Home Blog Page 2352

KENNINGTON GRABS THE WIN IN CASTROL EDGE DODGE AT DELAWARE

By
Official Release
-
DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge in victory lane. Credit: Matthew Manor/Todd Lewis

September 24, 2021. It was a return to familiar territory for DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team for round eight of the 2021 NASCAR Pinty’s Series on Friday night. Delaware Speedway near London, Ontario has been the sight of many victories for the St Thomas, Ontario racer. On this night Kennington made a bold, last lap pass to snag another win at his home track.

Kennington recorded the quickest lap time in the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge during the afternoon practice session and qualified on the outside of the front row. Kennington would take over top spot in the race on lap 13 following an early caution period.

Though he did surrender top spot after the midway point of the race, the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge was never far from the leader. With only 12 laps remaining, once again the caution flag waved setting up a dash to the finish. On the final race lap Kennington was poised for action if an opportunity to take the top spot was available.

As the field approached corner three, the leader left an opening on the bottom of the track and Kennington seized the moment and charged his #17 Castrol Edge Dodge up the inside and into the lead and take his first checkered flag of the season.

DJ Kennington quotes
“He left an opening at the bottom, and I took it. It’s the last lap, everybody is racing hard, and that’s how it goes. I’m never going to wreck somebody for the win, but when that gap opened up, that’s fair game”.

“We’ve been close a couple of times this year and it’s great to get a win here at Delaware in front of these great fans. Huge thanks to the Castrol team for all the work, the car was great all day. All our partners that help us do what we love, we couldn’t do it without you. And we’ll have two more chances to do it again on Sunday”.

Next up DJ Kennington and the Castrol Edge Dodge team are back in action Sunday afternoon, September 26th for two more races at Delaware Speedway to close out the 2021 season, the Qwick Wick 125 and the Pinty’s Fall Brawl.

Live Stream
Watch the live stream on the TSN app, TSN.ca or through Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold in the US. The Qwick Wick 125 begins at 3:55PM and the Pinty’s Fall Brawl will go green at approximately 5:20PM

Television
You can watch the Canadian Tire 125 on TSN Saturday October 2nd, at 2:30PM, RDS2 TBD. The Qwick Wick 125 on TSN airs Sunday October 3rd at 12:30PM, RDS2 is TBD, and the Pinty’s Fall Brawl is on TSN Saturday October 9th at 1:30PM, RDS2 is TBD.

Race fans can follow DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team on their official social media platforms:

Twitter www.twitter.com/@djkracing
Instagram www.instagram.com/djkracing
Website www.djkracing.ca
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DJKenningtonRacing/

GRANT SEXTON RETURNS TO WINNING WAYS IN LUCAS OIL POWRi SOUTHWEST LIGHTNING SPRINT CAR SERIES AT BARONA SPEEDWAY

By
Official Release
-
Winner Grant Sexton with second-place Braden Chiaramonte and third-place Brent Sexton. SWLS Photo.

(Lakeside, CA, September 24, 2021) After two races of looking in from the outside, Lakeside’s Grant Sexton returned to victory circle for the fourth time in the Lucas Oil POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series last Saturday at the Barona Speedway. The victory allowed the teenage racer to increase his lead by 99-points over teammate David Bezio in the championship standings with only three races to go in the 2021 season.

Seventeen SWLS cars converged on the San Diego County quarter mile for a night of wingless racing. Before the main event, three, eight-lap heat races took place. Lakeside’s Brent Sexton, who has two main event wins in 2021, copped the first heat over San Diegans Bezio and Jason Arnolde. Just like his dad in heat race #1, Grant Sexton bested the competition in the second heat. Norco’s Rudy Padilla and veteran Jon Squire of El Cajon placed second and third. The third heat matched the two leading rookies in the series, Braden Chiaramonte of El Cajon and Alpine’s Matt Sotomayor. Chiaramonte claimed the victory with Sotomayor second and Alpine’s Peter Benker third.

Padilla found himself on the pole for the 20-lap main event with Benker next to him. Row two featured Grant Sexton on the inside of Sotomayor. Chiaramonte and Brent Sexton, who won the last race at Barona on August 21st, were in row three with Bezio and Jon Squire making up row four.

Padilla rocketed into the lead at the start with Grant Sexton, Benker and Chiaramonte in tow. Chiaramonte got by Sexton and dove to the inside in turn one on the second circuit and took the lead. However, he did not stay there long. Benker banged wheels with another car in turn two and slid to a stop. Past kart racer Cody Griggs of Lakeside had nowhere to go and caught a piece of Benker. That brought out the first of three yellow flags in the race and set scoring back to the last completed lap. Padilla was placed back in first with Chiaramonte second. Benker was able to rejoin at the back, but Griggs was done for the night.

The second try to get the race going did not go much better. One more time when Chiaramonte relieved Padilla of the lead, the caution flew, and he was pushed back to second again without ever being passed by another car. Extra entertainment during this yellow flag period came when a brief, large fire broke out on the hills behind the front straight.

Finally, when the green light came back on, the drivers were able to string some laps together. Padilla did not get a good restart and Chiaramonte immediately commandeered the top spot. Grant Sexton also got by Padilla, but Chiaramonte was building a good size lead. By the end of the fifth lap, the series leading rookie had increased his advantage to about 10-lengths. However, that lead quickly dissipated in less than a lap when Grant Sexton closed in dramatically. One lap later the point leader knifed his way to the inside and took over the top spot.

