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WORLD OF OUTLAWS BRISTOL BASH FIVE QUESTIONS

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Donny Schatz, David Gravel, James McFadden and Carson Macedo preview the Greatest Show on Dirt’s return to The Last Great Colosseum

The Greatest Show on Dirt returns to The Last Great Colosseum April 28-30. It is the fourth time in history that the World of Outlaws will race on the high-banked dirt-transformed half-mile oval. Last year David Gravel took the checkered flag in both of the feature races at Bristol Motor Speedway to make for a memorable weekend. This year the race will feature both the NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series competing together in what promises to be an amazing weekend of dirt racing. Several of the top drivers in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series gave us their thoughts to five big questions leading in to this weekend’s World of Outlaws Bristol Bash.

How much fun did you have last year at Bristol?

DAVID GRAVEL: It was a little nerve-wracking going there for the first time and the practice day to see how fast the cars were and they were very fast, but to sweep the weekend was definitely a great feeling and you couldn’t ask for any more.

CARSON MACEDO: I had a lot of fun at Bristol last year. I’m excited to go back, I think it’s a fast race track and I think the fans are in for a treat with both the World of Outlaws Late Models and World of Outlaws Sprint Cars.

DONNY SCHATZ: I was there at the original Bristol on dirt back in the early 2000s. I was a lot younger and the speed was nothing like we’d ever experienced before other than places like Eldora. The bank was incredible. Just to see that Colosseum and be in that atmosphere was incredible. A lot of emotions flowed through me last year. It was great to be back. Obviously we’re even faster, which makes it super-exciting but also there’s a fine line on whether it’s beyond scary for a guy like me or super fun as well.

Was there anything you learned last year that you plan to apply this year?

CARSON MACEDO: A few things I learned last year that I plan to apply is just the high speeds, keeping the car nice and straight. When you’re going that fast, these wings are nice and big. They like to cut through the air really nice. The straighter you are the faster you’re going to go and the better these race cars handle.

DONNY SCHATZ: I don’t know that you can take dirt off of Bristol then put dirt back on Bristol and think anything you did last year is going to be the same thing. I think they changed the bank up a little bit again. I know they’ve made it a little wider in certain areas. What was applied 20 years ago didn’t apply last year. It all relies on what these guys do with these cars and the things they do to keep the speeds going. We don’t normally get in the sprint car world to where you trim the car in order to get more speed, but man Bristol is that way. There’s so much speed and so much downforce that you end up doing that and it’s one of the very few places that happens.

It’s rare, but how cool will it be to have both the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and Late Models competing at the same event?

JAMES MCFADDEN: Yeah, that’ll be really cool. I enjoy watching the late models. I got to see the World 100 once so to watch those guys around there will be really fun. It’ll be a good event for the spectators for sure.

DAVID GRAVEL: We did it I believe at Cedar Lake one time and then we did it at obviously the World Finals, but for me it doesn’t really matter too much, we’re so focused on the task at hand and what we got going on. Staying on top of the race track, communicating with my team so it’s one of those things where you’re just laser focused. When we were there last year I don’t think I watched one lap of the big block modifieds. I’m just trying to do what I can to win races and be very focused.

CARSON MACEDO: It’ll be really cool to have both the sprint cars and late models at the same event. I think with an action-packed track like Bristol and huge grandstands with plenty of race fans to come check it all out. I think it’ll be a success and I’m excited for the two straight, good nights of racing.

DONNY SCHATZ: I’m optimistic about everything, having both classes at the same event. We don’t have it very often, we have it at the World Finals in Charlotte. We had it at Cedar Lake a couple years ago. If you take those two events one was successful and I think one was not as successful as they want for track conditions. I’m really unsure about what’s going to happen, but I think it’s going to force them to do a lot of track maintenance and work that probably wouldn’t happen if the late models weren’t there because there are really demanding tires on the surface. All I can do is speculate and see what happens. I’m sure they’ll make the best of it.

What would it mean to you to be able to win an iconic Bristol Gladiator Sword?

JAMES MCFADDEN: It would be pretty special to win at Bristol. Obviously, being a short track guy to win at the biggest half-mile we go to would be pretty crazy. Just like I said, it’s a pretty crazy place when you walk in there and feel the atmosphere so to win there would be pretty special and one you’d definitely be proud about.

CARSON MACEDO: It would mean a lot to me to be able to win the Bristol Gladiator Sword. It’s definitely a race track that I’ve always thought was really cool as a little kid playing the 2002 World of Outlaw Sprint Car game on PS2. A dream that I’d be able to race there someday, let alone win. This JJR car is really good especially on big half miles like that so I’m looking forward to going there.

DONNY SCHATZ: It would be really cool to win at Bristol, to win the sword. Just to win, the older I get the more I appreciate all these wins. I appreciate everyone I’ve got. They’re coming fewer and further between. That’s just the nature of how competitive the sport is and how things are. To be able to get a win there, we were close last year. We ran second the final night, so that sticks in the back of my mind. Second is something that a lot of people would be OK with, but it’s not what you want when you’re that close. You want that win and that extra edge so we’re pulling out all the stops. These guys are working hard to build a special car for Bristol and I’m hoping we can get that win for them and that gladiator sword. I’m definitely going to enjoy it if we do.

How cool was it to win a pair of Bristol Gladiator Swords last year?

DAVID GRAVEL: Obviously walking into that place is unexplainable unless you’re there in person. To play the old 2002 video game and see old videos, to finally get to race there and sweep the weekend and get those swords is very cool. This year it pays a little bit more on the first night so hopefully we do that again.

What did you do with your swords?

DAVID GRAVEL: Tod [Quiring] kept them, the team owner keeps the trophies, but he was able to purchase me two replicas which are the exact same thing. I have a trophy room that is now turning into a baby room so all my stuff is laying in a pile. I do want to mount those up really cool looking and have them crossing. Right now they’re sitting in my room, but I’ll have them displayed in a cool spot one day.

Can you describe what you see and feel when you’re at full speed on a lap around Bristol?

