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Chris Buescher – Kansas Advance

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Official Release
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Team: No. 17 AutoTempest Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Luke Lambert
Twitter: @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher
Buschy McBusch Race 400 – Sunday, May 2 at 3 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

ADVANCE NOTES

Buescher at Kansas Speedway

· Buescher makes his 11th Cup start at Kansas on Sunday, where he holds an average finish of 19.6.

· In 10 starts he has two top-10s, most recently a 10th-place run in the 2019 spring race. He also finished sixth in the 2017 fall race.

· He also made three Xfinity Series starts at the 1.5-mile track with a best finish of sixth in 2015 in the No. 60 entry for Jack Roush.

Luke Lambert at Kansas Speedway

· Lambert will be atop the box for his 17th Cup event at Kansas where he has an average finish of 19.9. He has two top-10s dating back to 2011, including a sixth and seventh-place run with Ryan Newman in 2014 and 2016.

· In that stretch from 2014-16 (five races) he finished no worse than 12th.

· Most recently, Lambert led Daniel Hemric to the pole in the 2019 fall race, while he has an overall 14.9 starting position.

· Lambert also called one NXS event with Elliott Sadler in 2012 finishing fourth after starting seventh.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Kansas:
“We’re looking forward to putting the AutoTempest Ford on the track for the first time this season, a brand we’re excited to work with as they’re car-lovers like us. Kansas is a super-fast race track and one that widens out throughout a race. Our goal is to have our No. 17 dialed in early and get to the front for another solid finish.”

Last Time Out
Despite avoiding all of the early crashes last Sunday at Talladega, Chris Buescher was hooked in the right rear coming to the checkered flag and was relegated to a 21st-place finish with damage on his Fastenal Ford.

Where They Rank
Buescher is tied for 15th in points entering Kansas as the fight for playoff positions heats up now more than a quarter through the 2021 campaign.

On the Car
AutoTempest, an aggregator of online classified advertisements specifically for cars, makes its NASCAR debut alongside Buescher and the No. 17 team this weekend in Kansas. They will return for their second race May 23 at COTA in Austin, Texas.

About AutoTempest
AutoTempest.com, founded in 2008, is a powerful car shopping website that simplifies consumers’ search and shopping experience by gathering results from top websites such as eBay Motors, Cars.com, TrueCar, Carvana, Cars & Bids, and more. It also offers free and helpful shopping tools and guides. It is simply the best way to find that perfect car – AutoTempest.com: All the cars. One Search. To learn more about AutoTempest, please contact us at contact@autotempest.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @autotempest.

Kyle Busch – No. 51 Cessna Tundra Camping World Trucks Kansas Preview

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Official Release
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Kyle Busch: Driver, No. 51 Cessna Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: Wise Power 200, Race 7 of 22, 134 Laps – 30/30/74; 201 Miles
Location: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (1.5-mile tri-oval)
Date/Broadcast: May 1, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

The Report on ‘Rowdy’:

  • Owner-driver Kyle Busch gets behind the wheel of the No. 51 Cessna Tundra Saturday for his fourth of five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts in 2021. ‘Rowdy’ picked up his 60th career victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga., in March and in his other two starts, Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway and Richmond (Va.) Raceway, finished runner-up to Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) driver John Nemechek.
  • KBM enters Saturday’s event having won the last four Camping World Truck Series races. John Hunter Nemechek started the streak at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in March and captured KBM’s most recent triumph at Richmond (Va.) Raceway. Busch was victorious at Atlanta and Martin Truex Jr. captured his first Truck Series victory at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway Dirt Track. It’s the fifth time in the organization’s history that they’ve collected four straight victories but have yet to make it more than four straight.
  • Busch, the winningest driver in series history, enters Saturday’s event having won 37.9% (60/158) of the Truck Series races he has entered and finished first or second in 56.3% (89/158). Since the start of the 2018 season, ‘Rowdy’ has finished first (11) or second (five) in 16 of 18 Truck Series starts, resulting in average finish of 3.5 over that span.
  • The 35-year-old driver has two wins (2014 and 2017), three top-five and four top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 7.4 across five Camping World Trucks starts at Kansas. In addition to his pair of truck wins, Busch has one NASCAR Cup Series victory (2016, May) and four NASCAR Xfinity Series triumphs (2007, 2014, 2015 and 2016).
  • Mardy Lindley has guided the No. 51 Tundra team to two wins across six starts in his first season as a crew chief at Kyle Busch Motorsports. Before arriving at KBM, Lindley guided his drivers to 32 wins and four ARCA Menards Series East championships since 2013, including back-to-back titles with Sam Mayer the last two seasons. Additionally, he earned the ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown championship with Mayer in 2020. Behind the wheel, the second-generation driver won 11 races on the Pro Cup Series from 2000 to 2006 and was crowned the series champion in 2001. Lindley’s lone race atop the pit box at Kansas resulted in a 17th-place finish with Zane Smith in the 2018 ARCA Menards Series.
  • After six events, the No. 51 ranks second in the Camping World Trucks owner standings, 10 tallies behind KBM’s No. 4 team. The No. 51 team has two wins, with Martin Truex Jr. at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway Dirt Track and Busch at Atlanta. The team also leads the series with 249 laps led. As an organization, KBM drivers have combined to lead 67.6% (552/816) of the total laps this season.
  • ‘Rowdy’ will pilot the No. 51 for the final time this season June 26 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. Since Textron Aviation became a partner in 2017, Busch has recorded 13 victories, 1,494 laps led and an average finish of 5.1 in 23 starts with the Cessna and Beechcraft brands adorning his Tundra.
  • For more than 90 years, Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. company, has empowered our collective talent across the Beechcraft, Cessna, and Hawker brands to design and deliver the best aviation experience for our customers. With a range that includes everything from business jets, turboprops, and high-performance pistons, to special mission, military trainer and defense products, Textron Aviation has the most versatile and comprehensive aviation product portfolio in the world and a workforce that has produced more than half of all general aviation aircraft worldwide. Customers in more than 170 countries rely on our legendary performance, reliability, and versatility, along with our trusted global customer service network, for affordable and flexible flight. For more information, visit www.txtav.com
  • Rowdy Energy, the enhanced hydration formula energy drink created by Busch, and vendor partner Hy-Vee will adorn the bedtop of the No. 51 Tundra for Saturday’s race. Hy-Vee is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 275 retail stores across eight Midwestern states with sales of $11 billion annually. The supermarket chain is synonymous with quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise and superior customer service. Rowdy Energy is currently available at 197 Hy-Vee locations throughout Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Kyle Busch, Driver Q&A:
How do you balance new ideas Mardy (Lindley, crew chief) has versus the notebook KBM has already built?
“Myself with Mardy, we’ve been trying some things that he is used to and that can sometimes get you off a little bit on what setups might be or what the company’s direction might be. I think it’s on me to kind of bring that back in and say, ok we’ve tried those things and we do have a good overall baseline here at KBM that we can fall upon. Mardy is very receptive to that too, and I feel like it’s a good working relationship that he and I have. I’m the guinea pig, I’m the test dummy, they give me all the stuff that everyone wants to try and do, that they think would be more beneficial, and then we put it on my truck because I’m able to give back the most information. I’m able to tell you what is good and what is bad, and we can work on it from there. I feel like John Hunter is excelling with the stuff that they are doing, and I feel like we’re learning with the things that we are doing. It’s everyone at KBM working together to make the organization stronger.”

