Home Blog Page 2368

CHEVROLET NTT INDYCAR SERIES – GRAND PRIX OF PORTLAND: TEAM CHEVY RACE RECAP

By
Official Release
-

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
GRAND PRIX OF PORTLAND
PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
PORTLAND, OREGON
TEAM CHEVY RACE RECAP
SEPTEMBER. 12, 2021

JOSEF NEWGARDEN TOPS CHEVY CONTINGENT AT PORTLAND

PORTLAND (September 12,2021) – Two-time NTT INDYCAR Series champion Josef Newgarden battled from his 18th place starting position to finish fifth in today’s Grand Prix of Portland on the 12-turn, 1.964-mile Portland International Raceway that opened in 1961.

The top-five finish keeps Newgarden in championship contention leaving Oregon third in the standings, 34 points out of the lead with two races remaining in the season.

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, finished a disappointing 14th when ill-timed yellow flags jumbled strategies for everyone. O’Ward is in the thick of the championship hunt leaving Portland second in points, 25 behind race winner and points leader Alex Palou.

A multi-car crash in turn one, lap one jumbled the running order significantly that NTT INDYCAR officials had to carefully sort out prior to the restart. Fourth-place starter Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet driver Felix Rosenqvist was relegated to the back of the field with the other three starters from the front two rows of the field. With great strategy, Rosenqvist battled back to finish sixth.

Rookie-of-the-year contender Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet, finished ninth to give Chevrolet three of the top-nine finishers.

Alexander Rossi and Scott Dixon completed the podium.

Team Chevy drivers finished as follows:
5th – Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske
6th – Felix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Arrow Mclaren Sp
9th – Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 PPG Team Penske
14th – Pato O’ward, No. 5 Arrow Mclaren Sp
16th – Conor Daly, No. 20 U.S. Air Force
17th – Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek
18th – Sebastien Bourdais, No. 14 ROKiT AJ Foyt Racing
19th – Max Chilton, No. 59 Carlin
21st – Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Team Penske
25th – Callum Ilott, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing
26th – Dalton Kellett, No. 4 K-Line Insulators AJ Foyt Racing

Team Chevy drivers in top—10 point standings:
2nd Pato O’Ward
3rd Josef Newgarden
8th Will Power
9th Simon Pagenaud

Next Sunday, September 19, 2021, the Chevrolet NTT INDYCAR teams and drivers head to the scenic Weathertech Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey California.

DRIVER QUOTES:

FELIX ROSENQVIST, NO. 7 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, FINISHED 6TH: “Portland weekend is over and was eventful as always; especially in Turn 1, where we knew it was going to be crazy. We got unlucky at the start of the race when we avoided the collision that was about to happen in Turn 1. I didn’t really have a choice but to go straight. The way the rules are written, you get penalized if you go straight compared to the guys who stayed on the track. I couldn’t have really done anything so it was out of my hands, which is a shame. We were in third and came out 18th after the reorder.

The No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP team did a great job. We didn’t let that get us down, kept pushing, had really good pit stops, pit sequences, and the in and out laps were nailed every time. We kept getting ahead of cars each pit sequence and ended up with a sixth-place finish. I think we had a different kind of pace this weekend and it’s coming together more and more every weekend. Let’s ride out this wave and get some podiums the next two weeks.”

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO.3 PPG TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 9TH: “Pretty good day for us in the PPG Chevy. I led my first INDYCAR races so that was pretty cool. I thought we might get in the top-three, but unfortunately a mid-race yellow put us behind the two-stoppers. Our strategy was pretty aggressive, potentially put us in the top-six or so, but made a couple of little errors that cost us on the out-lap. Getting better and better. Leading our first laps just shows our promise. Good points. We will keep pressing on to Laguna and Long Beach in the next couple of weeks.”

PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET FINISHED 14TH: “Today was obviously very tough. It just wasn’t our day. We got unlucky with some of the yellows and this race favored the alternate strategy, which you can see when you look at the results. It just goes to show how exciting of a sport INDYCAR is at every race. We gave it everything we had all weekend. The No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP crew was solid on every stop. We are up against some great competitors for the championship but we will come back the next two races and fight down to the last lap in Long Beach.”

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS (NO. 14 ROKIT CHEVROLET): “Obviously a bit of a sore day here for us at Portland International Raceway. Man, it looked like it was going to be a great day and after avoiding the chaos at the start and getting the lucky break with the reordering and getting fifth out of that, it seemed like we were going to do really good. Unfortunately, we were on the three-stopper with Pato and Ericsson and those guys and the yellows fell at exactly the wrong time for the three-stoppers like us and at the perfect time for the guys that suffered at the beginning of the race on the two-stopper and we could never recover from that. On top of that, we got tangled with Oliver Askew – more of my fault than his fault – and we were fighting with Veekay and he ended up just not quite giving me enough room to be able to make the lap. I was on the curb and just tapped the brakes when I saw him turn and just caught his left rear tire trying to get out of it. Just a shame we’re not getting much out of this weekend when we clearly had some pace, had a pretty decent qualifying and just a shame that we couldn’t transform the essay and we couldn’t get some good points again.”

