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Ford Performance NASCAR: Harvick & Keselowski Post Top-10 Finishes at Loudon

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
New Hampshire Post Race | Sunday, July 17, 2022

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
5th – Kevin Harvick
7th – Brad Keselowski
13th – Austin Cindric
15th – Chase Briscoe
17th – Chris Buescher
18th – Ryan Blaney
24th – Joey Logano
25th – Todd Gilliland
26th – Harrison Burton
27th – Cole Custer
28th – Michael McDowell
29th – JJ Yeley
30th – Cody Ware
31st – Aric Almirola
36th – BJ McLeod

KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 GEARWRENCH Ford Mustang — (Finished 5th)

HOW MUCH WERE YOU SLIPPING AND SLIDING AT THE END THERE? “A lot. We put two tires on there, which we all thought was the right thing to do and it just would not get going. We were sliding up the race track and it took seven or eight laps to get the car underneath ya and then about 20 laps to get the pace back. Then at the end, everybody was just out of tires. I am proud of everybody on our GEARWRENCH Ford Mustang. We will keep plugging away.”

HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT TO PASS TODAY? “When the car was handling good, not bad. But when everybody was sliding around there it was tough if you were the same speed. We passed a lot of the cars that were worse than us. It just depended on what your handling issues were.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Kohler Generators Ford Mustang (Finished 7th)

YOU HAD A RUN-IN EARLY IN THE RACE WITH AUSTIN DILLON, WHAT WAS THAT? “Hot in the cars and we all let our tempers get the best of us. We had a decent day here. The Kohler Generators Ford Mustang climbed really far that last run. I think we went from somewhere around the late teens and 20’s up to seventh on that last run. I am proud of our team for the effort today. It was certainly an up and down day today and it was good to finish on an up note.”

AUSTIN SAID HE DOES NOT LIKE THE WAY THAT YOU RACE HIM. IS THE FEELING MUTUAL? “I will talk to him privately. I don’t need to be a jerk over the media.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang (Finished 15th)

WAS IT A SALVAGEABLE DAY? “Yeah, that first run we were really good and able to drive up into the top-15. Then from there we just kind of struggled and the track was changing so much. I probably didn’t do the greatest job guiding them where we needed to go. Then we had that spin and tried to play strategy to get up there and we caught the caution wrong. I feel like if we had the long run and were running fourth or fifth versus catching the caution we probably would have been alright. It just didn’t work out. I feel like we had a better car than 15th but with everything we fought I guess it was alright. We will just have to move on to Pocono.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Autotrader Ford Mustang (Finished 13th)

“Definitely a double come from behind day on the 2 car. Drove my guts out today. I am proud of the adjustments we made overnight after such a bad qualifying effort. Had a probably top-five long run car and should have finished in the top-10, we just ran out of time there. I had fun working the lanes and trying to get better. I am proud of the team. We will keep moving forward.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang (Finished 24th)

YOU GUYS MADE SOME PIT STRATEGY CALLS TO GET YOU UP FRONT, IT LOOKED LIKE IT MIGHT WORK FOR A WHILE THERE: “Yeah, live by the sword, die by the sword. We did it in the second stage to get track position and it worked. Then we did it again to get track position and the race ran long and it didn’t work. I thought we were pretty decent once we got up there and had a shot at taking the lead from Kurt (Busch) but then the 9 missed the mark by a mile and knocked our toe our or camber or something in the left rear suspension. I don’t know why he had to do that, but I am pretty sure that was not a good move on his part. So, that is that.”

WAS IT REALLY ALL ABOUT CLEAN AIR? “Ha, yeah. It was all about clean air. For a couple of cars that were a little more stellar, they could maybe work their way through the field but even a couple of the best cars never got back there at the end. The 19 and the 4, they never got back. Track position was king.”

Dustin Bryson picks up third win of 2022 at Mobile International Speedway

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Official Release
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Dustin Bryson picked up his third Pro Truck victory of the season at Mobile International Speedway on Saturday evening. (Photo: Turn1photos/Eddie Richie)

Irvington, AL. (July 17, 2022) – The decision by Dustin Bryson to return to active competition is paying off.

After picking up his first victory in 18 years at Crisp Motorsports Park back in April, Bryson has since added two more wins to his resume in 2022, which included a triumph in the Pro Truck division at Mobile International Speedway on Saturday evening.

Bryson had high expectations when he elected to put together his own Pro Truck program and said the consistency he has shown so far this year has proven that he can best all the top competitors in the region.

“This has been a really good year,” Bryson said. “I’m just so fortunate to have good equipment and a fast race truck every night. Everything is going great.”

Bryson said that pulling off the win at Mobile presented its own unique set of challenges compared to racing at Crisp.

Along with Mobile being a much faster track than Crisp, Bryson had to hold his own with a different group of drivers that included Jerry Goff, who had won all three races at Mobile entering Saturday night’s feature.