Kyle Busch Camping World Truck Series Career Highlights:

  • Busch has a total of 158 Camping World Trucks starts and is ranked first all-time in wins (60) and average finish (6.7)
  • The 35-year-old driver has won 37.9% (60/158) of the NCWTS races he has entered and finished first or second in 56.3% (89/158).
  • Busch has a total of 105 top-five and 126 top-10 finishes.
  • Busch stands alone as the leader in all-time career wins in NASCAR’s national touring series with 213 total victories. He has earned 57 NASCAR Cup Series wins, 97 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins, and 60 NCWTS wins.
  • In August of 2010, Busch made history when he won the NCWTS, NXS and NCS races at Bristol Motor Speedway, becoming the only driver to sweep all three of NASCAR’s top three series at one track on the same weekend. He then repeated the feat in August of 2017.

Kyle Busch’s No. 51 Cessna Tundra:
KBM-054: The No. 51 Cessna team will race KBM-054 for Saturday’s Wise Power 200 at Kansas Speedway. Busch won with the Tundra in its maiden voyage at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. in July of 2018. Saturday’s race will be its first start in 2021, it saw the track three times last year with Raphael Lessard posting a best result of seventh at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.

KBM Notes of Interest:

  • KBM drivers have collected four wins, four poles, 621 laps led, 13 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 9.9 across 34 starts at Kansas.
  • Noah Gragson led a race-high 128 laps and swept all three stages in the 2018 event at Kansas. Owner-driver Kyle Busch has collected two wins at Kansas (2014 & 2017) and William Byron earned his first career Camping World Trucks victory there in 2016.
  • KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (84) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). With his victory at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Track, Martin Truex Jr. became the 16th different driver to win a Truck Series event for KBM. In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
  • With 36 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.

Valvoline expands Hendrick Motorsports sponsorship to Larson and Byron

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Official Release
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THE ORIGINAL MOTOR OIL ADDS PRIMARY RACES IN 2021-2022

CONCORD, N.C. (April 27, 2021) – Valvoline has expanded its partnership with 13-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports by adding primary sponsorship of playoff-contending drivers Kyle Larson and William Byron for the next two seasons.

In both 2021 and 2022, America’s first motor oil brand will be a primary sponsor of Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for three Cup Series events and Byron’s No. 24 team for two. Valvoline’s five annual primary races is an increase of three over its program from 2018-2020.

This season, Valvoline will be the primary sponsor of Larson, 28, in NASCAR’s June 20 return to Nashville Superspeedway, on Aug. 28 at Daytona International Speedway and in the Sept. 18 playoff race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Byron, 23, will drive Valvoline primary paint schemes May 9 at Darlington Raceway and in the Oct. 10 playoff event at the Charlotte ROVAL.

“The NASCAR Cup Series, including the new dirt race at Bristol and new tracks this year, has been very exciting to watch, and we’ve been impressed by William and Kyle’s performances,” said Sam Mitchell, CEO of Valvoline. “The personal progress Kyle has made off the track has also been encouraging. I hope his example will lead people to learn about the lived experiences of others and work together to make our communities better for everyone.”

To mark its first race with Larson, Valvoline will make a gift to the Kyle Larson Foundation, which the driver launched in March. At Nashville Superspeedway, the sponsor will donate $5 for each lap he completes and an additional $5,000 for a top-five finish by the No. 5 team.

“To be a member of Team Valvoline is really cool for me,” Larson said. “In addition to what they do with Hendrick Motorsports, they’re a longtime supporter of grassroots racing, which is a huge passion of mine. I’m excited to work with a sponsor with so much history, and I truly appreciate the generous commitment they’ve already made to support our foundation and the ‘Drive for 5’ program. That level of confidence and partnership is really meaningful. I hope to repay them with trips to victory lane and important off-the-track work with the foundation and other initiatives.”

