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Toyota NCS New Hampshire Quotes — Pre-Race Media Availability 7.18.21

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Official Release
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Toyota Racing – Pre-Race Media Availability|
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

LOUDON, NH (July 18, 2021) – Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Christopher Bell and 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace were made available to media prior to the New Hampshire race today:

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

Did you get any feedback after last week’s comments?

“Sure, it always gets some attention. It was good and we had some great conversations. Marcus (Smith, SMI) and Steve Phelps (NASCAR) and those guys. Collectively, we understand that we’re better together than we are separate.”

Did they appreciate you speaking out?

“I think that we understand that we’re better together. Whenever there’s input from all the stakeholders or certainly all sides get heard then I believe we can make the sport better if we all work together. They agree.”

Do you have any desire to try the SRX Series if there’s a second season?
“Yeah, I do. Nashville is actually on my radar six months ago as one I would have liked to have done, but a few conflicts and couldn’t do it. It’s a good series, looks like it’s growing and has a lot of enthusiasm. It’s a good balance of competition and show I guess.”

Where do things stand in signing the second driver for 23XI Racing for 2022?

“Still working on it. For us, it’s different because we don’t have a charter. You have to have that in place. There’s just so many moving parts, you’re trying to do them all at one time. I still feel confident no matter what, we like where we’re at on expanding in the future.”

How do you feel the 23XI Racing team is progressing?

“Good. We’ve progressed. We started the year with the first 10 races running 16th to 22nd and we’re now running 12th to 16th, that’s kind of right where we’re at these last few weeks. It’s about taking the next step at this point. I think my question to the team is, ‘What’s next? How do we now move that up?’ When you look at data and everything, the car has a ton of potential and how can we optimize Bubba (Wallace), the entire team’s performance, pit crew and everything to get better. Now, to get in the top-10 consistently, gaining those three to four spots we need to get in the top-10 consistently, that’s a big step. I want to see them get there by the end of the year.”

Has it felt like a lot for you this year juggling both responsibilities?

“It’s a lot. I do prioritize the time. I do compartmentalize when I need to be working on certain things. I feel like I’m high-functioning enough to where I can turn one switch on and turn the other one off. I can do that. I’ve done it for so many years. I can be on the phone five minutes before the race and I’m like, I’ve got to go do my job now. I’ve done it for a very long time so I think some people can handle it different than others and I have a good balance of it right now. Although, in the future, would I love to get my hands off of it a little bit? Yeah, but we’re in the building process so I’m going to be a little more hands-on.”

Do you look at the regular season title differently due to the amount of bonus points on the line?
“We do. We certainly do. It’s an extra win. It’s the difference between 15 and 10. Not only that, we could almost consider it a short competition between us and the 5 (Kyle Larson). The five races we’re basically even, certainly whoever can win between the two of us is going to feel pretty pumped. It’s five races to out-run them. We gave up huge chunks when he was on that big run and now we’re just maintaining each other. When he makes a mistake, I make a mistake. It’s just going back and forth. I would say certainly there’s some inner competition there and we both want it really bad.”

How do you think you stack up for the next five races?

“I look at the tracks and I’m like, it’s 50-50. It just depends on the week and who can hit it on any given week. I think this, when I look at tracks like New Hampshire, probably I think it’s advantage us. Maybe not, we might get our ass kicked today. It’s advantage us. You look at some of the road courses, they’ve been a little stronger than us so maybe advantage them. Michigan, Kyle’s (Larson) been very good there so maybe advantage them. We ran first and second there last year and Daytona, crap shoot, but I like my chances. We have a mix. It will go down to the end in Daytona I think to decide it.”

How difficult is it for drivers to battle for top-10s when they’re used to racing for top-20s?

“It’s different because you have to drive differently. You’re racing against guys you haven’t raced against for your whole career. You’re battling (Kevin) Harvick and (Joey) Logano at Atlanta and these are not guys that he’s (Bubba Wallace) been battling against for position very much in his career so you have to understand and learn how they race and what they expect. That’s how you optimize your passes with them. That is a learning curve that we can certainly improve on and he can improve on. Again, he is improving and I’m seeing it in the data, I see it on track. He’s improving and that’s all I can ask for.”

How key will track position be today with no practice and qualifying?

“I think it will be bigger today, more so without the PJ1. I thought yesterday passing was a little more difficult because the lanes were slightly narrower. I think track position will be big today for sure. Hopefully we can keep it. We’re going to have some conditions here that are going to be treacherous at this track with no rubber on it, cold, clean. It’s going to be loose. You’re going to see a lot of sideways cars to start the race.”

Are you happy there is no PJ1 here today?
“I’m indifferent. I thought this was one of the race tracks actually that benefitted pretty good from it. Essentially, indifferent. I think that there’s probably a chance for more accidents really with this type of format because everyone is fighting for a lane or two. You don’t have three lanes of cars spread out. It’s equally a challenge. We’re up for it and I think it’s going to be a learning curve. I think a lot of crew chiefs were panicking come Thursday or Friday when they found out that there was going to be no spray and now they’re looking at notes from three or four years ago versus the last couple.”

How did you feel about this race when you came from the back to the front of the field?

“That was a better example of the fastest race car dominating. That car made me look so good, it was incredible. You just do not get cars like that often, but I just remember running in practice thinking, there is nobody even going to touch this car. I read very, very few articles before races, but one popped up in my feed and it was like, ‘Denny (Hamlin) will essentially be a two touchdown favorite in this race.’ I’m like, I’m going against 40 other people not just one, but the lap times supported it and I didn’t believe that. When I raced, they were right. This car was really fast.”

Are you still frightened of lobsters?

“Probably not as much. Trust me, if they give me one today, I’ll hold it. I might look scared, but I’ll hold it. It’s interesting that the phobia does have a name and I’m in Wikipedia.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

“You always try to race everybody hard, but race everybody as clean as you can. Then see how it plays out. Spaces get tighter as the race winds down and gets closer to the end, guys trying to pinch you, block you, you trying to put it in a hole that ain’t quite there or whatever it might be and contact will happen. That’s just racing. Race it out.”

Did you want to have practice and qualifying at this track?

“It’s not about whether or not we want it, it’s we’re not getting it. It is what it is and we just show up and run. With not having the practice time, it’s the same for everybody so we just try to come out here and for me, it’s remembering what I did two years ago because last year we only made 10 laps and crashed. It’s been a while since we’ve run a full race here.”

How hard has it been adapting to all the changes this past year?

“Obviously, it’s adapting, but last year there were guys that were good that won a lot of races and they were fast and this year those guys aren’t winning and now you’ve got different guys that are kind of winning. It’s just mixed up, it’s weird, it’s different. It doesn’t matter which form or fashion you come to the race track in, you always want to be fast, you want to be good, you want to be winning. Honestly, with as easy as everything is with just show up and race, it’s the perfect storm for anyone as long as you’re good. When you’re winning, it’s like it doesn’t matter, we’re good.”

Are you comfortable with no PJ1 being down today?

“It doesn’t matter. I think it’s just going to play out to be a normal, typical Loudon. Tough to pass, figure it out as you go type of race. I didn’t even see a lap of the Xfinity race yesterday. We’ll see what happens.”

Will you miss getting to race Xfinity with this lack of practice? How much has it helped?

