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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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Official Release
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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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Official Release
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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

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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

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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

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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.

Team Hardpoint EBM Co-Drivers Katherine Legge and Rob Ferriol Finish Eighth at Road America

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Official Release
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Team’s Porsche Carrera Cup Drivers Riley Dickinson, Efrin Castro Both had Battles For Wins Early in the Day

ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (August 8, 2021) – Team Hardpoint EBM earned a hard-fought eighth-place finish in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona (GTD) competition on Sunday afternoon at Road America, while the team’s two Porsche Carrera Cup North America battled for their own race leads earlier that morning.

The GTD finish for co-drivers Rob Ferriol and Katherine Legge included a pair of laps led during the race for the first time this season during the pit stop cycle for the No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R. It also saw Ferriol, the Team Hardpoint EBM owner, take over the Bob Akin Award point lead for eligible FiA Bronze-rated drivers.

Ferriol began the race in 11th place and improved to 8th during his hour-long stint in the car.

“I said coming into the weekend that every time we come out with the car we’re smarter, we’re faster, we’re more capable and we’re more competitive and we showed that,” Ferriol said. “I think we had it in us to fight a little higher up the grid but Katherine’s clutch started to fade at the end. It limited how much progress we could make, but I was happy with the car when I was in it and was extremely happy watching Katherine fight her way through the field.”

Legge took over for the second half of the race and held off a host of fellow pro drivers to the finish despite an issue with the clutch that began early in her stint.

“I had some good fun battles,” Legge said. “The team executed without fault, no mistakes were made. I feel like we’re making progress. We plan to go testing again soon, so I think that will again aid our march up the grid and we’ll be able to fix the problems that we had and come back even stronger at Laguna.”

In the 45-minute Porsche Carrera Cup North America race, Riley Dickinson moved temporarily to the front from his third-place starting position in the opening corner before settling into second place through two early caution periods.

On the lap seven restart, Dickinson and his No. 53 Porsche Austin/Team Hardpoint EBM Porsche 911 GT3 Cup was involved in a tight battle up front. Coming through Turn Six Dickinson was pushed wide and off track, dropping all the way to ninth in the running order. His competitor was penalized for the contact, but Dickinson was left with a seventh-place finish just one day after a podium.

“After Watkins Glen, for better or worse, I felt the pressure a little bit,” Dickinson said. “I wanted to give the Team Hardpoint EBM guys and Porsche Austin a better result, because that’s what they deserve. I was pushing a little bit harder this weekend, but ultimately things out of our control got in the way. We had the pace, we had the fastest lap, and we had the fastest car on track. In hindsight I probably could have done things a little bit differently but in the heat of the battle, I got the raw end of the deal on that one. We’re extremely proud of what we did this weekend, even though we didn’t get the result today to show for it. Going into Indianapolis, we know for a fact that we have the pace to fight with these guys.”

Efrin Castro also fell all the way to seventh in the Pro-Am class after an unsuccessful battle for the lead. Just one lap after Dickinson’s incident, Castro drove his No. 65 Fine Fare Supermarkets/GoDominicanRepublic.com Porsche 911 GT3 Cup deep into Turn One in a battle for the lead. With the track still damp from the overnight rains, Castro couldn’t find enough grip and ran off track – carefully rejoining the race after traveling through a gravel trap and eventually finishing seventh in the race. Castro was attempting to earn his second win of the season, which has been paired with five runner-up finishes to date in the eight-race schedule.

“The car was really good for this race,” Castro said. “Team Hardpoint EBM always gives me a good car, but today I was more connected with the car. I feel like I had to go for it. The opportunity was there and I have enough second-place trophies – I wanted a win! It was a little bit damp on the outside and I overcooked the corner. But that’s what we’re here for. We’re here to put on a show. It’s about giving it your all, and I did there. It was a great race and I hope everybody enjoyed it.”

Both Team Hardpoint EBM’s efforts return to action on the weekend of September 10-12. Ferriol, Legge and the No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R join the IMSA WeatherTech Championship field at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. That same weekend, the Porsche Carrera Cup North America will conduct a tripleheader race weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Porsche SportsCar Together Fest.

