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RCR NXS Post Race Report: COTA

By
Official Release
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Sheldon Creed Earns Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish in No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet at COTA

Finish: 10th
Start: 6th
Points: 11th

“Considering everything this No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet team went through today, we finished well. We started fifth and planned to run up front all day, but it took a while to get going at the beginning of the race. We were having some brake issues, but the Whelen team did a great job addressing that during the race. It felt like once we got the brake issues figured out, we got our Chevy driving a little bit better and passed a lot of cars. Another car turned us in the final stage, and that didn’t do us any favors. We had a fast car at the end, but we needed a little bit more track position. We probably had top-five speed. It is what it is. On to next weekend.” -Sheldon Creed

Austin Hill Thrills with Second-Place Finish in the No. 21 Global Industrial Chevrolet

Finish: 2nd
Start: 8th
Points: 6th

“Everyone at RCR did a heck of job building this No. 21 Global Industrial Chevrolet, and it means a lot to be able to show that with a second-place finish at COTA. I guess AJ Allmendinger was just a little bit better than I was, but today showed that we can run with him. We started the race eighth and we kept it clean all day. Andy Street did a really good job with the calls on pit road to gain the track position that we needed. It was a solid effort, but we’ll go back and debrief just to see where I can improve. There were certain spots that I thought AJ was better than us, but we’re still learning and we’ll get the job done next time. Thanks to everyone at Global Industrial for coming on board. I love road course racing.” -Austin Hill

Allmen-RINGER: Road Course Ace A.J. Allmendinger Prevails at Pit Boss 250 at Circuit of The Americas

By
Official Release
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Kaulig Racing's A.J. Allmendinger does a burnout after winning the Pit Boss 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Circuit of The Americas on Saturday, capping a doubleheader at the famed 3.41-mile circuit. Photo Credit: NASCAR at COTA/Harold Hinson Photography
  • Kaulig Racing driver delivered a dominant performance, outpacing the field by 2.039 seconds to cap Saturday’s NASCAR at COTA doubleheader.
  • Tickets for Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas are on sale at NASCARatCOTA.com/Tickets.

AUSTIN, Texas (March 26, 2022) – A.J. Allmendinger was the class of the field in Saturday’s Pit Boss 250, holding off a hard-charging pack of drivers to take the checkered flag by 2.039 seconds. The donnybrook capped off an action-packed day of white-knuckled excitement at the 20-turn, 3.41-mile Circuit of The Americas (COTA).

“We’ve had a good start to the year when you look at the finishes, but we hadn’t really contended for the win,” Allmendinger said. “Last year, Kyle beat us down pretty good. This race is a tough race. It’s a long race. The track is slick. As we saw in the truck race, if you get a late caution, anything can happen.”

Allmendinger led a race-high 27 laps and battled most of the afternoon with NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) regular Ross Chastain en route to the victory. Chastain, who led three times for 14 laps, got spun by Landon Cassill with seven laps remaining and was relegated to a 17th-place finish.

“Ross was doing an amazing job,” Allmendinger said. “It was going to be tough to beat him. Once he got spun, I was just praying for no more yellows.”

COTA is the sixth different road course on which Allmendinger has won during his career. That streak includes seven Xfinity Series (NXS) wins and two NCS wins. The Los Gatos, Calif. native has finished fourth or better in 15 of 18 NXS road course races.

With the victory, Allmendinger moves to within one point of Noah Gragson in the point standings.

Austin Hill, who won at Watkins Glen in a Camping World Trucks Series (NCWTS) race last season, finished second in Saturday’s Pit Boss 250.

“It was a solid effort,” Hill said. “I’ve always felt like I can get around road courses. I felt like that last year at Watkins Glen. It gave us confidence coming here. It shows that we can run with A.J. We’ll go back and debrief and see where I can be better as a driver.”

After battling back from a speeding penalty earlier in the race, Cole Custer finished third. Gragson and Sam Mayer rounded out the top five finishers.

NASCAR at COTA’s tripleheader weekend culminates Sunday with the second running of the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix.

Tickets:

Tickets for Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix are on sale at NASCARatCOTA.com/Tickets. Further details can be found on the NASCAR at COTA website including the full race weekend schedule.

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Keep track of all things NASCAR at COTA by following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@NASCARatCOTA). Keep up with all the latest information on the NASCAR at COTA website and mobile app.

Allmendinger grabs a dominant Xfinity victory at COTA

By
Andrew Kim
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AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 26: AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #16 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pit Boss 250 at Circuit of The Americas on March 26, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images).

After finishing in the top 10 through the first six scheduled NASCAR Xfinity Series events, AJ Allmendinger broke through the win column for the first time in 2022 after claiming a dominant victory in the Pit Boss 250 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, March 26.

The 40-year-old veteran from Los Gatos, California, led for the first time on the fourth lap and went on to lead twice for a race-high 27 of 46-scheduled laps, including the final 14, to muscle away from rookie Austin Hill and the field to become the fifth different winner of this year’s Xfinity Series season and the fourth Xfinity regular through the first six scheduled events.

With on-track qualifying occurring on Friday, Ty Gibbs, winner of last weekend’s Xfinity event at Atlanta Motor Speedway, started on pole position after posting a pole-winning lap at 91.258 mph. Joining him on the front row was Ross Chastain, who was piloting the No. 92 TicketSmarter Chevrolet Camaro for DGM Racing.

Prior to the event, Brett Moffitt, Landon Cassill, Brandon Jones, Will Rodgers, Ryan Sieg, Josh Bilicki, JJ Yeley and Brandon Brown dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments to their respective machines.

When the green flag waved and the race started, Gibbs launched ahead briefly until Chastain assumed the top spot entering a series of left and right-hand turns (Turns 3 through Turn 10) while the field scrambled and fanned out behind. In the midst of the early racing, driver Patrick Gallagher was penalized for a restart violation. 

Through the 3.41-mile, 20-turn circuit, Chastain led the first lap ahead of Gibbs while AJ Allmendinger, Cole Custer and Alex Labbe were in the top five. Rookie Sheldon Creed was in sixth ahead of Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, Bubba Wallace and Daniel Hemric. Behind, teammates Josh Berry and Miguel Paludo made contact in Turn 14, which resulted with Paludo spinning with Sage Karam and Berry sustaining front nose damage to his No. 8 PUGB Mobile Chevrolet Camaro.

By the second lap, Chastain was ahead by nearly a second over Gibbs follows by Allmendinger, Custer and Labbe. Meanwhile, Stefan Parsons spun in Turn 6, but proceeded as the race remained under green.

