Home Blog Page 2178

YACAdemy Winter Series Finishes Short Season With Wins From Noah Ping, Eliot Cox and Nikita Johnson at Homestead-Miami Speedway

By
Official Release
-

Johnson Earns Six-Race Championship Title, Prize Package Including Free Entry Into the USF Juniors Championship Season Opener

SEBRING, Florida (February 21, 2022) – The YACademy Winter Series, aimed at shortening the learning curve for drivers making the leap from karting to professional open-wheel racing, ran the closing three races of its six-race season last Tuesday and Wednesday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The YACademy Winter Series featured a series of 10 test days in December and January for up-and-coming drivers, many of who will compete in the same Honda-powered Ligier chassis during the USF Juniors championship in 2022, where that series champion earns a scholarship to the USF2000 Championship on the Road To Indy for 2023. Those test days were capped by a pair of tripleheader race events, with the first half at Sebring International Raceway a week ago.

Nikita Johnson overcame a mechanical failure during Round Five on Wednesday to claim the championship, which includes a prize package of a free entry to the season-opener of the USF Juniors Championship, a Bell 8860 Helmet, and a brand-new race suit from Torq Racewear, along with Red Line Oil for himself and his Velocity Racing Development team.

Round 4

Contact between Elliot Cox and Johnson on the opening lap shuffled the pair, along with Mac Clark, to the back of the field in Tuesday’s race, handing the lead to polesitter Sam Corry (who earned a Ettrone LAMP0 electric scooter for his qualifying effort) with Velocity Racing Development’s Noah Ping in second.

For nine laps they looked untouchable, but a full course caution brought about by contact between International Motorsport teammates Alan Isambard and Justin Garat brought out a red flag and a restart. With Ping applying pressure, Corry dropped a tire and spun, handing the lead and the win to Ping.

Johnson charged back through the field to finish second with the aid of the red flag, with Ellis Spezia earning his first podium of the championship in third. Both drivers involved in the red flag incident were checked and cleared by medical staff on site.

Round 5

The second race of each event features an inverted grid for the first 10 spots, and Sarah Fisher Hartman Driver Development’s Eliot Cox took advantage for his first race win of the YACAdemy Winter Series.

Cox dropped behind Nicholas D’Orlando in the opening corners, but powered past on the backstraight at Homestead-Miami Speedway and led the first lap, then pulled away from the field to lead every lap to the checkered flag.

A single full course caution period bunched the field, but Cox got away on the restart nicely and went back to building his gap over the grid. Meanwhile, problems plagued championship leader Nikita Johnson, as the VRD driver faded to 13th before eventually retiring with a mechanical.

Future Star Racing’s David Burketh, VRD’s Noah Ping, International Motorsport’s Alan Isambard, and Gonella Racing’s Artie Flores all dueled with D’Orlando for the final two podium spots. Burketh broke away late to safely finish second, while Isambard won out in the battle for third to complete the podium with Ping finishing fourth and D’Orlando beating Flores to the line.

Round 6

A clean race was the best race for Johnson and his eventual championship. Johnson made quick work of the field early to get to the lead and never looked back, pulling a healthy gap over his teammates in Corry, who finished second, and Ping, who rounded off the podium in third.

The win gave Johnson three out of six, and that 50 percent average was enough to secure the top spot of the championship.

Johnson’s final victory secured the championship by just 12 points over VRD teammate Noah Ping, 103-91, with Cox third (61 points). Corry (50 points) and Ellis Spezia (49 points) completed the top five.

About the YACAdemy Winter Series
Operated by YACAdemy Track Days founder Gustavo Yacaman, the YACAdemy Winter Series provides additional seat time for drivers making the jump into professional open-wheel racing. Yacaman is an accomplished racing driver with over 20 years of experience at all levels of racing and coaching who has participated in all levels of professional racing, including the world’s major endurances races. The YACAdemy Winter Series is partnered with Cooper Tires, Red Line Oil, Bell Helmets, Torq, Ettrone and Andersen Promotions for the 2021-2022 Winter Season. More information can be found at YacademyDrive.com.

Rookie Austin Cindric Gets First NASCAR Cup Series Victory in Thrilling DAYTONA 500

By
Official Release
-

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 20, 2022) – On the 85th birthday of his car owner, Roger Penske, 23-year-old NASCAR Cup Series rookie Austin Cindric beat Bubba Wallace to the finish line by .036 seconds in overtime to win Sunday’s 64th running of the DAYTONA 500.

In a thrilling run to the finish in NASCAR’s new Next Gen race car at Daytona International Speedway, Cindric held off Wallace and Chase Briscoe (.091 seconds behind) to notch his first Cup victory in his eighth start in the series.

Cindric, who was +2500 to win the DAYTONA 500 on Draftkings, got the win in chamber-of-commerce weather with a sold-out crowd jamming the grandstands.

“Oh, my God—do you know what makes this even better? A packed house,” Cindric exulted after climbing from his car. “A packed house at the DAYTONA 500. “Oh, my God, I’ve got so many people to thank. First and foremost, Roger Penske. Happy Birthday!

