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ARCA Menards Series Race Recap: Du Quoin State Fairgrounds

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Official Release
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Sunday, September 5
Track: Du Quoin State Fairgrounds, 1-mile dirt oval
Race: 17 of 20
Event: Southern Illinois 100 (100 laps, 100 miles)

Taylor Gray, No. 46 Ford Fusion

Start: 7th
Finish: 5th

  • Gray qualified seventh for the 100-lap event at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds. An early caution on lap 16 saw the No. 46 up to the sixth position. The team chose to pit for trackbar adjustments and rejoin the field in eighth.
  • On lap 23, Gray couldn’t avoid a spinning car in turn two and sustained damage to the nose of the car. He came down pit road to pull out sheet metal and restarted in eighth.
  • At the first competition caution on lap 35, the Ford driver had made his way up to the fourth position. Crew chief Chad Johnston called him to pit road for tires, fuel and multiple adjustments to try and free up the car.
  • The No. 46 Fusion held steady in fourth for nearly the entire length of the second stage and was running there when the second competition caution came out on lap 70. The team pitted again for tires, fuel and adjustments to aid the tight handling racecar.
  • The race resumed with 23 laps to go. Gray held fourth until four laps remaining in the race. While running fifth, he spun in turn 3 coming to the white flag. The caution set up a one-lap dash to the finish and he ultimately finished in fifth.

Next event: Bush’s Beans 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee on September 16 at 6:30 p.m. ET.

HighPoint.com Racing: Chase Briscoe Darlington Race Report

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Official Release
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Briscoe Perseveres for 19th at Darlington
HighPoint.com/Founders Federal Credit Union Driver Earns 13th Top-20 of Season

Date: Sept. 5, 2021
Event: Cook Out Southern 500 (Round 27 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile oval)
Format: 367 laps, broken into three stages (115 laps/115 laps/137 laps)
Start/Finish: 24th / 19th (Running, completed 366 of 367 laps)
Point Standing: 23rd with 484 points
Race Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-115):

● Chase Briscoe started 24th and finished 27th.
● Just four laps into the race, Briscoe radioed to the team that the HighPoint.com/Founders Federal Credit Union Ford Mustang was too tight.
● He stayed on track during the first caution on lap 17 and restarted 19th, but the No. 14 quickly lost ground to cars on newer tires on the lap-20 restart.
● The yellow flag was shown for the competition caution on lap 25 with Briscoe scored 27th. He pitted for tires, fuel and a big chassis adjustment for his Ford Mustang and restarted 26th on lap 30.
● Briscoe continued to battle a tight-handling Mustang as the first stage progressed and reported that adjustments made were not helping.
● The HighPoint.com/Founders Federal Credit Union driver was 27th on lap 99 when he was passed by leader Denny Hamlin, placing the No. 14 team one lap down at the conclusion of the stage.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 116-230):

● Briscoe started 25th and finished 19th.
● The HighPoint.com/Founders Federal Credit Union driver lined up 25th, one lap down, for the lap-123 restart after pitting for tires, fuel and adjustments at the stage break. A caution on lap 126 allowed Briscoe to rejoin the lead lap in the 24th position. He made a lengthy pit stop under caution for additional adjustments.
● Briscoe worked his way past lapped traffic and into the 22nd position before the leaders began making green-flag pit stops on lap 156. He pitted from the 12th spot on lap 159 for tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment to help with rear grip.
● Only five cars were on the lead lap when the yellow flag waved on lap 164 for debris. Briscoe and the rest of the leaders waved around to regain position on the lead lap, and he lined up 23rd for the lap-169 restart.
● Briscoe was running 20th when the leaders began making scheduled green-flag stops on lap 194. He pitted on lap 198 for fresh tires and a front air pressure adjustment to help with rear grip in turns one and two. He returned to the track just before the caution flag was waved for the eighth time on lap 201 and was scored 21st.
● The No. 14 Ford Mustang restarted 20th, and Briscoe bettered his position by one to finish the second stage in 19th.
● At the stage break, Briscoe pitted for additional adjustments after telling the team his handling had been improving. But he said he needed help with rear grip on entry of in turn one to help give him the feeling he was looking for in the car.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 231-367):

● Briscoe started 18th and finished 19th.
● The HighPoint.com/Founders Federal Credit Union driver made his first scheduled green-flag stop of the final stage on lap 271, giving up the 21st position to receive tires and a chassis adjustment. He reported to the team he fired off too tight, but the handling improved later in the run.
● The stage remained green until the field was scheduled to make their second scheduled stop under green on lap 301. Briscoe told the team that his Ford Mustang was the best it had been on the long run. After pitting, Briscoe was scored 23rd, two laps down, and was able to drive around the leader to put himself just one lap down before the caution flag waved on lap 320.
● Briscoe stayed on track during the caution and raced his way into the top-20 before the next caution on lap 327.
● He restarted 20th on lap 332 and held his position. On the final lap he made a pass for the 19th position just before taking the checkered flag.

Notes:

● Briscoe was the highest finishing NASCAR Cup Series rookie for the 23rd time this season.
● Denny Hamlin won the Cook Out Southern 500 to score his 45th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his fourth at Darlington. His margin over second-place Kyle Larson was .212 of a second.
● There were 11 caution periods for a total of 52 laps.
● Only 15 of the 37 drivers in the Cook Out Southern 500 finished on the lead lap.

Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 HighPoint.com/Founders Federal Credit Union Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“The HighPoint.com/Founders Federal Credit Union Ford Mustang was pretty good on the long run once we made some adjustments and the sun went down, but the handling just wasn’t where we needed it to be overall. We’ve still got time to get a win before the season’s over. This was just an off day that we’ll move on from and try to keep improving over the next nine races.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Federated Auto Parts 400 Salute to First Responders on Saturday, Sept. 11, at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. The second race of the 10-race NASCAR Playoffs starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION: INDIANAPOLIS – QUALIFYING RECAP AND & QUOTES

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
DODGE/SRT NHRA U.S. NATIONALS
LUCAS OIL RACEWAY AT INDIANAPOLIS, BROWNSBURG, INDIANA
TEAM CHEVY RECAP
SEPT. 5, 2021

Chevrolet rolls to impressive weekend at U.S. Nationals

  • Erica Enders repeats victory, delivers Chevrolet’s 340th Pro Stock win
  • No. 1 Top Fuel qualifier Brittany Force is runner-up, No. 2 playoff seed
  • No. 1 qualifier John Force claims No. 2 seed in Funny Car playoffs
  • Jesse Alexandra wins Factory Stock Showdown in all-COPO Camaro final

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 5, 2021) – Four-time National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Pro Stock champion Erica Enders recalled the first time she raced at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis and certainly didn’t want a repeat performance in the Pro Stock final of the U.S. Nationals.

