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Rasmussen Breaks Through with First Lights Win at Road America

By
Official Release
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ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Sunday, June 12, 2022) – After some near-wins and several heartbreaking weekends, Christian Rasmussen is a race winner in Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, scoring his first career win Sunday in the Indy Lights Grand Prix at Road America.

Danish driver Rasmussen beat his Andretti Autosport teammate Sting Ray Robb to the finish line by 2.3573 seconds in the No. 28 Road to Indy/Stellrecht car.

To secure the win, Rasmussen made a daring move to the outside of Robb’s No. 2 Sekady car in Turn 1 on a Lap 11 restart and never looked back. It was a similar heart-stopping move that he pulled on Robb on Lap 1 of the 20-lap race.

SEE: Race Results

Rasmussen, who won the 2020 USF2000 championship and the 2021 Indy Pro 2000 championship, led 18 of the 20 laps after starting third. The win came after he finished 13th in both races of the doubleheader last weekend at Detroit.

“It feels amazing,” Rasmussen said. “I think Detroit (last weekend) was the worst weekend of my life, so to bounce back with a win like this is definitely an amazing way to show everyone that we’re here and we’re able to compete for wins.”

Rookie Hunter McElrea drove to a strong third-place finish in the No. 27 Andretti Autosport car, holding off hard-charging championship leader Linus Lundqvist in the No. 26 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing car over the final nine laps. Jacob Abel rounded out the top five in the No. 51 Abel Speedwagon.

The race featured three cautions on the day, the most notable of which came on Lap 9 and resulted in a red flag and nearly four-hour break in the action.

Christian Bogle drove his No. 7 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing car over the curb outside Turn 5. It lifted the front of the car into the catch fence, damaging the fence and requiring a red flag for extensive repairs. Bogle was unhurt during the incident and finished 12th.

The time needed to fix the catch fence forced the final half of the Indy Lights race to be postponed to after the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at Road America, won by Josef Newgarden.

While pole sitter Robb couldn’t break his trend of being on the lower steps of the podium – he’s scored five podiums in seven races this season – he did inch ever so closer to points leader Lundqvist, who has had a dominating first half of the season.

After Lundqvist’s fourth-place finish, he’s still the Indy Lights points leader. But Robb jumped from fourth to second in the standings, 82 points back of his Swedish championship challenger.

Rasmussen jumped one position to sixth in the championship, 115 points back of Lundqvist. While Rasmussen has been strong in his rookie Indy Lights season, he’s rarely had the finishes to show for it.

He was on his way to a win in the season-opening race on the Streets of St. Petersburg, but a mechanical issue coming to the white flag prevented him from winning, and he finished 12th. In the second race of the season at Barber Motorsports Park, and just last weekend in the Detroit doubleheader, Rasmussen had a strong car, but contact prevented him from finishing better.

He was 11th at Barber and 13th in both Detroit races last weekend, which made Sunday’s win all the sweeter as he redeemed himself and found Victory Lane on the 14-turn, 4.048-mile road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

“It’s been coming,” Rasmussen said. “It’s been coming for quite a while. I’m just so happy I can give it to these Andretti Autosport boys. I feel like we’ve deserved it a few times now, so finally being able to do it is a great feeling.”

Indy Lights is back in action after a two-week break with the eighth race of the season, at 11:30 a.m. (ET) Sunday, July 3 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, live on Peacock Premium and 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.

Newgarden Wins at Road America, Claims $1 Million PeopleReady Bonus

By
Official Release
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ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Sunday, June 12, 2022) – It’s safe to say Josef Newgarden feels like a million bucks after winning the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR on Sunday.

Newgarden drove to his third victory of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season in the No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet and earned the $1 million PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge bonus. The Challenge rewards the first driver to win on all three types of circuits – road courses, street circuits and oval tracks – in 2022.

The $1 million is shared, with $500,000 going to Team Penske and Nashville-area native Newgarden and $500,000 donated to Newgarden’s chosen charities. Newgarden, who previously won this season on the Texas Motor Speedway oval and the Long Beach street circuit, selected two charities to split the $500,000 portion – SeriousFun Children’s Network and Wags and Walks Nashville.

SEE: Race Results

“To finally get it done and most importantly to give that money to charity, half of that money is going to charity with SeriousFun Network and Wags and Walks Nashville,” Newgarden said. “I hope they’re happy about it. That’s a lot of money coming their way.

