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Bee Safe Racing/Riley Motorsports Ferrari 488 GTE Pro Team Ready to Race Following Productive Practice and Qualifying Sessions at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

  • Roy Carroll Fields GTE Pro-Class Team in Partnership with Bill Riley and Riley Motorsports for Today’s 90th 24 Hours of Le Mans
  • Sam Bird, Felipe Fraga and Shane van Gisbergen Co-Drive No. 74 Bee Safe Racing/Riley Motorsports Ferrari 488 GTE Pro Evo
  • MotorTrend+ and MotorTrend TV Exclusive U.S. and Canada Outlets for Full 24 Hours of Le Mans Livestream and Race Coverage; Team Radio Feed Available on Twitch

Le Mans, FRANCE (June 11, 2022) – Following a productive two days of practice and qualifying, the No. 74 Bee Safe Racing/Riley Motorsports Ferrari 488 GTE Pro Evo team and drivers are ready to race in this weekend’s 90th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Le Mans campaign is being fielded by American entrepreneur and Ferrari Challenge competitor Roy Carroll and his wife Vanessa and entered by championship winning sports car racing team Riley Motorsports and team owner Bill Riley.

The driving trio for the No. 74 Bee Safe Racing/Riley includes veteran Le Mans competitor Sam Bird (Great Britain), Rolex 24 at Daytona winner Felipe Fraga (Brazil) and V8 Supercar champion and sports car endurance race winner Shane van Gisbergen (New Zealand).

Bee Safe Racing is competing in the GTE-Pro class and going up against three factory-supported teams, each fielding a pair of entries. Despite the challenging task ahead, the No. 74 team and drivers mixed it up with their factory competitors throughout last Sunday’s pre-test and a pair of opening practice sessions Wednesday.

The team showed its pace early in Sunday’s pre-test with the fourth quickest Pro time as the fastest Ferrari in the morning session before closing out the day in the top five.

The first official practice sessions this week saw the team continue to mix it up with the six pack of factory competitors. The Riley team deliberately chose to put in the majority of its pre-race practice work Wednesday and ended the day on a high note when they once again were the quickest Ferrari with the fourth overall fastest time in the night practice session. A variety of typical endurance racing issues didn’t let the team crack the factory top six in qualifying earlier on Wednesday, but the No. 74 Bee Safe Racing Ferrari will start today’s 24 Hours of Le Mans in close touch from the seventh and final GTE-Pro grid position.

“I am very happy with the way the car is balanced and handling right now,” Bird said. “Riley Motorsports and Bee Safe Racing have done a really, really great job in giving us what I believe will be a very strong racing car going forward to tomorrow’s race, and my co-drivers Shane and Felipe have done a really good job. We haven’t necessarily done the most miles out there, but we are making sure the car is in the best place going into to the race. That’s what matters really. In qualifying, there were a couple of smaller issues, traffic and just being unfortunate with some weather, but we know we are where we need to be for race pace.”

Bird is Bee Safe Racing’s most experienced 24 Hours of Le Mans driver and is set for his ninth start in the race. Seven of his previous eight starts came in GTE Ferraris, including his last six-consecutive races at Circuit de la Sarthe that were all in the GTE-Pro division Ferrari 488s.

Van Gisbergen is a championship winning driver just as accomplished as Bird, but the career path for the quick New Zealander has only now led him to Le Mans where he makes his first start in the famous 24-hour race tomorrow.

“This week has been pretty awesome so far,” van Gisbergen said. “It was great to get on track and learn a new car as I am driving a Ferrari for the first time at Le Mans, which is pretty cool. The way the team laid out my first time behind the wheel was really great. I was able to get up to speed and follow the protocol but be patient about it. That’s the thing about Riley Motorsports, they really make you feel comfortable as a driver and not put any pressure on you when you don’t need it yet. It was all good, and Felipe and Sam were great helps for me. I haven’t been here before, and they were really good at helping me along and giving me good advice. They were telling me what we were doing with the car, what the setup changes would be and every time I got in the car it felt great.”

Fraga made his Le Mans debut with Riley Motorsports in 2019 and earned a second-place finish competing with a different team in the GTE-Am class in last year’s 24-hour race. He is the starting driver in the No. 74 for today’s race.

“I’m really excited to start the race,” Fraga said. “It’s a dream for myself to once again be at Le Mans with Bill Riley now and in the Bee Safe Racing Ferrari. Racing in GTE-Pro will be a tough mission, but I feel we have a good car, good teammates and I feel ready to do the job. I can’t wait to push hard and have fun, and I hope we can maybe have a trophy at the end of it.”

MotorTrend+, as well as the MotorTrend TV channel, will be the exclusive outlets in the U.S. and Canada where fans will be able to stream and watch this weekend’s full 24 Hours of Le Mans in its entirety. MotorTrend is available on cable TV systems such as Spectrum and North State in addition to streaming services such as Sling Orange, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, AT&T and DirecTV. The race also can be viewed on MotorTrendondemand.com. A seven-day free trial is available and subscriptions are $4.99 monthly or $44.99 annually.