“I raced here in 1994 as a 9-year-old at the inaugural Junior Drag Racing League nationals. We went red in the final,” she said.

Fortunately for the driver of the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS, that didn’t occur and the No. 3 qualifier defeated second-year Pro Stock driver Kyle Koretsky on a holeshot to record her third victory of the season and third in the U.S. Nationals.

“This is a dream come true. This track means so much to everybody. This is Indy. It’s so hard to explain to people what it means to us,” said Enders, who delivered Chevrolet’s 340th Pro Stock win since 1970. “My Elite Motorsports/Melling team is bad to the bone and I could not be more proud of them.”

Brittany Force drove the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster to her sixth successive Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier – and eighth in 13 races – on the way to her third runner-up finish of the season. Tony Schumacher in 2005 was the last Top Fuel racer to earn six top qualifiers in a row and owns the record for most No. 1s in a season with 13.

“Wrapped Indy, leaving here No. 2 in points which is a great position to be in and we went to a final round. That’s outstanding for this Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac team. We feel confident going into the Countdown to the Championship,” Force said. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t our day. We didn’t get down there, but our focus now is going into this Countdown and the next seven races.”

John Force, the No. 1 qualifier in the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS, and No. 3 qualifier Robert Hight in the Automotive Club of Southern California Camaro SS, fell in the second round of Funny Car competition.

Force, the top qualifier for the second time in the 13-race regular season, enters the Countdown as the No. 2 seed as he seeks a 17th world championship. He’ll also be the first NHRA driver to reach 2,000 elimination rounds; he has a 1,377-622 record.

“My PEAK Chevy, we couldn’t get it done today but it was fast in qualifying. That right lane was tricky and it got me in trouble,” said Force, who won the U.S. Nationals for the fifth time in 2019.

Enders’ Camaro ran 6.626 seconds to Koretsky’s 6.613 in the Lucas Oil/Nitro Fish Camaro SS, but her .024 of a second reaction time was the difference by about 13 inches. Enders defeated Greg Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Camaro SS, in one semifinal, while Koretsky bested KB Racing teammate Dallas Glenn, who defeated Koretsky in the final at Topeka three weeks earlier.

Anderson, seeking to tie Warren Johnson’s class record of 97 wins, is the top seed heading into the Countdown. Five different drivers of the Camaro SS have won at least once in 11 regular-season races.

Jesse Alexandra defeated 2020 U.S. Nationals winner Aaron Stanfield in an all-Chevrolet COPO Camaro final to register his first Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown victory. Chevrolet has won five of the six races in the eight-event series.

The Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil on Sept. 10-12 kicks off the Countdown to the Championship. The event at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pennsylvania, was not held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, Brittany Force was the No. 1 Top Fuel qualifier and John Force was the Funny Car runner-up.

FS1 will telecast eliminations live at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 12.

An interview with Pro Stock winner ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS:
WALK US THROUGH YOUR RACE DAY.
“Well, I had a really great car all day. We had an outstanding run first round but second round we were a little behind at 60 feet but won. From that point, we steadily worked on the race car to get it to perform. We lost lane choice going into the finals, which we thought was pretty crucial today. I didn’t drive spectacular today; I’d probably give a C minus. My lights were not stellar, but being able to turn on the win light is all that matters. Just being there and taking advantage of the situations, keeping lane choice when it was crucial, especially against Greg Anderson in the semifinals. That was a big round win of the day.”
HAVE YOU EVER REALIZED HOW MUCH YOU’VE ACCOMPLISHED?
“I step back and look at it but the hunger in me wants more. What’s next? What’s next? My dad reminds me a lot – these are the good old days. Don’t forget what you’re accomplishing by looking too far into the future. Just enjoy the moments. I didn’t have a lot of success until I came to Elite – this is my eighth season with them. We won our first U.S. Nationals together in 2015 and the last three years we’ve been in the finals. We had that heart-breaking loss to our ex-teammate and were able to win back to back. I think this is a great way to kick off the Countdown. We have four in a row and we have to keep it rolling. It’s really humbling to take a step back and realize what we’ve accomplished in such a short time. I’ve been driving Pro Stock for 17 years, but I’ve only had a great car and a great team for eight.”

DOES THIS PUT THE 2019 FINAL IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR?

“I drove better in ’19. Being .00 on the Tree and then having a transmission failure and getting beat was probably the most gut-wrenching, made me physically ill, hardest loss of my career. The only justification at the time was he was my teammate, so at least Elite was in the winner’s circle. That was a tough pill to swallow and one that stuck with me until we got to the next race. Those are the moments that make you better, righty? Coming back in 2020 and getting the win and being able to stick it in the winner’s circle today, I had a good feeling this morning and some days you’re the windshield and some days you’re the bug. Today was one of those races when we had our lucky rounds and we were there when it mattered. I’ve been on the wrong side of the win light a lot, so days like this make up for it.”
DOES WINNING INDY MAKE IT EASIER TO WIN INDY?
“Before I got my first, someone said as soon as you get your first win the others will follow. It’s something that you have to learn. You have to learn how to be a winner. You have to learn how to perform when the pressure is on. You have to acquire that trait. That’s why driving all those cars that when we showed up I knew we wouldn’t qualify, just battling it out through the sponsorship woes, you do everything you can to get where you’re at. I guess once you win Indy … it’s crazy; it’s our third one and two other finals. It just means a lot. Once you win, you just want more.”

CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT

TOP FUEL:

BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/ FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 1 qualifier, runner-up): “Wrapped Indy, leaving here No. 2 in points which is a great position to be in and we went to a final round. That’s outstanding for this Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac team. We feel confident going into the Countdown to the Championship. Now that Indy is behind this, all the hard work, everything we’ve learned this year, everything we’ve done, now it’s time to put it to good use and go for this championship. The final round was definitely disappointing. Again, proud to be in that final round and have that No. 1 qualifier coming out of Indy so we can’t hang our heads too low, but it was frustrating. We were right there; we could almost taste it. We had been running in the left lane all weekend long and that right lane was tricky. Unfortunately, it wasn’t our day. We didn’t get down there, but our focus now is going into this Countdown and the next seven races.”

