Home Blog Page 2386

Noah Gragson Returns to JR Motorsports for 2022

By
Official Release
-

Bass Pro Shops, TrueTimber® Camo, Black Rifle Coffee Back as Partners

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 31, 2021) – Noah Gragson, a two-time winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports, will contest the 2022 NXS season with JRM, the team announced today. It marks the third straight season for the driver with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s organization. Bass Pro Shops, TrueTimber® Camo and Black Rifle Coffee will return to back the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro for the third straight season.

Gragson, 23, a native of Las Vegas, has made 89 starts with JRM since the 2019 season, his first full-time foray in the series. Bass Pro Shops, TrueTimber® Camo and Black Rifle Coffee have supported Gragson in 44 of those starts since 2020. The first start with the driver-sponsor combination, at Daytona International Speedway in 2020’s season opener, resulted in Gragson’s first career series victory.

“Johnny Morris believed in me enough to put Bass Pro Shops on my car to start the 2020 season, and it paid off with victory the first time out,” Gragson said. “It was special to stand in Victory Lane at Daytona with Johnny right beside me. Bass Pro Shops, Rusty Sellers at TrueTimber and Evan and Mat at Black Rifle Coffee Company have been fantastic to work with. We still have a lot to accomplish this season but I’m looking forward to battling for a series championship again in 2022.”

During his career at JRM, Gragson won at Daytona in 2020 and again that same season at Bristol Motor Speedway. The young driver has amassed 34 top-five and 61 top-10 finishes in that span and has made the playoffs in each of his three seasons with the team.

Gragson currently sits eighth in NXS points with three races remaining in the regular season, firmly inside the playoff field. So far this season, Gragson has earned eight top-five and 14 top-10 finishes, with his best result a second-place finish at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in April. Gragson also won three of the four Xfinity Dash 4 Cash payouts this season, pushing his career total to four after taking the $100,000 bonus at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2020. JRM has won 17 of the bonus prizes over its history.

Additional details surrounding Gragson’s paint scheme will be announced at a later date.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:
JR Motorsports is the racing operation co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame member and 15-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick. Now in its 20th year of overall competition, JR Motorsports competes in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series where it currently fields four full-time teams and earned championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018. The company also races in Late Model competition and owns four championships in regional Late Model divisions and added a prized national title in 2020. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.

JIMMIE JOHNSON PASSES INDYCAR OVAL TEST AT NO LIMITS, TEXAS

By
Official Release
-

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion and seven-time Texas Motor Speedway race winner makes initial NTT INDYCAR SERIES laps on oval

FORT WORTH, Texas (August 30, 2021) – Jimmie Johnson knows Texas Motor Speedway like no other, with a track-record seven NASCAR Cup Series wins to his credit, but his first laps on an oval behind the wheel of an IndyCar created a completely new race track for the seven-time series champion.

Johnson and his No. 48 Chip Ganassi Racing NTT INDYCAR SERIES team conducted a seven-hour test at No Limits, Texas, which began at 6 a.m. CT. in the relative cool (75 degrees Fahrenheit at sunrise) and finished just after 1 p.m. with a heat index of nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Six-time and reigning NTT INDYCAR Champion Scott Dixon drove the initial laps around the 1.5-mile tri-oval, using the knowledge that’s taken him to five victories at TMS, including the 2021 GENENSYS 300 on May 1.

“To know that I could come here and test and experience it as a driver was important to me,” said Johnson. “Let’s go to the tough one. It’s one thing by myself. I feel like I can control my environment, and I’m very thankful that I’m able to go out here and do it. The way INDYCAR has advanced their safety and certainly what the tracks have done to increase the safety, my concerns are much less and that’s why we’re here today. Now that my concerns are at a certain point, now it’s time to get in the car and see what my point of view is from there.

“The car drives way different. It’s much more responsive so I’ve found the majority of the day just trying to acclimate to this new environment, one that’s much faster and certainly a bit more sensitive to the inputs that the driver gives to the car. But it’s been really nice to be on a familiar track. I know where I am, I know what to do, I know the line around this place, and even down to simple things like knowing where the hotel was last night or knowing how to drive into the tunnel and get into the infield. There’s been some small wins that are nice to have.”

In addition to Dixon, on-hand for Johnson’s maiden IndyCar voyage were a current and a former Chip Ganassi Racing IndyCar driver to offer insight and encouragement: Tony Kanaan (2004 series champion, 2004 TMS race winner, and Johnson’s current co-driver of the No. 48); and three-time series champion and 2011 TMS winner Dario Franchitti.

“It’s a challenging thing that Jimmie’s doing as I say, but so far he’s done very well,” said Franchitti. “Track conditions were a little nicer this morning at 6 AM when Scott (Dixon) went out and those early runs Jimmie did, but it’s heated up now, and he’s learning a little bit about how the Indy car slides around a bit when it gets hot.

“It’s all about the subtleties. It would be like a person that plays cricket and plays for the English team or whatever … it’s got a bat, it’s got a ball. Then I’m going to play baseball. It’s got a bat, it’s got a ball. Everything else is different, and I think that’s the difference between a stock car and an Indy car. Everything you learn on the way up, and everything you learn when you’re the top in either of those fields, doesn’t prepare you in any way to do the other. In fact, it hurts you.”

TICKETS:
Tickets for the June 16-17 NASCAR Cup Series Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 weekend, are on sale now at http://www.texasmotorspeedway.com.

MORE INFO:
Keep track of all of Texas Motor Speedway’s events by following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Keep up with all the latest news and information on the speedway website and TMS mobile app.

About Texas Motor Speedway:
Texas Motor Speedway is among the largest sports stadiums in the United States and features an array of amenities such as the world’s largest TV that make it one of the premier venues in the world of sports. The 1.5-mile superspeedway located in Fort Worth hosts all three NASCAR national series as well as the NTT IndyCar Series among its various races and specialty events throughout the year. Since opening in 1997, Texas Motor Speedway has generated an annual economic impact of approximately $300 million to the North Texas region. Texas Motor Speedway is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, LLC, a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. For more information, please visit texasmotorspeedway.com.

