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Busch Latte Racing: Kevin Harvick Bristol Dirt Advance

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Official Release
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KEVIN HARVICK
Bristol Dirt Advance
No. 4 Busch Latte Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Food City Dirt Race (Round 9 of 36)
● Time/Date: 7 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 17
● Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
● Layout: .533-mile, high-banked, dirt oval
● Laps/Miles: 250 laps/133.25 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 75 laps / Stage 2: 75 laps / Final Stage: 100 laps
● TV/Radio: FOX / PRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● It’s not a commercial break. It’s a coffee break. Busch Light, or rather Busch Latte, is bringing the notion of a coffee break to NASCAR during the Food City Dirt Race Sunday night on FOX. During every commercial break, Busch Light will encourage fans to tweet using the hashtags #BuschLatteBreak #Sweepstakes. One winner will be selected from all the entries after each stage, and that person will be able to order a prize off the Busch Latte Menu. Each stage will have increasingly bigger prizes: The Stage 1 “tall” prize menu = Busch Latte merchandise (T-shirt, coozie, mug); Stage 2 “grande” prize menu = Choice of a Busch Latte cooler, a Busch Light neon sign, or two tickets to an upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race; Stage 3 “trenta” prize menu = $1,000. So take that coffee break, we mean, that #BuschLatteBreak.

● Kevin Harvick has made 41 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, but all of those have come on the concrete surface of the .533-mile, high-banked oval. Despite three wins, 14 top-fives, 21 top-10s and 1,209 laps led at the track since 2001, none of it matters this weekend in the series’ return to Bristol. For the second straight spring race, Bristol’s concrete has been covered with dirt, and Harvick’s past accolades have been buried. The Food City Dirt Race is back.

● Do you remember the Prelude to the Dream? Of course you do, because like Ron Burgundy in Anchorman, it was “kind of a big deal.” The charity dirt late model race that Tony Stewart hosted at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, from 2005 to 2012 was where many NASCAR Cup Series drivers got their first taste of dirt racing. Harvick was one of those drivers. He competed in four Preludes – 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009 – and earned a best finish of seventh in 2008. But that wasn’t Harvick’s only experience on dirt. During this same timeframe, Harvick also raced an IMCA dirt modified on a handful of occasions, making one-off appearances at such tracks as Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio, Macon (Ill.) Speedway and even in his hometown when he raced at Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway.

● The last Prelude was in 2012, and taking its place at Eldora was the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series when in 2013 the Truck Series began a seven-year run at the half-mile, dirt oval. That inaugural race on July 24 was the first time in more than four decades a top NASCAR series had competed on dirt – the last being Sept. 30, 1970 at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh where Richard Petty took the 117th of his record 200 career NASCAR Cup Series wins. Like Eldora, it was on a Wednesday night and contested on a half-mile oval. There was never a repeat winner in the Truck Series race at Eldora, and five of its seven winners are entered in the Food City Dirt Race – Austin Dillon (2013), Bubba Wallace (2014), Christopher Bell (2015), Kyle Larson (2016), Chase Briscoe (2018). The two winners not entered at Bristol are Matt Crafton (2017) and Stewart Friesen (2019).

● In last year’s inaugural NASCAR dirt weekend at Bristol, Harvick pulled double duty competing in both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and the NASCAR Cup Series race. In a Ford F-150 for David Gilliland Racing, Harvick started 30th and finished 15th in his first Truck race since Aug. 1, 2015 when he finished second at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. On Sunday for the Cup race, Harvick started sixth and recorded another 15th-place finish.

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Busch Latte Ford Mustang

We’re back to the dirt at Bristol. With a year of reflection, how did that first dirt race at Bristol go for you?

“You know, Bristol Dirt was much easier than I anticipated it being because it wasn’t like a normal dirt race. I was expecting a normal dirt race, but when you look at Bristol Dirt and the way the cars drove, it was a lot of the same tendencies that you had with a normal Cup car. Being able to have all my stuff and all of the same tendencies just made it a lot better for me, even with all differences of racing on dirt.”

Will the racing be aided by having a 7 p.m. EDT start?

“It’s definitely going to help with the racetrack. I think the track conditions will be less dusty and, hopefully, the track will keep more moisture in it a lot longer than it did last year.”

Prior to last year’s dirt race at Bristol, your last time on dirt was back in 2009 at the Prelude to the Dream dirt late model race at Eldora Speedway. Was there some muscle memory that kicked in when you first got on the dirt there at Bristol, or was it a whole new experience all over again?

“I’d say there was more crossover from the IMCA modified than there was from the dirt late model just because of the way the car drove. The part that I struggled with in the dirt late model was just how violent and fast everything happened, and that was just something that I’d never done before. With the IMCA car, it was slower and more methodical, with slower throttle control. It wasn’t ‘romp and stomp,’ it was pretty methodical about the way you drove. Our cars were kind of that same way. For a dirt race, it was about as enjoyable as any dirt race I’d ever done.”

How helpful was running the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on dirt the day before the Cup race?

