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Petty GMS Race Recap: Kansas Speedway

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Official Release
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Ty Dillon, No. 42 ChevyLiners.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 17th
FINISH: 20th
POINTS: 26th

Ty Dillon Post-Race Thoughts: “Proud of the effort from everyone on our ChevyLiners.com team. As a group, we had a solid Saturday to kickstart our weekend and secured our best starting position on a mile and a half. During the race, our Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was good on the long run, but struggled to fire off. Other guys could drive it into the corner way harder than I could, which would cost us track position during a race where it was relatively hard to pass. The last adjustment that we made woke up the car and we’ll make note of that for our intermediate program notebook. My pit crew was awesome today though. Every stop they were gaining four or five positions. They had to be the fastest crew on pit road. We will now head to Texas and try to race our way into the main show.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 FOCUSfactor Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 22nd
FINISH: 32nd
POINTS: 17th

Erik Jones Post-Race Thoughts: “Our FOCUSfactor Chevy was decent today. We started out pretty good, but a little on the free side. The guys made good changes and made a pit call to get us in the top 10 and stage points at the end of stage one. Unfortunately, we had the issue with our tire and getting the right rear off. That kind of ended our day after going multiple laps down. We’ll refocus and head to Texas for the All-Star race.”

ABOUT PETTY GMS:

Petty GMS competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, operating the No. 42 Chevrolet for Ty Dillon and the No. 43 Chevrolet for Erik Jones. The newly formed team brought together two storied organizations in December 2021. Over the last decade, owner Maury Gallagher built a victorious team, capturing two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championships, one ARCA Menards Series title, and two ARCA Menards Series East championships, as well as 65 wins and 235 top-five finishes across six series. Richard Petty, a member of the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2010, serves as Chairman of Petty GMS. Petty, known as “The King,” accumulated 200 wins and was the first of three drivers to win seven championships in the Cup Series. For more information, visit www.pettygms.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

Keselowski Captures Top-15 in Kansas

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Official Release
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No. 6 King’s Hawaiian Crew Hangs Tough Sunday Afternoon

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (May 15, 2022) – Brad Keselowski began his 400-mile journey at Kansas Speedway from outside the top-30 Sunday afternoon, but rebounded well with a 14th-place run in the King’s Hawaiian Ford.

When the green flag dropped, Keselowski worked his way up nine spots from the start in 40 laps. The No. 6 team fought a mostly free race car throughout stage one, relegating the King’s Hawaiian Ford to a 20th-place finish in the first stage.

After pit stops were completed, the No. 6 Ford began stage two from the 14th position. The beginning of stage two would run green for around 40 laps, with the caution flying at an optimal time in the cycle of pit stops for the whole team. With many other cars having to take the wave around, Brad restarted fourth, but would fade to 13th to finish stage two.

Keselowski would begin stage three from inside the top-10 where two cautions would fly. Keselowski fought ferociously to hold the top-15 for the last 70 or so laps of the race, ultimately finishing in 14th with the King’s Hawaiian Ford.

Keselowski and the No. 6 team now get set for the All-Star Race from Texas Motor Speedway, slated for next Sunday at 7 p.m. ET (FS1, PRN, SiriusXM).

Buescher Finishes 27th in Kansas

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Official Release
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Castrol GTX Ford Shows Early Promise Before Overheating Issues

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (May 15, 2022) – Chris Buescher was on his way to a solid finish in the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang Sunday afternoon at Kansas Speedway, but overheating issues forced him to pit under green, ultimately losing laps to the leaders to finish 27th.

It was an eventful weekend for the No. 17 team as Buescher had a tire go down in practice on Saturday, sending him to a backup car for Sunday’s 400-mile race. After the team worked extensively on the Ford Mustang, Buescher would roll off near the tail end Sunday afternoon, one of a handful of cars to do so due to multiple tire issues Saturday.

The Prosper, Texas, native worked his way into the top-20 just 70 laps in though, finishing 13th in stage one at lap 80. During the stage break he was forced to pit road twice after the team discovered what appeared to be a loose wheel.

