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Newman Earns 13th-Place Finish in Texas

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Official Release
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FORT WORTH, Texas (July 19, 2020) – Ryan Newman hung tough in a flurry of late-race cautions to cross the line 13th in the Wyndham Rewards Ford Sunday afternoon at Texas Motor Speedway.

Newman – who started 15th after the random draw – found himself running inside the top five on two separate occasions and ultimately picked off multiple spots in the closing laps, which included a pair of late pit stops. The finish marks Newman’s third-straight top-15 at Texas, and seventh top-15 of the season.

After an uneventful opening set of laps, Newman was running 15th when green-flag stops began at lap 75, but ran out of fuel just prior to stopping at lap 87. He went on to close the stage in 27th, but overshot his pit stall, resulting in a one-lap penalty.

He would restart 30th, one lap down, but an immediate caution put him back on the lead lap at lap 116. Newman ran long in the stage, advancing up to third by the time stops cycled at lap 180. After pitting at lap 184 for two tires, Newman fell a lap off the leaders, but again was in the right position earning the free pass.

The South Bend, Indiana, native fired off 21st for the third segment, before a multi-car incident ensued at lap 218. After a red flag for cleanup, Newman pitted for four fresh tires and restarted inside the top-15. When another yellow was displayed at lap 243, Newman stayed out and put himself sixth on the restart.

He would do the same for another caution at lap 250, firing off fifth at lap 255. Newman hit pit road under green at lap 294 for two left-side tires, before the caution came out just after, trapping he and others one lap down. After taking the wave around, Newman ultimately battled through the closing laps to finish 13th.

Next up, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway for a Thursday night 400-mile event under the lights. Race coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, with coverage also on PRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.

KYLE BUSCH TAKES VICTORY, KBM FINISHES 1-2 IN VANKOR 350

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Official Release
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  • Kyle Busch Motorsports goes 1-2 with career-best second-place finish for teammate Christian Eckes
  • Third straight Truck Series win for Kyle Busch Motorsports at Texas Motor Speedway

FORT WORTH, Texas (JUNE 18, 2020) – Kyle Busch bounced back from a disappointing disqualification in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race to win a hard-fought battle under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway against his Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) teammate Christian Eckes in the Vankor 350 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race.

The Vankor 350 was rescheduled from its original March 27 date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Busch led five times for 72 laps, including 32 of the final 33, in the No. 51 KBM Toyota en route to his series-leading 59th victory by 0.777-of-a-second ahead of his 19-year-old rookie protégé who earned his career-best series finish in the No. 18 KBM Toyota.

“Overall, just real proud of the effort by Christian Eckes and that Safelite Autoglass Tundra that he’s driving with Rudy Fugle (Eckes crew chief) and those guys,” said Busch. “They’re getting their chemistry better and better and they challenged for a win tonight. Real proud of them, but wanted to go out on a high here with our Cessna Beechcraft Tundra.”

It was Busch’s fifth Gander Trucks win at No Limits, Texas. His previous trips to SpeedyCash.com Victory Lane include three in the fall (2009, 2010, 2014) and one in spring 2019. Tonight’s win made it three straight for KBM at Texas Motor Speedway after former NASCAR Cup Series driver Greg Biffle, driving last June in a one-off for KBM in the SpeedyCash.com 400, earned his first Gander Trucks win since 2001 in his first series race since 2004.

The balance of the top-10 finishers were Matt Crafton, Stewart Friesen, Brett Moffitt, Tyler Ankrum, Justin Haley, Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes and Ross Chastain.

Two-time Texas Motor Speedway Stadium Super Trucks winner Sheldon Creed paced the field to the green flag and the first seven laps of the evening’s 167-lap race before relinquishing the lead to Busch who started fourth. Busch led five laps before rookie Zane Smith moved his No. 21 GMS Chevy to the top spot for the next 22 circuits. Busch then moved back to the point on Lap 35 to earn the Stage 1 victory.

Eckes led the first lap of Stage 2 before his boss and team owner reclaimed the top spot for the next 23 circuits.

On Lap 63, five-time TMS Gander Trucks winner Johnny Sauter sustained damage to his No. 13 Thorsport Racing Ford that brought out the caution. That resulting pit stops and shuffling of the deck for the restart allowed Moffitt to move his No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet to the front and earn the Stage 2 victory.

Busch and Eckes were the class of the field in the final stage of the race, leading 76 of the remaining 87 laps including the final 33. However, a late caution created a 10-lap dash to the finish between teacher and student

Busch led on the restart on Lap 158 but Eckes clawed his way back to the front on the next lap. The lead turned out to be short-lived, however, as Busch reclaimed the top spot for good on Lap 160.

There were 15 lead changes among seven drivers and five cautions for 26 laps.

Toyota Racing NGROTS Post-Race Recap — Texas 7.18.20

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Official Release
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KYLE BUSCH WINS AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Kyle Busch won his 59th NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race Saturday evening at Texas Motor Speedway

FORT WORTH, Texas (July 18, 2020) – Kyle Busch won his 59th-career NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race Saturday evening ahead of teammate and Rookie of the Year contender Christian Eckes.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series
Texas Motor Speedway
Race 8 of 23 – 167 Laps, 250.5 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, KYLE BUSCH
2nd, CHRISTIAN ECKES
3rd, Matt Crafton*
4th, STEWART FRIESEN
11th, DEREK KRAUS
12th, RAPHAEL LESSARD
20th, CLAY GREENFIELD
21st, SPENCER DAVIS
23rd, ANGELA RUCH
25th, AKINORI OGATA
30th, AUSTIN HILL
31st, BRENNAN POOLE
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

KYLE BUSCH, No. 51 Cessna Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 1st

How was the race tonight overall and were you concerned with the late-race caution?

