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Buescher Hangs Tough for 11th at Daytona Road Course

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 21, 2021) – Chris Buescher again showed his road course prowess Sunday at Daytona, racing inside the top five for much of the late racing action before ultimately finishing 11th in his Fastenal Ford Mustang.

“Overall, I was pretty happy with our Fastenal Mustang,” Buescher said following the race. “This has been a really good road course for us. I think a lot of things we learned from the Clash got a lot better, so I was real proud of that. I think I need to clean up a few things on my end, and need the field to clean up a few things on their end and that really changes our day a good amount. At the end of the day we were able to salvage a decent day out of it, a decent finish, especially after last week being a rough start to the season. I’m proud of everybody. I’m ready to do a little bit more road racing this season for sure. I feel pretty confident we’re going to be competitive at all of them.”

As is the case with most road course events, strategy and timing came into play often as Buescher weaved his way through the field after starting 30th. He advanced to 15th by lap 11 when the second caution of the day flew, but his pit crew made quick work on pit road to send him back out 10th for the restart with three to go in the opening stage. He maintained the 10th position, earning a stage point to kick off the 70-lap race.

Following another stop under the stage break, the Texas native restarted 19th but again worked his way well inside the top-15 just a few laps later, eventually finishing 13th in the second segment. After rolling off 12th for the final stage, Buescher hit the grass at one point, but regained momentum and kept pace with the field. Green-flag stops would take place just after lap 50, where Buescher pitted from the 10th spot in what would be his final stop of the night.

The caution waved again at lap 55 for rain at the track, which cleared quickly with Buescher in 21st. After a majority of the field pitted under the yellow, crew chief Luke Lambert elected to keep the No. 17 Ford on track, in a move that would pay dividends in the closing laps.

He lined back up fourth for the restart with 12 to go, and over the course of two separate yellows maintained his spot inside the top-10 until he was sandwiched between two cars on the front stretch with seven to go, shuffling him back to outside the top-10.

Buescher remained patient and picked off multiple spots in the closing laps to finish 11th, just a season after running fifth at the 3.57-mile track in its inaugural event.

NASCAR heads back to Florida next weekend as the Cup Series visits Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Feb. 28. Race coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX. Radio coverage can also be heard on SiriusXM Channel 90.

Newman Nets Top-20 Finish at Daytona Road Course

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 21, 2021) – Ryan Newman battled during a chaotic event at the Daytona Road Course, navigating his Castrol Carbon Neutral Ford Mustang through eight cautions to finish 20th. The race marked Newman’s second-straight top-20 finish at the track, following his 19th-place run at the inaugural event in 2020.

The entire No. 6 team sported a unique look for the event, with Newman’s Ford Mustang and team uniforms all white and grey in support of the Carbon Neutral initiative announced Thursday by Roush Fenway.

Newman started the race 33rd, with NASCAR setting the field through a formula based on previous races, and quickly moved forward to 29th when the first caution of the day fell as the field crossed the start/finish line at lap 2. Reports of a potential tire rub slowed his progress as he looked to maintain the handling on his Castrol Carbon Neutral Mustang, but he continued to move through the field and was scored 26th by the second caution of the day at lap 11.

With limited sets of tires and the field already showing indications of the yellow flags to come, the team elected to stay out during the second caution and gain valuable track position. The move netted positive results, as Newman finished the first stage in the 20th position.

As the sun began to set on Daytona International Speedway, handling conditions began to change and Newman reported a loose Mustang through the road sections of the course. He would maintain his position despite the handling condition, finishing 26th in the second stage.

The third and final stage began with the longest green flag run of the event, with Newman battling a cluttered middle of the pack until a caution at lap 56 for rain at the track. With a mostly clear radar and under 15 laps left in the race, the No. 6 team elected to keep the racing slicks on instead of changing to rain tires.

With the field bunched up from the caution, the late laps became frenetic. Two successive cautions at laps 59 and 60 saw manic restarts that eliminated several competitors. The veteran Newman kept his cool and calmly picked off positions one by one, ultimately finishing 20th.

The No. 6 team returns to action next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Dixie Vodka 400. Coverage begins February 28th on FOX and SiriusXM Channel 90 at 3:30pm.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Daytona Road Course Post Race Quotes

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Ford Performance Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series – O’Reilly Auto Parts 253
Daytona Road Course | Sunda, February 21, 2021

FORD FINISHING RESULTS:
2nd — Joey Logano
5th — Brad Keselowski
6th — Kevin Harvick
8th — Michael McDowell
11th — Chris Buescher
13th — Cole Custer
15th — Ryan Blaney
17th — Aric Almirola
20th — Ryan Newman
22nd — Anthony Alfredo
32nd — Chase Briscoe
36th — Josh Bilicki
37th — Matt DiBenedetto

FORD PERFORMANCE QUOTES

KEVIN HARVICK, No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang

“There was lots of chaos.  We had a pretty solid day and were a lot better.  We missed all the chaos and finished the race.  Our goal was to score stage points and we did that a couple of times. We also wanted to finish in the top 10 and we did that, so we’re gonna leave and go home.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang

“I was trying to keep him behind me.  We gambled by staying out and then I’d say it paid off overall, but you just hate being so close and one lap away.  He started catching me a second a lap and it wasn’t like I blew any corners or anything, he was just faster.  We just got beat, plain and simple.  We’ve got to get our long run speed faster.  We made some gains and gotten better with our Shell/Pennzoil Mustang.  We’ve just got to be able to find a way to keep our rear tires on these things on the road courses.  We’ve identified the issue, now we can go to work.”

