Alex Koreiba and James French Pad HSR Prototype Challenge Championship Lead with Overall and Pro-Am Victory in the 90-Minute Race in the No. 25 Wolf Motorsports Ligier JS P320
Fourth Different Am-Class Winner of the Season as Mirco Schultis and Lucas Lasserre Charge to the Class Victory and Fourth Overall in the No. 70 Mishumotors Ligier JS P320 in HSR PC Challenge Debut
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (November 3, 2024) – Winning teammates Alex Koreiba and James French drove the No. 25 Wolf Motorsports Ligier JS P320 to a series-leading third Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Prototype Challenge presented by IMSA overall and Pro-Am race win Friday night at Daytona International Speedway (DIS). The 90-minute race set the stage for the start of this weekend’s HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour Presented by Mission Foods which is currently in its final hours of competition at DIS.
Round five of the Inaugural six-race HSR Prototype Challenge presented by IMSA season, Koreiba and French added the convincing victory at the “World Center of Racing” to earlier triumphs this season in the HSR Mitty at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and at the HSR Watkins Glen Classic 6 Hour weekend in June.
Koreiba started from the pole and lost some ground early with a balky shifter issue, but he rebounded to retake the lead. He joined French in taking control of the race for the final hour, although their nearest championship rivals, John Reisman and Eric Curran in the No. 74 Hudson Historics Ligier JS P320, typically kept the pressure on until the end. Curran was closing on French in the race’s final minutes, but the Wolf Motorsports driver withstood the pressure for a 2.536 seconds margin of victory.
Third in Pro-Am and overall went to the sister Hudson Historics No. 47 Ligier JS P320 of Bob Neapole and Guy Cosmo who matched their season-best finish after previously securing a third-place showing at The Glen in June.
While Koreiba, French and the Wolf team have won three of the year’s five Pro-Am races to date, PC Challenge parity has been the order in the Am division. The fourth different winner of the season emerged at Daytona with veteran and versatile road racing driver Mirco Schultis co-driving to the class win and fourth overall with Lucas Lasserre in the the No. 70 Mishumotors Ligier JS P320.
The victory came in the PC Challenge series debut for Schultis and his Mishumotors team while their teammate Lasserre had a successful first visit to Daytona in just his second career race in the United States. A native of France, Lasserre is a winning competitor in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. His only previous racing appearance in the U.S. was 15 years ago when, as a multiple European stock car champion, he earned an invitation to compete in the Toyota All-Star Showdown stock car race at Irwindale Raceway in California.
Second in Am and completing the overall top five was the duo of Gary Ball and Nigel Greensall in the in the No. 73 Ligier JS P320. Greensall took the checkered flag one spot ahead of the No. 86 One Motorsports Ligier JS P3 of Dave House and Mikel Miller, who were sixth overall and third in Am.
Am championship leaders Tobias Lutke and Travis Hill in the No. 22 TWOth Autosport Ligier JS P3 finished fourth in class at Daytona but join only the Pro-Am leaders Wolf Motorsports as multiple race winners this season. Both class points leaders will go into next month’s season-ending race at Sebring International Raceway with “champion-elect” status after garnering enough points at Daytona to secure the titles in both divisions.
The Sebring three-hour season finale takes place Sunday, December 8 as a feature race that is part of the year-end Mission Foods HSR Classic 12 Hour Pistons & Props, Presented by Allen Jay Automotive Network.
Alex Koreiba, Driver – No. 25 Wolf Motorsports Ligier JS P320: “I was thinking at the start that we were going to have to go to Sebring to win a championship with our shifting issue. All confidence went out the window when I went into Turn 1 and I couldn’t get out of sixth gear. I just did everything I could in the car, was even doing heel-and-toeing at one point trying to make a downshift, but when we got some temperature in there the problem cleared itself in a way. The plan was to run as long as possible to give James the best car he could have at the end with fresh sticker tires and low fuel. Wolf Motorsports has given us an unbelievable car. It’s hard to believe it’s our first year in an LMP3 car. They have absolutely mastered this car. I can’t thank the team enough for all that they have done.”
James French, Driver – No. 25 Wolf Motorsports Ligier JS P320: “The main challenge we had was a little shifting issue at the start. Alex had the same issue on the out lap. It was stuck in sixth gear for about a half a lap, and that doesn’t really give you great exits out of the corners. They say problems don’t fix themselves, but this one miraculously kind of did! Once the shifting sorted itself, the car really came into a good balance. I felt some pressure from our closest rival in the championship at the end. Every time I didn’t get a shift, I would lose a couple of seconds here and there. As you go through Turn 3, you can see him in Turn 1, and I could see him closing. I definitely felt some pressure, but once it sorted itself out, we got rolling and the car balance was amazing.”
Eric Curran, Driver – No. 74 Hudson Historics Ligier JS P320: “This is a lot of fun. John Reisman said ‘hey, I am buying an LMP3 car, let’s go racing again,’ and he brought me out of retirement. It is the perfect environment, I love coming back to HSR – spent a lot of time here over the years – and obviously Daytona is wonderful. We are getting better and better. The Hudson Historics guys have been working hard all year on these things. I love this program and the whole concept. I thought we might have had something for them at the end, but I pushed a little too hard on the rear tires early on. Didn’t have quite enough grip at the end but I love it. IMSA supporting HSR, now let’s get a bigger field of these LMP3 cars. I’ll get back in this and do some more of these.”
Mirco Schultis, Driver – No. 70 Mishumotors Ligier JS P320: “This was our first time in Prototype Challenge and we just came here to have fun and to look into next season. It was a night race, here in Florida and we had to do it. I like the championship a lot. It’s a nice format.”
Lucas Lasserre, Driver – No. 70 Mishumotors Ligier JS P320: “It was a great time here to share this with Mirco. He is my friend, and we have done a lot of things in Europe together, but it was my dream to compete here at Daytona. It was just magical and my eyes are wide open!”
About HSR: An International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) property, Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) was formed in the mid-1970s with an event at Road Atlanta. There was one goal then and it remains true today: to celebrate the race cars from the past. As a “time machine” of sights and sounds, HSR provides a venue for competitors and spectators alike to share in the wonderful history and excitement created by the cars that competed at race tracks around the world. HSR currently sanctions eight vintage and historic racing events at some of the world’s most renowned race tracks, including Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and more. The complete schedule and full event information can be found on HSR’s website at www.HSRRace.com. Look for the HSR Channel on YouTube and follow HSR on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HSRrace/ and on Twitter and Instagram at @HSR_race. A dedicated website for the Classic 24 Hour at Daytona presented by IMSA is available at www.Classic24hour.com.
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 2, 2024) – Funny Car points leader Austin Prock broke John Force’s record for most No. 1 qualifiers in a single season on Saturday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, powering to his 14th top spot of the 2024 season at the 24th annual Ford Performance NHRA Nationals.
Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the 19th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
Prock just missed a track E.T. record on Saturday in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS, going 3.817-seconds at 327.98 mph to secure his 14th No. 1 position in 19 races for John Force Racing.
It’s a thrilling moment for Prock, who has seven wins this season, and it has a chance to be an event bigger weekend for the points leader. He’ll open eliminations against Tim Gibbons on Sunday, with a chance to also clinch his first career Funny Car world championship. Prock will take a 148-point lead over Jack Beckman into Sunday. If he finishes three rounds ahead of Beckman, he will clinch the championship in Las Vegas.
“It’s really special for the team, my dad, Thomas, and Nate Hildahl have been doing a great job,” Prock said. “I don’t really feel it’s fair that I get all the glory. Those are the guys that made it happen. They gave me a great race car to drive all 14 of those races, and I’m really happy to get the job done for them.
“We have a great car. We have one of the best cars on the property right now, and we have a potential to do really good tomorrow. The job’s not finished. We’re close, but there’s a long ways to go, so we just have to keep fighting. I’ve been driving really good this weekend and they’ve been doing a great job tuning so we just got to do that tomorrow.”
Beckman made a strong run in the final session under the lights, going a career-best 3.821 at 330.47 to qualify second. Paul Lee took third after going 3.845 at 327.35.
