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Jr III Racing to Make IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Debut At Road America

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Elkhart Lake, Wisc. (August 1, 2021) – After two successful years in IMSA Prototype Challenge, Jr III Racing is moving up the ranks to make its IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut during the IMSA Sports Car Weekend at Road America on Sunday, August 8th. (TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold, 2:40 PM ET)

The No. 30 Jr III Racing Ligier JS P320 will be the 7th entry in the LMP3 class with sports car veteran Mike Skeen and Terry Olson behind the wheel. The drivers unite again following their dominant weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course where they combined to score the team’s first IMSA podium and best result of second.

Familiar with the 4.0-mile Wisconsin course, Skeen has made seven starts at Road America winning twice in Trans Am TA2 in 2020 and the former, Pirelli World Challenge in 2014. Skeen has been an integral member of the Jr III Racing team serving as a driver coach but stepped into the driver’s seat of the Ligier this year. The race start on Sunday will mark Skeen’s first WeatherTech race in the LMP3 format.

“I am very excited to be a part of Jr III Racing’s expansion into the WeatherTech series,” said Skeen. “This team is incredibly professional and well-prepared for the event, so we have high hopes of success. I will get to drive again with my good friend Terry Olson who shared the car with me in IPC at Mid-Ohio earlier this year with good results. A lot will be on his shoulders this weekend as I will not be present for practice or qualifying as I will be racing TA2 at the Music City GP on Saturday. Hopefully we can collect some trophies at both venues this weekend!”

Growing up just outside Elkhart Lake, Olson first raced at Road America in 1986 and has since gone on to claim wins at the 14-turn course on the club and professional level. Pulling double duty with his full season entry in Lamborghini Super Trofeo, Olson will make his IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship debut on Sunday.

“Road America is the course that I know the best and love the most,” said Olson. “With over 30 years of experience there, I am comfortable and confident getting into the Ligier and pushing myself and it to the limit. We had a great test a few weeks ago and the Jr III Racing team has given Mike (Skeen) and I a fantastic car. Everything has come together to make this happen and my confidence in this team makes this move easy to do. Multi-class racing at high rates of speed will be new to me but it’s a thrilling opportunity and I am looking forward to it.”

The move into IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition is the next step for the growing team, who also run a successful vintage restoration and racing program.

“We always knew that joining the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship was a goal for us,” said team co-owner Billy Glavin. “After our result at Mid-Ohio, it gave us confidence that with Mike (Skeen) and Terry (Olson) in our car we can contend for a result. The team has been working hard at preparing not only the car but themselves for taking this step up including practicing pit stops at a quicker pace. Luckily, we have a couple WeatherTech crew veterans and everything is coming together. We love Road America and are excited to take on this new challenge.”

“It is exciting news that JR III Racing will make its debut in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Road America,” said John Doonan, IMSA President. “Our single-make and Challenge championships are critical for the long-term health of our paddock, so it is great to see when teams grow and move up like this. Congratulations to Billy (Glavin) and his team on this announcement and good luck this weekend!”

The IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America will go green Saturday, August 8th at 2:40 PM ET with live coverage available on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold with a race recap airing at 8PM ET on NBCSN.

TPC Racing’s Vernon McClure Scores Porsche Sprint Challenge Podium At Road America

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McClure Finished Second on Sunday; Pedro Torres Earned a Top Five With Rob Lorndale and Jordan Wallace Scoring Top Ten Class Finishes

ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (August 2, 2021) – TPC Racing saw their four-car Porsche Sprint Challenge North America effort rewarded with strong finishes from each driver this past weekend, topped by Vernon McClure’s hard-fought second-place finish on Sunday at Road America.

McClure drove the No. 101 Main Street Homes/TPC Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup to the runner-up position overall and in the Platinum Cup during Sunday’s 40-minute sprint race, holding the finish despite a one-lap dash to the checkered flag after a late caution.

That caution was the second of the race and set McClure up for one last challenge after following the leader from the opening lap. McClure went side by side with a competitor going hard on the brakes going into turn five and came through turn six still in position for the podium.

The silver medal came just one day after narrowly missing the podium with a fourth-place finish.

“I barely missed it yesterday,” McClure said. “I feel bad for Dave Brule, he got inside of me and just went off in turn five. It was great racing, I love racing with these guys. I wish we didn’t have that last yellow flag, I was checked out a little bit. But it was good. I love this track, Road America is just awesome. TPC Racing is awesome to work with. My coach, Spencer Pumpelly, kept me going. It was just a lot of fun.”

Pedro Torres’ Saturday race was equally as impressive. Coming through turn three in the No. 16 Stoneleaf/TPC Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup on the opening lap, Torres spun to avoid a car further up the grid that had done the same. In doing so, he fell all the way to the back of the 38-car field, then began a charge back to the front. At the checkered flag, Torres was fifth in the Gold Cup class, and 12th overall. He followed that up with a sixth-place finish on Sunday.

Rob Lorndale, driving the No. 6 TPC Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, finished a strong seventh during Saturday’s race and earned a second top-10 with a 10th place finish on Sunday. Jordan Wallace finished two laps down on Saturday in the No. 35 Dasbold/TPC Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport, but rebounded for a 10th-place finish of his own on Sunday. Both Lorndale and Wallace are in their first season of professional-level racing, holding their own and improving each event with TPC Racing.

Both Torres and Lorndale stuck around for the 65-minute charity race held on the Porsche Sprint Challenge weekends, finishing second and third in the Gold class and third and fourth overall, respectively, and donating to the Racing For Children’s charity to fight childhood cancer. Lorndale began the race before handing his car to Director of Race Operations, Harris Levitas, to run to the finish.

“That was a great weekend for all of us here at TPC Racing,” Levitas said. “We were able to bring all the cars home cleanly, and we got some great, great results throughout the weekend. Each one of our guys got better as the weekend went along, and I’m really happy for Vernon, Pedro and Rob, because they have podium photos to prove it. Each of the four are already thinking about getting back in the car and had a lot of fun, so that’s really what it’s all about.”

The Porsche Sprint Challenge North America returns to action for the point championship at Watkins Glen International, September 17-19. McClure and TPC Racing, along with the team’s Lamborghini Sterling/Erin Levitas Foundation Lamborghini Huracan Evo driven by Scott Schmidt and Trevor Andrusko in Lamborghini Super Trofeo, will run at Road America this coming weekend, August 6-8.

