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Chevrolet aiming to add to Western Swing victory total

By
Official Release
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CHEVROLET AT SEATTLE

What: Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals
When: Friday, July 29-Sunday, July 31
Where: Pacific Raceways in Ken, Washington
TV: FOX will telecast eliminations at 4 p.m. ET Sunday, July 31

Chevrolet aiming to add to Western Swing victory total
Dallas Glenn looking forward to racing at home; Team Chevy drivers atop standings

DETROIT (July 28, 2022) – Dallas Glenn is looking forward to returning home this weekend.

The 2021 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series rookie of the year will drive the RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro SS at Pacific Raceways in Kent, Washington – 20 miles as the crow flies from his boyhood home – for the first time in Pro Stock competition.

It will be the NHRA’s first visit to the venue since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and close out the three-race Western Swing that has seen Chevrolet drivers post four victories.

“Coming to race Pro Stock for the first time at my old home track is kind of surreal,” said Glenn, who defeated KB Racing teammate Kyle Koretsky earlier this season at Gainesville. “I grew up at this track and Pacific Raceways is a big part of my family. I actually grew up the exit down from the racetrack so if I wasn’t at home, you could find me there.

“Racing professionally in front of all the friends and family there will be an experience. We’ve had some early exits the last two races in just some real close races, but I still think we’ve got a winning car this year. I think Seattle would be the perfect race to score our second Wally of the season.”

Chevrolet drivers are atop the standings in three professional categories – Brittany Force in Top Fuel, Robert Hight in Funny Car and Erica Enders in Pro Stock.

Through 12 of the 22 scheduled nitro events, Team Chevy drivers have recorded 10 victories. Chevrolet drivers have swept all 10 Pro Stock wins, with Enders pacing the pack with six victories.

Force earned her fourth win of the season and first at Sonoma Raceway last week, driving the Flav-R-Pac/Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster. Along the way, she reset her own track Top Fuel speed record three times with a best of 337.75 mph.

“We’re coming out of Sonoma strong, and we want to do the same thing in Seattle,” she said.

Team Chevy points leaders

Top Fuel – Brittany Force (4 wins; 4 top qualifiers)

Funny Car – Robert Hight (5 wins; 2 runner-up finishes; 3 top qualifiers)

Pro Stock – Erica Enders (6 wins; 1 runner-up finish; 3 top qualifiers)

Hight, driving the Automobile Club of Southern California Camaro SS, increased his Funny Car points lead with a semifinal appearance at Sonoma, where he had won the previous three times. He’s won a class-high five races. Hight won at Pacific Raceways in 2017 on the way to the Funny Car championship and is a four-time No. 1 qualifier at the track.

John Force, runner-up at Sonoma in the PEAK/BluDEF Platinum Camaro SS, remained fourth in the Funny Car standings as he seeks a record-extending 17th title. Force has won nine times at Pacific Raceways, including 2019 when he corralled his 150th career victory.

Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster, earned his maiden Top Fuel victory at the track in 2019.

No. 1 qualifier Enders, driver of the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro SS, .

upped her Pro Stock points lead with a victory at Sonoma Raceway and denied Greg Anderson of his 100th career Pro Stock win in the process. In 2012, Enders shared the winner’s circle at Pacific Raceways with Courtney Force – the first time two women won at the same event.

“Going to Seattle, it was my second win ever and the first time two pro girls won, me and Courtney Force, so that stands out in my mind as well as we head there. Just an amazing day,” Enders said.

Anderson, the five-time and reigning Pro Stock champion driving the HendrickCars.com Camaro SS, is seeking to join Force (155) as the only drivers in pro categories with 100 wins. In 2019, after winning the first two rounds of the Western Swing, Anderson was runner-up to Matt Hartford at Pacific Raceways.

CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT

TOP FUEL

BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, FLAV-R-PAC/MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (four-time winner this season; points leader): “I’m excited to go back to Seattle, it’s been a while. t’s another track I’ve grown up on and has a lot of memories for John Force Racing. Austin got his first win there the same time my dad won his 150th and then this year it’s the Flav-R-Pac race, my sponsor. I’m excited to see Flav-R-Pac colors painted all up and down the track and proud to stand by such an incredible company. Our team is looking forward to getting back to work and begin qualifying. We’re coming out of Sonoma strong, and we want to do the same thing in Seattle.”

AUSTIN PROCK, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONTANA BRAND/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (runner-up at Pomona opener; 2019 winner at track): “I’m happy to be back in Seattle. It’s been a few years since we’ve been here and when I left it was definitely on a high note. It would be really special to keep the reigning champ title for another year. I think we are on the right track to make a statement this weekend. Hopefully that turns into four win lights on Sunday and I can be on the wing celebrating again.”

FUNNY CAR

JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK/BLUEDEF PLATINUM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier and Charlotte four-wide winner; runner-up at Sonoma; nine-time winner at the track): “Back in Seattle after three years, it’s going to feel good to be back. We’ve missed those fans, I hope they’ve missed us too. It’s the Flav-R-Pac race, Frank Tiegs, he’s waited just as long as us to get this race back. His car is running great over there with Brittany and hopefully we can get a couple more winner’s circle photos with him this weekend. We’re in a good spot. This PEAK team, we have a fast car, it was right there in Sonoma. We’ll see how this weekend goes.”

ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (five-time winner this season; points leader): “We are off to a great season so far. This Auto Club team is really working hard, and we need to keep it up. This last half of the season is what’s really important, four races and then we hit the NHRA Countdown. We are going to try and be perfect, come out every run and get down the track, be consistent and try not to make any mistakes. This Chevy is responding to what Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham are doing and we are only getting better.”

PRO STOCK

ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (six-time winner this season; points leader): “Coming into race day, I know I have the car to beat right now. It’s just it’s the way the cookie crumbles and that will change. I guarantee it. But right now, all I have to do is go up there and do my job and not mess up.”

GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (reigning Pro Stock champion; seeking to become second pro driver with 100 wins; runner-up at Sonoma; fourth in standings): “The positive is that KB Racing won (at Denver with Matt Hartford) and we were in the final (at Sonoma) with the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet. We’re coming back. I feel good about it, and we have another chance to finish the Western Swing with a win. I’m going to keep digging and build on this momentum.”

CAMRIE CARUSO, CARUSO FAMILY RACING, TEQUILA COMISARIO CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (first season in Pro Stock; No. 1 qualifier and runner-up at Houston): “We have been working really hard with this Tequila Comisario Chevrolet team and we have just had some tough draws on race day. We are a team that has been consistently qualifying in the top half and that makes a difference on Sunday. I know we have the power thanks to Titan Racing Engines and my crew led by crew chief Jim Yates is really good. I am excited to get to a new track and have some new results on the swing.”

KYLE KORETSKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier at Phoenix; runner-up at Gainesville; third in standings): “Different weather, different atmosphere and my first time racing there as well. I’m looking forward to the third and final race of the Western Swing. We made the semifinals in Sonoma and were looking good but had a mechanical issue about a third of the way down the track, so I’m definitely looking to go rounds this weekend. My goal is not to have Dallas (Glenn) beat me at Seattle.”

DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (winner at Gainesville; No. 1 qualifier at Epping; fifth in standings): “Racing professionally in front of all the friends and family there will be an experience. We’ve had some early exits the last two races in just some real close races, but I still think we’ve got a winning car this year. I think Seattle would be the perfect race to score our second Wally of the season.”

MASON MCGAHA, HARLOW SAMMONS RACING, HARLOW SAMMONS OF ODESSA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (semifinalist in four of the 10 races): “The last two races we were pretty killer on the tree in the first round and then we eased up in the second round. We just need four consistent runs with good reaction times and elapsed times. That is what we are looking to do in Seattle this weekend. This will be my first time racing in Seattle but I feel pretty good. You want to make the most of qualifying and then just keep it rolling on race day. I am just going to go up there and do my thing. We are sixth in the points we aren’t too far back, but we would like to have a good weekend in Seattle and try to close that gap. We want to win that first race for sure.”

CHRIS MCGAHA, HARLOW SAMMONS RACING, HARLOW SAMMONS OF ODESSA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (owns both ends of the track record, set in 2015 on the way to victory): “I am looking forward to Seattle. I switched cars and I am back to my old car and I am going faster. I have lost some mojo but I am going to get it back. I am going to forget the past and focus on this next race. The conditions in Seattle can be really good for our class. It can go either way but we are looking for a good weekend. Racing with Mason is the best. I am looking forward to seeing him get his first win and then I think we will both be in a great spot.”

