OddsChecker is proud to announce that they have reached an agreement with SRX to sponsor a car for the 2022 season. That car will be driven by Paul Tracy.

Tracy is the only Canadian driver in the SRX this season. Like all the drivers in SRX, Tracy is a league champion, having won the 1990 American Racing Series and 2003 Champ Car World Series. The Thrill from West Hill is also known for his time as a commentator for NBC’s IndyCar coverage.

OddsChecker SVP Matt Mirman had this to say about the partnership, “OddsChecker is proud to partner with SRX for the upcoming 2022 season. We believe that this partnership will prove to be a strong investment as the SRX brand continues to grow and become a new destination for racing fans everywhere. That’s why we’re excited to watch as our driver, Paul Tracy, takes to the track and carries OddsChecker across the finish line each and every week on CBS and Paramount+.”

With legalized sports betting experiencing rapid growth in the United States, racing fans can use OddsChecker to guide their decision-making ahead of each race this season. Getting the best odds on a bet or even parlay can be the difference between fans winning hundreds of dollars, or thousands.

That begins with this weekend’s race where Tracy and the OddsChecker car are given +2000 odds, or an implied 4.8% chance of victory. That places Tracy 11th of the 12 drivers set to race. Meanwhile, founder and 2021 champion Tony Stewart is the favorite to win at +250, or an implied 28.6% chance to win.

The full odds can be found here: https://www.oddschecker.com/us/motorsport/srx-racing

For more on the partnership: https://www.oddschecker.com/us/insight/motorsport/20220617-oddschecker-to-partner-with-srx-paul-tracy-for-2022-season

Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing Looks to Extend Championship Lead

Brownsburg, Ind. (June 17, 2022) — The Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing stable leads the 2022 Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Team Championship by a margin of two points heading into rounds five and six at Watkins Glen, taking place next weekend. Competing with four cars in three classes, Wayne Taylor Racing’s stable of talented drivers also lead in the PRO and PRO|AM classes.

The No. 1 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing duo of Kyle Marcelli and Daniel Formal lead the PRO Driver Championship. After securing another win at the last round in New Orleans, they are determined to extend their advantage at the historic Upstate New York circuit.

Jordan Missig and Aidan Yoder, who fought hard in their No. 53 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing LST at NOLA and showed that they have the pace to compete at the front of the PRO class, will look to continue their positive trajectory in their third weekend as teammates.

After increasing their lead atop the PRO|AM class standings last time out, Tom Long and Ashton Harrison, drivers of the No. 25 Harrison Contracting Company with Wayne Taylor Racing LST, will look to press their advantage further at the Glen.

Randy Sellari, driver of the No. 3 JG Wentworth with Wayne Taylor Racing LST, finished one spot shy of a podium in Race 2 at NOLA Motorsports Park. His eyes are set on achieving his second podium of the year at one of his favorite tracks.

Practice at Watkins Glen International begins next Thursday, June 23rd at 10:45 a.m. ET. Qualifying starts at 9:30 a.m. ET, Friday, with the first 50-minute race at 2:35 p.m. that same day. Race 2 begins at 12:10 p.m. Saturday, June 25th. Both races will stream live on IMSA.com/TVLive, with a weekend recap airing at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 3rd on USA Network.

Kyle Marcelli, No. 1 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing LST (PRO)
“We’re excited and optimistic. It’s been a strong season so far in the No. 1 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini. We’ve had wins and pole positions, but each weekend has not been perfect—it’s not been easy. There was adversity in Race 2 at Laguna Seca after getting turned around in the first corner. We finished second, but felt we left a win on the table there. In New Orleans we got caught out a bit with the weather and our tire choice and had a fifth place in Race 1. Again, we felt we left something on the table, but the wins and the pole positions at both races give us great confidence heading into Watkins Glen. We have unfinished business there, as a problem resulted in a DNF. It was no one’s fault—a tire issue that ended our weekend. We’re looking to rebound and the goals are simple. We want to qualify up front, stay out of trouble, and put that No. 1 Prestige Performance with WTR car in victory lane. Danny’s been checking all the boxes this year and so have our team and mechanics. The car has been reliable and flawless and from an engineering standpoint, the car has been rolling off the trailer in a good spot. We have to keep that momentum going and stay focused on the championship.”