Just 10 races into the season, Larson and Byron have each won races and are virtually locked into the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Larson is ninth in the standings with a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway while Byron is ranked fourth with a win at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“The events we get to run with Valvoline this year are awesome,” said Byron, who is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina. “We have a ‘throwback’ paint scheme coming for Darlington that fans are going to love. For me, the ROVAL is a special race because it’s my home track and in the playoffs. Valvoline is a major partner of Hendrick Motorsports. I’m looking forward to the chance to work more closely with them and do some fun things together.”

Valvoline is the Official Lubricants Partner of Hendrick Motorsports with full-season associate sponsorship of the team’s four-car stable, which includes 2020 NASCAR champion Chase Elliott and three-time playoff contender Alex Bowman. Hendrick Motorsports has won two Cup Series titles (2016 and 2020) since it began using Valvoline products in its racing engines in 2014.

“There’s tremendous energy around NASCAR this season,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “To see the enthusiasm of a partner like Valvoline to build on its already robust program and do more in the sport is very rewarding. Kyle and William are having strong years – each with a win already – and we look forward to seeing them in those iconic Valvoline colors. It’s a relationship we are extremely proud to grow.”

TEAM VALVOLINE 2021 RACE SCHEDULE:
May 9, Darlington Raceway (Byron)
June 20, Nashville Superspeedway (Larson)
Aug. 28, Daytona International Speedway (Larson)
Sept. 18, Bristol Motor Speedway (Larson)*
Oct. 10, Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL (Byron)*
*NASCAR Cup Series playoff race

ABOUT VALVOLINE TM:
Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) is a leading worldwide marketer and supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services, with sales in more than 140 countries. Established in 1866, the Company’s heritage spans more than 150 years, during which time it has developed powerful brand recognition across multiple product and service channels. Valvoline ranks as the No. 3 passenger car motor oil brand in the DIY market by volume. It operates and franchises more than 1,500 quick-lube locations, and it is the No. 2 chain by number of stores in the United States under the Valvoline Instant Oil ChangeSM brand and the No. 3 chain by number of stores in Canada under the Valvoline Great Canadian Oil Change brand. It also markets Valvoline lubricants and automotive chemicals, including Valvoline EV Performance Fluids; Valvoline Hybrid Vehicle Full Synthetic motor oil; Valvoline High Mileage with MaxLife technology motor oil for engines over 75,000 miles; Valvoline Advanced Full Synthetic motor oil; Valvoline Premium BlueTM heavy-duty motor oil; Valvoline Multi-Vehicle Automatic Transmission Fluid; and ZerexTM antifreeze. To learn more, visit www.valvoline.com.

ABOUT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS:
Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports has earned 266 points-paying race victories and a record 13 car owner championships in the premier NASCAR Cup Series. The organization fields four full-time Chevrolet teams on the Cup circuit with drivers Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, William Byron and Alex Bowman. Headquartered in Concord, North Carolina, Hendrick Motorsports employs more than 600 people. For more information, please visit HendrickMotorsports.com or interact on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Event Preview: Wright Motorsports Rides Momentum into Austin Weekend of Racing

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Official Release
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AUSTIN, Tex., (April 27, 2021) – There is no such thing as a slow weekend for Porsche customer racing team Wright Motorsports. This weekend, the Ohio-based effort heads to Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas for the next rounds of the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS and GT America powered by AWS, where the team currently leads both championship efforts with Fred Poordad, Jan Heylen, and Charlie Luck. The SRO-sanctioned series will also see the weekend addition of IMSA’s Porsche Carrera Cup North America, in which Wright Motorsports has three entries. The four-day event will offer Wright Motorsports fans six races to watch, all available to stream live online for free as the team strives to extend their lead over the competition.

“Our drivers and entire team put in a really strong performance in our first SRO event at Sonoma Raceway,” said team owner John Wright. “It’s great to be entering rounds three and four with the points lead, and we’re all focused on taking our strong momentum all the way to the podium. It’s also great to have our Carrera Cup effort join the weekend. It’ll be a packed event, but we’re excited to get out there and on track.”

Fred Poordad and Jan Heylen had a successful season opener at Sonoma Raceway last month in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS. 2021 marks Poordad’s first full season competing in the Pro/Am ranks, and the gentleman racer has proven to be up for the task. Together the pair earned a first and second place finish in the Pro/Am class with the No. 20 Porsche 911 GT3 R, also securing one overall podium against full-pro lineups. This weekend, eleven cars will compete in the Pro/Am class, with sixteen total entries making up the field. The pair first raced together at Circuit of the Americas in 2020, securing two second place finishes. This weekend, they will again compete in two 90-minute races on Saturday, May 1 and Sunday, May 2. Both races will start at 1:15PM Central and air live on YouTube.com/GTWorld. Poordad and Heylen recently participated in a productive test at the Austin circuit, slated to start the competitive weekend from strong footing.

Driver Quotes

Fred Poordad
I am looking forward to COTA as it is always a challenging track and should make for exciting racing. The GT field is impressive and everyone will be amped up and ready to perform. We hope to be strong there and if we perform to our potential, we should do well.

