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Meyer Shank Racing Closes 2024 INDYCAR Season With Top-10 Finish at Nashville

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Official Release
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#60: Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing Honda

Lebanon, Tenn., (15 September 2024) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) closed the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES in strong fashion as David Malukas (No. 66 AutoNation / Arctic Wolf Honda) claimed a ninth-place finish in Sunday’s season-ending Big Machine Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway.

Starting fifth, Malukas ran at the sharp end of the grid all day and threatened the leaders throughout all 206 laps around the 1.33-mile concrete oval. The team made the bold choice to stretch the fuel load of the No. 66 machine in the waning laps of the event, promoting Malukas to the lead with 10 laps to go, but when the hoped-for caution flag didn’t materialize, the Chicago driver pitted out of the lead with six laps left and settled for a ninth-place result.

The move did cement the No. 66 car’s place in the Leader’s Circle program as one of the top 22 cars in the INDYCAR SERIES this season, earning the team a $1.2 million bonus for doing so.

Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda) saw his best oval-track qualifying of the season go for naught as a tire failure resulted in a race-ending crash on Lap 56. The Swedish driver started third and was running in the top three when the tire went down and caused hard impact with the wall. Rosenqvist only failed to finish in four of the year’s 17 races, but all four of them came when the driver of the No. 60 machine had qualified ninth of better

The ninth-place run by Malukas marked his second top-10 result of the season and the eighth for MSR during the 2024 campaign. MSR made 35 combined starts during the ’24 INDYCAR season, the most since joining the series in 2017. The season’s results give the team 37 top-10 finishes in its 156 starts (23.7%). MSR also led in five different races, which is the most in a single season in team history.

Meyer Shank Racing Driver Quotes:

David Malukas: “That one kind of hurt, we ended up making the wrong call on strategy, we were betting on a yellow. Because if it worked out, we probably would have won it.
That’s just how the game goes, that’s how we played it. Really unfortunate but at the end of the day, the team got what we wanted and secured the leader circle points with this P9 to end up the season. Even though the result wasn’t what we wanted, our race was amazing. The guys did an awesome job, amazing stops and we were jumping people there, it was all because of them. Overall a really good way to end the season. 2024 has been a roller coaster but we ended on a high note.”

Felix Rosenqvist: “It’s been a summary of our year as we had a super-good run going on and the tire blew up. Luckily it wasn’t a very big hit but it took us out of the race. It started feeling weird going into the corner and then it drifted up and I was just a passenger.”

ARCA Menards Series: General Tire 100 at The Glen Post-race Notes

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Official Release
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ARCA Menards Series at Watkins Glen International: General Tire 100 at The Glen Post-race Notes

  • Connor Zilisch (No. 28 Silver Hare Development / Chevrolet Performance Chevrolet) earned his fifth ARCA Menards Series victory of 2024 in Friday’s General Tire 100 at The Glen. Zilisch started from the General Tire Pole and led 40 of the race’s 41 laps to score his fifth win in seven career series starts. Zilisch’s other two starts, including his series debut at Watkins Glen in 2023, resulted in second-place finishes.
  • Zilisch also won Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen International in his series debut. The last driver to win in his Xfinity Series debut was 2021 ARCA Menards Series champion Ty Gibbs in February 2021 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course.
  • William Sawalich (No. 18 Starkey / SoundGear Toyota) finished second, 12.778 seconds behind Zilisch. Sawalich, who has won eight times in 2024, has eleven career wins, 22 top-five, and 23 top-ten finishes in 25 career ARCA Menards Series starts.
  • Brandon Jones (No. 42 Lyons Bathtubs & Showers / Menards Chevrolet) finished third in his first ARCA Menards Series start since he won at Watkins Glen in 2023.
  • Andres Perez (No. 2 Max Siegel Inc. Chevrolet) finished fourth after a track bar mount repair after qualifying forced him to start the race from the tail of the field. He extended his lead in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings to 54 points over his teammate Lavar Scott (No. 6 Max Siegel Inc. Chevrolet), who finished ninth.
  • Connor Mosack (No. 23 Sigma Performance Services Chevrolet) finished fifth in his first start since the season’s first road course race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. It was the second top-five finish for team owner Joe Farre’; the Sigma Performance Services team, which also won the ARCA Menards Series West race at Sonoma Raceway with Sam Mayer driving, finished fourth at Iowa Speedway with 2014 ARCA Menards Series champion Mason Mitchell driving.
  • Giovanni Ruggiero (No. 20 First Auto Group Toyota) finished sixth, the best finish for Venturini Motorsports and the organization’s only top-ten finish. Ruggiero also raced in the ASA STARS National Tour Glass City 200 at Toledo Speedway on Saturday, finishing second behind race winner and former ARCA Menards Series winner Casey Roderick.
  • Thomas Annunziata (No. 44 Bayshore Mortgage Funding Ford) finished seventh after spending much of the race in the top five. He was spun late in the race after contact from another driver and dropped to tenth, but was able to regain three positions in the final 10 laps.
  • Ryan Gemmel (No. 29 Diamond Brite / TC3 Turf Toyota) finished eighth in his ARCA Menards Series debut; Gemmel was driving for NEMCO Motorsports, owned by Joe Nemechek, which has won NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series races at Watkins Glen International with Ron Fellows driving.
  • Dylan Lupton (No. 30 Lupton Excavation Ford) also recovered from an early race spin to finish tenth in his first ARCA Menards Series start since he finished fourth at Kansas Speedway in 2020.
  • The race was slowed only once for one lap by the scheduled caution at halfway. Zilisch’s 106.673 mile per hour average speed is a series record.
  • Zilisch’s 12.778-second margin of victory is the largest winning margin of 2024.
  • The next race for the ARCA Menards Series is Bush’s Best 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday, September 19. The race will be televised live on FS1 5 pm ET.