“Everyone has worked so hard on this Next Gen car and through the whole process. I am so excited. This makes up for losing a championship in the last race I was in (2021 Xfinity Series season finale at Phoenix Raceway).

“I’m surrounded by great people, that’s all there is to it. I know there’s going to be highs and lows, being a rookie. I’m just grateful for the opportunity and excited to climb the mountain ahead of us on the No. 2 team. We’re in the Playoffs—that’s one box checked. My gosh, what an awesome group of fans; what an awesome race car. I’m just really thankful.”

A three-car wreck in Turn 4 on Lap 195 of a scheduled 200 wiped out the No. 47 Chevrolet of Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who was leading for a restart on that same lap but was turned by a push from Brad Keselowski. The incident forced the race to overtime, requiring one extra lap for Cindric to claim victory.

An earlier six-car accident on Lap 190 had eliminated reigning series champion Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, Todd Gilliland, Erik Jones and Noah Gragson, who was making his first start in NASCAR’s top division.

Cindric was the leader when the race restarted on Lap 200, and at the end of a wild two-lap scramble—after blocking a strong run from Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney—he arrived at the finish line roughly three feet ahead of Wallace, who was runner-up in the Great American Race for the second time.

“I thought our Toyota teammates did good work until they got picked off 1, 2, 3 throughout the race, so we just had to survive,” said Wallace, who finished .260 seconds behind race winner Austin Dillon in the 2018 Daytona 500.

“Great Speedweeks, though. We’ll come home second. I’m going to be pissed off about this one for a while. I was happy on the first second place we got a couple years ago. This one sucks when you’re that close, but all-in-all, happy for our team, happy for our partners, and on to California.”

Blaney came home fourth, followed by Aric Almirola, who will leave full-time racing at the end of the season. Kyle Busch, Michael McDowell, David Ragan, Keselowski and Chase Elliott completed the top 10.

Less than three laps from the end of the first stage, a push from Keselowski turned the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford of Harrison Burton sideways at the head of the outside lane. Burton’s Mustang nosed down the track into the No. 24 Chevrolet of William Byron, whose car slammed nose-first into the inside wall on the backstretch.

Kyle Busch spun sideways during the ensuing eight-car wreck. Denny Hamlin’s Toyota sustained terminal suspension damage, eliminating the field’s only multiple winner of the DAYTONA 500. The No. 1 Chevrolet of Ross Chastain was also knocked out of the race.

After the impact with Byron’s car and a jolt from the Toyota of Christopher Bell, Burton’s Ford turned upside down and landed on top of the Chevrolet of Alex Bowman, who had started the race on the outside of the front row. The impact righted Burton’s car, which a wrecker towed to the garage. Bowman lost four laps as his crew tried to return the No. 48 Camaro to raceable condition.

“I’m fine—I’ve hit a lot harder before, that’s for sure,” Burton said after a trip to the infield care center. “It’s just unfortunate. I hate it for the Wood Brothers group. They brought a really fast Ford Mustang down here and ended up on our lid, so that’s never good…

“I don’t know, I just got pushed and didn’t take it the right way—the car didn’t take it the right way or got pushed in the wrong spot. I’m not sure. I couldn’t really tell. I was looking out front to see what I had to do next to side draft the next guy that was on me, so just a bummer. I don’t really know what we could have done different, but we’ll move on and get better from it.”

From Hamlin’s standpoint, it was clear what happened.

“The 6 (Keselowski) was pushing the 21 (Burton) and you could see the 21 was kind of getting out of control there,” said Hamlin, who failed to finish a DAYTONA 500 for the first time in 17 starts and lost his chance for a fourth visit to Victory Lane. “So you know the mind-set was that you’ve got to back off, but I think the 6 was just insistent on pushing him at all costs and eventually turned the 21 around.

“Tough, you know, considering it was just for the stage. We were kind of boxed in there where I noticed that something was going to happen, but I was boxed in, I was behind a teammate (Kyle Busch), and I wanted to try to help. Again, just too aggressive pushing right there when they weren’t lined up and in control.”

Truex won the first stage under caution and then claimed victory in the second stage, which ran under green-flag conditions from the restart on Lap 72 to the conclusion on Lap 130. Truex came from third to first on the final lap to grab the stage win.

Keselowski, however, was first off pit road under caution for the stage break and led the field to green for a restart on Lap 138. Keselowski held the top spot until Tyler Reddick’s Chevrolet broke loose in Turn 4 on Lap 151 and started a wreck that damaged the contending cars of Truex, Joey Logano and Kurt Busch.

The 65th Annual DAYTONA 500 is scheduled for February 19, 2023 (subject to change). For more information on the 2023 Great American Race, visit www.DAYTONA500.com.

Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as the all-new NASCAR Tracks App, for the latest speedway news.

About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training. The iconic venue will be the site of a host of motorsports events early in 2022, beginning with AHRMA Classic Motofest and the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA in January, and the 64th DAYTONA 500, which will debut the first points race for NASCAR’s ‘Next Gen’ car as part of Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth in February. The tradition-rich 81st Annual Bike Week At DAYTONA returns in March, featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200, and in May with the Heroes Honor Festival. Later in the summer during Independence Day weekend, the track, in association with Torneos, will host Soccer Fest before the NASCAR Cup Series returns for the final race of the regular season with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Aug. 27.

