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Ford Performance NASCAR: Richmond Playoff Advance

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FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: RICHMOND PLAYOFF NOTES

The NASCAR XFINITY and NASCAR Cup Series will conduct a day-night doubleheader on Saturday at Richmond Raceway. Two races remain in the regular season for NXS teams with Ford driver Austin Cindric in contention for a second straight championship while the Cup competitors prepare for their second playoff race of Round 1.

This Week’s Schedule:
Saturday, Sept. 11 – NASCAR XFINITY Series, 2:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
Saturday, Sept. 11 – NASCAR Cup Series, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT RR

  • Ford has 33 all-time series wins at Richmond.
  • Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano each have two Ford wins at RR.
  • Ryan Newman and Kevin Harvick also have one career series win.

ROUND OF 16 NCS PLAYOFF STANDINGS (Top 12 advance after Bristol)

5-Ryan Blaney +22
6-Joey Logano +21
7-Kevin Harvick +20
8-Brad Keselowski +12
11-Aric Almirola +3
16-Michael McDowell -20

FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT RR

  • Ford has 19 all-time series wins at Richmond.
  • Mark Martin is Ford’s all-time series leader in wins at the track with five.
  • Ford’s last win at the track came in 2019 by Cole Custer.

KESELOWSKI WINS 2020’S LONE RICHMOND VISIT

Richmond Raceway hosted two NASCAR Cup Series events a year from 1959-2019, but in 2020 the track had only one event due to COVID and Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski took the checkered flag in dominating fashion. Keselowski led 192-of-400 laps in recording his second career Cup win at the Virginia short track, and automatically advanced to the Round of 12. Overall, Ford led 297 laps on the night and had five drivers finish in the top 10, including Joey Logano (3rd), Kevin Harvick (7th), Aric Almirola (8th) and Clint Bowyer (10th).

RICHMOND ONE OF LOGANO’S BEST

It would be easy to look at Joey Logano’s two career wins at Richmond and say it’s got to be one of his best tracks on the circuit, but the statistics provide further proof. In 24 career starts, Logano has 11 top 5 and 14 top 10 finishes, which gives him an average finish of 10.5. That’s his second-best average finish on tracks where he’s run at least five races. The only track where Logano has a better average finish is Las Vegas, where his two wins and 11 top-10 finishes in 16 starts works out to an 8.4 average finish.

HARVICK A CAREER TOP-10 FINISHER AT RICHMOND

Another Ford driver who has experienced consistent success at Richmond is Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick. This weekend will mark his 41st career Cup Series start at the track in which his 10.1 average finish is fifth-best among tracks currently on the circuit in which he has more than five starts. The other four tracks that statistically are Harvick’s best include: Homestead (7.3), Indianapolis (8.6), Phoenix (8.8) and Kansas (9.1).

ALL-TIME FORD PLAYOFF VICTORIES

Ford has 47 all-time playoff victories, including at least one on every track that makes up this year’s 10-race schedule. Joey Logano is Ford’s all-time playoff win leader with 10 while Carl Edwards is second with eight and Greg Biffle third with seven. Talladega Superspeedway has been Ford’s most successful track since the playoff format began in 2004 with nine NASCAR Cup Series victories. Homestead and Kansas are next on the list with seven wins each.

CINDRIC ONLY ONE POINT OUT OF NXS POINTS LEAD

Austin Cindric has led the point standings for most of the season until two weeks ago when AJ Allmendinger passed him. Going into this weekend’s race, Cindric finds himself only one point out of the lead after a third-place finish at Darlington. With a series-high five wins this season, Cindric is already locked into the playoff field, but is now focused on winning the regular season championship for a second straight year and the 15 bonus points that go with the title.

HERBST LOOKING TO STRENGTHEN NXS PLAYOFF POSITION

Riley Herbst is trying to give Ford two postseason participants and with two races remaining in the NASCAR XFINITY Series season, he’s in position to do just that. Herbst has a 46-point advantage over Michael Annett for the final berth, but also has to hope that nobody below him wins and takes that spot away. From a points perspective, Herbst still has a chance to move up in the standings as he sits 19 behind Brandon Jones.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT RICHMOND

1957 – Paul Goldsmith
1959 – Tom Pistone and Cotton Owens
1960 – Speedy Thompson (2)
1963 – Ned Jarrett (2)
1965 – Junior Johnson (1)
1968 – David Pearson (1)
1969 – David Pearson (1)
1970 – James Hylton (1)
1979 – Bobby Allison (2)
1980 – Bobby Allison (2)
1981 – Benny Parsons (2)
1984 – Ricky Rudd (1)
1986 – Kyle Petty (1)
1988 – Davey Allison (2)
1990 – Mark Martin (1)
1992 – Bill Elliott (1)
1993 – Davey Allison (1)
1994 – Ernie Irvan (1)
1995 – Rusty Wallace (2)
1996 – Ernie Irvan (2)
1997 – Rusty Wallace and Dale Jarrett
1998 – Jeff Burton (2)
1999 – Dale Jarrett (1)
2001 – Ricky Rudd (2)
2002 – Matt Kenseth (2)
2005 – Kurt Busch (2)
2013 – Carl Edwards (2)
2014 – Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski
2017 – Joey Logano (1)
2020 – Brad Keselowski

FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT RICHMOND

1987 – Mark Martin
1993 – Mark Martin (Sweep)
1994 – Kenny Wallace (2)
1995 – Kenny Wallace (1) and Dale Jarrett (2)
1996 – Kenny Wallace (2)
1997 – Mark Martin (1)
1998 – Jeff Burton (1)
1999 – Mark Martin (1)
2000 – Jeff Burton (2)
2002 – Jason Keller (1)
2005 – Carl Edwards (1)
2008 – Carl Edwards (2)
2009 – Carl Edwards (2)
2013 – Brad Keselowski (Sweep)
2017 – Brad Keselowski (2)
2019 – Cole Custer (1)

CORVETTE RACING AT LAGUNA SECA: Garcia, Taylor Transcript

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CORVETTE RACING AT LAGUNA SECA: Garcia, Taylor Transcript

Corvette Racing drivers Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor, teammates in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R and points leaders in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, met with members of the media during a Zoom conference call Tuesday ahead of this weekend’s race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna. TRANSCRIPT:

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R
YOU’VE WON THREE TIMES IN YOUR CAREER AT LAGUNA SECA. IS THERE SOMETHING ABOUT THE TRACK THAT SPEAK TO YOU? IS IT LUCK OR IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE?
“I wouldn’t say it was luck. You never know at Laguna. There are always a lot of different strategies in play. It’s usually a two- or three-stop race. Lately it has been more of a three-stop one. With those, you always need to fight those gambling with two stops. We’ve won a few races there but we also lost a few with cars and people who we didn’t expect to get to the end and they ended up managing to make the strategy work. There is a fine line. Tire degradation is the main thing. As soon as there is a yellow, everything starts again and you better have a good tire. Otherwise you are going to end up being very vulnerable. Let’s see what this weekend goes. Hopefully we are on the good strategy.”

WHAT HAVE BEEN THINGS LIKE FOR YOU SINCE THE LAST IMSA RACE AT ROAD AMERICA?
“It’s been very busy. Right after Road America, we had two or three days off and then we were off again to Le Mans. Being European, I was a little luckier than the American guys so I could stay here (in Spain) until the Friday morning before the Test Day. So that saved me a couple of days. Le Mans was very tiring as always. Last week I was at the simulator with Jordan, so the work is still on. You need to keep focusing. There was a ton of data to analyze and some correlation to be done after Le Mans. You better have all the information you can after a big race like that. I spent a few days there and then came back here for some family time. Time flies by when you are with your kids, for sure.”

HOW RELIABLE HAS THE CHEVROLET SIMULATOR BEEN FOR YOU ON THE CORVETTE SIDE WHEN THE CAR GETS ON THE TRACK?
“A lot. The C8.R is the answer for that. We’ve been working on the simulator with the C8.R for two to three years in advance before it was on the track for the first time. That helped a lot. It’s true that you need to trust all the data you are getting from the wind tunnel and all your simulations. Our simulator seems to be very good on correlation. We also have Michelin helping us develop a very, very good tire model which is one of the most important things we need to have. So it has worked very well for us on the C8.R. Every time we had a bad race – even though there was no time to go on track – we had time to recover and fix things that didn’t work. Most of the time, the car is really good out of the box at the track. You end up doing a few tweaks and very small setup changes. It’s been very, very good.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R
WHAT ABOUT WEATHERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA MAKES IT SPECIAL TO A LOT OF PEOPLE?
“To us, it’s a classic sports car track in North America. It’s known around the world for the Corkscrew but anyone who goes there – for our weekend in particular – who is a hard-core sports car fan knows it because of the history of the sport. There’s a lot of history there. A lot of famous guys raced really cool cars back in the day in sports cars. I was able to go there a couple of years for one of the Reunions and drive an old Corvette around the track. You definitely feel a lot of history when you go there. It’s a cool part of the country… lots of great restaurants in the area, you’ve got the town of Monterey. The track itself is built into the hillside there. We enjoy it. The track is challenging. It’s more slippery than you’d expect. It degrades the tire pretty quickly, so it makes the whole weekend pretty tricky to understand what the car needs to be competitive. You can have one car for qualifying that will be fast but you need a completely different animal for the race itself. There always seems to be some sort of compromise, but that’s what makes it enjoyable is to have that challenge.”

WHEN YOU EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE THE SUBJECT OF ADHENSION AND GRIP AND THEN HAVING NONE AT LAGUNA, HOW DO YOU GET THAT TO RELATE TO PEOPLE WHO DON’T DRIVE?
“That’s a tricky question to explain. When you go to a place like Watkins Glen or Road Atlanta, the grip level is high so to find the threshold and limit of the car and the tire, you need to push the car a lot and trust that the grip will be there. When you go Laguna Seca, I wouldn’t say it’s like driving on ice – it’s not that slippery – but the limit comes so fast. You find the limit of the tire, the grip and the car extremely quickly. You’re driving almost like a knife-edge. You try to stay under the grip of the tire and not trying to slide it. The grip level is so low that it’s easy to go past it. I’d say a way to explain it is that you’re very on edge the whole time to stay below that limit and hurt the tire and laptime. If you can save that from the beginning of a stint, it will be pay huge dividends at the end of it.”

HOW DOES THAT CHANGE YOUR AGGRESSION LEVEL, EITHER WHEN YOU’RE PUSHING ANOTHER DRIVER OR PUSHING AGAINST YOURSELF?
“It’s really tricky. It takes some experience and maturity not to get caught up in things, especially in GTLM. Our stint length is really long. I came from being in prototypes where our stints were getting shorter and shorter to like 35- or 40-minute stints. At that point with tire degradation, you can still push pretty hard and maybe you’ll suffer for the last 10 minutes. In GTLM, our stints can be close to an hour in length so you can suffer for 30 minutes. The amount of patience you have to have with the way you are driving, attacking and fighting people and to get through traffic… you have to be a lot more careful and mindful of what you’re doing. Every time you slip the tire a little bit, you kind of remind yourself that maybe you went a little too hard there. You have to reset and think more about the bigger picture.”

WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THE C8.R AT LAGUNA LAST YEAR THAT CAN BE HELPFUL THIS YEAR?
“The biggest thing when we go there is understanding how the tire works and tire compound. I think last year we split strategies between the 3 and 4 car because we have such limited track time. You don’t have much time to test and understand what you need to do in the race itself. Splitting the strategies last year should help us this year to understand where the strengths and weaknesses were between those two strategies and tire options. It’s another thing we were working on last week in the simulator to understand where we want to be and understand the different temperature ranges on the track this week. We learned a lot Last year was the first time the car was on a very low-grip surface. It’s unique in that fashion and we learned some important lessons last year.”

YOU WERE ON THE DALE JR. DOWNLOAD LAST WEEK. TALK ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE.
“It was a lot of fun. Doing the Dale Sr. helmet was special and taking that to Le Mans this year was a big deal. Dale and I have spoken a bit over the years and texted every now and then, and with him coming to cover the Rolex 24 the last couple of years we formed a small relationship to bounce things off each other. I’d tried to get on the podcast for the last couple of years but timing-wise things never lined up. Now with the Dale Sr. helmet and I was up there last week with Antonio for the simulator, schedules lined up pretty well and it was an awesome experience. I never spent a lot of time with Dale Jr., but it was really cool to talk to him even if it was just sharing stories and hear some of his stories with his dad… reminiscing of their experience at the Rolex 24 and some unique stories from that event were pretty funny. To see the personal side of him and getting to know him as a person… I think we realized we are pretty similar guys – we’re pretty shy and reserved but in certain situations and with certain people, we are pretty comfortable and can open up a lot. I definitely had a good time. It was really cool to see the fan response and the support from everyone. I think it opened a lot of eyes from the NASCAR world to the IMSA world, so I think it’s good to have that cross-over. It would be good to have those types of events.”

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.

No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang to Don National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Paint Scheme in Las Vegas

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  • Awareness initiative set to inform and promote resources in support of mental health
  • September is National Suicide Prevention Month; September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day
  • Diecast model will contribute to fundraising efforts

The No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang is collaborating with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for a unique paint scheme at the Las Vegas race on Sept. 26. The awareness initiative is intended to facilitate conversations among friends and loved ones regarding mental health. This includes sharing that free and confidential resources are available at any time by calling the Lifeline number, 1-800-273-8255, which will be printed on the car’s hood for the race.

The importance of mental health in the United States, including the motorsports community, has become increasingly apparent in recent years, especially in the last 18 months amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing organization has felt the impact of individuals faced with mental crises, which in some instances has resulted in suicide.

“Mental health is equally as important as physical health, which is why the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team and Wood Brothers Racing have decided to raise awareness for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and its services,” said Jon Orth, Marketing Manager for Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD). “Personally, I lost a close friend to suicide earlier this year, and the more I think and talk about it, the more I wish I could have identified warning signs. Motorcraft and Wood Brothers Racing are working together to use our platform in NASCAR to educate the public with existing resources available to respond to family and friends who may be confronted with mental health concerns.”

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline seeks to reach and serve all people in the United States who could be at risk of suicide, and one of the ways the organization does this is by spreading the word about actions we can all take to prevent suicide. The Lifeline and its network of over 180 crisis centers across the country are working to change the conversation from suicide to suicide prevention, and to promote healing, help and hope.

“Our family is proud to support the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline because we feel strongly about the importance of addressing mental health,” said Eddie Wood, co-owner of Wood Brothers Racing. “We have a duty to our family, friends and colleagues to ask, ‘how are you doing today?’ Then we have to really listen and respond to the answer.”

The campaign #BeThe1To empowers individuals to use five steps, if and when they are concerned about a loved one. The five steps are:

  • Ask: Studies show that asking at-risk individuals if they are suicidal does not increase suicides or suicidal thoughts. In fact, studies suggest the opposite: findings suggest acknowledging and talking about suicide may in fact reduce rather than increase suicidal ideation.
  • Be There: This could mean being physically present for someone, speaking with them on the phone when you can, or any other way that shows support for the person at risk.
  • Keep Them Safe: After the “Ask” step, and you’ve determined suicide is indeed being talked about, it’s important to find out a few things to establish immediate safety.
  • Help Them Connect: Helping someone with thoughts of suicide connect with ongoing supports (like the Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255) can help them establish a safety net for those moments they find themselves in a crisis. Additional components of a safety net might be connecting them with supports and resources in their communities.
  • Follow Up: After your initial contact with a person experiencing thoughts of suicide, and after you’ve connected them with the immediate support systems they need, make sure to follow-up with them to see how they’re doing. Leave a message, send a text, or give them a call.

“It’s an honor not only to be driving this racecar and paint scheme, but also to be a part of something so much bigger than just the race,” said Matt DiBenedetto, driver of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang. “I have people very close to me who have struggled with mental health and loved ones who have contemplated taking their own lives. My faith has shown me the beauty of life and I am so excited to partner with Motorcraft/Quick Lane and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for an incredible cause that’s close to our hearts.”