DALTON Kellett, No. 4 K-Line Insulators USA AJ FOYT RACING, ChevroleT, FINISHED 26TH: “I’m so gutted for the No. 4 K-Line Insulators USA Chevy team. We were having a great race going and got a little lucky off the start with that melee and the way that the order was reshuffled. Gained some good positions and was able to hold on and be competitive. The pace felt strong compared to where we were in qualifying, so really happy with that. It’s just a shame how this race ended early for us. Looks like we had an electrical issue. We haven’t diagnosed that yet, still waiting for the car to come back. We’ll figure out what it was and make sure it doesn’t happen again. This has been a tough weekend with it kind of being up and down for qualifying, things like that. The race performance, was happy with that. That’s a positive we have to take out of this weekend and just diagnose the mechanical issue and go from there. ”

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.

Fourth Place Finish for Meyer Shank Racing in Portland

By
Barry Albert
-
#60: Jack Harvey, Meyer Shank Racing Honda

Harvey crowned biggest mover of the race after advancing 16 positions

Portland, OR (12 September 2021) – After making it through a chaotic start from the rear of the field, Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) Jack Harvey took the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda to a fourth place finish in Sunday’s Grand Prix of Portland after starting 20th. The No. 06 of Helio Castroneves finished 23rd after sustaining damage from an opening turn incident.

A rollercoaster weekend at Portland International Raceway saw both Harvey and Castroneves set the second and third fastest lap times in practice early in the weekend, but struggle in qualifying with ninth and tenth row starting positions.

Turn 1 at Portland International, a corner that is notorious for producing interesting action at the start, proved to be no different this year. On Sunday, a melee of cars charged into Turn 1 causing two separate incidents, one unfortunately collecting Castroneves and beaching him on the Turn 2 curb.

Castroneves’ No. 06 car was lucky to have only suffered a broken steering arm, and the crew was able to replace it and send the Brazilian back out on track by lap 17. Although Castroneves’ fight for the win was put to the side, the No. 06 crew utilized the remaining 90 laps to make adjustments and test various setups.

Harvey – who was able to get through the Turn 1 chaos and stay on the racing line, quickly found himself within the top ten following the restart. Starting the 110 lap race on Firestone alternate tires, Harvey capitalized on the cooler temperatures and lower tire degradation to bring the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda to the race lead by lap 37.

With several different fuel and tire strategies in play, Harvey was consistently racing in the top three overall. Harvey once again raced to the lead on lap 74 before making his second and final pit stop on lap 77.

Back-to-back caution periods slowed the final stint of the race as Harvey battled back up to the top five. With a 17 lap sprint to the finish, Harvey held onto fourth to earn his third consecutive top ten finish.

Meyer Shank Racing’s INDYCAR program will return to action next weekend when the series heads to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca for the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey.

Driver Quotes:

Jack Harvey:

“Obviously, we got a bit of help with all of the carnage in turn one. Before the race, we [the drivers] had a pretty clear question [to race control] as to what the rules were going to be if people had to go through the escape road and on the start I managed to stay on track and pick up a few positions there. But overall the strategy was great today. If we can combine the best bits of our weekend, then I think we’ve got a really competitive team and we can come and try and run at the front of the race. Obviously, I just want to get a good result for everyone at Meyer Shank Racing and AutoNation / SiriusXM and we’ve got two more races to try and get it done.”

Helio Castroneves:

“I saw somebody coming in like a torpedo at the start and the experienced guys started backing off, I don’t know who it was but came in and started hitting everybody. I guess the guy from the right side got hit, he hit me, I hit somebody on the left and bent the suspension. Short-lived but good news is we were able to get back out on track to make the most of the race. The SiriusXM / AutoNation car was pretty great around Portland. We used the session to keep it going, stick it out, and keep working on those little bugs. We tried a lot of things when we did the pit stop. Those things are preparation for us. It’s not what we wanted but we have to take it as it comes and hopefully, Laguna will be a better performance.”

The average prices of used cars near me for sale – how to get a special offer

By
SM
-
Photo by Saumya Rastogi on Unsplash

If you are in the market for getting a new vehicle, you might be thinking that you absolutely need one to get from Point A to Point B – but you simply can’t afford the price of a new vehicle. And that is okay! Many new vehicles today are extremely overpriced and would require you to pay thousands per month for many years just to pay off the deposit, so how can you find an affordable option that works well for your lifestyle?

Consider purchasing a previously-owned vehicle that gives you the flexibility of being able to drive whenever you want, avoid hefty payments, and provide a stylish and performance-oriented vehicle for you to use! But who can you find the vehicle that meets all of your needs in your local area? Find out more here!

How to find used cars near me for sale

If you’re trying to find used cars near me for sale, then you need to make sure that you can get a special offer. Instead of just finding used cars at your local dealership that might not even be that inexpensive, you need to do some research and some looking around to find the best prices in your area. Instead of just going with the first dealership that you stumble upon, do some price comparisons so you can compare the prices of specific models and see how they stack up against each other at various locations. This way, you can see who is giving the best prices and how they are given the best deals in your local area!

Let’s check out a few average prices of used cars near me for sale that can give you an idea of what to set your price range for when you are shopping for a used vehicle. 

Chevrolet Camaro

If you are searching for used cars near me for sale, you might be in the market to buy a Chevrolet Camaro. Keep in mind that there are many different years and engine options, ranging from back in the early 2000s to the latest models. You will also find there are various sheen choices, such as the 6.2 V8 engine or the RS 3.6 V6 engine. The typical price of a 2018 6.2 V8 engine is around $38,000, whereas a 2013 Camaro will be closer to around $12,000. If you are interested in an older version, you can usually find a Camaro for under $5,000. 

