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THE #47 WEATHERTECH CANADA | GROUPE BELLEMARE TEAM AT THE LEGENDARY FLAMBORO SPEEDWAY

By
Official Release
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Photo Credit: Matthew Manor CSCG
EventsMotomaster 125 & Quick Wick Firestarter 125 – NASCAR Pinty’s Series
TrackFlamboro Speedway (Millgrove, Ontario) – Oval
Schedule (EDT) /Race Center·   Motomaster 125 – Sunday, September 12: Practice 11:00 am | Qualifying 1:45 pm | Race 4:05 pm.·   Quick Wick 125 – Sunday, September 12:Race 5:45 pm Canada: TSN.ca and on the TSN app | United States: TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold | Live Timing: nascar.ca/race-center/
Dates / Television (HAE)·   Motomaster 125 – RDS2 – Saturday, October 16, 2:00 pm | TSN – Sunday, October 10, 12:30 pm·   Quick Wick 125: RDS2 – Friday, October 22, 9:00 pm | TSN – Sunday, October17, 12:30 pm

Trois-Rivieres (Quebec, Canada), September 9, 2021 – Louis-Philippe Dumoulin and the #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare will be back on track this Sunday, September 12, for a doubleheader (two 125-lap races) at the Flamboro Speedway oval. Last year, he finished seventh and fifth at that track. Currently second in the championship points, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin is looking to regain the lead this year, and we know that the racing will be exciting on the typical short low-banked oval.

“We are happy to go back to this short, fun-to-drive track where we had good results last season. The track has a low banking that makes especially difficult to pass, as it is not really possible to run fast two-wide. Passing for position or to lap someone is always hard work there. Our goal remains the championship and we have had a strong start to the season with one win, three podiums and five top-five finishes in six races. With 240 points, we are second in the championship, eight points behind the leader, and we are aiming for wins at every race between now and the end of the season to close that gap and win the championship,” explained the driver of the #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare car.

“A tight oval like Flamboro Speedway is very different in terms of driving than a road course like CTMP where we were last weekend. On a road course, the driver can compensate for the car’s behaviour by adjusting his driving, whereas on an oval, the set-up has to be perfect from start to finish. If necessary, it is essential to correct a problem by going through the pits. The other difference is in the intensity. On a small oval, we are almost always changing direction. We are driving “actively” with cars all around us, and have to work the steering wheel, brakes and throttle constantly. The spotter informs us of the track and traffic conditions – so there is no respite except during caution periods,” concludes the determined Louis-Philippe Dumoulin.

Flamboro Speedway – Sixty consecutive years of racing!

Flamboro Speedway was built in 1961 and has offered a full summer schedule of stock car racing every year since, making it at age 60 one of the oldest active stock car tracks in Canada. The original 1/3-mile asphalt oval track has always attracted racers of all levels, from beginner cars to the fastest “Super Modified”, showcasing five racing series at its regular Saturday night events.

Successive owners improved and upgraded the facility over the years, including a new foundation and paving of the racing surface in 1998, and major improvements in 2004, including new lights, paint and scoreboard.

Flamboro Speedway continues to attract spectators with a variety of series and car types in a region that features, along with Flamboro, a total of six short oval tracks that are still in operation: Delaware Speedway (London, Ont.), Grand Bend Speedway (London, Ont.), Peterborough Speedway (Peterborough, Ont.), Sauble Speedway (Nord-ouest de Toronto, Ont.), Sunset Speedway (Barrie, Ont.), Laird Raceway (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) and Varney Raceway (Nord-ouest de Toronto, Ont.).

“Passion – Performance – Partnerships”

2021 RESULTS

EventDateRoadOvalLP Dumoulin
 Start FinishPos.Points
Sunset Speedway sunsetspeedway.ca01-08O311632/79
Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières gp3r.ca15-08R153/119
Circuit ICAR icarexperience.ca28-08R532/160
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park canadiantiremotorsportpark.com04-09R211/207
05-093112/240
Flamboro Speedway flamborospeedway.ca12-09O   
Autodrome Chaudière autodromechaudiere.com29-08O   
Delaware Speedway delawarespeedway.com26-09O   

ABOUT PARTNERS

WeatherTech is committed to designing, engineering and manufacturing the finest products possible for your vehicle, home and your pet. From the industry leading FloorLiner to the 100% non-toxic Pet Feeding System, WeatherTech has dedicated itself to exceed customer expectations of quality, craftsmanship and environmental sustainability for over 30 years. To see the full line of automotive, home and pet products that are guaranteed for life, visit weathertech.ca.

Groupe Bellemare is a 3rd generation family business that has been serving clients since 1959. Today, the company has more than 500 employees and provides them with an innovative work environment facilitating work-family balance and a healthy and safe quality of life. With over a half century of experience and its sustained R&D efforts, the Company offers high-quality products and services in areas as diverse as concrete, abrasives and minerals, dimensional load transportation, and recycling. Groupe Bellemare is also very involved in its industry and attaches great importance to its social and environmental role as a member of the business community. Groupe Bellemare makes a positive contribution to the quality of life of citizens in the communities it serves by supporting numerous social causes and promoting local purchasing through its responsible procurement practices. groupebellemare.com

Dumoulin Competition. Jean-François and Louis-Philippe Dumoulin founded the Dumoulin Competition Race Team in 2009. Working with financial, marketing, logistics and sports management experts, they built up a solid business structure. Dumoulin Competition prepares its on race cars in-house since 2016. Their motto: “Passion – Performance – Partnerships” expresses their will to perform on the track and offer their partners maximum visibility and profitability in return for their commitment. Their vision: To become Canada’s leader in motorsports through track performance, entrepreneurial and human values dumoulincompetition.com

SUMMARY – HIGHLIGHTS IN LOUIS-PHILIPPE DUMOULIN’S CAREER

NASCAR Pinty’s Series

·         Inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame (2020) for his outstanding contribution.

·         In 2020, the sanitary situation forced the NASCAR Pinty’s Series to present only 6 races in the “Pinty’s FanCave Challenge”. Louis-Philippe Dumoulin scored 1 win and 3 top-5 finishes.

·         2019: Third in driver and owner championships (2 wins, 4 podium, and eight top-5 finishes from 13 events).

·         2018: Champion (3 victories, 7 podiums, 2 poles, eight top-5 in 13 events). Saw his name added for the second time to the NASCAR Hall of Fame (Charlotte, NC) / Wins“Driver of the Year” and “Best Performing Driver” awards.

·         2017: Fourth in the driver championship (3 podiums, nine top-5 and eleven top-10 finishes from 13 events).

·         2016: Joint fourthin the driver championship (4 podiums, six top-5 and seven top-10 finishes from 12 events).

·         2015: Fourth in the driver championship (2 podiums, six top-5 and nine top-10 finishes from 11 events).

·         2014: Champion (2 victories, 5 podiums and nine top-5 finish from 11 events). Saw his name added to the NASCAR Hall of Fame (Charlotte, NC) / Awarded the “Driver Of the Year”, “Best Performing Driver” and “Gilles-Villeneuve” awards.

