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Era Motorsports Dominates to Win Road America

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Rolex 24 Winners Return to Victory Circle

ELKHART LAKE, Wis., (August 9, 2021) – Six months since their victory at the Rolex 24 victory at Daytona, Era Motorsport has returned to victory circle with top honors this weekend at Road America, winning the IMSA SportsCar Weekend in the LMP2 class. The team, originally slated to only run the 2021 North American Endurance Cup decided last minute to join the Road America race weekend to prepare for this month’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, and after an impressive start, took the lead with a large margin over the LMP2 field.

While co-owner and co-driver Kyle Tilley raced in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen International, Dwight Merriman was joined by teammate Ryan Dalziel to step in for Tilley to race the two hour-forty minute race in Wisconsin. Dwight Merriman had one of his best race starts to date, expertly avoiding the early race calamity of other competitors to jump from fourth place to second in the opening lap. He maintained his position in the competitive field, holding off the No. 11 of Steven Thomas. He held the spot for the remainder of his stint, pitting for tires and a short fill of fuel just before the race went full-course caution.

Shortly after the restart, the field went back to yellow, and Merriman pitted the No. 18 Oreca again, but this time, for a full-service stop. Ryan Dalziel took over with fresh tires and a full tank of fuel and charged forward. The rest of the field pitted after, and unbeknownst to him, Dalziel took the lead. Thinking the class leaders were out of sight ahead of him, Dalziel pushed on, hoping to catch a glimpse of the position he needed to set his sights on. Once he asked the pit box how far behind the leader the No. 18 was, he was informed that he was indeed leading the No. 8 car of Gabriel Aubry by eight seconds. From there, Dalziel never looked back. He pitted for two more stops for fuel and tires, taking the win with a five-second gap over the rest of the class.

The win marks Era’s second of the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season and third visit to an IMSA podium. With four races complete stateside, the team will now prepare to go back overseas to prepare for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team will run with IDEC Sport, the same team they already partner with in the European Le Mans Series. Following the traditional week of preparation and testing, the 24 Hours of Le Mans will take place Saturday, August 21 and Sunday, August 22. As it currently stands, the team has one final stateside race this season, Petit Le Mans November 13, with Kyle Tilley, Dwight Merriman, and Ryan Dalziel.

DRIVER QUOTES

Dwight Merriman
I’m really happy with today. At Watkins Glen, we had a couple of mechanical issues that were out of our control, so it’s really nice to come back and win here. There are some really strong drivers in really great cars here, which makes this win even more special. The crew did a great job, the car set up was fantastic, and the engineering was on point. It’s really been a team effort. Everyone working together is why we won.

Ryan Dalziel
Mega day. The goal was obviously to come here and win, but ultimately it was to come here and work on the issues we’ve had for the last couple of races. Now we’re going into Le Mans with a lot of confidence. It’s hard to beat a win. This was the best car we’ve had all year. In a way, it’s a shame because it shows what we had at Watkins Glen before our electrical gremlins, and it backs up what we’ve done at Daytona and Sebring. I’m looking forward to the next couple of weeks ahead in France.

Newman Finishes 25th at Watkins Glen

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Official Release
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WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (August 8, 2021) – Ryan Newman overcame an early spin Sunday afternoon at Watkins Glen International to finish 25th in the Socios Ford Mustang.

Newman – a 2005 winner at WGI in the Xfinity Series – began the day from the 28th position in NASCAR’s first race back from the two-week Olympic break. With no practice or qualifying for Sunday’s race, a competition caution was set for lap 10, with the stages running in two segments of 20 laps followed by the 50-lap finale.

Newman went for a spin early in the afternoon, but began fighting his way back through the field as he finished the first stage in 35th. The team short-pitted that stage break to set him up for the remainder of the second stage where he fought his way to just outside the top-10, and ultimately finished in 16th.

With solid track position in the Socios machine, Newman pitted one final time at lap 56 under green flag conditions, but was credited with a 25th-place finish after being forced to pit in the closing laps.

NASCAR returns to action next weekend at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with the Cup cars set to tackle the road course for the first time. The race is set for 1 p.m. ET on NBCSN, and can also be heard on MRN and SIriusXM Channel 90.

Learning Experience at Road America for Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports

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Official Release
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ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (8 August 2021) – Making its second start in the GT Daytona class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports went through a learning experience in Sunday’s IMSA Sports Car Weekend at Road America.

Shane Lewis and Guy Cosmo ran as high as eighth in the team’s new No. 32 Mercedes-AMG GT3, but recurring mechanical issues led to an early end of the race and a 14th-place finish in the competitive class.

“The right front had a mechanical issue that we believe is a suspension issue,” said Cosmo, who parked the car with 47 minutes remaining. “Unfortunately, It ended our day early. We still are a new program with a new car so there are bound to be growing pains and this was one of them. We will regroup and come back stronger.”

Lewis started 10th and was running eighth when he pitted under an early caution on lap 13. It proved to be a lengthy stop as the team checked out the suspension, but Lewis managed to turn competitive laps after returning to the event in 13th place.

“We weren’t sure what the problem was, so the team was looking at everything on that first stop,” Lewis said. “We decided to make a really long pit stop. When they stuck tires back on, it ran decent laps, and they were happy with it. But it was still more hanging on than driving. Even though the lap times were decent, I was just hanging on. When I lost the aero, the car would wiggle. Because of the loose part, you couldn’t run in traffic. By yourself, you could get the car to do what you needed to do, but if you got next to someone, or if a Prototype came up on you, you couldn’t race it.”

