Sunday, September 5 Track: Darlington Raceway, 1.366-mile oval Race: 17 of 22 Event: In It To Win It 200 (147 laps, 200 miles)
Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Built Ford Tough F-150
Start: 14th Finish: 29th
During the competition caution on lap 15, Deegan reported her truck had no grip on the front tires. She stayed out during the caution and restarted 14th.
As the laps clicked off in the stage, Deegan reported her F-150 was snappy loose on exit and she closed the stage out in 21st. During the break she pitted for fuel, four tires and adjustments.
Deegan started Stage 2 from the 20th position. Another caution was displayed on lap 67 and the California native reported the balance of her truck was much better and she stayed on the racing surface. She restarted 15th.
Late in the second stage, Deegan made an incredible save in her F-150 and ultimately ended it in the 19th spot.
The Ford driver pitted during the break and restarted 17th for the final stage. On lap 106, the caution came out after a competitor spun and Deegan attempted to dodge the spinning truck, but was struck by it in the right-rear which resulted in damage forcing her to pit from 18th.
Another caution was displayed on lap 111 after another competitor made contact with Deegan which caused her left-rear tire to go down. She received service on pit road and restarted 27th.
With seven laps to go in the event, Deegan radioed that she thought she had a right-side tire going down and made an unexpected pit stop for service which sent her a multiple laps down. The team confirmed the tire was losing pressure and Deegan ended up finishing 29th.
Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performance F-150
Start: 22nd Finish: 24th
Tanner Gray started the event from the 22nd spot and was 14th when the competition caution came out on lap 15. Gray remained on the track and restarted eighth. Throughout two more quick cautions, Gray continued to stay on the racing surface and restarted 14th after the lap-27 caution.
The Ford Performance driver completed Stage 1 in 18th and reported his truck was too free on entry. He pitted for service and started the second stage from 15th.
A caution on lap 67 brought Gray down pit road for fuel, four tires and adjustments to help with his loose-handling issues. He restarted 25th.
With two laps to go in Stage 2, the New Mexico native took over the 10th position. At the stage break, he pitted for service and restarted the final stage from seventh.
On lap 104 in the final stage, Gray made contact with the outside wall while running in the top-10. The damage forced him to pit for repairs which sent him one lap down. Gray remained one lap down for the duration of the race and ended it 24th.
Next event: UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee on September 16 at 9 p.m. ET.
RUNNER-UP FINISH FOR NEMECHEK LOCKS HIM INTO ROUND TWO OF PLAYOFFS Tundras Tally Six Top-10 Finishes at Darlington
DARLINGTON, S.C. (September 5, 2021) – John Hunter Nemechek finished second in Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at South Carolina’s historic Darlington Raceway. The finish locked the Tundra driver into round two of the NASCAR Playoffs as he pursues the series championship. Fellow Tundra drivers Stewart Friesen (third), Grant Enfinger (sixth), Chandler Smith (seventh), Johnny Sauter (eighth) and Matt Crafton (10th) also claimed top-10 results.”
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Darlington Raceway Race 17 of 23 – 147 Laps, 200.1 Miles
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS 1st, Sheldon Creed* 2nd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK 3rd, STEWART FRIESEN 4th, Todd Gilliland* 5th, Parker Kligerman* 6th, GRANT ENFINGER 7th, CHANDLER SMITH 8th, JOHNNY SAUTER 10th, MATT CRAFTON 12th, AUSTIN HILL 16th, DEREK KRAUS 19th, CLAY GREENFIELD 20th, DANNY BOHN 22nd, SPENCER DAVIS 25th, JOSH REAUME 31st, DYLAN LUPTON 34th, BEN RHODES 37th, RYAN ELLIS *non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 4 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
Finishing Position: 2nd
What more did you need to catch Sheldon Creed in the closing laps?
“Clean air. Just super hard to pass. Same thing as last fall, same thing we fight in the Truck Series every week. I don’t know, we have to do a little bit better – think we could have controlled the race. They weren’t going to get by us. We made a last ditch effort. Proud of all the KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) guys – Mobil 1, Toyota, TRD and everyone who helps. Just have to say thank you. This one hurts. We had the dominant truck here in the spring and came back and ran second here today. On to Bristol. We should be starting first or second. Hopefully we can go get a win there. The only thing that matters is that we locked ourselves into the next round today. That’s all it is. The eyes are set on the prize. We want to win every single week, but there is a big trophy at the end of the year that means the most.”
What did you take away from this race?
“We just needed track position. We needed clean air. We addressed it, I felt like the right way and had a truck to contend. What mattered today if we couldn’t win was locking ourselves into the next round and advancing. We were able to do that by a pretty good margin I felt like. Overall, a solid performance. Our Toyota Tundra was fast. Just needed a little bit more. It definitely stings knowing we had the dominant truck here in the spring, gave that one away. Then to come back and run second, it hurts. We’ll take the momentum, not going to dwell on this. Just one race of the Playoffs and now we’re focused on the next round. Bristol doesn’t mean anything to us other than to go out there and try to win. Then the next round starts and all that focus is on those three races to make it to Phoenix. Eyes on the big trophy at the end of the year.”
STEWART FRIESEN, No. 52 Halmar International Toyota Tundra, Halmar Friesen Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd
Did you have anything for the lead two trucks in the closing laps?
“Great day for the Halmar team – thanks to Chris Larson for everything. He’s always been there for me in my career. It was cool –- our best run for HFR, proud of that. Another good day for us. We got off sequence and we just fought a loose condition all day. Got off sequence and got those tires and we thought we might have something. They just kind of equalized at the end and I could just chameleon the guys in front of me and not really do anything more with it. Proud of my guys, good momentum for us.”