Riley Motorsports has also created a livestream channel on Twitch that will broadcast the team radio feed (audio only) from the race. Click here for the No. 74 Bee Safe Racing/Riley Motorsports Ferrari 488 GTE Pro Evo live team radio feed throughout the race.

The 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans starts today, Saturday June 11, at 10 a.m. EDT, which is 4 p.m. (16:00) in the afternoon in France.

A subsidiary of The Carroll Companies, Bee Safe Storage is a premier self-storage leader in the U.S. Carroll also competes with Bee Safe backing in his Riley-run IMSA Ferrari Challenge program, a series in which he has competed for four years. Both The Carroll Companies and Bee Safe are based in Greensboro, North Carolina while Riley Motorsports is headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina.

About Bee Safe Storage and Wine Cellar: Bee Safe Storage, a subsidiary of The Carroll Companies, is a premier self-storage facility leader with over 40 locations across North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Florida and Montana. Bee Safe was named to the Inside Self Storage Top 100 Operators in 2020 and 2021. For more information about Bee Safe Storage and Wine Cellar, please visit www.beesafe.com or follow the company on Facebook and Linkedin.

About The Carroll Companies: Founded and headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, more than 30 years ago, The Carroll Companies has since grown strategically and diversified into a real estate conglomerate specializing in land development, construction, ownership, hospitality, management, and publication with a total estimated valuation of over $5.2 billion. The Carroll Companies was founded by Roy Carroll, II in 1983 with a commitment to surpassing industry expectations by providing innovative, cost-effective developments and services. For more information, please visit www.thecarrollcompanies.com and follow the company on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

Rossi stays red hot, tops first Road America practice session

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ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. (Friday, June 10, 2022) – After finishes of fifth and second in the past two NTT INDYCAR SERIES races, Alexander Rossi seems to be back in championship form with Andretti Autosport.

The driver of the No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda solidified that notion Friday in the weekend’s first practice at Road America, turning the fastest lap of the 75-minute session in preparation for Sunday’s Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR, the eighth of 17 races this season.

Rossi arrived at the picturesque 14-turn, 4.048-mile permanent road course on the charge, up to seventh in the driver standings after top-five finishes in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park in Detroit. Rossi trails series leader Will Power by 74 points. He has finished in the top 11 in five consecutive races.

Friday, Rossi led Friday’s field of 27 car-and-driver combinations with a lap of 1 minute, 45.6027 seconds, the first step toward what could be his first series victory since 2019. At this same track, the Californian led 54 of the 55 laps, winning by more than 28 seconds for his seventh career series win.

“Yeah, it was good,” Rossi said of the first-day Road America practice. “It’s a bit weird to have (the use of) the Firestone (Firehawk) alternate tires on Day 1, so it will be interesting to see how that translates to practice and qualifying (Saturday). The track evolution will continue to get better every session of the weekend.

“Obviously, the car rolled off really strong, which is positive on these weekends where it’s so close you’ve got to start from a good point.”

Rossi’s lap edged the best time set by teammate Colton Herta, who posted a 1:45.7361 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Autosport w/Curb-Agajanian. Rossi couldn’t be happier if he could end his 44-race series victory drought this weekend at this track.

“I love this place,” he said. “I think it’s one of the top five road courses in the world in my book. It’s got everything. It’s just a joy to drive around here.

“It’s a beautiful part of the world, the people are great, the fan turnout is awesome, the weather usually is pretty good, so all A-pluses in my book.”

Marcus Ericsson, the winner of last month’s “500,” was third Friday in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda at 1:45.8050. Will Power was fourth in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet at 1:45.8592 with last year’s Road America winner, Alex Palou, fifth in the No. 10 The American Legion Honda of Chip Ganassi Racing at 1:45.9140.

The 27 cars turned 160 more laps than were turned in last year’s first practice, an average of more than five laps per car.

This race features the series return of Simona De Silvestro, the 2010 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year who has finished as high as second in her 69 career starts. She is driving the No. 16 Paretta Autosport Chevrolet in a partnership with Ed Carpenter Racing.

“It was definitely much faster and (the car) braked much better than anything I’ve driven the last five years,” De Silvestro said. “It was really good. I’m really happy to be back in INDYCAR, especially (at Road America). It’s quite special.

“I think Road America is one of the coolest tracks we get to and one of the fastest ones. Definitely feels really fast at the moment.”

The presence of De Silvestro and Tatiana Calderon (No. 11 ROKiT/AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet) gives the NTT INDYCAR SERIES two women drivers in the same race since the 2015 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. That race featured de Silvestro and Pippa Mann.

Also back to NTT INDYCAR SERIES action is Callum Ilott, the driver of the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet who missed last week’s race in Detroit due to a broken bone in his right hand suffered in the “500” on May 29. Kyle Kirkwood, who has been nursing an injured right wrist from driving into a tire barrier June 4 in Detroit, said he is back to “full grip strength” in the No. 14 ROKiT/AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet.

