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Ford Performance NASCAR: Chase Briscoe Rookie of the Year Transcript

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Sunoco Rookie of the Year Media Availability | Monday, November 15, 2021

Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Ford Racing Performance Racing School Ford Mustang, was named the Sunoco Rookie of the Year for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. That completed a sweep of sorts as Briscoe also won ROY in the NASCAR Camping World Truck and NASCAR XFINITY Series as well. He was part of a Q&A session on Monday where he discussed the honor.

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang — THOUGHTS ON WINNING ROOKIE OF THE YEAR. “It’s super special. I wish that there was a lot more guys going for it this year. There were only two of us, but it’s still special to win it. For me, I think I put something out after the race, where I never in a million years thought I would get to run one Truck Series race let alone win the Rookie of the Year now in all three. It’s super humbling. It’s super special to be able to be one of the few guys that have won it in all three is really special as well. I’m glad that the first year is over. There was definitely a lot of growing pains and things to learn, but hopefully this is just the first of many years in the Cup Series and something that I can continue to do.”

WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST SURPRISE TO YOU IN CUP? “The biggest thing is just how competitive it is. You hear all the time how tough the Cup Series is and, for me, that was very real, just how good everybody is and if you think about it, everybody at the Cup level from first place to really the top 30 has won at every level they’ve been in and have been guys that have won their entire career. It’s just a really competitive series. I feel like the racing for 20th place in the Cup Series is some of the hardest racing you’ll do anywhere in the world, so, for me, that was the biggest thing is just how perfect you have to be. There’s a rare group of guys, I’d say only four or five guys week in and week out that can have penalties, have things go wrong in the race, lose all their track position and still drive back to the front. Outside of that, you have to do everything perfect to have a shot to even get in the top 10 and get that track position. It’s so easy to lose it, so that was the biggest thing I would say I learned this year is just how competitive it is and how perfect you have to be to get that track position and have those good finishes because you have to do everything right, whether it’s the strategy of the race, doing things right on the racetrack, pit road, restarts, all those things you have to be 100 percent or otherwise you’re gonna be 25th. In the Xfinity Series and the Truck Series you were able to make mistakes on pit road or not have the best restart and you would normally still recover from it and have a chance to win, where in the Cup Series you just can’t do those things.”

WAS THERE ONE THING YOU AS A DRIVER HAD TO LEARN OR WAS SPECIFICALLY CHALLENGING FOR YOU? “I think just what I was saying, just how perfect you have to be to even have a chance to run somewhat up front. You could do everything perfect and there are still days where you don’t even crack the top 15, and I think that, for me, was the hardest thing to kind of get used to is just how competitive it is. It is very, very car dependent in the Cup Series at the same time. If you’re not in one of those cars that have extremely good speed that day, it’s hard to make anything out of it just because everybody is so good. So, I think that was the biggest thing that I learned is just it takes everything going right. The preparation at the shop, at the racetrack, pit road, restarts, me being on the right part of the racetrack at the right time — all those things go into it. It’s hard to be a guy that can win races in the Cup Series, for sure.”

WAS THE SOCIAL MEDIA EXCHANGE WITH DENNY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH YOU? WHERE DOES THAT STAND NOW? “I’m definitely kind of on the easygoing and laid back all the time, pretty quiet. I like to have a good time though at the same time and I just saw a joke there that was kind of too easy not to take, so I did it. But, I don’t have anything wrong with Denny. I haven’t really the whole time. He gets paid the same way I do, to get the best finish for his car as he can just like I’m paid to get the best finish for my car. We may have different opinions on some things, but I wasn’t mad after the Indy deal because I even told him that if I was in your situation I would have done the same thing. I would have ran you wide into turn one. That’s the best opportunity to win the race. I don’t have anything with Denny. I saw a joke there when he was talking about who does he think he is and I just thought it would be too easy not to say the 10,000 comment.”

HOW ARE YOU DOING AS A DAD? WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE? “It’s been incredible. It’s been an amazing time. You never know what it’s gonna be like until you have that happen. He’s almost two months old already and I would say that’s the biggest thing now being a parent. There are two things. One, your phone gets filled up with pictures way quicker and then secondly just how fast time goes. It’s incredible to have him here for a month-and-a-half it seems like just last weekend he was born, and just how quick that time goes. I remember my parents and other people always telling me that it’ll happen in the blink of an eye and it’s so true, so I think, for me, that’s kind of been the biggest takeaway. Outside of that, it’s been great. I feel like definitely he has my temperament. He’s super laid back. He barely ever cries. People all the time are like, ‘Man, we wouldn’t even know he’s here if you didn’t tell us that he was here,’ just because he never cries or never gets upset. The last couple of nights he’s been sleeping all the way through the night, so he’s pretty laid back and chill, so I’m glad that he got that, I guess, from me. It’s been great so far and obviously excited to continue to watch him grow.”

HOW MUCH WILL THIS AWARD HELP YOU WITH SPONSORSHIP? “It can’t hurt. I think anytime you’re going to sell a new sponsor, a new partnership, you’re always looking to kind of have a resume in a sense of things you’ve been able to do, whether it be winning races or winning awards like rookie of the year or one thing that we still to this day use as the most popular driver thing from the Truck Series. Things like that go a long way, I think, when you’re trying to convince somebody to come on board. It definitely can’t hurt. Anytime you’re winning anything, whether it’s an award like that or a race or anything people want people that are winning things. It doesn’t hurt at all and time will tell if it helps us at all right now, but I feel like it’s definitely something that’s nice to have.”

HOW COOL IS IT WHEN SPONSORS SEND YOU BABY STUFF? “It’s super cool. That’s the one thing I’m very, very blessed and fortunate. All of my sponsors are people that I consider people family — super close to me — whether it be Huffy or High Point or Ford or Ford Racing School — any of them. They’re all really close to me an personal friends of mine and we feel like we’re all family. Ford just sent us a couple outfits and a blanket with an old Ford pickup truck on it with his name on it. Huffy sent us a bicycle that was all customized with the 14 and said Little Briscoe on it. There’s a lot of cool things that people have sent even outside of sponsors, but sponsors definitely have been really cool to see all of the stuff they’ve kind of gotten creative with to send to Brooks and I know we definitely appreciate it.”

HOW WERE YOU THINKING ABOUT BROOKS WHEN HUFFY HAD YOU DO THAT BIKE RIDE AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THE KIDS? “Yeah, I was thinking how it’s gonna be pretty crazy how soon he’ll be that age to be riding a bike and hopefully riding a Huffy. It’s definitely crazy, like I said earlier, how fast this last month-and-a-half has gone. It’ll be in no-time he’ll be three and four years old and running around and starting to have his own personality and doing things that he likes. I’m sure he’ll be brought up around racing and a lot of my first racing experiences was riding my Huffy bicycle around the driveway, so who knows, he’s got a Huffy now at the house and maybe he’ll do the same.”