About TPC Racing:
TPC Racing is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier maintenance, service, tuning and modification center dedicated solely to Porsche sportscars. TPC Racing specializes in R&D and sales of high-performance modifications for Porsche sports cars and race cars, offering a wide range of vehicle upgrades. Best known for a line of forced induction solutions for the Porsche 911, Cayman and Boxster, a long-time focus on only one make, Porsche, has enabled TPC Racing to become experts in Porsche service, tuning, and racing. In 2000, TPC Racing began entering races under its own banner, scoring an SGS-class Championship in 2004 in the Grand-American Rolex Series and was a class winner in the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona, and captured the 2013 and 2016 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA Gold Cup Championships. More information can be found at www.TPCRacing.com.

Mazda MX-5 Cup Season Resumes at Road America

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ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Aug. 2, 2021) – It’s been 11 weeks since the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires was last on track. The wait for the Alana Long 100 at Road America has only heightened the championship suspense, with the top three separated by only 250 points.

With eight of the 2021 season’s 14 races in the books, 2020 Mazda MX-5 Cup Champion Michael Carter (No. 08 Carter Racing Enterprises) leads the points heading to Wisconsin.

In the most recent event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Carter had a tough weekend without a podium finish, but managed to still keep his points lead. However, his advantage is down to just 40 points ahead of Gresham Wagner (No. 5 Spark Performance).

Neither Carter nor Wagner have won at Road America in MX-5 Cup before. But the man sitting third in the championship, Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports) has. He is 250 points behind Carter, an easily surmountable gap considering each race offers a maximum of 380 points.

As we race into the second half of the season, Carter doesn’t plan on letting any thoughts of championship points affect his performance.

“I don’t let points factor into my decision making on track,” Carter said. “I go out there and do the best I can and let everything else work itself out.”

As the longest track (4.048 miles) on the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup schedule, Road America offers up some of the best drafting battles of the season. Fans can expect a race similar to Daytona with long lines of cars running nose-to-tail.

“Road America is so draft dependent in our cars that the only real way to get a competitive lap time is finding a draft,” Rollan said. “That would either be with a teammate or another group of cars you have to mooch off of.”

The length of the circuit also plays a large role in the mental chess game happening in each driver’s head.

“You definitely need to plan ahead, because a mis-timed move could cost you three, four or five places with the long straights,” Wagner said. “It’s definitely necessary to plan your moves out to keep your momentum up on the runs down the straightaway.”

Many past MX-5 Cup races at Road America have ended with cars drag racing up the hill from Turn 14 to the finish line on the last lap. That begs the question: do you want to be leading the race on the final lap?

“I think that comes to how your car has behaved in the race and how confident you are with your speed through the middle part of the track,” Wagner said. “If your car is working well through there you can outdrive the draft and hopefully have some battling behind you and have a small gap going onto the back straight that you can hang on to.”

Carter has a simpler approach.

“I’m just going to see where I end up when the white flag comes out and go from there,” he said.

Chris Nunes (No. 32 JTR Motorsports Engineering), who is fourth in the points, is coming off of a breakthrough first Mazda MX-5 Cup race win. He is followed in the points by two more rookies knocking on the door of their first race win; Sam Paley (No. 28 McCumbee McAleer Racing) is fifth, Luca Mars (No. 41 Copeland Motorsports) is sixth.

All rookies are competing for the $80,000 career advancement scholarship from Mazda for the Rookie of the Year, but they are also mathematically close enough in the points to take home the grand prize of $200,000 for the series champion.

Road America has been a mainstay on the Mazda MX-5 Cup racing calendar since the series began in 2006. To date, MX-5 Cup has held 20 races at the legendary road course. Since 2019, the doubleheader at Road America has been titled the Alana Long 100 in honor of the matriarch of the Long Road Racing family, a longtime partner of the MX-5 Cup series. Alana lost her battle with cancer in April of 2019. Road America was her favorite track.

Race 1 of the Alana Long 100 weekend goes green Friday, August 6 at 2:25pm CT. Race 2 is set for Saturday, August 7, at 10:30am CT. Both races will be available live on imsa.com/tvlive.

About: The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. Mazda-powered grassroots champions earn a Mazda scholarship to advance their career. The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup champion earns a $250,000 scholarship.

Find out more at http://www.mx-5cup.com.

JORDAN TAYLOR AND TOMMY MILNER MEDIA AVAILABILITY TRANSCRIPT

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Official Release
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IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
ROAD AMERICA / IMSA SPORTSCAR WEEKEND
CORVETTE RACING JORDAN TAYLOR AND TOMMY MILNER
MEDIA AVAILABILITY TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 2, 2021

Corvette Racing drivers Jordan Taylor and Tommy Milner met with members of the media during a Zoom conference call Monday ahead of this weekend’s IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America and the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans. FULL TRANSCRIPT:

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R
IT’S A BUSY MONTH COMING UP AHEAD FOR THE TEAM. WHAT’S YOUR MINDSET AHEAD OF EVERYTHING FOR CORVETTE RACING?
“It’s going to be a busy month, as you said. It’ll be hectic. I think the biggest part is logistics for the team – getting parts, cars and people back and forth between the two. They’ve been shipping stuff for the past couple of months overseas to get ready for Le Mans. Timing-wise, it’s difficult having Road America this weekend but at the same time it’s always good to go racing. It was a 1-2 last year for Corvette Racing but it was pretty wild circumstances at the end there with the rain. I think Antonio (Garcia) and Tommy were fourth and fifth on the last restart and survived at the end to get the 1-2. Hopefully it will be a little cleaner and smoother this year. It’s always been a good track for the team and the car. We did a test there earlier this year kind of prepping for this week’s race and prepping for Le Mans in the low-downforce kit. We feel confident going back there and to Le Mans.”

CORVETTE RACING’S ABSENCE FROM LE MANS LAST YEAR WAS STRANGE. HOW WAS IT FOR YOU NOT RACING AT LE MANS IN 2020 AND HAS IT FUELED YOU TO GET BACK THIS YEAR?
“When you watch it on TV – I missed the race in 2018 and 2019 as well – that’s when you remember how special it is. When you’re there, you’re in the moment and enjoying it because it’s Le Mans. But when you’re away from it and watching it on TV like when you were a kid, you definitely miss it and want to be back. It motivates you to get back there and be competitive. Watching last year on TV was difficult. This year if you knew the behind-the-scenes effort that the team has gone through with the resources and getting everything over there, it shows how much it means to the organization and Chevrolet as a whole. I’ve been getting excited. I’ve been watching old Le Mans races during the days while riding my bike in the garage to get motivated. I’m looking forward to getting back.”

