Home Blog Page 2333

RCR Post Race Report – Talladega 500

By
Official Release
-

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Inhalation Aerosol Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Team Survive Wild Talladega Superspeedway Race With 11th-Place Finish

Finish: 11th
Start: 16th
Points: 17th

“What a weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Our No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Inhalation Aerosol Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE was strong this weekend so I wish that Mother Nature would have cooperated a little more and we could have raced to the finish. Spotter Brandon Benesch did a great job helping to navigate us around the track, and we raced our way into the top-three several times. It was a really intense out there today, so I’m glad we were able to skirt our way through several wrecks. We’ll take this 11th-place finish and head to the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL next weekend.” -Austin Dillon

Strong Run Prematurely Ends for Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Realtree Team at Talladega Superspeedway

Finish: 39th
Start: 13th
Points: 14th

“Our Realtree Chevrolet had a ton of speed today at Talladega Superspeedway. With the rain threatening in the area, it was only a matter of time before a wreck happened. Unfortunately, the cell we were racing against didn’t get to the track as fast as we thought it would and the wreck ended our day early. After staying cautious a couple different times in the first stage, it was time to make a move. I got up and started to make things happen in the third lane. We had put ourselves in a good position to lead laps and finish inside the top-10, especially with how strong our Camaro could suck up behind cars. It’s unfortunate for sure, but I’m proud of the effort that everyone at RCR, ECR and on the No. 8 team put forth. On to Charlotte.” -Tyler Reddick

Toyota Racing NCS Post-Race Recap — Talladega 10.3.21

By
Official Release
-

BUBBA WALLACE AND 23XI RACING CLAIM CAREER-FIRST CUP SERIES WINS
Wallace Makes History with Victory in Rain-Shortened Talladega Race

TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 4, 2021) – Bubba Wallace made history at the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway claiming his first career NASCAR Cup Series win as well as the first win for the 23XI Racing organization. Wallace becomes only the second African American driver to win at the top level of NASCAR, joining Wendell Scott who claimed his victory in 1963. Wallace was followed by Toyota teammates Christopher Bell (fifth) and his 23XI team owner Denny Hamlin (seventh) in the top-10 at the rain-shortened finish.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Talladega Superspeedway
Race 31 of 36 – 188 laps, 500 miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, BUBBA WALLACE
2nd, Brad Keselowski*
3rd, Joey Logano*
4th, Kurt Busch*
5th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
7th, DENNY HAMLIN
12th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
24th, LANDON CASSILL
27th, KYLE BUSCH
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 McDonald’s Toyota Camry, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

What emotions were going through your mind waiting for a decision from NASCAR?

“Part of me is just sitting there waiting – it’s not over with. Just sit there and bide our time and if we go back racing, let’s put ourselves in position. So many cool fans behind us at the pit box just cheering for it to rain so that kind of amped up the intensity a little bit. Just so proud of everyone at 23XI Racing. New team and coming in here getting a win late in the season reminds me of 2013. Waited so long to get that first truck win. I know a lot of history was made today, which is really cool, but it’s about my guys and it’s about our team and about what we’ve done. Appreciate Michael Jordan, appreciate Denny (Hamlin) for giving me an opportunity and believing in me. Like we talked, it’s pretty fitting that it comes here at Talladega.”

What does it mean to be only the second African American driver and first since Wendell Scott to get to victory lane in the NASCAR Cup Series?

“I never think about those things, but when you say it like that, it obviously brings a lot of emotion on and joy to my family, fans, friends. It’s pretty damn cool. Just proud to be a winner in the Cup Series.”

What does it mean to have your first Cup win come at Talladega?

“This is for all those kids out there that want to have an opportunity at whatever they want to achieve and be the best at what they want to do. You’re going to go through a lot of bullshit, but you always have to stay true to your path and not let the nonsense get to you. Stay strong, stay humble, stay hungry. There have been plenty of times that I wanted to give up, but you surround yourselves with the right people and it’s moments like this that you appreciate.”

What does this feel like right now?

“It’s really cool and humbling. I’ve gone through a lot of stuff as every athlete would. I’ve thought about this moment a lot and it’s not your traditional burnout and celebration in victory lane, which is unfortunate. This was the same feeling I had going into Martinsville 2013. Just prepared more than ever and I didn’t even do anything different. Just something clicked. I was like, I want to be more aggressive and make sure that we’re there at the end. Didn’t know the end would be the rain, but just had to be there. I had a good feeling about it. Thanks to everybody at 23XI Racing, Toyota, McDonalds, DoorDash, Root, Dr. Pepper. I didn’t dream about being here when I was a kid, but this is kind of a dream come true.”

What does it mean to have so many people believe in you along this journey?

“It means so much. I’m just very appreciative of the opportunity to be where I’m at. I have my Mom on the phone right now and I’m ready to hear her voice. It’s the thing you never give up on. My Mom and my parents have always pushed me to be the best that I can be and do the best that I can and whatever happens, happens. We’re here in victory lane at Talladega.”

What does it mean to make history here today?

“Words can’t describe it. I never really paid too much attention to it because I didn’t want that to be the winning focus and I just want to go out and drive and be a driver and compete with all my competitors out here. This is what happens when we can focus on just going out and competing and being a driver.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

How do you feel about the points you were able to get in today’s race?

“Just disappointing not to get stage points in stage one, that was a big turning point, but the guys that we’re racing all had good days. We’ve got a long way to go and we’ll head to the Roval, which is a good track for us, but it’s going to take a little bit of luck.”

Do you feel you still have a good chance to win at the Roval?

“We can for sure race for a win at the Roval and that’s what it’s going to take.”

Did you expect the race to be called for the rain?

“Honestly, I didn’t know there was rain coming at all. I was focused on doing the best I could getting to the end of stage two and the rain caught me by surprise.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 7th

How does it feel to win as a team owner?

“It’s way more emotional because I just know that these guys just have worked so hard over the last 10 months to put this team together. We’ve just spent a lot of hours putting this together and it’s great to see the results from all the hard work from these team guys.”

What does this win mean for you to see Bubba Wallace claim his first Cup Series victory?

“It means so much. It’s a learning process and we knew it was going to be a learning process. I’m so happy for the team and I’m so happy for his sponsor, McDonalds as it’s been decades since they’ve been in victory lane. Just great that we’re able to show off our partners here at 23XI and this is just a building step. We’re still in just the beginning stages of our team and we’re still growing. We have some great things on the horizon, but this is just a great moral booster for everyone.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 27th

What do you need to do next weekend?

