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5 Ways to Reduce Distractions While You’re Driving

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SM
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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

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Official Release
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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

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Official Release
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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

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Official Release
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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
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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

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Official Release
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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.

Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 Team’s Saturday Pirelli GT4 America Class Victory Anchors Run of Six Podium Finishes for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing Teams this Weekend at Road America

By
Official Release
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ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin – The No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 team, and co-drivers Kenny Murillo and Christian Szymczak, secured a Silver-class victory in Saturday’s first Pirelli GT4 America race to anchor a competitive run of six podium finishes for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams across three SRO America racing series this weekend at Road America. The Murillo team’s win was its fourth of the season, and Szymczak and Murillo backed it up with a second-place finish in Sunday’s second and final 60-minute Pirelli GT4 race. Murillo’s results combined with a string of additional class podium finishes by Winward Racing, DXDT Racing, RENNtech Motorsports and debuting team Conquest Racing West to complete the haul of half-a-dozen top-three finishes on the weekend for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams on the four-mile Road America circuit.

Murillo and Szymczak battled for the Silver and overall Pirelli GT4 victory from the drop of the green flag in Saturday’s race. Closing driver Szymczak crossed the finish line in tight formation with the rest of the front runners for the class win and fifth-place overall finish.

Sunday’s Pirelli GT4 finale presented a greater challenge for the Murillo No. 72 and the three other Mercedes-AMG GT4 teams in the race. All of them were caught out by a caution flag halfway through the race that prevented them from catching the lead group of competitors that had pitted a lap earlier.

An additional restart added to the challenges, but all but one of the Silver-class contenders were battling on track with Murillo in the race’s final minutes.

The group included the No. 35 Conquest Racing West entry of Michai Stephens and Colin Mullan that battled with closing driver Murillo in the race’s late stages. Stepheson eventually brought the No. 35 across the finish line third in the Silver class to score a podium finish in the team’s SRO America Pirelli GT4 debut.

A pair of Mercedes-AMG GT3 teams earned podium finishes at Road America in the weekend’s twin 90-minute Fanatec GT World Challenge races. Just one race after securing their first overall and Pro-class win at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR), the No. 33 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 team battled for another victory throughout Saturday’s first World Challenge race.

After a late caution the No. 33 was unable to secure the repeat win, but the Winward team kept the pressure on into the finish and crossed the line second overall and in the Pro division.

Sunday’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 World Challenge podium was earned by co-drivers David Askew and Ryan Dalziel who finished third in the Pro-Am class in the No. 63 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. The top-three finish was the first visit to victory lane for the No. 63 team and drivers since finishing third in the first race of the year last March at Sonoma Raceway.

The weekend’s final podium player was Chris Cagnazzi and the No. 39 RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 team. Cagnazzi capped a quick and confident run in the single-driver GT America race Saturday with a last lap pass for second place.

The Saturday podium performance was Cagnazzi’s fifth in his last six GT America races, a run that started in the opening race at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in May and includes a victory on the street of Nashville three weeks ago.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in SRO America is a full-weekend event for GT World Challenge, Pirelli GT4 and GT America at Watkins Glen International, September 17 – 19.

David Askew, Driver – No. 63 DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We always work as hard as we can on the basics. We came here, after doing some testing and racing a couple of weeks ago in Nashville, with high expectations. Our car was a little off the pace to begin with, but we kept working on it. We just kept paying attention to working on the fundamentals, which made the car better, and the crew worked very hard. Just stick to the basics and the result will come, and that’s kind of what I think happened today. I’m comfortable in the Mercedes-AMG GT3. I’ve always been comfortable in the car, but I’m continuing to work on my racing overall. I just wanted to come into this weekend and be consistent, and that’s really what I worked on. I wasn’t trying for the fastest lap, I wasn’t trying for the best result in any one individual lap, I was just trying to put together a good set of consistent laps during my stint. The crew can work with that, and that’s what I did.”

Kenny Murillo, Driver – No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “To walk away with a first and a second in class is something we’re really proud of. Our expectations were a little low because we knew it wasn’t a track that really suited us, but we got a little lucky with other competitors in our class having some trouble. We definitely got the short end of the stick for that restart, but I am just really proud of Murillo Racing and the performance of the Mercedes-AMG GT4 for the win Saturday and what felt like a win for us Sunday.”

Chris Cagnazzi, Driver – No. 39 RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “I am super comfortable with the car. We had it really well balanced. The RENNtech team did a great job of getting it that way and I felt really confident in the race. I kept picking up more and more pace, was closing the gap on second place and was then just watching where he was either overshooting or undershooting. Then I kind of did a set up there on the last lap to get by in turn five, it worked out well, and then I just gapped him after that. The Mercedes-AMG GT4 performed great, and we had a lot of fun.”