Daniel Formal, No. 1 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing LST (PRO)
“Heading into rounds five and six of the championship, we’re leading, which is fantastic. I’m super excited to get back to Watkins Glen. It’s kind of a redemption track for Kyle and myself. It’s my favorite track in the country and it’s extremely quick. The new Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2 is amazing—a great upgrade. Our baseline setup from Wayne Taylor Racing has been incredible. I can’t wait to arrive and start working through the practices and into qualifying in our No. 1 Prestige Performance race car. It’s going to be so good to see Kyle and the Wayne Taylor Racing family—they are part of my family. I miss them all and I couldn’t be more excited.”

Jordan Missig, No. 53 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing (PRO)
“I’m super excited to be back with Wayne Taylor Racing at Watkins Glen. After a busy month of May that consisted of running two races on the Road to Indy here in Indianapolis and a round in NOLA with LST on three consecutive weekends, it’ll be nice to settle back into a rhythm in the month of June. This will be my first time back at Watkins Glen since my very first car race back in 2018, when I made the transition from go-karts. This is one of my favorite tracks to race on so getting to drive it in a Super Trofeo is the best of both worlds. Being back with Aidan is another opportunity to work together with my teammate and get better after we both made some huge gains in NOLA. As we keep working on our craft, communication and bond, we’re going to be a force to reckoned with when we get to the Glen next week.”

Aidan Yoder, No. 53 Prestige Performance with Wayne Taylor Racing (PRO)
“Watkins Glen is a track I’ve had at the top of my bucket list for a long time. I’m incredibly excited. Even though I’ve never driven it in real life, it’s one of my favorite tracks to run on the simulator. I’ve done several laps around there in many different cars. It’s very fast-paced and there are high-speed corners that require great levels of commitment. With all the different classes and championships running with us on this IMSA endurance weekend, there should be more rubber buildup than usual. This will help me build speed and gain confidence with a high grip surface. I’m curious to see how the new Pirelli compound effects the overall race product. From what I’ve heard, it’s a new tire that should hold up well in the heat of battle. WTR leads the team championship and I’m looking forward to extending the lead next weekend.”

Ashton Harrison, No. 25 Harrison Contracting with Wayne Taylor Racing LST (PRO|AM)
“I’m super excited for Watkins Glen. It’s one of my favorite tracks in the U.S. with so many technical, high-commitment corners. WTR has been strong this season and I’m looking forward to getting back in the car with Tom and continuing to extend our lead in the championship. Tom and I have been a strong pairing all season long, and we want to keep the momentum going as we cross into the second half of the LST North America season.”

Tom Long, No. 25 Harrison Contracting with Wayne Taylor Racing LST (PRO|AM)
“I’m really excited for Watkins Glen as it’s always been one of my favorite circuits on the calendar. Having a strong start to the season in our Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini has been fantastic for Ashton and I, and we’re looking to continue that during this coming weekend. Leading the championship always helps, but it’s still too early to focus on that. We just need to keep executing and improving in each session of every event. Wayne Taylor Racing has been providing amazing support and prep this season, and I’m hopeful we’ll continue the strong start we’ve had to year.”

Randy Sellari, No. 3 JG Wentworth with Wayne Taylor Racing LST (AM)
“Watkins Glen is easily one of the most nostalgic circuits in the US. Its timeless design and unforgiving nature creates unique challenges on both driver and machine. It happens to be one of my favorite tracks, yet a podium has eluded me in all of my races there. After a strong showing at NOLA and the amount of experience I have at the Glen, I feel there is a strong chance of leaving with some hardware for myself and WTR in the AM class.”