“Just go to Charlotte and have a 10th place day, that’s all we need. You look at the guys that you’re racing around a little bit. A couple of the Hendrick cars are right around us. They’re out right now, but they’re fast on the road courses so any one of them could possibly win. We just have to keep ourselves above the cut line.”

Are you happy to be leaving Talladega without a big wreck?

“Yeah, we could have been wrecked worse I guess and further down the lineup. Definitely frustrated with as many Playoff drivers that are further up than us.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 38 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2018.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit ToyotaNewsroom.com

CHEVY NCS AT TALLADEGA: Post-Race Notes and Quotes

By
Official Release
-

NASCAR CUP SERIES
TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY
YELLAWOOD 500
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
OCTOBER 4, 2021

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
4th KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
9th ERIK JONES, NO. 43 US AIRFORCE: SPECIAL WARFARE CAMARO ZL1 1LE
11th AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BREZTRI CAMARO ZL1 1LE
16th RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 SUNNY D CAMARO ZL1 1LE
18th CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 A SHOC CAMARO ZL1 1LE
19th QUIN HOUFF, NO. 00 8 BALL CHOCOLATE WHISKEY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
20th JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 16 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1 1LE

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Bubba Wallace (Toyota)
2nd Brad Keselowski (Ford)
3rd Joey Logano (Ford)
4th Kurt Busch (Chevrolet)
5th Christopher Bell (Toyota)

The NASCAR Cup Series season continues this weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course for the Bank of America ROVAL 400 on Sunday, October 10, at 2 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES:

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 4th
GOOD RUN HERE TODAY. WHAT CAN YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THAT?
“Yeah, I raced as smart as I could and raced on the unselfish side. The teamwork has to be there and has to be there at the right moment. For us, with the rain and the end of the Stage, we wanted to get everything we could and I am really proud of the way our car drove. This Monster Energy Chevy was fast and did everything we needed it to do. I stayed committed to the low lane and it was just a matter of when the low lane versus the high lane had the momentum and whenever the yellow was going to come out. So, we just didn’t quite have all the luck on our side today.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 US AIRFORCE: SPECIAL WARFARE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 9th
“Good day for the Air Force Chevy. Thought we had good speed all day and kept it up front. Thought the race was coming to us and then the rain came. Proud of the effort to have a top ten and hopefully keep it rolling at the ROVAL.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BREZTRI CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 11th
“What a weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Our No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Inhalation Aerosol Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE was strong this weekend so I wish that Mother Nature would have cooperated a little more and we could have raced to the finish. Spotter Brandon Benesch did a great job helping to navigate us around the track, and we raced our way into the top-three several times. It was a really intense out there today, so I’m glad we were able to skirt our way through several wrecks. We’ll take this top-10 finish and head to the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL next weekend.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 A SHOC CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 18th
“Well the A SHOC team survived the day. I just got into the wrong lane there in the closing laps. Once that got sorted back out, I didn’t have a ton of options and we just ran out of time with the rain. Not the finish we needed, but we will head onto the ROVAL.”

RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 KROGER/VELVEETA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 115; Finished 32nd
YOU WERE RUNNING THIRD. WHAT HAPPENED IN YOUR POINT OF VIEW?
“Just superspeedway racing. This is just a common cause in this kind of racing. There is strategy and it’s a game of chess; but when the rain is coming like it was, everybody starts pushing harder and harder. Unfortunately, I was on the bad end of it. Like Chris (Buescher) and I work really good together and it was just a bad situation I guess.”

SO JUST SUPERSPEEDWAY RACING?
“Yeah, I didn’t see a replay. I think it was the 17 pushing me and helping me get to the 22; but I had some damage, and it was harder for me to lock and push. When I could, I could stay locked on. It just is what it is and unfortunately, we were a lap late with the rain coming. That was really why we were all getting aggressive like we were.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 115; Finished 36th
INVOLVED IN THAT WRECK WITH THE NO. 37 OF RYAN PREECE. HE WAS COMING DOWN THE TRACK. DID YOU JUST HAVE NOWHERE TO GO?
“Yeah, I don’t know. He was just coming down the track and I was kind of trying to run a third lane. Just part of Talladega. We’ll go to the ROVAL, try to win that one and advance that way.”

YOU ALSO HAD YOUR TEAMMATE, ALEX BOWMAN, GET KNOCKED OUT THERE IN TURN THREE. YOU’RE BOTH NOW BASICALLY IN A MUST WIN POSITION. HOW DO YOU TACKLE NEXT WEEK? HOW DO YOU GO INTO THAT MENTALLY?
“Just like we did at Bristol. Try to do the best we can. We tried to win last week and it didn’t work out. We tried to win today and it didn’t work out. We’ll approach it like we do every week.”
“Thank you to Axalta, Chevrolet and everybody back at the shop. We’ll have a really fast car for the ROVAL, so we’ll just have to go and perform there.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 CINCINNATI CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 37th
WELL, THAT WASN’T GREAT, RIGHT?
“It could have been worse; could have been worse. I haven’t seen the point total yet, but it seems like a lot of us are around the same spot. I think at times it looked worse; so like I said, it could have been worse.”

THAT WAS JUST A CASE WHERE YOU OBVIOUSLY HAD NOWHERE TO GO, RIGHT?
“Yeah, I didn’t even see what happened and had no time to react or anything like that. It’s just part of this racing when you are not situated in good track position and just got collected there. So, yeah, a bit of a bummer, but could have been worse today.”

DID THE FACT OF HAVING SOMEONE LIKE CLIFF (DANIELS, CREW CHIEF) ON THE BOX HELP MAKE THINGS CALMER DURING REPAIRS?
“Yeah, definitely. It helps keep me a little bit calm and just kind of keeping you aware helps. I screwed up where we could have been two less laps down and gotten a couple more positions. Somehow I hit the ECU switch when I shut the engine off to allow the guys to work on the front end. And then, I couldn’t get it re-fired, so we went down a lap. And then I lost the draft and ended up losing another lap. I cost myself a couple more positions, but it is what it is.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 97; Finished 38th
WHAT DID YOU FEEL INSIDE THE CAR? WAS THE BUMP JUST TOO AGGRESSIVE?
“Yeah, just dumped over on the left rear and turned us around really bad. Bummer for the Ally 48 team. We had a fast car; we were leading there. That’s just superspeedway racing and the box that we’re put in by these racetracks. You’ll have that. Bummed to have torn up racecar, but we’ll move on and try to go win the ROVAL.”

YOU’RE IN A MUST WIN POSITION NOW TO BE ABLE TO ADVANCE IN THE PLAYOFFS. DOES THAT ELEVIATE SOME PRESSURE? MAKE IT SIMPLE?
“We were pretty buried anyway and everyone is going to run pretty good. So, it was a must run really well situation anyways. It doesn’t really change much. We know we’re going to need to win. We’ll go do our best to make that happen.”