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

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

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

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

Antron Brown Victorious at Maple Grove to Begin Countdown to the Championship

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Official Release
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Toyota earns 14th Top Fuel win in the last 16 races

MOHNTON, Pa. (Sept. 15, 2024) – Antron Brown had the perfect start to the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, capturing victory at Maple Grove Raceway on Sunday, propelling him to second in the Top Fuel points standings. The win is Brown’s fourth of the 2024 season and the 78th of his NHRA career, as well as Toyota’s 14th Top Fuel win in the last 16 races. Brown had to defeat Toyota teammate Shawn Langdon, who now takes over the Top Fuel points lead, in the final round Sunday afternoon to take home the Wally Trophy.

The finals appearances by Brown and Langdon mark 38 consecutive NHRA event final rounds now for Toyota in either Top Fuel and/or Funny Car.

Justin Ashley, the Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier coming into Sunday, advanced to the semifinals, falling to Langdon. Steve Torrence was the other Toyota dragster to get past round one.

In Funny Car, Alexis DeJoria nearly missed making the final round Sunday afternoon, falling in a frantic semifinal after two great runs to begin the day. Her Team Toyota teammates, Ron Capps and J.R. Todd, both advanced to the second round, but went no further.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is right back in action next weekend at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte for the Carolina Nationals with eliminations next Sunday, September 22.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
Maple Grove Raceway
Pep Boys NHRA Nationals
Race 15 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS 

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterWinnerW (3.723) v. J. Salinas (4.338) W (3.881) v. T. Schumacher (4.711) W (4.268) v. D. Mercier (11.674) W (3.798) v. S. Langdon (3.803)
Shawn LangdonKalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel DragsterFinalistW (3.753 – holeshot) v. I. Zetterstrom (3.745) W (4.076) v. T. Stewart (4.351) W (3.813) v. J. Ashley (5.348) L (3.803) v. A. Brown (3.798)
Justin AshleySCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSemi-finalsW (3.759) v. S. Smith (4.823) W (3.771) v. C. Millican (3.779) L (5.348) v. S. Langdon (3.813)
Steve TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSecond RoundW (5.987) v. B. Force (8.973) L (7.014) v. D. Mercier (5.291)
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterFirst RoundL (8.356) v. D. Mercier (3.931)
Billy TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel DragsterFirst RoundL (6.302) v. T. Stewart (4.348)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS 

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Alexis DeJoriaBandero CaféToyota GR Supra Funny CarSemi-finalsW (3.940) v. J. Campbell (4.886) W (4.748) v. C. Pedregon (6.140) L (6.723) v. J. Beckman (6.652)
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny CarSecond RoundW (3.943 – holeshot) v. M. Hagan (3.934) L (3.947) v. J. Beckman (3.917)
Ron CappsNAPA Auto Care Army Tribute Toyota GR Supra Funny CarSecond RoundW (3.898) v. B. Hull (13.461) L (3.915 – red light) v. B. Tasca III (5.236)

*= Non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

ANTRON BROWN, Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, AB Motorsports

TF Final Result: Winner

How much of a boost does this win give your team to begin the Countdown?

“It’s a huge boost! Just making up the ground we needed to. This race is always monumental. Have to start off strong. Credit, (pause), our Matco Tools boys never gave up. We struggled a couple rounds in the middle, but the good Lord gets all the glory. We never stop and that’s what’s so potent about it. Here, to get two wins with (Angelle Sampey) and the Matco Tools car. Brian Corradi (co-crew chief), Mark (Oswald, co-crew chief), Brad (Mason, car chief), everybody, great job. And hey, here we come to Charlotte, baby! Thank you.”

