Home Blog Page 2449

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION: SONOMA – SONOMA NATIONALS PRE-RACE ADVANCE & QUOTES

By
Official Release
-

CHEVROLET AT SONOMA

What: NHRA Sonoma Nationals
When: Friday, July 23-Sunday, July 25
Where: Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California
TV: FS1 will telecast eliminations live at 4 p.m. ET July 25

Team Chevy powers into Sonoma Raceway for second leg of Western Swing

Robert Hight in Funny Car, Greg Anderson in Pro Stock are defending winners

DETROIT (July 22, 2021) – Two years ago in Victory Circle at Sonoma Raceway, Robert Hight and Greg Anderson congratulated each other for their respective milestone wins.

Hight, the No. 1 qualifier in the Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS, swept the elimination rounds to become the third Funny Car driver in National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) history to post 50 career wins. Anderson won his second consecutive Pro Stock race of the Western Swing and 93rd of his career in the KB Racing Camaro SS.

Both drivers will aim to reach other milestones this weekend in the NHRA Sonoma Nationals at the scenic venue in Northern California. The event, which was not held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, serves as the challenging central point of the Western Swing. Pro Stock racers rejoin the schedule after a three-week break.

Anderson, a two-time winner this season, seeks to tie Warren Johnson’s 97 career victories, which stands as the most in Pro Stock and second behind John Force’s NHRA-record 153. Hight is tied with Joe Amato for 12th on the all-time NHRA list with 52 wins.

“It seems like an eternity since we’ve raced,” said Anderson, who joined KB Racing teammates in testing last week at Darlington Dragway in South Carolina. “I’m itching to get back in the car.”

Anderson, the No. 1 qualifier in six of the seven Pro Stock races in his HendrickCars.com Camaro SS, advanced to the final round in each of the past two races but “couldn’t close the deal” to tie the win record of his mentor.

“I know it’s coming, so the only pressure I have is the pressure I put on myself. I have confidence in my team, the car and even my driving,” said Anderson, a six-time winner at Sonoma. “All the arrows are pointing up.”

The smooth Sonoma Raceway surface, mild ambient temperature with low humidity and running at sea level are ingredients and inducements for record-setting runs. On July 29, 2017, Hight set the NHRA national Funny Car speed record at 339.87 mph at the track.

“I’m feeling good coming into the weekend. I really like the back-to-back races. You start to get into a rhythm, you can quickly move on from a bad weekend, you can ride out momentum and make some moves in the points. Hoping we repeat history here this weekend and get this Auto Club Chevy in the winner’s circle,” said Hight, who has won the past two Funny Car races at the facility that has seen its share of memorable moments since hosting its first NHRA national event on July 31, 1988.

In 1990, Force claimed the first of eight Funny Car wins in Sonoma (the most of any NHRA racer). Fourteen years later, Courtney Force became the winningest female driver in Funny Car history after defeating her father.
John Force, who sits second in the Funny Car standings, is taking aim at his record-extending 17th NHRA championship.

“We survived the mountain. Dodged a bullet, didn’t lose any ground in the points standings,” said Force, who has two wins and a runner-up finish in eight races. “I have to work hard to keep up, keep up with this PEAK Chevy and keep up with the competition, but I’m having a good time. Enjoying being with my team and really competing.”

Brittany Force, coming off her third Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier honor of the season in the Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster, is aiming for her first win at Sonoma Raceway.

FS1 will telecast eliminations live at 4 p.m. ET Sunday, July 25.

CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT

TOP FUEL:

BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (Three-time No. 1 qualifier; runner-up in Charlotte and Norwalk; No. 1 qualifier in 2014 at track): “Heading straight to Sonoma, race number two in this three-in-a-row Western Swing. I like getting back into the seat with a short turnaround time. As a driver, it keeps me mentally in the game and focused. I’m feeling good about this weekend. Our car has been hitting it’s marks, David Grubnic, Mac Savage and all the Flav-R-Pac guys have worked hard, and a win is coming.”

FUNNY CAR:

JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK/BLUEDEF PLATINUM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (two-time winner this season; No. 1 qualifier in Charlotte four-wide; eight-time winner at track): “We get to keep things going this weekend. The Western Swing is something special, three races in a row all on the West Coast. The teams stay out on the road, it can be a long three weeks but hopefully we come out of it with a couple wins and the points lead. That’s what we’re out here for.”

ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (runner-up in two races, winner at Houston; No. 1 qualifier in Las Vegas four-wide; three-time winner at track): “Sonoma is a home race for me. I’m from Alturas, California, not too far from there and have been to every national event, first as a fan, then as a crew guy and now as a driver. Sonoma Raceway is special to me in that way. It’s also special because this is where this Auto Club team set the national speed record. I’ve also had a couple No. 1 qualifiers and won the last two times we’ve raced here.”

PRO STOCK:

GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (two-time winner this season; No. 1 qualifier in six races; points leader; six-time winner at track): “I know (record-tying win No. 97 is) coming, so the only pressure I have is the pressure I put on myself. I have confidence in my team, the car and even my driving. I feel good about it. All the arrows are pointing up. We tested at Darlington last week, got to try out some new things and just get back in the car.”

ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (two-time winner this season; second in points; reigning series champion): “I’ve never won at Sonoma and I’m just really hopeful that we’re able to throw up some good numbers on the board and park that Melling Performance car in the winner’s circle. The competition is stout. Every weekend our backs are going to be against the wall, but that’s what is so exciting about Pro Stock is that anybody can win any given Sunday. It’s going to be crucial to perform the best you can and position yourself the best you can for the Countdown to the Championship. I’m ready to get back on track at Sonoma.”

TROY COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (runner-up in season opener; transferred to final quad at Charlotte): “Being a part of Elite Motorsports, you know you’re always going to have the best car, power and crew. The guys in the engine shop never stop figuring out ways to make these motors sing. The chassis is constantly being tweaked. The clutch and suspensions are always fine-tuned. It’s a relentless pursuit. As such, I always try to be that precise with my driving. It’s the best way I know to say thank you to everyone that works around the clock to make us successful.”

KYLE KORETZKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (first-year driver; semifinalist at Houston and Norwalk): “I tested with KB at Darlington (Dragway) last week and did a little bracket racing to keep me in the racing loop. Testing was huge for me. We tested a few new things, which went well, and just confidence in my driving, trying to stage better, hit the staging procedure better. All that is what you learn in testing because when you’re qualifying and racing that kind of goes out the window. In a Pro Stock car, you just can’t go to a local track and make runs. There’s a lot more to it. I’ve never been to Sonoma, so it’s a new one on my list. Going there after testing, I’m confident we can qualify in the top half of the field. I think we’ll do really well. I’m ready to back in this weekend.”

DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (first-year driver; winner at Charlotte four-wide): “I’ve learned a lot about patience. I’ve learned to take it back a little bit and have fun and just drive the car the way that I know how.”

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.

EDDIE TAFOYA JR. GETS CAREER BEST USAC/CRA FINISH – INDIANA SPRINT WEEK STARTS FRIDAY

By
Official Release
-
Eddie Tafoya after his third-place finish in the USAC/CRA main event at Perris Auto Speedway.

(Chino Hills, CA, July 21, 2021) The impressive 2021 season for Eddie Tafoya Jr. continued last Saturday night when he recorded a USAC/CRA career best finish when he placed third at Perris Auto Speedway. In addition, he also received the race “Hard Charger Award” for passing nine cars after starting 12th. The up-and-coming driver and his crew did not have a lot of time to rest on their laurels as hours later, they hopped into the Specialty Fasteners #51T race hauler for the long drive to the Midwest for Indiana Sprint Week.

