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CHEVY NCS AT DARLINGTON: Post-Race Notes and Quotes

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Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
GOODYEAR 400
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES
MAY 9, 2021

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
2nd KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE
4th WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 VALVOLINE THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE
7th CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE
12th TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 QUARTZ HILL RECORDS CAMARO ZL1 1LE
15th ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 42 MCDONALD’S CAMARO ZL1 1LE

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota)
2nd Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)
3rd Kyle Busch (Toyota)
4th William Byron (Chevrolet)
5th Denny Hamlin (Toyota)

The NASCAR Cup Series season continues next weekend at Dover International Speedway for the Drydene 400 on Sunday, May 16, at 2:00 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES:
KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 2nd
YOUR PIT CREW GOT IT DONE AND IT SEEMED LIKE YOU HAD EVERYTHING. YOU CLOSED ON MARTIN TRUEX, JR. (WINNER). WHAT DID YOU NEED IN THOSE CLOSING LAPS?
“I was surprised that I was able to get to him. I caught him really; like, I closed on pit road and then I caught him pretty quickly once we were on track. I closed right in, and actually had an opportunity to get by him in the middle of (Turns) 1 and 2, but I thought I’d stay patient and maybe get him to use his stuff up. He was just a little bit better than I was in the long runs. So, just wish maybe I could have taken advantage of that opportunity, but thought it was going to play out a little differently.”

“But it was a great day for our HendrickCars.com Chevy. It was fun to come here to Darlington with low downforce. During the day we were sliding around. I felt like we were not very good all day, but I passed a lot of cars and found myself towards the front. I was like well, I feel like I’m struggling but I fast. So, it was fun. Hats off to Martin Truex (Jr.) and his team. But yeah, it was a great day for our guys after a few bad weeks in a row. So, I’m happy about that and now we’ll look forward to Dover and hopefully we’ll be really good there.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 VALVOLINE THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 4th
“I thought we were pretty solid all day. We fell back to eighth or ninth early in the race and we were just too loose. We didn’t really have the car fully connected yet, but we just got it better and better. The long runs were still kind of our weakness. We weren’t super strong on long runs; we were just kind of a fourth-place car. But to finish fourth is good for us. Tenth top-10 in a row is awesome. I think our team is just super consistent this year. That’s a credit to Rudy (Fugle, Crew Chief) and the guys preparing awesome cars and executing well. We just have to find that little bit to kind of get with the 5 (Kyle Larson) and the 19 (Martin Truex Jr.). We’re there at times, but we can’t really kind of break that seal, which is hard. We just have to continue to build the notebook. It’s Rudy and I’s first time going to these tracks, so I feel like there’s a lot of room to go still. But we’re doing great.”

YOU’RE GETTING A LOT OF STAGE POINTS, TOO. SHOULD WE READ SOMETHING INTO THAT?
“I think it just shows the strength of the car, our team, our communication, all those things. If you’re running fifteenth all day and you finish in the top-five, it might feel nice, but it doesn’t really show much points-wise, etc. I feel like for us to run where we finish all day is impressive and that’s what the good teams do, and I feel like we’re in that mix. We’re in that fourth to sixth range right now, so we just kind of have to break that seal to get into the top-two or three, which I think it’s pretty obvious which cars those are. We’re getting close.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 7th
“Tough day today. I got pretty loose on that last run and killed the right rear. During the beginning of the run, I was tight though. Not sure if I tried sliding the back too much or what. I just couldn’t figure it out.”

TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 JOE NICHOLS/QUARTZ HILL RECORDS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 12th
“Our No. 8 Joe Nichols / Quartz Hill Records Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE not only looked good for NASCAR’s Throwback weekend, but was also really fast today at Darlington Raceway. I fired off way too loose and lacked rear grip pretty much from the start of the day, but we were able to capitalize on a strong starting spot to gain valuable stage points in Stages 1 and 2. This is the second week in a row we’ve scored a lot of stage points, and those have been key to helping climb up through the standings. Once the sun started to set, the handling of my Chevy changed dramatically. It was tough to be able to move around and search for different lines at times, especially when I would get snug on one end of the track and loose on the other. We kept working at it, and I felt like we were decent on handling at the end of the race, but we just lacked some speed. I wish we could have got back in the top 10 to grab the finish we deserved, but we’ll at least take these stage points and move on to Dover. I really enjoyed throwing it back to Marty Robbins and his iconic pink and yellow machine today with the help of Joe Nichols and Quartz Hill, and I hope all the fans enjoyed it too.”

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 42 MCDONALD’S CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 15th
“It was a good day for our No. 42 Throwback McDonald’s Chevy. I got trapped a lap down early in Stage 1 and never got it back. I missed two decisions on the choose cone; went in the wrong lane and gave the free pass to two other guys and never got it back the rest of the day. There were no more cautions to cycle us back to the free pass. 15th is okay, but we definitely had a faster car, our best car I believe, of the year. We’ll just keep moving along (with) more progress, more progress. I’m proud of this group. I hate that the No. 1 car (Kurt Busch) wrecked out early. We’re making progress, so it’s good stuff.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 16th
“It was fun to work with Bass Pro Shops to pay tribute to NASCAR Hall of Famer Fireball Roberts for this weekend’s NASCAR Throwback race at Darlington Raceway. I just hate that we couldn’t get them into Victory Lane. We started off loose and lost track position late in Stage 1. We put together a really solid run from start to finish in Stage 2 even though we were still trying to fine-tune the handling of our Chevy. Overall, we were just a little too late on the car adjustments and didn’t get the cautions we needed to get back on the lead lap. The entire No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team did a nice job sticking with it all day, but we’ll go back to the drawing board for next time we race at Darlington Raceway. We’ll go get them at Dover International Speedway.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 17th
“Today was not our day. We were super tight all day and just couldn’t get the front tires in the track. We will move on to Dover.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 STP CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 18th
“We did not get the finish we wanted today with our Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 STP Camaro ZL1 1LE. It was pretty decent. We had a good run early and lost the balance a little bit late, and then cut a tire and got in the fence. We came back and salvaged a decent day, so I am happy with that. It was the best run we have had in a few weeks, and it is something to build off of when we come back in the fall. Overall a decent day, but we can do a little bit better.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 CAMPING WORLD THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 23rd
“It was a very, very difficult day. We have to regroup and try to see where we are a little wrong. We started the race extremely off. We made a few steps in the right direction and then we lost it again by the end. We have a lot of work to do. But we have very good people and have to regroup to try to see what we’re going to do.”

KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 106; Finished 35th
“I was racing hard and there’s no give and take. Guy’s running for the Lucky Dog; you can’t fault him for that. But you still have to race the track and the give the room to the lead lap guys. But man, just got ran into, got taken out and we’re on this end of it. It’s been too many times. It’s been a rough year and this just adds to it.”

TELL US ABOUT THE RUN OUT THERE TODAY WITH THE LACK OF DOWNFORCE.
“It’s a fun challenge. You just have to make sure you’re making the right adjustments to keep up with the track. But we flat out got run over. You still have to race the race track.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM THROWBACK CAMARO ZL1 1LE, PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Kyle Larson, our second-place finisher in today’s Goodyear 400.

Q. I know a lot of people have talked about the 750 package coming back to Darlington. What was your assessment? Obviously you were running Truex down there for a bit towards the end. How much fun was it just wheeling these things and really racing the track as much as you were racing anybody else?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, it was fun. It definitely took a handful of laps to get used to. I was going down the straightaway and then everybody was lifting a lot sooner than I thought I needed to, and so I adjusted to them and backed my entry up and I felt like I got a little bit better loading into the corners then. And then the exit was sliding around a lot.

A lot of fun. I don’t remember honestly how the high downforce was because I didn’t get to run here last year, but it was fun to be here during the day, my first daytime Cup race here, so it was cool to do that, and yeah, had a lot of fun slipping and sliding.

Q. How tough was the heat compared to what you remember from the nighttime races here?
KYLE LARSON: It wasn’t as bad as I thought. Maybe we just do a really good job with the cooling in our car, but I hardly broke a sweat, surprisingly.

It wasn’t too bad for me. I don’t know how the other guys were.

Q. Kyle, how does it feel to — you had a good little run going along and then Richmond, Talladega, Kansas kind of weren’t what you wanted. You guys seem to be back on the — how does it feel to get things back on the right track?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, it’s good. We definitely needed to get a good finish. I thought we were going to get one last week and I messed that up. Three bad weeks in a row, and to come back and contend for a win and finish second and get good stage points after speeding at the end of the first stage, too, yeah, it was a good day.

Now we go to Dover, which is one of if not my best tracks. Excited about that, and Hendrick Motorsports has been pretty good at Dover from what I remember, too, so looking forward to getting there.

Q. We’re about halfway through the regular season. How would you assess what you’ve been able to accomplish in the first half of the regular season?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I mean, I think we’re top three. We’re one of the top three teams out there, so I’m happy with that. We’ve been really good to start the year and meshing very well as a team. Really enjoy working with cliff and everybody on the 5 car, and I think we’re just going to continue to grow. Our pit crew has been doing an awesome job. Everybody at the shop has been doing great. You look at all four of our teammates, with myself included, and we’ve been really good.

Happy about it, and looking forward to building from where we’re at.

Q. Before the final round of pit stops cliff was kind of preaching take care of your stuff, we’ll close the gap on the final round of pit stops. Was that hard to do when you can see Martin in front of you and want to get as close as you can, or were you able to kind of be patient there?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I mean, it’s hard. I had already planned on — when we closed a bunch throughout the green flag cycle, that final one, and I could see that I was really close and noticed that I was gaining on him, I definitely had to tell myself to just calm myself. I wish I was. Even the whole last stage I felt like I did a good job for where I was at and who I was battling with to take care of my stuff.

But yeah, when the leader is in front of you it is tougher to remind yourself. But in a way I maybe was too patient at one point. I got to his back bumper in 1 and 2 and I could see he was struggling in front of me, and I thought, well, if I am just patient here and stay behind him and put some pressure on him, maybe he’ll use his stuff up or get into the wall in 3 and 4 because he was running so close to it. So I was just hoping that he would make a mistake.

Looking back if there was something I could do different I would have taken advantage of that opportunity and tried to get to his inside and maybe tried to clear him off of two and maybe block him in my dirty air the rest of the race.

Q. The strength of today’s performance and going back to Dover next week, one of your good tracks and a Hendrick car, what’s your outlook on going back to Dover?
KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I’m pumped to get there. I think it’s this aero package maybe, too. Yeah, Dover is just an awesome place, suits my style. Can move around quite a bit. It’s fast, aggressive, and I love it. Ready to get there, and hopefully be one spot better.

Q. You talked about the runs that you’ve had and obviously the win, the top 5s, but how has it been able to come together so fast for you, your relationship with Cliff, coming to a new team? You’re 12 races in and you guys seem to be clicking on all cylinders. How has it come together so fast?
KYLE LARSON: I just think I’ve got a great group of people around me throughout all of Hendrick Motorsports but especially on our 5 car. Their preparation is something that is pretty awesome to see, and I feel like I’m putting in a lot of work off the track, too, to get myself up to speed with no practice and things like that.

Honestly probably no practice benefits me a little bit, just from being able to adapt quickly and not giving myself an opportunity to tune ourselves out with any bad feedback.

It’s been really fun to be this good this early on in the year, and like I said earlier, I hope we can just continue to build on it and get better and be the best when it comes to the final 10 races.

Q. What exactly were you thinking there? I think it was like eight or seven laps to go when you decided to thread the needle between Ryan Newman and Tyler Reddick?
KYLE LARSON: Well, they’re both really aggressive drivers, so I didn’t want to get stuck behind them because I knew if I didn’t clear them then, I would definitely not have an opportunity to get by or get close to Martin.

I saw a door open up a little bit, and I stuck my nose in there and came out the other side. It was pretty intense, but that’s what I felt like I needed to do at that point to give myself a shot to win, but even once I cleared them, I was struggling at that point and Martin was getting away from me.

Q. We’re going to come back here in September and it’s going to be the first race of the playoffs, something you’re locked into at this point. What are you looking to do differently when we get to the longer race, the night race, in September?
KYLE LARSON: I don’t know, I mean, hopefully we can just look at our data points from this race and try and get our car better. I felt like we were a little bit slow on the short run, on restarts maybe — after green flag stops I felt like we were one of the faster cars taking off, but on a clear track after restarts I felt like we were a little slow, and then the long runs I was just way too loose to carry throttle, be aggressive, not get stuck in traffic, things like that. Just take what we learned today and try and be better and try and be better than the 19 because he was obviously really good all race long.

