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Young’s Motorsports tabs Michael Annett for Knoxville Raceway showdown

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Official Release
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MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 5, 2021) – Young’s Motorsports announced today that the iconic black and gold colors of Des Moines, Iowa-based TMC Transportation will make their return to Knoxville Raceway with full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Michael Annett at the helm of the No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado this weekend.

Annett, a Des Moines, Iowa native, is making his return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), which last saw him compete in 2014 at Eldora Speedway.

Annett also competed in eight NCWTS events in 2008.

Knoxville Raceway holds precious memories for Annett and TMC Transportation, as TMC Chairman Harrold Annett, who passed away earlier this year, owned the No. 12 Mickow Sprinter that raced at Knoxville Raceway during the ’70s and ’80s on a weekly basis.

Driver Mike Brooks won the track title for Annett in 1980, off the strength of eight feature wins. Annett had great success in the ’80s and ’90s with driver Sammy Swindell amassing numerous wins at the track behind the wheel of the No. 1 TMC Sprint Car.

The No. 02 will carry a decal on the decklid honoring Harrold’s 2007 induction into the Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame.

Annett is proud to bring the TMC Transportation colors back to Knoxville on Friday night.

“It’s been my dream to race at Knoxville ever since I can remember, I can’t thank Tyler (Young, team principal) and Young’s Motorsports enough for giving me the opportunity.”

Young’s Motorsports which will field three entries in the inaugural event is thrilled to welcome Annett to their team lineup.

“Michael is a huge addition to the Young’s Motorsports team this weekend at Knoxville,” said team principal Tyler Young. “We believe he has the capabilities of delivering our organization another top-10 finish this season in such a prestigious race which also holds a lot of sentimental value to not only himself but the entire Annett and TMC Transportation family.”

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports) and follow on Instagram (@youngsmotorsports) and Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

For more on Michael Annett, please visit MichaelAnnett.com, like him on Facebook (Michael Annett), and follow him on Twitter (@MichaelAnnett).

The Corn Belt 150 presented by Premier Chevy Dealers (150 laps | 75 miles) is the 14th of 22 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2021 schedule. The lone practice begins on Thurs., Jul. 8, 2021, at 6:05 p.m. – 7:25 p.m. Qualifying heat races begin on race day, Fri. Jul. 9, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The 40-truck field will take the green flag later that night shortly after 8:00 p.m. CT with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 90.
About TMC Transportation:

TMC Transportation is the nation’s largest employee-owned open deck transportation company. TMC provides expert transportation services and supply-chain management solutions throughout the 48 contiguous states.

Founded in 1972, TMC is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, and is known for its integrity, innovation, superior safety record and dedication to quality and customer service. The company’s claim-free, on-time delivery record is the best in the business and is consistently recognized by its customers.

To learn more about TMC Transportation, visit tmctrans.com.

Damon Racing Team Shows Impressive Recovery at Road America

By
Official Release
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Elkhart Lake, WISCONSIN – July 5, 2021 – The Trans Am presented by Pirelli driver Tom Sheehan and the No. 97 LTK Ford Mustang team are coming fresh off a strong performance at Road America from an impressive race climb on Saturday, July 3. The Damon Racing driver came all the way from a race starting position of 25th to claim a 12th place finish in Round 6 of the 2021 Championships.

A big difference for the TA2 class this weekend was that the entire race was caution free, in spite of there being no fewer than 38 cars in competition at the picturesque Wisconsin circuit and no shortage of drama and instances on-track. At the checkered flag the LTK Insulation Technologies Ford Mustang edged out Elias Anderson in the No. 31 Mustang by just 0.067 seconds in a super tight battle to maintain his challenge among the top ten TA2 drivers.

Mechanical issues early in the weekend meant starting from an unpromising position of P25 on the grid, but Tom steadily picked his way through the field, putting rivals behind him with regularity all the way to the finish line. It was another fine drive in difficult circumstances by the New Hampshire pilot on a day when the temperatures dictated by a midsummer heatwave also played a part.

“Overall it was a rough weekend but a great way to end it. It was great racing and that’s what it’s all about,” stated Tom when we spoke to him in the paddock after the race. “It was hot out there and a big slippery mess. We were focused on a top 15 finish. It was hot and that made it hard to stay focused.”