Chiaramonte did not let Grant Sexton run away. He kept him in his sights and hoped to find an opening when they got into lapped traffic. The two teenagers up front reached the lappers on the 11th time around the ¼ mile oval, but that proved to be no problem for Sexton. He worked his way past the lappers and finally began to pull away. By the 15th lap, the youngest of the SGR clan had extended his advantage to close to a half straight.

It seemed like the race was over, but there was one more thing for Grant Sexton to attack before the checkered flag. That was a massive gaggle of lapped cars he caught up to with two laps to go. If the kid slowed down, he could have been a sitting duck. So, he did what he had to do and attacked the big group of lappers. In turn four, he almost got bit! He was nearly alongside Benker when the latter flipped bringing out the red flag.

Once that mess was cleaned up, there were only two laps to go in the race. Lapped cars would not be a factor again. Two quick laps gave Sexton, in his Sexton Fire Protection/BK Wings/Troy Dirt/Victory Graphix/Swift Powdercoat/Maxima Oil/Infiniti Shocks/Scotty and Jimmy Keys #3, his series leading fourth win of the year and extended his point lead. Chiaramonte took a hard fought second. Brent Sexton, Sotomayor and Bezio finished in spots three through five. Jim Squire III of Lakeside was the “Hard Charger” after starting 15th and finishing seventh.

Young Sexton will carry a 99-point lead over Bezio into the October 2nd race at Barona. Chiaramonte is third, only 27-points behind Bezio and he is 83 points ahead of fourth-place Sotomayor. Padilla is fifth.

The SWLS will return to Barona one last time in 2021 on October 2nd. After that, the series will close its season in the “1st Annual Lettuce Bowl” at the Imperial Valley Raceway on the first weekend in December.

The Lucas Oil POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series would like to thank the following sponsors for making the 2021 season possible. Lucas Oil, Sexton Fire Protection, RTL Traffic Control & Equipment, Victory Graphix, United Cleaning Company, BK Wing, and A.M. Ortega Construction Inc. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, please contact Brent Sexton at (619) 454-6945 or mailto:sextonfire@cox.net

For up to the minute updates on the Lucas Oil POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Series, please visit the series website at raceswls.com or the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Southwest-Lightning-Sprints-101419131399196

Barona Speedway Wingless Main Event Results (with starting positions)

  1. Grant Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 3rd
  2. Braden Chiaramonte – El Cajon, CA – 5th
  3. Brent Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 6th
  4. Matt Sotomayor – Alpine, CA – 4th
  5. David Bezio – San Diego, CA – 7th
  6. Jeremy Queener – Norwalk, CA – 10th
  7. Rudy Padilla – Norwalk, CA – 1st
  8. Jim Squire III – Lakeside, CA – 15th
  9. Jason Arnolde – San Diego, CA – 9th
  10. Brent Horn – El Cajon, CA – 12th
  11. Jon Squire – El Cajon, CA – 8th
  12. D.J. Dumas – El Cajon, CA – 13th
  13. Robert Early – Riverside, CA – 11th
  14. Ryan Dumas – San Diego, CA – 14th
  15. Dalton Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 16th
  16. Peter Benker – Alpine, CA – 2nd
  17. Cody Griggs – Lakeside, CA – 17th

Lucas Oil POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Point Standings

  1. Grant Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 1215
  2. David Bezio – San Diego, CA – 1116
  3. Brandon Chiaramonte ® – El Cajon, CA – 1089
  4. Matt Sotomayor ® – Alpine, CA – 1006
  5. Rudy Padilla – Norco, CA – 788
  6. Parker Dumas – San Diego, CA – 734
  7. D.J. Dumas – El Cajon, CA – 718
  8. Peter Benker – Alpine, CA – 665
  9. Jim Squire III – El Cajon, CA – 576
  10. Dalton Sexton – Lakeside, CA – 591

2021 Lucas Oil POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprint Car Schedule

March 26 Mohave Valley Raceway (Winged) – James Turnbull

March 27 Mojave Valley Raceway (Winged) – Brent Sexton

April 3 Barona Speedway (Winged) – Parker Dumas

April 17 Barona Speedway (Winged) – Dalton Sexton

May 1 Barona Speedway (Winged) – Grant Sexton

May 15 Barona Speedway (Wingless) – Grant Sexton

June 12 Barona Speedway (Winged) – Grant Sexton

August 7 Barona Speedway (Winged) – David Bezio

August 21 Barona Speedway (Wingless) – Brent Sexton

September 18 Barona Speedway (Wingless) – Grant Sexton

October 2 Barona Speedway (Winged)

December 4 Imperial Valley Speedway w/WMR Midgets

December 5 Imperial Valley Speedway w/WMR Midgets

CORVETTE RACING AT LONG BEACH: GTLM Pole for Taylor, No. 3 C8.R

By
Official Release
-

Another close battle with Milner second in GTLM with No. 4 Corvette

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 21, 2021) – Corvette Racing continued its perfect run of pole positions in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as Jordan Taylor earned fastest-qualifier honors Friday ahead of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Taylor, in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, set a time of 1:16.801 (92.248 mph) around the 1.968-mile, 11-turn street course in Southern California. It’s his fifth consecutive pole position in GT Le Mans (GTLM) this season ahead of Saturday’s 100-minute race.

