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CHEVROLET NCS AT DAYTONA 2: Trackhouse Racing Press Conference Transcript

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Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 24, 2024

 JUSTIN MARKS, FOUNDER AND OWNER OF TRACKHOUSE RACING, AND SHANE VAN GISBERGEN, DRIVER FOR TRACKHOUSE RACING, met with the media at Daytona International Speedway to announce that Trackhouse Racing will field three full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2025, with van Gisbergen behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

Press Conference Quotes:

Justin Marks:

“A great day for the company, obviously. Being able to announce that we’re expanding to a third full time Cup series entry in 2025. The most exciting thing about it, for me, is that we’re able to announce that Shane Van Gisbergen is going to be the full time in the Cup Series for us next year for Trackhouse as we expand from two cars to three. These moments are always special, especially since 48 months ago this was a Tennessee Limited Liability Company with 500 dollars in the bank and sort of an idea. Me and Ty trying to figure out how to do it. For us to come in as a one car team in 2021 and make the acquisition of Ganassi, expand into two teams, win seven races the next year two and a half years after that, and have some great, great partners come on and sort of continue this amazing journey of building a great company here, this is obviously a huge moment. Really, really thrilled and excited that Shane put the trust in us and made a huge commitment and leaving a very successful career in Australia and New Zealand and move to a new country and start over and put his faith and trust in us, means a lot to us. He put in a tremendous amount of work. Great human being. Very, very talented racecar driver and someone with an incredibly bright future. We’re very excited to have him here. It’s also what’s kind of unique about this is that this is a neat moment for Project 91. Project 91 was a program to bring incredible talent from around the world to the NASCAR Cup Series and see if we could do something special with it. Obviously, with Shane going to Chicago and being the first winner in 60 years on debut in Project 91 and then make the move over, make the commitment to the Xfinity Series this year, and a bunch of Cup races, and then be able to turn that into a full time Cup Series ride in 2025, is just a really cool moment and story of Project 91. So, we’re very excited. We’re thrilled that he’s accepted the offer and made the commitment and looking for big things in 2025.”

Shane van Gisbergen:

“Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. It’s been a pretty awesome 18 months, I guess, now. It’s been a huge life change as Justin said. Everything he’s said will happen has happened. I never thought it would happen this quick, and I’m very glad we’ve done the learning this year in Xfinity. Kaulig Racing has been great to work with, and also a lot more races to finish the year now. It’s been a huge learning experience, but just excited to get full time in the Cup Series next year. Working with Trackhouse has been fun this year the way everyone goes racing, the attitude in the place, it just resonates from the top with Justin and Ty, the leadership there. You just feel it through the place. It’s a really cool team to be a part of. Hugely excited about it. Have a lot of work to do and it’s not going to be easy, that’s for sure. But, I’ll keep pushing and hopefully fit in pretty good next year. Can’t wait.”

Justin, talk about as you look at Trackhouse Entertainment Group and how you get all of the different regions now of the world represented under that banner…

“That’s definitely an element to the story here that we take a lot of pride in. We’re going to be full time Cup racing with three cars and three drivers that were born in three different countries, which I think is a pretty amazing thing for this sport. It’s pretty amazing for where motorsports is today, and we’re thrilled and honored to be stewards of international diversity. The top level of motorsports. I’ve said this a couple of times now, with our MotoGP lineup next year and our Cup Series lineup next year with Trackhouse has a roster of athletes that represent Mexico, New Zealand, the USA, Spain and Japan which is a pretty incredible thing for a motorsports company. We take a lot of pride in that. We just continue to tell a great story, try to get really great people in the house with diverse backgrounds, great stories to tell, compelling personalities, and at the end of the day just really, really dedicated, hard workers.”

Shane, for you, coming over here and you’re racing over here with those you haven’t met before. When we were in Chicago, you were trying to read the names on the back of the windows to try and remember who you were trying to race in that corner. Talk about a year later now that you’ve been around these guys, how much you’ve learned, and also some of the respect you see between yourself and some of the other drivers…

“It goes both ways. Didn’t you have to Google me when Justin brought my name up? It’s a different world, and it’s you’re still car racing but it’s a completely different sport. But like I said, learning so much this year and got two recent examples of people I guess that came through – Marcos Ambrose and Juan Pablo (Montoya) – similar backgrounds and Juan did three or four races in Xfinity and then full time into Cup. Marcos took it the slower route, so we’re kind of in between. I think the way we’ve done this is the right way with all of the processes and even though the Xfinity car is very, very different to a Cup car, I think it was 100% worth it. Learning all of the tracks, all of the places, the terminology, metric vs. imperial, that’s been tough. But, you know, it’s a massive learning era, but I’ve just got to keep building on it and keep improving every week. Had a little set back in Xfinity, I guess, losing our crew chief, but we’ve got to get that momentum built up. I’m still fully focused on getting a result in the Playoffs and keeping that momentum into next year. Pretty exciting times.”

Justin, one more element to this in expanding the team, you have to dig deep and started thinking what’s going to be the number. How do you take this into the next level and something that has relevance?

“Before we unveil the number, one of the things for Trackhouse, numbers are important. I mean, numbers are important and they’re a big part of the branding in this sport. Numbers represent history, and they represent legions of fans and historic drivers and historic moments in this sport. We don’t take our number choices lightly, and when we chose the No. 99 car to begin with, there was a responsibility that came with that. That was wins with Carl Edwards, wins with Jeff Burton and a lot of great drivers. Same thing with the No. 1 with Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray, and when we think about the numbers and our history and the number, it’s important for us to honor that history and to add to the winning legacy of that number. We’ve done with the No.1 and we’ve done with the No. 99 and we intend to do it with the new one.”

Justin, talk a little bit about the process of this, wanting to do the right thing, talking to the Hendrick group, talking to Jeff Gordon, talking to the Earnhardt’s…

“I called Carl Edwards in the end of 2020 and said we’re starting this Cup team, and we want to run the No. 99 number, and I want to tell you we’re doing this and obviously get your endorsement of it and get your support for it. We did the same thing with the No. 1, and we’ve done it with the No. 88 in talking to the folks at Hendrick and to Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. who I was just texting an hour and a half ago. It’s important for us to have the endorsement. A great exchange with Dale Jr. saying look, it’s not my number. I added to legacy of it. It’s important to me personally, but he was proud to see it in good hands. And that’s something that’s super, super important to me and this company.”

What was the trigger that said all of a sudden, we need to do this? Did you have a goal, like last year, if we get to this certain time, we’ll pull the trigger on a third team, or was this just the time was right?

Marks: “I’ve always thought that three teams is a really strong number of teams to have in this sport. It just gives you 33% more of an opportunity on the racetrack every weekend. Frankly, it’s four-car teams are reserved for really, really big companies in this sport, and it’s tough to make four cars work. I think three was kind of always sort of the number for us from day one if things went our way and we could grow from one car to two, that three was kind of the goal. An opportunity be able to come up to expand to a third car for this year, so we took it.”

Shane, for you, the pressure is there. When you won in Chicago you said this was your ultimate goal. Next year, you’re going to be a full time Cup driver. Pressure, do you feel pressure? Are you motivated, excited, happy, anxious?

“All of the above, but that’s why we do it. Those feels are good things because it means you care so much about it, right? All this year, I’ve been nervous getting in the car. Anxious. How it’s going to go. How am I going to be? That’s an awesome feeling and something I haven’t had for a few years, so it’s been really cool. It’s cool to be energized like that. Of course there’s going to be pressure. The Cup Series is pretty cutthroat as we’ve seen. A lot of guys, it’s pretty hard to make it. I just have to keep learning, do the best I can, and I’ll be fine.”

Justin, can you confirm where you’re getting the charter from?

“What would you guess?

I would guess Stewart Haas Racing.

“Probably not a bad answer.”

