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Pato O’Ward capitalizes for late IndyCar victory at Barber Motorsports Park

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Chris Jones (Penske Entertainment).

In an event dominated by Rinus VeeKay, Pato O’Ward rose to the occasion in the late stages and rallied from a difficult start to the season by winning the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday, May 1.

The 22-year-old O’Ward from Monterrey, Mexico, spent more than 70% of Sunday’s event trailing pole-sitter Rinus VeeKay. During a late cycle of pit stops under green with less than 30 laps remaining, however, O’Ward capitalized on the opportunity to close in and overtake VeeKay for the lead. From there, he fended off Alex Palou by less than a second to grab his first NTT IndyCar Series victory of the 2022 season.

With on-track qualifying occurring on Saturday, Rinus VeeKay started on pole position after notching a pole-winning lap at 124.980 mph in one minute, 6.2507 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Pato O’Ward, who recorded a fast lap at 124.698 mph in one minute, 6.4003 seconds.

The first lap of the event occurred under caution as the IndyCar competitors were still working to line up in double lanes under a cautious pace.

When the green flag waved and the race commenced on the second lap, VeeKay took off with the lead followed by O’Ward and Scott McLaughlin battled Alex Palou for third place while the rest of the field jostled for positions in a long single file line. 

As the field made their way through the 15-turn circuit for a full lap under green, VeeKay was leading ahead of O’Ward, McLaughlin, Palou, Alexander Rossi, Felix Rosenqvist, Romain Grosjean, rookie Callum Ilott, Graham Rahal and Josef Newgarden.

Through the first 10 scheduled laps, VeeKay continued to lead by more than a second over O’Ward while McLaughlin, Palou and Rossi occupied the top five, all while trailing VeeKay by more than three seconds. Rosenqvist, Grosjean, Ilott, Rahal and Newgarden remained in the top 10 ahead of Colton Herta, Jack Harvey, Marcus Ericsson, Christian Lundgaard and Scott Dixon. Takuma Sato, Helio Castroneves, Devlin DeFrancesco, Will Power and David Malukas were in the top 20 while Jimmie Johnson was mired in 25th.

A lap later, pit strategy ensued as Marcus Ericsson pitted his No. 8 Huski Chocolate Dallara-Honda. Shortly after, Newgarden pitted his No. 2 PPG Dallara-Chevrolet along with Helio Castroneves and Jack Harvey. During the proceeding lap, Colton Herta veered his No. 26 Gainbridge Dallara-Honda to his pit stall for his service along with rookie Kyle Kirkwood, who endured a slow pit stop after his pit crew encountered issues while changing the right-front tire. In the midst of this, Romain Grosjean also made his way to pit road for service.

On Lap 15, Herta overshot the course entering the first turn while battling teammate Grosjean, but the race proceeded under green as the two Andretti Autosport teammates continued to battle.

By Lap 20, VeeKay extended his advantage to more than two seconds over O’Ward while McLaughlin, Palou, Rossi, Rosenqvist, Ilott, Rahal, Lundgaard and Dixon were in the top 10. By then, Will Power was in 13th, Johnson was in 16th ahead of Newgarden, Herta and Grosjean and Ericsson was in 22nd behind Tatiana Calderon and Jack Harvey.

Nearing the Lap 30 mark, Rosenqvist pitted his No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Dallara-Chevrolet along with Devlin DeFrancesco, O’Ward, Rossi, Ilott, Lundgaard, Takuma Sato, David Malukas and Simon Pagenaud. Soon after, the leader VeeKay made his first pit stop of the event along with Palou, McLaughlin, Rahal, Power and Dixon.

Then on Lap 32, the first caution of the event flew when Ilott, who was having a stellar run in the top 10, overdrove and spun in Turn 9 before getting his No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Dallara-Chevrolet stuck in the gravel while battling Castroneves. At the moment of caution, Newgarden, who was on a different strategy from the leaders, was leading ahead of Herta, VeeKay, Grosjean, O’Ward, McLaughlin, Palou, Harvey, Rossi and Ericsson.

Under caution, some like Newgarden pitted while the rest led by VeeKay remained on the track.

When the race proceeded under green on Lap 36, VeeKay retained the lead ahead of O’Ward as the field jostled for positions. 

On Lap 41, Castroneves got into the rear end of Johnson’s No. 48 Carvana Dallara-Honda, which sent Johnson spinning in Turn 8 while the race proceeded under green. As a result, Castroneves was assessed a drive-through penalty for the incident.

At the halfway mark on Lap 45, VeeKay was leading by over O’Ward while McLaughlin, Rossi, Palou, Dixon, Power, Rosenqvist, Rahal and Pagenaud were in the top 10. Herta was up in 11th ahead of Sato, Laundgaard, Newgarden, Grosjean, Ericsson, DeFrancesco, Harvey, Malukas and Conor Daly while Johnson and Castroneves were back in 22nd and 23rd behind Kyle Kirkwood.

Five laps later, VeeKay stabilized his advantage to less than two seconds over O’Ward while McLaughlin, Rossi and Palou remained in the top five. 

By Lap 60, VeeKay continued to lead by more than two seconds over O’Ward followed by McLaughlin, Rossi, Palou, Dixon, Power, Rahal, Herta and Pagenaud.

Shortly after, pit stops under green ensued as Rossi pitted followed by Rosenqvist, Lundgaard, DeFrancesco, Harvey and Rahal. During the following lap, the race leader VeeKay pitted followed by O’Ward, McLaughlin and Power. Despite VeeKay exiting pit road ahead of O’Ward, the latter was able to gain the speed needed to overtake VeeKay for position after trailing him throughout the event.

