Home Blog Page 2301

Old or New: What Should Your Get Your Teen for Their First Vehicle?

By
SM
-
Photo by Sarah Brown on Unsplash

The common idea for new drivers-teenagers-is to get them a beat-up old car that will take them from point A to Z without any frills. As long as the car’s still running, that should be fine. Some parents, however, are thinking of buying a new car for their teenage kids because of all the safety features in more recent vehicles. Should you listen to this advice too? Is it practical to get your teenager a new car while you drive the old minivan to work? And what about the budget? Shouldn’t they only have what they can afford from their babysitting duties?

What Changed?

In the olden days, teenagers would go to no-credit-check car lots and get their first car with the money they earned from working as the wait staff or babysitting their younger siblings. This is still the most viable method for teenage kids to get their cars. You have to make them work for it.

But as time passed by, parents have become more concerned about what these kids are doing when they’re behind the wheel. Sure, they are amiable and sweet at home, but what can peer pressure do? Shouldn’t parents give them a better car if they find themselves driving outside of the state? What happens when that old, beat-up car breaks down along the way?

The First Car Should Be a New Car with All the Safety Frills

Cars are becoming safer year after year. The vehicle you drive today has all the safety features that you wouldn’t even think were possible 10 years ago. They have blind-spot warnings, automated brakes, parking assistants, cameras, lane assist, and many more. Some cars even come with pedestrian detection and lane departure warning so you know if you’re unintentionally leaving your lane.

It’s safe to say that cars of today are the better versions of the cars you drove back when you were a teenager yourself. So, why should you give that “unsafe” car to your kid and drive the one with the better safety features? Does it make sense? Between a parent and a teenager, who is the safer driver? Your teen will not be a better driver than you-not in a few more years, at least. Until they have driven 20,000 miles, they wouldn’t have the same driver’s intuition you’ve developed through all the years of driving.

The safety features of modern cars will keep your kids safe behind the wheel and help them qualify for the best insurance for young drivers. These cars are also not prone to breaking down, which means it’ll be safe for your teens to take them for a road trip. Admit it. No matter how much you try to stop them from taking those road trips, they will still manage to do them.

The First Car Should Be an Old Truck

Then, of course, there is also this belief that no matter how many safety features the car has, teenagers will do what they want to do and when they want to do it. They are going to do unthinkable things once they get behind that wheel. That’s how teenagers are, no matter if you try to turn them into the most responsible drivers ever. They are going to succumb to peer pressure and many other things that affect their social lives.

Instead of giving them the new car with all the automated features, why not teach them the situations they will find themselves in on the road? These are better arsenal than depending on electronic helpers. At the end of the day, if your kids know never to use their phones while driving and never allow any distractions to take their eyes off the road, then they’ll be safer than all the safety aids combined.

However, an old truck is the best car to have because the family minivan means your kid will be the designated driver of a group. The larger the car is, the more people can squeeze into it. And you know what happens when teenagers get together, right? It’s not like you have never been a teen yourself. A regular pickup is the best choice because it has enough height so your kids can see the road clearly. It is also sturdier compared to sedans.

The most important thing to do is teach your teenage kids how to drive responsibly. Their safety and the safety of their passengers will depend on that. Once you are confident that they know how to respond to what happens on the road, you can give them the car you can afford for them to have.

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

By
Jeffrey Boswell
-
Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Larson: Larson clinched a Championship 4 berth with a dominant win at Texas, leading 256 of 334 laps.

“I think I’m obviously the favorite to win the championship,” Larson said. “Just ask the people in Texas, ‘Do you think Kyle Larson will win the Cup? Yes or no?’ and they’ll tell you ‘yes.’ That’s called ‘The Ayes Of Texas.'”

2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin and Ryan Blaney made contact with 20 laps remaining, which led to a tire rub on Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota. The rub eventually caused a spin, but Hamlin was able to stay on the lead laps. He survived a later spin to finish 11th.

“I can’t tell you how many different cars I touched,” Hamlin said. “It was a lot. If you want an exact number, we’ll have to do some ‘contact tracing.'”

3. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished sixth in the Auto Trader EchoPark Automotive 500.

“That’s a lot of name for a NASCAR race,” Blaney said. “The word ‘Auto’ is in the name twice. Not surprisingly, the word ‘Echo’ is also in the title.”

4. Kyle Busch: Busch won Stage 1 and finished eighth at Texas.

“I’m fourth in the playoff standings,” Busch said. “Now, to use a tennis reference, I need to ‘hold serve’ at Kansas and Martinsville and I’m in the championship round. Now, if I ‘double fault’ at Kansas and Martinsville, I’m out.”

5. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex and Daniel Suarez got together late, which sent Truex’s No. 19 into the wall. Truex finished 25th, 14 laps down.

“As much as I’d like to blame Suarez,” Truex said, “I can’t. We’ll just have to chalk it up to a ‘racing incident.’ That being said, I’d still prefer that Suarez stay as far away from me as possible, especially on the track. His average finish says he’s more than likely to oblige.”

6. Joey Logano: Logano blew his engine with 34 laps to go and finished 30th in the Auto Trader EchoPark Automotive 500.

“Anytime you see that much smoke,” Logano said, “you know it’s not good, or some teenager is vaping.”

7. William Byron: Byron took second at Texas, as Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson took the win.

“My Hendrick teammate Chase Elliott has to start from the back after failing multiple inspections,” Byron said. “So, that’s two straight weeks in which he’s been ‘rear-ended.'”

8. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished seventh despite having to make an early green flag pit stop due to a vibration.