Force went even quicker on Saturday, securing a double-up in qualifying for John Force Racing with a pass of 3.660 at 334.98 in her 11,000-horsepower Chevrolet Accessories dragster. It also handed Force her fifth top spot of the season – and the third in the past four races – and the 51st in her career, and the two-time world champion made a pair of stellar runs on Saturday.
That bodes well for Sunday, as Force looks for her first win since the 2022 campaign. She’ll open eliminations against Josh Hart, looking for yet another Las Vegas triumph. Force dipped into the 3.60s three times in qualifying and with favorable temperatures on Sunday, the standout would love to have four runs in that range during eliminations.
“David Grubnic, John Collins, this entire Chevrolet team we’re very happy with our performance this weekend,” Force said. “We qualified No. 1 and three out of the four runs we got down there in the .60s, so that’s pretty outstanding. That’s what our team used to do, so we’re definitely getting back to our older team.
“After not getting this team to a winner’s circle, now two years, and to do it here at a racetrack where we’ve had success, would be great. I have a lot of good memories here, not just wins, but No. 1 qualifiers, watching my sisters win here, my dad win here, so to get a win here, that’s what we’re chasing now. We’ve been chasing a win all season long. We have two races left our team. All we want to do is get to that winner’s circle. My dad’s here this weekend, so I know we’re all fighting for that.”
Shawn Langdon qualified second with a 3.672 at 328.30 in the final session under the lights, while defending world champion Doug Kalitta made a big move in the fourth session, qualifying third with a 3.674 at 334.57. Points leader Justin Ashley qualified seventh and will take a 44-point lead into raceday over Antron Brown and a 65-point advantage over Langdon, who gained 11 points in qualifying.
In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson enjoyed an even better day in what he has deemed a must-win weekend, going even quicker as he clinched the No. 1 qualifying spot with a run of 6.596 at 206.89 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. That came during the opening session on Saturday, giving the five-time champ his seventh No. 1 spot this season and 131st in his career.
It has a chance to be a great weekend for the winningest driver in class history on Sunday, but Anderson will need to go four rounds for that to be the case. He’ll start raceday against Chris McGaha, looking for his first win since April. More importantly, it’s a chance to track down KB Titan Racing teammate and points leader Dallas Glenn, who will open raceday with a 48-point advantage over Aaron Stanfield and 84 points more than Anderson, who made up six points in qualifying.
“We made three great runs before the last one so my race car in on point,” Anderson said. “Tomorrow is going to be a hell of a battle. This late in the year the intensity is ratcheted up and by the end of the day, my season will either be alive or over. I like pressure. I live for these moments and I need four 20-point rounds tomorrow to stay in this. When I wake up, I hope I feel like an 18-year old kid and I hope I drive like one.
“It’s so much tougher to win now. There are 16 cars qualified and it wouldn’t be a shock to see any of them win. Right now, [the competition] is the best it’s ever been and it’s great to be a part of it.”
David Cuadra secured the second spot with a run of 6.605 at 206.51 and Stanfield took third after a run of 6.609 at 205.66. Points leader Glenn qualified fifth.
Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera made a strong move on Saturday as he looks to get closer to a second straight world championship, taking the No. 1 position with a run of 6.813 at 198.20 on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. That gives the points leader his ninth No. 1 qualifier of the season and his 23rd over the past two seasons. He made the quickest run in both sessions on Saturday, taking back any advantage Matt Smith had on Friday.
Herrera will open eliminations against Kahea Woods, adding to his points lead on Saturday. He’s now 63 points ahead of Smith and the two standouts could be headed for a final-round showdown in Las Vegas on Sunday.
“We struggled a bit yesterday with an engine malfunction in Q2, so when we came out this morning and ran 6.81 I was a little shocked,” Herrera said. “That run actually felt slow. We did score some little [qualifying] points. We gained one point on Matt and that’s big.
“We always say we don’t count points and I try not to take it too seriously but at the end of the day, we all want that grand prize. It’s hard to block out but your do your best. I’ve been enjoying this year a lot more than last. I’m trying to have fun and the championship is a bonus at the end of it.”
M. Smith qualified second with a 6.822 at 198.70 and Angie Smith took third after a run of 6.850 at 197.59.
Eliminations for the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals begin at 11 a.m. PT on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
LAS VEGAS — Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the 24th annual Ford Performance NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 19th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.
Top Fuel — 1. Brittany Force, 3.660 seconds, 334.98 mph vs. 16. Josh Hart, 3.801, 328.46; 2. Shawn Langdon, 3.672, 328.30 vs. 15. Jasmine Salinas, 3.791, 329.34; 3. Doug Kalitta, 3.674, 334.57 vs. 14. Ida Zetterstrom, 3.786, 324.12; 4. Steve Torrence, 3.676, 333.74 vs. 13. Tony Schumacher, 3.769, 328.46; 5. Clay Millican, 3.700, 324.75 vs. 12. Billy Torrence, 3.743, 330.80; 6. Tony Stewart, 3.703, 332.59 vs. 11. Antron Brown, 3.735, 323.27; 7. Justin Ashley, 3.705, 331.94 vs. 10. Spencer Massey, 3.728, 324.12; 8. Shawn Reed, 3.715, 327.74 vs. 9. Travis Shumake, 3.724, 323.12.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Scott Palmer, 3.839, 307.09; 18. Lex Joon, 3.902, 268.28; 19. Will Smith, 4.053, 292.14.
Funny Car — 1. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.817, 327.98 vs. 16. Tim Gibbons, Ford Mustang, 4.021, 291.51; 2. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.821, 330.47 vs. 15. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Camry, 4.014, 313.00; 3. Paul Lee, Dodge Charger, 3.845, 327.35 vs. 14. Steven Densham, Mustang, 4.001, 312.06; 4. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.848, 328.94 vs. 13. Dave Richards, Mustang, 3.966, 317.42; 5. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.857, 325.37 vs. 12. Jason Rupert, Mustang, 3.953, 317.42; 6. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.859, 325.14 vs. 11. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.924, 326.40; 7. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.860, 330.96 vs. 10. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 3.918, 330.96; 8. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.898, 327.82 vs. 9. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.904, 321.04.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Chad Green, 4.052, 312.64; 18. Buddy Hull, 4.090, 311.27; 19. Chris Morel, 4.169, 262.39; 20. John Hale, 4.941, 174.55; 21. Terry Haddock, 5.892, 116.51.
Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.596, 206.89 vs. 16. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.667, 205.94; 2. David Cuadra, Camaro, 6.605, 206.51 vs. 15. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.648, 204.82; 3. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.609, 205.66 vs. 14. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.645, 205.47; 4. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.614, 206.83 vs. 13. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.643, 204.85; 5. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.615, 205.29 vs. 12. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.638, 205.85; 6. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.618, 205.41 vs. 11. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.636, 205.94; 7. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.621, 206.89 vs. 10. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.633, 205.22; 8. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.631, 205.57 vs. 9. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.631, 205.38.
Did Not Qualify: 17. Kenny Delco, 6.671, 206.10; 18. Derrick Reese, 6.673, 205.22; 19. Joey Grose, 6.702, 204.60.
Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.813, 198.20 vs. 16. Kahea Woods, Suzuki, 7.135, 187.99; 2. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.822, 198.70 vs. 15. Clayton Howey, Suzuki, 7.093, 189.42; 3. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.850, 197.59 vs. 14. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.991, 192.17; 4. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.857, 195.93 vs. 13. Malcolm Phillips Jr., Suzuki, 6.980, 188.44; 5. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.864, 195.90 vs. 12. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.949, 191.10; 6. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.870, 197.48 vs. 11. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.941, 194.24; 7. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.876, 196.33 vs. 10. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.937, 194.74; 8. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.878, 196.76 vs. 9. John Hall, Beull, 6.899, 196.64.