Toyota RAV4

Another common model when looking at used cars near me for sale is the Toyota RAV4. If you are interested in monthly payments for your RAV4, you can usually find a lease of a car for around $400-$500 per month, with an initial payment of around $4,000. When looking to buy a used Toyota RAV4, you can expect to pay around $30,000 for a 2019 2.5-liter option, or as low as $6,000 for a 2008 RAV4.

Conclusion

By knowing the average price of some of the used cars around your local area, you can get a good deal and discounts when shopping for used cars near me for sale. 

Most reliable anti-theft device for your motorcycle

By
SM
-
Photo by Jakub Sisulak on Unsplash

In the US alone, around 44 thousand motorcycles get stolen each year. However, new industry technologies have given thieves a run for their money, offering high-tech alarm systems and fail-proof digital anti-theft apps. 

For years on end, motorcycle owners had to always be cautious about their vehicle safety. Always keeping one eye open for a possible burglary. Are there really weren’t any fool-proof devices to either help eliminate theft risk or help detect the whereabouts of a stolen bike. When you buy used motorcycles be careful to check everything out first.

Chain locks or even brake disc locks would often be used as a way to give any potential thief a hard time. However, with the right tools at play, a chain lock would be easy work for any burglar. Also, these anti-theft devices would be pretty out there and obvious to crack. Motorcycle owners would need something a bit more discrete and intelligent to outwit and outplay an experienced bike thieve. 

Although tracking systems were always viewed as a possible weapon against theft, the odd-looking GPS trackers bought from a random web listing aren’t that reliable. They can usually be easily spotted and hard to hide. Also, these devices would have a pretty cheap battery and in general, lack any intelligent and smart features. 

Thankfully, the digital age has turned a new page, and innovative tech companies have come out with a solid solution for motorcycle owners. By revamping old-school GPS technology and combining it with high-tech in-app functionalities bike owners around the globe can now get a hold of a GPS motorcycles tracker. 

Want to know how these trackers perform and save against theft? Keep reading to find out their main features. 

Hide it anywhere

These innovative and easy-to-use GPS trackers can be easily hidden anywhere on/in your motorcycle. You’d usually see GPS devices that require wiring and could only have a limited amount of places to hide. Clever thieves would know these main hiding places and would be able to remove GPS devices. Thus a wireless option is a real industry game-changer. 

The durable and lightweight solution makes for the perfect hidden alarm system. No help or assistance is needed. 

Control by smartphone

But it doesn’t stop there, by syncing the tracker with your smartphone you’ll be able to track the whereabouts of your motorcycles and even receive a dedicated phone call if the GPS senses movement without any key fob nearby. This makes theft alerts faster, wherever the owner may be.

Easy to set up with a smartphone and use to track any motorcycle, new or old. The app also de-alarms itself when it can detect that a key fob is nearby (included in the GPS tracker set). Which also prevents any accidental and unnecessary alarm system breakouts. 

Battery longevity

These GPS trackers are made to last and help the owner in case of a burglary. The tracker is powered by batteries that can last for up to 12 months. Little maintenance is needed to extend the longevity of a motorcycle tracker. 

With this simple device, any motorcycle owner can feel more confident in riding and parking their bike. No need to worry about guarded or in-door parking. Also, owners won’t be needing old-fashioned security tools like chain locks to prevent possible theft. State-of-the-art GPS trackers make for easy maintenance, a fool-proof anti-theft guarantee, and no more stress over motorcycle robbery. 

An easy and relatively cheap way to prevent any motorcycle owner’s worst nightmare. 

5 Daily Habits That Will Make You Better at Racing

By
SM
-

When you’re training, you are always pushing yourself to hit that next level. There is a desire to keep doing better, to out-perform yourself, and reach all your goals. For runners, it can be tricky to keep up this level of intensity and performance improvements, since it’s quite normal to hit a plateau. Getting stuck on a plateau is frustrating and can chip away at your motivation. 

That is exactly why these five daily habits will prove to be so useful. Each of them can help you to be better at racing and help you to achieve your personal fitness goals.

Introduce Into Your Routine Strength Training

If you haven’t yet introduced strength training into your routine, it’s time to do so. Runners are often focused on the cardio side of things, but strength training can also play a pivotal role in your training. Embrace exercises like planks, squats, lunges, and pushups to get started. This will build your core muscle and strength which, in turn, will help you to be a better racer.

Eat a Healthy Well-Balanced Diet

To be your best, you also need to fuel your body with the vitamins and nutrients it needs, which requires eating a healthy well-balanced diet. Although it can be tempting to head out to a restaurant to eat, get takeout or choose a pre-packaged frozen meal, those aren’t the healthiest decisions. 

If you’re the type that opts for takeout due to the convenience factor, this is a great time to embrace meal planning and advanced meal preparation. There are several compact food storage options that allow you to prepare ingredients in advance or even the full meal and then store it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it. The proper storage solution will ensure the items are kept fresh and tasting great.

Speaking of a healthy well-balanced diet, be sure that you are drinking plenty of water. If you allow yourself to become dehydrated, it will negatively impact your performance.