FUNNY CAR:

ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 3 qualifier, fell in quarterfinals): “Definitely not what we wanted. That was disappointing, for sure. Not how this Auto Club team wanted to perform at the U.S. Nationals, but we get to move on, reset points and really begin the battle for another championship next weekend. We’re confident. Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham, they’re looking for some consistency and we felt really good after testing in Brainerd. Luckily, we get four back-to-back races, build some momentum early in the Countdown. We love coming to Indy; it’s kind of a home track for us with our race shop right down the street.”

JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier, fell in quarterfinals): “My PEAK Chevy, we couldn’t get it done today but it was fast in qualifying. That right lane was tricky and it got me in trouble. To see the fans come here and pack it, it looked great. Thank you for making the Camping World Drag Racing Series what it is and to make us drivers who we are. We’re excited to make the Countdown, but winning Indy is like winning a championship.”

PRO STOCK:

KYLE KORETSKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL/NITRO FISH CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier, runner-up): “The crew gave me a great car as usual and driver didn’t do his job. We got some momentum with two runner-up finishes in a row and got some points toward the Countdown. My team did a great job. Erica is a tough competitor and I knew I had to be good on the Tree. I drove good, just not on the Tree. It’s good old Pro Stock racing. This Lucas Oil Chevy Camaro has been on fire all weekend.”

GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 7 qualifier, fell in semifinal): “I just didn’t have a great weekend. We only got that one qualifier and I had a problem with my engine so we had to change engines for today. It was definitely off starting today and we were gaining on it each run, but we missed on the starting line set-up and spun the tires. I actually drove good but we didn’t make the right calls with the car. You have to have it all together.”

DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CAMARO SS (No. 4 qualifier; fell in semifinal): “I think this weekend went really good; we had a good car. I never really made a bad run. I feel like I have a great car going into the Countdown. I feel like we have a lot of momentum. The last two races I have a win and a semifinal.”

MATT HARTFORD, HARTFORD RACING, TOTAL SEAL/CIP1 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 6 qualifier, fell in quarterfinals): “We were happy to get through first round and now we’re not happy unless we’re qualified deep in the top half and going to the final round. We went to a lot of final rounds in the last couple years. The Total Seal/CIP1 Camaro has been performing and if we can keep the driver on point we have as good a chance as anyone (to win).”

DERIC KRAMER, KRAMER RACING, GET BIOFUELS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 10 qualifier, fell in first round): “It wasn’t the weekend and hasn’t been the season we’ve been looking for, but we did enough to get into the Countdown and that’s what we’re out here for. Hopefully we can turn it around through the Countdown and make up some points on the rest of the field.”

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.

Toyota Racing NCS Post-Race Recap — Darlington 9.5.21

By
Official Release
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DENNY DELIVERS FIRST WIN OF 2021 WHEN IT COUNTS
Hamlin and Truex Kickoff Playoffs Strong

DARLINGTON, SC. (September 5, 2021) – Denny Hamlin started the first round of the NASCAR Playoffs just the way he wanted, with his first win of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season at Darlington Raceway. The win will lock Hamlin and the No. 11 Camry team into the second round of the Playoffs as they battle for this year’s championship. Fellow Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. (fourth) also claimed a top-five finish at the historic South Carolina raceway.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Darlington Raceway
Race 27 of 36 – 367 laps, 501.3 miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, DENNY HAMLIN
2nd, Kyle Larson*
3rd, Ross Chastain*
4th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
5th, Kevin Harvick*
20th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
21st, BUBBA WALLACE
35th, KYLE BUSCH
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Offerpad Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

How big is this victory for you and this team?

“Southern 500, it’s a big win. I love this race track. It’s by far my favorite race track. It’s just great — can’t thank the Offerpad guys enough for everything they do and FedEx and Shady Ray’s, the Jordan Brand, just everyone — Coca-Cola, Toyota, everyone at JGR that builds these fast cars.”

What did you think of the move that Kyle Larson tried on you during the final lap?

“He (Kyle Larson) drove it in past the limit of the cars and the tires. I knew he was coming. I was a little bit conservative on that last lap because I had that four-car-length lead. I didn’t think it was going go that deep, but yeah, still a great race. It’s been back and forth with me and him most of the year. He’s just been a little bit faster on these type of race tracks, and luckily the caution came when it did and the strategy worked out great for the team, but man, I’m really happy.”

How significant is this victory at this point in the season?

“It was a matter of time. We can’t just keep leading inside 10 laps to go every week and not get a win. Yesterday was some unique circumstances but, man, I tell you what, I couldn’t be happier for this win and now to move to the Round of 12.”

How special is it to get your first win of the season in the Playoffs?

“We had a couple breaks here and there that got us the track position, but we were top-three all night. Just drove as hard as I could that last run. The balance was just a little off, but we were able to hold off the 5 (Kyle Larson) just enough.”

How difficult is it to drive this track while watching in your rearview mirror?

“A lot of it is aero-blocking, you listen to what the spotter is telling you and what line he’s running and you just put your car in front of his. That’s so much of what we do today is just blocking people aero-wise, but this car was very fast. Chris (Gabehart, crew chief) did a great job adjusting on it all night and gave me a race winner.”

What was going on in the final set of turns?

“I knew he (Kyle Larson) was going to drive in deep, but I didn’t think he was going to go that deep in the corner. Obviously, I knew he wasn’t going to make it, but still he rattled me a little bit to where he got into the back of us and then we got him low. Fun finish to the Southern 500.”

What does this mean for you in the Playoffs?

“Now we get to go have fun these next two weeks. Just can’t thank Offerpad, FedEx and SportClips, the Jordan Brand, Domino’s, Shady Ray Sunglasses – it was a bright, sunny day today. Can’t thank this whole team enough. They deserve a win. We’ve been so strong all year. They deserve to be in victory lane today.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 4th

Did you think it was possible to have as much speed in your car as you did tonight?

“Oh yeah, all night. We were so good on long runs. Early in the race, we weren’t getting them so we were losing track position. Had the issue of the loose wheel under green and we were in pretty good position right there. Fought all the way back and got up to the front and the dumb driver sped on pit road. One of those days. Thanks to everybody at Bass Pro, TRD, Toyota and everybody back at the shop at JGR – all the men and women there working hard to make our cars good. Congrats to the 11 (Denny Hamlin), been a long time coming for them this year. Overall, really strong race car and heck of a battle. Sometimes you can’t do all the little things right. Certainly today we didn’t, but we battled through it and had a good finish.”

