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Marquez Valdes-Scantling will serve as grand marshal for today’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

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Official Release
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Buccaneers wide receiver Scotty Miller to participate in ‘Fastest Seat in Sports’ as part of pre-race festivities

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 25, 2021) – After their teams faced off in the National Football League’s NFC Championship game earlier this year, two wide receivers will rejoin again on the pre-race grid of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg later today.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, a St. Petersburg, Fla. native, will serve as the grand marshal and give the command for drivers to start their engines. Then, ahead of the 24-car NTT INDYCAR SERIES field rolling off the grid for the start of the race, wide receiver Scotty Miller of the Super Bowl VL champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take a ride in the two-seater known as the Ruoff Mortgage Fastest Seat in Sports and driven by racing legend Mario Andretti.

“It’s terrific to have these two great athletes with Tampa and St. Pete ties join us at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg,” said Kim Green, co-owner, chairman and CEO of GSSP, organizers of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. “This area has been the epicenter of the sports world over the past year, and it’s outstanding that we’re able to recognize their accomplishments having them be a part of this 17th annual event in downtown St. Pete.”

Spectator gates opened at 7:45 a.m. ET this morning. The event is operating under specific health and safety protocols for COVID-19. Fans should visit gpstpete.com/covid19 before attending to review all these protocols. All attendees are required to wear masks or face coverings at all times unless when eating or drinking. Hand sanitizer and hand washing stations are also prevalent across the venue.

Tickets are no longer available for sale. Follow the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg at gpstpete.com and on social media using #FirestoneGP for additional updates and news. Live coverage begins at 12 noon ET on NBC with the green flag set to drop on the 100-lap NTT INDYCAR SERIES race at 12:42 p.m. ET.

About Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg:
The 17th annual Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is a race event held during Florida’s spring break season each March and rescheduled to the last weekend of April this year. Traditionally the site of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ season-opening race, St. Pete is a destination city hosting this annual motorsports tradition and offering a festival atmosphere with its downtown location. The temporary circuit is a 1.8-mile, 14-turn configuration using the streets circling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, The Dali Museum and extending onto the runways at Albert Whitted Airport, which overlooks the waterfront of Tampa Bay and picturesque St. Petersburg Harbor and Marina. Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is owned and operated by Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC. Green Savoree St. Petersburg, LLC is owned by Green Savoree Racing Promotions 2, LLC whose other subsidiaries also promote three additional INDYCAR races, The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio (July 2-4, 2021), Honda Indy Toronto (July 9-11, 2021), and Grand Prix of Portland (Sept. 10-12, 2021).

For more information, visit gpstpete.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page at @GPSTPETE or follow the event on Twitter @GPSTPETE and Instagram @GPSTPETE using #FirestoneGP.

Dual Sasco Sports International/American Challenge Races Don’t Disappoint Saturday at the 43rd Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Mitty at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta

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Official Release
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  • Eric Lux and Goldcrest Motorsports Score Second 43rd Mitty Feature Race Win with Overall Victory in Sasco Sports Race A
  • Craig Watkins Takes Overall Honors in Sasco Sports Race B in 1968 No. 46 Porsche 911 Prepared by the 901 Shop
  • Chevrolet Corvair Teams Sting the Competition with Sasco Sports Race B Top-Three American Class Sweep

BRASELTON, Georgia (April 24, 2021) – Dual Sasco Sports International/American Challenge races didn’t disappoint Saturday at the 43rd Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Mitty as the pair of flat-out sprints – with nearly 70 combined entries – brought Day 2 of this year’s Mitty to an exciting and competitive conclusion.

Eric Lux and Goldcrest Motorsports scored their second-straight 43rd Mitty feature race win with an overall and Porsche-class victory in Sasco Sports Race A for larger displacement cars.

Lux topped a field of 30-plus entries in his Goldcrest Motorsports 1973 No. 0 Porsche 911 RSR for his second Sasco Sports victory at Road Atlanta in a row. Lux and Goldcrest also won the Sasco Sports International/American Challenge race at the HSR Fall Historics last October at Road Atlanta in the same No. 0 Porsche 911.

Porsche also prevailed in Sasco Sports Race B for smaller cars with Craig Watkins taking a close but flag-to-flag overall and class win in his 1968 No. 46 Porsche 911 prepared by the 901 Shop.

Watkins crossed the finish line just 1.299 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, but Lux had an even narrower gap in Race A with a scant 0.188 of a second margin of victory.

As he did in last October’s Sasco Sports race win, Lux battled throughout the race with Todd Treffert in his Speedconcepts 1974 No. 141 Porsche 911 IROC prepared by the 901 Shop. Treffert led the race early and kept the pressure on to the finish for the close runner-up result.

David Hinton completed the overall podium and secured third-place Porsche honors in the Heritage Motorsports 1974 No. 114 Porsche 911 RSR.

Two spots behind Hinton, and completing the top-five overall, was Gary Moore who beamed in victory lane as he celebrated his birthday with another Sasco Sports American-class win in his Cobra Automotive 1966 No. 98 Shelby GT350.