“We had two late cautions today – both races, but this one was a little more for real I think. Overall, just real proud of the effort by Christian Eckes and that Safelite Autoglass Tundra that he’s driving with Rudy Fugle (Eckes crew chief) and those guys. They’re getting their chemistry better and better and they challenged for a win tonight. Real proud of them, but wanted to go out on a high here with our Cessna Beechcraft Tundra. I want to thank Toyota, TRD, Incredible Bank, Rowdy Energy and all of our partners. We lost a member of Rowdy Manufacturing this week essentially, Robert Hamke, who built super late model cars across the country, but in North Carolina for year. He just passed away this week and that’s essentially what Rowdy Manufacturing is now. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

What happened on pit road when you nearly turned into the wrong stall?

“I saw the 18 box and thought my number was 18 so I turned in.”

What was the battle like with Christian Eckes throughout the race?

“What can you say about Christian (Eckes), he’s getting better each week. Every time out, they get that chemistry going more and more with Rudy Fugle (Eckes crew chief) and those guys. Real proud of that Safelite Tundra running fast and being there to challenge us at the end. I wanted to make sure we went out on a win and take our Cessna Beechcraft Tundra to victory lane. I want to say thanks to Toyota, TRD and Incredible Bank. We lost a friend of ours this week, Robert Hamke, who was a super late model chassis builder for years out in North Carolina. That’s now what Rowdy Manufacturing is essentially. Real proud to be able to score this win with Rowdy Manufacturing and get Robert a win and see if we can’t go for another one tomorrow.”

How do you balance racing for the win with racing against a teammate?

“I try to be as respectful as I possibly can, but yet try to battle hard for the win. He (Christian Eckes) had a pretty good run on me there getting into turn three and almost cleared me. If he would have cleared me and slid me right there, it would have been over. Fortunately, I was able to just hang on his right rear. I try to hang on their right rear and just slow them down to make sure their progress doesn’t keep going and pass me. Once I feel like I’m even on momentum with them then I try to get away so I don’t suck them around. If I just stay on their door and stay too close, it’s obviously going to get him loose and either wreck him or wreck me or wreck both of us. You try to get away in those situations and not crash a guy.”

Does it bother you to have the win taken away from today’s Xfinity race?

“It’s bothersome, it pisses me off. We come out here and race and run hard and score a win and then it gets taken away from you and it sucks because it’s nothing we did. We even put another round in the right rear during the race in order to help the handling characteristic and the left rear was low. I don’t know. Again, there’s nothing I can do about it. You just kind of move on. I don’t know, I guess NASCAR wants me here longer.”

What were you referencing about making a mistake behind another truck?

“There’s little tiny mistakes all the time. Even at the end of the race there, the last two laps, I made a couple little mistakes, but it wasn’t big enough that anybody would really be able to tell. When I was running side-by-side with him (Christian Eckes), I was trying to get by him, but he was running a good line and he was doing exactly what he was supposed to do and running a really nice race. I just got really tight on the exit of turn four and hit those bumps and slid up and almost got into him. That would have been dumb to crash two of us right there. Fortunately, he hung onto it and I was able to hang onto it. The 21 (Zane Smith) passed me and then it wasn’t five laps later the 21 got super loose and about crashed, but held onto it. There was definitely some interesting moments and some tense moments there when us three were running up there like that.”

How satisfied are you with the performance of Christian Eckes and the 18 team?

“I’m real proud of the effort, I said that on TV after the race as well too. It’s really cool to see those guys run well, do well. Christian (Eckes) is a very quiet kid, but is a smart one and does a good job behind the wheel. Being able to see him run well at Pocono and then had a flat right rear, nothing that he really did that caused that and then spun out. Here tonight, ran strong, ran hard, was leading coming into the final stop and obviously with me and my track record of getting on and off pit road, we were able to get the lead from him. He did a great job on that final restart too and held on right there with us. Last week he was making some passes and making some moves at Kentucky before the rain came. I was hoping that race would go and finish to the end, but it just didn’t happen. Real proud that they’re getting their chemistry going and they’re getting a little bit better – him and Rudy (Fugle, Eckes crew chief). I think that will only get stronger. Then Raphael, been a little bit slower for him to get going, but he’s younger and he’s got less experience at some of these tracks. He doesn’t have as many ARCA starts as Eckes does. I was proud to see him up in the top-six here, I’m not sure where he ended up, but looking forward to him and (Mike) Hillman continuing to get stronger and that’s what it’s all about. They just have to build and get better. If there’s progress and you’re continuing to see some progress going upwards and your finishes going more towards the top, that’s where you need to be.”

What has made you so good at Texas Motor Speedway after the repave in the Truck Series?

“Our guys are just really good at what they do and they’ve done a great job at being able to put some fast Tundras underneath me. Real proud of the effort tonight with (Danny) Stockman (crew chief). Him and I, we almost went five-for-five this year. I think if we didn’t have the part failure at Charlotte and then some speeding issues at Atlanta, we probably could have done that. Still, it was nice to have another crew chief in the house. I haven’t worked with (Mike) Hillman, Jr. yet, but it’s nice to have another crew chief in the house that I feel like we can go out there and be competitive week in and week out. The 18 and the 51 ran together and fast so that was really cool for me. That was good and now me turning over the 51 to Chandler (Smith) and some other guys to cap off the rest of the year is going to be exciting for me to kind of see their growth and where they’re at. Obviously, knowing our program is good with this truck, bad news for them, they’ve got no excuses.”

Can you expand on the relationship with Robert Hamke and the connection with Rowdy Manufacturing?

“(Robert) Hamke was a super late model builder and he built cars for the old Southeast Tour when it was NASCAR and the Slim Jim All-Pro Series and all that sort of stuff. He built cars forever. He was always fast, always had great stuff and then when I started my super late model program in 2007, that’s who I started with. I had a Hamke car and we’ve all had Hamke cars over the years and worked on it and made it better and make it to where I wanted it and my standards of how I wanted things done. Then the last two years, I actually went off and built my own cars and didn’t have Hamke stuff anymore, but then another guy who I’m friends with, partners with, he came in and bought Robert out and paid for Robert’s building, paid for all his assets and bought all of Hamke Race Cars and Parts, essentially bought the business and then that guy wanted to build my cars at Hamke. Then we kind of joined forces and teamed up and I became partners in that deal. That’s kind of how it all transpired and where it’s at today. That location, the old Hamke building still build the late models and stuff right now and then the trucks and all that stuff is Rowdy Manufacturing, which is built out of the back of Kyle Busch Motorsports where we help out Shige Hattori Racing as well as Stewart Friesen and those guys.”

