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CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION: ST. LOUIS – POST-RACE RECAP & QUOTES

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CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS
WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY RACEWAY, MADISON, ILLINOIS
SEPT. 26, 2021

Chevrolet adds to manufacturer points total with big day in Midwest

• Erica Enders wins fourth Pro Stock race of season, 33rd of her career
• Brittany Force’s 337.66 mph run is third-best all-time speed in Top Fuel
• Aaron Stanfield clinches Factory Stock Showdown title in COPO Camaro
• Ryan Montford earns Stock Eliminator Wally in COPO Camaro

MADISON, Ill. (Sept. 26, 2021) – Reigning Pro Stock champion Erica Enders can’t put her finger on why her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS has been so strong at World Wide Technology Raceway through the years.

“I don’t know but I love it. I don’t question it,” said Enders, who picked up her third consecutive victory at the racetrack by defeating National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Rookie of the Year candidate Dallas Glenn in the final of the NHRA Midwest Nationals.

The event, which was not held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, was the third round of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship.

Brittany Force’s streak of consecutive Top Fuel No. 1 qualifiers ended at eight, though the Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster qualifier No. 2 at 3.663 seconds. In her first-round elimination matchup, Force blistered the track in 3.641 seconds at 337.66 mph – the third-fastest speed in NHRA Top Fuel history and a track record. Force holds the top three all-time slots in speed, topped by the 338.17 mph run at Las Vegas in October 2019, and four of the top five.

Force lost in the quarterfinals on a holeshot to Justin Hart for the second consecutive event, which dropped the 2017 champion to second in the standings.

John Force remained third in the Funny Car standings after falling in the semifinals in the PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS. He defeated teammate Robert Hight, the No. 7 qualifier in the AAA Missouri Camaro SS, in the first round.

Enders, who earned her class-leading fourth victory of the season and 33rd of her career, overcame Glenn’s .001-of-a-second reaction time to win by two-thousandths of a second. Glenn, driving the RAD Torque Systems Camaro SS for KB Racing, has two wins in four final-round appearances through 13 races.
“I knew it was going to be close. I think I was shoving the throttle pedal through the firewall, but thanks to Elite Performance that make it possible,” said Enders, who is second in points with three races left.

Points leader Greg Anderson will have to wait two weeks before resuming his pursuit of becoming the all-time leader in Pro Stock victories as the No. 1 qualifier in the HendrickCars.com Camaro SS fell on a holeshot in the quarterfinals to Mason McGaha in the Harlow Sammons of Odessa Camaro SS. Anderson, who a week earlier tied Warren Johnson for the class lead with 97 wins, moved to seven round wins of Johnson for second on the all-time NHRA list.

Aaron Stanfield, driving the Janac Brothers Racing Chevrolet COPO Camaro, clinched his second consecutive Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown championship in the first round of eliminations and went on to earn his second Wally of the season. He defeated Len Lottig in an all-COPO Camaro final.

“It was a long, hard fight. We struggled some throughout the year, but at this race we started to turn it around a bit and found a little bit of power,” said Stanfield, the No. 1 qualifier at World Wide Technology Raceway. “I can’t thank my dad, my uncle – all of us work so hard in the shop – and Joe and David Janac and all they do for me. I could never dream of winning two championships in a row in this class. It’s pretty cool to win the championship and the race on the same day.”

Stanfield, 26, of Bossier City, Louisiana, won five of the six Factory Stock Showdown races in 2020 in the COPO Camaro. Drivers of the COPO Camaro have won six of the seven races in the eight-race series this season. David Barton, Jesse Alexandra, Chuck Watson II, John Cerbone and Stephen Bell have also notched victories.

Ryan Montford of Wichita, Kansas, earned his third national event victory and first in five years, driving his Omaha Track COPO Camaro to victory in Stock Eliminator.

“Couldn’t feel better to be back on this stage,” he said. “We took a break for a couple of years and didn’t run a lot of national events or divisionals and started back up again this year to do what we like to do.”

The Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex in Ennis will host Round 4 of the Countdown to the Championship on Oct. 8-10. FS1 will telecast eliminations at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Oct. 10.

FS1 will telecast eliminations live at 2 p.m. ET, Sunday, Oct. 10.

An interview with Pro Stock winner ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (fourth win of season):

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS PLACE?
“I don’t know but I love it. I don’t question it. Steve (Torrence) and I were just talking about it. We’ve been coming here since we were kids, dragging our trailers with our Super Comp dragsters, so we’ve been doing this for 20-plus years. It’s a blast.”

IN THE FINAL, YOU HAD TO KNOW HE WAS RIGHT THERE.
“I did. I knew it was going to be close. I think I was shoving the throttle pedal through the firewall, but thanks to Elite Performance that make it possible. It makes me feel happy.”

WHAT A DAY POINTS-WISE.
“We’re looking forward to keeping that No. 1. We just needed Greg (Anderson) to stumble a little bit and we needed to go to work on making our program better. I needed to go to work behind the steering wheel; I’ve been struggling a little bit lately. Tim Freeman and Mark Ingersoll, my crew chiefs, said (.010-of-a-second reaction time) you can’t lose. I was 10, I don’t know how. Dallas (Glenn) was .001; these kids are keeping us honest and making us work for it. (The chase for the title) is going to be a dogfight. My crew works their tails off and have had to elevate me. They’ve dug deep, they’ve picked me up, stood behind me. We were able to park this Camaro in the winner’s circle today and that’s all that I care about.”

An interview with Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown race winner and champion AARON STANFIELD, JANAC BROTHERS RACING CHEVROLET COPO CAMARO:

YOU HAD QUITE THE WEEKEND.
“It was a really good weekend. The competition is tough right now. The Chevys are obviously running really fast. It was good to qualify No. 1 and come out on top.”

DO YOU GET MORE PRIDE FROM THE CAR RUNNING AS FAST AS IT DOES OR FROM DOING THE JOB INSIDE?
“I definitely can say I take a lot of pride on how the car runs. That’s part of the reason why I enjoy this class. It’s something that we’ve worked really hard to do well in.”

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO STAY FOCUSED WHEN YOU NOT ONLY HAVE YOUR CAR BUT OTHER CUSTOMERS?
“I’ve been able to figure out how to deal with all that. We all work really hard and work really well together, so that’s a big help. The Janac brothers have blessed me with the opportunity to drive this hot rod.”

CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT

TOP FUEL:

BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 2 qualifier, fell in quarterfinals): “Tough day for this Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac team, getting beat in the second round. We had a hole out, but I also wasn’t there on the starting line. There’s still four races left in this Countdown and that’s plenty of time for us to regroup and move forward.”

FUNNY CAR:

JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK ANTIFREEZE & COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 10 qualifier, fell in semifinals): “Well, we went some rounds, kept ourselves up there in the points. My guys, this PEAK team. They’ve worked hard, four races in a row, it ain’t easy. Big picture, we’re OK. Four races left and we’re still in the hunt for this championship.”

ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AAA MISSOURI CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 7 qualifier, fell first round to John Force): “Rough day for this AAA team. We had a good car, made some mistakes. I think if we keep our heads down, keep doing what we know how to do, including myself in that, we could still pull this off. There’s still time.”

PRO STOCK:

GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier, fell in quarterfinals): “”It feels great to be No. 1, but it’s such a slim edge. Anyone can win. You have to be perfect every time you go out there: on the tree, on the clutch and with the engine. On top of that, the good Lord has to be watching over you, and you have to have some luck.” (About teammates Dallas Glenn and Kyle Koretsky) “I’m proud of the racers they’ve become, the way they pay attention, and the way they watch what’s going on. They bend and they flex, they never get out of the game, and they bounce back in a hurry. It’s impressive to watch, but it’s tough going up against these guys. They’ve pushed me to be better, and I have no choice. They don’t fear anything, so you have to find a way to be better or go home.”

DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 3 qualifier, runner-up): “This Camaro has always been good here. I knew Erica (Enders) was going to be really tough in the final, so I just made a big, bold move on my clutch pedal and it almost worked. I felt like I was ahead until about 5 feet from the finish line. It was a good race, congrats to them. I can’t complain about a final round.”

BO BUTNER, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 12 qualifier, fell in first round): “My deal with Johnson’s Horsepower Garage, that’s a 2022 deal that we’ll debut at the first Pro Stock race next year. It’s going to be a big deal and I’m really excited about it. You might see me in Vegas or Pomona, but that’s still really up in the air. I mean, it’s a good thing to get some runs in and be back out here, but my main focus is on our program next year with Jason Johnson and Johnson’s Horsepower Garage. We’ve got a lot of things in the works.”

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.

CHEVROLET NTT INDYCAR SERIES – STREETS OF LONG BEACH-LONG BEACH GRAND PRIX-SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN CAPTURES ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR TITLE

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
ACURA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH
STREETS OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA
SCOTT MCLAUGLIN WINS ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR
SEPT. 26, 2021

Chevrolet powers McLaughlin to Rookie of the Year title
Team Penske driver impresses in first NTT INDYCAR SERIES season

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 26, 2021) – He’s a long way from New South Wales, Australia, and the familiarity of the cockpit of the Australian Supercar he has driven to 56 race wins and three championships. But Scott McLaughlin has taken to American open-wheel racing and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with remarkable determination and the ability to maximize his impressive skill set.

At times it wasn’t easy — it’s a leap from sedan racing, although competition is on both road and street courses — to single-seat, open-cockpit, open-wheel IndyCars. And he is undoubtedly his biggest critic.

McLaughlin, who completed his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES season with 11th- place finish in the No. 3 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet on the Streets of Long Beach, has won the INDYCAR Rookie of the Year title.

“I’m really proud of everyone on the PPG Chevy,” said McLaughlin. “I think the car has been awesome, and I finally got it to my liking the last six or seven races. So, I’m really proud of everyone at Team Penske and I’m really excited for next year. This year was a foundation year; all about building and I feel like I’ve done that. Hopefully I can be a little bit further up next year.”

The native of Hamilton, New Zealand, made the move from competing for Team Penske in Australian Supercars to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. McLaughlin quickly showed adaptability in handling the 1,700-pound race car with Chevrolet’s powerful 2.2-liter V-6, direct-injected, twin-turbocharged engine.

“Congratulations to Scott McLaughlin on winning the 2021 INDYCAR Rookie of the Year award,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president Motorsports and Performance. “It was impressive how quickly he adapted to racing in the IndyCar Series. Scott combined his incredible skills with an absolute openness to learn every time he drove the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet in a test, practice or race. We are so proud to have Scott as part of Team Chevy and look forward to continued success in the 2022 season.”

Starting the season at Barber Motorsports Park, McLaughlin garnered two top-five finishes, including runner-up on the Texas Motor Speedway oval, and five top 10s. Romain Grosjean (one pole and one podium) and Jimmie Johnson were the other first-year drivers.

McLaughlin was the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Race with a top-20 qualifying and finishing effort. He made his inaugural appearance in the Firestone Fast Six for the first race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and led first laps at Portland, Oregon.

McLaughlin will begin his second season in the Team Penske Chevrolet on Feb. 27, 2022, on the Streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES POST RACE ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR PRESS CONFERENCE

THE MODERATOR: What a 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Wrapping up not only the year, but obviously the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Congratulations to our 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Rookie of the Year. In the end it was a 33-point advantage over Romain Grosjean as Scott McLaughlin got it done.

Overall your thoughts about the day and perhaps more importantly winning the Rookie of the Year.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, I think you get one shot to win this. It’s a proud moment regardless to win it. My ultimate goal was potentially top 12, top 10 in the championship. You always strive for more. To win the Rookie of the Year, it will sit with me forever and no one can ever take it away from me.
Today we took a little bit of a punt just with the strategy at the start, staying out. Would have worked out if there wasn’t another quick yellow. Unfortunately there was. We pitted obviously. It put us back to sort of 22, 23. After that it was all just about trying to make the most of what we had. We moved our way forward all the way to 11th.
Overall towards the end of the season, since probably St. Louis, potentially before that, I felt like I’ve had a good stranglehold on the car. I’ve come in leaps and bounds in terms of my confidence with the care. It really sets me up well for 2022.
Qualifying is skill my Achilles’ heel right now, with the different compounds, getting used to that tire-wise. I’m happy. I had a year that’s had its ups and downs, overperformed, under performed, had a podium, close to having some semi-good results at the Indy 500. I’ve really enjoyed it.