LANGDON, KALITTA AND TORRENCE IN PRIME SPOTS FOR LAS VEGAS NATIONALS NHRA Countdown to the Championship reaches penultimate eliminations
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 2, 2024) – Eager to close the gap in the Top Fuel points standings with just two races remaining, Shawn Langdon earned the No. 2 seed for Sunday’s Las Vegas Fall Nationals after posting a 3.672 elapsed time in the final qualifying session on Saturday. This is the fourth consecutive race Langdon has qualified within the top six of Top Fuel, as well as the sixth time in the last seven events. Landon currently sits in third position in the Top Fuel points standings, 76 points behind the lead, as he aims for his second world championship with the NHRA season nearing its conclusion.
Langdon’s teammate and defending Top Fuel world champion, Doug Kalitta, earned the third overall qualifier for Sunday, followed by Steve Torrence in fourth. Justin Ashley, the Top Fuel points leader, will be No. 7 to begin tomorrow and his closest competitor in the championship fight, Antron Brown, is the 11th seed.
Ron Capps leads the Toyota GR Supra Funny Car contingent by earning the seventh seed heading into Sunday. Coming off consecutive final round appearances in the last two races, Capps is also looking to close on those in front of him in the points standings, beginning tomorrow in the fourth position. J.R. Todd qualified in the eighth position and Alexis DeJoria will fire off 10th on Sunday.
Tomorrow’s eliminations from The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway begin at 2 p.m. EST with live TV coverage beginning at 5 p.m. EST on FS1.
Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas Fall Nationals Race 19 of 20
TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS
Name
Car
Qualifying Position
First Round Opponent
Brittany Force*
Chevrolet Top Fuel Dragster
1st
J. Hart
Shawn Langdon
Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster
2nd
J. Salinas
Doug Kalitta
Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster
3rd
I. Zetterstrom
Steve Torrence
CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster
4th
T. Schumacher
Justin Ashley
SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster
7th
S. Massey
Antron Brown
Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster
11th
T. Stewart
Billy Torrence
CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster
12th
C. Millican
TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS
Name
Car
Qualifying Position
First Round Opponent
Austin Prock*
Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Funny Car
1st
T. Gibbons
Ron Capps
NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car
7th
A. DeJoria
J.R. Todd
DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car
8th
C. Pedregon
Alexis DeJoria
Bandero Café Toyota GR Supra Funny Car
10th
R. Capps
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
SHAWN LANGDON, Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports
TF Qualifying Result: 2nd
How are you feeling heading into tomorrow’s eliminations?
“The car’s really making great runs – great job by Brian (Husen, crew chief) and this whole Kalitta Air Careers Toyota team. We put ourselves in a pretty good spot on the ladder, and we feel like we’ll be able to control our own destiny. The car’s looking good and running well – that gives me a lot of confidence so I’m pretty excited for tomorrow.”
RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports
FC Qualifying Result: 7th
Describe your outlook for tomorrow’s eliminations.
“Yeah, obviously, the weekend has shown strange (Las) Vegas weather, and for these race cars, ideal conditions. In Saturday night’s (qualifying) run, we were throwing everything at it to see if we could go the quickest we’ve ever gone here (Las Vegas). You know, sometimes, you have to find that edge and back up a little bit. I’d rather do that on Saturday night, then have it happen Sunday morning. No matter what, we always try to have lane choice in the first round and being in the top eight, it does that for us. And it’s a whole new day tomorrow, but it’s going to be cool conditions. They say windy, probably some of coolest conditions we’ve seen on race day in (Las) Vegas in a long, long time. So, I have a lot of confidence in our NAPA Auto Care team with Guido (Dean Antonelli, crew chief) and our GR Supra was flying right off the trailer. I always feel good about it. We have some ground to make up. We have less than two rounds (worth of points) from second place (in the points standings), and I think this is going to be a great time to pull a lot of points together.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 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 47 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 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 30 electrified options.
With two vacant spots to this year’s Championship 4 round on the line amongst eight NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff contenders, Aric Almirola motored his way to a dominant victory for his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team in the National Debt Relief 250 at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, November 2.
The 40-year-old Almirola from Tampa, Florida, led five times for a race-high 150 of 250-scheduled laps in an event where he started in ninth place and muscled through four early caution periods to claim the first stage victory in a photo finish over Playoff contender Cole Custer. Then after racing his way to win the second stage period, Almirola survived a bevy of caution periods and ensuing restart periods, including the final one with 16 laps remaining where he was leading, to fend off Playoff contenders Sammy Smith and Chandler Smith to capture his third Xfinity victory of the 2024 season and clinch a spot to this year’s Xfinity owner’s championship battle for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 team for next weekend’s finale at Phoenix Raceway.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, November 1, Parker Retzlaff notched his second Xfinity pole position of the 2024 season and his career with a pole-winning lap at 95.151 mph in 19.901 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Anthony Alfredo, who clocked in his best qualifying lap at 95.094 mph in 19.913 seconds.
Prior to the event, the following names that include Parker Kligerman, William Sawalich and Kyle Sieg dropped to the rear of the field due to unapproved adjustments made to their respective entries.
When the green flag waved and the race started, Parker Retzlaff and Anthony Alfredo briefly dueled for the lead through the first two turns until Retzlaff muscled his No. 31 The Visual Pak Companies Chevrolet Camaro ahead with both lanes under his control through the backstretch. As the field slowly began to fan out to three lanes, Retzlaff led the first lap as Playoff contender Chandler Smith overtook Alfredo for the runner-up spot. Behind, Aric Almirola made a bold three-wide move beneath Playoff contenders Sammy Smith and Austin Hill as he made his way up to sixth place.
Over the next four laps, Retzlaff would proceed to stabilize his early advantage to four-tenths of a second over Chandler Smith as Playoff contender Justin Allgaier, Alfredo and Playoff rookie Jesse Love followed suit in the top five. Behind, Almirola retained sixth place ahead of Playoff contender Austin Hill and Sheldon Creed while Playoff contenders AJ Allmendinger and Sammy Smith pursued in the top 10.
Through the first 10 scheduled laps and amid a series of early jostling for spots within the field, Retzlaff retained the lead by three-tenths of a second over Chandler Smith while Allgaier and Alfredo followed suit. Behind, Almirola made his way into fifth place over Love and Hill while Creed, Allmendinger and Playoff contender Cole Custer were in the top 10. As both Custer and Allmendinger bumped one another while battling for 10th place, Riley Herbst, Playoff contender Sam Mayer, Sammy Smith, Brandon Jones and Bubba Pollard were in the top 15.
On Lap 12, the event’s first caution flew after Allmendinger, who had fiercely bumped and rubbed with Custer for a top-10 spot over the last few laps, blew a right-front tire amid another round of contact with Custer entering the backstretch and went dead straight into the outside wall in Turn 3. The incident was enough to end Allmendinger’s event early, but it did not affect his secured spot to this year’s Championship 4 round after he had won the Playoff’s Round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway two weeks earlier.
When the race restarted under green on Lap 18, Chandler Smith dueled with Retzlaff for the lead through the first two turns before he muscled ahead and cleared Retzlaff through the backstretch. Smith would proceed to lead the following lap as Allgaier followed suit in third place. Behind, Almirola muscled his way up to fourth place while Alfredo was pinned in a tight three-wide battle for a top-10 spot that involved Herbst and Creed as both Custer and Sammy Smith joined the battle. With Love and Hill moving up to fifth and sixth on the track, Chandler Smith retained the lead just past the Lap 20 mark.
At the Lap 25 mark, Chandler Smith was leading by six-tenths of a second over Retzlaff while Allgaier, Almirola and Love followed suit in the top five ahead of Hill, Herbst, Custer, Alfredo, and Creed. Over the next five laps, Allgaier and Almirola dueled fiercely for third place while Stewart-Haas Racing’s Herbst and Custer battled for seventh place in front of Sam Mayer. In the process, Almirola stabilized his lead to nearly eight-tenths of a second.
On Lap 36, the event’s second caution flew after Myatt Snider, who was racing in 18th place, was bumped and sent for a spin by Ryan Sieg entering Turns 3 and 4. During the caution period, some led by Chandler Smith and including Allgaier, Hill, Love and Sammy Smith pitted while the rest led by Retzlaff and including Custer and Sam Mayer remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Ryan Ellis was penalized for vehicle interference while Hill endured a slow pit service after he had to reverse to avoid hitting Dawson Cram while exiting his pit stall.