On the third lap, Allmendinger overtook Gibbs and Chastain through Turns 13 and 14 to assume the lead for the first time. Not long after, trouble ensued in Turn 12 when Justin Allgaier spun following contact with teammate Gragson.

Through the first five scheduled laps, Allmendinger was leading by nearly half a second over Gibbs followed by Chastain, Custer and Labbe while Creed, Wallace, Hemric, rookie Austin Hill and Gragson were in the top 10. Sam Mayer was in 11th ahead of Jade Buford, Preston Padres, Parker Kligerman and Allgaier while Jeb Burton, Anthony Alfredo, Parker Chase, Myatt Snider and Jeremy Clements were in the top 20. Brandon Jones was in 21st, Riley Herbst was in 23rd ahead of Landon Cassill and Brett Moffitt. Following his early incident, Miguel Paludo was in 32nd ahead of Brandon Brown while Josh Berry was mired in 38th, dead last.

A few laps later, an early battle for the lead ensued as Gibbs pressured Allmendinger to take the lead while Chastain and Custer settled in third and fourth. By the seventh lap, Gibbs rocketed his No. 54 Interstate Batteries Toyota Supra to the lead in Turn 1, but Allmendinger was quick to reassume the lead in his No. 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet Camaro while Chastain and Custer started to gain ground on the two leaders.

By Lap 10, Allmendinger continued to lead by nearly nine-tenths of a second over Gibbs while third-place Custer trailed by more than a second. Chastain trailed in fourth place by four seconds while Labbe and Wallace trailed by more than 10 seconds.

A few laps later and with pit stops under green flag ensuing, Gibbs pitted along with Custer and Chastain while Allmendinger remained on the track and retained the lead. By then, Wallace, Hill, Mayer, Brandon Jones, Cassill, Jeb Burton and Creed had pitted.

When the first stage concluded on Lap 14, Allmendinger collected his second stage victory of the season. Labbe was scored in second ahead of Hemric, Kligerman, Allgaier, Preston Padres, Jade Buford, Parker Chase, Clements and Gibbs. By then, NASCAR reported possible fluid in Turn 12 that was coming off of Bayley Currey’s car.

Under the stage break, a majority of the field led by Allmendinger pitted while the rest led by Gibbs remained on the track.

The second stage started on Lap 17. At the start, Chastain battled and bumped Gibbs through the first turn, forcing Gibbs wide, to take the lead followed by Sam Mayer and Bubba Wallace while Gibbs fell back to fourth ahead of Custer. 

When the field returned to the start/finish line, Chastain was out in front by nearly a second over Wallace while Gibbs and Custer battled for third. Mayer, who was running towards the front, slipped back to fifth place after missing a gear ahead of teammate Gragson, Hill, Jeb Burton, Creed and Cassill while Allmendinger was in 11th. 

Through the first 20 laps of the event, Chastain continued to lead by more than two seconds over Wallace follows by Custer, Mayer and Gragson. Allmendinger was up in sixth followed by Creed, Hill, Cassill and Hemric while Jeb Burton, Labbe, Brandon Jones, Allgaier, Buford, Kligerman, Brett Moffitt, Anthony Alfredo, Brandon Brown and Clements were in the top 20. By then, Gibbs, who had fallen back to sixth place, pitted under green due to a flat right-front tire and a broken valve stem on his No. 54 Toyota. Paludo was in 21st, Berry was in 25th, Herbst was mired in 27th and Snider was in 29th behind Ryan Sieg.

At the halfway mark on Lap 23, Chastain was leading by more than three seconds over Custer while Wallace trailed in third place by more than four seconds. Mayer was back in fourth ahead of Allmendinger while Gragson, Hill, Creed, Hemric and Labbe were in the top 10. Way behind the leaders, Karam spun in Turns 15 and 16.

Nearing the Lap 30 mark, another round of pit stops under green struck as Allmendinger pitted along with Wallace, Hill, Hemric, Labbe, Jeb Burton, Cassill, Brandon Jones, Clements, Kligerman, Paludo, Preston Pardus, Parker Chase, Sieg, Parsons, Snider, Alfredo, Brown, Gibbs and Creed while Chastain continued to lead ahead of Custer. By then, Gragson and Josh Bilicki also pitted while Patrick Gallagher spun in Turn 9. Not long after, Chastain pitted along with Custer while Sam Mayer cycled into the lead. Following the pit stops, Preston Pardus, Parker Chase and Custer were penalized for speeding on pit road.

When the second stage concluded on Lap 30, Mayer captured his first stage victory of this year’s Xfinity season. Buford settled in second followed by Allgaier, Berry, Herbst, Custer, Sage Karam, Chastain, Allmendinger, Gragson and Scott Heckert.

Under the stage break, some led by Mayer pitted while the rest led by Chastain remained on the track. During the pit stops, Wallace pitted again to address a shifter issue to his No. 18 Dr. Pepper Toyota Supra.

With 14 laps remaining, the final stage started. At the start, Chastain squeaked ahead entering the first turn, but Allmendinger was able to keep his car alongside Chastain’s before Allmendinger moved into the lead entering a series of left and right-hand turns (Turns 3 through Turn 10). As the field scrambled and fanned out behind, Chastain and Allmendinger battled hard for the lead entering Turn 12 while Gragson started to close in on the two leaders. 

Not long after, however, the caution returned due to debris reported in Turn 9. In addition, Berry and Josh Bilicki spun in Turn 20. 

Down to the final 11 laps of the event, the race proceeded under green. At the start and going up the include prior to the first turn, Allmendinger retained the lead while Gragson muscled his No. 9 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro alongside Chastain in a brief battle for second before the latter prevailed. 

Through the series of turns from Turns 3 to 10, the left-hand turn in Turn 11 and the long straightaway prior to Turn 12, Allmendinger continued to lead ahead of Chastain. Behind, Austin Hill overtook Gragson for third place in Turn 16 as Allmendinger continued to lead through a series of turns from Turn 17 to 20 and back to the start/finish line with 10 laps remaining. 

Then with nine laps remaining, the caution flew due to debris on the backstretch. By then, Brandon Jones sustained right-rear damage to his No. 19 Menards Toyota Supra while Stefan Parsons also sustained damage to the right side of his car. Under caution, some like Gibbs, Hemric and Wallace pitted while the rest led by Allmendinger remained on the track.