Lewis pitted in 13th with 57 minutes remaining. Cosmo got in, but had to return to serve a drive-through penalty for leaving the pit with equipment attached. Cosmo needed another stop 10 minutes later, which proved to be the stopping point for the race.

“It got to the point where when Cosmo got in, it was worse, and he didn’t want to ball it up, either,” Lewis said. “So we pitted and then found the real problem. We apparently had been fighting this issue all weekend, not knowing we had it, and it just kept getting worse … and worse … and worse. Finally during the race, that’s all she wrote. I am disappointed that our race ended early, but that’s racing. We succeed and we lose as a team, but we still are a team that will work together to make ourselves and the car better for the next round.”

The next event on the WeatherTech Championship schedule will be the Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, Sept. 12, followed by the Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway on October 8-10.

Wright Motorsports Grabs Third Place Finish at Road America, Podiums in Nashville

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Official Release
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ELKHART LAKE, Wis., (AUGUST 9, 2021) – Wright Motorsports picked up several podium finishes on Saturday and Sunday during their multi-city race weekend in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and Nashville, Tennessee. Patrick Long and Trent Hindman earned their first podium together as a pair, following their second-place finish at the Twelve Hours of Sebring with Jan Heylen. In the Porsche Carrera Cup North America, John Goetz earned a third-place finish on Sunday in Wisconsin, followed by Charlie Luck securing a double-podium weekend on the streets of Nashville in the Music City Grand Prix.

“It was no doubt a busy weekend for our entire team,” said team owner John Wright. “It was great to get the GTD guys back on the podium, and wonderful to have Charlie Luck have such a strong performance in Nashville. Everyone on our team did an excellent job making sure all of our bases were covered with our various programs. We’re looking forward to the final push of the season to fight for those championship points in each program.”

IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
In Wisconsin, the weather conditions threw constant curveballs to the team all weekend, causing a tire dance from rain tires to slicks. After several days of rain, Trent Hindman started the race under sunny skies in second but slipped to third after the race leader made a questionable move on the start. The leader was penalized, moving the No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R back up to second place. The New Jersian held the position until the first full-course caution when the team’s speedy work in pit lane moved Hindman up to first place of the cars that opted to pit. The field went back to green with exactly two hours remaining, and a series of cautions continued to plague the race. The No. 16 was passed on one of the restarts, moving the blue, black, and white Porsche to third. Hindman maintained position to the end of his stint when Patrick Long took over the driving duties. The Californian ran the entirety of his stint in third, with twelve seconds separating the top three cars. In the end, the car was unable to close the gap to the leaders, and Wright Motorsports finished third, holding tight to their fifth-place standing in the GTD team championship points. The series has a one-month break until the ninth race of the year: the Hyundai Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, September 10-12.

Driver Quotes | No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R

Patrick Long
I’m happy to get back onto the podium after a few rough races. It was a classic endurance race where track position, strategy, and a flat-out last stint was required and was a lot of fun. I am proud to get the 1st Phorm /Wright Motorsport colors back onto the podium and try and build on this momentum as we head to the west coast.

Trent Hindman
Really good job by the 1st Phorm Wright Motorsports team today. As always, we had the speed that we have had but the luck just hadn’t gone our way. Today, we finally had the fortune in our favor. Great job by Pat and the Wright boys. Big thanks to everyone for their hard work.

MICHELIN PILOT CHALLENGE
The weekend looked promising for the No. 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport in Michelin Pilot Challenge, as the team entered the Road America 120 tied for the points lead. The team started the weekend strong, placing first in the opening practice session and fourth in the second. Ryan Hardwick qualified in third for Saturday’s starting position and had a clean start to the race. The conditions were mixed at the green flag, and the No. 16 Porsche started the race on rain tires, with hopes the storm would increase as the race continued. Unfortunately, conditions stayed semi-dry, and the No. 16 Porsche lost some positions as the race line started to dry out. As the starting drivers reached their minimum drive time, the rain picked up, and the Porsche spun, having contact with the wall in the corner known as “The Kink”. Though the car was able to resume the race, after some laps, it was clear it would not be able to continue and stopped on track. Unofficially, the team stands tied for third in the team points standings heading into the final events of the year. The team will get a chance at redemption at the next round, the Monterey Sports Car Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, September 10-12.

Driver Quotes | Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport

Ryan Hardwick
That was a disappointing result, to say the least. We were very competitive and fast all weekend in dry conditions, but during the rain, the car was difficult for me to drive. I struggled to find the pace of the leaders, and towards the end of my stint, I started getting some pace, and I tried a bit too hard in one of the sections where I was more comfortable. I made a mistake that resulted in a spin, in the one place you don’t want to spin. The contact I had, though I was able to continue driving, caused a water leak, so our engine overheated after a couple of laps, and that was the end of our race. It’s obviously a tough blow to our team. We have some work to do with our car in these mixed conditions, and I have some work to do. We’ll keep our eyes on the championship and focus on the last three races of the year.

Jan Heylen
It was a tough weekend. It started off well with a really good qualifying run from Ryan. We had really good speed in the dry. We were lacking some time as a team with this car in the rain. In the end, that’s what it comes down to. We just didn’t have the car underneath us in these conditions. It’s easy to make a small mistake, and that’s all that happened, that’s racing. We’ve made up a lot of points from the beginning of the season, and we’ll do that again in the last three races of the season and see if we can make it back to the front.
PORSCHE CARRERA CUP NORTH AMERICA Presented by The Cayman Islands
In race one, both Max Root and John Goetz had clean and consistent stints, finishing ahead of their starting positions following several instances of pack racing through the four-mile road course. Root finished in sixth, improving his starting position by two spots. John Goetz gained a spot to finish fourth, narrowly missing the final podium spot. Hutton McKenna had one of his strongest performances all year in the No. 88 Porsche, pulling some daring but skilled moves to climb into the top ten from his 13th-place starting position. An unfortunate off-track excursion resulted in the car needing to pit to be assessed for damage, and he was able to continue, finishing in 12th in class.