Q. Just kind of curious, you talked about doing different stuff during the week. Has your routine changed at all since coming to Hendrick as far as how you prepare for the races during the week?
KYLE LARSON: I mean, yeah, there’s more meetings and things of that sort, as far as like looking at SMT and stuff like that. That’s stuff I always did before, and I would say even the meetings are the same as what I had before. They’re just a little bit more structured probably and a little more information in them.

But yeah, and then I guess, too, the SMT things with no practice, I’m probably spending more time looking at that now because when we did have practice, you’d look for a little while and you’re like, all right, I’ll just figure the rest out once we get on track for practice. But now with not having practice you just want to be as prepared as you can be, so trying to study up on other drivers and stuff like that and what trends look fast.

Q. Any physical training? I know you continue to race on a regular basis, but have you done anything from a physical standpoint as far as training goes to prepare for the weekends?
KYLE LARSON: I mean, the same as I’ve kind of always did when I was at Ganassi. I actually still work out at Ganassi with Josh Wise. That’s been great. He’s also expanded his program a lot more from even when I was doing it a couple years ago, so you know, now he’s got even more information than I can look at and then go to my guys on the 5 and talk to them about as well as doing stuff in the gym. As you can tell I’m not a big guy so we don’t do a lot of lifting and stuff like that, but I feel like it’s all stuff centered around being a great race car driver.

I enjoy doing that. I do it a few times a week when I can, and I race a lot, too, so I think that’s probably the most important fitness you can get as a race car driver.

Q. When you saw Truex in front of you, did you think that was your shot to get him or was there another time where you thought, this is my one shot and just didn’t come through?
KYLE LARSON: Well, yeah, I saw him — I closed a lot. We had to have gained seconds on him on the pit cycle, and then I was closing on him a little bit and then he was getting in heavy traffic, and it looked like he was struggling in front of me for grip. I was trying to just be patient and try and let him burn his stuff up.
I do think I remember seeing him get sideways off of 2 once or something like that, and then I got to him later on and got to his back bumper, was going to try and get him loose just to get him to check up off of 2 and maybe get to his inside or just stalk him some more and get him to make a mistake or burn his tires up. But he did a really good job.

So yeah, the only thing I think I could have done differently was get that big run on him in 1 and 2, and when I got to his bumper I could have just probably throttled up through the center and maybe cleared him or at least got my right rear to his left front and made him lift off of 2.
Like I said, I could see he was struggling and I wanted to be patient and figured I’d have another opportunity, but I never really did.

Q. The maneuver between the 8 and the 6, what was going through your head when you made that move?
KYLE LARSON: Well, I just was trying to — I knew if I didn’t get by them then, when I was surprised that I got by them both in the same corner, but Newman obviously is really hard to pass. He races really hard, and so does Tyler, and he was kind of running where I wanted to be, so I knew I had to make quick work of them if I wanted to have an opportunity to get to Martin.

So the 6 kind of pulled lower than I thought he would, and I saw a door open and poked my nose through it and came out the other side.

Still after I cleared, I wasn’t good enough to get to Martin, but had I not got by them, I definitely would not have had a shot to get to Martin, so just glad I didn’t wreck there.

THE MODERATOR: Kyle, thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us. We will see you in Dover.

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 75 countries with nearly 4 million cars and trucks sold in 2019. 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 www.chevrolet.com.

Victory for Stoner Car Care Racing at Road America

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Official Release
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The No. 191 Aston Martin brings home a win and a third-place finish in two World Racing League endurance races this weekend

Elkhart Lake, Wis. (9 May 2021) – Stoner Car Care Racing fielded by Automatic Racing dominated the Can Am Endurance Cup weekend at Road America, capturing a victory and a third-place finish in Round Four of the 2021 World Racing League (WRL) season.

Rob Ecklin Jr. (Lancaster, Pa.), Steven Davison (Washington, DC) and Ramin Abdolvahabi (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) combined to pilot the No. 191 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 through two races, 16 hours and 349 drama-filled laps at “America’s National Park of Speed,” with 77 cars in four separate classes making for nonstop action at the iconic 4.048-mile circuit.

Race one

The temperature gauge read a mere 55 degrees as Ecklin took the green flag at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. Starting 21st, he warmed his tires quickly and raced into the top four with only 37 minutes expired off the clock.

But 45 minutes into the race, two cars came together in The Kink, requiring enough clean up time to necessitate a red flag. Ecklin ducked into pit lane as soon as the race resumed, handing the wheel to Davison, who returned to the fray in 16th position. The Automatic Racing squad, led by team manager David Russell, engineer Kirt Wightman and strategist Renu Malhotra, chose to bring the car back to pit lane four laps later and establish themselves on an alternate fuel strategy, hoping that the chips would fall their way at race’s end. By the time Abdolvahabi jumped into the car with just over two hours elapsed, the field had spread out enough that the team was able to come into pit lane for service and maintain their position in the top three.

The most significant “moment” in the race came with three and a half hours to go. Tagged on the left side in Turn 7 while passing a lapped car on the inside, Davison was sent into a spin but recovered quickly, heading into pit lane for regular service, a change to Abdolvahabi and a quick check to confirm there was no significant damage.

Abdolvahabi immediately set his sights on the lead, engaging in a 30-lap battle with the lone prototype in the field, with both cars trading the lead throughout the stint. Unfortunately, a penalty for a pass under yellow put the team back in fifth position. With just under 90 minutes remaining and more than a minute behind the leaders, Ecklin took the wheel for a double stint to try and get back as many positions as possible.

Putting the hammer down, Ecklin made a daring pass in Turn 5 to grab second position. Then, with 11 minutes remaining, he slid to the inside and out maneuvered the prototype, grabbing the race lead. Ecklin put his head down and powered to the checkered flag and the apparent victory, setting the team’s quick time of the day on Lap 174 of 176 race laps, with a time of 2:27.762. Unfortunately, race stewards deemed late race contact too much for a series whose mission statement guarantees contact-free racing, and the team was penalized one lap, which put them back to a very disappointing fourth.

