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

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Official Release
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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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Official Release
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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

RCR Post Race Report – Alsco Uniforms 302

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Official Release
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Myatt Snider and the No. 2 Alsco Uniforms Chevrolet Team Bring Home 15th-Place Finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Finish: 15th
Start: 12th
Points: 9th

“Tonight was frustrating for sure. My Richard Childress Racing team brought an extremely fast Alsco Uniforms Chevrolet for the opening round of the Playoffs, and we were able to post top-three lap times consistently throughout the race. I got loose running the fence early in Stage 3, which killed the right rear tire. At that point, I just had to hold on for as long as I could until we pitted under green for our final stop of the race. I’m proud of the effort that everyone on the No. 2 crew put forth and I’m hungry for more. We will bounce back next weekend in Talladega.”

-Myatt Snider

South Point Racing: Riley Herbst Las Vegas NXS Race Report

By
Official Release
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Herbst Finishes 33rd at Las Vegas
Early Race Accident Ruins Top-10 Bid for South Point Ford Driver

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: 10th / 33rd (Accident, completed 31 of 201 laps)
Point Standing: 11th (2,005 points, 32 behind eight-place cutoff)
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)

Overview:

As the intensity of the playoffs heated up in the Nevada desert, Riley Herbst’s return to his hometown was cut short after only 31 laps in Saturday’s Alsco Uniforms 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The third-generation driver and the No. 98 South Point team started 10th when the green flag waved for the 201-lap race. Despite reporting that his Ford Mustang was loose, Herbst still felt the car had the speed to run up front. He stayed in the top-10 for a majority of the opening laps. Under the lap-25 competition caution, Herbst reported that there was still no rear grip, but his racecar was fast in turns one and two. Like the leaders, the No. 98 South Point team opted to keep its driver on track during the caution. Misfortune hit on the lap-30 restart as Herbst and the field was making its way through turns one and two. The 22-year-old driver was caught up in a four-wide situation when left-rear contact turned his racecar sideways. Multiple cars were involved and the damage sustained was too much for Herbst and his playoff-contending team to continue. They ultimately had to settle for a 33rd-place finish.

Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 South Point Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“I think that accident occurred because of old tires and a slick track. Everybody kind of spun their tires a little bit. I know the 2 behind me got a better run than I did into turn one, so I tried to shade down and give him the room he deserved because he got to the restart box better than I did. I jumped to the outside and tried to block a little bit and then gave it back to him. Four-wide into turn one doesn’t usually work out here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. That’s a real bummer. We fired off pretty loose but I thought we would get the South Point Ford Mustang better and have something to contend with. Now we will have to go to Talladega and who knows what will happen.”

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.

Next Up:

The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff Race on Saturday, Oct. 2, at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The race starts at 4:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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