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Toyota Racing – NCS Road America Quotes – Denny Hamlin – 07.03.21

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Official Release
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Toyota Racing – Denny Hamlin
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (July 3, 2021) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to media after practice at Road America today:

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

How did you feel out there on that lap?

“It was good. The track is really fun. It’s different for sure, but fun. It’s really exciting. It’s like Watkins Glen in that sense, but overall, I like the racetrack.”

What is your reaction to the Trackhouse announcement?

“I thought it was a great move by Justin (Marks) and the Trackhouse guys. Did anyone really think that Ganassi (Chip Ganassi Racing) was for sale? I don’t think so, but I think they’ve got those relationships and he’s driven with them before, so I’m sure he’s had dialogue with them, but it was good. I think it’s good for our sport. I’m a little sad to see Chip (Ganassi) go. I really love Chip and what he’s about. We gain and we lose in that deal.”

Well, you’ve had some fun with Chip Ganassi over the years.

“Chip is just a great guy, a fun guy. He loves racing. Obviously, he’s still going to be racing in some capacity, but we are going to miss him in the NASCAR world.”

Does that become another avenue for you?

“I think every team owner has to weigh what their risk was, weigh what the outlook like. Like I said last week, you still have to have big money if you want to compete. Every team owner, whether it be in the front of the pack, middle of the pack or the back thinks about whether or not this business model is really going to work for them. There’s all kinds of avenues you can take to get charters, but ultimately writing the check is the easiest, but there are several different options.”

Is the track what you expected it to be?

“It’s just got so much flow to it. It’s got some fast speed stuff, heavy braking, tight corners, lefts and rights. It does have everything you would hope for in a track.”

Did you have any issues with any of the runoffs?

“Not really. Not that I could tell. I haven’t analyzed all of those major runoffs. What CotA is really great about is if you run long on a long straightaway, you’ve got room there for error and go about your business. Here I haven’t really analyzed where you are going to runoff. (Speaking about the kink) Yeah, that is a high-speed corner. You are trying to get all the speed out of it you can, and you know the exit is really important there.”

How much is the points battle a concern to you?

“I look at it – and if you look at the first 10 races, we were doing what he is doing – short of winning. The page flipped. We’ve pitted on the last lap the last three weeks, really not optimizing our day over the last few weeks and on top of that. Hendrick (Motorsports) and the Chevys in general have taken a big leap on the competition side. Frankly, the way I feel like the last two months have been, the fact that we still have something close to the lead is amazing.”

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.

CHEVROLET NTT INDYCAR SERIES-MID-OHIO: JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 XPEL TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, GRABS NTT P1 AWARD AT MID-OHIO

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
HONDA INDY 200 AT MID-OHIO
MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE IN LEXINGTON, OHIO
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTE
JOSEF NEWGARDEN QUICK POLE QUOTE
JULY 3, 2021

JOSEF NEWGARD CAPTURES NTT P1 AWARD AT MID-OHIO

LEXINGTON, OHIO – Josef Newgarden was a man on a nabbing the pole behind the wheel of the No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet by a mere three-thousandths of a second. It is the 14th P1 award of his career. Quick quote:

JOSEF NEWGARDEN: That was a little tighter than I wanted it to be. I about fell apart the second half of that lap. I opened the lap really well. The car has been on rails right out of the box. I am really proud of the team. Obviously thanks to this whole group here. Everyone at Team Penske has been on it! We’ve had some troubles the last couple weeks securing a win, but I can’t ask much different. They are doing everything they need to do to win these races. Excited to have another chance with a really great car. Team Chevy keeps doing a great job for us.. It’s good to have XPEL on the car. They’ve been a great partner for us the last couple of years. There is an anniversary! I didn’t know this coming into it. This is the 50th year today for Team Penske and Roger Penske scoring the first win for the organization with Mark Donohue. I was thinking of how cool it is to be in the car here racing today. Every now and then you have moments where you reflect that you are actually doing this. It’s so cool It’s a dream to drive for Roger and this entire group. So proud of everybody. Hopefully we can seal one off tomorrow—that’s what we need to do!

“I knew the third lap would be the money lap on used red tires. I opened the lap really well and then started losing time in Turn Four, all the way to the line. I was just trying to keep it together – Tim (Cindric) was telling me exactly what we needed and we got it. Really proud of everyone, the car looks good and it’s fast, and Team Chevy has done a great job so we just need to keep it together tomorrow. We need a good, clean day and I think we have the car to do that, and I know we’re capable. You have the curse of wanting to do well and get a good result when you know you’re capable as a team, but I’ve been racing long enough to see the ebbs and flows and I know that if we keep doing what we’re doing, it will come.

“There’s a lot of respect for Honda as our competitor, here at one of their home races. You want to have a good battle with someone who pushes you and they push us as hard as you can push. I’m proud to be backed by Chevrolet: every one of my INDYCAR wins has come with Chevrolet engine power so I’m pretty comfortable with where I’m at. I’m looking forward to putting them on top tomorrow.”

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.

Josef Newgarden edges out Colton Herta for Mid-Ohio Pole

By
Briar Starr
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Photo courtesy of IndyCar

Within the last few minutes of Fast Six qualifying at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden outperformed Colton Herta by 0.0031 of a second to win his third pole of the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series season after laying down a lap of 1:06.6739.

The pole position is much needed for Newgarden after a frustrating result of 21st after dominating the Road America race a few weeks ago.