Colin Mullan, Driver – No. 35 Conquest Racing West Mercedes-AMG GT4: “For our first weekend with the car here in SRO competition, we are super happy with how much progress we’ve made. We had a lot of limited track time, given the weather conditions earlier in the weekend, but the team has been amazing at getting the car set up right. It just goes to show that with a turnkey race car the Mercedes-AMG GT4 is. All it takes is a few sessions out on track and we can really maximize all the potential the Mercedes-AMG GT4 has, Mercedes-AMG did an excellent job at building a really proper race car. There’s definitely a lot of competition in the series this year, so for us to get up there in the Silver class and be competitive straight away is very remarkable. Looking forward, the Conquest Racing West team has a lot of big things to come in the future, absolutely.”

All You Need To Know About Acuspike Stackable Ball Cart

By
SM
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A stackable ball cart is used to carry items of all shapes and sizes safely to facilitate the convenience of a game. You have seen many ball carts of different sizes and colors, but you have not yet seen AcuSpike’s stackable ball cart. It has unique features that make it special compared to the rest. Each stackable ball cart has a storage capacity of 35 balls and can be stacked three carts high. You can adjust the cart’s height according to your needs. Its stackable design feature saves you a lot of trouble with storage because it will reduce your storage footprint, resulting in a more organized and safe storage routine. Here https://www.acuspike.com/product/stackable-ball-cart/ is a glance at everything you need to know about Acuspike stackable balls cart

Helpful Features Acuspike Stackable ball cart

It is made to be collapsible and stackable in appearance, making it easier to store and store a large number of over a hundred balls.

 Have three extension levels-Aside from the average level extension; there are other extensions in carts height. The lowest level extended below normal is available for sufficient access at 45.5LX29WX43 7/8H. A middle extension is available at 45.5LX29WX45 3/4H. The highest height extension of the cart is available at 45.5LX29WX48H.

  • Have a Side Storage capacity- The side storage is a bonus for you to store extra tools like towels on the side.
  • Have Roller Blade Wheels -The wheels help you move your cart around.
  • It is high capacity – It can accommodate many balls, a minimum of 100 balls.
  • It has an average storage capacity of 45.5LX29WX25.25H that you can use to store a maximum of 35 balls or fewer.
  • They are available in various colors that you can choose from. Royal blue, red, black, grey, and navy blue.

Benefits of an AcuSpike Stackable Ball Cart

1. The stackable feature provides an easy-to-use mode and helps to reduce storage space without adding more mechanical features.

2. Acuspike ball carts are designed to be sturdy, making it possible to stack them over each other. This will help in saving space.

3. The cart does not require organizing while stacking balls. It also prevents the balls from getting scattered all over the place. This will help the coach and the players to focus more on the game rather than the balls. They should spend very little time dealing with the balls and storage, and an Acuspike stackable ball cart is just what they needed.

4. Provides a convenient and safe way to stall balls.

5. Prevents possible injuries. During the game and the storing time, if the balls are all over the floor, someone can fall and get hurt.

6. Ensures maximum practicing time. If players are spending a quarter of their practicing time running to fetch balls, it interferes with the training by slowing down the process of attaining the highest skills.

7. Facilitate material protection. With the storage space reduced by the ball cart, storing the rest of the practice and training equipment and organizing them will be easy and possible.

8. Facilitate concentration during the game. Players can lose focus on what is expected of them if they take their minds off the game while running to collect the scattered balls.

Duties of a Coach

The Acuspike Stackable Ball cart greatly supports coaches by providing relief and help with their tiresome job. Coaches face a lot of challenges concerning their careers. Here are some duties performed by the coaches.

  • The coach is supposed to design game strategies used by the players.
  • The coach is also expected to schedule practice sessions.
  • They make sure to organize tools and equipment for coaching.
  • It is also expected of them to motivate the players during and after the game.
  • The coach should also set his/her goal to focus on achieving the highest scores by the players.
  • They should also highlight mistakes made by players either individually or as a team during the game.
  • It is their duty as trainers to provide solutions where possible for the players, either as a team or individually.
  • They also pinpoint each player’s weak point for the game
  • They guide players on working on their specific weak points regarding the game.
  • They note the game’s progress during training and later summarize it to the players to learn what needs to change in the subsequent training sessions.
  • They attend to the minor injuries of the players, if any, during training and give first aid to a more severe injury before rushing the victim to the hospital.

Problems Faced By the Coach Concerning Improper Storage Routine

Equipment storage exercises can be challenging, especially when you do not have sufficient storage space. The following is a list of challenges resulting from equipment storage.

Risk of Injury-There is a high chance of having an accident resulting from falling sports equipment because of improper storage routine. It is the most dangerous challenge as far as storing sports equipment is concerned. As a player or a coach, you can trip and hurt yourself on scattered tools and hurt yourself.