With six laps remaining, the race restarted under green. At the start, Allmendinger maintained the lead following a push by Austin Hill while Chastain got bumped and turned by Cassill in Turn 1. With the field scattering to avoid Chastain, Allmendinger was clear out in front followed by Hill, Gragson, Clements, Jeb Burton and Custer.

When the field returned to the start/finish line for the final five laps, Allmendinger continued to lead by more than a second over Hill while Clements challenged Gragson for third place. Jeb Burton settled in fifth ahead of Custer, Mayer, Ryan Sieg, Snider and Buford. Chastain, meanwhile, was all the way back in 31st place.

Then with three laps remaining, both Jeb Burton and Clements were penalized for having their respective cars running off the course with all four tires near the esses. With both Burton and Clements having to drive through pit road to serve their penalty, Allmendinger continued to lead by a stable margin over Hill while Custer moved up to third place followed by Gragson and Snider.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Allmendinger remained in the lead by nearly three seconds over Hill and more than 10 seconds over Custer. With no close competition lurking behind, Allmendinger was able to smoothly navigate his No. 16 Chevrolet through the 20-turn circuit for a final time as he made his way through the final straightaway and streaked across the finish line to claim his first checkered flag of the 2022 season.

With his first victory at Circuit of the Americas, Allmendinger notched his seventh win on a road course and his 11th overall in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In addition, he recorded the first victory of the season for Kaulig Racing.

“Man, I was hard on myself yesterday,” Allmendinger said on FS1. “I was not happy with where I put ourselves, the setup that I made for us. This Nutrien Ag Chevy was really good. It was hard to drive. I had to drive it a certain way. Honestly, it’s all these men and women here at Kaulig Racing between the Cup side of it and the Xfinity side to it. They don’t sleep during the week. They’re busting their tails and that’s why I’m so frickin hard on myself sometimes ‘cause they deserve to win more than anybody here, and I just wanna do it for them. So thankfully, we got one done today.”

Austin Hill finished in second place for the second consecutive week followed by Cole Custer while teammates Gragson and Mayer finished in the top five. 

“All in all, it was a solid effort for our Global [Industrial] Chevy Camaro,” Hill said. “[Crew chief] Andy [Street] and all the guys at the shop, they did a heck of a job building this piece and bringing it here. I’ve always felt like I could get around road courses. I felt like I proved it last year in the Trucks [Series], winning at Watkins Glen. It just kind of built the confidence, the momentum going forward to this year when we come to road courses that we could get the job done. I guess AJ was just a little bit better than I was ‘cause I felt like we had a really good car. There was certain spots that I thought he was a little better than us, but it just shows that we can run with AJ. Maybe just make the car a little bit better and I think personally as a driver, I need to work on a few things ‘cause he was just doing some things a little bit better than I was inside the cockpit, so we’ll go back, debrief and look it over and just see where I can be better as a driver on these road courses…We’ll go get the job done next time.”

With their top-five results, Allmendinger, Hill, Gragson and Mayer have qualified for the first Dash 4 Cash event at Richmond Raceway scheduled for next Saturday.

Myatt Snider, Brett Moffitt, Jade Buford, Miguel Paludo and Sheldon Creed finished in the top 10. Notably, Ty Gibbs finished 15th, Chastain settled in 17th following his late spin, Jeb Burton and Clements fell back to 23rd and 24th, Hemric ended up 25th ahead of Herbst and Berry, Wallace came home in 28th and Allgaier finished 33rd.

There were eight lead changes for five different leaders. The race featured four cautions for eight laps. In addition, 35 of the 38 starters finished on the lead lap.

With his top-five result, Noah Gragson continues to lead the regular season standings by a single point over AJ Allmendinger, 31 over Ty Gibbs, 68 over Justin Allgaier and 77 over Josh Berry.

Results.

1. AJ Allmendinger, 27 laps led, Stage 1 winner

2. Austin Hill

3. Cole Custer

4. Noah Gragson

5. Sam Mayer, three laps led, Stage 2 winner

6. Myatt Snider

7. Brett Moffitt

8. Jade Buford

9. Miguel Paludo

10. Sheldon Creed

11. Ryan Sieg

12. Parker Kligerman

13. Anthony Alfredo

14. Preston Pardus

15. Ty Gibbs, one lap led

16. Sage Karam

17. Ross Chastain, 14 laps led

18. Brandon Jones

19. Parker Chase

20. Brandon Brown

21. Stefan Parsons

22. Patrick Gallagher

23. Jeb Burton

24. Jeremy Clements

25. Daniel Hemric

26. Riley Herbst

27. Josh Berry

28. Bubba Wallace

29. JJ Yeley

30. Ryan Vargas

31. Landon Cassill

32. Scott Heckert

33. Justin Allgaier, one lap led

34. Joe Graf Jr.

35. Josh Bilicki

36. Alex Labbe – OUT, Rear gear

37. Will Rodgers, 12 laps down

38. Bayley Currey – OUT, Engine

Next on the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the series’ lone annual visit of this season to Richmond Raceway, where the first of four Dash 4 Cash events will occur. The event is scheduled to occur on Saturday, April 2, at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

Toyota Racing – NXS COTA Post-Race Report – 03.26.22

By
Official Release
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GIBBS BATTLES THROUGH ADVERSITY TO SOLID FINISH
Parker Kligerman, Ty Gibbs score top-15 finishes to lead Toyota in Austin

AUSTIN, TEXAS (March 26, 2022) – Parker Kligerman (12th) and Ty Gibbs (15th) led Toyota in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Circuit of the Americas on Saturday evening.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Circuit of the Americas
Race 6 of 33 – 156.86 miles, 46 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, AJ Allmendinger*
2nd, Austin Hill*
3rd, Cole Custer*
4th, Noah Gragson*
5th, Sam Mayer*
12th, PARKER KLIGERMAN
15th, TY GIBBS
18th, BRANDON JONES
19th, PARKER CHASE
28th, BUBBA WALLACE
29th, JJ YELEY
37th, WILL RODGERS
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

PARKER CHASE, No. 26 Bahnbrecker Toyota GR Supra, Sam Hunt Racing

Finishing Position: 19th

Top-20 in your Xfinity debut at your home track, what did this mean to you?

“It’s always special racing at COTA with it being 45 minutes from my house. Every time I race here, no matter what it is, I always have a lot of people out here – friends and family. To make Xfinity Series debut with Toyota and Sam Hunt Racing here at COTA is pretty cool, we came home 19th but we had a lot more pace. I think our lap times were a lot of the times inside the top-five and top-10 in speed. It’s just rough out there. We started further back then we wanted to and it’s just hard to make up position on a road course, especially starting middle to back of the pack.”

