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The Value Of Sensors To Modern Race Cars

By
SM
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A closeup of a car dashboard

In the early days of motorsports, a race car was just that—a car. There were no computers to monitor engine performance, no GPS equipment to help drivers find their way around a track, and certainly no Wi-Fi with which to stream the highlights of a race in real-time. 

But times have changed. The modern race car is more computer than a machine. The addition of sensors has been integral to that change. 

In this post, you’ll see how these simple pieces of technology have had an enormous impact on how racers drive:

  1. EGT Sensors

EGT sensors are used to measure the temperature of exhaust gases. Exhaust gases are about twice as hot as the temperature at which water boils, so it’s essential to know how much heat your engine’s getting. 

Drivers need EGT sensors as they’ll also tell them if something in the engine is overheating and may even give them a warning before any damage is done. EGT sensors can also tell them when things get too hot in turbochargers—and alert them if that means trouble for their turbocharger.

  1. The O2 Sensor

To control the fuel-air ratio, the O2 sensor measures the amount of oxygen in the exhaust and transmits that information to the car’s computer. For example, if the engine is running rich and needs more air, an O2 sensor will inform the computer to inject more fuel into your engine. If too much air comes out of your exhaust pipe, an O2 sensor will let the computer know that it needs less gas. That way, they’ll get a consistent amount of power out of every wheel’s turn.

  1. Throttle Position Sensor (TPS)

A throttle position sensor (TPS) is a pin that measures the amount of air flowing into the engine. Pressing on the accelerator will tell the ECU how much throttle is applied. This is useful because if they want more power from the engine, they need more air to enter it. By measuring this through a TPS, the computer can ensure enough fuel enters the cylinders to run smoothly. Without one of these sensors, an ECU would have no way of knowing how much gas was required and when. The TPSs will have no choice but to guess based on other signals from various sensors over the car’s engine bay or chassis. If everything isn’t working properly, this could lead to some serious problems. 

In addition to measuring throttle position (which also tells whether or not you’re accelerating), TPSs measure intake airflow directly behind the car’s throttle plate when they accelerate hard enough for airflow values above zero mph. This means they’ll tell the driver what kind of sound waves are coming out from beneath their hoods based on their speeds and pressures during acceleration tests. This part of the evolution of the modern race cars helps engineers determine which parts might need replacing before another race.

  1. Airflow Meter

The airflow meter is a sensor that measures the airflow in the car’s intake tract. It does this by measuring the pressure at various points of an engine’s airflow path and calculating the horsepower used. The airflow meter is made out of steel, plastic, and aluminum. It’s installed on most race cars as part of their intake manifold.

  1. Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Valve

An EGR valve is one of the most important sensors on a race car. This controls the flow of exhaust gases into the intake manifold. This reduces the temperature of the combustion chamber and, in turn, reduces NOx emissions. It also increases efficiency by reducing unburned fuel. Depending on driving conditions like load or RPMs, drivers can adjust the EGR valve to allow more exhaust gas into their engine.

  1. Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) Sensor

MAP sensors measure the pressure of the air entering an engine. This information is then sent to an electronic control unit (ECU), which determines how much fuel should be injected into the engine. It can also tell you when too much/too little air is coming into your vehicle. This can help boost performance or prevent damage from overheating.

  1. Wheel Speed Sensors

You’ve probably heard the term ‘wheel speed sensor’ before, but what does it actually do? Wheel speed sensors have been used in race cars for years to measure the speed of the wheels. They determine how much traction drivers have on each wheel and help prevent them from spinning out. In addition to sensing how fast the tires are rotating, they monitor other factors such as acceleration and deceleration so that their car can respond accordingly.

Conclusion

Sensors play a critical role in modern race cars. Sensors monitor the car’s performance, health, and safety. The most critical sensors monitor vehicle performance by collecting data on speed, position, acceleration, and other parameters displayed on a computer screen or via an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The future of cars will be exciting as sensors become more prevalent in production vehicles.

Women In Sports: Celebrating Some of the Fastest Women in Motorsport

By
SM
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Photo by José Pablo Domínguez on Unsplash

Motorsports used to be an “all-men-affair” until the mid-1950s. But the world of motorsports has continued to change drastically since the 50s. We’ve seen many female drivers in recent years competing professionally, and with the development of the sport, the scope of sports betting online is also rising. 

Pioneers such as Maria Teresa de Filippis, Michèle Mouton, Danica Patrick, and Susie Wolff laid the foundation for transforming the sport into what it is today. In this article, we celebrate some of the most iconic female figures to grace the world of motorsports:

Danica Patrick

Patrick holds the honor of being the only woman to win an IndyCar race in 2008 when she outraced Helio Castroneves by a little over 5 seconds at the Indy Japan 300. 

Patrick’s career resume is filled with many firsts. She is also the first woman to earn a pole position in the NASCAR Cup Series and finish highest in the IndyCar Series overall standings when she placed 5th in 2009. 

Desiré Wilson

Although Desiré Wilson never qualified for Formula 1 (F1), she remains one of five women to enter a Grand Prix. She missed out on the British Grand Prix in 1980 and failed to make it to Indy500 after three trials.

To this day, the South African native remains the only woman to win an F1 race of any kind after winning at Brands Hatch in the British Aurora F1 series.

Jamie Chadwick

In 2015, Jamie Chadwick won the British GT championship. She became the youngest and first female driver to win the title. 

The 24-year-old British won the inaugural W-Series championship and reclaimed her crown in 2021. She holds the record for most wins, podiums, pole positions, and points in this tournament.

Chadwick also currently serves a role as the development driver for Williams in F1.

Jutta Kleinschmidt

In 1997, Jutta Kleinschmidt famously became the first woman to win a race at any stage of the Dakar Rally. Also in 2001, she remains the only woman to win the Dakar Rally and the only German to top the car category.

Lella Lombardi

Lombardi remains the only female to register points in F1. She famously finished sixth in the Spanish GP, a tournament that unfortunately led to the death of five spectators. 

Lombardi would go on to compete in 12 F1 races before her demise in 1992.

Maria Teresa de Filippis

She became the first woman to compete in Formula 1 and went on to compete in five Grand Prix from 1958 to 1959 after winning her first race on the Amalfi coast. 

Michèle Mouton

Who would you say is the most iconic female driver of all time? Michèle Mouton is in that conversation.

She came out victorious in four races for the Audi factory team before famously finishing a close second at the drivers’ world championship race in 1982, behind German driver Walter Rohrl who is widely regarded as one of the greatest rally drivers of all time. To add to this, the French driver won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb four years later in a record-breaking race.

Molly Taylor

Taylor won three of the five races held during the Extreme E Championship tournament last year, enough to earn her the top spot. The Aussie had previously won the Australian Rally Champion in 2016, becoming the first female and the youngest driver of any gender to achieve this feat.

Sarah Fisher

Sarah Fisher made nine starts in the Indianapolis 500 between 1999 to 2010 and remains the only woman to have as many stars in this tournament. She registered a career-best 17th finish at the 93rd Indianapolis 500 held in 2009, beating the previous career-high (18th) she recorded two years prior.

Fisher has made 81 appearances in the IndyCar Series and was the recipient of the ‘Most Popular Driver’ award on three occasions. She also raced in the NASCAR West Series from 2004 to 2005. 

Susie Wolff

After driving for the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) team for seven years, Wolff was signed to the Williams F1 team as a testing and development driver in 2012. Two years later, she raced at the British Grand Prix in 2014, becoming the first woman to participate in an F1 race in 22 years.

Daniel Suárez on Standby for Carson Hocevar in Sonoma

By
Official Release
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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 8, 2022) – As Carson Hocevar continues to recover from injuries sustained during a last lap accident in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) event at World Wide Technology Raceway on June 4, Daniel Suárez, driver of the No. 99 NASCAR Cup Series Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, has been tabbed to be on standby in the event of a driver change during Saturday’s DoorDash 250 at Sonoma Raceway.