Damage to Equipment-Unorganized storage routine will cause damage to the equipment. For example, when large-sized equipment like poles falls on small-sized equipment like nets and balls, it will cause damage.

Time of Wastage-If the players spend so much time running around collecting dispersed balls during a training session, So much time will be invested in cleaning the mess, and in the end, you will have frustrated players who have had less time to train.

Cramped Space- Insufficient space to store tools will lead to challenges of the untidiness of your storage space. Lacking support organizers will be even worse.

Final Words

Using Acuspike trainers and tools will improve the individual skills of the players. It is as important to store your game tools as it is to train. When not in use, keeping your tools organized and safe will increase their durability. Achieving the goal of proper storage of your game tools might be difficult, but with an Acuspike stackable balls cart, you have a long-term solution for your problem.

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Daytona

By
Jeffrey Boswell
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During the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on August 28, 2021 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Larson: Larson finished 21st at Daytona and clinched the regular-season championship.

“As regular-season champ,” Larson said, “I earned 15 playoff bonus points and a sweet trophy. I’m proud of winning that trophy. I’m going to display that trophy proudly, right inside a box in a storage facility.”

2. Chase Elliott: Elliott was involved in the ‘Big One’ with three laps to go when his attempt to block Matt DiBenedetto triggered a massive crash that forced the race to be red-flagged.

“My bad,” Elliott said. “If you could have read the readings of my fitness tracker, it most certainly would have said ‘Whoops!'”

3. Ryan Blaney: Blaney avoided late carnage at Daytona and took the win in an overtime finish to win the Coke Zero Sugar 400. It was Blaney’s third win of the season and second in a row, and places him second in the playoff reset.

“I feel good about playoff momentum,” Blaney said. “I’m looking forward to battling 15 drivers for the Cup, instead of avoiding 15 maniacs desperate for a win, which was the case at Daytona.”

4. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin ran up front all night but was collected in the ‘Big One’ and limped home in 14th place.

“There were a lot of drivers out there going for broke,” Hamlin said. “If ‘broke’ was what they were going for, they certainly achieved it.

“With no wins this season, I had to qualify for the playoffs on points. As a result, I’ll start the playoffs in seventh, somewhat in a hole. And speaking of ‘a holes,’ Kyle Busch is my teammate.”

5. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex was clipped by the No. 47 car on lap 146, which sent Truex into the outside wall and back into oncoming traffic. Truex finished 30th.

“That’s par for the course at superspeedways,” Truex said. “When you have cars running nose-to-tail at speeds approaching 190 miles per hour, you’re bound to eventually have cars running nose-to-tail with a tow truck at speeds approaching 35 miles per hour.”

6. William Byron: Byron was taken out in a Lap 146 crash triggered when Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. hit Martin Truex Jr.

“Several drivers were wearing Whoop straps,” Byron said, “which is a fitness tracker. So, if you were a viewer and wanted to see drivers’ heart rates, calories burned, and other metrics, well then ‘Whoop, there it is.'”

7. Kevin Harvick: Harvick was clipped after contact between Daniel Suarez and Kurt Busch triggered a multi-car crash.

“With that final playoff spot on the line,” Harvick said, “you could feel the tension in the air. In fact, you could cut it with a knife, which is also what I’d like to do to Suarez and Busch.”

8. Alex Bowman: Bowman scrapped his way back from a spin midway through the race to post an eighth-place finish.

“Olympic medalist and 200-meter world champion Noah Lyles served as grand marshal,” Bowman said. “Here’s an interesting bit of information: when Lyles takes a drug test, he pees into a ‘Sprint Cup.'”

9. Kyle Busch: Busch was taken out in a big Lap 158 crash that involved several cars. Busch finished 35th.

I’m blaming Kurt Busch and Daniel Suarez for that wreck,” Busch said. “They were just racing stupid. They should be ashamed. Heck, they shouldn’t even be allowed to show their face in Daytona again, but by the orders of Florida governor Ron DeSantis, they have to.”

10. Joey Logano: Logano suffered a late cut tire at Daytona, which forced him to pit under green. He eventually finished 24th, one lap down.

“Daytona is known as the ‘World Center Of Speed,” Logano said. “There was once a time back in the late 2000s when the Mayfield clan out of Kentucky made a claim to make that nickname their own.”

Ty Gibbs dominates en route to victory at Milwaukee Mile

By
Briar Starr
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Photo Courtesy of Toyota Racing Twitter

For the first time in 14 years, the ARCA Menards Series made their return to the famous Milwaukee Mile Speedway in West Allis, Wisconsin Sunday afternoon and we saw a familiar face in victory lane as Ty Gibbs scored his ninth win of 2021.

Ty Gibbs qualified on the pole position for the eighth time this year and led every lap of the 150 lap event in the Sprecher 150 to win the event. It was his 17th career victory in the ARCA Menards Series.

