David Thorndyke in the #67 Thorsons EVT Chevrolet Camaro racing at CTMP. Credit: Matthew Manor
September 4, 2021. David Thorndyke and the #67 Thorsons EVT Chevrolet team were thrilled to be back doing what they love, racing, Saturday afternoon on the famed 10-turn road course at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) in round five of the 2021 NASCAR Pinty’s Series. Despite an overheating issue early in practice the team rallied and had a solid day during the 30-lap race.
An overheating problem surfaced during practice and the #67 Thorsons EVT Chevrolet only completed a handful of laps. With repairs made, Thorndyke would qualify with the 21st fastest time for the afternoon race.
Thorndyke’s steady and consistent approach in the #67 Thorsons EVT Chevrolet would allow him to pick up two spots during the race for a 19th place result. “Well, we didn’t have hardly any practice because of the overheating, and we haven’t been able to compete for two years” explained David Thorndyke. “So having the car run perfectly during the race and only need a little maintenance for Sunday’s race, we’re pretty happy.
Next up David Thorndyke and the #67 Thorsons EVT Camaro team are back on track tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon with another race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Green flag is scheduled for 1:30PM. Watch the live stream on the TSN app, TSN.ca or through Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold in the US.
Race fans can follow David Thorndyke and the #67 Thorsons EVT Chevrolet Camaro team on their official social media platforms:
Mark Dilley in the #64 Leland Industries / RGC Sports / NTN Chevrolet. Credit: Matthew Manor
(September 4, 2021) Wight Motorsports Inc (WMI) was back in action Saturday afternoon for round number five of the 2021 NASCAR Pinty’s with the first of two races at the famed 10-turn road circuit at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The race Saturday was a shorter than usual 30-laps and two of the WMI drivers, Mark Dilley and JF Laberge each overcame difficult circumstances to gain positions during the race.
Mark Dilley’s #64 Leland Industries / RGC Sports / NTN Chevrolet suffered an oil pan leak and while the WMI crew did make repairs in time, by rule Dilley forfeited his starting position and started the race at the back of the field. Dilley powered his way forward and claimed 13th place result, a strong effort.
JF Laberge also had mechanical gremlins during practice and qualifying, but the WMI team dug in and Laberge pushed his #80 Dagobert Chevrolet Camaro forward three positions to a 14th place finish.
Driver TJ Rinomato struggled at times in his #2 RGC Sports / IHL Chevrolet Camaro and finished 23rd.
Quotes from David Wight, WMI Principal “Great job by the team to make the repairs needed today, and well done by Mark and JF to pick up as many positions as they did in a short race”.
“Tomorrow with a longer 51-lap race we’ll have pit stops; we’ve definitely got some strategy that we’re going to use. Weather could play a factor, we’ll be on our game and look for a strong showing”.
RACE ONE PERFORMANCE DRIVER STARTED FINISHED Mark Dilley 24 13 TJ Rinomato 23 23 J. F. Laberge 17 14
The 2021 NASCAR Pinty’s Series will consist of 11 total races in Ontario and Quebec with a mixture of oval tracks, road and street courses.
Next up The WMI drivers are right back in action (Sunday) afternoon with another race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Green flag is scheduled for 1:30PM. Watch the live stream on the TSN app, TSN.ca or through Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold in the US.
Race fans can get the latest information regarding WMI and the drivers on these social media channels:
September 4, 2021. Once again DJ Kennington didn’t put a wheel wrong in the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge during round five of the NASCAR Pinty’s Series at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) on Saturday afternoon. Maintaining a strong, steady pace and taking advantage of opportunities ahead of him Kennington moved from up three positions from his ninth starting spot on the grid to claim another sixth-place finish.
Saturday’s race was only 30-laps in length, so it was hustle from the beginning. Kennington maneuvered the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge forward at every opportunity. “I wasn’t as patient today because of the shorter than normal race distance. When we had a chance to pick up a spot, I jumped on it,” said Kennington.