“That was a little tighter than I wanted it to be,” Newgarden said about the pole run. “I about fell apart the second half of that lap. I opened the lap really well. The car has been on rails right out of the box. I am really proud of the team.

“Obviously thanks to this whole group here. Everyone at Team Penske has been on it. We’ve had some troubles the last couple weeks securing a win, but I can’t ask much different. They are doing everything they need to do to win these races. Excited to have another chance with a really great car. Team Chevy keeps doing a great job for us.

“It’s good to have XPEL on the car. They’ve been a great partner for us the last couple of years. There is an anniversary. I didn’t know this coming into it. This is the 50th year today for Team Penske and Roger Penske scoring the first win for the organization with Mark Donohue. I was thinking of how cool it is to be in the car here racing today. Every now and then you have moments where you reflect that you are actually doing this. It’s so cool It’s a dream to drive for Roger and this entire group. So proud of everybody. Hopefully, we can seal one off tomorrow—that’s what we need to do.”

Colton Herta appeared to be in a good position to secure the pole before he was knocked off the top spot. Nevertheless, the Andretti Autosport driver will have a good starting spot for Sunday’s race at Mid-Ohio after he qualified on the outside pole with a time of 1:06.6770. The front row start is Herta’s fourth of the season with the exception of his pole run at St. Petersburg.

“You have to think that there’s 3/1000ths in it somewhere,” Herta said. “It’s a little disappointing when you lose by
that much. I think it’s like the third straight weekend I finished second during qualifying. In the Detroit race, too.
Road America. And now here. So I’m getting tired of it. I gotta get around it. It’s always fun to battle with Josef, and especially for the race. He’s one of the guys that’s extremely clean in the series and always races hard. I’m looking forward to that now.”

There were numerous incidents of note that occurred during the first session of qualifying.

During the session, the No. 60 of Jack Harvey came to a stop in Turn 9 bringing out a local yellow. As Harvey’s car was stopped on track, the No. 27 of Alexander Rossi and the No. 22 of Simon Pagenaud went flying by the No. 60 without slowing down.

As a result, both Rossi’s and Pagenaud’s current lap was deleted for failing to reduce speed. The same penalty was handed to Harvey as well.

Despite Rossi receiving the early penalty, he was able to bounce back and be a part of the Fast Six and qualified sixth, setting a pace of 1:07.2181.

“Qualifying was dramatic,” Rossi said. “The yellow flag in the first round really hurt us, but fortunately with INDYCAR rules if you cause another car to slow down your lap gets deleted, so we were able to transfer in. From there, we were able to show the pace of the car. Round 2 was quite good for us, but ultimately we didn’t have the pace in the (Firestone) Fast 6 round. Not quite what we wanted, but we have one more practice to get the NAPA AUTO PARTS Honda dialed in for the race.”

IndyCar will have one more practice session Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. ET lasting approximately 30 minutes, live on Peacock (with a subscription).

The Honda Indy 200 is scheduled to go green Sunday at 12:05 p.m. ET live on NBC for the 80-lap race.

Official Starting Line Up for Sunday’s Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course:
  1. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 01:06.6739 (121.919)
  2. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 01:06.6770 (121.913)
  3. (8) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 01:07.0723 (121.195)
  4. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 01:07.1161 (121.115)
  5. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 01:07.1358 (121.080)
  6. (27) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 01:07.2181 (120.932)
  7. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 01:06.4883 (122.259)
  8. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 01:06.5946 (122.064)
  9. (29) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 01:06.6134 (122.030)
  10. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 01:06.7517 (121.777)
  11. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 01:06.7671 (121.749)
  12. (14) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 01:06.9232 (121.465)
  13. (7) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 01:06.7898 (121.707)
  14. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 01:06.7313 (121.814)
  15. (22) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 01:06.8437 (121.609)
  16. (18) Ed Jones, Honda, 01:06.7882 (121.710)
  17. (59) Max Chilton, Chevrolet, 01:06.8473 (121.603)
  18. (51) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 01:06.8642 (121.572)
  19. (30) Takuma Sato, Honda, 01:07.0951 (121.153)
  20. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 01:06.8679 (121.565)
  21. (4) Dalton Kellett, Chevrolet, 01:07.5866 (120.272)
  22. (45) Santino Ferrucci, Honda, 01:06.9254 (121.461)
  23. (60) Jack Harvey, Honda, 01:07.6740 (120.117)
  24. (20) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 01:07.0704 (121.198)
  25. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Honda, 01:08.4077 (118.829)
  26. (52) Ryan Norman, Honda, 01:07.4714 (120.478)

CHEVROLET NTT INDYCAR SERIES-MID-OHIO: ARROW MCLAREN SP TEAM ZOOM TRANSCRIPT

By
Official Release
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CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
HONDA INDY 200 AT MID-OHIO
MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE IN LEXINGTON, OHIO
ARROW MCLAREN SP TEAM ZOOM CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
JULY 2, 2021

ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET TEAM HOSTED A ZOOM CONFERENCE FOR MEDIA WITH DRIVERS FELIX ROSENQVIST, NO. 7 VUSE ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, AND PATO O’WARD, NO.5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET AND TEAM PRESIDENT TAYLOR KIEL. FULL TRANSCRIPT:

MODERATOR: FELIX TALK ABOUT GETTING BACK IN THE CAR WITH YOUR TEAM AT MID-OHIO.
FELIX ROSENQVIST: I am just really pumped to be back. I feel fine to drive. The whole team is ready to have a good second part of the season and try to get some momentum. Good to be back.”