“Texas Motor Speedway features ‘Big Hoss,'” Elliott said. “That’s the video screen that has over 20,000 square feet of display. When you see Kevin Harvick on that screen, it proves what I’ve said all along-he’s the ‘biggest’ baby in NASCAR.”

9. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished fourth at Texas and is sixth in the championship standings.

“The Texas race lacked the drama of Charlotte’s Roval,” Keselowski said. “Sure, some people got mad, but nobody got fighting mad. But just wait. Martinsville is just down the road on the schedule. Everyone knows: short track equals short fuses. Four drivers will go down; one’s bound to go down swinging.”

10. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished fifth at Texas.

“NASCAR issued Chase Elliott and me a stern warning about continued action in our feud,” Harvick said. “They warned of ‘severe consequences’ if anything happens on the track. That leaves my options to retaliate very limited. Now, I guess the worst thing I can do to Chase is give him a lifetime supply of Hunt Brothers Pizza.”

Mercedes-AMG Team AKKA ASP Secures Second Place Overall Finish in Intercontinental GT Challenge Indianapolis 8 Hour

By
Official Release
-

SunEnergy 1 Racing Wins Pro-Am Class and Earns a Top-10 Overall Finish

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams secured a second-place overall finish and Pro-Am class victory in the Indianapolis 8 Hour Intercontinental GT Challenge race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday. Mercedes-AMG Team AKKA ASP shook off an early-week shipping delay of their No. 98 Mercedes-AMG GT3 to lead Sunday’s race on several occasions and finish second with team drivers Raffaele Marciello, Daniel Juncadella and Timur Boguslavskiy. The Pro-Am class victory was earned by the No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 team of Kenny Habul, Mikael Grenier and Martin Konrad who finished 10th overall.

The overall runner-up finish by the AKKA ASP team and drivers is the best result of the season for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing in Intercontinental GT Championship competition. Sunday’s race was the second round of the 2021 IGTC season and the second appearance of the global championship at Indianapolis after debuting at the “Brickyard” in 2020.

The podium finish was a remarkable achievement considering AKKA ASP didn’t even take delivery of its No. 89 Mercedes-AMG GT3 until early Saturday morning at IMS. The team relied on the kind support of fellow Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing team DXDT Racing who loaned AKKA a backup Mercedes-AMG GT3 for the team and drivers to use during Thursday and Friday practice.

After a solid race-opening stint by starting driver Boguslavskiy, Juncadella took over and moved the No. 89 into lead for the first time in the race’s second hour. Juncadella’s 19 laps up front were part of 23 total race laps the No. 89 led.

SunEnergy1 Racing’s victory came after they led for the majority of the race and overcame a pair of pit violation penalties to maintain control of the Pro-Am class. Habul, Grenier, Konrad and the SunEnergy1 team, which is operated by Gradient Racing, improved on their third-place Pro-Am finish in last year’s inaugural Indianapolis 8 Hour.

Another competitive performance came from the No. 99 Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Maro Engel, Luca Stolz and Jules Gounon. The No. 99 team led the race overall several different times for 23 laps up front only to retire after an on-track contact incident in the final hour.

Craft-Bamboo wasn’t the only Mercedes-AMG Customer team to hit trouble as the Indianapolis 8 Hour took a typical endurance-racing toll on several competitors.

A multiple car incident at the top of the race’s second hour led to the retirement of the No. 33 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Russell Ward and the No. 19 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Erin Vogel at the wheel.

The No. 63 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of David Askew was also caught up in the incident but continued with minimal damage. Askew and his co-drivers Ryan Dalziel and Scott Smithson persevered to the finish, taking the checkered flag 14th overall and fourth in the Pro-Am class.

The third DXDT Racing entry of George Kurtz, Colin Braun and Ben Keating overcame a flat left front tire early in the race, but the team’s No. 04 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 was later retired near the end of the seventh hour after losing a rear wheel on course.

The next major endurance race challenge for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in North America is the Motul Petit Le Mans IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, November 10 – 13.

Raffaele Marciello, Driver – No. 89 Mercedes-AMG Team AKKA ASP Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We did the best we could. We were not able to match the overall tempo of the race, but we can be proud to finish second. To be sure it’s good points. We wanted to do better, we always do.”

Daniel Juncadella, Driver – No. 89 Mercedes-AMG Team AKKA ASP Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Big, big kudos to the whole team, the mechanics, the engineers and my teammates for the turnaround. The car arrived early on Saturday, just before the pre-qualifying, so that’s a pretty sick way to turn the weekend around, finishing second! If you would have told me when our car arrived so late, and then the wet conditions we had to run in, I would have signed anywhere we would not have done this well. It was a frustrating race, but I love coming here. The atmosphere and the attitude of the American people is just amazing. Everyone is so cheerful, you see all the marshals, everyone is like, ‘hey man, good luck today.’ Everybody is so friendly and very social here, and the way the American helped us here, giving us their car to get some laps in practice, is simply amazing. It felt like we are all part of the family, and we didn’t even know them before. I’m so thankful to them because those laps obviously helped us. We were all rookies here at the track, even if we didn’t race with that car, we at least got to do some laps and learn the track. That kind of attitude is simply great to see as a part of the Mercedes-AMG family.”

Kenny Habul, Driver – No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “What an amazing day. Congratulations to the SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG team, thanks to Mik and Marty, my teammates, and my engineer and the entire team. It was an amazing effort all day and we deserved it.”

Mikael Grenier, Driver – No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Thanks to Kenny for putting the program together. It was good to get a win in Pro-Am and top 10 overall. There’s not a scratch on the car. Martin and Kenny did really well, so we are happy with the result. Thanks to Mercedes-AMG as well.”