Proud of this year because it could have gone one of two ways. It’s been a big challenge for me and my wife to come back across here, order a couch, took four weeks to get a couch, then you sit on bean bags for a while, testing, doing a lot of different things. It’s been a lot of things off and on the track and just really proud to get through it with some success at the end of it.

THE MODERATOR: You can’t test at a place like Long Beach or the street courses. Last year I remember a chilly Indianapolis Motor Speedway, your first opportunity to run in a car. It’s been quite a transition for you this year.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, if I think back to that point, where I was when I was then, to where I am now, confidence levels, how I feel in the car, it’s completely different. This is my first ever open-wheel championship. The only thing I’ve driven is two races in a Formula Ford. This is a different kettle of fish, probably the most competitive series in the world. To compete with these guys, girls, Simona, at the Indy 500 is a privilege.
I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s made me better. I certainly feel like I’m a better racing driver even though I’m finishing the solidly finishing in the back edge of the 12. But I feel better and I’m excited for what’s ahead.

THE MODERATOR: We’ll take questions.

Q. Can you comment on the excitement around the young talent in INDYCAR.
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, I think it’s exciting for the category. You look at Alex, who just won the championship. Big congrats to him. A second-year guy just made it all happen and the most of his opportunity at Ganassi. Pato and Rinus. Both won this year. Pato nearly won the championship. It’s exciting. Colton obviously winning today.
INDYCAR is in such a good set right now, it’s getting ready to go. I’m excited for these young guys to come through. I certainly believe that someone like Pato or Colton, they’re good enough for Formula 1. They’re good enough to take it to the very top. I’m not saying this isn’t it, but I think you’d be hard-pressed to find them wanting to leave.
INDYCAR is so good right now, it’s such a good category. I can’t see it getting any smaller. It’s just going to get bigger and bigger. The fan base as well. I think that’s exciting.

Q. Where did you finish in the championship in the end? 12th?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I think. I think around there. I really don’t know.

Q. What would you say is a realistic target for next year or are you just thinking in terms of wins or podiums?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I think top 10 in the championship, for sure, I need to be pushing there, getting results in the top 10. I think we’ve got that merit. I think we took a few risks on strategy the last few races because of where we were in the championship, we had nothing to lose.
Next year, would we have taken that yellow at the start? Probably. Then we probably would have been a lot further up. But it’s exciting where I am and, like, where I feel. I certainly believe in my mind that I can be right there in that top eight, really be contesting for wins and podiums more regularly.
I’ve still got a lot to learn. I think this year, being able to go back to all these tracks that I learnt, I feel, yeah, it’s going to feel amazing.

Q. A massive focus at Penske on the 500. On the other hand there’s nowhere in the world where second place means less, right?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Maybe Bathurst (laughter).

Q. Would you say, given your performance this year at the 500, a victory there is on the cards?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Oh, I’m going next year to Indy with the idea of winning. I’m going to be in a car that can win the race. I know I’m quick there. I know I’m quick on ovals. I feel like I’ve got a handle on it. It’s just a matter of having a good month, building up to it. Dotting my Is, crossing my Ts, not speeding in pit lane. That really hampered me. I think we were on for a top five.
I feel like this whole rookie thing could have been sealed a lot longer if I could have finished where I was going to finish at the Indy 500. I was infatuated with the Bathurst 1000 before I won it. Now I’m infatuated with the Indy 500. With my wife, I’ll watch old Indy 500s on tele, YouTube videos, watch anything at the end of the day. I just will be infatuated with it until I go good there and get a result. Certainly I want to get there next year.

THE MODERATOR: 14th overall in the championship this year.
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Oh, damn it. Must have been close.
THE MODERATOR: Yes.

Q. Is there one memory that stands out from this year?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I think you have to go back to Texas, following Scottie there. I certainly didn’t think I’d be in that position. I thought we could have been easily top five. To be battling for the win almost, really chasing him till the end, that was a good feeling.
I think also starting my first Indy 500, there’s nothing better. Rolling out and seeing all the fans. Every driver in the intro room was saying, Wait till you see it next year when it’s full. I can’t wait. What I saw, 50% or whatever it was, it’s going to be off the chain. I’m really excited for that.

Q. Out of all these tracks, they were all new this year, is there one that really stood out as a track you felt comfortable at and enjoyed? How has life been in the U.S. by comparison to living down this way?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: To be honest, I really enjoyed Laguna Seca. I felt really comfortable there. Felt like we had a really good car. Out of all the street tracks, I feel like this one’s probably my favorite. Out of the ovals, obviously Indianapolis was probably my favorite obviously just for obvious reasons.
In terms of living in America, it’s just a whole lot bigger. New Zealand, it’s a beautiful place, but the amount of people and things you can do here, I think no disrespect to the Americans, I feel like they take for granted what they have here. It’s such an amazing country. I feel privileged to live here. I feel privileged to have the opportunity to potentially go a Green Card and permanent residency. I also feel privileged to have a passport in New Zealand to go home whenever I want. Miss my home terribly. Miss my mom and dad. They haven’t seen me in the INDYCAR in the flesh yet. It’s been on the box, watching on TV. They’re my biggest fans. I can’t wait for them to be at the Indy 500 next year.

Q. What can you take from this season to go forward into next year to come out with a better result?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Like I’ve said, I need to get qualifying sorted and understand the tire. The hardest thing for me here is I’ve been so used in the super car extracting qualifying, you only had one lap to do it basically. The peak of the tire, you learnt that quite quickly, how to get it to its peak early enough in the lap to do a really good lap time over one lap.
Here the laps — your fastest lap sometimes happens on lap two, three, potentially lap four. Trying to get the tire to come on at the very perfect, right time is very difficult and hard to understand or explain.
But that will be certainly what I work on in the off-season, trying to understand. But I think I’ve slowly got it. It’s just the guys that have got it sorted, the guys that have been around for many years, even guys like Romain who have been on different compounds for a long time, they’ve got it sorted. I have to work hard to make it to that point.
If I can get qualifying sorted, I feel like I’m as good as many people in the race.