Second-place in the American class – in a preview of what was to come in Sasco Sports Race B – was secured by Mike Levine in his V8-powered 1965 No. 4 Chevrolet Corvair.

Levine finished seventh overall and one spot ahead of third-place American-division finisher John McCormick in his 1985 No. 28 Autocraft Cobra Mk IV prepared by Cobra Automotive.

Watkins led every lap for his Sasco Sports Race B overall and Porsche class win but a fast-closing James Reeve kept the pressure on the finish in his 1966 No. 51 Yenko Stinger Corvair.

Reeve set the overall fastest race lap and crossed the finish line in second just 1.299 seconds behind Watkins. The strong runner-up result anchored an unprecedented top-three sweep of Corvair Yenko Stingers to fill the American-class podium.

Michael Leveque in his No. 23 1966 Yenko Stinger finished a solid seventh overall and second in the American division while David Clemens was third in the stars-and-stripes class and 11th overall in his No. 241 1967 Yenko Stinger.

Watkins was joined on the Porsche-class podium by runner-up Bob Lane in his 1969 No. 15 Porsche 911 SC and third-place finisher Joe Sullivan in the Joe Joe Racing 1989 No. 14 Porsche 944 S.

Sasco Sports International class winners were Bob Summerour in Race A and Quinn Derby in Race B.

Summerour drove to victory in the Heritage Motorsports 1972 No. 201 BMW CSL. Second-place in International Race A went to Steven Davison in his pristine Heritage Motorsports-prepared 1962 No. 2 Jaguar XKE while Andrew Meudt took third in his equally immaculate 1985 No. 15 BMW 635 CSI.

Derby finished third behind Watkins and Reeve in his quick 1968 No. 141 Triumph Spitfire to a complete a rare overall podium comprised of the race’s three class winners.

Andre Herke finished a solid fourth overall and second in International Race B in his 1968 No. 16 BMW 2002, just ahead of the similar BMW of John Bibbo.

Bibbo finished fifth overall and earned his second-straight Sasco Sports podium finish with a third place showing in his 1976 No. 208 BMW 2002 prepared by Motorsport Services. Bibbo finished second in the final Sasco Sports race of 2020 at Sebring last December in what was his first solo podium finish in HSR competition.

The 43rd HSR Mitty concludes Sunday with its biggest day of competition yet this weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

The day begins with the one-hour B.R.M. Enduro Challenge for the Vintage and GT Classic (GTC) classic classes at 8:15 a.m. EDT. The B.R.M. race will be followed at 9:35 a.m. EDT by the HSR Stoner Car Care Global GT race.

Following the mandatory Sunday quiet time and an early lunch break, the full schedule picks up again at 12:15 p.m. EDT with the Corvette Feature Race, an all-out sprint showcasing nothing but “America’s Sports Car,” which is the Featured Marque of the 43rd Mitty.

The packed schedule concludes with the final HSR WeatherTech Sprint races of the weekend for all Run Groups and the first HSR Classic RS Cup race of the 2021 season.

Tickets are available only at the HSR Driver/Crew Registration office or at the gate at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Information on tickets and pricing is available at www.HSRTickets.com.

Event information, including the official weekend schedule and entry list, can be found on the 43rd HSR Mitty event page at www.HSRRace.com.

About HSR: Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) was formed in the mid-1970s with an event at Road Atlanta. There was one goal then and it remains true today: to celebrate the race cars from the past. As a “time machine” of sights and sounds, HSR provides a venue for competitors and spectators alike to share in the wonderful history and excitement created by the cars that competed at race tracks around the world. HSR currently sanctions eight vintage and historic racing events at some of the world’s most renowned race tracks, including Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and more. The complete schedule and full event information can be found on HSR’s website at www.HSRRace.com. Look for the HSR Channel on YouTube and follow HSR on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HSRrace/ and on Twitter and Instagram at @HSR_race. A dedicated website for the Classic 24 Hour at Daytona presented by IMSA is available at www.Classic24hour.com.

Dyson Breaks Trans Am Track Record in Sonoma Qualifying

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Official Release
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Mayer, Gregg and Crocker fastest in class at Sonoma Raceway

SONOMA, CALIF. (24 April 2021)- The fast turns and steep elevation changes at Sonoma Raceway made for an interesting qualifying session for the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli West Coast Championship drivers on Saturday afternoon.

Chris Dyson dominated the TA/XGT/SGT 20-minute qualifying session, breaking the track record by more than two seconds with a 1:32.923-second flyer on Lap 4. The former record of 1:34.994-seconds was set in 2020 by legendary Trans Am driver Greg Pickett.

Confident in his time, Dyson parked his newly yellow and white outfitted No. 20 ALTWELL CBD Ford Mustang after laying down his personal best lap to save his Pirelli tires for Sunday’s 100-mile feature.
That pause proved to be the right decision, as Dyson’s time was the fastest overall of the day, earning him the Motul Pole Award.

Dyson traveled more than 3,000 miles from his home in New York to race on the historic circuit for the first time in Trans Am. Dyson’s family has deep rooted history at Sonoma, competing in IMSA GTP 1985 to 1990, then 1995 to 1997 with IMSA WSC, in 1999 and then 2002 through 2005 with the American Le Mans Series. Dyson’s last visit was back in 2015 with the then Pirelli World Challenge.

