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Joey Logano earns pole for Goodyear 400 at Darlington

Joey Logano after winning pole award for NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on May 07, 2022. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Joey Logano won the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington after posting a lap of 28.805 (170.720 mph) Saturday morning during qualifying.

It was his first pole since June of 2019 and the 23rd of his career.

“Oh, it was so much needed for all of us here,” Logano said. “The last couple of weeks were pretty rough, getting in a couple of crashes and not being strong at Dover.”

Kyle Larson qualified second with a 170.236 mph lap followed by Christopher Bell, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch to round out the top five fastest drivers.

Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick were unable to take part in qualifying after problems in the preceding practice session.

Elliott made hard contact with the wall due to a flat left rear tire and will have to go to a backup car for the race. Harvick had a flat tire which damaged the rear diffuser and was unable to qualify while his team made repairs. Both drivers will start from the rear of the field for the Goodyear 400 along with B.J. McLeod who also did not make a qualifying attempt.

Additionally, there were issues during pre-qualifying inspection. The following teams failed inspection twice Friday and each team will have a crew member ejected and will lose their pit stall selection:

No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford team
No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

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GMS Racing NCWTS Darlington Raceway Race Recap

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

START: 3RD
FINISH: 3RD
POINTS: 9TH

Quote: “Great job by everybody on my Champion Power Equipment team tonight. This race was by far our best one that we’ve had as a group, and we have made some really solid gains. I feel that more importantly, we have a solid direction to head moving forward. Nights like these make me feel really good about the work that we all have been putting in, and I’m really looking forward to getting to a more traditional intermediate track like Kansas next week to see how our package continues to perform.”

Jack Wood, No. 24 North Industrial Machine / Auto Parts 4Less Chevrolet Silverado RST

START: 20TH
FINISH: 17TH
POINTS: 27TH

Quote: “Man, what a hard-fought race tonight at Darlington. Our No. 24 Chevy had some speed in it, but unfortunately we had to overcome some major front end damage early on. Darlington is such a tough track, and losing that downforce really hurt our chances at having a better night. Thankfully, we were able to fight through the field and avoid most of the carnage to salvage a decent finish. I’m proud of my team for working as hard as they did to repair our truck and look forward to some of these upcoming tracks.”

ABOUT GMS RACING:

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

SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

DGR NCWTS Race Recap: Darlington Raceway

Friday, May 6
Track: Darlington Raceway, 1.36-mile oval
Race: 7 of 23
Event: Dead On Tools 200 (147 laps, 200 miles)

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Wastequip Ford F-150

Start: 26th
Finish: 29th

  • Hailie Deegan took the green flag for the Dead On Tools 200 after qualifying 26th at the infamous Lady in Black. Despite being loose early in the run, she netted six additional places, crossing the line at the end of Stage 1 in 20th position.
  • Deegan noted on the radio that she fought the rear end coming around throughout the run, finding it especially difficult to get the nose turned in the bottom lane. Despite these issues, the Temecula, CA native found speed running the top, reaching as high as 16th in Stage 2.
  • The 20-year-old’s momentum was ultimately halted after becoming trapped behind a wounded truck, limping its way onto pit road following a blown tire. Deegan would fall to the 25th position, losing valuable track position despite a strong Ford F-150.
  • Before the ensuing restart, the No.1 crew made a slight left rear adjustment, climbing back into 20th as the race would enter its final 57 laps. The following restart proved to be disastrous as Deegan was collected in a wreck that critically damaged her left front fender. She rejoined the field for 30 more laps before being forced to retire early with recurring tire failures generated by the damage sustained in the incident.
  • When the checkered flag fell on the Dead On Tools 200, Deegan was scored in the 29th position.

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Dead On Tools Ford F-150

Start: 17th
Finish: 34th

  • Tanner Gray qualified 17th for the Dead On Tools 200. Struggling with a loose handling truck, Gray was running 14th after the opening 20 laps.
  • The caution on lap 21 allowed the team to pit for fresh tires and trackbar adjustments. The No. 15 F-150 restarted 19th and cracked into the top-10 on lap 30. Gray ultimately finished seventh in Stage 1 to earn four stage points.
  • Still struggling with a loose truck, Jerry Baxter made the call for fresh tires and the addition of a spring rubber to the left rear during the stage break.
  • Gray restarted 11th and sustained fender damage in the opening few laps that forced the team to fix it under the lap 59 caution. The Ford driver would go on to finish 15th in Stage 2.
  • The Dead On Tools truck fired off 16th for the final stage and was working its way forward when disaster struck on lap 99 and Gray was involved in a multi-truck incident in turn 3 effectively ending his night early. He was credited with 34th position.