Is there an appeal option with the Xfinity ruling and do you understand how it happened?

“I don’t really understand what happened there. I don’t know why we would have been too low. Obviously, you start the cars in the green and then there’s a leeway, I don’t know if it’s three-eighths of an inch or what it is on the sticks before you fall into the red and we were a sixteenth into the red. It doesn’t make any sense to me. The only thing I can think of is when they’re allowed to unhook the shocks and they pull the front of the car up, they over-pulled the front of the car up, which dipped it on the left rear because the left rear spring is kind of soft and that lowered the left rear spoiler height where they check it all the way at the back of the car. That made it low. If the front was high – a half-inch high or whatever, they would have let it push the front down to minimum on the front, minimum legal, it probably would have picked the back up and the back would have been fine. Too many levers, too many things, too much bs that you have to go through. It would be nice to get rid of all the ride-height rules across all three series in my opinion.”

How difficult will the Truck Series doubleheader be next weekend and can KBM capitlize?

“It’s definitely an opportunity for us to capitalize on that. I feel like we’re pretty good where we’re at and you just have to take care of your stuff in the first race and not have any damage coming out of the first race to be good for the second race. I think we’re going to have Brandon Jones behind the wheel for both of the races in the 51 truck so he should do a really good job. He won his last start out at Pocono so hopefully him and (Danny) Stockman (crew chief) have a good idea of what they’re going to do and accomplish for Kansas next week. I’ll be running the Cup race on Thursday and peacing out for a halfway off week. I wish them the best of luck.”

CHRISTIAN ECKES, No. 18 Safelite Auto Glass Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 2nd

What is it like battling with Kyle Busch and coming so close to the win?

“We had such a good truck and thought we were going to win the race there. I came off pit road there after green flag pit stops and he (Kyle Busch) was a straightaway ahead of us. Our pit crew didn’t do anything wrong, he just did a good job getting onto pit road I guess. Hell of a run by the Safelite Autoglass Toyota Tundra and couldn’t be happier than that. We’re making strides, we’re right there and we’re where we need to be. We just need to put a full race together. This was a good run and my best career finish so we’ll move onto Kansas, a place I’ve won at before and hopefully win there.”

What is it like racing against Kyle Busch for the victory?

“I wish Kyle (Busch) picked a different race to go to. It was such a great day for our 18 Safelite Tundra team. I thought our truck was good enough to beat him, I just have to improve some things. Really proud of my team and ready to go to Kansas.”

What can you learn from racing with Kyle Busch throughout the race?

“There’s just a few things. It’s pretty damn cool to race side-by-side with him (Kyle Busch) like that. I just have to take better care of situations and figure out how to pass him. He’s really hard to pass. I was running behind him and he was moving all around. We’ll get back to the lab and try to get better.”

How was the race overall?

“The race went pretty well overall. First stage we were a little off handling-wise, but we got better in the second stage and beat Kyle (Busch) or passed Kyle. Led a bunch of laps and hit my marks on pit road or thought I did. Kyle was a straightaway ahead of me by the time I got out of the corner. It is what it is. We had a really fast Safelite Toyota Tundra and that’s all we could do. We’ll move forward to Kansas, a place I’ve won at.”

Did you think you did everything you could on the final restart?

“I definitely gave it my best effort. Looking back on it, there’s probably a few things I could have done and maybe been a little more aggressive side-drafting. I tried to clear him, but he’s just so damn good at the aero game and I’m not yet. Got a little learning to do for Kansas, but overall proud of this team and how we all ran today.”

Do you have to race Kyle Busch differently knowing he’s your boss?

“Not necessarily. I feel like you can race hard. I was laying on his quarter and he was laying on my quarter. It’s fun.”

STEWART FRIESEN, No. 52 Halmar ‘Racing to Beat Hunger’ Toyota Tundra, Halmar Friesen Racing

Finishing Position: 4th

How important was this top-five finish for your team?

“It was a defintely a challenge for us, Tripp (Bruce, crew chief) let me make a two-tire call in the first stage and we took lefts and I that really wasn’t the right answer. It got us some track position, but it really wasn’t what our Tundra needed. We fought free most of the race and then was able to get some wedge and trackbar, air pressure in it at the end and get a little bit of track position and get a good top five. First top five for the HFR organization out on our own. Proud of all of our guys, thanks to Chris Larson Hallmar, Drive to Beat Hunger, helpinglocal food bank here in Texas and just good deal all around. We’ve got a lot of great product sponsors and a lot of great guys on the team, so this is almost a win for us.”

How do you feel about tonight’s race result?

“That’s a win for us tonight, you know how our year has gone. It was a battle again tonight, we just fired off dead free, really loose and Tripp let me make a call for two left sides only on the first stage to get some track position. Then it was really, really free so that wasn’t the right call. We then got in and made a good wedge adjustment and then made some more trackbar, and air pressure. It was good, that third stage it fired off, we got rolling the outside passing good trucks and were rewarded with a top-five there.

Does a run like tonight’s run help that confidence moving forward in the season for you?

It helps, you know still have got a lot of questionshere. The whole change, our KBM chassis are beautiful trucks, beautiful bodies and with the TRD support we just got to connect all of the dots. All the stuff is there in front of us, but we’re just trying to figure it all out. Gather some good notes and kind of make sense of everything. We’re going in the right direction, we are learning more every race and at least we’ve got a top five to get rolling to the next one.”

# # #

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CINDRIC EARNS THIRD STRAIGHT XFINITY SERIES WIN AFTER BUSCH FAILS POST-RACE INSPECTION IN MY BARIATRIC SOLUTIONS 300

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Official Release
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  • Cindric earns first TMS victory and third consecutive series win in 2020
  • Busch was going for his 10th series win at No Limits, Texas

FORT WORTH, Texas (JULY 18, 2020) – Austin Cindric and his Team Penske Ford crossed the finish line directly behind Kyle Busch in the My Bariatric Solutions 300 but he was awarded the NASCAR Xfinity Series victory when Busch’s No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota failed post-race inspection at Texas Motor Speedway.

