Home Blog Page 427

O’Ward Outduels Newgarden to WinSynk 275 powered by Sukup at Iowa Speedway

NEWTON, Iowa (Saturday, July 12, 2025) – Pato O’Ward again celebrated a victory in a monumental race at Iowa Speedway, this time at the expense of his NTT INDYCAR SERIES rival.

In the 100th series start of O’Ward’s career, the Arrow McLaren driver overcame Josef Newgarden’s dominating performance in the Synk 275 powered by Sukup with late-race execution featuring a pair of restarts in the final 14 laps.

This story is familiar. O’Ward and Newgarden continue to battle each other for race wins, with Newgarden’s signature win in the rivalry coming in the 2024 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. He passed O’Ward on the last lap.

This time, it was O’Ward making the winning moves. He had a quicker final pit stop to overtake the driver who led the race’s first 232 laps and seemed on his way to a record-extending seventh race win here. Then, following a red flag to repair the track’s Turn 4 wall, O’Ward kept the Team Penske driver behind him on restarts with 14 and nine laps remaining.

O’Ward’s margin of victory in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet was .2352 of a second, the closest Iowa finish since 2007 when Dario Franchitti edged Marco Andretti by .0861 of a second.

In oval races where these two drivers finished first and second, O’Ward last got the better of Newgarden in 2021 at Texas Motor Speedway. He had finished second to Newgarden in four other oval races since that day in Fort Worth.

“Josef is the master at these races – he rules around here, so I knew that we had to be spot-on,” O’Ward said. “I was so precise on the in lap to beat him at his own game.

“We’ve had so many duels, Josef and I, but he has a percentage that comes out on top more. Today is the day that changes.”

Coincidentally, O’Ward scored his first victory at this short oval in 2022, and it was the 50th series start. Also that day, O’Ward had Team Penske drivers in his mirrors – it was Will Power followed by Scott McLaughlin. This time, O’Ward led a trio of Roger Penske’s men to the to the finish line: Newgarden, Power and McLaughlin, respectively.

While O’Ward won his first race of the season, he denied Team Penske its first win of the year. One of the three of them had won eight of the past nine series races at Iowa, including doubleheader sweeps each of the past two years. McLaughlin had charged from the last starting position – 27th – after crashing in qualifying earlier in the day.

Chevrolet had its best result of the season, finishing 1-2-3-4 and winning the first time this year.

Newgarden led more than 100 laps for the 14th time in his career and the 10th time at this track. He was disappointed to let this one get away.

“O’Ward got track position and that was game over,” he said. “It was as simple as that.”

The dash to the finish was set up by the Turn 4 accident of O’Ward’s teammate, Nolan Siegel. After running in the top 10 most of the race, Siegel spun into the wall, contact that damaged the energy-absorbing SAFER Barrier. INDYCAR issued a red-flag stoppage to preserve the remaining few laps as workers patched the wall.

O’Ward got a noticeable jump on Newgarden on the first restart, but PREMA Racing’s Callum Ilott drifted high on that lap and brushed the Turn 1 wall. As Ilott was able to get to the pits without much trouble, the race restarted with nine laps remaining.

Newgarden got a better run on O’Ward on that try, but on the second time around the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet almost got away from him in Turn 1. O’Ward was able to slip away a bit, eating up laps that would have been valuable to Newgarden’s bid.

Trailing the Penske cars to the finish was Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou, the series points leader who finished fifth. Palou lost seven points off his lead as O’Ward used the victory to jump to second in the standings, but the driver of the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda still holds a 106-point cushion with six races to go.

Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood took a big hit in both the race and in points when his No. 27 Sukup Honda veered hard into the Turn 1 wall on Lap 153. An issue with the right-front corner of the car appeared to cause the excursion. That was the second accident of the day as he crashed at the other end of the track after appearing to get too low in Turn 3.

Kirkwood not only lost a standings position to O’Ward, Palou pulled away by another 27 points, putting the season’s three-time winner 140 points in arrears.

On the race’s 75th lap, series rookie Jacob Abel saw his No. 51 Abel Construction Honda drift high in Turn 2, where he, too, hit the wall. Neither he nor Kirkwood were injured.

The second half of the weekend doubleheader will be staged Sunday with the Farm to Finish 275 powered by Sukup with coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET on FOX, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Synk 275 powered by Sukup Race Results

  1. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 275, Running
  2. (1) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 275, Running
  3. (7) Will Power, Chevrolet, 275, Running
  4. (27) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 275, Running
  5. (4) Alex Palou, Honda, 275, Running
  6. (19) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, 275, Running
  7. (2) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 275, Running
  8. (9) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 275, Running
  9. (11) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 275, Running
  10. (6) Scott Dixon, Honda, 275, Running
  11. (14) Graham Rahal, Honda, 275, Running
  12. (10) David Malukas, Chevrolet, 275, Running
  13. (23) Colton Herta, Honda, 275, Running
  14. (12) Louis Foster, Honda, 275, Running
  15. (15) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 275, Running
  16. (25) Rinus VeeKay, Honda, 274, Running
  17. (3) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 274, Running
  18. (22) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 274, Running
  19. (20) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 274, Running
  20. (16) Robert Shwartzman, Chevrolet, 274, Running
  21. (21) Christian Lundgaard, Chevrolet, 274, Running
  22. (24) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, 274, Running
  23. (17) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 260, Contact
  24. (8) Nolan Siegel, Chevrolet, 246, Contact
  25. (13) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 236, Mechanical
  26. (18) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 151, Contact
  27. (26) Jacob Abel, Honda, 72, Contact

Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 139.146 mph
Time of Race: 01:46:00.6760
Margin of victory: 0.2352 of a second
Cautions: 5 for 47 laps
Lead changes: 5 among 5 drivers

Lap Leaders:
Newgarden, Josef 1 – 232
O’Ward, Pato 233
Power, Will 234 – 236
Palou, Alex 237 – 240
Armstrong, Marcus 241 – 243
O’Ward, Pato 244 – 275

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Point Standings: Palou 461, O’Ward 356, Kirkwood 322, Dixon 302, Lundgaard 272, Rosenqvist 272, Power 238, Herta 234, Armstrong 232, McLaughlin 229, Ferrucci 222, Malukas 205, VeeKay 193, Newgarden 186, Rasmussen 183, Rossi 181, Simpson 174, Daly 170, Rahal 158, Ericsson 156, Siegel 153, Foster 134, Shwartzman 123, Robb 113, DeFrancesco 110, Ilott 102, Abel 69, Takuma Sato 36, Helio Castroneves 20, Ed Carpenter 16, Jack Harvey 12, Ryan Hunter-Reay 10, Kyle Larson 6, Marco Andretti 5

Pato O’Ward overcuts on final stop to win Race 1 at Iowa

NEWTON, Iowa - JULY 12: Pato O'Ward, driver of the #5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NTT IndyCar Series Synk 275 Race 1 at Iowa Speedway on July 12, 2025, in Newton, Iowa. Photo: Chris Owens/Penske Entertainment

It looked like Josef Newgarden’s race to lose. Then Pato O’Ward made his final stop.

