Home Blog Page 2474

Ryan Preece – Turning obstacles into opportunities

By
Angie Campbell
-
Photo by Tim Jarrold for SpeedwayMedia.com.

If you have spent any time in the NASCAR Cup Series garage you probably know that Ryan Preece is one of the most personable competitors at the track with a quick smile and charismatic personality.

Once he straps into his racecar, however, Preece is all business with an unrelenting drive to succeed.

In his second year at JTG Daugherty Preece was paired with crew chief, Trent Owens, after switching to the No. 37 Chevrolet. The transition was not without its hurdles due to practice and qualifying restrictions during the pandemic. But this year the duo seems to have hit their stride, earning three top-10s plus three additional top-15 finishes.

Last week at the Pocono Mountains 350, Preece finished eighth. But that’s only half of the story. After damage to his primary car during practice, he had to drive a backup and start the race at the rear of the field. Most would see that as an obstacle but Preece wasn’t worried. Only a week earlier at Circuit of the Americas, he started in 36th place and finished 15th.

“I was really confident that even in a backup car, we could go out there and pass to have a good day,” he said.  “Everyone at JTG Daugherty Racing works so hard every week to get all of our cars prepared, so the fact that we were going to a backup really wasn’t concerning for me.”

It wasn’t the only challenge Preece faced during the race.

“We knew we were going to be a little short on fuel, so we started early with fuel-saving techniques to make sure we had enough to make it to the end. Trent (crew chief) did a great job of keeping me informed throughout the race so I could do things myself in the car that would help us make it to the end.”

It was Preece’s first top-10 since finishing ninth at the Daytona Road Course in February. There have been ups and downs throughout the season but the eighth-place result at Phoenix is another indication that the team is headed in the right direction.

Although he experienced another disappointment with an engine failure at Road America, the stats confirm that his average start and average finish are better than they have ever been in his Cup Series career. The only missing ingredient is consistency.  

Preece credits their continuous improvement to a number of factors.

“I think just having two good races to start the season has helped to put us in a good position to continue learning throughout the season, rather than trying to dig ourselves out of a hole from the start. Working on my second year with Trent has also helped. Last year was our first year working together, and then we were without practice or qualifying which can really help him learn my driving style and help me learn how he makes adjustments with my feedback.”

As the season progresses, Preece isn’t concerned about next month or next year. His goal is simple.  

“We take every week one at a time,” he explained, “doing all we can to get a win or a top finish. Obviously, last year was not our best, and we had a lot of bad luck that went along with that. Being consistent and having strong runs right out the gate was a big help for our season, and we just continue to focus one race at a time.”

Consistency – focus – one day at a time.

DiBenedetto Finishes 10th at Road America

By
Official Release
-

Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy Paints team raced among the leaders throughout Sunday’s Jockey Made in America 250 at Road America, leading two times for 10 laps and coming home in 10th place.

It was the team’s fourth top-10 of 2021 and its first since a fourth-place finish on May 2 at Kansas Speedway.

DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Dutch Boy Mustang qualified seventh on Sunday morning, giving them their second-best starting spot of the season.

He ran in the top 10 for most of the first Stage, but pitted just prior to the end of that segment, which gave him a front-row starting spot for the second Stage.

DiBenedetto jumped into the lead and set the pace for five laps before dropping back.

Once again, he pitted prior to the end of the Stage, partly for strategy reasons but mostly because of a tire issue.

That put him in third place for the start of the final Stage of the 62-lap race. Once again, he took the lead just after the start and held the top spot for another five laps, which made him third in laps led for Sunday’s race.

But the same short-run speed that allowed DiBenedetto and his Menards/Dutch Boy Mustang to take the lead just after restarts hurt him on long runs, and the race ended with a 17-lap green-flag run. Still he held on for a top-10 finish and heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway pumped up about his prospects for the remainder of the season.

“I thought the adjustments we made and everything we did to get the car ready to qualify were great,” he said. “In the race, it was pretty clear we were a short-run car…but we made the most of it all day.

“The adjustments were good. The guys did a great job all weekend. We have been working hard to get our road-course cars better, and it was nice to get a glimpse of some hope and speed and to lead laps. I know we have to work on our long-run speed a little bit.

“I wanted to get Menards and Dutch Boy a good run…so it was nice to get a top-10 and lead laps.”

He said he and the Menards/Dutch Boy team, now led by crew chief Jonathan Hassler, are poised for a strong finish to the season.

“We’re all communicating really well,” DiBenedetto said.

DiBenedetto moved up one spot in the Cup Series standings to 20th place but is 74 points below the playoff cutline with six regular-season races remaining.