“No, not really. You only get five anyway and it’s not like those five are really giving you a whole extra lot more than what you would without running. We picked the races that we chose for strategic purposes of getting laps at tracks I’d never been to and that seemed to help us I feel like. Overall, it was a good experience. Now that it’s done pretty much the rest of the year with places we’ve already been to other than Indy road course. That’s just a matter of just trying to learn as you get there.”

Are you seeing some of your traits in Brexton’s racing?

“No doubt, I think that he (Brexton Busch) enjoys racing. He would race every day, he’s always asking about going to the race track and when we’re going again. When we do get the chance to go and get the chance to race and he wants to qualify first. He wants to finish first in every heat race, he wants to win every feature. Just yesterday, he qualified first, he started fourth in his heat and he didn’t pass anybody in his heat so he was very visibly upset, angry, mad, crying, screaming for not passing anybody in the heat race and then in the main, the main didn’t go very well either. He was visibly upset on that. It’s just a matter of trying to harness all of that and figure out how to use that to his advantage going forward.”

Is this two week break a good idea?

“I think so. Whether it’s one or two weeks, three weeks, whatever it is. Having an off-week is good. I think it’s about time for us, a good summer break anyways to be able to go out and do things in the summertime that typically you’d always have to wait for the winter time. I can’t tell you how many winter vacations I’ve been on and places that I’ve gone in December, January versus actually being able to go somewhere far away in July.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Reser’s Fine Foods #LetsPicnic Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How does it feel to be back in New England?

“It feels good. Haven’t been able to do much because we just got here late last night. Excited about the race today. Still looking for that first win here in the Cup car. Hopefully, today is our day.”

What is the challenge at this track for you to close the deal for that elusive win?

“It’s just a tricky place. Flat corners, a lot of bumps getting into turn three. Both ends are a bit different even though they look the same. Those little banking transitions, flat apron, a little bit of banking, a little bit of banking – it changes your car so drastically when you cross those seams and how you cross them. It just changes. Now no PJ1 today after planning on racing on PJ1 and the car leaving the shop to race on PJ1, it’s been a challenge to try to make some tweaks to it since then. The challenge is that it’s unique, it’s tough and difficult. Very sensitive to small changes.”

Can you talk about how close you’ve been to three wins in a row at Watkins Glen?

“I think the last two second place finishes, it was just track position. Somehow the 9 (Chase Elliott) ended up in front of us and we couldn’t pass him. That’s a really, really fast place and it can be difficult to pass. His car was better in different spots than mine. From lap times, we were faster both years – I could get to him, but he was just fast in the right places where I couldn’t pass him. I will have to hopefully figure out how to get faster in a few key areas. But I love going there, it’s a fast place and it would have been awesome if we could have won three in a row out there.”

How frustrating is it when you feel you have a better car and just can’t find a way to pass?

“It’s always frustrating. It’s always tough to deal with and tough to keep focused on what you’re doing and not make mistakes and hit your marks and hope they make a mistake. That’s usually, at the end of the day, how you get by a guy at a place like that or when you’re in that kind of situation. Here today, it’s going to be that kind of situation. It’s going to be tough to pass and track position is important. You have to do everything right, you have to execute to win these races. The smallest little details, you lose one spot and you might run second. That’s what you need to focus on.”

Are you as disappointed as Kevin Harvick that you’re not running the oval track at Indy?

“I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought about it that much. I’m not going to throw up. I haven’t won two in a row there or whatever like he (Kevin Harvick) has. That’s probably a little bit of that. It is a historic track, but I don’t know. I don’t really think about things like a lot of people. I’m looking forward to the road course and another opportunity to get a win.”

Can you feel the gap closing between Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports?

“I did last week at Atlanta. I felt like 20 more laps we were going to be in the fight for the win. Maybe 15. Really happy last weekend with our car and how things went. I do still think Atlanta is a totally unique race track and it’s kind of a one-off. I don’t know, it’s really hard to say these days where you stack up because through the summer here you’re at so many different tracks and things are changing. There’s really no consistency to anything. It’s more just guys show up one week and they’re gone for two. It’s hard to be consistent a little bit is what I’m saying. I feel good about our team and where we’re at. We’ll see if we can keep that going.”

How much do you circle this race on your calendar with your family’s success at this track?

“Honestly, we put a lot of effort in every week. It’s not like we say that we’re really going to try this weekend or this one’s important. They’re all important so we try hard every week. For me personally, this is a big one. I’d love to check it off the list. Been so close here a lot of times. We’ve got great numbers and great runs here and a lot of laps led and things, just haven’t been able to close the deal. Just trying to figure out how to do that and hopefully today is the day.”

What are you going to do during the two week break?

“Chilling, fishing, whatever. Just hanging out.”

How does this race track change throughout the race?

“Just as the rubber goes down, it loses grip in certain areas. Track position is definitely a big part of that. If you lose it, your car handles worse. That kind of compounds things and you can get off on those long runs.”

Does it hurt to not have practice and qualifying at this track?

“It hurts everywhere to really get your car feeling the way you want it to, but it’s the same for everyone. It really just puts a lot more pressure on the engineers and crew chiefs to make the right decisions to have the perfect setup, which is very, very difficult. It’s hard to come up with that with just computers. There’s a lot of guesswork involved and a lot of things going off past history and trying to make good decisions based on that. It’s a big challenge for those guys and I don’t know that they get enough credit for what they’re able to do and the stuff they have to work on.”

Could today’s race come down to strategy?

“Anytime you’re dealing with track position it comes down to strategy. You have to pit at the right time, you have to be in the right place with the right tires at the right time. It’s always easier to pass them in the pits on pit calls than it is on the race track. Making the right pit calls is huge, but your car has to be good as well or they’ll just pass you.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Rheem – Watts Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How do you feel about your chances for today now that we’ve had rain on the track?

“I don’t think it really changes. It will definitely affect the way the car drivers, but that’s probably more on the crew chief than on the driver. As long as my car is good, it won’t be a big change inside the car from my standpoint. From the crew chief’s standpoint, yeah absolutely, but not from my standpoint.”

How many laps will you lead today after 151 yesterday?

“I hope at least one and that one is the last one. I don’t know, we’ll have to see.”

BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 McDonald’s Toyota Camry, 23XI Racing

How would you assess the first part of this season with 23XI Racing?

“It’s coming together. I think we’ve wanted more top-fives, top-10s. We’ve had the speed for a little bit, but there are certain things that have taken us out or put us behind a little bit. It’s just a matter of perseverance and coming back and just trying to get the best results. It seems like we’ve been on a pretty good streak here the last few weeks. Just need to keep it going.”

Is the two week break a good thing or does it interfere with momentum?

“Off weeks are much needed. This is a high stress job for all of us. It will be nice to have a mental reset. Doing nothing is fun.”

How do you prepare for this track to be green from the rain now with no PJ1?
“I went back and watched the 2014 truck race just to see. Should be fine. The Xfinity race was fine yesterday.”

How important is track position at New Hampshire?

“Track position is key everywhere in these race cars. No different than any other track.”

Are you looking forward to having a second team next season?

“It will be beneficial. Everybody is hitting the reset button next year with the new car. Having whatever comes through, getting another opinion will be vital for moving the organization forward.”

