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CHEVY NCS AT SONOMA: Tyler Reddick Press Conference Transcript

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Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
TOYOTA/SAVE MART 350
SONOMA RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
JUNE 3, 2021

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHILDRESS VINEYARDS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Teleconference Highlights:

HEADING TO YOUR HOME STATE OF CALIFORNIA, TELL US ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK OUT WEST
“It’s been a while since I’ve been really close to home. Every time I go back out there it’s crazy how much Northern California seems to change from how I remember it when I was younger. Something gets moved or changed. The area just changes. Just in the seven years I’ve been living in the Charlotte area, it’s crazy how much the area has changed here. So, I can only imagine what has changed since the last time I was there. But I’m excited to get back out there. I was looking at the weather. It’s going to be like 100 degrees, which sounds really bad if you live in North Carolina but for some reason it feels like 85 degrees here in Charlotte in the Summer. I’m looking forward getting back out there and seeing the West Coast again.”

WITH NO RACE AT SONOMA LAST YEAR, JUST HOW DIFFERENT DO YOU THINK THIS RACE IS GOING TO BE? WHAT RACES HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING TO PREDICT HOW THINGS WILL GO?
“It’s really hard to go back and put a lot of faith in past races because the tire continues to change quite a lot from the last time they raced there. They weren’t running the layout that they are right now. There are some things to take away from it. The falloff is probably going to be more, obviously, with less downforce. But it’s still a road course in Sonoma, so it’s one that you can kind of prep for without having to go through a lot of race footage. It’s still a road course and the fact that it lays up to make passes and how you want to make lap times and the most visual markers and everything you can kind of gather through manufacturers’ simulator or iRacing. So, I’m just trying to prep and be better with just road racing in general, and Sonoma just happens to be the one that we’ve been focusing on the last couple of weeks. COTA was one we focused on, as well.”

SINCE YOU ARE BORDERLINE ON POINTS, DO YOU HAVE TO USE STRATEGY TO GET STAGE POINTS AND THEN POTENTIALLY WORK YOUR WAY THROUGH, OR WILL IT JUST DEPEND ON HOW YOUR CAR IS?
“Yeah, there are a lot of factors that play into that. If we are as good as we are hoping we are, it gives me some hope that we can go into Sonoma and yeah, I’ve never seen it, right? It seems like we’ve been hitting it pretty good on the road courses here lately. There’s a good chance we can roll in there and be pretty quick. It’s just going to depend on how the race plays out. If we feel like we have a shot at winning, I know we’re not going to get caught-up on those Stage points. But yeah, there are so many factors that go into all that. We’re just going to have to see what happens. I’m excited and we’re going to go for it when we get to Sonoma.”

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE ALL-STAR RACE, YOU’LL BE IN THE OPEN. TALK ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF RACING SHORT BURSTS TO MAKE YOUR WAY IN. YOU ONLY HAVE TO WIN A STAGE IN THE OPEN TO MAKE THE ALL-STAR ITSELF. AND WHAT’S IT GOING TO BE LIKE TO HAVE THAT RACE AT TEXAS INSTEAD OF CHARLOTTE?
“It is kind of funny to think that the aero package we have at superspeedways is basically what we’re going to have at Texas. I hope we don’t have that chaotic of a race. The track is a little bit shorter. Turns 1 and 2 are definitely a lot more challenging. Even in a Cup car with a little bit more power, I really don’t know how it’s going to go. Yeah, it’s not a points-paying race, so I’ve tried to not really think about it too much right now, because of COTA, the 600, and Sonoma. Obviously, it’s right around the corner. We don’t have that much horsepower. I know that preparation-wise and how our race is going to go. It’s going to really be dictated by did we bring the right body build, do we have the right aero balance to race with that little bit less horsepower in an open field, if you will. So, it’s kind of a guessing game and I leave that to my guys to do the best job to bring a car that we hope is going to be good on a 1.5-mile. Obviously, the Coke 600 and the last couple of 1.5-miles, we’ve had good speed. But what’s that going to mean with less horsepower. What does that mean for us? We’ll see when we get there.”

FOR THE FANS THAT DON’T KNOW WHAT THIS IS LIKE, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT SETTING UP A PASS AND THE FEEL OF RACING A TRACK LIKE SONOMA?
“I’ve never seen it (laughs). I don’t know. I’ve ran it plenty on Zoom and iRacing and whatnot with friends. I don’t even know what airport we fly into out there. But if you drop me off and they said go to the race track, without a GPS I’d be in trouble. I wouldn’t know where I’m going. I don’t really know. It’s still a road course, thought, like the technique and how you set-up to pass somebody, you don’t complete a pass in one corner. The 1.5-mile racing is kind of getting that way now with the less horsepower in these cars, right now, on the 1.5-miles. So, it’s kind of a chess match. You poke your nose in there a little bit. Maybe you get the guy thinking oh, is he going to drive in here and wreck me? Well, he didn’t. Now the guy misses the apex and now maybe you have an opportunity to pass him down the next straightaway. It’s kind of a chess match. A lot of these road courses are with the elevation gain and loss. That just amplifies the amount of give and take and it’s just all about carrying momentum. You’ve got to have a trade-off somewhere if you’re trying to gain an advantage and gain momentum in another part of the race track. The passes take a while to set up and I’m excited for how fun it’s going to be. It will be definitely challenging for me and the other drivers, obviously, as well. They haven’t run this aero package at Sonoma on this layout.”

WHAT DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT YOU ARE MOST INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT?
“It’s just the understanding of what the tire falloff feels like and what options I’m going to have in front of me to kind of manage that better. The 1.5-mile race tracks, the short tracks, the ovals, even COTA, you kind of understand okay, this is kind of how I can manage my tire falloff better. But I haven’t had a lot of experience with it or good experiences with it. My understanding now it a lot different than what it was a couple of years ago.

“Those in our sport that have run there for many years like Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex; yeah, the tires change, but they understand how the characteristics of the track are. And they probably have an understanding of okay yeah, I’ve got to give up this lap after lap after lap to be able to sustain well over a long run. Where a guys like me, where I’m coming in, I think I’m going to have to wing that because yeah, I can look at lap times and understand the pace falloff from years previous; but again, it’s a different layout and downforce package, so it would be really hard to do that. So, I’m going to have to wing it at the beginning of the race and hopefully my level of winging it is good enough to be able to improve it throughout the course of the race and getting better by the end.”

FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ELEVATE FROM THE SEVENTH TO 10th PLACE FINISHING RANGE TO ENTERING THE TOP-5?
‘There are a couple of areas. Probably the biggest one has been here in the last two or three weeks is I’ve got to continue to get better on pit road. Charlotte was a very challenging one for us. With the nature of that race and the lack of comfort that I had running really close to the maximum speed limit allowed, like Kyle Larson could all night, I was very off in that regard, but I was absolutely terrified of having a speeding penalty and completely derail what could be a very manageable and realistic top-10 day, even with those little crumbs left on the table. We have to find ways to get better at all the little details. And then just avoiding the little mistakes along the way. The last month or so there’s been one restart a race, I’d day where I’d choose the wrong lane, anticipating where the car ahead of me is going to go, and it puts us back two or three spots. It’s just little details, especially in the Cup series. You can’t just be really fast on the race track to win races. All these big teams are really calculated to know how much to push at any point in the race. But for me, it is nice to see how much better we’ve been able to get in about a year’s time. We still have a lot of room to go.”