Taylor and teammate Antonio Garcia enter Saturday leading the GTLM Drivers Championship on the strength of four wins and six pole positions this year. The No. 3 Corvette C8.R duo also won five races in 2020 en route to the class title.

Taylor was 0.297 seconds clear of teammate Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R. He and Nick Tandy were winners in the most recent GTLM race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca two weeks ago.

Saturday’s race will be the first at Long Beach for the mid-engine Corvette C8.R as the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled last year’s race and delayed this year’s running from April.

All four drivers have previous victories at Long Beach. Milner and Taylor each of three while Garcia and Tandy have one each.

Corvette Racing will contest the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Saturday from the Long Beach Street Circuit in Long Beach, Calif. Live television coverage will air live on NBCSN at 5 p.m. ET with live streaming coverage on TrackPass and NBC Sports Gold. Live audio coverage from IMSA Radio will be available on IMSA.com, XM 202 and SiriusXM Online 992.

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM POLE-WINNER: “Track position obviously is crucial here. It’s nice to for us to be on pole and have another 1-2 for Corvette Racing. It’s the first time we’ve brought the C8.R here. It suited the track really well. We rolled off the truck strong, so preparation-wise the guys did a good job. Looking ahead to tomorrow, it’s always a one-stop race so it’s all about execution in that one stop and maintaining track position. You always put an emphasis on qualifying to try to get the pole and get a good run into Turn One. Hopefully we can control the race from there and make a good call on when to make that stop. It seems like we had a couple of yellows throughout the practices so we might be able to count on one of those at some point. Obviously I couldn’t be happier to get another pole this year.”

SECRET TO QUALIFYING? “I think we just made good decisions. Setup-wise, we’ve had a different setup for qualifying than the race. We put a big emphasis on that knowing where the car needs to go in the race. We spent Practice Two adjusting for race conditions and had in the back of our mind what we wanted to do in order to extract the most laptime when the tires are fresh. We did a long run at the end of Practice Two, and we’re pretty happy with things.”

INFLUENCE OF SIMULATOR WORK: “It’s tough to know where the track is going to go. IndyCar only had one session today and they’ll do more running tomorrow. The track was a bit different when we went back out on it this evening. It will go in another different direction, I’m sure. It makes it that much more stressful. The street courses are great, and we love coming to them. But as a driver it’s very stressful when you have to get the maximum out of the car in a session like qualifying. It’s always nice to get through unscathed. We’re in a good spot. We’ve done a lot of sim work to understand what the car will do over a long run. We made those adjustments in practice to confirm what we learned in the simulator.”

DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING DETROIT AND LONG BEACH AND DIFFERENT TIRE RUBBER: “We did. It was our first street course race with this car. It was good and bad, I’d say. It was stressful, like I said earlier, but it was even worse when you’re racing for no points and there’s no real incentive be pushing! But you want to push to learn lessons about the car, be on the limit of it to understand how the tire works, how it degrades and what we want from setup and development points of view. It was crucial for us to understand that. Every race we go to, we have multiple tire compounds to pick from so understanding how that comes into play with different rubber on the track and what will suit the car best… Corvette Racing does a great job on the engineering side to log data, make notes, study it and take those notes to the simulator to confirm things. It makes our jobs as drivers a lot easier when we go to a track like this where we’ve not been to with this car. We’re not fighting with the car in the first session; we know we can go in confidently that the car is going to be pretty well-suited already so we only need to make fine adjustments. Honestly this is probably the best car I’ve ever had at Long Beach. I’ve been here a few times before, and this was the nicest car I’ve driven here. It was stressful to drive but it was probably one of the easier cars I’ve driven, and it was still quick. That speaks a lot to the car setup.”

CHAMPIONSHIP OUTLOOK: “We’re in a good position. I think the 4 car and the 79 are close on points. So trying to build their gap will be more important. Looking at the way the BoP has gone and you compare it from this year to last year of where Porsche is, they should have a decent jump. These sprint races suit us. We’re pushing the whole time. But when you get to an event like Petit Le Mans where you have 10 hours of racing, that’s where you can see their advantage grow. At the same time, we’ve seen races won by the slowest car on track. So we’ll never give up.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – QUALIFIED SECOND IN GTLM: “Realistically, I’m not completely happy. I haven’t qualified a lot in my career but have had some good race cars. Getting beaten by your teammate isn’t ideal, but they’re the best comparison you can possibly make. Those guys are doing a great job and you can’t take anything away from them. Our guys are pushing super-hard and I’m trying super-hard. I probably threw away my last lap locking up the right-front tire on the backstretch. That’s unfortunate but the name of the game when you’re trying for every last little bit. I think we have a good Corvette. We were fast right away in the first practice. We can tweak on it a little bit but I think we fundamentally have a good race car. For the entire lifetime of this C8.R, we show up to the track and the cars are really good and we’re never lost. It gives us the chance to find every last little bit. Awesome job by Jordan but hopefully we can switch it around tomorrow again.”

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

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

Seek help from personal injury lawyers to ensure maximum compensation after motorcar accident

By
SM
-
Photo by Michael Jin on Unsplash

Any injury is either due to accident or assault. But when the accident happens, there is one victim and one culprit (intentional or unintentional), and anyone who encounters a personal injury or damage from an accident has the right to claim compensation. When you are clueless about claiming monetary compensation for the accident and bearing the colossal hospital bills, you must seek professional help.