“I think it definitely helped, and I think just getting over that anxiety of worrying about what it was going to be like, how it was going to drive, what you were going to do – it just allowed me to get through all that and then the rest of the weekend was fine. I don’t have those same, big worries that I had last year because you kind of know what to expect. Obviously, the car is different, but I still think it’s going to have a lot of the same tendencies that we have on a week-to-week basis.”

How do you think this NextGen car will handle the dirt?

“I think it’s going to be different, but it’s still going to have a lot of the same nuances that you currently have at the racetrack. I don’t know what we’re going to do with the back window with the car filling up with dirt, but we’ve worked through all these new issues before and none of that stuff has been as big of a deal as we had anticipated it being.”

Do the guys who have a dirt background have an advantage at Bristol, or is the style of racing so different compared to a sprint car or midget or dirt late model that it really doesn’t matter?

“It’s just not as much like what those guys do. Obviously, they can look at the racetrack and tell easier when it’s ready to move up a lane, and they have a little more confidence to pass. But in the end, a regular won (Joey Logano), so I think that tells you how much more it’s like what we normally do than what a lot of people thought it might be.”

What was your dirt-racing experience prior to last year’s dirt race at Bristol?

“I ran Tony Stewart’s Prelude to the Dream at Eldora four times, and the last one was in 2009. I actually ran a lot of races on dirt around that time. The only one I ever won was at Dave Blaney’s track (Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio) and that was in an IMCA car. But I ran the IMCA car several times that year, probably four or five times. I’m fairly certain I ran in my hometown of Bakersfield (California), I ran at Blaney’s track in Ohio, I ran at Macon in Illinois, I ran in Minnesota – all that stuff was around the time when I raced in the Prelude.”

When you ran those IMCA races, who did you drive for?

“I had my own car that I ran at three or four of them, and another owner’s car in Bakersfield, and at that time I was teammates with (Clint) Bowyer. Most everything was done by Mike Dillon with their dirt team. They had everything in place and they built the car for me and everything. So, Team Dillon was doing everything for us on that side of it.”

Fourth Annual HSR Spring Fling at Sebring International Raceway Moves 2022 HSR Racing Season Off to Competitive Start

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Official Release
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SEBRING, Florida (April 12, 2022) –The season-opening Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Spring Fling produced a competitive collection of nine different feature race winners during a packed two days of competition last week at Sebring International Raceway, April 6 – 8.

Kicking off the HSR season for the fourth-straight year, the 2022 Edition of the HSR Spring Fling once again called on a unique weekday schedule that was introduced to rave reviews last year.

This year’s action took place last Wednesday through Friday and was highlighted by four feature races across the final two days that accounted for nine different overall and “race-within-a-race” class battles. The Spring Fling’s typically full schedule also included a trio of HSR WeatherTech Sprint Series for all Run Groups on Thursday and Friday.

The weekend’s only feature race repeat winner was a familiar one with Todd Treffert taking overall honors in both Thursday’s Sasco Sports International/American Challenge and Friday’s GT Classic (GTC) and Vintage class B.R.M. Chronographes Endurance Challenge one-hour race.

Treffert scored overall and Porsche class Sasco Sports honors for the third-straight running of the HSR Spring Fling in his No. 14 Speedconcepts 1974 No. 14 Porsche 911 IROC Prepared by the 901 Shop. He backed up the Sasco Sports sprint race win with a Friday morning overall and GTC class B.R.M. victory.

Second overall, and first in the Sasco Sports American class, was secured by Jeff McKee in his unique 1964 No. 51 Ford Falcon prepared by Olthoff Racing.

The Sasco Sports International class win went to Ernie Wilding in his FAS Autosports 1995 No. 82 BMW M3 who capped a quick and competitive run with a fourth-place overall showing.

Thursday’s other feature race – the season-opening Stoner Car Care Global GT sprint – was won by Jeff Bernatovich in his 1990 No. 90 Corvette GT1.

Treffert, who also captured the 2021 B.R.M. Chronographes Endurance GTC win, was joined on this year’s endurance race winners rostrum by John Deford who scored Vintage class honors and a competitive fourth-place overall finish in his 1970 No. 57 Porsche 914/6 prepared by the 901 Shop.

Friday afternoon’s B.R.M. Chronographes Endurance Challenge one-hour race for Prototype, Historic and GT Modern (GTM) cars was won overall by the 2014 No. 41 Oreca FLM09 Le Mans Prototype Challenge “PC” car co-driven by Matthew Miller and James French. Miller and French took both the overall and Prototype class win with a 4.305 second margin of victory.

In fourth place and just one lap shy of the Prototype top finishers was Matteo Ferrer who brought the 1976 No. 5 Porsche 935/K1 from Amalfi Racing back to victory lane. Ferrer swept both HSR Group 9 WeatherTech Sprint races in the K1 in May of 2019 at Barber Motorsports Park and last Friday took his first endurance win in the car with the B.R.M. Historic class victory.

The GTM class victory was secured by John Ware and his grandson Carson Ware who co-drove the 2017 No. 412 Porsche 991.2 Cup to seventh overall.