“He was the one that got through with tires.  One more lap.  One more caution lap would have been enough to at least have a door-to-door finish across the line maybe, I don’t know.  It’s hard. When he starts catching you a second a lap.  Gosh, I was just trying to get all I could on that restart, trying to get out there as far as I could because I knew as soon as those guys with tires were gonna catch us really quick, but we’ve made gains with our Shell/Pennzoil Mustang on road courses, but we’re not quite good enough yet.  As you can tell, our long run speed is off.  We’ve got to keep working to get that better, but we maximized the day.  I hate being that close, but congratulations to Christopher.  It’s his first win and I  know that means a lot.  It’s always a special one, so I’m happy for him, but no so happy for myself at the moment.”

BRAD KESELOWSKi, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang

“It was a front, back, front, back kind of race, but the Discount Tire Ford Mustang and the entire team, we just didn’t give up and kept working on it.  Eventually, the race came to us.  We caught some breaks for sure and made the most of it.”

KESELOWSKI POST-RACE ZOOM TRANSCRIPT

HOW DID YOU GET TO FIFTH?  “It was just one of those never-give-up kind of races.  We just fought and fought and fought and just made some mistakes, caught some bad breaks, kind of all threw together.  But, in the end, just a lot of perseverance, a lot of heart, a lot of will from the entire team and put us in a good spot there at the end, so tried to make the most of it.  We’re not where we need to be on these types of tracks, but we’re not gonna accept that and just run 15th-20th, we’re gonna fight our butt off and I think that’s what we did today.”

DID YOU THINK YOU HAD A SHOT AT A TOP FIVE AFTER THE START?  “It didn’t seem to matter what I’d do.  If I saved the tires, we’d just get ran over from behind.  If I’d run them hard, they’d lock up so it was just frustrating.  In the end, we put ourselves in position for something good to happen to us and it did, and I’m really proud of that.”

HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE YOUR MEETING WITH JOEY EARLIER TODAY AND DO YOU THINK YOU PUT LAST WEEK BEHIND YOU?  “I don’t really think that what happened at Daytona, the big track, has anything to do with most of the rest of the season.  The speedway races are their own animal and there’s something to be learned from last weekend and hopefully we’ll learn it.”

HOW DO YOU WANT TO SEE ROAD RACES OFFICIATED?  WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE LOCAL YELLOWS?  WHAT’S THE RIGHT SOLUTION?  “I think the tough part here is the reality is a stock car is not meant to race on a road course and there are some compromises that are made across the board.  There’s some limitations that come with that, not just for how the drivers drive the car, but with how NASCAR officiates the race.  I think part of what people love about watching us race on road courses is the fact that the cars drive so incredibly awful bad that it can sometimes make for a very compelling race because there are a ton of mistakes.  I think normally you don’t see that at most types of NASCAR racing, so with that in mind the cars not being made for the track, there are some considerations that NASCAR has to make that I’m sure they would rather not make, but with the cars not being made for this type of track, any little issue is magnified and multiplied, so that means NASCAR has to officiate the race, I think, differently than all of us would like, but it’s kind of part of the trade off in my mind for running on a road course.  The alternative is we could go back and run more short tracks.  I think I would be OK with that, but as of now that’s not the way the pendulum has swung and we’ll have to reap what we sow.”

DID THE RAIN AFFECT THE TRACK AT ALL?  “No, I could definitely tell it was raining pretty hard a couple of times.  The track might have got wet, but we were OK.”

HOW WOULD YOU CATEGORIZE THE LEVEL OF AGGRESSION OUT THERE TODAY?  “It was pretty high, but it should be.  It’s a race.  It’s early in the season.  Everybody still feels pretty good about themselves and thinking they’ve made changes in the offseason to be better and they’re gonna try to see it play out.  I totally get it.  I totally get it.”

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR DAY?  “There was a good point in the day where a top-15 was looking pretty darn good, so to end up with a top-five I’m super proud of it,  but, as proud as I am to run fifth I’m hopeful that we can work on our cars and get ourselves to where we can win these types of races.  We’ve been in position to do that in the past.  We’re quite a ways off of realistically being able to challenge for wins right now with all of the Penske cars, and we have work to do.”

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE RELATIONSHIP WITH JOEY RIGHT NOW AFTER LAST WEEK AND GOING FORWARD?  “Certainly it’s not a high coming off of last weekend, but it’s not the end of the world.”


ARE YOU GUYS GOOD?  “We’re as good as we can be.”

WITH TWO GUYS GETTING WINS THAT MAY BE UNEXPECTED, DO YOU START LOOKING AT PLAYOFFS?  DOES IT CHANGE THE DYNAMIC?  “The dynamic has changed dramatically right now.  We’re very early in the season and it’s now turned into a points race for those last few spots.  Hopefully it doesn’t matter for us.  I think that we’ll be able to go to Richmond and Martinsville and some of those tracks and contend for the win and hopefully bring home wins, but if you don’t win, you’re in a lot of trouble right now because it’s not looking like you’re gonna be able to get in the playoffs right now without a win.”

