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RCR Post Race Report – Pocono Green 225

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Official Release
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Myatt Snider and the Crosley Furniture Chevrolet Team Earn Top-10 Finish at Pocono Raceway

Finish: 10th
Start: 19th
Points: 12th

“Today was a solid day for our Crosley Furniture Chevrolet team. We finally were able to get our luck turned around and brought home a well-deserved top-10 finish. At the beginning of the race, our No. 2 Camaro fired off too loose, but Andy Street (crew chief) made some good adjustments on our pit stop before the end of Stage 1. We elected to stay out during the stage break, which allowed us to gain track position. Our Chevrolet lacked a little drive off turn three, but to run inside the top five throughout the entire middle segment and earn stage points was a needed boost for our team. Despite having the oldest tires on the track before making our scheduled green flag stop, I was able to hold steady inside the top five, showing how good our car actually was. The race went caution free from that point forward, but I steadily worked my way back up front. My Richard Childress Racing team is one of the best and we will take this momentum to Road America next week.” -Myatt Snider

Monster Energy Racing: Riley Herbst Pocono NXS Race Report

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Official Release
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Herbst Finishes 35th at Pocono
Spin in Final Stage Ends Strong Run for Monster Energy Driver

Date: June 27, 2021
Event: Pocono Green 225 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons (Round 16 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile triangle)
Format: 90 laps, broken into three stages (20 laps/20 laps/50 laps)
Start/Finish: 10th / 35th (Accident, completed 45 of 90 laps)
Point Standing: 15th (341 points, 339 out of first)
Race Winner: Austin Cindric of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Harrison Burton of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Overview:

A solid day for Riley Herbst and his No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang went up in smoke after a spin on lap 45 of Sunday’s Pocono Green 225 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The 22-year-old driver was forced to settle for a 35th-place finish after racing his way up into the top-five from the rear of the field. After being sent to the back due to unapproved adjustments at the start of the 90-lap race, Herbst quickly picked off the competition and made his way into the top-15 by lap 11. He was just two spots short of a top-10 finish in Stage 1. The No. 98 Monster Energy team pitted during the break and restarted 16th for Stage 2. In a strategy call on a lap-35 caution, crew chief Richard Boswell opted to keep his driver out on track with a handful of laps to go in the stage in an attempt to gain track position and earn stage points. This ultimately worked out for the team as it finished fifth in the second stage to earn six bonus points toward the playoffs. Herbst came down pit road under the final stage break for four fresh tires and fuel to put him on the offensive at the outset of Stage 3. He restarted 21st on lap 45. In a battle for position, Herbst got loose and spun in the Tunnel Turn. The damage sustained was too much for the No. 98 team to continue.

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

“Everybody’s on different tires and pit strategy. I felt like we had a decent Ford Mustang driving back up through the field. I cleared one of the backmarkers and he decided to drive it all the way back into my outside through the Tunnel Turn and I didn’t know he was there. I cleared him down Long Pond. It’s a frustrating day for sure and hurts us in points and everything. Hopefully, we can go get really good points at Road America next week.”

Notes:

● Herbst finished fifth in Stage 2 to earn six bonus points.

● Austin Cindric won the Pocono Green 225 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons to earn his 12th career victory, his fourth of the season and his first at Pocono. His margin over second-place Ty Gibbs was .331 of a second.

● There were six caution periods for a total of 21 laps.

● Seventeen of the 40 drivers in the Pocono Green 225 Recycled by J.P. Mascaro & Sons finished on the lead lap.

● Austin Cindric remains the championship leader after Pocono with a 101-point advantage over second-place A.J. Allmendinger.

Next Up:

The next event on the Xfinity Series schedule is the Henry 180 on Saturday, July 3 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The race starts at 2:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Cindric Wins at Pocono (Post Race Press Conference)

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series — Pocono Green 225
Pocono Raceway | Sunday, June 27, 2021

FORD FINISHING RESULTS

1st — Austin Cindric
17th — Ryan Sieg
35th — Riley Herbst

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 Car Shop Ford Mustang — VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW

“You have to be good at everything and that is what this team has proven throughout the year. I am just the one that gets to drive these Ford Mustangs. I am excited about it. I had to execute in every facet and we had everything thrown at us today. I am super proud of this Car Shop Ford Mustang team. Everybody who partners up with us. To finally get one here. Ever since I have been racing ARCA it feels like this one always gets away, so I am really excited.”

THE FINAL STRETCH THERE, THE LONG GREEN-FLAG RUN. YOU SEE THAT BLACK CAR COMING., WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND? “We gave him a chance didn’t we? We had to make it exciting I guess. I didn’t want it but I guess everybody else did. We will take it and we will take the trophy for sure.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang (Retired on Lap 47 Due to Accident)

“Everybody is on different tires and pit strategy. I felt like we had a decent Ford Mustang driving back up through the field. I cleared one of the backmarkers and he decided to drive it all the way back into my outside through the tunnel and I didn’t know he was there. I cleared him down Long Pond. It is a frustrating do for sure and hurts us in points and everything. Hopefully, we can go get really good points and Road America next week

POST-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 Car Shop Ford Mustang — FINISHED 1st

WHAT WERE YOU THINKING WHEN THE 66 RAN OUT OF FUEL RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU? “I thought he was going to run the apron but then he didn’t have the capacity to do so. That was almost the worst-case scenario to be honest. I was trying to manage the lead and my temps and the gap. We just had enough. I felt like lap traffic was fairly respectful to us. All in all I can’t do too much complaining. Circumstances are circumstances and if he would have been 50 yards ahead it would have been a big deal. It all works out and makes a more exciting race. It made me tense up a little more, but that is racing.”

WHAT WERE YOU THINKING WHEN TY GIBBS WAS TRYING TO GET AT YOU THERE AT THE END? “Well, that is certainly his job. He got gifted a three-second buffer and it is his job to do something with it. I think he did everything he could. I think he ran a great race. I feel like our strategy was a little better. We were fairly even matched all day in clean air. I just tried to manage my stuff and my gap and it worked out for us.”

CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE ABOUT THE PIT STRATEGY, COMING IN WHEN YOU DID IN THAT STAGE SO THAT WHEN THINGS CYCLED YOU WOULD BE OUT FRONT? “It was total execution. That is on the pit crew and that is on Brian and that is on me getting good restarts. Starting 13th, it really opened up our strategy. Making our way inside the top-five under green, I feel like everyone executed really well today and made the strategy possible. I am really proud of the effort. The pit crew guys did a great job today. Those guys are improving every week and I am proud of them and proud of Brian and this whole 22 team for bringing such a fast race car.”