Goff was the one Bryson had to hold off in the closing stages of the 30-lap feature to get his first victory outside of Crisp. Bryson said that being able to best a high-caliber Pro Truck driver like Goff has provided him a jolt of confidence that he hopes to build upon going forward.

“This is what we set out to do,” Bryson said. “We didn’t know if we’d be able to do this, but our goal was to be a threat for the win every time we showed up. I’ve had a lot of people help me out along the way, so this has been really rewarding.”

While Bryson knew his program possessed a tremendous amount of potential, he never envisioned the 2022 season would begin with him winning three out of four races.

Now that he knows he can win every race, Bryson is turning his attention towards finishing out the year strong at Crisp and gain as much track time as possible before heading back down to Five Flags in December for the Snowball Derby, where he looks to improve upon an 11th place finish from last year.

Bryson expects to enjoy plenty of success before the 2022 season concludes and is growing more optimistic with each week that his truck will be the one parked in victory lane when the checkered flag flies on the Snowball Derby Pro Truck feature later this year.

“I’d really like to win that [Pro Truck] championship at Crisp,” Bryson said. “Hopefully we can win a few more races, especially that Snowball Derby.”

Bryson would like to thank God, his wife Kimberly, his mother Donna, his stepfather Ernie Lopez, Thorne, Staples and everyone at Curt Britt Motorsports for all their help along with MPM Marketing and his sponsors LeeBoy, Terminal Maintenance & Construction, Atlanta Paving & Concrete Construction, Inc., Reynolds-Warren Equipment Company, Modern Images, Dykes Paving & Construction Co., Inc., AROB Performance Parts & Fuels, Simpson Trucking & Grading, Inc. and House of Finery.

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About McCallister Precision Marketing

McCallister Precision Marketing (MPM) focuses on assisting up-and-coming race car drivers with career advancement and promotion. McCallister Precision Marketing helps drivers build confidence in front of and behind the camera, giving them the tools they need to advance to the next level. The company also provides companies with a strategic plan for their sales, marketing and promotional needs. We believe in building positive relationships with our clients so that we may provide them with the most professional, yet personal guidance they need, in order to achieve their racing goals. Our clients include race car drivers, race team owners, companies and racing series’. We also work closely with charities and charity events. For more information on McCallister Precision Marketing, visit www.MarketWithMPM.com, email TonyaMac44@MarketWithMPM.com or call 803-361-6199.

Korthoff Motorsports and Driver Stevan McAleer Build IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar GTD Championship Lead with Fourth-Place Finish

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Official Release
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IMSA, Lime Rock Park Park, Lakeville, Ontario, CT, July 2022. (Photo by Brian Cleary/bcpix.com)

Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing Entrant Team Korthoff Motorsports and Driver Stevan McAleer Build IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar GTD Championship Lead with Fourth-Place Finish in FCP Euro Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park

LAKEVILLE, Connecticut – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing entrant Team Korthoff Motorsports extended its IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) class points lead Saturday at Lime Rock Park with a hard-fought fourth-place finish in the FCP Euro Northeast Grand Prix with co-drivers Stevan McAleer and Mike Skeen in the No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3. The finish, Team Korthoff’s best result in IMSA GTD competition since a third-place showing at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March, was two positions higher than the No. 32 team’s nearest challenger in Saturday’s two-hour and 40-minute race on the 1.474-mile Lime Rock road course. Coming into the race five points ahead in the championship race, the No. 32 team and McAleer unofficially leave Lime Rock 40 points clear of the closest competitor.

Korthoff was the highest finishing Mercedes-AMG GT3 on Saturday for the fifth time in the seven WeatherTech Championship races this season, but joined two other Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams in leaving Lime Rock feeling better results were just out of reach.

The No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, co-driven by Philip Ellis and Russell Ward, took the white flag leading in GTD only to see Ellis slow with a mechanical issue with the finish line in sight.

Skeen was running in third in the No. 32 as Ellis fell off the pace and joined the rest of the lead pack competitors in darting around the stricken No. 57. Unfortunately, Skeen fell to fourth in the frenzy and came up just short of securing Korthoff’s first podium finish in more than four months.

The No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Cooper MacNeil and Jules Gounon also hit trouble late after a competitive run in the team’s first GTD class race this season. Gounon was looking to seal a likely top five or better result but instead settled for seventh after being assessed a drive-through penalty after what race officials determined was avoidable contact with another competitor.

The two-hour Pilot Challenge race earlier on Saturday was as demanding as the featured WeatherTech Championship FCP Euro Northeast Grand Prix, but one entry from Murillo Racing stepped up for the Bronze Cup class victory.

Brent Mosing and Tim Probert co-drove the No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 to the Bronze Cup win for the second time this season after winning at Mid-Ohio for the first time in May. The victory gave the Mercedes-AMG GT4 a perfect seven-for-seven win record this season in the new Bronze Cup class which is designed to allow sportsman or “am” drivers battle each other in a separate championship while still competing in the overall GS race.