Learn the Right Time of Day/Night for Your Training

Did you know that everyone is different in terms of what their best time of the day is for training? Some people respond well to early morning workouts and runs, whereas others do better in the evenings. It’s important to figure out what your best time of day is, be honest with yourself, and then plan accordingly.

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

When you think about racing better, there’s no doubt you think about training harder and more often, but what about sleep? Did you know that adequate sleep is just as important to your performance level? Ideally, you want to aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night. This gives your body a chance to recover from your workouts and runs. The less sleep you get, the longer it will take for your body to recover and make the necessary repairs.

Do You Have the Right Type of Shoes?

Although there is no such thing as magical shoes that will miraculously make you a better runner, there are differences worth noting. They can affect your comfort and performance even in a small way. If your shoes are old, no longer have good support, don’t fit well or don’t have ample support and cushioning, it’s time to invest in new ones. This is an item worth shopping around for, so make sure you get a quality pair.

By following these tips and being mindful of the small changes you can make, it won’t be long until you get better at racing.

Why bitcoin betting is better than other payment methods

By
SM
-
Photo by André François McKenzie on Unsplash

Betting becomes easier every year. If 10 years ago, to make a bet on the outcome of a match, you had to go to the bookmaker’s office, now you don’t even need to leave the house. It is enough to download the application or visit the website. Now, conventional payment methods such as a bank card or terminal are gradually replacing bitcoin. It is a digital cryptocurrency used by millions of people around the world.

Why crypto betting are more profitable than usual

More and more bettors are choosing to bitcoin betting. Cryptocurrency, unlike ordinary dollars and rubles, has many advantages:

  • anonymity;
  • saving time and money;
  • independence;
  • safety.

Bitcoin betting is a godsend for betters who value anonymity. You do not need to provide personal data to invest in cryptocurrency. You can create a wallet using an anonymous service. Sometimes a phone number is enough, but it may not be tied to an ID. Moreover, in some cities, there are special crypto maps where you can buy bitcoin anonymously. However, there, without verification, you can buy a cryptocurrency for no more than $ 750. The exact amount varies by company and country.

Crypto rates help save money because the transaction fees are orders of magnitude lower than in banks. sports betting cryptocurrency also attracts with security, because data on transfers is stored in a database created using blockchain technology. By making crypto betting, you can earn not only a positive outcome of the match but also increase your assets, thanks to the fluctuation of the bitcoin rate. It is known that hundreds of thousands of people have become millionaires due to the rapid rise in the value of BTC. Bitcoin is not the only Crypto Superstar that many bookmakers accept.

Features of sports betting in Bitcoin

Dozens of bookmakers are now offering bitcoin sports betting. For beginners who are just starting to be interested in cryptocurrency, first, you need to create a wallet. It is enough to choose a convenient service. Among the popular ones are Coinbase, Electrum, Trust. Then it must be replenished in an accessible way.

A bitcoin sportsbook may offer to use cryptocurrency on the platform in the following ways:

  • accepting bitcoin, converting to fiat, withdrawing in dollars, euros, rubles, and other real currencies;
  • accepting bitcoin, betting, and withdrawing funds also in cryptocurrency.

Bookmakers have recently begun to appear, which are completely created using blockchain technology. Bitcoin is not the only cryptocurrency that many bookmakers accept. Some exchanges also allow replenishment of the deposit using ethereum, dogecoin, bitcoin cash.

A good bitcoin sportsbook that is suitable for both beginners and professionals is Sportbet. The site attracts stylish, simple, and straightforward interfaces. You can place bets on different sports: football, basketball, table tennis, computer games. There is a live mode with broadcasts of events.

Alex Palou fights back with Portland victory

By
Briar Starr
-
Photo Courtesy of Joe Skibinski

Following a rough couple of weeks with a crash at Gateway and an engine failure at the Indianapolis Grand Prix, Chip Ganassi’s Alex Palou fought back into the championship points lead with a victory at Portland International Speedway Sunday afternoon. Palou qualified on the pole and took the lead on Lap 86 to score his third victory of the 2021 season.

“It was massive,” Palou said about the victory. “I don’t think that much about the three wins or two wins. I think that’s important but not super. What I think is important is that even having a really bad start of the race, we were able to fight. At some point we were behind Rossi and Dixon, so we overtook them even on the same strategy. I’m really proud of the work we did today together with our guys at the No. 10 PNC Bank Honda car. And yeah, it’s good to have three wins this year.”

Meanwhile, Alexander Rossi has had a tough season with two DNFs and no podium finishes. However, Rossi had a decent day in the No. 27 NAPA Autoparts Honda earning his first podium of the year after finishing second in the Grand Prix of Portland.

“Yeah, I mean, I’m glad it all came back to us because we all would have looked pretty silly, I guess,” Rossi said about his day. I thought it was pretty low grip in Turn 1 when Felix, I guess — when Scott and Alex and them kind of slid through, I didn’t really have anywhere to go, and I thought if we got back to the styrofoam chicane, that was acceptable. But it was self-penalizing because we all went from like first, second, third to sixth, seventh, eighth, and then they’re like, oh, you’re going to 24th. It was like, okay, cool.”

“But fortunately it all came around, and as Scott said, it put us on the two-stop, which is ultimately the strategy to be on.”

