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PROCK, KALITTA AND STANFIELD WIN AT PLAYNHRA VIRGINIA NATIONALS; HERRERA SETS NHRA RECORD WITH 10TH STRAIGHT WIN

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DINWIDDIE, Va. (June 23, 2024) – Funny Car points leader Austin Prock won his second straight race on Sunday for John Force Racing, defeating Bob Tasca III in the final round with the quickest run of the weekend at the PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals.

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the ninth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Prock went 3.921-seconds at 327.90 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS to power past Tasca and pick up his third win of 2024 in his debut season in Funny Car. Prock dedicated the win to his boss, legendary Funny Car driver John Force, who was involved in a crash in the first round of eliminations on Sunday.

Force suffered an engine explosion at the finish line and then crossed the centerline, striking both guard walls before coming to a stop. The 16-time world champion was alert and was examined onsite before being transported to a local medical facility for further evaluation.   

“This win is definitely dedicated to John Force,” Prock said. “This is one for the books and there were a lot of emotions today and we had to battle a bunch of adversity. This trophy is definitely going back to him. I wanted to get it done for him and this is really special. I’m super proud of this team to get it done with everything that went on and keeping my head together.

“We wanted to get it done for him, but I almost felt like I was feeling the pressure early on in the day. I drove terrible in the second and third round. This team’s busting their tail out in this heat, and I don’t want to be the weak link and I wanted to get it done for John.”

Prock reached the final round with wins against Cruz Pedregon, Ron Capps and defending world champ Matt Hagan, while Tasca advanced to the championship round for the second time this season with victories against Dave Richards, Tim Wilkerson and Blake Alexander.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera added yet another record in his amazing two-year run on Sunday, going 6.755 at 199.26 on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki to defeat teammate Richard Gadson in the final round. With the victory, the defending world champion set the record for the most consecutive wins in NHRA history, winning his 10th straight race on his Suzuki and eclipsing the previous mark set by Bob Glidden.

He also now has 39 straight round wins, setting that record on Sunday as well. Herrera, who stayed undefeated in 2024 and hasn’t lost since early September of last year, defeated Chris Bostick and John Hall to reach the finals, picking up his fifth victory of the year and 16th since the beginning of last year, continuing an absolutely historic and dominant run.

“It’s kind of hard to process all of it,” Herrera said. “The amount of accomplishments that have been achieved in such a short time, I tried to sit back and just think about it, and it’s very hard, because there are so many of them. I have to thank Andrew [Hines, crew chief] and basically picking me out of a haystack to ride for them. I’ve got to give it all up to Andrew and all the guys at the shop. None of this is possible without them. 

“It’s very surreal. Getting the 10 consecutive wins, I think that’s the biggest thing that really hasn’t set in. Last year, we were feeling like we were doing very good and making everyone else have to step up, so this year, if we go out there and do like we did last year, I think this year is really going to hit us in the face and make us realize what we’re doing right now.”

Gadson reached his first career final round after defeating Eiji Kawakami, Jianna Evaristo and Hector Arana Jr.

Doug Kalitta continued to roll in the Top Fuel ranks, defeating teammate Shawn Langdon in the final round with a weekend-best run of 3.752 at 333.41 in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster. Kalitta, the defending world champion, added to his points lead en route to his third win this year – also advancing to his third straight final round – and 55th victory in his career.

It’s the veteran’s first win at Virginia Motorsports Park since 2007 and his day included round wins against Cam Ferre, Josh Hart and Tony Stewart. That set up a marquee matchup with his Kalitta Motorsports teammate in the finals, guaranteeing a fifth team win in 2024 through the first nine events. Kalitta pulled away from Langdon under the lights, making the first Top Fuel run in the 3.70s this weekend.

“It’s been good (this year),” Kalitta said. “We’ve worked to get to this point for a long time and to see it come together, it seems like just getting down the track is just half the battle most of the days you’re out here, and that’s been key with my tune-up and the performance of that thing. Alan (Johnson, crew chief) just seems to have a lot of tricks up his sleeve when it comes to moving through those different conditions. What we’ve had today was a big swing from normal.

“These crew chiefs out here, it’s incredible. I’m really fortunate to have Alan tuning my car. He’s proven time and time again that he can figure out different conditions. We’re just real, it seemed like the first year he was on my car, we changed a lot of stuff around. Right now, with what we picked up on at the middle of last year and carried into this year, everybody is doing their job. The consistency of putting that thing together is really good right now with the guys. It’s just a big team effort.”

Langdon, who moved to second in points, defeated Lex Joon, Steve Torrence and Antron Brown to reach the finals for the fourth time this year.

In Pro Stock, Aaron Stanfield gave Elite Motorsports its third straight victory in the category, as he drove past points leader Dallas Glenn in the final round with a run of 6.614 at 207.15 in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Janac Brothers car. It is Stanfield’s first victory of the season and the ninth in his career, as he also won for the first time at Virginia Motorsports Park.

He reached the finals after defeating Val Smeland, Troy Coughlin Jr. and Greg Anderson, posting an outstanding .007 reaching time against Glenn to get the win and get some revenge after Glenn won their final-round matchup in Chicago.

“It was definitely a long hot race day for sure,” Stanfield said. “Dallas has got me a couple times here the past couple of races and it was good to get them back right there. I was blessed with the opportunity to represent JHG this year, and it’s good to finally be able to pull off that wind representing their brand.

“It’s just a special day. I have my little girl [Oakley] with me here today, and for her to see me win, now she can understand why dad’s gone so much, so, it’s just a special, special day for me.”

Glenn, who remained in the points lead, knocked off Mason McGaha, Deric Kramer and Bo Butner to reach the finals.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action June 27-30 with the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.

***

DINWIDDIE, Va. — Final finish order (1-16) at the Fourth annual PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. The race is the ninth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:

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

FUNNY CAR:

1. Austin Prock; 2. Bob Tasca III; 3. Blake Alexander; 4. Matt Hagan; 5. Ron Capps; 6. Daniel Wilkerson; 7. Mike Smith; 8. John Force; 9. Dave Richards; 10. Cruz Pedregon; 11. J.R. Todd; 12. Buddy Hull; 13. Terry Haddock; 14. Paul Lee; 15. Chad Green; 16. Alexis DeJoria. 

PRO STOCK:

1. Aaron Stanfield; 2. Dallas Glenn; 3. Greg Anderson; 4. Bo Butner; 5. Erica Enders; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 7. Eric Latino; 8. Deric Kramer; 9. Mason McGaha; 10. Chris McGaha; 11. Jeg Coughlin; 12. Matt Hartford; 13. Kenny Delco; 14. Val Smeland; 15. Jerry Tucker; 16. Brandon Miller. 

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

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

DINWIDDIE, Va. — Sunday’s final results from the Fourth annual PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. The race is the ninth of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series: 

Top Fuel — Doug Kalitta, 3.752 seconds, 333.41 mph def. Shawn Langdon, 6.148 seconds, 101.99 mph. 

Funny Car — Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.921, 327.90 def. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 7.145, 90.55. 

Pro Stock — Aaron Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 6.614, 207.15 def. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.617, 205.88. 

Pro Stock Motorcycle — Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.755, 199.26 def. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.786, 198.32. 

Competition Eliminator — Joe Carnasciale, Chevy Cavalier, 8.944, 151.48 def. Michele Costa, Ken Keir, 8.177, 158.59.

Super Stock — Jeff Adkinson, Chevy Camaro, 9.345, 140.72 def. PJ Fouts, Chevelle, 11.975, 108.79. 