The top Mercedes-AMG GT4 finisher in the Pilot Challenge race was the No. 55 FCP Euro by Ricca Autosport Mercedes-AMG GT3 co-driven by Skeen and Trevor Andrusko. Competing in the lead pack throughout the two-hour race, closing driver Skeen jumped to fourth from fifth on the final lap for the FCP Euro team’s best finish in just its third race in a select schedule of events this season.

Murillo’s sister No. 56 and No. 72 Mercedes-AMG GT4 entries provisionally hold second and third, respectively, in the overall GS championship standings after Lime Rock despite a pair of challenging races.

The No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Eric Foss and Kenton Koch failed to finish a race for the first time this season after a rock punctured a hole in the car’s oil cooler halfway into the race.

Kenny Murillo and Christian Szymczak finished eighth in the No. 72 Mercedes-AMG GT4 after finishing on the podium in the last two races with a third place at Watkins Glen in June and second to their No. 56 teammates earlier this month at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in IMSA WeatherTech Championship and IMSA Pilot Challenge competition is the IMSA Fastlane SportsCar Weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 4 – 7.

Stevan McAleer, Driver – No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “You have to take the positives. We gained some points in the championship, our Mercedes-AMG GT3 was pretty decent, and Mike is obviously fantastic. He was really strong at the end there but unfortunately the No. 57 car broke on the last lap and Mike had no choice but to go around the outside and another car further back had the advantage of going to the inside. If I would have been told earlier today we would have finished fourth, I would have been quite happy with it, but the podium was so close. We are still fighting for this championship.”

Mike Skeen, Driver – No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 and No. 55 FCP Euro by Ricca Autosport Mercedes-AMG GT4: “Two P4 finishes on the day. Those are solid results. A disappointment in some ways to be so close to the podium twice and not get there, but I am thrilled with the Korthoff guys. They had excellent strategy, excellent pit stops, and we had great pace. A great points day, really solid performance with the team, but we are just dying to get back to the podium.”

Cooper MacNeil, Driver – No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Tough race, going almost all green. I was able to make up some positions during my stint. It wasn’t without incident. When I was pitting, I got hit from behind and got crossed up, but made it to pit lane safely. Jules put in some fast laps and the car was good in clean air. Unfortunately, he got caught up with another car and we got put back to seventh. I hope we can carry the positives of today over to Road America, our home race, in three weeks.”

Jules Gounon, Driver – No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I was on the radio with the team, and we agreed on a ‘full send’ to go for a podium finish at the end. I launched an attack on another car who moved a little under braking and I got into him. I thought it was a racing incident. We had a lot of fun today. We were quick, but luck wasn’t on our side. I was happy to be back with Cooper, he drove a great stint. I hope to go for a podium when I return with the team at VIR.”

Brent Mosing, Driver – No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “This is a really big win for me because I have not had good luck at Lime Rock in the past. This changed all that, Lime Rock was good to me this time. I kept the car clean, turned it over to Tim, and he drove the lights out of it again for the second race in a row. I am going to put this thing on Tim’s back! All I have to do is hand him over a clean car.”

Tim Probert, Driver – No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “With two wins behind us now, we are certainly pushing for more victories in the year’s last three races. The team really gave us a wonderful car today. The pit stops were flawless. We had a really good run until a restart. We picked up some rubber build up on the tires and that created a bit of an issue with a few cars getting by, but we were delighted to pick up the Bronze Cup win.”

Trevor Andrusko, Driver – No. 55 FCP Euro by Ricca Autosport Mercedes-AMG GT4: “The Mercedes-AMG GT4 is awesome, super comfortable, super drivable and awesome to race. I think we are starting to prove that we are meant to be here. Sebring was our first race together and a bit of shakedown for us, but we are starting to make a little more progress, do some testing and get a little more familiar with the Mercedes-AMG GT4. Today was absolutely insane. This weekend has been really tight on the schedule and on the track. Tight quarters, but we came with some notes from testing and had a quick car at the end, and that’s really what we showed up with. I am very comfortable in GT4 cars. Doing a couple of years of Super Trofeo has really helped me progress a little bit.”

Kenny Murillo, Driver – No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “Road America can’t come soon enough. Lime Rock started off OK, but we had some bad luck with a cut tire in qualifying that put us in a tough situation with the race strategy as it was never apparent on which way to go with it. The last yellow flag didn’t fall for us, but we just kept our heads down and tried to do the best we could on track. The car came out pretty clean in the end, so you have to be happy with that, and we couldn’t be happier with the Mercedes-AMG GT4 and the Michelin tires. Lime Rock is a bullring, we came out with the car intact, and we are really looking forward to Road America.”

ASHLEY LEADS TOYOTA WITH STRONG FINAL QUALIFYING PASS

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Official Release
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All three Toyota GR Supra Funny Cars qualify in the top half of the field

MORRISON, Colo. (July 16, 2022) – Justin Ashley closed the four qualifying passes in the Top Fuel class with a stellar 3.765 elapsed time that nearly earned Ashley his second no.1 qualifying spot of the season at the stunning Bandimere Speedway just outside of Denver. Ashley is joined in the top-half of the field by veteran Doug Kalitta (eighth).

