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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.”

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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.

M&M’S Racing: Kyle Busch Race Recap from Bristol

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Kyle Busch, No. 18 M&M’S Toyota Camry
Race Recap for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race

Date: Sept. 18, 2021
Event: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Round 29 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)
Format: 500 laps, broken into three stages (125 laps/125 laps/250 laps)
Start/Finish: 9th/21st (Running, completed 499 of 500 laps)
Point Standing: 5th with 3,022 points (Advances to the Round of 12)
Race Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-125):

● Kyle Busch started ninth and finished seventh, earning four bonus points.
● The M&M’S driver started ninth and moved up to eighth by the lap-40 competition yellow. He told crew chief Ben Beshore his racecar was tight from the center through the exit of the corner.
● Busch moved up to seventh by lap 100 and brought home his M&M’S Toyota in that spot to end the first stage, earning valuable points in his quest to move to the next round of the playoffs.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 126-250):

● Busch started eighth and finished 10th, earning one bonus point.
● The two-time Cup Series champion came to pit road on lap 130, where Beshore used air pressure and wedge adjustments in an attempt to loosen up Busch’s tight racecar.
● Busch moved up to sixth by lap 170, and the No. 18 team decided to stay out under the next caution. He restarted fourth with 18 laps to go in Stage 2.
● However, Busch could not hold off several cars behind him on fresh tires. He brought home a 10th-place finish in Stage 2.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 251-500):

● Busch started 15th and finished 21st.
● The M&M’S driver came to pit road following the stage on lap 253. Beshore again made significant adjustments to the No. 18 Toyota in hopes of helping the racecar’s tight condition and lack of overall grip.
● Busch moved up into the top-10 by lap 320.
● The Las Vegas native pitted under caution and off sequence from many of the leaders on lap 391 and then restarted 11th.
● Busch made quick work of the drivers ahead of him on older tires, as he moved all the way up to fourth by lap 411.
● The M&M’s driver fell to sixth by lap 450 but looked like he would end the race with a 22-point cushion above the playoff cutoff.
● Busch’s fortunes took a turn for the worse on lap 455 when his right-front tire went down, necessitating a green-flag pit stop.
● When Busch exited the pits, he was two laps down in 25th and only one point above the top-12 cutline. Not to be outdone, Busch went back to work and gained several spots. Eventually he was able to add enough cushion to make it into the Round of 12.

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

“Just lack of speed really with our M&M’S Camry. We just weren’t very good at being able to make up time on the leaders there. Was only going to be about fifth there. We fought hard there all day long and had a flat there at the end and got way behind. I guess we made it (into the Round of 12), so that’s all that matters. We’ll go to Vegas with a clean slate and get back after it again.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the South Point 400 on Sunday, Sept. 26, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It is the fourth race of the 10-race playoffs and the first race in the Round of 12. It starts at 7 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Subway Delivery Racing: Kevin Harvick Race Recap from Bristol

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A Bittersweet Second for Harvick at Bristol
Driver of No. 4 Subway Delivery Ford Mustang Leads 71 Laps;
Advances to Round of 12 for Eighth Straight Time

Date: Sept. 18, 2021
Event: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Round 29 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (.533-mile, concrete oval)
Format: 500 laps, broken into three stages (125 laps/125 laps/250 laps)
Start/Finish: 8th / 2nd (Running, completed 500 of 500 laps)
Point Standing: 5th (2,123 points, 48 points ahead of top-12 cutoff… advances to Round of 12)
Race Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-125):

● Kevin Harvick started eighth and finished sixth, earning five bonus points.
● By the time the competition caution flag waved on lap 40, Harvick had his No. 4 Subway Delivery Ford Mustang comfortably in fifth.
● “Need a little rear grip all the way through the corner,” said Harvick during the competition caution.
● Pitted for four tires and fuel on lap 44 during the caution. Crew chief Rodney Childers elected not to make any changes as history told him the car would tighten up as the race wore on.
● Harvick settled into sixth place for the remainder of the stage.
● “Loose on entry and exit,” said Harvick at the end of the stage, “but I slide through the middle of the corner. I can’t roll it like I need to.”
● Pitted at the conclusion of the stage for four tires and fuel with a track bar adjustment.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 126-250):