Wood Brothers Racing will be offering a signed diecast of this paint scheme. For each diecast purchased from woodbrothersracing.com, 20% of the net proceeds will be donated to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

“For every person who dies by suicide annually, there are another 316 people who have thought seriously about suicide who don’t kill themselves. These stories remind us that help, hope, and healing are happening every day,” said Dr. John Draper, Executive Director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. “We’re grateful to be working with Ford, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing and Wood Brothers Racing to highlight the resources that are available if you or a loved one are struggling.”

About Motorcraft
Motorcraft offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer value with high quality and the right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln Dealers, independent distributors and automotive parts retailers, and are backed by the Service Parts Limited Warranty of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.

About Wood Brothers Racing
Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.

About the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Funded by SAMHSA and administered by Vibrant Emotional Health, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a leader in suicide prevention and mental health crisis care. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support and crisis counseling to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the United States. Callers who follow the “press 1” prompt are connected to the Veterans Crisis Line. A Spanish Language line is available at 1-888-628-9454, and more than 150 languages are supported through a Tele-Interpreters service. The Lifeline comprises a national network of more than 180 local crisis centers, uniting local resources with national best practices. Since its inception in 2005, the Lifeline has engaged in innovative public messaging, development of best practices in mental health, creative partnerships, and more to improve crisis services and advance suicide prevention for all. suicidepreventionlifeline.org

About Vibrant Emotional Health
Vibrant Emotional Health is a non-profit organization that helps individuals and families achieve emotional wellbeing. For over 50 years, our groundbreaking solutions have delivered high-quality services and support, when, where and how people need it. We offer confidential emotional support through our state-of-the-art contact center and crisis hotline services that use leading edge telephone, text and web-based technologies and include the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, NFL Life Line and NYC Well. Through our community wellness programs individuals and families obtain supports and skills they need to thrive. Our advocacy and education initiatives promote mental wellbeing as a social responsibility. Each year we help more than 2.5 million people live healthier and more vibrant lives. We’re advancing access, dignity and respect for all and revolutionizing the system for good. Visit vibrant.org. And follow Vibrant on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Beard Motorsports Back for 2022 Daytona 500

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Generational Race Team Procures NextGen Car

MT. PLEASANT, Mich. (Sept. 7, 2021) – Beard Motorsports is the first non-chartered NASCAR Cup Series team to announce its intention to compete in the 64th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

The generational race team founded by the late Mark Beard Sr., and now run by his wife, Linda Beard, has procured a NextGen chassis for its use in 2022, beginning with the Daytona 500. Plans are for the No. 62 Beard Oil Distributing Chevrolet Camaro to compete in subsequent races at Daytona and its sister track, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. A driver has not yet been determined.

“My father was passionate about racing and he took a great deal of pride in coming to Daytona and competing against the biggest names in the sport,” said Amie Beard, executive vice president, Beard Motorsports. “He passed away just before this year’s Daytona 500 and his presence was definitely missed. We didn’t make the race, and with no qualifying available at the other superspeedway races, we didn’t have the opportunity to race again. We’ve got some unfinished business, and that’s why we’re coming back to Daytona.”

Beard Motorsports has proven to be the little team that could, a modern-day David competing against the Goliaths of the NASCAR Cup Series. The team employs just one fulltime person – crew chief Darren Shaw – and has since its debut in the 2017 Daytona 500 when driver Brendan Gaughan finished 11th.

Beard Motorsports makes it all work by taking a strategic approach to its racing endeavors. It has an alliance with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and runs only the superspeedway races at Daytona and Talladega. This singular focus has yielded solid results, mostly recently a pair of top-10 finishes at Daytona in 2020 – seventh in the Daytona 500 and eighth in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 – both at the hands of Gaughan.

“Beard Motorsports has always over delivered and it’s a testament to its people and the relationships they have within the industry,” said Gaughan, who has since retired from racing and now serves as Beard Motorsports’ vice president of racing operations. “We have to outwork and outthink the competition, and we feel that the NextGen car plays right into our hands because it levels the playing field. We’ll have similar equipment to the big teams, but no one is going to beat us when it comes to want and desire.”

The NextGen car represents a wholesale modernization of the stock car, designed for closer competition, cost containment and manufacturer relevance. It features NASCAR’s first-ever independent rear suspension, sequential gearbox, rack-and-pinion steering and single-lug aluminum wheels.

The NextGen car is currently in the midst of a two-day test at Daytona with eight teams participating, including RCR. The test will help NASCAR gather information about the new car’s aerodynamic characteristics as they race in a pack and draft off one another.

“The NextGen car is a whole new ballgame,” Beard said. “We’re ready to play.”

EVENT PREVIEW: Five Races in Two States Ahead for Wright Motorsports

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BATAVIA, Ohio. (September 7, 2021) — Another multi-city race weekend is here for Porsche customer racing team Wright Motorsports. The three professional race programs the team holds under the IMSA-sanctioned umbrella race this weekend, with the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge competing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands running three races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“The pressure is on for this final stretch of the season,” said Team Owner John Wright. “This is our second event this year where we will be racing in two different locations. I know we’ve got the best people to make all three efforts have successful runs. Our biggest strength has always been consistency on and off track, and we’re looking to score maximum points this weekend.”

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship | WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
With four races remaining in the 2021 season, Wright Motorsports holds tight to fifth-place in the GTD team championship standings, with Patrick Long standing fifth in the driver championship battle. After a third-place finish at Road America last month, the pairing of Long and Trent Hindman have momentum on their side in the No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R. With three sprint races together as co-drivers, the pair have found their stride, eager to add to the three, top-five finishes the GTD team has accumulated so far this season.