ALEXIS DEJORIA, Bandero CaféToyota GR Supra Funny Car, DC Motorsports

FC Final Result: Semifinals

How would you describe the weekend and start to the Countdown?

“Yeah, this race just continued our progression from Indianapolis. We’re super stoked. Went up to seventh in the points. Qualified well, got second, which helps on race day and we went rounds. The last one (semifinal run), thought we had it and just at the very end, I saw Jack (Beckman) (win), so we gave it our all and go into the next race with our heads held high. Can’t wait to see what happens next.”

# # #

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 more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th 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 29 electrified options.

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

Foster Finishes Title Year at Nashville with Eighth Victory

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Official Release
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LEBANON, Tenn. (Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024) – Louis Foster was just too fast – today and all season.

Foster finished his INDY NXT by Firestone championship-winning season with his eighth victory of 2024 in the Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Superspeedway. Foster drove his No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies entry of Andretti Global to victory by .3071 of a second over rookie Yuven Sundaramoorthy in the No. 22 Optima Batteries/Clarios/Abel Motorsports car. It was a career-best finish for Sundaramoorthy.

While Foster clinched the title in the INDYCAR development series at the previous race, Aug. 31 at Milwaukee, he finally got a chance to perform celebratory donuts after his 10th career victory in INDY NXT, tying him for second all time with Tommy Byrne, Alex Lloyd, Paul Tracy and current NTT INDYCAR SERIES star Kyle Kirkwood. Greg Moore is the all-time leader with 13 wins.

“I would have loved to have done them at Milwaukee, but we had to baby the car for one more weekend,” Foster said of the celebration. “But now we can. Yeah, it’s good. If in doubt, go flat out.”

Rookie Caio Collet finished third in the No. 18 HMD Motorsports entry, 1.7897 seconds behind Foster on the 1.33-mile concrete oval. James Roe finished fourth in the No. 29 Topcon car of Andretti Global, and rookie Salvador de Alba Jr. rounded out the top five in the No. 2 Grupo Indi machine of Andretti Cape NXT and helped to put three Andretti-affiliated cars in the top five as the team capped its sixth championship in INDY NXT.

Foster earned his eighth win in the last 11 races as his list of superlatives continued to mushroom. He never finished lower than second in the last 11 races of this season, dating back to mid-May. He qualified on the front row in the last 10 races of the season.

In total, Foster led the series in wins (eight), poles (seven), laps led (362 of 640, 57 percent), top-five finishes (13) and top-10 finishes (14) in 14 races this season.

Foster pulled away from the field today after starting from pole. His gap held steady between two and three seconds, first over Collet. Then Sundaramoorthy passed Collet in Turn 1 on Lap 34 of the 65-lap race but couldn’t bridge the gap to Foster.

But the complexion of the race changed on Lap 52 when Jack William Miller in the No. 40 Patterson Dental Haven Go by SAAM car of Miller Vinatieri Motorsports and Jamie Chadwick in the No. 28 VEXT entry of Andretti Global made contact in Turn 1, triggering the only caution of the race.

Foster’s three-second lead suddenly evaporated. He got a good jump on the restart on Lap 58, but Sundaramoorthy rallied to pull to within two-tenths of a second on Lap 59. Sundaramoorthy closed to within one-tenth of a second on Lap 63, but Foster drove away on the last two laps to hang on for victory. Foster led every lap.

“It was a strange race, really,” Foster said. “We were pinned for pretty much the entire race. Once I had a bit of a gap to Caio and Yuven behind, I was saving tires a bit.

“But Yuven was really strong that race. I had to keep him behind at the end, and I was struggling with the balance of the car. I wasn’t sure if we had it. But luckily, I was able to keep him at bay and finish with a win.”

Kaulig Racing Race Recap | Mission 200 at the Glen

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Official Release
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AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 16 Celsius Chevrolet Camaro

  • AJ Allmendinger qualified third for the Mission 200 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International.
  • Falling back one position on the initial start, Allmendinger maintained the fourth position, before short-pitting the stage on lap 16. The team took four tires, fuel and made an air pressure adjustment on the No. 16 Celsius Chevrolet, before Allmendinger finished the stage in 24th.
  • Allmendinger started the second stage from second place and quickly took over the lead, following a solid restart. He led a total of five laps, before falling to second place on lap 30. Allmendinger eventually slipped to third, before short-pitting the stage once again on lap 37 for four tires and fuel. The race remained caution-free, and Allmendinger finish the second stage in 28th place.
  • During the second stage stage break, Allmendinger radioed that the left-front tire on the No. 16 Chevy felt flat. After the spotter confirmed a left-front flat, Allmendinger pitted under yellow for four fresh tires and started the final stage from 30th place. The first caution of the day came out on lap 45, and Allmendinger was called to pit road for what the team hoped would be his final stop for tires and fuel. He restarted from 29th place on lap 49 and quickly made it back into the top 10 by lap 54. Allmendinger cracked the top five with 18 laps remaining, conserving fuel where he could. The second caution of the day came out with six laps remaining, as Allmendinger sat third. He stayed out under caution and chose the inside lane for the first overtime attempt. The caution came back out as chaos ensued in turn one on the restart, but not before Allmendinger cleared the second-place car. Following a short red flag, Allmendinger chose to restart in the inside lane behind the leader. Another caution came out after the restart, sending the field into a third overtime attempt. Allmendinger restarted third and fought off teammate, Shane van Gisbergen, ultimately finishing third.