The pace of the car was good all weekend. I think we gave it everything we could there on that last stint, and the red tires had a window of time where they were a little bit better, and then it was just tough with dirty air, and Alex didn’t make a mistake. It’s always going to be hard to just go and drive around the pole sitter, but ultimately it was a good day for the team, good in pit lane, great calls, so yeah, started second, finished second.”

For the first time in two-years, the NTT IndyCar Series returned to Portland International Raceway with just three races remaining in the 2021 season. Pato O’Ward entered the race with a nine point lead over Palou.

As the field took the green flag for the 110-lap event, there was a massive melee in Turn 1 involving multiple cars. The No. 7 of Felix Rosenqvist turned into the No. 9 of Scott Dixon, which then caused a traffic jam. Others involved were the 51 of Romain Grosjean, the 06 of Helio Castroneves, the 12 of Will Power and the 45 of Oliver Askew.

After multiple laps ran under yellow with IndyCar shuffling the lineup order, the restart came at Lap 11 with Graham Rahal and Pato O’Ward leading the way.

Early in the first stint, O’Ward led the first 29 laps heading into the first stop. However, with varying strategies, Rahal stayed out one lap later and did not pit until Lap 35. When Rahal pitted, the Indiana native came out in front of O’Ward on the fronstretch. Rahal cycled back into the lead on Lap 45 and led O’Ward by 2.3 seconds. He then stretched the lead by 3.5 seconds five laps later.

During the ongoing pit stops, the second caution flew on Lap 51 when the No. 77 of Callum llott came to a stop in Turn 1. The yellow created a restart on Lap 57 (just two laps past halfway) with Rahal and Ed Jones on the front row, creating one more pit stop for the field.

After the restart, Rossi moved into the fifth position after making a three wide move into Turn 1. With Rossi moving into the top five, Rahal continued to lead second place Jones by 1.6 seconds with 40 laps to go. On Lap 74, Rahal and Jones made their final stop with hopes of battling it out for the win. However, others stayed out longer including eventual race winner Alex Palou who didn’t make his stop until Lap 78 for four tires and fuel.

Palou came out ahead and cycled into the lead, but another caution came with 25 to go for Simon Pagenaud who spun in Turn 8 after contact with Will Power. One more yellow was caused on the Lap 90 restart, as the No. 45 of Askew stalled when the No. 14 of Bourdais made contact.

After the final yellow of the day, an 18-lap dash to the finish was set up with leaders Palou and Rossi. With cloud cover in the area, Rossi was able to use that to his advantage and decrease the lead to 0.830 seconds with 13 to go. However, race leader Palou kept Rossi at bay with a manageable gap inside the last 10 laps.

As the checkered flag flew, Alex Palou took home the third checkered flag of his career in just his 27th NTT IndyCar Series start. Rossi finished 1.2 seconds back in second, Scott Dixon third, Jack Harvey fourth, and Josef Newagarden rounded out the top five finishers.

Even though Dixon is 49 points behind in the standings, Palou’s teammate believes he still has a shot at the championship and doesn’t mind helping Palou win the title when it comes down to it.

“I don’t know, try and win,” Dixon said. “It’s definitely been a trying season for us, but ultimately if it comes down to we need to help Alex, that’s fine, too. I think for us it’s about keeping the championship at home and at the team.”

“So yeah, it’s just the way it rolls sometimes. But yeah, we’ll — obviously we’ve seen it. We saw it at St. Louis how quickly it can flip. We’ve seen how quickly it can flip this weekend. Unless you’re out, you’re not out. We’ve won championships on a tiebreaker. It’s all possible.”

Palou led three times for 29 laps en route to victory and takes over the championship points by 25 over Pato O’Ward.

Official Results following the Grand Prix of Portland.

  1. Alex Palou, led 29 laps
  2. Alexander Rossi
  3. Scott Dixon, led four laps
  4. Jack Harvey, led five laps
  5. Josef Newgarden
  6. Fleix Rosenqvist
  7. Marcus Ericsson, led one lap
  8. Colton Herrta
  9. Scott McLaughlin, led five laps
  10. Graham Rahal, led 36 laps
  11. Ed Jones, led two laps
  12. Takuma Sato
  13. Will Power
  14. Pato O’Ward, led 28 laps
  15. Ryan Hunter-Reay
  16. Conor Daly
  17. Rinus VeeKay
  18. Sebastien Bourdias
  19. Max Chilton
  20. Jimmie Johnson
  21. Simon Pagenaud, 1 lap down
  22. Romain Grosjean, 15 laps down
  23. Helio Castroneves, 19 laps down
  24. Oliver Askew, OUT, Contact
  25. Callum llott, OUT, Mechanical
  26. Dalton Kellett, OUT, Mechanical
  27. James Hinchcliffe, OUT, Contact

Up Next: The NTT IndyCar Series will continue to stay out west as they head to Laguna Seca for the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at 3 p.m. ET live on NBC.

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Richmond

By
Jeffrey Boswell
-
Fireworks erupt as members of the military and first responders hold the American and 9/11 Never Forget flag during pre-race ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 Salute to First Responders at Richmond Raceway on September 11, 2021. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Larson: Larson posted a sixth in the Federated Auto Parts 400 Salute To First Responders.

“I started from the rear after failing pre-race inspection twice,” Larson said. “There was this one time in E-Racing when I failed during-race inspection.”

