Ford Performance Notes and Quotes NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Pocono Post Race | Saturday, July 23, 2022
Zane Smith secured the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular-season championship Saturday afternoon. The regular-season title comes with 15 bonus points heading into the Truck Series playoffs which begin next week at Indianapolis.
ZANE SMITH, No. 38 Fr8Auctions.com #BraveLikeWyatt Ford F-150
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE PLAYOFFS, WHAT DO YOU CARRY WITH YOU? “Honestly, I just have to give huge props to FRM and all our sponsors throughout the regular season. The team has brought me some really fast Ford’s this year. Today was a major struggle though. We started out from the green flag to pretty much the end of Stage 2, our throttle was sticking and everything we were doing wasn’t fixing it. I was a little worried there at times because I knew that I just had to have a couple of points and then you see the 18 up there as well. A long, long day once we did get it right we still fought a really tight truck. But there is no giving up. This race is just so short to try to get your truck right. I am glad we are on to the playoffs and ready to get that started.”
WHAT DOES THE REGULAR SEASON TITLE MEAN TO YOU, AND HOW IMPORTANT ARE THOSE 15 BONUS POINTS? “Yeah, those points are huge. We had that circled at the very beginning of the year. Honestly, for most of it, it was such a tight battle between the six of us. We kept at it and just put together four solid races and I feel like that is what got us into this big points buffer. Fortunately, we had that today because we obviously needed it. I am happy to have that and move on with those extra points to better our odds in the playoffs.”
CAN YOU PUT YOUR FINGER ON WHAT IT WAS THAT CLICKED FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM TO BE ABLE TO WIN THIS CHAMPIONSHIP? “I think just communication. We started out our year as best as we possibly could at Daytona. From there on we have shown speed each and every weekend. I think this is like our second worst finish all year. That is still pretty good. I am disappointed in our new truck that we brought here today. We had higher hopes for it than that and it just wasn’t quite there. But we know we have some rockets back at the shop, so we will bring those into the playoffs.”
LOOKING AT THE PLAYOFF RACES, DO ANY STAND OUT TO YOU? “All of them. I feel like Kansas is probably a big one for us to look at. That one showed what we are really capable of. We had a really fast Ford there. I don’t know. I am trying not to get too excited for it because a lot of times you do that and then you go there and you suck. I am trying to approach it just like we did earlier in the year. But I feel like that will definitely be a good one for us.”
After losing the lead to Ryan Preece with less than 20 laps remaining, Chandler Smith executed a restart with 14 laps remaining and a draft from teammate Corey Heim to his advantage as he reassumed the lead and fended off Preece to win the CRC Brakleen 150 at Pocono Raceway on Saturday, July 23.
The 20-year-old Smith from Talking Rock, Georgia, led three times for a race-high 49 of 60-scheduled laps as he capped off the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular season stretch with his second victory of the season and added momentum in his pursuit for his first NASCAR national touring series championship.
With on-track qualifying that was set for Friday canceled due to rain, the starting lineup was determined through a qualifying metric from NASCAR’s rulebook. As a result, Zane Smith, the regular-season points leader, started on pole position while Chandler Smith joined Smith on the front row.
Prior to the event, Josh Reaume dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to his truck.
When the green flag waved and the race started, Zane Smith and Chandler Smith dueled for the top spot entering the first turn as Chandler Smith used the inside lane to rocket his No. 18 Charge Me Toyota Tundra TRD Pro to the lead. Through the Long Pond straightaway, Zane Smith settled in the runner-up spot behind Chandler Smith while Carson Hocevar was in third ahead of Stewart Friesen, Christian Eckes, Derek Kraus, John Hunter Nemechek and Ty Majeski.
Just as Zane Smith started to challenge Chandler Smith for the lead, the first caution flew when rookie Jack Wood got loose entering the second turn and spun his No. 24 GMS Racing Chevrolet Silverado RST, though he was dodged by the oncoming field.
As the event restarted on the fourth lap, the field fanned out to multiple lanes entering the first turn as Chandler Smith retained the lead ahead of Zane Smith’s No. 38 Fr8 Auctions Ford F-150 while Hocevar and Eckes battled for third ahead of Kraus, Friesen and Nemechek.
Two laps later, the caution returned when Dean Thompson spun his No. 40 Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado RST in Turn 1. During the caution period, some like Ty Majeski and Grant Enfinger, who was encountering radio issues to his No. 23 Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RSt, pitted while the rest led by Chandler Smith remained on the track.
With five laps remaining in the first stage, the event proceeded under green. At the start, Chandler Smith took off with the lead on the outside lane while Eckes rocketed his No. 98 Cub Records Toyota Tundra TRD Pro into the runner-up spot. Behind, Hocevar fended off Nemechek for third place before Zane Smith and Friesen took Nemechek three-wide past the Tunnel Curve for spots in the top five.
As the on-track battles continued through the frontstretch and around the Tricky Triangle, the caution returned during the following lap when Todd Bodine, who was making his 800th NASCAR national touring series career start, got pinched in between Hailie Deegan and Blaine Perkins entering the first turn. The contact sent Bodine’s No. 62 Camping World Toyota Tundra TRD Pro around and into the outside wall as Jack Wood and Tyler Hill piled into Bodine’s Toyota. The wreck and damage were enough to conclude Bodine’s historic NASCAR career in the garage.
The wreck involving Bodine was enough for the first stage scheduled for Lap 15 to conclude under caution as Chandler Smith captured his second stage victory of the season. Eckes settled in second followed by Hocevar, Friesen, Derek Kraus, Zane Smith, Nemechek, Tyler Ankrum, Matt Crafton and rookie Corey Heim. With his sixth-place result, Zane Smith clinched the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular season championship.
Under the stage break, some led by Kraus and Zane Smith pitted while the rest led by Chandler Smith remained on the track.
The second stage started on Lap 18 as Chandler Smith and Hocevar occupied the front row. At the start and with the field fanning out, Smith retained the lead on the outside lane followed by Eckes and Friesen while Hocevar was being overtaken by Heim, Ankrum, Crafton, Ryan Preece, Matt DiBenedetto and Nemechek, all of whom were running on the outside lane through the Pocono turns.
Through the first 20 scheduled laps, Chandler Smith was leading by eight-tenths of a second over Eckes followed by Friesen, Heim and Ankrum while Preece, Crafton, DiBenedetto, Nemechek and Hocevar were in the top 10. Derek Kraus was back in 11th ahead of Tanner Gray, Majeski, Jesse Little and Grant Enfinger while Colby Howard, Austin Hill, Timmy Hill, Chase Purdy and Blaine Perkins were in the top 20. Meanwhile, names like Zane Smith, Ben Rhodes and Hailie Deegan were mired outside of the top 20.