TALK ABOUT THE POWER OF MOMENTUM WITH THE RUN YOU AND ANTONIO ARE ON SINCE THE START OF 2020.
“It’s kind of crazy how well it’s gone starting in the last year. After the COVID break last year, things have gone so well. Things just clicked, especially on the 3 car side. A lot of things have gone our way strategy-wise. If you look at the Road America race from last year, we were fourth and fifth until the rain came, and that’s what switched things around and got us back to the lead. There were a lot of circumstances like that where we shouldn’t have been in contention and things just flipped around. At the same time, you need to be prepared for those opportunities. The team needs to be prepared to call the strategy on tire changes in that situation. A lot of times that can fall on experience. We’ve had a lot of close battles with the 4 car where they could have very easily gone the other way and they could have won all those races. Putting ourselves in the right position in a lot of times and having the little things going our way a lot of the times. Antonio and I have been working well together and the chemistry has been good.”

CORVETTE HAS USED ROAD AMERICA TO PREPARE FOR LE MANS. HOW MUCH OF WHAT YOU WILL RUN THIS WEEKEND CAN CARRY OVER TO THOSE FOLLOWING TWO WEEKS?
“The test was important. We learned a lot from the very beginning. We started on our sprint configuration and went to low-downforce. From the beginning to the end, we made a bunch of improvements. Had we not had those tests, we would have been learning those things at Le Mans but the time there is crucial to get on track. We had two days there with low-downforce, and I think Tommy has done 45 days in the simulator around Le Mans with me watching! We’ve put in a lot of time and effort into it. A lot of it is also coming from that simulator time where we saw last year how important, how crucial and how well it worked. That was reiterated and confirmed at our Road America test as well. We knew from the simulation what to expected and what kind of changes we wanted to make. It’s looking positive from that point of view for Le Mans.”

DOES TOMMY DO MOST OF THE LE MANS SIMULATION WORK? DO YOU BOTH PARTICIPATE OR IS IT BETTER TO GET A BASELINE FROM ONE GUY AND WORK OFF THAT?
“I do my fair share! Usually each test is two days and two drivers, and each of us will have our own program. Tommy has been the Le Mans guy most of the days I’ve been there, and then my project would be Lime Rock prep or Road America prep. My focus would be on one thing and his focus would be on one thing. That way every time you get back in the sim, you have something to relate to. Sometimes when you go track to track, it can take a run or two to adjust your brain to what that package is doing to give accurate feedback. Over time, the engineers have developed this process that’s shown to have the best result. Even these days when we go, there are things being adjusted to make it more accurate from a driver and feedback point of view. When I was doing Lime Rock prep, it’s like a 10-lap run and I’d be done in five minutes and Tommy would get in for his 10 laps and I’d sit there for an hour watching him!”

TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH FANS MAKE LE MANS WHAT IT IS, AND HOW PLEASED ARE YOU THAT WE WILL HAVE SOME KIND OF FAN ATTENDANCE AT THIS YEAR’S RACE?
“I’ll never forget my first time there in 2012. I flew over for the Test Day, was 20 years old and was just a little GRAND-AM driver here in America. I walked from the paddock to the pitlane and got stopped by like 10 people who knew my name and had pictures of me printed out of all my different GRAND-AM cars. In America, we have a great fanbase especially with Corvette Racing. When you go to Le Mans, it’s a very unique group of sports car fans. It’s very special. It will be missed but it it’ll be good to have at least some attendance. Missing the parade and some of those things will change a bit of the atmosphere.
“My dad used to say that in NASCAR and Formula One, the fans know the drivers. In sports car racing, all drivers know the fans. In a lot of aspects, it’s true. When you go to Sebring, you have the cows, the monks and the group at Turn 10, and you get to know them. When you go to Le Mans, there are unique people like Therése (Heurtebize), and I think Tommy got knighted in 2015 by a group of British fans there, plus the Nerdmans come from Spain. That quote is true in a lot of aspects. When we go to those events, you expect to see these people every time. So it will be a little bit sad if we don’t get to see those same people but hopefully in a few years it will be back to normal so we can see all our fans again that we recognize every time we go back.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R
WHAT’S YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS APPROACHING THE MONTH OF AUGUST WITH ROAD AMERICA AND LE MANS?
“Our thought process has been pretty heavy on Le Mans in many ways. It’s been a topic of discussion quite a bit within the team. But obviously we have had other things to focus on with Lime Rock in previous weeks and now Road America as well. It’s a very balanced approach. Jordan and I were in the sim recently working on Le Mans and Road America. There is a lot going on, for sure. The first focus is Road America but I’m sure the topic for many of our meetings will be focusing on Le Mans as well. There’s a lot going on for Corvette Racing right now and focusing on one day a time in many ways. It’s busy but exciting.”

CORVETTE RACING’S ABSENCE FROM LE MANS LAST YEAR WAS STRANGE. HOW WAS IT FOR YOU NOT RACING AT LE MANS IN 2020 AND HAS IT FUELED YOU TO GET BACK THIS YEAR?
“I don’t think any of us has taken going to Le Mans for granted. The amount of effort and attention that gets paid toward that race by this team, the engineers, the crew guys and us as drivers… we don’t take it lightly. Having missed last year and watching it on TV for the first time in many years, certainly the excitement ramps up for going back there again this year. Obviously it’s not exactly the same Le Mans experience without the public scrutineering and things like that. The world is still a little uncertain at times but we’re excited to go back. There has been a lot of time and effort spent with this Corvette C8.R to make it as good as we can for Le Mans. We don’t’ know exactly how good it will be until we get there. I think for all of us, we’re excited for what the car can be or could be. We’re excited to see how it goes.”