Menards

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

Wood Brothers Racing

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

Newman Finishes 32nd in Road America

By
Official Release
-

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (July 4, 2021) – In the NASCAR Cup Series’ first visit to Road America since 1956, Ryan Newman battled hot and challenging conditions all day to finish 32nd in the Kohler Generators Ford Mustang.

The Fourth of July weekend featured a rare opportunity for practice and qualifying. Newman qualified 28th in Sunday morning’s session, setting him up for stages of 14, 15 and a final 33 laps.

A quick yellow brought the field to a slow just two laps in as Newman had advanced to 25th. He fell back to 31st by lap 11 when a second caution came out, one that would last through the end of the first stage with a car stuck in one of the many sand traps on the 4+ mile course.

Newman began the second segment in 28th and finished it 12th as his team took a bold pit strategy and stayed out the entire stage. After his stop in the stage break, the South Bend, Indiana, native rolled 27th for the third and final stage, ultimately finishing 32nd in the No. 6 Ford Mustang.

NASCAR heads back to Atlanta Motor Speedway next weekend for its second race of the 2021 slate. Sunday’s action is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. It can also be heard on PRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

Buescher Battles Through Early Damage to Finish 18th at Road America

By
Official Release
-

Elkhart Lake, Wisc. (July 4, 2021) – Chris Buescher ran in the top ten for much of the late stages of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America, but pit strategy and damage from an earlier incident conspired to keep him from finishing up front. Buescher restarted 18th with 17 laps left in the race after an ill-timed caution, and maintained that spot to the end of the event.

With the event marking the first time the Cup Series has run at Road America since 1956, teams were able to practice Saturday afternoon before a group qualifying session raceday morning. Buescher found speed in his Fastenal Ford Mustang, and advanced to the final round of the qualifying session. He would finish 12th on the speed charts, where he began the race.

A chaotic start to the race was a sign of the frenetic racing to come, and the first caution of the day came out on just the second lap of the race. Buescher maintained his track position to the second yellow flag on lap 12, reporting damage to his fenders from contact during the previous restart. The caution would serve as the end of stage one, with Buescher scored 14th.

After pitting for four tires and fuel during the break, Buescher began the second stage from the 24th position as teams began to try divergent pit strategies. The Fastenal team would join in on the games, bringing the Ford Mustang down pit road with just three laps to go in the stage in an effort to gain track position.

The tactic worked, as Buescher began the third and final stage of the event from the eighth position. The team looked primed to capitalize on the advantage, but a caution fell on lap 42 just before their final scheduled stop. With competitors short-pitting the caution, the No. 17 was relegated to the 18th position for the final restart of the day. Battling the earlier damage, Buescher was able to fend off the field and maintain his position to the checkered flag.

Erik Jones Finishes in the 19th-place at Road America

By
Official Release
-

Erik Jones and the No. 43 Scag Power Equipment Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team finished in the 19th-place in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Jockey Made in America 250 Presented by Kwik Trip at Road America on Sunday, July 4.

Jones turned a lap of 133.840 seconds at 108.882 mph around the picturesque 4.048-mile, 14-turn circuit in NASCAR Cup Series qualifying on Sunday, setting the 21st-fastest lap in qualifying at America’s National Park of Speed, located in Elkhart Lake, Wis.

At the end of Stage 1 on Lap 14, he was in the 13th-place. By the end of Stage 2 on Lap 29, Jones was scored in the 27th-place. The 25-year-old Byron, Michigan, native was scored as high as the 11th-place at Road America.

“It was a fight all day for our No. 43 Scag Power Equipment Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team. We stuck with it, and came home with a top-20 finish at Road America. I think we learned some things for the next road course, and we hope for some more improvement.” -Erik Jones

HaasTooling.com Racing: Cole Custer Road America Race Report

By
Official Release
-

Custer Finishes 17th at Road America
HaasTooling.com Ford Driver Unable to Overcome Handling Issues

Date: July 4, 2021
Event: Jockey Made in America 250 (Round 20 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin (4.048-mile, 14-turn road course)
Format: 62 laps, broken into three stages (14 laps/15 laps/33 laps)
Start/Finish: 15th / 17th (Running, completed 62 of 62 laps)
Point Standing: 28th (294 points, 504 out of first)
Race Winner: Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Tyler Reddick of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)

Stage 1 Recap (Laps 1-14):

● Cole Custer started 15th and finished 12th.
● When the caution flag came out on just lap two of the 62-lap race, the HaasTooling.com team opted to keep their driver out.
● After the field got back to green on lap four, the team started checking for damage after reports of smoke coming from the right rear. Spotters found no smoke, but there was damage on the right rear sustained during the restart.
● Custer held steady in the top-15 and was running 12th when another caution flag flew with just three to go in the stage, which ended under the yellow.
● Custer came to pit road during the stage break for four fresh tires, fuel, a slight adjustment to loosen the racecar and to fix the damage on the right-rear quarter panel.