Q. What was it that attracted you to INDYCAR?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: The opportunity to race for Team Penske, probably the most world famous team, one of the most world famous teams in the sport of motorsports. To drive for Roger in INDYCAR is pretty special. To then race at tracks like this, race the Indy 500, events that I’ve watched since I was a little kid, that’s certainly special.
It’s just, yeah, an opportunity to try something completely different. I have so many bad habits from my super car days that have hampered me this year, so I think that’s why I’ve gone good on the oval because I’ve never been on an oval before, so I’ve got no bad habits.
The road course stuff, it’s just completely different. I don’t have a roof over my head anymore. I’ve got a windscreen, but it’s different. I have open-wheels. I’m not banging doors any more. I can’t bang doors because if I do that, I’m going to be in a lot of trouble. It’s a lot of hard work trying to understand, trying to portray that to the media and the public. I’ve enjoyed the transition, feel like I’ve done an okay job.

Q. If I’m not mistaken, I believe you are the very first Rookie of the Year winner from Team Penske, probably the only thing they didn’t win in INDYCAR yet. What did you feel about racing for Team Penske in your first season?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I think it just shows that Roger doesn’t really employ rookies (smiling).
I feel privileged to be in that position. But I also feel a bit vulnerable. Look, it’s a proud moment. Like I said, you get one chance to win this Rookie of the Year. I was lucky to win Rookie of the Year at Indy, Rookie of the Year this year in the championship. Any time you’re winning for Roger in any way, shape or form he’s happy. Yeah, hopefully it’s just a little bit of job security (smiling).

Q. You got your best result of the year in second place at Texas on an oval. Was it a surprise to you? What do you feel is your comfort level on these tracks now?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: If we had qualifying and I was able to qualify, I feel like we could have qualified in the top five. I felt really strong on the ovals, like I said. Especially at Texas. I was a bit bummed not to qualify that race. Then we started 15. That’s where it was a surprise because I was just surprised. We made our way through, had really good speed on the in and out laps. I don’t really know what to expect on the in and out laps. One of my first times heading into pit road at speed because it had rained over practice, qualifying and stuff.
It was one of those things where I just trusted my instincts, trusted my talent, my feelings. It worked really good. So the minute after that, I was like, Well, if I can maximize that, I can be better and better. I started overdriving. I sort of am back to where I felt at Texas, where I’m letting it all happen, enjoying it.
Yeah, that was definitely a pivotal moment for me this year, something I really enjoyed.

Q. After racing in touring cars in Australia and New Zealand for many years, is this what you expected or were there some things that surprised you?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: No, no, there was certainly — I think how hard it’s been to extract the speed on the red and the black tire in qualifying. I found it easier to do it in practice because you have I guess an unlimited amount of laps. If you make a mistake, you can get away with it. In qualifying you simply can’t. The battles are so close, so tight, you can’t afford to make any mistakes.
I’m surprised with the competitiveness of the category, I think everyone has. This year it’s been crazy close, you just can’t make mistakes. That’s why we go racing. We take the risks to get faster and faster and I feel good.

Q. Do Supercars have a Rookie of the Year title? I assume you won it in 2013?
SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, they do. It’s called the Mike Kable Young Gun Award, unfortunately named after a guy that passed away. I won that, which was pretty special, too. I guess you can say I’ve won in all the categories I competed in, which is nice.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. You’re a rookie no longer.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Thank God.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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.

Meyer Shank Racing’s Hard Charging Harvey Finishes Seventh in Long Beach

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#60: Jack Harvey, Meyer Shank Racing Honda

Both MSR Indy Cars lead laps during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Long Beach, Calif. (26 September 2021) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) closed out the 2021 NTT INDYCAR season in strong fashion in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, with both team entries leading the race at different stages on their way to seventh and 20th place finishes.

Jack Harvey – who started 25th – raced to finish seventh in the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda. The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is the second consecutive race that Harvey has was the hard charger of the race after advancing 18 positions.

After starting from the second row and leading 14 laps, Helio Castroneves’ race was ultimately bound to a 20th place result in the No. 06 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda.

After 47 races together and many accomplishments later, Harvey took his final laps with MSR on Sunday. To close out his five year run with the team, Harvey redeemed himself from an unfortunate qualifying incident which forced him to start from the back of the 27 car field.

Strategy calls from the box sent Harvey into pit lane for his first of two pit stops on lap 25 for a set of new alternate tires. Just 20 laps later, Harvey broke into the top five and ultimately raced to the lead before pitting on Lap 56. With a full tank of fuel, it was full attack to the finish. With the top five in sight, Harvey made every attempt to move through the field, but with every car ahead on the same fuel strategy, he crossed the line with an impressive seventh place finish.

“Today was an emotional day,” said Harvey. “I don’t really have many words to be honest. I’ve been with MSR for five years now and I think we have really grown together since uur first race back in 2017. To finish the season, and my last race with the team with a seventh place finish, I couldn’t be happier. There are a lot of things going through my head right now, but I’m forever grateful for what this team has done for me.”

Castroneves converted his best qualifying result of the season (third) into a run at the front of the pack in the early stages of the 85-lap race. Castroneves took the No. 06 MSR machine to the front of the field and led for 14 laps.

A pair of caution periods had the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner well-placed to take advantage of a range of fuel strategies. But with a long green flag run forcing a green flag stop, the popular Brazilian-born racer found himself deep in the 28-car field.

Despite some strong pit work from the MSR team and good pace on the Firestone tires, the final stages of the race didn’t provide enough opportunity to move forward as Castroneves had hoped and he ended the race 20th.

“In a strategy situation, I leave it up to the team to make the call,” said Castroneves. “The strategy call was a little bit of a gamble, but I thought that the strategy may have played in our favor. The car overall was really great and it’s no question that this was great preparation for next year.”

The checkered flag marked not only the conclusion of the season, but also a big weekend for Meyer Shank Racing which led both the IMSA WeatherTech race on Saturday as well as leading the INDYCAR race on Sunday, as well as playing host to a large contingent of AutoNation guests.

The team is already making preparations for the 2022 INDYCAR season and will be making announcements about team plans in the near future.

Crawford wraps up inaugural F3 campaign with strong fifth at Sochi

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Jak Crawford #10 Hitech GP, during round seven of the FIA Formula 3 Championship at Sochi Autodrom, in Russia on September 24 - 26, 2021. Image via Red Bull Content Pool

SOCHI, Russia (26 Sept. 2021) – Jak Crawford put lessons learned in his rookie season to make a strong finish in his inaugural FIA Formula 3 campaign, with the Red Bull Junior Team taking fifth on the final lap of the season at Sochi.