“You’ve got to be on your toes at all times (in this series). You can go in with a plan, but you probably have to change your plan 90 percent of the time once the race starts to unfold. To be able to hit all these disciplines with this team, for me it’s the best series in the world.”

2022 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Marcus Ericsson finished second in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, 3.3710 seconds behind Newgarden. It was Ericsson’s fourth consecutive top-seven finish, and he regained the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship lead by 27 points over previous leader Will Power, who finished 19th in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.

NTT P1 Award winner Alexander Rossi finished third in the No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda. A second consecutive podium result this month continued a strong surge for Rossi, who has three straight top-five finishes this season.

Romain Grosjean finished fourth in the No. 28 DHL Honda, with teammate Colton Herta rounding out the top five in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda after starting 11th. Andretti Autosport placed three cars in the top five – Rossi, Grosjean and Herta.

Newgarden, who started second, prevailed despite two cautions in the last 10 laps of the race that evaporated his 2.8-second lead over Rossi.

The first restart, on Lap 50, lasted less than half a lap because four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves spun in his No. 06 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda exiting the final turn on the uphill climb to the green flag. That bunched the field again on the 14-turn, 4.048-mile road course for a restart on Lap 52, with Newgarden leading Rossi, Ericsson, Herta and Grosjean.

Two-time series champion Newgarden rocketed away from the field on the second restart, just as he did the first. Those rapid restarts built too big of a gap for any challenges, helping Newgarden avoid a repeat of his heartache in last year’s race at Road America, when he lost the lead to Alex Palou due to a mechanical problem on a restart with two laps to go.

Newgarden led a race-high 26 of 55 laps, taking the top spot for good during rivals’ pit stops on Lap 43.

“I was just trying to stay focused on what I had to do,” Newgarden said. “Just an unbelievable job by everybody at Team Penske.”

While Newgarden was locked into a winning groove over the last three laps, a mad scramble for the next four positions unfolded behind him.

Ericsson dove under Rossi in Turn 1 on Lap 53 after the restart to take second. Then Grosjean passed Herta for fourth place while crossing under the flag stand with the white flag unfurled to signal the final lap.

“I tried to be really aggressive on that last restart, and it cost us,” Rossi said. “But we were trying to win the race. But ultimately a good day. Josef certainly had a little better base than us, and it took us until the last stint to dial in the balance of the car.

“We were coming back on him pretty quickly. I don’t think we could have beat him, but all in all, it was a good day.”

The runner-up finish for Ericsson came despite contact with teammate and reigning series champion Palou while racing for third in Turn 5 on Lap 4. Palou finished 27th in the No. 10 The American Legion Honda.

“First of all, I’m really sorry,” Ericsson said. “You never want to have contact with a teammate. From my point of view, the door was open, and I was already side by side. If you see a gap, you go for it. It’s important at the beginning of the race to get track position.

“It was a really good race, and we had a really strong weekend. Super happy with P2.”

The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by the All-New Civic Type R on Sunday, July 3 (noon ET, NBC, Peacock Premium, INDYCAR Radio Network).

Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America
presented by AMR Race Results

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Results Sunday of the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on the 4.048-mile Road America, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):

  1. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 55, Running
  2. (4) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 55, Running
  3. (1) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 55, Running
  4. (6) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 55, Running
  5. (11) Colton Herta, Honda, 55, Running
  6. (7) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 55, Running
  7. (8) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 55, Running
  8. (22) Graham Rahal, Honda, 55, Running
  9. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 55, Running
  10. (13) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 55, Running
  11. (12) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 55, Running
  12. (10) Simon Pagenaud, Honda, 55, Running
  13. (20) Jack Harvey, Honda, 55, Running
  14. (18) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 55, Running
  15. (19) Takuma Sato, Honda, 55, Running
  16. (14) David Malukas, Honda, 55, Running
  17. (17) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 55, Running
  18. (21) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 55, Running
  19. (15) Will Power, Chevrolet, 55, Running
  20. (24) Kyle Kirkwood, Chevrolet, 55, Running
  21. (27) Simona De Silvestro, Chevrolet, 55, Running
  22. (16) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 55, Running
  23. (23) Dalton Kellett, Chevrolet, 55, Running
  24. (26) Jimmie Johnson, Honda, 54, Running
  25. (25) Tatiana Calderon, Chevrolet, 54, Running
  26. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 46, Mechanical
  27. (3) Alex Palou, Honda, 36, Contact

Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 117.174 mph
Time of Race: 01:53:02.8097
Margin of victory: 3.3710 seconds
Cautions: 5 for 9 laps
Lead changes: 10 among 7 drivers

Lap Leaders:
Rossi, Alexander 1 – 14
Ericsson, Marcus 15 – 16
Sato, Takuma 17
Rosenqvist, Felix 18 – 24
Newgarden, Josef 25 – 27
Rossi, Alexander 28 – 29
Grosjean, Romain 30
Lundgaard, Christian 31
Newgarden, Josef 32 – 41
Ericsson, Marcus 42
Newgarden, Josef 43 – 55

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Point Standings: Ericsson 293, Power 266, Newgarden 261, O’Ward 248, Palou 246, Dixon 224, Rossi 218, Rosenqvist 203, McLaughlin 199, Pagenaud 197.

NASCAR’s Busch Light Clash to Make Triumphant Return to Historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

By
Official Release
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 12, 2022) – The roar of engines will fill the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum once again when NASCAR’s Busch Light Clash returns to the iconic venue in 2023. Following the resounding success of the inaugural event, the exhibition race will return to the quarter-mile race track to begin the 2023 season on February 5th on FOX.

“Our entire industry made a bold move by bringing the Busch Light Clash to the L.A. Coliseum this past February and it paid off by becoming an instant classic with both new and existing fans,” said Ben Kennedy, Senior Vice President, Racing Development and Strategy. “We are intent on showcasing our sport and drivers on the biggest stage and there is none bigger than the L.A. Coliseum. We’re thrilled to return to the heart of Los Angeles to officially start the season and set the stage for the Daytona 500.”

The Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum will be broadcasted live on FOX and will serve as a star-studded prelude to the DAYTONA 500 two weeks later. The exhibition also serves as the first of three visits to California with NASCAR’s premier series also visiting Auto Club Speedway and Sonoma Raceway in 2023. The remainder of next season’s NASCAR Cup Series schedule, including dates, will be announced at a later date.

“With more than four million viewers, and really breaking through in a pop culture mecca like Los Angeles, the inaugural Clash at the Coliseum did everything it was intended to do and then some,” said Bill Wanger, FOX Sports EVP, Head of Programming and Scheduling. “It energized the sport, delivered new eyeballs and kicked off the season in grand fashion. We can’t wait to do it all again in 2023.”

The 2022 Busch Light Clash was an incredible success, boldly transforming the exhibition into a national spectacle. The race delivered on its broad-scale interest with new and existing fans, as approximately 70% of ticket buyers were attending their first NASCAR race. The event was the highest viewed Busch Light Clash since 2016 and featured more than 30 corporate sponsors, none more prominent than NASCAR Premier Partner Busch Light.

“For decades, Busch Light has been a passionate supporter of NASCAR, and it is through races like The 2022 Busch Light Clash that we are able to bring unmatched motorsports experiences to our fans,” said Krystyn Stowe Head of Marketing for Busch Family Brands at Anheuser-Busch. “This race provides a unique opportunity for us to engage with both new and lifelong fans in markets where demand for Busch Light is growing.”

Tickets for the season-opening event will go on-sale in early August. Fans can visit nascarclash.com to register to be part of an exclusive pre-sale offer and learn more about the 2023 Busch Light Clash. Additionally, fans can now be a part of the Clash conversation on Twitter and Facebook @nascarclash.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (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 (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series™) and three international series (NASCAR Pinty’s Series™, NASCAR Mexico Series™, NASCAR Whelen Euro 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 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a living memorial to all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I, has been a civic treasure for generations of Angelenos. Located in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA, the Coliseum is a 77,500 capacity multi-purpose stadium which opened in 1923. Home to the USC Trojans, the legendary stadium has been named as one of the nation’s 40 best stadiums to experience college football by Sporting News, and ranked USC football at the Coliseum as the nation’s No. 3 stadium experience by StadiumJourney.com. Following a recent renovation in 2019, the stadium is now home to a newly added seven-story suite and press tower which includes luxurious suites, loge boxes, club seats, a new press box, and the rooftop 1923 Club with a 360-degree view of the Los Angeles basin; along with several upgrades including new seating, updated technology and concession stands, additional food options for guests, and much more.

