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CHEVROLET NTT INDYCAR SERIES: FOUR TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS IN FIRESTONE FAST SIX

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG
STREETS OF ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA
QUALIFYING RECAP
APRIL 24, 2021

TEAM CHEVY DRIVERS CAPTURE FOUR OF FIRESTONE FAST SIX SPOTS
DEFENDING RACE AND TWO-TIME WINNER JOSEF NEWGARDEN WILL ROLL OFF THIRD IN SUNDAY’S 100-LAP RACE

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA (April 24, 2021) – Four Chevrolet powered drivers secured starting positions in top-three rows for Sunday’s 100-lap Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Firestone Fast Six qualifying battle for the NTT P1 Award.

Two-time and defending winner of the first street race of the season Josef Newgarden will start his No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet from the inside of the second row, third overall of the 24 starters. Teammate Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards/Australian Gold Chevrolet will start alongside Newgarden.

Sebastien Bourdais, No. 24 ROKIT AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet, will roll off fifth, on the inside of row three with Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, captured the sixth starting spot.

Rookie-of-the-Year Contender Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Dex Imaging Team Penske
Chevrolet, continued his steady improvement behind the wheel of an INDYCAR with a solid 14th place qualifying effort.

Pole favorite Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet, tapped the wall on his final hot lap and damaged his car relegating him to the 20th starting position.

Colton Herta and Jack Harvey (both Honda) will make up the front row.
Live coverage of the 100-lap race starts at noon Sunday on NBC and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

TEAM CHEVY QUALIFIERS:
3.       Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske
4.       Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards/Australian Gold Team Penske
5.       Sebastien Bourdais, No. 14 ROKiT AJ Foyt Racing
6.       Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP
7.       Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Sonax/Autogeek Ed Carpenter Racing
14.     Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Dex Imaging Team Penske
17.     Felix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP
19.      Conor Daly, No. 20 U.S. Air Force Ed Carpenter Racing
20.      Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske
22.     Max Chilton, No. 59 Gallagher Carlin     
24.     Dalton Kellett, No. 4 K-Line Insulators USA AJ Foyt Racing

DRIVER QUOTES:
JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED 3RD
“We had a good day on Saturday here in St. Pete. I feel really good about our car. I just got through qualifying. It’s pretty hot and definitely very humid outside, so it’s going to be a hard race to get through. But I felt really good in all sessions except for that Fast Six. In the Fast Six, I felt like it difficult to bring the tires up when they were used. I think that’s how we got beat. So, we’re starting third for the race tomorrow. It’s a good enough spot to win from, no doubt. I think we have a good race car across multiple stints that we can make something happen from that spot. I’m feeling really good and have good momentum and just need to keep carrying it all the way through until tomorrow night, and hopefully we’ve got a win underneath us.”

SIMON PAGENAUD, NO. 22 MENARDS/AUSTRALIAN GOLD TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 4TH: “We were P4 today at St. Pete with the Australian Gold Chevy car. It was fun qualifying. We found a lot of speed. We found a really great balance on the car all weekend. I’m very happy. I think we kept progressing every session and at the end there, it was great to be in the Fast Six and put out as much we could out of the race car. So, I’m satisfied with P4. Josef (Newgarden) is starting third so it’s going to be interesting at the start with him. And then obviously we’ve got to go to the front together. So, I’m very excited. I’m glad we brought the sunscreen. It seems to work.”

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS, NO. 14 ROKIT AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 5TH:
“Really good afternoon here at the Grand Prix of St. Pete in the No. 14 ROKIT AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet. Really happy we made it the Firestone Fast Six and will start fifth tomorrow. Definitely a big turn around from practice one and two. Hats off to the boys for figuring it out and giving me a really fast ride. Can hardly wait until the race tomorrow!”

PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET, QUALIFIEED 6TH:
“We just got done with qualifying here in St. Petersburg. We are sixth, starting on the outside of the third row. We had a quick car in qualifying but we just didn’t make quite the right call on either using reds or new blacks. The track was very different to what we felt in Practice 2, but we have a quick race car. We are going to be thinking about it tonight, and we are going to go get it tomorrow.”

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 DEX IMAGING TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED 14TH
“Overall, it was a pretty disappointing day for me, I guess; coming back to St. Pete, a track that I know, after last year, you sort of want to try again for that Q2 bracket. Unfortunately, the car was feeling really good in practice and qualifying in the first segment there, especially on black tires. But we put the red tires on and I just didn’t get that little extra bit you need to really get into that t Top Six to advance to Group 2. It’s going to come with time. I’m feeling really comfortable and strong on the black tires and I think we were the fastest in that group there in one stage where everyone had the same tire. The red tires; just not enough laps right now. I haven’t got a great feel for it and confidence to really find the grip at times when you can only do it once or twice in a run. So, I’m a little bit disappointed. But, at the end of the day we start XX for a pretty long race tomorrow and hopefully we can make our way through with the pace that we have on the right compounds.”

WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON 5G TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – QUALIFIED 20TH
“It was definitely not the qualifying session we were looking for. We just didn’t get the set-up quite right and the series is so tough now, if you’re not right on point, you’re certainly going to pay for it and then start back somewhere like 20th. So, it looks like a two-stop strategy. We are hoping there are some yellows, which will open the windows up and give us a chance to potentially jump some people. So, the aim for tomorrow will be a Top 10. We’ll try to get some points and get in that Top 10 and that would be good for us.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 75 countries with nearly 4 million cars and trucks sold in 2019. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found www.chevrolet.com.

Making History: Heim Wins General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway

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Official Release
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Herta Hustles to NTT P1 Award in Dramatic St. Petersburg Qualifying

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Official Release
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Saturday, April 24, 2021) – Colton Herta won the NTT P1 Award for pole position for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Saturday in a qualifying session that featured as much news for who didn’t make the Firestone Fast Six as for who did.

Herta took his first pole of the season and fifth of his NTT INDYCAR SERIES career with a best lap of 1 minute, .3210 of a second in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda. His previous best start at St. Petersburg was third last October, and his last pole came last September at Mid-Ohio.

“I knew we had a good race car for here and really good qualifying pace from last year,” Herta said. “We just had to get through those first two stages nice and clean. The Gainbridge car was so good today, and everybody did a phenomenal job all weekend up until this point. Really happy for the guys, and hope we have a great race tomorrow.”

This was the second pole at St. Petersburg for the Herta family. Colton’s father, Bryan, who calls race strategy on his radio for Andretti Autosport, earned the top spot for this event in 2005 while driving for the Andretti team.

Jack Harvey will join the younger Herta on the front row of the 100-lap race Sunday (noon ET, NBC and INDYCAR Radio Network) after a best lap of 1:00.5709 in the No. 60 AutoNation/Sirius XM Honda.

Two-time series champion Josef Newgarden will start third after a best lap of 1:00.6078 in the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet. Newgarden led both practices and both qualifying rounds up to the Firestone Fast Six this weekend on the 14-turn, 1.8-mile temporary street circuit.

It will be an all-Team Penske second row, as 2016 series champion Simon Pagenaud will start fourth after a top lap of 1:00.6353 in the No. 22 Menards Australian Gold Team Penske Chevrolet.

St. Petersburg resident and two-time winner of this event Sebastien Bourdais continued the resurgence for AJ Foyt Racing this season by qualifying fifth at 1:01.0017 in the No. 14 ROKiT AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet.

Pato O’Ward, the NTT P1 Award winner last weekend at Barber Motorsports Park, will start sixth after a best lap of 1:01.0799 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. O’Ward was the only driver in the Firestone Fast Six to not use the more grippy Firestone alternate “red” tires, instead opting for the primary “black” tires that have less grip but more durability.

Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon was eliminated in the second round and will start eighth in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. In a stunning development, nine-time St. Petersburg pole winner Will Power didn’t advance out of the first round and will start 20th in the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet.

Dixon barely made it through to the second session after one of his best laps was nullified in the first session for causing a local yellow that affected another competitor, per INDYCAR’s rules. Dixon spun in Turn 8 earlier in the first session to trigger a local yellow, but he snuck into the second group by grabbing the final available spot on his last lap.

Power’s best lap of 1:01.1140 in the first session was only 10th best in the group and too slow to advance. He brushed the wall on his final flying lap, bending a toe link on his suspension, and spun on a short straightaway approaching the timing line, ending any chance of making the second round.

2014 series champion Power will start from his furthest position ever on this circuit. His previous St. Petersburg low was sixth in 2009.

Race Day will start Sunday with the 30-minute warm-up at 9:05 a.m. (ET), live on Peacock Premium. Live coverage of the 100-lap race starts at noon on NBC and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Harvey Qualifies on Front Row for Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

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

Marks third career front row start for Harvey and Meyer Shank Racing

St. Petersburg, Fla. (24 April 2021) – With a strong record of pace and performance in St. Petersburg, Jack Harvey and Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) entered the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg race weekend with optimism. Qualifying on the front row for the third time in his INDYCAR career, Harvey once again demonstrated that he should be considered a top contender for Sunday’s 100 lap main event (12:00pm ET, NBC/SiriusXM Ch. 205).