·         2013: Fifth in the driver championship (2 victories, 3 podiums, four top-5s, six top-10s and five-time top-3 grid positions from 12 events).

·         2012: Sixth in the driver championship (1 pole, three top-5 and seven top-10 finishes from 12 events).

·         2011: Rookie of the year.

Rallying and Road Racing

·         2015: Participated in FIA World Rallycross Championship round in Canada (Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres).

·         2012: Second in class in the 12 Hours of Sebring (American Le Mans Series – GT3 Cup). The only Canadian driver on the podium.

·         2004 to today: Front runner in the Grand-Am and Rolex Sports Car series, in Porsche, Ferrari and Daytona Prototype cars – Races in the 12 Hours of Sebring / and the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA events.

·         2002: Champion in the Canadian Formula Ford Championship.

·         2001: Awarded the ‘’Gilles-Villeneuve’’ and ‘’Quartz’’ trophies.

·         Records: Holder since 2002 of Formula Ford Series records for most victories (6) and most pole positions (7) in a single season.

WEBSITES / ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

WeatherTech Canada: weathertech.ca/behindtech

Groupe Bellemare: groupebellemare.com

Flamboro Speedway: flamborospeedway.ca

Fondation québécoise du cancer: fqc.qc.ca

Musée Gilles-Villeneuve: museegillesvilleneuve.com

Festidrag développement: festidrag.com

Série Mini Sportsman Québec: seriesportsman.ca/mini-sportsman-calendrier

Dumoulin Compétition: dumoulincompetition.com

Série NASCAR Pinty’s: nascar.ca

Facebook: facebook.com/dumoulincompetition

Twitter: @DumoulinDC / @DumoulinLP / @jf_dumoulin

Youtube: youtube.com/user/dumoulincompetition

Instagram: @dumoulincompetition

KENNINGTON BACK ON THE OVALS IN CASTROL EDGE DODGE

By
Official Release
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September 9, 2021. Coming up this weekend for DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team: they return to the ovals for rounds seven and eight of the 2021 NASCAR Pinty’s Series. Kennington will race in twin 125-lap races Sunday, September 12th at Flamboro Speedway near Hamilton, Ontario.

It’s oval tracks the rest of the way in the Pinty’s Series schedule and Kennington knows how to get to the front on tight racetracks like Flamboro. Kennington’s strengths are consistent lap times and staying away from trouble, both of which are keys to success at Flamboro.

Here’s what you need to know.

Weekend Race Event Previews:
September 12th
Motomaster 125
Race seven of 11 in 2021
This is the 3rd NASCAR Pinty’s Series race at Flamboro

September 12th
QwickWick 125
Race eight of 11 in 2021
This will be the 4th NASCAR Pinty’s Series races at Flamboro

The Track:
1/3-mile paved oval

Best finish: 4th in 2020

Career Victories: 21

Most Recent Win: Jukasa Motor Speedway 2020

DJ Quote: “We finished top-five in both races at Flamboro last year and we expect the Castrol Edge Dodge to be right there again. I hadn’t raced at Flamboro until last year, but it’s a fun, challenging track that’s pretty much one groove and it makes a great show for the fans.”.

TV & Live Streaming
The races will be streamed live on TSN.ca and the TSN app in Canada and through Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold in the US. The Motomaster 125 begins at 4PM and the QwickWick 125 at approximately 5:45 PM ET.

The Motomaster 125 will be broadcast on TSN Sunday October 10th at 12:30PM and on RDS2 on Saturday October 16th at 2PM. The QwickWick 125 will be broadcast on TSN Sunday October 17th at 12:30PM and on RDS2 Friday October 22nd at 9PM.

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/

8 Reasons To Spend A Weekend In Nature

By
SM
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If you’re tired of the bustling city, a weekend in nature can become a great idea. Firstly, you will be able to see new beautiful places, and secondly, you will receive benefits for your health.

So, get in your car (or if you do not have it, you can rent it. If you ask Where to rent a Land Rover near me?, as Range Rover Sport is an ideal choice for a weekend outside the city, you can apply to RealCar New York), and go exploring unfamiliar territory with family or friends. Here’re the top 8 reasons why you should definitely add such activity to your life.

Anxiety Reduction

Numerous studies have shown that spending time outdoors has a very positive effect on health – it promotes peace of mind and reduces stress levels. Fresh air and sounds of nature such as birdsong and foliage noise act as the best antidepressants and stress relievers. Being in nature helps to lower cortisol levels, not only while you are there, but also over the next few days. Breathing in the fresh air helps you get in touch with your thoughts and emotions and makes you feel calmer and happier.

Stimulation Of Creative Processes

No matter what type of outdoor rest you choose (it can be both active recreation and sports, or a lazy weekend), you will see how your desire to work and create will increase and you will be happier to start a new work week. Do not forget to take beautiful pictures to remember from your vacation.

Natural Vitamins

In cold seasons, many are deficient in vitamin D, which is also called the solar vitamin. So, outdoor weekends are a great choice to help your body produce this important vitamin. Also, clean air actively saturates the body with oxygen, improves metabolism, and restores efficiency. An additional bonus will be improved vision since you will spend less time with your gadgets.

Workout

What kind of life do you lead on weekdays? If you do not exercise much, then a weekend outside the city will help you improve your health and burn excess calories. Walking is very beneficial – it will help increase your heart rate and improve blood circulation in the body.

Even if you are wondering can you exercise with a pacemaker, remember that walking and moderate hiking are safe activities for people with pacemakers.

If you have a dog, then you can run around with it a lot – both you and your pet will get a charge of positive emotions and a good mood.

Improved Brain Abilities

Time in nature improves our mental abilities and helps us focus. It can be very difficult for city dwellers to concentrate because every day they receive a huge amount of various city noise and information. This often leads to an irritable mood and excessive temper. Try to regularly surround yourself with nature and you will see how your mental and physical health will change for the better.

Improved Memory

Recent studies have also shown that people who spend a lot of time outdoors, and especially those who walk a lot, have a better memory than those who live in metropolitan areas who very rarely leave the city. This is a great reason to get out of town or city and enjoy nature at least occasionally.

You Can Learn Something New

It’s never too late to have a new hobby. For example, maybe you have always been interested in photography, but you have not found inspiration in your weekdays. A weekend in nature can be a great start for such an activity. You don’t have to buy professional equipment. Try to start with photos using your smartphone. In the future, you will be able to fill your family albums with a lot of beautiful pictures.

Rethinking Life And Internal Attitudes

When we lie on the grass and listen to the singing of birds and the rustle of leaves, we involuntarily think about our life, our relationship with other people, goals, and our inner feelings. In such an environment, we can think and decide what we did wrong or what actions need to be reviewed.

Kyle Busch Picks Up Brand New Lifetime Sponsorship After Not-Very-Accidental Swearing Snafu

By
SM Staff
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(NOTE: The following story is a work of satire…I think.)

WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON: Maybe it pays to say bad words on TV?