The legacy of events and individuals hosted in nine-plus-decades reads like no other, including the only venue to host two Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and the Track and Field Competition for the Summer Olympics (Xth Olympiad in 1932, XXIIIrd Olympiad in 1984) and soon a third (XXXIVth Olympiad in 2028); home to college football’s USC Trojans since 1923 and the UCLA Bruins (1928-1981); professional football’s Los Angeles Rams (1946-1979 and 2016-2019); appearances by U.S. Presidents Franklin D Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan; and international dignitaries such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama, and Nelson Mandela, to name a few. Additionally, the Coliseum, designated a National Historic monument in 1984, has hosted some of the greatest acts in entertainment, including Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Prince, and many more. For more information please visit lacoliseum.com.

KENNINGTON PUTS CASTROL EDGE DODGE ON THE PODIUM AT CHAUDIÈRE

By
Official Release
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June 12, 2022. DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team had shown plenty of speed in early season events of the 2022 NASCAR Pinty’s Series and for round three this past weekend in the 250-lap race at the Autodrome Chaudière near Valley Jonction, Quebec Kennington claimed a podium finish at the challenging oval.

The #17 Castrol Edge Dodge wasn’t the quickest on the time sheets through practice and qualifying but a confident Kennington knew he had a racecar that could get to the front of the field. In the first half of the race Kennington moved from his tenth starting position into the top five just after lap 80.

During the schedule midway break for fuel and fresh tires the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge made some handling adjustments and Kennington continued his charge ahead when racing resumed and took over the lead before lap 150.

As the race wound down Kennington would surrender the top spot but continue to race hard with the leaders and claim a third-place finish in the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge.

DJ Kennington Quotes:
”Nice to have the Castrol Edge Dodge up front where it belongs showing off the new look”
“I felt good about our chances all day, I knew the car would race well and once we got the green it was fast, and we were moving forward”.
“We might have adjusted a little too much anticipating the track temperature to cool down, that’s on me. But this is the kind of result we’re expecting every weekend. Look out Newfoundland, we’re coming for you”.

Next up:
DJ Kennington and the Castrol Edge Dodge team will make their first ever trip to Newfoundland and race 225 laps at Eastbound International Speedway on Saturday June 25th.

TV & Live Streaming
The race from the Autodrome Chaudière will air on TSN Saturday June 18th at 3PM Eastern and on RDS2 at a date and time to be determined. All races are streamed live on TSN.ca and the TSN app in Canada and through FloRacing in the United States.

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

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

Round 3 Racings Returns to Daytona Podium

By
Official Release
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Racing through the rain and lightning delays on the high banks

Daytona Beach, Fla (12 June 2022) -It was a stormy return to the “World Center of Racing” as Round 3 Racing (R3R) took to Daytona International Speedway for the 14 hours of Daytona this weekend. The team entered the World Racing League powered by Hagerty event looking to build on its winning momentum from Road America.

While the weather conditions made for challenging running for drivers and crew alike, the squad kept up the fight to bring all four team entries to the checkered flag and score new hardware with a podium finish.

No. 401 TEAM HAGERTY MOTORSPORTS BMW M4 GT4 (GTO)

For the third race weekend in a row, the No. 401 BMW started from the pole position after Cole Loftsgard carded the fastest lap before the rain set in early on Friday. Loftsgard manned the controls for the start, keeping the car in the lead pack before handing the car over to Brian Ghidinelli.

Regaining momentum after sitting through the first two-hour lightning delay, Ghidinelli then passed the controls of the No. 401 Team Hagerty Motorsports BMW to Brad McCall in podium position. But another lightning delay soon followed, with McCall returning to action as conditions called for an extra stop for rain tires. The weather and track continued to change, with Ghidinelli taking over for the final stint on dry tires to bring the BMW home sixth at the finish.

“I was hoping for the ‘pro experience’– driving GT cars under the lights, and finishing the race in the No. 401 Hagerty car delivered that!” said Ghidinelli. “The team did a great job reacting to changing Florida weather and making tire calls. Congratulations to the No. 605 on their double-points podium!”

