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Herta Dominates in Laguna Seca Win; Palou Closes in on Championship

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Official Release
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MONTEREY, Calif. (Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021) – Colton Herta continued his family’s success at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with a dominant victory Sunday in the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey, while Alex Palou marched closer and closer to an even bigger win.

Herta earned his second victory this season and fifth career victory, beating Palou’s No. 10 NTT Data Honda to the finish by 1.9747 seconds. NTT P1 Award winner Herta led 91 of the 95 laps in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda.

California native Herta also won this event from the pole the last time it took place, in 2019 in his only other start here. This race was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Herta’s father and race strategist, Bryan Herta, won this race as a driver from the pole in 1998 and 1999. Be a race strategist and read the best south african online casinos guide for honest review and rankings.

“I enjoy racing here so much,” Herta said. “It’s an amazing track for me and my family. It’s been so good to us. To go two-for-two so far (at Laguna Seca) is great. We were fast all weekend, and I’m glad we could pull it off in the race.”

Spaniard Palou pulled 35 points ahead of Pato O’Ward in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings with just one race remaining, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach this Sunday at Long Beach, California. Palou must finish 11th or better at Long Beach to earn his first title in his second season in the series.

“We didn’t have it today for the win, but we did the most we could,” Palou said. “I was trying, but it was tough. It was Herta’s day today. I’m happy with P2.”

Palou, O’Ward and two-time series champion Josef Newgarden are the only drivers eligible to win the Astor Challenge Cup at the season finale. Newgarden is third in the standings, 48 points back. Six-time series champion Scott Dixon and Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Marcus Ericsson were eliminated from contention at this race after finishing 13th and sixth, respectively.

This will be the 16th consecutive season in which the NTT INDYCAR SERIES title race will be decided at the final race of the season. This is not the end of the season for making money and you can still make real money online casinos Australia for the rest of the year.

Romain Grosjean finished third today in the No. 51 Nurtec ODT Honda after a stirring late-race charge past rivals and lapped traffic in which he sliced between one to two seconds per lap from Herta and Palou. Grosjean’s third podium finish of the season helped him stay alive in the race for Rookie of the Year honors, as he trails Scott McLaughlin by 20 points.

Grosjean was 10 seconds behind Herta with nine laps remaining but closed to within 3.7087 seconds at the finish after some deft driving, including a wheel-banging, side-by-side duel to lap Jimmie Johnson in the famous “Corkscrew” turn with seven laps remaining. Series rookie Johnson was hip-checked off the track by Grosjean but returned to the racing surface to finish a season-best 17th in the No. 48 Carvana Honda fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing.

“The last stint was very fun because we were on new tires and fresher than everyone else,” Grosjean said. “So, that was exciting. It’s been a great day. Sorry to Jimmie for the contact out there. He was trying to protect Alex (Palou, teammate), and I wanted to go chase Alex.

“P13 to P3 today, it’s a pretty good day. Laguna Seca, I love you. That’s all I can say.”

Graham Rahal finished fourth in the No. 15 United Rentals Honda, with O’Ward rounding out the top five in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.

“All weekend we didn’t have it,” O’Ward said. “I truly feel like we used every single ounce of energy and pace that this car had. We pulled off a near-miracle in qualifying to start in the first three rows. In the race, honestly, that was as much as I had.

“All we can do at Long Beach is win, and then let everything else fall. I’ve got faith in myself. I know I’m pretty handy around a street course, so let’s see what we can pull off next week.”

Herta’s path to victory become much clearer on Lap 2 of the 95-lap race, ironically after he made a mistake. Herta went wide in Turn 4, opening the door for fellow front-row starter and Andretti Autosport teammate Alexander Rossi in Turn 5.

Rossi and Herta banged wheels while side-by-side in Turn 5, and Rossi’s No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda then spun into the gravel and stalled. Rossi’s car was refired, but he finished 25th, two laps down.

After that incident, teams unfolded varying tire and fuel strategies trying to undercut or overcut Herta’s lead. None worked, as Herta’s speed and consistency were too much.

The only time Herta didn’t lead the race came when Grosjean was at the front on Lap 19 and from Laps 69-71 during pit cycles.

Palou kept the race close around the midway point, pulling to within one second of Herta as both drivers’ Firestone tires wore during a stint. But Herta had extended his lead to 5.4 seconds by Lap 75.

“There was always pressure there from Alex behind me,” Herta said. “Even at the beginning of the stints when I was a little bit better, he was still there. And he closed it back up at the end of the stints. I think he was a little better that time.

“I’m just happy to have done it. This place is so awesome – it’s my favorite track in North America by far. To win here means so much.”

About the only drama for Herta over the closing laps came with 14 laps remaining when he couldn’t avoid what appeared to be a rabbit or a squirrel running across the track. But the wildlife collision did no damage to his machine, and he marched home to victory.

