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NHRA AT READING: Team Chevy Race Report | Notes & Quotes

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2024 PEP BOYS NHRA NATIONALS
MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY
READING, PENNSYLVANIA
TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT | NOTES & STATS
SEPT. 15, 2024

AUSTIN PROCK CAPTURES HIS 10TH CAREER NHRA VICTORY IN AN ALL-JOHN FORCE RACING AND CHEVROLET FINAL VERSUS JACK BECKMAN

Chevrolet Races to Triple Wally Trophies in Reading with Prock’s Victory, Aaron Stanfield Winning in Pro Stock, and Scott Libersher in FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown

Notes:

  • Austin Prock, driver of the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing, defeated teammate Jack Beckman, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, in an exciting final round at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Penn.
  • Prock’s lap of 3.896 seconds E.T. at 332.51 mph over Beckman’s 3.951 seconds E.T. at 330.88 mph was enough for the young gun to capture his 10th-career NHRA Wally trophy and sixth of 2024.
  • Prock capped off a perfect weekend after going No. 1 both Friday and Saturday evening, racing to his ninth final round of the 2024 season as well as his 17th of his NHRA career. Prock leaves Reading maintaining the Countdown to the Championship points lead, 86 over second place Bob Tasca, III.
  • Beckman, who is currently competing on behalf of team owner John Force, defeated Joe Morrison in Round 1, JR Todd in Round 2, and Alexis DeJoria in semifinals, to face teammate Prock and gain valuable points in the Funny Car Championship.
  • After qualifying No. 5 at Reading, Brittany Force faced a pedal fest against Steve Torrence in Round 1, unfortunately being defeated early in the day.
  • Prock captured his impressive 11th No. 1 qualifier of 2024 and first season in the Funny Car category, as well as his 14th career NHRA top qualifying spot, after his Q2 run Friday maintained the leading position through Saturday’s Q3 and Q4 rounds.
  • Friday’s two sessions of qualifying saw Prock go provisional No. 1 early in the weekend once again, with his monster Q2 run of 3.849 seconds E.T. at 338.43 mph putting him in the top spot heading into Saturday.
  • Aaron Stanfield, driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock, defeated teammate and six-time champion Erica Enders to claim the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals Wally in the Pro Stock category and Chevrolet’s 396th in the category since 1970.
  • Scott Libersher defeated fellow Chevrolet COPO Camaro competitor Stephen Bell in the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown, with Libersher running 7.755 seconds E.T. at 177.46 mph to Bell’s 7.797 seconds E.T. at 176.03 mph.

Quotes:

AUSTIN PROCK, DRIVER OF THE CORNWELL TOOLS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR:

“I’ve done more in this one single season than my entire career, and it’s all kudos to these guys behind me. This Cornwell Tools Chevrolet team is unbelievable and I’m sure having fun. Today’s a special day. It’s my grandfather’s 81st birthday and we got him a win at Indy and we’ve got another one coming home. Very special and proud of that. Just so happy to be a part of Cornwell Tools and Chevrolet. To give us an opportunity to come live our dream, thank you sincerely from my family.”

JACK BECKMAN, DRIVER OF THE PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR:

“If we want to win the championship, Austin (Prock) is the target everybody’s chasing right now. We can’t spot him a round every race, but they did everything right this weekend. That car was the class of the field. Our PEAK Chevy went down the track every run, and top three in qualifying. We had two elimination rounds where it didn’t do what we asked it to do, but we got eight total runs and the crew chiefs are smart enough to be able to look at that and figure out what the car is wanting.

Every run we make, even though this is a brand-new car that had never been down the track before me, and let’s call me a brand-new driver—I’m not John Force—every driver’s driving style is different, every car’s fingerprint is different. The more runs we can get with me driving, the better Tim (Fabrisi), Danny (Hood), and Chris (Cunningham) are going to be at making those calls. It’s such a wonderful feeling to have that much confidence in the car every time we tow to the line.

“Even with Schumacher, when you go up to the lanes, it’s every team for themselves, and rightfully so. When you get back to the pits, you help out whoever you can help, but once we go up to race, your goal is to beat the car in the other lane, so that part of it hasn’t changed. It’s just, in my wildest dreams, I didn’t think I’d ever get to drive for John Force Racing, and I still look at that blue PEAK Chevrolet, and it takes a second to set in that I’m driving John Force’s race car. I don’t know how you put that into words.”