About Chevrolet

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

Air Freight Forwarding Business: Get The Most Out Of The Services

By
SM
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Photo by Erwan Hesry on Unsplash

Air freight forwarding is a service used by companies to move goods and products via air transport. The air freight forwarder contracts with an airline to move the goods on behalf of their customer. 

Air freight forwarding services also include value-added services such as packing, crating, tracking, insurance, and customs clearance. There are many benefits of using an air freight forwarder compared to shipping goods yourself. You can use the world’s simplest way to invoice customers, Zintego, to create professional invoices and estimates.

We will look into the details one after the other.

What is air freight forwarding? 

Air freight forwarding is the process of shipping goods by air. This can be done either by using an air freight company or by shipping the goods yourself. Airfreight companies specialize in arranging air transportation for their customers and usually have access to discounted rates. They will also handle all of the paperwork associated with shipping goods by air. 

How does air freight forwarding work? 

When you use an air freight company, they will first pick up your goods from their origin point and then transport them to the airport. They will then load the goods onto a plane and fly them to their destination. Once the goods arrive at the destination airport, the air freight company will clear them through customs and then deliver them to their final destination. 

Advantages of using an air freight forwarder:

  • There are many advantages to using an air freight company, including: 
  • They have access to discounted rates which can save you money
  • They will handle all of the paperwork associated with shipping goods by air
  • They can pick up your goods from multiple locations and consolidate them into one shipment
  • They can store your goods in their warehouse until they are ready to be shipped
  • They can provide insurance for your goods while they are in transit

How to choose the right air freight forwarder: 

When choosing an air freight company, there are a few things you should keep in mind, including: 

  • Their experience in shipping goods by air:  You want to choose a company that has experience shipping goods by air. This will ensure that they are familiar with the process and can handle any potential problems that may arise. 
  • Their rates: Be sure to compare rates between different companies before making a decision. You should also inquire about any discounts that they may offer. 
  • Their customer service: You want to choose a company that offers excellent customer service. This way, you can be sure that you will be able to get help if you need it. 
  • Their reputation within the industry: You want to choose a company that has a good reputation within the industry. This way, you can be sure that you are working with a reputable company. 
  • The services they offer: You want to choose a company that offers a variety of services. This way, you can be sure that they can meet all of your shipping needs. 

What is the difference between an air freight forwarder and an air cargo company? 

An air cargo company is a company such as https://vrr.aero, a global leader in air cargo products that specializes in shipping goods by air. A cargo company will typically have its own fleet of aircraft and will contract with airlines to transport goods. An air freight forwarder is a company that specializes in arranging air transportation for its customers. They will usually have access to discounted rates and will handle all of the paperwork associated with shipping goods by air. 

Tips for shipping goods by air:

When shipping goods by air, there are a few things you should keep in mind, including: 

  • Make sure all of your paperwork is in order before sending your shipment:  This includes your commercial invoice, packing list, and any other required documents. 
  • Pack your goods properly:  You want to make sure that your goods are packed properly to ensure that they arrive at their destination safely. 
  • Choose the right shipping company:  You want to choose a company that has experience shipping by air and offers competitive rates. 
  • Inquire about insurance:  You should inquire about insurance for your shipment in case of damage or loss. 
  • Follow up with your shipment:  Once you have sent your shipment, be sure to follow up with the company to ensure that it has arrived safely. 
  • Label your shipments clearly and accurately:  You want to make sure that your shipments are labeled clearly and accurately to avoid any delays in transit. 

Air freight is a great option for shipping goods, but it is important to choose the right company and follow some basic tips to ensure that your shipment arrives safely.

Common mistakes people make when shipping goods by air:

There are a few common mistakes people make when shipping goods by air, including: 

  • Not properly packaging their goods: This can lead to damage during transit.
  • Not labeling their shipments correctly: This can cause delays in delivery.
  • Not keeping track of their shipment: This can cause problems if the shipment is lost or delayed.
  • Shipping hazardous materials without proper documentation: This can lead to fines or other penalties.

What to do if your shipment is lost or damaged:

  • If your shipment is lost or damaged, you should
  • Report the problem to the air freight company as soon as possible.
  • File a claim with the air freight company.
  • Get in touch with your insurance company if you have shipping insurance.

Bottom Line:

Air freight forwarders provide a valuable service for companies who need to ship goods by air. They have access to discounted rates and can handle all of the paperwork associated with shipping goods by air. When choosing an air freight company, it is important to choose one that has experience shipping goods by air, and that offers excellent customer service.

Endnote:

Air freight is a great option for companies that need to ship goods quickly and efficiently. By using an air freight company, you can be sure that your goods will arrive at their destination on time and in good condition.  So, this guide provides you with all the information that you need to choose the right air freight company for your shipping needs.

Should You Buy Instagram Followers? The Pros and Cons

By
SM
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Photo by Souvik Banerjee on Unsplash

As a business owner, you may have considered buying Instagram followers or likes at some point. After all, with over 1 billion monthly users, it’s one of the most popular social media platforms.

Sure, organic growth is always best. But sometimes, when you’re just starting or trying to boost your business, a little help from paid followers or likes can go a long way.

How do you get started:

Like any other marketing campaign, you need to set a budget and goals for your Instagram followers or likes campaign. Once you have that figured out, there are a few different ways you can go about buying followers or likes.

You can do a quick search on Google or Instagram and find tons of websites and services that offer to sell you followers or likes. Some of these are legit, while others are nothing more than spam.

If you’re going to go this route, be sure to do your research and only buy real instagram likes from a reputable source.

Another option is to work with an Instagram influencer who can help promote your account to their followers. This can be a great way to get real, targeted followers who are interested in your products or services.

Of course, you’ll need to pay the influencer, but the results you’ll get are often worth it.

You can also run ads on Instagram to promote your account or specific posts. This is a great way to reach a larger audience and get more followers or likes in a shorter period of time.

Lastly, you can use hashtags to reach new people. When you use relevant hashtags, your posts will show up in the feed of anyone who searches for that hashtag.

This is a great way to get your account in front of new potential followers.

Now that you know a little about buying Instagram followers or likes let’s dive into the pros and cons.

Pros:

1. Boost Your Visibility: When you have more followers, you’re more likely to show up in users’ explore pages and search results. This means more people are exposed to your content, leading to more likes, comments, and, ultimately, customers.

2. Make a Good First Impression: Having a lot of followers and likes makes your business look popular and credible. This can be especially helpful if you’re a new business or trying to break into a competitive industry.

3. Save Time: Growing your Instagram following organically can be time-consuming. If you’re short on time or resources, buy real Instagram followers can help you get the exposure you need without putting in all the extra work.

4. Reach a Wider Audience: When you buy followers or likes, you’re not just increasing your visibility with users who already follow you. You’re also reaching new users who may not have come across your account.

5. Get More Customers: Getting more exposure leads to more customers. And while buying followers or likes doesn’t guarantee sales, it can certainly boost your business and help you reach your goals.

6. Stand Out From the Competition: With over 60 million businesses on Instagram, finding ways to stand out is essential. If your competitors are buying followers and likes, you may need to do the same to stay competitive.

7. Increase Engagement: When you have more followers and likes, you’re likely to see an increase in engagement. This can lead to even more exposure and, ultimately, more customers.

8. Boost Your SEO: Instagram is a powerful tool for SEO. When you have more followers and likes, your posts are more likely to appear in search results, giving you an advantage over your competitors.

9. Make More Money: At the end of the day, businesses exist to make money. And while buying followers and likes doesn’t guarantee sales, it can help you reach your financial goals.

10. Get Ahead of the Curve: Buying followers and likes is a trend that will only grow. By getting ahead of the curve, you can stay ahead of your competition and reach your target audience before they do.

Cons:

1. It’s Not All Real: When you buy followers or likes, you’re not getting accurate, engaged users. Many of these accounts are inactive or bots, meaning they will not interact with your content or convert you into customers.

2. Your Engagement Will Suffer: While your follower count may increase, your engagement will likely suffer. This is because real users are less likely to engage with content from an account that looks like it’s full of fake followers.

3. It’s Against the Terms of Service: Instagram has strict rules against buying likes and followers. If you’re caught, your account could be suspended or even banned.

4. It’s a Waste of Money: You’re paying for something that won’t benefit your business in the long run. Instead of spending money on fake followers or likes, invest in other marketing strategies to help you grow your business.

5. It Can Damage Your Reputation: When people find out you’ve bought followers or likes, it can damage your reputation and make people less likely to do business with you.

6. It’s Not Sustainable: Your numbers will drop once you stop buying followers or likes. This can make it challenging to maintain the growth of your account and could even lead to a decline in engagement and customers.

7. You Could Get blocked: Some marketing companies keep lists of businesses that have bought followers or likes. If caught, you could be blocked from using their services, limiting your ability to reach your target audience.

