Home Blog Page 2016

Two Friends Golf And Jack Wood Tee Up At World Wide Technology Raceway

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Official Release
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STATESVILLE, NC: GMS Racing is proud to announce a new partnership with golfing apparel company, Two Friends Golf. The primary partnership, which will hit the racetrack this weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway, is sure to be a hit and will appeal to the younger generation of racing fans and golfing fans alike.

Founded in 2020 by two friends who enjoyed playing golf and having an even better time while doing it, the clothing brand sought to revolutionize the golf apparel world. Two Friends Golf burst onto the scene promoting wild, bold polo designs, instantly becoming popular with college aged men and women. Now, as the brand becomes more popular than ever, they have branched out to produce other products such as swim trunks, custom golfing gloves, hats, and more.

Jack Wood fits their brand’s image to a tee, and is excited to welcome the new partnership, stating this before the announcement: “I’m a huge fan of what Matt, Nate, and the entire Two Friends Golf family has been working on over the past couple of years. Their designs fit great with my personal style, and I believe that they can be a hit with some other young NASCAR drivers who golf as well. I’m thankful to have their support as we race at Gateway this weekend, and look forward to debuting our colorful No. 24 TFG Chevy. Hopefully, we can execute and hit a hole-in-one this week!”

Gateway is the site of Wood’s best-career finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (10th in 2021), so it makes for the perfect location to kick off the new partnership. The team looks forward to an exciting weekend in St. Louis with Two Friends Golf.

“We are very excited for not only the race this weekend but also the opportunity to debut the first NASCAR truck sponsored by a golf apparel company. Jack’s personality fits our brand perfectly and we knew we’d be a great match with him the second we started working together. We are ready to start our engines for a great future working with Jack, Ryan, and everyone at GMS Racing!” said Matt Erickson, Co-Founder of Two Friends Golf.

Fans can watch Jack Wood race the Two Friends Golf Chevrolet Silverado RST at WWT Raceway on Saturday, June 4th at 1:30 PM ET live on FS1. Follow Jack across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with his handle, @DriverJackWood.

Visit www.twofriendsgolf.com to browse the entire TFG online product catalog and make sure to follow the brand across Instagram and TikTok with their handle, @TwoFriendsGolf.

ABOUT TWO FRIENDS GOLF:

Two Friends Golf was brought to life in Scottsdale, Arizona by two friends that have been buddies since the first day of college (SKOO Sun Devils). After playing a course on a hot afternoon, we started to realize something: golf needs to change. We don’t mean changing the game itself, but changing the way your average golfer dressed. Almost everyone we saw on the course was wearing a single color, no character, average golf polo. Now don’t get us wrong, we’re not the greatest golfers, but we believe the better you dress, the better you play approach to the game.

As soon as we left the golf course, we immediately searched google to find our wardrobe upgrade but ultimately couldn’t find something that screamed “this guy’s about to hit a hole-in-one.” So what did we do? Well, we researched for months, created design after design, and found a way to put our personalities into golf polos of our own. Our original plan was to make golf polos for ourselves and then have a few extras for friends and family. But after seeing all of the built-up excitement for our golf polos, we knew that we needed way more than just a couple of polos. Within two hours, Two Friends Golf completely sold out of both designs. At that point, we decided to go full steam ahead and make the best dang golf apparel company there is. Since then, we’re in three retail locations and one golf pro shop in Arizona.

ABOUT GMS RACING:

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

SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 Places Detroit Focus on Championship Lead

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Official Release
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Brownsburg, Ind. (May 31, 2022) ­­— The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 will roll off the hauler on Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan with a lot of momentum, having won the last two IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship races. However, with the Championship lead at stake, co-drivers Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque and the entire team are focused on maximizing their result at the urban island park’s unforgiving circuit—the venue’s last street race before the event moves to downtown Detroit in 2023.

Belle Isle’s 14-turn, 2.35-mile street course is home to the second 100-minute sprint on the IMSA calendar—a race in which the team scored a podium last year. The blue and black Konica Minolta crew has four wins in the Motor City throughout their history, and Ricky Taylor has driven on three of those occasions.

“It’s always an exciting weekend in Detroit and it is one of the more unpredictable race weekends on the calendar,” said Ricky Taylor. “Last year we learned some important lessons on the car setup side, so I think we are all excited to go to Detroit and execute a strong performance. The race is short but intense so, while we want to take risks to maximize points, Detroit is unforgiving. We want to come away still leading the points going into Watkins Glen.”

While Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque stood third on the podium last year, Albuquerque has yet to win in Detroit. He’s positive about the team’s prospects this weekend.