Harvey made his St. Pete debut in 2018, broke into the Fast 12 for the first time during his 2019 run at the track, and was on the way to a top five finish in 2020 until he was taken out by a competitor reentering the track. Now coming back with four years of INDYCAR competition under his belt, Harvey is aiming to capture his first victory.

The first practice of the weekend got off to an unusually slow start for MSR, with Harvey clocking in the 15th fastest time on Friday. But hard work overnight by the crew put Harvey back in the top running order during practice two where he finished third fastest.

That momentum was translated into qualifying which saw Harvey make his eleventh appearance in the Firestone Fast Six. Harvey held the provisional pole with seconds to go, but ended the session with a second place starting position after posting a 1:00.570-second lap. The front row start marks the third career second place qualifying run from Harvey (Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2020), Road America (2020), St. Petersburg (2021)).

“There was a lot of work put in overnight and I trust everyone on the No. 60 crew, they’ve done a really great job all year,” said Harvey. “We felt confident coming into this weekend because of how it traditionally has gone for us in the past. The No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda was really looking strong. I’m really looking forward to sharing the front row with our pseudo teammate, Colton. I just want to have a good start to the race and then we will go from there.”

It is also a special weekend for MSR as its co-primary sponsor, AutoNation celebrates its 25th anniversary. Harvey celebrated AutoNation’s achievement with a new helmet design to give thanks to the Fort-Lauderdale based company. After qualifying on Saturday Harvey gifted the helmet to the AutoNation Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Experience Officer, Marc Cannon.

“It’s a good weekend to have a good weekend,” said Harvey. “I wanted to do something to say ‘thanks’ to everyone at AutoNation. They have done so much for me over the years, so it was the least that I could do to congratulate them on 25 years.”

“I’m really proud of Jack,” said Mike Shank. “He did an incredible job today and it was great to get a front row start on the weekend that we’re celebrating AutoNation’s 25th anniversary. We had a few tweaks to make after Friday practice, but once we got the car balanced out, Jack was untouchable. It of course would have been nice to get the pole, but starting on the front row is a great place to be and we’ll try to get it done tomorrow.”

Coverage of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg will begin at 12:00pm ET on Sunday on NBC. IndyCar Radio will also have live coverage on SiriusXM Ch. 205.

Colton Herta secures first pole of 2021 at St. Pete

By
Briar Starr
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Photo Courtesy of Chris Jones

After a disastrous start to the 2021 season at Barber Motorsports Park, Colton Herta qualified the No. 26 Andretti w/ Curb-Agajanian on the pole Saturday afternoon with a time of 1.00.3210 and 107.425 mph over another Andretti affiliate driver Jack Harvey. Herta was 0.2499 seconds ahead of Harvey to gain the Valencia, California native his fifth career NTT IndyCar Series pole.

“Yeah, it’s been going good so far,” Herta said. “We’ve shown strong pace all weekend. Haven’t been outside of the top four in any session. Really all the Andretti cars have been really strong for most of the weekend. So, yeah, happy to get the pole obviously. Happy to get it with Dan Towriss here with Gainbridge and happy to be part of Honda. It’s going to be an awesome race tomorrow, interesting, two-stop. I need to do more research on that tonight.”

By securing the pole position, Herta now shares the pole with his dad Bryan (Herta) who won the pole back in 2005.

Qualifying featured another wild session for the weekend. Originally, the session was slated to go green at 1:45 p.m./ET but was briefly delayed for five minutes for course repair due to the previous on-track action. As Round 1, segment 1 went green, there was an incident that involved the No. 28 of Ryan Hunter-Reay and the No. 9 of Scott Dixon. Dixon ended up spinning around in Turn 8, causing a local yellow. Dixon was handed a penalty but was still able to advance in qualifying. Advancing out of the first group were Alexander Rossi, Colton Herta, Pato O’Ward, Simon Pagenaud, Sebastien Bourdais, and Scott Dixon.

Group 2 of qualifying saw the most interesting action. Officials reviewed an incident between the No. 21 of Rinus VeeKay and the No. 4 of Dalton Kellett. Kellett’s day got worse as he was penalized again for causing a qualifying interference. This meant Kellett lost his two fastest laps and not advance into further sessions. Kellett was penalized earlier in the day for being late to the drivers weigh in and lost 10 minutes of practice time.