#

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Cole Custer Finishes 3rd in COTA Xfinity Series Race

By
Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Pit Boss 250 – Saturday, March 26, 2022

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
3rd – Cole Custer
11th – Ryan Sieg
22nd – Patrick Gallagher
26th – Riley Herbst
34th – Joe Graf Jr.

COLE CUSTER, No. 07 Bucked Up Energy Drink Ford Mustang — Finished 3rd

“It was good to get out there and get those laps. I think I overdrove the car a lot of the day, so it was good to get in a rhythm. The track gets really hot and slick in the afternoon, so it is good to know that for the Cup car. I am pretty frustrated. I think we would have had a really good shot to win that race and I just made a stupid mistake and sped on pit road. I can’t thank everyone enough at Bucked Up and Ford Performance. Hopefully, we can have another good run tomorrow in our Cup Mustang.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang — Finished 26th

WHAT WERE YOU DEALING WITH AFTER THAT FIRST LAP SKIRMISH? “It just wasn’t a good day. Our toe was just off a little bit after that. It just wasn’t a good day by anyone, so we will just regroup and go on to Richmond.”

Zane Smith notches a thrilling, double overtime Truck victory at COTA

By
Andrew Kim
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AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 26: Zane Smith, driver of the #38 Speedco Ford, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series - XPEL 225 at Circuit of The Americas on March 26, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images).

A month after experiencing the biggest victory of his career at Daytona International Speedway, Zane Smith captured another thrilling win to his racing resume after winning the second running of the XPEL 2250 at Circuit of the Americas on Saturday, March 26.

The 22-year-old Smith from Huntington Beach, California, captured both stage victories and rallied from a first turn spin under the final 10 laps to overtake Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch and Stewart Friesen during the second of two overtime attempts in Turn 11. Following the chaos, Smith rocketed away from the field and a series of carnages ensuing behind to become the first repeat winner of the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.

With on-track qualifying occurring on Friday, Sheldon Creed claimed the pole position with a pole-winning speed at 90.985 mph. Creed, however, dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to his No. 20 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST. Also dropping to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments included John Hunter Nemechek, Kris Wright, Kaz Grala, Logan Bearden, Lawless Alan, Jack Wood, Blaine Perkins, Tate Fogleman, Brad Perez, Will Rodgers, Matt Joskol, Matt DiBenedetto and Matt Crafton, who was forced to serve a pass-through penalty through pit road at the start of the event.

With Creed dropping to the rear of the field, Zane Smith, who posted a fast qualifying speed at 90.790 mph, led the field to the start of the event alongside Alex Bowman, who was piloting the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST.

During the pace laps, Ty Majeski remained on pit road as his crew was working on a brake pressure issue to his No. 66 ThorSport Racing Toyota Tundra TRD Pro.

When the green flag waved and the race started, Bowman gained an early advantage through the incline and the first turn as he led early in the event over Zane Smith while Kyle Busch bolted his way into third place. With the competitors fanning out and scrambling for positions through the first two turns and a brief decline before entering a series of left and right turns (Turns 3 through 10), Bowman continued to lead. Then in Turn 11, Austin Wayne Self locked up his brakes and collided into Tayler Gray as both competitors spun. Despite the incident, the race proceeded under green.

With the first of 42 laps complete of the 3.4-mile, 20-turn circuit, Bowman was out in front by three-tenths of a second over Zane Smith followed by Kyle Busch while Stewart Friesen and Parker Kligerman were in the top five. Christian Eckes was in sixth ahead of Carson Hocevar, Ben Rhodes, Tyler Ankrum and Sheldon Creed.

During the second lap, Busch moved his No. 51 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro to the lead over Bowman’s No. 7 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Silverado RST. Meanwhile, Creed took his truck to the garage due to a mechanical issue.

Through the first five laps of the event, Kyle Busch continued to lead by nearly three seconds over Kligerman while third-place Bowman trailed by more than four seconds. Zane Smith remained in fourth ahead of Friesen while Carson Hocevar, Ben Rhodes, Rhodes Derek Kraus and Chandler Smith were in the top 10. Behind, John Hunter Nemechek was in 11th ahead of Tyler Ankrum, Grant Enfinger was in 14th, Matt DiBenedetto was in 16th ahead of Chase Purdy, Hailie Deegan and Kaz Grala. Meanwhile, Matt Crafton was mired back in 29th ahead of Brad Perez.

Not long after, Deegan was forced to serve a pass-through penalty on pit road for cutting through the esses.

Nearing the Lap 10 mark, pit stops under green occurred as Busch surrendered the lead to pit followed by Bowman, Nemechek, Chandler Smith, Hocevar, Enfinger, Grala, Chase Purdy, Colby Howard, Gray, Crafton and Deegan while Kligerman took the lead. Once Kligerman pitted on Lap 10, Zane Smith took the lead followed by Friesen.

When the first stage concluded on Lap 12, Zane Smith claimed his first stage victory of the season. Friesen settled in second followed by Rhodes, Kraus, Ankrum, DiBenedetto, Timmy Hill, Eckes, Kyle Busch and Kligerman.

Under the stage break, some led by Zane Smith pitted while the rest led by Kyle Busch remained on the track.

The second stage started on Lap 14 as Kyle Busch and Kligerman occupied the front row. At the start, Busch and Kligerman dueled for the top spot before Busch cleared Kligerman entering a series of left and right turns. Then in Turn 11, Kligerman took the lead beneath Busch, who was being pressured by Bowman. Busch, however, reassumed the top spot over Kligerman through the Turn 12 braking zone as he started to pull away.

Shortly after, the caution flew when Dean Thompson came to a stop in Turn 8 as he needed a wrecker to return to pit road. 

Three laps later on Lap 17, the race proceeded under green. At the start and with the field fanning out entering the first two turns, Busch rocketed away with the top spot ahead of Kligerman and Bowman. Then in Turn 11, Gray spun for a second time while running in the top 10 as the field scattered. Four turns later, Grala spun while running in Turn 12. Despite the incidents, the race proceeded under green as Busch continued to lead by more than a second over teammate Nemechek followed by Bowman, Kligerman and Hocevar while Chandler Smith, Matt Crafton, Friesen, Zane Smith and Chase Purdy were in the top 10.

On Lap 20, the caution flew when Purdy made contact with Crafton, which spent both competitors spinning in Turn 19 as Crafton ended up getting his No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra TRD Pro stuck in the gravel trap. The incident was one that left Crafton bitter towards Purdy.