LAST YEAR IN THIS RACE YOU HAD A SUPER-FAST CAR AND GOT WRECKED OUT. TO WIN THIS YEAR, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE IS ANY REDEMPTION? “Absolutely. This is one of several racetracks that I feel like from last year it was probably one I was looking forward to the most right off the bad, getting to go for another Xfinity championship to come back to places like Pocono and Bristol and so on. We had some get away from us that were out of our control. That is racing. There are plenty of guys that can say that. When you can come back and accomplish your goals, some that have a little bit of emotion behind them, it is pretty fun.”

YOU HAVE 14 MORE PLAYOFF POINTS THAN YOUR NEXT CLOSEST COMPETITOR, HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT? ALSO, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GOING TO ROAD AMERICA NEXT WEEKEND? “It is important and I want more. Greedy as always as a race car driver. Road America, I am so excited about. If I wasn’t driving that weekend I would be going. I think that part of the country has such a passion for short track racing and a Cup race has been absent from that part of the country, that and Road America is an awesome place and awesome race track. I am doing double duty there. My brake foot is going to be worn out but I don’t really care. It is going to be a lot of fun and hopefully we can have some strong runs.”

Cindric emerges triumphant over Gibbs at Pocono

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by Kirk Schroll for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Executing the race when it mattered most, Austin Cindric cycled to the lead under the final 15 laps and held off rookie Ty Gibbs amid the lapped traffic to win the Pocono Green 225 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, June 27, as he claimed his fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series victory of the season in his bid to defend his series title.

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

Prior to the event, Riley Herbst dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments. Jesse Iwuji also started at the rear of the field for a driver change.

When the green flag waved and the race commenced, Harrison Burton launched ahead with the lead on the outside lane, where he was pursued by Allgaier and the field fanning out to two lanes through the three tricky lanes.

After leading the first lap, Harrison Burton was out in front by half a second over Allgaier, with AJ Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric and Jeb Burton in the top five. Noah Gragson was in sixth followed by Brandon Jones, rookie Ty Gibbs, Austin Cindric and Justin Haley.

Following the first five laps of the evert, Harrison Burton continued to lead by seven-tenths of a second over Allgaier with Hemric in pursuit. Teammates Allmendinger and Jeb Burton continued to run in the top five while Gragson, Cindric, Gibbs, Haley and Brandon Jones were in the top 10. By then, newcomer Sam Mayer, piloting the No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, was in 11th, Myatt Snider was in 19th in between Brandon Brown and rookie Josh Berry and Riley Herbst was in 24th.

Five laps later, Harrison Burton remained in front of teammate Hemric by four-tenths of a second, with Allgaier trailing by less than a second. Behind, Cindric was in the top five behind Allmendinger while Mayer moved into the top 10 behind Gragson, Jeb Burton, Gibbs and Haley.

Just then, the first caution of the event flew when Josh Williams spun and wrecked in Turn 1 following contact from Santino Ferrucci. Under caution, some like Mayer, Brandon Jones, Josh Berry, Michael Annett, Myatt Snider, Ryan Sieg and others pitted while the rest led by Harrison Burton remained on the track.

When the race restarted on Lap 17, the field battled dead even until Harrison Burton was able to clear and retain the lead over Allgaier and Hemric. 

With Harrison Burton out in front, a three-car battle ensued between Cindric, Allmendinger and Gibbs for fourth place. Behind, Haley got loose in Turn 2 and nearly clipped Gragson in Turn 2, but both managed to continue inside the top 10 without an incident. 

On the final lap of the first stage, Hemric mounted a charge on teammate Harrison Burton for the lead, but Burton managed to keep his No. 20 Dex Imaging Toyota Supra out in front. In the end, he claimed the first stage victory on Lap 20 and his second stage victory of the season. Hemric settled in the runner-up spot followed by Allgaier, Cindric and Allmendinger while Gibbs, Gragson, Jeb Burton, Haley and Berry were in the top 10.

Under the stage break, some led by Allgaier pitted while the rest led by Harrison Burton pitted.

The second stage started on Lap 24 with Allgaier and Snider starting on the front row. At the start, Allgaier managed to clear Snider on the outside lane to retain the lead entering the first turn while a three-wide battle occurred behind between Haley, Hemric and Mayer for third place. 

Shortly after, the caution flag returned for a big accident involving Haley, who made contact with Mayer into the outside wall and was turned as he made pounded the inside wall in Turn 1 before coming back across the track. His No. 11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet Camaro was then hit by the No. 6 JD Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro piloted by Ryan Vargas before coming to a rest near the outside wall. Following the incident, Haley exited his battered car and laid down on the ground before being attended to by the medical personnel. After getting back up, Haley made the trip to the medical center, where he was evaluated and released. 

The wreck placed the event in a red-flag period for over five minutes. When the red flag was lifted and the field proceeded in a cautious pace, few like Landon Cassill, Loris Hezemans and Ryan Sieg pitted while the rest led by Allgaier remained on the track.

When the race restarted under green on Lap 28, Allgaier boosted ahead from the field on the outside lane followed by Hemric and Harrison Burton while Snider fell back on the inside lane through the first turn.

Returning back to the start/finish line, Hemric started to pursue Allgaier for the lead while Cindric challenged Snider for fourth place. 

By Lap 30, Allgaier was leading by two-tenths of a second over Hemric while Harrison Burton trailed by four-tenths of a second. Cindric and Snider remained in the top five.

The following lap, Hemric gained a run entering the frontstretch and drag-raced with Allgaier to the start/finish line before clearing Allgaier’s No. 7 Hellmann’s Chevrolet Camaro entering the first turn and taking the lead.

On Lap 34, the caution returned when Harrison Burton got loose underneath Allgaier in Turn 1, spun and made left-side contact with the outside wall. The incident occurred as Burton was attempting to take over the runner-up spot over Allgaier. Despite returning to pit road, Harrison Burton’s race came to an end.

Under caution, some led by Hemric pitted while the rest led by Ty Gibbs remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Hemric was assessed a pit road speeding penalty and sent to the rear of the field.

With two laps remaining in the second stage, Gibbs and Noah Gragson battled dead even for the lead through the first turn before Gibbs managed to clear Gragson on the outside lane.

Through the final lap and with the field behind battling for positioning, Gibbs managed to retain the top spot and claim the second stage victory on Lap 40, thus recording his second stage victory in his debut Xfinity Series season. Gragson settled in second followed by Brandon Jones, Snider and Herbst while Cindric, Jeb Burton, Allmendinger, Berry and Allgaier were in the top 10.

Under the stage break, some led by Brandon Jones pitted while the rest led by Gibbs remained on the track.

With 46 laps remaining, the final stage commenced as Gibbs and Cindric started on the front row. At the start, Gibbs received a push from Gragson to retain the lead over Cindric entering the first turn. 