SCOTT LIBERSHER, DRIVE OF THE MAITA MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET COPO CAMARO IN FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN:

“I had full confidence that I would do well this weekend. I was kind of the silent guy sneaking up from the back. No one mentioned me much. I was getting a little irritated. I said I’m going to turn it up a little bit, and here we are. I’ve been trying to be very consistent with everything I do, and that (reaction time) was me being a little amped up and just all the adrenaline sure. Stephen (Bell) is a good friend of mine. We’ve congratulated each other on our wins. He was excited at Brainerd for me. We were coming around the corner, and (crew chief) David Barton was ready with the computer since they didn’t prep the track because they’re running late. We put our B tune in, and it worked out great. I drove hard and David tuned it up great.”

AUSTIN PROCK, driver of the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car – End of Day Press Conference Transcript:

In Reading a few years ago in Top Fuel, you guys rolled in here buried in points and won this race. That propelled you all the way up to a third-place finish, a Countdown you said several times you thought could’ve won you a Championship if you guys just did your job in the regular season. This year, you did that, and had a two-round lead before firing up a car today while now leaving with almost a whole race lead. What does that say about this team?

“It just speaks volumes for how great this team is. My dad (Jimmy Prock), Thomas (Prock) and Nate Hildahl, and every one of these Cornwell Tools Chevy team boys, they just do a great job. They just keep their heads down and keep picking away at it and trying to be better and better every time we bolt this thing together. It sure does feel nice to get a win and make a little bit more of a gap on the points. We had an 18-round lead after Indy, and it gets taken to about two rounds. Feels good to stretch that back out.”

You won here in Top Fuel and now in Funny Car. Your dad’s tuning career started here with Joe Amato. Talk about racing in the state of Pennsylvania and winning at Reading…

“It’s got to be one of my favorite racetracks. The fans are always outstanding here. We love coming and seeing them. This is a diehard racing state. I love me some winged sprint car races and I know they do too. We love coming here, and winning in Top Fuel and Funny Car, that’s pretty amazing. We doubled up with my dad in 2022; we won in Top Fuel and he won in Funny Car. We doubled up on the same team today.”

Outstanding day for the John Force Racing Funny Cars. Talk about that…

“Outstanding day, outstanding week for both teams. Really proud of that PEAK team (and Jack Beckman). That Chevy Camaro is flying, and Jack (Beckman) is driving lights out. He’s definitely no one you can take lightly, and I’m proud to see that. All those guys are my friends over there, and it’s pretty cool racing him in the final round.”

How to Watch:

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads next to zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, N.C. for the betway NHRA Carolina Nationals Sept. 20-22. Eliminations Sunday air at 3 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Coverage of qualifying and the race stream live throughout the weekend on NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

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.

CHEVROLET NCS AT WATKINS GLEN: Post-Race Report

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL
ROUND OF 16: RACE TWO
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
SEPT. 15, 2024

 Van Gisbergen Leads Chevrolet with Runner-Up Finish at Watkins Glen

 TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10:
POS. DRIVER
2nd Shane van Gisbergen
3rd Carson Hocevar
4th Ross Chastain
5th Zane Smith
8th Corey LaJoie

WITH 28 NASCAR CUP SERIES RACES COMPLETE:
Wins: 11
Poles: 8
Top-five finishes: 53
Top-10 finishes: 110

 UP NEXT: The NASCAR Cup Series will head to Bristol Motor Speedway next weekend, with the Bass Pro Shops Night Race marking the elimination race for the Round of 16. Coverage of the 500-lap event can be found on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m. ET on the USA Network, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

  •  In yet another overtime finish, road course ace, Shane van Gisbergen, came just .979-seconds from taking the checkered flag – ultimately leading Chevrolet to the finish with a runner-up result in his No. 16 WeatherTech Camaro ZL1.
  • It was a day plagued with problems throughout the playoff field, but all five of Chevrolet’s playoff contenders will head into the Round of 16 elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway above the cutline.
  • NASCAR Cup Series ‘rookie of the year’ contender, Carson Hocevar, notched his career best finish at the 2.45-mile upstate New York circuit – driving his No. 77 Mattress Warehouse Camaro ZL1 to a third-place result.
  • The NASCAR Cup Series ‘Go Bowling at The Glen’ commemorated a monumental milestone for the series’ Next Gen era, with today’s event marking the 100th points-paying race for the Next Gen car. Chevrolet leaves the 2.45-mile upstate New York circuit with a manufacturer-leading 48 victories in the Next Gen era.
  • In the Next Gen era’s 100 points-paying race history:

Leading in Wins: In 100 points-paying races in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads its manufacturer competitors with 48 victories – a winning percentage of 48%. In its debut season (2022), the Next Gen Camaro ZL1 owned over half of the points-paying race wins, with nine drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations scoring a combined 19 victories. The manufacturer followed-up that effort with an 18-race win season in 2023. Thus far this season, six different drivers have contributed to a manufacturer-leading 11 victories.

