Ford Performance NASCAR: Spirit of Ford Winner Mose Nowland Was One of a Kind

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August 14, 2021

SPIRIT OF FORD WINNER MOSE NOWLAND WAS ONE OF A KIND
By Ford Performance Staff

Dan Gurney, A.J. Foyt, Ken Miles, Jim Clark, Carroll Shelby, Mose Nowland.

Chances are you’ve heard of the first five men on this list, but if it weren’t for the sixth, there’s a likelihood that none of them would have had as much success as they did in their legendary careers.

Thankfully, Nowland, who passed away August 13th at the age of 87, was the brains under the hood that kept Ford racing engines in a variety of different disciplines humming throughout a distinguished 57-year career.

“Mose was not just a friend, but someone who embodied the true spirt of our Ford racing program, said Edsel B. Ford II, a long-time supporter of Ford’s racing efforts. “He always met a challenge head on with a humble, can-do spirit that helped Ford win some of the greatest races in the world. After all his years at Ford, Mose dedicated his talent to help restore Clara and Henry Ford’s home — Fair Lane. I know my great grandparents are grateful. He will be missed in so many ways.”

Nowland got his first job at Ford in 1955 working on engine development, but was almost immediately drafted into the military and was forced to leave for a two-year tour. Upon returning to the company, he quickly established himself as one of Ford’s go-to persons for all things engine-related in racing.

It started in 1963 when he played a leading role in developing the “Cammer” engine that eventually carried Clark to Ford’s first Indianapolis 500 victory in 1965, and continued the following year when he helped Shelby and Ford win the first of two straight in the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In fact, if it wasn’t for the expertise and ingenuity of Nowland, Ford’s first win in the iconic endurance race may not have happened in 1966 and the legendary story that is Ford v. Ferrari would not have materialized the way it did.

That’s because two days before the Ford GTs were to be shipped to France, an oil leak was discovered between the engine block and heads. It turns out the engine build team had run out of a special kind of twine that, in conjunction with a sealer, prevented the issue from occurring.

Nowland was informed of the problem and quickly theorized that a specific fishing line might serve as a reliable substitute. While in Charlotte inspecting engines on the Holman-Moody GT40s, he went to a local fishing store and bought out the entire supply of the fishing line needed. Sure enough, his creative solution worked and for the next 48 hours, after flying cross country and personally rebuilding the engines on no sleep at Holman-Moody and Shelby American, the cars were off to the race where they finished 1-2-3.

It wasn’t until halfway across the Atlantic Ocean on the way to France, Nowland realized “I was the last person to touch those engines. I’m not sure I relaxed after that until the checkered flag flew.”

As a momento of his whirlwind experience, which included staying awake and being on call for the entire duration of the race, Nowland couldn’t resist climbing up on the roof and taking the French flag that had been hanging over the team’s pit box as a souvenir. It turned out to be the only race souvenir he ever accumulated in more than 50 years with the company.

Nowland brought the French flag out of storage in 2016, and it returned with Ford to Le Mans, where the company once again captured victory, 50 years to the day of the first win.

“Mose was a legend in our Ford Performance world even today,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “The Ford victories he had a hand in during his career are things that anyone involved in the sport can only dream of. I’m grateful that I got a chance to meet him and all of us in the racing program are grateful for his contributions to our legacy.”

Nowland was a true genius when it came to engines and after those historic victories that still serve as a big source of pride for the company decades later, he helped fuel Ford’s return to prominence in NASCAR when the company returned to the sport in 1981.

“If you had a problem, there was nowhere else in the program that you went in that period of time but Mose Nowland,” said noted engine builder Ernie Elliott, who, along with brothers Dan and Bill, took the sport by storm in the eighties and won the championship with their No. 9 Ford Thunderbird in 1988. “No matter what the task was he was not afraid to get his hands dirty. He would listen to you and pay attention to the problems but wanted to see what the issues were himself.

“I think that was a big key because once he saw and understood what you were battling then he would go to bat for you and not let up until that particular part was done,” continued Elliott. “He was a true pleasure to work with and absolutely ranks as one of the best engineers I’ve ever worked with in my life.”

“Mose Nowland was a kind and caring gentleman that will be greatly missed,” said Doug Yates, CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “For 57 years Mose was part of the Ford family and led the way for Ford in racing. He was the original Ford “engine man” leading Ford’s efforts to win Le Mans and he led every Ford Racing initiative from Le Mans to Indy car to NHRA and, ultimately, to NASCAR where he helped us win races and championships every step of the way.

“Mose made every cylinder block, cylinder head and intake manifold that we raced until he retired from racing full time. He created a lasting legacy that everyone at Roush Yates is proud to carry forward. He will be missed but never forgotten.”

It was Nowland’s humbleness and calm demeanor that endeared him to everyone he crossed paths with and whereas he was viewed as a big deal by many of his contemporaries, he never viewed himself that way. In fact, he was so respectful that he often referred to people who would be considered friends in a formal sense. It was Mr. Ford or Mr. Gurney or Mr. Foyt.

It was 2005 and the annual NASCAR Cup Series Banquet was being held at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. Nowland and his wife, Marcia, had been invited to attend as part of the Ford contingent, but he didn’t understand why. It wasn’t until he was surprised at a pre-banquet reception with the Spirit of Ford Award on his 50th anniversary with the company, that the reason became clear.

In true Nowland fashion, he acted as if he was not deserving of Ford’s highest honor in racing, which recognizes lifetime achievement and contributions to the industry on and off the track. Tears welled up in his eyes and while he struggled to find words to express his appreciation, the look on his face made it clear to everyone in attendance just how much it meant.

Nowland officially retired from Ford in 2012, but he never stopped tinkering and making things with his hands. He immediately started volunteering at the Henry Ford Museum and the Ford Estate at Fair Lane in Dearborn, replicating parts and pieces that had long ago been discontinued.

“When he went to work at the Henry Ford Museum, we would always go and look through the windows in the back to see if he was there and then he would come out and talk to us,” recalled Len Wood, who, along with his brother Eddie, has carried on the Wood Brothers racing legacy the last five decades. “He’s one of those guys that could do anything. One of the last things I saw him making was a candlestick to match something that was 75 years old. He was making it out of a bar of bronze or something like that, but he had to heat it to color and age it. You just don’t find people like that every day. He was quite a fellow.”

Indeed, he was.

God Speed, Mr. Nowland.

CHEVY NCS AT THE BRICKYARD: Post Practice Notes & Quotes

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Official Release

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August 14, 2021

NASCAR CUP SERIES
VERIZON 200 AT THE BRICKYARD
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRACTICE NOTES & QUOTES
AUGUST 14, 2021

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 2nd in Practice
“In practice, we had some issues with drive, so we tried to work on those. I feel like we got our car better. I thought the car was fine. It just took me time to get up to speed once the car was kind of there for me. I think the high-speed corners, like four and five are difficult. You’ve really got to kind of position yourself well because those curbs come up quick. It is pretty fun.”

HOW DOES THIS ROAD COURSE COMPARE TO OTHERS ON THE SCHEDULE?
“It’s not too bad. It’s flat. There is not a bunch of elevation change, so with the weather, it’s pretty easy this weekend.

THIS IS THE 6th OF SEVEN ROAD COURSES THIS YEAR. DO YOU HAVE ANY ROAD COURSE FATIGUE AT THIS POINT?
I don’t feel like we need more of them. I think seven is plenty. I think the NextGen car is going to make the courses better as a driver, they might be a little more spread out because they’re going to be easier to drive. I feel like the cars right now are really hard to drive. There is a lot of brake lock-up. The cars don’t stop well. They don’t turn well. So, you see a lot of accidents. Next year you might see less of that because the car is going to be easier to brake and shift and you won’t have as many mechanical issues.”

PHYSICALLY, DO YOU FEEL ANY DIFFERENT THIS YEAR BECAUSE YOU’VE HAD SO MANY ROAD COURSE RACES?
“Yeah, it’s definitely not as hard as it used to be. I think you used to come to the road courses and be kind of worn out and a lot of guys would kind of be falling out of the seat towards the end of the race. And I don’t think that’s a thing as much now. We’re pretty used to it. Every time we come back from a break from a road course, and I go to one, my right arm is always sore on Mondays from shifting so much. But none of that this weekend. We are kind of used to it.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 3rd in Practice
WHAT ARE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE ROAD COURSE TODAY DURING PRACTICE?
“I really enjoyed it. I thought it was flowy and then you had some hard braking zones and stuff. So, I thought it was a pretty fun track. I seemed to adapt to it pretty quickly, so my HendrickCars.com Chevy felt really good and I was definitely pleased.”

WHERE DO YOU THINK THE ACTION TURNS ARE GOING TO BE?
“I think (Turn) 1 and 12 I think would be a good passing zone. It’s fun and I think after we get out there and get closer around people, we’ll have a better understanding.”

ON THE UPCOMING PLAYOFFS
“We’re really just taking it week by week at this point. We’re just focused on trying to edge out Denny Hamlin for the regular season points there, but it’s been cool to be competitive every week. I’ve always dreamed of this type of season where I’ve got one of the fastest cars each week. We’ve been able to win a lot and I hope we can win even more.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW MOBILITY SCIENCE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 13th in Practice
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE NASCAR/INDYCAR COMBINED WEEKEND? DO YOU LIKE THE IDEA?
“Yeah, I think so. I wish it was at the Oval but it’s cool to have all three series here and to see INDYCAR, Xfinity and Cup. It’s just a great weekend of racing.”

ON THE PRE-RACE SIMULATOR SESSIONS
“I think it was pretty good. I think we were 13th in practice. I was pretty happy with that. Long run speed wasn’t as good as I’d like it to be but fire off, which is unusual for me at a road course, and we had some of that. So, we’ll just keep working. The corners here are very challenging in the fact that when you make some of the infield better, it’s hard getting back up onto the big track. I’m just trying to figure out what we need to do to make the car a little better in the higher speed sections to just help set-up for passing, because if you don’t get off of there, you’re not really going to pass anybody.”