Friday’s practice was slowed only once, for a spin of the No. 06 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing driver Helio Castroneves.

Chip Ganassi Racing drivers have won the past three Road America races with Scott Dixon, Felix Rosenqvist and Palou.

Series resumes action at 10:45 a.m. (ET) with the first of the day’s two practices. The second, at 5:20 p.m., follows NTT P1 Award qualifying at 1:45 p.m.

All of the action can be viewed on Peacock Premium, NBC’s live streaming platform. The INDYCAR Radio Network also will have coverage on the INDYCAR Mobile App and racecontrol.indycar.com.

Lundqvist leads opening Indy Lights practice session at Road America

Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires championship leader Linus Lundqvist and his HMD Motorsports teammates continued their recent dominance Friday, leading the day’s only practice for Sunday’s Indy Lights Grand Prix at Road America.

Lundqvist’s best lap of 1 minute, 55.0306 seconds in the No. 26 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing machine led a trio of HMD drivers atop the charts.

“It was a good day,” the 23-year-old Swede said. “It’s always awesome to come back to Road America. It’s an awesome place. A great track and it’s always exciting to go around here. We’ll see how the weekend goes. The weather might play a joker in all of this. We’ll keep an eye on that. The car seems to be in a good place. I seem to be in a good place. The team is happy. We’ll keep on pushing, so happy day!”

Danial Frost posted the second-fastest time at 1:55.2449 in the No. 68 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing machine, and Benjamin Pedersen was third at 1:55.3901 in the No. 24 Global Racing Group with HMD entry.

Lundqvist, who has won four of the past five series races, leads the series standings by 84 points over Pedersen. Frost is tied with Andretti Autosport’s Sting Ray Robb for third place, 92 points back of Lundqvist.

A pair of rookies from Michael Andretti’s organization rounded out the top five with last year’s Indy Pro 2000 champion Christian Rasmussen fourth at 1:55.4179 in the No. 28 Road to Indy Stellrecht entry and Hunter McElrea fifth at 1:55.4345 in the No. 27 Andretti Autosport car.

Driving Force Indy’s No. 99 car, rookie Ernie Francis Jr. completed the most laps in the incident-free session, turning nine circuits around the massive 14-turn, 4.048-mile road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Indy Lights is back in action Saturday at 9:45 a.m. (ET) for the weekend’s second practice, followed by qualifying at 1:10 p.m. (ET). Both sessions will be available on INDYCAR Live! and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

The Indy Lights Grand Prix at Road America is Sunday at 10:35 a.m. (ET), live on Peacock Premium and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

About Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires

Celebrating 35 years, Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires develops drivers and teams to compete in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Past champions include INDYCAR SERIES champions Tony Kanaan, Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Paul Tracy and Cristiano da Matta. In 2021, 20 drivers in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES were Indy Lights graduates, including rising stars and race winners Colton Herta, Pato O’Ward and Rinus VeeKay. The 2022 season consists of 14 races in the United States. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Indy Lights, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. For more information on Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, please visit www.indylights.com. For more information on INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, please visit www.indycar.com.

About Cooper Tire

Cooper Tire, a subsidiary of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT), specializes in the design, manufacture, marketing and sale of passenger car, light truck, medium truck, motorcycle and racing tires. Cooper is headquartered in Findlay, Ohio, with manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design operations located in more than one dozen countries around the world. For more information on Cooper, visit www.coopertire.com, www.facebook.com/coopertire or www.twitter.com/coopertire.

About Goodyear

Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs about 72,000 people and manufactures its products in 55 facilities in 23 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.

CHEVY NCS AT SONOMA: Austin Dillon Press Conference Transcript

NASCAR CUP SERIES
SONOMA RACEWAY
TOYOTA / SAVE MART 350
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
JUNE 10, 2022

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 TRUE VELOCITY CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series weekend at Sonoma Raceway. Press Conference Transcript:

AUSTIN, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING TO LEARN HERE RUNNING BOTH RACES AND HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO GET ON THE RACETRACK TODAY?

“I’m always looking forward to anytime you get extra time at a road course. For us, it has been really helpful over the last couple of years getting more laps. I feel like early in my career I didn’t do a lot of this, and I wish I had. It’s a lot of fun getting to go out there and run these trucks. Thankful for the opportunity from Tyler Young and we’ll just go have some fun with it.”

AFTER THIS RACE WE GET OUR ONE AND ONLY BREAK OF THE SEASON. YOUR THOUGHTS ON JUST A WEEK BREAK FOR A SEASON THAT STARTS IN FEBRUARY AND ENDS IN NOVEMBER.