Darlington – A Labor Day tradition of racing, family and fun

By
Angie Campbell
-
Photo Credit: Chris Graythen | Getty Images

NASCAR heads to Darlington Raceway to celebrate Labor Day with a full weekend of racing competition and fun for the entire family.

As track president Kerry Tharp discussed several of the planned events, one thing was quickly apparent; there will be something for everyone.

“We’re going to have a fan zone. We’ve got a kid zone. We’ve got live entertainment Friday and Saturday night,” he said. “We’ve got a Playoffs party Saturday night and a doubleheader on Sunday.”

But, when the racing begins, tensions will be high as all three series focus on the Playoffs.

Turn 2 of the track was recently repaved in preparation for the Labor Day weekend. It was, however, a necessity rather than an enhancement.

“It was a much better long-term solution than the piecemeal we had been doing for the last three to four years,” Tharp explained. “They finished up about three weeks ago and NASCAR sent some people down from the manufacturers to check out the work. They felt very good about it. It didn’t change any of the banking or any of the geometry of that turn. I think it’s going to have a minimal if any, effect on the racing. It’s something that we had to do.”

The Cook Out Southern 500 is the first race in Round 1 of the Cup Series Playoffs.

The 1.366-mile track presents a unique challenge in the upcoming races. A win will automatically advance a driver through the Playoffs to the next round but there is a delicate balance between aggressiveness and patience.

“Darlington is a race where you need to be patient. It’s 500 miles so it’s 100 miles further than most races. Someone can be leading it on the 100-mile mark and then all of a sudden you look and say, ‘where did that guy go?’

“So I think the (playoff) drivers would certainly want to secure a win here but they also don’t want to forego any chance of advancing with a poor performance here. So, I think they are going to have to be very, very patient, take care of their tires and just be the best they can be.”

Tharp is looking forward to having the Camping World Truck Series back this weekend as they compete in the second race of their postseason playoffs.

“I love having the Trucks here. They put on great racing. I think for fans that have never come to a NASCAR race, the Truck Series is one to start out with. It’s an opportunity to let the fans see some of the younger drivers that are working themselves up into the ranks and there are also some veterans in the mix.”

The Xfinity Series regular season is winding down and with only three races remaining the competition at Darlington will be intense as the drivers contend for the remaining spots.

Although the 2022 schedule has not been released, Tharp is “cautiously optimistic” that the track will have the opportunity to host two race weekends again next year.

“We feel that the fans like coming here, the teams like coming here and it puts on a great show. It’s just a short drive down from where most of the team shops are in the Charlotte area.

“There are a lot of things to do here in South Carolina. It’s a beautiful part of the state and we would certainly welcome two race dates and hope to have two race dates for many, many more years to come.”

This will be the first time since September 2019 that the track is fully open with no seating restrictions in the grandstands and no limits in the camping areas.

“Ticket sales are going well,” Tharp confirmed. “There are really no limitations on our ticket sales or camping. We’re going to have a lot of fans in the grandstands and a lot of campers in the infield and the exterior of the facility.”

There are no specific COVID-19 protocols for fans in outdoor areas but they advise fans to wear masks in any enclosed spaces.

“We just ask fans to be smart and to be accountable for their own health.”

Tickets are available for purchase at https://www.darlingtonraceway.com/.

Why Are F1 Steering Wheels So Expensive?

By
SM
-

Introduction

The price range of an F1 steering wheel will shock anyone who’s asking about it for the first time, especially if they don’t know all the cool specs it offers. So why are racing wheels so expensive?

We have the answers to the above question right here. The cost of getting an F1 steering wheel is included, of course.

In the end, you’ll see whether or not the products are worth your money. Rest assured that race teams aren’t spending that much money to show off.

  1. F1 Steering Wheel Cost

Depending on the design, F1 cars are worth about $10 million to $15 million. It shows that the parts are high-cost products. For example, the powertrain (engine, driveline components, and transmission) can take most of the overall cost of buying the vehicle with a price range that starts from $5 million to $10 million.

Now for the F1 steering wheel… It can cost about $40,000 to $100,000. However, it could be more than $100,000 million, depending on the level of sophistication. You’d be looking at 3× to 5× the above price range when you factor in how many times racing teams have to change their steering wheels in a year (three to five times). The possible costs are unbelievably high, right?

The price range of an F1 steering wheel can be quite astonishing, particularly for those learning about its capabilities for the first time. But why are these racing wheels so exorbitantly priced? Here, we delve into the specifics, including the cutting-edge technology and intricate engineering that justify the cost. Naturally, we include the cost of acquiring an F1 steering wheel as well. One noteworthy feature of F1 steering wheels is the integration of GPS technology from the GPS Tracker Shop. This addition offers crucial benefits, such as providing real-time data on the car’s location on the track, which enhances strategic decision-making regarding pit stops and tire management. Moreover, GPS assists with precise vehicle positioning relative to competitors, an essential factor in planning overtaking maneuvers or defending a position. In the end, you’ll be able to judge whether these high-tech products are worth your investment. Rest assured, race teams are not spending vast sums simply to flaunt their budgets.

Visit Automohub.com to get expert reviews and buyer’s guides about all kinds of racing car accessories, F1 racing ties, and other parts, etc. 

  1. How Do They Work?

Steering wheels are easy to operate once you’ve had enough practice—regardless of their complicated look. However, you should have an idea of how they work apart from knowing why they’re so big-budget. Visit Toolsbible to get expert recommendation and how the performance & deployment of the internal combustion engine(MGU-K and MGU-H) controls the Power Unit modes and allow the driver to change the car’s settings on F1 steering wheels.

The following can be done with the aid of the controls on an F1 steering wheel which can have as many as 20-something buttons:

  • Interfacing and menu navigation on the in-built display screen. For example; differential adjustment, engine power settings, front and rear brake balance, data display options, etc.
  • Vehicle steering/directional changes.
  • Car setup switch.
  • Clutch control.
  • Differential adjustments (rear-wheel torque transmission).
  • Braking pressure settings.
  • Dispensation of water to the driver.
  • Wheel contact angle changes.
  • Radio communication (with the engineers in the pit).
  • Pit lane speed limit option.
  • Power (strat) mode settings.
  • Honking.
  • “Fail” modes for car computer reset.
  • Overtake button for an extra boost.
    • System battery recharge option.