WHAT VALUES DID YOUR FATHER INSTILL IN YOU THAT YOU HOPE TO PASS DOWN? “I think just treating people the way they want to be treated. That’s something I’ve always tried to do and give everybody the time of day and talk to them and actually have a personal conversation with them. That’s something that I feel like my dad was always really good at was making people feel like he cared and he did care, and that’s something I’ve always tried to do as well. I want Brooks to carry that on. My dad, I remember, Fox did a thing there at the end of their Indy weekend about how people don’t remember Chase as a race car driver, they talk about how Chase is as a person and I hope it’s the same for Brooks. I want people to talk to me about how, I don’t know if he’s gonna race or not, but if he does or he plays baseball I don’t want them to talk about how good he is at something, I want them to talk about how good he is of a kid or as a person. So, just being able to instill all those qualities in him. Obviously, it comes from parenting and that’s something me and Marissa are obviously new at, so we’re gonna have to figure that out together, but I feel like as long as we stay true to ourselves and try to show him the way that we were brought up, hopefully that will carry over to him.”

HOW MUCH HAS YOUR FAITH CARRIED YOU THROUGH EVERYTHING? “It’s been everything. Whether it’s good or bad times that it’s easy to forget about your faith, and I honestly feel like it’s easier to do it in the good times, but it’s important, I feel like, to stay thankful and stay appreciative. Obviously, in the hard times and the down times it’s easy to look to Him, and that’s something that we’ve tried to do, and we all do it, I feel like, there are times where you fail and times where you do it really well. For me, just trying to stay consistent, whether it is in the good times or the bad times it’s been really important. Obviously, we’ve had good times and we’ve also had bad times and His timing is what’s gonna work out and that’s hard, I think, as a human being to understand his timing sometimes, and you might now always understand it or think that’s what’s right or wrong, but at the end of the day He’s only gonna put on your shoulders what you can handle. I feel like faith has been a huge part of not only my life, but my career as well. There are many a times I thought I was done and just prayed. Open the door if you want it to be open and if it’s closed, it’ll be closed and I’m fine with not racing or whatever you think I need to be doing, just show me. And every time it’s worked out where I get a sponsor at the last minute or a ride opens up at the last minute, so I feel like I’m doing what I was supposed to be doing and trying to let that be my testimony and show other people to Him.”

WHAT KIND OF ASSURANCES HAVE YOU GOTTEN FROM SHR THAT 2022 WILL BE BETTER? “To me, I agree that if Kevin is not winning it’s hard to expect a rookie to come in and, for me, that’s kind of what I set as my benchmark is just try to — I don’t think anybody here at the company was expecting me to out run Kevin every week, so if I could try to be the second-best car as consistently as possible, that’s what I tried to do. I was looking at stats the other day — somebody posted them on Reddit — and I think we were consistently the second-best car, so just trying to do things like that. On the performance side, it wasn’t the year that any of us hoped for or even expected. I know that we’re trying to turn that around and I heard you say what direction are we going in, I don’t know if anybody knows what the right direction is with this car yet, but I will say that I feel like so far how the Next Gen tests have gone, I feel like we’ve been really good on speed. You never know what guys are showing or what guys aren’t showing, but I do feel like we’re at a good place right now. I guess we’ll know more this Wednesday and Thursday when we go to test, so hopefully we’re continuing to be fast, but I do feel like we’ve been really good from a speed standpoint so far, but it’s hard to say what’s gonna happen. Nobody knows what this car is gonna be like or what it’s gonna drive like 100 percent. Whatever team figures it out is gonna have a huge advantage for a while, I think. Hopefully, we’re that team and we’ve definitely been putting a lot of time into this car and trying to figure out what it likes, so hopefully we can be that team that finds it first.”

ANY CHANGES TO YOUR TEAM? “Yeah, we’re definitely looking for a spotter right now. We’re talking to a couple different people. Our spotter this past year did a really good job and we’re just trying to make a change to see what it does to our race team. So, we’re definitely talking to a few different spotters and we’ll see what happens. We’re in the market, I guess.”

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE OUT OF THIS TEST AT CHARLOTTE? “For me, I just want to see what it drives like on an oval. I felt like it did a lot of things really, really well at the road course or at the Roval. There are some things that definitely still need work on, but it definitely drives really, really good on a road course compared to what we currently have. I’m curious what it’s gonna drive like on an oval. I’m not gonna lie. I am nervous to kind of see what it drives like just because it is gonna be totally different from what we’ve ran in the past, but that’s part of it. You’ve got to adapt and figure it out and I’m excited for that part of it, so I don’t know what to expect. I’m going in open-minded. I’m one of those guys, kind of like Larson. I don’t know anything about the car per se. I don’ t understand the setup side of it. I just go in there and drive it and I’ll tell you what I think. I am looking forward to it this week and hopefully it fits my driving style. It’s gonna fit somebody’s driving style more than others, so hopefully it leans more towards my direction. Outside of driving, I would like to hopefully get around some other cars and maybe just see what it does in dirty air just because it’s obviously gonna be something that we’re gonna have to figure out. Outside of those two things, I’m going in pretty wide-open and just seeing what happens.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL WITH THE STEERING BOX? “I had some issues at the Roval, nothing that you couldn’t drive through. I don’t know if I’d want to run a whole race like that, but for a test I felt like it was OK to do. On the oval, I don’t know what that’s gonna do. Hopefully, it’s fixed. I know there was a test the other week and it sounded like a lot of the issues did get fixed, so until we go and really run them for a long time and do durability testing it’s gonna be really hard to say what the issue is or how to fix it. Hopefully, we can run a lot of laps. Hopefully, there are no issues, but, if there is, it’s nothing that’s too catastrophic. Hopefully, it’s something that happens you can keep the car out of the wall and stuff like that. I’m curious to see what happens on the steering. From a driver’s standpoint, the steering and the pedals are the two most important things as far as our comfort goes, so I would say all of us are kind of hesitant to have a different feeling of steering or pedals and that’s something we’re gonna have to figure out and get used to. So there are gonna be some bugs to be worked out, but I will say I feel like they’ve definitely made it better from what I’ve been told over the last couple times, so hopefully we’ll have no issues this week.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL YOU’VE EVOLVED AS A DRIVER? “I feel like I’ve learned a lot. I feel like I’ve learned to minimize mistakes. I still made too many mistakes, but I do feel like I’ve understood a lot more how to put a race together and there are times to maybe try to go for a spot or maybe not go for a spot and just save your car. That’s the one thing in the Cup Series that was the biggest thing for me is in the past in the Xfinity Series you could hit the wall or you could get into another guy a little bit and it didn’t affect your car at all, where on the Cup side that was one thing I really struggled with early in the year at Homestead, which I feel is one of my better tracks. I wasn’t even comfortable running the wall like I felt like I needed to because I was afraid to get into it, and until 10-15 to go I finally started running hard and we were one of the best cars on the track, but just knowing when to be able to push and how to save your car and now going to this new car I don’t know how much of that is gonna carry over, but still just doing those little things like I was saying earlier is what I feel like I’ve kind of evolved and learned the most about and trying to minimize all of those little things at the beginning of the year. On pit road, I was really, really bad as far as the rolling speed on pit road and getting into my box and out of my box. At Phoenix, I want to say my guys told me we were the second-best on pit road from that standpoint, but just trying to do all of those things better was something I had to do because every little thing matters in the Cup Series. In the past, not that it didn’t matter, it just didn’t make as big of a difference.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS FROM THE PAST SEASON? “No, if anything I would say I wish I would have stood my ground more. I felt like I got pushed around a lot, especially — there’s two different types of racing going on. When you get up towards the front — the top five to 10 guys — the racing is honestly is more clean and guys give-and-take a lot more. You get back around 20th and it’s so cut throat. Guys just take advantage of every little thing you do and I felt like I let guys kind of run over me a lot and not stick up for myself. I felt like I did that so much at the beginning of the year and towards the end of the year they just felt that they could get away with it. So, I wish I would have maybe stood my ground a little bit more at the beginning of the year and just showed I wasn’t gonna let them do that and just raced guys harder. I felt like that was honestly one of my biggest things in the beginning of the year is I raced too clean and gave guys too much room, where in the Cup Series you have to take every inch you can. Off on corner entry, at a place like Martinsville for example, they’re gonna give you a half-a-foot or a foot on corner entry, you’ve got to take that and really try to maximize the corner for yourself instead of trying to help them out. So, at the end of the year, I felt like I did a little better job of that, but I wish at the beginning of the year instead of just trying to stay clean and out of trouble, not racing guys dirty, but just taking every little inch they’ll give you, I feel like, would have been something that would have benefitted me at the beginning of the year.”

