

Custom painting is a great gifting option, or you can even style them in your house. It is available in different forms; designs are styles to pick from. Besides this, you do not have a limit on anything. You can seamlessly choose the painting’s color, design, style, and traits. Moreover, these paintings allow you to add glam to your space.

M&M’S Peanut Butter Racing: Kyle Busch Indianapolis Road Course Advance

By
Official Release
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KYLE BUSCH
Smooth as Peanut Butter

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (July 26, 2022) – While Kyle Busch is a two-time Brickyard 400 champion on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, he’s poised to take on a different challenge as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Indianapolis for Sunday’s Verizon 200 at the Brickyard.

For the second year in a row, instead of taking on the iconic 2.5-mile oval. NASCAR’s top series will again compete on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course. Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Peanut Butter Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), won his Brickyard 400s back-to-back in 2015 and 2016. They are among his five top-five finishes and 12 top-10s in 16 career starts on the historic oval. Busch and his fellow Cup Series competitors had to wipe the slate clean a year ago when they first tackled the road course. And this weekend, they will be faced with the unknown once again as it will be the first event on the circuit with the NextGen car.

Not long ago, road-course racing in NASCAR’s top series consisted of just two stops on the 36-race schedule with its yearly visits to Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway and Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. An annual trip to the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval was added to the schedule in 2018. Now, road-course racing has taken on even more importance in the Cup Series with the additions of Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and the Indianapolis road course. With six road-course races on the schedule this year, it’s more important than ever to have a strong driver and team that can turn left and right.

Busch has long shown a propensity for road-course racing during his Cup Series career, well before road courses occupied a larger chunk of the schedule. The M&M’S Peanut Butter driver’s four road-course wins tie him with NASCAR Hall of Famers David Pearson and Mark Martin on the all-time Cup Series road-course wins list. That’s some pretty elite company, already. A fifth road-course win would tie Busch with Darrell Waltrip, Tim Richmond and Dan Gurney. There is a bit of distance from there to the top three spots on the all-time road-course wins list, however, as Chase Elliott, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, have seven, eight and nine career road-course wins, respectively.

So as Busch heads to the Indianapolis road course for the second time and first with the NextGen car, he’ll hope that Indy will be as smooth as peanut butter and turn out to be just a successful for him and the M&M’S Peanut Butter Camry team as the historic oval has been.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Peanut Butter Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

What does it mean to the prestige of NASCAR Cup Series racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway now that it’s contested on the road course instead of the 2.5-mile oval?

“It’s definitely not what the oval is, certainly not the Indy 500 or the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that was always known for being the 2.5-mile oval, and all the history that came along with that from the 500 to the Brickyard 400 over the years, as well. It’s another racetrack where it’s a different racetrack at the same venue. We had a good run going there last year and obviously the rumble strips coming up really hurt our finish. No matter what course it is, you go out there and race it the best you can and hope for a good run. We’ll go out there with our M&M’S Peanut Butter Camry and try to learn a bit more in practice and hopefully be in a position at the end for a good finish.”

What do you think are the challenges with the NextGen car on the road courses?

“This car is faster on the road courses because it has more grip. It is a more central-built racecar, meaning that it’s not just built to go left. I think the race should be competitive. All of the cars are the same, right? So, it should be more competitive. It’s just a matter of who runs over who – if we look like the local go-kart track or we look like professionals. We will see how things go in that regard this weekend.”

How has your view on road-course racing changed with the addition of more of those races in recent years?

“I’ve always enjoyed the road racing. Back years ago, when we had two on the schedule – Sonoma and Watkins Glen – it was kind of fun because it was like an off week. You would go and enjoy the experience and try to learn and get better at it each time that you would do it, but now that there are six of them on the schedule, it’s definitely more loaded toward needing to be good at it – not wanting to but needing to with the amount of road-course races we have. I feel like I’m a decent road racer and would love to have a chance to showcase that this weekend. Obviously, we’ve been missing something on these road courses as far as the NextGen car, so hoping we can gain some ground this weekend and improve from our last couple of road-course races.”