“We are coming from good momentum with two wins in a row,” said Filipe Albuquerque. “Obviously, it’s great and we knew that those tracks were suitable for our car. Detroit is a track that I really like and would like to win at. It’s one of the most challenging tracks that I’ve raced in my career. It’s long, a street course, it’s bumpy, sometimes it’s narrow and other times it’s wide with slow and fast corners. It’s a very complete track. It has a special place in my heart. I know that it will be a really hard race for the Acuras. It’s not our perfect match, but we know that going in, so we’ll go there to do our best. A podium would make us very happy and we know that it’s possible. Let’s keep eyeing that and make the best of the championship.”

Four-time winner as a team owner, Wayne Taylor is confident in his organization as they push for the overall IMSA championship title.

“I’m looking forward to Detroit, I think it’s a great event,” said team owner, Wayne Taylor. “We’re coming into the weekend with the championship points lead, so we’ll have a good pit stop position which will be good. The Detroit circuit isn’t the best for the Acura chassis, but last year we ended up on the podium and we know we have a better chance to do much better than the streets of Long Beach. We might make some crazy strategy calls to keep ourselves in the lead. It’s only a 100-minute race, so strategy is going to play an important role and track position is everything. With our stall being in the front of the pits, we’ll be able to see the other cars coming in for a pit stop. The car, team and Ricky and Filipe are good, so I’m happy.”

Practice for the Detroit Grand Prix begins this Friday, June 3rd at 8:00 a.m. ET. Qualifying is set for Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ET. Green flag for the main event will wave at 3:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 4th with full coverage streaming on Peacock and television coverage on the USA Network beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET.
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.

ClearCryptos Announces Strategic Sponsorship with Alpha Prime Racing

By
Official Release
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ClearCryptos and Alpha Prime Racing announce an associate partnership running through the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity racing season

San Juan, Puerto Rico., May 30th, 2022 /PRNewswire/” Alpha Prime Racing is proud to announce today that ClearCryptos has become an associate sponsor of Alpha Prime’s No.44 Chevy Camaro debuting at Portland International Raceway, Saturday, June 4th, 2022 with driver Andy Lally. The new partnership launches with a full primary sponsorship of Lally’s No.44 Camaro in Portland, displaying a sharp black and green scheme, with secondary sponsorship from Pavilion Construction. ClearCryptos’ goal is to create clarify, accountability, and success to the Cyrpto marketplace with their unique relationships in technology, government, and law enforcement. Fans can discover more about ClearCryptos at https://clearcryptos.com.

Joseph Gonzalez, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for ClearCryptos stated, “ClearCryptos leverages security, traditional finance, and trusted technology within the utility of blockchain. Our platform allows consumers to engage with established companies through ClearCryptos strategic partner matrix. Users can access resources to proactively manage a rapidly evolving market.” Mr. Gonzalez added, “ClearCryptos provides world-class support to investors to win their race to financial prosperity much in the same way pit crews support their drivers to win the race on the track. The synergy of our partnership with Alpha Prime Racing brings trust and confidence to this segment and we look forward to providing our users the ability to operate at elite levels”

Tommy Joe Martins, Team Manager of Alpha Prime Racing, said of the new partnership, “We’re extremely excited to have this partnership with ClearCryptos. To kick off this relationship at Portland [International Raceway] with a driver like Andy Lally behind the wheel is a big deal to our team. We know that Andy will be up there competing for a top-10 and we’re hopeful and confident that this will be a great partnership heading forward. Very thankful for Joseph, and everyone’s elses support at ClearCryptos and I hope we can build this relationship into 2023 and beyond.

Tune in information: Catch the ClearCryptos No.44 in Portland as it takes to the track for practice and qualifying Friday, June 3rd. Coverage begins at 8pm ET on FS1. Saturday’s race coverage begins at 4pm ET on FS1 and fans can follow Alpha Prime Racing and driver Andy Lally on social media for more information, coverage, and updates!

About ClearCryptos: Headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with all personnel globally positioned; ClearCryptos is a distributed company with unique relationships in technology, government, and law enforcement. The company is ushering in a new wave of clarity, accountability, and success to the emerging Crypto marketplace through innovation and reinvestment to benefit local and regional economies.
About Alpha Prime Racing: Alpha Prime Racing is a NASCAR Xfinity Series team owned by Craig and Tommy Joe Martins as well as Alpha Prime Sports Founder and CEO Caesar Bacarella. The team was originally founded in 2009 under the name Martins Racing. The team announced in 2022 that they will run the No.44 and No.45 Camaro’s full-time, with multiple drivers splitting driving duties including Martins, Bacarella, Ryan Ellis, Josh Bilicki, Rajah Caruth, Sage Karam, Howie DiSavino, Kaz Grala, Andy Lally, and others TBA.

6 Things You May Not Know About NASCAR

By
SM
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One of the greatest continuous races in the history of this planet is NASCAR. The series of races are televised globally and has hundreds of millions of fans. Every race has an attendance of over 150,000 people watching it live and millions in front of the TV.