What Are the Advantages of a Racing Steering Wheel?

  • It does almost the same things that a regular type can do, but with more advanced functionalities.
  • It contains additional features such as electronic shifting systems, pre-wired buttons, transmission lock systems, etc.
  • It’s lighter than the regular type due to the combination of materials used in the construction process. The materials may include carbon fiber, copper, fiberglass, gold, silicon, titanium, etc.
  • Many racing steering wheel brands are flatter than the normal types which enhance driving convenience.
  • It cushions the impact of your chest with the racing collapsible steering column during accidents.
  1. Why Are F1 Steering Wheels So Expensive?

In other words, why are racing wheels so expensive? Now is the time to answer that question and we have 4 points for you…

These are six reasons explains why F1 racing wheels so expensive

  1. Technological Advancement and Ever-Changing Individual Racing Team Requirements

Steering wheel replacements are made due to new tech, accidents, expert recommendations, and so on. The steering wheel would also have to be changed if the in-car system is modified to accommodate new tech, make the vehicle faster, or ensure safety. In fact, other accessories that come with F1 racing cars, even external parts, are also affected by the above changes, such as the diagnostic tools. 

Sometimes, the transformation may be extensive. Other times, it may be very narrow in scope. However it is, the transformations take a considerably high amount of money. Some notable additions to F1 steering wheel specs over the years include the following:

  • Airbags
  • Cruise control buttons
  • Volume control
  • Built-in display screens
  • Some back-of-the-wheel paddles, rotary switches, and scroll wheels
  1. They’re Custom-Made and Limited in Number

Since they’re custom-made, F1 steering wheels can take about 50 to 80 hours to make. This period range isn’t surprising when you think about the high-tech design specs involved. If they take that long to make, it means that very few are available for the market.

  1. Sophisticated Computer Functionalities

There are many buttons on the steering wheel which perform several digital functions. These roles are made possible with electronic engineering (e.g. buttons and wiring), firmware, software, server-side code, and so on. These are mostly hand-made features!

So imagine having to customize this part of the vehicle with all the state-of-the-art specs it offers. It’s going to take a lot of time and money to make.

  1. They’re Designed for Ease of Vehicle Operation when Driving

F1 steering wheels are expensive because they’re designed for the optimal convenience of the driver during the most challenging of races (race tracks). Everything is custom-made even to the driver’s hand grip measurements. They’re not like the everyday car types which are designed for less demanding conditions and fewer personalization features.

Materials used in making the wheels are of high quality as seen in the list given earlier. They range from the lightest to the strongest of materials.

Normally, race cars are designed to suit race tracks. It’s only right that the steering wheels get an ergonomic design based on the driver’s preferences from button layouts to grip material. Asides from that, drivers need to keep their hands on the steering wheel for the entire race. Therefore, it should have all the necessary controls in proximity.

On a closer look, some steering wheels look like “advanced” video game controllers with their double-grip design, buttons, screen, LEDs, and so on. They’re aesthetically captivating even with their complex appearance.

VI. Conclusion

Now you have enough reasons as answers to this question: Why are racing wheels so expensive? In summary, they’re custom-made to suit the requirements of race teams who desire periodic modifications made possible by technological advancement to get the best results.

F1 race teams are getting value for their money with the number of benefits that the sophisticated steering wheels have to offer. Even makers of regular cars are adopting steering wheel technology used in Formula 1 as well as other motorsports. For example, steering wheel-mounted paddles.

5 Ways to Reduce Distractions While You’re Driving

By
SM
-
Photo by Ryan Porter on Unsplash

According to cdc.gov, in 2018, 2800 people were killed and a further 400,000 injured in crashes as a result of distracted driving. It’s one of the leading causes of car accidents in the United States.

These statistics show how important it is for us to remain vigilant when behind the wheel. We should aim to eliminate the causes of distractions as much as possible.

Below are going to take a look at five ways that you can do this while you’re driving.

Let’s get started.

Put away your phone

It’s tempting to want to answer a call or send a quick text when you’re on the road, but handling your mobile phone is one of the worst things you can do. In fact, you are four times more likely to get in a severe accident.

To resist the urge, place your phone in a concealed spot out of view. If you must use it for GPS purposes, put it on the appropriate holder and set up “hands-free” capabilities.

Keep passengers occupied

You probably already know how frustrating it can be when you’re driving with distracting passengers, especially young children. It’s difficult to remain focused when they are asking questions or arguing in the backseat. Enrolling in driving lessons online can provide valuable strategies to maintain concentration amidst such distractions, ensuring a safer and more focused driving experience.

To keep them entertained so that you can work on being a safer driver, try and find a few different solutions. Sticker books, portable DVD players, and some good old games such as I SPY are great options.

Take breaks to avoid fatigue

It’s challenging to stay concentrated when you’re tired. If you’re feeling fatigued on the road, you’re likely to get distracted more easily.

Take frequent breaks so that you can recharge and reset your mind. Experts recommend stopping every two hours and to avoid driving more than 8-10 hours in one day.

If you have been involved in a crash, make sure that you speak to the right professionals to assist with your case. A Car Accident Lawyer can help ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.

Avoid eating while driving

We all get hungry, but if you plan on having a quick snack while driving, you should pull over and take a break. When you’re eating, you don’t have two hands on the wheel. Not to mention that your eyes are off the road when you’re unpackaging something.

Take a little rest and continue on when you’re finished. It’s only a few extra minutes that could stop a severe crash.

Prepare for your journey in advance

Finally, the last way to reduce distractions while you are driving is to prepare for your journey in advance as much as possible. Set up your GPS, know your expected route, check the weather forecast and adjust all of your necessary vehicle controls.

You’ll be able to concrete entirely on driving and will know exactly when you need to leave to reach your destination on time. Preparation is a simple step that could potentially save a lot of lives.