Green-flag pit stops commenced about 40 laps into the second stage before Buescher began reporting rising temperatures inside the car, which would eventually send him to pit road. Despite the team’s efforts to clean the grill, Buescher lost multiple laps to the leaders, and not enough cautions were displayed in the closing laps to make up for the lost time.

Buescher heads to his home state next week for All-Star festivities at Texas Motor Speedway. Sunday’s race coverage for The Open is set for 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1, with the All-Star Race set for 7 p.m. ET. Radio coverage can also be heard on MRN and SiriusXM Radio.

Burton Finishes 21st at Kansas

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Official Release
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Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging team avoided the adversity that affected many of their competitors and came away with a 21st-place finish in Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Burton took the green flag from 26th place and finished the first 80-lap Stage in 23rd place.

He continued to run inside the top 25 in Stage Two and got a big break when the caution flag flew for a spin by Kevin Harvick on Lap 127, during a round of green-flag pit stops.

Burton had yet to make his stop, so he moved up to 13th place for the ensuing restart.

He ran inside the top 15 for much of the remainder of that Stage, and was running 17th when that Stage ended at Lap 165.

In the third and final Stage, with his DEX Imaging team turning out quick stops on pit road, he was able to run inside the top 15 for much of the latter portion of the race before losing several spots and crossing the finish line in 21st place, on the lead lap for the second-straight week.

Burton said the up-and-down day left him a bit frustrated.

“We ran better than we finished,” he said. “You want it to be the other way, but just really free at the end.

“It’s really hard to drive these things loose, so I don’t know if I need to do a better job or what, but when we get loose we struggle pretty bad. It was a handful at the end and it’s definitely frustrating.”

Burton said that prior to the final run to the checkered flag he and the DEX Imaging team were making the No. 21 Mustang faster.

“I felt like we were getting better throughout the day, and then on the last run we finally jumped over the cushion too far,” he said. “We were tight, tight, tight all day and couldn’t get it to turn and then all of a sudden the last run I’m crashing on entry and crashing on exit.

“Overall, we just have to keep digging. It’s not what we want, but we’ll keep going.”

Burton and the Motorcraft/DEX Imaging team now head to Texas Motor Speedway for next week’s NASCAR All-Star Race.

About DEX Imaging
DEX Imaging is the digital document imaging division of Staples, the world’s largest business solutions provider. DEX sells and services the broadest selection of copiers, printers and data management solutions, such as HP, Konica Minolta, Canon, Kyocera and numerous others.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES:
Reducing Operating Costs
Reducing Paper Consumption
Increasing Productivity

DEX Imaging has been the recipient of virtually every industry award since the company’s inception, including the JD Power & Associates Award for Best Customer Experience, the prestigious ProTech Service award by Konica Minolta, the Diamond Premier Dealer Award by Kyocera, and the Elite DEALER Award by ‘ENX’ magazine. Other accolades include being named ‘Best Place to Work’ by numerous business journals in the markets DEX serves.

Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.

CATHCART PERSEVERES AT SUNSET SPEEDWAY

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Official Release
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Credit: Matthew Manor

(May 15, 2022) Bryan Cathcart fought to the finish in the Cathcart Dodge in the season opener for the NASCAR Pinty’s Series at Sunset Speedway.

Cathcart started out strong but quickly noticed his car was loose during the first half of the race. When Cathcart made a pit stop a flat tire was discovered on the #71 Dodge. The team acted quickly and attempted to fix the issue during an unscheduled pit stop but ended up having to continually make adjustments.

Following the scheduled mid-race break where the #71 Cathcart Dodge team would have fueled the car and swapped to a fresh set of tires, the car was still loose so Cathcart tried different lines and that seemed to help for the remainder of the race moving up several positions.

Cathcart was quick and the team was in great spirits but fighting that loose condition to the end ultimately lead him to finishing respectably in 14th place.

Bryan Cathcart Quote:
“It was a really hot day, but overall, this group did well. We picked up five positions from the start and brought the car home in good shape, we had a good day”.

Next Up:
Bryan Cathcart and the Cathcart Dodge team take on famed road course at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) for round two of the season on Sunday May 22nd as the highly anticipated feature race in the Castrol Victoria Day Speedfest.