Stock Eliminator — Cody Phillips, Chevy Corvette, 10.372, 126.15 def. Cliff Hynson, Chevy Camaro, 9.418, 141.19. 

Super Comp — Anthony Bertozzi, Dragster, 8.907, 178.61 def. Amanda Boicesco, Dragster, 8.884, 172.41. 

Super Gas — Keith Mayers, Porshe, 9.888, 154.37 def. Don Knoblick, Chevy Corvette, Foul – Red Light. 

Top Sportsman — Sandy Wilkins, Chevy Camaro, 6.563, 199.02 def. Jeff Brooks, Henry J, 6.379, 215.17. 

Mountain Motor Pro Stock — Johnny Pluchino, Ford Mustang, 6.335, 222.00 def. Elijah Morton, Mustang, 6.312, 221.92. 

Top Fuel Motorcycle — Larry McBride, Suzuki, 5.003, 235.89 def. Mitch Brown, Suzuki, 5.180, 207.37. 

Junior Dragster Shootout — Chloe Greyes, Bos, 7.981, 80.39 def. Valarie Wright, Halfscale, 8.008, 80.71. 

DINWIDDIE, Va. — Final round-by-round results from the Fourth annual PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, the ninth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL: 

ROUND ONE — Josh Hart, 3.982, 317.12 def. Dan Mercier, 3.981, 308.85; Antron Brown, 3.913, 318.32 def. Billy Torrence, 4.121, 274.44; Shawn Langdon, 3.911, 313.88 def. Lex Joon, 4.154, 275.73; Doug Kalitta, 3.940, 318.84 def. Cameron Ferre, Broke – No Show; Tony Stewart, 3.874, 319.07 def. Clay Millican, 4.109, 254.18; Tony Schumacher, 4.095, 246.66 def. Shawn Reed, 4.490, 221.34; Brittany Force, 3.920, 321.27 def. Jasmine Salinas, 4.653, 178.47; Steve Torrence, 4.010, 298.34 def. Justin Ashley, 4.499, 187.65; 

QUARTERFINALS — Kalitta, 3.964, 311.56 def. Hart, 4.490, 191.57; Brown, 3.923, 316.38 def. Schumacher, 4.284, 212.93; Langdon, 3.976, 307.65 def. S. Torrence, 3.971, 319.67; Stewart, 3.907, 314.53 def. Force, 3.931, 319.82; 

SEMIFINALS — Langdon, 3.815, 326.40 def. Brown, 3.826, 323.35; Kalitta, 3.828, 326.79 def. Stewart, 4.631, 180.65; 

FINAL — Kalitta, 3.752, 333.41 def. Langdon, 6.148, 101.99. 

FUNNY CAR: 

ROUND ONE — Mike Smith, Ford Mustang, 25.970, 53.27 def. Chad Green, Mustang, Broke; Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.063, 306.53 def. Dave Richards, Toyota Camry, 4.183, 302.28; Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 4.046, 308.21 def. Cruz Pedregon, Dodge Charger, 4.232, 292.65; Blake Alexander, Mustang, 4.109, 302.82 def. Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.625, 187.68; John Force, Camaro, 4.100, 302.62 def. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 4.803, 186.98; Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 4.094, 317.94 def. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, Broke; Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.335, 275.34 def. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 4.395, 264.60; Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.799, 174.55 def. Paul Lee, Charger, 6.193, 108.60; 

QUARTERFINALS — Tasca III, 4.126, 316.30 def. Wilkerson, 4.458, 219.08; Prock, 4.036, 321.73 def. Capps, 4.127, 282.84; Alexander, 4.096, 305.36 def. Force, Broke – No Show; Hagan, 4.266, 252.10 def. Smith, 7.627, 87.16; 

SEMIFINALS — Tasca III, 3.980, 330.07 def. Alexander, 3.997, 317.72; Prock, 3.962, 316.97 def. Hagan, 4.031, 312.42; 

FINAL — Prock, 3.921, 327.90 def. Tasca III, 7.145, 90.55. 

PRO STOCK: 

ROUND ONE — Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.635, 207.21 def. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.692, 205.91; Bo Butner, Camaro, 6.723, 205.07 def. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.720, 206.35; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.654, 206.20 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.666, 206.67; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.677, 207.30 def. Val Smeland, Camaro, 6.718, 206.83; Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.673, 206.26 def. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.707, 205.79; Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.666, 207.62 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.686, 206.57; Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.624, 206.39 def. Brandon Miller, Dodge Dart, 6.785, 203.22; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.629, 207.94 def. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.716, 205.26; 

QUARTERFINALS — Stanfield, 6.685, 206.92 def. Coughlin Jr., 6.708, 206.57; Glenn, 6.696, 204.76 def. Kramer, 17.282, 47.43; Anderson, 6.623, 207.05 def. Enders, 6.653, 208.07; Butner, 6.710, 205.54 def. Latino, 6.716, 202.18; 

SEMIFINALS — Glenn, 6.631, 206.20 def. Butner, 6.658, 205.88; Stanfield, 6.627, 207.94 def. Anderson, 6.627, 206.04; 

FINAL — Stanfield, 6.614, 207.15 def. Glenn, 6.617, 205.88. 

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: 

ROUND ONE — Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.905, 195.73 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.934, 192.85; Hector Arana Jr, 6.920, 193.74 def. Marc Ingwersen, 6.989, 193.13; John Hall, 6.884, 197.36 def. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.889, 196.19; Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.826, 197.68 def. Ron Tornow, 6.966, 195.90; Angie Smith, Buell, 6.809, 199.91 def. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.783, 199.94; Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.871, 197.59 def. Eiji Kawakami, 7.146, 185.46; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.803, 198.50 def. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.870, 194.41; 

QUARTERFINALS — Gadson, 6.906, 196.87 def. Evaristo, 6.871, 198.64; Hall, 6.851, 151.19 def. Van Sant, Foul – Red Light; Arana Jr, 6.892, 196.44 def. A. Smith, Foul – Red Light; Herrera, 6.782, 196.50 was unopposed; 

SEMIFINALS — Gadson, 6.813, 198.09 def. Arana Jr, Foul – Red Light; Herrera, 6.760, 199.70 def. Hall, 6.816, 198.58; 

FINAL — Herrera, 6.755, 199.26 def. Gadson, 6.786, 198.32. 

DINWIDDIE, Va. — Point standings (top 10) following the Fourth annual PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, the ninth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series – 

Top Fuel

1. Doug Kalitta, 751; 2. Shawn Langdon, 684; 3. Justin Ashley, 643; 4. Steve Torrence, 575; 5. Antron Brown, 542; 6. Tony Schumacher, 522; 7. Billy Torrence, 477; 8. Clay Millican, 461; 9. Tony Stewart, 458; 10. Brittany Force, 425.

Funny Car

1. Austin Prock, 824; 2. John Force, 693; 3. Matt Hagan, 658; 4. J.R. Todd, 627; 5. Bob Tasca III, 615; 6. Daniel Wilkerson, 474; 7. Ron Capps, 469; 8. Alexis DeJoria, 427; 9. Chad Green, 393; 10. Blake Alexander, 371.

Pro Stock

1. Dallas Glenn, 791; 2. Greg Anderson, 751; 3. Erica Enders, 726; 4. Jeg Coughlin, 599; 5. Aaron Stanfield, 598; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr., 492; 7. Jerry Tucker, 465; 8. Cristian Cuadra, 386; 9. Deric Kramer, 335; 10. David Cuadra, 307.