In Funny Car, all three Toyota GR Supra Funny Cars qualified in the top half of the field with 3.96 second runs. Defending Funny Car champion Ron Capps led Toyota with a 3.961 elapsed time in fifth, with J.R. Todd (sixth) and Alexis DeJoria (seventh) following with identical 3.964 second passes.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
Bandimere Speedway
Race 11 of 22

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
Brittany Force*Flav-R-Pac Top Fuel Dragster1st (3.758)T. Totten
Justin AshleyPhillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster2nd (3.765)C. Ferre
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster8th (3.827)J. Hart
Steve TorrenceCapco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster10th (3.845)A. Prock
Shawn LangdonDHL Toyota Top Fuel Dragster12th (3.901)G. Carrillo
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster14th (4.069)L. Pruett

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
Matt Hagan*Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat FC1st (3.908)J. Wyatt
Ron CappsNAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny Car5th (3.961)P. Lee
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car6th (3.964)C. Pedregon
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car7th (3.964)T. Wilkerson

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA QUOTES

JUSTIN ASHLEY, Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Davis Motorsports

TF Qualifying Result: 2nd

What is it like to come up here and race on the mountain?

“It’s stunning. This whole facility is gorgeous. It’s important to take a minute and say thank you to the fans, because they came out in droves all weekend – Friday, Saturday. I can’t wait to see what it’s like tomorrow. It’s a blast from a driver’s perspective to walk around the facility and see how engaged everybody is. It just gives you that much more motivation. For everybody that is here from Velocity, Bendix, everybody at Toyota, Vita C Energy, and of course, Phillips Connect, we are excited to keep this going and we are excited about tomorrow.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.  

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants.  By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.  With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

KENNINGTON PUTS IN STRONG EFFORT IN CASTROL EDGE DODGE

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Official Release
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July 16, 2022. DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge returned to action for round five of the 2022 NASCAR Pinty’s Series on Friday at one of the most exciting events on the schedule, the Toronto Indy. After being postponed for two years due to Covid restrictions, the team returned to Exhibition Place in Toronto for a hard-fought battle.

The morning practice and qualifying session proved challenging with several caution flags halting proceedings. The team worked to improve the performance of the car and Kennington worked the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge to the outside of row seven for the start of the 35-lap race. From the drop of the green the battle was on.

Every position gained on the track proved to be a challenge with drivers doing their best to hold station and avoid the unforgiving concrete walls that surround the track. Kennington would wage a fierce battle with the #99 car and eventually dispatch the challenger.

With an extreme effort on a hot day in the city Kennington would bring the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge home 11th, just missing another top-ten result.

DJ Kennington Quotes:
“Our whole Castrol team loved being back in Toronto for the Indy but we didn’t have our best day. We had several cautions close to together and it never gave us a chance to show our stuff longer runs where I think we might have been better. We had a good battle with the #99 before taking the spot and just missed the top ten. We’re excited after two podiums on the last two ovals to head west and race in Edmonton”.

Next up:
DJ Kennington and the Castrol Edge Dodge team will now head west to begin a swing through western Canada and three straight oval races. First stop is at Edmonton International Raceway in Wetaskiwin, Alberta on Saturday July 23rd.

TV & Live Streaming
The Grand Prix of Toronto will be broadcast on TSN and on RDS2 at a date and time to be determined. All races are streamed live on TSN.ca and the TSN app in Canada and through FloRacing in the United States.

Race fans can follow DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team on their official social media platforms:

Twitter www.twitter.com/@djkracing
Instagram www.instagram.com/djkracing
Website www.djkracing.ca
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DJKenningtonRacing/

CORVETTE RACING AT LIME ROCK: Short-Track Woes for No. 3 C8.R

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Official Release
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Contact near halfway point stymies Corvette charge to GTD PRO podium

LAKEVILLE, Conn. (July 16, 2022) – Short-track racing bit Corvette Racing on Saturday as mid-race contact sidelined the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R in the NorthEast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park.

Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor finished fourth in GTD PRO but 13th overall. Things were trending in a positive direction for the C8.R until side-to-side contact with another GTD car damaged the right-rear suspension of the Corvette, necessitating a long pit stop to repair the C8.R. In the end, Garcia and Taylor finished five laps down to the race-winning No. 9 Porsche.

Taylor began fourth on the grid, and Corvette Racing engineers immediately went to a three-stop strategy to manage tire degradation and tire performance. The No. 3 Corvette stopped just shy of the 30-minute mark and again just short of halfway with a change at that point to Garcia.

The goal was to get Garcia to around 40 minutes to go before making the car’s last stop. Unfortunately, the Corvette was involved in side-to-side contact with a Mercedes only a few laps into Garcia’s first stint. The incident bent a component of the Corvette’s rear suspension, which took the car out of contention.