No. 609 TEAM SENTINEL BMW M4 GT4 (GTO)

The No. 609 Team Sentinel BMW GT4 started the race from seventeenth as a new line-up saw Sarah Montgomery team with Jonathan Vasquez, Ron Hugate and Joe Gaudette. Montgomery started the race, making rapid progress to the top five early in the run.

The driving duties were exchanged between Vasquez and Hugate with a lightning delay interrupting the action. The duo was able to keep the BMW within the top ten before the second lightning delay. Montgomery hopped back in the seat for the remainder of the race, bringing the car home in seventh place.

“The race, overall, was pretty good,” said Vasquez. “It started out pretty rough, but we were able to make it up. The rain changed our strategy and unfortunately it was not on our side. We brought it back in one piece and were overall very happy with the car today.”

No. 701 TEAM COOPER TIRES PORSCHE CAYMAN (GP1)

The No. 701 Cooper Tires Porsche Cayman team brought home a fourth-place finish after battling against weather and mechanical issues. Starting in the front row, Zack Ping was first in the car and drove the Cayman to the front of the GP1 class. Mo Dadkhah was next behind the wheel before handing the No. 701 to Shea Holbrook. Holbrook encountered a broken lower control arm during her stint that set the team back a few laps while the car was in pit lane. After rebounding the Cayman back to fourth, Holbrook handed the car back to Ping. Ping drove the car to second place before handing the car back to Dadkhah. During Dadkhah’s first lap out, he came back down pit road due to a shifter linkage issue that again set the car back.

Dadkhah’s stint ended early due to a second lightning delay. Going back green with just over two hours left, Holbrook got behind the wheel. The team maintained fifth place late in the race, with Ping keeping up the pursuit to score fourth place at the finish.

“We started off well, and looked like it was going to be our race,” said Ping. “Unfortunately we had two mechanical problems that set us back a little. My teammates, Shea (Holbrook) and Mo (Dadkhah), and I fought our way back to get a solid fourth place finish. Finishing the entire 14 hours helped us close the gap in the championship!”

No. 605 TEAM HAGERTY DRIVERS CLUB PORSCHE BOXSTER (GP3)

The No. 605 Team Hagerty Drivers Club team, made up of Carter Pease, Dennis Neel, Buz McCall, and Hannah Grisham, battled their way to a podium finish during the 14-hour race. Neel opened the race from the front row, with Grisham up next, fighting for the lead before a lightning delay halted the back and forth.

Going back to green, McCall jumped in next, but fell behind after an issue with the throttle on the No. 605. The team sat in fourth place when the second lightning delay occurred. Pease got in the driver’s seat as the field went back green, where he remained to finish the race. He charged the Boxster up to second place, where he took the checkered. The double-points finish helped solidify points for the reigning national championship team.

“It was definitely an up and down day,” said Neel. “We went from starting out great to getting caught out in a couple cautions, to making our way back. We then had issues with the gas pedal and then had to claw our way back again and ended up in second. If we’re going to end the day on the up, I’ll take it and move on to the next race! It was a good points day for us too, which will help us as we try to repeat as national champions.”

The team will compete next on July 8-10 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for two eight-hour races.

WIGHT MOTORSPORTS WINS AT CHAUDIÈRE

By
Official Release
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The #27 team in Victory Lane. Credit: Matthew Manor

First victory of the year for Ranger

(June 12, 2022) The Wight Motorsports Inc (WMI) prepared #27 driven by Roxton Pond, Quebec’s Andrew Ranger scored the race win at round number four of the NASCAR Pinty’s Series this past Saturday at the Autodrome Chaudière near Valley Jonction, Quebec. It was the second win at the quarter-mile track for Ranger and the first win as a Crew Chief for Cayden Lapcevich with the team.

After starting the 250-lap race in eighth position Ranger had made his way to second position by the scheduled midway break. However, a pit stop penalty sent Ranger to the back of the field for the restart. When the race resumed Ranger was able to run both high and low effectively on the track and once again charged to the front taking over top spot and holding on for the 31st win of his career.

It was a strong showing for several WMI cars with Rookie of the Year contender Brandon Watson climbing up to fifth spot before a spin set him back. Watson still managed a ninth-place result. A late race tangle also prevented Mark Dilley from picking up a top-ten finish.