● Harvick started fifth and finished sixth, earning five bonus points.
● “Still need to roll through the center and still need rear grip,” said Harvick while running fifth during a caution on lap 167.
● Pitted for four tires and fuel with tire pressure adjustments during the caution period on lap 172.
● Lined up third for lap-182 restart, but Ryan Blaney took over third on lap 189, sending Harvick to fourth.
● Harvick took third place back from Blaney on lap 215 and then set his sights on second-place Denny Hamlin.
● “It feels pretty good right there,” said Harvick during a caution period on lap 219.
● Pitted for four tires and fuel while under caution on lap 226, but eight other cars stayed out.
● Lined up ninth for lap-233 restart and climbed to sixth by the end of the stage.
● “My car was loose,” said Harvick after the stage concluded.
● Since Harvick pitted on lap 226, Childers opted to keep Harvick on the racetrack following the stage.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 251-500):

● Harvick started first and finished second.
● The No. 4 Subway Delivery Ford Mustang paced the field for 10 laps before Blaney took the top spot.
● After staying in Blaney’s tire tracks, Harvick re-took the lead on lap 308.
● By lap 332, Kyle Larson was challenging Harvick for the lead, and he finally got the spot from Harvick on lap 337.
● During a caution on lap 364, Harvick said, “Struggling in the middle – tight both corners. Can’t put the throttle down like I need to.”
● Pitted for four tires and fuel with a right-rear wedge adjustment on lap 365.
● Lined up third for lap-371 restart and held that positon until lap 400 when second-place Denny Hamlin hit the wall, bringing out the caution and elevating Harvick to second.
● Chase Elliott grabbed second on lap-408 restart, displacing Harvick to third.
● Harvick got by Larson for second on lap 434 while Elliott led.
● Harvick and Elliott battled for the lead amid lapped traffic and, on lap 465, Harvick emerged the leader after slight contact with Elliott, who ended up with a punctured a left-front tire and had to pit.
● Harvick led until lap 497 when Larson overtook him for the lead. Prior to that, Harvick was slowed by the now lapped car of Elliott, who despite being three laps down, was running competitive lap times with the leaders because he had fresh tires.
● Larson held the top spot for the final four laps and held off Harvick, crossing the stripe .227 of a second ahead of the No. 4 Subway Delivery Ford Mustang.

Notes:

● Harvick’s second-place finish tied his best result so far this season. He finished second May 2 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City.
● This was Harvick’s second straight top-two at Bristol. He won the series’ prior race on the concrete last August.
● Harvick earned his eighth top-five and 19th top-10 of the season, and his series-leading 14th top-five and 21st top-10 in 41 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol.
● This was Harvick’s third straight top-10. He finished fifth Sept. 4 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and eighth in the series’ prior race at Richmond (Va.) Raceway.
● This was Harvick’s ninth straight top-15, a streak that began July 11 with an 11th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
● Harvick led three times for 71 laps, increasing his laps led total at Bristol to 1,209.
● Harvick has now led 11,339 laps since joining SHR in 2014. He has led 15,765 laps in his entire NASCAR Cup Series career.
● Harvick has now advanced out of the Round of 16 in all eight editions of the current playoff format. Coming into this season, he had advanced all the way to the Round of 8 since 2014, and five times he’s competed in the Championship 4, winning the NASCAR Cup Series title in 2014.
● In winning the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, Larson scored his 12th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his series-leading sixth of the season and his first at Bristol.
● There were eight caution periods for a total of 71 laps.
● Only 19 of the 38 drivers in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race finished on the lead lap.