In only his second full season in the USAC/CRA Series, the Chino Hills, California based driver journeyed back to Indiana in April to pick up a new DRC Chassis. Since getting that car, he has become one of the most watched drivers in the series scoring four top 10 finishes in five races. Two of the four, including last Saturday, were top five finishes. In his last four races, he has climbed from 29th in the championship standings all the way up to 13th.

Saturday’s race saw Tafoya open the night qualifying 12th in the 22-car field. He followed that up with a third-place result in his heat race. For the main event, he had to start outside the sixth row in 12th. Things started slow in the 30-lapper as he moved forward two spots to 10th in the first five laps. Ten laps later, he had only progressed one more position. However, he found a great line down low and by the 21st circuit, he was up to sixth. A red flag necessitated a restart on lap 28 and at that point, the 24-year-old took the final green flag of the race in fourth. He did not stay there for long. A picture-perfect pass on the back straight with two laps to go earned him the right to step on the podium at a USAC/CRA race for the first of what will be many times in his career.

“Tonight started out pretty slow,” Tafoya told the crowd after the race. “We had a little trouble in qualifying. We had to start the main event farther back than we like to. It feels good to comeback like that, and it definitely builds some confidence going into Sprint Week (in Indiana). I started out slow and I found a line in one and two. Everyone was following each other on the top and I had grip down low. It would slingshot me down the back chute and set me up perfect for sliders in turn three and four.”

Tafoya and crew arrived in Indiana early Wednesday morning, and they are getting ready for the busiest week of the year with seven races in nine nights. The action will kick off this Friday night at the Gas City I69 Speedway. It will be followed up by races Saturday and Sunday at the Kokomo and Lawrenceburg Speedways. Next Monday and Tuesday will be nights off for rest and car repairs before going four straight nights at the Terre Haute Action Track, Lincoln Park, Bloomington, and Tri-State Speedways. Last year his best “Sprint Week” finish came at Lawrenceburg when he placed 19th.

For Midwest fans, the great looking 2021 Team Tafoya shirts will be available during “Sprint Week.” For those who cannot make it to the track, contact Eddie Tafoya Jr. on his Instagram or Facebook page and he will be able to take your order and ship a shirt to you.

Indiana Sprint Week Track Directory

Gas City I69 Speedway – 5871 East, 500 South, Gas City, IN 46933 – (765) 677-RACE – http://www.gascityi69speedway.com/

Kokomo Speedway – 2455 N. Davis Road, Kokomo, IN 46901 – (765) 459-3877 – http://www.kokomospeedway.net/

Lawrenceburg Speedway – 351 East Eads Parkway, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 – (812) 539-4700 – https://www.lawrenceburgspeedway.com/

Terre Haute Action Track – 3901 S. US Hwy 41, Terre Haute, IN 47802 – (217) 764-3200 –

Lincoln Park Speedway – 1051 W. US Hwy 40, Greencastle, IN 46135 – (765) 653-3485 – https://www.lincolnparkspeedway.com/

Bloomington Speedway – 5186 South Fairfax Road, Bloomington, IN 47401 – (812) 824-7400 – https://www.facebook.com/BloomingtonSpeedway/

Tri State Speedway – 9981 South U.S. Highway 41, Haubstadt, IN 47639 – (812) 768-5995 – https://www.tristatespeedway.com/index.php

Fans who cannot get away to watch Tafoya live, can see all the races on the Flo Racing website. For details, please click on the following link. https://www.floracing.com/

Tafoya and his team would like to thank the following sponsors for being a part of the 2021 racing campaign. Specialty Fasteners, Circle Track Performance, DRC Chassis, Ryder Racing Engines, Benic Enterprises, Simpson, and Bell. If you or your company would like to become a part of the team in 2021, please give them a call or send an Email to the contact information at the top of this press release.

Eddie Tafoya Jr. 2021 Race Results

1/12 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 12th B Main

1/16 Tulsa Expo Raceway Chili Bowl Midget Nationals 8th H Main

3-26 Thunderbowl Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars DNS

4-16 Bloomington Speedway USAC National Sprint Cars 10th C Main

4-17 Paragon Speedway USAC National Sprint Cars 13th B Main

4-24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 8th A Main

5-22 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 18th A Main

6-17 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 4th A Main

7-3 Santa Maria Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 6th A Main

7-17 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 3rd A Main

Busch Light Apple Racing: Kevin Harvick Summer Break/Watkins Glen Advance

By
Official Release
-

KEVIN HARVICK
Summer Break / Watkins Glen Advance
No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

Event Overview

● Event: Go Bowling at The Glen (Round 23 of 36)
● Time/Date: 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 8
● Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International
● Layout: 7-turn, 2.45-mile road course
● Laps/Miles: 90 laps / 220.5 miles
● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 20 laps / Stage 2: 20 laps / Final Stage: 50 laps
● TV/Radio: NBCSN / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Notes of Interest

● The longest season in all of professional sports is off for summer break. The NASCAR Cup Series, which began its 38-race season back on Feb. 11 with the Duel at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and ends Nov. 7 at Phoenix Raceway, gets a two-week reprieve as broadcast partner NBC covers the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Off-weekends are rare in NASCAR, and back-to-back off-weekends are even rarer. Drivers and crew members are used to taking vacations during the winter when the sport is silent, but this break allows those in the industry to enjoy a warm-weather vacation without the need for a passport and a flight toward the equator. With 22 races in the books, including a run of 14 straight, the break is needed, both for recuperation and to prepare for another 14-race stretch before the Cup Series’ 72nd season comes to a close.

● When teams get back from summer break, only four regular-season races remain before the 16-driver NASCAR Playoffs begin Sept. 5 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Those who have won a race in the regular season earn a playoff berth, with the remaining spots filled based on a driver’s point standing. There have been 13 different race winners thus far in 2021, leaving just three playoff spots open for a driver to get in on points. While winless, Denny Hamlin leads the championship standings and has a 283-point advantage over the top-16 cutoff. Kevin Harvick occupies the penultimate playoff spot with an 82-point margin. The 16th and final playoff spot is currently held by Tyler Reddick, who has just a five-point gap between himself and 17th-place Austin Dillon, his Richard Childress Racing teammate. The next closest driver is 18th-place Chris Buescher, who is 121 points outside of the top-16. The next four races are comprised of two road courses, a 2-mile oval and a 2.5-mile superspeedway. If there’s another new winner this season, that means one less playoff spot available via points.

● Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International greets the NASCAR Cup Series upon its return from summer break. The Aug. 8 Go Bowling at The Glen marks the fifth of a ground-breaking seven Cup Series races to be held on road courses in 2021. From 1988 to 2017, there were only two road courses on the schedule – Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway and Watkins Glen. The Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval was added in 2018, giving the series just three road-course venues. The initial 2021 schedule doubled that tally with Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course all being added. And when COVID-19 restrictions forced the cancellation of the series’ planned stop earlier this year at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, the road course at Daytona was put in its place, serving as the series’ second race of 2021.

● Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing, has made a total of 46 NASCAR Cup Series starts on road courses. He has 20 starts at Sonoma, 19 at Watkins Glen, three at the Charlotte Roval, two on the Daytona road course, one at COTA and one at Road America. He has scored two wins – Watkins Glen in 2006 and Sonoma in 2017 – along with 10 top-fives and 23 top-10s with 195 laps led.

● When Harvick scored his first road-course victory at Watkins Glen in 2006, he had to beat his current team owner to do it. Tony Stewart – the “Stewart” in Stewart-Haas Racing – had won the past two NASCAR Cup Series races at the seven-turn, 2.45-mile road course and was poised to capture a third straight win as he was leading Harvick with four laps to go in the 90-lap race. But Harvick, who had already led once for 24 laps, passed Stewart on lap 87 as the two drag-raced down the frontstretch and into turn one. Harvick held onto the lead despite Stewart in his rearview mirror, earning a margin of victory of .892 of a second.