QUOTES:
“What a great drive by Andrew to pick up the victory. The team did a great job to adjust the car during practice, good call by Cayden during the pit stop not to make big changes and let the race play out. Happy for both to pick up their first win together”.

“Really nice drive by Brandon too. He’s never been here before and started mid-pack but drove a smart race to get up to fifth. It’s disappointing he got turned around by another car, but he still managed a top-ten finish”.

“Disappointed for Mark too, he also got tangled up with another driver. After getting hit in a big collision near the end of the race we’re glad TJ is okay. And Glenn had a mechanical issue putting him out early. We’ve got a bit of work to do before the next race in Newfoundland”.
-David Wight, WMI Principal

WMI TEAM RESULTS:
Ranger 1st, Watson 9th, Dilley 12th, Rinomato 20th, Styres 23rd

TV & LIVE STREAMING
The race from the Autodrome Chaudière will be broadcast on TSN Saturday June 18th at 3PM Eastern. It will also air on RDS2 at a date and time to be determined. All races are streamed live on TSN.ca and the TSN app in Canada and through FloRacing in the United States.

NEXT EVENT:
Round four of the 2022 season will take the WMI teams to Newfoundland and the Pinty’s Series first ever visit to Eastbound International Speedway for 225 laps of action on Saturday June 25th.

The 2022 NASCAR Pinty’s Series will consist of 13 total races in five provinces with a mixture of oval tracks, road and street courses.

Race fans can get the latest information regarding WMI and the drivers on these social media channels:

Wight Motorsports Inc Twitter @Wightmotorsport Instagram @wightmotorsport

Brandon Watson: Instagram @brandonwatson_9

Mark Dilley: Twitter @MarkDilley9 Instagram @markdilley

TJ Rinomato: Twitter TJ_Rinomato Instagram @tjrinomato

Andrew Ranger: Twitter @AndrewRanger51 Instagram @andrew_ranger27

Glenn Styres: Twitter @GlennStyres Instagram @glennstyres

CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: No Words

By
Official Release
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Both Corvettes retire early in final GTE Pro race at 24 Hours

LE MANS, France (June 12, 2022) – Corvette Racing’s GTE Pro run at the 24 Hours of Le Mans ended with retirements of both Chevrolet Corvette C8.Rs on Sunday.

Alexander Sims in the No. 64 Corvette was fighting to regain the class lead just before the 18-hour mark when a prototype competitor moved into him on the Mulsanne Straight. The contact, with Sims on the far-left with two LMP2 cars going by, pitched the Corvette hard left into the guardrail nose-first.

Sims exited the car unassisted and was fine upon his return to the paddock. He, along with FIA World Endurance Championship teammates Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy, took turns leading in the pole-winning Corvette. Sims earlier set the fastest GTE Pro lap of the race.

Only moments earlier, Corvette Racing had retired the No. 63 Corvette due to significant mechanical damage – seen and unseen – at the rear of the car. It was unclear if this was a continuation from an earlier suspension issue in the race’s first six hours. Every effort was made to get the car back into the race, but due to safety concerns for the team’s drivers and fellow competitors, the decision was made to retire.

“This isn’t how we wanted our Le Mans race to end,” said Laura Klauser, GM Sports Car Racing Program Manager. “We’re all proud of the dedication of everyone on the Corvette Racing team to give us the absolute best chance for our ninth class victory. At the end of the day, we’re all proud to be part of the One Team effort that is Corvette Racing. We’re glad Alexander is OK and that the C8.R kept him safe. Our focus now is on our two full-season efforts in the WEC and also the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.”

CORVETTE RACING AU MANS: Sans paroles

Les deux Corvettes abandonnent dans la course des GTE Pro aux 24 Heures

LE MANS, le 12 juin 2022 – La course du Corvette Racing aux 24 Heures du Mans s’est terminée par l’abandon des deux Chevrolet Corvette C8.R dimanche matin.

Alexander Sims, au volant de la Corvette n°64, se battait pour reprendre la tête de la catégorie GTE Pro juste avant la 18e heure lorsqu’un concurrent prototype l’a percuté sur la ligne droite des Hunaudières. Le contact, alors que Sims se trouvait à l’extrême gauche et que deux voitures LMP2 le dépassaient, a envoyé la Corvette de front dans les rails.