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Subway Delivery Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“I told him (Elliott) it was kind of a chicken-$#!& move that he did there at the end. We’re racing for the frickin’ win at Bristol. We’re three-wide in the middle and he throws a temper tantrum, like I was just trying to get the lead and race him hard. Then he pulls up in front of me and just sits there until I lose the whole lead, so I just hate it for our Subway Ford Mustang team to be able to lose a race like that. I watched him let the 24 (teammate William Byron) go by and then anytime you run into him it’s a problem. They can boo all they want. I don’t care. I lost so much there and then when I got behind the car I kept getting tight off the corner and I couldn’t run my line. I’m ready to rip somebody’s freaking head off.”

Playoff Standings (to begin Round of 12):

  1. Kyle Larson (3,059 points)
  2. Martin Truex Jr. (3,029 points) -30
  3. Ryan Blaney (3,024 points) -35
  4. Denny Hamlin (3,024 points) -35
  5. Kyle Busch (3,022 points) -37
  6. Chase Elliott (3,021 points) -38
  7. Alex Bowman (3,015 points) -44
  8. William Byron (3,014 points) -45
  9. Joey Logano (3,013 points) -46
  10. Brad Keselowski (3,008 points) -51
  11. Christopher Bell (3,005 points) -54
  12. Kevin Harvick (3,002 points) -57

Failed to Advance to Round of 12:

  1. Aric Almirola (2,075 points)
  2. Tyler Reddick (2,075 points)
  3. Kurt Busch (2,071 points)
  4. Michael McDowell (2,028 points)

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the South Point 400 on Sunday, Sept. 26 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It is the fourth race of the 10-race playoffs and the first race in the Round of 12. It starts at 7 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

RCR Post Race Report – Bass Pro Shops Night Race

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Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Team Navigate Twists and Turns En Route to Top-15 Finish at Bristol Motor Speedway

Finish: 15th
Start: 18th
Points: 17th

“Good job by everyone tonight on this Richard Childress Racing team. We fell behind a little in the middle of the race and went a lap down, but Justin (Alexander) came through clutch with a strategy call to get us back on the lead lap. After that, we were able to climb back into the top 15 in the final stage. We were just too tight to really make anything happen. Everyone on this Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet team hung in there through all of the twists and turns tonight. And now, its on to Las Vegas.” -Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick and the Food City/Childress Vineyards Team Finish 12th at Bristol, Miss the Round of 12 by Two Points

Finish: 12th
Start: 13th
Points: 14th

“Our Food City/Childress Vineyards team came up just a little short – two points to be exact – from advancing to the Round of 12. Our Chevrolet Camaro was tight at the start, Randall (Burnett) made the handling better, then we started to adjust to keep up with the racetrack. At the end of Stage 2, after having to pit a second time to fix a lug nut issue, we were a lap down and found ourselves trying to dig out of a hole. Winners never quit though, and our team certainly didn’t tonight. We kept clawing and ended up with a 12th place finish. One day a break will come our way but until then, we will continue to learn as a group. We may not be racing for a championship now, but there is still a lot of fight left in this team and we will make the most of these final races. Unfortunately, what stings the most is that we certainly gave up more than two spots over the course of this first round. At Darlington or being stuck a lap down at Richmond, there were a number of key opportunities that would have made the difference. It stings right now, missing the second round, but we still get to race for the next seven weeks. There are some good tracks coming up for our No. 8 team, so we will make the most out of those races and look to bring home a checkered flag before Phoenix.” -Tyler Reddick

Picture Perfect Race Results in Win for Round 3 Racing at VIR

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Danville, Va. (18 September 2021) – After eight hours of racing at VIRginia International Raceway, Round 3 Racing wrote a new chapter of its Cinderella story by capturing the team’s first GP1 class win on Saturday.

The No. 701 Team Cooper Tires Porsche Cayman earned a place on the top step of the opening race of the weekend marking the eleventh World Racing League podium for the Joliet, Illinois-based team.

No. 701 Team Cooper Tires Porsche Cayman (GP1)

Since the introduction of the No. 701 Team Cooper Tires Porsche Cayman to R3R, Loni Unser, Mo Dadkhah and Mike Gilbert have fought an uphill battle. That persistence paid off as the Team Cooper Tire squad collected its first GP1 class win of the season.