Ryan Preece, No. 17 United Rentals Ford F-150

Start: 13th
Finish: 7th

  • Ryan Preece rolled off 13th for the 200-mile event. At the drop of the green flag, he quickly moved up to eighth.
  • The veteran driver pitted at the lap 20 caution and restarted 17th. He advanced back up to ninth with 17 laps to go in the stage, but as the truck began to build loose he faded back to 17th at the end of Stage 1.
  • Preece started Stage 2 from 15th and was running 12th when caution flag waved on lap 59. On the restart, he advanced up to seventh and maintained inside the top-10 as he held on for eighth-place at the end of Stage 2.
  • The Connecticut native occupied the eighth position for much of the final stage. When the final caution flag of the race waved with four laps remaining, he was in ninth. He gained two positions in the closing laps and secured his fifth career top-10 in five career NCWTS starts with a seventh-place finish.

Next event: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas on May 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Toyota Racing NCWTS Post-Race Recap — Darlington 5.6.22

NEMECHEK CLAIMS FIRST WIN OF 2022 AT DARLINGTON
Three Tundra TRD PROs Tally Top-Fives at ‘Lady in Black’

DARLINGTON, S.C. (May 6, 2022) – John Hunter Nemechek drove his Mobil 1 Tundra TRD PRO to his first win of the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season in Friday night’s race at South Carolina’s Darlington Raceway. Nemechek was followed to the checkered flag by fellow Tundra drivers Ty Majeski (fourth) and Matt Crafton (fifth).

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Darlington Raceway
Race 7 of 23 – 147 Laps, 201 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
2nd, Carson Hocevar*
3rd, Grant Enfinger*
4th, TY MAJESKI
5th, MATT CRAFTON
6th, PARKER KLIGERMAN
9th, TYLER ANKRUM
10th, TODD BODINE
12th, STEWART FRIESEN
16th, TIMMY HILL
17th, CHRISTIAN ECKES
21st, CHANDLER SMITH
23rd, COREY HEIM
25th, BEN RHODES
28th, JOSH REAUME
30th, BRENNAN POOLE
32nd, TATE FOGLEMAN
35th, CHASE PURDY
36th, AKINORI OGATA
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 4 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 1st

How does it feel to get your first win of the season and first at Darlington Raceway?

“Huge shout out to all the guys that work on this No. 4 KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD PRO, just Mobil 1 and everyone that puts their heart and soul into what’s going on — this is huge. Just thank you to everyone. Thank you to the fans. This place is packed. Awesome crowd. I thought we gave it away early honestly and we’re able to rebound and battle back so it’s cool. Aspen (daughter) I think is sleeping so hopefully Taylor (wife) gets her up and brings her to victory lane so we can celebrate. Learned a lot tonight and was finally able to bring home the first one of the year. I’m just thankful for the opportunity I have from Kyle (Busch, team owner), Toyota and TRD (Toyota Racing Development) for putting me in this truck. Let’s go celebrate.”

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

Finishing Position: 4th

How was your race overall and bringing home a top-five finish?

“It was an up and down day for sure, but had really good speed in practice and qualifying. We split that first stage, lost some track position and made some big adjustments to hopefully have paid dividends at the end. Then we got a flat tire right before the end of the second stage. That last stage, I kept getting caught a lap down and couldn’t get it back. Finally, the first caution in the final stage, got back on the lead lap and made our way back up through the field. Had a really good truck, but didn’t run up front because of those circumstances, but really had really fast FarmPaint Toyota Tundra TRD PRO. Love doing this with the ThorSport guys and getting them a good finish.”

MATT CRAFTON, No. 88 Jack Links/Menards Tundra TRD Pro, ThorSport Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

How was your race tonight?

“Good run for all of us. We needed that momentum heading into this stretch of races to build the confidence for Jeff (Hensley, crew chief) and every one of these guys. Jeff’s new to the whole 88 group. We needed this. We had great, great long run speed, short run speed was just a little bit off, but I know where we were and why we were off a little bit there. I was hoping for some long runs right there at the end, and I don’t know if we could outrun the 4 (John Hunter Nemechek) because he was really, really good, but I thought we had a second-place truck if we could have had that long run because it was so good. Our Menards Tundra was good and we’ll just keep working from here.”

#

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.

CHEVY NCS AT DARLINGTON: Ross Chastain Press Conference Transcript

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
GOODYEAR 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MAY 6, 2022

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 COCA-COLA CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. Press Conference Transcript:

IN YOUR ESTEEMED OPINION, HOW MUCH OF THE SUCCESS OF THIS TEAM WHICH HAPPENED RELATIVELY QUICK CAN BE TIED TO THE FACT THAT JUSTIN (MARKS) WAS A DRIVER?

“That’s a good questions Mike. I don’t know. I mean he definitely just on a day to day and just in his thoughts, he understands the importance of crew chiefs and engineers and race cars and making them go fast. I don’t know many drivers that can truly put aside their confidence or their ego and go hire people smarter than them. Usually, drivers are the alpha. Everybody kind of tailors to us, right? Just for the No. 1 team, everything kind of revolves around what my feedback is in the car and my schedule aside from getting on track. It’s important, but it’s also important that Justin Marks is who he is. I used to tell him in the Xfinity Series that he was way too nice to race because he wasn’t mean enough. It’s important, but it’s important that it’s Justin Marks. Not every driver should be an owner. They would probably fail.”