The Niece Motorsports No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado will debut the Worldwide Express paint scheme as both Hocevar and Suárez represent the Dallas-based logistics provider for Niece and Trackhouse, respectively.

“We’re fortunate to have as dedicated a partner there is in the sport in Worldwide Express, who, along with Ross Chastain, has strengthened our connection with Trackhouse Racing to give us an opportunity to remain competitive this weekend with Daniel behind the wheel if the situation calls for it,” said Niece Motorsports general manager Cody Efaw. “We’re appreciative of Daniel’s efforts and the commitment of Worldwide Express to make this weekend possible. We’re proud of everything Carson and the No. 42 team have accomplished and look forward to watching them compete for a championship this year.”

“First, we are fans of Carson and what he has done during this season,” said Trackhouse owner and founder Justin Marks. “We are also very aware of the importance of Niece Motorsports to Ross Chastain and the relationship they have built over the years. Add in the commonality of a sponsor like Worldwide Express, who is committed to both Niece and Trackhouse, and we were very happy to help this weekend in Sonoma. If necessary, Daniel will do a great job in representing Trackhouse, Niece, WWEX and Chevrolet while Carson recovers and gets prepared for a championship run later this season.”

Hocevar, who is in his second full-time NCWTS season, enters the 12th race of the season eighth in driver points and ninth in owner points standings. The 19-year-old has three top-fives and five top-10 finishes this season and has led 143 laps – ranking fourth in the Truck Series.

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

“I’m happy to help out Carson and the Niece Motorsports No. 42 team this weekend,” said Suárez. “I hope Carson is on his way back to feeling 100 percent. I hope he can go out and give Worldwide Express a good show. If they need me in relief, I’ll do my best to get them a good finish.”

Suárez has competed in 28 Truck Series races in his career posting a victory at Phoenix Raceway in 2016, 10 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. His most recent race was at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in 2021 when he finished 17th on the dirt.

Saturday’s DoorDash 250 will be broadcast live on FS1 and the Motor Racing Network (MRN) on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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

About Trackhouse Racing:
After retiring from a driving career in NASCAR and sports cars, Justin Marks created Trackhouse Entertainment Group in 2020 with the goal of creating a racing brand that transcends the sport. The Nashville, Tennessee company formed Trackhouse Racing that took to the track in 2021 with Daniel Suárez behind the wheel. In January 2021, the team announced a partnership with international superstar entertainer Pitbull who has been a frequent guest at NASCAR races and elevated Trackhouse’s presence through inclusion in several of his songs and music videos over the last two years. Midway through the 2021 season, Trackhouse Racing purchased the NASCAR assets of Chip Ganassi Racing and began the 2022 season as its own two-car team with Suárez and Ross Chastain as drivers. Chastain gave the organization its first victory at Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas on March 27 and won again at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on April 24.

About Worldwide Express:
Worldwide Express, LLC, is a full-service, non-asset-based logistics provider offering access to industry-leading small package, truckload and less-than-truckload shipping solutions and managed transportation services. The family of brands, comprised of Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz and Unishippers, serve more than 115,000 customers spanning from small and mid-size businesses to larger enterprises, with unmatched carrier options and strategic guidance for their supply chains.
With an annual systemwide revenue approaching $5 billion, the company is the second-largest privately held freight brokerage and largest non-retail UPS® Authorized Reseller in the country. Through a selective portfolio of 65+ LTL and tens of thousands of truckload carriers, and powered by proprietary technology, clients benefit from an award-winning, relationship-backed approach to solving their shipping needs. To learn more about the brands, visit wwexracing.com.

Riverlake low Profile Hydraulic Wrench

By
SM
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In this article, you will learn some different concepts related to the low-profile hydraulic wrench pumps. As these pumps are the special pumps that will give their special use. The hydraulic profile wrenches are the special wrenches for the best usage. The maximum torque level of these pumps comes with 38463 Nm and with a maximum operating pressure of 700 bar. The range of these hexagon Riverlake low profile torque wrench varies from 29.6 to 117.6 mm.

Features of Riverlake torque wrench:

The torque wrenches consist of different models and each model is of unique design. Such wrenches will also perform their work in small places without having any difficulty. 

  • The riverlake low-profile wrenches are made of excellent quality materials. 
  • The hydraulic wrenches are flexible with a good quality of exchanging power.
  • It also includes interchangeable cassettes.
  • The tool will perform its functions in compact places.
  • The tool also provides an accuracy minimum of up to 3%. 
  • The tool is lightweight and comes with several designs.
  • The hydraulic wrenches are quick tools that will perform in an estimated way.

Different models of Riverlake cassette & their specifications:

The Riverlake drive unit models consist of the different maximum torque levels, Nm levels, and RHW10. Everything is discussed here below with specifications of them. All these come under the hexagon set of models along with their size, weight, and S/mm or R/mm.

1. RHWG10-50:

The unit model consists of the 50 RHW10 model that has a maximum of 40.8 torque. It also has a minimum weight of 1.5 kg.

2. RHWG10-46:

The unit model consists of the 46 RHW10 model that has a maximum of 38.1 torque. It also has a minimum weight of 1.5 kg.

3. RHWG10-41:

The unit model consists of the 41 RHW10 model that has a maximum of 35.1 torque. It also has a minimum weight of 1.4 kg.

4. RHWG10-36:

The unit model consists of the 36 RHW10 model that has a maximum of 31.6 torque. It also has a minimum weight of 1.36 kg.

5. RHWG 10-34:

The unit model consists of the 34 RHW10 model that has a maximum of 31.6 torque. It also has a minimum weight of 1.3 kg.

6. RHWG10-32:

The unit model consists of the 32 RHW10 model that has a maximum of 30.6 torque. It also has a minimum weight of 1.4 kg.

7. RHWG10-30:

The unit model consists of the 30 RHW10 model that has a maximum of 30.6 torque. It also has a minimum weight of 1.4 kg.

8. RHWG10-27:

The unit model consists of the 27 RHW10 model that has a maximum of 29.6 torque. It also has a minimum weight of 1.4 kg.

9. RHWG10-24:

The unit model consists of the 24 RHW10 model that has a maximum of 29.6 torque. It also has a minimum weight of 1.4 kg.

10. RHWG10-22:

The unit model consists of the 22 RHW10 models that hathe a maximum of 29.6 torque. It also has a minimum weight of 1.4 kg.

11. RHWG10-19:

The unit model consists of the 19 RHW10 model that has a maximum of 29.6 torque. It also has a minimum weight of 1.4 kg.

12. RHWG 20-75:

The unit model consists of the 75 RHW20 model that has a maximum of 57.1 torque. It also has a minimum weight of 4.5 kg.

13. RHWG 20-70:

The unit model consists of the 70 RHW20 model that has a maximum of 54.6 torque. It also has a minimum weight of 4.5 kg.

14. RHWG20-65:

The unit model consists of the 65 RHW20 model that has a maximum of 52.3 torque. It also has a minimum weight of 4.4 kg.

15. RHWG20-60:

The unit model consists of the 60 RHW20 model that has a maximum of 50.6 torque. It also has a minimum weight of 4.4 kg.

16. RHWG20-55:

The unit model consists of the 55 RHW20 model that has a maximum of 40.6 torque. It also has a minimum weight of 4.2 kg.

17. RHWG20-50:

The unit model consists of the 50 RHW20 model that has a maximum of 45.6 torque. It also has a minimum weight of 4.2 kg.

Conclusion

Here we see that these different set of tools are available that will make things easy. All the pumps will give their best and their working varies according to your need. 

Autonomous cars: What do they mean for pedestrians?

By
SM
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Photo by Samuele Errico Piccarini on Unsplash

Automation is excitingly taking over our world. Many industries have seen massive integration of automated technologies, from automobile and aviation all the way down to sports. 