McKenna showed promise again for race two but contact in the infamous Kink again ruined his prospects, ending his race early. Root again put in a consistent performance on Sunday, finishing in fourth place, just one second behind the final spot on the podium. John Goetz again returned to the podium in the final race, finishing third after starting fourth in class. The Porsche Carrera Cup North America will resume racing during the Porsche SportsCar Together Fest at the Indianapolis Motorsport Speedway, September 9 – 12.

GT AMERICA
Charlie Luck’s effort in SRO America’s new GT America series has been an impressive one all year, with the bronze-rated driver finishing second in both of his races this weekend in Nashville, Tennessee. The Music City Grand Prix held two races for the GT America championship, letting the field of sports cars storm the downtown city streets. After securing a second-place finish in class and third overall on the street course on Saturday, Luck looked to be a strong contender for Sunday’s podium as well. The No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R was a victim of contact in the opening of the race, as the field of bronze drivers drove into a narrow turn, hoping to gain position. Though Luck went wide to avoid the bottleneck, another car crashed into him, dropping him down the charts. He was able to continue, and despite a series of cautions, he charged back through the field to earn another second-place finish. The result keeps Luck firmly in the points lead heading into the next event at Road America, August 27-29.

Charlie Luck | No.45 Porsche 911 GT3 R
I had a great weekend overall with two second-place positions in masters, and one third and a seventh-place finish overall. I totally love the Nashville street course and I can’t wait to go back again next year. In race two, we took our bad situation from the first turn and came back from last to finish seventh. Overall, I am very happy with the weekend.

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1st Phorm
1st Phorm is a sports nutrition company based in St. Louis, MO. In 2009, CEO Andy Frisella and his business partner Chris Klein started the brand, and since then, it has become the fastest growing supplement company in the world. 1st Phorm has set the standards in the industry for quality and helping people reach their goals. This new racing partnership is not their first time in the exotic car scene either. 1st Phorm has been the title sponsor for the Gold Rush Rally for six years running. With over a million followers across social media, 1st Phorm has amassed a huge cult-like following known as, “The Legion of Boom.” They stand for a movement in the fitness world. To turn it back to what it was meant to be. Helping others improve their lives, to be a good human… and to drop the excuses and do the work. 1st Phorm is a winning brand and they don’t expect anything less when it comes to their race team. For additional info: www.1stphorm.com

Mountain Motorsports
Mountain Motorsports is a group of motorcycle and powersports dealerships with multiple locations in the southeastern United States. The company was founded by lifelong friends Ryan Hardwick and Justin Price when they opened their first location as a single-line Honda dealership in Sevierville, Tennessee in 1999. The company has since grown into one of the largest retailers of motorcycle and powersports vehicles in the nation, spanning nine dealership locations representing eleven of the industry’s most well-known brands. For additional info: www.mountainmotorsports.com

Una Vida Tequila
Una Vida translates to One Life. That is how this brand started. By people who want to live their “One Life” to the absolute fullest and to their highest potential. A group of guys from the Midwest who love great quality tequila, and want their One Life to have meaning and impact others.

One Life, One Tequila is our CORE BELIEF. We’re building the only tequila brand you will ever need to drink. Una Vida is bigger than just tequila we’re also building a culture of people who want to live their life to their utmost potential.

Our story begins and continues to grow bottle by bottle. It’s a life mission for us to create a community of people who all raise a glass knowing they’re living their ONE LIFE! For more information, visit unavidatequila.com

Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series, international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy, and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013 and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship.For more information, visit wrightmotorsports.com For more information, visit wrightmotorsports.com.

Sports Car Market Magazine Names its 2021 “40 Under 40” Honorees

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PORTLAND, Ore. (Aug. 9, 2021) – Sports Car Market has named its top “40 Under 40” for 2021. This is the second time the magazine has recognized 40 car enthusiasts under 40 years old who are leaders in the collector-car world.

Hundreds of nominations were received from SCM readers and the final list of honorees was selected by the magazine’s editorial staff. “We are proud to share their stories and look forward to seeing what each of these individuals will accomplish next,” said SCM Executive Editor Jeff Sabatini.

The 2021 “40 Under 40” feature appears in the October issue of Sports Car Market Magazine (www.sportscarmarket.com), which ships to SCM Members, bookstores and newsstands in mid-August. SCM is sold at Barnes & Noble, Hudson News, and many other independent stores.

“This group has not only inherited interests, knowledge and skills from their elders, but have created their own automotive pursuits,” said SCM Publisher Keith Martin. “They are helping to ensure that the future of the collector-car hobby is bright, most of all by sharing their enjoyment.”

The 2021 class recognizes men and women ranging in age from 25 to 39 who have based their lives and careers around automobiles. The honorees include professionals from a variety of backgrounds, such as auction specialists, businesspersons, collector-car dealers, entrepreneurs, museum curators, restoration experts, and technicians. An inaugural group of honorees was named in 2017.