● Harvick’s second career road-course win also had a connection to Stewart. When Harvick won at Sonoma in 2017, he gave Stewart-Haas Racing its second straight victory at the 10-turn, 1.99-mile road course. The winner in 2016? None other than Stewart. It ended up being his 49th and final NASCAR Cup Series victory as Stewart retired from NASCAR racing at the conclusion of the season.

● Harvick’s last road-course win was his first in a Ford. When Harvick won at Sonoma in 2017, he became the 83rd different driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race behind the wheel of a Ford. Harvick has now won 23 Cup Series races with Ford, which makes him one of only 13 drivers to win 20 or more races with the manufacturer. He is currently tied with Rusty Wallace and Carl Edwards for 11th on the all-time Ford win list.

● Harvick has four road-course wins outside of the NASCAR Cup Series. Two came in the NASCAR Xfinity Series – Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal in 2007 and Watkins Glen in 2007 – and two were in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West – Sonoma in 1998 and Sonoma in 2017. Harvick’s K&N Series win at Sonoma in 1998 was three years before his Cup Series debut on Feb. 26, 2001 at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham.

● All of these statistics and anecdotes make Harvick the apple of one’s eye at Watkins Glen, which is fitting since the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion will race the No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang in the Go Bowling at The Glen. Busch Light Apple is a crisp, refreshing, apple-flavored lager with a touch of sweet on the front end and a clear, beer finish on the back end. It is available for a limited time only in 12-, 24- and 30-packs at a store near you.

● Compared to Sonoma, Watkins Glen is a power track – less finesse, more get-on-the-gas-and-go. Here’s a turn-by-turn explanation of the seven-turn, 2.45-mile road course that is Watkins Glen.

▬ Turn 1: Once drivers take the green flag, they are immediately faced with a downhill trek into the first corner. Carrying a ton of speed down the straightaway, this is a heavy braking zone in order to get the car slowed down enough to make the right-hand turn. This is one of the best opportunities to make a pass, and this turn can get chaotic very quickly, especially on restarts.

▬ Turn 2: After making it through the first turn, the drivers hop on a short straight which leads them gradually uphill and into the second right-hand corner. This turn begins the ascent through the “esses” portion of the track.

▬ Turn 3: Continuing the uphill climb through the esses, this sweeping left-hander can be treacherous as drivers begin to carry more speed up the slope.

▬ Turn 4: This corner is the final portion of the esses. Drivers complete the uphill climb and the corner starts to level off, building up more speed as they enter the backstretch of the circuit.

▬ Inner Loop, a.k.a. the “Bus Stop”: The backstretch allows the drivers to gain a ton of momentum, which leads them into another heavy braking zone and into the inner loop, better known as the “bus stop” section of the course. Hot on the brakes upon entry, this is a great place to overtake someone before making a quick series of right- and left-hand turns. Lots of slipping, sliding and spinning happens here.

▬ Turn 5, a.k.a. the “Carousel”: This is a long, sweeping right-hander. With a banking of 10 degrees, it is the steepest turn of the course, and it allows drivers to build up speed as they make their way onto the straightaway leading into turn six.

▬ Turn 6: After gaining speed while traveling down the 2,040-foot chute, drivers are approached with another heavy braking zone at the entrance of this left-hand corner. Competitors use this turn to either make a quick pass or to set themselves up for a pass heading into the final corner.

▬ Turn 7: Once they are through turn six, a short chute gives the drivers just enough time to adjust to make a good angle through the final corner. This is another chance to make a quality pass as the right-hand bend trickles drivers onto the frontstretch and down to the start-finish line.

Kevin Harvick, Driver of the No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang

It’s a rare opportunity for the industry to enjoy a summer vacation. Should this break become commonplace after the Olympics are over?

“I’d rather have a summer break and not have all the breaks at the beginning of the year. I’d take it off the front end because everybody’s fresh and energized. I think having this two-week break really allows these guys in the shop and on the road to be able to actually have two, for-sure weeks off that they can plan around. That’s something very important to the families of those individuals. One step further would be if NASCAR would step in and do like Formula One does and shut the shops down – make it mandatory that nobody can be in the buildings for the first week – and I think that would go a long way with some of the employees who just get covered up in the facilities and don’t get to come out.”

What will you be doing during this two-week break?

“Keelan (nine-year-old son) has three races during those off weeks that we’ll go to between the dirt kart and his go-kart, so we’ll be doing some of the same things. But I think not having to stress out about what your car did in the last race or what it’s going to do in the next race for a couple of weeks is obviously nice. It just takes an element of the week and eliminates it, and you have a little bit of time to take that competitive hat off and relax and just focus on the kids and being at home.”

Growing up in Bakersfield, California, was there a favorite vacation spot for you?

“Oh, man, yeah. We used to go up to Lake Isabella. We would go up there and we would just hang out. I would go up with my grandparents and we’d go to the coast, over to Morro Bay and Carpinteria Beach, and hang out for a week in their campers. That’s really the only three spots we went as a kid, but it was always fun because I got to go with my cousins and we’d go with our grandparents and just hang out for four or five days.”

When you come back from summer break, you return to a venue you haven’t been to in two years as COVID-19 kept Watkins Glen off the schedule last year. Will it feel odd to have been gone from a venue for that long when it’s been such a staple of the NASCAR calendar?

“It feels a little bit strange just because of the fact that we obviously have a huge following when we go to Watkins Glen, and sell-out after sell-out. It’ll be great to go back up there. That’s a racing town. I mean, the town is basically built off of racing, so it’s a fun place to go up and see that enthusiasm. The enthusiasm coming from the crowds right now is definitely fun to be a part of.”

The preponderance of road-course racing in NASCAR is still relatively new, but road-course racing at Watkins Glen isn’t. Despite NASCAR’s recent uptick in road-course racing, does Watkins Glen feel like a comfortable pair of slippers because you’ve been there so often?

“For sure, and it will be nice to know every nook and cranny because we haven’t been there in a little bit. We didn’t go there last year, and going back this year definitely makes it a little bit different because of the fact that you’re not going to have any practice or qualifying. Plus, you took a year off from the racetrack, so it’s not as relevant as somewhere that we raced last year with the notes and the things we have. It’s definitely a racetrack I have a lot of laps at.”

One of the things that we used to see a lot of when NASCAR raced at road courses were ringers – road-course specialists brought in specifically for that race – but that’s really gone away in the last 10 years. Why?

“When I first came into this series, nobody wanted to go to Watkins Glen and nobody wanted to go to Sonoma, and then road-course racing became cool somewhere along the line. And I think as drivers – I know for me in 2003 – we really decided to put a lot of effort into our road-racing program and we were able to get much better at it than what we had been the previous two years. And as that progression happened, everybody started to get better at it, and the benefit of the road-race ringer kind of went away. It was more equal, and that little bit that the road-race guys had in road-race knowledge, they lost in car knowledge – not having the familiarity with the Cup car and how unique they are to drive.”