When the pit stops concluded on Lap 65, O’Ward cycled his way into the lead while Palou, who had just exited his pit stall on Lap 64, fended off VeeKay for the runner-up spot, thus dropping VeeKay to third place. With Ericsson pitting, Dixon and McLaughlin were in the top five followed by Power, Rossi, Rahal, Herta and Pagenaud.

With 20 laps remaining, O’Ward was leading by more than a second over Palou while third-place VeeKay trailed by more than four seconds. Dixon and Power were in the top five followed by McLaughlin, Herta, Rahal, Rossi and Grosjean.

Five laps later, O’Ward continued to lead by more than a second over Palou and more than six seconds over VeeKay. Behind, a tight battle ensued for fourth place as Dixon was in position ahead of Power, McLaughlin, Herta, Rahal, Grosjean and Rossi. Soon after, Herta made contact with McLaughlin while battling for position and spun, but he proceeded under green.

Down to the final 10 laps of the event, O’Ward remained as the leader by more than two seconds over Palou and more than seven seconds over VeeKay. Power and Dixon remained in the top five while McLaughlin, Rahal, Grosjean, Rossi and Herta were scored in the top 10. Pagenaud, Ericsson, Newgarden, Sato and Lundgaard were in the top 15 followed by Rosenqvist, DeFrancesco, Harvey, Daly and Malukas while Castroneves and Johnson were in 21st and 24th.

With five laps remaining, O’Ward retained the lead by more than a second over Palou while third-place VeeKay trailed by more than 10 seconds. While Power and Dixon stabilized themselves in the top five, McLaughlin continued to be pressured by Rahal and Grosjean for more. 

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, O’Ward remained as the leader by more than a second over Palou. With the battles ensuing behind but none near his No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Dallara-Chevrolet, O’Ward smoothly navigated his way through the 15-turn circuit and cycled his way back to the finish line to claim his first checkered flag of the season.

The victory was the third of O’Ward’s IndyCar career and first since he won the first of a Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader feature in June 2021. He also recorded the fourth consecutive victory of the 2022 season for Chevrolet and the first of the season for Arrow McLaren SP.

“[Team principal] Taylor [Kiel] told me we were fighting for the win when we almost got [VeeKay] in the pit stops, so I said, ‘No, this is the chance, man.’ It was so tough to follow just because it’s such a fast and flowing circuit, so I knew if I would have the opportunity it would have been right then and there. I got on my [push to pass] button, got around him into [Turn] 5, and I knew if we would get into clean air, we could kind of control the thing. Once we did that, [we] cruised to Victory Lane.”

The Barber victory also erased all speculations of O’Ward’s on-track struggles to the start of the season and uncertainty beyond this season as he is now poised to ink a new contract extension with Arrow McLaren SP.

“It sucks to be at war within your own team, so I’m glad there’s been very positive talks for the future,” O’Ward added. “And man I wanted to do it for these guys, for Arrow McLaren SP, Team Chevy, they’ve swept this year so far, so I think it’s great for them…I was tired of being 10th, 11th and fifth, so I said let’s get a win under our belts so we can claw our way back into this championship fight.”

Alex Palou, who notched his first IndyCar career victory at Barber a year ago, settled in second place as he trailed O’Ward by less than a second. Despite falling one spot shy of claiming his first victory of the season, Palou emerged as the new leader in the championship standings.

“We had a good day, overall,” Palou said. “Super happy with P2. [O’Ward] was running second at that time. I think we were running fourth. Just that track difference, that’s what got us. I did a mistake on the restart where [Rossi] got us there. I think that was all the difference. [O’Ward] was really fast today, but super happy with the No. 10 American Legion Honda car. It was super fast all weekend. Another podium. We were fighting till the end. Couldn’t make it today, but we’ll try on the next one.”

VeeKay, meanwhile, came home in third place after leading a race-high 57 of 90 laps.

“We were in a great race and coming into pit lane, and I really got held up a little bit with Jimmie [Johnson], so Pato closed the gap a lot,” VeeKay said. “I was so much looking in my mirrors I forgot to use the push to pass because I was too much looking in my mirrors. Yeah, I was just a little bit too conservative there. So pretty bummed missing out on that win. We had a great car, great race.”

Power and Dixon completed the top five on the track while McLaughlin, Grosjean, Rahal, Rossi and Herta finished in the top 10. 

Following the event, Rahal voiced his displeasure towards Grosjean over their late battle and on-track contact. 

Newgarden, who was vying for his third consecutive win in the IndyCar Series along with a $1 million bonus, settled in 14th place after an early gamble with a three-stop strategy was spoiled due to Ilott’s incident. 

There were five lead changes for four different leaders. The race featured one caution for three laps.

With his runner-up result, Alex Palou leads the IndyCar drivers’ standings by three points over Scott McLaughlin, nine over Josef Newgarden, 10 over Will Power, 30 over Pato O’Ward and 31 over Scott Dixon.

Results.