IS IT FRUSTRATING TO SEE YOUR TEAMMATES HAVE THE SUCCESS THEY’VE BEEN HAVING WHEN YOU AND NICK (TANDY) ARE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR?
“There are moments of frustration for sure. For us on the 4 car, last year there were times where we missed it with setup and strategy. There was a conscious effort as the year was winding down last year to make a better effort to improve in those areas. We started to make some headway there, and in the offseason we continued to go over those things with the team and our engineers… the things that we thought were working well for us and the areas where we needed to improve. This year with Nick, he brings a fresh perspective on it. All things considered, we’ve had good races. We just haven’t had a whole lot of luck in certain situations. The 3 car guys have had great cars, have made the right strategy calls and done everything right. So in that sense they deserve all the success they’ve had. For us, there have had times where we’ve had the opportunities and for some reason or another… sometimes it’s bad luck and sometimes it’s of our own doing in not getting everything 100 percent right. Frustration is part of it but it’s not like desperation. Having been on this time for a long time, I really like the direction this car is going. We are making better decisions, making the right pit calls, making good setup decisions and changes. From that side, I couldn’t be happier. If Nick and I replay the year a little bit, it’s one little thing here and one little thing there, and oftentimes those are just racing things. At Watkins Glen, we were looking pretty good and the front swaybar broke. Those little moments when they start stacking up, that’s where the frustration comes in. But we have to stay focused on what is working for us and the things that we can improve on. We are finding and exploring every other area that we think can be improved and continue on that path. If we keep doing that, then we will have success. I don’t think there needs to be any kind of wholesale change on our side. It’s a matter of continuing down the path we have been going. If we continue do to that, we’ll be in good shape.”

HOW MUCH EMPHASIS DO YOU AND NICK NOW PUT ON LE MANS? HOW MUCH WOULD A LE MANS WIN TURN THINGS AROUND?
“A Le Mans win pretty much trumps everything else. Every year, the team has in general joked that if we won Le Mans and we crashed every other race, it would still be a successful year. That’s a bit of a joke obviously, but a lot of emphasis is put on this race. It’s the biggest sports car race in the world and one of the biggest sporting events in the world. Those two wins at Le Mans in my career are two highlights. Every year I feel like we have a chance to get another win, and this year we will see. We feel good obviously, but with a new car there is still a little bit of an unknown. We don’t have any track time there yet with this car, but we feel good about all the preparation we’ve done. We feel good about it and excited about the opportunity with this C8.R. For us on the 4 car side, it would be a great way to turn our year around and fix all the bad luck we’ve had.”

THE TWO CORVETTES HAVE RACED EACH OTHER HARD THIS YEAR. WHEN YOU GO TO LE MANS AND IT’S A LARGER FIELD IS THAT DETREMENT OR DO THE BATTLES YOU’VE BEEN IN FEEL LIKE THEY’RE ENOUGH TO MAKE SURE YOU’RE SHARP?
“There have only been two or three races where it’s just been the two of us battling. With Daytona, Sebring and the Watkins Glen Six Hours, and having the BMW guys there, they’ve been a huge competitor and continually challenge us. It hasn’t felt, to be honest, so far this year that the field is small. Part of that is that we haven’t had tons of races like that but also the challenge of racing our teammates has been pretty big. The race weekends don’t feel a whole lot different. Those felt like big battles. So far, the feeling and atmosphere within the team hasn’t changed. The Porsche guys are still quick. From that aspect, that hasn’t changed dramatically and some of that could be the attention put on Le Mans and understanding that we will have a big challenge there. Part of the team was over there in Spa for the Six Hours there, so the team is still in this mode of maximizing every single thing at the track. A lot of that energy and motivation comes from knowing we do have this big challenge coming up at Le Mans. The team has stayed pretty focused on that.”

TEMPERATURES THIS WEEKEND LOOK LIKE THEY COULD BE RELATIVELY COOL. IS TIRE DEGRADATION STILL A BIG ISSUE AT ROAD AMERICA WITH 70 DEGREE TEMPERATURES?
“Probably. The last couple of years it has been quite warm. It seems like more these days with the tire compound options from Michelin that it’s more about making sure you are on the right compound. That kind of takes care of the degradation issue in that sense. Sometimes we are in between compounds and trying to figure out what the right combination is or the right compound to be on can be tricky. It seems like Road America is a little bit of an outlier in some sense for what we maybe normally run for most of the season. It’s a place where we’re always second-guessing our compound choice because of the track surface and the high-speed nature of the track. We’ll treat it as a nice challenge in that sense of making sure we are doing everything we can to get on the right tire as soon as we can in the practice sessions and be able to work from there. The plan is for us to run as we would normally run there for an IMSA weekend, which is the higher downforce spec. I don’t think the team is planning to run a low downforce spec in preparation for Le Mans. The plan is to run our normal sprint package. In that case, it’s kind of business as usual for the team. Because of the testing we’ve done and the work we’ve done in the sim, we have a good baseline for Le Mans. The focus will be maximizing the race weekend at Elkhart Lake and doing the best we can there with the best package for that racetrack.”

TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH FANS MAKE LE MANS WHAT IT IS, AND HOW PLEASED ARE YOU THAT WE WILL HAVE SOME KIND OF FAN ATTENDANCE AT THIS YEAR’S RACE?
“Le Mans is not just the race itself. It is the atmosphere of the racetrack, the energy the fans bring, the energy that the race itself brings and the history of it. Having fans there will make it feel a bit more normal. Missing some of the other aspects of the event like scrutineering in town and the drivers’ parade and things that are just big moments of the weekend… they all add to the whole show that is Le Mans. From that aspect, those will be missed but having fans there in whatever capacity they are is great. As the years have gone and us as drivers being involved in the race, the few opportunities that I’ve had to watch the racecars go around at speed in-person close to the track, it reminds you of how special it is to see these cars in-person and at full speed. For a lot of European fans, it will be the first time to see the Corvette C8.R. Hopefully it all goes smoothly and the fans have a good time.”
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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.

E1 Motorsports Adds Watkins Glen Primary Sponsorship with Spencer Boyd

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Mooresville, NC (August 2, 2021) – Longtime partner of NASCAR driver Spencer Boyd, E1 Motorsports has added a primary sponsorship of the No. 20 Chevrolet Silverado at the historic road course, Watkins Glen International. E1 Motorsports caters to road racers with everything you need to customize, maintain, modify, repair, or upgrade your vehicle.