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

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

Ford Performance NASCAR: Five Fords Finish Top 10 in Rain-Shortened Talladega Cup Race

By
Official Release
-

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series — YellaWood 500
Talladega Superspeedway | Monday, October 4, 2021

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
2nd — Brad Keselowski
3rd — Joey Logano
6th — Chris Buescher
8th — Kevin Harvick
10th — Anthony Alfredo
13th — Cole Custer
14th — Chase Briscoe
15th — Ryan Blaney
17th — Michael McDowell
21st — Ryan Newman
25th — Joey Gase
26th — Aric Almirola
30th — BJ McLeod
31st — Josh Bilicki
34th — James Davison
35th — Matt DiBenedetto

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang — “It was a good day for us, not the win. Gosh, if I would have known it was gonna rain right then I had a move I could have made and I was like, “No, we’ve got five laps in the stage left, I don’t want to burn that move yet,’ and then it rains, so I feel like I kind of let one slip away here. All in all, it’s still a great day. We scored a lot of stage points, which is really positive and put ourselves in a good position next week to go to the Roval.”

WHEN DID THE INTENSITY PICK UP? “I think we all knew when the second stage started that we were on borrowed time, for sure.”

TALK ABOUT THE END OF YOUR RACE? “A very intense Talladega race and wouldn’t expect anything different. We put ourselves in a good position the whole race and I’m really proud of that. We were really close to making a move on Bubba to win the stage and the race, but I didn’t need that rain. I needed another two or three laps.”

HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THE RACE AND PLAYOFF SITUATION NOW WITH WHERE YOU FINISHED? “I think it was a good race for us and we put ourselves in position to not have to go to the Roval and have a hero day. We can have just a solid day.”

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR RACE TODAY? “We just stayed in contention all day, real smart and great execution.”

WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN THE RAIN CAME THE LAST TIME? “I was thinking, ‘Oh, geez. I wish I would have made that move.”

WHAT MOVE WAS THAT? “I was right behind Bubba and had a chance to make the move to take the lead, but just felt like it was a little too soon with four or five laps left in the stage and I didn’t want to get swallowed back up, but I picked the wrong move.”

BUBBA MADE A CROSSOVER MOVE TO THE HIGH SIDE AFTER A BLOCK. HOW WOULD YOU EVALUATE HOW HE DID? “It was the right move at the right time. I had a counter to it and I left it in my pocket, so I feel bad about that.”

HOW HARD ARE YOU ON YOURSELF AFTER THIS IS OVER AND YOU GO TO THE ROVAL? “Not too hard, just proud of our day, to be quite honest. Things could have been a lot worse. We went from being one point above the cutline to I think almost 20 and that’s a good day.”

HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THE ROVAL? “A tough race for us. Road courses have been really tough, but thankfully we don’t have to go there and win.”

WALKING OUT OF HERE HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THINGS? “Talladega is a race that we know we’re strong enough to go win, so I don’t want to set the expectation lower than that, but we’re also thankful for a solid day where we scored a lot of points and put ourselves in position to win at the end.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang — INTERVIEW ON PIT ROAD DURING RAIN DELAY “There was a lot of good racing there, very intense racing. You add weather to a superspeedway, you might as well just call it the end of the race earlier. Everyone is pushing and shoving. You feel it coming, you feel the wreck coming. It’s not comfortable, I can tell you that much. Unless you’re up front it’s not comfortable and for the majority of that run we were towards the back. I was able to find a good drafting partner in Brad. Brad and I work so well together at these superspeedways, so once I found his back bumper I was like, ‘Here we go,’ and we freight trained it towards the front. He had a run into one. He could have taken it. He didn’t take it and that might have been the difference in winning or not, but, I think we’re second so if it rains out, considering our situation in points, I will be very happy and walk out of here.”

WHEN DID YOU FEEL THE INTENSITY RAMP UP? “As soon as they said there was weather in the area, which was right when they said we were was close to halfway and there was weather in the area everybody just kicked it into high gear.”

POST-RACE INTERVIEW: CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT THE SITUATION YOU AND BRAD HAD JUST BEFORE THE RAIN AND A CHANCE TO TRY FOR A PASS ON BUBBA WALLACE? “He had a run on the 23 to take the lead and enough push from me to be able to kind of continue that and try to get the both of us clear. Hindsight is 20/20. He didn’t know that they were gonna crash on the backstretch and there is still five to go in the stage. It took probably three or four minutes after they crashed before it actually started raining, so it probably would have got to the end of the stage. It would have been kind of hard to decide when to make that move or not to. Overall, though, take that piece out of it and with the points we scored today it’s a big win, I think, for us. The 23 winning doesn’t hurt anybody because he’s a non-playoff contender, so no big deal there and able to score solid stage points. They had us second, but then changed us back to third, so I don’t know. We’ve got to kind of go back and see where we actually finished, but, either way, it was a good points day and puts us in a good spot.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE ROVAL? “I feel better than I did when we were six points above the cut line. I don’t know exactly where we’re at in the points right now, but considering what happened to some other cars today it put us up there a little bit more.”

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED TODAY? “Absolutely, mission accomplished. We came into here saying we’ve got to be 25 or so points above the cut line to feel semi-comfortable next week. I’m not sure we’re 25 points, but I’m sure we moved up spots in points as well, which is helpful. I don’t know where we’re at. When I see that I can maybe comment more on it, but I’d say after my last few Talladega races — one, I didn’t have the wheels off the ground at any point, so that was a success and the points we were able to score and lead laps, we’re really good at the speedway races. I’m really proud of my team and Coleman. We have good strategies and everything kind of worked out. I finally didn’t crash one of these things, which is a nice feeling for sure.”

KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Busch Light #Hunt4Busch Ford Mustang — “We got a little bit behind. I got shuffled out there too late for the rain storm, but our Ford Mustang was fast and we were able to make up some ground and get back up closer to where we needed to be. I hate that it started raining. Our car was fast.”

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GOING TO THE ROVAL IN BETTER SHAPE THAN YOU STARTED? “I’m not sure if they’re awarding second stage points or is the race over? I don’t really know, but I know we’re better than I thought we would be or could have been, so we’ll go from there and see what happens.”