JAMES MCFADDEN: Nah, not really, it’s all a bit of a blur, you know. We tend to not go as fast as we do there at most places. It’s just a lot different, you have different pick up points with your eyes because you’re going faster and stuff like that. It’s fast, it’s pretty intense; it’s a lot of turbulence in the car and to do a lap around there with the big colosseum feel is pretty crazy.

KRAIG KINSER: You really don’t realize how fast you’re going until you start pushing over the limit a little bit or doing something you don’t want to do then you feel the speed come up a little bit. I mean we go to fast tracks, don’t get me wrong; you get that feeling quite a bit, but just pushing that little bit extra you realize you’re on the edge.

DAVID GRAVEL: Actually the straightaways feel like they take forever and they’re long, but you really feel the speed going into the corners and going into the banking. There’s a lot of G-force and the corners go by very, very fast. It’s like going on a rollercoaster where you get a lot of pressure on your shoulders and your head and then the speed just happens really, really fast. It’s pretty physically demanding. When you’re by yourself it’s easy to go around there, but the corners are very physical.

DONNY SCHATZ: What you see and feel at Bristol is quite a bit different from everywhere else. I haven’t been at speed like that where your head moved around and buffeted. We all have the best safety equipment. We all have the best helmets and all these things. I remember my head moving enough to where it created an issue where trying to keep your eyes focused on one thing at speed was pretty crazy. You feel every little vibration, every little flaw in a tire. It creates such a high frequency vibration that everything affects you at those speeds. You’ve got to be very cautious, things happen in a hurry.

CARSON MACEDO: Basically, it’s intense. The speeds are the fastest we see throughout the World of Outlaws season. It will definitely be the fastest we go all year and I’m looking forward to the high banking and all of the things that are different compared to a lot of the race tracks we go to across the country.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Dover Motor Speedway Advance

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Official Release
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FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: DOVER ADVANCE

The NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Cup Series will be making their only trip this season to Dover Motor Speedway with single races on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Ford has won 41 times at the Monster Mile in both series combined, which includes a weekend sweep in 2020.

This Week’s Schedule:

Saturday, April 30 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 1:30 p.m. (FS1)
Sunday, May 1 – NASCAR Cup Series, 3 p.m. (FS1)

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT DOVER

· Ford has 27 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins at Dover.
· Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick have series wins at Dover.
· Richard Petty won the inaugural race at Dover while driving a Ford in 1969.

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT DOVER

· Ford has 14 NASCAR XFINITY Series wins at Dover.
· Mark Martin won Ford’s first series event at Dover in 1987.
· Joey Logano won a series-record four straight Dover races from 2012-13.

CUSTER AND DOVER

Cole Custer has only made three NASCAR Cup Series starts at Dover Speedway, but so far, so good as the California native has registered a pair of 10th-place finishes to go with an 11th-place run his rookie season. That falls in line with the success he had at the Monster Mile during his NASCAR Xfinity Series career, where he made six starts and one victory. His average finish in those races was 5.3 as he registered four top-five runs during that time.

BRISCOE AND CINDRIC LOOK TO ADD DOVER CUP WIN

Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric are looking to add a NASCAR Cup Series win at Dover to go with their NASCAR Xfinity Series victories. Briscoe won the second race of a weekend doubleheader in 2020 and eventually went on to win nine NXS races that season while Cindric won the only time the series visited Dover last year.

HARVICK RECORDS FORD’S 700TH CUP WIN

Kevin Harvick recorded Ford’s 700th all-time series victory when he won at the Monster Mile in 2020. Harvick dominated the second half of the weekend doubleheader, sweeping all three stages and leading 223-of-311 laps to win for the seventh time in 2020. The victory also clinched the regular season championship for Harvick, who went on to lead the series with nine victories.

ANOTHER FIRST FOR THE KING

Ford won the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover International Raceway in 1969 when Richard Petty drove to victory lane on July 6. That marked the only year in which The King drove a Ford and was the fourth of nine wins for him that season, and it came in dominating fashion as he led half of the 300 laps, including the final 109. It was a Ford day all-around as the Blue Oval led every lap in the race with Lee Roy Yarbrough (124) and David Pearson (26) combining to lead the ones Petty didn’t, and had nine of the top 11 finishers.

JUNIE GOES TO VICTORY LANE

Dover proved to be magical for the late Junie Donlavey, who won the only NASCAR Cup Series race of his career at Dover on May 17, 1981 in the Mason-Dixon 500 when driver Jody Ridley took the checkered flag. Ridley had a good car that day, but it was even more reliable and that proved the difference. Neil Bonnett was the dominant driver as he led 404 of the first 459 laps, but he blew an engine that ended his day. Cale Yarborough appeared to be the main beneficiary as he inherited the lead, but the same fate befell him 20 laps from the finish and sent him to the garage. That left Ridley to assume the top spot and he held on from there to register his first and only Cup win. It also ended up being Donlavey’s only trip to victory lane. The Richmond native made 863 starts and fielded strictly Ford products from 1965-2002 in NASCAR’s top series that featured names like LeeRoy Yarbrough, Fred Lorenzen, Harry Gant, Ricky Rudd, Ken Schrader and Dick Trickle.