What did you think of the move Kyle Larson tried on the final lap?

“I was asking him if it was Nintendo or Playstation. He (Kyle Larson) definitely – the wall glue got him. He got stuck on the wall. He got close. It was a valient effort.”

How do you feel about the strength of the 19 team after tonight?

“We’ve been battling through a lot of crap all summer long with crashes, damage and a lot of stuff, but we always fight back and get the best finish we possibly can. It’s nothing new for us, we just had to do it tonight and it was a big night with the Playoffs and it turned out to be worth the fight for sure.”

How do you sum up tonight for you and your race team?

“It’s kind of been typical for how we’ve been doing things the last three or four months. Just really strong race car again, the Bass Pro Toyota was really fast. Made good adjustments all day and as soon as it started cooling off, the car started coming to me and we were really good on long runs. We needed long runs and when we would get them, we would go forward. That was good. Then just the loose wheel mistake and fought through that and then I sped on pit road when we had the lead. I feel like we had a shot at the win for sure there, we were really fast that last run. We came from a long way back and passed a lot of cars to get to fourth. Never know how it might have worked out. All in all, just really proud of the effort and of the fight. The never give up attitude that we have as a team. I think this summer, we’ve been through a lot together and it’s toughened our edges up a little bit I think. We kind of went through that like it wasn’t anything. A little bit of frustration on the radio and then it was gone and time to go forward and dig hard. Proud of that and hopefully we can build off it.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 SportClips Haircuts Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 20th

What were the positives from tonight’s race?

“The positives were, once again like the last five or six weeks, we’ve been really competitive. Probably longer than that. I felt like our SportClips Camry was capable of running inside the top-two or three. We ran 20th. It seems like that’s happened a lot and obviously we can’t really have that in the Playoffs. It’s a bummer because today was a great opportunity to try to capitalize on other people’s misfortune and we didn’t. Looking at the Playoff grid, we’re still ahead, but we could be way ahead.”

Is Darlington just a difficult track?

“This place is tough for sure and it’s really easy to make a mistake so yeah, that’s part of it. I do want to give a big thank you to SportClips for allowing me to represent you guys. Hopefully we can do more in the future.”

How do you feel heading into Richmond next week?

“This whole round really, Darlington, Richmond, Bristol are three great race tracks for us and this organization. I’m really happy about that. Just super disappointed that we couldn’t capitalize on today with the speed that we had.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 38 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2018.

Through the 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 ToyotaNewsroom.com

CHEVY NCS AT DARLINGTON: Post-Race Notes and Quotes

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
COOK OUT SOUTHERN 500
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES & QUOTES
SEPTEMBER 5, 2021

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
2nd KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE
3rd ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 42 MCDONALD’S CAMARO ZL1 1LE
6th KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
10th AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1 1LE
12th RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 KROGER/HERSHEY’S S’MORES CAMARO ZL1 1LE

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Denny Hamlin (Toyota)
2nd Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)
3rd Ross Chastain (Chevrolet)
4th Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota)
5th Kevin Harvick (Ford)

The NASCAR Cup Series season continues next weekend at Richmond Raceway for the Federated Auto Parts 400 Salute to First Responders on Saturday, September 11, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES:

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 2nd
YOU USED THE VIDEO GAME MOVE DOWN IN 3 AND 4; IT ALMOST WORKED.
“Yeah. Yeah. I kind of — we got to the white, and I was like, well, I haven’t been able to gain on him now, I’m going to try something. Honestly got to his bumper too quick. I was hoping he was going to run that diamond to kind of be safe and I could skirt to his outside, but gave everything I had. “I didn’t want to wreck him, I just wanted to try to get to his outside there, but he did a great job not really making any mistakes during the last run, and I was having to push really hard in second to try and just stay with him.

“Was hoping we’d catch some sort of traffic, but we never really did. Our HendrickCars.com Chevy was really good out front, just in traffic I would get stuck. Like in traffic I just got stuck really bad, and then there at the end losing control of the race really hurt us, but all-in-all a great day, good points day. Pit crew did great. Cliff (Daniels) made some good changes in the car, so try again next week.”

WE KNOW IT’S BEEN A GREAT YEAR FOR YOU, BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO START OFF THE PLAYOFFS THIS WAY? YOU’VE LED THE MOST LAPS, YOU’RE RIGHT IN CONTENTION AT THE END. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THIS TEAM GOING THROUGH THESE PLAYOFFS TO MAKE A CHAMPIONSHIP RUN TO HAVE A GREAT START?
“Yeah it’s good to get a good start. I think everybody’s, you know, nervous getting ready for the final 10 and just the anticipation of how it’s going to go. So good to get a good first week in and build some momentum and some confidence within the team, so hopefully go to Richmond, be a little bit better than we were earlier in the year.”

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 42 MCDONALD’S CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 3rd
THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHERN 500 HERE TONIGHT THERE WAS ALL THE PLAYOFF CARS AND THEN THERE WAS ROSS CHASTAIN IN CONTENTION FOR THE WIN. WHAT A GREAT NIGHT FOR YOU GUYS. WHAT MORE DID YOU NEED TO MAYBE CHALLENGE THAT NO. 11 AND NO. 5?
“A better driver. I can go fast. I just can’t quite race with them, and it starts with my restarts. I’ve got some work to do there, so I gave up the outside to take the bottom to be safe and then Kyle rolls around me.
Was able to make one last charge there at him at the end, but yeah, I just need to clean up a few things. This McDonald’s car, I think it was the fastest car here tonight, so it’s humbling to come with this CGR group these final 10 races here, a place where my career kind of took a totally different trajectory three years ago, and to have people like Clover and the Moose (Fraternity) and Advent Health on board supporting me and still letting me race three years later, it means the world. I’ve just got to clean up some more, though.”