By Lap 25, Chandler Smith extended his advantage to more than two seconds over Eckes. Meanwhile, Heim moved his No. 51 JBL Toyota Tundra TRD Pro into third place while Friesen and Preece were scored in the top five. Crafton and Enfinger, both of whom occupied the final two spots to the Playoffs, were in seventh and 19th while Ankrum and Kraus, the first two competitors scored outside of the top-10 cutline, were in sixth and 11th.
A few laps later, names like Heim, Friesen, Preece, Hocevar, Kraus, Austin Hill, DiBenedetto and Tanner Gray pitted under green. By Lap 28, Chandler Smith surrendered the lead to pit for four fresh tires and fuel while Eckes cycled to the lead.
When the second stage concluded on Lap 30, Eckes captured his first stage victory of the season. Ankrum settled in second following a side-by-side battle between Crafton and Nemechek. Majeski, Colby Howard, Chase Purdy, Zane Smith, Jesse Little and Enfinger were scored in the top 10.
Under the stage break, some led by Eckes pitted while the rest led by Chandler Smith remained on the track.
With 25 laps remaining, the final stage started under green as Chandler Smith and Ryan Preece occupied the front row. At the start, Chandler Smith retained the lead on the outside lane followed by Preece, Heim, Hocevar, Hill and Kraus as the field fanned out through the Long Pond straightaway.
Down to the final 20 laps of the event, Chandler Smith was leading by four-tenths of a second over Preece while Heim, Hocevar and Austin Hill retained their spots in the top five. Kraus was in sixth ahead of Nemechek, DiBenedetto, Eckes and Ankrum while Crafton and Enfinger were in 13th and 17th.
Shortly after, the battle for the lead ignited as Preece, who was dealing with a left-rear tire rub, dueled and overtook Chandler Smith for the top spot in Turn 1. Just as the battle between Preece and Smith continued, the caution returned with 18 laps remaining when Spencer Boyd spun from Turn 3 to the frontstretch as he also dropped debris on the frontstretch. During the caution period, Zane Smith pitted to fix a throttle issue along with Rhodes, who opted for fresh tires, while the rest led by Preece remained on the track.
With 14 laps remaining, the event proceeded under green. At the start, Heim pushed teammate Chandler Smith back to the lead while Preece fell back to second. Meanwhile, Hocevar overtook Heim for third place as Nemechek joined the battle followed by Austin Hill, Kraus and Majeski.
Two laps later, Kraus, who was running in seventh place, started to have smoke come out of the left-front fender of his No. 19 NAPA Chevrolet Silverado RST as he reported a power steering failure to his truck. Despite the issue, he continued on the track and the event remained under green.
Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Chandler Smith continued to lead by half a second over Preece’s No. 17 RaceChoice.com Ford F-150 followed by Heim, Hocevar and Nemechek while Austin Hill, Eckes, Kraus, Majeski and Tanner Gray were in the top 10. By then, Crafton was in 13th, Zane Smith recovered to 15th ahead of Ankrum and Enfinger was back in 18th behind Colby Howard.
With five laps remaining, the top-six competitors were separated by less than two seconds as Chandler Smith remained as the leader by four-tenths of a second over Preece and seven-tenths of a second over teammate Heim. Behind, Hocevar, Nemechek and Hill engaged in a three-truck battle for fourth place while Kraus, Tanner Gray, DiBenedetto, Zane Smith, Crafton, Ankrum and Enfinger were in ninth, 10th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th and 17th, respectively.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Chandler Smith was leading by two-tenths of a second over Preece. While Preece kept Smith close to his front windshield, he could not gain any late momentum through the Trick Triangle’s turns as Smith managed to cycle his way back to the frontstretch and claim his second checkered flag of the season by more than two-tenths of a second.
With the victory, Smith recorded his fourth Camping World Truck Series career victory, his first at Pocono and his first win since winning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. He also recorded the seventh Pocono victory for Kyle Busch Motorsports. By collecting his second checkered flag of the season along with two stage victories throughout the regular season stretch, Smith and his No. 18 KBM Toyota team led by former championship-winning crew chief Danny Stockman Jr. will commence the 2022 Playoffs in second place in the Playoff standings with 2,022 behind Zane Smith, who holds 2,037 with his regular-season title.
Photo by Jeff Clemons for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“God’s good,” Smith said on FOX. “We’ve been going through a little bit of a struggle here recently, but just when we needed to shine, we started shining. I can’t thank [Kyle Busch Motorsports]. This Charge Me Toyota Tundra was fast today. It was really good. It was a little tight. [I] Had problems getting through the gears. Also, thank you to the No. 51 team. Just can’t thank the good Lord. This is awesome! [The victory is] Big because we didn’t have a lot of Playoff points going into the Playoffs and today, we got one stage win, won the race, so I think we’re gonna be looking pretty sharp going to [Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park].”
Preece, who made his seventh Truck start of the season and won in his latest series start at Nashville Superspeedway in June, settled in the runner-up spot while Nemechek, Heim and Hocevar finished in the top five. Completing the top 10 were Austin Hill, Majeski, Eckes, Kraus and Tanner Gray.
With their finishes of 15th and 17th, Matt Crafton and Grant Enfinger secured the final two spots to the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs. Kraus, who finished ninth, was the first competitor to miss the top-10 cutline to the Playoffs by 17 points.
“After a day like today, it’s a little bit frustrating,” Enfinger said. “First and foremost, got to say thank you to everybody that stuck behind us. Everybody at GMS Fabrication. They built a brand new truck for here. We never were able to see what it did, so everything that happened to us today was on us. We’re gonna take it back, we’re gonna learn from it. We’re not gonna get down. The good thing about this regular season is it’s over and we made it to the off-season. We’ve learned a lot throughout this year. We’re getting transitioned again. [Crew chief] Jeff Hensley did a great job on the [pit] box, battling through the stuff that was self-inflicted. I’m frustrated right now, but we’re not gonna get down. We’re gonna work hard and be ready for [Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park].”
“We had a very, very good truck,” Crafton said. “It was really good on short run. We had a way better truck than where we finished, but you need to be aggressive on the starts and I couldn’t put myself in any bad situations. You have to put yourself in bad situations on restarts to be able to get the spots. I would have to wait for everything to settle down and then, pass people, earn it instead of being a wild man on restarts. We just had to keep [Kraus] in grasp right there and hopefully, we didn’t get a new winner. [The team] worked really hard.”
“[There were] A couple races that we could’ve improved on where we were better,” Kraus said. “Overall, it’s what happened. I don’t know what happened when the power steering went away. Just parts failure. Just move on, hang our heads high and we’ll go on to the next 10 [Playoff] races.”
