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Gragson goes back-to-back with a win at Richmond

By
Andrew Kim
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RICHMOND, VIRGINIA - SEPTEMBER 11: Noah Gragson, driver of the #9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/BRCC Chevrolet, and crew celebrate in the Ruoff Mortgage victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Go Bowling 250 at Richmond Raceway on September 11, 2021 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images).

One week after snapping a 49-race winless drought at Darlington Raceway, Noah Gragson benefitted through a handful of late-race restarts and four fresh tires to lead the final 14 laps and win the Go Bowling 250 at Richmond Raceway on Saturday, September 11.

The victory made Gragson the fourth multi-winner of this year’s Xfinity Series season as he claimed his fourth career win in the Xfinity circuit. This also marked the first time in Gragson’s racing career where he claimed back-to-back victories across NASCAR’s top three national touring series.

The starting lineup was based on a performance metric formula, weighing the driver’s and owner’s results from a previous Xfinity event, the owner points position and the fastest lap recorded from a previous Xfinity race. With that, Austin Cindric started on pole position and was joined on the front row with Harrison Burton. Prior to the event, Ty Dillon and Bayley Currey started at the rear of the field due to driver change of their respective machines. Akinori Ogata also dropped to the rear for missing driver introductions.

When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Cindric jumped ahead with an early advantage over Harrison Burton to lead the first lap. Behind, Justin Haley boosted his way to third place followed by teammate Jeb Burton and Noah Gragson.

Through the first five laps of the event, Cindric was leading by a narrow margin over Harrison Burton. Jeb Burton was up in third followed by Gragson and Justin Allgaier while Haley fell back to sixth. AJ Allmendinger, Jeremy Clements, Ryan Sieg and Daniel Hemric were in the top 10. Meanwhile, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was making his lone Xfinity scheduled start of the season, was up in 24th after starting.

By Lap 10, Cindric continued to lead by nearly half a second over Harrison Burton. By then, NASCAR crew members and fans paused for a moment of silence through Laps 9 to 11 and saluted with American fans in remembrance of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

Through Lap 20 and when the competition caution flew on Lap 35, Cindric was still out in front of the field. Under the competition caution, the leaders remained on the track. During this time, Jeb Burton’s car was pushed to pit road due to a battery issue.

When the race restarted on Lap 43, Allmendinger and Harrison Burton challenged Cindric for the top spot, but Cindric maintained his ground and continued to lead. Two laps later, however, Allmendinger made his move beneath Cindric to take the lead. Shortly after, Allgaier and Harrison Burton moved up to second and third while Cindric slipped to fourth in front of Ty Gibbs.

By Lap 70, Tommy Joe Martins, who pitted for fresh tires under the competition caution, emerged with the lead over Allmendinger.

When the final lap of the first stage occurred, Martins was still leading by a narrow margin over Allmendinger. Then in Turn 3, Martins got briefly stalled behind the lapped car of David Starr. While Martins went high, Allmendinger went low and was able to edge Martins at the start/finish line to win the first stage on Lap 75 and claim his ninth stage victory of the season. Cindric rallied for third followed by Gibbs, JJ Yeley, Harrison Burton, Daniel Hemric, Gragson, Spencer Boyd and Patrick Emerling settled in the top 10.

Under the stage break, the leaders pitted for service. During the pit stops, Allmendinger got boxed into his pit stall while Allgaier encountered steering issues.

The second stage started on Lap 84 as Cindric and Hemric filled out the front row. At the start, Hemric battled dead even with Cindric for a full lap before the former prevailed the following lap. Then the following lap, the caution flew when Tommy Joe Martins, who had a strong run in the first stage, spun following contact from Spencer Boyd.

Five laps later, the race restarted and Hemric retained the top spot. By Lap 98, Ty Gibbs made his way to the lead.

With four laps remaining in the second stage, the caution flew when CJ McLaughlin spun and wrecked off the front nose of Jade Buford in Turn 3. The wreck was enough for the second stage scheduled on Lap 150 to conclude under caution as Gibbs claimed his third stage victory of the season. Allmendinger ended up in second followed by Harrison Burton, Gragson, Hemric, Cindric, Sam Mayer, Riley Herbst, Ryan Sieg and John Hunter Nemechek.

Under the stage break, the leaders pitted and Hemric emerged with the lead followed by Gragson, Gibbs, Harrison Burton and Allmendinger.

With 92 laps remaining, the final stage commenced. At the start, Gragson managed to peak ahead of Hemric and Gibbs on the inside lane to take the lead for the first time. 

Five laps later, Gragson was leading by seven-tenths of a second over Hemric, who was pursued by his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Gibbs and Harrison Burton. Behind, Sam Mayer was in fifth followed by Allmendinger, Cindric, Allgaier, Earnhardt Jr. and John Hunter Nemechek.

Another three laps later, Gibbs made a move to the outside of Gragson to reassume the lead. While Harrison Burton challenged Gragson for the runner-up spot, Hemric, meanwhile, fell back to 10th.

Nearing the final 80 laps of the event, the caution flew for a spin involving Bayley Currey. Under caution, Ryan Sieg pitted while the rest led by Gibbs remained on the track. 

With 74 laps remaining, the race restarted under green. At the start, Harrison Burton overtook teammate Gibbs to lead for the first time. While Mayer was up in third, Allgaier charged his way up to fourth after overtaking teammate Gragson. 

Six laps later, the caution returned due to Landon Cassill coming to a stop at the pit road entrance. Under caution, some led by Harrison Burton and Gibbs pitted while the rest led by Mayer, Haley and Earnhardt Jr. remained on the track.

Under the final 63 laps, the race restarted under green. At the start, Mayer took off with the lead while the field bumped and fanned out to multiple lanes for a full lap between competitors on old or fresh tires. Meanwhile, Harrison Burton bolted his way up to third place on fresh tires after overtaking a multitude of competitors, including Earnhardt Jr.

With 58 laps remaining, Harrison Burton reassumed the lead. A few laps later, Ty Gibbs took over the runner-up spot while Allmendinger challenged Mayer for third. Joining the battle were John Hunter Nemechek, Haley and Cindric. 

Down to the final 50 laps of the event, Harrison Burton was leading by a second over teammate Gibbs, with Allmendinger, Nemechek and Cindric in the top five. Allgaier was in sixth followed by teammate Gragson, Alex Labbe, Hemric and Sieg. Meanwhile, Haley was in 12th ahead of Michael Annett, Mayer and Riley Herbst while Myatt Snider was in 16th, Brandon Jones was in 18th and Earnhardt Jr. was in 21st behind Jeb Burton.

Ten laps later, Harrison Burton continued to lead by more than a second over teammate Gibbs. Meanwhile, Allmendinger continued to run in third followed by Nemechek, Cindric, Allgaier and Gragson. Behind the front-runners, Mayer and Earnhardt Jr. were in 20th and 21st.