Can you talk about the decision, or was it an easy decision? You had more drivers than you had spots, so you had to announce you were releasing Zane and keeping Shane…

“I think when we decide the drivers, it’s a big picture, and we cast a wide net, sort of, of qualifications. It’s commercial support, fit in the company, personality, all of that. We don’t have four cars, we have three, so we have to make a decision. We’re excited about the decision we’ve made with SVG.”

With all of your endeavors and connections in other motorsports arenas, is there a concentration of on where you’ll find the next driver to potentially bring to NASCAR? With a wide net, is there a target?

Marks: “I don’t think we’re in the driver-looking business for right now for a while. We’re excited with Ross (Chastain), we’re excited with Daniel (Suarez), we’re excited with SVG. Really excited about resigning Raul Fernandez and bringing the (Ai) Ogura into the MotoGP thing. And we’ve got amazing talent who’s going to be racing full time next year in the Xfinity Series in Connor Zilisch. I think we’re in a pretty good spot right now. As the business expands and we’re able to expand to a third team and have these opportunities, it was important to make sure we put an emphasis and put ourselves in the best position to get the best talent in the house. I think we’ve done that, and now we can focus on what we’ve got and try to go win races.”

Can you give a number, an exact number, on what you paid for the charter?

“No.”

In negotiations of the charter agreement, there’s been some debate whether to continue to invest in teams. Why not wait to acquire a third charter until the negotiations are final?

“I don’t really have any stress that the fact the charter system is going to continue. I don’t really think that’s a risk, and when there is an opportunity to make a move and to expand… We had a lot of great commercial support around this program that we’ll announce later this season. There’s a lot of things falling in line. We had to take advantage of that opportunity when it was here before we lost it. It wasn’t really that difficult of a decision. The charter negotiations will continue. Those conversations will continue to happen. I think the charter system has been good for the sport. I think NASCAR will tell you the same thing. We don’t really have any stress about that system continuing.”

Justin, the news came out that Zane Smith and Trackhouse were parting ways. Did this come down to a Zane or Shane decision. If it didn’t, describe what you made pick Shane for this seat over some other drivers who I’m sure were in consideration who may have had experience in NASCAR specifically?

“The way I’ll answer this, this moment is about Shane van Gisbergen. This is a SVG moment. I’m going to keep it an SVG moment. I will tell you the reason we chose to go with Shane for this third car is that he… Yeah, there’s not a lot of experience in the Cup Series, some unknowns, a lot of hard work, but Shane checks a lot of boxes for a really, really compelling story and building great business for this sport. I think it’s the fact he’s incredibly talented. He’s really dedicated. There’s a reason why he was the first one to win on debut since Johnny Rutherford in 1963. That’s a big thing. Obviously, the Chicago Street Race is kind of in his wheelhouse, but the rate of adaptability of everything else, just the competition, the restarts, the pit stops, the way he prepared for that race, this is a superstar. This is somebody we were really excited about committing to knowing that’s a relatively unconventional path to a Cup car. But we wouldn’t be doing it if we didn’t think this guy couldn’t win lots and lots of Cup races and be a Playoff contender. It was honestly a pretty easy decision because he checked a lot of boxes for us and everyone in the company is really excited for it.”

Shane, what has been the hardest part about your learning curve? Just trying to get up to speed? You come out and, in your debut, win. What has really challenged you along the way?

“Turning left. It’s just there’s so many variables in this racing. You see even Kyle Larson, who is the best driver, he’s first one week, 20th the next. There are so many variables that make this sport a thing. I’m used to being on one line, the repetition the whole time, hitting my marks, where the race can change so much over the course of the day. When the weather changes, the rubber goes down, or ever the superspeedway racing is completely different. Probably just the amount of variables in this racing. You can prep all you want, but it’s having those instincts in how to react and having the best way to do it. Every race, I’m learning something. I seem to always start the races kind of slow, and by stage three, I’m on the pace kind of thing. Just every week, this time of year, going back to tracks I’ve been to before, hopefully I can show that improvement and keep getting better. As I said, every week, I’m like a sponge trying to learn stuff and get better and better.”

Do you expect to run any Xfinity races next year?

van Gisbergen: “Yeah, I hope so. Obviously, there will be speaking with Chris and the Kaulig team and there’s opportunities to do the road courses, but to me, that’s the easy stuff. I want to do more ovals with them and learn in both ways. Hopefully, we’ll race with them next year and win some road courses but hopefully, they’ll let me do some ovals and I can keep getting more experience.”

Justin, Project 91, you mentioned the importance of it right off the top. Do you anticipate it continuing moving forward with a full three car roster, or do you feel that stretches the team too thin?

“We’re having those discussions right now. I think that Project 91 is something that 100% in my mind, I’d love to continue. It’s just difficult to do it this year because we had so much on our plate with supporting other drivers in other programs, and just a lot of other business development stuff we’re working on. I would expect Project 91 to be back sooner rather than later. Obviously, it has to fit into the workflow of the company. We’re expanding our focus on running three competitive Cup cars next year. There’s a lot of interest in Project 91 both from drivers, and from commercial partners. I would 100% anticipate that to continue in some capacity.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and 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.

No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 to Start Sixth at Virginia International Raceway

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Official Release
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ALTON, Virginia (August 24, 2024) – The Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) GTD team secured a solid sixth place starting position around the challenging corners of VIRginia International Raceway. Kyle Marcelli put together an impressive lap time of 01:44.504 as he managed to balance speed and precision to start toward the front of the 14-car GTD field.

The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team will take on the final sprint race of the season on Sunday, August 25 as Danny Formal and Kyle Marcelli close out the sprint championship for the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. The Michelin GT Challenge at VIR is set to take place at 12:10 p.m. ET with live coverage on USA Network.

TOP FIVE GTD STARTING GRID

  1. No. 55 Proton Competition (Ford Mustang GT3) C. Lewis, G. Levorato (113.300 mph)
  2. No. 32 Korthoff/Preston Motorsports (Mercedes-AMG GT3) M. Grenier, K. Koch (113.076 mph)
  3. No. 120 Wright Motorsports (Porsche 911 GT3 R) E. Skeer, A. Adelson (113.063 mph)
  4. No. 27 Heart of Racing Team (Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo) Z. Robichon, R. De Angelis (112.799 mph)
  5. No. 96 Turner Motorsport (BMW M4 GT3) P. Gallagher, R. Foley (112.646 mph)
  6. No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 (Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2) K. Marcelli, D. Formal (112.606 mph)

KYLE MARCELLI, No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2: “I expected more. I did everything I could. It was really difficult to get more speed out of myself and the car. I’m just frustrated with the result on paper. I rest easy knowing that I did everything I could. I made some mistakes, and it was easy to make mistakes. I think that was the biggest challenge I had; you were either under the limit or over the limit. It was really hard to find the sweet spot. I wanted more for the team and for myself, but that’s all we had.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.

WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.

CORVETTE RACING AT VIR: Front-Row Start for Garcia

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Official Release
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No. 3 Corvette qualifies second, Milner on inside of third row in GT-only fight

ALTON, Va. (August 24, 2024) – Antonio Garcia will start on the outside of the front row Sunday after leading the group of Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R drivers in qualifying for the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR.

Garcia, in the No. 3 Corvette from Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports, set a best qualifying lap of 1:43.346 (113.908 mph) in Saturday’s 15-minute qualifying session. That put him 0.140 seconds off the GTD PRO pole-winning time around the 3.27-mile, 17-turn Virginia International Raceway circuit.

Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Z06 GT3.R was fifth in class at 1:43.745 (113.470 mph) and four-tenths of a second from the front row for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s lone GT-only event. The Virginia driver was on the back foot early after being balked on his first flying lap by another car that ran ahead of both Corvettes.

The Pratt Miller squad claimed six victories at VIR under the Corvette Racing factory banner through the end of last season, including last year’s win for Garcia and Jordan Taylor in the Corvette C8.R. The Z06 GT3.R already has two VIR wins this year as DXDT Racing swept both rounds of GT World Challenge America there earlier this year with Milner as one of its drivers.