About Toyota

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

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

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

Hamilton achieves eighth victory at Silverstone following early collision with Verstappen

By
Andrew Kim
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Only one victory separates Sir Lewis Hamilton from reaching a major milestone in his Formula One racing career after the reigning seven-time champion snapped a five-race winless drought to win the British Grand Prix at Silverstone Circuit on Sunday, July 18.

The victory was Hamilton’s fourth of the 2021 F1 season, an all-time eighth victory at Silverstone and the 99th of his career, the most victories all-time in Formula One history.

Hamilton’s victory, however, did not come without controversy following a first-lap collision between himself and title rival Max Verstappen in the first corner, where contact between the two sent Verstappen’s Red Bull Racing machine spinning and making hard contact against the infield tire barriers, knocking him out of the race and costing the Dutchman a bevy of points in the championship standings. Though he climbed out of his battered car, Verstappen, who retired in 20th place, was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.

Following the incident, Hamilton was given a 10-second penalty, which he served on Lap 28 of 52 while pitting. Falling back to fifth, the Stevenage, England, native, who is a hometown hero at Silverstone, was able to methodically work his way back to the podium spots and overtake Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on Lap 50 to return to the lead. From there, Hamilton pulled away and was able to claim the checkered flag by nearly four seconds over Leclerc.

With the turn of events and the collision between the two championship contenders, Hamilton, who started the event trailing Verstappen by 33 points, is behind by eight points as he continues his pursuit for an record-setting eighth F1 title.

“I thought I was gonna have a heart attack, to be honest,” Hamilton, who shared the victory with his home crowd, said. “When I got out of the car, it was very emotional. The whole parade lap with the British flag, really proud moment for me. And the emotions just build up more and more as you come around to the end. And then, you just wanna go and hug everyone…What a beautiful day, what a blessing it is…Hopefully, [the win] brought some joy for England.”

While addressing the incident with Verstappen, Hamilton withstood his ground and his focus to battle Verstappen and Red Bull Racing to the end for the title.

“I’m open to [a conversation with Verstappen],” Hamilton said. “I don’t have any issues. I don’t know what really to say. Just game on. We’re just gonna keep on attacking. There needs to be respect on the track and if not, then this [incident] will happen more often. I’ve tried my hardest to stay as clean as possible.

Verstappen was not available for comment, but Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing’s team principal, expressed his frustration towards Hamilton over the incident.

“It’s disappointing for a driver that’s won seven world championships to make a desperate error like that,” Horner said. “We’re just lucky today that it didn’t have a worse consequence. I don’t think that Lewis can take any real satisfaction out of that victory today because it was unacceptable what he did to Max.”

Behind Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, who led a race-high 49 of 52 laps compared to Hamilton’s three and who dealt with engine issues throughout the event, settled in the runner-up spot for his first podium result of the 2021 season and his first since last year’s British Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas, Hamilton’s teammate, came home in third place for his sixth podium result of this season.

“I don’t really know how I feel,” Leclerc said. “I’ve got 50 percent of me that is super happy, 50 percent of me that is extremely disappointed to lose the win so close to the end. If you look at the overall picture, coming to the weekend, we did not expect to be fighting for a win. I thought it was over in the first stint when he had those engine cuts…I gave 200 percent of me, and it was very, very close.”

“We can take positives,” Bottas said. “I think, today, we worked well as a team. We got really good points, especially against Red Bull. So that is good.”

McLaren’s Lando Norris, who had a slow pit stop on Lap 22, and Daniel Ricciardo finished in fourth and fifth followed by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. Fernando Alonso recorded a strong seventh-place result followed by Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon and rookie Yuki Tsunoda.

Pierre Gasly settled in 11th, the first competitor outside of the top-10 points-scoring positions, followed by George Williams. Antonio Giovinazzi came home in 13th followed by Nicholas Latifi and Kimi Räikkönen.

Sergio “Checo” Perez, who started at the rear of the field and made a late pit stop for soft tyres, ended up in 16th followed by Haas drivers Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher. Sebastian Vettel, who spun early, retired in 19th place.

Results:

1. Lewis Hamilton, 27 points

2. Charles Leclerc, 18 points

3. Valtteri Bottas, 16 points

4. Lando Norris, 12 points

5. Daniel Ricciardo, 10 points

6. Carlos Sainz, eight points

7. Fernando Alonso, six points

8. Lance Stroll, four points

9. Esteban Ocon, two points

10. Yuki Tsunoda, one point

11. Pierre Gasly

12. George Russell, +1 lap

13. Antonio Giovinazzi, +1 lap

14. Nicholas Latifi, +1 lap

15. Kimi Räikkönen, +1 lap

16. Sergio Perez, +1 lap, one point

17. Nikita Mazepin, +1 lap

18. Mick Schumacher, +1 lap

19. Sebastian Vettel, Retired

20. Max Verstappen, Retired, three points

Despite his early incident and exit from the event, Verstappen continues to lead the drivers’ standings by eight points over Hamilton. In addition, Red Bull Racing continues to lead the constructors’ standings by four points over the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team.

Next on the 2021 Formula One schedule is Hungaroring for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, August 1.

Atlanta Speedwerks Works Overnight For Sixth, Eighth Place Finishes at Lime Rock in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge

By
Official Release
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Photo credit Daylon Barr Photography

Brian Henderson and Robert Noaker Led in No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR, No. 94 Qelo Capital/Dinner With Racers Honda Civic TCR of Ryan Eversley and Scott Smithson Recovered from Practice Crash For Top 10

LIME ROCK, Connecticut (July 18, 2021) – A challenging night turned to a challenging day for Atlanta Speedwerks on Saturday at Lime Rock Park, but the team persevered for a pair of top-10 finishes in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR-class competition.

Brian Henderson and Robert Noaker led the way for the team with a sixth-place finish in the No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR. Henderson started second and led 30 laps in his stint before, during, and after the third full course caution of the race. Using the those long, multiple cautions in the first hour of the race as a guide, Henderson stayed in the car for an extended one-hour, 20-minute stint. Unable to find one last caution, the team made its driver-change and pit stop under green with 40 minutes to go, falling a lap down as Noaker climbed behind the wheel. Noaker fought to hang on for the finish on the lead lap.

The more heroic effort came from the Atlanta Speedwerks crew, who worked through the night to prepare the team’s third Honda Civic TCR after the No. 94 Qelo Captial/Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love machine crashed in Friday’s practice. The car, which was essentially meant to be a parts car and needed functional parts from the original car to race, was finished – without fully functioning anti-lock brakes – less than five minutes prior to the field pulling onto the track for pace laps.

By rule, the team started the race at the end of the field from pit lane and immediately served a drive through penalty, then went to work. Scott Smithson, through clean, steady driving and attrition from other drivers, climbed as high as eighth before stopping with one hour, 15 minutes remaining. Eversley rejoined in 10th but was assessed a pit lane penalty that left the car two laps behind the leaders.

Eversley, like Smithson driving without a cool suit on a 90-degree day because it didn’t make the change to the new car, fought his way up one additional position for a stellar finish under the circumstances.

The effort leaves Eversley second in the Michelin Pilot Challenge Driver Championship, and the No. 94 Atlanta Speedwerks car second in the team points. Henderson and Noaker are seventh in the Driver points as well as the Team standings, and the finish today keeps Honda atop the Manufacturers Championship after six of 10 rounds in the 2021 season.