No. 4 Busch Light Apple Team Roster

Primary Team Members

Driver: Kevin Harvick
Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Crew Chief: Rodney Childers
Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Car Chief: Robert “Cheddar” Smith
Hometown: Whitewater, Wisconsin

Engineer: Dax Gerringer
Hometown: Gibsonville, North Carolina

Engineer: Stephen Doran
Hometown: Butler, Pennsylvania

Spotter: Tim Fedewa
Hometown: Holt, Michigan

Over-The-Wall Members

Front Tire Changer: Shayne Pipala
Hometown: Frankfort Square, Illinois

Rear Tire Changer: Daniel Smith
Hometown: Concord, North Carolina

Tire Carrier: Jeremy Howard
Hometown: Delhart, Texas

Jack Man: Stan Doolittle
Hometown: Ninety Six, South Carolina

Fuel Man: Evan Marchal
Hometown: Westfield, Indiana

Road Crew Members

Mechanic: Richie Bean
Hometown: Bradford, Vermont

Tire Specialist: Jamie Turski
Hometown: Trumbull, Connecticut

Engine Tuner: Robert Brandt
Hometown: Mobile, Alabama

Transporter Co-Driver: Rick Hodges
Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina

Transporter Co-Driver: Stephen Mitchell
Hometown: Woodville, Ohio

Season to Remember for Ty Gibbs and Corey Heim Set to Continue in Shore Lunch 150 at Iowa Speedway

By
Official Release
-
Corey Heim, driver of the #20 Craftsman Toyota leads Ty Gibbs, driver of the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota during the Menards 250 for the ARCA Menards Series at Elko Speedway in Elko New Market, Minnesota on July 10, 2021. (David Berding/ARCA Racing)

It’s been a season to remember for Ty Gibbs and Corey Heim.

The two 18-year-old ARCA Menards Series phenomenons have combined to win each of first nine races of the 2021 season. Gibbs holds the advantage with five wins to Heim’s four, but Heim leads the series championship standings by seven heading into the tenth race of the season at Berlin Raceway.

Gibbs, the grandson of Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach and NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Joe Gibbs, has excelled not only in the ARCA Menards Series, but he’s won twice in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as well, becoming just the sixth driver to win in his series debut when he scored the victory on the road course at Daytona International Speedway in February. He currently leads all active drivers in ARCA with 13 career wins.

Heim ended 2020, in which he only competed on a partial basis, with a win in the season finale at Kansas Speedway. He dominated at Daytona to win the season opener on the sport’s biggest stage and then took another win at Talladega Superspeedway, giving him wins in the two highest-profile events of the season.

But what started as a cordial rivalry has intensified over the last month, with it nearly boiling over at Elko Speedway.

Gibbs dominated from the pole, leading 236 of the first 247 laps. Heim was the only other leader, taking the top spot for eleven laps before the one-third mark. Gibbs led the field to a restart to complete lap 247, but by the time the cars raced off turn two, Gibbs was fourth.

Heim had restarted directly behind Gibbs for the final restart, and once they got to turn one, he gave Gibbs’ Toyota a nudge, moving him out of the way and darting off to the lead. Not only would Heim slip past, but his Venturini Motorsports teammates Jesse Love and Gracie Trotter would as well.

Heim was unrepentant in victory lane.

“We have a couple dents on the bumper and on the door and they’re from the 18,” Heim said. “I think we’re pretty much even. I think he’s probably pretty upset. It was just payback for what he did to me earlier in the race.”

Although frustrated, Gibbs remained calm following the race.

“We’re going to keep moving on,” he said. “There’s no reason to worry about anything or have any issues. As a racecar driver I am always going to fight and try to win at all costs. We’re going to keep fighting and make it happen again later in the year.”

The dynamic duo will continue their battle for the championship when the second half of the ARCA Menards Series season kicks off in the Shore Lunch 150 at Iowa Speedway on Saturday night, July 24. Gibbs is the defending winner of the race, leading 140 of the race’s 150 laps on his way to a 1.4-second victory last year over Sam Mayer.

Heim’s only previous experience at Iowa Speedway came in 2019 when he finished sixth, ironically, right behind Gibbs. Could the rivalry that’s been simmering all season again reach the boiling point at Iowa? Only time will tell, but based on recent precedent, it’s safe to assume both will be in the mix fighting for supremacy in the final laps.

The race will also award points for the ARCA Menards Series East championship battle. Gibbs’ Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Sammy Smith currently leads those standings over Mason Diaz. Both of those drivers are expected to enter and compete. The Shore Lunch 150 is also a part of the Sioux Chief Showdown, a series within the overall ARCA Menards Series that allows drivers as young as 15 years of age to compete on oval tracks less than a mile in length and on road courses. Gibbs currently has a four-point advantage over Heim with three races complete.

Advance discount tickets for the Shore Lunch 150 are available at all Menards locations across Iowa for just $20. For event information please visit IowaSpeedway.com and ARCARacing.com.

Inaugural HSR Street Stock Road Racing and RS/International Sedan Reunion Set for October’s HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour Weekend

By
Official Release
-
Picture by Brian Cleary/BCPix.com
  • Pioneer Eras of SCCA Showroom Stock, Street Stock Endurance, IMSA Racing Stocks and International Sedan (RS/IS) and More Celebrated at Daytona International Speedway, October 27 – 31
  • IMSA Firestone Firehawk, SCCA Escort, Motorola Cup and IMSA Radial Challenge and Champion Spark Plug Challenge and More on List of Eligible Series and Cars

CLEARWATER, Florida (July 21, 2021) – The pioneer eras of showroom stock and street stock endurance road racing and IMSA Racing Stocks and International Sedan (RS/IS) competition in North America will be celebrated this fall with the Inaugural Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Street Stock Road Racing and RS/IS Reunion. The race was announced today by HSR as a featured addition to the seventh running of the HSR Classic Daytona presented by IMSA weekend at Daytona International Speedway (DIS), October 27 – 31.

Eligible entries include cars that competed in the IMSA Firestone Firehawk Endurance Championship, the SCCA Pro Escort Endurance Championship, the Motorola Cup North America and other street stock series of the era. Cars that competed in IMSA’s small sedan road racing series best known as the IMSA Radial Challenge and IMSA Champion Spark Plug Challenge in the 1970s and 1980s will also be welcome.

“We have seen increasing interest from competitors and fans alike in providing a showcase for Firehawk, Escort, RS/IS and the other street stock road racing and sedan series that were at the foundation of these popular and competitive segments of sports car racing,” said HSR President David Hinton. “The timing is right to literally drop the green flag and we couldn’t think of a better venue than Daytona International Speedway during the HSR Classic Daytona presented by IMSA weekend.”

Known for incredibly close racing and massive grids, sometimes numbering 75 to 100 cars, street stock road racing and RS/IS were first introduced by the SCCA and IMSA, respectively, in the ‘70s.

The IMSA RS/IS series was first to make its mark with huge fields of the increasingly popular small sedans and coupes of the day that emerged in response the U.S. energy crisis of the ‘70s.

Street stock competition was also strong out of the box in the ‘70s but the true breakout decade was the ’80s. The SCCA was soon joined by SCCA Pro, IMSA and other sanctioning bodies as more endurance race events were added to the format.

Street stock endurance road racing also played a major role in defining production-based sports car racing as it is known today.

The “World Challenge” moniker was first used by SCCA in its Escort series in the early 1990s.

Today, World Challenge has evolved into a global GT3 series contested in America, Europe and Asia, and is regarded as a popular and highly-sought-after championship for competitors and manufacturers on a worldwide scale.

The Canadian-based Motorola Cup became GRAND-AM Cup prior to the 2001 season and, after several different series names and sponsorships over the years, competes today as the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.

The HSR Street Stock Road Racing and RS/IS Reunion event schedule and car and series eligibility list will be announced in the near future.

About HSR: Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) was formed in the mid-1970s with an event at Road Atlanta. There was one goal then and it remains true today: to celebrate the race cars from the past. As a “time machine” of sights and sounds, HSR provides a venue for competitors and spectators alike to share in the wonderful history and excitement created by the cars that competed at race tracks around the world. HSR currently sanctions eight vintage and historic racing events at some of the world’s most renowned race tracks, including Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and more. The complete schedule and full event information can be found on HSR’s website at www.HSRRace.com. Look for the HSR Channel on YouTube and follow HSR on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HSRrace/ and on Twitter and Instagram at @HSR_race. A dedicated website for the Classic 24 Hour at Daytona presented by IMSA is available at www.Classic24hour.com.