With 27 laps remaining, the caution flew due to Josh Williams spinning and backing his car into the Turn 2 outside wall following contact with Akinori Ogata. Under caution, the leaders led by Harrison Burton pitted while Allmendinger, Cindric and Brandon Jones remained on the track. During the pit stops, Earnhardt Jr. was penalized for speeding while Jeb Burton was also penalized for an uncontrolled tire.

Down to the final 21 laps of the event, the rare restarted under green. At the start, Allmendinger peaked ahead with the lead and Cindric spun the tires on the outside lane while the field fanned out to multiple lanes entering the first turn and through the backstretch. Then, the caution returned for Martins wrecking in Turn 1.

With 14 laps remaining, the race restarted under green. At the start, Allmendinger jumped ahead of Brandon Jones, who spun the tires, as the field fanned out to multiple lanes again through the first turn and the backstretch. 

A lap later, the caution flew due to Clements spinning on the frontstretch after getting turned by Myatt Snider. During the incident, Earnhardt Jr. made contact with the frontstretch outside wall while battling Kyle Weatherman. By then, Gragson emerged with the lead followed by Nemechek while Allmendinger slipped back to third. Under caution, Cindric pitted for tires.

Down to the final seven laps of the event, the race restarted. At the start, Gragson retained the lead following a strong start followed by Nemechek and Allgaier while Allmendinger fell back to fourth ahead of Gibbs.

With five laps remaining and the field fanning out across the track, Gragson continued to lead by half a second over Nemechek as Allgaier challenged Nemechek for more.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Gragson was ahead by half a second. Behind, Haley made his way to second followed by Nemechek, Allgaier and others. While Haley had a late charge established, Gragson was able to retain the lead and come back around to claim his second consecutive checkered flag of this season and his first at Richmond.

After celebrating with his burnout, Gragson, who saluted the fans with an American flag, took a moment to pay tribute to the victims and those affected by the September 11 attacks 20 years ago today.

“I knew [Haley] had tires, but the thing that really kept us alive were those two cautions at the end,” Gragson said on NBCSN. “Today’s not about this team or this win. It’s about everybody who lost their life 20 years ago. You got a lot of heavy hearts. At least in America, we can come together on this day. [I] Appreciate all you race fans for coming out. Man, it’s an emotional day. It’s a special day, but it’s not about us today.”

“It’s really special to be able to come here to Richmond, to beat Dale [Earnhardt] Jr., which is pretty cool,” Gragson added. “I never thought I’d say that. We’re starting to get momentum at the right time. Appreciate everything, for sure. Very emotional.”

Haley, winner at Daytona International Speedway in late August, finished in second place at Richmond for a second consecutive season while Nemechek, making his second Xfinity start of the season in the No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota Supra, finished third. 

“I was fully prepared to do anything it took to win,” Haley said. “We had better tires. We were so fast. We showed a championship-caliber team there coming back through the field, taking a bad day and making it okay. That one’s definitely tough. It hurts, it stinks.”

Allgaier placed fourth followed by Riley Herbst. Hemric, Gibbs, Brandon Brown, Harrison Burton and Jeb Burton finished in the top 10.

Mayer finished 12th while Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 14th in his lone NASCAR start of the season.

Cindric and Allmendinger shuffled back to 16th and 18th while Brandon Jones, Annett, Josh Berry, Snider and Clements finished 20th, 22nd, 24th, 25th and 26th.

There were 15 lead changes for eight different leaders. The race featured nine cautions for 58 laps.

AJ Allmendinger continues to lead the regular-season standings by five points over Austin Cindric. With their top-20 runs, Jeremy Clements, Brandon Jones and Riley Herbst occupy the final three open spots to the 2021 Xfinity Series Playoffs with one regular-season event remaining. Herbst, the 12th-place competitor in the standings, is ahead by 66 points over Michael Annett, 93 over Ryan Sieg, 109 over Brandon Brown and 198 over Josh Williams.

Results.

1. Noah Gragson, 22 laps led

2. Justin Haley

3. John Hunter Nemechek

4. Justin Allgaier

5. Riley Herbst

6. Daniel Hemric, 17 laps led

7. Ty Gibbs, 67 laps led, Stage 2 winner

8. Brandon Brown

9. Harrison Burton, 43 laps led

10. Jeb Burton

11. Ty Dillon

12. Sam Mayer, seven laps led

13. Ryan Sieg

14. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

15. Kyle Weatherman

16. Austin Cindric, 50 laps led

17. Mason Massey

18. AJ Allmendinger, 39 laps led, Stage 1 winner

19. Alex Labbe

20. Brandon Jones

21. Matt Mills

22. Michael Annett

23. Josh Williams

24. Josh Berry

25. Myatt Snider

26. Jeremy Clements

27. Bayley Currey

28. David Starr, one lap down

29. JJ Yeley, two laps down

30. Jeffrey Earnhardt, two laps down

31. Joe Graf Jr., two laps down

32. Patrick Emerling, two laps down

33. Spencer Boyd, two laps down

34. Akinori Ogata, three laps down

35. Ryan Vargas, four laps down

36. Jade Buford, four laps down

37. Tommy Joe Martins – OUT, Accident, five laps led

38. Stephen Leicht, 30 laps down

39. Landon Cassill – OUT, Ignition

40. CJ McLaughlin – OUT, Accident

Next on the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is Bristol Motor Speedway, the final regular-season event of the season and where this year’s Xfinity 12-car Playoff field will be determined. The event is scheduled to occur on Friday, September 17, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

CORVETTE RACING AT LAGUNA SECA: Taylor, No. 3 Corvette Take GTLM Pole

By
Official Release
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All-Corvette front row in GTLM after tight battle with Milner, No. 4 C8.R

MONTEREY, Calif. (Sept. 11, 2021) – Corvette Racing’s Jordan Taylor won his second straight GT Le Mans (GTLM) pole position at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday, setting a track record in the process.

Taylor, driving the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R with Antonio Garcia, set a lap of 1:21.151 (99.281 mph) ahead of Sunday’s Hyundai Sports Car Championship to best his qualifying mark from 2020 by 0.332 seconds.

Tommy Milner made it a 1-2 for Corvette Racing and just missed claiming pole position for he and Nick Tandy in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C8.R. Milner’s best lap was a 1:21.267 (99.139 mph) and also below last year’s pole time as well.

Taylor and Garcia lead the GTLM Drivers Championship as they seek to repeat their title win from 2020. The pairing have won four times this year including the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona to start the year.

Milner and Tandy are second in GTLM points, and they were quickest in the two practice sessions leading up to qualifying. Both Taylor and Milner stressed the importance of race setup to help conserve their Michelin tires over the course of a full stint instead of going for single-lap pace.

This is Corvette Racing’s 23rd consecutive start at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The program has won seven times in Monterey but is seeking its first victory there since 2014.