8. It’s Not Ethical: Many believe buying followers or likes is unethical. It goes against organic growth and could be seen as deceiving your audience.

Overall, buying Instagram followers or likes can be beneficial or harmful to your business, depending on your goals. If you’re looking for quick exposure and don’t mind sacrificing engagement or violating Instagram’s terms of service, go ahead and make a purchase. But organic growth is the way to go if you’re looking to build a lasting, successful business.

Do you think buying Instagram followers or likes is a good idea? Let us know in the comments below!

Casinos in Korea: A Look at the History, Culture, and Future of Gambling in South Korea

By
SM
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Photo by Sava Bobov on Unsplash

South Korea is a country that is known for its technological advances and its love of gambling. In this blog post, we will take a look at the history, culture, and future of casinos in South Korea. We will also discuss the development of gambling laws in South Korea and how they have changed over time. Finally, we will explore the potential implications of recent developments in the casino industry in South Korea.

Want to gamble in Korea and legally? Check out the first legal Kangwon Land Casino {강원랜드 카지노} in Korea. 

The History, Culture, and Future of Casinos in South Korea

The first recorded instance of gambling in Korea can be traced all the way back to the Three Kingdoms period. Gambling was a popular pastime among soldiers and nobles, with many different games being played. Fortunes could be won and lost overnight, and gambling was seen as a way to earn quick money.

 During the Joseon Dynasty, gambling was made illegal, but that didn’t stop people from indulging in it. In fact, many of the most popular games today originated during this time when they were played in secret underground clubs. 

Today, gambling is still technically illegal in Korea, but there are many ways around the law. Several foreigner-only casinos are operating in the country, which caters to tourists and businesspeople. There are also a number of illegal but widely tolerated gambling dens, which offer a range of games, including poker, blackjack, and roulette. 

The future of gambling in Korea is uncertain. The government has been cracking down on illegal gambling operations recently, and there is talk of introducing stricter laws. However, with the popularity of casinos rising all over Asia, it seems likely that Korea will eventually open up its own legal casinos. Only time will tell the future of gambling in this fascinating country.  

Casinos first came to Korea during the Three Kingdoms period when they were introduced by soldiers who had been stationed in China. Gambling quickly became a popular pastime among the nobility and commoners alike. Many different games were played, with fortunes won and lost overnight. 

During the Joseon Dynasty, gambling was made illegal but this did not stop people from indulging in it. In fact, many of the most popular games today originated during this time when they were played in secret underground clubs.

Are there Casinos in Korea?

 Yes, there are casinos in Korea. In fact, gambling is quite popular in South Korea. Koreans have been gambling for centuries, with a long history of betting on horse racing and bullfighting games. 

So why aren’t more Koreans visiting casinos? 

Well, actually, many Koreans do visit casinos. In fact, according to a recent study, about 30% of all casino visitors in Asia are from South Korea. However, the vast majority of these visitors are not Korean citizens – they’re Chinese tourists.

Is casino gambling illegal in Korea?

No, casino gambling is not illegal in Korea. In fact, several casinos in Korea are open to foreigners. However, Koreans are not allowed to gamble in these casinos. The only exception is the Kangwon Land Casino, which is the only casino in Korea that allows Korean citizens to gamble.

So why are casinos such a big deal in Korea?

Well, for one thing, gambling is a huge part of Korean culture. Gambling has been around in Korea for centuries, and it’s still a popular pastime today. For many Koreans, gambling is a way to relax and have fun. It’s also seen as a way to make quick money.

Casinos first started appearing in Korea in the early 2000s. At first, they were only open to foreigners. But as more and more Koreans started traveling abroad, they began to visit casinos in other countries. This led to a growing demand for casinos in Korea.

In 2006, the first casino opened in Korea that was open to both foreigners and Koreans. Since then, the number of casinos in Korea has grown steadily. Today, there are over 20 casinos spread across the country. 

The most popular casino games in Korea are blackjack and roulette. Slot machines are also becoming increasingly popular. Poker is also starting to gain popularity, although it’s not as widely available as other casino games.

So what does the future hold for gambling in Korea?

The industry is still growing, and the number of casinos is expected to continue to increase. The government is also starting to loosen up its stance on gambling, which could open up even more opportunities for casino operators in Korea.

It’s safe to say that gambling in Korea is here to stay. Whether you’re a foreigner or a Korean citizen, there’s sure to be a casino in Korea that you can enjoy. So if you’re ever in Korea, be sure to check out one of the many casinos scattered across the country! Who knows, you might just get lucky and hit the jackpot!

Can Koreans gamble online?

Yes, Koreans can gamble online. In fact, gambling is quite popular in Korea. Many online casinos cater to Korean players, offering a wide range of games and services. 

However, it should be noted that online gambling is not currently legal in Korea. The government has taken a stance against it and has cracked down on several domestic and foreign operators. Koreans looking to gamble online must do so through offshore sites.

Despite the challenges, gambling remains popular in Korea. This can be seen in the popularity of horse racing and other sports betting activities. It is also evident in the large number of casinos located throughout the country.

The future of gambling in Korea looks bright. With the government starting to loosen its stance on gambling, more casinos will likely open up in the coming years. This will provide Koreans with even more opportunities to gamble and win big!

So if you’re ever in Korea and looking for a place to gamble, don’t hesitate to check out one of the many casinos! You’re sure to have a good time and maybe even walk away with some extra cash in your pocket. Who knows, you might even get lucky and hit the jackpot!

In the end 

So, there you have it! A look at the history, culture, and future of gambling in South Korea. Will casinos ever become as popular in Korea as they are in other parts of the world? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure: Koreans love to gamble! Whether at the local noraebang or an international casino, gambling is a pastime that is here to stay in Korea. Thanks for reading!

Weekend schedule for Indianapolis

By
Angie Campbell
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NASCAR Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 15, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

This weekend the NASCAR Cup Series heads to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course for a tripleheader weekend of racing with the Xfinity Series and the NTT IndyCar Series.

The Camping World Truck Series Playoffs will take center stage Friday night at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in the TSport 200, preceded by the ARCA Menards Series Reese’s 200.

There are only five races remaining in the Cup Series regular season and 14 different drivers have already collected wins, leaving two available spots in the Playoffs. Ryan Blaney (+105 points) and Martin Truex Jr. (+85 points) are currently above the cutoff.

With seven races to go in the Xfinity Series regular season, there are five open spots in the Playoffs. Ty Gibbs (four wins), Justin Allgaier (three), Noah Gragson (three), AJ Allmendinger (two), Josh Berry (two), Austin Hill (two) and Brandon Jones (one) have each qualified for the Playoffs via wins.

Zane Smith, the regular season Truck Series champion begins the Playoffs with 2037 points, followed by Chandler Smith (2022), Ben Rhodes (2017) John Hunter Nemechek (2,016), Stewart Friesen (2,013), Christian Eckes (2,007), Ty Majeski (2,006), Carson Hocevar (2,005), Grant Enfinger (2,002) and Matt Crafton (2,001 points)

All times are Eastern.

Friday, July 29 – Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP)

10:35 a.m.: Truck Series Practice (All Entries) No TV
12:30 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Practice – No TV
2:15 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series Qualifying (Impound – Single Vehicle/2Laps/All Entries) No TV
4:30 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying (Impound – Single Vehicle/2Laps/All Entries) FS1

6 p.m.: ARCA Menard Series Reese’s 200 – FS1/MRN

9 p.m.: Truck Series TSport 200
Distance: 137.2 miles (200 Laps)
Stage 1 ends Lap 60, Stage 2 ends Lap 120, Final Stage ends Lap 200
FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Purse: $622,754

Friday, July 29 – Indianapolis Road Course

3:05 p.m.: Xfinity Series Practice (All Entries) USA
3:35 p.m.: Xfinity Series Qualifying (Impound – Groups A & B/Multi-Vehicle/Two Rounds) USA

Saturday, July 30 – Indianapolis Road Course

9:35 a.m.: Cup Series Practice (Groups A & B) USA
10:35 a.m.: Cup Series Qualifying (Impound) (Groups A & B/Multi-Vehicle/Two Rounds) USA

3:30 p.m.: Xfinity Series Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard
Distance: 151.22 miles (62 Laps)
Stage 1 ends Lap 20, Stage 2 ends Lap 40, Final Stage ends Lap 62
NBC/Peacock/IMS Radio/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Purse: $1,750,651

Sunday, July 31 – Indianapolis Road Course

2:30 p.m.: Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard
Distance: 199.998 miles (82 Laps)
Stage 1 ends Lap 15, Stage 2 ends Lap 35, Final Stage ends Lap 82
NBC/IMS Radio/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Purse: $8,671,417

Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Indianapolis Road Course

By
Official Release
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Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
Sunday, July 31, 2022
2.439-Mile Road Course
2:30 PM ET
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (22 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM logo PRN logo

5 KYLE LARSON

Age: 29 (July 31, 1992)

Hometown: Elk Grove, California

Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels

Standings: 4th

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

ANOTHER TOP-FIVE FOR NO. 5: Last weekend at Pocono Raceway, Kyle Larson crossed the finish line seventh but was credited with a fifth-place result after the first and second-place finishers were disqualified following post-race technical inspection. The top-five finish was Larson’s ninth in 21 races this season and he trails only Ross Chastain (10) in that statistical category.