Sims est sorti de la voiture sans assistance et se sentait bien à son retour dans le paddock. Avec ses coéquipiers du Championnat du monde d’Endurance, Tommy Milner et Nick Tandy, il s’est relayé en tête de la Corvette qui a remporté la pole. Sims avait auparavant réalisé le tour le plus rapide de la course en GTE Pro.

Quelques instants plus tôt, Corvette Racing avait retiré la Corvette n° 63 en raison d’importants dégâts mécaniques – visibles et invisibles – à l’arrière de la voiture. Il n’était pas clair s’il s’agissait de la suite d’un problème de suspension survenu au cours des six premières heures de la course. Tout a été fait pour que la voiture reprenne la course, mais pour des raisons de sécurité pour les pilotes et les autres concurrents, la décision a été prise de retirer la voiture.

“Ce n’est pas comme ça que nous voulions que notre course au Mans se termine,” disait Laura Klauser, GM Sports Car Racing Program Manager. “Nous sommes tous fiers de l’engagement de tous les membres du team Corvette Racing pour nous donner les meilleures chances de remporter notre neuvième victoire de catégorie . En fin de compte, nous sommes tous fiers de faire partie de l’effort de l’équipe unique qu’est Corvette Racing. Nous sommes heureux qu’Alexander aille bien et que la C8.R l’ait bien protégé. Désormais, nous nous concentrons sur nos deux efforts en WEC et aussi dans le championnat IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar”.

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.

DGR NCWTS Race Recap: Sonoma Raceway

By
Official Release
-

Saturday, June 11
Track: Sonoma Raceway, 1.99-mile road course
Race: 12 of 23
Event: DoorDash 250 (75 laps, 149.25 miles)

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Monster Energy Ford F-150

Start: 9th
Stage 1: 10th
Stage 2: 9th
Finish: 32nd

Hailie Deegan qualified ninth for the DoorDash 250. At the end of Stage 1, the Monster Energy F-150 was in the 10th position to earn one stage point. A penalty on pit road for a crew member over the wall too soon relegated Deegan to the back of the field for Stage 2. She did not short pit the stage and ended up ninth in Stage 2. With ten laps to go in the race, a flat right front tire sent the No. 1 into the wall on the frontstretch and ended Deegan’s day early. She was credited with 32nd.

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performance F-150

Start: 27th
Stage 1: 27th
Stage 2: 26th
Finish: 13th

Tanner Gray qualified 27th and maintained there at the end of Stage 1. After pitting for tires and adjustments at the stage break, the Ford Performance truck restarted 17th. Jerry Baxter short pitted Gray with three to go in Stage 2 and they settled for 26th in the stage rundown. The New Mexico driver restarted the final stage in 10th and survived the late race attrition to finish 13th.

Harrison Burton, No. 17 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford F-150

Start: 23rd
Stage 1: 33rd
Stage 2: 28th
Finish: 12th

Harrison Burton qualified 23rd for Saturday’s 75-lap event. The team short pitted Stage 1 and settled for 33rd. During the break, the team worked on troubleshooting an engine issue and pitted multiple times. Burton ran around 28th for Stage 2 and short pitted the stage once again. He restarted 12th for the final stage and managed to hang right around the top-10 throughout the final 20 laps and bring home a 12th-place finish.

Next event: Clean Harbors 150 at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa on June 18 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

GMS Racing NCWTS Race Recap: Sonoma

By
SM Staff
-

Grant Enfinger, No. 23 Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 8TH
FINISH: 11TH
POINTS: 9TH

Quote: “Crazy race at Sonoma for our No. 23 team. Our GMS Racing guys did great battling back after I spun in the second stage to come back and finish 11th. I feel like we had a solid Champion Power Equipment Chevy today. We have some stuff to build on for Mid-Ohio, and a couple of things to work on as well. I’m looking forward to getting back on the dirt next week at Knoxville.”

Jack Wood, No. 24 Cooks Collision Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 28TH
FINISH: 16TH
POINTS: 23RD

Quote: “Long day with doing double duty between running the ARCA West and Truck race at Sonoma. I’m proud of my No. 24 team, I think we showed some pretty good speed and were finally able to get our ship sailing in the right direction towards the end of the race. There’s definitely still a want to gain some more, but we had a solid day and I gained a lot of confidence heading into the coming weeks of Knoxville and Nashville.”