“Overall, I felt like we maximized our day. Definitely struggled being lose all day; we could never get the extra speed I needed and comfort of the race car. I felt like we were a fourth or fifth place car all day. We did everything we could on the restarts; Alex [Yontz] did a really good job with the strategy after getting a flat tire and being able to fight back from that. Wish we could have more speed to contend for the win. At the end of the day, we ran our race, clinched our playoff spot and did everything that we needed to do.” – AJ Allmendinger  

SHANE van GISBERGEN
No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro

  • Shane van Gisbergen qualified 14th but started at the rear after making unapproved adjustments after qualifying for the Mission 200 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International.
  • Van Gisbergen steadily worked his way up through the field and entered the top 20, nine laps into the race. Running in the 15th position with three laps remaining, Van Gisbergen came to pit road for fresh tires and fuel. He returned to the field to complete the stage in the 36th position.
  • The No. 97 team opted to stay out at the stage break caution and Van Gisbergen started the second stage, 7th. He battled a loose handling condition but continued to consistently maintain position. With four laps remaining in the stage, Van Gisbergen and his team opted to pit for fuel, fresh tires and an adjustment. He rejoined the field, 31st with three laps remaining. Van Gisbergen would complete the caution free stage and take the green and white checkered flag, 31st.
  • The No. 97 team stayed out at the stage break caution and started the final stage 10th. Van Gisbergen quickly made his way to 6th before the first caution of the race came out, 3 laps into the stage. Van Gisbergen restarted the stage, 3rd. He gained the lead position on lap 54. The No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet led 13 laps before being forced to pit for fuel and fresh tires with 16 laps remaining in the race. On the last pit stop, Van Gisbergen was issued a pass through penalty with 14 laps remaining in the race. Van Gisbergen rejoined the field 24th and battled to work his way forward. A caution came out with six laps remaining and Van Gisbergen restarted the final stage 14th. Another caution occurred on the restart, resulting in a red flag to clean up debris. Van Gisbergen would try for another restart in 8th with two laps remaining in the race. After another caution flag flew on the first attempt of overtime, Van Gisbergen and the No. 97 stayed out and restarted the second attempt of overtime, 5th. Van Gisbergen took the checkered flag, 5th in overtime.

“It was a tough race for our 97 WeatherTech Chevy. Was hoping for a better day, but just didn’t have much speed and then ended up getting a speeding penalty there in the final stage. Going to continue to learn from this and hopefully get another shot at the win tomorrow in our WeatherTech 16 Cup car.” – Shane van Gisbergen

JOSH WILLIAMS
No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

  • Josh Williams started 38th, as per the rulebook, after the No. 11 Alloy Employer Services team changed the Chevy’s transmission and did not participate in qualifying.
  • Williams spent all of Stage 1 methodically picking up positions, rolling into 30th before end-of-stage pit stops occurred. He finished Stage 1 in 24th, benefiting from the leaders’ short-pitting.
  • Williams pitted during the stage caution for tired, fuel, and an air pressure adjustment. He restarted from 24th on lap 25 but fell four places on the restart. Gaining off of leading drivers’ short-pitting strategy once again, Williams took the Stage 2 finish in 19th.
  • Williams rolled off for Stage 3 after pitting for four tires and fuel in 23rd on lap 45. After moving into 22nd, the caution came out, and Williams pitted for fuel only, restarting in 21st with 33 laps to go with the hopes of making it to the checkered flag without having to pit again. He began inheriting positions because of other teams’ decisions to top off on fuel, and by lap 58, he was in 17th. He continued charting fast lap times, and after moving into 16th, spotter Reed Sorenson told Williams that he was “faster than the next four cars in front.” On lap 68, Williams drove the No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Camaro into 11th. Drivers who stopped for fresher tires in Stage 3 caught up to Williams on lap 73, and Williams dropped to 15th on lap 76. The yellow flag displayed that same lap for a stalled car, and crew chief Eddie Pardue elected to keep the No. 11 out of the pits for the restart. Williams restarted in 12th with two laps to go, and upon entering turn one, Williams was hit from behind, and the caution and a subsequent red flag came out. Williams was disqualified for driving the Chevy during the red flag, resulting in a 32nd-place finishing and ending his day prematurely.