Back-to-Back Manufacturer Championships: Chevrolet has swept the manufacturer championship titles in the Next Gen era, with the 2023 title marking the Bowtie brand’s series-leading 42nd all-time manufacturer championship title in NASCAR’s premier series. In its most recent title-earning season (2023), each Chevrolet organization that competed full-time that season contributed points that ultimately led to the championship.

First-Time Winners: The Next Gen era has produced seven first-time NASCAR Cup Series winners, with four of those drivers earning their milestone triumph behind the wheel of the Next Gen Camaro ZL1. Among that list includes: Ross Chastain (2022 at Circuit of The Americas), Daniel Suarez (2022 at Sonoma Raceway), Tyler Reddick (2022 at Road America), and Shane van Gisbergen (2023 at the Chicago Street Course).

Crown Jewel Victories: Four different drivers have earned a crown jewel victory with Chevrolet in the Next Gen era including: Erik Jones with Petty-GMS in the 2022 Southern 500; Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with JTG Daugherty Racing in the 2023 Daytona 500; Kyle Larson with Hendrick Motorsports in the 2023 Southern 500 and the 2024 Brickyard 400; and William Byron with Hendrick Motorsports in the 2024 Daytona 500.

Double-Digits Records: The Next Gen era has produced 28 different winners, with Team Chevy’s William Byron and Kyle Larson standing as the only drivers with a double-digit win record with the Next Gen Car – each collecting 11 points-paying victories, to date, since the beginning of the 2022 season.

 
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 BUSCH LIGHT CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 4th

WHAT WAS YOUR APPROACH TO THE FINAL RUN AND DID YOU HAVE ENOUGH?

“No, once we had that caution at the end of Stage two, it took us out of control of the race, for Shane (Van Gisbergen) and I. I would have still been able to restart on the front row, and I messed up with passing the No. 6 with like 20 to go and let the No. 77 get by me. It was just a driver error, and I messed up. Once he was back by me, I didn’t have enough to go back and pass him again.

It was so much fun to take our Busch Light Chevy and put it on the pole, and race with Shane, who has taught me so much in the last year. To be able to pace with him, in front, behind and all around, for about three quarters of the race. Just fell off too much at the end, but we still had a shot. I saw Shane move the No. 17 on the last restart and I thought, maybe they all crash, but was just stuck behind them.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 12th

“Our race was pretty wild. We started right in the middle of the field, and it was just never quite relaxing. I feel like our No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevy was really good. We made great improvements on it overnight. I think studying some data helped on my end, as well. Happy with the improvement, but just wish we could restart the whole weekend over. I think it would go a lot better.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 13 GO BOWLING CAMARO ZL1

Sidelined by a mechanical issue during Stage One.

Finished: 36th

It’s a bigger issue than initially thought. What exactly is going on with the race car?

“It just felt like it just snapped the axle. It sounded like it pulled the axle out of the transaxle, but there’s more that went off in there. It was violent. I’m just happy that I did catch the race car in front of everybody.. that was going to be big.

It’s disappointing. It’s hard to tell, but I thought the initial first lap there, it felt like it fired off really well. The No. 13 Go Bowling Chevy, we’ll never know. It was a good weekend. I’m disappointed just because Go Bowling put their belief in me and put their product on the race car. I felt like we were going to at least have a shot at running up front and maybe win this thing. It’s just one of those years.”

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN, NO. 16 WEATHERTECH CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 2nd

DESCRIBE THE LAST LAP AND WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU COULD HAVE DONE TO HOLD OFF CHRIS BUESCHER?

“Yeah, not hit the wall. I don’t know, it was a hard one. I gave him a little bump to get the spot, and I knew it was going to come back. So, I was just pushing the entries and trying to get away and just made an error. Pissed because these races are hard to win, and we have had a rough run in the Cup Series this year. The WeatherTech Camaro was really good, fastest car all day, and it just didn’t work out.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 34th

HOW WOULD YOU SUMMARIZE YOUR TEAM’S DAY HERE?

“It was just chaos. We got it pretty good there in the second Stage. In the final stage, we made a long stop there and got pretty happy. Drove to around 11th on track, and then some of those guys still had to pit, so felt good about that. And then we came in and took tires and had to restart in the 20s, but it was going to work out I thought. And then those guys got connected together. I am not sure exactly what happened, but I was trying to get to the outside of the No. 22 and the No. 6 kind of hooked back to the left. Glad we got some points in Stage two, that was helpful. We just have to go to Bristol and have a good weekend. This was just kind of a nightmare weekend.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 18th

“We were obviously a really good car, just the strategy didn’t fall how we needed it. We had some issues on pit road. It wasn’t the result we were looking for, but still a really good points day for the No. 48 Ally Chevy team. I feel good about things. We had a really fast race car, but it just didn’t work out as far as the finishing position goes. But still a really good day.”