WITH JUSTIN MARKS HAVING BEEN A DRIVER, I HAVE HEARD WHERE YOU KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE THE TEAM THERE, THEY CAME IN AND SAID THAT YOU HAVE TO BE ON BOARD WITH THIS CAR AND IF YOU ARE NOT THEN YOU CAN LEAVE. BECAUSE OF HIS KNOWLEDGE AS A DRIVER, DID THAT HELP WITH THE NEXT GEN CAR?

“I mean it helped with him hiring the right people to run this Next Gen car. It helped that he kept Tony Lunders in his role at the shop. He kept Darian Grubb. He kept the right people at a high level of Trackhouse. We had a lot of the foundation, a lot of the building blocks already there from CGR. I think the key for him was he’s been there as a driver now he is looking at it from he had 150 maybe people, I don’t know what the number was. When we got done at Phoenix, we were all looking at him like what do we do, because he was a driver I think that definitely played into it. His business savviness, his childhood growing up moving out west pretty early on to California and watching his dad grow businesses and live in that environment, he wasn’t always a racing kid. His dad was not a racer. Justin was the first one to go racing. I think that had as much to do with making the right decisions leading up to the end of last season in his head and then starting the Monday after Phoenix putting into action what he wanted to do and how he wanted Trackhouse to be structured. Choosing the right people at a high level, to then allow them and let them go out and make their decisions for who the engineering group is going to be and who is going to run the engineering group. Are we going to keep the pit crew department? Are we going to keep Ross? Are we going to keep the drivers, right? How are we going to do this allowing those bosses throughout the company, because you are only as strong as your weakest link? It’s just like a chain. You’re only as strong as the weakest one. Having a strong group and a strong chain is as important as having good luck on the track, because the harder we work and the smarter people we have around us the luckier we tend to get.”

I’M CURIOUS FROM YOUR PRESEPECTIVE THE REACTION YOU’RE GETTING AND YOU HAVE SAID YOU’VE NOT CHANGED, BUT JUST HOW PEOPLE ARE VIEWING YOU NOW DO YOU GET A SENSE OF HOW THAT’S EVOLVED AND MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE BEING UNDER THE MICROSCOPE WITH THE MORE SUCCESS THAT YOU HAVE?

“Yeah. I learned a long time ago to take people’s opinions for what they are. They are just opinions. I used to really let it bother me, but I am trying to be better. I’m trying to focus and the way I have been able to mentally move the needle for myself is getting to neutral. That is a Trevor Moawad way of thinking. I just started his second book, his final book that he wrote before he passed unfortunately, and that’s been the best way that I can go to sleep and wake up every day knowing that I am trying to better. Now, on track there’s been some instances where I am still making those mistakes that I made five years ago, but I am human. I’m going to make those mistakes. So, yeah people are going to say what they are going to say. They’re going to write what they are going to write, right? I’m fine to be whatever they want to write about. I know that I’m trying to do better and the people around me are trying to help me be better. That’s all I can really do.”

JUST A FOLLOW UP, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MAKING MISTAKES, OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOW TALKING ABOUT THE LAST LAP OF MONDAY’S RACE. DOES THAT, I DON’T WANT TO PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, WAS THAT A MISTAKE OR IS THAT NOT SOMETHING. I WANT TO BE CLEAR WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MISTAKES, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU LOOK BACK WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ON TRACK INCIDENT? OR WAS THAT JUST A RACING INCIDENT ON THE LAST LAP AT DOVER?

“I’d say more the mistake was 30 laps before that, not just letting him go and hoping he got by Ricky (Stenhouse Jr.) and then I’d get by Ricky too. That’s more what I mean. I mean the last lap is the last lap. We are coming back around to the checkered, I’m going to race him as hard as I possibly can and try not to crash. I trust him and hope that he’d trust me. It was like 50 laps before that or the beginning of that last run when he first got to me probably, looking back at it, let him go then and then try to get by Ricky and still finish third. But, I didn’t.”

DID YOU AND MARTIN TRUEX JR EVER DECIDE ON A PLACE TO GO HUNTING OR FISHING?

“The minnow pond here man. NASCAR tweeted it already. They had a picture of us (laughing).”

WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU SAW THE PAINT SCHEMES FOR THIS WEEKEND?

“Yeah, so cool. I mean, it’s Coca-Cola. It’s an iconic brand, something that we’ve all, I think, had at least a sip of in our life. It’s something everybody has tried. It’s just so cool. As a kid I knew the Coke drivers and to have a throwback to something as iconic as the Earnhardt’s first time race together, Dale Jr. has helped me so much. He’s been there for me when I needed advice. He’s been there to tell me I messed up. We were neighbors, so it was easier then to see him and to ask him stuff and swerve at him on the roads. To have the polar bears, it’s just an iconic piece of history that I remember growing up and watching the sports seeing. I think for a lot of people it will bring back a lot of good memories. Let’s remember, they were arguing after that race like father and son. It wasn’t all happy go lucky NASCAR racing and they were clear across the ocean. For me, it’s knowing him that’s extra special, but like how iconic Coca-Cola is and driving a Coca-Cola car and getting to sit up here with a Coke, there’s a very select few number of drivers in the history of the sport that have gotten to represent that brand. For me, it just blows me away that I am able to do that this weekend.”

