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Cadillac claims the victory in Chevrolet Grand Prix

By
Official Release
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Van der Zande, Bourdais rise to the top for third time; Derani, Pla fight for third place

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario (July 3, 2022) – There are slices of the 2.459-mile, 10-turn Canadian Tire Motorsports Park that can either slow you down or provide overtaking opportunities, Renger van der Zande noted in the days leading up to the Chevrolet Grand Prix.

The co-driver of the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R saw such a scenario develop with about 10 minutes remaining in the 2-hour, 40-minute race, which he quickly determined was an opportunity – possibly his only one – to move to the front of the field.

With his intended target approaching traffic in Turn 2, van der Zande threaded the No. 01 Cadillac Racing entry past the pole-winning No. 60 Acura and an LMP3 pack and into clean air and the eventual victory by 3.569 seconds. He set up the opportunity on a restart with 18 minutes left by overtaking the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R for second.

“So proud of Cadillac, Chip Ganassi Racing and everyone involved,” said van der Zande, who earned the 18th win in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition.

It was the second victory in the past three races and third overall on the season for van der Zande and teammate Sebastien Bourdais.

Bourdais, who qualified sixth and drove the first stint, enveloped his physically spent teammate in Victory Circle.

“I going to go back to the gym. This was hard work,” said van der Zande, who was runner-up in the 2018 race at CTMP in a Cadillac DPi. “The power steering was a big issue all race long. Seb came in and was like, ‘Oh, I’m not sure we’re going to make it.’ You need these fast corners and the power steering kept cutting (out).

“At the end, it got better and I was like, man if I can have a normal car with normal power steering, I might have a chance for a move. And then I was all in now. I went from first back to last, back to wherever. Then I thought, this is my day, I’m going to go for it. It was a great win.”

Van der Zande led 23 laps, including the final 10 after the decisive pass. With the victory, the No. 01 Cadillac Racing entry is third in the DPi standings with two races left.

“We had the speech today. I quoted the good old Kennedy speech about ‘we go to the moon not because it is easy but because it is hard.’ And we knew that coming in here today and Renger killed it. Sebastien hung in there. We were fighting a power steering issue the whole time. And it was awesome. These guys deserve it,” said Peter Baron, race strategist for the No. 01 Cadillac.

The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R, co-driven by reigning DPi champion Pipo Derani and Olivier Pla, earned its fourth podium finish of the season. Derani finished just .732 of a second behind the second-place Acura.

Earl Bamber in the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R overcame a drive-thru penalty with 33 minutes left to finish fourth with co-driver Alex Lynn. They combined to lead 13 laps.

The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, which Tristan Vautier drove to the third qualifying position, was in the hunt in the final 10 minutes with Richard Westbrook behind the wheel but was overtaken by the charging Derani and Bamber. They led 25 laps early in the race employing an alternate fuel strategy.

Cadillac Racing teams next head to Road America in Wisconsin for the 2-hour, 40-minute race on the 4-mile, 14-turn road course Aug. 7, where the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R is the defending winner. Reigning IMSA DPi champion Pipo Derani will be back behind the wheel of the No. 31 Action Express Racing entry along with co-driver Olivier Pla.

Cadillac Racing from the cockpit

No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R (first place)

Sebastien Bourdais: “I didn’t know what to expect; I had never been here. I really honestly struggled this weekend. It’s all on Renger. From the back to the front a couple of times, he was just impressive in traffic and made it work. Hats off.”

Renger van der Zande: “We are very happy with the win today and with the speed we displayed on-track. I knew getting through traffic cleanly would be key. We were able to pass in traffic there at the end and the team kept me informed on when it was coming. I’m very proud of the team at Chip Ganassi Racing. Big thanks to Chip, Mike Hull, Mike O’Gara, Cadillac and everyone involved. This is why we go racing.”

No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R (third place)

Pipo Derani: “I think considering the last few races we did a job to get ourselves back onto the podium. It’s very competitive out there and we needed a good result, we needed to be back on the podium. So happy for the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac group and hopefully we can improve from here.”

Olivier Pla: “It was a crazy race. I lost position at the start and thought I could make it up in traffic again. I had a good car and then handing it off to Pipo to fight for position I thought we would be position for a podium finish. It’s good to start like that and I’m sure we’ll win more.”

No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R (fourth place)

Alex Lynn: “Another P4 for the No. 02 Cadillac. Quite a bit more dramatic this time around. I think we had the fastest car and the fastest crew to win, but we didn’t and that’s racing.”

Earl Bamber: “Tough day for us finishing fourth. I think we definitely had a car to win, but the penalty set us back. Good job by the No. 01; it’s great to see Cadillac back in front. Now, we will keep fighting at Road America.”

About Cadillac
A leading luxury auto brand since 1902, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio that features distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac’s media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com.

No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 Perseveres Through Difficult Day in Canada; Second in Championship with Two Races Remaining

By
Official Release
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Bowmanville, Ontario (July 3, 2022) — The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 battled its way to a sixth-place finish in today’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Teammates Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque leave Canada trailing the championship-leading No. 60 Acura by 56 points with two races remaining on the 2022 calendar.

Taylor took the green flag for the blue and black Konica Minolta team, holding position in second, before his right rear tire delaminated mid-way through his stint. He pitted for emergency service before pitting again under yellow to avoid penalty. Despite the early setbacks, a good result was still possible, if not probable.

Albuquerque took his turn behind the wheel and was back on the heels of the DPi pack within three laps. After fighting with Cadillacs ahead for many laps, Filipe handed the driving duties back to Ricky for the run to the finish, exiting the pits in third place with an hour and a half remaining.

The team made one final scheduled stop for a splash of fuel and were running second on track, closing down the leader, when a chasing Cadillac dove up the inside into Turn 5a, spinning Taylor into the barrier. He carried on but spun into the wall again due to contact while trying to make a move for fifth position into Turn 9, five minutes later. The team came into the pits once more, changed the front wing, and Ricky drove a damaged Acura machine to the checkered in sixth, concluding a difficult day on track.

“Today was a rough day, to be honest,” said Ricky Taylor. “From the get-go it was challenging. The puncture was bad luck, but from there, we had an additional couple of issues. The incident with the No. 02 came when we had great track position after a restart and sent us to the back of the field. From there, I was in the mindset of trying to get as many points as possible and didn’t have much to lose. I have to apologize to the No. 31. They didn’t lose because of it, but I didn’t make a very good move on them trying to get by in Turn 9. I was trying to get every position that I could because I could see the championship points going away. Unfortunately, it caused a yellow and put the No. 60 in a tough position as well. It was a bad day, but we’ve still got two races to go. As quickly as we’ve lost the points lead in this one round, it can always swing back. We’ve shown how we can recover from Long Beach to Laguna and from Detroit to Watkins. We’ll have to do the same from CTMP to Road America.”

“What an awful day in the office today,” said Filipe Albuquerque. “Everything happened to us. We had a puncture from debris that put us in last. It would’ve been a long stint for me to go to the finish—two hours and 20 minutes. On this track, that was too much, so I decided to hand it back to Ricky, and he was really on it. It was the right call there. The team did a great job on strategy to put us back in contention. We were in second position in the last stint and solid there. Unfortunately, an optimistic Earl Bamber spun us—not acceptable driving there. They are not fighting for the championship and we are. It’s okay for them to be aggressive, but that was not nice. Ricky was driving to catch the back of the field and had contact with the No. 31—a racing incident—which put us into the wall. It was painful to come back and the entire race, things kept happening to us. When it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be. We’ll come back stronger for the next one.”

The 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season continues next month with the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America, the final sprint race of the year, August 4th-7th. Practice 1 begins on Friday, August 5th at 12:05 p.m. ET. Green flag for the two-hour and 40-minute sprint race will wave at 2:40 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 7th. Full coverage is available on Peacock beginning at 2:40 p.m. ET.
ABOUT KONICA MINOLTA

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is reshaping and revolutionizing the Workplace of the Future. The company guides and supports its clients’ digital transformation through its expansive office technology portfolio, including IT Services (All Covered), intelligent information management, managed print services and industrial and commercial print solutions. Konica Minolta has been included on CRN’s MSP 500 list nine times and The World Technology Awards recently named the company a finalist in the IT Software category. Konica Minolta has been recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for fourteen consecutive years, and received Keypoint Intelligence’s BLI 2021 A3 Line of The Year Award and BLI 2021-2023 Most Color Consistent A3 Brand Award for its bizhub i-Series. Konica Minolta, Inc. has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for nine consecutive years and has spent four years on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list. Konica Minolta partners with its clients to give shape to ideas and works to bring value to our society. For more information, please visit us online and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter. The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 effort and Wayne Taylor Racing is supported by an outstanding lineup of partners including Harrison Contracting, Acura Motorsports, Hammer Nutrition and CIT.