Grosjean’s charge kept the race lively over the closing laps. It appeared with 10 laps to go the Frenchman may have been able to shave enough time per lap to pass Palou and possibly catch Herta for the win. But traffic and tire wear blunted that effort, and Grosjean ended up 1.734 seconds behind Palou.

While the Drivers’ Championship will go to the wire at Long Beach, Honda today clinched the Manufacturers Award for the fourth consecutive season.

Wright Motorsports Maintains Points Lead at Watkins Glen International

By
Official Release
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WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (September 19, 2021) – Consistency is the name of the game for Wright Motorsports. The John Wright-led team celebrated another rewarding sports car racing weekend in SRO America, earning two pole positions and three podiums across its two Porsche racing efforts at Watkins Glen International. Both Porsche 911 GT3 R race cars had strong performances in each of the races, producing another points-hauling weekend to maintain the championship lead Fred Poordad, Jan Heylen, and Charlie Luck have accumulated throughout the season.

GT World Challenge America powered by aws
Fred Poordad and the No. 20 Porsche 911 GT3 R started race one from third position after a red flag cut short his qualifying run earlier that morning. He lost a position at the start but soon recovered and settled into a strong race pace, holding off pressure from Martin Fuentes in a Lamborghini for fifth-place in class. The battle would end up lasting the majority of the race, as Jan Heylen also fought hard with the Lamborghini’s second driver, Giacomo Altoe, for the duration of his stint in the 90-minute feature. Despite having the speed advantage, the Lamborghini defended heavily and the two ran side by side to the checkered flag with Altoe bettering the Wright car by just 0.033 seconds.

Eager to bring in a podium result to secure more championship points, Heylen was not lacking motivation when he started from the Pro/Am class pole position for race two, second overall. He stayed close to the race-leading Lamborghini of Andrea Calderelli, maintaining the position until the pit window opened. The No. 20 Porsche pitted with Fred Poordad taking over with a hot set of tires and a serving of fuel. Michael Di Meo got by the Porsche and pulled away as Taylor Hagler’s Acura started to close in with 15 minutes remaining. On Hagler’s tail was Martin Fuentes in the No. 9 Lamborghini, and the three cars engaged in an exciting battle for second-place through the twists and turns of Watkins Glen. Poordad raced flawlessly, keeping the Porsche ahead of the competition, earning the effort’s ninth podium finish in ten races, protecting their championship points lead.

The championship will move next to Sebring International Raceway after the Florida-based circuit was named as the replacement for the canceled race weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Ontario. Rounds 11 and 12 of the 13-round championship will be run on the historic track, October 1-3.

DRIVER QUOTES

Fred Poordad | No. 20 Porsche 911 GT3 R
That was a tough battle there at the end of race two. I had a lot of pressure from the Lamborghini and the Acuras. One of the Acuras slipped by, but I managed to hold off the others until the checker flag. I felt better in the car today physically after an off day yesterday in race one. We didn’t get the results we wanted yesterday, but I feel like this is good momentum to carry us into the next rounds at Sebring, and that’s a track we really enjoy.

Jan Heylen | No. 20 Porsche 911 GT3 R
We had a good recovery today from a little bit of a disappointing race yesterday. The team gave us a good car all weekend, and we started with a good qualifying run from both of us. Yesterday was a tough race, but we’ve had a lot of really good races this season, so once in a while, it happens. I’m happy to see us come back as strong as we did today. Fred had an unbelievable run with a lot of pressure for most of the race. It was a really good job by everybody. I’m happy to finish back in the podium ahead of the Acrua we’re fighting in the championship.
GT America
Charlie Luck’s streak of victories and podium finishes continued at the track in the Finger Lakes region of New York, where the Masters racer controlled race one from pole position, extending an early lead, and quite literally, riding off into the sunset to take his seventh class and second overall win of the 2021 season. His fastest lap from a smooth race one set Luck up to start from overall pole for the second race. As he did the previous day, Luck pulled away as the green flag waved, creating a gap over Jeff Burton. Six laps later, Burton caught up and made the pass for the lead with 27 minutes remaining on the race clock. Luck’s battle with Burton allowed Andy Wilzoch in third-place to catch up to the first two cars, producing an intense 15-minute battle between the pair of Porsches for second-place. In the final minutes, the side-by-side racing resulted in contact, both cars spinning into the wall at turn nine. Luck came into pit lane immediately and was able to finish the race in second-place at the checkered flag.

Luck’s final race of the year will take place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Rounds 13 and 14 of the 2021 season will be part of the SRO Eight-Hour weekend at the “Racing Capital of the World”, October 2 – 4.

DRIVER QUOTE

Charlie Luck | No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R
Taking the overall win in race one was a huge highlight for me. I was really pleased with how we did in that race. The preparation for the Porsche 911 GT3 R was perfect and my driving was good. There were things I could have done better, as always, but that was a really good finish. It was fantastic to start race two from pole position for two races. We were slow in two corners that handicapped me a little and led to an incident with another car at the end. So we’ll move on to Indianapolis and come back 100% for the final two races.