Located near Monterey, California, the 2.238-mile road course is a home track to Long, a California native. The track will host 26 entries in four of the five IMSA WeatherTech classes this weekend, with four on-track sessions before Sunday’s race. The Hyundai Monterey SportsCar Championship will begin at 1:10 PM Pacific on Sunday, September 12, running for two hours and 40 minutes. The race will air live on NBCSN and NBC Sports Gold’s TRACKPASS streaming service beginning at 1:00 PM Pacific.

DRIVER QUOTES

Patrick Long
No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R
It’s great to be back to the west coast. Minimal track time leading up to the event remains a theme in the series, so we will be looking to use our practice time wisely and start strong. The Corkscrew is one of those iconic corners in motorsport where you never perfect it, nor do you grow tired of it. It’s an awesome track altogether! Let’s get this Wright Porsche 911 on the top of the box for 1st Phorm and all of our great partners.

Trent Hindman
No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R
A good result at Road America finally provided some validation for our efforts over the last few rounds, though all focus turned towards Laguna Seca the second we crossed the line three weeks ago. A tight, technical racetrack with high tire degradation seems suitable for a Wright Motorsports-prepared 911 GT3 R. I’m looking forward to improving upon our last race result with Pat and the 1st Phorm team after a long break in the action.

Michelin Pilot Challenge | WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
Only three races are left for the GT4 effort in Michelin Pilot Challenge, where the team is currently holding third place in the GS team point standings. With four podiums in seven races, the team has made a strong effort to join the championship battle after missing the first race of the 2021 season. Three weeks ago at Road America, rough weather conditions made for a slick track and caused a series of events leading the No. 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport to go off course, unable to finish the race. Undeterred, Ryan Hardwick and Jan Heylen will keep their eyes focused on the championship title this weekend, enjoying the flowing turns and steep elevation changes that WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca has to offer.

The WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca 120 begins on Saturday, September 11 at 4:40 PM Pacific, airing live on NBC Sports Gold’s TRACKPASS.

DRIVER QUOTES

Ryan Hardwick
No. 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport
I love racing at Laguna Seca! It’s one of the most fun and challenging tracks to drive on with the lack of traction from the surface. I’m expecting us to rebound well here after a bad race for our GT4 program at Road America. I also think our GTD car will be very competitive around this circuit as well. I’m expecting good things from this race weekend.

Jan Heylen
No. 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport
I’m looking forward to traveling out west to Laguna Seca. It’s a super fun race track with high tire degradation which always makes the race a real battle, with typically a lot of action towards the end of the stint. We’ve got a little catching up to do in the points, but we have the best team and a fast Porsche to get that done.

Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands | Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The trio of Wright Motorsports Porsches had a frustrating start to the inaugural season of the one-make championship in March, but have since gained significant ground. The Ohio-based program has been improving on-track performance and getting the most out of the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, as well as the three drivers; Maxwell Root, Hutton McKenna, and John Goetz since the season-opener. With nine podiums in four events, the trio hit their stride at the previous round at Road America, with each driver producing some of their best performances of the season.

Twenty-eight entries are slated to compete this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Porsche SportsCar Together Fest: three, 45-minute races held on Saturday, September 11 at 4:15 PM Eastern and Sunday, September 12 at 8:45 AM and 3:30 PM Eastern. All three races can be viewed live at PorscheCarrereaCup.us and on imsa.tv.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chris Hacker Set to Join Niece Motorsports for Two Races in 2021

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Official Release
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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 7, 2021) – Chris Hacker will join Niece Motorsports for two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) races this season, piloting a Chevrolet Silverado at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway on Sept. 24 and the penultimate race of the season at Martinsville Speedway on Sat., Oct. 30.

“I’m excited to join Niece Motorsports for Las Vegas and Martinsville,” said Hacker. “Over the past several seasons Niece Motorsports has built a successful winning foundation in the Truck Series and I’m happy to now be a part of that circle.

“I cannot thank Al (Niece, truck owner), Cody (Efaw, general manager), fgrACCEL and all of our partners enough for making these races a reality. I can’t wait to get to Las Vegas in a couple of weeks.”

Hacker, the 21-year-old race car driver from Noblesville, IN, was born with a Brachial Plexus injury (BPI) to his left arm. After three surgeries and many years of occupational and physical therapies, he has continued weakness and limited range of motion in his arm. However, Hacker has never let the injury hold him back from pursuing his dream.

“It’s great to have Chris join the team,” said Niece Motorsports General Manager Cody Efaw. “He is a great young talent, and we are excited to get him behind the wheel of one of our Chevrolets.

“His experience behind the wheel at Gateway will definitely help him since we have such limited track time this season. We’re looking forward to seeing what he can accomplish with Niece Motorsports.”

The Charred Flag Factory which joined Hacker for his Truck Series debut last month at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway will continue its support and serve as the primary partner for the 19th Truck Series race of the season at Las Vegas.

The Charred Flag Factory was formed in Rochester, New York in 2017, by Paul Cummings after a cherry tree was cut down on his property.

After a few years of making flags around the holidays, he started customizing them and turned the Charred Flag Factory into his full time passion.

The Charred Flag Factory only offers flags of the highest quality. They only use solid hardwoods and hand pick each slab. They won’t let anything leave their shop that they wouldn’t be proud to display in their own homes.

They have built a few thousand flags for just about every industry imaginable including the military, corporations, fire departments, law enforcement, sports teams and more.
“I will forever be thankful to Paul and everyone at Charred Flag Factory for continuing to be a part of my journey and this incredible opportunity at Las Vegas,” offered Hacker.