“I thought we were going to get to have a successful day. I felt like we should’ve pitted when we stayed out, and that’s what led to us getting hit into [turn] one, but it’s part of it. Hopefully, we go on and run well at Bristol.” – Josh Williams  
 
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.

Stewart-Haas Racing: Mission 200 at The Glen from Watkins Glen

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Official Release
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STEWART-HAAS RACING
Mission 200 at The Glen
Date: Sept. 14, 2024
Event: Mission 200 at The Glen (Round 25 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International (2.450-mile, seven-turn road course)
Format: 82 laps, broken into three stages (20 laps/20 laps/42 laps)
Note: Race extended eight laps past its scheduled 82-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Connor Zilisch of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Connor Zilisch of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

SHR Race Finish:

● Riley Herbst (Started 12th / Finished 13th, Running, completed 90 of 90 laps)
● Cole Custer (Started 15th / Finished 21st, Running, completed 90 of 90 laps)

SHR Points:

● Cole Custer (2nd with 858 points, 43 out of first)
● Riley Herbst (8th with 724 points, 177 out of first)

SHR Notes:

● Herbst earned his 15th top-15 of the season and his third top-15 in four career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Watkins Glen.
● Herbst finished eighth in Stage 1 to earn three bonus points and seventh in Stage 2 to earn four more bonus points.
● Custer finished sixth in Stage 1 to earn five bonus points and sixth in Stage 2 to earn five more bonus points.
● Custer led once for six laps increasing his laps led total at Watkins Glen to seven.

Race Notes:

● Connor Zilisch won the Mission 200 at The Glen under caution to score his first career Xfinity Series victory in his series debut. He is the seventh different driver to win in their Xfinity Series debut.

● There were seven caution periods for a total of 19 laps.
● Twenty-one of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Justin Allgaier remains the championship leader after Watkins Glen with a 43-point advantage over second-place Cole Custer.

Sound Bites:

“It’s so frustrating. We were set up to get a great finish and on the last lap, we got wrecked. Road courses haven’t always been our strongest tracks so to come out of here with a top-10 would’ve been a great day for us. I hate it for my guys and Monster Energy. We’ve been building such strong runs just to have a bad finish because of something not of our own doing. Hopefully we can head to my favorite track next weekend and bring home a win at Bristol.​” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“Road courses are just anyone’s game. We had a strong day building with stage points and being up there at the end. We got spun on one of the restarts, and I feel like it was just too late to recover from that. These kinds of days are tough as a driver, but I’m proud of my No. 00 team for hanging in there to the checkered flag. I hate that we couldn’t get a better finish for HighPoint.com but we have another shot to get them a win next weekend in Bristol.” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Food City 300 on Friday, Sept. 20 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race begins at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by CW and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

RCR NXS Race Recap: Watkins Glen International

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Official Release
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Jesse Love Pilots the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet to an Eighth-Place Result at Watkins Glen International

Finish: 8th
Start: 11th
Points: 7th

“I’m proud of the effort our No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet team showed today at Watkins Glen International. We earned stage points in Stage 1, but our Camaro was just tight all day. Danny Stockman (crew chief) made good adjustments to get the balance better and it definitely helped towards the end. We missed a few big crashes and salvaged an eighth-place finish. Our road course program has been strong this season, but today it was a grind. We have one more road course race in the Playoffs, and I’m confident we will have a strong showing there. Time to go finish the regular season on a high note at Bristol Motor Speedway next Friday night.” -Jesse Love

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Global Industrial Chevrolet Battle Until the End at Watkins Glen International

Finish: 33rd
Start: 10th
Points: 4th

“It was a battle for our Global Industrial team today at Watkins Glen International. We were able to advance to the second round of qualifying earlier this morning and get a top 10 starting spot. Once the green flag flew though, the car was extremely loose in both directions and the fronts chattered really bad. It felt like the rubber being laid down changed the car’s balance. Overall, we just struggled with finding the right handling for our Chevrolet. When the caution flew towards the end of the race, we came to pit road for fresh tires to give us the best chance of getting a decent finish. Unfortunately, we got caught up in a wreck which ended our race early. We have one final race in the regular season before the Playoffs start and every race matters. The No. 21 team will keep fighting to gain momentum.” -Austin Hill

Hunter Lawrence Wins SuperMotocross World Championship Finals Playoff 2 and Takes Points Lead

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Official Release
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Haiden Deegan Victorious in Texas in 250SMX Class

Fort Worth, Texas., (September 14, 2024) Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Hunter Lawrence took the overall win at Texas Motor Speedway at SuperMotocross Playoff 2 of the SuperMotocross World Championship Finals, fueled by Monster Energy. The 450SMX Class rookie used (1-3) moto scores in the two-moto race format to earn his first overall win in 450 Class pro racing. With a double-points payout at Playoff 2, Hunter Lawrence moved into the series points lead with one round remaining and a $5.5 million dollar total prize payout on the line.

