Home Blog Page 2411

A DAYTONA SWEEP? TOUGH TO CLEAN UP TWO WINS IN SINGLE SEASON AT THE WORLD CENTER OF RACING

By
Official Release
-

McDowell, Cindric, Hope to Break Trend in Coke Zero Sugar 400 and Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola At DAYTONA

When Cindric, winner of the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 this past February, takes the green flag in the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola this Friday, Aug. 27, he will seek to join only Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in 2003 to capture victories in both of Daytona’s NASCAR Xfinity Series races in a year (track has had two Xfinity races each year on the 31-degree tri-oval since 2002).

With a stellar field that includes former Daytona Champions’ Noah Gragson and Justin Haley, and a host of other incredible driving talents, it will be an uphill battle for the 2020 Xfinity Series Champion and five-time 2021 winner Cindric.

For McDowell, who claimed his first career triumph in the DAYTONA 500 earlier this year, the challenge awaits in Saturday’s Aug. 28 Coke Zero Sugar 400. Since the track opened in 1959 and began hosting two NASCAR Cup Series races a year, only five times has the DAYTONA 500 Champion backed it up with a Coke Zero Sugar 400 triumph.

The list of names is a “Who’s Who” of NASCAR royalty that includes: Fireball Roberts (1962), Cale Yarborough (1968), LeeRoy Yarbrough (1969), Bobby Allison (1982) and Jimmie Johnson (2013). Roberts, Yarborough and Allison are NASCAR Hall of Famers, and Johnson is a shoo-in once he becomes eligible, while Yarbrough won NASCAR’s Triple Crown in ’69.

After his win in the DAYTONA 500, McDowell said, “Not everybody makes it to Victory Lane, and for 14 years I didn’t. Whether I win this race or not, it is not what defines you…..just to be here now is just so amazing.”

What makes Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 even more “amazing” is that it will be the final race of the NASCAR Cup Series regular season, the last-chance race for a driver sitting on the outside of the playoffs who will need a victory to make it in the 16-driver championship field. If McDowell can win the Coke Zero Sugar 400 (7:00 p.m. ET start), his career will be defined more clearly as a two-time DAYTONA Champion in the same season.

To find out if McDowell can make history, fans can purchase tickets starting at $49 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under. Those fans can also purchase access to the UNOH Fanzone for $60. Here, fans can participate in events before the race. This includes, but is not limited to, the return of the traditional Coke Zero Sugar 400 Pre-Race Concert featuring Chris Lane, pre-race ceremonies, driver introductions, access to the large grass ballfield, signing the start/finish line through the middle of the 18-degree, banked trioval. Also scheduled is LIVE entertainment on the main UNOH Fanzone Stage, including Fan Q&A, which includes (scheduled) McDowell, Aric Almirola, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Bubba Wallace, Daniel Suarez and two-time DAYTONA winning crew chief Drew Blickensderfer. Fans can also get photos with the winning trophies of the weekend in Ruoff Mortgage Victory Lane.

Tickets to the Xfinity Series Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola, which is set for a 7:30 p.m. ET green flag start, begins at $35 for adults and FREE for kids 12 and under. Access to the UNOH Fanzone will be available before this race as well! A Two-Day Pass is available which includes access to the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday, and the Wawa 250 on Friday. These passes start at $69 for adults. Fan Q&A is also scheduled for Friday and will include Cindric, Gragson, Haley, AJ Allmendinger and Justin Allgaier.

As part of the “Welcome Back” weekend for fans, the track’s outside Midway (In Front of Sunoco, Toyota, Axalta, Chevrolet and AdventHealth Injectors) and UNOH Fanzone will be the site of a host of exciting interactive activities, featuring eNASCAR Racing, along with other speedway partner exhibits like Pit Boss, Coca-Cola, GEICO, Chevrolet, Toyota, Wawa, Air Force (featuring a fighter jet), Door Dash, Busch Beer, General Tire and a NASCAR Kids Zone.

The first 10,000 fans through the gates on Saturday will receive complimentary Coke Zero Sugar 400 drawstring bags.

For ticket information, and a full listing of activities in the Midway and UNOH Fanzone, visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP. Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway and see the latest speedway news on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.

Daytona 500 Champion Returns to Track with CarParts.com and PowerStop

By
Official Release
-

McDowell a Confident Contender for Regular Season Finale
Explain Success Found with Partnership

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (August 24, 2021) – All eyes will be on the No. 34 CarParts.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRTS) Ford Mustang team and driver Michael McDowell as they return to the Daytona International Speedway after their prestigious Daytona 500 victory in February. Joining the team will be PowerStop, the leading brand in performance braking systems. PowerStop will be a major associate sponsor.

The race will serve as the final regular season race before McDowell enters the 10-race NASCAR Playoffs. There is no better track and race for the CarParts.com team before competing for a chance at the NASCAR Cup Series championship. McDowell comes back to Daytona, not only as the reigning Daytona 500 champion, but also with confidence knowing his car will be fast and that he can beat the field.

“Winning the Daytona 500, it gave our team a tremendous amount of confidence to begin the season,” explained McDowell. “It triggered so much momentum for us. But, our winning Daytona 500 car is sitting in the museum. So, we had to build another fast speedway car. We took that car to Talladega and nearly won that race. We know the car is capable of winning. Our confidence comes from knowing that we can do it again.”