Atlanta Speedwerks and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season resumes at Road America, August 5 – 8, for round seven of the season.

Ryan Eversley, Driver, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “I can’t say thanks enough to the crew guys. This Atlanta Speedwerks team, all year, if there’s something that needs to be done then someone will pick it up and do it. That came to the forefront this weekend when we needed everybody to jump in and get the spare car built up. We didn’t have a great race, but we did finish. I didn’t think we were going to make the grid just because the time was running out. We didn’t have anything we couldn’t overcome. We had a car that I think could have been in the top five if we didn’t have some on-track issues to overcome. That was monumental. I have to thanks to Honda/HPD and JAS Motorsports for building such a safe car. Scott was fine after the incident and was able to race competitively. It’s a testament to Honda in general. This car starts as a street car and he was able to race after a crash like that, that’s a huge deal. It was tough on track. With the extra weight we’re now carrying, the degradation was so bad and no tire could run with that much weight. But we’re not going to give up and still leave here second in the points.”

Scott Smithson, Driver, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “That was a rough weekend. With the crash yesterday, the crew worked all night and got the car going but we ran without ABS. In my stint, usually I can gut through things pretty well but I’m pretty banged up with my ribs and all the right hand corners. We did what we could do. Ryan had a really good stint. But we don’t want to have any more of these.”

Brian Henderson, Driver, No. 84 Honda Civic TCR: “The start of the race was wild. We got up in there and worked our way to the lead. We managed to hold onto the lead for a while and chose to stay out. We got our lap back and got up to sixth and Robert was able to hold off the guys behind him and secure that sixth place finish. Obviously, we would have loved to finish a little higher than that, maybe on the podium, but overall it’s not terrible. We finished the race and are looking for the next one at Road America.”

Robert Noaker, Driver, No. 84 Honda Civic TCR: “It was hot at first. The Cool Shirt was having issues, so I didn’t have that. The nature of this track, you never get a break. I was just running laps, running laps, and it was getting hotter and hotter. I got pretty worn out. But the extra weight killed us at the end, we just didn’t have the grip. The team did whatever they could and we still came out in sixth.”

About Atlanta Speedwerks
Atlanta Speedwerks is a professional road racing team and prep shop, providing road racing services, car builds, roll cages, arrive and drive programs, and performance parts. Headquartered near Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the company runs winning arrive & drive programs in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Mazda MX-5 Cup, Porsche Club of America and SCCA Spec Miata, among others. Professional coaching and driver development round out the company’s offerings.

How Often Should You Get Motorcycle Serviced

By
SM
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Photo by Harley-Davidson on Unsplash

Having a motorcycle and riding is an exciting experience, and you can’t compare it with any other activity. When you are using a motorcycle, its maintenance is also essential. If you compare it with a car, the maintenance of a motorcycle is quite simple. But it does not mean that you take it for granted and do not pay attention. Every machine requires maintenance and hence motorcycle too so that it runs at optimum performance and finally gives you a pleasurable riding experience, and does not break down when you are on the road. The service of a motorcycle is especially vital to keep it running for a long time. Regular motorcycle service is also essential to keep yourself safe.

Care for your Motorcycle – To keep it in good condition:

You have to make sure that all the parts of your motorcycle are in good condition and working fine. When talking about motorcycle maintenance, there are two types; one solo, which you can do yourself; the other, which are more technical and require the skills of a mechanic, which involves higher costs. For example, you can check engine oil yourself, but you have to go to your mechanic when the chain is broken. There are many things to be checked routinely to resolve smaller problems before growing into bigger faults. However, any motorcycle, old or new, requires servicing.

How often a motorcycle should be serviced depends on the model. Motorcycle manufacturers provide the owner’s manual, answering this question and other useful information about the motorcycle. But there are certain general guidelines discussed below: 

Oil Change

Change of oil is due when the oil light starts blinking or when the engine burns the oil. Change the oil when your motorcycle has traveled 4000 miles or every six months, whichever comes first.

Tire Air Pressure

It is important because you are on two wheels and imagine that you are going on a highway at a speed of 80 miles an hour, and one of the tires bursts. In such a case, you may face a horrible accident. According to a survey, about 78% of lives in motorcycle road accidents are lost due to tire blasts. Tire air pressure should be checked twice a month but, if not possible, necessarily once a month. The type pressure should be between 27 and 30 psi. If you have a tire with a tube, the tube must also be checked once in two months. If the tube has too many punctures, it must be replaced with a new one. However, tubeless tires are getting common nowadays.      

Chain:
Motorcycle riders often ignore this part, and consequently, they have to face inconvenience when it is broken on a busy road or a highway. Maintenance of chain requires “lubing” and “checking the tension of the chain.” It should be done after 4,000 miles or every six months, whichever comes first. You can easily remember this schedule because it is the same as an oil change, and you can go for the service of both at the same time. The exact chain tension your motorcycle requires is given in your owner’s manual, as each type of motorcycle has a different one. 

Carburetor

This requires “tuning” and “flushing the cooling system,” which is performed every two years. If there is a carburetor in your motorcycle, its regular service and repair are necessary because it saves a lot of money and time. In some motorcycles, there is a water-cooled engine. In such a case, the cooling system should get flushed after every two years. A mechanic does the service of a carburetor or water cooler. Moreover, you can visit twelvmag.com for a great variety of motorcycle repairing tools.

Clutch Wire

It is a metallic cable used to change gears. It also has a specific setting (tension) so that you should be able to change gears during your ride. A motorcycle owner will know their motorcycle clutch, but whenever you feel difficulty operating the gears, consult your mechanic. This is also one of the services which you can’t do yourself. Finally, you have to rush towards your mechanic.

Gears and Gear Box

It is an expensive part, and it is damaged when the clutch is not operated properly. When this problem arises, you can’t handle it yourself. You have to take your motorcycle to a professional who can do it. The clutch wire causes an abruption in gears. Either the life of a clutch wire is going to end, or the tension of the clutch wire is not proper. Your mechanic can check and correct this problem.   

Engine Tuning

Tuning is what only an experienced motorcycle engine expert can do. The professional mechanic has the tools as well as relevant experience required for this task. It can be done at the time of changing oil for convenience.

Electrical Parts

Make sure that headlights, hazard lights, indicators, and horns are working fine before you go on the road. The headlight beams with both high and low intensity must work properly. Make sure that the front and rear indicators are functioning well. You may also need a functioning horn to warn other vehicles in case of unusual happenings. 

Seized Engine

In case of a seized engine, your motorcycle will not start. It happens when you constantly run your motorcycle for a long time without its maintenance. There is no engine oil left inside, or it is too black; that is, it has not been changed for a long time or maybe that its cooling system is not checked and failed. Other reasons for being an engine seized are old and dull oil and rust and stain built-up.

In case of a seized engine, you have to take the motorcycle to an expert mechanic. He opens the complete engine and has to change rings and pistons. It’s a time-consuming task, and if a mechanic works full time on your motorcycle, it takes about four to six days and involves a lot of labor and expense.       

How often does a motorcycle needs service?

On average, a motorcycle will require servicing once a year. For determining the exact mileage or time frame of service, consult the user manual that comes with your motorcycle. Basic maintenance is an ongoing process, and the more you look after your motorcycle, the better it will perform. 