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 34 FR8 Auction Ford Mustang

“That was way too much excitement for me.  The FR8 Auction Ford Mustang was actually really good.  We had a flat tire there coming to the green.  I knew something was wrong.  I should have just pitted, so I screwed that up and that hurt us a little bit.  We lost track position and then missed the chicane.  Pretty much everything that could go wrong went wrong today, but this is what our team is all about — Front Row Motorsports — we grind it out and we fought hard.  We just kept the fight in it and ended up with another top 10, so pretty crazy how that all went down.  It was another great run.  I’m really excited to keep this momentum going.  We’ve got to clean it up a little bit, but not a bad night altogether.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang

“Overall, I was pretty happy with our Fastenal Mustang.  This has been a really good road course for us.  I think a lot of things we learned from the Clash got a lot better, so I was real proud of that.  I think I need to clean up a few things on my end, and need the field to clean up a few things on their end and that really changes our day a good amount.  At the end of the day we were able to salvage a decent day out of it, a decent finish, especially after last week being a rough start to the season.  I’m proud of everybody.  I’m ready to do a little bit more road racing this season for sure.  I feel pretty confident we’re gonna be competitive at all of them.”

ANTHONY ALFREDO, No. 38 The Pete Store Ford Mustang

“We had a really solid Pete Store Ford Mustang. Unfortunately when they stacked up in turn 1 on one of the restarts we got pushed into it and got a little nose damage. It didn’t hurt temperatures or anything like that but did slow us down a little in the high speed sections. We ended up cutting a left front tire down. The crew did a good job clearing the tire and we fought hard to get the lucky dog so we could battle back in the last 15 laps and salvate a top-25. We got a little more damage in those last 15 laps but we were able to make it work.”

HOW ABOUT THOSE FINAL RESTARTS? “I had a feeling we were going to stack up like that on the restarts at the end. Honestly they were hectic from the start. I couldn’t believe they kept making it through 1, 2 and 3 earlier in the race. I was trying to take it easy. We had just gotten the lucky dog and there was no reason to go wild there. Once we were around the 14, that was one of the only things we were battling for there other than a top-20 which we weren’t quite close enough to get. It was hectic but we did our best to stay out of trouble and make the most of our day.”

RCR Post Race Report – O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at Daytona

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Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow MobilityScience Chevrolet Team Earn Stage Points and Show Speed at Daytona International Speedway Road Course Before Late-Race Mayhem

Finish: 34th
Start: 3rd
Points: 9th

“We had a really strong Dow MobilityScience Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. We were able to earn a few Stage Points in Stage 1 and probably would have finished the race around eighth if it weren’t for problems at the end. That’s how these races are, though. You can’t control everything. I had a run but we got caught up in somebody else’s fighting match. The No. 17 and No. 18 got into it through the chicane. The No. 17 jumped the last curb so I tried to go low. I don’t know if he got blocked down there or what, but I just got into the grass. We ended up with damage but we fought to get it back out there. We had to make a couple of unscheduled pit stops for tires and to make repairs. It’s a shame but we can’t control the things that happen in front of us. This Richard Childress Racing team worked so hard all day. I really didn’t want that outcome but we did learn a lot today that we can build off of for the rest of the road course races on the schedule.” -Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Cat Rental Stores Team’s Hard-Fought Day Ends Early at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course

Finish: 38th
Start: 24th
Points: 33rd

“We headed into this weekend with high hopes for our No. 8 Cat Rental Stores Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, given how well we ran in the Clash last week. Unfortunately, today was a little bit more of a roller coaster, but we kept fighting as long as we could out there. There was definitely speed in our Chevy today, so that is promising. I was able to drive into the top 15 on the initial start but then had to fight my way back through the field a couple times after that. Unfortunately on one of the late-race restarts, the field got bottled up and I got shoved off-track on the restart, which ended our day. We’ll study this race to prepare better for the other road courses later this season, but in the meantime, I’m looking forward to Homestead-Miami Speedway next weekend and our chances there.” -Tyler Reddick

Toyota Racing NCS Post-Race Recap — Daytona Road Course 2.21.21

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BELL EARNS FIRST CAREER CUP SERIES VICTORY
Bell’s win secures a Toyota weekend sweep at the Daytona Road Course

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 21, 2021) – Christopher Bell claimed his first career NASCAR Cup Series win at Daytona International Speedway road course on this evening. Bell led only five laps of the 70-lap event, but that included the final lap en route to the checkered flag after chasing down race-leader Joey Logano in the final five laps. Bell completed the weekend sweep for Toyota after Ben Rhodes drove his Tundra to victory in Friday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, Ty Gibbs claimed the win driving his Supra in his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series start and Bell finished the sweep off with his Camry in the Cup Series race.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Daytona International Speedway Road Course
Race 2 of 36 – 252.7 miles, 70 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, CHRISTOPHER BELL
2nd, Joey Logano*
3rd, DENNY HAMLIN
4th, Kurt Busch*
5th, Brad Keselowski*
12th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
19th, TY DILLON
26th, BUBBA WALLACE
29th, TIMMY HILL
35th, KYLE BUSCH
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

How does this feel?
“I don’t know, this is definitely one of the highlights of my life so far. I’m just so incredibly thankful to be here at Joe Gibbs Racing with all of our partners – Rheem, DeWalt, Pristine Auction, Toyota, TRD. Thank you to Jack Irving and Tyler Gibbs. You guys believed in me since day one. It feels like I’ve prepared my whole life for this moment to race in the Cup Series. Last year was a huge learning curve for me, and I’m very grateful that I got the opportunity to run in Cup. It definitely prepared me to move for Joe Gibbs Racing.”

After you got past Kurt Busch with five to go, did you think you had a shot at catching Joey Logano?

“No, I really didn’t. Whenever we pitted and then we came out, I liked where we lined up, but then the yellows kept coming and I thought the yellows were hurting me because I felt like I needed laps to get back up through there. Honestly, I didn’t think I was going to get there, but Adam (Stevens, crew chief) up on the pit box kept telling me I was going to get there. I didn’t believe it, but he really struggled coming out of (turn) six one time and allowed me to close the gap. I just wish my wife was here to celebrate with me.”