1. Pato O’Ward, 27 laps led

2. Alex Palou, four laps led

3. Rinus VeeKay, 57 laps led

4. Will Power

5. Scott Dixon

6. Scott McLaughlin

7. Romain Grosjean

8. Graham Rahal

9. Alexander Rossi

10. Colton Herta

11. Simon Pagenaud

12. Marcus Ericsson

13. Takuma Sato

14. Josef Newgarden, two laps led

15. Christian Lundgaard

16. Felix Rosenqvist

17. Devlin DeFrancesco

18. Jack Harvey

19. Conor Daly

20. David Malukas

21. Helio Castroneves

22. Kyle Kirkwood, one lap down

23. Dalton Kellett, one lap down

24. Jimmie Johnson, one lap down

25. Callum Ilott, two laps down

26. Tatiana Calderon, two laps down

The 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season will be returning to action at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the GMR Grand Prix. The event is scheduled to occur on May 14 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES: GRAND PRIX OF ALABAMA – PATO O’WARD PUTS CHEVROLET IN VICTORY LANE/KEEPS TEAM PERFECT FOR THE SEASON

By
Official Release
-

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
GRAND PRIX OF ALABAMA
BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
TEAM CHEVY RACE WINNER QUOTE PATO O’WARD
MAY 1, 2022

PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARR OW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, captured the third win of his young NTT INDYCAR Series by taking his No. 5 Chevrolet to Victory Lane at Barber Motorsports Park.

His first two victories were in 2021 at Texas Motor Speedway and the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.

The win kept Chevrolet in INDYCAR perfect thus far in the 2022 season.
Chevrolet now sits at 99 victories out of 169 races since returning to the American open wheel series in 2012.O O’

PAT O’WARD QUOTE:
WHAT A SMOOTH WEEKEND FOR THE 5 BUNCH. NICE TO SEE YOU IN VICTORY LANE PATO! WIN NUMBER THREE, BUT I HAVE TO ASK YOU ABOUT HOW AGGRESSIVE YOU HAD TO PLAY THAT PASS ON VEEKAY TO GET THE LEAD. AT THE MOMENT DID YOU KNOW THAT MAYBE THAT WAS THE PASS FOR THE WIN?
“Yeah, Taylor told me we are fighting for the win. We almost got them in the pit stops, so I said no this is your chance man. It’s so tough to follow just because it’s such a fast and flowing circuit. I knew if I would have the opportunity, it would have been right then and there. I got on my button and got around him into (Turn) five and then I knew if he would get into clean air, we can kind of control the thing. Once we did that it was a cruise to victory lane.”

THERE WAS A LOT OF TURMOIL AROUND THIS TEAM JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO. YOU CAME INTO LONG BEACH SAYING I’M PUTTING IT ALL BEHIND ME. HOW MUCH DID THAT MENTAL SHIFT HELP YOU BEHIND THE WHEEL?
“Man, it sucks to be at war within your own team. I’m glad there’s been very positive talks for the future and man I wanted to do it for these guys. I wanted to do it for Arrow McLaren SP, Team Chevy. They’ve swept this year so far, so I think it’s great for them. Yeah, man I was just tired of being 10th and 11th and fifth. I said let’s get a win under our belt so we can claw our way back to this championship fight.”

ABOUT CHEVROLET
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 80 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.

Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by AmFirst Race Results

  1. (2) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 90, Running
  2. (3) Alex Palou, Honda, 90, Running
  3. (1) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 90, Running
  4. (19) Will Power, Chevrolet, 90, Running
  5. (13) Scott Dixon, Honda, 90, Running
  6. (4) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 90, Running
  7. (8) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 90, Running
  8. (9) Graham Rahal, Honda, 90, Running
  9. (5) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 90, Running
  10. (10) Colton Herta, Honda, 90, Running
  11. (24) Simon Pagenaud, Honda, 90, Running
  12. (12) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 90, Running
  13. (17) Takuma Sato, Honda, 90, Running
  14. (7) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 90, Running
  15. (14) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 90, Running
  16. (6) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 90, Running
  17. (20) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 90, Running
  18. (15) Jack Harvey, Honda, 90, Running
  19. (22) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 90, Running
  20. (18) David Malukas, Honda, 90, Running
  21. (16) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 90, Running
  22. (21) Kyle Kirkwood, Chevrolet, 89, Running
  23. (23) Dalton Kellett, Chevrolet, 89, Running
  24. (26) Jimmie Johnson, Honda, 89, Running
  25. (11) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 88, Running
  26. (25) Tatiana Calderon, Chevrolet, 88, Running

Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 114.304 mph
Time of Race: 1:48:39.4368
Margin of victory: 0.9800 of a second
Cautions: 1 for 3 laps
Lead changes: 5 among 4 drivers

Lap Leaders:
VeeKay 1-29
Palou 30
Newgarden 31-32
VeeKay 33-60
Palou 61-63
O’Ward 64-90

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Point Standings:
Palou 144, McLaughlin 141, Newgarden 135, Power 134, O’Ward 114, Dixon 113, VeeKay 106, Grosjean 101, Ericsson 84, Rahal 84, Herta 79, Pagenaud 69, Rossi 62, Sato 61, Lundgaard 57, Rosenqvist 56, Castroneves 55, Johnson 51, Daly 50, Kirkwood 46, Harvey 44, Malukas 44, Ilott 37, DeFrancesco 33, Kellett 30, Calderon 25, Ferrucci 22, Carpenter 18, Hildebrand 17

Force Scores Victory, Sets Track Speed Record At Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals

By
Official Release
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Taking Care of Business
Force Scores Victory, Sets Track Speed Record At
Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals

  • John Force set a new zMAX Dragway speed record en route to winning the Funny Car portion of Sunday’s Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, his 155th career NHRA victory; Mike Salinas (Top Fuel) and Steve Johnson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also triumphed at the Bellagio of drag strips
  • Fans can buy tickets to upcoming speedway events, including the Coca-Cola 600 on May 29, by visiting http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com

CONCORD, N.C. (May 1, 2022) – Three days shy of his 73rd birthday, John Force proved he’s as sharp as ever behind the wheel of an NHRA Funny Car. Force completed a clean sweep in Sunday’s exhilarating Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway, grabbing his 155th career win in addition to a new track speed record.