ON THE MOMENTUM YOU ARE CARRYING RIGHT NOW, HOW WOULD YOU RATE THAT PERFORMANCE? IF YOU TAKE OUT DARLINGTON AND RICHMOND YOU WOULD HAVE SEVEN STRAIGHT TOP-10’S.
“It’s crazy to hear potentially that number of top-10 straight considering how the year started. It’s even crazier to hear that the two where we don’t break through and get those great runs are two of my better tracks that we go to throughout the year. We’ve been better about managing our expectations there. Going to Sonoma, I think it’s important to manage our expectations as well. I’m very excited about Sonoma. But I’ve got to again remember I’ve never seen this track. I have not logged a single lap around this place once in my life. I can’t help but be confident because we’ve been able to improve a lot at the road courses. We didn’t have a good run at the Daytona Road Course race, but at the Clash we were really quick. My expectations are high but still there’s a lot of uncertainty going into it.”
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

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.

Marco Polo Motorsports Ready for Wet GT4 America Weekend at VIRginia International Raceway

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Official Release
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ALTON, Vir., (June 3, 2021) – Marco Polo Motorsports and the No. 71 KTM X-Bow will be returning to Alton, Virginia to compete at VIRginia International Speedway this weekend for rounds five and six of the GT4 America championship. With four races in the 2021 season complete, drivers Nicolai Elghanayan and Mads Siljehaug are tied for third in GT4 America Silver Cup standings with CCR Racing/Team TFB, eager to break away and close in on the points leaders on what is looking to be another wet weekend.

“I am really looking forward to VIR,” said Elghanayan. “This is such a great track, and it’s the perfect location for our first race back with fans! I have not had a successful weekend here yet and am eager to change that. Mads and I have been doing a lot of racing overseas in the 24H series and will be taking advantage of all the seat time we’ve had this season to carry it into the GT4 Series here in the US.”

The 2020 outing at VIRginia International Raceway marked the debut for the team’s new KTM X-Bow GT4 Evo. The team entered the event with minimal time to test but made the most of the event and improved over the course of the triple-header by earning a top-five finish in sweltering conditions.

Elghanayan and Siljehaug first partnered up as co-drivers in GT4 America in 2020, taking all the challenges of the year in stride and finding their flow as a strong racer pairing. The two clicked instantly, allowing Siljehaug to get up to speed quickly at each new track he visited. After concluding the season with four wins and six podiums, the pair joined the Creventic 24H Series with Reiter Engineering. The pair just earned a podium finish at the 12H Hockenheimring and will bring that momentum into the doubleheader this weekend at VIR.

Following their success together racing in Europe, the team has expanded their partnership with Reiter Engineering to include race event support. Longtime partner Mullerized… will continue to provide their expert preparation and service on the KTM X-Bow before and after each race weekend at their California location.

“Coming back to race at VIR with more experience and knowledge feels great,” said Siljehaug. “Now with having Reiter Engineering crew on track with Marco Polo Motorsports, we are really going in for top performance to improve our results from last year! I hope the fans will brave the weather to come out, and that we can put on a good show for them in the KTM X-Bow.”

This year, the conditions will vary greatly from last year, with rain predicted for all three days of on-track activity. The KTM-X Bow and its drivers preferred the rain at the previous race rounds at Circuit of the Americas, and will also welcome the wet conditions this weekend, in what is usually a scorching weekend. This race will mark the first GT4 America race since March 2020 that fans will be able to have access to the paddock. In honor of Memorial Day, the track will also offer free tickets for all active duty service members and 40% off for veterans.

Twenty-nine cars from six manufacturers will race this weekend in GT4 America on the 3.27 mile, 17-turn road course. With sweeping corners and a long straight, and beautiful green pastures that race fans can easily navigate, VIR never fails to deliver exciting action for motorsports lovers. Race fans will get to enjoy another double-header race weekend, with Saturday and Sunday each hosting a 60-minute sprint. Elghanayan and Siljehaug will split the drive time in each of the races, trading out the driving duties during a mandatory pit stop in the middle of each race.

Live updates for the weekend will be on Marco Polo Motorsports Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. GT4-America.com and the GT World YouTube page will have a live stream available for all qualifying and race sessions. All sessions will have live timing on the official event page.

Event Schedule | All Times US Eastern
Friday, June 4
11:30AM – 12:15PM Practice #1
5:00PM – 5:45PM Practice #2

Saturday, June 5
8:00AM – 8:15AM Race One Qualifying
8:20AM – 8:35AM Race Two Qualifying
11:30AM – 12:30PM Race #1

Sunday, June 6
11:10AM – 12:10PM Race #2

About Muellerized…KTM X-BOW Sales and Support
Muellerized Inc. is California’s KTM X-BOW Dealer, with multiple models including the new 2020 X-BOW Comp R in stock. The shop was founded as a suspension and chassis specialist shop in 2004 by third generation champion racer John Mueller, who utilizes his 36 years of road racing experience to craft winning solutions. Muellerized offers a full range of vehicle services for street, track day, and competition vehicles. – muellerized.com

About Kollin Altomare Architects
Beyond providing full-service architecture, interior design and planning services, we create elegant, inspired projects. Not only award-winning luxury hotels, resorts, spas, residential, retail, dining and leisure destinations, but enduring partnerships with the people who hire us. Driven to be Creatively Responsible and Responsibly Creative, we deliver design solutions that surpass the expectations of both our clients and their customers.

Craftsmen Industries
For racing professionals looking for the ultimate in customized automotive transport, Craftsmen Industries, the trusted leader in custom-built transporters, introduces the Craftsmen Transporter. Inspired by the great European racing design, Craftsmen Transporters are Precision-Built, Lightweight, Fast, High-Performance and High-Design. For more details, please visit www.craftsmenind.com/transporters.

KTM Sportcar GmbH
With headquarters in Graz (manufactory) and Wels (racing), KTM Sportcar GmbH is the manufacturer of KTMs super sports car, the X-BOW, since 2008. More than 1,300 vehicles have been sold since, distributed in more than 40 countries worldwide, amongst them markets like Australia, China or North America. With a maximum of 100 cars manufactured per hand per year, KTM is one of the most exclusive car manufacturers worldwide. Besides homologated models for street use, KTM is focused in racing, especially in spec racing series like the “X-BOW BATTLE” or in the SRO GT4 category. With titles in 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, the KTM X-BOW GT4 (developed together with Reiter Engineering) is one of the most successful GT4 vehicles, racing against the biggest as well as most legendary sports car manufacturers in the world and on the most iconic tracks like Nürburgring, Bathurst or Spa-Francorchamps.