Winning the Daytona 500 also helped the No. 34 team off the track as well. CarParts.com locked in a season-long partnership that featured McDowell in a national commercial as well as returning as the primary partner this weekend with PowerStop again on the No. 34.

“This was a case of success meeting success,” explained McDowell. “We took our win at the Daytona 500 and helped share that with CarParts.com and all our partners. Everyone benefited and it helped us as a race team get better. We have had better finishes than ever before and when you see CarParts.com on TV or on social media, we hope we’re a part of growing their business. We are here to tell their story, too. PowerStop returning to the program is another example of the entire program growing. It makes me excited knowing that our team has confidence, but the partners do, too.”

CarParts.com offers an easy-to-navigate, mobile-friendly shopping platform, connecting drivers with the parts they need to get from point A to point B with confidence. With over 1 million square feet of warehouse space, the company stocks a variety of collision, repair, maintenance parts, tools, and accessories, including premium brands such as PowerStop. PowerStop pioneered the performance brake upgrade category by providing exceptional quality brake parts and complete brake kits at an affordable price. Making brake upgrades easy and hassle free.

“We have enjoyed being a part of the success with Michael and his team,” said Houman Akhavan, Chief Marketing Officer at CarParts.com. “Michael has become more than a brand ambassador for us, but someone who is a part of our company. We’re finding success at the same time he is, and we relate to building a winning culture together. We wish Michael the best this Saturday on his return to Daytona, and we’re proud to welcome PowerStop back on the #34 CarParts.com Ford Mustang.”

Saturday night’s race will be televised live on NBC at 7:00 p.m. ET.

For more information, order PowerStop brakes and shop a vast catalog of auto parts, visit CarParts.com. For more information about PowerStop, visit PowerStop.com.

About CarParts.com
With over 25 years of experience, and more than 50 million parts delivered, we’ve streamlined our website and sourcing network to better serve the way drivers get the parts they need. Utilizing the latest technologies and design principles, we’ve created an easy-to-use, mobile-friendly shopping experience that, alongside our own nationwide distribution network, cuts out the brick-and-mortar supply chain costs and provides quality parts at a budget-friendly price.

CarParts.com (NASDAQ: PRTS) is headquartered in Torrance, California.

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

TR3 Grows to Two Cars for Road America

By
Official Release
-

Fuentes joins lineup, TR3 Racing expands to Am class for SRO at Road America

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (24 August 2021) – TR3 Racing will step up its SRO competition program this weekend with a new Pro-Am lineup in Fanatec GT World Challenge America presented by AWS. The team will grow to a two-car program with a new Am class entry at the high-speed Wisconsin circuit, as well as integrating a GT America outing on the weekend.

Multi-time SRO champion Martin Fuentes will co-drive with Giacomo Altoe in the No. 9 TR3 Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 in the Pro-Am class of the GT World Challenge America.

Bill Sweedler and John Megrue will co-drive TR3’s No. 10 Lamborghini in the Am class of the lead series, while Megrue will also drive the No. 10 Lamborghini in the companion GT America sprints, running in the SRO3 Masters category.

TR3 is currently seventh in the Pro Am Standings, with Altoe’s best finish fourth in Round 3 at Circuit of The Americas.

“I am really looking forward to racing with TR3 in America again,” Altoe said. “I missed the last round at VIR because of my clash with the Nurburgring 24. I will be together with Martin, who has had a lot of success in this championship in the last few years. He has potential to do a really good job. I’m also looking forward to learning a new track in America, so I am pumped for this race.”

Fuentes captured his third-consecutive and fifth-career championship in the GT World Challenge America in 2020, ahead of making the move to Lamborghini in 2021. He won nine races in 2016 (including seven in a row); 13 races in sweeping both the Sprint GTA and SprintX Am crowns in 2018; and was a nine-race-winning champion for Squadra Corse last year.

The track is one that Fuentes has featured on, having won SRO races at Road America in both 2019 and 2020. Fuentes has competed for TR3 in a pair of Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America races in 2021, placing third and fourth at Virginia International Raceway.

“I’m very happy to announce I will be joining with TR3 Racing again,” Fuentes said. “We’ve had some really good success and now a new experience with a new car driving the Lamborghini. Giaccomo has a great reputation as a driver and I’m looking forward to finishing these last few races and getting back on that podium with the TR3 team.”

TR3 Returns to Am Championship

In 2020, TR3 Racing finished second in the Amateur Teams championship in 2020 GT World Challenge America. The team entered two races, winning both rounds at VIR, with Megrue and Sweedler leading the class in the No. 31 Ferrari 488 GT3. The experienced duo return to the team this weekend and will look to take the fight to the Am class podium at Road America.

Weekend Schedule

The Road America weekend opens on Friday with a pair of 45-minute practice sessions for GT World Challenge America beginning at 10:35 a.m. and 3:50 p.m. (all times CT). There will also be a pair of 15-minute GT America practices at 9:05 a.m. and 1:35 p.m.