Force – who also earned No. 1 qualifier honors – became the first NHRA driver to eclipse the 335-mile-per-hour mark at zMAX Dragway during the first round of eliminations. Force’s 3.914-second, 328.66-mph run in the final, though, was the one which spurred the 16-time World Champion to his second consecutive four-wide win at zMAX.

“We came out here (for the final) and I wasn’t even sure if the motor could run (after the semifinal round),” Force said. “I almost apologized to Robert (Hight, Force’s teammate and competitor in the final). I wanted to say, ‘That wasn’t supposed to happen.’

“I’ve wanted a win so badly this year. As tired as I am and as much as I’ve been beaten up, you can get back on top. This gave me confidence.”

Mike Salinas powered his Top Fuel car to victory on Sunday with a 3.708-second, 330.47-mph pass which topped the finals and gave Salinas his fifth career victory.

“My guys are amazing,” Salinas said. “I want to thank them for everything they do. It’s just amazing to win again. It’s so hard to believe. We’ve worked so hard to get here. We’re racing against the best people in the world. It’s so hard to win that I feel bad for the guys who didn’t win today. I know how hard you have to strive.”

Steve Johnson lost No. 1 qualifier status at the end of Saturday’s Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying, but no one could stop Johnson from scoring the win on Sunday. A 6.740-second, 200.65-mph pass in the final enabled Johnson – who also set a new dragway Pro Stock Motorcycle elapsed-time record – to join Force as back-to-back winners of the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals.

“I don’t even know where to start,” said Johnson, who took over the class points lead with his win on Sunday. “I just love our sport so much. We’ve been chasing this for 30 years and now, we’ve won two in a row. This is such a special place (to win).

“I absolutely feel like we can contend for the title. I mean, that’s what I want. I spend every day on this. I sleep at the (race) shop. Our sponsors, our team, all of these people, they make this happen. Contending for this championship is why we’re here.”

TICKETS:
Tickets to upcoming speedway events, including the Coca-Cola 600 on May 29, are available by calling 800-455-FANS or shopping online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets.

KEEP TRACK:
Connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or get all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

Pagenaud Gains 13 Positions in Impressive Run for Meyer Shank Racing at Barber

By
Official Release
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#60: Simon Pagenaud, Meyer Shank Racing Honda, pit lane

Castroneves finishes 21st after getting caught out by yellow flag

Birmingham, Ala. (1 May 2022) – Simon Pagenaud improved an impressive 13 positions to score an 11th place finish for Meyer Shank Racing in the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on Sunday.

Pagenaud started 24th in the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda and ran a two-stop strategy as he worked his way up to 13th before his first pit stop on lap 30. Over his next stint, Pagenaud had a strong battle to move into the top 10. The Frenchman pitted again on lap 60 of 90, and ran 11th over the final 18 circuits.

“It was a great day at the office,” said Pagenaud. “We made some really great moves in the race after starting really far back. We had a great car in the race and were able to march out way froward. Great strategy from Mike Shank and the entire team. I’m just really satisfied with how everything went and how everyone performed as a group. It’s really showing a lot of momentum. Obviously we want to be P1 in the end, but we have to be patient and reasonable. It was a great day for the entire team and showed a lot of spirit.”

Teammate Helio Castroneves had a tough day, finishing 21st in the No. 06 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda. Starting 16th,the four-time Indianapolis 500 champion elected to use a three-stop strategy. Castroneves pitted on lap 11 while running 16th, returning to the race in 24th.

Castroneves worked his way back to 14th when the lone caution of the event came out – taking away any advantage from a three-stop strategy.

Following the restart, Castroneves unfortunately had contact with another competitor forcing him to fall back nearly eight seconds to give the position back. After his final pit stop, Castroneves returned to the race in 22nd, and gained one position in the run to the checkered flag.

Although Castroneves didnt get the result he was hoping for, he was pleased with the performance of the car throughout the race.

“The strategy was to do three stops and we had the pace,” said Castroneves. “I was very, very happy with the No. 06 AutoNation / SiriusXM car. We were pushing and were in a really good rhythm, but unfortunately when the yellow came out it favored everyone on the two stop strategy. After that I had a little incident with Jimmie – sorry Jimmie – and I just bottomed out on the curb and hit the back of him. Before that I was having a really good time. At least we had a fast car so now let’s go for the next one.”

The attention of the motorsports world now focuses on Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES competitors take on the Brickyard’s road course in the GMR Grand Prix on Saturday, May 14. MSR and Helio Castroneves defend their Indianapolis 500 victory in the 106th running of the America classic on Sunday, May 29.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES: GRAND PRIX OF ALABAMA – RINUS VEEKAY PUTS CHEVROLET POWER ON POLE

By
Official Release
-

RINUS VEEKAY PUTS CHEVROLET ON POLE IN ALABAMA
PATO O’WARD QUALIFIES SECOND TO MAKE ALL-CHEVY POWER FRONT ROW

BIRMINGHAM – After setting the fastest lap through the first two practice sessions, Rinus VeeKay backed up that effort with the fastest time of the 26-car field to win the NTT INDYCAR Series P1 award.

VeeKay’s No. 21 Sonax Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet-powered team made all the right choices for Qualifying Session One (Q1).