South Boston Speedway to host new first time drifting event in March 2022

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Official Release
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Smoke rolls from the tires of cars wheeled by a pair of drivers (one partially hidden by the smoke) as they navigate a series of twists and turns during an informal drifting test earlier this fall at South Boston Speedway. Photo Courtesy Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway

By Joe Chandler
Director, Public Relations
South Boston Speedway

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (Nov. 16, 2021) — Drifting, a unique form of motorsports, will be coming to South Boston Speedway in March 2022 in a new first-time event, SoBo Drifts.

SoBo Drifts, the first-ever drifting event to be held at South Boston Speedway, is set for Saturday, March 5, 2022. It is the second first-time event South Boston Speedway officials have announced for “America’s Hometown Track” for the 2022 season. Track officials had previously announced a weekend doubleheader event for 410 winged-sprint cars to be held in April 2022.

“We’re excited to host a new drifting event at South Boston Speedway in March prior to our season-opening NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series event,” said South Boston Speedway Incoming General Manager Chase Brashears. “The group of drivers that will be driving in the event held several test runs here at the speedway this past season, and they quickly found a way to make an exciting course for other drifters to join in on all the excitement.”

Admission for SoBo Drifts will be $10 for spectators with children 12 and under admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult. Spectator tickets can be purchased at the speedway on the day of the event. Food will be available at the speedway for both spectators and participants.

Brashears invites everyone to come out and see this unique form of motorsports.

“With this being our first-ever event of this type, we plan to host it “open-house style” which will include less-costly admission prices,” Brashears noted. “This will be a great time to check out the incredible techniques these drivers use to manipulate their cars through the course. If you’ve never seen this style of driving before this is an event you will not want to miss!”

The entry fee for a competing driver and car will be $60. Drivers will be able to pre-register prior to event, or they may register at the speedway on the day of the event.

Event participants will compete on a course that will be set up inside the speedway’s infield area. Participants are judged by multiple factors including the successful navigation of the course.

The sport of drifting began in the 1970s in Japan and it is now a global sport complete with professional competitors competing in televised series.

Drifting became a huge hit in the United States when it was featured in one of the series of “The Fast and Furious” movies titled “Tokyo Drift.”

“This is a sport that has rapidly grown in popularity,” Brashears pointed out. “It’s exciting to see the competition and to see the smoke rolling from the tires as the cars slide through the twists and turns on the course. This is a new event for us here at “America’s Hometown Track” and we are looking forward to seeing everyone come out and enjoy all of the action.”

The 2022 season will be a big one at South Boston Speedway as “America’s Hometown Track” celebrates its 65th anniversary season with two new first-time events and a full season of NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series racing events.

South Boston Speedway’s season-opening NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series event is set for Saturday, March 19 featuring the track’s four regular racing divisions, the Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division, the Limited Sportsman Division, the Budweiser Pure Stock Division and the Budweiser Hornets Division.

Special events on the track’s tentative 14-event 2022 season schedule include an event on April 2 for the SMART Modified Tour and the Sentara Healthcare American Sprint Car Weekend on April 29-30 featuring the first-ever races for 410-winged sprint cars at South Boston Speedway.

The track’s premier Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200-lap Late Model Stock Car race on July 2, the official celebration of the track’s 65th anniversary on August 6, and an event for the Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour on October 22 featuring the series’ Late Model Stock Car and new Pro Late Model divisions are also among the special highlight events for the 2022 season.

The tentative 2022 South Boston Speedway schedule can be found on the speedway’s website, southbostonspeedway.com.

The latest news and information about South Boston Speedway can be found on the South Boston Speedway website and through the speedway’s social media channels.

Life-long NASCAR Fan Wins 11th Annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award

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Official Release
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Down Syndrome of Louisville to receive $100,000 Donation

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (November 16, 2021) – The NASCAR Foundation announced Louisville, KY native Jeff Harmon as the winner of the 11th annual presentation of the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award during a live-streamed announcement on NASCAR’s YouTube channel today. As the award winner, Harmon secured $100,000 from The NASCAR Foundation to Down Syndrome of Louisville.

“I’m so excited and humbled to win this award”, said Jeff Harmon when he first received the news. “The other three finalists were all deserving as well, I’m blessed, what an honor. The $100,000 will go a long way in helping Down Syndrome of Louisville grow and expand to help even more kids. Thank you to The NASCAR Foundation and all who voted!”