Back-to-back World Challenge America 15-minute qualifying sessions begin at 8:50 a.m. on Saturday to set the grids for the respective races, while GT America qualifying is at 10:10 a.m. The opening 90-minute World Challenge America race begins at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday, with the second race, Round 8 of the season, on Sunday at 2:15 p.m. The two 15-minute GT America races are at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday and 8:30 a.m. on Sunday.

About TR3 Performance:

TR3 Performance was founded by Arthur, Oliver, and Gregory Romanelli in August 2012. Frustrated with the rising costs and plummeting quality from local shops, the brothers saw an opportunity to establish a shop of their own that would live up to their high standard of excellence, where they could hold themselves to the caliber of workmanship they had sought out in the marketplace as enthusiasts. In 2015, TR3 Racing was established as the team stepped into racing at the professional level. What started out as a modest 2,300-sq.ft. enterprise has now exploded into the premier performance shop in South Florida.

Interstate Batteries Racing: Kyle Busch Daytona Advance

By
Official Release
-

KYLE BUSCH
Playoff Primer

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (Aug. 24, 2021) – As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway for Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, the race marks the 26th and final race of the regular season for NASCAR’s top series.

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), has already secured his spot in the 2021 playoffs, currently sitting third in the driver standings with an eye on putting himself in the best possible position on the 16-driver playoff grid with a strong performance in Saturday night’s playoff primer at Daytona.

From the time the 2.5-mile Daytona oval opened in 1959 through 2018, the NASCAR Cup Series has competed on its high banks every Fourth of July weekend. From 1959 to 1997, the series competed on the morning of July 4, no matter what day of the week the holiday fell on. Starting in 1998, the event was moved to the first Saturday night in July after lights made their debut at the World Center of Racing that season. But when NASCAR’s July 4 Cup Series race moved to Indianapolis for a one-time run in 2020, Daytona moved its summer oval race to the regular-season finale in late August, and this year’s regular-season finale returns to Daytona for the second time this weekend.

Whether this race is in July or August, Busch – the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion – knows he will not only need to beat his fellow competitors, but also the Florida summer heat at Daytona. This part of the season is annually the hottest for Cup Series competitors, with select race venues seeing record temperatures this year, and also for those who are heading out on their late-summer road trips. Whether on the highway or the racetrack, the summer months can be taxing on both man and machine. Caring for the latter is one of the ways JGR founding partner Interstate Batteries – with whom JGR is celebrating its 30th anniversary together – leverages its NASCAR program, reminding consumers to have their batteries checked during the hot summer months at a local dealer prior to their summer road trips.

Busch is certainly no stranger to victory lane in the Coke Zero Sugar 400, having won the July 2008 race behind the wheel of – yes – the Interstate Batteries Toyota. The Las Vegas native has fared much better in his summer races at Daytona during his career, when the track is much more slick thanks to Florida’s summer heat. He has five top-five finishes in his 16 summertime starts at the track.

With all of that on his side, Busch hopes to have a strong car and track position in pack-style racing, where a driver not only has to be good, but must have good fortune to go along with it. He would like nothing more than to head into the playoffs in the best way possible – by bringing the Interstate Batteries green lightning paint scheme to victory lane Saturday night. With one final primer before the 2021 Cup Series playoffs begin, Busch and his Interstate Batteries team will not only look to beat the Florida heat, but finally recharge the batteries and get back to his favorite place – victory lane.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing:

Is Daytona still a special racetrack for you?

“Daytona is cool – a lot more in February than in the summer just because it is the Daytona 500 versus the August race. For us, you still want to win everywhere you go, every single week. To win at Daytona is always cool. It’s definitely special. It’s the birthplace of NASCAR – the superspeedway aspect of it. I definitely love going there. It’s hot, it’s slick, and you can make the most out of yourself as a driver and what you’ve got in the car. We won there in 2008 and I’m hoping we can get a win with our Interstate Batteries Camry this weekend. Interstate Batteries has quite the legacy with JGR with 30 years together and counting. I’m always proud to represent those guys, so we hope to get a win for Norm (Miller, Interstate Chairman).”

Are there still things you and your team need to work on heading into the playoffs?

“There are always things you have to work on heading into the playoffs or heading into any race. With the way the Hendrick cars are, obviously the dominant force that’s been talked about over the year – we’ve had that, we had that in ’16, ’17, ’18, whatever it was where the Toyotas were the fast guys with the 78 or the 18 back then. We feel as though we’re working on things to catch back up and get where we need to be in order to be true contenders.”

Do you feel the Daytona cutoff race runs differently, or is it the same as other Daytona races?

“No, it’s going to all out for anybody who’s top-30 in points. Anybody who’s top-30 in points can win that race. We’ve seen Front Row Motorsports win. We’ve seen Spire win. We’ve seen teams that don’t normally win races be able to score victories in the restrictor-plate races, so that just leads to the anxiety level of everybody. We are going to try to be there, too, so would love to get our Interstate Batteries Camry to victory lane this year. It would be a great way to celebrate the 30th anniversary of JGR and Interstate’s relationship.”

What do you do to prep for the night race at Daytona?

“It’s going to be a hot one. Right now, it’s all about getting your fluids back in you throughout the entire week. You’re not going to get them all back in one or two nights. It’s going to take the entirety of a week. You’ll start over again after that race. It’s Daytona. A lot of different planning goes into that.”