The young driver from the Netherlands transferred to Qualifying Session Two – trimmed to the 12-fastest cars (Fast 12) – and again, with the right decisions from his team, he moved to Qualifying Session Three – The Firestone Fast Six, and waited until the last lap of of the session as the clock ran out to lay down a pole-winning run of one-minute 6.2507 seconds on the heals of a drive-through penalty for pit lane violation.

This is the second NTT P1 Award of VeeKay’s career and the third for Chevrolet in the 2022 NTT INDYCAR Series season.

Chevrolet has won the pole at Barber Motorsports Park nine of the 10 races since returning to INDYCAR competition in 2012 with the 2.2 liter twin turbo charges direct injected V6 purpose-built engine.

Last season’s pole sitter, Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, qualified second to give Team Chevy the front row for the start of the Honda Grand Prix of Alabama.

Giving Chevrolet four of the top-six starters in tomorrow’s 90-lap race on the 2.3-mile, 17-turn circuit just outside Birmingham, Alabama, are Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Sonsio Team Penske Chevrolet, qualified fourth and Felix Rosenqvist, No. 7 VUSE Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, qualifying for the sixth starting position.

Three-time Barber Motorsport Part winner, Josef Newgarden, No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet, qualified seventh to give Bowtie Brand five of top-seven qualifiers.

Chevrolet and the NTT INDYCAR Series continue with round four of the 2022 season at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 1 from Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. The race will air live on NBC, the Peacock streaming service and SiriusXM IndyCar Nation (Channel 160). Live timing and scoring will be available at racecontrol.indycar.com.

DRIVER QUOTES
RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 SONAX ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, POLE WINNER:
“Very good qualifying! We put the SONAX Chevrolet on pole, the Ed Carpenter Racing team did a great job. “We had potential and we knew we were in a good position, but to actually put it on pole was an accomplishment. I think the whole team maximized everything. We made the right decisions with tires, setup, everything. Confidence is high. I think from here we can have a great race and fight for the win, definitely.”

PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 2ND:
“It was a solid day for Arrow McLaren SP. We had a strong qualifying and we can do a lot from there. We are starting second tomorrow and the car has felt good and comfortable. We will have to see what the best strategy is going to be in the race; I think the weather is going to have a lot to say about that. We are looking forward to having a good race tomorrow.”

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 SONSIO TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 4TH:

FELIX ROSENQVIST, NO. 7 VUSE ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED SIXTH:
“Another good qualifying and Firestone Fast Six appearance for the No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. We have been on a roll in qualifying. Obviously you want to be better than sixth when you make the Fast Six but we will definitely take that position after what started as a tricky weekend. We got a pretty good read on both tires during the final practice so now we just need to execute tomorrow.”

JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 PPG TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED SEVENTH:

CALLUM ILOTT, NO. 77 JUNCOS HOLLINGER RACING, QUALIFIED 11TH:
“Good result for us. P11 our first Fast 12. Good result but I think there was a little more in there. However, we got caught out by the red flag. P11 Amazing feeling. I think all the Juncos Hollinger guys are happy. Chevy is happy. We have a little bit of work to do overnight to see if we can make the car a little faster for the race. Excited to have Racing for Children on the car. Amazing organization and it really awesome to have all the kids have their hand prints on the car.”

WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON 5G TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 19TH:

KYLE KIRKWOOD, NO. 14 ROKIT AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 21ST:
“We didn’t have the best of qualifying, we finished 11th in our group. Not sure what the issue was. Honestly the [car’s] balance felt pretty good, we’re just lacking speed there towards the end on red tires. I think our race pace is good. We’re going to find out here in warmup but tomorrow might rain so that could throw a curveball at everyone and that could potentially help us so we’ll see what happens.”

CONOR DALY, NO. 20 BITNILE ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 22ND:
“We had sectors quick enough to transfer to the next group, but we ran into a lot of dirt because of another car that went off in front of us. Then there was a red flag, so we couldn’t get in any more laps. We had a great car, fast enough, obviously, since our teammate is on pole which is wonderful. I’m still excited for tomorrow, we know we are fast, we just got a bit unlucky today.”

DALTON KELLETT, NO. 4 K-LINE AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 23RD:
“Not the qualifying session we were looking for. It was the whole Foyt team really, we seemed to struggle out there. The car felt alright but the pace wasn’t there so that’s something to look at between the three cars and see what we can come up with for warmup. We’ll test a couple things for the race tomorrow. It probably looks like a two-stop race so we’ll be working on fuel mileage stuff and see what we can come up with from a setup standpoint.”

TATIANA CALDERON, NO. 11 ROKIT AJ FOYT RACING, QUALIFIED 25TH:
“I think we’ve been making steps forward. I’m more comfortable with the balance of the car. We still need to find a little bit more grip, particularly with the red tires so that’s something to work on towards the free practice three [final warmup] to prepare for the race. I think we’re making steps forward and that’s the most important thing. We’ll see what the weather does tomorrow. It should be an interesting race.”

BAYSTON AND WEISS SCORE SATURDAY NIGHT VICTORIES IN WORLD OF OUTLAWS BRISTOL BASH AT BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

By
Official Release
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Rookie driver Spencer Bayston won the NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series race Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway.

BRISTOL, Tenn. (April 30, 2022) – Rookie Spencer Bayston and Canadian Ricky Weiss raced to victories in their respective categories Saturday night at the World of Outlaws Bristol Bash at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Bayston led wire to wire in the 25-lap feature in the NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and held off a determined Kyle Larson for most of the race, especially in the closing laps. The two crossed the start/finish line side by side with one lap to go and then Bayston was able to pull away to take the checkered flag.