Zane Smith, Ben Rhodes, John Hunter Nemechek, Chandler Smith, Stewart Friesen, Ty Majeski, Carson Hocevar, Christian Eckes, Grant Enfinger and Matt Crafton have made the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs. All 10 competitors will embark on a seven-race postseason stretch and contend for this year’s Truck title.
Derek Kraus, Tyler Ankrum, Matt DiBenedetto, Tanner Gray, Colby Howard, Timmy Hill, Chase Purdy, Lawless Alan, Hailie Deegan, Dean Thompson, Jack Wood, Spencer Boyd, Kris Wright, Blaine Perkins were among the remaining competitors whom did not make the Playoffs.
There were five lead changes for three different leaders. The race featured five cautions for 20 laps.
Results.
1. Chandler Smith, 49 laps led, Stage 1 winner
2. Ryan Preece, six laps led
3. John Hunter Nemechek
4. Corey Heim
5. Carson Hocevar
6. Austin Hill
7. Ty Majeski
8. Christian Eckes, five laps led, Stage 2 winner
9. Derek Kraus
10. Tanner Gray
11. Chase Purdy
12. Matt DiBenedetto
13. Zane Smith
14. Stewart Friesen
15. Matt Crafton
16. Tyler Ankrum
17. Grant Enfinger
18. Colby Howard
19. Ben Rhodes
20. Tate Folgeman
21. Max Gutierrez
22. Lawless Alan
23. Kaz Grala
24. Dean Thompson
25. Kaden Honeycutt
26. Jesse Little
27. Kris Wright
28. Timmy Hill
29. Blaine Perkins
30. Tyler Hill
31. Armani Williams, one lap down
32. Spencer Boyd, one lap down
33. Hailie Deegan – OUT, Brakes
34. Josh Reaume, five laps down
35. Jack Wood – OUT, Accident
36. Todd Bodine – OUT, Accident
The 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs is set to commence next Friday, July 29, at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, which marks the series’ return to the venue since 2011. The event is scheduled to commence at 9 p.m. ET on FS1.
Ford Performance Notes and Quotes NASCAR Cup Series Pocono Media Availability | Saturday, July 23, 2022
Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 Keystone Light Ford Mustang for Team Penske, met with media members at Pocono Raceway ahead of Cup Series practice and qualifying sessions later in the day.
AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Keystone Light Ford Mustang — WHAT DO YOU THINK THE EFFECTS WILL BE OF LOSING JEREMY BULLINS FOR THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS AFTER THE WHEEL CAME OFF LAST WEEKEND? “Obviously the strength of our team is having good people and we have a lot of depth in the team. In the last couple of years, I think race teams have gotten a lot of experience working remotely, so from that standpoint, a lot of the guys on this team have worked together a long time. I think Pocono is probably a softer race to start that with. At Charlotte, we had to have Grant as the guy on the box, so I had some experience from the 600. I don’t think it should really affect us a whole lot, but it is good to get out of the way before the playoffs.”
SPEAKING OF PLAYOFFS, YOU HAVE THE ONE WIN BUT HOW MUCH DO YOU POINTS WATCH TO BE THE LOWEST IN POINTS WITH ONE WIN IF WE GET MORE THAN 16 WINNERS? “There is certainly a domino effect. I think you have to be cognizant of it. At the same time, I looked at Atlanta as a wild card race and then after Atlanta you start looking at points. We have been able to have some pretty good weeks here and get ourselves up in a reasonable position. That points picture is incredibly tight so it certainly could be a talking point. From my standpoint, I just do my job and try to stay above that top-16 and the rest will work itself out.”
WERE YOU SURPRISED BY THE SUSPENSIONS? “That has been a pretty consistent penalty throughout the year. I would say with the 20 car, that was probably an anomaly and NASCAR has the data and NASCAR makes the call and that is what we got.”
WERE YOU EXPECTING A PENALTY BECAUSE OF HOW FAR YOUR WHEEL TRAVELED? “I knew that there is certainly the possibility of the penalty and it isn’t a position you want to be in. Like I said, NASCAR has the data and NASCAR makes the call.”
DID YOU NOT APPEAL THE PENALTY SO THAT YOU COULD ENSURE YOU WOULD HAVE YOUR GUYS BACK FOR THE PLAYOFFS? “I think there is certainly a strategy to that, for sure. Obviously, in four weeks we are pretty close to the start of the playoffs. I don’t think you are going to ask NASCAR to rethink what they thought. I don’t think with the data that we have and the call that NASCAR made, I don’t think there is any reason to appeal it. We just move forward and adjust accordingly, try to have some good weeks here and get ready for the playoffs.”
HOW DIFFICULT HAS YOUR ROOKIE YEAR BEEN TRYING TO ADAPT TO THIS NEW CAR? “I think it certainly adds a lot of layers. When the weeks are going right and you feel like you have maybe figured something out, you show up the next week and end up qualifying 28th or wherever I was last week. It is highs and lows. I think it has been challenging for everybody to find consistency. That is what makes showing up to the race track every week a new opportunity. This week is certainly no different. There is no real consistency in the tracks on the schedule, which makes it fun for the race fans who tune in every weekend. I think it makes it fun for me to prepare differently for every weekend. To your point, it makes the challenges different every weekend.”
WHAT IS THE ONE THING THAT THE DRIVER HAS FOR A CHALLENGE WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE CREW GUYS SUSPENDED. WHAT DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH? “It is really the loss of normalcy, basically communication. Communication is very important in this sport. Making quick decisions. I feel like with the way the strategy plays out at Pocono, it is kind of a softer race to start with because you can make those decisions and you have time to pit under green and make your own strategy like flipping stages and so on. Not that I know what our race strategy is quite yet, but from that standpoint, you have time to react at a track this big. If it was Bristol or Martinsville, that is a pretty tough position to put someone in that is usually at the race shop doing races remotely like Grant does. Grant has done it quite a few times for the team already in the past. We worked together at Charlotte. I don’t really see much of a challenge there. Obviously introducing new pit crew members is certainly a challenge. That group has been a group that I have raced with for quite a while. Having changes certainly changes the choreography for those guys. They practiced through the week anticipating a change, so I expect those guys to be in good shape, do the race accordingly, and play it as it lies, I guess.”
LONG POND, Pa. (July 22, 2022) — Friday was an up-and-down day for Taylor Gray, but it ended on an upswing.
The 17-year-old driver from Denver, North Carolina, was declared the winner of the ARCA Menards Series General Tire Delivers 200 at Pocono Raceway on Friday when the race was called 16 laps early due to encroaching darkness.