When you look at guys who have won superspeedway races in the last several years, it seems there are those who win more often than not. Why do you think that’s the case?

“You’ve got to be good, but there’s still a lot of luck involved. You’ve got to be out front. When your cars are fast, you need to do a good job, you know how to lead it, get yourself through traffic, you’ll be out front a lot of the time. So hard to hold those fast cars back, if you will. They do a good job of being able to predict the lines and how they build the inertia and everything behind them.”

Event Overview:

● Event: Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Round 26 of 36)

● Time/Date: 7 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Aug. 28

● Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway

● Layout: 2.5-mile oval

● Laps/Miles: 160 laps/400 miles

● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 50 laps / Stage 2: 50 laps / Final Stage: 60 laps

● TV/Radio: NBC / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Meet the No. 18 Interstate Batteries / Joe Gibbs Racing Team

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Kyle Busch
Hometown: Las Vegas

Crew Chief: Ben Beshore
Hometown: York, Pennsylvania

Car Chief: Nate Bellows
Hometown: Fairfax, Vermont

Spotter: Tony Hirschman
Hometown: Northampton, Pennsylvania

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:

Gas Man: Matt Tyrrell

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Front Tire Changer: Blake Houston
Hometown: Enochville, North Carolina

Jackman: T.J. Ford
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Joe Crossen
Hometown: Salisbury, North Carolina

Rear Tire Changer: Jeff Cordero
Hometown: Salem, Connecticut

Road Crew Members:

Race Engineer: Seth Chavka
Hometown: Soldotna, Alaska

Truck Driver: Chris Miko
Hometown: Bronx, New York

Truck Driver: Tom McCrimmon
Hometown: Spicer, Minnesota

Mechanic/Tire Specialist: Justin Peiffer
Hometown: Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Mechanic: Scott Eldridge
Hometown: Warsaw, Indiana

Notes of Interest:

● 30th Anniversary Celebration: This season, JGR and Interstate Batteries are celebrating quite the milestone in their 30th year together in NASCAR’s top series. No other sponsor has been with the same team for as long of a run as this strong partnership. In fact, Interstate Batteries has brought home 32 all-time Cup Series wins as a primary sponsor and countless others as associate sponsor on JGR cars. Interstate Batteries and JGR brought home their first win together in the 1993 Daytona 500 with Dale Jarrett behind the wheel. Jarrett won twice in Interstate Batteries colors, Kyle Busch nine times, and Bobby Labonte leads the way for the Dallas-based company with 21 all-time Cup Series wins in its colors.

● 30-Year Giveaway: In celebration of the 30-year partnership with JGR, Interstate Batteries is hosting a Twitter giveaway on the 30th day of each month. Fans can follow Interstate on Twitter (@interstatebatts), Facebook (@interstatebatteries), Instagram (@interstatebatteries), and YouTube (@interstatebatteries) for giveaways, how-to tips, NASCAR updates, and even more car-related content most people never knew they needed.

● Green Machine: In addition to Busch’s nine Cup Series victories in Interstate Batteries colors over the years for JGR, he’s brought home two Xfinity Series victories for Interstate Batteries. Both came at Phoenix Raceway, in 2008 and 2011. In addition to the aforementioned victories, Busch also brought home a Camping World Truck Series victory for Interstate Batteries in 2010 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, which happens to be in the backyard of the company’s Dallas headquarters.

● Daytona Stats: Busch has one win, eight top-five finishes and nine top-10s and has led a total of 468 laps in 32 career Cup Series points-paying starts on the Daytona oval. Busch’s average Daytona finish is 19.3.

● Playoff Points: After scoring a stage win at Michigan last weekend, Busch has accumulated 15 important playoff points he can take with him through each round, with a chance to add more at Daytona as the final race of the Cup Series regular season. Busch also currently sits third in the point standings with 11 top-five finishes and 17 top-10s over the 25 races of the season.

● Alone in Ninth: With his win in June at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, Busch sits at 59 career wins in NASCAR’s top series as he moved past Kevin Harvick into sole possession of ninth on the all-time win list. Next up on the win list is Dale Earnhardt, the seven-time Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer who won 76 races during his storied career.

● 222 and Counting: Busch will be aiming to add to his record 222 overall wins among NASCAR’s top three series this weekend at Daytona. In addition to his 59 Cup Series wins and 102 in the Xfinity Series, Busch has 61 wins in the Camping World Truck Series.

CLEAN HARBORS/SAFETY-KLEEN TO GIVE AWAY NASCAR DRIVING EXPERIENCE AT GLASS CITY 200; POSTS WINNERS BONUSES FOR RACERS

By
Official Release
-

Race fans that attend Toledo Speedway’s Glass City 200 Saturday, September 18 will have the chance to win a NASCAR Driving Experience and an item autographed by The King, Richard Petty, courtesy of Clean Harbors and Safety-Kleen.

Clean Harbors and Safety-Kleen, the leading provider of environmental services, parts washers and performance oil products, will staff a booth in the spectator concourse at Toledo, where fans can enter into the drawing to win a NASCAR Driving Experience that is held at several speedways throughout the country. The other giveaway will be an item personally autographed by Richard Petty.