You go online and find a personal injury lawyer you can support with all the paperwork and get you justice. Don’t sit and prude longer; act promptly in speaking to the New Port Richey law firm for accidents to ensure maximum claims.

Types of accidents eligible for compensation

Pedestrian accidents: The simple definition of a pedestrian is an individual who is walking or running. However, in some states, the description is a little different. It includes people on skateboards, scooters, and roller skates. Another vital addition is bicycle riders, tricycle users, and people on wheelchairs. When the pedestrian encounters an accident with the motorist or car, it is a pedestrian accident.

There are specific legal duties that you must follow as a pedestrian. Running on the roads, jaywalking, trying to cross when the traffic signal is red, darting out to cross the street in a hurry are all against the law. If you are doing any of these, you are not eligible for any compensation if there is an accident. Responsible walking, the crossing of streets and freeways are essential to staying away from any unfortunate incident. 

It is important that you consult a firm that has a track record of actually trying cases such as the accident lawyers in Oakland and hire a firm that will follow through with your case even if they cannot obtain a settlement right away.

Slip and fall accidents: Slip and fall accidents are prevalent in workplaces and construction sites. When you slip and incur injury or fall and damage your property, you are eligible for accident compensation. Here, the term slip and fall is very tricky and requires fulfillment of certain conditions. The injury must happen due to dangerous conditions like poor lighting, broken stairs, bad floorings, or improper safety gear at the workplace. 

When you encounter an accident, you must produce sufficient evidence to prove that the injury happened on the premises. Some of the common causes of slip & fall accidents are:

  • Structural defects: When there is a major building defect that is not from regular wear and tear that possesses personal injury, it is a structural defect—for example, a Poor staircase, missing handrails, cracked sidewalks or broken pipes, and open electrical wires.
  • Trip hazard: When the circumstance of the property resulting in the trip and fall of any person, then it is a trip hazard. For example, untucked electrical cords, poor floorings, and insufficient lighting.
  • Weather hazard: When there is the threat of slip and fall due to harsh weather conditions as the property is not suitable for handling weather damages, it is a weather-related hazard. For example, a person shovels ice on the sidewalks after a snowfall, resulting in an accident. 

Other types of personal injuries from accidents are motor vehicle accidents, animal attacks, boat accidents, damage from defective products, dog bites, collisions with trucks, and brain injuries.

You can contact the legal team to avail of maximum compensation and ask for the first free consultation.

Why have car insurance policies become necessary for vehicle owners?

By
SM
-
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Whether purchasing a second-hand or a new vehicle, you must have car insurance as your safety valve. These comprehensive covers will not only take care of your interest but come to your rescue during an emergency. These insurances will protect you against legal and financial liabilities along with other protections. When you go for a comprehensive insurance policy, it will protect your vehicle against accidental damage, theft, fire, flood, cyclone, etc. Along with this, it also undertakes third-party liabilities and thereby provides you with a 180-degree benefit. You will thereby have to understand the advantages associated with car insurance policies in the long run.

Loss or damage to the vehicle

If your car gets damaged because of fire, accident, or self-ignition, you require these insurance policies for dealing with the issue. Another advantage of car insurance policies is that they cover the damage or loss while the vehicle is in transit by air, rail, road, or inland waterways.

Personal accident coverage

While analyzing the advantages of car insurance policies, it is vital to understand that these insurances will provide you with personal accident coverage. Hence, there will be a predetermined amount that you will have to pay if you want to get these protections. You can get a free quote on your insurance from Miller Hanover for your protection against total disability, damage, injury, and death. Since you are paying a predetermined amount for this policy coverage, you can take it for other passengers on an anonymous basis.

Network of a garage

When you come under a car insurance policy coverage, you get exposure to a vast garage network. It is because these companies maintain these networks across the nation. Hence, it ensures that you get cashless service in different locations when the need arises. The feature will make it convenient for you to avail repair services when your vehicle gets damaged from an accident.

Liabilities of the third party

If the accident caused by your car leads to loss of property or damage to a third party, it comes within the car insurance coverage. On the other hand, when you are facing legal liabilities because of the bodily injury of a third party, the insurance policy will protect you in this regard, as well.

No provision for a claim bonus

NCB or no claim bonus is another advantage of car insurance. You are eligible for these benefits in the claim-free years. These are thereby profound customer support which is reliable and efficient. Hence, experts believe that a car insurance policy is a legible decision if you do not want to deal with these liabilities independently. Since they come as financial help, it will give you peace from anxiety and assure your safety. 

For dealing with damage or loss, or third-party liabilities, it is only a car insurance policy that will come to your rescue. It will come as a discount on your premium. It will thereby make your insurance policy more affordable. 

Christian Eckes secures first Truck Series win at Las Vegas

By
Briar Starr
-
Photo by David Myers for SpeedwayMedia.com

Former ARCA Menards Series champion Christian Eckes took home his first-ever NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Friday night. He did so with help from his ThorSport Racing teammates and after passing Todd Gilliland on a late-race restart.  

“I knew we had a shot on that restart,” Eckes said about the victory. “For whatever reason, our restarts have been stellar. The last one all we had to do was go forward one spot and we were able to do that. The 16 (Austin Hill) was able to give me a great push and my teammate (Ben Rhodes) gave me a good push too. My Curb Records Tundra was really damn good.