In GTD, Orey Fidani qualified the No. 13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R 14th in class with a lap of 1:47.306 (109.704 mph). He and Matt Bell are coming off a season-best, fifth-place finish the last time out at Road America. A repeat – or besting that result – at VIR would solidify Fidani’s lead in the Bob Akin Award standings, with the highest points-scoring Bronze driver at the end of the year earning an automatic entry to the following year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Michelin GT Challenge at VIR is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. ET on Sunday. The race will air live on USA starting at noon ET with live streaming on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will stream the call of the race at IMSA.com with coverage also on XM 206 and SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – QUALIFIED SECOND IN GTD PRO: “It was a confusing session with people slowing down, so you were forced to slow down in order to start the next lap. I’m sure we were in everybody’s way most of the time. I tried to be clean and do the best I could. I’m happy with the position for sure. I wasn’t expecting this, and I wasn’t expecting such a long track to be so busy. But yeah, that’s the way it went.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – QUALIFIED FIFTH IN GTD PRO: “It was a frustrating qualifying session. I think if you asked everyone except the pole-sitter, they would probably agree. It was a messy qualifying. Realistically we’ve had too many of those as a series… too many sessions where people try and build gaps all the time and cause problems. My quick lap was OK. I’m not crazy unhappy with it, but it would have been nice to have had a normal qualifying progression where I could go for two laps and see what that would have been. The good thing is that it’s just GTD PRO cars ahead of us, which is good. But we do have our work cut out for us. This is a place where having straight-line speed is very beneficial, and in the current state of things we don’t have a lot of that. So we’ll need to be clever tomorrow with our strategy. We’re prepared for that and know what to expect. We’ll work on that overnight tonight and see what we can come up with for the race.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and 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.

Ferrucci Puts Foyt Team on Pole for First Time Since 2014

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Official Release
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PORTLAND, Ore. (Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024) – The ascension of AJ Foyt Racing this season hit its highest point Saturday, as Santino Ferrucci delivered the fabled team its first NTT INDYCAR SERIES pole since 2014 by earning the NTT P1 Award for the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland.

Ferrucci earned his first career series pole in his first-ever appearance in the Firestone Fast Six, turning a top lap of 58.2046 seconds in the No. 14 Phoenix Investors Chevrolet owned by legendary four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt. It was the quickest lap overall so far this weekend in three sessions on the 12-turn, 1.964-mile road course at Portland International Raceway.

“We just felt it,” Ferrucci said. “We just rolled off the truck amazing. It’s been a year of hard work and progression, and we’ve shown some real speed at some times. It’s just great to put it together, man. Oh, my God.”

This was the first NTT P1 Award for Foyt’s team since Takuma Sato won the pole in June 2014 for the second race of the doubleheader at Raceway at Belle Isle in Detroit. Ferrucci’s previous best start was second in the second race of the doubleheader in 2020 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, when he drove for Dale Coyne Racing in an event that didn’t include the Firestone Fast Six due to pandemic-related event format changes.

Two-time series champion Will Power will share the front row for the 110-lap race Sunday (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network) after qualifying second at 58.3120 in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet.

The front-row lockout was the high point so far of the technical alliance between Team Penske and AJ Foyt Racing that started this season, which has helped the Foyt team become more competitive. Ferrucci, a free agent after this season, also admitted the pole may help him land another contract with Foyt’s team.

“I think it’s no secret how hard we’ve been working this year, how hard I’ve been working, Larry (team president Larry Foyt), our entire staff,” Ferrucci said. “Hell, I’ve got some more bargaining power for next year. I love it.

“What Larry and I have been building here at this team, I’m so proud of him, so proud of what we’ve accomplished. I just can’t wait for the future. This is just a glimpse of what we’ve got.”

Two-time and defending series champion Alex Palou continued his march toward a third title in four seasons by qualifying third at 58.4316 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou leads second-place Colton Herta by 59 points – slightly over a race’s worth of points – in the standings with four races remaining.

Christian Lundgaard qualified fourth at 58.5809 in the No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda fielded by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, his best performance since qualifying second for the Sonsio Grand Prix in May on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. RLL was the only team to put two cars into the Firestone Fast Six in a strong rebound from struggles in practice Friday and Saturday morning.

Kyle Kirkwood qualified fifth at 58.5960 in the No. 27 AutoNation Honda of Andretti Global but will start 11th due to a six-spot grid penalty for an unapproved engine change after the last event, last Saturday night at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Graham Rahal rounded out the Firestone Fast Six at 58.6332 in the No. 15 Hendrickson Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. But he also incurred a six-position grid penalty for an unapproved engine change at WWTR and will start 12th.

While Ferrucci’s pole sent shockwaves and congratulations from rival teams up and down pit lane, the list of drivers who failed to advance to the Firestone Fast Six also created ripples.

Herta qualified 10th in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian after an off-track excursion and wheelspin exiting a corner hurt two of his laps in the second round of qualifying. Six-time series champion Scott Dixon, third in points, qualified 11th in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Herta and Dixon will start eighth and ninth, respectively, due to the grid penalties of Kirkwood and Rahal.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was Scott McLaughlin, fifth in points, qualifying 14th in the No. 3 Freightliner Team Penske Chevrolet after leading both practice sessions. Judging traffic on the short road course was the culprit, he said.

“I just didn’t find the gap where I should have,” McLaughlin said. “Pretty disappointed. You just can’t afford to … even if the car is a second in front of you, it (turbulence) disturbs it enough to slow it down.”

CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT PORTLAND: SANTINO FERRUCCI PUTS CHEVY AND AJ FOYT RACING ON POLE FOR BITNILE.COM GRAND PRIX

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
BITNILE.COM GRAND PRIX OF PORTLAND
PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
PORTLAND, OREGON
TEAM CHEVY ALL CHEVY FRONT ROW WITH QUOTES AND TRANSCRIPTS

AUGUST 24, 2024

SANTINO FERRUCCI SCORES FIRST CAREER NTT P1 AWARD FOR THE BITNILE.COM GRAND PRIX OF PORTLAND

WILL POWER QUALIFIES SECOND TO LOCK FRONT ROW FOR CHEVROLET

  • Santino Ferrucci put his No. 14 Phoenix Investors AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet on pole for the BiTNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland with a lap of 58.2046 seconds
  • It is Ferrucci’s career-first NTT P1 Award, and the first pole for AJ Foyt Racing since Detroit, 2014
  • Will Power qualified second to lock-in an all-Chevy power front row behind the wheel of his familiar No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet with a lap of 58.3120 seconds
  • The schedule on Saturday will conclude with a final 30-minute practice at 5:15 PM PT. All practice and qualifying sessions broadcast with Peacock, INDYCAR Radio, and SiriusXM Channel 218. Sunday’s race will be live of USA and Peacock starting at noon PT, 3:00 PM ET.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING

SANTINO FERRUCCI, NO. 14 PHOENIX INVESTORS AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET, POLE WINNER:

How special is this moment?

“I mean, this is definitely one of the greatest days of my career. In qualifying, too, it’s so tight. This series is so incredible talented. To be doing this today is such a feat for us and the team, and shows how hard we’ve been working. I can’t thank everybody enough for believing in me.

“Man, I think it’s no secret how hard we’ve been working this year, how hard I’ve been working, Larry (Foyt), our entire staff. I mean, my first career pole in an INDYCAR and I’m not known for being the best qualifier and today, we just felt it. We unrolled off the trailer amazing. It’s been a year of hard work and progression. We’ve showed some real speed at certain times and it feels great to put it together, man. I can’t just thank this entire team enough, Sexton Properties, Phoenix Investors, everybody that’s involved, Chevrolet. We brought it.”

Starting on pole, how do you keep it up front in the race tomorrow?

“We’ve been so good in race craft, that’s actually the least of my worries. The racing’s so good for us. We’ve been struggling everywhere else on the weekend, so to knock this out of the park, I’m excited.”