2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin dominated early at Richmond, winning Stages 1 and 2, but couldn’t track down Martin Truex Jr. in the final stage for the win. Hamlin settled for the runner-up spot.

“I easily won the first two stages,” Hamlin said. “That’s called a ‘sweep,’ and believe you me, I can certainly find a use for that broom, because there’s some things I’d like to sweep under a rug.”

3. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex overcame a penalty for jumping the start at the green flag at Richmond, but easily made his way back to the front. He took the lead late when Kyle Busch was penalized for pit road speeding. Truex held off Denny Hamlin to secure the win.

“Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas once said, ‘It’s not how you start, it’s how you Finnish.’ He’s from Finland, by the way.

“Given a few more laps, I’m sure Denny would have passed me. So, I know it pains him to lose. And it probably pains him more to lose to me, because my last name is ‘Truex,’ and the ‘Ex’ part of that is an unfortunate reminder for Denny.”

4. Chase Elliott: Elliott fell a lap down after a slow pit stop midway through the race at Richmond, but recovered to post a fourth.

“That pit stop could have been disastrous,” Elliott said. “But if you think a mistake in the pits is going to stop this team, then you don’t know ‘jack.'”

5. Joey Logano: Logano finished fifth at Richmond, posting his ninth top-five of the season.

“I’m right where I want to be in the playoff standings,” Logano said. “I plan to be there at the end. Unlike my Penske teammate Brad Keselowski, I’m in it for the long haul.”

6. Kevin Harvick: Harvick posted a solid eighth in the Federated Auto Parts 400 Salute To First Responders.

“My car was primarily sponsored by Hunt Brothers Pizza and Busch Light,” Harvick said. “So being the No. 4 car makes total sense, because if you pair your Hunt Bros. Pizza with Busch Light, you almost certainly get two No. 2’s.”

7. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished 10th at Richmond.

“Here’s a joke making the rounds,” Blaney said. “How many letters are there in the ‘Kyle Busch alphabet?’ The answer: 52: two S’s and 50G’s.”

8. Kyle Busch: Busch’s victory aspirations were derailed by a late pit road speeding penalty that resulted in a costly drive-through penalty.

“I can’t blame anyone but myself,” Busch said, “but by golly, I’m gonna try.

“My No. 18 Toyota sported the familiar M&M’s paint scheme. In light of my colorful language at Darlington, I’m surprised my car didn’t also have two ‘F’s‘ to go along with those two ‘M’s.'”

9. Alex Bowman: Bowman came home 12th at Richmond.

“The playoff field gets cut down to 12 drivers after the upcoming Bristol race,” Bowman said. “That’s called an ‘elimination’ race, so just for a night, the ‘Last Great Colosseum’ will be called the ‘Last Great Colo-see-you.'”

10. William Byron: Byron struggled at Richmond and finished 19th.

“The No. 00 Chevy of Quin Houff sported the ‘Trucker Appreciation’ paint scheme,” Byron said. “And that proves that this race was ‘rigged.'”

Dyson Completes WGI Trans Am Sweep, Mosack Scores First TA2® Victory

By
Official Release
-

Joiner and Oakes clinch respective class titles two rounds early

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (12 September 2021)- Leaving nothing to chance, Chris Dyson pulled away from the field to win another spectacular Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli race on Sunday to complete a doubleheader weekend of combined-class racing at Watkins Glen International.

After winning Saturday’s race, Dyson continued his march toward his first TA title by beating Boris Said by 5.848 seconds on Sunday. CD Racing’s Guy Smith took third in Dyson Racing’s No. 21 Amamos LaVida Tequila Ford Mustang, beating out Amy Ruman’s No. 23 McNichols Corvette in a thrilling late-race battle.

“God bless the empire state, God bless New York, I am so proud to be back here,” said Dyson, who made his professional debut at The Glen 20 years ago. “It was just magnificent up here today. We made some tweaks overnight, and it worked out fantastically for us today. The ALTWELL CBD Ford Mustang feels so good and was fast every single lap. I could push; I could drive into a pace; we definitely had our hand in it today the whole way. I’m really proud we got a one-three finish for the team, so that’s terrific for the points. To win two in a row here at Watkins Glen is very satisfying for us.”

Dyson saw troubles take out challengers Ernie Francis Jr. and Tomy Drissi. After going out with clutch problems in the closing laps of Saturday’s run, Francis dropped a belt and later overheated in the No. 98 Future Star Racing Ford Mustang but was able to take the checkered flag two laps down after having led in the early stages of the race.

Dyson had battled with Drissi on Saturday, and the two were once again in close contention on Sunday as Drissi challenged Dyson up until sustaining tire and suspension problems exiting Turn 4, sending him into the guardrail.

Said started the No. 2 Pancho Weaver Technique/SRI Dodge Challenger from the back of the 34-car grid after missing Saturday’s race. He thrilled his many fans in the large crowd by storming into contention, but had nothing for Dyson following the final restart. Said won the Chill Out move of the race for coming from last to second.

“I love coming here, it’s like my home track,” Said explained. “Of all the tracks I’ve raced from all over the world, this circuit is badass and the best I’ve ever driven. I had a blast coming from the back, I wanted Chris (Dyson) really bad, he’s a good blocker. I tried to put the fender on him but didn’t want to rough him up too much to upset him and his championship. He won today fair and square. Pancho Weaver builds the best cars, and I had a lot of fun today driving from the back.”

