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The Difference Between Negligent, Distracted, and Reckless Drivers

By
SM
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Photo by pheung56 at https://depositphotos.com/

Today, there has been a remarkably sharp rise in vehicle crashes caused by distracted driving. However, apart from distractions, there are also a number of other causes of car accidents, and each reason has different consequences and punishments under the law. Hence, this article is aimed at highlighting some of the key differences between a negligent driver, a distracted motorist, and a reckless one. 

Organizations like the Felix Gonzalez Accident and Injury Law Firm can offer detailed explanations and guidance on the various factors that play a role in causing an accident. Just because the terms negligent, distracted, and reckless sound synonymous does not mean you can equate them under the law. For instance, using the case of distraction to argue negligence can make one lose one’s chance at court. So, read on to know how they differ.

A Distracted Driver

In layman’s language, a distracted driver is an individual with diverted attention on the road. Examples of a distracted motorist include a person applying makeup, browsing the phone, eating, texting, or leaning over to pick up an item from a floorboard. Driving requires concentration at all times because every driver must take responsibility for their safety, and even a momentary lapse of attention could lead to a devastating accident. However, proving distracted driving in court is challenging because one must present physical evidence to convince the judge. An example of acceptable evidence for distracted driving is an uncompleted text on the defendant’s cell phone. Your case will also proceed if you have a willing witness. 

Security systems can sometimes film a distracted driver at a nearby business or home. In such an instance, it will be impossible for the defendant to play smart. You need strong evidence to determine an offense if a distracted motorist denies liability. It will help you know which insurance company to approach for the fault. In addition, if you can prove a distraction, you can engage an attorney to file a substantial monetary suit, depending on the severity of the crash and harm. Hence, despite the technical nature of this offense, you can still bring a defendant to their knees.

A Negligent Motorist

A negligent motorist is an individual who is careless behind the wheel. Instances of negligent driving include failure to yield the right-of-way and overlooking traffic signs. Through their carelessness, a negligent driver may cause a preventable accident if they had adhered to the rules of the road. A negligent driver usually acts unintentionally. It means that if they were diligent while driving, they could have prevented the ugly scenario they created. Of course, ignorance is not tenable before the law. Hence, one can institute a lawsuit against a negligent driver who causes loss and harm to another individual(s).

A Reckless Driver

A reckless motorist is the most dangerous of the three classifications. They behave with flippant disregard for the safety of other road users. For instance, it is a reckless act to run a red light or drive when intoxicated. Such reckless attitudes usually lead to devastating accidents or deaths. Hence, a reckless motorist can face criminal charges in an indicted car crash. They have to face the music for their recklessness, which has brought pain and other losses to their victim(s).

Implications for Insurance Companies

There are times when car accidents occur due to other factors without any fault on the part of the involved individuals. It is difficult to hold anyone liable in such instances. However, this is where motor vehicle statutes come into play as they classify motorists into three categories. This classification has helped many insurance firms understand absolute liability and fault in similar situations.

Conclusion

From the classifications, you can see that there is a thin line between the three categories of drivers. A non-specialist will easily mix things up and botch up their chances of winning a good case. However, if you seek help from a proven and result-driven attorney, you will be able to maximize your chances of achieving appropriate and fair redressal.

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Darlington

By
Jeffrey Boswell
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Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Larson: Larson dominated at Darlington, leading 263 laps, but faded late on his way to a fourth-place finish in the Cook Out Southern 500.

“Darlington is a race steeped in NASCAR tradition,” Larson said. “And nothing puts the ‘Southern’ in the ‘Southern 500’ quite like an Australian accent calling the race.”

2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished seventh at Darlington.

“Is Richard Childress the biggest crybaby in NASCAR?” Hamlin said. “He must be. He still thinks his grandson Austin Dillon’s actions at Richmond should not be penalized. Talk about an entitled @%#$^&. Of course, I could be talking about Childress or Dillon.”

3. Tyler Reddick: Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota was fast, but he was afflicted with stomach issues all race long. But the 23XI driver toughed it out and finished 10th and won the regular season title.

“I did some unspeakable things in the cockpit of my car,” Reddick said. “My crew was actually calling me ‘Austin Cindric,’ because I was driving the ‘No. 2’ car.”

4. Christopher Bell: Bell finished third in the Cook Out Southern 500.

“Darlington is one of the longest races on the schedule,” Bell said. “And I don’t just mean for drivers. Some fans have actually been known to sober up during the race.”

5. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 14th at Darlington.

“Luckily,” Keselowski said, “I had already clinched a playoff spot, so my race was fairly drama-free. I wasn’t on the playoff bubble. I guess, in the context of this race, the ‘playoff bubble’ was what was going on in Tyler Reddick’s stomach.”

6. Chase Elliott: Elliott struggled at Darlington but put up a late charge to finish 11th in the Cook Out Southern 500.

“I wasn’t much of a factor on Sunday,” Elliott said. “I mean, it could have been worse. I could have been the car that finished directly behind Tyler Reddick. Talk about a debris caution. So much for clean air.”

7. Ryan Blaney: Blaney was knocked out of the race just two laps in when Martin Truex Jr. lost control and slammed into Blaney’s No. 12 Penske Ford. The damage eliminated both cars, with Blaney finishing last in 37th.

“Martin was man enough to take responsibility for the accident,” Blaney said. “He even called himself an ‘idiot.’ It’s refreshing to see someone in this sport with the integrity to call themselves that. If only someone else had the integrity to call their grandson an idiot.”

8. Kyle Busch: Busch was unable to chase down Chase Briscoe in the closing laps at Darlington and took the runner-up spot. Needing a win to advance, he will miss the Playoffs.

“My No. 8 car was primarily sponsored by Morgan And Morgan,” Busch said. “They are a personal injury law firm, and I can proudly say that not only does M & M call me a client, they often call me a defendant.”

9. Chase Briscoe: Briscoe drove his way into the Playoffs, dramatically holding off Kyle Busch in the closing laps to win the Cook Out Southern 500.

“Stewart-Haas Racing is closing its doors after this season,” Briscoe said, “so I’m very hesitant to say I’m ‘fired’ up for the Playoffs.”

10. Bubba Wallace: Wallace started on the pole and finished 16th in the Cook Out Southern 500, a result that wasn’t quite good enough to clinch a playoff spot.

