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Ford Performance NASCAR: Harvick Going For Third Straight Cup Win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: NEW HAMPSHIRE ADVANCE

The NASCAR Cup Series takes center stage at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where Ford has won each of the last two years – both by Stewart-Haas driver Kevin Harvick. Ford leads the series with 10 victories on the season by five different drivers. With only seven races remaining in the regular season, Ford currently has eight drivers in playoff positions, including the top three in the point standings with Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney.

FORD IN THE NASCAR CUP SERIES AT NEW HAMPSHIRE

· Ford has 15 all-time series wins at New Hampshire.
· Ford’s all-time winningest NCS driver at New Hampshire is Jeff Burton (4 wins).
· Kevin Harvick is the two-time defending champion of this weekend’s event.

HARVICK TRYING TO MAKE NHMS HISTORY

Kevin Harvick is looking to become the first driver to win three consecutive NASCAR Cup Series races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after posting back-to-back triumphs in 2018 and 2019. Harvick, who has four career victories at the one-mile oval, is one of four drivers to win two straight, joining Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth.

HARVICK HANGS ON FOR SECOND STRAIGHT

Kevin Harvick survived a last-lap bump from behind by Denny Hamlin to win last year’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301, giving him his first NASCAR Cup Series win of the season and second straight at the Magic Mile. Harvick played the track position game all day long and when Kyle Larson brought out the caution on lap 266 of the 301-lap event, crew chief Rodney Childers’ decision to keep Harvick on the track made all the difference as the top three of Hamlin, Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski pitted. When the race restarted with 39 laps to go, Harvick had to contend with Hamlin, who led 113 laps on the afternoon and reached his bumper on the final lap. The resulting nudge made Harvick wiggle, but he was able to keep his foot in the gas and retain the lead for what became his 46th career victory.

BUMP-AND-RUN PROPELS HARVICK IN 2018

Kevin Harvick used the bump-and-run on Kyle Busch, passing him with seven laps to go, to take the checkered flag and register his series-leading sixth win of the season in last year’s NASCAR Cup Series event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Harvick broke a tie with Busch for the most individual wins as the race came down to the final laps following a restart with 40 laps to go. Harvick steadily gained ground on Busch and made his move in the middle of turns one and two. He led a group of five Fords that finished in the top 10 as Aric Almirola was third, Ryan Blaney seventh, Kurt Busch eighth and Joey Logano ninth.

FOUR OVER TWO

A pit call by crew chief Todd Gordon with 53 laps to go proved to be the key decision in helping Joey Logano win the playoff race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2014. With Logano running inside the top-five for most of the race, Gordon called for four tires while most of the other teams opted for two. That put Logano 16th on the ensuing restart, but he quickly moved up to sixth 10 laps later when another caution slowed the field. Logano endured three more cautions, including a green-white-checker restart, over the final 30 laps to post the seventh win of his NASCAR Cup Series career.

WEEKEND SWEEP

Brad Keselowski had a weekend to remember as he became the first driver to sweep a NASCAR XFINITY and NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, achieving the feat on July 12-13, 2014. Keselowski led 138 of 305 laps, including the final two under a green-white-checkered finish, to beat Kyle Busch to the finish line. The win was Ford’s fourth straight series win, marking the first time that had happened since 2001.

PLAYOFF FIRST

Kurt Busch became the first driver to ever win a race in the playoff format when he won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sept. 19, 2004. Busch, who went on to win the series championship later that season, led 155-of-300 laps to complete a season sweep. Matt Kenseth finished second to give owner Jack Roush and Ford a 1-2 finish. The victory enabled Busch to grab a share of the points lead as he left Loudon tied with Dale Earnhardt Jr. for first place.

300-FOR-300

Jeff Burton is the last driver to lead every lap of a NASCAR Cup Series race when he did it on Sept. 17, 2000 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Bobby Labonte started from the pole, but Burton grabbed the lead after starting on the outside of the front row. Even though Labonte and Dale Earnhardt challenged him throughout the day, Burton never gave up the lead, becoming the first driver to lead every lap of a series race since Cale Yarborough did it in the Music City USA 420 at Nashville Speedway on June 3, 1978. The race, which was run with the use of restrictor plates, ended under caution after Sterling Marlin was involved in an accident with three laps remaining. It was Burton’s fourth win at the speedway and concluded a stretch that saw him win four consecutive seasons at the Magic Mile.

OWNER/DRIVER FIRST

Ford’s first NASCAR Cup Series win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway came in the track’s second year of hosting events in 1994. That’s when Ricky Rudd outdueled Dale Earnhardt in the closing laps to post his 15th career win. Rudd led 55 laps on the day, but won it after a memorable side-by-side battle with seven laps to go in which he passed Earnhardt on the inside, only to see the black No. 3 crossover and pull alongside for the next lap. Rudd eventually pulled in front and held on to take the Slick 50 300 on July 10, 1994. Rudd went on to post 23 NSCS wins in his career and had at least one victory in 16 consecutive seasons (1983-98), but none may have been as satisfying as this one because it marked his first triumph as an owner/driver.

FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT NHMS
1994 – Ricky Rudd
1996 – Ernie Irvan
1997 – Jeff Burton (1)
1998 – Jeff Burton (1)
1999 – Jeff Burton (1)
2000 – Jeff Burton (2)
2001 – Dale Jarrett (1)
2002 – Ryan Newman (2)
2004 – Kurt Busch (Sweep)
2008 – Greg Biffle (2)
2014 – Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano
2018 – Kevin Harvick
2019 – Kevin Harvick

NASCAR Xfinity Series Power Rankings-Kansas

By
Briar Starr
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Pace car leads cars during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Kansas Lottery 250 at Kansas Speedway on July 25, 2020. Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images.

The Xfinity Series drove to the heartland this past weekend in an unexpected trip to Kansas Speedway in the middle of July. The series is normally used to racing there in the fall on a normal schedule. However, due to rising cases in Chicago, Saturday’s race replaced the canceled Chicago race. 