Corvette Racing will contest the Hyundai Monterey SportsCar Championship at 4:10 p.m. ET on Sunday. Live television coverage from NBCSN will start at 4 p.m. ET with live streaming coverage on TrackPass and NBC Sports Gold. Live audio coverage from IMSA Radio will be available on IMSA.com, Sirius 219, XM 202 and SiriusXM Online 992.

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM POLE-WINNER: “It was good. We were a little bit behind the 4 car all weekend. They seemed to be a little bit stronger throughout practice. We made some big changes in Practice 2 and even into qualifying to separate the two setups (for qualifying and the race). We found some things for pure laptime but I don’t think they’re going to work for a race setup. It’s nice to get the pole and get those points. We have an idea of what we need to do for the race from a setup point of view. So it’s nice to start out front but at the same time, I think tomorrow is going to be a different picture.”

KEYS TO WINNING THE RACE: “Last year was our first year here with this new Corvette. Having that under our belt and understanding more about tire degradation, what tire compound to be on and the strategy of when to pit when we’re catching GTD cars (are important). Every year we are learning new lessons. We learned a lot last year and already have learned a lot through yesterday and today. We’re in good shape but at the same time, you never know what’s going to happen in these races with yellows and the different strategies. We’ll have to stay on top of our game.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – QUALIFIED SECOND IN GTLM: “All things considered, the cars are good. We were fastest in the two sessions that don’t count and on the one does kind of count, we were a little bit off. It was a good lap from Jordan. I was happy with our car, though. I didn’t put it all together but I think we have a good Corvette for the race. This track is super-tricky with tires and strategy. You can get cars stuck in the gravel pretty easy, so cautions play a big role in the outcome of the race, as well. We need to be on top of our game and do whatever we can early on in the first part of the race to build as big a gap as we can to hold off the Porsche.”

HAPPY WITH RACE SETUP? “You definitely have to manage the tires at this track. The surface is pretty low-grip but it’s also pretty high-wear, too. It makes our job pretty difficult but it’s the same for everyone. We saw in the GTD class that some of those guys did only one lap for their qualifying and parked it. (In GTLM), we don’t have to start on our qualifying tires, so we were able to push for the whole session. We definitely have an eye toward making the car and tires maybe not fastest over one lap but fastest over one stint.”

2021 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTLM (After Six of 10 Events)
Driver Standings

  1. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2,207
  2. Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 1,993
  3. Cooper MacNeil – 1,984
  4. Matt Campbell – 1,372
  5. Augusto Farfus/Jesse Krohn/John Edwards – 1001

Team Standings

  1. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 2,207
  2. No. 4 Corvette Racing – 1,993
  3. No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 1,984
  4. No. 24 BMW Team RLL – 1,001
  5. No. 25 BMW Team RLL – 966

Manufacturer Standings

  1. Chevrolet – 2,230
  2. Porsche – 2,108
  3. BMW – 1,052
  4. Ferrari – 330

CORVETTE RACING AT LAGUNA SECA: By the Numbers
• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 23 years at Laguna Seca: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette.
• 3: Tracks where Corvette Racing has competed in each of its 22 previous years: Sebring, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
• 4: Generations of Corvette Racing entries since 1999 – Corvette C5-R (2000-04), Corvette C6.R (2005-13), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and Corvette C8.R (2020).
• 7: Number of Laguna Seca victories for Corvette Racing dating back to 2004.
• 10: Laguna Seca victories for the current Corvette Racing for the current driving lineup – Oliver Gavin (four), Antonio Garcia (three) and Tommy Milner (two) and Jordan Taylor (one).
• 11: Victories at Laguna Seca for Chevrolet in IMSA competition.
• 12: Drivers who have competed for Corvette Racing at Laguna Seca. Of those, seven went on to win at Monterey.
• 13: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001.
• 25: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen.
• 26: Number of GT Le Mans wins in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing since the start of 2014.
• 117: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 109 in North America and eight at Le Mans.
• 246: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999.
• 12,795.65: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 21 previous trips to Laguna Seca. That represents 5,800 laps… or more than 750 trips around Carmel’s famous 17-Mile Drive.
• 330,467.26: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history – covered “just” 248,655 miles. Simply put, the program has raced to the moon and back… and then some.

Corvette Racing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (wins in bold)
1999
No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel – 2nd in GTS

2000
No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Andy Pilgrim – 2nd in GTS (Fellows pole)
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Justin Bell/Kelly Collins – 4th in GTS

2001
No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GTS
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins – 3rd in GTS

2002
No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 5th in GTS
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins – 3rd in GTS

2003
No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GTS
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins – 3rd in GTS

2004
No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 1st in GTS (O’Connell fastest race lap)
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GTS (Beretta pole)

2005
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT1
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1 (Gavin fastest race lap)

2006
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 3rd in GT1
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GT1 (Beretta fastest race lap)

2007
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap)
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1

2008
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap)
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1

2009
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT2 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap)
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 10th in GT2

2010
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 6th in GT2
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GT2

2011
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner – 7th in GT
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 5th in GT

2012
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 2nd in GT
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GT (Gavin fastest race lap)

2013
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GT
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 9th in GT

2014
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM

2015
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 7th in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM

2016
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTLM

2017
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 8th in GTLM

2018
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM (Gavin pole)

2019
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM (Milner fastest race lap)

2020
No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM (Taylor pole)
No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM (Milner fastest race lap)
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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

Go Bowling Racing: Riley Herbst Richmond NXS Race Report

By
Official Release
-

Herbst Finishes Fifth at Richmond
Tire Strategy Earns Go Bowling Team Third Top-Five of 2021

Date: Sept. 11, 2021
Event: Go Bowling 250 (Round 25 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Richmond (Va.) Raceway (.75-mile oval)
Format: 250 laps, broken into three stages (75 laps/75 laps/100 laps)
Start/Finish: 20th / 5th (Running, completed 250 of 250 1aps)
Point Standing: 11th (590 points, 403 out of first)

Race Winner: Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: A.J. Allmendinger of Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Overview:

Riley Herbst and the No. 98 Go Bowling team’s pit strategy paid off in Saturday’s Go Bowling 250 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway as they brought home a fifth-place finish. Herbst was on a mission to gain points in the race for the NASCAR Playoffs. When the green flag waved on the 250-lap race, the Go Bowling driver quickly worked his way up to 14th before the lap-35 competition caution. He reported that his car’s balance wasn’t bad in the initial stages but could use an air pressure adjustment. He restarted 13th but was unable to hold the spot as new tires came up through the field. He fell back to 16th, where he finished the first stage. During the stage break, the team pitted for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment to combat a loose racecar. In addition, the No. 98 Go Bowling pit crew gained their driver a total of six spots on pit road to have him restart 10th for the second stage. Herbst stayed in the top-10 during the second stage, moving up to eighth by the stage end. During the final segment, Herbst was struggling with the short-run speed of his Ford Mustang and fell back to 13th on the initial run. When the caution came out on lap 183, crew chief Richard Boswell made the call to keep his driver out when the leaders came down pit road to put on their final set of fresh tires, hoping for a late-race caution. The tire strategy was successful. When the caution came out on lap 224 and Herbst was able to come down pit road to put on his final set of tires, the leaders had none to use. He restarted the race 14th, and a series of cautions that followed forced Herbst to rely on his fresh tires and short-run speeds. On the final restart on lap 244, the 22-year-old driver restarted 10th and rocketed his way to fifth in the final laps of the race. This was his third top-five finish of the 2021 season, and it grew his lead above the playoff cutline to 66 points heading into the final race of the regular season.

Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Go Bowling Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“That finish was good, for sure. I wish we didn’t get the late cautions there, because maybe we could have stolen a win, but all in all I think that’s what we needed going to Bristol next week. We maintained the points, and hopefully we’ll go playoff racing back home. That tire strategy was all Richard (Boswell, crew chief), honestly. We were just playing defense because we couldn’t afford to have anybody else win, so we had to play defense instead of offense. Luckily, it paid off a little bit, and it was a good deal.”

Notes:

● Herbst finished eighth in Stage 2 to earn three bonus points.
● Noah Gragson won the Go Bowling 250 to score his fourth career Xfinity Series victory, his second of the season and his first at Richmond. His margin over second-place Justin Haley was .381 of a second.
● There were nine caution periods for a total of 58 laps.
● Twenty-seven of the 40 drivers in the Go Bowling 250 finished on the lead lap.
● A.J. Allmendinger remains the championship leader after Richmond with a five-point advantage over second-place Austin Cindric.

Next Up:

The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the final race of the regular season, the Food City 300, on Friday, Sept. 17, at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report – Richmond

By
Official Release
-

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report
Track: Richmond Raceway
Race: Go Bowling 250
Date: September 11, 2021

No. 22 CarShop Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
Start: 1st
Stage 1: 3rd
Stage 2: 6th
Finish: 16th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 250/250
Laps Led: 50

Driver Point Standings (behind second): 2nd (-5)

Notes:

  • Austin Cindric and the No. 22 CarShop Ford Mustang team lead 50 laps Saturday afternoon at Richmond Raceway but finished the Go Bowling 250 in 16th position after race strategy did not play out. Cindric remains in contention for the regular season championship, trailing leader AJ Allmendinger by five points with just one race remaining in the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season.
  • The starting lineup was once again set per the NASCAR rule book, which gave Cindric the first starting position. The driver of the CarShop Ford Mustang showed speed early, maintaining the lead and running the fastest laps on the track. On lap 35, the competition caution was displayed with the team electing to remain on track. Cindric communicated that the CarShop Ford was tight and lacked forward drive. Throughout the remaining laps of the first 75 lap stage Cindric fell to the third position. During the stage caution, crew chief Brian Wilson called for an air pressure adjustment plus four tires and fuel.
  • A fast pitstop by the CarShop crew allowed Cindric to restart as the race leader once again. Over the long run, the CarShop Ford continued to lack drive and he fell to the sixth position. With three laps remaining in the second stage, Cindric avoided disaster when two lapped cars spun in front of him and brought out the caution prematurely to end the second stage, with Cindric still scored in sixth. Wilson once again called his driver to pit road during the stage caution for four tires, fuel, plus major adjustments to fix the tight handling condition on the CarShop Mustang, with the driver restarting sixth on lap 158.
  • Cindric fell to 11th before the sixth caution was displayed allowing the leaders to pit. Cindric received four fresh tires and adjustments on lap 184 and he restarted 18th. As the run continued, Cindric worked his way inside the top-five, running speeds comparable to the race leader.
  • The caution was displayed again on lap 223, putting the team at a tire disadvantage as they’d used their final set of new tires with other competitors having a set remaining. On the restart, Cindric fell to the 14th position before the ninth caution was displayed with the team electing to pit for scuff tires. Cindric restarted from the 24th position with seven laps remaining and gave it his all racing up to 16th at conclusion of the event.

Quote: “It just wasn’t in the cards for us today with our Carshop Ford Mustang. It felt like we had a top five car. We struggled to find an underlying strength and overlying weakness that we could kind of play to throughout the day. We probably just didn’t quite have enough in a few areas and we just kind of got behind there with the correct tire strategy. We did the right thing putting on tires at the end and kind of minimizing our loss at least points wise, so it was obviously the right move, but I thought today was gonna be a little bit better. This racetrack is one of those that it’s easy to have a bad day and not that I think we salvaged everything out of it because, like I said, I thought we were a top five car, but we never gave up.”

Toyota Racing – NXS Richmond Post-Race Report – 09.11.21

By
Official Release
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NEMECHEK DRIVES SAM HUNT RACING TO TEAM-BEST THIRD-PLACE RUN
In second Xfinity start of the season, John Hunter Nemechek has an impressive run

RICHMOND, Va. (September 11, 2021) – John Hunter Nemechek (third) led Toyota with a third-place finish in the Go Bowling 250 at Richmond Raceway on Saturday afternoon. It is the first top-five finish for Sam Hunt Racing in their 36th Xfinity Series event.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Richmond Raceway
Race 25 of 33 – 187.5 miles, 250 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Noah Gragson*
2nd, Justin Haley*
3rd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
4th, Justin Allgaier*
5th, Riley Herbst*
6th, DANIEL HEMRIC
7th, TY GIBBS
9th, HARRISON BURTON
20th, BRANDON JONES38th, STEPHEN LEICHT
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 26 Safeway Toyota Supra, Sam Hunt Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

Can you describe the racing out there today?

“It was overall a really solid day for our Safeway Toyota Supra for Sam Hunt. Just thankful for the opportunity from Sam, Toyota, all of our great partners that help us get to the racetrack. It was an off weekend for me in the Truck side, so good for me to put myself back in the seat. I felt like I learned a lot today for myself. In these Playoffs, it’s more about staying mentally tough. We were able to do so today. Racing was crazy. We were able to take a couple gambles I felt like and I’m glad the two cautions at the end there came out or we probably wouldn’t have finished where we did. Thankful for the opportunity. Looking forward to whatever is next. I don’t have any more with Sam this year, but who knows what the future holds.”

Top-five run, how was your day?

“Solid run. The Safeway Toyota Supra was fast. We were able to drive from the back there to the top-10. We ran top-10 pretty much all day. I don’t think we had enough of a car to win there, but we definitely made the most out of the day. Just validating Sam Hunt Racing’s equipment and it’s definitely fast. I wish we wouldn’t have got off on the first adjustment. I made the wrong call or asked for the wrong thing, thinking that is what I needed and it put us a little bit behind the eight ball, but overall really solid day for our Safeway Toyota Supra.”

How important was it to you to run well knowing you were running for a guy who was from here?

“It feels good. It’s nice to know that this is his hometrack and we were able to run really well. It’s nice for me to be in the seat with the weekend off as well.”

Is it nice to not have to think about points and you could just go for the win?

