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Ford Performance NASCAR: Herbst and Sieg Post Top 10 Runs

By
Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Atlanta Motor Speedway | Nalley Cars 250
Saturday, March 19, 2022

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
4th – Riley Herbst
10th – Ryan Sieg
11th – JJ Yeley
23rd – Joe Graf Jr.
24th – Kyle Sieg

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang — YOU FINISHED 4TH BUT YOU DON’T LOOK TOO HAPPY. “Yeah, it’s more disgust to be honest with you. I mean, this is a top five race team week in and week out and we didn’t execute at all on my end – on either end of the race team today – but we got lucky and got another top five finish, which we needed. We didn’t get any stage points, so that hurt us, but, like I said, we worked hard so we’re proud of that on the 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang, but we’ve got to clean some things up if we want to go win some races.”

WHAT ABOUT THE CONTACT WITH MYATT SNIDER AT THE END? “I don’t know. He was dragging sparks. I got through the gears better than him. We’ve got Roush Yates power, I don’t know what to tell you. I pulled to the inside. I was clearly there and he wanted to come down and that was it.”

WHAT ABOUT THE FINAL RESTART AND YOUR THOUGHTS FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE? “I wish we would have been third on that red flag so we had the opportunity to go outside, but we were fourth so I had to push the 21. I knew we were gonna be at a disadvantage on the bottom and all we could do was push and we came home fourth.”

RYAN SIEG, No. 39 CMRoofing.com/A-Game Ford Mustang – DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU DID EVERYTHING YOU COULD THERE AND THEY JUST GOT TOO GOOD OF A PUSH ON THAT LAST LAP? “Yeah, you get too far out there and then you try to block all their runs, but I went to the outside to block his run and he crossed over. There was nothing I could do. You’re pretty much a sitting duck when you’re out front leading like that. You’re just hoping you can block good enough.”

IRONIC IT WAS YOU AND TY? “Yeah, no doubt, but he did help us there and got us to the lead, so it is what it is and we’ll go onto COTA. All in all, it’s great for our team. We’re a small team. We made gains on it, but we’re still lacking a little bit. It’s so tough. Everybody is on it all the time, but to gain on it each week we’re moving in the right direction and we’ll get there. We come back here later in the year and we’ll make it better and hopefully find ourselves in victory lane.”

DID YOU FEEL GOOD AT THE RED FLAG OR FELT YOU WERE A SITTING DUCK? “Yeah, that crossed my mind, but I was thinking positive. I want to think positive and try to do all I can do, but you’re definitely a sitting duck. I don’t want to go too far out, but when you lock bumpers pushing each other there’s not a whole lot I can do. It’s not in my control. He just pushed us out there into the lead, real far out there, and then crossed us over at the end.”

Ty Gibbs storms to a final lap Xfinity victory at Atlanta

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Ted Seminara for SpeedwauMedia.com.

In the first NASCAR Xfinity Series event at the newly reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway that featured close-quarters competition from start to finish, including through two overtime attempts, Ty Gibbs used a bold crossover move on Ryan Sieg on the final lap to win the Nalley Cars 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 19.

The 19-year-old grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs from Charlotte, North Carolina, survived a chaotic afternoon featuring nine cautions as he only led the final lap and became the first repeat winner of this year’s Xfinity Series season.

The starting lineup for the event was determined through the Performance Metrics formula based on four statistics: drivers’ results, owners’ race and points results and the fastest lap from the previous Cup event. With that, Noah Gragson, winner of last weekend’s Xfinity event at Phoenix Raceway, started on pole position. Joining him on the front row was teammate Josh Berry.

The use of the Performance Metrics formula occurred after rain cancelled all on-track activities on Friday, which resulted with the Xfinity competitors receiving a single practice session on Saturday in place of on-track qualifying.

Prior to the event, Matt Mills, Jeffery Earnhardt, Loris Hezemans, Ryan Sieg and Stefan Parsons dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustment to their respective machines. In addition, Riley Herbst pitted prior to the start due to a tire issue.

When the green flag waved and the race started, Gragson took off with an early advantage followed by teammate Josh Berry, Ty Gibbs, Brandon Jones, Trevor Bayne and Justin Allgaier.

By the fifth lap, Gragson was leading by over Brandon Jones followed by Trevor Bayne, Ty Gibbs, AJ Allmendinger and the field.

Through the first 10 laps of the event, Gragson continued to lead by more than a tenth of a second over Jones while Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric and Gibbs were in the top five. Bayne was back in sixth followed by Justin Allgaier, Brandon Brown, Berry and Brett Moffitt were in the top 10.

When the competition caution flew on Lap 20, Gragson fended off Allmendinger to retain the lead and the field. Under the competition caution, some led by Allmendinger pitted while the rest led by Gragson remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Hemric, who initially pitted under the completion caution, pitted again.

On Lap 26, the race restarted under green. At the start, Brandon Jones peaked ahead before Gragson reassumed the lead on the inside lane and when the field returned to the start/finish line. 

By Lap 30, Gragson was leading by more than a tenth of a second over Jones followed by Gibbs, Allgaier, Berry and the field. 

Shortly after, Berry used the inside lane to his advantage as he challenged Jones for the runner-up spot before teammate Gragson moved to the inside lane to retain the lead. That, however, allowed Jones, who was the lead competitor on the outside lane, to challenge Gragson for the lead. 

As the field continued to battle dead even towards the front, Gragson continued to lead followed by Jones and Berry as teammate Sam Mayer joined the battle for the lead.

When the first stage concluded on Lap 40, Berry managed to overtake and edge teammate Gragson to claim the stage victory, which was also his first of the season. Behind Berry and Gragson were teammates Justin Allgaier and Sam Mayer while Trevor Bayne settled in the top five. Austin Hill, Jeb Burton, Brandon Brown, Brandon Jones and Brett Moffitt were scored in the top 10.

Under the stage break, some led by Allmendinger remained on the track while the rest led by Berry pitted.

The second stage started on Lap 47 as Allmendinger and teammate Landon Cassill occupied the front row. At the start, the Kaulig Racing teammates battled dead even until Allmendinger pulled ahead through the frontstretch. With Allmendinger ahead by a narrow margin, Cassill battled Jade Buford for the runner-up spot followed by rookie Austin Hill and Daniel Hemric. 

Just past the Lap 50 mark, Gragson, who was trying to carve his way back to the front, pitted under green after making contact with the outside wall. Not long after, Riley Herbst pitted to address an overheating issue to his Ford.

Back on the track, Allmendinger was leading ahead of teammate Hemric while Jade Buford, Tommy Joe Martins and Sage Karam were in the top five. 

On Lap 60, Allmendinger continued to lead by more than a tenth of a second over teammate Hemric followed by Buford, Martins, Karam, Brandon Brown, Bayne, Allgaier, Jeb Burton and rookie Sheldon Creed.

Ten laps later, Allmendinger remained in the lead ahead of teammate Hemric, Buford, Martins, Karam and the field, with the top-15 competitors separated by less than two seconds. 

When the second stage concluded on Lap 80, Allmendinger retained the top spot as he claimed his first stage victory of the season. Teammate Hemric settled in second followed by Buford, Martins, Karam, Creed, Brown, Hill, Jeb Burton and Cassill.

Under the stage break, the leaders pitted for adjustments as Creed emerged with the top spot.

With 75 laps remaining, the final stage started under green. At the start, Creed received a push from teammate Hill to lead ahead of Allmendinger while the field jostled for positions.

Five laps later, Creed was leading followed by teammate Hill, Jones, Bayne and Buford while Allmendinger, Mayer, Allgaier, Myatt Snider and Gibbs were in the top 10.

Another six laps later, Bayne stormed to the front followed by Snider and Gibbs while Creed and Hill were left battling with Gragson in the top five. Then, an intense side-by-side battle for the lead ignited between Snider and Bayne while Gibbs, Gragson, Creed and Hill were left battling in the top six. 

Under the final 60 laps of the event, the top-15 competitors were separated by a second as Bayne was out in front followed by teammate Gibbs and Gragson. 