Texas Motor Speedway hosted Playoff 2 of the SuperMotocross World Championship Finals. Hot weather and a slick, challenging track led to some of the best on-track battles so far of the postseason racing. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

The recently-crowned AMA Pro Motocross Champion, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Chase Sexton, took the runner-up spot in Texas with (4-1) moto scores and a dominating performance in Moto Two. Team Honda HRC Progressive’s Jett Lawrence, the 2024 Supercross champion who returned to racing with an overall win at SuperMotocross Playoff 1 just one week prior, finished third overall in Texas via (3-2) moto scores. These top three racers line up at the SuperMotocross World Championship next weekend in a winner-take-all scenario thanks to the triple-point payout. In the 250SMX Class, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Haiden Deegan backed up his win at SuperMotocross Playoff 1 with another (1-1) victory to extend his points lead heading into the final postseason race of the year.

First place 450SMX Class (1-3) – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

“Super awesome! I had a little super accident on the back [of the track], but that’s SuperMotocross. [smiles]. I’m happy to be getting out of here with the red plate. It feels good to get that one. I can’t say that I’m looking forward to riding that track again, so [I’m] thankful it’s done… a massive shout out to the team and everyone that’s been a part of this. We appreciate you guys, and we couldn’t do it without you, so thank you.” – Hunter Lawrence, describing a moment on the final lap of Moto 2 where he ran briefly off the track and onto the speedway infield’s grass.

Second place 450SMX Class (4-1) – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

“[Getting a good start and getting clear of traffic was] one of the key factors. But we actually made a change before Moto 1 and I felt like I rode pretty well, [I] just was way back. So, I got a good start and was able just to ride my own laps and, yeah, felt like I did back in Pro Motocross. Good race, second overall, so we’re looking good for next weekend. [We’ll] just try and build and come out swinging in Vegas.” – Chase Sexton

Third place 450SMX Class (3-2) – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

“A little bit of lack of bike fitness on that one, but the bike [settings] beat me up. Now we’re going to go back and definitely have a meeting. Still a little upset about that first one but… We’re on to the last round. When pressure gets put on, we seem to do good, so let’s run ‘em.” – Jett Lawrence, expressing the challenge of setting up the motorcycles for the hybrid SuperMotocross tracks of the SMX League.

The 250SMX Class provided great racing and high drama during both Motos. Haiden Deegan broke clear of the pack in each race, but there was great battling behind him. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Tom Vialle came out on top of a tense three-racer battle for second place in the second 250SMX moto; he earned second overall with (3-2) moto finishes. Team Honda HRC Progressive ‘s Jo Shimoda followed up a second place-finish in Moto 1 with a third place in Moto 2 to grab the final spot on the podium.

First place 250SMX Class (1-1) – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

“Just a lot of hard work and it pays off, and good family around you, too… The track, it was gnarly. It felt like – if anyone’s from Cali, they know Lake Elsinore at 5PM, literally it’s just baked. But overall, it was a good race, had some fun. Two perfect starts today, and that was my goal.” – Haiden Deegan, when asked what made the difference between his SMX Championship last year in which he did not win an overall victory, to winning all four 250SMX post-season motos thus far in 2024.

Second place 250SMX Class (3-2) – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

“No. I’ve never seen a track like today. It was really dry… The first moto was actually a little bit sketchy. The second moto it was a little bit better. The track… It was kind of a mix, of course like an SMX track, like supercross and outdoor [motocross}. I think it was a little bit more outdoor today…” – Tom Vialle, in the post-race press conference when asked if the SMX tracks remind him of some of the man-made tracks on the international motocross circuit.

Third place 250SMX Class (2-3) – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

“Less training, obviously. I want to recover a little bit because I only had a short time [back on the bike after a collarbone injury in August]. So last week I put in a good amount of riding and training, but I just need to go back to the truck now and, you know, stay cool.” – Jo Shimoda, after his second-place finish in Moto 1, when asked what he learned between Playoff 1 and Playoff 2.

Between the 450SMX and 250SMX motos, the Supermini World All-Stars race put the next generation of the sport on the track. The young racers, aged 12 to 15 years old, delivered more thrilling racing. GASGAS’ Brody Moss earned the win ahead of KTM’s Wyatt Duff. Kawasaki’s Carson Wood, last year’s champion, recovered from a dead-last start to grab the final spot on the podium just ahead of fourth-place finisher KTM’s Kane Bollasina.