Pardus heads to Mid-Ohio with dad as a crew chief

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Official Release
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LEXINGTON, Ohio — Preston Pardus has had his dad, Dan, calling the shots on his SCCA Spec Miatas for the past eight years, which included two national championships.

Saturday, though, for the first time, Dan will serve as his son’s crew chief in the NASCAR Xfinity competition in the B&L Transport 170 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Preston will drive the No. 90 Danus Utilities/Chinchor Electric Chevrolet owned by fellow Floridian Mario Gosselin.

The 75-lap race wasn’t originally on Preston Pardus’ schedule for 2021, but Gosselin offered the seat to the 24-year-old driver late last week.

“He does a good job, and he’s a good kid from a good family,” said Gosselin, who fields three cars in Xfinity competition. “We’re excited to have him onboard for the weekend. He has the ability to road race and get himself up near the front when it counts.”

The race on the 15-turn, 2.258-mile layout will be Preston’s third NASCAR start of the season. He finished 33rd in the road-course event at Daytona International Speedway when a top-10 run was ended by a broken rear end. He came home 14th on May 22 in NASCAR’s debut at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

“Mario called us and said, ‘Hey, I’d love to have Preston in the car. I need to get a decent finish with that 90 car to keep it up there in points,’ ” Dan Pardus said. “It’s a good opportunity. Mario’s got some good equipment and runs a real good show as far as I’m concerned.”

Pardus has two top-10 finishes in eight career Xfinity starts. Both of those came last year, when he was 10th at Indianapolis and eighth at Road America. Despite his extensive road-course experience across the country in SCCA competition, Pardus has not competed at Mid-Ohio, which opened in 1962. The course’s 2020 Xfinity race was cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic, but its previous seven Xfinity shows produced seven different winners.

“It’s a road course that races like a short track,” Preston said. “Super narrow. It’s a sports-car course, so it has very tight turns, and is kind of single file through most of the sections. There are only two or three really good passing opportunities, and because of that, track position is huge.

“You’ve got to stay patient and stay precise on how you set up a pass. If you try to rush it, you’ll make mistakes. You’ve got to be in line with them coming to the passing zones because if you get off line, you end up losing spots. Having a good race strategy will be a benefit.”

Conceiving a strategy for Mid-Ohio will fall to Dan Pardus and Gosselin, who said they “will collaborate and talk strategy beforehand.”

Dan Pardus has served as an Xfinity crew chief once, that coming in late February when he called the shots for driver Dexter Bean, who finished 17th at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Gosselin’s No. 90.

“It was nerve-wracking, to say the least, trying to make the right calls,” Pardus said. “If the caution comes out, do we come in? Do we short pit? Do we not short pit? Do I leave him out there and try and make a fuel run? That kind of thing.

“It was just a lot of pressure that you don’t realize. You’re responsible for the crew, you’re telling them what to do — two tires, four tires, a round of wedge in the right rear, take air pressure in or out — that as a driver you never have to make. This will be a little easier, I think, with Preston being my son. We communicate pretty well, but we don’t have live pit stops in SCCA racing, and NASCAR’s a whole different deal with three opportunities to make some adjustments. Hopefully it’ll be a good weekend.”

Dan’s voice will be a familiar one for Preston, who said, “He’s always been on the radio with me.”

The elder Pardus, who competed in NASCAR Cup and Xfinity races, as well as ARCA events, said he expects his son to pick up Mid-Ohio’s intricacies in short order.

“I think it’s going to take him 10 laps and I think then he’ll take off. … He adapts really quick, and I think that’s a real talent of his,” Dan said. “He doesn’t get spooked. I think after that first stage, by the middle of it, I look for him to be in the top 20, and hopefully by the end we can get him up there in the top 10.”

Mid-Ohio’s action includes the 1,500th race in ARCA history on Friday afternoon. Racers in the Yokohoma Drivers Cup series will race Friday and Saturday, and dashes for the Stadium Super Trucks competitors will precede and follow the Xfinity race.

Maintain Your Classic Car by Following These 5 Tips

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SM
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A classic auto requires a lot more care, attention, and maintenance than your average, modern vehicle and could require searching for classic car parts to keep your vintage ride in decent condition. It can be a challenge, as this takes a considerable amount of effort, time, and dedication.

If you have plans to purchase a vintage car, you’ll need to inspect and maintain every component of your vehicle properly and regularly. If you fail to do that, your classic auto will eventually become an unusable piece of junk.

Here are a few car care suggestions to help keep your vintage ride running smoothly on the road:

Clean and Wax Your Vehicle

Cleaning and waxing your vintage auto regularly is a must. Give your classic vehicle a good hand-wash to keep it far from grime, salt, and other impurities that can permanently damage the exterior of your car. You could add car cleaning to your household chores list. This way, you won’t forget to maintain your classic ride.

If you’re a busy person, you have the option to take your auto to a car detailing facility and let the specialists get the work done. This can get pricey, so make sure that you have the funds to pay for car cleaning.

Don’t just focus on cleaning the outside of the vehicle. Make sure that your vehicle is tidy on the inside, as well. You need to vacuum the car seats, shampoo the vehicle carpet, and more.

After washing your car, do some waxing every six months or so to make the exterior paint shine. Waxing also gives an additional layer of protection to your classic vehicle. It prevents paint chips, safeguards the bodywork from airborne contaminants, and minimizes the appearance of scratches.

If you plan to use your vintage car all year round, you’ll need to take extra measures to keep your vintage vehicle looking spick and span.

During autumn, for instance, falling leaves can turn into a major problem for your car. The debris can get into your vehicle’s air ducts and even find its way into your engine compartment. You can avoid this unfortunate scenario from happening by parking your car away from trees and places with lots of leaf debris.

Do Regular Oil Changes

The regular changing of oil is incredibly important to classic cars. Oil is crucial to the health of your classic engine, as this can:

  • Get rid of micro-debris
  • Ease high-tolerance components
  • Lubricate parts to reduce wear

When you’re doing an oil change for a vintage car, you need to go with specialist oils. These are products controlled and designed by a specific car manufacturer. If you’re driving a classic Toyota, for instance, then you need a specialist oil from Toyota. This oil will help keep your vintage ride running the way the manufacturer designed them.

Replace the Spark Plug and Air Filter Regularly

As spark plugs age, poor fuel burning and misfires can occur without warning. You can prevent these problems by changing your plugs regularly. You should do a change of plugs every 10,000 miles to keep your classic auto in good condition. When replacing spark plugs, make sure you use the manufacturer-recommended variety for your classic vehicle.

Equally important to a spark plug is the air filter for your vintage vehicle. The purpose of this car filter is to prevent any atmospheric rubbish that floats around outside from getting into the engine.

Many companies suggest that you change the air filter of your classic auto at 40,000 miles. If you reside in an urban or dusty area, you’ll want to replace this filter every 20,000 miles instead. Don’t worry, though, as the air filter is a relatively low-cost item.