THE RAIN WAS COMING. WAS STAGE 2 JUST GO-TIME? “Yeah, I wanted to get to the end of stage two because i felt like we could finish towards the front of it and get some points, but got shuffled and didn’t make it to the end, and wound up not getting back up to the front, but it was still a good day.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON BUBBA WINNING TODAY? “It’s great for Bubba. Obviously, it’s been a long road to get here and I think he’s just a good dude, so I think as you look at that it’s a big moment.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Maytag Ford Mustang — “I would have liked to finish better. We kind of just got shuffled out there saving gas and couldn’t really get back up towards the front. I didn’t pick the right lane once or twice and just could never get back up there. I think we all knew we were racing to the rain. We saw rain coming and just couldn’t get back up through there.”

THOUGHTS ON THE ROVAL AND YOUR SITUATION IN POINTS? “I would have liked to have been a little bit more points to the good. I think we’re 17 or something like that, which is nothing to complain about by any means, but coming out of here less than what we came in here with points to the good is like, ‘Man, I wish we could have capitalized a little bit more,’ but that’s the way it goes. We could definitely be in a worse spot, so we just have to go and have a good race next week.”

YOU AND BUBBA A SUCH GOOD FRIENDS. HOW DO YOU FEEL FOR HIM? “I’m just excited for him. He did a good job of getting through the field before the end and picked a couple right lanes and was able to hold everybody off. I’m happy for him. It’s cool for him and that team to get their first win. It should be a fun night, too, that’s for sure.”

MATT DIBENEDETTO, No. 21 Quick Lane Ford Mustang — “We went up there early and led some and were feeling our car out. We had good speed and was as good as always. The Quick Lane Mustang and Wood Brothers always bring really fast race cars here and really wanted to feel it out. We got shuffled a little and was just riding. We were committed to that before the day started. Leverage the situation to our advantage that we don’t need stage points, so we were gonna cruise and let the wrecks happen and then in stage three go and try to run up front and go for the win, but Mother Nature threw a little kink in our plans here and obviously we see what happened.”

HOW AGGRESSIVE WAS THE RACING? “It was nuts. We were on borrowed time for sure, but when the weather obviously became a factor and everyone was communicating it to all the drivers you saw it just instantly pick up and everyone was on full blast mode there at the end. We didn’t have the track position since we were committed to riding and then we had to go and just not the right situation. It was circumstance Mother Nature threw a big kink in our plan, but we had another fast car. We’ve got some good races left. We’ve been on a roll. Our team has been doing awesome, so we’re gonna take that momentum and try and snag a win.”

Stoner Car Care Racing Ready for the Penultimate IMSA Event of the Season

By
Official Release
-

With significant test and race time at VIR this season, the team aims for a top finish in Sunday’s two-hour race

ORLANDO, Fla. (4 October 2021) – Rob Ecklin Jr. and Ramin Abdolvahabi are back in action with the Stoner Car Care Racing fielded by Automatic Racing team this weekend, ready to take on the penultimate race of the 2021 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge (IMPC) season, the Virginia is for Racing Lovers Grand Prix (NBC Sports Gold’s TRACKPASS, Sunday 2:00 p.m. Eastern).

Ecklin and Abdolvahabi take the wheel of the No. 09 Stoner Car Care Aston Martin Vantage GT4 with a significant amount of recent track time at VIRginia International Raceway under their belts. The duo and the Stoner Car Care team completed a successful two-day test at VIR last May and contested their fifth World Racing League event of the season on the 3.27-mile, 17-turn road course two weeks ago as they aim to end the IMSA season on a high note.

Abdolvahabi, a neurosurgeon in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. and Ecklin, the CEO of Lancaster, Pa.-based Stoner Car Care, have split their time between the WRL and IMSA as their professional commitments have factored into their 2021 racing schedules. They have not competed on an IMPC weekend since June, but hope that their frequent familiarity with VIR this season helps them bring home a season-high finish.

“We did a test day back in May and that was very productive for both Ramin and I, as we each set personal best times,” said Ecklin. “So to go back there a few weeks ago with the WRL and get plenty of track time puts us in a good position for this weekend.”

“Rob and Ramin did close to 100 laps each two weeks ago so they should be in good shape this weekend,” said Automatic Racing team manager David Russell. “We had the two-day test back in May but they hadn’t raced at VIR since 2019. It’s great to have them back this weekend, we know them and their driving styles so well. It’s important to have that continuity and chemistry. They know each other so well but they communicate differently about the car and it’s a good balance, to hear two different perspectives.

“The track time they’ve gotten this year with the WRL adds to their confidence – with 80 cars on track, you seldom get a clean lap so you have to figure out how to deal with that,” continued Russell. “They know what they need to do and where they need to place the car to get the lap time, so the process is easier. And this is one of our favorite tracks, it’s so well managed and user friendly in so many ways. It has everything as a track: different terrain, low and high-speed, long duration sweepers, style corners – and all of that in combination, so it’s super demanding and technical.”

As the team turns its focus to the final two IMPC races of the season, Ecklin appreciates both the racing and the business opportunities available at the IMSA weekends.

“As drivers, obviously the racing is our primary focus, and IMSA delivers such a good product week in and week out,” said Ecklin. “But from a marketing standpoint, we’re also here to get brand exposure (both for Stoner Car Care and Invisible Glass) and IMSA does a great job in that regard, both on and off the racetrack. Getting the fans back was so important, both for marketing and of course for the atmosphere on the weekends. We’re happy that they’re back!”

Part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Michelin GT Challenge at VIR, the VIRginia is for Racing Lovers Grand Prix takes the green flag Sunday at 2:10 p.m. Eastern. The race will be broadcast live in the U.S. on NBC Sports Gold’s TrackPass, while international viewers can watch via IMSA.tv. IMSA Radio will also be available at IMSA.com. NBCSN will broadcast a two-hour race recap, currently scheduled to air Thursday, October 14 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern (check local listings).

About Invisible Glass

Automatic Racing sees their way to victory with Invisible Glass, the top-selling automotive glass cleaner in the United States. The Invisible Glass product line includes aerosol and spray bottle cleaner, Invisible Glass with rain repellent for windshields and wiper blades. Find more online at https://www.invisibleglass.com/

About Stoner Car Care 

Stoner Car Care produces high-performance car washes, waxes, polishes, and dressings for auto enthusiasts and car care professionals. The Stoner Car Care line-up includes Invisible Glass, America’s #1 Automotive Glass Cleaner, along with many other appearance products. Whether driving, washing or waxing, Performance Matters! Stoner car care proudly formulates all of our product since 1942

About Automatic Racing

Based in Orlando, Automatic Racing is one of the longest-running teams in the paddock, forming in 2001 and competing in all but one of the 11 MICHELIN Pilot Challenge races at Daytona. The team has been developing, preparing and racing the prestigious Aston Martin Vantage GT4 since 2012. Automatic Racing won the 2017 MICHELIN Pilot Challenge title.