When is the best time to buy a car?

By
SM
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Buying a car is often a big purchase and can be expensive. If you’re thinking of buying a new or used car, it’s important to do your research before making a decision. Of course, the best time to buy one is if you can afford it and you know how to drive safely. According to a reputable Car injury law firm, new drivers are prone to accidents so it’s critical to master driving first before getting one. If you are interested in learning more about when is the best time to buy a car, then read on!

Not everyone knows how the automobile market works. The new car market in particular. The iron rule: it is most profitable to buy a car at the end of December or the beginning of February. Do you know why?

The sales plan:

It’s because of the discounts that dealers give. It’s in December they are most accommodating, but not in honor of the New Year and Christmas. They just have a sales plan to close. All dealers have a plan. If you meet it, you get a solid bonus from the manufacturer/importer. If you don’t do it, you can go on living as you want, even if you have to close down.

Many people who work in companies that also have a plan know what I mean. There are quarterly bonuses and bonuses, and then there are annual bonuses. Annual bonuses are the most impressive. Only a fool would refuse them willingly. That is why they try to fulfill the plan by all means.

There are many ways for dealers, but the simplest one is to sell cars with big discounts and gifts. It is more profitable to sell with gifts because for them the “gifts” are much cheaper than for you. And also as a gift, they can offer accessories and extras, for which they usually charge 2-3 times their market value.

At the end of the year, the dealer is ready to sell the car with such big discounts, that he is left without any profit or even at a loss. And all because the bonuses for the completed annual sales plan will pay off, and the importer’s loyalty will be preserved.

There are nuances here, of course. Not all dealers are on fire with the plan. For example, some dealers sell popular models – not only do they not give any discounts, but they dump hundreds of thousands more extras that are impossible to refuse. You should not take anything from them. You have to look for those to whom you need to sell the car. If not in your town, then in another. If not from one dealer, then from another. After all, sometimes instead of a budget car, you can buy an unpopular brand, but a higher class at the same price.

The effect of “last year’s car”.

There is another reason why dealers try to dump cars before New Year. Because in the new year it will be last year’s car. It is like a new car, but it cannot be sold for the same money as a car of the new year. And if in December the effect of “last year’s car” is not very strong, at the beginning of February they are ready to get rid of last year’s cars at a loss.

It is clear that if you don’t sell a car now the chances to sell it in March, April, and May are almost zero, so dealers are ready to make any discounts. Especially if, as I said, the model, color, or equipment is not marketable.

 Assistance in employment:

Of course, the car will find its buyer, but the dealer doesn’t need illiquidity. He needs to free up the money he gave for this car to buy another one, more liquid. In short, the money has to work. The more transactions, even with minimal profit, the better.

Moreover, at the beginning of the year, as a rule, all manufacturers, without exception, raise the prices of cars. Taking into account the weakening of the ruble, we can expect a price increase of at least 5% at the beginning of 2021 – and even on domestic cars.

For last year’s cars, of course, the price increase does not apply, because they were bought at the old prices. Although some dealers are trying to present the nonincrease in prices as another discount, it’s a bluff.

That’s why February is also a good time to buy a car. January tends to be a sales slump. All are celebrating, long holidays, everyone is spending for New Year presents – no time for cars. And managers themselves have a rest – they eat caviar with butter, for which they earned in December, having fulfilled the plan. In general, there is a lull.

And in February comes the realization that the bonus money has run out, there are no queues in the showrooms, because everyone who wanted to buy, bought in December, and new sales plans, nevertheless, there are. They have to be fulfilled somehow, and there’s still a lot to do. It’s less than two months until the end of the quarter, January was practically wasted, we need to catch up. Plus, selling last year’s illiquid cars is incentivized by the director, promising a higher percentage of the sale.

Haggle to the bitter end:

And the main thing that you should remember: do not be afraid to bargain with the manager at the showroom. Do not show that you are strongly interested in the purchase. Do not feel bad that you wasted the manager’s time, that he took care of you, brought you a coffee and you kind of have to buy his car – no! It’s his job, it’s marketing, it’s psychology.

Go and bargain. Go to one dealer, to a second, to a third – demand a written commercial offer from each, and do a second round, showing a better offer from your competitors. Don’t be shy, haggle, haggle like in an oriental bazaar. There are examples when people knocked down the price of the car by 20% or even more. If you save money, you have made money. There is no need to throw money around and show the manager how great you are – that’s exactly what he needs.

Conclusion:

In 2022 almost everyone has a car, and some have more than one, and today it is very easy to buy one, as there are millions of them on the market, and even if you do not have money, you can buy one thanks to an auto loan company that provides car loans so do not miss your chance at a good car.

7 Bewildering Racing Car Facts That Everybody Should Know

By
SM
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Car racing is a fascinating sport that gets everybody’s adrenaline pumping, from the drivers on the track to the fans packed into the grandstands. 

Automobile racing is a modern sport that can provide both thrills and chills. Racers and their vehicles are central to the world of motorsport. 

While Formula 1 is the most-watched car racing event in the world, NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) drivers also receive a lot of coverage from the media these days for their daredevilry on closed circuits. 

Formula 1 race cars are the most well-known racing cars in the world. Rally cars and stock cars are two other important types of cars. 

The Evolution of Race Cars

Car racing has a long as well as distinguished history. According to authoritative sources, the very first motor vehicle racing competition took place in France in 1895. This car racing competition required the racing cars to march from Paris to Bordeaux.

A few years later, in 1907, England built the world’s first racetrack. It was given the name ‘Brooklands.’ Standard cars were used in races in the early stages of automobile racing. However, racing cars such as the Bugatti Type 35 were eventually mass-produced for use, particularly as race cars.

Race Car Design and Speed

A wide range of automobiles is seen competing in motorsports in this modern era. Formula 1 cars are powered by VB engines and are controlled by digital management systems. F1 race cars have sleek bodies that allow them to reach speeds of up to 186.4 mph on average (300 kph). 

Furthermore, race car engines must endure enormous amounts of pressure for extended periods of time in order to yield that insane speed. As a result, each racing car receives a new engine after every four to five races.

More Interesting Facts About Racing Cars

Unless you’re a die-hard fan (or a professional driver), the following seven pieces of information about race cars will undoubtedly blow your mind. 

  1. Three Times The Rev of Regular Cars

The maximum speed of a pretty standard engine is between 6000 to 7000 rpm. Any engine with a rev limit of around 8 thousand is regarded as a high-revving one. This much you should know if you understand your car fairly well. 

The greatest revving sports cars, such as Gordon Murray’s T.50, can reach 12,000 rpm. This is not even comparable to F1 cars. 

Formula one cars’ engines are designed to reach 20,000rpm. They were previously limited to 15,000 to 18,000 rpm, but since 2022, they’re no longer constricted. Their idle rev is nearly equal to the red line of many regular cars capping at 5000 rpm.

If you’ve noticed that your engine’s RPMs start to fluctuate even when your vehicle is parked, chances are you’re dealing with breakdowns in a couple of key parts in your engine bay. In reality, your vehicle revving its engine even while in the park is a fairly common problem.

  1. Many Times Faster Than NASCAR Cars

Today’s NASCAR cars have more than 750 horsepower and can reach speeds of more than 200 miles per hour. 

However, in terms of pure speed, Formula One cars knock them out by a huge margin. These vehicles can accelerate to 60 mph in just about 2.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 235 mph. 

Although both types of cars are technically much superior to regular road cars, Formula One legislation permits engineers to continuously push the limit. 

The F1 tends to produce more horsepower which is over 800hp while weighing half as much as NASCAR cars. That is a significant advantage.

  1. Formula One Race Cars Must Be Preheated

How many of you have noticed how Formula One engineers start a car’s engine before anyone gets in to drive it? This is due to the discovery that, for some reason, Formula 1 cars’ engines cannot be turned when they are cold. That’s also the explanation why Formula One cars have external heaters.