“Michael Jordan was in the pits again offering his support,” Wallace said. “He’s put a lot of money into the 23XI Racing team. I don’t know exactly how much, but if Michael’s invested just half as much in this team as he’s lost on the golf course, then 23XI should be worth billions.”

Buescher, Wallace lament missing 2024 Cup Series Playoffs

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

In a span of 367 grueling laps of the 2024 Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, Chris Buescher and Bubba Wallace went from competing against one another for the 16th and final berth to this year’s Playoffs to both being knocked out of contention amid a new race winner capitalizing on the Playoff’s “Win and You’re In” format.

The diminished Playoff hopes for Buescher and Wallace occurred after both dominated the headlines throughout the Darlington weekend and withstood a series of on-track trials of their own to remain in Playoff contention until the drop of the checkered flag and the conclusion of this year’s 26-race regular-season stretch.

The battle between Buescher and Wallace commenced with the latter striking first as he led the first 34 laps from the pole position. Wallace would proceed to finish in second place at the conclusion of the first stage period and accumulate nine stage points while Buescher ended up in 10th place, which allowed Wallace to overtake Buescher for the 16th and final Playoff berth.

Throughout the second stage period, Buescher would regain the upper hand by a slight margin as Wallace slipped out of the top-five mark. Despite ending up in 13th place at the second stage’s conclusion while Wallace finished ninth, which enabled him to claim an additional two stage points, Buescher leaped back atop Wallace for the final Playoff berth.

Then throughout the final stage period, late drama struck for both Buescher and Wallace that began with 46 laps remaining when the former got squeezed into the backstretch’s outside wall by Todd Gilliland before he proceeded to spin the latter. Despite sustaining slight cosmetic damage to his No. 17 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse entry, Buescher remained both on the lead lap and above the cutline. Then with 24 laps remaining, Wallace’s Playoff hopes took a hit after he was collected in a multi-car wreck in Turn 2, when he ran into the rear of a wrecking William Byron before he was rammed in the rear by Noah Gragson sending Wallace spinning below the track. Despite plummeting below the leaderboard, Wallace was able to keep his damaged No. 23 U.S. Air Force Toyota Camry XSE under power and in race pace.

With Wallace initially appearing to lose ground to Buescher on points for the final Playoff berth, Buescher was then placed at a disadvantage as Chase Briscoe, who came into Darlington in a “must-win” situation, rocketed away with the lead during a late-race restart with 17 laps remaining. For the final 17 laps, Briscoe would fend off Kyle Busch, another Playoff “must-win” contender, to win the race and leapfrog both Buescher and Wallace in the Playoff standings to secure his spot into the 2024 Cup Series Playoffs.

For Buescher, the outcome resulted in the Prosper, Texas, native being the first competitor who was scored outside the top-16 cutline and missing his third opportunity to make the Playoffs a year after he transferred all the way to the Round of 8 and won three races.

From losing to a record-setting finish of 0.001 seconds to Kyle Larson at Kansas Speedway to sustaining a cut tire amid a late-race battle for the win with Tyler Reddick at Darlington, both occurring earlier in May, Buescher reflected on various instances where he missed opportunities to secure a regular-season victory that would have locked him into the Playoffs. With a total of five top-five results and 12 top-10 results in 26 races, the Texan also attempted to reflect on the positives made earlier in the season that would enable him to conclude the 2024 season on a strong note.

“We got back in contention there at the end and got a decent finish out of it,” Buescher said on USA Network. “We just didn’t quite get it done again and we’re on the outside looking in. It’s just the system we’re all playing in. We had such a great year. Everyone at [Roush Fenway Keselowski] has worked so hard. We’ve been so fast. We’ve outrun so many of these cars that are gonna get to run for a championship, but that’s the system and we didn’t work it right.”

Like Buescher, Wallace, who made his first Cup Series Playoffs and finished a career-best 10th a year ago in the final standings, was also left disappointed on pit road despite a late summer surge to fight his way back into the Playoffs. But his hopes evaporated with the recent surge of surprise winners that include Chase Briscoe and Harrison Burton. Nonetheless, the Mobile, Alabama, native praised the fight and determination exhibited by his No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota team in keeping both the driver and team in contention until the regular-season finale’s conclusion.

Currently, Wallace has racked up career-high stats of five top-five results and 10 top-10 results, both of which equal his total accumulated results from the previous two seasons. With his current average-finishing result of 15.8, which marks his personal best, Wallace has 10 races remaining on the 2024 schedule to add to his stats and notch his first Cup victory in two seasons.

Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

“We were back and forth on our U.S. Air Force Toyota Camry,” Wallace said. “We were a little too loose, a little too tight. And the caution a couple laps on tires where we stayed out, I don’t know if that was the deciding factor or not. I was so tight there and got back there in traffic in a spot we hadn’t been all day and got caught up someone else’s mess. It’s unfortunate. I hate it for our guys. Man, hats off to [Briscoe]. I thought I did something yesterday. They one-upped us and showed up when it was game time, so that’s pretty badass so congrats to them. Man, just wasn’t good enough for 16th this year. I hate that. It stinks saying that, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort from all of us on this No. 23 car. Best of luck to [Reddick] and hopefully, a Toyota wins.”

Overall, both Buescher and Wallace join Ross Chastain, Kyle Busch, Todd Gilliland, rookie Carson Hocevar, Michael McDowell, rookie Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Erik Jones, Ryan Preece, Austin Dillon, Daniel Hemric, Justin Haley, Corey LaJoie, John Hunter Nemechek and rookie Zane Smith as full-time Cup Series competitors who did not qualify for the 2024 Playoffs. Nonetheless, all have the final 10-race Playoff stretch to contend for as high as 17th place in the final standings.