Event Overview:

● Event: Verizon 200 at the Brickyard (Round 22 of 36)

● Time/Date: 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 31

● Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course

● Layout: 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course

● Laps/Miles: 82 laps/199.998 miles

● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 15 laps / Stage 2: 20 laps / Final Stage: 47 laps

● TV/Radio: NBC / IMS Radio Network / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Meet the No. 18 M&M’S Peanut Butter / Joe Gibbs Racing Team

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Kyle Busch
Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Ben Beshore
Hometown: York, Pennsylvania

Car Chief: Nate Bellows
Hometown: Fairfax, Vermont

Spotter: Tony Hirschman
Hometown: Northampton, Pennsylvania

Race Engineer: Seth Chavka
Hometown: Soldotna, Alaska

Race Engineer: Jaik Halpainy
Hometown: Blockville, New York

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Front Tire Changer: Thomas Hatcher
Hometown: Middleburg, Florida

Jackman: Kellen Mills
Hometown: Mesa, Arizona

Tire Carrier: CJ Bailey
Hometown: Outer Banks, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Lee Cunningham
Hometown: Leaf River, Illinois

Road Crew Members:

Engine Tuner: Dan Bajek
Hometown: Camden, New York

Truck Driver: Chris Miko
Hometown: Bronx, New York

Truck Driver: Eloy Trevino
Hometown: Adrian, Michigan

Mechanic/Tire Specialist: Justin Peiffer
Hometown: Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Mechanic: Scott Eldridge
Hometown: Warsaw, Indiana

Mechanic: Tony Hamm
Hometown: Walla, Walla, Washington

Notes of Interest:

● Road-Course Ringer: Busch scored his fourth career Cup Series road-course win in June 2015 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, and enters the weekend with 15 top-five finishes and 24-top-10s in 44 combined starts at Sonoma, Watkins Glen, the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway road course, Road America, the Charlotte Roval, and the road course at Indianapolis.

● Alone in Ninth: The two-time Cup Series champion’s 60th career win at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in April put him two wins ahead of 10th-place Kevin Harvick, who has 58 wins. Ahead of Busch at eighth on the all-time wins list is Dale Earnhardt, the seven-time Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer who won 76 races during his storied career.

● 224 and Counting: Busch will be aiming to add to his record 224 overall wins among NASCAR’s top three series this weekend at Indianapolis. In addition to his 60 Cup Series wins and 102 in the Xfinity Series, Busch has 62 wins in the Camping World Truck Series.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Zane Smith Playoff Media Day Q&A

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Playoff Media Day | Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Zane Smith, driver of the No. 38 Boot Barn Ford F-150 for Front Row Motorsports, won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular season championship last weekend. He opens Friday’s playoff opener as the top seed and spoke about his expectations as part of media day in Charlotte.

ZANE SMITH, No. 38 Boot Barn Ford F-150 — HAVE YOU NOTICED A BOOST OF CONFIDENCE AT FRONT ROW WITH HOW WELL THE SEASON HAS GONE FOR YOU AND MICHAEL MCDOWELL? “There hasn’t been much different going on that I could tell. I feel like with the consistency of our truck team has just shown in the regular season with the past four weeks, besides Pocono, our worst finish was third and I feel like that is what got us in the position going to Pocono with our points buffer. Front Row has been doing awesome lately and so it’s cool to see. I feel like just with that comes everyone in the shop being happier. It’s a happy time right now.”

DO YOU EXPECT ANY SIMILARITIES TO HOW IRP WILL DRIVE FROM THE ARCA CAR TO THE TRUCK? “I think it’ll be similar, but a lot of the time when we think that the truck is just so much different than what you expect, so I don’t know. We’re just gonna kind of go into it like another short track and we should be pretty good. I feel like Martinsville this year we were pretty solid. We missed a little bit on a few little things, so hopefully have those worked out and have a solid start to the playoffs.”

HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THE PLAYOFFS BECAUSE IT’S KIND OF A CRAPSHOOT WITH WINNER TAKE ALL AT PHOENIX. DO YOU PUT A LOT OF STOCK IN WINNING THE TITLE? “I put a lot of stock in winning the championship. To start out the year I had the regular season championship circled just because I feel like that is what kind of shows how one half of your year went, so I am happy we got that but in between there I feel like race wins are what people notice a ton and then to what you said I feel like just getting to Phoenix is a championship in its own. When that day comes it’s whoever is best that day, so if you could lock yourself in earlier than later, you get to put more attention on Phoenix and that goes a long way.”