No. 10 Smithfield Ford Racing: Aric Almirola Darlington Advance

By
Official Release
-

Aric Almirola
Darlington Advance
Smithfield Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview
● Event: Cookout Southern 500 (Round 27 of 36)
● Time/Date: 6 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 5
● Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway
● Layout: 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval
● Laps/Miles: 367 laps/501.3 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 115 laps / Stage 2: 115 laps / Final Stage: 137 laps
● TV/Radio: NBCSN / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● Darlington Raceway’s historic Southern 500 kicks off the three-round playoff series where 16 drivers will battle it out on the track for the coveted NASCAR Cup Series championship trophy, awarded at the season finale Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway. This is the fourth consecutive playoff appearance in Almirola’s four years at Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) and fifth playoff appearance of his 12-year career. Almirola locked himself into the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs with his victory July 18 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. He led 46 laps around the flat, 1.058-mile oval en route to his third career NASCAR Cup Series win. After a year full of adversity and bad luck, the victory put the No. 10 team, which was 27th in the standings and facing a must-win situation if it was going to compete for this year’s championship, in prime position to earn one of the 16 coveted berths in the 10-race playoffs. Almirola’s award-winning YouTube series “Beyond the 10” captured his entire race day here.
● In his pursuit of his first Cup Series championship, Almirola looks to continue Tampa Bay’s recent sports successes by adding to the accomplishments of his hometown teams – back-to-back Stanley Cup championships won by the National Hockey League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, last year’s World Series appearance by Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays, and this year’s Super Bowl championship by the National Football League’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
● History at Darlington: In 12 starts at the 1.33-mile egg-shaped oval, Almirola has earned two top-10 finishes, which came in back-to-back starts last year in May and September. In his most recent start, the Smithfield Ford team was forced to start at the rear of the field and, after proving to have speed by gaining 10 positions in only six laps, Almirola’s day was cut short when the No. 47 contacted his rear bumper and spun him into the inside wall.
● Smithfield Foods celebrates 10 years of partnership with Almirola this season with a special campaign called Taste Victory. As one of the most active partners in NASCAR, Smithfield engages fans all year long by hosting a microsite that provides the opportunity to win when Almirola wins or finishes inside the top-10. When Almirola wins, one fan wins $10,000, and 10 fans win a gift card for each top-10 finish.The microsite also doubles as an Aric Almirola fan page and entertainment source where fans can get behind the wheel of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford with a custom racing game, and learn more about Almirola with fast facts, favorite recipes and custom content about his life on and off the track. Visit www.tastevictory.com to learn more. Thanks to Almirola’s Feb. 11 win in his Duel qualifying race for the Daytona 500 and his July 18 win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, two lucky fans have already won $10,000 each.
● Almirola’s 2020 season proved successful when he earned a career-high 18 top-10 finishes, six top-fives and led 305 laps. During the season, Almirola went on a five-race streak of top-five finishes and earned nine consecutive top-10s.
● Career Stats: Almirola has career totals of three wins, two poles, 26 top-five finishes, 82 top-10s and 893 laps led in 378 NASCAR Cup Series starts.
● Beyond the 10 YouTube Series:In 2021, Almirola continues to share his life beyond the No. 10 Ford with season three of his award-winning YouTube series. Fans and media can subscribe on YouTube to see Almirola’s personality on and off the track. Episodes have already featured life as a dad, a husband and an athlete, and it gives fans a unique perspective on what goes on in the life of a professional NASCAR driver. Fans can also follow Almirola’s social media channels: @Aric_Almirola on Twitter and Instagram, and @AricAlmirola on Facebook. Almirola’s latest Beyond the 10 episode addresses the question “are NASCAR drivers athletes” in honor of the Olympic break.

● Playoff points position:

  1. Kyle Larson (2,052 points)
  2. Ryan Blaney (2,024 points, -28)
  3. Martin Truex Jr. (2,024 points, -28)
  4. Kyle Busch (2,022 points, -30)
  5. Chase Elliott (2,021 points, -31)
  6. Alex Bowman (2,015 points, -37)
  7. Denny Hamlin (2,015 points, -37)
  8. William Byron (2,014 points, -38)
  9. Joey Logano (2,013 points, -39)
  10. Brad Keselowski (2,008 points, -44)
  11. Kurt Busch (2,008 points, -44)
  12. Christopher Bell (2,005 points, -47)
  13. Michael McDowell (2,005 points, -47)
  14. Aric Almirola (2,005 points, -47)
  15. Tyler Reddick (2,003 points, -49)
  16. Kevin Harvick (2,002 points, -50)

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

You had an early exit at Darlington in May. Did you get to learn anything about your car in that short amount of time?

“Yeah. We had an early exit, but I was so pumped about our car at Darlington, to be honest. We started in the back and had an issue going through tech. In nine laps, we drove from last to like 22nd. We passed a ton of cars and were running just as good as the top-five guys, just passing all those cars, so it’s a small snapshot of what we had for a car and I felt really good about the way we unloaded at Darlington. Everyone has made improvements to their cars, and we have, as well, so I have no doubt we’ll bring a better car to Darlington than we did that many months ago.”

How do you feel about kicking off the playoff at Darlington?

“I’m excited to go to Darlington to start the playoffs. I think, as we kick off the playoffs, Darlington is such a special place to race on Labor Day weekend and it’s a place that we’ve had really strong runs at in the past, so looking to keep that going with a great run in Darlington. That’s key. You don’t want to start in a hole and have to dig your way out. Getting the playoffs started on the right foot is certainly key. Stage points are going to be huge at Darlington to start off on the right foot. You see the end of each of these rounds and it comes down to one or two points. I’ve lived it where the leaders wrecked and I got in on a tie.”

What is it about Darlington that makes it such an enjoyable track to race at?

“It’s just a really unique racetrack with the two corners being so drastically different from each other and the surface of the track being really narrow, so you kind of get forced to run up by the wall. It’s just a really old, worn-out, gritty, hard-core racetrack, so it makes it fun and makes it really enjoyable to race at. Certainly make it really nostalgic for our sport when we show up to Darlington.”

Looking through the playoffs what will it take to be successful and where do you think you team stacks up?