Larson finished second, Friday winner Logan Schuchart was third, pole winner Rico Abreu was fourth and last year’s winner, David Gravel, was fifth.

“It’s been a long time coming, we’ve been so damn fast every night,” Bayston said. “I feel more comfortable than I have my whole career in any race car. This is such a high-risk place with high speed and high reward. I’m so fortunate to be in a wicked-fast car right now. Hopefully we can start clicking off a few more wins now.”

As Bayston kept hitting his marks around the dirt-transformed Bristol high banks, he knew Larson and Schuchart were closing in on him. After a late caution, he was determined to be ultra-focused for the two-lap run to the finish.

“When that caution came out I knew I had to run really, really well in those final two laps,” Bayston said. “Kyle got some good runs on me and he gave me a lane in those final two laps and I was thankful for that. I felt like I had to hit my marks. I was committed to what I was doing and Kyle threw those moves into one and two and three and four, and I circled around him and did what I had to do.”

Bayston said taking the win over Larson here at Bristol is definitely the biggest win of his young career.

“Its incredible,” Bayston said. “To think about all the races I watched here as a kid as a Jeff Gordon fan and Tony Stewart fan, it’s surreal. It almost takes your breath away when you walk into this Colosseum. It’s a great opportunity. Given this opportunity to come here and compete is really cool and to win here at Bristol Motor Speedway at such an iconic place is special. It’s great to get our first win of the season out of the way and get over the hump and hopefully stay on the path we are on to click off a couple more down the road.”

Larson kept the pressure on Bayston all the way to the end of the race, but had to settle for second place in his No. 57 machine. Once again, like he did in the Late Model class the night before, his hard-charging style brought the Bristol fans to their feet.

“I felt like it was going to be close; I got through three really well, I didn’t want to squeeze him in the fence, he was barely able to squeeze around me and win the race,” Larson said. “It was a fun little shootout we had there and I’m glad we were able to make it fun for the fans. It was a good weekend for the 57. We still have some work to do but I feel like we are in a much better place with the car.”

Schuchart was pleased with his team’s performance to get another podium finish for the weekend. He said he was making a move just as the caution came out, but after that he lost the momentum he needed at the end.

“It was a great weekend for our team, I feel like we had the best car all weekend,” Schuchart said. “We were up there racing for the lead. I didn’t get the best restarts that I needed. I needed to stay green to have the best chance. Proud of another podium finish and props to the five team. Spencer drove his butt off and he didn’t have but an inch between himself, Larson and the wall and he held his ground.”

Abreu qualified No. 1 with a best lap of 13.517 then held off Schuchart to take an impressive heat race victory. After the redraw, Abreu started the feature in the fourth position.

Australian Kerry Madsen, who was impressive in winning his heat race, finished sixth and was followed by Carson Macedo, Donny Schatz, Anthony Macri and Aaron Reutzel in the top 10.

In the CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series race Weiss was the quickest qualifier, won his heat race and then held on to win the 30-lap feature race.

Weiss received a challenge at the end from Chris Madden, who passed Weiss for the lead on lap 11 but then Weiss regained the lead the for good on lap 13 and cruised to the victory, his first at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“It’s awesome, we’ve been so close here,” Weiss said. “We’ve gave away a couple. When Madden got by me there I thought he had to be really good. Typically, I would’ve just followed him there. He just showed me the fast lane and I was able to get back by him. Thanks to everyone who turns wrenches on this thing. I hope they keep putting dirt on this track every year.”

Friday night winner Jonathan Davenport, from Blairsville, Ga., rallied to finish second in his No. 49 machine.

“My car got better as the race went on,” Davenport said. “About half way through the car came to me. Finally I found the line that worked to get some speed. Ricky did a good job. He deserves one, he’s led three of four of the races here. Good job to him. Just got to thank my guys. It’s been awesome and I hope they keep putting dirt on this place.”

Chris Madden, who won two races and $200,000 at Bristol in March during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals, appeared to be on his way to winning another race here but this time it wasn’t meant to be.

“When I got by Ricky there I left too much race track open,” Madden said. “I didn’t get down there to clear those guys and Ricky got back to me and took the lead back. I got behind some lapped cars after that. It was a good race tonight, a great race track and I had fun racing with these guys to put on a heck of a show.”

Kyle Bronson finished fourth, Kyle Larson was fifth and Kyle Hammer claimed sixth. Max Blair, Ryan Gustin, Ross Bailes and Newport’s Jimmy Owens completed the top 10.

Moresburg’s Scott Bloomquist, a winner of 600 dirt Late Model feature races, had engine issues at the start of the race and wasn’t able to take the green flag.

NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series Feature Results

  1. Spencer Bayston
  2. Kyle Larson
  3. Logan Schuchart
  4. Rico Abreu
  5. David Gravel
  6. Kerry Madsen
  7. Carson Macedo
  8. Donny Schatz
  9. Anthony Macri
  10. Aaron Reutzel
  11. Jacob Allen
  12. Brock Zearfoss
  13. Brad Sweet
  14. Sheldon Haudenschild
  15. Kraig Kinser
  16. Bill Rose
  17. James McFadden
  18. John Carney
  19. Noah Gass
  20. Jason Sides
  21. Landon Myers
  22. Matt Frisbie
  23. Brian Paulus
  24. Jake Spoon

CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series Feature Results

  1. Ricky Weiss
  2. Jonathan Davenport
  3. Chris Madden
  4. Kyle Bronson
  5. Kyle Larson
  6. Kyle Hammer
  7. Max Blair
  8. Ryan Gustin
  9. Ross Bailes
  10. Jimmy Owens
  11. Boom Briggs
  12. Tanner English
  13. Tyler Bruening
  14. Dennis Erb Jr.
  15. Kyle Strickler
  16. Brent Larson
  17. Tim Vance
  18. Josh Richards
  19. Vic Hill
  20. Gordy Gundaker
  21. Scott Bloomquist

Tough day for Stoner Car Care Racing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

By
Official Release
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Tagged from behind on lap one, the team fights to the end to take the checkered flag

MONTEREY, Calif. (30 April 2022) – There would be no “California Dreamin’” for the Stoner Car Care Racing fielded by Automatic Racing team on Saturday, as an opening-lap punt from behind and a late mechanical issue made for tough going in the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120 for the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.