MODERATOR: PATO HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO YOU TO HAVE A GOOD RESULT THIS WEEKEND AND SCORE SOME CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS HEADING INTO A LONG BREAK?
PATO O’WARD: It is going to be very important I think. We’ve had a good, strong start to the first half of the season. There has been certain weekends where I don’t think we maximized, and we can’t have any of those. We are in the championship fight with Ganassi cars, (Scott) Dixon and (Alex) Palou who have been extremely strong everywhere we go. Like I’ve said to the team, there is a time to push it and it’s now. We need to stay on top of it because every point is going to be gold between now and Long Beach. We just need to try and out score them every weekend.

MODERATOR: TAYLOR, HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE A BREAK TO GET THE TEAM RECHARGE AND REFOCUS GOING INTO THE PUSH AT THE END OF THE SEASON?
TAYLOR KIEL: It can serve two purposes. The break, if you have a lot of momentum and you are operating well and running well, you just want to keep going. But I think it is certainly good for everyone to have a mental break. What we ask everybody to do every day in motorsport is very stressful, so any time away I think is good and it gives everybody a chance to recharge the batteries. We are obviously at the mid-point of the season and this is where as Pato mentioned where we really need to take it to another level. We’ll take the break coming up after Mid-Ohio to recharge the batteries and hone in on some of the focus areas so we can finish the year strong.

OPEN FOR QUESTIONS FOR THE MEDIA:
FELIX, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE STRUGGLES YOU HAD DURING THE WEEK FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT IN DETROIT?
ROSENQVIST: The reason I didn’t get cleared, INDYCAR didn’t clear me is because the concussion test, which doesn’t really mean I had a concussion, there was some indication that something could be wrong and they didn’t want to take the risk which I fully understand. Obviously it was frustrating when you feel fine but it was just whatever they say goes. It’s something you can’t really change. None of this is something I can change. You just have to accept it and look forward. I don’t really feel like I have had massive issues mentally to go through because there is nothing I can change. I think it is like always if you make a big mistake and put yourself in that situation, its different. Things are just the way they are and I try in general to never dwell on things that happen. They can’t change. We’re back now and we just have to continue where we left off because at the time the incident we were really in a good place and on our way to turn around the season a little bit. We will try to get a good result at Mid-Ohio.

PATO, ON THE TV BROADCAST, WE’VE SEEN HOW STOIC AND CALM TAYLOR IS. WHAT IS A SIDE OF HIM WE HAVEN’T SEEN?:
O’WARD: He loosens up He loosens up. He is a fun guy to have around. I think what I feel like is really nice. This kind of goes toward the whole team, but specifically with the big guys. I feel like whenever I’m around either Taylor, Sam (Schmidt), Rick (Peterson) and Zak (Brown) they are the bosses but it is like having a best friend. And, you can talk to them like a best friend. I don’t know if you get where I am trying to go with that. It’s just really nice. I’m really happy where I’m at. Taylor is a fun guy, he can sound like he’s very serious all the time. He is very professional. Unlike myself, sometimes I can be very loud and obnoxious. Taylor can control himself a little bit more.

WHAT MAKES MID-OHIO SUCH A SPECIAL TRACK FOR YOU FELIX? YOU’VE ALMOST WON THERE:
ROSENQVIST: It’s a good question. We did a track walk yesterday and its just something with this track. I feel I’m always…there is good energy when you are here. It is a beautiful place. There are always a lot of people here and I feel like the fans are the right kind of fans. They are really diehard hard-core fans that come here to Mid-Ohio. They will spend the whole day in the sun. I just think somehow it is a special event. And the track is amazing. When you walk the track, you think you can’t pass here because it is so tight and twisty. But then it always produces some pretty good racing. The race format is pretty good and interesting with strategy. It is just one of those INDYCAR classics that kind of has everything, and personally I’ve had good success here. No better place to come back to.

PATO, YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE RACE BEING FIVE LAPS LONGER. DOES THAT CHANGE YOUR APPROACH?
O’WARD: Not really. I leave all the strategy to my team because I’m not like the most experienced at that. I’m pretty sure five more laps longer will open the windows to a two or three stopper which makes the racing cooler. Not just a straight forward fuel save and that’s what it is going to be. I think its nice. I’m happy the race is five laps longer. I don’t know how many more approaches we can take to it, but I am pretty sure that will open to a three stopper to maximize what you have.

TAYLOR, HOW GOOD IS IT FOR THE TEAM TO HAVE FELIX BACK THIS WEEKEND AND GOING FORWARD?
KIEL: It’s huge. It is something we have talked about. Felix kind of alluded to it. We finally felt like we were turning the corner in Detroit. I think we had a really good car. Felix was comfortable. We were ready, and then it didn’t happen. We need to turn the corner. This is a pretty good place to do it. That is what our focus is now. Securing good results week after week and building on the momentum so we can maximize the second half of the year. I know the potential is there. Felix is driving well. We just need to get the whole package together. Once we do that I have no doubt he will be running up toward the front where he belongs.