Jan Heylen
We scored good points at Sonoma Raceway, leaving the track leading the championship. The goal is to extend our championship lead and hopefully do so with a couple more podium finishes. The car was really good here last year, on top of a very productive test here few weeks ago, where Fred showed great pace. We’re all excited to get the weekend started with Wright Motorsports in our Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Charlie Luck’s debut in the new GT America series was nothing but impressive, in which the gentleman racer completely dominated both races from pole position to take the pair of SRO Masters class wins. The No. 45 Porsche 911 GT3 R also finished second on the overall podium in both races, due to smooth driving and consistent execution on track at Sonoma Raceway. Luck’s jump from the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car to the Porsche 911 GT3 R has proven to be a successful one, and now Luck will take his success to the flowing corners of Circuit of the Americas. Each race will run for forty minutes, with no pit stops or driver changes. Race one will air live beginning at 4:45PM Central, followed by race two at 4:05PM, and both races will also stream live on YouTube.com/GTworld.

Driver Quote

Charlie Luck
There’s a huge contrast between Sonoma Raceway and Circuit of the Americas. Going to COTA will take us into high-speed corners, which the Porsche 911 GT3 R is particularly capable of at whole other level compared to the standard GT3 Cup car. We also have the complexity of the esses, which require a perfect set up while avoiding the curbs. The track has also more normal corners in it, which are real blend of variety which is much more variable compared to Sonoma. This will be my first race in high-speed corners in this car, and I look forward to learning and getting better at that aspect of my race craft ad driving. I look forward to the weekend.

Also in its inaugural season, the Porsche Carrera Cup North America will converge on Circuit of the Americas this weekend. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and border restrictions, the IMSA-sanctioned series had to cancel its race weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and rearranged the schedule to have the one-make series join the Circuit of the Americas event this weekend. After kicking off the championship last month at Sebring International Raceway, John Goetz, Hutton McKenna and Max Root are ready to get back in action. The event will begin with a brief test at the beginning of the week before official practice sessions begin on Friday. While the series is also running a double header weekend, the one-make series will differ in that both races will be held on Sunday, May 2 at 8:00AM and 3:05PM Central and will air live on https://porschecarreracup.us.

Driver Quotes

John Goetz
I’m looking forward to another challenging event in Carrera Cup. The fact that I’ve never raced at COTA previously makes this the toughest challenge of the year for me, but I couldn’t have better support for my learning than the Wright Motorsports team, so it’s pretty exciting, and the car is pretty awesome.

Hutton McKenna
I am looking forward to racing at a familiar fast track. The Wright Motorsports team has done a great job getting the car dialed in. I’m very excited for the race weekend.

Max Root
I’m very excited to be tackling rounds three and four with Moorespeed-Wright Motorsports in the No.7 car. Looking forward to going to one of my favorite tracks, Circuit of the Americas, and feel that we’re going to run on some strong momentum from our test there. It is the home track for Moorespeed, whose shop is just down the street, and that adds a special meaning to it as well. I can’t wait to get down there and get started.

Schedule of Events | All Times U.S. Central
Friday, April 30
8:00AM – 8:25AM Porsche Carrera Cup Practice 1
8:40AM – 9:00AM Paid Bronze Test
9:00AM – 9:25AM GT America Practice 1
10:20AM – 11:05AM GT World Challenge America Practice 1
1:35PM – 2:00PM GT America Practice 2
2:55PM – 3:20PM Porsche Carrera Cup Practice 2
3:35PM – 4:20PM GT World Challenge America Practice 2

Saturday, May 1
8:50AM – 9:05AM GT World Challenge America Qualify Driver 1
9:10AM – 9:25AM GT World Challenge America Qualify Driver 2
10:10AM – 10:25AM GT America Qualifying
1:15PM – 2:45PM GT World Challenge America Race 1
4:00PM – 4:30PM Porsche Carrera Cup Qualifying
4:45PM – 5:25PM GT America Race 1

Sunday, May 2
8:00AM – 8:45AM Porsche Carrera Cup Race 1
1:15PM – 2:45PM GT World Challenge America Race 2
3:05PM – 3:50PM Porsche Carrera Cup Race 2
4:05PM – 4:45PM GT America Race 2

Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series, international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013 and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. The 2020 season will see the team return to IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship. For more information, visit wrightmotorsports.com

DXDT Racing Resumes Championship Campaigns in the Lone Star State

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Official Release
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STATESVILLE, N.C. (April 27, 2021) – Almost two months have passed since SRO America began the 2021 sports car racing season at Sonoma Raceway, and at long last, competition resumes this weekend at Circuit of the Americas. DXDT Racing, armed with a fleet of Mercedes AMG GT3 cars and a Honda Civic Type-R, will contest in six races in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS, GT America Powered by AWS, and TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School. Circuit of the Americas, the famed Formula 1 circuit in Austin, Texas, will host the three double-headers, serving up an action-packed weekend of diverse sports car racing on its 3.4-mile circuit.

The six-car team has seen a strong expansion from the 2020 season, and currently leads two of the three championships it has entries in. The team’s on track success is backed by a roster of talented drivers, strong engineering support, and experienced crew. With one race weekend complete this season, the team currently holds three pole positions, six podiums, four wins, and nine top-five finishes. This weekend at Circuit of the Americas, the team will continue to showcase their stout customer racing program across three double headers, in three race series. The sports car event this weekend at Circuit of the Americas will provide a wide range of racing of manufacturers from all over the world, something every race fan can enjoy.