About Team Hardpoint EBM:
Hardpoint Motorsports was founded by Rob Ferriol in 2018 with the vision of combining his experience as a successful entrepreneur with his passion for racing. Team Hardpoint EBM is a joint venture between Team Hardpoint and Earl Bamber Motorsport formed in late 2020 to utilize the resources of EBM and co-owners Earl Bamber and Will Bamber and the early success of Team Hardpoint. Headquartered at VIRginia International Raceway, the team’s 2021 plans include a full-season effort in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship in a Porsche 911 GT3 R and a multi-car effort in the IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup North America. More information on Team Hardpoint EBM can be found at www.hardpoint.com or through its strong social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

HighPoint.com Racing: Chase Briscoe Watkins Glen Race Report

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Official Release
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Briscoe Ninth at Watkins Glen
HighPoint.com Driver Earns Third Top-10 Finish of Season

Date: Aug. 8, 2021
Event: Go Bowling at The Glen (Round 23 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International (7-turn, 2.45-mile road course)
Format: 90 laps, broken into three stages (20 laps/20 laps/50 laps)
Start/Finish: 27th / 9th (Running, completed 90 of 90 laps)
Point Standing: 22nd (411 points, 506 out of first)
Race Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Martin Truex Jr. of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-20):

● Chase Briscoe started 27th and finished 25th.
● The HighPoint.com driver struggled with a loose Ford Mustang in turn three and took advantage of the lap-10 competition caution to pit for fresh tires, fuel and adjustments. Briscoe restarted 28th on lap 13.
● By lap 15, Briscoe had made his way to the 21st position. Two laps later he was called to pit road for a scheduled green-flag stop for fuel only.
● The rookie driver rejoined the field in 25th and maintained that position until the completion of the first stage. When the leaders pitted at the stage break, Briscoe stayed on track and inherited the fourth position.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 21-40):

● Briscoe started fourth and finished fifth to earn six bonus points.
● On the initial start of the second stage, Briscoe challenged for the lead into turn one but ultimately settled into the second position.
● When the third caution of the race occurred on lap 26, Briscoe reported he was battling the same handling conditions but the changes made on his last pit stop had helped. He remained on track and restarted in the second position on lap 28.
● As the end of the second stage approached, the HighPoint.com Mustang began to lose rear grip on exit of the corners. Briscoe slipped back to the fifth position as the stage came to an end.
● The No. 14 driver elected to stay on track once again at the stage break and lined up fifth for the start of the final segment.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 41-90):

● Briscoe started fifth and finished ninth.
● Briscoe restarted fifth for the final stage and was running there when crew chief Johnny Klausmeier brought the HighPoint.com Ford in for a scheduled stop on lap 57. The No. 14 received tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment.
● On lap 60, Briscoe was scored in 15th as leaders continued to make green-flag stops. He re-entered the top-10 on lap 65.
● Briscoe held his position until the final lap of the race. As he came out of the final corner, he passed Ross Chastain for the ninth position to score his third top-10 of the season.

Notes:

● Briscoe earned his third top-10 of the season, and it came in his first career NASCAR Cup Series start at Watkins Glen.
● Briscoe was the highest finishing NASCAR Cup Series rookie for the 19th time this season.
● Kyle Larson won the Go Bowling at The Glen to score his 11th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his series-leading fifth of the season and his first at Watkins Glen. His margin over second-place Chase Elliott was 2.43 seconds.
● There were four caution periods for a total of six laps.
● Twenty-four of the 37 drivers in the Go Bowling at The Glen finished on the lead lap.
● Larson and Denny Hamlin are tied for the championship lead after Watkins Glen, each with 917 points. Their margin over nearest pursuer William Byron is 131 points.

Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“We’ve only got three top-10s now, but you’ll take any of them you can get. We ran up front a lot of the day but still weren’t quite good enough. I felt like earlier in the race I was a little bit better. And as the race went on, I don’t know if the other guys got better or we just got worse. Obviously, we’re in a position where we’ve got to go win, so ninth doesn’t necessarily cut it for us, but overall it was a good day. We got stage points and finished in the top-10, so we’ll go on to Indy. We know we’ve got to get it better if we’re gonna win one of these, and just from a balance standpoint I’ve still got to get better, too. We’ll go on to Indy and back home next week. Obviously, that one is super special, so we’ll try to capitalize there.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard on Sunday, Aug. 15, on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race starts at 1 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

DiBenedetto Finishes 11th at the Glen

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Official Release
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Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Moen team continued their string of strong performances with an 11th-place finish in Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen at historic Watkins Glen International. It was their fourth-straight finish of 11th or better, including a 10th-place finish at Road America, a ninth at Atlanta Motor Speedway and an 11th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

DiBenedetto and the Menards/Moen Mustang lined up 14th for the start of Sunday’s 90-lap run on the historic road course in New York.

DiBenedetto had moved up to 12th place by Lap 12 when the yellow flag was displayed for the Competition Caution. He was running 13th just prior to the end of the first 20-Lap Stage when he made a green-flag pit stop. That took him out of the running for Stage points in the first segment but gave him track position at the start of the second Stage.