While it was unexpected for Xfinity Series drivers, the slick track conditions and hot temperatures allowed series regulars to have a great showing. Even though Austin Cindric led the most laps, consistent battles took place behind him, and numerous pit strategies were all over the place. But a late race caution flew that jumbled the field. At one point it looked as though Harrison Burton would come home with the checkered flag, but the win actually went to his teammate Brandon Jones who passed Cindric on a late race restart. 

With Jones earning his second win of the season, he now has some solid points to push him through at least the first couple of rounds of the Playoffs. As Jones celebrates, we’ll highlight other Xfinity Series regulars in this week’s Power Rankings. 

  1. Austin Cindric – A late race caution ruined his chance of winning for the fourth consecutive time this season but you can’t overlook the effort. The Team Penske driver dominated by leading a race high of 131 laps and sweeping both stages. Had it not been for the late caution or getting passed by Harrison Burton, Cindric could very well have his fourth win of the season. He’ll have another chance to get a checkered flag in his wheelhouse at Road America in a couple of weeks.

    Previous Week Ranking – First
  2. Harrison Burton – Once the final round of green flag pit stops cycled out, Burton chased down Cindric for the lead and more than likely could have taken home the checkered flag if it wasn’t for the late caution. Still, Burton wound up third on the leaderboard at the end of the day after leading eight laps, and a solid outing of third and second in both stages, respectively.

    Previous Week Ranking – Fourth
  3. Ryan Sieg – Sieg played pit strategy by staying out when the caution came late. He was scored as the race leader when the overtime restart occurred. By not having new tires, the cautions saved the team and allowed them to achieve their third top five of the year. In addition, the Georgia team led 25 laps. Not bad for Sieg and the No. 39 team.

    Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
  4. Ross Chastain – Chastain came home with his seventh top five of the 2020 Xfinity Series season last Saturday. The Floridian couldn’t win a stage but gained points by finishing second and fourth in both stages. Chastain had a couple of chances to score the victory but was unsuccessful in doing so.

    Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
  5. Justin Allgaier – A 10th place finish might be disappointing for Allgaier and the No. 7 JR Motorsports entry but the effort was there throughout the race. He was pretty much quiet and didn’t make much noise, however, Allgaier capitalized on the stages with finishes of fifth and third before winding up with his ninth top 10 of the year.

    Previous Week Ranking – Third

Fell Out:

  1. Noah Gragson – Gragson had a forgettable 15th place finish following his run at Kansas. He was only able to earn a stage finish of 10th in Stage 2 before pit strategy and late yellows ruined any chances of gaining a respectable finish. The last two weeks have not been kind to the Las Vegas native after crashing at Texas and placing 30th.

    Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
  2. Chase Briscoe – It was a disappointing finish for Briscoe who came home in the 14th position due to slightly brushing the Turn 3 and 4 wall with just a few laps remaining in Saturday’s event. On the upside, the Stewart-Haas driver did gain stage points by placing seventh in Stage 2.

     Previous Week Ranking – Second

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: Riding a Hot Streak

By
Official Release
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• Team arrives with back-to-back victories at Daytona, Sebring
• Chevrolet, Garcia, Taylor enter as GT Le Mans Championship leaders
• Sebring winners Gavin, Milner team’s most recent Road America victors
• Mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette Stingray to serve as Official Pace Car for first time
• IMSA Road America round to air live on NBC network

DETROIT (July 28, 2020) – Corvette Racing will ride a two-race winning streak in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship into one of North America’s greatest tracks: historic Road America. The program will look to extend its GT Le Mans (GTLM) championship lead in the class’s Manufacturer, Driver and Team categories before a national NBC audience Sunday afternoon.

The first-year, mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8.R has been on a roll following the IMSA shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The work done by the whole of Corvette Racing – drivers, crew and Chevrolet and team engineers – has been evident with back-to-back class victories and pole positions at Daytona and Sebring earlier this month.

Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor arrive at Road America carrying the GTLM Driver’s Championship lead on the strength of a victory at Daytona in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R. That win was the first for the mid-engine racing Corvette and also was Corvette Racing’s 100th in IMSA competition. Garcia and Taylor also were runners-up two weeks ago at Sebring, where Taylor also set a GTLM track record en route to pole position.

He and Garcia finished second in class at Sebring behind winning teammates Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C8.R. The paring claimed Corvette Racing’s most recent Road America victory: 2016 when Milner passed five cars in the last 15 minutes. Milner set the fastest race lap a year ago, and Gavin leads all active IMSA drivers with four class victories at the 4.048-mile, 14-turn “National Park of Speed.”

Road America and the Corvette brand have a lengthy history dating back nearly 60 years. Chevrolet routinely used the track to test and validate the performance of early-generation Corvettes with that tradition continuing today. Road America was the site of the first on-track running of the Corvette C8.R in 2018, and another chapter of the eighth-generation Corvette will be written this weekend.

The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will serve as Official Pace Car for the IMSA rounds of the WeatherTech Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge at Road America. Named by MotorTrend as 2020 Car of the Year, the 2020 Stingray is Chevrolet’s first mid-engine production Corvette. It features a 6.2-liter V8 engine with an output of 495hp, goes from 0-60 mph in less than three seconds and achieves a top speed of 194 mph.

Both the Corvette Stingray and Corvette C8.R were developed simultaneously with a deeper level of technology transfer between the race car and a production Corvette than ever before, which helps contribute to many of its advancements. As a result, the C8.R shares the highest percentage of parts between the production and race car than any previous generation.