“E1 (Motorsports) has been on my truck for almost every race over the past few years,” said Spencer Boyd. “They are a great partner and sometimes I spend way too long on their Instagram page. I’m so happy to see them on the hood at The Glen because so many of their loyal followers are sports car enthusiasts and there is no better place than The Glen to showcase their brand.”

Founded in 2014, E1 Motorsports initially began as a parts drop shipper for automotive enthusiasts on national auto forums and local Facebook groups. E1 Motorsports has grown into a 14,000 sq. ft. full-service automotive repair and customization facility. Offering Genuine, OE, OEM, and Aftermarket maintenance and repair parts, as well as high-performance accessories, there isn’t a need you have that E1 Motorsports can’t resolve

Co-Owner of E1 Motorsports, Brian Stewart commented on the partnership with Boyd, “Spencer is not only a racecar driver, he’s a car guy just like us. We love being able to support his career while getting great exposure for our brand. We recently moved into our new shop in Houston so if you’re in the area and want your Audi, Porsche, VW, Lamborghini, etc. worked on, please come on by. If you just need parts, visit our website and check out our huge selection.”

NASCAR racing returns after a two-week hiatus with all three series running at Watkins Glen. This race is particularly important for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series as it’s the final race of the regular season. Eagle Nation (Boyd’s loyal fan group) will be cheering on the No. 20 E1 Motorsports truck as Young’s Motorsports hopes to showcase their road course prowess.

Shop online for your performance parts at www.e1motorsports.com.

Crawford caps Hungaroring F3 Weekend with 15th-place finish

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Jak Crawford #10 Hitech GP, during round four of the FIA Formula 3 Championship at the Hungaroring, in Hungary on July 30- Aug 1, 2021. // SI202108010105 // Usage for editorial use only //

BUDAPEST, Hungary (1 August 2021) – Jak Crawford made his return to FIA Formula 3 competition with a challenging three-race weekend at the Hungaroring.

The Red Bull Junior Team driver from Texas had his best finish in Sunday morning’s weekend finale, working his way forward seven positions on a rapidly-drying circuit.

Qualifying deep in the 30-car field set the tone for the weekend, which was further complicated by an incident on the final lap of Saturday’s opening race.

“Overall, not a good weekend,” Crawford said. “Still a lot to learn for me and the team together. Now we have a few weeks break and then reset for Spa.”

With limited preparation for his first F3 event at the 2.722-mile circuit, Crawford’s Hitech Grand Prix machine was 19th in practice and then 22nd in qualifying on a hot Friday – although only one second off the pole.

“We didn’t have the speed for qualifying after we missed the setup with understreer, and I wasn’t able to adjust my driving for the way my car was set up. It wouldn’t rotate in the corners,” Crawford said. “It was a disappointing qualifying and that set the weekend at a circuit where it’s really difficult to pass.”

Starting 22nd for race one, Crawford lost two positions on the opening two laps, run in cooler conditions from Friday.

“I had a bad first lap and lost some positions,” he said. “I was sitting in a DRS train for most of the remainder of the race, and it was very difficult to pass.”

After running 24th for much of the opening race, Crawford attempted an aggressive pass in the first turn on the final lap, but locked the front wheels and had contact with a competitor. That move not only dropped him to a 26th-place finish, but a resulting penalty resulted in his starting 30th for Saturday afternoon’s second race.

“On the last lap I went for a move and ended up crashing,” he said. “I ended up with a grid penalty for race two and wound up starting last.”

Crawford quickly improved 10 positions on the opening two laps of race two. The remainder of the event went without incident, resulting in a 20th-place finish. “We were testing some things on the car for the second race and it was fast for two to three laps then it just slowed down with a lot of rear tire degredation, but it was worth trying because we weren’t good in previous sessions either.”

Steady rain greeted competitors for the start of Sunday morning’s finale. Starting 22nd with the rolling start, Crawford was up to 18th by lap five and worked his way to 15th by the 14th of 20 laps on a rapidly drying circuit.

“I had a good start for Sunday’s race,” Crawford said. “I was finding all the right gaps and passed 10 cars in two laps. But after that, the speed stalled out. Race three was very wet. We didn’t think it was going to be wet when I woke up, and then it ended up being very wet just before the start of the race. We were really fast in the wet but once the track started to dry, we lost the speed and the tires started overheating a bit. All three team cars stalled-out on the drying track.”

His chances for further advancement were dashed by a late-race safety period for a multi-car incident well behind him, resulting in the final three laps to be run under caution.

Crawford now gets three weekends to prepare for his next race, with Round 5 set for August 26-28 at Spa Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium. The season ends Oct. 21-23 at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, after Round 6 at Zandvoort on Sept. 2-4

“I’m looking forward to the break,” Crawford said. “I’m coming back to the U.S. for three weeks, and then I’ll be heading back to the U.K. for preparation for Spa.”

His next outing in the Euroformula Open will be at Austria’s Red Bull Ring on Sept. 10-12.

Empire Merchants North Expands Partnership With Watkins Glen International To Include NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Entitlement

By
Official Release
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Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200 to take place as part of Saturday afternoon NASCAR double-header

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (August 8, 2021) – Watkins Glen International today announced long-time partner Empire Merchants North has expanded their relationship with the track to become the entitlement partner of the NASCAR Xfinity Series race with the Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200 on Sat., Aug. 7.

“It’s always means a lot when a company increases their involvement with the track and we greatly appreciate the support from Empire Merchants North over the years,” said WGI President Michael Printup. “And to now have them partner with us for the Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200, during what will be a unique and historic Saturday of racing at The Glen, is very special.”

In a first for Watkins Glen, Saturday will feature a double-header of NASCAR racing, starting off with the United Rentals 167 at The Glen at 12:30 p.m. ET in the return of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to The Glen for the first time since 2000. That will be followed up by the Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200 at 4 p.m. ET, as the NASCAR Xfinity Series races at WGI for the 27th time.

Those two races are just part of what will be an action-packed weekend for fans at The Glen, as the ARCA Menards Series returns for just the second time at the track, and the first since 2001, with Friday’s Clean Harbors 100 at 6 p.m. ET. The double-header will then be on Saturday, and the NASCAR Cup Series caps off the weekend on Sunday with the Go Bowling at The Glen at 3 p.m. ET.