“We have a close team and we kept digging through the weekend, I have to credit my team for putting out a race car we could drive today. We have to thank Mike Cope for building a great car. On to Brainerd.”

The 14 Championship points Tom scored for finishing in P12 at Road America put him on 80 for the season, which provisionally keeps him in P8 in the TA2 Drivers Classification.

It’s another quick turnaround for the Trans Am presented by Pirelli roadshow, with just one fallow weekend before the action resumes at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota on July 16 with an action packed weekend that includes Formula Regional Americas, the F4 US Championship and Sportscar Vintage Racing.

Keep up with Trans Am driver Tom Sheehan on social media – Facebook page is Damon Racing, Instagram @TomSheehanTA97 and Twitter @TomTA2_97.

For more information on LTK Insulation Technologies please visit the website online at https://ltkinsulationtechnologies.com/

About LTK Insulation Technologies:
Putting LTK insulation jackets & covers to work on your project saves your firm real money and time. The LTK Insulation products are so fast and easy. Installation is as fast as identification. Our carefully designed products line allows; fast, sure fit, 100% clean, no tool installation. Product designed for; balance valves, control valves, flex hoses, in line specialties, couplings, quick connects, unions, zone pumps. Your imagination is the only limit….GOLTK!

DGR NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race Advance: Knoxville Raceway

By
Official Release
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Friday, July 9
Track: Knoxville Raceway, .5-mile dirt oval
Race: 14 of 22
Event: Corn Belt 150 (150 laps, 75 miles)

Schedule
Thursday, July 8
Practice: 7:05 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)
Friday, July 9
Qualifying Races: 7:00 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)
Race: 8:00 p.m. ET (FOX Sports 1)

Hailie Deegan, No. 1 Toter Ford F-150

  • Deegan is making her 15th career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start for the inaugural race at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway. Deegan will have the opportunity to practice and qualify for Friday night’s event with qualifying heat races on Friday evening.
  • The NCWTS has completed one dirt race so far this season – Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Deegan started 22nd and finished 19th in her first go-around in a truck on dirt at the half-mile track.
  • Deegan has experience on a dirt oval in an ARCA car. In February 2019, she won the ARCA West event at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track.
  • The California native has competed at Knoxville one previous time. Last month, she participated in the SRX Racing Series at the Iowa dirt track. Deegan finished second in the event to Tony Stewart.
  • Two weeks ago at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, Deegan finished 26th after a flat tire forced her to unexpectedly pit and trapped her one lap down.

Tanner Gray, No. 15 Ford Performance F-150

  • Gray makes his 14th start of the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season at the Knoxville Raceway in Iowa.
  • At Pocono (Pa.) Raceway two weekends ago, Gray battled inside the top-10 early in the final stage, but tight handling on his F-150 continued to get worse during the long run and he finished in the 16th position.
  • The 22-year-old already has one truck start on dirt this season. At Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in March, Gray started 18th and finished 13th at the short-track.
  • Marcus Richmond will crew chief Gray’s No. 15 truck beginning this weekend at Knoxville. Richmond, a NCWTS veteran takes over the role from interim crew chief Seth Smith. Richmond has 10 wins and 17 pole awards in the series.

Donny Schatz, No. 17 Little Giant Ford F-150

  • Donny Schatz will make his first career NASCAR national series start at “The Sprint Car Capital of the World” on Friday night behind the wheel of the Little Giant Ford F-150.
  • The Fargo, North Dakota native has an incredible resume at the half-mile dirt oval with 27 career wins, 17 of them with the World of Outlaws, and 10 Knoxville Nationals victories in 22 Nationals A-Main appearances.
  • The 10-time Outlaw champion scored his historic 300th series victory on June 18th at the Dubuque (Iowa) Fairgrounds Speedway. So far in 2021, Schatz has one win, 20 top-fives and 28 top-10s in 40 starts.
  • The Truck Series rookie will be paired with Chad Johnston for this weekend. Johnston has worked with David Gilliland and Ryan Preece in the No. 17 truck this season and earned his first career Truck win at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway with Preece.