Lexington, OHIO – June 17, 2022 – Franklin Road Apparel Showtime Motorsports supremo Ken Thwaits enjoyed a banner season in 2020, winning four of the eight races he contested to become the first-ever XtremeGT class Champion. It’s fair to say that it’s 2022 that has seen the Tennessee based team take a great leap forward in the principal muscle car competitions with four racecars across TA and TA2, more than making a presence felt. Now the team heads to the Mid Ohio Sportscar Course for Round 7 of the 2022 Trans Am presented by Pirelli Championship in their best position in the two Championships with sights set firmly on the podium once again.

Firstly, Ken himself has made a huge impression in the TA Class this year with four podium finishes out of six races putting him on 135 Championship points, level with former Champion Tomy Drissi. It’s a terrific achievement by the whole team with the cherry on the cake in the TA Class being Paul Menard’s imperious display at Charlotte where the team scored their first win in the top division.

In the TA2 Class, former Champion Cameron Lawrence currently sits in P4 out of 48 competitors with 115 points and is just three points behind third placed Tyler Kicera and nine behind second placed Thomas Merrill. Cameron himself has been on the podium twice, at Road Atlanta and last time out at Lime Rock. In the second TA2 car, former West Coast Champion Carl Rydquist has a top ten finish at Sonoma to his name.

While not everything has gone according to plan, the results are a strong vindication of Thwaits’ decision to scale up his Trans Am operation and the popular team boss was typically optimistic when we spoke to him ahead of the seven-hour drive northeast from his Tennessee HQ.

“If you’d told me at the beginning of the year that only Chris Dyson would have more points in the Championship than me when we set off for Ohio I’d have said you were dreaming, but here we are! It’s getting to the point where I’m disappointed if I don’t make the podium and that’s awesome. It’s a testament to the whole team and the hard work everyone has put in.”

He went on, “I think we’re getting tighter as a team and faster on the track as the season wears on. I’m more comfortable in my car than ever before and we’re doing everything we can to make the other guys competitive too. Cameron was on the podium again last time and that’s what we’re aiming for again here in Ohio. I’ve made Pole there before and l’d be delighted to do so again.”

Opened in 1962 by Les Griebling and several Mansfield-area businessmen as a location for weekend sports car racing, Mid Ohio originally had 16 turns, with a left turn in what is today known as “thunder valley,” but the turn was straightened after just one year of operation. Nevertheless, it’s still a particularly twisty and rural circuit, and while its picturesque views are enchanting, it presents a tremendous challenge to car and driver.

Ken gets his first opportunity on the circuit at 3:10 p.m. on Thursday, June 23 for testing with the all-important qualifying session at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, June 24. The green flag for the race program is set at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday, June 25. The TA2 Class race is at 10:55 a.m. on Sunday morning.

The Racing will be live on the Trans Am YouTube Channel and highlights will be shown on the CBS Sports Network after the event. Check local press for details.

Check out the Showtime Motorsports Facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/showtimemotorsp/

The YouTube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcjbSevxbVsrrUYz77QzNuA

Visit the team’s website for Showtime Motorsports, www.showtimemotorsports.net
and keep up to date with the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli at www.gotransam.com.

Learn more about the Showtime Motorsports team partner, Franklin Road Apparel, at www.franklinroad.com

About Showtime Motorsports:
The Showtime Motorsports brand includes Ken Thwaits’ racing team and racecars, and an outstanding classic Camaro collection. Showtime Motorsports brings together a dynamic staff who employ diverse talents and share a passion for cars, racing and caring for clients like they are our own family members.

SAFARI RALLY KENYA: Preview

TOKYO, June 17, 2022 – (JCN Newswire) – The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team heads to Safari Rally Kenya on June 23-26 with the goal of defending its crown on the iconic African event.

The Safari made a long-awaited comeback to the FIA World Rally Championship calendar in 2021 when Sebastien Ogier led a one-two finish for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing. Ogier is making Kenya his third WRC appearance of the 2022 season as the team targets a 10th victory on the event for the Japanese marque.

The team’s first priority is to return to the podium after a challenging previous round in Sardinia, although Kalle Rovanpera still left the Italian island having increased his drivers’ championship lead to 55 points. Both Rovanpera and Elfyn Evans will be motivated for the trip to Kenya after experiencing its pitfalls on their debuts there last year. Takamoto Katsuta, on the other hand, travels back to the scene of his maiden podium finish (after finishing second to Ogier one year ago) as he looks to continue his 2022 scoring streak for TGR WRT Next Generation.