Can you describe your emotions after getting your first career Cup Series win?

“I don’t know, it’s unbelievable. Watching last night and seeing Ty (Gibbs) win was such a special moment. I was so proud of Ty. Obviously Joe Gibbs Racing does a great job giving everybody great equipment. I knew that going into this year that I was going to have to perform. Just really, really proud to be here. Really proud for all of our partners at Rheem, DeWalt, Pristine Auctions – it’s a dream come true.”

With less than five laps to go, you had to make up more than three seconds. Did you think you could catch Joey Logano?

“I just kept doing what I was doing all day long. Whenever we took the green flag, I felt like I was really patient. Kyle (Busch) tried to go three-wide around me at the start. I knew that I was okay. Adam (Stevens, crew chief) kept asking what I needed in the car and I didn’t really need anything. Just took my time to get going, get up to speed and really proud to be here.”

How hard have you worked to get better on the road courses?

“It’s just seat time and experience and doing it. They’re a lot of fun. They’re fun to run. Last year, I guess the two years in Xfinity, we got a bunch of road courses run so that probably helped me out a lot. This year we got nine of them I think so better get good at it.”

What does it mean to be a winner at Daytona?

“The superspeedway has been horrible for me, but this road course, we should make this an every year event.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

How was your car today and what happened in the closing laps?

“We were third-best to be honest with you. The 20 (Christopher Bell) was fast there the second half of the race. Maybe I was fourth-best. I thought we were solid. Was trying to hold onto third or fourth fastest and that’s all I’ve got. I just have to get a little bit better. I have to keep getting better to put ourselves in position to win more.”

Was the brake fade the difference in your car?

“Not really. I was hanging around the third-fastest or the fourth-fastest all day, that’s kind of what our FedEx Camry had. I’ve got to continue to get better, but that’s kind of what we had. I was kind of confused on what to do with the strategy there, but obviously a great two days for JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) and this whole team.”

# # #

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 38 million cars and trucks in North America, where we have 14 manufacturing plants, 15 including our joint venture in Alabama (10 in the U.S.), and directly employ more than 47,000 people (over 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2018.

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

Era Motorsport Secures Inaugural Asian Le Mans Series Am Championship

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., (February 21, 2021) – One month after claiming victory at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Era Motorsport has picked up their latest sports car racing title: LMP2 Am champions in the Asian Le Mans Series. The Indianapolis-based squad has spent the last three weeks in the United Arab Emirates with JOTA Sport for the four-race championship of the Asian Le Mans Series, the U.S. team’s first venture in the series. Drivers Kyle Tilley, Dwight Merriman, and Andreas Laskaratos drove the No. 18 Oreca LMP2 to class victory in each of the four races, making a clean sweep of the shortened season.

“Inaugural winners of the LMP2 Am class,” said Tilley, also team owner. “That’s pretty cool. I’m delighted for Dwight, Andreas, and the team to have added an LMP2 championship to the resume. It’s not something that is easy to come by at this level. A big thank you goes to JOTA Sport for running the program for us.”

The jump to a new series was no small task, especially as the team also campaigns a full-season entry in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Era’s partnership with JOTA Sport in the Asian Le Mans Series continues to build on the progress the team has made while still only in their sophomore year of professional sports car racing.

“Joining a new series is always a learning experience, and with every new challenge Era has taken on, we’ve succeeded,” said Merriman. “JOTA Sport was great to partner with for this championship, as they have their own strong resume from international competition. Racing in the new LMP2 class was fun and really allowed us to learn and grow as we look to continue racing around the world.”

Andreas Laskaratos joined the American duo for the four Asian Le Mans Series rounds, proving to be a perfect addition to the lineup. The three athletes divided up the drive time for each of the four-hour races, while also needing to complete three mandatory-timed pitstops of 110 seconds.

“After an intense and condensed Asian Le Mans Series season, we came out on top as champions of the LMP2 Am class, something that the team as a whole should be very proud of,” said Laskaratos. “It is an amazing feeling, just trying to take it all in. I’m very thankful to Era and Kyle for the opportunity to be part of the project, it was amazing to be in the team, felt straight away like being at home. We have pushed very hard to improve daily and we managed to meet every target set. Now it’s time to recover both mentally and physically within a couple of days before moving on to new challenges ahead.”

The series featured a pair a four-hour races hosted at the Dubai Autodrome in the country’s capital, and the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. While the previous season had four races spread out over the course of four months, the current worldwide travel restrictions would have made such a schedule challenging for many of the competitors. Instead, the sanctioning body moved the races into two double headers over the course of two weekends, allowing competitors to take a month long stay in the UAE and participate in the full championship.

“We couldn’t be more grateful for the series for making this possible,” said Tilley. “I’m sure it was a logistical nightmare to figure out, but it was worth it. It was tiring to essentially go straight from the Rolex 24 to this four-race championship, but we loved the challenge.”

There will be no downtime once the squad returns to Indianapolis, as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Twelve Hours of Sebring is less than three weeks away, March 17-20. After winning the Rolex 24, the team stands as the LMP2 class leaders in the full season standings as well as the North American Endurance Cup. Ryan Dalziel will return as the third driver, to race alongside Tilley and Merriman. For full event information, visit imsa.com.