Luca Stolz, Driver – No. 99 Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We had the speed basically all weekend and the team showed great performance. In the race, the early leaders made a step up, and they were quite fast, but we were always in the game. It’s a shame that it ended the way it did, but the team pulled out a great effort. It’s a bittersweet pill to swallow I guess, but that’s where it ended up and we will keep our heads up.”

David Askew, Driver – No. 63 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I think this is the third Intercontinental 8 Hour race that DXDT Racing has done, and this year it was with the most cars we’ve ever run here. We’ve won it twice before, including in Pro-Am last year with George and the No. 04 team. This year we came up a little short. We had to retire the No. 19 car and eventually the No. 04 car. The No. 63 soldiered on and came home fourth. Two bronze drivers made a few too many mistakes, and that’s what happens in endurance racing. It was a tough race. They’re always tough. It’s a battle of making the fewest mistakes and keeping out of trouble and for the most part we did that. All in all, it was a good experience for the team. Endurance racing is why I got into racing, so I’m always looking forward to the endurance races. We’re excited to move on to next year and a new season and to come back here and do it all over again.”

Colin Braun, Driver – No. 04 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It was a tough day for the No. 04 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. It’s not the result we were looking for, but I’m proud of our guys. George and Ben did a super job in the car. Luck just wasn’t on our side. You’ll have those days in racing. More than anything, I’m proud of the group and happy for all the CrowdStrike and AWS folks that got to come out and see what all this is about. When those folks come out, it’s always a lot of fun and reinvigorates within you with what racing is, how cool it is and how special it is to get a chance to be a part of it all. I enjoyed our weekend. We have a lot of positives to take away and look forward to what’s next.”

Interstate Batteries Racing: Kyle Busch Race Recap from Texas

By
Official Release
-

Kyle Busch, No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry
Race Recap for the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500

Date: Oct. 17, 2021
Event: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 (Round 33 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 334 laps, broken into three stages (105 laps/105 laps/124 laps)
Start/Finish: 3rd /8th (Running, completed 334 of 334 laps)
Point Standing: 4th (4,063 points, 8 points above the top-four cutoff)
Race Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-105):

● Kyle Busch started third and finished first, earning 10 bonus points.

● The Interstate Batteries driver jumped to second place once the field took the green flag. He maintained the position for a handful of laps before dropping to fifth place by the time the competition cautioned waved on lap 25.

● Busch made a trip to pit road during the caution for right-side tires and fuel. As he was making a stop on pit road, Busch had to take evasive action to avoid a stopped car and wound up speeding. He had to start at the end of the field in 33rd place after making an extra trip to pit road to also change left-side tires and top off the fuel.

● Green-flag racing resumed but not for long, as a big accident unfolded on the backstretch collecting multiple cars. Busch was able to avoid most of the melee, suffering only minor damage to the left-rear area of the car. He made a trip to pit road for tires and fuel, along with some sheet metal repair work. He lined up 26th for the restart.

● Busch patiently logged laps, racing back to the top-20 by lap 44 and the top-10 by lap 63.

● As the first stage came to a close, the majority of the field had to make their respective trips to pit road for tires and fuel. Because the No. 18 Interstate Batteries team had topped off multiple times prior to the long, green-flag run, they were able to stretch the fuel mileage.

● Busch took the lead on lap 96 and maintained the top spot to the end of Stage 1, collecting the victory and corresponding bonus points.

● During the caution Busch reported that the car was handling on the tight side, mostly in turns one and two. The team made some air pressure adjustments, changed four tires and added fuel. Busch won the race off pit road to line up first to start Stage 2.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 106-210):

● Busch started first and finished 10th, earning one bonus point.

● The two-time NASCAR champion lost the lead on lap 117 after a tight battle with driver Kyle Larson. He lost another position a few laps later before settling into a competitive pace in third for the next several laps.

● Busch was in third place on lap 148 when he reported that the Interstate Batteries racecar had started Stage 2 on the loose side. As the run continued, however, the balance on the car improved to a more neutral handling situation.

● On lap 162 Busch noted that the handling had started to trend to the tight side. Caution waved three laps later for debris.

● After making a trip to pit road for four tires and fuel, Busch lined up second for the restart. During the next several laps he proceeded to lose positions on the track, settling in at 10th place on lap 185. He reported that the car had no grip.

● Busch maintained the position to the end of the stage, finishing 10th.

● During the caution the team changed four tires, made a round of adjustments and added fuel. Quick pit work got Busch off pit road in seventh place to start the final stage.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 211-334):

● Busch started seventh and finished eighth.

● Green-flag racing resumed, and Busch lost a handful of positions during the opening laps of the final stage, dropping back to 10th place.

● Caution was displayed on lap 274 for a single-car incident. Busch was scored in 10th place. He reported that he needed the car to turn better and needed more speed.

● The team made some air pressure adjustments, changed four tires and added fuel. Busch lined up 10th for the restart.

● The Las Vegas native was scored in 10th place when a caution was displayed on lap 298. The first eight cars on the track stayed out, while Busch and a handful of others elected to pit. After a round of air pressure adjustments, four tires and fuel, Busch lined up 10th for the restart on lap 304.

● Caution came out quickly for a multicar accident that unfolded behind the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota. It forced NASCAR to display the red flag for cleanup.

● Green-flag racing resumed on lap 309 with Busch in 10th place.

● A series of three more cautions went on to slow the race. Busch was able to avoid all of the issues and finish the race in eighth place.

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

“We were just off today. I don’t know how we missed it, why we missed it, or what but just taking off – there was just no grip whatsoever. We would just chatter the front tires, so we missed it today. The one positive of the day is that we are above the cut line right now to get to Phoenix. Thanks to Interstate Batteries. I appreciate all of their people that were with us today. I just feel bad that we didn’t do a better job. We have to go back to work. Next week is Kansas – same kind of thing.”

