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How To Recover After A Truck Accident

By
SM
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Accident on the road involving black car and yellow truck in Phuket, Thailand

With an estimate of around USD $750 billion, the trucking industry is hailed as the most reliable goods transporters from manufacturers to consumers across America. This oversized freight usually weighs 25-30 times heavier than regular passenger vehicles, and a collision with one can be catastrophic and highly fatal.

Each year, roughly 470,000 road accidents involving trucks occur in the United States. Truck accidents usually happen due to several avoidable factors such as failure to wear seatbelts, overloading, brake failure, overspeeding, adverse weather conditions, and late-night delivery shifts. These accidents often leave victims with lifelong injuries, severe vehicle damage, and mental trauma.

Accidents happen instantly, and it’s difficult to assess what to do immediately in the aftermath. The immediate step you take after being in a collision is critical to protect yourself physically and legally. By contacting an attorney such as the Atlanta truck accident lawyer you will be able to fight for the justice and settlement that you deserve. It’s also to ensure that the person at-fault will be held responsible for the damages, medical treatment, and other financial losses.

To further address the situation, here are the steps you should follow:

Call The Authorities And Report The Crash

The first step you need to do after the collision is to call the authorities for help. The responders and the police will be immediately summoned to the scene after you call. When the police make an accident report, make sure to get a copy of it. It may not be used as evidence, but it may help authorities with the crucial information it contains. 

Here are the pieces of information you should see in a police report:

  • Statements from both parties involved 
  • Witness statement
  • Contact information of both parties involved
  • Police’s opinion about the accident
  • Sketch of the accident scene


Also, the insurance firm that holds the trucking company will do everything to put the pressure and the blame on you instead of the truck driver. If this happens, an experienced attorney will start building strong evidence to make the truck driver, the insurance firm, and the trucking company liable and compensate for your losses. If you’re looking for legal assistance, Luis Guerra accident attorney and others may be able to help.

Get Treated

Engaging in a truck collision may result in catastrophic injuries, so getting immediate medical help is vital. Not all injuries are fatal and extreme. Some injuries may not be easily seen such as internal or other serious injuries that may not immediately show symptoms. 

Furthermore, seeking immediate help may prevent your injuries from getting worse. You’ll also receive a proper diagnosis of your condition and a prognosis of its possible effects in the future. 

In addition, your medical report will state that your injuries are directly linked to the collision and didn’t happen in a different accident. And failure to get immediate treatment after the accident may stop you from receiving total compensation for your injuries.

Collect All Possible Evidence

Collecting possible evidence is crucial to prove what happened in an accident. By collecting pieces of evidence, you prevent the opposition from falsifying your claims and altering other information. You can take a picture of your injuries, the entire accident scene, the driver’s plate, or the damages done to your vehicle. 

If you’re not able to take evidence, have someone else get it for you. Gathering evidence can significantly affect your case’s outcome.

Exchange Information Between Parties

As the law states, you’re obliged to exchange valuable information such as your license number, insurance information and policy number, and personal contact details. Make sure to get all this information to speed up the process of receiving claims.

Furthermore, don’t forget to ask the driver if he’s driving a truck for work. If so, the trucking company should be liable for all the damages.

Check If There Are Witnesses And Get Their Contact Details

Look if there are people around the scene. They’re possible witnesses who could help you with your case. Don’t forget to ask for their contact details so your attorney can contact them later. Ask them if they could provide statements to the police. The information they provide is critical for the investigation since they’re unbiased and can give eyewitness reports. Their testimonies are powerful enough to receive truck accident claims. 

Seek Professional And Legal Assistance

If you’re not at fault, you should seek legal help from an experienced personal injury lawyer. With their expertise in the legal field, they’ll help you answer questions regarding the incident.

Moreover, if an insurance company asks you to sign something, don’t sign or do anything unless your lawyer tells you to. Make sure to ask your lawyer before making any unnecessary moves. Any mistake may backfire against you and may prevent you from taking total compensation.

Final Words

Truck collisions can be deadly, so be extra careful when driving. Before you plug in your keys, examine yourself if you’re in the right state of mind and free from the influence of alcohol. Trucks have a lot of blind spots; be sure to avoid them and make proper distancing a habit.

Also, always seek professional help when you need them. Even if you’re partly at fault, you could still receive up to 50% of the claims. Seek legal assistance to help you with your case and receive fair compensations.

Capps and Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Earn 2021 NHRA Funny Car World Championship

By
Official Release
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56th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals
  • Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat driver Ron Capps and his Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) team earned the 2021 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Funny Car World Championship, the second of his 27-year career, at the Auto Club Finals
  • Three Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Cars entered the final race day of the season with a chance to win the world championship title
  • DSR driver Matt Hagan drove his Direct Connection Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to the semifinals at Auto Club Raceway and closed out the 2021 NHRA season as runner-up in the Funny Car championship to teammate Capps
  • Cruz Pedregon Racing and the Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat remained in the hunt for the Funny Car Crown throughout the “Countdown to the Championship,” finishing fourth in the standings, driver Cruz Pedregon’s best season performance since 2013
  • DSR Top Fuel pilot Leah Pruett closed out the season by qualifying the Direct Connection Mopar Dodge//SRT dragster No. 3 for eliminations and finishing in the Top 10 for a sixth consecutive season

November 14, 2021, Pomona, California – Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat driver Ron Capps and Don Schumacher Racing earned the 2021 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Funny Car World Championship in an exciting season finale at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, California. It is the veteran driver’s second Funny Car title of his 27-year career, following his first championship win in 2016, and the seventh of the 19-year partnership between DSR and the Mopar and Dodge//SRT brands.

“On behalf of Dodge//SRT, congratulations to Ron Capps for his HEMI®-powered world championship performance,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge Brand Chief Executive Officer – Stellantis. “We’re thrilled to have Ron and the Don Schumacher Racing team demonstrate what Dodge//SRT performance looks like by earning their second NHRA Funny Car World Championship.”

“Congratulations to Ron Capps from all of us at Mopar on this hard-earned second career Funny Car world championship,” said Mark Bosanac, Head of Mopar Service, Parts and Customer Care for FCA – North America. ”We appreciate the outstanding efforts during this championship season and thank them for proudly showcasing Mopar performance on the track.”

“What a crazy day and crazy season,” said Capps. “The fact that the Countdown came down to the Pomona Finals and was a real fight between the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcats of Cruz Pedregon, Matt Hagan and I was really neat. And to see that as a manufacturer Dodge had the competition covered, all three of us were pretty proud of that.”

Capps claimed his second NHRA World Championship after powering his NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to two event wins, three runner-up finishes and advancing to the semifinals or better on 11 occasions. Capps and his crew collected a category-best 36 round wins and four No. 1 qualifier awards while taking the points lead five different times over the course of the 20-event season.

“The Dodge Charger SRT body has been crazy fun to drive this year,” added Capps. “We came out with a new chassis and new body and this year this body has made me a whole new driver. It’s been fun to have more vision and to be able to see better and when you are going 330 mph that’s what you need.”

Three Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Cars entered the final race day of the season with a chance to take home the championship Wally but once both No. 2 qualifier Capps and DSR teammate Hagan in the No. 7 position turned on win lights in the first round of eliminations, Pedregon was no longer in contention for the crown.

With a pending head-to-head showdown between Capps and Hagan in the quarterfinals, the 67-point difference, or the equivalent of a three rounds, between the two contenders added to drama. If Capps beat Hagan, he would immediately be crowned Funny Car Champion.