VAR referees in sports such as football are abundantly adopting automation. Consequently, punters betting on top odds on betting sites like  https://www.telecomasia.net/sports-betting/tips/basketball/ are even more thrilled because such automation reduces the frequency of human refereeing errors, ultimately increasing their chances of winning.

Of course, it is not just sports. The automobile industry is at the frontiers of automation – seen explicitly in the development of autonomous cars.

Self-driving cars are expected to be on the roads within the next five years. And not just on any roads, self-driving cars are expected to also be on busy urban roads.

This is a stimulating reality. Why? Because autonomous cars will have to deal with pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and other traffic participants.

Yes, we have gradually seen autonomous cars appear on our streets, and they’re completely driverless. Exciting as this appears, autonomous cars on urban roads have such consequences.

Specifically, what do these cars mean for pedestrians? Will they be safer on the streets? Will pedestrians be safer at crossings? Let’s see how self-driving cars can mix with pedestrians.

A few years ago, automobile companies like NuTonomy, GM, and Uber announced that they would begin testing driverless cars in Pittsburgh and Singapore. 

These regions have an extremely active pedestrian community. They ensured that these cars would not be allowed to exceed 25 mph, that they would be closely monitored, and that they would be equipped with emergency brakes.

Results were largely positive, with the world warming up to a future of steering wheels having no humans actively behind them.

But are we getting too lazy to drive a car? Why the hype for self-driving cars?

Why are autonomous cars preferable?

Pedestrian injuries statistics show that various factors contribute to their occurrence. Some of which include:

  • Impatient Drivers
  • Recklessness
  • Impaired Drivers
  • Distracted Drivers
  • Over speeding
  • Drunk driving
  • Weather conditions

The common human errors that are noted above are being eliminated with autonomous cars, resulting in a 95% safer car for pedestrians and passengers.

The Benefits of Autonomous Cars

Knowing how self-driving cars can mix with pedestrians is a bit of a “chicken and egg question”. The first question is: are these cars safer? The second is: are pedestrians safer? 

Autonomous cars are safer for pedestrians because they will react to their surroundings more quickly and better assess potential dangers. Apart from this, other benefits of autonomous cars are:

They have a higher level of safety: Unlike human-driven cars, autonomous vehicles can be trained to be safety-conscious. 

With sensors and cameras, drivers and pedestrians are safer since human error is eliminated.

Traffic efficiency: Autonomous cars can communicate with one another, which is a major benefit. With this ability to communicate in real-time, cars could travel efficiently at optimal distances from one another. Additionally, they would recommend the best route so you wouldn’t suffer from bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Eco-friendly: Another significant advantage of self-driven cars is that they are environmentally friendly. Rather than using internal combustion engines, autonomous cars are likely to be electric. 

Furthermore, the constant speeds that self-driving cars will travel at will reduce the need for perpetual braking and accelerating. This will reduce emissions and help make self-driving cars more environmentally friendly for passengers and pedestrians.

The Effects of Autonomous Vehicles on Pedestrians

Inevitably, there are some concerns about driverless cars. What are sticking points hindering their holistic adoption?

Security issues: Hacking is one of the potential cons of self-driving cars. Automated cars would need to share the same network protocol to communicate and coordinate. 

However, if many cars shared the same network, they would be vulnerable to hackers. A single hack on a busy road could cause significant damage by causing accidents and gridlock.

Moral Machine dilemma: Autonomous cars cannot make judgments between multiple unfavorable outcomes, which is another disadvantage. 

Increased Exposure To Radiation: Autonomous cars can expose pedestrians and passengers to electromagnetic fields. This could come from the heightened levels of navigation, GPS tracking tools, remote controls, powered accessories, radios, music systems, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi connectivity…that come with an autonomous vehicle.

Can Autonomous Cars and Pedestrians Coexist Safely?

Traffic laws and sensing solutions must be adapted for autonomous vehicles to coexist successfully with pedestrians in cities. However, at this point, the sensors used by most automakers are unable to deliver accurate detection and, therefore, cannot reach full autonomy. 

Due to the current packet of sensors being insufficient to handle fully autonomous vehicles, we have yet to see them take over our streets. 

Currently, most automakers’ sensing technologies like radars, cameras, and LiDAR cannot provide complete coverage and detection in all situations. Therefore, a human driver must be ready to take over at any moment.

An excellent possibility for the safe coexistence between autonomous cars and pedestrians is upgrading radar, cameras, and LiDAR sensors used in these vehicles to thermal sensors.

In contrast to other sensing solutions, thermal sensors can deliver accurate detection and classification. Unlike radar, LiDAR sensors, and FIR cameras, they pick up heat from objects, making them passive technologies.

To prepare society for the implementation of self-driven cars, separate lanes can be created for these cars, and the implementation of traffic laws guiding pedestrians against autonomous cars needs to be enforced.

In addition, special gadgets like pedestrian collision avoidance systems should be installed. With this system, autonomous vehicles can easily stop when they come close to pedestrians through the use of sensors (thermal).

From our deduction above, we can conclude that self-driving cars can only coexist with pedestrians if the right technology, laws, and environment are in place. 

We can’t say the future is too far off. The likes of Motional, Uber, AutoX, Optimus Ride, and Tesla are working tirelessly to roll out their fully autonomous cars soon.

Author: The Pen Lord
I love technology and enjoy exploring the frontiers of innovation. I am always enthusiastic about how tech can improve society, make life better, and make governments across the world more transparent. On the sideline, I am a fanatic football lover.

Want To Start Online Betting? Here Are Some Helpful Tips

By
SM
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Photo by Chris Liverani on Unsplash

When the pandemic first struck a few years ago, betting shops were forced to close their doors and lost a lot of money. While online betting has existed for a long time (and long predates the COVID-19 pandemic), most committed sports betters preferred to bet in-store. After realizing that lockdowns weren’t going anywhere, however, many turned to online betting, and the online betting industry is thriving.

If you are interested in trying out online betting and even taking it on as a hobby, then this post will give you a few helpful tips:

Betting Style

If you are going to take betting up as a hobby, then you need to find a style of betting that’s right for you. You may want to consider matched betting, which will involve using free bets along with promotional offers given by online betting sites to make money. This is a style of betting that’s perfect for people who are on tight budgets and can’t afford to make regular deposits. It’s also a form of betting that’s great for people who know how or want to make educated and informed bets, because you are able to make a profit without spending any of your own money. There are other styles and types of betting, too. 

It’s a good idea to sit down and research them before you start so that you can find the style that works best for you. Reference: Betastic.com

Betting Site

Secondly, you need to find the casino that’s right for you. The internet certainly isn’t short on online casinos and betting sites, but just because there are so many, that doesn’t mean that they are all worth playing at. There are some atrocious casinos and betting sites that aren’t worth your time at all. The best way to find a casino or betting site is to read reviews, ask for referrals. Before deciding to use a casino, be sure to research it thoroughly and read about what previous users have to say about it.

To make the process easier, you can also use resources that compare platforms and highlight safe options. For example, guides that analyze free money sites and organize Toto payment platforms in real time can point you toward trustworthy choices for first-time sign-ups and casino bonuses— visit site for one such resource.

Casino Games

fast withdrawal casino

Do you just want to practice sports betting, or do you want to try out casino games too? Casino games can be a lot of fun but can also be very addictive. Games like roulette and blackjack can net you a lot of profit, but at the same time, drain you financially. Many people find that sports betting is a lot safer, because it’s less addictive, and is easier to win. Games such as blackjack or roulette are games of pure chance, so there’s no guarantee that you are going to win when you are playing them.

Live Tournaments

An alternative to both sports betting and online casino games is a live tournament, which is a tournament that takes place on an online betting site but isn’t automated. Live tournaments have players participating from all over the world. The most common live tournament game is poker. Poker’s a game that can be very difficult to master, but it can be mastered. If you play in a way that’s educated and calculated, then every hand is a winning hand in poker. 