Harmon, who has served, supported, and uplifted Down Syndrome of Louisville and the surrounding communities for 18 years, earned the most online votes from a pool of volunteers, including: Erin Collins of the Dallas Hearing Foundation, Jaeleen Davis of Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan, and Beverly Hodson of Richie McFarland Children’s Center, all of whom have impacted a combined number of 6,330 kids through their continual service. Each of these organizations has each earned a $25,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation in recognition of their nominated volunteers’ achievements.

“We’re very proud to present this award to Jeff Harmon, he has been doing extraordinary work for Down Syndrome of Louisville and exemplifies the values of Betty Jane France,” said Mike Helton, The NASCAR Foundation Chairman. “Our fans had a tough decision because all four are passionate people who devote hours of their time to help their respective organizations. We’re delighted to present this recognition to Jeff to honor the work he’s doing in the Louisville community.”

Throughout the 11 years of its existence, the Betty Jane France Award has highlighted 44 different individuals who have served and uplifted children in their local communities. The NASCAR Foundation, through this program, has acknowledged 622 years of combined service from these community heroes who have touched at least 374,763 children’s lives overall.

Harmon began his tenure volunteering for the Down Syndrome of Louisville (DSL) 18 years ago, when his son, Justin, was born with Down Syndrome. Serving in the capacity of coach and fundraiser, he logs around 20 hours per month with the organization. The organization serves as a support system for local families and individuals that have dealt with Down Syndrome.

Harmon and the DSL plan to use the $100,000 cash prize to help implement modern playground equipment and sensory room renovations, as well as launching satellite campuses to further support the Down Syndrome community.

Aside from his service, Harmon has been a committed life-long fan of NASCAR, with his all-time favorite driver being Darrell Waltrip. The racing fan grew up racing modified stock cars with his family and friends, and now gets to share his love of the sport with his own family and children.

To learn more about The NASCAR Foundation’s programs, including the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award and Speediatrics Children’s Fund, please visit NASCARfoundation.org.

About The NASCAR Foundation

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Inc. (NASCAR) established The NASCAR Foundation in January 2006 to support initiatives that positively affect the lives of children throughout the United States. The 501(c) (3) non-profit entity partners with medical experts and other charitable organizations to fund children’s health care programs. The NASCAR Foundation has cumulatively donated more than $36 million to reach more than one million children. For more information on The NASCAR Foundation, visit NASCARfoundation.org. Follow The NASCAR Foundation on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/NASCARFoundation or on Twitter at @NASCAR_FDN.

Guanyu Zhou named Alfa Romeo competitor for 2022 F1 season

By
Andrew Kim
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Following months of speculation and anticipation, Alfa Romeo Racing filled the missing piece to their two-car driver lineup after revealing that Guanyu Zhou will be joining the organization as their newest competitor for the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship season.

A 22-year-old native from Shanghai, China, Zhou, whose racing career started in karting at age eight before he worked his way up through the open-wheel ladder, currently competes in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for UNI-Virtuosi Racing, where he has notched three victories and seven podium results as he is in second place in the current F2 standings.

Zhou, who was once part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, also serves a test competitor for the Alpine F1 Team as part of the Alpine Academy. He became the second Chinese competitor to participate in a Formula One practice session when he tested two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso’s Alpine car prior during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, the first since Ma Quinghua competed in five practice sessions with HRT and Caterham in 2012 and 2013.

With the news of Zhou’s promotion to Formula One and filling in the 20th and final vacant seat at Alfa Romeo for the upcoming season, he is set to become the first Chinese competitor to embark in a full Formula One season.

“I dreamt from a young age of climbing as high as I can in a sport that I am passionate about and now the dream has come true,” Zhou said. “It is a privilege for me to start my Formula 1 career with an iconic team, a team that has introduced so much young talent into Formula 1 in the past. Now the dream is reality…To be the first ever Chinese driver in Formula 1 is a breakthrough for Chinese motorsport history. I know a lot of hopes will be resting on me and, as ever, I will take this as motivation to become better and achieve more.”

Zhou will be a teammate to Valtteri Bottas, who is set to join Alfa Romeo Racing on a multi-year basis for the upcoming F1 season. The 28-year-old Bottas from Nastola, Finland, is currently in his fifth and final full-time season with the reigning champions Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. Through November 2021, he has achieved 10 Grand Prix victories, including this year’s Turkish Grand Prix in October, and is currently ranked in third place in the driver’s standings. Bottas’ seat at Mercedes will be occupied by Williams’ George Russell for the 2022 season.

“I feel well prepared for the immense challenge of Formula 1, the pinnacle of my sport, alongside a proven, world-class talent in Valtteri Bottas,” Zhou added. “I wish to thank the Alfa Romeo Racing team for this opportunity. Next year the target will be to learn as much as possible and as quickly as possible.”

“It is a pleasure to welcome Guanyu Zhou to Alfa Romeo Racing,” Fred Vasseur, CEO and Team Principal of Alfa Romeo Racing, added. “He is a very talented driver, as his results in F2 have shown, and we are looking forward to helping his talent flourish even more in Formula 1. We are proud of our line-up for 2022 and we are confident Zhou will form a very successful partnership with Valtteri. We are also looking forward to welcoming all the new Chinese fans who will join the team: Alfa Romeo Racing is a historical brand and one that embodies the spirit of Formula 1 and we will do our utmost to make the experience of our sport a great one in China.”

Zhou will be replacing Antonio Giovinazzi, who is currently in his third full-time season with the team and is set to leave the team at the conclusion of the 2021 campaign. Giovinazzi, a 27-year-old racer from Martina Franca, Italy, has achieved eight top-10 points-paying results since 2019. He is currently ranked in 18th place in the driver’s standings with one top-10 result, which was a 10th-place result in the Monaco Grand Prix in May.

Kimi Räikkönen, Alfa Romeo’s second competitor, is set to retire from Formula One competition at the conclusion of this season and following a 19-year career where he has achieved 21 career victories, 103 podiums and the 2007 championship. Räikkönen is currently ranked in 16th place in the driver’s standings with 10 points.

With the 20-car grid field set, Guanyu Zhou is set to embark in his first full-time season in Formula One competition at Bahrain International Circuit for the 2022 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on March 20.

RP Funding announced as presenting sponsor of Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

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Official Release
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Public ticket sales begin tomorrow for 2022 race weekend

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Nov. 16, 2021) – RP Funding has joined as the newest partner of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The Florida-based company is the event’s very first presenting sponsor which will take place Feb. 25-27, 2022, on the picturesque, waterfront street circuit in downtown St. Petersburg.