  1. Weight Loss Secret of Racing Cars

Some people exercise, others eat less, and others race cars. Formula 1 racing has been shown to cause drivers to lose up to 4 kilograms in a single race. 

Nevertheless, that’s mainly owing to the unbearable heat in the driver’s seat, so it’s not a viable weight-loss option for most people.

  1. Defying Gravity Is Standard Procedure

Have you ever watched a Batman movie and loved and admired the Batmobile’s abilities? Guess what? 

Under the right circumstances, a Formula 1 car can perform some of those stunts as well, particularly driving upside down. There is some debate about whether this can end up causing damage to the car, but the reality is that a Formula 1 car’s aerodynamic drag force can enable it to travel upside down.

  1. A Modern Formula One Car Costs Around $20 Million

Crashing is a frequent thing in F1. Seven out of ten races in the 2020 season had at least one crash. 

While most of them are inevitable, fans are unaware of the amount of money that goes into the drain each time they see car parts flying around after a crash. 

Overall car costs vary based on the regulations of each season. For instance, the average cost of a Formula One car in 2021 was more than $20 million.

  1. The Brakes Become Extremely Hot During Hard Braking

F1 cars accelerate when moving in a straight path, but as they confront the corners, they slow the car down and travel at speeds ranging from 31mph to 192mph. It requires a lot of stopping power to go from over 200mph to 50mph within just three seconds. This can cause the brakes to become extremely hot, reaching mind-boggling temperatures sometimes. An orange glow can be seen through the wheels if you look closely. 

However, in this hybrid era, most of the stopping is done by regenerative braking, and simply releasing the brake pedal halts the car down faster than hitting the brakes in regular cars.

Conclusion

Formula One cars are complex machines in which the smallest details can make a huge difference. There is an untold number of facts and trivia about these monster cars that most people, even many die-hard fans, are unaware of. 

Hope these seven mind-blowing facts about racing cars have surprised you and piqued your interest to dig more deeply into the subject!

Tyler Reddick fends off Elliott for first Cup Series victory at Road America

By
Andrew Kim
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ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN - JULY 03: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #8 3CHI Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Kwik Trip 250 at Road America on July 03, 2022 in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images).

A day after solidifying his plans to return to Richard Childress Racing for the 2023 season, Tyler Reddick achieved his long-awaited first NASCAR Cup Series career victory in the third running of the Kwik Trip 250 at Road America on Sunday, July 3.

The 26-year-old Reddick from Corning, California, who is also a two-time champion in the Xfinity Series, led the final 16 of 62-scheduled laps as he overtook and muscled away from Chase Elliott to etch his name as a winner in NASCAR’s premier series in his third full-time season in the series along with placing himself in the picture to make the 2022 Cup Series Playoffs. 

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Saturday, Chase Elliott notched his second NASCAR Cup Series pole position of the season after claiming the top starting spot with a pole-winning lap at 108.407 mph in 134.427 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Chase Briscoe, who clocked in a fast qualifying lap at 108.376 mph in 134.465 seconds.

Prior to the event, Kyle Busch dropped to the rear of the field due to an engine change along with Loris Hezemans, who fell back due to unapproved adjustments made to his car.

When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Elliott took off with a brief, early advantage until Briscoe drew himself alongside Elliott’s No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 through the first three turns. Despite remaining side-by-side with Briscoe through Turn 5, Elliott managed to pull ahead and retain the lead ahead of Briscoe entering Turn 6 as the field behind jostled for positions. As the field made its way through the 14-turn circuit, Elliott led the first lap ahead of Briscoe.

Through the second lap of the event, Elliott was leading by exactly eight-tenths of a second over Briscoe followed by Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick and Michael McDowell while rookie Austin Cindric, Alex Bowman, Cole Custer, Ross Chastain and Chris Buescher were in the top 10. Behind, Joey Hand was in 11th ahead of Daniel Suarez, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. while Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Austin Dillon and AJ Allmendinger were in the top 20. Meanwhile, Kurt Busch was in 21st ahead of rookie Harrison Burton, Erik Jones, Aric Almirola and Bubba Wallace while Josh Bilicki, Ty Dillon, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and William Byron were in the top 30. Justin Haley was in 31st, two spots ahead of Ricky Stenhouse Jr., while rookie Todd Gilliland was in 34th.

Two laps later, Kyle Busch got loose entering Turn 5 while battling William Byron, spun and made the slightest of contact with Aric Almirola, who was running wide entering the turn, but both proceeded without drawing a caution. Meanwhile, Elliott continued to lead by more than a second over Briscoe followed by Larson, Reddick and McDowell.

Ten laps into the event, Elliott extended his advantage to more than four seconds over Briscoe while Larson, Reddick and McDowell remained in the top five. Cindric also remained in sixth place followed by Ross Chastain, Buescher, Bowman and Custer.

A few laps later, a bevy of names including Larson, Reddick, McDowell, Chastain, Buescher, Custer, Joey Hand, Truex, Suarez, Hamlin, Bell, Keselowski, Austin Dillon, Blaney, Byron, Custer, Harvick, Gilliland and Stenhouse pitted under green while Elliott continued to lead. Just as Lap 13 struck, Elliott pitted while Briscoe assumed the lead. Following the pit stops, Hamlin was penalized for driving his No. 11 FedEx Toyota TRD Camry through too many pit boxes and was required to start at the rear of the field for the start of the second stage.

When the first stage concluded on Lap 15, Briscoe captured his second stage victory of the season. Cindric settled in second place followed by Bowman, Logano, Kurt Busch, Harrison Burton, Bubba Wallace, Erik Jones, Haley and Elliott.

Under the stage break, some led by Briscoe pitted while the rest led by Elliott remained on the track.

The second stage started on Lap 17 as teammates Elliott and Larson occupied the front row. At the start, Elliott briefly dueled with Larson for the lead before he cleared the field entering Turn 3 and approaching a long straightaway through Turns 4 and 5. As the field jostled for positions, Elliott retained the top spot by a tenth of a second over teammate Larson while Reddick battled Chastain for third place. 

Just past the Lap 20 mark, Elliott continued to lead by more than a second over teammate Larson followed by Reddick, Chastain and McDowell while Buescher, Custer, Truex, Suarez and Bell were in the top 10. By then, Byron was in 12th, Blaney was in 15th, Briscoe was mired in 17th ahead of teammate Harvick and Cindric, Bubba Wallace was back in 20th ahead of teammate Kurt Busch, Logano was back in 24th in between Bowman and Allmendinger and Hamlin was in 29th ahead of teammate Kyle Busch following his pit road penalty.

Three laps later, Larson went wide in Turn 5 and lost the runner-up spot to Reddick while Elliott cruised with a lead of nearly three seconds. Shortly after, Logano made contact with Wallace as both spun in Turn 5 while battling towards the top 20.

By Lap 25, Elliott stabilized his advantage to more than four seconds over Reddick while Larson, Chastain and McDowell stabilized themselves in the top five. By then, Byron was in eighth place behind Buescher and Custer while Suarez and Truex filled in the final spots in the top 10. Following his spin, Logano was mired back in 31st behind Wallace.

Two laps later, another cycle of green-flag pit stops occurred as McDowell, Buescher, Custer, Byron, Suarez, Truex, Keselowski, Bell, Austin Dillon, Chastain, Briscoe, Bowman, Allmendinger, Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Todd Gilliland and Stenhouse pitted while Elliott continued to lead. Just as Lap 28 struck, Elliott pitted followed by Reddick, Larson and Chastain while Blaney assumed the lead. Following the pit stops, Keselowski was penalized for driving through too many pit boxes prior to his own while Kyle Busch was also penalized for having a crew member jump over the wall too soon. In addition, Gilliland was penalized for pitting outside of his pit box,

When the second stage concluded on Lap 30, Blaney captured his fifth stage victory of the season. Joey Hand settled in second followed by Ty Dillon, Kurt Busch, Erik Jones, Justin Haley, Harrison Burton, Wallace, Elliott and Reddick. By then, Logano ran his No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang off the track between Turns 13 and 14 while racing in front of Wallace. In addition, Byron pitted for a second time to address a loose right-front wheel.

Under the stage break, some led by Blaney pitted while the rest led by Elliott remained on the track. 

