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Austin Cindric gains first Dover victory in ‘Drydene 200’ NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash race

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DOVER, Del. (May 15, 2021) – When a driver starts a Dover International Speedway race from the middle of the pack, patience is key in order to get to the front.

Austin Cindric displayed that virtue throughout Saturday’s “Drydene 200” NASCAR Xfinity Series Dash 4 Cash race, where he started 16th before leading the final 51 laps on his way to his first Monster Mile victory.

“I’m fired up,” Cindric said. “I love this race track more than any we go to.

“It is quite challenging to race here. We were able to make it back from 16th starting position today which I knew would be our biggest challenge throughout the course of the race. We were able to pick our way through. Ever since the first time I came here in the truck this place has kind of wowed me.”

Cindric, driving the No. 22 Ford for Team Penske, earned his third Xfinity Series victory of the season and 11th of his career. The 22-year-old from Columbus, Ohio, won the Xfinity Series championship in 2020 and has a healthy 62-point lead over second place Daniel Hemric through 10 races this year.

“We just kept at it the whole time,” Cindric said. “We made the right adjustments on pit stops and I feel like I have learned a lot about this race track.”

Cindric beat Xfinity Series rookie Josh Berry to the checkered flag by 3.796 seconds. Justin Allgaier was third, followed by A.J. Allmendinger and rookie Ty Gibbs.

Berry won the fourth and final $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus of the season, completing a season sweep of the bonus prize for JR Motorsports after teammate Noah Gragson won the first three $100,000 checks.

“It was a great day for our team,” Berry said. “We can’t thank Xfinity enough for putting [the Dash 4 Cash] on. JR Motorsports won all four of them so that’s amazing.”

Berry led 48 laps and Allgaier led a race-high 94 but it was Cindric who was able to take the most advantage of clean air on the race’s final restart on Lap 145. After finishing eighth in the first stage and third in the second, Cindric led his first circuit on Lap 150 and powered to victory.

“I think clean air made me look really good,” Cindric said. “I thought we had a great race car and I was able to get tucked up behind people all day. We kept up with the race track and did our jobs.”

“That last run we fired off a little too free,” added Berry, who was making his first Dover Xfinity Series start. “Me and Justin got to racing each other and the 22 got away. This is my first race here. To run top 2 or 3 all day, it’s a good day.”

Allgaier won the first stage and Berry won the second stage under caution after Kyle Sieg blew a tire exiting Turn 1 on Lap 86.

“On a green surface, our car was a good as anybody’s,” said Allgaier, a two-time Dover winner who is the all-time leader in Xfinity Series lead lap finishes at Dover with 17.

“When the track got rubbered in and greasy, the longer the race went on, the more we struggled.”

The race was red flagged on Lap 61 for more than 10 minutes following a big backstretch wreck involving Matt Jaskol, Jesse Little, Matt Mills, and Josh Williams.

Shortly after the race restarted, Dash 4 Cash contender Brandon Jones and Zane Smith wrecked to bring out another caution flag. Of the four Dash 4 Cash contenders, Berry placed second, Allgaier was third, Gragson finished 15th and Jones placed 35th.

Cindric completed the 200 miles in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 20 seconds, averaging 94.987 mph, with seven caution periods taking up 45 laps. Six drivers led at least one lap with the lead changing nine times.

For Cindric, who will be in the NASCAR Cup Series full time in 2022 for Wood Brothers Racing, it was a joyful post-race celebration. Throughout his Zoom media conference, the Monster Trophy sat on Cindric’s knee as he patiently answered questions.

“I am not going to let [the trophy] get too far out of my sight,” Cindric said. “This is one I have wanted for a really long time.

“I respect the guys that I am racing around are trying to get to the top level. I know I have that for me down the road but I have to bring that same energy that I am racing against. These wins are really hard to come by.”

Dover International Speedway’s NASCAR tripleheader weekend concludes Sunday with the “Drydene 400” NASCAR Cup Series race (2 p.m., FS1), the 103rd Cup Series race in track history. Dover is one of 10 tracks to have hosted 100 or more Cup Series events.

About Dover Motorsports, Inc.

Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE: DVD) is a leading promoter of NASCAR sanctioned motorsports events whose subsidiaries own and operate Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. and Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn. The company also plays host to the Firefly Music Festival, produced by AEG Presents. For more information, visit www.DoverMotorsports.com.