While Gray led more than half of the event, he lost a lap during the first of two scheduled race breaks after a slow pit stop meant he didn’t beat the pace car off pit road. He would be forced to race his way back onto the lead lap.
A timely caution for the stalled car of Parker Chase on Lap 46 allowed Gray to get back on the lead lap. Gray’s crew chief Chad Johnston wisely called his driver to pit road to top off with fuel during the caution period while the leaders stayed out.
“All props to Chad Johnston for making a good call,” Gray said following his series-best third ARCA Menards Series victory this year. “Heck of a call by Chad being able to make it on fuel.”
Gray then avoided a multi-car crash involving Amber Balcaen, Andy Jankowiak, Sean Corr and Ed Pompa between Turns 2-3 that brought the caution back out with 31 laps left in the scheduled distance. Following a lengthy red flag for clean-up, all of the leaders that opted not to pit during the previous caution made their pit stops for fuel.
That gave the lead to Gray, a position he held for the remainder of the race. The event was ultimately called after 64 laps following a caution flag for a spin by Jesse Love.
“Whenever we went a lap down, I definitely didn’t think we’d end up here,” Gray said after a celebratory burnout on the frontstretch of the 2.5-mile speedway. “There is no quit in us at DGR, and I can’t thank all my guys enough.”
Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez was within a second of Gray in the final laps, but the caution for Love’s spin ended his hopes of scoring his third ARCA Menards Series victory of the season.
“We just pitted and kind of covered ourselves on tires,” Sanchez said. “Restarted I think fourth and got to second. Just kind of ran out of laps. I don’t know what lap we ended on, whether it be 60 or 65, I think if it went the distance our car would have come in and we would have gotten him.”
NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Brandon Jones crossed the finish line third, followed by ARCA Menards Series championship points leader Rajah Caruth in fourth and Daniel Dye in fifth.
Connor Mosack, Jake Finch, Kris Wright, Jason Kitzmiller and Toni Breidinger completed the top-10 finishers.
Saturday brings another day of jam-packed racing in Pocono, including the CRC Brakleen 150 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (noon) and the Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 NASCAR Xfinity Series (5:30 p.m.). The NASCAR Cup Series hits ‘The Tricky Triangle’ for practice (2:35 p.m.) and qualifying (3:20 p.m.). The M&M’SⓇ Fan Appreciation 400 NASCAR Cup Series main event is slated for Sunday at 3 p.m.
CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES HY-VEE DOUBLE HEADER IOWA SPEEDWAY NEWTON, IOWA
TEAM CHEVY PRACTICE RECAP
WILL POWER LEADS ONLY PRACTICE AT IOWA SPEEDWAY
FOUR TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS IN TOP-FIVE IN INCIDENT-FREE 90 MINUTE SESSION
NEWTON, IOWA (July 22, 2022) – Will Power set a blistering lap of 173.285 mph in an incident-free 90-minute practice at Iowa Speedway. The driver of the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet led four Chevrolet-powered drivers in the top-five in preparation for the only doubleheader on the 2022 NTT INDYCAR Series season.
Despite the temperature hovering over 90 degrees, Power’s lap was almost two miles an hour faster than when the Series’ last raced at the 7/8-mile oval east of Des Moines in 2020. Conor Daly, No. 20 BitNile Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet and Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Freightliner Team Penske Chevrolet were second and third in the final practice order and the only other drivers to exceed the 173-mph mark.
Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, was fifth quickest and three-time Iowa winner Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet was seventh when the session concluded.
Qualifying for both the Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 and the Hi-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 is Saturday morning at 9:30 am CT and will be broadcast on Peacock and INDY CAR Radio.
Team Chevy fans on-site at Iowa Speedway can enjoy all that the Chevrolet Motorsports display has to offer in the Fan Midway. The Chevrolet Motorsports Display opens at 2 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. Sunday. Numerous Chevrolet vehicles and other highlights include:
· •2023 Corvette Z06
· Additional Chevrolet products such as Silverado ZR2, Tahoe Z71, Blazer RS, Equinox RS, Trailblazer Activ and Camaro ZL1
· A Chevrolet IndyCar showcar
· An opportunity to receive a 2022 Chevrolet Racing t-shirt
Chevrolet also will serve as the official pace car with a Corvette Stingray Coupe leading the field to green.
Chevrolet and the NTT INDYCAR Series return to Iowa Speedway with two races: the Hy-VeeDeals.com 250 at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday and the Hy-Vee Salute to Farmers 300 at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday. Each event will air live on NBC, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network. Live timing and scoring will be available at racecontrol.indycar.com.
Will Power
Press Conference
THE MODERATOR: We are joined by three-time pole winner here, Will Power, driving the Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, quickest today. Were you happy with what happened today, Will?
WILL POWER: Yeah, definitely. Happy with the test. Tried a few things. I think we’re in theindow. Obviously a lot of good cars and drivers, so you’re never going to predict who is going to be where. I’m hoping to finally have a good qualifying, at least start at the front.
But, yeah, I feel good about the car.
THE MODERATOR: Let’s go ahead and take questions.
Q. Do you really feel the sense of speed on the oval rather than some of the road and street circuits?
WILL POWER: Yeah, I think it’s a great track because it has multiple lanes, a lot of tire degradation, bumps. Tricky. It’s my favorite oval. I really, really enjoy it here.
Q. Will, saw you run the second lane a little bit. Is that something you’re going to have to be able to do tomorrow to hang on to the tires for a tire stint?
WILL POWER: I just think you’re going to be wherever a car in front of you is not. It’s not even a tire deg thing. It’s where can I get clean air. There’s probably three sort of lanes in a way that you can find places. Hopefully it creates a good race.
Q. Will, you’ve qualified really well in Iowa in the past. Your entire career your best finish here is second. Are you set up pretty well to get a win this weekend?
WILL POWER: Yeah, if you start at the front, it certainly helps. It’s difficult to make a lot of ground, so you want to definitely start in that top 10.
It’s a difficult race to win when Josef Newgarden is in the game. He’s had a very strong career at this track (smiling). Yeah, I think he’ll always be in the mix. But I’ve got the same car. Hopefully I can make it work.
Q. Will, the consensus it seemed like coming out of the test was that Penske was in a different league. Did you still feel that way today?
WILL POWER: Man, I had cars at the test I thought were pretty strong as well. McLaren looked good. When teams have our setup… We know McLaren has got it, because an engineer went there. Andretti has it because Pagenaud brought it over.
Maybe that I run that. We’ve certainly changed since ’19. Tires changed, so it is a different car. I get the sort of philosophy.