REARVIEW MIRROR: Last year on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Larson led a race-high 28 laps and built a 4.5-second lead before a caution waved with eight laps to go in the scheduled distance of 82 laps. In overtime, he recovered from late-race contact and a trip into the grass to finish third.

KING OF THE ROAD: Larson won three road course events in 2021, the most ever during a NASCAR Cup Series season. Victories at Sonoma Raceway in June, Watkins Glen International in August and the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in October were integral during his 10-win championship season.

OLD MAN LARSON: Three drivers have won races in NASCAR’s premier series on their birthday: Cale Yarborough (twice), Kyle Busch (twice) and Matt Kenseth. Larson will celebrate his 30th birthday on Sunday.

THREE FOR KYLE: There have been 10 road course events since the start of the 2021 season and Larson was victorious in three. The driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet also posted six top-three finishes during that span – the most of any competitor.

ROAD COURSE RINGERS: Only two Hendrick Motorsports drivers have scored more wins on road courses than Larson. On serpentine layouts in the Cup Series, the all-time winningest driver is NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon with nine while Chase Elliott has crossed the line first on seven occasions.

YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend, Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. From the convenience of home, customers can select the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com. The website also makes it easy for customers to find one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealership locations nationwide.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT

Age: 26 (Nov. 28, 1995)

Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia

Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson

Standings: 1st

No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

VIEW FROM THE TOP: Chase Elliott continues to grow his NASCAR Cup Series point standings lead with only five races left in the regular season. Currently, he has a 105-point advantage over second-place driver Ross Chastain. In addition to leading the regular season standings, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native has the most playoff points with 25, thanks to his five stage wins and series-leading four victories. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has spent a lot of time at the front of the field, leading a series-high 658 laps in 2022, which is also a career-best mark for the 26-year-old through 21 events.

INDY ROAD COURSE REWIND: In the inaugural race for the Cup Series on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in 2021, Elliott drove to a fourth-place result after starting third and leading 14 laps. That same weekend he also competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event and finished fourth.

9 IN 22: The driver of the No. 9 is one of only three Cup Series drivers to finish inside the top 10 in all three road course races this season – Chastain and Austin Cindric are the others. Elliott has garnered fourth, eighth and second-place efforts at Circuit of The Americas, Sonoma Raceway and Road America, respectively. He has earned the third-most points on serpentine tracks in 2022 with 104, trailing only Ryan Blaney (115) and Chastain (106).

ROAD COURSE CONQUEROR: Elliott has proven his road-racing prowess, leading all active drivers with seven wins on road courses. He’s also third on the all-time list with road course victories, trailing only NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine) and Tony Stewart (eight). Elliott has victories across five different road courses, the most in series history. In 22 Cup Series starts on road courses, Elliott has an average finish of 7.45, which is not only the best among active drivers, but ranks second all-time among drivers (five or more starts) behind NASCAR legend Fireball Roberts (nine starts). He is also tied with Kyle Busch for the most laps led on road courses among active drivers with 404.

KEEP IT ROLLING: The 2020 Cup Series champion is currently riding a streak of five consecutive top-two finishes, which in addition to a career-best mark for Elliott is also a series-best in 2022. In his five most recent starts, he’s amassed three victories and two runner-up finishes. He also has six consecutive top-10 finishes, which matches a career-best mark, stands as a season-best for the points leader and is presently the longest active streak in the series.

SINGLE DIGITS: Elliott’s impressive average finish of 9.95 this season is best among his fellow Cup Series competitors and puts him as the only driver in the single digits. His nearest competitor is Chastain with an average finish of 12.19.

ALAN THE ACE: Crew chief Alan Gustafson’s impressive resume continues to grow as he is currently second for the most wins by an active crew chief with 37 and is only one victory away from tying Rodney Childers. Gustafson leads all active crew chiefs with seven road course victories.

HOME SWEET INDIANA: No. 9 team engineer Tom Gray hails from Indianapolis. He attended Purdue University and majored in mechanical engineering technology. Gray has worked at Hendrick Motorsports since the spring of 2008 and has been a race engineer for Mark Martin, Gordon, and most recently Elliott. To him, the biggest accomplishments of his racing career so far are winning the Brickyard 400 with Gordon and becoming a NASCAR champion with Elliott.

24 WILLIAM BYRON

Age: 24 (Nov. 29, 1997)

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle

Standings: 9th

No. 24 Acronis Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

21 DOWN, 15 TO GO: So far in the 2022 season, William Byron has scored two wins, four top-five finishes, five top-10s, with 611 laps led – the second most by a NASCAR Cup Series driver this season – across 12 of the 21 races. He also has three stage wins and 13 playoff points accumulated – the third-most by any driver. The 24-year-old is also currently ninth in the driver point standings, locked into the Cup Series playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

HISTORY MAKER: While this is only the second time that the Cup Series has competed on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Byron has made history at IMS before. Taking it back to 2017, Byron made his first trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. While battling for a championship he would earn, Byron became the youngest driver to win a major race at the historic 2.5-mile oval at 19 years, 7 months and 23 days.

WHAT’S IN A NUMBER?: Byron would love to kiss the bricks again this weekend, and if he does, he will add to the already lengthy legacy the No. 24 has at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Dating back to 1994, Jeff Gordon won the inaugural Brickyard 400 before going on to win the crown jewel event four more times – the most by a car number at IMS. On Sunday, the Cup Series will compete on the Indianapolis Road Course for the second time and Byron has the chance to extend the history of the No. 24 if he were to capture the checkered flag. A win would also bring the No. 24 closer to the total win mark set by a car number in the Cup Series – currently fifth with 97 wins behind the No. 3 with 100 wins and the No. 2 with 101 wins.

ROAD RESULTS: During his Cup Series career, Byron has been working to step up his road course racing skills. In the last seven road course races to hold qualifying, Byron has won the pole for three of them (Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL 2019, Road America and Indianapolis Road Course 2021). He also has five top-10 finishes in the last 13 road course races. In the three road course races this year, Byron finished 12th at Circuit of The Americas, ninth at Sonoma Raceway, and 16th at Road America.

FUGLE FILES: Along with the rest of the Cup Series field, crew chief Rudy Fugle made his first start at the Indianapolis Road Course in last year’s inaugural event. Fugle and the No. 24 team captured the pole position for the race and remained within the top-five for most of the event. However, in the closing laps, corner curbing came up, resulting in an on-track incident that collected Byron and left him with a 33rd-place finish. In total, Fugle has ten Cup Series starts on road courses, three starts in the Xfinity Series and seven in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In those seven Truck Series starts, the Livonia, New York, native has one win (Erik Jones, 2015), three top-five finishes, and five top-10s. One of those seven truck starts was also with Byron where the duo raced to a 10th-place finish at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2016.

CAN HE DO IT AGAIN?: This Saturday, Byron will climb behind the wheel of the No. 24 Super Late Model for Wilson Motorsports for the ARCA/CRA Super Series race at Indianapolis Raceway Park for the Circle City 100. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native is coming off his sixth straight win in a late model – a victory in his first-ever start at the Slinger Nationals. In addition to that win, Byron has two victories at New Smyrna Speedway, one at Hickory Motor Speedway, one at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and one at Berlin Raceway this year.

BACK HOME AGAIN IN INDIANA: Traveling to Indianapolis for this Sunday’s Cup Series race, one crew member of the No. 24 team calls Indianapolis Motor Speedway their home track. Joining the team for the 2022 season, engineer Ryan Kelly hails from Avon, Indiana, just over 10 miles away from the track. An engineering graduate of Purdue University of Indianapolis, Kelly interned at Andretti Autosport, collecting two Indy 500 wins, before transitioning to his role in NASCAR.

WELCOME, ACRONIS: On Tuesday, it was announced that Acronis would extend its partnership with Hendrick Motorsports through 2025. The extension features two primary races with Byron and the No. 24 team, including this Sunday at the Indianapolis Road Course as well as the night race at Bristol Motor Speedway in September. 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. For a better look at Byron’s No. 24 Acronis Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, click here.