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report – Dover International Speedway

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Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report
Track: Dover International Speedway
Race: Drydene 200
Date: May 15, 2021

No. 22 CarShop Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
Start: 16th
Stage 1: 8th
Stage 2: 3rd
Finish: 1st – Third Victory of 2021 Season
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 200/200
Laps Led: 51
Driver Point Standings (ahead of second): 1st (+62)

Notes:

  • Austin Cindric took the lead with 51 laps to go and never looked back, crossing the finish line 3.79 seconds ahead of Josh Berry. Cindric won his third race of the 2021 season and claimed his first victory in eight races at Dover International Speedway. The driver of the CarShop Ford gave Team Penske its fifth win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Dover. He remains the leader in the series driver standings, stretching his lead to 62 points ahead of Daniel Hemric.
  • Cindric started 16th and steadily worked his way to the front during Stage 1. He was up to ninth position at the time of the competition caution on lap 20. Cindric was running seventh when he had a close call racing Ty Gibbs for seventh position on lap 44. The No. 22 Ford Mustang slipped sideways off Turn 4 but Cindric made an impressive save to claim an eighth-place finish when the segment concluded one lap later. Crew chief Brian Wilson made the call to pit for four tires during the stage caution on lap 49 and Cindric restarted 10th on lap 54.
  • The second stage of the race was hampered by three cautions and one brief red flag for track cleanup. Once again Cindric methodically worked his way through traffic, climbing up to third-place when Stage 2 concluded on lap 90. Cindric pitted during the stage caution, getting four tires, and lining up sixth when the race went green on lap 96. During the next run, Cindric said the No. 22 CarShop Ford was just a little bit free. The seventh and final caution on lap 140 set up a round of stops one lap later. Wilson made the call for an air pressure adjustment in the right-side tires. Nice work by the CarShop crew put Cindric third for the restart on lap 144. Two laps later he passed Josh Berry for second position and on lap 150 he took the lead from Justin Allgaier and never looked back. .

Quote: “We just kept at it the whole time. We made the right adjustments on pit stops and I feel like I have learned a lot about this race track, enough to get the Car Shop Ford Mustang into victory lane.

We have had a Dover race twice on the Xfinity schedule since I started racing Xfinity and we took one off the schedule and I really wanted to win here so bad. I had to not let that desire cloud my judgment today because I knew we had a tough task ahead of us. To get the opportunity on the restart and showcase our car in clean air means the world to me.

Strong Indianapolis Run Ends in Heartbreak for Harvey

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#51: Romain Grosjean, Dale Coyne Racing with RWR Honda Start #60: Jack Harvey, Meyer Shank Racing Honda #2: Josef Newgarden, Team Penske Chevrolet #10: Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda #22: Simon Pagenaud, Team Penske Chevrolet #4: Dalton Kellett, A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet

Indianapolis, Ind. (15 May 2021) – All signs were pointing towards Jack Harvey racing to a podium return and potentially a breakthrough INDYCAR Series victory with Meyer Shank Racing on Sunday during the GMR Grand Prix, but a flat tire on lap 38 ended all hopes of him scoring his best career INDYCAR finish.

The start of the 85-lap race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course saw Harvey take aggressive action in the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda to secure second place at the start through a frantic Turn One.

As one of the only cars in the top 10 to start on Firestone primary tires, Harvey quickly established a strong race pace as he grew his advantage on the pursing field. The team’s tire strategy was looking to play out perfectly for Harvey who kept the leader within sight through the first two pit cycles.

But all hopes of what could have been an INDYCAR victory started to deteriorate on lap 36 following Harvey’s second stop. After an issue with the wheel gun during the stop, Harvey returned on track looking to make up ground. But the setback was compounded significantly when the tire lost pressure and Harvey was forced to make a slow lap back to the pits for a replacement.

Unfortunately, Harvey returned on track a lap down but was still focused on the task ahead and to collect championship points.

After 85-laps of racing Harvey took the checkered 23rd.

“We had a really great start and held P2 for a decent bit there,” said Harvey. “The strategy was just great and we had a five second lead on the guy that ended up winning the race. But on that second pit stop we had a wheel gun fail. We talk about it week in and week out, that we do this all as a team, and that’s easy to say when you’re having a good weekend. This is when it matter now, for us all to come together and to reset. The next one is always the important one, whether its Indy or Detroit, we’ll be ready.”