Petty GMS Race Recap: Daytona 500

By
Official Release
-

Ty Dillon, No. 42 Black Rifle Coffee Company Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 26th

FINISH: 11th

POINTS: 14th

Ty Dillon Post-Race Thoughts: “Our goal today was to race smart and push hard when we needed to in order to get to the finish. I am really proud of these Black Rifle Coffee Company guys because we accomplished what we wanted; to get in position late in the race and have a shot at a good finish. An 11th-place finish is a great start for this No. 42 Petty GMS team and we are looking forward to Fontana and the rest of the season.”

Erik Jones, No. 43 FOCUSfactor Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

START: 13th

FINISH: 29th

POINTS: 22nd

Erik Jones Post-Race Thoughts: “Tough ending for our race. The FOCUSfactor Chevrolet was strong throughout and it felt nice getting up front to lead laps and run inside the top-five. The speed in our car was shown by earning stage points in the first stage and then driving our way back forward in the second. I’m proud of the effort that Dave (Elenz, crew chief) and the Petty GMS guys put forth all week long. We will now shift our focus to California and the West Coast swing.”

ABOUT PETTY GMS:

Petty GMS competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, operating the No. 42 Chevrolet for Ty Dillon and the No. 43 Chevrolet for Erik Jones. The newly formed team brought together two storied organizations in December 2021. Over the last decade, owner Maury Gallagher built a victorious team, capturing two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championships, one ARCA Menards Series title, and two ARCA Menards Series East championships, as well as 65 wins and 235 top-five finishes across six series. Richard Petty, a member of the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2010, serves as Chairman of Petty GMS. Petty, known as “The King,” accumulated over 200 wins and was the first of three drivers to win seven championships in the Cup Series. For more information, visit www.pettygms.com.

SOCIAL MEDIA:

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

Buescher Caught Up in Late Daytona 500 Crash, Finishes 17th

By
Official Release
-

Multi-Car Crash with Four Laps Remaining Collects Fastenal Ford

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 20, 2022) – Chris Buescher spent much of Sunday’s Daytona 500 near the front of the field and was in position for a late move, but was collected in a multi-car incident with four laps remaining to ultimately finish 17th.

Buescher had a solid view to start the famed 200-lap race, lining up fourth after his win Thursday in the second of two duel qualifying races – both of which RFK won. His teammate, Brad Keselowski, took the lead on lap one, and the duo ran 1-2 for a while, and for much of the day were together inside the top five.

The Fastenal team pitted with just over 10 to go in the opening stage, giving up their early track position, but would flip that to begin stage two, rolling off third for the second, 65-lap segment. Green flag stops were the story in the caution-free second stage, where the two teammates took over first and second with Buescher going on to finish the stage in seventh.

Buescher kept his Fastenal machine clean through a number of incidents in the final segment, but couldn’t avoid the last one, and ultimately sustained damage on his right side to finish 17th.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Auto Club Speedway next weekend in California for the first of three-straight races on the West Coast. Track activity begins Saturday morning with practice and qualifying, with Sunday’s race set for 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM.

Keselowski, RFK Racing Follows up Duel Sweep with Strong Daytona 500 Run

By
Official Release
-

No. 6 Kohler Generators Ford Finishes 9th in Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 20, 2022) – Brad Keselowski and the No. 6 Kohler Generators team followed up Thursday’s Twin Duel victory, with an equally strong performance in Sunday’s famed Daytona 500. The No. 6 Ford led a race-high 67 laps and was in position for the victory late, before being caught up in a last-lap melee and sliding across the line for a 9th-place finish.

“I thought down the backstretch we were going to win the race, then the 12 and the 2 got a really good push from the 23 and basically cleared our lane and then our lane kind of broke up at the end,” said Keselowski. “It was really close, just green-white-checkers.”

Keselowski started the Great American Race third, based on Thursday night’s victory in the twin duel qualifier. He wasted little time powering his Kohler Generators Ford to the front, taking the lead on the first lap of the race. He would hold the lead for the next six laps and go on to lead the race on six different occasions.

The opening stage was mostly drama-free until a caution with one to go piled up a host of cars. Keselowski crossed the line second in the stage.

Stage two ran caution free as green-flag stops took place just after lap 100, with Keselowski also turning in a top-five stage finish at lap 130 in fourth. After shuffling through the top-10 in the early goings of stage three, the red flag was displayed with 10 to go after a multi-car incident, before the race ultimately ended in NASCAR overtime.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Auto Club Speedway next weekend in California for the first of three-straight races on the West Coast. Track activity begins Saturday morning with practice and qualifying, with Sunday’s race set for 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM.