Pro Stock Motorcycle

1. Gaige Herrera, 618; 2. Richard Gadson, 365; 3. Matt Smith, 362; 4. John Hall, 332; 5. Chase Van Sant, 294; 6. Angie Smith, 291; 7. Hector Arana Jr, 268; 8. Jianna Evaristo, 242; 9. LE Tonglet, 233; 10. Steve Johnson, 186.

Daniel Quimby Closes the Mid-Ohio SpeedTour with F4 U.S. Win

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Official Release
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#24 Daniel Quimby, Atlantic Racing Team, Cruise America, MIR Raceline, FIJI Airways, GalvanizeIns , winner, Victory Lane

LEXINGTON, Ohio (June 23, 2024) – Daniel Quimby closed out the weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with his second Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) win of the season. After starting second, Quimby (No. 24 Cruise America / MIR Raceline / FIJI Airways / GalvanizeIns Ligier JS F422) overtook the leader on Lap 1 to be able to cruise to victory.

Notes of Interest:

  • Daniel Quimby earned his second-career F4 U.S. win in Sunday afternoon’s race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
  • Nicolas Stati is the only driver who has finished on the podium in all five rounds of F4 U.S. competition this season.
  • Benites Jr. earned his second-career podium with a third-place result in Sunday’s race at the Mid-Ohio SpeedTour.
  • With a win and a second-place finish, Daniel Quimby was awarded the Omologato Perfectly Timed Move of the Race for his weekend performance, earning him a bespoke Omologato timepiece.
  • Three teams were represented on this afternoon’s podium, with Atlantic Racing Team taking the win, Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport in second and Scuderia Buell finishing third.

After recording the fastest lap in yesterday’s race, Stati led the field to the green flag on the wet Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Jumping out to an early lead, he faced immediate pressure from second-place starter Daniel Quimby (No. 24 Cruise America / MIR Raceline / FIJI Airways / GalvanizeIns Ligier JS F422), who pulled next to Stati as they exited the Keyhole. Racing wheel to wheel down the backstretch, Quimby pulled ahead as they entered Turn 4 and never looked back. Hitting his marks, Quimby slowly but steadily pulled away from his competition.

Behind him, the field initially strung out. Stati was comfortably in second, with Alex Crosbie (No. 41 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) third, and Pablo Benites Jr. (No. 44 Scuderia Buell Ligier JS F422) in fourth. After sustaining damage to his JS F422 chassis in yesterday’s race, Connor Roberts (No. 46 ApexSpeed.com / Entropy Cellars Ligier JS F422) and the Team Roberts Racing organization worked through the night repairing his car, finishing the setup just before the race began. Despite that, he was running fifth at the race’s halfway point.

With under seven minutes left, Benites Jr. had reached Crosbie’s rear wing. Racing nose to gearbox for several minutes, Benites Jr. waited to find the right place to make the pass—ducking to the inside of Crosbie in the Carousel, he completed the pass to move into third.

On the final lap of the race, the top-three frontrunners were all within a second of each other, but it was Quimby who led the field across the finish line, with Stati in second and Benites Jr. in third.

“That was a really good race,” said Quimby on top of the podium. “I knew Nicolas [Stati] had new tires, so we tried to get as big of a gap as we could at the start, but at the end, we struggled a little bit. I’d like to thank my partners at Cruise America, Motorhome Republic, Crank House, Atlantic, MIR Raceline and FIJI Airways. I’d like to thank everyone at the team, my family and everyone watching at home.”

F4 U.S. takes on New Jersey Motorsports Park, July 25-28, for the New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour. Live timing and scoring can be accessed on the Race Monitor app, and additional news and updates about F4 U.S. are available on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

F4 U.S. Race 2 at Mid-Ohio Cancelled Due to Weather

LEXINGTON, Ohio (June 23, 2024) – Once scheduled for Saturday morning, Race 2 for Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) was cancelled due to weather. Rain passed through the area, with showers beginning at approximately 7 a.m. and lasting through 9:30 a.m. Heavy downpours at time led to puddling on the racing surface, as well as rivers flowing across the track. With unsafe track conditions, Race Director Scott Goodyear made the decision to cancel the round.

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

By
Official Release
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CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2024 PlayNHRA VIRGINIA NATIONALS
VIRGINIA MOTORSPORTS PARK
NORTH DINWIDDIE, VIRGINIA
TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT | NOTES & QUOTES
JUNE 23, 2024

AUSTIN PROCK AND JOHN FORCE RACING RACE TO THE PlayNHRA FUNNY CAR WIN IN HIS CORNWELL TOOLS CHEVROLET CAMARO AT VIRGINIA MOTORSPORTS PARK

Prock’s Win at Richmond is his Third of the Season and in a Funny Car, Capturing his Ninth Career in NHRA

Notes:

  • Austin Prock, driver of the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, raced to his second victory in a row after capturing the Wally trophy last week in Bristol, and John Force Racing’s third in a row with team owner and teammate John Force winning previously at Epping.
  • Prock’s win at Virginia Motorsports Park is Chevrolet’s 164th Funny Car victory in the series and 84th in the Camaro body.
  • Getting comfortable quick this season in his switch from Top Fuel to Funny Car while filling in for teammate Robert Hight, Prock captured his third Funny Car victory and this season. Today’s victory is also his ninth total in NHRA (six in Top Fuel, previously).
  • Prock leaves the PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals the points leader over Force in second, with 131 points separating the two in the World Championship standings.
  • Brittany Force, driver of the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Top Fuel Dragster, faced a Round 2 elimination after falling to Tony Stewart with her run of 3.931 seconds E.T. at 319.82 mph to Stewart’s 3.907 seconds E.T. at 314.53 mph.
  • John Force, driver of the PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, was transported to a local hospital after facing a Round 1 on-track accident in his PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car while competing against Terry Haddock. Further updates will be released from John Force Racing.
  • B. Force and Prock both captured the NHRA Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, earning bonus points and a cash prize towards the World Championship standings.
  • Aaron Stanfield claimed the Play NHRA Virginia Nationals Wally trophy in his Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock, defeating Dallas Glenn with is run of 6.614 seconds E.T. at 207.15 mph to Glenn’s 6.617 seconds E.T. at 205.88 mph.

Quotes:

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

WHERE WILL THIS WALLY GO?

“It’s going straight to the hospital to John Force unless he has gotten out by now. I hope he is out, but I’ll have to find out. This is definitely dedicated to John Force. My Grandpa told me before we left to go get a Wally, and definitely did that. The No. 374 is back in the Winner’s Circle and that’s really special. I finally got my stuff together on the starting line, chopped the tree down, and they gave me a really fast Prock Rocket there. I am blessed, and I thank the Lord for keeping John Force safe today.”

ON HIS #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE WIN:

“When (Thomas Prock) came over here, they really changed the set-up of this race car and really tried to work on their hot condition set-ups. It’s really paying off. This thing will run when the track’s 80 degrees or 180 degrees, it seems like. So, we just pooched her on down there (on the final qualifying attempt, which also was the final round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge) to make sure it would go, because we’re going to be racing in this nasty stuff tomorrow. So, great job to the Cornwell Tools team, and proud of everyone on it.”

JIMMY PROCK, CREW CHIEF FOR AUSTIN PROCK AND THE CORNWELL TOOLS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR TEAM:

“I’m just relieved. I really wanted to win this for John (Force). I really hate to see what happened to him. think he is going to be alright. I don’t know a whole lot. We just tried to keep our focus and do the job. We did. I really wanted to get this win for him and we did.”