The event will now be titled as the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding. An updated event logo has been developed recognizing the addition of this new presenting sponsor. Along with a strong on site brand presence through various trackside and spectator signage placements, RP Funding will have access to a number of experiential activities during the event.

“RP Funding is excited to partner with Green Savoree Racing Promotions. It is a thrill to have our name associated with this fantastic event and have it now be called the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding,” said Robert Palmer, president of RP Funding. “INDYCAR racing is a spectacular show, and RP Funding is honored to play a part in bringing this major event to the community.”

RP Funding is a direct mortgage lender with a primary focus on servicing Florida residents. Its customer-first approach offers no closing cost purchasing and refinancing. As part of its sponsorship, RP Funding will also heavily promote the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding across the state of Florida through dedicated advertising campaigns.

“We are thrilled to have RP Funding, a major Florida company, on board as a partner of this significant annual event in Florida,” said Kim Green, co-owner, chairman and CEO of Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC, organizers of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Presented by RP Funding. “Robert Palmer has built one of the fastest growing companies in the state, and his pace is similar to the growth we’ve seen with the Firestone Grand Prix. We look forward to having the team at RP Funding join us as the Firestone Grand Prix returns to a full-scale experience for our fans in 2022.”

3-Day tickets go on sale to the public starting tomorrow at 10 a.m. ET. For ticket pricing and event information, visit gpstpete.com or follow Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on social media using #FirestoneGP. Joining the E-Club also provides insider access to the latest news and offers. The complete racing and activities schedule will be released in early 2022. The updated Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding logo digital kit is available on the Media page of gpstpete.com.

About RP Funding:
Based in Central Florida, RP Funding is a full-service direct mortgage lender owned by Robert Palmer. Serving primarily Florida, RP Funding has a combined staff of nearly 300 and revenues of $100 million annually. In addition to RP Funding, the Robert Palmer Companies also features RP Title and Escrow providing residential and commercial real estate closing services, Listed.com, a residential real estate brokerage, ARMR Appraisal Management, a full-service residential real estate appraisal management company and Listing Power Tools, a company that helps real estate agents craft the perfect listing presentation. For more information visit www.robertpalmercompanies.com.

About Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding:
The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is a race event held during Florida’s spring break season. Traditionally the site of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ season-opening race, St. Pete is a destination city hosting this annual motorsports tradition and offering a festival atmosphere with its downtown location. The temporary circuit is a 1.8-mile, 14-turn configuration using the streets circling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, The Dali Museum and extending onto the runways at Albert Whitted Airport, which overlooks the waterfront of Tampa Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina. Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is owned and operated by Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC. Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC is owned by Green Savoree Racing Promotions 2, LLC whose other subsidiaries also promote three additional INDYCAR SERIES races, The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (July 1-3, 2022), Honda Indy Toronto (July 15-17, 2022), and Grand Prix of Portland (Sept. 2-4, 2022).

For more information, visit gpstpete.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page at @GPSTPETE or follow the event on Twitter @GPSTPETE and Instagram @GPSTPETE using #FirestoneGP.

23XI Racing Announces Key Competition Hires

By
Official Release
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Bootie Barker and Billy Scott Complete Crew Chief Lineup for 2022 Season

Mooresville, NC (November 16, 2021) – Today 23XI Racing announced competition updates and its crew chief lineup for the 2022 season. Bootie Barker will continue with Bubba Wallace, moving from interim to full-time crew chief of the No. 23 Toyota Camry TRD, and Billy Scott joins the team as the crew chief of the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD with Kurt Busch. As the team quickly adapts to the Next Gen car and continues to build a top-tier organization, both Barker and Scott will also manage areas across the entire 23XI organization, helping to build processes and strengthen the team. Barker will remain as the organization’s Senior Setup Engineer, while Scott will be 23XI Racing’s Senior Race Engineer.

A veteran of the sport, Barker moved into the crew chief role with Wallace at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 18, 2021. Since the duo teamed up, Wallace made history with his first-career win at Talladega Superspeedway, and in just eight starts together, the pair earned five top-20 finishes.

“Bootie and I clicked from the start,” said Wallace. “He’s been a great addition to the No. 23 team and in just the short time he’s been the crew chief, he’s helped me on and off the track to be better every time I get in the car. To get the win together at Talladega, the first win for both of us, was really special. I’m excited to continue to build this team with Bootie and to see what we can accomplish together next season. I’m pumped to get the year started at the LA Coliseum and then head to Daytona for the Daytona 500.”

Crew Chief Billy Scott has been hired to lead the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD team with Cup Series Champion Kurt Busch. The hiring reunites Scott and Busch who were partnered together in 2018 and won one race (Bristol) and earned six top-five finishes and 22 top-10 finishes together. Throughout his career, Scott has worked with multiple drivers including Clint Bowyer, Danica Patrick and Daniel Suarez. Most recently, Scott served as the Head of Race Engineering for Richard Childress Racing.

“The chemistry Billy and I had together a few years back at SHR (Stewart Haas Racing) was strong,” said Busch. “We raced smart and built solid consistency with each other. That showed with the results and the fun the team had together. Winning races is what it’s all about and our past experiences will help build the future at 23XI.”

In addition to Barker and Scott, 23XI has bolstered its competition staff as the team evolves into a two-car NASCAR Cup Series organization. The additional hires will work across the organization assisting both 23XI entries to provide consistent car assembly, setups, and strategies. Key hires include:

  • David Bryant – No. 45 Car Chief – Bryant joins 23XI from Chip Ganassi Racing.
  • Etienne Cliche – No 23 Race Engineer – Cliche is a current 23XI employee and will continue his role on the No. 23 team.
  • Mike Lorusso – Director, Race Team Operation – Lorusso joins 23XI from Joe Gibbs Racing.
  • Zach Marquardt – No. 23 Car Chief – Marquardt joins 23XI from Roush Fenway Racing.
  • Julian Pena – No. 45 Race Engineer – Pena is a current 23XI employee who will transition to the No. 45 team.
  • Dave Rogers – Performance Director – Rogers joins 23XI from Joe Gibbs Racing.
  • Steve Wolfe – Assembly Manager – Wolfe joins 23XI from Chip Ganassi Racing.

“As we grow and move into our second year, it is important for us to continue building our competition team, and hiring the right people to take us to the next level,” said 23XI Racing President Steve Lauletta. “With Kurt coming on board to join Bubba, new partners joining us, and now hiring some of the best in the business, all of the pieces are falling into place and it makes all of us excited to get to the track and continue building on our first year.”

23XI Racing will return to the track for the Busch Light Clash at the LA Coliseum on Sunday, February 6, 2022, followed by the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 20, 2022.