“As we eye the playoffs, it’s really just about doing everything perfect and maximizing the day that you have. All of those things add up to results and that’s what we really focus on as we dive into the playoffs – not making mistakes and not taking yourself out of contention, making sure we maximize every single race weekend and every single lap. I feel like we stack up nicely with the competition despite what the results of the year may show. The rules package in some of the first few races is the rules package that we’ve had the most success with and won with at New Hampshire. There are certainly going to be some challenges at a few of the tracks in the playoffs, and there will be some where our competition is better. I’m looking forward to the challenge and I think there are some really good tracks in the playoffs for us.”

How much emphasis has your team put on the playoffs since your win at New Hampshire?

“For us, I think we know our 750 (horsepower) package is good. We know that the work we’ve been doing on the package has significantly improved. We started hitting on it in Nashville, where we won the pole and our first top-five of the season at the time. That package is the majority of the playoffs and is our season-ending championship race. I think the first round is set up really good for us with all three races being the 750 package. The second round is definitely a challenge for us. Vegas has not been the greatest for us, and the (Charlotte Motor Speedway) Roval hasn’t been the greatest for me, but there’s Talladega in there. So we’ll look to make the most of Vegas, make the most of the Roval and maximize the round at Talladega.”

No. 10 Smithfield Ford Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Aric Almirola
Hometown: Tampa, Florida

Crew Chief: Mike Bugarewicz
Hometown: Lehighton, Pennsylvania

Car Chief: Jerry Cook
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio

Engineer: Lee Deese
Hometown: Rockingham, North Carolina

Engineer: James Kimbrough
Hometown: Pensacola, Florida

Spotter: Joel Edmonds
Hometown: Dobson, North Carolina

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Ryan Mulder
Hometown: Sioux Center, Iowa

Rear Tire Changer: Michael Johnson
Hometown: Andover, New York

Tire Carrier: Tyler Bullard
Hometown: King, North Carolina

Jack Man: Sean Cotton
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Fuel Man: James “Ace” Keener
Hometown: Fortuna, California

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Tony Silvestri
Hometown: Sylvania, Ohio

Mechanic: Robbie Fairweather
Hometown: Westbrookville, New York

Engine Tuner: Matt Moeller
Hometown: Monroe, New York

Tire Specialist: Russel Simpson
Hometown: Medford, New York

Transporter Co-Driver: Dale Lackey
Hometown: Taylorsville, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Wayne Smith
Hometown: Melbourne, Australia

BLANEY WINS TWO IN A ROW AND THE 2021 NASCAR CUP PLAYOFF FIELD IS SET

By
Official Release
-

DAYTONA, FL – August 30, 2021 – Ryan Blaney won the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona on Saturday night, marking his second win in a row after his victory at Michigan. Saturday’s Daytona night race concluded the regular NASCAR Cup Series season and a total of 16 drivers will advance to the playoffs next week at Darlington.

“Congratulations to Ryan, Todd, Roger, and the entire No. 12 crew on two wins in a row and finishing out the regular season strong,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “This was a battle to the end, but Ryan and Todd were able to navigate through the field and earn the well-deserved checkered flag.”

“Momentum is what everything is all about. Confidence is key and we came into this weekend very confident after last week with our heads held high. They’ll be a little bit higher this week, so I look forward to getting to Darlington,” commented Blaney.

Ryan Newman with Roush Fenway Racing finished P3, B.J. McLeod with Live Fast Motorsports finished P9, and Josh Bilicki with Rick Ware Racing finished P10.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series raced Saturday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway while two Ford Performance teammates finished in the top 15 as Riley Herbst with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P10 and Jason White with Ryan-Sieg Racing finished P15.

POWERING THE PLAYOFFS

Six drivers powered by Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines earned a spot in the NASCAR Cup series playoffs: Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola, and Kevin Harvick.

RYAN BLANEY – TIED FOR 2ND
Ryan Blaney earned his spot in the playoffs after winning at Atlanta, Michigan, and this past weekend at Daytona. This year marks his 5th consecutive season in the playoffs. Earlier in the year, Blaney led 157 of 500 laps at Martinsville and looks forward to leveraging his knowledge and success at this track on October 31st. Blaney also has won at Talladega and looks forward to this superspeedway race on October 3rd.

JOEY LOGANO – #9
Joey Logano earned a spot in the playoffs after winning the inaugural race at the Bristol Dirt track in March. This year he has had 8 Top 5’s and 13 Top 10’s. Logano is a 27-time Cup winner and previous NCS champion. He is one of only a handful of drivers with at least four Championship 4 appearances and aims to advance this year as well.

BRAD KESELOWSKI – #10
Brad Keselowski earned his spot in the playoffs after winning at Talladega in April. Keselowski has had a lot of success at Talladega: this track marked his first Cup series win and a total of 6 wins at this track. He looks to use this experience when the series visits on October 3rd. In total, Brad has 35 Cup series victories and has been to the playoffs 9 times in the past 10 years. After finishing 2nd at last year’s championship, Brad is eager to take another swing at the top spot this year.

Our team at Roush Yates Engines succeeds with support from our world-class partners.

MICHAEL MCDOWELL – TIED FOR 12TH
Michael McDowell earned his spot after capturing a win at the Daytona 500 season-opener in February. This win marked the first time that a Ford Mustang won the infamous race. 2021 marks his 14th season in the Cup series and winning one of the series’ biggest races was a defining moment in his career. McDowell is fast at superspeedways and road courses and looks forward to racing at Talladega and the Charlotte Roval in the playoffs.

ARIC ALMIROLA – TIED FOR 12TH
Aric Almirola shook up the playoff picture late in the season by winning at New Hampshire and clinched his playoff spot. This year marks his 4th year in the playoffs after making it 3 years in a row in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Almirola has been fast at superspeedways with 8 consecutive top 10’s at Talladega and looks to use his experience when the series visits the track.

KEVIN HARVICK – #16
Kevin Harvick clinched his playoff spot based on points. Harvick has 119 combined series wins which makes him 3rd all-time in NASCAR history. Last year, he won a career-high 9 races and led over 1500 laps. He was the top seeded driver heading into the playoffs last year and will use that experience to his advantage. This year, he has had 6 top 5 finishes and 16 top 10 finishes. Harvick holds the all-time record for Cup series wins at Phoenix and looks forward to the playoff-closing race.