The 2021 SCM “40 Under 40”:
Acabbo, Dana; York International Agency
Beyer, Manda; Manda Marie Upholstery LLC
Bodell, Michael; Petersen Automotive Museum
Brodfuehrer, Garek; Cornerstone Automotive Restorations LLC
Cassini, Caroline; The Market by Bonhams
Cervantes, Art; RADwood Inc.
Clary, Evan; Paul Russell and Company
Cristi, Roberta; WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
Dietz, Robert; WOB Cars, Dietz MotorCraft
Dykman, Angus; Gooding & Company
Grundy, Sam; Grundy Insurance
Hale, Tom; Morton Street Partners
Hammer, Tabetha; America’s Automotive Trust
Ibarra, Adrian; Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo
Kanter, Maddie; The Shop Club
Keller, Eric; Enthusiast Auto Group
Kittrell, Steven; Veloce Valuations, Veloce Media, Mohr Imports
Koscak, Keith; LBI Limited
Leonard, Blakley; The MB Market
Logan, Bennett; Logan Car Services, Jan B. Luehn
Lovett, Edward; Collecting Cars, Watch Collecting
Lucacel, Adam; Vintique Motors
Marzano, Michael; Mouse Motors
Massari, Adolfo; LBI Limited
Mastin, Andrew; LBI Limited
Maxon, Casey; Hagerty Drivers Foundation
Minoff, Eric; Bonhams
Moore, Derek E.; National Corvette Museum
Oliver, Brian; Automotive Restorations Inc.
Paruch, Austin; Paruch Automotive Craftsmanship LLC
Porter, Alex; Bring a Trailer
Roberts, Michael; F40 Motorsports
Santostefano, Adriana; Santostefano Auto Body
Santostefano, Sabrina; Santostefano Auto Body
Sierakowski, Jonathan; Sierakowski Classic Car Advisors
Simko, Orrie; Simko Motorcars LLC
Skinner, Jonathon; John Skinner (Manufacturing) Ltd.
Sweeney, Ed; Proper Noise Limited
Weaver, Alexander; RM Sotheby’s
Wheaton, Clayton; Wheaton Motorwerks

About Keith Martin’s Sports Car Market:
Publisher Keith Martin founded the monthly Sports Car Market magazine, based in Portland, Oregon, in 1989, and it has developed into the authoritative voice of the collector car hobby.

Martin has been personally involved with the collector car hobby for more than 40 years. As a writer, publisher, television commentator and enthusiast, he is constantly on the go, meeting collectors and getting involved in their activities throughout the world.

His columns on collecting and reviews of exotic cars have appeared in The New York Times, and he’s been an emcee at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Concours of America, Concorso Italiano, Legends of the Autobahn, and many other events. He was honored with two of the most prestigious awards in the collector car hobby – The Lee Iacocca Award and the Edward Herrmann Award, and has been inducted into the Concorso Italiano Hall of Fame.

Martin has hosted numerous television specials, was the co-host of “What’s My Car Worth” on the Velocity channel and served as Chairman of the Meguiar’s Collector Car Person of the Year Award. He’s on the Board of Trustees of the LeMay Museum and has served on the faculty of the Collier Museum Symposium on Connoisseurship.

A full bio on Keith Martin can be found HERE.

LOUIS-PHILIPPE MONTOUR TO DRIVE DUMOULIN COMPETITION-PREPARED CAR AT THE GRAND PRIX DE TROIS-RIVIÈRES

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First start in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series for the experienced driver

Trois-Rivieres (Quebec, Canada), August 9, 2021 – Dumoulin Competition announces today that Louis-Philippe Montour will compete in next Sunday’s NASCAR Pinty’s Series Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres in the #07 Kamloop car prepared by the team. The Montreal native has been competing in various car racing series in Canada and the United States since he was 14 years old and has won various championships, notably in Viper-based cars and in the TransAm TA2 series.

“I have raced once at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres, in 2013, in the Canadian Touring Car Championship (CTCC) series in the GT class aboard a Viper. This will be my first experience in a NASCAR Pinty’s. When I started racing in 2011, my first two driving instructors were Jean-Francois and Louis-Philippe Dumoulin, who taught me how to drive a race car. We always kept in touch and saw each other at local events, especially at Circuit Mont-Tremblant. Jean-Francois was my instructor at Daytona in 2018 for the TransAm final where I finished on the podium, in third place. When I decided to race in the Pinty’s Series at the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivières, it was an easy decision for me to do it with Dumoulin Competition,” explained Louis-Philippe Montour.

A Great Opportunity to Build a Business Partnership

Louis-Philippe Montour represents the fourth generation working in the Montour Ltée family business, which prepares spice blends, sauces and marinades for the meat industry.

“We started a new company in 2014, Kamloop Foods, which specializes in the production of sauces and ready-to-eat meals. In fact, we supply the bagged sauces that go into Pinty’s products. I’ve talked to Anthony Spiteri, Vice-President marketing & innovation, a few times and he was always asking me when I would be racing in NASCAR Canada. So this is it! We are going to have a great weekend, in a series that is very competitive and with the opportunity for us to promote our family businesses in a series that is supported by our major customer,” concluded the driver.

Dumoulin Competition – Car Preparation and Trackside Support

Founded in 2009, Dumoulin Competition specializes in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, providing the complete array of services required to participate and win in the series: car design and fabrication, maintenance, race preparation and trackside support, as provided to the #04 Groupe Bellemare | Trois-Rivières Mitsubishi | MIA | Bernier Crépeau Chrysler Fiat and the #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare cars driven by brothers Jean-Francois and Louis-Philippe Dumoulin respectively. The Pinty’s title won by Louis-Philippe Dumoulin in 2018 is testament to the efficiency and quality of the work delivered by Dumoulin Competition.