“The final race was really good, one of my best races of the season,” said the driver of the No. 10 Hitech Dallara Mecachrome. “We had some big battles in the first half of the race, and I had some of the best pace on track in the end. That was a good end to the season.”

The 16-year-old Formula 1 prospect from Texas – the youngest driver in the series – started 10th and demonstrated maturity by taking three positions at the start and then gradually working his way through the field.

“Race 3 was hectic the first couple of laps,” he said. “But when I got on my own, I was one of the quickest on track. I was happy with my speed at the end, and I got to fifth on the last lap. It was a good race for me, and I’m happy with the result.”

Crawford set the tone of the weekend by setting the 10th-fastest time in qualifying. The result marked another chapter in his continued improvement in this key segment of the F3 race weekends. Crawford improved over the season, with fifth at Red Bull Ring his best result.

At the Russian circuit on Friday, Crawford was seventh prior to a red flag midway through the 30-minute qualifying session. He improved to fourth, running 1:54.871-seconds with five minutes remaining, and even though he improved to 1:54.853-seconds on his final lap, the time placed him 10th on the session.

“It was a weird weekend,” Crawford said. “Qualifying was difficult. There was a lot of traffic, with the red flag and everything, plus it was very windy, as well. But in the end, qualifying in the top 10 put us in a good position for Race 1.”

By qualifying tenth, Crawford started third on the inverted grid for Race 1 – an event moved from Saturday morning to Friday evening due to anticipated inclement weather conditions. He got away in third at lights-out, racing against champion-elect Hauger. Crawford fell to fifth on lap 10 of 20, and gradually slipped back to an 11th-place result.

“In race one, we just didn’t have the pace, and I pushed too hard against faster cars in the beginning and wore out my tires too much,” he explained. “It was just a bit downhill in Race 1. We had the pace for the podium, anyway, but with my front tires degrading, it just made it worse.”

Saturday began with thunder and lightning at the circuit, forcing cancellation of Race 2.

“Race 2 was cancelled because of the terrible weather,” he said. “That was a shame, as we would have started P2 and up front in the wet I would have excelled such as in Spa.”

Crawford’s best finish of the year was second in Race 1 at Spa Francorchamps in August and he also scored points in all three races in the most recent race at Zandvoort, placing seventh, fourth and eighth. The win that got away was at the Red Bull Ring in Race 2 when his motor blew when running at the front of the field.

“We left a lot of points on the table,” Crawford said of his F3 rookie season. “I really think a top 10 was definitely achievable. With some better luck, less mistakes, and a better car at some tracks I would have done better, but there were a lot of good things that have me looking forward to next year.”

Crawford will wrap up his 2021 season in the Euroformula Open finale on Oct. 22-24. He has four poles in as many attempts in the series, with six victories, two seconds and 10 fastest race laps.

“Barcelona isn’t my favorite track in the world, but we’ll see,” said Crawford, who slipped a position in the EFO standings after missing this weekend’s race at Monza due to the Sochi conflict. “Missing a bunch of rounds, 8-9 races in total, didn’t help me in the championship, but I just want to finish up a good season and win as many races as possible. That’s the goal.”

Chris Dyson Clinches Trans Am Title at VIR

By
Official Release
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Lee Saunders returns to winning ways in SGT at VIR

ALTON, Va. (26 Oct. 2021) – Chris Dyson kept his rivals’ problems in his rear-view mirror Sunday at Virginia International Raceway, cruising to a flag-to-flag victory to provisionally claim the 2021 Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli TA championship. (VIDEO: Dyson Dominates VIR on way to TA Title (Race Highlights) – YouTube)

Driving the No. 20 ALTWELL CBD Ford Mustang, Dyson took his seventh victory of the season and 13th of his career to take an insurmountable lead into the season finale. Dyson earned the ChillOut Moment of the Race for his moves holding off Ernie Francis Jr. for the win.

“That race was amazing, and being named champion hasn’t set in yet, but I do know it’s a profound relief,” said Dyson. “We were able to stay up front, and just dominate, that’s the way to win it.

“I am just honored to be in the series,” continued Dyson. “This is one of the most historic, prestigious road racing series in North America, it has world-wide recognition and seasoned, superb competition out there. These are the fastest, most badass cars, and I just want to thank God for my chance to race. To add this to my other championship, and to become a Trans Am champion is a dream come true. I hope my dad is proud of me.”

Boris Said took second, 30.137 -seconds behind in the No. 2 Weaver Racing/Technique/SRI Dodge Challenger.

“We just didn’t have anything for the top guys today,” explained a defeated Said. “Pancho (Weaver) usually builds a great car, but today we just had some issues with the back of the car, maybe the suspension. But, this track, no matter where you’re at, is a blast to drive, especially this car. It wasn’t that fun to come in second, I really wanted to beat Chris (Dyson), but I guess second is OK.”

Third went to Ken Thwaits, who finished one lap down in the No. 5 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro. The 2020 XGT champ, Thwaits was also the Masters winner and stood on the overall TA podium for the first time.

Alone at the end, Dyson had plenty of pressure for the opening 20 laps.

Tomy Drissi ran second behind Dyson in the early laps before making a series of four pit stops in the No. 8 Lucas Oil Camaro as Burtin Racing attempted to fix an aerodynamic issue. On the fourth stop, Drissi stepped out of the car, ending his title hopes.

“I know we had the car to battle with (Chris) Dyson today,” said Drissi, who entered the race 46 points in arrears. “We’ve just been fighting this aerodynamic problem with the front end. We’re always pushing aerodynamics, and they worked until midnight last night trying to fix it. It was a problem in qualifying, but we usually get it right for the race. Yesterday it shook like crazy, but we thought we had it right. It felt right at the start of the race, I almost got into Dyson at the old Oak Tree. But we’ve had tough luck this season, some monumental failures.”

Moments after Drissi got out, fourth-place Simon Gregg pulled off at the back pits, his race over in the No. 59 Peter Gregg Foundation Chevrolet Camaro.

At that point, Francis Jr. took up the fight in the No. 98 Future Star Racing Ford Mustang, pulling to within a half-second of Dyson for the next dozen laps. Then, on Lap 21, Dyson checked up to avoid a lapped car and Francis Jr. hit the rear of the ALTWELL CBD Mustang. Francis Jr. slowed and went to the pits. He retired with loss of his power steering cooler and crash damage, his bid for an eighth-consecutive Trans Am title officially over.