Instead, the two Dodge Charger SRT Hellcats put on a show with a side-by-side battle that saw Hagan emerge the winner following a 0.074-second reaction time and 3.948-second elapsed time run at 322.34 mph to edge Capps at the stripe despite a solid 0.043-second reaction time and 3.995-second drive at 319.45 mph.

“I knew it was going to come down to the wire but we really had to worry about Matt (Hagan),” said Capps, who watched from the sidelines as the possibility that Hagan could successfully defend his Funny Car crown hinged on him taking the Direct Connection Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to the winner’s circle. “We qualified well but still ended up racing him in the second round. It was a close race but then I had to stand behind his car and wait to see how it played out. Really proud of the job (Crew Chiefs) ‘Guido’ (Dean Antonelli) and John Medlen and the whole team has done this year.”

Hagan needed to get his Mopar machine past Alexis DeJoria in the semifinals to have a shot at retaining his crown. The three-time NHRA champ was quicker on the start but by half-track his opponent slipped past for the round win, ending Hagan’s drive and reign as Funny Car champion.

“We’ve got a great team, a great car and at the end of the day there were three Dodge Charger SRT Hellcats in the running for this championship, with (Ron) Capps, me and Cruz (Pedregon),” said Hagan. “Dodge is just doing an amazing job out there and I’m glad to be a part of it. Today didn’t go the way we wanted it to but to be in the championship hunt and be able to have a shot at it year after year is a testament to the performance equipment we have and the hard work this team has put in.”

With a category-best four wins this season, Hagan and his Mopar Dodge//SRT team’s runner-up finish in the championship was their 11th time closing out a season with a Top-10 result.

The third contender in the Funny Car title chase heading into the final race day was  Pedregon, who arrived at Auto Club Raceway fresh off his victory at the Dodge//SRT Nationals in Las Vegas and put his Snap-On Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat No. 6 on the ladder with consistent qualifying runs. With a 91-point deficit prior to the opening round, any championship hopes for the Cruz Pedregon Racing team were contingent on Capps exiting in the first round.

While that didn’t happen, Pedregon lined up for the first round match against No. 11 seed Tim Wilkerson feeling positive about the consistency and progress his team made this season. Pedregon’s HEMI-powered machine had a good launch and was on the move when tire smoke early in the run brought to a close his team’s best season performance since 2013. The team finishes fourth in the points standings with two wins, a pair of runner-up finishes and a No. 1 qualifier award. Their Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat turned on win lights 30 times in eliminations this season, only the third time in 20 years that Pedregon has won 30 or more rounds.

In Top Fuel action, DSR pilot Leah Pruett’s solid qualifying performance put the Direct Connection Mopar Dodge//SRT dragster No. 3 on the eliminations ladder with a 3.706-second pass at 327.59 mph in the final session. That afforded the HEMI-powered machine lane choice over No. 14 seed Cameron Ferre for the opening round of the final national event of the season.

After a quick start, Pruett was chasing down her opponent when a loss of traction prior to half-track hampered her efforts and brought her race day to an early end. She closes out her season seventh in the Top Fuel standings, her sixth consecutive top-10 finish since joining Don Schumacher Racing in 2016, with an event title at the Pomona Winternationals and runner-up finish at Sonoma.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series will return to the dragstrip in February with a 22-event season schedule that will again include five national events with Mopar Express Lane and Dodge//SRT title sponsorship.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES

FUNNY CAR:

Matt Hagan, DSR Direct Connection Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye

(No. 7 Qualifier – 3.956 seconds at 319.75 mph)

Round 1: (0.081-second reaction time, 3.935 seconds at 323.04 mph) defeats No. 10 Tony Jurado (0.091/3.973/322.34)

Round 2: (0.074/3.948/322.34) defeats No. 2 Ron Capps (0.043/3.995/319.45)

Round 3: (0.054/3.975/317.79) loss to No. 3 Alexis DeJoria (0.081/3.940/321.04)

“Congratulations to Ron Capps. He’s a true legend of the sport. He’s been out here probably more than twice as long as I’ve been racing. Those guys just outworked and outperformed us this year. At the end of the day, we get to come back out here and fight them again next year. At the end of the day and a long year, I just want to say I’m proud of (Crew Chief) Dickie Venables and my entire crew. We battled back after a couple of bad race days at Bristol and (Las) Vegas. I’m happy for Ron and sad for us. The sun will rise tomorrow and it’s time for us to work hard this off season and come back out here and do it again in a few months here at Pomona. Great job to Capps and the NAPA team.”

Ron Capps, DSR NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

(No. 2 Qualifier – 3.908 seconds at 329.83 mph)

Round 1: (0.093-second reaction time, 3.908 seconds at 325.06 mph) defeats No. 15 Terry Haddock (0.159/4.708/178.07)

Round 2: (0.043/3.995/319.45) loss to No. 7 Matt Hagan (0.074/3.948/322.34)

“I can’t even believe that just happened. You don’t want to go up there and wish someone bad luck. That entire Hagan team with (crew chief) Dickie Venables is incredible. I expected them to go win the race. I don’t know what to say. I’m just shaking right now. I stood and watched from that same Pomona Raceway grandstand as a kid and watched guys like (Joe) Amato and Gary (Ormsby) line up in the final round here years ago and to be doing this myself and to now have a second championship, I can’t say enough.”

Cruz Pedregon, Cruz Pedregon Racing Snap-on® Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

(No. 6 Qualifier – 3.939 seconds at 321.96 mph)

Round 1: (0.070-second reaction time, 4.808 seconds at 170.58 mph) loss to No. 11 seed Tim Wilkerson (0.053/3.922/325.30)

“I hate it for the team more than anything to end such a great year with tire smoke but Tim (Wilkerson) was a tough opponent. We had a lot at stake today but we accomplished a lot this year, we were in the championship conversation until the end with three Hellcat drivers. I respect and admire both those drivers. Really proud that we had 30 round wins. That’s a stat that shows how important consistency is. I’m excited about keeping that consistency through next year with this same group of people. We’ll look at what we can improve on but I look at this season as a huge success. I’m not a fan of the points-and-half format for the last race because that doesn’t reward what we have done over a stretch of time. Where we ended up is not indicative of the effort we put in and what our Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat accomplished this year. We were a solid third place car. It was a good season for us. We had good support and for three Mopar Dodge Hellcats to be there at the finish is indicative of how good these cars are.”

TOP FUEL:

Leah Pruett, DSR Direct Connection Mopar Dodge//SRT Dragster  

(No. 3 Qualifier – 3.706 seconds at 327.59 mph)

Round 1: (0.070-second reaction time, 5.053 seconds at 189.71 mph) loss to No. 14 Cameron Ferre (0.059/3.796/319.75)

“The level of confidence heading into the final race here at Pomona was extremely high – higher than it’s been in some time. The attitudes were positive. The takeaway from the first round loss is a straight mechanical malfunction. The clutch did not move. It wasn’t a tuning or personnel issue. Therefore, we had no power. It mixed up cylinders immediately. A couple pedal jobs and a weird sensation in the car when you’re not going anywhere, but also not smoking the tires. Sometimes it’s just necessary for a very hard reset. This entire team has a heart of gold. We represent the ‘never lift’ campaign for Dodge and we are a testament for that and sometimes when you never lift, a part does. We’re looking forward to next season. We couldn’t be more thankful to DSR, Dodge, Mopar, Pennzoil, all of our great partners at Don Schumacher Racing, and everyone at DSR for some amazing seasons.”