“Coming into today, if you would have asked Sam (Hunt), myself or any of the guys that we would have been a contender to win the race, we would have told you that we probably wouldn’t have thought so. We came in here hoping to run top-10 all day, and we were able to accomplish that and come home third. That means a lot to me and for this team being able to come on and be able to validate Sam’s equipment. We know the potential that it has now and everything played to our favor today, and that’s hard to do here at Richmond. Just thankful for the opportunity.”

SAM HUNT, Team Owner, Sam Hunt Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

What does this finish mean to you?

“I think the emotion stems from years of doing this the unconventional way, the hard way. To finally put it all together and see the product and to just really be a part of this thing and be a competitor is everything I’ve worked for. It’s surreal.”

About Toyota

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

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

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

Ford Performance NASCAR: Herbst Tops Ford with Fifth-Place Xfinity Run at Richmond

By
Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series — ToyotaCare 250
Richmond Raceway | Saturday, September 11, 2021

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
5th — Riley Herbst
13th — Ryan Sieg
16th — Austin Cindric

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Go Bowling Ford Mustang — “That was food for sure. I wish we didn’t get the late cautions there because maybe we could have stole a win, but all in all I think that’s what we needed going to Bristol next week. We maintained the points and hopefully we’ll go playoff racing back home.”

THE TIRE STRATEGY WORKED OUT FOR YOU DIDN’T IT? “That was all Richard, honestly. We were just playing defense because we couldn’t afford to have anybody else win, so we had to play defense instead of offense. Luckily, it paid off a little bit and it was a good deal.”

HOW DIFFERENT WAS IT ON FRESH TIRES BEING ABLE TO DRIVE THROUGH THERE? “It’s got a lot more grip, but with that being said it’s disappointing that we couldn’t get further than fifth. Like I said, maybe it would have been a different outcome with the different cautions.”

YOU BEAT THE 1, SO YOUR CUSHION IS A LITTLE BIGGER. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BRISTOL? “I feel good. We like Bristol. The 98 team won there last year, so we feel good. I just want to go home and go playoff racing.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 Carshop Ford Mustang — “It just wasn’t in the cards for us today with our Carshop Ford Mustang. It felt like we had a top five car. We struggled to find an underlying strength and overlying weakness that we could kind of play to throughout the day. We probably just didn’t quite have enough in a few areas and we just kind of got behind there with the correct tire strategy. We did the right thing putting on tires at the end and kind of minimizing our loss at least points wise, so it was obviously the right move, but I thought today was gonna be a little bit better. This racetrack is one of those that it’s easy to have a bad day and not that I think we salvaged everything out of it because, like I said, I thought we were a top five car, but we never gave up.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BRISTOL NEXT WEEK AND THE BATTLE WITH AJ? “I certainly have unfinished business at Bristol based on the last year, so I’m pretty hungry for that racetrack. Forget about the points, we’ve got to go out there and try and win the race, so if we can do that, I’ll be pretty happy one way or the other.”

Francis Jr., Skeen Lead Record Trans Am Qualifying at Watkins Glen

By
Official Release
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Joiner and Oakes secure pole in XGT and SGT

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (10 Sept. 2021) – Ernie Francis Jr. out qualified a field of 42 Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli drivers to capture the Motul Pole Award for Saturday’s race at Watkins Glen International, the opening event for a doubleheader headlining the Watkins Glen SpeedTour.

Mike Skeen (TA2®), Erich Joiner (XGT) and Justin Oakes (SGT) captured class poles for the 100-mile event, which will feature a combined start for the four classes on the famed 3.4-mile circuit. The fastest race lap during Saturday’s race will set the grid for Sunday’s concluding event.

Francis Jr. broke his own track record with a lap of 1:44.158-seconds in the No. 98 Future Star Racing Wings & Wheels Foundation Ford Mustang. The performance kept Francis Jr.’s drive alive for an eighth-consecutive Trans Am championship.

“We put it on pole, and I am super happy with that,” said Francis Jr. “The Future Star Racing Wings & Wheels Foundation Ford Mustang was on rails. It’s been super-fast all weekend sitting at the top of the timesheets. We set a new track record today, beating my old one we set back in 2019, so I am super happy about that. We are trying to maximize on points as much as we can this weekend. With getting on pole we got great qualifying points and we are going to try and maximize it again tomorrow and on Sunday to put us back in the championship fight.”

Returning to the track where he made both his professional and Trans Am debuts, Chris Dyson was second, 1:44.961-seconds in the No. 20 ALTWELL CBD Ford Mustang, followed by teammate Guy Smith, 1:44.991-seconds in the No. 21 Amamos LaVida Tequila Ford Mustang.

Dyson, from nearby Poughkeepsie, N.Y., enters the event with a 20-point lead over Tomy Drissi, 201-181, with Francis 44 points in arrears with 157. Drissi will start fourth, running 1:45.598-seconds in the No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro.

“It’s a long weekend here,” said Dyson. “We want to start up front for the race, and we’ve done that. We’ve taken a couple valuable points ahead in the championship. I think we have a good race car for the weekend. I’m excited the ALTWELL CBD car has been terrific since the moment we rolled it off the trailer this weekend. We are just focusing on having a great 100 miles tomorrow, and put us in a position to have a good result there and for Sunday. If we can do that, that will put us in a good place for the championship before heading to Virginia.

“Having Guy (Smith) here is great,” Dyson continued. “It’s really helped us push the setup further faster. Guy and I have raced together for the last 12 years, so we have a relationship where we know exactly what each other wants in the car. We’ve been able to go in parallel on the setup and that’s been very helpful for him and for me. In the race, he’s world-class talent, a professional who knows how to keep us up front.”

Amy Ruman, 2016 Trans Am winner at the Glen, missed qualifying due to a mechanical issue in the No. 23 McNichols/Cornertech CNC Solutions Corvette but will start from the back for Saturday’s race.

Coming off a victory in the TA2® class debut at Nashville, Skeen led an intense session with a class track-record lap of 1:49.769-seconds in the No. 1 Liqui-Moly/Turn 14 Distribution Chevrolet Camaro.

Skeen captured his 12th career pole (11 in TA2®), his fifth of season. Skeen enters the weekend 18 points behind Rafa Matos, who will start alongside on the front row.

“We tweaked on the car a little more after practice today,” explained Skeen. “Stevens-Miller Racing gave me a great car, a great platform, something I could really push with. We were really aggressive, making sure we got all the points we can, and start up as far as we can. Everything just came together for a nice solid lap.

“The start tomorrow is going to be really tricky,” added Skeen. “The TA guys tend to take a little longer to get up to speed. I think the TA2 field will be really aggressive in Turn 1 and 2, and into the Bus Stop, so I think there will be a lot of mixing it up. It’s important to keep it clean, pick the right lane and the right guy to follow through. Once everyone settles in, it won’t be an issue.”

Matos set his fastest time on his fifth lap, running 1:50.116-seconds in the No. 88 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang.