The rest of the race during into a test session for the remaining races on the IMSA schedule. Corvette Racing returns to the track at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisc., from August 5-7.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FOURTH IN GTD PRO:“It didn’t make any sense, what happened there. I don’t know… when you are on mixed strategy with everyone and everyone is defending from you, it didn’t make any sense there. Could I have been more patient? Maybe, but I wasn’t here to finish second again or third. It was time to go. That’s the way it is, especially because I think we had a strong car over the long run. Everyone was defending like it was the last 10 minutes. Even if I didn’t want to race them, that’s how it went. Now I wish I was a little more patient, but I’m here to win and at that point in time, we had to go.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FOURTH IN GTD PRO:“That was a frustrating one. The tough thing is that we’re in one race with different classes but the same cars. Guys on different strategies are racing you even though you aren’t part of their race. That part is frustrating. We got caught up in a bit of a mess there. We were in there with a shot for second. The 9 car was pretty much untouchable today. That’s been the story of the season so far. Hopefully we can go to Road America and fight them a little bit harder.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 80 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. 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.

LAYNE RIGGS SWEEPS LATE MODEL TWINBILL SATURDAY AT SOUTH BOSTON SPEEDWAY

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Official Release
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Layne Riggs (left) accepts the winner’s trophy from Billy Myers, owner of Billy’s A/C Service, following his sweep of the two 50-lap NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division races that highlighted Saturday night’s Billy’s A/C Service Night event at South Boston Speedway. Photo Courtesy Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway

By Joe Chandler
Director, Public Relations
South Boston Speedway

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (July 16, 2022) — Layne Riggs took another step towards the South Boston Speedway NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division title with a sweep of the twin 50-lap NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division races that headlined Saturday night’s Billy’s A/C Service Night event at South Boston Speedway.

Riggs, of Bahama, North Carolina, grabbed the lead from Jacob Borst of Elon, North Carolina on the final lap and edged Borst by .217-second to win the first 50-lap race.

After starting ninth in the second race as the result of an inverted start among the top finishers of the opening race, Riggs quickly sped to the front of the field, passing Bruce Anderson of South Boston, Virginia for the lead with 24 laps to go. From there, Riggs led the rest of the way, pulling away to edge runner-up Camden Gullie of Durham, North Carolina by 1.208 seconds.

“This was two big wins for us,” Riggs said after the sweep that ran his season win total at South Boston Speedway to nine victories in 13 starts. “I feel like our car is back. We’ve kind of struggled since the 200-lap race on July 2 and a little before that with bad luck or getting wrecked or something. Tonight, the cards fell our way.

Defending NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion and six-time South Boston Speedway Peyton Sellers of Danville, Virginia finished third in the first race with Gullie and Conner Jones of Fredericksburg, Virginia rounding out the top five finishers.

Anderson finished third in the second race in what was his best effort of the season while racing a limited schedule. Chris Denny of Timberlake, North Carolina and Terry Dease of Oxford, North Carolina rounded out the top five finishers in the second race.

Borst and Sellers were involved in early-race accidents, but both returned to finish the race, although being many laps down. Sellers finished 10th and Borst finished 11th. Borst had led 49 laps of the first 50-lap race.

There were two lead changes among three drivers in the second race.

KYLE BARNES SCORES WIN IN THRILLING 50-LAP BUDWEISER LIMITED SPORTSMAN DIVISION RACE
Kyle Barnes of Draper, Virginia continued his recent domination of the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division race by winning Saturday night’s 50-lap race at South Boston Speedway.

While Barnes scored his third straight win and his fourth win in the past five races, it was perhaps his most difficult win of the season.

Barnes started 11th in the 13-car field, and while several drivers swapped the lead and positions at the front of the field, Barnes picked them off one-by-one. He took the lead from North Carolinian Ronald Renfrow on the 30th circuit and led the final 21 laps, edging Carter Russo of Rougemont, North Carolina by 1.568 seconds at the finish.

Renfrow, making his first start at South Boston Speedway, finished third with Drew Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia and Jason Myers of Hurt, Virginia completing the top five finishers.

There were five lead changes among five drivers in the race that was slowed by two caution periods.

NATHAN CREWS, JOHNNY LAYNE SPLIT SOUTHSIDE DISPOSAL PURE STOCK DIVISION TWINBILL
In what was some of the best racing of the season in South Boston Speedway’s Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division Nathan Crews of Long Island, Virginia and Johnny Layne of Halifax, Virginia split wins in Saturday night’s twin 15-lap races.

In the first race, Crews took the lead from Scott Phillips of Halifax, Virginia with two laps to go and edged Phillips by a car length to earn the win. Layne finished third with Zach Reaves of South Boston, Virginia and Andrew Turner rounding out the top five finishers.

Layne started second in the second race, got a good jump on the initial start, and held off fast-closing Nathan Crews by .207 second to pick up the win.

Phillips, Zach Reaves and Andrea Ruotolo of South Boston, Virginia rounded out the top five finishers.
Crews’ win in the opening race was his fifth of the season. Layne’s win was his fourth of the season.

