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U.S. AIR FORCE EXTENDS PARTNERSHIP WITH RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS

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WELCOME, N.C. (January 30, 2021) – In an agreement announced today at the 2021 U.S. Air Force Snocross National in Deadwood, S.D., the U.S. Air Force has extended its partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM). U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service renewed their commitment to Richard Petty Motorsports with a presence on the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, driven by Erik Jones.

As part of the agreement, the U.S. Air Force will serve as the primary partner of Jones’ No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE in the NASCAR Cup Series at the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (April 25) and at the Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (September 18). The U.S. Air Force is an associate partner for the entirety of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season with Richard Petty Motorsports.

For the 13th consecutive season, the Air Force Recruiting Service, charged with the mission to inspire, engage and recruit the next generation of Airmen and Guardians, will continue the partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports.

“I am looking forward to this weekend in South Dakota with the U.S. Air Force, and checking-out what they have going on at the U.S. Air Force Snocross National,” Jones said. “Partnering with them, I think, is a really good fit. I have always been supportive of our military in this country and the people who serve. Personally, I have a connection with friends who are members of the U.S. Air Force and have had great careers.

“I think it is a great partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports, one that I feel really comfortable with and am really thankful for.”

The 24-year-old, hailing from Byron, Michigan, is no stranger to the thrill of the cold, the snow, and the speed that can be found at the U.S. Air Force Snocross National. The brisk winter sport is a hobby of Jones. On Saturday, January 30, he will be introduced to other U.S. Air Force athletes – Lincoln Lemieux and Hunter Patenaude with Scheuring Speed Sports.

Like in NASCAR, the U.S. Air Force’s involvement in Snocross, partnering with Scheuring Speed Sports since 1999, allows Air Force Recruiting Service to target audiences’ interests and the U.S. Air Force’s brand of speed, teamwork and technology. They also partner with the National Snocross Series, and the International Series of Champions (ISOC).

“We are excited to continue our partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports and welcome driver Erik Jones to the team,” Maj. Jason Wyche, Air Force Recruiting Service chief of national events branch, said. “Our involvement in motorsports allows us to highlight the connections between racing and the Air Force, such as speed, teamwork, competition and technology. We’re grateful for the opportunity to host Erik Jones at the 2021 U.S. Air Force Snocross National. This cross-promotion initiative is a great way to fully immerse Jones in the Air Force Racing team.”

The U.S. Air Force utilizes the Richard Petty Motorsports partnership to attract the most talented Airmen and Guardians to preserve the security of America.

“It’s an honor to be associated with the U.S. Air Force,” Brian Moffitt, chief executive officer at Richard Petty Motorsports, said. “We understand that the success of Air Force recruiting relies on a multi-layered marketing campaign at the local, regional and national level. They see the Richard Petty Motorsports partnership as an opportunity for a positive impact on generating public awareness about the career opportunities the U.S. Air Force provides, its people, and its mission. As we go into the 2021 NASCAR Season together, we will continue to focus on the performance of the program both on and off the track.”

About Air Force Recruiting Service
The mission of Air Force Recruiting Service is to inspire, engage and recruit the next generation of Airmen and Space professionals. We are looking for America’s best and brightest to fill approximately 30,000 opportunities in more than 200 Air Force specialties, as well as more than 300 space professionals in approximately 27 specific career fields in fiscal 2021. Additionally, our total force partners, the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard are collectively hiring more than 19,000 part-time Airmen. Our military recruits to retain, providing tough, highly technical training that gives our future servicemembers the right skills to sustain the combat capability of America’s Air Force and protect our nation’s interests in space. For more information about Air Force and U.S. Space Force benefits and opportunities, go to www.airforce.com.

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

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

Tough Luck Outing at Daytona For Stoner Car Care Racing

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Official Release
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DAYTONA, Fla. (29 January 2021) – It was a tale of what might have been for the Stoner Car Care Racing fielded by Automatic Racing team in Friday’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season opener. After starting deep in the large field, the No. 09 Stoner Car Care Aston Martin Vantage GT4 made significant forward progress early in the race, only to be hit from behind midway through the BMW Endurance Challenge at Daytona.

Like its WeatherTech SportsCar Championship brethren, the Michelin Pilot Challenge series began 2021 with one of the longest races of the season, the four-hour event that acts as the lead-in for Saturday’s 59th Rolex 24 At Daytona.

The driver trio of Rob Ecklin Jr. (Lancaster, Pa.), Ramin Abdolvahabi (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) and Brandon Kidd (Syracuse, NY) began the weekend with a solid setup after last weekend’s Roar Before the Rolex 24 test. Ecklin garnered the most track time in the practice sessions after missing the Roar due to business conflicts. Qualifying the car on Thursday in 17th position, Ecklin took the green flag determined to find the speed that he felt had eluded him the day before.