As the event restarted under green on Lap 43, Retzlaff and Custer dueled for the lead through the first two turns until Custer used the outside lane to assume the lead through the backstretch. Behind, Retzlaff fended off rookie Shane van Gisbergen through Turns 3 and 4 to retain second place before the latter crossed over and reignited his challenge for the spot. Behind, a series of jostles for spots between competitors with fresh tires versus those with worn tires ensued as Custer continued to lead. The caution, however, would return on Lap 47 after Leland Honeyman spun in Turn 2 from the top 20 after getting hit by Blaine Perkins.
The start of the next restart period on Lap 53 did not last long as Retzlaff, who restarted on the front row with Custer, was shoved dead straight into the outside wall in Turn 1 by Mayer as Retzlaff emerged with significant front-end damage to his pole-winning car. The incident was enough to knock Retzlaff out of contention while Mayer continued.
With the event restarting under green with a single lap remaining to the first stage period, Custer and Almirola dueled for the lead through the first two turns and the backstretch. They continued to battle dead even against one another through Turns 3 and 4 as they crossed the start/finish line in a photo finish to complete the first stage. At the line, Almirola emerged with the stage victory by a nose for the fifth time in the 2024 Xfinity Series season. Custer settled in second followed by Allgaier, Chandler Smith, Love, Herbst, Josh Williams, Sammy Smith, Creed and Jeb Burton. By then, five of seven remaining Playoff contenders on the track recorded the event’s first round of stage points as the list did not include Mayer or Hill.
Under the stage break, some led by Custer and including Williams, Jeremy Clements, Patrick Emerling, Mason Maggio and Logan Bearden pitted while the rest led by Almirola remained on the track.
The second stage period started on Lap 70 as teammates Almirola and Chandler Smith started on the front row. At the start, Almirola gained the advantage from the inside lane as he muscled away with the lead entering the backstretch. Almirola proceeded to lead the following lap while Chandler Smith fended off Allgaier for the runner-up spot. Allgaier would then be challenged by Love and Herbst for third place as Smith started to close in on Almirola for the lead.
Towards the Lap 80 mark, Almirola retained a steady advantage over teammate Chandler Smith, with the latter bumping and intimidating his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota teammate through every corner and straightaway. Smith would then make his way beneath Almirola’s No. 20 He Gets Us Toyota Supra through the first two turns and muscle his No. 81 QuickTie Toyota Supra into the lead through the backstretch on Lap 81. With Smith leading, Allgaier trailed in third place by six-tenths of a second while Love, Sammy Smith and Herbst trailed by more than two seconds.
On Lap 85, Herbst bumped and nearly turned Love’s No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro in a fierce battle for fifth place in Turn 3. The contact dropped Love to ninth place as Herbst proceeded to fend off Sheldon Creed for fifth place. In the process, Chandler Smith continued to lead by within a tenth of a second over teammate Almirola. Almirola, however, would gain a run beneath Smith through the first two turns and reassume the lead on Lap 94.
At the Lap 100 mark, Almirola stretched his advantage to a second over teammate Chandler Smith as Sammy Smith would proceed to overtake Chandler Smith for the runner-up spot during the following lap. Behind, Allgaier trailed in fourth place by two seconds while Herbst, Creed, Sawalich, Ryan Sieg, Alfredo and Jeb Burton followed suit in the top 10.
Following a caution period on Lap 102 as Mason Maggio spun in Turn 1 just in front of the leaders, some led by Ryan Sieg and including Myatt Snider, Brennan Poole and Garrett Smithley remained on the track while the rest led by Almirola pitted. Amid the pit stops, Chandler Smtih endured a slow pit service.
When the race restarted under green on Lap 110, Ryan Sieg and Poole dueled for the lead in front of a stacked field as Sieg proceeded to muscle ahead through the backstretch. By the following lap, Almirola, who was racing on fresh tires, had carved his way up to third place. Almirola would proceed to duel and overtake Poole for the runner-up spot during the next lap as teammate Sheldon Creed was also muscling his way towards the top five.
Then with three laps remaining in the second stage period, Almirola caught and made his move beneath Ryan Sieg for the lead entering the first two turns. Almirola and Sieg would then duel for the lead through the backstretch as Sieg refused to surrender the spot. With both continuing to battle dead even for the lead during the following lap, Almirola would muscle ahead of Sieg through Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 118.
During the final lap of the second stage period, Ryan Sieg tried to execute a crossover move beneath Almirola through the frontstretch, but Almirola muscled away with his fresh tires and teammate Creed began to challenge Sieg for the runner-up spot. Amid the battles within the field, Almirola proceeded to capture his sixth Xfinity stage victory of the 2024 season and second of the day. Sieg fended off Creed for the runner-up spot while Sammy Smith, Allgaier, Chandler Smith, Custer, Herbst, Sawalich and Poole were scored in the top 10. With four of seven Playoff contenders on the track racking up the event’s second round of stage points, the remaining Playoff contenders including Mayer and Hill did not achieve points.
During the stage break, Logan Bearden was the only competitor who pitted as the rest led by Almirola remained on the track.
With 120 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as teammates Almirola and Creed occupied the front row. At the start, Almirola rocketed away with the lead through the first two turns and he would retain the lead for the following lap. Behind, a series of on-track battles ensued as Allgaier made his way to fourth place behind Ryan Sieg while Custer fended off Sammy Smith and Chandler Smith for fifth place. The caution would return with 117 laps remaining as William Sawalich spun and slapped into the outside wall in Turn 1 amid contact with Alfredo.
During the start of the next restart period with 110 laps remaining, Almirola dueled with teammate Creed for the lead for a full lap as Creed managed to lead the first lap by a hair from the outside lane. Creed would then clear Almirola to have both lanes under his control entering the first two turns while Allgaier was trying to fend off Custer and Ryan Sieg for third place. Shortly after, Custer moved his No. 00 Haas Ford Mustang into third place over Allgaier and Chandler Smith followed in close pursuit in fifth place.
Down to the final 100 laps of the event, Creed continued to lead by a tenth of a second over teammate Almirola, who spent the last several laps dueling and challenging Creed for the top spot through every corner. Almirola would then prevail in the heated battle with teammate Creed with 96 laps remaining as he bumped and muscled ahead of the latter with the top spot. Meanwhile, third-place Custer trailed by a second. Creed then went wide entering Turn 1 during the following lap, which allowed Custer to battle him for the runner-up spot as Almirola stretched his advantage to more than a second.
With 85 laps remaining, Almirola retained the lead over both Custer and Creed as Logan Bearden pitted with his right-front hub on fire. Amid Bearden’s incident, the event remained under green flag conditions. The caution would then fly with 77 laps remaining due to Preston Pardus spinning in Turn 3. During the caution period, the lead lap field led by Almirola pitted for service. Following the pit stops, Almirola retained the lead after he exited pit road first as he was followed by Creed, Custer, Allgaier, Herbst, Chandler Smith, Mayer, Burton, Alfredo and Sammy Smith. Amid the pit stops, Creed was penalized for speeding on pit road.
The start of the next restart period with 68 laps remaining featured Almirola fending off Custer through the first two turns to lead the field through the backstretch. Just before Almirola could reach the start/finish line to lead the following lap, the caution returned when Dawson Cram, who was racing outside the top 20, received a bump from Love that sent him spinning and backing into the outside wall in Turn 3.
As the race restarted under green with 60 laps remaining, Almirola used the inside lane to fend off Custer through the first two turns as he retained a steady lead through the backstretch, Despite getting bumped in the rear by Custer through Turns 3 and 4, Almirola led the following lap ahead of Custer as he had Allgaier, Herbst, Chandler Smith and Jeb Burton all following in close pursuit. With the latter four bumping and dueling against one another for position, Allgaier would retain third place ahead of Chandler Smith and Burton over the next four laps while Mayer and Sammy Smith made their way past Herbst for sixth and seventh, respectively. The caution would then return with 54 laps remaining as Creed bumped Blaine Perkins into Josh Williams, all of whom were battling for a top-15 spot, which sent the latter for a spin towards the outside wall in Turn 2.