The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season continues with the upcoming Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which will commence the Playoffs. The event is scheduled to occur next Sunday, September 8, at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Darlington 2

By
Official Release
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Cook Out Southern 500: Darlington Raceway
Darlington, S.C. – September 1, 2024

AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 DISCOUNT TIRE FORD MUSTANG

START: 11TH STAGE ONE: 32ND STAGE TWO: 26TH FINISH: 13TH POINTS: 10TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric and the No. 2 Discount Tire team rallied to a solid 13th-place in Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500 at the historic Darlington Raceway after battling off the lead lap for much of the event. Cindric started a strong 11th after narrowly missing out on advancing to the final round of qualifying in Saturday’s time trials. The Team Penske driver fought a tight car from the start, making his first visit to pit road on Lap 37 for four tires, fuel and an adjustment. On Lap 71, the No. 2 was docked for an uncontrolled tire penalty, swiping away valuable track position. After finishing 32nd in the opening Stage, Cindric returned to pit road for fresh tires, fuel and additional adjustments to aid the car. The 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion remained focused on the task at hand, returning to the lead lap, but slotted in 26th when Stage 2 concluded in a relatively uneventful second segment. In the third and final portion of the crown jewel event, Cindric was able to take the wave around on Lap 314, gaining a lap back. When the sixth caution of the day slowed the competition with less than 35 laps to go, Cindric was in the free pass position, jolting him back to the lead lap. As the chaos intensified in the regular season finale, Cindric was able to press forward, gaining momentum in the running order. The driver of the No. 2 ultimately recorded a 13th-place finish, demonstrating his never-give-up attitude.

CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “From our first pit stop to our last one, it was definitely an adventure. I feel like I used that word a lot throughout the regular season. But yeah, having to come down for the uncontrolled tire penalty put us two laps down for pretty much the majority of the race. The first chance we got to do the wave we got it, and then they got to wrecking and we drove up to the lucky dog spot and got the lucky dog, leading us to a decent finish. Track position was important, and I’m happy we were able to get a solid result. It was definitely an entire race of not giving up.“

RYAN BLANEY No. 12 MENARDS/RICHMOND FORD MUSTANG

START: 7TH STAGE ONE: 37TH STAGE TWO: 37TH FINISH: 37TH POINTS: 5TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney’s run in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season finale came to a very early end Sunday night at Darlington as the No. 12 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang was involved in an incident on lap three of the Southern 500. Blaney was running up by the wall in turns one and two when the No. 19 broke loose underneath the No. 24 and slid up into outside wall, collecting the Menards/Richmond Ford in the process. Despite the 37th-place finish, Blaney enters the Cup Series Playoffs fifth in the standings while defending the 2023 championship title.

BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “It looked like [Martin Truex Jr.] got loose and I thought he was going to spin to the bottom, so I kind of gassed up, and right as I got to his outside his car kind of hooked up and shot right into me. Unfortunate timing on lap three. It stinks we didn’t get to race at all but we’ll go on to next week.”

JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG

START: 23RD STAGE ONE: 15TH STAGE TWO: 15TH FINISH: 8TH POINTS: 9TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Joey Logano posted his 11th-career top-10 finish at Darlington Raceway in Sunday night’s Southern 500 with an eight-place result. The No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford worked its way through the field in the opening stage of the regular season finale as Logano battled some early handling issues before coming away with a 15th-place finish in Stage 1. Following a four tire stop and a round of adjustments prior to the restart, Logano began to gain track position and charged into the top-10 early in the run. The 22-crew continued to go to work on the balance during a pair of green flag pit stops in Stage 2 as Logano came away with another 15th-place effort in the second segment. With just over 50 laps to go and teams needing one more pit stop to make it to the end, a trio of cautions saw varying strategies unfold as Logano was brought to pit road – the opposite call of the leaders ahead – in an effort to gain ground on those with older tires. Logano ultimately made his way up to ninth prior to the final restart with 17 laps remaining before taking the checkered flag eighth on the night. Logano enters the Cup Series Playoffs ninth in the standings following the points reset.

LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “Starting where we were, our goal was to pick them off one or two at a time and methodically move our way through the field. We were doing that. We got ourselves into the top-10 and looking pretty good. We had some issues on pit road – I’m not sure exactly what happened – but we cleaned it back up for the end there and got a top-10 out of it, at least. Not quite what we wanted with the Shell-Pennzoil Mustang but at least we recovered and got something decent out of it. We’ll move on to the playoffs and give it a run for our money and see if we can get down to the championship four.”

The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs opens the Round of 16 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, September 8. Coverage of the Quaker State 400 begins at 3 p.m. ET on USA, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Stewart-Haas Racing: Cook Out Southern 500 from Darlington

By
Official Release
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STEWART-HAAS RACING
Cook Out Southern 500
Date: Sept. 1, 2024
Event: Cook Out Southern 500 (Round 26 of 36 | regular-season finale)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile oval)
Format: 367 laps, broken into three stages (115 laps/115 laps/137 laps)

Race Winner: Chase Briscoe of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)

SHR Finish:

● Chase Briscoe (Started 3rd, Finished 1st / Running, completed 367 of 367 laps)
● Ryan Preece (Started 30th, Finished 12th / Running, completed 367 of 367 laps)
● Josh Berry (Started 15th, Finished 31st / Accident, completed 343 of 367 laps)
● Noah Gragson (Started 29th, Finished 32nd / Accident, completed 343 of 367 laps)

SHR Regular-Season Points:

● Chase Briscoe (17th with 571 points)
● Josh Berry (23rd with 460 points)
● Noah Gragson (24th with 431 points)
● Ryan Preece (27th with 393 points)

SHR Playoffs:

● Briscoe qualified for the playoffs by winning the Cook Out Southern 500.
● This is Briscoe’s second playoff appearance.

Victory Notes:

● Briscoe’s victory in Cook Out Southern 500 marked the 104th overall win for SHR. It was the organization’s milestone 70th points-paying NASCAR Cup Series victory, its first of the season and its fourth at Darlington. SHR’s total win tally also includes six non-points-paying Cup Series wins, 27 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and one ARCA Menards Series West win.

● Kevin Harvick scored all three of SHR’s prior Darlington wins. The first came in April 2014 with the other two coming in May 2020 and September 2020.

● This was SHR’s 34th NASCAR Cup Series victory with Ford. Kurt Busch won the 2017 Daytona 500 to deliver the organization’s first win with the Blue Oval.

● This was Ford’s 735th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory, its sixth of the season and its second straight. Ford driver Harrison Burton won last weekend at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

● This was Ford’s 34th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory at Darlington and its second straight. Ford won its first race at the 1.366-mile oval on Sept. 3, 1956 with NASCAR Hall of Famer Curtis Turner. Brad Keselowski won the series’ prior race at Darlington in May when he took the checkered flag in the Goodyear 400.

● This was Briscoe’s second career NASCAR Cup Series victory. His first came in March 2022 at Phoenix Raceway. Both wins have come since he joined SHR in 2021.