If you’re going to buy an air filter, avoid buying cheap imitation products. Instead, purchase a genuine filter or an accredited product from an aftermarket manufacturer.

Rotate Your Tires

Some performance vehicles, such as the classic Porsche, may experience uneven tire wear. Other older two-wheel-drive cars will experience significantly more wear as you apply more power. What’s more, the front vehicle tires may experience sideway strains as they lead into corners – a problem exacerbated by increased speed.

If this applies to you, make sure that you swap tires back to front every six months for even wear. Rotating your tires can make your wheelset last longer.

Store Your Classic Car Properly

If you plan to drive your vintage vehicle only during special occasions, you’ll want to store your ride correctly to prolong its lifespan. Park your car in your garage to safeguard it from the elements. Make sure that this part of your home is well ventilated and dry, as moisture in the air can lead to corrosion.

Keep your beloved classic vehicle in great shape by following these five tips. By carrying out a few checks and changes on your car, you’ll keep your auto looking fantastic and running great.

The AFL’s Highest Paid Players

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SM
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AFL players might not earn the kind of enormous salaries many other professional sportspeople are fortunate enough to receive, but they still do pretty well for themselves. The top players in the league are able to earn well in excess of $1 million in the modern-day game, so just who was the highest-paid AFL player in 2020?

Jeremy Cameron

Last year, star forward Jeremy Cameron earned the prestigious title of the highest-paid player in the AFL courtesy of a back-ended contract which saw him slated to earn around $1.5 million throughout the course of the year. Of course, as was the case with every player, that number was reduced somewhat as a result of the disrupted AFL season, but nonetheless, he reeled in over $1 million. As it turned out, that would be his final year with the GWS Giants and his performance didn’t exactly justify the paycheck, but given his prodigious ability, it’s no surprise to see him up the top of this list.

Lance Franklin

Lance Franklin and the Sydney Swans turned the landscape of player payments in the AFL on its head when the club offered the superstar forward a nine-year deal worth $10 million in 2013 — easily the biggest in the game’s history. He accepted, and the back-ended nature of that contract meant that in 2020, his annual salary sat at around $1.4 million. Injuries prevented Buddy from playing a single game throughout the entire year, perhaps a tough pill to swallow for the Swans, but he has established himself as one of the club’s — and the game’s — greatest ever players over the course of the nine-year deal, so the contract has been justified in the eyes of many.

Nat Fyfe

Fremantle midfielder Nat Fyfe is one of the league’s most decorated players, having won the Brownlow Medal twice, been selected as the All-Australian captain in 2019, and captained his own club since 2017, so it’s little surprise that he is one of the AFL’s highest-paid players. Fyfe signed a huge six-year contract reportedly worth around $7 million back in 2017, a couple of years after his first Brownlow and a couple of years prior to his second. That contract saw him earn over $1.2 million in 2020 alone — not a bad haul for the man from Lake Grace.

Dustin Martin

Martin has spent the last few years seemingly accumulating every piece of silverware available in the AFL, so some would argue that Richmond got off lightly by paying him around $1.2 million last year. Dusty famously signed a seven-year deal for the Tigers worth around $9 million dollars at the end of 2017, having just led his side to its first Premiership in 37 years in the same year that he won both the Brownlow and the Norm Smith Medals – the only person to ever do so in the same season. He was reportedly offered a much bigger deal with North Melbourne, but having won another two more flags — and being favorite to win another according to 2021 AFL Premiership odds – as well as two more Norm Smith Medals with Richmond since, he’s probably pretty happy with the decision. 

For the most part, the players sitting just below this top group are stars of the competition, the likes Patrick Dangerfield, Marcus Bontempelli, and Jeremy McGovern, while Carlton’s Jack Martin is probably a surprise addition to the group earning in excess of $1 million per season. They might not be the kind of numbers stars of major American and European sports earn, but it’s hard to imagine any of these guys are complaining. 

San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan Named Grand Marshal of Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway

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Official Release
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2018 San Francisco 49ers Season: San Francisco 49ers vs Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, September 23, 2018 Kansas City, MO (49ers Photo)

SONOMA, Calif. (June 2, 2021) – San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan has been named Grand Marshal of this Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway.

Shanahan, the 20th head coach in franchise history, will join Northern California Toyota representatives in giving the start command, “Drivers, start your engines” prior to the start of the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Shanahan joins other notable National Football League (NFL) personalities with quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa (Homestead-Miami Speedway) and Derek Carr (Las Vegas Motor Speedway) having been NASCAR grand marshals this season. This will mark the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series race Shanahan has attended. He will be joined at the race by his family.

“I am excited and honored to be the Grand Marshal for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 this weekend,” said Shanahan. “This will be my first NASCAR event, and I’m thrilled that I get to share this amazing experience with my family. I can’t wait to fire up a field of NASCAR stock cars.”

In 2019, Shanahan was named Coach of the Year by Sporting News and NFC Coach of the Year by the Committee of 101 after leading the 49ers to a 13-3 regular season record, the NFC West Division Title and an appearance in Super Bowl LIV. San Francisco’s nine-win improvement from 2018 to 2019 was the largest win improvement from one season to the next in franchise history.

Shanahan has 17 seasons of coaching experience at the NFL level, including nine seasons as an offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons (2015-16), Cleveland Browns (2014), Washington (2010-13) and Houston Texans (2008-09). In six of his nine seasons as an offensive coordinator (2008-09, 2012-13 and 2015-16), and one as head coach of the 49ers (2019), Shanahan has directed an offense that ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in yards gained.

Shanahan was 26 years old when he was named the wide receivers coach of the Houston Texans, becoming the youngest position coach in the NFL at that time. At 28 years old, he was named the offensive coordinator of the Texans and was the youngest coordinator in the NFL. He also served as a ball boy for the 49ers when his father, Mike, was the offensive coordinator for the team from 1992-94. Mike helped guide the 49ers to a 49-26 victory in Super Bowl XXIX.

Sonoma Raceway has reached its allowed capacity for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race, June 6, and will no longer sell tickets for the event. Those not able to attend Sunday’s race are encouraged to tune in to Fox Sports 1 at 1 p.m. (Pacific Time) to watch NASCAR’s first race in wine country in 714 days. Visit www.SonomaRaceway.com, call 800-870-RACE or follow @RaceSonoma for more information.

Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Sonoma

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Official Release
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Sonoma Raceway
Sunday, June 6, 2021
2.52-Mile Road Course
4:00 PM ET
Location: Sonoma, California
TV: Fox
Event: NASCAR Cup Series (16 of 36)
Radio: SiriusXM, PRN

5 KYLE LARSON
Age: 28 (July 31, 1992)
Hometown: Elk Grove, California
Resides: Mooresville, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Cliff Daniels
Standings: 2nd

No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

RECORD-BREAKING WIN: On Sunday in the annual 600-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson led 327 of 400 laps to capture Hendrick Motorsports’ record-breaking 269th NASCAR Cup Series win. Through 15 Cup Series races this season, the driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE has two victories (ranks second), eight top-five finishes (second), 10 top-10s (fourth) and currently sits second in the driver point standings. He has the most stage victories (nine) and has accumulated the most playoff points (19).