“The car was brilliant today,” said Dyson. “I always love coming to race here at Sonoma. This is my first time bringing the Trans Am car, and I am so glad to put my new sponsor Altwell CBD on the pole. It’s going to be a great race, we have a lot of work to do, but it sure is nice to come here today and get the track record to continue my family legacy here.”

Driving the No. 59 The Peter Gregg Foundation Mercedes Benz AMG, reigning XGT champion Simon Gregg set the fastest time in his class with a flyer of 1:35.879-seconds. Gregg was briefly eclipsed on Lap 7 by Erich Joiner in the No. 10 Good Boy Bob Coffee Roaster Porsche 991 GT3 R, but the seasoned racer went back to the top on the following circuit.

New this season, the mixed-class field will line up according to the drivers’ overall time, regardless of class- which means Gregg’s Mercedes AMG will start off pole next to Dyson’s Ford Mustang.

With the sun fading into clouds and track temperatures dropping, the TA2® session started with a black flag before the completion of the first lap. After having a strong performance in practice, running a third-overall time, Scott Borchetta made contact with the tire barrier exiting Turn 8. Borchetta remained unscathed by the incident but his No. 48 Big Machine Vodka Ford Mustang did not continue the session.

Following an extended clean up, the drivers returned to qualifying with an additional five minutes added to the clock. Charlotte Motor Speedway winner Sam Mayer topped the TA2® standings on the first lap in the No. 8 M1-SLR/Fields Chevrolet Camaro, and beat his own personal best time (1:36.877-seconds) on Lap 3.

“It’s my first time here, and it’s awesome to come in and dominate the class like this, it’s a great feeling,” said Mayer. “TeamSLR and Scott Lagasse put together a great piece for me today and I’m going fast. I just have to do my part in the race tomorrow and go out there and crush it.”

Mayer will be on point in the second row beside his teammate Connor Mosack in the No. 28 NicTailor/IFS M1-SLR/Fields Chevrolet Camaro. Mosack missed the full test day yesterday after suffering from dehydration due to food poising. Practice on Saturday morning was Mosack’s first time in the seat this weekend and his first experience at Sonoma.

Row 3 will be another mixed class row with Joiner starting fifth and TA2® class newcomer Carl Rydquist in the No. 47 Racecars4Rent/GroupWholesale Ford Mustang.

In his Sonoma debut with Trans Am, Rob Crocker set the fastest time in the SGT class with a 1:45.158-second lap driving the No. 77 Krytauri Cybersecurity Porsche Cayman. However, with the new race rule for 2021, Crocker will start 22nd in the now 29-car field.

“The session was pretty good but the track temperatures dropped quite a bit so getting the tires warmed up was a bit tricky,” Croker said. “Once we got the tires to temperature the car started to hook up a little bit and we made a few last minute set up adjustments that ended up going in the right direction. It was a nice easy breezy session for us.”

Headlining the Sonoma SpeedTour weekend, the combined-class Trans Am 100-mile race is set for Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Pacific. Follow www.gotransam.com/livetiming for live timing and scoring throughout the weekend.

Carter Dominates Mazda MX-5 Cup Race Two at St. Petersburg

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Official Release
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 24, 2021) – When an early caution slowed the action on the streets of St. Petersburg, Michael Carter (No. 08 Carter Racing Enterprises) thought that his work to pull away from the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires field was all for naught. He didn’t need to worry; when racing resumed, he still could not be caught. Carter took the win by over two seconds, a mammoth margin in MX-5 Cup competition, and leaves St. Petersburg in the points lead following six races in the 14-race championship.

Starting from the pole, Carter held off Gresham Wagner (No. 5 Spark Performance) through the opening laps. Any mistake by Wagner meant he was pounced on by a train of cars behind him. This gave Carter the opportunity to build a comfortable gap, until 10 minutes into the race, the car of Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 Provision Motorsports) caught fire and brought out the race’s only full-course yellow. Jeansonne was able to pull off and exit the car.

When the track was clear and green flag racing resumed, there was 26 minutes left on the race clock. This commenced a hectic battle for second through sixth positions, which enabled Carter to once again pull away.

The fight for the final two podium spots was intense. Eventually, Sam Paley (No. 28 McCumbee McAleer Racing) emerged as the breakaway driver to chase down Carter.

While scrapping for third, Wagner and Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) made contact in Turn Two. Thomas spun and was lucky to have not been hit by any of the cars packed up behind them. Wagner continued on, and Thomas dropped down the order. He eventually climbed back to 16th at the finish.

Race One winner Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports) did not get a chance to challenge for the podium. Contact with the wall in Turn 10 damaged his car and he parked in pit lane with 10 minutes left.

Up front, Paley was ever so slightly chipping away at Carter’s lead, but eventually ran out of time. Carter took the win by 2.210 seconds over Paley.