The driver of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet overcut Newgarden, who pit with 43 laps to go, by pitting a lap later than him, cycled out ahead and held him off for two restarts in the final 14 laps to score the victory in Synk 275 Race No. 1 at Iowa Speedway.

“Super happy for, first of all, all the guys and gals at Arrow McLaren,” O’Ward said. “We’ve been working really hard. But the guy we’re chasing down keeps winning a bunch of them.

“Also very happy for Team Chevy. This was important and very deserving for Team Chevy. I’m glad it was an all-Chevy podium.”

It’s his eighth career victory in 100 NTT INDYCAR Series starts and first of the 2025 season (as well as first by a Chevrolet driver in 2025).

Newgarden led a race high 232 laps, but couldn’t overtake O’Ward in the closing laps and brought his No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet home to a runner-up finish. His teammate, Will Power, rounded out the podium in third.

“Our car was really good,” Newgarden said. “Team did an amazing job. Been good all weekend. Really proud of the Astemo car we put out there. Team Chevy did amazing. It was great to see them get a result. They’ve really deserved one all year. Yeah, that’s that.”

Scott McLaughlin, who started last after a wreck in qualifying, finished fourth and championship leader Alex Palou rounded out the top-five.

Christian Rasmussen, Conor Daly, Santino Ferrucci, Marcus Armstrong and Scott Dixon rounded out the top-10.

Pato O’Ward overcuts on final stop to win Race 1 at Iowa

Race summary

Josef Newgarden led the field to green at 5:19 p.m. ET, but caution flew on the first lap when Colton Herta spun out through the frontstretch grass.

Back to green on Lap 9, Newgarden caught the tail-end of the field on Lap 28 and commenced putting cars a lap down. After 10 laps, however, he struggled to put Herta a lap down. Which let Conor Daly eat into his lead. Daly, however, couldn’t cut it down to more than half a second and fell back to a second behind Newgarden. Caution flew on Lap 74 when Jacob Abel got into the marbles and hit the wall in Turn 2. Everybody pitted under the caution.

Back to green on Lap 86, the field settled into a green flag run. Newgarden attempted to lap Kyffin Simpson on the high line on Lap 145, but lost momentum in the process and Pato O’Ward cut into his lead. Caution flew on Lap 153 when Kyle Kirkwood got into the marbles with a cut right-front tire and hit the wall in Turn 2.

Back to green on Lap 166, as with the last run, the field settled into a green flag run. Alexander Rossi kicked off a cycle of green flag stops on Lap 219. Newgarden pit from the lead with 43 laps to go. O’Ward pit from the lead with 42 to go. He cycled out ahead of Newgarden with 40 to go. Alex Palou pit from the lead with 35 to go and O’Ward cycled to the lead.

Caution flew with 28 to go when Nolan Siegel got loose and hit the Turn 4 wall. Wall repairs brought out a red flag with 17 to go.

Back to green with 14 to go, caution flew seconds later when Callum Ilott ran high in Turn 2, got loose and hit the wall.

Back to green with nine to go, Newgarden pounced on O’Ward to no success. He got loose in Turn 2 with eight to go and O’Ward drove onto victory.

Pato O’Ward overcuts on final stop to win Race 1 at Iowa

Nuts and bolts

The race lasted one hour and 46 minutes, at an average speed of 139.146 mph. There were six lead changes among five different drivers and five cautions for 47 laps.

Palou leaves with a 105-point lead over O’Ward.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES returns to action, Sunday, at 1 p.m. ET for Race 2 at Iowa Speedway.

Synk 275 powered by Sukup Race Results

  1. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 275, Running
  2. (1) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 275, Running
  3. (7) Will Power, Chevrolet, 275, Running
  4. (27) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 275, Running
  5. (4) Alex Palou, Honda, 275, Running
  6. (19) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, 275, Running
  7. (2) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 275, Running
  8. (9) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 275, Running
  9. (11) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 275, Running
  10. (6) Scott Dixon, Honda, 275, Running
  11. (14) Graham Rahal, Honda, 275, Running
  12. (10) David Malukas, Chevrolet, 275, Running
  13. (23) Colton Herta, Honda, 275, Running
  14. (12) Louis Foster, Honda, 275, Running
  15. (15) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 275, Running
  16. (25) Rinus VeeKay, Honda, 274, Running
  17. (3) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 274, Running
  18. (22) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 274, Running
  19. (20) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 274, Running
  20. (16) Robert Shwartzman, Chevrolet, 274, Running
  21. (21) Christian Lundgaard, Chevrolet, 274, Running
  22. (24) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, 274, Running
  23. (17) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 260, Contact
  24. (8) Nolan Siegel, Chevrolet, 246, Contact
  25. (13) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 236, Mechanical
  26. (18) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 151, Contact
  27. (26) Jacob Abel, Honda, 72, Contact

Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 139.146 mph
Time of Race: 01:46:00.6760
Margin of victory: 0.2352 of a second
Cautions: 5 for 47 laps
Lead changes: 5 among 5 drivers

Lap Leaders:
Newgarden, Josef 1 – 232
O’Ward, Pato 233
Power, Will 234 – 236
Palou, Alex 237 – 240
Armstrong, Marcus 241 – 243
O’Ward, Pato 244 – 275

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Point Standings: Palou 461, O’Ward 356, Kirkwood 322, Dixon 302, Lundgaard 272, Rosenqvist 272, Power 238, Herta 234, Armstrong 232, McLaughlin 229, Ferrucci 222, Malukas 205, VeeKay 193, Newgarden 186, Rasmussen 183, Rossi 181, Simpson 174, Daly 170, Rahal 158, Ericsson 156, Siegel 153, Foster 134, Shwartzman 123, Robb 113, DeFrancesco 110, Ilott 102, Abel 69, Takuma Sato 36, Helio Castroneves 20, Ed Carpenter 16, Jack Harvey 12, Ryan Hunter-Reay 10, Kyle Larson 6, Marco Andretti 5

Connor Zilisch Snaps Shane van Gisbergen’s Streak in Dramatic Finish

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

SONOMA, Calif. (July 12, 2025) – In a wild west California showdown, Connor Zilisch managed to keep his JR Motorsports teammate Shane van Gisbergen at bay during the final laps of the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Sonoma Raceway to earn his fourth win overall.

The duo put on a masterclass in dominance throughout the 79-lap event — NASCAR’s lone Xfinity Series stop on the West Coast this weekend — controlling the front of the pack for all but nine laps while swapping positions repeatedly across the opening two stages.