Meanwhile, a few other incidents occurred as well. Will Power and the No. 12 Team Penske Verizon machine ended up spinning around in the last corner of the last turn in the final remaining minutes of the first session. IndyCar officials reviewed the spin but determined no action necessary. This was the first time since July of 2019 at Toronto, where Power would not advance to a second segment and the first time in his IndyCar career that the Aussie did not make the fast six at St. Pete.

When the final round of qualifying went green for the Firestone Fast Six, the top spot changed hands multiple times with Jack Harvey challenging for pole position late in the session. However, the pole ultimately went to Herta who edged out Harvey and gave Andretti Autosport their 44th career NTT IndyCar Series pole.

Despite Harvey missing out on the top spot, the starting spot is Harvey’s best since Road America last summer where he started second.

“Yeah, really great day,” Harvey said about the qualifying effort. “I think we made some good changes overnight. We had a really good practice two. From what the guys said, we looked good on blacks, looked good on reds. Obviously didn’t quite have enough to challenge for pole. I thought we did there for a little bit, but then they said Colton had done a 3. At that point I knew we already peaked. I actually thought the 5 in Q3 was a really good time. Just kind of catching the tail end of Colton’s comments, I was actually surprised how close the Q3 time was to the best that anyone saw on new reds. It will be interesting overnight.”

A 30 minute warm-up session is scheduled for 9:05 a.m./ET live on Peacock with the Firestone Grand Prix at St. Pete green-flag scheduled for 12:42 p.m./ET live on NBC.

Official Starting Line Up for the Firestone Grand Prix at St. Pete:

  1. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 01:00.3210 (107.425 mph)
  2. (60) Jack Harvey, Honda, 01:00.5709 (106.982)
  3. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 01:00.6078 (106.917)
  4. (22) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 01:00.6353 (106.868)
  5. (14) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 01:01.0017 (106.227)
  6. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 01:01.0799 (106.091)
  7. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 01:00.4858 (107.133)
  8. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 01:00.4997 (107.108)
  9. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 01:00.5678 (106.988)
  10. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 01:00.6220 (106.892)
  11. (27) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 01:00.6476 (106.847)
  12. (29) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 01:00.8671 (106.461)
  13. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 01:00.8524 (106.487)
  14. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 01:00.7044 (106.747)
  15. (30) Takuma Sato, Honda, 01:00.9167 (106.375)
  16. (8) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 01:00.7058 (106.744)
  17. (7) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 01:00.9569 (106.305)
  18. (51) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 01:00.8127 (106.557)
  19. (20) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 01:01.4220 (105.500)
  20. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 01:01.1140 (106.031)
  21. (18) Ed Jones, Honda, 01:01.4453 (105.460)
  22. (59) Max Chilton, Chevrolet, 01:01.5065 (105.355)
  23. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Honda, 01:01.8364 (104.793)
  24. (4) Dalton Kellett, Chevrolet, 01:02.3396 (103.947)

Patriotic Design for NASCAR’s Most Patriotic Race – 2022 DAYTONA 500 Logo Unveiled

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Official Release
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64th Running of The Great American Race Celebrates Heritage of Sport’s Most Iconic Track, Daytona International Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 24, 2021) – There is no sporting event that showcases patriotism more than The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500, the NASCAR Cup Series most storied race. To celebrate that incredible American spirit, Daytona International Speedway unveiled its 2022 logo live on FOX & Friends Saturday, sporting the red, white and blue like never before.

“We are proud and excited to unveil the logo for the 2022 DAYTONA 500, taking place on its traditional spot during Presidents Day Weekend, Feb. 20,” said Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher. “The logo for the 64th running of The Great American Race has a Great American look, and we look forward to continuing the incredible legacy of the DAYTONA 500, an iconic event filled with unrivaled pageantry and patriotism.”

The DAYTONA 500 represents Daytona International Speedway’s core traits: a celebration of heritage and the roots of NASCAR, All-American patriotism and grit, and the constant drive for innovation. It represents Bill France’s vision of pushing the limits on and off the track. The 2022 logo embodies these characteristics, featuring the iconic 2.5-mile trioval layout with symbolic stars and stripes, along with signature features of the Daytona International Speedway and NASCAR brand identities.

Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher stands by the new 2022 DAYTONA 500 logo, which was unveiled Saturday morning at Talladega Superspeedway. The 64th edition of The Great American Race is set for President’s Day Weekend, Feb. 20, 2022.

“As we prepare for the 2022 DAYTONA 500, we are excited to carry on the tradition of our sport’s most prestigious event while also continuing to charge ahead and push the boundaries of what racing and the fan experience can be at DAYTONA,” added Kelleher. “We can’t wait to kick off the 2022 season in incredible fashion with the competitive debut of the Next Gen car and an experience our fans will never forget.”

