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Bell makes it an Xfinity three-peat at New Hampshire

By
Andrew Kim
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LOUDON, NEW HAMPSHIRE - JULY 17: Christopher Bell, driver of the #54 DEWALT Toyota,celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 17, 2021 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images).

Christopher Bell made the most of his one-race return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series by remaining undefeated at New Hampshire Motor Speedway following a dominating victory in the Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200 on Saturday, July 17. The Norman, Oklahoma, native quickly worked his way from starting 14th to sweep both stages and lead a race-high 151 of 200 laps before recording the win by more than six seconds over Justin Allgaier and Daniel Hemric.

The starting lineup was based on a performance metric formula, weighing the driver’s and owner’s results from a previous Xfinity event, the owner points position and the fastest lap recorded from a previous Xfinity race. With that, Jeb Burton started on pole position and was joined on the front row with teammate Justin Haley.

Prior to the event, Landon Cassill and Matt Mills dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments to their respective machines. Dawson Cram also started at the rear of the field due to a driver change.

When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Jeb Burton prevailed on the outside lane through the first two turns to take an early lead over teammate Haley, Austin Cindric and the field. 

With the field fanned out to nearly four lanes through the backstretch, Jeb Burton was able to lead the first lap. Behind, Cindric moved up to second followed by AJ Allmendinger, Haley, Jeremy Clements, Noah Gragson, Justin Allgaier, Harrison Burton, Brett Moffitt and Riley Herbst.

By the fifth lap, Jeb Burton was leading by more than a second over Cindric, who had Allmendinger challenging him for the spot. Haley remained in fourth followed by Clements, Harrison Burton and Allgaier.

Twelve laps later, Allmendinger overtook teammate Jeb Burton for the lead. Allmendinger then went on to retain the lead through Lap 20 before the competition caution flew.

The race restarted on Lap 26 with Allmendinger and Cindric starting on the front row. Just as the field was approaching the start/finish line to restart under green, the caution returned for a restart pileup involving Riley Herbst, Brandon Jones, Brett Moffitt and Sam Mayer, an incident that sent the back end of the field scattering to avoid the calamity.

Following the incident, the race restarted on Lap 30. Through the following 13 laps, Allmendinger remained out in front until he had Bell and teammate Harrison Burton challenging him with the first stage reaching its conclusion.

With two laps remaining in the first stage, Bell, following a lengthy battle with Allmendinger and Harrison Burton, moved his No. 54 DeWalt Toyota Supra into the lead. Just as Allmendinger had a final lap effort established for Bell, the caution flew due to a wreck in Turn 1 involving Kyle Weatherman and Tommy Joe Martins. The incident ended the first stage under caution on Lap 45 with Bell in front of Allmendinger, Harrison Burton, Cindric, Daniel Hemric, Allgaier, Haley, Jeb Burton, Josh Berry and Clements.

Under the stage break, nearly the entire field, except for Brandon Brown and Joe Graf Jr., pitted, and Bell was the first competitor to exit pit road.

The second stage started on Lap 53 and Brown retained the lead through the first two turns until he was overtaken by Allmendinger. With Allmendinger back in the lead, Bell also made his way into the runner-up spot on the track.

By Lap 56, Bell returned to the lead after he overtook Allmendinger for the top spot. Behind, Cindric was in third place ahead of Haley, Allgaier, Hemric, Jeb Burton, Noah Gragson, Brandon Brown, Myatt Snider and Josh Berry.

When the second stage concluded on Lap 90, Bell, who continued to dominate, was out in front. Cindric was scored in second followed by Hemric, Allmendinger, Allgaier, Haley, Berry, Harrison Burton, Gragson and Jeb Burton.

Under the stage break, the entire field pitted and Bell retained the lead following his exit from pit road.

With 102 laps remaining, the final stage commenced. At the start and with the field battling for positions, Bell remained as the leader by a clear advantage over Allgaier, Hemric and the field.

With 52 laps remaining, the caution returned when Patrick Emerling lost a right-front tire and smacked the outside wall approaching Turn 4. Under caution, the leaders returned to pit road and Bell retained the lead after exiting pit road with the lead.

Down to the final 45 laps of the event, the race restarted under green as Joe Gibbs Racing’s Bell and Hemric filled the front row. At the start, Bell pulled ahead with the lead followed by Allgaier while Hemric fell back to third ahead of Cindric.

A lap later, Gragson hit the outside wall in Turn 3 following contact with Allmendinger, but the race remained under green.

Meanwhile, the battle for the lead ignited between Bell and Allgaier, with the latter pressuring the former. Despite Allgaier’s repeated challenges through the turns and the straightaways under the final 40 laps, Bell continued to lead.

With 20 laps remaining, Bell continued to lead by nearly two seconds over Allgaier and Hemric.