NHRA Championship Final Points Standings:
Following the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Pomona
  
FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)

1. Ron Capps (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 2,676 (2)

2. Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 2,639 (3/1-Tommy Johnson Jr.)

3. Bob Tasca III – 2,586 (3)

4. Cruz Pedregon (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 2,555 (2)

5. John Force – 2,543 (3)

6. Alexis DeJoria – 2,526 (1)

7. J.R. Todd – 2,498 (1)

8. Robert Hight – 2,478 (2)

9. Tim Wilkerson – 2,361 (1)

10. Jim Campbell – 2,238

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)

1. Steve Torrance – 2,873 (11)

2. Brittany Force – 2,637 (1)

3. Mike Salinas – 2,614 (1)

4. Justin Ashley – 2,556 (2)

5. Billy Torrence – 2,498 (2)

6. Antron Brown – 2,427 (1)

7. Leah Pruett (Mopar Dodge//SRT) – 2,401 (1)

8. Clay Millican – 2,384

9. Shawn Langdon – 2,310

10. Doug Kalitta – 2,290

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News

Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.

@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram

The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

Mopar

Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) offers exceptional service, parts and customer care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, the Mopar brand has evolved over more than 80 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, the brand expanded to include technical service and customer support. Today, Mopar integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.

Mopar is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Follow Mopar and company news and video on:

Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Mopar brand: www.mopar.com

Mopar blog: blog.mopar.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mopar

Instagram: www.instagram.com/officialmopar

Twitter: @OfficialMOPAR

YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/mopar and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

Dodge//SRT

For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT versions of every model across the lineup. For the 2022 model year, Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world, and the Dodge Durango SRT 392, America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV. Combined, these three muscle cars make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

In 2020, Dodge was named the “#1 Brand in Initial Quality,” making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). In 2021, Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market) — making it the only domestic brand ever to do so two years in a row.

Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

Follow Dodge and company news and video on:

Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com

Dodge brand: www.dodge.com

DodgeGarage: www.dodgegarage.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dodge

Instagram: www.instagram.com/dodgeofficial

Twitter: @Dodge and @StellantisNA

YouTube: www.youtube.com/dodge and www.youtube.com/StellantisNA

What To Do At The Scene Of A Car Accident

By
SM
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Photo by Aaron Doucett on Unsplash

The sight of motorists at the side of the ride exchanging information after a collision has become all too frequent an occurrence. Practicing safe driving habits and observing due diligence on the road each time you get behind the wheel of a car may prevent you from being involved in an accident.

Let’s take a look at some of the common causes of car accidents to help you adjust the way you drive to avoid becoming involved in one. If, however, you find yourself in a crash, we’ve included some tips about what to do at the scene of an accident. Knowing what to do can preserve and protect your right to recover compensation from the party who was at fault.

Common causes of car accidents

Statistics support the fact that driver behavior causes accidents. The following common causes of car accidents point to the way you drive more than mechanical failures or weather conditions as increasing the risk of an accident:

·         Excessive speed.

·         Distracted driving.

·         Driver fatigue.

·         Impairment caused by drugs or alcohol.

·         Failure to yield the right of way.

·         Failure to remain in lane.

·         Careless or reckless operation.

·         Failure to obey traffic signals and signage.

Sometimes, a combination of driver behaviors may contribute to causing a crash. For example, driver fatigue may cause motorists to be unable to stay in the proper lane.

What should you do in case of an accident?

When the negligence of another motorist or other party causes you to be injured in a car accident, you may have a right to pursue a claim for compensation against the at-fault party. Doing or saying the wrong thing after a crash may impair the ability of a personal injury attorney to get you the compensation you deserve.

If you have an accident while driving a car, try to remain calm and remember the following recommended things to do at the scene:

·         Stop and remain at the scene: It is a crime in most states to leave the scene of a traffic accident, so put the car in park and turn off the engine. Stay calm and remain in your vehicle until you have performed the next step.

·         Check for injuries: Do a quick assessment to determine whether you have been injured in the collision. If you have been injured, try not to move around until paramedics arrive and examine you.

·         Check on the condition of passengers: If you feel up to it, check passengers in your car to determine if they were injured in the crash.

·         Report the accident: Call 911 to report an accident involving injuries. If you cannot make the call, ask a passerby or another person at the scene to make the call. Await arrival of police and paramedics before attempting to move anyone who was injured. To report an accident involving only property damage and no injuries, use a non-emergency number for the local police.

·         Watch for passing vehicles: Before exiting the car, look around to make certain that it is safe to do so.

·         Do not move your car: Unless the accident is a minor one without anyone being injured, leave your car where it came to a stop after the crash and wait for the police to tell you when to move it.

·         Be careful who you speak to and what you say: What you say at the scene of an accident can be used later by the insurance company or defense attorney for the party at fault to challenge your right to be compensated. Speak only to the police, and limit what you say only to what you know happened. Do not guess or speculate about the cause of the crash.

·         Document the accident scene: If your injuries do not prevent you from doing so, document the accident scene by using the camera on your phone to take photographs of the vehicles involved in the crash and the rest of the accident scene. Ask someone to take the pictures should your injuries prevent you from taking them.

·         Get the names of witnesses: Ask for the name and contact information of anyone who may have witnessed the accident and give the information to your lawyer.

If you suffered injuries in the crash, let paramedics examine you at the scene and take you to the hospital should they deem it to be advisable. Even if they do not recommend going to the hospital, arrange to be examined by a physician as soon as possible.

Accidents can be traumatic events

The chaos and anxiety following a car accident make it difficult to think and make decisions. Knowing in advance some of the things to do at a crash site makes it easier should you ever need them.

Chevrolet wins NHRA Manufacturers Cup for record-extending 26th time

By
Official Release
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Drivers of the Chevrolet Camaro SS, COPO Camaro contribute to success

DETROIT (Nov. 14, 2021) – Chevrolet is the top manufacturer on the drag strip for a record-extending 26th time.

Chevrolet Racing won the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series Manufacturers Cup for the fifth consecutive year and seventh time in the past 10 seasons. Chevrolet first earned the award in 1966, and no other manufacturer has won it more times. GM brands
Oldsmobile and Pontiac combined to win 24 titles between 1971 and 2006.

The Manufacturers Cup is awarded to the automobile manufacturer whose current-year models earn the most points for qualifying and category victories at NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series national events and Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series regional and divisional events.

Points are awarded to entries in Funny Car, Pro Stock, Super Stock and Stock Eliminator classes, plus the Constant Aviation NHRA Factory Stock Showdown series.

Points accumulated by Chevrolet Camaro SS and Chevrolet COPO Camaro drivers in the professional and Sportsman classes were more than double the closest manufacturer.

“It’s an honor for Chevrolet to win the NHRA Manufacturers Cup for the 26th time. This award is a testament to the determination and perseverance of the Chevrolet owners, drivers and teams in the professional categories and the Sportsman classes who contributed valuable manufacturer points this year,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Motorsports and Performance.

Greg Anderson recorded his fifth NHRA Pro Stock world championship — and first since 2010 — by driving the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS to five victories and 12 No. 1 qualifiers in the 17 races. At Dallas in October, Anderson passed his mentor, Warren Johnson, to become Pro Stock’s career leader. With 99 wins, he is second to John Force’s 154 victories on the all-time NHRA list.

Four-time class champion Erica Enders, Aaron Stanfield, Kyle Koretsky, Matt Hartford and first-year Pro Stock driver Dallas Glenn also visited the winner’s circle as competitors driving the Chevrolet Camaro SS won every race. Chevrolet has amassed 17 Pro Stock driver championships and 346 victories, including 228 with the Camaro nameplate. Glenn, with three victories, was voted the Rookie of the Year award winner.

