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Cadillac Racing: Sebring 2026 Race Report

By
Official Release
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SEBRING, Fla. (March 20, 2026) – Filipe Albuquerque, Will Stevens and Ricky Taylor, drivers of the No.10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R finished third in the 74th Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring.

Cadillac Racing now has 106 podiums (22 GTP, 84 DPi) since joining IMSA prototype competition in 2017. They have also won or finished on the podium five of the last six races at Sebring.

The race was dominated by the Penske Motorsports team with them finishing first and second.

Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber and Fredreick Vesti from the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R for Action Express Racing finished fourth, while the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R driven by Louis Deletraz, Colton Herta and Jordan Taylor finished eighth.

Ricky Taylor passed Jack Aitken for third late in the event to get the final podium spot. The last podium finish for the No. 10 Cadillac V-Series.R was in September 2025 in the six-hour race at Indianapolis.

Early in the race, Bamber was driving the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R under caution when the car was hit in the back by the No. 6 Penske Motorsports car, which forced the team to replace the damaged engine cover and tail.

IMSA officials reviewed the incident but said it was inconclusive, so no penalties were handed down.

The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R was coming off two wins to end the 2025 season (Indianapolis and Road Atlanta) and then a second place effort in the 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The next IMSA GTP event is the Grand Prix of Long Beach (California) on April 18. The 100-minute race starts at 4:05 pm EDT (1:05 pm PDT) and will be broadcast on NBC and streamed live on Peacock. IMSA Radio will stream live audio coverage on XM 206, Channel 996 on the SiriusXM app and IMSA.com.

What they’re saying

No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R

Filipe Albuquerque: “Really happy with the results and for the Cadillac WTR team. At Daytona we had something like this in the pocket, but unfortunately we weren’t there. The race was up and down, typical IMSA with a lot happening, but in the end, it was a great result for us. We were the best of the race. P3 feels like a win. Ricky in the end was a star, coming back, just a star. I loved it. The motivation is super high and we can’t wait for the next one.”

Will Stevens: “Super good result for the team. I think it shows the progress we are making, race by race. I think this whole weekend we had a good feeling. We had a strong package from the start and always felt that we were in contention to be upfront. We had a few setbacks in the middle of the race, but stuck with it and pushed to the end. Ricky did an awesome job in the final stint to make his way to third. Really happy for the Cadillac WTR team. I think this podium feels very good for everyone and is helpful to build the confidence going forward.”

Ricky Taylor: “Really excited for the Cadillac WTR team. I think the result was the best we could hope for. The whole 10 car group and all of Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing are really hitting their stride in our second year with the Cadillac V-Series.R. I think we feel much more confident going into race weekends. I think we proved this weekend that we can make adjustments to the car for qualifying and the race. That momentum is going to build through the season even more, and now we’re looking forward to Long Beach.”

No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

Jack Aitken: “Bit of a tough one for us. The team put us in a position to be up front and we had good work in pit lane. I think we had good strategy today but at the end of the day we just didn’t have the pace for whatever reason. We saw hints of it at the start of the race with dropping a couple of places off the bat, but it didn’t seem too bad, but then we weren’t able to make steps forward when the rest of the field increased the pace. We’ve got some work to do, but solid points and it could have been a lot worse.”

Earl Bamber: “We just sort of battled all day and tried our best. Honestly, we had a good car at the start, but we didn’t have anything at the end. I don’t know if we had damage from our impact earlier in the race. We got torn up, no penalties accessed from race control which was surprising and that was about it.”

Frederik Vesti: “Fourth place at Sebring for the second year in a row I think. Very frustrating end of the race but to be honest looking at the pace of the day we were fighting for a podium with P3 and it’s frustrating not to be there but we were close. But good points. On my personal side it been an awesome race with a lot of action. I was actually quite surprised how hard people were racing in a 12-hour race. We still have eight hours to go, and people were already banging doors and going for it. I got to drive into the night and see the sunset and then at night and had some good battles with a few cars. Thank you to Cadillac Racing and to Whelen for another good race and we see everyone at Long Beach.”

No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R

Louis Deletraz: “Disappointing result, only P8. I think we had a tough race. We spent a long time at the back, finally got the yellow we needed, got back close to the field and moved up to P5 before. Stayed there a long time, but yeah, we need to look for some answers; in the last 20 minutes, we just had slow pace, a lot of oversteer, and struggle to keep up. Not what we wanted. Congrats to the 10 for a podium! I think we actually had good pace a lot of time of the race. So we just need to put it all together next time.”

Colton Herta: “Well today didn’t quite go the way we had expected. It was a tough day, especially during my stint. The improvements the team has continued to make since Daytona is there, just a few untimely yellows in the heat of the day made it tough to gain positions on track. The way the Cadillac V-Series.R drives on the bumps at Sebring was awesome and I enjoyed my time with the Cadillac WTR team to start the year and look forward to being back at Petit.”

Jordan Taylor: “Obviously, a tough day for the 40 car; it seemed like none of the yellows went our way. They were always poorly timed, which was unfortunate. So it always felt like we were on the back foot, but, I think we had showed better pace than last year, which is a positive. Great to see the 10 car fighting for the podium there at the end, kind of the best of the rest. So we can leave here knowing that, we’re in the hunt now, in the mix in these races – just need to have some things go our way.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future.

GM Motorsports, including the Cadillac Formula 1® Team develops and proves advanced technologies in the most demanding environments, accelerating innovation in performance, safety, efficiency, and electrification for its production vehicles. Cadillac Racing is one of the leading manufacturers in the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championships (WEC). Chevrolet competes in single seaters in the US IndyCar series, and in NASCAR with multiple team partners and drivers. Corvette customer teams compete in GT series across the globe including IMSA and WEC. Learn more at GM.com.

The Rise of Exotic Car Culture: Why High-Performance Vehicles Are More Accessible Than Ever

By
SM
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Photo by Cris Ovalle on Unsplash

Exotic cars used to feel like relics from another world. You might see them on posters or in movies, but they rarely appear on local streets. Most people assumed these vehicles were reserved for the ultra-wealthy or professional drivers. Times are changing rapidly in the automotive world. High-performance cars are becoming a visible part of daily life. This shift is turning a once-exclusive hobby into a culture that anyone with a passion for engines can join.

Changing Perceptions of Luxury

The idea of what makes a car special has moved past just the price tag. Modern enthusiasts care about the experience and the sound of a fine-tuned machine. It is no longer about sitting in a garage and watching a car appreciate in value. Drivers want to feel the torque and see the engineering in action on the open road.

Owning a vehicle is no longer the only way to participate in this world. Many people find that sharing the thrill is more rewarding than maintaining a private collection. This change in mindset is fueling the growth of social clubs and track day events. It makes the lifestyle more social and less about status symbols.