WOO BACK-TO-BACK: On Monday night at Lawrenceburg Speedway in Indiana, Larson won his first World of Outlaws sprint car race of the year. The 28-year-old started second in the 35-lap feature and took over the top spot on lap 11 en route to victory.

LEADER OF THE PACK: There have been 4,199 laps completed during the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season and Larson has paced the field a series high 1,105 times, or 26%. The driver of the No. 5 entry is nearing his career-high record, which occurred in 2017 when he led 1,352 laps in 36 races.

40 PERCENT: Larson has finished first or second in six of 15 races this season. The 2014 rookie of the year won at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway while posting second-place finishes at Circuit of The Americas, Dover International Speedway, Darlington Raceway and Atlanta Motor Speedway.

HOMETOWN BOUND: Sunday will mark the fourth consecutive Cup Series event at Sonoma Raceway that Larson, who grew up in Elk Grove 80 miles northeast of Sonoma, has led the field to the green flag. Larson won the pole position in 2017, ’18 and ’19, and he earned the first starting spot this weekend based on NASCAR’s qualifying metrics.

RC RACING: Larson has 16 starts on road courses in the Cup Series with two top-five finishes, five top-10s and two stage victories (third-most all-time). In May at Circuit of The Americas, Larson led four laps and finished second to Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott in the rain-shortened event. In sports cars, Larson competed in the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA for Chip Ganassi Racing from 2014 through 2016 and was victorious in 2015.

ROUTE 66: In June 2014, Larson competed in the ARCA Menards Series West event at Sonoma Raceway. After winning the pole, he led all 66 laps on the 1.99-mile layout and crossed under the checkered flag more than three seconds ahead of the competition.

FOURTH FOR 5: Larson has a 9.5 average running position in 2021 – the fourth-best average in the Cup Series. That average factors in position scored in all 4,199 laps run in NASCAR’s premier series this year. To better understand Larson’s average, 4% of it is scored as 40th place since the No. 5 entry experienced engine issues at the start of the Talladega race and completed only three of 191 laps.

YOUR CAR NEEDS: This weekend, Larson will drive the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. From the convenience of home, customers can select the category, make, model and vehicle packages that are important to them from the nearly 30,000 new, high-quality pre-owned and certified cars, trucks and SUVs available at HendrickCars.com. The website also makes it easy for customers to find one of Hendrick Automotive Group’s 93 dealership locations nationwide.

9 CHASE ELLIOTT
Age: 25 (Nov. 28, 1995)
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia
Crew Chief: Alan Gustafson
Standings: 4th

No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

COURSE KING: Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, is set to make his 15th Cup Series start on a road course this weekend at Sonoma Raceway. Most recently, he collected a victory in the inaugural race at Circuit of The Americas. He has collected the most wins (six) in the fewest starts (14) and stage wins (six) of active drivers. Overall, 25-year-old Elliott is the youngest driver to have six road course wins. He has garnered seven top-five finishes, nine top-10s and a total of 289 laps led at road courses. His six wins tie him with NASCAR legends Rusty Wallace, Ricky Rudd, Richard Petty and Bobby Allison for third-most all-time road course wins behind Jeff Gordon (nine) and Tony Stewart (eight). He also remains the youngest road course winner at 22 years, 8 months, 8 days.

ROAD COURSE PROWESS: Elliott’s wins at COTA (2021), Watkins Glen (2018, 2019), Charlotte ROVAL (2019, 2020) and the DAYTONA Road Course (2020) account for six of the last nine road course victories. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native has led laps in the last seven road course races, the longest active streak. In 2021 on road courses, Elliott has led the most laps of all drivers (49) and also holds the best average finish (9.21) of active drivers and sixth-best all-time average of drivers with at least five starts.

WHAT A STREAK: Sunday’s second-place result is Elliott’s third consecutive top-three finish of the season. Also, having collected a top-10 finish in each of the last five NASCAR Cup Series events, Elliott currently holds the longest active streak.

RETURN TO WINE COUNTRY: Elliott is set to make his fifth Cup Series start at Sonoma Raceway this weekend. In his previous Cup starts at the road course, the driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 earned his first top-10 result at Sonoma in 2017 and followed it up in the 2018 season with a fourth-place finish – his first career top-five on a road course. During the last visit to the 2.52-mile course, Elliott raced inside the top five for most of the event before a mechanical issue ended the No. 9 team’s day in the final stage.

GUSTAFSON ON ROAD COURSES: Crew chief Alan Gustafson will call his 37th road course race from atop the pit box this Sunday at Sonoma. In his previous 36 starts, the Florida native has garnered six wins, the most of active crew chiefs, 11 top-five finishes, 17 top-10s and 346 laps led.

SEASON SUMMARY: Sunday marked the 15th race of the 2021 Cup Series season. So far this year, Elliott has one win, seven top-five finishes (three of which are runner-up results), nine top-10s, and has led a total of 103 laps. He has also collected the fifth-most stage points (114), one stage win, has spent 1,368 laps inside the top five and 2,605 laps running in the top 10. Elliott’s average running position for the season is 10.04 and his average finish is 10.6. He currently sits fourth in the driver point standings, 92 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.

PIT ROAD POWER: Heading to Sonoma, the No. 9 team owns the sixth-best average time for four-tire pit stops at 13.76 seconds through 15 races. The NAPA pit crew is comprised of jackman T.J. Semke, gasman John Gianninoto, tire carrier Jared Erspamer and tire changers Chad Avrit and Nick O’Dell.

NAPA KNOW HOW: The No. 9 Chevrolet will don the familiar blue, white and yellow NAPA AUTO PARTS paint scheme on Sunday at Sonoma. The Atlanta-based company is serving as majority sponsor for Elliott and the No. 9 team for 25 NASCAR Cup Series races this season.

24 WILLIAM BYRON
Age: 23 (Nov. 29, 1997)
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Standings: 3rd

No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

UP FRONT VIEWS: After another top-five run this past Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, William Byron and the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE continue to be a model of consistency. After 15 races, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native has collected one win, six top-five finishes and 12 top-10s all while leading 190 laps. With the second-best average running position throughout the NASCAR Cup Series field of 7.99 and an average finishing position of 9, Byron is tied for the second position in the driver points standings with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson following the 600-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway – the highest ranking of his Cup career.

READY, PLAYER 24: After its inception last year during the pandemic, the iRacing NASCAR Pro Invitational Series resumes Wednesday night for the fifth race of 10 in 2021 at the virtual Chicago Street Course with the Next Gen car. Picking up where he left off last season, Byron raced to the win in the first Pro Invitational Series event this year on March 24 at the virtual Bristol dirt track. In his 10 total Pro Invitational Series starts, Byron leads the field with four wins and is the only driver to win consecutive races. He has paced the field in eight of his 10 starts, leading a total of 477 out of 1,210 laps – the most of all drivers.