“First, hats off to Shane. That was awesome,” Zilisch said after the race. “All race long, I felt like we were racing each other with respect. I wheel-hopped a little bit going into [Turn] 7 that one time and got into him, but other than that, it was awesome to get to race against him, finally and battle with him the whole race long.”

Grabbing the top spot during a yellow flag after Stage 2, Zilisch refused to relinquish it, even as van Gisbergen ramped up the aggression. The Kiwi driver delivered several nudges in the last couple of circuits and launched a bold bid to pass in the hairpin leading into the final straight, but Zilisch’s advantageous inside groove allowed him to pull away for the victory.

This breakthrough in Northern California halted van Gisbergen’s impressive string of three back-to-back road course successes in national series competition, a run that featured a Cup Series triumph in Mexico City followed by a clean sweep of the Chicago events.

Pole winner William Sawalich crossed the line in third, marking his strongest showing yet in the Xfinity Series. Nick Sanchez, who celebrated a win at EchoPark Speedway just two weeks earlier, secured fourth, while Cup Series standout Riley Herbst took fifth. The rest of the top 10 included Justin Allgaier, Taylor Gray, Carson Kvapil, Sammy Smith and Sheldon Creed.

Tickets for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series race are available at SonomaRaceway.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the lowest available price at local Save Mart, Lucky California or FoodMaxx stores.

Tickets, camping, upgrades, premium options and much more are all available at SonomaRaceway.com or by calling (800) 870-RACE [7223].

Sonoma Raceway is a 2.52-mile, 12-turn road course and quarter-mile drag strip located at Sears Point in Sonoma County, California. Built in 1968 the track is carved into rolling hills with 160 ft of total elevation change. It is host to one of the few NASCAR Cup Series races each year that are run on road courses. It is one of the world’s busiest racing facilities, with track activity scheduled an average of 340 days a year. A complete and versatile motorsports complex, it is home to one o

Marcus Armstrong Extends Top 10 Streak for Meyer Shank Racing at Iowa

NEWTON, Iowa (July 12, 2025) – Marcus Armstrong (#66 Spectrum Honda) ran one of his most consistent races of the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and his Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) squad provided solid pit work to earn the young driver a ninth-place finish in Saturday afternoon’s SYNK 275 Powered by Sukup at Iowa Speedway.

Starting 11th after the day’s early afternoon qualifying session, the MSR crew on the #66 machine earned Armstrong four positions with a lightning-quick opening stop, vaulting him into seventh with 200 laps to run around the tricky 0.875-mile oval. The New Zealand-born driver took full advantage of the track position and stayed at the sharp end of the grid for the rest of the afternoon, extending his career-best top-10 streak to five, and his seventh this season.

He had to battle to get it done though, as a crash with 28 laps to go brought out a red flag, bunching the field for a late restart. Armstrong fought off six-time series champion Scott Dixon – and then a second time when a spin forced another yellow with eight laps to run – to secure the ninth-place result. His P9 was also the second-highest finishing Honda in the race.

Meanwhile the day that started so brightly for Felix Rosenqvist (#60 Sirius XM Honda) devolved into a rough outing, starting the Iowa doubleheader weekend with a 17th place finish.

Rosenqvist took the third spot on the starting grid with a lap of 183.635mph in afternoon qualifying, but dropped five spots in the first 50 laps leading to his first pit stop. His trips down pit lane didn’t yield him any gains, as he slipped into the middle of the 27-car field before settling for 17th.

The Swedish driver was rewarded for his tenacity, however, as he moved into a tie for fifth in the Series standings after 11 events. Armstrong’s effort gives him the ninth spot in the Championship chase, putting both MSR drivers in the top 10 in the standings for the second consecutive week.

Rosenqvist has a great opportunity to rebound in tomorrow’s second race of the Iowa doubleheader as his qualifying effort put him P2 and on the outside of the front row for Sunday’s Farm to Finish 275 Powered by Sukup, while Armstrong will start 12th. Rosenqvist’s qualifying success marks MSR’s best-ever qualifying result at Iowa.

Teams and drivers will have less than 18 hours before coming back for Sunday’s race, which starts at 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. The 275-lap event can be seen live on FOX and will also be broadcast live on Sirius XM Channel 218.

Meyer Shank Racing Driver Quotes:

Marcus Armstrong: “It was a lot of work for P9, but I definitely felt more confident towards the end of the race. I didn’t feel like the car balance was perfect, but I think we can make some small adjustments for tomorrow and we’ll be rockin.”

Felix Rosenqvist: “A bit of a tough one. We didn’t really go forward at any point and we lost positions at every restart. Then we had one bad pit stop which cost us another six or seven spots. From there I just couldn’t really go forward. We need to get something better going for tomorrow. We’re starting on the front row for Race 2 and I want to take advantage of that. Luckily we have some time to look at the data and hopefully we’ll come back stronger tomorrow.”

Kaulig Racing Race Recap | Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250

No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet

Start: 18th
Stage 1 Finish: 33rd
Stage 2 Finish: 25th
Finish: 15th

Josh Williams lost two positions during the opening 10 laps, falling to 20th. After settling into his car, Williams began picking up the pace, reeling back in 18th — and then 17th — with six laps remaining in the first stage. It was then that he brought the No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevy down pit road for tires and fuel, flipping the stage. He took the green-white-checkered in 33rd and restarted in eighth due to the earlier pit call. He hung onto that spot until lap 35, when the No. 11 started to get caught by cars on fresher tires. With nine remaining in the middle stage, he ran in 11th, and as he closed in on another green-flag stop, he dropped to 12th on lap 39. He pitted for tires and fuel with five laps to go, and he finished Stage 2 in 25th. Restarting with 29 to go in the race, Williams was shoved from his fire-off position of eighth and rolled back to 17th. With 14 laps to go, Williams began crawling back up the order; he took 16th and ran a half-second quicker on lap 65 than he had been running throughout much of the stint. At the white flag, Williams took advantage of trouble in front and brought the No. 11 Chevy home in 15th.

“Really solid day. We got kinda shoved out of line on that last restart, so we didn’t really get the finish I think we could’ve had. Overall though, we built a fast car, we didn’t get involved in any messes, and we brought home a clean No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevy. Really appreciate how hard our guys worked on getting the transmission changed [during practice]. That was a big deal.” – Josh Williams

No. 10 Champion Container Chevrolet

Start: 31st
Stage 1 Finish: 23rd
Stage 2 Finish: 26th
Finish: 32nd

Battling a free-handling No. 10 Champion Container Chevrolet, Daniel Dye went off course during lap one but recovered, managing to keep the car clean from damage. He went on to finish the opening stage in 23rd before pitting during the stage break for a major swing of adjustments. Midway through the second stage, Dye reported that the No. 10 Chevy began slipping out of gear. The issue worsened, and he nursed the car to finish Stage 2 in 26th place. Dye continued fighting transmission issues throughout the final stage. Reporting a blistering tire, he pitted for tires with 13 laps left. The remainder of the race stayed green, and Dye finished in 32nd place.