Stewart-Haas Racing: 64th Daytona 500

By
Official Release
-

STEWART-HAAS RACING
64th Daytona 500

Date: Feb. 20, 2022
Event: 64th Running of the Daytona 500 (Round 1 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (65 laps/65 laps/70 laps)
Note: Race extended one lap past its scheduled 200-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Austin Cindric of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Martin Truex Jr., of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Martin Truex Jr., of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

SHR Race Finish:

● Chase Briscoe (Started 9th, Finished 3rd / Running, completed 201 of 201 laps)
● Aric Almirola (Started 38th, Finished 5th / Running, completed 201 of 201 laps)
● Cole Custer (Started 31st, Finished 20th / Running, completed 199 of 201 laps)
● Kevin Harvick (Started 22nd, Finished 30th / DVP, completed 191 of 201 laps)

SHR Points:

● Chase Briscoe (5th with 41 points, 13 out of first)
● Aric Almirola (12th with 32 points, 22 out of first)
● Cole Custer (20th with 17 points, 37 out of first)
● Kevin Harvick (28th with 11 points, 43 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Briscoe earned his first top-five in 37 career NASCAR Cup Series starts. His previous best finish was a pair of sixth-place results during his rookie season in 2021 – May 23 in the inaugural race at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, and July 4 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

● Briscoe’s third-place result significantly bettered his previous best finish at Daytona – 19th, earned in last year’s Daytona 500.

● Almirola earned his third top-five and fourth top-10 in 21 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Daytona.

● This was Almirola’s second straight top-15 at Daytona. He finished 14th in the series’ most recent visit to the track last August.

● Custer earned his second top-20 in his fifth career NASCAR Cup Series start at Daytona.

● This was Harvick’s 21st start in The Great American Race, with his first Daytona 500 coming on Feb. 17, 2002.

● Harvick finished eighth in Stage 2 to earn three bonus points.

Race Notes:

● Rookie driver Austin Cindric won the Daytona 500 to score his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory. His margin over second-place Bubba Wallace was .036 of a second.

● This was Ford’s 712th all-time Cup Series victory.

● This was Ford’s 18th NASCAR Cup Series victory at Daytona and its third straight. Ford won its first race at Daytona on February 24, 1963 with Tiny Lund. Ford swept both of the 2021 races with Michael McDowell’s and Ryan Blaney’s respective wins.

● There were seven caution periods for a total of 37 laps.

● Only 15 of the 40 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Cindric leaves Daytona tied with Brad Keselowski for the championship lead. Both have 54 points with a five-point advantage over their nearest pursuer, Martin Truex Jr.

Sound Bites:

“Just couldn’t quite get to Brad (Keselowski). I needed to be able to get to Brad, and he was having to drag so much brake for me to be able to help him. I wish I was more help. If I could’ve locked on, I could’ve got him up there. You know my story, sleeping on couches and volunteering six, seven years ago, and now to have a chance to win the Daytona 500 at the end and finish third and start the year off with these Mahindra Tractors folks and HighPoint.com – all the people that get us to the racetrack. We want to be a playoff contender this year and having a good run here is a good start. Wish we could’ve had one more lap. You never know what could’ve happened but, yeah, super cool to finish third and really cool for one of my best friends to win the race.” – Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang

“I honestly thought I was in a really good position. I knew it was going to get kind of dicey and haywire there with the leaders, and I thought that they would kind of shove each other around and come disconnected and I would have a bunch of momentum coming from behind. We’d seen that in the Duel and other races, so I hate to come up short. I had a really good feeling going into today. I just felt like it was kind of going to be one of those storybook type deals where in my last Daytona 500 I thought we had a shot at going to victory lane – just came up a little bit short. We were coming there to the end and I thought for sure like, ‘Man, this is setting up nicely to have that kind of storybook ending.’ Yeah, I believed it. I really did. I believed it in my heart that it was going to happen and I still felt like I was in a really good position off of turn two on the white flag. I’m like, ‘Man, if they let us race back and there’s no crash, we’ve got a shot to win this thing.’ We came out fifth, but it was still fun. I’m proud of our team. Thanks to Smithfield and everybody involved – Mobil 1, Ford. It’s cool to get Ford in victory lane. We swept the week, so I’m proud of everybody and now we go to California and start the season. It’s emotional, honestly. Man, it’s a great feeling to be in the thick of it coming down to the end at the Daytona 500. You dream about those things as a kid, and I remember sitting up in those grandstands, so it’s special. I hate losing, though.” – Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang

“I thought we did a pretty good job with our HaasTooling.com Mustang at the start of the race. We had good pit stops, we got off pit road well, things were looking pretty decent at the start of the race. We came down pit road the second time and it wouldn’t take fuel, so it’s just one of those things with this NextGen car. It’s one of those things we learned from for the next time how to make it better. You want to go out there and race for the win in the Daytona 500, but we still brought home a clean racecar and get to head back home to Southern California for the second time in three weeks. But, man, I wish we could’ve raced for the win today.” – Cole Custer, driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Wise Power 400 on Sunday, Feb. 27 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Chevrolet opens NHRA season with strong performances

By
Official Release
-

‌
CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
LUCAS OIL NHRA WINTERNATIONALS PRESENED BY PROTECTTHEHARVEST.COM
AUTO CLUB RACEWAY AT POMONA, CALIFORNIA
FEB. 20, 2022

Chevrolet opens NHRA season with strong performances

• Erica Enders claims the 900th win in the Pro Stock class
• Robert Hight picks up 54th career Funny Car victory
• Austin Prock returns with Top Fuel runner-up finish
• Leo Glasbrenner claims Stock Eliminator victory in all-COPO Camaro final
POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 20, 2022) – Chevrolet started the 2022 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series season with two victories and a pair of runner-up finishes in the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com.