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Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series, international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy, and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team, and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship.

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Bristol

By
Jeffrey Boswell
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Photo by Christian Gardner for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Larson: Larson won Stage 2 and passed Kevin Harvick late to win at Bristol for his sixth win of the year.

“I got a really good run on Harvick with three laps to go,” Larson said. “I saw an opening and went for it. Ironically, in the Bristol Night Race, I saw daylight.”

2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin won Stage 1, finished 2nd in Stage 2, but faltered in the final stage when contact with Kyle Larson left Hamlin with a flat right-front tire. Hamlin still finished ninth and starts Round 2 of the playoffs seeded third.

“Luckily,” Hamlin said, “my spot in the next round was already clinched. So my heart rate was pretty calm according to my Whoop fitness tracker. Let me tell you, that ‘beats’ not knowing if I’m headed to the next round.”

3. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex started on the pole at Bristol and finished seventh.

“I’m still not sure what formula NASCAR uses to determine the pole sitter,” Truex said. “My guess it’s the same method they use to determine whether a debris caution is necessary—a coin flip.”

4. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led late at Bristol before being passed by Kyle Larson, who had a little help from Hendrick teammate Chase Elliott, who previously suffered a flat tire after contact with Harvick. Elliott and Harvick confronted each other after the race.

“Like I said in post-race interviews,” Harvick said, “I wanted to ‘rip somebody’s head off.’ I’ll amend that to say I wanted to ‘put a shoe up someone’s behind,’ because it’s an absolutely perfect tie-in to Subway’s ‘foot-long’ menu.”

5. Ryan Blaney: Blaney led 45 laps at Bristol and finished fourth. He will start the second round of the playoffs in fourth.

“Next year’s ‘Clash’ will be run at the Los Angeles Coliseum,” Blaney said. “In NASCAR circles, they’re calling L.A. ‘The Next To Last Coliseum.'”

6. Chase Elliott: Elliott suffered a flat right-front tire while battling Kevin Harvick for the lead late at Bristol. After pitting for tires, Elliott found himself three laps down and finished 25th. Elliott and Harvick had a heated discussion after the race.

“Did I intentionally block Harvick when he was trying to hold off Kyle Larson?” Elliott said. “Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. But I probably did. And, as the driver of the No. 9 Hooter’s Chevy, the closest I’ll come to apologizing to Harvick is to say, ‘Tough titty.'”

7. Joey Logano: Logano overcame a slow first pit stop to post an 11th at Bristol.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how this Chase Elliott-Kevin Harvick feud plays out,” Logano said. “So far, I give the edge to Chase, if for no other reason than he wasn’t the one wearing prescription eyeglasses while engaged in a heated argument.”

8. Kyle Busch: Busch suffered a flat tire with 44 laps to go and fell two laps down. He finished 21st, one lap down, and will start the playoffs in fifth.

“I encouraged the fans at Bristol to boo me at driver introductions,” Busch said. “And they happily obliged. Now, is anyone really surprised that NASCAR fans respond favorably to ‘hate speech?'”

9. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished fifth at Bristol and clinched a spot in the next round of the playoffs.

“I’m in!” Bowman said. “All I can say is ‘Woo hoo!’ Actually, considering how close it was, I should say ‘Whew hoo!'”

10. William Byron: Byron grabbed the final transfer spot with a clutch third-place finish at Bristol.

“I think everyone was entertained by both Kevin Harvick’s and Chase Elliott’s accusatory post-race interviews,” Byron said. “But come on guys, you’ve got to give the fans what they want, and what they want is not for you to throw shade, but to throw hands.”

DXDT Racing Scores Triple-Podium Weekend at Watkins Glen International

By
Official Release
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WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (September 19, 2021) – DXDT Racing has closed out a successful SRO America race weekend, earning one pole position and three podium finishes in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by aws and TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School.

GT World Challenge America powered by aws
Following a successful test session earlier this month at Watkins Glen International, the pair of DXDT Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 cars showed positive performances heading into qualifying. It was Erin Vogel and the No. 19 Mercedes that led the charge, taking her first SRO America pole position on Saturday morning, with the No. 63 Mercedes of David Askew and Ryan Dalziel set to start from sixth in class. Vogel ran a flawless performance at the head of the Pro/Am class, but ultimately the Mercedes AMG did not have the power to match the pair of Acuras. She raced hard and clean until the end of her stint, with Michael Cooper getting in to join the race from third. He maintained position to the checker flag, earning the pair their second podium of the season.

Askew rebounded from an early race spin, rejoining in ninth, but struggling with a vibration in the car throughout the entirety of his stint. He finished his stint in eighth, and Ryan Dalziel took over after the mandatory stop, having a strong battle with Madison Snow in the Zelus Lamborghini for seventh in class. While Dalziel was able to get in front of the Lamborghini, Drew Stavley and his Aston Martin got by in the final laps, resulting in a seventh-place finish for the No. 63 Mercedes.