“Early Access” Pre-Sale Tickets for the 2022 DAYTONA 500 start at $99 and payment plans are available for new customers as well as renewals for returning guests. Fans wishing to attend should make their plans early. For ticket information and a complete schedule of all racing events as part of 2022 DAYTONA Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth, log onto www.DAYTONA500.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP. Michael McDowell is the reigning DAYTONA 500 Champion, winning earlier this year for his first career triumph.

Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for the latest speedway news.

About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of “The Great American Race” – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the “World Center of Racing,” boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.

Rollan Survives the Streets of St. Petersburg to Take Mazda MX-5 Cup Victory

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Official Release
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 24, 2021) – The St. Petersburg street course was cruel to many drivers in Round Five of the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires, but Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports) didn’t put a wheel wrong and was first to the checkered flag. He was followed across the finish line by polesitter Michael Carter (No. 08 Carter Racing Enterprises).

The 45-minute race opened with a brilliant battle between Carter, Rollan and Gresham Wagner (No. 5 Spark Performance), with each taking turns at the front.

While the track is one that is notoriously difficult for passing, the Mazda MX-5 Cup drivers once again defied expectations by exchanging positions lap after lap around the 1.8-mile temporary street circuit.

“That was fun, having the three of us there,” Rollan said of the three-way fight for the lead. “We race against each other a lot. It surprised all of us I think that we were able to pass as much as we were able to.”

Even with the position swapping, the trio soon pulled away from the rest of the field. The trio became a duo, however, when Wagner pulled his car onto pitlane. The championship leader climbed out of his car after a broken drivetrain ended his race with 25 minutes left on the clock.

Wagner wasn’t the only early retirement; Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering), Sam Paley (No. 28 McCumbee McAleer Racing) and Justin Piscitell (No. 89 McCumbee McAleer Racing) all suffered mechanical issues which kept them from pushing to the finish.

While those four were able to stop out of harm’s way, Drake Kemper (No. 99 Provision Motorsports) brought out the race’s only full course caution after he went off course and into the Turn Four runoff area. Having started the race at the back of the pack after a setback in qualifying, Kemper had side to side contact with a competitor while battling for position in Turn Three, and went off course in Turn Four, making contact with the wall in the runoff area.

The cleanup in Turn Four was lengthy and when the green flag came back out, there was less than two minutes left on the clock­, making for a one lap sprint to the finish.

Rollan had secured the lead over Carter before the yellow, but now the two did not have the security of a large gap to the rest of the field.

Rollan knew he had to be perfect. He hit all his marks and Carter had nowhere to challenge. Rollan took his second win of the season by 0.530-second over Carter.

“How long that last yellow was…it was kind of wild,” Rollan said. “I didn’t know until half a lap to go that it was the last lap. I just took a deep breath and thought, if I don’t make a mistake, it’s mine. I’m so happy. The Hixon Motorsports/Autism Speaks car was on rails. It was great.

“I feel sorry for Gresham (Wagner), he’s a good friend and I feel bad that he had a mechanical, but he’ll be back with a vengeance and will be stronger later this afternoon. It won’t be easy to do this again, but we got one of two down and I’m really happy. The track will be different this afternoon so we will have to compensate for that, but we will figure something out to be fast.”

Carter also enjoyed the amount of passing that took place during the race and was satisfied with a second-place finish.

“The opening laps were fun,” Carter said. “I enjoyed that. It is hard to pass in this place, so I just wanted to lead, but I lost the lead on the start, then I took it away from Gresham-we had a good race, and then I fell to second.

“We were just running our laps, the three of us,” Carter continued. “I’m not sure what happened to Gresham, but it’s always unfortunate when a guy gets knocked out with a mechanical. I hate that for him. On the restart, I didn’t know how many laps we were going to get but it is good to come home second—congrats to Selin and to Chris (Nunes) on his first podium.”

Starting from eighth place, rookie Chris Nunes (No. 32 JTR Motorsports Engineering) secured his first MX-5 Cup podium with a third-place finish. Nunes was the runner up in the recent Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout and recipient of a $75,000 scholarship from Mazda.

“Honestly, it feels great,” Nunes said. “I am so honored and privileged to be racing here with the support of Mazda. This is just about my one-year anniversary since moving from dirt racing to asphalt, so this is a dream come true to be racing this Mazda in St. Petersburg on this IndyCar weekend. This is one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever experienced in all of my life!