The victory was the third consecutive and fifth career series victory for the 21-year-old Columbus, Ohio, native. He won back-to-back July 9-10 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky.

The My Bariatric Solutions 300 was delayed from its original March 28 date due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Obviously, it’s great to be able to get the MoneyLion Ford Mustang in Victory Lane no matter how it happens” said Cindric. “It’s a great points day for that. I just got out of the hauler from getting changed back into my street clothes and saw the 54 and everyone and their brother surrounding the scales, so that’s never a good sign for those guys. I know they race hard and work hard. I want to win it on track. I felt like we had a shot to do that today and maybe didn’t execute as well as we should have and that’s what kept us out, but fast race cars and being in position that’s where it counts.

“A win is a win and it’s great. It’s good for our team. It’s good momentum and obviously it’s great points. If they let me go choose the guns here in a minute I might be a little more excited, but, overall, to get the cowboy hats and do the whole deal here is great. We were a contender all day and I believe we were able to do it, but it wasn’t in the cards in our race. But, you always want to win it on track.”

Busch had been going for his 10
th series victory at No Limits, Texas. He swept both races in 2008 and 2009, won the spring races in 2010 and 2013, the fall race in 2014 and the spring races in 2016 and 2019.

The balance of the revised top-10 finishers were Justin Allgaier, Harrison Burton, Michael Annett, Jeb Burton, Brandon Jones, Justin Haley, Ross Chastain and Brandon Brown.
Annett drew the No. 1 starting spot, taking the green flag first but it was the driver starting in his rearview, Cindric, who would lead the race’s first 34 laps despite the pace being slowed by two cautions during that time.

Allgaier moved his No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet to the point on Lap 35 and went on to win Stage 1. He and Cindric traded the lead back and forth throughout Stage 2, and it was Allgaier who would take the green-and-white checkered flag at the point.

Richard Childress Racing’s Anthony Alfredo led at the beginning of the final stage and would lead twice for nine laps before tagging the wall coming off Turn 2 on Lap 108 to bring out the day’s seventh caution.

Allgaier, Busch and Cindric traded the lead until Lap 158 when first Allgaier, and then Cindric, came down pit road for green-flag stops and Busch did the same the next lap. Harrison Burton led the next 17 laps in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota before making a green-flag stop of his own.

Briscoe and his No. 98 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford team decided to gamble and stay out to see if they could catch a caution at the right time. That right time didn’t happen, though, and on Lap 192 he had to make his way down pit road for a splash of fuel to get to the end.

That put Busch back on top and, despite the final caution on Lap 196 that put the race into overtime and a green-white-checkered flag finish, he held on for the apparent victory.

There were 15 lead changes among seven drivers and nine cautions for 39 laps.

Tonight’s NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Vankor 350 is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. CT and will air live on FS1, the Performance Racing Network and KFWR 95.9 The Ranch.

The 24th running of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 begins at 2 p.m. CT on NBCSN, PRN and KFWR 95.9 The Ranch.

Team Chevy’s Josef Newgarden conquerors Iowa Speedway for third time leading 214 of 250 laps

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
IOWA INDYCAR 250S DOUBLEHEADER
IOWA SPEEDWAY
NEWTON, IOWA
TEAM CHEVY RACE 2 NOTES & QUOTES
JULY 18, 2020

TOP CHEVROLET UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 1 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET
2rd WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET
4th SIMON PAGENAUD, NO. 22 MENARDS TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET
6th OLIVER ASKEW, NO. 7 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET

TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:
POS. DRIVER
1st Josef Newgarden (Chevrolet)
2nd Will Power (Chevrolet)
3rd Graham Rahal (Honda)
4th Simon Pagenaud (Chevrolet)
5th Scott Dixon (Honda)

Josef Newgarden conquerors Iowa Speedway for third time leading 214 of 250 laps; first driver to win at Iowa from pole Chevrolet drivers capture four of top-six finishing positions in sweep of Iowa doubleheader

NEWTON, IOWA – Josef Newgarden shook off the disappointment of an ill-timed caution during Race One on Friday night to take advantage of starting on the pole and finish in Victory Lane in tonight’s Race Two of the Iowa INDYCAR 250s.

Between the green flag and the checkered flag, the two-time and defending NTT INDYCAR Series champion, driving his favorite No. 1 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, led 214 of 250 laps to become a three-time winner and the first to win from the pole. His other victories at the .875-mile oval came in 2016 and 2019.

Following in Newgarden’s tire tracks at the finish was teammate Will Power. Power was credited with leading once for two laps behind the wheel of his familiar No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet.

Last night’s winner Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet, who again was the last car on the starting grid, came home in fourth.

Giving Team Chevy four of the top-six finishers was Rookie-of-the-Year contender Oliver Askew finished sixth in his No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.

Graham Rahal (Honda) completed the podium.

Pagenaud leaves Iowa second in the standings, 49 points behind the leader.. Newgarden is third, followed by Pato O’Ward in fourth and Power in fifth,

The NTT INDYCAR Series season continues August 9th at 1:30 p.m. ET with the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio in Lexington, Ohio. Live coverage can be found on NBCSN, the INDYCAR Radio Network, Sirius 211, XM 205, IndyCar.com and on the INDYCAR MOBILE APP powered by NTT DATA.

TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES:

JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 1 HITACHI TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – Race Winner
AFTER LAST NIGHT, TO COME OUT HERE AND WIN THIS ONE FROM THE POLE, HOW GOOD DOES THIS ONE FEEL?
“It feels really good. I don’t know what we’ve got to do to keep the bad luck off of us, but hopefully this is a start. Our guys did an amazing job yesterday. I was so disappointed for them because I felt like they had the winning car. They put in the work and we just weren’t able to get rewarded for it. I was so determined to come back today. I think everyone was determined to come back and have a really good race. And we just ran hard. We ran hard all day. I’m so proud to be powered by Chevrolet. I felt like we had the package to beat: fuel mileage, durability, we had the power. And then to have Hitachi back on, they’ve been a good luck charm for us. Thanks to Hitachi. Thanks to everybody at Team Penske back at the shop. I’m just thrilled we were finally able to get this monkey off our back.”