ROAD RESULTS: This Sunday will mark the third points-paying road course race of the 2021 season and Byron has stepped up his road course racing skills in the last two years, finishing in the top 10 in three of the last five races. While in the last seven road course events, he has led at least 20 laps in three of those races, including leading the most laps during last year’s race at the Charlotte ROVAL. In fact, Byron led the second-most laps on road courses during the 2020 season.

SONOMA STATS: With a pause in racing action at Sonoma Raceway last year due to the pandemic, Byron will return to the 2.52-mile road course for the third time in his Cup Series career. In those two starts, Byron’s best showing came in 2019 when he qualified second and raced up front for most of the event, collecting as many stage points as possible, including his first Cup Series stage win. However, with a differing strategy, Byron was credited with a 19th-place result. Aside from his two Cup Series starts, Byron has two previous starts at the road course both coming in the ARCA Menards Series West (formerly known as the K&N Series West). In fact, Byron’s first road course race in a stock car came at Sonoma Raceway in 2015 in the ARCA Menards Series West event where he qualified second and raced to a fifth-place finish. Byron returned to Sonoma for the ARCA Menards Series West race in 2018, tying his best qualifying effort of second, but crossed the finish line two spots better than his 2015 showing, in the third position.

FIRST FOR FUGLE: Already in 2021 Fugle and Byron have three road course starts together, two at the DAYTONA Road Course and most recently at the Circuit of The Americas. For the Clash exhibition race, the No. 24 raced to a solid fifth-place result but bad luck struck the team for their return trip less than two weeks later, resulting in a 33rd-place finish after Byron suffered a flat tire and with two laps to go. Two weeks ago at Circuit of The Americas, Byron was running within the top five when damage sustained from a competitor forced the No. 24 team to rally from behind, resulting in an 11th-place result. However, aside from those three road course starts in the Cup Series, Fugle has seven other road course races under his belt all coming in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In those seven starts, the Livonia, New York, native has one win (Erik Jones, 2015), three top-five finishes, and five top-10s. One of those seven truck starts was also with Byron where the duo raced to a 10th-place finish at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in 2016.

ALL ABOUT AXALTA: When the Cup Series returns to Sonoma for the first time since 2019, Byron will climb behind the wheel of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE as he takes on the 2.52-mile road course. Now in its 29th year of partnership with Hendrick Motorsports, Axalta will return as primary partner on Byron’s No. 24 for 14 races in 2021. For a better look at Byron’s new No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, click here.

48 Alex Bowman
Age: 28 (April 25, 1993)
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Resides: Concord, North Carolina
Crew Chief: Greg Ives
Standings: 12th

No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE

Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, will be available to members of the media via video conference on Thursday, June 3 at 11:15 a.m. ET. Visit NASCARmedia.com for details.

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, will be available to members of the media via video conference on Friday, June 4 at 11 a.m. ET. Visit NASCARmedia.com for details.

TOP FIVE IN CHARLOTTE: During the 600-mile event on Sunday afternoon at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Alex Bowman brought home a fifth-place finish at the end of the day. The No. 48 Ally team captured stage points in all three stages, finishing 10th, seventh and fifth, respectively. After a two-tire call under caution on Lap 174, Bowman was the first car off pit road and led the field to green on lap 177. This fifth-place finish is Bowman’s first top-five result at the 1.5-mile speedway. The Ally driver is tied for third for the longest active top-10 streak among active drivers in the series.

BOWMAN IN SONOMA VALLEY: The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet will make his fifth start at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday afternoon. Bowman’s first and only top-10 at the track came back in 2018 after he finished ninth at the conclusion of the 110-lap event. Out of 420 total laps within these four races, Bowman has completed 99.8% of the total laps. In 2018, Bowman made one start at the California-based venue in the ARCA Menards Series West (formally known as the K&N Series West) event where he qualified seventh.

ROAD COURSE HISTORY: The 28-year-old driver has 14 previous starts on road courses in the NASCAR Cup Series. With two top-five finishes and six top-10 results at road course venues, Bowman’s best results have come at the Charlotte ROVAL. The Ally driver currently has two top-five results, three top-10s, including one runner-up result in the 2019 event, and has an average finish of 4.6 at the track. Bowman is one of four drivers to capture top-10 results in both road course events this season. In his road course starts with Hendrick Motorsports, Bowman has finished inside the top 15 in all 10 events and has placed in the top 10 in six of the last 10 events. Bowman has an average finish of 9.56 on these tracks while driving for Hendrick Motorsports.

IVES AT SONOMA: Crew chief Greg Ives has called the shots five times at Sonoma Raceway for Hendrick Motorsports. The Michigan native has three top-10 results at the track and finished 14th with Bowman in their latest run at the facility in 2019. Ives’ drivers have completed 100% of the total laps during these five events. The crew chief’s best finish at the track came in 2017 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished sixth. From 2006-2012, Ives was a race engineer for the No. 48 team and captured five top-10 finishes, including one win in 2010 after the team led 55 laps.

LOOKING BACK: With 15 events complete this season, Bowman has two wins (Richmond, Dover), four top-five finishes, seven top-10s and one pole award (DAYTONA 500). The No. 48 Ally team has spent 2,072 laps running inside the top 10, which ranks 11th out of all active drivers. Out of those laps, 1,045 have been inside the top five. Bowman has led 117 laps in 2021 across five different venues. He currently sits 12th in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings and is eighth in the playoff standings.

LIGHTNING FAST: With two wins in 15 events this season, the No. 48 pit crew continues to be the fastest in the Cup Series based on average four-tire stop times. The five-man over-the-wall crew has an average four-tire stop time of 13.64 seconds. The team includes fueler Jacob Conley, tire carrier Allen Stallings, jackman Dustin Lineback and tire changers Scott Brzozowski and Devin DelRicco.

IT’S 269 … AND COUNTING: Kyle Larson’s dominant win Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway was the record-breaking 269th in the NASCAR Cup Series for Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR Hall of Fame car owner Rick Hendrick. The team is now the winningest in the history of NASCAR’s top-tier series after passing the legendary Petty Enterprises, which recorded 268 across six decades. The Petty organization held the Cup Series record for points-paying victories for more than 60 years before Hendrick Motorsports tied the mark May 23 at Circuit of The Americas and broke it at Charlotte.

FOR A CAUSE: After Chase Elliott won at COTA to tie the Petty Enterprises record, the autographed door panel of his No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE went up for auction to benefit Victory Junction. When the auction closed Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, the winning bid stood at $28,700. Car owner Hendrick matched it with a separate donation, bringing the total impact to $57,400.