Down to the final five laps of the event, Bell extended his advantage to nearly five seconds over Allgaier and Hemric. Cindric was back in fourth followed by Harrison Burton and Haley, who was more than 10 second behind.

Despite being surrounded by lapped traffic through the final laps, Bell utilized his huge advantage to pull away and cruise to the finish line, where he claimed his third consecutive checkered flag at the Magic Mile.

Along with his third consecutive Xfinity victory at New Hampshire, Bell achieved his 17th NASCAR Xfinity Series career victory in his 75th series start and the eighth victory of the season for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 54 Toyota Supra team.

“What I’ve got figured out is that I’ve got really, really fast race cars to drive,” Bell said on NBCSN. “I just love being here with Joe Gibbs Racing. All these Supras that I’ve had the last three times I’ve been here have been amazing. Hopefully my Camry is just as good tomorrow, but if feels good to win, finally got DeWalt in victory lane. I know it’s been a long time coming…Just really proud to be at Joe Gibbs Racing. Everyone here does an amazing job.”

Allgaier held off Hemric to finish in the runner-up spot while Cindric and Harrison Burton completed the top five on the track.

Haley, Snider, Josh Berry, Moffitt and Riley Herbst finished in the top 10.

Teammates Jeb Burton and Allmendinger finished 11th and 12th while Gragson settled in 14th in front of Jeremy Clements.

There were five lead changes for four different leaders. The race featured five cautions for 28 laps.

With his top-five run, Austin Cindric continues to lead the regular-season standings by 82 over AJ Allmendinger and 113 over Daniel Hemric.

Results.

1. Christopher Bell, 151 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner

2. Justin Allgaier

3. Daniel Hemric

4. Austin Cindric

5. Harrison Burton

6. Justin Haley

7. Myatt Snider

8. Josh Berry

9. Brett Moffitt

10. Riley Herbst

11. Jeb Burton, 16 laps led

12. AJ Allmendinger, 29 laps led

13. Ryan Sieg

14. Noah Gragson

15. Jeremy Clements

16. Brandon Gdovic

17. Brandon Brown, four laps led

18. Jade Buford, two laps down

19. Kyle Weatherman, two laps down

20. David Starr, two laps down

21. Tommy Joe Martins, three laps down

22. Josh Williams, three laps down

23. JJ Yeley, three laps down

24. Joe Graf Jr., three laps down

25. Landon Cassill, two laps down

26. Jeffrey Earnhardt, three laps down

27. Dexter Bean, three laps down

28. Jesse Little three laps down

29. Ryan Vargas, four laps down

30. Colby Howard, four laps down

31. Patrick Emerling, four laps down

32. Matt Mills, five laps down

33. Spencer Boyd, six laps down

34. Jordan Anderson, six laps down

35. Dawson Cram, 16 laps down

36. Alex Labbe, 26 laps down

37. CJ McLaughlin – OUT, Electrical

38. Brandon Jones – OUT, Electrical

39. Sam Mayer – OUT, Accident

40. Mason Massey – OUT, Accident

The 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season will enter a two-week break period before returning on Saturday, August 7, at Watkins Glen International. The event is slated to start at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

CORVETTE RACING AT LIME ROCK: Taylor, Garcia Take Overall Victory

By
Official Release
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No. 3 Corvette wins over No. 4 C8.R in weather-shortened, GT-only race

LAKEVILLE, Conn. (July 17, 2021) – Corvette Racing’s Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia won a weather-shortened Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park on Saturday, their third straight victory in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Taylor and Garcia had the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R ahead when the race was stopped with 70 minutes left due to lightning in the immediate area of the track. Race officials called the race with 25 minutes left in the two-hour, 40-minute GT-only contest.

The mid-engine Corvette C8.R won its Lime Rock debut, and Corvette Racing won at the circuit for the sixth time. It also marked the first overall Lime Rock victory for Corvette Racing.

Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy placed second in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C8.R, their second straight runner-up finish. Saturday’s results increased the lead for Garcia and Taylor in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) Drivers Championship and Chevrolet’s advantage in the Manufacturers standings.

Taylor began from pole position and Milner third following a precautionary engine change overnight. Milner moved the No. 4 up to second behind Taylor at the start, and the two Corvettes ran 1-2 throughout the race. Both cars made their first stops a lap apart just past the 30-minute mark for fuel and tires. By that point, both Taylor and Milner were mired in slower GTD traffic and on a three-stop strategy.

Milner, who suffered damage in his second stint after contact from a slower car, was the first Corvette driver to make his second stop and handed off to Tandy with 80 minutes remaining. Taylor did the same a lap later with a swap to Garcia as both Corvettes took fuel and fresh Michelin tires.

Five minutes later, race officials called for a full-course caution to monitor the approaching weather and stopped the race a lap later.