YOU ARE THE FIRST DRIVER AT IOWA TO START ON POLE AND END UP IN VICTORY LANE. YOU MADE IT LOOK EASY
“I heard that stat. I don’t think I’ve been on pole here before. So, I was sitting there thinking you know, we can do that. I don’t know why we can’t convert from pole. It’s just kind of a silly stat, I guess, that’s kind of run through to this point. I knew we had speed. I felt totally confident. When Tim’s (Cindric) is on my stand and I have my guys doing pit stops, I have complete confidence we can win any race that we go into. That stat wasn’t bugging me.”

WHAT CAN THIS DO FOR YOU IN PROPELLING THIS TEAM FORWARD AS THE SEASON PROGRESSES?
“Well, we needed to. It would have been nice if we could have had a couple of the finishes where we thought we should have been. I think at Road America, we had a winning car on Saturday. I wasn’t able to secure that. We had a podium to slip away at the GP. I knew we needed a win and we need another one to come soon enough, too. It’s not going to be just one. We’ve got to be able to put consistent finishes on the board.”

WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – Finished 2nd
AFTER A COUPLE OF ROUGH RACES, HOW GOOD DOES IT FEEL JUST TO PUT A SOLID NIGHT TOGETHER?
“Yeah, it feels good to have a solid day. I’ve got to thank Verizon and Chevy for all the support. And, yeah man, we would have loved to have the win, of course; but it’s seeming like if you did a good job in the series, you just get screwed. So, I’m glad for once we actually get a good result out of it. So, soldier on. I’m exhausted.”

WHAT’S THE STORY ON YOUR ICE BATH LAST NIGHT?
“It made me feel good. It’s so bloody hot in these cars now. Man, I’m going to need one after this one. I look forward to trying to have a good rest of the season. I don’t know what it is I have to do to have normal races like (Scott) Dixon and (Simon) Pagenaud. Even if those guys qualify last, they end up at the front. Maybe I just try less and be a much worse driver and I think I’ll do way better.”

WHATEVER IT TAKES, RIGHT?
“Yeah, that’s what it seems like.”

SIMON PAGENAUD, NO. 22 MENARDS TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – Finished 4rd
YOU ARE THE HARD-CHARGER FOR THE WEEKEND, NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. WE’VE SEEN THE DRIVERS GET OUT OF THEIR CARS JUST EXHAUSTED. HOW EXTRA TOUGH WAS YOUR JOB AS MANY CARS AS YOU HAD TO PASS?
“Yeah, it was a tough weekend, and certainly a dramatic one. But we prevailed. I want to thank Team Penske and Menards and Chevy for giving me the horsepower going forward. We weren’t quite as hooked-up today. I’m not sure why. I actually think we went the wrong way in the adjustment in the pit stop and from then, we had to do quick speed stops, so we didn’t make any changes. Maybe we didn’t have the outright pace, but overall first and fourth is pretty good when you start last in both races. So, I’m pretty pleased with the results and it seems like the championship is shaping up, so it’s pretty exciting right now.”

AFTER QUALIFYING YESTERDAY, THE OUTLOOK WAS LIKELY MORE GRIM THAN OTHER WEEKENDS. SO, IS IT A FEELING OF RELIEF OR JUST SATISFACTION OVERALL THAT YOU GUYS WERE ABLE TO DO WHAT YOU DID THIS WEEKEND?
“Well, it’s satisfaction from a preparation standpoint. We just showed everybody in the paddock that you have to count on us no matter what happens. So, that’s the mark of a champion team. And, that’s what you want to do. That’s what you want to show every weekend. You want people to fear you. I’m pretty sure they feared us today. We’ll re-group again and go to Mid-Ohio.”

OLIVER ASKEW, NO. 7 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET – Finished 6th
A THIRD AND A SIXTH AT A PLACE THAT HAS BEEN DEEMED CHALLENGING, BUT YOU TOOK TO IT LIKE A DUCK TO WATER. HOW DID YOU FIGURE IT OUT?
“Yeah, you can’t complain about two top-10’s and especially our first podium after yesterday. It was hard to sleep after all the adrenalin. But we just had to focus and get back to it today. I was really proud of everyone at Arrow McLaren SP and Chevrolet and everybody involved with this team. I know Pato (O’Ward) had a really good shot there at a podium and a win, so we’re definitely on the right track. Two podiums in two race weekends for us with really quick cars. I’m just really looking forward to the next couple of races. Hopefully we can keep this momentum going and really have a good run at the rookie of the year championship.”

TONY KANAAN, NO 14 BRYANT AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET – Finished 11th
“All in all, I think it was a positive weekend for us. We definitely have a much more competitive car. We’ve been running in the top 10 every single race with one of these cars, so really happy. Very emotional weekend for me yesterday giving the command. It was kinda like, I never had done that, so it was kind of mixed feelings and it was really cool to do it, but also it’s something really coming to an end. Today we had a great race. We ran in the top eight all day long. The tire strategy we played a little bit of a gamble and it worked so I was really happy. I was a lot more comfortable today in the car. You know, doing this race is like one weekend, four weekends off…it’s kinda weird to me. I’ve done 17 races in a row for 23 years so I think this is a good lead for Indy. We’re going to have a normal “Month of August” in Indy, so I’ll be in the car every day so hopefully we’ll go for the big win because that’s what my boss wants. Thanks to Bryant, Firestone, Chevy and the whole Foyt team for the opportunity. Let’s go to Indy!”

PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN SP CHEVROLET – Finished 12th
“Yesterday, I think we started off the weekend well. In the second race, the best way to sum it up is ‘what could have been.’ We had the pace, we were strong, I made up positions to be fighting at the front. In the end, it was not meant to be for us, but we’re going to continue pushing to finish strong at Mid-Ohio.”