Briscoe Notes:

● In addition to this being Briscoe’s first victory of the season, it is his third top-five and seventh top-10 of the year. It is his second top-five in eight career Darlington starts.

● Prior to his win at Darlington, Briscoe’s best finish of the season had been a runner-up effort earned June 23 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.

● This was Briscoe’s second straight top-15. He finished 14th last weekend at Daytona.

● Prior to winning the Cook Out Southern 500, Briscoe’s previous best finish at Darlington was fifth, earned in May at the Goodyear 400.

● Briscoe finished third in Stage 1 to earn eight bonus points and second in Stage 2 to earn an additional nine bonus points.

● Briscoe led four times for 29 laps – his first laps led at Darlington.

Preece Notes:

● Preece earned his eighth top-15 of the season and his third top-15 in 10 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington.

● Preece’s 12th-place result equaled his previous best finish at Darlington, originally earned in September 2021.

Berry Notes:

● Berry finished ninth in Stage 1 to earn two bonus points and seventh in Stage 2 to earn four more bonus points.

● Berry led twice for five laps – his first laps led at Darlington.

Race Notes:

● Briscoe’s margin of victory over second-place Kyle Busch was .361 of a second.

● Briscoe was the 14th different winner in the 26 NASCAR Cup Series races run this season.

● There were seven caution periods for a total of 39 laps.

● Only 17 of the 37 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Tyler Reddick won the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season championship by one point over second-place Kyle Larson. But with the points reset for the 16 drivers who qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs, Larson takes over first place in the playoff standings via his series-leading four victories.

Playoff Standings:

  1. Kyle Larson (2,040 points)
  2. Christopher Bell (2,032 points, -8)
  3. Tyler Reddick (2,028 points, -12)
  4. William Byron (2,022 points, -18)
  5. Ryan Blaney (2,018 points, -22)
  6. Denny Hamlin (2,015 points, -25)
  7. Chase Elliott (2,014 points, -26)
  8. Brad Keselowski (2,008 points, -32)
  9. Joey Logano (2,007 points, -33)
  10. Austin Cindric (2,007 points, -33)
  11. Daniel Suárez (2,006 points, -34)
  12. Alex Bowman (2,005 points, -35)
  13. Chase Briscoe (2,005 points, -35)
  14. Harrison Burton (2,005 points, -35)
  15. Ty Gibbs (2,004 points, -36)
  16. Martin Truex Jr. (2,004 points, -36)

Sound Bites:

“Man, everybody knows I’m a diehard Tony Stewart fan and to get this 14 car back in victory lane and, for all 320-something employees, to be able to race for a championship in their final year, it’s unbelievable. God is just so good. This group, the day that we found out that the team wasn’t going to exist anymore, we went over to the shop floor, we all looked at each other and said, ‘We’re in this till the end. We’re not going to give this up.’ We kept saying all week we’ve got one bullet left in the chamber. That bullet hit. It was like déjà vu there at the end with Kyle (Busch), with the Xfinity race here in 2020. Obviously, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it. I was sideways, counter steering, like I was in a sprint car. Yeah, this night just literally went perfect. The pit crew did an incredible job. I was crying after the checkered. I just won the Southern 500! This is a crown jewel! What makes this race so special is all these race fans. Every time we come here, it’s sold out. It’s awesome. We love you guys. Last time I won here was during COVID, I didn’t experience it with the fans. Glad that you are here and can’t wait to celebrate. Just can’t thank HighPoint.com, Mahindra Tractors, Rush Truck Centers, Rinnai, Zep, enough, everybody that makes this deal go around. We’ll go to Atlanta and try to steal another one.” – Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“We just got caught in a tough spot there at the end of the race. We decided to stay out and risk it on fuel and it just didn’t work in our favor today.” – Ryan Preece, driver of the No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“Tough way to end such a promising day. We had a great No. 4 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse and we were going to net out to have a good points day, and it was just one of those nights that you look back on in frustration because this team deserves better. Our results don’t do us justice and tonight was one of those nights. We have 10 weeks to go chase a win.” – Josh Berry, driver of the No. 4 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“I saw a couple of them wreck up front, so I tried to get on the brakes. Then I saw an opening and a little bit of smoke, but I thought they were all sliding down to the bottom and I throttled up. I thought it was open and it wasn’t. Definitely a bummer. We needed to be better all day.” – Noah Gragson, driver of the No. 10 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Atlanta 400 on Sunday, Sept. 8 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The first race in the 10-race NASCAR Playoffs starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

CHEVROLET NCS AT DARLINGTON 2: Post-Race Report

By
Official Release
-

NASCAR CUP SERIES
DARLINGTON RACEWAY
COOK OUT SOUTHERN 500
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
SEPTEMBER 1, 2024

 Five Chevrolet Drivers Set for 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs

  • In a caution-filled ending to the 2024 Cook Out Southern 500, strategy from atop the No. 8 Morgan & Morgan Chevrolet team’s pit box gave Kyle Busch a fresh set of tires and prime track position to make a run for the win and a playoff berth. Ultimately falling just short of the victory, Busch led Chevrolet to the checkered flag in the regular season finale from the runner-up position. The result marked Busch’s third top-four result – and his second straight runner-up finish – in the series’ past three races.
  • In a three-way battle for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship, Chevrolet’s Kyle Larson put on a commanding performance in much of the 500-mile event. Qualifying fourth in his No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1, Larson progressively made his way to the top of the leaderboard near the midway point of Stage One. The 32-year-old Elk Grove, California, went on to perform a commanding sweep of the stages and lead a race-high 263 laps en route to a fourth-place result. Falling just one-point short from claiming the regular season title, Larson will begin his campaign for his second career championship title in NASCAR’s premier series at the top of the playoff standings.

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10:
POS. DRIVER
2nd Kyle Busch
4th Kyle Larson
5th Ross Chastain
9th Corey LaJoie

WITH 26 NASCAR CUP SERIES RACES COMPLETE:
Wins: 11
Poles: 7
Laps Led: 2,220
Top-five finishes: 47
Top-10 finishes: 100

UP NEXT: The first of three races in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 16 gets underway at Atlanta Motor Speedway with the Quaker State 400 on Sunday, September 8, at 3 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the USA Network, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

 
CHEVROLET’S NASCAR CUP SERIES PLAYOFFS FAST FACTS:

· In the NASCAR Cup Series’ 26-race regular season, Chevrolet collected a manufacturer-leading 11 wins, recorded by six drivers from three different Chevrolet organizations.