About 23XI Racing

23XI Racing – pronounced twenty-three eleven – was founded by NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin in 2020. With rising NASCAR star Bubba Wallace selected to drive the No. 23 Toyota Camry TRD, the team made its NASCAR Cup Series debut in the 2021 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Wallace made history on October 4, 2021, when he captured his first career Cup Series win, becoming just the second African American to win in the Cup Series, and earning 23XI Racing its first-ever victory. 23XI Racing will expand to a two-car organization in 2022 with Cup Series Champion Kurt Busch driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD.

World Wide Technology Raceway owner and CEO Curtis Francois to receive Jack Buck Award December 6

By
Official Release
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The MAC to Host the 52nd Jack Buck Awards on Dec. 6
Francois, Bruce, Backes, Goldschmidt and Unger to be Honored

ST. LOUIS – On Monday, Dec. 6, the Missouri Athletic Club in Downtown St. Louis will host the 52nd Jack Buck Sports Awards Banquet presented by Redbird Carriers.

This year’s lineup of honorees is set. Recent Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Isaac Bruce will receive the Stan “the Man” Award for his contributions to St. Louis on the field and in the community through his Foundation. The newly named “Bob Plager Legends Award” will honor two St. Louis Blues greats, Gary Unger and David Backes. World Wide Technology Raceway owner Curtis Francois will receive the Jack Buck Award in recognition for his contributions to racing including landing a coveted NASCAR Cup Series Race for St. Louis. Cardinals Gold-glove 1st baseman Paul Goldschmidt will be honored as the Sports Personality of the Year.

The Jack Buck Award is presented in recognition of dedicated support of sports in St. Louis and making a positive difference in the community. Some past winners of this award include: August A. Busch, Robert Hyland, Joe Garagiola, Stan Musial, Bill DeWitt, Tom Stillman and the MLS4THLOU ownership group.

This annual banquet was established in 1970 by Missouri Athletic Club member Jack Buck to honor the top St. Louis sports figures. Some of the biggest names in sports history including Bob Gibson, Joe Torre, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Al MacInnis, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Brett Hull, Marshall Faulk, Albert Pujols and Kurt Warner have been honored at the event. Every banquet since its inception has aired on KMOX Radio. This year’s banquet can be heard beginning at 8 p.m. on Dec. 6.

TRAVIS PASTRANA TOPS NITRO RALLYCROSS SUPERCAR PODIUM AT THRILLING PHOENIX FINALE

By
Official Release
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NASCAR GUEST STAR KYLE BUSCH EARNS FOURTH
Championship Battle Moves to Southern California’s Glen Helen Raceway

(Phoenix) Travis Pastrana (USA) scored his first Nitro Rallycross win at the Phoenix stop of the 2021 championship series on Sunday, while NASCAR guest star Kyle Busch put in a strong performance to place fourth.

In the high adrenaline Supercar final on Nitro RX’s most challenging course yet, Pastrana held off Timmy Hansen (SWE), who earned second, as well as Subaru teammate Scott Speed (USA), who placed third. Hansen won the season opener in Utah and Speed took victory at last month’s championship stop in Minnesota. Only six points separate these top three drivers in the standings.

After celebratory donuts in front of the packed grandstands, Pastrana said, “This [win] is number one by far. It’s absolutely amazing… The Hansens are so good; and Scott Speed: if he gets in front, you’re not getting around.”

NASCAR star Kyle Busch (USA) held nothing back piloting the ZipRecruiter #GoNitro car in his rallycross debut. After qualifying 11th and then advancing through the stacked field of elite drivers to secure his place in the final, Busch fought his way from the last row of the grid to finish just off the podium in fourth.

For Pastrana, already a six-time National Stage Rally Champion and a global action sports icon, this victory was particularly sweet. Nitro RX has been his brainchild and passion project, as he sought to create an exciting, high impact and next gen motorsport.

Pastrana reflected afterwards, “It is a dream come true for me to see the crowd here, to see the sport come to fruition. [And] I think it’s only the beginning.”

Supercar Final (Phoenix):

FinishCar #NameNationTeam
1199Travis PastranaUSASubaru Motorsports USA
221Timmy HansenSWERed Bull Hansen NRX Team
341Scott SpeedUSASubaru Motorsports USA
451Kyle BuschUSAZipRecruiter #GoNitro
502Cabot BighamUSADreyer Reinbold Racing
634Tanner FoustUSADreyer Reinbold Racing
79Kevin HansenSWERed Bull Hansen NRX Team
800Steve ArpinCANGRX Loenbro

With this weekend’s results, Pastrana trades places with Kevin Hansen (SWE) in the Nitro RX Championship standings, swapping fourth place for second. Kevin’s brother Timmy still sets the pace in first while Speed maintains his hold on third.

Supercar Championship Standings:

PositionNameNationTeamSalt Lake CityMinneapolisPhoenixTotal
1Timmy HansenSWERed Bull Hansen NRX Team50+135+145+2134
2Travis PastranaUSASubaru Motorsports USA25+345+250+4129
3Scott SpeedUSASubaru Motorsports USA30+450+340+1128
4Kevin HansenSWERed Bull Hansen NRX Team40+140+420+1106
5Steve ArpinCANGRX Loenbro45+210+215+377
6Fraser McConnellJAMOlsbergs MSE35+230+10+169
7Tanner FoustUSADreyer Reinbold Racing15+1152556
8Kyle BuschUSA ––3535
9Cabot BighamUSAXCITE Energy Racing––3030
10Andreas BakkerudNORSubaru Motorsports USA1020–30
11Robin LarssonSWEMonster Energy RX Cartel–25+10+127
12Oliver ErikssonSWEXCITE Energy Racing205–25
13Kevin ErikssonSWEOlsbergs MSE––0+22
14Oliver BennettGBRXCITE Energy Racing0+1––1
14Liam DoranGBRMonster Energy RX Cartel–0+1–1

In the final of the NRX Next developmental class, Sage Karam (USA) swept the weekend doubleheader, taking the checkered flag on both Saturday and Sunday. Today’s win also marked his third straight in the series. George MeGennis (USA) came in second, securing the podium on both days and for the fourth time, overall. Casper Jansson (SWE), who took first and second at Salt Lake City, also returned to the podium, placing third.