Stage 2 Recap (Laps 15-29):

● The No. 41 started 35th and finished 29th.
● At the beginning of the stage, the HaasTooling.com driver was served a penalty and forced to start at the rear of the field on the lap-16 restart.
● Custer spared no time in his march through the field as he was 26th by lap 25.
● The No. 41 team brought their Ford Mustang down pit road coming to three to go for four tires, fuel and a small adjustment to combat a lack of rear grip.
● Under the second stage break, the No. 41 team kept their driver on track instead of pitting to go along with their intended pit strategy.

Stage 3 Recap (Laps 30-62):

● The 23-year-old driver started 14th and finished 17th.
● Custer reported at the start of the run that he still lacked rear grip on his No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang. The team planned to work on it with some air pressure adjustments on their next stop.
● When the caution flag waved on lap 42, the Ladera Ranch, California, native brought his Ford Mustang down pit road for four tires, fuel and another air pressure adjustment. Custer reported that his racecar became extremely loose during the final run.

● Ultimately, the HaasTooling.com driver was unable to overcome his balance problems and finished 17th.

Notes:

● Chase Elliott won the inaugural Jockey Made in America 250 to score his 13th career NASCAR Cup Series victory and his second of the season. His margin over second-place Christopher Bell was 5.705 seconds.
● There were four caution periods for a total of nine laps.
● Thirty-four of the 40 drivers in the Jockey Made in America 250 finished on the lead lap.
● Denny Hamlin remains the championship leader after Road America with a three-point advantage over second-place Kyle Larson.

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

“It was a rough day at Road America, but it was awesome to be back for the holiday weekend. We had a solid car. We just struggled with a loose-handling racecar and didn’t have the short run speed we needed. I’m pretty excited to get to Atlanta and slip and slide around.”

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Atlanta 400 on July 11 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage on NBCSN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Common Car Maintenance Needs Every Owner Must Know

By
SM
-
Photo by christian buehner on Unsplash

The car is one of the most valuable assets that every person must have. This personal vehicle is necessary for almost all travel needs, whether the drive involves a trip to your parents’ house out of town, a vacation, or the daily routine to the office. While some people and families manage to survive without it, the car provides convenience when your day involves multiple destinations. However, purchasing a vehicle is costly. If you do not do the proper financial preparation, the purchase could place anyone into a situation that ends with car repossession. Creating a balanced budget for auto payments will be necessary because the investment will be worth it.

However, the car becomes your responsibility to maintain. While they are generally durable, vehicles can still suffer from wear-and-tear damage. Once symptoms and faults start to show up, you must pursue maintenance and repairs. Understandably, a trip to the mechanic gives you additional costs to worry about for your automobile. Therefore, car owners need to take responsibility for simple maintenance tasks to avoid issues from piling up.

Routine Tire Inspection and Maintenance

Due to the tires constantly touching the road surfaces while driving, it’s not surprising to know that they suffer the most damage. However, tires can withstand fast speeds for long distances without breakage. Car owners expect their drive to be smooth, and car tires play a critical role in that scenario.

However, car owners still have to inspect their tires to ensure that no accidents happen on the road. Checking the tire pressure and tread depth should be part of the monthly inspection. Emergency checkups must also become a routine when you feel that your drive is no longer as smooth as before. Checking your tire pressure involves a gauge, which car owners can purchase from mechanic shops. The nearest gas station might also have the equipment for the task. For the thread depth, car owners can get a pen to check if the tires get worn out. When the item no longer fits the treads, it needs to be changed as soon as possible. You might also get a flat tire on the road. Therefore, it is essential that you learn how to change it with the spare tire at the back of your car.

Routine Oil and Fluid Change

Cars consist of a lot of oil and fluid to keep multiple systems functional and running. While the first few months might not pose an issue, the vehicle might experience difficulties starting up if you fail to inspect them. Here are the fluids every car owner should check:

  • Engine oil
  • Power steering fluid
  • Transmission fluid
  • Coolant fluid
  • Brake fluid

Car owners can see those fluid containers when they pop up the vehicle, which contains the engine. Checking those lubricants every month is part of the car maintenance routine. Owners with older vehicles might have to perform weekly inspections and replenishment those fluids to avoid leaks. Checking and changing oil are simple tasks that people can perform at home. However, first-timers may need to consult with a mechanic to ensure that they are doing it properly.