· The 2024 season marks the 10-year anniversary of the elimination-style playoff format for NASCAR’s premier series.

Since the debut of the 16-driver playoff field and elimination rounds to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014; at least five Chevrolet drivers were represented in the playoffs each season.

Chevrolet All-Time

NASCAR Cup Series Championships:

42 NCS Manufacturer Championships:

1st Chevy Title: 1958

Most Recent Title: 2023

Highest Number of Consecutive Titles: 13 (2003-2015)

33 NCS Driver Championships:

1st Chevy title: Buck Baker (1957)

Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021)

Highest Number of Consecutive Titles: 7 (2005-2011)

 
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 BUSCH RETRO CAMARO ZL1

Finished : 5th

Chastain on his race at Darlington Raceway:

“For the final stage, we shorted the green flag stops the first time; netted some positions and we were fine. And then we did it again and as I was already on pit road, the caution came out. I could have kept rolling and probably stayed on the lead lap, but I wanted to try it just like Phil (Surgen, crew chief) was calling an aggressive race. I went ahead and stopped in the box knowing there was a chance that we would go a lap down. It was worth the risk. I had it off by about a quarter-lap in my head of where the No. 5 (Kyle Larson) would be. He was a lot closer than I thought.

It’s one of those things that the staying out was a little scary in the moment, but I just kind of went through what I needed to do; get a good launch. I got clear into turn one, which I struggle to do that on equal tires, let alone the old ones. I was clear off of (turn) two still, and I was like – OK, this is going pretty good. And then new tires took over into turn three.”

How crazy are those restarts with playoff positions on the line?

“Actually, they were pretty calm. Back in the pack, they’re way worse. It’s brutal back there. We’re all just trying to get leverage and air on and off each other. It’s a lot nicer to be up front.”

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 TOYS FOR TOTS CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 15th

“We had a fast Toys for Tots Chevrolet tonight at Darlington Raceway and the entire Richard Childress Racing team fought hard all weekend. We fell a lap down in Stage 2, but never gave up, stayed patient and raced our way back onto the lead lap. We could have had a shot there at the end. We were well within the top 10 and battling for position when a multi-car incident happened, and we ended up with damage. We lost track position pitting for repairs but fought back to finish 15th. I’m proud of this entire team.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 4th

That was a dominant performance for you. What happened at the end of the race?

“Yeah, I think where it all kind of got crazy was when Ross (Chastain) stayed out. I had to choose the bottom on the front row. He got a good launch. I just got behind the No. 14 (Chase Briscoe) and kind of lost control of the race from then on. And then I just did a bad job on that last restart. Really, I just had the points on my mind there and really wanted to get the driver’s regular season championship there to get those bonus points. I was being extra cautious, which I don’t know if the end result was any different. But I was definitely as aggressive as I could have been with just being safe.

But hats-off to Chase Briscoe; that’s amazing. He did such a great job all day long, all weekend long. This is a super, super tough race to win. To do it with the pressure that they had on their team was pretty amazing.”

Looking back on a night where you were dominate, what do you think played a factor in that performance?

“Our No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevy was great. We came here with a little different package than normal, and I felt like our car was much better. Our pit crew did a really, really good job. I would have to look, but it felt like in the car, it was our best day on pit road by far. I’m proud of them. We were always able to maintain the lead and that’s what you need to do here to have a shot to win. It’s just so tough to pass.

Just proud of my team and looking forward to the next 10 weeks. Hopefully we can make the Championship Four.”

Not getting those extra 15 bonus points, what’s the strategy moving forward?

“Yeah, we got them on the owner’s side, which is nice. But the driver’s side is definitely a bummer. I thought we were going to be able to get it, but I guess Tyler (Reddick) must have passed a couple of cars there at the end, and then I fell back a couple of spots. Just a bummer, but we were still able to rack up a lot of playoff points this year with the wins, as well as the stage wins. We got two more stage wins today, so that’s always good. You just have to take each week, week-by-week. You have to assess how you did the week before, where you are in points and go prepare for the next week.”

Larson on the start of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

“I’m excited to get the playoffs going. The first round, there’s some nerve racking tracks, but our team is doing a great job right now. We just need to bring fast Chevrolet’s to the track and take it week-by-week.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 MORGAN & MORGAN CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 2nd

“We needed him (Chase Briscoe) to have about three more laps on his tires, maybe. Just be a little bit more used up so I could get there. I got within his wake, and as soon as I got within his wake, I just felt my car come out of the race track and I didn’t have enough to overpower that.

Really hate it for everybody at RCR; the effort, the work and everything that’s gone into our Chevrolet’s. I’m proud of his Morgan & Morgan Chevrolet today for being what it was. To come out second; we didn’t have much speed there through a majority of the race. We were just mired in traffic and we weren’t able to get up through there. But once we got up there; I felt like those last three or four restarts, we were going to have a shot running in the top-five. But then we had a shot for the win and just couldn’t make it up there.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA GOLD FILTERS CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 11th

How would you describe this Southern 500?

“Very poor. We got a gift to finish where we did.. a bunch of gifts. But yeah, obviously excited to have that one over with and look forward to getting the playoffs started. These next 10 races; they’re intense, so myself and this entire NAPA Chevy team needs to hit the reset button in a big way. We were pretty bad today, but we’ll go to Atlanta (Motor Speedway); get things rolling in the right direction and see where we end up.”

There’s no track like this in the playoffs, so is the reset on all tracks or certain ones?

“I’m just glad we’re not coming back here next week (laughs). Man, I have to figure something out here. It’s been a struggle. But nonetheless, I’m excited to get these next 10 races started. There are some good tracks in there for us, so I’m excited to get to those and try to make the most of the places that we’ve struggled at. I would love to tackle that this year, so we’re going to work really hard these next 10 weeks; bring everything we’ve got and hopefully it’ll be enough to get to the Championship Four.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 19th

“We weren’t very good here in the spring either. We tried some different things, but it just didn’t really work out. We’ll keep digging at it. I’m glad we get to reset. Obviously next weekend at Atlanta (Motor Speedway) is going to be a wild, so we’ll see what happens.”