You’ve been strong on ovals in past, but to get this first career pole on a road course, how does that feel to you?

“Everything. I’ve got some more bargaining power for next year. I mean, I love it. What Larry (Foyt) and I have been building at this team, I’m so proud of him, so proud of what we have accomplished, and I just can’t wait for the future. I think this is a glimpse of what we’ve got. This is the last road course of the year, and, trust me, I want to get on that podium so bad, stand on that top step, and a road course would be a way to make it happen.”

LARRY FOYT, AJ FOYT RACING TEAM PRESIDENT:

“It’s just awesome. I mean, the trajectory where we’ve been headed as a team, it’s just been great. We’ve added so many great people to our group. Santino (Ferrucci) is just getting better all of the time. This is just a testament to everything we’re doing. Thanks to affiliation with Penske. Certainly, a huge help. Those guys are awesome, but our guys just really delivered today and Santino drove the wheels off. It’ll be good to call dad. It’ll be a fun call for a change. I hope the Sextons are watching and the Phoenix livery is beautiful this weekend. It’s great, just great.”

We know what one half of the team is going to look like from the driver perspective with David Malukas. What does this do to help solidify Santino’s position in the team?

“He’s done a super job this year. Can’t say enough about how he’s helped elevate the team. It’s just really good. I hope he can enjoy this. It’s really great for the morale of the whole group.”

What have been some key moments along the way with this team whether it’s key personnel, milestones, etc.?

“You get a good group together, everybody pulling in the same direction, and that’s what it really takes. INDYCAR is so tight. You can be up one weekend and down there next. If you’ve got a group that really likes working together and putting in the extra effort, that’s just what we’ve been doing. From guys like Michael Cannon joining the team to the Penske affiliation, Chevy power, everything just comes to this. It feels great.”

MICHAEL CANNON, AJ FOYT RACING TECHNICAL DIRECTOR:

“I’m just so blessed to work with so many really good drivers, really great drivers, a lot more great drivers and these great engineers. This has been a 19-month project getting here and I can’t thank Larry (Foyt) enough for giving me this opportunity to build a racing team, Roger Penske and his group, Ron and all the guys there with all of the help they’ve been giving us, it’s made a world of difference. We’ve turned this team completely around from tail end Charlie to pole. This is magnificent.”

Many on the team were here when you showed up to help with this resurgence. Celebrating this moment, what does that mean to you?

“Everything. It means everything. I hope AJ (Foyt) is watching. I hope he’s proud of us. It was what I was hired to do. A lot of us came in here given a blank slate, not necessarily a blank check but a blank slate. To pull this off is remarkable. It’s one of the best days of my 42 years of racing that I can remember. Just truly remarkable, so proud of (this crew), and I’m so glad I could do this for Larry and AJ (Foyt).”

WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON BUSINESS TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED SECOND:

“I made one mistake in turn 12. I dropped the wheel off which lost me a bit over a tenth, so (Santino Ferrucci)’s lap was very, very good. He did a great job. All stoked to get through the Fast Six. I really wanted pole because it helps so much not getting caught up in that first corner. But, it’s great to be on the front row with somewhat of a teammate. Obviously, with Santino, we share information some, so we can start about the start. Ultimately, just have to keep finishing ahead of (Alex) Palou. He’s right there. Obviously, I can be a bit more aggressive than he can on the start. I have less to lose than he does, so we’ll just focus on trying to win the race.”

POST QUALIFYING PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:

Santino Ferrucci
Larry Foyt
Will Power

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We’re joined by Santino Ferrucci for AJ Foyt Racing with his first career NTT P1 award.

Santino, congratulations. Tell us about this. What are the emotion months like?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: Man, it’s pretty awesome. It’s my first career pole in the series. To come on a road course like Portland where it’s so tight, it’s so competitive. It just felt great.

That lap felt amazing. We rolled off the trailer really good coming here. We knew we had a strong car. So it’s really nice to put everything together for myself and for the team.

Yeah, super stoked as well. New sponsor on the car this weekend, Phoenix Investors. They were all down there in the pits with us when it happened, so it was a blast.

THE MODERATOR: You were already P1, but pushing towards the end. The unknown is what you’re fearful of. You weren’t backing down at the end at all, were you?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: No, definitely not. It’s always about who crosses the line last year. I’ve watched enough Fast Sixes to know that. We field for three laps, so I was going to use them all, regardless if we ran out or not.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Larry, could you talk about what this means for the organization.

LARRY FOYT: Well, it’s huge. I think you can just see how happy everybody is because a couple years ago it was a struggle. We’ve just kept building this team, kept adding better people. It’s led to all this.

Having some consistency with Santino, man, everyone is just really happy. This whole year, even fighting for a top 10 in the championship was a huge step up. The qualifying pace, don’t say you’re not a good qualifier, can’t say that (smiling).

We have such a good group working together from the engineering, mechanics, and a hell of a driver. So it feels great.

Q. How much does the Penske alliance put you in this position today?

LARRY FOYT: It’s great. They’ve been super to work with. I’ve learned a lot. So can’t thank them enough for everything that they’ve done to help us achieve that, get to where we’re headed. Awesome organization to be with.

Q. Santino, you said this gives you some bargaining power for next year. Are you going to get a contract out of Larry by the end of the day? What’s your situation?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: When is warm-up? How long do we have (laughter)?

No, it’s good. I don’t think it’s any secret that I very much found a home here with Larry and AJ Foyt. I want to stay. That’s kind of in the cards here. Obviously there’s a lot that needs to happen, still a pretty big off-season.

Getting pole today definitely doesn’t hurt (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: AJ Foyt’s first P1 award since Belle Isle in 2014. This has to feel good, Larry.

LARRY FOYT: Yeah, I was in my 30s (smiling). It does feel great. We had a good car from when we unloaded. Santino said the car was really good. We thought we had a shot at top six, but we really didn’t think the pole. Just a hell of a lap he put in there.

Q. You felt this was a place you could target for a strong result. What about this track, permanent road course package, made for this? Did you feel like a pole was possible or did this take you a little by surprise today?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: I said Portland would be a good one for us just based off of how we did at Barber and Laguna. We kind of understood why we were so quick there in the race. It was just putting it together here in Portland. Obviously they’re three totally different tracks.

When we unloaded on Friday, we knew we had a really good car. Then it was fine-tuning it really into today. I kind of figured we’d be able to get into the top 12. The Fast Six I knew was going to be really difficult.

The new tire runs for us we’re not super sparkly. The second tire runs is where I kind of knew we had something. So in my head, when Larry told me we had advanced into the Fast Six, I knew that if I just stayed calm and hit my marks, we could really be a threat to contend for a pole.

I didn’t think we would get it, but I thought we would at least be on the front row. I’m beyond thrilled to lead the field to green tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Larry, any chance you’ve heard from the boss yet?

LARRY FOYT: No. I’m going to go give him a call right now and give Marlene Sexton from Sexton properties a call. None of this would be possible without them. This will be a fun call (smiling).

Q. When the Fast Six starts, we see everybody pile out onto the track. You stayed in your pit stall for quite a few minutes. Was it just a matter of that’s the way you wanted to do it to build a gap or did it have more to do with the heat cycle on the reds?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: There were a couple of strategy things involved. I think I’ll say a lot has to do with the fuel situation here in Portland. Just we’ve run a lot today. We really only had one run. Just wanted to make it count.

Yeah, that was kind of the plan.

Q. We had the announcement about Malukas. Santino, when we know what you’ve accomplished, how this program has grown together, the ability to not get demoralized, down, continue to rally when you’re facing an unknown situation for next year…

SANTINO FERRUCCI: Yeah, I think it’s been a very interesting two years. I think me and Larry have worked really well together. That news is honestly a huge steppingstone for the team. There’s a lot behind for that. Obviously for me it’s a bit of an unknown.

Things like today help. The Indy results that we’ve had during the 500 help. Being 10th in the championship helps. We’ve really brought it together.