“Tomorrow is going to be tough with a mixed field,” said Matos. “The championship is far from over, and the extra traffic complicates things a bit more for us. Getting a good starting position was very important and were only 0.347-seconds off of (Mike) Skeen today so we will start on the front row. Our goal tomorrow is to not only finish the race but finish the race on the podium.”

Misha Goikhberg was third, 1:50.234-seconds in the No. 0 BC Race Cars Camaro. Team LSR took the next two positions, with Connor Mosack, 1:50.357-seconds in the No. 28 Nic Taylor/IFS Chevrolet Camaro, and Jack Wood, 1:50.425-seconds in the No. 96 M1 Race Cars Camaro.

In XGT, Joiner recorded his fifth-consecutive pole, establishing the track record with a lap of 1:51.392-seconds in the No. 10 Good Boy Bob Coffee Roasters Porsche 991 GT3 R. Joiner qualified 18th overall, ahead of half the TA2 field. Randy Hale failed to post a time in his XGT debut, going off course in the No. 31 Hale Propeller Corvette early in the session.

It was the fourth SGT pole of the season and sixth in the career for Oakes, running 1:53.504 seconds in the No. 11 Droneworks Corvette. If Oakes sweeps the weekend, he will clinch the SGT championship.

“We’ve had so many firsts this year with Trans Am,” said Oakes. “As with the other tracks, this is my first time at The Glen. My crew have been here, and have tons of experience, but as a driver it’s my first time, and this place has lived up to the hype. We took advantage of the test day and practice to try some new setup changes and adjustments, trying to get me more comfortable with the track and the car. Overall everything came together, and I am looking forward to the race tomorrow going up the stock cars.”

Saturday’s race takes the green flag at 1 p.m. (all times ET) for 30 laps, with a 75-minute time limit. Sunday’s finale is set to start at 11:20 a.m. The full weekend will be live streamed on the Trans Am by Pirelli Racing App.

Exclusive: First-Seasons with Greg Zipadelli

By
Briar Starr
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Tom Pennington/Getty Images

In this edition of Speedway Media’s first-seasons column, we caught up with former NASCAR Crew Chief and now Vice President of Competition for Stewart-Haas Racing, Greg Zipadelli. He discusses how he became a crew chief in NASCAR, how he connected with Joe Gibbs Racing, his success with Tony Stewart, and more.

SM: You burst onto the NASCAR scene in the early 90s when you were only 21-years-old as a crew chief for your family team in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour with Mike McLaughlin in 1988. The team advanced to the Busch North Series in the early 90s and had success. What drew you to make a career in racing and why did you choose the role of crew chief versus being a driver?

GZ: “I don’t know, I just always remember being three or four years old going to the races because my uncle, he always owned an asphalt modified and ran in New England, my dad built the motors in the early days and the car was kept in our house a little bit so I was just around it,” Zipadelli said.

“I always liked working on them (cars), that seemed to be my comfort zone. I just never had a desire to drive. I never had money to speak of to build my own car or even try that. I just don’t know, I didn’t have a lot to desire (to drive a car) I always enjoyed working on them more.”

SM: You had a lot of success early on in your career, winning a combined eight races in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Why did you have so much success in your career as you started?

GZ: “Well, I had been involved early on when I was working on them,” he said. “I was just young as a crew chief. I think when a lot of people come into the sport young, they have a different mindset. I didn’t have any bad habits or notions of this is what works. It was like, ‘let’s try this. Let’s do that.’

“I was working on the same car when Brett Bodine came to work for us. With Mike (McLaughlin), we ran (NASCAR) Busch North Cars. Mikey was doing really well at that time and him and I hit it off.”

SM: After spending some time in the Modified Tour and Busch North Tour, your first major break came in 1997 as a crew chief for Mike Stefanik in the Nazareth race. Unfortunately, your day ended early due to a crash. But, in the weeks leading up to that event, were you anxious or nervous about working as a crew chief in the Busch Series knowing it was your big break?

GZ: In ’88, ’89, ’90, we ran the Modified and then ’91 we ran with a limited schedule with McLaughlin,” Zipadelli said. “We were kind of dabbling with the Busch North Car, going back and forth. We then went Busch North racing for a few years. McLaughlin was there for a few years and then Stefanik came and took the ride.”

“I had crew chiefed all those years in the Busch North Tour. We did a lot of things together as friends.”

SM: Following the ‘97 season in the K&N East Series, you were on a one-year hiatus before returning to the sport full-time crew as a crew chief for one of the up-and-coming drivers of the sport, Tony Stewart. How did you connect with Joe Gibbs Racing and get paired with Stewart for your first season in Cup?

GZ: “So, in ’92 and ’93, I moved down and worked for Todd Bodine in the Busch Series, but I still owned a house in New York with Mike McLaughlin,” he said. “That’s when I took McLaughlin and said ‘come on back here. We’ll put you full-time’ and so I packed up and moved home.

“Honestly, it felt like I never accomplished something in the Busch North Tour. I wanted to win a championship in that series before I left to crew chief in the Cup Series.

“I went to work for Jeff Burton and I built shocks, changed tires, I was the car chief for that role in that year (1998). We were parked next to the 18 (Bobby Labonte) and I got to meet with Jimmy Makar and they were starting their second team and he asked if I was interested in working for their second team. I met Jimmy at the old Cracker Barrel and we hung out for a while and talked.

“That afternoon, I got a call from Joe Gibbs and he asked if I could meet him at Denny’s in Huntersville, North Carolina and we sat down and just talked. At that time, I could do anything on a racecar. Jimmy was talking to me about doing shocks and car chiefing that team. However, a day later, Joe called me back and asked me if I was interested in the crew chief job. It literally happened that quick. I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded with a lot of great drivers in my life. With that being said, it was fun and we had a lot of fun.”

SM: Do you remember your first conversations with Tony Stewart? How did that all become about?

GZ: “I talked to Joe (Gibbs) and I accepted the offer,” Zipadelli said. “Afterward, he gave me Tony’s number and I gave him a call. (Tony) was still in Columbus, Indiana. I called him and Tony had a bunch of people over at his place playing pool and we talked for a quite bit. I don’t know when (we met), but it wasn’t long after that where we went down to Daytona and started working the test session.

“Tony wasn’t very involved in what went on with the team, he would just show up and drive. My personality was just to take ownership of everything and being responsible, it worked good for us.”

SM: Your first Daytona experience was that year and your driver was on the front row in your first gig as a crew chief in the Cup Series. Even though you, unfortunately, finished 28th, 19 laps down, do you have good memories of that experience? Do you remember your thoughts when you first entered the track and experienced all of the excitement that racing at Daytona brings? Did you look forward to it and did you feel ready or were you nervous?

GZ: “Oh gosh, there’s always nerves,” he said. “To roll down to Daytona, we didn’t have any points. Back then, you had 50 cars (show up and qualify) and we had to qualify our way in. Fortunately, we tested and had a really good racecar and qualified on the outside pole. However, we had an issue with the intake manifold and we ended up not running very well in that race.”