The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Road America is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. ET on Saturday with live network coverage on NBC plus streaming options on the NBC Sports App. IMSA Radio will broadcast all practice and qualifying sessions as well as the race on IMSA.com, which also will host live timing and scoring.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It will have been two years since I drove the C8.R for the first time at Road America. Things have improved so much on it since that day. It will be very nice to go around and feel how far the car has come. Road America is one of my favorite tracks in the IMSA championship. I’m pretty sure this car will make a difference in our results from past years. I’m looking forward to seeing how we perform. If a car is good, it makes going around Road America that much more fun.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “When people talk about Road America, you’re talking about long straights, big brake zones and a lot of high-speed corners. Looking at what we experienced with C8.R in testing and racing at Daytona and Sebring, the car seems to suit a lot of different types of corners. It will be a lot different from our experiences at Daytona and Sebring with the layout of the track and how it flows. The Corvette should suit Road America quite well. It’s very well-balanced, drivable and predictable. This is a place where you’re on edge at a lot of parts around the track. You want to be comfortable with your car and trust in it. You have to do that lap after lap.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “We will have that little bit less racing experience under our belt going to Road America than we thought we would have when we were looking at the schedule at the start of the season. Road America is a great track with a lot to really like and enjoy about it. It’s a driver’s favorite for sure. You go up and down the pitlane and everyone raves about it. It generates great racing. Having tested the Corvette C8.R there for the first time and now what we’ve achieved with the team and our partners at Michelin, I think we’ll have a solid car there and it’s something I’m really looking forward to driving in and competing with.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It’s crazy that it’s been two years since we drove the C8.R for the first time. I’m definitely excited to get back to Road America. I didn’t have a lot of laps for that first test, but I still remember it pretty well. Obviously, the C8.R has moved on development-wise quite a bit since that first test. It’s not like we’re going there with a completely brand new car, but going there with the testing we’ve done, the racing we’ve done and knowledge that we’ve gained, it will be fun to back there with this new car. We were really excited at that first test with what the potential of what the car had to offer at that point and what it could be. Now with all the development that’s gone on, that excitement hasn’t gone away. It’ll be fun to go back to Road America with this car that has moved on with all the updates we’ve done. Any opportunity to drive a race car like this after the five months is exciting for sure. It’s even better go drive it at a place like Road America.”

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2020 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTLM Standings
(After Three of 11 Events)

Driver Standings
1. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 95
2. Earl Bamber/Laurens Vanthoor – 94
3. Jesse Krohn/John Edwards – 86
4. Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 85
5. Fred Makowiecki/Nick Tandy – 85

Team Standings
1. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 95
2. No. 912 Porsche GT Team – 94
3. No. 24 BMW Team RLL – 86
4. No. 4 Corvette Racing – 85
5. No. 911 Porsche GT Team – 85

Manufacturer Standings
1. Chevrolet – 100
2. Porsche – 96
3. BMW – 95
4. Ferrari – 28

Corvette Racing at Road America
2002
No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GTS (Fellows pole; Gavin fastest race lap)
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins – 1st in GTS

2003
No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GTS
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins – 5th in GTS (Gavin pole, fastest race lap)

2004
No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GTS
No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GTS (Beretta pole, fastest race lap)

2005
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT1
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1 (Gavin pole, Beretta fastest race lap)

2006
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 1st in GT1
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GT1 (Gavin fastest race lap)

2007
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap)
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1

2008
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 3rd in GT1 (Gavin pole, fastest race lap)

2009
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 3rd in GT2
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 6th in GT2

2010
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Johnny O’Connell – 4th in GT2
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GT2 (Gavin pole, fastest race lap)

2011
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner – 14th in GT
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 5th in GT

2012
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 6th in GT
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GT

2013
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 2nd in GT
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 3rd in GT

2014
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 6th in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTLM

2015
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTLM

2016
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 6th in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GTLM (5th to 1st in final 15 minutes)

2017
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM

2018
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLM (Garcia fastest race lap)
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 2nd in GTLM

2019
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM (Gavin pole, Milner fastest race lap)

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: By the Numbers
• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 20 years: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette.
• 3: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at Road America since 2004 – Corvette C5-R (2002-2004), Corvette C6.R (2005-13) and Corvette C7.R (2016-19). The 2020 event will be the first race appearance for the mid-engine Corvette C8.R.
• 4: Number of cars Tommy Milner passed in the final 15 minutes of the 2016 Road America race. He and Oliver Gavin went on to win in class and capture the GTLM title.
• 4: Road America wins for Oliver Gavin, the most among active IMSA drivers.
• 7: Number of victories at Road America for Corvette Racing, the most of any entrant in IMSA.
• 8: Pole positions at Road America for Corvette Racing by four different drivers.
• 8: Number of drivers who have won races at Road America for Corvette Racing – Gavin (four); Olivier Beretta (three); Johnny O’Connell (two); and Kelly Collins, Ron Fellows, Magnussen, Milner and Andy Pilgrim (one each).
• 8: As in Chevrolet’s small-block V8. More than 100 million units have been sold worldwide and is the most successful engine in American motorsports.
• 10: Fastest race laps for Corvette Racing drivers at Road America, including four by Gavin and one by Magnussen. Tommy Milner was the quickest driver in the 2019 GTLM race.
• 12: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001.
• 18: Number of GT Le Mans wins in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing since the start of 2014.
• 24: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen.
• 29: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999.
• 109: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 101 in North America and eight at Le Mans.
• 230: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999.
• 11,075.38: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 18 previous trips to Road America. That represents 2,728 laps or more than 93 trips across Lake Michigan.
• 305,357.40: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history – covered “just” 248,655 miles.
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

van der Zande, Briscoe and the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R team looking for its first Road America Race Win

By
Official Release
-

Elkhart Lake, Wis. (July 28, 2020) The 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season continues at Road America this weekend with a two-hour, 40-minute sprint race at the longest road course on the schedule. Renger van der Zande and Ryan Briscoe will co-pilot the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R around the 14-turn, 4.048-mile circuit focused on a Wisconsin victory, something that has long eluded the team.

The 2020 season began on an especially high note with the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac team winning the highly coveted Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance classic for the third time in four years. After a break due to the pandemic, the team has come back strong with a fifth-place finish at the July 4th Daytona sprint race and the second-place finish at the Cadillac Grand Prix of Sebring two weeks ago. The team is currently tied at 92 points with Mazda’s Oliver Jarvis and Tristan Nunez. With its win of the 58th Rolex 24 at DAYTONA, the team has leader rights.

Though the No. 10 Konica Minolta team holds a solid track record at Road America with three podiums and five top-five finishes led at Road America, the team will be focused this weekend not only on its first Wisconsin win but also staying in the top spot in the Championship while distancing itself from the competition.

“We had a relatively good race at Sebring a couple weeks ago,” commented team owner Wayne Taylor. “It brought up back to the top of the leader board, but the championship race is going to be close and tough all season long. Road America is always a great event for everyone, we love racing there even though we’ve never won a race there. This year, we’re going to try but it’s all about the championship right now!”