“What a grind. I’m looking forward to the off weekend. I’ve got my vacation planned and my grandfather is already on me about getting back to work. I was like, hey I’m taking this one off weekend. I’m going to get home Sunday, well probably Monday morning very early and then Tuesday I’ll be flying to the beach and will stay there until Sunday and then get refocused again going back the next week. It will be nice to not have to worry about going to the track this coming weekend. Our schedule’s already probably one of the most brutal in sports and then you took away two of our off weekends, it makes it pretty tough. That’s what we are here to do.”

AFTER THE BREAK WE GO TO NASHVILLE. LAST YEAR, THERE WERE A LOT OF DRIVERS THAT JUST THINK THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO SEE THE KIND OF RACE WE SAW. WERE YOU PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AT HOW WELL THAT TRACK RACED?

“Yeah, I think so. I think what they did with the, they used something a little different it wasn’t just straight PJ1 or anything, they kind of ran the track in with the tire dragon and did some different stuff. I thought it was a pretty impressive race. I felt like guys were very underestimating what that track could do on the braking side of things. Everybody brought too small of a brake package, and we were blowing brake rotors. So, this year should be a little different. They will be more prepared. I think you will see another good race for sure.”

WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR, WHAT DIFFERENCE WILL THAT MAKE? WILL IT MAKE FOR A BETTER RACE ON TOP OF WHAT YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT OR NOT?

“It could. It’s funny. The race began everybody running the top I feel like, and it moves back down to the bottom by the end of it. I don’t know what to expect. That place is kind of round the bottom is the fastest lane, but if we can get the top worked in it would be nice.”

I WOULD IMAGINE DRIVING THE TRUCK VERSUS THE NEXT GEN CAR IS QUITE DIFFERENT. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU ARE THINKING YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO LEARN FROM THE TRUCK RACE THAT YOU CAN CARRY FORWARD TO THE CUP RACE?

“I think visually is the biggest thing. I’m looking forward to seeing the track and every time, you know you only come here once a year, so every corner has a little something different. This is the old configuration that we’re kind of used to. Last couple years been working on that snake section through there kind of down the drag strip. Now I think the biggest advantage is just, you know when you have a 15-minute Cup practice you’ve got to be on your game from the drop of the time limit. For me, this is just more about visually getting my marks back and having fun. I’ll definitely learn something about the track today that I’ll take into tomorrow. The driving style will definitely be a lot different with shifting, will be the biggest thing, not having to worry as much about wheel hop.”

I WAS TOLD THAT THE DRIVERS KIND OF GOT WITH NASCAR AND THE TRACK AND THE TURTLES HAVE BEEN REMOVED, OR BUMPS IN TURN 4. ARE YOU AWARE OF THAT AND HOW WILL THAT AFFECT THE RACING?

“I just don’t think you will get the good pictures that you’ve gotten in years past. It will be easier on the driver’s back. With this car it’s just so brutal when we are on this shock stops that it probably wasn’t going to work out. It was something that the drivers definitely got to try to get ahead of coming here. I think, I was really proud of NASCAR for getting that changed. It was a good communication between us and NASCAR.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE IN A MUST WIN IN CUP TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS?

“I do. I mean, I think so. I don’t think mathematically it’s not hard at all for us to get into the playoffs if there’s no more new winners. I think we are in a place where we can point our way in. I think there are going to be more winners and we need to be one of them.”

ALONG THOSE LINES, IS THERE ANY FRUSTRATION IN THE FACT THAT YOU’VE HAD MORE OPPORTUNITY TO WIN IN THE FIRST 15 RACES THAN YOU HAD ALL OF LAST YEAR BUT IT JUST HASN’T HAPPENED?

“I think so. I mean, not so much frustration. Just when is it going to happen. I feel like I’ve got a real positive mindset in that our time will come. The Good Lord has blessed us, like you said, with a bunch of opportunities this year. Charlotte, I could not sleep the next night. All week it ate away at me because we were so close and I tried to think of all the scenarios, played Monday morning QB with myself all night long. Eventually, you just have to let that go out of your mind and I did. I feel good about it. I gave it everything I had. Those opportunities don’t happen very often to win a Coke 600 and I felt like we were really close doing it for a second time.”

THEY SAY IT’S THE GAME OF INCHES, WORLD OF INCHES. MAYBE, WHAT, EIGHT INCHES OR SIX?

“Yeah, for sure. Even that I think I was more concerned with, could I have done anything different to not get loose in the center of the corner. I drove in there pretty darn deep, and I thought it was a good save, but I was kind of looking both ways because I had cars coming at me pretty fast. I didn’t know the fourth car was out there. I think the (Ross) Chastain thing is what upset it for us really. Him getting to the right rear of (Kyle) Larson because I thought we were three wide so I felt like I was going to get given a little bit of room there. I mean he couldn’t of course, so that’s the thing that got me. I couldn’t tell that he was left front to his right on the right rear quarter.”