Basic maintenance will include oil changing, battery changing, chain tightening, and tire checking. You can install a motorcycle TPMS to keep a check on your tires all the time. According to Rev Corner, it is good to have a motorcycle TPMS before going on a journey to ensure the tires are safe. 

For a comprehensive service, you should rely on professionals. But the type and amount of your motorcycle use will determine how much service your motorcycle needs. A motorcycle exposed to salt, grit, and rains will need more servicing and battery change than a motorcycle that runs smooth roads in summer. Similarly, servicing needs of a racing motorcycle is different from that you use to commute to work. 

Conclusion

Motorcycle riding is an exciting experience, but its service and maintenance are very imperative. There are some check-ups and repairs with your motorcycle that need a proper routine. If you don’t pay attention to your motorcycle, the smaller problems may be converted to bigger ones leading to more expense and inconvenience. You may have a breakdown of your motorcycle on the road, and then you have to spend a hefty amount on replacing the worn-out parts or their repair.   

Buying a car for a road trip – what you need to know

By
SM
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Photo by Holden Baxter on Unsplash

Whether you are planning an 11-months’ worth of road trip and spending a year out of state or traveling at home and cross country, making sure you have a car to drive is an essential part of a road trip.

The most popular option in fanatics of road trips is renting a car. However, if you often travel through the seasons, then buying a car is the most cost-effective and feasible option in the long run. It can also save you the hassle of renting a vehicle every time you want to go for a drive. So, before buying the first car you see and jumping the gun, consider some of these tips and tricks you need to know when making your purchase.

Check your credit score.

The first step is checking your credit score when you’re ready to buy a car and take the plunge for your road trip. So that you can save hundreds of dollars; you can negotiate a great deal if you have a good credit score. A credit score that is above 700 in the USA is considered good. Anything above 850 is excellent.

Boosting your credit report makes financial sense if your score is lower than this. To get a better credit score, stick to owning just one credit card, making payments pertain to one credit card on time, and paying off any debts that you might owe.

Remember that purchasing a car is a considerable investment that can cost a significant amount of money. So, it’s advisable to have a good credit score if you don’t plan on paying the total cost of a vehicle upfront.

Checking for the History of the Car

Start checking the car’s history as soon as you narrow down your search to a handful of cars. Certain repairs and accident histories are often left out, especially when you buy used cars from private owners. You can use CARFAX services to determine the accidents that the car had been put through. Then, take matters into your own hands! When checking the vehicle’s history, also confirm its mileage and model. Some essential parts of older cars may no longer be available, making them difficult to maintain. Hence, if you don’t want to go through the trouble looking for car parts, buy a vehicle that’s not too old.

Whether you’re looking for an RV in Pembroke Pines, a used Mercedes for sale in San Diego, or a Limo Find, taking time to research the history of the car you are planning on buying will ensure that you will face no car trouble down the road.

Taking it for a test drive

After driving to your friends’ homes, going to the dealerships, and scoring the internet, you may finally find the one car that you have been looking for. However, once you begin driving it, it may not live up to your expectations.

It’s incredibly important to take the car you’re planning on getting for a test run. Do the heating and air conditioning work? Is there room for cargo? Is it comfortable? How are the safety features? When test driving a potential car, all of these are questions which you should be asking. The joys of your journey will be taken away when your drive a car you hate for weeks on end. Therefore, you should feel comfortable behind the wheel. Furthermore, the car you’ll buy should have all the features you need.

So, before your take off for your expedition and put the pedal to the metal, make sure you run a vehicle check!

Test the brakes

Spot any scraping or squeaking noises in the brakes when you are taking the car on a test run. Do the pedals completely hit the floor, or is there a burning smell? This means that the brake pads are worn out and making this purchase may cost you more down the road. Always remember to give the brake pad area a good check-up.

It’s better to pick a car without any brake problems than one with a faulty one. After all, you may need to pay extra costs to repair the vehicle before you can go for a drive.

Learn the features of the car

Whether you are planning on buying a used car or a new one, reading up about it is always helpful. Make a list of all of the features which come equipped with the vehicle, so you’re not caught off guard.

If you’re not too familiar with the different features of various car models, you can ask the assistance of a car broker. They can help you find the right vehicle depending on your preferred features.

Determining the trade-in value of your car

When we’re making purchases on a large scale, such as a car, we all want to make as many savings as we can. You can cut down the upfront cost of your car through a trade-in car value. To get a rough estimate, use a depreciation calculator for your car. This will allow you to estimate the worth of your car.

When road tripping, some people prefer not to use their current car. You, too, can sell your current car or trade it in or buy an affordable used car if you are in the same boat.

Your total expenses will be cut down for your road trip, and the car you currently own will be in tip-top condition.

Financing a car

When looking for a road trip car and not wanting to buy a used one, you can always look into buying a new one. You will have peace of mind with a new car knowing that you will face no mechanical issues along the way. You can consider this option if you’ll go on long drives frequently.

Also, for safety, most newer cars have advanced features and are more gas efficient. Consequently, with all these great benefits, you get an even greater price tag to match. When buying a new car, financing is a great option. Your dealer can devise a monthly loan plan with financing to meet budgetary needs regularly. If you want to lessen your monthly bills, you can save up as early as possible so that you can pay a large down payment. This way, your total loan amount isn’t too expensive.

Renew all the documents and plan ahead

Before you take off on your trip, review the expiration date on your drivers’ license, your passport, your insurance, and your license plate stick. So that you are positive that the road has been covered out, you might also want to take a look into travel insurance and CAA membership of your newly bought car.

Making a schedule

Figure out when you have to pull off the road and when you will be driving. Ensure that you take snaps, have food, and find lodging. Without sleep, do not plan on driving for extended periods. It’s a bonus if you’ve got an alternate driver for your ride since everyone will get rest.

Get a tune-up of your car.

Before you set out on the road, spending the time for a tune-up can save you from shelling out for a major repair, especially on vacation. All essential filters and fluids can be checked by your mechanic to see if any of them need to be topped up or changed completely. Replacements of any belts or hoses can also be looked at. Before your road trip, the busy time would be to take your car in at least three weeks before. That way, you will still have time to fix any issues that the mechanic finds.

Final Thoughts

Before beginning, you’re adventurous; make sure you take your time going through these. This way, you will enjoy and relax knowing that your car is ready for the road ahead.

Drive off into the sunset of your rear-view mirror once the deal has been signed and your road trip essentials have been packed in the trunk.

Mercedes-AMG GT4 Wins First IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Race of 2021 with Murillo Racing and Co-Drivers Jeff Mosing and Eric Foss Saturday at Lime Rock Park

By
Official Release
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LAKEVILLE, Connecticut – The No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 team and co-drivers Jeff Mosing and Eric Foss broke through for their first career IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class race win on Saturday, in a hot and hard-fought two-hour race at Lime Rock Park. The victory was also the first of the 2021 season for the Mercedes-AMG GT4 in Pilot Challenge competition and came after Mosing and Foss withstood high humidity, temperatures nearing 90 degrees and intense challenges from the competition.

Racing together for more than 10 years, Mosing, Foss and Murillo previously won both races and championships in lower-level Pilot Challenge classes, but Saturday’s victory was their first in the top-tier GS division after entering the class in 2018 with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing. The No. 56 team and drivers finished fifth at Lime Rock in 2018 and secured a third-place podium finish in 2019 before rising to secure Saturday’s victory. The 2020 IMSA race weekend at Lime Rock Park was not held in support of the fight against COVID-19.