Then with 57 laps remaining, the caution flew when Jade Buford spun and wrecked in the backstretch as he also collected Jeremy Clements, Jeb Burton and Anthony Alfredo. The incident spoiled Buford’s strong run towards the front as he parked his car in the garage.

Under caution, some led by Bayne remained on the track while others led by Gragson pitted.

With 51 laps remaining, the race restarted under green as Bayne and Hill battled dead even for the lap. Just as the field returned to the start/finish line, the caution returned when Hemric, who battling Joe Graf Jr. and Brandon Brown in a three-wide battle, slid in front of Joe Graf Jr. and made hard contact against the Turn 4 outside wall.

Following an extensive clean-up session, the race restarted under green with 41 laps remaining. At the start, Hill battled for the lead on the inside lane, but Bayne used the outside lane to fight back on the outside lane. 

During the following lap, Bayne received a push from his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Gibbs and Brandon Jones to storm clear with the lead as Brandon Brown moved into fourth place while Hill was left battling Allmendinger for fifth place.

A few laps later, Hill slipped back to eighth place in front of teammate Sheldon Creed as the front-runners settled in a long single-file line towards the outside wall. By then, Bayne remained as the leader followed by teammates Gibbs and Jones.

Then with 34 laps remaining, the caution flew when Sam Mayer spun across the frontstretch and near the pit road entrance. 

Four laps later and with darkness looming over the track, the race restarted under green. At the start, Bayne rocketed with the lead followed by teammates Gibbs and Jones. Soon after, Brown moved up to fourth followed by Hill while Allmendinger launched a challenge as the lead competitor on the inside lane. Hill, however, moved to the inside lane as he then made a bid for the lead against Bayne.

With 25 laps remaining, the caution flew when Brandon Brown spun in Turn 1 after making contact with Creed, which Brown barely clipped Berry before he spun below the apron. At the moment of caution, Hill emerged with the lead over Bayne. During the caution period, Allgaier pitted while the rest of the field pitted.

Down to the final 20 laps of the event, the race restarted under green as Hill and Gibbs occupied the front row. At the start, Bayne gave Hill a shove for the latter to lead and clear the field. 

With 15 laps remaining, the top-nine competitors were separated under a second as Hill was leading ahead of Allmendinger, Cassill, Berry, Gibbs, Brandon Jones, Kyle Weatherman, Bayne and Ryan Sieg. 

Then with 11 laps remaining, Bayne, who was trying to overtake Hill for the lead on the outside lane, made contact with the outside wall in Turn 1. With the field scrambling and moving to the inside lane, Bayne made contact with Berry in Turn 2, which sent Berry and teammate Gragson around as a multi-car wreck ensued. Among those involved included Allgaier, Mayer, Jeb Burton, Alex Labbe, Martins, Karam, Gibbs and Parsons.

Following another extensive clean-up period, the race restarted with three laps remaining. Just as Hill started to peak ahead of Snider with drafting help from Ryan Sieg, the caution flew and the race was sent into overtime when Riley Herbst clipped and turned Myatt Snider in Turn 1.

During the first overtime attempt, Sieg briefly battled against Hill for the lead when the caution flew due to a three-car wreck that involved Matt Mills, Stefan Parsons and Tommy Joe Martins. The wreck placed the competition in a red flag period before the competitors were sent into a second overtime attempt.

At the start of the second overtime attempt, Hill and Sieg battled dead even through the first two turns and the backstretch before Sieg pulled ahead in Turn 3. 

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Sieg was out in front until a strong crossover move by Gibbs enabled the No. 54 Sport Clips Toyota Supra to storm to the lead entering Turn 1. Meanwhile, Sieg was being overtaken by the field as he received no drafting help to return back to the lead. As the battles continued behind him, Gibbs was gone as he returned to the finish line uncontested and claimed his second checkered flag of this season.

In addition to claiming his second victory of the 2022 Xfinity season, Gibbs recorded his first win in his first NASCAR national touring series start at Atlanta and his sixth career victory in his 23rd series start.

“First of all, I wanna say all glory to God!” Gibbs exclaimed on FS1. “I wanna say thank you for letting Him be able to get me in these moments. Second of all, I wanna say thank you to my team. What the heck? Oh my gosh. I did not expect this at all. That was one of those where I learned a big lesson. Just never give up. Let’s go!”

Hill, who notched his first Xfinity career win at Daytona International Speedway in February, settled in second place followed by AJ Allmendinger while Herbst and Landon Cassill finished in the top five.

Mason Massey, a 25-year-old native from Douglasville, Georgia, notched his first top-10 career result in sixth place while Brandon Jones, Kyle Weatherman, Creed and Sieg completed the top 10 on the track.

There were 11 lead changes for 10 different leaders. The race featured 10 cautions for 56 laps.

Despite finishing 26th, Gragson retains the lead in the regular season standings by 19 points over Ty Gibbs and AJ Allmendinger with Justin Allgaier trailing by 51, Josh Berry by 59 and Brandon Jones over 70.

Results.

1. Ty Gibbs, one lap led

2. Austin Hill, 27 laps led

3. AJ Allmendinger, 41 laps led

4. Riley Herbst

5. Landon Cassill

6. Mason Massey

7. Brandon Jones, one lap led

8. Kyle Weatherman

9. Sheldon Creed, 15 laps led

10. Ryan Sieg, six laps led

11. JJ Yeley

12. Ryan Vargas

13. Jeffrey Earnhardt

14. Brett Moffitt

15. Jeb Burton

16. Anthony Alfredo

17. Shane Lee

18. Brandon Brown

19. Alex Labbe

20. Tommy Joe Maartins

21. Sam Mayer

22. Josh Williams

23. Joe Graf Jr.

24. Kyle Sieg

25. Stefan Parsons

26. Noah Gragson, 38 laps led

27. Jesse Iwuji

28. Trevor Bayne, 38 laps led

29. Bayley Currey

30. Myatt Snider, one lap down, two laps led

31. Matt Mills – OUT, Accident

32. Sage Karem – OUT, Accident

33. Josh Berry – OUT, Accident, three laps led

34. Justin Allgaier – OUT, Accident

35. Daniel Hemric – OUT, Accident

36. Loris Hezemans – OUT, Accident

37. Jeremy Clements – OUT, Accident

38. Jade Buford – OUT, Accident

Next on the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the series’ second trip to Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. The event is scheduled to occur on Saturday, March 26, at 4:30 p.m ET on FS1.

Corey Heim scores first Truck Series career win at Atlanta

By
Andrew Kim
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HAMPTON, GEORGIA - MARCH 19: Corey Heim, driver of the #51 JBL Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Fr8 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 19, 2022 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images).

Rookie Corey Heim executed a bold final lap pass over teammate Chandler Smith and fended off the field to win the Fr8 208 at the newly reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 19, for his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win in his fifth series start.

The 19-year-old Heim from Marietta, Georgia, who competes part-time in the ARCA Menards Series for Venturini Motorsports and in the Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports, led four times for 22 of 150-scheduled laps as he received a boost from teammate John Hunter Nemechek, who was two laps behind, to overtake teammate Chandler Smith at the start of the final lap. Then for a single lap, Heim fended off a pack of storming trucks to notch his first career victory in his second series start of the season.

The starting lineup for the event was determined through the Performance Metrics formula based on four statistics: drivers’ results, owners’ race and points results and the fastest lap from the previous Cup event. With that, Chandler Smith, winner of the previous scheduled Truck event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, started on pole position. Joining him on the front row was Stewart Friesen.

The use of the Performance Metrics formula occurred after rain cancelled all on-track activities on Friday, which resulted with the Truck competitors receiving a single practice session earlier on Saturday in place of on-track qualifying.

Prior to the event, Jordan Anderson, John Hunter Nemechek, Thad Moffitt, Chase Purdy and Ty Majeski dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustment to their respective trucks.

When the green flag waved and the race started, Chandler Smith peaked ahead with an early advantage until Friesen received a strong push from Matt DiBenedetto to take the lead. Then in Turn 3, DiBenedetto got into the outside wall in Turn 3 as the field overtook DiBenedetto’s slow truck through the turn. Meanwhile, Friesen led the first lap ahead of the field as the race continued to run under green. 