With 30 laps remaining and the event surpassing its halfway mark, the final stage started under green as Elliott and Reddick occupied the front row. At the start, Elliott and Reddick dueled for the lead through the first turn until Elliott managed to clear the field through Turn 3. With Reddick in second, Larson overtook Chastain for third place. He then tried to overtake Reddick for the runner-up spot but went briefly wide in Turn 5 as he was quickly overtaken by Chastain while Suarez was in fifth. Then in Turn 12, Elliott went briefly wide, but he managed to retain the lead ahead of Reddick as the field returned to the start/finish line.

Two laps later, Wallace got loose entering the first turn, made contact with Keselowski and spun through the gravel trap, though he continued without drawing a caution.

Another three laps later, Elliott stabilized his advantage to nearly a second over Reddick followed by Larson, Reddick and Suarez while McDowell, Buscher, Austin Dillon, Cindric and Truex were in the top 10. Bell was in 11th ahead of Harvick, Briscoe, Allmendinger and Bowman while Stenhouse, Custer, Hamlin, Blaney and Erik Jones were in the top 20.

Nearing the final 20 laps of the event, another cycle of green-flag pit stops ignited as Truex pitted followed by teammate Kyle Busch, Gilliland and Josh Bilicki. Three laps earlier, Keselowski, who made contact with the wall in Turn 11, pitted while Elliott continued to lead.

With 20 laps remaining, more competitors peeled off to pit road, among which included Bell, Allmendinger, Harvick, Buescher, Almirola, McDowell and Wallace. By then, Kyle Busch was penalized for speeding his No. 18 Skittles Toyota TRD Camry on pit road. During the following lap, Elliott pitted followed by runner-up Reddick, Larson, Chastain, Suarez, Cindric, Austin Dillon, Bowman and Briscoe.

Following the pit stops, Elliott managed to exit pit road ahead of Reddick, but Reddick started to issue his own bid on Elliott as he got close to Elliott’s rear bumper. Elliott, however, managed to remain ahead of Reddick while Blaney, who had yet to pit, was leading.

Then with 17 laps remaining, Reddick battled and overtook Elliott for position through Turn 6 after Elliott missed the turn in Turn 5. By then, Hamlin, who had yet to pit, was leading while Blaney, Ty Dillon, Kurt Busch, Stenhouse, Custer, Erik Jones and Byron pitted. Once Hamlin and Hand pitted, Harrison Burton, who had yet to pit, moved into the lead while Reddick and Elliott made their way to second and third. 

When the race reached its final 15-lap mark, Reddick cycled his No. 8 3Chi Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 into the lead while Elliott was left to battle Harrison Burton, who remained on the track for another lap, for the runner-up spot. 

Down to the final 10 laps of the event, Reddick was leading by seven-tenths of a second over Elliott while Larson, Chastain and Buescher were in the top five. Suarez was in sixth while Cindric, Truex, McDowell and Harvick occupied the top 10. Mired in 11th was Allmendinger while Austin Dillon, Bowman, Briscoe, Bell, Blaney, Custer, Stenhouse, Hamlin and Byron were in the top 20. 

Three laps later, Wallace pulled his No. 23 Columbia Toyota TRD Camry off the course in Turn 5 due to a brake issue while Reddick continued to lead by half a second over Elliott. 

Down to the final five laps of the event, Reddick, who remained the leader while smoothly and methodically navigating his way through every turn, stabilized his advantage to more than a second over Elliott. Meanwhile, third-place Larson, who had Kevin Meendering calling the shots while Cliff Daniels was suspended for the loose wheel at Sonoma Raceway, trailed by more than 15 seconds in his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 while Chastain and Buescher were in the top five.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Reddick extended his advantage to nearly four seconds over Elliott. By then, teammate Austin Dillon was slowly limping his way around the circuit after losing a left-front tire while the event remained under green. Having a clear view in front of him and with Elliott not being able to narrow the deficit, Reddick, who remained cautious through every turn for a final turn, cycled his way through the uphill climb to the finish line and claim his first checkered flag in the Cup Series following five runner-up results.

With the victory, Reddick became the fifth first-time winner of the 2022 Cup season, the third to claim a first Cup victory on a road course and the 203rd different competitor to achieve a victory in NASCAR’s premier series. He also became the 13th different competitor to win through the first 18 events of this season and to be guaranteed a spot for the 2022 Cup Series Playoffs. Reddick’s first Cup victory was also the first in the series for crew chief Randall Burnett, who guided Reddick to the 2019 Xfinity Series championship, and for Richard Childress Racing since the organization last won at Texas Motor Speedway with Austin Dillon in July 2020. By becoming the 10th different competitor to win a Cup event while driving for Richard Childress Racing, Reddick also delivered the 110th career win for the organization and he became the 41st different competitor to achieve a victory across NASCAR’s top three national touring series (Camping World Truck, Xfinity and Cup).

“I definitely knew [Elliott] was fast,” Reddick, who was congratulated by multiple competitors during the cooldown lap, said on USA Network. “We could stay with him on the long run, which told me if we cycle through that last pit sequence, we would be close or get around him, we have a great shot. [I] Didn’t quite get around him. We were within reach and thankfully, just waited for the right opportunity and was able to take advantage to it in Turn 6. I thought he was gonna run me back down. I started to makes some mistakes, started to take care of the brakes. Turns out, I didn’t need to and yeah, we were in good shape there. What a day.”

“We had to [put the pressure],” Reddick added. “What better place than Road America! I love the fans. I love this racetrack. Being here on the Fourth of July weekend is just so special. We got it done. We won the race. [Crew chief] Randall’s [Burnett] been working on this for a very long time. He’s always believed in me. Everyone on this team at Richard Childress Racing has believed in me. I made a lot of mistakes along the way, but man, this year’s been the one-step, one mistake away from greatness all year long and we finally did it today.”

“The biggest thing [I told Reddick was] it’s coming,” Richard Childress, owner of Richard Childress Racing, said. “We just can’t beat ourself. We beat ourself a few times and we got beat a few times, but today, when you beat the best, which is Chase Elliott, it was a great win for us. We’re still here hammering away. I’m just so happy for Tyler. I knew watching him back in the Trucks, then he went to Xfinity and won the championship, I knew he could do it and here we are. He’s got that will to do whatever it takes to get up there and win the race. He’s got it in his heart to be a winner and that’s what he wants to be. Now, he wants to be a champion and I think we can push him into it.”

Elliott, who led a race-high 36 laps and was coming off his recent victory at Nashville Superspeedway, settled in second place for the first time of this season while teammate Larson, Chastain and Suarez finished in the top five.

“First off, congrats to [Reddick],” Elliott said. “I know he’s been super close to that first win. I’ve been down that road and it can be a rocky one, so I’m happy for those guys. They deserve it. For us, just proud of our NAPA team. I didn’t do a very good job there. I just let him stay close enough to pressure me there while we had decent tires. Never could get enough of a gap. Made a couple of mistakes. I was gaining a gap a couple of times and made a couple of mistakes and let him get that close enough to get me out of sync. After that, [I] started struggling and obviously, it was super difficult to get somebody to pass him. It was impressive that he was able to get up there and capitalize on my mistake…Appreciate the effort at our team. Wished I could’ve done a better job there. I felt like we probably needed a little bit, but I thought we were good enough to win, so those always hurt.”

“Tyler and Chase were really good throughout the duration of a run,” Larson said. “I seem to be OK early and then would kind of slowly fade away from them, so I don’t really know. I felt, honestly, pretty good, but they must’ve just had better grip and they’re really good road racers, probably a little bit better than I am. It was a good, clean race for us. Happy to get a top-three [finish]. It was successful for my standards.”

“Incredible day for Trackhouse [Racing], Team Chevy as a whole,” Chastain said. “To sweep the top five for Team Chevy and to control the race all day is incredible work for what we’re doing. To prepare to come to the track for both the car and the driver side. Hats off to everybody involved on both sides. I can’t ask for much more.”

“I think it’s not just Ross and myself,” Suarez said. “It’s everyone at Trackhouse. Every man and woman that is working very hard to put fast race cars every single weekend. We have a lot of great people and great sponsors. It was very good. I also felt like, Ross and I, we’ve been doing a decent job, but today, we didn’t have the best car. We were probably a top-10 to top-seven car, and that’s kind of where we finished. We have to go back home and try to see what we can keep on improving.” 