YOU HAVE THE BIGGEST POINTS LEAD TO GET TO PHOENIX, SO ARE YOU PLANNING TO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE OR BY TAKING THE SAME APPROACH YOU DID DURING THE SEASON? “I think you kind of have to go about it as going for wins. That points buffer will run out quickly. It doesn’t take much to fill up those spots, so I think we’re just gonna do what we’ve been doing for the rest of the year. It’s worked out for us and we’ve shown a lot of consistency and I think that’s what you need to do in the playoffs to get to Phoenix.”

WHAT EXPECTATIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR IRP? “I’m excited for it. I feel like watching those races back you see all these guys that have been in the sport for a long time. Indy brings such a cool fan base, so to be going back there I’m a fan of the short tracks, so I’m excited about it and ready to get the playoffs started.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE PLAYOFFS? “The playoffs are its own animal, so it just amplifies everything. We just need to have some smooth rounds and hopefully end up in Phoenix to contend for a championship.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE SHORT TRACKS IN THE PLAYOFFS AND WHICH ONES CAN YOU WIN? “I hope all of them. I feel like IRP is an oddball a little bit, but we proved last year that if we’re in a must-win we can pull that off, but Richmond I feel like that’s one that I have circled. I love Richmond and then a Richmond night race just makes it that much cooler. I’m ready to get those going. Bristol is always pretty fun and then there’s typically a late-race caution and it gets pretty crazy. I’m excited for all of them and hopefully we can win all of them.”

WHICH TRACKS DO YOU LIKE BEST IN THE PLAYOFFS? “I would say it’s hard for us not to circle Kansas just with how our first Kansas went. I felt like we kind of dominated that race, so if we could do half of that again, I’d be super happy because there’s way more on the line this time. That’s obviously the goal. I love going to Kansas regardless, so I’m excited for it.”

HOW DID RUNNING THE CUP RACE AT GATEWAY CHANGE YOUR APPROACH TO TRUCKS? “That’s a good question. I feel like just that one Cup race I ran I feel like I learned so much. It’s pretty crazy just the difference from the Cup level to anything. I feel like everyone is good and everyone is so much closer. I’m happy I got to make that Cup start. I’m happy how it went, but hopefully there are more in the future. Currently, I’m obviously focused on this Truck Series title, so it’s just one thing at a time.”

CAN YOU AFFORD TO BE AGGRESSIVE AT IRP AND RICHMOND OR DO YOU JUST RACE FOR POINTS AND WINS? “I mean, it depends on how your day is going. I feel like if you’re off a little bit and haven’t captured stage points, then, yeah, I feel like I kind of have the room to be aggressive and go race for a race win, but I don’t know. It all depends how your race is going, really. If you’ve had a solid points day with maybe a stage win and good points, you need to be smart and be thinking about long term, so that’s where my head is at.”

Daniil Kvyat to make NASCAR debut at Indianapolis

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Andy Hone / LAT Images.

Nearly two years after stating his intentions to compete in a NASCAR event as a part of his bucket list, Daniil Kvyat’s dream is set to become a reality as he will be joining Team Hezeberg to pilot the No. 26 Toyota TRD Camry for his first Cup Series career start at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course scheduled for Sunday, July 31.

The 28-year-old Kvyat from Ufa, Russia, comes into NASCAR with an extensive resume in motorsports competition that includes 110 career starts in Formula One and winning the 2013 GP3 Series championship. He is set to become third competitor to compete for Team Hezeberg, a newly formed NASCAR Cup Series that debuted this season and was formed by former NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion Loris Hezemans and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner/driver Josh Reaume. Former F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve and reigning two-time Whelen Euro Series champion Loris Hezemans have made starts for the part-time team this season.

“I’m looking forward to being successful in this form of motorsport and I hope to contend for wins and championships in the future,” Kvyat said in a released statement. “I can’t thank NASCAR, Josh Reaume, Toine Hezemans, Ernst Berg, and everybody at Team Hezeberg enough for the opportunity. The guys at the shop have been working tirelessly to prepare machine and myself for this experience. It will be my first time at Indianapolis, and I am looking forward to seeing it in person. From what I have seen on video, Indianapolis is a challenging circuit, but I’m looking forward to that challenge, along with competing in the NASCAR Cup Series.”

I’m very happy to be able to make my NASCAR Cup Series debut at Indianapolis,” Kvyat added. “I have always been passionate about racing in NASCAR, the top form of motorsport in the United States. NASCAR has always been intriguing to me, as it is a pure form of motorsport to me.” 