FROM 500 TO 400

In 1997 Ford swept both Dover events, but it’s remembered for historical reasons because when Ricky Rudd won the spring event on June 1, 1997 it marked the speedway’s final 500-mile event. Rudd took advantage of being in the right place at the right time after leader Ernie Irvan was involved in an accident with 29 laps remaining. Rudd took over the lead and held off Mark Martin over the final few laps to lead a Ford sweep of the top four spots. Martin bounced back a few months later by winning the fall event, which marked the inaugural 400-mile race at the track. That started a streak that saw him win three straight fall events at the Monster Mile.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES DOVER WINNERS

1969 – Richard Petty

1978 – Bobby Allison (2)

1980 – Bobby Allison (1)

1981 – Jody Ridley and Neil Bonnett

1985 – Bill Elliott

1986 – Ricky Rudd (2)

1987 – Davey Allison and Ricky Rudd

1988 – Bill Elliott (Sweep)

1990 – Bill Elliott (2)

1994 – Rusty Wallace (Sweep)

1997 – Ricky Rudd and Mark Martin

1998 – Dale Jarrett and Mark Martin

1999 – Mark Martin (2)

2004 – Mark Martin (1)

2005 – Greg Biffle (1)

2006 – Matt Kenseth (1)

2007 – Carl Edwards (2)

2008 – Greg Biffle (2)

2011 – Matt Kenseth (1)

2018 – Kevin Harvick (1)

2020 – Kevin Harvick (2)

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES DOVER WINNERS

1987 – Mark Martin (1)

2001 – Jeff Green (2)

2002 – Greg Biffle (1)

2004 – Greg Biffle (1)

2007 – Carl Edwards (1)

2011 – Carl Edwards (Sweep)

2013 – Joey Logano (Sweep)

2015 – Chris Buescher (1)

2017 – Ryan Blaney (2)

2019 – Cole Custer (2)

2020 – Chase Briscoe (2)

2021 – Austin Cindric

Brad Keselowski – Dover Advance

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Official Release
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Team: No. 6 Kohler Generators Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Matt McCall
Twitter: @RFK6Team, @RFKRacing and @keselowski
Race Format: 400 miles, 400 laps, Stages: 120-130-150
NCS Race at Dover – Sunday, May 1 at 3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Weekend Format

· The weekend at Dover features group qualifying, where the top-10 fastest cars in group one will transfer to the final round and run for the pole.

Keselowski at Dover Motor Speedway

· Keselowski makes his 24th Cup start at Dover on Sunday, where he has a 12.8 average finish with one win, 10 top-10s and five finishes inside the top five.

· Keselowski won the 2012 fall race in the No. 2 car, and additionally has two runner-up finishes, both of which came in 2014. Most recently, Keselowski finished 16th at Dover a season ago, and in 2020 ran ninth and eighth when the track hosted two events.

· Keselowski’s average starting position stands at 11.2 with two poles (2014, 2016).

· He also made 12 combined additional starts in the Xfinity and Truck series, earning an Xfinity win in 2009 in the No. 88 with seven overall top-10s in 10 starts.

Matt McCall at Dover Motor Speedway

· McCall is set for his 14th Cup race from Dover this weekend, where he has five top-10s and a 16.2 average finish. His best result came back in 2015 with Jamie McMurray when the No. 1 team ran fourth. He and Kurt Busch finished ninth in the 2019 fall race, and last season ran 13th, his second-straight 13th-place finish at the track and third overall.

· McCall has an average qualifying position of 18.5 with two starts inside the top-10 (ninth – twice).

QUOTE WORTHY
Keselowski on racing at Dover:
“Dover is such a unique track and a place that takes a lot of patience and skill to navigate everything it offers for 400 miles. The corners at Dover are so different and unlike anything else we experience on the circuit, so getting the handling where you need to is critical before a long race. I’m fortunate to have found success there before with a win years ago, and hope to find some of that magic once again this weekend.”

Last Time Out

Keselowski finished 23rd at Talladega after getting trapped a lap down due to a speeding penalty late in Sunday’s race.

On the Car

Kohler Generators returns to the No. 6 car for its third primary race of the season. They will serve as the anchor partner for the No. 6 team in 2022 and be the primary in 14 races. Kohler initially joined the RFK family in 2021 as a partner in eight events with the No. 6 team.

About Kohler Co.
Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies comprised of more than 40,000 associates. Kohler is a global leader in the manufacture of kitchen and bath products; engines and power systems; premier cabinetry, tile and lighting; and owner/operator of two of the world’s finest five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St. Andrews, Scotland.

A global force in power solutions since 1920, Kohler manufactures engines and complete power systems, including generators (portable, marine, residential, commercial and industrial), automatic transfer switches, switchgear, monitoring controls, and accessories for emergency, prime power and energy-management applications all around the world. The business is committed to reliable, leading edge power-generation products, clean energy solutions, as well as comprehensive after-sale support. Visit KohlerGenerators.com, facebook.com/KOHLERPower, and on Twitter at @KOHLERPower.

Chris Buescher – Dover Advance

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Official Release
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Team: No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @RFK17Team, @RFKRacing and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format: 400 miles, 400 laps, Stages: 120-130-150

NCS Race at Dover – Sunday, May 1 at 3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Weekend Format

· The weekend at Dover features group qualifying, where the top-10 fastest cars in group one will transfer to the final round and run for the pole.

Buescher at Dover Motor Speedway

· Buescher makes his 12th Cup start at Dover on Sunday. He carries a 22.3 average finish at the 1-mile track with a best finish of 14th (2020). Despite no top-10s at the ‘Monster Mile,’ Buescher’s best three finishes overall at the track have come in the last three races.

· He has an average 19.5 starting position with his last three starts serving as his best qualifying efforts.

· He also made four Xfinity starts in the No. 60 entry, earning one win (2015) with three top-10s overall.

Scott Graves at Dover Motor Speedway

· Graves will be on the box for his 13th Cup race from Dover, one of his best tracks statistically with a 14.6 average finish and four top-10s.

· He finished third with Daniel Suarez in 2018, his best result at the track, and also ran sixth and eighth in the two races prior.

· Graves has two Xfinity wins at Dover, one with Buescher in 2015 and another with Suarez in 2016.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Dover:
“Dover is one of the more trickier places we go to, and it’s so unique in everything the corners challenge you with. Momentum is key and being able to roll the center, and we have been better there the last few races. Consistency goes a long way in this stretch of the season, and we’re looking forward to the weekend in our Fastenal Ford.”

Last Time Out
Buescher was caught up in a multi-car incident early in Sunday’s race from Talladega relegating him to a 38th-place finish.