48 Alex Bowman

Age: 29 (April 25, 1993)

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Resides: Concord, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Greg Ives

Standings: 11th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

DOUBLE DOWN: Alex Bowman will pull double duty at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. He will run in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro entry on Saturday and the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday. While this is the first time Bowman will get behind the wheel of the No. 17 Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports, he is no stranger to extra seat time, running for Spire Motorsports at Circuit of The Americas in March and Sonoma Raceway in June in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

TURNING LEFT AND RIGHT: Bowman has the ninth-best average finish of active drivers on road courses in the Cup Series, with an average finish of 14.91 after 22 starts. The No. 48 driver matched his career-best road course result with a second-place showing at COTA in March – this finish came after making laps the day before in the Truck Series. His other road course runner-up finish came at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL in 2019.

POWER OF THE POINTS: In the season’s three races that have featured left and right turns, the Tucson, Arizona, native has scored 97 points. That total is good for sixth-best among the field in Sunday’s race and second only to Chase Elliott in the Hendrick Motorsports quartet.

IVES ON THE ROAD: In his eight years atop the pit box, Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Ally Racing team, has made 24 starts on road courses in the Cup Series. In those appearances, he has tallied three top-five finishes, 11 top-10s and has an average finish of 12th. The Bark River, Michigan, native also has five starts as a crew chief in the Xfinity Series, garnering two top-five results and three top-10s.

BEST FRIENDS: Through 21 races this season, Bowman and primary sponsor Ally have donated a total of $110,800 to Best Friends Animal Society and their network partners in the race markets the Cup Series has visited. This Sunday, the No. 48 Ally Chevy will have the Humane Society of Indianapolis on the decklid to support the network partner for the race at Indianapolis.

FIVE TO GO: With just five races left in the 2022 Cup Series regular season, Bowman is currently scored 11th in the points standings, 10 markers ahead of 12th place. The 29-year-old driver has one win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, three top-five finishes, nine top-10s, and an average finish of 15.19.

HOME SWEET HOME: No. 48 team car chief Ty Sipes hails from Bloomfield, Indiana, which is located approximately one hour and 45 minutes southwest of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Growing up on a small hobby farm, Sipes gained experience racing at local tracks. In 2010, he started working on a small sprint car team traveling in the USAC Series. He earned his mechanical engineering degree from Purdue University in 2012 and later got an opportunity to work with Kasey Kahne’s World of Outlaws sprint car team. He joined Hendrick Motorsports during the latter part of the 2014 season and got his first NASCAR Cup Series win at his home state track in 2017 on the No. 5 team of Kahne.

EDGE OF SEVENTEEN: For its 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, Hendrick Motorsports will field the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro – the same number Ricky Hendrick drove in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. That number has won 39 times in Xfinity Series history and two of the four drivers to win in it – Darrell Waltrip and Terry Labonte – would go on to win in the NASCAR Cup Series with the Rick Hendrick-owned organization. You can see renderings of the Xfinity Series paint scheme here.

SADDLING UP AT INDY: Hendrick Motorsports will be making its second Xfinity Series start of the season with Alex Bowman driving the No. 17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro in Saturday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. The organization has 26 wins in the series with Tony Stewart recording the last win to date at Daytona International Speedway in 2009. Earlier this month, Kyle Larson finished second at Road America in the team’s first Xfinity start in 13 years. William Byron will be behind the wheel at Watkins Glen International on Aug. 20. Kevin Meendering is serving as the team’s crew chief.

LEADING THE WAY: With eight wins through 21 NASCAR Cup Series races in 2022, Hendrick Motorsports has earned the most victories so far this season. It is the only four-car team to see each of its drivers win a race this season. The organization’s 1,578 laps out front lead all teams in the series by 136 circuits. Teammates Chase Elliott and Byron rank 1-2 in laps led this year.

STILL STREAKING: Elliott’s win at Pocono Raceway extended his top-two streak to five races and marks the first time in his Cup Series career he has had five consecutive races of results in the top-two positions. Since 1986, six of the last eight times a driver recorded five straight finishes of second or better have involved a Hendrick Motorsports driver. Tim Richmond (1986), Jeff Gordon (1998) and Jimmie Johnson (2006) each had five-race streaks. Gordon (1996) and Larson (2021) each had a six-race top-two run.

RULERS OF THE ROAD: At 25 wins, Hendrick Motorsports has the most all-time triumphs on road courses in Cup Series history. The two closest teams in this statistic have combined for only 21 wins. Since their inaugural season in 1984, the organization has won 28 percent of road courses events (25 wins in 88 races).

COUNTING ‘EM UP: Seven different drivers have accounted for the 25 road course wins in team history. Gordon leads the way for the team with nine victories (which are also the most among all drivers) followed by Elliott with seven. Larson and Richmond are tied for third on the list with three wins apiece. Johnson, Geoff Bodine and Ricky Rudd each tallied one victory.

ONE SHY: Of the serpentine layouts that Hendrick Motorsports has competed on, Indianapolis Road Course is the only one that the organization has yet to win at. The 25 road course wins have come across seven venues: Watkins Glen (nine), Sonoma Raceway (seven), Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL (three), Riverside International Raceway (three), Circuit of The Americas (one), Daytona International Speedway Road Course (one) and Road America (one).

FREQUENT VICTORS: The Concord, North Carolina-based team has been strong on road courses in recent years. Over the last 17 road races, Hendrick Motorsports has tallied 10 wins with Elliott notching all seven of his road victories in that time. Larson has accounted for the organization’s additional three wins in that span.

SWEEP SENSATIONS: In the era of stage racing, there have been two times – both by Hendrick Motorsports – when one driver swept every road course stage and won the race. Elliott was the first to do so in his 2019 win at Watkins Glen. Larson also accomplished this with his victory in 2021 at Sonoma.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course: “From what I remember of Indy (Motor Speedway Road Course) from last year, the restarts were really intense because turn one is a really wide and deep braking zone, so you can get four or five-wide before it narrows down in the corner. You have to find the confidence to brake deep so you don’t get bombed and that is difficult. It’s nice that it doesn’t have any elevation. It’s a fast-paced, ‘flowy’ type road course.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing for stage points at road courses or pitting before stage ends: “At Sonoma (Raceway), we started on the pole and built a lead. We stayed out (instead of short pitting) to win the stage and I thought we could have the ability to get through traffic – we had the entire race left to get back to the front. We had our (wheel) issue so we didn’t see how it would ultimately play out. We may not have gotten back to a winning position but we probably could have gotten back to a top-five position. Now, with that data point, we raced a few weeks later at Road America where we had to ‘flip’ the stages (short pit) to maintain track position to have a shot to win. We stayed in the top four and finished third – sort of with a shot to win. That is the general landscape for road course strategy moving forward.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing on the Indianapolis Road Course: “I feel like that’s probably been one of my worst road courses, personally. Never really felt like I got a hold of the track last year. I ended up kind of by happenstance running the Xfinity Series race last year as a sub in. It was unfortunate circumstances there, but I was grateful to have run that race because I was really bad on the Cup side until I got some extra reps, so I think that was helpful. So going back, I need to do some homework this week on how to be better up there because I do not feel very good about that track and just never got in a good groove there last year at all and was never really on offense. I felt like I was on defense more than I was making moves and moving forward. That’s not a place you want to be, especially at those tracks or anywhere for that matter. It’s certainly something I want to improve at and I want to put some effort into this week to try to do that.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on what makes the Indianapolis Road Course unique: “It’s super flat and there aren’t really any elevation changes at all. Probably the biggest thing that stands out, there’s a big brake zone, especially into turn one. To really set the corner up, you’d obviously have to be wider, but you can really shortcut somebody and there’s not a big exit that follows so that makes restarts and entry into that turn super hectic. All the road courses are unique, but I think Indy (Motor Speedway Road Course), with it being super flat with flat corners and the high-speed brake zone into one is what kind of sets it apart.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the team’s preparation for road course races this season: “I feel like to start this season with the Next Gen car we really struggled at road courses, especially compared to the year before. We were able to test at Watkins Glen (International), though, and I think that really helped us start to turn the page on our road course program. We’ve been able to build that notebook with each road course so far this year. I think we have really made strides to make that package better and put all the pieces together like we need to. The first focus for the weekend is qualifying and making sure we set ourselves up with a good run to get good track position and just work from there. Our focus for not only this weekend, but races moving forward, is to really execute every aspect of a race weekend from start to finish in preparation for the playoffs.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on what challenges the Indianapolis Road Course brings compared to other road courses: “I think this weekend’s road course race at Indianapolis (Motor Speedway) will be a little bit more about survival than other road course races. There’s a lot more run off areas there and they have changed the curbing in some places around the track to try avoid what happened last year. With the Next Gen car, it’s going to be critical to minimize running over those to keep the underwing intact and not tear up the diffuser. The other big thing will be managing the transition areas of the track from the road course sections onto the oval – similar to how the (Charlotte Motor Speedway) ROVAL is set up. We haven’t run a course like that this year with this car or this tire. I think that if you can keep your car in one piece throughout the weekend, and can manage your usual pit strategy and track position on a road course, you’ll be in a good position. You have to be around at the end, though, to be able to capitalize on that.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing in the NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series at the Indianapolis Road Course: “We have been lucky to get the opportunity to make extra laps this weekend which just helps come time for the Cup race on Sunday. COTA (Circuit of The Americas) was a great example of how it can help us – running the Spire (Motorsports) truck and taking notes on the track helped in our efforts on Sunday so I am eager to get out there and get some practice in. Our team is doing everything we can to get better and this is another opportunity for us to maximize our weekend.”

Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the strength of the road course cars at Hendrick Motorsports: “Hendrick Motorsports has done a great job of making sure we have the best equipment every weekend and it has shown at road courses. Going back to COTA (Circuit of The Americas), we had a great car and had tons of speed, just got caught up in someone else’s mess. Road America was another place where we had a ton of speed and capitalized on points so I think this Sunday at Indy (Motor Speedway Road Course) will be more of the same. We will do everything we can to get the car ready, Alex (Bowman) is going to drive in the Xfinity race to get extra practice. I feel confident we will have a solid weekend and build some momentum as we head towards the playoffs.”

Ty Gibbs subbing for Kurt Busch at Indianapolis

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Kirk Schroll for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Three days after experiencing his first start in NASCAR’s premier series in a substitute role for a former Cup Series champion, Ty Gibbs will retain his role for a second consecutive week after it was announced that he will be filling in for Kurt Busch and the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota TRD Camry for this weekend’s event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

The announcement comes as Busch has not received medical clearance to return to racing. He continues to recover from concussion-like symptoms stemming from a hard wreck during last weekend’s qualifying session at Pocono Raceway that prevented him from competing in the main event at the Tricky Triangle. Though he is set to be absent for a second consecutive week, Busch, who won at Kansas Speedway in May and is in contention to qualify for the 2022 Cup Series Playoffs, has received a medical waiver from NASCAR to remain eligible for the Playoffs that is set to commence in September.

Both Busch and 23XI Racing took to social media to unveil the news regarding Busch’s health status and plans for Indianapolis.

Gibbs also took to social media to address the news for this weekend at Indianapolis.

This weekend’s event at Indianapolis will mark Gibbs’ second career start in the Cup Series. Last weekend at Pocono, he rallied from starting at the rear of the field to initially finish in 18th place in his Cup debut before being promoted to 16th place when his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were disqualified from finishing first and second due to a failed post-race inspection.

Gibbs, the reigning ARCA Menards Series champion and the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs from Charlotte, North Carolina, currently competes as a full-time Xfinity Series competitor in the No. 54 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing. Through the first 19-scheduled events, he has achieved four victories and 11 top-10 results, including a runner-up result from last weekend’s Xfinity event at Pocono. He currently sits in third place in the Xfinity regular-season standings and trails the points lead by 22 points.

Gibbs will also be making his second and third career starts at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for his Xfinity-Cup double-duty role this weekend. He made his first start at Indy a year ago in the Xfinity circuit, where he earned stage points during both stage segments before setting in 19th place of the 36-car field.

Gibbs’ second career start in the NASCAR Cup Series is set to occur at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Sunday, July 31, with the event’s coverage to occur at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Rev Racing Announces Primary Sponsorship Agreement with Group 1001 and Gainbridge, Supporting Competitive Advancement and Team Initiatives

By
Official Release
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Concord, NC – Rev Racing, a National minority-owned organization managing the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program, announced today a partnership agreement with Group 1001 and Gainbridge to be the primary sponsors for the remainder of the 2022 season and beyond. Group 1001, a financial services enterprise, is known for investing in strategic partnerships as part of its mission to transform communities through sports and education. Gainbridge, a Group 1001 company, and digital platform offering financial products is fully invested in racing as a vehicle for brand growth. Together they will support Rev Racing’s efforts to drive more diversity into the field of motorsports.

“We are thrilled to enter into a partnership agreement with Gainbridge and Group 1001,” said Rev Racing owner Max Siegel. “They are best-in-class in their market and have continued to show commitment to creating cultural impact through their strategic partnership alignments.”

Rev Racing, which is responsible for developing female and ethnically diverse drivers along with pit crew members for future competition at NASCAR’s highest levels, saw immediate alignment with Group 1001 and Gainbridge and their shared mission and focused-initiatives within the sport and beyond.

“We’re excited to see Rev Racing continuing to elevate the program by establishing a strategic partnership with Group 1001 and Gainbridge,” said Brandon Thompson, NASCAR’s VP of Diversity & Inclusion. “NASCAR and Rev Racing are committed to developing female and ethnically diverse athletes in stock car racing. A mission that aligns with Group 1001’s promise to the advancement of communities through sports and education.”

Rev Racing is co-owned by Max Siegel and Jennifer Satterfield-Siegel. In the early years of the Team’s inception, Rev Racing earned the 2012 K&N NASCAR Pro Series Season Championship title. Thereafter, they have garnered an impressive set of accomplishments to include 25 wins, 117 top 5s, and 229 top 10 finishes in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East/ARCA Menards Series, with drivers finishing in the top-10 in points in every season. As owners of Rev Racing, the Siegels have taken the program to new heights, providing opportunities to 65+ minority and female drivers, 125+ pit crew members, and 25+ internships over the last 13 years. NASCAR Cup Series drivers Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suárez and Kyle Larson are graduates of Rev Racing and testaments of the team’s mission in action.

“Group 1001 has a proven methodology, which is showcased through their educational and development programs and their investment in the motorsports space and the next generation of athletes and professionals,” said Siegel. “Our mission and vision could not be more aligned. It is an honor to bring them on board as we continue on our pursuit of a 2022 championship.”

Group 1001 will be an instrumental contributor to advancing Rev Racing and its team members, providing the resources to facilitate a heightened level of athlete development and expanded avenues for national series preparation and advancement. “Rev Racing was an instrumental part of my career development,” said Daniel Suaréz. “It was a good experience and education in team racing, human relations and personal development.”

“We’re extremely excited to join the Rev Racing family,” said Dan Towriss, Group 1001 CEO and President. “The recent success of driver Daniel Suaréz is proof that Rev Racing works, and together we will be able to help more competitors from diverse backgrounds reach their goals at the highest levels of competition.”

The Gainbridge brand will be debuted in the ARCA Menards Series schedule at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on the No. 2 Gainbridge Chevrolet of Nick Sanchez and the No. 6 Gainbridge Chevrolet of Rajah Caruth on July 29th. Gainbridge, Group 1001 and Rev Racing will work together to establish partnership goals that create a more diverse and inclusive sport as well as a continued-focus to enact positive change in motorsports, our communities and beyond.

ABOUT Rev Racing: Rev Racing is the competition arm of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Program and serves as the NASCAR-supported racing team charged with developing female and minority drivers, and pit crew members in the NASCAR development series for future competition at NASCAR’s highest levels. It seeks to obtain the highest quality applicants representing diverse backgrounds and develop them into successful NASCAR drivers. Started by Max Siegel in 2009, Rev Racing manages the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Driver Development Program. Rev Racing currently operates and manages drivers in the ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series, and a youth racing initiative. Learn more at https://revracing.net/.

ABOUT Group 1001

Group 1001 Insurance Holdings, LLC (“Group 1001”), an insurance holding company in the United States with current combined assets under management of $58 billion as of March 31, 2022, is a financial services enterprise focused on setting a new standard in the insurance industry by making insurance more useful and intuitive for everyone. Group 1001 insurance brands include: Delaware Life, Gainbridge, Clear Spring Health, Clear Spring Insurance, and recently acquired Guggenheim Life. Group 1001 and its subsidiaries have a strong commitment to service and community transformation and invest in strategic partnerships as part of their mission to transform communities through sports and education. Learn more at www.group1001.com.