FELIX, WERE THEY TREATING YOU LIKE YOU HAD A CONCUSSION? WHAT WERE YOU ALLOWED TO DO, OR NOT DO. WHAT KIND OF THINGS WERE YOU DOING? WERE THEY TREATING YOU LIKE YOU HAD A CONCUSSION WANTING YOU TO DO A CONCUSSION-LIKE RECOVERY?
ROSENQVIST: After you have a crash like that obviously, I was more worried on the physical side because I had a lot of pain in my body. But I had nothing broken so it was nothing that would be really an issue to drive with. You just have to deal with the pain. But that was my biggest worry. But then when we found out there were some symptoms of a concussion when I did a test, it’s a normal procedure. You can’t watch too many screens, not do any big exercise for awhile. So I think everyone treated [me] really well and I got a lot of good help from INDYCAR to put me through the best possible rehab for the following weeks. And now I feel 99% recovered and I think it is thanks to all of the professionals that helped me to get to this place so quickly. So its been really good how everyone handled it. I think it is one of those things that you can’t be too careful. You only have one brain, so I don’t mind them caring for me.

WERE YOU ALLOWED TO TRAIN AS USUAL, OR WHERE YOU WITHHELD FROM THAT TOO?
ROSENQVIST: Actually the latest studies show that if you have a concussion or symptoms of one it is better to do light exercise with very low heart rate. Maybe like 30 minutes every day. That is something I did which seemed to really help especially on the physical side. I did some exercise and then I ramped it up. Now I am pretty much doing the same exercise I did before Detroit.

IS IT DISRUPTIVE TO HAVE SUBSTITUTE DRIVERS IN THE CAR?
KIEL: It’s not easy. You certainly want Felix in the car every weekend. But the good thing is we were able to lean into certainly Oliver (Askew) in Detroit and the guys were familiar with each other. We were able to get all the difficult things you have to do in that situation done. He did a great job and so very happy with that. Then we had a little bit of time. Thought Kevin (Magnussen) might be a good fit for one of these things. That came together very quickly for the Road America piece. We were able to try a few things, but the total focus was making sure we were maximizing the No. 5 car throughout the process. Certainly we were out to collect points with both entries. But you have to be very focused when something like this happens.

PATO WAS IT DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO NOT HAVE YOUR FULLTIME TEAMMATE DURING THE TWO RACES?
O’WARD: I certainly missed Felix. But you kind of have to mentalize yourself as in do your own program. Pay attention to what you need from the car. Honestly I feel like that is what INDYCAR is. There are teams that have two, three, four cars, and honestly sometimes we drive differently. Everybody drives differently and everybody needs different things from the car to be able to extract the time. Sometimes what our teammates have is useless to us. Sometimes its not useless to us. Sometimes it helps us. Its kind of like 50-50. Is it going to help? Is it not going to help? I kind of just focus on what I need from the car and get what works for me. I know that I drive very different to many other drivers. The way I extract the time from the car is very different. Some people can’t be driving the same thing they are because it’s just not going to be quick enough for them.

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF PATO SAYING HE WAS GOING TO WIN AND THEN DEDICATING HIS DETROIT WIN TO YOU?
ROSENQVIST: That was pretty awesome. We talked in the morning and Pato said he was going to win this one for you. We kind of joked about it. We were driving back home, my girlfriend was driving and I was watching the race. It was pretty cool when he said that after the race. He is a man of his word!

DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING BEING OUT OF THE CAR WATCHING THE RACES THAT MAYBE YOU CAN APPLY NOW THAT YOU ARE BACK IN THE CAR?
ROSENQVIST: I thought it was interesting following the race from the outside. I always try to do the best I can in whatever situation I am in. I thought there were things you can learn just observing. Spending more time observing other drivers as well. During the weekend you don’t really have time to look at much because you are busy with your own stuff. I had a lot of time to analyze everything all around. I thought it was interesting. But we have such a tight stretch with races I don’t really feel like it was a really bad thing to be…it’s always bad when others can be in the car and your not. But it would have been worse if it was a massive…if I was out of the car for two months or something. But just missing two weeks I don’t really think it will affect me in anyway really. I feel fine, and I think I will be at the level I was before I came to Detroit. I think everything will be fine.

WHAT ARE YOUR EMOTIONS GETTING BACK IN THE CAR?
ROSENQVIST: It’s like when you get in the car for the first time in the season and you are really excited to see how it feels. I feel a certain level of that I guess. It’s crazy how quickly you become hungry especially when you are not driving, when you are just watching everyone else drive. You just want to get back into it you picture it and you think about it. Hopefully that kind of fire will be a positive thing as well.

PATO, AS YOU MENTIONED YOU ARE OUTNUMBERED BY THE GANASSI TEAM. HOW AGGRESSIVE CAN YOU BE AT MID-OHIO?
O’WARD: I think it is pretty straightforward. We just have to score more points than both of them. I don’t think it gets simpler than that.

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.

Atlanta Speedwerks Wins Second Consecutive IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Race at Watkins Glen

By
Official Release
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Photo credit Daylon Barr Photography

The No. 84 Honda Civic TCR of Brian Henderson and Robert Noaker Take Friday’s Win Just Five Days After Team’s Maiden Victory

WATKINS GLEN, New York (July 3, 2021) – Less than one week after the team’s first IMSA win, Atlanta Speedwerks followed it up with a second IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge win at Watkins Glen. Brian Henderson and Robert Noaker won for the first time in their IMSA careers on Friday in the two-hour race, backing up a win by the sister car co-driven by Ryan Eversley and Todd Lamb in the four-hour race last Saturday.

The race came down to a final full course caution and restart with eight minutes left. Noaker, driving the No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR, held the lead as the skies threatened rain. A lapped GS-class car jammed up a pack of the top four with just three laps to go, forcing Noaker to lose the lead and then reclaim it in the same traffic just a few laps later.