TV & Live Streaming:
The NTN Ultimate Bearing Experience 150 race from Sunset Speedway will air on TSN Sunday May 22 at 4PM Eastern and on RDS2 Saturday June 4th at 7PM Eastern. All races are streamed live on TSN.ca and the TSN app in Canada and through FloRacing in the United States.

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

Photo: Bryan Cathcart racing the #71 Cathcart Dodge at Sunset Speedway

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Richmond Post-Race Report — 5.15.22

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Official Release
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TORRENCE TAKES TOYOTA TO FINAL ROUND IN VIRGINIA
Capco Boys Fall to Force in Final Round by One One-Hundredth

RICHMOND, Va. (May 15, 2022) – After a two-year absence, the NHRA returned to Virginia Motorsports Park. Steve Torrence and the Capco Boys advanced to the final round in their Toyota Top Fuel dragster, but by only one one-hundredth of a second would lose to race-winner, Brittany Force. Qualifying proved positive for the GR Supra Funny Car contingent with all three posting times within the top-five, but a drastic weather change for Sunday’s race would eliminate them all by round two.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
Virginia Motorsports Park
Race 7 of 22

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS  —  Race Winner:  Brittany Force

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Steve TorrenceCapco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel DragsterFinal RoundW. 3.772 vs. 3.926 (S. Palmer) W. 4.402 vs. 5.309 (T. Schumacher) W. 3.803 vs. 4.932 (A. Prock) L. 3.781 vs. 3.770 (B. Force)
Shawn LangdonDHL Toyota Top Fuel DragsterRound 2W. 3.769 vs. NT (D. Foley) L. 4.512 vs. 3.788 (B. Force)
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterRound 2W. 5.995 vs. 7.253 (L. Pruett) L. 5.946 vs. 3.837 (A. Prock)
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterRound 1L. 5.833 vs. 5.384 (M. Salinas)
Justin AshleyPhillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel DragsterRound 1L. 8.368 vs. 3.792 (T. Schumacher)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS  — Race Winner:    Robert Hight

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Ron CappsNAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra Funny CarRound 2W. 5.481 vs. 8.027 (McIntire Jr.) L. 9.626 vs. 3.935 (R. Hight)
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny CarRound 1L. 3.994 vs. 3.922 (J. Force)
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny CarRound 1L. 3.962 (red light) vs. 3.948 (B. Tasca III)

TOYOTA QUOTES

STEVE TORRENCE, Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Torrence Racing

Final Result: Final Round

How do you feel about the race weekend overall and your appearance in the final round?

“It was a good weekend for the Capco car and really needed to get into that final round and improve moral for the team and I think we took a step in the right direction doing that. It was a tough final round race, but we get a couple weeks off and we’ll hit them hard again. I think this Toyota is headed in the right direction and I’m pleased with everything and the rest of the team is too.”

# # #

About Toyota

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

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

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

Chevrolet doubles up at Virginia

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
VIRGINIA NHRA NATIONALS
VIRGINIA MOTORSPORTS PARK IN NORTH DINWIDDIE, VIRGINIA
MAY 15, 2022

Chevrolet doubles up at Virginia NHRA Nationals

• Top Fuel points leader Brittany Force records third victory of the season
• Robert Hight delivers 150th Funny Car victory for Chevrolet and 56th of his career
• Daniel Condon drives COPO Camaro to runner-up in Factory Stock Showdown

NORTH DINWIDDIE, Va. (May 15, 2022) — Robert Hight and crew chief Jimmy Prock didn’t find the sweet spot with the Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS in qualifications, checking in at the No. 10 spot. But it got down the Virginia Motorsports Park quickly and consistently in eliminations, with Hight earning his third NHRA Funny Car victory of the season.

Teammate Brittany Force’s Flav-R-Pac/Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster checked in as the No. 1 Top Fuel qualifier and the 2017 champion ran the table for her third victory of the season for a big weekend for John Force Racing and Chevrolet.

Hight, who claimed his 56th career Funny Car win, delivered the 150th Funny Car victory for Chevrolet sine 1967. The Camaro body has been to the winner’s circle 70 times. Hight and 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force have combined for 25 wins with the Camaro.

Hight’s pass of 3.907 seconds at 328.86 mph eclipsed the 3.948-second run by Matt Hagan.