2020 IMSA SportsCar Weekend practice begins on Friday, July 31st at 5:35 p.m. EST. On Saturday, DPi-class qualifying will be live on IMSA.TV at 3:40 p.m. EST, with live timing and scoring available at IMSA.com and via the IMSA mobile app. Green flag for Sunday’s two-hour, 40-minute race is 12:05 p.m. ET with live coverage beginning on NBC at 12:00 p.m. ET.
RENGER VAN DER ZANDE, No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R
“We’re leading the championship, but it’s close as we are tied in the points. Road America is not a racetrack where the Cadillac is at its strongest, we have lacked top speed for the past couple of years on the straights. On the other hand, Road America has always been a race where we are always working on a great strategy. We almost won the race but had to do a splash and dash in the pit stop. Those are the races where you might not be the quickest but can win off of strategy. We’re aiming to take advantage of every opportunity this weekend.”

RYAN BRISCOE, No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R
“This is always one of my favorite races of the year where I’ve been lucky enough to have lots of success over the years. I have always called this a home race because of all the local support from my wife’s family, so it’s extra important to do well!! We’ll be pushing really hard for another strong result and I can’t wait for things to get started this Friday.”

2020 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – DPi
1. Renger van der Zande/ Ryan Briscoe 92
2. Oliver Jarvis/ Tristan Nunez 92
3. Joao Barbosa/ Sebastien Bourdais 90
4. Harry Tincknell/ Jonathan Bomarito 86
5. Pipo Derani 85

Team Standings
1. No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R 92
2. No. 77 Mazda Motorsports 92
3. No. 5 JDC-Miller MotorSports 90
4. No. 55 Multimatic Motorsports 86
5. No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing 85

Manufacturer Standings
1. Cadillac 102
2. Mazda 99
3. Acura 90

About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is reshaping and revolutionizing the Workplace of the Future™ with its expansive smart office product portfolio from IT Services (All Covered), ECM, Managed Print Services and industrial and commercial print solutions. Konica Minolta has been recognized as the #1 Brand for Customer Loyalty in the MFP Office Copier Market by Brand Keys for twelve consecutive years, and is proud to be ranked on the Forbes 2017 America’s Best Employers list. The World Technology Awards recently named the company a finalist in the IT Software category. Konica Minolta, Inc. has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for eight consecutive years. It partners with its clients to give shape to ideas and work to bring value to our society. For more information, please visit us online and follow Konica Minolta on Facebook, YouTube, Linked In and Twitter. Konica Minolta, as title sponsor, highlights Wayne Taylor Racing’s existing lineup of partners that also features Cadillac V-Performance Racing, AMETEK Electronic Systems Protection (ESP /SurgeX) and Powervar, and CIT.

NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings-Kansas

By
Briar Starr
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Derek Kraus, driver of the #19 ENEOS Toyota, and Matt Crafton, driver of the #88 Ideal Door/Menards Ford, lead the field during the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Kansas 200 at Kansas Speedway on July 24, 2020 in Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images

Kansas Speedway was the site of the first doubleheader in NASCAR Truck Series history and the first for the track itself and featured some great racing action across the two races. 

After three years, Matt Crafton finally got it done and piloted the No. 88 Menards Ford F-150 to his third Kansas win. Crafton punched his ticket into the Playoffs and will be able to chase for his fourth Truck Series title. The Californian led the final 23 laps after an eventful third stage in the E.P.T. 200. 

Before Crafton picked up the victory in Saturday’s event, Austin Hill and his No. 16 Hattori Racing team grabbed the checkers in Friday night’s outing for his first victory of the 2020 Truck Series season. Hill led a race-high of 65 laps before the Georgian took home the fifth win of his career. 

With Hill and Crafton picking up victories in the doubleheaders, many Truck Series regulars had solid outings in the first race, while the same ones didn’t have as much luck in race No. 2. 

Here are this week’s Power Rankings following the Blu-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 200 and the E.P.T 200 at Kansas Speedway. 

  1. Matt Crafton – A no-brainer here. The ThorSport driver notched his first win after a thrilling battle with Christian Eckes late in the going. Crafton managed stage finishes of third and second before getting the victory. In Friday’s race, he came home in the fourth position after randomly drawing 17th via owner points. His stage finishes weren’t quite as strong. Crafton finished fifth in Stage 1 and barely missed out on the top 10 in Stage 2, placing 13th. All in all, not a bad weekend for the No. 88 Menards team who finally snapped a three-year winless streak. Now it will be interesting to see if Crafton and company can be a strong contender for the championship once again.

    Previous Week Ranking – Second
  2. Christian Eckes – Eckes followed through with another top-five finish at Kansas, at least in the second outing, when he fell just .324 seconds short of winning his first NASCAR race. The New York native was somewhat quiet in the second race of the weekend, only leading six laps, and finishing fourth and ninth in the stages. However, the result was a much better finish than Friday’s race, as Eckes would struggle after drawing first and bringing the No. 18 machine home in the 13th position. Regardless, Eckes made up for the disappointing finish on Friday night and earned his third top-five of the season.

    Previous Week Ranking – First
  3. Zane Smith – Smith once again had a great weekend at Kansas, notwithstanding his run-in with his teammate (more on that later). The Californian shined in both events leading 17 laps in Friday’s event (finishing eighth and third in both stages) and sweeping the stages in Saturday’s race. Unfortunately, Smith would be the cause of the accident on Lap 95 when he got loose off Turn 4 and made contact with the two GMS Racing teammates (Brett Moffitt and Tyler Ankrum), thus ending their day early. Smith would also receive slight front end damage to his No. 21 machine. Despite the incident, he was able to bring the truck home to a top 10 (Smith’s sixth of the year), but his teammates might make it tough on him as the season wears on.