In race two on Sunday afternoon, the pair of Mercedes started fifth and eighth overall, with the No. 19 Mercedes of Michael Cooper leading the team charge. Both climbed up in their opening stint, with Cooper advancing to second and Ryan Dalziel and the No. 63 up to fourth. Both drivers battled with their fellow Pro drivers while running the Pro/Am class, producing great side-by-side battles. After an entertaining race with the No. 3 K-PAX Racing Lamborghini, Dalziel reported a strong vibration coming from his car’s splitter, and the car ultimately ended up back at the garage for repairs. The car made it back out and David Askew took over for the second half of the race to earn championship points, having one of his most impressively consistent drives of the season. The car finished seventh in class. Erin Vogel took over the No. 19 Mercedes at the halfway point, and the car struggled to keep pace with the cars in the field with more power. Vogel and Cooper finished fifth.

Sebring International Raceway will host the final double-header of the year, October 1-3 before the series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indianapolis 8 Hour for the season finale.

DRIVER QUOTES

David Askew | Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 63 CrowdStrike/ DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
Overall it was a good weekend for the team. The No. 63 had its problems with most, not all, caused by the Bronze driver. Today we had an unfortunate problem with the front end of the car, but we got it fixed and got it back on track. I got my stint in, which was awesome for the team to be able to do that. Kevin Boehm was back on the podium with two second-place podiums, so he’s pretty happy with that. He hadn’t been on the podium for a while, so it was great to see him return. Erin Vogel earned her first pole in the series on Saturday, which was awesome, then she and Michael Cooper went on to get a podium. She should be happy with her results this weekend after battling up front.

Ryan Dalziel | Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 63 CrowdStrike/DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
It was a tough weekend for the 63. We missed it a little bit in qualifying. I didn’t do the best of jobs during my qualifying run. So we had a little bit of an uphill battle that didn’t go away we had planned. We had a splitter malfunction in race two, and we’ll look at the video to see if I hit something. It’s a little bit of a head-scratcher right now. We had to pit to fix that and put David Askew back out to get some laps, which was a good call from our engineer, Stefan. David probably had his most consistent race of the season so far. So I’m taking the good from the bad. David did a great job and we ended on a high note. We’ll head to my home race in Sebring.

Erin Vogel | Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 19 CrowdStrike/DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
I’m super happy with our with my debut weekend here at Watkins Glen. I really love this track, and I took to it really quickly. It has this fast, flowy feeling that I think really suits my driving style, and Michael Cooper’s as well. We had a great day on Saturday, with my first pole position in the series and GT3 racing in mixed conditions, which was just even better. I used to struggle with that, but this DXDXT Racing Mercedes is such a confidence-inspiring machine in those mixed conditions. I just knew I could go out with confidence yesterday morning. So that really set the tone for our race, and we had a great race. We knew there were some cars that were stronger than us in the field. Our position in the field depended on what happened further back in the field. We ended up third on the podium yesterday, which was really still a great result. Sunday, we started a little further down the field and had some great racing, but once again, you know, found some faster traffic found us right away and it didn’t quite turn into the race that we wanted it to be. But we feel like we had really good momentum here this weekend, and we’re really looking forward to seeing what we can do this evening in a couple of weeks.

Michael Cooper |Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 19 CrowdStrike/ DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
Overall it was a pretty good weekend, with Erin Vogel getting the pole and us finishing on the podium for race one. The car was pretty good yesterday and we still managed to improve it today. The car was really good—the best it’s been all year. Still, we couldn’t match the power of some of the other cars. Everyone did a great job. All the boys and girls really came together and put out a strong effort his weekend.
TC America
Watkins Glen was a good fit for TC America racer Kevin Boehm, who produced two strong second-place finishes in the highly competitive double-header weekend. Engineered by Boehm himself, the No. 9 Honda Civic showed great improvement over the previous race weekend at Road America, carrying greater speeds and showing strong consistency with every lap.

Boehm will next race at Sebring International Raceway, October 1-3, his second to last double-header of the 2021 season.

DRIVER QUOTE

Kevin Boehm | TC America
No. 9 CrowdStrike/DXDT Honda Performance Development Civic Type R TC
Watkins Glen was a really good event for us we’ve struggled for the last couple of events, and we’ve finally got to the bottom of a couple of the things that were holding us back. Our two second-place finishes really show the progress that we’ve made and we still have a little bit of work to go to move up to the next step of the podium. It’s really fortunate we’re going to Florida in two weeks so we don’t have much time to think about what we could have done differently, but we can put our heads down and just focus on the next race. We just need to improve the car, improve myself, and we’ll find that extra little bit we need to start winning races again this season.