“I was a crew member for so many years, so nobody knows that better than I do. It takes eight guys pulling together and there is nothing like it at the end of the day when you can hoist one of these Wallys up,” said Hight, who remains second to Hagan in the standings through seven of the scheduled 22 races. “I just want to thank everybody … Auto Club, Chevrolet. This trophy is going to Mary Barra from Chevrolet, she is the CEO. Come out to a drag race and see us.

“I think we’ve had three battles with Hagan this year and it seems like it happens every week. I think we’ve got the best two cars in the class and when you race them, you better be up for it. They were better than us in qualifying, but what a difference a day makes. We had mechanical failure the first run and it set us behind the whole weekend. But when you’ve got this great team, you just believe in them and they just navigated things great today. We’re going to have a lot of these battles the rest of the year and hopefully we can just keep winning them.”

Entering eliminations as the No. 1 spot for the 34th time in her career – and with the Top Fuel track elapsed time record of 3.654 seconds in her pocket — after a bye run, Force made passes of 3.778, 3.770 and 3.770 seconds in the final against reigning champion Steve Torrence to collect her third win of the season and 14th of her career.

“This has been our greatest season yet,” said Force, who retains the top spot in the Top Fuel standings. “To come on this strong, with this many wins with our Flav-R-Pac team, I am so excited. We’ve never won here in Virginia, so it was very cool to get this win. This Wally (trophy) is for (crew chief) David Grubnic because he makes the impossible happen. Any win is special, but to qualify No. 1, set the track record and then get the win, it’s great. Robert and I seem to have a lot of luck together, and it was great to see him win. Our whole team has come a long way and we’re already ahead of ourselves from last year.”

Austin Prock, who posted a season-high No. 2 spot in qualifications in the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster, advanced to the semifinals against Torrence.

John Force, who registered the 155th win of his Funny Car career on May 1, also advanced to the semifinals before falling to Hagan. Force, driving the PEAK BlueDEF Platinum Chevrolet Camaro SS, was the No. 12 qualifier.

Daniel Condon of Wilmington, Illinois, drove his Chevrolet COPO Camaro to a runner-up finish in the third round of the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown.

Chevrolet teams return to competition June 3-5 at the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire. Pro Stock rejoins the schedule after a long break. Four-time class champion Erica Enders, who has won three of the five races in the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS, is first in the standings. FS1 will telecast eliminations at 7 p.m. ET Sunday, June 5.

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.

Solid points day for Sean Creech Motorsport at Mid-Ohio

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Official Release
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LEXINGTON, Ohio (15 May 2022) – Sean Creech Motorsport (SCM) came into Sunday’s Lexus Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio as the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s LMP3 class points leader, and while the team had an unlucky start to Sunday’s race, the sixth-place result doesn’t tell the entire story.

The team, with drivers João Barbosa and Lance Willsey, tested at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course late last month – but in unseasonably cold and rainy conditions that yielded little in the way of usable information. The team built on the No. 33 Sean Creech Motorsport Exelixis/Focal One/Alta Equipment Ligier JS P320’s setup through two practice sessions, settling on what they hoped would be a solid foundation to build from through the two-hour and 40-minute event at the 2.4-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Taking the green flag in eighth position, Willsey immediately found himself in a game of bumper cars, as multiple cars around him bounced off each other – and off his own Ligier. Willsey maintained his composure amongst competitors, traffic and the faster DPi prototypes. But late in his stint, one of those GT cars tangled with a lapping DPi in Turn Nine and put Willsey into the grass – and a lap down. Once he knew the car was undamaged, Willsey was swiftly back under way, holding his own and keeping the car in seventh position.

Pitting with just under two hours remaining, Willsey handed the wheel to Barbosa, who has three podiums (including a victory) at Mid-Ohio. Barbosa immediately made his presence known, setting a team-best lap time of 1:19.058 despite being a lap down to the leaders.

A full course caution with just over an hour remaining sent the team on an alternate strategy: with the leader having the good fortune to pit just before the yellow, there would be no pass around to get the lap back. Team strategists brought Barbosa in for a top-off of fuel and four new Michelin tires. But he returned to the fray in the middle of the pack of LMP3 cars, unable to break free with all six running comparable lap times. The yellow they’d been hoping for never materialized and Barbosa took the checkered flag in sixth position.