In addition to the Fan Give-Away at the Glass City 200, Clean Harbors and Safety-Kleen has created a Winner’s bonus program that will award $250 to the winners of four (4) Outlaw Super Late Model events in the Midwest leading up to the Glass City race; The Kalamazoo Klash at Kalamazoo Speedway August 18 (winner Tyler Roahrig); the Mudslinger 100 at the Auto City Speedway in Clio, MI August 28; the Harvest 100 at the Corrigan Oil (Lansing, MI) Speedway September 5 and the Dixie Classic at the Birch Run, MI Speedway September 11.

The winners of each of these races will receive a $250 bonus, should they file a paid pre-entry and compete at Toledo in the Glass City Outlaw Super Late Model race September 18.

“We are very pleased to announce the addition of Clean Harbors and Safety Kleen to our list of growing sponsors for the Glass City 200,” noted Ron Drager, Owner and Promoter of the track. “We look forward to September 18 and this signature event of the track. Our thanks to Clean Harbors and Safety-Kleen for involving the fans as well as posting awards for our racers.”

A pair of 100 lap contests are on the slate for the annual event, as the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by Jeg’s stock-bodied Late Models and the Outlaw-bodied Super Late Models hit the track in separate 100 lap feature races. CRA’s Junior Late Models, featuring tomorrow’s rising stars in full-bodied cars, will also be in action, with the Toledo event serving as their Season Championship.

The time schedule and ticket information for the event can be found at www.toledospeedway.com. Click on the race date for the schedule for the day; for tickets, which go on sale August 25, click on the Buy Tickets Now button on the right margin of the home page.

The race has a new start time of 5 p.m. The track phone number is 419-727-1100.

EVENT PREVIEW: Wright Back in Wisconsin for SRO America Weekend as Points Leaders

By
Official Release
-

BATAVIA, Ohio. (August 24, 2021) – Wright Motorsport heads to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for the second time this month, this time to compete in the Fanatec GT World Challenge and GT America series. The Batavia, Ohio-based Porsche customer racing team enters the weekend as the points leaders in both series, looking to continue a season of consistent execution to expand the point leads.

The weekend will be significantly less busy for Wright than the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Road America weekend two weeks ago, which involved 43 team members, eight transporters, and six cars racing in two different cities. The SRO America event will run two cars this weekend: the No. 20 Porsche 911 GT3 R of Fred Poordad and Jan Heylen in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America and the No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R of Charlie Luck in GT America.

“While this may be a lighter weekend logistically than our last time here, it’s no less important,” said Team Owner John Wright. “Both of our cars are looking incredibly strong with their championship leads, but we’re only halfway through the season. We have to stay focused, stay vigilant, and keep those consistent podium results coming.”

The event will begin on Thursday, August 26 at 5:00 PM Central Time, with a parade of GT cars driving from Road America to Siebkens Resort in downtown Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. There, fans can come to the official Welcome Party of the race weekend, enjoy live music, and see the race cars on display into the evening hours. The fan engagement will continue into the weekend with the return of autograph sessions in the paddock on Saturday, August 28 at 10:30 AM for GT World Challenge America and 3:30 PM for GT America.

Fanatec GT World Challenge America
After a strong double-podium weekend at VIRginia International Raceway in June, Fred Poordad and Jan Heylen have a solid, 28-point lead in the top SRO race series. With 25 points being awarded for each win, the pair can stay at the front by continuing to net podium finishes consistently. To date, they have finished on the podium in all six races, with seven races remaining. In the team standings, the gap Wright Motorsports holds over the second-place team is a narrow two points, keeping the pressure high heading into Road America. Poordad had a strong performance at the Wisconsin circuit in 2020, securing back-to-back wins with co-driver Max Root. This weekend, Poordad and Heylen will be one of eleven cars competing in the class, and one of only a few to have tested privately at the circuit just last week.

Fans unable to attend the event can stream the races live on YouTube.com/GTWorld on Saturday, August 28 from 1:15 PM to 2:45 PM CT, and Sunday, August 29 at 2:15 PM Central.

DRIVER QUOTES | No. 20 Porsche 911 GT3 R

Fred Poordad
Road America is an exciting track with great fans and a long racing history. The track is fast and requires focus and no mistakes for a good outcome. I’m looking forward to getting back in the saddle after a two-month layoff. The team will rise to the occasion and go out there and have some fun!

Jan Heylen
It’s always fun to go back to Road America. It’s one of the classics on the schedule and it’s especially fun to drive in a high downforce car like the Porsche 911 GT3 R. I am really excited to go there in the lead of the championship and, hopefully, we can leave the weekend with another podium, extending our points lead. We’ve had a really good season so far. The Wright team, Fred, everybody’s been super consistent and we’re going to try to continue on that path. We are looking to come away with a lot of points and another podium.

GT America Powered by AWS
While the GT World Challenge competitors had an almost three-month break, the GT America championship jumped back into action earlier this month with the Music City Grand Prix in downtown Nashville. Despite contact from another car early into one of the two races there, Luck was able to navigate the Porsche through the tight course to secure two second-place finishes in the inaugural event. His double-podium weekend gave him his seventh and eighth podiums in eight races. He now leads the overall point standings as well as the Masters class by over 30 points. Wright also currently reigns in the team standings, holding the lead by five points.