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

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CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION: CHARLOTTE – POST RACE RECAP & QUOTES

By
Official Release
-

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
DEWALT NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS
ZMAX DRAGWAY, CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA
SEPT. 19, 2021

Chevrolet moves on in Countdown with two points leaders

• Kyle Koretsky earns first Pro Stock victory, beats Greg Anderson
• No. 1 qualifier Brittany Force is runner-up, takes Top Fuel points lead
• No. 1 qualifier John Force keeps pace in Funny Car points

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 19, 2021) – The stars were aligned for Greg Anderson to pass Warren Johnson as the all-time Pro Stock race winner: home race with spectator support from his car’s primary sponsor, low elapsed time of the event in the semifinals against reigning champion Erica Enders, advancing to his 165th career final round.

KB Racing teammate Kyle Koretsky, in his fourth final and 21st National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) race, won’t apologize for raining on Anderson’s parade. That’s racing, and a 6.629-second pass gave Koretsky his first Pro Stock victory.

“This Lucas Oil Chevy Camaro is unbelievable,” the second-generation Pro Stock driver said. “Greg, he’s ‘The Man.’ He tunes this hot rod and he gave me all it got. I didn’t think about keeping Greg from getting his win; I needed to get this done.

“It’s awesome. This is what I’ve wanted my whole life.”

Brittany Force’s Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster was awesome all weekend and the 2017 Top Fuel champion left zMAX Dragway as the Top Fuel points leader with a runner-up finish. Force earned her eighth consecutive NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series top qualifier honor to extend her single-season record.

No. 1 qualifier John Force, who entered race day second in Funny Car points, appeared to take a quarterfinal victory. But his PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS clipped a center lane timing block near the finish line, which is an automatic disqualification according to NHRA rules.

Force picked up his NHRA record-extending 162nd top qualifier honor. He and daughter Brittany have qualified No. 1 at the same event three times this season and shared the winner’s stage at Topeka, Kansas.

Teammate Robert Hight, the No. 2 qualifier in the Automobile Club of Southern California Camaro SS for the second consecutive event, fell in the first round.

Anderson, the Pro Stock points leader, defeated reigning Pro Stock champion Erica Enders, driver of the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro SS, in one semifinal. Koretsky beat Wally Stroupe in the Stroupe Motorsports Camaro SS in the other.

In the final, Anderson’s HendrickCars.com Camaro SS was a tick quicker off the line, but Koretsky drove around the four-time champion for the win after three runner-up finishes over the 21 races in the 2020-21 seasons. Anderson, who tied Johnson for the career record a week earlier in Reading, will aim for his 98th win Sept. 26 at World Wide Technology Raceway. “The next five days can’t go by quick enough,” said Anderson, who said a clutch part broke heading to the starting line.

“I left one on the table. I’m happy for Kyle; he cut an 0.11 (of a second) light in the final. Give him credit; he earned it. You try to make our stable of cars as fast as you can and eventually you’re going to have to run against your own best stuff. A great day for Kyle Koretsky and an almost great day for Greg Anderson.”

Enders’ first round marked the 600th time she pulled up to the starting line for eliminations. Her first round win came at the 2005 event in Reading.

Round 3 of the Countdown to the Championship will be contested Sept. 24-26 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois. In addition to the pro categories, the seventh round of the Constant Aviation Factory Stock

Showdown featuring drivers of the Chevrolet COPO Camaro will be contested. FS1 will telecast eliminations live at 2 p.m. ET, Sunday, Sept. 26.

An interview with Pro Stock winner KYLE KORETSKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (first Pro Stock victory; 21st race over two seasons):

HOW DID THE THREE RUNNER-UP FINISHES MOTIVATE YOU?
“There’ll all special. I’m out here living my dream. KB Racing supplies me with the best power out there. Our team just works flawless. I raced Dallas (Glenn) today and after he lost he jumped right on my car to help. This is huge.”

YOU WANTED TO RUN PRO STOCK AND IT WAS A SACRIFICE JUST TO GET HERE.
“Pro Stock is the most competitive class our there in NHRA, I think. We linked up with KB and they have the R&D to do it, so it’s been great. This is the first Wally for our family. I feel bad for Greg (Anderson) but I feel great.”

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO YOU?
“My dad (Kenny) worked his whole life and gave me the opportunity to do it. He told me if we win we could party but make sure I’m back at work at 6:30 Monday morning. Before the final, he said ‘Just do your thing. Treat it like any other round. Dig deep’ and that’s what I did.”

HOW DID THE FINAL AT INDY PLAY IN YOUR MIND?
“Indy was huge. I felt really confident. The car was running great. I thought Indy would be my first one and I don’t think I could ever top that, U.S. Nationals. Coming into Maple Grove, my home track, and I had more than 100 people there. I felt good there, too. I struggled a little bit on Saturday and didn’t get it done on Sunday. We come to Charlotte – Greg’s home and KB Racing’s home. We knew Ken and Judy Black would be here, so we knew we had to make it an all-KB final. They put their heart and soul into this team. I didn’t think about keeping Greg from getting his win; I needed to get this done. That guy is unbelievable. He’s the best.”