Buescher, Cindric, McDowell, Allmendinger and Harvick completed the top 10 on the track. Notably, Blaney, Bowman, Truex, Briscoe and Custer finished in the top 15 followed by Byron, Hamlin, Bell, Stenhouse and Ty Dillon. Kurt Busch finished 23rd, Logano ended up 27th ahead of Almirola and Kyle Busch concluded his long afternoon in 29th, the final competitor on the lead lap.

There were eight lead changes for six different leaders. The race featured two cautions for two laps.

With eight regular-season races remaining this season, Chase Elliott leads the regular-season standings by 33 points over Ryan Blaney, 35 over Ross Chastain, 71 over Kyle Larson, 73 over Joey Logano, 77 over Kyle Busch, and 84 over Martin Truex Jr. 

Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, William Byron, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Alex Bowman, Tyler Reddick, rookie Austin Cindric, Kurt Busch, Chase Briscoe and Daniel Suarez are currently guaranteed spots for the 2022 Cup Series Playoffs based on winning once throughout the regular-season stretch while Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr. and Christopher Bell are above the top-16 cutline based on points. Kevin Harvick trails the top-16 cutline by 20 points, Aric Almirola trails by 47 points, Erik Jones trails by 85 points, Austin Dillon trails by 94 points, Michael McDowell trails by 115 points, Chris Buescher trails by 143, Justin Haley trails by 155 points, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. trails by 172 points, Bubba Wallace trails by 177 points.

Results.

1. Tyler Reddick, 16 laps led

2. Chase Elliott, 36 laps led

3. Kyle Larson

4. Ross Chastain

5. Daniel Suarez

6. Chris Buescher

7. Austin Cindric

8. Michael McDowell

9. AJ Allmendinger

10. Kevin Harvick

11. Ryan Blaney, four laps led, Stage 2 winner

12. Alex Bowman

13. Martin Truex Jr.

14. Chase Briscoe, four laps led, Stage 1 winner

15. Cole Custer

16. William Byron

17. Denny Hamlin, one lap led

18. Christopher Bell

19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

20. Ty Dillon

21. Joey Hand

22. Harrison Burton, one lap led

23. Kurt Busch

24. Justin Haley

25. Todd Gilliland

26. Erik Jones

27. Joey Logano

28. Aric Almirola

29. Kyle Busch

30. Kyle Tilley, one lap down

31. Austin Dillon – OUT, Brakes

32. Cody Ware, three laps down

33. Brad Keselowski, four laps down

34. Corey LaJoie, five laps down

35. Bubba Wallace – OUT, Brakes

36. Josh Bilicki, 10 laps down

37. Loris Hezemans – OUT, Fuel pump

Next on the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the series’ second visit of the season at the reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. The event is scheduled to occur on Sunday, July 10, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Van der Zande and Bourdais win Chevrolet Grand Prix at CTMP

By
Angie Campbell
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Photo by Ray MacAloney for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Renger van der Zande drove his No. 1 Cadillac to the lead in the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park with 10 minutes to go, cruising to a decisive victory in the seventh round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

He won by a margin of 3.509 seconds after passing Oliver Jarvis’s No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura with 10 minutes to go to claim the third win of the season for the No. 1 Cadillac.

The victory was unexpected and was not without its struggles.

“This race wasn’t going to be ours,” he said, “We changed the car around completely after the warm-up practice this morning and didn’t know what to expect. The changes worked, but the power steering failed, and that was the toughest part of today.

“I knew I needed traffic to get by, so it was maximum attack, full risk,” he added. “I thought, ‘This is the time to go,’ and it worked.”

Teammate Sebastien Bourdais qualified the No. 01 Cadillac fifth fastest, but he gave all the credit to van der Zande for expertly navigating the 11-turn, 2.459-mile road course.

“That was all him,” Bourdais remarked. “With the massive power steering issues, I was barely hanging on and I have no idea how he put that thing up there to fight those guys. He obviously reads traffic super-well, and when he gets all wound up with emotions, he uses that anger in a positive way. He really made it work today, and it was very impressive.”

It was van der Zande’s 17th victory in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition and the 10th for Bourdais.

Tom Blomqvist, who set a record qualifying lap to capture the pole in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura, and co-driver, Oliver Jarvis, finished second. Pipo Derani and Olivier Pla completed the podium after finishing third in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac.

CORE Autosport’s Colin Braun and Jon Bennett won the LMP3 Class finishing ahead of Andretti Autosport’s Jarrett Andretti and Gabby Chaves. Ari Balogh and Garrett Grist placed third in the No. 30 Jr III Motorsports Ligier.

The next round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is August 4-7 at Road America for prototype classes DPi, LMP2 and LMP3.

CHEVROLET NCS AT ROAD AMERICA: Post-Race Notes and Quotes

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
ROAD AMERICA
KWIK TRIP 250
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES & QUOTES
JULY 3, 2022

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1
2nd CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1
3rd KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1
4th ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 ADVENT HEALTH CAMARO ZL1
5th DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 JOCKEY CAMARO ZL1
9th AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 GOLD FISH CASINO SLOTS CAMARO ZL1

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Tyler Reddick (Chevrolet)
2nd Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)
3rd Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)
4th Ross Chastain (Chevrolet)
5th Daniel Suarez (Chevrolet)

The NASCAR Cup Series season continues next Sunday, July 10, at Atlanta Motor Speedway with the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart at 3 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on USA Network, the NBCSports Gold App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES:

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1 – Race Winner

The two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion is now a Cup Series winner. So cool to see all these drivers coming back to congratulate him, including Brad Keselowski, who used to be his boss. What were you thinking as you were racing Chase Elliott there for the lead and eventually what wound up being the win?

“Well, I definitely knew he (Chase Elliott) was fast, but we could stay with him on the long run. That told me if we cycled through that last pit sequence, we’d be close or get around him, and we’d have a great shot. Didn’t quite get around him.. we were within reach. Thankfully we just waited for the right opportunity and was able to take advantage of it in Turn 6.

I thought he was going to run me back down. I started to make some mistakes and started to take care of the brakes; apparently I didn’t need to. Yeah, very good shape there. What a day.”

I want to know the significance for you personally. We talked earlier this week, you said we’ve got to put together the last 10 percent of a race. You did that today. Did you sense the playoff pressure, that hey, our season is on the line, we’ve got to get it done today?

“We had to. What better place than Road America? I love the fans. I love this racetrack. Being here on 4th of July weekend is just so special. And just a huge shout out to 3Chi and the special paint scheme we had this weekend. Love that they’re coming on board this year and taking a chance on a young guy like me and we got it done. We won a race.”

Not only is it the first win for you, Randall Burnett; and now RCR is in the playoffs, as well.

“Randall (Burnett, Crew Chief) has been working at this for a very long time and he’s always believed in me. Everyone on this team at Richard Childress Racing has believed in me. I’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way; but man, this year has been one step, one mistake away from greatness all year long, and we finally did it today. It feels good.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 2nd

Chase Elliott led 36 laps for most of the race, but in that final stage Tyler Reddick got up there and got past you. What more did you need to hold him off or even get back at him?

“Just do a better job. First off, congrats to him. I know he’s been super close to that first win, and I’ve been down that road and it can be a rocky one. I’m happy for those guys. They deserve it.

For us, just proud of our NAPA team. I didn’t do a very good job there. I just let him stay close enough to pressure me there while we had decent tires and never could get enough of a gap. Made a couple mistakes. I was gaining a gap there a couple times and made a couple mistakes and let him get back close enough to get me out of sync. After that, just started struggling.

Obviously it was super difficult to get to somebody to pass them. It was impressive he was able to get up there and capitalize on my mistakes. Happy for those guys. Appreciate the effort out of our team. Wish I could have done a better job there. I felt like we probably needed a little bit, but I think we were good enough to win, so those always hurt.”

You and I are sitting down right here, it’s a hot day. We saw you pushing. We saw you going deep into every braking zone. How tough is it to try and make a pass and why was it so impressive the pass he made on you when you weren’t able to get back by him?

“These cars are very aero sensitive and even more so nowadays.. even more than last year’s car. As the season goes on and everybody’s car has become more of the same and as we learn what everybody needs in their vehicles, every car is going to become the same manufacturer to manufacturer. And as that becomes the case, track position is going to become more and more of a premium. That’s just motorsports nowadays. Aero is huge, and you can’t unlearn, so that’s the road we’re on.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 3rd

Not a win, but top-five all day and a good finish. How would you summarize your afternoon?