Through the first five scheduled laps, Friesen was leading followed by Grant Enfinger, Carson Hocevar, Derek Kraus and Matt Crafton while Chandler Smith, Tyler Ankrum, Christian Eckes, Austin Wayne Self and Tanner Gray were in the top 10. 

By Lap 20, Friesen continued to lead ahead of the field with the competitors mired in a tight, side-by-side battle for positions.

When the first stage concluded on Lap 30, Friesen captured his first Truck stage victory of the season. Enfinger settled in second followed by Kraus, Eckes, Matt Crafton, Gray, Chandler Smith, Ross Chastain, John Hunter Nemechek and Ankrum. Meanwhile, Hailie Deegan pulled her No. 1 David Gilliland Racing Ford F-150 to pit road as her left-rear tire was on fire. The incident was enough to terminate her event on pit road.

Under the stage break, the leaders pitted and Eckes emerged out in front with the lead. During the pit stops, Tyler Ankrum and Rhodes overshot their pit stalls. Chase Purdy and Brennan Poole were busted for speeding while Jesse Little and Chris Hacker were penalized for having a crew member over the pit wall too soon.

The second stage started on Lap 37 as Friesen and Eckes occupied the front row. At the start, the leaders battled dead even through the backstretch until Friesen stormed to the lead on the outside lane. 

At the Lap 40 mark, Friesen was leading by a tenth of a second over Nemechek followed by Eckes, Crafton, Majeski, Kraus, Chandler Smith, Preece, Zane Smith and Enfinger.

Nearing the Lap 50 mark, the caution flew due to debris on the frontstretch that came off of the No. 20 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST piloted by Matt Mills. Under caution, some led by Friesen pitted while the rest of the field led by Nemechek remained on the track.

With five laps remaining in the second stage, the race restarted under green. At the start, Nemechek received a push from Eckes on the outside lane to peak ahead of Majeski for the lead. A few laps later, Majeski received a push from Chandler Smith to move in front of Nemechek for the lead. 

Then prior to the final lap of the second stage, Nemechek bolted to the inside lane to reassume the lead over Majeski followed by teammate Chandler Smith. Shortly after, the caution flew due to a tire tread that came off of Ross Chastain’s No. 41 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST. The caution was enough for the second stage scheduled for Lap 60 to conclude under caution as Nemechek captured the stage victory. Majeski settled in second followed by Chandler Smith, Eckes, Ankrum, Crafton, Dean Thompson, Gray, Hocevar and Preece were scored in the top 10.

Under the stage break, names like Friesen, Rhodes, Enfinger and Jack Wood remained on the track while the rest of the field remained on the track. 

The third and final stage restarted under green on Lap 66. At the start, Grant Enfinger muscled his GMS Racing machine to the top spot over Friesen.

Then on Lap 68, the caution flew for a multi-truck wreck in Turn 3 that consumed Eckes, Jack Wood, Dean Thompson and Lawless Allen. Under caution, some including Preece remained on the track while the rest led by Enfinger pitted.

Seven laps later, the race restarted under green. At the start, Heim received a push from teammate Chandler Smith to retain the lead over Preece while the field jostled for positions.

The caution returned, however, on Lap 80 when Tate Fogleman spun on the frontstretch. Four laps later, the race proceeded under green as Heim moved into the lead over Preece. By then, Enfinger, who pitted, was penalized for running over his air hose on pit road.

Then on Lap 91, the caution once again flew when Jordan Anderson and Tanner Gray made contact entering Turn 1, which got Anderson loose as he came down across the track and hit Tate Fogleman, which then sent Fogleman hard against the Turn 1 outside wall. 

With 38 laps remaining, the final stage started. At the start, Majeski shoved teammates Rhodes to the lead over Heim as the field fanned out to three lanes through the backstretch. 

With the majority of the field settling in a long single file line, Rhodes was ahead of teammate Majeski, Heim, Preece and Zane Smith while Chandler Smith, Kraus, Nemechek, Chastain and Friesen were in the top 10.

Following an incident involving Kris Wright with 35 laps remaining, the race restarted under green six laps later. At the start, the field locked in a side-by-side battle for the top spot until Rhodes managed to retain the lead by a narrow margin. Shortly after, Heim challenged Rhodes for the lead as he led the following lap. With Heim and Rhodes running the outside lane along with Preece, Chandler Smith challenged on the inside lane followed by Kraus. 

Not long after, the battle for the lead intensified between Heim and Chandler Smith, both of whom representing Kyle Busch Motorsports and as Georgia natives competing at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Meanwhile, teammate Nemechek, who was running near the top 10, was off the pace after making contact with Crafton through the backstretch. 

Down to the final 20 laps of the event and with the battle for the lead fanning out to two lanes as the top-20 competitors were mired in a tight pack towards the front, Chandler Smith was ahead over teammate Heim followed by Tanner Gray, Friesen and Tyler Ankrum. 

Five laps later, Chandler Smith settled with an advantage of more than a tenth of a second over teammate Heim while Friesen, Zane Smith and Rhodes were in the top five. Majeski was in sixth followed by Gray, Austin Wayne Self, Kraus and Ankrum.

With 10 laps remaining, Chandler Smith continued to lead followed by teammate Heim, Friesen, Zane Smith, Rhodes and the field.

Down to the final five laps of the event, the front-runners continued to run in a single file line with the top-11 trucks separated by more than a second as Chandler Smith remained in the lead ahead of teammate Heim, Zane Smith, Rhodes and Majeski. By then, Nemechek, who was two laps down, blended in with the leaders.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Heim made his move beneath teammate Chandler Smith followed by teammate Nemechek, Rhodes and the field while Chandler Smith was trapped on the outside lane. Through the backstretch and Turn 3, Heim continued to lead as Rhodes tried to make a final lap charge for the top spot. With the field fanning out approach the finish line, Heim managed to streak across the finish line in first place to claim his first checkered flag by 0.173 seconds over Rhodes.

With the victory, Heim became the 119th different competitor to achieve a Truck Series victory and the 12th to do so while competing for Kyle Busch Motorsports as KBM notched its fourth Truck victory at Atlanta. Heim is scheduled to compete in 13 of the remaining 21 Truck events in KBM’s No. 51 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro.

“That was awesome!” Heim said on FS1. “I can’t believe it. We just put ourselves in the right place at the right time. Our JBL Tundra TRD Pro was amazing today. Just can’t thank everyone enough back at the shop. Toyota Racing helped so much to get here and this truck looks awesome in Victory Lane. So glad to be here.”

“[There were] No team orders there [for the finish],” Heim added. “As long as one [Kyle Busch Motorsports] truck won, that’s all that matters. [Teammate Chandler Smith] did an awesome job defending for most of the race there and [teammate John Hunter Nemechek] stuck with me when it mattered the most. [I] Got to give all the credit to John Hunter Nemechek for helping out there. It’s surreal. Awesome.” 

Rhodes settled in second place followed by Majeski while Chandler Smith fell back to fourth place in front of Zane Smith.

“I would’ve liked to duke it out with [Heim], just us and not have anyone else in the middle of it,” Chandler Smith said. “It is what it is. I’m happy for [the 51 team]. That’s their first win of the year and first win for Corey. That’s exciting, I remember how it was to get my first and it was a really cool moment. Happy for him and happy for that whole group. [Crew chief Danny] Stockman and everybody back at KBM. They give me a really fast Safelite/Charge Me/NGE Roofing Toyota Tundra TRD Pro today. It just sucks that it had to end like that. I wish we could’ve duked it out.

Friesen, Preece, Gray, Kraus and Austin Wayne Self came home in the top 10. Notably, Enfinger finished 14th, Eckes finished 17th, Nemechek and Crafton finished 24th and 25th and DiBenedetto settled in 30th.

There were 18 lead changes for 10 different leaders. The race featured seven cautions for 40 laps.

With his fourth-place result, Chandler Smith continues to lead the regular season standings by 13 points over Tanner Gray, 17 over Ty Majeski, 26 over Stewart Friesen and 27 over Ben Rhodes.

Results.