Kennington also believes there’s even greater success ahead for the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge. “The car was a little bit tight” explained Kennington. “That effects how you get through the corner, we think we’ve made the right adjustments so we’re expecting a stronger car for tomorrow’s race.
Next up DJ Kennington and the Castrol Edge Dodge team are right back at it tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon with another race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Green flag is scheduled for 1:30PM. Watch the live stream on the TSN app, TSN.ca or through Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold in the US.
Race fans can follow DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team on their official social media platforms:
Peyton Sellers (second from the left) is congratulated in Victory Lane by South Boston Speedway General Manager Cathy Rice (left), South Boston Speedway Assistant General Manager Chase Brashears (third from the left) and Kevin Nevalainen, NASCAR Senior Director of Weekly Racing Operations, after capturing the South Boston Speedway NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division championship Saturday night. Photo Courtesy Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway
By Joe Chandler Director, Public Relations South Boston Speedway
SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (Sept. 4, 2021) — Saturday was a night of double celebration for Peyton Sellers at South Boston Speedway.
The Ringgold, Virginia resident checked off one of his goals for the 2021 season, capturing the South Boston Speedway NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division title and capped the South Boston Speedway points season with a victory in the 100-lap NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division race that headlined Saturday night’s Danville Toyota Championship Night presented by Ad Nerds Media event at South Boston Speedway.
The win, Sellers’ fourth straight win and his ninth victory in 17 starts this season at “America’s Hometown Track, gives him an opportunity to extend his lead in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national point standings and inch closer to capturing his second career NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national championship.
“To cap off a championship night with a win is unbelievable,” Sellers said after winning the race and scoring his 21st victory of the NASCAR national points season. “It’s a good thing, that’s for sure.”
This is the fourth season in a row that Sellers has won the South Boston Speedway NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series track championship at South Boston Speedway.
“To win four straight championships here at South Boston Speedway is something I am very proud of,” Sellers remarked. “Knowing how many names that have won championships here at South Boston Speedway and how many legends have won championships here, to be in that same list now is pretty special to me.”
Sellers has won six career South Boston Speedway NASCAR track championships, leaving him one title shy of tying seven-time track champion David Blankenship of Moseley, Virginia for the most career NASCAR track championships at South Boston Speedway.
There was no easy path to victory for Sellers in Saturday night’s 100-lap NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division race. He led twice for a total of 65 laps, taking the lead from Jacob Borst of Elon, North Carolina on the 76th lap after muscling his way out of a tense four-car battle that followed the race’s final restart with 28 laps to go.
Borst hung on to finish second, 1.695 seconds behind Sellers, with Chris Denny of Timberlake, North Carolina finishing third. National rookie points leader Landon Pembelton of Amelia, Virginia finished fourth and John Goin, a regular competitor at Dominion Raceway in Thornburg, Virginia, rounded out the top five finishers in the 18-car field.
There were three lead changes between Sellers and Borst in the race that was slowed by four caution periods and one red flag.
Daniel Moss Wins SBS Limited Sportsman Division Championship In one of the closest championship points battles South Boston Speedway has had in its NASCAR Limited Sportsman Division, Daniel Moss of Danville, Virginia won his first career NASCAR track championship, edging Jason Myers of Hurt, Virginia by a slim two-point margin for the title.
Entering Saturday’s 50-lap Limited Sportsman Division race, Moss held a narrow 13-point edge over Drew Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia and a 22-point margin over Myers, who had rallied up to third place in the points chase on the strength of three straight wins.
Moss got off to a good start in Saturday night’s race only to have his car start fading just past the midway point of the race. He hung on to finish seventh, but both Myers and Dawson finish ahead of him.
Eric Winslow of Pelham, North Carolina took the lead from Ryan Joyner of Lucama, North Carolina on the 14th lap and led the final 36 circuits to win the race and earn his third victory of the season at South Boston Speedway this season.