It seems like everyone loves NASCAR. Some fans go the extra mile by collecting items connected to previous historical events and keeping souvenirs from drivers that were part of it. If you’re one of those who are in love with this type of car racing, you surely know a lot about it.

No matter how much you think you know, there are some things you are surely not aware of. In this article, we’re sharing six interesting facts that you might be interested in. Keep reading to see if you know these things, and learn something new if you don’t.

1. NASCAR was founded in 1948

William Henry Getty France founded NASCAR in 1948. At that time he was considered a car enthusiast and a stock car driver, but an amateur in racing. By then, other races were already established, like the Indy 500 or the raging Europe scene.

William tried to finance the event through the AAA but was turned down. After this, he took things into his own hands and financed drivers from ticket sales. Since then, NASCAR has become one of the biggest racing events on the planet.

2. Cars racing have tremendous power and reach enormous speeds

All NASCAR competitors run on engines producing over 1000 horsepower. They can reach extreme speeds that TV viewers often don’t realize how big they are. Cars can go more than 200 miles per hour, which is a speed that few engines can meet.

For example, small airplanes fly at speeds between 125 and 400 miles per hour, which means these cars can easily fly off if they have wings. This is why NASCAR is a highly serious event with thousands of people working in maintenance and service.

3. Trucks carrying cars from one race to another rarely stop

It takes thousands of alloy toolboxes to carry all the equipment needed for maintaining NASCAR vehicles. The support system behind this event is enormous and much bigger than the average race fan can imagine. These huge trucks are filled with all kinds of equipment along with the race car and a backup race car.

When everything’s finished, the crews load up the trucks and head out for the stop and onto the next race. During this time, pro mechanics will develop entirely new race cars for the next race because every event is different and requires unique setups.

4. Drivers who won the Daytona 500 are instantly hall of farmers

Did you know that drivers and manufacturers who won the famous Daytona 500 went straight into the Hall of Fame? The season opener is the Daytona 500, located in Daytona Florida, which is also considered the biggest spectacle in motorsports and a very important start of the season for each driver.

5. First live TV broadcast happened on a NASCAR race

With all of the interest in NASCAR along with the famous 1979 Daytona 500, TV producers set up cameras and broadcasted the event live on television. This is the first time that a TV station in the US has broadcasted a sporting event live on TV.

This event was historic because of many other reasons. Aside from the broadcast, there was a crash on the final lap, and the viewers were able to witness a fistfight between Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison. The “King”, Richard Petty won his sixth race on that day.

6. You don’t need a license to compete in NASCAR

It’s interesting that you don’t need a driver’s license to compete in NASCAR. You may be a pedestrian on the street and one of the top car drivers in the world. However, that doesn’t mean just anyone may enter the race.

Drivers undergo some of the most challenging tests to become eligible for racing in NASCAR. They need to pass drug tests, physical training, and a vetting process.

Conclusion

These few points show what kind of show NASCAR truly is. With its long-lasting history and having one of the largest fan bases in the world, it is a sport that is truly unique.

If you were not aware of some of them, you’re richer for information plus about it. If you don’t have a driver’s license but want to compete, don’t worry, as you may never need it.

Pros and Cons of Minibus Rental

By
SM
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There are plenty of events involving many participants. When there are a lot of people taking part, we might often face transportation issues. Of course, in cases when there are more than a dozen of members, passenger cars become inconvenient in use. This is where minibus hire services come in handy. Modern car rental companies provide a wide range of vehicles of all kinds nowadays. Why is a minibus hire popular? What are the pros and cons? In this article, you will find the answer.

What is a minibus?

The “minibus” word stands for a vehicle that carries passengers, such as a panel truck or van. Such kinds of transport are usually small class buses with a wagon-type body and the passenger capacity is typically around 10-15 people.

A car rental, such as self-drive 9-seater minibus hire and similar type rentals, became popular in the 1950s. Since then, this service has often been used for traveling and transportation.

The advantages

As well as the other rental, minibus hire has its advantages, which make it one of the best transportation methods for traveling.

The capacity

Unlike passenger cars, a minibus will allow you to transport a lot of passengers. One vehicle of such type can hold 10 or 15 people. The amount of luggage that you can take also increases because of the large capacity. For example, need to go on a day trip with your family, it could be a good idea to hire a minibus.

Your own route

A 9-seater car hire self-drive frees you from the need to inform the rental company about your movement. You are able to work out your own route, depending on your needs. The only thing you need to coordinate with the rental service is the pickup location and dates for pick-up and drop-off.

It’s cheaper

You will save money if you choose a 9-seater minibus hire instead of renting two or more passenger cars. People choose a minibus to pay less for the fuel and the rental expenses. If you pay together with other people going on the trip, then it’s even cheaper.

It’s safe

With minibus hire, you don’t need to worry about the safety of the particular members of your group. When the group is together in the same vehicle, it gets much easier to check everyone from time to time. Minibusses are also known for their safety due to their stability and high level of safety in an accident.