MSR will have a quick break before resetting to oval action next week as practice begins for the Indianapolis 500 which will see the team’s two-car entry of Harvey and Helio Castroneves turn their first official laps in preparation for the 500.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Dover (Cindric Pilots Mustang to Victory at Monster Mile)

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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR XFINITY Series — Drydene 200
Dover International Speedway | Saturday, May 15, 2021

Ford Finishing Results
1st – Austin Cindric
8th – Ryan Sieg
17th – Riley Herbst

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

WE DIDN’T SEE THE STRENGTH OUT OF YOU AND YOUR CAR UNTIL THE SECOND HALF OF THE RACE. AT WHAT POINT DID YOU REALIZE YOU HAD THE CAR TO GET THE JOB DONE? “Honestly, from the get-go. It is hard to believe but starting 16th at this joint it isn’t easy to pass. We just kept at it the whole time. We made the right adjustments on pit stops and I feel like I have learned a lot about this race track, enough to get the Car Shop Ford Mustang into victory lane.”

YOU HAD AN EARLY INCIDENT WITH TY GIBBS THAT COULD HAVE CHANGED THIS OUTCOME: “It wasn’t an incident but it was this close to being an incident. For his sake, he is a rookie and he is learning. Hopefully, he learns something from it and doesn’t do it again.”

WHAT MAKES THIS WIN SO SPECIAL FOR YOU? “Every win means so much and everyone that is in this series — I have the unique opportunity to know what I am doing in the future. I respect the guys that I am racing around are trying to get to the top level. I know I have that for me down the road but I have to bring that same energy that I am racing against. These wins are really hard to come by. It sucks that we have had some bad races recently that make this one feel so much better. This is my favorite race track that we go to.”

POST RACE PRESS CONFERENCE

YOU SAID IN VICTORY LANE THAT THIS PLACE IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE AND YOU LOVE COMING HERE. WHY? “There are just very few places that really have the same intensity throughout a lap. It is quite challenging to race here. We were able to make it back from 16th starting position today which I knew would be our biggest challenge throughout the course of the race. We were able to pick our way through. Ever since the first time I came here in the truck this place has kind of wowed me. I have had the opportunity to drive at some really cool race tracks in my life and my career. Anywhere you can add elevation changes and have that intensity and something that makes you beg to get around to the next lap is what makes a race track fun and inviting, at least for me. We have had a Dover race twice on the Xfinity schedule since I started racing Xfinity and we took one off the schedule and I really wanted to win here so bad. I had to not let that desire cloud my judgment today because I knew we had a tough task ahead of us. To get the opportunity on the restart and showcase our car in clean air means the world to me. I am very, very excited.”

YOU WERE NOT THE BEST CAR FOR A LOT OF THIS RACE. HOW DID YOU STAY CALM AND WHAT DID YOU NEED TO GET THAT CAR WHERE IT WAS AT THE END? “It was a good thing that the near incident was at the stage end because I definitely did not remain calm for the two laps after that. Past that, I thought we had a really great race car. Clean air was so important and I think you saw that. We didn’t make too many adjustments on that final stop. Brian and I knew what we needed to do for that long of a run and what our strengths were in our car. Our package here has been really refined since I started driving with this program. I am glad that we can continue to get that correct and make small improvements and the communication is there and experience is there between the two of us. It seems like we were able to make the right adjustments and capitalize the most and execute as a team. Once you get clean air you got to see how fast a car was. I am glad I got to as well.”

DID YOU KNOW IF THOSE CHANGES WERE MADE ON THE LAST PIT STOP THAT YOU WOULD BE AS GOOD AS YOU WERE? “I think clean air made me look really good. I thought we had a great race car and I was able to get tucked up behind people all day. I think Brian and I have great communication as well as my spotter, Coleman, and we talk about these things before the race so that we don’t really have to project our feelings. We kept up with the race track and did our jobs. To me, that is what it takes to be the best at the highest level. I am glad we got to practice that and I feel like that was a catalyst for us to be able to execute the rest of the race today. A couple of good restarts and fast race cars make a big difference.”