And find it he did, working his way around slower traffic and battling with other cars in the Grand Sport class in the early going until a yellow flag prompted the team to make a quick decision: bring Ecklin in for a splash of fuel and rear tires 25-minutes into the race, and hope that a corresponding yellow late in his stint would help them stay near the front.

The strategy worked to perfection as Ecklin took advantage of pit stop and his fresher Michelin tires to carve his way through the field into the eighth position during his 75-minute stint before handing the Aston Martin over to Abdolvahabi with two hours and 42-minutes remaining.

“There was a lot of track time and a lot of traffic time as well,” said Ecklin. “The first part of that stint was really about trying to get around some guys, and I was able to get a few. After we came in early on, I was able to manage the car really well through that stint, the rear tires were really great – I was coming off of Turn Six and out of the Bus Stop just like lightning. But as the stint went on the tires were really losing grip in Turns Three and Five. I just kept trying to work the draft and find the spots to move forward. I didn’t run as fast as I would have liked to, but I was battling traffic. With some new tires and some clean air, we should be able to see some better times. With everything going on out there the car did well.”

But disaster befell the team as the race continued. Coming back from a yellow, Abdolvahabi was tagged from behind on the back stretch and spun around in Turn Six, falling from eighth place all the way to P21. He fought back to P18 before handing the wheel to Kidd with one hour and 43-minutes remaining.

“I felt bad for the driver who hit me, actually,” said Abdolvahabi. “We talked after the stint – he knew he wasn’t going to be able to pass me, so he backed off and he got hit hard from behind, and his car hit ours. The damage wasn’t bad, the car was a little shaky, but the whole field passed us because we were just coming off the restart. Then the penalty put us a lap down. It was just bad luck; we know we are fast.”

Unfortunately, Kidd endured his share of misfortune as well. During his second pit stop IMSA officials believed he had run over his fuel hose and received a stop-and-go penalty. The team disputed the penalty, but to no avail, and the No. 09 entry went a lap down.

Kidd was pleased with the balance of the Aston Martin but was mired in the TCR field as he returned to the fray. Making his way out of the slower car field, he showed pace in the Aston Martin, setting the car’s quick time of the weekend (1:55.287 on Lap 87.) When the checkered flag flew, he had settled into 18th position, ruing what might have been.

“The car had speed and it felt good, I was just hoping that we could get that lap back,” said Kidd. “But when you get caught up in a mess early on, that’s what happens. The penalty was a tough one, that was just bad luck. The car was really hooked up, I wish I could have had a chance to really show what it could do.”

“A tough day,” said Automatic Racing team manager David Russell. “Especially the incident in Turn Six. That was really frustrating. IMSA said we ran over the fuel hose but none of us saw that, but the penalty on top of the incident put us too far down. But we’re building on the positive aspects: the team did some great pit stops, great tire changes, driver changes. The crew in the shop gave us a great car, it never missed a beat – and that’s something to build on.”

Next up for the Stoner Car Care Racing Team is the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 weekend at Sebring International Raceway, March 17 to 19.

About Invisible Glass

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

About Stoner Car Care

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

About Automatic Racing

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

Atlanta Speedwerks Trio Strelzoff, Eversley and Lamb Score Second Place Finish in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge at Daytona

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Official Release
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Photo credit Daylon Barr

The No. 94 Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR and No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR Combined To Lead 60 of 104 Laps in Four-Hour Race

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 29, 2021) – Atlanta Speedwerks led a total of 60 out of 104 laps in the opening round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season on Friday at Daytona International Speedway, with Ryan Eversley, Greg Strelzoff and Todd Lamb’s No. 94 Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR finishing second after being passed on a restart with less than five minutes remaining in the four-hour race.

Eversley took the lead after the final round of pit stops cycled through with 37 minutes to go in the race under full course caution. Eversley held off the field on that restart, and again after the sixth of seven caution periods for 28 total laps of the race.

The final restart, with just 4 minutes and 28 seconds to go, was one too many. Despite a great start at the green flag, the eventual winning car moved from third place to the lead on the front straight under the green flag. Eversley worked the final two laps trying to make a move, but held off the rest of the field to earn the second place finish.

Strelzoff began the race in the No. 94, qualifying in 12th and steadily working his way forward. Continually improving throughout the week after stepping away from racing for more than five years, Strelzoff worked his way up to eighth place in his one-hour, 20-minute stint.

Lamb, in preparation for yet a third Atlanta Speedwerks car that may materialize for Sebring, stepped in for a 40-minute stint and brought the car into podium contention.

For the final driver change, Lamb entered pit lane in third with 90 minutes to go and Eversley inherited the lead almost immediately from the Atlanta Speedwerks sister car during the pit stop cycle.