The HSR Spring Fling was the lead-in event for the 44th HSR Mitty, Round 2 on the 2022 HSR Schedule, which takes place at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, April 27 – May 1. Last week’s Spring Fling was also the first of HSR’s annual pair of races on the legendary Sebring International Raceway circuit in 2022. Nine months from now, the HSR racing year once again concludes with the season-ending HSR Classic Sebring 12 Hour and Sebring Historics, November 30 – December 4.

Tickets for the 44th HSR Mitty are now on sale and available at www.HSRTickets.com. Competitor information, including entry information, event schedule, eligible Run Groups and more, is available at the official HSR Mitty Event Page at https://hsrrace.com/themitty2022/.

About HSR: Now an International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) property, Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) was formed in the mid-1970s with an event at Road Atlanta. There was one goal then and it remains true today: to celebrate the race cars from the past. As a “time machine” of sights and sounds, HSR provides a venue for competitors and spectators alike to share in the wonderful history and excitement created by the cars that competed at race tracks around the world. HSR currently sanctions eight vintage and historic racing events at some of the world’s most renowned race tracks, including Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and more. The complete schedule and full event information can be found on HSR’s website at www.HSRRace.com. Look for the HSR Channel on YouTube and follow HSR on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HSRrace/ and on Twitter and Instagram at @HSR_race. A dedicated website for the Classic 24 Hour at Daytona presented by IMSA is available at www.Classic24hour.com.

Junior Johnson’s Midnight Moon Teams Up With NASCAR Driver Jeffrey Earnhardt as Official Moonshine Partner

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Official Release
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Jeffrey Earnhardt enjoying Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon Moonshine.

MADISON, N.C., April 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MIDNIGHT MOON – the award-winning moonshine inspired by the family recipe of legendary bootlegger and NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson – is proud to announce its new partnership with Jeffrey Earnhardt, NASCAR driver and grandson of Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Earnhardt will team up with Midnight Moon as an official brand ambassador, continuing the brand’s celebration of Johnson’s bootlegging driving skills that led him to become one of the godfathers of NASCAR.

“I’m really excited to be teaming up with Midnight Moon Moonshine,” Jeffrey said. “They have Junior Johnson’s legacy in their DNA and simply stated, they make the best moonshine in the country.” He continued, “I look forward to spending time with the Midnight Moon family and sharing the ‘shine with fans around the country. This is gonna be a fun partnership.”

“We couldn’t think of a better partner to support our Midnight Moon line of moonshines,” said Joe Michalek, Founder of Piedmont Distillers. “We are excited about working with Jeffrey because he respects the path paved by his grandfather, but is driven to make his own way.”

Michalek continues, “He embodies the same ‘old-school racer’ values shared by Dale Sr. and Junior…he’s a real, down-to-earth guy with a passion for racing and all things Americana at his core. These shared values are the heart and soul of Midnight Moon and we are thrilled to have Jeffrey on board to continue building our community.”

Earnhardt will promote Midnight Moon’s family of authentic, handcrafted moonshines to the next generation of race fans and he’s super excited about the new ready-to-drink moonshine canned cocktails and 1.75 liter “Party In a Box” size. These new innovations make it easy to enjoy and share Midnight Moon at your next tailgate or wherever your next outdoor adventure takes you.

Race fans can follow Midnight Moon on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok at @midnightmoonusa for more information on the partnership with Jeffrey Earnhardt.

ABOUT MIDNIGHT MOON

Introduced by North Carolina’s first legal distillery in 2007, Midnight Moon has spent the last 15 years sharing Southern moonshine traditions and celebrating the legacy of The Last American Hero – Junior Johnson. Midnight Moon has stayed true to the tradition of handcrafting its small-batch moonshine with all-natural, 100% real ingredients. The brand likes to say, “We have spent the last 14 years handcrafting spirits before ‘craft’ became cool.” For more information, visit midnightmoonmoonshine.com or get social on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok at @midnightmoonusa.

ABOUT PIEDMONT DISTILLERS

Since opening its doors in 2005 as North Carolina’s first legal distillery since Prohibition, Piedmont Distiller’s passion has been handcrafting the best tasting, all-natural spirits. Piedmont’s brands include Midnight Moon Moonshine, Catdaddy Spiced Moonshine, Method & Standard Craft Vodka, and The Clover Single-Barrel Whiskey Collection. For more information, visit piedmontdistillers.com.

JUSTIN ALLGAIER TO WHEEL SPIRE MOTORSPORTS’ NO. 77 BRANDT CHEVY CAMARO AT BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

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Official Release
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CONCORD, N.C. (April 11, 2022) – Spire Motorsports announced today NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) veteran and current championship contender Justin Allgaier will drive the team’s No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

BRANDT will serve as the team’s primary sponsor and the No. 77 machine will feature a paint scheme similar to Allgaier’s NXS machine.

“Our business is about helping farmers grow healthy, profitable crops from the dirt so it doesn’t get much more exciting for us than to compete at the world’s most iconic stadium on dirt in the BRANDT No. 77,” said Rick Brandt, CEO and President of BRANDT. “Add that to our driver, Justin Allgaier, being one of the most experienced dirt track racers competing in NASCAR and we just had to be a part of this historic Easter Sunday race.”

The Food City Dirt Race will mark Allgaier’s first NCS start this season. He made two starts (Pocono2 – Talladega2) behind the wheel of Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 in 2021.

