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Flying Lizard Motorsports Leaves Mark on Indianapolis Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., (October 19, 2021) – Sportscar racing team Flying Lizards Motorsports left another mark on both Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) and GT America powered by AWS this weekend by adding another podium to their achievements.

Andy Wilzoch, in the No. 460 Porsche 911 GT3 R, crossed the finish line on Saturday fifth overall and Memo Gidley, in the No. 101 TKO Motorsports Bentley Continental GT3, graced the second step of the podium on Sunday. This brings the two-car partial season effort to 12 podiums, six wins, and 13 overall top-five finishes.

“I am really proud of everyone on this team,” said Darren Law. “It isn’t easy to jump into a race series halfway through the season, but our program earned wins and multiple podiums finishes in all of the races we entered with both Andy and Memo. It has been a great year for Flying Lizard and a great start to our relationship with TKO Motorsports. I am looking forward to the 2022 season.”

GT America Race One
Strategy for Thursday qualifying to run fast laps at the end of the session was thwarted after a competitor laid oil down on the already damp track. With less than desired results, the Lizard Porsche went into race one on Friday starting from fifth overall. After a full-course caution, Wilzoch dropped one position to Jason Harward in the No. 88 Lamborghini. The two continued to gain ground throughout the race and each respectively gained one position, earning Wilzoch a top-five overall finish.

In pre-grid with Gidley set to start race one from second place, there was a tire pressure concern that caused him to stop at the pit box as the field started the out lap. This stop induced a penalty for the Bentley that required the green flag to be taken from the back. Charging through the field, Gidley picked up 12 positions before a full course yellow afflicted the end of the first lap. On a strong restart, he continued through the field reaching fourth overall position after a battle with Kyle Washington in the No. 32 Porsche. Coming into the last third of the race, a mechanical issue brought Gidley back into the pit for a quick repair. With fifteen minutes remaining in the race, he once again attacked the field and finished in eighth overall.

GT America Race Two
The grid for race two was based on race one lap times, and Wilzoch took the start on the outside in sixth position. The front of the field quickly spread out, allowing the race leaders to focus on speed. Navigating through the back of the GT America competitors and numerous incidents, Wilzoch took advantage of the cool dry track, consistently running his fastest laps of the IMS event. Maintaining position, he finished Saturday in sixth overall.

Though plagued with challenges in race one on Friday, Gidley’s hard charges delivered him another position two start at IMS. The Bentley stayed the course and steadily spliced through out-of-class traffic lapping the back of the pack. Keeping Charlie Luck in the No. 45 Porsche between himself and SRO3 competitor, Kyle Washington in the No. 32 Porsche, Gidley claimed another second step on the podium.

With the GT America powered by AWS season complete, Flying Lizard Motorsports team management is already at work building the 2022 season. To stay up to date with all things Flying Lizard, visit lizardms.com

DRIVER QUOTES
Andy Wilzoch | No. 460 Porsche 911 GT3 R
I wish we could have ended the year on the podium at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but I’m pleased with how the weekend went. We ran some good laps out there and were able to get plenty of track time to race against the competition. I’d like to thank everyone at Flying Lizard for all their hard work that went into making this season such a success.

Memo Gidley | No. 101 Bentley Continental GT3
What a great experience to get out and race three SRO GT America Races in the TKO Motorsports Bentley Continental GT3! I had so much fun racing and working with the TKO Motorsports team, driving a one-of-a-kind Bentley beast, against some awesome competitors, and one hell of a sponsor TKO and Dave Traitel who is inspiring because he wants people to enjoy life now! And then to be back at Indy on part of the track I have had some awesome and some very scary moments driving on back in my Indy days! All of this made it feel great to finish second here in the TKO Motorsports Bentley and stand on the podium!

About TKO Motorsports
TKO Motorsports designs, manufactures, installs and races our own proprietary line of track proven, street legal performance products. Since 2008 TKO Motorsports of Reno, NV has produced some of the most extreme custom built, street legal cars in the world. Follow us as we expand into the retail market with a new line of off-the-shelf TKO parts and accessories.

About Flying Lizard Motorsports
Based out of Sonoma, California, Flying Lizard Motorsports is one of the most iconic sports car teams in motorsports, having celebrated ten driver and team championships, as well as competed internationally at the 24 Hours of Le Mans eight times.

The Lizards burst on the American Le Mans Series scene in 2004, competing in the GT class until 2012. In 2013, the team moved to the GTC class, still competing in legendary events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Daytona. In 2014, the team expanded its program to include running two Audi R8 LMS in the TUDOR Championship, and in 2015, again expanded the program to include two Porsches in Porsche Club racing. Flying Lizard closed out the season with a dominating win at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill with Toyo Tires, a win they repeated in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The 2020 season proved the team’s most successful to date, earning four titles in the GT4 America championship. Flying Lizard Motorsports has proven to be a championship contender no matter the race series or race car. For more information, visit lizardms.com.