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 42 CLOVER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 19th in Practice
“Practice at Indy is all wrapped up. We just took a group picture of all the Chip Ganassi Racing INDYCAR guys and NASCAR Cup guys. Kurt (Busch) and I are both struggling with the same problems. This is a new course for the Cup guys. We are working through all the first time set-up and changes we want to make, so we’re glad we got that hour or so of practice.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 22nd in Practice
ON THE DOUBLEHEADER RACE WEEKEND
“It’s cool being here with the INDYCAR guys. It’s obviously two completely different worlds.”

GIVEN YOUR OPEN WHEEL BACKGROUND, DID YOU EVER HAVE A DESIRE TO WANT TO DO INDYCAR AT ALL?
“I’d race a lawnmower, right? So, I’ll drive anything. Not really. There were really never any opportunities to go that direction. The USAC opportunities to go that direction all came after I had already gone stock car racing. So, I’ve never really thought about it, honestly.”

ON THE PRACTICE SESSION:
“It was fun. It’s technical and tough. I’m not the best on the road courses, so I’m just trying to piece it all together and learn what I can. But I feel like we have a pretty good race car and we should be pretty decent tomorrow.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 23rd in Practice
ON SUBBING FOR MICHAEL ANNETT IN XFINITY SERIES, WERE YOU COMFORTABLE IN PRACTICE OR DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES?
“We’re kind of working through it, obviously really last minute, unfortunately, on that. We hope the best for Michael. We hate to see him not drive his car. But from my end, I obviously felt like it was a chance to get some more laps and kind of hard to turn that down at a new track.”

DID YOU GET THE CALL THIS MORNING ON THAT?
“Yeah, I did. At like 8 o’clock. It was pretty last minute.”

ON NASCAR CUP PRACTICE TODAY
“I didn’t feel very good, personally. I feel like I was doing a poor job just kind of slow and not in a good rhythm. I feel like I have a lot of work to do. I don’t feel like our car is all that bad. When I have a good lap or hit a good corner, I feel like I get rewarded for it, which is good. But I just have not put together a solid lap, and certainly not two or three in a row.”

IS IT A BIG DEAL FOR YOU TO NOT RACE ON THE OVAL THIS YEAR?
“It’s different, but it’s not the end of the world to me. We’re still at Indy and we’re still racing here. I guess at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter too much, does it?

ARE THE CURBS IN THE RIGHT SPOTS OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE CHANGES?
“I think they are fine. Most all of them are toward the back side of the actual rumble strip. You would be almost in the grass anyway. It might take away a little bit of road but you’re not talking much. Those things are big, for sure. We saw that at COTA.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 28th in Practice
ON THE ROAD COURSE
“It’s a fun course and it’s an historic feel, which is something cool for our series and to be going down the front straightaway the opposite direction ties in the old school F-1 days like when they came here in early 2000. That’s kind of the feel of everything. And then to have INDYCAR, Xfinity, and Cup…..everybody here, it’s like the whole motorsports fraternity hanging out and it’s really neat to see everybody’s smiles. It’s a lot of emotions today.”

DO YOU FEEL ROAD COURSE FATIGUE WITH SO MANY ROAD COURSE RACES THIS YEAR?
“Next year’s car is going to really adapt to the road courses much better than these are. And so, you’ve just got to get ready for it and yeah, it’s like braking markers. Like I’ve got to go find this one and remember it’s not that one. So, there’s a lot of road course action, but it’s motorsport. You’ve got to jump in with both feet.”

ARE THE ORANGE CURBS IN THE RIGHT SPOTS OR DO THEY NEED TO BE CHANGED?
“Nope. Those are fine. It keeps us out of the grass and keeps us from packing our grills full of grass. There are different reasons why NASCAR does things and you’ve just got to absorb it.”

BEING WITH GANASSI RACING, HOW HAS IT HELPED TO HAVE INDYCAR DRIVERS HELP PREPARE YOU FOR THIS WEEKEND?
“There hasn’t been much back and forth, but it was really cool just going to Victory Lane. I was just there taking a picture with all the Ganassi guys. It was a cool Ganassi fraternity shot here in 2021.”

WOULD YOU RATHER BE RACING ON THE OVAL THAN THE ROAD COURSE THIS WEEKEND?
“You have to enjoy wherever they tell you to go. I’m here at Indy’s Road Course. It’s fun. It’s refreshing. It’s new. We’ve done a lot of new road courses this year and it’s just a different phase in NASCAR’s era.”
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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Toyota Racing – NCS Indianapolis Post-Practice Quotes – 08.14.21

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Official Release

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August 14, 2021

Toyota Racing – Post-Practice Media Availability
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

INDIANAPOLIS (August 14, 2021) – Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Christopher Bell made available to media after practice for the Indianapolis race today:

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How was it going backwards at Indianapolis Motor Speedway?

“It’s a fun track. It’s got some good passing zones, so it’s good so far.”

What do you think of the NASCAR/INDYCAR doubleheader?

“I like it. I definitely think it gives the fans the opportunity to see two different types of series in one weekend, so I do like it.”

Is it something you would like to see continue?

“Sure, I don’t see why not.”

This is the sixth of seven road courses. Any road course fatigue?

“You just get more reps doing it. I think everybody just keeps getting better with all the road courses that we have especially back-to-back. You just get more reps, so as you can see the field is just tighter together.”

Is it better to have them together?

“It’s neither here nor there for me. I’m sure that one is better than the other, but from a driver’s standpoint you feel you get into reps, and you understand what you need, and you are not thinking about the next road course two months from now, so it certainly allows you to focus on it.”

You got off track earlier today, was there anything that surprised you about the course?

“Not really. It all kind of laid out exactly how I thought. I was just pushing the braking zones further until I found my limit. Well, I found it.”

How much pressure are you putting on yourself to get some bonus points before the end of the season?

“We are just every week – trying to win the week in whatever stage we are in, so every week we are pushing as hard as we can. We can’t put any more emphasis than we already have now.”

Are you relieved to get back to known racetracks after this one?

“We’ve got all of these interesting road courses throughout the season. They’ve all been great in their own way, but still the bulk of the season and the championship is going through the same tracks we’ve had in the past.”

If someone told you starting the season that you wouldn’t have a win yet, would you have believed them?

“Not really. It’s not for a lack of being competitive. Of the guys that won a lot of races last year, we are by far the most competitive and we are in the top-five more than anyone else. We just haven’t had anything break our way yet. Some of it was our fault, some of it wasn’t our fault. It just hasn’t happened, but we are a competitive team that can win each and every week.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Mix Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Do you like having road courses back-to-back?

“I’ve had blistering issues over the years, but thankfully last week I was fine with that and didn’t have any issues. It helps coming into this week not having that, but I was concerned about it at the start of the year.”

Are you a fan of the NASCAR/INDYCAR doubleheader?

“We will find out more a little bit later and see what it looks like tomorrow. To me, it doesn’t make any difference, it’s just disappointing that we are on the road course instead of the oval in my opinion. I think the history is all built around the oval and the road course was built for Formula1 to come here and take part of the history and now we are all racing on it because it’s here and the oval stinks.”

Does that make your oval wins that much more special?

“Probably to the guys that have won here, they would say yes, and to the guys that haven’t won here – they would say no.”

How did the road course feel?

“It was fine, just slick a little bit, trying to find the grip to it all and make speed. We didn’t really do a very good job of that.”

Did knowing that you would be on a track with INDYCAR rubber effect how you prepared?

“No, not really. We were not really sure how it was going to impact the cars because we never have done it before, and the Xfinity guys talked about how they started a little bit tight and then as the rubber wore off it got looser. All we did is go looser the whole time.”

As you close in on the Playoffs, what is the most important goal in your mind?

“Winning, no different than any other part of the year. You want to win. You want to pick up those bonus points and get yourself a little bit better situated for the Playoff run. I feel like we are a little bit behind on that. We are not terrible. We are way ahead of where we were last year, but it would certainly be nice to have one or two more wins and call it two or three more stage point, I think we would be good with that.”

Are you glad all of the new tracks are behind you at this point?

“Yes and no. It’s fine. New tracks are new tracks. It’s no big deal. In a perfect world, I’d say throw out Talladega and the ROVAL in the Playoffs so we wouldn’t have to go through those, but that’s not going to happen so those are definitely two wild cards for us for sure.”

Do they need to make any changes to the curbs they put in?
“I felt like they were really aggressively placed before we got here, and since they moved them, I feel like they have put them in a good spot. Besides turn 10, the curb is still out to the racetrack. They could probably move that one back about two feet, but it’s fine.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance/MTJF Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

What are your first impressions of this road course?
“I’m liking it. Coming to Indianapolis has always been special. It’s been a struggle for us over the year. I’ve not been very lucky, so I’m not opposed to have the road course here. The Auto-Owners Toyota Camry was really fast. We ended up first, and I’m really happy with the car. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and see what it brings.”

What are your feelings watching these two sports come together?

“It feels great so far. We will have to see how it turns out, but I’ve never been to an INDYCAR race myself, so I’m looking forward to watching some this afternoon. Find a new spot in the infield, maybe ride around and check out a few different turns, but it’s definitely fun to be doing this for the first time.”

Physically, have you felt any different this season with so many road courses?

“Not really anything that sticks out. I’ve always felt pretty much comfortable on road courses, not really having any issues with being sore afterwards or feeling things that I wouldn’t on an oval. I would say no.”

How has it been this season having all of these road courses?

“It’s been fun. We’ve enjoyed them a lot. We’ve been really competitive in all of them but lacking that win though. I really thought coming into this year all of the road courses would be good to us and I feel like they have from a points standpoint for sure, but just haven’t quite been able to get that win. We need to find a little bit of speed and I feel like we have it today. We were right there with the best cars. I don’t know. We’ve never raced here, so we don’t know what’s it going to do in 20 or 30 lap run, so a little bit of a question on that, but I’m feeling good on our speed so far. Hopefully we can go have a good day tomorrow.”

Watkins Glen was a quick and clean race, should we expect the same for this weekend?

“I think Watkins Glen is so fast that you get separated because of the aero situation and just trying to find grip. It’s not one of those places where it’s easy to make mistakes. You have plenty of run off room if you get into the corner too hard. There’s not really a whole lot of grass to get into except for the bus stop if you really screw up. It’s hard to say. I think here you’ve got guys slipping off, getting in the grass, getting stopped, spun out, whatever. A lot of switchback turns, slower stuff, where I think there will be more contact – especially on restarts.”