At the halfway point on Lap 45, Gibbs was still leading by a narrow margin over Cindric and Gragson. Then, Gibbs got loose entering Turn 1, which allowed Cindric to assume the lead while Gragson challenged Gibbs for the runner-up spot. Just then, the caution returned when Riley Herbst wrecked his No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang in Turn 2.

When the race restarted with 41 laps remaining, Cindric retained the top spot on the outside lane while Gibbs challenged Gragson for the runner-up spot. Behind, Snider was in fourth followed by Brandon Brown, who had Allgaier, Jeb Burton and Allmendinger battling behind.

At the front, Cindric continued to lead by a narrow margin over Gibbs with third-place Gragson trailing by half a second.

With Cindric leading under the final 40 laps, Allgaier and Snider battled for fourth while Hemric and Allmendinger battled for seventh behind Jeb Burton. In addition, Mayer was battling ninth ahead of Brandon Jones.

Down to the final 35 laps of the event, Cindric extended his advantage to nearly a second over Gibbs while Gragson trailed by more than two seconds. By then, Allgaier, who was in fourth place, pitted under green.

A lap later, Snider, who took over fourth place, peeled his No. 2 Crosley Furniture Chevrolet Camaro into pit road for his service. The next lap, Gragson pitted along with Jeb Burton, Allmendinger, Josh Berry and Cindric, giving the lead back to Gibbs. The following lap, Gibbs pitted, which allowed Hemric to take the lead.

With Hemric still leading, teammate Brandon Jones pitted for fuel the following lap. Mayer also pitted, but slid through his pit box during his service, which cost him the lead lap when he returned to the track.

Under the final 30 laps, Hemric, who has yet to pit, continued to lead followed by Brett Moffitt, Jeremy Clements, Brandon Brown, Alex Labbe, Austin Hill, Tommy Joe Martins, Kyle Weatherman, Blaine Perkins and Landon Cassill. Far behind, Cindric was in 20th followed by Allmendinger, Brandon Jones, Allgaier, Gibbs, Gragson, Jeb Burton and Snider.

With 20 laps remaining, Hemric continued to lead by mover 20 seconds over Clements, with Brown, Labbe and Martins in the top five. Cindric, meanwhile, worked his way up to seventh while Gibbs was in 10th. Allgaier was in 12th while Gragson was in 15th in front of Allmendinger.

The following lap, Hemric pitted for four tires and fuel for his No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra. Then, disaster struck for Hemric, who was busted for speeding on pit road for a second time and was forced to serve a drive-through penalty through pit road. 

With Hemric out of contention, Clements was leading by more than six seconds over Labbe while third-place Cindric was in third place. Gibbs moved up into fourth followed by Allgaier.

Down to the final 15 laps of the event, Cindric was back out in front of the field as Clements and Labbe pitted. Gibbs moved back up into the runner-up spot followed by Allgaier, Ryan Sieg, Gragson and Allmendinger.

With 10 laps remaining, Cindric was leading by more than three seconds over Gibbs while Allgaier, Gragson, Sieg and Allmendinger continued to run in the top six.

Down to the final five laps of the event, Cindric, who was approaching lapped traffic, continued to lead by three seconds over Gibbs. Behind, Allgaier remained in third place ahead of teammate Gragson and Allmendinger. Hemric, meanwhile, was mired back in seventh behind teammate Brandon Jones.

With three laps remaining, Cindric nearly tangled with the lapped car of David Starr, which allowed the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Supra driven by Gibbs to cut the deficit within a second.

When the final lap started, Cindric was leading by less than half a second over a hard-charging Gibbs. Through the first two turns, Cindric continued to lead over Gibbs. Then on the final turn, Gibbs attempted to draw himself to Cindric’s rear bumper, but he did not have enough momentum to complete the run, which allowed Cindric and his No. 22 Car Shop Ford Mustang to remain out in front and fend off Gibbs to take the checkered flag for the fourth time of this season.

In addition to claiming his fourth victory of the season, Cindric collected his 12th NASCAR Xfinity Series career victory as he became the sixth different winner in six Xfinity events at Pocono Raceway, a streak that started since 2016.

“Well, I didn’t know what happened to [David Starr] there,” Cindric said on NBCSN. “I went from a three-second lead to a half a second lead, so these thing’s never easy. I had to avoid two wrecks today, but it’s awesome to, obviously, be in front of all you great people. I’m so excited to see people back in the race track, get the Car Shop Ford Mustang to Victory Lane. I’m over the moon. We’ll keep putting our heads down. We gotta keep getting better. We got strong competition and lot of racing left.”

The runner-up result was Gibbs’ second of the season in his eighth series career start. In his eight career Xfinity starts, Gibbs has finished in the top five in all but one, with his average result being 4.25.

“The lapped cars, definitely, helped me, to my advantage,” Gibbs said. “There were just in the way and messed up. Cindric got stuck up behind them and I was luckily closing. Just put myself in a weird spot where I tried to go under him and maybe, give him a little tap, but I think I could’ve gotten wider and crossed him back over because he went low and I was stuck behind him in the air. Just learning. I’m very thankful to be here…I can’t thank everybody enough. This is a blast and a dream come true running the Xfinity Series.”

Allgaier came home in third place followed by teammate Gragson and Allmendinger.

Hemric, following his late speeding penalty, finished in sixth place followed by teammate Brandon Jones, Jeb Burton, Berry and Snider. 

Sam Mayer settled in a disappointing 18th place, a lap down, in his Xfinity debut while Sieg, who was running short on fuel, fell all the way back to 17th.

There were 11 lead changes for eight different leaders. The race featured six cautions for 21 laps.

Austin Cindric continues to lead the regular-season standings by 101 points over AJ Allmendinger and 112 over Daniel Hemric.

Results.