The GT America races will also air live on YouTube.com/GTWorld, with race one taking place on Saturday, August 28 at 4:15 PM, followed by race two on Sunday, August 29 at 8:30 AM CT.

DRIVER QUOTE | No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R

Charlie Luck
Coming out of the Nashville street course, Road America will be totally different. There are lots of high-speed corners and driving the Porsche 911 GT3 R here for the first time means I need to adapt a lot of my techniques to this specific track. We tested here and learned a lot. I can’t wait.

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.

Subway® Partners with Stewart-Haas Racing

By
Official Release
-

World’s Largest Quick-Service Restaurant Brand Puts Eat Fresh Refresh™ on Fast Track

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (Aug. 24, 2021) – Subway® restaurants has partnered with Stewart-Haas Racing to put its Eat Fresh Refresh™ on the fast track by becoming a primary partner of the championship-winning NASCAR team.

The world’s largest quick-service restaurant brand will begin its association with Stewart-Haas Racing when it debuts on the No. 4 Ford Mustang of Kevin Harvick during the Sept. 18 NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Subway will return as a primary partner of the No. 4 team Oct. 24 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. For all other races, Subway will be an associate sponsor on the No. 4 Ford.

“Subway is proud to team up with Stewart-Haas Racing, Kevin Harvick and the No. 4 Ford to help us showcase the ongoing transformation happening at Subway restaurants across the country,” said Carrie Walsh, Chief Marketing Officer, Subway. “The track record of Stewart-Haas Racing, Kevin and the team mirrors Subway’s promises to guests of offering better choices, as well as the importance of refreshing to stay at the top of your game. We look forward to celebrating success on and off the track.”

Subway launched the Eat Fresh Refresh last month, which celebrates the biggest changes in the brand’s history, including improvements to almost every core product on the menu along with an enhanced digital and in-restaurant experience to deliver better choices every day.

The partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing reunites Subway with NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart. The “Stewart” in Stewart-Haas Racing scored the 33rd of his 49 career NASCAR Cup Series victories in a yellow-and-green Subway-sponsored racecar on Oct. 5, 2008 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. It was his last win before a refresh of his own, as he formed Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009 with machine tool magnate Gene Haas to become a driver/owner where he ultimately won his third and final NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2011.

“Sometimes you’ve got to change direction and, for me, becoming a driver/owner in the NASCAR Cup Series was exactly the refresh I needed,” Stewart said. “Quality, quickness and the ability to adapt drives everything we do at Stewart-Haas Racing. Subway operates very similarly. I admire what Subway is doing to strengthen its customer experience, from in store to online, and we’re very proud to help tell that story.”

Stewart embodies Subway’s mantra that to be fresh, you need to refresh. He is one of the most versatile racers in all of motorsports with 13 driving championships in various styles of racecars across an array of series. His business acumen matches his driving prowess, as his race teams have claimed 29 titles, three of which are by Stewart-Haas Racing – his own in 2011 and then a second via Harvick in 2014, along with a NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 2018.

“This is an exciting partnership because of the intensity and creativity of Subway’s activation plans,” said Brett Frood, President, Stewart-Haas Racing. “To have the personalities within our team leverage our synergies with Subway on a national scale is an incredible opportunity for our organization and our sport. We look forward to delivering all of Subway’s improvements to our loyal fans and beyond.”

About Subway® Restaurants:

As the world’s largest quick-service restaurant brand, Subway serves freshly made-to-order sandwiches, wraps, salads and bowls to millions of guests, across more than 100 countries in nearly 40,000 restaurants every day. Every restaurant is owned and operated by Subway franchisees – a network of more than 20,000 dedicated entrepreneurs and small business owners – who are committed to delivering the best guest experience possible in their local communities.

About Stewart-Haas Racing:

Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR team co-owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The Kannapolis, North Carolina-based organization has won two NASCAR Cup Series titles, one NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and more than 90 NASCAR races, including such crown-jewel events as the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500. For more information, please visit us online at StewartHaasRacing.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and on YouTube.

Heartbreaking End for Bridget Burgess at Irwindale Speedway

By
Official Release
-

TOOELE, UT, August 24, 2021 – Bridget Burgess and the HMH Construction Chevrolet SS headed back to Irwindale Speedway last weekend for round 5 of the ARCA Menards West Series.

The ARCA Menards West Series running the same format as the July race, kicked off with practice/qualifying midafternoon. The team worked hard through the hour and fifteen-minute session to get the setup right for race. Towards the end of the session the team switched over to a qualifying setup only to miss out going back on track by seconds, meaning Bridget would start the race in 13th position.

Irwindale Speedway always knows how to put on a show, and once again they didn’t disappoint! The teams lined up the cars under the grandstand, allowing the spectators a close-up look of the race cars and drivers that were about to put on a show. This gave Bridget a great opportunity to interact with the fans signing hero cards and taking photos before the race.

As the sun started to set over the greater Los Angeles area, the green flag waived for the start of the start of the NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by Sunrise Ford. The stacked field of 20 cars roared into action in front of a packed crowd.