First place Supermini World All-Stars Main Event – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

“This is massive to me. I got off to a decent start, tried my absolute hardest the first two laps, caught ‘em, passed ‘em, put in a two-lap sprint, and ran.” – Brody Moss, when asked on the podium what the win meant to him.

With three racers locked in a tight points battle, the SuperMotocross World Championship will deliver a winner-take-all race on Saturday, September 21st at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Hunter Lawrence, Chase Sexton, and Jett Lawrence all have moto wins over the two Playoff rounds and one is set to earn the 2024 SMX title and its one million dollar-payday in Las Vegas. Haiden Deegan is in good position to take the 250SMX Class Championship, but with $500,000 on the line and a triple-points payout, anything can happen.

The final event will take place in the evening, with opening ceremonies beginning at 6:30PM local (Pacific) time. Tickets, camping & travel packages, and VIP-level access opportunities are available at SuperMotocross.com.

The SuperMotocross World Championship will be streamed live on Peacock, with additional opportunities to watch on USA Network, CNBC, and NBC. The SMX World Championship can also be viewed live in Spanish domestically on Telemundo Deportes’ YouTube, X and Facebook channels. International coverage, both live and on-demand and in both English and Spanish, can be accessed through the SuperMotocross Video Pass (supermotocross.tv).

For information on results, point standings, video highlights, ticket sales, camping & VIP experience opportunities, and more details on streaming and broadcast airtimes please visit SuperMotocross.com.

For information about the SuperMotocross World Championship, please visit www.SuperMotocross.com and be sure to follow all of the new SMX social media channels for exclusive content and additional information on the latest news:
Instagram: @supermotocross
Facebook: @supermotocross
Twitter: @supermotocross
YouTube: @supermotocross

About the SuperMotocross World Championship:
The SuperMotocross World Championship™ is the premier off-road motorcycle racing series that combines the technical precision of stadium racing with the all-out speed and endurance of outdoor racing. Created in 2022, the SuperMotocross World Championship combines the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship and the AMA Pro Motocross Championship into a 31-event series that culminates in a season-ending two round playoff and SuperMotocross World Championship Final.

Visit SuperMotocross.com for more information.

DAMS Lucas Oil clinches podium on the streets of Baku

By
Official Release
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DAMS Lucas Oil scored an excellent second-place in the Sprint Race, as Jak Crawford managed to earn his fifth top-three finish of the 2024 campaign.

In Saturday’s semi-reverse grid event, the Aston Martin Driver Development Programme member started on the front row, having qualified ninth. Involved in a race-long battle, Crawford made some excellent overtakes to clinch second place, while Juan Manuel Correa finished 15th.

On Sunday, an opening lap red flag saw a reduced timed race, with Crawford battling inside of the top-10 throughout the Feature. After his pit-stop, the 19-year-old would manage to clinch eighth, claiming three points, extending his scoring streak to six races in a row.

In the #8 car, Correa would suffer an engine failure which would lead to his retirement in the early stages of the race.

“I’m pleased to pick up a fifth podium of the season which is brilliant on a weekend when we were a bit off the pace. It was crucial to qualify inside the top-10, and we made the most of starting on the front row in the Sprint Race. Sunday’s event was challenging with the reduced time, but I was able to get some points as we aim to maximise the last two rounds of the season after the break.”

Results
Qualifying: 9th
Sprint Race: 2nd (+8 points)
Feature Race: 8th (+3 points)

“It was a weekend that started off very promising in practice, but we couldn’t take this further into qualifying. We went with the medium downforce set-up to do something different on Saturday and then were forced to retire in the Feature Race. There’s a long break now so we’ll make sure we come back stronger and prepare for a new challenge in Qatar.”

Results
Qualifying: 14th
Sprint Race: 15th
Feature Race: DNF

“It’s great to see Jak on the podium again, as even in a weekend when we haven’t been the quickest, we still managed to be in the top-three. It was a tricky event for JM after a positive start in practice, but we tried to do something different on Saturday which didn’t work, and then on Sunday we suffered an engine issue. It’s two and a half months until the double header to end the campaign where we’ll hope to finish the year on a high.”

Drivers’ Championship

  1. Gabriel Bortoleto 169.5
  2. Isack Hadjar 165
  3. Zane Maloney 135

-5. Jak Crawford 116
-17. Juan Manuel Correa 31

Teams’ Championship

  1. Invicta Racing 243.5
  2. Campos Racing 208
  3. MP Motorsport 181.5
  4. Prema Racing 169

-8. DAMS Lucas Oil 147


About DAMS
DAMS is a professional racing team founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot, currently competing in FIA Formula 2, F1’s main feeder series. Ahead of the 2022 season, ex-F1 driver Charles Pic took control of the team. So far, 33 DAMS drivers have reached F1, with many more going on to become professional racing drivers. In its history, DAMS has won 15 drivers’ titles, 16 teams’ championships and has scored over 170 race victories.