1. Austin Cindric, 26 laps led

2. Ty Gibbs, 11 laps led, Stage 2 winner

3. Justin Allgaier, 10 laps led

4. Noah Gragson, one lap led

5. AJ Allmendinger

6. Daniel Hemric, 18 laps led

7. Brandon Jones

8. Jeb Burton

9. Josh Berry

10. Myatt Snider

11. Brett Moffitt

12. Michael Annett

13. Jeremy Clements, two laps led

14. Santino Ferrucci

15. Brandon Brown

16. Alex Labbe, one lap led

17. Ryan Sieg

18. Sam Mayer, one lap down

19. Jade Buford, one lap down

20. Tommy Joe Martins, one lap down

21. Landon Cassill, one lap down

22. Jeffrey Earnhardt, one lap down

23. Matt Mills, one lap down

24. Colby Howard, one lap down

25. Austin Hill, one lap down

26. Kyle Weatherman, one lap down

27. Loris Hezemans, one lap down

28. Carson Ware, two laps down

29. Jesse Little, two laps down

30. Mason Massey, two laps down

31. Jesse Iwuji, two laps down

32. Joe Graf Jr., two laps down

33. David Starr, three laps down

34. Blaine Perrkins – OUT, Suspension

35. Riley Herbst – OUT, Accident

36. Joey Gase – OUT, Clutch

37. Harrison Burton – OUT, Accident, 21 laps led, Stage 1 winner

38. Justin Haley – OUT, Accident

39. Ryan Vargas – OUT, Accident

40. Josh Williams – OUT, Accident

Next on the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is a trip to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, which will occur on Saturday, July 3, at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Stewart Snares Second Straight SRX Win

By
Official Release
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ROSSBURG, OHIO - JUNE 26: Tony Stewart #14 celebrates in victory lane after winning the Camping World Superstar Racing Experience event at Eldora Speedway on June 26, 2021 in Rossburg, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/SRX via Getty Images)

NASCAR Hall of Famer Drives From Last to First in Camping World SRX Series Race at Eldora

ROSSBURG, Ohio (June 26, 2021) – Tony Stewart made it back-to-back victories in the Camping World SRX Series by winning the third race of the six-race short-track series Saturday night at Eldora Speedway.

Stewart put on a show at the track that he owns, starting from last in the 12-driver field to lead twice for six laps – all in the last seven laps of the 50-lap feature race at the half-mile, high-banked clay oval.

“Jack Hewitt was probably the best I’ve ever seen here at Eldora and I learned a couple of things watching him win the 4-Crown one year where he won all four divisions, and I used that line a lot early in the race here today and it helped out a lot,” said Stewart, referring to sprint car and midget racer Hewitt’s sweep of the 1998 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora.

Stewart won the previous Camping World SRX Series event at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway on June 19, taking his first SRX win and the series’ first on a dirt track. Eldora marked the second and final dirt track race on the SRX schedule and Stewart showcased his versatility by holding off local all-star Kody Swanson by .481 of a second.

“Kody found the bottom. I couldn’t roll the bottom as good as he could. I was real dependent on being up on the top. I just think that’s what Eldora does – the complexion of the track changes during the race,” Stewart said.

“I thought the top was good in the beginning in the main and then Kody got just crushing everybody on the bottom and got rolling through there. But the good thing was when he went by, everybody else followed him down there like they were in a parade and left the top open. And the longer we went, I finally got the momentum going on the top to get back by him.”

Swanson, the five-time USAC Silver Crown champion who leads the division in wins (30) and poles (31), nearly pulled off another victory for the local all-stars, emulating Doug Coby’s win in the Camping World SRX Series season opener on June 12 at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway.

“I felt like we had a really strong car through the middle of the race,” said Swanson, who was forced into a backup car for the feature race after sustaining damage to his primary car in the second heat race. “I really appreciate everybody with SRX and the guys on the crews. They built 16 cars to come out and put this on in a short amount of time and I appreciate them letting me have a chance in a backup car. I hate to tear up their equipment and I hate to lose.

“I felt like we were really good in the middle of the race and the bottom just kind of gave up a little bit and I got the top of (turns) one and two working. But once Tony had track position, it was hard to get back by him. I felt like I had a chance there but I just didn’t hit the bottom perfect and he got back around. It’s awful hard to beat him here at Eldora.”

Four-time and reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves acquitted himself well at Eldora, finishing a stout third and rising to second in the Camping World SRX Series championship standings, 33 points behind Stewart.

“It was crazy, especially on the restarts with PT. My goodness, I didn’t have anywhere to go except the wall and I kept hitting the wall,” said Castroneves, with his reference to P.T. being fellow driver Paul Tracy. “After that, something happened. It was really difficult – my car was really loose. So in the end, I said I’ve got to go to the bottom because I saw some of the guys go to the bottom – that’s the only way for my car to have a shot. The long runs were terrible for me. Restarts were the best. So, I kept it relatively clean, but man, I can’t believe it’s my first podium on the dirt. That is awesome.”

The most talked-about driver was Tracy. The 2003 NTT INDYCAR Series champion led the first 25 laps of the 50-lap feature and used the bumper and fenders of his purpose-built SRX racecar prodigiously to protect that lead and then defend his position as Swanson, Castroneves, Marco Andretti and Bobby Labonte surged toward the front.

“I know I’m going to have some Bobby Labonte fans after me because he’s super pissed at me, and rightly so,” Tracy said. “He got by me on the restart. I was running on top and I decided I was going to cut to the bottom like Tony did and I just got it all wrong. He turned in a little earlier than I thought he would and I tagged him and that was it. So that was my bad and I went over to apologize to him he was having none of it.

“The SRX cars put on a great show. I felt really good on this track. This is a wonderful track that Tony has and I couldn’t be happier with how we ran overall tonight. We picked up a lot of points and hopefully made some new fans. I’m sure we made some enemies because those Bobby Labonte fans probably hate me.”

The fender-banging and door-slamming proved entertaining and crowd-pleasing, but the repercussions left a lot of work for Camping World SRX Series co-founder Ray Evernham and his team of mechanics.

“I think we had another good show tonight but, as race director, I’ve got a couple of phone calls to make to some people this week where I’ll have to say, ‘Look, this is for fun.’ We’ve got a lot of torn-up cars, but it sounds like the fans like it,” Evernham said.

“We should’ve put Kody in that practice car to begin with. It looked like he liked it better than his original car. I knew when both of them got to the front, when Kody was on the bottom and Tony was on the top, I knew it was going to be pretty exciting. I thought Kody had it won on the last lap because I thought he was rolling the bottom good enough to slide up in front of Tony.

“I thought it was great, but I’ve got to wait what and see the fans think.”

After two straight dirt-track races at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway and Eldora, the Camping World SRX Series returns to pavement for its fourth race July 3 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Indiana. Bobby Santos III is the local all-star who will join the Camping World SRX Series regulars at the .686-mile asphalt oval near Indianapolis.

Santos is from Franklin, Massachusetts, and is best known for his success on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. Nicknamed “Bobby New England,” Santos has 149 career Modified Tour starts with 19 victories, 54 top-five finishes and 18 pole positions to go along with his 2010 series championship. Additionally, Santos has excelled in USAC, scoring 10 career Silver Crown wins, including four at Lucas Oil Raceway. Two of his seven career National Sprint Car victories have come at Lucas Oil Raceway, as well as one of his 11 career victories in the Champion Midget category. The versatile Santos is a four-time winner of the A.J. Foyt Championship (2006, 2011, 2017 and 2020), which is awarded to the driver with the season-best points tally at Lucas Oil Raceway in USAC’s top-three series – Silver Crown, Sprint Car and Midget.