“As a family-owned New York State-based wholesaler of fine wine and spirits, we are as dedicated to our local partnerships as we are to the products we offer,” said Mike Lynch, Vice President of Sales Execution for Empire Merchants North. “We are excited to be a part of the Watkins Glen story as we showcase the rocketing success of Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey.”

Empire Merchants North also partners with The Glen to sponsor the Jack Daniel’s Club, one of the premier hospitality locations at WGI. Fan can enjoy a climate-controlled view of the famed Esses, while also taking in the sights and sounds of the race from an expansive outdoor deck at the Jack Daniel’s Club.

To purchase NASCAR race tickets, camping and additional information, call 1-866-461-RACE or visit TheGlen.com. Fans can view the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedules and purchase tickets at nascar.com/tickets.

About Watkins Glen International

Located within five hours and 300 miles of 25 percent of the U.S. population, Watkins Glen International is the premier road racing facility in North America, four-times voted “Best NASCAR Track” by readers of USA Today. Keep up with The Glen on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For tickets, camping, and additional information, call 1-866-461-RACE or visit www.TheGlen.com.

2021 Watkins Glen International Schedule
May 21-23 – Ferrari Challenge North America
June 18-20 – SCCA Majors Super Tour
June 24-27 – IMSA Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen
July 1-2 – IMSA WeatherTech 240 at The Glen
July 9-11 – Masters & HSR Race Weekend
August 4-8 – NASCAR Go Bowling at The Glen
September 9-12 – Hilliard U.S. Vintage Grand Prix
September 16-19 – GT World Challenge America
October 29-30 – Finger Lakes Beer Festival Presented by Chemung Canal Trust Co.

2021 Watkins Glen International NASCAR Weekend Schedule
August 6 – Clean Harbors 100 at The Glen – ARCA Menards Series Race
August 7 – United Rentals 167 at The Glen – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race
August 7 – Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200 – NASCAR Xfinity Series Race
August 8 – Go Bowling at The Glen – NASCAR Cup Series Race

About Empire Merchants North

As the premier distributor of fine wine and spirits in Upstate New York, Empire Merchants North partners with some of the world’s finest wine and spirits producers, from iconic national brands to local craft trailblazers. With state-of-the-art facilities and a dedicated team of over 700 knowledgeable and well-equipped employees, Empire Merchants North has become synonymous with both service and quality, earning the loyalty of more than 9,000 restaurants, bars, hotels, nightclubs and retail outlets.

About Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey

Born in Ocean Beach, California, Skrewball’s story is just as unique as the contents of the bottle. Skrewball started from the passion of Steven Yeng, a bartender and foodie who owned a local watering hole. His bar and restaurant is known for its band of misfits, black sheep and Skrewballs that have always encouraged the community to join the nightly party—but more importantly, were always there to support the community when anyone needed a helping hand. When he first combined his favorite classics—peanut butter and whiskey—to create the most delicious shot, many snubbed their nose at this idea. But it didn’t take long before it became their signature shot. He teamed up with his wife Brittany to create Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey—and to their surprise, ended up creating something even better than the original shot.

Erik Jones Returns to the Xfinity Series Driving for Jordan Anderson Racing at Watkins Glen

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Official Release
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Erik Jones Returns to the Xfinity Series Driving for Jordan Anderson Racing at Watkins Glen

STATESVILLE, N.C. (August 2, 2021) – Jordan Anderson Racing (JAR) announced today Erik Jones will make his first NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) start since 2019 driving the team’s No. 31 Bommarito Automotive Group Chevrolet Camaro SS at Watkins Glen International on August 7.

“Total respect to the entire No. 31 team and everyone at the Bommarito Automotive Group, and Chevrolet for what they have been able to accomplish with this organization in such a short amount of time. It has been so cool to watch from the outside.” said Jones.

“I am thankful for the opportunity to join a JAR line-up of some very talented drivers. It will be great to return to the Xfinity Series behind the wheel of the No. 31 Camaro at Watkins Glen. With my past experience there I am hopeful we will be able to garner a great finish.”

Now in the fifth full-season of competing in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS), the Byron, Mich. native holds 169 NCS starts to his credit claiming two victories; Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and Darlington (S.C.) Raceway to go with 33 top-five’s and 64 top-10 finishes.

The 25-year-old Jones wrote NASCAR history in 2017 becoming the first driver ever to win Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in all of NASCAR’s top-three national touring series.

In 2015 Jones went on to capture the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) championship in his first full season, followed by finishing fourth in the NXS championship standings the next year in his only full season. In 78 career NXS races, Jones has raced to nine wins with 37 top-five finishes, and 50 top-10 finishes.

For Jones, whose career has been predominantly made up by competing on ovals, he has adapted well to the scenic upstate New York road course. In three starts at Watkins Glen in NCS competition, Jones holds an average finish of 6.33 with a best of fourth in 2019, while holding an average finish of 10 with a best of eighth in two starts in NXS.

“Erik is a very talented driver and one that can immediately jump in and make a positive impact – bringing a wealth of knowledge and depth to the team,” stated JAR President Jordan Anderson.

“To have another Cup driver, who has been successful at every level he has been in, get behind the wheel of one our JAR racecars will help us continue to build our program for the future. My first full season competing in the Truck Series was Erik’s first full season as well, as he went on to win the Championship that year, so it is pretty exciting to see things come full circle for us to have the opportunity to work together.”

At the mid-point of the JAR Xfinity teams debut season, the new organization has had success early racing to four top-ten finishes in nine races with a driver lineup consisting of Tyler Reddick, Josh Berry, Kaz Grala and owner/driver Jordan Anderson.

Crew chief Arthur (Artie) Haire will continue to oversee the team’s efforts at Watkins Glen as they continue to utilize cars acquired from RCR and engines from ECR.

Jones’ No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro SS will carry familiar branding and colors of Bommarito Automotive Group of St. Louis, Missouri.

Bommarito Automotive Group currently operates 20 automotive franchises throughout every St. Louis neighborhood led by President John Bommarito and over 900 dedicated team members. What once started as a vision to have one Bommarito vehicle in every driveway, is today a reality thanks to the family’s “Where Price Sells Cars” mission.

For more information on the Bommarito Automotive Group and to shop the inventory of current vehicles available visit them online at Bommarito.com, and follow their social channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Coverage of the NXS race at Watkins Glen International begins at 4:00 PM ET on Saturday, August 7. The event will air on the Motor Racing Network (MRN), SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90, CNBC, and the NBC Sports APP.