The No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR driven by Motul Pole Award winner Robert Noaker and Brian Henderson had an equal amount of success except for the final result. Noaker dominated the early portion of the race, leading 37 laps in the first two hours and 20 minutes of the race. Noaker had built a lead of more than seven seconds when a full course yellow came out with just over 90 minutes remaining, and he passed the car to Henderson.

Henderson was working back through the field, including temporarily running second behind Eversley, when contact in the bus stop sent three TCR cars off track and ended Henderson and Noaker’s day with an eleventh-place finish.

The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season resumes at Sebring International Raceway, March 17-20, for round two. Henderson and Noaker paired together for the first time at the track last November for a sixth-place finish after starting at the rear of the field.

Greg Strelzoff, Driver, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “It’s a Cinderella story, honestly. I haven’t been in the car in five and a half years, I have my daughters here, and I have a great team around me. I had a great opening stint, the restart was amazing. I made a lot of passes and made up as many places as I could. I turned the car over clean to Todd, who turned the car over clean to Ryan. Ryan went to work and I enjoyed seeing that. He’s such a great driver to watch. I appreciate the Honda, it was so consistent. I was out there on the same Michelin tires for an hour and a half and I was doing my best lap times at the end.”

Ryan Eversley, Driver, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “Since we started at the Roar, the car has been really fast and fun to drive. It’s one of those perfect scenarios where you get in the car and it’s pretty much what you want. You fine tune it just a little and it keeps going faster and faster. Come race time, Greg did his best lap of the weekend. The fact that he was getting quicker, the car was getting more fun to drive, and it was fast, you can’t ask for more. I’m happy we got the podium. I know we did the best we did with what we have. I’m happy to come out of here with a trophy.”

Brian Henderson, Driver, No. 84 Honda Civic TCR: “There were a lot of positive things to take away from the weekend. Robert pretty much dominated his whole stint. He drove like a super hero. The team did a great job. We were out there and found ourselves in a spot that wasn’t good for us and it took us out of the race. That won’t happen again. I’m looking forward to the next race.”

Robert Noaker, Driver, No. 84 Honda Civic TCR: “It was good. I was able to lead from the start. The start of the race was a split start, so it wasn’t as chaotic. But on the restarts, everyone is trying to get what they can. I’m just trying to get the car through there in one piece. The car was so fast and handling good. I have to thank the team, Honda, Sabelt and Pagid, because they’re the people behind us that help us do it.”

Todd Lamb, Driver and Team Owner, No. 94 Honda Civic TCR: “As a driver, this was a pretty exciting opener to the season. As a team owner, we’ve got some fast guys and really great guys here. I’m just excited from two different perspectives. I’m really proud of everybody’s performance today, drivers and crew alike. We have a lot of new people here on our crew and everybody did a fantastic job. I’m looking forward to Sebring, hopefully with three cars, and we can see them all running up front.”

About Atlanta Speedwerks
Atlanta Speedwerks is a professional road racing team and prep shop, providing road racing services, car builds, roll cages, arrive and drive programs, and performance parts. Headquartered near Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the company runs winning arrive & drive programs in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Mazda MX-5 Cup, Porsche Club of America and SCCA Spec Miata, among others. Professional coaching and driver development round out the company’s offerings.

Tate Fogleman returns to Young’s Motorsports for 2021 Truck Series season

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Official Release
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MOORESVILLE, N.C.: Young’s Motorsports announced today that Tate Fogleman will return to the organization for the full 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season beginning with the Feb. 12, 2021 running of the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

With Fogleman’s return, Young’s Motorsports will return to a three-truck operation this season and re-introduce the No. 12 Chevrolet Silverado, a number the team utilized during the 2019 Truck Series season.

Considered a short track standout, Fogleman, 20, joined Young’s Motorsports full-time last season aboard the team’s flagship No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado entry. While the coronavirus pandemic presented its challenges for the rookie Truck Series driver with no practice or qualifying for most of the season, he posted numerous top-15 and top-20 finishes en-route to a 17th place finish in the championship standings.

His rookie season was highlighted by an impressive 13th place finish at Michigan International Speedway.

“I’m thrilled to return to Young’s Motorsports this season,” said Fogleman. “2020 certainly provided its challenges for everyone, including me but I’m taking that experience and think it will help us as we set out to accomplish a lot this year.”

The Durham, N.C.-native is a third-generation racer and son of Super Late Model and former NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Jay Fogleman.

Fogleman first climbed behind the wheel of a stock car at age seven and has not looked back.

At just 15 years old he became the youngest ever Pro All-Star Series (PASS) South Super Late Models champion. The High Point University student first joined Young’s Motorsports for three races in 2018 and returned in 2020 to tackle a full 23-race slate.

Longtime Fogleman marketing partner Solid Rock Carriers will launch his sophomore season as a partner on his No. 12 Chevrolet Silverado, with additional partners to be named later.