Starting fifth after a season-best qualifying effort in Friday qualifying, Mosing moved up to fourth for the majority of his stint before pitting to hand the No. 56 over to Foss at the race’s 40-minute mark.

Foss continued the fight up front and soon moved into the top three as the race entered the final 30 minutes. He was third in a string of four Mercedes-AMG GT4 competitors for a race restart with 25 minutes remaining and made his move to the front as soon as the green flag waved.

Foss quickly moved up to second and then made what proved to be the winning pass on race leader Michael Hurczyn in the No. 11 FCP Euro Mercedes-AM GT4 in Turn 6 with just over 21 minutes remaining.

Foss led the race’s final 24 laps and crossed the finish line 9.925 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.

Hurczyn led 20 laps in the FCP Euro No. 11, but he and co-driver Nate Vincent came up just short in a gamble to make it to the end on just one pit stop. Hurczyn was running sixth in GS on the final lap of the race when the No. 11 ran out of fuel two turns from the finish and coasted to a ninth-place finish.

After taking over from starting driver Bryce Ward, Alec Udell was running third with 10 minutes to go in the race in No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4. Udell moved alongside Hurczyn entering the narrow “No Name Straight” section of the track but slight and unintentional contact with the No. 11 knocked the No. 57 into the tire wall.

Udell managed to return to the race after a less than a minute delay but didn’t have enough time left to improve positions after dropping to 13th at the finish.

Ward and Udell finished one spot ahead of Winward’s sister No. 4 Mercedes-AMG GT4 co-driven by Ward’s son Russell Ward and Mikael Grenier in 14th.

Grenier was fourth in line behind the No. 11, No. 57 and No. 56 Mercedes-AMG GT4 entries for the final restart only to be hit by more than one competitor in the fight to the finish. One of the blows knocked Grenier off course and out of contention although the No. 4 was credited with leading one lap during the final pit stop cycle.

In total, the No. 56, No. 11 and No. 4 Mercedes-AMG GT4 entries combined to lead the race’s final 45 laps.

Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams in IMSA competition is the IMSA Sports Car Weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 5 – 8.

Jeff Mosing, Driver – No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “To be honest, we’re the drivers and we get in the car, and we do what we can do. But at the end of the day, when you say it’s a team effort, it really is, underscore and bold face. Once you taste that victory or championship, you keep wanting it and Murillo Racing has done everything they can do to get us here. Lime Rock has always been a good track for us, both on strategy and for our cars. The Mercedes-AMG GT4 was working really well today and so were the Michelin tires. In this kind of heat, I was waiting for the tires to fall off in my stint and they never really did. This is always a fun place to come to and race. It was disappointing last year when we couldn’t make it out, so it’s nice to come back with a bang.”

Eric Foss, Driver – No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4:

“Motorsports always takes a little bit of luck and preparation. Jeff did an awesome job in qualifying yesterday. I just knew he was going to be somewhere in the top five in qualifying, so I was really stoked about that. He did an awesome job in the race, and we were hounding him the whole time on the radio to just keep his pace up and keep up with the leaders. We got him out of the car right at the 40-minute mark, and knew it was going to be a two-stop race at that point. When we came in to do our final pit stop, the Murillo Racing guys were phenomenal. The Mercedes-AMG GT4 is such a great car, it’s super consistent, it’s very drivable and inspires a lot of confidence. We got lucky. We took the gamble on a two-tire stop and it paid off for us. It came down to the cars ahead of us not taking tires. We were the first of the cars that took tires and we got through the others kind of quickly.”

Michael Hurczyn, Driver – No. 11 FCP Euro Mercedes-AMG GT4: “It was a great team effort. We had a strong strategy. I went into the car just after 40 minutes when the yellow came out. We tried to go to the end on the same tires and with a fuel-saving strategy. I almost got creamed at the crest of the uphill on the last lap because we ran out of fuel just that close to the finish. I can’t thank the team enough for the great strategy, the great car and it’s just awesome to put on a great show in front of all of our families and employees. The Mercedes-AMG GT4 didn’t miss a beat for two hours and was fast. We’re learning something every single race. The Mercedes-AMG GT4 is getting better, and the team is getting better. We’re still only four races in with this car. We’ll figure it out. Road America is going to be a strong track for us so hopefully we can get at top five there.”

Nate Vincent, Driver – No. 11 FCP Euro Mercedes-AMG GT4: “The end of the race was a pure nail biter. We didn’t think we could make it on fuel. We kept going back and forth on strategy and finally decided to just send it and try to make it on fuel. It was absolutely fuel conserve mode. We’re talking sixth gear, just pedalling around the track and not touching the brakes under yellow, but we were a half a lap short. But all credit to Michael for keeping a lot of fast guys behind him on old tires in a car that was showing the wear, but even when the Mercedes-AMG GT4 was falling off, it wasn’t falling off as much as the other cars out there. That allowed Michael to run a car longer than anyone else out there on the same tires and keep up the needed pace. We’re really happy with the Mercedes-AMG right now, looking forward to the future, pushing the boundaries and hopefully reaching the podium soon.”

Alec Udell, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4: “We had a really good strategy. We came out and pitted pretty early and tried to get our fuel strategy set so we were good to the end. The Winward Racing team did awesome on that, and I’m a bit frustrated to not take it all the way to the end. I think we had a really Mercedes-AMG GT4, even without not taking tires. Bryce drove a great stint early on and we had an opportunity to be up at the front. I went for it, but it just didn’t quite pan out. We lost a lot of time on track. It’s frustrating personally because you always want to take the opportunities that you can, and there’s a whole lot of risk and reward that goes through your mind out on track. Today it maybe wasn’t the right moment. It’s frustrating because I don’t like making errors, especially when there’s a podium on the line.”

Drissi Leads Brainerd Qualifying for Fourth Motul Pole Award of 2021

By
Official Release
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Grid penalty moves Thwaits to head of grid for combined race

BRAINERD, Minn. (17 July 2021) – Tomy Drissi captured his fourth Motul Pole Award of the 2021 season in Saturday’s qualifying for the Ryan Companies US presents the Jed Copham Tribute Weekend, garnering the 11th pole of his Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli career.

Drissi turned a fast lap of 1:26.755-seconds in Burtin Racing’s No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro, beating out championship rival Chris Dyson, who ran 1:27.325-seconds in the No. 20 ALTWELL CBD Ford Mustang. (VIDEO: Drissi Takes Pole at Brainerd)

“Brainerd is a really tricky track,” Drissi said. “There’s some amazing fast aspects of the track, and all of a sudden it goes from balls out to technical. You can’t over drive it because if you make a mistake in one corner you pay for it the next three. I went out there and it’s been so hot, so we knew it would be a little greasy and dusty. We made little changes to the car and we got the pole award and the extra championship points.”

It will be a short-lived honor, though, as neither Drissi nor Dyson will be on point for Sunday’s all-class race. Drissi was penalized four grid positions for jumping a restart in the most recent race at Road America, while Dyson will go back a similar number of places for jumping the initial green flag in that event.