Under caution, a majority led by Busch pitted while the rest led by Nemechek remained on the track.

With the event surpassing its halfway mark on Lap 21, the race proceeded under green. At the start, Nemechek pulled his No. 4 ROMCO Toyota Tundra TRD Pro ahead with the top spot though the first two turns followed by Zane Smith and Kraus while Rhodes was in fourth ahead of DiBenedetto. Not long after, Nemechek and Zane Smith dueled for the lead entering Turn 12.

Then in Turn 15, Zane Smith made contact with Nemechek, which sent Nemechek around as Smith assumed the lead. Behind, Crafton expressed his displeasure towards Purdy over the previous incident by spinning him in Turn 13.

Back at the front, Zane Smith was out in front ahead of Kraus while Rhodes was in third ahead of DiBenedetto and Chandler Smith. Following his spin, Nemechek pitted but was then penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation.

When the second stage concluded on Lap 26, Zane Smith collected his second stage victory of the event and of this season. Rhodes settled in second followed by Kraus, Kyle Busch, Chandler Smith, DiBenedetto, Friesen, Hocevar, Timmy Hill and Kligerman.

Under the stage break, a majority of the field pitted as Busch emerged with the lead.

With 13 laps remaining, the final stage started. At the start, teammates Busch and Chandler Smith dueled until the former managed to clear his teammate and the field through the first two turns and entering a series of left and right-hand turns (Turns 3 through 10). 

The following lap, the caution returned when Hailie Deegan stalled in Turn 8 with damage to her No. 1 Monster Energy Ford F-150 as a result of colliding into Jack Wood, who wrecked with Kris Wright earlier.

Down to the final 10 laps, the event proceeded under green. At the start, Busch mounted ahead with the top spot as Carson Hocevar made his way into second place in his bid to battle Busch for the victory.

With the battles continuing around the 20-turn circuit, DiBenedetto suddenly stalled on Turn 17 due to a broken driveline. Then shortly after, the caution flew when Zane Smith got bumped and spun by Eckes in Turn 1 along with Kris Wright, who was trying to avoid Smith.

With seven laps remaining, the race proceeded under green. At the start, Busch launched ahead with another strong start entering the first turn before Stewart Friesen tried to force Busch off the track in a bid for the lead. Busch, however, was able to maintain the lead over Friesen, who overtook Hocevar for second, and the field in Turn 3 through Turn 10. Then in Turn 12, Austin Wayne Self spun while the race proceeded under green.

When the field returned to the start/finish line, Busch continued to lead by four-tenths of a second over Friesen while Bowman, who made bold moves through the esses during the restart, was up in third place followed by Kligerman and Chandler Smith. Grala, following his early spin, was in sixth followed by Rhodes, Hocevar, Nemechek and Eckes while Crafton was in 11th ahead of Colby Howard, Zane Smith, Kraus, Timmy Hill and Tyler Ankrum.

Down to the final five laps of the event, Busch extended his advantage to more than a second over Friesen while third-place Bowman trailed by more than two seconds. During the following lap, Bowman overtook Friesen for second place as he was left to track and challenge Busch for the lead and the win.

Then with three laps remaining, Derek Kraus got bumped by Ankrum and spun in Turn 1. Not long after, Eckes spun in Turn 12 following contact with Hocevar, but the event proceeded under green. Then the caution flew when Matt Jaskol stalled his truck in Turn 2. The caution was enough to send the event into overtime. 

In the first overtime attempt, Busch maintained the lead while Bowman fended off Friesen and Kligerman to remain in second place while also challenging Busch for the lead. Behind in Turn 1, Kris Wright spun following contact. Two turns later, Purdy spun, but the race proceeded under green. Then, the caution returned when Kaz Grala and Colby Howard spun across the esses with Grala getting stuck in the Turn 4 gravel pit. 

During the second overtime attempt, Busch muscled away with the lead while Friesen challenged and overtook Bowman for second place. Behind, Zane Smith battled and overtook Kligerman for fourth place while Nemechek was in sixth ahead of Rhodes. 

Then in Turn 11, Bowman collided against Friesen and Busch while engaged in a three-wide battle for the lead. This allowed Zane Smith to bolt to the lead as Bowman retained second ahead of Friesen, who had a tire rub and was losing ground towards the front. Then in the Turn 12 braking zone, Friesen went wide and was off the course. During the following turn, Kligerman got loose, which allowed Busch to move into third place behind Bowman while Zane Smith continued to lead.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Zane Smith was leading by nearly two seconds over Bowman, who was soon overtaken by Nemechek while Busch was mired back in fourth place ahead of Ben Rhodes. 

With a series of carnages ensuing behind the front-runners, Zane Smith was long gone with the lead as he was able to navigate his way smoothly around the 20-turn circuit with a clear race track in front of him, return to the final frontstretch to the finish line and claim the checkered flag by more than three seconds over John Hunter Nemechek.

In addition to becoming the first repeat winner of this season, Smith notched his fifth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career victory, his second of the season with Front Row Motorsports and his first on a road course event. In addition, Front Row Motorsports’ No. 38 Ford F-150 team led by crew chief Chris Lawson went to Victory Lane at COTA for a second consecutive season after winning the inaugural event with Todd Gilliland in 2021.

“Truck races are crazy,” Smith said on FS1. “You’re never out of it until you’re out of it. Man, what a statement from this team. That’s so crazy to go back-to-back here at a road course like this. Huge thank you to them. It’s been a wild effort they’ve put in this year. That was a wild one, but never over til it’s over.”

Behind, Nemechek rallied from a spin early in the event involving race winner Zane Smith to settle in second place ahead of teammate/boss Kyle Busch, who led a race-high 31 of 46 laps, but was unable to grab his first road course victory in the Truck circuit. Following the event, Busch and Bowman met and exchanged words over the racing and the contact on pit road.

“The season has been frustrating for sure,” Nemechek said on MRN. “We never give up at [Kyle Busch Motorsports]. We never give up as an organization. I didn’t have the fastest truck today. We struggled most of the day. I got spun by Zane [Smith]. I’m a little ticked off there. That’s two weeks in a row that we’ve got screwed by [Smith]. On to next week. I’m going to run the Richmond Xfinity race [with Joe Gibbs Racing]…Hopefully, we can keep this ship righted the right way and take this and carry the momentum. It’s way better finishing second than 24th, 25th, 24th in the first three [races]. Still got a lot to go, a lot to learn and a lot to build on, but a long season ahead.”