The start of the next restart period with 48 laps remaining featured Almirola muscling ahead with a slight advantage over Custer as he proceeded to motor past him through the first two turns and retain the top spot through the backstretch. With Almirola leading the following lap, Custer retained second as Allgaier and Chandler Smith dueled for third place in front of Burton. Behind, teammates Mayer and Sammy Smith dueled for sixth place in front of Herbst, Alfredo and Kligerman as Almirola proceeded to lead with 45 laps remaining.
With less than 40 laps remaining, Almirola stretched his advantage to more than a second over Custer, who had Chandler Smith and Allgaier pressuring him for the runner-up spot through every corner and straightaway. Custer would retain the runner-up spot from both Smith and Allgaier over the next five laps as Almirola’s advantage also stabilized to more than a second.
Not long after, the caution returned with 31 laps remaining when Brandon Jones slid and wrecked his No. 9 Menards Chevrolet Camaro against the Turn 1 outside wall from 13th place after he got bumped by Creed entering the turn. The incident occurred shortly after Chandler Smith had bumped Custer out of the racing groove for the runner-up spot in Turn 1.
Just as the event was restarting under green with 24 laps remaining, a stack-up ensued from the front of the field that left Mayer, who restarted in seventh place, with a dented hood and Burton attempting to fan out beneath Mayer. Then entering Turns 1 and 2, Custer returned the favor to Chandler Smith by bumping the latter into the turn as both went up the racetrack through the first two turns. Despite Smith managing to remain in front of Custer, both dropped to fifth and seventh, respectively, through the backstretch. In the process, Mayer, who had a tire rub, continued in sixth place with a dented hood while Almirola pulled away with the lead ahead of Allgaier, Sammy Smith and Herbst.
On the following lap, the caution returned as both Ryan Sieg and van Gisbergen wrecked in Turn 4. During the caution period, Mayer, who pitted to have the damage addressed, had his No. 1 10X Health Chevrolet Camaro pushed behind the wall as his event came to a late end. Mayer’s retirement also ended his hopes of returning to the Championship 4 round for a second consecutive season.
Down to the final 16 laps remaining, the race restarted under green as Almirola and Sammy Smith occupied the front row. At the start, Almirola muscled away from Smith’s No. 8 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet Camaro and the field to lead through the first two turns and the backstretch. As Almirola led the following lap, Smith followed suit in second while Allgaier was trying to fend off Herbst, Chandler Smith, Custer and Jeb Burton for third place. During the following lap, Chandler Smith got Herbst loose entering Turn 3, which allowed Smith to draw himself alongside Allgaier for third place as Custer tried to follow suit. Custer would then grab fifth place from teammate Herbst while Almirola continued to lead over Sammy Smith with 14 laps remaining.
With 10 laps remaining, Almirola retained the lead by four-tenths of a second over a hard-charging Sammy Smith while Chandler Smith trailed the lead by more than a second. By then, both of the Smith competitors were placed in “must-win” situations to maintain their Playoff hopes. Behind, Custer, who currently occupied the fourth and transfer spot to the Championship 4 round, made his way up to fourth place over Allgaier, who held the other vacant spot to the final Playoff round, while Creed was up to sixth place.
Down to the final five laps of the event, Almirola continued to lead by four-tenths of a second over Sammy Smith as third-place Chandler Smith followed suit by a second. Over the next four laps, Almirola would stabilize his advantage over both Sammy Smith and Chandler Smith, with the latter two unable to close in despite charging their respective cars through every corner and straightaway.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Almirola remained in the lead by half a second over Sammy Smith and by more than a second over Chandler Smith. With the two Smiths unable to narrow the deficit for a final lap charge, Almirola coasted his No. 20 Toyota smoothly around the Martinsville circuit for a final time before he cycled back to the frontstretch and for his third Xfinity checkered flag of the 2024 season.
With the victory, Almirola, who won at Martinsville in April, notched his seventh career win in his 117th start in the Xfinity circuit and 13th of the 2024 season. The victory was the 11th of the season for both the Toyota nameplate and Joe Gibbs Racing, with the organization’s No. 20 team winning for the ninth time overall.
As a result of the victory, Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota team will contend for the 2024 Xfinity Series owner’s championship as Almirola will compete against Austin Hill, AJ Allmendinger and Justin Allgaier for the title during next weekend’s season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway.
Photo by Patrick Sue-Chan for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“Wow, what an amazing race car,” Almirola said on the CW Network. “So proud of [crew chief] Tyler [Allen] and all the guys on this team. We had an amazing car here in the spring. We made a few tweaks to it because I wasn’t totally happy with it, honestly, in the spring. We showed up yesterday and we were awful. I was like, ‘Oh no. What did we do?’ [The team] went to work last night and came up with a lot of changes to make to the car. It was so hooked up today. It would just do everything I wanted it to. Man, this is such a special place, This is, by far, my favorite racetrack and I’m just so thankful to Coach [Gibbs], everybody at Toyota. There’s so much more to it than just me and this race team. I’m just so lucky and blessed to have this opportunity with so many great partners. What an amazing race car. Just so proud, so, so proud and we’re going to go race for an owner’s championship in Phoenix.”
As Almirola celebrated the Martinsville race victory, teammate Chandler Smith, who settled in third place on the track was left heated over Custer, who finished fourth, following their pair of bumps and on-track contact that took them both out of contention for the race victory as Smith also failed to make the Championship 4 field by 28 points. Once Smith parked his car on pit road at the event’s conclusion, he confronted Custer and both exchanged words before Smith attempted to throw a punch across Custer’s face before both were separated by NASCAR officials and their respective crew members.
Ironically, this marks the second run-in and post-race confrontation between Custer and Chandler Smith after the former had confronted the latter during the Playoff opener at Kansas Speedway in late September, where he criticized Smith for costing both the victory from Almirola following a late duel on the track.
“I was planning to do a lot more than [throwing a punch], to be completely frank with you,” Smith, whose racing status for 2025 remains unknown, said. “I was extremely pissed off. I gave him five laps before that caution came out and beat his bumper off and never shipped him or anything like that. Then finally, it’s like all right, the laps are winding down, I’m in a must-win [situation]. [Almirola]’s starting to drive away. He was really good all day. I can’t waste any more time with [Custer], so I finally had a good enough run and pushed him up the racetrack and went on our way, but I gave him a chance for five laps before that…He didn’t even give me a chance to make the corner when we got to Turn 1. It is what it is. He can think we’re even and all, but he’s the one that’s got more stakes than I do next weekend.”
Meanwhile, Custer, who was initially left frustrated with Smith, was also left pleased on pit road as he claimed a Championship 4 berth to next weekend’s finale at Phoenix as he will attempt to defend his title before moving back up to the Cup Series with the rebranded Haas Factory Team in 2025.
“[Chandler Smith]’s not happy, but at the end of the day, he’s put us in the wall a few times this year and his mistakes caught up with him,” Custer said. “He used the bumper on me, I used the bumper on him. What comes around goes around in this deal. I’m so proud of this team. We brought out everything we had today. [The team] Kept us in the fight, but [crew chief Jonathan Toney] and the guys did a great job all year maximizing everything we had. [I] Can’t wait to go to Phoenix now and see what we can do.”
Overall, Custer joins AJ Allmendinger, Austin Hill and Justin Allgaier, the latter of whom finished fifth at Martinsville, as the four Playoff contenders who will contend for the 2024 Xfinity Series championship next weekend at Phoenix. Meanwhile, Chandler Smith joins Martinsville runner-up finisher Sammy Smith, rookie Jesse Love and Sam Mayer as the bottom four Playoff contenders in the standings who did not make the Championship 4 round.
There were 12 lead changes for seven different leaders. The race featured 13 cautions for 84 laps. In addition, 26 of 38 starters finished on the lead lap.
