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Larson notches fifth consecutive Cup Series pole at Sonoma Raceway

By
Andrew Kim
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SONOMA, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 11: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, poses for photos after winning the pole award during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 11, 2022 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images).

For a fifth consecutive time, Kyle Larson will be leading the field to the green flag from the pole position at Sonoma Raceway.

The reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion from Elk Grove, California, clocked in a pole-winning lap at 91.936 mph in 77.776 seconds to place his No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at the top of the leaderboard and claim the Busch Light Pole Award for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350.

The pole award at Sonoma was Larson’s fifth at the track, the second of the 2022 Cup season and the 12th of his career, placing him in a tie with Ricky Rudd for second place on the all-time pole list at Sonoma and one behind Jeff Gordon. With the pole, Larson aims to defend his victory at his home track following his dominant win a year ago, where he swept both stages leading up to the victory.

“[The qualifying run] was good,” Larson, who was slipping sideways entering the Chute corner from Turns 4 to 7, said on FS2. “I was a little bit surprised I ran that seventy-something I ran because I gave up a lot of time in Turn 4 and 7. Had I had those two corners back, I feel like I could’ve been quite a bit faster. Just really good HendrickCars.com Chevy. Thanks to everybody at our team and everybody back at the shop. Engine shop. Excited about it, but for [teammate] Chase [Elliott] to lay down that lap, I feel like that shows how strong he is because he was really good on race trim, too. I got to figure some things out on my end. I think my car’s capable of racing good. I just got to get a little bit better on the long runs and hopefully, have a good shot.”

Teammate Chase Elliott will be sharing the front row with Larson after he posted a fast qualifying lap at 77.799 mph in 92.083 seconds in his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Elliott will be pursuing his first victory at Sonoma after finishing in the runner-up spot behind Larson a year ago.

Chris Buescher, who makes his return behind the wheel of the No 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang after being absent last weekend at Gateway following a positive COVID-19 test, was the third-fastest qualifier while Michael McDowell and Tyler Reddick will start in the top five. Rounding out the top-10 qualifying spots are Cole Custer, Ross Chastain, Daniel Suarez, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin, respectively.

Kurt Busch, the first competitor who did not transfer to the final round, will start in 11th place in his No. 45 Monster Energy Toyota TRD Camry followed by brother Kyle, Austin Dillon, Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, AJ Allmendinger, Joey Hand, Justin Haley, Alex Bowman and William Byron, respectively. Todd Gilliland was the fastest-rookie qualifier in 24th place in front of Austin Cindric and Harrison Burton.

Cody Ware was the only competitor who did not post a qualifying lap due to his No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford Mustang failing pre-qualifying inspection three times. As a result, Ware will be assessed a drive-through penalty following the drop of the green flag at Sonoma and his car chief Steve Gray has been suspended for the remainder of the weekend.

Qualifying position, time, speed

1. Kyle Larson, 77.776 seconds, 92.111 mph

2. Chase Elliott, 77.799 seconds, 92.038 mph

3. Chris Buescher, 77.938 seconds, 91.919 mph

4. Michael McDowell, 77.941 seconds, 91.916 mph

5. Tyler Reddick, 78.021 seconds, 91.821 mph

6. Cole Custer, 78.070 seconds, 91.764 mph

7. Ross Chastain, 78.137 seconds, 91.685 mph

8. Daniel Suarez, 78.148 seconds, 91.672 mph

9. Joey Logano, 78.276 seconds, 91.522 mph

10. Denny Hamlin, 78.515 seconds, 91.244 mph

11. Kurt Busch, 78.244 seconds, 91.560 mph

12. Kyle Busch, 78.275 seconds, 91.523 mph

13. Austin Dillon, 78.319 seconds, 91.472 mph

14. Ryan Blaney, 78.472 seconds, 91.294 mph

15. Chase Briscoe, 78.507 seconds, 91.253 mph

16. AJ Allmendinger, 78.572 seconds, 91.178 mph

17. Joey Hand, 78.578 seconds, 91.171 mph

18. Justin Haley, 78.603 seconds, 91.142 mph

19. Alex Bowman, 78.664 seconds, 91.071 mph

20. William Byron, 78.691 seconds, 91.040 mph

21. Aric Almirola, 78.706 seconds, 91.022 mph

22. Brad Keselowski, 78.829 seconds, 90.880 mph

23. Kevin Harvick, 78.857 seconds, 90.848 mph

24. Todd Gilliland, 79.065 seconds, 90.609 mph

25. Austin Cindric, 79.300 seconds, 90.340 mph

26. Harrison Burton, 79.315 seconds, 90.323 mph

27. Bubba Wallace, 79.337 seconds, 90.298 mph

28. Martin Truex Jr., 79.356 seconds, 90.277 mph

29. Josh Bilicki, 79.493 seconds, 90.298 mph

30. Corey LaJoie, 79.544 seconds, 90.063 mph

31. Christopher Bell, 79.553 seconds, 90.053 mph

32. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 79.617 seconds, 89.981 mph