While most every other human being in the known universe might not feel so great after being fined for $50,000 worth of expletive-laden outburst (with an added bonus of doing so on live TV in front of God, Sponsors, and Everyone), oh, and driving like a blind autocross racer over orange cones. Along with blowing through a crowd of people like he sees the world as a bowling alley, and every other human out there is a pin to knock over. Kyle Busch is no such human with these sorts of sensitivities, as he will instead be swearing his way to the bank. Thanks to a new lifetime sponsor in the form of The Society of American Cheeses and Bratwursts and Colon and Rectal Surgeons in Walla Walla, Washington.

Dr. Colon Exhaust, President of that society, elaborated further.

“The SACBCRS is a prestigious institution that has been in existence since 1871. However, since we are not one of those fancy medical societies, you know, like those attention hogs that run all of those psychiatry and psychology outfits and they’re a bunch of fakes anyway. Yeah, Jim, I’m talking to you, that’s the last time we play with a bunch of cheaters at our annual full-contact Cornhole tournament. Anyway, because our line of work is less glamorous than most of those other societies, we get a startling lack of attention in the press.”

Dr. Exhaust continued on.

“I accidentally stumbled across the first half or so of the Darlington race last weekend and saw this colorful yellow race car with what appeared to be brightly colored rabbit droppings painted on both sides. We here at The Society of American Cheeses and Bratwursts and Colon and Rectal Surgeons know poop-shaped objects when we see them. I was of course horrified to discover later on that the car was sponsored by M&M’s. Anyway, that car crashed, the driver parked his car, and was interviewed afterward.”

Dr. Exhaust spoke a bit more.

“I was initially horrified to hear that driver, Kyle Busch, speak so derogatorily towards his teammates and use so many ‘S-words’ on live TV. I mean, I’m in that line of work, and none of us in this business use that language even in private, as proctologists, well, we are simply far too educated and intelligent for it to ever occur to us to ever say s*** like that.”

“I was also shocked to see him driving so dangerously into the pit area, but since most of us here at the office actually drive worse than two-time championship-winning Kyle Busch in a rage. I’ve crashed three Mercedes SUV’s just this year. This isn’t an area where neither anyone I know personally or myself can pass judgment. I drive so badly, the only checkered flag that I will ever have waving at me is if I crash at full speed into a checkered flag factory.”

“But after the horror of the initial shock wore off, a mental light bulb went off, no, make that an entire city of light bulbs: Kyle Busch, with his beautiful, innate ability to speak of scatological byproducts like he so colorfully does on live TV, why he would be the absolute best spokesperson to give our almost unknown Society of American Cheeses and Bratwurst and Colon and Rectal Surgeons the public voice we need to get our name out there. Look, we’ve literally thrown every form of, um, excrement at the wall in the form of PR events and nothing so far is sticking. Just look at him! He’s perfectly okay with saying ‘s***’ on live TV, no matter who might be watching! THIS IS THE MAN WE NEED!”

“So to that end, heh, that was a pun there, we here at The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons have offered Kyle Busch a lifetime sponsorship in the hopes that he will swear more often during post-race interviews. Because not only will we here at the SACBCRS be giving Mr. Busch a generous salary to be our spokesperson, it will be an explosive relief for him to learn that we will actually be pushing him to say more S-words on live TV. In addition to him receiving lifetime rectal exams in any of our sponsored facilities, we will also be paying whatever fines he incurs during live TV spots, which means he can engage in verbal diarrhea however and wherever he wants, just as long as colorfully adds the ‘S-word’ to every sentence. With this offer to Mr. Busch, we’re hoping to land our organization into the public perception end-zone!”

No word as of yet has been received concerning whether or not Kyle Busch has accepted the offer.

Charitable contributions: More than 6,500 guests attended NASCAR and INDYCAR events free of charge at World Wide Technology Raceway in 2021

By
Official Release
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September 9, 2021, St. Louis Region – World Wide Technology Raceway, the home of NASCAR, INDYCAR and NHRA in Madison, Illinois, played host to more than 2,500 U.S. military veterans during the August 20-21 Bommarito Automotive Group 500 weekend. WWTR donated the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NTT INDYCAR SERIES tickets to charitable organization VetTix.org, which then distributed them to veterans and active-duty personnel.

WWTR’s ticket donations to additional non-profit organizations totaled 3,965 for the 2021 NASCAR-INDYCAR doubleheader, distributed by Memory Maker/Raceway Gives and the United Way, to name two.

WWTR also donated experiential packages (tickets, programs, parking passes, food-and-beverage vouchers) to Autism Speaks in St. Louis, thanks to the efforts of NASCAR Sammy, an autism advocate whose mission is to create awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). WWTR is NASCAR Sammy’s home track.

About Vet Tix

Vet Tix provides event tickets, which reduce stress, strengthen family bonds, build life-long memories and encourage service members and veterans to stay engaged with local communities and American life. Vet Tix supports U.S. troops by honoring their service and providing positive family and life experiences, during and after their years of service to our country. Vet Tix provides tickets to all branches of currently-serving military and veterans, including immediate family of troops KIA. Vet Tix is a 95% charity, independently audited over the past 11 years.

Please visit www.WWTRaceway.com or follow WWTR on social media (@wwtraceway) for additional information.

About World Wide Technology Raceway

World Wide Technology Raceway is the home of INDYCAR, NASCAR and NHRA racing in the St. Louis region. Located just five minutes from downtown St. Louis and covering more than 600 acres, WWTR is the largest outdoor entertainment facility in the area. WWTR’s facilities include a 1/4-mile drag strip, 1.25-mile superspeedway, recently-expanded 2.0-mile road course, a state-of-the-art karting facility, a 14-acre, multi-purpose dirt off-road venue and the Gateway Drive-In Theater at World Wide Technology Raceway (a drive-in entertainment venue able to accommodate 3,000 cars). WWTR acquired Gateway National Golf Links, adjacent to the speedway property, in 2019. WWTR was the recipient of the 2017 Outstanding Facility of the Year Award from the Race Track Business Conference and the 2017 Spirit of St. Louis Award from the St. Louis Attractions Association. In 2018, owner and CEO Curtis Francois received the Innovator Award from the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission in recognition of his work for restoring World Wide Technology Raceway (known then as Gateway Motorsports Park) to prominence. The 2021 season marks Francois’ 10th year as owner and CEO of WWTR.

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

By
Official Release
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CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
GRAND PRIX OF PORTLAND
PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
PORTLAND, OREGON
TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
SEPT. 11-12

RACE 14 OF 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES SEASON

Chevrolet seeks to maximize opportunities on West Coast swing
Points leader O’Ward, two-time champion Newgarden in thick of title race

DETROIT (Sept. 8, 2021) – Chevrolet teams, drivers and trackside engineers are primed for the September Swing.

Three consecutive weekends of intense racing that will lead to the crowning of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion starts with the 110-lap/216-mile Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday, Sept. 12, on the 12-turn, 1.964-mile Portland International Raceway that opened in 1961.