You did the special diecast this weekend for this scheme. I would imagine those went pretty quickly.

“It was pretty amazing. I think it was a new record – seven minutes, they were gone. I think within the first five minutes, there was 600 people on the site trying to buy them. Unbelievable support we get for the foundation. We couldn’t do what we do without all of the support from the fans.”

Are you excited going into the Playoffs?

“I’m feeling good about things. Nothing I don’t think to be crazy worried about. I don’t get too stressed out any more about these things. I’m ready to roll.”

What do you want the team to focus on to be one of those four cars in Phoenix?

“To be consistent each week and bring home a few wins along the way. That’s what we’ve done this year and that’s what it takes to make the final four. Number one rule is always don’t beat yourself. If we do what we are capable of, I think we can get there no problem. No mistakes. We are going to try to get some stage points in every race, and hopefully get a few wins to make the rounds a little easier.”

What is there to be said about back-to-back road courses? That’s never happened before.

“I’ve been excited about it in the off-season. Coming into the year, I was excited about new tracks, especially new road courses. I really enjoy new road courses, learning them is a lot of fun. I don’t think any of the road course that we’ve been on this year have disappointed. They’ve put on great races, and they are a lot of fun to race on. It’s been tricky to learn – just a short period of time. It’s all really simulator time. It’s all just more homework, because 50 minutes practice to learn 14 turns isn’t the easiest thing in the world, and by the way, if you screw up, your team is yelling at you. It’s just a lot of preparation, but a lot of fun. I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been good for us. We are really successful on the road courses. Just haven’t won at any of them yet. We’ve been really close. I feel like we are right there each and every week. Hopefully tomorrow’s our day.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 STANLEY Security Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Did you get Larson’s call and purposely avoid it?

“In my opinion, if Larson really wanted to talk to me, he would have called me to talk to me. I received a text message at midnight that said ‘sorry, hate I spun you.’ I’ve sent out apology texts and calls in my day, and if I really want to talk to you about it, I called the person and handled it that way, if I couldn’t talk to them in person.”

Do you have any urge to want to talk to him?

“No, I was really moved on at that point. The on-track incident – I wasn’t happy about it – but it was fine, and then whenever he went on cried to the media about me not texting him back from the text message I got at midnight, I called him to discuss that part of it and he didn’t answer my call and he called me back and I had some obligations, and I didn’t pick up either. On-track incident, whatever. Him crying to the media that I didn’t reply to his sorry text message, like, come on.”

Do you race him any differently going forward?
“We always race each other extremely hard. I don’t know if it’s really going to change anything.”

Do you feel like you guys are rivals or colleagues? How do you describe you and (Kyle) Larson’s relationship?

“He’s just another guy, another competitor out there.”

Did this cross a line with how you guys have been in the past?

“Did this cross a line? The on-track incident – no. It did not cross a line. Him going to the media complaining that I didn’t respond – yes, I would say that crossed a line.”

Have you gone back and reviewed that tape of the incident? Does your view on it change?

“I went back and looked at in on SMT, which is real data, and I was a car length and a half above the normal bottom line. That was compared to my normal bottom line and his normal bottom line, so that’s what I’ve got to say.”

So, you feel like it’s more on him than on you?

“Yes, he hit me and spun me out. I left him a lane and a half to not do that.”

Have you ever had an incident like this where you haven’t been able to communicate with one another?

“I mean, no, it’s not really new. The only thing I really have to go off of is my past experiences. We’ve all got into on-track incidents, but never have I ever sent a text message at midnight and complained that the guy didn’t message me back. Like first off, I will always try to make an effort to talk to them face to face, or if I can’t talk to them face to face, call them and more than likely leave a voicemail. If I really want to talk about it and I feel like it needs to be discussed, i will tell them to call me back, or whatever. I didn’t really think that needed to be discussed or talked about. He did send me a text message, albeit at midnight, and I was moved on from the on-track incident and then him running his mouth is a little uncalled for, but it is what it is.”

So, you were asleep when the text message came through?

“I was asleep. I didn’t even see it till the next day. It’s very frustrating to hear that (Kyle) Larson has called me and I’m not answering the phone when that’s so far from the truth. If he really wants to talk about it, I’ll be glad to talk about it, but it is what it is.”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this upset.

“The on-track incident is a quarter of the story, 10 percent of the story.”

Could this be a rivalry that we are watching over the next 10-15 years?

“He’s really talented. He’s going to be around for a while, and I hope that I’m around for a while driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. I’ve got really good cars. He’s got really good cars at Hendrick. I think, hopefully, it’s going to be around for a while.”

Is this built-up tension over the last couple years?

“No. We’ve raced against each other for close to 10 years, so no, it’s not built-up tension.”

What’s the majority of this story?

“It’s all him going to the media and telling half of the story and complaining that I’m not replying to him and I’m not answering his phone calls, when, yeah, I didn’t respond to a text message I got from him at midnight, but he made zero effort to call me and talk about it.”

He pretty much said that he felt like any professional would respond.

“Well, I’ve apologized to a lot of professionals and very, very rarely – if ever – have I ever gotten a text message back – if I send a text message, and my text messages aren’t going to come at midnight either.”

How’s your car?
“I think our Stanley Camry is competitive. I think we will be a factor on Sunday. After the last couple of weeks, I kind of expected to be the favorite coming in and after practice, I don’t necessarily think that we are the favorite, but I do think that we will be competitive.”

Is it the handling?

“Yeah, definitely handling, just trying to get the balance right. The corners are all flat, so it’s a matter of getting the car to turn but still have drive off. We just haven’t quite hit it yet.”

Anything about the course surprise you?

“Actually, the switchback/chicane surprised me. It was probably a little bit easier.”

Which one is that?

“(Turns) five, six, I think. In our simulation, it was a lot more grip limited, and you had to be off throttle, and today we were running right through it.”

Do you like doing back-to-back road course races?

“It definitely helps us get into a rhythm and probably makes everyone a little bit more competitive because you are not getting up to speed, you are already up to speed and it’s just about fine-tuning stuff. It’s been fun. The road courses have been good to me, so I like them.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands plus our 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 47,000 in North America. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.

Through its Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Cup Drivers Media Availability

By

Official Release

-

August 14, 2021

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series — Verizon 200 at the Brickyard
Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Saturday, August 15, 2021

Ford drivers in the top-15 of the NASCAR Cup Series point standings, met with members of the media following practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Saturday afternoon.

KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Unibet Ford Mustang — YOU WON HERE LAST YEAR, BUT IT IS A DIFFERENT TRACK THIS YEAR. TALK ABOUT THAT DIFFERENCE. “The difference in track? It is definitely not the same Indianapolis. This place is built off the history of the oval. For me growing up as a kid, this is where I wanted to race. To come here and race on the road course is a little bit degrading I guess you could say. For us, it is another race that you go out and do the best you can. I don’t own the racetrack, so I don’t make those decisions. We just go race as hard as we can and see where it falls.”

HOW DO YOU LIKE SHARING THE WEEKEND WITH INDYCAR? “I think we should rotate. I think we should go oval, road course, oval, road course. I think it is fine.”

YOU SAID YOU GREW UP WANTING TO RACE HERE. WHAT MAKES INDY FANS SO GREAT AND HAVING A DOUBLE DOSE OF THEM THIS WEEKEND? “Indy fans are race fans. They are the heart of race fans. I think for me, you understand the knowledge and the fans in Indianapolis understand the history of motorsports in general. As you go across the country, Indy is a little different because the fans are so knowledgeable here and so supportive of racing in general.”

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT HERE ON SUNDAY? WILL IT BE MORE DRAMATIC? “I am probably the wrong person to ask. I think that the road course is different. I think you are going to have road course stuff happen. It is a relatively short road course with a lot of really slow parking lot corners. You just have to kind of manage those types of corners differently than you did at a place like Watkins Glen. It will definitely be different. Not saying that I like it, but it is different.”

YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO THROW UP WHEN YOU CAME THROUGH THE TUNNEL. DID YOU THROW UP YESTERDAY OR WERE YOU OKAY? “I wanted to throw up. It is like I told Dustin yesterday. I have lived through the years of taking the Southern 500 and taking a race away from Darlington, taking a crown jewel race away because you thought it wasn’t what you needed to be doing. That part of me is never going to go away.”

DO YOU LIKE HAVING ALL THE ROAD COURSES OR HAVE WE REACHED A LIMIT? “I think we should take different ovals. I think every road course we have added took one of our better tracks away for each race.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang — THIS INDYCAR AND NASCAR DOUBLE-HEADER, WHAT DO YOU THINK? “I think about it more for the fans than I do for me. It is something new and exciting and we are seeing a lot of different new ideas that are fun to work through and be a part of. I think it is good. It is good to break it up a little bit.”

DO YOU LIKE THIS? DO YOU WANT TO SEE IT ON A REGULAR BASIS, RACING THE ROAD COURSE HERE? “I think this could maybe be its own tradition. It seems like whenever there is a good idea, everyone in the sport tries to copy it until they ruin it. No, just let one track have it. Let them enjoy it. Whether it was the road course at Charlotte or whatever it might be. We can’t let one person have a good idea, we all have to copy it.”

IS THIS THE RIGHT TRACK FOR THIS DOUBLE-HEADER? “Yeah, with Roger (Penske), if there is a place to do this, it makes sense to be here.”

IS IT GOOD HAVING THE ROAD COURSES BACK TO BACK? “A little bit. When you do it more you just get better at it. I have a long ways to go to get where I want to be at it but having weeks of consistency with it helps you as a driver to get in a rhythm. I am a little concerned about having so many road courses on the schedule but if they are going to be on the schedule, making them so close together I guess makes sense.”

WHAT ARE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THIS ROAD COURSE NOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN OUT THERE? “It is different. It has its own flavor to it. All road courses have their own flavor but this one has the feel of an F1 track where some of them are just road courses. This one is really well done from that perspective and clean and nice.”