KEVIN CURRIN TAKES VIRGINIA STATE POLICE HEAT HORNETS DIVISION VICTORY
Kevin Currin of Chase City, Virginia won Saturday night’s 20-lap Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division race, edging runner-up Kendall Milam of Keeling, Virginia by almost a second.

The win was the fourth win of the season for Currin in seven starts.

Dillon Davis of Nathalie, Virginia, Steven Layne of Nathalie, Virginia and Jason DeCarlo of Chase City, Virginia rounded out the top five finishers.

Currin took the lead from Layne with nine laps to go in the race and led the rest of the way.

NEXT EVENT AT SOUTH BOSTON SPEEDWAY
South Boston Speedway will celebrate its 65th Anniversary during the month of August with two big events.

The first of those events is the Davenport Energy Night event on Saturday night, August 6.
To highlight the track’s 65th anniversary, the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division competitors will battle it out in Twin 65-lap races.

The six-race card will also include a 50-lap race for the Budweiser Limited Sportsman Division, a 25-lap race for the Southside Disposal Pure Stock Division and a 20-lap race for the Virginia State Police HEAT Hornets Division.

Fans will be able to see a glimpse of the past as they will be treated to a 25-lap race for the Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club to round out the night’s action

Grandstand gates will open at 5:30 p.m., qualifying begins at 6 p.m. and the first race of the night will get the green flag at 7 p.m.

Advance adult general admission tickets for the August 6 Davenport Energy Night event are priced at $10 each and may be purchased online on South Boston Speedway’s website, www.southbostonspeedway.com, through Friday night, August 5. Advance tickets may also be purchased by calling the speedway office at 434-572-4947 or toll free at 1-877-440-1540 during regular business hours.

Tickets at the gate on race night will be $15 each. Seniors ages 65 and older, military, healthcare workers, and students (with ID) can purchase tickets for $10 each at the gate on race night.

Hagan Tops Funny Car Qualifying on Thunder Mountain Ahead of Dodge Power Brokers Mile-High Nationals

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Official Release
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Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals
  • Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) driver Matt Hagan and his Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat earned the No. 1 qualifier position after topping the Funny Car timing sheets in three of four qualifying sessions ahead of the Dodge Power Brokers National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mile-High Nationals
  • Hagan took the top spot for Sunday’s eliminations at Bandimere Speedway for the second year in a row and now looks to defend last year’s Funny Car event win 
  • Hagan’s No. 1 qualifier position was his fourth of the season and the 47th of his career
  • Top Fuel pilot Leah Pruett, winner of the 2018 edition of the Denver area NHRA event, qualified her Dodge Power Brokers dragster No. 3 after joining her TSR Teammate Hagan as provisional polesitters in their respective categories Friday night under the lights
  • Cruz Pedregon qualified his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat ninth for Sunday’s Dodge Power Brokers Mile-High Nationals

July 16, 2022, Morrison, Colorado — The Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat of Tony Stewart Racing Funny Car driver Matt Hagan took the top spot on Thunder Mountain in three of four sessions and earned the No. 1 qualifier position at Bandimere Speedway ahead of the 42nd annual Dodge Power Brokers National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mile-High Nationals.

The defending event winner, picked up where he left off last year by taking his 11,000 horsepower HEMI-powered machine to top of the qualifying sheets with a 3.968 second elapsed time first pass, then improved on it with a solid 3.927-second run to close out Friday qualifying as the provisional polesitter. 

Hagan ran his quickest pass of the weekend on Saturday in Q3 at 3.908 mph at 323.12 mph, a time that kept him in the top spot through the fourth session when he had an issue with his burnout and lost traction at the hit of the throttle. That third run by the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat was strong enough to secure Hagan’s second consecutive No. 1 qualifier position at Bandimere Speedway. It is also his fourth pole position of the season and the 47th of his career.

His qualifying efforts also provided him with 12 valuable bonus points to close the gap on the Funny Car points leader and rival Robert Hight who took over the top spot from Hagan at the last event in Norwalk. Hagan will begin his event title defense with an opening round pairing with No. 16 seed Jack Wyatt.

Hagan’s TSR teammate Leah Pruett, winner of the 2018 edition of the Denver event, also powered her Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel dragster to the provisional No. 1 qualifier position on Friday under the lights. She improved again on Saturday, recording her quickest pass of the weekend on her final lap with a 3.771-second elapsed time run to put her third on the eliminations ladder. She also collects seven bonus points for setting the quickest times in two sessions and placing third in the final one. Pruett will begin her Sunday drive to vy for her second Top Fuel Wally trophy from Bandimere Speedway against No. 14 seed Antron Brown.