On the Car

Fastenal, in its 12th season with RFK in 2022, makes its eighth appearance with the No. 17 this weekend. In its early days with RFK, Fastenal originally was a partner with the No. 99 team before moving over to the No. 17 team since. They were also the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity Series entry that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

Fastenal will feature top suppliers PIP, Weiler, Dupont, APEX and Brennan Industries on Buescher’s Mustang as he competes this weekend. For more information on these suppliers, visit Fastenal.com, and stay up-do-date on social @FastenalCompany.

About Fastenal
Fastenal [Nasdaq: FAST] is North America’s largest fastener distributor and a ‘one-stop’ source for hundreds of thousands of OEM, MRO and Construction products. With more than 2,600 stores worldwide, the company supports B2B customers with tailored local inventory and dedicated personnel, who visit regularly, quickly respond to emergency needs, and provide efficient inventory management solutions. Fastenal’s service-oriented business network includes the world’s largest industrial vending program, 14 regional distribution centers, 8 custom manufacturing facilities, thousands of delivery vehicles, and industry-leading sourcing, quality and engineering resources.

JRM to Field No. 88 HendrickCars.com Chevy in Five Upcoming NXS Events

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Official Release
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Cup Series Regulars Byron, Elliott and Larson to Drive Team’s Fifth Entry

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 26, 2022) – Today, JR Motorsports announced it will field a fifth car in five additional NASCAR Xfinity Series races this season. With primary sponsorship from HendrickCars.com, current Cup Series stars William Byron, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson will combine to make the starts in the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro.

Elliott, who won the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series championship with Hendrick Motorsports, will kick things off at Darlington Raceway (May 7). Byron will take the wheel of the No. 88 at Texas Motor Speedway (May 21) and New Hampshire Motor Speedway (July 16). Larson, the defending NCS champion, sees action at Watkins Glen International (Aug. 20) and Darlington Raceway (Sept. 3).

JRM owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been a longtime partner with Hendrick Motorsports owner and Hendrick Automotive Group CEO Rick Hendrick with four franchises located in Tallahassee, Florida: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Cadillac and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Buick GMC. Hendrick is also a minority owner of JRM.

“The NASCAR platform has been instrumental in helping us build HendrickCars.com into a national brand, and we look forward to continuing that momentum through this expanded effort,” said Greg Gach, president of Charlotte-based Hendrick Automotive Group. “We are committed to our racing programs and supporting our Hendrick Motorsports teammates whenever we can, and we know these additional races will benefit our drivers and teams. We’re also excited to work with Dale Jr. on this opportunity. He’s a terrific partner whose dealerships have created tremendous value for our General Motors customers. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

HendrickCars.com is Hendrick Automotive Group’s online destination for new and pre-owned vehicle shopping, locating centers for service and collision repair, exploring career opportunities, and learning about vehicle investment protection. It also sponsors Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the Cup Series in addition to NHRA driver Greg Anderson and other racing efforts at the grassroots level.

All three drivers have previously driven for JRM. Byron and Elliott are both past NXS champions and multi-time winners with the organization, while Larson made one start for JRM’s Camping World Truck Series operation in 2015.

The news brings the No. 88 team’s tally to nine events in 2022, up from the four previously announced starts. In the two races to date this season, the team has one top-10 finish with Miguel Paludo at Circuit of the Americas.

Crew chief duties for the No. 88 team will be announced at a later date.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:
JR Motorsports is the racing operation co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame member and 15-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick. Now in its 21st year of overall competition, JR Motorsports competes in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series where it currently fields four full-time teams and earned championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018. The company also races in Late Model competition and owns four championships in regional Late Model divisions and added a prized national title in 2020. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.

ABOUT HENDRICK AUTOMOTIVE GROUP:
Representing 131 franchises and 25 manufacturer nameplates from the Carolinas to California, Hendrick Automotive Group is the largest privately held automotive retail organization in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company employs more than 10,000 people in its 94 dealership locations, 21 collision centers and four accessories distributor installers in 13 states. For more information, please visit www.HendrickCars.com.

No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 Aiming for Victory at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

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Laguna Seca, IMSA, September 2021 (Photo by Brian Cleary/BCPix.com)

Brownsburg, Ind. (April 26, 2022) ­­— The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 team continues the California segment of the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule this weekend with the Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship Presented by MOTUL at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Filipe Albuquerque, who put the blue and black Konica Minolta machine on pole in 2021’s iteration, and co-driver Ricky Taylor, who drove the second stint and secured the victory on race day, are both confident that they can return to the top step of the podium at one of the team’s favorite tracks.

Tire management will play a key role, and Taylor is certain that the team’s Acura developed package will suit the 2.238-mile, 11-turn purpose-built road course far better than the bumpy surfaces of the past two events. Acura has won the past three IMSA events at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

“It’s always nice to go back somewhere that you’ve had success,” said Ricky Taylor. “Laguna is a track that suits our car. Its smooth surface and medium to high-speed corners play into the strengths of the ARX-05. Laguna favors track position, so we will place a big emphasis on qualifying well. Strategically, this race always seems quite unpredictable and normally offers multiple strategy options, so executing well on our decisions will be important.”

Having secured his first IMSA career pole at Laguna Seca in 2021, Albuquerque is excited to be back.

“Laguna is a track where we always go with high motivation,” said Filipe Albuquerque. “We are in California and it’s a great place that’s pretty far from my home. Last year, we had the perfect weekend with pole position and a race win, so we are aiming to achieve that again. Especially after the hard weekend we had in Long Beach. There is a lot of pressure on us to maximize what we can do with our car here as the track really suits the Acuras. It’s never easy, because we don’t have a massive advantage, it just suits us better. We’ll be focused and have our heads down, ready for the job.”

Winner as a driver at Laguna Seca in 2006 and two-time winner at the Northern California track as a team owner, Wayne Taylor is looking to secure the team’s second victory in a row.