That moves Ken Thwaits to start on the pole for Sunday’s combined feature race. He turned a lap of 1:28.904-seconds in the No. 5 Franklin Road Apparel Ford Mustang. Thwaits won four poles last year en route to the XGT championship, including Brainerd.

“I am pretty excited to start on pole,” said Thwaits. “It’s like the Twilight Zone out here. Things change and I never expected to be on the front row let alone the pole. It’s my first pole start in a TA car, it’s our maiden season in the class, and that good of a start came a lot quicker than I thought. We are pretty excited about it.”

Last season, Thwaits ran his best race of the year at Brainerd, finishing fifth overall and first in the XGT class piloting an Audi R8.

“The Audi has a completely different driving style than the TA car,” Thwaits explained. “There’s lots of aero and downforce in the Audi, and much lower horsepower. The TA is a completely different animal, I just have to guide this missile and send it down the road. It took me awhile to get used to this type of car, but I feel pretty good behind the wheel of it now. We are getting faster every single race and we are so happy about this weekend.”

Dyson enters the event leading Drissi by 22 points, 177-155. Dyson waited until midway through the session before posting a time.

“We wanted to see where the pace was going to be, and just get an assessment of how hard the guys in front of us were pushing before we went out,” explained Dyson. “We weren’t sure how much the track backed up since the morning based on the TA2 times. When we started to see Tomy (Drissi) roll some laps that’s when we got out and gave it our best. Qualifying went exactly as planned for us, and we have a great race car for tomorrow.

“We are going to try and get to the front early and stay out of trouble,” continued Dyson. “We are going to stay clear of the TA2 cars, stay clean and be there at the end.”

Two other top TA contenders were not on hand for qualifying. Defending seven-time series champion and 2020 Brainerd pole winner Ernie Francis Jr. missed qualifying due to his commitment in the SRX event at Nashville, and five-time TA pole winner Amy Ruman went to the sidelines due a part failure in her Corvette during morning practice.

Francis tested at Brainerd on Thursday, turning a lap of 1:25.845-seconds, unofficially beating Vinnie Allegretta’s four-year-old track record. Francis then traveled to Nashville on Saturday for the sixth and final round of the Superstar Racing Experience. Francis trailed only former NASCAR and IndyCar champion Tony Stewart in the series matching legendary competitors in identical cars prepared by Ray Evernham, winning at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis. He will start from the back of the 22-car grid on Sunday – running third in the standings with 128 counters.

Ruman was expected to contend for the pole before encountering a broken driveshaft during practice in her No. 23 McNichols Company/Corner Tech CNC Solutions Corvette that might put her out of the event.

“Unfortunately we had a mechanical part failure, the drive shaft exploded,” said Ruman, who sustained minor injuries to her arm and leg after the incident. “The shrapnel came up through the cockpit and bit me a little bit. I am ok, which is the most important thing, but we don’t have another replacement part. We’ve had parts on order for months now, but the spare and new parts are on backorder. We are still working to make the race on Sunday if we can find a replacement part before then.”

Round 7 of the 2021 Trans Am season takes the green flag at 11:45 a.m. CT. The race is set for 40 laps, with a 75-minute time limit.

The full event weekend will be live streamed on the Trans Am by Pirelli Racing App.

Matos Turns Up the Heat, Captures Brainerd Trans Am Pole

By
Official Release
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BRAINERD, Minn. (17 July 2021) – Rafa Matos captured the TA2® Motul Pole Award in qualifying for Sunday’s Ryan Companies US presents the Jed Copham Tribute Weekend, Round 7 of the 2021 Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli at Brainerd International Raceway.

Matos turned a quick lap early and remained on top throughout the session, with a best lap of 1:30.050-seconds in the No. 88 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang. Despite soaring temperatures taxing man and machine alike, Matos is ready to race on Sunday. (Video: TA2 Qualifying Report)

“I think the biggest challenge this weekend will be the heat that we are facing,” said Matos, capturing his second pole of the season and 12th of his career. “The heat affects the drivers, but also affects the car setup and the way the car handles. It’s brutal! Tomorrow’s going to be the same thing, but the good news is my car is very consistent. The 3-Dimensional Services Group team is amazing, again. They gave me a great car so I was able to put in a perfect lap, four-tenths ahead of Mike (Skeen), and three more points for the championship. Hopefully we will have a clean run for tomorrow.”

Matos now enjoys a 32-point lead over second-fastest qualifier Skeen, 175-143. Skeen’s fastest lap was 1:30.478-seconds in the No. 1 Liqui-Moly/Turn 14 Distribution Chevrolet Camaro.

“I feel like this morning we had a really good package when the track was a bit more grippy,” said Skeen. “Our car was still quick, tomorrow is a new day. We will make a couple tweaks and go from there.”

Thomas Merrill, third in the championship with 110 points, was third-fastest, 1:30.627-seconds in the No. 81 HP Tuners/Mike Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang.

“We were much slower this afternoon than this morning, but we expected it,” said Merrill. “Our strategy was to minimize the laps on the tires because the surface here is a bit abrasive and we knew we would only have one or two shots at it. We wanted to stay within sight of Mike (Skeen) and Rafa (Matos). We were faster than anticipated and got slowed up a bit behind Mike on our fastest lap. That’s a good problem to have, because we have a better car than we thought we did going into the race.”

An incident in Friday’s practice session eliminated the No. 48 Big Machine Vodka Ford Mustang of Scott Borchetta, who spun and was hit by Connor Mosack’s No. 28 Nic Tailor/GS M1-SLR/Fields Chevrolet Camaro. Borchetta was cleared to race, but his crew opted to prepare the car for his upcoming home event at Nashville. The TeamSLR team went to its backup car for Mosack, the same vehicle that Sam Mayer drove to victory in the recent race at Road America.

Mosack – fourth in the standings with 97 points – went out and qualified fourth-fastest in the unfamiliar car, 1:31.177-seconds. He was followed by Edward Sevadjian, Michael Self, Adam Andretti, Adrian Wlostowski, TA2® debutant Jack Wood and Tom Sheehan.
Sunday’s race, which will feature a mixed-class format, is set for 40 laps, with a 75-minute time limit. Round 7 of the 2021 Trans Am season takes the green flag at 11:25 a.m. CT.

The full race weekend is live streamed on the Trans Am by Pirelli Racing App.

Victory at Road Atlanta for Round 3 Racing

By
Official Release
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Braselton, Ga. (17 July 2021) – Round 3 Racing (R3R) continued their World Racing League (WRL) dominance in the GP3 class with a victory at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Saturday. The nine hour race opened the double-header endurance weekend – the seventh stop on the 2021 WRL calendar.

The class win is the third win and sixth consecutive podium finish for the No. 605 Hagerty Drivers Club Porsche Boxster.

No. 605 Hagerty Drivers Club Porsche Boxster – GP3

Carter Pease, Dennis Neel, Jim Ptak and Hannah Grisham claimed the top step of the podium in the GP3 class in the No. 605 Hagerty Drivers Club Porsche Boxster. The team of Hagerty drivers took the green flag from the pole position and never looked back. By the end of the opening hour, Pease had created a one lap lead to the position behind.

An ill-timed full course caution packed the field during the second hour. With Neel behind-the- wheel, he battled back through GP3 traffic to claim the top running spot once again on Lap 126. The combination of Pease, Neel, Ptak and Grisham stretched their lead to three laps.