The run to the Trans Am podium was a welcome one for Smith, who celebrated his birthday in style.

“I actually went into neutral, I was so busy trying to keep her back, I wasn’t even looking at what I was doing,” Smith admitted about his late race battle with Ruman. “It was a bit of a comeback. She drove really, really well, and was super late on the brakes.. This Trans Am racing is just crazy. It’s a lot of fun, the racing is first class, and we put on a good show for everybody.”

Ken Thwaits took fourth in the No. 4 Franklin Road Apparel Camaro, and was the TA Masters winner.

Following the caution for Drissi, the Lap 21 restart generated a major incident in the Esses that turned around the TA2® race.

Up until that point, Connor Mosack had dominated the class in the No. 92 Nik Taylor/IFS M1-SLR/Fields Chevrolet Camaro, and the Team SLR driver got away on a clean restart. Behind him, though, cars began spinning – including three of the cars dueling for second. Mike Skeen, Misha Goikhberg and Thomas Merrill all spun into the wall; Saturday winner Rafa Matos missed the wreck but fell from third to seventh while avoiding the incident; and Tyler Kicera managed to sneak through without damage and advanced to second in the class. (VIDEO: TA2 Race Highlights)

After a black flag to clean up the incident, Mosack went on to win by 0.883-seconds ahead of Kicera for his first TA2® victory.

“It feels amazing,” Mosack said. “Team SLR gave me a great car – it was the best car all weekend. It’s a big relief; it takes a lot off my shoulders to finally get my first win. I feel there’s more to come the rest of the year. Hopefully, we can get it done again at VIR. I saw the wreck behind me, and it took out some of the good guys. But I knew we still had some good guys behind us, and I had to hold them off there at the end. It definitely wasn’t an easy race, but as the laps went on, the car got better, and that helped us out.

Kicera came through the incident unscathed to take second in the No. 5 Silver Hare Racing Ford Mustang. The Pennsylvanian considers WGI his home track, making his racing debut there 10 years ago.

“The seas parted, and I drove through,” said Kicera. “It’s been a really long weekend. “We’ve battled uphill the whole time. Huge thanks to Silver Hare Racing for all their help getting the car put back together twice this weekend. I don’t know how I made it through that crash, but I did, and tried to give Connor (Mosack) everything at the end there. I thought I might have had him on the restart, but Rafa (Matos) was coming, and I just went into defense mode to try and maintain second. It was a fun race and great result for us.”

Matos fought back to take third in the No. 88 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang.

“Today was a day to just finish and get the points,” said Matos, who extended his lead in the TA2® title chase. “We were able to avoid the crash, going up the Esses that was a big wreck, I had to go through the grass and my grill was full of grass. I am really happy with where we finished today, and hope to clinch the championship in Virginia.”

Matos’ teammate Doug Peterson was the TA2® Masters winner, placing 12th despite a late incident after losing power steering.

Erich Joiner placed 10th overall after leading all the way in XGT, unofficially clinching the title in the No. 10 Good Boy Bob Coffee Roaster Porsche 991 GT3 R. He was challenged by the late addition of Simon Gregg to the class.

“The first few laps I was asking my crew, ‘where’s Simon (Gregg) where’s Simon?'” explained Joiner. “He’s a world class driver and he got me in Sonoma earlier this year so I was worried about him! It was a huge race, and I made it through that wreck, thankfully. We had a good time out there and put on a great show for the fans here camping and those watching from home.”

With his TA class Camaro unable to race, Simon Gregg unloaded his spare car, a Mercedes AMG he occasionally runs in Trans Am West and now uses as a show car to promote the Peter Gregg Foundation in tribute to his father, a three-time Trans Am winner at Watkins Glen.

SGT also saw an unofficial title clinch, with Justin Oakes winning his sixth race of the year in the No. 11 Droneworks Corvette.

“I have an amazing team from GSpeed,” Oaks said. “My coach Jason Heart is incredible at getting me up to speed fast and getting me comfortable with the tracks. It’s my first year in the series, it’s a brand new car, so I had a lot of learning to do. We’ve done a great job together as a team. Again, I had great competitors to race against. It was really fun going against Natalie (Decker) there at the end. I just couldn’t be happier.”

Oakes survived a late challenge from Natalie Decker, who came up only 0.720-seconds shy in the No. 29 NI29 Technologies Audi R8.

“It’s a dream to be racing here,” Decker said. “I’ve been wanting to come here since I was a little girl. Thank you so much to Tony Ave. I love his team, he has the best crew. It was great to put WiscLift and Nerd Focus on the podium with a second-place finish.”

Milton Grant finished third in the SGT class and first in the SGT Masters Class.

Next up for the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli is a visit to Virginia International Raceway on Sunday, Sept. 26. The campaign concludes at the Circuit of The Americas on Sunday, Nov. 7.

Wagner Sweeps Mazda MX-5 Cup Weekend in Monterey

By
Official Release
-

MONTEREY, Calif. (Sept. 12, 2021) – Gresham Wagner (No. 5 Spark Performance) went two-for-two on Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires race wins this weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports) was runner-up once again and Chris Nunes (No. 32 JTR Motorsports Engineering) was third.