Corvette Racing’s next event is the IMSA SportsCar Weekend on Aug. 6-8 from Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Same-day coverage on NBCSN starts at 8 p.m. ET with live streaming coverage on TrackPass and NBC Sports Gold at 2:35 p.m. ET. Live audio coverage from IMSA Radio will be available on IMSA.com.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – RACE-WINNER: “For sure, Jordan did an amazing job. He drove the first two stints and it was the plan for me to be in for the other two. We knew this could happen. In a way, I’m happy that he drove so well and managed to keep the 4 car at a distance the whole time and control it so I could have a really quick driver change. That helped us extend our lead. But you never know. It would have tight; I don’t know if it would have been raining or not at the end so it would have been hard to keep the lead. I’m really pleased for another Corvette 1-2. Looking at how Jordan and Tommy (Milner) drove, it seemed like very hard work with tire degradation, especially. I will definitely take it. It’s my first win at Lime Rock so I’m happy with this.”
HAVE YOU HAD A RACE TO END LIKE THIS? “No, I don’t think so. But it is what it is. We had a ton of fans out here today and safety comes first. This time we were lucky in that we were leading when the red flag came. For sure, you need to be up there in that position to benefit from the conditions.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – RACE-WINNER: “It was odd. We kind of knew what was going to happen going into it. We knew it was going to be a race of tire degradation and strategy, whether it be a two-stop or three-stop race just looking at the history of the race. Twenty laps in, we knew it was going to be a three-stop race doing 45-lap stints. It was about fuel mileage, saving tires and getting through traffic cleanly. Thankfully we executed well and the driver change went well. We knew the weather was imminent at some point and that it could be red-flagged, so we knew track position was going to be important. Thankfully we were out front when that came.”

HAVE YOU HAD A RACE TO END LIKE THIS? “The 2019 Rolex 24, we won when it was red-flagged for too much rain. It was a similar feeling sitting in the pitlane with an hour to go and maybe no more pit stops. You’re waiting to see if it’s going to go green again, so it’s kind of very stressful with the unknown. Today looking at the radar, a couple of miles north of the track there were a crazy amount of lightning strikes so I think it was going to come this way no matter what. It wasn’t as rainy as Daytona that year, but today was a similar feeling.”

TOMMY SAID HE HAD A LACK OF REAR GRIP EARLY. WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO CARS IN THE OPENING? “I don’t know if it was a big advantage. If it was anything, I think it was getting fortunate in traffic. You could gain or lose a second-and-a-half depending on where you got traffic. Some laps I could see myself gaining in traffic and on another lap I’d lose two seconds and he’d be right there again. I think the ebb and flow of that would show the gaps. I don’t know if the lap-time delta was going to be that big on a clear track. We were saving tires right from the get-go. The tire degradation was a lot bigger than I expected. To do a two-stop race was going to be almost impossible. Even doing a three-stopper with 45-lap stints… once you got to 35 laps there was a steep drop-off. Maybe they suffered a little bit more than we did with that. We started with a setup knowing the car was going in that direction and using tools like the traction control and everything we had in the car to save tires early on and hopefully benefit later in the stint.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND
YOUR TEAM TOLD YOU AT ONE POINT THAT YOU WERE MAYBE GOING TO LEAPFROG THE NO. 3 UNDER THE PIT STOP WHEN YOU CHANGED DRIVERS.
“It was looking pretty good there because they short-filled on their first stop to make it out in front of some of the traffic, so they are always watching that kind of stuff. I was probably about 2.5 seconds back of the No. 3 car until I got to the No. 96 car and he ran me off the road and damaged the car. The car was a handful after that. Had I been able to stay with the No. 3 car then we would have had a fuel advantage and we would have probably been able to beat them out. It’s just unfortunate, the contact there. The team is not lying to me and that’s good. It is probably better in most cases to not tell a driver everything, but something like that is definitely encouraging. It’s just a bummer. We were looking pretty good there with their strategy call. It was going to help us in the end, but in the end it didn’t play out that way.”

NICK TANDY, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/Sirius XM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND
IT WAS A CHALLENGING WEEKEND WITH HOW THIS RACE FINISHED.
“Yeah, it was a challenging weekend. We obviously had a few technical issues and we set ourselves a way to go about the race and try and make the best two hours and 40 minutes, and unfortunately, we didn’t get to stretch it out. But yeah, another Corvette 1-2 so it’s good points for the Manufacturers Championship and this is obviously the main goal.”

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.