“We are delighted to build upon our relationship with Louis-Philippe Montour. He is a talented driver, and is used to racing cars with powerful engine, his preference right from the start of his career. Louis-Philippe will get the most out of the #07 Dodge we are preparing for him,” said Jean-François Dumoulin, General Manager of Dumoulin Competition.

Louis-Philippe Montour Racing Highlights

Louis-Philippe Montour has taken full advantage since his racing debut of every opportunity to discover a new track, series or car, especially if it is a powerful one, and he continues to use different driving coaches to accelerate his learning.

His track record since 2011 is proof of the effectiveness of his approach:

· TransAm TA2 Southern Cup 2018 Champion

· Winner of the 2017 HSR Daytona Classic 24 at Daytona International Speedway

· 2016 Rookie of the year in the TransAm TA2 Series

· 2013 Champion in the SRT Viper Cup Championship Series, with 8 pole positions in 10 races

· 2013 Champion in the USGT-X presented by NARRA

· 3rd in the 2012 SRT Viper Cup

· 5th in his first race in a 2011 SRT Viper Cup event at Daytona aboard a Viper ACR-X.

The NASCAR Pinty’s Series 60-lap race will be flagged off at 2:18 pm on Sunday, August 15 (EDT). The race will be broadcast live on RDS2 and tape-delayed on August 22 at 1:00 pm on TSN.

“Passion – Performance – Partnerships”

Steven Aghakhani and Jacob Eidson Narrow Gap to the IMSA Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship Points Lead with Double Podium at Road America

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Second and Third Place Finishes Move No. 6 SADA Systems US RaceTronics Lamborghini Huracán Evo Drivers and Team Closer to Super Trofeo Pro-Class Championship Lead With Four 2021 Rounds Remaining

ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (August 8, 2021) – Steven Aghakhani and Jacob Eidson closed in on the 2021 IMSA Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Pro-class championship lead this weekend at Road America with a pair of podium finishes in the No. 6 SADA Systems US RaceTronics (USRT) Lamborghini Huracán Evo in a Saturday and Sunday doubleheader schedule of 50-minute sprint races on the four-mile road course.

Aghakhani and Eidson scored a second-place overall and Pro-class finish in Sunday’s second and final race following a third-place overall and Pro showing in Saturday’s opening race. The twin visits to Victory Lane were the third straight Super Trofeo podium finish for the No. 6 drivers and team following their first victory of the year one race ago at Watkins Glen International in New York.

In total, Aghakhani, Eidson and the SADA/USRT team have hit the podium in six of the year’s first eight races, a consistent run that includes at least one top-three showing on each of the four doubleheader race weekend events held to date this season.

“The guys on the SADA Systems/USRT team did an amazing job, doing what they had to do,” Aghakhani said. “It’s a huge thank you to them, the entire team, the sponsors and everyone that came out to support us. It wasn’t the double victory sweep that we intended and wanted to get, but we’ll gladly take it. We’re out here racing for the long run in the season, and just getting the points and being safe about it was the correct thing to do in this race.”

The entire Road America race weekend was hampered by rain, including a heavy deluge late Friday afternoon, and a string of red flag stoppages in practice that cost competitors a large amount of track time.

“There were a lot of factors this weekend that we couldn’t control,” Eidson said. “We did the best with the hand that we were dealt and got two podiums. I think we had the potential to win Saturday, and especially on Sunday, but that’s just how racing works. It was still a good weekend, and I’ve got to thank US RaceTronics, SADA Systems and all the guys on the team and everyone behind the curtain that supports us and makes this possible.”

Saturday’s first race saw Aghakhani and Eidson overcome a challenging race start to power back to the third-place finish. The move to the front was fueled by another well executed and perfectly time pit stop by the USRT team that moved the No. 6 up several spots as Eidson took over from Aghakhani at mid-race.

Although Eidson never had a chance to get close enough to make a move for second place or the race lead, he brought the SADA Systems No. 6 across the finish line a full three positions ahead of the current Pro class points leader.

Picking up where they left off Saturday, Eidson started Sunday’s race third on the grid and immediately made a move to the front. He was in second place by lap two and kept the pressure on the leader until pitting to hand the No. 6 off to Aghakhani just past the race’s halfway point.

Aghakhani returned to the race in second place but lost some valuable track position to the leader after a rare timing miscue in the pits.

“We had a little issue in pit lane, just like we had here last year with a seat belt problem during our stop,” Aghakhani said. “Today we had an issue with the pit timer and left a little late, but it was better safe than sorry.”

Despite the lost track position, Aghakhani still managed to steadily close the gap to the front. He was on pace to catch the leader before the end of the race only to see a late on-track incident stop the run and ultimately end the race under caution.

The Road America podium haul saw Aghakhani and Eidson gain a full nine points on the current championship leader. Coming into the race third in the standings 20 points out of first, the No. 6 drivers and team now trail the leader by just 11 points in third and are only six points shy of the second-place competitor.

Next up for Aghakhani, Eidson and the No. 6 SADA Systems/USRT team in Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America competition is the fifth and final North American doubleheader weekend of 2021 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, September 10 – 12. The season’s sixth doubleheader will be held in Misano, Italy in late October just ahead of the season-ending World Finals at the same Italian circuit.