NRX Next Final (Round 6):

FinishCar #NameNationTeam
124Sage KaramUSADreyer Reinbold Racing
29George MegennisUSA#YellowSquad
336Casper JanssonSWEEnlunds Motorsport
455Lane VacalaUSADreyer Reinbold Racing
521Conner MartellUSADreyer Reinbold Racing

NRX Next Championship Standings:

PositionNameNationTeamRC1RC2RC3RC4RC5RC6Total
1Casper JanssonSWEEnlunds Motorsport504045252040220
2Lane VacalaUSADreyer Reinbold Racing403535403535220
3Martin EnlundSWEEnlunds Motorsport4545504530–215
4George MegennisUSA#YellowSquad255030204545215
5Sage KaramUSADreyer Reinbold Racing–3020505050200
6Eric GordonUSABak 40 Motorsport3525253525–145
7John HoltgerUSAJohn Holtger––4030––70
8Conner MartellUSA ––––403070
9Simon OlofssonSWEDreyer Reinbold Racing3020––––50

The battle for the Nitro RX championship resumes next weekend at Southern California’s Glen Helen Raceway November 20 and 21. Since 1985, Glen Helen Raceway has been a premier off -road racing destination and is the home of the AMA 125/250 MX Nationals, the Off-Road Winter Series and the National MX track. Now Nitro RX is set to unveil another formidable new track at the iconic venue. 

To experience Nitro RX’s high-flying action in person, tickets can be purchased at https://www.nitrorallycross.com/calendar. Fans can also watch live on Peacock in the U.S. as well as on YouTube worldwide.

2021 NITRO RALLYCROSS SCHEDULE

Sept. 24-25 // Utah Motorsports Campus // Salt Lake City, Utah

Oct. 2-3 // ERX Motor Park // Minneapolis, Minnesota

Nov. 13-14 // Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park // Phoenix, Arizona

Nov. 20-21 // Glen Helen Raceway // Southern California

Dec. 4-5 // The FIRM // North Florida

ABOUT NITRO RALLYCROSS

Launched in 2018 by motorsports icon Travis Pastrana and the innovators of Nitro Circus, Nitro Rallycross has revolutionized motorsport. With innovative purpose-built courses, banked turns inspired by the wide-open action of Supercross and short-form, head-to-head competition, Nitro Rallycross creates high-impact, thrill-packed racing. NRX’s custom-built permanent tracks – featuring the biggest jumps seen in motorsports – create unrivaled racing excitement. The full-throttle competition is now set to go global, as Nitro Rallycross expands into a full standalone championship series. Looking ahead to 2022, NRX will also add an electric Supercar circuit featuring the all-new FC1-X, the most powerful Rallycross vehicle ever built. For more information, visit NitroRallycross.com.

Nitro Rallycross is part of Thrill One Sports & Entertainment. Thrill One is a next-generation content company that lives at the nexus of sports, entertainment and lifestyle, combining the resources of Nitro Circus, Street League Skateboarding, Nitro Rallycross and Thrill One Media. A multi-media platform founded in 2020, Thrill One is dedicated to creating mind-blowing action sports events and original content, fueled by the most daring athletes, talent and brands in thrill-based entertainment. It also boasts one of the largest aggregate social audiences in action sports, with more than 40 million followers across its multiple brand pages and channels. Visit thrillone.com/ for additional information.

Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing Teams Competitive to the Finish in IMSA Season-Ending Race Weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta

By
Official Release
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Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta, IMSA, Braselton, GA, November 2021. (Photo by Brian Cleary/bcpix.com)

Alegra Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 Team Leads Race Laps and Secures Season-Best Fourth-Place Finish in 10-Hour Motul Petit Le Mans IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Finale

BRASELTON, Georgia – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams combined for a string of success across two racing series in IMSA’s 2021 finale this past weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The competitive showing included the best finish of the season for the No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 team in Saturday’s featured Motul Petit Le Mans, the first Mercedes-AMG GT4 pole of the season and a combined 59 race laps led over 12 hours of competition in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season-ending races.

Alegra Motorsports and No. 28 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of co-driver Michael de Quesada, Daniel Morad and Daniel Juncadella stepped up for the team’s best race of the season with a fourth-place finish in Saturday’s 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans.

Despite losing valuable track time for repairs after an incident early in the event, Alegra and its trio of drivers were competitive from the drop of the green flag in Saturday’s endurance race.

Starting driver Morad rolled off ninth in the GT Daytona (GTD) class field but quickly moved into the top five in the race’s opening hour. From there, Alegra and its trio of drivers rarely ran out of the top five for the remainder of the race, frequently battling in the top three.

Morad led the No. 28 team’s first laps during his second driving shift Saturday afternoon when he paced the GTD field for 20 laps. Juncadella, in his Road Atlanta debut, later led four laps in the No. 28.

Alegra’s No. 28 was one of three Mercedes-AMG GT3 entries in the Petit Le Mans finale but ended up carrying the Mercedes-AMG Motorsports flag solo after a bizarre multi-car accident in the race’s fourth hour.

Both the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, of team drivers Russell Ward, Philip Ellis and Maro Engel, and the No. 32 Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG, co-driven by Guy Cosmo, Mike Skeen and Stevan McAleer, were eliminated in a seven-car pileup as the field accelerated up to speed on a race restart. Ward, who started fifth and was running fourth at the time of the incident, and debuting Mercedes-AMG GT3 driver McAleer were both uninjured in the incident.

Morad returned to the wheel of the Alegra No. 28 for the final driving shift of the race Saturday night. He was closing on the third-place finisher when the checkered flag flew, crossing the finish line fourth and less than five seconds behind the final podium finisher.

The fourth-place finish ended Alegra’s challenging season on a high note and topped a pair of fifth place showings in the mid-season summer stretch of back-to-back races at Watkins Glen International in late June and early July.

In Friday’s two-hour Michelin Pilot Challenge finale, Kenny Murillo teamed with Eric Foss as a substitute driver for Jeff Mosing for the second straight race.
The son of team owner and former champion driver Ken Murillo, the younger Murillo stepped in the No. 56 for the year’s final two races after Mosing broke his foot in a non-racing incident in September.

Making the most of the opportunity, Murillo won the pole in Michelin Pilot Challenging qualifying, his first in IMSA competition and the first top qualifying effort of the season for the Mercedes-AMG GT4.

Leading the field to the start, Murillo led the first 23 race laps and Foss later put the No. 56 Mercedes-AMG GT4 at the front of the field for 12 laps. The combined 35 laps led were a race-high for the Murillo Racing drivers.

Murillo and Foss were the only teammates to each lead the two-hour Pilot Challenge finale, but the No. 56 was knocked out of the lead with less than 30 minutes to go.

Foss was leading the race when the same competitor that hit the No. 56 in last year’s race at Road Atlanta again made contact again in the same set of corners. Foss was able to drive the damaged car back to the pits, but lengthy repairs dropped the No. 56 to a 17th place finish at the checkered flag.

While the No. 56 team was disappointed for the second-consecutive year at Road Atlanta, two other Mercedes-AMG GT4 teams rallied for top-10 finishes.