“Everyone on the team knows how driven I am to race and I’m ready to tackle the year head-on,” added Fogleman, a veteran of PASS and CARS Super Late Models. “I am really grateful to Tyler Young and the Young family for their support and this opportunity again in 2021.”

Ryan “Pickle” London will return to Young’s Motorsports this season and serve as crew chief of the No. 12 Chevrolet Silverado. Ironically, Loudon served as crew chief of the No. 12 Young’s Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado during the latter half of the 2019 Truck Series season.

“I’m excited to be back at Young’s Motorsports again,” said London. “I’m really looking forward to working with Tate too. He is a racer and like the rest of us, I know he will give 100% every lap.

“He had success in his first full-time year considering he had never seen and more less had any laps at most of the tracks he ran. I feel with the team Tyler (Young) has put together Tate’s sophomore season should be his best yet.”

“Our organization is thrilled to get Tate back into one of our trucks and expand the Young’s Motorsports organization back to three teams,” said team principal Tyler Young. “We’re very happy about our lineup and look forward to having another successful and memorable season.”

In addition to Fogleman, Young’s Motorsports will also field NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entries for Rookie of the Year candidate Kris Wright (No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado) and veteran driver Spencer Boyd (No. 20 Chevrolet Silverado).

For more on Tate Fogleman, please like him on Facebook (Tate Fogelman Racing) and follow him on Instagram (tatefogleman) and Twitter (@tate_fogleman).

For more on Young’s Motorsports, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com, like them on Facebook (Young’s Motorsports) and follow on Instagram (youngsmotorsports) and Twitter (@youngsmtrsports).

Justice Brothers Returns to Daytona

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Two Justice Brothers factory squads aiming for overall victory this weekend

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (29 January 2021) – It is good to work with winners. Justice Brothers factory team Wayne Taylor Racing will be going for their third-consecutive overall victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona this weekend as the team is set for a big move to the Acura DPi platform in 2021.

The team will be going for its third-straight triumph, with Indianapolis 500 winners Helio Castroneves and Alexander Rossi joining sports car aces Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05.

The Justice Brothers will be on board with another leading contender for overall honors in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opener. Meyer Shank Racing returns to Prototype competition with the No. 60 Acura ARX-05 DPi for Indy 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya, NASCAR’s A.J. Allmendinger, IMSA Champion Dane Cameron and international rising star Olivier Pla.

Justice Brothers helped Shank to back-to-back IMSA GT Daytona crowns in 2019 and 2020, and has continued to sponsor car owner Mike Shank as he moves his team up to sports car racing’s highest level.

Brothers Ed, Gus and Zeke Justice founded the Justice Brothers Race Car Repair and Fabrication shop in California in 1946. Two years later, they relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, becoming a major distributor of another oil additive companies products. The family returned to California in 1956, and began developing its own brand of quality automotive products, 2 years later.

Racing played a major role for the family even before they went into business. The Justice family has been involved in some professional capacity with the Indianapolis 500 for 75 years. A major breakthrough came in 1950, when the Brothers sponsored Johnnie Parsons’ winning car at Indianapolis. The move to Florida had come before the formative years of NASCAR, with the Justice Brothers also sponsoring Johnny Mantz at Darlington the same year in the inaugural Southern 500 – NASCAR’s first 500-mile race.

The season-opening IMSA event is set to be yet another chapter in the Justice Brothers history at Daytona, having began providing NASCAR with its first professional uniforms and first multi-car contingency sponsor in the formative years of the sport.

Given its long history in Indy car, midget, drag racing and stock cars, the family is not new to sports car racing. The brothers were present at the first sports car races in Florida. Recently, Ed Justice Jr. sponsored the winning GTD Park Place Porsche in the 2015 Petit Le Mans. Nine years ago, the Justice Brothers sponsored Wayne Taylor’s Corvette prototype and then the winning Cadillac DPi-V.R. Though this partnership they have shared in multiple races wins, 2 championships and 3 Rolex 24 overall wins with a host of legendary drivers.

The Justice Brothers have also partnered with JDC-Miller Motorsports, having won the PC Class with the team in 2016 as well as Performance Tech, who claimed PC honors in the 24 in 2017.

Ed’s daughters Courtney and Caitlin, the third generation of the Justice family, are involved in the business daily. Courtney has been involved with the Rolex 24 program and also active behind the scenes in the paddock.

This weekend, the Justice Brothers will be looking to continue its proud three-quarters of a century legacy when it returns to Daytona International Speedway, seeking its fourth overall victory in five years.

Connect with us on:
Facebook: JusticeBrothersInc
Twitter: @JusticeBrosInc
Instagram: justicebros

About Justice Brothers:
Justice Brothers, Inc. is a manufacturer and worldwide distributor of over 100 car care products, fleet, farm, and industrial lubricants and cleaners. Since their beginnings in the additive industry, the Justice Brothers Corporation has been an innovator in the development of new and better products to solve problems in the automotive service industry. During their over 85 years in the automotive industry, Justice Brothers has built a large and loyal customer base that encompasses quick lubes, dealerships, and independent auto stores.