AMS ANNOUNCES PRE-RACE DIGNITARIES FOR QUAKER STATE 400 PRESENTED BY WALMART WEEKEND

By
Official Release
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HAMPTON, Ga. (July 5, 2021) – Before stock car racing’s best hit the track, several dignitaries will get fans and racers alike ready for NASCAR racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart (Sunday, July 11) Dignitaries:

  • Grand Marshal: Employees of the College Park, Ga., Walmart store will serve as Grand Marshals for the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart on Sunday, July 11. The team earned the opportunity through a contest between Walmart locations to say the most famous words in motorsports and kick off 400 miles of racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
  • Honorary Starter: Waving the green flag to kick off the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart is Samuel Wilson, otherwise known as “NASCAR Sammy”. An avid NASCAR fan and an advocate for autism awareness, Wilson went viral when he tweeted his desire to play a role in the start of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race in Atlanta. AMS is proud to welcome NASCAR Sammy up into the flagstand to kick off 400 miles of racing in Atlanta.
  • Honorary Pace Car Driver: The driver of the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart pace car is no stranger to Georgia sports fans; former Bulldog D’Andre Swift will lead the field to the green flag on Sunday. Swift logged 25 touchdowns and more than 3,500 yards from scrimmage over three seasons at UGA and reached the end zone 10 times for the Detroit Lions in his rookie season in 2020.
  • National Anthem Singer: Sunday’s national anthem will be performed by country singer and songwriter Corbette Jackson. Jackson grew up in Newnan, Ga., before moving to Nashville to pursue a career as a country music artist. Currently one of the most played independent artists on country radio, Jackson is currently preparing for the release of a new fundraiser single “Small Town Kid”, with profits from the song going to the Coweta Community Foundation tornado relief fund.
  • “God Bless America” Performer: Atlanta Operatic Tenor Timothy Miller will perform “God Bless America” during pre-race festivities for the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart. Miller is well known for his performances before Atlanta Braves home games and brings his powerful and legendary voice to NASCAR for the first time on Sunday.
  • Flyover: Streaking across the sky above Atlanta Motor Speedway during the national anthem on Sunday will be a C-130 and two HH60 gunner helicopters piloted from Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Ga.
  • Pre-race concert: As previously announced, breakout star BRELAND will get race fans revved up for the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart with a live concert on the pre-race stage at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 11. Pre-race track passes w with stage-front access to BRELAND’s concert and NASCAR Cup Series driver introductions on Atlanta Motor Speedway’s frontstretch are available. Insiders Club members can get pre-race track passes for a discounted price of $39; all other fans can experience the pre-race festivities up close for $49.

Credit Karma Money 250 (Saturday, July 10) Dignitaries:

  • Grand Marshal: Giving the command to start engines for Saturday’s Credit Karma Money 250 is Adam Ragan. An avid racing enthusiast, Adam is the son of former NASCAR Cup Series competitor Ken Ragan and brother of 2-time NASCAR Cup Series winner David Ragan. The Georgia native is no stranger to Atlanta Motor Speedway; when NASCAR isn’t racing on the 1.54-mile oval, Adam is typically found helping his father Ken during AMS Legends events at the speedway.
  • Honorary Pace Car Driver: Saturday’s honorary pace car driver will trade his two-wheel ride for four when he hops behind the wheel of the Credit Karma Money 250 pace car. Supercross racer Cameron McAdoo had an unforgettable trip to Atlanta earlier this year, rebounding from multiple accidents to earn a pair of podium finishes during the series’ Atlanta tripleheader in April. McAdoo will aim to have a less spectacular ride around the speedway when he leads the Xfinity Series field to the green flag.
  • National Anthem Singer: Douglasville, Ga., native Megan Danielle will sing the national anthem during Saturday’s pre-race festivities. Danielle was a contestant on Season 18 of NBC’s The Voice, ultimately reaching the top-9 of the competition.
  • Flyover: Saturday’s flyover will be performed by the Full Throttle Formation Team, with nine aircraft flying together over AMS before the start of the Credit Karma Money 250.

Tickets and camping for the July 10-11 Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart weekend are available at www.AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com.

About the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart:

New for 2021 the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart headlines the summer slate of NASCAR racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart will be the first NASCAR Cup Series race held at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the month of July since 1974. The 400-mile race is sure to be one of the most challenging races of the summer for NASCAR’s best.

Accompanying the Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart is the Credit Karma Money 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, July 10. The summer race will challenge the rising stars of the sport to stand out and succeed on one of the circuit’s most challenging tracks.