About Stoner Car Care

Stoner Car Care produces high-performance car washes, waxes, polishes, and dressings for auto enthusiasts and car care professionals. The Stoner Car Care line-up includes Invisible Glass, America’s #1 Automotive Glass Cleaner, along with many other appearance products. Whether driving, washing or waxing, Performance Matters! Stoner car care proudly formulates all of our product since 1942

About Automatic Racing

Based in Orlando, Automatic Racing is one of the longest-running teams in the paddock, forming in 2001 and competing in all but one of the 11 MICHELIN Pilot Challenge races at Daytona. The team has been developing, preparing and racing the prestigious Aston Martin Vantage GT4 since 2012. Automatic Racing won the 2017 MICHELIN Pilot Challenge title.

Atlanta Motor Speedway named “Escape to the Southeast Travel Attraction of the Year”

By
Official Release
-

HAMPTON, Ga. (Oct. 4, 2021) – Atlanta Motor Speedway has been named the Escape to the Southeast Travel Attraction of the Year for 2021. In addition to hosting motorsport races and the Georgia State Fair, Atlanta Motor Speedway adapted to the Covid-19 pandemic to present events that guests could enjoy from the safety of their cars. Over the last year, Atlanta Motor Speedway introduced Jurassic Quest, an interactive drive-in exhibit, drive-in concerts, and the most attended Georgia State Fair in its ten years at the venue.

The recognition was one of sixteen Shining Example Awards presented last week during Southeast Tourism Society’s annual Connections conference in Spartanburg, S.C.

The Shining Example Partnership Award for cooperative tourism work went to the Topside Tap Trail campaign created by Visit Sandy Springs, Visit Roswell, and Awesome Alpharetta. The trail included seven craft brewery locations to highlight North Fulton’s beer culture along the GA400 corridor.

The Shining Example Rising Star Award went to the Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau’s in-market strategist, Elizabeth Russell.

Rock City’s Enchanted Garden of Lights in Lookout Mountain, G.A. received the STS Top 20 Event or Festival of the Year Award. This award-winning event was sold out most nights, which allowed this event to continue its partnership with the local Ronald McDonald House in giving a portion of ticket proceeds to them.

Visit Macon received the Chairman of the Board Award.

The efforts, creativity, and success stories that were brought to life by tourism marketing teams always attract a lot of attention and earn multiple Shining Example awards. Three of these awards are based on budgets and one based on niche marketing. The winners of the Best Marketing Shining Example Awards are as follows:
• City of Gaffney (South Carolina) Marketing & Tourism won for its “There WILL Be Christmas in Gaffney” video (budget of less than $100,000).
• Destination Augusta (Georgia) won for its “Come See Augusta” campaign (budget of $100,000 – $499,000).
• Martin County (Florida) won for its “Missed Milestones” campaign (budget of more than $500,000).
• River Parishes (Lousianna) Tourist Commission won the Best Niche Marketing Award for its campaign “Andouille Trail.”
Some of the most coveted Shining Example Awards recognize the overall tourism success of destinations. This year’s winners include:
• Lake Martin Tourism Association was named the Tourism Office of the Year for organizations with budgets of less than $1 million.
• Discover Monroe-West Monroe was named the Tourism Office of the Year for organizations with budgets of more than $1 million.
• Visit North Carolina was named the State Tourism Office of the Year.
Five individuals received Shining Example Awards:
• The Beacon Award, which honors someone for their outstanding tourism leadership over a career, went to Herb Malone.
• The annual Government Tourism Leadership Award went to Mayor Nic Hunter of City of Lake Charles.
• The Best Epicurean Partner was awarded to Chef Rob Masone.
• The Dorothy Hardman “Spirit of STS” was awarded to the late Dr. Stephen Morse.

About STS
Headquartered in Roswell, Georgia, Southeast Tourism Society (STS) is an association that works to unite all segments of the travel and tourism industry through its four pillars of education, advocacy, recognition, and networking. Established in 1983, STS is an engaged network of members from 13 states and the District of Columbia including Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisianna, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Charlotte Motor Speedway Debuts First Series of Digital Collectibles on RaceDayNFT.com to Kick Off Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 Race Week

By
Official Release
-
  • 10,000 FREE Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 commemorative ticket NFTs, including 500 golden tickets, will be available today at 1 p.m. ET on RaceDayNFT.com
  • 500 limited-edition NFTs will be available for $20 each this Thursday, Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. ET
  • 2,500 exclusive At the Track NFTs will be available for Charlotte Motor Speedway guests to download on-site Oct. 9-10
  • A winner’s edition NFT will be available for auction following Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 race weekend

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 4, 2021) – Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) debuts the next generation of NASCAR collectibles with a digital series of NFTs to kick off event week for the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400. 10,000 FREE Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 commemorative ticket NFTs, including 500 golden tickets, will be available today at 1 p.m. ET on RaceDayNFT.com, a new fan-focused digital marketplace.

An additional Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 trophy blueprint NFT will be released on Thursday followed by a Winner’s Edition auction on Monday, Oct. 11. The CMS series will be Speedway Motorsports’ third collection of digital NFTs for fans to claim, buy, trade and resell at RaceDayNFT.com. The series showcasing America’s Home for Racing follows the launch of Speedway Motorsports’ digital NFTs by Bristol Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

An NFT (non-fungible token) is a unique digital collectible, such as an image or video, that is officially licensed and recorded on the blockchain to demonstrate proof of ownership. CMS’s debut collection includes the following:

  • FREE Collectible Ticket NFT: 10,000 commemorative Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 ticket NFTs, including 500 golden ticket NFTs*, will be available today at 1 p.m. ET for FREE at RaceDayNFT.com. Limited to one per account.
  • Limited-Edition NFTs: 500 Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 trophy blueprint NFTs will be available for $20 each, Thursday, Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. ET. There are no limits on purchasing.
  • At the Track NFTs: 2,500 CMS guests visiting between Oct. 9-10 are eligible to claim the FREE live image of America’s Home for Racing as the epicenter of motorsports NFT via a QR code. This NFT is available on property during race weekend only.
  • Winner’s Edition NFT: CMS will make one of two special-edition minted NFTs available following the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400. The online auction at RaceDayNFT.com begins Monday, Oct. 11 at noon ET through Thursday, Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. ET. One will be produced for the driver who wins the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 and an identical version will be sold at auction.
  • The next 2021 NASCAR Playoffs digital collection featured on RaceDayNFT.com will showcase the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series playoff races at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS). A new collection will be released in the marketplace during TMS’s race week, continuing to drive excitement toward another one of NASCAR’s most anticipated playoff events.