ZANE SMITH, NO. 71 FOCUSED HEALTH CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 5th

You survived the chaos and three late-race restarts. Just talk about how you positioned yourself for a top-five finish today.

“We started the late-race restarts around 11th, I want to say. We just had an incredibly fast No. 71 Focused Health Chevy all day. Spire Motorsports brought great race cars. Appreciate everyone at Focused Health and this whole No. 71 team. I’m mad at myself for my penalty. I was just under a tremendous amount of pressure and I was just trying to execute everything. We were able to keep getting positions on those restarts. Just got roughened up there at the end, but fortunately I was able to gain a few stops back.”

CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 77 MATTRESS WAREHOUSE CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 3rd

What did you need differently there at the end to try and challenge those two for the win?

“I just needed some more confidence into turn one. I did everything right, all the way until turn one, and then I just lifted a little too early. When I lost leverage, it was just game over from there, but I had a really good shot for the win. We were last in practice with a bunch of issues. I’m just super thankful that we were able to turn the weekend around for the No. 77 Mattress Warehouse Chevy team.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY INSURANCE CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 13th

“We went through a lot today. The No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevy was pretty fast, especially on the long runs. I thought we were able to drive through the field once we had lost some track position, but it was very difficult to pass.. way more difficult than what I anticipated. And then we lost a wheel, and from that, we were just trying to recover. I’m very proud of this team for not giving up; doing a good job at executing and going to fight right off the bat. Finishing 13th after being stuck in the gravel isn’t a bad day.”

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.

Ford Wins Fourth Straight in Dramatic Style at Watkins Glen

By
Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Go Bowling at The Glen Post Race| Watkins Glen International
Sunday, September 15, 2024

FORD WINS FOURTH STRAIGHT CUP RACE AS CHRIS BUESCHER TAKES WATKINS GLEN

  • Chris Buescher won his first race of the season and sixth overall with today’s victory.
  • The win is Ford’s fourth straight in NASCAR Cup Series action.
  • The last time Ford won at least four straight Cup Series races was in 2018 when the Blue Oval scored five in a row.
  • The win is the 143rd NASCAR Cup Series triumph for car owner Jack Roush and sixth under the Roush Fenway Keselowski banner.
  • Today’s win is Ford’s 737th all-time in NASCAR Cup Series competition.

FORD FINISHING RESULTS
1st – Chris Buescher
6th – Chase Briscoe (P)
7th – Michael McDowell
9th – Ryan Preece
10th – Austin Cindric (P)
11th – Noah Gragson
15th – Joey Logano (P)
16th – Todd Gilliland
24th – Harrison Burton (P)
25th – Josh Berry
26th – Brad Keselowski (P)
29th – Justin Haley
35th – Kaz Grala
38th – Ryan Blaney (P)
(P) indicates playoff driver

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW: “That’s such a good BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang. This team is so great. Our long run speed was just phenomenal. I thought we lost it there on that last one and to stay right there with him. That was the spot he was better than us and he missed it, so I tried a crossover. He went to cut and just hard racing there. It’s just such an awesome finish. To be that good for so much at the end of the race, all race, to get a win is good. We came here to be a spoiler and we’re gonna do that.”

DOES THIS ELIMINATE SOME OF THE STING OF NOT BEING IN THE PLAYOFFS? “Yeah, certainly. We would have liked to have won a couple weeks ago, but this is huge. It’s such a big win for us. Everybody at RFK has worked so hard and to finally get a road course win. We’ve been so close so many times and to finally pull that off is fantastic.”

WHAT WAS IT LIKE WHEN YOU SAW HIM MAKE THAT MISTAKE? DID YOU KNOW IT WAS YOUR SHOT? “I knew it was. I got in there deeper than I had been and I think he was still going, so I had a good feeling that it was probably gonna bottom out. It’s smoother, not smooth, so that was a big moment and a big opportunity for us and I was able to roll on by.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse – HOW BIG WAS THIS DAY FOR YOU AND THIS TEAM? (Finished 6th)

“It was huge. It’s what we needed to do was to score stage points and run good in the race and we were able to do that. It was a really good, solid day for our HighPoint.com Ford. I felt like I could have got a couple more points, but just didn’t want to risk it there at the end. I knew I was in a pretty good position compared to a lot of the field, so we did what we needed to do and now we just need to go do that same thing next week. We need to just hit singles and doubles and don’t do anything crazy. As long as we just execute all day long, it should be enough. We’ll just go on to Bristol and see what we can do.”