    Previous Week Ranking – Third
  4. Ben Rhodes- Rhodes overall had a consistent weekend after finishes of seventh and fifth in the doubleheader. Following the two races, the Kentucky native led just four laps but picked up some much needed points when Rhodes finished ninth and second in the stages of Friday’s race. Unfortunately, he would not pick up any points in either stage for Saturday’s outing but was able to manage track position and get the No. 99 Tenda Heel Ford F-150 to a top-five finish. Though, there is still some work to be done in the No. 99 team as they still do not have a win.

    Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
  5. Derek Kraus – Kraus showed great promise and speed this weekend at Kansas Speedway. In the Blu-Emu 200, he placed sixth and fifth in both stages, respectively, and gained stage finishes again in Saturday’s race. Overall, the Billy McAnally driver earned finishes of fifth and seventh following the two events. Not bad for missing your high school graduation. 

    Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked

Fell Out 

  1. Brett Moffitt – The Iowan would have had a good run at the 1.5-mile speedway, but a crash involving three teammates dashed his hopes on Lap 95 in Saturday’s E.P.T. 200. Up until that point, Moffit won Stage 1 in Friday’s showing and placed third in the second stage for Saturday’s efforts. While he did bring home the No. 23 Destiny Homes Ford second in the first race, Moffitt was credited with a 27th place finish in Saturday’s race.

    Previous Week Ranking – Fourth 

Maurice Petty, NASCAR Hall of Fame member, dies at 81

By
Angie Campbell
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CHARLOTTE, NC - MAY 22,: (L-R) Richard Petty congratulates Maurice Petty after being nominated to the NASCAR Hall of Fame at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on May 22, 2013 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/NASCAR via Getty Images)

In a statement released Saturday, the NASCAR community learned that Maurice Petty had passed away.

“The Petty family announces with great sadness the loss of Maurice Petty, who died peacefully on Saturday, July 25, 2020. Maurice, a stock-car racing pioneer whose career supplied the horsepower that propelled Petty Enterprises to victories, passed away surrounded by family earlier this morning. He was 81 years old.”

In 2014 Petty was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame for his accomplishments as an engine builder. He played an integral role in the success of his brother, Richard Petty, who achieved 200 Cup Series wins and seven Cup Series championships. He also built winning engines for Buddy Baker, Pete Hamilton and Jim Paschal.

He was the fourth member of the Petty dynasty to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, following his brother Richard, his father Lee Petty and his cousin, Dale Inman.

Known to all as ‘Chief’, he was widely considered one of the best engine builders in the history of NASCAR. Petty began his career as a driver, with 26 starts in NASCAR’s premier series that included seven top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. But he soon realized his true calling as an engine builder.

When Maurice was voted into the Hall of Fame, Richard Petty said that without his brother, “there wouldn’t have been a Richard Petty or a Lee Petty or a Dale Inman accomplishing the things that (we) did accomplish. He is the engine man that everybody has to compete against.”

In 2013, Maurice spoke about his journey in the sport.

“I was one of the first (engine builders), so it makes you like a pioneer or something,” he said. “We had three or four guys helping out, but not the whole time. We did it the hard way.

“I came along and I have welded, swept the floors and I drove. I did it all up until a point — in 1964, that’s when I turned it all into building the engines.”

Jim France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO, said in a statement, “The ‘Chief’ was one of the most talented mechanics in NASCAR history. He provided the power that helped Petty Enterprises define dominance in sports. While he was known for his work under the hood, Maurice played multiple “behind-the-scenes” roles, doing whatever it took to help deliver his cars to Victory Lane. On behalf of the France family, I offer my condolences to the friends and family of Maurice Petty, a true NASCAR giant.”

5 Common Injuries You Get From A Car Accident

By
SM
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closeup of bandaged arm with blue wrecked car

Getting involved in a serious car accident can be traumatic, especially if there are injuries involved. These injuries usually range from minor bruises and cuts to severe physical damages that might change your life forever. If the collision has severely hurt you, your injuries might require long-term medication, rehabilitation, and therapy for many weeks or months. Consequently, you might be unable to work and cause a lot of financial stress for you and your family.  You might prefer the comfort of your own home with in-home care from https://www.careforfamily.com.au/ to help you recover from your injuries.

Here are the five common injuries you get from this unfortunate event: 

  1. Traumatic Brain Injuries

Generally, motor vehicle accidents can cause traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). They’re injuries that involve bruising, bleeding, tearing, and other damages to the brain. Also, a TBI can be a mild concussion or severe brain damage that can lead to permanent disability or death. 

Below are the common signs or symptoms of a traumatic brain injury:

  • Headache
  • Dizziness or loss of balance
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Loss of consciousness for a few seconds to minutes
  • Problems with speech

Thus, when your head hits the windshield or any part of the car with a strong force during an accident, you might sustain a traumatic brain injury that needs to be checked immediately to avoid further problems. Moreover, having a moderate or severe TBI might require you to spend a large amount of money on funding a lengthy recovery. 

If you believe another driver has caused the collision, resulting in your brain injury, you should consult a lawyer to know more information about your legal options. 

  1. Neck And Whiplash Injuries

Another type of injury that you can get from a car accident is neck and whiplash injuries. Primarily, whiplash is an injury in the neck muscles, spinal discs, and ligaments caused by a sudden bumping motion. Meaning, the accident’s impact has caused the stretching of the neck muscles and tendons beyond their normal range. 

When you experience neck pain and stiffness right after the collision, it can indicate that you’ve sustained a neck or whiplash injury. Depending on the impact, this injury can cause temporary or permanent disability. In such a case, get yourself checked right away to avoid life-threatening problems. 

  1. Spinal Cord Injuries

Like TBI, spinal cord injuries are also one of the most common injuries caused by motor vehicle collisions. These usually involve any type of damage to your disks between the vertebrae, muscles, and tendons due to a strong impact of the accident. This can include strained, sprained, and ruptured disks. 

Moreover, when you get a serious spinal cord injury, you might be susceptible to paralysis and loss of function in some areas of your body, which can affect your ability to work for a living. When this happens, you should seek assistance from reliable car accident lawyers to help you pursue compensation against the at-fault party. 

  1. Fractures

After getting involved in a vehicular accident, you might also get fractures around your body. For example, when your bone is bent, cracked, driven into each other, shattered, or pierced to the skin due to a forceful impact, it can be a sign that you’re suffering from fractures.