When you play against other people you have better chances of winning than you do when you play against AI, because it’s impossible to use psychological tricks and tactics against AI.

Sports Research

If you are going to take up sports betting, then you need to make sure that you research the sport that you are betting on. If you don’t take the time to do your research and to learn about the sport, then you won’t be able to win at it. The amount of research that you need to do depends largely upon the existing amount of knowledge that you have on the sport that you are betting on. Without a doubt, it’s best to bet on a sport you have knowledge about. One way to better fortify your knowledge in a sport you’re interested in betting on is to join Sports Picks communities that discuss bets and odds for future picks. Utilising a community like this can be a good way to expand your knowledge or simply get reassurance that your picks or bets are sound and in agreeance with the statistics out there, which you might not have had time to run over yourself.

Bet Responsibly

Whatever form of gambling you take up, make sure that you spend money and gamble responsibly. Lots of people bankrupt themselves by overspending and developing gambling addictions. If you think that you are spending too much money or are spending too much time on betting sites, then activate GAMSTOP. GAMSTOP is a self-limiting tool that helps to prevent gambling addiction from becoming serious. In addition to always betting responsibly, make sure that you never bet when you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol because this can lead to you making silly mistakes.

If you want to take up online betting, then it’s important to take everything outlined in this guide into consideration and implement the tips put forward by it. Online betting can be a lot of fun, as long as you do it in a way that’s controlled. If you lose control, you can lose a lot of money.

Weekend schedule for Sonoma

By
Angie Campbell
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Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, leads the field during the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 06, 2021 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

The NASCAR Cup Series and the Camping World Truck Series travel to the 1.99-mile road course at Sonoma Raceway this weekend. The Xfinity Series is off and will return to competition at Nashville Superspeedway on June 25.

There are five active drivers who have won at Sonoma led by Martin Truex Jr. with three wins in 2013, 2018 and 2019. Kyle Busch has won twice (2008,2015). Kurt Busch (2011), Kevin Harvick (2017) and Kyle Larson (2021) have each been to victory lane once.

Fred Warner, San Francisco All-Pro 49er linebacker, will lead the Cup Series field to the green flag as the honorary pace car driver for the Toyota/Save Mart 350.

The Camping World Truck Series has competed only four times at Sonoma, from 1995 to 1998. Boris Said was the most recent winner. None of the drivers on this weekend’s entry list have competed in a Truck Series event at Sonoma.

However, seven of the drivers entered in the Truck Series race have made Cup Series starts, including Todd Bodine, Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, Matt DiBenedetto, Austin Dillon and Parker Kligerman.

All times are Eastern.

Friday, June 10

6:05 p.m.: Truck Series Practice – No TV

7:05 p.m.: ARCA Menards Series West Practice and Qualifying – No TV

Saturday, June 11

1 p.m.: Truck Series Qualifying (TV coverage starts at 2 p.m. – FS1

2:30 p.m.: ARCA Series General Tire 200 – FloRacing

4:30 p.m.: Cup Series Practice – FS2

5:30 p.m.: Cup Series Qualifying – FS2

7:30 p.m.: Truck Series DoorDash 250 race
Distance: 149 miles (75 Laps)
Stage 1 ends on Lap 20, Stage 2 ends on Lap 45, Final Stage ends on Lap 75
FS1/MRN/SiriusXM
The Purse: $675,134

Sunday, June 12

4 p.m.: Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 race
Distance: 218.9 miles (110 laps)
Stage 1 ends on Lap 25, Stage 2 ends on Lap 55, Final Stage ends on Lap 110
FS1/PRN/SiriusXM
The Purse: $7,629,830

Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Sonoma

By
Official Release
-

Sonoma Raceway
Sunday, June 12, 2022
1.99-Mile Road Course
4:00 PM ET
Location: Sonoma, California
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (16 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM, PRN

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 29 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 7th

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available in the Sonoma Raceway media center on Saturday, June 11, at 11 a.m. local time.

WINE COUNTRY WINNER: Last year at Sonoma Raceway, Kyle Larson won both stages en route to victory in the 92-lap race. The Elk Grove, California, native led 57 laps from the pole position to earn his first NASCAR Cup Series road course victory.

KING OF THE ROAD: Larson won three road course events in 2021, the most ever during a Cup Series season. Victories at Sonoma in June, Watkins Glen International in August and the Charlotte ROVAL in October were integral during his 10-win Cup Series championship season.

POSSIBLY FIVE FOR 5: The 29-year-old driver has started from the pole position in the last four events held at the Northern California track. In 2017 and 2018, he set the fastest time during qualifying on the 1.99-mile layout while, in 2019, Larson set the quick time on the 2.52-mile circuit that included the carousel. No race was held at Sonoma in 2020 due to the pandemic. Last year, the driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 started from the top spot in the field based on the metric qualifying system NASCAR used to determine the starting order at venues where time trials did not occur. Qualifying for this weekend’s event is scheduled for Saturday.

BROKEN RECORD: Larson’s three consecutive pole positions from 2017-19 tie him with Ricky Rudd (1990–92) for the most consecutive poles at Sonoma. He will have the opportunity to break that record during Saturday’s session while also improving his track-best average starting position of 2.29.

ROAD COURSE RINGERS: Only two Hendrick Motorsports drivers have scored more wins on road courses than Larson. On serpentine layouts in the Cup Series, the all-time winningest driver is NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon with nine while Chase Elliott has crossed the line first on seven occasions.

BEST MAN: On Thursday, Larson will serve as the best man in childhood friend Colby Copeland’s wedding. Copeland, who was best man for Larson’s wedding in 2018, serves as an additional spotter for the No. 5 team during road course events.

HOME RACE: At Sonoma this weekend, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com team will wear their “home” white uniforms. Home races occur in markets where there are Hendrick Automotive Group dealerships nearby, and the Bay Area is home to five of them. Be sure to follow Hendrick Automotive Group’s social media channels and visit HendrickCars.com to view the complete home and away schedule.

SPECIAL GUESTS: Hendrick Automotive Group is hosting 300 people Sunday, including dealership teammates and 50 students from Proctor Elementary School. Proctor is supported by the local dealerships year-round and will receive a Hendrick, Get Set, Go! grant to support STEM education. For more information on Hendrick Cares programs, please click here.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 26 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia

Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 1st

No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

COTA CATCH-UP: In the first road course race of the year for the NASCAR Cup Series at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), Chase Elliott qualified 12th and drove to a fourth-place finish after a caution-filled final stage that sent the race into overtime. It was the first of his three top-five finishes this season.

SONOMA REWIND: Last season at Sonoma Raceway, Elliott started second and finished inside the top-10 in each stage, leading 13 total laps en route to a runner-up finish behind teammate Kyle Larson. In his five career Cup Series starts at the track, he has two top-five finishes and three top-10s with 16 laps led. Sonoma is one of only two road courses (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course is the other) on the current Cup Series schedule he has yet to win on.

2021 ROAD COURSE RECAP: Last season, Elliott earned two wins (COTA and Road America), two runner-up finishes and five top-five finishes across seven starts on road courses. The Hendrick Motorsports driver earned two stage wins and led 102 laps on that track type.

ROAD COURSE KING: Elliott has proven his road-racing prowess, leading all active drivers with seven wins on road courses. He’s also third on the overall list of drivers with road course victories, trailing only NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine) and Tony Stewart (eight). Elliott has victories across five different road courses, the most in series history.

IN GOOD COMPANY: In 20 Cup Series starts on road courses, Elliott has an average finish of 7.7, with seven wins, 12 top-five finishes and 14 top-10s. His average finish is not only the best among active drivers, but third all-time among drivers with five or more starts, behind NASCAR legends Fireball Roberts and Buck Baker.