Up Next:

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series next heads to Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio for the 2024 Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals June 27-30, 2024. Qualifying from the weekend airs Sunday at 2 p.m. ET, with Round 1 of Eliminations broadcasting at 4 p.m. The remainder of elimination sessions air on FOX at 5 p.m. ET. Qualifying and Round 1 air with NHRA on FOX on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Coverage streams live throughout the weekend on NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

About Chevrolet

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CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT LAGUNA SECA: Team Chevy Race Report

By
Official Release
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CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY
WEATHERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA
TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT
JUNE 23, 2024

ALEXANDER ROSSI AND ARROW MCLAREN PUT CHEVROLET ON THE PODIUM AT WEATHERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA IN THIRD
Chevrolet Finished the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey with Five in the Top-10

  • Alexander Rossi, driver of the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, finished third, giving Chevrolet a podium finish in the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
  • Rossi’s third-place podium finish was Chevrolet’s fifth since the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ return to Laguna Seca in 2019.
  • Rossi, along with Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden, combined to lead 15 laps in today’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey. Chevrolet has led 65 laps total in the five races held at Laguna Seca in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since the 2019 return.
  • Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus VeeKay, driver of the No. 21 Chevrolet, topped the mid-day warm-up session with his fastest lap of 1:08.4096 seconds. Chevrolet finished the 30-minute session with four in the top-10.
  • Up next, Team Chevy and the rest of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES head to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sunday, July 7. Broadcast for the 80-lap, 180.64-mile event at the 2.258-mile, 13-turn natural terrain road course takes the green flag live on NBC at 1:30 p.m. ET.

TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 RACE RESULT:
Pos. Driver
3rd Alexander Rossi
4th Romain Grosjean
7th Will Power
8th Pato O’Ward
9th Santino Ferrucci

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES):

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:

“Another top-10. Honestly, we’re kind of on a streak right now. If it wasn’t, obviously, for the hiccup at Road America. Pretty bummed in myself. I feel like I let the guys down with the blocking penalty. I think we missed out on a chance to get a little closer to the top-five. The good thing is, we’re on a roll right now. We’ve got solid momentum. We’ll work on getting qualifying up, and it’ll be there.”

Sting Ray Robb, No. 41 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:

“Well, what was a terrible day, but considering all things, I think that we came out decent. This morning really set us back. My mistake there in warm-up, putting it in the wall, that was impressive for the team to put the car back together that quick. I definitely owe them a dinner and a few drinks. Super proud of them, super thankful for them. They work so hard, and I’m happy that we were able to get back out there for the race. The race didn’t really go as we wanted but considering the scramble ahead of the race to get the car back together, I think that it was pretty good. The Goodheart Chevy felt pretty good.”

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“It was another P8 for us, a hard-fought P8. We just couldn’t really make the strategy work there. It was just a really tough race, to be honest. There are nine races to go, so there are plenty of points left on the table.”

Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“All done with my first race at Arrow McLaren. P23 to P12, securing the biggest mover of the race, so overall, I think it was a successful day. It wasn’t without its challenges, but everyone pushed through and kept at it all race long. We were able to make up a ton of spots at the end there. I’m really happy with the No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. The car was truly the best it’s been all weekend, and it was really fast all day. A lot of this was because of the pit stops that the crew did and the strategy that was called. I’m grateful for my crew and can’t wait to work with them more in the future.”

Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

THE 26 AND 10 WERE GOOD TODAY, BUT YOU GUYS WERE BEST IN SHOW. I THINK THIS WAS A GOOD DAY FOR YOU GUYS. YOU EXECUTED THE BEST YOU COULD AND CAME AWAY WITH THE GOOD RESULT. IS THAT HOW IT FEELS TO YOU?

“I think that is a fair assessment. I feel like before the yellow, we were quite good up front. But then you get into a fuel save race and it’s a little bit difficult. Nonetheless, it was an amazing job by the team and obviously our best result of the year. So, we will take the positives from that. You know it’s a great job by Pato (O’Ward) and Nolan (Siegel) as well, so we will just keep hammering. It’s a good bounce back from the difficulties in Road America and we look forward to taking that to Mid-Ohio.”

HOW DO YOU BUILD ON THIS MOVING FORWARD?

“I think it is just understanding why we were good. It is always easy to Monday morning quarterback when you are bad, but believe it or not, it’s a little bit harder to understand when you are good. So, we will just keep working at it and overall the McLaren group is doing a good job, Team Chevy is doing a good job, so we will keep hammering.”

Gavin Ward, Team Principal at Arrow McLaren:

“It’s hard to be upset with a podium, but we’re kind of upset with this podium. Alexander and the No. 7 crew deserved to win until that caution mixed things up. It’s a tough call at that point; it splits the field in half. You could go either way and never know where the cautions fall from there. They did the best they could from there to bring home a podium. It was a difficult day, a day of perseverance for the No. 5 crew and Pato. They brought home a top 10 and kept their composure. There was a lot of learning for the No. 6 car with Nolan. He was the biggest mover and top-finishing rookie. He had a great recovery, and I’m happy with how everyone kept their cool with that mid-race spin. The pace was there and that gave us options. A lot of other people made bigger mistakes today, so I’m pretty happy overall.”

Christian Rasmussen, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

“Pretty good start of the race, I thought. We were moving forward on the red tires. I think what held us back a little bit in this race was the stint on black tires. That didn’t really go our way. But overall, from a messy race, from everyone’s perspective, our own included, a pretty solid result with a 13th place finish. Happy about that. I think there was probably more in it just eliminating some mistakes we had in the race. And then especially the drive-through (penalty) held us back a little bit. Overall, pretty happy with the result with how messy of a race that was.”

Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

“Just a really unfortunate day. I was feeling good after the warm up session and confident in the changes we had made to improve the car. Unfortunately, the bad luck continued and we had a failure within the gearbox. We will try again in Mid-Ohio!”

Romain Grosjean, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:

“A great result for all of us. I think yesterday in qualifying. I think we had a lot more than we could show and I think today, we also had a bit more we wanted. One set of tires was a bit strange in the middle stint that cost us quite a bit of time. On the last stint, sadly there were too many safety cars. I knew the deg was on our side, and we didn’t have much problem with that. I knew I could catch at least (Alexander) Rossi, maybe (Colton) Herta. We spent most of the stint under yellow, but it is what it is. Very happy for the whole team, for Chevy, and for myself. It was a tough one. I’ll tell you, the car was hard to drive, but I think for everyone it’s hard to drive. Saw a lot of guys going off, and it was a tough race. Happy where we are. We’ll keep going.”

“What a good race. I think we knew we had a fast race car, but it was a tough race and we saw a few people going off (track) a few times. I went off myself a few times. It was very physical, very hard, but I think we did an amazing job with Chevy and the whole team all weekend. I am very proud of everyone. It was very close to the podium, but a little bit too many safety cars at the end because I was on blacks, and I knew I didn’t have much tack. I was coming for (Alexander) Rossi. We are good friends, so it is all good anyway. A fantastic job by everyone and we keep working and we keep getting better. I think that is good for all of us and I think we scored the first points for Chevy today, so we are happy with that.”

Will Power, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet:

“Laguna Seca (is) done. Finished P7. Went all the way from the back. Had a bad first lap, was last. Went back up to sixth, went back to 10th, had a couple of people with late restarts. Still a good recovery day. When you can make the most of those bad days, it’s good stuff for the points. It’ll be a tight battle to the end but we’ll keep digging in the Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.”