ABOUT GMS RACING:

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series operating the No. 23 and the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs, as well as the ARCA Menards Series with the No. 43 Chevrolet SS. Since the team was formed in 2012, GMS Racing has won five titles across multiple series, including the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship, the 2015 ARCA Menards Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA Menards Series East championships. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. including operations for GMS Fabrication. The GMS Racing campus also houses operations for Petty GMS, a two car full-time NASCAR Cup Series team formed in 2021.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow GMS Racing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Toyota Racing – NCWTS Sonoma Post-Race Report – 06.11.22

By
Official Release
-

BUSCH CLAIMS VICTORY IN TRUCK SERIES RETURN TO SONOMA
Kyle Busch earns first Truck Series road course victory

SONOMA, Calif. (June 11, 2022) – Kyle Busch earned his first Truck Series win of the season at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday afternoon. It was Busch’s fifth, and final, Truck Series start of the season. Busch was joined inside the top-five by Ty Majeski (third), who scored his first stage win today, and Chandler Smith (fifth).

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Sonoma Raceway
Race 12 of 23 – 75 Laps, 149.25 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, KYLE BUSCH
2nd, Zane Smith*
3rd, TY MAJESKI
4th, Ross Chastain*
5th, CHANDLER SMITH
8th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
9th, TYLER ANKRUM
15th, CHASE PURDY
18th, BEN RHODES
20th, TODD BODINE
22nd, BRAD PEREZ
28th, TIMMY HILL
30th, JOSH BILICKI
31st, STEWART FRIESEN
33rd, JADE BUFORD
34th, MATT CRAFTON
35th, CHRISTIAN ECKES
36th, STEFAN PARSONS
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

KYLE BUSCH, No. 51 Yahoo! Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 1st

What does it mean for you to get a win here in Sonoma?

“It means a lot. You look back at the history of the sport and the Truck Series growing up in California, these were their parts. It basically started in Bakersfield and Sonoma on a yearly basis there, so now that its back, it was good to come out and knock the rust off a little bit with the road racing and stuff. I didn’t want to run sim this week, so I thought the road course would knock that off. Certainly, it feels good to get our Yahoo! Toyota Tundra TRD Pro here in victory lane. Being a part of Kyle Busch Motorsports, and us being in the sport this long, it means a lot to get more diverse tracks on the schedule and get some wins at those places. Our Rowdy Manufacturing chassis was awesome today, and these guys did a really good job working their butts off.”

How important was it for you to keep the win streak going?

“I look back on the missed year of 2011 or 2012, where I didn’t get a win. I think we finished second like six times that year or something stupid. That was frustrating. That’s more bitter than this one not winning, but it’s good to be able to score a win. We were in position a few times this year. We had a couple really, really fast race trucks. Vegas comes to mind, COTA (Circuit of the Americas) comes to mind, so we didn’t miss by very much, just circumstances, but proud to get one today. Everything kind of went our way, and we had a fast truck.”

TY MAJESKI, No. 66 Cincinnati Incorporated Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, ThorSport Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

How does another top-five feel?

“At a road course, it feels pretty good. This is only my second or third road course race in a truck, so I’m really green at it, especially in a stock car side. Just thankful we had a good truck and we could put it all together. Toyota gives us a lot of great tools to shorten that learning curve and I’ve always used iRacing.com. I’m a huge advocate of their software and I use that a bunch. We have a SimCraft simulator at the shop. Just ran hard with the laps on there to shorten that learning curve, and thankful we had a great Cincinnati Toyota Tundra today.”

CHANDLER SMITH, No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 5th

Can you walk me through those last two laps?

“I made way too many mistakes honestly. I spun the tires like no tomorrow. We got clear and then the 38 (Zane Smith) got inside. Honestly, the race was so long at the very end – that green, white-checkered, when you got to the frontstretch, all the way to (turn) four, you couldn’t see at all and that threw me off so bad. Everybody was on the same boat, but I couldn’t literally see anything whatsoever. It threw me off really bad honestly, but I’m really happy. It was a really good big, picture day for my Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra. With that being sad, happy for everybody at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports). Looking forward to going to play in some dirt.”

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About Toyota

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

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

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

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