“Just proud of my whole team, this is a brand new truck we brought here. Our team did well finishing 1-2-3-4. My crew chief’s (Jeriod Prince) first win and my first win, it was a great night.”

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series headed west to Las Vegas Motor Speedway to begin the Round of 6 in the Truck Series Playoffs, a race that took an interesting turn Friday night. Stages of 30/30/74 laps made up the 134-lap event. John Hunter Nemechek was on the pole by virtue of NASCAR’s metric system.

There was only one caution in Stage 1 and it happened only three laps into the event. The No. 45 of Chris Hacker crashed off Turn 4 and brought out the only yellow of the stage. Nemechek had a dominant truck early and led every lap of Stage 1 to take the stage victory. Gilliland, Chandler Smith, Ben Rhodes, Stewart Friesen, Zane Smith, Eckes, Sheldon Creed, Austin Hill and Tyler Ankrum were the top 10 finishers.

During Stage 2, the action picked up with two cautions and a major incident that impacted two of the playoff drivers, John Hunter Nemechek and Zane Smith. On Lap 38, Zane Smith went three-wide with Nemechek and Friesen, only to cut down a left-rear tire and bring out the yellow. Under the yellow, his No. 21 truck eventually lost power, but the team replaced the battery with a new one.

Nemechek’s issues began on Lap 48. The Mooresville, North Carolina native slowed on the backstretch and brought out the yellow on Lap 52 as he had no ignition fire. He did, however, get the truck refired.

Meanwhile, Todd Gilliland turned the page and scored the stage victory. Rhodes, Carson Hocevar, Friesen, Creed, Tanner Gray, Austin Hill, Matt Crafton, Eckes, and Chandler Smith rounded out the top 10.

Stage 3 was even more intriguing. A major crash occurred on Lap 70 with multiple trucks involved, including playoff drivers Chandler Smith and Creed. Creed’s teammate, Ankrum, spun off Turn 2 which caused a chain of events. Creed went to the bottom to miss the accident but was not clear and he plowed into the back of Smith’s truck. The accident ended the night for both drivers. Creed and Smith were treated and released from the infield care center following the incident.

Later on in the stage, Nemechek’s problems continued to worsen. He once again brought out the yellow flag with 54 to go after stalling on the backstretch. Due to his mechanical problems, Nemechek was relegated to 33rd place finish, 49 laps down.

The final caution of the night came inside 10 laps to go when the No. 42 of Carson Hocevar spun prior to pit road. The Niece Motorsports driver was penalized one lap for bringing out the yellow intentionally.

With a four-lap restart, Gilliland hoped to gain his second win since Circuit of Americus back in May. However, Eckes powered right on by and eventually grabbed his first Truck Series victory with his ThorSport teammates Ben Rhodes, Matt Crafton, and Johnny Sauter taking the top four spots. It was the first time in series history that one team has accomplished the feat.

“It’s tough to begin with but at this track it’s even crazier,” Rhodes said about finishing second. “We all saw at this track the restarts were wild all night long. I think I’m just happy with the night. Come in from Bristol, barely getting in, and now I hear we are the points leader. But I couldn’t be more proud of ThorSport Racing. Heck, we were one-through-four. I heard that was the first time in series history.”

“I’m super proud of Christian Eckes. I gave him as big of a shove as I could down the backstretch and when that happened, he got the lead. I thought I could challenge him. We needed one more corner before that caution came out and maybe I could have challenged him for the win, but super proud of him. He deserves it. He’s been working hard on it, and with his part-time schedule, it’s really good to see. ThorSport Racing is on fire tonight.”

Meanwhile, playoff driver Matt Crafton continued his consistency by finishing third. With the exception of Watkins Glen (finishing 22nd), Crafton has finished inside the Top 10 or five since Nashville back in June.

“These guys behind pit wall. Junior (Carl Joiner, crew chief) and them making all of the right adjustments,” Crafton said. “We’ve never ever made as many adjustments as we did tonight. The Menards Toyota Tundra was good on long runs, but our short run speed – we were pathetic. We weren’t wanting that last restart but we did. I thought I had a good run off turn four and was going to try to do something with the 98 (Christian Eckes) and then the 99 (Ben Rhodes) turned underneath me and drove on by me. All-in-all, I’m really happy for Duke and Rhonda Thorson. 1-2-3-4, I don’t think that has ever been done. Thanks to Menards and everybody.”

Eckes led once for four laps en route to victory.

There were 10 cautions for 39 laps and 14 lead changes among 11 different leaders.