While minor fractures don’t require a lengthy recovery period, the most severe ones, on the other hand, might need surgery to realign or immobilize the broken bone. However, in doing so, you should stay in bed for weeks, and this can mean lost wages and loss of capacity to earn on your end. To help you recover financially, hiring a great personal injury lawyer can be an excellent idea. They can provide valuable legal advice and help you understand your legal options. 

  1. Burns

When you get in contact with hot parts of your car in an accident, you might sustain burns. Typically, serious burns from a vehicle collision can damage your skin’s deep tissue, which may result in scarring and might need years of expensive treatment and medication. Moreover, when you inhale smoke from a fire caused by a collision, it can lead to lung damage. 

Final Thoughts

Indeed, being an injured victim can be a traumatic experience, especially if you don’t know what to do after the car accident. But, this doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world for you, and you can’t move forward with your life anymore. As long as you get yourself checked by a medical professional following an accident, there’s a high chance that you can get back to your normal routine in no time. Just focus on your recovery and never allow your injuries to take a toll on you.

Four Takeaways from the NASCAR Truck Series races at Kansas

By
Briar Starr
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Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The Truck Series put on two great races this past Friday and Saturday in the heartland of the Midwest at Kansas Speedway. The track made some history by hosting two back-to-back Truck Series races, the first in its 19-year span. 

Nobody knew what to expect from the two races since 1.5 milers can sometimes be uneventful, but Kansas put on a great show. Sure, in Friday’s race, there was more green flag action than yellows, but no driver was really ever able to check out over second place. Hill only led 65 of the scheduled 167 laps in Friday’s effort, while Crafton led just 23 laps before getting his first win of the season. While the results may show a driver leading the most laps of the two races, there were consistent battles for the lead. And of course, rookie Christian Eckes made the veteran Crafton work for his victory.

While Hill and Crafton enjoyed their victories, there were some notables in the field such as Travis Pastrana making his first NASCAR return in years. The Maryland native replaced Ross Chastain in the No. 40 for the Saturday race. Hoping for a strong outing, Pastrana had a difficult showing after having a flat tire ending his day. 

After a historic doubleheader, two Truck Series regulars punched their ticket into the Playoffs and took two more spots in the playoff grid. 

With those stories to focus on as the season wears on and the Playoffs inching closer, we take a look at four things we might have missed or need to revisit following this weekend’s Truck Series action. 

  1. Travis Pastrana Returns – We may have already noted this, but Travis Pastrana making his return to NASCAR was special. He last made a start in 2017 at the Las Vegas race driving for Niece Motorsports. Pastrana had high hopes of potentially being the story at the end of the day in victory lane. Unfortunately, he never got the chance to shine, due to having a right-rear tire go down with 10 to go in the first stage. The day would only get worse for Pastrana, as he would go sliding through the grass off Turn 4 after his teammate Natalie Decker took the air off of him. Pastrana came home in the 22nd position, two laps down.
  2. Austin Wayne Self Gets Best Finish of the Season – The AM Racing team continues to fly under the radar after a couple of weeks of finishing inside the top 20. After securing a best finish of 14th at Texas a week ago, Wayne Self and the No. 22 team had momentum on their side and looked to carry that through Kansas. While Friday’s event didn’t go so well (finishing 17th), the Texan earned his best finish of the 2020 season Saturday afternoon, placing 13th. Leaving the team somewhat satisfied, they will now focus on trying to get their first top 10 of the season when the Truck Series rolls into Michigan a couple of weeks from now.
  3. Brennan Poole Has Consistent Effort – It’s not very often you talk about Poole and the No. 30 OnPoint Motorsports team, but after this weekend the team has a right to be mentioned in your conversation with a race fan. Poole obtained two 12th place finishes after the two races at Kansas, collecting his best finishes of the season as well. Before this weekend, Poole only had a season-best of 17th. However, the Steven Lane owned team can have a little confidence after placing sixth in Stage 1 for Saturday’s race, and being consistent after such a tight turnaround following Friday.
  4. Ryan Huff Grabs Respectable Finish – The Virginia native saw a respectable 19th place finishing position after a crazy hectic race on Saturday. Huff stayed out of trouble and kept pace in the field with the No. 00 Reaume Brothers Racing Toyota. Sure, while the finish came a lap down, the 19-year-old brought the Josh Reaume entry home with a clean truck.

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: Pre-Race Media Conference Transcript

By
Official Release
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IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
ROAD AMERICA
IMSA SPORTSCAR WEEKEND
PRE-RACE MEDIA AVAILABILITY TRANSCRIPT
JULY 27, 2020

Corvette Racing drivers Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor (No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R) met with members of the media during a Zoom conference call Monday to discuss their GT Le Mans championship lead, progress of the mid-engine Corvette C8.R and the outlook for the IMSA SportsCar Weekend event at Road America, among other topics. FULL TRANSCRIPT:

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R
ROAD AMERICA WAS THE FIRST TRACK WHERE YOU TESTED THE CORVETTE C8.R. CAN YOU CONTRAST WHAT THE CAR FELT LIKE BACK IN 2018 AND HOW IT IS NOW?
“I hope it’s very different, although back then it was already very good. I saw this morning an in-car video of the C8.R around Road America, and that makes you think about how much the car has developed in almost two years. It already was really good back then so obviously now it should be even better. So I’m really looking forward to Friday and the first practice to see what it feels like. I was at the Chevy simulator late last week, and it felt really good. We need to doublecheck and see how it feels come Friday on the racetrack.”

WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED SINCE THE BREAK, AND WHY HAS THE TEAM BEEN ON SUCH A HOT STREAK?
“At the Rolex 24, we were good but that was hidden by little mistakes and issues we had toward the finish. We had been competitive for the first 20 hours but had a few little things going on with the car because it was very new. The pace was there but we weren’t able to fight for the win at the end. Each month, there is a ton of development and we continue to show that. Even when we weren’t on the track, we continued to develop the C8.R.”