Regardless of news, I never really found it demoralizing if that makes sense just because of how much we’ve been able to accomplish in the last two years. I don’t see it as a negative. I see it as a massive positive for something like that to come along.

Yeah, no, it’s exciting for the future. I can’t wait to see what unfolds.

Q. Larry, any thoughts other than that?

LARRY FOYT: Yeah, this whole season is a big tribute to a lot of what Santino brings to the table. Fighting for us to get top 10 in the championship, first time in two decades that this late in the season we’re fighting for that. That’s a big testament to a lot that he’s done.

We have a great relationship. I’m sure things will work out the way they should.

Q. Santino, in the Fast Six, you had last year’s polesitter Graham Rahal, Alex Palou, Will Power. Does that make what you accomplished today, taking pole, any more satisfying?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: To be honest, when we made it into the Fast Six, I was like, Who’s in it?

They said, Will.

I was like, Oh, damn.

It’s so hard to compete against everybody here. Everybody’s so talented. On any given day as a driver, as an athlete, if you get everything right, it’s a chance and an opportunity to excel. We had the car. Today was the day for me in qualifying to nail the lap, to get it right, especially when it counts.

Honestly the Fast 12 was more pressure than the Fast Six just because it’s so hard. I mean, you’re going against so many more people. Once you’re in the Fast Six, the math in my head was you’re in the Fast Five. Once you’re in the Fast Five, it’s only two more spots to third. If you nail your lap, it’s front row.

To take the pole, I didn’t really think about it (laughter).

Q. Were folks communicating to your ear with 30 seconds to go that you were on top or did you not know you had pole or were sitting on the fastest time until the session was over with?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: I knew I was first starting the final lap, when I came onto the frontstretch just because we have telem in the car and stuff like that. I knew I was good. With one more lap to go, it’s whoever does the last lap normally gets the pole.

I just kind of put my head down. I felt like the car was in a perfect position. I just drove as hard as I could. When I got on the back straight out of seven, that’s when I keyed up the radio ’cause they have more telemetry than anybody else. I was asking them if I’m going to make it. Knew we were quick. I knew it was a hell of a lap. I just didn’t know how good.

At the line, we kind of knew. We were just waiting for Palou. Yeah, once we came down pit road, we had it.

Q. What is it like when you look down with a lap to go and you’re sitting on top? Was it surprising? How do you keep your emotions in check?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: Kind of made me hungry, I’m not going to lie. When you see it there and you know you got more lap time that you can wring out of the car and yourself as a driver, I saw that. I saw I was already negative on the dash. I just wanted to push as hard as I could to see what I could actually do without the threat of what’s the worst that’s going to happen. You’re still going to end up in the Fast Six. At that point there’s no pressure to not push. That’s kind of where I was at mentally.

Q. Larry, there’s been a lot of attention on the Penske deal. A lot of people you brought into the team over the past few years. Might you want to talk about those people and reaction to all this happening, the importance of some of the hires you made.

LARRY FOYT: Well, for sure. I mean, we’ve been fortunate to bring in some really great people that have helped all the way from Michael Cannon to a lot of the other engineers, Adam, James. The whole stand. C.J., has been here a long time. A lot of people have stuck with us through the hard times, and as well a lot of new people have come in and been a great addition.

It’s just a great group that are working hard together. Definitely the Penske alliance has been great. They’re a great company to work with. We go back so far. AJ and Roger go way back. Obviously Tim Cindric. Working with him and Ron has been great. I’ve learned a lot. Certainly has been a benefit to help us get to where we’re headed.

No, can’t say enough about everyone on the team. That alliance has been very helpful, as well.

Q. Santino, is this your first pole since British F3 in 2014?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: Yeah, I think this is my first one in a minute. At least that I can remember (smiling). It will be nice to lead the field to green, to have no one in front of us.

I’ve been off pole a couple of times. But yeah, it’s definitely fun.

Q. Will was saying you two could strategize for tomorrow. Does it help to have someone who is sort of a teammate to you alongside you?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: It’s definitely going to make it interesting. At the end of the day we are kind of our own team. We’re fighting our own championship. The championship doesn’t really matter as much to me as getting a win. That’s kind of my goal.

If we can help out some of our Penske alliance friends, to help Will with the championship in any way with how we do things, then yeah, we’re obviously going to. It’s what teammates do, how things kind of work.

By no means am I going to start and pull over and let him take the lead into one.

Q. Can you assess the rise that you and the team have had over the last 12 months?

SANTINO FERRUCCI: Man, yeah, it’s been a huge help. There’s so much more that goes into it between just the alliance and working with everybody. Our engineering staff is unreal. We have some really overqualified guys here. They’ve worked together so well.

It’s one of those things to where it’s kind of created a perfect storm for us to where everybody has just gelled seamlessly. The car, we found good setups throughout the year. We found a lot of speed at a lot of different tracks, a lot of different disciplines. We were good at Laguna, Barber. We were average at Road America.

Coming into Portland with the last road course, I knew if we put everything together correctly… Everyone working with Chevrolet and some of the other things that we get as being a Chevy team really prepped us well for this event and it shows.

This is definitely a glimpse into the future for the team, I believe.

THE MODERATOR: As we wrap up qualifying, we’re joined now by Will Power. His fourth front row start of 2024.

You were the first one to congratulate Santino. You knew what this kind of moment meant for him, right?

WILL POWER: Yeah, I’m good friends with Santino. We go-kart together, go to dinner, so on. I was upset that I didn’t get pole, I really wanted it here, I wanted it badly. I was kind of a little bit upset.

Couldn’t be happier for Santino. He’s driving extremely well. And Foyt, it’s a great partnership for those guys. It’s good stuff, man. Good stuff. A fiercely competitive field. As you’ve seen, you never know who is going to get pole, you never know who will be the top six, you never know who is going to win the race.

THE MODERATOR: Obviously a Chevy sweep on the front row. Points championship still very much alive. Starting second, a nice boost heading into tomorrow’s race.

WILL POWER: Yeah, very nice to be on the front row. Of course, you have Palou right there. I can certainly be aggressive with him because he has a lot more to lose than me. Just got to keep finishing ahead of him. I’ll drive like Verstappen. Give him a little bit of pressure (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: We’ll open it up for questions for Will.

Q. Looking at the championship, do you still see it as a realistic opportunity for you?

WILL POWER: Yeah, man, still very, very possible. Very possible. It’s almost a little less than a quarter of the races to go, four races. A lot of points, a lot of stuff can happen.

I would have to say if he finishes ahead of me tomorrow, starts to look very, very tough. We have to have a good day, at least finish ahead of him, see where we come out in points there. Then doubleheader at Milwaukee, a lot on offer. Our goal is to get as close as we can to him by Nashville.

Q. After all that happened last week, have you cleared that up with the team? Is that sorted going into the rest of the season?

WILL POWER: Yeah, I mean, whatever. I’m over that stuff real quick. Just one of those things that was unfortunate. We had a very good car and a very good night.

Yeah, moved on very quickly, focusing on this event to get the best possible result. See what we can do tomorrow.

Q. How do you see Santino as a prospect, and Foyt as well? They have the potential to start taking points away from you. At the same time they’ve also got the potential to finish ahead some of your rivals as well. How do you see all that playing out?

WILL POWER: Well, yeah, they could be a great asset to us, taking points from Palou. Obviously, yes, they can take points from us, but that’s just the name of the game. They got a good driver in Santino, obviously a good car with the partnership we have.

Yeah, like I said before, I couldn’t be happier for Santino to get a pole. He works hard, deserves it.

Q. Looking at the final stretch of races with the three oval races to come, you have to feel a little bit more confident than Alex considering Alex hasn’t had an oval victory.

WILL POWER: Yeah, based on our oval form this year, we should be more confident than he is. You never know in this series, though. I think Dixon is very strong at Nashville. Milwaukee, we haven’t been there, so we don’t know.