OUR NEXT ROAD RACE IS ROAD AMERICA. COTA VASTLY DIFFERENT THAN SONOMA. ROAD AMERICA IS VASTLY DIFFERENT THAN MAYBE ANYTHING THAT WE’VE GOT. HOW MUCH DO YOU LIKE RACING THERE AND WHAT’S IT LIKE TO JUST RUN ON A COURSE THAT LONG?

“Road America is multiple times where you can mess up in a lap. It is cool to put together a lap there, because you know you mentally held it together for a long period of time. You can kind of find speed where a second is not far off at all at Road America. You can figure out a second there, which is pretty cool because not many places we go to you can say that.”

ESPN MADE AN INCREDIBLE BID FOR F1 TO GET THEIR TV RIGHTS AND MOST OF THAT WAS BASED ON THE SHOW THAT FOLLOWS THE F1 DRIVERS AROUND. YOU’VE GOT YOUR LIFE IN THE FAST LANE; WE’VE GOT SOME OTHER STUFF THAT’S COMING OUT. TALK ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE AND IF YOU THINK WE’RE BEHIND THE GAME ON PROMOTING NASCAR. WE USED TO DO THIS 10 – 15 YEARS AGO, BUT IN THOSE TYPES OF REALITY STYLE SHOWS, ARE WE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND WHAT WILL THIS DO FOR THE SPORT?

“I think any publicity is good publicity in certain aspects for our sport. I think that, yeah, getting into the lives of some of the drivers is key. What we do is not natural for anyone. The schedule, the travel, the lifestyles we live is just interesting. I’ve kind of in a way thought the whole time, why is there not more on what we do. It is interesting. I mean, we live inside this bubble where we feel like we are the main attraction each and every weekend and we are when we are in this town. There are other things that go one outside of this garage and it’s cool to get to those people that might not be tuning in on a regular basis on the weekends and try to fire them up about the sport and promote it in anyway. I think NASCAR has a really good trajectory right now. I think it’s very positive for our sport to reach other avenues. It was a grind for eight weeks for me and its still kind of lingering on. I’m still doing interviews for the show. It’s going to be cool. I’m too nervous to watch it. I’ve already been getting episodes and checking them out. I’ve heard good things and it looks pretty good.”

YESTERDAY, WE MET WITH STEVE PHELPS AND HE TALKED ABOUT OVERALL EVERY RACE WE HAVE HAD HAS BEEN GOOD, WITH MAYBE THE EXCEPTION OF ONE. DO YOU FEEL THAT WAY AND WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT CHANGES IN THE SPORT, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT HOW NASCAR HAS BEEN OPEN TO THOSE CHANGES?

“I think it’s good. Change is fun for fans. It’s sometimes frustrating for competitors, but in the end, we are here for the fans. I think it’s been good, and we have been very fluid. I mean going back to your thing about F1, their Netflix series definitely helped their sport, because if you look at any given weekend our racing, we have like 30 cars on the lead lap last week at St. Louis. You don’t see that in an F1 race. After the race starts, it’s kind of like there’s two people you’re talking about strategy wise, sometimes. I think that the most intriguing part to me is just their strategy because they have three different compounds of tires. Past that, our racing is the best racing in the world. I’ll put it up against anything. We complain about it when it’s good, because there’s no other form of motorsport that races like we do. That’s just my opinion.”

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.

Specialty NASCAR License Plates Now Available in California

Proceeds to benefit California Natural Resources Agency and The NASCAR Foundation

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – (June 9, 2022) – NASCAR fans in California will soon have an opportunity to purchase specialty license plates that proclaim their love of the sport. Even better, proceeds from those plates will be put to good use.

In partnership with the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA), NASCAR has created specialty license plates that will generate important funds for California’s Outdoors for All initiative and The NASCAR Foundation.

Outdoors for All expands outdoor access for all Californians, while The NASCAR Foundation works tirelessly to improve lives of children in NASCAR communities. And given NASCAR’s vast involvement from Los Angeles to the Bay Area, the new NASCAR California license plates will do a lot of good in the Golden State.

“This is a wonderful way for NASCAR fans in California to not only show their love of NASCAR, but also make a tremendous impact,” said Nichole Krieger, executive director of The NASCAR Foundation. “This initiative aligns with The NASCAR Foundation’s mission, and we’re excited to provide opportunities for greater access for Californians to the natural wonders of their state.”

The new NASCAR license plates can be personalized and ordered online at nascarplates.com. Californians can also sign up for the new plates this weekend at Sonoma Raceway, where the NASAR Cup Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be in action.

Fans will also notice the new plates on the Toyota TRD Camry pace car this weekend at Sonoma Raceway as it leads the field to green for Sunday’s Toyota / Save Mart 350, live on FS1.

“Putting the new NASCAR license plates on cars will help kids and adults from all our communities get outdoors and improve their physical, emotional, and mental health,” said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “Launching these specialty plates gives NASCAR fans a way to support racing, outdoor activities, and California parks.”