YOU’RE NOW A CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDER.
“The Countdown is huge; it’s something I always wanted to do. To win the championship, to be honest I’m not even really looking at that now. I’ll take every race one at a time and that’s the way I look at it. Would I like to get one of those white hats? 100 percent.”

CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT

TOP FUEL:

BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 1 qualifier, runner-up): “Tough for a driver to lose in the final round that way. Fortunately, I have a great group of guys around me in this Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac team and we’re staying positive. We’re still out front and, overall, we had a great weekend: going to the finals, getting that eighth No. 1 in a row and picking up a lot of bonus points. I’m going to put this weekend behind me, build from it, move on and plan to win the next one.”

FUNNY CAR:

JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK ANTIFREEZE & COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier, fell in quarterfinals): “My guys, Danny Hood, Tim Fabrisi, Joe Barlam, all those young kids over there, they’ve given me a great race car. This PEAK Chevy is really running. We’re still in the hunt, just got a little loose, put a couple holes out. We’ll get it fixed, I’ll get back at it and we’ll be good to go.”

ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 2 qualifier, fell first round): “Wasn’t our race today. We stumbled in the first round. Ust making it harder on ourselves going forward, but it’s nothing we can’t handle. There are five races left. I said from the beginning I thought you’d have to win three to get this championship. This Auto Club team can still do that.”

PRO STOCK:

GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 3 qualifier, runner-up, points leader): “The stars were aligned, I had a great car and something in the clutch broke. I went to start the car and drive up to the water and some $5 part broke. It cost me. It’s just another way to lose. I can’t feel bad; we had a great day, everything was going swimmingly. It was a first for me. I at least gained a few points. We love racing here, it’s home for us, no matter where we started our lives and our careers. I don’t know that you have an advantage racing at home, but it’s a powerful motivator to have your team owners, sponsors, friends, and family cheering you on. You want to win every race you go to, but there is always something special about racing here.”

DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 5 qualifier; fell in quarterfinals to winner Kyle Koretsky): “First round was not really a good run so I knew right away I wouldn’t get lane choice against Kyle. I was trying to be as tight on the Tree as I could because I know Kyle has a great car. We’ve had to race eight times this year and we’re 4-4 now. Overall, it was a good day; we didn’t lose anything in the points.”

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.

Josh Hart Upsets Force, Bags Top Fuel Victory in DEWALT NHRA Carolina Nationals

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Part-time NHRA Top Fuel driver Josh Hart knocked off No. 1 qualifier Brittany Force to win the Top Fuel portion of Sunday's DEWALT NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway. (CMS/HHP photo)
  • Josh Hart scored a monumental NHRA Top Fuel upset in Sunday’s DEWALT NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway; Hart edged Top Fuel points leader Brittany Force
  • Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car), Kyle Koretsky (Pro Stock) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also scored victories on Sunday at the Bellagio of drag strips
  • Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Fall Season of Speed continues with the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 Oct 9-10; Fans can buy tickets at http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 19, 2021) – Brittany Force and Steve Torrence were overwhelming favorites to win the Top Fuel portion of Sunday’s DEWALT NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, but both title contenders took a backseat to a driver with one victory in seven career starts.

Josh Hart – a part-time driver who didn’t qualify for the Countdown to the Championship – advanced to Sunday’s final round to meet Force, who took the Top Fuel points lead when she advanced past Torrence in the semifinal. Hart promptly knocked Force off the zMAX Dragway pedestal, shocking the crowd with a 3.770-second, 324.12-mile-per-hour run in the final round. Hart’s run eclipsed Force to capture his second career win and his first at the Bellagio of drag strips.

“We never really planned on doing a full season this year,” Hart said. “We just wanted to get our feet wet and just build the team. That’s obviously accelerated, with us moving the team to Indianapolis and getting more parts, and the results are showing. The real magic happens in the pits – not on the track. Those (crew) guys are awesome. It’s like watching a controlled symphony. They’re the ones who deserve the credit. I’m glad to just return the favor for them.

“(Force) has a great team, obviously, but so do we. She’s beaten me twice. I guess the third time’s the charm.”

Tim Wilkerson bagged his second Funny Car win in the last three races with a 3.927-second, final-round pass at 331.36 miles per hour, besting Cruz Pedregon.

“I’m proud of my guys. We were thrashing because we had a short crew,” Wilkerson said. “We’re down a few people, so we had to really dig in this weekend. I’m worn out. It was a tough day, but it feels good. … Today, I made wholesale changes (to the car), and it worked out. … It’s very exciting, winning races as a small, one-car team.”

Kyle Koretsky opened his Pro Stock win account with a 6.629-second, 207.27-mph final-round triumph over four-time Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson. Koretsky, nicknamed “Kid Chaos,” emerged victorious by .005 seconds.