Ultimately we have to finish ahead of him every weekend. It’s the only way. Anything can happen in this series. Look at last week. I mean, I led so many laps, had the quickest car, and I finished 18th just because of a restart. Same with Toronto the race before. I was running the top four or five, had an incident, gave myself a drive-through.

A lot can go down and change quickly. We’ll see how this plays out.

Q. Looking at the race tomorrow, a lot of the other championship contenders are caught in the awkward midfield area, which is not a place to be at Portland.

WILL POWER: Yeah, definitely a tough place to be at the start of the race, no question. We’ll see, yeah. Can even be tough where I am honestly. Really you want to be a leader. That’s why I was mad after I didn’t get pole. Man, I need that, get a jump in front of the whole field, take off.

Yeah, but they have the lead to go early which strings it out more than it used to, so that will help. Yeah, we’ll see what happens.

Q. Do you feel this weekend can erase what happened last weekend? How confident are you to catch some important championship points tomorrow?

WILL POWER: Yeah, it certainly can erase last weekend with a race win. That would help tremendously. I know Palou is a very tough customer. He doesn’t make mistakes. He’s very good in the race. We’ve got our work cut out for us to finish ahead of him because it’s almost essential that we do.

We’ll work on our car in warm-up and try to get the best possible race car that we have, yeah, see where we stand.

Q. How important is it to start in the first row for tomorrow? How do you feel about that?

WILL POWER: I think the only guy that feels completely safe is P1. Even starting on the outside of the front row can be a little tough at times because the inside row goes, if you can’t block out third place.

Yeah, we’ll see. Anything can happen. Can’t really plan on it. Just the key is to get through that first turn in a reasonable position.

Q. Do you feel you could be P1 after the second session?

WILL POWER: Yeah, like in the Fast Six, could I have been P1? Is that what you mean?

Q. Yes.

WILL POWER: Yeah, I made a mistake. The lap he did was really good. He did a really good lap. It was going to be tough to beat that.

But I actually lost like a 10th and a half on the 10 and 12 curb when I made a little mistake there. It was doable, but man, he put a bloody good lap together. It’s impressive.

Q. You said you can talk with Santino about the start, and also you can be more aggressive than Alex can be. What can you and Santino work together on ahead of the start? What kind of plan can you put in place? When you say you can be more aggressive, what does that mean?

WILL POWER: Well, we can take more risk with strategy. I mean, I race as clean and fairly as possible. Never want to win a championship in a way where you’ve taken someone out. Of course not. But I can race him a little harder because it’s not just me that he’s racing. If we both went out, it would be bad because there’s a lot of people coming as well around my points.

Yeah, yeah, my goal is I just got to stay ahead of the guy. I have to finish ahead of him, it’s as simple as that. It’s the only way I’m going to have a shot at the championship.

ABOUT CHEVROLET

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heartbeat, 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

Another Pro-Am Win for TeamSLR at Watkins Glen

By
Official Release
-

Barry Boes Fights Back from Early Incident for Fifth Class Win of 2024; Shredded Tire Ends Frontrunning Young Gun Carson Kvapil’s Day Early

Overview:

Date: Aug. 23, 2024
Event: Mission Foods Watkins Glen SpeedTour (Round 9 of 12)
Series: Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli
Division: Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series
Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International
Layout: 3.4-mile, 11-turn road course
Format: 30 laps or 75 minutes
Weather: Sunny, mid-70s

TeamSLR:

● Barry Boes – Started 11th, Finished 10th (Running, completed 30/30 laps)
● Carson Kvapil – Started 3rd, Finished 25th (Shredded Tire, completed 10/30 laps)

Noteworthy:

● Boes scored his fifth Pro-Am Challenge-class victory in nine races this season and third in the last four races. He entered the weekend with a 97-point lead in the championship within a championship.

● Boes’ 10th-place overall finish, his best in four career starts at Watkins Glen, was all the more impressive as he was spun from behind on the second lap of the race. He limped his car to pit lane to replace a flat right-rear tire, rejoined the race in 26th and still on the lead lap, and picked up 16 positions the rest of the way.

● Austin Green of Peterson Racing was the highest-finishing M1 Racecars competitor for the second race in a row, placing second from his eighth starting position.

Barry Boes, Driver No. 27 Accio Data/SLR-M1 Racecars Ford Mustang:

“(Adam) Andretti hit me from behind coming into turn one, so I knew he was going to be aggressive. I made sure I left him no room coming into the Bus Stop and he decided to try to make a little room, anyway, took me out, lost a tire. I thought the car was really messed up and then I realized it was the tire so I rolled it back to pit road to my TeamSLR guys as fast as I possibly could. They changed that tire in record time and got me back out there again, and then the car was fantastic. I was passing people like they were driving in a different class. This feels fantastic.”

Carson Kvapil, Driver No. 17 SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro:

“I thought all weekend we had a really good car. I thought in practice and qualifying we had a really good piece. Thought we were easily top-three in speed and we had a shot to go get the pole. We qualified third, I think we were only two-tenths off the lead time, so I didn’t think that was too bad. We struggled a little bit with some turn at the very start of the race just with the fuel load and stuff like that. And then we had that tire problem come to us again. Qualifying was the same issue, we did our qualifying run and then the right-front tire came apart on the last lap. Not really sure what the deal was with that, but the same thing happened in the race and it kind of stinks. We had a really fast car and I thought at the end of the race it was going to come to us. We were kind of in a good spot, riding in fourth, I thought we had more speed than that, I was just trying to take care of it and not kill it right away and save it for the end. Just can’t thank Scott Lagasse Racing enough, and Josh Wise and Scott Speed and everybody who’s part of the Chevy program for giving me this opportunity. Hopefully we can come back and do a little better than that next time.”

Next Up:

The 2024 Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series returns to action next weekend for the first time since 2014 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, for the CTMP SpeedTour. The weekend kicks off with a three-pack of test sessions Thursday (Aug. 29) at 10 a.m., noon and 2:40 p.m. EDT. Official practice is set for 11:50 a.m. Friday (Aug. 30), followed by qualifying at 3:50 p.m. Race time Saturday (Aug. 31) for the 41-lap, 75-minute event around the 2.459-mile, 10-turn circuit is 2:15 p.m. Series partner MAVTV will provide live television coverage augmented via live video stream on the Trans Am channel on YouTube.

About TeamSLR:

TeamSLR (Scott Lagasse Racing) competes fulltime in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series in a multifaceted effort that includes dedicated entries in the TA2 division, customer programs, driver coaching and car construction. Its history dates back to 1985 and covers a wide spectrum of motorsports, including NASCAR, IMSA, SCCA, ARCA and ASA. TeamSLR is a family-owned organization run by Scott Lagasse Sr., and Scott Lagasse Jr., The father-and-son duo have combined to win more than 120 races and seven championships across a variety of series and styles of racecars, from paved ovals to road courses to dirt tracks. For more information, please visit us online at www.TeamSLR.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and on LinkedIn.

Pair of Solid Top-10s for Silver Hare at Watkins Glen

By
Official Release
-

Jake Drew Finishes Fourth, Boris Said Jr. Eighth

Overview:
Date: Aug. 23, 2024
Event: Mission Foods Watkins Glen SpeedTour (Round 9 of 12)
Series: Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli
Division: Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series
Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International
Layout: 3.4-mile, 11-turn road course
Format: 30 laps or 75 minutes
Weather: Sunny, mid-70s
Winner: Thomas Merrill

Silver Hare Racing:

● Jake Drew – Started 3rd, Finished 4th (Running, completed 30/30 laps)
● Boris Said Jr. – Started 12th, Finished 8th (Running, completed 30/30 laps)

Noteworthy:

● Drew’s fourth-place finish was his sixth top-four in eight races this season.