Q. You weren’t looking at this race as a huge opportunity to gain major points in the championship?
WILL POWER: You just can’t tell in this series. You can’t. You don’t know when a yellow will fall. You can’t say, Okay, I’m going to have this race that I’m going to get points. It may just not be the case. You’ve got to take every race, put everything into, because you never know.
Q. What do you think of the format?
WILL POWER: That’s a tough one. I was thinking about the same thing. I’m like, Man, how do you get out of bed then try to go as fast as you can around Iowa for two laps?
Q. Will, you’ve been coming here since 2008. Does it look like a different track to you?
WILL POWER: Yeah, I mean, it’s amazing what Hy-Vee has done. Like Romain was saying, it’s what we’ve got to aim for. It’s the sponsor. Hearing the CEO speak from Hy-Vee, I mean, he has the right idea. He understands it. Doesn’t need to be a race, it’s got to be an event. That’s exactly what they’re doing.
It’s amazing. Our racing is a pure racing sort of series. Formula 1, it’s hard to compare, it really is. You come here, we’re all in the same garage. Kind of almost tradition. I like INDYCAR, it’s so pure. Everyone has the same car, same opportunity for racing.
Q. We didn’t do the doubleheader in Detroit. We’re doing it here in Iowa. What will be the challenges?
WILL POWER: Two bumpy tracks, similar. Yeah, I mean, same amount of points. It’s similar, except it’s an oval. You can’t really predict who is going to win. You can put your money on someone that has a good probability, but really you don’t know.
Q. Do you think the heat is going to affect you more here?
WILL POWER: Yeah. Man, it’s tough. It’s hot. Since the grip level has gone down, it’s not as physical. The wheel is a little lighter. You’re not like just holding on for two hours dying.
Q. Will, you took pole here in 2010. Can you compare the method it took to get fastest lap today compared with that pole lap? Are the differences down to completely different car formula or how the bumps has evolved or your driving style?
WILL POWER: It’s completely different. Back in ’10, we actually tried to run the white line. You could run the short line for speed. I think it was wide open. Must have been close to wide open. I think in ’08, wide open for sure. Yeah, you’re just doing a short line. Now you’re more to the wall, down the apex, and you’re lifting. Yeah, quite different.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you for coming in, Will.
WILL POWER: Thank you.
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.
NEWTON, Iowa (Friday, July 22, 2022) – Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires championship leader Linus Lundqvist found himself in a familiar spot after the first practice Friday for the race Saturday at Iowa Speedway – on top.
Lundqvist, from Sweden, led the field of 13 drivers with a fast lap of 20.3402 seconds, 158.229 mph on the .894-mile oval in the No. 26 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing car. The first oval race of the 2022 Lights season is scheduled for 12:20 p.m. ET Saturday (live on Peacock Premium), with qualifying preceding the race at 9:30 a.m. (live on INDYCAR Live!).
None of the drivers competing in the 75-lap race Saturday has previous racing experience at Iowa in an Indy Lights, Indy Pro 2000 Presented by Cooper Tires or Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship car. Lundqvist leads the championship by 87 points over Sting Ray Robb of Andretti Autosport with six races to go this season.
“We had the official test here a couple of weeks ago, so we came here knowing we had to do a few little tweaks,” Lundqvist said. “Obviously, we’re a little more comfortable running here a second time.
“It’s a big difference from Gateway (World Wide Technology Raceway oval). Even though (Iowa) is a short oval, they have so many different characteristics. The high line is very big around here. You look at some past races here, and you see guys going side by side for four, five, six laps. I’m looking forward to the race. Good practice for us.”
Andretti Autosport drivers took the next three spots on the speed chart. Matthew Brabham was second at 157.978 mph in the No. 83 Andretti Autosport car, followed by Hunter McElrea at 157.762 in the No. 27 Andretti car and Christian Rasmussen at 157.661 in the team’s No. 28 Road to Indy/Stellrecht car.
Jacob Abel rounded out the top five at 157.619 in the No. 51 Abel Speedwagon entry.
The 50-minute session was clean, with one caution for a track inspection. The 13-driver field combined to turn 799 laps, with Brabham leading the individual laps turned list with 83 trips around the “Fastest Short Track on the Planet.”
Event: Indy Lights at Iowa Speedway Track: Report: Session: Practice 1 Indy Lights 0.894 mile(s) Round 9 Rank Car Driver Name C/E/T Time Speed Diff Gap Best Lap Total Laps 1 26 Lundqvist, Linus D/ /C 00:20.3402 158.229 –.—- –.—- 66 68 2 83 Brabham, Matthew D/ /C 00:20.3724 157.978 0.0322 0.0322 73 83 3 27 McElrea, Hunter (R) D/ /C 00:20.4004 157.762 0.0602 0.0280 45 48 4 28 Rasmussen, Christian (R) D/ /C 00:20.4134 157.661 0.0732 0.0130 56 58 5 51 Abel, Jacob (R) D/ /C 00:20.4188 157.619 0.0786 0.0054 63 69 6 2 Robb, Sting Ray D/ /C 00:20.4941 157.040 0.1539 0.0753 10 60 7 68 Frost, Danial D/ /C 00:20.4976 157.014 0.1574 0.0035 50 51 8 24 Pedersen, Benjamin D/ /C 00:20.5074 156.938 0.1672 0.0098 50 51 9 7 Bogle, Christian D/ /C 00:20.6021 156.217 0.2619 0.0947 10 66 10 21 Simpson, Kyffin (R) D/ /C 00:20.6950 155.516 0.3548 0.0929 68 69 11 99 Francis Jr., Ernie (R) D/ /C 00:20.7754 154.914 0.4352 0.0804 43 66 12 11 Serravalle, Antonio D/ /C 00:21.0410 152.959 0.7008 0.2656 29 49 13 12 Roe, James (R) D/ /C 00:21.1341 152.285 0.7939 0.0931 44 61 (R) Rookie Total Laps: 799
About Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires
Celebrating 35 years, Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires develops drivers and teams to compete in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Past champions include INDYCAR SERIES champions Tony Kanaan, Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Paul Tracy and Cristiano da Matta. In 2021, 20 drivers in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES were Indy Lights graduates, including rising stars and race winners Colton Herta, Pato O’Ward and Rinus VeeKay. The 2022 season consists of 14 races in the United States. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Indy Lights, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. For more information on Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, please visit www.indylights.com. For more information on INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, please visit www.indycar.com.
About Cooper Tire
Cooper Tire, a subsidiary of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT), specializes in the design, manufacture, marketing and sale of passenger car, light truck, medium truck, motorcycle and racing tires. Cooper is headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, with manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design operations located in more than one dozen countries around the world. For more information on Cooper, visit www.coopertire.com, www.facebook.com/coopertire or www.twitter.com/coopertire.