ANYTHING SURPRISE YOU ABOUT IT? “Not really, no.”

ROGER SAY ANYTHING TO YOU ABOUT WHAT THIS WEEKEND MEANS TO HIM? “I think it is one of those things that he doesn’t have to say. When you come to Indy, everyone knows there is a little bit more emphasis.”

DO YOU EXPECT TO SEE MORE COMBOS? “Hard to say. I don’t have any indications that there would be any more but I also have some reality that if this does go over real well that other tracks will try to copy it.”

HAVE YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO INTERACT WITH ANY OF THE INDYCAR DRIVERS? “A few. I have some IndyCar teammates. I went and saw Michael Andretti and spent some time with him and Mario and saw some of his drivers. I am having fun.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Knauf Ford Mustang — WHAT ARE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE ROAD COURSE? A LOT OF GUYS SEEM UPSET TO NOT BE ON THE OVAL THIS WEEKEND: “It is what it is. I am excited to be here no matter what, whether it is the oval or the road course. The road course is neat. Pretty tough to get the hang of. A lot of long straightaways and really heavy braking corners and it is really easy to lock your tires up, especially into 12 there. It is a weird transition. It is cool to be at Indy no matter what it is. There will be a lot of challenges tomorrow for the race, trying to take care of your tires and your car and stuff. It was a fun day today getting your bearings on everything. It is a different road course. It is flat. There is no elevation, not like the Glen or Sonoma where you have some dips. This is just flat. It is pretty neat though. Different.”

DO YOU LIKE RACING WITH INDY CAR? WOULD YOU LIKE MORE DOUBLE-HEADER WEEKENDS? “Yeah. I love watching no matter what kind of racing it is. Obviously with the Penske IndyCar guys, it is nice to go see them on their race weekends and kind of understand what they go through. I was in McLaughlin’s pit for qualifying yesterday and that was cool to see how the process goes there a little bit. I think I am going to watch the race in one of their pits today to see what that world is like. It is the same but they do some things differently than us. Some of the fans I have talked to as well, they enjoy having the crossover. I think it is good for motorsports in general.”

THERE WAS A PHOTO OF YOU TALKING TO ROMAIN GROSJEAN: “Yeah, I met him. That was cool. He was a super nice guy. A friend of a friend kind of introduced me to him and he was a super great guy. I met him a couple of times and got to talk to him to see how he likes IndyCar and how it compares. It was pretty funny. I asked him how he liked IndyCar and he said he loves it but that there is a lot more fan access than F1. I was like, “Yeah, it is.” I have been to a F1 race and there is nobody outside of the team in the garage. Yeah, that was cool to meet him. It is awesome to talk about stuff because he comes from a cool world.”

DID YOU GET TO MEET ANY OTHER NON PENSKE INDYCAR DRIVERS? “I met a lot of them at Newgarden’s charity event. I got to talk to them a little bit there. I didn’t want to bother anybody yesterday before qualifying. I saw Jimmie (Johnson) and it was good to see him again. I talked to a lot of those guys at the ping pong tournament. They are all good guys. They are just racers. A little different form of racing but at the end of the day they are all racers.”

THE LACK OF ELEVATION CHANGE, DOES IT SUIT THE CUP CARS BETTER DO YOU THINK? “I don’t know if it suits them better but it is different. There is nothing to lean on. There is no banking to lean on, nothing like that. At Watkins Glen, turn 2 up the hill you are leaning in the banking and have more grip. Here there is no banking to lean on. I don’t know if it suits them better, it is just a different feel. Your car doesn’t dig into the race track. It is easy to slide it because there is nothing holding it there.”

IS THERE ANY BIG DIFFERENCE IN HAVING BACK-TO-BACK ROAD COURSE RACES COMPARED TO HAVING THEM SPREAD OUT? “I think you can kind of get into a rhythm a little bit. I like the back-to-back stuff. My brake foot doesn’t hurt from last week, so that is good. I am ready to go. I think it is just repetition stuff and you can get in a groove. It is nice to do the same thing on back-to-back weekends. I don’t know if I would want to do it a month straight but two weekends in a row isn’t a bad thing.”

HARVICK WAS SAYING THAT HE WANTS THEM TO LOOK AT ROTATING THE OVAL AND ROAD COURSE. KYLE BUSCH IS NOT A HUGE FAN OF THE ROAD COURSE. HOW DO YOU FEEL? DO YOU HOPE THE OVAL COMES BACK? “I wouldn’t mind swapping back and forth. It would switch it up every year. I am sure there are some guys that would want to switch it up and some that just want the oval. I wouldn’t mind next year coming back to the oval and then the year after that the road course. Change it up a little bit.”

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 10 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang — HOW DOES HAVING THAT WIN UNDER YOUR BELT CHANGE YOU COMING INTO THIS WEEKEND? “It changes everything because now we are showing up to race tracks wanting to win versus having to win. There is a big difference in that. There is a lot of pressure when you show up to races and feel like your only shot is to have to win. We were that way for the last several months. To be able to pull off a clutch win like we did at New Hampshire and to get that victory and now have the rest of the regular season going to race tracks with just the desire and want to win is a big change. It is nice. It makes it more fun to go to the track.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS TRACK? DO YOU ENJOY BACK-TO-BACK ROAD RACES? “I am not a huge fan of having a ton of road course races. I enjoy short track racing and speedway racing and 1.5-mile racing and all that stuff. Road racing is something that I have had to get better at. I think that is why I haven’t really liked it or loved it because I am super competitive and I want to compete at things that I am good at. So I have had to work really hard at getting better at road racing so that I can compete.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang — YOU CAME IN EARLY YESTERDAY TO WATCH INDYCAR PRACTICE RIGHT? “I did. I had a couple things to do before hand as well and wanted to watch the Xfinity practice. I have never seen IndyCar go around the racetrack besides Jospeh Newgarden at the Roval. I wanted to see that. They build our cars next to each other for the most part and I have never really seen them go which is a little embarrassing. I have never had the opportunity to either. I just wanted to go and watch a little bit and see what is going on. It is Rogers’s racetrack too so being around is cool and seeing what he has done is neat.”

DID YOU GET TO WANDER THROUGH THE PADDOCK? “Yeah, it is awesome. You can drive your golf cart right in there. It is incredible. You can drive around anywhere you want to go. It is a near setup. Their garage setup is so different. I guess you call it a paddock, but for us NASCAR people it is the garage. It is really nice and clean and the way everything is setup looks beautiful. Especially the Penske stuff. We all know how that is going to look anyway. It is pretty cool.”

HOW EMOTIONAL DID YOU GET TO SEE HELIO CASTRONEVES WIN NUMBER FOUR? “I was pretty excited about it. I honestly teared up a little watching it in my bus before the 600. I was so excited for him. You just never know where God leads you sometimes. Who would have thought that would happen? Obviously Helio and I have been able to build somewhat of a relationship as teammates at Penske. He is the most likable person you have probably ever met. I don’t think anyone dislikes Helio. I don’t think you can. That was shown when you saw everybody happy for him. There are not many times somebody wins and other competitors are happy to see you win. That is just unheard of. There are not many people that I would be happy to see win that I am competing against in a race. To see the line of competitors that were happy to see him win was really cool. I think everybvody was rooting for him. He was the crowd favorite. He has been around forever and is a legend.”

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SURPRISED BY SOMEONE CONGRATULATING YOU AFTER A WIN THAT YOU DIDN’T EXPECT TO? “Cole Pern after we won the championship was very surprising, yeah. It was pretty cool. On the stage that night, I remember it.”

WHAT KIND OF RACE DO YOU THINK WE WILL SEE TOMORROW? “I think we will probably watch the Xfinity race to get an idea. I think the track is pretty racey when you think of areas to pass. There are plenty of areas to make mistakes and we saw that in practice with guys locking tires up in corners. There are areas where you have to hustle the heck out of it and areas you have to be very smooth. It is a unique place for that reason. There are some areas you have to tip-toe and some you have to man up and get in there. It is fun to get around and tricky. It is really tricky that you are braking with lateral in the car. Our cars are very top heavy so when you have any kind of lateral and you brake, your inside tires don’t have enough weight on them to keep them from locking up. That is why you see so many lock-ups.”

WOULD YOU RATHER BE ON THE ROAD COURSE OR OVAL? “I just want to race at Indy. I don’t care. I do think the road course will put on a better race for everybody. We talked for years about the oval race and how we wanted it to be better. We tried plenty of things to try to make it better and then we watched that Xfinity race and all you had to do was watch that one time to say, ‘Let’s give that a shot.”

IS IT SURREAL TO KNOW THAT ROGER OWNS THIS PLACE? “It is probably surreal for him. When I was sitting up there on top of the Pagoda yesterday with him watching IndyCar practice, of course it goes through your mind. Can you imagine owning this place and being able to say, ‘All of this is mine.’ It is crazy to think that. He has done great things with it already. You look at the facilities. It is the prettiest racetrack we go to. I was laughing because someone went through the grass in Xfinity practice and I thought, ‘He is going to be angry.’ They messed up his lines. Someone is going to have to go out and mow the grass tonight.”

WHAT SURPRISED YOU ABOUT THE COURSE? “The way our simulation is these days there is nothing that surprises anymore. Our braking markers were pretty similar and the way you drive it, I couldn’t believe it because we all rolled out there together and I felt like I had a general idea of where I was going but I have never made a lap around this place. We didn’t even check up. We just go to where we think it is right and just hammer down. Nobody was lost out there. You would think when you go to a road course for the first time you would be thinking about where do you brake and what do you do. Everyone was just hammer down. Maybe the third lap was probably the best one but everyone went hammer down pretty quick.”

WHEN YOU STARTED IN RACING IT WASN’T THAT WAY: ”Yeah, we didn’t have that to this extent. We would go to a new racetrack and in this case it would be like the only guys that have experience here are Bricoe and Cindric and AJ (Allmendinger). They were obviously fast to fire off and have an idea of where they are going a little better than us but we weren’t that far off. We closed the gap pretty quickly for starting at a deficit behind them.”