“Ernie was biding his time behind Chris,” said Ernie Francis Sr. “Coming up to some lapped traffic, someone was not watching what they were doing in front of Chris. Chris locked up his brakes, and Junior had nowhere to go and got into Chris.”

The event went yellow on the fourth lap and would stay that way for five laps when Matthew Butson went off in the No. 24 Ave Motorsports Corvette in Turn 8.

Running for the fourth time this season, 2020 SGT champion Lee Saunders took his first victory of the year in the No. 84 Landsearch LLC Dodge Viper. Paul Fix, making his SGT debut in the No. 29 Ave Motorsports Audi R8, took the lead on the second lap. Saunders returned the favor in Turn 1 on the Lap 9 restart, going to the inside and taking the lead he held for the remainder of the event.

“It’s fantastic to be back,” said Saunders. “What a beautiful day, we couldn’t ask for anything better. It was awesome to see the mix out there. I had some great battles with Paul (Fix), and Milton (Grant) put it into high gear and was flying today. It was a lot of fun to be back.”

Milton Grant finished second, 18.347 -seconds back in the No. 55 Sentry Self Storage/Fairfield Inn Porsche 991.1. Fix took third, followed by Carey Grant –Milton’s son – in the No. 6 Grant Racing 2 Porsche 991 GT3 Cup.

It was Milton’s third-consecutive podium, and the third time in his career that he finished second. He was also the Masters winner.

“I am shocked, the crew told me I finished fifth overall, and that was unbelievable,” said Milton. “I was just out there digging away. I want to thank Jesus Christ for this beautiful day for racing.”

The VIR weekend concludes with the TA2® race at 3:35 p.m. ET. The final races of the National 2021 campaign will be at Austin’s Circuit of The Americas on Nov. 5-7. The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli West Coast Championship will hold its penultimate round at Utah Motorsports Campus Oct. 8-10.

VeeKay to remain at Ed Carpenter Racing for 2022 IndyCar season

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo credit: Joe Skibinski (Penske Entertainment).

With the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series season set to conclude, Ed Carpenter Racing confirmed that Rinus VeeKay will be remaining with the organization and as a full-time driver of the No. 21 Dallara-Chevrolet for the 2022 IndyCar season.

The 21-year-old native from Hoofddorp, Netherlands, is campaigning in his second full-time season in the IndyCar Series. He notched his first career win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in May 2021 after leading 33 of 85 laps and beating pole-sitter Romain Grosjean. Since his first IndyCar win, he achieved another podium result after finishing second in the first of a Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader feature in June and four additional top-10 results, including an eighth-place result in the 105th annual running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May. Despite being absent for the Road America event in June due to sustaining injuries from a cycling accident, he is currently ranked in 11th place in the standings, trailing the top-10 mark by a single point.

The 2022 IndyCar Series season will mark VeeKay’s third full-time stint in the series, with the season set to commence at the Streets of St. Petersburg in Florida on February 27.

“I am very excited to have another season with Ed Carpenter Racing,” VeeKay said. “We made so much progress this year. I had my first win in INDYCAR and made many great memories. Next year, we can be better than we’ve ever been. We want to be championship contenders, to go for even better results, more frequent wins and podium finishes. The atmosphere at ECR is perfect for that. It feels like a group of friends who are eager to work hard for strong results. I am excited to continue that in 2022 and not having anything change.”

“I want to thank Ed Carpenter for giving me the opportunity to drive for another season,” VeeKay added. “Ed was the one that gave me the chance to be able to prove myself in INDYCAR, and I am very grateful to him. Thank you to Tony George, Stuart Reed and the entire team, every single person who makes this possible. I am the one driving, but there is a whole team behind me working day a night to give me a good, reliable car. I also really appreciate the support of ECR’s partners, including SONAX and Direct Supply, for allowing us to work hard, improve and take a big step forward this offseason.”

Starting his racing career in karting in 2009, VeeKay is a former competitor of the MRF Challenge Formula 2000, the USF2000 and a former champion of the Pro Mazda Championship. He also achieved the 2019 F3 Asian Winter Series title and was the runner-up in the 2019 Indy Lights championship battle, where he won six races while competing with Juncos Racing.

In 2020, VeeKay made his IndyCar debut when he replaced Spencer Pigot as driver of the No. 21 Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing, beginning at Texas Motor Speedway in June. Throughout the 14-race scheduled in 2020, VeeKay earned three top-five results, including his maiden podium result in the first of an Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course doubleheader feature in October after finishing third. After finishing 14th in the final standings, VeeKay was named the 2020 IndyCar Rookie of the Year.

“I am very happy that Rinus will be back behind the wheel for ECR in 2022,” Ed Carpenter, team owner, said. “Rinus has continued to show that he has the talent and work ethic to be a champion and that’s the goal of our team. We look forward to more success next season.”

The remainder of Ed Carpenter Racing’s driver lineup for the 2022 IndyCar Series season will be determined at a later date.

Hamilton scores 100th Grand Prix win in Russia Grand Prix

By
Andrew Kim
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History was made under a stormy afternoon in Sochi, Russia, after Sir Lewis Hamilton took advantage of Lando Norris’ late race misfortune to lead the final three laps and win the Russian Grand Prix at Sochi Autodrome on Sunday, September 26, for his 100th career win in Formula One.

Hamilton, who started the weekend by wrecking twice during qualifying session and knocked one of his Mercedes crew members on pit road during the second practice session before lining up in fourth place on the grid, remained competitive throughout the event and methodically worked his way towards the front while Norris dominated in his McLaren.

While the event started on dry conditions, rain fell on the circuit in the second half of the event and would produce slick conditions on the circuit for the remainder of the event. As Hamilton, who was battling Norris late, pitted for intermediate tyres in the closing laps, Norris elected to remain on the circuit on slick tyres. Then on Lap 51 of 53, Norris slipped and Hamilton capitalized to take the lead. From there, Hamilton was able to power his Mercedes home to the win.

With his fifth Grand Prix victory of 2021, fifth in Russia and first since winning at Silverstone Circuit in July, Hamilton became the first competitor to reach F1’s winning centurion at 100. In addition, Hamilton extended Mercedes’ winning streak in Russia to eight consecutive seasons.