33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 424 WINS – 383 POLES!

About Roush Yates Engines
Roush Yates Engines is a leading-edge engine development company based in Mooresville, NC consisting of two state-of-the-art facilities – Roush Yates Engines and Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions, a world class ISO 9001 / AS9100 certified CNC manufacturing facility. The company’s core business includes designing, building and testing purpose-built race engines.

Ford Performance in partnership with Roush Yates Engines is the exclusive engine builder of the NASCAR FR9 Ford V8 engine and Ford Mustang 5.2L V8 engine, used in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series.

With an unparalleled culture of winning and steeped in rich racing history, Roush Yates Engines continues to follow the company’s vision to lead performance engine innovation and staying true to the company’s mission, provide race winning engines through demonstrated power and performance.

Flying Lizard Motorsports Quick to Claim Championship Points at Road America

By
Official Release
-

ELKHART LAKE, Wis., (August 30, 2021) — The Flying Lizard Porsche and TKO Motorsports Bentley made a splash at Road America in SRO’s GT America. Andy Wilzoch, driver of the No. 460 Porsche 911 GT3 R secured two class podiums and an overall win, and Memo Gidley, driver of the No. 101 TKO Motorsports with Flying Lizard Bentley Continental GT3 secured second place in class and overall on Saturday.

“We’re all very happy with our return to GT America this weekend,” said Program Manager Darren Law. “It’s always great to see a Flying Lizard Porsche on the podium, and for Andy to get up there twice and get an overall podium. As for Memo Gidley in the TKO Motorsports with Flying Lizard Bentley, we obviously wish the weekend ended on a higher note, but we showed our driver has the skill and the car has the speed. It’s going to be a great reminder to the 2021 season. I’m looking forward to getting back on track.”

SRO3
With a clear last lap in qualifying on Saturday, Gidley was able to jump into second in class and overall for his first race start in GT America with the TKO Bentley. The strong starting position set him up for a smooth race one of the weekend. While maintaining his standing throughout the race, he secured second in class and overall, setting the second-fastest lap time of the race. With race two’s starting position determined by the fastest lap in race one, the quick time positioned the Bentley to start second for Sunday’s race.

Race two on Sunday morning had a strong yet short-lived start. After starting second, Gidley had charged forward to take the overall lead before hitting oil on the track surface early in lap two. The Bentley went off track at turn five and was followed by more than four others. After being pulled out of the grass, Gidley was able to bring the car back to the hot pits under its own power, but mechanically was unable to continue.

“To come out racing for the first time with the Bentley, a crowd favorite and Memo Gidley, a crowd favorite; it’s just so much fun,” said TKO Motorsports owner Dave Traitel. “The two of them make an iconic duo. This weekend we felt the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. I’m just glad that nobody got hurt and we’ll race another day.”

SRO 3 – Masters
Donning the classic Lizard Porsche livery in fresh colors, Wilzoch wheeled his way into the weekend qualifying second in class and fourth overall on Saturday. With the first three-quarters of the race relatively calm, contact with out-of-class Jason Daskalos in the No. 27 Audi set the end of the race into some fierce competition for the overall GT America position. After giving the position back to Daskalos, Wilzoch focused on recovering the lost ground. Retaking position before a full course yellow that stacked the field, Wilzoch fought the remainder of the green race to keep off Jason Harward in the No. 88 Lamborghini, securing second in class and fourth overall.

Starting grid for race two on Sunday, based on race one lap times, proved to be favorable for Wilzoch by the second lap. From his position at fifth overall on the race start, he was able to navigate around oil on track that left the front of the GT America field spun off and disabled off at turn five. Under full course yellow, Wilzoch drove the Porsche through the early race end and checkered flag as first in class and overall winner.

The next rounds of the GT America Championships take the team eastbound to historic Watkins Glen International (WGI) September 17-19. For more event information, visit gtamerica.us.

Driver Quotes
Andy Wilzoch | No. 460 Porsche
It was great to be back on track in the Flying Lizard Porsche. Road America is always a great track to come to, and it was great to see so many fans be so enthusiastic to see our car in livery at such a fan-favorite circuit. It was great to get two podiums, but I wish we had more than one full green lap. We had some fun battles ahead, and I was really hoping we could get up to speed and have a good fight. Big thanks to everyone at Flying Lizard for another great weekend.

Memo Gidley | No. 101 Bentley
It was a great debut weekend and opportunity with TKO Motorsports and Flying Lizard Motorsports. TKO has been one of my big backers since I had my big accident at Daytona some years ago and they put me back into a race car first. We had a great run getting our feet wet, finishing second on Saturday. We were pretty close. It was a great opening day for sure.

About TKO
TKO Motorsports designs, manufactures, installs and races our own proprietary line of track proven, street legal performance products. Since 2008 TKO Motorsports of Reno, NV has produced some of the most extreme custom built, street legal cars in the world. Follow us as we expand into the retail market with a new line of off-the-shelf TKO parts and accessories.

About Flying Lizard Motorsports
Based out of Sonoma, California, Flying Lizard Motorsports is one of the most iconic sports car teams in motorsports, having celebrated ten driver and team championships, as well as competed internationally at the 24 Hours of Le Mans eight times.

The Lizards burst on the American Le Mans Series scene in 2004, competing in the GT class until 2012. In 2013, the team moved to the GTC class, still competing in legendary events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Daytona. In 2014, the team expanded its program to include running two Audi R8 LMS in the TUDOR Championship, and in 2015, again expanded the program to include two Porsches in Porsche Club racing. Flying Lizard closed out the season with a dominating win at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill with Toyo Tires, a win they repeated in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The 2020 season proved the team’s most successful to date, earning four titles in the GT4 America championship. Flying Lizard Motorsports has proven to be a championship contender no matter the race series or race car. For more information, visit lizardms.com.

Askew and Dalziel Return to World Challenge Podium at Road America

By
Official Release
-

ELKHART LAKE, Wis., (August 30, 2021) – The heat turned up this weekend at Road America in the championship fight for the GT World Challenge America Series. DXDT Racing drivers David Askew and Ryan Dalziel returned to the podium this weekend after picking up a third place finish on Sunday afternoon in the No. 63 Mercedes AMG GT3.