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS PLACE FOR YOU? I REMEMBER BACK IN 2018 WHEN YOU HAD THAT AMAZING RUN FOR GANASSI HERE AT DARLINGTON. YOU’VE BEEN SO CLOSE TO WINNING HERE TWICE IN THE XFINITY SERIES. TALK ABOUT THIS PLACE, HOW GOOD IT IS FOR YOU AND ALSO THE COMPETITION LEVEL OF NOW DOING THIS ON THE CUP SIDE.
“Yeah, it’s hard to say. I feel like I’ve put in work, but I always feel behind, so I never feel fully prepared. So I’m not going to say that. I’m going to say it’s probably a lot of hot Saturday nights in south Florida racing at 417 Speedway. We don’t run up against the fence there, but it’s as sideways as we are here at Darlington, and I didn’t run up against the fence at all tonight. A lot of Florida Saturday night short tracks and a lot of older, wiser guys and other racers down there that taught me a lot. To come back here now three years later for the people that supported me then and put me in that car, we’re still here and we’re still fighting, and it means the world.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 6th
“That’s what was most impressive was the speed. It was fun to lead laps and be up front. It just seemed like we were juggling a ball of yarn and it was somewhat unraveling the whole race; whether it was the lane choice or a pit stop. And then handling, we were a little bit loose there and a little bit tight there. That last run, everything was back where we needed it; but I threw away all the track position with a couple of fender rubs.”

“We gave away a few points. I would have loved to have had a shot at trying to win it. We might have ended up wrecked, but we gave away three or four points tonight. Not all that bad. It’s a great way to start the Playoffs with this kind of speed in the No. 1 Monster Energy Chevy. That’s what I’m really proud about with my guys.

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 10th
“I’m proud of everyone on the Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevy team tonight. To get a top-10 after all of the challenges we faced is a really good night and shows how hard this team works. We started off the race a little too free in the Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet, so we pitted during the first caution for adjustments, which really helped our handling issues. Even though we started from the rear, we were able to race our way into the top-10 before finishing the stage 13th. We lost a little something in Stage 2 after the 18 came down on us. We got some fender damage that affected our handling the rest of the night. We also had a bad vibration in the second half of the stage and it took all we had to stay on the lead lap to finish out the stage. It was great get a top-10 after a rough few weeks. I just wish we could have seen what we could have done without that body damage because the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevy was fast tonight.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 GOOD SAM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 13th
HOW WAS YOUR RUN?
“I feel like we were probably a top 20 car most of the day. We struggled. We made some adjustments to get it back and I thought we did a pretty good job keeping up with the race track and everything. But we just have to keep working. It was a good education day, but we didn’t have a lot of speed. So, we have to keep working to make more speed.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHILDRESS VINEYARDS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 18th
YOU STARTED THIS RACING LOOKING LIKE A TOP 5 CAR, BUT IT SORT OF WENT AWAY FROM YOU. WHERE DID IT START TO GO AWAY?
“That’s a great question. I have no idea. I think we would have been able to not fall as far as we did in our Childress Vineyards Chevrolet, but I have no idea. It’s happened to me a few times here. I try to bring back a different approach every time, but I keep missing.”

YOU ARE UP AGAINST THE BEST OF THE BEST HERE. YOU PRIDE YOURSELF IS BEING ONE OF THOSE TOP 16, BUT WHAT IS IT LIKE TRYING TO FIND THAT LAST LITTLE BIT IN THE PLAYOFFS?
“Well, it’s a head-scratcher because we were running there towards the end of the day. I mean we haven’t been running back there all year. It’s definitely frustrating. I know everyone really pushes when the Playoffs get here to be performing at our best level. We did the same but just weren’t even close.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 26th
“I got into the wall into turn one. I was just really loose. The 8 (Tyler Reddick) got to us. I don’t know if he carried me off into the corner or if I just got loose. Either way, it’s just part of it. I just got loose and ended up in the wall right rear first and had damage. And then, that’s what eventually cut the tire to end up in the wall in turn three.”

THE NEXT RACE IS RICHMOND AND YOU WON THERE. IS THAT COMFORT OR CAN YOU NOT LOOK AT IT THAT WAY?
“I don’t think we have any comfort going forward the next two weeks. I think we’re going to places that we know we can be strong at. But this is a place where we felt like we should have been pretty strong at and our night was over five laps into the race. We didn’t do a good job capitalizing on it, even from that point on. We left points on the table. My guys did a good job of fixing the car enough to drive it the rest of the night. We just need to be a lot better than we were tonight.”

DO YOU FIND ANY SOLACE IN THE FACT THAT A LOT OF PLAYOFF DRIVERS HAD ISSUES TONIGHT THAT ARE GOING TO FINISH DOWN IN THE STANDINGS? IT COULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH WORSE POINTS NIGHT FOR YOU THAN WHAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN.
“Yeah, it helps I guess. It makes the points picture look better, but I don’t necessarily feel any better about anything because of it. Pretty frustrated with myself to grab the wall that early, but that’s Darlington and that’s Playoff racing.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA/CHILDREN’S CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 326; Finished 31st
WHAT A TOUGH WAY TO END THE NIGHT. IT MAYBE WASN’T THE BEST NIGHT THAT YOU WANTED. HOW QUICKLY DID YOU KNOW THE TIRE WAS GOING DOWN?
“Yeah, just as soon as I was turning the corner. Just really appreciate NAPA for letting us run this special scheme and making it a special weekend for some of these kids from Children’s (Healthcare of Atlanta).”
“On my end, just made way too many mistakes. That’s what you deserve when you make that many mistakes. Onward.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 200; Finished 34th
FIRST OF ALL, ARE YOU OKAY? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT HAPPENED?
‘Yeah, I’m fine. That was a big hit. It looked like on that pit stop, it looked like we dropped the jack and the left front was still finishing up. I took off and everything felt okay. I went to pass the No. 00 (Quin Houff) or somebody down the front stretch; and was just about to turn into (Turn) 1 and the left front went down. There was nothing we could do. The guys did an awesome job to fix it. We were running like Top-12, I think, even with all the (earlier) right rear damage and it’s just terrible. I don’t know, man. That sucks.”

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.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Three Ford Playoff Drivers Post Top 10 Finishes in Opener

By
Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series — Cookout Southern 500
Darlington Raceway | Sunday, September 5, 2021

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
5th — Kevin Harvick
7th — Brad Keselowski
8th — Joey Logano
9th — Chris Buescher
11th — Cole Custer
14th — Ryan Newman
16th — Aric Almirola
19th — Chase Briscoe
22nd — Ryan Blaney
23rd — Matt DiBenedetto
24th — Anthony Alfredo
27th — B.J. McLeod
28th — Josh Bilicki
37th — Michael McDowell

KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Busch Light Fan Design Ford Mustang — A CHAOTIC RACE FOR MANY. HOW WAS YOURS? “It was the same. We finished on a flat tire. We had to pit for a loose wheel or a tire coming apart or something and got a lap down, and then got the lucky dog and just a lot going on. That’s pretty typical of this race though. I just want to thank everybody on our Busch Light Ford Mustang. Our guys have done a great job. We led a bunch of laps early and had a fast race car and were able to capitalize on a good day.”