The Growth of Performance Accessibility

The financial barriers to entering the world of supercars are dropping. Many enthusiasts now look to Apex Exotic Rentals to fulfill their dreams of driving a high-end machine. These options provide the excitement of a luxury vehicle without the stress of ownership costs. Most people find that a temporary experience is more rewarding than dealing with depreciation.

You can choose a different car for every occasion. Maintenance on a private supercar can cost over $10,000 a year. One weekend might involve a convertible for a coastal drive. The next trip might require the raw power of a mid-engine track beast. This flexibility keeps the passion alive without the boredom of driving the same car every day.

Modern Efficiency Standards

Engineering has improved so much that even the fastest cars are becoming more efficient. A report by a national environmental protection group found that new vehicles hit a record high of 27.2 mpg in 2024. This trend shows that performance does – surprisingly – go hand in hand with better fuel economy. You can now drive a powerful car without stopping at the gas station every few miles.

Engineers use turbocharging and hybrid assist to squeeze more power out of smaller engines. These advancements mean you get the speed you want with a smaller carbon footprint. It is a win for the driver and the environment. Modern supercars use lightweight materials to help with these gains. Carbon fiber and aluminum are common in high-end builds. These materials keep the car agile and help the engine work less hard.

The Future of High-End Power

High-End Power
Photo by Brandon Atchison on Unsplash

The shift toward new energy sources makes its mark on the exotic market. Performance is no longer tied strictly to gasoline. Electric motors provide instant torque that rivals the fastest traditional engines.

  • Hybrid systems are standard in many top-tier models.
  • Battery technology allows for better weight distribution in the chassis.
  • Digital controls help drivers manage 1,000 horsepower with ease.

These changes are reflected in global sales data for alternative energy vehicles. An international energy agency noted that electric car sales passed 17 million units in 2024. This growth suggests that the next generation of car culture will be powered by a mix of volts and octane. High-performance brands are leaning into this change to stay relevant in a changing market.

The world of exotic cars is no longer a closed club for the elite. Technology and new business models have opened the gates for everyone. Car culture is growing stronger as more people get the chance to experience the pinnacle of automotive design. High-performance driving is truly within reach for those who want it.

Allgaier wins Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway

By
Angie Campbell
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Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com

Justin Allgaier made the outside lane work on the final restart of the race, pulling away from Brandon Jones to win Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway.

This is Allgaier’s second win of the season, 30th of his career, and the fourth straight for JR Motorsports.

“All of these guys right here,” said Allgaier. “We have not been the best on pit road all year, but these guys have never quit. They have gone to work and never given up, and they were on top of it all day on pit road. Huge thank you to these guys, and Andrew Overstreet (crew chief), and this entire No. #7 team.

He continued, saying, “Kyle was obviously amazing; he had us covered. Andrew told me on that last restart to ‘never give up, if we can get the lead, we got clean air, and we’re going to win this thing,’ and we did.” “Nobody will ever know, the later you get into your career, how much these victories mean. “And to come at Darlington, a place I’ve loved for so long, is really special.”

Kyle Larson started on the pole, dominated the two stages, and led 107 of the 147 laps before a slow pit stop on the final stop, leaving Larson restarting in fifth place, causing his dominating day to end without the win.

“It became tougher to pass,” said Larson. “At the end, the pace picked up, and you’re stuck. Unfortunate, but that’s the way racing is sometimes. That sucks, but I had a lot of fun today.”

Brandon Jones finished second.

“The 7 (Allgaier) just kept getting just barely better launches than I could on that second lane,” Jones said, “and he had just a little more juice in the tank on the short run today. We were matching, if not slightly better, on the long run, but just ran out of laps there at the end, but this is what we needed with the 20 group.

“That’s the 20’s team mentality – getting better in the races, and staying in contention to have a shot. That is all I can ask for. I think this is how you are going to see our season change, and this is how you begin to start winning races again – is running up front like we did. To beat two of the very best here, Justin (Allgaier) is one of the best here – we are going against some really heavy hitters. I’m proud of that effort. Really big points day as well to tack on it.” Jones said.

Christopher Bell finished third, Larson fourth, and Carson Kvapil rounded out the top-5 finishers.

“Yeah, we definitely lost the handle of it in stage two and fell back,” Bell said. “We had a couple of good pit stops and good adjustments that got us back up to the front. It just felt like we were on the wrong side of the track. Really loose in the daylight, and then really tight when it got shaded up. I don’t know. It was a lot of fun out there. I’m really happy to Sport Clips Supra home third. I know that’s not what they are looking for, but I got a good finish out of it.”

After Darlington, Justin Allgaier holds the series points lead over Jesse Love by 52 points, 84 points over Carson Kvapil, 88 over Sheldon Creed, and 96 over Austin Hill.

The race featured three caution flags for 25 laps, and six lead changes among four drivers.

Next, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series heads to Martinsville Speedway for the NFPA 250 on Saturday, March 28, at 3:30 pm ET on the CW Network.

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series
Race Results for the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 – Saturday, March 21, 2026
Darlington Raceway – Darlington, SC – 1.366 – Mile Paved
Total Race Length – 147 Laps – 200.802 Miles
FinStNoDriverS1S2S3PointsStatus
147Justin Allgaier54069Running
2820Brandon Jones43050Running
3219Christopher Bell(i)2900Running
4188Kyle Larson(i)1100Running
531Carson Kvapil32049Running
61217Corey Day08034Running
7130Sheldon Creed00030Running
8599Parker Retzlaff65040Running
9188Sammy Smith00028Running
10641Sam Mayer00027Running
11102Jesse Love70030Running
122196Anthony Alfredo97031Running
132239Ryan Sieg00024Running
1499Ross Chastain(i)10600Running
151554Taylor Gray00022Running
162725Nick Sanchez00021Running
17718William Sawalich810024Running
182344Brennan Poole00019Running
193051Jeremy Clements00018Running
20327Josh Bilicki00017Running
213326Dean Thompson00016Running
221424Harrison Burton00015Running
231932Rajah Caruth00014Running
241792Josh Williams00013Running
25205JJ Yeley00012Running
262527Jeb Burton00011Running
27240Garrett Smithley00010Running
283187Austin Green0009Running
292848Patrick Staropoli #0008Running
302631Blaine Perkins0007Running
313755Joey Gase0006Running
32362Ryan Ellis0005Running
333530Myatt Snider0004Running
343842Nathan Byrd0003Running
351121Austin Hill0002Running
362945Lavar Scott #0001Accident
371628Kyle Sieg0001DVP
383491Alex Labbe0001Accident

Tyler Reddick scores 13th career Cup Series pole at Darlington Raceway

By
Angie Campbell
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Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com

Tyler Reddick will lead the field to green for Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. He topped the speed charts with a 169.152 mph lap in his No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota.