The mid-west location threw various kinds of weather at the competitors, with heavy storms disrupting the schedule for the first two days of the four-day event. Despite the unpredictability of the weather conditions, the team made the most of the time on track, also utilizing the knowledge gained at a private test at the circuit before the event.

GT World Challenge America
Erin Vogel had her best qualifying session to date for race one, setting a lap time to start fifth in the No. 19 Mercedes AMG GT3, with David Askew directly behind her on the grid in seventh. Both cars immediately engaged in battles for position, holding off pressure from behind while focusing ahead. The No. 18 Lamborghini of Bill Sweedler finally caught up to Vogel and made the pass for position, but she swooped in and took it back just as he slowed on track. Both DXDT cars took advantage of the slower car, taking fifth and sixth in class, respectively. The pair of cars held position until the mandatory pit stop window, when professional drivers Michael Cooper and Ryan Dalziel took command of the cars for the second half of the race. The No. 19 received a drive-through penalty for a pit lane infection after the car started while it was still on the jacks. A late-race caution brought out the checkered flag early, with Dalziel finishing in fifth and Cooper in seventh.

Race two brought sunny skies and clear conditions on Sunday, and Michael Cooper led the team to green from third place in the pro/am class, while Ryan Dalziel started from sixth. The No. 19’s bad luck continued in race two when contact from one of the K-PAX Racing Lamborghinis sent the Mercedes spinning off course. Cooper was able to rejoin, but lost valuable position, running 13th. As the No. 91 Lamborghini battled with position for another car, it hit the No. 19, resulting in the Mercedes undergoing lengthy repairs to fix the front right suspension. The car was able to finish the race many laps down. Meanwhile, Dalziel put in a strong run in the No. 63 Mercedes, moving up to sixth after the sister’s contact trouble. With a 16 second lead over the next car back, Dalziel ran clear with no pressure behind. Askew took control of the Mercedes during the pit window and after a strong pit stop and smooth driving, the car climbed up to fourth in the pro/am class. Trouble stuck for the No. 93 Acura of Taylor Hagler, and the Acura lost great speed on circuit, allowing Askew to make the pass and run to the checker flag, earning a third-place finish for DXDT Racing, bringing the podium tally to six for the team so far this year.

The GT World Challenge America next heads to Watkins Glen International for the next double header of the championship, September 17-19.

DRIVER QUOTES

David Askew | Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 63 CrowdStrike/ DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
We came in here a little bit behind the ball, but we just kept working hard and we made the car better and we got to the point where we just concentrated on the basics and keeping everything clean and just driving a good race and it got us a result. That’s how racing works. You just pay attention to the basics and you keep fighting and eventually, something good happens. I’m pretty happy with that.

Ryan Dalziel | Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 63 CrowdStrike/DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
It was a difficult weekend. We came in here pretty confident based on how good we were last year, and we just missed it a little bit, and then the weather wasn’t our friend. So we started a little bit behind. We made it better for race one, better for race two. The guys just worked really hard. David had a great stint and we had a nice clean-ish race which got us a podium, but I think we needed this one. It’s been a while since we got to stand on a podium, so we’ve got some work to do, but excited for this one.

Erin Vogel | Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 19 CrowdStrike/DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
We came into our Road America weekend from a good test, but a test that we felt like we still had room to improve from. With the shortened practice day between weather and red flags during the race week, we didn’t have as much opportunity before the racing started to do everything we wanted to do. But I think we made a pretty good showing in qualifying–some of our best qualifying results to this date. I think we really had the pace this weekend, it’s just unfortunate we weren’t able to capitalize on it. We had a penalty for a pit stop infraction on the first day and then had some incidents with other cars in race two. We tried to complete 70% of the race, didn’t quite make it there; hoping to still get some points towards the championship from this weekend from race two. We did what we could and the team put in awesome effort to try to get us out on track again and hopefully we’ll bring all this momentum even stronger back to Watkins Glen later this month.

Michael Cooper |Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 19 CrowdStrike/ DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
It was really just a day of what could have been. We kept all of our new tires for today and gave up yesterday to prioritize this race and I think we improved the car from yesterday, too. So it’s really just a day of what could have been. Getting spun by the Lamborghini in turn six going side by side the first lap was really unfortunate. These guys soldiered on and put the car back together to get us out there and see if we could make the distance to get points and just came up a little short. Everyone at DXDT and Erin did a great job this weekend. So we’re on to the next one.

TC America
The Road America doubleheader was a challenging one for Kevin Boehm in the TC America championship. While the 2020 TCA championship had strong starting positions for both races and was able to fight for podium positions in the first half of each race, the second half failed to play into his hands. Boehm still managed to earn a top-five finish, netting his sixth of the 2021 season. Already looking to the next event, the young racer and engineer has high hopes for his performance at Watkins Glen International September 17-19.

DRIVER QUOTE

Kevin Boehm | TC America
No. 9 CrowdStrike/DXDT Honda Performance Development Civic Type R TC
It was a tough weekend for the CrowdStrike Racing / AWS / DXDT Type R TC. I started off strong in third during race one and fourth in race two, and was in podium contention in both, but this weekend wasn’t meant to be. Watkins Glen will be here before we know it and we’re not going to give up trying to reach that top step again, soon.

ABOUT DXDT RACING
DXDT Racing is a high-performance sports car racing team founded in 2014 by team principal David Askew and located in Statesville, N.C. The Team’s primary focus is GT3 and Touring Car racing in North America. DXDT is a provider of turnkey racing support and delivers customized racing solutions for its clients and sponsors. DXDT is a performance-driven team comprised of highly experienced racing professionals capable of delivering wins and championships, including ten wins in GT World Challenge and a Rookie of the Year in 2020 alone. Follow the team on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for race season updates.