About Goodyear
Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs about 72,000 people and manufactures its products in 55 facilities in 23 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.
Welcome to Sharon Speedway: For the final race of the season, the team heads to Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio, on Saturday, July 23. Father and son duo Dave and Ryan Blaney will join field to compete against Tony Stewart, Marco Andretti, Greg Biffle, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman, Paul Tracy, Michael Waltrip, Tony Kanaan, Matt Kenseth and Chase Elliott. The action kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and will stream live on Paramount+.
Point Standings: Heading into the last race of the 2022 SRX Series season, four drivers enter the weekend separated by 15 points. Marco Andretti (170) – Andretti has finished second in the last three races. Ryan Newman (162) – Newman won at Stafford Motor Speedway. Tony Stewart (157) – Stewart won at South Boston Speedway and I-55 Raceway. Bobby Labonte (155) – Labonte won at the Nashville Fairgrounds.
The Blaney’s: With the season concluding at the Blaney-owned Sharon Speedway, Dave and Ryan Blaney join the field as this year’s father-son duo. Last season in the father-son duo in the season finale at the Nashville Fairgrounds, Chase Elliott won the race with his father Bill Elliott finishing third. The elder Blaney may have more laps around Sharon Speedway, but with bragging rights on the line, which one will prevail at the end of Saturday night?
Chase Elliott: For his lone race of the 2022 SRX Series season, Chase Elliott joins the field in the season finale at Sharon Speedway. Last season, Elliott joined the season finale at the Nashville Fairgrounds and not only competed against the SRX field but competed against his father Bill Elliott. In the first heat race, Bill won followed by Chase in second. For the second heat race, Bill again finished ahead of Chase crossing the finish line in sixth and eighth, respectively. For the feature event, Chase came out on top with the win and Bill earned his best finish of the season with a third-place finish.
Points Leader, Marco Andretti: With consistent finishes all season, including second place the last three races, Marco Andretti took over the SRX points standings following the race at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri. Andretti started the season with a seventh-place finish at Five Flags Speedway, an eighth-place finish at South Boston Speedway and three second-place finishes the last three races (Stafford Motor Speedway, Nashville Fairgrounds, I-55 Raceway). Andretti has an eight-point lead over Ryan Newman as the series heads to the last race of the season at Sharon Speedway on Saturday night, July 23.
Starting Lineup for Heat 1 at Sharon Speedway:
Starting Position
Driver
Car Number
1
Michael Waltrip
15
2
Ryan Newman
39
3
Ryan Hunter-Reay
1
4
Paul Tracy
3
5
Matt Kenseth
5
6
Bobby Labonte
18
7
Ryan Blaney
12
8
Greg Biffle
69
9
Tony Kanaan
6
10
Marco Andretti
98
11
Chase Elliott
9
12
Dave Blaney
10
13
Tony Stewart
14
Race Format: This week’s format will consist of two heat races and the main event is scheduled for 60 laps. Michael Waltrip will lead the field to green for Heat 1.
Tune-In Information: The final race of the 2022 SRX season will take place on Saturday, July 23, live on CBS Primetime, 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. ET. The race will also be streamed live on Paramount+.
Media Availability: If you were unable to join this week’s media availability with Tony Stewart, Marco Andretti and Don Hawk, the recording is available here.
I-55 Raceway Recap: A CBS recap of the race at I-55 Raceway can be viewed here.
About SRX Racing:
Announced in July 2020, the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) Series was founded by NASCAR Hall of Fame Driver Tony Stewart, NASCAR Hall of Fame Crew Chief Ray Evernham, George Pyne and Sandy Montag. The series made its debut on June 12, 2021, airing on CBS Primetime. Tony Stewart won the inaugural series championship. The series has seen a plethora of racing talent behind the wheel including Stewart, Bobby Labonte, Helio Castroneves, Ernie Francis Jr., Bill Elliott, Chase Elliott, Marco Andretti, Tony Kanaan, Hailie Deegan, Greg Biffle, Doug Colby, and more. The second season kicks off on June 18, 2022.
WATKINS GLEN, NY (22 July 2022) – Guy Cosmo and Chris Cagnazzi return to their home state for this weekend’s Pirelli GT4 America competition at Watkins Glen International.
The two drivers finished fourth in the competitive Pro-Am class during the past two events driving the No. 39 PRESIDIO / Hero Life Mercedes-AMG GT4 fielded by Steve Cameron Racing. The SRO Glen event will be highlighted by a pair of one-hour races.
“Chris and I are both New Yorkers (Long Island) and love racing at the Glen,” Cosmo said. “It’s big, fast and flowing, and we both love to race there. We have a lot of experience there and we’re looking forward to getting back into action.”
Cosmo and Cagnazzi took sixth overall and fourth in class in the Sunday race during the most recent weekend at Virginia International Raceway. The pair were eighth overall and fourth in Pro-Am in the season opener at Sonoma Raceway.
“We’ve been fourth a couple of times this season; now, hopefully we can get on the podium at The Glen – and start making it a habit,” Cosmo said.
Cosmo has a pair of podium finishes in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen.
“Watkins Glen is a place that everybody loves,” Cosmo said. “We’re hoping that it’s a place that exploits the strong traits of our Mercedes-AMG GT4.”
Cagnazzi will also drive a second car in the GT America powered by AWS sprint races, the No. 39 PRESIDIO / Hero Life Mercedes-AMG GT4, in the GT4 class.
“Running in the second race really helps Chris,” Cosmo said. “It gives him a lot of extra track time. Most of the gentlemen drivers who are doing back-to-back races are performing really well. It also gives us extra time to work on car setup, and the extra track time helps us as a team to develop throughout the weekend. The setups from the two cars transfer well, so as we learn one car we can also apply it to the other car, and keep making progress.”
A pair of qualifying sessions to set the grids for the respective GT4 America races will be held Saturday morning at 10:40 and 11 a.m. (all times ET). Race One will be held at 4:05 p.m. Saturday, with the Sunday race taking the green flag at 11:10 a.m. The GT America races will be held on 12:15 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday, with qualifying Saturday at 8 a.m.
Popular American rock band has strong ties to NASCAR Nation
BRISTOL, Tenn. (July 22, 2022) – Popular American rock band 3 Doors Down will get the Bass Pro Shops Night Race crowd revved up on Saturday, Sept. 17, when the Grammy-nominated group performs the pre-race concert in the infield of the iconic Bristol Motor Speedway prior to the start of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race. The pre-race concert is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. on the main stage in the infield.