DO YOU LIKE HAVING BACK-TO-BACK ROAD COURSES? “It doesn’t matter. I am sure it kind of matters for race fans. You don’t want to give them too much of one thing. I think adjusting from different tracks but two weeks of the same thing isn’t a bad thing. If you did four straight weeks of road courses you would probably get complaints. The races have been entertaining though. These road course races are interesting from a strategy perspective and watching these things bounce around all over the place. Our cars drive like crap through this place. It is funny. You talk to these IndyCar guys and you hear where they are braking and what they are doing and we aren’t even close. It is just a different game. Our racing is different for that reason. Better or worse, I will let you decide, but I think that is good. You have something for everybody”

CHEVROLET RACING NTT INDYCAR SERIES – ROAD COURSE AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY – PATO O’WARD PUTS CHEVY ON THE POLE FOR IMS ROAD COURSE

By

Official Release

-

August 14, 2021

CHEVROLET RACING NTT INDYCAR SERIES
THE BIG MACHINE SPIKED COOLERS GRAND PRIX
THE ROAD COURSE AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING RECAP
AUGUST 13, 2021

PATO O’WARD PUTS CHEVY ON POLE AT IMS ROAD COURSE
THIRD NTT P1 AWARD OF SEASON AND FOURTH CAREER FOR ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET DRIVER
WILL POWER MAKES IT AN ALL-CHEVY FRONT ROW FOR THE BIG MACHINE SPIKED COOLERS GRAND PRIX

INDIANAPOLIS-(AUGUST 13, 2021) – Pato O’Ward was a very determined driver today as he set out to claim his third NTT P1 Award of the season and fourth of his in his career. He put his No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet on pole with a lap of 01:10.7147 seconds/124.167 MPH.

Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet, made it an all-Chevy front row with a lap of 01:10.7214 seconds/124.155 MPH.

A total of 12Team Chevy will compete in the 85-lap/207-mile Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix on Saturday, Aug. 14. Chevrolet has won eight of the 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races on the IMS Road Course, including the past three, on the technical 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course that incorporates Turns 1 and 2 and the front stretch of the famed oval.

Spectators will have the opportunity to view some of Chevrolet’s newest production vehicles, including a Corvette convertible 3LT, Bolt EUV, Silverado 1500 Trailboss, and participate in a Q&A with NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers at the Chevrolet display near Pagoda Plaza.

The display will be open from 2-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13; 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14; and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 15. Participating drivers include:
Saturday, Aug. 14
9:45-10 a.m. – Rinus VeeKay and NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron
NBCSN will telecast the 85-lap Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 14, and qualifying live at 7 p.m. ET Friday, Aug. 13. The race, qualifications and practice will also be broadcast live on INDYCAR Radio Network affiliates, Sirius 211, XM 205, Indycar.com, and on the INDYCAR Mobile app powered by NTT DATA. Practice and qualifications will stream on Peacock Premium.

A Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray will lead the field to the green flag.

Team Chevy will be represented by:
A.J. Foyt Enterprises
Dalton Kellett, No. 4 K-Line Insulators AJ Foyt Racing
Sebastien Bourdais, No. 14 ROKiT AJ Foyt Racing
Arrow McLaren SP
Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP
Felix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP
Carlin
Max Chilton, No. 59 Gallagher Carlin
Ed Carpenter Racing
Conor Daly, No. 20 U.S. Air Force
Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek
Team Penske
Josef Newgarden, No. 2 XPEL Team Penske
Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 CarShop Team Penske
Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske
Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Team Penske
Top Gun Racing
RC Enerson, No. 75 Top Gun Racing

TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING RESULTS:
Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow Mclaren SP Chevrolet – Pole Winner
Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet – Qualified 2nd
Conor Daly, No. 20 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet – Qualified 8th
Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek Chevrolet – Qualified 9th
Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet – Qualified 12th
Josef Newgarden, No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet – Qualified 14th
Sebastien Bourdais, No. 14 ROKiT AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet – Qualified 15th
Max Chilton, No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet – Qualified 19th
Felix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet – Qualified 20th
RC Enerson, No. 75 Top Gun Racing Chevrolet – Qualified 25th
Dalton Kellett, No. 4 K-Line Insulators AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet – Qualified 28th

Chevrolet IndyCar V6 Year-By-Year Results since 2012
2021 – 4 wins, 5 poles in 11 races
Wins – Pato O’Ward (Texas2, Detroit2); Rinus VeeKay (Indy RC1); Josef Newgarden (Mid-Ohio). Pole – Pato O’Ward (Barber Motorsports Park, Detroit1); Josef Newgarden (Detroit2, Road America, Mid-Ohio).
2020 – 7 wins, 11 poles in 14 races
Wins – Simon Pagenaud (Iowa1); Josef Newgarden (Iowa2, St. Louis2, Indy RC2, St. Petersburg); Will Power (Mid-Ohio1, Indy RC3, St. Petersburg). Poles – Josef Newgarden (Texas, Road America1, Iowa2), Will Power (Indianapolis road course, St. Louis1, Mid-Ohio1, Indy RC3; St. Petersburg), Pato O’Ward (Road America2), Conor Daly (Iowa1), Rinus VeeKay (Indy road course October)
2019 – 9 wins, 9 poles in 17 races
Driver/owner championship (Josef Newgarden/Roger Penske); Indianapolis 500 win (Simon Pagenaud)
2018 – 6 wins, 9 poles in 17 races
Indianapolis 500 win (Will Power)
2017 – 10 wins, 11 poles in 17 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Josef Newgarden/Roger Penske)
2016 – 14 wins, 13 poles in 16 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Simon Pagenaud/Roger Penske)
2015 – 10 wins, 16 poles in 16 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Scott Dixon/Chip Ganassi);
Indianapolis 500 win (Juan Pablo Montoya). First manufacturer to capture all titles since Chevrolet returned to INDYCAR in 2012
2014 – 12 wins, 14 poles in 18 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Will Power/Roger Penske)
2013 – 10 wins, 11 poles in 19 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; Indianapolis 500 win (Tony Kanaan)
2012 – 11 wins, 10 poles in 15 races
Engine Manufacturer Championship; driver/owner titles (Ryan Hunter-Reay/Michael Andretti)
Total – 93 wins, 105 earned poles in 160 races

DRIVER QUOTES:
PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET – POLE WINNER
ON THE POLE WIN:
“I wanted to make sure that this was a turning point. We’ve had a very tough last few races. And we’re ready to get back into Victory Lane. This is the first step to that. And tomorrow, we have a job to finish. Just continuing on. There’s still five races to go and a lot can happen. But this is definitely on the right track.”

YOU WANT TO TURN IT AROUND SINCE YOU GUYS WERE BASICALLY OUT TO LUNCH WHEN YOU CAME TO THE ROAD COURSE IN MAY
“Yeah, we did. Thanks to our test in Portland, we found a few things that I knew were going to help us here, and I’ve never been so excited to race here on the Indy road course. Since practice, I said we’re going to get some good points this weekend.”

WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON 5G TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 2ND: “It is so close between everyone. It is amazing how tight that is. I was on a good one my first lap, but Pato started backing up for whatever reason warming his tires. But I’m there man. We are right there. You can pass a little easier here, but good track position makes it better”

JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 XPEL TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 14TH (WILL START 20TH AS RESULT OF SIX POSITION GRID PENALTY): “I’m just frustrated. I thought I had enough gap on (James) Hinchcliffe, but I caught him too quickly. Its probably on me, I probably should have gapped him a little more, but I had pressure from behind me so I had to go. So I probably lost about three or four tenths in that last sector of the track. We have a good car for tomorrow.”

PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPTS-WILL POWER AND PATO O’WARD