Carter Victorious in Second Mazda MX-5 Cup Race at Daytona

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 29, 2020) – Team communication was key for Michael Carter’s Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires victory at Daytona International Speedway on Friday. A well-timed pass with a full-course yellow on the horizon secured Carter the win in the second race of the double-header season opener.

Carter, the reigning Mazda MX-5 Cup Champion, was part of a three-car lead pack that made its escape from the field 15 minutes into the 45-minute race. The No. 08 Carter Racing Enterprises MX-5 wasn’t leading the pack, however. Carter was in second for almost the entire race, content in the draft behind Gresham Wagner.

With under five minutes left in the race, the No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing entry driven by Jenson Altzman made contact with the barriers at the exit of Turn Two. A full-course yellow was needed to remove the car from the course.

Carter’s spotter saw the crash and immediately knew there was no possibility of the race staying green and the cleanup would take more than the four minutes left on the clock. He radioed Carter with the info, and Carter made his move on Wagner into the Bus Stop. Seconds later, the yellow flags were out.

“I have been racing Gresham (Wagner) for two years now so I know how he likes to lead so I just pushed him to run his race,” Carter said. “Jared (Thomas) was able to get into third. I was the buffer car yesterday, today, Jared acted as that buffer. We, meaning Gresham, Jared and I, we were just clicking off laps and we were able to get a little bit of separation and gapped ourselves pretty seriously.

“My spotter let me know there was going to be a full-course caution and since I second-guessed my spotter yesterday when the green flag was called, I listened to him and I went! Jared had no idea, Gresham had no idea. I was the only one who knew.”

It was the right choice, because the race did finish under yellow, and Carter secured his first win of the 2021 MX-5 Cup season.

“Sure enough, as I was braking for the Bus Stop the yellow came out and there’s only about four minutes left and that’s how it ended,” Carter said. “Coming from where we were yesterday, almost wrecking, to winning today here at Daytona is pretty awesome, very special. It’s a decent way to kick off the season.”

Last season’s Rookie of the Year, Jared Thomas, finished one better than Thursday’s race by following Carter across the line in second.

“I saw Michael (Carter) go and I knew it wasn’t really time to start making moves, but I think he’d got the word over the radio that there was a car off,” said Thomas. “I didn’t know yet, but I went and ended up getting second out of it. I was sitting right where I wanted to be in third coming into the race and for the second day in-a-row I got caught out by a caution, but we did what we wanted to do here this weekend, getting two podiums. It’s a good way to start off a successful year.”

Wagner (No. 5 Spark Performance) was unable to repeat his dramatic last lap win from the day prior, but still took the final step on the podium.

“It’s been an exciting weekend all the way through both races,” Wagner said. “Being up front with a little bit more of my usual pace is how I like to get out there. It’s good when you have people like Michael Carter behind just working with you because we were able to break away and make it a three-car race. As soon as I saw us get separated and in line, I knew it was going to come down to something toward the end. That caution wasn’t what I think anyone necessarily wanted, but I’m still happy with how it turned out with a first and a third place finish this weekend. It was a great race all around for Michael out there today and we put together a good weekend and moving on to the next race with points.”

With the incredible door-to-door racing happening through the entire field it was tough to make a pass stick. Hernan Palermo (No. 20 Slipstream Performance) made it look easy though, moving from 20th on the starting grid to 14th at the finish. The feat earned him the Hard Charger Award, which comes with a $1,000 prize for Palermo and another $1,000 for his crew chief.

“It all depends on the people around you and if they are willing to work with you, because you need someone to draft with around here,” Palermo said. “I lost the pack in front of me though, so I couldn’t make up that difference. Daytona is a fun track and this is my first time here.”

Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports) and Sam Paley (No. 20 McCumbee McAleer Racing) were initially mixing it up with the top three, but then began to fade back. In the late stages of the race, the two tried to work together to catch the leaders but ran out of time. Rollan finished fourth, followed by Paley in fifth.

A recap of Rounds One and Two at Daytona International Speedway will air on NBCSN, Wednesday, February 10, at 4:00pm ET.

Rounds Three and Four of the Mazda MX-5 Cup are set to take place at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, April 23 – 25. Those races will be carried live on IMSA.com and TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.

About: The 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 Global Mazda MX-5 Cup champion earns a $250,000 scholarship.