Monster Energy Racing: Riley Herbst New Hampshire NXS Race Report

By
Official Release
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Herbst Finishes 10th at New Hampshire
Monster Energy Driver Rebounds from Early Spin for Sixth Top-10 of Season

Date: July 17, 2021
Event: Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200 (Round 19 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (1.058-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/110 laps)
Start/Finish: 12th / 10th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Point Standing: 13th (418 points, 379 out of first)
Race Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Overview:

Riley Herbst and the No. 98 Monster Energy team rebounded from an early spin to earn a 10th-place finish in Saturday’s Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. Herbst started the 200-lap race 12th and moved up to 11th in the first lap. He held that position for the opening 20 laps until the competition caution. When the green flag waved again on lap 26, the Monster Energy Ford Mustang spun out of line after contact from the rear sent him into the car in front of him. The No. 98 team brought Herbst down pit road twice during that caution for four fresh tires, and then again to fix the damage on the front of his Mustang. He was able to stay on the lead lap and restarted 36th on lap 31 and was a man on a mission. Herbst was able to work his way up to 24th by the end of Stage 1. With some help from his Monster Energy pit crew, Herbst gained five spots on pit road and restarted 19th for the second stage. He continued his march forward and finished Stage 2 in 14th. One more trip down pit road for four tires, fuel, and an air-pressure adjustment gained Herbst another three spots to put him back where he was running before the lap-26 incident. In the final stage, Herbst struggled with the balance of his Ford Mustang as it started the run loose, but then grew tight before getting loose again as more laps were put on the tires. A lap-149 caution brought an opportunity for Herbst to fix the handling on his racecar and for the team to gain another four positions on pit road. Herbst restarted ninth with 45 laps to go. After briefly slipping out of the top-10 on the restart, Herbst climbed back to 10th by lap 170. He held that position until the end of the race to earn his sixth top-10 of the 2021 season.

Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:

“I feel like we should’ve run in the top-five, for sure. We had really, really good speed before the competition caution and then, obviously, we got wrecked on that restart. I guess I’m happy with the way we battled back, but it’s just frustrating. I feel like it’s our whole season – so fast and get wrecked, make a mistake, or something. We’ll take two weeks off and try to get one at The Glen.”

Notes:

● Christopher Bell won the Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200 to earn his 17th career victory, his first of the season and his third at New Hampshire. His margin over second-place Justin Allgaier was 6.241 seconds.

● There were five caution periods for a total of 28 laps.

● Seventeen of the 40 drivers in the Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200 finished on the lead lap.

● Austin Cindric remains the championship leader after New Hampshire with an 82-point advantage over second-place A.J. Allmendinger.

Next Up:

The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is on Saturday, Aug. 7, at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. The race starts at 4 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by CNBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report – New Hampshire

By
Official Release
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Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report
Track: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Race: Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200
Date: July 17, 2021

No. 22 CarShop Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric

Start: 4th
Stage 1: 4th
Stage 2: 2nd
Finish: 4th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 200/200
Laps Led: 0
Point Standings (ahead of second): 1st (+82)

Notes:

  • Austin Cindric claimed his best finish in three starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with a fourth-place finish in Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200 on Saturday afternoon. His previous best effort at the 1.058-mile speedway was a 12th-place in 2019. The driver of the No. 22 CarShop Mustang racked up his 12th top-five in 19 starts this season and remains the leader in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driver standings, 82 markers ahead of second-place AJ Allmendinger.
  • The starting lineup was once again set per the NASCAR rulebook, which gave Cindric the fourth-place starting position. Before the competition caution was displayed on lap 20, Cindric reported his CarShop Mustang lacked grip on the short run. As the stage progressed, the reigning Xfinity Series Champion ran as high as second but slipped to fourth position when Stage 1 concluded on lap 45. Crew chief Brian Wilson called for an air pressure adjustment, four tires and fuel during a round of pit stops during the stage caution on lap 48 and Cindric restarted fifth when the race went green on lap 52.
  • Cindric moved up to second position early in Stage 2. The adjustments by Wilson a few laps earlier improved the short run speed on the No. 22 Mustang, but Cindric reported he also needed a little more front turn. The Mooresville, N.C. native held firm to the runner-up position during the caution-free second stage. Wilson called his driver to pit road during the stage cation for an air pressure adjustment, four tires, and fuel.
  • Cindric restarted fourth when the Stage 3 went green on lap 98. He ran inside the top-five through the final segment of the race. The fifth caution on lap 150 set up one final round of stops among the leaders and speedy service by the CarShop team (four tires plus another round of air pressure adjustments) put Cindric third for the restart on lap 155. He briefly climbed up to second position on lap 163 but soon fell back to fourth position by lap 167, where he remained for the final 33 laps.

Quote: “We started a little bit off the eight-ball. We didn’t have enough short run speed and got to where we could recover from that and just trying to figure out which one was our strength, and which one was our weakness. Trying to be good on the short run and hold on for the drive on the long run, so we probably made the wrong call there with the final adjustment, but I think it was going to be the right thing to be able to battle with the 54 (Christopher Bell). I could have been a bit more of a jerk to pass the 7 (Justin Allgaier), but it wasn’t worth it. It was fun racing, and we’ll move on. It was a solid points day for the CarShop Ford Mustang. We have a good little off week for the guys to re-juice and get ready for Watkins.”