RYAN PREECE, No. 41 Mohawk Northeast Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 9th)

“The day didn’t start out very well, but it got a lot better. It was pretty chaotic and ultimately we had a pretty good car. Track position was eveyrthing today. Knowing where we were and never having it. Chad was aggressive on the strategy and made the right calls to get us track position and we kept it. Ultimately, we got the race finish that we deserved, even with those late race cautions.

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Retired early due to accident on Lap 1)

YOU WERE TALKING TO THE NASCAR OFFICIALS. THEY SAID YOU ARE DONE FOR THE DAY. DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU SHOULD HAVE HAD TIME ON THE CLOCK TO REPAIR THE CAR? “They didn’t give us a chance to fix it. How are they going to dictate if we are done or not? They have no idea of the damage. They said because I couldn’t drive it back to the pit box that we were done, but if you have four flats you get towed back to the pit box. You can’t drive that back. I don’t know what is going on or why they won’t give us a shot to work on it but I don’t agree with it. I don’t even know what happened, honestly. We stacked up and I caught someone in the lfet front and it completely broke the steering. I don’t know if we could have fixed it. But that is the frustrating part, just didn’t even give us a chance and just ended our day without even letting us look at it before it is in the garage. It stinks.

PROCK, BROWN, STANFIELD & ARANA JR. START PLAYOFFS WITH WINS AT PEP BOYS NHRA NATIONALS

By
Official Release
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READING, Pa. (Sept. 15, 2024) – In an all-John Force Racing final round in Funny Car, points leader Austin Prock powered past Jack Beckman on Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway, picking up his sixth victory of the season at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals.

Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 15th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. It is the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Prock, who also qualified No. 1 for the 11th time in 15 races, went 3.896-seconds at 332.51 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS to get past Beckman’s 3.951 at 330.88. It extends the points lead for Prock, who won his second straight race and also earned his 10th career victory.

He defeated Mike Smith, Chad Green and Bob Tasca III to reach the finals, and then delivered another consistent run in the final round, becoming one of only a handful of drivers to win in both Top Fuel and Funny Car and Maple Grove Raceway. Prock’s lead now stands at 86 points over Tasca heading into the final five races.

“It feels great to rack up some points and get a little bit of a gap over second again. It definitely feels good,” Prock said. “This is the best way you can start out the Countdown – No. 1 qualifier, we got points almost every round and the car was flying today, and we ended up holding another Wally. Kudos to this Cornwell Tools team for allowing me to do this.

“We saw the ladder last night and said we have two cars capable of meeting in the final round and that was the goal today and we executed perfectly. Jack drove his tail off today, and I’m really proud of him. He’s getting comfortable and becoming lethal in that car. He was mowing the tree down and that thing runs as good as any of these cars out here. It’s great to see him and the team having success right off the bat like they are.”

Beckman, who is driving for John Force, reached his first final since returning in Brainerd after defeating Joe Morrison, J.R. Todd and then Alexis DeJoria on a wild and memorable pedalfest.

The Top Fuel final round was a thriller, too, as Antron Brown picked up his fourth win of 2024 and the 78th in his career in his 11,000-horsepower Matco Tools/Toyota dragster thanks to a run of 3.798 at 327.27 in the championship round against Shawn Langdon. It made a tight field in the loaded category even tighter, as Brown pulled to within one point of leader Justin Ashley. With his final-round appearance, Langdon is just six points behind Ashley as well.

But Sunday ultimately belonged to Brown, who again came to life during eliminations. He went a Sunday-best 3.723 in the opening round to defeat Jasmine Salinas and then knocked off Tony Schumacher and Dan Mercier to reach the final round. Facing off with Langdon, Brown delivered a stellar .043 reaction time and then held off Langdon in a terrific side-by-side race to win for the third time at Maple Grove Raceway as he aims to try and win his fourth world championship.

“Going into raceday, we knew we were going to have something, but the track got a little bit trickier than we thought it was. It was medieval out there. A lot of people were spinning the tires, but we made it far enough down the track,” Brown said. “Brian Corradi, Mark (Oswald), all of our Matco boys gave me a car that went the distance. We were just better than everybody that we raced at that time. When we got to the final, we knew it was going to be a monster matchup.

“I knew Shawn was going to run about the same E.T. and it was going to be who can leave the starting line. Lo and behold, I was able to keep my head down and we got a little bit of an advantage right there and the car outran him. It was one of those deals, we got the win and the car was smooth down the racetrack. It felt really good when that win light came on, we needed a start like that if we wanted to be in this race to win this championship.”