You’re back in the playoffs. How good does it feel to put this team back where I know you’ve said they deserve?

“It feels good, for sure. We just need to go run better. We can’t do what we’ve done for the last month. We’ve had some good runs, but we just haven’t ended up with good results. We just can’t have days like this, for sure.”

Atlanta is going to be wild, as you said. When you look at the first round, is there anything you are looking forward to? Is there a strength for this team?

“Yeah, I mean I think honestly; the one that I circle in the first round that I’m looking forward to is Watkins Glen. I’ve been so bad there. I’ve worked so hard at road course stuff, in general, and that’s the last one that I feel like as a driver I need to check the box at. Excited to get there and be better than we’ve been in the past, and I think we’re plenty capable of doing that.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY INSURANCE CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 18th

Suarez on his race at Darlington Raceway:

“It was an up-and-down day for the No. 99 Freeway Insurance Chevy team. I thought we made the car better when the sun was out. Once the nighttime came, I thought we were actually a little bit better, and good enough to run top-15. We were already right up there in the top-10 when the cautions started coming out. It’s unfortunate, but it’s part of it. There were people staying out. There were people with new tires. It was just a little bit of a crazy situation.”

How do you feel going into the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs?

“I feel good. I feel like our No. 99 team is strong. We’ve had pretty good momentum the last couple of months, so I think we’re ready. We’re ready to get to Atlanta (Motor Speedway).”

 

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.

Buescher Misses Playoffs in Heartbreaking Fashion Despite P6 in Darlington

By
Official Release
-

Keselowski 14th in Southern 500

DARLINGTON, S.C. (Sept. 1, 2024) – If controlling his own destiny were the bottom line Sunday night at Darlington, Chris Buescher would’ve been in the right position as the 2024 NASCAR Playoffs picture was decided. However, another new winner went to victory lane, putting the No. 17 team on the outside looking in as the night ended.

“I don’t know,” Buescher said in disbelief following the 500-mile race. “We felt like we did, for the most part, what we needed to do today. We got back in contention there at the end and got a decent finish out of it. We just didn’t quite get it done again and we’re on the outside looking in.

“It’s just the system we’re all playing in. We had such a great year, everyone at RFK has worked so hard. We’ve been so fast. We’ve outrun so many of these cars that are gonna get to run for a championship, but that’s the system and we didn’t work it right.”

Keselowski finished 14th in his return to the track ‘Too Tough to Tame’ where he won this spring, and now enters the playoffs reseeded as the No. 8 driver entering the final 10 races.

6 Recap
Keselowski began the afternoon from the 12th spot, and ended the opening stage of 115 laps in 11th, just behind teammate Buescher.

Stage two ran caution-free for all 115 laps as Keselowski managed a 10th-place result to earn a stage point, setting up a long run to the finish as night fell on South Carolina.

Despite a lack of cautions early, the last 50+ laps saw four yellow flags fly, reshuffling track position and strategy for the closing laps. Keselowski overcame a pit road issue in one of the breaks, and restarted sixth with 17 to go before going on to finish 14th.

17 Recap
Buescher and the No. 17 team did everything needed to insert themselves into the playoff picture. A qualifying effort of 10th began the weekend as Buescher locked in a heated battle with the No. 23 all race. He put the BuildSubmarines.com Ford 10th in the first stage to pick up a stage point.

Despite a 13th-place finish in stage two, Buescher carried a seven-point buffer to the 23. He hit pit road earlier than the 23 as green-flag stops cycled early in stage three. After a yellow at lap 315, Buescher and the No. 38 were the cause of a caution just eight laps later as Buescher was forced into the outside wall.

Buescher rallied though, ultimately coming back to restart fifth with 17 laps remaining in what would be the final restart of the night. With the 14’s win, Buescher stood as the first car out of the playoffs.

Up Next
Atlanta Motor Speedway hosts the first race of the 2024 Playoffs next weekend, with race coverage Sunday set for 3 p.m. ET on USA, and radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Channel 90).

About RFK Racing
RFK Racing, in its 37th season in 2024, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion, Brad Keselowski, and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988 and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass three hundred wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner in the NASCAR Truck Series, is the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit rfkracing.com, and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.

Toyota Racing – NCS Darlington Post-Race Report – 09.01.24

By
Official Release
-

REDDICK WINS REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP IN DRAMATIC FASHION
Five Camry Drivers Set to Compete for 2024 Cup Series Championship

DARLINGTON, S.C. (September 1, 2024) – Tyler Reddick won the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Regular Season Championship with a 10th place result on Sunday night at Darlington Raceway. Reddick overcame fighting an illness during the 500-mile race, persevering by one point in the championship standings to earn the regular season driver’s title. Reddick is joined in the Cup Series Playoffs by four other Camry drivers, including Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex Jr.

Bell led all Camrys at Darlington with a third-place result. Gibbs and Bubba Wallace, who started on the pole, were involved in a multi-car incident late in the race, and both were able to continue and cross the finish line in the top 20. Wallace fell just outside the Playoff cutoff, while Truex had an incident early in the race but was able to secure the final spot in the Playoff field.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Darlington Raceway
Race 26 of 36 – 367 Laps, 501.322 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Chase Briscoe*
2nd, Kyle Busch*
3rd, CHRISTOPHER BELL
4th, Kyle Larson*
5th, Ross Chastain*
7th, DENNY HAMLIN
10th, TYLER REDDICK
16th, BUBBA WALLACE
20th, TY GIBBS
24th, ERIK JONES
25th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
36th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

How was your race tonight?

“I don’t know. It was definitely a lot to digest. It was pretty self-explanatory there. The first two stages it went green and then the third stage we kind of had differing strategies. Some guys selected to pit early, we were on the long pit side. And then the yellow flags came, and people stayed out, people pitted, and we had differing tire strategies, and it made it really exciting. Chase (Briscoe) was awesome all night long obviously. Through stage one and stage two he was right there in the mix with them. He pounced whenever it mattered the most. I had the best seat in the house for the great shootout between the 14 (Chase Briscoe) and the 8 (Kyle Busch). And, yeah, it wasn’t meant to be for us today. Now, the real job starts.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 7th

Can you talk through the end of the race and what more you needed tonight?

“Just need to be a little bit faster in the short run. We chipped away at it all day and put ourselves in a good spot. Just once we had that restart upfront it looked like we were going to kind of settle in there and run second and then with all the cautions at the end we ended up where we ended up. Overall, a decent day.”

TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 Upper Deck Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 10th

How were you able to maintain your focus battling illness during the race?

“I don’t really know if I did honestly. Just things fell our way there at the end. Yeah, I started the day off feeling really, really good just kind of trying to take my time to get around Bubba (Wallace). Him and the 5 (Kyle Larson) kind of jumped us on the first cycle. I thought we had a long race and plenty of time and just man, by the end of stage one I couldn’t even really focus on what to tell the guys to do on the Upper Deck Toyota Camry. It was frustrating, man. We had that buffer over the 5 and just watched it disappear all day long. I tried everything I can to drive this car as fast as I can, it was just a real struggle honestly. I don’t have anything left.”

What does it mean for this team to win the regular season championship and score those extra 15 points going into the Playoffs?

“It’s huge for us. It’s a bummer, man. This has been one of my best tracks and we just had an all off night. I hate that. Like I said, I hated to use that buffer up that we had coming in here, but this is what this team is kind of all about. I feel like this is the worst night we’ve had in months and months speed wise, and I still finished 10th, and it was an all-out struggle for us. Just really proud of everybody on this team standing behind me. I couldn’t give great feedback, and it was just really, really hard to focus and keep it out of the wall there all night. It’s a shame we gave some points up. I felt like this is a race we could win, but it’s really nice in year two for me here at this team and year four of this team to get the regular season championship like we did.”

BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 U.S. Air Force Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 16th

What happened during the second half of the race for you?

“We just were back and forth on our U.S. Air Force Toyota Camry. We were a little too loose, a little too tight. And the caution a couple laps on tires where we stayed out, I don’t know if that was the deciding factor or not. I was so tight there and got back there in traffic in a spot we hadn’t been all day and got caught up someone else’s mess. It’s unfortunate. I hate it for our guys. Hats off to the 14 (Chase Briscoe). I thought I did something yesterday, they one-upped us and showed up when it was game time so that’s pretty bad ass so congrats to them. Man, just wasn’t good enough for 16th this year. I hate that. It stinks saying that, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort for all of us on the 23 car. Best of luck to the 45 (Tyler Reddick) and hopefully a Toyota wins.”

TY GIBBS, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 20th

Can you believe you were able to make the Playoffs after being involved in an incident late in the race?

“Not really. That was really unfortunate. I was really confused at it. Tried to get wrecked in (turns) three and four and then went and got finished off. I don’t know what was going on. That was unfortunate. I wish we could’ve ran better. I really love this track and have so much fun racing here. My car was so good. I wish we could’ve finished better but most importantly we made the Playoffs and that’s what we came here to do. We accomplished that so I’m very happy to be able to make it.”

Are you relieved that you made it into the Playoffs?

“Honestly, it’s good to get in. I really just wanted to win this thing. It’s great that we made it in. We tried to get wrecked that whole entire lap and then they pretty much finished us off down there which is unfortunate. I would expect different, but I don’t know what was happening with 30 something to go. It was unfortunate. It’s frustrating because I really love this place.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 36th

What happened to take you out of the race?

“Clearly me. Yeah, it was all my fault, all my doing. I got a run on the 24 (William Byron), and went to the inside and thought everything was going fine and the car just took off and I ran into him. Obviously, that was on me. I hate it for my guys, Bass Pro Shops, Toyota, everybody. We had a phenomenal race car, and I know this is like the longest race of the year – just a dumb mistake on my part.”

Did it surprise you that the car slid as much as it did?

“I was definitely surprised. I didn’t expect – obviously that I’d drive into one that deep. I thought I was going to be fine side-by-side. It just took off on me and I hit the 24 (William Byron) so that’s obviously on me. I hate it for my team. You hate to make a mistake that early in the race. All my fault. I hate it for my team, I hate it for (Ryan) Blaney. I apologize to his guys. Just caught me by surprise and just a stupid mistake. Inexcusable.”

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.

Briscoe Gives Ford Manufacturer-Most Six Playoff Mustangs with Southern 500 Win

By
Official Release
-

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Cook Out Southern 400 | Darlington Raceway
Sunday, September 1, 2024

CHASE BRISCOE WINS SOUTHERN 500, CLINCHES FINAL PLAYOFF SPOT

  • Chase Briscoe drove his No. 14 Ford Mustang Dark Horse to victory in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday night.
  • The win clinched the final playoff spot for the No. 14 team in the regular season’s crown jewel finale.
  • Ford now has the most drivers in the 16-driver playoff field of any manufacturer, with six.
  • Tonight’s win is Briscoe’s second career Cup Series victory.
  • This marks Stewart-Haas Racing’s 34th win since joining Ford.
  • Tonight’s win is Ford’s 735th all-time in NASCAR Cup Series competition.

FORD FINISHING RESULTS (UNOFFICIAL)
1st – Chase Briscoe
6th – Chris Buescher
8th – Joey Logano
12th – Ryan Preece
13th – Austin Cindric
14th – Brad Keselowski
17th – Todd Gilliland
21st – Harrison Burton
27th – Justin Haley
28th – Michael McDowell
31st – Josh Berry
32nd – Noah Gragson
34th – Kaz Grala
36th – Timmy Hill
37th – Ryan Blaney

CHASE BRISCOE No. 14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Finished: 1st

POST-RACE INTERVIEW

HOW MUCH OF THIS WAS FOR YOU AND HOW MUCH FOR THE EMPLOYEES AT SHR? “Both. Last week was the most embarrassing week I ever ran in my life and I told Richard, I said, ‘I don’t even want to talk about it. I promise you, I will make it up to you next week.’ Man, everybody knows I’m a diehard Tony Stewart fan and to get this 14 car back in Victory Lane and for all 320-something employees, to be able to race for a championship in their final year, it’s unbelievable. God is just so good. It’s like deja vu again with Kyle with the Xfinity race here in 2020. Obviously, I didn’t know if I was gonna be able to do it, but I just can’t thank HighPoint.com enough, Mahindra Tractors, Rush Truck Centers, Renai, everybody that makes this deal go around. We’ll go to Atlanta and try to steal another one.”

WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT YOU AND THE ENTIRE 14 TEAM THAT YOU NEVER GAVE UP OR QUIT ON EACH OTHER? “This group, the day that we found out that the team wasn’t gonna exist anymore, we went over to the shop floor and we all looked at each other and said, ‘We’re in this until the end. We’re not gonna give up.’ We kept saying all week that we had one bullet left in the chamber and that bullet hit.”