“Tough day after losing third gear in stage 2 and then ultimately losing most of our second gear. That made it hard to make speed around the race track, but we nursed it to the end. Wish it was a better day for the No. 10 Champion Container team, but we will keep working.” – Daniel Dye

No. 16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet

Start: 21st
Stage 1 Finish: 35th
Stage 2 Finish: 32nd
Finish: 34th

Christian Eckes battled tire issues early in the opening stage, pitting on lap six for a shredded left rear. He was reminded to manage his tires and that staying on the lead lap would set him up for the second stage. He stayed out during the first stage break and restarted from 10th place. On older tires than the rest of the field, Eckes held on in the top 20, before his left-rear tire began coming apart once again. He pitted for fresh tires and went on to finish the second stage in 32nd. Eckes and crew chief Alex Yontz debated strategies, deciding it was best to pit for tires and an air pressure adjustment during the stage break. He started the final stage from 28th. Making his way back into the top 25, Eckes had nowhere to go as a car in front of him spun. He hit head on, severely damaging the front end of the No. 16 Chevy as the caution came out. Eckes pitted for repairs but lost three laps in the process. The team managed to get Eckes back out on track, where he ran decent lap times, despite the damage. Eckes remained in the free-pass position, but the race went caution-free to the end. He went on to finish 34th.

“Despite the day we had, I’m really proud of this Kaulig Racing team for not giving up, and the result was not indicative of the hard work this group puts in. We will get it right, and I know better finishes will come. We’re keeping our heads up.” – Christian Eckes  

About Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 27 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

Toyota GAZOO Racing – NXS Sonoma Post-Race Report – 07.12.25

SAWALICH DELIVERS CAREER-BEST RUN AT SONOMA
Rookie driver leads three Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas inside the top-10 finishers

SONOMA, Calif. (July 12, 2025) – William Sawalich followed his Friday ARCA West victory with a career-best third-place finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race from Sonoma Raceway on Saturday afternoon. Sawalich ran in the top-five for the majority of the race and led a strong effort from the Team Toyota contingent.

His teammates, Riley Herbst (fifth) and Taylor Gray (seventh), also scored top-10 finishes, while Brandon Jones led all drivers with 19 stage points. Jones also earned a stage win to add to his Playoff total.

Toyota GAZOO Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
Sonoma Raceway
Race 19 of 33 – 156.95 miles, 79 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Connor Zilisch*
2nd, Shane Van Gisbergen*
3rd, WILLIAM SAWALICH
4th, Nick Sanchez*
5th, RILEY HERBST
7th, TAYLOR GRAY
13th, BRANDON JONES
18th, DEAN THOMPSON
36th, SAGE KARAM
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

WILLIAM SAWALICH, No. 18 Soundgear Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

How rewarding is this after the challenge of the season so far?

“It was a great weekend for us. Everybody at Joe Gibbs Racing – I can’t thank the ARCA guys enough for yesterday, and the Xfinity guys today. They put together a good Soundgear GR Supra that was as fast as Xfinity Mobile. Just a great, great day to be honest. Our early run speed at times was comparable to them, but our long run, we couldn’t keep up with them. They were pretty dang good.”

What did you learn today, and what can you take forward?

“It definitely feels good to be able to do this and put a full race together and have everything go right – pit stops, everything was good on pit road, no penalties, very minimal mistakes. Just something to build on for the future.”

RILEY HERBST, No. 19 Monster Energy Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

What else did you need out of your race car today?

“Yesterday – just my really poor qualifying effort, I felt like, I don’t think we could have ran with the 88 (Connor Zilisch) and the 9 (Shane Van Gisbergen), but I think we could have been a third-place car. Just thanks to everybody at Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing, Monster Energy. It was fun to come back to the Xfinity Series. This series is fun, and it was good practice for tomorrow. We are going to need the practice for tomorrow. Hopefully, we will have good run tomorrow too, and we will have a solid weekend here on the West Coast.”

TAYLOR GRAY, No. 54 Operation 300 Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 7th

After starting in the back, are you happy with a top-10 finish?

“Yeah, definitely happy. More so proud of all of my guys at Joe Gibbs Racing, Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) for bringing a really fast Operation 300 Toyota GR Supra. I feel like we were definitely as fast as Xfinity Mobile – just sucks starting in the back like that. You can’t do that. It kills your day points wise, stage points wise. Track position at the end of the race is so important. I feel like we were definitely a top-three car; just had to start so far back and build our track position back up.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

CHEVROLET NCS AT SONOMA: Van Gisbergen Powers Chevrolet to Back-to-Back Pole Win Sweeps

NASCAR CUP SERIES
SONOMA RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY POST-QUALIFYING REPORT
JULY 12, 2025

Van Gisbergen Powers Chevrolet to Back-to-Back Pole Win Sweeps

  •  Fresh off a weekend sweep, Team Chevy’s Shane van Gisbergen picked up right where he left off by driving a pair of Chevrolet-powered machines to a sweep of the pole wins at Sonoma Raceway. Concluding the NASCAR Cup Series practice session fastest on the best 10-lap average, the 36-year-old New Zealand native drove his No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet to the top of the qualifying speed charts on his final run by posting a best-lap of 1:14.594 – the only driver to hit speeds at 96 mph around the 1.99-mile California circuit.
  • Van Gisbergen’s fourth career pole in NASCAR’s top division was enough to push Chevrolet to a double-digit record in qualifying triumphs this season, with the Bowtie brigade earning the pole position for the 10th time in 20 points-paying races.
  • Also claiming the pole position for today’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Northern California circuit, Van Gisbergen is one step closer to adding onto NASCAR history once again this weekend. The ‘Rookie of the Year’ contender could potentially become the only driver in history to sweep the pole and race wins in NASCAR’s top-two divisions more than once.
  • Van Gisbergen led Chevrolet to four top-five qualifying efforts with his fellow Team Chevy drivers William Byron, Ross Chastain and AJ Allmendinger set to line-up in the third through fifth positions, respectively, to take the green flag for the series’ 20th race of the season.

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 STARTING LINEUP
POS. DRIVER

1st – Shane van Gisbergen
3rd – William Byron
4th – Ross Chastain
5th – AJ Allmendinger
9th – Alex Bowman

Chevrolet’s season statistics heading into the 20th NASCAR Cup Series race:

Wins: 8
Poles: 10
Top-Fives: 37
Top 10s: 76
Stage Wins: 17

Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet – Pole Winner Quotes

How did the car respond during practice qualifying? How did this track feel for you in the Cup car as opposed to the Xfinity car?

“Yeah, they’re quite different in the way the cars make their speed and the platform of the car. But yeah, it felt really slippery. I sort of saw that in group one. A lot of people were having big lap time fall off and struggling with the rear, in particular. So yeah, I tried to manage my practice. I started slow and tried to keep it at consistent speed. My car was very, very average actually, so we can make it better for tomorrow. But then in qualifying on the new tires, it was great.”