ALEXANDER ROSSI, NO. 7 ARROW MCLAREN CHEVROLET – Podium Press Conference:

THE MODERATOR: Good evening, everyone. Wrapping up this year’s Firestone Grand Prix at Monterey, Laguna Seca.

Alexander Rossi, who led 10 laps today, driver of the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Best-ever finish at Laguna Seca, kind of his home track-ish.

THE MODERATOR: As well, Alexander Rossi coming home third. Your thoughts on kind of a crazy race strategy-wise today?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: Yeah, I mean, I think it was a good day for the organization. I think our pace out front, pushing, was certainly better than what we could do once it kind of switched to a fuel race.

Nonetheless, it was a great job by the team all around to manage a difficult race with the strategy flipping back and forth. Kind of wild there with all the restarts at the end.

Yeah, ultimately we’ll take a lot of positives from this weekend and build on it going into Mid-Ohio where we’re starting a whole new wild, crazy, unknown era of hybrids.

THE MODERATOR: The countdown is on. We’ll open it up for questions.

Q. Alex, how good does it feel to be back on a podium?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: Oh, good.

Q. Just pretty good?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: Very good, yes (smiling). Much good.

Q. Did it feel much good to lead laps and be in contention?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: Yes.

I think we were able to just start strong this weekend. Obviously qualifying was strong for us. We know how important qualifying is to get a good result in this championship. We knew we had a good shot at it today.

I was glad we were able to manage the race and have good pace kind of in all phases. It was a welcome change of pace. Hopefully it gives us a good foundation, good framework to go forward for what few road courses we have left in the year.

Q. Alex Palou has won twice at this track, four podiums in four career starts. What is it about Laguna Seca that fits his style?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: I mean, he’s won at a lot of tracks. I don’t think it’s necessarily this one.

I think it’s a track where you kind of, even with the repave, it’s all about managing kind of a four-wheel slide, if you will, in a lot of different places of the track. I think he’s quite good at that, while still being able to protect tires. That’s I would imagine the reason why he’s able to make such a difference here.

Q. The strategy call to come in under caution around lap 36, how was the call made? What did the race look like from your standpoint at the time? How did that make the difference in the race?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: I mean, it’s hard for me to really comment on it right now because I need to look at the race trace and everything.

But certainly I think we were quicker when we weren’t saving fuel, at least on the 7 car side. That doesn’t mean that it wasn’t the right strategy for us. I honestly have no idea what Alex’s pace was in clean air. Until I know that, I can’t really answer it.

Yeah, I mean, he was strong all day. We knew he was the car to beat, was going to be hard to beat.

Q. Today may be the last time some type of electric power is not used in the power train. What’s it like turning the page on something that has been utilized in racing for so long, the internal combustion engine?

ALEXANDER ROSSI: I mean, I have two emotions. I mean, I’m sad because it’s the end of an era. We grew up falling in love with this sport with kind of the framework of what it is now. At the same time if you look at where the world is going, where manufacturers are going, you got to evolve. It’s an exciting time for the series to take that step towards the future. It’s something that’s important to all of us and the partners involved.

It’s happy and sad. It’s cool to be able to introduce new technology into the cars, but also it’s sad that this phase of motorsports is coming to an end.

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.

Felix Rosenqvist Paces Meyer Shank Racing With 11th-Place Run At Laguna Seca

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Debut outing for Malukas saw him finish 16th after contact while running 10th

Monterey, Calif. (23 June 2024) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) saw an up-and-down day with finishes on an uptick as both drivers made up ground on a late restart to earn top-16 finishes in Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda) recovered from an early-race off-track excursion and race circumstances that scrambled his pit strategy to finish a solid 11th, narrowly missing his sixth top-10 finish on the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.

Meanwhile, new MSR driver David Malukas (No. 66 AutoNation / Arctic Wolf Honda) showed no ill effects of his preseason injury and answered any questions about his conditioning with three late-race passes that led to a 16th-place finish.

Rosenqvist earned his first top-three qualifying result since winning the pole at Long Beach and ran at the sharp end of the grid early. The team opted to stay on the same pit strategy as the leaders, enabling Roenqvist to run in the top 10 through the first half of the 95-lap event.

Malukas started 12th but got on a different strategy early in the event and made the most of it, finding himself in the top three during pit cycles on two different occasions. The strategy call put him in the top 10 after the final stops, but a cut right front tire after contact with the No. 5 car forced a pit stop that dropped Malukas deep in the field in the waning laps.

Melee swirled throughout the 2.238-mile Laguna Seca layout over the final 20 laps however, as spins and contact caused three separate caution periods that bunched the field. Rosenqvist started 12th on the final restart with four laps to go while Malukas took the green in 19th, and each driver was able to move up over the final orbits to improve their place at the checkered flag. The 16th-place spot for Malukas was the best result for the No. 66 car since the season opener in St. Pete (15th).

The team will have a week off leading into the season’s most demanding stretch, with a run of four races in three weeks that starts with the July 7 Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, to be run at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

Meyer Shank Racing Driver Quotes:

Felix Rosenqvist: “Up and down day today. I thought we started pretty well on the blacks and had a pretty ‘in control’ stint. We took the yellow and came in and then had to do some fuel save and I just didn’t have the pace. I couldn’t keep up with the guys who ended up up good on that strategy. I was struggling a bit with (brake) locking, I just felt like we got worse through the race. But we got some decent points after recovering ok at the end, I think we were 15th at one point. Disappointing day, I think we wanted more especially after that first stint but we’ll just look at everything and work on coming back stronger at Mid Ohio.”

David Malukas: “Definitely a bummer to finish where we did especially with the pace we had, I think we were tracking to be about 8th. But I guess for us to be sad about this result is ok when we really just set out to finish. I know know for me I just wanted to get across the line. But overall it was a great first outing with a new team and a new hand especially coming into MSR which has been in mid-season form. Hopefully we can just keep progressing and move onto Mid-Ohio.”

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Virginia Post-Race Report – 06.23.24

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KALITTA CLAIMS THIRD VICTORY OF 2024 WITH VIRGINIA NATIONALS TRIUMPH
Toyota earns ninth Top Fuel win in the last 10 races

NORTH DINWIDDIE, Va. (June 23, 2024) – Despite a multi-hour rain delay, Doug Kalitta was victorious in the NHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park on Sunday. The victory by Kalitta is his third of the 2024 season and the 55th of his career, which moves him to fourth all-time in Top Fuel. Kalitta had to defeat teammate, Shawn Langdon, in the finals on Sunday evening to pick up the Wally Trophy, which is the ninth Top Fuel win in the last 10 NHRA races for Toyota.

With the finals appearances by both Kalitta and Langdon, Toyota has now reached the final round in 32 consecutive NHRA events in either Top Fuel and/or Funny Car.

Though his day ended in round two, Steve Torrence’s opening round victory marked the 500th of his historic NHRA career. Coincidentally, today’s milestone came at the same dragstrip where Torrence qualified for his first NHRA race back in 2006.