To learn more about the California Natural Resources Agency, visit resources.ca.gov. To learn more about the NASCAR Foundation, please visit www.nascarfoundation.org/.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

About The NASCAR Foundation

The NASCAR Foundation is a leading charity that works to improve the lives of children who need it most in NASCAR racing communities through the Speediatrics Children’s Fund and the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. Since 2006, The NASCAR Foundation has contributed more than $41 Million to impact the lives of more than 1.5 million children across the country.

About California Natural Resources Agency

On a mission to restore, protect and manage the state’s natural, historical and cultural resources for current and future generations using creative approaches and solutions based on science, collaboration and respect for all the communities and interests involved.

CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Hyperpole for Tandy, No. 64 Corvette

Pair of C8.Rs to start 1-2 in class at 24 Hours for first time since 2010

LE MANS, France (June 9, 2022) – Nick Tandy led a 1-2 result for Corvette Racing in the Hyperpole session Thursday night ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Tandy set a lap of 3:49.985 (132.538 mph) the No. 64 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R to give the team its first pole since 2010.

That also was the last time Corvette Racing started Le Mans with two cars on the front row. Antonio Garcia sealed the effort in the No. 63 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C8.R with a time of 3:50.177 (132.414 mph). It continued a solid pre-race program for the mid-engine Corvettes, which are at Le Mans for the second time.

Tandy, driving with FIA WEC full-season teammate Tommy Milner and Alexander Sims, claimed his first pole position at Le Mans. He was only 0.192 seconds clear of Garcia, who is driving with IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teammate Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg.

The two Corvettes have shown impressive form since Sunday’s Test Day with the full benefit of running the WEC with the N. 64 Corvette being realized. The next goal is add another 1-2 finish… this time Sunday afternoon for the team’s ninth class win and first since 2015.

Corvette Racing will contest the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 11-12 with the green flag set for 4 p.m. CET and 10 a.m. ET. MotorTrend TV will air the race live with the MotorTrend Plus adding on-board footage. Live audio coverage will be available from Radio Le Mans.

NICK TANDY, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTE PRO HYPERPOLE WINNER:”What a fantastic day and a fantastic car. It’s great to see so many Corvette flags around the track. This is for everyone who is here to support us and here to watch us. Hopefully we can keep these two yellow Corvettes up front for 24 hours. It was great out on track. The car feels fantastic. These GTE cars are so much fun to drive when you’re out there with fresh tires and low fuel around this circuit… it’s a real privilege.”

“The practices have been really good. Corvette Racing knows how into and race these events. It’s been a long time since they’ve been on the top step at Le Mans. The plan is always to keep it clean, keep it fast and have a great race. The ultimate thing though is still to end up still on the track and first on Sunday afternoon.”

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – SECOND IN GTE PRO HYPERPOLE: “You can’t get much closer than that. It’s the first pole and first 1-2 for Corvette in quite a while. They were good runs. It was pretty difficult to know what the track was going to be like. This new format for qualifying here is just different for us. It’s the first time I did this, so I’m happy. I’m happy with how the car is running, for sure. Yesterday we were up front and we’re still up front now. It’s a nice place to start the race for sure.”

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 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.

Lawless Alan – DoorDash 250 Race Advance

Race Advance – DoorDash 250 (75 Laps/149.25 Miles) | Sonoma Raceway
Saturday, June 11 | Sonoma, Calif. | 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: FS1 | Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN), Sirius XM Ch. 90
Team: No. 45 AUTOChargit Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Lawless Alan (Los Angeles, Calif.) | Crew Chief: Darren Fraley
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @lawlessalan25

Alan on returning to road course racing at Sonoma Raceway: “I’m excited to go to Sonoma with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this weekend. I ran there a few weeks ago in the TransAm TA2 event to get a better idea of what the layout is like. Although it wasn’t the exact course that we’ll be running this weekend in the Truck Series, it was a good experience to get a feel for the track and I’m looking forward to having a strong run after the speed we showed at Gateway.”

Alan at Sonoma Raceway: Alan makes his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Sonoma Raceway Saturday. Alan has made two TransAm TA2 appearances at Sonoma – most recently on April 28 – May 1 in the TA2 Round 5 event in which he ran to an 11th-place finish. He also made one K&N Pro Series West start at Sonoma in 2019, finishing 24th after starting 13th.

On the Truck: Alan will pilot the No. 45 AUTOChargit Chevrolet Silverado Saturday at Sonoma Raceway.

Last Time Out (Toyota 200 – Start: 24th / Finish: 18th): Despite suffering nose damage on the initial start of Saturday’s Toyota 200, Alan battled through a tight-handling condition through most of the race as the No. 45 team worked to remedy the issue. Alan was scored as high as 11th on the day and showed speed late to position himself for a top-15 finish, but the rookie was collected in the last lap incident in turn two and scored 18th at the time of caution.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2022, Niece Motorsports enters its seventh season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Media Inquiries: media@niecemotorsports.com www.niecemotorsports.com

About AUTOChargit:

AUTOChargit designs, manufactures and installs EV charging systems for automated and conventional parking applications. AUTOChargit can decrease capital expenditures by up to 75 percent by providing automated coupling and decoupling of EV charging stalls from the power source. For conventional parking applications, a single 40-AMP circuit coupled with a single AUTOChargit System can be multiplexed to four, eight, or 12 stalls. Each charging stall is individually metered for the exact tracking of electricity usage. The AUTOParkit Mobile APP provides a touchless experience for the user.