YOU HAD YOUR STRUGGLES HERE AT THIS TRACK BEFORE, I THINK YOU FINISHED THIRD LAST LABOR DAY HERE. DOES THAT GIVE YOU SOME CONFIDENCE THAT BETTER RUNS ARE AHEAD AT THIS PLACE? HOW DO YOU THINK NEXT GEN WILL DEAL WITH AN OLD SCHOOL TRACK LIKE DARLINGTON?

“It has kept me up this week thinking about that, because I mean this Gen 7 car the Cup car right now is just so volatile to drive. Especially the first few laps of practice. I don’t expect Darlington to be easy. I am fully prepared and fully expecting to truly be driving at a pace that I can make laps. I’m not going to set the track record. Cutting across the apron, entering in Turn 3 and getting loose or getting loose up the hill in 1 and down the hill in the new patch in two, this place is intimidating for me. I will roll out in practice; I mean I rolled out in the truck just now in the No. 41 Worldwide Express truck fully committed as fast as I could go and that is not the case for the Cup car. I will be at a reduced pace, and I will work up to it. Now, part of that is from my crash at California. I’ve realized I can build throughout the weekend and still compete. I don’t have to be fastest in practice. I look forward to the day that I am fastest in practice and driving at a reduced rate, because that is going to be really good for us.”

AS FAR AS THE CAR GOES, HERE AT DARLINGTON THE TALK IS THIS BODY IS FAR MORE FORGIVING SO THE DARLINGTON STRIPE IS THERE. ALSO, THE TALK IS SOME OF THE SUSPENSION PIECES ARE A LITTLE BIT SENSITIVE. ARE YOU CONSCIOUS OF THAT? WHAT’S YOUR EXPECTATION AS TO DARLINGTON STRIPES AND HOW DOES THAT PLAY OUT IN YOUR MIND AS WE ROLL THROUGH THIS WEEKEND?

“For me, over the course of the weekend the truck is more sensitive body wise. It’s a metal body. The right rear tail hangs way out to the right, so any real contact is just a day ender in the Truck Series, in my opinion. The Cup car, I feel like I have a larger window to touch the wall. Like you said the suspension parts are just, they’re rigid. When they bend and with this rear suspension it doesn’t move like with the truck arms and the track bars in the old car and Xfinity and Trucks. When you hit, it had room to move, and it would go back to its original spot. The independent rear suspension just doesn’t work like that. I don’t want a Darlington stripe in any car, let alone the new car.”

FOR MOST OF NASCAR HISTORY THE IDEA THAT A DRIVER COULD BE HELPED BY A SELF HELP KIND OF BOOK WOULDN’T EVEN BE IN THE LANDSCAPE. OBVIOUSLY, IT’S BEEN POSITIVE FOR YOU. HAVE YOU SHARED THAT WITH OTHER PEOPLE OR WHAT’S BEEN THE RESPONSE TO THAT FOR YOU?

“I have. I’ve talked about it openly. Even for me, it was scary initially to talk about. I realize through it that Trevor’s (inaudible) the later years of his life was to help people. He helped football programs across the country and pro athletes, but these books were to help the common person which is where I am. Members of my family ordered it and actually the latest one Getting to Neutral, Patrick my tire guy and his girlfriend got it for me. They gave it to me as a gift just recently because I hadn’t ordered it yet. I’ll talk about it with anybody, and I think if you just do a quick Google search and see kind of what he has done and what people say about him and read some of the first couple pages of the book. You can listen to it on audio. That’s how I did it the first time. I was like oh let me listen to this thing and take the easy way. Then I was like oh I need to read these words and try to get them to stick. That was a year and a half ago or early last year I guess. It’s not easy to talk about when you struggle with stuff mentally because if anybody tells me that they struggle with something mentally, I truly can’t comprehend what they mean unless I struggle with the same thing. As humans, and sometimes I don’t understand my own brain let alone yours Mike. It’s just something that has helped me and if it helps somebody else great, and if it doesn’t there’s other stuff out there if you think that you need the help. It’s just controlling some of the split second, in the moment, heat of the action decisions, this is something that has helped me.”

DO YOU LOOK AT YOUR NUMBERS? DO YOU LOOK AT YOUR FINISHES THIS YEAR AND JUST TAKE IN THE FACT THAT…

“Yeah.”

SO SINCE VEGAS, IF YOU TAKE OUT RICHMOND AND BRISTOL, YOU HAVEN’T BEEN OUTSIDE THE TOP-FIVE.