AmericanMuscle Customer Build | 2005 Mustang V6 S197

By
Official Release
-

Over 35 Mods on this Retro-Inspired Build

PAOLI, Pa. (July 16th, 2021) – AmericanMuscle (AM) has released another installment of their “Customer Builds” YouTube series. The new video showcases a 2005 V6 Mustang owned by Tom from California. Hosted by AM’s Justin Dugan, the build features over 35 mods and will appeal to Mustang owners with a passion for the classics. Viewers can learn more on AM’s dedicated build pages, including photos and a full breakdown of all the mods used for this feature build.

“Tom’s spirit from modifying, taking things that aren’t meant to go on his car, making them work and making them look good is really impressive.” — Justin Dugan  

When it comes to modifications, this 2005 V6 S197 leaves no stone unturned. The owner was committed to the retro theme and was not afraid to make a few changes of his own.  Key mods include matching headlights and taillights, a front spoiler, bullet wheels, and a shaker hood customized to fit MMD hood vents. The Flowmaster Outlaw exhaust with Corsa quad tips took a little research on melting plastic, but the result is flawless. The interior continues the classic theme with a roll bar, multiple gauges, a suede steering wheel and more.

AM’s “Customer Build” video series is for Mustang enthusiasts who like to modify and drive, build and race late-model Mustangs. Tom’s customized 2005 Mustang V6 provides inspiration with over 35 appearance and performance mods.  AM plans to continue the spotlight series providing a place where Mustang enthusiasts can connect, learn, and come away with a few ideas for their own build.

View it here: https://www.americanmuscle.com/ford-mustang-builds-profiles.html?imageid=259304&from=0

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

About AmericanMuscle

Starting out in 2003, AmericanMuscle quickly rose to be one of the leading aftermarket Mustang parts providers in the business. With the addition of Challenger in 2018 and Charger in 2020, AmericanMuscle provides the most sought-after parts, accessories, and fast shipping. Located just outside of Philadelphia, AmericanMuscle is dedicated to supporting the Mustang, Challenger and Charger communities with the highest level of customer service. Please visit http://www.AmericanMuscle.com for more information.

NASCAR And Penn National Gaming Expand Strategic Alliance With Market Access Partnership in Arizona

By
Official Release
-

Barstool Sportsbook to Become Exclusive Sportsbook of Phoenix Raceway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 21, 2021) – NASCAR® and Penn Interactive, a subsidiary of Penn National Gaming, Inc. (PENN: NASDAQ) (“Penn National” or the “Company”), announced today a new multi-year market access partnership in the state of Arizona. As part of the agreement, Penn National’s Barstool Sportsbook will become the exclusive Sportsbook of Phoenix Raceway and is expected to gain access to the Arizona sports betting market.

“Phoenix Raceway is a state-of-the-art entertainment destination that prides itself on delivering a best-in-class fan experience,” said Phoenix Raceway President Julie Giese. “Our partnership with Penn National Gaming and Barstool Sportsbook takes this to another level. It will help us continue our mission of redefining the way we engage fans and connect with new audiences.”

Penn National is the nation’s largest regional gaming operator, with 42 properties in 20 states. Penn Interactive operates retail and online sports wagering and iCasino for the Company, including the online Barstool Sportsbook, which is currently live in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Pennsylvania. The partnership with Phoenix Raceway reflects Penn National’s strategy to continue evolving into the leading omni-channel gaming provider as the only operator with a fully integrated sports media and entertainment partner.

“Barstool Sportsbook has proven itself to be a market leader in the jurisdictions where it has launched due to a combination of unique offers and a leading mobile experience,” said Jon Kaplowitz, Senior Vice President of Penn Interactive. “This new partnership will allow us to engage a passionate sports fan base in Arizona while having access to a best-in-class sports entertainment facility in Phoenix Raceway.” 

As the exclusive sportsbook of Phoenix Raceway, Barstool Sportsbook is expected to take an active role in promoting NASCAR odds across its properties and sports betting app. Barstool Sportsbook will feature unique promotions and odds boosts for fans betting in Arizona and will be prominently featured with at-track signage and via NASCAR’s social and digital channels. 

“As our first authorized gaming operator, Penn National has been invested in engaging NASCAR fans since we began building our position in the sports betting space,” said Tim Clark, Chief Digital Officer, NASCAR. “We couldn’t be more excited to provide our partners with access to our passionate fan base in the greater Phoenix market.”

In 2020, Penn National became NASCAR’s first authorized gaming operator, marking its first partnership with a professional sports league. Additionally, the Company extended its race title sponsorship with Kansas Speedway, where it operates Hollywood Casino on turn two of the racetrack, through 2026.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR consists of three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series™), three regional series, one local grassroots series, three international series and the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, Americrown Service and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).

About Penn National Gaming

With the nation’s largest and most diversified regional gaming footprint, including 42 properties across 20 states, Penn National continues to evolve into a highly innovative omni-channel provider of retail and online gaming, live racing and sports betting entertainment. The Company’s properties feature approximately 50,000 gaming machines, 1,300 table games and 8,800 hotel rooms, and operate under various well-known brands, including Hollywood, Ameristar, and L’Auberge. Our wholly-owned interactive division, Penn Interactive, operates retail sports betting across the Company’s portfolio, as well online social casino, bingo, and iCasino products. In February 2020, Penn National entered into a strategic partnership with Barstool Sports, whereby Barstool is exclusively promoting the Company’s land-based and online casinos and sports betting products, including the Barstool Sportsbook mobile app, to its national audience. The Company’s omni-channel approach is bolstered by the mychoice® loyalty program, which rewards and recognizes its over 20 million members for their loyalty to both retail and online gaming and sports betting products with the most dynamic set of offers, experiences, and service levels in the industry.

About Phoenix Raceway

Home to the 2021 NASCAR Championship Weekend, Phoenix Raceway has been the premier motorsports venue in the Southwest since 1964 and hosts two NASCAR race weekends each year. In 2021, the spring event weekend, March 12-14, kicks off the race season at Phoenix Raceway, featuring the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series. For only the second time in the history of the sport, Phoenix Raceway will host the NASCAR Championship Weekend, November 5-7. Over the three-day event, champions will be crowned in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Menards Series West. Phoenix Raceway also hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including corporate meetings and conferences, charity events, holiday events, sport and endurance competitions, driving schools and Segway tours. For more information, visit www.PhoenixRaceway.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “expects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “goal,” “seeks,” “may,” “will,” “should,” or “anticipates” or the negative or other variations of these or similar words, or by discussions of future events, strategies or risks and uncertainties. Such statements are all subject to risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances that could significantly affect the Company’s future financial results and business. Accordingly, the Company cautions that the forward-looking statements contained herein are qualified by important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected by such statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, risks related to the following: (a) the magnitude and duration of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on capital markets, general economic conditions, unemployment, consumer spending and the Company’s liquidity, financial condition, supply chain, operations and personnel; (b) the launch of the Barstool Sportsbook app is subject to regulatory approvals, which may be delayed; (c) the impact of significant competition from other companies for online sports betting; (d) the Company’s ability to achieve the expected financial returns related to its Barstool Sportsbook app; (e) the risk of failing to maintain the integrity of the Company’s information technology infrastructure and safeguard its business, employee and customer data in connection with the Company’s online sports betting; (f) the Company’s and its business partners’ ability to obtain various regulatory approvals required to own, develop and/or operate the Barstool Sportsbook app may be delayed or may not occur; and (g) other factors included in “Risk Factors” of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, each as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not intend to update publicly any forward-looking statements except as required by law. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed in this press release may not occur.