A Chevrolet COPO Camaro added the win in the Sportsman Stock Eliminator class in front of an enthusiastic crowd at sun-splashed Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Four-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders added to her impressive CV by claiming the 900th victory in the class, guiding the Melling Performance Chevrolet Camaro SS past Elite Motorsports teammate Aaron Stanfield in the final.
Three-time Funny Car champion Robert Hight, the No. 2 qualifier in the Auto Club of Southern California Camaro SS, earned his 54th career win.

Austin Prock, the 2019 NHRA Rookie of the Year who had competed in only three Top Fuel races the past two seasons, made an impressive return in the Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster with a runner-up finish. Prock beat No. 1 qualifier and John Force Racing teammate Brittany Force in the semifinals (3.687 to 3.700 seconds).

John Force, who qualified 16th for only the fifth time in 784 race day appearances, fell in the first round in his BlueDEF Platinum Camaro SS to reigning Funny Car champion and first-year team owner Ron Capps. It was the 111th time that the 16-time Funny Car champion faced off against Capps in eliminations, and the first time that Force lost a first-round match when qualifying 16th.

Hight avenged the defeat by slipping past Capps, the No. 1 qualifier, (3.861 seconds to 3.882) in their 10th final-round matchup.

“This is a big day for John Force Racing,” Hight said. “(For our Auto Club team) That wasn’t a lot of fun last year. Since Jimmy (Prock) came back, we’ve been in the thick of things every year. Won two championships, set records. But the guys stayed focused, worked really hard and looked at what bit us last year.

“If you look at our runs in testing and our runs here, I think they’ve found it. I’m happy.”

Enders, the No. 1 qualifier, lifted the custom trophy — topped with a silver-plated Hurst shifter symbolic of the manual shift early days – for the 900th event.

“This 900th is pretty dang cool,” said Enders, who collected her 34th career Pro Stock victory and first in the Winternationals. “It means an awful lot as a kid who was first and foremost a fan of Pro Stock. For Pro Stock, for all the hard work KB (Racing) and Elite (Motorsports) have put in to making this class what it is today – with 20-plus competitors – we couldn’t be more proud.”

Pro Stock Eliminator was introduced as an NHRA national event in January 1970, emerging from the popular Super Stock, Modified Production and Factory Experimental battles of the previous decade. Bill Jenkins, driving his ’68 big-block Chevrolet Camaro, was the first of 70 drivers to claim victory in the class by defeating Ronnie Sox in the final round of the Winternationals at Pomona.

Chevrolet has dominated the class with 348 wins, including 229 by the Camaro. Enders leads all drivers with 28 wins in a Camaro. Contributing to the win total: Cobalt (54), Cavalier (36), Beretta (11), Vega (11), Monza (6) and Lumina (1).

Enders denied reigning Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson, driving the HendrickCars.com Camaro SS, of his 100th career win with a semifinal victory. The two champions met in the semifinals at Pomona three months earlier, with Anderson winning and going on to his claim his fifth class title.

Leo Glasbrenner of Murrieta, California, earned his eighth national event Wally with his Stock Eliminator victory in an all-Chevrolet COPO Camaro final against Jeff Lane of West Bend, Washington.

“It’s pretty special to win at home. I’ve been here a lot of times and been in the final a couple of times. I won the world finals in ’15 but never have won the Winternationals. It’s really special,” Glasbrenner said.

Round 2 of the season will take place Feb. 25-27 with the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona. FS1 will telecast eliminations at 7 p.m. ET Feb. 27.

An interview with Funny Car winner ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 2 qualifier):

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN YOUR COMPOSURE IN A MOMENT LIKE THAT (car body clipped the injector while being closed during pre-stage, endangering crew members)?
“It’s pretty tough. I saw Trevor (Huff) off to the side and he didn’t look like he was hurt. Trevor is all right. You’ve got a job to do so I just followed Jimmy (Prock) and he said to come on in and stage. You have to gather your thoughts. He put the body down and hooked the injector. Never had that happen. When the win light came on, the first thing I asked – I didn’t even care if we won – was whether he was OK. I’m going to give this trophy to Trevor. He deserves it.”

IT TURNED OUT TO BE A GREAT RACE.
“I knew it was going to be a great race. If you looked at our last qualifying run last night, it was four thousandths apart (Capps in the other lane). It was neck and neck all day long. It’s one of many battles, the first race of the year. To get the job done is a big day. We’re going to have a lot more of those this year.”

LAST YEAR WASN’T WHAT YOU WANTED. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU’RE COMING OUT HERE WITH
SOMETHING TO PROVE.
“Without a doubt. That wasn’t a lot of fun last year. Since Jimmy (Prock) came back, we’ve been in the thick of things every year. Won two championships, set records. But the guys stayed focused, worked really hard and looked at what bit us last year. If you look at our runs in testing and our runs here, I think they’ve found it. I’m happy. We definitely have more consistency than we had last year. I can only see it getting better.”