YOU WERE VERY DISCIPLINED IN HOW YOU WANTED TO MAKE CHANGES ON YOUR CAR TODAY, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT? “We have to trust each other. Brain and I have worked together for the last three years in this series and more. If he makes a pit call and I don’t disagree with it, then I am going to follow that direction. If I feel the car needs to be a certain way, he is going to follow me. It is that trust that really matters in this sport with the limited amount of data you have with how the car is driving and the track. I am the best gauge he has, whether he likes it or not. That trust is very important. I think we bit ourselves by maybe trusting each other a little too much at Darlington. You would think that would be a fallback for this race at Dover. You just have to reset and hit the ground running. I am proud we had that reset. We had a really tough race at Darlington and it affected where we started this race. Trust goes a really long way in this industry and sport and I am glad it paid dividends today.”

HOW CHALLENGING IS IT WITH THE LIMITED DATA AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THAT TOUGH RACE LAST WEEK? “It is the most challenging thing you can have as a young driver. You have to have people that trust you but at the same time you have to have the right information. I feel like when I started doing stock car stuff, I made plenty of mistakes. Charlotte is a perfect example. I have gotten myself way too loose there so many times and I have learned from it. You learn from your mistakes. I have had the great opportunity to go back and not make those same mistakes again. That is how you grow as a team. Brian, Cody and Matt and the guys on the 22 team can see that I have learned those things. That is how you develop trust. It does take some time and we have a lot of experience together. Probably for the first time in my career that is now an advantage. That is nice. That is fun. It is fun to see the other side because I have been on the backside of it a lot more than the front side. It is great to take advantage of that and know our prep work pays off. As for Darlington, we shouldn’t have pitted at the end of the race and we probably wouldn’t have wrecked and would have had a better starting spot today and salvaged a quality finish. That is something we definitely hashed out between the two of us after that race weekend and you just reset and there is no reason not to trust each other.”

DID THE FACT THAT THE TRACK DIDN’T RUBBER UP UNTIL LATE IN THE RACE FACTOR IN YOUR DECISIONS TO PUT OFF THE CHANGES UNTIL LATER? “You nailed it. There were so many cautions today early in the race that the track never had the opportunity to change other than the ambient track temps. Past that, it didn’t change a whole lot until the final stage. Like I said, I have been here enough to kind of feel out what those changes do and Brian and I had a list of things we wanted to do if certain changes happened. I am glad we were able to execute on those and keep up with the track.”

HOW COOL IS IT HAVING YOUR VERY OWN MILES THE MONSTER NOW? “You can see I have it sitting in my lap like a child or a dog. I am not going to let it get too far out of my sight. This is one I have wanted for a really long time. Ever since I came to this race track. I always tell people, especially people that don’t know too much about NASCAR, that if I was to put a second seat in a race car at any track we go to, it would be this place. There is nowhere cooler. Dropping off 20-feet into the corner and committing to full throttle before you can see the exit. It is really unforgiving and the track changes a ton. I have learned a ton at this track with changing track conditions. It is really cool to get it done and we only had one opportunity to get it done this year. We were starting 16th and the only thing that gave me confidence was when I woke up this morning and read Twitter and saw that Bob Pockrass picked me to win. I figured he knew something that I didn’t. I am glad you were right, Bob. He usually is right, so keep doing that.”

DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF THE FAVORITE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP? DOES IT FEEL MORE WIDE OPEN THAN LAST YEAR? “I think the players up front every race are different. I think my mentality can not change from last year. it is all about getting to Phoenix, whether that is regular-season points or being solid in the playoffs and then once you get to Phoenix, you have to have your best day. you can’t do that unless you get there. That is my mentality. I am not saying that we don’t have a lot of momentum as a team. We are obviously doing a lot of great things with three wins already on the year. That is great, but we can’t slow down. Everyone else will keep getting better as well. So there is no resting.”