Four-Time ‘500’ Winners’ Club Welcomes New Member on Special Day at IMS

By
Official Release
-
Photo by Chris Owens. IMS Photo

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, July 21, 2021) — A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears, the first race car drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 four times, have been photographed together many times over the years, including a famous session for the cover of the event’s official program in 2013.

But with each passing year, it seemed those images might stand as a permanent reflection of Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s most prestigious club. After all, 29 races were held following Mears’ fourth “500” in 1991, and while a few drivers earned their second win during that time, only Helio Castroneves and Dario Franchitti notched a third. Franchitti ran his last “500” in 2013, the year after scoring victory No. 3.

With so much parity in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and Castroneves turning 46 prior to this year’s race and switching teams – from Team Penske to Meyer Shank Racing – the odds of him winning a fourth didn’t seem as good as they had been in years past. But when Castroneves held off Alex Palou for the victory in the 105th Running on May 30, everyone knew a new gathering of “The Club” needed to take place.

That meeting was held Tuesday in Indianapolis. And yes, plenty of new photographs were taken. IMS photographer Chris Owens said he literally took thousands, more than he’d take on a normal race day.

Castroneves has experienced a wide range of emotions in the two months since wildly celebrating on the front straightaway, but spending the day with Foyt, Unser and Mears made it all the more magical.

“What else can I say, these guys since I’ve been here, they’ve been the standard of Indianapolis,” he said with the legends sitting to his left at an IMS conference table overlooking the track. “I’ve always been looking after those guys. For me, I still can’t believe it. Every time I’m with them it blows my mind. They helped me to set the goals, and I really pushed for it.”

Castroneves struggled to put in words what winning the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge means to him. Saying it put him in “cloud nine” doesn’t do it justice, he said.

“I think 10 or 11, whatever clouds you can put above, I’m still there,” he said.

Castroneves even gathered a winner’s ring from each driver, lining them up on the table to be photographed.

“Mine is the one still shaking,” he said. “It’s too excited.”

Mears, who was Castroneves’ spotter for his first three wins here, seemed to smile with every word the Brazilian spoke, particularly those made out of respect to the legends he has joined.

“I kind of know how he’s feeling because I’ve heard him say a little bit about it,” Mears said. “When I won my fourth, to get up here with two of my heroes, even though the (number of Indy wins) were the same, I was still not in their category. To be with them was incredible, and I’m pretty sure Helio feels the same way.”

Said Unser: “It’s nice to be called a hero.”

Castroneves asked the other drivers what to expect as a four-time winner. As usual, Foyt was the most blunt.

“No different than if you win it once,” he said. “You got your first one; that’s what counts.”

The significance of the gathering of Indy legends can’t be understated. Even in motorsports, where speed is the ultimate pursuit, time waits for no one. Foyt is 86, Unser 82, Mears 69. All three have attended fewer INDYCAR races with each passing year.

Yes, all three were at IMS during the recent Month of May, but Unser left the track with about 10 laps to go to beat the traffic as he caught a flight home to New Mexico.

‘’He knew I was going to win, no matter what,” Castroneves said with a laugh.

While Foyt was on his team’s pit stand at the end of the race, he hadn’t been feeling well, so he didn’t stick around for the celebration. Mears had left his perch in the IMS Pagoda to watch the final dozen or so laps in the quiet of Team Penske’s Gasoline Alley garage, which took him out of the public eye at the finish.

But make no mistake about it: All three were cheering for the popular Castroneves.

“(As a driver) you want to continue winning if you’re going to race, but if you’re not going to race then you cheer for someone like Helio to make it happen,” Unser said. “Hopefully, if he’s your favorite, he does it. If not, goodbye Charlie.”

IMS owner Roger Penske, whose Team Penske organization fielded Indy-winning cars for Mears (four), Castroneves (three) and Unser (one), joined the conversation via video call from his office in Detroit.

“What a great day!” said Penske, whose team has won the race a record 18 times. “I can’t wait to get an autographed picture from each one of you. It will be special in my office.”

Track president Doug Boles noted that 784 drivers have started the “500” and only 20 have won it more than once.

“Some days the racetrack smiles on you, and some days you have it the other way,” Unser said. “You never think you’re going to win because your chances are very slim. There’s 32 other guys who want to win as bad as you do.”

The other aspect of “The Club” is that for a period of time it seemed less exclusive. While it took 61 years for Foyt to become the event’s first four-time member in 1977, Unser matched him 10 years later and Mears did so only four years after that. Then in quick fashion Emerson Fittipaldi and Al Unser Jr. became two-time winners.

Even Castroneves, who made his IMS debut in 2001, seemed to be on the fast track to membership, winning the race in his first two attempts and then achieving No. 3 in his ninth start, in 2009. But while he came close to a fourth on a couple of occasions – he won the pole for the 2010 race and finished second to Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2014 and Takuma Sato in 2017 – victory lane eluded him 11 straight years. He was running out of chances. Hence, the elation after crossing the finish line.

“Forget about the person, the (winning) driver,” Castroneves said. “After the pandemic and to have so many people back (at IMS), making history, giving a first-time win for a team that’s never won, and my personal thing getting my No. 4. When you put all the emotions and scenarios together, it was just a very special event.”

Castroneves asked about a membership fee for the four-time club. He said he hoped at a minimum there would be a card he could carry around.

Said Mears: “The fee will triple if you win five.”

So, could there be a fifth member of the club and if so, whom might it be? Only two active drivers have won the “500” more than once: Juan Pablo Montoya (2000 and 2015) and Takuma Sato (2017 and 2020). But if Castroneves has something to say about it, the bar could soon be a notch higher.

It should be noted that Foyt, Unser and Mears all took shots at a fifth only to come up short. Foyt made 15 attempts after his fourth win, finishing second to Mears in 1979 and scoring five additional top-10 finishes. Unser made five more starts after his fourth, with third-place finishes in 1988 and ’92. Mears took one more shot in 1992, but a mid-race accident spoiled his record-setting bid.

Yes, a fifth “500” win can be achieved, but it won’t be easy. However, if someone scores it, it won’t be difficult to arrange the photograph.

“Records are made to be broken, that’s how you’ve got to look at it,” Foyt said.

“Just remember,” Mears told Castroneves, “if you get five, you’ll be lonely.”

Ford Performance NASCAR: From Sunday’s New Hampshire Bullpen

By
Official Release
-

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series Media Availability
New Hampshire Motor Speedway | Sunday, July 18, 2021

FROM THE BULLPEN…

The following quotes were obtained from Sunday’s pre-race media bullpen session at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 eCascadia Ford Mustang — WHY IS OWNERSHIP IMPORTANT TO YOU?  “I’ll probably save some of that stuff more for Tuesday.  We’ll have some announcements around some things going on there around that time, but, for now, I think I was really pleased with some of the things that Roger said.  He’s been really good to me over the years.  I’m sad to leave that situation, but excited about the path forward.”


ANYTHING HE SAID YOU DIDN’T AGREE WITH?  “No, not particularly.  They’re gonna be great.  They’ve got a lot of good things going over there with Austin and I’m happy for them.”

CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH THE TIMELINE?  WHEN KNOW YOU SIGNED A ONE-YEAR DEAL FOR 2020 AND RP SAID IN 2020 HE OFFERED YOU A MULTI-YEAR DEAL AND YOU SAID YOU JUST WANTED TO SIGN FOR ONE, AND THAT HE THOUGHT YOU MIGHT SIGN THIS YEAR FOR TWO OR THREE.  CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH YOUR PERSPECTIVE?  “Last year was certainly a very unique situation with a lot of uncertainty around what was going to be the future of not just the sport or even my team, but for all of us.  I think there were a lot of spots in there for interpretation and ultimately I did sign a one-year deal for 2021 with an eye towards waiting to see things stabilize and as things stabilized the marketplace stabilized with it and probably actually grew, to be quite honest, and I think right now there’s a lot of demand out there for proven drivers that can win races and that demand remains.”