Driver reactions following the Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol: Funny Car

By
Briar Starr
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Photo Courtesy of NHRA

Alexis DeJoria was finally able to snap a four-year winless streak Sunday afternoon and nearly had a picture-perfect weekend that started on Saturday.

Despite not having the best qualifying efforts in the first and second rounds, (seventh and eighth), the Bandero Premium Tequila ROKiT Toyota Camry driver picked it up in Q3 and earned her first No.1 qualifier since 2016.

On race day, the Los Angeles, California native went all four rounds eliminating Paul Lee, a solo run in the second round, a semi-final victory against Robert Hight and eventually winning against J.R. Todd.

Let’s take a look at where the other Funny Car drivers finished and what they had to say afterward.

  1. Alexis DeJoria (Finished First) – “It’s a huge weight taken off our shoulders,” said DeJoria. “We were number one qualifier and that was the first step. Getting that elusive number one after getting a ton of number twos, that was amazing. Then to get the Wally at the same race is insane. Whatever happens after this, I just hope for the best, but we’re good because we got a Wally. This is a huge confidence builder for me and our whole team. We knew we could do this, it’s just a matter of time. I would say it’s one of the biggest because, as a part-team owner, definitely. Coming back after taking the two years off and getting to work with my mentor, old teammate and friend in Del Worsham. I look up to him and I learned everything I know from Del. To be able to do this with him again and do something we couldn’t do at Kalitta when he ended up driving the other car. But we always wanted to do this again and we were able to make it happen.
  2. J.R. Todd (Finished second, sits third in points, -83) – Todd qualified 12th and was runner-up to DeJoria and knocked out, then Funny Car Championship points leader, Matt Hagan, in the first round. He won over legend John Force in the quarterfinals and once again knocked out new points leader, Ron Capps, in the semis. Todd fell to DeJoria after going 3.929 seconds and 326.32 mph. “We were in a little better position in 2018,” said Todd. “Going into the Countdown this year I knew that we had a good enough car and team to contend for a championship. We have had some hiccups along the way, but we are still in the hunt. We have to keep our heads up and keep fighting.”
  3. Robert Hight (Finished third, qualified fifth, fell to DeJoria in the semis, sits seventh in the points -153 behind first) – “We qualified well this weekend. We put up some good runs, thought we had a competitive Chevy. We got outrun today, wish things were different. But we’re still out here to win. There are two races left in the season and we’ll be out there just like everyone else looking for wins.”
  4. Ron Capps (Finished fourth, took over the points lead and leads by one point over teammate Hagan. He fell to J.R. Todd in the semis and was later disqualified due to hitting the cylinder blocks. Capps had the fastest speed of 329.83 mph) – “This is an all-out battle. We talk about the Countdown to the Championship and talk about how much tighter it seems this year. A lot of press people and media were saying it’s just Matt Hagan and me still in the hunt, and I’m quick to caution everyone because there are so many other cars who can step up and run great and we’ve seen that today with J.R. Todd and that DHL team and Alexis DeJoria. J.R. beat Matt first round and knocked us out in the semis. By no means, especially with Pomona (Calif.) being points-and-a-half, is this thing over. We wanted to grab more points while we were here at Bristol this weekend. The good thing is, we lead the points going into Vegas. It’s almost even. We’re having so much fun and we still have such a great NAPA hot rod and we showed that with qualifying second and making three solid, consistent laps. I’m excited about going to Vegas.”
  5. Cruz Pedregon – (Finished fifth, sits fifth and is tied with John Force in the points standings, fell to Ron Capps in the quarterfinals.) – “A second round appearance for the Snap-on Tools Nitro Funny Car team today at Bristol Dragway. Cruz and team were able to take down Dave Richards in the first round with a 3.96, but ended up falling to Ron Capps in an extremely close race (3.916 to 3.920) and the next round. The championship points have tightened up with two events left. We will head back to Indianapolis tomorrow and start getting our parts and pieces finalized for the final two events of the NHRA season.” – Credit to Cruz Pedregon’s Facebook Page
  6. John Force – (Finished sixth, tied with Pedregon in the points standings -101 back, fell to J.R. Todd in the quarterfinals) – “Not what we were looking for today. Bit of a rough go through the whole weekend. We’re still in the hunt though. Two races left, points and a half in Pomona. We’ll be good. Still have some fight in us.”
  7. Bob Tasca III – (Finished seventh, qualified 11th, fell to Robert Hight in the quarterfinal, sits sixth in the standings -147) He got the first round victory over Tim Wilkerson.
  8. Matt Hagan – (Entered the race as the points leader, fell in the first round to J.R. Todd and now trails teammate Capps by one point) – “It’s a tough one but J.R. Todd and that team, they did their homework and outran us and he left on us. That’s drag racing. I hate to lose and I’m trying to put a smile on right now, but it burns you up inside. We’ve got to go to these last two races and really make them count. That’s why we race them on Sunday because you never know what’s going to happen. I’ve got all of the confidence in (crew chief) Dickie Venables, and we’ll regroup and give it all we’ve got in Vegas.”
  9. Dave Richards (Finished ninth after qualifying ninth and fell to Cruz Pedregon in the first round) Richard’s ET was 4.023 seconds and 311.63 mph to Pedregon’s 3.964 seconds and 294.11 mph. Pedregon is now 3-0 against Richards.
  10. Tim Wilkerson – (Provisionally held the No. 1 qualifier after Friday night’s qualifying run and ended up fourth after Q3 to face Bob Tasca in the first round. Sits ninth in the standings, -241 back) Lost to Tasca in a losing effort with a 6.522 seconds and 103.46 mph.) – “We made some adjustments based on what happened yesterday and they didn’t work at all,” said Wilkerson, in his crew chief lounge in the pits. “We made some changes on Saturday and didn’t get the results we wanted so I tried something else and that didn’t work either which is very frustrating. I am going through the run now and hopefully we can figure it out. I have some time before Las Vegas, but we just missed it today.”
  11. Cory Lee – (Finished 11th after a first round loss to Robert Hight by going up in smoke in the left lane allowing Hight to power to victory).
  12. Blake Alexander – (Qualified 13th and faced Ron Capps in the first round. Also fell to Capps in the first round in a losing effort by smoking the tires)
  13. Paul Lee – (Lee faced eventual winner DeJoria in the first round after qualifying 14th with a time of 6.006 seconds and 112.69 mph. Lee had a slight advantage over DeJoria by having one victory heading into their Round 1 match up. He was also off the starting line first, but eventually had holes coming out of his Funny Car which cost him the race.)