Flawless driving, strategy and pit stops allowed Unser and Dadkhah to soar through competitor traffic and gain a two-lap advantage. Gilbert took the No. 701 Porsche Cayman to the checkered flag in the top spot.

The win at VIRginia International Raceway is the second for the Team Cooper Tire drivers as they won in the GP2 category at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course before the change to the GP1 class.

“Loni (Unser) drove flawlessly, Mo (Dadkhah) drove flawlessly, we made no mistakes as a team,” said Gilbert. “I am over the moon with this result. To think of where we were at Road America when we first started with this car and where we are now is amazing. The work put into this effort by Marc (Gamora), Brad (McCall), Buz (McCall) and the entire Round 3 Racing team is remarkable. This truly is a team win.”

No. 605 Hagerty Drivers Club Porsche Boxster (GP3)

A day of highs and lows resulted in a ninth-place finish for current GP3 National Championship leaders Cole Loftsgard, Carter Pease, Dennis Neel and Jim Ptak on Saturday.

With the second-best starting position on the GP3 grid, Ptak immediately experienced a loss of power as the green flag flew, moving the Porsche Boxster to the back of the pack. As lead engineer Steve Mason worked to pinpoint the issue, the Hagerty Drivers Club drivers pushed through 45 laps before necessary maintenance was required.

Quick work by the Round 3 Racing crew found the faulty fuel valve and mended the fuel pump. 28 minutes later the No. 605 Hagerty Drivers Club Porsche Boxster returned to competition on lap 88. With maintaining the championship lead as the goal, Neel, Pease, Ptak and Loftsgard circulated the Virginia course until the checkered flag and crossed the finish line in ninth.

“We had some power issues in terms of not being able to get the full power down the straightaway and down a few miles an hour as a result,” said Loftsgard. “Race cars are such finicky things especially in today’s day and age with how much technology is in these things so it’s kind of hard to pinpoint it but I consider ourselves fortunate today that we were able to at least make some good headway on it and pretty confident that that we have something to fight with tomorrow.”

No. 601 Team Sentinel Porsche Boxster (GP2)

The return of the No. 601 Team Sentinel Porsche Boxster to the R3R entry list marked a homecoming for James Candelaria in the driver lineup alongside Christian Maloof and Hannah Grisham as well as a welcome to the new Porsche Boxster chassis.

The Team Sentinel driver trio pushed through the 3.57-mile course gaining speed with each lap with Candelaria setting the Boxster’s fastest lap of the race on lap 73. Just 10 laps later, the No. 601 Porsche became stranded off-course as a loose shifter forced the car to be towed back to the paddock.

While mending the shifter, electrical issues were diagnosed by the R3R ultimately causing the No. 601 Team Sentinel Porsche Boxster to be parked for the remainder of the race.

No. 702 Team Hagerty Porsche Cayman (GTO)

The Hagerty driver trio of Sarah Montgomery, Brad McCall and Buz McCall was on the way to its best race of the 2021 season before a mechanical gremlin sidelined the car.

Starting from 13th, Montgomery took the first stint, quickly working up the running order to fifth in the opening 10 laps. Trading the driver’s seat with Brad McCall on lap 48, McCall wheeled the Porsche through the 17-turn course to gain 13 positions.

Buz McCall was slated for the third stint of the eight hour race under the punishing Virginia sun and humidity. The extreme conditions didn’t faze McCall as he laid down his fastest laps of the weekend while maintaining the fourth spot on the running order.

Unfortunately, the stellar run for the elder McCall came to a premature end when the Team Hagerty Porsche Cayman suffered a broken ball joint on lap 103. The crew went to work making the necessary repairs in order for the No. 702 to return to competition. Montgomery returned to the course with under one hour remaining in preparation for Sunday’s race.