Race two

With Sunday’s race starting an hour earlier than Saturday’s, ambient temperatures hovered in the low 40s as drivers took the green flag. Davison started sixth but his forward progress was halted during a lengthy yellow 10 minutes into the race, as a car spun and stopped sideways in the exit of the Carousel. After four laps of yellow, Davison recommenced his charge, climbing steadily through the field on his double stint, claiming second and setting the team’s fast time of the race with a lap of 2:28.028 before handing off to Abdolvahabi.

Abdolvahabi played a patient game, running consistent laps as the gap to the leader, the No. 242 BMW, remained in the 40-second range. The second caution of the day flew just as the car entered the pit window, and Abdolvahabi headed in for scheduled service. As the race returned to green, the Aston Martin came out of pit lane right on the rear wing of the BMW, and two laps later, Abdolvahabi drew alongside at start/finish and made the pass for the lead going into Turn One. Returning to his signature consistent laps, Abdolvahabi pushed out to a 21-second lead and led for 21 laps before heading to pit lane and a hand-off to Ecklin, who returned to the race in second position, back behind the now-familiar BMW – but only for a lap, as the leader pitted, giving Ecklin a 36-second lead with 3:22 remaining.

A full course yellow brought the field back to Ecklin, who took the opportunity to come in for service after leading 15 of his stint’s 16 laps. Ecklin came back out on track again behind the No. 242 BMW, only to see second position become a race lead of nearly two laps when the BMW was given a two-lap penalty for unsafe driving during the yellow. With two hours remaining, Ecklin focused on hitting his marks and keeping the Aston Martin under control.

Coming into pit lane for a final splash of fuel with 45 minutes remaining, Ecklin briefly lost the lead, but roared back in front when the BMW came to pit lane for full service. Maintaining his lead and keeping his composure, Ecklin took the checkered flag with a winning margin of 46.690 seconds – driving a nearly four-hour stint to bring the car home.

“It helped that I had two caution periods to break it up!” said Ecklin. “Everything worked perfectly today – pit stops, time in the pits, strategy, with solid performances from all the drivers. Everything really came together. With no pressure from behind, we could just run our race and bring it home. It was a great fight for P1 both yesterday and today, and today, the race really came to us.”

“It’s really difficult to win in endurance racing and in my mind, it comes down to three things,” said Davison. “One, the drivers – you have to stay clean and consistent. Two, you have to have good pit stops, and we have the most professional team out here. Third, you need a little bit of luck! We got a little of all three today. But Rob Ecklin is our closer, I’ve never seen anybody more solid to finish a race. It’s so exciting to watch him, and I’m glad it’s him and not me! We feel vindicated today, to earn the win after what happened yesterday. We ran a clean, hard race.”

“That was a good weekend, but a stressful one!” said Abdolvahabi. “We started P21 yesterday and just plugged away, and that’s the name of the game in endurance racing. Even with the penalties, we fought back, and that showed what the team can do. And today, we were so consistent. I was just chipping away at the leader, looking for a weakness, and I was able to make the pass for the lead. The team made some great strategy calls all weekend – it really was a team effort. The pit stops were immaculate, the pit strategy was spot on and all three drivers put the hammer down. It was very satisfying.”

“The ebb and flow of these races is amazing, between penalties, pace and pit strategy,” said Russell. “There are so many variables that are largely out of your control so you have to keep your head down and stick to your plan. Kirt and Renu had great strategies in both races. You also have to execute on pit lane and the crew just crushed it today, with the fastest stops in the race. And of course, all three drivers did a phenomenal job. We had decided to double-stint the drivers today and all three drivers did a great job. Steven set the quick lap of the day and Ramin first took the lead, and Rob was able to stay in at the end. We felt that it made more sense to leave Rob in since he was so familiar with the condition of the car and the track at the end. That gave us an advantage and we needed every advantage in the book. Everyone equally contributed to the results this weekend!”

The next IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race slated on the Stoner Car Care Racing schedule is Watkins Glen International in June.

About Invisible Glass

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

About Stoner Car Care

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

About Automatic Racing

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

Learning Weekend For Crawford in Formula 3 Debut at Barcelona

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Official Release
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Jak Crawford #10 Hitech GP, during round one of the FIA Formula 3 Championship at Circuito de Barcelona Catalunya, in Spain on May 7-9, 2021. Images courtesy Red Bull

BARCELONA, Spain (9 May 2021) – Jak Crawford’s first weekend in FIA Formula 3 competition proved to be a valuable learning experience, with the 16-year-old Houston driver gaining positions in all three of the season’s opening races at Circuit de Catalunya.

The Red Bull Junior Team driver, making his FIA Formula 3 debut for Hitech Grand Prix, finished 13th and ninth in Saturday’s two events before placing 18th in Sunday’s finale.

A strategy miscue in Friday’s qualifying came back to plague Crawford all weekend. With most of the teams opting to use three sets of tires in qualifying, Hitech elected to use two sets for the session to save one new set to utilize in race action.

Crawford was first driver to set a flying lap in qualifying, immediately going quicker than his best time in practice. As time wound down, Crawford stayed out while the bulk of the field made a third stop for new tires, and picked up speed for their final laps. Crawford also turned in his best lap at the end, but it was only good for 20th overall.

“We made a bad decision with the amount of tires that we ran,” Crawford said. “We were back in 20th, which wasn’t that good.”

Starting 20th for Race 1, Crawford gained two positions on the opening lap and then patiently worked his way up through the field. He took 13th with five laps remaining, and held that position as a race-ending caution impeded his forward progress. The 2021 F3 format sees the top 12 finishers from Race 1 inverted for the Race 2 start, with Crawford narrowly missing out on a shot at starting from pole with his 13th place result.

“The race was quite good,” he said. “It was probably my best race of the weekend. I made some good overtakes and gained seven spots. Finishing 13th was a bit of a shame, because the top 12 got reversed for the second race. I think I was only two laps away from the pole position for Race 2, but then there was a safety car.”

Under the new qualifying format, Enzo Fittipaldi – who finished just ahead of Crawford – started on the pole for Race 2, with Crawford 13th. He took 12th at the start and moved up to a ninth-place finish.

“For Race 2, there was a bit of mayhem, a lot of carnage going on, but I kept it clean,” Crawford said. “There was definitely an opportunity to get two more places, but unfortunately with all the battling all I did, I lost the DRS. That allowed me to get passed on the straights, which cost me two positions. But I’m still happy to finish ninth, and that allowed me to get some points.”