Fanatec GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS
The GT World Challenge America series will headline the event, boasting 16 GT3 entries competing in three classes: Pro, Pro-Am, and Am. Nine different manufacturers will be represented in the event, with DXDT Racing proudly racing three of the four Mercedes AMG GT3 cars in the Pro-Am class. David Askew and Ryan Dalziel immediately got the season off to a strong start in race one at Sonoma, earning a second-place finish for the No. 63 AMG GT3. While they had some adversity in race two, the pair stand fourth in the Pro-Am points. In the No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing Mercedes AMG GT3, George Kurtz and Colin Braun took their turn to shine in race two, earning the team’s first Pro-Am win of the season, and securing second place in the championship standings. Erin Vogel and Michael Cooper narrowly missed out on a podium finish themselves at Sonoma Raceway, but the pair’s momentum will make the No. 19 Mercedes AMG GT3 one of the cars to watch this weekend.

The team recently ran a successful test at the Austin circuit in anticipation of the event and will certainly be a trio of strong contenders for each of the steps on the podium. After a day of two practice sessions, each driver will participate a 15-minute qualifying session. The Am drivers will qualify first, setting their grid position for race one, where after completing their first stint, will hand the cars over to the Pro drivers. The Pro drivers will finish race one, and the next day start race two based on where they placed in their own qualifying session. Each race will run 90 minutes, and have a required pit stop in which each car will receive new tires and undergo a driver change. Qualifying for race one and two will take place on Saturday, May 1 at 8:50AM Central, and stream live on YouTube.com/GTWorld. Both races will stream live on the GT World YouTube page at 1:15PM on Saturday, May 1, and Sunday, May 2.

Driver Quotes

David Askew | Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 63 CrowdStrike/ DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
Can’t wait to get back to COTA and back to racing. We’ve had two really good tests, one last January and one a few weeks ago. I think the drivers and cars are ready to go! I think the entire squad is ready to pick up where we left off in Sonoma where we won four out of the six races we entered. I think the Mercedes AMG is pretty good at Austin, so we’ll see. I know the team is ready and really excited to get back to it.

Ryan Dalziel | Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 63 CrowdStrike/DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
Sonoma was a high and low event. So for sure the goal in COTA is two good races and get us back on track for the Pro/am championship. We have taken a little of a BOP hit for COTA but it’s typically a great track for the AMG so we have our heads down for a triples DXDT podium.

George Kurtz | Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS and GT America
No. 04 CrowdStrike/DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
Our season is off to a great start. Colin and I have confidence and trust in our CrowdStrike/AWS/DXDT Mercedes-AMG GT3. We are all working together to continue to get the best performance and results for our entries. Our efforts are preparing us for another fantastic weekend at Circuit of The Americas

Colin Braun | Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 04 CrowdStrike/DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
To see how our momentum has carried over from 2020 is a great thing. I am really impressed with the focus from everyone within our CrowdStrike and DXDT programs. It’s early in the year but the teamwork and execution from the crew and our engineers is in mid-season form. I’m excited to get back to Austin and continue our strong run.

Erin Vogel | Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 19 CrowdStrike/DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
COTA is a challenging circuit with the F1-style corners at Turns 1, 11, and 12, and while there’s a lot of elevation there isn’t much positive camber in most of the corners to help with grip. I certainly notice a difference in performance at the F1 corners coming from the GT4 platform to the GT3 platform, so I’m excited at that potential. Texas is always a fun place to visit, and this should be a great time of year to race there.

Michael Cooper |Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS
No. 19 CrowdStrike/ DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
We have some good data with the Mercedes around COTA from testing, so I’m hoping we’ll pickup just where we left off. Erin and I are extremely focused on building step by step while collecting as many points as we can. DXDT has been very welcoming so far and the support from Mercedes has been great, so I’m very much looking forward to getting back to the track.
GT America
Though new to the SRO family this season, the GT America series has quickly made a name for itself. Created for Bronze-rated drivers, the new series allows for GT2, GT3, and GT4 competitors to race in the original sprint format of the old Pirelli World Challenge. Each weekend, the drivers compete in two 40-minute sprint races, with no driver changes or scheduled pit stops. Without any pro drivers on track or to share a car with, the Bronze drivers are able to race it out against their own, pushing their machine to the limits. George Kurtz joined the new series in Sonoma Raceway, looking to get extra seat time during the race weekend. He ended up completely dominating the event, winning both races from pole position in the No. 04 CrowdStrike Mercedes AMG GT3. He holds a 14-point lead in the championship standings heading into rounds three and four at Circuit of the Americas.

After missing the first event of the season, CJ Moses and the No. 58 CrowdStrike Mercedes AMG GT3 are eager to join the competition at Circuit of the Americas. With a fourth-place finish at the Austin circuit last year, Moses will certainly be a competitive entry in the 26-car field. Eight manufacturers will be represented in the field, split into four classes: GT2, SRO3 overall, SRO3 Masters, and GT4. Qualifying for race one will air live on YouTube.com/GTWorld at 10:10AM Central on Saturday, Mary 1, and the field will take the green flag for the first round of competition at 4:45PM. The fastest lap in race one will determine each driver’s starting position in race two, which will begin Sunday, May 2 at 4:05PM.

Driver Quote

CJ Moses | GT America
No. 58 CrowdStrike/AWS/DXDT Mercedes-AMG GT3
I’m really looking forward to getting into the GT America fight with the CrowdStrike/AWS/DXDT Mercedes-AMG. The competition at Sonoma looked very strong, and of course George had a great weekend. I’m excited to race the GT3 with our DXDT team in this new sprint series!