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

Sean Creech Motorsport Ready for Rolex Challenge

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DAYTONA, Fla. (29 January) – Navigating the sheer number of unknowns is the name of the game for Sean Creech Motorsports (SCM) this week, as the team plans to take its No. 33 SCM Exelixis Ligier PS320 to the front of the field in this weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship seasons opener, the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

While plenty of challenges await the team as they ready the car to race for 24 hours, one is for certain: one of the stoutest driver quartets in the LMP3 field – four-time Rolex 24 winner João Barbosa, 2020 ELMS LMP3 champion Wayne Boyd, Yann Clairay and Lance Willsey – will be up for the challenge, and they have a very strong roster of support from pit lane.

2021 full-season SCM drivers Barbosa and Willsey paired up for last Sunday’s Motul Pole Award 100, the race for qualifying positions in the Rolex 24. Barbosa put the Ligier into the lead and midway through his stint, had broken away from his competitors by nearly a lap and a half. But with 30 minutes remaining, a loss of fuel pressure ended what might have been a winning run. But the team knows that the pace is there, job one now is to make sure the car can take the fight for 24 hours.

“We need to get the car to be reliable, that’s first and foremost,” said team principal Sean Creech. “The crew work is good, the drivers are good, we just need to keep the car on the track and the rest will fall into place. We had the pace in the race last Sunday, we just need to get it to the finish.”

Few drivers in the field know exactly what it takes to finish the twice-around-the-clock battle at the front better than Barbosa, with four prized Rolex Cosmograph Daytona timepieces in his collection. The Portuguese-born Ormond Beach resident understands the total team effort required to capture victory at Daytona.

“It takes a strong team to win this race – the crew, the drivers, everyone,” said Barbosa. “This is such a team sport, so if one of those pieces doesn’t work, you won’t get a result in a 24-hour race. The team has done a really good job and obviously they’re working to correct the issues we had last Sunday. Mechanical issues are always the last thing you want to have happen in this race, so we’ll work hard to avoid that. I’m glad it happened last weekend and not this one!”

Willsey took the green flag in last Sunday’s race, and the urologic oncology physician, who has competed in 11 previous Rolex 24 events, acknowledges the sheer number of unknowns as they prepare for the endurance classic.

“The best thing about the Roar was coming away with the knowledge that we were close to where we need to be to run up front,” said Willsey. “It’s going to be a fascinating race, first of all to see the LMP3 cars go for 24 hours, then add in the challenge of racing hard but not being too hard on the car. We don’t really know what to anticipate in regard to the potential pit falls, so it will be a fine line between pushing hard and taking care of the car to be there in the end. The crew has worked tirelessly to get this car prepped and I am blessed to share the car with three of the best drivers in the paddock, so now, it’s just about the uncertainty. As always, the only fear right now is fear of the unknown.”

Boyd, from Northern Ireland, won three of five races to capture the 2020 European Le Mans Series championship in the LMP3 class, and he appreciates the opportunity to make his 24-hour race debut in the prestigious event.

“I’m really happy to be here, it’s a great opportunity for me,” said Boyd. “This will be my first 24-hour race and it’s one of the most famous races in the world, so that’s a good place to start! I’m going to spend the next few days looking at video and honestly, trying to chill out a bit and rest. I’ve spoken to a lot of drivers who have experience in 24-hour races, to see what I need to be doing now, so I’ll make sure I’m ready! We had some issues at the Roar but our pace was strong, so
hopefully we’ll get everything resolved and be ready to go.”

Frenchman Clairay has both experience in the LMP3 car (winning an IMSA Prototype Challenge race in 2018 with a Creech-led ESM) and in 24-hour races and emphasizes the need to take care of the car above all else.

“The most important aspect of this weekend will be managing the car over the entire 24 hours,” said Clairay. “We have a lot of experience with the car, so this week is about checking everything, especially after the issues we had on Sunday. It’s a long way to ask the car to go, so we’ll closely monitor the car throughout the race. And it’s the same for the drivers, we’ve been preparing for the past month. The track is not that difficult for the drivers, so the key is to have confidence in
the car, try to keep a clean line so you can either overtake or avoid incidents ahead of you. But I’m ready for this, and I really appreciate the chance to be here. It’s a great opportunity.”

Note: the LMP3 teams are required by IMSA to make an eight-minute pit stop within the first 22 hours to change brakes.

The 59th Rolex 24 at Daytona takes the green flag at 3:40 p.m. Saturday live on NBC. The race will be broadcast in the U.S. between the NBC and NBCSN networks (check local listings) while international viewers can watch via IMSA.tv. IMSA Radio will also be available at IMSA.com.

Irish Mike’s Racing Set for World Racing League Campaign

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Official Release
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Orlando, Fla. (29 January 2021) – Irish Mike’s Racing will head to New Orleans Motorsports Park (NOLA) to start the 2021 World Racing League (WRL) season this weekend. The driving trio of Todd Buras, Conor Flynn, and Michael Flynn will team up to drive the No. 95 ChillOut Systems Audi RS3 for two eight-hour endurance races on Saturday, January 30th and Sunday, January 31st.