“This win feels very different and a lot better than anything else I’ve ever gotten,” Noaker said. “It was really just trying to save the tires for the end of the race just in case a caution happened, and there was a caution. Then it was all out, as fast as you can possibly go. There were four cars trying to get the lead and you could go from first to third and back to first again in one lap.”

With grip going away as a light rain fell, that was even more difficult. Add in traffic, and Noaker earned the win.

“There was a slower GS car that was in the mix of all this,” Noaker said. “All of us were trying to get around him. I tried to go around the outside of him in the carousel and there was too much rain and no grip out there. That’s how the Audi got around us. Then there were two more GS cars on the next lap going into the bus stop. They were racing for position, and we were racing for position, and nobody wants to give up any ground. the Audi slipped up in the bus stop and I was able to go around the outside of him.”

Noaker had the comfort of knowing that the No. 84 car had been the quickest all race long, leading 15 laps in Henderson’s opening stint and 40 laps in total. That proved true, with Noaker breaking free of the battle in the final two laps and winning by 1.726 seconds at the checkered flag.

Henderson, who qualified second, took the lead on the 14th lap of the race and held on until his green-flag pit stop on lap 28 with 54 minutes remaining in the race. Henderson’s stint actually began under yellow after a competitor spun and dumped oil on the pace lap, necessitating the opening 18 minutes to be run under yellow.

“I was just trying to keep the car clean and give it to Robert in the best position possible so that we could go out there and have a strong finish,” Henderson said. “We had a little bit of a rocky start to the season but things seem to be getting better. Once I got out front I just tried to stay clean and run consistently quick laps to try and get a gap and hand the car over to Robert in first.”

The win was the first in IMSA competition for Noaker, who earned seven wins previously in MX-5 Cup competition, and the first professional win for Henderson, who has been on the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge podium previously.

The No. 94 Qelo Capital/Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR crossed the finish line in second place, but was moved to the rear of the finishing order when it didn’t meet the minimum weight standard in post-race technical inspection. The team is expected to appeal the ruling through the appropriate channels.

Atlanta Speedwerks and the Michelin Pilot Challenge field returns to action at Lime Rock Park, July 16 – 17.

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.

Stoner Car Care Racing Completes the Double at Watkins Glen

By
Official Release
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Two consecutive weekends of Michelin Pilot Challenge competition yield solid results for the team

WATKINS GLEN, NY (3 July 2021) – The Stoner Car Care Racing fielded by Automatic Racing team completed a solid week of action at Watkins Glen International with a steady performance in Friday’s Sahlen’s 120, race five of the 2021 Michelin Pilot Challenge season.

Drivers Rob Ecklin Jr. (Lancaster, Pa.) and Ramin Abdolvahabi (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) returned to Watkins Glen International for the second consecutive weekend, after seeing the No. 09 Stoner Car Care Aston Martin Vantage GT4 take the lead for 11 laps in last weekend’s four-hour Tioga Downs Casino Resort 240.

The duo had some extra work during the sprint race, as the Aston Martin was carrying 30 kilos (66 lbs.) of added ballast following a performance adjustment by IMSA. The added weight effects all aspects of the car’s performance, from acceleration to braking, but the team worked hard to adjust and still get the maximum lap time from the Aston Martin.

Part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s WeatherTech 240 at the Glen, the tight, two-day event began with a one-hour practice session and 15-minute qualifying scheduled for Thursday afternoon and evening. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans, as torrential rains prompted the team to make the difficult decision to forego the practice session – especially considering the extensive track time the team had experienced just a few days earlier. Abdolvahabi took the wheel for qualifying, putting the Aston Martin P18 for Friday’s race.

Abdolvahabi was set to take the green flag for the afternoon race start until a car lost control on the pace lap and crashed into a barrier in Turn 7. The race clock began as scheduled as the field continued under yellow behind the pace car, with the green flag finally coming out 17 minutes into the race.

Under increasingly threatening skies, Abdolvahabi began to make his way through the field, taking advantage of penalties and early attrition to reach 13th place before heading to pit lane for fuel, four Michelin tires and a change to Ecklin.

“We had a good jump at the start and the car felt good,” said Abdolvahabi. “Our strategy was to work with the yellows, but the extra yellow at the end put a damper on that. But all in all, it was a clean race, with good pit stops. The track felt a bit slower than last week because of the change in temperature. But it was a good week here at Watkins Glen.”

Ecklin returned to the fray mired in the TCR class and worked hard to extricate himself from the slower cars. With 49 minutes remaining, he had returned to the GS class competitors in 15th position but had to pit with 25 minutes remaining which put him back into 17th. Ecklin once again set about making his way forward, but a lengthy late yellow and intermittent rain impeded his progress. When the checkered flag fell, the team had taken a hard-fought 16th place finish.

“It was a challenging stint,” said Ecklin. “We ran good pace, with good lap times, but we struggled to get the slick tires up to temperatures coming away from the pit stops – and then of course, we had some rain to deal with. That late restart made for a fight to the finish. We ended up P16, which is the same position we ended up in last weekend.

“It was fun to do back-to-back races at Watkins Glen. I was pleased to have a stint with better lap times though not happy we weren’t able to improve our position. This is a tough track and you have to fight hard. Nothing comes easy here but that makes it fun.”