Hacker began racing when he was eight-years-old, and at age 13 became the youngest driver to win in the Champions Racing Association Late Model Series.

Last year, Hacker made his NASCAR debut in the ARCA Menards West Series at Phoenix Raceway, where he earned a 15th-place finish.

Earlier this season, in the ARCA Menards Series, Hacker earned a 10th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

In addition to his ARCA starts, Hacker made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in August, finishing 27th in the Reaume Brothers Racing entry.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will take the green flag at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday, September 24 at 9 p.m. ET, airing live on FS1, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

About Niece Motorsports:
Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2021, Niece Motorsports enters its sixth season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship Heats Up as it Heads West

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Official Release
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#87, Hixon Motorsports, Mazda MX-5,, Selin Rollan

MONTEREY, Calif. (Sept. 7, 2021) – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is a track that was sorely missed on the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires schedule last year. The picturesque circuit is where this series made its debut in 2006. Since then, it’s been nothing but door-to-door, action-packed racing.

The only West Coast race on the 2021 calendar, this California track will host Rounds 11 and 12 of the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup this weekend. Laguna Seca’s challenging layout, variable weather and slippery track surface might just bring the championship picture into focus by separating the better from the best.

Michael Carter (No. 08 Carter Racing Enterprises) comes to Laguna Seca with an 80-point lead in the championship over Gresham Wagner (No. 5 Spark Performance). A further 130 points behind Wagner is Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports). Of the three, only Rollan has notched a victory there.

“Laguna is definitely a track where passing opportunities don’t come easy,” Rollan said. “I’m expecting not to hit fifth gear at all on this track, meaning the draft won’t play much of a role. Most passes will be done by capitalizing off of others’ mistakes.”

Laguna Seca’s most infamous turn is the Corkscrew; a blind, downhill, left-right, but the circuit is also notorious for something else: sand. It blows across the surface of the track and limits the amount of grip. This effect is exaggerated with each off-course excursion a driver makes.

“I don’t think it’s much of an issue as long as you are on the racing surface where you should be,” Wagner said. “Obviously, if you go way off-line, there will be marbles and loose gravel to contend with, but that’s not massively different than usual. The thing I have to keep in mind is dropping tires off the track. While we can usually get away with dropping wheels and small offs, the sand really grabs the tires and can pull the car into it. You have to be mindful of how much more punishing the loose sand can be compared to compacted dirt and grass.”

Mazda MX-5 Cup’s textbook photo finishes are likely to continue. A brief glance at prior margins of victory at Laguna Seca shows few that were over one second.

A man who knows a thing or two about close finishes is Carter, who won the most recent MX-5 Cup race at Road America by a mere 0.008-second.

“I remember having a lot of good racing last time we were here in 2019, and I expect more of the same this time around,” Carter said. “I can see where it can be hard to pass, but I see a lot of good opportunities as well.”

Passes will have to be made with precision at Laguna Seca, because $250,000 is on the line for the series champion with only four races left in the season.

The current leader in the Rookie of the Year Championship is the “California Kid,” Chris Nunes (No. 32 JTR Motorsports Engineering). While it might be expected that he has experience at Laguna Seca, but that’s not quite the case as Nunes, who comes from off-road racing and has never been to six of the seven tracks on the MX-5 Cup schedule, is set to make his first start at Laguna Seca.

But Nunes won’t be alone, as his closest competitor for the rookie title, Sam Paley (No. 28 McCumbee McAleer Racing) is also making his Laguna Seca debut. After a phenomenal weekend at Road America, Paley is only 30 points behind Nunes. Rookies Luca Mars (No. 41 Copeland Motorsports) and Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 Provision Motorsports) are also within striking distance for the rookie crown and the $80,000 that comes with it.

Saturday’s Mazda MX-5 Cup race is slated for 12:00pm PT. Sunday’s race will go green at 9:25am PT. Both races will be streamed live on IMSA.com/tvlive.

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

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

Ford Performance NASCAR: Aric Almirola Media Availability Transcript (Richmond)

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
NASCAR Media Zoom | Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang, is coming off a 16th-place finish in Sunday’s Southern 500 at Darlington. He goes into this weekend’s second playoff race of Round 1 in 11th place, three points above the cut line for advancement to Round 2. He was a guest earlier today on a media Zoom call and talked about the playoff race.

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang — WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF ALL THE ATTRITION WE SAW AT DARLINGTON AND WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR RACE? “I honestly can’t explain the amount of attrition between the playoff drivers, but it does seem to happen when we get to the playoffs. We see it time and time again where playoff drivers end up with bad races and find themselves in a hole. I guess it’s just the way it works and it creates a lot of excitement for TV and the sport in general seeing guys trying to dig out of holes to make it to the next round of the playoffs. As far as our race goes, we overcame some adversity for sure. We had some things not go our way, late race cautions and a tire going down and several different things just popping up and happening that we had to overcome, so for us, getting out of there with a 16th -place finish and being three points about the cut line, while not ideal, especially with a car that was capable of running anywhere from seventh to 10th most of the night, we didn’t take ourselves out. We kept fighting, kept grinding away the whole night. It’s a long race. Five hundred miles at Darlington is a long long race, but to get out of there with a decent night, scoring some stage points and found ourselves leaving Darlington three points above the cut line is a good spot to go to these next two weeks that are good tracks for us.”