ChillOut Systems joins Irish Mike’s Racing as the primary partner on the TCR spec Audi. Irish Mike’s Racing has a long history of competition through a range of categories, and after some time away from the sport, has established a new shop base in Bunnell, Florida in preparation for growth in 2021.

ChillOut Systems revolutionized cooling systems for racing drivers with the creation of the Quantum Cooler – ChillOut Systems’ first and staple cooling unit. The system utilizes a rotary micro-compressor that circulates Coolant Formula 20 liters per minute at 16 psi on a constant cycle providing an easy and lightweight cooling solution for drivers of any skill level.

The Bunnell-based team will return to competitive racing after a four-year hiatus – last racing in the 2017 Trans Am Presented by Pirelli season with Conor Flynn at the helm. Flynn secured nine podium finishes in two seasons of TA3 and TA5 competition and collected his first win at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in 2016. Flynn will return to NOLA with a third place finish in 2016 Trans Am competition in a Porsche 997 GT3 on the 5.37-mile course.

“I’m really looking forward to kicking off our 2021 season with this race at NOLA,” said Flynn, who anticipates a busy racing program in 2021. “We have got everything up and running in the new shop and going up to New Orleans for an enduro weekend like this is a good way to get the season going.”

Todd Buras has been working with Irish Mike’s Racing since 2009 and has been serving as the team’s driver coach, but will switch gears to join the driver lineup for the 16-hours of racing in New Orleans. Buras has a 15-years of sports car experience most recently winning the 2019 SCCA National Championship in a Spec Miata. The veteran is primed to return to the wheel of the green and white ChillOut Systems Audi for his first race back under the Irish Mike’s Racing tent since the then 2014 Continental Tire Sports Car Championship.

“I’m looking forward to getting a lot of seat time this weekend to kick off the year, and I’m happy to be back with Irish Mike’s and have ChillOut Systems onboard with us on the Audi,” said Buras.

The World Racing League Eastern Championship will kick off with testing beginning on Friday, January 29th in preparation for two eight-hour races on Saturday, January 30th and Sunday, January 31st. Live timing of both races from New Orleans Motorsports Park can be found here: https://www.racewrl.com/live-timing.

16-Year-Old Atlanta Speedwerks Driver Robert Noaker Lands Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR On IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Pole

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Official Release
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Photo credit Daylon Barr

Noaker will Start Friday’s Four-Hour Race First in the No. 84, Strelzoff to Start No. 94 Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Civic in 12th

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 28, 2021) – Atlanta Speedwerks Honda Civics will start Friday’s four-hour IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race from the first and 12th positions after 16-year-old Robert Noaker earned the Motul Pole Award during Thursday’s qualifying.

Noaker turned a lap of 1:58.530 (108.124 mph) as the checkered flag came out on the 15-minute session. The No. 84 Sabelt/Pagid Honda Civic TCR crossed the finish line and then held on as the rest of the field completed their laps to sit in the top spot by just 0.025-second.

Noaker will start the race and turn the car over to teammate Brian Henderson to finish the race. The two paired together for a sixth-place finish at Sebring in the 2020 season finale, which was Noaker’s lone race in the series.

“It’s a great car and a great team,” Noaker said after his run. “Put those together and it’s just fantastic to work with them. Most of the track is wide open so you just have to find someone and get their draft. The first lap I did was good, but I set up another good lap and was able to put it on pole. It feels great. “

With just one qualifying session in IMSA competition under his belt, the run was Noaker’s first career pole. The attention now turns to Friday’s four-hour race, available to watch live flag-to-flag on TrackPass on the NBCSN app.

“Qualifying was just TCR out there, but in the race you’ll have GS to work with,” Noaker said. “You have to watch your mirrors for them coming up. My plan is to do what I can do, you’re not going to win the race on the first lap. If the lead gets taken away from me on the start, you still have four hours to work it out. I want to make sure I give a clean car over to Brian.”

Greg Strelzoff qualified the team’s sister car 12th on the grid with a lap of 2:01.577 (105.414 mph). He will turn the No. 94 Dinner With Racers/Lemons of Love Honda Civic TCR over to Ryan Eversley at the mid-point of the race.

Strelzoff turned the solid qualifying time despite being away from racing for more than four years before a return for the 2021 season.

“I’m super excited to have been back in the car and have a great team around me to support me in my comeback,” Strelzoff said. “They’ve worked tirelessly to put me in a good position and I’m really thankful to Ryan for helping me so much. To think about the fact that I haven’t been in a race car for so long and qualified mid-pack is really good. I wanted more and I feel like I left a lot on the table. But we have a car that can race, and that’s the important thing.”

The green flag flies on the season opener, part of the Rolex 24 At Daytona weekend, on Friday at 1:35 p.m. ET.