Winning in his professional debut in 2005 and competing in local events in Russia before relocating to Italy two years later to pursue a racing career, Kvyat began to ascend towards the European racing ladder as he campaigned in Formula BMW, Toyota Racing Series and Formula Renault before competing in the GP3 Championship region in 2013, where he went on to win the championship.

In 2014, Kvyat embarked in his first full-time campaign in Formula One for Scuderia Toro Rosso. He finished ninth in his debut during the season-opening Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit and became the youngest-points scorer in F1 competition at age 19. He went on to record four additional top-10 points-paying results before finishing in 15th place in the drivers’ standings with eight points. The 2015 season marked Kvyat’s career-best season in F1 competition as he was promoted to drive for Infiniti Red Bull Racing. He earned his first podium result after finishing in second place in the Hungarian Grand Prix at Hungaroring along with a total of 14 top-10 results throughout the 19-race schedule before finishing in seventh place in the final standings with 95 points.

From 2016 to 2020, except for 2018, Kvyat remained in Formula One as he competed for Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso that was rebranded to AlphaTauri in 2020. During the five-year span, he earned two additional podiums in F1: a third-place finish during the 2016 Chinese Grand Prix and another third-place result during the 2019 German Grand Prix. Following his release from AlphaTauri at the conclusion of the 2020 season, Kvyat spend the 2021 F1 season as a reserve driver for the Alpine F1 Team. He was initially scheduled to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship for G-Drive Racing in the LMP2 class, but the team withdrew in response to conditions introduced by the FIA amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Kvyat is set to compete alongside Loris Hezemans, who will be piloting the No. 27 Team Hezeberg entry, this weekend at Indy.

“Daniil is a very talented driver with an amazing amount of open wheel experience,” Josh Reaume, co-owner of Team Hezeberg, said. “In my opinion, NASCAR is a great spot for Daniil to end up at, especially with the Next-Gen’s capabilities throughout many styles of racing. I’m looking forward to being a part of Daniil’s transition to NASCAR, and helping him however I possibly can.”

Kvyat’s debut in the NASCAR Cup Series at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course is scheduled to occur on Sunday, July 31, with the event’s coverage to commence at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Acronis and Hendrick Motorsports extend relationship through 2025

By
Official Release
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PRIMARY SPONSORSHIP OF WILLIAM BYRON WILL HIGHLIGHT CLOUD PROVIDER CLIMB

CONCORD, N.C. (July 26, 2022) – Acronis, a global leader in cyber backup protection and the Official Cyber Protection Partner of Hendrick Motorsports, has extended its marketing and technology relationship with the 14-time NASCAR Cup Series champions through 2025.

With the renewal, Acronis will join title contender William Byron as a primary sponsor in two races this season and continue as a major associate partner of Hendrick Motorsports with branding across the organization’s entire four-car stable throughout the duration of the agreement.

The No. 24 Acronis Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will appear in Sunday’s road-course event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Sept. 17 playoff race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The car’s hood will showcase Acronis partner and cloud distributor Climb Channel Solutions.

“Recommitting to this partnership is a no-brainer for everyone involved, and we are proud that it will help underscore our important work with Climb,” said Pat Hurley, Acronis’ vice president and general manager, Americas. “Hendrick Motorsports understands the risks associated with managing large amounts of data, and with our arsenal of #CyberFit-ready services, Acronis is proud to give them that peace of mind, keeping them secure and protected so the team can keep its focus on the track – where it belongs.”

With its unique combination of automation and integration, Acronis offers complete cyber protection. Its solutions safeguard data, applications, systems and productivity against loss, theft and downtime – from cyberattacks and hardware failures to natural disasters and human error. Hendrick Motorsports protects its data, applications, systems and overall racing operations by utilizing Acronis for cyber protection, security, backup, anti-ransomware and disaster recovery.

“Because we must be on the cutting edge at all times, auto racing requires a significant investment in technology,” said Jeff Andrews, president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports. “Our partnership with Acronis gives us confidence that our resources are always protected, which allows us to focus on competing at a championship level each week. We’re pleased to continue working together to help promote the products and services that our team trusts.”

Byron, 24, is a rising star in NASCAR. Through 21 races this season, he is projected as the fourth seed in the Cup playoffs and ranks second in the series in laps led. With two victories in 2022, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has clinched his fourth consecutive playoff berth.