Updated Truck Series Playoff standings following Race 1 in the Round of 6:

  1. Ben Rhodes, +34
  2. John Hunter Nemechek, +28
  3. Stewart Friesen, +9
  4. Matt Crafton, +5
    Below the cut line
  5. Sheldon Creed, -5
  6. Carson Hocevar, -16
  7. Zane Smith, -19
  8. Chandler Smith, -24

Official Results following Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

  1. Christian Eckes, led four laps
  2. Ben Rhodes, led five laps
  3. Matt Crafton
  4. Johnny Sauter, led two laps
  5. Todd Gilliland, won Stage 2, led 66 laps
  6. Stewart Friesen, led one lap
  7. Grant Enfinger
  8. Austin Wayne Self
  9. Ryan Truex
  10. Austin Hill, led 12 laps
  11. Bret Holmes, led one lap
  12. Derek Kraus
  13. Chase Purdy
  14. Tate Fogleman, led one lap
  15. Spencer Davis
  16. Kris Wright
  17. Tyler Hill, 1 lap down
  18. Danny Bohn, 1 lap down
  19. Spencer Boyd, 1 lap down
  20. CJ McLaughlin, 1 lap down
  21. Dylan Lupton, 1 lap down
  22. Carson Hocevar, 2 laps down, led 8 laps
  23. Tanner Gray, 2 laps down
  24. Drew Dollar, 2 laps down
  25. Brett Moffitt, 3 laps down, led one lap
  26. Howie DiSavino III, 4 laps down
  27. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 5 laps down
  28. Cory Roper, 13 laps down
  29. Zane Smith, 19 laps down
  30. Jack Wood, OUT, Accident
  31. Hailie Deegan, OUT, Accident
  32. Keith McGee, OUT, Too slow
  33. John Hunter Nemechek, 49 laps down, won Stage 1, led 33 laps
  34. Tyler Ankrum, OUT, Accident
  35. Chandler Smith, OUT, Accident
  36. Sheldon Creed, OUT, Accident
  37. Chris Hacker, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy

Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will head back east to Talladega Superspeedway Saturday, October 2, live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio at 1 p.m. ET.

Herta Hurries to Top of Opening Practice at Long Beach

By
Official Release
-

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Friday, Sept. 24, 2021) – The good – and quick – times keep rolling for Colton Herta.

California native Herta led the opening practice for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Friday, turning a top lap of 1 minute, 9.2680 seconds in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile street circuit. That speed came after Herta won the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey from the NTT P1 Award position last Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.

Simon Pagenaud was second quickest at 1:09.4334 in the No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet despite entering the runoff area in Turn 9 with about 10 minutes remaining in the 45-minute session.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship leader Alex Palou started with authority what could be a title-clinching weekend at the season finale, ending up third at 1:09.4554 in the No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Second-year series driver Palou never has raced at Long Beach, as last year’s race was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was a good session,” Palou said. “I like the track. It was all about getting to know the track and see how that No. 10 NTT DATA car was handling. I’m comfortable and ready to push tomorrow.”

Saturday’s action includes another 45-minute practice at noon (ET), followed by NTT P1 Award qualifying at 3:05 p.m. (ET).

The 85-lap race is Sunday, with live coverage starting at 3 p.m. (ET) on NBCSN and the INDYCAR Radio Network. Palou must finish 11th or better to clinch his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship.

Felix Rosenqvist will look this weekend to rebound from a tough season after posting the fourth-quickest time in practice, 1:09.4870 in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. Ryan Hunter-Reay joined teammate Herta in the top five, ending up fifth at 1:09.5154 in the No. 28 DHL Honda to start his final event with Andretti Autosport after 12 seasons with the team. Rookie of the Year contender Romain Grosjean was named as the driver of the No. 28 car for the 2022 season earlier Friday.

While Rosenqvist found speed, his championship-contending teammate Pato O’Ward struggled in practice. O’Ward is second in the championship standings, 35 points behind Palou. But he ended up 16th in the 28-car field at 1:10.2451 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.

“We need to work,” an agitated O’Ward said after the session. “We just need to sort something out, find time.”

The third title contender, two-time series champion Josef Newgarden, was 10th at 1:09.8557 in the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet. Newgarden spun early in the session after losing traction while running over a bump entering Turn 9, but he continued without damage to his car.

Newgarden is 48 points behind Palou in third and must win the NTT P1 Award, race and lead the most laps while Palou finishes 25th or worse to have a chance to pull off an improbable title charge.

Toyota Unveils the New Tundra TRD Pro for the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

By
Official Release
-

LAS VEGAS (September 24, 2021) – Earlier this evening at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Toyota unveiled its new race truck for the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. For the first time, Toyota will campaign the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro beginning at Daytona International Speedway in February.

Toyota’s commitment to race vehicles that closely resemble production vehicles continues with this all-new Tundra TRD Pro. With the new body for 2022, Toyota is celebrating the launch of all new next generation Tundra models on showroom floors.

Toyota continues as the only OEM that campaigns three different body styles across NASCAR’s top three series. With the Toyota Camry TRD Next Gen Cup Series car that was debuted in May, Toyota will campaign with two new bodies for the 2022 season. The Toyota Supra will continue to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

“The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has always been extremely important to Toyota not only in our history, but our focus at our dealerships,” said Paul Doleshal, group manager of motorsports for Toyota Motor North America. “The launch of the new Tundra is a really exciting time for our entire organization so to be able to reflect that new styling in our NASCAR Tundra with the TRD Pro design is a reflection of the importance of the series to all of us and allows us to continue ensuring our on-track production resembles its production counterparts that can be found in our Toyota showrooms.”

Toyota’s commitment to the Camping World Truck Series is approaching nearing two decades. Since debuting in 2004, Toyota has claimed eight drivers and 11 manufacturer’s championships. Earlier this season at Daytona International Speedway, Ben Rhodes drove the Tundra to victory lane for the 200th time. Toyota is on pace this season to earn a 12th manufacturer’s championship on the strength of 13 victories to date. Six of the 10 drivers that qualified for this season’s Truck Series Playoffs compete full-time in Tundras.