Team Interstate Results:

● Christopher Bell finished third.

● Kyle Busch finished eighth.

● Denny Hamlin finished 11th.

● Martin Truex Jr. finished 25th.

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday, Oct. 24, at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. It is the eighth race of the 10-race playoffs and the second race in the Round of 8. It starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

DiBenedetto Finishes 13th at Texas

By
Official Release
-

Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Atlas/Mohawk team bounced back from a mid-race setback to race inside the top 10 before finishing 13th in Sunday’s Autotrader 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

DiBenedetto started the final 500-mile race of the 2021 Cup Series season from 13th place and drove up to 11th before the Competition Caution flag flew at Lap 26.

Crew chief Jonathan Hassler elected to change just two tires under the yellow flag, and the time saved on pit road allowed DiBenedetto to restart the race from sixth place.

He quickly drove into the top five and ran as high as third place before dropping out of the top 10.

The Menards team pitted before the end of Stage One to make adjustments and service the No. 21 Mustang, and fell a lap off the pace. DiBenedetto took the wave-around at the end of the Stage and restarted the race from 16th place.

In Stage Two, a caution flag flew just after the team had made a green-flag pit stop, and that put the No. 21 Mustang two laps in arrears.

The team used the wave-around to regain one lap, and as the third Stage got underway, DiBenedetto found himself battling Austin Dillon for the Free Pass position.

He took that spot when Dillon headed to pit road for a green-flag stop.

This time, the caution flag was DiBenedetto’s friend, as a spin by Chase Briscoe allowed the Menards Mustang to rejoin the lead lap and line up 14th for a restart with 54 laps remaining.

During a flurry of late-race restarts, DiBenedetto worked his way as high as seventh place, before losing ground on the last two restarts and ending the race in 13th place.

“We came from two laps down back to seventh place and thought we were going to sneak off a good finish, but the top lane restarts hurt us at the end,” DiBenedetto said. “The Menards/Atlas/Mohawk team had to work hard today.

“Now, we’re just hoping for a very good last three races.”

With their finish, DiBenedetto and the Wood Brothers team were able to regain 18th place in the points standings heading into this weekend’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Menards

A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states. Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building. Menards is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too! For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.

Wood Brothers Racing

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

Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Racing: Chase Briscoe Texas Race Report

By
Official Release
-

Briscoe Finishes 15th at Texas
Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Weathers Late Incidents for 11th Top-15 of 2021

Date: Oct. 17, 2021
Event: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 (Round 33 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 334 laps, broken into three stages (105 laps/105 laps/124 laps)
Start/Finish: 26th / 15th (Running, completed 334 of 334 laps)
Point Standing: 23rd with 620 points
Race Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-105):

● Chase Briscoe started 26th and finished sixth, earning five bonus points.

● The Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford driver maintained his position during the 25-lap run to the competition caution despite a growing loose condition. He pitted for four tires, fuel and track-bar, wedge and air-pressure adjustments in an effort to tighten up the racecar. He restarted 26th when the race went back to green on lap 30.

● Briscoe was able to make his way around a 12-car incident ahead of him on the restart that brought out the caution flag and emerged in 18th place. He pitted to top off the fuel tank and restarted 20th on lap 39.

● The changes made helped the loose condition marginally, Briscoe told the crew as he was running 19th on lap 53. He said his Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford was still loose getting into turn one and also on entry.

● In fuel-saving mode for the latter part of the run to the stage break, Briscoe was able to make it last to the end of the stage in sixth place. He pitted for four tires and fuel and further adjustments during the break.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 106-210):

● Briscoe started sixth and finished eighth, earning three bonus points.

● The Rush Truck Center/Cummins Ford driver briefly moved into the top-five during the opening laps of the stage but again found himself fighting a loose condition that cost him his spot in the top-10.

● Briscoe reported on lap 137 while running 12th that the handling “was finally coming to me.” He was back in the top-10 when the caution flag flew on lap 165 for debris on the backstretch. “It felt way better there,” Briscoe said. “I feel like the track’s getting more grip.” He pitted for four tires, fuel and a track-bar adjustment and restarted 10th on lap 170.

● Handling continued to improve during the early part of the run to the end of the stage, enabling the Rush Truck Center/Cummins Ford driver to move forward. He reached eighth place before reporting he “lost the right front” during the closing laps of the stage. He pitted for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment during the break.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 211-334):

● Briscoe started 12th and finished 15th.

● The Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford driver had a solid start to the stage, advancing to ninth in the opening laps and then picking up a couple of more positions to seventh by lap 233, where he settled for the remainder of his fuel-and-tire run.

● On lap 273, while still running seventh, Briscoe reported smelling tire smoke after contact with the turn-one wall while racing Denny Hamlin. Moments later, his right-rear tire blew and he was able to get safely to pit lane while the caution flag flew for his debris. He took tires, then returned to the pits two laps later under caution to assess and repair the right-rear bodywork damage. He restarted 17th on lap 280, one lap down.

● The caution flag flew on lap 299 for fluid on the track with Briscoe still running 17th. He pitted for four tires and fuel and restarted 16th on lap 304. Shortly after the field took the green flag, the caution flag, and then the red flag, flew for a multicar incident in turns one and two. The race resumed after the 11-minute red-flag period, and Briscoe restarted 16th and in the Lucky Dog position when it went back to green on lap 309.

● Briscoe earned his way back to the lead lap when the next caution flag flew for a spinning car in the backstretch on lap 313. He asked for the Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford to be tightened up, “so I can be really aggressive here.” After pitting for four tires, fuel and some front-end inspection and repair, he restarted 15th on lap 317.