About Atlanta Speedwerks
Atlanta Speedwerks is a professional road racing team and prep shop, providing road racing services, car builds, roll cages, arrive and drive programs, and performance parts. Headquartered near Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the company runs winning arrive & drive programs in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Mazda MX-5 Cup, Porsche Club of America and SCCA Spec Miata, among others. Professional coaching and driver development round out the company’s offerings.

Blockbuster Finish to First Mazda MX-5 Cup Race at Daytona

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Official Release
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Wagner Takes Victory with Massive Last Lap Draft

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 28, 2020) – For the first 41 minutes of the Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires race, the top four cars never traded places and never left each other’s bumpers. But in the final four minutes, it was impossible to predict who would take the win in a mad dash to the finish line. With a strong slingshot out of the final corner, Gresham Wagner claimed victory.

Starting from the pole position, Wagner’s No. 5 Spark Performance Mazda MX-5 was immediately swallowed up by the rows behind him and he tumbled down the order. Wagner fell as far back as 12th before he was able to start climbing back through the field.

Meanwhile at the front, Preston Pardus (No. 42 Hixon Motor Sports), Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports), Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) and Michael Carter (No. 08 Carter Racing Enterprises) were a four-car train out front that never switched up the order.

It was a late-race yellow that bunched the pack up and set the stage for a green-white-checkered finish. Wagner was immediately on the attack, clawing his way toward the leaders. At the white flag, he was past Carter and diving inside of Thomas to get to third.

As the pack of 26 cars exited the Bus Stop and entered the high banks of NASCAR Turn 4, the drafting game was on and as they streamed toward the checkered flag, everyone fanned out in a mad dash toward the line.

When the timing screen refreshed, it was Wagner in P1 by 0.108-second.

“I was playing catch-up for the first 43 minutes of the race,” Wagner said. “But then the last two minutes were just trying to make something happen.”

Even when Wagner worked his way back to fifth, the lead pack still seemed out of reach.

“I lost a bunch of spots on the first lap and I knew what was going on (with the car), so I put the clutch in and shut the car off, and fired it back up and it was fine. I managed to work back up to 5th, but then I needed a yellow to catch the leaders,” said Wagner.

“I couldn’t have predicted that! (about the win). From dropping all the way back to then being kind of hanging out there behind the lead pack in no man’s land for 15-20 minutes… It was just a well-timed caution, a couple of good moves and then I got a big push, picked the right lane and got lucky at the end there and then brought it home! I wish I could say I made the right moves and had it all planned out, but it just happened to unfold the way it did.”

Wagner had a little help at the very end from Sam Paley (No. 28 McCumbee McAleer). In only his second-ever Mazda MX-5 Cup race, Paley gave Wagner a little bump and hung in his draft, getting a pull to second place at the line.

“Honestly, we really lucked out with that yellow,” Paley said. “I think I was sitting P8, in the second pack, and the first pack had pulled a few seconds ahead, so that yellow really helped us out. On the last lap, some incidents happened, but I made some passes and got into a good position going into NASCAR Turns 3 and 4 and into the Bus Stop. I came out P5 then had some help from behind to catch the leading four cars. I had a big draft, pushed Gresham to the win and got a P2 out of it! I’m excited for tomorrow, hopefully we can do one better. I’m really happy for the team.”

Last season’s Rookie of the Year Jared Thomas spent the majority of the race in third, but when the race restarted from yellow with four minutes left, he was fighting to hang on to the final podium spot. He pulled even with Paley at the finish line but was 0.001-second shy of grabbing second place.

“The finish was wild,” said Thomas, who won the closest-ever Mazda MX-5 Cup race last year with a 0.0009-second victory at NJMP.

“We all just came out of Turn Four and it was a crapshoot. You didn’t know if someone was going to pop out with you or leave you out to dry. I luckily got a big draft when Selin (Rollan) pulled out and was able to go to the bottom and finish third. At tracks like this, you are happy to leave here with a podium and then move on to more technical courses when the draft isn’t as important.

“There was a four car break away and I was sitting third and we were just cruising. I really wasn’t happy to see the caution because me and Michael (Carter) would have had something for him [Pardus]. After that we were kind of just coasting and maintaining the gap. I figured there would be a pretty interesting finish whether we had a caution or went green all the way. All in all, not a bad race and we’ll be ready for tomorrow.”

Just missing the podium in his first MX-5 Cup race, Mazda Scholarship winner Chris Nunes (No. 32 JTR Motorsports Engineering) was right behind his teammate in fourth.

Justin Piscitell (No. 89 McCumbee McAleer Racing) completed the top five.

Wagner will start from pole again for Friday’s Round Two race at 10:15am ET. The race will be streamed live on IMSA.com and TrackPass on NBC Gold.

About: The 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 Global Mazda MX-5 Cup champion earns a $250,000 scholarship.

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

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