Returning to the Camping World SRX Series for a second straight week is Scott Speed. The Manteca, California-native finished sixth on the dirt at Eldora and now he will test his mettle on asphalt.

Speed is one of the most versatile drivers in motorsports. His career began with his climb up the American open-wheel ladder and it took him all the way to Formula One in 2006 and 2007, after which he turned his attention to American stock car racing, where Speed rose to the elite NASCAR Cup Series as a driver for Team Red Bull. Over the last decade, Speed has made his mark on the worldwide Rallycross stage, winning three Summer X Games gold medals from 2013 through 2015 for Team USA and five consecutive Rallycross championships from 2013 through 2017 for Andretti Autosport.

After Lucas Oil Raceway, the Camping World SRX Series ventures north to Slinger (Wis.) Speedway on July 10 before its season finale July 17 at the Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds Speedway.

Every Camping World SRX Series race is broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET on the CBS Television Network with streaming on Paramount+ Premium.

Heat Race No. 1 (12 minutes, 24 laps):
Note: Starting lineup determined by random draw.

  1. Tony Stewart (Started 4th; led laps 13-17, 19-21, 23-24)
  2. Helio Castroneves (Started 3rd; led laps 18, 22; completed 24/24 laps)
  3. Paul Tracy (Started 9th; completed 24/24 laps)
  4. Marco Andretti (Started 8th; completed 24/24 laps)
  5. Bobby Labonte (Started 7th; completed 24/24 laps)
  6. Kody Swanson (Started 2nd; completed 24/24 laps)
  7. Ernie Francis Jr. (Started 10th; completed 24/24 laps)
  8. Bill Elliott (Started 6th; led laps completed 24/24laps)
  9. Michael Waltrip (Started 11th; led laps completed 24/24 laps)
  10. Scott Speed (Started 12th; led laps completed 24/24 laps)
  11. Tony Kanaan (Started 1st; led laps 1-12; completed 24/24 laps)
  12. Willy T. Ribbs (Started 5th; led laps completed 24/24 laps)

Heat Race No. 2 (12 minutes, 11 laps):
Note: Drivers’ finishing positions in Heat Race No. 1 were inverted for start of Heat Race No. 2.

  1. Marco Andretti (Started 9th; led laps 4-11)
  2. Paul Tracy (Started 10th; completed 11/11 laps)
  3. Tony Stewart (Started 12th; completed 11/11 laps)
  4. Scott Speed (Started 3rd; completed 11/11 laps)
  5. Bobby Labonte (Started 8th; completed 11/11 laps)
  6. Helio Castroneves (Started 11th; completed 11/11 laps)
  7. Bill Elliott (Started 5th; led laps completed 11/11 laps)
  8. Tony Kanaan (Started 2nd; led laps completed 11/11 laps)
  9. Willy T. Ribbs (Started 1st; led laps 1-3; completed 11/11 laps)
  10. Ernie Francis Jr. (Started 6th; completed 3/11 laps)
  11. Michael Waltrip (Started 4th; completed 3/11 laps)
  12. Kody Swanson (Started 7th; completed 3/11 laps)

Feature Results (50 laps):
Note: Starting lineup was based on average finishing positions in Heat Race Nos. 1-2.

  1. Tony Stewart (Started 1st, but went to back after pace laps; led laps 44-45, 47-50)
  2. Kody Swanson (Started 9th; led laps 26-33, 34-35, 46; completed 50/50 laps)
  3. Helio Castroneves (Started 4th; completed 50/50 laps)
  4. Marco Andretti (Started 3rd; completed 50/50 laps)
  5. Paul Tracy (Started 2nd; led laps 1-25, 34-35; completed 50/50 laps)
  6. Scott Speed (Started 6th; completed 50/50 laps)
  7. Tony Kanaan (Started 10th; completed 50/50 laps)
  8. Ernie Francis Jr. (Started 8th; completed 50/50 laps)
  9. Willy T. Ribbs (Started 12th; completed 50/50 laps)
  10. Michael Waltrip (Started 11th; completed 50/50 laps)
  11. Bobby Labonte (Started 5th; completed 45/50 laps)
  12. Bill Elliott (Started 7th; completed 45/50 laps)

Camping World SRX Series Championship Standings (after Round 3 of 6):
1.    Tony Stewart (129 points)
2.    Helio Castroneves (96 points, -33)
3.    Ernie Francis Jr. (90 points, -39)
4.    Marco Andretti (80 points, -49)
5.    Bobby Labonte (75 points, -54)
6.    Paul Tracy (64 points, -65)
7.    Michael Waltrip (57 points, -72)
8.    Bill Elliott (46 points, -83)
9.    Tony Kanaan (45 points, -84)
10.  Willy T. Ribbs (38 points, -91)

Note: Points are awarded in both heats and the feature. In each heat, the winner receives a maximum of 12 points. Second place earns 11 points with every position in descending order receiving one fewer point, with the 12th-place finisher earning one point. Points increase in the feature, with the winner receiving 25 points, second place 22 points, third place 20 points, fourth place 18 points, fifth place 16 points, sixth place 14 points, seventh place 12 points, eighth place 10 points, ninth place eight points, 10th place six points, 11th place four points and 12th place two points.

About Camping World SRX Series:

The Camping World SRX Series was created by a team consisting of Sandy Montag and The Montag Group, George Pyne, NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief and team owner Ray Evernham, and legendary driver Tony Stewart. The Montag Group leads business operations and Evernham oversees all racing operations. Pyne is a member of the Board and serves as an advisor. For more information, please visit us online at www.SRXracing.com, on Facebook, on Twitter and on Instagram.

Steven Aghakhani and Jacob Eidson Score First Win of Season Saturday in No. 6 SADA Systems/USRT Lamborghini at Watkins Glen International

By
Official Release
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Image: Jamey Price/@jameypricephoto

Hard-Fought IMSA Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America Pro-Class Victory Sets Stage for Premiere of Steven Racing Feature Film “The Pursuit of Speed” Saturday, July 10 in Century City

WATKINS GLEN, New York (June 26, 2021) – Steven Aghakhani and Jacob Eidson charged to their first race win of the 2021 IMSA Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America season Saturday at Watkins Glen International in the No. 6 SADA Systems US RaceTronics (USRT) Lamborghini Huracán Evo.

The hard-earned overall and Pro-class victory came after another pair of competitive drives by starter Eidson and race-closer Aghakhani that bookended a typically spot-on pit stop by the USRT team. The great pit work ultimately put Aghakhani back in the race in first place, and he skillfully defended the lead to the end of the 50-minute sprint for a 0.462 of a second margin of victory.