“It will be an interesting three races, as tight as the championship is. It always is this way,” said Will Power, driver of the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet who won the last race at Portland in 2019. “I’ve never seen someone wrap it up in all my 15 years in INDYCAR, no one’s wrapped it up the race before the last race. It never happened. Looks like the same here.”

A maximum 54 points are available in each of the races on the Portland and Laguna Seca road courses and Long Beach temporary street circuit. None of the three venues hosted the Series in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Five drivers powered by the 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 Chevrolet engine are in title contention and two are in the thick of the chase. Pato O’Ward, who won both races in 2018 at Portland on the way to the Indy Lights championship, is the points leader and Josef Newgarden is 22 points arrears.

“You try not to think about it too much because there’s so much racing (left),” said O’Ward, driver of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. “Whenever it’s so competitive like this series is in INDYCAR, just a lot can shift in one race. We’re just going to push until the checkered flag waves in Long Beach and see where we stand.”

O’Ward has been standing tall in his second full-time season with two wins, six other top-five finishes and three NTT P1 Awards in 13 races. He was runner-up to Newgarden in the most recent race on the World Wide Technology Raceway oval.

“Now the championship is more into the mindset of just really be aware of who we’re racing and when,” he said.

Newgarden, driver of the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, has matched O’Ward with two wins and three pole starts. He advanced eight positions to place fifth in the 2019 event at Portland. Felix Rosenqvist, teammate to O’Ward this season, was runner-up.

External and internal pressures associated with maximizing points in the stretch run are familiar to Newgarden, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion in 2017 and ’19 and runner-up in 2020.

“When you go into a weekend, I think you’re just trying to maximize whatever your result is,” he said. “We’ve just got to keep doing what we’ve been doing. “We certainly have to be strong. We’re not in some cushiony position where we can just sit back and (let) anything happen to us. Hopefully we have a good, solid end here. If we do, that could add up to a championship.

“Chevy has been doing a great job for us. Real proud to represent them as always.”

Joining the Chevrolet lineup this weekend will be Callum Ilott, who will make his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut in the No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet. Ilott, 22, of the United Kingdom, was the 2020 Formula 2 championship runner-up and current Ferrari Formula One test driver.

NBC will telecast the 110-lap Grand Prix of Portland at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 12. Two practice sessions and qualifications Saturday, Sept. 11, will stream on Peacock Premium. The race, qualifications and practice will also be broadcast live on INDYCAR Radio Network affiliates, Sirius 211, XM 205, Indycar.com, and on the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA.

Team Chevy will be represented by:
A.J. Foyt Enterprises
Dalton Kellett, No. 4 K-Line Insulators AJ Foyt Racing
Sebastien Bourdais, No. 14 ROKiT AJ Foyt Racing

Arrow McLaren SP
Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP
Felix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP

Carlin
Max Chilton, No. 59 Carlin

Ed Carpenter Racing
Conor Daly, No. 20 U.S. Air Force
Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek

Juncos Hollinger Racing
Callum Ilott, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing

Team Penske
Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske
Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 PPG Team Penske
Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske
Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Team Penske
Chevrolet IndyCar V6 Year-By-Year Results since 2012
2021 ­– 6 wins, 7 poles in 13 races
Wins – Pato O’Ward (Texas2, Detroit2); Rinus VeeKay (Indy RC1); Josef Newgarden (Mid-Ohio, St. Louis); Will Power (Indy RC2). Pole – Pato O’Ward (Barber Motorsports Park, Detroit1, Indy RC2); Josef Newgarden (Detroit2, Road America, Mid-Ohio); Will Power (St. Louis).
2020 – 7 wins, 11 poles in 14 races
Wins – Simon Pagenaud (Iowa1); Josef Newgarden (Iowa2, St. Louis2, Indy RC2, St. Petersburg); Will Power (Mid-Ohio1, Indy RC3, St. Petersburg). Poles – Josef Newgarden (Texas, Road America1, Iowa2), Will Power (Indianapolis road course, St. Louis1, Mid-Ohio1, Indy RC3; St. Petersburg), Pato O’Ward (Road America2), Conor Daly (Iowa1), Rinus VeeKay (Indy road course October)
2019 – 9 wins, 9 poles in 17 races
Driver/owner championship (Josef Newgarden/Roger Penske); Indianapolis 500 win (Simon Pagenaud)
2018 – 6 wins, 9 poles in 17 races
Indianapolis 500 win (Will Power)
2017 – 10 wins, 11 poles in 17 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Josef Newgarden/Roger Penske)
2016 – 14 wins, 13 poles in 16 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Simon Pagenaud/Roger Penske)
2015 – 10 wins, 16 poles in 16 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Scott Dixon/Chip Ganassi);
Indianapolis 500 win (Juan Pablo Montoya). First manufacturer to capture all titles since Chevrolet returned to INDYCAR in 2012
2014 – 12 wins, 14 poles in 18 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Will Power/Roger Penske)
2013 – 10 wins, 11 poles in 19 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; Indianapolis 500 win (Tony Kanaan)
2012 – 11 wins, 10 poles in 15 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Ryan Hunter-Reay/Michael Andretti)
Total – 95 wins, 106 earned poles in 162 races

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.

Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Richmond

By
Official Release
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Richmond Raceway
Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021
.75-Mile Oval
7:30 PM ET
Location: Richmond, Virginia
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (28 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM, PRN

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 29 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 1st

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

BAKER’S DOZEN: In 13 starts at Richmond Raceway, Kyle Larson has one win (2017), two top-five finishes and five top-10s. The driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has finished seventh or better in five of his last eight starts at the Virginia venue.

OT WIN: In September 2017 at the .75-mile track, Larson held off Martin Truex Jr. and others in overtime to earn his lone short-track victory in NASCAR’s premier series. The native of Elk Grove, California, led 53 laps in the event that was extended by four laps due to a late-race caution.

LAST 16: Larson has finished top three in 11 of the last 16 races dating back to Darlington Raceway in May. Over that span, the driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has four wins, five runner-up finishes and two third-place results. The Cup Series’ regular-season champion holds an 80-point advantage over the final transfer spot with two races remaining in the Round of 16.

FIVE-STAR RATING: Through 27 of 36 Cup Series races, Larson leads the series in wins (career-best five), top-five finishes (tied career-best 15), top-10s (19), stage wins (13) and laps led (career-best 1,722). In fact, he has paced the field 755 more times than any competitor this season and his stage wins are the most by seven.

SOME MORE DIRT: On Wednesday and Thursday, Larson is scheduled to participate in the World 100 dirt late model race at Eldora Speedway. HendrickCars.com will appear on Larson’s gloves and helmet.

FAST TIME: At 13.71 seconds, the No. 5 pit crew owns the quickest average time for four-tire pit stops in 2021. The over-the-wall crew is comprised of gasman Brandon Harder, jackman Brandon Johnson, tire carrier R.J. Barnette and tire changers Donnie Tasser (front) and Calvin Teague (rear).