About Era Motorsport
Era Motorsport was formed in 2018 with the idea of providing unmatched excellence in historic racing. Just two years later, the team expanded to the world of professional sport car racing, fielding an Oreca 07 in the prolific IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In 2021, the team went on to win at the iconic Rolex 24 At Daytona, in what was their second attempt competing in the event. Motorsport isn’t just a hobby, it is a way of life: a passion that is in the team’s blood. Whether you find us in the IMSA WeatherTech paddock with modern prototypes or chasing down lap records in our fully restored classic sports cars, or even globetrotting to experience historic F1 at some of the world’s most iconic circuits, Era Motorsport has something for everyone. In 2021, the team will return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for limited events and also contest in the full season of the Asian Le Mans championship.

About JOTA Sport
Competing on the global stage, JOTA can count upon many significant victories in one of the toughest and most challenging branches of motorsport. A JOTA entered LMP2 car took a sensational victory at the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours, a win which was labelled as “a modern classic” at the famed French endurance event. 2014 was followed by 6 more podiums including an additional win at the 24 hours Le Mans over the next 6 years taking the team to an incredible “7 in 7” at the prestigious event. Alongside the great success at Le Mans JOTA finds itself as a front running, race winning LMP WEC team taking victories at events such as Sebring, Fuji, Shanghai and Bahrain.

Last Lap Thriller at Sebring as Merrill Wins Trans Am TA2®

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Rafa Matos and Mike Skeen complete the podium for TA2® class at Sebring

Race Video Highlights
Full Race Results

SEBRING, FL (21 February 2021) – One year after suffering a last-lap heartbreak, Thomas Merrill raced to redemption with a last-lap pass to win Sunday’s 2021 Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli TA2® season-opening race at Sebring International Raceway. The win capped a last-to-first charge by Merrill as he took the lead on the final lap in the final corner. 2019 TA2® champion Rafa Matos finished second, with 2020 TA2® champion Mike Skeen taking third. Merrill led only the final few moments to win in the No. 81 HP Tuners/Mike Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang.

Starting on the pole, Merrill went spinning off course in Turn 3 as a fierce fight for the lead saw several cars going side by side in the opening moments of the race. The off course trip saw Merrill fall to 23rd in the 25-car field. He recovered and methodically worked his way up to second, but was running out of laps when a red flag set up a green-white-checker finish.

The calculated last-lap push to the win earned Merrill the Chill Out Moment of the Race as well as a lot of satisfaction after having spun out of the lead in Turn 3 in the 2020 Sebring race.

“It was a lot of fun going side by side with some of the best racers in the country,” said Merrill of his late race battles with Matos and Skeen. “That’s what you need in a series. If you’re going to race that fast and that close with that little grip, you need someone you can trust and someone professional beside you. It was just a lot of fun today. I was pretty fired up after my early spin but this car is so easy to drive it made me look good all the way up through the field. Halfway through I stopped being angry and just started enjoying Trans Am racing!”

Matos dominated the race in his return to the No. 88 3-Dimensional Services Ford Mustang. He took the lead on the third lap and led up until the final lap, finishing 0.612-seconds behind. However, he lost power steering with 10 laps remaining, and was at a disadvantage on the last restart.

“It wasn’t our day,” Matos said. “I’m completely tired and my arms are very sore. Now, we’ll have to wait until Road Atlanta. We came here this weekend thinking about the points, we have to finish every race in order to win the championship, so it was a points weekend for us. I thought I had it covered. I had a great run, but had an unfortunate problem with the power steering which took away our chance for victory today. Congrats to Thomas. I am sure that I will be on the podium with these two guys (Thomas Merrill and Mike Skeen) throughout the season.”

Skeen began his TA2® title defense by completing the podium in his new No. 1 Liqui-Moly/Turn 14 Distribution Chevrolet Camaro, running in the top three for the entire event. He was only 0.692-seconds behind at the checkered flag.

“It’s been a tough weekend here with our new car,” said Skeen. “The Liqui-Moly Stevens Miller Racing guys were doing a lot of work to get us up to speed. We missed it a little bit in qualifying and started a little bit back, but we are happy to be here on the podium. These two guys had cars we just couldn’t touch. I tried to give them a run for their money on the restart and make it a little bit interesting. Congratulations to Thomas (Merrill) for such a great comeback, especially after last year.”

Mike Self took fourth in the No. 7 Sinclair Oil Corporation Camaro, followed by Franklin Futrelle in the No. 58 Innoviv/BH/IGOR/SecurTech Mustang and Masters winner Doug Peterson in the No. 87 3-Dimensional Mustang.

The late drama came about after Connor Mosack had an off-course excursion in Bishop’s Bend on board the No. 28 Nic Taylor/FS M1-SLR Camaro on the 24th of 27 laps, setting up the green-white-checker finish.

Misha Goikhberg got off to a great start in the No. 10 BC Race Cars Chevrolet Camaro, going from third-place starting position to take the lead as the top four drivers jostled for position. Goikhberg led two laps before Matos took the lead and began to pull away.

A full-course caution waved on the third lap when Jim Gallaugher spun in Turn 7 and could not continue in the No. 16 Madison Development Group/MCR Ford Mustang. During the caution, Scott Lagasse Jr. pitted from fourth place and parked the No. 92 SLR Chevrolet Camaro with mechanical issues. The owner/driver hopped atop his pit box and began coaching teammate Mosack, who was running seventh in the No. 28 Nic Taylor/FS M1-SLR Camaro and worked his way up to third before his incident at Bishop’s Bend.

Goikhberg’s strong day ended when he parked the No. 10 Camaro with mechanical issues after nine laps as four laps later, Edward Savadjian’s day ended when he pulled off in the No. 8 Big Machine Vodka Camaro. He had been running fifth, challenging Merrill for fourth.