Two-time Funny Car event winner Cruz Pedregon qualified his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat ninth overall with a best pass of 4.038 seconds at 306.74 mph on Saturday after having qualified in the top half of the eliminations ladder through the first ten races of the season. Despite a more challenging start to the weekend than the Cruz Pedregon Racing has had in a while, the team is fifth in the category and ready to chase down their first Wally of the season by kicking off eliminations against No. 6 qualifier J.R. Todd

Sunday’s Dodge Power Brokers Mile-High Nationals elimination rounds will air on FOX’s broadcast network commencing at 4 p.m. ET and will include live coverage of the finals.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES: 

Leah Pruett, Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel Dragster  

(No. 3 Qualifier –  3.771 seconds at 322.50 mph)

Qualifying 1: 11.016 sec./ 77.75 mph

Qualifying 2: 3.788 sec./326.79 mph (3 bonus points for quickest run of session)

Qualifying 3: 3.784 sec./327.90 mph (3 bonus points for quickest run of session)

Qualifying 4: 3.771 sec./322.50 mph ( 1 bonus point for 3rd quickest run of session)

“I think the most valuable aspect of our qualifying is that we were able to develop a baseline here on the mountain because we really didn’t have one as this new team. All we could do was take what we’ve done so far this year. For us to find a really good quick spot on Friday was great, but I think most importantly was Saturday and running consistently and fast. That’s what’s going to prove to be effective on Sunday.”

“Of course it’s going to be different conditions, but I’m extremely impressed with the way that this team unified throughout these two days. Everybody scrapped their egos at the door and tuned [the racecar] by committee and had everyone’s back for whatever the car did whether it went back to number one, or if we made a complete pass. Having that positive surroundings is exactly what was allowing us to broker our power, the way that we would like to. Starting in third position going into Sunday is fantastic. We couldn’t ask for more than a better qualifying position at a Dodge race with our Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel dragster.”

Matt Hagan, Dodge Power Brokers Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car  

(No. 1 Qualifier – 3.908 seconds at 323.12 mph)

Qualifying 1: 3.968 sec./324.67 mph (3 bonus points for quickest run of session)

Qualifying 2: 3.927 sec./319.07 mph (3 bonus points for quickest run of session)

Qualifying 3: 3.908 sec/323.12 mph (3 bonus points for quickest run of session)

Qualifying 4: 6.600 sec./103.68 mph

“I was impressed that we ran that 3.90 in the heat. The rain cooled everything off but there was still a lot of water grains in the air and the crew chiefs had to make some calls. Then tonight (Q4) was a bummer. I came through the water and the tires spun faster than normal and [the car] got sideways. I can’t hit the throttle with the front end looking at the wall and by then the water dried off the tires and the clutch got hotter. It was not going to be what we were looking for. I mean, we stayed in the No. 1 spot, but we should have run in the 3.85-3.87 second range. If you take the last run out of it, we’ve got a good car on Sunday. This is a Dodge car at the Dodge event. We’re expected to do well and have a shot as much as anyone.”

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

(No. 9  Qualifier – 4.038 seconds at 306.74 mph)

Qualifying 1: 7.962 sec./92.75 mph

Qualifying 2: 4.081 sec./308.14 mph 

Qualifying 3: 4.038 sec./306.74 mph

Qualifying 4: 4.459 sec./206.23 mph

“It’s been a challenging weekend for sure. It was just little things here and there. I kind of let (crew chiefs) John Collins and Rip Reynolds do their thing. I trust that they’re going to do the right thing and get the Snap on Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat car going fast. Tomorrow is another day because it’s a completely different setup than the cooler evening sessions we’ve had. While I’d like to get all caught up in all the 3.92s and 3.93s, which is what I think we could run, tomorrow’s going to be warmer and I think that’s going to play more into our hands. I’m still optimistic. I still feel like we have had so many great qualifying runs and then fizzled out like in the second round, so while qualifying is cool and important, it’s really about the race day. So that’s what I’m focused on.”

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News

Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.

@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram

The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

Dodge//SRT

For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT versions of every model across the lineup. For the 2022 model year, Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world, and the Dodge Durango SRT 392, America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV. Combined, these three muscle cars make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

In 2020, Dodge was named the “#1 Brand in Initial Quality,” making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). In 2021, Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market) — making it the only domestic brand ever to do so two years in a row.

Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Mopar

This year marks the 85th anniversary of Mopar.

A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved over nearly 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, Mopar expanded to include technical service and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

Complete information on Mopar is available at www.mopar.com. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Follow Dodge, Mopar and Stellantis news and video on:

Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Dodge brand: www.dodge.com

Mopar brand: www.mopar.com

DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com

Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge and www.facebook.com/mopar

Instagram: @DodgeMoparMotorsports, @DodgeOfficial and @OfficialMopar

Twitter: @Dodge, @OfficialMopar and @StellantisNA

YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge, https://www.youtube.com/c/mopar and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

Nocella Survives Calamity, Earns First Win at Whelen Manufactured in America 100

By
Official Release
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Saturday's Whelen Manufactured in America 100 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race ended in calamity as Anthony Nocella (far right) slid through for his first victory. Photo Courtesy: NHMS/Alan MacRae

In his eighth season behind the wheel, the Massachusetts native avoids disaster, lifts family-owned team to first-ever NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour victory by 0.071 seconds.

LOUDON, N.H. – Anthony Nocella put the “magic” in “The Magic Mile” at Saturday’s Whelen Manufactured in America 100 to cap off a doubleheader of exhilarating action at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS).