“That was how you want them to go,” Carter said. “You want to sit on pole, lead every lap, and win the race. We didn’t get that done this morning, but it was great to do that in Race Two. I worked my tail off to get that gap before the yellow and then when the yellow came out, I radioed ‘I just did all that for nothing!’ But fortunately, when we restarted, they got to racing really hard and I was able to do it again. The last ten laps, I was just taking care of everything as much as I could.”

Carter’s two poles, two fast laps, runner-up finish in Race One and win in Race Two have propelled him into the MX-5 Cup Championship lead by 120 points over Wagner.

“Congrats to Sam (Paley), he drove his tail off and to Gresham (Wagner) as well after he had that problem in race one,” Carter added. “Also, a big thank you to everyone at Coaches Corner back in Savannah who watches us and supports us, a big thank you to them!”

Paley collected his second podium of his rookie season. His first top-three came in his Mazda MX-5 Cup debut at Daytona International Raceway in January.

“Honestly, that was probably the hardest race of my entire life,” a red-faced Paley said. “I’m not going to lie, I’m out of breath! I really gave it 110 percent the entire time. We were the fastest car on track, but unfortunately the gap was just too big and we just didn’t have enough laps. I had the car and gave it everything I had so I’m satisfied with second, especially after the DNF in race one. It was a good, tough race.”

Third was a satisfying finish for Wagner after a drivetrain issue in Race One forced him to retire. His relief was tempered with some regret for his contact with Thomas, though race officials deemed it to be a racing incident with no penalties issued.

“I am a bit relieved,” Wagner admitted. “I said after my Daytona win, that was the hardest race I had ever driven, but today has that one beat! The heat, the duration, just being so busy around here, it was ruthless.

“I feel good about the result, but I do feel bad about the contact I had with Jared Thomas,” he added. “Ultimately, I think it was more of a racing deal, and I guess race control agreed. All I know is he went around, and lost positions. And that’s just not how you want anything to go when you are racing someone. Everything aside, I’m glad to leave here with a podium, and ready to move on to the next one!”

Finishing fourth, 15 year-old Luca Mars (No. 41 Copeland Motorsports) had his best MX-5 Cup race weekend thus far. The rookie finished fifth in Race One.

Rookie drivers had a strong showing on the streets of St. Petersburg; five of them finished in the top 10 in Race Two. In addition to Paley and Mars, Chris Nunes (No. 32 JTR Motorsports Engineering) finished sixth, Juan Hernandez Leiva (No. 59 Team Guatamala) finished seventh and Daniel Williams (No. 38 Copeland Motorsports) finished eighth.

The 2019 Mazda MX-5 Cup Champion Bryan Ortiz (No. 4 Copeland Motorsports) completed the top five.

Alex Bachoura (No. 33 Slipstream Performance) earned the Hard Charger Award for advancing from 18th to 11th in the 45-minute race.

A recap of Rounds Five and Six at St. Petersburg will air on NBCSN, Wednesday, May 5, at 3pm ET.

Mazda MX-5 Cup Rounds Seven and Eight will take place May 14 – 16 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Both races will be streamed live on IMSA.com and NBC Sports Gold TrackPass.

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

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

UMBENHAUER ENDS 3-YEAR WINLESS DROUGHT, B. HIRTHLER, FLAMMER AND LAPP SCORE VICTORIES AT GRANDVIEW SATURDAY NIGHT

By
Official Release
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BECHTELSVILLE, PA. April 25, 2021 . . . Last Saturday Jared Umbenhauer fell one spot short of a win in the Modified feature at Grandview Speedway despite his valiant efforts in his march to the front.

Saturday night the “Richland Rocket” had the Richard Brown-owned No. 19 in top notch form, slid underneath leader Kevin Graver on the 19th lap of the 30-lap TP Trailers 358 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Modified feature to grab the win. Even though lapped traffic in the later stages allowed defending point champion Craig Von Dohren to close in, Umbenhauer went on to score a well-deserved, long overdue victory ending a three-year winless drought for his first win of the current campaign. The last time Umbenhauer visited victory lane was August 25, 2018.

In the T.P. Truck Equipment 25-lap Sportsman feature two-time and defending point champion Brian Hirthler passed Jesse Landis for the lead on the 12th lap and went on to score his second win of the season.

Todd Lapp led from start to finish in the 12-lap Outlaw Vintage Modified feature to take home the checkered while Nicho Flammer was the winner in the 12-lap Sportsman Outlaw Vintage event.

Modified action saw polesitter Graver take the early lead trailed by Brett Gilmore, Richie Hitzler, Craig Whitmoyer and Louden Reimert.

With seven laps completed numerous cars made contact along the homestretch and as a result two-time and last week’s feature winner Brett Kressley found himself spinning into the infield for the first caution. Graver remained the leader when action resumed, but by this time Reimert advanced to second putting in his bids for the top spot. Just waiting for a slip up by the pair as they raced side-by-side in hopes to advance were Whitmoyer, Umbenhauer and Doug Manmiller.

Jeff Strunk stopped in turn four with a flat tire for the next yellow on the 13th lap. Graver was still number one on the restart while Reimert, Umbenhauer, Von Dohren and Whitmoyer gave him no room to falter.