“This means the world to me. Every win is special,” said Koretsky, the son of former Pro Stock racer Kenny Koretsky. “Pro Stock is the most competitive class out there in NHRA. … I just wanted to keep my cool and just race every round. I just defeated Greg Anderson, who’s going for the win record. I feel kind of bad, beating him, but winning this race is big for my family. This is the first Wally for my family.”

Angelle Sampey moved by Joey Gladstone at the finish line of the Pro Stock Motorcycle final, using a 6.861-second, 196.62-mph pass to secure her 44th career victory.

Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Cory Reed went for a wild ride during Sunday’s eliminations, when his motorcycle drifted right and out of control, clipping Gladstone’s front tire and sending Reed and his bike into the wall at high speed. Reed was conscious and examined by the NHRA medical team and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.

His crash – plus Gladstone’s kill-switch problem keeping him from winning the final – made Sampey put her victory into perspective.

“First and foremost, I thank God that Cory Reed is OK,” Sampey said. “This is definitely for the first parish and everyone of Louisiana. It’s a very emotional day. I feel bad for Joey – he did a great job, but he had some bad luck and I don’t like to win them that way, but sometimes, drag racing is more about luck than skill, and you get to come away with a Wally.”

FOLLOW ALONG:
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NTT INDYCAR SERIES Announces 17-Race 2022 Schedule

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Highlights Include Return to Toronto, New Doubleheader in Iowa, Earlier Start, Powerful Finish, Record Appearances on NBC

INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021) – INDYCAR has announced a 17-race schedule for the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, which will feature its bold and daring athletes competing against the thrilling backdrop of unprecedented coverage on network television, an earlier start date, a re-energized summer of fan favorites and a turbocharged stretch run.

In the United States, a record 14 events will air on the NBC broadcast network, one more than previously announced in July. It is the most single-season appearances on network television in INDYCAR SERIES history. Two additional races will appear on USA Network while Peacock Premium, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, will provide live coverage of all 17 races in addition to practices and qualifying.

“This schedule continues to build on the growth and momentum the NTT INDYCAR SERIES has achieved, especially in 2021,” Penske Entertainment Corp. President and CEO Mark Miles said. “Our terrific partnership with NBC Sports has led to a fantastic opportunity to place an unparalleled 14 events on broadcast television while completing the rest of the schedule with USA Network and Peacock.

“Our drivers and teams will give the fans a strong, earlier start with six consecutive races on NBC, building even more anticipation for the crown jewel of the Indianapolis 500 in May. Our summer schedule also is full of action, with no extended breaks in the calendar, leading into the crowning of a champion on the West Coast with our last two races also on NBC.”

The 2022 calendar is benchmarked by the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 29. This year’s “500” on NBC was the most-watched edition of the race since the 100th Running in 2016.

“We’re incredibly excited about our 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule, highlighted by the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 and a record 14 INDYCAR races on the NBC broadcast network that will bring added exposure to the series,” said Mike Perman, VP, Programming, NBC Sports. “With more races than ever on NBC, plus comprehensive live coverage of every minute of the 2022 season on Peacock with practices, qualifying and race simulstreams, we look forward to continuing to grow the sport and super-serve INDYCAR fans across the country.”

Traditions Return

NBC will feature the first six races of 2022, as fans won’t have to wait long for INDYCAR action following the 2021 season finale. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship will begin at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which will host the series’ season opener for the 11th time, Sunday, Feb. 27. It is the first February start for the INDYCAR SERIES since 2004 and the earliest the season has started since the opener on the Streets of St. Petersburg on Feb. 23, 2003.

The action-packed oval at Texas Motor Speedway moves to March for the first time, Sunday, March 20. It is the second consecutive year that the series will race at the “Great American Speedway” ahead of the Indianapolis 500, placing a crucial oval on the early part of the schedule.

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach returns to the spring calendar, Sunday, April 10, appearing on network television for the first time in 15 years. It is the 38th year the INDYCAR SERIES has raced on the iconic streets of Southern California as the event celebrates its 47th edition.

Barber Motorsports Park hosts its 12th Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, Sunday, May 1. Then, the series moves into the traditional Month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a series of events featured on NBC: the GMR Grand Prix on Saturday, May 14; Crown Royal Armed Forces Qualifying weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 21-22; before the 106th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 29.

The Raceway at Belle Isle Park returns with its traditional post-“500” date Sunday, June 5, followed by the series’ 33rd visit to ultra-fast Road America on Sunday June 12 and another Fourth of July holiday celebration Sunday, July 3 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Over half of the events on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule have been on the calendar for 19 or more years. Mid-Ohio joins Long Beach in longevity as it hosts the series for a 38th year in 2022.

Fantastic Finish

The 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship will finish with a flurry of eight races in the final nine weeks of the season, with six events on NBC.