“It just wasn’t our race today,” said Willsey, who also contested the IMSA Prototype Challenge race earlier Sunday with co-driver Parker Thompson. “But this one’s on me, starting P8 just in front of the GTD cars. Things got really backed up ahead of me, and one of the LMP3 cars spun, so a couple of the GT cars were able to get around. Then, while trying to get around them, one of them put me into the dirt – and that put us in a hole we couldn’t get out of. We don’t come here to finish sixth, but the team did a great job and we had a good car, a podium car if things had gone our way. Huge thanks to Alta and Focal One for all their support, we’ll regroup and be maniacally focused on the Glen coming up!”

“The overall speed wasn’t there but we had a very consistent car,” said Barbosa. “I’m pleased with my stint: we stayed with the top guys in the class for a long time, even quicker at times. The pace was there but it was a tough sequence of events early in the race – it’s hard to come back in a sprint race. We struggled here last year as well, I guess it’s just not our track. We struggled all weekend for grip – these track conditions were so different than they were at the test so it was difficult. The team will dig deep, figure it out, and we’ll come back stronger at the Glen. We’re still close in points and the next few tracks will be good for us. We know the championship is still wide open.”

“We tested here a few weeks ago and we had we were really fast car, but this weekend the conditions were different so it didn’t translate well,” said Creech. “But we got the car dialed in through the race so during João’s stint, we were running similar times as our competitors. It’s just in the beginning of the race, we didn’t have that. We made some adjustments through the stops and had a pretty good car in the end. While we didn’t finish where we wanted to, I think we’re still close in the points. That was the main thing – coming out of here with good points and with the car in one piece. And there are still a lot of races to go. We’ll test it at Glen in early June and just start over again, like we always do every weekend. We’re the circus!”

Next up for Sean Creech Motorsport will be the third endurance race of the season, the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International Raceway. The race will be broadcast live in the U.S. on PeacockTV and USA Network, while international viewers can watch via IMSA.tv. IMSA Radio will also be available at IMSA.com.

About SCM
Team leader Sean Creech has competed in a multitude of sports car series from 1990 until the present day, includingGroup C, IMSA GTP, WSC, Grand-Am, SRO World Challenge, and IMSA. SCM will contest the full WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2022 with João Barbosa and Lance Willsey. http://seancreechmotorsport.com/

About Alta Equipment
An industry-leading material handling and construction equipment company, Alta Equipment is an innovator of solutions, delivering diverse products and unrivaled support centered on building lasting customer relationships. Alta Equipment began in 1984 with a single location in Detroit and has grown to 57 locations throughout the Midwest, Northeast, and Florida.
https://www.altaequipment.com/

About Focal One
One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime in the United States. The Focal One® HIFU Prostate treatment offers patients a non-invasive outpatient procedure to target prostate tissue while avoiding the common side effects such as loss of urinary continence and sexual function. The Focal One treatment uses high performance, high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to precisely target and ablate the prostate, allowing patients to quickly return to normal activities.
http://www.focalone.com/

Cadillac claims third place at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

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Official Release
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Derani, Nunez co-drive No. 31 Whelen Engineering DPi-V.R to another podium finish

LEXINGTON, Ohio (May 15, 2022) – The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R claimed its second consecutive third-place finish in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition and third podium finish in as many years at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to pace the Cadillac contingent in the Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio.

After starting fifth in the 2-hour, 40-minute race on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course, co-drivers Pipo Derani and Tristan Nunez inherited third place following the lone full-course caution midway through the race and held the position. In 2021 and ’20, the Action Express entry was runner-up at Mid-Ohio.

“I think we got the maximum we could out of the car and we delivered,” said Derani, the reigning DPi champion. “Unfortunately, not quite there, but I think we have to be proud of our job finishing as the best Cadillac. The team was flawless all weekend and we’ll take another podium.”

The No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R, which earned its third pole start of the season with Sebastien Bourdais behind the wheel, controlled the pace through the first 1 hour, 15 minutes.