The 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season is set to conclude at Phoenix Raceway, where a champion will be crowned. The finale is set to occur next Saturday, November 9, and air at 7:30 p.m. ET on the CW Network.
ALMIROLA WINS THIRD RACE OF THE SEASON, PUTS 20 TEAM IN OWNER CHAMPIONSHIP 4 BATTLE Chandler Smith comes just short of first Xfinity Series Championship 4 berth
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (November 2, 2024) – Aric Almirola completed the season sweep at Martinsville Speedway – winning his third race of the season, in just his 13th start, to clinch a spot in the owner Championship 4 in Phoenix. The 20 team will face the No. 7, 16 and 21 teams for the season-long title. Almirola has delivered the ninth win for the No. 20 team this season with Christopher Bell, John Hunter Nemechek and Ryan Truex each having two wins each.
Chandler Smith battled up front all day in his battle to make the Championship 4. He led 34 laps and finished third, which unfortunately was not enough to earn his own berth into next weekend’s championship race.
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap NASCAR Xfinity Series Martinsville Speedway Race 32 of 33 – 250 Laps, 131.5 Miles
ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 20 He Gets Us Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 1st
You scored the win and put the 20 team into the Championship 4.
“Wow. What an amazing race car. So proud of Tyler (Allen, crew chief) and all of the guys on this team. We had an amazing car here in the Spring, and we made a few tweaks to it because I wasn’t totally happy with it, honestly, in the Spring. We showed up yesterday and we were awful. I was like oh, no, what did we do, and they went to work last night and came up with a lot of changes to make to the car. It was so hooked up today. It would just do everything I wanted it to. This is such a special place. This is by far my favorite race track. I’m just so thankful. Thankful for Coach (Joe Gibbs), everyone at Toyota, TRD. Thank you He Gets Us. Thank you, God. There is so much more to it than just me and this race team. Just so lucky and blessed with this opportunity with so many partners – Go Bowling. I hate – they’ve been such a great partner of mine for such a long time, and we haven’t got them to victory lane. Just so thankful. Thankful to everyone at TRD, Toyota. Our GR Supra was fast – faster than the Xfinity internet today. Just what an amazing race car. I’m so proud – so, so proud. We are going to go race for an owner’s championship in Phoenix.”
CHANDLER SMITH, No. 81 QuickTie Products Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd
Can you talk about the end of the race and conversation with Cole Custer?
“He thought he was in a must-win for the owners – which he was – but at the end of the day, I get that his dad has some high up role at SHR (Stewart-Haas Racing), so he probably values that a lot, but at the end of the day, I’m a driver. I’m in a must-win situation. He was not at that moment, and he didn’t even try to make the corner. Granted I moved him the lap before, but I’m beating his bumper off for the five laps before that. I gave him grace, before I finally shipped him, and then he doesn’t even try to give me a chance going into turn one. It is what it is. I’m super grateful God blessed me with a great group of men and women at Joe Gibbs Racing that have worked on this QuickTie Toyota. It is a bunch of fun. This car was hooked up at the very end, unfortunately, I was the focal point of us getting shipped because then we were behind the eight-ball and had to pass all of those cars again.”
SHELDON CREED, No. 18 Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 6th
Can you walk me through your race and what more you needed there?
“We started off okay, and just kept making our car better and better there to have a shot at winning the race. Obviously, running second there and then we pitted and then I sped on pit road and had to go to the back. Kinda just pulled the gloves off and wanted to get back towards the front. Just made a few mistakes and I wheel hopped a few times, and I seemed to hit somebody every time I did it. I hate being that person. It is embarrassing being the guy that is just running into everyone. Definitely not who I want to be or how I want to race, just made mistakes trying hard and took people with me.”
About Toyota
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes NASCAR Xfinity Series National Debt Relief 250 | Saturday, November 2, 2024 Martinsville Speedway
Ford Performance Results:
4th – Cole Custer 11th – Riley Herbst 15th – Ryan Sieg 16th – Matt DiBenedetto 19th – Blaine Perkins 20th – Dylan Lupton 21st – Kyle Sieg 22nd – Mason Maggio 26th – Greg Van Alst
COLE CUSTER ADVANCES TO CHAMPIONSHIP 4
Cole Custer’s fourth-place finish enabled him to qualify for the Championship 4 next week at Phoenix.
Custer will be going for his second straight series championship and can become the ninth driver to win multiple series titles.
Custer could also become the second Ford driver to win back-to-back championships, joining Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2011-12).
COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT WAS THE CONVERSATION WITH CHANDLER? “I guess he’s mad, but what comes around goes around. At the end of the day, he put us in the fence a few times this year. He used his bumper on me, so I used my bumper on him. It is what it is. You go and race for a championship and you’re put in these situations. I don’t mind doing it to him because he’s done it to me.”
HOW AGGRESSIVE DID YOU EXPECT HIM TO BE? “I expected him to be aggressive, but I can’t not be aggressive. I’m gonna race him just how he raced me the whole year.”
WHAT DID YOU TELL HIM? “I was racing for the owner’s. I was in a must-win just like him, so for him to come over here and say I don’t have a reason to race, that’s no reason at all.”
WITH YOU PAST HISTORY ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT HE WAS SHOCKED YOU RACED HIM THAT WAY? “No. I mean, it is what it is. You’re racing to go race for a championship. He put me in the wall a few times this year, this was the time it all came around.”
WHAT ABOUT YOUR TEAM AND HOW THEY PERFORMED? “I’m so proud of this team. We brought everything we had today. They kept us in the fight, but JT and all the guys did a great job all year maximizing everything we had. I can’t thank Gene Haas and everybody at Haas Automation, Ford Performance. I can’t wait to go to Phoenix now and see what we can do.”
ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT CHANDLER LOOKING FOR RETRIBUTION NEXT WEEKEND AT PHOENIX? “It is what it is. I think at the end of the day he put us in the wall a few times this year. He kept us from winning a race, I feel like, at Kansas. He used the bumper on me, so I used the bumper on him. I don’t know how we’re not even, and then he punches me in the face. I can’t even tell if he really punched me in the face it was so soft, but we’ll go on to Phoenix.”
YOUR THOUGHTS ON PHOENIX NEXT WEEK? “At the end of the day, I feel like we have as good a shot as anybody. We’ve brought a lot a speed in the playoffs so far. We obviously won last year, so we just have to work some magic again.”
WHAT HAPPENED EARLY ON IN THE RACE WITH AJ ALLMENDINGER? “At the end of the day, with AJ I was in a situation where I had to beat everybody else on points and he was locked in. I got aggressive with him. I’m not gonna lie. I think he overreacted and started brake checking me and then he popped his tire, but, at the end of the day, I had to go and he didn’t have to go, so I had to do what I had to do.”
YOU WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A LOT OF STUFF TODAY. THAT’S JUST THE NATURE OF THIS BEING A CUTOFF RACE TO GET TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4, RIGHT? “Yeah. I mean, you just have to be aggressive. You have to fight for every point and you have to race how you get raced. That’s just how it is.”
TF Sport’s No. 81 Corvette second, No. 82 Z06 GT3.R third in LMGT3
SAKHIR, Bahrain (Nov. 2, 2024) – TF Sport and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R climbed on the class podium to close the FIA World Endurance Championship with second- and third-place finishes after the Eight Hours of Bahrain.
The No. 81 Corvette of Charlie Eastwood, Tom Van Rompuy and Rui Andrade were runners-up in the LMGT3 class, just ahead of the No. 82 Z06 GT3.R trio of Daniel Juncadella, Hiroshi Koizumi and Sebastien Baud. Not only was it the first podium result for the Corvette GT3 program in this season’s championship, but it also is the first double-podium finish for the Corvette brand in FIA World Endurance Championship competition.
“Congratulations to TF Sport, team owner Tom Ferrier, the drivers and all the members of the team on today’s double-podium to close the FIA WEC season in Bahrain – the first in this championship for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R,” said Mark Stielow, Director, GM Motorsports Competition Engineering. “It has been exciting to watch the team continually work and extract more and more from their Corvettes at each event this year. This is a great way not just to end 2024 but also use this as a springboard to bigger and better things in 2025.”