This jam-packed second half of the season starts with the long-awaited return to the Streets of Toronto on Sunday, July 17, for the series’ 36th Honda Indy Toronto. The season continues with a high-speed oval doubleheader Saturday and Sunday, July 23-24 at Iowa Speedway. With partnership from Hy-Vee, it will mark the 16th and 17th INDYCAR SERIES events at the track known as “The Fastest Short Track on the Planet.”

“Iowa Speedway has traditionally produced some of most intense racing the NTT INDYCAR SERIES has to offer,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “It is great to see that this short oval, where we’ve seen up to 955 on-track passes in a single race, is back on the schedule. Combined with the rest of the calendar and a growing paddock, which has produced as many as 28 entries at non-Indy 500 events this year, the 2022 season will be as compelling and competitive as ever.”

Another historic NASCAR-INDYCAR Brickyard weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will see the NTT INDYCAR SERIES featured Saturday, July 30 followed by another wildly popular visit to the Streets of Nashville on Sunday, Aug. 7. In 2021, the inaugural Big Machine Music City Grand Prix played to packed grandstands and drew the largest cable television audience for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in over two decades.

The series’ final oval of 2022 will come Saturday, Aug. 20 at World Wide Technology Raceway before back-to-back races on the classic American road courses of Portland International Raceway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to finish the season. The 28th Grand Prix of Portland is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 4 while the 25th Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey returns to crown the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion, Sunday, Sept. 11.

“This is an excellent schedule for the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship,” Miles said. “This calendar provides a level of balance between temporary street circuits, road courses and ovals, and that variety and required versatility from our drivers are important, distinguishing attributes of NTT INDYCAR SERIES racing.

“The continuity among our events and the growth in the number of teams showcase our strong positioning and continued momentum.”

Start times for 2022 events will be announced at a later date.

Newman’s Night Ends Early at Bristol

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BRISTOL, Tenn. (Sept. 18, 2021) – Ryan Newman’s night at Bristol Motor Speedway ended prematurely after the Kohler Generators Ford sustained damage from a crash early in stage two, relegating him to a 38th-place finish.

In his 39th Cup start at Bristol, Newman rolled 24th off the grid for the 500-lap race that was broken up by stages of 125, 125 and 250 laps. Newman finished the opening segment where he started, and fired off around the same spot for the second stage.

Then, at lap 169, Newman shot up the track causing severe right-side damage. The team worked feverishly in the pits and sent him back out for the ensuing restart, but was ultimately black-flagged for not meeting minimum speed within the first three laps of the green flag run.

The No. 6 team is back in action next weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where race coverage is set for 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, and can also be heard on PRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

Buescher Finishes 23rd in Bristol Night Race

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BRISTOL, Tenn. (Sept. 18, 2021) – Chris Buescher battled through 500 laps Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway to finish 23rd in the Fastenal Ford Mustang.

Buescher – at his favorite track – started the evening from the 25th spot and finished the first of two-straight 125 lap stages in 27th. Stage two was halted just a few laps in after his teammate, Ryan Newman, was collected in a multi-car incident that ultimately ended his night. Buescher sustained right-front damage on his No. 17 Ford in the exchange, but in typical Bristol fashion he fought through the scrapes.

The red flag ultimately came out just a few laps later for track clean up, before the stage ended at lap 250. Buescher hovered around 25th for the rest of the evening, and with a lack of late cautions, was unable to get his lap back to finish 23rd.

The No. 17 team is back in action next weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where race coverage is set for 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, and can also be heard on PRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

DiBenedetto Finishes 10th at Bristol

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After a mediocre start to the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Reese/Draw-Tite team turned their fortunes around late in the 500-lap race and came away with their eighth top-10 finish of 2021.

DiBenedetto lined up 19th for the start of Saturday night’s race and moved up three spots before the Competition Caution flag flew at Lap 42.

He continued to run near the back of the top 20 through the first two 125-lap Stages, finishing 19th in both segments, his forward progress hindered by some issues on pit road that at one point necessitated a second trip down pit road on one stop.

Then, between Jonathan Hassler’s pit strategy and DiBenedetto’s driving, the Reese/Draw-Tite Ford Mustang began to move forward. DiBenedetto broke into the top 15 by Lap 368 and cracked the top 10 for the first time with 129 laps to go.

He moved to as high as sixth place with 104 laps remaining, dropped out of the top 10 then worked his way forward in the closing laps to cross the finish line in 10th place.

“We were able to recover from some early struggles on pit road where we were kind of shooting ourselves in the foot,” DiBenedetto said. “We fought back with a real blue-collar effort.”

DiBenedetto said his Reese/Draw-Tite Mustang wasn’t a winning car, but it was fast enough to deliver a stout performance. “It was a good effort by the team. I’ll take a top-10 after our early struggles.

“All in all, it wasn’t too bad of a night.”

DiBenedetto and the Wood Brothers team now head to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where they scored two runner-up finishes last season.

Wood Brothers Racing

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

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