“The overall win here was amazing,” Aghakhani said. “Jacob had an amazing first stint and kept the car where we wanted it. I hopped in, did exactly what I had to do, and just went out there and held everybody off. We are putting in extra time and extra practice and the results show. We had a very unlucky first race Friday, and we weren’t in the brightest mood today, but we had to pick ourselves up. We have a whole war to win, and this is what our actual pace should be.”

Eidson took the green flag at the start of the race from third on the grid and never ran out of the overall top-three in his race-opening stint.

“The start got a little bit hairy but we all got through there clean,” Eidson said. “I just put my head down and handed the keys to Steven. Thankfully, through some poor decisions by other drivers, we were able to get the lead and finish off with the win. That’s exactly how we wanted to complete the weekend.”

Aghakhani took over from Eidson shortly after the race’s halfway point and dealt with bold challenges from the competition while even in pit lane.

“I got in the car and Richard Antinucci, our main competitor this year, decided to slow down and manipulate the pit speed in the fast lane,” Aghakhani said. “I knew that’s not allowed, so I just kept pushing him forward and forward to stay on our timing. We were the only ones playing by the books, he got a penalty and we got the lead.”

Saturday’s victory made up for a disappointing DNF (Did Not Finish) after a left rear tire blow out in Friday’s first 50 minute Lamborghini race at Watkins Glen.

The breakout win also sets the stage for the private red-carpet premiere of the documentary movie “The Pursuit of Speed” in two weeks in Aghakhani’s hometown of Los Angeles. The full-length feature film is an inside look at Aghakhani’s 2020 IMSA Lamborghini Super Trofeo season that also delves into the intricacies of the dual team director/driver and father-and-son relationships between Steven and his father, Armik Aghakhani.

The film by Jeffrey John Hart is set for its premiere on Saturday, July 10 at the AMC Century City 15 on Santa Monica Blvd. in Los Angeles.

Next up on track for Aghakhani and Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America is Rounds 7 and 8 of the 2021 championship in another weekend doubleheader schedule of 50-minute races at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 6 – 8.

Aghakhani’s Lamborghini racing programs run with the support of several key sponsor partners in 2021. SADA Systems, Inc. is a privately held global leader in providing business and technology consulting services that transform organizations through cloud-based solutions at www.sada.com. Insignia Mortgage focuses on providing flexible portfolio lending options for clients with non-traditional lending needs. Learn more at www.insigniamortgage.com. Magic Laundry Services (MLS) is one of the largest independently owned hospitality linens and dry-cleaning operations in the country, catering primarily to the hospitality industry. Learn more at www.magiclaundryservices.com. TKX Associates specializes in consulting and staff augmentation at www.tkxassociates.com, Shegerian & Associates is a Los Angeles based firm at www.shegerianlaw.com. The Tax & Business Consulting Group is a Los Angeles-based public accounting firm at www.alllp.com. Equeduct provides capital funding solutions for small businesses at www.equeduct.com. O’Gara Coach, at www.ogaracoach, is a luxury and high-performance auto dealer in Beverly Hills, Westlake Village and San Diego. Additional valued partners include Forgiato Wheels at www.forgiato.com, Speed Society at https://speedsociety.com and the Pro Automotive Repair Center in Glendale, California.

Team Hardpoint EBM’s Efrin Castro Secures Second Porsche Carrera Cup Podium of the Weekend

By
Official Release
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Photo credit Sideline Sports Photography

Dickinson Finished Seventh in the Pro Class; The Team Hardpoint EBM GTD Porsche Will Start Sunday’s Six Hour Race on the Seventh Row

WATKINS GLEN, New York (June 26, 2021) – Team Hardpoint EBM driver Efrin Castro backed up Friday’s Porsche Carrera Cup North America Pro-Am Class win with a runner-up finish on Saturday at Watkins Glen International, earning his fifth podium finish in six races in the 2021 season.

In the mixed class race, Castro started second in class but four positions overall behind the class leader. Castro gave chase in the No. 65 Fine Fare Supermarkets/GoDominicanRepublic.com Porsche 911 GT3 Cup throughout the 45-minute race, closing the gap to just 3.4 seconds at the finish.

“We were able to finish strong,” Castro said. “I have to give thanks to God for the finish and to this team, they support me so much. I couldn’t be more grateful for Team Hardpoint EBM. Today was just a part of what happened earlier, I didn’t qualify well for this race. At the end I was able to get pace and be with him there, I was right behind but I just ran out of time. It was a great weekend and I had a lot of fun.”

Dickinson drove the No. 53 Porsche Austin/Team Hardpoint EBM Porsche 911 GT3 Cup to a seventh-place finish on Saturday in the Pro Class and overall. Dickinson started in the same position he finished in, following the third through seventh-place drivers who did the same thing.

“It was a pretty tough weekend, results wise,” Dickinson said. “But it’s hard to be disappointed with our actual performance this weekend. The Team Hardpoint EBM guys did an unbelievable job getting the car prepared and I can’t thank Porsche Austin enough for being on the car again this weekend. Ultimately, things that were out of our control bit us this weekend. That set us back all the way in qualifying. I’m happy with my performance. There’s obviously still things to work on, but I think I drove one of my better weekends this year. It’s just frustrating that it didn’t amount to better results, but we’ll take that on to the next round.”

Saturday afternoon also set the grid for Sunday’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen. The No. 88 Richard Mille/GridRival Porsche 911 GT3 R will start 13th in the GT Daytona (GTD) class following qualifying. Season-long co-drivers Rob Ferriol and Katherine Legge, joined by Andrew Davis, will attempt to move forward during Sunday’s endurance racing classic.

Castro, Dickinson and the Porsche Carrera Cup North America field return to action August 5 – 8 at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin’s Road America.

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 combine 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.

Atlanta Speedwerks Earns First IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Win With Ryan Eversley and Todd Lamb In Honda Civic TCR

By
Official Release
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Photo credit Daylon Barr Photography

Eversley Takes Over Point Championship With Win, While Brian Hendrson and Robert Noaker Also Earned a Top Five Finish in the Sister Car

WATKINS GLEN, New York (June 26, 2021) – Ryan Eversley and Todd Lamb earned Atlanta Speedwerks’ first IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge win on Saturday at Watkins Glen International, which was Lamb’s first career victory in the series and Eversley’s first since 2018. While the No. 94 Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR crossed the stripe first, the team’s No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR driven by Robert Noaker and Brian Henderson scored a fourth-place finish.

Lamb and Eversley averaged 87.642 mph in the 104 lap, 353.599-mile race that was slowed five times for full-course cautions. Eversley crossed the line 6.435 seconds ahead for the win.

Lamb started the race in second place beside the pole-sitting Noaker and ran solidly in the top five during his stint, including the fastest TCR-class lap of the race in 1:57.489 (104.179 mph), with one notable exception. Early in the race, Lamb felt the Honda Civic lose power. A full course caution came out one lap later, and the team was able to quickly diagnose and reattach the boost pipe without losing much ground.