Allgaier, 35, is the full-time driver of JR Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NXS and also a veteran of NASCAR’s premier series with 79 starts on his résumé. The Riverton, Ill., native is currently seventh in the NXS championship point standings on the strength of two top-five and four top-10 finishes eight races into the 2022 campaign.

“Since the NASCAR Xfinity Series has the weekend off, we decided to have a little fun over Easter and go mix it up at Bristol Motor Speedway,” offered Allgaier. “When BRANDT decided to come on board with Spire Motorsports for the Food City Dirt Race, it was really a no brainer. It’s going to be a fun change of pace to play in the dirt with all the Cup Series regulars. Spire Motorsports and (No. 77 crew chief) Kevin Bellicourt always bring a good piece to the race track so we’ll have a solid shot of putting together a good run.”

“When we have an opportunity to put someone in the seat, Justin Allgaier is always part of the conversation,” explained Spire Motorsports co-owner T.J. Puchyr. “BRANDT and Justin have almost become synonymous with one another and they’ve both been part of the Spire family for many years. Justin is also a talented dirt racer so having him in the No. 77 this weekend is a great opportunity for everyone involved.”

The Food City Dirt Race from Bristol Motor Speedway will be televised live on FOX Sunday, April 17 beginning at 7p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The ninth of 36 races on the 2022 NCS schedule will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

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About BRANDT …
A leading agricultural company, BRANDT serves growers around the globe. Founded in 1953 by Glen Brandt and his sister Evelyn Brandt Thomas to help Illinois farmers adopt new and profitable technologies, the company has experienced aggressive growth under the leadership of President and CEO Rick Brandt. Innovation, technology and strong customer service are a few of the core beliefs that drive BRANDT today. BRANDT’s focus is providing the products and services that give growers the best opportunity for return while building a stronger, healthier and more abundant food supply.

About Spire Motorsports …
Spire Motorsports was established in 2018 and is co-owned by Jeff Dickerson and Thaddeus “T.J.” Puchyr. In 2022, Spire Motorsports will field two full-time NASCAR Cup Series entries. Corey LaJoie will drive the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in NASCAR’s premier series for the entire 2022 campaign while Josh Bilicki and Landon Cassill will split time in the team’s No. 77 entry. The team will also field a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team in select events.

Spire Motorsports earned an upset victory for the ages in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 7, 2019.

Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3 Finishes Fourth in GTD Pro and Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 Rebounds for Sixth in GTD Saturday at the Grand Prix of Long Beach

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Official Release
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IMSA, Long Beach Grand Prix, Long Beach, CA April 2022.

LONG BEACH, California – A pair of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams persevered to the finish of a hard-fought 100-minute IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship sprint at the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Saturday. The No. 79 Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Cooper MacNeil and Raffaele Marciello finished fourth in the GT Daytona (GTD) Pro category while the No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Mike Skeen and Stevan McAleer rebounded from a late-race contact incident for a sixth-place finish in the GTD class.

The No. 79 team’s fourth place finish came despite starting deep in the overall GTD field and followed a season-best third place showing in last month’s 12 Hours of Sebring. Starting driver MacNeil successfully avoided the mistakes and contact incidents that sidetrack several competitors and handed the No. 79 off to Marciello 36 minutes into the 100-minute race.

In his Long Beach debut, Marciello quickly lapped on pace with the GTD Pro field and came out of more than one race-slowing caution period on the lead lap and tracking the class frontrunners. Marciello was closing on fourth place when the checkered flag flew but the No. 79 was later elevated to that position when the competitor that took the checkered flag fourth was assessed a post-race penalty.

Team Korthoff showed why they are the IMSA WeatherTech Championship GTD championship points leaders at Long Beach, which was the opening round of the IMSA Sprint Cup. A championship within the overall WeatherTech Championship, the Sprint Cup awards the top performers in the year’s sprint races.

Skeen qualified third in the No. 32 on Friday and quickly moved up to second after Saturday’s race start. McAleer took over from Skeen at the 37-minute mark and continued to challenge in the lead pack as the No. 32 team has all season.

McAleer was running fourth and in tight formation with the other GTD leaders when he was tapped from behind by another competitor and sent into a tire barrier with 18 minutes remaining. The No. 32 was damaged in the hit, but McAleer was able to rejoin the race and continued on the lead lap as the caution flag flew. McAleer picked up two positions in the final run to the finish and capped the rebound with a sixth-place finish just over 20 seconds behind the GTD race winner.

The No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Russell Ward and Philip Ellis turned in a rebound of their own Friday after a contact incident in practice. Ward turned in a top-five qualifying effort later Friday afternoon and took the green flag from fourth on the grid in Saturday’s race.

Ward quickly moved up to third after the start of the race and pitted from that position at the race’s 37-minute mark. Ellis took over and continued to keep the No. 57 in the top five. He was running fourth with just under an hour remaining only to skim the wall exiting Long Beach’s tight hairpin after the No. 57 suffered a technical issue. Ellis quickly dashed into the pits where the No. 57 was retired from the race.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship is the Monterey Sports Car Championship weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, April 29 – May 1.