RCR Post Race Report – Loudon 200

By
Official Release
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Myatt Snider and the No. 2 Crosley Furniture Team Record Solid Seventh-Place Finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Finish: 7th
Start: 16th
Points: 12th

“After completing my first race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, this place is exactly what I thought it would be. It’s a giant Martinsville Speedway with lots of room, which played well with my skill set as a short track driver. Our Richard Childress Racing team brought a good car to the track today and we did well throughout the entire 200 laps as a team. We battled a tight handling condition for the first two stages, and it hindered me from being able to roll through the center of the corner. Andy Street (crew chief) kept working on it and by the second half of the race, we got the car turning much better. If we would have had another restart, we could have competed for the win in our Crosley Furniture Chevrolet. I’m very proud of everyone on this No. 2 team and we will regroup during the Olympic break before heading back to another road course.” -Myatt Snider

Wright Motorsports Scores Podium, Makes Points Gain in Heated Lime Rock Weekend

By
Official Release
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LAKEVILLE, Conn., (July 17) — Wright Motorsports braved sweltering temperatures and stifling humidity this weekend at Lime Rock Park, leaving the Northeast Grand Prix with a hefty points pull to go towards their Michelin Pilot Challenge championship endeavor. Lightning cut short the two-hour, 40-minute IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship sprint race, disappointing drivers and teams alike, eager to earn valuable championship points.

“It’s definitely disappointing that the red flag ate so much into the IMSA race,” said Team Owner John Wright. “However, I’m still proud of our team, on both programs. The WeatherTech guys had a strong car to finish that race, and the Michelin Pilot Challenge group had an awesome race to finish third and get that top spot in the championship standings. Great job all around.”

IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
After a less than ideal qualifying session on Friday, the team put together a strong strategy to allow for the No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R to work its way up through the field. The entire GTD field drove into turn one after the green flag, resulting in the No. 16 getting shuffled back several positions. Avoiding any contact, driver Trent Hindman kept his head down as the field spread out. The Porsche came alive in Hindman’s second stint, and the young racer and was able to climb back up to eighth before a weather-related full-course caution. The clouds rolled in over Lime Rock Park, and with one hour, ten minutes remaining on the clock, the race was red-flagged for lightning in the area. The race did not resume, and with the eighth-place finish, Wright Motorsports unofficially maintains their fifth-place standing in the GTD class team points.

Driver Quotes | No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R

Patrick Long
Incidents aside, I’ve never had a race where I wasn’t able to get in. it’s unfortunate we didn’t get to run the final stint. We worked hard this week, and we were certainly hopeful that the final stint was going to come our way. I appreciate our partners and wish we could have put on a better show for our fans. Sometimes Mother Nature has another plan.

Trent Hindman
Big thanks to the Wright Motorsports crew. We showed a lot of speed in our Porsche 911 GT3 R this weekend. I’m not sure what happened in qualifying and our first stint. We need to investigate a little bit. Our first stint was dictated by a lack of pace in qualifying, and as soon as we got into the second stint in the race, the car just came alive. There are some things we can investigate and the silver lining is that we did everything correctly and in the right direction. Something outside of our control dictated our result today. We have lots of positives coming out Lime Rock and going into Road America.
MICHELIN PILOT CHALLENGE
After an incident in qualifying the No. 16 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport started the race from 21st position, but Hardwick had a strong opening start, passing several cars in the first laps of the race. A series of cautions and penalties also played into the team’s hands, and the car gained nine positions in the first ten minutes. He closed out his stint in eleventh, and true to team form, a fast and efficient pit stop with a fuel fill, driver change, and the addition of tires, brought Jan Heylen into the race in seventh position. Despite saving fuel, Heylen put in strong opening lap times as the Michelin tires came up to temperature. Racing three-wide at times, he climbed up to fourth as the field’s level of aggression increased each minute closer to the checkered flag. In the final 20 minutes, various cars had contact or went off course, while the No. 16 Porsche raced smartly for position, solidly holding a third-place result to the end of the race. The strong result brings the team to tie for first in the Michelin Pilot Challenge GS point championship.

Both series next head to the fan-favorite circuit of Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for the next pair of sprint races. On-track activities will begin Friday, August 6th, with Michelin Pilot Challenge’s race taking place on Saturday evening, followed by the IMSA WeatherTech headlining races on the afternoon of Sunday, August 8th. The team’s three-car Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands operation will also return to action for the one-make championship’s seventh and eighth rounds on the four-mile circuit. For more information, visit imsa.com.