Stay updated with everything Erik Jones by following him on Social Media; Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

For more information on JAR, visit JordanAndersonRacing.com, and be sure to follow the team all season on the JAR social channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Jordan Anderson Racing:

Jordan Anderson Racing (JAR) is a NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) team, owned by owner/driver Jordan Anderson. Established in 2018, JAR has competed full-time in the last three NCWTS seasons claiming back-to-back runner-up finishes in the 2020 & 2021 season opening NextEra 250 at Daytona International Speedway. JAR fields a full-time entry in the NXS Series; the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro SS driven by Jordan Anderson, Tyler Reddick, Josh Berry, Kaz Grala, Sage Karam & Erik Jones. JAR also fields the No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado for select drivers in the NCWTS.

LESSARD SWEEPS SUNSET FOR WIGHT MOTORSPORTS

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Official Release
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(August 2, 2021) Following a strong showing in their first year of competition in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, Wight Motorsports Inc (WMI) expected to collect their first team victory this season. WMI kicked off the 2021 season this past Sunday at Sunset Speedway in Innisfil, Ontario and with Raphael Lessard at the wheel the #80 Theetge Chevrolet/Buick/GMC/Cadillac Camaro took the checkered flag first in each of the 125-lap races.

Lessard was filling in for Donald Theetge who was forced to miss the event at Sunset Speedway due to a hand injury. Lessard posted the fourth quickest time in qualifying in the #80 Theetge Chevrolet/Buick/GMC/Cadillac Camaro for the First Responders 125. The race would get underway but after only seven laps be stopped due to rain.

After waiting over four hours the track was dry and the action resumed with Lessard taking his time moving forward in the #80 Theetge Chevrolet/Buick/GMC/Cadillac Camaro. With fewer than 20 laps remaining Lessard made his move to the front on a restart. “I said we had to get a little aggressive so that’s what I did,” said the driver. “We got three-wide there for a bit and I was able to get to the lead”.

Lessard would score the victory by a margin of .685 seconds ahead of the second-place driver and claim the first victory for the WMI team.

The field for the second race, The General Tire 125 was based on lap times in race one and Lessard would line up on the outside of the front row for the start. He quickly powered the #80 Theetge Chevrolet/Buick/GMC/Cadillac Camaro into the lead and maintained that position without serious challenge for much of the race. However, an aggressive bid for the lead by the second-place challenger though unsuccessful brought about a yellow flag that sent the race into NASCAR overtime.

On the final restart Lessard once again held off a challenge and brought the #80 Theetge Chevrolet/Buick/GMC/Cadillac Camaro first to the checkers and claimed his second victory of the night, and third win in his third Pinty’s Series oval events.

“It was a perfect night, I can’t thank WMI and Theetge Chevrolet and everyone enough for this opportunity” said Lessard afterwards. “That’s three for three on the ovals now”.

WMI Principal David Wight was proud of his entire team. “What a job the whole team did, not just tonight, but throughout the off season to prepare for this season. We had fast cars last year and we learned a few things. Now we’ve broke through and we expect to be challenging for wins at every event. Great job by Raphael tonight” he stated.

Of note:
WMI driver Mark Dilley also had strong moments in his #64 Leland Industries / RGC Sports / NTN Chevrolet during both races. Dilley just missed the top ten in race one and scored an eighth-place finish in the night cap.

TJ Rinomato in the #2 RGC Sports / IHL Chevrolet Camaro placed 16th in race one and 16th in race two.

TV & Live Streaming
Race fans can watch the race one broadcast on TSN August 8, 1:00PM ET, the second race will air August 15, 11:00AMET. Race one on RDS2 is August 13, 9:30PM ET, August 23, 7:00PM ET. Race Two will be shown

The 2021 NASCAR Pinty’s Series will consist of 11 total races in Ontario and Quebec. Next up for the series will be the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec on August 15th.

Race fans can get the latest information regarding WMI and the drivers on these social media channels:

Wight Motorsports Inc Twitter @Wightmotorsport Instagram @wightmotorsport

Donald Theetge: Twitter @DonaldTheetge

Raphael Lessard: Twitter raphael_lessard Instagram @raphael_lessard

J.F. Laberge: Instagram jf_laberge https://www.facebook.com/jflracingmtl

Mark Dilley: Twitter @MarkDilley9 Instagram @markdilley

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION: POMONA – WINTERNATIONALS POST-RACE RECAP & QUOTES

By
Official Release
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CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS PRESENED BY PROTECTTHEHARVEST.COM
AUTO CLUB RACEWAY IN PPMONA, CALIFORMIA
AUG. 1, 2021

Chevrolet wraps up Western Swing with momentum

• Aaron Stanfield earns second Pro Stock victory in a row
• Brittany Force earns third consecutive Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier
• John Force advances to Funny Car semis, moves to 3rd in standings

POMONA, Calif. (Aug. 1, 2021) – Aaron Stanfield, one of Chevrolet’s rising young stars in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), claimed his second consecutive Pro Stock victory and third in the past four races in the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Stanfield, 26, of Bossier City, Louisiana, defeated reigning Pro Stock champion and Elite Motorsports teammate Erica Enders in the semifinals and dispatched No. 1 qualifier Greg Anderson in the final with a pass of 6.652 seconds to Anderson’s 6.660.

“Back-to-back finals, I couldn’t have dreamt of this,” said Stanfield, the No. 6 qualifier in the Janac Brother’s Camaro SS.

Brittany Force completed a sweep of the Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier honors for the three-race NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Western Swing in the Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster with a run of 3.741 seconds. Force has earned the top qualifier in five of the 10 races to push her career total to 25. Force lost in the second round of eliminations.

John Force advanced to the semifinals in Funny Car, driving the PEAK/BlueDEF Chevrolet Camaro SS from the No. 12 qualifier spot. Force, who has two victories and a runner-up this season, moved to third in the standings through 10 races.

Teammate Robert Hight, who picked up his 53rd career Wally and second of the season a week earlier at Sonoma Raceway, was the No. 2 qualifier in the Automobile Club of Southern California Camaro SS. Hight fell in the second round on a holeshot. He is fourth in the standings.