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT AT RICHMOND? “More of the same. It’s gonna be tough. It’s gonna be intense. There’s gonna be a lot of battling and I have no doubt that you will see a playoff car or a couple or a few run into some trouble. It just happens and you just don’t want to be that guy. We’ve been fortunate going to Richmond in year’s past, especially in the playoffs where we’ve always had good cars. We’ve run in the top five, scored a lot of stage points and had good finishes, so that’s been one of our best racetracks and we’re taking the same car we won at Loudon with, so hopefully we can produce a similar result.”

HOW MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE THE LAST RICHMOND RACE, OR IS IT WHOEVER WAS GOOD THERE THE FIRST TIME WILL BE GOOD THIS TIME? “It’s hard to say because I feel like Richmond doesn’t change, but everybody always seems to find a way to get better, so you can’t rest on your laurels. If you were good at Richmond last time, you can’t automatically assume that you’re going to beat the competition. Everybody is always looking to find ways to make their cars better from the last race and you just look at Darlington. I know the patch was an added difference and something new about Darlington, but you go back and look at the spring race and look at the cars that ran good, and then you look at this race and there were some different cars running up front. So, I think the race teams, the organizations, everybody works hard to find more speed in our cars, more downforce, all those things, so that usually equates to stiffer competition and win the playoffs, so everybody brings their A-game, so I have no doubt that even though we’ve run good at Richmond and we ran good there in the spring, we’re still fine-tuning and tweaking on what we had there in the past to try and make it a race-winning car instead of a top-five car.”

HOW MUCH DO YOU PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT’S GOING ON IN DAYTONA WITH THE NEXT GEN TEST TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY? “I honestly am paying zero attention. I am not a good multi-tasker, so for me right now, to be the best that I can be, I am just totally focused on the playoffs and really focused on Richmond this week. That’s the approach I’ve always taken. When it comes playoff time I focus on one week at a time and last week I was totally focused on Darlington. This week I’ll be totally focused on Richmond and I’m not even worried about Bristol, so I can’t be worried about Next Gen racing if my focus is right now on Richmond.”

WHAT WENT SO RIGHT IN THE FIRST RICHMOND RACE FOR YOU THIS YEAR? “I do feel like going to Richmond this time around I have so much confidence because I didn’t feel like our cars were where they needed to be earlier this year, and yet we still went to Richmond and ran in the top 10 and finished seventh. So, to go there and run like we did in the spring, where I felt like our cars were still off, especially the 750 stuff that we’ve made significant gains on, it gives me a lot of confidence knowing that we ran well there in the spring and that we’re going back with a lot better race car and it’s a place that we just, for whatever reason, I don’t know way, but I always run good there. It doesn’t matter the team or the crew chief or whatever, I always show up to Richmond and tend to run well there — very similar to Loudon. I’m excited about it. It’s a great place for us. It’s Smithfield’s backyard, so it always feels good to go up there and run good, and then this weekend in particular we’re running a really cool, special paint scheme to honor and remember 20 years ago 9/11, so I’m pretty excited about this weekend on all fronts.”

CAN YOU GO BACK TO YOUR FIRST CUP START WITH GIBBS. WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE? “I remember it being an extremely nerve-wracking weekend. We were going there with an R&D car, kind of experimenting for Gibbs at the time. I remember that back then you had to qualify your way in. When you came as a non-top 35 in points car, and back then they used to get 48-50 cars trying to qualify for 43 spots, and Vegas was one that everybody wanted to go run because the purse was big. If you made it at Vegas, it was a good payday and it was a great place for Gibbs to go and try and experiment and work on some new technology and new setups, so I remember being a nervous wreck. I remember qualifying in and feeling like the weight of the world was lifted off of me, and then I remember waking up race day morning and feeling like the weight of the world was right back on me. I just remember being really nervous, just wanting to go and perform and run well to just kind of prove that I belong and I remember being really devastated that we wrecked and the race didn’t go really how I envisioned or hoped it would.”

DO YOU SEE THE TROUBLE THE PLAYOFF DRIVERS ENCOUNTERED WAS DUE TO TOO MUCH AGGRESSION OR JUST SOME BAD LUCK? IS IT BETTER TO GO FOR THE WIN AT ALL COST OR AVOID SOME OF THAT TROUBLE AND JUST TRY TO POINT YOUR WIN INTO THE NEXT ROUND? “That’s certainly a balance, but if you look historically over the last several years the first round is definitely a round that you’ve got to survive. Winning obviously makes it way easier, but surviving is key because on any given year you look back and at least two or three cars end up taking themselves out just from one or two bad races, wrecks, blown engines, whatever it is, so when you look at the first round it is about surviving, but you have to be aggressive. It’s such a balancing act between not making mistakes and don’t wreck, don’t take yourself out, but at the same time you’ve got to race for every point. Every single stage point matters. Every single point in position on the racetrack at the end of the race matters, so it really is a tough challenge and a balancing act between being aggressive to go get the spots that you need to go get, and making sure that you don’t put yourself in a bad position to get tore up and have a DNF.”

WHERE WERE YOU ON 9/11 AND WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER FROM THAT DAY? “I remember exactly where I was that day. I was a senior in high school and I was in drafting class. I was in an architectural engineering class and I was drawing on graph paper and I remember our teacher got a phone call or got notified, I don’t remember exactly how he got notified, but he got notified and he turned on the little tube TV that was mounted up on a wall bracket in the classroom and put the news on and we all put our pencils down and just sat there in shock. We couldn’t believe what we were witnessing. I remember it being very somber in the classroom and just a lot of emotion and everybody was very quiet and glued to the TV, trying to figure out what was going on. Shortly after that, we all got dismissed from school. If you drove to school, you could leave. Otherwise, you had to wait for the buses to come or for your parents to come pick you up. I was a senior in high school. I drove, so I was able to hop in my truck and drive home. I just remember getting home as fast as I could and turning the news back on trying to understand and wrap my head around the tragic events that had happened that day.”