14. Jim Campbell – (Was ninth after qualifying and fell to John Force in the first round. He now trails Force 6-0 in first-round matchups).

Betting on NASCAR

By
SM
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With millions of fans all over the world, it’s not too surprising that people love betting on NASCAR. In this article, we’re going to take a look at five of the most common bets for this sport and explain a bit about each one. Once you understand the various bets, you’ll be able to place your favorites and hope that you come out on top!

Outright Winner

An outright winner bet might be one of the most popular in the world of NASCAR and it’s the easiest to understand. Simply put, you’ll be placing a bet on the driver you think will win the entire race. You can place multiple bets on different drivers to try and increase your chances of winning. If the driver you bet on has a lower chance of winning and actually comes out on top, you’ll have a much bigger payout than you would if you bet and win on a driver that has higher odds. Since it’s so simple, it’s great for beginners and could lead to a decent payout. You should be able to find this bet regardless of which sport betting site you’re using.

Head-to-Head

With head-to-head betting, you’ll basically be placing your bet on one of two drivers that are already matched up by an online bookmaker. Different websites will have multiple sets of drivers and you’ll want to bet on which one will cross the finish line first. This is a great option for those that know a lot about different drivers, especially how well they’ve been doing. Since it’s relatively straightforward, it’s also a good option for those that are new to the betting world and don’t have a whole lot of knowledge of NASCAR.

Proposition Betting

If you aren’t really concerned with betting on the actual drivers, then a proposition bet might be your best bet. Instead of betting on who will win, you’ll be able to place bets on things like the number of cautions there will be or how many times the lead positions will change. Not only will different betting sites have different prop bets, but the bigger events will have a lot more options than the smaller ones.

Fastest Lap

Many people also like to bet on the fastest lap because it’s easy to understand and it’s a great option for pretty much everyone. Basically, you’ll place a bet on who you think will have the fastest lap. While you don’t need to have any knowledge of the drivers or vehicles, it can help increase your chances of winning. While you could win more by betting on an underdog that comes out on top, this type of bet can have great payouts regardless of who you bet on.

Podium Finisher

The final type of NASCAR bet that has a high amount of popularity is podium finisher betting. This one can be difficult to win, but you can get a large payout if everything falls correctly. With this bet, it doesn’t matter whether your driver comes in first, second, or third place because you’ll win as long as they come in one of those places. If your driver happens to finish in first, then you’ll have a fantastic payout, but you’ll win as long as they place in one of the top three positions.

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

By
SM
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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
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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
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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
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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

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Official Release
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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

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Official Release
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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
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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.

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