Co-drivers Mark Kwamme and Trenton Estep finished seventh in their Road Atlanta debut in the No. 18 CB Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4. The top-10 showing in just the fourth race for the CB teammates in in Michelin Pilot Grand Sport (GS) class competition was a strong follow up to the team’s first top-five finish one race ago at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR).

Foss and Murillo ran all season alongside the sister, No. 65 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Brent Mosing and Tim Probert, who secured their third top-10 finish of the year in the Road Atlanta finale.

Daniel Morad, Driver – No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Coming into the race, we had no expectations because we had no track time. I had three laps of practice before qualifying, so to be only six tenths off of pole in qualifying was promising for us and gave us a direction to work on the car. It came down to literally the warm-up session before the race, where we were still fine tuning the car and making some changes to get it dialed in. We had a few changes in the race, but right from the beginning we set the tone. We jumped from P9 up to P5, saved some fuel, got up to P3 and from there hovered around the top three, top five all day. The boys did an awesome job on the pit stops. Every single stop was perfect, and it allowed us to lead the race at some points.”

Michael de Quesada, Driver – No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It’s hard not to think about what could have been this season, but I have to say Saturday was an absolute win for us. Going into the morning warm-up, we were nowhere, and somehow the guys pulled a rabbit out of a hat. I got in the car for the first stint, and we were just on it. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, it was hard to compete with so little track time, but we absolutely did our best. I have to thank Alegra Motorsports, Mercedes-AMG and our sponsors. It was a real team effort to get us here to this point in the season and I’m happy to end up on a good note.”

Daniel Juncadella, Driver – No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was great. We missed a lot of practice due to a small incident, so race day was my first experience on track, and I really loved it. It was great to experience it in such a hectic and chaotic race, but we escaped all of the dangers, and in the end, we managed to finish fourth. It was bittersweet, of course, we were so close to a podium, but fourth isn’t too bad, and I’m happy with my first experience here.”

7 Car Maintenance Tasks That Are Easy Enough To Do Yourself

By
SM
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Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

Keeping up with car maintenance is one of the most effective ways to reduce your chances of being involved in a road accident. Because maintenance neglect can lead to instances of failing brakes and other dangerous situations, not maintaining your vehicles is a choice that will put you and other road users in harm’s way. 

So, you must prioritize vehicle services as recommended by the manufacturer. More often than not, your car will require a full service every year, or ever 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. But full maintenance services are not the only way to keep your car in top condition; you will need to keep your vehicle clean, change the oil, replace the coolant, and keep an eye on your tires as ongoing responsibilities. 

And while you will need to rely on a professional mechanic to assist with most major engine issues, full services, and other issues, some smaller tasks are straightforward enough to do on your own. Knowing how to do these DIY car maintenance tasks will save you quite a bit of money and ensure your car is always in excellent condition. 

Changing The Coolant

Coolant is the liquid in the engine that prevents your vehicle from overheating. However, the liquid does not last a lifetime and needs to be replaced every 25,000 miles or four to five oil changes. 

To change the coolant, you’ll need a hose, an air compressor, a 4-in-1 screwdriver, a socket, and a wrench. However, if you notice the liquid looks a bit like chocolate milk or there is rust on the tank lid, you must abandon the job and consult a mechanic as soon as possible. 

Changing The Oil

Changing the oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles is just as important as making sure oil levels are always ideal. That said, topping up the oil is a bit more straightforward than changing the oil.

You will need to put your vehicle on jacks in your garage or driveway and find the oil drain plug beneath the car. Next, put a drain pan in place and remove the plug. Once the oil has all drained out, you can replace the plug and add new oil. 

When changing the oil, using the best additive for stiction will also be worth your while. This product should be used with every oil change or every third oil change for the best results. Not only will this extra step eliminate the issue of stiction, but it will also add extra lubrication to the oil system, which will benefit overall engine performance.

Replacing The Filter

While you’re waiting for every last drop of old oil to drain out, you might as well replace the filter or check its condition at the very least. The filter ensures the engine runs smoothly by improving heating and AC systems. 

The filter should always look clean and free of any discoloration. If this is not the case, it’s time for a new one. However, it’s as simple as unscrewing the cap that covers the filter, sliding out the old one, and inserting the new one. What’s more, air filters are also incredibly cheap, so doing this to maintain your vehicle definitely won’t set your budget out. 

Headlight Restoration

If your headlights are covered in a build-up of gunk, driving is somewhat more challenging and a lot more dangerous. Fortunately, you can restore your headlights without the help of a professional. 

You can easily find a headlight restoration kit at most auto parts retailers, and they are incredibly pocket-friendly as well. While these kits are typically inexpensive, some claim that toothpaste is just as effective for headlight restoration. 

Replacing Tires

Most drivers should know how to change a tire, mainly because this is a task that can save you from the unfortunate instance of finding yourself stranded on the roadside due to a flat tire. 

It’s essential to always keep a spare tire in the boot, although you will also need to change your tires regularly over time. When the tire tread visibly starts to wear down, tears or bubbles in the rubber start appearing, or punctures are resulting in pressure loss, you should opt for new tires as soon as possible. 

Fixing The Defroster Grid

The appearance of those unsightly streaky lines on your back windshield is a sign that you need to fix the defroster grid. The lines appear due to tiny wires heating up when the grid is turned on to clean the windshield. Although sometimes they malfunction or stop working altogether. 

Fortunately, you can fix this nagging problem pretty quickly, and you can even purchase a defroster grid repair kit to help you get the job done. These repair kits are also quite affordable. 

To start, you must clean the windshield and then find any breaks. You can use a voltmeter to do this. Next, you will use conductive paint to cover the breaks. There are also other ways to fix the defroster grid yourself, although the repair kits are typically practical options.

One more tip to make your windshield survive through the cold winter: you can Put the towel on the windshield to prevent the frost. It definitely helps when the car stays in the snowy weather for a long time.

Replacing Fuses

Burnt out fuses are an exceptionally common vehicle malfunction that can happen for several reasons. And while you should take your car for a service if your fuses are burning out, you can replace a fuse easily on your own. 

A blown car fuse can result in issues like lights not working or even starting problems. And because it’s as easy as identifying which fuse is clearly blown, purchasing a replacement, and inserting the new fuse where the old one was, replacing a fuse is an elementary maintenance task.

While there are several other car maintenance tasks that you can do on your own, there will be times when it’s best to have a mechanic tend to your vehicle. Some maintenance and repair jobs can be dangerous to handle on your own if you don’t have the right tools, equipment, or skills to manage the task. But with that said, knowing how to manage all the straightforward maintenance tasks on your own is exceptionally beneficial for drivers.

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