Winslow edged J.D. Eversole of North Chesterfield, Virginia by .403-second in taking the win with Myers, who started at the rear of the 15-car field, finishing third. Dawson finished fourth and Daniel Crews of Long Island, Virginia rounded out the top five finishers.
There were two lead changes in the race between Winslow and Joyner.
Nathan Crews Wins Budweiser Pure Stock Division Title Nathan Crews had double reason to celebrate following Saturday night’s 30-lap Budweiser Pure Stock Division race.
The Long Island, Virginia resident took the lead from teammate Daniel Shelton of Hurt, Virginia with three laps to go as the engine in Shelton’s car soured and won the 30-lap race and the 2021 South Boston Speedway Budweiser Pure Stock Division championship.
This marks the second straight Budweiser Pure Stock Division championship for Crews and the third straight title for his family-owned race team. Shelton won the title in 2018 driving Crews’ car.
Saturday night’s win was his 11th victory in 13 starts this season at South Boston Speedway. It was his fourth win in his last five starts. He edged runner-up Bruce Mayo of Halifax, Virginia by 5.867 seconds, with Shelton limping his ailing car home for a third-place finish. B.J. Reaves finished fourth in his Budweiser Pure Stock Division debut and Jimmy Wade of Halifax, Virginia rounded out the top five finishers.
Josh Dawson Captures Budweiser Hornets Division Championship Josh Dawson of Halifax, Virginia was among the trio of drivers to enjoy double celebrations Saturday night as he won the 15-lap Budweiser Hornets Division race and also captured the 2021 South Boston Speedway Budweiser Hornets Division title.
It was Dawson’s first career NASCAR championship, with Dawson topping his cousin, Jared Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia for the title.
Josh Dawson started at the rear of the 11-car field and grabbed the lead from Andrea Ruotolo of South Boston, Virginia with two laps to go to take the victory. The win was Josh Dawson’s eighth victory in 10 starts this season at South Boston Speedway.
Ruotolo finished second in what was his best outing of the season. Former division champion Kevin Currin of Chase City, Virginia finished third with Kendall Milam of Keeling, Virginia and Jared Dawson of Nathalie, Virginia completing the top five finishers.
Stacy Puryear, Danny Bond Score Wins In Southern Ground Pounders Race Stacy Puryear of South Boston, Virginia won the Sportsman Division trophy while Danny Bond of Dinwiddie, Virginia won the Modified Division trophy in Saturday night’s race for the Southern Ground Pounders Vintage Racing Club.
Chris Werner of Mooresville, North Carolina was the runner-up in the Sportsman Division and Dennis Werner of Southport, North Carolina took the runner-up spot in the Modified Division.
For the latest news and information about the speedway and its events fans and competitors are urged to visit the South Boston Speedway website and the speedway’s social media channels.
South Boston Speedway Results | Sept. 4, 2021 Finishing Position | Car Number | Name | Laps Completed Late Model Stock Car (100 Laps)
Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report Track: Darlington Raceway
Race: Sports Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 Date: August 4, 2021 No. 22 Snap-on Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric Start: 24th Stage 1: 7th Stage 2: 3rd Finish: 3rd Status: Running Laps Completed: 152/152 Laps Led: 1 Driver Point Standings (behind second): 2nd (-1)
Notes:
Consistency was key for Austin Cindric and the No. 22 Snap-on Ford team Saturday afternoon at Darlington Raceway. Cindric was rewarded with a third-place finish, his best in six previous starts at the historic, egg-shaped oval. He closed within just one point of championship leader AJ Allmendinger with just two races left in the battle for the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season championship.
The starting lineup was once again set per the NASCAR rule book, which gave Cindric the 24th-place starting position. The driver of the Snap-on Ford showed speed early, steadily working his way through traffic. Cindric was up to 10th position by the competition caution on lap 20. The balance on the No. 22 Mustang was a little tight for Cindric over the remaining laps of the segment and he was credited with a seventh-place finish when Stage 1 concluded on lap 45. During the stage caution, crew chief Brian Wilson called for an air pressure adjustment plus four tires and fuel and Cindric restarted sixth on lap 53.