“Yeah, it was really smooth. I knew the 8 (Tyler Reddick) was really good; and obviously the 9 (Chase Elliott) was really good. I felt like we were third best and we finished third best.

A nice, smooth day and our pit crew was great the few times we came down pit road. Our car was good enough to run where we did. So, overall happy and congrats to Tyler Reddick. That is really cool. I grew up racing with him in Outlaw cars in California, so it’s really awesome to see him win. I know everybody from northern California is really proud.”

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 ADVENT HEALTH CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 4th

The streak ends for Trackhouse Racing, but how would you describe how hard you have to drive this car at Road America?

“Trackhouse still had two in the top-five. Daniel (Suarez) and I were just talking and there were little bits and pieces we were off today and we still had top-five speed. Absolutely nothing to be ashamed about. Our Advent Health Chevy was fast enough, we were just lacking mainly rear grip on throttle and in the rights (turns) especially. Got really slick there at the end and those guys didn’t slow down in the end as much as we did. A fourth-place car was where we ran most of the day.”

You had to be a little aggressive out there too.

“Absolutely, its NASCAR Cup Series racing and that is what it’s all about.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 JOCKEY CAMARO ZL1 – Finished 5th

Where do you assess your afternoon the way you had to drive through the field?

“I thought it was fine. For the car that we had, I thought that we maximized everything that we got. Proud of my team and my pit crew today, everyone did a great job. I felt like we had a top-seven car and we finished in the top-five, so I felt like we did a good job with that.

With that being said, it’s not a win. We have to continue to work and continue to get better.”

TEAM CHEVY QUICK NOTES

· The win is Tyler Reddick’s first career victory in 92 NASCAR Cup Series starts.

· It also marks the 110th NASCAR Cup Series triumph for Richard Childress Racing.

· Reddick’s victory marks Chevrolet’s ninth-consecutive NASCAR Cup Series road course win.. a streak that started at Circuit of The Americas in May 2021.

· Reddick is now the 13th different NASCAR Cup Series winner thus far this season, seven of which are Chevrolet drivers.

· Chevrolet drivers swept the top-five finishing positions, led by Reddick, Chase Elliott (2nd), Kyle Larson (3rd), Ross Chastain (4th) and Daniel Suarez (5th).

· The victory moved Chevrolet to double-digit wins on the season, marking the Camaro ZL1’s 10th NASCAR Cup Series win of 2022.

· The winningest brand in NASCAR, Chevrolet now has 824 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories.

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 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.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Four Mustangs Finish Top-10 at Road America

By
Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Road America Cup Qualifying | Saturday, July 2, 2022

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
6th – Chris Buescher
7th – Austin Cindric
8th – Michael McDowell
10th – Kevin Harvick
11th – Ryan Blaney
14th – Chase Briscoe
15th – Cole Custer
21st – Joey Hand
22nd – Harrison Burton
25th – Todd Gilliland
27th – Joey Logano
28th – Aric Almirola
30th – Kyle Tilley
32nd – Cody Ware
33rd – Brad Keselowski

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang — Finished 6th

“I am proud of the effort of everybody through this week. We had a lot of speed off the truck again. We are just looking for a little bit more. It is a good thing to be running up front and be that close and try to find a squeak more of speed. It is tight up here. That is a good thing. I am proud of everybody. We are going to stay after it and we will be ready for the next one.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang — Finished 7th

“I still love this race track. I wish we would have been a little bit better. It felt like we had a really solid day and were able to make our way through the field after staying out for stage points. I wish we could have gotten that stage win. I feel like I was probably a mistake away by myself in that first stage to get that win, so that one is on me. Otherwise, it was a really solid weekend by the team. I am happy with three top-10’s in a row on three different styles of race tracks. I am proud of that. We will keep moving forward and figure out what we need to have race winning speed in these places but we were really solid and some days that is all you can ask for.”

WERE YOU SURPRISED THE RACE WENT CAUTION FREE? “It does and it doesn’t. I feel like some of the things about this car certainly make it more challenging to overtake and more challenging to make mistakes. I feel like there are a lot of cars that were really close and strategy was important and tire falloff was important. YOu get separation but you still have comers and goers, which is what this track is all about. Unless somebody gets stuck in the gravel trap, I guess these cars are so high off the ground you probably aren’t going to get stuck like you would before. It was definitely a physical day and always great to come up here.”

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang — Finished 8th

“It was a solid effort but not what we hoped for. We seemed to lose the rear tires a bit too much as the run went on and as we tried to dial rear grip into it we just lost a little bit of turn and then it kind of compounded. We didn’t quite have the speed we needed to run up in the top-five and challenge and kind of slid back a little bit. All in all it was a solid day and we executed well. It is nice to be disappointed with an 8th place finish but our expectations have gone up and we want to challenge for wins. We just needed a bit more. I probably need to be a bit more aggressive in practice of trying things but with that limited practice I am so afraid of dialing us out. We just have a little more to gain and I think we will be in the right direction for the Glen and we have been fast on the ovals too. It should be a good month for us coming up. We will take a top-10 and build on it but ultimately it is not what we hoped for.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards Ford Mustang — Finished 11th

“I think we didn’t start off very good. I thought it would be a long day and we just kept tightening our car up and got better and better. I was pretty happy with our speed at the end of the race. It was nice to win a stage and come from the back and end up how we did, it was something to be proud of.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang — Finished 14th

“Our HighPoint.com Mustang was good in the first stage. We really needed some more playoff points and those extra stage points as the regular season winds down, so staying out for the stage win helped with that. But once we were fighting back in traffic things really changed. It was super hard to pass and we started to struggle. It was more difficult than I thought it would be to overcome that but I’m proud of the guys for sticking with it and trying to get as much out of it as we could. I think we’ve got a really good setup for the next few road courses.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES – INDY 200 AT MID-OHO: TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES

By
Official Release
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CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
HONDA INDY 200 AT MID-OHIO
MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE
LEXINGTON, OHIO
TEAM CHEVY POST RACE DRIVER QUOTES
JULY 3, 2022

TEAM CHEVY DRIVER POST RACE QUOTES:

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 ODYSSEY BATTERY CHEVROLET, TEAM PENSKE – RACE WINNER

“It’s amazing. I really wanted to get a win here with mom and dad here. And our first time we have had Odyssey Battery on the car and you know it was it was awesome as well to have them on board but that mom and dad is very special on America’s weekend.

“Last night I was dressed up as a bald eagle, so maybe I need to do that every year, July 4 weekend.

“It was tough. You know, you’re thinking about fuel but thankfully obviously Chevy gave us the great fuel mileage and driveability off the restarts that allowed me to get a little bit of a gap from Palou and the Honda there so I’m really really proud of the guys for the car they gave me even though it was a little hard to drive towards the end. I would love to make it a little bit easier for myself but I’m super proud. Everyone did great pitstops from this car three, the thirsty threes, baby we’re going to the moon.

“Yeah, it was, it was tough, because, you know, my car sort of went away a little bit towards the end of the race, you know, it was good at the start. I think once a tire that the track changed a little bit and got a little bit dirty and bits and pieces, they got hard to sort of put the power down, which was making it hard to defend, but it is what it is we’ll learn and move on. But I think we’ve made some changes that certainly helped us today. And thankfully we did them.

“Yeah, look, it’s great momentum for us at the end of day this isINDYCAR you know, things can happen all the time. And I think we’ve had great pace to be in the top five, you know, I’ve made mistakes. There’s been certain things that haven’t gone our way strategy wise that have made us sort of fall back a little bit but we’ve always had the pace and it was all about having the belief and the belief and the guys we’ve got a great group here on the car three you know it’s we’re all mates you know, we’re just having fun with a go racing and have fun. So really proud to do it. And yeah, I’m excited.”

WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON 5G TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – FINISHED 3RD:

“Amazing day, amazing day for the Verizon 5G Chevy. Yeah. I said in a strategy meeting, which I have a few times this year, we’ve qualified bad and a top-10 would be great. Yellow when we were 12th, I thought, OK, we can be in the top-10 here. Good restarts, good exchanges, good pit stops, good strategy. Great job by the team. Over the moon, loving it man. Starting at the back is more entertaining than leading at the front! We’ve got to get on top of the qualifying. It wasn’t a pace issue at all. I can’t thank Verizon and Chevy enough. We’re having such a great year.