Cooper MacNeil, Driver – No. 79 Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was a good hard race. Raffaele did a good job. He drove hard and made up some positions. The WeatherTech Mercedes-AMG GT3 is in one piece, and we will go onto WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in three weeks looking for another podium result.”

Raffaele Marciello, Driver – No. 79 Proton USA Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was a tough race, and we got a bit unlucky with the pass-around during a caution period. I lost some track position, and it was difficult to recover. I tried my best, it was a challenging weekend, but we had some fast lap times and our Mercedes-AMG GT3 was quick. Long Beach is not as quick as the Macau and Bathurst temporary circuits I have raced on, but when there are walls, it is always nice to go close. It’s fun. The team did well and the Mercedes-AMG GT3 performed well.”

Stevan McAleer, Driver – No. 32 Team Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was obviously a bummer. I don’t know if we would have had a chance to battle for first place, but we were certainly in the mix for the last couple podium spots. I was having a great battle with the car in front of me, and was feeling pretty good, but right at the end there, the guy behind me got a little bit excited. He caught the right rear of me, I corrected, but ended up in the marbles, and around here that isn’t good. I went into the tires and man the car was stuck. I kept going from first gear to reverse, first to reverse, and I looked out the side window and there was a ratchet strap hooked on the door! I managed to get it going and got a little lucky when the yellow flag came out. I was able to catch up but had to reset the ABS and there was a fairly good amount of cosmetic damage. But in all honesty, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 still drove great. We managed to pick up a couple of spots there at the end. This is part of performing like a championship team. We had a really good car even with the damage to still fight back. This is a team that works hard.”

Round 3 Racing Brings Home A Hard Fought Second Place Finish

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Official Release
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Team battles varying weather conditions to earn top finishes over the two-race weekend

Lexington, Ohio (11 April 2022) – After a weekend that saw everything that both the competition and mother nature had to throw at them, including snow, hail, rain, and sun, Round 3 Racing (R3R) brought home a top-five and a top-ten finish in the Grand Touring Open (GTO) class on Saturday. The weather had cleared out on Sunday to set the stage for a strong run to second place in the GTO class for Round 3 Racing to close out the weekend.

No. 401 TEAM HAGERTY MOTORSPORTS BMW M4 GT4 (GTO)

Starting on pole, Cole Loftsgard opened the race onboard the No. 401 Hagerty Motorsports BMW M4 GT4. It was snowing as the green flag flew, making for a wet racing conditions. Loftsgard managed to keep pace through the tricky conditions for three hours before Brad McCall took over the wheel for Loftsgard in fifth.

McCall made the most of the drying track to move back through the field to the front. With three and a half hours left in the eight-hour race, Sarah Montgomery jumped into the driver’s seat ready to go with slick Cooper tires. Unfortunately, it soon started raining and the team added an extra pit stop for wet tires as the No. 401 BMW fell to seventh.

But Montgomery is not one to give up, and a hard charge in the closing moments of the race saw her run down the car in front as she made the pass for fifth just one lap before the checkered flag.

On Sunday, the weather cleared out as the No. 401 team started in sixth place. Montgomery was behind the wheel for the first stint as the race went to a red flag soon thereafter. When the track went back green, Montgomery quickly jumped two spots, to race in fifth.

Following another brief full course yellow, the Hagerty Motorsports BMW stayed out on track, gaining two more spots, placing the car in third. At the three-hour mark, McCall took over the controls for Montgomery. Halfway through the eight-hour race, the No. 401 was running fourth. McCall then pitted to turn the car over to Loftsgard, who was able to gain an additional two positions to bring the car home with a second-place finish.

“We fought through adversity this weekend,” said Loftsgard. “There were a couple of points in this race where I thought we were in trouble. But the crew delivered excellent pit stops, whether they were scheduled or unscheduled, in addition to great strategy. Brad, Sarah, and I put in tough and gritty drives. So, to come away with a podium, good points, and a car in one piece is a proud moment and a definite victory for us. Now we need to keep this momentum rolling into Road America!”

No. 609 TEAM SENTINEL BMW M4 GT4 (GTO)

Christian Maloof started Saturday’s race in sixth with snowy conditions in the 609 BMW M4 GT4. Maloof battled for three hours facing a wide range of weather conditions before turning the car over to Brian Ghidinelli as the No. 609 team sat in eleventh position. Continuing the battle against the weather, Ghidinelli focused on hitting his marks. With three hours left in the race, Maloof jumped back into the hotrod in tenth as the sun was starting to come out. Maloof was able to keep the position as he took the checkered flag in tenth.

On Sunday, the second eight-hour race took place under clear blue skies. Ghidinelli started in the No. 609 in the ninth position. Thirty minutes into the race, a red flag came out after a Porsche Cayman barrel rolled in front of the Sentinel BMW as Ghidinelli raced in 12th position.

Once the track went green again, he quickly jumped five spots, and by the time he came in to hand the BMW to Candelaria, Ghidinelli had the car in P1.