Jake Drew, Driver, No. 7 Silver Hare Racing/Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro:

“Big picture, this is the first of back-to-back weekends, so we brought home a clean car, which is good, we can load it up and take it to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The Silver Hare/Franklin Road Camaro was good. Maybe I was pushing a little too hard for the first half and maybe we were lucky that caution came out because I feel like everything kind of reset and everything came back to me. I felt real strong the second half. I had a couple of chances to get by (second-place) Austin Green there but just kind of struggled when I got to him and fell back. And then I just made a mistake on the last lap and lost the final podium spot. Live and learn and go on to the next one and just make fewer mistakes.”

Boris Said Jr., Driver, No. 75 HendrickCars.com/Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro:

“It was definitely an improvement from qualifying. We fixed some things for the race. The car was a little tight and we kind of had some back luck. I hit oil before the yellow flag came out. But we ended up alright, so it’s on to the next one from here. Always a great effort by everyone on this Silver Hare Racing team.”

Laura Hull, Co-Owner, Team Manager, Silver Hare Racing:

“It was a solid weekend for Silver Hare Racing coming back from the long break. Jake and Boris brought Silver Hare two top-10s. Strong competition as always here and just couldn’t be happier. Jake finishing fourth after fighting the second half of the race against a real veteran, Rafa Matos, who we have so much respect for, a clean racer. Boris fought hard, made his way to ninth, was really solid there. Great finishes for both of our drivers and Maurice and I are very proud. The crew worked diligently hard. And now we’re going to Canada. I’m very proud of the fact that both the Silver Hare/Franklin Road Camaro, and the HendrickCars.com/Silver Hare Camaro both look great. We’ll take all of that knowledge and keep pushing forward. As always, so proud of our Silver Hare Racing family. We just keep building, getting closer, and working toward all of our goals. At some point, I feel as the season winds down, you’ll see us back on the podium.”

Next Up:

The 2024 Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series returns to action next weekend for the first time since 2014 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, for the CTMP SpeedTour. The weekend kicks off with a three-pack of test sessions Thursday (Aug. 29) at 10 a.m., noon and 2:40 p.m. EDT. Official practice is set for 11:50 a.m. Friday (Aug. 30), followed by qualifying at 3:50 p.m. Race time Saturday (Aug. 31) for the 41-lap, 75-minute event around the 2.459-mile, 10-turn circuit is 2:15 p.m. Series partner MAVTV will provide live television coverage augmented via live video stream on the Trans Am channel on YouTube.

About Silver Hare Racing:

Silver Hare Racing is a fulltime competitor in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series. The multicar team has won the TA2 Masters class championship three times (2018, 2019 and 2020) with driver and team co-owner Maurice Hull. Under the leadership of Hull’s wife, co-owner and team manager Laura Hull, Silver Hare Racing provides a variety of services that includes private testing and arrive-and-drive programs. The team offers six professionally built and maintained TA2 chassis from Howe Racing and operates from a state-of-the-art facility in High Point, North Carolina. For more information, call 336-870-5151, or visit SilverHareRacing.com.

How to Keep Your Car Running Like New: Essential Tips for Long-Lasting Performance

By
SM
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Photo by takoburito at https://depositphotos.com/

When it comes to cars, there is no greater satisfaction than being behind the wheel of a car that is zipping along the roads, answering the driver’s every command, and making a sound as gentle as a caterwaul. Whether you consider yourself a car owner or a casual driver, ensuring that you keep your car in its best shape is not simply about comfort, it is about safety, durability and prolonging the lifespan of a major investment. Below is a checklist of recommended practices that will help to maintain your car in tip-top shape for as long as possible.

Regular Maintenance is Non-Negotiable

One of the key pillars of maintaining your car is through proper maintenance. You might avoid professional services by neglecting your car, thinking that it will save both time and money, but ultimately, you will be wrong.

  • Oil Changes Matter: Your engine’s oil is its lifeblood, keeping all the moving parts lubricated and running smoothly. Over time, oil can become contaminated with dirt and debris, reducing its effectiveness. Regular oil changes—every 3,000 to 5,000 miles, depending on your vehicle and oil type—are crucial. Not only do they keep your engine healthy, but they also improve fuel efficiency and reduce wear and tear.
  • Check Your Fluids: Beyond oil: Your car relies on several other fluids to function properly, including coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid, and power steering fluid. Regularly checking and topping off these fluids ensures your car can handle the demands placed on it, preventing overheating, brake failure, and other serious issues.
  • Tire Care Is Crucial: Your tires are the only part of the car that has direct contact with the surface and therefore very vital in how your car drives. Always refer to the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure and check whether the tires are properly inflated as improperly inflated tires may lead to low fuel efficiency and wear out unevenly. Also, if you want the tires to last longer, you should change them every 6,000 to 8,000 miles to ensure even wearing of the tread.
  • Keep an Eye on the Battery: A solid piece of advice would be do not take your eyes off the battery. Junkyard, lack of fuel, a flat tire and a dead battery are among the most frequent causes of car malfunction. To prevent this, just monitor the battery health. Car batteries on average have a lifespan of three to five years but if you are subjected to extreme weather conditions, if you do short journeys frequently or leave your car for many weeks then the battery is likely to degrade.
  • Inspect Regularly: It’s recommended that the battery is checked regularly for signs of corrosion on the terminals, which should be cleaned with a solution of baking soda and water. Make sure that the battery is correctly fixed in place because vibrations can affect individual components.
  • Test It: It is recommended to have your battery tested once a year, and preferably after the third year of using it. Auto parts centers often offer free services that can be a lifesaver when you’re dealing with unexpected breakdowns. Plus, if you do find yourself in a bind, a top-notch towing service in Charlotte NC is a great resource to have on hand.

Don’t Ignore the Warning Lights

Nowadays automobiles have many sensors which can measure almost all aspects of a car ranging from its mechanical to its emission. These sensors give alerts on your car’s dashboard if there is a problem. Failure to do so may result in more severe consequences later on. For instance, the check-engine light, which can denote a faulty emission-control system, can also signify a loose cap on a fuel tank to a failing catalytic converter. Do not let an embarrassing light glow throughout the dash, but get it remedied as soon as you can.

Keep It Clean Inside and Out

A clean car isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s also about preserving the value and condition of your vehicle. Dirt, grime, and salt can cause rust and corrosion, particularly on the undercarriage.

  • Wash Regularly Regular washing removes contaminants that can damage your car’s paint and metal components. During the winter months, it’s especially important to wash off road salt, which can accelerate rusting.
  • Don’t Forget the Interior Vacuuming the interior, cleaning the dashboard, and conditioning leather seats can prevent wear and tear. Regular cleaning also reduces allergens and keeps your car smelling fresh.

Stay on Top of Brake Maintenance

Your brakes are one of the most critical safety features on your car. Keeping them in good condition ensures that you can stop quickly and effectively in any situation.

  • Listen for signs of wear: If you hear squealing or grinding when you apply the brakes, it’s a sign that your brake pads may be worn out. Ignoring these sounds can lead to more extensive (and expensive) repairs, such as rotor or caliper damage.
  • Brake fluid matters: Just like with engine oil, your brake fluid needs to be checked and replaced as needed. Over time, brake fluid can absorb moisture, reducing its effectiveness. Most manufacturers recommend replacing it every two years.

Mind Your Driving Habits

How you drive can have a significant impact on your car’s longevity. Aggressive driving—such as rapid acceleration, hard braking, and high-speed driving—can cause undue stress on your vehicle’s components.

  • Drive Smoothly: Adopting a smooth driving style reduces wear and tear on your engine, transmission, brakes, and tires. Gradual acceleration and gentle braking not only improve fuel efficiency but also extend the life of your car’s parts.
  • Avoid Short Trips: Short trips don’t give your engine enough time to reach optimal operating temperature, leading to increased wear. Whenever possible, combine errands into one longer trip to minimize cold starts.

Keep Up with Technological Updates

Modern vehicles are packed with technology designed to improve safety, efficiency, and convenience. Keeping your car’s software up to date can enhance its performance and even prevent potential issues.