Stanfield, driving the Janac Brothers Racing COPO Camaro, claimed the Constant Aviation NHRA Factory Stock Showdown series title for the second consecutive year. COPO Camaro drivers won seven of the eight races, including three by Stanfield.

Points contributions by 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force and three-time champion Robert Hight were also crucial to the Team Chevy effort. Force earned three victories and three No. 1 qualifier honors in his Chevrolet Camaro SS during the 20-race season. Hight scored two wins and three top qualifiers driving his Camaro SS.

The Top Fuel class does not contribute points to the Manufacturers Cup standings, but Brittany Force produced multiple highlights during the season in her Chevrolet dragster. Force, the 2017 Top Fuel champion, placed second in the standings. She recorded 12 No. 1 qualifiers and a victory at Topeka, Kansas.

The 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season begins Feb. 18-20 with the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California.

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.

Hamilton retains championship hopes with a comeback victory in the São Paulo Grand Prix

By
Andrew Kim
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Sir Lewis Hamilton rallied from a difficult start to a racing weekend by persevering in a late battle with championship rival Max Verstappen and winning the São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos Circuit on Sunday, November 14.

The reigning seven-time F1 champion’s weekend started off on a rough note when he was penalized five grid spots when his team decided to change engines to his Mercedes. Then he was disqualified from starting on pole position for the F1 Sprint qualification event on Saturday, November 13, due to a technical infringement involving his rear wing and DRS system on his Mercedes. The disqualification relegated Hamilton to start in last place for the Sprint, which he made up for the misfortune by finishing in fifth place. With the five-place penalty grid still intact, Hamilton fell back to 10th place on the starting grid for the main event.


Rolling off the grid just inside the top 10, Hamilton, who methodically carved his way to the front, spent the majority of the main event battling towards the front with his teammate and pole-sitter Valtteri Bottas along with Red Bull Racing’s Verstappen and Sergio “Checo” Perez.

Then on Lap 48 of 71, Hamilton made a move to the outside of on Verstappen for the lead entering Turn 4. Entering the turn, however, both title contenders ran off the circuit as Verstappen retained the lead without being penalized.

Eleven laps later, Hamilton, who made another move to the outside of Verstappen in Turn 4, moved his Mercedes into the lead. From there, Hamilton pulled away and was able to cross the finish line more than 10 seconds ahead of the Dutchman to grab the victory.

The victory was Hamilton’s sixth of the season, third at the Interlagos Circuit and the 101st of his F1 career. With the victory and the points he earned, Hamilton decreased his deficit to Verstappen by five, from 19 to 14, with three Grand Prix events remaining to the schedule as he pursues his quest to win a record-setting eighth F1 title.

“It was one of the most fun races I’ve had in a long time,” Hamilton said. “Just a great start and just really bounced throughout. I definitely didn’t know whether or not that I would be able to overtake [Verstappen]. [The Red Bull competitors] are working as well as the team. It was just kind of crazy to think that where we started yesterday, last, and then, I got up to fifth yesterday, and then I realized I got to go back another five places, and then thinking, ‘By the time I even get there, Max will be gone.’ He wasn’t that far ahead when I finally got there. I just keep thinking what a great team I have behind me. We continue to push, continue to raise a bar and not say no to any answers really. From this weekend, we’ve been thrown a lot at us and it was easy to get down and not be positive and not do our job well. They did a remarkable job this weekend. 

“Success always feel sweeter when you face adversity,” Hamilton added. “Yes, when you start first and have success, there’s a journey to get there, of course, but it’s far, far greater. This is one of the most beautiful feelings I’ve had in a win, knowing that I’ve had all of those pushbacks, setbacks. We never let it stand in our way…I was gonna get [Verstappen] at some stage. That was how my mindset was. I’m coming for you. That’s where we’re headed.”

Like Hamilton, Verstappen rallied from a difficult start to the weekend when he was fined €50,000 for examining and touching Hamilton’s rear wing in Parc Ferme following Friday’s qualification session for the F1 Sprint. He rallied by finishing second in the F1 Sprint behind Bottas and took command of the lead right from the start, where he dominated the event and was eventually overtaken by Hamilton late in the run.

Despite coming up one position shy of notching his third consecutive Grand Prix victory in recent weeks, Verstappen, who won at Interlagos in 2019, continues to lead the driver’s championship standings by a respectable margin over Hamilton as he closes in towards his first F1 World Championship.

“I knew it was gonna be difficult, but I tried everything I could,” Verstappen said. “Clearly, we were just lacking a bit today. Also, top speed wise, it was really tough to defend. You could clearly see when they take a fresh engine, it gives them a bit more power. So hopefully in the coming races, that will die down slowly. At least it was fun. Of course, I would’ve liked to win, but realistically, I think this was a good result. I think it was good, hard racing. That’s how it should be.”

Meanwhile, Bottas, who won the F1 Sprint on Saturday and started on pole position, ran a consistent event to finish in third place, one position ahead of Perez, who managed to clock in the fastest time of the event at 218.453 kph on the final lap. The third-place result marked Bottas’ 10th podium result of the season as he is down to his final three races with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team before transitioning to Alfa Romeo in 2022.

“Lap 1 was quite disappointing,” Bottas said. “We had a very average start. Max had a good one and then, I tried to defend Checo [Perez] and went wide, but I tried. We’ll have a look at what happened. After that, I, obviously, kept pushing and we took the opportunity with the virtual safety car. I think the pace was actually OK today, so it was good to be there till the end. It was very close and was actually pretty close to Max…Really good points. That’s something to be happy about.”

Finishing behind the two Mercedes and Red Bull competitors were the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr., with both competitors being the last of six competitors finishing on the lead lap. The top-six results for Leclerc and Sainz were enough to stabilize Ferrari’s positioning of third place in the constructor’s standings.

Pierre Gasly, the first competitor a lap down, finished in seventh followed by Alpine’s Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon. Lando Norris, meanwhile, rallied from an opening lap puncture following contact with Sainz, to complete the top 10 on the track.

Sebastian Vettel was the first competitor to finishing outside of the top-10 points-paying results in 11th followed by Kimi Räikkönen, George Russell, Antonio Giovinazzi and rookie Yuki Tsunoda, who damaged his car following an early collision with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.

Nicholas Latifi settled in 16th followed by Haas’ Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher, who lost his front wing following an on-track collision with Räikkönen’s Alfa Romeo.

Daniel Ricciardo retired in 19th place due to losing power in his McLaren, which marked his first retirement since the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix.

Lance Stroll rounded out the field in 20th place following his early collision with Tsunoda.

Results. 

1. Lewis Hamilton, 25 points

2. Max Verstappen, 20 points

3. Valtteri Bottas, 18 points

4. Sergio Perez, 13 points

5. Charles Leclerc, 10 points

6. Carlos Sainz, eight points

7. Pierre Gasly, six points, +1 lap,

8. Esteban Ocon, four points, + 1 lap

9. Fernando Alonso, two points, +1 lap

10. Lando Norris, one point, +1 lap

11. Sebastian Vettel, +1 lap

12. Kimi Räikkönen, +1 lap

13. George Russell, +1 lap

14. Antonio Giovinazzi, +1 lap

15. Yuki Tsunoda, +1 lap

16. Nicholas Latifi, +1 lap

17. Nikita Mazepin, +2 laps

18. Mick Schumacher, +2 laps

19. Daniel Ricciardo – Retired

20. Lance Stroll – Retired

Max Verstappen continues to lead the drivers’ standings by 14 points over Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team continues to lead the constructors’ standings by 11 points over Red Bull Racing Honda thanks to the strong performances from Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.