Aghakhani’s Lamborghini racing programs run with the support of several key sponsor partners in 2021. SADA Systems, Inc. is a privately held global leader in providing business and technology consulting services that transform organizations through cloud-based solutions at www.sada.com. Insignia Mortgage focuses on providing flexible portfolio lending options for clients with non-traditional lending needs. Learn more at www.insigniamortgage.com. Magic Laundry Services (MLS) is one of the largest independently owned hospitality linens and dry-cleaning operations in the country, catering primarily to the hospitality industry. Learn more at www.magiclaundryservices.com. TKX Associates specializes in consulting and staff augmentation at www.tkxassociates.com, Shegerian & Associates is a Los Angeles based firm at www.shegerianlaw.com. The Tax & Business Consulting Group is a Los Angeles-based public accounting firm at www.alllp.com. Equeduct provides capital funding solutions for small businesses at www.equeduct.com. O’Gara Coach, at www.ogaracoach, is a luxury and high-performance auto dealer in Beverly Hills, Westlake Village and San Diego. Additional valued partners include Forgiato Wheels at www.forgiato.com, Speed Society at https://speedsociety.com and the Pro Automotive Repair Center in Glendale, California.

CHEVROLET NTT INDYCAR SERIES-STREETS OF NASHVILLE: TEAM CHEVY RACE RECAP FOR BIG MACHINE MUSIC CITY GRAND PRIX ON NEW NASHVILLE STREET COURSE

By
Official Release
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CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
BIG MACHINE MUSIC CITY GRAND PRIX
STREETS OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
TEAM CHEVY RACE RECAP
AUGUST 8, 2021

FELIX ROSENQVIST CAPS STRONG WEEKEND IN NASHVILLE TO LEAD TEAM CHEVY CONTINGENT IN BIG MACHINE MUSIC CITY GRAND PRIX

NASHVILLE (August 8, 2021) – Felix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, liked the new street course in Downtown Nashville when he first laid eyes on it during the track walk prior to the start of the inaugural Big Machine Music City Grand Prix weekend. With extensive street course experience all over Europe early in his career, Rosenqvist adapted quickly to the intricacies of the tight, bumpy course.

He was solid in practice, qualified well and brought home an eighth-place finish.

The 80-lap race saw nine cautions for 33 laps from several multi-car accidents that damaged many of the front-runners and left them mired deep in the field.

Two-time NTT INDYCAR Series champion Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, finished 10th after receiving damage from contact as drivers were trying to avoid cars stopped on course early in the race. He battled his way through the field to grab the top-10 and sits fourth in the standings with five races remaining.

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, salvaged a 13th place finish after being involved in one of the numerous incidents. He dropped to third in the standings but remains in the title chase only six points out of second.

Marcus Ericsson was the race winner.

Next on the schedule is the historic NTT INDYCAR SERIES and NASCAR Cup Series weekend on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Big Machine Spiked Coolers GP for INDYCAR will be Saturday, August 14, 2021. On Sunday, the Chevrolet teams and drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series will compete in the Verizon 200.

TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS FINISHING POSITIONS:
8th: Felix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet
10th: Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet
12th: Conor Daly, No. 20 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet
13th: Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet
14th: Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet
18th: Max Chilton, No. 59 Carlin Chevrolet
21st: Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Chevrolet
22nd: Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet
23rd : Dalton Kellett, No. 4 K-Line Insulators AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet
24th: Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek Chevrolet
27th: Sebastien Bourdais, No. 14 ROKiT AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet

DRIVER QUOTES:
FELIX ROSENQVIST, NO. 7 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, FINISHED 8TH: “We were solidly in sixth until the final red flag. Everyone around us was on reds and we were on blacks. I couldn’t get them up to temperature and I lost two positions in the final lap to finish eighth. I feel we never were quite able to build up enough momentum to attack. At the same time, it was a crazy race. I’m just happy to finish it to be honest, because a lot of cars ended up in the wall. The race was a special one, but at least we got some points and are a bit closer to where we should be. Definitely leaves us wanting a bit more next weekend on the IMS road course.”

JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 10TH: “It was a really tough weekend, you know, it’s been a tough week. It was a great event and I’m really proud of the city of Nashville and IndyCar. I think just putting this together they did a great job. But specifically on the No. 2 Hitachi Chevy, just sort of a nightmare day. Up and down, you know just tried to fight and I think ultimately I can’t be too sad. I don’t think we can be dissatisfied with 10th. As up and down as the day was and as much chaos happened, 10th’s not the worst thing coming out of here, but very disappointed. I’m proud of my team. I think they did a great job and Team Chevy and the support from Hitachi and all our partners is always top-notch and the people on the 2 car are a pretty special bunch. I’ll be happy to go into the next race and keep fighting and come back here next year and hopefully redeem ourselves.”

CONOR DALY, NO. 20 U.S. AIR FORCE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 12TH: “I don’t really know how to describe today. I saw a car with its nose 30 feet in the air, then that car won the race and I’m not really sure how that happened! We were in the right position for a podium, it seemed like we were doing the right things but we got unlucky the way the strategy fell. To be in the Top 12 today was good, but it’s really tough to be that close to a podium. We’ve done so much work to put ourselves in a good position and we just can’t quite get there. We were right there today, we will keep trying and hopefully get a podium soon!”

PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, FINISHED 13TH:
“What a weekend here for the first race in Nashville. Honestly, I feel I did a really good job at the beginning. The team was spot on with the strategy calls that they made. But we picked up two penalties and, while I might not agree with them, it is what it is. At one point we were 20th and were able to recover all the way to 13th, which is a positive. I saved some points there at the end with these No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP guys, but a disappointing day.”

WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON 5G TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 14TH: “Pretty crazy day. I feel bad for Scott definitely. I thought he saw me and I was on new tires and he had like 15 laps on his and it was totally on me. Just a bad move. Rough day to say the least. A 14th-place finish is not a very good day for the No. 12 Verizon 5G Chevy, but I learned a lot.”