ARE YOU CREATING A NEW 2022?
“We have to work race by race, run by run. This is a long road to win this championship. There are five or six cars out there that are right in the thick of things. You’ll come here in November and you’ll see the same guys battling it out separated by thousandths of a second. It’s not going to be easy. We’re up for the task. We on a mission, we’re focused and we’re going to do the best we can.”

An interview with Pro Stock winner ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier):

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HAVING YOUR NAME ATTACHED TO THE 900TH WIN?
“It means an awful lot as a kid who was first and foremost a fan of Pro Stock. Most kids you ask them what they want to be when they grow up – aside from astronauts, lawyers and doctors – if you’re talking about drag racing they’re talking about Top Fuel. It was always Pro Stock for me. I liked the fact that you left with a clutch and that you had to shift the car. That meant a lot to me, and to have such big dreams and aspirations as a kid, then driving junior dragsters for nine years and racing in the Lucas Oil Series for five before coming into Pro Stock, we’ve accomplished way more than I thought we would be able to. So, to be able to leave our mark on the class, no matter how much longer this career lasts, is something that is really special. We’ve stuck kit out, had a lot of tenacity and had a lot more valleys than we’ve had peaks. This is my 18th season in Pro Stock and this win is very significant. You treat every race day the same, but this 900th victory for Pro Stock means a lot to me.”

WHAT DOES THIS SIGNIFY AS YOU KICK OFF THIS DRIVE FOR FIVE?
“I came in here with the mindset that there’s no more nice Erica. Not to be said in a negative connotation, but I’m quite frankly sick of getting my butt stomped. These guys put in all the hard work in the engine shop in the offseason. This 900th is pretty dang cool. We were able to get the 150th for the women and this is pretty cool. For Pro Stock, for all the hard work KB (Racing) and Elite (Motorsports) have put in to making this class what it is today – with 20-plus competitors – we couldn’t be more proud.”

YOUR Q1 WAS A MONSTER SHOT.
“It was awesome. We opted not to go to Phoenix because with all the fuel cars there we would probably only make three runs per day. With seven cars and 45 crew guys, we kind of wanted to make our own cluster at Bakersfield. We were able to do really well. We knew when we got our butts whipped here last year at the world finals that we had to go to work, and the guys did just that.”

CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT
TOP FUEL:
BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 1 qualifier; fell in semifinals to teammate Austin Prock): “This Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac team is off to a great start. Coming in here, we were a little on edge. We’ve been out of the seat for a while, so qualifying we got one solid run in (Q1) and we were in safe, so we were allowed to push a little bit. We did it in that last run. It was a beautiful run and it moved us to No. 1. (about the semifinal loss) It’s tough; you need to let it go and move forward. That’s my new perspective coming into this season. Get back to having fun and not overthink things, because it didn’t work for me last season. (about what can do differently) It’s about learning from our mistakes last year and gaining from it.”

AUSTIN PROCK, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONTANA BRANDS/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 4 qualifier; runner-up): “I thought I executed perfectly today, and the guys did as well. They know we’re here now. We’ll celebrate the great job everybody did. I love this place. Last time I was here I was in the final against Doug Kalitta. Really enjoy racing here and proud of my guys. We literally got the news (of racing full time in 2022) two weeks before we left (for testing) and put together an all-star team together.”

FUNNY CAR:
JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, BLUEDEF PLATINUM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 16 qualifier; fell in first round): “It was a great weekend. NHRA, we’re growing our sport. That’s what it’s all about. I didn’t come here to beat a champion. I came here because I love driving. Ron Capps won the championship, but I don’t quit because he won the championship. I don’t quit because I lost first round. I drive race cars because I love driving race cars and I will fix it. It will only make me stronger.”

PRO STOCK:
GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 4 qualifier; fell in semifinals): “Lit the tires up at 1,000 foot, just like it did in the last run. I have no earthly idea what they’re doing on that racetrack the last 300 foot, but it’s insufficient for these kinds of cars and absolutely impassable. I’m just thanking my lucky stars I still have a HendrickCars.com Chevy. It should be upside down and tumbling into the weeds.”

KYLE KORETSKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 3 qualifier; fell in first round, did not make start): “I think we had a malfunction with the starter, but I appreciate all the fans coming out here to support us. We ran good Friday night and qualified No. 3, so it was a good start to the season. We’ll be back with this fast Chevy Camaro.”

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.

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Daytona 500

By
Official Release
-

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Recap
Track: Daytona International Speedway
Race: Daytona 500
Date: February 20, 2022

No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric

Start: 5th

Race Finish: 1st – First career NCS Victory

Stage 1 Finish: 12th

Stage 2 Finish: 6th

Laps Led: 21

Point Standings: 1st (+0)

Race Rundown: Austin Cindric raced into NASCAR history on Sunday afternoon, winning the 64th running of the Daytona 500 in the No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang. Cindric claimed the victory in only his second-career start in the Great American Race, winning Team Penske’s third Daytona 500 (2008, 2015, 2022). The victory kicked off Cindric’s rookie season by also locking the No. 2 Ford team into the NASCAR Playoffs. The former NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion led four times for 21 laps and used drafting help late from teammate Ryan Blaney to cross the checkered flag and secure the victory.