“I’m really excited about heading back to Laguna,” said team owner, Wayne Taylor. “Last year we got the pole and won the race. However, this year we just have to see the pace of the Cadillacs because they clearly dominate speed-wise. This is a track that suits us more, but I’m not sure if we’re going to have an advantage or not. We certainly won’t have the advantage that they had over us at Long Beach. Both Ricky and Filipe love the track and we had a good car last year, so we’re going to unload as we loaded up from the race last year and then we’ll see!”

Practice for the Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship Presented by MOTUL begins this Friday, April 29th at 4:30 p.m. PT. Qualifying is set for Saturday at 12:50 p.m. PT. Green flag for the main event will wave at 12:10 p.m. PT on Sunday, May 1st with full coverage streaming on Peacock and network coverage on NBC beginning at 12:00 p.m. PT.
ABOUT KONICA MINOLTA

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is reshaping and revolutionizing the Workplace of the Future. The company guides and supports its clients’ digital transformation through its expansive office technology portfolio, including IT Services (All Covered), intelligent information management, managed print services and industrial and commercial print solutions. Konica Minolta has been included on CRN’s MSP 500 list nine times and The World Technology Awards recently named the company a finalist in the IT Software category. Konica Minolta has been recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for fourteen consecutive years, and received Keypoint Intelligence’s BLI 2021 A3 Line of The Year Award and BLI 2021-2023 Most Color Consistent A3 Brand Award for its bizhub i-Series. Konica Minolta, Inc. has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for nine consecutive years and has spent four years on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list. Konica Minolta partners with its clients to give shape to ideas and works to bring value to our society. For more information, please visit us online and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter. The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 effort and Wayne Taylor Racing is supported by an outstanding lineup of partners including Harrison Contracting, Acura Motorsports, Hammer Nutrition and CIT.

ENERSYS® AND TEAM PENSKE RENEW PARTNERSHIP FOR 2022 INDYCAR SERIES SEASON

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ODYSSEY® Battery Brand to be Featured on the No. 3 Chevrolet Driven by Series Leader Scott McLaughlin

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 26, 2022) – Team Penske will renew its partnership with EnerSys® (NYSE: ENS), the global leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, for the 2022 season. EnerSys will continue to serve as a key sponsor for the team’s winning NTT INDYCAR SERIES program.

The EnerSys high-performance battery brand, ODYSSEY® battery, will be featured as a primary partner for several races this season on the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet driven by 2021 INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year, Scott McLaughlin. The No. 3 ODYSSEY® Chevrolet will make its 2022 debut during the series race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Sunday, July 3.

“I am proud to represent the EnerSys and ODYSSEY® battery brands in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” said McLaughlin, the current series points leader who opened the 2022 season with his first INDYCAR victory, winning on the streets of St. Petersburg in February. “EnerSys and its ODYSSEY® battery products give us an edge over our competition. From their high-performance capabilities to their efficiency and longevity, ODYSSEY® batteries give us the peace of mind required to perform at a championship level.”

EnerSys® first joined Team Penske in 2014 as an associate partner across the team’s NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) and NTT INDYCAR SERIES programs. As EnerSys has continued to build on its partnership with the team, the striking red and white colors of the ODYSSEY® battery brand were featured on the No. 22 Ford Mustang driven by Austin Cindric in the 2020 NXS race at Auto Club Speedway. This season’s Mid-Ohio weekend will mark the first race as a primary partner in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for EnerSys and ODYSSEY® battery as the Reading, Pennsylvania-based company will adorn the No. 3 Chevrolet at one of America’s historic road courses and a venue where Team Penske has earned 11 INDYCAR victories in its history.

“Given the consistently winning performance of Team Penske, ODYSSEY® batteries by EnerSys are perfectly suited to be a sponsor,” said Mark Matthews, Senior Vice President, Specialty Global at EnerSys. “Our partnership with Team Penske has helped to increase the visibility of the ODYSSEY® battery brand as a premium power solution that offers virtually maintenance-free performance and longevity. The renewal of our partnership not only provides Team Penske with dependable, premium batteries, but it continues to demonstrate the quality of the ODYSSEY® battery brand as a contributor to the team’s growing success.”

The 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES features 14 of 17 races broadcast on network television through NBC. The series returns to action this Sunday, May 1, at Barber Motorsport Park at 1 pm EDT. The July 3 race at Mid-Ohio will also be televised live on NBC at 12 pm EDT. McLaughlin is currently second in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship standings after opening the season with a win in St. Petersburg and a strong second-place finish in March on the Texas Motor Speedway oval.

ABOUT TEAM PENSKE
Team Penske is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Cars owned and prepared by Team Penske have produced 600 major race wins, over 660 pole positions and 41 championships across open-wheel, stock car and sports car racing competition. Over the course of its 56-year history, the team has also earned 18 Indianapolis 500 victories, three Daytona 500 Championships, a Formula 1 win, overall victories in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, along with a win in Australia’s legendary Bathurst 1000 race. In 2022, Team Penske will compete in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, NASCAR Cup Series and the World Endurance Championship. For more information about Team Penske, please visit www.teampenske.com.

ABOUT ENERSYS®
EnerSys, the global leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, manufactures and distributes energy systems solutions and motive power batteries, specialty batteries, battery chargers, power equipment, battery accessories and outdoor equipment enclosure solutions to customers worldwide. Energy Systems, which combine enclosures, power conversion, power distribution and energy storage, are used in the telecommunication, broadband and utility industries, uninterruptible power supplies and numerous applications. Motive power batteries and chargers are utilized in electric forklift trucks and other industrial electric powered vehicles requiring stored energy solutions. Specialty batteries are used in aerospace and defense applications, large over-the-road trucks, premium automotive, medical and security systems applications. EnerSys also provides aftermarket and customer support services to its customers in over 100 countries through its sales and manufacturing locations around the world. With the NorthStar acquisition, EnerSys has solidified its position as the market leader for premium Thin Plate Pure Lead batteries, which are sold across all three lines of business. More information regarding EnerSys can be found at www.enersys.com.