POINTS LEADER: Despite two tough results in a row for Elliott and the No. 9 team, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native continues to hold the Cup Series points lead by nine markers over Kyle Busch. Elliott has been atop the standings for 11 consecutive weeks.

FIRST WIN: Elliott’s first career Cup Series win occurred on a road course. He conquered Watkins Glen International in 2018 after starting the race from the third position and leading 52 of 90 laps en route to the victory.

AG’S ROAD COURSE PERFORMANCE: This Sunday at Sonoma, No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 42nd road course race from atop the pit box. In those starts, he’s led his team to seven wins – a series-high among active crew chiefs – 15 top-five finishes and 21 top-10s.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 24 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 9th

No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

2022 SO FAR: To date in the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, William Byron has scored two wins, four top-five finishes, three stage wins and accumulated 13 playoff points. His 570 laps led are the most by a driver this season and have come across 11 of the 15 races – tied with two other drivers (teammate Kyle Larson as well as Kyle Busch) for the second-most races led. He is currently ninth in the driver point standings and is locked into the Cup Series playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

ROAD RESULTS: During his Cup Series career, Byron has been working to step up his road course racing skills. In the last five road course races to hold qualifying, Byron has won the pole for three of them (Charlotte ROVAL in 2019, Road America and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in 2021). He’s also led the fourth-most laps on road courses since the start of 2021 (51) including leading the most laps in two of the last nine road course races. Byron also has collected two stage wins on road courses – tied for the seventh-most all-time with three other drivers (Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano and Daniel Suarez).

SONOMA STATS: This Sunday’s race will mark Byron’s fourth Cup Series start at Sonoma Raceway. In his previous three starts, his best showing came in 2019 when he qualified second and raced up front for the majority of the event, collecting 18 stage points and his first Cup Series stage win. However, with differing strategy, Byron was credited with a 19th-place result. Aside from his three Cup Series starts, Byron has two previous starts at this road course with both coming in what is now known as the ARCA Menards Series West. In fact, his first road race in a stock car came at Sonoma in 2015 where he qualified second and raced to a fifth-place finish. He again ran the ARCA Menards Series West race in 2018, tying his best qualifying effort of second, but crossed the finish line two spots better than his 2015 showing, in the third position.

FUGLE FILES: So far in 2022, the NASCAR Cup Series has raced on one road course – Circuit of The Americas – where crew chief Rudy Fugle and the No. 24 team scored a 12th-place finish. In total, Fugle has eight Cup Series starts on road courses, three starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and seven in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In those seven Truck Series starts, the Livonia, New York, native has one win (Erik Jones, 2015), three top-five finishes, and five top-10s. One of those seven truck starts was also with Byron where the duo raced to a 10th-place finish at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2016.

BACK TO THE ROOTS: Going back to his racing roots, Byron will once again climb back behind the wheel of the No. 24 Super Late Model for Wilson Motorsports this year, this time at Berlin Raceway on Wednesday. The Charlotte, North Carolina, native has raced the No. 24 Super Late Model five times this year – three times at New Smyrna Speedway, once at Hickory Motor Speedway, and most recently at the Nashville Fairgrounds – scoring four wins total.

RAPTOR® TOUGH: Ready to take on Sonoma, Byron will be back behind the wheel of the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Sunday’s event. RAPTOR® is a durable protective coating and bed liner that is designed to tolerate the toughest climatic conditions and can be applied to a wide range of substrates from steel, wood, concrete and plaster to plastics and composites. Resistant to common fuels, U.V., scratches and stains, RAPTOR® is available at local paint distributors, auto parts stores and can also be purchased from online retailers like Amazon.

48 Alex Bowman
Age: 29 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Greg Ives
Standings: 8th

No. 48 Ally/Better Together Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

OH, SO CLOSE: Last time Alex Bowman raced on a road course, he took home a second-place finish at Circuit of The Americas. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was fighting for the lead heading into turn 18 at the Texas venue. He was then hit by AJ Allmendinger, who was spun out by race winner Ross Chastain, resulting in his runner-up result.

HANG A RIGHT: Since the start of 2018, Bowman has tallied nine top-10 finishes on road courses, with two of those being runner-up results. He is tied with three other drivers (Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick and Austin Cindric) at two consecutive top-10s on that track type with only Ryan Blaney having a longer active streak at three.

WEST COAST, BEST COAST: The 29-year-old driver has managed to take home hardware from the West Coast on two separate occasions since the start of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. He notched a win in March 2020 at Auto Club Speedway, followed by his most recent win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March 2022. This year, Bowman has garnered 96 points in all West Coast races, one marker behind teammates William Byron and standings leader Chase Elliott.

SLEEPER PICK: In his eighth season in the Cup Series, Bowman continues to silently surmount another banner year as the driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevy. Through 15 races, Bowman has one win (Las Vegas), three top-five finishes, nine top-10s, and an average finish of 11.8. He has more top-10s through 15 races than ever before in his Cup Series career and is one of three drivers with nine – Elliott and Chastain are the others. The trio only trails Kyle Busch (11) for the most front-runner finishes this season.

TRUCKING OUT WEST: Saturday night will see Bowman strap into the No. 7 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Sonoma Raceway. Last time the Tucson, Arizona, native got behind the wheel of a truck, he started third at COTA in the No. 7 Chevy and made his way through the field, but was taken out on the last lap, resulting in a 25th-place result.

PIT STOP POWER: The No. 48 Ally Racing pit crew had the third-fastest four-tire pit stop average of 10.9 seconds last Sunday at WWTR. Across all pit stops, the five-man team gained seven positions on pit road – third-best of all teams in the Cup Series that day. The Ally Racing pit crew is made up of fueler Jacob Conley, jackman Eric Ludwig, tire carrier Allen Stallings and tire changers Scott Brzozowski (front) and Devin DelRicco (rear).

WEAR IT PROUD: In an effort to support the LGBTQ+ community, Ally will run the PrideALLYS decal on the rear fenders and on the TV panel of the No. 48 Ally/Better Together Chevy at Sonoma. As part of the employee resource group, Ally is committed to promoting inclusion practices for the LGBTQ+ community at and around Ally.

NEARING 100,000: Hendrick Motorsports needs to lead 98 miles in the NASCAR Cup Series to cross 100,000 miles led in the sport’s top series. Ahead of Sunday’s race, the organization has led 99,902.90 miles at the Cup level. Crossing the 100K milestone would be achieved by leading 50 laps at the 1.99-mile layout at Sonoma Raceway. Through 15 points-paying races in 2022, the four-car team has led 1,445.43 miles.

AT YOUR SIRVIS: Beginning this weekend at Sonoma, SirviS will appear on the B-post on all Hendrick Motorsports race cars. In 2020, Acronis, a global leader in cyber protection, partnered with Hendrick Motorsports to form a multi-year marketing and technology relationship. SirviS recently joined the Acronis’ #TeamUp program.

ROAD WARRIORS: Throughout its history, Hendrick Motorsports has 25 wins on road courses in the Cup Series. Since the organization’s inaugural season in 1984, the squad has won 29% of all races on Cup Series road courses (25 of 86). The two closest teams in this statistic have combined for only 21 wins.

COUNTING ‘EM UP: The 25 road course wins have come from seven different drivers – most for any team in the Cup ranks. Jeff Gordon leads the way for the team with nine victories (which are also the most among all drivers) followed by Chase Elliott with seven. Tim Richmond and Kyle Larson are tied for third on the list with three wins apiece. Geoff Bodine, Jimmie Johnson and Ricky Rudd each tallied one victory.

READY FOR THE ROAD: In addition to road course wins, Hendrick Motorsports stands at the top of the board on road courses in the following stats: Poles (21), top-five finishes (76), top-10s (132), laps led (2,020) and stage wins (12).