For Sunday’s Race 3, the field was set by original qualifying times, putting Crawford again in 20th, and he lost two positions on the opening lap.

“I had a good start, but then I got boxed in and had nowhere to go,” he explained. “Then later on the first lap there was an incident in front of me, and that allowed me to get passed by three people. That defined my race, as it took me a few laps to get back by them.”

He made an excellent pass on Lap 10, going deep to the inside and touching the grass in Turn 1 to pass two cars to gain 19th. Running 3.4-seconds behind Fittipaldi, Crawford quickly narrowed that gap and passed the Brazilian with two laps remaining.

“Once I got by them, I was running the quickest on the track when I was running in free air,” Crawford said. “Overall, the weekend was not that great, but there were a lot of positives with the racing. I think all three races were pretty good, even though they had some bad parts in them. Next time, we need to work on nailing the qualifying.”

Crawford will have little chance to rest following his busy weekend. He heads to Jerez in Spain for a two-day F3 test on Wednesday, and then travels to Circuit Paul Ricard in France for the second round of Euroformula Open Championship competition which takes place next weekend.

The next round for F3 will be June 24-26 at Le Castellet in France. The seven-weekend season concludes Oct 21-23 at Austin’s Circuit of The Americas.

Joey Iest ARCA Menards Series East Race Recap: Nashville

By
Official Release
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Saturday, May 8
Track: Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, .5-mile oval
Race: 3 of 8
Event: Crosley Record Pressing 200 (200 laps, 119 miles)

Joey Iest, No. 54 ASN/Basila Ranch Ford Fusion
Start: 5th
Finish: 5th

  • Iest started the Crosley Record Pressing 200 from the fifth position and battled around fifth and sixth for the opening 70 circuits before moving into fourth on lap 71.
  • Caution waved on lap 75 for the first pit break and Iest brought the No. 54 down pit road for right side tires and fuel and would restart in the fourth position.
  • On the restart, the California native rolled the outside up to second. With the next pit break coming on lap 150, he kept the car clean and settled for third when caution flag waved for the break.
  • The team pitted for four fresh tires and fuel during the second break and would restart from third. When caution flag waved on lap 179 for a spin, Iest was still in third. Green flag came back out with 16 laps remaining and he ultimately finished the race in the fifth position.
  • The fifth-place result marks Iest’s third consecutive top-five of the 2021 ARCA Menards Series East season.

Next event: General Tire 125 at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware on May 14 at 5 p.m. ET.

Round 3 Racing Takes Two Podium Finishes at Road America

By
Official Release
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Elkhart Lake, Wisc. (8 May 2021) – Round 3 Racing (R3R) raced to podium finishes with two of the team’s four entries in Saturday’s World Racing League (WRL) race at Road America with runner-up results in both the GP2 and GP3 classes. The race finish marked the second consecutive double podium weekend for the Joilet, Illinois-based team.

The team will look for even more success in Sunday’s eight hour endurance race for the second half of the doubleheader event weekend at the legendary Wisconsin circuit.

No. 601 Team Sentinel Porsche Boxster

The Team Sentinel driver lineup of Hannah Grisham, Shea Holbrook and Christian Maloof teamed to drive to a hard fought second-place result in the GP2 class.

Maloof took the green flag from third where he quickly began laying down fast laps with his fastest lap of the race of 2:38.092-seconds coming on Lap 53. 10 laps later, Maloof brought the Porsche Boxster to pit lane to hand over control to Grisham.

Grisham, Holbrook and Maloof combined to manage both the challenges in traffic with the multi-class field and the overall fuel consumption for 124 laps before Holbrook took the closing stint. Holbrook took over the GP2 lead on Lap 147 before a late race penalty was issued moving the No. 601 back into second.

“I had a lot of confidence heading into my final stint knowing we had a strong car,” said Holbrook. “Our target was to find lap time today so we could know what we needed to keep our position. With a super reliable and predictable car we know what we have. We delivered results but being so close to a win gives us a taste of what we can do and use that to get the win tomorrow.”

No. 605 Hagerty Drivers Club Porsche Boxster

The No. 605 Hagerty Drivers Club Porsche Boxster of Cole Loftsgard, Carter Pease, Dennis Neel and Jim Ptak continued their podium streak with a second-place finish in the GP3 class.

Starting just off GP3 class pole in second, Loftsgard started the eight-hour race in the No. 605 Porsche where he quickly took over first place. Consistent lap times allowed Loftsgard to settle into an impressive race pace as he grew the gap to the field to over one lap.

Ptak and Neel continued the consistency familiar with the No. 605 working at maintaining the lead. Pease was slated for the final stint closing out the opening race of the weekend.

Unfortunately, an untimely ball joint failure forced the No. 605 Hagerty Drivers Club machine to pit lane for repairs. The Round 3 Racing squad hustled to make the repairs and have the car safely back in action quickly enough to maintain the team’s podium threat. Pease returned to the course in third on Lap 118 and began working back toward the leaders of the GP3 class.

Making the move back into second, Pease brought the Porsche Boxster to pit lane on Lap 146 for a final splash of fuel. The No. 605 Hagerty Drivers Club Porsche Boxster took the checkered flag in second.

“It is a great day with a great result for the No. 605 and the Round 3 Racing team,” said Loftsgard. “Having four competitive drivers who all have consistent pace makes this driver lineup dominant. To just get to this point in my career has required so much sacrifice to even make it to the track. To get to a podium requires so much work by drivers, crew and the entire team and I am thrilled to be a part of it and this team.”

No. 702 Team Hagerty Porsche Cayman

Racing in the top GTO class, Sarah Montgomery, Buz McCall and Brad McCall combined to wheel the No. 702 Team Hagerty Porsche Cayman.

Taking the opening stint, Montgomery crossed the start line in third but quickly went to work moving through traffic to take over the overall lead by lap 15.

Following the only full-course yellow period of the day, the No. 702 received a two-lap penalty for passing the pace car during the yellow. The penalty was frustrating, as Montgomery passed the pace car after getting the wave around by the race officials.

Adversity continued as a broken splitter required an unplanned pit stop on Lap 59.

The Hagerty driver trio never faltered as they returned to the top ten on Lap 147 where they stayed for the remaining 15 laps. The No. 702 Team Hagerty Porsche Cayman completed the day in ninth place.