Sustainability
Sustainability at EnerSys is about more than just the benefits and impacts of our products. Our commitment to sustainability encompasses many important environmental, social and governance issues. Sustainability is a fundamental part of how we manage our own operations. Minimizing our environmental footprint is a priority. Sustainability is our commitment to our employees, our customers and the communities we serve. Our products facilitate positive environmental, social and economic impacts around the world. To learn more visit: https://www.enersys.com/en/about-us/sustainability.

Caution Concerning Forward Looking Statements
EnerSys is making this statement in order to satisfy the “Safe Harbor” provision contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any of the statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may include forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. A forward-looking statement predicts, projects, or uses future events as expectations or possibilities. Forward-looking statements may be based on expectations concerning future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties relating to operations and the economic environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those matters expressed in or implied by forward-looking statements, please see our risk factors as disclosed in the “Risk Factors” section of our annual report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, even if subsequently made available by EnerSys on its website or otherwise. EnerSys does not undertake any obligation to update or revise these statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release.

M&M’S Crunchy Cookie Racing: Kyle Busch Dover Advance

By
Official Release
-

KYLE BUSCH
Hanging with Miles

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (April 26, 2022) – As Kyle Busch heads to Sunday’s 400-miler at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway, the goal at the end of the weekend will be to hang with Miles, which of course is Miles the Monster, the trophy awarded to race winners at the track aptly named the “Monster Mile”.

M&M’S newest flavor, M&M’S Crunchy Cookie, returns to Busch’s No. 18 Toyota Camry TRD this weeknd for the fourth time this season. The flavor went to victory lane when it last appeared with Busch two weekends ago at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. M&M’S Crunchy Cookie combines two favorite treats – M&M’S and chocolate chip cookies – and is now available nationwide. It’s bound to give race fans a fun, nostalgic snack to enjoy during Sunday’s race.

Busch and his M&M’S Crunchy Cookie team have a strong resume on the concrete high banks of the Monster Mile, when Busch scored his third career and most recent Cup Series win there in October 2017 with a dramatic, late-race pass of Chase Elliott.

In addition to his three career wins at Dover, Busch and his M&M’S Crunchy Cookie team have some impressive stats to bolster their confidence this weekend. Along with the wins in NASCAR’s top series there, Busch has scored five NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series wins. He’s led 1,213 laps in his previous 33 Cup Series starts there, an average of almost 40 laps led per race. Busch has also scored 13 top-five finishes and 20 top-10s at the track.

Busch has gained some momentum in recent weeks, highlighted by his win at Bristol, which essentially locked him and his No, 18 team into the playoffs. Last weekend, Busch enjoyed a solid third-place run at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, helping him inch up closer to the top of the driver standings, where he sits in fourth place heading to this weekend at Dover.

This weekend, Busch and the M&M’S Crunchy Cookie team will have one goal, and it’s not much different than it is for any other race. But the unique twist this time is the chance to “Hang with Miles” in victory lane following Sunday afternoon’s 400-miler on the Delmarva Peninsula in Delaware’s capital city.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Crunchy Cookie Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

What is it about Dover that seems to suit your style?

“I used to think I was one of the better guys that could run the bottom but, lately, you really don’t wrap the bottom as much as you did in years prior to that. It’s kind of moved around and it’s a little bit different and you kind of diamond the corners a bit now, so I feel like that’s a bit easier for the whole field to kind of understand. The tires change every single year and we have a new car and new tire this time around. How the rubber goes down on the track at Dover makes it one of those really big, tire-sensitive tracks where, as the rubber goes down and the grip changes, you search around and try to find other grooves to run in. So there’s a lot going on at Dover that you have to try to figure out. We’ll do our best this weekend to make sense of all that during the short practice and the race and have another strong run with our M&M’S Crunchy Cookie Toyota.”

With three wins at Dover, what is it you like about the Monster Mile?

“I always enjoy Dover. It’s a place you don’t want to be afraid of. You want to go out there and attack the place and give it everything you’ve got. It’s a really unique track. People say it reminds them of Bristol, but it really doesn’t for me. It’s a concrete surface and it’s relatively high banked and you carry a lot of speed into the corner there a lot longer than you do on the straightaway. It’s a place where handling characteristics take up most of your worries and make sure you are good in the corners, and I’ve just always loved going there.”

How would you describe the feel of racing at Dover?

“It’s called the Monster Mile for a reason. It’s almost like going around a circle in a rollercoaster. The drop-off you have going into the corners, the sustained load that you have, as well as the G-force of turning around that turn and going back in the other direction.”

What did you think of Dover when you first ran there?

“I went there when I was 18 to race in the Xfinity Series for my first time. It will scare you the first time you race there. You carry so much speed at that racetrack and, for it to be a mile in length and for it to be concrete – concrete surfaces that we race on, anyway, are a little bit slick. It’s definitely a rollercoaster ride and you need to treat it like it’s fun and not to be scared of the place, I think, because you can get so much out of that place. There are two ways about it – you can probably be really, really good there, or really, really bad there. Some days you’re going to be better than others, obviously, with how you can get your car set up compared to the competition.”

Event Overview:

● Event: DuraMAX Drydene 400 (Round 11 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 1
● Location: Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway
● Layout: 1-mile oval
● Laps/Miles: 400 laps/400 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 120 laps / Stage 2: 130 laps / Final Stage: 150 laps

● TV/Radio: FS1 / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Meet the No. 18 M&M’S Crunchy Cookie / Joe Gibbs Racing Team

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Kyle Busch
Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Ben Beshore
Hometown: York, Pennsylvania

Car Chief: Nate Bellows
Hometown: Fairfax, Vermont

Spotter: Tony Hirschman
Hometown: Northampton, Pennsylvania

Race Engineer: Seth Chavka
Hometown: Soldotna, Alaska

Race Engineer: Jaik Halpainy
Hometown: Blockville, New York

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Front Tire Changer: Thomas Hatcher
Hometown: Middleburg, Florida

Jackman: Kellen Mills
Hometown: Mesa, Arizona

Tire Carrier: CJ Bailey
Hometown: Outer Banks, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Lee Cunningham
Hometown: Leaf River, Illinois

Road Crew Members:

Engine Tuner: Dan Bajek
Hometown: Camden, New York

Truck Driver: Chris Miko
Hometown: Bronx, New York

Truck Driver: Mike Curtis
Hometown: Grandby, Connecticut

Mechanic/Tire Specialist: Justin Peiffer
Hometown: Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Mechanic: Scott Eldridge
Hometown: Warsaw, Indiana

Mechanic: Tony Hamm
Hometown: Walla, Walla, Washington

Notes of Interest:

● All in the Stats: Busch has three wins, 13 top-five finishes, 20 top-10s and has led a total of 1,213 laps in 33 career Cup Series starts at Dover. Busch’s average Dover finish is 14.2.