SAVORING SONOMA: Wine country has been the sight of much success for Hendrick Motorsports over the years. Much like its overall road course success, the team leads the way in wins (seven), poles (nine), runner-up finishes (seven), top-fives (33), top-10s (57) and laps led (749) at the California facility. Gordon’s five wins at Sonoma are the most at the track, while Johnson and Larson each have one win here for the Rick Hendrick-owned company.

FROM WINE COUNTRY TO TITLE TOWN: The Sonoma race winner has gone on to win the championship five times in Cup Series history. Three of those instances involved Hendrick Motorsports drivers: Gordon (1998), Johnson (2010) and Larson (2021). Tony Stewart (2005) and Kyle Busch (2015) were the others to achieve this feat.

SWEEP SENSATIONS: In the era of stage racing, there have been two times – both by Hendrick Motorsports – when one driver swept every road course stage and won the race. Elliott was the first to do so in his 2019 win at Watkins Glen International. Larson also accomplished this with his victory last season at Sonoma.

WEST COAST WINS: The four-car organization out of Concord, North Carolina, has won seven of the last 12 races contested on the West Coast. Larson has four of those wins, while Alex Bowman has two and Elliott has one. Both Larson (Auto Club Speedway) and Bowman (Las Vegas Motor Speedway) earned wins on the western swing earlier this season. In total, Hendrick Motorsports has 41 wins on the West Coast – the most of any organization.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Sonoma Raceway: “I’ve always had some good speed at Sonoma (Raceway) and it’s my home track. It’s always fun to see my friends and family, and it was cool to get my first win at my home track last year. But that was with last year’s car and on the longer track. Hopefully, we can get another pole there this weekend, lead some laps and challenge for the win again.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the track without the carousel: “The track layout will be a different element compared to the last couple trips we’ve made there. We’ll place a little more emphasis on right-hand turns because so much focus was placed on the carousel and the left-hand turning capability of the car – and now we don’t race that portion of the track. It’s just going to race differently.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing at Sonoma: “Sonoma (Raceway) has been a place that has been a pretty big challenge for me in the past. Last season, I felt like it was the best I’ve ever been there. We were pretty good late in the race and I was really proud of that effort by our NAPA team. With having one road course race down with this new car and having some learnings from COTA (Circuit of The Americas), I’m hopeful that we can put together another strong run like we did last year.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on preparing for the second road course race of the season: “Heading into the first road course race of the year at COTA (Circuit of The Americas), we didn’t really know what to expect. There are so many new things with this car, so many unknowns. We didn’t really get the chance to test on a road course before the season started. Chase (Elliott) had the opportunity to drive the car at Charlotte (ROVAL), but we weren’t there because we were in the middle of the playoffs. So, it was a steep learning curve for our team at COTA and I think going through that experience was good. It certainly helped us moving forward. We’ve still got to learn some things, but now I think can start working our way down the list of unknowns that we need to figure out. Hopefully, we have a better run than we did in COTA and be able to go off that for the remainder of the road courses this season.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on how to approach this Sunday’s race at Sonoma: “I think Sonoma (Raceway) is the most different of the road courses that we race on. I feel like you have to focus more on your corner entry and exits to really be able to roll through them and get a good run off. There’s not many true braking zones, so it’s more about keeping as much speed as possible and setting yourself up for the next corner constantly. I feel like that changes what you want from the handling of your car as well. We’ve had good runs going there the last couple races, we just haven’t had the finishes to match it. We also have had to approach this race differently in the past strategy-wise and focus more on capturing as many points as possible. Coming into this race with 13 playoff points already, I think we’re in a better position to utilize a different strategy this time around.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his thoughts for Sonoma: “This is only my second time going to Sonoma (Raceway) and it will be my first with this configuration. I think we had a solid race going last year before being caught up in a late race incident and we have a good notebook to lean off of from the No. 5 car’s win. Obviously, there will still be some unknowns for this weekend, especially with this being only the second road course race with the Next Gen car. We were able to test two weeks ago at Watkins Glen (International) for the Goodyear tire test and I think we learned a lot that we can apply for Sonoma. Right now, it’s going to be all about building our notebook for this style of racing seeing as four of the next 10 races are road courses.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on racing twice in Sonoma: “I think it’s important to get as many laps as I can in before getting in the No. 48 Ally Chevy on Sunday. Last time we ran the No. 7 Spire truck, we had a ton of speed and I think it helped me learn the track which helped me be fast in the Cup race. Obviously, it didn’t end the way I wished, but ultimately, the experience can only make me better.”

Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on his expectations for the race at Sonoma: “We had a ton of speed at COTA (Circuit of The Americas) and got collected in someone else’s mess which cost us a win. I think it’s great that Alex (Bowman) is going to get back in the No. 7 HendrickCars.com Spire truck to get more road course experience – it served him well last time. We learned a lot at COTA and Alex gained some confidence in his ability to run well on road courses, so I am optimistic for the race and look forward to getting out to Sonoma (Raceway) and redeeming ourselves on a road course.”

Chandler Smith – No. 18 Safelite Tundra TRD Pro Camping World Trucks Sonoma Raceway Preview

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Official Release
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Chandler Smith: Driver, No. 18 Safelite® Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: DoorDash 250, Race 12 of 23, 75 Laps – 20/25/30; 149.25 Miles
Location: Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway (1.99-mile, 12-turn road course)
Date/Broadcast: June 11, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Chandler Chatter:
Chandler Smith and the No. 18 Safelite team head to Sonoma Raceway for Saturday’s DoorDash 250. It will be Smith’s first trip to Sonoma in any series and just his fifth career start on a road course in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series action. Across his first four starts, his fifth-place result earlier this year at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Tex. has been his best result.

Smith’s strong showing at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway last week helped catapult him up to second in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular season point standings, where he sits 17 points behind reigning series champion Ben Rhodes with five races remaining in the regular season. Smith led 40 laps, won the opening stage and despite suffering damage to his Safelite Tundra TRD Pro when another competitor slid up the track into him while battling for the lead, came back to finish third.

Through the first 11 events of the season Smith ranks first among Truck Series regulars in quality passes (483), second in average finish (9.1) and average starting position (7.3), third in driver rating (102.0) and fourth in average running position (8.812) and fastest laps run (69). He has produced one win, 96 laps led, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes in his sophomore campaign.

The Georgia driver earned NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 and finished eighth in the championship standings after producing two victories, one pole, 213 laps led, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes in his first full-time season. He earned his first career Truck Series victory at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in September and in the series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway earned his first career pole and swept all three stages en route to his second victory.

In addition to his Truck Series schedule in 2022, Smith is competing in a three-race schedule with Sam Hunt Racing (SHR). Smith finished 38th in his series debut at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway after a mid-race wreck and finished 21st at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway. His final race with SHR will come Oct. 22 at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

Veteran crew chief Danny Stockman will once again call the shots for Smith and the No. 18 team in 2022. Stockman’s drivers have produced six victories at KBM across his first two seasons, including two with Smith behind the wheel in 2021. The veteran crew chief captured a Truck Series championship with Austin Dillon in 2011 and also won an Xfinity Series championship with Dillon in 2013. Stockman’s lone visit to Sonoma as a National Series crew chief resulted in a 24th-place finish with Austin Dillon in the 2019 Cup Series race at the California road course. He was atop the pit box for David Mayhew’s runner-up finish in the NASCAR West Series event in 2019. Smith’s fifth-place finish at COTA earlier this year was his best result across five races in Truck Series action on road courses.

Safelite, the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair, replacement and recalibration services, returns to KBM for a fifth season and will be the primary sponsor on Smith’s Tundra TRD Pro Tundra for 16 races this year, including Saturday’s race at Sonoma. Charge Me will serve as an associate sponsor on the bedtop of Smith’s No. 18 Tundra TRD Pro this weekend. Charge Me was founded on the principle that the electric vehicle (EV) revolution will require robust infrastructure support at all levels.