In Funny Car, Ron Capps advanced to the second round Sunday, but fell to event winner, Austin Prock, by just 0.091 seconds in the quarterfinals. Alexis DeJoria and J.R. Todd both bowed out in round one.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is right back in action next weekend at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, for the 10th race of the 2024 season.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
NHRA Virginia Nationals
Virginia Motorsports Park
Race 9 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterWinnerW (3.940) v. C. Ferre (N/A) W (3.964) v. J. Hart (4.490) W (3.828) v. T. Stewart (4.631) W (3.752) v. S. Langdon (6.148)
Shawn LangdonKalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel DragsterFinalistW (3.911) v. L. Joon (4.154) W (3.976 – holeshot) v. S. Torrence (3.971) W (3.815) v. A. Brown (3.826) L (6.148) v. D. Kalitta (3.752)
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSemi-finalsW (3.913) v. B. Torrence (4.121) W (3.923) v. T. Schumacher (4.284) L (3.826) v. S. Langdon (3.815)
Steve TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel DragsterSecond RoundW (4.010) v. J. Ashley (4.499) L (3.971) v. S. Langdon (3.976 – holeshot)
Justin AshleySCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel DragsterFirst RoundL (4.499) v. S. Torrence (4.010)
Billy TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel DragsterFirst RoundL (4.121) v. A. Brown (3.913)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS

NameCarFinal ResultRound-by-Round
Ron CappsNAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny CarSecond RoundW (4.094) v. A. DeJoria (N/A) L (4.127) v. A. Prock (4.036)
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny CarFirst RoundL (4.395) v. M. Hagan (4.335)
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny CarFirst RoundL (N/A) v. R. Capps (4.094)
*= Non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

DOUG KALITTA, Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

TF Final Result: Winner

How does it feel for your entire team to have such momentum?

“Yeah, we definitely all work very hard at it. Chad Head (general manager, Kalitta Motorsports), Connie (Kalitta, team owner, Kalitta Motorsports). Yeah, just real proud of what Connie has put together here for us. Bragging rights, I guess at the shop. You know, my Mac Tools, Toyota, Revchem guys, Alan Johnson (crew chief), everybody. Really, heck of a job today, just going rounds. You know, it was so hot, obviously, and we had this rain delay. Great weekend for all of us!”

SHAWN LANGDON, Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

TF Final Result: Finalist

How would you describe your day and weekend?

“The Kalitta Air Careers Toyota team had a great weekend. We just came up one short. Great job by Brian (Husen, crew chief), all the guys, everybody at Kalitta Air, Revchem and SealMaster. They’ve been giving me a great race car all season, so we just have to keep at it and keep working hard. I couldn’t be happier for this whole Kalitta bunch. We had two Kalitta cars in the final and that’s the most important thing.”

STEVE TORRENCE, CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Torrence Racing

TF Final Result: Second Round

How does it feel to achieve 500 career round wins?

“You know, it’s been a lot of ups and a lot of downs, and a lot of success and heartache, all at the same time. But to do it with my family and those CAPCO boys has been remarkable. It’s crazy to think I’m 41-years-old, I’ve been out here since I was 23, just a kid doing this. It’s spectacular. This is where it all started for me here in Richmond, so these fans are great. Dexter Tuttle (former NHRA team owner) and Evan Knoll, those guys gave me an opportunity and my family supported me and pushed me out there. Just a kid living his dream and we’re still living it, so thankful to be here. That’s pretty cool, 500 of them.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 49,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 34 million cars and trucks at our nine manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 10th 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 28 electrified options.

Through its Driving Possibilities initiative, the Toyota USA Foundation has committed to creating innovative educational programs within, and in partnership with, historically underserved and diverse communities near the company’s U.S. operating sites.

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

Christopher Bell Completes “Magical” Weekend at New Hampshire with Victory in USA TODAY 301 NASCAR Cup Series Race

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NASCAR Cup Series star Christopher Bell celebrated his USA TODAY 301 NASCAR Cup Series race win – his second win of the weekend to complete the sweep – at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Sunday. Photo Credit: NHMS/Harold Hinson Photography

Christopher Bell earns his second race win of the weekend to complete the New Hampshire sweep with a USA TODAY 301 victory.

LOUDON, N.H. – Christopher Bell celebrated a wet and wild weekend at “The Magic Mile” with his second overtime victory in as many days in a history-making USA TODAY 301 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) race on Sunday.

As darkness overtook New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS), Bell’s victory lane celebration lit up New England’s home for NASCAR as the 29-year-old from Norman, Okla. celebrated with not only Loudon the Lobster but a broom to mark his weekend sweep after winning the SciAps 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) race on Saturday.

“It feels like we’re hitting our stride,” said Bell, who now sits just one point behind Kyle Larson in NASCAR’s playoff standings after his third victory of the season and ninth of his career. “I’m excited about what’s to come.”

It was Joe Gibbs Racing’s third straight NHMS NCS victory after Martin Truex Jr. won in 2023 and Bell’s first Cup win at “The Magic Mile” in 2022. All told, Bell has won seven of his 11 NHMS starts across NASCAR’s top three national touring series, including two in the NCS.

Driving the No. 20 Toyota, Bell beat runner-up Chase Briscoe to the Granite Stripe start-finish line by 1.104 seconds following a green-white-checkered restart. Briscoe’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Josh Berry was third, followed by Kyle Larson in fourth and Chris Buescher in fifth.

Wet-weather tires specifically designed for racing on damp surfaces were used for the first time in the middle of a NCS race on an oval track after a red flag stoppage for rain showers for more than two hours with 219 laps complete.

“It was so fun to get to experience that run of 80 or so laps in those conditions,” said Bell, who was ninth entering the red flag period. “It ended up being a good show and made it different. Nobody knew what to expect or what to do and hopefully it was entertaining.”

Richmond’s race in March began with 41 laps on wet-weather tires. The final 86 laps at New Hampshire featured the unique grooved rubber.

“What a whirlwind,” Briscoe said. “What an awesome recovery. The rain definitely helped us. We had a couple good restarts. We needed a good turnaround day and it definitely didn’t start that way but I am glad that it ended up that way for sure.”

Bell was able to consistently hold off all challengers after grabbing the lead on lap 242, heading the final 64 laps and a race-high 149 total. With his fellow competitors looking for any advantage on all parts of the racing surface, Bell stayed clean as six caution flags flew after the wet-weather tires were added.

“I really was surprised to see people [racing] on the apron,” said Adam Stevens, Bell’s crew chief. “It seemed like everyone could find a line that worked for whatever balance they had. This track has so much character and tasks the driver with finding the best lines.”

“I don’t think any of us will forget this race,” added Joe Gibbs, Bell’s car owner. “I think Christopher is gifted. It’s great to see him get the success he deserves.”

Among New England natives, Ryan Preece from Berlin, Conn., was 11th, Boston native Kaz Grala finished 22nd and Joey Logano, from Middletown, Conn., placed three laps down in 32nd.

Other notable finishes included Tyler Reddick (53 laps led) in sixth, who would have been the victor if the race had been called during the red-flag stoppage, Martin Truex Jr. in ninth, who was making his last NHMS start as a full-time NCS driver and Chase Elliott in 18th, who led the race’s first 41 laps.

Bell completed the 305 laps (322.69 miles) in three hours, 48 minutes and 14 seconds for an average speed of 84.832 mph. Five drivers exchanged the lead six times, with 14 caution periods taking up 85 laps. Bell won the first stage while his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin won the second stage before slipping to 24th place.

“This race had everything,” NBC Sports analyst Steve Letarte noted after the checkered flag fell and Bell celebrated in front of thousands of New Hampshire fans who stuck it out through the wet weather. “I don’t even know where to start.”

Tickets:

Fans can renew their tickets for the 2025 NCS race at NHMS.com. The official 2025 NCS schedule, including their annual stop in New England, will be released later this year.