Other drivers to suffer late-race misfortune included Tyler Kicera, who lost fuel pressure while running sixth in the No. 5 Silver Hare Racing Mustang on lap 17, and TA2® debutante Adrian Wlostowski, who cut a tire in the No. 3 Hawk Performance F.A.S.T. Auto Camaro while battling for a top-10 finish after 20 laps.

Next up for the TA2® competitors will be the Atlanta Speed Tour, March 26-28 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

The race will be exclusively live streamed on the Trans Am by Pirelli Racing App.

Francis Breaks Trans Am Track Record for Sebring Pole

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Official Release
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Merrill, Oakes and Di Pippo claim poles in respective classes

SEBRING, FL (20 February 2021) – Ernie Francis Jr. broke the track record for the second year in a row on Saturday, leading Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli qualifying to set the field in the TA class for the 2021 season-opening Sebring Speed Tour at Sebring International Raceway.

Francis Jr. turned a lap of 1:59.224-seconds in the No. 98 Future Star Ford Mustang, his 20th career pole in TA class competition and extending his overall Trans Am record to 48 poles.

“It feels pretty great to start the season off with pole,” said Francis Jr. “The car’s been quick all weekend, but we were running on old tires. We switched to stickers for qualifying and it showed our true speed. We are really fast around this place and tomorrow our goal is to lead the whole way to secure the first win of the season.”

Tomy Drissi also broke the two-minute barrier, running 1:59.825-seconds in the No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro.

“The team’s done a good job all weekend, but unfortunately we got to the grid last and we should have been first,” Drissi said. “The team was working so hard to get everything done for the two cars. I laid back to give myself a hole. I had a pole lap going on lap two and I hit traffic. So frustrating. We still came back and managed the front row in the 1:59s. I really wanted a pole for the Lucas Oil family and the Burtin Racing team. All I can do tomorrow is go win.”

Adam Andretti put the No. 43 ECC/Anchor Bolt & Screw Dodge Challenger third at 2:00.647-seconds. He will be joined on the second row by Chris Dyson, who rebounded from an early spin in the hairpin to run 2:01.213-seconds in the No. 20 Plaid Ford Mustang.

Justin Marks was fifth, 2:01.523-seconds in the No. 99 Ave Motorsports Corvette, followed by Simon Gregg, 2:01.763-seconds in the No. 59 Peter Gregg Foundation Camaro.

Thomas Merrill captured the pole for the TA2® race, turning a lap of 2:06.524-seconds in the No. 81 HP Tuners/Mike Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang.

“We worked hard all weekend, and my whole crew did an incredible job putting the car together,” said Merrill, capturing his second-career pole in the TA2® National class (with six additional poles in TA2® West).

Merrill has a personal score to settle with the demanding i think it is 3.74 miles 2.74-mile Sebring circuit. Last year, he spun out on the final lap only a handful of turns shy of victory.

“We learned a lot from last year and coming back to the same track, we picked up where we left off, and we just got better,” Merrill said. “It’s been a really fun start to the year.”

Rafa Matos will start on the outside of the front row, running 2:07.000-seconds in the No. 88 3-Dimensional Services Ford Mustang. Misha Goikhberg was third, 2:07.180-seconds in the No. 10 BC Race Cars Chevrolet Camaro, followed by Mike Skeen, 2:07.518-seconds in the Liqui-Moly/Turn 145 Distribution Center Chevrolet Camaro. Skeen retained the track record for the class by a mere 0.011-seconds.

Team SLR garnered the next two positions. Team owner and lead driver Scott Lagasse Jr. was fifth in the No. 92 Chevrolet Camaro, one position ahead of teammate Connor Mosack in the No. 28 Nic Taylor/FS M1-SLR/Fields Camaro.

Justin Oakes captured his third pole for his third start in the SGT category, with the Houston driver turning a lap of 2:09.878-seconds in the No. 11 Droneworks Corvette.

“We tried out Trans Am at COTA last year, had a blast,” Oakes said. “Then, we went to Road Atlanta and won, had even more fun, so the team and I talked and decided that we were going to chase the SGT championship this year. This is a good start to 2021 and our plan is to not slow down.”

Lee Saunders was second, with the defending champion running 2:12.523-seconds in the No. 11 Droneworks Corvette. Making up the second row will be Aaron Pierce, 2:13.591-seconds in the No. 26 Logical Systems/Sam Pierce Corvette, joined by James Candelaria, 2:13.660-seconds in his first run in the No. 96 F.A.S.T. Auto/Hawk Performance/Forgeline Ford Mustang formerly campaigned by Adrian Wlostowski.

Philip Di Pippo captured the GT pole with a lap of 2:27.937-seconds in the No. 94 Sasco Sports Ford Mustang.

The TA2® race takes the green flag at 11:15 a.m. (all times ET) on Sunday, followed by the TA/SGT/GT event at 1:35 p.m. Both races will be 27 laps, with a 75-minute time limit. Live Streaming for the race is available exclusively on the Trans Am by Pirelli Racing App.

Ty Gibbs, Grandson of Joe Gibbs, Wins in NASCAR Xfinity Series Debut in Super Start 188 At DAYTONA Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts

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Official Release
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Makes Daring Move on Late Restart in Double Overtime to Win on Iconic DAYTONA Road Course

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 20, 2021) – Ty Gibbs turned in a historic NASCAR Xfinity Series debut Saturday night, the 18-year-old won in his first series start – holding off reigning champion Austin Cindric on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course in the Super Start 188 At DAYTONA Presented by O’Reilly AutoParts.