“It was a lot of fun out there today,” said Buz McCall. “We got handed a penalty that slowed our progress a bit but that is just a part of racing. We will take what we learned today and regroup so we can come back tomorrow fighting for a win.”

Montgomery set the fastest lap of the race through the midpoint of the event, giving the team additional optimism ahead of Sunday’s race.

No. 701 Team Cooper Tires Porsche Cayman

Making the switch to the GP1 class, R3R received the Porsche Cayman just days before the weekend at Road America. Loni Unser, Mike GIlbert and Mo Dadkhah saw limited track time Friday and Saturday as the crew worked methodically to complete the set-up.

The No. 701 completed 83 laps without a working ABS (Automatic Brake System) before finishing 14th.

“The Round 3 Racing crew have put in a remarkable effort to get the new No. 701 just a few days ago and be on track this weekend,” said Mo Dadkhah. “The Cayman is fast and with the proper set-up we will be dominant in the GP1 class. The weekend at Road America has turned into a set-up weekend that we are utilizing the track time in order to prepare for the rest of the season. Tomorrow we will have more to work with and I am enjoying my time with the team at my home track.”

Round 3 Racing will have another chance at victory at Road America tomorrow Sunday, May 9th as the World Racing League hosts Race Two. The green flag for eight more hours of racing will fly at 8AM CT with live streaming available at youtube.com/racewrl.

Justin Allgaier wins Xfinity Series race in overtime finish at Darlington

By
Angie Campbell
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Justin Allgaier celebrates after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Steakhouse Elite 200 at Darlington Raceway on May 08, 2021. Photo Credit: Ted Seminara

Justin Allgaier won the NASCAR Xfinity Series Steakhouse Elite 200 at Darlington Raceway Saturday afternoon in a dramatic two-lap overtime finish.

He outdueled his JR Motorsports teammate, Josh Berry, who had pulled ahead in Turn l, to take the lead for his second victory of the season and earn his 16th career win.

“Our car wasn’t as good as we wanted all day, but the guys down in the pits, they just kept fighting,” said Allgaier. “To check off Atlanta and Darlington, I couldn’t be more appreciative of this race team. We’re going to celebrate this one for a while.”

Josh Berry had to settle for second place, earning his fourth top-10 of 2021. He was also the highest finishing rookie of the race. Berry is currently scheduled to compete on a part time basis for JRM. He won at Martinsville Speedway in April and is trying to make the most of each opportunity.

“I’m mad,” Berry said. “I want to win. I’m racing for my life out here, man. We need to find a sponsor or something so I can run this thing full time. But it’s hard to be mad, coming here, running second, no practice, first time with these guys — that’s pretty incredible.”

Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Brandon Jones (No. 19) and Daniel Hemric (No. 18) finished in third and fourth, respectively. Jeremy Clements scored his fourth top-10 result of 2021 with fifth place.

Michael Annett, Brett Moffitt, Ryan Sieg, Alex Labbe and Harrison Burton rounded out the top-10 at Darlington.

Noah Gragson was originally scored in fourth at the end of the race but was disqualified due to a violation of Rule 20.14.c in the NASCAR Rule Book that reads, “All suspension mounts and mounting hardware must not allow movement or realignment of any suspension and/or drivetrain component beyond normal rotation or suspension and/or drivetrain travel.”

Gragson was relegated to a 40th place finish and was no longer eligible to receive the Dash 4 Cash bonus. He has already won two of the four events in the program. The $100,000 prize was ultimately awarded to AJ Allmendinger, who finished 12th and passed post-race inspection.

Wayne Auton, Xfinity Series director, stated that the Dash 4 Cash winners are routinely included in the post-race inspection for each of these races.

JR Motorsports will have the option to appeal the disqualification.

The last Dash 4 Cash race will be held at Dover International Speedway next Saturday, May 15, at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Allmendinger, Allgaier, Berry and Brandon Jones will be eligible for the $100,000 prize.

UPDATED: #9 – Disqualified – Failed Post-race Inspection
NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Number 9
Race Results for the 2nd Annual Steakhouse Elite 200 – Saturday, May 8, 2021
Darlington Raceway – Darlington, SC – 1.366 – Mile Paved
Total Race Length – 148 Laps – 202.168 Miles

FinStrNoDriverTeamLapsS1PosS2PosS3PosPtsStatus
1167Justin AllgaierGood Humor Ice Cream Chevrolet14877048Running
2248Josh Berry #Tire Pros Chevrolet14803043Running
32219Brandon Jones06 NCWTS Championship Toyota148100035Running
4718Daniel HemricPoppy Bank Toyota14830041Running
51251Jeremy ClementsAll South Electric Chevrolet14800032Running
6201Michael AnnettGatorade Pilot Flying J Chevrolet14896038Running
7132Brett MoffittDESTINY HOMES Chevrolet14809032Running
81139Ryan SiegCMR Construction and Roofing Ford14804036Running
92336Alex LabbeLarue Industrial Snowblowers Chevrolet14800028Running
10820Harrison BurtonDEX Imaging Toyota14821046Running
11194Landon CassillMaintenX Chevrolet14800026Running
12116AJ AllmendingerHyperice Chevrolet14852040Running
13411Justin HaleyLeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet14800024Running
141444Tommy Joe MartinsCapital City Hauling Chevrolet14840030Running
153399Ryan EllisCorvetteParts.net Toyota14800022Running
161761David StarrWhataburger Toyota14800021Running
172954Ty Gibbs #Interstate Batteries Toyota14880023Running
18102Myatt SniderTaxSlayer Chevrolet14860024Running
19310Jeb BurtonNutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet14805024Running
203623Tanner BerryhillREALTY CONNECT Chevrolet14800017Running
213517JJ YeleyWORKPRO Chevrolet14800016Running
221566Timmy Hill(i)Lift Kits 4 Less Ford1480000Running
23968Brandon BrownBrandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet14800014Running
243974Bayley Currey(i)Providing Hope VA Chevrolet1480000Running
253890BJ McLeod(i)BuckedUp Apparel Chevrolet1480000Running
26346Ryan Vargas #Monarch Roofing Throwback Chevrolet14800011Running
27698Riley HerbstHenry Repeating Arms Ford148010011Running
282515Colby HowardProject Hope Foundation Chevrolet1470009Accident
29222Austin CindricCar Shop Ford14718021Accident
30280Jeffrey EarnhardtForeverLawn Throwback Chevrolet1460007Running
313178Jesse LittleTufco Flooring Chevrolet1460006Running
322647Kyle WeathermanPit Viper Sunglasses Chevrolet1420005Running
334013Matt JaskolLift Kits 4 Less Toyota1420004Running
341848Jade BufordBig Machine/All American Racers/Hot Wheels Chevrolet1400003Running
352726Brandon GdovicSnapMobile.Shop Toyota1400002Running
36307Joe Graf Jr.Bucked Up Energy Chevrolet1320001Accident
373752Gray GauldingPanini America Chevrolet1070001Accident
382192Josh WilliamsStarbrite/Alloy Employer Chevrolet480001Suspension
39325Matt MillsJ.F. Electric Chevrolet440001Accident
4059Noah GragsonBass Pro Shops/True Timber/BRCC Chevrolet1480001Running