The narrow lap time gap between the traditionally quicker GS class cars and the longer fuel stint of the TCR cars at Watkins Glen meant that Lamb led one lap overall before his pit stop – as did Noaker, who pitted one lap earlier.

“It’s so awesome,” Lamb said. “Ryan’s a great teammate, we’ve got an amazing team and we just keep getting better and better as the season’s gone on. To win as not only a driver but as a team owner is a very special thing to me. We’ve been plugging away at this for three years now, and to get our first win after being so close so many times is really, really special. I’m thankful to the crew and to Honda and everyone involved.”

In addition to Lamb’s lap led during this stint, Eversley led a total of 21 laps – including the final 12 after the final pit stop and full course caution. Eversley restarted third, passing Henderson in second place and another competitor to take the lead and never look back, earning his eighth-career IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge win, taking over the Drivers’ Championship and the Team Championship point lead after four races, and earning Manufacturers’ Championship points for Honda.

“We’ve had a great season so far, and the Honda Civic TCR has been competitive at most places,” Eversley said. “I’ve had a few different teammates, and Todd and I have been friends for a long time. I was pretty excited to be able to win. The Michelin Pilot series has some big, talented names, so it’s been a lot of fun racing this class. To be able to do it with Honda every year is a true honor.”

Noaker led 42 laps in his nearly two-hour, 30-minute stint before handing the car to Henderson to finish the race. He lost the lead not on the track but during the pit sequence, and later regained it through a fantastic stop by the Atlanta Speedwerks crew. The 17-year-old held the lead, including his lap as the overall leader, until his green flag pit stop to pass the car to Henderson.

Henderson led two laps of his own and was second on the lap 92 restart, giving chase to the leader. Henderson fell as low as sixth in the difficult final stint and climbed all the way back to fourth, passing for two positions in the closing laps.

The 44 laps led for the No. 94 Honda Civic were the most of the race, earning them their second VP Fuels Front Runner point of the season and taking the season-long lead in that category.

“There are a lot of really good things to take away from the race today,” Henderson said. “We had a good bit of speed and were really competitive. We were in the top three most of the race. There are a few more things we can still improve on for the race next week but overall I’m really glad we ended up in fourth place. We probably could have taken a few more risks and maybe we’d have gotten second, and maybe we wouldn’t have finished the race. I’m really happy with a solid fourth-place finish, and at the same time a little disappointed to not be up there with Ryan and Todd. But there’s a good shot we’ll be up there next week and that’s what I’m looking forward to now.”

Atlanta Speedwerks and the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge have a short turnaround to defend or improve on their position, running a two-hour race again at Watkins Glen in just six days, on Friday, July 1. Eversley will be joined by Scott Smithson, who co-drove to a podium finish with Eversley at Mid-Ohio, in the No. 94 Honda Civic TCR, while Noaker and Henderson will return to action in the No. 84 Honda Civic TCR.

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.

$100K for Local Charities & Lucky Fan if Bowman Completes Pocono Doubleheader Sweep

By
Official Release
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LONG POND, Pa. (June 26, 2021) – Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet, won the Pocono Organics CBD 325 in dramatic fashion today. His Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Larson, was leading until the final corner of the final lap and Bowman passed Larson coming off Turn 3 to take the checkered flag.

If Bowman completes the Pocono Doubleheader sweep and wins the Explore the Pocono Mountains 350 tomorrow, Pocono Raceway and the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau will award a total of $100,000 to five charities and one lucky fan. This is part of the ‘$100K Pocono Sweep Sweepstakes’ where five Pocono charities will win $18,000, each, and one lucky fan will be randomly selected to win $10,000. The sweepstakes officially closed tonight at 7 p.m. ET and over 16,000 entries we cast.

If Bowman wins tomorrow’s NASCAR Cup Series race, one random individual will be selected as the winner. The individual does not have to present at ‘The Tricky Triangle’ on Sunday to win. The five local Pocono Raceway charities include the Pocono Mountains United Way, the Salvation Army Pocono Mountains, Carbon County Community Foundation, Greater Pike Community Foundation and the Wayne County Community Foundation. If another driver wins, the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau will provide each charity with $5,000 in-kind marketing support to further their goals of helping the Pocono community they serve.

For more information, please visit www.poconoraceway.com/sweepstakes.

###

About Pocono Raceway

Pocono Raceway, also known as ‘The Tricky Triangle,’ is family-owned and situated in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. In business for over 50 years, the Raceway hosts multiple, national motorsports events including two NASCAR Cup Series, one NASCAR Xfinity Series, one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and one ARCA Menards Series events each year. The facility’s calendar also consists of over 200 events including “The Great Pocono Raceway Airshow,” Tough Mudder and a wide range of car clubs and racing schools. Pocono Raceway is recognized as the world’s first, privately-owned solar-powered sports facility. Their 25-acre, three-megawatt solar farm provides the energy needs of the Raceway, as well as, adds electricity to the local power grid. Each member of our raceway staff is committed to creating exciting experiences and lifelong memories. For more information, please visit www.poconoraceway.com.

No. 1 Qualifiers set for Sunday’s Summit Nationals

By
Briar Starr
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Photo Courtesy of Auto Imagery

Ron Capps, Steve Torrence, Greg Anderson and Steve Johnson all earned their respective No. 1 qualifiers following three rounds of qualifying this weekend for the Summit Nationals.

Funny Car

Ron Capps currently has no wins through six races of the 2021 season but the Don Schumacher Racing driver is looking to change that on Sunday.

Capps powered the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge to a 3.888 seconds and 329.34 mph speed in the first round of qualifying Friday evening. The ET was relatively unchallenged and after Saturday’s runs, Capps won his second No. 1 qualifier of the 2021 season. He will be facing No. 16 qualifier Terry Haddock in the first round, who Capps lost to at the New England Nationals.

“It’s a great start with a great car,” Capps said. “Tomorrow is going to be warmer and it’s going to be tough conditions. We’re racing Terry Haddock again in the first round and like I said in Epping, you can’t take anyone lightly. We’ll be on our game and we’re going to go up and try to keep doing what we’ve been doing this weekend. We don’t want to change anything. The car’s running great and a Wally is coming.”

Top Fuel

The CAPCO boys just keep on rolling whether it’s father Billy or son Steve Torrence. A few weeks ago the win went to Billy who earned his sixth career victory at New England. But this time, it’s his son Steve who won his third No. 1 qualifier by posting an ET of 3.705 seconds and 324.83 mph on Friday evening. So far, Steve has won in three out of the six races this year.