We’ve heard a lot this week about just how slick this track is this weekend. How different is it this time around than it was last year?

“It felt pretty similar yesterday in the Xfinity car. I thought it was just hotter, but then seeing the times today, how much slower it was than last year and how much fall off there was, I guess it is — the track’s aged a little bit. I don’t really have a reference from last year, but certainly everyone was flat on their lap times and today we were all dropping off, so that should be good for the racing tomorrow.”

Why did you run the second lap?

“Well, I thought it could be faster. And then in the first group, we saw big gains on people on their second run. I think the 24 made a huge jump, which is pretty abnormal, I think, on these tires, especially this new soft tire. So yeah, just tried again. I struggled… my first lap was just a banker almost, like I still had a little bit left. That second lap was really good.”

Shane, obviously you’ve had hot streaks before in your career, but how good does it feel to have one in NASCAR?

“Yeah, it’s pretty awesome. We’ve had a really cool couple of weeks. You just feel the energy in the shop when you walk in on Monday and Tuesday. Even the stay-at-home guys and girls preparing the cars — it’s just a cool atmosphere in the shop. Everyone’s lifted up. Ross’s win kind of started it at the Coke 600, and we just got better and better. So yeah, it’s really cool for everyone.”

Did you even run a qualifying lap in practice? You were third on the speed chart…

“No, I don’t think anyone really did. We all just did long runs. People probably could have pushed more in practice, but we were trying to see what the tire would do.”

When I posted your post-qualifying interview from yesterday, I got a lot of response from fans in New Zealand. There was a big spike, and they were all celebrating your pole. What is it like having almost the whole nation to kind of rally up with you, and what would you say to all your fans back home?

“Yeah, I think it’s awesome — the support we’ve got, and you see it in INDYCAR with the Scott’s. They both get so much support from our home, and it’s amazing how much people stick behind the Kiwi drivers when they’re overseas. So yeah, it’s pretty special when I have a good weekend, or even a bad one. The messages I get and how many people tune in from home to watch the race — it’s probably like first thing in the morning there, or 4 a.m. there at the moment, so it’s amazing that people get up and watch us race. It’s pretty cool.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

Toyota GAZOO Racing – NCS Sonoma Quotes – Erik Jones and Will Rodgers – 07.12.25

Toyota GAZOO Racing – Erik Jones & Will Rodgers
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

SONOMA, Calif. (July 12, 2025) – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver Erik Jones and spotter Will Rodgers were made available to the media on Saturday prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race at the Sonoma Raceway.

ERIK JONES, No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

WILL RODGERS, spotter, No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

How did this deal come together?

JONES: “When we hired Will (Rodgers) on for the 43, he was wanting to do some racing on his own and we had no problem with it, but I kind of told him that if he put something together, I would spot for him. I kind of figured that – not that he wouldn’t put something together – but it would never work out that I would spot for him. He got to putting together this deal for the 70 car, which he spots for on a weekly basis, and I said – well, I guess we are going to do it. I haven’t spotted in, I don’t know, 12 years – and never done it as the main spotter at a NASCAR race. Just always done some second spotter stuff, so here we are. Now we are doing it – a few hours away.”

RODGERS: “Yeah, Erik (Jones) actually signed up to do it. I thought it would take a little bit more convincing. Where were we – Kansas or something – and I said I think there is a good chance I’m going to race Sonoma, so you are going to do this thing right? And he said yeah, and I was like, I’m going to hold you to it. Now here we are. I’m glad it came together, and I’m thankful to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB to let me do this. Really, really enjoy my new role at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, spotting for Erik. Between he, myself and Ben Beshore (crew chief) – I feel like we make a really good team, super chill and I think we stay really focused, which is awesome. I’ve gotten used to being a spotter full time – it is a pretty cool gig. I’ve really, really learned to like it. It’s great but really cool to have Erik spot for me this weekend in my return to Sonoma.”

What is the main difference between a main spotter and a second spotter?

JONES: “It is actual a little unique here. I’m up here in turn one at the top of the hill, and our second spotter is down here looking at turn 11. The only spots you can’t see here from the top of (turn) 1 is turn 11, turn 10 and a little bit down the front straightaway going into (turn) one. I have it kind of easy – I don’t have worry about pit road or the restarts – that is all on the second spotter this week. It is a little different each road course based on where you can see and where you decide to stand as the main guy, but for me, I’ve got probably less duties than the main spotter this week other than checking in, is my main duty.”

Is it like riding a bike?

JONES: “No, not really. Practice started yesterday. I’ve never spotted on a road course, well, I did some a little bit – not much. So, when Will (Rodgers) rolled out – just took some time to get the timing down – how fast the cars were coming. I’ve never spotted for Will, so I wasn’t sure how he liked to get up to speed or how fast he would get up to speed and Will hasn’t been in a car for a bit, especially a Xfinity car – so there is a lot of unknowns, so the first five laps was just kind of figuring that out, and then by the time he went out, second and third time in qualifying, I was starting to get more comfortable with everything. No, not like riding a bike for me, for sure.”

What has it been like for you to comeback to Sonoma?
RODGERS: “It is really cool. I think most of you all know, this is what I would call my home track. I’ve had a lot of success here. This is kind of where my name was made back in 2017, when I raced with Kevin Harvick as my teammate. We had an amazing run. I didn’t have too much expectation for that race, and turns out, I probably should have beat him that day – didn’t end up doing it – but it paid off for me. I felt like most people didn’t know who I was, and overnight, they did. Coming back in 2018, winning was a special thing, but it has been a number of years since I’ve had a NASCAR opportunity here. It has taken some time to find that opportunity, find that support, find that right car, and luckily, like Erik (Jones) said, I spot the 70 full time and when this opportunity came up, I knew I had to jump on it. It is super special to be back here. Sonoma is not the same as it was back in 2018 with the new repave and especially the patches now. It makes it a little unique for me, but super cool.”

As a spotter, can you apply anything you learn today to your race tomorrow?

JONES: “Definitely. You can see a little bit on TV, but when you get a perspective from up top and you are seeing it live, it is way easier to see what is going on. It just kind of interesting to watch with the patches yesterday and there are some bumps here now that there wasn’t before, some patches. I actually picked up a lot – more than I thought I would be standing up there. It has been a long time since I’ve went up to any spotters stand and just watched around one of our tracks. It was good. I thought it was interesting just watching everybody. Today, I’m sure it will be good again to watch him in the race and see him move around and see what parts of the track get slick. You catch so much that you don’t always see on TV, just watching it yourself. I think as a driver – you probably watch different things with different cars than what you see on TV, so I think there will definitely be some stuff to pick up on today.”