“All of us at Kyle Busch Motorsports are proud to have carried the Toyota Tundra badging since we started this race team,” said Kyle Busch, team owner of Kyle Busch Motorsports. “Toyota and TRD are always working with us to ensure we’re as competitive as possible on the race track, but also ensuring that the body styling of our Tundras matches what fans can buy in their dealerships. The new Tundra is really aggressive looking and it’s great to see that reflected in our NASCAR Tundras with the TRD Pro badging for the 2022 season.”

The 2022 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro was unveiled to the public on September 19 and is scheduled to make its way to Toyota showrooms later this year. The 2022 NASCAR Toyota Tundra TRD Pro will debut at the Daytona International Speedway on Friday, February 18.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands plus our 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 47,000 in North America. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.

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

Jordan Anderson Racing NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race Overview – Las Vegas Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
-

Jordan Anderson Racing NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race Overview-
Las Vegas Motor Speedway; September 24, 2021

Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway – Tri-Oval (1.5-Miles)
Race: Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 Presented by Westgate Resorts; 134 Laps –30/60/74; 200.1 Miles
Date/Broadcast: Friday; September 24, 2021 9:00 PM ET
TV: Fox Sports 1 (FS1), and the FOX Sports App
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN)- Check Local Listings for affiliate, and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90
Social Media: Jordan Anderson Racing; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
Howie DiSavino III Social Media; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Howie DiSavino III – No. 3 KEES Vacations / Bud’s Heating & Air Conditioning
Chevrolet Silverado Preview- Las Vegas Motor Speedway

News and Notes:

– Starting Position; Howie DiSavino III will start the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 Presented by Westgate Resorts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) from the 25th position on Friday night. Due to no practice or qualifying the starting lineup would be calculated by the competition-based performance metrics system; fastest lap in the previous race 15 percent, driver finish from previous race 25 percent, owner points 25 percent, and driver points 35 percent.

– Las Vegas Motor Speedway Stats; Friday night’s Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 Presented by Westgate Resorts will be DiSavino’s debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and fifth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start of the 2021 season all for Jordan Anderson Racing (JAR). In four NCWTS starts this season DiSavino holds an average finish of 26.8 with a career best of 22nd coming at Pocono Raceway in June. DiSavino experienced electrical issues late in the UNOH 200 Presented by Ohio Logistics last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway resulting in a 28th place finish.

Featured Partners

  • KEES Vacations; KEES Vacations on the Outer Banks is your source for quality vacation rentals from hotels to oceanfront homes. KEES FlexStay™ gives you the freedom to plan your ideal vacation with flexible check-in and check-out dates. Visit KeesOuterBanks.com for all the vacation properties Kees has available in the Outer Banks.
  • Bud’s Heating & Air Conditioning; At Bud’s the believe that comfort goes far beyond just what you’re heating and air conditioning systems can provide. We believe that there is even greater comfort in knowing that you have the very best professionals in the industry working for you. With locations in Southern Virginia and the Northern Florida Bud’s is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days of the year. More information on Bud’s Heating & Air Conditioning can be found at BudsUSA.com

– Chassis; JAR will bring Chassis No. 008 for DiSavino to compete with in Friday night’s Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 Presented by Westgate Resorts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Chassis No. 008 last competed for JAR in the In It to Win It 200 at Darlington Raceway at the beginning of September with Team Owner Jordan Anderson behind the wheel. In that race Anderson would finish in 26th position two-laps down. Chassis No. 008 has seen on track action four other times during the 2021 season; Anderson drove No. 008 to a 10th place finish after starting 34th at Darlington in May, Howie DiSavino III in his NCWTS debut steered No. 008 to a 34th place finish, Anderson drove it to a Top-25 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March, and Anderson would record a 37th place finish after having an engine issue at World Wide Technology Raceway in August.

About Jordan Anderson Racing

Jordan Anderson Racing (JAR) is a NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) team, owned by owner/driver Jordan Anderson. Established in 2018, JAR has competed full-time in the last three NCWTS seasons claiming back-to-back runner-up finishes in the 2020 & 2021 season opening NextEra 250 at Daytona International Speedway. JAR fields a full-time entry in the NXS Series; the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro SS driven by Jordan Anderson, Tyler Reddick, Josh Berry, Kaz Grala, Sage Karam, Erik Jones, Austin & Ty Dillon. JAR also fields the No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado for select drivers in the NCWTS.

SS GreenLight Racing | Joe Graf Jr. Las Vegas Motor Speedway September Event Preview

By
Official Release
-

SS GreenLight Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway | Alsco Uniforms 302

Fast Facts
No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)
Primary Partner(s): Bucked Up Energy
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro
Crew Chief: Joe Williams
Alsco Uniforms 302 Starting Position: 21st (Event Formula)
Driver Points Position: 30th | Owner Points Position: 36th
Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR)

Notes of Interest:

Full of Energy: Bucked Up Energy and its sister products will continue their role as the primary partner of Graf’s No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro this weekend. Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway is the ninth race of 2021 but is the 31st race overall in a multi-year, multi-race deal with the former ARCA Menards Series winner.
Bucked Up is the everyman (or woman) energy drink. We don’t care about the color of your collar; whether blue or white, we all require energy to power our days. We want something that tastes like success, enhances mood and focus, and most of all delivers long-lasting energy.