A three-way battle for first developed between Graver, Reimert and Umbenhauer with neither one giving an inch.

Umbenhauer overtook second on the 17th lap and two laps later he was circling the 1/3-mile oval as the new pacesetter after he shot to the inside of Graver to accomplish the feat.

Von Dohren was second by the 20th lap and off in pursuit of Umbenhauer who began to encounter lapped traffic that Graver, Reimert and Duane Howard running third through fifth also had to endure.

Umbenhauer never gave up his torrid pace until he saw the checkered to claim the triumph. Chasing him across the finish were Von Dohren, Reimert, Howard and Graver, for his best finish. Sixth through tenth were Whitmoyer, Kevin Hirthler, Kressley, who came back after the early skirmish; Dylan Swinehart and Strunk, another one that overcame adversity.

Carroll Hine III, Graver and Strunk won the heats. The consi was won by Ryan Grim.

Landis was the early leader of the Sportsman feature with pressure coming from Bryan Rhoads, Tyler James, Joey Vaccaro and Cody Schantz.

Numerous cautions plagued the beginning of the event making it difficult to get laps completed. After three attempts to complete lap six, the restart was single file. Landis remained first on the next try, but by this time Kyle Smith was second.
Landis had a new challenger at the completion of the eighth lap as now Hirthler held the second spot.

The lead changed on the 12th lap when Hirthler charged past Landis and into the number one spot.

Hirthler wasted no time building up a sizeable lead and made it appear easy to open up the distance each time around.
Steve Young regrouped the field with two laps to go after he hit the fourth turn wall. Hirthler was still the leader on the restart, but now Smith slipped into second to try to get by him.

Hirthler never surrendered first and went on to score his ninth career win trailed by Smith, Landis, Ryan Lilick and Lex Shive. Rounding out the top ten were Ryan Beltz, Kenny Gilmore, Jimmy Leiby, who earned an extra monetary bonus for being the highest driver with a crate engine; Brandon Edgar and James.

Colton Perry, Vaccaro and Landis won the heats. Edgar and Cody Manmiller took the consi wins.

The Outlaw Vintage features had both Lapp and Flammer lead from the drop of the green until the wave of the checkered.

Second through fifth to Lapp with the Modifieds were Wes Cassel, Mike Stofflet, Scott Schaeffer and Jeff Paulson.

Chasing Flammer across the Sportsman finish line were Jay Garris, Mike Garris Sr., Bill Gerhart and Myron Heydt.

Next up at Grandview is the May 1st doubleheader featuring the NASCAR Auto Parts Weekly Series with the T.P. Trailers Modifieds and T.P.Truck Equipment Sportsman. Racing starts at a new weekly time of 7:30 p.m. for the balance of the season.

Friday, May 7th, the Outlaw Racing Series Enduros will be in action along with the Vintage racers. Action starts at 7 p.m.

And on Saturday, May 8th the 602 Sportsman make their second appearance of the season joining the T.P. Trailers Modifieds and T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman in a tripleheader.

RACE RESULTS
T.P. Trailers Modified Feature (30-laps): 1. Jared Umbenhauer, 2. Craig Von Dohren, 3. Louden Reimert, 4. Duane Howard, 5. Kevin Graver, 6. Craig Whitmoyer, 7. Kevin Hirthler, 8. Brett Kressley, 9. Dylan Swinehart, 10. Jeff Strunk, 11. Ryan Grim, 12. Doug Manmiller, 13. Dillon Steuer, 14. Ron Kline, 15. Brett Gilmore, 16. Justin Grim, 17. Richie Hitzler, 18. John Willman, 19. Ryan Lilick, 20. Jack Butler, 21. Nate Brinker, 22. Brad Arnold, 23. Darrin Schuler, 24. Cory Merkel, 25. Ron Haring Jr., 26. Joe Funk III, 27. Danny Bouc, 28. Brad Grim. DNQ: Mark Kratz, Bobby Gunther Walsh, Mark Levy and Jesse Leiby.

T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman Feature (25-laps): 1. Brian Hirthler, 2. Kyle Smith, 3. Jesse Landis, 4. Kyle Lilick, 5. Lex Shive, 6. Ryan Beltz, 7. Kenny Gilmore, 8. Jimmy Leiby, 9. Brandon Edgar, 10. Tyler James, 11. Cody Manmiller, 12. Ray Swinehart, 13. Parker Guldin, 14. Kenny Bock, 15. Ebby Ridge, 16. Nathan Mohr, 17. Steve Young, 18. Joey Vaccaro, 19. Bryan Rhoads, 20. Colton Perry, 21. Mike Schneck, 22. Doug Snyder, 23. Cody Schantz, 24. Dakota Kohler, 25. Mark Kemmerer, 26. Chris Esposito.
Outlaw Vintage Stock Modified Feature (12-laps): 1. Todd Lapp, 2. Wes Cassel, 3. Mike Stofflet, 4. Scott Scheffer, 5. Jeff Paulson, 6. Bobby Hall, 7. Joe Lines, 8. Joe Medaglia. DNS: Andy Cassel.