RCR Post Race Report – Dover 200

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Myatt Snider and the TaxSlayer Chevrolet Battle Miles the Monster at Dover International Speedway

Finish: 16th
Start: 15th
Points: 9th

“Our Richard Childress Racing team is one of the best in the garage and my guys bring great Chevrolet Camaros to the track each and every week. Today at Dover International Speedway didn’t go as we had hoped, but Andy Street (crew chief) kept making adjustments to the car on every stop and I searched from the top to bottom to find a line that would work best for TaxSlayer Chevrolet. Dover is a very difficult track for me personally as a driver. You drive this place differently than any other track we go to. For whatever reason, concrete tracks seem to give me a harder time than asphalt surfaces, but I learned a lot that can be carried into the future. I’m looking forward to going to COTA for the first time next week and getting back on a road course to turn left and right.” -Myatt Snider

Toyota Racing – Dover NXS Post-Race Report – 05.15.21

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GIBBS LEADS TOYOTA IN DOVER
Ty Gibbs scores his fourth top-five finish in his first five NASCAR Xfinity Series starts

DOVER, Del. (May 15, 2021) – Ty Gibbs (fifth), Harrison Burton (sixth) and Daniel Hemric (ninth) drove their Toyota Supras to top-10 finishes in the Drydene 200 at Dover International Speedway on Saturday afternoon.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Dover International Speedway
Race 10 of 33 – 200 miles, 200 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Austin Cindric*
2nd, Josh Berry*
3rd, Justin Allgaier*
4th, AJ Allmendinger*
5th, TY GIBBS
6th, HARRISON BURTON
9th, DANIEL HEMRIC
27th, MATT MILLS
30th, TIMMY HILL
32nd, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHECK
35th, BRANDON JONES
39th, MATT JASKOL
40th, DAVID STARR
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

TY GIBBS, No. 54 Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 5th

How was your Xfinity debut at Dover this afternoon?

“We were pretty solid. We kind of fired off a little free and we kind of chased free the whole race. I made mistakes. I’ll go back and look at those. People were running me hard, and you can’t really go anywhere when someone is on your door. It just a hard track for me. I feel like this is one of my harder ones. I feel like I’m learning as I go. I’m kind of frusterated. I think I could have ran a little better. We had a good day overall. I will take a top-five anyday. We will keep on going.”

What have you learned the last two days at Dover?

“I feel like the biggest thing is your really don’t know where the track is going. It could rubber up, and sometimes I guess it didn’t rubber up at all. That’s just one of the biggest things – just trying to chase the track a little bit as the tires are getting worn out and you kind of get stuck in dirty air when you are trying to pass a guy. Like I got to the 16 (AJ Allmendinger) and you can’t go anywhere. It’s part of it. I probably could have moved around a little more but I felt like my car was a little bit too loose to run the top. Overall, we had a pretty good day. I can’t thank Monster Energy and Joe Gibbs Racing enough.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands plus our 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota has created a tremendous value chain and directly employs more than 47,000 in North America. The company has contributed world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 40 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama that begins production in 2021.

Through its Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Dover (Austin Cindric Pilots Mustang to Victory at Dover)

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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR XFINITY Series — Drydene 200
Dover International Speedway | Saturday, May 15, 2021

Ford Finishing Results
1st – Austin Cindric
8th – Ryan Sieg
17th – Riley Herbst

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

WE DIDN’T SEE THE STRENGTH OUT OF YOU AND YOUR CAR UNTIL THE SECOND HALF OF THE RACE. AT WHAT POINT DID YOU REALIZE YOU HAD THE CAR TO GET THE JOB DONE? “Honestly, from the get-go. It is hard to believe but starting 16th at this joint it isn’t easy to pass. We just kept at it the whole time. We made the right adjustments on pit stops and I feel like I have learned a lot about this race track, enough to get the Car Shop Ford Mustang into victory lane.”

YOU HAD AN EARLY INCIDENT WITH TY GIBBS THAT COULD HAVE CHANGED THIS OUTCOME: “It wasn’t an incident but it was this close to being an incident. For his sake, he is a rookie and he is learning. Hopefully, he learns something from it and doesn’t do it again.”

WHAT MAKES THIS WIN SO SPECIAL FOR YOU? “Every win means so much and everyone that is in this series — I have the unique opportunity to know what I am doing in the future. I respect the guys that I am racing around are trying to get to the top level. I know I have that for me down the road but I have to bring that same energy that I am racing against. These wins are really hard to come by. It sucks that we have had some bad races recently that make this one feel so much better. This is my favorite race track that we go to.”