THE MODERATOR: A man that knows his way around the road course here, Will Power. Second-place start tomorrow. Tell us about the Firestone Fast 12 for you.
WILL POWER: Yeah, it was good. The car was really good. I just missed out by 6/1000ths, but so did about four other people. That’s about the tightest session I’ve ever seen, I think.
Pretty good conditions. Car was good. I’m glad to just be back in the groove again. Had such a kind of bad qualifying run lately. Yeah, certainly right there in the running for pole, so really happy to be up front.
THE MODERATOR: It never ceases to amaze how tight this field is. Kind of a cliché, but you come to a place like this, a couple thousandths here or there, you can be up front or towards the back.
WILL POWER: Yeah. As you know, if you’re just a little bit outside the window, you’re going to be way back there. Yeah, 2/10ths moves you about eight spots in that last session. You had to be right on the game, on the ball.
But, yep, we’ve been there all weekend, all day, that’s it. That’s all we’ve his all day, so… See how the race goes. Long race. Can certainly do something from there. Yeah, see how it plays out.
THE MODERATOR: We’ll take some questions.
Q. Will, they said you were challenging Pato’s lap. Can you walk us through that. Were you expecting that to go in your favor?
WILL POWER: On the first lap, yeah, I was up actually. He started warming his tires and slowing up. Then I had to back up. Aborted the lap.
I didn’t get close enough to him. I could have driven right up to the back of him and he would have got a penalty. I had to get a gap for the next lap because I only had fuel for the next lap. Go for it.
That’s all that was. Let’s say it wasn’t a blatant block, but he starting waving and backing up. You know you only have one more lap to do it. If you finish on his gearbox, you’re not going to be quick because you lose all your air.
It is what it is. It’s fine. Top four or five cars were on the same 10th. Anyone’s go, I had a good second lap.
Q. Will, on the lap that you got second place on, is there one corner you just go back in your mind and think you could have done something a little bit different that could have got you pole?
WILL POWER: Yeah, there’s always a little bit there. I mean, I have to say made no mistakes in there, it was a neat lap. Always a little bit of something there. Yeah, no, obviously everyone was kind of at the limit of their cars. We were all on the same 10th. I don’t think anyone was going to go like 2/10ths quicker. Maybe a couple hundredths in it. Pato did a phenomenal lap to be on pole.
Q. Will, could you speak to the desire you have for a victory tomorrow. What’s burning inside you right now?
WILL POWER: Yeah, it’s been a terrible year. A lot of desire for pole position and a victory. I didn’t get pole today. Long race tomorrow. Hopefully we have a good race car. I mean, we’re going to make some changes and see if we can get it hooked up.
You never know in these races, as we saw last week. Ericsson was nowhere, and he was over the back of someone, then he won the race. So who knows. If you just stay out of trouble in these races, you always have a chance to win.
Q. Will, do you see this result today as a bit of a relief?
WILL POWER: Yeah, I do. I was very determined coming into this weekend just considering how the last few races have been for me. Yep, right on the pace, back where I need to be. Very focused. Hopefully we can have a good day tomorrow.
Q. Will, are the track conditions noticeably different than when you were at IMS in May? Does NASCAR running on the track with a different type of rubber make a difference to INDYCAR?
WILL POWER: Yeah, it is definitely a different track condition. The car was a lot different for us at the previous race. I don’t know whether because the temperature was cooler.
Yes, the NASCAR rubber does not go well with the Firestone stuff. It doesn’t take long to get it up, though. Doesn’t take long to get the rubber out of the way.
Q. Will, the whole team has been in a little bit of a funk the last couple of races. How important is it for you as pretty much the veteran of the team to pull them out of this?
WILL POWER: Yeah, I mean, we’re all looking for a bloody win. So is about every other person in the series. Yeah, very fierce competition. To win in this series, man, you got to play everything just right otherwise you’re not going to win.
THE MODERATOR: Joined by Pato O’Ward, third pole position of the season, third NTT P1 award of the season.
How did it go?
PATO O’WARD: It’s good, man. Like I’ve been telling everybody, we’ve had a very tough last few races. I’m tired of being in the middle pack. We had a great test in Portland. What we found there I knew was going to help us here. So the goal is definitely to truly return where we belong, which is contend for podiums, for poles, ultimately for wins.
I think we have the car to do something great tomorrow. We just need to execute. The next session is warmup. Do that, get as much information as we can to help us for the race. Then when the race comes, we try and maximize what we got there.
THE MODERATOR: You lost a little bit of ground in the championship last week. How much did you think about that over the last few days?
PATO O’WARD: There’s still five races to go. I know racing. Things can spiral down very quick or they can spiral up very quick.
I just think the focus on really executing on every single session that we do from now until Long Beach checkered flag is going to be critical. But I’m not far back. I can definitely claw my way back into the fight for this championship. That is the goal. We’ve been fighting for it kind of all year.
What I truly want, I want to get to Long Beach with a proper, legit chance of winning the championship. I’m excited. I think we have some great circuits for us coming up. I’m really excited.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. You mentioned the Portland test a couple times. I know you won’t tell us the secrets. Does the car handle better? Get more speed?
PATO O’WARD: Yeah, man, it just handles better. We’ve had a quick car in many places, but damn it’s a handful. It is so hard to drive. I think we have found something that just is more predictable, that just makes it a lot easier on Felix and I to actually get laps in lap after lap consistently.
Yeah, man, we’ve just been really focused on trying to make a better package for both qualifying and the race. One thing is to have a qualifying car and one thing is to have a race car. We’re trying to maximize both.
I feel like that’s where we have lacked a little bit in terms of we’ve had a very strong qualifying car and then we don’t have anything for the race, but then we’ll have a great race car but in qualifying we’re just not quite there.
Q. Felix has struggled to adapt. Seemed like he was running better today. Is he in the same boat as you, like he improved?
PATO O’WARD: Yeah, definitely. I think he’s definitely felt improvements. I haven’t spoken to him obviously since qualifying, but I’m pretty sure he was pretty happy with the car.
Yeah, I mean, both cars I think had the potential to be within the first two rows. Yeah, it’s nice to have both cars there. I’m going to need his help if I’m going to win this championship.
Q. Does it feel like starting on pole, this is sort of the thrust you need for the final move toward a championship, meaning you’re starting out in front of everybody? Does it feel like a new life a little bit?
PATO O’WARD: It feels like a breath of fresh air. It just shows us what we’ve been working on in testing, in our mini break, worked. I’m very excited. Not just for tomorrow, I really want to, like I said, turn the page this weekend. I feel like we have. We’ve done a good job so far.
But tomorrow we have a big job ahead. Just keep doing it. Gateway is coming up. We had a very strong race there last year. Portland, Laguna, they’re all tracks I really enjoy. I think we’re going to have a strong package. We have to maximize every single one and I think that’s going to put us right where we want to be.
Q. You said the car is more stable. Coming to the line in nine and ten on your final lap, looked like it was still a handful.
PATO O’WARD: Yeah, I shipped it, man.
Q. How close were you to losing it?
PATO O’WARD: I mean, I don’t think it’s anything that we haven’t seen before from me (smiling).
The problem is that sometimes you can get really greedy with what you’ve done before. Not always will it stick. I just wanted to transfer. I barely transferred. I should have risked a little bit more. When we went out on blacks, we got the balance a little bit unhappier on blacks, but I knew that was going to make reds happier. As soon as we went out, I knew in the snake is where I went really cautious the run before.
I said, Got to risk it to get the biscuit. Yeah, it was really cool to see the delta just go from minus 1/10th to, boom, minus 5/10ths.
Q. Looking ahead to the race, we’ll have 28 cars. Traffic should be more of an issue. Are you looking forward to see what it can do to your strategy and everybody else’s?
PATO O’WARD: Yeah. Honestly, if they’re respectful, they won’t get in the way of the leaders. At least I hope they won’t.
Yeah, it’s a big field, man. I think it’s great for INDYCAR. I think it shows that the series has a lot of appeal, not just in the U.S. but to Europe. People are enjoying it. It’s just a very, very fun atmosphere to be around. The cars are fun to drive.
Yeah, I think it’s a fantastic series. I think it doesn’t get more raw and more kind of just truly race and truly hustle a race car. I don’t think it gets better than that than INDYCAR. I think INDYCAR ticks all the boxes.
Q. Your previous three poles you didn’t actually win the race the next day.
PATO O’WARD: Don’t tell me (laughter).
Q. Did you learn anything from those?
PATO O’WARD: I would love to win from pole. How is that (smiling)? I’ll leave it there.
Q. Talk about your last lap.
PATO O’WARD: I was surprised when I heard P1. I came in and I saw the pylon, my number didn’t get bumped down. I think I nailed it. Honestly, I thought it was a very put-together, very calm lap. There’s definitely been a lot crazier laps in my life.
Q. Felix talked about some work he did at Portland that you referenced briefly there. He talked about the drivability. Is that something you felt was a big part of the role in getting pole today?
PATO O’WARD: For sure. For sure. A few months ago we were nowhere close to having a pole car. Today we nailed it. We came. As soon as practice one, we went out, I knew we were in the window. Just had to make a few tweaks to truly get the maximum time out of the car.
But, yeah, man, you have to continuously work and make the cars better because I feel like this is kind of the end of the era of this aero kit. Every single team is pretty much capable of being on pole. It just really comes down to the driver and the engineer to try and be as efficient as possible with changes and just know what you need from the car to extract the time.
Q. Could you give is a little bit of context on Christian’s performance today. Give us a bit of an idea how difficult it is to put in that performance today.
PATO O’WARD: I think it’s awesome. I think it was really cool to see him up there. He qualified third, I’m assuming? Fourth. I think it’s great.
I know he has a good, strong car under him. He’s a good driver. I don’t think anybody doesn’t agree with me. He’s strong. He has a lot of experience in Europe with Formula 2 and Formula 3 and other categories.
I think he likes this INDYCAR. I didn’t really get much out of him. He’s very quiet. From experience from driving an F2 car, I guarantee you he likes this INDYCAR.
This IMS road course is probably the closest track that we have to a Formula 1 spec racetrack with just being very flat, lots of runoff, just the type of course fits to what he’s used to.
I think he’s probably not as in a place like going to a Detroit and going out like, Man, something is broken with this car with all the bumps. I think it’s great. I think it’s great we’re having new faces up into the series.
I remember my memory from Sonoma. It’s a good one (smiling).
Q. How beneficial is it with your championship rivals so far behind you on the grid? Will you think about that going into the race?
PATO O’WARD: Where are they? I have no idea.
THE MODERATOR: Dixon is 26th, I believe.
PATO O’WARD: Really? Because he spun. I’ll have a look later.
Q. Alex is starting sixth.
PATO O’WARD: Not a bad position.
Man, it’s such a tough and competitive series. You have to execute everywhere, pit stops, strategy. I have to not make any mistakes, be very wise in what I’m doing in terms of traffic, managing tires, et cetera.
A lot can happen tomorrow, but I think we have the best view into turn one. We’re obviously going for the win. I’d be lying if I said we weren’t. Yeah, I think we’re in a better position right now than what we were a few months back here for the road course event.
All what we have found today have definitely been very positive for us.
Q. In terms of going for the championship, you’re just going all out, you’re not going for what Scott does where he’s Mr. Consistent?
PATO O’WARD: Whenever you have a chance to win, you need to take those points and win because it’s not like every weekend you go and you can win. We’re definitely going for that.
But if we can’t manage to do that, I’m not going to do something stupid and put it in the wall. We need to be smart. We’re obviously going for it. If we can’t win, then we take the second. Still a lot of points.
Yeah, man, I’m just really looking forward to turning the page to our very crappy last three races, close out this weekend very strong, and don’t look back until the checkered flag waves in Long Beach.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

111453-1-1004 2021-08-14 00:42:00 GMT

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

O’Ward Powers to NTT P1 Award in Tight, Taut Qualifying at Indy

By

Official Release

-

August 14, 2021

INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, Aug. 13, 2021) – Pato O’Ward is looking to add fuel to his NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship challenge after winning the NTT P1 Award for the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix on Friday on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

O’Ward earned his series-leading third pole of the season in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet with a best lap of 1 minute, 10.7147 seconds. He is third in the series standings, 48 points behind leader Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, with two victories this season. But his best finish in his last three starts is eighth, on July 4 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

“I wanted to make sure this was the turning point,” O’Ward said. “We’ve had a very tough last three races, and we’re ready to get back to Victory Lane. This is the first step toward that, and tomorrow we have a job to finish.

“It’s still five races to go. A lot can happen. But this is definitely on the right track.”