Driver Quotes | Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport

Ryan Hardwick
What an unbelievable finish. I’ll remember this race for a long time. From dealing with the mistake I made yesterday to come from dead last all the way to third place was remarkable. It was one of the greatest races of my life, for sure. We owe it all to the team for getting the car prepared. It was great and brilliant to drive. Credit also goes to Jan Heylen. He put in a mega stint at the end to push us up to the podium. I feel fortunate for this finish, and to be leaving halfway through the season tied for the championship with the BMW. I’m super excited for Road America to see how the season finishes from here.

Jan Heylen
I was really looking forward to coming to Lime Rock Park. There are always good battles here. Starting from the back, it was going to be a tough race for us, but this is a fun place to come through the field. The team had really good strategy and Ryan Hardwick drove a good stint. He definitely did half of the work. We had good pace in practice in the long runs, and in the race, I saved my tires and settled in, and it all came together in the end. Third place is a good result, and we’re tied for the points lead. It’s a super weekend for us. We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing and keep chipping away at it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Toyota Racing NXS Post-Race Recap — New Hampshire 7.17.21

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Official Release
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CHRISTOPHER BELL MAKES A WINNING RETURN TO THE XFINITY SERIES
Bell scores third-consecutive Xfinity Series victory at New Hampshire

LOUDON, NH (July 17, 2021) – Christopher Bell extended his impressive winning streak at New Hampshire Motor Speedway by winning Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Xfinity Series in dominating fashion after leading 151 laps (of 200). Bell was followed to the checkered flag by fellow Joe Gibbs Racing Supra drivers Daniel Hemric (third) and Harrison Burton (fifth).

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Race 19 of 33 – 211.600 miles, 200 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, CHRISTOPHER BELL
2nd, Justin Allgaier*
3rd, DANIEL HEMRIC
4th, Austin Cindric*
5th, HARRISON BURTON
16th, BRANDON GDOVIC
20th, DAVID STARR
28th, JESSE LITTLE
37th, CJ MCLAUGHLIN
38th, BRANDON JONES
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 54 DEWALT Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

What is it that you have figured out about New Hampshire?

“What I’ve got figured out is that I’ve got really, really fast race cars to drive. I just love being here with Joe Gibbs Racing. All these Supras that I’ve had the last three times I’ve been here have been amazing. Hopefully my Camry is just as good tomorrow, but if feels good to win, finally got DEWALT in victory lane. I know it’s been a long time coming.”

What made you seek out the fan to give the flag to after the win?

“I was looking and I don’t see a lot of Christopher Bell shirts up there, but there is another one up there. It’s really cool to see a kid wearing my t-shirt. That’s really special. Hopefully he has a lifelong memory. Man, I love this place.”

How much did you learn in today’s race for tomorrow’s Cup race with no PJ1 on the track?

“I think these weekends with no practice and qualifying, you’re not sitting in the car until they drop the green flag. This is a really big advantage, especially coming here, the Xfinity Series rules package is really similar to the Cup Series rules package. Hopefully, it will be pretty similar and I hope that we have a really fast Camry tomorrow. Just really proud to be at Joe Gibbs Racing. Everyone here does an amazing job.”

Have you ever won your first three races at a track before?

“I’m not sure, but New Hampshire Motor Speedway sure has been good to me. I love coming up here.”

How difficult was it to stay up front throughout this race?
“That last restart was really tough. I was just taking off really loose so Justin (Allgaier) was able to stay right on my left rear and made it tough to where I couldn’t get off the corners very good. Man, once this thing got some laps underneath of it, we were really, really fast. Can’t thank Chris Gayle (crew chief) and everyone on this No. 54 group to bring such a strong DEWAL Supra to the race track. It’s just an honor to be able to drive really fast race cars.”

Are you campaigning for a piece of granite after your streak of success at this track?

“We’ll have to see. This place has been fun. Thank you to all the fans for coming out today and I’m sure we’re going to have another good race tomorrow.”

DANIEL HEMRIC, No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

How was your race today?

“Just a solid day. Really just good Poppy Bank Toyota Supra – not great, just good. We were a little off to the 54 (Christopher Bell) there the first 15 or 20 laps of the run and then my car would lock in and we would be a half-a-tenth or a tenth better catching him there in the last 20 laps, but then run out of laps and regroup and do it all over again. I was hoping we would make the right adjustments there on the last stop. Dave Rogers (crew chief) tried and my car came in faster, but still just never got the front turning like the next-to-last run to let us drive forward. Hard racing with the 7 (Justin Allgaier) there, it was fun and hopefully the fans enjoyed it. That’s one thing, if I was racing for the win I probably wouldn’t have been so nice, but we have a lot of races left this year so we’ll have our time.”