“That’s wild. (laughing) That’s wild. I look at it and can’t believe it.”

GIVEN THAT, WHEN YOU GO TO THESE RACES WEEK AFTER WEEK, OBVIOUSLY YOU’VE SPOKEN BEFORE YOUR CONFIDENCE IS HIGH, EVERYTHING IS WORKING AT TRACKHOUSE. BUT, FOR YOU WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO THESE RACES DO YOU EVEN WORRY ABOUT WHAT RACETRACK YOU’RE GOING TO IN THE SENSE OF WHAT YOU’VE DONE IN THE PAST? OR DOES IT NOT APPLY ANYMORE GIVEN NEW TEAM, NEW CAR, JUST DON’T GET IN YOUR HEAD ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE BEFORE AT THAT RACETRACK?

“I may be a little, this may sound a little odd, but I don’t think that there is a more nervous driver driving from Charlotte to Darlington today than me. I am nervous to drive on the track tomorrow in the car because I know how out of control they are. I know how quick they are to wreck. I know what the penalty is if we do wreck, trying to get another car ready. I really believe that I will roll out there in practice and be at a very reduced rate in my percentage of close to 100, may be everybody’s different, but for my scale I will be scaled down x amount. X percent. I am fully prepping and grinding just like I was coming here in Jay Robinson’s Premium Motorsports car for my first Cup races. I just remember coming here he was like we are going to have sticker tires all night and then I bumped the wall in 3 and 4 and then again on the frontstretch. After the race, we didn’t have to pit it just crinkled the fenders in a little bit, he was like you tore up the right side of my car. I was like it’s the Southern 500, it was so hard to run 500-miles here and keep it straight let alone just touch the wall a little bit. All that comes back, those memories of the 4 car here and then getting the first shot in the 42. As well as I feel like we’ve ran, the stats won’t show it if you look at different cars. When we’ve had opportunities to compete in fully funded programs, I feel like we’ve done well, and I don’t think there’s a more nervous driver pulling into the track today.”

INAUDIBLE

“No. It’s every week. It’s every week after California, after Auto Club. Going into Daytona and Auto Club I was probably one of the more confident drivers. Then I quickly got humbled.”

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Nemechek wins his first Truck Series race of the season at Darlington

Photo Credit: David Yeazell

John Hunter Nemechek was fastest in practice, won the pole and led a race-high 69 laps en route to his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win of the season Friday night at Darlington Raceway. But it was not without its challenges.

He survived 10 cautions, an additional pit stop under caution during Stage 2 due to a loose wheel and an overtime restart to earn his 12th career win in the series.

“Just a huge shout-out to all the guys that work on this No. 4 KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) Toyota Tundra,” he said. “I thought we gave it away early, honestly, and we were able to rebound and battle back. I learned a lot tonight. I was finally able to bring home the first win of the year.”

Niece Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar won Stage 2 and finished 0.552 seconds behind Nemechek in his No. 42 Chevrolet to claim second, his fourth top-10 this season. It was the second consecutive runner-up finish for Hocevar who said he was experiencing electrical issues.

“Every once in a while it would stumble, and it flat out shut off in the middle of 1 and 2 coming to the white (flag).”

Grant Enfinger was third, followed by Ty Majeski, Parker Kligerman, Ryan Preece, Zane Smith, Tyler Ankrum, Todd Bodine, and Matt DiBenedetto to complete the top-10 finishers at Darlington.

Matt Crafton, who was originally scored in fifth, was disqualified during post-race inspection for his Truck being too low in front.

Dean Thompson was the highest finishing rookie in 15th place. There were 16 lead changes among nine drivers, with 10 cautions for 54 laps.

Ben Rhodes leads the driver standings with 284 points, followed by Nemechek (254), Chandler Smith (252), Stewart Friesen (242) and Zane Smith (241) in fifth.

Up Next: May 14 at Kansas Speedway for the Heart of America 200 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.

Truck-race-Darlington-May-2022-race-results

Chase Elliott confident his team can ‘run and compete with the best of the garage’

Photo by Tim Jarrold for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Chase Elliott scored his first win of the season last week at Dover Motor Speedway, effectively putting to rest any concerns that he or his team were struggling this year.

Elliott, however, was never worried.

“I feel like we’ve been solid at times,” he said, “and had a lot of pace. We just hadn’t been able to put an entire race together until last Sunday. We just have to do more of that and try to be better, better execute the entirety of an event. I think as long as we’re doing those things, I think we can run and compete with the best of the garage. I feel confident in that; just as confident in that today as I did three weeks ago.”

And though it may have seemed that he was not performing as well as expected, Elliott has led the driver standings since his sixth-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the fifth race of the Cup Series season.

He’s in good company as Chevrolet teams have won seven of the races this year while Fords and Toyotas have only two wins each.

“I think it’s like what my dad has always said over the years and has tried to teach me; it’s a rollercoaster and it’s going to continue to evolve. There is going to be a time where that’s not the case. I’m a Chevy guy and I want that to always be the case. But that’s just not how it works.