ABOUT CROWDSTRIKE®
CrowdStrike® Inc. (Nasdaq: CRWD), a global cybersecurity leader, is redefining security for the cloud era with an endpoint protection platform built from the ground up to stop breaches. The CrowdStrike Falcon® platform’s single lightweight-agent architecture leverages cloud-scale artificial intelligence (AI) and offers real-time protection and visibility across the enterprise, preventing attacks on endpoints on or off the network. Powered by the proprietary CrowdStrike Threat Graph®, CrowdStrike Falcon correlates over 2.5 trillion endpoint-related events per week in real time from across the globe, fueling one of the world’s most advanced data platforms for security. For more information, visit crowdstrikeracing.com

Wright Motorsports Returns to Victory Circle at Road America

By
Official Release
-

ELKHART LAKE, Wis., (August 30, 2021) – Wright Motorsports secured two victories this weekend at Road America, scoring wins in both SRO GT World Challenge America and SRO GT America with its pair of Porsche race cars. Points leader Charlie Luck celebrated his sixth win this season in the No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R on Saturday in GT America, then the pair of Fred Poordad and Jan Heylen followed suit the following day, driving the No. 20 Porsche 911 GT3 R to first in class, third overall.

“Our entire team did a fantastic job all weekend,” said Team Owner John Wright. “It was great to see Charlie Luck continue his streak of podiums and get back on the top step. As for Fred and Jan, this was an excellent double podium weekend for them. I’m proud we were able to secure a win for them as well.”

GT World Challenge America
Poordad started Race One from fourth place in class and ninth overall, keeping position at the green flag. The field slowly spread out as the race continued, but Poordad stayed close to the next car ahead, the No. 9 Lamborghini Huracan of Martin Fuentes. With 63-minutes remaining in the race, Poordad claimed the position and shortly after came in for the mandatory pit stop. The No. 20 Porsche took fuel, hot tires and a new driver as Jan Heylen jumped in to take over. One of the Acuras running ahead of the Porsche had a poor pit stop, and quick work by the Wright Motorsports crew allowed Heylen to chase down the competition. He caught up to the No. 77 of Matt McMurray, closing the eight-second gap between them. A crash brought out a full course caution just as Heylen was positioned to fight for second place in class, ending the race with less than ten minutes remaining. Heylen and Poordad earned a third-place finish, continuing their season-long streak of podium finishes in the Pro/Am class.

Jan Heylen started Race Two on Sunday in slightly cooler temperatures than the day before. The No. 20 was gridded alongside the No. 93 Acura of Dakota Dickerson. Unlike the rest of the field behind him, Heylen enjoyed a relatively drama-free stint, holding second place and staying close to the leader throughout his stint. The 10-minute mandatory pit window opened and strategy from the Wright Motorsports pit box kept the No. 20 Porsche on track until the last minute, driving into pit lane as the window closed. Fred Poordad took over during the driver change and joined the race from fourth overall and second in class. He showed good pace as he focused on avoiding traffic and staying clean, keeping as close as he could to the No. 93 Acura, now with Taylor Hagler at the wheel. His patience paid off, and Hagler’s Acura suffered an issue on track. Poordad assumed the position and took the class lead. With no pressure behind, he ran the final ten laps with a calm pace and consistency, crossing the finish line in first place, taking the team’s first win since the season opener at Sonoma Raceway.

The victory gives the championship points leaders an even larger gap over the Pro/Am class competition. The three driver pairings in the points behind Poordad and Heylen were unable to compete in the weekend or had trouble at the Wisconsin circuit.

In about two weeks, the series will head east to upstate New York for rounds nine and ten of the GT World Challenge America championship, September 17-19.

DRIVER QUOTES

Fred Poordad | No. 20 Porsche 911 GT3 R
That felt like a long time coming to get back on the top step of the podium. We felt we’ve been chasing that first-place finish for most of the season and I’m really happy that happened today. We didn’t necessarily have the fastest pace out there, but a few things rolled our way and we avoided a couple of mishaps and brought the car home clean. We’re very happy. Thank you, Wright Motorsports, and thanks Jan Heylen for, putting together an awesome effort today.

Jan Heylen | No. 20 Porsche 911 GT3 R
It was a good points weekend. I’m really happy to get another win it. I think we’ve given a few away this year, so you take them when you can. Today was a good day, and nice for the team and Fred. It extended our lead in the championship, so it was a near-perfect weekend for us. The Acura was extremely fast on the straightaways this weekend, and they definitely had the upper hand on us even though we had good speed. I’m happy with the result and ready to go to the next race.

GT America
Race One brought blistering temperatures on Saturday for Charlie Luck and the No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R. Luck started third overall after securing his class pole position. While cars fought for position behind him heading into turn one, Charlie Luck played it smooth, sliding into fourth overall in the opening turns. As he settled in, he started to put pressure on the No. 27 Audi of Jason Daskalos in turn five of the opening lap. Luck kept the pressure on, ultimately making the pass 15 minutes into the race. The Audi tried to put up a fight but was no match for the Wright Porsche. Luck pulled away, holding the position to the checkered flag, taking the class win and finishing third overall.

Race Two’s hopes were short-lived, despite an impressive start by Luck. Unbeknownst to the majority of the field, one of their competitors dropped oil over several turns of the circuit in the opening lap. As the field began race two, cars began sliding over the course in the opening turns and into turn five. As Luck and the No. 45 Porsche approached turn five, he tried to avoid the spilled fluid, but a spinning car tagged him in the turn, sending Luck’s Porsche spinning. While Luck was able to bring the machine back to pit lane, the points-leading car was unable to continue. Despite the disappointing result, Luck continues to lead the GT America point standings heading into the next rounds.

Rounds 11 and 12 of the inaugural GT America championship will also take place at Watkins Glen International, joining the GT World Challenge America, September 17-19.

DRIVER QUOTE

Charlie Luck | No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R
First off, overall we had a really good weekend. It might sound weird but yesterday, we were super concentrated on the task at hand. The car setup was perfect, and we ran a really good race. We were first in the Masters class and third overall. Today, there was oil down on the track and fortunately, we didn’t get in it, but other people did and that took us out. A-factor is the things we can control and B is the things we can’t control. This is something we couldn’t control, and we go on to test at Watkins Glen. We’ve still got four races left in the season.

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.

1...2,3852,3862,387...6,745Page 2,386 of 6,745