TC America
After clinching the TCA America championship in 2020, Kevin Boehm has stepped up to take on a new challenge in the TC class of the same series. He put in a strong performance in the opening rounds, not only winning a third-place finish and one victory, but he also earned an impressive third place finish overall. The No. 9 CrowdStrike Honda Civic Type R will be racing in the largest field of the weekend, currently standing at 36 entries between the TCX, TC, and TCA classes. Boehm, who currently leads the TC points, is expected to run in the front pack of the vast field, having secured two wins at the Texas circuit in 2020. He will qualify on Saturday May 1 at 9:40AM, then take the green flag for race one at 3:05PM. Race two will begin at 9:00AM the following day, and both races will air live on YouTube.com/GTWorld.

Driver Quote

Kevin Boehm | TC America
No. 9 CrowdStrike/DXDT Honda Performance Development Civic Type R TC
Sonoma obviously was a great start to the season. The podium results there exceeded what I expected. We learned a lot about the HPD Civic Type R TC at Sonoma, and there will be more that we learn in the next couple of events before we really get into the meat of our schedule. But so far, I’m really happy with the formidable combination of CrowdStrike, AWS and DXDT early in the season.
Event Schedule
Friday, April 30
8:40AM – 9:00AM Paid Bronze Test
9:00AM – 9:25AM GT America Practice 1
9:40AM – 10:05AM TC America Practice 1
10:20AM – 11:05AM GTWC America Practice 1
1:35PM – 2:00PM GT America Practice 2
2:15PM – 2:40PM TC America Practice 2
3:35PM – 4:20PM GTWC America Practice 2

Saturday, May 1
8:50AM – 9:05AM GTWC America Qualify Driver 1
9:10AM – 9:25AM GTWC America Qualify Driver 2
9:40AM – 9:55AM TC America Qualifying
10:10AM – 10:25AM GT America Qualifying
1:15PM – 2:45PM GTWC America Race 1
3:05PM – 3:45PM TC America Race 1
4:45PM – 5:25PM GT America Race 1

Sunday, May 2
9:00AM – 9:40PM TC America Race 2
1:15PM – 2:45PM GTWC America Race 2
4:05PM – 4:45PM GT America Race 2

ABOUT DXDT RACING
DXDT Racing LLC is a high-performance sports car racing team founded by team principal David Askew in 2014 and located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Team’s primary focus is on GT3 and GT4 racing in North America. The team has fielded cars in various racing series such as SRO’s World Challenge GT America Powered by AWS, IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge, and Lamborghini’s Super Trofeo series. Although the team is young, DXDT is comprised of a group of highly experienced professionals with championship winning backgrounds.

ABOUT CROWDSTRIKE®
CrowdStrike® Inc. (Nasdaq: CRWD), a global cybersecurity leader, is redefining security for the cloud era with an endpoint protection platform built from the ground up to stop breaches. The CrowdStrike Falcon® platform’s single lightweight-agent architecture leverages cloud-scale artificial intelligence (AI) and offers real-time protection and visibility across the enterprise, preventing attacks on endpoints on or off the network. Powered by the proprietary CrowdStrike Threat Graph®, CrowdStrike Falcon correlates over 2.5 trillion endpoint-related events per week in real time from across the globe, fueling one of the world’s most advanced data platforms for security. For more information, visit crowdstrikeracing.com

‘Drydene 200’ NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, May 15 continues company’s commitment to Dover International Speedway

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Official Release
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Meyer Shank Racing Takes on Texas Motor Speedway Double-Header

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Official Release
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#60: Jack Harvey, Meyer Shank Racing Honda

Pataskala, Ohio (27 April 2021) – The third stop in three weekends of back-to-back-to-back INDYCAR racing takes Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) driver, Jack Harvey to Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) for the double-header Genesys 300 on May 1 (7:00pm ET, NBCSN) and May 2 (4:00pm ET, NBCSN).

The intense opening to the 2021 INDYCAR season will see MSR take on a natural terrain circuit (Barber Motorsports Park), a temporary street circuit (St. Petersburg), and a high-speed oval (Texas Motor Speedway) as the Ohio-based team takes on three very different challenges to start the year.

After starting on the front row and narrowly capturing a podium finish on the streets of St. Petersburg last weekend, Harvey is focused on scoring an inaugural pole and podium finish in the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda this weekend.

MSR will enter the weekend tied for sixth in the INDYCAR championship standings.

MSR and Harvey have an interesting relationship with Texas Motor Speedway having made their debut last year. The TMS event was the first race back on the 2020 INDYCAR schedule after the COVID-19 pandemic struck the nation and put a halt to all racing.

Competing on the 1.5-mile oval in June with no fans, Harvey was tasked with learning the track for the first time in what was INDYCAR’s only single day event weekend of the year. With practice, qualifying and race all in a single day, Harvey was able to make up five positions during the nighttime event to finish 16th.

Coming back this year with a full season of INDYCAR competition under his belt, Harvey is hoping to significantly improve on those results this weekend.

“I’m really excited to get back to Texas,” said Harvey. “It’s a track that we tested at earlier in the year and it went really well. It was nice to be comfortable on the track especially compared to last year. Everyone at Meyer Shank Racing is in really good form right now. I just want to keep this momentum going that we have with the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda and keep the season going in a positive way.”

The Genesys 300 weekend will be a two-day show with Practice, Qualifying and Race 1 on Saturday May 1 at 6:00pm ET on NBCSN. Sunday May 2 will see a late afternoon install lap followed by Race 2 at 4:00pm ET on NBCSN. IndyCar Radio will also provide full weekend coverage on SiriusXM Ch. 205. Practice and Qualifying can be viewed on Peacock TV.

RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS AND THE LONELY ENTREPRENEUR PARTNER TO BRING AWARENESS TO THE BLACK ENTREPRENEUR INITIATIVE

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Official Release
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Richard Petty Motorsports Continue Social Justice Platform

WELCOME, N.C. (April 27, 2021)—Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) announced today a multi-year partnership with The Lonely Entrepreneur (TLE), a New York-based non-profit organization that provides individuals with entrepreneurial skills and support through the TLE Learning Community, an extensive online learning and community platform. TLE and the Black Entrepreneur Initiative (501c3) (BEI) will be the primary partner of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, piloted by Erik Jones, for three events, and will also be an associate partner throughout the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) campaign.

The goal of the BEI is to empower 100,000 Black entrepreneurs by providing entrepreneurial skills and support with free access to the Learning Community. Richard Petty Motorsports has partnered with TLE to amplify this initiative and empower a number of current and aspiring Black entrepreneurs. The team has set the goal of providing 4,300 Black entrepreneurs access to the Learning Community nationwide by the end of 2022.

“We cannot change social and economic justice overnight, but we can empower Black men and women to be entrepreneurs today,” Michael Dermer, chief executive officer and founder of TLE, said. “Richard Petty has broken ground in racing and beyond for years. Richard Petty Motorsports will do so again with this groundbreaking partnership to help Black men and women to start and grow businesses.”

As part of the agreement, the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE will carry TLE and the Black Entrepreneur Initiative as the primary partner in the NASCAR Cup Series at the Kansas Speedway on May 2, Circuit of The Americas (Austin, Texas) on May 23, and Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway on June 20.

Richard Petty Motorsports, a leading ambassador of TLE’s Learning Community, is committed to providing small businesses and emerging companies with solutions for their most pressing issues.

“Richard Petty Motorsports is committed to using our voice and our platform to continue to champion our commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion everywhere,” Brian Moffitt, chief executive officer for Richard Petty Motorsports, said. “As a team, we continue to carry our message of compassion, love and understanding.”

To celebrate the Richard Petty Motorsports partnership announcement, TLE will provide the first registered 1,000 Black entrepreneurs access to the entrepreneurial platform beginning today. Each applicant will receive one year of free access to the Learning Community. Black entrepreneurs can register at https://lonelyentrepreneur.com/bei-rpm/.

The Buschy McBusch Race 400 at the Kansas Speedway will be broadcast live on FS1 on Sunday, May 2 at 3:00 p.m. (ET). It will also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

About the Black Entrepreneur Initiative 501(c)(3)

Founded by a multi-racial coalition of community and business leaders, the Black Entrepreneur Initiative is a nationwide program dedicated to offering 100,000 Black entrepreneurs’ access to foundational business-skill-building tools and resources delivered through The Lonely Entrepreneur Learning Community. The Black Entrepreneur Initiative is provided through the generous donations of corporate, philanthropic and community partners and is administered through the Lonely Entrepreneur’s non-profit. For more, please visit https://lonelyentrepreneur.com/bei.

About The Lonely Entrepreneur

The Lonely Entrepreneur seeks to unlock the potential of one million entrepreneurs worldwide. The Lonely Entrepreneur empowers entrepreneurs and provides corporate, non-profit, social responsibility and community efforts to provide individuals the opportunity to acquire entrepreneurial skills and have a better chance of bringing their visions to life. For more, please visit https://lonelyentrepreneur.com/nonprofit.

About Richard Petty Motorsports

A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM), co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. Petty Enterprises recorded 268 victories, and Richard Petty Motorsports has recorded five victories, for a total of 273, respectively. Richard Petty Motorsports has business partnerships with national and global leaders. Today the race operation fields the famed No. 43 in the NASCAR Cup Series with driver Erik Jones. The team is headquartered in Welcome, N.C.

For additional information, news and the latest updates, please visit www.richardpettymotorsports.com or connect with RPM on Facebook (Richard Petty Motorsports), Twitter (@RPMotorsports) or Instagram (@richardpettymotorsports).

Italian Serie A: A Guide to Understanding Italy’s Football

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SM
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Do you know that Italy, Serie A, was founded in 1929? This league has a massive football following, and it’s one of the best among the other European leagues. This top domestic league has professional football clubs, with some based in major cities such as Juventus, As Roma, and AC Milan. These are what you need to know about this Italian top domestic league.

The Top League

The Italian football league has Serie A and B. The former is the top-tier, while the latter is in the second-tier division. Serie A has 20 football clubs that play each other twice a season. That is at the home ground and away.

The teams play 38 matches, with 19 in the first half of the season and the other 19 in the second half. Football in Italy, like in other leagues, is majorly played on the Weekends. However, some may be scheduled either on Fridays or Mondays. The football teams compete to win the title known as the ‘Scuddeto’ at the end of the season. Throughout the season, there are midweek fixtures to compensate for football not played during events like the international breaks.

Awarding of Points

For any victory, the system awards the team three points. Then for a draw, one point and a defeat zero. The club with the highest points come the end of the season wins the title. However, in case two teams have a tie, then the officials have to break the deadlock. Initially, that is until the 2004 season; the officials used the playoffs to break the deadlock. But they later abolished this format. So currently, first, the football federation considers the two teams’ head-to-head statistics. If still there is a tie, then they use the goal difference.

The Key Games in a Season    

Like any other football league, Serie A has vital matches in the season. These games are also known as derby. The derbies attract a significant number of fan turnouts, and they usually have big hype from both the fans and the pundits.

When it comes to betting, these matches usually attract competitive odds from various casinos. Through judi online, you can look for a betting site that offers a live matches option and watch after placing your wager. Some of the mouth-watering derbies include; derby Della Madonnina that is Inter Milan versus Ac Milan, Derby Dell capitale between Roma and Lazio, Derby Del Sole that is Napoli versus Roma, and Derby Dela Mole- Juventus versus Torino.