With three races remaining to the schedule, the 2021 Formula One season will continue at Losail International Circuit for the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday, November 21.

CORVETTE RACING AT PETIT LE MANS: Big Heartbreak in 2021 Finale

By
Official Release
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GT Le Mans championship sweep takes sting out of tough finishes

BRASELTON, Ga. (Nov. 13, 2021) – Corvette Racing had hopes of going out of the GT Le Mans (GTLM) era in winning style, but fortune had other ideas at the 10-hour Petit Le Mans. Despite setbacks to both Chevrolet Corvette C8.Rs in the final race of this year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the program still celebrated a second straight sweep of the full-season GTLM titles.

Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor wrapped up their second straight class Drivers Championship as the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R took the green flag for the race start. It also locked up consecutive Manufacturers championships for Chevrolet and the Team title for the No. 3 Corvette squad.

A mid-race accident, however, forced the No. 3 C8.R’s retirement just before the halfway point. Taylor was part of a long train of cars coming to a restart over a blind crest and crashed heavily into another GT car that had spun and stopped only seconds before. He was evaluated and released from the infield care center.

Corvette Racing still had hopes of a ninth Petit Le Mans victory with the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C8.R of Tommy Milner, Nick Tandy and Alexander Sims.

The trio led a race-high 313 laps with all three drivers taking turns at the front of the field. While lacking overall performance, clever strategy and pit work kept the No. 4 C8.R at or near the lead for the first three-quarters of the race. Fuel savings by the Corvette drivers meant shorter fuel fill times, and the No. 4 pit crew helped capitalize by gaining 11 spots during the first six pit stops in the race.

In a fight for track position late and running second in class, Tandy was hit and pushed off-track by the eventual race-winning prototype. The impact broke the left-front suspension of the Corvette with 10 minutes left.

Corvette Racing will return to IMSA in January for the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona in the new GTD PRO category. That effort will go along with a single-car entry in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – 2021 GTLM CHAMPION
TALK ABOUT WINNING YOUR FIFTH CHAMPIONSHIP TODAY.
“A good first lap for sure knowing that we had clinched the championship You forget about that right away because you are in race mode. Everything was running super smooth for the first full stint or half-stint then I was able to save fuel and jump first and second place on the first pit stop. Then it felt the car came back to me and was really pretty good. I saw Nick (Tandy) behind me and we pulled a good gap over the other cars. So I settled in and everything seemed to be going to plan. Actually it caught me by surprise because yesterday the car didn’t feel very good. Somehow we had pace today. It’s just a shame about what happened to Jordan. I could anticipate something happening after the three or four restarts I did because traffic was very severe not only on the restarts but with all the class splits out there. There was a lot of tension you could see out there. As Jordan said, the good thing is he is okay that’s the best thing so what I’m very grateful for.”

ON THE CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON: “This year was a really good year. We started by winning the Rolex 24. It felt like a really long time since my last one. It was starting to be a little bit like last year. Corvette was super strong and probably even stronger this year. We just kept doing what we did last year, Jordan and I. We seem to be really good together. Everything was working really good. We just kept doing what we did. We didn’t think about the championship but somehow everything came back to us. Other than this year, my only downside was Sebring. I thought we had a really good race going until six minutes to go. Now for sure I’ll remember this championship. Not winning Petit does hurt, though.”

MOVING TO GTD PRO IN 2022: “We’re definitely looking forward to that. That opens up the opportunity to win this race, for one! This championship has really, really good racing. Getting back to race again at Daytona, Sebring, here and the other good tracks we go to, I’m really happy for that. As you can see today, GTD looks like good fun. I’m looking forward to that, too.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – 2021 GTLM CHAMPION
JORDAN, HOW ARE YOU FEELING?
“Just a little sore, thanks. It’s just really tight, a muscle spasm. I’ll be fine in a couple of days. Thankfully, Corvette, Chevrolet and Pratt Miller built a very strong car that kept me safe. It’s definitely a scary moment when you come over the crest in fifth gear and everyone stops on the other side. It’s something we can learn from in the future on restart procedures. But thankfully I got out of the car and am okay, and we still had another Corvette in the fight.”

TALK ABOUT THE RACING OUT THERE AND SECURING THE CHAMPIONSHIP.
“Like Antonio said, as soon as you start the race, you kind of forget about the championship and go for the win because it is Petit Le Mans. When you come into these events, such high-profile events, it’s unfortunate you have such a mix of drivers and classes that don’t mix well and makes the traffic and the racing so difficult. My first stint was kind of messy with traffic in and out. Then the way it worked we were starting in the back for that restart. The stack-up effect is always there and 10A and 10B, which was way more extreme today. It was unfortunate to catch us out, but definitely amazing to get a championship for Antonio and I and two in a row. Amazing to finish up the GTLM era with two championships like that and I think Antonio is the winningest driver in the class over its existence, so I am proud to have been his teammate for nine of those wins and looking forward to fighting for a third one next year.”

JORDAN, IN YOUR OPINON, WHAT HAPPENED?
“When we were restarting, I don’t know where we were in line, maybe 30th or 35th. The leaders were coming out of 10B and they start accelerating out of the chicane. So they start going and then when you get back to 15th or 20th, they are still braking in the chicane and it starts the accordion effect. We were so far back, we were pretty much flat-out all the way down the back stretch trying to kind of keep up with everyone. By the time we got to the crest, I was behind the 79 or 97 and at that point I’m in fifth gear. I’m just basically following him and trusting him that he knows where he is going and he could see where we were going. As soon as we crested, he went left and I went right. Basically where he had gone turned out to be the only safe place and when I popped up next to him, there were two cars stopped in the middle of the racetrack. I had nowhere to go so I slid into them about 110 miles an hour. Thankfully everyone was fine. The first thing I thought was I thought I broke my back, that is how hard it was and probably hurt the guy in front of me with how hard I hit him directly in the back. Thankfully he was fine.
“I already saw someone already and it is muscle spasms in my lower back. Thankfully nothing right now is too serious. When I got to the medical center, I was the worst one.”

PERSPECTIVE: “This was the first time I’ve had a big crash in an event… we’re a family of racers – my dad and my brother. It’s the first time one of us has had a big accident. It’s always a fear for a family member to get injured. Antonio’s family probably watches at home and they don’t get answers as fast as this if something happens. I knew Ricky was in the 10 car and when I walked over the wall, my first thought was that he was going to drive by this mashed car and he’d be looking for a thumbs up. I knew he’d be freaked out, so it was an emotional moment to be honest. It brings a lot of things back into reality. You’re on track racing these guys and wanting to beat everyone. But as soon as an accident happens, it becomes a lot more human and brings out that back into the big picture. So I want to say thank you to everyone on the team for the safety and the IMSA safety team, as well.”