For eight seasons, Nocella dreamed of winning on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT). But in all of those years – 53 races in total – the 29-year-old never could have dreamed up the scenario that earned him his first career win.

Driving for his family-owned team, Nocella’s only previous start this season was a DNQ at Richmond. When the Massachusetts native’s No. 92 machine rounded turn four on the final lap Saturday, three cars stood between him and the checkered flag – Patrick Emerling, Eric Goodale and Kyle Bonsignore. As they approached the finish, Emerling and Goodale collided, sweeping up Bonsignore. Using every available inch of NHMS’s 65-foot wide frontstretch, Nocella avoided the calamity in front of him to beat Bonsignore to the line by a razor-thin 0.071-second margin. Emerling slid sideways across the line in third, followed by Goodale.

“We’ve been close to getting wins, and we’ve worked hard, but we haven’t gotten one,” Nocella said after the win. “I knew if I could stay in the top three or four I’d have a shot there at the end. I was either going to wreck or get the win. To get a win here, with the family car, it’s awesome.”

Points leader Ron Silk ran into early trouble and finished 21st, marking his first finish outside of the top ten this season. NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) regular Corey LaJoie battled to a ninth-place finish.

Next up for the famed 1.058-mile track is Sunday’s Ambetter 301. Pole sitter Martin Truex Jr. will lead the field to green after qualifying on the pole Saturday. Green flag is scheduled for 3:18 p.m.

Tickets:

Sunday’s Ambetter 301 tickets start at just $59 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under. Fans can log on to NHMS.com for tickets and more information on this weekend’s lineup of action-packed racing. Walk-up tickets are available at all ticket booths.

Follow Us:

Keep track of all of New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s events by following on Facebook (@NHMotorSpeedway), Twitter (@NHMS) and Instagram (@NHMS). Keep up with all the latest information on the speedway website (NHMS.com) and mobile app.

Allgaier Escapes Carnage-Filled Crayon 200 to Claim Victory

By
Official Release
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Justin Allgaier made his first visit to New Hampshire Motor Speedway's victory lane Saturday at the Crayon 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race. Photo Courtesy: NHMS /Harold Hinson Photography

Justin Allgaier earned not only his first victory at New Hampshire, but also the first for team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr.

LOUDON, N.H. – It was a tale of two halves at the Crayon 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) to kick off Doubleheader Saturday at “The Magic Mile.” Ultimately, JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier survived a wild afternoon of NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) action to claim his third victory in the last eight races and his first ever at NHMS.

Early in the race, it appeared that Joe Gibbs Racing, which had won six consecutive NXS races at NHMS, was destined to continue its recent dominance as hot shoe Ty Gibbs blistered the pavement to pace the field in his No. 54 Toyota Supra for much of the opening two stages. But an equipment failure at the end of stage two relegated Gibbs to a 23rd place finish.

The second 100 laps were marred by six cautions for 38 laps, bunching up the field and opening the door for a number of other drivers, including Allgaier, Landon Cassill and Josh Berry to battle for the lead. In the closing laps, Allgaier proved he had the car to beat, leading 47 of the final 49 circuits to claim the checkered flag ahead of Trevor Bayne and Cassill.

“We finished second last year, and I told the guys this week I wanted to win,” Allgaier said. “I just felt like all day I wasn’t doing a good job. It takes a team, and the guys kept me calm and gave me good pit stops.”

The win was not only Allgaier’s first visit to victory lane at NHMS, but the first for team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr.

“I’ve never been in that victory lane before in my life, and so, it’s pretty cool,” Earnhardt said. “It was a crazy up and down race. One minute your heart is in the gutter, and then at the end of the race, you’re as happy as you can possibly be at a racetrack. It’s a rollercoaster for sure.”

For Trevor Bayne, the runner-up finish marked just his sixth start in the series this season. Despite the part-time schedule, Bayne felt he had a car capable of winning at the 1.058-mile NHMS.

“This is the second time I’ve run second to him in two races,” Bayne said. “On the restarts, it was chaos – people missing shifts and putting you four-wide. If we could get there, I felt like we had a chance. It used to be ‘second is a great day,’ but we’ve been knocking on the door so much, we just want a win.”

In her NXS debut, Julia Landauer finished 38th after a crash on lap 90. Hometown favorite Derek Griffith finished 20th.

During pre-race, Crayon CEO Justin Henriksen announced Crayon will be the entitlement sponsor for next season’s NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) race, the Crayon 301, at “The Magic Mile.”

Cassill and Noah Gragson were disqualified following post-race inspection.

Tickets:

Sunday’s Ambetter 301 tickets start at just $59 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under. Fans can log on to NHMS.com for tickets and more information on this weekend’s lineup of action-packed racing. Walk-up tickets are available at all ticket booths.

Follow Us:

Keep track of all of New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s events by following on Facebook (@NHMotorSpeedway), Twitter (@NHMS) and Instagram (@NHMS). Keep up with all the latest information on the speedway website (NHMS.com) and mobile app.

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