Occupies less parking space

Compared to the equivalent number of cars you could rent instead of the minibus, the last one occupies less parking space. As a result, the parking fee is reduced.

Don’t need to pay extra for maintenance

The minibus hire price does not include cleaning after the usage, any repairs, or a tire change. All you need to pay for is insurance that is included in the rental contract.

Huge variety of models to try

Among the models, provided by minibus rental companies, you can find these:

That’s not even half of the list! You are able to choose from a great variety of vehicles. It gives you an opportunity to drive the minibus of your dreams!

The disadvantages

At the same time, there are disadvantages that minibus hire has. It’s better to know about them before the car rental.

The age of a driver

There are certain age restrictions, connected with minibus rental. You must be at least 21 years old to rent a 9-seater. An additional medical revision is needed if the driver is over 70.

Specific documents are needed

You need to have a Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) licence. There are two categories:

  • D1 category – you are allowed to drive minibusses with a number of passenger seats from 9 to 16.
  • D category – you are allowed to take buses and coaches with 16 passengers

In addition, your driving licence must be more than 2 years old.

Fewer options on specific dates

During the summer periods and huge holidays, a lot of people rent cars. You have to think about your minibus hire beforehand unless there will be no vehicles left for a specific date.

Limited mileage

A great number of minibusses have limited mileage. It can be inconvenient for those who want to travel long distances.

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Charlotte

By
Jeffrey Boswell
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Photo by Andrew Boyd for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch suffered several spins at Charlotte, but attrition and a big crash in the first overtime restart opened the door for Busch to contend for the win. He finished second to Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin.

“I was frustrated for most of the race,” Busch said. “But when the going gets tough, you can do one of two things–either stay positive and hope for the best, or whine, complain, and moan and pray you get lucky. I chose the latter.”

2. Ross Chastain: Chastain ran up front consistently, winning Stage 3, and was in line for a certain top-five finish before being collected in an accident after the first overtime restart. Chastain finished 15th.

“I’m disappointed,” Chastain said. “Luckily, I already have two wins this season. I come from a family of watermelon farmers. So, qualifying for the NASCAR playoffs is important to me and my family. The last thing we want is for me to be ‘seedless’ once the post-season starts.”

3. Kyle Larson: Larson found trouble on many occasions early at Charlotte, but bounced back and was leading with a lap to go when Chase Briscoe lost control while chasing Larson, bringing out a caution. Larson spun on an overtime restart, and eventually finished ninth.

“Let’s see,” Larson said. “I wrecked in Saturday practice, had two equipment violations during Sunday’s race, hit the wall twice, had a fire in the pits, and spun a few times. Just a disastrous weekend. Heck, I don’t know what to say. I do know what not to say.”

4. Chase Elliott: Elliott won Stage 1 and led 86 laps, but a spin on lap 186 caused damage when he hit the wall. Elliott retired on Lap 193 and finished 33rd.

“I wasn’t around for all of it,” Elliott said, “but that race lasted more than five hours. To put that into perspective, it lasted as long as what Michael Waltrip’s ‘Grid Walk’ feels like.”

5. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished 10th at Charlotte.

“You saw an abundance of tire issues at Charlotte,” Bowman said. “There were blown tires, flat tires, runaway tires, and if you looked in the stands, plenty of spare tires.”

6. Ryan Blaney: Blaney got loose and tapped the wall on Lap 164, then lost control and triggered a big pileup on Lap 191, which involved 12 cars. Blaney finished 29th.

“I won $1,000,000 in the All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway,” Blaney said. “So, much like in Texas, I cost several drivers $1,000,000 at Charlotte.”

7. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished 12th at Charlotte.

“The Sunday before Memorial Day is the greatest day in auto racing,” Truex said. “You can wake up to the Monaco Grand Prix, have lunch with the Indianapolis 500, and get put to sleep by the Coca-Cola 600.”

8. Joey Logano: Logano finished 20th in the Coca-Cola 600.

“Like many other drivers,” Logano said, “I got taken out by a driver who made a dumb mistake. Charlotte was the long-time home of NASCAR’s All-Star Race. As you saw in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, the drivers in NASCAR are not all-stars. Some are scrubs.”

9. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started on the pole at Charlotte, but faded quickly and was not much of a factor until a big wreck on an overtime restart left Hamlin with the lead. Hamlin battled Kyle Busch in the second overtime and edged his teammate by 0.014 seconds.

“That crash on the first overtime restart damaged the cars of a lot of contenders,” Hamlin said. “So, I have to thank Austin Dillon for ‘going for ‘broke.'”

10. William Byron: Byron was a victim of a Lap 191 crash triggered by Ryan Blaney, who lost control near the apron and veered into traffic. Byron’s day was done, and he finished 32nd.