“It means a lot that Acronis sees so much value in our program,” Byron said. “I’m excited about getting on the racetrack with their paint scheme this weekend at Indy and in the playoffs at Bristol. Our No. 24 team is working hard to carry momentum into the fall and contend for a championship. We’re proud to have Acronis on board as we keep pushing toward that goal.”

Climb Channel Solutions is a specialty IT distributor and key Acronis partner. The company connects partners, resellers and end-users with emerging technology, a global distribution network, and the sales and marketing support they need to accelerate and scale business in the channel. Acronis’ sponsorship of Hendrick Motorsports will highlight Climb’s commitment to delivering its partners access to the best and fastest-evolving technologies and services available.

Acronis’ marketing and technology relationship with Hendrick Motorsports began in August 2020 with an agreement that ran through June 2023. It has a worldwide presence in professional sports that includes team partnerships in the NBA, NFL, English Premier League, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer and across a variety of auto racing series.

ABOUT ACRONIS:
Acronis unifies data protection and cybersecurity to deliver integrated, automated cyber protection that solves the safety, accessibility, privacy, authenticity, and security (SAPAS) challenges of the modern digital world. With flexible deployment models that fit the demands of service providers and IT professionals, Acronis provides superior cyber protection for data, applications, and systems with innovative next-generation antivirus, backup, disaster recovery, and endpoint protection management solutions powered by AI. With advanced anti-malware powered by cutting-edge machine intelligence and blockchain based data authentication technologies, Acronis protects any environment – from cloud to hybrid to on premises – at a low and predictable cost.

Founded in Singapore in 2003 and incorporated in Switzerland in 2008, Acronis now has more than 2,000 employees and offices in 34 locations worldwide. Its solutions are trusted by more than 5.5 million home users and 500,000 companies, and top-tier professional sports teams. Acronis products are available through over 50,000 partners and service providers in over 150 countries and 26 languages.

ABOUT CLIMB CHANNEL SOLUTIONS AND WAYSIDE TECHNOLOGY GROUP:
Climb Channel Solutions is a global specialty IT distributor for emerging technology vendors with solutions for Security, Data Management, Connectivity, Storage and HCI, Virtualization and Cloud, and Software and ALM. Climb provides vendors access to thousands of VARs, MSPs, CSPs and other resellers. Climb holds an IT-70 GSA contract vehicle that provides resellers and vendors with a competitive edge within the Public Sector. Climb is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wayside Technology Group Inc. (NASDAQ: WSTG). Read more at www.climbcs.com, call 1-800-847-7078 and follow us on LinkedIn.

ABOUT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS:
Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports is the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history. At the sport’s premier level, the organization holds the all-time records in every major statistical category, including championships (14), points-paying race victories (288) and laps led (more than 76,000). It has earned at least one race win in a record 38 different seasons, including an active streak of 37 in a row (1986-2022). The team fields four full-time Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entries in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Alex Bowman, William Byron, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. Headquartered on more than 100 acres in Concord, North Carolina, Hendrick Motorsports employs approximately 600 people. For more information, please visit HendrickMotorsports.com or interact on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

HaasTooling.com Racing: Cole Custer Indianapolis Advance

By
Official Release
-

COLE CUSTER
Indianapolis Road Course Advance
No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Verizon 200 at the Brickyard (Round 22 of 36)
● Time/Date: 2:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 31
● Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
● Layout: 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course
● Laps/Miles: 82 laps / 200 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 15 laps / Stage 2: 20 laps / Final Stage: 47 laps
● TV/Radio: NBC / IMS Radio Network / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Cole Custer and his No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang team for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) are set for their fourth of six road-course races this season when the NASCAR Cup Series heads to the hallowed grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Verizon 200 at the Brickyard.

● The 24-year-old from Ladera Ranch, California, will be making his 97th career Cup Series start during Sunday’s 82-lap, 200-mile race, and his second on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis circuit. He qualified 10th for this event a year ago and was vying for a top-five finish in overtime before getting caught up in a multicar accident.

● Custer has one other start at the facility, when he drove to an impressive fifth-place finish in the 2020 Brickyard 400 on its iconic 2.5-mile oval. It was his first of two top-fives during his Cup Series Rookie of the Year campaign, which he followed up with a dramatic victory the following weekend at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta.