Outlaw Vintage Stock Sportsman Feature (12-laps): 1. Nicho Flammer, 2. Jay Garris, 3. Mike Garris Sr., 4. Bill Gerhart, 5. Myron Heydt, 6. Brock Jacobus, 7 Travis Jacobus, 8. Matt Smith, 9. Wayne Roth, 10. Doug Miller, 11. Dominique Deglas, 12. Dave Dissinger.

Jeb Burton snatches first NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Talladega

By
SM Staff
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Jeb Burton celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 24, 2021. Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images.

Jeb Burton rose to the top as he claimed victory at Talladega while rain flooded the 2.66-mile track. It would be his first win in his Xfinity Series career.

“We ran up front all day, definitely wasn’t a fluke,” Burton stated.

“The guys did a great job with our No. 10 LS Tractor car. We led a lot of laps and it was a blast to drive.”

Jeb Burton had led 21 laps in the event to get his first series win. It marks the second win for Kaulig Racing this season.

Stage 1: Laps 1-25

Austin Cindric and Daniel Hemric led the field down for the green flag. Hemric would get a shove from Noah Gragson to launch out ahead, but Cindric would fight back toward the inside as Hemric would lead the opening lap.

Though the primary goal was to contend for the win, it also was a race for others drivers racing in the Dash 4 Cash. Josh Berry, Brandon Jones, Hemric, and Gragson were the contenders all trying to gather that bonus.

As the laps progressed throughout the first stage, a majority of the field would migrate to the outside line of the track.

With nine laps to go in the stage, Gragson would try and pounce for the lead. With help from the other Chevys, they would be side by side with Hemric for several laps.

Cindric would make an aggressive move to the bottom underneath Hemric on the frontstretch, swiftly passing the No. 18 with six laps to go in the stage. Cindric’s No. 22 would put multiple blocks on Hemric and Gragson as he would try and maintain the lead.

As four laps remained in the stage, Harrison Burton would start to surge upwards toward the pack, as his No. 20 would surge through the middle line past teammate Hemric. The Offerpad Toyota would file back behind Cindric as Gragson led.

Haley took the lead away from Gragson on the last lap of the stage, while teammate AJ Allmendinger would have a scary moment off of Turn 2 as he saved his Chevy. Haley’s No. 11 would take the stage win over Jeb Burton. Gragson, Cindric, Harrison Burton, Allmendinger, Hemric, Jones, Brandon Brown, and Justin Allgaier would round out the top 10 to take stage points.

During the stage break, Burton won the race off pit road, with a two-tire stop. Many would follow suit, while some would take four tires. One of the main people that took four was Gragson.

Stage 2: Laps 29-50

Jeb Burton would lead coming to the restart with teammate Haley on his outside. The Kaulig cars would move toward the top while Myatt Snider would try and make it three-wide. However, Snider’s No. 2 would lose several spots as he would be left out to dry.

Cindric would take over the race lead over Jeb Burton. The Joe Gibbs Racing drivers would follow right behind the No. 22.

Jeb Burton would ignite the inside line as he would challenge for the lead with nine laps to go in the second stage. Ty Dillon would make it a three-wide battle for the lead as both lines would try and swarm Cindric.

Haley made a move to the outside of Cindric, and with help from teammate Jeb Burton, it would put the No. 11 dead even with Cindric as they would be side by side for the lead. Jeb Burton would be stuck on the middle line, as teammate Allmendinger would pass by on the high side.

The trio of Kaulig cars would try and make a move on Cindric, but the defending champion would place several successful blocks. It would give way for the JR Motorsports cars of Gragson and Allgaier to pounce.

Gragson had a run on the high side off of Turn 2 and transfer it throughout the backstretch. He and Cindric would go at it, with Gragson claiming the Stage 2 win. Teammate Allgaier would be in the second spot, with Cindric, Jones, and Dillon rounding out the Top 5. Snider, Hemric, Brett Moffitt, Michael Annett and Brown rounded out the Top 10.

On the stage break, Gragson won the race off of pit road, with a two-tire stop. Many would also go with the two-tire strategy as they prepped themselves for the final stage.

Final Stage: Laps 56-113

Gragson and Snider would lead the field for the final stage. Snider would have momentum on the outside and would clear Gragson and hold off Jones for the lead.

On Lap 58, Cindric would make a pass to the inside of Snider in Turn 3, and the No. 22 would rocket to the front. As Cindric went to the top, the main pack would follow in suit.

With 45 laps to go, pit stops would begin. Berry, Cindric, and many others would bring their cars down pit road for a fuel-only stop. A lap later the rest of the leaders would come down pit road. Jeffery Earnhardt would spin coming in, but no caution would fly.

There was trouble on the race track as Berry would bring out the third caution. The No. 8 would lose a right rear tire in the middle of Turn 3, sending the No. 8 for a spin.

Harrison Burton, as a result of pit stops, would cycle as the race leader over Cindric as he led the field to the restart with 35 laps to go. Cindric would try and side draft the No. 20, but with the help of Jeb Burton it would put Harrison Burton ahead of the No. 22.