McDowell Heads to Richmond with New Game Plan Love’s Travel Stops Colors Back Again

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Official Release
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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 7, 2021) – The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs did not begin how Michael McDowell and the No. 34 Love’s Travel Stops team had wanted. After an early race crash, McDowell and the team are now 20 points behind the cutoff to advance to the second round.

But, with other championship contenders also having accidents, the deficit is not too difficult for the team. McDowell knows he can be right back into the championship chase with two good races at Richmond this Saturday night and Bristol after that.

“Immediately after our accident on Sunday night, we were thinking that we had to win,” said McDowell. “That may still be true, but with how things unfolded, and other guys having trouble, we’re not in a huge hole. We just need to be smart and get these points back in both races. We need two top-10 finishes and just see how it plays out. We don’t need to get everything at once on Saturday night in Richmond.

“Our team is used to fighting back,” continued McDowell. “We’ve had some rough patches that we’ve worked through. Darlington was a bad race, but the car was fast. So, we take that positive and move forward to these next two weeks. We don’t need to get it all back this Saturday night, but it’s where we start our comeback.”

McDowell heads into Richmond Raceway with 20 previous Cup starts and best finishes of 12th and 16th. Saturday night’s race will be televised live on NBCSN at 7:30 p.m. ET.

ABOUT LOVE’S TRAVEL STOPS
Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is the nation’s leading travel stop network with more than 540 locations in 41 states. Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Oklahoma City, the company remains family-owned and operated and employs more than 29,000 people. Love’s provides professional truck drivers and motorists with 24-hour access to clean and safe places to purchase gasoline, diesel fuel, fresh coffee, restaurant offerings and more. Love’s has over 400 truck service centers, which include Speedco and Love’s Truck Care locations. Love’s and Speedco combined is the largest oil change, preventive maintenance and total truck care nationwide network. Love’s is committed to providing customers with “Clean Places, Friendly Faces” at every stop. To learn more, visit loves.com.

ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the NASCAR Cup and Camping World Truck Series and the 2021 Daytona 500 champions. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields the No. 34 and the No. 38 NASCAR Cup Series teams along with the No. 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team– from its Mooresville, N.C. headquarters. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 Team Hoping for Strong Weekend to Begin West Coast Swing

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Official Release
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Brownsburg, Ind. (September 7, 2021) – The 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship points leaders, Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque enter the seventh round of the season at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with a slim 41-point lead over a pack of contenders who are coming increasingly closer to their No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 rear view mirrors.

With Ricky Taylor and Acura taking home top honors last year, the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 team and teammate Filipe Albuquerque are looking to add a third podium finish to their season best at this beloved permanent 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course. With its last victory at Laguna Seca in 2013, the team’s history is strong with four pole positions, six podium finishes, and 314 laps lead.

“Laguna Seca has always been a great track for the Acura,” said Taylor, whose notable statistics include five poles, four podium finishes and one victory at the track. “We’re definitely defending off the No. 31 and the Mazda in the championship right now. We must have a good weekend, so we can capitalize on that before we get to Long Beach and Road Atlanta try to build a little bit of a gap before the end of the season. I know the guys are going to execute well. We got a little unlucky at Road America from what could have been a good points day, so we have to make up for that coming here to Laguna. Filipe and I can’t wait to get back on track together and to continue the momentum after the Le Mans break. We’re excited to be reunited in our No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05.”

This will be Filipe Albuquerque’s third attempt at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca where the Portuguese driver will work to better his top finish of fifth.

“Laguna Seca is a very special place in the world,” mentioned Filipe Albuquerque. “I just can’t wait to get back to driving the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05. We were so strong at Road America, and Laguna is another track that suits us. The championship is so close that it will be very important for us to win this race. We need to keep the lead and get a bit more room to breathe in the championship. We are optimistic about it, but we know our competitors are very strong as well. We will see how it goes, but we will also have fun driving the car there.”

“We need to focus on winning this race as we now we take one race at time.” said Team Owner Wayne Taylor. The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 team has three more events of the season to capitalize on the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

On-track action begins on Friday, September 10th at 7:30 p.m. ET. Qualifying for Sunday’s main event is on Saturday at 4:55 p.m. ET. Green flag for the two-hour and 40-minute race will waive on Sunday at 4:10 p.m. ET. Flag to flag coverage will air on NBC Sports and TrackPass on NBC Sports from 4:00 p.m. ET to 7:00 p.m. ET.
About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is reshaping and revolutionizing the Workplace of the Future. The company guides and supports its customers’ digital transformation through its expansive office technology portfolio, including IT Services (All Covered), content services, managed print services and industrial and commercial print solutions. Konica Minolta has been included on CRN’s MSP 500 list nine times and The World Technology Awards recently named the company a finalist in the IT Software category. Konica Minolta has been recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for fourteen consecutive years, and received Keypoint Intelligence’s BLI 2021 A3 Line of The Year Award and BLI 2021-2023 Most Color Consistent A3 Brand Award for its bizhub i-Series. Konica Minolta, Inc. has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for nine consecutive years and has spent four years on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World list. Konica Minolta partners with its clients to give shape to ideas and works to bring value to our society. For more information, please visit us online and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter. Wayne Taylor Racing’s existing lineup of partners that also features Harrison Contracting, Acura Motorsports , Hammer Nutrition and CIT.

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