On the final lap, Neel brought the No. 605 Hagerty Drivers Club Porsche Boxster across the finish line in first – claiming the GP3 class win.

“Winning today can only be described as elation,” said Pease. “There’s a lot of high quality drivers and high quality cars here, so it’s just really great to have this result come to us. Today really is just a testament to the program that Brad and Buz (McCall) built here at Round 3 Racing. Today’s conditions brought all types of curveballs to us. It was just hot, the sun was beating down but we were able to get the job done today.”

No. 701 Team Cooper Tires Porsche Cayman – GP1

The Team Cooper Tires driver team of Loni Unser, Mo Dadkhah and Mike Gilbert faced early adversity before making a strong comeback to complete the day in fifth.

On the third lap, close racing between the No. 701 and a fellow competitor resulted in contact forcing the Cayman off course in Turn 12. The R3R team quickly went to work mending the damage. Just one hour, 23-minutes later, Dadkhah suited up and returned to competition although outside of podium contention.

Heads down driving by Unser, Dadkhah, and Gilbert saw the Porsche click off lap after lap with Dadkhah setting the car’s fastest lap of 1:38.504-seconds on Lap 42. After nine hours of racing the No. 701 Team Cooper Tires Porsche Cayman crossed the finish line in fifth – the best result for the No. 701 entry since the introduction to WRL.

“It truly is amazing that we are standing here having completed this race,” said Dadkhah. “The incident early on challenged us and the team to recoup to finish the day. We know the car is great and capable of passing our GP1 competitors. Tomorrow we will be able to compete for a win and show off what this car is capable of doing.”

No. 702 Team Hagerty Porsche Cayman – GTO

Lady Luck was not on the side of the No. 702 Team Hagerty Porsche Cayman today at Road Atlanta as an early retirement slotted the driver trio of Sarah Montomgery, Cole Loftsgard, and Brad McCall in 23rd.

Montgomery took the green flag from fourth, quickly settling into her position as the field navigated the 2.54-mile course. Completing her opening stint, Montgomery came to pit lane for fuel returning to the running order in 15th. It did not take long for Montgomery to move through the GTO field taking over the race lead on Lap 53.

A tough battle with the Georgia heat led to Buz McCall calling up Loftsgard who stepped up as the reserve driver for the No. 702. Although turning his first laps in the Porsche yesterday, Loftsgard proved vital to race strategy as he paced the field for 33 laps when he came to pit lane for what would be the final driver change of the day to Brad McCall.

As McCall worked through race traffic, a full course caution appeared on Lap 147. While clicking off caution laps a mechanical failure resulted in an electrical fire on Lap 149. Unfortunately, the damage proved terminal – ending their weekend prematurely.

Race two of the weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta starts tomorrow, July 18th at 8:00AM ET with seven hours of racing to conclude the weekend. Live streaming will be available via the World Racing League youtube channel (Youtube.com/RaceWRL) with live in-car camera available in the R3R entries.

Chase Elliott wins SRX season finale, Tony Stewart claims championship at Nashville

By
Angie Campbell
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Photo courtesy of Camping World SRX Series

Chase Elliott, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion, held off Hall of Famer Tony Stewart Saturday night at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway to win the finale of the inaugural Camping World SRX Series season.

“I had a ball. I got to race against two of my heroes,” Elliott said. “I got to race against Dad there throughout the race and those are moments I will cherish forever. Just super thankful to be here.”

He also commented on how competitive the racing was between him and his dad throughout much of the 77-lap feature event.

“I don’t know who lit a fire under him,” he said, smiling. “I had not seen that in him in years. It was amazing and a lot of fun. I thought it was going to be between he and I. I think he just got a little high into one and missed that restart. Other than that, it was so much fun.”

Bill Elliott won the first heat race, leading all but three laps with Chase behind him in second. The finish positions were inverted for Heat Race 2. Helio Castroneves took the heat win as Bill Elliott finished sixth and Chase Elliott placed eighth.

The lineup for the feature was based on the finishing positions in the two heat races. Bill Elliott started first with Chase Elliott in fourth place, but by Lap 32, Chase Elliott was on his dad’s bumper. He took the lead on Lap 55 and Bill Elliott fell back to third. From that point, the battle was on between Chase Elliott and Stewart, who had started fifth but worked his way toward the front to challenge for the win. Elliott was able to maintain the lead to score the victory at the .596-mile oval in Nashville.

Stewart clinched the SRX Series championship during the second heat race and finished second in the feature.

“How could you ask for more than to finish between two Elliotts?” Stewart said. “That’s pretty badass in itself, and we really appreciate NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports for letting Chase come run with us. It means a lot to us, it means a lot to Bill.”

Bill Elliott finished third after a disappointing final restart but described the race as “cool.”

“I’ve raced here before and I kind of had an idea of what I needed, and I think that helped as much as anything. It was such a cool deal to be able to come here and do this and have a crowd like this.

“For me, I finally got what I wanted out of a racecar and I felt good out there. I thought, I’m on Medicare and I’m trying to keep up with these young kids. You’re trying to learn and gain, and every time you get into a racecar you learn something, you learn from your mistakes. Not being in one in a long time and kind of making a mistake in turn one, not cleaning up my tires good, that was it.

“To me, it was a great night. My hat’s off to everyone at SRX for what they did and I’m proud of those guys. I just hope that we, as a racing community, can embrace this and learn from it, especially what we saw here tonight at the Nashville Fairgrounds. I haven’t seen a crowd like this here in many, many years.”

Stewart, a co-founder of the Camping World SRX Series, echoed Elliott’s sentiments.

“This series had every variable that you wanted and looked for. You had good racing, you had different winners, you had awesome crew chiefs, awesome ringers, awesome local track champions. To have heroes and villains in the series, I don’t know how you can ask for more than that.”

Feature Results (77 laps):

  1. Chase Elliott (Started 4th; led laps 53, 55-77)
  2. Tony Stewart (Started 5th; completed 77/77 laps)
  3. Bill Elliott (Started 1st; led laps 1-52, 54; completed 77/77 laps)
  4. Bobby Labonte (Started 2nd; completed 77/77 laps)
  5. Paul Tracy (Started 7th; completed 77/77 laps)
  6. Ernie Francis Jr. (Started 3rd; completed 77/77 laps)
  7. Michael Waltrip (Started 10th; completed 77/77 laps)
  8. Tony Kanaan (Started 8th; completed 77/77 laps)
  9. Helio Castroneves (Started 6th; completed 77/77 laps)
  10. Hailie Deegan (Started 11th; completed 77/77 laps)
  11. Marco Andretti (Started 9th; completed 77/77 laps)
  12. Willy T. Ribbs (Started 12th; completed 56/77 laps)

Camping World SRX Series FINAL Championship Standings:

  1. Tony Stewart (237 points)
  2. Ernie Francis Jr. (192 points, -45)
  3. Bobby Labonte (182 points, -55)
  4. Marco Andretti (171 points, -66)
  5. Helio Castroneves (164 points, -73)
  6. Tony Kanaan (162 points, -75)
  7. Paul Tracy (121 points, -116)
  8. Michael Waltrip (111 points, -126)
  9. Bill Elliott (105 points, -132)
  10. Willy T. Ribbs (67 points, -170)

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