IT LOOKED LIKE YOU WORKED HARD ALL NIGHT. “Yeah, we worked hard. Our guys did a good job on pit road fixing the car, a flat tire at the end. I finished on a flat tire. I banged it into the wall a couple times getting a flat tire, but everybody just kept scraping and battling and doing everything that they needed to do to finish the race and we had a decently fast Busch Light Ford Mustang and were able to drive back hrough there and keep ourselves up front.”

WHICH TIRE WAS FLAT? “The right-rear tire is flat, so luckily we had a good enough lead. I hit the wall and the fender got into the tire, so the last two laps the tire was flat, so we had a good enough lead that it worked out.”

WHAT KIND OF A START IS THIS FOR YOU GUYS? “I think it’s a good start. I think just a little bit of balance here and there to get ourselves to compete for the win, but I think as you look at the overall speed it was fairly good.”

WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE TIRE? “They don’t think the wheel was loose, but, either way it was vibrating so bad I was pitting. The what that it all timed out we were able to ge the lucky dog. Our car was fast enough to get back up there. We struggled a lot in traffic. We just couldn’t make the moves like we needed to in traffic. We had speed if we had clean air, but it just took us so long to get through traffic. Everybody did a good job battling through everything that happened tonight. We finished the last two laps on a flat right-rear tire, so that was a way to cap off the night.”

DID YOU FEEL YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN A LITTLE MORE? “You feel like you could always get more, but we could have been wrecked too, so I think we feel pretty good about it.”

BESIDE THE WHEEL WAS IT A CLEAN RACE? “It wasn’t super clean. We ran the last two laps on a flat right-rear tire, so there was just a lot of things here and there, but relatively clean compared to everybody else. This is just always one of those races that has a lot of stuff happen and you have to keep yourself rolling and keep your car clean and that’s what we did tonight. We had a few little issues, but we worked through them and were able to have a fast enough car that we could run top five and the rest of it, for us to run first or second we would need to be first or second like we were earlier in clean air. When we had the clean air we drove away, so it’s just kind of the way it is everywhere.”

HOW MUCH DOES ALL THE CHAOS REGISTER INSIDE THE CAR? “That really shouldn’t surprise anybody. I mean, we’ve done this for a long time, so if anybody is surprised they’re very very new, and Darlington in general is just one of those places that creates chaos in itself. There are a lot of places that you can make a mistake and it’s the first race of the playoffs and everybody always loses their mind in the first race of the playoffs. It happens every year. If it’s not the first race, it’ll be one of the first three, or four, five in six, or seven, eight and nine. At some point they all lose their mind.”

HOW DID YOU KEEP IT TOGETHER TONIGHT? “I’ve been here a whole bunch of times. I’ve been to Darlington a whole bunch of times. You race the racetrack and it’s just what you do. Just because it’s the first race of the playoffs you can’t force the issue here. You just take what you get and luckily tonight we had a good enough car to keep us up front.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT RICHMOND? “We ran well there and Aric ran better, so I think we definitely look at what the 10 did and what we did and try to marry those two things together and be better, so I’m looking forward to Richmond. We ran well there.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang — “It was just a solid 500-mile race and ended up with a strong finish and something to hang your hat on.”

WHAT DID YOU SEE TONIGHT THAT GIVES YOU POSITIVE VIBES ABOUT THE 2 CAR? “We want to be faster, but when we’re not as fast as we want to be we can finish off races and that’s important.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT RICHMOND? “I feel really good about Richmond. I think we’ll be really fast there. I think that’s been a strong suit for us at that type of track and going there with real high hopes that we’ll win the race.”

WHAT DID YOU THINK WITH A LOT OF THE PLAYOFF GUYS HAVING ISSUES? “There was a lot of chaos. Every time there was chaos I was thinking we just need to not dig ourselves a hole and take advantage of it.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang — “I felt like we were probably about a fourth-place car. That’s about right where we were running before the caution came out and we outsmarted ourselves a little bit with the adjustment at the end. I was just too tight the last run and plowing actually. I was nervous the right-front was gonna come apart as tight as we were, so I lost three or four spots there at the end unfortunately to that, and then those guys that pitted and put tires on was worth a little bit as well, but we only had one set left so you really couldn’t risk putting that set on then and run 15 laps and not have another set in the pits. Overall, we did what we had to do at the start of the playoffs. A lot of guys self-destructed and we were able to maximize our day and get every point, so we got what we got and we’ll move on.”

DID YOU FEEL YOU COULD KIND OF SWING FOR THE FENCE ON THAT LAST ADJUSTMENT CONSIDERING WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER GUYS IN THE PLAYOFFS? “No, we didn’t swing for the fence going for something big. We were trying to fine-tune and just got a little bit off.”

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang — “We had an OK night. I thought we were a top 10 car. We didn’t have what we needed to go up there and race up front, but I thought we had a decent car and we got behind on track position and bad restart and just got behind, and then our pit strategy we were hoping it would go green to the end. We kept pitting early to cycle on new tires and we got caught with that caution when the 12 spun and we got trapped a lap down there. It was unfortunate. I don’t know exactly where we finished, but we certainly finished worse than what we should have, but we survived and it seemed like tonight was definitely a lot of attrition from the playoff guys. We’re still in it. We didn’t take ourselves out.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang — “It’s a shame. I thought we were pretty decent. I thought we could have ran top seven today, which would have been a great day, but we got some stage points though and didn’t wreck the race car, so that’s good. I appreciate the Menards and Richmond Ford. We move onto Richmond. It was not a great night, but it could have been a lot worse.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT RICHMOND? “I thought in the spring we were really good there. We were right up front and just kind of got caught behind on a pit sequence one time, but, overall, I thought we improved a lot there, so I’m looking forward to getting there next week and seeing what we can do.”

IT SEEMED NOBODY WAS IMMUNE FROM ISSUES TONIGHT, INCLUDING YOURSELF. “At least our car is in one piece, so that’s good. After that problem you usually bring it back on a wrecker just like in Nashville, so luckily we got a car in one piece. A lot of other teams had their issues, so, overall, not a bad night. I wish we could have finished it off where we should have and been in the top 10 easily and got 10 or 15 more points, but we can’t complain too much.”