HARRISON BURTON, No. 20 DEX Imaging Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

What did you need more of in today’s race to get the win?

“Early in the race we really struggled firing off. The first run, we were great firing off and the rest of the race, we were horrible. I don’t really know why that is. I don’t know if the track took a big swing on us, but I just couldn’t fire off good enough. The last stage, I thought we got it good to start and I just gave up too much on the end of the run and was getting tight. Just have to find a way in the middle of that I guess. It’s so hard. I put us behind the eight ball on the first pit stop and slid through my box a little bit and just barely didn’t have enough room to get out and had to backup and lost a lot of track position. Had a really fast Dex Imaging Supra to fire and just need to do a better job of staying with the race track and keeping ourselves in contention throughout the whole race.”

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.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Cindric and Herbst Finish Top 10

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series — Ambetter Get Vaccinated 200
New Hampshire Motor Speedway | Saturday, July 17, 2021

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
4th — Austin Cindric
10th — Riley Herbst
13th — Ryan Sieg

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 Car Shop Ford Mustang — “We started a little bit off the eight-ball. We didn’t have enough short run speed, and got to where we could recover from that and just trying to figure out which one was our strength and which one was our weakness. Trying to be good on the short run and hold on for the drive on the long run, so we probably made the wrong call there with the final adjustment, but I think it was gonna be the right thing to be able to battle with the 54. I could have been a bit more of a jerk to pass the 7, but it wasn’t worth it, so it was a good fight between the 18, the 7 and myself. It was fun racing, so we’ll move on. Obviously, it was a solid points day for the Car Shop Ford Mustang. We have a good little off week for the guys to re-juice and get ready for Watkins.”

RYAN SIEG, No. 39 CMR Construction and Roofing/A-Game Ford Mustang — “We lost some track position on pit road and tried to work on the car earlier. We got better and then we would pass some people and then lose our track position. It’s hard to get back because it’s so hard to pass here, but, all in all, this CMR Ford was pretty decent. We need to work on our speed and get a better package here. Even at Phoenix we were just OK, but it’s tough here. A lot more goes into it here, so we were just a little bit off. Hopefully, we can get it better, but, all in all, it was a decent day.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang — “I feel like we should have run in the top five for sure. We had really, really good speed before the comp caution and then obviously we got wrecked on that restart. I guess I’m happy with the way we battled back, but it’s just frustrating. I feel like it’s our whole season — so fast and get wrecked, make a mistake or something. We’ll take two weeks off and try to get one at the Glen.”

WAS IT A CASE OF JUST NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE THE FRONT TWO ROWS ON THE RESTART? “I feel like we did OK from my point of view, but we got hit in the back. Once we got hit in the back and they just turned us in the fence, so that was pretty frustrating.”

YOU GAINED SOME POINTS IN THE PLAYOFF BATTLE. DO YOU FEEL THAT LAST SPOT IS ATTAINABLE? “I think it’s always attainable to be quite honest with you, and it’s kind of disappointing that we’re not top five in the points. I feel like we should be if we would have finished where we ran. That’s just kind of the story all year.”

Brian Henderson Qualifies TCR Honda Civic Third at Lime Rock for Atlanta Speedwerks in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge

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Official Release
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Henderson and Robert Noaker Third in No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR;
No. 94 Qelo Capital/Dinner With Racers Honda Civic TCR Going To Back-Up Car For Saturday’s Race

LIME ROCK, Connecticut (July 16, 2021) – Brian Henderson drove the No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR to third on the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge grid for Atlanta Speedwerks during Friday’s qualifying, setting up a second row start for Saturday’s two-hour Lime Rock Park 120.

Saturday’s race is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. EDT and can be seen live via TrackPass on the NBC Sports app.

Henderson’s best time during the 15-minute qualifying session came in 54.484 seconds (97.657 mph) on his 10th lap of the 1.5-mile circuit. Henderson will start the race and run the opening stint before passing the car to Robert Noaker for the run to the finish.

It’s the sixth time this season in as many races that at least one Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civic has qualified in the top three TCR positions.

“We’re really happy with P3 overall,” Henderson said. “We’re really close on time, and we’ve been working on race pace for the end when Robert will be there. I think we’re setup pretty good for that. We should be quick at the end and hopefully we’ll come away with a couple of cars on the podium.”

Ryan Eversley, who sits second in the season-long Driver Standings, and co-driver Scott Smithson will start the No. 94 Qelo Capital/Dinner With Racers Honda Civic TCR from the rear of the field after a practice-session crash. The team is currently prepping a back-up car for use in Saturday’s race.

Atlanta Speedwerks is riding a two-race winning streak after sweeping the back-to-back Watkins Glen races, first with Eversley and team owner Todd Lamb in the No. 94 machine, and then with Henderson and Noaker in the No. 84 Honda Civic.