About Stoner Car Care
Stoner Car Care produces high-performance car washes, waxes, polishes, and dressings for auto enthusiasts and car care professionals. The Stoner Car Care lineup includes Invisible Glass, America’s #1 Automotive Glass Cleaner, along with many other appearance products. Whether driving, washing or waxing, Performance Matters! Stoner Car Care proudly formulates all of our product since 1942. www.stonercarcare.com

About Invisible Glass
Automatic Racing sees its way to victory with Invisible Glass, the top-selling automotive glass cleaner in the United States. The Invisible Glass product line includes aerosol and spray bottle cleaner, Invisible Glass with rain repellent for windshields and wiper blades. Find more online at https://www.invisibleglass.com/

About Automatic Racing
Based in Orlando, Automatic Racing is one of the longest-running teams in the paddock, forming in 2001 and competing in all but one of the 11 MICHELIN Pilot Challenge races at Daytona. The team has been developing, preparing and racing the prestigious Aston Martin Vantage GT4 since 2012. Automatic Racing won the 2017 MICHELIN Pilot Challenge title.
https://automaticracing.com

Strong Seventh for Gilbert/Korthoff Motorsports in WeatherTech Debut

By
Official Release
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WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (3 July 2021) – Gilbert/Korthoff Motorsports made its debut in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD competition on Friday, earning plenty of hard-earned knowledge with a seventh-place finish in Friday evening’s WeatherTech 240 at Watkins Glen International.

Shane Lewis and Guy Cosmo shared the wheel of the No. 32 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, finishing overall in the race scheduled for two hours, 40 minutes.

A thunderstorm near the one-hour mark brought out the red flag, delaying the action for nearly one hour. When racing resumed, Cosmo was running 10th – and improved three positions in the 28-minute sprint to the finish.

“I feel so good, and so happy,” Cosmo said. “The guys did an incredible job. They nailed it on our first pit stop – the tires were done before the fuel was. We got the driver change done, and no infractions. We were competitive. It’s such a crazy range of emotions. We know we have a lot of work to do, but it’s so encouraging to know that we’re in the hunt and there’s so much potential here. It’s a great way for Gilbert/Korthoff to start off in this series.”

Cosmo pointed out that due to the lack of track time prior to the start of the race, Lewis had little indication of what to expect from the new car early in the race. Lewis was able to use his experience to get right into a steady pace and keep up with the field for his 52-minute stint – even though it was soaked at one half of the track and dry at the other prior to his pit stop.

“I’m super-proud of each member of the team,” Lewis said. “I didn’t know hardly any of them when I got here. It really shows you that hard work pays off, with the team effort they put together. I had a blast in my first time back in an IMSA race in five years.”

Lewis was impressed with the performance of the new Mercedes.

“The moment they said it was going to be an AMG-Mercedes, I wanted in,” Lewis said. “That’s one of the reasons I was so enthusiastic about being part of this program. It did everything I expected and wanted it to do, and more.”

After enjoying winning success in IMSA LMP3 competition, the team moved up to GTD and took possession of a brand-new Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo less than a month ago. The team had a pair of shakedown tests – including one at the Glen – but this weekend was the team’s first official GTD outing.

“Operationally, this was a critical weekend for us as a group, just to dive into an IMSA weekend and learn as much as we could and build from there, so I’m thrilled with how things went,” Cosmo said. “We had never had this car on the setup pad; our crew had never done a pit stop; we had never even practiced before. We need a couple of months of testing to expect to be competitive at this level of GTD in WeatherTech. But we have all the right stuff. This Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo is a proven winner. But we are running it the way it was when it came off the airplane when it was delivered to us. It’s never been aligned, no adjustments, nothing.”

The next IMSA event takes the GTD field to Lime Rock Park for the Northeast Grand Prix July 16-17th. After Lime Rock, the next event is the IMSA Sportscar Weekend August 5-8 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.

Exclusive interview with Corvette Racing driver Tommy Milner

By
Briar Starr
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Corvette Racing; Corvette C8.R at Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen, NY; June 25-27, 2021; C8.R #3 driven by Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor; C8.R #4 driven by Nick Tandy and Tommy Milner (©Eric Klauser/Chevrolet)

In this week’s Q&A interview, Speedway Media caught up with current GTLM and Corvette Racing driver Tommy Milner. Milner has competed for Corvette Racing since 2011 where he debuted for them at the Sebring race.

Milner, a Winchester, Virginia native, discusses what he thinks is his best season is to date and what he considers as the most special win he’s given to Corvette Racing among many other topics.

SM: You’ve competed for Corvette Racing since 2011 and you have 14 overall wins which include the American Le Mans Series and eventually the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series. which season do you think is your best season with Corvette Racing and why?

TM: “The best (season) can kind of go different ways, right?” Milner said about the season. “Sometimes, the best can emotionally, in some way, the feelings you get throughout the year, some are better than others. I think 2012 stands out (as my best season); that year was my first championship, first ALMS win, just a year where everything kind of went right.”

“Getting some of those wins made me feel a bit more comfortable and established some way with the team. All things considered, 2012 is my best year for sure.”

SM: As a follow-up to that question, which of those 14 wins for Corvette is the most special? Or are there any podiums that remain especially meaningful to you?

TM: “Le Mans in 2015, that one we really had just a faultless race from start to finish in tough conditions,” he said. “2013 Sebring stands out, those moments where everything comes together. You know, driving-wise, the cars feel great, I felt like I was at the top of my game. Getting those wins in those situations, that validation goes a long way.”

SM: Is there a moment where you wish you had one of those races that got away, back?