What has it been like this week behind the scenes at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB with the tournament battle this weekend?

JONES: “I would love to give you some big play on it, but it has been business as usual. For me, I’m always pretty good about letting the result be what it is. I never go into a race thinking how I want to run, or how I want to finish. I’m just more – run the best race I can run, and then hope the result is going to come with that. So, staying with that. Obviously, is there a last lap and he’s one car in front of me and we are going into turn 11 – yeah, it might be different, but that is going to be a crazy situation. Just run the race and let the result come.”

What have you been learning that you can help Erik with on Sunday?
RODGERS: “I think I’ve been able to share a little bit. Erik (Jones) alluded to the new patches and some to the bumps here. They definitely caught me by surprise yesterday, I think as it did with most people. I was able to share that with him, and obviously, visually, he can see that from up top. Not that this weekend was in hopes of trying to change anything from his perspective or what we are doing necessarily, but I think it could be helpful for in the future with different scenarios for him to know, okay this is what it is like to be a spotter. This track – I feel like road course wise is an easy one, because he can see about 80 percent of the track, so I didn’t throw you in the deep end, like totally (laughter), but it still gives that perspective of being almost 30,000 ft. I feel like I’ve been able to help a little bit, and I hope he feels the same way, and today’s race will help for tomorrow as well. Things that I learn myself too, I think will help with our program tomorrow.”

What is it like with the reconfigurations and repave?

JONES: “Yeah, the repave was different last year and the racing quite a bit. I think it has aged quite a bit in a year, but that patches are super unique out here. This place was always really smooth before the repave, and it’s funny – we’ve done a repave – and I think it is a lot rougher than it ever was, but it will be interesting. I haven’t drove it yet, until this morning, we will get out here. You are asking a lot more out of the car, before it would always be about tire conservation, saving yourself for the end and last year was about a lot more hammer down and all out speed. It will probably be more of a mix this year of having some tire saving in there but also having a lot of compliance and drivability in your car compared to what you normally work on here. We will see. Obviously, our cars are a lot different than the Xfinity cars. We will have to see how they do today, but it is definitely a very different Sonoma.”

How did you land on choosing Will Rodgers as your spotter?
JONES: “I guess there was a few things. We came here last year and Will (Rodgers) did some second spotting for me, and we decided a little bit later that we were going to make a change for spotting for this year. There were a few names on that short list. Talked to those guys. It wasn’t really going to work out, so I started kind of branching out and thinking – who is not in the sport, and not a spotter right now, that I think could be a spotter. Will was kind of at the top of that list. Holly, my wife, actually kind of helped me come up with that. She thought he did a really good job here, and I was like he did. I got to thinking more about it and asked him if he would be interested. I wasn’t sure if it was something Will even would want to do full time, and when I called him, he said yeah, I’ll do the second spotter at every race, and I was like, no, no – I’m talking that you are going to spot every week. He was interested right away. I just thought his temperament and being a driver – he has a good clear voice on the radio, which I think is important. Just felt like with him being a younger guy too – it is a little bit easier to mold Will into what we wanted. It is not like he had a long history of spotting, where he was kind of set in his ways, and wouldn’t want to adapt. I thought we could kind of build Will into what we need and what I need as a spotter.”

Will the date change for this race weekend change any part of the race?

JONES: “I don’t know with the repave if it is going to change it too much. It was super-hot yesterday, but today and tomorrow looks like it will be way cooler than what we’ve ran here in the past. I think it will be different in that aspect. This place gets really slick in the heat for sure. I don’t know – it will be interesting to see how much tire we have to save. I don’t have a great feel yet, not being out there, how hard it is still on tires here, but with it being so relatively cool for a race here, I think it is going to be really different than we’ve had in years.”

In the last stage of the race tomorrow, are you going want to know want to know where John Hunter Nemechek is?

JONES: (laughter) No, probably not. I didn’t think or know where Ricky (Stenhouse, Jr.) was all day, and then I drove it into the wall and I kind of thought we gave that up, and then we crossed the finish line and it wasn’t a very good day, and the first thing Ben (Beshore, crew chief) says is well, we beat the 47 (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.) and I was like, okay, that is cool. (laughter) I don’t know how. I will want to know right after for sure, if I’m not aware of where he is at. But he doesn’t need to let me know.”

RODGERS: “If we are two or three back from him, coming down to it, I may say something. (laughter).”

Do you have a feeling of how many road courses should be on the schedule?

JONES: “I would love to do a couple a year. I was totally happy running here and Watkins Glen. I don’t know. I’m probably not the right guy to ask. I grew up as an oval racer. I didn’t race a road course till 10 years ago for the first time. My opinion is – this car is not, just hasn’t put on as good of a show on road courses that the old car did, to be frank. I think it is fun to go to different places, but I could see us doing here, Watkins Glen and one street course. I think you would be hard pressed to find many that wouldn’t agree with that. We know where this car puts on good races – the mile-and-a-half stuff is great – there is plenty of those tracks that we can go back to that are sitting there and primed to race, so I would love to go back to some of those.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 31 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