About AUTOParkit:

AUTOParkit™ designs, manufactures, and constructs fully automated parking systems for new and existing buildings. AUTOParkit system structural steel and modular design can provide double the capacity of a traditional parking garage, providing up to 17 LEED points and drastically reducing construction time. AUTOParkit automated systems are 40 percent less expensive to operate, safer for the user and reduces carbon emissions associated with parking by more than 80 percent. AUTOParkit’s charging pallets provided by AUTOChargit, are a fast and convenient way of charging EVs and Hybrids. AUTOChargit’s patented technology allows for shuffling charged vehicles cutting infrastructure costs by up to 80 percent.

For more information on AUTOParkit, visit www.autoparkit.com

Follow Lawless Alan on Instagram and on the web: @lawless_alan / www.lawlessalanracing.com

Kris Wright – DoorDash 250 Race Advance

Race Advance – DoorDash 250 (75 Laps/149.25 Miles) | Sonoma Raceway
Saturday, June 11 | Sonoma, Calif. | 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: FS1 | Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN), Sirius XM Ch. 90
Team: No. 44 F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Kris Wright (Wexford, Pa.) | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @KrisOnNASCAR

Wright on making his debut at Sonoma Raceway: “I am excited to get back to a road course this weekend – especially to a track that I have never been to before. This will add to my growing NASCAR resume, I am learning a lot in this season. The 44 Niece Motorsports team is clicking more and more, I think we will have fun together driving this California track.”

Wright at Sonoma Raceway: This weekend marks Kris Wright’s first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series appearance at the 1.99-mile, 10-turn road course.

On the Truck: Wright will pilot the refreshed F.N.B. Corporation paint scheme for Saturday’s DoorDash 250 at Sonoma Raceway.

Last Time Out (Toyota 200 – Start: 17th / Finish: 33rd): Wright was collected in an incident in turn three on lap 93, forcing him to spin and make contact with the outside wall. The No. 44 F.N.B. Corporation team worked to make repairs to the rear of its Chevrolet Silverado, but were forced to take it behind the wall, resulting in a 33rd-place finish.

About Niece Motorsports

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2022, Niece Motorsports enters its seventh season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Media Inquiries: media@niecemotorsports.com www.niecemotorsports.com

About F.N.B. Corporation

F.N.B. Corporation (NYSE: FNB), headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a diversified financial services company operating in seven states and the District of Columbia. FNB’s market coverage spans several major metropolitan areas including: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; Cleveland, Ohio; Washington, D.C.; and Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and the Piedmont Triad (Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point) in North Carolina. The Company has total assets of approximately $42 billion and nearly 340 banking offices throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, D.C. and Virginia.

FNB provides a full range of commercial banking, consumer banking and wealth management solutions through its subsidiary network which is led by its largest affiliate, First National Bank of Pennsylvania, founded in 1864. Commercial banking solutions include corporate banking, small business banking, investment real estate financing, government banking, business credit, capital markets and lease financing. The consumer banking segment provides a full line of consumer banking products and services, including deposit products, mortgage lending, consumer lending and a complete suite of mobile and online banking services. FNB’s wealth management services include asset management, private banking and insurance.

The common stock of F.N.B. Corporation trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “FNB” and is included in Standard & Poor’s MidCap 400 Index with the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) Regional Banks SubIndustry Index. Customers, shareholders and investors can learn more about this regional financial institution by visiting the F.N.B. Corporation website at www.fnbcorporation.com.

Follow Kris Wright on Instagram and on the web: @KrisOnNASCAR / KrisWrightMotorsports.com

Carson Hocevar – DoorDash 250 Race Advance

Race Advance – DoorDash 250 (75 Laps/149.25 Miles) | Sonoma Raceway
Saturday, June 11 | Sonoma, Calif. | 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: FS1 | Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN), Sirius XM Ch. 90
Team: No. 42 Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Carson Hocevar (Portage, Mich.) | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @CarsonHocevar

Hocevar on the weekend at Sonoma Raceway: “I’m feeling better every day and I’m looking forward to being behind the wheel of the No. 42 Worldwide Express Chevrolet this weekend. I’m thankful for Daniel’s willingness to step up this weekend for our No. 42 team. None of this is possible without the great partnership Niece Motorsports has formed with Worldwide Express and Trackhouse Racing.”

Daniel Suárez on standby for Hocevar in Sonoma: As Carson Hocevar continues to recover from injuries sustained during a last lap accident in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) event at World Wide Technology Raceway on June 4, Daniel Suárez, driver of the No. 99 NASCAR Cup Series Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, has been tabbed to be on standby in the event of a driver change during Saturday’s DoorDash 250 at Sonoma Raceway.