He described his qualifying lap, saying, “It felt more stable than practice, for sure, kind of the same sort of thing here the last two weeks. Like, I’ve been really on the splitter in practice and then go qualify. My balance feels great,” Reddick continued, “so yeah, hopefully we can learn from that, from the last two weeks and have a smoother race later on.”

This year, the drivers will be dealing with the unknown, particularly at a track as unpredictable as Darlington. The increased horsepower, reduced downforce, and redesigned tires will likely present new challenges.

“I just feel like we’re going to be out of control, and I think you’re going to be screaming and wanting tires way more than we’ll physically be able to put them on,” said Chris Buescher. “I hope that the passing opportunities go up. If somebody is really struggling, we’ve got a couple of different lanes to look for fresh race track, and I hope it makes great racing.”

Buescher’s teammate, Bubba Wallace, will start beside him on the front row at Darlington, followed by Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski in the top-5. Chris Buescher, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Austin Dillon rounded out the top-10 in the qualifying session.

Starting Line Up: Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway

PosNoDriverTeamTimeSpeed
145Tyler ReddickXfinity Toyota29.072169.152
223Bubba WallaceColumbia Toyota29.196168.434
39Chase ElliottUniFirst Chevrolet29.319167.727
45Kyle LarsonHendrickCars.com Chevrolet29.377167.396
56Brad KeselowskiSolomon Plumbing Ford29.424167.129
617Chris BuescherFifth Third Bank Ford29.443167.021
712Ryan BlaneyMenards/Delta Ford29.476166.834
88Kyle BuschBetMGM Chevrolet29.478166.823
911Denny HamlinSport Clips Haircuts Toyota29.5166.698
103Austin DillonBPS/Winchester Long Beard XR Chevrolet29.538166.484
117Daniel SuarezNationsGuard Chevrolet29.55166.416
122Austin CindricFreightliner Ford29.57166.304
1324William ByronRaptor Chevrolet29.601166.13
1435Riley HerbstMonster Energy Toyota29.613166.062
1548Justin Allgaier(i)Ally Chevrolet29.624166.001
1677Carson HocevarChili’s Marg Machine Chevrolet29.677165.704
1760Ryan PreeceKroger/Oscar Mayer/Heinz Ford29.708165.531
1847Ricky Stenhouse Jr.Jack Links Non-Vegan Chevrolet29.721165.459
1938Zane SmithMystik Lubricants Ford29.723165.448
2071Michael McDowellDelaware Life Chevrolet29.731165.403
2142John Hunter NemechekDollar Tree Toyota29.776165.153
2220Christopher BellDEWALT Toyota29.785165.103
2319Chase BriscoeFree Bird Southern Spring Water Toyota29.819164.915
2443Erik JonesAdventHealth Toyota29.825164.882
251Ross ChastainMoose Fraternity Chevrolet29.847164.76
2621Josh BerryMotorcraft/Quick Lane Ford29.878164.589
2716AJ AllmendingerGrizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevrolet29.885164.551
2854Ty GibbsSiriusXM Toyota29.889164.529
2922Joey LoganoShell Pennzoil Ford29.912164.402
304Noah GragsonLong John Silver’s Ford29.98164.029
3134Todd GillilandRuedebusch Ford29.997163.936
3288Connor Zilisch #Red Bull Chevrolet30.091163.424
3397Shane Van GisbergenWeatherTech Chevrolet30.125163.24
3451Cody WareJacob Construction Chevrolet30.309162.249
3541Cole CusterHaasTooling.com Chevrolet30.422161.646
3610Ty DillonGrizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevrolet30.584160.79
3766Timmy Hill(i)Auto Direct USA Ford32.044153.464

TOYOTA RACING – NOAPS Darlington Post-Race Report – 03.21.26

By
Official Release
-

JONES SEASON-BEST SECOND IN DARLINGTON
Brandon Jones and Christopher Bell give Joe Gibbs Racing two of the top-three

DARLINGTON, SC (March 21, 2026) – Joe Gibbs Racing’s Brandon Jones (second) and Christopher Bell (third) delivered podium finishes to lead Toyota in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Darlington Raceway on Saturday evening.

For Jones, it is a season-best finish. Bell, who is completing his first triple-header weekend, has now finished top-six in both of his first two starts.

TOYOTA RACING Post-Race Recap
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS)
Darlington Raceway
Race 6 of 33 – 200.8 miles, 147 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Justin Allgaier*
2nd, BRANDON JONES
3rd, CHRISTOPHER BELL
4th, Kyle Larson*
5th, Carson Kvapil*
15th, TAYLOR GRAY
17th, WILLIAM SAWALICH
21st, DEAN THOMPSON
22nd, HARRISON BURTON
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

BRANDON JONES, No. 20 Menards/Pelonis Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

What else did you need there in the last stretch to get another Darlington win?

“We watched the Truck race, and even this race, we felt like the bottom lane all day was kind of the dominate place to be on restarts. Both lanes, you really couldn’t get much help, we were all wheel spinning I think and just trying to make as much grip as we could. The 7 (Justin Allgaier) just kept getting just barely better launches than I could on that second lane, and he had just a little more juice in the tank on the short run today. We were matching, if not slightly better on the long run, but just ran out of laps there at the end, but this is what we needed with the 20 group. That’s the 20’s team mentality – getting better in the races, and staying in contention to have a shot. That is all I can ask for. I think this is how you are going to see our season change, and this is how you begin to start winning races again – is running up front like we did. To beat two of the very best here, Justin (Allgaier) is one of the best here – we are going against some really heavy hitters. I’m proud of that effort. Really big points day as well to tack on it. Pelonis, Barracuda Pumps, Menards, Toyota – we always thank them for their support. I look forward to the next couple of weeks.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 19 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

Top-five car all day and finished in third. How was your race?

“Yeah, we definitely lost the handle of it in stage two and fell back. We had a couple of good pit stops, and good adjustments that got us back up to the front. It just felt like we were on the wrong side of the track. Really loose in the day light, and then really tight when it got shaded up. I don’t know. It was a lot of fun out there. I’m really happy to Sport Clips Supra home third. I know that’s not what they are looking for, but got a good finish out of it.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

KALITTA, TODD AND GLENN WIN FIRST MISSION #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE OF 2026 IN PHOENIX

By
Official Release
-

Langdon, Hyde and Anderson all qualify No. 1 at FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs

PHOENIX (March 20, 2026) – A year after dominating the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, reigning Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta is off and running in 2026, winning the first bonus race of the year in front of a capacity crowd on Saturday at Firebird Motorsports Park, defeating Antron Brown in the final round as part of this weekend’s 41st annual FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs.