“Six hundred miles is a long way,” Byron said. “It’s a physically draining race for the drivers, but even more mentally draining, especially for the fans who have to watch it.”

Josh Green Procures Podium Finish in Freedom 90 Oval Race

By
Official Release
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Josh Green finishes 3rd in Freedom 90 race / Gavin Baker Photography

Browne earns top-ten result, Kohlbecker and Weir strong in race

Indianapolis, Ind. (May 30, 2022) – Championship contender Josh Green took home a podium finish at this weekend’s Cooper Tires Freedom 90 Indy Pro 2000 Race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park after an impressive run up to the front during the Carb Night Classic.

After a rain delay on Thursday which caused back to back practice and qualifying sessions for the competitors, Green qualified his #3 car sixth in his single car qualifying run, setting him up for a challenge to catch up to the leaders in the 90-lap race the following day.

Green rose to the challenge and collected two positions on the opening lap of the race, moving him up to fourth position right at the start. After about 25 laps of racing, Green’s car was consistently .2 seconds faster than the leaders, allowing him to close the gap to the third place car of Enaam Ahmed lap after lap. On lap 54, Green successfully made the pass for third in Turns 1 and 2 before a yellow flag came out for an incident just ahead of him.

On the Lap 56 restart, Green took a peek for P2 but stayed patient for the right opportunity to make the pass. While fighting for second place, Green was suddenly called to serve a late penalty on Lap 66 and give up third position for allegedly passing under the yellow flag. He obliged and quickly regained third position under the green but was then told to surrender the position once again after his first relinquishment was deemed unsatisfactory. Despite the setback, Green still finished third and earned valuable championship points, putting him fifth overall in the points leaving the weekend.

3 Josh Green // Indy Pro 2000

SessionGuardian / Zimperium / Lionfish Tech Advisors / Mark Green / JHG Investments
“I’m extremely proud of everyone under the tent this weekend,” said Green. “We didn’t start off where we wanted to by any means and struggled to find our way in the practice sessions. When qualifying rolled around, we maximized our package and got a solid P6. Peter and the team worked hard overnight to figure out where we could find what we needed to have a strong race car, and they executed that near perfectly. We got off to a strong race start and slowly worked our way forward to get both Turn 3’s and my first podium at the oval! It takes a team, and every weekend we continue to rise to the challenge. Never say die!”

This weekend marked Jonathan Browne’s debut into oval racing, and although facing a challenging schedule with limited time to practice, the Irishman gained confidence with every session and did an excellent job becoming acclimated to the track and racing conditions to give a great performance in the Freedom 90.

Starting 13th for the race, Browne took the green flag and settled in for the 90-lap contest. Browne steadily gained two positions as the laps ticked on, and with less than 20 laps to go, he broke into the top ten after passing the #4 car of Braden Eves. With lap times that were fast enough to put him in the top six, Browne spent the remaining few laps catching up with the field and ultimately finished P10 in his first oval event.

2 Jonathan Browne // Indy Pro 2000

Human Centred Movement / CRPS Awareness
“It was not the easiest of days for me,” said Browne. “I struggled with a couple things in practice which followed into qualifying, leaving us to start at the back for the race. After a difficult start, I was able to climb back up from 14th to 10th with the pace to be in the top seven by the end. I’m really happy with the steps the team made giving Josh and I a really good car in the race, so a big thank you to all of them. I’m looking forward to getting back at a road course again next!”

“Indianapolis Raceway Park is certainly one of the most challenging ovals we go to,” said Team Owner Peter Dempsey. “It’s high stress on the team and on the drivers with the physical demands of running against the wall lap after lap. I’m extremely proud of what we accomplished with the Indy Pro 2000 team this weekend. We had a rough start, but the drivers and team stuck together to work tirelessly to improve every time we went on track. Fortunately, we had time post qualifying to work on the car to improve it for the race.”

“Josh drove an amazing race and was consistently one of the fastest on track,” continued Dempsey. “Unfortunately, his chances for a win were taken away from him with a bad call from race control. He did a great job to stay calm and maximize our result, ending up P3 and taking home some good points for the championship. For Jonathan, it turned into a ‘tick the box’ weekend where his main focus was to get the experience in oval racing. He did a good job, and now we can refocus on the road course of Road America in a couple of weeks.”

COOPER TIRES USF2000 CHAMPIONSHIP
Following a very condensed schedule due to rain delays on Thursday, Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship driver Spike Kohlbecker had a good qualifying session, putting his car P1 after his single car run and eventually coming away with an eighth place starting position once the remaining cars completed their laps. Teammate and rookie Christian Weir also had a strong showing in qualifying, appearing P2 after his run and ultimately ending up P11 for the start of the Cooper Tires Freedom 75 USF2000 Race.

On race day, Weir showed excellent pace in the pre-race practice, topping the session with a best time of 22.5566 seconds. With only .5 seconds separating the entire USF2000 field, the competition was fierce in the 75-lap contest.