We had a great race all day,” Busch said on FS1. “I really appreciate everyone at [Kyle Busch Motorsports] and their hard work and everyone there who does a good job building such fast trucks. I felt like we deserved that one, but it doesn’t matter if you deserve it or not. It’s just a matter if you get it. You have to be the first one to the checkered flag to win these things and we just weren’t.”

Rhodes came home in fourth place while Chandler Smith finished in the top five. Eckes, Ankrum, Hocevar, Friesen and Enfinger completed the top 10 on the track. Notably, Crafton settled in 13th ahead of Grala, Kligerman fell back to 19th place ahead of newcomer Brad Perez and Bowman slipped to 25th place with a wounded truck.

There were 10 lead changes for six different leaders. The race featured eight cautions for 12 laps.

With a fifth-place result, Chandler Smith continues to lead the regular season standings by 15 points over Ben Rhodes, 23 over Stewart Friesen and 31 over Zane Smith and Tanner Gray.

Results.

1. Zane Smith, 11 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner

2. John Hunter Nemechek, one lap led

3. Kyle Busch, 31 laps led

4. Ben Rhodes

5. Chandler Smith, one lap led

6. Christian Eckes

7. Tyler Ankrum

8. Carson Hocevar

9. Stewart Friesen

10. Grant Enfinger

11. Lawless Alan

12. Derek Kraus

13. Matt Crafton

14. Kaz Grala

15. Kris Wright

16. Chase Purdy

17. Tanner Gray

18. Tate Fogleman

19. Parker Kligerman, one lap led

20. Brad Perez

21. Will Rodgers

22. Timmy Hill

23. Spencer Boyd

24. Colby Howard

25. Alex Bowman, one lap led

26. Taylor Gray

27. Austin Wayne Self, one lap down

28. Logan Bearden – OUT, Fuel pump

29. Dean Thompson, six laps down

30. Ty Majeski, seven laps down

31. Matt DiBenedetto – OUT, Rear gear

32. Jack Wood – OUT, Dvp

33. Matt Jaskol – OUT, Electrical

34. Hailie Deegan – OUT, Accident

35. Blaine Perkins – OUT, Transmission

36. Sheldon Creed – OUT, Drivetrain

Next on the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule is the series’ lone event of the season at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia, which will occur on April 7 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.

Fourth to First: Zane Smith Takes Checkers in Wild, Overtime Finish at XPEL 225 Camping World Truck Series Clash at COTA

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Official Release
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Zane Smith weaved through a late-race wreck that took out the top three contenders in double-overtime to claim the checkered flag in the XPEL 225 Camping World Truck Series race at Circuit of The Americas. Photo Credit: NASCAR at COTA/Harold Hinson Photography
  • Kyle Busch led a race-high 31 laps but got caught up in a last-lap crash with Alex Bowman and Stewart Friesen, ultimately finishing third.
  • Tickets for Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas are on sale at NASCARatCOTA.com/Tickets.

AUSTIN, Texas (Feb. 23, 2022) – Four drivers, two overtimes and one corner created a finish for the ages as Zane Smith took the checkered flag in the wild XPEL 225 Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) on Saturday.

Kyle Busch led a race-high 31 laps, but Smith led the one that mattered, coming from fourth to first through the tricky turn 11 hairpin in the second and final overtime. Busch was collected in a crash that also took out contenders Alex Bowman and Stewart Friesen and opened the door for Smith to sweep both stages and take home the victory.

“Truck races are crazy,” Smith said in victory lane following the win, his second of the young season. “You’re never out of it until you’re out of it. That was a wild one.

“Any truck win you can get feels so great, especially when it happens like that in such dramatic fashion. It’s a huge statement from this team. Every single race this year, I’ve been in contention to win.”

Busch, who leads the NCWTS with 61 career wins, seemed destined to earn his first-ever truck series victory on a road course after pulling away from the field late, but the crash relegated him to a third-place finish behind Smith and John Hunter Nemechek.

“Great race all day,” Busch said, crediting his team for giving him a fast Safelite Toyota Tundra. “It doesn’t matter if you deserve it or not, you’ve got to be the first one to the checkers and we were not.”

Ben Rhodes finished fourth while Busch’s teammate, Chandler Smith, finished fifth.

Tickets:

Tickets for Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix are on sale at NASCARatCOTA.com/Tickets. Further details can be found on the NASCAR at COTA website including the full race weekend schedule.

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Toyota Racing – NCWTS COTA Post-Race Report – 03.26.22

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Official Release
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NEMECHEK BATTLES THROUGH THE FIELD TO A RUNNER-UP FINISH
John Hunter Nemechek leads three Kyle Busch Motorsports Tundra TRD Pros in the top-five

AUSTIN, TEXAS (March 26, 2022) – John Hunter Nemechek (second), Kyle Busch (third), Ben Rhodes (fourth) and Chandler Smith (fifth) led Toyota with top-five finishes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series XPEL 225 at Circuit of the Americas on Saturday afternoon.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Circuit of the Americas
Race 4 of 23 – 42 Laps, 143.22 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Zane Smith*
2nd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
3rd, KYLE BUSCH
4th, BEN RHODES
5th, CHANDLER SMITH
6th, CHRISTIAN ECKES
7th, TYLER ANKRUM
9th, STEWART FRIESEN
13th, MATT CRAFTON
16th, CHASE PURDY
18th, TATE FOGLEMAN
20th, BRAD PEREZ
21st, WILL RODGERS
22nd, TIMMY HILL
30th, TY MAJESKI
33rd, MATT JASKOL
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

Finishing Position: 2nd

Can you describe those closing laps and how good this run was for you?

“The season has been frustrating for sure. We never give up at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports). We never give up as an organization. I didn’t have the fastest truck today. We struggled most of the day. I got spun by Zane (Smith). I’m a little ticked off there. That’s two weeks in a row that we’ve got screwed by the 38. On to next week. I’m going to run the Richmond Xfinity race. Thanks to ROMCO Equipment, Toyota, everyone at KBM, TRD for all they do for us. Hopefully, we can keep this ship righted the right way and take this and carry the momentum. It’s way better finishing second than 24th, 25th, 24th in the first three. Still got a lot to go, a lot to learn and a lot to build on, but a long season ahead.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 51 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 3rd

What did you see at the end that happened that forced you to give up the lead at that point?

“We had a great race all day. I really appreciate everyone at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) and their hard work and everyone there who does a good job building such fast trucks. I felt like we deserved that one, but it doesn’t matter if you deserve it or not. It’s just a matter if you get it. You have to be the first one to the checkered flag to win these things and we just weren’t.”