TM: “Daytona (2015), I’m not sure what year that was, but we were on a restart and we were first and second and I got caught up with a slow DP car and got damaged and that was already after we came back from a problem,” Milner stated. “The 15 car came out of the infield and got really loose and just bailed basically. I thought I had enough of a gap, but obviously not and I made contact. That was a race that definitely stands out.”

SM: If your driving career was over tomorrow, but you had the option to stay in the sport whether it’s as a crew chief, engineer, specialist, marketing, Public Relations, etc., what would your other career choice be if you stuck around in motorsports but were not racing in IMSA?

TM: “(My other career) would be something like a mechanic or engineer in some way because that was my upbringing in racing,” he said. “My dad was a team owner and he had an engineering mind and my brother-in-law was a crew chief, so I connected really well when I was younger with the guys working on the cars day in, day out.”

SM: Sometimes people get mistaken for other people and that especially happens in racing a lot. Have you ever been mistaken for someone while on the grid for an IMSA event and if so, who?

TM: “I get a lot of Oliver Gavins (Milner’s teammate),” Milner said. “I get some Jordan Taylors every now and then.

SM: If you could relive a moment in your career, what moment would you choose to relive?

TM: “I think if I could relieve the first Le Mans win now, I would appreciate it a little bit more but I think that’s what made that victory so special,” he said. “Just the way the race played out and everything. That was my first year with Corvette Racing.”

SM: Your first race with Corvette Racing came in 2011 at Sebring. What do you remember about that race and how you came about with Corvette Racing?

TM: “I have absolutely zero memory of that race to be honest with you,” Milner jokingly says. “Not because (the race) was bad or anything. My first real race was at Le Mans with the team and the test with Corvette at the end of 2010 at Sebring, those I remember very well. The race itself, I just don’t remember much.”

SM: I am sure there are many achievements you would like to cross off well before you retire, however, is there a checklist or bucket list item that you want to complete before retirement?

TM: “I would love to do a lot of different styles of racing in some way,” the Corvette Racing driver said. “I think it would be fun to do a little bit of off-road racing, some NASCAR, local short-tracks, etc. More than anything, the off-road stuff. It appeals to me more, but as far as accomplishments, I would l love to get a win at the 6 Hours of The Glen, which I thought was looking okay last weekend but that’s how it (racing) goes.”

SM: For someone who doesn’t know what it’s like sitting in a GTLM car, can you describe what the feeling is like when you’re going at fast speeds on different tracks across the states?

TM: “These days it feels like the cars are overachieving, considering where the cars started from 2006,” he said. “The class hasn’t changed much. Nowadays with the cars having so much more downforce, tires having a lot more grip, cars being more sophisticated, they are a lot faster.”

“There are a couple of corners at a couple of racetracks, where the car and track combination nowadays is incredible. Mosport is one of them, Road Atlanta is one of them. The Glen here is pretty impressive. The cars are very fast these days and very fast to drive.”

SM: Wrapping this interview up, let’s say someone were to play you in a racing movie. What would the title of the movie be and who is going to play Tommy Milner?

TM: “Unfortunately, I don’t watch much TV or movies to have a favorite actor who I think would play me well in a Sports Car movie,” Milner said. “Perhaps one of my teammates would suit me well.”

Fans of Tommy Milner can follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Additionally, you can follow Corvette Racing on Twitter and Instagram and visit their website here.

Throughout Milner’s current IMSA career, he has scored eight career victories, 23 podium finishes and six pole positions. He won the championship back in 2016 and in 2012 in the former American Le Mans Series.

Furthermore, he has four career wins in the NASCAR Rolex Grand-Am Series and six wins in the American Le Mans Series.

Special thanks to Tommy Milner for taking time out of his busy schedule to conduct this interview and many thanks to Ryan Smith for coordinating the interview.

Dawson Racing D3+Transformers Battles Throughout IMSA WeatherTech 240 at Watkins Glen

By
Official Release
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The No. 84 D3+Transformers LMP3 drivers Dominic Cicero and Theodor Olsen pose with some Dawson Racing crew members

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y., July 2 – The No. 84 Dawson Racing D3+Transformers team turned in a sixth-place result in the LMP3 class of the WeatherTech 240 at Watkins Glen International on Friday evening, wrapping up two races in six days at the historic track in Upstate New York.

Less than a week after the Dawson team made its debut in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen with another sixth-place result, Friday’s two-hour and 40-minute contest represented the first sprint race for the organization in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. However, while the six-hour race was relatively drama free for the group, the team and drivers Theodor Olsen and Dominic Cicero faced numerous challenges during this weekend’s event on the 3.4-mile, 11-turn road course.

Olsen qualified in the fifth position on Thursday in the Dawson Ligier JS P320 despite a spin while vying for second, but he was required to start from the rear of the grid per IMSA rules after the team elected to change engines overnight. Soon after the race began the young Norwegian driver found himself down on power and was forced to go to the garage around the 40-minute mark to replace faulty fuel injectors.

As the team made repairs, rain came during the race’s first full-course yellow with just over an hour complete. The red flag was soon displayed for lightning in the area, with the race stopped for a total of 45 minutes and 47 seconds.

The No. 84 was back on track with Dominic Cicero behind the wheel when the green flag was again displayed with just 36 minutes remaining. The driver from La Quinta, California, piloted the car on a damp, but drying racetrack until the engine issues returned and the team elected to retire with eight laps remaining. Part of the decision was a show of sportsmanship to not affect the outcome of the race in any class due to being down on power.

The No. 74 from Riley Motorsports claimed the LMP3 win, with the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac taking the overall victory.