ONE-TWO-THREE: Hendrick Motorsports has won three consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races, finishing at least first and second in all of them. The team recorded an incredible 1-2-3-4 result at Dover International Speedway, finished first and second at COTA, and then 1-2-4-5 at Charlotte. In the last three events, the team has three wins, 10 top-five finishes and 11 top-10s. Its worst finish during the stretch was 11th place. Hendrick Motorsports has won at least three straight races on 16 different occasions, the most of all teams in NASCAR history.

THREE WINS, THREE DRIVERS: The three consecutive wins by Hendrick Motorsports have come via three different drivers: Alex Bowman at Dover, Elliott at COTA and Larson at Charlotte. The last time Hendrick Motorsports won three straight with different drivers was 2015 with Jeff Gordon at Martinsville, Jimmie Johnson at Texas and Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Phoenix. No team has ever won four consecutive races with four different drivers.

WIN COUNTRY: Going into Sunday’s road-course event at Sonoma Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports is the track’s all-time leader in wins (six), pole positions (nine), runner-up finishes (six), top-five results (31), top-10s (54) and laps led (674).

ROAD RUNNERS: Hendrick Motorsports is the all-time leader in NASCAR Cup Series road-course wins with 21, which is eight more than any other team. It has won road races with six different drivers and has more stage wins on road courses (eight) than anyone else.

GREAT AS OF LATE: On road courses over the last three NASCAR Cup Series seasons (2019-2021), Hendrick Motorsports has won six of nine races, including five of the last six. The team has won two of four pole positions, six of 14 stages and led 308 of 587 laps raced (52%).

QUOTABLE /

Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on the driving style at Sonoma: “Sonoma is a finesse track, but you still have to be aggressive. I’ve had a lot of success there with three poles but I seemed to struggle during the race, so I’m really looking forward to going there in Hendrick Motorsports equipment. Hendrick Motorsports’ road course program is really good, especially the 9 team. It seems like Chase Elliott has won every road course race the last four years.”

Cliff Daniels, crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on racing at Sonoma with no previous crew chief experience at track: “It’s definitely a challenge for us in that regard – from not having my own crew chief notes, and even our past notes at Hendrick Motorsports we have not been where we needed to be the last few trips there. Luckily, we have a great road course foundation from the 9 car (driven by Chase Elliott) with their wins on road courses and what that package looks like. The magic is translating that to Sonoma. We have a new aero package since the last trip there, and we have a new tire this weekend so we have a lot of challenges, but our company has momentum right now and hopefully we can close the gap.”

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on returning to Sonoma: “Sonoma has been a place that I haven’t done a very good job at in the past. It’s been a pretty big challenge for me. It’s been a couple years since we’ve been there, so it’s been a while. When we were there in 2019, I felt like we were doing a great job and in a good position before we had our mechanical issue, so I’m looking forward to getting back and having another shot at it.”

Alan Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on racing at Sonoma: “Sonoma is so unique and hard to master until you have run there for a while. I feel like we were really close in 2019, probably the best we have been at Sonoma. It is such a tough track to get around and the drivers struggle to see around the apex. The surface is also pretty worn out around the track. The closest track surface we probably see is the DAYTONA Road Course. I do think we were really close the to win in ’19, though. Hopefully, we will rectify that finish this weekend.”

William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on how Sonoma races differently than other road courses: “Sonoma is probably the most different out of all the road courses we go to on the circuit. It has more of a short track feel almost because there’s no big braking zones; you’re moreso always turning. It’s all about how you turn and navigate the apex of the corners and get a good run off the corner. It’s not as much about braking and high speed, it’s more about finesse and exiting the low speed corners. It’s just a different challenge and you set up your car differently because of it. I’m excited for it, though. I think we have a good package this year and I feel like I’ve really done my homework for this weekend.”

Rudy Fugle, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE on having less experience at Sonoma: “Sonoma is a racetrack that I haven’t been to in my career, not just in the Cup Series, but in any series. That doesn’t really concern me, though. I’ve been watching a lot of video of past races and we have a good notebook here at Hendrick Motorsports. From what I can tell, if you get buried in traffic, it’s hard to make up positions, even with pit strategy. Sonoma is a track where you either have to go for the win or go for maximum points. It doesn’t seem to be like most road courses where you can go for stage points in one stage and give up the points in another. You have to pick one strategy or the other, which is a challenge. I’m almost happy that we don’t have practice this weekend for that reason. That means we show up and race. I can’t overthink things. I just have to make a decision and go with it.”

Alex Bowman, driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on being a part of Hendrick Motorsports history: “Being a part of Hendrick Motorsports’ 269 milestone is so cool. To be a small part in this historic record-breaking number means so much to me. Mr. Hendrick and everyone at the shop deserves this honor and as much as I wish it was the No. 48 to take the win in Charlotte, we are so pumped for Kyle (Larson) and the No. 5 team.”

Bowman on road course preparation: “Over the last few years, I feel like our road course program on the No. 48 team is getting stronger. Having a teammate like Chase (Elliott) to lean on for some road course advice has been extremely helpful. We didn’t go to Sonoma last season, so this week is going to consist of watching old races and simulator work. Hopefully, we can go out this weekend and keep our streak of top 10s and continue moving up in the point standings.”

Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, on breaking the all-time win record: “Mr. H always says it is always about the people. He treats the people first, one with respect and two they all matter to his success. We went through a hard time last year going through quarantine last year and he was a rock. We came up a little short on being the ones to break that record for Mr. Hendrick last weekend, but I couldn’t be more proud of what Cliff (Daniels) and Kyle (Larson) have done this year. Everyone’s wins add up to a great year so far and the record-breaking night on Sunday was really special to be a part of.”

Ives on returning to Sonoma: “We haven’t been to Sonoma in a while. We have a lot of high expectations for us. Alex (Bowman) is continuously growing confidence on road courses. Coming out of COTA with an eighth-place finish, he really doesn’t give himself a lot of pats on the back for how well he does at road courses. He loves the challenge and will rise up when needed, which will show at the end of Sonoma. We are looking forward to it.”

JEFF DYER RETURNS HOME IN TIME FOR CALIFORNIA LIGHTNING SPRINT CAR RACE AT THE VENTURA RACEWAY

By
Official Release
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(June 2, 2021, Yucca Valley, CA) After fourth and 12th place finishes in the POWRi Lightning Sprint Car Nationals last weekend at the Central Missouri Speedway, Jeff Dyer has returned home and will race in the Grand Re Opening of the Ventura Raceway this Saturday night, June 5th. Of course, that will come after the veteran racer and his wife head east to spend three days on the Colorado River.

The trip to the “Show Me State” did not start off the way Dyer would like it. While running third in his heat last Saturday night, plug problems sent him off the track with a last place finish. That meant he had to start on the back row in 13th in one of the B mains against a stacked field and he had to finish in the top four to make it to the A main. The Yucca Valley, California resident got his elbows up and shocked everyone by passing 10 cars to finish third, and locking himself into the A.