SM: At the Martinsville race that season, you qualified on the pole with Stewart and were a part of helping the team gain momentum with a string of top-five finishes, with the exception of Richmond. Was there a particular moment during the ‘99 season when you and the team began to get comfortable with the car or was there still a learning curve as the season progressed?

GZ: “I’ll be honest with you, I’m always a believer that there is a learning curve,” Zipadelli said. “I don’t know, if the learning curve ever ends, you’re always trying to adjust. There was a time during midseason, I don’t know when exactly, but I think it was the Loudon race that we should have won but ran out of gas. At that point, we realized, we can do this but we just have to clean up the loose ends. Winning a Cup race is hard.

“I learned a lot and I still beat myself up over it. Shortly after, we won Richmond, then Phoenix and Homestead. We had a very successful rookie season.”

SM: You got your first Cup Series win at Richmond as Stewart dominated the race leading 333 of the 400 laps. What does that victory mean to you today and have you ever had a chance to go back and re-watch that race?

GZ: “No, I haven’t been able to re-watch that win,” he said. “I haven’t done a good job in my life of going back to enjoy those special moments. It’s kind of been, what’s next and working harder to go to the next race.

“As far as that moment, it was surreal. We ran really well that night. That night, we closed the deal.”

SM: You and the team finished fourth in the points standings in 1999. Did finishing fourth in your first season exceed your expectations especially after earning two more wins at Phoenix and Homestead?

GZ: “Oh, absolutely,” Zipadelli said. “I don’t know if there’s anyone who has ever had that kind of season. If you go back and look, I don’t know if anyone has won three races and finish fourth (in the standings) in a rookie year as we did.”

SM: When you reflect on your career, are there any races that you wish you could go back to and have a do-over, such as a win that got away? Is there one race in particular that stands out?

GZ: “There’s a few that got away from us that we never did win,” he said. “A couple of Daytona 500s where we had some good racecars, good opportunities, but things always seem to get taken away from us at the end of the day. It is what it is at the end of the day.”

SM: Do you collect memorabilia from your career? If so, what do you have in your collection that reminds you of your early years in the sport?

GZ: “I have some articles that were done,” Zipadelli said. “I try to keep a shirt or firesuit every year that I crew chief. Other than that, not a lot. some collectible cars that we used to get all the paint schemes. I’ve got a few hoods in my shop, just the normal stuff.”

SM: Do you have a favorite victory or two from your career? What were your favorite wins and why?

GZ: “Obviously, the first Indy win for sure because that was more of a relief than excitement,” Zippadelli said. “Tony put a lot of pressure on himself to go out and perform and we had a good racecar that day. Without the Loudon win, the Indy win is definitely a highlight.”

SM: What do the Winston Cup championships in ‘02 and ‘05 mean to you and were they the highlights of your career?

GZ: “Yeah, for a kid to grow up in New England and have the opportunity to work yourself through the ranks, I mean at the time, (winning the championship) was pretty special,” he said. “During that period, there were some tough characters you were racing against, some of the greats of the sport. We were fortunate enough to have that success early on.”

SM: Do you miss working as a crew chief?

GZ: “I do. The ups and downs, the adrenaline, making good calls and bad calls. I didn’t think I would miss it as much as I do I honestly, sincerely miss it.”

SM: It’s hard to believe your first start as a crew chief came 33 years ago. If time travel was possible, what would a 54-year-old Greg Zipadelli tell a 21-year-old Greg Zipadelli? Is there anything you would do differently?

GZ: “Man, I don’t know,” the two-time Cup Series champion crew chief said as he reflected on his career. “You always look back and think if I can go back and know what I know today, how much could you do? I don’t know if I would have a whole lot to change. I was an extremely dedicated hard worker, very motivated. I think I would do the same things.

“Would I go back and do it all over again today? Definitely, I would. Honestly, I don’t know if there’s anything I could change. I would have to really think about that. I had a lot of fun crew chiefing for 33 years and having that success. I was fortunate to meet a lot of good people and make really good friends. I don’t think I would script it (my career) that much different.”

Fans of Greg Zipadelli can follow him on Twitter and visit his website here.

Throughout Zipadelli’s Cup Series career, the New Britain, Connecticut native has made 468 starts, earned 34 career victories, 143 top fives, 237 top-10 finishes and won 13 poles. Additionally, he won two Cup Series championships with former NASCAR driver and Hall of Famer Tony Stewart in 2002 and 2005.

Special thanks to Greg Zipadelli for taking the time out of his busy schedule to conduct the interview.

Portland Timbers star Diego Valeri named grand marshal for Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday

By
Official Release
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NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Simon Pagenaud will serve as grand marshal for Saturday’s ARCA Menards Series West race

PORTLAND, Ore. (Sept. 10, 2021) – Diego Valeri, one of the greatest Major League Soccer players of all time for the hometown Portland Timbers, will serve as the honorary grand marshal for the Grand Prix of Portland which began this morning and runs through Sunday at Portland International Raceway (PIR).

Valeri, the attacking midfielder from Valentin Alsina, Argentina, who recently scored his 100th career goal with the Timbers on July 21, will give the command for 27 NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers to start their engines on Sunday at 12:35 p.m. PDT. The green flag flies on the field at 12:42 p.m PDT.

“I am thrilled and honored to serve as the grand marshal for the Grand Prix of Portland,” said Valeri, who has been with the Portland Timbers as a player since 2013. “This is one of the premier events in the Pacific Northwest, and I can’t wait to experience my first Indy car race right here in Portland on Sunday.”

“Diego (Valeri) is one of the most revered professional athletes in the Rose City. It’s an honor to have him join us for this much anticipated weekend after the disappointment for us all in missing out on the Grand Prix of Portland last year,” said Jerry Jensen, general manager of the Grand Prix of Portland. “We’re expecting a great crowd, and can’t wait for his command to start the INDYCAR race on Sunday afternoon to cap off the race weekend at PIR.”

In addition to Sunday’s featured 110-lap (216.04 miles) NTT INDYCAR SERIES race, the ARCA Menards Series is the Saturday headliner with a 4:30 p.m. PDT green flag start. Former NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Simon Pagenaud will give the command for these rising stars of NASCAR to start their engines as the grand marshal of the race.

In addition to Valeri and Pagenaud serving in these honorary roles, some remembrances and activities will occur on Saturday, Sept. 11th by both the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and ARCA Menards Series motorsports communities. These special moments will honor the victims and first responders at the Grand Prix of Portland on the day of the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

Ticket prices start as low as $20 for Single Day General Admission and $70 for Single Day Grandstand seats. Three-day tickets remain available for purchase and offer the best fan value. General Admission for the entire weekend is just $65, and a 3-Day Grandstand reserved seat starts at $85 which includes gate admission. Children 12 and under receive free general admission to the event. This also includes complimentary access to the NTT IndyCar Series Paddock throughout the weekend when accompanied by a ticketed adult.