“You just have to keep your head in these races. As you see every week, so much happens. If you don’t make any mistakes, you’ll make up positions. This is IndyCar; you can never predict what’ll happen. I’m loving it. I hope the fans are too.”

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 BITCOIN WITH BITNILE CHEVROLET, ED CARPENTER RACING –FINISHED 4TH:

“We had a great race. Did not expect a top-four really before the race. Really before the race, I said top-eight I’d be happy with. Racing with Will… was nice, but he didn’t leave me enough space on entry in Turn 4. He put me in the grass.I think you have to leave enough space. But he didn’t get a penalty. But he did a great race. I didn’t expect to see him in my mirrors at the restart! The team, the 21 BitNile car did a great job at the pit stops. I’m happy to be back in the top-four, top-five. That’s needed at the moment. It was the perfect race.”

JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 PPG CHEVROLET, TEAM PENSKE – FINISHED 7TH:

“It’s not a great day not a not a bad day either. We ended up seven we had a good start I think we got up to 11 at the start first pit pit exchanges really good we I think worked up to seven or six and then you know marching forward and then a couple of cautions came out.

“Then the final pit exchange where we were looking to make something happen again on new reds a yellow came out right after we picked it basically and give it there normally sometimes helps you because it closes the pits but they waited for everybody else to pit. So we we lost out to the blend line and so I ended up losing three spots in that exchange, which which put us back to P seven and then just kind of finished out the race from there so not not a great day. You know, just kind of bad luck all day with the way the yellows are working out. They weren’t really favoring our strategy. But it’s good day for scot free after that and you know, we’ll go to the next one.”

CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE CHEVROLET, ED CARPENTER RACING – FINISHED 13TH:

I think we had a really incredible first stent. The car was super racy. I mean, we were passing people left and right. And just a real shame to see the yellow not get called. When there was a car off and a driver standing up and we’re still under green. I’m in a pretty dangerous corner. And now that was a real shame because it kind of worked against us. And some of the guys that we passed early on in the race ended up in front of us and tough to pass towards the end, but we were going forward really the whole time. So you know, to move up from 22nd hurts today. Getting to 13 is a good day for us. You know, I messed up in qualifying, so you know, gotta be perfect on these weekends and another solid race for us. We just got to get back into the top 10 When we go out next time

SIMONA de SILVESTRO, NO. 16 CHEVROLET, PARETTA AUTOSPORT – FINISHED 18TH:

“I felt like I was strong again, doing things I used to do and moving forward. We were passing cars, we were moving forward and that encourages us a lot. There’s always things to iron out and get better but I think the results will come. I look forward to Nashville because I feel like we are getting to where we need to be.”

DALTON KELLETT, NO. 4 K-LINE CHEVROLET, AJ FOYT RACING – FINISHED 22ND:

“It’s been an eventful race for the team I guess. Overall it was not the best day for the AJ Foyt Racing crew. On my end, I felt like we had a pretty hooked up car in the first stent. In warm up we tried something close to Kyle’s setup from qualifying and it wasn’t quite working for me which kind of goes to show you got to sort of figure out your own thing for your own driving style. So, we went back to our qualifying car and on the new reds, the car felt pretty good. It felt like it was really connected through the corner, and I was able to push through the sections from four to nine. We were running decently well and then got turned around by the 45 car which was unfortunate. On a restart everyone’s battling but not great when you get turned from behind but you’re not really in the mix for a pass for their battle right? So, a mistake on their part and that put us two laps down because it took them a while to get me going again. Losing two laps — that’s the hard part. On an oval you can make that back but on a short road course like this, you have to get supremely lucky and that didn’t happen. On the blacks and the scrubbed red set we were lacking a bit of mechanical grip through the rhythm section. But overall a tough day, hoping for something better at the home race in Toronto.”

CALLUM ILOTT, NO. 77 DYNAMIC EDGE CHEVROLET, JUNCOS HOLLINGER RACING –FINISHED 23RD:

“Had a bit of a disappointing end to that one and unfortunately ended with a bit of flames of behind us. Just coming to the final restart, I think it was p 11 and it just went on me, unfortunately. But you know, we’ll come back stronger to fight another day is a shame because we had great pace, especially on the blacks as well as reds. We struggled with a bit I had to get the balance back in the window at the first stop. But yeah, hopefully the guys can be happy with the performance up to that point. Next one’s Toronto street circuit. Yeah. That’s why I’m so excited.”

PATO O’WARD, 5 ARROW McLAREN CHEVROLET, ARROW McLAREN SP – FINISHED 24TH: “Today was a bummer. Apparently, the issue was something fuel delivery-wise, and it just kept getting worse and worse and worse. Then it just failed. It is a bummer and frustrating as we have thrown away, I think, an easy podium for us here. We had a lot of pace, and we’ve had a lot of pace throughout the weekend. The No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet was really well put together for qualifying and I tried to do my job the best I could.”

TATIANA CALDERON, NO. 11 ROKiT CHEVROLET, AJ FOYT RACING – FINISHED 25TH:

We had a good base for the race with the strategy as well we decided to go with the red tires for the start and then for the first stop, so I was feeling like we were in the group fighting with good pace. Suddenly I started to lose a little bit on the downshifts and then got stuck in here. Unfortunately, I think they guys did a fantastic job all weekend. So sad way to end this this race but hopefully, with all your help, we’ll be back in a couple of races more this year. Thanks for this opportunity.”

KYLE KIRKWOOD, NO. 14 ROKiT CHEVROLET, AJ FOYT RACING – FINISHED 26TH: “I’m not really sure. I’m gonna go back through the data, but wasn’t the same as Detroit, and figured the pressures were good felt like it was there and just couldn’t turn and bottomed out right in the middle of the corner and set the car sailing and the nature of the track is kind of increasing radius to that section. So, unfortunately for the 14 AJ Foyt crew, we didn’t get to get the finish that that we thought we deserved. We were doing solid this weekend. So we’re right there in the top 10 Fighting for seven eight nines really. Just unfortunate. Felt good this morning.”

FELIX ROSEQVIST, NO. 7 VUSE CHEVROLET, ARROW McLAREN SP – FINISHED 27TH’:

It’s just unfortunate. I had a really, really, really good run. I feel for the No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP guys who worked so hard this weekend. I think we had a mega weekend going as were off strategy with the black tires and holding our position. We actually managed to move up from fourth to third, so yeah, it’s a big loss for the team.

“I just felt like we were sailing out there. I think we showed again we are up there and fighting for podium positions. We just have to come back and do better in Toronto.”

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.

Scott McLaughlin scores second IndyCar career victory at Mid-Ohio

By
Andrew Kim
-
Photo by Chris Owens/Penske Entertainment.

Scott McLaughlin capitalized from a late-race misfortune that knocked Pato O’Ward out of contention to dominate and fend off Alex Palou to win the Honda Indy 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Sunday, July 3.

The 29-year-old McLaughlin from Hamilton, New Zealand, led a race-high 45 of 80 laps in his No. 3 Odyssey Battery Dallara-Chevrolet and managed to pull away from the field during an 18-lap dash to the finish, including a late charge from Palou, to notch his second career victory in the NTT IndyCar Series.

With on-track qualifying occurring on Saturday, Pato O’Ward became the ninth different pole winner through the first nine scheduled events after establishing a pole-winning lap at 121.861 mph in 1:06.7054. Joining him on the front row was Scott McLaughlin, who clocked in his best lap at 121.619 mph in 1:06.8382.

Following a delayed, cautious start, the green flag waved on Lap 3 of 80. At the start, O’Ward took off with the lead as teammate Felix Rosenqvist mad an early bid on McLaughlin for the runner-up spot, with the latter retaining the spot. As the field jostled for positions early, Will Power spun his No. 12 Verizon 5G Dallara-Chevrolet in Turn 9, but the event remained under green.  

Through the first five scheduled laps, O’Ward was leading by nearly nine-tenths of a second over McLaughlin followed by Rosenqvist, Colton Herta and Scott Dixon while Simon Pagenaud, Alex Palou, rookie Kyle Kirkwood, rookie David Malukas and Alenxader Rossi.

Four laps later, the first caution of the event flew when Rosenqvist, who was in third place and was coming off a new multi-year deal with McLaren Racing, pulled his No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Dallara-Chevrolet off the course in Turn 4 due to a mechanical issue and with smoke billowing out of his car.