Candelaria kept the car in top positioning before passing the BMW over to Maloof. Unfortunately the charge was stalled after the No. 609 was hit in the left rear, forcing the car down pit lane. While the other car got a penalty, the trio found no solace in the lost track position. Ultimately as Maloof looked to bring the car home, a late pit stop with under an hour to go revealed that three wheel studs had come out of the rear wheel, forcing the team to retire the No. 609 in fourteenth.

“This weekend was wild – racing in the snow, cars flipping in front of me, and then leading much of the race only to retire in the last hour,” said Ghidielli. “Thanks to the Round 3 Racing crew for spotting the issue and keeping us drivers safe. We showed we have front-running pace and will be back at Road America for another shot.”

No. 701 TEAM COOPER TIRES PORSCHE CAYMAN (GP1)

After some careful consideration on Saturday morning, both the drivers and owners of R3R decided it was best for the No. 701 Cooper Tires Porsche Cayman to stay in for the day’s activities due to weather conditions. The Cayman piloted by Loni Unser, Mo Dadkhah, and Zack Ping did see the slick course for nine laps later on that day. The team was able to work out some issues they had noticed on Friday during practice.

On a brand new sunny day on Sunday, the No. 701 Porsche started the race in fourth. Unser raced the car for the first stint. After the red flag stop, the Cooper Tires Porsche Cayman stayed in fifth. Three hours into the race, Ping took over the wheel for Unser and started driving his way through the field. Halfway through the race, the team was back up to fourth. Dadkhah soon took the wheel and drove up to second with two hours remaining. Unfortunately, with less than twenty minutes left in the race, a connecting rod broke and forced the team into the garage for the remainder of the race.

“This weekend had a lot of highs and some very low lows,” Dadkhah. “The last stint, we were battling for second place, and the car felt great; we were in fuel safe mode. Comfortably we were in third place and still competitive, closing in on second place. But something in the engine went; we later found out a connecting rod went through the block, which is a pretty big engine failure. I thought the car was on fire. Thankfully it wasn’t, and the damage was contained to the engine itself. We’re really bummed because the car was great. The crew was great. We had a really good shot at a second or third place today, but we’ll come back stronger at Road America.”

No. 705 TEAM HAGERTY DRIVERS CLUB PORSCHE CAYMAN (GP1)

Unfortunately, the No. 705 Hagerty Drivers Club Porsche Cayman did not run in either of the two races after an incident in the first practice. The Cayman, set to be shared by Carter Pease, Dennis Neel, Jim Ptak, and John Collier, was involved in a single-car incident during the first practice on Friday morning. Thankfully Ptak, who was driving the car, walked away unharmed, but the car had severe damage and was not able to compete in the remainder of the event.

The four-driver team will bring back a Porsche Boxster competing in the General Productions 3 (GP3) class for the remainder of the season.

Round 3 Racing will compete in just four short weeks at the National Park of Speed, otherwise known as Road America, located in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The team will field two BMW M4 GT4s, a Porsche Cayman, and a Porsche Boxster during the doubleheader weekend. The fourth World Racing League powered by Hagerty event will take place May 6th – 8th.

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10 Hot Checklist Trends for 2022

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SM
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carlos aranda/Unsplash

The automotive world changes fast. Before you know it, a new year rolls around, and with it comes new trends in the automobile industry. This is exactly what happened in 2018, where we saw all sorts of advancements from self-driving cars to electric vehicles. But this year brings something entirely different.

In 2022, trends will be focused on digital transformation and sustainable mobility. This simply means that more of the automotive industry will be digitized. In addition, there will be a push for environmental awareness with an emphasis on alternative fuel sources, electric cars, and new propulsion systems. Of course, creating your checklist doesn’t go out of style, so here’s some ways you can utilize it more in the future.

How To Create an Effective Checklist

1. Increase Digitalization within the Auto Industry

With digital transformation and sustainable mobility as your focus, you’re going to want to make sure that your company’s presentation is at the forefront of the latest technological advancements. Ensure that everyone in your company is familiar with new technologies such as blockchain and data analytics because these will be key to how the automotive world operates in the future.

2. Promote Sustainability & Alternative Power Sources

As stated before, there will be a push for sustainability and alternative power sources within the automotive industry. This means that companies will need to implement new strategies that focus on reducing carbon dioxide emissions and promoting cleaner ways of powering vehicles, whether with hybrid, electric, or even hydrogen fuel.

iStock

3. Engage with Clients & Customers Directly

Since the auto industry is already saturated with brands and marketing efforts, it becomes increasingly important to engage directly with customers and clients to get their business and create brand loyalty that promotes repeat customers. This will be easier than ever with the rise of social media and a customer satisfaction culture.

4. Provide a Single Customer Experience

Automotive marketers will have to identify what makes their brand unique to eliminate competition from other brands trying to get more customers. The key will be providing a single experience for each customer since nobody likes shopping around from business to business for the best quality service. Those who offer a truly differentiated experience, they’ll be rewarded with customer loyalty and brand advocacy.

5. Prioritize Customer Service

Research shows that 89% of customers want to have a single point of contact when communicating with businesses. Therefore, ensure that your customer service department is well equipped to handle the huge influx of clients and customers. This means hiring more employees, investing in better technology, and developing a seamless support system for each client interaction.