DOES RUNNING THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE WITH NASCAR INTEREST YOU?
“Definitely it does. I love racing and I love racing in different series, so I’d like to have a go in this one. With no practice or anything until the race, maybe it would be a little bit of risk for the driver or the team. But I think we should open up our minds a little bit to see if it leads to more IMSA guys going to NASCAR. It would be very good for both series.”

IN THE U.S., WE KIND OF GO BIG FOR A 40TH BIRTHDAY. WERE YOU ABLE TO DO ANYTHING BIG WHEN YOU WERE IN SPAIN OR IS IT NOT AS BIG A DEAL?
“It is for sure. I had a little party because back then in June we were open a little bit in Spain. The amount of people you could gather was very small. We had a little dinner and little party with not even 20 people. It was good fun but as you said, this is a new chapter. I didn’t really have time to really enjoy what happens when you turn 40 but so far, I’m just living my new life here in America over the last five weeks! But I’m looking forward to getting back to Spain next week and seeing my family.”

WAS IT FIVE WEEKS SINCE THE LAST TIME YOU WERE ABLE TO BE HOME?
“Yes. We flew here on June 18 so it’s already five-and-a-half weeks… if not more. I’ve lost track of that! For sure it’s the longest amount of time I’ve been away from my family and kids. Luckily, we’ve had good results to go with that and show the kids some trophies! But yeah, it’s been tough. My kids are six and four… at least I didn’t miss their birthdays! Luckily my oldest had a birthday right before I left Spain, so at least I managed to be there for that. I’m looking forward to getting back.”

TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE IN DYNAMIC WHEN YOU’RE RACING YOUR TEAMMATE FOR A WIN COMPARED TO A BMW OR PORSCHE. HOW MUCH RISK DO YOU TAKE?
“For sure you need to be more careful than when you fight another manufacturer. The car was feeling really good and I just kept doing my job. I knew I was closing up to Tommy (Milner) and I’d get to him with almost no laps left in the race. Fighting your own car is probably the worst because your weakness is their weakness, and you don’t have anything on top of the other car, whereas you might when you fight another manufacturer. We might find ourselves in that situation again later on the year, but this is what Corvette Racing wants. I hope we can fight more in those positions and I hope for it to be the other way around and defending from the 4 Corvette. It felt nice to be chasing the leader and it being a teammate.”

AT ROAD AMERICA, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR FROM THE SETUP AND IT IS IT IN THE CAR’S WHEELHOUSE FROM WHAT YOU’VE SEEN?
“As Jordan said earlier, tire degradation is always a key thing at Road America. This new Corvette should be a little bit better on that compared to the C7.R. Porsche was strong last year and they obviously are going to be strong again. At Sebring, they showed really good pace behind us. With BMW getting a break, it will be difficult to fight them. That will create different speeds at different parts of the track where each car will be strong. We will see where everything lines up, but for sure that should be interesting.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R
TALK ABOUT THE MOMENTUM YOU AND ANTONIO HAVE GOING INTO ROAD AMERICA AND LEADING THE GTLM CHAMPIONSHIP.
“It’s amazing that we’ve come out so strong after the quarantine period. No one really knew what to expect after being off months; it was longer than a normal offseason without any real testing or racing. Everyone went in with that unexpected feel. It shows a lot for what Corvette Racing is about and the preparation it does behind the scenes. Even though no one could go to the race shop, the engineers were working from home and made huge strides on the C8.R… and doing development on it from home. We went back to Daytona and obviously had a good race there with the win and then went back to Sebring where we were able to do a two-day test there before the quarantine and one simulator test when that period opened back up. For us it was an unknown for us because it was the first non-Daytona track where we were competing against all the other teams. Daytona is so unique in that you can stack up well at that track and have that not be relevant anywhere else. So it was promising that we were able to get the pole. The car was amazing all race weekend, and I think we’ve shown we can be competitive on all different kinds of tracks. I’m really looking for this one at Road America.”

ANY UPDATES ON YOUR EFFORTS TO RUN NASCAR ON THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE?
“Nope, I’m still in the same spot. I’ve tried for the past six or seven years. I had a close relationship with Childress for six years in running their engines in prototypes and having a lot of success with them. Unfortunately nothing worked out in any of these years but I’m still trying. It would be nice. Like Antonio said, it would be risky now with no practice but anytime an opportunity comes up to do one of the road courses then it would be a lot of fun.”

WE’VE SEEN THE BOP COME OUT FOR ROAD AMERICA. ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE BMWs IN PARTICULAR? THEY SEEM TO HAVE GOTTEN QUITE A BREAK IN BOTH POWER AND WEIGHT.
“Road America is definitely a power track, so I think that will be pretty major when we go there. We saw at the Rolex that they had a pretty big power advantage where they were able to drive around most competitors. I’m not sure where their loss of performance was at the Daytona and Sebring sprint races compared to the Rolex but going to Road America that change should benefit them. I feel like we had a good car over the long run as well at Sebring. Road America often has a big tire degradation part to it, so for us that could be a big part of the race strategy-wise. I have a lot of faith regardless in everyone at Corvette Racing.”

DO YOU THINK PORSCHE WOULD BE YOUR STRONGEST COMPETITOR OR THE BMW? OR IS IT TOO EARLY TO SAY?
“It’s too early to say. For us in the Corvette, as Antonio said we tested a couple of years ago at Road America with this car. At Sebring we were able to test, and obviously we had a lot of laps at Daytona. Road America is a new one for us and we are going in open-minded with a bit of an unknown. Friday will be a big test for us.”

AFTER THE POLE RUN AT SEBRING, THERE WAS SOME CROSSOVER BETWEEN THE GTLM CARS AND THE TAIL-END OF THE P2 FIELD WITH SOME LESS-EXPERIENCED DRIVERS STARTING THAT RACE. HOW FRUSTRATING WAS THAT, AND HOW CAN YOU MANAGE THAT ANY DIFFERENTLY IF YOU’RE ON POLE AGAIN?
“It’s definitely frustrating. We qualified within a second of the back two guys in P2. As soon as I saw that result, I talked to Beaux (Barfield, IMSA Race Director) to see what we could do or even separate the field a little bit… not even have separate starts but get a gap, but he said we couldn’t do that. I knew someone was going to take a risk to try and pass one of those P2s at the start. I was hoping to get one going into Turn One but he was able to carry a bit more speed into the corner but braked very early for Turn Three, which bottled me up and allowed two guys to get by me. It’s definitely frustrating but at the same time they’re out there having fun and supporting the sport and helping it grow. But it would be nice if there was some separation or a way to get around that issue.”