● In the Loop: Busch leads all active drivers in several statistical categories at Dover, including quality passes, laps in the top-15, and driver rating.

● Dover Success: The Las Vegas native found success at Dover in his first three seasons at Joe Gibbs Racing, as Busch brought home Cup Series wins there in 2008 and 2010. Busch then went seven years without a victory at Dover until he made a dramatic, late-race pass of Chase Elliott in the 2017 playoff race. He had nine top-five finishes between his Dover victories and has had many strong runs at the concrete mile oval.

● 223 and Counting: Busch will be aiming to add to his record 223 overall wins among NASCAR’s top three series this weekend at Dover. In addition to his 60 Cup Series wins and 102 in the Xfinity Series, Busch has 61 wins in the Camping World Truck Series.

CORVETTE RACING AT LAGUNA SECA: Monterey on our Mind

By
Official Release
-

GTD PRO points lead for Garcia, Taylor, No. 3 Corvette and Chevrolet

DETROIT (April 26, 2022) – Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Corvette Racing will complete the west-coast swing of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship this weekend with an eye toward the horizon and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Sunday’s Monterey Sports Car Championship is the final IMSA round for Corvette Racing ahead of the team’s challenge for a ninth class victory at the French endurance classic. But first thing’s first: maintain the lead of the new GT Daytona (GTD) PRO championships in the Driver, Manufacturer and Team standings heading into the break.

Garcia and Taylor lead in points as they seek their third straight IMSA championship together, having taken the GT Le Mans (GTLM) titles in 2020 and 2021. This time around, they’re in the GTD-spec No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R that differs from the GTLM version in a couple of key ways.
For one, the Corvette has 80 additional kilograms of mass (176 pounds) and a 12 percent decrease in air flow, per updated GTD rules. The other big difference is the use of customer Michelin tires for GTD instead of specially designed Michelins that were allowed in GTLM.

Lots of testing and hours of hard work have paid off as the team continues to understand how best to extract the maximum amount of performance from the current Michelin tire. That should come in handy given the high amount of tire degradation that typically occurs around the 2.238-mile, 11-turn circuit. What’s more, this is the first “normal” two-hour and 40-minute IMSA race of the season. The previous three events have been 24 hours (Daytona), 12 hours (Sebring, a Corvette victory) and 100 minutes (Long Beach).

Garcia and Taylor would like nothing more than to win on the Monterey coast and head into the Le Mans break with the championship lead. They placed second in GTLM the last two years, but there is a considerable amount of experience and success that they can use to challenge for a victory this year.

Corvette Racing has won eight times at Laguna Seca since 2004, and the circuit is one of two that the team has raced at in each of its 24 seasons to date. Sebring is the other, and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta will join the list at the end of the season with the 10-hour Petit Le Mans.

The Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET/12:10 p.m. PT on Sunday, May 1. The race will air live on the NBC Network and stream on Peacock starting at 3 p.m. ET/Noon PT. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions at IMSA.com along with XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Laguna Seca always has been a track where you need to make the tire work at its best. Usually the performance window is narrower than it is anywhere else on our calendar. We’ve never run this specification of car there or this tire there. We have some information that can transfer from other tracks, so I hope we are in the right spot when we get there. Everything is so dependent there on weather conditions so we won’t know where are until we get to the track.”
Away from the circuit: “Running in the area is always great around the Monterey coast. I try to do that every time I go there… one or two training sessions while I’m there. Golf, for sure. You have so many good options in the area. The food is usually really good in the area with a lot of great places. All three make a great trip and are really, really good.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “We’ve already learned quite a bit this year about tire management and how important tire degradation will be. Sebring was a great learning experience for us in a positive way for understanding the car and tire. Laguna Seca is usually a big tire degradation race. Whoever can manage that the best is usually at the front at the end. Historically we’ve run well there so we have a good understanding of what we need to do.”
Travel tips for Monterey: “There is an Italian restaurant in Carmel with a little bar where you can watch the chefs cook right in front of you. It’s really good and most of the stuff is handmade. Running on the beach is cool there. It’s a great spot. Coming from Florida, there’s no humidity. At the track, I like going around the circuit. I always walk up to the Corkscrew and walk up turns Nine and 10. It’s great viewing up there when we have time to watch some of the other races.”

2022 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD PRO (After Three of 11 Events)
Driver Standings

  1. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 990
  2. Mathieu Jaminet/Matt Campbell – 960
  3. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 919
  4. Cooper MacNeil – 830
  5. Alex Riberas/Ross Gunn – 816

Team Standings

  1. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 990
  2. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 960
  3. No. 14 VasserSullivan – 919
  4. No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 830
  5. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 816

Manufacturer Standings

  1. Chevrolet – 1,000
  2. Porsche – 960
  3. Lexus – 949
  4. Mercedes-AMG – 938
  5. Aston Martin – 886

CORVETTE RACING AT LAGUNA SECA: By the Numbers
• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 24 years at Laguna Seca: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette.
• 3: Tracks where Corvette Racing has competed in each of its 23 previous years: Sebring, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta (later this year).
• 4: Generations of Corvette Racing entries since 1999 – Corvette C5-R (2000-04), Corvette C6.R (2005-13), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and Corvette C8.R (2020-present).
• 4: Laguna Seca victories for the current Corvette Racing lineup – Antonio Garcia (three) and Jordan Taylor (one).
• 8: Number of Laguna Seca victories for Corvette Racing dating back to 2004.
• 12: Victories at Laguna Seca for Chevrolet in IMSA competition.
• 13: Drivers who have competed for Corvette Racing at Laguna Seca. Of those, eight went on to win at Monterey.
• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001.
• 25: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen.
• 121: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 109 in North America and eight at Le Mans.
• 254: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999.
• 13,294.73: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 23 previous trips to Laguna Seca. That represents 6,023 laps… or more than 780 trips around Carmel’s famous 17-Mile Drive.
• 339,546.96: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history – covered “just” 248,655 miles. Simply put, the program has raced to the moon and back… and then some.