J.R. Todd (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) also won the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge of the year, while Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Spencer Hyde (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) qualified No. 1 at the second of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

In the finals against Brown, Kalitta went 3.924-seconds at 308.64 in his 12,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster, making a stellar run in the heat of the day. It continues Kalitta’s standout streak on Saturdays, as the two-time world champion won the bonus race five times in 2025. He knocked off Maddi Gordon to reach the finals and is looking forward to Saturday’s win hopefully translating to Sunday.

“It’s fun to race on Saturday. It just brings an element to the fans to be able to see some racing,” Kalitta said. “I hope everybody comes back out on Sunday after seeing some racing on Saturday.

“It’s definitely tricky out there. My guys, Alan Johnson and Mac [Savage], they did a heck of a job to have the lowest time in the session. Alan is a wizard with these things, and he and Mac are in there deciding what to run, but we’re always throwing down and trying to go low.”

Defending event winner Shawn Langdon made a massive jump on Saturday in his 12,000-horsepower Kalitta Air Careers dragster, going all the way to the No. 1 spot with a run of 3.783 at 331.36. It gives the past world champion another standout performance at a track that’s treated him well over the years, as well as a first-round bye to open raceday. It’s the 23rd top qualifier for Langdon, who is after back-to-back wins in Phoenix.

“Obviously, the track is a little tricky out here, but we were happy to make three good runs. We lost our first run Friday due to a safety-system malfunction, and that’s not ideal, but, like I’ve always said, if you surround yourself with good people you can do good things,” Langdon said. “I’ve got a great group behind me. Brian [Husen, crew chief] has been doing a fantastic job, and all the guys have been doing a great job putting the car together, so my confidence is as high as it’s ever been inside of a race car.

“The [low qualifying] run this morning, we knew the conditions were the best they’d been and there was a chance to go to No. 1 and get that bye in the first round.”

Leah Pruett moved up to second with a 3.788 at 325.92 and Kalitta took third after a run of 3.804 at 330.55.

In Funny Car, J.R. Todd made it a Kalitta Motorsports sweep in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, going 4.196 at 282.42 in his 12,000-horsepower DHL Toyota GR Supra to defeat Jordan Vandergriff in the final round.

It’s the first time Kalitta Motorsports has swept the Saturday bonus race, with Todd finishing the job on Phoenix. He defeated Alexis DeJoria earlier in the day to advance to the final and then put together another solid run to slip past Vandergriff. Up next for Todd is doing his part to make it a total Kalitta sweep this weekend.

“You always want to win these things, but I feel like we’re also trying to get good data for tomorrow,” Todd said. “I think Dickie [Venables] and Todd [Smith] wanted to see what we could get away with that run, because that what we’re going to be dealing with tomorrow.

“Once you get on the asphalt, it’s tricky and it’s fun. The car got real sideways, like I was dirt tracking in there, but that’s what makes Funny Cars awesome. As a driver, you’re going to have to deal with that and maybe pedal [the throttle] tomorrow.”

Spencer Hyde held on to the No. 1 spot as well thanks to Friday’s run of 3.979 at 317.64 in his 12,000-horsepower Head, Inc. Ford Mustang. It’s the second career No. 1 qualifier for the reigning Rookie of the Year and Hyde will start eliminations against Blake Alexander, looking for his first career Funny Car victory.

“To be honest, looking at the weather and the schedule, I figured we figured we would stay No. 1,” Hyde said. “We’re really happy, just four good, solid runs. For us to make four A to B trips during qualifying is a really good place.”

Jack Beckman stayed second with Friday’s run of 3.982 at 323.97 and Gainesville winner Chad Green qualified third with a 3.990 at 321.04.

Pro Stock’s reigning world champion Dallas Glenn is off and running in 2026, winning the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro, going 6.608 at 207.62 to slip past Erica Enders in the final round of the bonus race.

Glenn performed well in the Saturday specialty race last season, which prepped him well for his championship run. Running well on Saturday remains a goal for Glenn, who defeated Matt Hartford earlier in the day to get to the final round.

“I felt a lot of pressure last year because I missed the championship by so little (in 2024), and I definitely wanted a lot of redemption,” Glenn said. “This year, I feel like I’m a lot more relaxed and confident. I know what I can do, I know what I’m capable of, so I just go up there and kind of do my thing.

“It feels really good to get this #2Fast2Tasty win and start accumulating those precious championship points that we know mean so much. At the very minimum, my main goal for every weekend is to make it to the semis so I can get into the next Challenge, and everything after that is a bonus. If you can just go to the semis every race, you’re usually one or two in points by the time the Countdown.”

Greg Anderson clinched the No. 1 spot for the first time this season and 141st time in his career, performing even better on Saturday with a run of 6.532 at 208.26 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. That hands the six-time champion Chris McGaha in the first round of eliminations and plenty of momentum going into raceday as he aims to repeat in Phoenix. Greg Stanfield is currently second after going 6.558 at 209.10 and Glenn’s 6.558 at 208.91 gave him third.

Eliminations for the FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs begin at 10 a.m. at Firebird Motorsports Park.

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs at Firebird Motorsports Park, the second of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel — 1. Shawn Langdon, 3.783 seconds, 331.36 mph vs. Bye; 2. Leah Pruett, 3.788, 325.92 vs. 15. Cameron Ferre, 8.305, 71.58; 3. Doug Kalitta, 3.804, 330.55 vs. 14. Will Smith, 4.196, 260.36; 4. Maddi Gordon, 3.806, 329.42 vs. 13. Jaren Mott, 4.137, 229.16; 5. Tony Stewart, 3.809, 327.03 vs. 12. Shawn Reed, 3.942, 311.13; 6. Antron Brown, 3.822, 325.77 vs. 11. Billy Torrence, 3.876, 317.72; 7. Justin Ashley, 3.827, 327.35 vs. 10. Josh Hart, 3.854, 328.30; 8. Tony Schumacher, 3.850, 327.03 vs. 9. Clay Millican, 3.853, 325.22.

Funny Car — 1. Spencer Hyde, Ford Mustang, 3.979, 317.64 vs. 16. Blake Alexander, Dodge Charger, 4.181, 304.25; 2. Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 3.982, 323.97 vs. 15. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.165, 302.82; 3. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.990, 321.04 vs. 14. Dylan Winefsky, Charger, 4.159, 299.93; 4. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.998, 321.04 vs. 13. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.088, 278.23; 5. Jordan Vandergriff, Camaro, 4.011, 300.33 vs. 12. Alexis DeJoria, Camaro, 4.081, 298.47; 6. Paul Lee, Charger, 4.021, 311.49 vs. 11. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.049, 324.12; 7. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 4.023, 317.79 vs. 10. Jason Rupert, Mustang, 4.044, 315.05; 8. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 4.024, 322.58 vs. 9. Austin Prock, Mustang, 4.041, 320.05.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Todd Lesenko, 4.255, 256.70.

Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.532, 208.42 vs. 16. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.598, 209.62; 2. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, 6.558, 209.10 vs. 15. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.592, 208.55; 3. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.558, 208.91 vs. 14. Stephen Bell, Camaro, 6.591, 208.33; 4. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.560, 209.04 vs. 13. Cody Anderson, Camaro, 6.589, 208.59; 5. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.562, 209.10 vs. 12. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.588, 208.68; 6. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.568, 208.91 vs. 11. Matt Latino, Camaro, 6.583, 208.71; 7. Chris Vang, Camaro, 6.572, 208.26 vs. 10. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.581, 209.04; 8. Cody Coughlin, Camaro, 6.575, 209.23 vs. 9. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.580, 208.39.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Kenny Delco, 6.610, 206.

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Saturday’s final results from the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at Firebird Motorsports Park.

Top Fuel Challenge — Doug Kalitta, 3.924 seconds, 308.64 mph def. Antron Brown, 4.010 seconds, 297.09 mph.

Funny Car Challenge — J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 4.196, 282.42 def. Jordan Vandergriff, Chevy Camaro, 4.231, 271.73.

Pro Stock Challenge — Dallas Glenn, Chevy Camaro, 6.608, 207.62 def. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.623, 207.08.

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Final round-by-round results from the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at Firebird Motorsports Park.

TOP FUEL CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Doug Kalitta, 3.804, 330.55 def. Maddi Gordon, 3.806, 327.82; Antron Brown, 3.822, 325.77 def. Josh Hart, 3.854, 328.30;

FINAL — D. Kalitta, 3.924, 308.64 def. A. Brown, 4.010, 297.09.

FUNNY CAR CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Jordan Vandergriff, Chevy Camaro, 4.107, 300.33 def. Chad Green, Ford Mustang, Foul – Red Light; J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 4.024, 322.58 def. Alexis DeJoria, Camaro, 4.575, 185.08;

FINAL — J. Todd, 4.196, 282.42 def. J. Vandergriff, 4.231, 271.73.

PRO STOCK CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Dallas Glenn, Chevy Camaro, 6.558, 208.91 def. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.590, 207.02; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.560, 209.04 def. Greg Anderson, Camaro, Foul – Red Light;

FINAL — D. Glenn, 6.608, 207.62 def. E. Enders, 6.623, 207.08.

TOYOTA RACING – NCS Darlington Qualifying Quotes – Tyler Reddick – 03.21.26

By
Official Release
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TOYOTA RACING – Tyler Reddick
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

DARLINGTON, SC (March 21, 2026) – 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick was made available to the media on Saturday after winning the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race from Darlington Raceway.

Tyler Reddick earned his second pole of the season (COTA), and ninth in a Toyota Camry – which ties him with Carl Edwards for sixth all-time in Toyota’s Cup Series history.

Toyota drivers have now won the pole in three of the last four races – COTA and Darlington with Tyler Reddick, and last weekend with Christopher Bell at Las Vegas.

TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 Xfinity Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Can you talk about your run and your practice today?

“I feel like the topic, the conversation kind of caught wind, if you will, twi weeks ago or so on how tricky it was going to be, coming into here with, with less downforce and more power, and yeah it was super important to have good work back at Airspeed on the simulator for what adjustments we needed to make for that. I think we all were just a little, I don’t know, honestly uncertain what it was going to look like in practice, and yeah, for us to – we kind of caught the back of the field. They took a long time getting going, so when we were passing cars on one lap older tires, getting going there in practice, I knew we had to be pretty good. So, yeah, it just seems like the handling really stays with our Xfinity Toyota Camry. I knew qualifying was going to be really tough, and a lot of drivers were having trouble finding that that edge, that limit in turn one, and nailed that pretty good, felt really good about the lap going down the back straight away, and I truly think I just kind of underdid it through the center of (turns) 3 and 4, and just felt like I had to get on the gas and get off the corner, and yeah, basically just ran right in the wall. Looks like we’re all good on the damage, but, yeah, to be able to have that kind of a speed in practice and again, in qualifying was awesome to see. That’s what we wanted to come in here and do. We’re typically pretty good on Saturdays here and it really makes our Sundays a lot easier.”

Was there enough of a sample size in practice today to know what is going to happen tomorrow?

“A little early to tell. I don’t know, kind of seemed like there was a little bit less fall off than what we thought there was going to be. So, I think, yeah, obviously we get I get done here, we’ll kind of discuss that and kind of talk about what we want to do directionally with our race car going into the race tomorrow, but it does feel like it was not quite the amount of fall off we thought it would be.”

How much does qualifying on the pole help you at Darlington?

“Yeah, sign me up every time. Yeah, when you can qualify like this at a place like Darlington. I’ve been able to do it a few times over the years here where I kind of just get through the start, get up front, kind of set sail, have fun, learn, explore, and then just dread catching the back of the field (laughter). But yeah, in the past, you know, I think it was 2024. We did this in a similar fashion here and we let a lot of laps. Scored a lot of stage points and that’s what we need to do. So, in my experience, being able to start up front, if we can get off turn four that first lap in the lead, we should be in really good shape to start.”

How much can the tire fall off change the track position when it comes to racing on Sunday?

“I think in practice here, it’s really hard to get a good read on it, because, you know, half the car is on the track, they’re just more clean air out there, and, you know, I was able to run Brad (Keselowski) down and got within like three car lengths and kind of just couldn’t like ran him down and couldn’t do anything with them in practice. But we were basically running the same line, and so I think once you get more cars out there, there’s just less good air out there, and at some point, everyone’s going to kind of experience it. Yeah, on the restarts, getting spread out, after a restart, a lot of cars are in that. So, I do think, yeah, the strategy piece is going to be really important. I think in some ways, based off of practice, like in moments, throughout the race, like it could spread out a little bit more, but then when guys stuff hit that light switch and go loose or go really tight, that’s when you’ll see guys really start to charge through the field or fall through the field. So, I do feel like with the potential of the wear that we thought coming into it and where it was today, that, yeah, the team that can really nail down what the fall off is going to be in the race versus practice, I think is going to have a leg up on the rest of the field, whoever can kind of figure out what that sweet spot’s going to be, when to pit, is it time to stay out and go longer, that sort of thing.”

Can you do 26, 29, laps that you need with the current entire allotment you have? Do you think, like, if you have to, you could go 40 or 50 laps?