Chandler Smith, Driver Q&A:
You are 17 points out of the lead with five races remaining. How do you like your chances of winning the regular season championship?
“With the stretch of top-10 finishes we have had recently with our No. 18 Safelite/Charge Me team we have definitely put ourselves back into a position to fight for the regular season championship. That will be our main priority these next five races because winning the regular season championship comes with a good chunk of playoff points, so getting those points would definitely be beneficial for our team when the playoffs start.”

We are in a stretch of races at very unique tracks, is it fun taking on a new challenge each week?
“It’s definitely a fun stretch where last week we went to what I would classify as a short track and then coming we have a couple road course races, a dirt race and Nashville Superspeedway. I think NASCAR has done a good job making the Truck Series schedule unique, but if I had it my way I’d add in a few more short tracks because those are my favorite.”

Sonoma is a new track for you. How do you prepare for a track you’ve never been to?
“To prepare for Sonoma I’ve watched a lot of film and spent a lot of time at TRD on the simulator. I feel like I’ve been pretty fast on the road courses for as few of them as I’ve raced. I’m as prepared as I possibly can be for Saturday and really looking forward to the challenge of taking on a new road course.”

Chandler Smith Career Highlights:

  • Across 49 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts has recorded three wins, 402 laps led, 19 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 13.6.
  • Earned NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 and finished eighth in the championship standings after producing two victories, one pole, 213 laps led, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes in his first full-time season. He earned his first career Truck Series victory at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in September and in the series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway earned his first career pole and swept all three stages en route to his second victory.
  • Has posted an average finish of 29.5 across two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts in 2022, with a best result of 22nd coming at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway.
  • Has collected nine wins, 10 poles, 1783 laps led, 22 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes en route to an average finish of 5.4 across 34 career ARCA Menards Series starts.
  • Has numerous Super Late Model victories across his career, including two marquee wins: the Snowball Derby at 5 Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla. (2021) and SpeedFest at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Georgia (2018). Will compete in several Super Late Model events around his Truck Series schedule in 2022.

Chandler Smith’s No. 18 Safelite Tundra:
KBM-72: The No. 18 Safelite team will unload KBM-72 for Saturday’s race at Sonoma. It is the same Tundra TRD Pro that Smith raced to a fifth-place finish with at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Tex. in March.

KBM-72 Performance Profile
KBM Notes of Interest:

  • Across 35 starts on road courses, KBM drivers have earned one win, 13 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 9.4 and an average finish of 12.3.
  • Erik Jones picked up KBM’s lone road course victory in 2015 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ont.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (94) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, Corey Heim became the 18th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • The No. 18, the number which was on the first Tundra that went to victory lane for KBM in 2010, has 24 career victories.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Hailie Deegan Heading Back to Native California for Sonoma Event

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Sonoma Advance | Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Hailie Deegan, driver of the No. 1 Monster Energy Ford F-150 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for David Gilliland Racing, was a guest today on the weekly Ford Performance media call. She answered questions from the media about her season to date and this weekend’s return to Sonoma Raceway.

HAILIE DEEGAN, No. 1 Monster Energy Ford F-150 – WHERE ARE YOU ON THE AGGRESSION SCALE? “It’s really crazy in the Truck Series. I feel like there’s a lot that happens during these races, a lot of chaos, so I think that it’s hard to avoid it. I think sometimes if you don’t stand up for yourself or do what they’re doing to you back, you’ll get run over quick and it happens quick. So, I think just from now on, and I feel like I’m trying to do more of it, is just racing people how they race me. Someone like, for instance, Ross Chastain. When he comes down to the Truck Series he races aggressive, but he does it in a respectful way. We can race each other really, really hard, but in the most respectful way. We’re not just cleaning people out. He’ll race me hard and I’ll race him hard back and it’s super respectful, so that’s what I like. I really, really like that and I think there are some instances where there are a few drivers in the Truck Series that the moment they get to me they try and move you and you’re like, ‘What did I do?’ But I think that it kind of depends on who you’re racing around. You kind of have to know who you’re racing around and I feel like that affects it a lot is everyone that you could be around at that moment you have to decide like, ‘OK, how are they gonna race me? Are they gonna race me with respect or am I gonna get buy them and they’re just gonna try to wreck me the next corner?’”

WHAT ABOUT LAST WEEKEND? YOU WERE THE CENTER OF A LITTLE BIT GOING ON? “Are you talking about with the 52? I think that what initially all started it was it happened going into turn one – kind of on the frontstretch but in turn one – I was kind of hanging on the 42’s left-rear, just trying to pull him back before we got to the entry of the corner, and I think when I did that I was just so close to the 42 that the rear – because of the skew and everything the rears are out just a little bit more – and I think it just barely got into Freisen, but it was enough to kind of upset my truck and kind of put me a little bit into the 42, so I didn’t mean to do anything to the 42 at all or Freisen, but it was just kind of like more of a racing situation. Honestly, I didn’t even know really what happened. It’s not like you can see very well out the right-rear, so I think that it was just kind of a racing little mishap of racing each other hard. I’ve been used up, I feel like, by quite a few people on track and I thought I was just racing hard. I didn’t think there was much wrong with it. Obviously, if I would have wrecked him or anything like that, yeah, I would have felt bad and it wouldn’t have been intentional, but I felt like we were racing pretty hard right there for the position we were in and then he ended up driving me down track and stuff. It was just a mess, but I think that’s just kind of what comes with it. I’m no stranger to being flipped off on the track. It’s become a pretty common thing, but I feel like it happens a lot during these races. I feel like it kind of goes back and forth during the whole race with a lot of people and not just me, but seeing it from an outside perspective. There’s just a lot of chaos in the Truck Series and I think it’s almost a discipline issue. It’s like if you’re building a building and it has no structure, it’s gonna fall apart. If you’re raising a kid with no discipline, they’re not gonna behave the best way possible and I feel like the Truck Series, kind of what’s lacking right now is that discipline. You’ve got a lot of young kids in there trying to prove themselves and then you have some of the older talent that has a lot of experience and it’s not meshing well. I feel like there needs to be some structure to it in order to get it under control because I know, at least for me, if I’m gonna go hit somebody or wreck somebody if there is a black flag or some sort of discipline, some type of repercussion that I could face because of it, I’m probably gonna decide whether or not to do that and not just instantly do it because you know there’s nothing bad that’s gonna come of it after.”

SO IT’S KIND OF LIKE THE WILD WILD WEST? “I haven’t seen many people get penalized in the Truck Series for what happens on track. It’s kind of disheartening because you wish there were situations you’re in like, ‘Man, I didn’t deserve that,’ and I just get put in these positions and I know there are other drivers that probably feel the same way, but I feel like there needs to be more discipline and structure in the Truck Series.”

NASCAR SHOULD TAKE MORE OF A ROLE? “If we decide that’s a racing incident, all good. But if you see it’s blatantly intentional or something like that, I don’t know exactly how you’d do it, but as I was growing up if you did that you get put to the rear. That’s enough discipline to make someone have to decide and make a decision. Should I take that risk or should I not?”

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO INSPIRE WOMEN WHO WANT TO BE DRIVERS? “I love seeing girls get into racing, especially from a young age. When you see little girls around the racetrack or even coming up to me and saying ‘I started racing because of you.’ Or have their parents come up to me and say, ‘I got my daughter into racing because she watched you race and it made her want to get into racing.’ I love that. I honestly think that some of my best motivation comes from that – to show that I’m inspiring girls to get into racing and show that it is possible. Yeah, it may be hard, but it’s possible.”

IF THERE WAS A SONG FROM ANY GENRE THAT DESCRIBES YOU AS A PERSON AND DRIVER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? “That’s a hard one. I think it kind of depends what kind of mood I’m in. My categories vary. One day it’s like 90’s rap. Sometimes it’s kind of sad, like Lana Del Ray, and then you have my old 80’s rock. I have three different genres I go to depending on my mood.”