“You’re going to go through periods where you’re going to struggle and you’re going to have to go back to work and get better. I think 2016, ’17, ’18 – I guess more ’17 and ’18 – we were certainly behind and needed to be better. We tried to come together as a manufacturer and, fortunately, we were able to do that. I think Chevrolet should take a lot of pride in that, and the teams within that banner should take a lot of pride in that, too.

“I can’t say that anything just miraculously changed overnight. I think it’s just the way this deal works. You’re going to go through those periods and you have to ride that wave while it’s good in a positive manner, just like you do when it’s bad. And just accept that’s the way it’s going to be sometimes. That can be a hard thing to accept in certain periods, but I am a believer that I think that’s just how this works and I don’t ever see that really changing.”

Looking ahead to Sunday’s Goodyear 400, Elliott is unsure what to expect with inconsistent results the last couple of years. In 2020, he had finishes of fourth (May 17), 38th (May 20) and 20th in September. Last year he finished seventh in May and 31st in September.

“I feel like we’ve been really sporadic here for whatever reason,” he said. “Hopefully, this week is better.”

Learn Why Are Roof Racks So Expensive?

Photo by Ivan Samkov

An automobile’s roof rack consists of a series of bars attached to the roof. Bulky things such as bags, bicycles, canoes, kayaks, skis, and other carriers and containers are often transported.

It’s not always the case, though. The query is, “Why Are Roof Racks So Expensive?”

Roof racks are pricey for various reasons, including their aerodynamic design, their capacities, the high quality of their materials, and their incredible engineering.

Let’s go into the nitty-gritty of why roof racks are so pricey!

Why Are Roof Racks So Expensive?

The high-quality materials and the clever design go a long way toward making a roof rack expensive.

The rack’s design must use machining to achieve an aerodynamic form. This stops your car from whistling, which reduces your vehicle’s fuel economy.

Aluminum and steel are the most common metals used in most rack systems like the jeep Grand Cherokee roof rack because of their high weight capacity. Aluminum is lightweight and minimizes the total weight and is a popular choice for “high-ticket” rack systems.

Roof racks are subjected to a lot of development and testing by the manufacturers to assure their safety. They must be able to withstand high speeds and constant exposure to the elements.

Factors Contributing to the High Cost of a Roof Rack

Let’s look at the characteristics that make roof racks so pricey.

Materials of the Best Quality

Steel and aluminum are the only possibilities when it comes to building materials. Although wood roof racks are standard, they are not a long-term option since they will deteriorate and are less robust with time. As an extension of your car, your roof rack should be solid and rigid.

A pillar that holds the windshield in place could be reinforced by inserting steel tubes and the automobile designers may also alter the design of the roof pillars to increase rigidity. Because of these modifications, the price of roof racks can skyrocket.

Weight Management

There will be issues if the weight distribution across the roof racks’ contact points is not maintained correctly. Inequality in the weight distribution may cause the roof of an automobile to bow, resulting in costly repairs.

A vehicle’s overall weight should be adjusted to account for the additional weight of the roof rack system. Similarly, the vehicle’s weight capacity can only be as good as the weakest part. This implies that if the crossbars are rated for 165 pounds but the car is only rated for 150, the weight limit is 150.

Higher speeds also tend to put a lot of strain on these contact areas. If the materials are chosen, and the weight distributions are out of whack, there will be problems. And to combine perfectly all of these, roof racks become expensive.

Design for Aerodynamics

It doesn’t matter if your roof rack is empty or complete with gear or a roof box; the aerodynamics and how they affect your vehicle’s gas consumption are the primary effects of a roof rack.

Government initiatives to discourage lengthy driving with empty racks might save more gasoline if effective; however aerodynamic efficiency of conventional roof racks can be considerably increased and individual vehicle fuel consumption reduced. Because of this, the price of roof racks skyrockets.

Are Roof Racks Worth The Investment?

On a case-by-case basis, this question must be addressed. A roof rack is a no-brainer if you go skiing every weekend. Nevertheless, if you intend to use it sometimes, it may not be worth the money.

To save money, you might go with a bare roof rack model. Even if you utilize the rack a few times a year, doing so will make the investment worthwhile.

You never know when you’ll need a roof rack, so it’s always a good idea to have one. In most cases, you may believe you’ll only use the roof rack a few times, but in some instances, it makes more sense to utilize it than to cram stuff into the trunk!

Are Roof Racks a Detriment to Your Vehicle?

Most people want to know whether a roof rack may harm their vehicle. When a roof rack isn’t placed correctly and securely on your car, it might cause harm to your car if installed incorrectly.

A twisting force might be created between the roof racks and the bolts and nuts attached. The stability and loading of your roof bags and other loads on your vehicle may be affected by this, leading to damage or an accident while you are driving.

So, I believe that overloading your car with too much weight is the most probable method to harm your roof rack. It’s time to move on to the following section, which explains the two sorts of weight restrictions.