Hocevar at Sonoma Raceway: Hocevar makes his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Sonoma Raceway Saturday.

On the Truck: Hocevar will pilot the No. 42 Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado Saturday at Sonoma Raceway.

Last Time Out (Toyota 200 – Start: 12th / Finish: 24th): Hocevar ran to a 13th-place finish in Stage One before a round of adjustments at the stage break positioned the No. 42 team to run up front with the leaders. Following several cautions and varying pit strategies, Hocevar turned in a sixth-place finish in Stage Two and assumed the lead to start the final stage after staying out under caution.

Hocevar went on to lead eight laps when the field went back green before settling into second-place, but was involved in the caution on lap 108, forcing him to restart 23rd. He made his way back up inside the top-10 in eighth prior to overtime, but was collected in a multi-truck incident on the last lap to result in a 24th-place finish.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2022, Niece Motorsports enters its seventh season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Media Inquiries: media@niecemotorsports.com www.niecemotorsports.com

About Worldwide Express:

Worldwide Express, LLC, is a full-service, non-asset-based logistics provider offering access to industry-leading small package, truckload and less-than-truckload shipping solutions and managed transportation services. The family of brands, comprised of Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz and Unishippers, serve more than 120,000 customers spanning from small and mid-size businesses to larger enterprises, with unmatched carrier options and strategic guidance for their supply chains.

With an annual systemwide revenue approaching $4 billion, the company is the second-largest privately held freight brokerage and largest non-retail UPS® Authorized Reseller in the country. Through a selective portfolio of 65+ LTL and tens of thousands of truckload carriers, and powered by proprietary technology, clients benefit from an award-winning, relationship-backed approach to solving their shipping needs. To learn more about the brands, visit wwexracing.com.

Ross Chastain – DoorDash 250 Race Advance

Race Advance – DoorDash 250 (75 Laps/149.25 Miles) | Sonoma Raceway
Saturday, June 11 | Sonoma, Calif. | 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: FS1 | Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN), Sirius XM Ch. 90
Team: No. 41 Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado
Driver: Ross Chastain (Alva, Fla.) | Crew Chief: Cody Efaw
Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @RossChastain

Chastain on making his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Sonoma: “I’m looking forward to going road course racing at Sonoma for the first time in the Truck Series with Worldwide Express. The road course program at Niece Motorsports has continued its upward progression in recent years as the Truck Series schedule has called for it and we’re ready to add another win sticker to our Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado out West this weekend.”

Triple Digit Starts in the Truck Series: Chastain makes his 100th career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start Saturday at Sonoma Raceway. Through 99 career races spanning 12 seasons in the series, Chastain has four wins (Kansas 2019, Gateway 2019, Pocono 2019, Charlotte 2022), 18 top-fives, and 43 top-10s.

Chastain at Sonoma Raceway (NCWTS): Chastain makes his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Sonoma Saturday.

Chastain has made two starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway, one each during the 2019 and 2021 seasons. He ran to a seventh-place finish in 2021 after starting 29th to secure his first career top-10 at the California road course.

On the Truck: Chastain will pilot the No. 41 Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado Saturday at Sonoma Raceway.

Last Time Out (North Carolina Education Lottery 200 – Start: 5th / Finish: 1st): Ross Chastain wheeled the No. 41 Worldwide Express Chevrolet to Niece Motorsports’ fourth victory in team history Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway in his 99th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start. Chastain led four laps Friday night en route to the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 victory after assuming the lead following a caution on the first green-white-checkered attempt.

The win marks Chastain’s fourth career NCWTS win and first since 2019. He has also won two NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) races this season at Circuit of the Americas (March 27) and Talladega (April 24). Chastain owns all four of Niece Motorsports’ victories to date in the NCWTS and marks his and the company’s first trip to victory lane since 2019.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2022, Niece Motorsports enters its seventh season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Media Inquiries: media@niecemotorsports.com www.niecemotorsports.com

About Worldwide Express

Worldwide Express, LLC, is a full-service, non-asset-based logistics provider offering access to industry-leading small package, truckload and less-than-truckload shipping solutions and managed transportation services. The family of brands, comprised of Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz and Unishippers, serve more than 120,000 customers spanning from small and mid-size businesses to larger enterprises, with unmatched carrier options and strategic guidance for their supply chains.

With an annual systemwide revenue approaching $4 billion, the company is the second-largest privately held freight brokerage and largest non-retail UPS® Authorized Reseller in the country. Through a selective portfolio of 65+ LTL and tens of thousands of truckload carriers, and powered by proprietary technology, clients benefit from an award-winning, relationship-backed approach to solving their shipping needs. To learn more about the brands, visit wwexracing.com.

Follow Ross Chastain on Instagram and on the web: @rosschastain / rosschastain.com