CONOR DALY, NO. 59 GALLAGHER CARLIN CHEVROLET – Finished 13th
“Tough night for us. The No. 59 Gallagher Carlin Chevrolet was really strong all race and even after we came out on the wrong side of Ed’s yellow, we were still pushing up at the front running pretty consistently in the top three. We made a strategy call there at the end to stay out under the yellow and wait to take tires until about 35 to go. Unfortunately, in tonight’s race it just wasn’t the right strategy and we didn’t move forward like we thought we would. I’m gutted for the team because the car was great and had serious podium potential, but we just had some bad luck. Obviously I’m still feeling good about our pole from yesterday, but it would’ve been really nice to come away with a top-three finish this weekend.”

CHARLIE KIMBALL, NO. 4 TRESIBA AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET – Finished 16th
“Another tough night here at Iowa Speedway for the No. 4 Tresiba Chevrolet. The guys did a great job in pit lane – they’ve done that all year. It’s nice to rely on that coming down pit lane to pick up ties and spots, but we just struggled a little bit. I struggled with grip. I struggled with balance. Felt like I drove pretty hard, but we had a lot to learn and a lot to look at heading into the next race at Mid-Ohio and the big one at Indy.”

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 SONAX ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET – Finished 17th
“Yesterday, the car felt amazing. I could pass whenever I wanted and tires would stay good for a long time, at least 80 laps. I struggled with that tonight. I just didn’t have the pace to charge through the field. Still, we were doing well, closing back in on the Top 10 after a bad start. Then, at the second pit stop, the car got down on the ground with three wheels on it. We had trouble restarting the car and lost about three laps. That was a bummer. We are very unlucky at the moment, but let’s hope it will switch around soon. Mid-Ohio is coming up soon and that’s been a good track for me. I’ve won races and had a very good test with ECR last year, so I can’t wait to try again there.”

ED CARPENTER, NO. 20 U.S. AIR FORCE ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET – Contact with the wall; sidelined on Lap 113 – Finished 23rd
“I caught a group of guys that were stacked up two-wide in front of me. I had Charlie (Kimball) on the inside and I just went into Turn 1 a little too hard. I got more understeer than I thought, got up into the marbles and couldn’t get it back. I am so disappointed that I made that mistake. The U.S. Air Force Chevrolet was really hooked up tonight. We struggled so much last night but felt like we really showed something tonight. I’m not sure what hurts worst, the poor performance last night or messing up a good result tonight. On to the next one.”

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.

Meyer Shank Racing Takes Seventh Place Finish With Harvey at Iowa

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

Second consecutive top ten INDYCAR finish for Harvey

Newton, IA. (18 July 2020) – Race two of two kicked off on Saturday evening at Iowa Speedway as Meyer Shank Racing driver Jack Harvey once again delivered a strong race pace with the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda, coming home with another seventh place finish to close out the NTT INDYCAR Iowa double-header race weekend.

Four flawless pit stops and continued improvements around the .875-mile ‘bull ring’ gave Harvey a competitive advantage as he made his INDYCAR debut at Iowa Speedway.

Having finished seventh in the Friday night race, Harvey took the green flag in sixth position which was determined during Friday’s qualifying session. A quick jump at the green bumped Harvey up to fifth during the opening stint.

A well-balanced Honda-powered machine gave Harvey the confidence to make several passes along the bumpy and non-stop circuit. Meyer Shank Racing strategy called by team co-owner Mike Shank, brought Harvey into pit lane twice before the first full course caution on lap 115. The team took advantage of the yellow flag to make a third pit stop under yellow on lap 120 to stay on the lead lap.

Harvey’s final pit stop on lap 172 would give him a fresh set of Firestone Racing tires and a full tank of fuel which brought him to the finish. Running 78 final laps on one set of tires was a battle of its own, but that strategy call allowed Harvey to stay in the fray and continue his pursuit to the front.

Utilizing his tools to hang onto the No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda, Harvey matched his Race 1 results from Friday, to finish seventh.

“I thought that was a really solid weekend for Meyer Shank Racing,” said Harvey. “If you would have said before this weekend we’d have two seventh place finishes and two top tens in qualifying, we’d have taken that for sure. I’m so proud of everyone at Meyer Shank Racing who have had constant and relentless determination to have a good season. We’re just going to keep rolling with our momentum into the bossman’s home race at Mid-Ohio in a few weeks.”

The solid weekend was a well-received outcome after the Meyer Shank Racing squad opened the 2020 season with remarkable qualifying pace from Harvey, but lacked the racing luck to convert that into big results. Harvey and Meyer Shank Racing will now look forward to the next round of IndyCar action at the team’s home track, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

“We really needed a weekend like we had to get back on track,” said Meyer Shank Racing co-owner Mike Shank. “Jack really did a great job. These weekends don’t give you much track time so you’re just kind of thrown into it all and have to learn quickly, but Jack had no issues with that. The guys had great stops today and our strategy worked in our favor. Having two top ten qualifying runs and two top ten race results really puts us back in the game. I’m very pleased with this weekend.”

After a busy few weeks of three consecutive INDYCAR races, the team will have two weeks before they head to Meyer Shank Racing’s home track at Mid-Ohio on August 9th for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.

Ahead of that INDYCAR outing, Meyer Shank Racing will return to IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship action at Road America on August 2nd.

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Gavin, Milner Lead Corvette C8.R Sweep

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Official Release
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• Garcia, Taylor finish second in pole-winning No. 3 Corvette
• Chevrolet, No. 3 Corvette take GTLM Championship leads
• Twelfth class victory at Sebring for Corvette Racing
• 61st 1-2 team finish in program history

SEBRING, Fla. (July 14, 2020) – Corvette Racing went 1-2 at Sebring International Raceway as Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner took a GT Le Mans (GTLM) victory in the Cadillac Grand Prix for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on Saturday.