CHEVROLET NTT INDYCAR SERIES: TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING RECAP

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GMR GRAND PRIX AT ROAD COURSE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY-JOSEF NEWGARDENSCORES FRONT ROW STARTING POSITION

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
GMR GRAND PRIX
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD COURSE
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
RINUS VEEKAY WINNER’S QUICK QUOTE
MAY 15,2021

TEAM CHEVY DRIVER RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 SONAX ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, CAPTURES CAREER-FIRST WIN IN GMR GRAND PRIX ON ROAD COURSE AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY. QUICK WINNER’S QUOTE:

WINNING AT INDIANAPOLIS. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY, DID YOU THINK THIS COULD HAPPEN?
“I actually thought it, yeah. We had an awesome start to the weekend. I knew we had the car; we were so fast. I’m so happy for the team, so thankful. I couldn’t have done it without them. A perfect day. It’s amazing, and thank you to all the friends coming out. Getting my first podium here last year and now winning, it’s a dream.”

OVER THE FINAL FEW LAPS, WERE YOU EVER FAZED BY THE RAIN OR THEM TELLING YOU TO SAVE FUEL OR ANY OF THAT?
“I was not concerned about the fuel. I just hoped the rain was not going to get worse. I’m standing in Victory Lane.”

THE JOURNEY TO GET HERE AND HOW MUCH YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE SUPPORTED YOU. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?
“It’s amazing. It’s great to have them here. It’s hard to get them overseas, but it’s a dream come true not just for me but for the team, it’s for the family, everyone at home. I’m extremely grateful. My parents sacrificed everything to get me up here. I’m extremely happy.”

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.

Rollan Comes Out on Top of Six-Car Battle for Mazda MX-5 Cup Win at Mid-Ohio

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LEXINGTON, Ohio (May 15, 2021) – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course never disappoints for close wheel-to-wheel racing and Saturday’s Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires was no exception. Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports) was the victor in a six-way battle for the win in an all green-flag 45-minute sprint to the checkered flag. Sam Paley (No. 28 McCumbee McAleer Racing) and Justin Piscitell (No. 89 McCumbee McAleer Racing) completed the podium.

Now in his fourth season of Mazda MX-5 Cup racing, Rollan has never had much luck at Mid-Ohio. The 2018 Rookie of the Year felt as though his driving style never quite fit the 13-turn, 2.258-mile road course. All that changed when Rollan crossed the finish line 1.552 seconds clear of his nearest competition.

The front row of the grid represented the top two in the Championship coming into Mid-Ohio: Michael Carter (No. 08 Carter Racing Enterprises) on pole and Gresham Wagner (No. 5 Spark Performance) starting second. Wagner dropped his tires into the dirt in a few corners early in the race, which gave third-starting Paley plenty of opportunities to challenge him for the runner-up spot and enabled Carter to pull out a small gap.

Soon though, the pack of four cars behind Carter were able to work together and catch the polesitter. When they did, Rollan seized the opportunity to climb up to second and began his bid for the race lead.

Shortly after, Carter had a momentary issue exiting the keyhole that dropped him down the order down to fifth. Rollan was the new leader but being hounded by Paley who was in search of his first MX-5 Cup victory.

Paley led for a lap, but Rollan retook control and pulled away from the field to take his third victory of the season.

“It was good and the car was handling great especially at the end,” Rollan said. “Hixon Motor Sports set up a perfect car. It was really consistent at the end and went where I wanted it to go. I felt bad for [Michael] Carter when he had that problem. I was pushing him and we were trying to get away but then he lost power coming out of the Keyhole. I feel bad for him but on the other hand, for the championship, it’s nice to see podium without Michael [Carter] and Gresham [Wagner] for the points. The car is really good and hopefully we can keep that going in the race tomorrow!”

Paley, a rookie, has been knocking at the door of victory for some time now. He admitted he needed to work on his tire strategy in order to finally get that elusive win.

“Honestly, I didn’t feel any pressure when I was in front,” Paley said. “I felt the pressure more when I was behind and trying to catch up honestly. It was the first time I led this season so that was good. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the pace at the end. I had worked my tires pretty hard early in the race.

“I want to thank BiiND.app for the sponsorship help and to McCumbee McAleer Racing for such a great car. I knew I didn’t have the car at the end, so when I had the chance, I had to take it to make passes. It can be hard to pass here—every inside turns into an outside—you have to go in deep because you are trying to hold the outside when some else is holding the inside and it can go on for more than one corner. I’m happy with the points in the bag. It was a good race and I’m happy to be back on the podium.”

Piscitell started sixth but showed tremendous race pace. He picked his way through the intense six-way battle for the podium and wrestled the final spot away from Wagner in the closing laps of the race.