Ian Dawson, CEO/COO, No. 84 D3+Transformers LMP3:
“The target was to get a good finish; we changed the engine as a precaution to make sure
we could do that and unfortunately right from lap one we had a problem with the engine we tried to rectify. We lost 19 laps while the injectors were changed. The engine ran okay for a little while, but then started to slow and slow and slow, and rather than cause any damage with eight laps to go we decided to just bring the car to the garage and save a potential blown engine or jeopardizing someone else’s race.”

Theodor Olsen, driver, No. 84 D3+Transformers LMP3:
“It was not the race we expected today. We had a good feeling when we were out on the grid, all the fans were watching and some children came by and said, ‘Good luck and nice car with the Transformers.’ That really elevated my whole feeling about this. We were really hoping for a good race. When the green lights came on, we didn’t have the power like the other cars in front of me. I couldn’t get up to them. So, I then told Ian [Dawson] that we had some problem with the engine knowing we changed engines yesterday and he had me bring it back to the garage for repairs. We need to find out why the new engine had injector issues and go from there.”

Dominic Cicero, driver, No. 84 D3+Transformers LMP3:
“It was my first time in the car for the weekend when I got in for a stint after the garage stop. I hadn’t really done any laps yet and was trying to get used to the wets [tires] and the new setup in the middle of a restart, which was difficult to say the least. I was just trying to stay out of everybody’s way so we would not ruin their race. I know we were a few laps down from our fuel issue. We had a fuel injector issue that caused a loss of power. So, we were just out there more to cruise around and see if we fixed it. That was the hardest part, just not messing up the GTD and prototypes and everybody’s race, with tough conditions. It was drying; it was super wet on the ”Boot” side of the track with slicks on, and then it was dry on sector one, and coming through these last couple corners of sector three and then into one. It was a risk-reward issue I think for me, so I did not push too hard. But we had the same issue that we came in for earlier in the race. The engine was cutting power and we couldn’t keep up with anybody on the straightaway. Such a pity.

“I think instead of damaging the motor and all the laps we were down already, we decided to bring the car back in. Then I think for me I just felt like we were a hindrance in the race with the DPis, because we were off the pace there and I was running more with the GTDs and their pace. I think the wiser part of that was to regroup and reset and to figure out what’s wrong.”

Dawson Racing partners for the No. 84 entry include Hasbro, Chevron Technology Ventures and Gnarly Jerky.

For more information, please visit www.dawsonracing.com.

About Dawson Racing:
Dawson Racing is a highly competent manager, owner and operator of an international sports car racing team. Its principals, Ian and Simon Dawson, have over 60 years of experience with factory and private global racing teams including engineering, technology, infrastructure and marketing resources.

Team Hardpoint EBM Leaves Watkins Glen With Eighth Place Finish For No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R

By
Official Release
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Friday Evening’s Sprint Race Featured 45-Minute Red Flag For Lightning, Effectively Shortening the Opportunity to Move Forward

WATKINS GLEN, New York (July 2, 2021) – Team Hardpoint EBM drove to an eighth place finish on Friday at Watkins Glen in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition, a two-place improvement over last Sunday’s six-hour race at the same track.

The team worked through the week to improve the No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven in this week’s sprint race by season-long co-drivers Rob Ferriol and Katherine Legge. Though last weekend’s race was run in hot and sunny conditions, Watkins Glen saw rain every day beginning on Monday – including during the race, which was stopped near the mid-point for a 45-minute red flag for lightning in the area.

“All credit to the team this week,” Ferriol, the team owner, said. “They’ve been away from home for a week and a half, two weeks now. Living out of a hotel, through torrential downpours, getting the car prepped and then re-prepped after last week’s race. They got the car back together and nice and straight so we could go out and race today. It’s a top 10. We moved up a couple of spots over last week.”

The race resumed with 50-minutes to go and Legge in ninth place. Legge improved one position in the final stint and turned the team’s quickest lap of the race just two laps from the checkered flag as the track was drying.

With two races in less than a week at Watkins Glen, this weekend’s two-day sprint event featured just one practice session, held in the wet, and a 15-minute qualifying session – both on Thursday in advance of Friday’s race. An incident in that practice session led to a penalty for the opposing driver but limited Team Hardpoint EBM’s track time significantly.

“We didn’t have the best car today,” Ferriol said. “We only had half a practice session in the wet and we wanted to make a change in the dry from last weekend. We didn’t get a chance to try it so we had to test it in the race. It wasn’t spot on, but it was closer to competitive than we were last week. That’s a positive sign and a positive step and we’ll keep doing what we’ve been doing all season and just move forward.”

Team Hardpoint EBM’s next chance to move forward will be at Lime Rock Park in a GT-only event, July 16-17. Ferriol and Legge will once again drive the No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R in the two-hour, 40-minute race.

About Team Hardpoint EBM:
Hardpoint Motorsports was founded by Rob Ferriol in 2018 with the vision of combining his experience as a successful entrepreneur with his passion for racing. Team Hardpoint EBM is a joint venture between Team Hardpoint and Earl Bamber Motorsport formed in late 2020 to utilize the resources of EBM and co-owners Earl Bamber and Will Bamber and the early success of Team Hardpoint. Headquartered at VIRginia International Raceway, the team’s 2021 plans include a full-season effort in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship in a Porsche 911 GT3 R and a multi-car effort in the IMSA Porsche Carrera Cup North America. More information on Team Hardpoint EBM can be found at www.hardpoint.com or through its strong social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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