Car Light Inspection

Car lights are essential to drivers, especially at night. Driving with a broken headlight, brake light, or turn signal can expose you to accidents on the road. Unfortunately, the problem might not be visible to drivers. When caught with a non-functioning headlight, car owners might end up getting a ticket. Every time you leave or return home, walk around your car and check if all lights are still functioning. Once you identify that one is not working, a trip to the auto shop should be your first destination.

When to Go to a Mechanic

Car owners can save a lot of money and help maintain their vehicles’ life span if they know all the usual car maintenance tasks. However, complicated issues and repairs should force you to go straight to the auto shop. Damages like wheel misalignment and steering wheel failure could put you and your passengers in danger. Auto shops with car wheel balancers can fix those issues. The same situation applies to brake failures and accidental damages, which might require more expenses and time before you can get your car back to functioning levels.

Car owners understand how expensive it is to purchase a vehicle, but the importance of these costs is undeniable. To ensure that your investment is worth it, you must learn proper car maintenance and care. The process starts by understanding how to perform these basic routines. However, doing everything yourself might not be within your skills, making it necessary to find an auto shop you can trust.

Affordable tips to Organizing Your Garage

By
SM
-
Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

When organizing your home, the space we often ignore most is the garage. Most people dump the stuff they do not need in the garage and forget about it. That is why it collects so much clutter over time and may need organization and a thorough cleaning. With Slatwall Accessories and proper procedures and rules on what goes to the garage, it will be easy to maintain the garage organized and clean. You can do that on a budget. Below are some tips so that you can start decluttering your garage and get more organized.

 What causes disorganization in the garage?

By identifying the causes of disorganization and clutter in your garage, you can avoid them in the future. 

Some of the reasons why your garage has so much clutter are:

  • Habitual disorganization by all family members
  • Small home and garage space
  • Change of seasons, hence the need to get rid of some stuff that does not apply in the season
  • Inability to let go of items you no longer need
  • Lack of garage organization systems
  • Garages provide an easy dumping ground for unwanted stuff

Unfortunately, most of us are culprits of the above, and that leaves the garage disorganized. You may follow the tips given below to organize your garage. Afterward, try to avoid the above activities that clutter your garage. You will find it a conducive environment for study, or you can use the space as an additional entertainment sport by adding a few entertainment gadgets.

Tips for organizing your garage on a budget 

1. Get all the necessary materials for the job

Before you start decluttering, get all the items you will need for the job. Trash cans, cleaning supplies, and drills are essential. Take a notebook and a pen to record what’s going in the trash and what you are preserving. You may also need a screwdriver, hammer, and nails in case you need to fix things. 

2. Invest in Slatwall Accessories

The easiest way to organize a garage is to install Slatwall, as it can be configured with a few accessories to suit your personal preferences. Some ideal Slatwall accessories include magnetic toolbars, heavy-duty shelves, and plastic storage bins. Heavy-duty racks for your sports items and high-quality hooks will also make it easy to organize your garage. 

3. Car care station 

Identify a space for your car care accessories and products. Mixing them with other items will make it hard for you to find them. You may build storage cabinets or shelves for the items. This space will be ideal for rags, sponges, fluids, and spare parts for quick access. 

4. Remove things from the garage floor

When that rule applies, you will invest in storage options that help you avoid clutter on the garage floor. That way, your car has enough space, and you also avoid sloppy piles on the floor. Cleaning the garage floor also becomes easy with garage floor coatings.

The first step to organizing the garage is to take stock of your belongings. You may then decide what stays and what you are throwing away and pile the remaining items. As much as possible, try to clean up first before you start organizing. Remind all family members to follow procedures to maintain the garage’s cleanliness at all times. 

Been knocked down by a car? Here’s what you should do next

By
SM
-

Being hit by a car is always going to be a shocking and disorienting experience. At the moment it happens, it can be hard to keep a cool head and know what to do next. But here are some key actions that will help you or anyone you know who’s involved in an accident of this type.

  1. Make yourself safe

The number one thing you’ll need to do is to ensure your safety. If you’re in the middle of the road, and can move, get to the sidewalk as fast as possible. If you’re unable to walk, enlist the driver or passers-by to take action to warn oncoming vehicles to slow down and avoid hitting you.

  1. Call the police

Next step – call the police to come to the scene and assist.  While the vast majority of drivers will stop at the scene of an accident, if you are the victim of a hit and run, tell a witness any details you remember of the car involved, while they’re fresh in your memory.  While many accidents are just that, driving while distracted (for example, texting), could result in a charge against the driver.