1. Corey Heim, 22 laps led, 

2. Ben Rhodes, nine laps led

3. Ty Majeski, one lap led

4. Chandler Smith, 21 laps led

5. Zane Smith

6. Stewart Friesen, 49 laps led, Stage 1 winner

7. Ryan Preece, four laps led

8. Tanner Gray

9. Derek Kraus

10. Austin Wayne Self

11. Tyler Ankrum

12. Grant Enfinger, 14 laps led

13. Jack Wood

14. Chase Purdy

15. Jesse Little

16. Christian Eckes, three laps led

17. Chris Hacker

18. Jordan Anderson

19. Matt Jaskol

20. Spencer Boyd, one lap down

21. Kris Wright, one lap down

22. Timmy Hill, one lap down

23. Ross Chastain, two laps down

24. John Hunter Nemechek, two laps down, 11 laps led, Stage 2 winner

25. Matt Crafton, two laps down, one lap led

26. Colby Howard, two laps down

27. Carson Hocevar, three laps down

28. Brennan Poole, five laps down

29. Blaine Perkins, nine laps down

30. Matt DiBenedetto, 12 laps down

31. Tate Fogleman – OUT, Accident

32. Thad Moffitt – OUT, Engine

33. Lawless Alan – OUT, Accident

34. Dean Thompson – OUT, Accident

35. Matt Mills – OUT, Suspension

36. Hailie Deegan – OUT, Tire

Next on the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule is the series’ second annual event at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, which will occur on Saturday, March 26, at 1 p.m. ET on FS1.

Georgia native Corey Heim wins Fr8 208 at Atlanta Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
-
Photo credit: Harold Hinson Photography

HAMPTON, Ga. (March 19, 2022) – On a historic day at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a Peach State driver stepped into the spotlight.

Corey Heim passed Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate Chandler Smith just after the white flag and brought home his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory in the Fr8 208 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Saturday.

The 19-year-old from Marietta, driving the No. 51 Toyota, received some drafting help from a third Kyle Busch Motorsports driver, John Hunter Nemechek, as he passed Smith, another Georgia native, heading into Turn 1, then held off Ben Rhodes at the start-finish line.

“That was awesome,” Heim said. “We put ourselves in the right place at the right time.

“As long as a KBM truck won, that’s all that matters.”

Saturday’s race was the first NASCAR event on Atlanta Motor Speedway’s revamped track, which features 28 degrees of banking in every turn of the 1.54-mile layout and the Speedway’s first new asphalt layer since 1997.

“I’m at a lack of words a little bit,” said Heim, who led 22 laps. “I’ve watched Cup Series races here since I was two years old. It’s very surreal. To be here and win at my home track, I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Ty Majeski finished third, with Chandler Smith slipping to fourth and Zane Smith rounding out the top five.

Nemechek won Stage 2, but a mishap on the backstretch midway through Stage 3 cost him two laps. Getting back on the track, Nemechek powered to third in the front line behind Smith and Heim and followed Heim when he made his move on the final lap.

“I would have liked to duke it out just me and the 51,” said Chandler Smith, a Talking Rock native who led 21 laps. “Happy for Corey on his first win.”

Nemechek finished 24th while Stage 1 winner Stewart Friesen placed sixth and led a race-high 49 laps.

Heim completed the 208 miles in 1 hour, 54 minutes and 14 seconds, averaging 109.182 mph. Eleven drivers exchanged the lead 10 times, with seven caution periods taking up 40 laps.

Action at Atlanta continues later this afternoon with the Nalley Cars 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race (5 p.m. FS1). Noah Gragson will start on the pole, determined by NASCAR’s formula after qualifying was canceled following Friday’s inclement weather.

The weekend’s centerpiece is Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 NASCAR Cup Series race (3 p.m., FOX). Chase Briscoe will start on the pole position.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com or call 877-9-AMS-TIX.

Chevrolet NTT IndyCar Series – XPEL 375 At Texas Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
XPEL 375
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FT. WORTH, TEXAS
TEAM CHEVY ALL CHEVROLET FRONT ROW
MARCH 19, 2022

FELIX ROSENQVIST, NO. 7 VUSE ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, AND SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 XPEL TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, GIVE TEAM CHEVY SECOND CONSECUTIVE FRONT ROW IN 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES COMPETITION

TEAM CHEVY CAPTURES SIX OF TOP-10 STARTERS FOR XPEL 375

FT. WORTH (MARCH 19, 2022) – For the second consecutive event, Chevrolet power has occupied the front row for the start of the NTT INDYCAR Series race. Felix Rosenqvist captured his second-career, but first with Chevy power, NTT P1 Award in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Vuse Chevrolet. Streets of St. Petersburg winner Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet will start alongside Rosenqvist.

A total of six Chevrolet-powered drivers qualified in the top-10 for tomorrow’s 248-lap XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway. In addition to Rosenqvist and McLaughlin, Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, qualified fourth, Josef Newgarden, No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet, will roll off seventh of the 27-car grid with Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, starting in the eighth and 2021 Texas winner Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, rolling off 10th on the outside of the fifth row.

FRONT ROW QUOTES:
FELIX ROSENQVIST:
GOOD RUN THERE:
“Getting that run that early is just killing you. There are so many guys here close. I had a couple of guys within thousandths. I just have to thank Arrow McLaren SP, Chevy, and Vuse. The car felt so good, and I knew that lap was pretty much as good as I could have made it. It was just so hard to wait for so long to get it. This is huge for the team andh for myself as far as a big confidence boost. Big comeback after some tough times. I am really pleased for everyone on my team to get this result. It’s awesome. So now we will just switch focus to the race and see what we can do.”

A RACETRACK NEVER OWES YOU ONE HERE, BUT LET’S TALK ABOUT 2020 HERE. IT LOOKED LIKE YOU MIGHT WIN THAT RACE. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU REPLAYED THAT AND SAID I WOULD LIKE TO GET BACK TO VICTORY LANE?
“At this race so many times we have been close, at the front and fighting for wins. For whatever reason it hasn’t happened, but I feel this time we have a better chance than ever. Its nice to start up front and I think we have every reason to be good. We just need to keep executing the pit stops, the restarts and just take it one lap at a time.”

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN:
ON QUALIFYING:
“I certainly felt I had a little bit of scrub off turn one and two on that last lap, and that potentially — it may have cost me a little bit, scrubbed a little bit of speed there. I knew it, so on three and four I was like, oh, I’m making a little bit of a weight jack adjustment and bars, but then I looked at the score and I was, like, 209.9 at the end. That might not be enough, and then sure enough they said P2. Like I said, great job for Team Chevy to have a front row. I think it’s three in the top four, so it’s leaps and bounds, and we’re getting ready for Indy now.”

Chevrolet and the NTT INDYCAR Series continue the 2022 season at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 20 from Texas Motor Speedway. The race will air live on NBC, the Peacock streaming service and SiriusXM IndyCar Nation (Channel 160). Live timing and scoring will be available at racecontrol.indycar.com.

Felix Rosenqvist and Scott McLaughlin Press Conference
THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. We are joined by the front row — well, half of the front row, anyway, for tomorrow’s XPEL 375, soon to be joined by Felix Rosenqvist. Joined right now by Scott McLaughlin, suddenly on a roll now after a win a couple of weeks ago at St. Pete and now getting it done once again on the oval here at Texas Motor Speedway. Just your general thoughts about qualifying?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, thank you. It’s certainly good to be on the XPEL card and to be on the front row is certainly job security me. Certainly feel pretty feel strong in race trim and qual trim, and our test day last week really helped us hone in on some of the balance that we wanted, but Felix’s lap was really strong. From the outside I knew that was going to be pretty tough, but to be close to him and not far off it was a testament to us and how we were able to react to the temperatures and a few other things. Pretty happy just to put a time on the board.

THE MODERATOR: The difference being 3,000ths of a second.
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yes.

THE MODERATOR: You wonder what you could have done out there?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Oh, man, should have gone for a lead. (Laughing). You never know. No, sorry. I shouldn’t say that. That’s not very Penske.
No, I certainly felt I had a little bit of scrub off turn one and two on that last lap, and that potentially — it may have cost me a little bit, scrubbed a little bit of speed there. I knew it, so on three and four I was like, oh, I’m making a little bit of a weight jack adjustment and bars, but then I looked at the score and I was, like, 209.9 at the end. That might not be enough, and then sure enough they said P2. Like I said, great job for Team Chevy to have a front row. I think it’s three in the top four, so it’s leaps and bounds, and we’re getting ready for Indy now.