“I did 42 in practice, Bob (Pockrass). I’m good to go. They tried to stop me around 30, and I’m like, nah I’m going keep going (laughter). I’m going to go till the cords or I hit something hard. I almost hit something hard about lap 30, but yeah, we made it 42 laps, and I was hanging on for dear life, but I can go 40 in practice.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 48,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 35 million cars and trucks at our 11 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Keselowski Tops Ford Cup Qualifying Effort in Darlington

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Official Release
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Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Goodyear 400 Qualifying — Darlington Raceway
Saturday, March 21, 2026

Ford Qualifying Results:

5th – Brad Keselowski
6th – Chris Buescher
7th – Ryan Blaney
12th – Austin Cindric
17th – Ryan Preece
19th – Zane Smith
26th – Josh Berry
29th – Joey Logano
30th – Noah Gragson
31st – Todd Gilliland

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I thought it was really smooth. It looks like Chris is qualified right next to me. I felt like I got all it had. We know the cars are gonna be very difficult to drive and that did not disappoint.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Delta Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I kind of messed up half of it, but overall it wasn’t a bad qualifying effort. I’m looking forward to seeing where it ends up, but hopefully it’s in the top 10. We’ll see.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “That was a big moment into turn one, but outside of that I got down in three and four and drove it all the way to scared, so that slowed us down there. Everyone on this Fifth Third Ford Mustang Dark Horse did a great job. I’m proud of that qualifying effort. We had our woes on the day and that was a great recovery time to miss a little bit of practice time and get rolling. We had good long run speed. Our fire off was pretty good. I’m pretty happy with this thing. I’m proud to keep it in one piece, but that’s a solid place to start from and we’ll keep marching forward.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Freightliner Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We obviously have decent speed in our Freightliner Ford Mustang. I definitely overdrove turn one on my lap, but it was a solid lap and should put us in a good position for tomorrow. There’s a lot different going on with the package, so a lot of homework to do tonight even if we feel decent about our speed. There’s a lot to learn still. There may be different driving characteristics to the car with the different package and you definitely would expect that, but trying to figure out what to dial in and what we can dial in and what I have to adapt to in the car, so it’s a pretty busy day, pretty busy inside the car, but I’m confident we can continue to gain on it overnight.”

Kyle Larson claims pole position for O’Reilly Auto Parts race at Darlington

By
Angie Campbell
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Kyle Larson wins O'Reilly Auto Parts pole at Darlington Raceway. Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Kyle Larson was fastest during the O’Reilly Auto Parts qualifying on Saturday at Darlington Raceway with a lap of 29.994 at 163.953 mph. He’ll lead the field to green in the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet for this evening’s race.

“It felt more stable than practice, for sure,” Larson said after qualifying. “Kind of the same sort of thing here the last two weeks. Like I’ve been really on the splitter in practice and then go qualify. My balance feels great. So yeah, hopefully, we can learn from that, from the last two weeks and have a smoother race later on. But happy to get the pole here. I really just tried to have a smooth lap.”

Larson is filling in for Alex Bowman, who was originally slated to compete in the race, as Bowman continues his recovery from vertigo issues.

It felt more stable than practice, for sure. Kind of the same sort of thing here the last two weeks. Like I’ve been really on the splitter in practice and then go to qualify. My balance feels great . So yeah, hopefully, we can learn from that and have a smoother

Christopher Bell, Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier and Parker Retzlaff completed the top-5 fastest during thee qualifying session. Matt DiBenedetto did not qualify for the 38-driver field.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 will be broadcast on the CW network this evening at 5:30 p.m. ET with radio coverage provided by SiriusXM.

Starting Lineup

  1. Kyle Larson, No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
  2. Christopher Bell, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
  3. Carson Kvapil, No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
  4. Justin Allgaier, No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
  5. Parker Retzlaff, No. 99 Viking Motorsports Chevrolet
  6. Sam Mayer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet
  7. William Sawalich, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
  8. Brandon Jones, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
  9. Ross Chastain, No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
  10. Jesse Love, No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
  11. Austin Hill, No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
  12. Corey Day, No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
  13. Sheldon Creed, No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet
  14. Harrison Burton, No. 24 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota
  15. Taylor Gray, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
  16. Kyle Sieg, No. 28 RSS Racing Chevrolet
  17. Josh Williams, No. 92 DGM Racing Chevrolet
  18. Sammy Smith, No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet
  19. Rajah Caruth, No. 32 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet
  20. JJ Yeley, No. 5 Hettinger Racing Ford
  21. Anthony Alfredo, No. 96 Viking Motorsports Chevrolet
  22. Ryan Sieg, No. 39 RSS Racing Chevrolet
  23. Brennan Poole, No. 44 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet
  24. Garrett Smithley, No. 0 SS Green Light Racing Chevrolet
  25. Jeb Burton, No. 27 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet
  26. Blaine Perkins, No. 31 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet
  27. Nick Sanchez, No. 25 AM Racing Ford
  28. Patrick Staropoli, No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet
  29. Lavar Scott, No. 45 Alpha Prime Racing Chevrolet
  30. Jeremy Clements, No. 51 Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet
  31. Austin Green, No. 87 Peterson Racing Group Chevrolet
  32. Josh Bilicki, No. 07 SS Green Light Racing Chevrolet
  33. Dean Thompson, No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota
  34. Alex Labbe, No. 91 DGM Racing Chevrolet
  35. Myatt Snider, No. 30 Barrett Cope Racing Chevrolet
  36. Ryan Ellis, No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet
  37. Joey Gase, No. 55 Joey Gase Motorsports Chevrolet
  38. Nathan Byrd, No. 42 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet

Ryan Preece and Chris Buescher Darlington Press Conference

By
Official Release
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Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Goodyear 400 Media Availability — Darlington Raceway
Saturday, March 21, 2026

RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher, driver of the No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse, and Ryan Preece, driver of the No. 60 Kroger/Oscar Mayer/Heinz Ford Mustang Dark Horse, came into the Darlington Raceway infield media center before practice to talk about this weekend’s race.

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang Dark Horse – CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHY THIS COULD BE A DIFFICULT RACE? “I think looking at it, maybe it’s because I’m just not as prepared as Preece, showing up in a firesuit a couple of hours early here. I think we look at this racetrack, whether it’s been in year’s past, the fall off, the surface, how it’s aged, this was a higher fall off racetrack before we started talking about higher fall off tires, so it’s already been well on its way. Now, with the tire we’re able to successfully run here for probably a year now or so and what Goodyear has done on that side of things has really helped improve the racing, and then to come here with more power and significantly less downforce, I just feel like we’re going to be out of control, and I think you’re going to be screaming and wanting tires way more than we’ll physically be able put them on. I hope that the passing opportunities go up. If somebody is really struggling, we’ve got a couple of different lanes to look for for fresh racetrack and I hope it makes great racing. I know we’ll have a lot more questions than answers, but I’m real excited to fire up in practice and see what that brings, and especially the race.”