Kohlbecker put up a good fight for P7, going side by side with the #19 car of Simon Sikes from Laps 10-13 and settling back into eighth before trying again for the move later on. With 12 laps to go, Kohlbecker once again put the pressure on Sikes but ended up losing the position to the #92 car of Billy Frazer and finishing the race with his #33 car in P9.

33 Spike Kohlbecker // USF2000

Ignite Autosport / Margay Racing / TierPoint / PSL / RSolution / TrueTitle / Ruckus Racing / Messmer Cares / Alvear / Cfx
“Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park is such a cool track,” said Kohlbecker. “It’s probably the hardest two turns I will ever drive, but I had so much fun racing on the oval. I’m also excited to be back on some road courses again! Up next is Road America which is one of the fastest tracks we race at. I’m looking forward to it!”

In his first ever oval race, 15-year-old Weir held his own against some tough competition. At just over the halfway point, Weir had closed the gap to the #11 car of Dylan Christie and gave it all he had to take over P10. After a well fought battle, Weir brought the #32 car home in P11 at the end of the 75-lap race.

32 Christian Weir // USF2000

ProFlo / Ferguson / eComfort.com
“We had a tough weekend,” said Weir. “We had some extreme pace and were able to be fastest in some of the practice sessions, but bad luck struck at the wrong time and ended up ruining our qualifying. With not much happening in the race, we ended up finishing where we started. But it is good to have my first oval in the books, and we can learn from our experiences this weekend and grow from here on.”

“On our USF2000 side, we had flashes of pace throughout the weekend with both drivers,” said Team Owner Peter Dempsey. “Unfortunately, when it counted to be there, we were not. This left us in a tough position starting the race P8 and P11 for one of the hardest tracks in the country to overtake on. I feel that Spike raced really well and fought for every position out there, he just wasn’t in a position to pass Sikes early in the race. I feel if we passed him, it would have released Spike to catch the cars ahead.”

“For Christian, it took a while to get comfortable in the race with regards to being more aggressive to position the cars in the right areas, ultimately leaving him p11,” continued Dempsey. “Moving forward, we need to get stronger as a team. Our performances need to improve, and hopefully we can start that at Road America.”

The Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires resumes its championship at the fan favorite Road America road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin June 10-12 for Rounds 9 and 10.

BERGAKKER TAKES DTS DRIVE TRAIN SPECIALISTS JOY FAIR MEMORIAL AT FLAT ROCK

By
Official Release
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May 28, 2022: Middleville, MI driver Brian Bergakker scored the victory Saturday afternoon at Flat Rock Speedway in the DTS Drive Train Specialists Joy Fair Memorial 100 lap feature race for the ARCA Moran Chevrolet Outlaw Super Late Models. Debbie DeLong, Joy’s daughter, presented the trophy to Brian in the Monroe Asphalt Winner’s Circle. The win was Bergakker’s third in a row in this event.

Paul Pelletier led the first 45 laps until Brian motored by on the high side to take the lead. Pelletier stayed within striking distance until his engine quit on lap 62, ending his fine run. 4 yellow flags for minor incidents slowed the action, but a long stretch of green flag from lap 13-69 let Bergakker build up a comfortable margin. Eric Lee finished second, Scott Hantz made a late charge to take third, Conner Zbozien was fourth and Trevor Berry, in his first visit to the track, started 13th, fell back and then made a late race run in the final 20 laps to take fifth spot. Chris Benson, Dennis Strickland, Mike Root, Justin Schroeder and George Rangel completed the top ten in the 19-car field. Bergakker set the Winner’s Electric $200 quick time bonus at 11:631. Brian’s winnings, including lap money, the fast time bonus and the Moran Chevrolet Hard Charger Award, totaled $3020.

Rob Moore Jr. overcame a tough start to his season and righted things by winning the 25 lap ARCA DTS Drive Train Specialists Street Stock A Main feature, which ran straight through with no yellow flags. The class is extremely competitive and times are very tight over the entire field. Ron Allen dove under Scott Selmi in the final laps to take second, Selmi was third, Jeff Medtpenningen fourth and Jim Froling fifth, followed by Greg Studt, Landon Schuster, Paul Hahn, Gary Cronenwett and Trevor Farmer.

Taylor Papineau made it 2 wins in a row by claiming top honors in the 15 lap Street Stock B Main, edging out Chuck Pankow, Evan Batkins, Rich Abel, Mike Miller and Austin McKee.

Schuster set fast time for the 28 car field at 13:398, while Chuck Pankow led the B cars at 14:062. Heat race winners were Allen, Moore Jr., Doug Litogot and Papineau.

The complete results are now posted at www.flatrockspeedway.com. Click on the schedule/results tab.