● Sunday’s race will be Custer’s 13th road-course start in the Cup Series. He qualified 10th and finished 15th in the July 3 race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. He posted stout qualifying efforts at the previous two road-course races – third for the March 27 event at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, and sixth for the June 12 race at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway – but late-race, multicar chaos foiled his bids for finishes deep inside the top-10 at both events. Custer’s best Cup Series finish on a road course was ninth in the October 2020 race on the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval.

● In NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition, Custer has top-10s in all three of his road-course outings, all at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario. His best was his most recent, a second-place run from the pole with a race-high 39 laps led in the No. 00 JR Motorsports entry in 2016. He also made three starts apiece on the road courses at Sonoma and Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International in NASCAR K&N Pro Series competition, with best finishes of third in the 2016 East Series race at Watkins Glen after having qualified on the pole there the previous year, and fourth in the 2019 West Series race at Sonoma.

● Riding along with Custer and his SHR Mustang is team co-owner Gene Haas’ newest holding, Haas Tooling, which was launched as a way for CNC machinists to purchase high-quality cutting tools at great prices. Haas cutting tools are sold exclusively online at HaasTooling.com and shipped directly to end users. HaasTooling.com products became available nationally in July 2020. Haas Automation, founded by Haas in 1983, is America’s leading builder of CNC machine tools. The company manufactures a complete line of vertical and horizontal machining centers, turning centers and rotary tables and indexers. All Haas products are constructed in the company’s 1.1-million-square-foot manufacturing facility in Oxnard, California, and distributed through a worldwide network of Haas Factory Outlets.

Cole Custer, Driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

You had a solid run in last year’s race on the Indianapolis road course, and you’ve had strong runs in the previous three road-course races this year. What will it take to put you over the top this weekend?

“We had a really good day at Indy last year, until the end. We had a top-five car, but luck just wasn’t on our side because we got involved in a wreck during overtime. The same could be said for our races at COTA and Sonoma this year. Road courses have turned out to be a strong suit for us with this NextGen car and I’m confident we’ll be able to run up front again this weekend. We just need a little luck to finally go our way when all the craziness happens in those final laps.”

Is it possible to create your own good luck?

“That’s the million-dollar question. You’ve got to make your own luck. You’ve got to have a good car, you have to be fast to where you can keep yourself up front and out of the mess, and then you’ve got to be smart. We’ve been able to do all of those things on the road courses, so far. When there are those bad situations, you’ve just got to know when to play your cards right and hope that you’re not in a bad spot. It seems most of the time there’s just nothing you can do, but I’d like to think we’ll start coming out on the good side of these situations. It all has to even out, right?”

If you could have the keys to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a day, what would you do?

“I’d probably just go over and see all the trophies and all the history in the museum there. It’s one of the coolest things. They have some special stuff downstairs that I think would be really cool to see, all the historic stuff that they have there. Having the first (Cup Series) road-course race there last year was huge, it was historic, and it was a crazy race. Indy is obviously the most historic track maybe in the world, definitely in the United States, so I’m really looking forward to going back.”

How do you like sharing the weekend with IndyCar?

“I think it’s cool. IndyCar is totally different from what we do, but to see the two forms of racing come together is really awesome, and it’s a great thing for the fans who are loyal to one or both of our series.”

No. 41 HaasTooling.com Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Cole Custer
Hometown: Ladera Ranch, California

Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
Hometown: Amherst, Ohio

Car Chief: Tony Cardamone
Hometown: Bristol, Virginia

Engineer: Lee Deese
Hometown: Rockingham, North Carolina

Engineer: Scott Bingham
Hometown: Lawrenceville, Georgia

Spotter: Andy Houston
Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Josh Leslie
Hometown: Mount Clemens, Michigan

Rear Tire Changer: Chris Jackson
Hometown: Rock Hill, South Carolina

Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons
Hometown: Tyler, Texas

Jack Man: Kapil Fletcher
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Fuel Man: Dewayne Moore
Hometown: Griffin, Georgia

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Joe Zanolini
Hometown: Sybertsville, Pennsylvania

Shock Specialist: Aaron Kuehn
Hometown: Kensington, Connecticut

Engine Tuner: Jimmy Fife
Hometown: Orange County, California

Tire Specialist: Austin Greco
Hometown: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: David Rodrigues
Hometown: Santa Clarita, California

Transporter Co-Driver: Charlie Schleyer
Hometown: Youngsville, Pennsylvania

Ford Performance NASCAR: Indianapolis Advance

By
Official Release
-

FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: INDIANAPOLIS NOTES

Indianapolis will be the hub of racing activity this weekend as all three of NASCAR’s top touring series compete. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will open its playoff season on Friday night at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park before the NASCAR XFINITY and NASCAR Cup Series take to the Grand Prix circuit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Here’s a look at Ford’s history at both tracks.