The caution flag waived signaling the halfway mandatory break; Bridget headed down pit road and the team went to work on the HMH Construction Chevrolet SS making a two-tire change, fuel and adjustments on the car.

Bridget continued to improve through the race, making gains where she could, and learning to fight the challenges that were in front of her. Heartbreak came with 5 laps to go when the left rear truck arm broke after entering turn 1. Bridget did a great job locking the car down preventing any further damage to the car, but her race was done for the night falling back to a 14th place finish.

A replay of Saturday’s NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by Sunrise Ford will broadcast on NBCSN on Sunday, Aug. 29, starting at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Bridget’s next race will be the ARCA Menards West Series on the road course at Portland International Raceway on Sept. 11 in conjunction with the Indy Car and Indy Lights.

Bridget is powered by these great companies:
HMH Construction, GEARWRENCH, Rugged Radios, Cometic Gasket, Circle Track Warehouse, Ferrea Racing Components, FK Rod Ends, Fragola Performance Systems, GC Cooling Fan, GT Radial, Hawk Performance, Impact Race Products, K&N Filters, Kellerstrass, Konig, Lucas Oil, Miller Electric, ProAm, PSC Motorsports, Streamline Customer Designs, Sunoco Race Fuel, Tilton, XS Power

Facebook page: BridgetBurgess8 | Instagram: BridgetBurgess8 | Twitter: 8BridgetBurgess

CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CARS AT VENTURA RACEWAY THIS SATURDAY

By
Official Release
-
A.J. Bender photo courtesy of Lance Jenning

(Upland, CA, August 23, 2021) Thanks to Ventura Raceway promoter Jim Naylor, the California Lightning Sprint Car Series will be in action at “The Best Little Dirt Track in America,” this Saturday night, August 28th. It will be race nine for the series this year and the second of four on the picturesque track located adjacent to the beach on the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

The CLS was originally slated to race at the Santa Maria Raceway on Saturday, but when the track ceased operations two weeks ago, it left a hole on the schedule. CLS official Dick Hindman contacted Naylor after the cancelation and the longtime track promoter graciously agreed to host the CLS on the night. Also on the program will be the VRA Sprints, VRA Senior Sprints, Dwarf Cars, IMCA Modifieds, WMR Midgets, IMCA Mod Lites and TQ Midgets.

In the only other appearance of the CLS at Ventura this year, San Diego’s A.J. Bender won the main event. It was the second of his current series leading three main event victories in 2021. Yucca Valley’s Jeff Dyer, James Turnbull of Indio, five-time series champion Bobby Michnowicz of Oak Hills and Lakewood’s Aiden Lange rounded out the top five on that night.

Turnbull goes into Saturday’s race with a healthy 70-point lead over series leading rookie Dave Gasper in the championship point standings. Gasper was in second late in the race at Santa Maria on July 24th when his left rear wheel came off. The setback did not haunt the Santa Barbara teenager for long as two weeks later, he won his first ever CLS main event in the “Civil War Series” at the Merced Speedway.

Following Turnbull and Gasper in the top five in points going into this week’s race are Palmdale’s Eric Greco, who has two wins this year, Michnowicz, who has one win and Gardena’s Dominic Del Monte.

For fans who would like to attend Saturday’s race on “The Best Little Dirt Track In America,” spectator gates will open at 3:30 and the first race will be at 5:30. The track is located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 W. Harbor Boulevard (93001). The website is http://venturaraceway.com/ and the office phone number is (805) 648-RACE.

The CLS would like to thank 2021 series sponsors Hoosier Tires, T Shirts By Timeless, TJ Forged Racing Wheels, and Walker Performance Filtration. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, please call Alex Grigoreas at (909) 437-3170.

To keep up with the CLS online, please visit the website at http://racecls.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/californialightningsprints/

2021 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Point Standings

  1. James Turnbull – Indio, CA – 917
  2. Dave Gasper ® – Santa Barbara, CA – 847
  3. Eric Greco – Palmdale, CA – 836
  4. Bobby Michnowicz – Oak Hills, CA – 694
  5. Dominic Del Monte – Gardena, CA – 678
  6. Jeff Dyer – Yucca Valley, CA – 672
  7. A.J. Bender – San Diego, CA – 623
  8. Jon Robertson – Torrance, CA – 548
  9. Aiden Lange – Lakewood, CA – 486
  10. Pat Kelley – Chino, CA – 471

CLS/BCRA Civil War Series Point Standings

  1. Dave Gasper – CLS – 259
  2. James Turnbull – CLS – 213
  3. Eric Greco – CLS – 212
  4. Dominic Del Monte – 204
  5. Brandon Leedy – BCRA – 202
  6. Hunter Kinney – BCRA – 195
  7. Josef Ferolito – BCRA – 157
  8. Aiden Lange – CLS – 152
  9. Danika Jo Parker – BCRA – 151
  10. Bobby Michnowicz – CLS – 133

2021 California Lightning Sprint Car Series Schedule

March 13 Bakersfield Speedway – Eric Greco

April 10 Bakersfield Speedway – Bobby Michnowicz

April 24 Merced Speedway (Wayne Albright Memorial – Round #1 of the Civil War Series with BCRA – Wingless) – James Turnbull

May 15 Bakersfield Speedway – A.J. Bender

June 5 Ventura Raceway – A.J. Bender

June 19 Keller Auto Speedway (Hanford) – Postponed due to heat.