After having potential podium finishes taken away in the previous two races, fortune finally went the way of the TF Sport squad in Bahrain. Both Corvettes led at one point, and the No. 81 ran in front six times for a race-high 121 laps.
The runner-up Corvette raced its way from eighth to first twice in the race – once in the opening hour and again following the race’s second safety-car period with less than two hours. Van Rompuy charged and passed six cars to go from eighth at the start to second by the end of his first stint. Eastwood emerged from the pitlane in the lead following the class pitstop cycle.
Both Eastwood and Andrade drove single stints to firmly establish the No. 81 Corvette by as much as 30 seconds at the end of the first driver rotation. Van Rompuy and Andrade drove double-stints in the middle of the race, but the first of two safety cars sent the race way from the No. 81 as it went from first down to eighth due to competitors behind the Corvette being on fresher tires.
Andrade survived and handed over to Eastwood with an hour, 45 minutes to go and the No. 81 Corvette in eighth place to set the stage for Eastwood’s charge.
The No. 82 Corvette had a thrilling drive-back of its own from early in the race. Koizumi picked up a spot from 10th at the start but was assessed a five-second, stop-and-go penalty for avoidable contact in the opening 20 minutes. That dropped Koizumi down to 16th but he, Juncadella and Baud clawed their way back toward the front over the next four hours.
While the safety cars hurt the chances for the No. 81, the opposite was true for the sister Corvette. Juncadella found himself in 10th with about 90 minutes to go. He worked his way forward just as rapidly as his factory teammate Eastwood and gained two spots coming out of a full-course yellow period to fourth just ahead of the seven-hour mark.
Juncadella made his final stop two laps after Eastwood and emerged from the pitlane just ahead of the sister Corvette with 40 minutes to go but ceded the position on colder and newer tires than the No. 81.
The 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship starts February 28 in Qatar.
TF SPORT POST-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES
CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The race was great from start to finish from us. We got super-unlucky with the first VSC and the timing of it. We weren’t able to change tires and most of the class were. We dropped down the order by the time of my last double-stint. Our pace on the first set of tires was really strong, and the same with the second set as well. I just came out close to the No. 60 Lamborghini who ended up passing me on the outlap then we got to the back of the 54 who hadn’t boxed and had a drive-through. So maybe a little bit of team owners to slow us down. We didn’t give up until the very end. We got it down to three seconds but it wasn’t enough. But ultimately for the team to finish with a double-podium is a fantastic result.”
TOM VAN ROMPUY, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “We started the season on a high with pole position at Qatar. In between we had some dips but we have finished on another high – two podiums today. I’m a very happy man. There has been great progression that we have made with the team. It was a great effort by everyone, my co-drivers and the team.”
RUI ANDRADE, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It kind of sums up our season again – a story of what could have been without the safety car. We were ahead by about 40 seconds and the race for us was in a good place. We were in a good rhythm and good pace. Tom, myself and Charlie did a really good job and I’m proud of what we did. I was kind of in no-man’s land because we didn’t take tires on my second stint. We were hoping the strategy would pay off, and Charlie got new tires and back into the lead. I’m really happy to finish the season with such strong races back-to-back-to-back. Since COTA, the car has been super-strong and the team has done a great job making it faster and faster. It’s good to end the season on a high.”
DANI JUNCADELLA, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s great to finish the season on a high like this – second and third for the team. This is incredible and I’m happy for TF Sport and Corvette Racing. This is the best way to finish the season with two cars on the podium and third for myself, Hiroshi and Seb. This has been a long time coming and I think we deserve it. It was a hard race at the end. The Lamborghini behind me was flying and I had good duel with him for 25 to 30 minutes. It was a tough one but we made it and I’m really, really happy and proud about that.”
HIROSHI KOIZUMI, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “This is a great finish and great way to finish the season. I’m really happy with my race throughout. It was my first time at this track, and during practices I feel I did very well. So I’m very happy with the result and weekend.”
TOM FERRIER, TF SPORT OWNER: “I feel like this has been a long time coming. I think at COTA we could have had a podium and at Fuji we could have had a win were it not for some contact. So it’s really nice to finish in this way. To get both cars on the podium is a massive team effort. I’m incredibly happy for all the guys and girls who have worked so hard. It’s been a dry year for podiums but we’ve been getting better and better. Everyone at GM and Corvette Racing have been working tirelessly in the background. It’s a lovely result for everyone involved. It sets us up for next year with a good starting point. We should come out of the blocks firing on all cylinders.”
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.
In his penultimate start as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series competitor, Martin Truex Jr. notched his first Busch pole position of the 2024 season and for this weekend’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, November 2.
The 2017 Cup Series champion from Mayetta, New Jersey, commenced the weekend by being the fastest during the series’ lone practice session earlier on Saturday. He then was one of 10 from a total of 37-entered competitors to transfer to the final qualifying round following two qualifying group rounds. During the final qualifying round, he posted his best qualifying lap at 96.190 mph in 19.686 seconds, which was enough to claim the top-starting spot over Playoff contender Chase Elliott, who clocked in his best qualifying lap at 95.840 mph in 19.758 seconds.
With this accomplishment, Truex is currently ranked in 10th place in the standings by notching his 24th career pole in NASCAR’s premier series. Additionally, it was his third at Martinsville and his first since he started on the pole in the fall Martinsville event in late October 2023. Overall, the 2024 season marks Truex’s 11th season where he has achieved a pole position in the Cup Series as he strives to record a victory while down to his final two races as a full-time Cup competitor with Joe Gibbs Racing.
“I felt great about our car on stickers [tires],” Truex said. “You never want to get too optimistic, but [the car] fired off really good in practice, especially that second run with the track rubbered in. I was like, ‘Alright, if we can just hit the balance here for qualifying, it should be really fast.’ Proud of [crew chief] James [Small] and all the guys. We haven’t had a whole lot of good going for us lately. This feels awesome. Anytime you’re first in anything in this series, it’s special and it’s exciting. We got some work to do for tomorrow, but hopefully, we can make a gain on it and have a good day.”
Highlights
Joining Truex on the front row will be Chase Elliott, who emerged as the highest-starting Playoff contender in the field. This weekend’s event at Martinsville is the third and final race in the Round of 8, Elliott is currently ranked in eighth place in the Playoff standings and is 43 points below the top-four cutline to make the Championship 4 round and contend for his second Cup title.
William Byron, Elliott’s teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, will start in third place ahead of Chase Briscoe and Ty Gibbs. Rounding out the top-10 starting spots are Harrison Burton, Alex Bowman, Ryan Preece, Playoff contender Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon. With three of eight Playoff contenders starting in the top 10 for Sunday’s main event, the remaining Playoff contenders that include Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin will start 12th, 14th, 16th, 31st and 37th, respectively.
Notably, Hamlin will start in 37th place, dead last, after opting not to post a qualifying lap due to wrecking his primary car during Saturday’s practice session. Despite Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team managing to repair the car, Hamlin, who is 18 points below the top-four cutline, will have to navigate his way through the field from the rear to maintain his title hopes.
Currently, Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick are the only two Playoff contenders to be guaranteed berths to the Championship 4 field after winning the Round of 8 events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway, respectively. Christopher Bell and William Byron occupy the remaining two vacant spots above the cutline while Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott trail.
All 37 competitors entered for Sunday’s event at Martinsville earned a starting spot.