● Just three laps later, a car into the turn-four wall brought out the caution once again. Briscoe took advantage of the opportunity to come down pit road for further damage inspection and repairs and restarted 14th on lap 325.

● On lap 327, Briscoe was contacted from behind by the car of Chris Buescher in the backstretch, sending the Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford into the outside wall. Briscoe was able to drive it back to the pits for repairs under caution. He restarted 15th on lap 332 and held position during the two-lap run to the checkered flag.

Notes:

● Briscoe earned his 11th top-15 of the season, and it came in his first NASCAR Cup Series start at Texas.

● Briscoe was the highest finishing NASCAR Cup Series rookie for the 28th time this season.

● Kyle Larson won the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 to score his 14th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his series-leading eighth of the season and his first at Texas. His margin over second-place William Byron was .459 of a second.

● There were 11 caution periods for a total of 55 laps.

● Only 15 of the 39 drivers in the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 finished on the lead lap.

Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“The finish didn’t show it, but the guys did a great job making our Rush Truck Centers/Cummins Ford better all day long. I really appreciate the effort, especially after last week. It got a little crazy at the end, there, which makes you wonder what might have been if we could’ve avoided at least some of that. But it is what it is.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday, Oct. 24, at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. It is the eighth race of the 10-race playoffs and the second race in the Round of 8. It starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Evans and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Seal Second in Spain

By
Official Release
-
Car 33 (Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin)

Toyota City, Japan, Oct 18, 2021 – (JCN Newswire) – Elfyn Evans finished second overall at the Rally de Espana to set up a final-round FIA World Rally Championship title decider with his TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team team-mate Sebastien Ogier, who finished fourth.

Evans and co-driver Scott Martin had led the rally after winning the first three stages on Friday, but despite battling hard didn’t quite have the level of performance over the rest of the weekend to maintain the fight for the victory. Still, the second-place finish ensures that Evans remains in with a shot of a maiden drivers’ championship going into the final round in Italy.

Ogier was in contention for a podium position all the way to the end of the rally, but just missed out on third position in a closely-fought battle through the final day’s four stages – missing out by 6.8 seconds. Nevertheless he and co-driver Julien Ingrassia continue to the lead the standings with a 17-point advantage over their team-mates as they look to claim an eighth world title.

In the manufacturers’ championship, the points scored by Evans and Ogier – including those achieved by setting the third and fourth fastest times in a tricky rally-ending Power Stage – have added to the team’s tally and brought it a step closer to sealing the title. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing leads by 47 points with a maximum of 52 available from the final round.

All three of the team’s cars finished inside the top five places, with Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Halttunen securing fifth in the overall classification and in the Power Stage on their first time competing in Spain in the top category of the WRC.

TGR WRC Challenge Program driver Takamoto Katsuta also continued his learning alongside co-driver Aaron Johnston as they reached the finish after restarting the event on Saturday morning.

Quotes:

Akio Toyoda (Team Founder)
“Just before this rally, I received a message from Jari-Matti. He told me that regaining the manufacturers’ championship as a team principal and celebrating together with me was one of his dreams. Three years ago, as a driver, he was having a very tough season. His first win that year was at the final event in Australia and his victory brought the team’s manufacturers’ title in 2018. I clearly remember how happy and excited I was. I, as a driver, was participating in a rally in Japan on that day. When I got the news, I shouted with joy and sent him a congratulatory message right away. I am sure that his dream will come true in Monza, and am looking forward to celebrating together with him.

The drivers’ and co-drivers’ champions were not yet decided either. I simply hope that Seb & Julien and Elfyn & Scott will compete without regrets until the very end, and I’m sure the team will prepare the best cars for them to do that.

The next rally will be the last event we compete in with the current Yaris WRC. Since we came back to WRC in 2017, we have been always saying “let’s keep making the Yaris WRC stronger”. I hope we can have a solid competition in Monza and that the crews and our fans will see the Yaris WRC is the strongest in the last event. I am confident that the team will make it happen!

P.S. to Julien,
I really hope Monza will be a great event for you as it will be your last rally. I wish I could witness your final event in Japan. I’m still disappointed it didn’t happen… Good luck!”

Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)
“In the end this weekend was not as strong for us as it could have been. It’s important that we learn for the future about why we were struggling at times and how we can react better. But there are still positives: Firstly, that all three cars finished in the top five without any problems. Also, second place for Elfyn is another good result for him and it keeps the fight for the drivers’ title alive until the final round, which is obviously exciting for the championship as a whole. The manufacturers’ championship wasn’t quite decided in our favour this weekend, but our target now is to secure both titles in style at Monza.”

Sebastien Ogier (Driver car 1)
“Coming here I was targeting more than fourth position, but it is still good points towards the championship. It was a close fight today and we definitely tried in the first three stages; then the rain on the last one did not help with my strategy of not taking risks, and I was definitely on the safe side there. But overall, we have to remember that this weekend is another positive step for the championship and that’s what matters the most. It’s not over yet though, so we’ll have to be good at Monza and try to repeat the success we had there last year.”

Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
“Second place is a positive result but it’s not so easy to be happy when we made such a good start to the weekend. Unfortunately it faded away a little bit and I didn’t feel completely at one with everything. There was perhaps a little bit more to gain from this weekend. The good thing from the weekend is that we managed to close the points gap and that the championship is still open. Realistically it’s a big gap to close in one round, but as we experienced last year, anything can still happen and we’ll try our best once again at Monza.”

Kalle Rovanpera (Driver car 69)
“Overall it has been quite a good weekend for us. There was a lot of learning, especially on Friday, but it got better with the setup and with my driving as the weekend went on. Today we were aiming for the Power Stage but the conditions were tricky and it was drying for the guys behind us on the road, so we didn’t have the chance to fight for more. We didn’t quite find the perfect feeling and not the pace that we wanted, but we tried our best and it was a solid weekend.”