Overall, Hamilton, who came into Russia trailing Max Verstappen by five points, leads the drivers’ championship standings by two points as Verstappen settled in second place following a slow start to the weekend.

“It’s incredible,” Hamilton said. “Firstly, I just have to say a big, big thank you to my team. Without them, even today, fantastic on the pit stops, amazing with strategy and just continuing to not give up in this incredibly tight battle. I was really, really grateful for them just continuing to push. It’s taken a long time just to get that one win [100]. Our competitors are super fast as you can see, but nonetheless, I’m really grateful. I was pushing so hard. I had a difficult day yesterday, so I was like, ‘I’ve got to redeem myself somehow.’ Flat out. It’s a great, great feeling. I’m glad that I brought it home.”

Norris, who achieved his maiden pole position on Saturday and who led a race-high 30 of 53 laps, settled in seventh after slipping on the wet circuit, pitting twice in the final laps and having a maiden F1 victory slip out of his reach in the final laps.

“I could have won the race and I didn’t,” Norris, who was emotional but earned the Driver of the Day honors, said. “It’s the way it is, it’s the way it went. I made the decisions I made. They were, obviously, wrong at the end of the day. Tough one, but on the positive side, I guess I got a couple points and [teammate] Daniel [Ricciardo] did a good job as well for the team. It was a decent day.”

Meanwhile, Verstappen rallied from a rough start of the weekend, where he was penalized three places on the grid for igniting a collision between himself and Hamilton in Italy in mid-September and penalized again after Red Bull Racing exceeded their power units use per season by installing a fourth Honda engine unit to Verstappen’s car ahead of this weekend’s event in Russia. Dropped to the rear of the field, Verstappen methodically worked his way to the front following a midway tyre change from hards to mediums and he ended up in second place for his 11th top-two result of 2021.

“Super happy to be second,” Verstappen said. “If you would’ve told me this morning that I would come second today, I wouldn’t believe you. Luckily, the call to go from the slicks to inters was the perfect one at the right lap. That gave me the positions and keep the car on the track. Super pleased with this. It could’ve been a lot worse in terms of how many points I would lose. To come away with second here was, for us, very important.”

Behind, Carlos Sainz Jr., who started on the front row, led 12 laps in his Ferrari before settling in third place and achieving his third podium result of this season.

“It’s mainly [a] happy [podium result],” Sainz said. “I think as a team, as Ferrari, we need to keep analyzing and keeping seeing what we can do better with tyres, with fuel, top speed, to make sure that the next time a Ferrari’s leading a Grand Prix, we’re not overtaken so easy as it happened today. In general, it was a very strong race.”

Daniel Ricciardo, winner of the previous Grand Prix event in Italy, finished fourth followed by Valtteri Bottas, who rallied from starting at the rear of the field after his Mercedes team elected to install a new power unit in his car.

Fernando Alonso finished sixth ahead of Norris while Kimi Räikkönen returned from a two-race absence to settle in eighth. Sergio “Checo” Perez finished ninth and George Russell, who started in the top three, claimed the 10th and final points-paying result on the track.

Aston Martin teammates Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel finished 11th and 12th followed by Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon and Charles Leclerc. Antonio Giovinazzi finished 16th while rookies Yuki Tsunoda and Nikita Mazepin ended up 17th and 18th.

Nicholas Latifi retired in 19th while Mick Schumacher suffered his first retirement of the season due to a hydraulics leak, thus finishing 20th.

Results.

1. Lewis Hamilton, 25 points, three laps led

2. Max Verstappen, 18 points

3. Carlos Sainz Jr., 15 points, 12 laps led

4. Daniel Ricciardo, 12 points

5. Valtteri Bottas, 10 points

6. Fernando Alonso, eight points

7. Lando Norris, seven points, 30 laps led

8. Kimi Räikkönen, four points

9. Sergio Perez, two points

10. George Russell, one point

11. Lance Stroll, +1

12. Sebastian Vettel, +1

13. Pierre Gasly, +1

14. Esteban Ocon, +1

15. Charles Leclerc, +1

16. Antonio Giovinazzi, +1 lap

17. Yuki Tsunoda, +1

18. Nikita Mazepin, +2 laps

19. Nicholas Latifi – Retired

20. Mick Schumacher – Retired

Following the 15th Grand Prix event of 2021, Lewis Hamilton leads the drivers’ standings by two points over Max Verstappen. On the other hand, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team continues to lead the constructors’ standings by 33 points over Red Bull Racing and 163 over McLaren.

Next on the 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship schedule is Istanbul Park for the Turkish Grand Prix on Sunday, October 10.

CRAIG VON DOHREN EARNS BIG BUCKS AS NASCAR ADVANCE AUTO PARTS NORTHEAST REGION AND GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY CHAMPION

By
Official Release
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BECHTELSVILLE, PA September 26, 2021 . . . Twelve time Grandview Speedway T.P.Trailers Modified champion Craig Von Dohren has been named the 2021 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Northeast Region champion earning the veteran Oley, PA driver $15,000. This goes along with the $3,500 that that popular racer earned from NASCAR as track champion and $10,000 that he received from the Rogers family for winning their Grandview Speedway track title.

A trio of drivers battled for the Northeast Region crown with Von Dohren taking the top honors. The winner of more than 110 features at Grandview during his career he finished third in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national standings.

Peyton Sellers, representing Dominion Raceway, South Boston Speedway and Langley Speedway, was named Southeast Region champion and topped off his outstanding season being named NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion. Jacob Goede, representing Elko, Minnesota Speedway, finished second in the national standings with Von Dohren third. Todd Patnode finished fourth while Grandview Speedway regular Brett Kressley finished fifth in the final national standings and second in the Grandview point battle.

“Advance is thrilled to recognize Craig Von Dohren, Jacob Goede and Eric Rheade as our regional Weekly Series champions, said Jason McDonell, Advance’s executive vice president of merchandising, marketing and E-commerce. “Becoming a champion requires sustained excellence, commitment and passion for the sport and we congratulate these drivers and team members for their title winning seasons.”

The season finale for Saturday racing is fast approaching for the thirty-second season of the NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series at the Grandview Speedway. The October 16th event will showcase the Pioneer Pole Buildings Triple Roaring 20’s for Big Block/358 Modifieds plus a full program of Sportsman all getting underway at 6 PM.