  1. Take photos

Assuming you’re well enough, take plenty of photos of the scene. The car involved, the surrounding area, and any features such as parked cars that may have obstructed the view.

  1. Witness names

If others have witnessed the accident, ensure you obtain their contact details so that your insurer, your attorney, or the police can follow up with them later.  Of course, if you’re lying on the ground, injured, it will be difficult to start taking notes. If someone has come to your aid, ask them to collect witness details.  However, if you’re in a position to take control, tell witnesses your mobile number and ask them to give you a missed call, so you’ll be able to contact them later or pass details to the police.

  1. Your insurer

How your insurer handles the claim will depend on whether the accident occurred in one of the 12 states with a no-fault system in place. In this case, they’ll pay any damages due.  If it takes place in a non-no-fault state, such as Nevada, pedestrian accident lawyers and insurers will seek damages from the person who caused the accident. 

  1. Medical assistance

Depending on the nature of your injuries, seek medical assistance as early as possible after the accident. If you are seriously hurt, then it’s straight to the emergency room, but if your injuries are less obvious – then visit your primary care provider, without delay, for treatment or referral to a specialist. 

This is crucial -without medical documentation, it may be assumed that you weren’t injured at all.  And if there’s a delay in getting diagnosed, it could be argued that any injuries were caused by something unrelated, that occurred later. 

If you have your own insurance, your insurer will pay your bills, otherwise, the driver’s insurance company will pay – a specialist pedestrian accident attorney will be able to claim on your behalf.

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Road America

By
Jeffrey Boswell
-
William Byron leads Kyle Larson and AJ Allmendinger to the green flag waved by running back Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers to start the NASCAR Cup Series Jockey Made in America 250 Presented by Kwik Trip at Road America on July 04, 2021 in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Larson: Larson contended all day at Road America, but was spun out late by Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman. Larson eventually finished 16th.

“Alex apologized,” Larson said. “It was a sincere apology, so Alex, much like his braking into that corner, was ‘truly sorry.'”

2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin overcame early brake issues to post a fifth in the Jockey Made In America 250.

“Kyle Busch had a clutch problem last week at Pocono,” Hamlin said. “I can certainly empathize, because I myself have ‘clutch’ problems, most often in the final race of the season.”

3. Chase Elliott: Elliott started 34th after failing to post a qualifying time, but methodically worked his way into the lead, passing Matt DiBenedetto on Lap 38, and then overtaking Kyle Busch with 17 to go. Elliott then cruised to victory.

“I wasn’t able to complete a full qualifying lap,” Elliott said. “So, I didn’t even register a lap time, which has to be the ultimate in ‘bad timing.'”

4. Kyle Busch: Busch started 40th but quickly found his way to the front and eventually finished third at Road America.

“I made my way to the front of the field so fast,” Busch said, “even troopers in Mooresville, North Carolina had to take notice.”

5. Alex Bowman: Bowman finished 22nd at Road America.

“I made a crucial error and wrecked Kyle Larson late in the race,” Bowman said. “What do you say to a teammate whom you just wrecked? Oddly enough, it’s the same thing you say to your team after a win—‘I did it!’ But maybe leave off the exclamation point.”

6. Joey Logano: Logano finished 15th in the Jockey Made In America 250.

“As is typical on a road course.” Logano said, “there was a lot of passing. Obviously, a better name for this race would have been the ‘Jockey For Position 250.'”

7. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex overcame a pit road speeding penalty to record a ninth at Road America.

“NASCAR raced at Road America for the first time in 65 years,” Truex said. “It’s awesome to be racing here, and in the great state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin is considered part of the ‘heart of America;’ with NASCAR fans here, it’s considered, at least for three days, the ‘heart attack of America.'”

8. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished 27th at Road America.

“The No. 4 Chevrolet sported the Busch Light Apple paint scheme,” Harvick said. “If I’m reluctant to give you my honest opinion of the taste of Busch Light Apple, just tell me to ‘spit it out,’ and I’ll happily oblige.”

9. William Byron: Byron started on the pole at Road America and was in contention until a late mistake sent him off course. Byron finished a disappointing 33rd.

“I just made a stupid error,” Byron said, “and it cost me a top-five finish. My No. 24 Liberty University Chevy was set up perfectly. It handled like a dream. Despite having the word ‘Liberty’ on it, the car was anything but ‘free.'”

10. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 13th in the Jockey Made In America 250.

“A driver named Kyle Tilley drove the No. 78 car,” Keselowski said. “Tilley is from a place called Bath, England. From what I hear, it’s a great place for any NASCAR fans to visit. But first, I suggest they visit Bath, America.”

1...2,4732,4742,475...6,751Page 2,474 of 6,751