33. Erik Jones, 79.711 seconds, 89.875 mph

34. Ty Dillon, 80.037 seconds, 89.509 mph

35. Scott Heckert, 81.171 seconds, 88.258 mph

36. Cody Ware – Did not qualify

The Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway is scheduled to commence on Sunday, June 12, at 4 p.m. ET on FS1.

Jake Drew scores second ARCA Menards Series West career victory at Sonoma

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by David Myers for SpeedwayMedia.com.

A week after notching his first victory at Portland International Raceway, Jake Drew went back-to-back in the ARCA Menards Series West after winning the General Tire 200 at Sonoma Raceway from pole position on Saturday, June 11.

The 22-year-old Drew from Fullerton, California, and who drives for Sunrise Ford Racing, dominated from start to finish, leading a race-high 48 of 56 laps, and survived the carnage, a series of restarts and late challenges from Landen Lewis and Drew Moore before the latter two were collected in a late wreck that eventually shortened the event to claim the checkered flag under caution.

With on-track practice and qualifying sessions that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, Jake Drew started on pole position after clocking in a pole-winning lap at 1:20.397 in 89.108 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Landen Lewis, whose best lap occurred at 1:21.134 mph in 88.298 seconds.

When the green flag waved and the race started, Drew cleared the field entering the first turn to lead through the first three turns and approaching the return of the Chute from Turns 4 and 7. Through Turns 8 through 11, Drew retained the lead and led the first lap followed by Landen Lewis, Todd Souza, Dale Quarterley and Austin Herzog.

Through the first five laps, Drew remained as the leader ahead of Lewis, Souza, Quarterley and Herzog while Tanner Reif, Sebastian Arias, Paul Pedroncelli Jr., Jack Wood and Dean Thompson were in the top 10. 

Four laps later, the first caution of the event flew when Nick Joanides stalled his car at the entrance of the temporary pit road on the Sonoma Raceway drag strip.

When the race restarted on Lap 13, Drew was able to retain the lead ahead of the field. Two laps later, however, the caution returned when Vince Little spun and wrecked in Turn 10.

At the start of the following restart on Lap 18, Drew and Souza battled dead even as Souza emerged as the new leader through the first two turns while the field scrambled for spots. Then through Turn 7A, Lewis made his move into the runner-up spot over Drew until Drew reassumed the spot through Turn 11. 

Through the first 20 laps, Drew, who reassumed the lead from Souza when Souza went wide in Turn 7A during the previous lap, was ahead of Souza, Lewis, Quarterley, Cole Moore, Herzog, Tanner Reif, Joey Iest, Jack Wood and Colby Howard. Behind, Sebastian Arias and PJ Pdroncelli spun in Turn 11.

Three laps later, the caution flew when Robb Kneeland, who bumped and rubbed with Bridget Burgess through Turn 7A, got bumped by Brugess as he spun and collected Arias in the process, thus sending both into the tire barriers between Turns 7 and 8 and out of the event. The incident was one that left Burgess heated towards Arias. During the caution period, some led by Lewis pitted while the rest led by Drew pitted. 

When the race restarted under green on Lap 29, Lewis took off with the lead at the start while Quarterley spun the tires on the inside lane as he briefly stacked up the field. Then as the field made its way through Turn 3A, the caution returned when Tanner Reif spun off the front nose of Joey Iest before he was T-boned on the right side by Takuma Koga. 

With 30 laps remaining and the race restarted under green, Drew had to fend off a challenge from Cole Moore to retain the lead through the first two turns. Not long after in Turn 7A, Souza spun, but the race proceeded under green.  

Two laps later, the caution returned when Tim Spurgeon spun and wrecked his car against the tire barriers in Turn 10.

When the race proceeded under green with 26 laps remaining, Drew retained the lead ahead of Moore as the field scrambled and jostled for positions up through the first four turns before entering the Chute and Turn 7. 

Then with 22 laps remaining as the battle for the lead ignited between Drew, Moore and Lewis, Moore made a bold move to the outside of Drew to briefly take the lead until he went wide through Turn 11. This allowed Drew to reassume the lead as Lewis joined the battle for the lead.