The Grand Prix of Portland will follow state and local guidance for COVID-19. For all ticket pricing, grandstand locations and additional festival information, visit portlandgp.com. Stay up to speed on the Grand Prix of Portland on social media all year long by following #PortlandGP.

About Grand Prix of Portland:
Portland International Raceway (PIR) is the home of the Grand Prix of Portland. PIR is a 1.964-mile, 12-turn permanent road course owned by the City of Portland and operated under the Portland Parks and Recreation. Opened in 1960 to host sports car and drag racing, the 268-acre property hosts over 550 events annually including automotive and motorcycle road racing, motocross, cruise-ins and other special events including the Rose Cup Races. PIR has been the site of many memorable Indy car races. Al Unser Jr. won the inaugural one in 1984, and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returned in 2018 after an 11-year absence with Takuma Sato the winner and another Indianapolis 500 champion Will Power winning in 2019. The Father’s Day race of 1986 featured Mario Andretti victorious over his son Michael on the last lap by less than a second. The closest three-way road racing finish in INDYCAR SERIES history took place at PIR in 1997 when the top three were covered by just 0.055 of a second. The Grand Prix of Portland is owned and operated by Green Savoree Portland, LLC, whose affiliates also promote three additional INDYCAR SERIES races, Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (April 23-25, 2021), The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (July 2-4, 2021), and Honda Indy Toronto.

For more information, visit portlandgp.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @PortlandGP or follow updates on Twitter @Portland_GP and Instagram at @Portland_GP using #PortlandGP.

SS GreenLight Racing | Joe Graf Jr. Richmond Raceway September Event Preview

By
Official Release
-

SS GreenLight Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Richmond (Va.) Raceway | Go Bowling 250

Fast Facts
No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)
Primary Partner(s): Bucked Up Energy
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro
Crew Chief: Joe Williams
Go Bowling 250 Starting Position: 23rd (Event Formula)
Driver Points Position: 31st | Owner Points Position: 37th
Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR)

Notes of Interest:

Full of Energy: Bucked Up Energy and its sister products will continue their role as the primary partner of Graf’s No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro this weekend. Richmond Raceway is the eighth race of 2021 but is the 30th race overall in a multi-year, multi-race deal with the former ARCA Menards Series winner.

Bucked Up is the everyman (or woman) energy drink. We don’t care about the color of your collar; whether blue or white, we all require energy to power our days. We want something that tastes like success, enhances mood and focus, and most of all delivers long-lasting energy.

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

Low-stim has the same innovative ingredients that make their OG formula so powerful for focus, mood, motivation and energy. Bucked Up made just one small change and they have been surprised by the resulting epicness. Boasting a modest of 100mg of caffeine, Bucked Up Low-Stim delivers the same energy, focus, mood, motivation – while reducing the common side effects that come from too much caffeine, jitters, sleeplessness and anxiety.

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

Graf is encouraging in the industry along with race fans to join “Team Graf” and show your support of his mission.

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

Remembering 9.11 Twenty Years Later: The SS GreenLight Racing team and Joe Graf Jr. will pay tribute to the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks during Saturday afternoon’s Go Bowling 250 at Richmond Raceway.

Graf’s No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro will carry a decal showcasing the 9/11 Memorial and Museum on a prominent location on their automobile.

Additionally, between Laps 9 – 11 during the race, the SS GreenLight Racing pit crew will unfurl both an American flag and a 9/11 Memorial and Museum flag and stand on the pit road wall.

Following Lap 11, the SSGLR team will display the flags from their pit stall location for the remainder of the race.

Fans in attendance will also be asked to stand in honor of the day during the three-lap tribute.

Seal Covered: Last month, Joe Graf Jr. welcomed new partner CoverSeal® to the SS GreenLight Racing team.

CoverSeal® —the standout cover option keeping vehicles and other outdoor investments safe from rodents and the weather will serve as associate marketing on the No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro for this weekend’s race at Richmond (Va.) Raceway and at Kansas Speedway next month.

At Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, however, on Sat., Oct. 30, 2021 — CoverSeal® will increase their commitment and serve as the primary marketing partner for the penultimate NASCAR Xfinity Series race of the season.

Saving You Some Money: As summer slowly starts to transition into fall, Joe Graf Jr.’s other marketing partner Z Grills wants to help the NASCAR community save money – but also enjoy the perfect barbecue.

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

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Richmond Raceway Starts: Joe Graf Jr. will make his fourth career start at Richmond Raceway in Saturday afternoon’s race.

In his previous three efforts, Graf has delivered a career-best 14th place effort driving for Richard Childress Racing. Last September as part of a doubleheader weekend, Graf finished 19th and 27th respectively.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Short Track Nuggets: At tracks classified as short tracks with a track length of under 1.0-mile, Graf has eight previous NASCAR Xfinity Series starts.

He holds an average starting position of 24.3 and an average result of 22.3 and has been running at the conclusion of seven of the eight races.

Darlington (S.C.) Raceway | Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race, Graf took advantage of a well-balanced No. 07 Bucked Up Energy Chevrolet Camaro to charge to a top-20 finish in his third career Xfinity Series start at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

The effort was a huge boost to Graf and the Joe Williams-led team after the team mounted their first top-20 finish since Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in March.

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

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

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

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

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

He will crew chief his 57th NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday afternoon and his third at the 0.875-mile short track.

In his previous 56 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes.

Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has a teammate at SS GreenLight Racing. Veteran JJ Yeley will drive the No. 17 Chevrolet Camaro on Saturday afternoon for his 10th start of the 2021 season.

Yeley is set to make his 345th career NASCAR Xfinity Series start and 24th at Richmond Raceway. His best Xfinity track finish occurred twice, but most recently in the 2016 ToyotaCare 250, where he finished 12th after starting 19th for TriStar Motorsports.

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

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

Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quotes:

On Richmond: “I’m looking forward to Richmond Raceway this weekend. Richmond is a track I’m very comfortable with and earned a solid top-15 finish in my track debut in 2019.

“Last fall, it was a doubleheader
weekend and while the Friday race was kinder to us than Saturday was, I still feel confident we can go and have a strong showing this weekend and propel our team forward as we approach the final stretch to the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

“Saturday is also going to be a day of remembrance for us. It will be twenty years since the September 11th attacks and I feel like as a team we are proud to join NASCAR in their initiatives and remember those who lost their lives on that day.”

On Darlington Finish: “I am super proud of our SS GreenLight Racing team. We stayed on the lead lap for most of the race, got ourselves a break when we went a lap down and made our car better for the final run to the checkered flag.

“A top-20 finish felt like a win for us after the crummy season we’ve had and we’re taking this momentum to Richmond and hopeful we can back it up with another top-20 finish or better on Saturday.”

Race Information:

The Go Bowling 250 (250 laps | 187.5 miles) is the 25th of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2021 schedule. The 40-car field will take the green flag on Sat., Sept. 11, 2021, shortly after 2:30 p.m. ET with live coverage on the NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.

About SS Green Light Racing:

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

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

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