THE MODERATOR: We’re joined by some virtually. If you don’t mind those that are on the zoom, go ahead and you can type in those questions into the chat, and we will attempt to pass those along to Scott and Felix eventually. For those of you in person, let’s go ahead and begin with Q & A.
Q. Scott, for this front row right after you had the great start to the season at St. Pete, how much of this is really keeping the momentum going, and how important is the momentum to continue to fight for the championship?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I know very well how much momentum is helpful towards a championship charge, and it’s all about consistency. I said to you guys at St. Pete that a top seven every race is really our goal. I think it’s going to be good for our points and everything like that, but knowing that we had a great car coming here, I knew that we could keep that momentum, so it helps coming to track set. Now I know, and now I know how we’re going to react. Look, the points are tomorrow, so we have to make sure we have a clean race and be solid. I feel like we’ve got a race car that can compete for the race tomorrow.

Q. Scott, you’ve got three Chevies in the top four there with Felix on pole and Power in fourth. How competitive do you think Chevy will be tomorrow in the race?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Hopefully decent. Who knows? I think it’s going to be interesting how the second groove rubbers in and where the runs come from, but I think certainly you can’t go any better. Everyone has got it on full steam for qualifying. Everything is turned up, so that’s a great testament to Chevy and a great sort of warm-up for the next time we qualify at that speed is Indy, so it puts a little bit of confidence there for everyone to make sure that there’s been good changes in the offseason. I know they’ve been working their tails off, so we’ll see what we’ve got on the race. Like I said, it’s going to be interesting how the draft works and lots of stuff. We’ll find out this afternoon how it is as well. I’m excited. I love racing here at Texas. Such a good place, so I think it’s going to be interesting.

Q. Scott, there’s always this age-old debate of momentum actually exists in motor sports. Some drivers say yes; some drivers say no. Do you believe in it, and have you sensed a difference in the team since the St. Pete win?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I think there’s momentum and also self-belief and believing that you guys can do it as a squad, guys and girls. I think the Car 3 team, before we went to St. Pete we believed we could pop out a result here and there and be strong, but the way that St. Pete went for us was fantastic. Certainly when you have that confidence early, it’s a fantastic thing, but now it’s all about keeping that going, and, yeah, I believe the momentum is that. The momentum, you’ve got to — even if we did qualify a little bit further down today, I still think we would have rolled into tomorrow’s race feeling pretty good.
It’s a good vibe on the team, and I put that down to Benny Bretzman. He is such a great team leader, great for the camaraderie between the guys and girls on the team. He puts a lot of confidence in me and my ability. That certainly is a momentum-builder for all, for sure.

Q. Building off of that, this was your best track in terms of results last year, so could you have picked a better place to go next after St. Pete, the place where you finished in second last year?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: It’s nice, certainly, and to roll out of qualifying the last car where the track is the best and all that kind of stuff. That helps, but for me I’m just kind of each track, I know what I did last year, but at the same time this is a new downforce package, that kind of stuff. I am taking it in that I have two race experiences here that can really bode me well for when I head out tomorrow.
For instance, like going into practice today, last week we had five cars on track, and it was a bit busy, and then today we had 27, and it was madness. It was like L.A. traffic. It was crazy out there. Certainly for me as a rookie last year I probably would have flipped out a little bit going, well, this is crazy, but today I felt pretty comfortable and just picked my spots and got going.

Q. Scott, two questions ago you said, “I love racing here,” and you were second in your debut here, and it makes no sense at all that you would have never raced an oval and you ran well and you love it. Why? How does that happen?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I think I just — I don’t know. I just enjoy ovals. I enjoy the challenge. It’s very intricate. You have to think about all parts of the corner. There’s almost eight or ten parts of the corner that you have to really think about to give feedback for the engineer. We took turns one, two, three, four, but for me I break it up into almost 20 parts throughout the track, and I enjoy that.
I guess one thing as well last year for me was I had bad habits on the road course, straight course that I had to iron out, and ovals I could come and just be brand new. I just learned off Will and Josef and Simon. I just copied what they were doing and found my own way, and I’m really enjoying it, and I just love the racing.
INDYCAR is oval racing. I feel like we have to have ovals. I enjoy it. It’s part of our DNA, and that’s why I’ve come to America for INDYCAR racing for ovals.

Q. Talked to Roger briefly this morning, and once again he said how special he thinks you are. There’s a sentiment that you can get hot and just roll off a bunch of wins or great finishes. Do you ever have a feeling when you know that that’s about to happen for you?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: No, but like I said, it’s self-belief. You just go out and wheel the thing and see what you’ve got. I feel comfortable with what I’ve got, and I put myself down that I can be as good as anyone in this series, and that’s why I’ve come here to challenge myself. Yeah, confidence is a big thing, and I lost a little bit of that last year, and it’s nice to get some of that back, but we’ll see what we’ve got tomorrow. Yeah, all good.

Q. You were mentioning your love for racing here at Texas and with a lot of the talking being on if this race will be on the schedule after this season, how do you place that? How important is Texas Motor Speedway and this track on the INDYCAR schedule, in your opinion?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I had my best result here last year, so it’s pretty important to me. Look, I enjoy racing. Like I said, I think oval racing is important for the category, and the people that are a lot higher pay grade will choose exactly where that needs to provide the best product for our fans, to our sponsors, all that sort of stuff.
We certainly have a great — I feel like we are trying to get the racing a little better here. Last year it was hard with the one-lane groove, but hopefully this year it’s better, and especially when I’m set on P2 against Felix, I would love to be able to hold the outside and see what we’ve got. Who knows? We’ll see.

Q. Are you going to put that new aero piece on, and do you think everybody is putting it on tomorrow from this practice?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I don’t know. I don’t know, man. I just drive the thing. I don’t know. Sorry.

THE MODERATOR: Scott, we’ll let you go. We will see you in the front row tomorrow. Obviously joined by Felix Rosenqvist, second career pole position. It’s been a couple of years now. 2019, IMS road course, first pole position.
Coming back to an oval. Go ahead and have a seat if you want. Just your general thoughts about your qualifying run and maybe the tense moments to watch everyone else that went after you to go after that time.
FELIX ROSENQVIST: I know, it was a bit of a torture to watch that thing unfold, and, yeah, it was two really good laps. I kind of felt already this morning, to be honest, you felt that the car was in the window. There wasn’t much balance changes needed, and it was the same thing during the qualifying laps. It was just kind of like in the zone where you wanted it.
The first lap was a bit loose, and the second lap was a bit under-steered, but you’re never going to get it right. Yeah, it was good. It feels really good. I think for the whole Arrow McLaren SP Team and the 7 Car in general, it couldn’t have been better timing to get this pole. It’s a good boost mentally for all the guys and girls working on the car, and I think everyone just showed today that we refocused and came back. A little bit of a disappointment in St. Pete and, obviously, last year, but coming back here just fully focused and doing our own thing and putting the car on pole is really amazing.

Q. Felix, you may have just heard Scott say how last year he lost a little bit of confidence with the way he was performing, and I’m wondering if you had any of those same issues as you kind of struggled if had your move to McLaren?
FELIX ROSENQVIST: Sure. When you don’t have a good result, there’s always excuses and reasons and things, but if you don’t have the result, then at the end of the day it’s going to eat away at your confidence, right? Definitely. I feel like I’ve done a good job recharging every weekend, and I’ve gone into every weekend positively, but you don’t actually have the confidence that you can do it in a way because the last time I had a good result was really a long time ago. Things like this is really important where you just kind of break the trend and like, hey, you can do this, we can do this. Our car is strong. We do a good job. We don’t need to focus too much on the others, and just do our thing. Yeah, confidence if something goes up and down for sure.

Q. Did you have to do anything, like any offseason reset, to come in fresh with a whole new approach or anything?
FELIX ROSENQVIST: I mean, I think it goes from track to track. Particularly this track is a track where I feel very confident, and last year we had two really good races here. We just didn’t get a good finish for other reasons really, but yeah, I feel like you sometimes have to forget what happened and just kind of have fun with it. Don’t overthink things. You need to think — there are so many details you need to do right, but if you start thinking too much, you’re never going to get better, so at some point you just have to let go of the demons and just jump in the car and have fun, and I think that was a good example today.