When the event restarted under green on Lap 13, O’Ward retained the lead ahead of McLaughlin while Dixon and Herta battled for third place ahead of Pagenaud. With Dixon moving into third place, Herta just managed to fend off Pagenaud for fourth place as Palou started to close in for his bid for a top-five spot.

Twenty laps into the event, O’Ward continued to lead by more than a second over McLaughlin followed by Dixon, Herta and Pagenaud while Palou, Malukas, Kirkwood, Rossi and rookie Callum Ilott were in the top 10. By then, Josef Newgarden was in 11th ahead of Rinus VeeKay, Helio Castroneves, Marcus Ericsson and Takuma Sato while Conor Daly, Romain Grosjean, Devlin DeFrancesco, Will Power and Christian Lundgaard occupied the top 20. Graham Rahal, who was making his 250th IndyCar career start, was mired in 23rd while Jimmie Johnson was back in 25th ahead of Jack Harvey.

Four laps later, the first round of green flag pit stops commenced as Newgarden pitted his No. 2 PPG Dallara-Chevrolet along with VeeKay, Grosjean and Lundgaard. Palou would soon pit along with Castroneves and Malukas, Rossi, Ilott, Simona De Silverstro, Kirkwood, Conor Daly, Dalton Kellett, Pagenaud, Takuma Sato, DeFrancesco and rookie Tatiana Calderon.

Then on Lap 30, O’Ward, who was radioing power issues, surrendered the lead to pit followed by Dixon as McLaughlin took over the lead. Shortly after, the caution flew when Kirkwood got loose entering Turn 9, went off the course and wrecked his No. 14 AJ Foyt Enterprises Dallara-Chevrolet against the tire barriers.

With the race restarting under green on Lap 36, McLaughlin fended off Palou to retain the lead through the first two corners and entering Turn 3. Then as Palou challenged McLaughlin for the lead, the caution returned when Dalton Kellett got hit by Jack Harvey in Turn 2, spun and stalled his car.

As the race restarted under green at the halfway mark on Lap 40, McLaughlin retained the lead for a second time ahead of Palou as Herta, O’Ward and Dixon occupied the top five. 

With 30 laps remaining, McLaughlin was leading by a second over Palou while Herta, VeeKay and Dixon were in the top five. Newgarden, who started 14th, was up in sixth place followed by Ericsson, Power, Rossi and Grosjean while O’Ward was back to 12th after being overtaken by Pagenaud.

Three laps later, names like Newgarden, Malukas, Ilott, Castronevs, Lundgaard, Graham Rahal, Conor Day, DeFrancesco, Sato, Simona de Silvestro and O’Ward pitted under green. Then, disaster struck for O’Ward, who stalled his No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Dallara-Chevrolet while trying to exit his pit stall and retired due to a mechanical issue. At the time of O’Ward’s issue, the leader McLaughlin along with Palou, VeeKay, Dixon, Ericsson, Power, Rossi, Grosjean and Pagenaud pitted. Not long after, the caution flew when Tatiana Calderon pulled her car off the course in between Turns 4 and 5 due to a mechanical issue. 

When the race restarted under green with 23 laps remaining, Herta, who did not pit during the previous pit cycle, took off with the lead followed by McLaughlin while Palou, Power, VeeKay and Dixon occupied the top six. By then, Ilott limped his car back to pit road after he fell off the pace prior to the start and eventually retired due to a mechanical issue to his No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Dallara-Chevrolet.

During the following lap, however, the caution flew when teammates Grosjean and Rossi, both of whom made contact with one another earlier, made contact for a second time and went off the course in Turn 2, with Grosjean’s No. 28 Andretti Autosport Dallara-Honda ending up in the tire barriers while Rossi continued. During the caution period, Herta surrendered the lead to McLaughlin to pit.

Down to the final 18 laps of the event, the race proceeded under green. At the start, McLaughlin took off with the lead while teammate Power challenged Palou for the runner-up spot as the field fanned out and scrambled for late positions.

During the following lap, Herta, who was mired towards the rear of the field, received the slightest of contact from teammate Grosjean, who earlier voiced his frustration in being hit by teammate Rossi prior to the previous restart, as Herta went off the course, spun his No. 26 Andretti Autosport Dallara-Honda and continued.

With 10 laps remaining, McLaughlin continued to lead by more than a second over Palou followed by Power, VeeKay and Dixon while Ericsson, Newgarden, Castroneves, Malukas and Jack Harvey were in the top 10. By then, the drama within the Andretti Autosport camp continued as Rossi made contact with teammate Devlin DeFrancesco in Turn 6. In addition, Rossi and Grosjean were assessed pass-through penalties through pit road following their run-in on the track.

Down to the final five laps of the event, McLaughlin remained as the leader by six-tenths of a seconds over Palou while Power, VeeKay and Dixon stabilized themselves in the top five. Ericsson, Newgarden, Castroneves, Malukas and Pagenaud were scored in the top 10 while Lundgaard, Rahal, Daly, Sato and Jimmie Johnson were in the top 15.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, McLaughlin stabilized his advantage to nine-tenths of a second over Palou, who had the Australian within his sights but was not close enough to ignite a bid for the lead. Having a clear circuit in front of him for a final time and through the 13-turn circuit, McLaughlin was able to cycle his way back to the finish line and claim his second career checkered flag in the IndyCar circuit by more than half a second over Palou’s No. 10 NTT Data Dallara-Honda.

With the victory, McLaughlin became the second IndyCar competitor to achieve multiple victories this season as he recorded the sixth IndyCar victory of the season for Team Penske along with the 12th for the organization at Mid-Ohio. The Mid-Ohio victory also marked his first podium result in IndyCar since he claimed his maiden IndyCar victory at the Streets of St. Petersburg in Florida followed by a runner-up result at Texas Motor Speedway in March.

“Amazing,” McLaughlin said on NBC. “I really wanted to get a win here with mom and dad. Our first time with Odyssey Battery on the car. It was awesome, as well, to have them onboard, but to have mom and dad here is super special. America’s weekend! Last night, I was dressed up as a bald eagle, so maybe, I need to do that every July 4th weekend. [The race] was tough. You’re thinking about your fuel, but thankfully, Chevy gave us the great fuel mileage and drive ability off the restarts. That allowed to get a little bit of a gap from Palou and Honda there, so I’m really proud of the guys [with] the car they gave me. It was a little hard to drive towards the end. I would’ve loved to make it a little bit easier for myself, but yeah, super proud of everyone. Great pit stops from this car No. 3 team…We’re going to the moon!”

Palou claimed his third runner-up result of the season after being half a second shy of claiming his first IndyCar victory of the season while Power rallied from his opening lap spin to finish in third place and round out the podium.

VeeKay and Dixon finished in the top five while Ericsson, Newgarden, Castroneves, Malukas and Pagenaud completed the top 10 on the track. Notably, Herta finished 15th ahead of Jimmie Johnson, Rossi ended up 19th and Grosjean settled in 21st, a lap down.

There were three lead changes for three different leaders. The race featured six cautions for 17 laps.

With his sixth-place result, Marcus Ericsson continues to lead the championship standings by 20 points over Will Power, 34 over Josef Newgarden, 35 over Alex Palou, 65 over Pato O’Ward, 67 over Scott Dixon and 69 over Scott McLaughlin.

Results.

1. Scott McLaughlin, 45 laps led

2. Alex Palou

3. Will Power

4. Rinus VeeKay

5. Scott Dixon

6. Marcus Ericsson

7. Josef Newgarden

8. Helio Castroneves

9. David Malukas

10. Simon Pagenaud

11. Christian Lundgaard

12. Graham Rahal

13. Conor Daly

14. Takuma Sato

15. Colton Herta, seven laps led

16. Jimmie Johnson

17. Devlin DeFrancesco

18. Simona De Silvestro

19. Alexander Rossi

20. Jack Harvey

21. Romain Grosjean, one lap down

22. Dalton Kellett, two laps down

23. Callum Ilott – OUT, Mechanical

24. Pato O’Ward – OUT, Mechanical, 28 laps led

25. Tatiana Calderon – OUT, Mechanical

26. Kyle Kirkwood – OUT, Contact

27. Felix Rosenqvist – OUT, Mechanical

Next on the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series schedule is the series’ return to the Exhibition Place in Toronto, Canada, for the Honda Indy Toronto following a two-year absence. The event is scheduled to occur on July 17 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC Peacock.

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