Four full course cautions in the two-hour race made for a disjointed event – and a plethora of different strategies up and down pit lane. The Stoner Car Care team had come back from that early incident to get into the top 20. But that progress was lost after a high-speed vibration developed late in the race and slowed the charge to the finish.

Drivers Rob Ecklin, Jr. and Ramin Abdolvahabi returned to WeatherTech Raceway for the first time since 2019. The team worked on balance throughout two practice sessions on Friday, settling into a solid setup that would handle both the tricky corners and what they knew would be an increasingly slippery racetrack – between wind and cars putting tires off course, the sand that accumulates on track makes for slick going.

Abdolvahabi qualified the No. 09 in 25th position, fourth in the Bronze Cup standings, a separate designation for FIA Bronze-ranked drivers. Taking the green flag on a cool and sunny late afternoon, Abdolvahabi set his eyes forward – only to get tagged in the left rear in turn five on lap one by a TCR car. The Floridian gathered himself quickly but returned to the track mired in the TCR field.

With just over an hour and a half remaining, a full course caution bunched the field. As cars ahead pitted, Abdolvahabi climbed as high as 10th before heading to pit lane for four tires, fuel and a change to Ecklin.

“We were all talking about turn one before the race, but turn five ended up being the problem for us,” said Abdolvahabi. “I guess you put it down as a racing incident with someone who wasn’t being very careful – I guess he thought that he could just drive through us. It spun me around and that put me in the back. Not a great way to start a race.”

Unfortunately, another yellow flag flew right after the stop, putting the team a lap down. When the class split brought Ecklin back to the lead lap – albeit at the back of the pack – the team came into pit lane for right side tires and enough fuel to make it to the end, hoping to gain ground. Ecklin had once again cracked the top 20, but then the Aston Martin developed a high-speed vibration. Initially thinking it was build up on the tires, Ecklin toughed it out to the end, taking the checkered flag in 21st position.

“I fought as hard as I could,” said Ecklin. “Initially, I thought the car felt pretty good, fairly competitive, and then I started to feel the rear end kind of fall off. I thought it was tires, but evidently it was wheel studs loosening up – and then they just snapped off. In the last ten laps, it was just a matter of getting around the track. I had no contact out there, the car was fine despite Ramin getting hit. I thought I could race the guys ahead, but I just felt the rear go. I was able to bring it home, but it was a tough way to end the day.”

The Stoner Car Care team continues to support End Alzheimer’s Racing, carrying decals on the car to help their efforts to raise funds and awareness.

About Stoner Car Care
Stoner Car Care produces high-performance car washes, waxes, polishes, and dressings for auto enthusiasts and car care professionals. The Stoner Car Care line-up includes Invisible Glass, America’s #1 Automotive Glass Cleaner, along with many other appearance products. Whether driving, washing or waxing, Performance Matters! Stoner car care proudly formulates all of our product since 1942. www.stonercarcare.com

About Invisible Glass
Automatic Racing sees their way to victory with Invisible Glass, the top-selling automotive glass cleaner in the United States. The Invisible Glass product line includes aerosol and spray bottle cleaner, Invisible Glass with rain repellent for windshields and wiper blades. Find more online at https://www.invisibleglass.com/

About Automatic Racing
Based in Orlando, Automatic Racing is one of the longest-running teams in the paddock, forming in 2001 and competing in all but one of the 11 MICHELIN Pilot Challenge races at Daytona. The team has been developing, preparing and racing the prestigious Aston Martin Vantage GT4 since 2012. Automatic Racing won the 2017 MICHELIN Pilot Challenge title. https://automaticracing.com

About End Alzheimer’s Racing
The Stoner Car Care team continues to support End Alzheimer’s Racing, carrying decals on the car to help their efforts to raise funds and awareness.

End Alzheimer’s Racing began in 2019, as father and son duo Bill and Alex Slupski – both experienced kart racers who also work in sports car racing – chose racing as the “vehicle” for their program to promote awareness and raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association. Through End Alzheimer’s Racing, they want to be an integral part of the support network for families dealing with Alzheimer’s and other dementias and be part of the cure that ends Alzheimer’s disease. http://act.alz.org/goto/endalzheimersracing

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Charlotte Post-Qualifying Report — 4.30.22

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Official Release
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JUSTIN ASHLEY CLAIMS FIRST TOP-QUALIFIER
Addition of Capps Means Three GR Supra Funny Cars at Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C. (April 30, 2022) – Justin Ashley claimed his first career top-qualifier with a 3.669 second run during Friday night’s qualifying session at the 4-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord, North Carolina. Thursday’s announcement of Ron Capps joining the Toyota Gazoo Racing North America family means that three GR Supra Funny Cars will take to the track for Sunday afternoon’s event. In Capps’ inaugural race with Toyota, he took the number three qualifier position at 3.873 seconds.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
zMax Dragway
Race 6 of 22