NeONBRAND/Unsplash

6. Make Use of Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

You’ll need to take advantage of all the technological advancements being made. With this being said, you’ll need to invest in artificial intelligence and machine learning software to automate the most repetitive, mundane tasks so that employees have more time to focus on their jobs.

7. Focus on User Experience

This might be something that you’ve already been doing. However, you mustn’t stop since user experience is still evolving. Consumers are becoming more tech-savvy, so building a smooth interface will be even more critical. This doesn’t just mean focusing on the look and feel of your website but also creating an intuitive user experience.

8. Create Diverse Marketing Campaigns

With so many ways to market your business, it’s easy to end up getting stuck into one form of marketing that doesn’t make any sense for your company. Marketing is an ongoing process, so you’ll want to constantly test and re-evaluate your strategies to see what’s working and what needs improvement.

Template from Venngage

9. Use Data Analytics as a Competitive Advantage

Data analytics can help automate marketing efforts by collecting data to gain insights into consumer behavior and patterns to create more effective campaigns. You’ll need to use this to stay ahead of your competition since the automotive industry will be a lot more competitive in 2022.

10. Start Developing VR & AR Experiences

Virtual and augmented realities will blur the line between real-life and digital interactions, which is why it makes sense for automotive marketers to start developing new experiences that require the use of VR and AR technology. This can help gain more attention and grow your brand since it will be perceived as innovative and creative.

Start Creating Your Checklist With Venngage

Creating business and project checklists doesn’t have to be a daunting process. Venngage makes it easy for you to add your content and start creating beautiful, customized packing checklists on-the-go with our mobile editor. Venngage is free to use, and all of our templates are available on the web or mobile. You can learn more about us here. To start creating your own checklist template, follow these three simple steps:

1. Select a Template or Start from Scratch

If you want to build your onboarding checklist from scratch, tap the ‘New Template’ button and delete all of our sample content to get started with a blank template. To select a template, tap on the search icon in the top left corner, type in your keyword(s), and select a template.

2. Edit Your Template’s Design & Content

To edit the template’s design, open up the editor by tapping on the gear icon on the left sidebar. This will bring you to the theme editor, where you can change everything from colors to fonts! To add content:

  1. Go to the ‘Add Cards’ section by tapping on the plus icon in the bottom right corner.
  2. Add each item you want to include on your checklist and customize its look with any of Venngage’s premade options.
  3. Once you’re done, tap next to go to the next step.

3. Collaborate & Share With Your Team

To share your daily checklist template with other team members or collaborators, go to the top left menu and tap on the ‘Share’ button. From there, you can email your checklist or even generate a URL so that others can quickly add items without having to log in!

It’s simple to start creating beautiful checklists with Venngage. Start one free today!

What all do you need to do post a car accident?

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SM
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Photo by Allen Beilschmidt sr.

Road accidents are one of the worst sorts of mishaps that can take place because there can be chances of the accused to not own up for their actions or even worst, acting reluctant and aloof. Having to meet with an unwanted road accident, especially a car accident is a huge deal. Irrespective of the fact whether you are hurt or not, you have a lot going on inside your mind which makes you experience trauma for a definite period of time. 

Even though it is never a pleasant thing to know, it is important for you to have up-to-date knowledge of the basic and specific steps you need to take post a car accident. This may be helpful for many situations where you may be the most knowledgeable person to guide your friends or family members. So, if you want to know more about this, keep reading till the end.

  • Stop immediately:

If your car collides with another moving or static vehicle, person, an animal, or even a public or private property, your car must come to a complete stop. Do not think about evading the situation, instead, pull over and park your car on the other side of the main spot. It does not matter in which region of the U.S. you are in, for instance, you can be hurt in a car accident in Boston, and you need to stop your car.

  • Emergency helpline:

This is the second crucial thing to do post a car accident. You need to dial 911 and report the accident to the police. If you do not call up the police to report the incident. You can be a high chance of being denied insurance coverage by your car insurance company. It can even worsen, and you may be portrayed to be at fault if you do not report the crash.

  • Accept medical assistance:

Even if you do not get any major injuries, you should always accept the medical assistance offered to you. There can be chances of many low-impact injuries resurfacing after a certain point if they are not medically treated at the time. 

  • Coordinate with the Law enforcement officials:

When the law enforcement officials arrive, make sure you coordinate with them and provide whatever information they seek from you, and pay close attention to everything they tell you.

  • Dial-up the insurance company:

Call up your car insurance company to claim for immediate damage coverage. When asked, make sure you have a list of crucial information to report to them. Failure in doing so will potentially stop you from claiming your demands.

  • Contact your accident attorney:

Lastly, you need to contact your accident attorney. You may discuss the injuries experienced and everything regarding the mishap. They can assist you in claiming every damage coverage you deserve for your car and even yourself.

This was all about the required steps you should take immediately after a car accident. You can be at least a bit sane under such unprecedented situations if you build this knowledge up. The only thing that matters when you meet with any street accidents is to be sane and calm from within. The worst way to tackle such situations is to lose your peace of mind because you may be in a lot more trouble than you already are, provided you act irrationally. 

What You Need for Having Compensation for car accident injuries?