He gained three positions on the restart following the fourth caution on lap 64, moving up to third. Cindric held firm to the position despite the close, side-by-side racing during the remainder of the stage – including a three-wide scramble on the final lap – to finish third in Stage 2. Wilson once again called his driver to pit road during the stage caution for four tires, fuel, plus tape and restarted fourth on lap 97.
The sixth caution on lap 110 set up a round of pit stops among the leaders. The Snap-on Mustang received four fresh tires, and fuel and Cindric restarted seventh when the race went green on lap 115. He appeared destined to finish sixth until the seventh yellow in lap 139 changed his fortune. Cindric pitted for four tires and an air pressure adjustment to help his car turn better. He lined up seventh for the restart on lap 142 two laps later was running second behind race leader Noah Gragson.
The eighth caution on lap 146 pushed the race in NASCAR Overtime and gave Cindric a chance to win the race. He restarted outside race leader Gragson but was shuffled back to third at the drop of the green flag. Cindric collected his best finish at Darlington and his 15th top-five finish in 24 starts this season.
Quote: “I feel like the bottom was definitely the place to be for just the launch, especially for the front row. I knew the outside was the safe play. From there, I thought we had a really good long run car. I’m proud of what we gained today with the Snap-on Ford Mustang. It’s definitely the best race I feel like I’ve had at Darlington, just having the strength, and not having too many weaknesses. As a team, that takes a lot of conversations throughout the week to try to get that right, so we righted a lot of wrongs for me at this racetrack today. I feel good about that.”
Herbst Finishes 38th at Darlington Accident Ends Monster Energy Ford Team’s Day Early
Date: Sept. 4, 2021 Event: Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 (Round 24 of 33) Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile oval) Format: 147 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/57 laps) Start/Finish: 7th / 38th (Accident, completed 107 of 152 laps) Point Standing: 11th (555 points, 400 out of first) Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 147-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish. Race Winner: Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet) Stage 1 Winner: Daniel Hemric of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) Stage 2 Winner: Noah Gragson of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Overview:
Trouble found Riley Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy team again in Saturday’s Sports Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway after an accident ended the team’s day early and led to a 38th-place finish. The Las Vegas native was on a mission for a good finish from the drop of the green flag. He started seventh and, despite reporting an ill-handling racecar, Herbst continued to hold his position in the opening laps. The No. 98 Monster Energy driver ran in the top-10 for a majority of Stage 1 until his loose Ford Mustang caused him to fall back to 12th, where he ended the stage. When the caution came out on lap 45, crew chief Richard Boswell brought his driver down pit road for four tires, fuel and a major air-pressure adjustment to combat the balance issues. The Monster Energy team gained him three spots on pit road to restart seventh for Stage 2 on lap 53. On the restart, Herbst fought to stay in the top-10 but reported that his Ford Mustang needed more front turn. He fell back to 12th but surged forward in the final six laps of the stage as the front end of the car started to come back to him. Ultimately, he would end up 11th in the second stage. During the stage break, Herbst came down pit road for four fresh tires, fuel and another air-pressure adjustment. Unfortunately, Herbst was forced to come down pit road a second time to work on his Ford Mustang. He restarted the final stage 29th and didn’t waste time in his drive back to the front. He broke into the top-20 on lap 106, just eight laps after the start of the final stage. On lap 107, Herbst was continuing his race to the front when the No. 44 of Tommy Joe Martins slowed on the track in front of him. With nowhere to go, the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang collided with the back of the slow car. The team would have to end its day 40 laps short of the scheduled race distance.
Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
“I’m fine. I really wanted to see the replay before I comment any further, but I didn’t know why they were stopping in the center of the straightaway at Darlington. That’s kind of crazy, but I think we’re still good on points and hopefully we can go to Richmond with that cushion. Hopefully, we can gain a few more points there and then we’ll be a little bit more comfortable for Bristol. It was up-and-down, for sure. We definitely got better there at the end and we had decent pace. It’s just frustrating why somebody is stopping on the back straightaway.”