With more than 20 million albums sold worldwide, 3 Doors Down has churned out timeless hits spanning across three decades, including longtime favorites such as “Kryptonite,” “Here Without You” and “When I’m Gone.” In 2021, for the first time ever, the band played The Better Life in its entirety, front to back, along with the rest of their hits marking the 20th anniversary of their debut album.
“We are thrilled to have such an All-American rock band like 3 Doors Down to entertain our guests prior to the green flag dropping for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race,” said Jerry Caldwell, president, Bristol Motor Speedway. “Their songs are so memorable and very popular with NASCAR fans. With their southern rock style, they are the perfect fit here at Bristol, where so many amazing groups have performed over the years.”
The band is no stranger to NASCAR, having performed at multiple tracks on the circuit including Daytona International Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. NASCAR legends Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart, personal friends of the group, were featured in the 3 Doors Down music video “Road I’m On.” Stewart drove a 3 Doors Down sponsored car in 2003 and Earnhardt Jr. also had the band’s logo on the hood of his racecar in races in 2005 and 2008.
It will be the first time that the Mississippi group, headlined by lead vocalist Brad Arnold, will perform in The Last Great Colosseum. As longtime fans of NASCAR, the group can’t wait to make some noise in one of the most revered stadiums in the world of sports and entertainment.
“When our friends at NASCAR and Bristol called the answer was YES!,” Arnold said. “I’ve never been to Bristol but can’t wait to ROCK that iconic track, see some friends and watch the race there that night. Saying I’m excited to play Bristol for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race is an understatement.”
Fans of the band and those guests seeking to get closer to the action can now purchase the new Pre-Race Infield Experience pass, an upgrade ticket for Saturday evening that will allow those guests to enter the BMS infield and enjoy the 3 Doors Down pre-race concert from the front of the stage and be there for the world-famous Bristol Motor Speedway driver introductions, where the Cup Series stars enter The Last Great Colosseum to the sounds of their favorite music. Fans will be able to access the area at 5 p.m. and will be able to stay inside the infield until the last driver is introduced, just prior to the green flag for the famed Bass Pro Shops Night Race.
In the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio), you’ll get to see all of your favorite drivers racing hard to advance in the Playoffs, including Bristol dominator and recent Food City Dirt Race winner Kyle Busch, defending Night Race winner Kyle Larson, fan-favorite Chase Elliott, rising stars Tyler Reddick and Ross Chastain, and veteran drivers Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Blaney.
Sparks are sure to fly in the Food City 300, as NASCAR Xfinity Series favorites A.J. Allmendinger, Noah Gragson, Justin Allgaier, Ty Gibbs and Josh Berry will be trying to lock in their Playoff positions in the season’s final regular season race (Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m., USA Network, PRN Radio). Meanwhile, Zane Smith, John Hunter Nemechek, Ben Rhodes and defending winner Chandler Smith will battle for the victory Thursday night in the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics Camping World Truck Series race (Sept. 15, 9 p.m., FS1, MRN Radio). The rising stars in the ARCA Menards Series also will take on the challenging half-mile bullring in the Bush’s Beans 200 as part of a Thursday night doubleheader (Sept. 15, 6:30 p.m., FS1, MRN Radio).
To purchase race tickets and Pre-Race Infield Experience passes, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com or call the BMS Ticket Sales Center at (866) 415-4158.
About Bristol Motor Speedway Forged amid the scenic mountains of Northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line, Bristol Motor Speedway is The Last Great Colosseum, a versatile multi-use venue that hosts major auto races, football games, concerts and many other captivating events. The facility features a 0.533-mile concrete oval race track with 28-degree corner banking and 650-feet straightaways that offers racing in several NASCAR touring series, highlighted by two major Cup Series weekends each year. In 2020, the track also served as host of the prestigious NASCAR All-Star Race, and in 2021 began converting to a temporary dirt track each spring to take the Cup Series back to its racing roots. While at the track, fans are offered a unique viewing experience courtesy of Colossus TV, the world’s largest outdoor center-hung four-sided video screen with a 540,000-watt audio system. The adjacent quarter-mile dragstrip, Bristol Dragway, offers more than 50 events annually, including the marquee NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. The Thunder Valley Amphitheatre presented by Ballad Health transforms Bristol Dragway into a premier outdoor concert venue for the world’s greatest music performers. Three football games have kicked-off inside the oval, most notably the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, where border rivals the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech met before an NCAA-record crowd of 156,990. In existence since 1961, Bristol Motor Speedway was purchased in 1996 by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., a publicly traded company that is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. For more information, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com.
Richard Childress Racing at Pocono Raceway … In 173 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Pocono Raceway, Richard Childress Racing has earned two wins, both by Dale Earnhardt. In 1987, Earnhardt rallied from a 16th-place starting position to win, one of 11 victories he would claim during the season. Earnhardt won again in 1993, edging Rusty Wallace for the victory. RCR and Earnhardt won the Cup Series championship in both seasons where the team won at Pocono. The Welcome, N.C., based team has 16 top-five and 57 top-ten finishes at the ‘Tricky Triangle.’
RCR In the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Pocono … Since the NASCAR Xfinity Series began competing at Pocono Raceway in 2016, RCR has made 15 starts at the 2.5-mile track. Tyler Reddick owns the best finish by an RCR entry, a second-place finish in 2019. RCR has had at least one driver claim a top-10 finish in all six races at Pocono. The team has racked up four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes entering Saturday’s race.
Introducing the Carolina Cowboys … Driven by the same passion for performance that guides his race team, Richard Childress’ latest endeavor brings Professional Bull Riding to the Carolinas. The Carolina Cowboys represent Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in the PBR Team Series, an elite new league featuring the world’s top bull riders competing in games beginning in July 2022. The team is operated by Richard Childress Racing with 2018 Daytona 500 Champion Austin Dillon serving as General Manager. Don’t miss the Carolina Cowboys inaugural “Cowboy Days” Home Stand September 9-11 at Wake Forest’s Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Tickets are on sale at PBR.com and Ticketmaster.
Catch the Action … The Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 at Pocono Raceway will be televised live on Saturday, July 23 beginning at 5 p.m. ET on USA and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Follow Sunday’s Action at Pocono … The M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono Raceway will be televised live on Sunday, July 24 beginning at 3 p.m. ET on USA and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
This Week’s BREZTRI AEROSPHERE™ (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Pocono Raceway … Austin Dillon has 16 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Pocono Raceway. He has one NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Pocono, a 10th-place effort in 2019. He has made four Truck Series starts at the 2.5-mile speedway, scoring a top-10 finish in each race. Dillon won the Truck Series race at Pocono in 2014, leading the most laps (23 of 64).