Gibbs took the lead on a restart in double overtime and held off the field by a comfortable 1.726-seconds at the finish line, dropping to his knees to reflect after climbing out of his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota – a car owned by his grandfather, NASCAR Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs.

With his win in the Super Start Batteries 188 at DAYTONA Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts, Gibbs becomes only the sixth driver to win in his first series start – matching a feat achieved by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt in 1982 and most recently, Kurt Busch, 15 years ago.

Gibbs becomes the youngest driver to win an NASCAR Xfinity Series road course event. At 18 years, four months, 16 days, he breaks the record held – ironically – by Cindric (20 years old).

By all measures, it was an emotional victory following an intense, exciting race on the 14-turn, 3.61-mile road course. Cindric led the most laps 29 of the 56 – but could not catch Gibbs in the end.

“I just cannot thank everybody right now, really this is like a dream come true for me, it’s just awesome,” said an emotional Gibbs, who turned his first ever laps in the car and made his first career pit stop Saturday evening.

“I really didn’t think I had it there,” he said of the intense racing at the end. “I fought back and we won.”

Gibbs teammates Daniel Hemric and Brandon Jones finished third and fourth, followed by Jeb Burton and another of the JGR family, Harrison Burton. Miguel Paludo, Brandon Brown, Justin Haley, and Jeremy Clements rounded out the top 10.

A victory for Cindric would have been his second in as many races in 2021 and he turned in an inspired drive back to the front to contend for the win. He and A.J. Allmendinger – another road course racing star – collided while running first and second heading to the Stage 1 checkered flag. Allmendinger’s car was badly damaged and he ran laps down the remainder of the race.

Cindric’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford was damaged as well, but the team made repairs and Cindric went to work. He returned to the race after multiple pit stops in 33rd place, but still on the lead lap. His road racing skills and the team’s strategy calls ultimately put him in position to contend for the win.

“Obviously I don’t want to be racing to a stage that aggressively, I’d love to see a replay and hopefully we can avoid something like that because obviously A.J. and I were going to be fighting for a win later,” Cindric said.

“I hated having that much damage to our PPG Ford Mustang that early. Just seemed like he was trying to block there, don’t know if he knew I was there or not. Sucks it’s over with and we salvaged a good finish. Congratulations to Ty.”

Gibbs grandfather, who owns the team, climbed down from the pit box and stood behind it to watch the final moments of the race. Clearly Ty Gibbs win was an emotional achievement for the entire family.

During a late race pit stop, the teenager Ty was asking his team for peanut butter crackers. An hour later, he was hoisting the biggest trophy of his young career.

“I don’t even know how to feel,” Gibbs said. “This is really hard for me to explain. After my uncle [JGR President JD Gibbs] passed away, it’s been hard for me. It’s just a dream come true. I’m just rambling. I’m excited. Mixed emotions for sure. This is just awesome.”

Of his tight-knit family, Gibbs again wiped tears.

“The family is everything to me, they do so much for me,” Gibbs said. “I just can’t thank them enough, this is just amazing; this is a dream come true. It’s all the man above, I’m sorry I’m a wreck I didn’t think this was going to happen at all. This is awesome, I can’t thank everybody enough watching and last week I had a terrible interview. I want to apologize for everybody, I just can’t thank everybody enough. This is just amazing.”

Following the second race of the season, Team Penske’s Austin Cindric holds the points lead by 24 markers over Joe Gibbs Racing’s Harrison Burton in second. 

The NASCAR Xfinity Series races next Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the Contender Boats 250 (4:30 p.m. ET on FS1 MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

On Sunday, the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 for the NASCAR Cup Series on the DAYTONA Road Course finishes out the NASCAR Tripleheader weekend on the DAYTONA Road Course, getting a 3 p.m. ET start (frontstretch gates open at 12:30 p.m.). The event will consist of 70 laps.

A limited number of tickets are still available with kids starting at only $10. To be a part of the action, fans can visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.

All events will be conducted in accordance with enhanced safety protocols and procedures to provide a safe environment for guests, NASCAR competitors, employees and the local community. All guests will be screened before entering the facility and will be required to wear face coverings while maintaining six feet social distancing throughout their visit.

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 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 boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe, thus earning it the title of World Center of Racing. In addition to eight major weekends of racing activity, rarely a week goes by that the Speedway grounds are not used for events that include civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – Super Start Batteries 188 At DAYTONA Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts

DAYTONA Road Course

Daytona Beach, Florida

Saturday, February 20, 2021

               1. (15)  Ty Gibbs #, Toyota, 56.

               2. (2)  Austin Cindric, Ford, 56.

               3. (5)  Daniel Hemric, Toyota, 56.

               4. (39)  Brandon Jones, Toyota, 56.

               5. (3)  Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 56.

               6. (4)  Harrison Burton, Toyota, 56.

               7. (35)  Miguel Paludo, Chevrolet, 56.

               8. (7)  Brandon Brown, Chevrolet, 56.

               9. (29)  Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 56.

               10. (18)  Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 56.

               11. (1)  Brett Moffitt(i), Chevrolet, 56.

               12. (14)  Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 56.

               13. (8)  Myatt Snider, Chevrolet, 56.

               14. (13)  Jesse Little, Chevrolet, 56.

               15. (33)  Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 56.

               16. (11)  Kyle Weatherman, Chevrolet, 56.

               17. (22)  Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 56.

               18. (19)  Kris Wright(i), Toyota, 56.

               19. (10)  Matt Mills, Toyota, 56.

               20. (9)  Joe Graf Jr., Chevrolet, 56.