“All these guys (pit crew), do so much for me and my team,” Gibbs said in victory lane. “These guys work their butts off and they want to win more than I do. That goes a lot into it (winning races). It’s just awesome, nine wins is crazy.

“I feel like it’s super cool to win here. This track has so much history. I remember being young and watching Denny Hamlin and Aric (Almirola) win here. It’s one of those things where I have to sit back and think about it (the win). I wouldn’t be here without all these guys and all of my sponsors.”

Coming into the 16th race of the 2021 ARCA season schedule, Ty Gibbs and Corey Heim were tied in the championship points standings. Gibbs had won eight times prior to Milwaukee, while Heim entered with six victories. Even with the pole position, Gibbs knew he couldn’t make a mistake with Heim running him down in the championship chase.

The Sprecher 150 was broken up into three segments with the first segment ending on Lap 50, the second on Lap 100 and the final segment ending on Lap 150.

Through the first segment break, Gibbs led every lap but had a few challengers along the way. One of those included his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Sammy Smith (who will compete in the ARCA Menards Series regular tour next year) behind Gibbs in second place. However, Smith would eventually be passed by the No. 21 of Daniel Dye on Lap 25, halfway to the race break.

Unfortunately, for the GMS Racing development driver Dye, he slid back to fifth in the running order just before the first segment ended.

As the second segment began, Gibbs had new contenders to deal with including championship favorite Corey Heim who overtook Smith for second place on Lap 54. Although, Dye fought his way back to the second position on Lap 85.

Even with the new challengers, Gibbs remained unmatched and led through the second segment that ended on Lap 100.

One of the most interesting moments during the race came on Lap 118 when the only natural caution occurred. The caution came as the No. 12 of Stephanie Moyer was spun by the No. 20 of Heim coming off Turn 2. Afterward, Heim had some minor damage but later reported the car was down on power.

With Heim facing challenges of his own, Gibbs knew it was his race to lose at this point. However, following the Lap 123 restart, NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Sam Mayer moved into second and began a rally on Gibbs in the final 20 laps. Mayer though was only able to get within 0.516 of Gibbs while chasing him down.

Even though Mayer did all he could to catch race leader Gibbs, the victory ultimately went to Ty Gibbs and the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team for the ninth time this season. The victory also marked the third time in 2021 that Gibbs has led every lap in an ARCA Menards Series race. Mayer, Dye, Gray and Smith rounded out the top five finishers.

ARCA Menards East Series Champion, Mayer, finished second to earn the 21st top-five finish of his ARCA career.

“This place is really fun, I’ve never got to run here before today,” Mayer said. “I wish I would have got to a long time ago, this place is pretty awesome. I’m looking forward to hopefully ARCA coming back here next year and do a one-off race with these guys again because this place is just that fun.

“NASCAR needs to come here, this place will put on a show for sure.”

Daniel Dye in the No. 21 GMS machine completed the podium finish for the third time this season.

“It was really cool trying to figure out the air,” Dye said about the third place finish. “It was fun racing Sam, and him trying to reel in Ty. (Crew chief) Chad Bryant and the GMS Racing group brought a great Solar-Fit, Heise LED Chevy. Milwaukee’s a flat race track and this was the first time I’ve ever been on a flat race track, so I had a lot of fun. Jeff Green did awesome spotting for me and helped out a lot as well. Honestly can’t wait for Bristol, being a track I’ve actually raced at before unlike every other start I’ve had in this 21 car.”

Gibbs led all 150 laps from pole position en route to victory. There were three cautions for 14 laps.

Official Results following the Sprecher 150 at Milwaukee Mile:

  1. Ty Gibbs, led 150 laps
  2. Sam Mayer
  3. Daniel Dye
  4. Taylor Gray
  5. Sammy Smith
  6. Corey Heim
  7. Jesse Love
  8. Joey Iest
  9. Thad Moffitt
  10. Gracie Trotter
  11. Parker Retzlaff
  12. Nick Sanchez
  13. Rajah Caruth
  14. Ron Vandermeir Jr, 1 lap down
  15. Max Gutierrez, 2 laps down
  16. Connor Mosack, 3 laps down
  17. Alex Clubb, 7 laps down
  18. Jason Miles, 9 laps down
  19. Mason Diaz, 10 laps down
  20. Stephanie Moyer, 11 laps down
  21. Eric Caudell, OUT, Radiator
  22. Brad Smith, OUT, Handling
  23. Tony Cosentino, OUT, Vibration
  24. Arnout Kok, OUT, Did Not Start

Up Next: The ARCA Menards Series will head to DuQuoin State Fairgrounds for the annual Southern Illinois 100 Sunday, Sept. 5, and will air live on MAV TV at 9 p.m./ET.

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