Bourdais exited the seat on a pit stop during the caution and Renger van der Zande took the green flag on the restart. Battling the second-place Acura in the winding back section of the track, the cars made light contact in Turn 6, which sent the No. 01 Cadillac off course. Van der Zande quickly recovered, but the opportunity for the second victory this season slipped away.

“I think Seb did a fantastic job putting it in the lead. When I got in I struggled with the tires on the restart. I tried to keep the position in first but lost control of the car by a little touch,” van der Zande said. “It’s tough to keep a fast car behind when dealing with low grip. It’s a shame. I think we had a good shot at winning with a good car and a good strategy. We are onto Detroit next, which is an important one for Cadillac.”

Bourdais and van der Zande combined to lead a class-high 61 f the 121 laps and finished fifth overall. The No. 10 Acura went on to win the race.

Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn teamed to finish fourth in the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R, while Richard Westbrook and Tristan Vautier co-drove the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R to sixth place.

Cadillac teams return to competition June 3-4 for the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic on the 2.35-mile, 14-turn temporary street course on Belle Isle in Detroit. The No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R won the 2021 race from the pole. The USA Network will telecast the 100-minute race live at 3 p.m. ET Saturday, June 4.
Cadillac Racing results and quotes

No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R
Pipo Derani, Tristan Nunez
Finish: Third Start: Fifth
Pipo Derani: “We have to be proud. The 31 Whelen Engineering team did a fantastic job this weekend. I think we got the maximum we could out of the car and we delivered. Unfortunately, not quite there, but I think we have to be proud of our job finishing as the best Cadillac. The team was flawless all weekend and we’ll take another podium.”

Tristan Nunez: “It all kind of fell in our laps toward the end. Once again, we were the strongest Cadillac, which is good. And good for points. We go to our home turf next race and hopefully we’ll have better overall pace, which I think we will. Cadillacs are always strong at Belle Isle. Looking forward to getting to Detroit and banking some more strong results.”

No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R
Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn
Finish: Fourth Start: Fourth
Earl Bamber: “Tough race for us today. Our team had two really quick cars. We had an issue with the stop, which put us behind the 5 car. We recovered back to fourth, but I think third was on the table. Now, we look forward to Detroit, which is a good rack for Cadillac, and we need to score big points there.”

Alex Lynn: “Not the day we dreamed of today. I thought we had a chance at third and could’ve stole a podium. In the end, Fourth place is important points for the championship. We will regroup and improve and come back for Detroit.”

No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R
Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais
Finish: Fifth Start: First
Renger van der Zande: “I think Seb did a fantastic job putting it in the lead. When I got in I struggled with the tires on the restart. I tried to keep the position in first but lost control of the car by a little touch. It’s tough to keep a fast car behind when dealing with low grip. It’s a shame. I think we had a good shot at winning with a good car and a good strategy. We are onto Detroit next which is an important one for Cadillac.”

Sebastien Bourdais: “It was a more eventful run than we wanted. We did not get a the start we wanted being in the safety car map. At that point, we lost the lead and wasn’t looking great. Fortunately, we got a couple of lucky breaks and put big pressure on the 10 car to retake the lead. We seemed to be under control with how fast the car was. The yellow came at the wrong time for us. Renger did everything he could to keep them behind. Unfortunately, it did not pan out for us. It was a good weekend for us, so obviously disappointed we did not come out with more points. We will keep digging and hope for better days.”

No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R
Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook
Finish: Sixth Start: Sixth
Tristan Vautier: “My stint on the qualifying tires was really hard. I lost the rears early on, and I was struggling throughout my stint. I think the track kind of came to us near the end, so it’s a shame that we couldn’t put it together. I was a trying weekend for us. We would have liked to have a solid result out of it, so our eyes are on Detroit.”

Richard Westbrook: “We salvaged the most of it. I lost downforce and then run wide through Turn 1 and that really damaged the front splitter. Then it was just a case of bringing it home. I feel so bad for the guys. We had a good car in traffic, but when you go through the dirt in Turn 1 you give everything up. We worked so hard this weekend to get a decent car for the race and it looked like we had one.”

About Cadillac
A leading luxury auto brand since 1902, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio that features distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac’s media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com.