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report – Darlington

By
Official Release
-


Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report
Track: Darlington Raceway
Race: Steakhouse Elite 200
Date: May 8, 2021

No. 22 CarShop Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric
Start: 2nd
Stage 1: 1st (Fifth Stage Win of 2021)
Stage 2: 8th
Finish: 29th
Status: Accident
Laps Completed: 147/148
Laps Led: 34
Driver Point Standings (ahead of second): 1st (+39)

Notes:

  • Misfortune struck Austin Cindric late in the Steakhouse Elite 200 Saturday afternoon at Darlington Raceway, leaving the driver of the No. 22 CarShop Ford Mustang with a 29th-place finish. Cindric continues to lead the driver point standings, 39 markers ahead of second place.
  • The starting lineup was once again set per the NASCAR rule book, which gave Cindric the second starting position. He showed strength early in the race, leading 34 laps and winning Stage 1, collecting his fifth stage win of the season. Cindric took the lead from Noah Gragson on lap 26 and was out front when the segment ended on lap 45. As the track rubbered up, Cindric communicated his CarShop Ford began to loosen up. During the Stage caution Crew Chief Brian Wilson called for a trackbar adjustment plus four tires and fuel on lap 48. Cindric restarted fourth when the race went green on lap 52.
  • Cindric steadily ran inside the top-five despite the fact his Mustang was not handling to his liking. The fifth caution set up a four-lap dash to the finish of the stage, prompting mixed pit strategy among the leaders. Cindric remained on track and restarted second while others pitted for fresh tires. The new tires proved to be a big advantage and Cindric was shuffled back to ninth-place when the segment concluded on lap 90. Wilson once again called his driver to pit road during the stage caution for four tires, fuel, plus wedge and a rubber in a the left-front spring to improve the balance on the No. 22 Ford. He lined up 18th for the restart on lap 99.
  • The Mooresville N.C., native sliced and diced through traffic and was running 11th when the seventh caution was displayed on lap 127, setting up another round of pits stops among the leaders. Cindric gained two positions after the visit to pit road and restated ninth on lap 131. Two more cautions would slow the pace (on laps 133 and 143), the latter forcing the finish of the race into NASCAR Overtime. Cindric pitted during the final caution for four tires, hoping the advantage of fresh rubber would work to his advantage in the closing laps. He lined up 20th but was involved in an accident off Turn 2 and didn’t complete the final lap, leaving him with a 29th place finish.

Quote: “It’s just unfortunate. We started off strong and won the first stage and led some laps. Everyone on the CarShop team did a great job throughout the race. At the end we were just trying to do what the others didn’t. It just didn’t work out for us and we will move on to Dover next week.”

Toyota Racing NXS Post-Race Recap — Darlington 5.9.21

By
Official Release
-

JONES, HEMRIC SCORE TOP-FIVE FINISHES AT DARLINGTON
Brandon Jones follows last year’s Darlington win with another strong run

DARLINGTON, S.C. (May 8, 2021) – Brandon Jones (third) and Daniel Hemric (fifth) drove their Toyota Supras to top-five finishes in the Steakhouse Elite 200 at Darlington Raceway on Saturday afternoon.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Darlington Raceway
Race 9 of 33 – 200.1 miles, 147 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Justin Allgaier*
2nd, Josh Berry*
3rd, BRANDON JONES
4th, Noah Gragson*
5th, DANIEL HEMRIC
11th, HARRISON BURTON
16th, RYAN ELLIS
17th, DAVID STARR
18th, TY GIBBS
34th, MATT JASKOL
36th, BRANDON GDOVIC
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

BRANDON JONES, No. 19 ’06 NCWTS Championship Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd

How does a third-place finish feel for you?

“Our Supra was pretty dang good throughout the race. We honestly had lap times to win the race. We didn’t have it the entire time, but man, I don’t know. We couldn’t keep track position very good. I don’t know what the beef with the 16 (A.J. Allmendinger) is. The respect level between the two of us is just not there for whatever reason. To be able to run this Toyota, Todd Bodine throwback – I know this means a lot to them with Toyota. We came up short, but this is where we need to be after getting wrecked a few weeks ago.”

How was your race overall and did you have something for them on the final restart?

“I think it was so cool to have Todd Bodine’s scheme on the Supra this weekend. I know that meant a lot to Toyota. Definitely wanted to get a win for them in that scheme. I know last year was so cool to have that scheme and we got the job done. I knew it was going to be close and that restart there at the very end, those two JRM (JR Motorsports) cars were battling hard and flashbacks came into my mind. I thought that those two were going to get in the fence and I’ll roll on by. We just didn’t have quite enough I don’t think in the tank, but I think we ran some of the fastest laps of the race so we definitely had speed in our Supra. Just all in all, needed to be just a tick better. We’ve got a lot to build on when we come back here in the fall.”

DANIEL HEMRIC, No. 18 Poppy Bank Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 5th

Describe where you are at right now with this fifth-place run.

“Frustrated. That’s where I’m at. I thought we had a Red Farmer Poppy Bank Toyota Supra way capable of winning this race today. I’m disappointed it didn’t work out. We had a left rear tire going down when we had that caution late with just a couple to go in stage two. Thankfully, I appreciate (A.J.) Allmendinger radioing our guys that they thought the left rear looked soft. When we you are at these places, you try not to swerve the car back and forth because you are just taking tire life out of it, so I hadn’t tugged on the wheel any, but with him radioing our guys, I tugged on the wheel and immediately knew it was flat.That put us behind. We never really had a chance to rebound. This race is so short. You have stuff like that happen, it’s hard to come back from. I’m proud of the effort. I, for sure, look forward to coming back here.”