ARCA Menards Series West at Sonoma Raceway: General Tire 200 Post-race Notes

ARCA Menards Series West at Sonoma Raceway:
General Tire 200 Post-race Notes

  • William Sawalich (No. 18 Starkey Toyota) dominated the day, leading practice, winning the General Tire Pole Award in qualifying, and then leading every lap in Friday’s General Tire 200 at Sonoma Raceway. It was Sawalich’s fourth career ARCA Menards Series West victory.
  • Despite leading every lap, Sawalich had to come from third entering the final turn of the final lap to win. Sawalich and Alon Day (No. 25 JSSI Toyota) made contact in turn two after taking the green on the final restart and dropped to fourth place. Sawalich and Jack Wood (No. 16 Weyerhauser / James Hardie / TimberTech Chevrolet) made contact exiting turn 3A and Wood went spinning into the dirt, which allowed Sawalich to close on the battle for the lead between second-place Day and leader Christian Eckes (No. 19 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet). Eckes drove deep into turn 11 and pushed up the race track, taking Day up the track with him. That opened the door for Sawalich to sneak past both, and despite bouncing off the wall himself exiting turn 12, Sawalich won the drag race to the finish line by 0.066 seconds, the closest stock car finish in Sonoma Raceway’s history.
  • Eckes, the 2019 ARCA Menards Series champion, finished second in his ARCA Menards Series West debut. It marks the fifth time Bill McAnally Racing has finished second at Sonoma Raceway without a victory: 2006 with Brian Ickler, 2008 with Eric Holmes, 2021 with Dylan Lupton, and 2022 with Colby Howard.
  • Alon Day finished third in his second ARCA Menards Series platform start of the season and his West debut. The four-time NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion finished second two weeks ago in the ARCA Menards Series race at Lime Rock Park.
  • ARCA Menards Series West championship points leader Trevor Huddleston (No. 50 High Point Racing / Racecar Factory Ford) scored his best career road course finish in fourth. His previous best road course finish was seventh in 2024 at Portland International Raceway. Huddleston has five top-five finishes in six starts, the most of any West driver.
  • Tyler Reif (No. 24 Vegas Fasteners / Sigma Performance Services Chevrolet) finished fifth, his second consecutive top-five finish at Sonoma Raceway. Reif finished second last year driving for Central Coast Racing; the winner Sam Mayer was driving the same Joe Farre-owned Chevrolet that Reif drove in 2025. Reif is second in the ARCA Menards Series East championship with four race remaining.
  • Eric Nascimento (No. 4 Impact Transport / Phillips Bros. Fab Toyota) finished sixth in his first ARCA Menards Series West start of the season. It was his second career top-ten finish on a road course and bettered his career-best on a road course, seventh at Sonoma in 2022, by one position.
  • Sprint car ace Corey Day (No. 7 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet) finished a career-best seventh on his road course debut. He finished tenth in the West opener at Phoenix Raceway in March.
  • Kyle Keller (No. 71 Jan’s Towing / Jan’s Racing Ford) recovered from running out fuel with four laps remaining to finish eighth. Keller has finished in the top ten in every race this season except at Phoenix; he remains third in the series standings but drops to 15 points out of the lead.
  • Tanner Reif (No. 13 Central Coast Cabinets / Vegas Fasteners Ford) finished ninth, his fifth top-ten finish of the season. He remains second in the West championship standings, 14 points out of the lead.
  • Jeff Anton (No. 8 Deer Park Recycling Chevrolet) finished tenth in his first West appearance since he finished 19th in a East / West combination race at Iowa Speedway in 2009.
  • Rodd Kneeland (No. 68 Rodd’s Renovations Chevrolet) and Robbie Kennealy (No. 1 Jan’s Towing / Jan’s Racing Ford) were uninjured in a grinding crash that put the race under the red flag at lap 53. Kneeland, who was on the lead lap in 15th at the time, made contact with the lapped car of Eric Johnson, Jr. (No. 5 Sherwin-Williams Toyota) entering turn one and pounded the outside wall. Kennealy had no where to go and made contact with Kneeland’s car, shearing the right rear wheel off his car. Dale Quarterley (No. 32 Van Dyk Recycling Solutions Chevrolet) was also involved in a crash off turn 4A at lap 27 while racing inside the top five; he was also uninjured in the accident.
  • Sawalich’s 70.246 mph winning average speed is a stand-alone ARCA Menards Series West track record at Sonoma Raceway.
  • The next race for the ARCA Menards Series West is the NAPA Auto Care 150 at Tri-City Raceway in West Richland, Washington on Saturday, August 9. The race will be streamed live on FloRacing starting at 10:30 pm ET/7:30 pm PT. Live timing and scoring data and live race audio will be available at ARCARacing.com.

About ARCA 
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum in Toledo, Ohio, and acquired by NASCAR in April 2018, is the leading grassroots stock car sanctioning body in the United States. Bridging the gap between NASCAR’s top three national touring series and weekly and regional tour racing all across the country, the organization sanctions over 100 races per year in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, ASA STARS National Tour, ASA CRA Super Series, ASA Midwest Tour, ASA Southern Super Series plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways. For more information about ARCA visit , or follow ARCA on Facebook (@ARCARacing) and Twitter (@ARCA_Racing). 

About Menards
A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states.  Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building.  You’ll find a large selection of lumber, roofing, siding, construction blocks, trusses, doors and windows, plus cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, paint, plumbing supplies and more.  To complete the job, Menards has quality hand tools, power tools, fasteners, electrical tools plus storage options and supplies for everyone from the weekend warrior to the pro!

Menards has what you need to complete your outdoor projects and keep your yard in tip-top shape including mowers, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers and more, plus a beautiful garden center stocked with plants, shrubs, trees, landscaping tools, grass seed, fertilizer options, outdoor décor and patio furniture.  Menards also has everyday essentials like health & beauty products, housewares, pet and wildlife supplies, automotive items and even groceries.  And at Christmas, an Enchanted Forest display area with impressive trees, lighting, decorations, ornaments, inflatables and more. 

Menards is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too!  For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.

CHEVROLET NCS AT SONOMA: Kyle Larson Media Availability Quotes

NASCAR CUP SERIES
SONOMA RACEWAY
TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES
JULY 12, 2025

 Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Sonoma Raceway.

The 32-year-old Elk Grove, California, native returns to his home track as a two-time winner in NASCAR’s top division, including the series’ most recent appearance at the circuit one year ago.

Media Availability Quotes:

How’s it like to be back here where it all began for you?

“Yeah… or near where it kind of began because I didn’t grow up doing this stuff. But, no, it’s good to be back home, or close to it, and good to be in the Napa Valley; hanging out with friends and doing all the fun stuff that Napa has to offer. And yeah, come back to a track that I enjoy and have ran decently at in the past. Hopefully we can have another solid weekend.”

Your qualifying average here is 3.8, which is absolutely ridiculous. How are you such a good qualifier here?

“I really don’t know…. I’m not sure. But yeah, it’s always gone well for me here — from the first times I’ve been here to qualify, and then we went on a string of, I don’t know, four or five poles in a row. Last year, I think we qualified fifth. So, I don’t know. We had one where we were pretty bad, I think, in the Next Gen car and qualified in the teens. But other than that, it’s been really good.”

Your crew chief, Cliff Daniels, is known for his motivational pep talks, sometimes, you know, before races and during races. As a driver, how do they resonate with you? Are there times where they really kind of, like, pump you up, or are there other times when you’re, like, you just kind of shrug them off? What’s your reaction to those in general?

“I think he’s really good at articulating words and thoughts and all that. He seems to always know kind of the right thing to say at the right time.

So, yeah, I would say, if anything, not that it gets me pumped up or anything, but it just kind of gets me refocused or more focused on what’s ahead. I would say the same goes for probably everybody on our team, you know, that works with Cliff.”

Kyle, this battle for the regular season championship has really tightened up over the last couple of weeks. There are now five guys within 48 points. How do you perceive that battle, especially with a couple of road courses like here and Watkins Glen still to come where there are points on the table if you don’t want to flip the stages? What’s your perception on how that battle has shaped up now with seven or eight races left?

“Yeah, it’s really tight. Hopefully we can kind of get back on a run of being consistent and getting stage points. I feel like, you know, we’ve still kind of been consistent. We just haven’t finished as high as we have early in the year, and then we’ve been missing out on stage points. So, you know, we’ve kind of lost track a little bit there, and others have been doing a good job. Chase (Elliott) is always consistent, so he’s just quietly kind of there. You know, after his win that he had, I was shocked. I didn’t even know he was that close in points. And then, yeah, William’s (Byron) been really strong, but he’s had some bad luck here in a couple races lately. So it’s just kind of, when the leader of the points can’t really get away, it just kind of brings it all together.