SEEING YOUR DAD AFTER THE ACCIDENT: “Ricky was one of the first ones I saw on the track. I was on the wall and he was looking for a thumbs up, so I gave him a thumbs up just to put him at ease considering his position for the championship. Then I was carted off to the medical center, where I knew my mom and my girlfriend were outside. I called my mom from someone’s cell phone and told her I was OK and hopefully relay that message to my dad. I saw him about an hour-and-a-half later. He was still crying, which I can imagine. I hated watching him race for the same reasons, and I can’t imagine what it’s like for him to watch his kids every day. Thankfully to this point, it was smooth sailing but in this sport anything can happen. Today was a bit of a reality check for everyone. I’m sure everyone we’ll all be really happy once we get home safely.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SIXTH IN GTLM: “The season started amazing with winning Daytona. I think at Sebring we were in a very good position to win the race as well until we were taken out in the last little part of the race. Le Mans wasn’t too bad. So yes I can look back on a good season. And the boys can look back on an even better season because they won the championship. Today was very unfortunate. We are all happy that Jordan is feeling well and got away with just some muscle pain. Of course I would have loved to drive and not sit on the sideline for the whole race, but other than that it was super nice this season and we get to celebrate a championship.
“It is only one-and-a-half months and we are back in Daytona GTD PRO. New challenge and I think the competition is bigger. The field is bigger. That is going to be interesting. I can’t wait to be honest.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FOURTH IN GTLM: “Going into the race I said our biggest competition would be the Porsches because they had such a big advantage in performance. They already had a fast car last year and on paper, they should have been significantly faster which they were as we saw toward the end of the race today. It is kind of a shame for Corvette Racing that this happens. We don’t go into a race thinking we are going to lose. We use any possible advantage we can find, and today we used whatever advantage we could find to be competitive at the end. It was just a little bit too big of a mountain to climb. Then at the end, Nick got taken out by the Mazda. It happens all the time. As soon as we are out of their view they just decide to move over. We can’t just disappear, and it has ruined races for a lot of GT cars over the years. They’re never really ever penalized as much as they should. The race today was a great race for us for most of it. We were able to find ways to keep the car at the front. It didn’t end like we wanted it to, but we can look back on a great season. There were lots of highlights for both the 3 and the 4 car all year. Nick and I both were happy with the last half of the season with three wins in a row. And we get the Manufacturers and Team championships for Corvette and Chevy. I’m happy with all that. It’s hard to reflect on the good when you had a sour end. I’m very, very proud of this Corvette Racing team and proud to be a part of it.”

NICK TANDY, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FOURTH IN GTLM: “I was passing a GTD car late and the Mazda came through to make us three-wide down the straight into the braking zone in (Turn) 10. I was in the middle and all of a sudden the Mazda decided he would try to take the racing line. He was on the inside and came straight across the track and hit the side of our car and broke the suspension. It’s a shame that the season ends like this. Unfortunately into the night toward the end, I didn’t have the pace in the car to challenge the Porsches. It’s a shame not to finish on the podium, but we have a lot to be happy for this season. We wrapped up the Endurance Cup for the No. 4 car, we won a lot of races along the way and we got Manufacturers, Drivers and Team championships. All-in-all its been a successful season even if it ended very disappointing.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FOURTH IN GTLM: “A large part of today’s race went really, really well. In the first seven hours or so, we were in the mix and showing like we were getting stronger and stronger. We had really good strategy and good pace to make the fuel economy work. We were at the front or near the front most of the time. As the temperatures got really cold, the pace dropped away from us and we couldn’t hang on to the Porsches in the final couple of hours. Unfortunately the race was lost on pace but the final contact on Nick was the final nail in the coffin. I had it happen to me in my stint where a DPi got into me. They just pass three-quarters of the way and then expect you to evaporate. It’s frustrating when we are trying to do our own thing. But I’ve loved the year. It’s been fantastic to drive the C8.R. The team has been brilliant. It feels a bit disappointing because we had a bad Sebring, a bad Le Mans and now a bad Petit Le Mans. But I’ve enjoyed every bit of it except for the results! I’m looking forward to more next year.”

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

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

Wright Motorsports Secures Michelin Endurance Cup Championship

By
Official Release
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BRASELTON, Ga., (November 14, 2021) – A day after winning the 2021 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Driver and Team championship titles, Wright Motorsports again celebrated their success securing the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Michelin Endurance Cup championship on Saturday at Petit Le Mans. The No. 16 1st Phorm Porsche 911 GT3 R race car, driven by Patrick Long, Trent Hindman, and Jan Heylen, entered the event with a one-point lead and sailed to championship victory after standing in first-place at the four-hour and eight-hour marks, earning enough points to clinch the title.

“What a weekend for our team,” said Team Owner John Wright. “In Michelin Pilot Challenge, we celebrated two titles, and then today in WeatherTech, we earned two more. I’m immensely proud of everyone on this team. An incident in the second practice really threw a wrench into our weekend, and an early race incident pushed us two laps down, but we climbed our way back to lead when we needed to lead and put in a really strong race. Incredible effort by everyone here.”

Petit Le Mans offered no smooth sailing for the Porsche customer racing team’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship program. During the second practice session, Heylen’s first laps of the weekend were cut short after the No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R was tagged by a faster LMP2 car exiting turn eleven at Road Atlanta. The contact sent Heylen and the Porsche into the wall, causing catastrophic damage. Fortunately, Heylen was unhurt and would go on to win the Michelin Pilot Challenge GS class race and championship for the team on Friday. After the team assessed the GTD class car and considered all options, two truck drivers were flown privately to Cincinnati and drove to the team’s Batavia, Ohio shop location. They trucked a spare Porsche 911 GT3 R to Braselton, Georgia, and at 7:00 am the following day, the dedicated group of men and women that make up the Wright Motorsports crew got to work to build up the new arrival. Though no small feat, the team had the car prepared just in time, and Trent Hindman qualified the car, setting an impressive seventh-place starting position for Saturday’s race.

A post-qualifying change ahead in the grid moved the No. 16 Porsche to start from sixth place, and though the field had a clean start in the opening turns, tight pack racing led to the Wright car suffering contact and limping around the circuit with a flat right-rear tire early on. Hindman painstakingly kept the car slow through the turns, trying to keep the car free of any additional damage. He at last pitted, and the team inspected the car, took care of any loose bodywork, and sent him out of pit lane with a fresh Michelin tire.

The team ultimately lost two laps in pit lane, due to repairs and extra stops, but masterfully used a series of cautions to take advantage of the series pass-around procedure that allows for lapped cars to circle around the pace car and gain a lap back. The team would also stay out while the field pitted and instead pit shortly later, gaining additional track time that would be beneficial in pit lane as the team double and triple-checked the potential damage to the Porsche. A series of back-to-back yellows not only allowed the car to get back on the lead lap, but catch up to the field, and by then, Hindman was ready for the restart. As the field went back to green, he immediately passed the Nos. 42 and 44 cars of Don Yount and John Potter, to climb from 13th to 15th. After passing the No. 88 Porsche of Rob Ferriol, trouble for four more cars played into Wright’s hands, bringing Hindman up to eighth position with only two hours complete. Five cars dropped into pit lane just before a full-course caution, catapulting Hindman up to third, but he later came in for a scheduled stop, and Patrick Long took over just before the three-hour mark.

The veteran Porsche factory driver rejoined in eleventh with just under three hours complete. He ran a relatively quiet stint, patiently riding his way through cautions. Knowing the strategy was to lead at the four-hour mark in order to obtain Michelin Endurance Cup points when a caution came just seven minutes before the first segment, Wright Motorsport stayed on track while the majority of the GTD field pitted for full-service stops, again rocketing the team to first-place. Just 15 minutes later, a massive, multi-car crash occurred on the restart as the field headed into turn one, creating another lengthy caution. After accruing the four-hour points, Long pitted the Porsche from first for a safety check and rejoined to restart the race in fifth. He quickly made the pass on the No. 12 of Robert Megennis to take fourth and shortly after pitted for Heylen to take over.