How was your car throughout the race?

“The car was way better than the finish. Really proud of everyone on this Poppy Bank Toyota Supra for sticking with it. I thought Dave Rogers (crew chief) and everybody prepared a car that was more than capable to come here and win this race. We gave it up right there on pit road, but our day is coming. They know it’s coming. We’re leading laps and we’re doing the things we’ve got to do, but it’s just unfortunate to get a flat tire rolling around under caution. That kind of just put the nail in the coffin for our day. We rebounded and looking forward to coming back here in the fall.”

HARRISON BURTON, No. 20 DEX Imaging Toyota Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 11th

How frustrating was it to pit under the final caution and have so few others follow?

“That’s always, as soon as you pit, you know more that you did before you pitted. Obviously, I think we would have gone back on that call. Hindsight is 20-20 and something to learn from. I’m really proud of how fast we were with our DEX Imaging Supra. We won a stage and needed maybe a tenth more and we could have won the race on speed. Disappointed in myself, I did a good job on the green flag runs and didn’t do a good enough job on the restarts to control the race. If I controlled the race then we wouldn’t have had to make a call to win like that. Just a tough day. You’re close, but not quite there. We’ll get one of these sooner or later.”

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 Xfinity Series – Darlington (Sieg’s 9th Place Paces Mustangs at Darlington)

By
Official Release
-

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR XFINITY Series — Steakhouse Elite 200
Darlington Raceway | Saturday, May 8, 2021

Ford Finishing Results
9th — Ryan Sieg
28th — Riley Herbst
30th — Austin Cindric

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Henry Repeating Arms Ford Mustang — Finished 28th

“Just frustrating. We missed the setup a little bit. At the end, I don’t know, everyone expects me to lift and I didn’t lift and we got wrecked off of two. It is dumb when people have new tires and people have 60 lap tires. Things like that are going to happen.”

Sheldon Creed wins Truck Series race in thrilling finish at Darlington

By
Angie Campbell
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Sheldon Creed celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series LiftKits4Less.com 200 at Darlington Raceway on May 07, 2021. Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images.

Sheldon Creed maneuvered through several late-race cautions to claim his first Camping World Truck Series victory of the year at Darlington Raceway Friday night. His No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet featured a Throwback paint scheme honoring the late Jason Leffler.

It was his sixth career Truck Series win and his fourth top-10 finish this season. Creed also won the Triple Truck Challenge presented by Womply, earning a $50,000 bonus.

The pivotal moment of the race came on Lap 119 when John Hunter Nemechek and Corey Heim got turned into each other after contact from behind, collecting at least 17 cars in the chain reaction that followed. A red flag was thrown to clear the track and apply speedy dry to absorb the fluids.

On the final restart, it came down to a battle between Rhodes and Creed.

“It feels great,” Creed said after the win. “Didn’t have the best truck there, for sure. Firing off, I was really tight. Then I was wrecking loose there, just doing everything I could. I was really aggressive on restarts; that’s what it takes. We’ve been struggling, but we keep chipping away at it. We’re getting better trucks the last couple weeks. All I ask for are trucks I can race with.”

His victory ended Toyota’s dominance of seven wins this year and disrupted Kyle Busch Motorsports’ five-race winning streak.

Ben Rhodes led 34 laps during the race in his No. 99 ThorSport Racing Toyota but after two flat tires and a penalty, was able to work his way back to the front and rallied to a second-place finish.  

“I saw going into the corner we were going to push low,” Rhodes said, “so I tried to work our way back up to give us some line so we could be side by side coming off of (Turn) 2, but got really loose. Luckily, we saved it, but it was an up-and-down night. I had a lot of fun.

“We set ourselves up for the end there with our Bombardier Tundra to go for a long run — with like low pressures, and then lo and behold, red flags and caution after caution after caution. So what do you do, right? He had seven-lap newer tires, some help on the restarts, and I guess conditions were perfect for him, but I’m not going to pout about it. I’m driving a race car. I’m happy.”

Carson Hocevar was the highest finishing rookie after a third-place result in his first race at Darlington Raceway. Matt Crafton and Grant Enfinger rounded out the top five.

Johnny Sauter, Timmy Hill, Nemechek, Austin Wayne Self and Jordan Anderson finished sixth-10th, respectively.

Todd Gilliland won Stage 1 but finished 15th after being caught up in the incident on Lap 119. Nemechek, who led a race-high 65 laps and won Stage 2, recovered to finish eighth.

There were 12 cautions for 66 laps during the race. The final incident, however, occurred after Creed had taken the white flag, so no flag was thrown and Creed was announced as the winner.

There were no issues in post-race inspection.

Nemechek leads the standings with 368 points followed by Rhodes (-46), Creed (-82), Austin Hill (-93) and Matt Crafton (-121).

The Camping World Truck Series will be off next weekend and will return on May 22 to compete at Circuit of the Americas at 1 p.m. on FS1.

Official Results – Camping World Truck Series LiftKits4Less.com 200:

1. Sheldon Creed
2. Ben Rhodes
3. Carson Hocevar
4. Matt Crafton
5. Johnny Sauter
6. Grant Enfinger
7. Timmy Hill
8. John Hunter Nemechek
9. Austin Wayne Self
10. Jordan Anderson
11. Ryan Truex
12. Ryan Reed
13. Austin Hill
14. Tyler Ankrum
15. Todd Gilliland
16. Zane Smith
17. Erik Darnell
18. Danny Bohn
19. Timothy Peters
20. Hailie Deegan
21. Bayley Currey
22. Spencer Boyd
23. Corey Heim
24. Jennifer Jo Cobb
25. Stewart Friesen
26. Parker Kligerman
27. Chandler Smith
28. David Gilliland
29. Spencer Davis
30. Tate Fogleman
31. Dawson Cram
32. BJ McLeod
33. Tanner Gray
34. Akinori Ogata
35. Derek Kraus
36. Chase Purdy
37. Norm Benning
38. Codie Rohrbaugh
39. Kris Wright
40. Cory Ropera

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