Jeb Burton’s No. 10 would challenge Harrison Burton with 32 to go, and would easily take over the top spot with assistance from teammate Allmendinger. Snider would shuffle up to third, but with a hound of hungry cars behind the TaxSlayer Chevy.

A really close call would occur when Jeb Burton would place a late block on Snider. The two of them would hold onto it, but would cost Snider a load of momentum.

The yellow flew as Annett got hit by Joe Graf off Turn 2, sending the No. 1 into the path of the Joe Gibbs Racing cars of Jones and Dillon. Dillon’s No. 54 would slide up into the path of Jones, sending the Toyotas into the outside wall. There would be a secondary wreck behind them as Caesar Bacarella and Joey Gase would spin around.

Jeb Burton would lead with 24 to go, but weather delayed the restart, and eventually, the red flag would be waved as rain pelted the track. From there NASCAR would announce Jeb Burton as the race winner. Gragson would win the Dash 4 Cash, giving them a monetary bonus for the No. 9.

There were 23 lead changes among 12 different drivers and four cautions throughout the event.

The Xfinity Series heads to Darlington on Saturday, May 8 at 1 PM ET with coverage from FOX Sports 1 and MRN.

Results:

  1. Jeb Burton – Led 21 laps
  2. Austin Cindric – Led 24 laps
  3. AJ Allmendinger
  4. Riley Herbst
  5. Ryan Sieg – Led one lap
  6. Noah Gragson – Stage 2 Winner, led eight laps
  7. Brandon Brown – Led one lap
  8. Justin Haley – Stage 1 Winner, led two laps
  9. Myatt Snider – Led three laps
  10. Harrison Burton – Led six laps
  11. Tommy Joe Martins
  12. Daniel Hemric – Led 18 laps
  13. Timmy Hill
  14. Jeremy Clements
  15. Colin Garrett
  16. David Starr
  17. Brett Moffitt
  18. Jade Buford
  19. Colby Howard – Led three laps
  20. Landon Cassill
  21. Alex Labbe
  22. Jeffrey Earnhardt
  23. Kyle Weatherman
  24. Natalie Decker
  25. Matt Mills
  26. Jesse Little
  27. Josh Williams
  28. Mason Massey
  29. Justin Allgaier
  30. Ryan Vargas – Led three laps
  31. Josh Berry
  32. Michael Annett – two laps down
  33. Joe Graf Jr. – two laps down
  34. Gray Gaulding – three laps down
  35. Ty Dillon – three laps down
  36. Joey Gase – five laps down
  37. Brandon Jones – six laps down, OUT, Accident
  38. Caesar Bacarella – six laps down, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
  39. Jason White – 39 laps down, led one lap, OUT, Suspension
  40. Bayley Currey – 56 laps down, OUT, Overheating

Singing in the Rain! Jeb Burton Captures First Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Triumph in Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway

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RCR Post Race Report – Talladega 300

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Myatt Snider and the TaxSlayer Chevrolet Team Earn Ninth-Place Finish in Rain Shortened Race at Talladega Superspeedway

Finish: 9th
Start: 10th
Points: 7th

“Our TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro had a ton of speed today. Andy Street (crew chief) and the boys brought a really good piece and it was able to suck up behind any car even when I didn’t have help out behind. The handling started a little free, then went tight, but the adjustments made on each of our stops definitely improved the overall feeling inside the car. Everyone executed well today, from Andy on top of the box, Derek Kneeland (spotter) on the roof helping to guide me, and the pit crew with fast stops that put us out front every time. I hate we didn’t get to finish the final few laps, because I think we would have had something for the win. Mother Nature forced the ending, but a top-10 result is still a good day for our Richard Childress Racing team.” -Myatt Snider

Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report – Talladega

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Team Penske NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Report
Track: Talladega Superspeedway
Race: Ag-Pro 300
Date: April 24, 2021

No. 22 Snap-on Tools Ford Mustang – Austin Cindric

Start: 1st
Stage 1: 4th
Stage 2: 3rd
Finish: 2nd
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 90/90
Laps Led: 24
Driver Point Standings (ahead of second): 1st (+59)

Notes:

  • Austin Cindric started from the pole and finished second in a rain-shortened Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday afternoon in the No. 22 Snap-on Tools Ford Mustang. Cindric showed great speed throughout the race, leading 24 of the 90 laps while fending multi-car teams throughout the event.
  • After starting from the pole, Cindric ran inside the top-five through Stage 1, finishing in the fourth position when the stage concluded at lap 20. On the first pit stop, crew chief Brian Wilson adjusted on the Snap-on Tools Mustang, taking rounds out of the left and right side, while changing two left-side tires.
  • In the second stage, Cindric continued to lead the field, working to hold off the multi-car teams of JR Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing. Cindric would finish Stage 2 in the third position, reporting the Snap-on Tools Mustang got tighter over the course of the run. On the stop, the team changed right side tires and made a slight air pressure adjustment.
  • Cindric quickly grabbed the lead at the start of the final stage and led the field until green flag pit stops at lap 69, where the team stopped for fuel only in the No. 22 Snap-on Tools Mustang. A caution flag at lap 75 would bunch the field up with 38 scheduled laps remaining with Cindric restarting in the second position. The race was slowed again at lap 84 with a multi-vehicle incident on the backstretch with Cindric still in the second position.
  • Unfortunately, heavy rain would move over the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway under the caution, halting the race with 90-laps complete while Cindric was scored in the second position. The finish was the sixth top-five and seventh top-10 result for the No. 22 Ford team through the first eight races of their 2021 NASCAR XFINITY Series title defense.