He lined up 11th for the restart, moved up to sixth at one point then closed out that Stage in seventh place, earning four Stage points.

In the third and final segment of the race, which was completed without a caution flag, he ran inside the top 10 before making his final pit stop, under the green flag at Lap 58. DiBenedetto worked his way back to 11th and was running there when the checkered flag fell.

He told reporters afterward that he thought his Menards/Moen Mustang was capable of a bit more.

“I think we were an eighth- to 10th-place car,” he said. “We probably finished a couple spots further back than what we could have gotten.

“We caught that whole group of cars at the end and just ran out of time.”

DiBenedetto said his No. 21 team, led by crew chief Jonathan Hassler, turned in a solid effort.

“We were lacking a little bit of speed, but it was a good day. I thought we maximized,” he said. “We made good adjustments.

“Hassler made the perfect adjustment there at the end, and it was as good as our car was going to be without practice.

“There were things I wanted to change, but you can’t when you don’t have practice.”

DiBenedetto remains 17th in the Cup Series standings and 19th in the Playoff standings, and will need a race victory in one of the three remaining regular season races to make the cut for the Playoffs.

Next up for DiBenedetto and the Wood Brothers team is another road-course race, the Verizon 200 next Sunday on the infield road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Menards

A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states. Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building. Menards is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too! For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford Mustang driven by Matt DiBenedetto in the famous No. 21 racer.

HaasTooling.com Racing: Cole Custer Watkins Glen Race Report

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Official Release
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Custer Finishes 18th at Watkins Glen
HaasTooling.com Ford Driver Logs 11th Top-20 of Season, Fourth in a Row

Date: Aug. 8, 2021
Event: Go Bowling at The Glen (Round 23 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International (7-turn, 2.45-mile road course)
Format: 90 laps, broken into three stages (20 laps/20 laps/50 laps)
Start/Finish: 19th / 18th (Running, completed 90 of 90 laps)
Point Standing: 28th (356 points, 561 out of first)
Race Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Martin Truex Jr. of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-20):

● Cole Custer started 19th and finished 32nd.
● The HaasTooling.com Ford driver held his relative position during the opening run, picking up one spot on his way to the lap-10 competition caution. He said his biggest issue in the early going was wheel hop heading into the fast, right-hand turn one. He stayed on track and restarted 16th when the race went back to green on lap 12.
● Custer reported his racecar was “still a little loose” at the top of the esses and the wheel hop issue into turn one persisted, as well as in turn six. He pitted three laps before the end of the stage from 19th place. After taking fuel and four tires with an air-pressure adjustment all around, Custer resumed 32nd, where he finished the stage. He stayed on track during the break.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 21-40):

● Custer started ninth and finished 14th.
● The HaasTooling.com driver reported his racecar was not too tight. He stayed on track during a lap-24 caution for a stopped car on track.
● Custer asked for help turning in both direction on his next pit stop, as well as help with a brake lockup issue. He stayed on track all the way to the end of the stage and finished it 14th. He pitted during the break for four tires, fuel and adjustments, and then was penalized for passing through too many pitboxes on exit.

Final Stage Recap (Laps 41-90):

● Custer started 34th and finished 18th.
● The HaasTooling.com driver again held his relative position during the early laps of the stage, saying the changes made during the stage break were “definitely a gain, and we need more of that.” He was up to 28th on lap 52 when teams began making their final scheduled pit stops, was 12th by lap 58 and cracked the top-10 the next lap.
● Custer was up to fourth place when he was called to the pits under green on lap 62. He took four tires, fuel and adjustments and resumed in 27th.
● Custer methodically made his way forward and cracked the top-20 by lap 73. He picked up a pair of positions by the time he took the checkered flag.

Notes:

● Kyle Larson won the Go Bowling at The Glen to score his 11th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his series-leading fifth of the season and his first at Watkins Glen. His margin over second-place Chase Elliott was 2.430 seconds.
● There were four caution periods for a total of six laps.
● Twenty-four of the 37 drivers in the Go Bowling at The Glen finished on the lead lap.
● Larson and Denny Hamlin are tied for the championship lead after Watkins Glen with each having 917 points. Their margin over nearest pursuer William Byron is 131 points.

Cole Custer, driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“Our HaasTooling.com Ford was solid at the end of the race, and I have to thank Mike Shiplett and the guys for that. We had some work to do with a few issues involving wheel hop and brack lockup early in the race, but we made the right adjustments there at the end. The penalty on pit road didn’t help our cause, but we were able to rally back for a top-20. We’ll stay in road-race mode for another week and see what we can do at Indy next week.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard on Sunday, Aug. 15, on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race starts at 1 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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