Langdon advanced to the final round for the seventh time this season and the 45th time in his career after defeating Ida Zetterstrom, Tony Stewart and Ashley. Doug Kalitta, who was the points leader entering the Countdown, dropped to fourth after a first-round loss.

In Pro Stock, there seems to be no stopping red-hot Aaron Stanfield, as he won for the fifth time this season, going 6.569 at 209.26 in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Janac Brothers car to defeat Elite Motorsports teammate and defending world champion Erica Enders on a holeshot in the final round. It’s also Stanfield’s second straight win and he moves into the points lead for the first time this season after picking up his 13th career win.

To reach the final round, Stanfield defeated Troy Coughlin Jr., Chris McGaha and Dallas Glenn to reach the final round and set up the teammate versus teammate matchup. Stanfield went an impressive .017 on the starting line – on a day where he was also .012 and .014 in eliminations – and held off Enders at the finish to continue his recent roll. Stanfield has now won five of the last seven races.

“It feels great. Momentum is real,” Stanfield said. “Things have been rolling our way and we’ve been getting those round wins when we need them to go our way. We did our job today, Erica and I and all our guys. We put both of our JHG/Melling cars in the final round there, and that was the goal.

“When you start out No. 2, you know you’ve got a shot. I know the equipment I’m in, and I know how hungry my guys are to win. We definitely have a shot here, we just need to keep this momentum that we’ve got rolling.”

Enders went to the final round for the fourth time in 2024 and the 82nd time overall after defeating Mason McGaha, Matt Hartford and longtime rival Greg Anderson. Stanfield’s lead now stands at nine points over Dallas Glenn, with Enders 35 points back.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Hector Arana Jr. enjoyed a spectacular Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway, finishing it off with a 6.839 at 198.38 on his GETTRX Buell to defeat Richard Gadson in the final round. It is Arana’s first victory of the season and 19th in his career, and he had to go through some standouts to get it.

Arana knocked off Jianna Evaristo and Angie Smith to reach the semifinals, and then got past points leader and defending world champion Gaige Herrera when Herrera went red. That set up a final-round duel with Gadson and Arana quickly tracked him down, winning at his home track for the third time in his career. The victory also pushed Arana into fourth in points, setting up the potential for a memorable late-season run for the veteran.

“We have a great team and we have a great motorcycle that everybody works hard,” Arana Jr. “We tried a bunch of things this year leading up to the Countdown and now it’s time to turn it on. We collected everything, got it together, and here we are in the winner’s circle holding up a Wally. I couldn’t imagine a better day.

“Fortunately for us, we were able to stay green and here we are in the winner’s circle. But we have some more power to make to fight with them. I came in here with confidence. We had a great bike and I said it all weekend, you have to have a good consistent bike in order to win the race, and that’s what we did.”

Gadson advanced to the final round for the second time in his rookie season, defeating Geno Scali, Chase Van Sant and defending event winner Matt Smith. Herrera remains in the points lead, holding an 17-point advantage over M. Smith. Gadson is 19 points behind in third.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Sept. 20-22 with the 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.

MOHNTON, Pa. — Final finish order (1-16) at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. The race is the 15th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:

  1. Antron Brown; 2. Shawn Langdon; 3. Justin Ashley; 4. Dan Mercier; 5. Clay Millican; 6. Tony Stewart; 7. Tony Schumacher; 8. Steve Torrence; 9. Ida Zetterstrom; 10. Doug Foley; 11. Jasmine Salinas; 12. Smax Smith; 13. Josh Hart; 14. Billy Torrence; 15. Doug Kalitta; 16. Brittany Force.

FUNNY CAR:

  1. Austin Prock; 2. Jack Beckman; 3. Bob Tasca III; 4. Alexis DeJoria; 5. Ron Capps; 6. J.R. Todd; 7. Chad Green; 8. Cruz Pedregon; 9. Matt Hagan; 10. Mike Smith; 11. Blake Alexander; 12. Jim Campbell; 13. Daniel Wilkerson; 14. Dave Richards; 15. Buddy Hull; 16. Joe Morrison.

PRO STOCK:

  1. Aaron Stanfield; 2. Erica Enders; 3. Greg Anderson; 4. Dallas Glenn; 5. Cristian Cuadra; 6. Matt Hartford; 7. Camrie Caruso; 8. Chris McGaha; 9. Jeg Coughlin; 10. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 11. Mason McGaha; 12. Cory Reed; 13. Eric Latino; 14. Kenny Delco; 15. Jerry Tucker; 16. Deric Kramer.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

  1. Hector Arana Jr; 2. Richard Gadson; 3. Gaige Herrera; 4. Matt Smith; 5. Angie Smith; 6. Steve Johnson; 7. Chase Van Sant; 8. Marc Ingwersen; 9. John Hall; 10. Geno Scali; 11. Chris Bostick; 12. Jianna Evaristo; 13. Ron Tornow; 14. Kelly Clontz.