  • Update Infotainment and Navigation Systems: Regular updates to your car’s infotainment and navigation systems ensure they function properly and have the latest maps and features. These updates are often available from the manufacturer or dealer.
  • Check for Recalls: Occasionally, manufacturers issue recalls for certain models to address safety concerns or defects. Staying informed about these recalls and having your car serviced promptly can prevent problems before they arise.

Final Thoughts

Keeping your car running like new requires a combination of regular maintenance, careful driving, and staying informed about your vehicle’s needs. By following these essential tips, you can ensure that your car remains reliable, safe, and a joy to drive for many years to come. Remember, a well-maintained car is not only an investment in your safety and convenience but also in the longevity and value of your vehicle. So, take pride in your ride and give it the care it deserves!

RCR NXS Race Recap: Daytona International Speedway

By
Official Release
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Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team Honor the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation at Daytona International Speedway

Finish: 21st
Start: 5th

“Our No. 2 Whelen/National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Chevrolet team brought a fast Chevrolet to Daytona International Speedway. Our Camaro started out on the free side in the first stage, but Danny Stockman and the team made good adjustments to help the balance. When we came down pit road on lap 34, I got tagged in the rear and spun backwards into my stall. That cost us a lot of time and we were forced to restart deep in the field. It seemed like whatever line we wanted to race in would not build up the momentum to make ground in the draft which kept us mid-pack. Here at Daytona International Speedway that can be a dangerous place. We were caught up in a couple different incidents that hurt the body of the car and killed the downforce we needed to run in the lead pack. My team did a great job with repairs and kept us from going a lap down though. We will keep our heads up and move forward to Darlington Raceway next weekend.” -Jesse Love

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics/Global Industrial Chevrolet Team Persevere After Lap One Accident at Daytona International Speedway

Finish: 31st
Start: 2nd

“Today wasn’t our day at Daytona International Speedway. We qualified second in our No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics/Global Industrial Chevrolet, but the second round was canceled due to weather. I feel like we would have had a shot at the pole though. During my one lap on the track, I felt an issue in the steering, so to be on the safe side, we changed the parts. Unfortunately that forced us to start in the back where anything can happen. And that proved true when we got collected on lap one. While it is disappointing that we didn’t have a shot during the race, this is the same team that won the first two races of the season and went on to string together a lot of consecutive top-five finishes. We just need one clean race to get the momentum back on track and we can hit our stride again at the right time before the Playoffs. I have confidence in the men and women at Richard Childress Racing and ECR Engines. We will focus on Darlington Raceway, which has been a decent track for us the last few times there.” -Austin Hill

Kaulig Racing Race Recap | Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola

By
Official Release
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JOSH WILLIAMS
No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

  • Josh Williams qualified 10th for the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway.
  • The caution came out on lap one, and Williams restarted from eighth on lap 10. Moving down to the bottom, Williams ran as the second car on the inside line at the halfway point of Stage 1. He dropped back as the pack raced towards the green-white-checkered and finished the stage in 14th.
  • Williams pitted for tires and fuel and fired off for Stage 2 as the fourth car on the outside line on lap 37. Quickly moving down to the inside line once again, Williams hooked up with teammate AJ Allmendinger and attempted to push the middle lane forward. The outside line gained momentum near halfway, and Williams dropped back down to the inside line. The pack evolved to single-file running with Williams at the tail of the lead group. As the racing up front intensified, Williams continued to run passively within the pack. The stage finished under yellow with Williams running in 10th.
  • After stopping for tires and fuel, Williams took the green for the final stage from 16th place with 35 laps to go. He slid into the outside line just before a spin brought out the yellow flag with Williams running 20th. Restarting from the inside of the eighth row with 27 laps remaining, Williams moved to the outside line immediately. On lap 77, a wreck broke out right in front of the No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevy Camaro, and by mere inches, Williams avoided it. The race restarted with 18 laps left, and Williams fired off in 13th. With the intensity elevating late, a car narrowly avoided collecting Williams in a wreck once again with five laps to go, setting up overtime. Williams restarted in 12th and took the checkered under yellow in 11th.

“We had a top-five car for sure, just every lane we got in wasn’t the right one. Still a good day overall, and we got a bit of luck missing two big wrecks. Kept the car clean. We’ll get after it again next weekend.” – Josh Williams

AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevrolet Camaro

  • AJ Allmendinger qualified third for the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway.
  • The first caution of the night came on the opening lap. Allmendinger was still scored in third place, where he would restart on lap 10. On the first lap green, Allmendinger took over second, maintaining his position in the bottom lane. On lap 11, the bottom lane surged and Allmendinger took the lead. As the field went three wide and the top lane gained momentum, Allmendinger fell back to fourth and then back to eighth as the field went double file. Within two laps, Allmendinger had taken the lead again and went on to finish the opening stage in third place. During the stage break, Allmendinger reported he was a little free off the corners. The team came to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment.
  • Allmendinger restarted as the third car top row on lap 37. On the first lap green, Allmendinger took fifth place. By lap 41, Allmendinger had taken the lead and reported his No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevy fired off better. Allmendinger went on to finish the second stage in fourth place. As the green-white-checkered flag waved, Allmendinger reported he was loose at the end of the stage. The No. 16 Chevy was brought to pit road for track bar and air pressure adjustments.
  • Allmendinger restarted in 12th place for the final stage on lap 66 and had taken over ninth place on the same lap. One lap later, Allmendinger was in third place, where he remained when the caution came out on lap 70. He reported he was happy with the car and he restarted on the top of the front row on lap 74. Allmendinger took the lead on the start and maintained position in the top three. When the caution came on lap 72, Allmendinger was scored in second. Going into NASCAR overtime, Allmendinger restarted front row on the top lane. On the final lap, Allmendinger spun on the entry to turn one and finished 24th.

“We had a fast No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevy today. I’m proud of my guys for their effort and the progress we’ve made. It’s disappointing; I felt like we did everything right, but it didn’t work out there at the end.” – AJ Allmendinger  

SHANE van GISBERGEN
No. 97 Safety Culture Chevrolet Camaro

  • Shane van Gisbergen qualified 19th for the Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway.
  • Van Gisbergen fought to maintain position as he battled an extremely loose race car during the entire stage. Nearing the stage conclusion, he relayed a potential vibration and issues with the steering. Van Gisbergen took the green-white-checkered in 21st.
  • At the conclusion of the first stage, the No. 97 SafetyCulture team opted to pit before pit road was officially open to make major adjustments. Van Gisbergen was sent to the back of the field for entering pit road early. The No. 97 team started stage two, 26th, quickly advancing to 21st to begin the stage. Van Gisbergen continued to battle a loose car during the duration of the stage, reporting the previous changes had not been helpful. He completed the stage 19th.
  • The No. 97 team came to pit road for a huge adjustment before starting the final stage of the race. Van Gisbergen started stage three, 33rd. Van Gisbergen quickly made his way up to 18th, five laps into the stage. Caution came out with 31 laps remaining in the race and the No. 97 team opted to pit for four fresh tires. The No. 97 Chevy restarted the stage, 25th. Van Gisbergen avoided a huge crash with 24 laps remaining in the race. The No. 97 team opted to pit for four new tires. Van Gisbergen restarted the stage 24th with 19 laps remaining in the event. The No. 97 SafetyCulture Chevy quickly made its way to 15th with just 15 laps remaining in the race. Van Gisbergen was damaged in a wreck with 6 laps remaining in the race, making the No. 97 come to pit road for new tires and front end repair. Van Gisbergen restarted the race, 26th and ultimately took the checkered flag, 25th.

“That was a tough race. Had problems with the car being too loose. My No. 97 SafetyCulture team worked on it all night trying to get it more comfortable and then got caught up in a wreck there at the end. Not the way I wanted the night to go, but that’s superspeedway racing. Proud of my 97 Kaulig Racing team. Get another shot at it tomorrow in the Cup car!” – Shane van Gisbergen  
 
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 23 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, with a part-time fourth entry at select events. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

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