In partnership with GigLabs, Speedway Motorsports has created RaceDayNFT.com, a first-of-its-kind motorsports NFT marketplace for race fans. GigLabs helps enterprise brands build lasting relationships with consumers through NFT strategy, development and building personalized experiences through NFTs. GigLab’s proprietary NFT Bridge platform is being used by Speedway Motorsports to create and operate its NFT marketplace. NFT Bridge helps brands remove the complexity of smart contracts, blockchain integration, NFT token design and management and event services. To learn more, visit RaceDayNFT.com.

*Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 collectible ticket NFTs are NOT good for admission to the Oct. 10 NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at CMS.

TICKETS:

Adult tickets and camping for the Oct. 9-10 Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 race weekend can be purchased online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling 800-455-FANS. Tickets start at just $49 for adults and are just $10 for children ages 12 and under.

FOLLOW US:

Keep track of all of Charlotte Motor Speedway’s events by following on Twitter and Instagram or become a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

Mandalika Circuit ready for holding WorldSBK Championship: MGPA

By
Official Release
-
An aerial view of construction works at the Mandalika Circuit, Mandalika Special Economic Zone, in the Central Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Indonesia. (ANTARA FOTO/Ahmad Subaidi: 7/6/2021)

Mandalika Grand Prix Association (MGPA) CEO prepares for Nov 19-21 MOTUL World Superbike Championship

LOMBOK, INDONESIA – (ACN Newswire) – The major work and the infrastructure at Mandalika Circuit, Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara, is nearly 100 percent complete, stated Mandalika Grand Prix Association (MGPA) CEO Ricky Baheramsjah. Supporting facilities – and vaccinations – are being accelerated in a bid to ensure the success of the MOTUL World Superbike (WorldSBK) Championship to be held at the Mandalika Circuit on November 19-21.

For the first time since 1997, WorldSBK returns to Indonesia for the final round of the 2021 season, set to take place at Mandalika Circuit. “The main work and circuit infrastructure are complete. Now, we are focusing on the operational aspects, including deploying the circuit staff and medical team as well as ensuring that we have adequate equipment,” Baheramsjah said here on Saturday.

As of September 9, work on the supporting facilities had reached near 100 percent completion, comprising pit building, helipad and medical center which have reached 100 percent completion with the race control building being 92.25 percent complete. The tunnel spanning 65.57 meters in the Northern circuit and the 117.77 meter tunnel in the Southern circuit had also reached 99 percent completion as of Sept. 9.

As of August 4, the 17.36 kilometer bypass road linking Lombok International Airport with the Mandalika Tourism Special Economic Zone (KEK) had reached 81.17 percent completion. Meanwhile, access to the Circuit via the 748-meter road to Seger Beach and 244-meter road to Serenting Beach is ready.

In terms of COVID-19 vaccination, coverage in West Nusa Tenggara as of September 8, had reached 18.95 percent for the first dose and 9.84 percent for the complete dose. Baheramsjah noted that the provision of 1,025 million vaccine doses is being expedited to achieve 70 percent coverage. “Hence, we target 45 thousand people per day,” he stated.

The committee has also prepared for traffic management at Lombok entrances, such as Bangsal Port, Lembar Port, Gili Mas Port, Kayangan Port and Lombok International Airport. Connectivity between Surabaya, the capital of East Java, and Bali to Mandalika has been strengthened, including managing the parking zones. “We are cooperating with the NTB Land Transport Organization (Organda) and have provided 46 Damri (state-owned busses),” he stated.

The Circuit has received the praise of MotoGP legend Mick Doohan, who, while attending the pre-launch at the Mandalika Grand Prix Association on September 23, observed that the track would blur the distinction between racing and holidaying.

“I am afraid that racers will not be able to distinguish between racing and vacation. Because the concept of the Mandalika circuit can be called a race tour, so here, racers, spectators and all those involved in the Mandalika MotoGP can enjoy the atmosphere of the circuit concept that is attached to this beach,” Doohan remarked.

The former MotoGP racer, with world championship achievements during1994-1998, said that he considered the Mandalika circuit very challenging. “After seeing the track simulation and the layout, it is really great. It is a fast track, which means the race will be great and interesting for the drivers,” Doohan said.

“Changes occur quickly from one point to another. This means it will be a very tight race, the competition will be fierce and the riders will find racing on the circuit extraordinary. The winner will be determined on the last lap. Very interesting,” Doohan concluded.

Mandalika Grand Prix Association (MPGA) at www.themandalikagp.com, and
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcmf-Ot_hJlf7MF8nG-dQ3Q

Murillo Racing Clinches Pirelli GT4 America Silver-Class Championship as Conquest Racing West Secures Overall Pirelli GT4 Weekend Race-Win Sweep at Sebring International Raceway

By
Official Release
-

SEBRING, Florida – A pair of second-place finishes were enough for co-drivers Kenny Murillo and Christian Szymczak, and the No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 team, to clinch the 2021 Pirelli GT4 America Silver-class driver and team championships this weekend at Sebring International Raceway. Murillo’s titles are the first for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in national SRO America Championships competition and capped a successful two days of racing at Sebring that saw Conquest Racing West secure an overall race-win sweep of the weekend’s Pirelli GT4 America doubleheader. Sunday’s final day of competition at Sebring also saw Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams in the Fanatec GT World Challenge shake off race-one frustrations for podium finishes. Both Winward Racing and DXDT Racing secured second-place class finishes in Sunday’s 90-minute GT World Challenge race that closed out the weekend.

Murillo’s championships, which were clinched one race before the season-ending event in two weeks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, were earned with a class-leading tally of five race wins and a string of podium finishes in the year’s 12 races run to date.

This weekend’s pair of podium runner-up showings by Murillo backed up a dominating performance by the No. 35 Conquest Racing West Mercedes-AMG GT4 team, and co-drivers Michai Stephens and Colin Mullan, that broke through for a commanding race-win sweep of the weekend’s Pirelli GT4 America races. The Murillo entry finished second in the Silver class just behind Conquest in both race wins.

Conquest’s overall and Silver-class victories highlight a run of five-straight podium finishes by the No. 35 team and drivers since debuting in both the Pirelli GT4 series and with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing just three race weekends ago at Road America in late August.

At Sebring, Mullan took over from starting driver Stephens in Saturday’s race while Mullan in turn started Sunday’s finale before handing off to Stephens for the run to the checkered flag. Before stepping out of the No. 35 today, however, Mullan posted a top time of 2:12.859 (101.34 mph) on lap seven that held up as the fastest lap of the race.