Follow Us:

Keep track of all of New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s events by following on Facebook (@NHMotorSpeedway), Twitter (@NHMS) and Instagram (@NHMS). Keep up with all the latest information on the speedway website (NHMS.com) and mobile app.

Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – New Hampshire

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USA Today 301 – New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Loudon, N.H. – June 23, 2024
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Oval Decal – TrackDecals

AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 AUTOTRADER FORD MUSTANG

START: 29TH STAGE ONE: 28TH STAGE TWO: 19TH FINISH: 19TH POINTS: 21ST

RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric, driver of the No. 2 Autotrader Ford Mustang, soldiered on through a chaotic USA TODAY 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, recording a 19th-place finish. After inclement weather scrapped qualifying Saturday, Cindric lined up 29th for the start as the starting order was set per the NASCAR rulebook. The Autotrader Ford remained near that position for the duration of Stage 1 as it had a tight condition that limited Cindric’s ability to run the higher lane. When the flag flew to end the segment, Cindric was scored in the 28th position. The No. 2 was docked for speeding on pit road and lined up 29th for the ensuing restart. Cindric returned to pit road on Lap 120 under green for fresh tires, fuel and additional adjustments to further aid the handling, and again on Lap 154 under caution. With five laps remaining in Stage 2, Cindric informed his team that he was able to run the higher lane much better than he had previously been able to. Cindric took two tires at the Stage break after finishing 19th and restarted 6th to kick off the third and final segment. A series of quick cautions slowed the field before weather rolled into the area, ultimately generating an over two-hour long red flag. Once it cleared out, the race resumed with drivers on wet weather tires and Cindric fired off seventh with 73 laps to go. A plethora of chaotic cautions followed, with Cindric getting collected in one of them, a multi-car incident with 37 laps remaining. He returned to pit road for the team to assess the car and eventually took fresh wet weather tires in preparation for the restart. As the chaos continued to ensue, Cindric fought to the checkered flag to record a 19th-place finish.

CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “Yeah, we had a really strong run up through the field. The guys made some good adjustments, it’s just a grind to get track position back at this place. Then with the rain, wet weather tires, and getting spun out, it was just an absolute mess trying to drive back up through there. I’m proud of the effort we had up until Stage 3, I definitely thought we had a bit more of a normal day in the Autotrader Ford.”

RYAN BLANEY No. 12 MENARDS/DUTCH BOY FORD MUSTANG

START: 2ND STAGE ONE: 4TH STAGE TWO: 5TH FINISH: 25TH POINTS: 8TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney was in contention for his second win in as many weeks Sunday afternoon at New Hampshire Motor Speedway but was collected in a multi-car incident with nine laps to go, relegating him to a 25th-place finish. After starting from the outside of row one in the 301-lap event, Blaney settled into fifth in the running order during the first run of the day while battling issues with rear grip but managed to come away with a fourth-place finish in the opening stage. Blaney continued to keep pace in and around the top-five throughout Stage 2 as the 12-team continued go to work on the balance to help stabilize the Menards/Dutch Boy Ford over the long run. Following a caution on lap 154, Blaney restarted from the outside of row three with 26 laps to go in the segment and battled his way to a fifth-place result in the second stage. With rainfall approaching the track at the start of the final stage, Blaney charged up to third on the leaderboard and was locked into a battle for the lead with the Nos. 45 and 11 but a caution on lap 216 halted his momentum before rain brought out the red flag on lap 219. Following a lengthy delay, drivers returned to their cars as teams mounted wet weather tires prior to the restart with 73 laps to go. With the track still damp, Blaney searched all over the racing surface for the fastest line while managing tire wear to hold his position in second despite several cautions in the opening laps. Teams were required to stick with the wet weather tires during non-competitive pit stops through the end of the race while Blaney continued to challenge for the lead with the laps winding down. Blaney chose to restart from the outside of row two coming to nine laps to go as he found success running the top lane but the No. 34 overshot the entry to turn one on the restart, sliding up into the left side of Blaney and sending the two around in front of the field. Blaney was relegated to the tail end of the lead lap for the ensuing restart, resulting in a 25th-place finish.

BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “I knew what [Michael McDowell] was trying to do. It was a low percentage move. It was wet down there and he drove it in there. What do you think is going to happen? You are going to take both of us out. I know [McDowell] has to win and all that, and that was his excuse, but you have to be a little more calculated than that. It stinks it was at our expense. Man, I really thought we had a decent shot to contend. I was happy because we came in, put tires on, made a big adjustment and I was looking forward to restarting behind [Christopher] Bell and see if we would have anything for him but just never got a chance. I’m proud of the 12 boys. Long day and a really fast car. I really enjoyed where our short track program is going right now. Hopefully we can just continue to get that a little bit better.”

JOEY LOGANO No. 22 HUNT BROTHERS PIZZA FORD MUSTANG

START: 6TH STAGE ONE: 2ND STAGE TWO: 3RD FINISH: 32ND POINTS: 14TH

RACE RUNDOWN: Joey Logano was credited with a 32nd-place finish after being involved in a multi-car incident at the start of the final stage but came away with top-five finishes in the first two segments Sunday afternoon at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Logano’s Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford had exceptional long-run speed on display from the onset of the 301-lap event and chased down the No. 9 in the closing laps of Stage 1 before completing the pass for second out of turn four coming to the green-and-white checkered flag to complete the opening stage. The caution flag flew on lap 142 following the completion of the green flag pit cycle in Stage 2 when crew chief Paul Wolfe elected to keep Logano on track, vaulting him to second in the running order to take the restart from the inside of row one with 37 laps remaining in the segment. Logano battled for the top spot on the ensuing run while fending off teams with fresher tires behind him before coming away with a third-place finish in Stage 2. With the threat of rain quickly approaching prior to the start of the final stage, Logano hit pit road for a four tire stop under caution and lined up 12th for the ensuing restart. On the opening lap of the final stage, Logano was pushed into turn one and slid up the track into the No. 9 to bring out the caution on lap 195. Once Logano was able to make it to pit road, the 22-team made a pair of stops under yellow to repair the right front toe link and assess damage to the right front. After rejoining the field, Logano was able to meet minimum speed was scored 35th, three laps down. A pair of cautions shortly after allowed the 22-team to make additional repairs before rainfall brought out the red flag on lap 219. Following a lengthy delay, teams made the switch to the wet weather tires for the remaining 82 laps and several cautions over the course of the final stretch allowed Logano to make up a few positions along the way, ending in a 32nd-place result.

LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “Unfortunate end to our day after the speed we showed in the first two stages – I thought we had something to contend for the win but just didn’t pan out that way. The Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford had a lot of pace and we could really get it going on the long run. Proud of the 22 crew for sticking with it and keeping us out there to the end.”

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Nashville Superspeedway for the Ally 400 on Sunday, June 30. Coverage begins at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Rick Ware Racing: USA Today 301 from New Hampshire

By
Official Release
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RICK WARE RACING
USA Today 301

Date: June 23, 2024
Event: USA Today 301 (Round 18 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (1.058-mile oval)
Format: 301 laps, broken into three stages 70 laps/115 laps/116 laps)
Note: Race extended four laps past its scheduled 301-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Race Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 1 Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

RWR Race Finish:

● Kaz Grala (Started 35th, Finished 22nd/Running, completed 305 of 305 laps)
● Justin Haley (Started 24th, Finished 29th/Running, completed 305 of 305 laps)

RWR Points:

● Justin Haley (30th with 242 points)
● Kaz Grala (35th with 155 points)

RWR Notes:

● This was Grala’s first Cup Series start at New Hampshire.
● Grala’s 22nd-place finish is a new team-best for Rick Ware Racing at New Hampshire. The previous best was a 27th-place result earned by Brennan Poole in August 2020.
● This was Haley’s fourth start at New Hampshire. His best finish remains 17th, earned in July 2023.