Notes:
● Noah Gragson won the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 to score his third career Xfinity Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Darlington. His margin over second-place Harrison Burton was .219 of a second. ● There were eight caution periods for a total of 41 laps. ● Twenty-seven of the 40 drivers in the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 finished on the lead lap. ● AJ Allmendinger remains the championship leader after Darlington with a one-point advantage over second-place Austin Cindric
Next Up:
The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the Go Bowling 250 on Saturday, Sept. 11 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. The race starts at 2:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION DODGE/SRT NHRA U.S. NATIONALS LUCAS OIL RACEWAY AT INDIANAPOLIS, BROWNSBURG, INDIANA SEPT. 4, 2021
Chevrolet sweeps No. 1 qualifiers at U.S. Nationals Brittany Force (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car), Kyle Koretsky (Pro Stock) lead way
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 4, 2021) – Big performances by Team Chevy drivers on a clear Friday night at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis were crucial as the two remaining rounds of qualifications for the 67th U.S. Nationals were canceled Saturday, Sept. 4, because of persistent rain.
Chevrolet drivers earned No. 1 qualifier honors in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock for the third time in 11 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series events this season.
Brittany and John Force, who shared the winner’s stage for the first time three weeks ago, roared to the top of qualifying for the second time this season in their respective professional classes.
Brittany Force raced to her seventh consecutive No. 1 Top Fuel qualifier honor – and eighth in 13 races – with a 3.684-second pass at 334.57 mph in the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster.
Tony Schumacher in 2005 was the last Top Fuel racer to earn six top qualifiers in a row and he owns the record for most No. 1s in a season with 13. Force will aim for her second victory of the season, which would give her 200 career round wins, and secure the second seed for the seven-race Countdown to the Championship that begins next week.
“Eight No. 1 qualifiers, that says a lot about this team, ” said Force, who was the top qualifier in the 2019 U.S. Nationals. “We want No. 1 qualifiers, but we also want to win on race day. I’ve been chasing the Indy win. It’s the big one and we want to come out here and do it this week. We haven’t had luck here in the past but hoping to turn things around.
“I think we’re in a really good place. We’re No. 2 in points and our goal coming into this season was to be top three for the Countdown, where everything resets. It’s been a long season and we’ve put a lot of hard work into getting that No. 2 spot.”
Her father, John, has five Funny Car wins at the U.S. Nationals – tied for the most with Ed McCulloch – and took a step toward his sixth victory and the top seed for the Countdown by securing his second top qualifier of the season. Force, driving the PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS, turned in a 3.871-second pass. He last won the U.S. Nationals in 2019 for his 150th career victory, and all John Force Racing drivers did not compete in the 2020 event because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’ve always loved this. Go out here in Indy at night, go down that racetrack, header fire on both sides, driving around weaving,” said Force, who claimed the 162nd top qualifier of his career. “Our teams are doing well. This PEAK Chevy, that Monster Energy dragster and Auto Club Camaro, we’re all running well, I’m proud of us.”
Teammate Robert Hight, a three-time winner of the event, qualified third with a pass of 3.889 seconds in the Automobile Club of Southern California Camaro SS.
“This was a good start to the weekend,” Hight said. “This Auto Club team put in some extra work after Brainerd, figured some things out and left testing really excited for what we think we can do. We’ll go some rounds on Sunday and make up a couple of spots in the points to start the NHRA Countdown in a prime position for another championship.”
Koretsky, runner-up at the most recent Pro Stock race at Topeka, Kansas, three weeks ago, picked up his initial No. 1 qualifier with a 6.572-second pass in the Lucas Oil/NitroFish Camaro SS.
“It’s huge for my self-confidence. It felt good when I made the run, and to come back and find out I’m No. 1 is great,” he said. “KB Racing supplies me with the best power out here. Who doesn’t want to be No. 1 at the U.S. Nationals? Our goal is to leave Indy top five and I’m confident we can do it.”