“I learned a lot of car control racing in dirt, and they also have no runoff, its walls just like it is on a track like this, so I am super comfortable here and really excited for the next race!”

Two more rookies completed the top five: Jenson Altzman (No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing) and Dan Williams (No. 38 Copeland Motorsports) completed the top five.

After a tough qualifying, where he made hard contact with the Turn One wall, Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 Provision Motorsports) made a charge from 22nd on the grid to 11th at the finish in a backup car. The performance earned Jeansonne, winner of the 2020 Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout Scholarship, the Hard Charger Award.

“It feels great,” Jeansonne said. “I just hope my teammate and friend Drake Kemper is ok after that impact that he had. We started in the back after this team stayed up all night to have the car ready for the race this morning. Just unbelievable heart from the team. Everyone has been so positive and supportive of each other. I’ve never really seen anything like it. I was out there driving as hard as I could for them. It wasn’t the greatest circumstances, but this one was for them. Thanks to Mazda Motorsports for the scholarship and for the opportunity to be racing here. I’m really grateful for the outcome despite the rough start.”

Carter will start from the pole again for the Round Six race later today at 4:20pm ET. Wagner is provisionally slated to start alongside him and Rollan will start third.

The race will be streamed live on IMSA.com and NBC Sports Gold TrackPass, with commentary from IMSA Radio’s John Hindhaugh and Shea Adam.

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.

JEFF DYER IS TAKING OFF HIS TOP THIS SATURDAY NIGHT AT MERCED SPEEDWAY

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Official Release
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(April 23, 2021, Yucca Valley, CA) Veteran California racer Jeff Dyer will be doing something he has done few times in his racing career this Saturday night, April 24th, at the Merced Speedway in the Wayne Albright Classic. In the race, which is co-sanctioned by the California Lightning Sprint Car Series and the Bay Cities Racing Association, Dyer will pull the wing off his lightning sprint and will run topless.

For Saturday’s race, which is round one of the Civil War series between the two clubs, Dyer hopes the journey north will change his early season 2021 fortunes. Thus far he has raced six times, but with the exception of one night, he has been plagued by bad luck. In the six starts, he has one top five finish. That came in an impressive second place outing at Mojave Valley Raceway on March 27th. His only other top 10 came the night before when he finished eighth on the same track.

The rough start to Dyer’s season is very uncharacteristic of how his career has gone thus far. While his #4 car has been fast every time out, tiny issues have hindered him in five races. Even though the results have been frustrating, the Yucca Valley, California racer has remained positive and has plans on turning his season around starting at this weekend’s Albright Memorial.

For fans who would like to attend Saturday’s race, gates will open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 7:00. The track is located at 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Merced (95341). The phone number is (209) 600-8382 and the website is http://www.mercedspeedway.net/.

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

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

Jeff Dyer’s 2021 Racing Results
3-12 Kern County Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 14th A Main
3-13 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprint Cars 15h A Main
3-26 Mojave Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 8th A Main
3-27 Mojave Valley Raceway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 2nd A Main
4-3 Barona Speedway POWRi Southwest Lightning Sprints 11th A Main
4-10 Bakersfield Speedway California Lightning Sprints 20th A Main

Eric Lux and Hall of Famer Bill Elliott Extend HSR Wins Streaks in Competitive Opening Day of Racing at the 43rd HSR Mitty at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta

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Official Release
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  • Lux Secures Second-Straight Road Atlanta HSR B.R.M. Enduro Challenge Win in Goldcrest Motorsports 2011 No. 00 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3
  • NASCAR Legend Elliott Wins Stock Car Group 8 HSR WeatherTech Sprint Race in 2010 No. 9 Ford Taurus Prepared by Vintage Race Car Restorations

BRASELTON, Georgia (April 23, 2021) – After two productive test days Wednesday and Thursday, the 43rd Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Mitty at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta moved off to a competitive first full day of racing that crowned the weekend’s first winners Friday.

Today’s schedule included the opening HSR WeatherTech Sprint races of the weekend for all Run Groups as well as Friday’s featured B.R.M. Enduro Challenge for the Historic, Prototype and GT Modern (GTM) divisions.

The overall and GTM victory in the enduro challenge went to Eric Lux who won his second-straight B.R.M. race at Road Atlanta with Goldcrest Motorsports. Last September, Lux drove a Porsche to the overall victory in a B.R.M Vintage and GT Classic (GTC) race at the HSR Fall Historics.

Today’s repeat B.R.M. enduro win came at the wheel of a 2011 No. 100 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Lux has owned since racing the car in its prime in World Challenge competition.