Stanfield, earning his fourth win in 30 career Pro Stock races, prevented Anderson from tying Wasrren Johnson’s 97 career wins for most in the category and second to John Force’s NHRA-record 153. Anderson registered his eighth No. 1 qualifier honor in nine Pro Stock races in the HendrickCars.com Camaro SS and became the first Pro Stock driver to clinch a spot in the Countdown to the Championship.

Stanfield, the 2020 Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown champion in the Janac Brother’s Chevrolet COPO Camaro, is confident he’ll be a title contender in the Countdown.

“I have some great guys working on my hot rod and if I can do my job behind the wheel I think we have a really great shot,” he said. “It’s cool to be able to race against him and that milestone he trying to accomplish, but I’m glad we got him stopped today.”

Anderson, the points leader, advanced to his fifth final round of the season and 163rd of his career. He defeated KB Racing teammate Kyle Koretsky, the No. 5 qualifier in the Lucas Oil Camaro SS, in the semifinals.

Chevrolet Nitro and Pro Stock drivers will be joined by COPO Camaro competitors in the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Aug. 13-15 at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kansas.

An interview with Pro Stock winner AARON STANFIELD, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JANAC BROTHER’S CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 6 qualifier):

WHY ARE YOU GOING TO BE A THREAT IN THIS COUNTDOWN?
“I have some great guys working on my hot rod and if I can do my job behind the wheel I think we have a really great shot.”

WALK US THROUGH YOUR RACE DAY.
“It was a tricky racetrack today. The crew chiefs really had their work cut out for them. Right before that final round they studied, did a lot of work, made a lot of changes and obviously it seemed to work out really well.”

WHAT’S IT LIKE BEING IN THE MIDDLE AS ELITE MOTORSPORTS REVELS IN PREVENTING GREG ANDERSON FROM GETTING THAT MILESTONE?
“Our drive is to keep him away from it as long as possible. I would imagine that one day he is going to get it, but we want to make it as hard as possible. But the KB-Elite rivalry is great. They’re both very competitive teams and it’s cool to be in the middle of it and have the chance to win. I’m very grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given.”

WHAT DID YOU DO MENTALLY TO PREPARE FOR THE CHANGING TRACK CONDTITIONS?
“That’s definitely something as a young driver that I’m still figuring out. It was really loose for us out in the middle of the racetrack, so it definitely was an adjustment. I just went in with the mindset of not get too complacent and expect anything because you never know what could happen the first 700 feet. They did a great job with the car today.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE REASON YOU’VE BEEN ABLE TO ADAPT TO THESE CARS SO QUICKLY?
“I’m extremely hungry and I have a lot of great people around me. I want to do well and continue to do well. I’m just thankful for the people I’m around and for the people who have given me these great opportunities.”

WHAT DID GREG SAY TO YOU AT THE TOP END?
“He told me congratulations. He’s obviously competitive just like I am so I’m sure he’s frustrated; he wanted to win just like we did.”

WHAT COMMUNICATION HAVE YOU HAD WITH YOUR DAD, A FOUR-TIME SUPER STOCK CHAMPION, OVER THIS RUN?
“I text with him every single round. He might give me advice here and there on what I might need to look for driving, and things of that nature. He’s taught me everything I know in this sport and I’m very grateful to have him by my side. He wasn’t able to make it here this weekend. He was home at the shop doing my job so I could come out and go Pro Stock racing. He’s been a huge help to me in my career.”

CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT

TOP FUEL:

BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/ FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 1 qualifier, fell in second round): “These weekends only make you tougher as a team. We go another No. 1 qualifier but had a second-round exit on race day. Going into Sunday we knew going rounds was going to be a challenge. We missed our shot at Q2, which was a crucial run in the heat to set us up for race day. Luckily, we had a bye in the first round and we laid down a 3.84 in round one, which was an amazing pass on a hot racetrack. In round two, we had holes out at the step and had no chance next to Justin Ashley, who was on a clean run. As a team we pack up and head to Norwalk for Night Under Fire. Match racing will give us an opportunity to go testing and have a little fun. Maybe having a little fun will help us win in Topeka.”

FUNNY CAR:

JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK/BLUEDEF PLATINUM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 12 qualifier, fell in semifinals): “Today was good. Improved from qualifying. Denny Hood, Tim Fabrisi, they learned from qualifying and that’s what you’re supposed to do. Really had to work hard today, teams and drivers. The conditions made it tough, the track made it tough. The PEAK Chevy, these guys, they put in the work. They love it and I still love it. I’m still in it. Not letting the old man in, he’s creeping on me though.”

ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 2 qualifier, fell in second round): “This Auto Club team has worked hard, not just this weekend, but all year. We have a good car, Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham figured some things out in Sonoma and we were doing well. To go out on a holeshot, I’m just not very happy. I missed the mark. Luckily, we only have one weekend off and then we head to Topeka. I’ve done well in Topeka and I’m looking forward to putting this one behind me.”

PRO STOCK:

GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier, runner-up, points leader, clinched spot in Countdown): “It’s everybody that works on this KB Racing team and all the support we get from the folks at Hendrick, Summit and Chevy. Can’t thank them enough. I’ve got a great car, but I need to win more, no question about that. I’ve got an opportunity to win at every race I go to, and that’s something you don’t get every year. I expect I’ll have that the rest of the year, but I still have to make it pay off, I have to get the job done on Sunday. Even though I’ve had these No. 1 qualifiers, we’re talking about a half a hundredth (of a second) or a few thousandths; it’s not a huge gap. Anyone can win, and it all comes down to that starting line and how good a job the guys do with the car on Sunday. Out of the 16 cars, legitimately 14 to 16 of them can win, and every round is like the final round anymore, and anybody can beat anybody. So that’s great, the class is fantastic. It makes it hard to win. And I feel great that I’ve got a great car, but you have to have everything else perfect, too; the driver’s got to be perfect, the car’s got to be perfect, and the engine’s got to be perfect, too.”

KYLE KORETZKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 5 qualifier, fell in semifinals): “I think the weekend overall went well. That last round we just missed a little on the setup. I felt good driving. I thought I was hitting the Tree really good. Just kind of spun out there, the track got really hot. It was 148 degrees and just spun a little bit out of first gear and that was all she wrote. Couldn’t keep in front of Greg in the semis. We’ll go to Topeka with our heads high and a good car.”

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.

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