More information on the July 10-11, 2021 Quaker State 400 Presented by Walmart and ticket availability can be found online at AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com or by calling 877-9-AMS-TIX.

Follow Atlanta Motor Speedway:

Keep track of all of Atlanta Motor Speedway’s events by following on Twitter, Instagram, and become a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Atlanta Motor Speedway mobile app.

Fast But Unlucky, Jak Crawford Scores best F3 finish at Austria’s Red Bull Ring

By
Official Release
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SPIELBERG,AUSTRIA,04.JUL.21 - MOTORSPORTS, FORMULA 1 - Grand Prix of Austria, Red Bull Ring, FIA Formula 3. Image shows Jak Crawford (USA/ Hitch Grand Prix). Photo: GEPA pictures/ Manfred Binder

SPIELBERG, Austria (4 July 2021) – Jak Crawford had his most competitive weekend in FIA Formula 3 competition, scoring a career-best finish at the Red Bull Ring.

But it could have been even better. With a little luck, the 16-year-old Red Bull Junior Team driver from Houston might have had a pole, a race win, and another podium.

“Ever since the free practice, when I was second, I was up there,” Crawford said. “The speed was always top three, top five, but we only walked away with a few points. Quite sad, a bit unlucky, but at least we know the pace is there.”

After being placed eighth and fifth in first two the opening weekend races, he ran near the front in the following two 24-lap events, only to suffer heartbreaking problems in both of them.

Job one was qualifying, which was Crawford’s Achilles heel in both of his opening weekends in Barcelona, Spain and Le Castellet, France, where tire strategy kept him out of the top 12 in qualifying and came back to hurt him in all three races both weekends.

At Red Bull Ring, he had his best qualifying effort, leading the Hitech Grand Prix squad with his fifth-place result after being third until the closing moments of the session when traffic on a final flyer kept him from pushing for the front row.

“I was on a lap for pole when I got blocked,” he said. “But we knew the potential was there. We got fifth, which was good, but the potential for a pole was definitely there, for sure.”

Starting eighth in the opening 24-lap race Saturday morning, Crawford was held up on lap one in turn three and slipped back to 10th in the early laps. He then began working his way back to the front. He took fifth on lap 21, and nearly took fourth with two laps remaining before apparently finishing fifth. However, he was penalized for an incident when he was forced off track by another driver who also received a penalty or pushing Jak off the track, and was classified eighth – his best result of the season.

“The first was difficult, for sure, because I was in a DRS train and trying to be smart and strategic,” he said. “Unfortunately, I ended up getting a time penalty when I got bumped off the track and I kept my position. That was unfortunate, because even though I finished fifth in the race, there were a lot of penalties for track limits and I would have ended up second in the race.”

Starting fifth for the second race Saturday afternoon, Crawford gained two positions on the opening lap and took second on lap nine. Gaining on the leader only 1.2 second ahead and preparing to use the DRS to try for first, Crawford suddenly lost all the compression in his engine and pulled off to the side.

“I started the second on new tires, and the others in front of me were on new tires as well,” Crawford said. “I was catching the leader, and then my engine just gave in and wasn’t running at all. We really had the pace to win, for sure. At least we showed our potential.”

Crawford ran a steady race in Sunday’s finale. Lining up fifth per his initial qualifying time, Crawford ran fourth on the opening lap and then settled into fifth, where he remained for most of the event. Unfortunately, he had contact while fighting for position, resulting in a lost front wing and a 26th place finish.
“The third race was more difficult because we started on the used tires from the second race and I was very vulnerable,” Crawford explained. “Also, my new engine was not as good. I was getting lucky with the positions I was gaining. After the last safety car restart I lost the DRS I had and I got into a big battle, and it ended with contact – not the best move by me.”

The next F3 event will be at the Hungaroring in Budapest, Hungary on July 30-August 1. However, Crawford will compete at that circuit this weekend in the Euroformula Open Championship, where he won two races and finished second in his most recent weekend of competition.

“Running the Euroformula Open race is definitely going to help, because I’ve never been to Budapest,” Crawford said. “It’s definitely a new track for me. I get a test day this week on Thursday before the real weekend starts, so that track time should be good for learning the track. Also, I’ve done quite well on the simulator there, so hopefully I will be able to put it on the track as well.”

Ryan Preece – Turning obstacles into opportunities

By
Angie Campbell
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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

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