ABOUT Gainbridge

Gainbridge Insurance Agency, LLC (“Gainbridge”), a Group 1001 company, is a digital platform that allows you to invest in trusted financial products wherever you are, whenever you want, that are simple, intuitive and backed by smart technology. For more information, visit gainbridge.life

Kaulig Racing Weekly Advance | Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course

By
Official Release
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Verizon 200 at the Brickyard
Indianapolis Motor Speedway

NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Sunday, July 31 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC

In the 2022 NCS season, Kaulig Racing has earned one top five, five top-10 finishes and has led 22 laps
 

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Gold Fish Casino Slots Camaro ZL1

  • AJ Allmendinger earned Kaulig Racing its first-ever win in the NCS
  • Allmendinger’s win came at the first-ever road-course race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the NCS
  • Allmendinger has earned two top-10 finishes led two laps, and has an average finish of 18.5 in the 2022 NCS season

“Being a part of Kaulig Racing’s first Cup Series win will always be so special to me. Heading back to Indy for the first time since then will be a surreal feeling. This is a place we have had circled on our calendar, and hopefully all the hard work will pay off.

On the Xfinity side, we have had some great runs on road courses this year and had the opportunity to win two of those road courses. Knowing that, I think we will be even more eager to beat our runner-up finish from last year.” – AJ Allmendinger on Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Justin Haley, No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1

  • In inaugural event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in the NCS, Justin Haley earned a seventh-place finish
  • He has earned one top five, two top 10 and and nine top-15 finishes in 2022
  • Haley’s third-place finish at Darlington was Kaulig Racing’ first top-five not at a superspeedway or road course
  • Haley has led 20 laps in the 2022 season

“I’m really excited go to Indy, my home track. It’s one I look forward to every year with having friends and family there. Last year, I had one of my best finishes in the Cup Series on the Road Course, so knowing that we have the opportunity to contend, especially with my teammate, AJ Allmendinger, brings us some confidence.” – Justin Haley on Indianapolis Motor Speedway  
 
Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Saturday, July 30 at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC

Kaulig Racing has earned two wins, 12 top five and 30 top-10 finishes in the 2022 NXS season
The team has led 292 laps in the 2022 NXS season so far
Allmendinger: 222 laps
Hemric: 53 laps
Cassill: 17 Laps
 

Landon Cassill, No. 10 StormX Chevrolet

Landon Cassill has earned three top five and eight top-10 finishes in the 2022 NXS season and has an average finish of 15.9
He has led 17 laps in the 2022 NXS season

“I am excited to head to Indianapolis for another road course race this season. We have been so strong at road courses so far, which makes it even more exciting preparing for the weekend. With a teammate like, AJ (Allmendinger) who won here last year in the Cup series, I know we will really lean on him throughout the weekend. I think this will be a chance for us to step it up knowing how much speed we’ve had at the road courses this year.” – Landon Cassill on Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Daniel Hemric, No. 11 AG1 Chevrolet

Daniel Hemric has earned two top fives and eight top-10 finishes in the 2022 NXS season
Daniel Hemric has an average finish of 15.9 in 2022 and has led 53 laps in 2022

“Kaulig Racing’s road-course program has proven to be strong all year, and that makes us really eager to get to Indy. We have had a few really great runs at the last couple of road courses, even if the finishes didn’t show it. I know this is one track we will be able to maximize the day and be able to contend if we stay clean until the end.” – Daniel Hemric on Indianapolis Motor Speedway

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet

  • Allmendinger earned a runner-up finish at last year’s NXS race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
  • He has earned a win for Kaulig Racing in four-straight NXS seasons
  • In 2022, Allmendinger has led 222 laps, recorded two wins, eight top five and 16 top-10 finishes
  • Allmendinger has an average finish of 7.3, the best of any full-time NXS driver in 2022
  • Allmendinger has 16 top-10 finishes, the most of any full-time NXS driver in the 2022 season

 

About Kaulig Racing™

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and made the Championship 4 round in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. They will continue fielding three, full-time NXS entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by Landon Cassill, the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Hemric, and the No. 16 Chevrolet driven by AJ Allmendinger. With multiple wins, Kaulig Racing has come to be one of the top competitors on track each weekend. The team made multiple starts in the NCS in 2021 and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The young team has acquired two charters for the 2022 NCS season, with Justin Haley competing as its first, full-time driver in the series. The team’s second entry will be shared by part-time teammates AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric and Noah Gragson. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Austin Cindric Indianapolis Advance

By
Official Release
-

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Indianapolis Advance | Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang for Team Penske in the NASCAR Cup Series, is headed back to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, a place where he won last year’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race on the road course. He spoke about his hopes this weekend as part of a weekly Ford media Zoom call with reporters.

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang — WOULD YOU HAVE LIKE A SHOT AT SUBBING FOR NEWGARDEN? “No. I think my focus is certainly on the Cup race on Sunday. I know Santino is signficantly more qualified than myself to do that job, so obviously they’ve got a plan. I really hope Joseph can do the race because I think he’s a strong championship contender. Even without the issue they had at Iowa you think about the year that they’ve had and the speed that they’ve had, so hopefully Joseph can get in the thing, but I know Santino can do the job otherwise.”

THIS IS THE FIRST CROSSOVER WEEKEND WITH INDYCAR THAT WON’T HAVE COVID RESTRICTIONS. WHAT WILL THIS LOOK LIKE NOW THAT YOU CAN ALL BE TOGETHER? “I guess we on the Cup side last year dropped the ball on sweeping the weekend. Obviously, we don’t have an XFINITY car this year, so there’s no chance to do that. Otherwise, I’m actually excited that I don’t have to race on Saturday in the XFINITY race because I actually get to watch Indy Car race and kind of just do it at my leisure at the conclusion of Cup practice and qualifying. I’m looking forward to that. I’m looking forward to getting to watch those guys. I’ve been a pretty passionate Indy Car fan my entire life and in the 2 hauler if there’s a session on Peacock I’m usually watching it, whether it’s practice or qualifying or even the race. I’m excited to get to watch in person and also excited to get to go to Penske hospitality and have some really good food because it’s definitely better than what we normally pull out of the fridge.”

DID YOU MAKE ANY OVERTURES AT ALL ABOUT SUBBING AND IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO? “Obviously, I’ll be back and forth for sure. I know my way around that group, so definitely not a stranger. I would say I certainly feel at home in some ways going around there in RP1 or the Paddock or whatever you want to call it. As far as wanting to start in Indy Car, absolutely. It’s something I’ve watched the drivers I’ve idolized and looked up to my entire life are mostly Indy Car drivers. I come from that world and I’d love to get a taste of that some day. I’m not gonna set a timeline or prediction of that, but I can tell you right now is probably not that time. I think focusing on my Cup career is the highest of importance, but I’ve been a guy that’s always loved driving different things and not just being specialized in a certain field. I’d certainly love to do that one day and maybe the opportunity will come.”

SO YOU DIDN’T EVEN ASK T.C.? “No. When it comes for the team that I drive for now if they need someone and they think I’m that guy, they’ll probably come and get me. Otherwise, I think asking is probably not the right move.”

WERE YOU SURPRISED NASCAR DISQUALIFIED ANOTHER TEAM AND WHAT ABOUT THE RAMIFICATIONS OF HOW TEAMS ARE GOING TO APPROACH THEIR CARS AFTER SEEING NASCAR’S RULINGS THIS WEEK? “I’m not a technically-minded individual on the race team, so take this with a grain of salt, but from my perspective as someone in the industry I think NASCAR wants to be taken seriously on modifications. That’s as simple as it comes. It’s obviously at their discretion to figure out what’s worse than the next, but as far as the penalties that have been dished out this week, yeah, it’s been a pretty heavy week on that side of things, but NASCAR wants to be taken seriously for sure.”

HOW DO YOU SEE THE INDY ROAD COURSE COMPARED TO OTHERS YOU’VE RACED? “I think from a NASCAR driver’s perspective, from what I experienced last year and even re-watching the race, the circuit itself isn’t the most challenging. There are no blind corners really. I feel like it’s a fairly flat surface and fairly even grip throughout the surface, but I think the restarts are pretty wild. Being able to calculate those out correctly. You can lose a lot of spots. You saw guys who were pretty much dominating the race last year not be able to capitalize on some late-race restarts and that cost them the win. I think from that perspective, the restarts at the IMS road course in NASCAR are probably the most challenging thing for a driver.”

IF WE GET GUYS IN FRONT OF YOU THAT GET A FIRST WIN LIKE BLANEY, TRUEX OR HARVICK ARE YOU THINKING YOU MAY HAVE TO WIN AGAIN TO LOCK YOURSELF IN? “Yeah, I think you just described the scenario without me having to really go too far in-depth. Those are obviously the possibilities and, yeah, a second win is absolutely the best way for any driver to ensure themselves a solid lock into the playoffs. If we can go out and win two races, yeah. That’s us. That’s a job well done. Obviously, regular season points don’t matter. They still count for the playoff points that you get once you start in the playoffs and I don’t want to start 30 points back to start the thing, so we’re still chasing after wins and playoff points and the best way we can do that is to win races.”