Saturday, June 4 is the final afternoon race of the 2022 season at Flat Rock. The re-scheduled R & M Recycling Kids Day is on the schedule! Kids to age 12 are FREE and receive a FREE hot dog, only at Flat Rock Speedway! Parents can pick up the kids tickets at the track on race day when the box office opens at 2 p.m. The UAW Local 3000 outing tickets from May 21 will be honored June 4.

On the track, the ARCA Salenbien Excavating Late Model Sportsman will make their first appearance of the season, with more action from the DTS Street Stocks and the first The Vault 250 lap Enduro race, also rescheduled from the May 21 date, will hit the track.

The TKC Go-Karts exhibition race and a Kids Power Wheels Derby will take place prior to the 4 p.m. start.

The pit gates open at Noon, practice begins at 2 and race time is 4 p.m. The ticket office and front gates also open at 2 p.m. There is no advance sale for this race. All tickets go on sale at the track at 2 p.m.

XE Sports Group to enter Extreme E for Season 3

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Official Release
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30 May 2022, London: XE Sports Group has today announced it will enter Season 3 of Extreme E, the sport for purpose electric off-road series which uses motorsport to promote sustainability and diversity.

Extreme E marks a major milestone in global reach with XE Sports Group becoming the first Asian Pacific Team headquartered in Australia to compete in the series.

The team will officially sign its contract in Monaco later today on board the St Helena, the series’ floating centrepiece, which transports the Extreme E cars, freight and logistics around the world.

Luke Todd, Director of the XE Sports Group, commented: “Since its inception, Extreme E has demonstrated to be a major drawcard for both extreme racing and climate awareness plus diversity, which aligns perfectly with the XE Sports Group’s focus of raising awareness of global climate and social challenges with the ability to make a real impact at the ground, local level.”

XE Sports Group is the impact sports division of EVDirect.com, the distributors of BYD Passenger Vehicles within Australia and New Zealand and their investment and participation in Extreme E will enable them to showcase BYD’s high quality, affordable luxury vehicles and raise awareness within Australia and wider Asia Pacific Region of the benefits of electric vehicle technology.

Sporting executive and former international professional football star Tim Cahill will also be a member of the group from its inception. Cahill said that he was looking forward to connecting the world of professional football with Extreme E, commenting: “I’m really excited to be a part of this team. The combination of thrilling, competitive racing and leaving a lasting, positive impact makes the sport totally unique. We look to bringing a significant new audience to Extreme E from within the millions of football fans across the world.”

Todd added: “XE Sports Group will be bringing our own climate science and legacy program to Extreme E to complement the existing Extreme E programme with XE Sports Group to roll out an Asia Pacific Foundation with the mission to reduce poverty and increase living standards through the adaption of technology such as 2nd life lithium battery deployment combined with solar capture in remote or impoverished locations.

“Competitively, we are joining Extreme E to race and win. We will be delivering a world-class racing package and eagerly await to line up against the likes of the X44, Rosberg X Racing, and JBXE teams as well as the rest of the top-class field. Australians are renowned for overachieving in the sports arena, and we aim for nothing less in Extreme E. We will be racing for the planet and racing to win.”

Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, said: “We extend a huge, warm welcome to Luke and the XE Group to Extreme E, and we can’t wait to see how the team performs in its racing debut. Not only that but it is a great to see the goals of the team so closely reflecting our own in terms of climate and community impact, and we are very excited about the possibilities we have together in these shared purposes.

“The grid is really filling up now and it’s great to have our first Asian Pacific team involved. This championship is growing and the countdown to Season 3 starts now!”

Extreme E aims to minimise environmental impact but maximise awareness, racing in places that have already been damaged or affected by climate change, taking fans deep into the heart of the most pressing environmental issues facing the planet. At the same time, the series has built-in equality and diversity, with each team fielding one male and one female driver.

In parallel, Extreme E is helping the car industry to develop future-facing technology using racing as a platform for mobility innovation, which motorsport has long been associated with as an accelerator of research and development.

The current Extreme E line-up includes teams run by legendary motorsport names including McLaren, Lewis Hamilton (X44), Nico Rosberg (Rosberg X Racing) Jenson Button (JBXE), and Carlos Sainz (ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team).

Season 3 of Extreme E will get underway in early 2023, with dates and a full racing calendar to be confirmed in the coming months.

To learn more about Extreme E, visit – www.Extreme-E.com

Hamlin Reigns Triumphant In Action-Packed Coca-Cola 600

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Official Release
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Denny Hamlin scored his first Coca-Cola 600 victory in a wild race on Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (HHP/Harold Hinson photo)

Special Delivery
Denny Hamlin Is A Coca-Cola 600 Winner

CONCORD, N.C. (May 29, 2022) – More than five hours after the green flag and more than 16 years after his first Coca-Cola 600 start, Denny Hamlin finally left Charlotte Motor Speedway with the Bruton Smith Trophy.