For the latest results please visit www.wrc.com.

What’s next?

Italy’s famous Monza racing circuit will host the final round for the second year in a row on November 19-21. This year’s event features a greater number of stages on mountainous asphalt roads near Bergamo.

How to Use a Brake Line Flaring Tool

By
SM
-
Photo by Benjamin Brunner on Unsplash

Introduction:

A brake line flaring tool can assist you in flaring the brake very quickly. You don’t need to go to any garage to fix it. If you have the brake line flaring tool, you can easily do it yourself at your home. You guys may know the importance of flaring the brake line. It ensures the leak-proof connection without any other materials, which prevents your brake from failing. 

However, here we will conduct a detailed discussion on how to use a brake line flaring tool. It will allow you to do it like a pro. 

For doing this at your home, you just need a brake line flaring tool. You can buy it at any physical or online shop. Before doing anything, check out the best brake line flaring tool. 

How to use a brake line flaring tool

Many processes you will get different people to follow to flare the brake line. Among those, here we will give you the easiest way to do it very quickly without the help of anyone. Read the article to get the step-by-step process of using a brake line flaring tool. 

Cut the brake line

The first thing you have to do is make ready the brake line for flaring. Next, cut the brake line according to your need. You can measure the old brake line or the brake line that needs to be replaced as a guide. Then, use a hack saw to cut the brake line. 

Therefore, you can also use a tube cutter. In that case, you have to make sure that the blade is tightened enough before start cutting the brake line. Then, rotate the cutter around the brake line. It will give you a fresh cut of your brake line. 

Clean the edge of the brake line

Now clean the edge of the line by using a deburring tool. Here, you will need the female side of the tool to clean the outer edge of the brake line. But, again, the process is straightforward. Simply enter the brake line into the female side of the deburring tool and then rotate it. You will get a perfect finishing after doing it. 

Now clean the inner edge of the brake line by using the male side of the deburring tool. Simple enter the male side of the deburring tool into the brake line and rotate. Now both side is spotless and in a good finishing. 

Set up the brake liner flaring tool

It is time to set up the brake line tool. You will get four particular tools in the brake line flaring toolbox: pressure die clamp, die block, wrench, and four metric thread adapters. 

Now take the die block and set the brake line in the hole of the die block that fits perfectly. Here, you have to make sure that 1/8 of an inch of the brake line is exposed above the die block. You can also make it more confident using one of the metric thread adapters that fit the brake line. 

Simply take the metric thread adapter and place it on the die block parallel to the part of the exposed brake line. If you notice the brake line is overexposed or need to expose more, then do it according to the measurement of the metric thread adapter and tighten the brake line well. Ensure the die block is locked and compressed enough to flare the brake line.

Set up the pressure die clamp

Now grab the pressure die clamp and the perfect metric thread adapter used in the last step. Tighten the metric thread adapter onto the pressure clamp by using your hand. Once the hand-tight, use the wrench provided in the brake line flaring toolbox to tighten into the place thoroughly. 

Next, slide the pressure die clamp and metric thread adapter over the die block containing the brake line. Ensure the metric thread adapter is onto the hole of the brake line.  

Start flaring

Then, turn the pressure die clamp clockwise handle until the metric thread adapter is almost at the bottoms. You can do it by using your hand. Next, tighten it until the adapter hits the die block. When it is done, begin rotating the handle of the pressure die clamp counterclockwise and remove the pressure die clamp from the die block. Now your metric double flare of the brake line is complete.  

Conclusion:

That is all about how to use a brake line flaring tool. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this process, please ask in the comment section. If you want to buy a new brake line flaring tool, make sure you have checked out the best brake line flaring tool first. 

Guides to Buying Lottery Tickets Online

By
SM
-
Photo by dylan nolte on Unsplash

Have you ever desired to play the lottery online? If yes, then this is the right content to consider. You will learn about lottery tickets and know some of the things to consider when purchasing one. To start with, there are many online lottery sites today. It can be confusing when looking for one, mostly if you have been doing the work for a long time. Among these many sites, you will get reliable sites such as huay. Ensure researching how to get the best lottery sites if you have never used the sites. However, in this article, you will learn how to buy your first lottery ticket online. 

Where to buy lottery tickets online  

There are many places where you can buy these tickets. Almost all of these places will offer you exciting lotteries available worldwide. The first thing to do is reading the reviews about the online lottery sites like stock lottery room (ห้องหวยหุ้น) that you can trust. There are also recommendations from the people who have been into this industry that you can consider. So, these are the steps involved when buying lottery tickets online. 

  1. Find the best lottery sites.  

This must be the first thing to consider since there are many sites offering lottery services. But you might not know if the site you are working with is a genuine one or not. Here are three things to consider when choosing a lottery site. 

  • What others say about their experience. 

Most reviews provide valuable information about a provider’s product or service; before buying an online lottery ticket, research customer reviews because it will help you decide on the best site to use. Positive reviews show that a website is trustworthy and therefore preferred by many people.  

  • Legal requirements  

Today, most countries allow lottery activities. However, you have to understand the law, which will also protect you if something goes wrong. Also, most of the online lottery sites like huay have no limit on an area to operate.  

  • Online Security  

Online security is the number one checklist for any web-based activity. This is because a lot of information is exchanged between the parties, and if it reaches the wrong people, you can expose yourself to many risks and problems related to security. Ensure the website has secure information processing systems, such as secure payments and personal data protection, including account information. 