Benefits Of Installing A Roof Rack

There are several benefits of installing a roof rack, including:

Improves Safety

When embarking on an excursion in the woods, you will have to cross several challenging terrains. A roof rack will safeguard your car from being stuck in such a situation. Even if your baggage is in the trunk, it will be tough to maneuver the vehicle, particularly if you’re driving up a slope. Navigation will be facilitated by the extra weight, which might lead to engine overheating.

To guarantee that your vehicle’s roof is appropriately weighted, sturdy roof racks are available. With this, you’ll be able to travel comfortably no matter the terrain.

Ensure There Is Enough Space

Roof rack systems are a big hit with campers since they provide enough room for their tents. Rooftop tents may be used on any vehicle with a sturdy roof rack. You only have to make sure that the roof rack system you are utilizing is robust enough to withstand the tent’s weight.

Refreshed Exterior Design for Your Vehicle

When you have a roof rack on your car, it gives the impression that it is well-built. People who want to share their automobile an update but don’t want to fork out a lot of money might profit from a little cosmetic change. Your goal in purchasing the roof rack was not to enhance the look of your car. If you’re able to get this benefit, it’s a nice bonus.

Protect Your Car’s Interior From Damage

If you do not have roof racks, You will be forced to keep dangerous equipment in your car. Fisherman’s supplies are among the items on this list. Doing so will result in the cloth being scratched and torn, causing damage to the vehicle’s inside. However, with roof racks, you can safely store all of these items at the top of the car, preventing any potential harm.

Finally, Are Roof Racks Really Expensive?

These are the all of Why Are Roof Racks So Expensive? Also, The cost of a basic roof rack will vary on whether or not you want to add additional goods, whether or not you have an aerodynamic profile, and whether or not you have a specific make or model of car. 

Finally, a new, aerodynamic top-of-the-line roof rack configuration may cost roughly 550 USD, while secondhand racks on earlier cars cost around 200 USD.

Is Engine Braking bad for your Motorcycle?

Photo by Sourav Mishra

There are numerous ways to halt the Motorcycle other than using the front and the rare brakes. People have been using the engine braking to scrub speed. Engine braking is simply reducing the motorcycle speed by closing the throttle and then leaving the engine to drag and eventually slow down. 

The mechanism of engine braking 

According to Motofolder.com, “Most people are not conversant with this mechanism, and it seems to be complex, but it’s not”. When the throttle is open, it works in the essence that the piston pulls air and fuel to the cylinder during the intake stroke. Therefore, if you try and block the throttle, the piston is in the process of drawing air, but because the throttle is closed, it essentially sucks against a closed tube. This creates a vacuum which essentially puts a drag on the piston, making it slow down, which makes the rare wheel slow down too, thus bringing the braking effect to the Motorcycle. 

Although, it is also influenced by some factors that determine the braking effect’s power, and the major one is the engine rpm. After closing the throttle, your Motorcycle’s engine consists of a higher rpm, the higher the suction it will produce. Thus, the greater the engine braking effect, and thus one can increase the braking effect by downshifting a gear or two. 

Is the engine braking badly for the engine?

The perfect answer is No; however, some major concerns make some people view it as not good for the engine. During the process of engine braking, it causes the engine to rev up and sound strained, although it has no effect unless you have downshifted to such a low gear, for instance, gear one and the bike is spinning up into the redline, but there is no harm involved. Although there have been several concerns that other media have tried to raise, we can narrow them down and showcase why they are not legitimate. 

Lack of lubrication 

There have been claims that engine braking can cause damage to the engine if there is insufficient lubrication. This is not the case because the throttle controls the throttle valve and is not in the oil pump. But if we look at it from the other perspective, we will discover that it is still doing its thing and actively distributing oil to the transmission, piston, cams, and all the parts; thus, sufficient lubrication is flowing around during the engine braking. 

Although if you are on the two-stroke, lubrication is mixed with gas and might bring some lack of sufficient lubrication concerns. However, the fuel is still being fed through the pilot circuit, and also, there is another residual oil in the top end to ease the engine braking. For a short-distance engine, braking does not affect your engine, but the only legitimate concern that might cause some trouble is when your engine brakes to maintain your speed for long miles, for instance, while coming down a mountain. 

Engine braking causes wear on the transmission and clutch 

There was another claim on the transmission or clutch damage in that one of them must suffer during engine braking. No, they would not because that is what they were meant for, the cogs in the transmission and the clutch assembly were designed to handle all of the engine power even while riding at the highest speed, and if they can endure that throttle from a stop, they can entirely handle a fraction of the same force during engine braking. Besides, you should understand that downshifting when the bike is revving super high in that you force the spin to the red line is never a good idea, so you should not practice that.

Engine braking reduces wear on your brakes. 

Engine braking reduces your motorcycle speed without necessarily applying the brakes. Because your Motorcycle is slowing down passively, it allows you to have complete control of your motorbike in that you will only apply the brakes at much slower speeds, that is, if you want to come to a complete halt. This means that there will be less wear on the brake pads and less heat, and thus they will not fade easily, implying that they will last longer.   