Hindman jumped in at sunset, and again the field endured several more full-course caution periods. The Porsche ran in fourth-place with steady lap times and made a longer pit stop to make an adjustment to the rear wing, giving the car a setup change to fight in the night hours. At the eight-hour mark, the team again kept the No. 16 Porsche on track while the rest of the field pitted, and Trent Hindman again led the field and acquired points for the Endurance Championship.

Hindman closed out his stint in first, and Heylen rejoined to run to the checkered flag. At this point, the Endurance Cup championship was almost locked in, provided the team finished the race. Heylen brought the Porsche 911 GT3 R across the finish line in fifth place, the team’s seventh top-five finish of the season in the GTD class.

“I’d like to thank everyone that made this season possible,” concluded Wright. “Porsche Motorsport North America is unbeatable, and we’re so proud to be with the manufacturer that won both GTD titles. We also owe a big thank you to Ryan Hardwick, and our partners in 1st Phorm, Mountain Motorsports, and Una Vida Tequila. We’re very proud to celebrate this championship with them, and I’m glad we were able to end Pat’s full-time driving career with a championship win.”

Driver Quotes | Porsche 911 GT3 R

Patrick Long
Today was a measure of teamwork. We went to work on the strategy. We easily did the most pit stops of any team today with an eye on a prize and goal [the Michelin Endurance Cup]. It wasn’t the overall championship but the next best thing. I am so proud that Porsche took both titles in GTD. This is a great way to cap off a full-time driving career. I am going to enjoy tonight.

Trent Hindman
That was more than just an eventful day. That was an eventful weekend and an eventful season. There were a lot of challenges this year and it did nothing but fight through them and make it happen. A massive thanks to everybody at Wright Motorsports for making the entire year possible. We fought through some hard times and still came away with some hardware. It is a pleasure working with these guys and I am grateful to be a part of this team.

Jan Heylen
We won a bunch of championships this year, two this weekend. Given what happened at the beginning of the race, this is more than we thought we were going to do. To come back and play the strategy just right, to come away with the endurance championship is really amazing. It has been an amazing season and I hope we can do it again next year.

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1st Phorm
1st Phorm is a sports nutrition company based in St. Louis, MO. In 2009, CEO Andy Frisella and his business partner Chris Klein started the brand, and since then, it has become the fastest growing supplement company in the world. 1st Phorm has set the standards in the industry for quality and helping people reach their goals. This new racing partnership is not their first time in the exotic car scene either. 1st Phorm has been the title sponsor for the Gold Rush Rally for six years running. With over a million followers across social media, 1st Phorm has amassed a huge cult-like following known as, “The Legion of Boom.” They stand for a movement in the fitness world. To turn it back to what it was meant to be. Helping others improve their lives, to be a good human… and to drop the excuses and do the work. 1st Phorm is a winning brand and they don’t expect anything less when it comes to their race team. For additional info: www.1stphorm.com

Mountain Motorsports
Mountain Motorsports is a group of motorcycle and powersports dealerships with multiple locations in the southeastern United States. The company was founded by lifelong friends Ryan Hardwick and Justin Price when they opened their first location as a single-line Honda dealership in Sevierville, Tennessee in 1999. The company has since grown into one of the largest retailers of motorcycle and powersports vehicles in the nation, spanning nine dealership locations representing eleven of the industry’s most well-known brands. For additional info: www.mountainmotorsports.com

Una Vida Tequila
Una Vida translates to One Life. That is how this brand started. By people who want to live their “One Life” to the absolute fullest and to their highest potential. A group of guys from the Midwest who love great quality tequila, and want their One Life to have meaning and impact others.

One Life, One Tequila is our CORE BELIEF. We’re building the only tequila brand you will ever need to drink. Una Vida is bigger than just tequila we’re also building a culture of people who want to live their life to their utmost potential.

Our story begins and continues to grow bottle by bottle. It’s a life mission for us to create a community of people who all raise a glass knowing they’re living their ONE LIFE! For more information, visit unavidatequila.com

Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series, international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy, and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013 and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship.For more information, visit wrightmotorsports.com For more information, visit wrightmotorsports.com.

Chevrolet, Corvette Racing Claim Final GTLM Championships

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Official Release
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· 14th Manufacturers Championship for Chevrolet in IMSA competition
· Garcia, Taylor go back-to-back as GTLM Drivers champions
· Milner, Tandy secure second place in GTLM points
· Corvette Racing closes GTLM era with 15th Team Championship

BRASELTON, Ga. (Nov. 13, 2021) – For the second straight season, Chevrolet and Corvette Racing captured all three full-season GT Le Mans (GTLM) titles of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The Corvette Racing program completed a repeat sweep of the GTLM Manufacturers, Drivers and Team championships with the start of Saturday’s 10-hour Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Chevrolet claimed its 14th Manufacturers title in GT racing, Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor went back-to-back as Drivers champions while the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R repeated as Team title-winners.

“Chevrolet is proud to win the 2021 Manufacturers Championship and the final for the GT Le Mans category,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S Vice President, Performance and Motorsports. “The mid-engine Corvette C8.R is building a strong legacy thanks to the ‘One Team’ approach of the Corvette race team, our powertrain engineers, and Corvette production engineers and designers. We are excited to continue the development of the C8.R onward in 2022.

“Congratulations also to Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and everyone on the No. 3 Corvette C8.R team,” Campbell added. “This was a challenging season in many aspects but the competitive spirit within the two Corvette C8.R teams has never been stronger.”

Chevrolet and Corvette Racing won seven times in IMSA entering Petit Le Mans including 1-2 finishes in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the three most recent rounds of the championship. Corvette Racing also claimed pole position in each GTLM race heading into Petit Le Mans.

After winning five times during their 2020 championship run, Garcia and Taylor backed that up with four wins to date including the Rolex 24.

Garcia won his fifth IMSA title, tying Oliver Gavin for the most among all Corvette Racing drivers. The rapid Spaniard took pole positions at Sebring and the Watkins Glen Six Hours and was the fastest GTLM driver at Sebring.

Taylor is now a four-time IMSA champion with two in GTLM to go along with a pair of Prototype titles. The American has five pole positions to his credit this season – all consecutively from the Watkins Glen Six Hours to Long Beach.

No. 4 Corvette C8.R teammates Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy wrapped up second in GTLM points with the start of today’s race. They also were contributors in the Manufacturers Championship with three victories and two pole positions.
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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

Team Hardpoint’s Efrin Castro Wins Inaugural Porsche Carrera Cup North America Pro-Am Championship

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Official Release
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Photo credit Sideline Sports Photography

Castro Won Three Races at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for Come From Behind Title; Dickinson Brings Home Podium Finish in Season Finale

BRASELTON, Georgia (November 13, 2021) – Team Hardpoint driver Efrin Castro won three consecutive Porsche Carrera Cup North America races this week at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, making up a 39-point deficit in the final weekend to claim both the inaugural North American championship in the Pro-Am class and the team’s first title.

Castro won six of the final eight races in the season, including all three at the final round this week, to make up a gap that felt insurmountable coming into the weekend. Entering the final race on Friday, Castro needed to win and see the Championship leader finish in sixth-place or lower to claim the title.

As Castro drove his No. 65 Fine Fare Supermarket/GoDominicanRepublic.com Porsche 911 GT3 Cup to the class lead in Turn 10 on the opening lap of the race, that championship leader and race polesitter spun off course and into the gravel.