There’s still a lot of racing left, though. If you go on a good run, you can stretch out here pretty quickly.”

Is there anything you can point your finger toward as far as like why you guys as a team have maybe, I don’t know — you guys have set such exceptionally high standards for yourselves over these past couple of years. Is there anything you can point to in this recent stretch that you feel like you haven’t been executing collectively at that same level?

“I don’t know. Honestly, I feel like we’ve been — for what we have on the racetrack, I feel like we’ve executed really well. You know, just on paper, it looks like we’re just very average, which we have been. But, you know, we’ve taken days where we’ve been not a top-ten car and finished in the top-10 or even top-five.

And, you know, those days, although they’re not fun, they are rewarding at the end of it because I think , a lot of times in my past, I’ll try even too hard and make big mistakes and crash, which I’ve done that here lately some also. But, yeah, I don’t know. We just haven’t been as strong as we’ve wanted to be here lately. We’ve gone to some tracks where when you look at results from the past, we haven’t been quite competitive or have race winning speed and it’s kind of carried over to this year at some of those places too.

I’m confident when we come here to Sonoma. It’s a good track for us. But, you know, it’s a different tire than we had here last year, so I’m sure that will present some differences and challenges. But yeah, just got to try to have some car speed and then execute along with it.”

Cliff (Daniels) decided to pit you kind of late last year. You had fresher tires than the guys that you were attempting to pass there at the end. How did that help you attack in the closing laps?

“Well yeah, I mean any time you’re on a tire advantage like that, it helps. But, you know, at any point it can kind of go sideways if a caution comes out, so then you’re restarting mid-pack again. So, yeah, the race just kind of played out in our favor last year with the strategy that we committed to. And, yeah, you know, it just worked out. We had a great car, too, so we could have been on other strategies and probably would have been okay also.

But the strategy that we were on, without having the cautions at the end, it really helped me be on offense and make the moves I needed to. And really when I had that much of an advantage, people weren’t really fighting me off. You know, I’d catch them and they’d just let me go, so it didn’t really limit me on lap time as I was coming through.”

Since you grew up in Northern California, and I think you came out Tuesday or something, what do you do up here to have fun, relax, just kind of get away from the grind?

“Yeah, you know, it’s definitely been a grind for me lately, so it was good to get out here and not have any extra races and whatnot. So, yeah, we came out on Tuesday; met up with Abreu’s, had dinner at Mustard’s Grill, and then Wednesday laid by the pool. Rico, David and their family, they had like a fundraising thing that they had sold earlier in the year or last year. So we got to run go-karts at their track and they had dinner on their property with a lot of people, so that was a lot of fun. On Thursday, we did some wine tasting, and yesterday we didn’t do anything. I brought my bike out here, so I rode my bike, so that was nice and relaxing, too.”

Did this week kind of help your mindset a little bit preparing for this weekend and kind of how you plan to break some of the issues you’ve had in the past and help you reset maybe in a way to kind of prepare for this weekend? How did that kind of affect your overall mindset?

“I mean, we’ll see. A lot of times, I don’t think it matters, you know, for results on the track. But for me, I think Sonoma kind of always falls at a good time of year to enjoy some nice weather and things off the track to kind of just be a normal person again and take your mind off competition because it’s so easy to just immerse yourself in it every day. Some people thrive on that, and I would say I typically am that guy, too. But a lot of times, it’s good to get away from racing. I think that can really recharge you. So, yeah, I feel ready to go. I’m happy to be here and happy to be back on the track that we ran so well at last year.”

What can you tell me just about the track — what you like about it, where you found success, and really what you think probably separates you from the other drivers and the reason why you’ve had so much success?

“Yeah, I don’t know. I mean, I definitely enjoy it. It’s a flowy track, and although you can call it a lot of corners, there’s really not. I feel like the less corners on a road course, the better off I am. But yeah, I think the repave really helped me. I don’t think I excel at tracks on road courses that wear out tires because I just sling the car around a lot, so I feel like I’m hard on the tires. So the repave I thought last year really helped me, and we’ll see if it does again this year. But yeah, it’s just a good track.”

As you bring your dirt racing and you’re bringing other guys into NASCAR, such as Corey Day and guys like that, how do you think your influence is effecting both sports? And also, I see we also understood Roto Rooters is also sponsoring your dirt racing. How does that affect you as, obviously, you being a champion in NASCAR, and, you know, you’ve been through all these things. How does that work with you?

“I don’t know. I mean, I’ve always kind of done it, so I don’t really think or feel like I’m doing anything different. Since joining Hendrick Motorsports, I’ve had a lot of success, and then now there’s more eyes, I feel like, on me in both NASCAR as well as dirt racing. And then, yeah, guys like Corey Day — he’s young and up and coming, and it was great. It wasn’t just me that got him into Hendrick Motorsports, his family had a relationship with Jeff Andrews and Jeff Gordon and all that. So, yeah, it’s neat to see him here and learning. Trying to get better and learn a completely different discipline, especially with the road course stuff. It’s always neat when you can see other dirt racers try and find their way up the ladder.”

You’re a world-class driver. When you see a guy like SVG come along, are you kind of amazed at his technique and his race craft?

“Yeah, absolutely, for sure. You know, he’s so good, and it’s rare that you see somebody stand out and distance himself from the competition as much as he is. You know, he’s way, way, way better than us at the road course stuff.

And he’s got his own technique, you can call it. Not his own because the rest of the world does it – you know, right-foot braking, clutching and all that stuff. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks… like there’s zero chance I can learn how to do that. And even if I did, like there’s zero chance that I can have it be better than what I’m probably doing with left-foot braking. So yeah, he’s just so good. He’s still new to the oval stuff, so he’s going to continue to get better at that. And, yeah, I mean, if he can figure out the ovals, he’s going to be dominant.”

Do you think here at Sonoma, the rest of the Cup Garage has a little bit more forshame because this is a track that we’ve been coming to for a really long time, and this will be the first time that he’s (Shane van Gisbergen) racing in a Cup car here?

“I’d hope that we’re a little closer, but he’s still going to be the fastest, I think. You know, you look at Xfinity – he dominated the weekend here last year, and he’s going to dominate it again today, you know, being on the pole and all that. I don’t know why he would be any different in the Cup car. I would say the competition’s a little closer to him as we come to more normal road courses, like COTA and hopefully Sonoma. Watkins Glen, he was still the fastest there last year, but it’s a race. But yeah, in Mexico, he was super good. And then, yeah, Chicago, I think he’s just really, really, really familiar with the size of his car and what it takes to push the limits and not be over the limit. So, yeah, I don’t know. We’ll see. I hope that we’re much closer to him this week, but as good as he is, I expect him to be fastest in qualifying and execute in a good race again.”

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.