KYLE BUSCH WAS CHASING YOU DOWN. WAS THAT THE HARDEST YOU’VE DRIVEN IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE? “Yeah. I was sideways. Countersteering. I felt like I was in a sprint car. Yeah, this night just literally went perfect. The pit crew did an incredible job and I was crying after the checkered because I just won the Southern 500. This is a crown jewel and what makes this race so special is all you race fans. Every time we come here it’s sold out. It’s awesome and we love you guys. The last time I won here was during COVID, so I didn’t get the experience with the fans, so I’m grateful you guys are here and I can’t wait to celebrate.”

CHRIS BUESCHER, No. 17 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Finished: 6th

HOW WOULD YOU SUMMARIZE YOUR RACE? “I don’t know. We felt like we did, for the most part, what we needed to do today. We got back in contention there at the end and got a decent finish out of it. We just didn’t quite get it done again and we’re on the outside looking in. It’s just the system we’re all playing in. We had such a great year. Everyone at RFK has worked so hard. We’ve been so fast. We’ve outrun so many of these cars that are gonna get to run for a championship, but that’s the system and we didn’t work it right.”

WHAT IS THE APPROACH TO THE FINAL 10 RACES AND WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS NOW? “It’s not on my mind yet. We had a lot of things figured out. That’s not it now. We’ll get back and digest this one a little bit. It’s such a shame, but another great run for our BuildSubmarines.com Mustang. It’s another great finish here at Darlington, but just not enough with another new winner and, yeah, just crazy. I’m definitely gonna think back on different times throughout the year and we’ll figure out how to do better next time.

HOW DO YOU SUM UP THE EMOTION? “It’s frustration and disbelief all together.”

RYAN PREECE, No. 41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Finished: 12th

“We just got caught in a tough spot there at the end of the race. We decided to stay out and risk it on fuel and it just didn’t work in our favor today.”

JOSH BERRY, No. 4 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Finished: 31st

“Tough way to end such a promising day. We had a great No. 4 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse and we were going to net out to have a good points day, and it just was one of those nights that you look back on in frustration because this team deserves better. Our results don’t do us justice and tonight was one of those nights. We have 10 weeks to go chase a win.”

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Richmond Water Heathers Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Finished: 37th (Retired early due to accident on lap 2)

ARE YOU OKAY AND WHAT HAPPENED? “Yeah, I was hurt for a little bit, but I think I will be okay. I am alright. I saw Martin (Truex Jr.) get loose, and I thought he was going to spin to the bottom, so I kind of gassed up to get around him, but it was just terrible timing. He overcorrected, and we were just right there. Gosh, I hate wrecking on lap 2. It is one of those things where you think he is going to spin to the bottom, but his rear is hooked up but he just came up. I hate it for everyone at Menards and Ford. Our car was great and I just didn’t get any laps. Hopefully, next week goes a little bit better.”

CORVETTE RACING AT COTA: Juncadella Powers Z06 GT3.R into the Points

By
Barry Albert
-

Heartbreak at home for No. 81 Corvette in lone WEC American stop

AUSTIN, Texas (September 1, 2024) – TF Sport’s Daniel Juncadella drove through the field and into the points as TF Sport’s No. 82 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R placed eighth in the LMGT3 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship at the end of Sunday’s Lone Star Le Mans six-hour race.

The trio of factory driver Juncadella plus teammates Hiroshi Koizumi and Sebastien Baud finished in the class top-10 and scored points for the fourth time this season. After Koizumi started and Baud drove the middle stints of the race, Juncadella got in the Corvette with just under two-and-a-half hours left and 15th place in class. He carved his way through the field as the trio rebounded from two drive-through penalties.

Juncadella’s race pace came as no surprise as he was the fastest driver in the final two practice sessions of the event.

TF Sport’s No. 81 Corvette suffered the cruelest of luck as mid-race contact and its after-effects took the trio of Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade and Tom Van Rompuy from contending for a podium and possible victory to out of the race with approximately one hour to go.

Van Rompuy started fifth and quickly jumped into podium position inside the first 15 minutes. After his double-stint, Andrade climbed aboard and ran fifth due to the class pit stop cycle. Like his teammate, Andrade wasted no time in moving up and quickly grabbed second place before contact from the No. 85 Lamborghini damaged the left front bodywork of the Corvette.

Following the driver change from Andrade to Eastwood – only minutes before Juncadella took over the sister Corvette – the real damage from the hit began to rear its head. The team was forced to bring the No. 81 into the garage to swap out the toe link, but additional problems continued to surface before the car was retired.

TF Sport is back in action in two weeks at the Six Hours of Fuji from Fuji Speedway in Japan.

TF SPORT POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES

DANI JUNCADELLA, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It was clear that we were going to be very competitive today. I had no doubt that if I got in the car in the last two hours in contention for a top result that we would get it. Hiroshi surprised me in the first stint. That was very good from his side, but unfortunately the second one he struggled a bit more. We were only about 90 seconds down. Seb was competitive and I knew we could get some of it back. But we lost about 35 seconds on the stop because the door latch on the passenger side was stuck, so we went a lap down but he did well to get it back to show the amount of pace in the car. Then there were some penalties to lose some ground. Whenever I jump in the car, I take every race with the same approach and give 100 percent. There is always something to learn. I thoroughly enjoyed those two-and-a-half hours driving a really fast Corvette.”

CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “This is one that slipped away, definitely. The Corvette has been incredible from FP1 all the way through. Unfortunately the contact Rui had from the Iron Dames popped the toe link out on the rear-left. The car was grabbing and things down the straight pretty badly, but we still had a pretty good pace even with it not being 60 percent right. We just tried a few things but it still wasn’t right. There was no point putting anything at risk and called it a day. It’s a shame.”

TOM VAN ROMPUY, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Really frustrating. This is the best the car has felt this year. From the start, we had a really good car. I managed to pull up two positions to P3 and tried to stay close to P2 and P1 and kept them in sight. I did some energy savings to get the maximum out of our laps, so we gained a bit on that. I had to let one of the BMWs go because he was a Pro driver, but I managed to have a good fight with him before I let him go. I had a lot of fun out there.”

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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