Elite Motorsports teammates Troy Coughlin Jr. and Erica Enders were Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, in the Camaro SS. KB Racing’s Greg Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Camaro SS, qualified seventh as he seeks to tie Warren Johnson’s class record of 97 career wins. Koretsky’s father, Kenny, was runner-up to Anderson at the 2004 U.S. Nationals.
FOX will telecast eliminations from the U.S. Nationals live at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 5.
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.
It all came down to two laps and Noah Gragson never looked back as he held on to score his first Xfinity Series win of the season in overtime at Darlington Raceway.
“A lot of frustration this year,” Gragson said, “and things haven‘t gone our way, but we‘re getting some momentum when we need to, and I just can‘t thank everybody enough on this No. 9 team.
“This is Darlington, I can’t believe it.”
Gragson now has five top 10s in five starts at the Darlington and earned his third victory in 93 Xfinity Series starts. Coming off the announcement by JR Motorsports only a few days ago that his contract was renewed through 2022, Gragson can advance to the Playoffs with confidence.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Harrison Burton finished second, his third top-10 finish in four races at Darlington. Defending series champion Austin Cindric placed third for Team Penske, his third top-10 finish in four starts at the 1.366-mile track. Kaulig Racing drivers, Justin Haley and Jeb Burton rounded out the top five.
Allgaier, Tyler Reddick, Jeremy Clements, Snider and Alex Labbe finished sixth through 10th, respectively.
Stage 1 Highlights
Power issues that resulted from a faulty plug wire during the opening laps forced Daniel Hemric to pit twice but he was able to move up through the field and rebound to win Stage 1.
Noah Gragson finished second followed by AJ Allmendinger in third and Justin Haley in fourth. Denny Hamlin had the dominant car during the first stage but spun as Stage 1 was ending and finished fifth. Harrison Burton, Austin Cindric, Brandon Jones, Myatt Snider and Justin Allgaier finished sixth – 10th in the first stage.
Stage 2 Highlights
Noah Gragson won Stage 2 in a three and four-wide race to the finish. Hamlin, Cindric, Allgaier, Hemric, AJ Allmendinger, Harrison Burton, Austin Dillon, Haley and Snider rounded out the top 10.
During the stage break, the leaders chose to pit and Gragson was able to retain the lead after pit stops were completed.
Stage 3 Highlights
On Lap 108 Riley Herbst was involved in an accident when Tommy Joe Martins suddenly slowed in Turn 3. Herbst was unable to stop and ran into the back of Martins. As he took his car to pit road, Herbst’s car caught on fire but he was able to get out of the car quickly. The incident brought out the sixth caution of the race.
During the caution, most of the leaders again decided to pit and Hamlin was first off pit road to take the lead. As the race neared its finish, Brandon Jones spun on Lap 138 leaving debris on the track and bringing out the eighth and final caution on Lap 146 to send the race into overtime.
Gragson held off Harrison Burton and led the final two laps to capture the victory.
There were eight cautions for 41 laps and 19 lead changes among eight drivers. Hamlin led a race-high 43 laps followed by Gragson who led 40 laps during the race.
There were no issues in the post-race inspection.
The Xfinity Series’ next race is at Richmond Raceway, Saturday, Sept. 11 at 2:30 p.m. ET. There are only two races remaining in the regular season.
Xfinity Series Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 results:
Myatt Snider and the No. 2 Crosley Brands Team Earn Solid Top-10 Finish at Darlington Raceway
Finish: 9th Start: 9th Points: 12th
“Today was a solid ninth-place finish for our Crosley Brands Chevrolet team. I thought our Camaro had really good speed, but I lacked the stability in the center of the corners to keep the momentum going. We consistently ran inside the top-10 and if the last cautions would have fallen a little differently, I think we would have had a shot at a top-five. A consistent finish like this is exactly what our Richard Childress Racing team needs to keep doing leading up to the Playoffs. I’m proud of this group for battling all day, in the heat, and we will continue to chip away at building a solid foundation over the next two weeks.”