Having previously featured incredibly long stages on roads that were still open to the public, today’s Safari Rally runs to a format similar to other modern WRC rounds. Still, the drivers and cars face incredibly demanding gravel roads with some very rough and rocky sections, while the weather has the potential to dramatically change the conditions in a very short space of time.

Shakedown takes place on Wednesday before the rally begins on Thursday lunchtime from capital city Nairobi, with the nearby Kasarani super special kicking off the competitive action. The rest of the weekend is centred around the service park on the shores of Lake Naivasha, around 100 kilometres to the north-west. Friday’s repeated loop of three stages around the lake includes a brand new test, Geothermal, as well as the weekend’s longest: the 31.25 kilometres of Kedong. Saturday takes place further north close to Lake Elmenteita with two passes of three familiar stages from 2021, although Soysambu has been extended and Elmenteita itself will be run in the opposite direction to before. A trio of stages south of Naivasha are all run twice to form Sunday’s final day, including the new Narasha test and Hell’s Gate, which hosts the rally-ending Power Stage.

It’s worth mentioning that the rally takes place in the vicinity of stunning natural wonders, including the Ngorongoro Crater, which adds to the breathtaking scenery and challenging terrain of the event.

Quotes:

Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)
“It was exciting to have the Safari Rally back on the calendar last year and even though the rally is very different to before, the spirit of the event is the same: it’s more about endurance than outright speed. At one stage it looked like it would be difficult for us to even be on the podium and in the end we finished one-two. So again this year we need to be prepared for anything to happen, and it will be another big test for the Rally1 cars. The conditions can look good during reconnaissance and then turn out to be very demanding in the rally. It’s not rough all of the time but you can get quite a lot of big ruts with many really soft and sandy places. But all four of our drivers can count on the experience they gained last year and have some idea of what to expect.”

Sebastien Ogier (Driver car 1)
“I’m looking forward to returning to Kenya. Last year we had a really nice welcome and a great atmosphere. It was something special and different to what we are used to. To win was the cherry on the cake and it will be great to try to repeat that this year with a bit of knowledge of what to expect from the stages. We saw that it can be a very tough rally; I think nearly everybody had an issue at some point and we came back from over two minutes down to win. So it’s definitely a rally where you have to never give up, and this year with the cars still being so new, we might have to be even more clever than before.”

Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
“Even though we have experience from last year, it’s always difficult to know exactly what we’re going to face on an event like the Safari Rally. There’s always an element of the unknown, and we saw last year that the conditions can change massively from one area to the next. Some sections can be very soft sand, some parts are much more hard-packed, and in other places it’s very rough. It’s a big challenge for the drivers, for the cars and for the engineers as well. I’ve had a good feeling with the GR YARIS Rally1 on gravel so far and the speed has been there. Safari requires something slightly different in terms of setup but hopefully that positive feeling will still carry forward.”

Kalle Rovanpera (Driver car 69)
“I think the Safari Rally will be another interesting weekend. Of course Sardinia was maybe not as strong a rally for us as we wanted it to be, but I’m hoping that in Kenya maybe we will not lose so much time opening the road and we can try to have a good weekend. Last year, it was a good rally for us overall, we were just a bit unlucky to get stuck when we did at the end of Friday. This year we will try to avoid things like that and tackle the event in a better way, because we see a lot of difficult conditions there and things we don’t normally see in modern rallies. So for sure it’s a special place and you need to approach it a bit differently too.”

Please visit www.wrc.com for the latest.

(El Cajon, CA June 16, 2022) For the third time in his young career, teenage racer Braden Chiaramonte will take on the best midget drivers west of the Mississippi in a USAC Western Midget Series race at the Merced Speedway this Saturday night, June 18th. The race will be the first time the talented driver has appeared on the racy 3/8 of a mile clay oval in California’s Central Valley.