O’Ward’s pole capped a tight, tense Firestone Fast 12 final segment that ended with the top five drivers all in the 1:10.7 range. Will Power will join O’Ward on the front row for the 85-lap race Saturday (12:30 p.m. ET, live on NBCSN and the INDYCAR Radio Network) after his top lap of 1:10.7214 in the No. 12 Verizon 5G Chevrolet.

Rookies Romain Grosjean and Christian Lundgaard will start from the second row. Grosjean was third at 1:10.7418 in the No. 51 Nurtec ODT Honda, while FIA Formula 2 Championship driver Lundgaard qualified fourth for his first career INDYCAR start at 1:10.7433 in the No. 45 Mi-Jack Honda.

Colton Herta was the final driver in the 1:10.7 range, qualifying fifth at 1:10.7631 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda.

Palou will try to defend his championship lead from the sixth starting position after a best qualifying lap of 1:10.8290 in the No. 10 NTT DATA Honda. He led the opening practice Friday afternoon on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course that incorporates part of the famous IMS oval.

Six-time and reigning series championship Scott Dixon faces a tough climb toward the top of the field Saturday, as he will start a season-low 26th in the No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Honda after spinning on his final lap of the first segment of qualifying. Dixon spun exiting Turn 10 and lost his quickest lap of the session for causing a local yellow that affected another competitor.

“It’s definitely going to make for an interesting race tomorrow,” Dixon said. “Definitely a tough day. We’ll see how it plays out.”

Dixon is second in the series standings, 42 points behind Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Palou.

Among the other championship contenders, Marcus Ericsson will start 11th after a best lap of 1:11.0342 in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Honda. Ericsson is fifth in the standings, 79 points behind Palou.

Two-time series champion Josef Newgarden will start 20th. He qualified 14th at 1:11.3623 in the No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet after failing to reach the Firestone Fast 12 final segment, but he will move back in the starting lineup after incurring a six-position grid penalty for an unapproved engine change after the race last Sunday in Nashville, Tennessee. Newgarden is fourth in the standings, 75 points behind Palou.

Track activity resumes at 8:45 a.m. Saturday with a 30-minute warmup, streamed live on Peacock Premium.

Meyer Shank Racing Qualifying Report

By

Official Release

-

August 14, 2021

Harvey Qualifies Seventh, Castroneves 23rd

Indianapolis, Ind. (13 August 2021) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) came back to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the third time this year, but this time for the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix.

In qualifying for Saturday’s 80-lap event, Jack Harvey placed the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda on the fourth row in seventh while Helio Castroneves qualified the No. 06 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda 23rd on Friday.

It was a welcome return for both Meyer Shank Racing drivers who have triumphed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the recent past. Castroneves most recently collected his fourth Indianapolis 500 victory in May with MSR and Harvey captured his first-ever INDYCAR podium at the IMS road course in 2019.

That momentum carried into the Big Machine Spiked Coolers weekend as both Harvey and Castroneves got off to a fast start during practice on Friday. Finding pace on both primary and alternate tires ahead of Friday evening qualifying, Harvey and Castroneves were in a strong position for the 80-lap event finishing practice fourth and 16th respectively.

Both qualifying in Group 1, Harvey and Castroneves began their charge to the top with a new-style, two-group qualifying format. Harvey was strong out of the gate and placed the No. 60 Honda P2 in Group 1 and moved onto the second qualifying session to fight for pole.

Making only his third race start of the season with MSR, Castroneves was unable to lock down a sufficient time to move him into the next group as the Brazilian closed out qualifying P23 with a fast time of 1:11.731-seconds.

The final session of qualifying saw Harvey start out strong and challenge for pole, but ultimately he finished the session seventh after posting a time of 1:10.887-second lap. Out of five starts at the IMS road course, Harvey has never qualified outside of the top ten and has a trio of top three starts.

The Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix is set for Saturday at 12:30pm ET on NBCSN. SiriusXM will also provide live race coverage on Ch. 205.

Meyer Shank Racing Driver Quotes:

Jack Harvey, No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda: “I would have hoped for a little bit more there in the Firestone Fast 12. I don’t super love this qualifying format – I think I prefer the three-stage knockout. Ultimately, we just missed it by a tiny bit and when it’s so close like that session was, a little bit can compound. I’m a little disappointed with where we finished but probably good to be disappointed when you’re P7. We’ll try and have a good race tomorrow, our black-tire pace was strong which will be good for the race. The team and I are looking forward to going for a win tomorrow.”

Helio Castroneves, No. 06 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda: “We know that we have been progressing and this morning we thought we had a much better pace than that. In fact, my lap was much better than this. When you’re going through this process [running select races], you’re going to have some inconsistencies, some ups and downs, so at least we went for it. We didn’t want to try and put another set of tires on or things like that but, obviously, not the result that even I was expecting.”

CHEVROLET RACING AT BRICKYARD WEEKEND – WILLIAM BYRON AND RINUS VEEKAY CHEVROLET SIMULATOR “SWAP”

By

Official Release

-

August 13, 2021

CHEVROLET RACING INDYCAR AND NASCAR
THE ROAD COURSE AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
RINUS VEEKAY AND WILLAIM BYRON AT CHEVROLET SIMULATOR
AUGUST 13, 2021

HUNTERSVILLE, North Carolina (August 13,2021) – Team Chevy drivers William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series and Rinus Veekay, No.21 Sonax Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES met at the Chevrolet Simulator ahead of the historic NASCAR / INDYCAR weekend on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS).

Chevrolet is the only manufacturer that will compete in both series. This week, Veekay and Byron met at the SIM DIL to share a ‘driver swap” to share and trade information. It was a logical step toward successful finishes in both INDYCAR on Saturday, and NASCAR Cup on Sunday.

While Sunday’s VERIZON 200 will be Byron’s first look at the technical 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course that incorporates Turns 1 and 2 and the front stretch of the famed 2.5-mile oval, it will be like going home for Veekay, who won the INDYGP in May 2021.

Byron took to the cockpit first, with Veekay delivering information on braking zones, corner entry, corner exit, and several other nuances of the Road Course at IMS.

Veekay then jumped in Byron’s NASCAR SIM seat, and was coached on driving a much bigger and heavier race car than he is used to. As Veekay got more comfortable, he was able to show Byron some tricks around the track.

In the end, both Chevy drivers found the experience to be beneficial in their preparation for this weekend’s road course doubleheader at IMS.

Watch this YouTube video to see the collaboration come to life:

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Weekend schedule for Indianapolis Road Course

By

Angie Campbell

-

August 13, 2021

Aric Almirola and Brad Keselowski lead a pack of cars during the NASCAR Cup Series Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 Powered by Big Machine Records at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 05, 2020. Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images.

NASCAR heads to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course this weekend where the Cup Series will make its first start Sunday afternoon. The road course is 2.439 miles with 14 turns and is the third new track that the Cup Series has debuted at this season.

On Saturday, the Xfinity Series will compete for the second time at the track. Chase Briscoe won the inaugural race in 2020.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is off this weekend and will return on August 20 for their first race in the Playoffs at World Wide Technology Raceway.

All times are Eastern.

Friday, August 13

5:35 p.m. – 6:25 p.m.: Xfinity Series practice
NBCSN/NBC Sports App

Saturday, August 14

10:05 a.m.: Xfinity Qualifying (Impound) Multi-Vehicle/Two Rounds
NBC Sports App

11:05 a.m. – 11:55 a.m.: Cup Series Practice
NBC Sports App

3:45 p.m.: Xfinity Series Driver Intros
4 p.m.: Xfinity Series Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard
Stages 20/40/62 Laps = 151.22 Miles
NBC Sports App/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/IMS Radio/TSN5

Sunday, August 15

9:05 a.m.: Cup Series Qualifying (Impound) Multi-Vehicle /Two Rounds
CNBC/NBC Sports App (Canada: TSN5)

12:25 p.m.: Cup Series Driver Intros
1 p.m.: Cup Series Verizon 200 at the Brickyard
Stages 15/35/82 Laps = 200 Miles
NBC/NBC Sports App/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio/IMS Radio/TSN3, 5

Cup Series notes:

Kyle Larson is currently first in the Cup Series points standings with only three races remaining in the regular season. He tied Denny Hamlin after his win at Watkins Glen, with both drivers having earned 917 points. But, because Larson has five wins and Hamlin has none, Larson wins the tiebreaker.

Kevin Harvick is going to try to become the first driver to win the Verizon 200 three years in a row, and the first to win it 4 times. Yet, he’s not the favorite to win the race this year. That honor belongs to Chase Elliott.

Oddsmakers give Elliott +210 odds, or a 32.3% chance to win the race. Meanwhile, Harvick sits 11th on the market at +3000, or an implied 3.2% chance to pull off the three-peat. NASCAR Cup leader Kyle Larson is given the second-best odds to win the race at +350 or a 22.2% chance.

(If you use any of the data or quotes from this press release please credit OddsChecker by using the following link: https://www.oddschecker.com/us/motorsport/nascar/verizon-200-brickyard/winner)

VERIZON 200 BRICKYARD WINNER ODDS

Driver	Odds	Implied chance
Chase Elliott	+210	32.3%
Kyle Larson	+350	22.2%
Martin Truex Jr.	+800	11.1%
Kyle Busch	+1100	8.3%
Denny Hamlin	+1600	5.9%
AJ Allmendinger	+2000	4.8%
Austin Cindric	+2500	3.8%
Christopher Bell	+2500	3.8%
Joey Logano	+2500	3.8%
William Byron	+2500	3.8%

Cup Series Clinch Scenarios

Eleven drivers have clinched a spot in the Playoffs leaving five spots available:
Christopher Bell
Ryan Blaney
Alex Bowman
Kurt Busch
Kyle Busch
William Byron
Chase Elliott
Brad Keselowski
Kyle Larson
Joey Logano
Martin Truex Jr.

Can Clinch Via Points:
If there is a repeat winner or a win by a driver who cannot advance to the Playoffs, the following drivers could clinch by being 111 points above the second winless driver in the standings.
Denny Hamlin: Would clinch regardless of finish.

Can Clinch Via Previous Wins:
The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by previous winner or a win by Denny Hamlin:
Michael McDowell and Aric Almirola: Would clinch regardless of finish.