BREZTRI AEROSPHERE™ (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Sponsors the No. 3 at Pocono … BREZTRI is an AstraZeneca product and the sponsor of No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Pocono Raceway with Austin Dillon. You can learn more at breztri.com. AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
Talk about Pocono Raceway. It’s an interestingly shaped track with just three turns.
“Pocono is a fun, fast track, and I’m excited to get there in a Next Gen Chevrolet. We’re going to do everything we can to win and lock ourselves into the NASCAR Playoffs. At Pocono Raceway, speed is definitely carried through Turn 2 and through Turn 3 to the start-finish line. I think those are the most important corners. Of course, every corner is important, but Turns 2 and 3 are a little bit more important because it’s the flat end of the track.”
This Week’s Sheetz Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Pocono Raceway … Tyler Reddick will be making his fifth NASCAR Cup Series start at Pocono Raceway this weekend. Reddick has one top-10 finish in four previous races at the 2.5-mile Pennsylvania speedway, a ninth-place effort in 2021. He scored two top-10 finishes in two previous NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Pocono, highlighted by a second-place effort in 2019. Reddick has three Truck Series starts at Pocono, highlighted by a third-place finish in 2015. With his victory at Road America Reddick has qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Why The Sheetz Not? … Sheetz will be the primary sponsor of the Richard Childress Racing No. 8 Chevrolet driven by Reddick this weekend at Pocono. This is the first time the Altoona, Pennsylvania, based company has partnered with a NASCAR team.
About Sheetz, Inc. … Established in 1952 in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Sheetz, Inc. is one of America’s fastest-growing family-owned and operated convenience store chains with more than 23,500 employees. The company operates over 640 store locations throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina. Sheetz provides an award-winning menu of M•T•O® sandwiches and salads, which are ordered through unique touch-screen order point terminals. All Sheetz convenience stores are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For, Sheetz is committed to offering employees sustainable careers built on an inspiring culture and community engagement. For more information, visit www.sheetz.com or follow us on Twitter (@sheetz), Facebook (www.facebook.com/sheetz) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/sheetz).
TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:
What are your expectations for how the Next Gen car will perform at Pocono?
“Man, there are a lot of unknowns. I’ve talked with a lot of drivers about how the testing went. The Tunnel Turn is probably faster than it’s ever been, driving even faster than you ever have into Turn 1, there’s a lot of things that have just upped the stakes at the Tricky Triangle. It’s going to be an eye-opening weekend. We’re going to have to learn really fast. It’s another one of those tracks where we’re only going to get so much practice and very similar to how road courses have been with the length of the lap that we run at Pocono we’re only going to get a few number of laps to get familiar with the car that you have and then try to make some good adjustments on our Sheetz Chevrolet going into qualifying. It’s going to happen quick for us on qualifying and practice day.”
What has been the biggest challenge for you at Pocono?
“More than anything is kind of what has been haunting us most of this season which is trying to close out the entire race. With this Next Gen car all the little details matter more and more, whether it’s pit road or restarts, it’s all very critical. This Next Gen car has brought the entire garage closer together. The competition is closer than it’s ever been. You just have to go out there and manage your race. You’ve got to give it 100 percent but you can’t cross that line and so for me it’s something that we’ve been fighting and trying to get better all year long. It’s great to go to Road America and win like we did because we know we can have a perfect day. That’s what it will take to win Pocono and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”
This Week’s Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Camaro SS at Pocono Raceway … Sheldon Creed will make his first NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Pocono Raceway this weekend. During his time in the NASCAR Truck Series, Creed made three starts at Pocono and accumulated two top fives and two top-10 finishes.
Whelen Celebrates 70 Years … From a small garage workshop in Connecticut in 1952 to a worldwide leader in emergency warning equipment today, Whelen Engineering continues to push the boundaries of innovation. As we mark our 70th anniversary, we’re proud to continue our founder’s mission of making it safer for those who serve and protect. Whelen has been manufacturing in America for 70 years—we never left, and we’re here to stay.
About Whelen … Whelen Engineering is a family-owned company with a pioneering spirit and a passion to protect the lives of those who protect and serve others. The company mission is to provide industry-defining safety solutions around the world, while creating a community of problem-solvers who are inspired to push boundaries and continue our legacy of delivering ground-breaking innovation. As a global leader in the emergency warning industry, Whelen has been trusted to perform since 1952, when George Whelen III invented the first rotating aviation beacon. Whelen now encompasses two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Connecticut and New Hampshire with over 750,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing space and the largest design staff in the industry. Every part of every Whelen product is proudly designed and manufactured in America. We embrace quality as our foundation, we celebrate innovative engineering in every product we produce.
SHELDON CREED QUOTE:
Are you excited to make your debut at Pocono Raceway this weekend?
“I’m very excited for the race at Pocono this weekend. I’ve had some good results there in a truck and finished third in my last two starts and I also led some laps. I also have solid results at Pocono in the ARCA Menards Series. I never finished outside the top 10 in four races and finished runner-up in the last two ARCA races I ran. We had a strong weekend at New Hampshire last weekend and I hope we can keep building on our speed this weekend.”
This Week’s Global Industrial Chevrolet Camaro SS at Pocono Raceway … Austin Hill will make his second NASCAR Xfinity Series start at Pocono Raceway on Saturday. In his first and only Xfinity Series start at the track, he started 15th and finished 25th. During his time in the Truck Series, Hill made six starts at Pocono and tallied two top-five and two top-10 finishes.
About Global Industrial Company … Global Industrial Company (NYSE:GIC), through its operating subsidiaries, is a value-added industrial distributor. For more than 70 years, Global Industrial has gone the extra mile for its customers and offers more than a million industrial and MRO products, including its own Global Industrial exclusive brands. With extensive product knowledge and a solutions-based approach, Global Industrial helps customers solve problems and be more successful. At Global Industrial, “We can supply that®.”
Double Duty at The Tricky Triangle … In addition to competing in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race, Hill is scheduled to compete in the NASCAR Truck Series race on Friday night. He will pilot the No. 7 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports. You can watch the Truck Series race on Friday, July 23 on FOX.
AUSTIN HILL QUOTE:
Are you excited for this weekend’s race at Pocono and how are you preparing?
“I’ve had some success at Pocono Raceway before and I had a chance at a win in the Truck Series a few times so I’m really excited to get back there this weekend. I have laps around Pocono in an Xfinity car from last year and that does mean something, especially when you’re a rookie. Being able to go to a place where I have been in an Xfinity car before is always beneficial because it’s seat time. My team and I have been putting a lot of work into the simulator recently and we’re looking forward to getting to the track and putting it all to the test. We’ve been trying to find some speed that we’ve been missing the last few races and at bigger tracks and I think we’ve got the strategy down. I’m looking forward to the race!”