This Week’s Schedule:

Friday, July 29 – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series @ IRP, 9 p.m. ET (FS1)

Saturday, July 30 – NASCAR XFINITY Series @ IMS, 3:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

Sunday, July 31 – NASCAR Cup Series @IMS, 2:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT IMS

· Ford has 6 all-time series wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

· Ford has won 3 of the last 4 Cup races at the Brickyard (all oval).

· Dale Jarrett and Kevin Harvick have two Ford victories at the track.

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT IMS

· Ford is looking for its third straight series win on the IMS road course.

· Chase Briscoe (2020) and Austin Cindric (2021) won the first two events.

· Ford has led 83-of-124 laps in both races combined.

FORD IN THE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES AT IRP

· Ford has two all-time wins at IRP.

· Greg Biffle won Ford’s first race at the track in 2002.

· Carl Edwards was Ford’s last winner in 2009.

GURNEY IS FORD’S ALL-TIME ROAD COURSE WINNER

NASCAR has competed on 16 different road courses during its history and Ford has had 21 drivers win 33 times overall. Dan Gurney leads the way with five, which included four straight wins at Riverside International Raceway from 1963-66 while driving for the Wood Brothers. Mark Martin, on the strength of three straight triumphs at Watkins Glen International from 1993-95, is second.

FORD’S ALL-TIME CUP ROAD COURSE WINNERS

5 – Dan Gurney

4 – Mark Martin

2 – Fireball Roberts, Marvin Panch, Parnelli Jones, Ricky Rudd, Marcos Ambrose

1 – Chuck Stevenson, Eddie Gray, Richard Petty, A.J. Foyt, Bobby Allison, Bill Elliott, Davey Allison, Geoffrey Bodine, Ernie Irvan, Rusty Wallace, Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Blaney.

FORD’S ACTIVE WINNERS

There are three current drivers who have won a NASCAR Cup Series race on a road course with Ford. The most recent winner was Ryan Blaney, who captured the inaugural event at the Charlotte Roval in 2018. Kevin Harvick, who goes into this weekend with 23 career Ford victories in just over five years, got his first with the Blue Oval in 2017 when he won at Sonoma. Joey Logano scored his Cup victory at Watkins Glen International in 2015, which completed a weekend sweep after he won the NASCAR XFINITY Series race one day earlier.

OTHER FORD WINNERS

Besides the drivers mentioned above, Ford has five other competitors who have won on a road course in either the NASCAR Cup or NASCAR XFINITY Series. Brad Keselowski (Watkins Glen NXS with Ford, 2013); Chris Buescher (Mid-Ohio NXS with Ford, 2014); Michael McDowell (Road America NXS, 2016); Chase Briscoe (Charlotte Roval, 2018 and Indianapolis, 2020); and Austin Cindric (Road America NXS, 2020).

SMITH BEGINS TRUCK CHAMPIONSHIP CHASE AS TOP SEED

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series begins its playoff season on Friday night at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park with Ford’s Zane Smith holding down the top seed after winning the regular season championship. Smith has a 15-point lead over second-place Chandler Smith and is 35 points above the cutline going into the first of a three-race stretch that will determine the Round of 8. Smith tops all drivers with three wins and has finished in the top 10 in all but three of the 16 races held so far this season.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT THE BRICKYARD

1996 – Dale Jarrett (Oval)

1997 – Ricky Rudd (Oval)

1999 – Dale Jarrett (Oval)

2018 – Brad Keselowski (Oval)

2019 – Kevin Harvick (Oval)

2020 – Kevin Harvick (Oval)

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT THE BRICKYARD

2020 – Chase Briscoe (Road Course)

2021 – Austin Cindric (Road Course)

FORD CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT IRP

2002 – Greg Biffle

2009 – Carl Edwards

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