               21. (30)  Gray Gaulding, Chevrolet, 56.

               22. (36)  Alex Labbe, Chevrolet, 56.

               23. (32)  Colby Howard, Chevrolet, 56.

               24. (20)  Tommy Joe Martins, Chevrolet, 56.

               25. (38)  Cody Ware, Ford, 56.

               26. (25)  Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 56.

               27. (27)  Ryan Sieg, Ford, 56.

               28. (26)  Noah Gragson, Chevrolet, 56.

               29. (34)  Stephen Leicht, Toyota, 56.

               30. (37)  Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 56.

               31. (24)  Andy Lally, Chevrolet, 55.

               32. (31)  Bayley Currey, Chevrolet, 55.

               33. (23)  Preston Pardus, Chevrolet, Transmission, 49.

               34. (17)  Timmy Hill, Toyota, 46.

               35. (6)  AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 43.

               36. (28)  Jade Buford, Chevrolet, Suspension, 38.

               37. (12)  Ryan Vargas #, Chevrolet, 33.

               38. (40)  David Starr, Toyota, Transmission, 20.

               39. (16)  Riley Herbst, Ford, Accident, 15.

               40. (21)  Natalie Decker, Chevrolet, Accident, 3.

Average Speed of Race Winner:  78.213 mph.

Time of Race:  2 Hrs, 35 Mins, 5 Secs. Margin of Victory:  1.726 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  7 for 14 laps.

Lead Changes:  11 among 8 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   B. Moffitt(i) 0;A. Cindric 1-10;A. Allmendinger 11-14;A. Cindric 15-17;H. Burton 18-20;T. Gibbs 21-32;G. Gaulding 33;D. Hemric 34-35;A. Cindric 36-51;R. Sieg 52;J. Burton 53-54;T. Gibbs 55-56.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Austin Cindric 3 times for 29 laps; Ty Gibbs 2 times for 14 laps; AJ Allmendinger 1 time for 4 laps; Harrison Burton 1 time for 3 laps; Jeb Burton 1 time for 2 laps; Daniel Hemric 1 time for 2 laps; Ryan Sieg 1 time for 1 lap; Gray Gaulding 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 22,2,98,51,99,68,20,47,74,7

Stage #2 Top Ten: 54,20,18,11,7,22,19,2,90,51

Brett Moffitt Battles To 11th-Place Result at the Daytona Road Course

By
Official Release
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Brett Moffitt and the Quartz Hill Records / Nate Barnes No.02 Our Motorsports Chevrolet started from the pole Saturday night in the Super Start Batteries 188 at the Daytona Road Course, coming off a team and driver-best finish of 2nd last week at the Daytona oval.

In the first stage of the race, Moffitt reminded the NASCAR Xfinity garage of the true potential of the Our Motorsports team, reminding them that Daytona’s oval finish last week was no fluke. Moffitt and the No.02 Chevy ran in the top-3 for most of the stage but suffered a tire lock-up which caused a left-front tire to get flat-spotted. The team pitted to ensure that they would make it to the end of the stage without a tire failure and, after pitting, finished the stage 15th.

Stage two saw the No.02 Chevy race its way back into the top-5. Moffitt held strong for most of the stage, running the 4th-fastest overall lap of the race, but suffered a flat tire with five laps to go in the segment. The Quartz Hill Records / Nate Barnes team recovered to finish the stage in 20th after pitting for tires and fuel. 

Final stage: Moffitt started the stage in 13th and drove his way up into 8th just five laps into the segment. Unfortunately, the left-front damage from the flat tire earlier in the race caused damage to the sway bar arm during the final stage, creating a handful for Brett, and requiring him to make an unscheduled stop for repairs. When a late race caution came out with just a few laps to go, the Quartz Hill Records / Nate Barnes team made a strategic call to keep Moffitt out, putting the No.02 Chevy back into the top-10 for the first of two green, white, checkered restarts. The first GWC restart had a multiple-car incident, which Moffitt was able to avoid, picking up several spots.

Moffitt restarted the final GWC restart within the top-5 with two laps to go, but the No.02 suffered slight contact early on, which, coupled with the damage from earlier, dropped the No.02 back a few spots. Moffitt was still able to bring the Quartz Hill Records / Nate Barnes – sponsored team in the position to fight for a top-10 at the end of the day, finishing just outside of the top-10 in eleventh.

Driver Brett Moffit: 

“I was really proud of the car that Our Motorsports and the Quartz Hill Records / Nate Barnes team brought me. Realistically, we were a 3rd-4th place car tonight. I just felt like I made too many mistakes on my part and eventually the left-front damage ripped the sway bar arm off and that ruined the rest of the race. I am really excited about the potential our team has this year and I know we’ll bounce back next week.”

Sponsor Highlight:

Quartz Hill Records was represented in a yellow, red, and black scheme highlighting  fast-rising country artist Nate Barnes with the hood adorning the artwork for his debut single,  “You Ain’t Pretty.” Barnes’ “You Ain’t Pretty” has already earned over 14 million TikTok streams and debuted as the #2 Most Added Country Song in the U.S. this week.  Quartz Hill Records is a Nashville-based record label helmed by former BBR Music Group Benny Brown, former BBR Music Group CFO Paul Brown, and hit songwriter Jason Sellers.

Tune in: 

The NASCAR Xfinity Series and Our Motorsports will be back in action next Saturday, February 27th for the Contender Boats 250 at Homestead Miami Speedway. Fans can catch the action on FS1, MRN/Sirius XM NASCAR, and other local radio affiliates at 5pm and by following Our Motorsports on social media. 

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