VIRGINIA SON: No. 5 crew chief Cliff Daniels is a native of Smithfield, Virginia, which is approximately 75 miles southeast of Richmond. Daniels received a go-kart at age 7 and his first bandolero car at 9. As a driver, he competed at Southside Speedway near Richmond and progressed to legends cars at Langley Speedway by 2001. Daniels competed in late models at South Boston Speedway from 2004 until 2007, the year after he graduated high school from Hampton Roads Academy in Newport News, Virginia.

YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend, Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. From the convenience of home, customers can select the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com. The website also makes it easy for customers to find one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealership locations nationwide.

WE’RE HIRING: Hendrick Automotive Group is hiring more than 300 technicians at its dealerships throughout the country. Positions are open for all skill levels and offer tuition and training reimbursement. Interested people can apply at HendrickCars.com.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 25 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 10th

No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

DARLINGTON REWIND: The NASCAR Cup Series kicked off the 2021 playoffs at Darlington Raceway last weekend. Chase Elliott rolled off the grid fourth and spent most of the evening inside the top 15 before being collected in an on-track accident with only 38 laps remaining. The damage proved to be terminal and ended the No. 9 team’s race with a 31st-place finish.

SHORT-TRACK PERFORMANCE: On Saturday night at Richmond Raceway, Elliott will make his 35th short-track start in the Cup Series. In those previous 34 races, he has garnered one win, 11 top-five finishes, including three runner-up results, 17 top-10s and led 775 laps. In the last six short-track races, Elliott has earned the second-most points (260), behind only Joey Logano (261).

RICHMOND RUNDOWN: Elliott will make his 12th Richmond start in the Cup Series this weekend. In his previous 11 races at the .75-mile oval, he has collected three top-five finishes – one being a runner-up result – and four top-10s. Additionally, he has made four Richmond starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, never finishing outside the top five and earning a win in 2015.

2021 SHORT TRACKS: The Cup Series has competed on three short tracks in 2021: the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt race, Martinsville Speedway and Richmond Raceway. Elliott has garnered top-10 results at two of the events – a second-place finish at Martinsville and a 10th-place performance at Bristol.

600 STARTS: This weekend at Richmond, No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 600th career Cup Series race. In his previous 599 starts as a crew chief, he has called the shots for five different drivers, collecting one championship, 33 wins, 172 top-five finishes, 297 top-10s and 9,308 laps led.

GUSTAFSON AT RICHMOND: On Saturday, No. 9 team crew chief Gustafson is set to call his 32nd Cup Series Richmond race. In his previous 31 starts at the track with five different drivers (Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Elliott), Gustafson has accumulated 13 top-five finishes including five runner-up results, 17 top-10s and 566 laps led.

KELLEY BLUE BOOK IS BACK: The navy and gold colors of Kelley Blue Book will return to Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for the first time this season this weekend at Richmond. KBB.com is the vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. Each week, the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website, www.KBB.com.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 23 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 15th

No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

BEST YEAR YET: With only nine races left in the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season, William Byron is continuing to have a career-best season at the highest level of competition in the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. So far, Byron has collected one win (Homestead-Miami Speedway), two pole awards (Road America and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course – most by a driver this season), nine top-five finishes and 16 top-10s (tied for the third-most by a driver this season) all while leading 276 laps and collecting three stage wins. In his Cup career, this is the most top-five finishes, top-10s, laps led, and stage wins the 23-year-old driver has collected in a single season.

SHORT-TRACK SUCCESS: With two paved short-track races completed so far in the 2021 Cup Series season, Byron is one of six drivers who have finished in the top 10 for both, securing a fourth-place effort during the race at Martinsville Speedway and a seventh-place finish the last time he was at Richmond Raceway. In fact, Byron finished sixth in the dirt event at Bristol Motor Speedway as well earlier this year, making him one of three drivers with top-10 runs in all three short track events in 2021.

READY FOR RICHMOND: This Saturday’s race at Richmond Raceway will mark Byron’s seventh Cup Series start at the .75-mile track. He currently has a track-best finish of seventh coming earlier this season. Aside from his six Cup Series starts, Byron has made two NASCAR Xfinity Series appearances that the Virginia-based track, both in 2017. He earned a best starting position of sixth and finished seventh in the fall. He also has one NASCAR ARCA Menards Series East start in 2015 when he won the pole and finished sixth.

RUDY AT RICHMOND: Making his second Cup Series start at the .75-mile track Saturday night, Fugle has four previous starts at the national level at Richmond Raceway – one in the Cup Series, one in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and two in the Xfinity Series. His most recent start at the short track came earlier this year when Byron started fourth and raced to a track-best finish of seventh.

LIBERTY U ONBOARD: Heading to Liberty University’s home track of Richmond Raceway, Byron will climb behind the wheel of the No. 24 Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for the Saturday night event. Redesigned for the 2021 season, the new paint scheme features a white base with navy flames and red accents, the Liberty University No. 24 will be sure to stand out on track. Liberty University has a long history with Byron starting back in 2014 in the late model ranks. Liberty University has been Training Champions for Christ since it was founded in 1971. Located in the mountains of Central Virginia, Liberty is a liberal arts institution with 17 colleges and schools that offers more than 600 degree programs from the certificate to the doctoral level, on campus and online. Working on an undergraduate degree in communications, Byron is in his junior year at Liberty University through its online program. For a better look at Byron’s new Liberty University paint scheme, click here.

48 Alex Bowman
Age: 28 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Greg Ives
Standings: 13th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

REVISITING FIRST WIN OF 2021: Alex Bowman will return to the site of his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the 2021 season this weekend when the field visits Richmond Raceway for the second race of the Round of 16. The 28-year-old driver led the final 10 laps of the spring event to capture Ally’s first points-paying victory with Hendrick Motorsports. His April win was Bowman’s first short-track victory in the Cup Series and his third overall win at that level. Since Richmond, the No. 48 team has captured victories at Dover International Speedway and Pocono Raceway.

NINE MORE: Following last weekend’s event in Darlington, the Cup Series has nine races remaining this season. Aside from Bowman’s three 2021 wins, he has six top-five finishes and 13 top-10s. Last weekend, the Ally team finished 26th at Darlington after suffering various issues during the 367-lap event. Bowman goes into this weekend’s race tied for 12th in the NCS playoff standings with Tyler Reddick.

RACING AT RICHMOND: Bowman has 10 previous Richmond Raceway starts in the Cup Series. Along with his win earlier this year, Bowman also has two top-10 results at the .75-mile facility. He has three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the Virginia track where he qualified a career-best second and finished ninth in 2016 for JR Motorsports. In 2011, the driver of the No. 48 made one start at the track in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, qualifying fourth and finishing fifth after 100 laps.

SHORT-TRACK STATS: The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has made 31 paved short-track starts in his seven-year Cup Series career. Bowman has one win (Richmond), two top-five finishes and seven top-10s on these tracks. He has collected the fifth-most points (210) at short tracks in the last six events and is the most recent short-track winner in the Cup Series at Richmond. Out of Hendrick Motorsports’ 11 victories at the .75-mile venue, the last time the team won prior to this season was in 2008 when Bowman was 15 years old.