Bill Elliott, who was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) in 2007 and the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015, proved again Friday why he is nicknamed “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” by extending an HSR win streak of his own.

Driving a 2010 No. 9 Ford Taurus Prepared by Vintage Race Car Restorations, Elliott took control of Stock Car Group 8 HSR WeatherTech Sprint from the start to lead every lap.

The win followed Elliott’s sweep of the Stock Car class wins in 2019’s HSR Mitty that were backed up one race later at Barber Motorsports Park with his first overall HSR Sasco Sports International/American Challenge victory.

Elliott shared Friday’s podium with Mark Furcini, who finished second in his 2005 No. 42 Dodge Charger, and former IMSA competitor John Finger who crossed the line third in his 2002 No. 83 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Lux was joined on the B.R.M. Enduro podium by Pierce Marshall and Eric Foss who overcame a cut right rear tire to finish second overall and in GTM in the Matador Motorsports 2016 No. 3 Corvette C7.R.

Third overall in the B.R.M. race was secured by Chris Ronson Jr. in an ex-CORE autosport 2010 No. 54 Oreca FLM09 “PC” (Prototype Challenge) car. Ronson also won the Prototype class, crossing the finish line ahead of William Hubbell, who was fourth overall and second in Prototype in his 2012 No. 230 Corvette Daytona Prototype prepared by Hudson Historics.

The B.R.M. Historic class win was earned by Hartmut Von Seelen and Kevin Wheeler in the 1973 No. 51 Porsche 911 prepared by KMW Motorsports.

Other podium players Friday included Les Long who finished in the overall B.R.M. top five and scored third in GTM in his Air Power Racing 2007 No. 496 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup.

The Historic podium was completed by Francesco Melandri in his Amalfi Racing 1996 No. 96 Porsche 993 GT2 and Benjamin Myers in a 2001 No. 129 Carbir CS2 2000 sports racer prepared by Sasco Sports.

Saturday’s schedule for the 43rd HSR Mitty includes two more rounds of WeatherTech Sprints capped by the day’s featured pair of Sasco Sports International American Challenge races.

A variety of ticket options, from tent camping and daily admission on up to RV Parking and weekend admission, are available only at the HSR Driver/Crew Registration office or at the gate at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta throughout the weekend. 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.

SS GreenLight Racing | Joe Graf Jr. Talladega Superspeedway Spring Event Preview

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Official Release
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SS GreenLight Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway | Ag-Pro 300

Fast Facts
No. 07 SS GreenLight Racing Team:
Driver: Joe Graf Jr. (@JoeGrafJr)
Primary Partner(s): Z Grills
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Camaro
Crew Chief: Mike Tyska
Ag-Pro 300 Starting Position: 35th (Based on event formula)
Driver Points Position: 21st | Owner Points Position: 25th
Chassis Intel: SSGLR Chassis No. 702; competed last at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on February 13, 2021 (Start: 18th | Finish: 11th)
Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines (ECR)

Notes of Interest:

Welcome Back: This weekend at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, SS GreenLight Racing and Joe Graf Jr. welcome back Z Grills as the primary partner of the team’s No. 07 Chevrolet Camaro for Saturday afternoon’s Ag-Pro 300.

Talladega marks the second of a multi-race deal where Z Grills, one of the most respected names in pellet grills will be the primary partner.

About Z Grills: As an industry-leading manufacturer for more than 30 years, Z Grills manufactured grills, kitchen equipment and outdoor products for several top brands in the industry.

Five years ago, Z Grills launched its own brand. With more than 500% yearly sales growth, Z Grills has quickly become the best pellet grills in the market and received tons of great reviews among mass media sites, BBQ influencers and Z Grills customers.

Now, Z Grills has grown into one of the most respected brands in the pellet grill industry.

Z Grills 8 in 1 pellet grills can grill, smoke, bake, roast, sear, braise, barbecue or char-grill.

See how Joe Graf Jr. cooks with Z Grills by clicking here.

Saving You Some Money: A new partner to Joe Graf Jr. and still excited about their debut in the NASCAR Xfinity Series last month at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway, Z Grills is still celebrating their partnership with Graf and the team.

To celebrate the partnership, Z Grills Racing (ZGrillsRacing.com) is offering a 10 percent discount off your total purchase, using the code JoeGraf07 at checkout.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Talladega Superspeedway Starts: Joe Graf Jr. will make his third NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the 2.66-mile superspeedway on Saturday and looks to improve on his 31st place finish from last October’s Ag-Pro 300 where he experienced engine failure at Lap 77 of 113.

Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Career Superspeedway Nuggets: In seven career NASCAR Xfinity Series Superspeedway races, has completed 430 of the 668 laps available. He holds an average starting position of 16.5 and an average result of 28.6 with a best finish of 11th at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February 2021.

Joe Graf Jr. ARCA Menards Series Career Superspeedway Nuggets: In three career ARCA superspeedway track races, Graf Jr. has two top-10 finishes. He has been running at the finish of all three races. He holds an average starting position of 15.3 and an average result of 11th with three (3) laps led.

In 2018, Graf Jr. was involved in the closest finish in ARCA Menards Series history at Talladega Superspeedway in a photo finish.

The margin was so narrow in the 69-year history of the series, it was a statistical dead heat, the margin of victory on the computerized scoring monitors showing 0.000 seconds.

Only a video replay and the photo finish camera were able to determine Graf finished second by a matter of millimeters.

Year of the Underdogs: NFL’s Buffalo Bills running back Antonio Williams and a personal investor in Joe Graf Jr.’s racing career recently launched a video on Twitter offering an exclusive glimpse into his personal life and his reason for wanting to be a part of NASCAR – exclusively with Graf Jr.

Since its release on Feb. 25, 2021, the video has gone viral with over 136,000 views and feedback from some of the sports’ icons including retired NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and current 23XI Racing driver Darrell Wallace Jr.

The video has since been uploaded on YouTube and can be seen clicking here.

Martinsville (Va.) Speedway Race Recap: In the series’ most recent race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Graf contended for a top-20 finish but was crashed out by another competitor 179 laps into the 250-lap event.

The impact left the SS GreenLight Racing team with a disappointing 38th place finish, their worst effort of the 2021 season.

Man vs. Machine: To help prepare himself for this weekend’s Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega, Joe Graf Jr. has been extremely active with his workout routine, which included a 25-mile cycle earlier this week.

Negotiating elevation and corners, Graf completed the cycle in 1:30:05 seconds at an average speed of 17.1 miles per hour and burning more than 1,146 calories in the process.

Graf has been working with coaches and former NASCAR Cup Series drivers Josh Wise
and Scott Speed.

Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 80 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow every month.

From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Mike Tyska is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.

He will crew chief his eighth NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday afternoon.

Tyska joined SS GreenLight Racing in January after honing his skills in all three of NASCAR’s national divisions and working for teams like Germain Racing, GMS Racing and Rick Ware Racing.

Tyska was a part of Todd Bodine’s 2006 championship season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Germain Racing.

Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has a teammate at SS GreenLight Racing. Veteran Joey Gase will drive the No. 28 Register Me Ford Mustang on Saturday afternoon.

Gase is set to make his 245th career NASCAR Xfinity Series start and seventh at the famed superspeedway. His best Xfinity track finish occurred in the 2015 Winn-Dixie 300 edition where he finished fifth after starting 39th driving for Jimmy Means Racing.

Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafJr.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).

For more on SS GreenLight Racing, please like them on Facebook (SS GreenLight Racing) and follow them on Twitter (@SSGLR0708) and visit their website at SSGreenLight.com.

Joe Graf Jr. Pre-Race Quotes:

On Talladega Superspeedway: “After our Daytona finish in February, everyone on the SS GreenLight Racing team is looking forward to Talladega this weekend. Starting so deep in the field, I’m sure we will be a little conservative, but that may work to our benefit to have an opportunity to earn us another strong finish.”

On Z Grills Partnership: “I am thrilled to have Z Grills back on board this weekend at Talladega. Grilling at race tracks has always been a staple of the environment whether you are up close and personal with the race team or race fans bonding in the infield talking about their race track experience.

“I’m excited about all the levels we can make the partnership grow throughout the season.”

On 2021 Season: “The last few races have been tough, but we will bounce back. As a team, we know what we are capable of. We started off the year very strong and we are determined to do everything in our power to get back to that consistency and look ahead with positivity.”

Race Information:

The Ag-Pro 300 (113 laps | 300.58 miles) is the eighth of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2021 schedule. The 40-car field will take the green flag on Sat., Apr. 24, 2021, shortly after 4:00 p.m. ET with live coverage on FOX, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.
About SS Green Light Racing:

As one of the most tenured teams in all of NASCAR, SS GreenLight Racing led by team owner and former driver Bobby Dotter has been a mainstay in the sport fielding entries in either the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series or the Xfinity Series competition since 2001.

SS GreenLight Racing will continue with a two-car program in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2021.

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