SIMON PAGENAUD, NO. 22 MENARDS TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 21ST: “Well, we didn’t have the day we expected with the Menards Chevy. We had a fantastic racecar, really fast. I wish we could have been at the front all day, but we got collected in two big incidents and ended up not finishing the race, which was a shame. I really enjoyed the racetrack this weekend and I love the town. I’m going to come back and visit. I want to see some good restaurants and music. The design of the track was fun and I look forward to coming back next year.”

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 DEX IMAGING TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET—FINISHED 22ND : “Promising day, but unfortunately it turned into a bit of a negative. Our Dex Imaging Chevy looked good and we were coming through the field fast. I was having a lot of fun passing a few cars and passing people on strategy. But unfortunately I got taken out twice. It’s disappointing, but its part of it. I’m probably more disappointed for Dex Imaging. It is their first time back on the car since St. Pete. We were having a good run there. I learned a lot this weekend. It’s a promising sign for my INDYCAR career and I’ll continue to focus on just trying to be better and trying to put myself in better situations so we don’t get caught up in the mess. I learned a lot. I love Nashville, and I can hardly wait to come back next year.”

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 SONAX ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 24TH: “First, I just want to thank my guys for all of their hard work repairing the car. They did a great job and I wish I could have got a good result for them. I had a really good first 20 laps, I made it up to P12 from starting P22. I was on for a really good restart, but I got caught up with everyone stopping on track. The car was hit from the back and I got a lot of damage. We tried to get it repaired and back on track, but when I hit the brakes it locked up completely and I went right into the wall. That was the end for me, unfortunately. We are going back to Indy next week, which has been a good track for me and hopefully I can have some luck again!”

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS, NO. 14 ROCKIT AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET, INVOVED IN MULTICAR ACCIDENT EARLY IN THE RACE – FINISHED 27th:
“I was looking forward to that race but unfortunately we won’t get anything out of it. Following a decent start, sitting 14th, Marcus was right in my gearbox before the restart, but the field started to check up and he ran right over us damaging our car very significantly, putting an end to our race…”

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.

Castroneves and Harvey Survive Tough Music City Grand Prix

By
Official Release
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#06: Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing Honda

Castroneves races to ninth while Harvey brings home an 15th place finish

Nashville, Tenn. (8 August 2021) – As one of the most highly anticipated races on the NTT IndyCar Series calendar, Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) drivers Jack Harvey and Helio Castroneves battled a tight race course and 90-degree temperatures through 80 tough laps in the inaugural Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on Sunday.

The four-time Indianapolis 500 champion made his return to MSR in a big way as he raced the No. 06 Transcard Honda to ninth. After showing considerable pace from the start of the weekend, Harvey brought the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda home 15th.

What was a nearly three-hour race, it quickly became a race of survival and a test to have the cleanest car at the end of the 80-lap event. Seven caution periods and two red flags made for teams having to strategize on the fly to end up at the front of the field.

Starting from 15th Castroneves knew that keeping the nose of his No. 06 Transcard Honda clean was going to be key. Castroneves’ smart driving kept his Honda in a strong position to move through the field ahead of his first stop on lap 18.

The Brazilian stayed focused with the top ten in sight as he ran in 13th following the fifth caution period at the halfway point. Following the pack ahead into pit lane on lap 45, Castroneves pitted for a new set of tires and fuel with 32 laps remaining.

Reentering the fray with fuel save mode ‘on,’ Castroneves set his sights on a top-ten finish. The Brazilian rounded out the top ten on the restart following the seventh caution period and never looked back as he raced to a ninth place finish.

After starting from sixth, Harvey kept the No. 60 Honda well within the top ten through the first 22 laps. Harvey was the first of the leaders to pit on lap 22 to swap over to Firestone primary tires and take fuel. Following a fourth caution on Lap 31, Harvey raced back up to the top ten to sit eighth with 40 laps to go.

Harvey raced up to fourth just after the halfway mark, but after pitting on lap 52, he and several surrounding cars were caught out by the proceeding yellow flag and were shuffled to the back of the field. Harvey advanced two position during the final laps of the race to finish 15th.

MSR Team Quotes:

Mike Shank: “Jack actually had a good day. We’re all in this incredible race today with so much strategy going on. And there’s six or seven of us that got caught on the wrong side of that one call, and it just buried us. We had a little mechanical problem with Jack right there at the end too. It kind of worked itself out but also cost us a little bit of drive. Jack did a great job, did everything we asked, there are no complaints from my side and you know we’re going to keep after it hard. With Helio, I think he overachieved to be honest. Our expectation was to finish in the top 12 and he put her at P9 today and that was a lot of hard work by him and the team. I’m really happy for him and Transcard they come on for one race and we got a positive result.”

Helio Castroneves, No. 06 Transcard Honda: “Thank you to Transcard, SiriusXM, AutoNation, and Honda! Today was was a really, really good day. I learned so much during the race. I was really patient, people were taking advantage of my patience but it’s okay, until a point I was like, ‘enough is enough.’ Great strategy, we were able to take advantage of that – today was all about strategy to put us in the top ten. Our goal was to be in the top ten, we did it. Great job from everyone at MSR and now onto the next race in Indianapolis.”

Jack Harvey, No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda: “We qualified pretty well, and I don’t know what we have to do to find a result on Sunday. We started sixth and somehow finished 15th. I’ve really enjoyed racing in Nashville, it’s such an awesome city and I’m excited to come back. That was probably the most amount of yellows I’ve ever seen in a race before, but we’ll keep digging away here. I have to thank everyone on the SiriusXM / AutoNation Honda because we’ve still got five races to get it done.”