Quote: “We obviously led a lot of laps and were just able to get hooked up with our Ford teammates there. That was the most fun I’ve had in a while and really proud of Riley and Ryan. We’ve done a lot of work over the last couple weeks after Daytona to try and get better together and that’s hard when you’re not working on the same race team, so props to those guys, props to Ford Performance for giving us a platform for that. Our Snap-On Tools Ford Mustang was really fast, but the rain came at the wrong time — maybe a lap too soon, I don’t know. Jeb has done a good job here in the past, so congrats to him. It’s always cool to get your first.”

Ford Performance NASCAR: Three Fords Finish Top Five in Talladega XFINITY Race

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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR XFINITY Series — Ag-Pro 300
Talladega Superspeedway | Saturday, April 24, 2021

Ford Finishing Results
2nd — Austin Cindric
4th– Riley Herbst
5th — Ryan Sieg

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 22 Snap-On Ford Mustang — HOW WAS YOUR DAY? “We obviously led a lot of laps and were just able to get hooked up with our Ford teammates there. That was the most fun I’ve had in a while and really proud of Riley and Ryan. We’ve done a lot of work over the last couple weeks after Daytona to try and get better together and that’s hard when you’re not working on the same race team, so props to those guys, props to Ford Performance for giving us a platform for that. Our Snap-On Tools Ford Mustang was really fast, but the rain came at the wrong time — maybe a lap too soon, I don’t know. Jeb has done a good job here in the past, so congrats to him. It’s always cool to get your first.”

CINDRIC POST-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE

HOW DISAPPOINTING IS IT TO NOT BE ABLE TO RACE FOR IT AT THE END? “We brought the same car from Daytona, had the same speed and hoping to get the same result. That’s a bit disappointing, but these races are so challenging, especially when you have the quality cars that we do in the field. There’s a lot of guys that are maximizing being able to use teammates today and that probably bit me a few times in the stages, but my Ford boys came through for me at the end, which was awesome because I’ve never had the opportunity to do that in these cars Those guys pulling out of line worked with me. We worked back to the front snaked together and that was a lot of fun, so that’s the biggest positive I’m taking away. We sat down. It’s three different teams and that’s pretty hard to find, so I’m really proud of Riley and proud of Ryan and hope that I can repay that favor because that was big and helped us all gain spots. The One Ford mentality really pulled through today. I appreciate Ford Performance’s effort to have us be able to do that, but I really wish we would have been able to get the Snap-On Tools Ford Mustang in Victory Lane. There is a part of me that felt like I could have pulled out on the back straightaway and maybe got a sidedraft, but I didn’t want to leave my train hanging, but if I would have done that, maybe I would have won the race. Who knows? But you never know when it’s gonna rain or when there’s gonna be a caution, so that’s the way it goes. Second place ain’t bad, a clean race car and good points.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE 22 TEAM AND PENSKE HAS THE DOMINANT SUPERSPEEDWAY PROGRAM RIGHT NOW? “I wouldn’t go that far. We’ve come a long way from not even being able to qualify inside the top 15 to bringing cars with top five speed, so I know that’s hard to believe and hard to comprehend, especially when you have the support from Roush Yates, but we’ve come a long way and made a lot of improvements in our cars and it’s shown, and I’ve become a better plate racer because of it and between the work I do with my spotter, Coleman Pressley, and the prep work we do as a group before the race weekend, I think it makes everything work at the highest level, so I’m proud of that. I’m proud to see the fruits of that effort pay off and we’ll keep going.”

DID YOU HAVE ANY SENSE THE RAIN WAS COMING AND WERE YOU SURPRISED THE RACE DIDN’T GET RESUMED? “I do feel like it was called fairly quick, but it is a pretty big racetrack and obviously they have a schedule to keep and no lights, so it’s up to NASCAR. I don’t even know what time of day it is, but we knew the rain was coming. We knew it was gonna be a challenge throughout the whole day. Honestly, coming into this weekend I think everybody in the garage area can agree that the fact that we even got laps in today with a 100 percent chance of rain in the forecast was pretty good, so glad we got the race in. I’m glad we didn’t have to stay a couple extra days and I just wish we maybe would have had a few more laps there.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang — “It was kind of hectic. We only have a few teammates. I honestly have no teammates, so just working with the manufacturer, Ford, but we couldn’t find them for the whole day and then finally there at the last five or six laps we found them, the 39 and the 22. It kind of sucks that we can’t race for a win here, but with our last couple of finishes I’m kind of happy with a fourth-place finish. It’s bittersweet, but thank you to Monster Energy, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford Performance. We’re looking forward to Darlington.”

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