Mercedes-AMG GT3 teams competing in the weekend’s featured Fanatec GT World Challenge powered by AWS doubleheader were able to get back on track Sunday after a challenging first race on Saturday.

After mechanical issues side lined both teams on Saturday, the No. 33 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 and No. 19 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 teams each rebounded for class podium runner-up showings Sunday.

Starting on the outside front row from the Pro-class pole position, Mikael Grenier maintained the class lead throughout his race-opening stint in the Winward No. 33 before pitting to hand off to co-driver Russell Ward.

Ward briefly led overall for little over a lap when he returned to the race but couldn’t hold off the charge of the eventual race winner with the No. 33 on cold tires. Ward still kept the pressure on to the checkered flag, crossing the finish line second in both the Pro class and overall.

In World Challenge Pro-Am competition, Erin Vogel and co-driver Michael Cooper shook off a Saturday DNF to finish second in class in the DXDT No. 19 on Sunday. Closing driver Cooper took the checkered flag a solid sixth overall and just 1.831 seconds behind the Pro-Am winner.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in SRO America competition is the 2021 finale weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, October 14 – 17, which also features the North American round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge.

Kenny Murillo, Driver – No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “For Sebring and Watkins Glen one race ago, we were staying out of trouble and not necessarily pushing too hard to make sure the car came back in one piece. We knew that we had a real shot at the championship with the Mercedes-AMG GT4, and we’re just thankful for the Mercedes-AMG support. For Murillo Racing, really everybody involved, this has just been an absolute blast. To be able to win a championship with the Mercedes-AMG GT4 is a real honor. We went for a survivability setup this weekend. We didn’t want to put ourselves in any danger. I think if we wanted to go a little bit faster, we would have loosened the car up a little bit, but we wanted a car we could safely race and not take any risks. We turned back the setup a little bit and really focused on the game plan, which was just finish ahead of the No. 22, our nearest competitor. Murillo Racing always does a good job of just executing the plan that we prepare so hard for. This is my first attempt at a full season. I’ve been a substitute driver for three years now, just doing a race or so every year. This is my first full season, and to be able to walk away with a championship in my first attempt, is so amazing. I’m just incredibly grateful for the opportunity. I have the best team behind me and wouldn’t want to run any other car with any other team.”

Christian Szymczak, Driver – No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “It’s great. It’s been a pleasure to drive with Kenny and work with him. For such a young guy, he’s got a mature head on his shoulders, and he drives well on top of that. We’re really stoked. This is what we set out to do and we achieved it. It’s super important for Kenny’s career, so I’m happy for him that we can get it done. I’ve actually learned quite a bit from him, even being the old guy on the team. The temptation in every race is to really just go for it, but we had to keep the championship in mind today. After a few laps at the start, I just backed off to make sure Kenny had a good car when I handed it off to him.”

Michai Stephens, Driver – No. 35 Conquest Racing West Mercedes-AMG GT4: “There is no “I” in team, and it starts with our great manufacturer Mercedes-AMG, and to all of the great people we have on hand at our disposal who nit-pick at the car’s true potential. What we’re looking to find is very much the optimum performance of the Mercedes-AMG GT4 ourselves, and that’s been a tremendous pairing. This has been a magical weekend, and whether it be a success or a loss, we learn from it every day. I personally did not come into the race thinking we could sweep, but I was convinced by the team that it was something to have the proper belief behind. The most unexpected part of the weekend was how the track developed over the duration of a race or a day. It started in one form and ended in another. That was not only session by session but day by day. It was really a battle of not over or under driving the conditions on track, and yet again the Mercedes-AMG GT4 does a beautiful job of relaying that to us in the cockpit.”

Colin Mullan, Driver – No. 35 Conquest Racing West Mercedes-AMG GT4: “It’s really amazing. When you put all the right pieces together things can fall into place. For us this weekend, everything just went right for. The racing gods smiled upon us, and we had a very quick Mercedes-AMG GT4 out there. This team has just done an amazing job in such a short time with this program to really get us up there and set the benchmark for the series. It’s been really amazing to work with this group of people, and thanks to John Farrow for putting this together and Eric Bachelart for assembling an amazing group of people to help run this program. We have some amazing brains behind this program. It’s been absolutely incredible and we’re really relishing this opportunity to stand on the top step of the podium twice in a weekend. Setting the fastest race lap early in the stint makes it even sweeter. We really focus on our long-run pace, and for Machai and I, we figured out some stuff driving-wise that really helps work for us on track compared to even some of the other Mercedes-AMG GT4 competitors out there. I can’t give away any secrets obviously, but we really figured out that long run pace, which is what helped us get these two wins this weekend.”

Russell Ward, Driver – No. 33 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It’s good to come here. I love this race track, and it’s awesome racing out there. The guys gave me an amazing car and the pit stop strategy was excellent. We came out in the lead, but I couldn’t hold on. Our main competitor pitted two laps earlier and his tires were up to temperature and he was just up to speed. I had a good battle with the third-place guy, but I managed to keep him behind and bring it home in second. It’s all about constantly improving. If you’re not always looking forward to how you can improve, you’re just going to start falling behind. There’s still one more step that could have been available for us today, but I’ll take second place.”

Erin Vogel, Driver – No. 19 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “DXDT Racing came through again today with another great finish for us. I learned a lot yesterday on the track and I brought that with me today. I knew I had the pace yesterday, but I just couldn’t find it and was over thinking it. Today I just wanted to get out there and drive and do what I knew I could do. Just be calm, collected and focused and it really paid off with our second-place finish today. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 is always a really great car in any condition, and we’ve had a lot of different conditions in the last couple of races, so it’s been a little bit to keep up with for me. I’m really feeling solid in the car and had a great weekend.”

DXDT Celebrates Double-Podium Weekend in Florida Sun

By
Official Release
-

SEBRING, Fla., (October 3, 2021) – DXDT Racing added two more podium finishes to the 2021 results tally this weekend at Sebring International Raceway. Racing in both the Fanatec GT World Challenge powered by aws and the TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School, the team celebrated two second-place finishes with drivers Erin Vogel and Michael Cooper in the No. 19 Mercedes AMG GT3 R, and Kevin Boehm in the No. 9 Honda Civic Type R.

The team will close out the year at the season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with five cars running in the GT World Challenge America, GT America, and TC America series. The event will take place October 15-17, and will be open to spectators.

GT World Challenge America powered by aws
Race one-handed the duo of DXDT cars 90 minutes filled with attrition. From the green flag, both teams struggled to keep pace on the challenging circuit. While both teams executed flawlessly and ran a smooth race, the pair of Mercedes AMG GT3s struggled to gain position. The No. 19 Mercedes AMG GT3 of Erin Vogel and Michael Cooper had climbed to fifth place, but a mechanical issue forced Cooper to pit early, ending the team’s day. The No. 63 Mercedes AMG GT3 of David Askew and Ryan Dalziel finished the race, coming in seventh place.