During the following lap, Lewis took over the runner-up spot over Moore, who briefly went off the course and into the gravel in Turn 2, as Drew remained as the leader.

Following another caution period with 18 laps remaining due to debris reported in Turn 3, the race restarted four laps later. Drew took off with the lead on the outside lane entering Turn 1 while Colby Howard challenged Lewis for the runner-up spot. Then in Turn 11, Howard got into Lewis while battling for the runner-up spot as Lewis collected Moore with the latter two spinning. As Moore was trying to straighten his car, he got hit on the right side by Dean Thompson, Ryan Philpott and Paul Pedroncelli Jr. while Lewis continued.

The multi-car incident and the extensive cleanup period were enough for the event to conclude under caution eight laps shy of the finish to the 64-lap distance due to time constraints as Drew claimed his second consecutive victory in the ARCA Menards Series West. The victory also allowed Drew to retain his lead in the drivers’ championship standings by 35 points over Todd Souza, 37 over Tanner Reif, 38 over Cole Moore and 39 over Austin Herzog.

Colby Howard, a full-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitor for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing who was making his ARCA Menards Series West debut, settled in second place followed by Dale Quarterley, Jack Wood and Joey Iest while Austin Herzog, Eric Nascimento, Todd Souza, Tim Spurgeon and Bridget Burgess completed the top 10.

There were four lead changes for two different leaders. The race featured seven cautions for 29 laps

Results.

1. Jake Drew, 48 laps led

2. Colby Howard

3. Dale Quarterley

4. Jack Wood

5. Joey Iest

6. Austin Herzog

7. Eric Nascimento

8. Todd Souza, two laps led

9. Tim Spurgeon

10. Bridget Burgess

11. Vince Little

12. Cole Moore

13. Andrew Tuttle

14. Landen Lewis

15. Dean Thompson – OUT, Accident

16. Paul Pedroncelli Jr. – OUT, Accident

17. Ryan Philpott – OUT, Accident

18. Tanner Reif – OUT, Accident

19. Takuma Koga – OUT, Accident

20. Rodd Kneeland – OUT, Accident

21. Sebastian Arias – OUT, Accident

22. Nick Joanides – OUT, Accident

23. Paul Pedroncelli – OUT, Accident

24. Brian Kamisky – OUT, Did not start

The replay of the Sonoma event will air on June 16 at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

Next on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series West schedule is the series’ second trip of the season to Irwindale Speedway, which will occur on July 2 at 10 p.m. ET on FloRacing.

Sudden Surge Continues with Pole for Rossi at Road America

By
Official Release
-
Road America - 2022

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Saturday, June 11, 2022) – Alexander Rossi earned his first NTT P1 Award in more than three years, taking the top spot Saturday for the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR.

Rossi’s final lap secured his seventh career pole and first since June 2019 at Detroit, as he produced a time of 1 minute, 44.8656 seconds in the No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda. That lap also ensured there was a different pole winner for the first eight races of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, a feat last achieved in 1961.

Four of the drivers in the Firestone Fast Six qualifying session decided to use the Firestone primary “black” tires, which are more durable but have less grip than the alternate “red” tires. Josef Newgarden used the same strategy last year to win the pole on this 14-turn, 4.048-mile circuit.

“I think we saw with Josef last year that he was able to get Colton (Herta) on the blacks, and most of our competition was on the primaries, as well,” Rossi said. “I think that’s just kind of the trend here.

“It was an amazing job all weekend by the NAPA AUTO PARTS-AutoNation-Andretti Honda guys. It’s been a long time since we’ve been in this position. It’s cool, we’ll enjoy it, but we’ve got a job to do tomorrow.”

The 55-lap race starts at 12:55 p.m. (ET) Sunday. Live coverage starts at 12:30 p.m. on NBC and Peacock Premium and at noon on the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Two-time series champion Newgarden will join Rossi on the front row after his best qualifying lap of 1:44.9371 in the No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet. Newgarden, in a change of strategy from last year, joined Pato O’Ward as the only drivers using alternate tires for their flying laps in the Firestone Fast Six.

“I thought he was on used reds like everyone else,” Newgarden said of Rossi. “I’m surprised he was able to make that work on the blacks, to be quite honest. In my opinion, I thought it was clear we were going to go used reds. They just seemed significantly better this year than last year.

“If he made that work, that’s pretty stout. The lap time he did on blacks was really, really good. That’s an impressive pole.”

Defending series champion Alex Palou qualified third at 1:45.3822 in the No. 10 The American Legion Honda. Teammate and 2022 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Marcus Ericsson will join Palou in the second row after his best lap of 1:45.4240 in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Colton Herta will start fifth after his top lap of 1:45.5388 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda, while O’Ward rounded out the Firestone Fast Six at 1:45.6826 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.