Facebook: /damsracing
X: @damsracing
Instagram: @damsracing
LinkedIn: /dams-lucas-oil
Web: www.damslucasoil.com

CORVETTE RACING AT FUJI: Season-Best Finish for TF Sport

By
Official Release
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No. 81 Z06 GT3.R takes fourth place in LMGT3 despite late-race contact

GOTEMBA, Shizuoka, Japan (September 15, 2024) – TF Sport’s No. 81 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R posted its best result of the FIA World Endurance Championship season Sunday with a fourth-place LMGT3 finish in the Six Hours of Fuji for Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade and Tom Van Rompuy.

The Corvette spent a significant amount of time out front in the class and showed the best pace in its first season of WEC competition. Despite the positive result, the team was left wondering if it could have been more as contact from another competitor knocked the No. 81 from contention for a landmark race win.

Following excellent stints from Van Rompuy and Andrade – each of whom led in class during their time in the Z06 GT3.R – factory driver Eastwood was running fourth inside the final 75 minutes when he was hit and spun at the final corner by the No. 35 Alpine Hypercar.

The race start couldn’t have gone much better for TF Sport. Van Rompuy grabbed the lead at the first corner from his second-place starting position and led twice for a total of 50 laps in his two-hour-plus stint. He handed over to Andrade, who also led toward the end of his time in the Corvette before Eastwood climbed aboard with a little less than two hours to go.

The race’s second safety car period with 1:45 left jumbled the LMGT3 field and swung the advantage away from TF Sport. Eastwood restarted fourth but quickly mounted a challenge for the podium before contact sent him around and down to 11th place. Undeterred, Eastwood gathered himself and the Corvette back up and made up seven positions in the final 75 minutes including a leap from eighth to fourth in less than 25 minutes.

For his performance, Eastwood received the Goodyear Wingfoot Award, which goes to the LMGT3 driver who achieves the best stint average at each race.

A spate of bad luck also did in the No. 82 Corvette of Daniel Juncadella, Sebastien Baud and Hiroshi Koizumi. After Japanese driver Koizumi had his best stint of the season and made his first pit stop from fifth place, the Corvette wouldn’t refire in the pitlane and the team lost 10 laps changing the starter. The No. 82 also stopped on-track with a loss of power inside the final hour and was forced to retire once it returned to pitlane.

TF Sport and the Corvette Z06 GT3.R program closes the FIA WEC season with the Eight Hours of Bahrain on November 2.

TF SPORT POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES

CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “What could have been, once again. We were in a really good spot the whole race. The Corvette was really flying and we were in the podium spots. Unfortunately a Hypercar missed his braking into the last corner and spun us around. He got a drive-through for it, but it was no real consolation to what it did to our race. The positive is that we came back from P11 to P4, chased down the podium cars and didn’t give up until the finish. The whole team at this point deserves a great result. A podium at a minimum and probably a win today got away through someone else’s mistake. It’s a frustrating one but we need to keep taking away the positives of the steps we are making and how fast the Z06 GT3.R has become so we can close the season in Bahrain on a high.”

RUI ANDRADE, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s a two-edged sword, isn’t it? On one hand, the car was really good. I believe myself, Tom and Charlie ran a really good race. We were there the whole time with really good pace. Safety cars didn’t really help us and brought some of our competition back into it. Even so, Charlie was so on it and so quick. We were incredibly competitive. Unfortunately the contact from the Hypercar ruined our chances at a win. Charlie did amazing going from P11 to P4. We were so close to the podium. So on one hand, I’m really upset because I think the win was there. But in the end, we’re taking big steps. At COTA we took big steps. Today we took big steps. We just have to give everything we have to finish on a high in Bahrain.”

TOM VAN ROMPUY, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “We had a really, really strong race and were in contention to win the race but had contact from one of the Alpine Hypercars, which touched us in the back. We fell back to P11 but it was a fantastic recovery drive from Charlie to bring us back to P4. We were about two laps short to get back to podium position. It was a really strong car and a strong performance by the team. We know it’s there. We just have to grab it in Bahrain.”

DANIEL JUNCADELLA, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Very frustrating weekend because I think we had a really good package. The car was really fast, my teammates were really spot-on and we had a real shot at winning. Hiroshi did an amazing job all weekend. After the first stint, we were P5 when we boxed and all was looking great for a top result but unfortunately we had an issue with the starter at the stop so he couldn’t restart it. We kept driving because it’s good to continue to learn new things. You always take all the experiences for future races and next year. The car was absolutely great. I did one stint and it was fantastic. Then toward the end with Seb back in the car we had to retire the car after he stopped on track. We don’t know what happened yet. It’s an unfortunate result but a lot of positives today.”

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.

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