Aidan Fassnacht Earns Career Best Mazda MX-5 Cup Finish Sunday at Mid-Ohio in No. 15 Sword Performance Mazda

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Official Release
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Fassnacht Battled for the Top 10 for 45 Minutes Before Finishing 11th on Sunday

LEXINGTON, Ohio (May 15, 2022) – Aidan Fassnacht earned the best finish of his young Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires career on Sunday at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, battling the full 45-minutes for a spot in the top 10 before finishing 11th in the No. 15 Sword Performance Mazda MX-5.

It was the first weekend on a traditional road course for the 19-year-old Boston College student’s season and professional career following the roval race at Daytona International Speedway and the temporary street circuit in St. Petersburg to open the season. Saturday’s first race of the doubleheader at Mid-Ohio was red flagged after less than 15-minute of racing for lightning in the area, relegating Fassnacht to a 13th place finish before the race really got underway.

On Sunday, he finally had a chance to race. Fassnacht’s McAleer McCumbee Racing (MMR) prepared car rolled off the grid in 13th and immediately began moving forward. Driving like a veteran, Fassnacht let the race come to him and improved as high as eighth on track before being shuffled back in the closing laps.

“I think that second race was one of the best drives I ever had,” Fassnacht said. “I fought really hard and the MMR guys really dialed in the car. I just didn’t have the power to get moves done, so we’ll look at the data and figure that out for the next race.

“It feels good to be back on a permanent road course because this is where I’ve been for my entire career. Street circuits and a roval is something very new to me, and in a new car it’s hard to get comfortable when you’re trying to learn a new style of track. Mid-Ohio was also new for me, but it’s closer to what I’m used to. That was beneficial for this weekend and my confidence.”

Unofficially, the result was enough for Fassnacht to improve four positions in the season long point chase, climbing to 20th currently and within striking distance of several others after six of 14 rounds.

The entire race weekend played out over a hot and humid three days. Despite Saturday’s lightning delay, rain never fell and the temperatures remained high. Fassnacht was prepared for that.

“Any race weekend where it’s 80-plus degrees, it’s going to be upwards of 120 degrees in the car so it’s important to stay hydrated,” Fassnacht said. “I’ve been using Sword Performance products all weekend long, including the new Shield Zero sugar-free. It’s really good, but it also helps keep me hydrated so I can get out there and put on a good race like we did today.”

The IMSA-sanctioned Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup returns next returns to action at Watkins Glen International, June 23-26, for the halfway point of the season. The race is the fourth of seven doubleheader race weekends on the 2022 calendar.

Noteworthy: In addition to his on-track duties, Fassnacht donned his firesuit and helmet to assist IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge team Murillo Racing during pit stops for Saturday’s race. Fassnacht filled the fueler assistant role for the team, with his Mercedes-AMG GT4 placing a season-best fifth-place in the race. Fassnacht’s father, Matt Fassnacht, has raced with Murillo Racing during his professional career.

  • Fassnacht’s season-best finish came in the midst of final exam week at Boston College. He will finish up his freshman year on Monday, taking a Sunday evening flight out of Columbus for two Monday finals. “I’m being pulled in two directions right now, with school being a priority along with racing,” Fassnacht said. “My teachers have been super helpful in trying to make that a little bit easier on me.”

About Sword Performance: Sword Performance, Inc. is an American manufacturer of performance hydration beverages, built around a system of proprietary electrolyte replacement products and heat stress subject expertise. Sword Performance Inc. was founded with a purpose: to provide great-tasting, effective hydration to hard-working men and women everywhere. From stadium lights to job sites, Sword Performance hydration products are designed to work with the body to battle dehydration and fatigue. More information can be found at www.DrinkSword.com.

About Aidan Fassnacht: A second-generation professional racecar driver, 19-year-old Aidan Fassnacht is conducting the 2022 Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup for McCumbee McAleer Racing (MMR) in the No. 15 Sword Performance Mazda MX-5 Cup. Fassnacht, a student at Boston College, raced a Spec Miata in Regional and National Sports Car Club of America events for two seasons before taking on the Spec MX-5 Challenge in 2021, earning a slot in the prestigious Mazda Shootout before signing with MMR for his 2022 rookie campaign.

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