Corvette Racing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (wins in bold)
1999
No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel – 2nd in GTS

2000
No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Andy Pilgrim – 2nd in GTS (Fellows pole)
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Justin Bell/Kelly Collins – 4th in GTS

2001
No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GTS
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins – 3rd in GTS

2002
No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 5th in GTS
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins – 3rd in GTS

2003
No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GTS
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins – 3rd in GTS

2004
No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 1st in GTS (O’Connell fastest race lap)
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GTS (Beretta pole)

2005
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT1
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1 (Gavin fastest race lap)

2006
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 3rd in GT1
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GT1 (Beretta fastest race lap)

2007
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap)
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1

2008
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap)
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1

2009
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT2 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap)
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 10th in GT2

2010
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 6th in GT2
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GT2

2011
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner – 7th in GT
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 5th in GT

2012
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 2nd in GT
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GT (Gavin fastest race lap)

2013
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GT
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 9th in GT

2014
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM

2015
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 7th in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM

2016
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTLM

2017
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 8th in GTLM

2018
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM (Gavin pole)

2019
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM (Milner fastest race lap)

2020
No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM (Taylor pole)
No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM (Milner fastest race lap)

2021
No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM (Taylor pole)
No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 1st in GTLM (Tandy fastest race lap)
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 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.

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

By
Jeffrey Boswell
-
Photo by Corey Grantham for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished seventh at Talladega.

“Ross Chastain is rolling right now,” Elliott said. “Is he a championship contender? I think his performance has other contenders worried. You could say that by ‘planting’ a watermelon on the pavement, he’s ‘planting’ a seed in our minds.

“Now, it seems like it’s just a matter of time before Chastain is crowned champion, or, most likely, becomes the spokesperson for an alcoholic beverage with a flavor called ‘Spiked Watermelon.'”

2. Ryan Blaney: Blaney led 23 laps and finished 11th at Talladega.

“I’m disappointed,” Blaney said. “Sure, it was a solid finish, but I feel like I wasted a good car. And speaking of ‘solid waste,’ the sewage situation in the Talladega infield is a port-a-potty supplier’s nightmare. Luckily, the service of that supplier does not stink to high heaven.”

3. Ross Chastain: Chastain came out on top in a chaotic final lap at Talladega to win the Geico 500. It was his second win of the year.

“I’m making a name for TrackHouse Racing,” Chastain said. “That’s ‘Trackhouse Racing,’ not to be confused with ‘CrackHouse Racing,’ which Jeremy Mayfield made famous back in 2009.”

4. Kyle Busch: Busch finished third at Talladega, posting his third top-five of the season.

“With four consecutive top 10’s,” Busch said, “I feel like I’m peaking. Many people would say I’m ‘peaked,’ because I’m so darn pale.

“I made some comments Saturday about my future with Joe Gibbs Racing. I’m losing M&M’s as a sponsor, and if JGR doesn’t find me a new sponsor, I might bolt. Really, it’s just a strategy for me to get what I want. I call this my contract extension ‘Whine And Sign’ method.”

5. Joey Logano: Logano crashed out at Talladega on lap 90 when a bump in the draft from Bubba Wallace turned Logano’s No. 22 into the wall. Logano finished 32nd.

“I can’t blame anyone for wrecking me,” Logano said. “In other words, Bubba wasn’t ‘out of line’ for wrecking me, even though he was ‘out of line.’ But at Talladega, that’s just the way the cookie, and my hopes for a win, crumbles.”

6. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished ninth at Talladega as Hendrick Motorsports placed three cars in the top 10.

“I’ll take that ninth,” Bowman said, “and happily head to Dover, where I’m the defending champion. I repeat, defending champion.”

7. William Byron: Byron won Stage 2 at Talladega and led a race-high 38 laps, but a slow final pit stop cost him track position, and he was unable to return to the front. He finished 15th and is 3rd in the points standings.

“If you were watching at home,” Byron said, “you saw quite an entertaining race. And, you probably saw commercials for something called ‘Fire Cornhole.’ I don’t know what ‘Fire Cornhole’ is, but it sounds very painful.”

8. Kyle Larson: Larson led 32 laps at Talladega and was in position to win on the final lap. Race-leader Erik Jones moved to block Larson’s run for the lead, which opened the door for Ross Chastain to take the win. Larson finished 4th.

“There’s probably some things I would have done differently on that final lap,” Larson said, “but ultimately, I have to trust the decisions I made at the time and be happy with them. I like to live by the motto ‘No regrets.’ Well, make that the motto ‘No regrets, with one exception.'”

9. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished fifth in the Geico 500, joining Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch, who finished third, in the top 10.

“I thought we did pretty well,” Truex said, “considering there were only six Toyotas in the entire field. As they say, ‘it’s hard to find a dance partner when you’re the red-headed stepchild, especially when three of those potential dance partners are my teammates, none of which I particularly care for.'”

10. Aric Almirola: Almirola finished 13th at Talladega.

“My No. 10 Ford was highlighted by the Smithfield/IHOP paint scheme,” Almirola said. “So, the sausage and pancakes arrived at their destination, but we weren’t quite able to bring home the bacon.”

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