With that win, Henderson and Noaker have moved to sixth in the Driver and Team Championship and are hoping to improve more in Saturday’s race.

Pre-race festivities begin at 10:05 a.m. EDT on Saturday morning, with the green flag at 11:05 a.m. EDT on the NBC Sports app.

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.

CORVETTE RACING AT LIME ROCK: Taylor Leads Corvette Sweep

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Official Release
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Milner second in GTLM qualifying as rain looms for Saturday’s all-GT race

LAKEVILLE, Conn. (July 16, 2021) – Jordan Taylor claimed the overall pole position for the Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park on Friday to lead a 1-2 result for Corvette Racing.

Taylor, driving the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R with Antonio Garcia, set a best GT Le Mans (GTLM) lap of 49.958 (106.216 mph) in a 15-minute session for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Saturday’s 3:10 p.m. ET race, with rain predicted, will be an all-GT affair with GTLM and GT Daytona (GTD) headlining IMSA’s return to Lime Rock Park.

Taylor and teammate Antonio Garcia enter Lime Rock after back-to-back victories at Watkins Glen and lead the GTLM Drivers Championship, as does Chevrolet in the Manufacturers standings.

Taylor outqualified Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette by just 0.142 seconds. Milner and Nick Tandy were second in the most recent GTLM race at Watkins Glen behind the No. 3 C8.R but were in winning positions in both races at The Glen. They also won the non-points Detroit round in mid-June.

Corvette Racing is a five-time winner at Lime Rock but this is the first race the seven-turn, 1.474-mile circuit for the Corvette C8.R, a shot at an overall race victory during one of the busiest races on the calendar.

Like Watkins Glen within the last month, Lime Rock Park was one venue at which the Corvette C8.R didn’t compete during its debut season. That didn’t impact the team during the back-to-back weekends at Watkins Glen, however, when Corvette Racing took the race win, pole position and fastest race lap in both the six-hour enduro and two-hour, 40-minute sprint race.

The Northeast Grand Prix from Lime Rock Park will air at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 17 with live streaming coverage on TrackPass and NBC Sports Gold at 3:05 p.m. ET. Live audio coverage from IMSA Radio will be available on IMSA.com, Sirius 216, XM 202 and SiriusXM Online 992.

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM POLE-WINNER: “It’s been a busy day. It’s the first time with the C8.R at Lime Rock. Unfortunately we didn’t race here last year, so we’re learning a lot. We had a dry session, a damp session and then qualifying. So we’ve proved that the car is good in all conditions here. It was a good lap to get the pole, and the guys have done a good job leading into this weekend. It’s a new track for us with this car so rolling off the truck strong was important. It was good but we’ve been making some changes to see how the car reacts. So far so good but tomorrow could be a different story.”

MORE ON QUALIFYING: “Today was a busy day with two practices and qualifying. It’s the first time we’ve had the C8.R here at Lime Rock, so a lot of work went into this weekend with a lot of preparation. We rolled off the truck very strong. We made some changes through Practice Two even though it was damp to get a read on it. Obviously in qualifying the car was quite strong. The biggest thing was just finding a clear lap with the GTD cars on track. Obviously it’s been a good run for the 3 car so far this season, but at the same time the 4 car has been on our tail every weekend. It’s good to have that intra-team battle. I think we’ll have that all day tomorrow.”

RACING FOR OVERALL VICTORY THIS WEEKEND: “I was thinking about that this morning. When you go to the drivers’ briefing, the front-row guys usually go and talk to the Race Director because you’re leading the field. It will be different not having anyone in front of us and not having prototypes coming around in traffic. In one aspect, it will be easier without the traffic but at the same time the intensity will be super-high just because you’re flat-out the whole time. It’s difficult to pass the GTD guys so it will be tricky in traffic. I think strategy could come into play tomorrow. It should be a good race.”

PLACES FOR IMPROVEMENT: “Today was messy with the conditions. Antonio started this morning on new tires, and I got in on older tires. The afternoon session was damp so I drove on rain tires and then in the intermediate conditions we went to slicks. Everyone in GTLM was kind of figuring out what it was like on new tires in the dry here. We weren’t here last year so there’s a lot to learn. For me, there was a lot of experimenting. Brake points were different. Carrying speed through Turn Six and Turn Seven… I had a couple of big moments just because I thought I could carry a lot more speed than I actually could. But it’s good to have that in my pocket for tomorrow to know where the limits are.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – QUALIFIED SECOND IN GTLM: “We just missed it a bit with the setup. We’re still working on getting the balance where we need to be. Tomorrow is going to be the challenge if it’s dry with the high temps and the tire degradation. If it’s wet, which is looking likely, that presents its own challenges as well. We got some good work in today but the majority will come tomorrow in warmup to make any last-minute improvements.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

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