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
Justin AshleyPhillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster1 – (3.669)C. Ferre (3.854)A. Prock (3.719)A. Brown (3.729)
Doug KalittaAutodesk Toyota Top Fuel Dragster4 – (3.700)A. Laughlin (3.777)M. Salinas (3.706)D. Foley (3.774)
Steve TorrenceCapco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster3 – (3.694)S. Langdon (3.798)J. Hart (3.715)C. Millican (3.756)
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster9 – (3.729)J. Ashley (3.669)C. Ferre (3.854)A. Prock (3.719)
Shawn LangdonCMR Toyota Top Fuel Dragster14 – (3.798)S. Torrence (3.694)J. Hart (3.715)C. Millican (3.756)

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
John ForceJFR Funny Car*1 – (3.850)B. Tasca (3.909)A. DeJoria (3.936)
Ron CappsNAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota GR Supra3 – (3.873)J. Todd (3.893)D. Creasy Jr. (4.100)C. Green (4.002)
J.R. Todd DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car6 – (3.893)R. Capps (3.873)D. Creasy Jr. (4.100)C. Green (4.002)
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car9 – (3.936)J. Force (3.850)B. Tasca (3.909)

(*non-Toyota driver)

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.

 Josh Berry leads strong JR Motorsports performance in A-GAME 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash race at Dover Motor Speedway

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Official Release
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 DOVER, Del. (April 30, 2022) – On a banner day for JR Motorsports, Josh Berry’s flag flew the highest at the right time.

Grabbing the lead off pit road following a late caution, Berry led the race’s final 55 laps and held off hard-charging teammate Justin Allgaier to win the A-GAME 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash race Saturday at Dover Motor Speedway.

It was the first Xfinity Series victory of the season for the 31-year-old Hendersonville, Tenn., native, the third of his career and came one year after he finished second in his track debut in the Xfinity Series.

“This was one place we had circled after what we did last year,” Berry said. “To do what we did today is very special.”

Berry, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet, topped Allgaier by just over half a second, the top two drivers of JR Motorsports’ 1-2-4-5 finish.

“We’ve had some tough moments and it’s been frustrating at times,” Berry said of his season. “Racing at this level is a lot of work. You have to learn to love the work and the preparing more than the finishes.

“We knew if we kept bringing fast cars, we would find a win. We just have to keep moving the needle and getting better every week.”

Noah Gragson, was the highest finishing Dash 4 Cash driver in fourth and earned the race’s $100,000 bonus. It is Gragson’s fifth career Dash 4 Cash bonus victory, tying Elliott Sadler’s record.

“From where we were to get a top-5 finish, we’ll take it,” said Gragson, who said the bonus would be split among his pit crew. “What a day for the entire company.”

Among other Dash 4 Cash contenders, A.J. Allmendinger finished sixth, Ryan Sieg was 10th and Landon Cassill was 12th.

Stage 1 winner Sam Mayer led 18 laps and finished fifth, recovering from an incident where he lost his left-rear tire and was forced to make an extra pit stop. Ty Gibbs led one lap and finished third.

Allgaier led a race-high 67 laps and entered pit road with the lead on Lap 145 but came out of the pits fifth and was not able to get closer than second from there.

“That last run we were really good,” Allgaier said. “We came up a little short.”

Berry completed the 200 miles in 1 hour, 55 minutes, 17 seconds for an average speed of 104.091 mph. Five caution periods, including the two stage breaks, took up 36 laps.

Among other notable finishes, pole winner Brandon Jones led 59 laps and finished seventh and Xfinity Series rookie Sheldon Creed was eighth.

The NASCAR tripleheader weekend race weekend schedule also includes:

SUNDAY, MAY 1: DuraMAX Drydene 400 presented by RelaDyne NASCAR Cup Series race (3 p.m., FS1).

The DuraMAX Drydene 400 presented by RelaDyne is the 104th NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover, one of only 10 venues in the country to host 100 or more Cup Series events.

TICKETS:
Kids tickets for those 12 and under start at just $10 on Sunday. For tickets to all of Dover Motor Speedway’s events, visit https://www.DoverMotorSpeedway.com or call 800-441-RACE.

FOLLOW US:

Keep track of all of Dover Motor Speedway’s events by following on Twitter and Instagram or become a Facebook fan. Be sure to use #DuraMAXDrydene400 in your posts.

Ford Performance NASCAR: NXS Post Race (Pair of Mustangs Finish Top-10 at Dover)

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
NXS A-GAME 200 Post Race| Saturday, April 30, 2022

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
9th – Riley Herbst
10th – Ryan Sieg
17th – Parker Retzlaff
28th – Joe Graf Jr
35th – David Starr

Riley Herbst, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang (Finished 9th)

“I think we were more of a top-five car for sure. Just lost track position there in the first stage and then got it back by passing some good cars in the second stage. Then we made a strategy call to try to win the race and it just didn’t pan out for us. It was a smart call. It was the right call. It just didn’t break our way and we had to fight our way back to ninth from there.”

Ryan Sieg, No. 39 A-GAME Ford Mustang (Finished 10th)

“It was a struggle coming from the back here where it is super hard to pass. Especially when you are on the loose side like we were. We were hanging on most of the day and trying to pass people and it is tough here. All in all it was a good day for the A-GAME Ford Mustang. We just gotta qualify and get up there and race with those guys and not try to play catch-up most of the day. We made good adjustments, we just have to get a little bit better. We have more notes now, so hopefully it will carry over to Darlington and we can get a little better and qualify.”

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