The following drivers could clinch on previous wins with a win by new winner:
Michael McDowell: Could only clinch with help.
Aric Almirola: Could only clinch if the new winner is Corey Lajoie or another driver even lower in the standings.

Can Clinch Via Win:
The following drivers would clinch on their win alone this weekend –
Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Tyler Reddick, Austin Dillon, Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola

The following drivers could clinch with a win:
Chris Buescher could only clinch with help.
Matt DiBenedetto could only clinch with help.
Ross Chastain could only clinch with help.

Xfinity Series Notes:

There are six races remaining in the Xfinity Series regular season. Four drivers have clinched a spot in the Playoffs, leaving 8 available slots to fill.

Xfinity Series Clinch Scenarios

Four drivers have clinched a spot in the Playoffs:
Justin Allgaier
AJ Allmendinger
Jeb Burton
Austin Cindric

Can clinch via points at Indianapolis:
Myatt Snider could clinch with three points because of his previous win at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Can clinch via a win at Indianapolis: The following drivers can clinch with a win – Brandon Brown, Harrison Burton, Jeremy Clements, Noah Gragson, Justin Haley, Daniel Hemric, Riley Herbst, Brandon Jones, Myatt Snider

Ryan Sieg could clinch with a win and 54 points.

Eight of Nine Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Class of 2022 Inductees Unveiled at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

By

Official Release

-

August 13, 2021

Pete Brock (Sports Cars), Helio Castroneves (Open Wheel), Dick LaHaie (Drag Racing), Banjo Matthews (At Large/Business), Denise McCluggage (At Large/Media), Raymond Parks (Historic), Jack Roush (Stock Cars) and Vance & Hines (Motorcycles) in 2022 Induction Class
34th Induction Ceremony Returns to the Hall of Fame’s Daytona International Speedway Home March 7 – 8, 2022
Second Historic Inductee Featuring a Truly Iconic American Motorsports Brand to be Announced in a Few Weeks

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (August 13, 2021) — Eight legends from the world of motorsports, including four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, were named to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) as the 34th class was unveiled on Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). A ninth inductee, in the Historic Category, will be unveiled later this month in a separate announcement.

The Class of 2022 includes the designer of the 1965 World Champion Cobra Daytona Coupes, Pete Brock (Sports Cars), the first foreign-born four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Helio Castroneves (Open Wheel), the only person in history to win NHRA Top Fuel championships as a driver and crew chief, Dick LaHaie (Drag Racing), “The Henry Ford of race cars,” NASCAR builder Banjo Matthews (Business), the only woman to receive the Ken W. Purdy Award for Excellence in Automotive Journalism, Denise McCluggage (Media), NASCAR cofounder and championship-winning team owner Raymond Parks (Historic), “The Cat in the Hat” who has masterminded more than 300 NASCAR wins, Jack Roush (Stock Cars) and motorcycle racing innovators who have won NHRA drag racing titles, AMA Supersport and Superbike titles, two Daytona 200s and more, Terry Vance & Byron Hines (Motorcycles).

“Many of the members of the Motorsports Hall of Fame are people that I grew up idolizing and to now be invited to join this group, I just can’t believe it,” Castroneves said. “I’m so honored to have the opportunity to be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame and I feel so lucky to be included with these legends.” n the Hall one day. It is going to be a great night for motorsports, and I am grateful for this opportunity.”

The MSHFA Class of 2022 was unveiled in a press conference at IMS featuring Castroneves, IMS President Doug Boles and MSHFA President George Levy.

“Like so many legends before them,” said MSHFA President Levy, “the Class of 2022 has left an indelible impression on the sport. We can’t wait to welcome them into the Hall of Fame next March at our home on the grounds of Daytona International Speedway.”

The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is the only hall that honors the entire sport and as such is the most exclusive. Each of the MSHFA’s inductees is elected by a straight vote of 200 experts — half of them historians and other experts, half of them inductees themselves. Regular voters have included Hall of Famers Mario Andretti, Richard Petty, Tom D’Eath, Shirley Muldowney, Chip Ganassi, Don Garlits, Parnelli Jones, Scott Parker, Chip Hanauer, Don Prudhomme and other titans of the sport.

Each year, MSHFA classes are formally inducted in a celebration featuring motorsports legends and fellow Hall of Fame members at a black-tie gala. The Class of 2022 induction will be in Daytona Beach on March 7 – 8, 2022.

Including the Class of 2022, 278 “Heroes of Horsepower” are in the MSHFA.

The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Class of 2022:

Pete Brock (Sports Cars) — Brock is best known for designing the 1965 World Champion Cobra Daytona Coupes and for his multi-time national champion Brock Racing Enterprises (BRE) Datsun 240Zs and 510s. At GM in the 1950s, Brock helped conceive the shape of the groundbreaking 1959 Corvette Stingray race car and 1963 production model. As Shelby American’s first employee, he ran the Carroll Shelby driving school, penned the Daytona and worked on the Mustang GT-350 street and race cars. After the Datsun years, Brock became a photojournalist and wrote award-winning books on his Daytonas and the Corvette Sting Ray.

Helio Castroneves (Open Wheel) — The Brazilian has one of the greatest records in Indianapolis 500 history, winning four times (2001, 2002, 2009 and 2021) (joining fellow inductees A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr. and Rick Mears), taking pole four times and finishing second three times. Castroneves is a four-time runner-up for the IndyCar championship and 12th all time in IndyCar wins with 30. He was dubbed “Spider-Man” for his victory fence-climbs and gained broad attention after winning the 2007 edition of Dancing with the Stars. Castroneves also won the 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the 2021 Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Dick LaHaie (Drag Racing) — The only person in NHRA history to win Top Fuel championships as a driver and crew chief, LaHaie captured the 1987 Top Fuel championship in the cockpit and four more as crew chief for Scott Kalitta (1994, 1995) and Larry Dixon (2002, 2003). LaHaie’s first major victory came at the 1980 Summernationals. In the early days, he’d sometimes dig through trashcans for parts the top teams had thrown away, then beat them with their discards. His 1987 Top Fuel title was won with daughter Kim as crew chief. LaHaie was No. 31 on NHRA’s 2001 list of its 50 Greatest Drivers.

Banjo Matthews (Business) — Smokey Yunick called him “the Henry Ford of race cars.” The cars Edwin Keith Matthews built dominated NASCAR for more than a decade. From 1974 to 1985, he produced about 400 chassis and rebuilt about 200. Of the 362 races in this period, his cars won 262 — over 70% — including all 30 1978 contests. For years, the Akron, Ohio native was more proud that no driver was killed in a Matthews-built car. As an owner, he entered 160 Cup races, capturing 14 poles and nine victories, including three Firecracker 400s at Daytona with fellow inductees Fireball Roberts, A.J. Foyt and Donnie Allison.

Denise McCluggage (Media) — Few fueled the rise of sports car racing in the U.S. more than McCluggage. Without her, there would’ve been no Autoweek, the sport’s bible in the ‘60s and ’70s. She also was a trailblazing female driver, winning her class at Sebring in 1961 and at the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally. (She was famously denied entry at Le Mans because of her gender.) Joining the New York Herald Tribune in the ‘50s, she became the first female sports reporter for a major daily. In 1985, she became the only woman to receive the Ken W. Purdy Award for Excellence in Automotive Journalism for her piece on F1 legend Juan Manuel Fangio.

Raymond Parks (Historic) — Without Parks, there might not have been a NASCAR. He was a key member of the group that met with Bill France at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach in 1947 to create NASCAR and helped keep the sanctioning organization afloat during its early years. Considered its first team owner, his entries set a standard for excellence. The former moonshine runner’s cars won the first NASCAR (Modified) championship in 1948 and the inaugural NASCAR Strictly Stock (now Cup Series) title in 1949. When he died in 2010, he was the last surviving member of the sport’s founders.

Jack Roush (Stock Cars) — Roush has succeeded in more forms of motorsports than almost anyone. In NASCAR, his teams have captured more than 300 races and eight championships across all three major series, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup Series titles (2003-4). “The Cat in the Hat” left an engineering job at Ford in 1970 to team with Wayne Gapp. Over the next five years they won NHRA, IHRA and AHRA Pro Stock titles. In the ‘80s, Roush’s incredible domination of SCCA and IMSA included 24 national championships. His two Daytona 500 trophies came with Matt Kenseth (2009, 2012).

Vance & Hines (Motorcycles) — Few rider/tuner pairings have dominated like Terry Vance and Byron Hines. From the early ‘70s until Vance retired from riding in 1988, they captured 14 Pro Stock and Top Fuel titles. Their popularity prompted NHRA to add motorcycle racing to its national series. Since 1980 they’ve made Vance & Hines a world-leading aftermarket parts supplier. Their road racing teams have won AMA Supersport and Superbike titles and two Daytona 200s. More recently, they’ve run the successful Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle®/Vance & Hines Pro Stock drag team. Vance was No. 35 on NHRA’s 2001 list of its 50 Greatest Drivers.

The MSHFA is housed in Daytona International Speedway’s Ticket and Tours Building located in front of the famed 2.5-mile DIS tri-oval. Access to the MSFHA is included with every Daytona International Speedway tour, which run throughout each day, or as a museum-only ticket. The museum is open daily nearly year-round except major holidays.

For more information, visit the MSHFA at www.mshf.com or contact George Levy at (248) 895-1704 or glevy@mshf.com. For tickets call 1-800-PIT-SHOP.
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MotorsportsHOF/ and Instagram and Twitter at @MotorsportsHOF.

About the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America: The MSHFA is the only hall that honors all American motorsports: cars, motorcycles, airplanes, off road and powerboats. Its mission is to celebrate and instill the American motorsports values of leadership, creativity, originality, teamwork and spirit of competition. Founded by Larry G. Ciancio and Ronald A. Watson, it held its first induction in 1989. Watson spent the next 30 years tirelessly building it into the nation’s premier such hall until his passing in 2019. The original museum in Novi, Mich., relocated to Daytona Beach, Fla., in 2016 and greets more than 100,000 guests a year. MSHFA is operated by the nonprofit Motorsports Museum and Hall of Fame of America Foundation, Inc.

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