“The No. 702 Team Hagerty Porsche Cayman was a remarkable car to drive today,” said Buz McCall. “We were in the best position that we have been all season and remained competitive through each stint. While our day did not end as we hoped, the mechanical issue has been addressed and we are able to race tomorrow. I was very fortunate that I went off where I did or it would be a different story.”

The Round 3 Racing squad will return for another 8 hours of endurance racing tomorrow September 18th. Live streaming of all the action from VIRginia International Raceway is available at Youtube.com/RaceWRL alongside live in-car streaming of each Porsche entry. Streaming links will be available via the team’s Twitter (twitter.com/Round3Racing).

No. 10 Smithfield Ford Racing: Aric Almirola Bristol Race Report

By
Official Release
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Almirola Finishes 18th at Bristol
Smithfield Ford Driver Endures Early Mechanical Issues; Misses Playoff Cutoff

Date: Sept. 18, 2021
Event: Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Round 29 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway(.533-mile, concrete oval)
Format: 500 laps, broken into three stages (125 laps/125 laps/250 laps)
Start/Finish: 12th / 18th (Running, completed 500 of 500 laps)
Point Standing: 13th with 2,075 points (two points below top-12 cutoff)
Race Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-125):

● Aric Almirola started 12th and finished 12th.
● The Smithfield Ford driver started the race with loose-handling conditions and fell to 14th place.
● Almirola pitted during the competition caution for four fresh tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments.
● He restarted 13th and fell back to 15th, but on lap 90 he started to gain momentum and drove back to 12th by lap 106.
● Almirola pitted at the end of the stage for four tires, fuel and chassis and air pressure adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 126-250):

● Almirola started 10th and finished 23rd.
● He raced his way to eighth on the restart but radioed tight-handling conditions.
● The No. 10 Smithfield Ford had smoke coming from the rear of the car right before a lap-160 caution was called.
● Almirola pitted from 10th place for four fresh tires, fuel and adjustments. The team assessed the issues and found a leak in the oil line.
● The No. 10 Ford crew swapped the oil line during the next pit stop and pitted once more to secure the hood.
● Thanks to the quick repair, Almirola started at the tail of the field and stayed on the lead lap for the remainder of the stage.
● Crew chief Mike Bugarewicz made the call to stay out of the pits to gain track position at the end of the stage.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 251-500):

● Almirola started seventh and finished 18th.
● The No. 10 Smithfield Ford driver raced to fifth on the restart.
● He held his position for 28 laps.
● Due to older tires, Almirola fell back to 10th before the caution was called on lap 364.
● Almirola pitted for four fresh tires and fuel during that caution and restarted eighth.
● He fell back to 13th before another caution was called on lap 388.
● Almirola stayed out of the pits during the caution period to restart ninth, but another caution was called on lap 400.
● Almirola restarted 12th and lost four positions on the restart. The team opted to stay out of the pits again.
● Due to older tires, Almirola’s handling conditions suffered and demoted him to 18th, ultimately knocking him out of the playoffs.

Notes:

● Kyle Larson won the Bass Pro Shops Night Race to score his 12th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his series-leading sixth of the season and his first at Bristol. His margin over second-place Kevin Harvick was .227 of a second.● There were eight caution periods for a total of 71 laps.
● Only 19 of the 38 drivers in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race finished on the lead lap.

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“I’m disappointed to have it end like that just because we had battled so much adversity throughout the night and got ourselves in position to where we were running top-10 and doing what we needed to do. And then that caution came out there at the end where we had 18 laps on our tires, and we stayed out. For whatever reason, when we refired on those tires the car was up on top of the racetrack and wouldn’t turn. I didn’t have any side bite and just struggled. Hats off to our Smithfield team for fixing those mechanical issues early in the race and keeping us in contention. That’s not the way we wanted it to end, but we’ll keep going and battle it out the rest of the year and see if we can’t finish inside the top-10 in points.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the South Point 400 on Sunday, Sept. 26, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It is the fourth race of the 10-race playoffs and the first race in the Round of 12. It starts at 7 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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