IVES IN VIRGINIA: Crew chief Greg Ives is set to call his 12th Richmond event in the Cup Series on Saturday night under the lights. The Bark River, Michigan, native’s best finish at the track came earlier this season when the team claimed the victory after 400 laps. Ives has one win, two top-five results and three top-10s at the Virginia-based venue. The sixth-year Cup Series crew chief also has four Xfinity Series starts at Richmond and his drivers finished inside the top five all four times. Chase Elliott placed second in both events in 2014 and Regan Smith finished fifth and third in 2013. Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team from 2006 until 2012. During that time, he was a part of Jimmie Johnson’s three wins, one pole award and seven top-10 finishes at Richmond

PIT ROAD STATS: Following last weekend’s event in Darlington, the No. 48 pit crew sits sixth for the fastest four-tire pit stop average in the Cup Series with a time of 13.92 seconds. The team had the fastest single stop at Dover International Speedway (12.18 seconds) on May 16 and had the third-fastest stop at Atlanta Motor Speedway (12.25 seconds) on July 11. The No. 48 pit crew includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Allen Stallings, jackman Dustin Lineback, and tire changers Scott Brzozowski (front) and Devin DelRicco (rear).

CLEAR THE SHELTERS: The “Clear the Shelters” nationwide campaign is underway and will run through Sept. 18. The NBC/Telemundo initiative rolled out at the end of August and WCNC, the local Charlotte, North Carolina, NBC station, teamed up with Bowman and No. 48 team partner Ally for the 2021 campaign to get as many pets adopted from local shelters. On Sept. 18, all adoption fees will either be waived or discounted with the goal to clear out the 10 shelters that are participating in the Charlotte area. Learn more here.

NOMINATE A CANCER HERO: The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation is giving race fans the opportunity to have a cancer survivor’s name, a caregiver’s name, or a medical provider’s name in place of Bowman’s moniker above the door at Kansas Speedway on Oct. 24. Fans can bid on the door space, which is now live on the NASCAR Foundation’s eBay page and will close out on Sept. 13. To bid on a chance for a special name to ride along with the Ally team in Kansas, click here.

1-2 PUNCH: With Kyle Larson’s second-place result Sunday at Darlington Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports has recorded 24 top-two finishes through 27 NASCAR Cup Series points races in 2021 – the most by a team at this point in a season since 1956 (34 by Carl Kiekhafer). This year, the four-car Hendrick Motorsports stable has amassed a league-leading 11 wins and finished in the runner-up spot 13 times. It has swept the top-two positions in five events.

THE ONES AND TWOS: Since its inaugural season in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has a combined 527 top-two finishes at the elite NASCAR Cup level. The team holds the series records for both points-paying victories (274) and second-place results (253). It has swept the top-two spots in an all-time best 48 Cup races.

SHORT-TRACK SUCCESS: Hendrick Motorsports has 52 victories on short tracks, which is 10 more than any other active NASCAR Cup Series team. Eleven of its wins have come at Richmond Raceway including Alex Bowman’s first-place performance there in April. A record-tying six different drivers have won at Richmond for car owner Rick Hendrick, who grew up 100 miles from the track in Palmer Springs, Virginia.

THE NEXT SIX: Since 2019, Hendrick Motorsports has visited victory lane at each of the next six tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule: Richmond, Bristol Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL and Texas Motor Speedway. In points-paying races, Bowman won Richmond in April 2021, Larson won Las Vegas in March 2021 and Chase Elliott won Talladega in April 2019 and the ROVAL in October 2020. In addition, the team has won the last two NASCAR All-Star Races: Elliott at Bristol in July 2020 and Larson at Texas in June 2021.

SCOREBOARD: Over the last 15 NASCAR Cup Series points-paying races, Hendrick Motorsports has won eight times and is the only organization to go to victory lane more than twice.

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the spring Richmond race: “Richmond was really the only bad race from start-to-finish we’ve had this year. I know we’ll be better this time around because we learned a lot. Alex (Bowman) won there and we have their notes, but we learned a lot even from how we ran in the spring.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on confidence level heading into Richmond following the race earlier this season: “We were absolutely terrible in the spring. Once we were able to compare notes (with other Hendrick Motorsports teams) it made sense – we know where we were weak and need to get better. We’re very fortunate to have the success of the 48 (team) and their baseline.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on 9/11: “Sept. 11 is always a day that I think sticks out to any American. I don’t think you could ever just ignore that or act like it’s just any other day. That’s a major tragic event in our history and one that we’re all going to live with for the rest of our time. Our sport is patriotic, but just being an American, you could never forget about that.”

Elliott on the challenges of the playoff format: “It’s a cutthroat 10 weeks. Unfortunately, the more the rounds go on you just can’t have poor races. A lot of times having a poor race doesn’t mean you did a bad job or you weren’t fast, it just means something didn’t go your way. Unfortunately, that could be the end of your season. Do I necessarily agree with that all the time? No, but at the same time we had 26 weeks to win races and to accumulate playoff points. The more of those you accumulate, you’re hedging your bet to make it further in the round. That’s the best thing you can do, try and build that buffer and get those points and get yourself in a better position to where if you do have a bad day you can still recover.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief for the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on if a specific playoff round matches up best for the No. 9 team: “There’s not one round that stands out to me. You could go to any of the races and have a problem or issue and have a terrible points day and then start significantly worse than you expected for the next race, like Darlington for us. All of those things can happen at any point in time, so you are always apprehensive and a bit nervous. But, at the same time, I have a lot of confidence in what we can do. We should be on the attack mode not conserve mode. I feel good about it, but I certainly respect all of the tracks and all the potential hurdles that they all have. I think we can compete well at any one of them and win at any one of them and that’s what we are going to try to do. At the same time, we certainly understand that you’ve got to be at your best form and really super prepared because at a moment’s notice anything can happen that puts you in a bad spot.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on racing at Richmond: “Richmond has always been a challenging track for me. The track already has very low grip and making sure the tires last during a long run is key. The surface resembles Atlanta (Motor Speedway) but has characteristics of Phoenix (Raceway). I feel like every time I’ve run there that I’ve learned a bit more and improved each time. With Darlington not going the way we hoped, we will need to really execute this weekend and maximize whatever situation we are in to set us up for Bristol and advancing on through the playoffs.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on rebounding for race two of the Round of 16:
“Obviously, this isn’t the position we want to be in this weekend on the outside looking in, but we’re also are by no means out of the hunt, either. The No. 24 team has the speed capable of winning and I think we’ve done a good job of showing that, especially lately. Unfortunately, we’ve just been wrong place wrong time the last couple weeks. We’ve already put that behind us, though, and moved on to the next task at hand – Richmond. We had a top-10 car there earlier this season and the guys are putting in extra hours this week to make sure we bring a rocket to the track for Saturday night. This isn’t a must-win situation, but we’re going to execute what we need to maximize on our results.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on returning to Richmond after winning there in April: “Going back to Richmond is something to look forward to this week. Richmond is a track where our No. 48 team feels really strong at, and we are bringing the same car from earlier this year when we ended up in victory lane. After last week, we need to rebound and capitalize on a good night on Saturday. There’s not a lot of comfort going forward the next two weeks, but we are going to two places we know we can be strong at and have good runs.”

Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 team, on chassis for Richmond: “It is going to be the same car and same chassis but obviously different things that you’re able to do, either to make it better or in NASCAR’s world, you’re able to regulate or put a little more sight and difficulties on you. Whatever that scenario is, whether it’s true or false or to allow other guys to get their cars get better, you have to keep up with it. That’s ultimately the goal – to bring a better race car and try not to reinvent the wheel. For the most part, the general setup is going to be very close. Just trying to fine tune and then make things a little bit better.”

Ives on how quickly the playoff rankings can change: “You got to look at history, right? The biggest factor I see (are) the unknowns. Putting yourself in a bad situation and then hurting yourself. You kind of look at the history of last year’s playoffs and we scored the second-most points in the playoffs. We didn’t go to the final four but, in the end, it calls for a really good run and the 4 team there with Kevin Harvick, they had how many wins last year? Eight wins and a lot of points and they got themselves in a bad spot and wasn’t able to transfer to the final four. It definitely is a tough grind and tough season, but then you add on the quickness of a reset and going to probably one of the toughest racetracks (Darlington) to either get the handling right (or) the toughness on the teams from a pit standpoint (or) the ease of getting damage to the car and putting yourself in a bad situation with the wreck. It’s a tough place to start out, for sure, and you have to be pretty flawless. If not, you got to learn how to overcome dramatically. Unfortunately, that’s what we have to do – overcome a really bad situation.”

Root to Replace Hardwick at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

By
Official Release
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SALINAS, Calif., (September 8, 2021) – Following a positive COVID-19 test, driver Ryan Hardwick will sit out this weekend’s Michelin Pilot Challenge race with Wright Motorsports in the No. 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport. Upon first sign of the symptoms, Hardwick immediately quarantined and awaited the results of an official test, following team and IMSA series protocol. Hardwick will be replaced at this event by Max Root, who was previously slated to run in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“Max did a great job when he filled in for me at Sebring, and I know he’ll do an excellent job this weekend at Laguna, one of his favorites, and his home track,” said Hardwick. “I expect nothing short of the top step of the podium for him and Jan Heylen this weekend. I know he’ll do his best to keep us in championship contention for when I return for the final two races of the year.”

Root previously subbed for Hardwick once this season, stepping in to race alongside Heylen in the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 at Sebring International Raceway in March. Root won pole position and the pair finished second in the team’s first Michelin Pilot Challenge race.

“I’m very excited to be joining Wright Motorsports this weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, my home track,” said Root. “It’s a track that pairs nicely with the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport. I’ll be joining Jan Heylen in the championship quest to get the Porsche as high as we can in the points here in the last few rounds. In doing this, I’ll be filling in for Ryan Hardwick and not able to compete in the Carrera Cup races this weekend. Given the highest priority of the team to keep the GT4 car in the championship hunt, I will be happy to be in a Porsche in another manner. I’m looking forward to getting on the ground just a few hours north of LA and getting to work with Jan and the team.”

For the team preview and event information, visit wrightmotorsports.com.

1st Phorm
1st Phorm is a sports nutrition company based in St. Louis, MO. In 2009, CEO Andy Frisella and his business partner Chris Klein started the brand, and since then, it has become the fastest growing supplement company in the world. 1st Phorm has set the standards in the industry for quality and helping people reach their goals. This new racing partnership is not their first time in the exotic car scene either. 1st Phorm has been the title sponsor for the Gold Rush Rally for six years running. With over a million followers across social media, 1st Phorm has amassed a huge cult-like following known as, “The Legion of Boom.” They stand for a movement in the fitness world. To turn it back to what it was meant to be. Helping others improve their lives, to be a good human… and to drop the excuses and do the work. 1st Phorm is a winning brand and they don’t expect anything less when it comes to their race team. For additional info: www.1stphorm.com

Mountain Motorsports
Mountain Motorsports is a group of motorcycle and powersports dealerships with multiple locations in the southeastern United States. The company was founded by lifelong friends Ryan Hardwick and Justin Price when they opened their first location as a single-line Honda dealership in Sevierville, Tennessee in 1999. The company has since grown into one of the largest retailers of motorcycle and powersports vehicles in the nation, spanning nine dealership locations representing eleven of the industry’s most well-known brands. For additional info: www.mountainmotorsports.com

Una Vida Tequila
Una Vida translates to One Life. That is how this brand started. By people who want to live their “One Life” to the absolute fullest and to their highest potential. A group of guys from the Midwest who love great quality tequila, and want their One Life to have meaning and impact others.

One Life, One Tequila is our CORE BELIEF. We’re building the only tequila brand you will ever need to drink. Una Vida is bigger than just tequila we’re also building a culture of people who want to live their life to their utmost potential.

Our story begins and continues to grow bottle by bottle. It’s a life mission for us to create a community of people who all raise a glass knowing they’re living their ONE LIFE! For more information, visit unavidatequila.com

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

Grand Prix of Portland Fast Facts

By
Official Release
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Race weekend: Saturday, Sept. 11 – Sunday, Sept. 12
Track: Portland International Raceway, a 12-turn, 1.964-mile road course in Portland, Oregon
Race distance: 110 laps / 216.04 miles

Push-to-pass parameters: 200 seconds of total time with a maximum time of 20 seconds per activation.

Firestone tire allotment: Six sets primary, four sets alternate. Teams must use one set of primary and one new set of alternate tires in the race. (Note: A seventh set of primary tires is available to any car fielding a rookie driver.)

Twitter: @Portland_GP, @IndyCar, #PortlandGP, #INDYCAR

Event website: www.portlandgp.com

INDYCAR website: www.IndyCar.com

2019 race winner: Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet)

2019 pole winner: Colton Herta (No. 88 Capstone Turbine Honda), 57.8111 seconds, 122.302 mph

Qualifying record: Will Power, 57.2143 seconds, 123.577 mph, Sept. 1, 2018 (Set in Round 1 of knockout qualifying)

NBC television broadcast: Race, 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 12, NBC (live). Leigh Diffey is the lead announcer alongside analysts Townsend Bell and Paul Tracy.

Peacock Premium Live Streaming: Saturday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice sessions and qualifying will stream live on Peacock Premium, NBC’s direct-to-consumer livestreaming product.

INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts: Nick Yeoman will be the lead announcer alongside analyst Davey Hamilton. Jake Query and Michael Young are the turn announcers. Ryan Myrehn and Alex Wolff will report from the pits. The Grand Prix of Portland will air live on network affiliates, Sirius XM 205, indycar.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA. All NTT INDYCAR SERIES practices and qualifying are available on SiriusXM 205, indycar.com and the INDYCAR Mobile app.