Cindric’s Thoughts: “Oh, my God. Do you know what makes it all better? A packed house. A packed house at the Daytona 500. I’ve got so many people to thank. First and foremost Roger Penske, happy birthday. Oh, my gosh. Appreciate Ryan (Blaney) being a great teammate. Obviously, he wants to win this one, but I’m so pumped for Discount Tire, Menards, Ford. Everybody works so hard with this Next Gen car, through this whole process, and damn, I am so excited. This makes up for losing a championship last race I did.”

No. 12 Menards/BlueDEF/PEAK Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney

Race Stats:

Start: 7th

Race Finish: 4th

Stage 1 Finish: 20th

Stage 2 Finish: 11th

Laps Led: 36

Point Standings: 6th (-13)

Race Rundown: Ryan Blaney started seventh and finished fourth in the No. 12 Menards/Blue DEF/Peak Ford Mustang in Sunday’s Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Blaney ran up front all day long and led for 36 laps on his way to the fourth-place finish. The former Daytona winner was in position to win, battling teammate and eventual race winner Austin Cindric down to the wire after drafting together a majority of the event. Blaney and the No. 12 Ford team find themselves in the sixth points position as the series heads to Auto Club Speedway next weekend.

Blaney’s Thoughts: “Yeah, the last lap I got good pushes on the bottom from the 23 and then I was able to get Austin (Cindric) in front and off of four where we were good enough to make a move I got blocked and I ended up getting fenced. I’m happy for Roger Penske, winning the 500 on his birthday. I’m happy for Jeremy Bullins and everyone that works on that 2 car. It’s just one of those things. It didn’t work out. We still ended up fourth, but I don’t know another perfect position we could have put ourselves in to win the race. It just didn’t work out.”

No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano

Race Stats:

Start: 20th

Race Finish: 21st

Stage 1 Finish: 5th

Stage 2 Finish: 2nd

Laps Led: 1

Point Standings: 11th (-21)

Race Rundown: Joey Logano officially started 20th, but had to drop to the rear of the field to begin Sunday’s Daytona 500 after the team had to go to a backup car following a crash in Thursday night’s Duel event. Logano wasted little time moving forward, spending time racing inside the top-10. In the third stage, Logano was collected in a multi-vehicle wreck and sustained a flat tire, resulting in him getting stuck in the infield grass and dropping the Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang three laps down. Logano continued to battle, surviving multiple late race incidents to finish 21st.

Logano’s Thoughts: “Certainly happy for Austin (Cindric) and the No. 2 Ford team, and for Roger Penske winning the Daytona 500 on his birthday. Obviously not the day we were looking for on the Shell-Pennzoil Ford. We had a great car and the guys worked really hard all week, appreciate all of their efforts. The flat tire and getting stuck in the infield sort of ended our day.”

How to Get More From Your Car: Here’s Everything You Need to Know

By
SM
-
Photo by Albin Berlin from Pexels

An actuator is a type of universal mechanism. It is used in a variety of industries and even at home. Because it is so small, it is frequently invisible to the naked eye. However, without it, not only would it be impossible to transport large loads and even travel by car. Do you know how actuators work in a car?

The automobile industry uses a lot of complex high-tech devices. And an electrical actuator is no exception. The application areas of this device range from its use for closing doors to complex systems of turbine units and robotic gearboxes. Let’s take a closer look at the most common actuator applications in automobiles.

How Many Actuators Does A Car Have?

There are many actuators in a car. Although the majority of them are hidden beneath the kilograms of metal, they are all present and perform critical functions without which your car would not be able to move.

1. Turbine Actuator

The turbine actuator regulates a special valve that opens and closes the exhaust gas path. It operates on the same principle as a pump. The pressure is converted into linear movement of the rod by this device.

It enables the release of excess pressure in the turbine at high engine RPM, protecting both the turbine and the engine from failure. It is installed on the turbine.

2. Clutch System Actuator

The clutch system actuator is a mechanical device on electronics that performs activities to compress the clutch squeeze disk spring. It operates in response to commands from the transmission control unit.

3. Car Central Lock Actuator

A small electromotor connected to a movable rod is used to power it. A lock pull is attached to it. The engine begins to operate at the moment of the voltage supply, causing the shaft to rotate in the required direction, causing the rod to move.

Together with the rod, which has one end located on the lock lever, the lever is driven. As a result, the lock is either locked or released.

4. Carjack

A car jack is the most basic mechanical actuator found in every car. The input signal in this case is a human, and the actuator converts the rotational action into vertical movement of the jack pad.

5. Car Gearbox Actuator

The car gearbox actuators work as follows: by command from the head computer, the rod of the device acts on a specific synchronizer at a specific time. The actuator is physically similar to a standard clutch cylinder.