MOHNTON, Pa. — Sunday’s final results from the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. The race is the 15th of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel — Antron Brown, 3.798 seconds, 327.27 mph def. Shawn Langdon, 3.803 seconds, 332.02 mph.

Funny Car — Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.896, 332.51 def. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.951, 330.88.

Pro Stock — Aaron Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 6.569, 209.26 def. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.557, 210.47.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.839, 198.38 def. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.874, 198.12.

Top Alcohol Dragster — Angelle Sampey, 5.304, 273.83 def. Mike Coughlin, 5.307, 273.88.

Top Alcohol Funny Car — Phil Esz, Chevy Camaro, 5.522, 262.23 def. Annie Whiteley, Camaro, 10.059, 118.44.

Competition Eliminator — Don Eckel, Dragster, 6.942, 191.35 def. Al Ackerman, Dragster, 7.982, 164.55.

Super Stock — William Kennedy, Pontiac Firebird, 10.449, 128.40 def. Joe Santangelo, Chevy Camaro, 9.729, 127.35.

Stock Eliminator — Russell Linke, Chevy Camaro, 10.462, 118.00 def. Dan Fletcher, Camaro, 11.456, 103.55.

Super Comp — Chris DePascale, Dragster, 11.071, 84.21 def. Shawn Fricke, Dragster, Foul – Red Light.

Super Gas — David Morris, Chevy Camaro, 9.919, 166.70 def. Michael Handras, Chevy Cavalier, 9.989, 160.23.

Top Sportsman — Brian Vollman, Cobalt, 7.369, 185.23 def. Michael Grafas, Corvette, 6.956, 197.28.

Top Dragster — Alan Kenny, Dragster, 6.124, 212.96 def. Tim Gray, Dragster, 7.436, 180.07.

Mountain Motor Pro Stock — Johnny Pluchino, Ford Mustang, 6.325, 223.50 def. John Montecalvo, Mustang, 6.326, 222.47.

Factory Stock Showdown — Scott Libersher, Chevy Camaro, 7.755, 177.46 def. Stephen Bell, Camaro, 7.797, 176.03.

MOHNTON, Pa. — Final round-by-round results from the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the 15th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE — Clay Millican, 3.821, 281.19 def. Josh Hart, Foul – Red Light; Steve Torrence, 5.987, 218.87 def. Brittany Force, 8.973, 70.93; Tony Stewart, 4.348, 230.96 def. Billy Torrence, 6.302, 180.33; Tony Schumacher, 3.759, 329.91 def. Doug Foley, 3.780, 327.51; Justin Ashley, 3.759, 328.22 def. Smax Smith, 4.823, 152.87; Dan Mercier, 3.931, 282.48 def. Doug Kalitta, 8.356, 101.84; Shawn Langdon, 3.753, 332.59 def. Ida Zetterstrom, 3.745, 327.74; Antron Brown, 3.723, 332.84 def. Jasmine Salinas, 4.338, 260.06;

QUARTERFINALS — Mercier, 5.291, 261.32 def. S. Torrence, 7.014, 110.02; Ashley, 3.771, 330.72 def. Millican, 3.779, 329.58; Langdon, 4.076, 249.39 def. Stewart, 4.351, 212.56; Brown, 3.881, 295.79 def. Schumacher, 4.711, 174.28;

SEMIFINALS — Brown, 4.268, 251.49 def. Mercier, 11.674, 55.82; Langdon, 3.813, 328.86 def. Ashley, 5.348, 133.10;

FINAL — Brown, 3.798, 327.27 def. Langdon, 3.803, 332.02.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE — Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.878, 330.96 def. Dave Richards, Mustang, 13.242, 71.69; Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.875, 334.48 def. Mike Smith, Mustang, 4.211, 245.99; Alexis DeJoria, Toyota GR Supra, 3.940, 327.51 def. Jim Campbell, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.886, 164.65; Jack Beckman, Camaro, No Time Recorded def. Joe Morrison, Dodge Charger, Foul – Centerline; Ron Capps, GR Supra, 3.898, 332.34 def. Buddy Hull, Charger, 13.461, 65.66; J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.943, 310.63 def. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.934, 332.67; Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 6.130, 163.29 def. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 11.365, 83.72; Chad Green, Mustang, 4.131, 254.71 def. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 4.447, 199.37;