CHANDLER SMITH, No. 18 JBL Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
Finishing Position: 7th
How was the race today and how do you feel heading into the final race of this Playoff round?
“Overall, I felt like we had a really solid day. We were inside the top-10, top-five most of the day. Fell back there at the very end. Just started to lack a little lateral grip up the hill and I couldn’t really run the top due to just way too free right when I would touch the throttle. I couldn’t keep my momentum up at all. Overall, we had a really fast JBL Audio Toyota Tundra and I’m really happy heading to Bristol.”
How do you feel about your chances at Bristol?
“It’s Bristol, that’s the thing about it. You can be really good and then the lapped car can screw you, kind of like they were doing today a little bit and you’re out of it. I feel like we’ll be good, we just have to stay out of trouble.”
MATT CRAFTON, No. 88 Ideal Door/Menards Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing
Finishing Position: 10th
How was your race today and how do you feel heading into Bristol next week?
“I don’t know where we are, but I think we should have a little bit of a cushion and be able to just go to Bristol and race and not have to worry about stage points and all that, just go there and win. I’m sure that’s what a lot of them are going to do. If you’re stuck in that box where you have to stay out and get stage points, that’s not ideal. All in all, we had a lot better truck than a 10th place truck. On the first pit stop, we broke a brake line and had no brakes the rest of the race. It wasn’t fun.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold nearly 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2019.
Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
Max Verstappen launched himself back into the lead in the championship standings after claiming a dominating win in the Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort on Sunday, September 5, and to the delight of his home crowd.
Verstappen, who started on pole position and who won last weekend’s bizarre, rain-shortened Belgium Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, led all 72 scheduled laps and crossed the finish line by nearly 21 seconds ahead of Sir Lewis Hamilton to grab his seventh Grand Prix victory of the season and the 17th of his career at his home track, which sent the crowd overjoyed and lighting up orange smoke to celebrate with the Dutchman.
The 2021 Dutch Grand Prix was a first for the event since 1985, which was last won by the late three-time F1 champion Niki Lauda. Verstappen’s victory all but elevated him back to the lead in the drivers’ standings over Hamilton as he continues his pursuit for his first F1 championship.
“Incredible feeling, of course,” Verstappen said. “I know the fans expect a lot going into the weekend, but it’s never easy to fulfill that. This weekend has been great. Also the race, Lewis was putting on the pressure a lot. It was basically 72 laps of pushing to try and stay ahead. It was a good one with all the people and fans here supporting you. It was just an incredible sight.”
Hamilton, who pitted late for fresh tires, settled in second place for his ninth top-two result of this season as he claimed the fastest lap of the race followed by teammate Valtteri Bottas, who did not pursue the fastest lap on soft tyres in the final laps but moved up to third place in the drivers’ standings.
“Today was [a] killer,” Hamilton said. “[Verstappen and Red Bull] were so fast today. That’s the quickest, I think, they’ve been all year. But I gave it everything, anyways. I think today, being that we weren’t quick enough, we needed everything to really work out for us like traffic, which didn’t. We needed pit stops to be perfect, which wasn’t. We needed strategy to be on point, and it wasn’t quite perfect. Even then, if all that was perfect, it would’ve still been hard to get by [Verstappen]. We gave it everything. Long way to go.”
“I committed to one stop [pit stop] quite early on in the race,” Bottas said. “It meant I definitely had to more [tyre] management that Lewis and Max were doing. I think one stop was quite a way off of two stop today. The tyre wear and the vibrations were quite tricky. In the end, I still stopped just for safety. It was like a mix of one or two stop for me, not early.”
Pierre Gasly came home in a strong fourth place followed by Charles Leclerc. Fernando Alonso overtook fellow Spaniard Carlos Sainz on the final lap to place in sixth followed by Sergio “Checo” Perez. Esteban Ocon, winner of the Hungarian Grand Prix in early August, finished ninth while Lando Norris claimed the 10th and final points-paying result.
Daniel Ricciardo was the first competitor to finish outside of the points in 11th followed by Lance Stroll, Sebastian Vettel, Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Kubica, who returned to F1 since 2019 and filled in for Kimi Räikkönen after the Finnish competitor tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the weekend.
Nicholas Latifi finished 16th while George Russell, who is coming off his maiden podium result at Spa, retired in 17th. Rookie Mick Schumacher concluded his race in 18th followed by Yuki Tsunoda and Nikita Mazepin, both of whom retired in 19th and 20th.
Results:
1. Max Verstappen, 25 points, 72 laps led
2. Lewis Hamilton, 19 points
3. Valtteri Bottas, 15 points
4. Pierre Gasly, 12 points, +1 lap
5. Charles Leclerc, 10 points, +1 lap
6. Fernando Alonso, eight points, +1 lap
7. Carlos Sainz, six points, +1 lap
8. Sergio Perez, four points, +1 lap
9. Esteban Ocon, two points, +1 lap
10. Lando Norris, one point, +1 lap
11. Daniel Ricciardo, +1 lap
12. Lance Stroll, +2 laps
13. Sebastian Vettel, +2 laps
14. Antonio Giovinazzi, +2 laps
15. Robert Kubica, +2 laps
16. Nicholas Latifi, +2 laps
17. George Russell – Retired
18. Mick Schumacher, +3 laps
19. Yuki Tsunoda – Retired
20. Nikita Mazepin – Retire
Verstappen leads the drivers’ standings by three points over Hamilton. Meanwhile, Mercedes leads the constructors’ standings by 12 points over Red Bull while Ferrari trails by 163 points.
Next on the 2021 Formula One schedule is Monza Circuit for the Italian Grand Prix, which will occur on Sunday, September 12.
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.