6. Cooling System Actuators

The vehicle’s air conditioning system makes use of several actuators:

  • Blend actuator. This mechanism combines cool and warm air so that they produce a comfortable temperature;
  • Fresh/circulate actuator. Thanks to it, one receives air circulation from the outside of the car to its cabin;
  • Heater control actuator. When the heater is turned on, this device regulates the flow of hot air;
  • Mode actuator. This device determines where the air will come out, such as the floor vents, top vents, or cooling down airflows that blow onto the windshield and windows.

7. Fuel Pump

A fuel pump is another type of actuator in a vehicle. It is powered by the battery of your vehicle. The engine receives fuel thanks to the pump, allowing it to run under suitable pressure.

8. Idle Speed Actuator

This mechanism is located on the engine throttle housing. Its primary function is to control the speed of air intake into the engine for idling control.

As you can see, there is a wide variety of actuator types available. Furthermore, each of them serves an important function for the operation of your vehicle, allowing you to enjoy your journey in comfort.

Author:

Hayley Mann is a technology enthusiast specializing in automation methods of ergonomics devices. Her engineering background helps her to create interesting articles on technical topics, making them understandable for all readers.

What Are Some Common Features of a Great Motorcycle Helmet Design?

By
SM
-
Photo by Matheus Triaquim from Pexels

A helmet is an essential piece of motorcycle safety equipment in more aspects than just one. We understand that buying a motorbike helmet seems to be challenging. 

They are available in various styles, colors, and designs and are specially designed to meet your needs and demands. It is time to change your helmet with innovation, style, and security, pushing the limits of helmet design. It is okay if you have a small budget; a helmet will suit your needs and style.

If you are looking for inspiration, you can check out the samurai motorcycle helmet to get a general idea about the trends these days. Here are some of the features that all the fine helmets share.

A Good Helmet Ventilation System

Proper ventilation throughout the helmet is critical when it is about comfort. Especially when you are riding in hot weather, the air keeps you cool and guarantees that your helmet stays fresh. Check for intake and outlet vents that can be readily closed or opened with gloved hands on the helmet’s back, side, and top. 

A decent ventilation system allows the air to circulate directly onto your head or face and can shut off the airflow (which comes in handy in winters). The ventilation system around your chin is also helpful since they keep the helmet from fogging up.

Reflective Material

Some helmets come with pre-cut reflecting stickers that you can install yourself. When using headlights in poor light or at night, these stickers boost visibility to the other vehicles. It improves safety, especially while riding a bike in the dark. 

Since your helmet is the tallest structure on the motorcycle when it moves, this can be visible over most windshields, so adding some reflectors there can help you see better. If your motorcycle helmet doesn’t come with this accessory, you can also find reflective tape in various hues and thicknesses at any home improvement store. Most of the good helmets do come with this feature, though. 

Breath Deflector

If you frequently travel in cooler weather that causes the face shield to fog up while wearing full-face helmets, a breath diverter situated in your helmet’s chin bar might be a terrific option. They also keep your face warm, so that is also a plus. 

Many helmets come with them as a detachable option, so keep an eye out for them when you are shopping for helmets.  The majority are kept in place by buckles and are simple to install. 

Sun Visor

Shorter duck-bill sunlight visors that could be snapped off and on the helmets were standard on-street bicycle helmets earlier –an alternative that is now only offered on expedition-style helmets.

When you are riding your bike in the late afternoon, covering your eyes using your hand can be risky. A nonadhesive window film or a tape sunshade may also be used to make a quick sun visor. If you use tape, be careful not to overdo it because it limits your vision. You can go for a tinted, translucent, and clinging vinyl window covering that works incredibly well without restricting the field of vision. Many helmets come with shields that may be retracted.

The Ejectable Helmet Removal System

It’s a reasonably recent answer to an issue that dates back to the invention of the helmet. Helmets, if appropriately fitted, are relatively tight and therefore can be challenging to remove in the case of accidents. 

When the rescuers must detach a helmet from a motorcyclist who’s been in an accident, this feature plays a vital role. Applying the force required to remove a helmet may exacerbate a neck injury. The eject technology reduces this risk by propelling it off the head using airbags inside the helmet. Safety features in helmets are essential, and they have saved countless lives, so never compromise on that. 

Quick Release Buckles

If you do not enjoy fiddling with a standard helmet’s fastening system’s antiquated double-D hook fasteners, this is a feature you need. This is one of the features that are high in demand because it is very convenient and not frustrating at all.  As a response, practically all helmet manufacturers started making helmets that come with easy-release buckles. 

Most of the quick-release features can be popped open even with your gloves on, making it a lot faster and more efficient to use when unthreading or threading your retention strap through the D-rings.

Conclusion

Shopping for a helmet can be pretty daunting, especially if you are a first-timer. Still, over some time, the safety and comfort features of the helmets have improved, and pretty much everything is customizable. Safety comes before anything else. There are also much fancier features that might not be common such as communication gear, but if you are looking to up your helmet game, then this is something you might want to look into. 

1...2,1772,1782,179...6,731Page 2,178 of 6,731