The No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R took a 0.480-second victory over the pole-sitting No. 3 Corvette of Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia – class winners two weeks ago at Daytona. It was the 12th victory for Corvette Racing at the 3.7-mile, 17-turn road course in central Florida, and the result moves Chevrolet into the GTLM Manufacturer’s Championship lead after three races.

The team also won its 101st race in IMSA, 109th in program history and finished 1-2 for the 61st time. Gavin won for the seventh time at Sebring, and Milner took his third victory at the circuit.

The two Corvettes ran second and third early but took control of the race following the first pit stop just past the half-hour mark. Two GTLM competitors collided in the pitlane, and the C8.Rs emerged 1-2 with Taylor leading Gavin. They continued that formation until the midway point of the race when the Corvettes stopped a lap apart from each other.

Fuel-saving by Gavin during his stint allowed Milner to take the lead as the No. 4 C8.R went a lap longer than the team car. Garcia entered the race about three seconds back from Milner as the pair made their final stops separately about 20 minutes later.

Garcia closed the gap to Milner over the final 20 minutes but not enough to overtake the No. 4 Corvette. The Garcia/Taylor duo did, however, leave Sebring with the GTLM Driver’s Championship lead, as did the No. 3 Corvette in the Team standings.

Saturday’s victory also came on the one-year anniversary of the 2020 Corvette Stingray production car’s public debut. It is the road-going counterpart to the C8.R.

Corvette Racing returns to competition July 31-August 2 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.
OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE-WINNER: “It’s been an amazing day. Thanks to Corvette Racing and Tommy for doing a wonderful job to bring the car home at the end. It was the strategy and pit stops that made the difference. Our guys did an outstanding job throughout the race. Our Corvette C8.R has really come alive in the last two races. It was a great result for the No. 3 Corvette to get the 100th victory in IMSA for Corvette Racing at Daytona. For us to get No. 101 and my 49th in IMSA is fantastic. A great day. I do want to dedicate this win to a great friend of mine who passed away just before Daytona – Nick Moss, who supported me throughout all my career. He came to Le Mans with me 15 times and was an amazing, amazing friend. He passed away after a long battle with cancer, and I want to dedicate this win to him.”

HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT SETTING UP FOR A SPRINT RACE FOR SEBRING INSTEAD OF 12 HOURS?
“It’s a far shorter timespan so you may go more aggressively on your brakes. You’re also not having to factor in that night finish or how the track is going to evolve. You have a very short window where the track is going to improve or not. It’s a tight window. We focused on that. These races are happening very, very quick. You hardly have time to get the cars ready between sessions. Just before the start, our guys were thrashing away to make some changes that in the end made our car really good and led us to standing here talking to you. We have them to thank for that, for making all those changes and the guys working in the engineering room going over all the numbers. This is still a brand new car and we are really trying to learn as we go. It’s a phenomenal car and we want to win more and more. Bring on Road America.”

DID YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PORSCHES?
“It was only after the race that people started talking to me about it. The guys didn’t mention it to me. I just saw that one of the Porsches had left missing its front bumper. It was all of us trying to leave together and there wasn’t enough room. I was already in the fast lane and had priority.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE-WINNER: “It’s an amazing achievement to get 100 wins and now 101. The success of this team is incredible, and to be a small part of that is obviously an honor. It took us awhile to get 100 so it’s nice to get over the hump to get 101 and not have to talk about that one! Today was all about strategy and not making mistakes. It looked like we were going to have a pretty good race with the Porsches. It was all pretty close but then all fell apart there as far as that goes. In the end, it was left to myself and Antonio and of course Jordan and Olly at the start. Olly in the end really made the race for us with saving fuel and having a bit better pit stop and get out in front of the 3 car. That was pretty much the end. Antonio got pretty close there at the end. He was there for sure. The plan was with a couple laps to go once he got there, it wasn’t worth throwing away a win and 1-2 finish for Corvette Racing. So he was probably a little bit nicer to me than he could have been! But it was an awesome day. It’s great to drive with Olly and it’s an incredible achievement for him to get 50 IMSA wins. We’ll work on that in the upcoming races.”

HAD THE PORSCHES NOT HAD THEIR INCIDENTS IN PITLANE, HOW CLOSE OF A RACE WOULD IT HAVE BEEN?
“It was looking like it was going to be very, very close pace wise. I think you saw that in the pitstop as well. We all came in together and we were all going to leave together. It looked like with all the strategy details, it was going to be a close race whether it was on fuel mileage or tires or whatever. They have been fast all season and continue to be quite quick. We’ll for sure have some work to do to find an advantage somewhere if we can and ultimately not make mistakes throughout the race. We saw today how one small one can ruin your race. We’ll have to be extra vigilant about no pitlane incidents or making mistakes on the track…. those little details that aren’t so sexy in some way but that’s what makes the race for you in the end.”

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – SECOND IN GTLM: “After going so long without winning race before Daytona, I really wanted another one today. But this was a great result for Corvette Racing with the 1-2 finish and the championship lead. It was a great job by everyone on the team – the crew and engineers. Things went the way for Oliver and Tommy today, and they did a good job managing their race and their fuel. I think we can all be happy with the performance of the team and the Corvette C8.R. We have shown good pace the last two races and have gathered a lot of data both in the dry and in the wet. That’s the main thing for us as we go further in the season. All in all, it was a good weekend.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Another great day for Corvette Racing. I had to start with the P2 cars, and there were a couple of slow guys in their field. A couple of cars got by me at Turn Two or Three. But the Corvette Racing guys got us back out front and we were able to pull a big gap in that second stint to the Porsches and BMWs. Congratulations to Olly and Tommy on the win. They did a great job with the strategy. A 1-2 team finish for the Corvette C8.R and the points lead for me and Antonio is nothing to be disappointed about.

WHAT DID YOU SEE ON THE FIRST PIT STOP?
“I knew it was going to be messy pitting under yellow because everyone gets stacked up. I think even the 4 car got stuck behind me trying to leave, and then when I saw the Porsches leave they knocked into each other. It’s super tight. The competition in GTLM is so close; to make passes on track is difficult so a lot of times you have to make it happen in the pits. We’ve got the best group at Corvette Racing to get us out front.”