ARE YOU PLANNING AN ENCORE OF DOWN HOME IN INDIANA IF YOU GET THAT SECOND CUP WIN? “I think you can count on it.”

WHERE DO YOU THINK THE FORDS ARE GETTING BEAT? “I guess when I say I’m not technically minded I don’t get paid to be technically minded. I can be as educated as I can be as long as I feel like I”m dangerous with what I have, but as far as Ford as an OEM in NASCAR right now, I think there’s been tracks where we’ve been really strong and there are tracks where we’ve been really weak. I think there’s been times where that’s been more aggressive and probably less consistent and trying to figure out is that a team thing? Is that a car thing? Is that engines, aero, whatever it may be? We’re still trying to get data points. I think it’s important, but Pocono certainly wasn’t a great weekend for us as a company. Obviously, there were other Fords that were able to run strong. I feel like Kevin Harvick was someone who should have finished in the top five without getting taken out there at the end. It’s not doom and gloom and it certainly doesn’t look great when our best car finishes 22nd on the day. Pocono certainly wasn’t a great weekend by any means and I think Michigan is probably one we have circled on the schedule that we’re probably bound to learn a lot – good or bad. I think even road course-wise we can make improvements. I don’t think any of us are happy with exactly where we’ve been as a team. We want to be able to contend for race wins every weekend and not be satisfied with a solid top 10. I know that’s a lot for me to say as a rookie, but I’m only here to win races and to run up front. That’s what I want to do and trying to figure out how I can help steer the ship and be as productive as possible.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE REGULAR SEASON AFTER WINNING THE 500? “As things have gone after Daytona, Daytona certainly being the best day of my life – first Cup Series win, first race in the 2 car, probably nothing could go any better than how it did. I would say everything has been fairly par for the course in my opinion. There have been highs and there’s been lows. There have been times where I’ve been competitive and I’ve known why, and there’s been times I’ve been uncompetitive and don’t really understand why. I think it’s been a challenging year in that sense as far as everyone is learning at a very fast pace and trying to be able to evaluate yourself and where you can be better and finding strengths and weaknesses – even as I just talked about. It’s not easy to identify where those strengths and weaknesses are yet because you have to be able to do that to understand how you can be more consistent. From that standpoint, I’m happy with the progression I’ve made within the team, with the guys that I work with, with Jeremy, with Doug, all the guys on the 2 car. I feel like we’re really getting at a decent spot within our team to try and generate some consistency. We’ve had consistent results with Pocono being the anomaly over the last few months, so it’s been a challenge to go through that, but I think everybody does at this stage of their career.”

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR INDY THIS YEAR? “Road courses have been strong for us this year, but not as strong as I would have liked, so hopefully we can turn that into top 10 consistency and top 5 consistency at the IMS road course. I think you look at the storylines from that race last year, unfortunately, had a lot to do with the racetrack itself. I feel like this year with the exception of track limits probably similar to what we dealt with at COTA. Hopefully, it’s an exciting race and pit strategy always comes into play on road courses as well as the stage strategy, so I’m looking forward to it and looking forward to trying to get our 2 car up front.”

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE PLAYOFFS? “I’ve watched the Cup Series for a long time and it always seems like the first round of the playoffs everyone loses it. The pressure is high. The aspirations are high and those first couple races of the playoffs it’s kind of all over the place. I look back at the season and I feel like most of our races have looked like that, so I don’t know if that’s amplified in the playoffs or something different, but I feel like the competition is as close as it’s been all year. I certainly expect that continue in the playoffs.”

HOW FAR CAN YOU GO? “I’d like to go all the way to the end. That’s the goal, but I have to keep my expectations realistic and from where we’ve been all season, I’d like to make it past the first round and anything from there would be a bonus for me if I look at it realistically.”

ANY CHANCE FOR YOU TO RUN IMSA AT ALL? “I raced at the Rolex 24 this past year. That’s a race that I am pretty passionate about and I’ve worked pretty hard in my career to find competitive rides in and it’s kind of the only race during our season that I can do in IMSA. I’ve already started laying the groundwork for that event in 2023 to try and get my first watch there. That would be where I’m at, but focus is pretty hard on the season for the moment.”

WHAT IMPROVEMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF THIS YEAR? “I think what really helps any race team is consistency and if that’s working with different people to get the communication right – and I feel like I’ve mentioned that quite a few times – but I do value quite a lot the things I do during the week to prepare and be prepared and come armed with the best knowledge I can so when I show up at the racetrack all I’m doing is driving in the race car and doing my job and executing. If anything else pops up, we’re able to react a lot more freely, so from that standpoint I feel like that’s been a big improvement for us as a group, which I think will happen at all times, but it’s not different for me anymore. Racing on Sundays last year was different. It’s a different mentality, a different approach, different competitors, different field of cars. The races play out differently. They’re longer and all those things are quite normal for me now, where at the beginning of the season I had to kind of remind myself and make some offsets and now I feel like it’s business as usual and that goes a long way.”

IS THIS A RACE YOU FEEL YOU HAVE TO WIN SINCE IT’S ROGER’S TRACK AND WHERE DOES INDY RANK AS FAR AS A WIN? “I think for who I drive for it is, next to the Daytona 500, the biggest race I could win. Between the Daytona 500 and the championship race in Phoenix, Indy is absolutely one of the most important races I can win as a Team Penske driver, but it goes a lot deeper for me than just racing for Roger. My family’s history and what I’ve been exposed to in racing all really circles back to Indianapolis, so it’s a pretty special track on the schedule. Do I think I have to win? No. Do I want to win? Absolutely. Do I want to do everything I can to make that happen? Absolutely.”

YOU HAVE F1 DRIVERS LIKE KIMI COMING UP AT THE GLEN AND KVYAT THIS WEEKEND. WHAT WILL IT BE LIKE TO RACE AGAINST BOTH OF THEM? “Daniil is a late add, but it would certainly be interesting to hear his perspective on what we do. Racing in Europe is so different than in the states. Obviously, it’s the same sport and it’s cars on racetracks, but the mentality of how you go about it is quite a bit different. It would be interesting to get his take, whether if it’s listening to what you guys ask him in the media or any other experience he may have. But Kimi will be really cool as well. I’m hoping that we can peel him off into one of our rookie meetings just for the hell of it, but definitely two interesting perspectives to add for our sport.”

ARE YOU CONFIDENT EVERYTHING WITH THE TRACK WILL BE BETTER THIS YEAR AND THERE WON’T BE ISSUES LIKE WE SAW A YEAR AGO? “The issues that we saw last year I absolutely believe will not be there anymore with curbs coming off. That’s worst-case scenario and even if we were racing on the same track I don’t think we would have those problems with the Next Gen car. Our cars last year were so low to the ground that the leading edge of the splitter was the sharpest, smallest part of the car and one of the strongest, so that is probably not surprising that temporary curbing eventually gets abused, but there’s no more temporary curbs. There are full concrete curbs buried under the racetrack, very similar to the curbing that’s in the essess and throughout the rest of the circuit. Do I have any concerns about durability for the track? Absolutely not. I think just from my officiating standpoint there’s probably gonna be more of a look this weekend, like I said before, similar to COTA when it comes to track limits. NASCAR has kind of started putting out the language for that and I don’t think the track is completely sold as far as this is the best-case scenario, but it’s certainly better than last year and I think there have been ideas floating around for in the future of how do we make it to where it’s a much more self-policing racetrack and something that’s officiated, but, otherwise, yeah, I think we’re in a lot better place than last year with last year’s cars.”

DO YOU SEE ANY DIFFERENT AREAS TO PASS THIS YEAR WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR? “I would say no. Tire wear has been very interesting at road courses. As you know, you go somewhere like COTA that is obviously a pretty abrasive surface, but didn’t have much tire fall off, but then you go to Sonoma and it’s normal Sonoma and Road America it’s normal Road America – you’ve got big tire fall off. I’m interested to see what IMS is gonna be like. I feel like it could go either way. I feel like the passing zones will be very similar and like I said before I think restarts at IMS are pretty wild, especially you’ve got opportunity corner number one when you have the opportunity to go four or five-wide into the brake zone. I would say maybe from a durability standpoint of the car guys will probably be more likely to use fenders than last year. The steel fenders could get crumpled pretty easy, whereas this car you can bounce off of each other fairly easily and not have any damage as long as you don’t break any toe links, so I think that will probably come into play – having composite bodies more than anything else.”

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