“I’m pretty excited about it,” Piscitell said. “It feels like I’m long overdue. We’ve had a car for the podium multiple times, but we’ve had some issues here and there; some just bad luck, some my fault. I’m super happy to be here and represent Matty’s Light. I went conservative at the start of the race and gapped P6, and I tried to use the draft and not destroy the tires to save up for a hard charge at the end. I think I waited too long to try to charge back through at the end.”

Wagner eventually crossed the finish line in fourth. He will start on pole for Sunday’s Round Eight race.

Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) completed the top five. Thomas made contact with the tires in Friday’s practice and had to borrow another car to continue taking part in the weekend. Thomas qualified eighth and was on his own for much of the 45-minute race, but he was able to catch the lead pack just in time to finish fifth.

Carter finished sixth.

Luca Mars (No. 41 Copeland Motorsports) won the Hard Charger Award for advancing from 11th to 7th.

MX-5 Cup drivers will have the opportunity to take what they learned today and apply it to Sunday’s Round Eight race, which starts at a nearly identical time: 11:45am ET. The race will be streamed live on IMSA.com/tvlive and NBC Sports Gold TrackPass.

About: The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. Mazda-powered grassroots champions earn a Mazda scholarship to advance their career. The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup champion earns a $250,000 scholarship.

Find out more at http://www.mx-5cup.com.

Ladies Night: Brittany Force, Alexis DeJoria Lead Qualifying After Opening Round at NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals

By
Official Release
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Brittany Force set track records in ET and speed with her 3.662 second, 333.08 mph pass during the opening round of qualifying at the NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals on Friday. (CMS/HHP photo)
  • Action continues Saturday with second and third-round qualifying; Tickets are still available as capacity limitations were lifted Friday as part of a new executive order by Gov. Roy Cooper

CONCORD, N.C. (May 14, 2021) — A pair of women ruled qualifying on Friday at zMAX Dragway, as Brittany Force and Alexis DeJoria powered to the provisional No. 1 spot in Top Fuel and Funny Car, respectively, during the opening round of qualifying at the NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte.

Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Joey Gladstone (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also provisional No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the fourth race of the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. Qualifying continues on Saturday and zMAX Dragway will be able to operate at full capacity. After an executive order from Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday, grandstand limitations were lifted, allowing fans to return to zMAX Dragway without limitation.

Force put on a show under the lights on Friday in her 11,000-horsepower Flav-R-Pac dragster, going 3.662-seconds at 333.08 mph to make the quickest and fastest runs in zMAX Dragway history. Force, who also owns both ends of the national record, is in line to grab her second No. 1 qualifier of the 2021 season and 22nd in her career.

“I’m just pumped after a run like that,” Force said. “The four-wide race can be tough and tricky, and I just have to keep my focus. (Crew chief David) Grubnic said we were going to have a killer run, and Grubnic, Mac Savage, and all of my guys, I’m just so proud of them.”

Defending three-time world champ Steve Torrence is second, following Force’s blast with a pass of 3.683 at 316.97. Leah Pruett rounds out the top three after going 3.718 at 324.59. Six drivers made three-second runs under the lights on Friday.

After struggling in Atlanta, DeJoria redeemed herself in a major way in Funny Car, going 3.930 at 301.74 in her 11,000-horsepower ROKit Toyota Camry. If it holds, it would give DeJoria her first No. 1 qualifier this season and fifth in her career. DeJoria was the only driver in the class to make a three-second run on Friday, with drivers getting two more chances on Saturday. DeJoria will look to build on her run as well, while Mike McIntire is currently qualified second after his solid run of 4.019 at 313.15. Dave Richards is in the third spot. DeJoria and McIntire were the only drivers to make 300-mph runs as well.

Pro Stock points leader Anderson raced to the provisional No. 1 spot with a run of 6.524 at 210.50 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. Should it hold, it would continue Anderson’s torrid start to the 2021 campaign and give him four straight No. 1 qualifiers this season and 110 in his standout career. Anderson, a four-time world champ, is also after his third win of the season in four races. Aaron Stanfield was a spot behind with a solid pass of 6.533 at 210.67 and Kyle Koretsky is currently third after going 6.535 at 210.87.