July 3 Santa Maria Speedway – Eric Greco

July 24 Santa Maria Speedway (Wing Madness #1) Santa Maria – A.J. Bender

August 7 Merced Speedway (Civil War Series #2 with BCRA – Winged) – Dave Gasper

August 28 Ventura Raceway

September 18 Bakersfield Speedway (Civil War #3 with BCRA – Winged)

September 19 The Dirt Track At Kern County Raceway Park

October 2 Ventura Raceway

October 30 Ventura Raceway

November 16 Bakersfield Speedway (Civil War #4 with BCRA – Winged and Western States Lightning Sprint Car Championship)

November 18 Placerville Speedway Hangtown 100 – (Co sanctioned with BCRA and in companion with the USAC National Midgets)

November 19 Placerville Speedway Hangtown 100 – (Co sanctioned with BCRA and in companion with the USAC National Midgets)

November 20 Placerville Speedway Hangtown 100 – (Co sanctioned with BCRA and in companion with the USAC National Midgets)

The schedule is subject to change due to Covid restrictions.

PAST CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS

1994 Tony Everhart

1995 Gary Sexton

1996 Rob Sczymczak

1997 Jon Rahe

1998 Chris Rahe

1999 Brent Sexton

2000 Greg Bragg

2001 Greg Bragg

2002 Greg Bragg

2003 David Cardey

2004 Keith Janca

2005 Johnny Bates

2006 Donny Gansen

2007 Shane Rossen

2008 Brent Sexton

2009 Stuart Hielschier Sr.

2010 Jarrett Kramer

2011 Tim Brown

2012 Bobby Michnowicz

2013 Stephen Limon

2014 Bobby Michnowicz

2015 Bobby Michnowicz

2016 Bobby Michnowicz

2017 Bobby Michnowicz

2018 Jarrett Kramer

2019 Jarrett Kramer

How to Choose the Right Auto Body Repair Shop and Save a Packet

By
SM
-
Photo by whereslugo on Unsplash

Even if you are a responsible driver, you may still be involved in an accident due to poor road conditions or others’ irresponsible driving, leaving your car damaged. When it happens, you need to get your vehicle repaired quickly and competently. While choosing the right auto body repair workshop should be simple, it unfortunately isn’t, as both cost and time estimates can vary widely. Some tips to make a wise choice:

Ask For Recommendations

Not only can any business advertise, but they will also only say good things about themselves. A better way to choose a good body shop is to ask family, relatives, friends, and acquaintances for recommendations. In many cases, you can find a small, unknown shop that does a good job without charging you the earth. Some of the best workshops are family-owned, with the owner himself working on the cars with great passion.

If you want to understand repairs before you agree to them, online resources that let you read more on Ford repair manuals can make conversations with a mechanic much clearer. With that background knowledge, you can compare estimates, ask sharper questions, and feel more confident about leaving your car in a particular shop’s hands.

Get a Value-For-Money Estimate

Estimates from different body repair shops can vary widely because the number of hours and the hourly labor rate can differ significantly. The labor rate depends on the demand for services and the level of affluence in the area in which the workshop is located. The rate of one shop can easily be double that of another. Typically, large workshops have more infrastructural and staff overheads that lead to heftier bills. Try to choose an auto body repair Lubbock Texas that follows and charges for the industry-accepted number of hours for specific repair jobs rather than all-inclusive general estimates without any basis.

Compare Multiple Estimates

Take the effort of showing your car to several workshops for estimates so that you can figure out what a reasonable estimate might be. Huffington Post recommends you get estimates from at least three workshops. Important as it is to avoid being overcharged, you should not automatically settle for the lowest estimate, because if it is really low, it might not allow for good-quality repairs. Even with high-quality repairs, the financial impact of a collision goes beyond the repair bill. Many owners do not realize how much a car lost value after accident until they try to sell or trade it in later. This drop in market price happens because a vehicle with a damage history is worth less than one that is original. Getting a professional appraisal helps you understand this hidden cost and provides documentation for insurance claims. It is a smart step to take while your car is still in the shop or right after the work is done.

Ask Relevant Questions

Find out whether they offer a written warranty, what it covers, and its duration. Insist on at least a 1-year warranty, but beware of shops offering lifetime warranties, as they are unrealistic. Also, check whether the workshop has adequate theft and fire insurance to ensure your car is covered. Verify that their business license is valid and that they have been in business for a reasonable period. Find out if the replacement parts they will use are new from OEM, aftermarket, or used and refurbished. If your car is old, it can be worthwhile to go in for used parts if you get a significant cost advantage. Please confirm how many coats of paint and the clear coat will be applied, and whether they guarantee a good match with the original color.

Conclusion 

Even after going through all the steps enumerated above, you should give your car to a workshop that gives you the right vibes. Avoid workshops that have lazy, indifferent, or arrogant staff and that do not seem neat, organized, or professional. In lieu of this, consider taking your vehicle to reliable auto body shops St George offers, as they are known for their experienced staff and high-quality services.

1...2,4102,4112,412...6,760Page 2,411 of 6,760