The 45-minute, Round 12 race was a bit of a heartbreaker for Rollan, who started from pole position and lead every lap until the final one.

The race’s only full-course caution came late in the race and set up a two-lap dash to the finish.

On the restart, Rollan got wide in Turn Two. But he wasn’t alone as most of the field behind him also brought too much speed and enthusiasm into the corner. Everyone was able to recover as Wagner pulled alongside, but Rollan was able to stay with him and hold the lead.

“I guess I got too deep in on the brakes, maybe they weren’t warm enough, but I had nothing on the pedals, and I went straight,” Rollan said. “Luckily my competitors followed me through. I really don’t know, it seems like all of our tires were not up to temp and we were sliding everywhere, and Gresham slid in turn three and I got him there, but that was crazy.”

On the final lap, Wagner had a second shot to make the pass in Turn Two and this time it stuck. Wagner crossed the finish line 1.377 seconds ahead of Rollan.

“With a restart with two to go, it really is just whatever situation is thrown at you, you have to take it and run with it,” Wagner said. “So I was pretty content to take a second-place finish after the win yesterday. But you know, it got so crazy there and an opportunity presented itself, so I had to go for it, and it ended up working out. It takes a lot of trust from everyone and a lot of good racing to come out of that with everyone still running and on track to make it to the line.”

“I was happy to get second, get the pole, get the most laps led,” Rollan said. “It was a great Hixon Motor Sports MX-5 Cup car, it was handling well. I think Gresham did a good job staying behind me and keeping the pressure on and congrats to him.”

With the double victory, Wagner takes over the points lead with just two more races left on the schedule.

“When it comes down to the championship being this close, a weekend like this is even more important than earlier in the season,” Wagner said. “It’s really going to come down to ten points here and ten points there, so to get both wins and maximize the points haul going into Road Atlanta – it’s a perfect situation. But you know, as quick as it’s come to me this weekend, it can go away in Rounds 13 and 14. It’s definitely good to have the momentum and to be on top heading into the final round, but it’s still so easy to slip up and lose a few points. It’s really going to come down to the final race of the season. I got a little bit of margin, but not much.”

A third-place finish for Nunes was a welcome result after a disastrous Race One, where contact with Rollan damaged his car and killed his pace.

“Yesterday was a little disappointing as you had mentioned but there’s always things we’re learning from, that’s why we’re out here racing in MX-5 Cup,” Nunes said. “I learned to stay back, not dice for the lead early on in the race and we did that today. Today’s race, it was intense. We rode in third. There was a yellow right near the end and that’s when we needed to make the charge to the front. We all kind of butchered the second corner there, everyone pushed wide, it kind of turned it into about an eight-car race. I fell back to fifth, back up to third, and that’s where we finished. I diced with Selin a little at end. We had a little kiss and a make-up from yesterday because we got to dice clean today.

“So overall, it was a great race,” continued Nunes. “I’m on the podium, that’s great for points. I couldn’t have done it without my BFGoodrich tires keeping me hooked up, my Kicker Audio keeping me cool and collected throughout the race and my Sure Can gas can keeping my car powered. Thank you to them and thank you to all the fans.”

Behind Nunes, a pair of rookies, Luca Mars (No. 41 Copeland Motorsports) and Sam Paley (No. 28 McCumbee McAleer Racing) finished fourth and fifth respectively. This further tightens the battle for Rookie of the Year, which comes with an $80,000 prize from Mazda.

If style points were given out in Mazda MX-5 Cup races, Paley might be going home with some bonus points. On the opening lap he went spinning through the sand in Turns Nine and 10, held on, got the car straightened out and rejoined the race without issue, although in last place. The Rookie of the Year leader then charged back to a fifth-place finish, ensuring he maintained that lead.

Just behind Paley was Michael Carter (No. 08 Carter Racing Enterprises) who had to start from the back because of a transponder issue in qualifying. Carter was able to climb through the field and finish sixth.

While watching those around him make mistakes, Moisey Uretsky (No. 55 McCumbee McAleer Racing) kept his nose clean and his tires on the track. This helped him climb eight positions in the race, from 17th on the grid to ninth at the finish, earning him the Hard Charger Award. The prize comes with $1,000 for him and $1,000 for his crew chief.

“Keep your head up and avoid all the carnage, that’s my advice,” Uretsky said. “Just keep your eyes up, because there’s always something happening on track. But that’s why we love it, because there’s a lot of tough racing. It sucks when people have contact and they go off, but that’s part of why we race hard. It’s because you’re racing so close that mistakes are bound to happen, but if you didn’t race that close, it wouldn’t be as much fun.”

If you missed any of the MX-5 Cup craziness from WeatherTech Raceway, the races will air on NBCSN, Tuesday, September 21, at 4pm ET.

Only two more races remain in the 2021 Mazda MX-5 Cup and they are nearly eight weeks away. Rounds 13 and 14 take place at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, November 10 – 12. That leaves the title contenders a lot of time to think about the $250,000 up for grabs from Mazda for winning the championship.

About: The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. The series has been operated by Andersen Promotions since 2017 and is currently sanctioned by IMSA. Mazda-powered grassroots champions can earn Mazda scholarships for this pro-level series. The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup champion is awarded $250,000 as the top rookie nets $80,000.

Find out more at http://www.mx-5cup.com.

1...2,3672,3682,369...6,749Page 2,368 of 6,749