BEN RHODES, No. 99 Tenda Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, ThorSport Racing

Finishing Position: 4th

How are you feeling after a top-five finish?

“I’m definitely glad it is over. I’m pretty tired, I’m not going to lie. Not as bad as I’ve been at some other places. Daytona road course really wore me out a few years ago, but overall our Tenda Toyota Tundra was pretty fast. We made some improvements from last year. I wanted one more spot. I wanted a podium in front of Kyle Busch. I was hoping some of those guys were going to run out of gas. I could feel mine start to sputter and I thought, man, there is hope, but fourth-place isn’t bad. It’s a good points day and we are going to go on to the next one and see what we can do.”

CHANDLER SMITH, No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Kyle Buch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 5th

What was the biggest challenge for you today at COTA?

“Track position and then at the very end – we probably would have ran second if everything had went good. We just had a loose wheel and had to come in and get tires, and we still ended up salvaging a top-five at the very end with the green-white-checkered. Happy with my whole Safelite, ChargeMe Toyota KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) group and on forward.”

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About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Ryan Blaney Puts Mustang on Pole at COTA

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix – Saturday, March 26, 2022

FORD QUALIFYING RESULTS
1st — Ryan Blaney
3rd — Cole Custer
6th — Joey Logano
10th — Austin Cindric
14th — Chase Briscoe
18th — Kevin Harvick
19th — Harrison Burton
22nd — Chris Buescher
25th — Aric Almirola
26th — Brad Keselowski
27th — Michael McDowell
29th — Todd Gilliland
35th — Cody Ware
36th — Loris Hezemans
37th — Boris Said
38th — Joey Hand
39th — Andy Lally

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Richmond Water Heaters Ford Mustang — YOU HAD A BUSY DAY, HOW PROUD ARE YOU OF THE QUALIFYING EFFORT TODAY? “Yeah, this is a nice media center. I have never been in here. Yeah, talk about an up and down day, for sure. From putting it in the barriers on my third lap of practice and not knowing if the car was killed or if we had to go to a backup or what it would take to fix it. It ripped my left side mirror off right when I hit the barriers so I couldn’t see the left side of the car when I was coming back to the pits and I didn’t know how bad the damage was. I knew my wheel was straight and I had flat spots but I got out of the car and looked at it and it scuffed it up but it was nothing too bad. They went through everything thoroughly and looked at stuff and nothing was bent. We got really lucky honestly, right there, from a mistake of mine. Really lucky I hit those plastic blocks or whatever they are. We should put those things everywhere. Then to go out and have speed to put it on the pole. I didn’t know if we were even going to be able to qualify when I wrecked and to be able to come back and have a fast enough car to make it to the second round and then get a good lap in during the final round and barely beat Daniel (Suarez) there, that was really fun. Yeah, an up and down day and it is nice to end it on a high note.”

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO RACE IN A NEW MARKET LIKE AUSTIN IN PRIME CONDITIONS LIKE TODAY AND TOMORROW? “Yeah, it was a lot of fun today, all things considered. Getting laps here, last year we didn’t really get many laps in the dry here. We qualified here and got two or three laps in the dry. This place is a lot of fun. It is a really fast road course with a lot of elevation changes and last year when we were racing in the rain you don’t notice the elevation changes or how unique the track is because you are worried about the rain and staying on the race track. It has been cool to digest everything here with it in prime conditions and getting to learn this current Gen car. We tested it at the Roval in the off-season but it was a different rules package, a higher downforce package. The Roval is kind of its own thing. I didn’t have a lot of time today to get up to speed but it was unique to feel these new cars. I feel like we can hustle them pretty good. The braking zones are big and you can abuse the curbs to an extent. It was good to get a good bit of practice today. I think these things will put on a good race tomorrow. I am looking forward to it.”

THE ACCIDENT IN PRACTICE ASIDE, HOW SURPRISED ARE YOU ABOUT GETTING A POLE ON A ROAD COURSE LIKE THIS AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOURSELF AS A ROAD COURSE DRIVER GIVEN YOUR ROVAL WIN IN THE PAST? “I wouldn’t really say I am a great road course racer by any means. I enjoy road courses a lot and if you take the Roval one away, which was its own deal, I have never been in great contention to win one. I have run top-10 a lot and top-5 a little bit but never the outright speed to go and lead laps and win. I would say I am an average road course racer. Honestly, what made me happy about the pole was that we were fifth in our group, barely made the round of 10, and then picked up half a second I think from my first round to the last round. I was proud that we picked up that speed but it was still a ways off from what those guys ran in their initial runs. So I didn’t know how it was going to stack up. I just enjoyed that we picked up speed and that was nice, but I didn’t think we were going to sit on the pole. I thought we lacked a little speed and I thought Daniel (Suarez) was going to get it from us. It was good to pick up speed. That is really the only thing I look at, just getting your car better every time you go out and we were able to do that. Today it was good enough for the pole. Hopefully, it hangs on for tomorrow.”

HOW DIFFERENT IS THE TRACK WITHOUT THE TURTLES AND CURBS YOU THOUGHT WOULD BE IN THE ESSES VERSUS THE WAY IT IS NOW? “It is completely different for sure. You are putting almost your whole car, as much as you are allowed, to the inside of the curbs because there is nothing there anymore. When we got told that was what it was, and when we saw the turtles weren’t there, we got clarification on the rules and how they will judge that as a judgment call, I guess. It was kind of self-policing before with that curb there. Now it is up to someone’s eyeballs if you are too far off the race track. It is way different. You can straighten the esses out a ton. It makes it easier for us, honestly, because you aren’t having to wrap around those big turtles. It is a good bit different and you are husting through there more than what you could last year even in the dry. Racing it, it is going to be tough honestly to race if you are right behind somebody because you can’t see. If you are tucked up behind someone’s bumper you can’t see very well. Hopefully, they don’t get anybody for barely going in there because they are tucked up behind a car and can’t see and then penalize you. That is just one of the things that I guess you just do your best to follow the rules like you were told and hopefully they don’t get you for something.”

WHAT IF SOMEONE FORCES YOU? “If someone forces you hopefully they understand that. If someone turns in on you there and you are like a foot — if you go into one of the esses side-by-side and you just say F it and bail and you are five car widths below there then they are going to probably get you. If you are a foot or so and someone forces you down there, I think they understand that is just racing.”