For this week’s race at Merced, Chiaramonte, 15, will once again be driving the Matt Streeter 14JR. The first time the El Cajon, California teen showed up to drive the car at the Bakersfield Speedway on April 16th, those unfamiliar with him thought he was just another rookie driver. That started to change when he qualified ninth fastest in the 21-car field. Minutes later on the first lap of his heat race, he showed everyone that they needed to sit up and pay attention. He went from his fourth-place starting spot into the lead on the first lap. He then led the first six laps before the 2021 series champion finally chased him down and took the top spot. The impressive teen never gave up and ended up finishing second.

For the main that night, Chiaramonte started ninth and finished 10th in the 21-car field that was mostly comprised of veterans. His last name gave long-time race watchers fits as they tried to tell their friends about him the next day.

Five weeks after his initial foray in Streeter’s car, the duo teamed up again at the Ventura Raceway on May 24th. Chiaramonte’s appearance in that race drew a lot of attention from those wondering if his initial outing was a fluke. He put those notions to rest in qualifying. He turned in a lap at 12.486. That was third fastest in the 24-car field in only his second-ever appearance in a midget.

After a 6th place finish in his heat race he began the 30-lap main event inside the 5th row in 9th. Once again competing against seasoned veterans he had an impressive night moving forward to finish seventh.

Chiaramonte is not competing for points in the West Coast Midget Series, but he is in 18th in the standings despite only contesting two of the first six races on the schedule.

Last week Chiaramonte made his first-ever appearance at the Lemoore Jet Bowl. In addition to debuting at the track, he was in a car he had never driven before. He qualified sixth fastest of the 17 cars on hand and placed second in his heat race. He capped the night off with another top-five finish when he placed fourth in the Outlaw Wingless Micro main event.

For fans who may be in the Merced area on Saturday, the track is located at 900 Martin Luther King Jr Way in Merced (95341). Spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00. The track website is http://www.mercedspeedway.net/ and the office phone is (209) 600-8382.

If you are looking to enter the world of lightning sprint car racing, Chiaramonte’s #73 car is for sale. It is the same car that he drove to the 2021 “Minn-Kota Shootout” championship, 2021 POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series “Rookie of the Year” award, 2nd in the 2021 SWLS point standings and SWLS main event wins in 2021 and 2022. To get all the details, call Daniel Chiaramonte at (619) 988-7563 or send an email to mailto:dchiaramonte@rtltraffic.com.

Chiaramonte would like to thank the following marketing partners for making his 2022 racing season possible. RTL Traffic Control and Equipment Rentals, AM Ortega, Impact Racing, and AIM Sports Data. If you or your company would like to join forces with the fast-rising racing team, please contact Daniel Chiaramonte online at the following link mailto:dchiaramonte@rtltraffic.com or by calling (619) 988-7563.

Braden Chiaramonte 2022 Results

January 1          Tulsa Shootout               Stock Non Wings                                     9^th A Main

March 5             Imperial Valley Raceway   POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints             2^nd A Main

March 6             Imperial Valley Raceway   POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints             8^th A Main

March 25           Bakersfield Speedway      California Lightning Sprints                       6^th A Main

April 16             Bakersfield Speedway      USAC Western States Midgets                   9^th A Main                      

April 23             Imperial Valley Raceway   POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints            1^st A Main

April 30             Barona Speedway           POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints            2^nd A Main

May 12              US 24 Raceway               All In Transportation A Wingless Clash        13^th A Main

May 13              US 24 Raceway               All In Transportation A Wingless Clash        16^th A Main

May 14              US 24 Raceway               All In Transportation A Wingless Clash        5^th L.C.Q.

May 21              Ventura Raceway            USAC Western State Midgets                     7^th A Main

June 2               US 24 Raceway               Performance Electronics Big Dance             12^th A Main

June 3               US 24 Raceway               Performance Electronics Big Dance             14^th A Main

June 4               US 24 Raceway               Performance Electronics Big Dance             8^th Qualifier

June 11             Lemoore Jet Bowl            Non Wing Outlaw Micro                           4^th A Main