Q. You’ve shown at practice you were quick and now qualifying, and with such a quick turn, what’s your major expectation going in the race with more traffic? It will be much warmer and the timing much different compared to what we’re going to do on race day in the morning.
FELIX ROSENQVIST: I think everyone wonders how it’s going to race. It’s going to be interesting. First practice was more of a qualifying practice for everyone, so we didn’t really know how the cars raced, but obviously, we have that practice where we’re going to rubber in the high-line or try to at least. Yeah, I don’t know, man.
I think we’re going to see. Whatever happens, I think we have a good package. That’s what I’m excited about that. We have a good car and race trim, and we kind of know what we need to do if we’re lacking something, what tools we can use. As a team we’re pretty confident that we can execute well, but, yeah, I have no idea how the race is going to turn out. At least we have the front row. That’s good.

Q. With as potentially difficult a pass as it’s going to in the race, not quite sure yet, did you focus more on qualifying setup versus race setup?
FELIX ROSENQVIST: Our first practice was just all about qualifying. I don’t know, I think some cars that tested here previously went out and did some race running, but I think most of the field treated that as a Fast Friday or something like that, and then it will be race focus from here on out, but we had really good race — actually, I think we’re going to be even stronger in the race. I mean, I can’t promise that, but we have every reason to think that we have a good package overall, and I think the strength in our car here is very confidence-inspiring. It never really feels edgy. It’s just really good setup, so, yeah, we’re happy going into the race.

Q. Felix, you mentioned you had two good races here last year, and until the end, 2020 you ran really well too. Is there something about this place that clicked, and is this sort of like where oval racing kind of became second nature for you?
FELIX ROSENQVIST: For sure. I mean, I remember the first time I came here. Then it was definitely not fun. I was really scared the first time I was here, and it was actually the first super speedway I ever did, but, yeah, I think from 2020 onwards it’s been a track where I feel really calm and confident, and I kind of know how to attack the race and how to work with the driving line and how the car needs to be set up, and I think it suits me pretty well naturally, and, yeah, definitely I feel like I have some unfinished business at Texas.

Q. Even though Scott would not admit and maybe none of the drivers will admit whether they’re going to use those extra aero pieces that INDYCAR has approved, there’s the side walls and the trim walls, and I understand it’s supposed to give you more downforce. Do you think that you would want that in the race? I assume you practice with it. Maybe you didn’t. Maybe you’re going to do some this afternoon. I think it would help you have more stability in trying to overtake.
FELIX ROSENQVIST: I mean, that’s normally the case, right? You want to have as much downforce as you can have. We haven’t tried it yet because we just have been focusing on qualifying, but I think it’s a good chance a lot of people will run it, but I honestly — as Scott said, I don’t really know what’s the plan in the engineering track right now. Just driving. (Laughing).

Q. Felix, going back to Nate’s question, you said this is the first super speedway you ever drove on. A little bit scared. How much have you learned about yourself as a driver and about driving a race car over the course of the few years you’ve driven here, whether it’s test sessions, practice, qualifying, or race?
FELIX ROSENQVIST: I think a lot. On these kind of tracks you’re always your own worst enemy, right? You’re always debating with yourself. You know, should I trim out? Should I change my tools? Should I go freer? Should I go tighter? It’s always a constant mental thing, and I think it showed that just attacking it a bit more calmly has been good for me. Not overthinking it.
Kind of same at Indy. Also getting better and better every year. I mean, you can really get deep inside your head on this these places and same thing there. You just have to, like, trust yourself and switch off and do it.

THE MODERATOR: Our friend on Zoom wants to know if your overall opinions of ovals have changed since you first arrived in the series?
FELIX ROSENQVIST: For sure. It was a definite struggle for me in the beginning. It was my weakest point. My first year I was actually one of the better runners on the road courses, but my oval performance was really, and I think last year was pretty much opposite, and hopefully this year it will be a mix of both, but, yeah, I mean, we have days like this, and it’s fantastic, but when you have a rough day on Texas Motor Speedway, it’s not fun. That’s when you really see the true champions, I think, come out.

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.

Rosenqvist Edges McLaughlin for XPEL 375 pole

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Official Release
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ARROW McLaren SP Racing Chevrolet driver Felix Rosenqvist celebrates in Texas Motor Speedway's SpeedyCash.com Victory Lane after earning pole position for the March 20 NTT INDYCAR Series XPEL 375 (Getty Images photo)
  • ARROW McLaren SP driver beats Team Penske driver by 0.003-of-a-second for second series pole
  • Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson will start 18th in NTT IndyCar Series oval debut

FORT WORTH, Texas (March 19, 2022) – Felix Rosenqvist posted a fast lap early on in qualifying and then had to outlast a valiant charge from the 27th and final car on the track to earn the pole position for Sunday’s NTT IndyCar Series XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway.

The driver of the No. 7 ARROW McLaren SP Racing Chevrolet completed his two-lap qualifying run at 46.8906 seconds at 221.110 mph, besting No. 2 qualifier Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 Team Penske XPEL Chevrolet) by just 0.003-of-a-second with his run of 46.8936 at 221.096. It was the second series pole for the Swedish native, whose first came in 2019 at the INDYCAR Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“Getting that run that early is just killing you,” said Rosenqvist. “There are so many guys here close. I had a couple of guys within thousandths. I just have to thank Arrow McLaren SP, Chevy, and Vuse. The car felt so good, and I knew that lap was pretty much as good as I could have made it. It was just so hard to wait for so long to get it.

“This is huge for the team and for myself as far as a big confidence boost. Big comeback after some tough times. I am really pleased for everyone on my team to get this result. It’s awesome. So now we will just switch focus to the race and see what we can do.”
The balance of the top-10 qualifiers were Takuma Sato (No. 21 Dale Coyne Racing with RWR Honda), Will Power (No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet), Scott Dixon (No. 9 PNC Bank Honda), Helio Castroneves (No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing Honda), Josef Newgarden (No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet), Rinus VeeKay (No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet), Colton Herta (No. 26 Andretti Autosport with Curb/Agajanian Honda) and 2021 XPEL 375 winner Pato O’Ward (No. 5 ARROW McLaren SP Chevrolet). The first five drivers posted average speeds of more than 221 mph.

Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time NASCAR Series Champion and seven-time race winner at Texas Motor Speedway who is making his NTT INDYCAR SERIES oval debut in the XPEL 375, put the No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda 18th on the pylon with a two-lap run of 47.1562 at 219.865. He will line up on the outside of Row 9.

Texas Motor Speedway’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES two-lap qualifying record is 46.586 at 222.586, established in 2017 by Charlie Kimball for Chip Ganassi Racing.

Rosenqvist was presented with a Henry Big Boy Texas Tribute edition rifle in SpeedyCash.com Victory Lane for winning the pole.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES XPEL 375 will be broadcast live Sunday, March 20, on NBC beginning at 11:30 a.m. CT, with the green flag scheduled to wave over the 27-car field at 11:45 a.m. (Radio – INDYCAR Radio Network, SiriusXM Radio INDYCAR Nation Ch. 160 and 95.9 The Ranch).

NOTES: Simon Pagenaud (No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda) topped the speed charts in the Saturday morning’s chilly practice session with a best run of 23.2376 seconds at 223.087 mph. Rosenqvist was second, Herta third, series rookie Callum Ilott (No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet) fourth and McLaughlin fifth. Johnson was 22nd fastest at 23.5181 at 220.426.

INDYCAR has allowed seven teams an additional 30 minutes of practice this afternoon to run the upper racing lane in the hope of laying down enough tire rubber to help in providing a second racing lane for Sunday’s XPEL 375. The drivers participating in the 4-4:30 p.m. session will be Ed Carpenter, Castroneves, O’Ward, Will Power, Graham Rahal, Rosenqvist and Sato. The full field will then practice from 4:45-5:45 p.m.