When to apply engine braking 

There are numerous instances where you can apply engine braking as the safety mechanism for halting your speed. 

  • Apply it while navigating downhill 

While riding down a slope, this is a safe mechanism because all you will have to do is lower the gear and then apply engine braking. This has numerous advantages to your Motorcycle as it reduces the frequent use of brakes, thus preventing the brake from overheating and thus ensuring your brakes last longer. 

  • It can save you from emergencies 

Let’s say you are on the road, and the person in front of you suddenly stops. What will be your next action? In such emergency occurrences, engine braking comes in handy. If you are downshifting and maintaining an appropriate gear with the required speed, incorporating it with the brakes will help you contain the situation efficiently. 

There are risks involved 

Even though it has numerous benefits for the rider, it also has one major drawback. Some riders use this technique to shed speed; however, this might be considered a harmful activity if you are on a busy road because engine braking does not illuminate your brake light. This poses some dangers to yourself because the driver behind you might not be aware that you are reducing your speed, and if they have followed you tightly, it could result in an accident. So it is advisable before engine braking to confirm using your side mirrors that the road behind you is clear or you have maintained a huge gap from the driver behind you or simply flash your brake lights to indicate that you are slowing down. 

Final thought 

Even though different people have different thoughts about engine braking, if applied well, it is a good practice for your motorbike; however, this is a skill that requires adequate practice for you to obtain perfection. So when you have enough experience over time, you will realize it has become a natural habit that comes automatically when you want to slow your speed. If you incorporate this skill with using the front and rare brakes in conjunction, it will increase the proficiency of your motorbike; thus, you should go ahead with engine braking whenever you feel the need. 

Are Carrots Suitable For Adding In Keto Diet?

Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash

Root vegetables won’t suit the keto diet. The reason is they are rich in high carbs. Keto means that you are following a low-carb, high-fat diet in your daily routine. Undergrown vegetables are usually high in carbs and low in fat. When choosing underground-grown veggies, you should be more cautious about their nutrition content. When you choose the carrot on the keto diet, know about its benefits and its supplements in the diet.

Nutrition Content in Carrot:

Carrots usually contain more water. Nearly 80% of water is present in them. The regular portion of carrots taken in a ketogenic diet is not advisable. You have to reduce the size and combine it with other supplements.

According to research, a 100g of carrot contains:

  • Water – 88.3g
  • Entire carbs – 9.5g
  • Fiber – 2.8g
  • Net carbs – 6.7g
  • Calories – 41 kcal
  • Protein – 0.9g
  • Fat – 0.2g
  • Sugar – 4.7g
  • Sucrose – 3.5g

Vitamins and Minerals:

Vitamins and minerals are good sources of health. When you think of carrot on keto, the first thing that comes to your mind is vitamin A. They are very beneficial for boosting your eye health, immune system, and growth. Carrots entirely do not contain an active vitamin A. But a substance called beta carotene must be converted into active vitamin A by the body. Beta carotene absorption is improved when eaten with fats, which the keto diet provides plenty of it.

Carrots are rich in carotenoids, pigments that give color to vegetables and fruits. Studies show that a diet rich in carotenoids, such as those included in a kidney disease diet will prevent cancer like breast cancer, prostate cancer, stomach cancer, and colon cancer.

Other vitamins content:

Biotin B vitamin: was previously known as vitamin H and plays. A vital function in fat and protein metabolism.

Vitamin B6: It is a chemically linked group of vitamins that aid in the breakdown – of food into energy.

Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone): is a vitamin that helps with bone health and blood coagulation.

Potassium is a mineral essential for cell metabolism and blood pressure regulation.

The other antioxidants carrots contain:

  • Alpha-carotene
  • Lutein 
  • Lycopene
  • Beta carotene
  • Polyacetylenes
  • Anthocyanins

Do carrots fit the ketogenic diet?

Yes, carrots do fit the keto diet. But eating them as a regular portion, won’t work. You can add carrots to the high protein: keto diet and cyclic keto diet. Keto dieters should avoid them if they follow the standard keto diet or you can try the Cabbage Soup Diet. Carrots are higher in carbs other than vegetables. But you think before choosing a carrot.

Carbohydrates in carrots:

Carrots are massively composed of carbohydrates and water. Carrots have 41 calories per 100g, with over 90% of those calories coming from carbohydrates and the remainder from protein and fat. The keto diet gets 90% of its calories from fat and only 5% from carbohydrates – which is the polar opposite of carrots.

GI (Glycemic Index):

The rate at which blood sugar levels rise after consuming a particular item gets referred to as the GI. The higher the GI, the greater blood sugar increases. The Glycemic Index of Carrots is 71, as they are massive. They have 9.5g of total carbohydrates per 100g, resulting in a glycemic load of 6.7, which is acceptable on a keto diet.