Putting a difficult race one behind them, the No. 63 of Ryan Dalziel and No. 19 of Michael Cooper regrouped, ready to start from eighth and tenth overall on Sunday afternoon. In the opening lap, as the field charged through the first handful of turns, the car in front of Dalziel unexpectedly braked hard, leaving the Mercedes nowhere to go but into the back of the machine ahead. Dalziel was able to continue with only bodywork damage but received a drive=through penalty after he gained three spots to race second in class. Michael Cooper stayed close to Dalziel on the start, going side by side with the No. 88 Lamborghini of Madison Snow, and taking the position to race from third in class and sixth overall. Following the No. 63’s penalty, Cooper advanced up to second but lost the position to the No. 93 Acura of Dakota Dickerson. Both cars pitted during the mandatory window at the halfway point, each executing flawless pitstops and driver changes. A full-course caution brought the field back together as the pit stops were finishing, allowing each car to fight for position. Erin restarted in the No. 19 from third place, and Askew and the No. 63 from sixth with 30 minutes remaining. The Porsche ahead of Vogel struggled with pickup on the tires and she took advantage, claiming second place. She immediately closed the gap to Taylor Hagler in first place, and finished race two in second place, earning her third podium of the year with co-driver Michael Cooper.

With one double-points event left, the team remains in the Team Championship hunt, with three entries against the one Wright Motorsports Porsche. Final championship points will be awarded at the three-hour mark of the Indianapolis 8 Hour, in which the team will enter all three Mercedes AMG GT3 cars. The driver lineups for the trio of DXDT Mercedes will be announced in the coming days.

DRIVER QUOTES

David Askew | Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 63 CrowdStrike/ DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
It was a challenging weekend for the team, but we stuck with it and tried to make the cars better. Erin Vogel had a good weekend, which culminated in a second-place finish on Sunday. She was battling with Taylor Hagler, the other female Am driver, and that in itself is awesome: to see two women battling for the lead. Ryan and I had a difficult weekend. We had a hard time getting the car up to speed, but we finally made some progress and felt we had a good car by race time on Sunday. Then an unfortunate incident in the opening lap damaged the car. But we soldiered on and got the car through the first stint. We got me in the car, I finished the race and was able to beat a few cars.

Ryan Dalziel | Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 63 CrowdStrike/DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
It was a tough weekend for the No. 63 car again. We just struggled to find a good balance most of the weekend. We started on the back foot with manufacturing a fault on a brake disk, that put us out most of day one. When we actually got on track, we were behind our competitors. Fortunately, we started making progress and today we would have a good car. The DXDT Racing guys worked hard last night and today to make big changes for us. Unfortunately, I got mixed up in an incident in lap one and ultimately got a drive-through penalty, though I feel the punishment didn’t fit the crime. But that’s racing and the mistake is on me. I don’t like to make them, so we have to regroup and come back stronger for Indy. I’m looking forward to that one. I think we’ll be really strong there. We were in a position to win last year until we had a mechanical issue. I’m looking forward to good things. We have a short turnaround, and the guys have a little bit of damage to fix, but I know that my crew appreciate that I left nothing on the table today. We’ll fix it and come back to Indy in a couple of weeks.

Erin Vogel | Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 19 CrowdStrike/DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
I learned so much in race one on Saturday and I was able to bring that into race two, and just got out there. We actually practiced some discipline and saved our sticker tires for today, so I felt like even though the restart was pretty sketchy with a lot of dust and dirt on the track, I had great tires and was able to hang up there with those guys in the first few laps; which is always the most important thing. I just tried to be really consistent and steady today. Yesterday I was overthinking some things and so I just wasn’t on the pace. Today I was up there on the pace I wanted to have and I’m just really happy with this result. To be on the podium again, the third time this season, is pretty special.

Michael Cooper |Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 19 CrowdStrike/ DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
That was a really good job by Erin and DXDT. She brought the car in clean and got us out on good tires just before the yellow in a good position. We even picked up one spot during Erin’s stint and chasing the leader there. A little more power and maybe we’d be walking away with the win. We’ll keep trying, we got one this year but we’d like to have another one.
TC America
Kevin Boehm’s performance of steady progression throughout the year continued at Sebring International Raceway, starting with him earning pole position in race one for TC America. He ran up front for the majority of race one until a competitor with a more advantageous setup managed to charge through the field from the rear to the front and take the win. In race two, Boehm started from fourth place, and climbed through the pack to race in first, but his race ended early after a damper broke, resulting in his first incomplete race of the season.

DRIVER QUOTE

Kevin Boehm | TC America
No. 9 CrowdStrike/DXDT Honda Performance Development Civic Type R TC
Sebring was an up and down event for me. It started off strong in qualifying with pole position. I led a bunch of laps in race one and eventually fell to the second position, where we finished. I’m really happy with that result, especially since we have struggled in hot races in the past. Race two started off strong as well from fourth. We were leading by the end of the first lap and stayed there for a while, but got passed by a couple of cars. We were racey and had a good chance of moving forward at the end of the race. But we had a mechanical problem on the car and were unable to finish. We’re working on fixing that now and we’ll be ready for Indianapolis.

ABOUT DXDT RACING
DXDT Racing is a high-performance sports car racing team founded in 2014 by team principal David Askew and located in Statesville, N.C. The Team’s primary focus is GT3 and Touring Car racing in North America. DXDT is a provider of turnkey racing support and delivers customized racing solutions for its clients and sponsors. DXDT is a performance-driven team comprised of highly experienced racing professionals capable of delivering wins and championships, including ten wins in GT World Challenge and a Rookie of the Year in 2020 alone. Follow the team on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for race season updates.

ABOUT CROWDSTRIKE®
CrowdStrike® Inc. (Nasdaq: CRWD), a global cybersecurity leader, is redefining security for the cloud era with an endpoint protection platform built from the ground up to stop breaches. The CrowdStrike Falcon® platform’s single lightweight-agent architecture leverages cloud-scale artificial intelligence (AI) and offers real-time protection and visibility across the enterprise, preventing attacks on endpoints on or off the network. Powered by the proprietary CrowdStrike Threat Graph®, CrowdStrike Falcon correlates over 2.5 trillion endpoint-related events per week in real time from across the globe, fueling one of the world’s most advanced data platforms for security. For more information, visit crowdstrikeracing.com

1...2,3322,3332,334...6,751Page 2,333 of 6,751