Hamlin won the pole for Sunday’s 63rd running of NASCAR’s toughest test of man and machine – and, after an action-packed, unforgettable race from start to finish, the veteran driver added one of racing’s most treasured victories to his resume.

A five-hour, 16-minute display of racing excitement featured 31 lead changes over 413 laps, with the favorite ranging from Stage 1 winner Chase Elliott, to Stage 2 winner Daniel Suarez, to Stage 3 winner Ross Chastain. Defending race winner Kyle Larson appeared poised to take home his second consecutive Memorial Day weekend victory, but Chase Briscoe spun out attempting to pass Larson in the final laps and neutralized Larson’s advantage.

The ensuing restart saw Larson pull out front before Austin Dillon, the 2017 race winner, moved from fourth to challenge Larson as the leaders approached the white flag. Hamlin dove beneath both drivers as Dillon slid into Larson and the two triggered a multi-car crash, which brought out another yellow flag.

Hamlin seized his opportunity on the restart. He withstood a last-gasp challenge from teammate Kyle Busch, and after waiting since May 28, 2006, for his first Coca-Cola 600 victory, the outspoken title contender finally had his coveted win – with an interim crew chief.

Sam McAulay, a Joe Gibbs Racing engineer, called the shots for Hamlin atop the No. 11 pit box as regular crew chief Chris Gabehart served the first of a four-race suspension, stemming from a rules violation at Dover Motor Speedway.

The staffing change didn’t upset Hamlin or his team’s positive momentum, with Hamlin securing his second consecutive top-five finish for the first time this season.

Busch completed a 1-2 sweep for JGR. Two-time Coca-Cola 600 winner Kevin Harvick finished third with Chase Briscoe fourth and Christopher Bell, another JGR driver, fifth.

Tyler Reddick was sixth with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. seventh, Michael McDowell eighth, Larson ninth and Alex Bowman 10th.

None of the first three stage winners finished better than Chastain’s 15th-place effort, marred by crash damage from the Larson and Dillon incident. Chastain, the winner of Friday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Charlotte, led a race-high 153 laps on Sunday.

Elliott’s hopes of collecting his famous family’s first Coca-Cola 600 win ended shortly before halfway, when he was knocked out of contention in a multi-car accident preceding the finish of Stage 2. Elliott led 86 of the 188 laps he completed.

While Hamlin bided his time for much of the evening – leading only 15 laps – Suarez replaced Elliott as the front-running favorite. The Trackhouse Racing driver paced the field for 46 circuits before an accident on Lap 346 eliminated Suarez and saw Chris Buescher’s car flip end-over-end in a wild accident. Buescher left his car under his own power and was checked and released from the infield care center.

Hamlin found himself in the driver’s seat as the laps wound down, largely by avoiding the trouble which befell so many of the contenders.

The win was the 48th of Hamlin’s career and his first points-paying NASCAR Cup Series victory at America’s Home for Racing.

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Race Winner): “It feels great, obviously. It wasn’t looking good for about 338 laps. Considering our day, I was going to be pretty content with a fourth-place finish. I just knew with that No. 1 pit stall, we’d have an opportunity if everyone pitted, of coming out first. We didn’t, but we were the first car on four tires and it just worked out. Things worked out for us and they hadn’t worked out well in the first 12 races, in a lot of different ways. Certainly this one was one where we capitalized on an opportunity. We managed the race. We knew we didn’t have the fastest car by any means, but we just stayed in the race and didn’t make any mistakes. We gave ourselves an opportunity to win when the opportunity arose for us.

“I’m not near the end of my career by any means, but this certainly is one that I needed on the resume. When you’re done and you’re looking at all your accolades, the Coke 600 is way up there. I hadn’t won it until today, so it means a lot.”

JOE GIBBS, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Winning Car Owner): “I’ve always said I’m most nervous when two of our cars are up there late. Both of them wanted it so bad. Your greatest fear is your two cars getting together. That race, I don’t know how to explain it, really. There’s so much in it. I guess I’ll have to use a football term: that was physical. There were people pounding on each other. I’m really, really proud. Kyle gave it everything, there were two cars up there like that at the end. It’s really special. That pit crew, they were incredible. Two of those (No. 11) guys, that’s the second time they ever went over the wall.”

SAM MCAULAY, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Winning Crew Chief): “We really did a lot of pit practice this week. They did a great job all night. They had a lot of hours put in, a lot of reps put in. Then, on the car side, our main focus was just bringing the best car we can, like we always do. Getting the pole was something we were definitely working on. That was definitely major tonight. That helped the mindset of knowing, ‘Hey, we have an advantage here.'”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (Runner-Up): “Just not very good performance overall. We struggled really bad all night long, so we gave it everything we had there. It was pretty remarkable even being in position to race for a win there at the end. We’ll take that, but we certainly didn’t run there.”

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