“It gives you a lot of confidence as a driver to know you’ve got a car that was low every session, went A to B and had no hiccups,” Torrence said. “It definitely boosts your confidence, but tomorrow is going to be a lot hotter and track conditions are going to change a lot. We’ll go do the best we can and see if we can go four rounds tomorrow.”

As for Steve’s father Billy, he qualified third after posting a time of 3.724 and 325.37 mph rounding out the top three. Brittany Force is second after the John Force Racing driver went 3.722 seconds and 323.74 mph in her qualifying run.

Steve is scheduled to face Shawn Langdon in Round 1.

Pro Stock

For the 112th time in his legendary Pro Stock career, Greg Anderson set the pole in the Pro Stock category and is seeking to tie Warren Johnson on the all-time wins list with 97 career victories Sunday. Having a good run begins with qualifying and Anderson continued his No. 1 qualifier momentum after going 6.602 seconds and 206.54 mph in his respective qualifying run.

“It’s all about positivity and you’ve got to think positive if you want results. I’m going to think positive all day tomorrow and there’s a lot to be positive about,” Anderson said. “I’m racing here at a beautiful race track and the fans are excited, and everything’s great about that. It all comes down to execution on Sunday. I didn’t close the deal at the last race and I need to close the deal tomorrow. I’m having a blast. We’ve got a beautiful car, it’s fast and it’s a dream to drive. It’s all good.”

Anderson was runner-up at the New England Nationals a few weeks ago in a losing effort to Aaron Stanfield. He has two wins in six races with those victories coming at Gainesville and Atlanta, where Anderson also earned No. 1 qualifiers at those events. He will face Fernando Cuadra who qualified 16th.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

It’s been a few weeks since the Pro Stock Motorcycle category has competed on the NHRA circuit. In fact, the last Pro Stock Motorcycle event was at Charlotte. When the class returned Friday afternoon, a familiar name returned to the top of the board, Charlotte winner, Steve Johnson. Johnson gained his first No. 1 qualifier of the season and fifth of his career after going 6.789 and 198.44 mph in his Suzuki motorcycle.

“I’m just so proud. We just take all those tiny details and it’s all about this race team. It’s so good to get a yellow (No. 1 qualifier) hat,” Johnson said.

During the first round of qualifying Friday, there was a scary incident that involved veteran Kelly Clontz. After Clontz crossed the finish line, her bike began locking up, and eventually, Clontz fell off her bike and went for a small skid. Thankfully for Clontz, she walked away under her own power but failed to qualify as she was 18th on the board.

Along with Clontz, Ron Tornow and David Barron did not qualify for the event.

https://twitter.com/kclontzracing/status/1408759369764937732

The full qualifying results are below for each class and how the first round will shake out. Live eliminations for the annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals will begin at 11 a.m. ET live on NHRA TV with a subscription and will be shown on FOX TV at 2 p.m. ET.

Top Fuel — 1. Steve Torrence, 3.705 seconds, 324.83 mph vs. 16. Shawn Langdon, 4.101, 227.08; 2. Brittany Force, 3.722, 323.74 vs. 15. Mike Bucher, 4.094, 280.19; 3. Billy Torrence, 3.724, 325.37 vs. 14. Joe Morrison, 4.089, 294.24; 4. Austin Prock, 3.764, 323.35 vs. 13. Krista Baldwin, 3.930, 313.66; 5. Mike Salinas, 3.776, 314.17 vs. 12. Kyle Wurtzel, 3.905, 298.14; 6. Antron Brown, 3.790, 317.87 vs. 11. Doug Kalitta, 3.864, 287.41; 7. Justin Ashley, 3.803, 317.87 vs. 10. Josh Hart, 3.840, 317.57; 8. Leah Pruett, 3.817, 314.90 vs. 9. Doug Foley, 3.824, 311.05. Did Not Qualify: 17. Buddy Hull, 9.702, 82.18; 18. Luigi Novelli, 14.541, 59.35. 
Funny Car — 1. Ron Capps, Dodge Charger, 3.888, 329.34 vs. 16. Terry Haddock, Ford Mustang, 4.705, 211.03; 2. Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 3.895, 327.59 vs. 15. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 4.456, 197.65; 3. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.899, 327.82 vs. 14. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 4.203, no speed; 4. John Force, Camaro, 3.928, 326.71 vs. 13. Jim Campbell, Charger, 4.090, 311.56; 5. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.934, 323.74 vs. 12. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 4.037, 317.57; 6. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota Camry, 3.936, 327.35 vs. 11. Paul Lee, Charger, 4.033, 295.27; 7. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.959, 325.53 vs. 10. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.996, 320.36; 8. Mike McIntire, Camry, 3.984, 316.45 vs. 9. J.R. Todd, Camry, 3.986, 322.58. Did Not Qualify: 17. Chad Green, 7.494, 97.82. 
Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.602, 206.54 vs. 16. Fernando Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.701, 206.73; 2. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.615, 206.57 vs. 15. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Mustang, 6.699, 206.23; 3. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.620, 206.83 vs. 14. Cristian Cuadra, Mustang, 6.685, 206.45; 4. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.624, 206.70 vs. 13. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.683, 207.05; 5. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.633, 207.72 vs. 12. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.652, 206.13; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.635, 205.47 vs. 11. Bruno Massel, Camaro, 6.649, 206.54; 7. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.638, 206.89 vs. 10. Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.648, 206.13; 8. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.639, 207.08 vs. 9. Val Smeland, Camaro, 6.648, 207.43. Did Not Qualify: 17. Alan Prusiensky, 6.729, 205.88; 18. Richie Stevens, 6.736, 205.22; 19. John Gaydosh Jr, 6.760, 205.01; 20. Bob Tucker, 6.902, 183.69. 
Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.789, 198.44 vs. 16. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 7.054, 193.18; 2. Eddie Krawiec, Buell, 6.807, 201.49 vs. 15. Marc Ingwersen, Buell, 7.021, 194.16; 3. Matt Smith, EBR, 6.815, 201.58 vs. 14. Jianna Salinas, Suzuki, 6.992, 191.38; 4. Andrew Hines, Buell, 6.831, 201.13 vs. 13. Cory Reed, Suzuki, 6.965, 195.45; 5. Joey Gladstone, Suzuki, 6.863, 197.91 vs. 12. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.957, 196.13; 6. Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 6.878, 196.36 vs. 11. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.933, 196.19; 7. John Hall, Buell, 6.908, 195.90 vs. 10. Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.915, 193.07; 8. Angie Smith, EBR, 6.913, 198.61 vs. 9. Scotty Pollacheck, EBR, 6.913, 194.44. Did Not Qualify: 17. Ron Tornow, 7.101, 190.24; 18. Kelly Clontz, 7.281, 178.02; 19. David Barron, broke. 

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