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops Ford Mustang — WHAT HAPPENED? “I’m not really sure. The 43 kind of got everybody jammed up. I think he started on the front there without tires, which is a tough spot to be in and I just went three-wide underneath him and just got into the patch with my left sides just a little bit low. I got loose enough into the wall and that was about it. I’ll have to see the replay, but just heartbreaking for everybody on this Front Row team. We had high hopes coming into the playoffs and this is not how we wanted to start it.”

RCR Post Race Report – Southern 500

By
Official Release
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Austin Dillon And The No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Team Overcome Challenges to Earn Solid Top-10 Finish at Darlington Raceway

Finish: 10th
Start: 21st
Points: 17th

“I’m proud of everyone on the Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevy team tonight. To get a top-10 after all of the challenges we faced is a really good night and shows how hard this team works. We started off the race a little too free in the Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet, so we pitted during the first caution for adjustments, which really helped our handling issues. Even though we started from the rear, we were able to race our way into the top-10 before finishing the stage 13th. We lost a little something in Stage 2 after the 18 came down on us. We got some fender damage that affected our handling the rest of the night. We also had a bad vibration in the second half of the stage and it took all we had to stay on the lead lap. It was great get a top-10 after a rough few weeks. I just wish we could have seen what we could have done without that body damage because the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevy was fast tonight.”

-Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick And The No. 8 Childress Vineyards Team Still In Solid Contention In The NASCAR Playoffs With Top-20 Finish at Darlington Raceway

Finish: 18th
Start: 7th
Points: 12th

“Our Childress Vineyards Chevrolet was pretty good at the start of the race, and it was great to battle competitively in the top-10 during much of the early half of the race. I could see the other Playoff drivers having problems around me and I was hoping it was going to push us over the edge to break through and get going in the right direction. Unfortunately, two different strategies came into play during the final stage and ours was not the strategy that prevailed. Once we lost our track position it was a downhill slide. Our Camaro was tight and loose in the same corner and I wasn’t sure how to help my team fix it. By the end of the race, handling was significantly better but we were trapped a lap down and didn’t get a timely caution to return to the lead lap. This Richard Childress Racing team is strong and we proved that by making the Playoffs. We will go to Richmond and Bristol these next two weeks and do what is needed to advance.”

-Tyler Reddick

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

By
Official Release
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Almirola Finishes 16th at Darlington
Smithfield Ford Driver’s Day Marred by Untimely Caution

Date: Sept. 5, 2021
Event: Cook Out Southern 500 (Round 27 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway(1.366-mile oval)
Format: 367 laps, broken into three stages (115 laps/115 laps/137 laps)
Start/Finish: 8th / 16th (Running, completed 366 of 367 laps)
Point Standing: 11th (2,029 points, 3 points ahead of top-12 cutoff)
Race Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-115):

● Aric Almirola started eighth and finished eighth, earning three bonus points.
● Almirola held his Smithfield Ford inside the top-10 before the competition caution waved.
● The Smithfield Ford driver pitted during the caution for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments.
● Almirola restarted eight after the caution and was scored ninth before another caution was called for a spin by playoff contender Michael McDowell just a few laps later.
● Another caution was called on lap 48. Almirola pitted for four fresh tires, fuel and adjustments to come off pit road in eighth.
● Almirola pitted under green for four fresh tires, fuel and more adjustments on lap 81.
● Crew chief Mike Bugarewicz radioed to Almirola that he was the fastest car on the track with 20 laps to go in the stage.
● Almirola held his position to the end of the stage, and then pitted for four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 116-230):

● Almirola started ninth and finished 18th.
● The caution was called on lap 126 for a spin by the No. 18 car.
● On lap 152 as he ran in 16th, Almirola radioed to Bugarewicz: “I’ve just lost everything. Everything is worse.”
● Almirola pitted under green on lap 157 for four fresh tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments.
● A debris caution was called on lap 164. Almirola and multiple playoff drivers were forced to wave around to rejoin the lead lap.
● Almirola restarted 18th, drove to 15th, then pitted for four fresh tires, fuel and adjustments on lap 196.
● The caution was called again for a cut tire by the No. 24 car with Almirola in 12th.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 231-367):

● Almirola started 13th and finished 16th.
● Almirola raced to 11th on the restart and advanced to the top-10 on lap 255.
● While attempting to pass multiple cars, Almirola slid his Smithfield Ford into the wall, causing minimal damage. He lost one spot to the No. 19 car but passed the No. 8 car.
● The caution came out on lap 319 for a spin by the No. 12 car with Almirola in the 13th position.
● The No. 10 Smithfield driver pitted during the caution period for four fresh tires, fuel and adjustments, putting him one lap down.
● Almirola was forced to check up when the No. 17 car got loose coming off the turn. He escaped the incident with minimal damage to his No. 10, and the caution was called for a spin by the No. 9 shortly after.
● Almirola raced his was back to the Lucky Dog position, but the caution did not come out for the remainder of the race, leaving Almirola one lap down.

Notes:

● Denny Hamlin won the Cook Out Southern 500 to score his 45th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his first of the season and his fourth at Darlington. His margin over second-place Kyle Larson was .212 of a second.
● There were 11 caution periods for a total of 52 laps.
● Only 15 of the 37 drivers in the Cook Out Southern 500 finished on the lead lap.

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

“We had a good car today, and we had good speed. We had a great day and our pit crew was on fire until the caution came out late in the race and put us a lap down. The strategy just didn’t play out for us there, but that’s how it goes. We controlled as much as we could control and showed we’re serious contenders.”

Playoff Standings (with two races to go before Round of 12):

  1. Denny Hamlin (2,072 points) 1 win
  2. Kyle Larson (2,106 points) +80 points
  3. Martin Truex Jr. (2,062 points) +36 points
  4. Kurt Busch (2,062 points) +26 points
  5. Ryan Blaney (2,048 points) +22 points
  6. Joey Logano (2,047 points) +21 points
  7. Kevin Harvick (2,046 points) +20 points
  8. Brad Keselowski (2,038 points) +12 points
  9. Christopher Bell (2,031 points) +6 points
  10. Chase Elliott (2,030 points) +4 points
  11. Aric Almirola (2,029 points) +3 points
  12. Alex Bowman (2,026 points) +0 points
  13. Tyler Reddick (2,026 points) -0 points
  14. Kyle Busch (2,024 points) -2 points
  15. William Byron (2,017 points) -9 points
  16. Michael McDowell (2,006 points) -20 points

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Federated Auto Parts 400 Salute to First Responders on Saturday, Sept. 11, at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. The second race of the 10-race NASCAR Playoffs starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

How to replace an Instrument Cluster

By
SM
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Your car is a machine that has a lot of parts that work in harmony to give you the perfect ride. Just like everything else your car requires maintenance and repairs from time to time. It is possible that some parts of your car might start showing problems and need to be fixed or replaced. While some parts are easier to replace, others are not. 