New Bucked Up Energy Options Available: Bucked Up Energy offers 10 quenching options, but two of their popular flavors, Pink Lemonade and Mango Tango now include low-stim options.

Low-stim has the same innovative ingredients that make their OG formula so powerful for focus, mood, motivation and energy. Bucked Up made just one small change and they have been surprised by the resulting epicness.

Boasting a modest of 100mg of caffeine, Bucked Up Low-Stim delivers the same energy, focus, mood, motivation – while reducing the common side effects that come from too-much caffeine, jitters, sleeplessness and anxiety.

You Can Now Find Us Here: Last week, Bucked Up Energy announced that four of their delicious flavors are now available at Walmart!

The flavors of Blood Raz, Blue Raz, Mango Tango and Rocket Pop are now available for purchase from your local Walmart store.

“When you feel it, you just got Bucked Up!”

Races for Faces: Joe Graf Jr. announced in mid-August that for the second consecutive year, Graf will be virtually participating in myFace’s Races for Faces, an event to raise awareness for myFace, an organization that helps kids and families living with craniofacial differences.

While the virtual event was held this past Sunday, Sept. 19, donations to “Team Graf” will be accepted through Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021.

In Loving Memory: This weekend at Las Vegas and for the remainder of the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, Joe Graf Jr. and SS GreenLight Racing will carry the name of Bray Pemberton on the passenger side name rail of the team’s No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro.

Pemberton passed away on September 8, 2021, after a brief illness.

Pemberton was an instrumental figure in the everyday business and growth of Graf’s motorsports career.

He will be deeply missed by all.

Saving You Some Money: As fall as officially fallen, Joe Graf Jr.’s other marketing partner Z Grills still wants to help the NASCAR community save money – but also enjoy the perfect fall barbecue dinner.

In support of their recent partnership at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in July, Z Grills Racing (ZGrillsRacing.com) is offering a 10 percent discount off your TOTAL purchase, using the code NASCAR at checkout.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Las Vegas Motor Speedway Starts: Joe Graf Jr. will make his fourth career start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Saturday afternoon’s race.

In his previous three efforts, Graf has delivered a track-best of 18th earned earlier this season in March’s Alsco Uniforms 300 after starting 26th.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Speedway Stats: At tracks classified as a speedway, Graf has made 29 starts throughout his career carrying an improved average finishing position of 24.0.

Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway | Food City 300 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Bristol, Graf enjoyed a career-best run on a short track in his No. 07 KeepItSecure.net Chevrolet.

After starting 36th, Graf rocketed to inside the top-20 for a majority of the race and even took advantage of a green-white-checkered finish to climb from 19th to 17th.

The effort was a best for Graf in Thunder Valley and the best finish for Graf and his crew chief Joe Williams Jr.

Put Me In Coach: To strengthen his physique, Joe Graf Jr. began working with new trainer and former NASCAR Cup Series Josh Wise during the 2020 offseason.

In addition to Wise, Graf has also been working with former NASCAR driver and open-wheel driver Scott Speed on being more discipline behind the wheel of his No. 07 Bucked Up Energy Chevrolet Camaro.

Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of the Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 85 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow every month.

The current estimated value of his collection tops $90,000.

From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Joe Williams is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.

He will crew chief his 59th NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday afternoon and his third at the 1.5-mile speedway.

In his previous 58 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes.

Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has a teammate at SS GreenLight Racing. Veteran JJ Yeley will drive the No. 17 Parler Chevrolet Camaro on Saturday afternoon for his 11th start of the 2021 season.

Yeley is set to make his 346th career NASCAR Xfinity Series start and 22nd at Bristol Motor Speedway. His best Xfinity track finish occurred in the 2017 Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300, where he finished 11th after starting 30th for TriStar Motorsports.

Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafJr.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).

For more on SS GreenLight Racing, please like them on Facebook (SS GreenLight Racing) and follow them on Twitter (@SSGLR0708) and visit their website at SSGreenLight.com.

Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quotes:

On Las Vegas: “I am definitely looking forward to Las Vegas this weekend based on the way we ran there earlier this year and carrying the momentum from our solid run at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“I feel very confident that we can return to Las Vegas and equal or better our performance from March in our No. 08 Bucked Up Energy Chevrolet and really give us some momentum for next weekend’s race at Talladega Superspeedway.”

On Approaching Homestretch: “We have about two months left in the 2021 schedule. Our season has not gone the way we planned, but it has not been from a lack of effort, just a variety of circumstances – most beyond our control.

“I really look forward to the rest of the tracks on the schedule the rest of the year and we’re already focused on 2022 and cannot wait to announce those plans soon.”

Race Information:

The Alsco Uniforms 302 (201 laps | 302 miles) is the 27th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2021 schedule. The 40-car field will take the green flag on Sat., Sept. 25, 2021, shortly after 4:30 p.m. PT (7:30 p.m. ET) with live coverage on the NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), the Performance Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.

About SS Green Light Racing:

As one of the most tenured teams in all of NASCAR, SS GreenLight Racing led by team owner and former driver Bobby Dotter has been a mainstay in the sport fielding entries in either the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series or the Xfinity Series competition since 2001.

SS GreenLight Racing will continue with a two-car program in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2021.

1...2,3512,3522,353...6,756Page 2,352 of 6,756