WHEN YOU WERE RUNNING WITH YOUR BROTHER FOR YOUR DAD’S TEAM, YOU ALWAYS RAN WELL AT ROAD AMERICA BUT SOMETHING ALWAYS HAPPENED TO KEEP YOU FROM VICTORY. WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO GET THAT WIN AT ROAD AMERICA WITH CORVETTE?
“I’d definitely like it. The sad part with Wayne Taylor Racing is that one of our mechanics who had worked with my dad since the early 1990s and still does the driver changes had never won at Road America, either. That was always a big one on our list every year – the Rolex 24, Sebring, Petit Le Mans with Road America up there to get him that win. We finished on the podium a few times, and a lot of those were fuel mileage races that never worked out. Looking at the last two races for Corvette, we’ve had pace and strategy on our side. I have a lot of confidence going in there. The BoP will be interesting to see how it plays out, but also having Antonio in the car is something I couldn’t ask much more going into it.”

TRADITIONALLY THIS RACE FALLS IN THE STRETCH RUN OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP. IT’S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS TIME AROUND. DOES THAT CHANGE THE DYNAMIC AND APPROACH?
“For me, it’s been a bit different for me in GTLM already. With how close the points are, you can’t afford to take a big risk. There are few cars so if there is a big points swing, it’s hard to gather that back. Maybe running these consistent finishes and going for podiums is a smart way to go. If you take a risk and end up sixth, the points swing to the guys you’re racing for the championship with is pretty big and hard to claw back. For us, we have to race smart and take the wins if they are falling their way but not fight for a victory if it’s not in the cards and is too risky.”

DO YOU TYPICALLY ALWAYS FIND YOURSELF IN A SITUATION WHERE ONE DRIVER IS SAVING FUEL SO THE OTHER CAN GO, OR ARE YOU BOTH SAVING FUEL SO AT THE RIGHT TIME EITHER ONE CAN GO?
“At Daytona we saved a lot of fuel on the 3 car side and the 4 went on a different strategy and obviously it fell our way. If there had been a yellow late in the race, it would have gone the 4 team’s way. That’s kind of how we play it inside the team, where the engineers are communicating during the race what we want to do. At Sebring in that first stint when I was running third, I wasn’t going to be able to pass anyone so I did my own fuel savings. When I was out front, I did a little bit less to maintain the lead. Depending on where you are on track position, you run it a bit different. We’ve seen already this year how important fuel saving can be; we’ve seen that here and the last couple of years in IndyCar how powerful a fuel-saving stint can be.
“Thankfully we have a lot of smart guys in the pitlane who can do a lot of that for us. As a driver, you can do it as well when you’re in traffic. The drivability from the engine and the other work from the engineers during the quarantine period showed big results of performance gains not just in speed but also in efficiency.”
Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio will be open to fans and now features an INDYCAR doubleheader

By
Official Release
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59th season of racing continues in accordance with approved COVID-19 health and safety protocols including statewide mask mandate

LEXINGTON, Ohio (July 27, 2020) – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course will open its gates to spectators again on a limited basis for The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio on Aug. 7-9. The event is now a doubleheader weekend for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with 75-lap races on both Saturday, Aug. 8, and Sunday, Aug. 9, on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course in Lexington, Ohio.

The event will operate under the “Responsible RestartOhio” guidelines for COVID-19 after receiving approval from the local health department for limited spectator attendance. Tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Customers are encouraged to purchase online in advance at midohio.com. Motorhome and tent camping will also be permitted during the event. The grandstands, paddock and pits will not be open to spectators to adhere to social distancing guidelines.

In accordance with Ohio’s statewide mask mandate in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, spectators are required to wear facial coverings while on property. They will also be subject to a temperature check and health screening when entering the facility. Fans should visit midohio.com/covid19 for more information on the essential health and safety protocols. All spectators will enter the facility through Gate 1. Additional answers to common fan questions can be found at midohio.com/covid19faq as well as information for those spectators who had purchased grandstand seats, paddock and pit passes previously.

“Our team greatly appreciates the guidance and leadership of Morrow County Health Commissioner Stephanie Bragg working through the details with us on opening this event to a limited amount of spectators,” said Craig Rust, president of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. “It was great to have our fans out for the Vintage Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio in late June which utilized best practices for COVID-19 protocols, and we’re grateful that race weekend went well. The cooperation of following all the COVID-19 protocols by everyone in attendance will be important for a successful Honda Indy 200 event.”

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES will run its 36th and 37th races in its history at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The green flag will drop at 2:45 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Aug. 8, and then at 1:45 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Aug. 9. The weekend schedule will also feature doubleheader races for the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and tripleheader events for the Cooper Tires UF2000 Championship, both part of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires development ladder for open-wheel racing’s rising stars. The Global Mazda MX-5 Cup will also hold two races across the weekend.

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course offers one of the best family values in all of live sports and entertainment. Children 12 and under always receive free general admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Visit midohio.com for more information, and follow its Facebook page @MidOhioSportsCarCourse, Twitter @Mid_Ohio or Instagram @officialmidohio for the latest news.

ABOUT MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE
A comprehensive motorsports facility in Lexington, Ohio, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course sits on 330 acres and features a permanent road-racing circuit with two primary track configurations: 2.4-mile, 15-turn or 2.258-mile, 13-turn layout. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the natural terrain road course is commonly referred to as the “Most Competitive in the U.S.” and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally sanctioned race events for amateur, club and professional drivers and riders. It is also home to The Mid-Ohio School, featuring over 20 driving and riding courses, for teenagers to professional racers using Honda vehicles. Opened in 1962, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is owned and operated by Green Savoree Racing Promotions since 2011, just the raceway’s third private ownership group in its history.

For more information, visit midohio.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @MidOhioSportsCarCourse or follow updates on Twitter @Mid_Ohio and Instagram @officialmidohio.

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