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SM
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Photo by Karolina Grabowska

In the aftermath of a major vehicle accident, a competent car accident lawyer can help you in various ways. In many cases, accident victims are entitled to Compensation to assist pay medical care costs, lost wages, and other accident-related costs. Because they don’t have a powerful attorney on their side, many individuals accept settlements that fall well short of the true worth of their claim. 

Suppose the at-fault driver’s insurance company does not recognize that you are serious about pursuing your claim, even if it involves going to court. In that case, it is unlikely to award you the total amount of your claim.

To maximize your claim and avoid being bullied into settling for less than you may be entitled to, you should seek the help of a lawyer. When you meet with a personal injury attorney, he or she will explain your legal alternatives and the worth of your claim, so you can make an informed decision about how to proceed. The following may be done for you by a competent lawyer:

Look into All Factors Affecting the Crash

An expert lawyer will investigate every possible contributing element to a significant vehicle accident. Despite the accident’s apparent because, there may be several contributing causes, such as driver attention, bad road conditions, inadequate signs, or a malfunctioning vehicle. Car accident lawyers often collaborate with forensic engineers to figure out exactly what happened and who was at fault. If you are looking for Compensation for your car accident injuries, then surely you need to hire the right lawyer.

Make A List Of Everyone Who Is In The Wrong

To identify all of the parties who may be liable for compensation, a lawyer will identify all of the relevant elements. It’s possible that your employer may be held responsible if the at-fault motorist was operating a business car. When anything goes wrong with a car, such as a tire blowout, it’s possible that the manufacturer is partly to blame.

Insurers’ Adjusters: Handle them

Your lawyer should deal with insurance company adjusters on your behalf so you may concentrate on getting well. Depending on the facts you supply, an insurance adjuster working with a driver’s insurance company may decide to decrease or dismiss your claim altogether by having a lawyer represent you. You may lessen the chance that your statement will be misunderstood.

Medical and Accident-Related Expenses might be estimated

All accident-related costs, including future medical expenditures, may be calculated by a lawyer. Consult your physicians and other health care providers to get an idea of your potential future expenditures resulting from your injury. You might lose out on the Compensation you need to finish your therapy and recover completely from your injuries if you don’t predict future expenditures.

If you have been unable to work due to your injuries, a lawyer may assist you in obtaining compensation for your lost income. A lawyer is well versed in auto accident legislation and can effectively negotiate with your insurance provider on your behalf to get a just and reasonable settlement sum. Negotiating with an insurance company without the assistance of a lawyer puts you at a distinct disadvantage.

Conclusion

It is in your best interest to engage a lawyer if you have been in a vehicle accident, especially one caused by another driver’s carelessness, to ensure that you get the compensation you are entitled to.

How can you take help from a professional car injury attorney?

By
SM
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Photo by RODNAE Productions: https://www.pexels.com/photo/handwritten-woman-hand-office-7841833/

We know car accidents are terrible and common in the United States. However, the frequent occurrence of the issue does not make it less important. Car accidents are painful, traumatic, and can even lead to permanent disabilities and death in certain cases. According to the US Department of Transport Station’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it is estimated that more than, 38000 people died in 2020 due to car accidents. The percentage increased by around 7.9% in 2020 compared to 36,096 deaths in 2019.

According to NHTSA studies, it has been found that fatal car crashes cost about $37 billion. Non-fatal coalitions cost around $230 million to the country. This cost includes emergency medical care, damaged vehicles, etc.

Did you face a car accident recently?

If you or your loved one has recently faced a car accident, you can definitely go ahead and file a personnel injury claim. However, it is advisable to avoid making any statements to the police or the other driver without approaching your lawyer. It is because you never know which word of yours can go against you while determining liability for the car crash. It is suggested to always consult with your representative injury lawyer or car accident attorney before getting in touch with the at-fault party. Even if the guilty party approaches you for outside court settlement, avoid doing so without taking professional assistance from an injury lawyer.

Do you know your legal rights?

Do you know how to get compensated for your car crash injury? According to California law, car accident victims have the potential right to claim their non-economic and economic damages. If more than one person has been injured in an accident, they are all I will to receive the compensation amount. As a victim, you always have the right to get the compensation amount regardless of your contribution to the car accident.

As stated above, responsible drivers are entitled to receive compensation for injuries respective to their contribution to the accident. In other words, we can say that even if you are responsible for causing the accident, you are still eligible to receive compensation for your injury. But this condition sometimes depends on your location in the state where you decide. If you are deciding in California, you are qualified to ask for compensation even in such cases.

Points to consider while filing the claim

When you file a claim against the negligent driver’s insurance provider, check out the insurance coverage. Make sure that you received the right compensation amount. If you face injury due to the other party’s fault, you will get compensation for the damages you faced.

For instance, suppose the other party who is responsible for causing the accident has damaged your vehicle, and you possess the collision claim. Your company in that scenario will ask the at-fault party to refund the money that has been paid for your claim. You are lucky if the other driver is at-fault for the entire accident because in that case, you will get compensation according to the agreement.

So, what are you still thinking about? Take the necessary action and you will get the compensation you deserve.

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