RYAN PREECE, No. 60 Kroger/Oscar Mayer/Heinz Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “I think we’re heading in the direction of what a lot of us drivers have been talking about for years and that’s if there’s a caution, you know, four or five laps, and I’m talking outside of just Darlington, you didn’t want to see guys stay out for track position and be rewarded for it. You want to see the guys that decide to give up track position come down for tires and make their way through the field, much like we saw Corey Heim do that last night. I mean, how exciting was that for two laps? You had guys that stayed out because they didn’t have anymore tires, and you had a guy that had, I don’t know how many laps those scuffs had on them – five laps – and boy it looked like he was Superman. That’s the type of racing I want to see – less downforce, the more horsepower and heading in this direction is what I’ve been beating the drum on for years. It’s nice that it’s happening and you guys are gonna have quite the show for it. I’m definitely excited about this weekend, just like Chris said. There’s a lot of questions that will be answered here in about an hour or so – what kind of understanding of what balance we’ll be projecting – which one is right and which one is gonna need some work on for tomorrow – but I certainly feel like our RFK cars are gonna be fast. Our Oscar Mayer Ford Mustang Dark Horse is gonna be fast as well.”

CHRIS BUESCHER CONTINUED – IS THE ADDITIONAL HORSEPOWER GOING TO CHANGE THE RACING DYNAMIC? “It will probably just an exponent on it would be the prediction because you’ve had a certain amount of understanding how hard you can push here in the past already, so this is not completely new to us. It’s just the extent of what we feel like we’re gonna fight, so I don’t think that it changes who comes out here and gets it right. I think that it’s gonna take some time in practice to figure out what that looks like – how much can you really gain on the tail end of the run by giving up a little bit early. I think that’s the bigger question. We talk about track position and it’s a couple of things that we hate to hear in these rooms is track position and aero and dirty air and all these things, so we have these conversations because track position matters because it was so hard to pass. If the fall off is as significant as we feel it is, can you from behind the wheel make a difference to where when we get 20 or 30 laps into a run come charging through there because you’ve taken care of your stuff more and I think that’s what we predict we’ll see. I can’t answer a whole lot of questions with accuracy yet, but I think it’s just going to put an exponent on it.”

WHERE IS THE LINE ON TAKING THE GAMBLE OF TRYING TO HOLD YOUR STUFF BACK, BUT IN DOING THAT IT COULD PUT YOU FURTHER BEHIND? “I’m glad I’m not a crew chief this weekend. Let’s put it that way. I don’t want to have to make that decision and have to live with the consequences if it doesn’t go the right way. That being said, I’m putting a lot of pressure on Scott (Graves) and Derrick (Finley), but it’s gonna matter at some point. Somebody is gonna get it right and somebody is gonna get it wrong, but at the end of the day I think it’s just a calculated risk that you take. I can’t say what the right answer is right now, but as the race plays out, that’s why those guys have gotten to where they are and why they’re so good at it is trying to read the vibe. I think Jeremy Bullins said ‘the vibe of the race’ last year at some point. I didn’t see that one coming from him, but read the vibe of the race and figure out if you feel like setting something back is gonna be the right play and if it doesn’t and everybody else puts stickers on one more time than you coming down to the checkered flag, you’re gonna pay a price for that. You’re going to lose a significant amount of time somewhere in that entire cycle, but it can certainly make someone look like a hero at the end too. It’s risk versus reward, just like always. It just might look more dramatic here.”

RYAN PREECE CONTINUED – WHEN YOU GET OUT OF THE CAR TOMORROW HOW WILL YOU DECIDE IF IT WAS A GOOD RACE FOR YOU, THE DRIVER? “Chris was just talking about how you attack the beginning of the runs versus the ends of the runs and, to be honest with you, I saw even at Vegas that’s not notoriously known as a track that is gonna wear tires out and you’re gonna see comers and goers and late in runs there were guys that I saw in the first 10-12-15 laps that they would go really, really hard and be really, really fast, but after 15-16 laps, they were holding on and coming back. The guy that chose to take care of them a little more, you saw them go forward. I know there was a pack of us that on a 35-lap run it was a handful at Las Vegas. So now we’re at Darlington that is known for wearing tires out, that is known for seeing race cars jumping and chasing around, so I think, like Chris was saying, how you choose to keep track position or say, ‘Hey, you go ahead and burn this up. I’m gonna see you in 10-15 laps. I’m excited to see that, so when I get out of the race car and I look back and say, ‘OK, I was able to be disciplined and then reap the rewards. That will kind of be the point where I get out and say, ‘OK, we’re hitting it here. We’re figuring it all out.’ But, yeah, I guess you’ll have to check back after the race.”

CHRIS BUESCHER CONTINUED – WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO CONVINCE YOU TO DO THE VIDEOS YOU’VE BEEN DOING LATELY FOR SPONSORS? “For us, that stuff is separate from the DAP program. That’s our partners and, honestly, it’s them saying we want to invest in NASCAR and in RFK Racing and we want this to be what people think about when they see our brand. Trimble being the most recent one. I think that I pretty much about my entire life just being told where to go and when, so when stuff like that comes up it’s something you don’t know much about until you roll in there and everyone starts talking and figuring out what we’re gonna do and then it’s just a matter of having fun with it and playing off of it. For us, you think about NASCAR 20 years ago and those more fan-facing interactions or commercials or stand up, whatever it may be, and we’ve been really fortunate to have partners that have bought into that. With the Trimble video. With the Consumer Cellular video. The amount of times I get told to Shut Up, Chris walking through the garage every single weekend is a lot higher than it used to be, I’ll say that. That’s great for us. That’s a way for us to have a little fun and for our partners to get just a little bit more out of the sport that we love to come and participate in every weekend. Hat’s off to our groups that have said, ‘We’re gonna commit to this. We’re gonna have fun and show everybody that NASCAR is where we want to be and RFK Racing. This is our group of people and this is how we’re gonna promote our brand.’”

RYAN PREECE CONTINUED – WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO CONVINCE YOU TO DO THE VIDEOS YOU’VE BEEN DOING LATELY FOR SPONSORS? “What you see on camera is very much natural. That’s how Chris and I are, and Brad. It’s just we’re not on Instagram videos and all that stuff at points during the day. I feel like, for us, when we have Trimble productions or Kroger productions or some of those other ones, it’s kind of how we are in those environments. They’ve very natural.”