ANY POSITIVES YOU’VE TAKEN AWAY FROM THE START OF THE SEASON? “Yeah, for sure. I feel like me as a driver, I’ve improved. There’s been a lot of stuff this year where we’ve gone into little situations or just like on track stuff to where you just get into someone else’s mess that happened, or just little things happening. At Gateway, we had the generator overheat in qualifying, so we weren’t able to cool down the truck, which means you can’t tape off, which taping off in qualifying at somewhere like Gateway, talking to some of the other drivers who have been there a lot and crew chiefs in the Truck Series, that’s worth like six-tenths. So, that affects my starting position and then Ilmore was just pulling some of the data and stuff off all of the trucks and they noticed that on our truck something with the fuel pressure wasn’t right, so they ended up changing up the fuel cell. So instead of starting 26th, which is already not great, we had to start at the rear, so I feel like it’s very hard to overcome a lot of those things happening and I guess it’s just luck. I don’t really know what to say, but there’s a lot of stuff that’s out of my control right now that’s happening and It’s hard as a young driver who it’s only my second season in the Truck Series, I didn’t get much practice last year and there’s only 20 or 30 minutes of practice usually at most of these tracks this year, it’s hard to overcome a lot of that stuff when you’re still trying to learn yourself and trying to take in as much information yourself when you’re starting at the rear trying to just get to where you want to be and go from there and actually go and develop and improve.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO RACE IN YOUR HOME STATE OF CALIFORNIA THIS WEEKEND? “I’m excited. I’ve raced at Sonoma before in the K&N Series. I’ve qualified on the pole there before and it’s fun. I mean, I kind of got used to, when I raced on the west coast in the K&N Series, driving on those tracks and they had no grip, none, because they’re sitting in the sun for all those years and it just lacks a lot of grip. That’s kind of what I got used to and I feel like that’s why I was pretty decent at Sonoma when we went there for the first time. You kind of get the luxury once you start racing on the east coast that these tracks have a lot more grip than they do on the west coast, so I’m excited to go back there. I think I’ve got some good notes from the year’s past of me going there. Obviously, they trucks haven’t been there since ‘98, so it’s hard to go off notes from then, but I think having that little bit of experience in the west series is gonna help a lot – just firing off in practice, knowing what you want out of the truck, knowing how it kind of should feel and have at least an idea of it, and knowing those kind of markers on the track, so I’m excited. I’ve been using the Ford sim a lot and trying to get some more laps there. Joey Hand has been helping me on the sim, just kind of perfecting and tweaking little things that, in his opinion as a road course racer, could make me better on road courses.”

DOES YOUR SRX EXPERIENCE AT KNOXVILLE GIVE YOU AN EDGE FOR NEXT WEEKEND? “I love Knoxville. Knoxville is a really cool track to drive on and racing the SRX Series was really fun. It was crazy how comparable the SRX cars were to the truck handling-wise. I feel like it was a lot of fun and I feel like it translated pretty well and I feel like going back there it’s probably gonna be pretty crazy, like how it was last year, but I think with the experience we have there we should be pretty good.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TRACK ON THE SCHEDULE AND WHY? “I am a big fan of mile-and-a-halves. I just enjoy it. I feel like there’s a lot of information I’ve learned over the last year-and-a-half in the trucks and I think that in the mile-and-a-half stuff I’m able to apply it a lot more, just because it kind of slows down a little bit. You’re kind of having a little bit more time to kind of decide what you’re gonna do. I feel like it opens my mind to be able to use other things that I’ve learned the last year-and-a-half and apply them a little bit better, but mile-and-a-half stuff is really fun for me. I think Kansas, Vegas, those are kind of my favorite tracks. Gateway, obviously, I was really looking forward to for this year, but it didn’t go as planned. We got a decent finish away from it, but I had higher hopes for Gateway and I think my truck was pretty good that if we weren’t in the situation even before the race that we were in, we probably could have gotten a better finish.”

HOW DOES THE K&N CAR COMPARE TO A TRACK ON A ROAD COURSE? “I’ll let you know after. I’m hoping it compares pretty good because I do have a lot of notes from back then of me asking other drivers what to do, so I have their notes too, which is pretty nice. I’ve had the same laptop for six years, so that’s a plus. I think that going back to Sonoma in the truck is gonna be a little bit different. Obviously, the racing is probably gonna be a lot harder. This is a lot deeper field of good competition, but I think, at least for me, it gives me an idea of what to do. It gives me a base to go off of. Obviously, you could go in a couple different directions with stuff, but I feel like I have a good, solid base from being there in the K&N race.”

HOW HAVE YOU SEEN YOURSELF GROW ON AND OFF THE TRACK SINCE JOINING THE TRUCK SERIES? “I think last year I was lacking a little confidence in myself, just like when you go from running top three, top five every single week in K&N, ARCA, that kind of stuff – able to hop in dirt cars and do really good – and then all of a sudden you get in the Truck Series and you’re like, ‘I’m getting in wrecks every single weekend. Is my reaction time terrible? What’s going on?’ I live a little bit sometimes too much in the moment and I feel like it kind of hurts me because if there’s a problem right now, I want to fix it right now. That’s not always the case when it comes to racing stock cars. It doesn’t always work out like that, so I’ve kind of had to get used to that and kind of accept what I was working with and making the best of it, and trying to fix little things as we go and not try to fix everything right then in the moment. It’s tough. I mean, it’s very, very tough, but I think we’re just trying to do the best we can right now and just kind of get as many good finishes as we can, staying out of all the wrecks happening because I swear every single race in the Truck Series only half the field finishes.”

HOW ENJOYABLE WAS RUNNING SRX LAST YEAR? “It was a great experience. I never would have thought I would be sitting around at an autograph session with Bill Elliott. I was right next to him talking to him the whole time, and it’s crazy when you bring this older generation of racers – some are retired and some still race, but you bring them together. For me, this is my best opportunity to get the most information possible as a driver and kind of learn the ropes of everything from people who have, first of all, made it to that level, been at that level for a long time, and are out of it now because they’ve been so successful. I think there’s a lot of good advice and good tips you can learn from those type of guys and I’m excited to go back. That was a great experience. I don’t think I could complain about one thing in the SRX Series.”

HOW VALUABLE IS IT BEING AROUND THOSE GUYS AND HOW MUCH CAN YOU BRING INTO THE TRUCK SERIES? “I think when you learn anything from drivers who have had a lot of success that you can apply those really anywhere. I feel like I have this toolbox and I’m always trying to add new tools to it. I feel like you can take a lot of things away, whether you apply them in the Truck Series or dirt racing or SRX Series, wherever you apply them as a driver or it could just be literally applying them in your life. I think there’s a lot of things you can take away from people who have experience.”

IS IT A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE RACING AGAINST THOSE GUYS WHO HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE AS OPPOSED TO THE TRUCK SERIES, WHERE THE COMPETITORS ARE YOUNGER? “For sure, 100 percent. I think when you have these guys who have been racing for so long and they, first of all, have earned their respect, but they’re respectful when they’re racing around you because they know that you’re young and you’re trying to learn from them. So, I really look at it is how they race me, I try to race people back with, but, obviously, I’m gonna have a lot more respect right from the get-go of those guys’ experience.”

AT THE START OF THE YEAR THERE WAS SOME TALK ABOUT XFINITY RACES FOR YOU THIS YEAR. IS THAT STILL A POSSIBILITY? “It’s tough trying to get funding midway through the season or trying to figure things out for a potential end of the year deal for at least me in these situations. We’re still working on it and trying to do what we can, but there’s nothing we really have set in stone at all right now. It’s all just kind of seeing what we could possibly do in the future. I wish I had an answer because I want answers myself, but nothing set yet.”

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