Rossi and the No. 27 Andretti Autosport team have turned around their season after a rough start. Rossi was 18th in the championship standings after finishing 11th in the GMR Grand Prix on May 14 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

Since then, Rossi has finished fifth in the Indianapolis 500 on May 29 and second in the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear last Sunday to vault to seventh in the standings, 60 points behind leader Palou.

It also was announced last week Rossi will leave Andretti Autosport after seven seasons to join Arrow McLaren SP starting next year. But Rossi vowed to continue with maximum effort in 2022 for the Andretti team, and he backed that up again Friday by turning the quickest lap in practice before winning the pole today.

“We’re really strong on the primaries,” Rossi said. “The balance isn’t quite there on the Firestone reds. I think we struggled a little bit through the first two rounds. We knew that if we could get there (Firestone Fast Six), it would be ours to lose, really.

“A huge thanks to the team. It’s been a tough go for all of these guys. It’s a good boost for everyone.”

Newgarden will earn a $1 million bonus from PeopleReady with a victory Sunday. The PeopleReady Force for Good Challenge rewards the first driver to win on all three types of circuits – road courses, street circuits and oval tracks – in 2022. If earned, the $1 million will be shared, with $500,000 going to the team/driver and $500,000 donated to their chosen charity. Newgarden has won this season on the Texas Motor Speedway oval and the Long Beach.

Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR Qualifying Results

  1. (27) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 01:44.8656 (137.799 mph)
  2. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 01:44.9371 (137.705)
  3. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 01:45.3822 (137.124)
  4. (8) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 01:45.4240 (137.069)
  5. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 01:45.5388 (136.920)
  6. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 01:45.6826 (136.734)
  7. (28) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 01:45.1543 (137.421)
  8. (7) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 01:45.2307 (137.321)
  9. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 01:45.2412 (137.307)
  10. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 01:45.2446 (137.303)
  11. (60) Simon Pagenaud, Honda, 01:45.2759 (137.262)
  12. (77) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, No Time (No Speed)
  13. (30) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 01:45.4024 (137.097)
  14. (18) David Malukas, Honda, 01:45.6017 (136.839)
  15. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 01:45.4227 (137.071)
  16. (06) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 01:45.6217 (136.813)
  17. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 01:45.5581 (136.895)
  18. (20) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 01:45.7234 (136.681)
  19. (51) Takuma Sato, Honda, 01:45.7045 (136.706)
  20. (45) Jack Harvey, Honda, 01:45.9420 (136.399)
  21. (29) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 01:46.0785 (136.224)
  22. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 01:45.9951 (136.331)
  23. (4) Dalton Kellett, Chevrolet, 01:46.9755 (135.081)
  24. (14) Kyle Kirkwood, Chevrolet, 01:46.6130 (135.541)
  25. (11) Tatiana Calderon, Chevrolet, 01:47.5661 (134.340)
  26. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Honda, 01:47.3134 (134.656)
  27. (16) Simona De Silvestro, Chevrolet, 01:48.1033 (133.672)

CHEVY NCS AT SONOMA: Kyle Larson Press Conference Transcript

By
Official Release
-

NASCAR CUP SERIES
SONOMA RACEWAY
TOYOTA / SAVE MART 350
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
JUNE 11, 2022

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Sonoma Raceway. Press Conference Transcript:

AS THE DEFENDING RACE WINNER HERE AT SONOMA RACEWAY, HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE BACK?

“Yeah, it’s nice. It’s home, so it’s cool to get out here to Sonoma (Raceway); a track where we won last year. I’ve always qualified really well here, so I’m excited about today. I’m hoping with this Next Gen car that we’re just as good as we were last year. I’m excited to get on track.”

HOW MUCH TIME HAVE YOU SPENT IN THE SIMULATOR TO ADJUST TO WHAT THE NEW CAR IS GOING TO DO HERE.

“I haven’t been in the sim, but we should be alright. These cars, especially on the road courses, haven’t driven too much different, at least at COTA. The braking zones go a little bit deeper, but other than that, it felt similar.”

THIS IS A PLACE WHERE YOU GOT YOUR FIRST CAREER ROAD COURSE WIN. AS A NORTHERN CALIFORNIA NATIVE, WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO GO BACK-TO-BACK HERE AT SONOMA RACEWAY?

“Yeah, it would be really cool for sure. Jeff Gordon, also another Northern California guy, has had a lot of success here. I’d like to catch him in wins someday, so have to go to work on that because he’s won a lot here.