Ericsson Drives to Improbable Win in Ganassi 1-2 at Wild Nashville

By
Official Release
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021) – Five laps into the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, Marcus Ericsson’s car launched airborne and limped to the pits with a broken front wing.

Seventy-five laps later, he drove the No. 8 Bryant Honda into victory lane Sunday as the winner of the inaugural NTT INDYCAR SERIES race on the streets of Nashville, Tennessee, in one of the most improbable results in recent memory.

Ericsson beat Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon to the finish by 1.5596 seconds in a two-lap showdown after a red flag to earn his second victory this season. Ericsson’s amazing drive to the front came after he hit the rear of Sebastien Bourdais’ No. 14 ROKiT/AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet on a restart on Lap 5, dislodging the front wing of his car and incurring a stop-and-go penalty for avoidable contact.

The late red flag came when NTT P1 Award winner Colton Herta crashed heavily in Turn 9 with five laps to go while running second and chasing Ericsson for the lead.

“It’s unbelievable,” Ericsson said. “It just shows in INDYCAR anything can happen. You can never give up. And if you have a good team and a good car, you can still get to victory lane.

“I can’t believe it; I just can’t believe it.”

James Hinchcliffe finished third in the No. 29 #ShiftToGreen Honda for his best result of the season for Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport. His previous best in 2021 was 14th in June at Belle Isle-2. Ryan Hunter-Reay finished fourth in the No. 28 DHL Honda as Andretti Autosport put two cars in the top five for the first time this season.

While Hinchcliffe and Hunter-Reay didn’t have quite the dramatic early laps of the race as Ericsson, both were forced to stop on track when the track was blocked by a multicar incident on Lap 20 that forced the first of two red flags in the 80-lap race. Yet they also rallied to drive into the top four.

Graham Rahal, who was quickest in the race warmup today, rounded out the top five in the No. 15 United Rentals Honda. Like Hinchcliffe, Ed Jones produced his best drive of the season, finishing sixth after starting 26th in the 27-car field in the No. 18 SealMaster Honda. Jones’ previous best result in 2021 was ninth in June at Belle Isle-1.

Alex Palou expanded his championship lead by finishing seventh in the No. 10 NTT DATA Honda. He leads Chip Ganassi Racing teammate and six-time and reigning series champion Dixon by 42 points, as Dixon leap-frogged Pato O’Ward into second with his best result in the No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Honda since winning Texas-1 in early May.

O’Ward finished 13th in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet – his worst result since the Indianapolis road course race in early May – and fell to third in points, 48 behind Palou.

Ericsson, whose previous win came in June at Belle Isle-1, is fifth in the points, 79 behind Palou. He is just four points behind fourth-place Josef Newgarden, who finished 10th today at his hometown race in the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet.

The race unfolded into a head-to-head duel between Ericsson and Herta over the closing 20 laps after a chaotic opening 60 laps that included seven caution periods.

Ericsson made his final pit stop on Lap 46 and was forced to save fuel and nurse the initially grippier but less durable Firestone alternate “red” tires over the closing laps. Herta made his final stop on Lap 53 for the more durable Firestone primary “black” tires, so he had no fuel concerns to the finish.

But Herta never got a chance to challenge Formula One veteran Ericsson for the lead after he locked up his tires while slowing for Turn 9 after exiting the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge on Lap 75, hitting the tire barrier hard. Herta was quickest in every pre-race session this weekend on the 11-turn, 2.17-mile street course except for the morning warmup.

“Colton was so fast, as we saw all weekend, so to keep him behind with a lot of fuel save was one of the best performances of my career,” Ericsson said. “I’m sorry he ended up in the fence there. He should be on this podium with us.”

Eight caution periods in the first 60 laps jumbled strategies and kept engineers and strategists on the pit wall almost as busy as drivers on the bumpy circuit that includes two trips across the Cumberland River each lap.

Ericsson was in the pits seven times during the race, three more than fellow podium finishers Dixon and Hinchcliffe, due to damage from his early incident with Bourdais and to serve the stop-and-go penalty he was assessed for avoidable contact in that collision. Ericsson drove up the back of Bourdais’ car, launching his front end into the air, on a restart on Lap 5.

“I want to apologize to Seb there at the start,” Ericsson said. “It was an accident. I thought it was green, and I went, and I couldn’t see that he stopped, so I’m really sorry for that.”

But Ericsson’s Chip Ganassi Racing team – led by strategist Mike O’Gara – made all the right calls on pit stops, and he first took the lead on Lap 33 and then again for good on Lap 56 when Romain Grosjean pitted in the No. 51 Nurtec ODT Honda. Ericsson led 37 laps for the day, two fewer than Herta.

Herta also caught a timely break during his first pit stop on Lap 33, during a caution period triggered by tire barrier contact in Turn 1 by the No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek Chevrolet of Rinus VeeKay. It appeared Herta would return to about the middle of the field for the ensuing restart, as a handful of cars had made pit stops during the numerous cautions earlier in the race.

But the Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car had to slow approaching the VeeKay accident area, as there was only one lane open on track since the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team was still clearing VeeKay’s car from the track. That allowed Herta to re-enter the track in fourth place behind leader Ericsson, Hunter-Reay and Hinchcliffe.

The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is the Big Machine Spiked Coolers Grand Prix on Saturday, Aug. 14 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Practice and qualifying are scheduled for Friday, Aug. 13 on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course.

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