Qualification for the European Tournaments

The winner of the Scudetto, the first and second runners up, plus the fourth-placed teams automatically qualifies for the champions’ League group stages. Italian clubs such as Juventus usually perform well in this competition. Through judi online, you can bet on such and win some cash. The teams that finish fifth and sixth in the Serie A table qualify for the Europa League group stages.

Relegation and Promotion

In Serie A, there is a system of relegation and promotion at the end of every season. The bottom three football clubs are usually relegated to the second-tier division, that is, Serie B. A club mainly needs a total of 40 points after playing 38 matches to avoid relegation. Three other clubs from the second-division league are then usually promoted to Serie A.

Serie A has produced some fantastic teams over the years. Therefore, get to enjoy technical football by following the happenings of this league.

Why Mitsubishi Pajero Is Just the Right Car for You

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SM
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The Mitsubishi Group is founded in 1870. Today that more than a century and a half old conglomerate’s products can be found in every corner of the world. It’s a versatile company covering a huge specter of industries – from mining and shipbuilding to steel and aviation, from electronics and construction to financial service and automotive.

It is clear how big the company is. Yet, to the majority of people, their first association when the name Mitsubishi is brought up is Pajero. Or Montero or Shogun, depending on the part of the globe they live in. No other product of the company comes nowhere near the Pajero in terms of popularity and recognition across the globe. Why is that?

The First and Second Generation of Pajero

An explosion of the popularity of the SUVs in recent decades happened if not solely due to the Pajero’s reputation and iconic status then it at least played a big part in that. The Pajero has four generations and the launch of the first in the 1970s is a birth of an icon. In the spirit of an era, it was a car, although beautifully designed that focused on its off-road performances.

With the second generation, the company kept the same approach. Those first two generations established Pajero’s worldwide reputation as one of, if not the best off-road vehicle. And there is more than plenty of evidence for that. In the 1984 Paris-Dakar rally Pajero was in overall class the third winner that covered more than 11,000 km. In later years it will prove its dominance with multiple first, second, and third podium finishes.

The Third Generation Pajero 

The third generation is arguably the first SUV in existence. It kept the off-road performances of its predecessors, but integrated design features and everything needed for the smooth on-road drive. Thus, the modern SUV was born. Proof of keeping its heritage alive and well come again from the world’s biggest and most prominent stage for off-road vehicles, the Paris-Dakar rally. The introduction of the third-generation Pajero will dominate the period of 2001 to 2005 on a level never seen before or since. 

Third-generation Pajero had improvements in the form of fully independent suspension and monocoque chassis which brought him five consecutive first-place finishes. In the same period, 12 out of 15 podium finishes were reserved for Pajero. To this day it holds records in the car class. In total overall victories with 12, and stage wins with 150. And that is by a wide margin because the second-best has half of that.

Pajero brought the Mitsubishi title from the Guinness World Records for most Paris-Dakar rally wins by a manufacturer. 

The Fourth Generation Pajero

When it came to designing the fourth-generation Pajero, Mitsubishi was in a position that the name sold itself. Many car manufacturers fell into that trap. But, happily, they chose the other route. In hindsight, knowing that it is the last generation, that the production of one of the most iconic cars in the world stopped a couple of years ago, we’re grateful that they did.

Going into the process of producing the last generation of its most legendary car, the company has done what it had to do. They reached the peak in know-how for the production of off-road vehicles. All they had to do is to apply that knowledge and focus on maximizing its on-road and visual appeal and maximizing its comfort. They’ve done their job well enough. So…

Should You Buy Mitsubishi Pajero?

Our answer would be, yes, you should definitely buy one. Just make sure the price is right. If you’re looking for a Mitsubishi Pajero for sale in UAE, we recommend contacting only reliable and well-established businesses like Carzaty. Of course, the decision is all up to you…

Here are a few things to consider… 

  1. The design keeps on the heritage

Both in design and performance, it is worthy of its predecessors. When compared to its competitors it doesn’t have those sleek lines. But that straight edges are part of its iconic look and that is how it should look. It has a unique, iconic look that is one of the biggest parts of its appeal.

  1. Even by today’s standards interior looks fresh

It’s meeting today’s expectations. There’s a touchscreen in the middle that has both blue-tooth connectivity and GPS. Multi voyage and car-related data are shown on the multi-information display. Temperature control is automatic, leather and carbon fiber details. Simply put, its age can’t be seen in its interior.

  1. On and off-road performances

Its performances depend on the type you choose. The V6 engine comes in both diesel and petrol variants, from 2.4 to 3.6 liters. Transmission can be 4-speed and 5-speed automatic, or 5-speed manual. And it isn’t economic. Depending on what you’re searching for, there are enough options to meet your needs. In any case, it is fun to drive.

  1. Feeling that it gives 

Maybe its performances can’t compare to newer modes of different manufacturers. But this car well deserved its legendary, iconic status. Knowing that you’re behind the wheel of such a legend will provide you with a sense of pride. And its look is still capable to bring respect and admiration.

The Bottom Line

It is simply one of the most recognizable cars on the planet. With a legendary look and iconic status well deserved. For every true car lover, that doesn’t like today’s cars, which are packed with enough technology to drive themselves. For ones that enjoy hearing the roar of the V6, 3 liters machine. Ones that pleasures themselves steering this beast of a car off-road, and gliding in it on-road. This is the car for you.

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