At-track schedule (all times local):

Saturday, Sept. 11

9 – 10:15 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice, Peacock Premium (live)

12:15 – 1:30 p.m. – Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock Premium (live)

3:15 – 3:45 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, Peacock Premium (live)

Sunday, Sept. 12

12:05 p.m. – Driver introductions

12:35 p.m. – Command to start engines

12:42 p.m. – Grand Prix of Portland (110 laps/216.04 miles), NBC (live)

Championship facts:

  • Pato O’Ward leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship with three races to go for the first time in his career. O’Ward also led the points after his win in the second race of the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit in June.
  • Since the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland International Raceway, the winning driver has won the INDYCAR SERIES championship in the same season 10 times: Bobby Rahal (1987), Danny Sullivan (1988), Emerson Fittipaldi (1989), Michael Andretti (1991), Al Unser Jr. (1994), Alex Zanardi (1998), Gil de Ferran (2000), Cristiano da Matta (2002), Sebastien Bourdais (2004 and 2007).

Key championship point statistic: Since 2008, the driver who has led the championship with three races to go has won the championship eight times – Scott Dixon in 2008, 2018 and 2020, Dario Franchitti in 2011, Will Power in 2014, Simon Pagenaud in 2016 and Josef Newgarden in 2017 and 2019.

Point differential: The 10 points that separate Pato O’Ward and Alex Palou is the fourth-closest point margin since 2008. Prior to this season, the average lead with three races to go since 2008 was 31.7 points.

Championship-eligible drivers results at Portland International Raceway:

  • There are 11 drivers still mathematically eligible for the 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship: Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Colton Herta, Simon Pagenaud, Graham Rahal, Will Power, Takuma Sato and Rinus VeeKay. Any driver who trails the points leader by 108 points or more following the race will be eliminated from contention.

CHAMPIONSHIP WITH THREE TO GO (2008-2021)

YEARLEADERSECOND LEADCHAMPION
2008Scott DixonHelio Castroneves78Scott Dixon
2009Ryan BriscoeDario Franchitti4Dario Franchitti
2010Will PowerDario Franchitti23Dario Franchitti
2011Dario FranchittiWill Power26Dario Franchitti
2012Will PowerRyan Hunter-Reay5Ryan Hunter-Reay
2013Helio CastronevesScott Dixon49Scott Dixon
2014Will PowerHelio Castroneves4Will Power
2015Juan Pablo MontoyaGraham Rahal42Scott Dixon (-48)
2016Simon PagenaudWill Power27Simon Pagenaud
2017Josef NewgardenScott Dixon18Josef Newgarden
2018Scott DixonAlexander Rossi29Scott Dixon
2019Josef NewgardenAlexander Rossi35Josef Newgarden
2020Scott DixonJosef Newgarden72Scott Dixon
2021Pato O’WardAlex Palou10?

Race notes:

  • There have been nine different winners in 13 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races this season. Alex Palou (Barber Motorsports Park, Road America), Colton Herta (Streets of St. Petersburg), Scott Dixon (Texas Motor Speedway-1), Pato O’Ward (Texas Motor Speedway-2, Raceway at Belle Isle Park-2), Rinus VeeKay (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-1), Helio Castroneves (Indianapolis 500), Marcus Ericsson (Raceway at Belle Isle Park-1 and Streets of Nashville), Josef Newgarden (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and World Wide Technology Raceway) and Will Power (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course-2) have all won in 2021. The modern record (1946-present) for most different winners in a season is 11 in 2000, 2001 and 2014.
  • There have been seven different winners in the last 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races (Pato O’Ward, Rinus VeeKay, Helio Castroneves, Alex Palou, Marcus Ericsson, Josef Newgarden and Will Power) The only repeat winners in that stretch are O’Ward (Texas-2, and Raceway at Belle Isle Park-2), Ericsson (Raceway at Belle Isle Park-1 and Streets of Nashville) and Newgarden (Mid-Ohio and WWT Raceway).
  • The Grand Prix of Portland will be the 27th INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland International Raceway, but the third since the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned in 2018. Al Unser Jr. won the first INDYCAR SERIES race at Portland in 1984, while Will Power won the most recent race in 2019. Power, Takuma Sato and Sebastien Bourdais, who won in 2004 and 2007, are the only former winners entered in this year’s race.
  • Six INDYCAR SERIES drivers have won at Portland International Raceway from the pole – Danny Sullivan (1988), Al Unser Jr. (1994), Alex Zanardi (1996), Max Papis (2001), Cristiano da Matta (2002) and Sebastien Bourdais (2004).
  • Team Penske has won six times at Portland International Raceway. Penske’s winning INDYCAR SERIES drivers are Danny Sullivan (1988), Emerson Fittipaldi (1993), Al Unser Jr. (1994 and 1995), Gil de Ferran (2000) and Will Power (2019). Chip Ganassi Racing has two wins at Portland with Alex Zanardi in 1996 and 1998. Newman/Haas Racing won a record eight times at Portland.
  • Seventeen drivers entered in the event have competed in past INDYCAR SERIES races at Portland International Raceway. Sebastien Bourdais has seven starts, most among the entered drivers. Ten entered drivers have led laps at the track (Bourdais 149, Will Power 66, Colton Herta 36, Alexander Rossi 32, Takuma Sato 25, Ryan Hunter-Reay 19, Scott Dixon 11, Max Chilton 10, Josef Newgarden 8 and Felix Rosenqvist 3).
  • Pato O’Ward won both Indy Lights races at Portland in 2018, on his way to the series championship…Graham Rahal scored the first win of his professional racing career at Portland, winning the Star Mazda (now Indy Pro 2000 championship) race in 2005. James Hinchcliffe claimed his first Atlantics Championship win in Portland in 2006.
  • Four rookies – Romain Grosjean, Callum Ilott, Jimmie Johnson and Scott McLaughlin – are expected to compete. Ilott will be making his NTT INDYCAR SERIES debut. The four rookies, along with veteran drivers Oliver Askew, Marcus Ericsson, Dalton Kellett, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay, will all be making their first INDYCAR SERIES at Portland International Raceway.

Taylor Gray ARCA Menards Series West Race Advance: Portland Int’l Raceway

By
Official Release
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Saturday, September 11
Track: Portland International Raceway, 12-turn, 1.967 mile road course
Race: 6 of 9
Event: Portland 112 (57 laps, 112 miles)

Schedule

Friday, September 10
Practice: 5:00 p.m. ET
Final Practice: 6:50 p.m. ET

Saturday, September 11
Qualifying: 1:30 p.m. ET
Race: 8:00 p.m. ET (TrackPass)

Taylor Gray, No. 17 Ford Performance Fusion

  • Taylor Gray will make his first ever appearance at Portland International Raceway on Saturday night.
  • Last time out at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds with the ARCA Menards Series, the Ford driver started seventh and finished fifth on a rough dirt surface.
  • Through six career ARCA West races, Gray has one win, three top-fives and five top-10s with an average finish of 5.8.
  • The 16 year old has four career starts on road courses between ARCA and ARCA West with two top-fives and three top-10s.
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