Joey Gladstone put on an impressive display in Pro Stock Motorcycle and is in line for his first career No. 1 qualifier. He went a career-best 6.763 at 198.58 on his Precision Service Equipment Suzuki, setting the track record at zMAX Dragway and giving him a great chance for his first top spot. Defending world champ and points leader Matt Smith broke the track speed record en route to the No. 2 spot, going 6.778 at 201.10. It also gives him the fifth-fastest run in Pro Stock Motorcycle history. Eddie Krawiec was a spot behind after his run of 6.828 at 201.07.

In E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series action, points leader Justin Bond is the current No. 1 qualifier after his run of 5.631 at 253.75. It is the second-quickest pass in class history.

Qualifying continues Saturday at the NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at 1:15 p.m. ET. Tickets are available at www.zmaxdragway.com.

CONCORD, N.C. — Results Friday after the first one of three rounds of qualifying for the 11th annual NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway, fourth of 22 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday’s final eliminations.

Top Fuel — 1. Brittany Force, 3.662 seconds, 333.08 mph; 2. Steve Torrence, 3.683, 316.97; 3. Leah Pruett, 3.718, 324.59; 4. Antron Brown, 3.761, 285.95; 5. Josh Hart, 3.776, 324.44; 6. Clay Millican, 3.810, 312.57; 7. Doug Kalitta, 4.237, 222.47; 8. Billy Torrence, 5.200, 150.60; 9. Shawn Langdon, 6.049, 105.99; 10. Justin Ashley, 6.962, 85.17; 11. Doug Foley, 7.222, 87.67; 12. Arthur Allen, 7.435, 77.86; 13. Kyle Wurtzel, 7.669, 80.72; 14. Krista Baldwin, 8.067, 75.60; 15. Joe Morrison, 8.546, 75.73; 16. Mike Salinas, 9.107, 64.05.

Funny Car — 1. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota Camry, 3.930, 301.74; 2. Mike McIntire, Camry, 4.019, 313.15; 3. Dave Richards, Ford Mustang, 6.857, 90.88; 4. Robert Hight, Chevy Camaro, 7.366, 90.89; 5. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 7.584, 87.52; 6. Ron Capps, Charger, 7.676, 84.83; 7. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 7.788, 89.52; 8. J.R. Todd, Camry, 7.996, 81.66; 9. Cory Lee, Mustang, 8.168, 77.53; 10. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 8.228, 91.12; 11. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 8.230, 74.94; 12. Jim Campbell, Charger, 8.542, 68.16; 13. Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 8.615, 51.30; 14. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 8.906, 84.28; 15. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 12.460, 77.35; 16. John Force, Camaro, 14.300, 70.63.

Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.524, 210.50; 2. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.533, 210.67; 3. Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.535, 210.87; 4. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.543, 210.21; 5. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.546, 210.87; 6. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.551, 211.06; 7. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.556, 210.05; 8. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.559, 209.82; 9. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.582, 210.31; 10. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Ford Mustang, 6.588, 209.79; 11. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.592, 210.50; 12. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.601, 210.73; 13. Cristian Cuadra, Mustang, 6.669, 207.18; 14. John Gaydosh Jr, Camaro, 6.955, 195.34; 15. Val Smeland, Camaro, 20.057, 22.97.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Joey Gladstone, Suzuki, 6.763, 198.58; 2. Matt Smith, EBR, 6.778, 201.10; 3. Eddie Krawiec, Buell, 6.828, 201.07; 4. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.836, 197.33; 5. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 6.851, 196.44; 6. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.862, 194.72; 7. Angie Smith, EBR, 6.865, 195.19; 8. Jim Underdahl, Suzuki, 6.866, 195.59; 9. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.874, 194.72; 10. Cory Reed, Suzuki, 6.878, 197.16; 11. Andrew Hines, Buell, 6.914, 199.14; 12. Marc Ingwersen, Buell, 6.914, 195.99; 13. Chip Ellis, EBR, 6.918, 192.03; 14. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 7.053, 193.07; 15. Pablo Gonzalez, Buell, 7.077, 187.52; 16. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 7.080, 186.95. Not Qualified: 17. Ron Tornow, 7.126, 189.76; 18. Jerry Savoie, 7.145, 189.34; 19. Scotty Pollacheck, 7.497, 162.24; 20. Jianna Salinas, 17.439, 38.90; 21. Angelle Sampey, 49.388, 7.08; 22. David Barron, broke.

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