COULD YOU HAVE AN OPTION FOR A MULTI-YEAR DEAL WHEN YOU RE-SIGNED FOR 2020 OR WAS THAT JUST  A ONE-YEAR DEAL?  “When I re-signed it I signed for one year with no options or anything like that.”

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE BASEBALL TEAM?  (Laughing)  “Well, I’m from Detroit.”

I KNOW YOU’RE FROM DETROIT, BUT I’M THINKING YOU MIGHT HAVE A DIFFERENT ANSWER NOW?  “I like all baseball.  Baseball is one of my favorite sports.”

HAVE YOU THROWN AWAY ALL OF YOUR TIGERS GEAR YET?  “I haven’t thrown away any gear.  I’m proud of every piece of memorabilia I have over the years.  I’ve got stuff from the Reds.  I’ve got stuff from the Tigers.  I’ve got stuff from three or four others, the Diamondbacks.  I can’t remember them all, but I’m not throwing anything away.”

DID YOU THINK THERE WAS A TIME YOU WOULD BE A PENSKE LIFER?  WAS THAT A HOPE?  “Yeah, certainly I think everybody has aspirations that where they go to work that things will work out where you can stay forever and continue to grow, but life has other plans and there’s no bitterness about that.”


DID YOU CONSIDER A MULTI-YEAR DEAL AT PENSKE?  “Oh, yeah.  I considered a lot of different things.  Ultimately, the decisions I’ve made for the future are about what’s best for me, my family and my professional and personal life.”


WAS IT HARDER TO WALK AWAY THAN YOU MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT?  “Yeah, it was pretty hard.  It’s always hard to walk away.  There are some great people that I hold near and dear and always will.”

WHEN YOU SHUT DOWN YOUR TRUCK TEAM YOU SAID YOU WERE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE DONE IN AN OWNERSHIP ROLE IN NASCAR.  WHAT IS IT ABOUT THAT MADE YOU FEEL YOU WOULD END UP IN THAT DIRECTION?  “I really enjoy the ideas of ownership and management and seeing people grow, being a part of success in a broader role.  Of course, sometimes it means being part of failure in a broader role as well, but the idea of building teams and seeing people grow and be successful together, I take a lot out of that.”

WAS THERE A LOT OF EMOTION THIS WEEK WHEN THE DECISION BECAME OFFICIAL OF YOU LEAVING PENSKE?  “Yeah, there’s a lot of emotions about it.  I imagine those emotions will live for years to come.”

WHAT HAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP BEEN LIKE WITH AUSTIN AND DO YOU FEEL HE’S READY FOR AN OPPORTUNITY LIKE THIS?  “Yeah, I don’t know what more you could ask out of Austin.  He won a championship last year.  He’s won the most races this year in the XFINITY Series.  If he isn’t ready for Cup now, what else does he have to do?  So, I’m happy for him.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Autotrader Ford Mustang — WHAT KIND OF CHANGES DO YOU SEE FOR TEAM PENSKE WITH BRAD LEAVING?  “There’s obviously a lot of changes, but I think there’s a lot of opportunity.  I think we’ve all seen what Austin is capable of doing in the Xfinity Series.  Something that I think about him is his work ethic is up where it needs to be.  He probably works harder, I wouldn’t say he works as hard as me, but he’s pretty close to it, so I think we’re able to push each other a lot.  I think his road course ability is something that we’ve seen that is very strong already in the Cup Series.  I think he’s gonna be able to bring a lot to the table.  Obviously, I’m bummed about losing my teammate, Brad.  Brad has been a great partner throughout the last eight or nine years at Penske.  We’ve worked really well together, but, obviously, he’s found his way and something that’s very exciting for him, and I’m happy for him.  We’ll have to figure out our new way and how we do it, but we have so many great people at Team Penske that, honestly, we’ll be able to make the transition.  We’ll have to learn each other, and I’ll be learning a couple new teammates through all of this.”

YOU’LL BE THE ELDER STATESMAN NOW.  DO YOU FEEL YOU’RE READY FOR THAT LEADERSHIP ROLE NOW?  “Thanks.  You’re not the first person to tell me that (laughing).  I feel like Brad and I led it together throughout the last few years.  When we first started it was just me and him, it was just the two of us, so we were able to do a lot together.  I feel like Blaney has definitely raised his game over the years as you can see, so it’s gonna be up to us to kind of lead the organization around.  It’s not just the drivers though that do that.  It’s a whole team.  I think you look at Travis and Mike and Tim and Roger and Walt — everyone at the table to steer the ship.  I’m glad to be part of that team, but it’s everyone working together and figure out the right direction from there.  There are obviously a lot of changes next year with the Next Gen car, so if there’s gonna be a time for this, it’s probably now, so I think that’s why you’re seeing so much moving around already.”

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS?  “I’m not sure yet.  My sister is getting married, so I have to go to that, which will be great.  And just spend time with the family.  It’s nice to have a couple weeks off during the nice weather.  That was the best part about COVID last year was we all got to spend time together when it’s warm and not when it’s cold out in the winter time, so a lot of pool time.”

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW HARRISON BURTON?  “Not very well, yet.  I plan to get to know him fairly well over the next few months and get him prepared as much as he can be for the Cup Series.  This is tough stuff up here.  This isn’t easy racing against these guys and try to guide him along as much as I can.  It’s in my best interest for him to run well, trust me, so I’ll try to put my arms around him and try to guide him and help him.  Obviously, his dad has been here and done that, so he’s got some good people around him.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Tarkett Ford Mustang — THOUGHTS ON HAVING AUSTIN AS A TEAMMATE NEXT YEAR?  “Austin was already planning on going to the 21 and then with Brad’s plans, RP made a move to just put Austin in the 2 car because he’s got a lot of relationships with the Penske people already and sponsors and things like that, but Austin has done a really good job with the way he’s progressed over the past three our four years from Trucks and XFINITY.  That  has been pretty great, I think.  I think he puts a lot of hard work in.  I mean, he’s won a bunch of races and won an XFINITY championship and probably one of the favorites to win it again this year, so he’s paid his dues and done a great job and he’s very deserving of it, for sure.”

WHAT HAS THIS SENSE OF CHANGE BEEN LIKE AS YOU PREPARE FOR NEXT YEAR?  “I’m not longer the young guy over there, so that’s nice (laughing).  I don’t get stuck with the short end of the stick on some things, but I’ve known the Burtons for a long time, too.  I’m a little bit older than Harrison, but I spent a lot of time with Jeff and everybody and know Ward and Jeb really well.  That’s a good family.  I’m actually neighbors with Jeff, so I think Harrison is gonna do a really good job, but, yeah, a big shakeup at Penske, but with the circumstances of Brad moving over to Roush and things like that, I think there’s two younger, very talented drivers coming in that I think will do a really good job.  I’m really excited to work with them and see what they can do, and I think, right now, next year with the new car is probably the best time to be a rookie coming in because everyone is kind of starting over.   I don’t think the learning curve is nearly as high as a rookie coming in this year and trying to learn these cars.  Everyone is gonna be learning the new ones, so I think they’ll do a really good job.  I know they’ll work really hard and try to help them out as best we can along the way.”