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.

Second Podium of the Season for van der Zande, Briscoe No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R Team back on top in Championship

By
Official Release
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WeatherTech 240, IMSA WeatherTech race, Dayrona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida, July 2020. (Photo by Brian Cleary/bcpix.com)

SEBRING, Fla. (July 18, 2020) – The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship continued its 2020 season with a two-hour and 40-minute sprint race at the historic 17-turn, 3.74-mile asphalt and concrete-surfaced Sebring International Raceway. With a second place finish at the Cadillac Grand Prix of Sebring, the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R team retook the lead in the 2020 championship standings with 92 points.

After qualifying in third position, starting driver Renger van der Zande made an early pass on the first lap to take second place, charging ahead to fight for the lead with a dominating No. 31 Whelen Cadillac DPi. The No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac team ran atop the field consistently throughout the race with Ryan Briscoe bringing the car home in second place to make it a Cadillac 1-2-3 finish. This was Sebring International Raceway’s first summertime event, adding challenges of extreme heat and a threat of thunderstorms throughout the atypical sprint event.

“It is nice to be back on the podium again,” said team owner Wayne Taylor. “Congrats to the 31 car. It is great to see our three Cadillacs on top at the Cadillac Grand Prix of Sebring weekend. Renger and Ryan really drove well. They did a fantastic job. They truly complement each other and work very well together. The team should be proud of themselves. They worked really hard and their pit stops were spot on. There are still many races to go and we have a lot of work to do, but overall it was a great weekend.”

“It was a really good result today,” commented Ryan Briscoe. “Unfortunately, there was a lot of time management at the end. I’m really proud of the No. 10 Konica Minolta guys. We made a lot of changes to the car after we started the day on a bad foot at morning practice. We ended up with a great setup during the race, so thank you to the engineering. We’ll keep pushing from here on. Now, it’s time to hydrate.”

“Second place in Sebring today,” said Renger van der Zande. “It was super-hot, and people were falling out of the car when they came back out of the race. We made big progress on the car throughout the race weekend. It was hard work but was totally worth it. It always feels good to be on the podium. We just need to find a little bit more speed, so we can win a race again. Let’s do it at Road America.”

The No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R will travel north to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, for a two-hour and 40-minute sprint race at Road America on Sunday, August 2. Round four of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will be live on NBC at 12:00 p.m. ET.
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.

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: GTLM RACE-WINNER QUOTES

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Official Release
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IMSA WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
SEBRING INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
CADILLAC GRAND PRIX OF SEBRING
GTLM WINNER QUOTES
JULY 18, 2020

SEBRING, Fla. (July 18, 2020) – Corvette Racing went 1-2 in at Sebring International Raceway as Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner took the GT Le Mans (GTLM) victory in the Cadillac Grand Prix for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on Saturday.

The No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R took a 0.480-second victory over the pole-sitting No. 3 Corvette of Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia – class winners two weeks ago at Daytona. It was the 12th victory for Corvette Racing at the 3.7-mile, 17-turn road course in central Florida, and the result moves Chevrolet into the GTLM Manufacturer’s Championship lead after three races.

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE WINNER: “As always, Corvette Racing did an amazing job in the pitlane to get us out in front of the Porsches on the first stop. I don’t know what their deal was. It was a good job between Jordan (Taylor). I tried to save as much fuel as possible to try to hand the car over to Tommy to finish off and give him the best chance of leapfrogging the 3 car in the pitlane. It’s a great 1-2 for Corvette Racing and a great way to follow up the team’s win at Daytona.”

“Getting Win No. 100 and 101 means everything. Everyone at Corvette Racing and Team Chevy has been working so hard, and we can’t thank them enough. The Corvette Stingray road car was launched a year ago today, so to win this race is absolutely phenomenal.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM RACE WINNER: “It was close there at the end. Olly did a great job of saving fuel and that allowed us to get out ahead of the 3 car. It was a great strategy from Chuck (Houghton, race engineer) and great pit stops from Brian (Hoye, car chief) and the whole crew. To have these Corvette C8.Rs in as good as shape as they were after the long break is a testament to everyone on this team.”

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.

GMS Racing ARCA Iowa Recap

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Official Release
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Sam Mayer No. 21 QPS Employment Gorup Chevrolet
START: 7th
FINISH: 2nd
POINTS: 9th

Notes & Quotes:—

– Sam Mayer started seventh for Saturday night’s Shore Lunch 150 after the starting lineup was set by Sioux Chief Showdown points. Mayer showed patience during the first run of the day and was as high as third before falling to fourth right before the first race break of the day. Crew chief Mardy Lindley called for four tires, fuel and a trackbar adjustment to help tighten the QPS Employment Group Chevy.

– Mayer worked his way up to second place before the second race break of the day. The team elected to take four tires and fuel during the break with no other changes. Mayer battled for the lead on the last restart of the race, but was unable to make the pass. Mayer made a late race run for the lead, but made contact with the wall in the closing laps.

– This was Mayer’s fourth consecutive top-five finish in ARCA competition this season.

“We were hauling butt at the end, our late run car was actually really good, I didn’t think it would be that way. I’m proud of our team at GMS and thanks to QPS Employment for coming on board this weekend. I had a lot of fun, I’m just tired of getting second, third, fourth. You name it, I have it this season. Seems like it’s been forever since a win so hopefully we can get that next time we race.

We struggled with a loose condition all race, everyone was, but I felt like we were a bit worse. I have a great team behind me and we made the right adjustments going through the race. We were right there at the end, we know how to finish races, we just need to finish one spot better.”

ABOUT GMS RACING

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series with drivers Brett Moffitt, Sheldon Creed, Tyler Ankrum and Zane Smith as well as part-time with David Gravel and Chase Purdy. The team also competes in the ARCA Racing Series with Sam Mayer. Since the team began in 2014, GMS Racing won the 2016 Gander Trucks Championship, the 2019 ARCA East championship and has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication. More information can be found at https://gmsracing.net/.
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