BURTON OH SO CLOSE AT DARLINGTON WITH RUNNER-UP RESULT Harrison Burton Claims Second-Place Finish in Overtime Finish
DARLINGTON, SC. (September 4, 2021) – Harrison Burton (second) was the top Toyota in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina. Burton battled race winner, Noah Gragson, in the final laps, but came up just shy of the victory when the checkered flag waved. Fellow Toyota driver Denny Hamlin led 43 laps (of 147), but a late race pit road penalty forced him to start at the rear with three laps remaining.
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap NASCAR Xfinity Series Darlington Raceway Race 24 of 33 – 200.1 miles, 147 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS 1st, Noah Gragson* 2nd, HARRISON BURTON 3rd, Austin Cindric* 4th, Justin Haley* 5th, Jeb Burton* 12th, DENNY HAMLIN 17th, COLIN GARRETT 24th, DANIEL HEMRIC 30th, DAVID STARR 33rd, BRANDON JONES *non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
HARRISON BURTON, No. 20 DEX Imaging Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 2nd
Can you describe how the race unfolded for you?
“I’m just upset. I really wanted to win here. This place means a lot to me. It’s fun to run well here, but it sucks to not win here. We’ll keep digging at it. This is a really resiliant race team. We were without our crew chief, Jason Ratcliff who was at home today. Everyone stepped up on the race team and prepared the car well. Obviously, we were really fast today. Good job everybody at the shop and we’ll keep plugging away at it. These next few races are really good for us. This was one that I thought would be good for us as well. Our DEX Imaging Supra was good and just needed a better launch there at the end to stay close. Just frustrated.”
What did you need on the final restart to get the win?
“I don’t know. I did a bad job the launch beforehand, which I guess didn’t really affect us on the last one. If I couldn’t be leading, I wanted to be second row inside and we got that. Gosh, I don’t know. We needed some more speed in one and two. I don’t really know how to get it. Three and four was phenomenal all day, that was our strong suit. Just fought really hard today. Our crew chief, Jason Ratcliff is at home and we wanted to win for him at home. Our engineer normally was our crew chief today and did a great job. Our whole team really rallied together. Good result, but sad. I just love this place and I wanted to win here really bad.”
When you’re that close, does it make it worse to finish second?
“Oh yeah, definitely. I was trying to do Texas part two with Noah (Gragson) and try to get him on the last corner and just fell short. Hats off to them, they’ve been fast here all year really. They were fast earlier and now they’ve won. Just wanted this one really bad and frustrated to not get it, but our DEX Imaging Supra team will keep digging.”
Have you noticed changes in your team leading to the consistent runs in recent weeks?
“We’re a team with a bunch of winners. Everyone on this team has either won together or won some other place at different levels. A lot of guys have Cup experience. I feel like we just have that experience when it comes time to get to The Playoffs, we’re going to be really dangerous and run more like we have recently. Mentally, I’ve been treating these last few races as if they’re the first round of the Playoffs because the situation we’ve kind of put ourselves in without winning throughout the season has kind of made it to where it’s going to be a long road and I have to be perfect. Matching that intensity now is the whole deal and trying to continue that.”
What did you think of the new ‘grip strip’ pavement in turn two?
“It was really fun to drive. It presented some challenges because normally your whole corner through there is setup to make that part of the race track where you can just get through it more or less. It’s such an awkward angle and now it’s like, ‘Oh, I just need to get through this and get to the grip strip and I’m good.’ It sorts you out. It shifted the focus from the place where they paved it to now through the center of that corner. This place entering the center through one and two has always been wild. That was kind of my weak spot today balance-wise in the car, but I think it’s going to be fun to watch tomorrow and I’m excited to stay and watch the Cup race tomorrow. Watch those guys get through it, it will be a good show.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands plus our 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 47,000 in North America. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.
Through its Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