The stakes were higher in Saturday’s 25-lap A main. Dyer was pitted against 23 of the top Lightning Sprint Car stars in North America, and he put on a show. Actually, he put on THE SHOW! Starting near the back in the 22nd spot, he began a dramatic march towards the front as soon as the green flag signaled the start of the race. Had the race been two laps longer, in all likelihood, he would have finished third. His high-speed passing clinic netted him the “Main Event Hard Charger.”

Sparked on by his crowd-pleasing performances on Saturday, Dyer was one of the favorites when he returned for the finale on Sunday night. On a lock down track, he started fourth and finished third in his heat. That performance earned his ticket into the A Main without having to run the B like the night before.

For the 30-lap finale, Dyer started 16th. The track proved hard to pass on and while he moved forward, it was not as much as he had hoped for. Especially after the run he turned in on Saturday. When it was all over, he ended up placing 12th in the 24-car field.

All in all, the trip was a pleasure for Jeff and his fellow CLS driver James Turnbull who traveled with him to the Midwest. It was a fun trip for both drivers and the crew, which included Jeff’s crew chief, his teenage son Seth.

A few hours after unloading the hauler, Dyer and his wife Christina got on the road and headed to the Colorado River for three days of rest and relaxation. However, it will be back to the racing grind when he returns home on Friday night to get ready for Ventura’s Grand Re-Opening. It will be the first race at the track in 14 months. For Dyer and his fellow CLS Series drivers, it will be their first race at Ventura since October 26, 2019. On that night Dyer steered his #4 to a seventh-place finish. In six races at the track that is adjacent to the Pacific Ocean in 2019, his best finish was a fourth.

In the first two CLS races in 2021, Dyer got off to a rough start with 15th and 20th place finishes. However, he turned it around in the last two races with seventh and third place results. That sees him come into Saturday’s race fifth in CLS points.

For fans who would like to attend Saturday’s Grand Re-Opening of “The Best Little Dirt Track In America,” tickets are on sale now at http://bitly.ws/dHrg. Spectator gates will open at 3:30 and the first race will be at 5:30. The track is located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 W. Harbor Boulevard (93001). The website is http://venturaraceway.com/ and the office phone number is (805) 648-RACE.

Throughout the 2021 campaign, Dyer will be racing in memory of his grandfather, Glenn Sels.

Dyer Motorsports would like to thank the following sponsors for making the 2021 racing season possible. John Springstead Racing, T Shirts By Timeless, LDS Investigations, Hair Cuts by Susie, Amsoil, Dependable Machines, JC Auto and Repair, Schweitzer Racing and Crutchfield Race Engines. If you would like to be a part of the team in 2021, call or send an E-mail to the contact information at the top of this page.

Jeff Dyer’s 2021 Racing Results

3-12 Kern County Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 14th A Main

3-13 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprint Cars 15th A Main

3-26 Mojave Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 8th A Main

3-27 Mojave Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 2nd A Main

4-3 Barona Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 11th A Main

4-10 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 20th A Main

4-17 Merced Speedway California Lightning/BCRA Civil War 7th A Main

5-15 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprint Cars 3rd A Main

5-22 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 17th A Main

5-29 Central Missouri Speedway POWRi Lightning Sprint Car Nationals 4th A Main

5-30 Central Missouri Speedway POWRi Lightning Sprint Car Nationals 12th A Main

DiBenedetto Ready for Home-State Race at Sonoma

By
Official Release
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The last time Matt DiBenedetto raced at his home track, Sonoma Raceway, he scored the first-ever top-five finish of his Cup Series career.

He finished fourth in the 2019 while driving for Leavine Family Racing, but hasn’t raced at Sonoma since then because the race was moved in 2020 as NASCAR adjusted its schedule to deal with the pandemic.

Now, DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Knauf Insulation team is headed back to Sonoma for Sunday’s 350-kilometer run over the original 12-turn, 2.52-mile course, which was brought back in 2019 after NASCAR used a shorter route from 1998-2018.

NASCAR rules for the race mandate the 750-horsepower engine package combined with a low-downforce aero set-up.

DiBenedetto, who will start from 17th place after NASCAR set the starting line-up using a formula based on recent performance, said he’s anxious to pick up where he left off at Sonoma two years ago.

“I finished fourth the last time I was there,” he said. “It’s a fun road course.”

“It’s completely opposite of Watkins Glen. It’s technical, worn out, low speed, etc.”

And he gets to race in front of some home folks as the track is about two hours southwest of his home town of Grass Valley. He also has relatives that live even closer to the track.

“A home-state race is fun,” DiBenedetto said. “Some of my family usually comes to that race since they live not far from there in Lincoln.”

“So this race is a special one.”

There will be no practice prior to the start of Sunday’s 90-lap Toyota/Save Mart 350, which is set to get the green flag just after 1 p.m. (4 p.m. Eastern Time) with TV coverage on FOX Sports 1.

Stage breaks are set for Laps 20 and 40.

Menards

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

Wood Brothers Racing

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

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Sonoma

By
Official Release
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Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Sonoma

The NASCAR Cup Series makes its longest trip of the season out west to Sonoma for the first time since the 2019 season. Sunday’s race marks the third road course event of seven this season, at a track where Jack Roush has three wins all-time, including two in the NCS in 1997 and 2014.

Save Mart 350
Sunday, June 6 | 4 p.m. ET
FS1, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

  • Ryan Newman, No. 6 Guaranteed Rate Ford Mustang
  • Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang

Charlotte Recap, Sonoma Preview

  • Buescher earned his third straight top-10 in the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday, driving to an eighth-place finish and earning stage points for the fourth-straight race.
  • Newman was in position for a solid run before cutting a tire with just over 100 laps remaining to finish 27th.
  • Fastenal returns to Buescher’s No. 17 Ford in California.
  • Guaranteed Rate will don the side of Newman’s No. 6 Mustang in Sonoma.

Looking for the Hat Trick in the ‘Golden State’
In 104 NCS starts at Sonoma, Roush Fenway has recorded two wins, 14 top-five finishes, 34 top-10 finishes and has led 274 laps. Former Roush Fenway driver Carl Edwards earned the organization’s most recent victory at the road course in 2014.

Hasta La Vista Baby

Roush Fenway has left the California road course victorious on two occasions in the NCS with former drivers Mark Martin and Carl Edwards. Martin earned the victory in 1997 after starting from the pole and leading 69 laps, while Edwards started fourth and led 26 laps in the 2014 running of this event.

Road Racing Success

As an organization, Roush Fenway has made 360 starts on road courses across NASCAR’s major touring series and has recorded 15 wins, 69 top-fives, 134 top-10s, 11 poles and 879 laps led. Roush Fenway has earned the most road course victories in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (six) followed by five in the NCS and four in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

California Dreamin’

In 231 NCS starts in the state of California, Roush Fenway has scored nine wins, 44 top-fives, 87 top-10s and has led 1,715 laps at the tracks of Sonoma, Auto Club Speedway and Riverside International Raceway.

Roush Fenway Sonoma Wins
1997 Martin Cup
1997 Ruttman Truck
2014 Edwards Cup

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