TICKETS:
Texas Motor Speedway is offering a $48 special promotion for two tickets to the race. Tickets for children 12 and under are only $10. For more information on tickets and the race, please visit www.texasmotorspeedway.com.

Tickets for Texas Motor Speedway’s 2022 major event season, including the March 20 NTT INDYCAR SEREIS XPEL 375/American Flat Track races and, May 22 NASCAR All-Star Race, are on sale now at https://www.texasmotorspeedway.com/events/season-tickets/.

MORE INFO:
Keep track of all of Texas Motor Speedway’s busy schedule by following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Keep up with all the latest news and information on the speedway website and TMS mobile app.

Chevrolet NTT IndyCar Series – XPEL 375 At Texas Motor Speedway

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
XPEL 375
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
JUSTIN, TEXAS
TEAM CHEVY POLE WINNER QUICK QUOTE
MARCH 19, 2022

FELIX ROSENQVIST, NO. 7 ARROW MCLAREN VUSE CHEVROLET, WINS THE NTT P1 AWARD AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY TO GIVE CHEVROLET TOW CONSECUTIVE POLES:

GOOD RUN THERE:

“Getting that run that early is just killing you. There are so many guys here close. I had a couple of guys within thousandths. I just have to thank Arrow McLaren SP, Chevy, and Vuse. The car felt so good, and I knew that lap was pretty much as good as I could have made it. It was just so hard to wait for so long to get it. This is huge for the team and for myself as far as a big confidence boost. Big comeback after some tough times. I am really pleased for everyone on my team to get this result. It’s awesome. So now we will just switch focus to the race and see what we can do.”

A RACETRACK NEVER OWES YOU ONE HERE, BUT LET’S TALK ABOUT 2020 HERE. IT LOOKED LIKE YOU MIGHT WIN THAT RACE. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU REPLAYED THAT AND SAID I WOULD LIKE TO GET BACK TO VICTORY LANE?

“At this race so many times we have been close, at the front and fighting for wins. For whatever reason it hasn’t happened, but I feel this time we have a better chance than ever. Its nice to start up front and I think we have every reason to be good. We just need to keep executing the pit stops, the restarts and just take it one lap at a time.”

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.

Chevy NCS at Atlanta: Ross Chastain Press Conference Transcript

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Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FOLDS OF HONOR QUIKTRIP 500
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
MARCH 19, 2022

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 ADVENT HEALTH CAMARO ZL1, Press Conference Transcript:

YOU DID THE TEST HERE AND YOU WERE JUST ON THE TRACK IN A TRUCK. IS IT WHAT YOU EXPECTED?
“Yeah, there were some differences. They smoothed out a lot of the issues that they had. The truck drives a lot different. I was at the limit of the rear tires the whole practice, so we were pretty loose. I didn’t have any of that with the Cup car. It was a handful in the truck and I think they did a good job smoothing out some of the bumps and dips.”

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHANGE YOU’VE SEEN OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS FROM WHERE YOU’RE AT NOW, JUST WITH THE RACE TEAM AND HOW THINGS ARE CONDUCTED? YOU SEEM A LOT MORE CONFIDENT IN YOUR CRAFT.
“I am, but I don’t get as high as I used to and I don’t get as low as I used to either. Truly, we had two good weeks this year; the last two. But the first two were terrible. We finished last in the Daytona 500. I crashed the car in practice and spun out in the race at California (Auto Club Speedway). These four weeks are a good example – two bad, two good. And I didn’t get too upset whenever we were bad; and I didn’t get too happy when we were good either. I’m an emotional guy, so I had to really control that and be more neutral on all that stuff.”

“As far as Trackhouse though, if that’s part of your question, the breathe of fresh air that is – it’s almost unmeasurable. I don’t know how to put it into words. It’s a lot of the same people. Justin (Marks) being young – the way he’s come in. The way he see stuffs that he does in other aspects of his life, now we’re a part of that at Trackhouse with the Cup team. We’ve seen it, we’ve heard about it. We’ve heard about Pitbull. Now that we’re truly getting to see what it’s like to actually work with Justin, it’s incredible. There are a lot of smiles.”

WHEN YOU COME SO CLOSE TO WINNING, IN THE LONGTERM THINKING, IS IT MORE OF A DISAPPOINTMENT OR ENCOURAGEMENT THAT YOU WERE THAT CLOSE?
“It’s so awesome. People keep asking me if I keep finishing that close and not winning, would I get upset, and I don’t think so. I want to win; we’re preparing to win. We are prepared to win and we have everything we need to win. For me, I couldn’t be in a better spot. The resources that Chevrolet and Trackhouse are giving me – they’re putting us in a position to go win Cup races and that can’t be overstated enough. I’ve been to all of these places for years and was doing my deal; on my plan for that weekend. A big moment of a race weekend at Phoenix was trying to run 15th in Xfinity, which I don’t believe until 2020 I had ever done, and I had raced there for four or five years. I had never finished top-15 in the Xfinity Series. Now, to say in 2022 we are competing for a Cup win at Phoenix, it’s incredible.”

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM BEING IN THE TRUCK THIS MORNING?
“I’m still getting over it. My heartrate was pegged. The Cup car at the test was easy, flat, three cars; it was cooler. The truck, even by myself, was a handful. It’s a different beast. I guess the biggest difference was in the truck, you hit the ground with like a truck on mounts and side skirts; the rocker box and splitter. You don’t do that with Cup cars… INAUDIBLE.”

“The truck, I picked up on a lot of different bumps that I didn’t feel before. The overall track felt smoother. The Cup cars were held up off the ground on purpose. Yeah, it was a handful. We had to work on the truck for two runs before I really wanted to get in the draft. We were too loose. In the Cup car, I had no feeling of that. I’m watching the Xfinity practice and they are tucked up behind each other. I think they’re slower than what we were in Trucks. They are under the limits of the tire. The trucks – everybody I saw besides (Ryan) Preece, was out of control sliding.”

INAUDIBLE
“It feels like the compression of Daytona, but you are turning around and going the other direction so much quicker. Where at Daytona, you’re like driving down the highway, it’s really like a sweeping turn. And this is like the interstate exit that creeps up – it says 25 mph and then you get there and everything is sliding in the car and you’re like ‘oh, I’m going too fast’. That’s what this feels like. Daytona is like that nice, long exit that you can see for a mile. This is just such a tighter radius. You feel like. The sensation of speed is high. It’s not just going to be single-file along the bottom. You’ll be able to move around and people will be lifting, in trucks anyways. I don’t know about the other stuff.”

I THINK IT’S SAFE TO ASSUME YOU’RE RUNNING THE TRUCKS TO GET MORE LAPS AT ATLANTA THIS WEEKEND?
“Yeah, for sure. I want to race with Niece Motorsports as much as I can. I want to race. I love that. Justin (Marks) and Trackhouse are giving me that opportunity to race. They’re all for it.”
“Yeah, we’ll have more. Not really ready to speak on exactly which ones; still working through all that. We know we can’t run Playoffs, triple truck challenge, or the regular season finale. We learned that the hard way last year the week of the race. We’ve buttoned up all the rules and I think we understand all of that, as far as eligibility. So, it’ll be stacked the first half of the year, but there will be more.”

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.

Burton Fourth Fastest in Wild AMS Practice Session

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Official Release
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Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging Mustang posted the fourth-best time in Saturday’s practice session on the reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Drivers, Burton included, used terms like “insane” and “wild” and “crazy” to describe the action on the track that has seen the banking in the turns increased from 24 to 28 degrees while the width of the surface has been reduced from 55 to 40 feet in the turns and 42 feet on the backstretch. The frontstretch has been widened to 61.5 feet.

With the Cup Series cars using a Talladega/Daytona horsepower and aero package, drivers ran in big packs during Saturday’s practice session, which was postponed from Friday to Saturday due to rain. That schedule change also means that the starting line-up was set by metrics based on recent results. Burton will start 31st.

“This new track is wild!” Burton said after Saturday’s practice, which saw him post a speed of 181.121 miles per hour on the 43rd of the 49 laps he ran. “It’s a super crazy racing style that was fun in practice.”

He said he feels good about his prospects for Sunday’s Fold of Honor/QuikTrip 500.

“I’d say our DEX Mustang is pretty good,” he said. “We just need some more stability and we should be good to go.”