CHRIS BUESCHER CONTINUED – IN TERMS OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE AT JACK’S RECOGNITION ON TUESDAY, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT STAND OUT THE MOST? “I’ve been at RFK, I signed up when I was almost 16 years old. I’m 33 now, so I’ve seen a lot of things and I’ve heard a lot of things. I’ve been a fly on the wall in a lot of meetings and it was funny to me, I’ll start with this story. Tuesdays used to be the meetings. They’re not now. They’re Mondays, but Tuesday used to be the post-race meeting and that was the five Roush Cup cars, that was the Petty Motorsports cars, it was a meeting that took two or three hours to get through and they were a little harsh. Jack has an iron fist and it was scary. Let me tell you, as a 16-year-old sitting in the meeting listening to heroes of mine that are hall of famers now getting chewed out like that, I couldn’t imagine what was gonna happen to me when I screwed up. Every driver that was there had some comment about how rough some of their Tuesdays went, but the neat part about that was every driver had also won races under that roof and those were great Tuesdays. This was probably the best Tuesday that all of the drivers collectively had ever had at RFK. There were some scary moments. You didn’t want to have to go first and explain why you sped on pit road, wrecked the race car in qualifying, gave something away in the closing laps. You didn’t want to be there, but this was not that atmosphere. This was stories of the fun times. Jack was grinning from ear to ear and just kind of going through what he’s meant to all of our careers. I think it was Mark who said it best. He stood up at the end and said that everybody sitting at those tables that has gotten to drive Cup cars and win races for RFK were developed and built out of those walls – that everybody got their start because Jack was willing to take a chance and put the development work in. You’ve not seen that consistently through this garage area across the board. It’s not been the standard operating procedure of any other team, and I think that’s really important to get across for Jack’s legacy is that he took chances on people, found them from other series – I didn’t have the credentials to walk into Roush and try and act like I could go drive a Cup car that day, but Jack took a chance, gave me the tools and the people and the resources to go figure it out and figure out how to win at the highest level in motorsports. It’s important to know that that is the side of Jack’s legacy that everybody hears the most because it is so rewarding to think about all of the times that were tough, but also the times that were great. That was the best Tuesday within those walls that I think most of us can remember.”

RYAN PREECE CONTINUED – IN TERMS OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE AT JACK’S RECOGNITION ON TUESDAY, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT STAND OUT THE MOST? “For me, it was sitting around Carl Edwards, Mark Martin, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Burton and as race car drivers now we grew up watching those guys, so they are all hall of famers and have a level of respect. Where I come from in the northeast, we respected people like them and the ones you race against, so sitting at the same table and hearing some of those stories and hearing Mark and Carl talk about them was really eye-opening and fun. It makes you definitely appreciate the opportunity that I have as well as being there now and being there to honor Jack. I grew up and my family and my father loved Fords, so I grew up driving Fords and Jack Roush has a rich history with Ford and to be there where RFK honored him and NASCAR has honored him twice is a big deal and it was great to be a part of.”

CHRIS BUESCHER CONTINUED –BRAD WILL BE MAKING HIS 600TH START AT MARTINSVILLE. WHAT HAS HE MEANT TO THE SPORT? “I would say that I will just speak to the most recent interaction with Brad and kind of what that means to me. Obviously, he’s been in this sport a really long time and is a champion of our sport. He’s a future hall of famer of our sport, so when you think about those years, think about watching him as a kid growing up while I was racing Legends cars or ARCA or whatever it may have been, I guess I have to admit at some point that I was under the RFK banner when the Carl and Brad feud was going on and I guess I wasn’t really on Brad’s side at that point, but we haven’t had that discussion in person. But thinking about now and what Brad has done coming over, diving off into the ownership role as well as a driver and a teammate, it has been the most unique way to talk about race cars to your ownership because anything that we are experiencing in our race car or anything that we want to be better, he’s living it at the same time. He wants that to be better. He wants our cars to turn better in the middle and he wants the rear to be planted in the racetrack. He understands exactly where we’re coming from. It’s not going to somebody that is trying to guess where our head space is at and it’s created this more direct and efficient line to making better race cars quicker. That’s come from him saying, one, I want to be a race car driver. I want to be a winning NASCAR Cup driver. I want to be a multiple champion of our sport, but I also want to be a team owner. I want to have say in how a race team can develop and get better, and I give him tons of credit because I want nothing to do with team ownership. I have watched him run circles around us just back and forth through the shop non-stop. The amount of stuff he goes through to try and make that work, we owe him a ton of credit and probably more than he gets because it’s exhausting watching him. I can’t imagine trying to live that life the same way, so it’s showed me how it’s all progressing and ultimately how it’s helping us be able to fine-tune and have our race cars faster than you would in a different scenario.”

RYAN PREECE CONTINUED – “The way I look at it is that Chris has been here at RFK since you were 16-17, so you’ve seen all sides of it. You saw pre-Next Gen era, then you saw Next Gen era where Brad came in and what I came into was an already block solid foundation between Chris doing a lot of simulator work, trying to build up credibility and making sure that our cars showed up fast week in and week out, and then I see Brad preaching the performance and constantly trying to make it so we can drive fast cars faster. That’s very important in our job, so I came into this organization where the foundation was already really solid and now it’s trying to go from where you guys are winning a couple races a year like what Brad wants to do – he wants to win five-plus races this year between all of us, so that’s the goal and constantly trying to put boundaries and be faster and make cars faster and that’s much like what Chris just said. I can appreciate him running around between buildings making sure that every side of RFK is heading in the right direction to give us opportunities to win races, whether it be the pit crew, the cars, sponsors, we are trying to win in all aspects.”

CHRIS BUESCHER CONTINUED – HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT TO YOU GUYS TO DO A BIFFLE THROWBACK SCHEME THIS WEEKEND? “It’s not the Throwback Weekend for the first time in a long time, but, obviously, with the tragedy through the offseason and what Greg Biffle and his family meant to RFK and Jack and this sport, for us to be able to pull us together and everybody back in our shop to make this happen to where we are all able to run the legendary 16 stylized font and run some form of a throwback for our partners to sign up to do that because I know that’s always the discussion of it takes away from the brand identity. Fifth Third signed up and jumped at the opportunity to do it and that means a lot to me personally, to Jack and to RFK as a whole because it’s just a way to remember Greg and everything that he accomplished for RFK Racing through the years. It’s hard to put together, but it’s a neat way for us to be able to kind of carry that remembrance throughout the season and just in a bigger way for this weekend.”

RYAN PREECE CONTINUED – “For me, Jack Roush had a lot of really memorable paint schemes. One of them was Greg Biffle’s No. 16 3M paint scheme and mine – the red, the black, the yellow, the white – it all stands out. I had two occasions where I interacted with Greg. One was a couple years ago at my race shop that I rented from David Ragan. He just happened to be around there and was talking with him, and then the other time was racing last year in the Crown Vics at Stafford and banging doors with him. What I learned that day is those guys have a good time. They knew how to have a good time and I respected him as a race car driver, so RFK jumped at the opportunity to be able to do this and hopefully we can all have some really strong runs in his honor.”

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