QUARTERFINALS — Tasca III, 5.236, 164.39 def. Capps, Foul – Red Light; Prock, 3.892, 330.07 def. Green, 3.972, 318.09; DeJoria, 4.748, 169.15 def. Pedregon, 6.140, 109.18; Beckman, 3.917, 327.59 def. Todd, 3.947, 317.94;

SEMIFINALS — Beckman, 6.652, 215.48 def. DeJoria, 6.723, 208.55; Prock, 3.931, 328.14 def. Tasca III, 4.619, 184.98;

FINAL — Prock, 3.896, 332.51 def. Beckman, 3.951, 330.88.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE — Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.577, 209.98 def. Deric Kramer, Chevy Camaro, 16.458, 50.92; Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.566, 209.04 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.587, 208.46; Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.571, 208.91 def. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 11.523, 76.96; Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.562, 208.94 def. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, Foul – Red Light; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.561, 209.72 def. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.555, 209.82; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.529, 209.56 def. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.574, 208.68; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.558, 210.34 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.573, 208.88; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.526, 209.26 def. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.623, 207.82;

QUARTERFINALS — Stanfield, 6.569, 208.75 def. C. McGaha, 11.661, 81.68; Enders, 6.554, 210.77 def. Hartford, 6.579, 208.97; Anderson, 6.555, 209.43 def. Caruso, 11.501, 75.87; Glenn, 6.538, 209.07 def. Cuadra, 6.570, 209.46;

SEMIFINALS — Enders, 6.570, 209.92 def. Anderson, 6.581, 209.36; Stanfield, 6.562, 208.68 def. Glenn, 18.736, 41.58;

FINAL — Stanfield, 6.569, 209.26 def. Enders, 6.557, 210.47.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

ROUND ONE — Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.831, 194.58 def. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.906, 195.05; Angie Smith, Buell, 6.803, 200.68 def. John Hall, 6.888, 195.42; Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.833, 197.22 def. Marc Ingwersen, 6.845, 196.59; Hector Arana Jr, 6.832, 198.26 def. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, Foul – Red Light; Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.817, 198.58 def. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.901, 196.93; Matt Smith, Buell, 6.813, 200.08 def. Ron Tornow, Broke – No Show; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.858, 175.37 def. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, Broke – No Show;

QUARTERFINALS — Herrera, 6.834, 199.23 was unopposed; Arana Jr, 6.812, 198.79 def. A. Smith, 6.822, 199.37; Gadson, 6.893, 196.82 def. Van Sant, 6.905, 194.04; M. Smith, 6.860, 198.17 def. Johnson, 6.896, 193.02;

SEMIFINALS — Gadson, 6.872, 196.85 def. M. Smith, 16.441, 42.67; Arana Jr, 6.884, 195.62 def. Herrera, Foul – Red Light;

FINAL — Arana Jr, 6.839, 198.38 def. Gadson, 6.874, 198.12.

MOHNTON, Pa. — Point standings (top 10) following the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the 15th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series –

Top Fuel

  1. Justin Ashley, 2,181; 2. Antron Brown, 2,180; 3. Shawn Langdon, 2,175; 4. Doug Kalitta, 2,148; 5. Steve Torrence, 2,123; 6. Clay Millican, 2,102; 7. Tony Stewart, 2,087; 8. Tony Schumacher, 2,085; 9. Brittany Force, 2,048; 10. Billy Torrence, 2,031.

Funny Car

  1. Austin Prock, 2,250; 2. Bob Tasca III, 2,164; 3. John Force, 2,151; 4. J.R. Todd, 2,123; 5. Matt Hagan, 2,113; 6. Ron Capps, 2,108; 7. Alexis DeJoria, 2,082; 8. Blake Alexander, 2,068; 9. Chad Green, 2,067; 10. Daniel Wilkerson, 2,056.

Pro Stock

  1. Aaron Stanfield, 2,209; 2. Dallas Glenn, 2,200; 3. Erica Enders, 2,174; 4. Greg Anderson, 2,163; 5. Jeg Coughlin, 2,095; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr., 2,078; 7. Cristian Cuadra, 2,072; 8. Jerry Tucker, 2,066; 9. Eric Latino, 2,042; 10. Mason McGaha, 2,037.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

  1. Gaige Herrera, 2,198; 2. Matt Smith, 2,181; 3. Richard Gadson, 2,179; 4. Hector Arana Jr, 2,138; 5. Chase Van Sant, 2,102; 6. John Hall, 2,099; 7. Angie Smith, 2,096; 8. (tie) Jianna Evaristo, 2,063; Steve Johnson, 2,063; 10. Chris Bostick, 2,033.

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

By
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

By
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

By
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

By
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

By
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

By
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.

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