Race Notes:

● Christopher Bell won the USA Today 301 to score his ninth career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his third of the season and his second at New Hampshire. His margin of victory over second-place Chase Briscoe was 1.104 seconds.

● There were 14 caution periods for a total of 85 laps.

● Twenty-nine of the 36 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.

● Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott leave New Hampshire tied atop the championship standings with a 40-point advantage over third-place Denny Hamlin.

Sound Bites:

“We made the most of our finish today, for sure. We got behind early but were on our way forward when one of the crashes in the dry damaged our right side quite a bit. We had to manage that throughout the wet portion of the race, and it definitely hurt our speed, but we fought our way as far forward as we could to salvage a 22-place finish. Our Meat N’ Bone team worked hard all day and executed the way we needed to.” – Kaz Grala, driver of the No. 15 Meat N’ Bone Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“Our Fraternal Order of Eagles Ford Mustang Dark Horse was so good today. I really felt like when we went back racing after the delay, we’d be able to stay in the top-10 and battle for a top-five finish. Unfortunately, the damage we got when the Nos. 34 and 12 wrecked made a bigger difference than we thought and there wasn’t much I could do to overcome it. We still have a lot to be proud of. The top-10 runs are getting more consistent and we’re showing just how much work is being put in to improve at Rick Ware Racing.”– Justin Haley, driver of the No. 51 Fraternal Order of Eagles Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Ally 400 on Sunday, June 30 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Kaulig Racing Race Recap | USA Today 301

By
Official Release
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TY DILLON
No. 16 CarBravo Camaro ZL1

  • Ty Dillon started 36th, as per the rule book, after qualifying for the USA Today 301 was canceled, due to inclement weather.
  • Dillon and the No. 16 CarBravo team remained silent on the radio for the first half of Stage one, before reporting he was tight in the middle. Dillon fell one lap down, as he continued to battle a car that became loose in and out of turns. After a caution-free stage one came to an end, the No. 16 car finished 36th and one lap down.
  • While under the first stage break, the No. 16 team pitted for tires, fuel, a sway bar and rear track-bar adjustment with the goal of being able to enter the corners more aggressively. Dillon restarted 36th and one lap down. As the field returned green, Dillon noted the adjustments had improved the handling of the No. 16. Electing to run long while the field began green-flag pit stops, the No. 16 gained as many as three positions but eventually fell two laps down, before the first caution of the day on lap 143. Staying out, Dillon restarted 31st and one lap down, when a timely caution on lap 155 allowed the No. 16 to pit for a right-rear adjustment, tires and fuel. Dillon restarted 30th and one lap down. As the green-white-checkered flew to wrap up stage two, Dillon finished 31st and a lap down.
  • As the final stage got underway, Dillon reported low air pressure did not allow the No.16 to fire off fast enough. Crew Chief Travis Mack brought the No.16 down pit road for an air pressure adjustment, tires and fuel. Dillon restarted 31st when an early caution allowed the No.16 to pit once again and top off with fuel. Dillon restarted 30th and in the free-pass position when the fourth caution fell, putting the No.16 back on the lead lap. Dillon pitted for four tires and fuel, before restarting 28th. On Lap 211 the fifth caution of the day came out. Dillon stayed out and restarted 26th, climbing two spots before the next caution and inclement weather red-flagged the race. After a lengthy delay and a NASCAR-mandated switch to rain tires, the No. 16 restarted 26th, as Dillon fell one position before the next caution. Electing to stay out, the No. 16 restarted 25th. Dillon slowly lost four positions as the No. 16 was free exiting turns, when the next caution came out with 45 laps to go. Staying out, the No. 16 restarted 29th and climbed as high as 23rd before a wreck with 37 laps to go eliminated several cars and caused minimal driver-side body damage to the No. 16 car. The field pitted for a non-competitive pit stop for fresh rain tires. The No. 16 gained as many as seven positions over the next several laps, before the caution once again flew with 18 laps remaining. Dillon avoided the wreck, elected to stay out and restarted 17th, when NASCAR again mandated fresh rain tires. As the field looked to return to green-flag racing, the caution once again came out on the restart. The No. 16 stayed out and restarted 17th. The next and final caution of the race set up NASCAR overtime. Dillon once again stayed out and restarted 17th. Dillon went on to finish 20th.

“I’m really proud of the guys today and everything they did to make the car better. At one point, we were two laps down, and we just kept fighting, hitting our restarts, and gaining positions back. We still need to work on a few things, but was an overall team effort today.” – Ty Dillon  
 
DANIEL HEMRIC
No. 31 Poppy Bank Camaro ZL1

  • Daniel Hemric started 33rd, as per the rule book, after qualifying for the USA Today 301 was canceled, due to inclement weather.
  • Hemric stayed quiet on the radio, as the opening stage remained green for the entire 70-lap stint. Hemric finished 34th and down one lap to the leaders.
  • During the first stage break, Hemric radioed that his No. 31 Poppy Bank Chevy was loose on entry. He pitted for tires, fuel, and a handful of adjustments to help the handling of the car. He started the second stage in 34th. Hemric made steady improvements but lacked the rear grip he needed to advance. On lap 141, Hemric spun but acquired no damage, as the caution came out. Crew chief Trent Owens made the call to pit for substantial adjustments on the No. 31 Chevy. The field went back to green on lap 148, as Hemric sat two laps down to the leaders. Another caution came out on lap 153, giving the No. 31 team another chance to make more left-side adjustments. He restarted 34th on lap 159 and went on to finish 33rd in stage two.
  • During the second stage break, Hemric noted improvements of the No. 31 Chevrolet’s drivability, adding that the rear tires felt more connected. He pitted for four tires and started the final stage in 33rd. A caution came out on the initial restart, followed by another, before eventually going back to green with 96 laps remaining. As another caution came out with 92 laps remaining, Hemric radioed that the No. 31 Chevy was extremely tight handling, and Owens made the call to pit for right-side tires. Hemric restarted in the free-pass position before another caution came out just after the restart. Rain began to fall, red-flagging the race. The race resumed and went back to green on lap 228, as Hemric sat 31st. The next caution fell on lap 234, and Hemric pitted for a wedge adjustment. The field went back to green on lap 262 and only made it two laps before another caution came out. Hemric avoided wrecking cars in front of him, but made slight contact with the wall. The field pitted under caution for a non-competitive stop to put on fresh wet-weather tires. Hemric restarted 30th with 27 laps to go, before the next caution came out with 18 laps remaining, as Hemric avoided a spinning No. 77 car in front of him. He radioed to his team that the No. 31 Poppy Bank Chevy was tight on throttle. Hemric pitted under caution for wet-weather tires and restarted 31st with nine laps remaining. A caution on the restart put the field back under yellow, and Hemric stayed out before restarting 31st. The field went green for two laps before a spin brought out an overtime-inducing caution. On a lap of his own, Hemric restarted 31st, where he finished the race.

“We knew coming into the weekend that our short-track package has been a challenge for this Kaulig Racing team, and that’s what today was. Our No. 31 Poppy Bank Chevy lacked rear grip, and I spun after using up the rear tires. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t rebound and get our laps back.” – Daniel Hemric  

 
About Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 23 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries, with a part-time fourth entry at select events. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

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