DOES IT FEEL LIKE FOREVER SINCE YOU’VE BEEN TO WATKINS GLEN?  “Honestly, I forgot we didn’t go there last year.  I like the area a lot.  It’s a great racetrack and the people and the fans there are awesome, too.  I look forward to getting back up there.  It’s gonna be nice.  We’ve got a couple weeks off here for the Olympics and go back and have two road courses back-to-back with the Glen and Indy.  I think it’ll be really nice to restart it, but going back to the Glen, I know the fans are obviously really excited about that and I am too because we get a good crowd up there.  A lot of these places where we didn’t go last year, especially I think the fans are just out in full force because they didn’t get to maybe go to their favorite track last year and things like that, so it’s good.  I’m looking forward to it.  Hopefully, the weather is nice.”

WHAT ARE YOU DOING DURING THE BREAK?  “I’ve got a couple plans with some friends and family, but not too much.  Just relax a little bit.  Watch the Olympics.  Nothing too crazy, just hang out and maybe see some people you haven’t been able to see in a while.  Two weeks off though is gonna feel like an eternity.  I’ll definitely be back and ready to go racing, but I’m not getting into a whole lot.”

WOULD IT BE GOOD TO HAVE THIS KIND OF BREAK EVERY YEAR?  “The two-week break, I think a lot of people need it.  I’m not saying I need it.  I’d race every week, but a lot of the road crew gets worked to the bone.  I know we haven’t been traveling to the racetrack for three days out of the weekend here, but they work really hard and they all have families.  I don’t have a full family, kids or anything, but a lot of those guys and girls do and it’s nice for them to spend a lot of time because you know you have 14 weeks straight of racing and the playoffs and it’s gonna be crunch time.  I don’t know about two weeks off.  One week off is good enough for me, but the Olympics will be cool.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORT?  “I don’t really know.  My family was a big gymnast family growing up.  My sisters were gymnasts, so we always watched those events.  I’ve always watched gymnastics.  Simone Biles, she’s amazing.  She’s incredible.  I think she’s probably going to win a bunch of them this year, but that or like track and field stuff is pretty cool, too.”

KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Busch Light Apple Ford Mustang — IT WILL BE TWO YEARS SINCE WE’VE BEEN TO WATKINS GLEN. DOES IT FEEL STRANGE NOT TO HAVE BEEN TO A PLACE FOR THAT LONG?  “It feels a little bit strange just because of the fact that we obviously have a huge following when we go to Watkins Glen and sell out after sell out.  It’ll be great to go back up there and that’s a racing town.  I mean, the town is basically built off of racing, so it’s a fun place to go up and see that enthusiasm and as we’ve seen everywhere with those types of crowds, the enthusiasm coming from the crowds right now is definitely fun to be a part of.”


WHAT MAKES WATKINS GLEN UNIQUE?  “I would definitely say it’s the bus stop.  I think there are just so many things that happen over on that part of the racetrack.  It’s fast and it’s a really cool corner to watch and be a part of.”

WHAT’S IT LIKE IN TRAFFIC WHEN SOMEONE GOES OFF TWO ROWS AHEAD AND THE DUST ALL FLIES UP?  “It’s better than it used to be.  It’s actually the corner out of the bus stop now that throws up all the dirt, so maybe we need that same water truck that came to Road America that watered the dirt down before the race.”

WHAT ARE YOU DOING DURING THIS TWO WEEK BREAK?  “We’ll be at home.  We go all the time, so, fortunately, these two weeks fell at home for Keelan’s race schedule, so we get to spend two weeks at Go Pro and then the third week in Indiana, so it stays busy.  During the week is really when the normalcy part sets in.  We do normal things, and then depending upon the weekend as far as when you take off is how you determine how busy you’re gonna be that week with travel.”

WOULD THIS BREAK BE A GOOD THING TO DO ANNUALLY?  “I do.  I just wish they would take one week and shut the teams down completely.  I think it would be great for the guys in the shop just to have a week to know that they could plan for.  The first week of the off week would be great for those guys to just not do anything.  It’s not like we can change anything anyway.  They’ve got us locked in with all the parts and pieces and everything that we do, so it’s not like you can change anything.  I wish they would just think about those guys, and I think the mindset would be great for those guys.”

Dillon Davis enjoying his rookie season in the Budweiser Hornets Division at South Boston Speedway

By
Official Release
-
Dillon Davis is pictured with the car he races in the Budweiser Pure Stock Division at South Boston Speedway. Davis is having a good rookie season, having logged three Top-Five finishes and finishing in the Top-10 in his seven starts. Photo Courtesy Joe Chandler/South Boston Speedway

By Joe Chandler
Director, Public Relations
South Boston Speedway

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. (July 21, 2021)….Dillon Davis has been a lifelong racing fan. He has also been a stand-out baseball player. After his time on the baseball diamond at Halifax County High School came to an end, he started racing in the Budweiser Hornets Division at South Boston Speedway.

“I enjoyed baseball,” the Nathalie, Virginia resident said. “I’ve been a racing fan my whole life. I’ve been here at South Boston Speedway for just about every race since I was a kid. Watching and seeing everything was very interesting to me. My time for playing baseball was up after high school, so I started racing.”

Baseball and racing both require a lot of thinking and knowing what you are going to do in specific situations. Racing, Davis says, requires more thought.

“Racing definitely takes more brains,” Davis noted. “There is a lot more thinking to it than you would think. You have to calculate everything. You need to keep track of everything that is going on around you and calculate your moves ahead of time.”

Like many first-time racers Davis admitted to being nervous when he lined up for the start of his first race of the season on March 20.

“It was really nerve-wracking,” Davis said of his first race start. “The whole car was shaking because I was shaking so bad. The nerves are still there every race, but it (racing) is enjoyable.”
Adapting to driving his front-wheel-drive car in competition in the Budweiser Hornets Division is an ongoing process for Davis.

“It’s kind of tough adapting, but it hasn’t been bad,” remarked Davis. “We can change the car to make it do what we want to do, but it’s still kind of tough.”

The first-year racer is having a good season in the Budweiser Hornets Division. Davis has logged three Top-Five finishes and has finished in the Top-10 in all of his starts. His best finishes have been a pair of fourth-place finishes and a fifth-place effort in his most recent start on July 3.
Those numbers have him sitting in sixth place in the division point standings. However, Davis is only three points out of fifth place and 16 points out of fourth place. With three races remaining in the division this season, Davis has opportunities to work his way up into the top five in the standings by the end of the season.

“We’ve had a decent season,” Davis said. “It’s been pretty good for my first year. Honestly, it’s been better than what I thought it would be. It’s something I can build on.”

South Boston Speedway’s next event is the Davenport Energy Night at the Races racing program on Saturday night, August 7. All four of South Boston Speedway’s regular NASCAR racing divisions, the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Late Model Stock Car Division, the Limited Sportsman Division, the Budweiser Pure Stock Division and the Budweiser Hornets Division, will be in action that night.

Practice will begin at 3:45 p.m. and grandstand gates will open at 5:30 p.m. Qualifying will start at 6 p.m. and the first race of the night will get the green flag at 7 p.m.

Advance adult general admission tickets for the August 7 Davenport Energy Night at the Races event are priced at $10 each and may be purchased online on South Boston Speedway’s website, www.southbostonspeedway.com, through Friday night, August 6. Adult general admission tickets online and at the gate on race day are priced at $15 each. Kids ages 12 and under will be admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult.

Tickets purchased for the rained-out July 17 event will be honored at any one of South Boston Speedway’s three remaining regular-season events – August 7, August 21 and September 4.
Individuals that purchased tickets online for the rained-out July 17 event have already received vouchers in their online ticket account for the amount of paid tickets they had.

Persons that purchased tickets over the phone or in person can stop by the speedway office to exchange those tickets or exchange them at the next event. The South Boston Speedway office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Updates and the latest news about South Boston Speedway and its racing events can be found on the South Boston Speedway website and through the speedway’s social media channels.

1...2,4482,4492,450...6,750Page 2,449 of 6,750