With his points competitor two laps down, Castro still had to take care of his own business in the 45-minute race. He answered the bell, turning the fastest class lap of the race in 1:22.627 (110.665 mph) and finishing 11th overall in a smart, and still quickly run, race to claim the championship.

“This is unreal,” Castro said. “Coming into this weekend I had just a little bit of hope. I was putting faith in the Man Above and whatever would happen would happen. I just got blessed with this amazing weekend. I love it. It feels unreal. I was crying inside the car non-stop, I am not going to lie. I feel so blessed. I have to give thanks to everyone that made this possible. To everyone who supported me and believed in me.”

On the season, Castro won seven races and finished runner-up six times on his way to the two-point championship victory.

Teammate Riley Dickinson had an outstanding weekend of his own, finishing third overall and in the Pro Class for Saturday’s race and setting a new track record during Friday’s second stanza.

Dickinson was the fourth-quickest qualifier on Wednesday, but his No. 53 Porsche Austin/Team Hardpoint Porsche 911 GT3 was found to be slightly below the minimum ride height in post-qualifying technical inspection. Dickinson started 14th following the penalty and drove through the field to finish fourth in the opening race.

In race two, after starting seventh, Dickinson and the team made the decision to pull into pit lane and put on a fresh set of Michelin Tires at the midway point of the race. Dickinson used the fresh rubber to run a series-best race lap of 1:21.258 (112.530 mph), sacrificing a race two finish to earn the third qualifying position for Friday’s race.

Starting third on Friday, Dickinson held onto the podium spot during the 45-minute race to earn his eighth trophy in the 16-race season. Dickinson finished fourth in a very competitive Pro Class driver’s championship.

“It’s important to keep perspective on the weekend,” Dickinson said. “We want a win, it’s what we’ve been working so hard for this year and I feel we truly deserve. For whatever reason, we weren’t able to achieve it this year. To rebound to where we were today was great. To have the setback in qualifying and move up to P4 in race one, through deciding to go for the fastest lap in race two to set up race three. There was a lot to come back from. I’m proud of my performance, I’m proud of what I did, and I’m even more proud of the Team Hardpoint guys and their entire effort all year. From the top to the bottom, everyone did a fantastic job. I can’t thank them enough, and I can’t thank Porsche Austin enough for their support this year. Without them, this would not have been possible. I’m looking forward to partnering up with them again and getting to next year, because I’m more hungry than ever.”

Dickinson and Castro combined to give Team Hardpoint a third-place finish in the Entrant’s Championship.

“I’m really proud of Efrin, Riley and the entire team for the way they’ve handled all the adversity a race season can throw at them,” Team Owner Rob Ferriol said. “We knew coming into this weekend that all we could really control was our effort and the rest would come. Efrin did a tremendous job to get the three wins he needed and bring home the first of what we hope will become many championships for Team Hardpoint. Riley made a bold move in race two that paid off for him in the form of a podium finish today. I’m just proud of the way both drivers represented themselves and Team Hardpoint this season.”

Team Hardpoint’s No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R will start Saturday’s 10-hour IMSA WeatherTech Championship finale, Motul Petit Le Mans, in 12th position following Friday’s qualifying. Andrew Davis qualified the car and will begin the race before handing off to co-drivers Ferriol and Katherine Legge. Saturday’s race begins at 12:10 p.m. EST, live on NBC for the opening three hours before moving to NBCSN for the remainder. The race can be seen in its entirety, commercial free, via TrackPass on the NBC Sports App.

About Team Hardpoint:
Hardpoint Motorsports was founded by Rob Ferriol in 2018 with the vision of combining his experience as a successful entrepreneur with his passion for racing. Headquartered at VIRginia International Raceway, the team’s 2021 plans include a full-season effort in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship in a Porsche 911 GT3 R and a multi-car effort in the IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup North America. More information on Hardpoint Motorsports can be found at www.hardpoint.com or through its strong social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Atlanta Speedwerks Scores Second Place At Home Track in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta

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Official Release
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Tyler Stone and Ryan Eversley Combined For Thrilling Podium in No. 94 Hella Pagid/Inline Electric Honda Civic TCR

BRASELTON, Georgia (November 12, 2021) – Atlanta Speedwerks scored a podium finish at their hometown race on Friday, moving from the rear of the field at the start to second in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Tyler Stone and Ryan Eversley, co-driving together for the first time this week, combined for the runner-up finish in the No. 94 Hella Pagid/Inline Electric Honda Civic TCR. It was the fifth podium of the season for Atlanta Speedwerks, who scored wins at both Watkins Glen rounds of the championship.

Stone, making his lone appearance of the season for Atlanta Speedwerks, started on the last row of the grid while working to get up to speed. By the time Stone came to pit lane under a full course caution with 68 minutes remaining in the two-hour race to hand the car to Eversley, he was in ninth-place in the 17-car TCR-class field.

“I’ve been on the podium before, just never on this level,” Stone said. “I’ve been close many times. I’ve had a lot of top 10s, but to make it to the podium is just an awesome feeling. To take the car from the very back row of this awesome and very talented field all the way up to ninth and turn over a good car to Ryan in clean condition with everyone wrecking in front of me is amazing. I probably dodged three or four potential wrecks. It was a fun drive. Atlanta Speedwerks did a great job of providing a winning setup and a few more laps I think we might have been on the top spot.”

Eversley took over the charge from there. The Atlanta Speedwerks car was sixth under yet another yellow, the third of five in the race, with 48 minutes remaining, but two laps after that Eversley sat in fourth place. He stayed there through two more full course cautions in the final 42 minutes of the race, and remained there with just three corners left in the race.

The second and third place cars were ready to race going into Road Atlanta’s Turn 10 at the end of the backstretch, and when they made side-to-side contact through the corner it killed both cars’ momentum and opened the door for Eversley. Eversley, still carrying that momentum, swung through the final corners and across the stripe for the final podium position.

“To come home on the podium with a car that was clearly the fourth-fastest of the race, I’ll take that every time,” Eversley said. “I’m really happy with that. Tyler picked up a second just in sector one in three laps of the race. He was right there already and I actually applaud him for not being too aggressive. He got stuck behind some slower cars at the start and if he had tried too hard to get by it could have been the end of the day. I’m really happy with the pit stop, I’m just happy. I’ve got to thank Honda and HPD, the Atlanta Speedwerks guys, and everyone who made this happen at my and the team’s home race.”

Eversley, who drove with five different co-drivers during the 10-race season, finished in a tie for third in the season-long championship point standings.

The podium finish was a strong end to the season for Atlanta Speedwerks, coming at the team’s home track of Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and with partners Hella Pagid and Inline Electric on board.

“This was a great way to end the season,” Atlanta Speedwerks owner Todd Lamb said. “It’s been two years since Tyler has driven with us, and he knocked the rust off quickly and kept improving his lap times even during the race. The crew did a fantastic job of prepping the car and had a flawless pair of pit stops, and Ryan brought it home with a really good run and a great final lap. The whole race, including having Hella Pagid and Inline Electric here with us, has us looking forward to 2022 already.”

About Atlanta Speedwerks
Atlanta Speedwerks is a professional road racing team and prep shop, providing road racing services, car builds, roll cages, arrive and drive programs, and performance parts. Headquartered near Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the company runs winning arrive & drive programs in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Mazda MX-5 Cup, Porsche Club of America and SCCA Spec Miata, among others. Professional coaching and driver development round out the company’s offerings.

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