  1. Register for an account  

The next thing after getting the best lottery site has an account with them. Note that you will not get the services of these companies if you do not have an active account. When on the official site of these companies, you will find a form that you need to fill. It is required that you provide your real information or accurate information about yourself. Signing up for these accounts will take you not more than five minutes.  

  1. Purchase your lottery ticket  

Now that you have an account, you will see some of the games offered by these companies. It is advised that you choose a favorite lottery before you buy a ticket. Ask yourself if you understand everything involved when playing a certain lottery game. If you are sure of what you want, consider buying a lottery according to the amount in your account. Remember, before you buy these tickets, you will have to deposit an amount into your account. Check stock lottery room (ห้องหวยหุ้น) for the best lottery services.

DeJoria, Salinas, Sampey collect wins at Bristol Thunder Valley Nationals

By
Briar Starr
-
Photo Courtesy of NHRA

On a cool, but sunny afternoon at Bristol Motor Dragway, the Thunder Valley Nationals were held and we saw veterans return to the winner circle.

Alexis DeJoria in Funny Car, Mike Salinas in Top Fuel and Angelle Sampey in Pro Stock Motorcycle all won in their respective categories.

Funny Car

It’s been four years since Alexis DeJoria has been in victory lane and she was looking to change that this weekend at Bristol. She began on Saturday afternoon by locking in the No. 1 spot for the first time since 2016. Thanks to her No. 1 spot and a short field of 14 drivers, DeJoria lined up in a Round 1 matchup against No. 14 qualifier, Paul Lee.

DeJoria was victorious in her first-round victory after going 4.030 seconds and 269.83 mph as Lee’s Funny Car’s cylinders went out early following the launch. By winning the first round, DeJoria had an easy quarterfinal victory as she had a solo run. Her Funny Car powered to a time of 3.931 seconds and a 321.04 mph pass.

In the semi-finals, she met John Force Racing’s Robert Hight after Hight had victories over Cory Lee in Round 1 and Bob Tasca III in Round 2. However, Hight lost to DeJoria as DeJoria went 3.904 seconds and 327.74 mph over Hight’s 3.934 seconds and 329.10 mph. As a result, DeJoria would make her second final round appearance of 2021 and she was set to face J.R. Todd.

J.R. Todd in his DHL Toyota Camry had an interesting day. He had a first-round match with then Funny Car points leader, Matt Hagan. Todd eliminated Hagan early with a time of 3.924 seconds at 324.90 mph compared to Hagan’s 3.958 seconds and 326.16 mph run. Hagan lost the championship points lead due to his first-round loss.

Afterward, Todd faced John Force, the all-time leader on the wins list, in the quarterfinals. He won again with a time of 3.916 seconds at 328.78 mph. Then, in the semis, Todd squared up against Ron Capps (current Funny Car Points leader). Todd won over Capps when Capps’ win was disallowed after Capps’ machine hit the cylinder block and was disqualified.

For the finals, the temperature was 62 degrees and Todd had a slight advantage over DeJoria being 5-2. However, DeJoria had a picture-perfect final-round win and was clearly ahead of Todd all the way to the finish line. She scored her first career victory since 2017 at Brainerd and had a reaction time of .002.

“I was hungry and I know that feeling,” DeJoria said. “I was just happy to be there and I believed I was going to win. It’s one of the biggest wins of my career. Coming back after two years off, getting to work with my mentor and friend (Del Worsham), being able to do this, it’s huge. It’s just been a roller-coaster and it takes a toll on you.

“It’s very humbling, but I was just ready to win. I was calm and just excited, and when I’m in that headspace I do my best. This is definitely one of my favorite tracks and it’s just beautiful here. I just love it.”

Todd’s second-place finish was the fourth runner-up finish of the season and the 21st of his career.

“There is nothing I would have done differently in that final,” said Todd. “You are not going to beat a .002 light and a 3.92 on the race track. That is unbelievable. All in all, a great day for the Yella Fellas. It just shows what kind of team I have behind me with everything that has gone on the last three races. It was a good points day, but I just wanted that one bad. The kind of day we had today is the day you dream about as a driver, and I just want to finish it off. There is nothing we could have done differently in the final.”

Funny Car Results

  1. Alexis DeJoria
  2. J.R. Todd
  3. Robert Hight
  4. Ron Capps
  5. Cruz Pedregon
  6. John Force
  7. Bob Tasca III
  8. Matt Hagan
  9. Dave Richards
  10. Tim Wilkerson
  11. Cory Lee
  12. Blake Alexander
  13. Paul Lee
  14. Jim Campbell

Funny Car Championship Points Standings

  1. Ron Capps, 2,490 points
  2. Matt Hagan, -1
  3. J.R. Todd, -83
  4. Cruz Pedregon, -101
  5. John Force, -101
  6. Bob Tasca III, -147
  7. Robert Hight, -153
  8. Alexis DeJoria, -171
  9. Tim Wilkerson, -241
  10. Blake Alexander, -306

Top Fuel

With the exception of 2020 when the race was canceled due to COVID, Mike Salinas claimed back-to-back victories at the Thunder Valley Nationals. The victory, though, wasn’t easy as he faced last week’s runner-up, Steve Torrence.

Salinas qualified in the second position and faced Antron Brown in the first round. The Scrappers Racing machine had the advantage over Brown, as Salinas went 3.672 seconds and 334.32 mph for the first-round victory. During their race, Brown’s cylinder went out and Salinas got the win.

In the quarterfinals, Salinas was set to face No. 8 qualifier Clay Millican after Millican won over Josh Hart. Millican was eliminated by Salinas who had a time of 3.707 seconds at 326.63 mph, to set up a semi-final matchup with Brittany Force.