An instrument cluster is one such part of the car which is not that easy to replace but in all honesty, it is not that hard either.

The instrument cluster is the module that has all the things like the speedometer, RPM meter, fuel gauge, temperature gauge, and so on. This is mostly placed directly behind the steering wheel. 

It is quite an important part and without it, you simply can’t imagine driving around in your car. So if your instrument cluster fails or shows a problem you can either have it repaired or replaced. If the only option left is to replace the cluster then you might have to follow a few steps as it is not exactly a walk in the park. Following these steps might make it a little easy for you.

Initiation of the process

Replacing the instrument cluster mostly gets people to back off and simply send it to a mechanic for auto instrument cluster repair but as we said, following a few steps will make it easier for you.

So the first step in the process is to make sure you park your car on level ground. Pull the handbrake and make sure your car is off. 

Since every car is built differently there would be a few things that you would need to do before you actually start removing the dashboard area. In some cars, you are supposed to put the car in a certain gear and in some, you are required to put the steering wheel in a certain position. You can find out such specifications in your car’s manual.

Removing the dashboard

To get to the instrument cluster you will first have to remove the dashboard of the car. Dashboards of all cars are different and hence there will be a difference in removing them. Mostly all dashboards use rivets and other locks to hold them in place. You can use a socket set to help you get the dashboard out easily. 

Once you figure out where all the clips are, simply start detaching the dashboard till the time your instrument cluster is not fully exposed. Next, have a good look at the cluster. There should be a number of bolts that attach it to the frame of the car. Take your time to carefully remove all the bolts without damaging the grooves.

Removing the instrument cluster

Once you’re done removing all the bolts remember to look out for a few clips that might need to be pushed before you can slide the cluster out. After locating the clips carefully pull out the cluster just a little bit so that you can have a clear look behind it.

The cluster receives all the information from the rest of the car through wires. The bunch of wires should not be very hard to detach. Look out for a connector that should have a clip on it. Usually, you can detach all the wires in one go if they are connected with a single clip and connector. There are some models where you have to individually unclip all the wires. This might take some time but do not rush this procedure. The wire clips are sometimes delicate and you might have to take the pain of getting a new clip from a store.

Installing the new cluster

Before you start installing the new cluster take a moment to compare the old piece to the new one. They should match in all dimensions otherwise they won’t fit properly and you will have to get the right one which will definitely take some time.

If you have an exactly identical cluster then you have the go-ahead. 

Start by attaching all the wires with clips and connectors to the cluster. Make sure you attach the right wires in the right place to avoid further instrument cluster problems that you might have to face. It’s best to take the help of the manual to avoid mistakes and waste more time.

Common wire hub connectors are much easier to connect as you don’t have to worry about fixing the right wires in the right socket.

Double-check the connections and move onto the next step which involves sliding the cluster back into the frame. If the cluster has clips make sure to properly clip it back in place. Then proceed to put the bolts back into place. 

Checking the new cluster

Once the bolts are tightened into place simply switch the car on once to see if it lights up. This will show that the cluster is receiving power. Before you fully check the functionality by taking the car out for a spin, fix the dashboard back on. Clip everything into place properly, you don’t want the dashboard to be shaky and unhinged while driving. 

While driving check the reaction and accuracy of the speedometer. Go to the fuel station and get some gas to check the working of the fuel gauge. The electronic displays and gauges can be checked easily too.

The instrument cluster is an important part of your vehicle so don’t hesitate to replace it if required. Replacing this can seem like a task but can be easily done from UpFix with better-than-original working conditions by using high-quality parts that last.

The Best Free Spins Offers in New Zealand in 2021

By
SM
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Online casinos are a great way to spend time online and have fun. New Zealand players are often spoiled for choice when it comes to online gambling, with loads of exciting sites to choose from. Many of these sites offer different bonuses to new players, including free spins. If you’re interested in playing at an online casino in New Zealand, you’ll often be able to claim a free spins bonus when you sign up. 

If you want to claim the best free spins offers in 2021, we’ve made a list of some of the top deals below. Make sure you also read more about bonus free spins, including what they are and how to use them if you want to have the most fun while playing at a New Zealand online casino. 

Top Free Spins Offers

Here are a few of the best free spins bonuses for New Zealand players right now:

  • 21.com – 100 no deposit spins
  • LeoVegas – 50 no deposit spins
  • Jackpot City – 50 no deposit spins
  • Spin Casino – 50 free spins
  • Sky City – 20 no deposit spins
  • Lucky Days – 20 no deposit spins
  • PlayOJO Casino – 80 free spins
  • Twin Casino – 200 free spins
  • JustSpin – 600 free spins

What Are Free Spins?

Simply put, free spins give you a chance to play some of the most exciting slots for free. While you would normally need to select a real money wager, free spins give you a way of playing without risking real money. Even though there’s no risk, you can still win real cash with free spins, although the money you win will often come with wagering requirements. These are some of the most common types of online casino bonus, and they’re a lot of fun to use.

How to Use Free Spins

To use free spins at an online casino, you’ll first need to know how to claim them. Different casinos have different rules on unlocking your free spins, so be sure to read through all of the requirements before you get started. In most cases, you’ll need to sign up and make a deposit to unlock the spins. Once you have them, simply load up the game they’re available for and choose the free spins option when prompted. You’ll then be able to use up the spins, and any money you win will be added to your account as a bonus.

Types of Free Spins

Although free spins are very simple, there are a few different types available. Depending on which online casino you use, you can expect to come across some of the following:

  • No deposit free spins – No deposit free spins are the favourite for most players. These can be claimed simply by signing up and creating your new account with the casino, with no deposit required. You’ll be able to start playing straight away with no risk.
  • Wagerless free spins – Although most free spins require you to wager any winnings you make before you can withdraw them, the wagerless free spins are different. With these, any winnings you make, you’ll be able to keep and spend or withdraw no matter what. 
  • Deposit free spins – Deposit free spins are the most common type offered by casinos to new and returning players. When you make a qualifying deposit, the spins will be added to your account and will be ready to use straight away. 

Loyalty bonus spins – Some online casinos reward loyal players by allowing them to collect bonuses such as free spins. You can earn points each time you play, which you can then redeem for free spins bonuses.

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