It would be neat. Like I said, it’s always nice to come home, but it’s especially nice when you can win.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE LAYOUT CHANGE?

“Yeah, it kind of is what it is. I think it’s going to be similar racing either way. The same guys are going to be up front as they would with the other style. Personally, I enjoyed the carousel. It added a left-hander, more normal feeling corner to me. They added a patch of new pavement over there last year, so I felt like that kind of opened up the groove a little bit in getting grip. I don’t know the reasoning behind changing it back. Maybe it’s just better viewing for the fans or something. But again, it doesn’t really matter a whole lot. We know what to expect because we’ve raced on this layout for a long time. It should be fine.”

ON TOP OF THAT, YOU WON BOTH STAGES AND THE RACE LAST YEAR. ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO TRY AND DO THAT AGAIN OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT’S GOING TO BE HARD TO DO?

“I have no idea. I think last year, our car was so much better than the fields that we were able to kind of be aggressive with the strategy like that and go after the stages and the race win. I think I read somewhere earlier where there had never been a stage winner to win the race here, so that just showed how good our stuff was last year.

I don’t expect you’ll be able to do that this year. I think everybody’s cars are a little bit more equal. You’re going to have to play the strategy more conservatively to prepare yourself to lineup in the best spot for the final stage.”

WE HAVE OUR OFF WEEK COMING UP. WHAT’S YOUR THOUGHTS ON ONLY HAVING ONE OFF WEEK; AND ARE YOU GOING TO DO YOUR TYPICAL THING AND GO RACE?

“I’m not going to race. I’ve been racing a lot more this year than I have in years previous. So, I want to take this off week and spend more time with my family; kind of recharge and get back excited about racing. Obviously I would love to have more than one off week. I think all of us in the sport deserves more than one off weekend. But again, it is what it is. If there were no off weekends, we would still be racing.

I loved having two off weekends in a row last year. I know that was circumstantial with the Olympics, but that fell at a perfect time. It was Katelyn’s birthday and my birthday for both of those off weekends. So, that was fun. I would love to get at least one off weekend back. If we could get three off weekends in a year, that’d be great.”

LOOKING AHEAD TO NASHVILLE, LAST YEAR YOU DOMINATED THAT RACE. DESPITE DOMINATING IT, IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD RACE. WERE YOU SURPRISED WITH HOW GOOD THE RACE WAS AND YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW YOU WON THE RACE?

“A lot of the tracks we went to last year, our car was so good that we were able to lead a lot of that race and get the win. It raced really well. I had only tested there before and it was always kind of just right around the bottom; where last year, I think they put some resin no the track or something and we were able to move up the track a far bit. It was pretty slick and you could move around. I hope it’s similar to that. I think it should be and probably even better. It seems like these Next Gen cars slide around even more, so it should be fun.”

THE NASHVILLE MARKET HAS REALLY COME TOGETHER FOR NASCAR, WITH THE BANQUET AND CHAMPIONS WEEK. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE NASHVILLE GETS PRETTY FIRED UP FOR NASCAR.

“Yeah, definitely. Nashville is a great area for racing, especially NASCAR racing. I look forward to getting there. Last year was the first event there for the Cup Series. The crowd was huge and the atmosphere in the city was great. I’m sure it will be a lot of the same.”

AFTER LAST WEEK AT GATEWAY, ARE YOU CONCERNED AT ALL THAT YOU MAY GET CAUGHT UP IN SOMEBODY ELSE’S PAYBACK?

“I don’t know – you’d have to ask people if they feel the need to pay me back (laughs). I don’t know who owes me anything.”

HOW CRITICAL IS TIRE MANAGEMENT? ALSO, TOMORROW IS SUPPOSED TO BE COOLER. WILL THAT HELP WITH HANDLING AND TIRES?

“Sonoma (Raceway) has a really wore out surface, so you have to manage your tires, especially the exit of (turns) 7 and 11. I feel like that’s where you really fight grip. The more you can manage your tires, the better off you’ll be for the long run. Tomorrow being cooler will be a lot better for us in the cockpits with the cars being cooler inside. Usually when it’s cooler outside, the track is cooler and has more grip. It makes it a little bit easier to manage your stuff and things like that. It will be similar racing whether it’s 100 degrees or 78 degrees.”

NEXT YEAR’S OFF WEEKEND, WOULD YOU SPEND IT IN FRANCE VACATIONING?

“(laughs) I would, yes. If NASCAR would allow us, 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 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.

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

By
Official Release
-
  • 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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Official Release
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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

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Official Release
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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

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Official Release
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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

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Official Release
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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

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Official Release
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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.

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