Force managed her way into the semis with victories over Lex Joon in Round 1 and Spencer Massey in the quarterfinal. Woefully, Force’s day ended early as Salinas won with an ET of 3.698 seconds and 330.55 mph to advance to the finals as Force’s car went up in smoke in the right lane.

Torrence, on the other hand, was looking to bounce back from a runner-up finish at Dallas.

The Kilgore, Texas native in his CAPCO machine was the No. 1 qualifier heading into Sunday for a first-round race with Cameron Ferre. Torrence won with a time of 3.729 seconds at 328.38 mph over Ferre. The first-round victory was an important one for Torrence as the victory set him up for a solo run in the second round.

With an easy victory in the second round, Torrence had a Dallas final rematch in the semis against Justin Ashley. This time around, Torrence returned the favor and won over Ashley with a run of 3.677 seconds and 331.69 mph to face Salinas in the finals.

While it looked as though Torrence might claim the victory over Salinas, the Texas native smoked the tires and saw Salinas take the win for the third time in his career to snap a two-year winless streak.

“It’s a great facility and I’m glad they welcome us here,” Salinas said. “This track loves me. I met so many nice people over the years here. We’ve got a great team, and all the parts and pieces, and I think I threw away 3-4 races at the beginning of the year trying to get my routine down. It’s hard when you’re running with all these guys, but I got a lot of help and I’ve made some big improvements. These guys in this class, they’re awesome. They cut good lights I found something that works perfectly for me and I think we’re getting there. I just try to race my lane and that’s it.”

Torrence’s runner-up finish was his third of the season and the 25th of his career.

“Mike has really stepped up his game this year,” Torrence said about the man who ruined his otherwise perfect weekend. “I’m proud of him. I’m happy for him and for Alexis (DeJoria, whose Sunday Funny Car win was her first since 2017). They’re both great people and those are both independent teams.

“Fortunately, we won rounds again today,” he said. “Richard Hogan and Bobby
Lagana, they worked their magic and got us to another final round, so we’ll just move on to Vegas and get ready for another street fight. This thing’s going right to the end (at the season-ending Auto Club Finals at Pomona, Calif.).”

Top Fuel Results

  1. Mike Salinas
  2. Steve Torrence
  3. Justin Ashley
  4. Brittany Force
  5. Billy Torrence
  6. Clay Millican
  7. Spencer Massey
  8. Shawn Langdon
  9. Antron Brown
  10. Cameron Ferre
  11. Doug Kalitta
  12. Leah Pruett
  13. Josh Hart
  14. Lex Joon

Top Fuel Championship Standings

  1. Steve Torrence, 2,575 points
  2. Brittany Force, -73
  3. Justin Ashley, -147
  4. Mike Salinas, -150
  5. Billy Torrence, -218
  6. Leah Pruett, -284
  7. Clay Millican, -310
  8. Antron Brown, -323
  9. Shawn Langdon, -347
  10. Doug Kalitta, -395

Pro Stock Motorcycle

The Pro Stock Motorcycle class featured Angelle Sampey facing Karen Stoffer in the final round.

Sampey qualified 13th following Saturday’s session and faced No. 4 qualifier Andrew Hines in Round 1. The Louisiana native was successful and claimed the victory when Sampey went 6.821 seconds and 195.62 mph and set the low ET of the round. She would then meet Chris Bostick in the second round and won due to Bostick’s red-light foul, and would go to the semi-finals for the third time this season.

In the semis, Sampey met Eddie Krawiec and was 10-7 facing Krawiec. When the lights went down, Krawiec was ahead slightly over Sampey, but his bike started to move toward the wall and he began to ease off the throttle. As a result, Sampey would pull away with the victory going 6.814 seconds and 194.18 mph to face Stoffer in the final round.

Stoffer had wins over Lance Bonham, Ron Tornow, and last week’s winner, Matt Smith, in the semis.

Stoffer and Sampey have met before, facing each other 21 times in their careers. But Sampey had the upper hand with nine more victories over Stoffer entering into the final round.

During the final, Sampey easily got out ahead first in front of Stoffer. Stoffer tried making up ground toward Sampey but she went on to win for the second time this season on a holeshot with a .010 reaction time compared to Stoffer’s .029.

“I’ve been out here for so long, I’ve really learned to appreciate everything I get now,” Sampey said. “When I win a race, the emotions are 100 percent genuine because it’s a task to get it done. To get four round wins is really tough and it means so much to me. I love this sport so much and this team just works so hard. This mission was to catch back up in the points race and we made it happen. It was a fantastic day and it would be great to get the No. 1 back on the motorcycle.”

Stoffer earned her first runner-up of the year and the 15th of his career.

Pro Stock Motorcycle Results

  1. Angelle Sampey
  2. Karen Stoffer
  3. Matt Smith
  4. Eddie Krawiec
  5. Scotty Pollacheck
  6. Kelly Clontz
  7. Ron Tornow
  8. Chris Bostick
  9. Andrew Hines
  10. Joey Gladstone
  11. Charles Poskey
  12. Lance Bonham
  13. Ryan Oehler
  14. Steve Johnson
  15. Angie Smith

Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship Standings

  1. Matt Smith, 2,451 points
  2. Angelle Sampey, -25
  3. Steve Johnson, -56
  4. Eddie Krawiec, -111
  5. Scotty Pollacheck, -160
  6. Karen Stoffer, -201
  7. Joey Gladstone, -216
  8. Angie Smith, -226
  9. Andrew Hines, -274
  10. Ryan Oehler, -301

Up Next: The NHRA Camping World Drag Series will take a week off before returning on October 29th-31st for the Las Vegas Nationals.

1...2,3002,3012,302...6,738Page 2,301 of 6,738