Qualifying position, best speed, best time:
Martin Truex Jr., 96.190 mph, 19.686 seconds
Chase Elliott, 95.840 mph, 19.758 seconds
William Byron, 95.951 mph, 19.735 seconds
Chase Briscoe, 95.796 mph, 19.767 seconds
Ty Gibbs, 95.912 mph, 19.743 seconds
Harrison Burton, 95.603 mph, 19.807 seconds
Alex Bowman, 95.908 mph, 19.744 seconds
Ryan Preece, 95.487 mph, 19.831 seconds
Kyle Larson, 95.593 mph, 19.809 seconds
Austin Dillon, 95.367 mph, 19.856 seconds
Josh Berry, 95.752 mph, 19.776 seconds
Joey Logano, 95.661 mph, 19.795 seconds
Todd Gilliland, 95.738 mph, 19.779 seconds
Ryan Blaney, 95.656 mph, 19.796 seconds
Daniel Hemric, 95.670 mph, 19.793 seconds
Christopher Bell, 95.632 mph, 19.801 seconds
Michael McDowell, 95.593 mph, 19.809 seconds
Brad Keselowski, 95.622 mph, 19.803 seconds
Bubba Wallace, 95.492 mph, 19.830 seconds
Daniel Suarez, 95.612 mph, 19.805 seconds
Erik Jones, 95.487 mph, 19.831 seconds
Ross Chastain, 95.516 mph, 19.825 seconds
Kyle Busch, 95.434 mph, 19.842 seconds
Austin Cindric, 95.237 mph, 19.883 seconds
Noah Gragson, 95.362 mph, 19.857 seconds
Chris Buescher, 95.036 mph, 19.925 seconds
Carson Hocevar, 95.319 mph, 19.866 seconds
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 95.032 mph, 19.926 seconds
Shane van Gisbergen, 95.180 mph, 19.895 seconds
Justin Haley, 94.680 mph, 20 seconds
Tyler Reddick, 95.146 mph, 19.902 seconds
John Hunter Nemechek, 94.354 mph, 20.069 seconds
Kaz Grala, 94.237 mph, 20.094 seconds
Corey LaJoie, 94.162 mph, 20.110 seconds
Josh Bilicki, 93.299 mph, 20.296 seconds
Zane Smith, 93.947 mph, 20.156 seconds
Denny Hamlin, 0.000 mph, 0.000 seconds
The 2024 Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway is set to occur on Sunday, November 3, and air at 2 p.m. ET on NBC.
No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R climbs six positions from qualifying spot in WEC finale
MANAMA, Bahrain (Nov. 2, 2024) – Cadillac Racing concluded its second season of FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Hypercar competition with a spirited drive to seventh place in the Bapco Energies Eight Hours of Bahrain.
Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Sebastien Bourdais co-drove the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R, which qualified 13th and started 12th in the 18-car field after a qualification infraction was levied on a competitor, in the race that transitioned from 89 degrees Fahrenheit ambient temperature at the mid-afternoon green flag to not considerably cooler at the checkered flag under the lights.
The result was the fourth top 10 of the season for the Chip Ganassi Racing-run team and 10th in its two-year run covering 15 races.
Energy and tire management on the abrasive 3.36-mile (5.412km), 15-turn racing surface that is original to the Bahrain International Circuit that opened in 2004 was significant throughout the 235-lap race to keep the hybrid Cadillac in points-scoring position.
Bamber climbed the ladder by overtaking the No. 83 AF Corse Porsche 963 with 24 minutes left and No. 38 Hertz Team JOTA with six minutes left to finish 55 seconds behind the winning No. 8 Toyota GR010.
The pole-sitting No. 8 Toyota GR010 won the race to clinch the Hypercar manufacturer title for Toyota Gazoo Racing. The No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 (Kevin Estre, Andre Lotterer, Laurens Vanthoor) won the drivers season championship. Hertz Team JOTA, which will become the Cadillac factory team in 2025, registered its second successive FIA Hypercar Team World Cup Championship for privateers.
Through the eight races totaling 72 hours and 1,859 laps, the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R displayed remarkable durability and speed. The Hypercar entry earned its maiden WEC pole position last month at Fuji Speedway and had a string of five races in which it qualified fourth or higher in Hyperpole.
Fourth place at Cadillac Racing’s home race at Circuit of The Americas in early September is the team’s best finish of the season.
The 2025 WEC season begins Feb. 28 with the Qatar1812Km at the Lusail International Circuit, preceded Feb. 21-22 by the annual Prologue.
For more than a century, racing has provided a testbed for Cadillac to transfer knowledge and technology between racecars and production vehicles, and a way to build a fanbase for the brand around the world.
The Cadillac V-Series.R marks the third-generation Cadillac prototype and the brand’s first hybrid electrified racecar. Codeveloped by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing and chassis constructor Dallara, the racecar incorporates key Cadillac V-Series production car design elements such as vertical lighting and floating blades.
What they’re saying
Earl Bamber: “It was a good race for us at the end. I think we maximized what we could today. I don’t think we had the best car, but we definitely maximized as a team and to come away with points is a great result. It’s definitely building and building each time out. I think if you told we’d get seventh when we started the race I think we’d take it, so I think it’s a good one.”
Sebastien Bourdais: “Given the circumstances because we struggled pretty much all week with rear grip for the most part and weren’t super confident going into the race and starting P13 was certainly a challenge because it’s so hard to pass around here. Earl (Bamber) did a heckuva job, particularly at the end on the medium (tires), and got us back to a very respectable P7 for a tough week. Not super happy with myself. I made a mistake on the full-course yellow and got a (drive-thru) penalty for it. I got the time back, but we still got the penalty. Overall, pretty satisfied with the result from where we started.”
Alex Lynn: “It’s been a tough weekend, but I think scoring points is a positive from where we started. We put on a strong performance and scored some good points. A good way to end the season.”
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 Racing – Martin Truex Jr. NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (November 2, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was made available to the media on Saturday after winning the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway.
It is Truex’s first pole of the season, second consecutive in this event and third overall at Martinsville Speedway. It is Toyota’s series-leading 13th pole of the season.
MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance/Thank You Martin Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Are you having moments like this might be the last pole ever?
“Yeah, you definitely do. It’s here whether you like it or not or whatever. It was exciting today. It is always fun to be – anytime you win anything in this series it is always exciting. Practice was awesome, fun, and to be able to back it up in qualifying felt good. I still know how to go fast around here which is great. We just need to figure out how to go fast on the long run here tomorrow. We were off a little bit on that in practice, so we need to figure out how to find some of that, but so far, a great start to the weekend.”
What does the fan reaction to your pole mean to you?
“It is definitely always neat to see that. It is always humbling. Makes you proud. I don’t know that I’ve ever run over anyone here and got booed here on the way out, so that is helpful. (laughter) We’ve seen quite a few people do that over the years – so that’s part of it, I guess. I don’t know – I appreciate that, and everyone has treated me great over the years. Lot of good people in this sport. Lot of good people in the stands. I appreciate their support over the years, and hopefully, we can give them something to cheer about again tomorrow.”
Do you have any sense of what the tire wear is going to do tomorrow?
“I think we’ve seen quite a lot more tire wear today than we have with this car lately. Is it enough? I don’t know. You never know until the race starts. This place – you come here one day and you’re like this is what it is going to do, and then you come back the next day – and it is like, that is unexpected. This place is just very, very tricky. It is hard to know what is going to happen, but from what I’ve seen today, there is enough fall off, there is enough tire wear – stickers are way faster than 30, 40, 50 lap tires. Hopefully that continues. We need to make our tires last a little bit better, but I think across the field there will be plenty of tire wear and there will be guys that are fast in the beginning of runs and fall back.”
Are you considered about the rubber getting stuck in the throttle body like Denny had today?
“About as much as I’m concerned about getting hit by lightening (laughter). One-in-a-million. I don’t know how – that is – his number just came up. It’s nuts. That may never happen in 10 more years here. It is just crazy, bad luck.”
Does winning a pole sink in more here as you close out your full-time career?
“It definitely reminds you again about how much fun it is to be successful. Reminder that if you keep working hard, good things will eventually come your way. It has been a tough stretch here lately – especially, the last three or four months – a lot of disappointing days. A lot of days where things are going good, and one thing takes it away. It is frustrating, because from the outside looking in, it could look like we are not trying or that we gave up – we’re not running good or whatever, and that really hasn’t been the case. I’m proud of my guys for sticking with it and working hard. We’ve been trying hard, so even when you have a small victory like today, it is very cool and very special. In this series, it is so difficult, and it reminds you that you know how to go fast. That is always fun. I enjoyed today, and I know what I need for tomorrow. I just hope we can get there.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 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 47 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 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 30 electrified options.