A HUGE PENALTY THIS WEEK FOR THE ROUSH CARS, I WAS WONDERING AS A DRIVER IT CAN AFFECT YOU AND YOUR WHOLE SEASON. DOES IT MAKE YOU ASK MORE QUESTIONS OF YOUR TEAM ABOUT THE CARS OR PUT YOU ON NOTICE? “Yeah, it was a big penalty. As far as my position goes, we talk about what we think they did and what we think they were doing. Me and Jonathan talked about it and we kind of understand that the penalties are pretty severe. NASCAR made that clear to us in the off-season. These penalties, if you are caught doing a certain thing, they are going to be pretty severe. Honestly, I think that is the way they need to be. If you are doing something funky and wrong, how is anyone going to learn if you don’t put the smackdown on them? It is nothing against those guys at all. I think that is the way you should do it. As for me, it is really none of my business as far as what the team does on that side of it. They know better than me what is fair and not fair. I hate it for Brad (Keselowski) and all of them. It is a pretty severe penalty. Hopefully, we stay clear of that.”

CHEVY NCS AT COTA: Daniel Suarez Press Conference Transcript

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Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS
ECHOPARK AUTOMOTIVE GRAND PRIX
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 26, 2022

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 COMMSCOPE CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Circuit of The Americas. Press Conference Transcript:

DANIEL, TELL US WHAT YOU THINK YOUR CHANCES ARE THIS WEEKEND HERE AT COTA?
“I think our chances are pretty high. I personally love road course racing. I think everyone knows that. I think that this new car is going to level the field a lot, when it comes to road course racing as well, just like we’ve seen on the ovals. It’s going to be fun. I’m really looking forward to that.

On top of the everything, as we know, Trackhouse Racing has a lot of momentum right now on our side. So, we have to take advantage of that and have fun. I think the last time we were here, in practice and qualifying, we were pretty strong; and then we broke in the race. But I feel like we’ll have good speed, so hopefully we can show that today and tomorrow.”

THIS RACE RAN LAST YEAR IN THE RAIN AND THIS YEAR, IT’S GOING TO BE EXPECTED TO BE SUNNY. WHAT TROUBLE AREAS OF THE TRACK DO YOU EXPECT WITH THE BETTER WEATHER CONDITIONS? IS IT THE SAME WITH THE HAIRPEN ON THE BACKSTRAIGHTAWAY OR DO YOU EXPECTED SOMETHING DIFFERENT?
“I don’t think we can really compare the two because it’s completely different. In the rain, it was just too unpredictable. You don’t really know what to expect, you’re just trying to go as fast as you can and stay out of the trouble. But at one point, we had too much rain.

Tomorrow is going to be more like a regular race. I see a good race happening in the Cup Series; even better than the previous races in Cup road course races. Exactly where the action is going to be, I don’t really know. We’re going to find out in practice. But I’m pretty sure we’re going to have a great race.”

NASCAR HAS SOLD QUITE A FEW TICKETS FOR THIS WEEKEND TO FANS FROM MEXICO. HOW DO YOU SEE THIS EVENT HERE AT COTA FOR THE FUTURE OF NASCAR’S GROWTH?
“It’s amazing. This is one of the few races that my friends and family can actually come from home and drive here. So, it’s amazing to have a lot of Mexican fans in the stands and in the pits. Yesterday, we went to do an event with one of my sponsors, CommScope, to a couple of schools. I got the opportunity to spend some time with them and I was impressed with the amount of kids that were speaking to me in Spanish in the schools. That’s really amazing for me. That made me feel like home. I’m looking forward to seeing some Mexican flags in the grandstands on Sunday.”

WE’VE TALKED ABOUT YOUR ROAD COURSE RACING. BEING BROUGHT UP IN ROAD COURSE RACING IN MEXICO, WHAT IS IT ABOUT ROAD COURSES THAT MAKES YOU STRONG?
“Honestly, I just love road course racing. I find it fascinating. I find it fun. I find it different. I grew up racing go-karts. I never actually raced big cars on road course tracks. A little in NASCAR in Mexico, but not much. But I just enjoy it a lot. I feel that I’ve always been strong at it, but I’ve never been super strong. I have a lot of faith that this car is going to make that difference. I’m excited for that. I’m excited to find that out and see where we can do it.

Right now, I don’t think anyone is the favorite because everything is new. Here in a couple of hours, we’re going to find out a lot about who has the speed and who doesn’t.”

WHERE DO YOU FIND THE BETTER TACOS, CALIFORNIA OR TEXAS?
“I personally found a great place not too far from here. It’s very, very good. I was impressed. I went to this place the last time I was here racing something else and I was impressed with the tacos. Probably one of the best tacos I’ve had in the United States. I came back a couple of days ago and they didn’t disappoint. I remember talking to Julia that there was a lady making the tortillas right there. You know you’re in a good taco place when they have somebody just specifically making tortillas there. It was a good time. Maybe we can go tonight again.”

IT’S NOT IF TRACKHOUSE RACING WILL WIN A CUP RACE, BUT WHEN. WHEN THAT MOMENT FINALLY COMES, WHETHER IT’S FOR YOU OR ROSS (CHASTAIN), WHAT’S THAT MOMENT GOING TO BE LIKE FOR JUSTIN (MARKS)?
“So far, it’s been a really good start. Everybody has been working very hard at Trackhouse Racing and at Chevrolet. We have great equipment and great people. As we all know, great people is key in this sport. You have to have good people around you; not just at the racetrack, but at the shop as well building these cars. I think we have an amazing package right now. We have to keep working because we’re only a couple months into the season and everyone is working hard to either catch-up, get better or stay on top. I feel like we’ve been doing a good job, but there’s always room for improvement. I believe that we can be better than what we’ve been running. We just have to keep pushing. I think the wins are going to come. I personally feel like we have an amazing shot tomorrow, so hopefully we can have a good, clean race. No mistakes, no mechanical issues, and go out there and make a run for it.”

FIVE RACES INTO THIS YEAR, YOU ALREADY HAVE TWO TOP-FIVE’S AND THREE TOP-10’S. DO YOU THINK HAVING A TEAMMATE IN A SECOND CAR AT TRACKHOUSE RACING HAS HELPED OUT YOUR PERFORMANCE THIS YEAR?
“I think it’s a combination of things. Definitely having a direct teammate helps. That’s part of the success. Having that information and sharing that information; knowing exactly what they’re going to do and what we’re going to do. But I think that probably the biggest improvement from last year was the people. Having our own people working towards the speed and having a lot of support from Chevrolet. I think that’s the combination. I feel very, very fortunate to be in this position. We have everything that is required to go out there and be successful. Now, it’s up to us to do the job.”

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

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

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