Sunday’s 500-miler is set to start just after 3 p.m., with TV coverage on FOX.

About DEX Imaging
DEX Imaging is the digital document imaging division of Staples, the world’s largest business solutions provider. DEX sells and services the broadest selection of copiers, printers and data management solutions, such as HP, Konica Minolta, Canon, Kyocera and numerous others.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES:
Reducing Operating Costs
Reducing Paper Consumption
Increasing Productivity

DEX Imaging has been the recipient of virtually every industry award since the company’s inception, including the JD Power & Associates Award for Best Customer Experience, the prestigious ProTech Service award by Konica Minolta, the Diamond Premier Dealer Award by Kyocera, and the Elite DEALER Award by ‘ENX’ magazine. Other accolades include being named ‘Best Place to Work’ by numerous business journals in the markets DEX serves.

Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glenn’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Harrison Burton in the famous No. 21 racer.

Toyota Racing – NCS Atlanta Quotes – Christopher Bell & Kurt Busch – 03.19.22

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Official Release
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Toyota Racing – Christopher Bell & Kyle Busch
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

ATLANTA (March 19, 2022) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell and Kyle Busch were made available to media prior to the Atlanta Motor Speedway race this Saturday:

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 DeWalt Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Do you expect to be a little more worn out tomorrow?

“Daytona and Talladega are two of the easiest tracks that we go to physically just because it’s really big, everything happens slow – it’s pretty low key until the end of the race, where that practice session was 40 minutes of pure chaos. Definitely agree with him. I found myself holding my breath several times.”

Were you able to be wide open the whole time?

“Yeah, it’s a full-blown speedway race for sure. The cars that I was around it sure seemed like everybody was the same. Not grip limited for sure.”

Can you handle 200 minutes of pure chaos tomorrow?

“Honestly, I’ll be surprised if we make it that long in the pack. I don’t know. Yes, everyone else is, so I’m going to have to, but it’s going to be unlike anything we have ever seen. I can promise you that.”

Could you give us your background on Buddy Kofoid?

“I’m excited about that. Buddy (Kofoid) is a really deserving driver, so I’m really excited about his opportunity to break into NASCAR. I’m expecting big things from him. Bristol dirt is a unique race and a unique track, and I think he will shine.”

How do you anticipate pit stops will be this weekend?

“That was one thing I was focused on in that practice session was getting a run to pit road and it is going to be insane. I tried to do it pretty much all practice and I never felt comfortable doing it because I was always in the pack with guys around me. One thing that’s different about Daytona and Talladega is your braking on the straightaway, so you can pull off the racetrack and brake, where here you are not going to be able to pull off the racetrack and brake. You are going to have to brake on the racetrack going into a very narrow turn three and four. You are going to be doing good if you go three-wide and the inside lane is going to be braking and the first green flag pit stop is going to be one to watch, that’s for sure.”

In trying to avoid the chaos, do you do the same things you do in Daytona and Talladega?

“Well, my superspeedway record hasn’t been the greatest. I need to start asking other guys that question. I didn’t survive the 500 this year, and I want to survive this one – I need to survive this one. We’ve been off to a rocky start with the DeWalt group. Getting to the end is going to be the most important thing, first and foremost, and I could see it being difficult for sure tomorrow.”

Has it been difficult to stay positive with the start of the season?

“Honestly, it has been easy to stay positive up to this point just because there’s been so many high points. Going from California, I felt like we had a strong showing, or not a strong showing, but we had strong potential and my team agreed with that. Vegas, we had a strong showing, but didn’t get the finish we wanted. There has been a lot of high points, but the points position we are in now and finishing results haven’t shown that. It’s been easy to stay positive, but it’s definitely time to start getting some finishing results out of it.”

What are the runs like in the pack? Is racing in the pack the same or different than Daytona and Talladega?

“One thing that was extremely different from this 40-minute practice session to all of Daytona – and that’s really the only thing we can compare it to with this car. At Daytona, it was very, very easy to lose the draft for some reason. It seemed like the training guy would get left behind, where here – and the runs at Daytona didn’t feel really big – like the draft runs felt like some of the slowest runs I’ve felt from the Trucks, Xfinity to the Cup car. Today they were huge for whatever reason. The suck up was really big. You had tremendous speed difference from getting a draft run to not having a draft run. It was really easy to catch the pack. You didn’t get left behind if you were the last car, so I don’t know why the cars in the drafting reacted so much different here than it did at Daytona, but it was a big difference for sure.”

How many drivers are going to like what they have tomorrow and how many drivers are going to dislike what they have?

“The guys that like speedway racing are going to enjoy what we have and the guys that dislike it are going to really dislike it. It’s intense. That 40-minute practice session was super intense. I don’t think anybody expected the draft runs to be that big, and the pack to be that tight. It was full blown chaos and we’ve got 500 miles of it tomorrow.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Did it feel like superspeedway racing?

“It did feel most similar to that. I feel like the racetrack width is just kind of a hinderance to what you can do getting that top cleaned up and burned in to have a third lane. That would be ideal. Other than that, I would say – its superspeedway type race. Runs happen quicker and bigger. I don’t know if it’s because everything is tighter or what, but it seems like you get runs happening and it’s a big difference from what I remember in Daytona.”

How is racing with Brexton going?

“It’s going really good. He’s in Illinois, yesterday and today, racing his Junior Sprint stuff again. Ran great last night. Watching him – the things he was doing at his first time at that track gave me chills. I was pretty excited about what he was doing and how he was running, so it was really good. He started fifth in his heat and passed everybody and won his heat, which gave him the pole for the main and he just drove away, and lap traffic didn’t faze him. The kid that finished second to him last night ran second at the Tulsa Shootout in Junior Sprints, and he couldn’t even keep up.”

Do you like the racing, and do you think more drivers will like or dislike what Atlanta has become?

“It’s different. Would you have seen something similar to this with the old configuration and a wider racetrack? Probably – if we ran restrictor plate style stuff, we probably would have still had that with lesser banking and a wide racetrack. The narrower racetrack lends itself to some hairy moves and things like that. Turning off into turn three when you are running the bottom and you start to load up into the corner and your front end gets tight and you wash up the track and somebody in the middle is holding you down, holding you tight, you make contact and start a crash – I feel like that’s where we are going to see a wreck and you might also see some going down the frontstretch. It’s kind of rough down there – it’s really bumpy. Cars bounce a little bit – they don’t always go straight, they move, so guys holding guys tight is going to be where we start to see some issues. As far as if everybody is going to like it, I guess we will see how many cars finish.”

How bumpy is the track and how are the transitions?

“The transition off of (turn) two is fine in the bottom lane, but lane two and lane three closest to the wall are horrible, like really bad.”

Why is that?

“Hell, if I know. I didn’t pave the place. Turn four is also super, super rough when you are running high – half a lane off the wall is really rough, really jarring – through the middle of turn four, not off of four. That’s okay. Guys really want to know what the track looks like – look up Tony Stewart’s quotes from when they repaved the track in Las Vegas. I’ll let you go there.”

How do you handle going into this race as a veteran with side drafting and how close other drivers are going to race you?

“It’s going to continue to amp up and get more and more tight. When you come to stages and there are points on the line – especially when you come to the end of the race and there is a win on the line – you need to take care of one another. There is no reason why we should crash, but we are going to. I just hope it’s not too hard.”

Is there any difference here versus the setup from Daytona or Talladega?

“The brakes on these cars are better than the old superspeedway cars. They had lightweight brakes and they would never really stop all that well – some better than others. Everybody has the same brakes. They are well oversized for this type of application, so you use the brakes, and you will slow down. You do have that ability. I think it was (Ricky) Stenhouse that got crashed on the frontstretch in Daytona. I slowed down and was able to miss it, with the old car, I don’t think you would have been able to do that.”

Do you expect tomorrow to be more intense than we are used to?

“I think it will be – just the tighter confines, being a mile-and-a-half. 325 laps around here is a lot. I think we run 188 at Talladega and 200 at Daytona, so 125 more laps going through the same thing and being packed up – being in tight conditions, you will be, probably more mentally than physically. You are going to be tired after this one.”

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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.

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