On Sunday, October 17th, the season finale for Outlaw Series Enduro and Vintage Racing takes place at 1 p.m.

And on Sunday, November 7th, the annual Racer’s Flea Market gets started at 7 a.m.

Information on Grandview Speedway can be found at www.grandviewspeedway.com, Facebook, or telephone 610.754.7688.

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Race Report – Las Vegas

By
Official Release
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Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Race Report
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Race: Alsco Uniforms 302
Date: September 25, 2021

No. 22 Odyssey Battery Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric

Start: 1st
Stage 1: 3rd
Stage 2: 3rd
Finish: 4th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 201/201
Laps Led: 33
Driver Point Standings (ahead of second): 1st (+7)

Notes:

  • Consistency was key Saturday for Austin Cindric and the No. 22 Odyssey Battery Ford Mustang team at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Cindric scored a solid fourth-place finish in the first race of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs after placing third in both stages. Those stage points and the top-five finish propelled Cindric back to the lead in the driver standings, seven points ahead of AJ Allmendinger with two races remaining in the Round of 12.
  • The starting lineup was set per NASCAR rulebook giving Cindric the pole position. Cindric led the first 29 laps of the race but slipped back to third by the conclusion of Stage 1 on lap 45 thanks in large part to two cautions. The balance of the No. 22 Odyssey Battery Ford Mustang began to swing tight. Cindric pitted during the stage caution and crew chief Brian Wilson made air pressure and left-rear wedges adjustments. He restarted seventh when the race went green on lap 51.
  • Shortly after the race went green, Cindric radioed to the team that his Odyssey Battery Ford was better on initial take off. During a hectic restart, Cindric fell outside the lead pack but quickly recovered and soon found himself battling for position onside the top three. As the laps ticked off, Cindric ran fast lap times around the 1.5-mile oval and finished third when Stage 2 ended on lap 90. He pitted during the stage caution for tires and just a piece of tape added to the grill. Cindric lined up third for the restart on lap 96.
  • He was running second at the time of the sixth caution on lap 122. Cindric reported that his Mustang needed more security to drive into the corner. Wilson made the decision to pit for four tires plus an air pressure adjustment. Cindric restarted third on lap 125, 76 laps from the finish. The Mooresville N.C. native briefly recaptured the race lead on lap 134 from fellow championship contender Justin Allgaier but fell back to the fifth position as his Ford began to build too tight over the long run due to cooler track conditions after the sun set. Cindric made his final stop for four tires under green on lap 179. The No. 22 Mustang found new life on the fresh tires and Cindric was able to work his way through traffic and up to fourth position with 10 laps to go, passing both Brandon Jones and Daniel Hemric but unfortunately couldn’t get closer to the front.

Quote: “I think we maximized tonight with our Odyssey Battery Ford. There were some things we were good at and things we need to get better at. It was a good points night. It was a blue-collar day. I am proud of the team and I’m looking forward to the next couple of weeks.”

Interstate Batteries Racing: Ty Gibbs Las Vegas Xfinity Race Recap

By
Official Release
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Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Interstate Batteries Toyota
Race Recap for Alsco Uniforms 302

Date: Sept. 25, 2021
Event: Alsco Uniforms 302 (Round 27 of 33)
Series: NASCAR XFINITY Series
Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 201 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/ 111 laps)
Start/Finish: 6th/ 11th (Running, completed 200 of 201 laps)
Race Winner: Josh Berry of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: AJ Allmendinger of Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-45):

● Ty GibbsStarted sixth, finished fourth, earning seven bonus points.
● The Interstate Batteries driver picked up a pair of positions in the opening two laps and moved into the top-three by lap 14 despite reporting that he was fighting a tight condition from the center of the corner through the exit. He fell to fourth by the lap-25 competition caution, stayed on track and restarted in the same position when the race went back to green on lap 30.
● The first incident-related caution flag flew on the restart lap for a multicar accident behind Gibbs in turns one and two. Again, the Interstate Batteries driver stayed on track and restarted second on lap 40.
● Gibbs dropped a pair of positions on the restart lap but held onto fourth place to the end of the stage. He pitted during the break.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 46-90):

● Gibbs Started eighth, finished seventh, earning four bonus points.
● The Interstate Batteries driver picked up a position by the time a two-car incident in turn two brought out the caution flag on lap 55. He stayed on track and restarted sixth on lap 59.
● The tight condition had persisted throughout the second stage with slight improvement thanks to changes made during the first break. Gibbs held his relative position and was seventh by stage’s end. He pitted during the break.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 91-201):

● Gibbs Started fourth, finished 11th.
● The Interstate Batteries driver held onto the fourth spot until a two-car incident in turn three brought out the caution flag on lap 120. Gibbs reported that his racecar was now a bit free on corner exit. He pitted for four tires and fuel and adjustments and restarted second on lap 125.
● Gibbs was holding down the fourth position when he was called to pit lane on lap 177 under green for the final scheduled fuel-and-tire stop. The crew made a track-bar adjustment to try and remedy the free condition on corner exit. Gibbs was flagged for speeding while entering pit lane and had to serve a drive-through penalty two laps later, dropping him back to 13th and off the lead lap.
● The Interstate Batteries driver picked up a pair of positions on his way to the checkered flag.

Notes:
● Josh Berry won the Alsco Uniforms 302 to score his second career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his second of the season and his first at Las Vegas. His margin over runner-up Justin Allgaier was 4.398 seconds.
● There were six caution periods for a total of 32 laps.
● Just 10 of the 40 drivers in the Alsco Uniforms 302 finished on the lead lap.
● Austin Cindric remains the championship leader after Las Vegas with a seven-point advantage over second-place AJ Allmendinger.

Ty Gibbs, driver of the No. 54 Interstate Batteries XFINITY Series Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing:

“I feel like we had a really good Interstate Batteries Toyota Supra. We kind of chased the balance and got it really good at the end. Just wheel-hopped and came into pit road on my green-flag stop and totally blew it. It was 100 percent my fault. Just my fault and frustrating and I completely own it. We wouldn’t be here without everybody at Toyota and Interstate Batteries. Going to TRD helps my team out so much, just getting sim work done to prepare for these races. It really shows and I probably need to go more.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule for Gibbs is the Drive for the Cure 200 at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval on Saturday, Oct. 9. The race begins at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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