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Briscoe’s Runner-Up Effort Leads Ford at New Hampshire (NCS Post Race Quotes)

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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
NCS Post Race | Saturday, June 22, 2024

UNOFFICIAL FORD FINISHING RESULTS
2nd – Chase Briscoe
3rd – Josh Berry
5th – Chris Buescher
11th – Ryan Preece
12th – Todd Gilliland
14th – Harrison Burton
15th – Michael McDowell
19th – Austin Cindric
22nd – Kaz Grala
25th – Ryan Blaney
27th – Noah Gragson
28th – Brad Keselowski
29th – Justin Haley
32nd – Joey Logano

Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Zep Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 2nd)

“What a whirlwind. Two hours ago, we couldn’t even run 25th. The rain saved us. Just an awesome recovery for our Zep Ford. I always joke that this is one of my worst race tracks so to run second is kind of surprising to be honest with you. The rain definitely helped us. If it wasn’t for the rain we were going to literally run 24th probably. We had a couple of good restarts and the guys did a good job of understanding the rain balance. I think we learned a lot when we did it at Richmond. 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.”

Josh Berry, No. 4 Miner Docks Doors & More Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 3rd)

“We were 20th when it was raining and then we threw some rain tires on it and did what I knew we could do and moved all the way up there. That was a lot of fun honestly. I am going to think back to a million things I could have done differently there but the bottom was just so hard to get going through one and two. I feel like if I could have just cleared the 14, I was kind of inching in on Bell before the final caution. I just got a little loose off of two and that let Chase get back to my left rear and we got stuck racing each other. I don’t know. I wanted to take the front row there so bad at the end there but I just felt like we were making the right decision based on the track conditions, it just didn’t work out.”

Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 5th)

“Loudon has not been our best track, definitely not mine specifically. There was no quit in this Fastnal group today. It was awesome to come home with a top five. We were really good in the rain when it was wet. We really fought for it when it was dry but we were on wet tires. There at the end there was just really one good groove and that made restarts a battle. We were able to persevere through all that and bring this thing home with a handful of more tire marks on the door than when we went in under red initially, but a really good night for us.”

Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Menards/Dutch Boy Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 25th)

YOU WERE POISED FOR A TOP-THREE FINISH BUT ENDED UP 25TH. HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT CONTACT WITH MICHAEL MCDOWELL THERE AND WHAT DID HE SAY AFTER THE RACE? “He said he was sorry he wrecked me. Apologies are nice but it isn’t going to bring back what he did. I knew what he 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 he 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 Bell and see if we would have anything for him but just never got a chance. I am 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.”

Ryan Preece, No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 11th)

“I feel a lot better about today now with how we ended versus before how it was before the rain delay. We were going to finish 28th and finished up 11th. I am still mad finishing 11th because I just feel like we still should have finished higher.”

Harrison Burton, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 14th)

“I am a little frustrated honestly. I think we should have finished a lot better. We picked the bottom on the last restart and if I had it back I would pick the top. I don’t know. It is hard. It is hard to not restart fifth instead of, I think I would have restarted 10th or 12th or something on the top. You never know how it works out. it is a bummer to not finish it off. It felt like we had a good car once it went to the wet especially. If I could keep the right rear tire on it. The caution came out with nine to go and that was really good timing. It is easy to be mad now but also thankful that it came out because my right rear was pretty hurt. We just have to figure out everything there and go over our process on choose. I would like to finish it off better next time but we had a good car and I am proud of our guys.”

CHEVROLET NCS AT NEW HAMPSHIRE: Post-Race Report

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Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
USA TODAY 301
POST-RACE REPORT
JUNE 23, 2024

 Larson Leads Chevrolet With Top-Five Finish at New Hampshire

  •  With lingering inclement weather forcing the cancellation of yesterday’s qualifying session for the NASCAR Cup Series, the lineup for the USA Today 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was set per the rule book – putting series’ points leader Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 team on the pole position.
  • At the drop of the green flag, Stage One saw the series make 70 caution-free laps, with pole sitter Elliott pacing the field for the first 41 circuits around the 1.058-mile venue. Elliott began to battle very loose conditions in his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 on the long run, with the Team Chevy driver ultimately ending the stage in the third position. Crew Chief Alan Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for the team’s first stop of the event – taking four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment for the start of Stage Two.
  • Elliott continued to pace the Bowtie brigade at the start of Stage Two – settling into the seventh position and quickly posting top-three lap times during the first 20 laps of the stage. With a pair of cautions near the midway point of the race, pit strategy came into play to shakeup the running order. On the last caution of the stage, Elliott and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Larson, opted to forgo pit road to claim crucial track position in the top-10. Strategy paid dividends for the Team Chevy teammates, with Larson and Elliott going on to take the green-white checkered flag in the seventh and ninth positions, respectively.
  • During the final stage break, the threat of weather played a massive factor in strategy throughout pit road. Following a seventh-place finish in Stage Two, Crew Chief Cliff Daniels called Larson to pit road for a pair of right-side tires, with the team winning the race off pit road to lineup third for the start of the final stage.
  • A caution on Lap 201 involved Elliott after a strong showing in the top-10 throughout the race. The No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 team went to work on their Chevrolet-powered machine; making repairs while still maintaining a position on the lead lap.
  • Taking the restart from the outside front-row, Larson quickly went into a battle for the lead – ultimately losing just a handful of positions but maintained a position in the top-10 as the race entered less than 100 laps to go.
  • Under caution for the eighth time, Larson was sitting in the seventh position when precipitation began to fall, forcing NASCAR to bring the field down pit road. The race ultimately went under red flag conditions on Lap 219, with the delay totaling two hours and 14 minutes.
  • Teams installed wet weather tires to resume the remainder of the race, eventually taking the green flag at the 227 lap marker. Restarting in the seventh position, it took Larson just three laps to take his No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1 to the front – settling into the third position on Lap 230.
  • After significant rainfall forced a lengthy delay of the USA Today 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Cup Series returned to the track for the final 82 laps of the event.
  • Kyle Larson and the No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1 led Chevrolet to the checkered flag with a fourth-place finish. The result marks Larson’s sixth career top-five finish in NASCAR’s top division at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and his eighth top-five finish in 18 points-paying races this season.
  • The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Nashville Superspeedway with the Ally 400 on Sunday, June 30, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS
POS. DRIVER
4th Kyle Larson, No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1
7th Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Kroger/Kleenex 100 Years Camaro ZL1
10th Ross Chastain, No. 1 Kubota Camaro ZL1

 TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 POST-RACE QUOTES:
Kyle Larson, No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1

Finished: 4th

Out on those damp tires, you were one of the first to dive all the way to the bottom. How did it work out?

“Yeah, it was fun. I think when it’s like that, I think that is why you see a lot of the dirt racers kind of migrate to the front. Just tried to feel it out under caution. It’s not my best bet on the restart to go extremely low, but it worked out and I was able to maintain track position the rest of the race, so I am proud of that.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Kroger/Kleenex 100 Years Camaro ZL1

Finished: 7th

Stenhouse Jr. on back-to-back top-10 finishes:

“Our day was all over the place. We were really bad on dry tires and just struggled all day. And then when we went to the wet weather tires, we had really good runs. We struggled a little bit, but there at the end, we got our No. 47 Kroger/Kleenex 100 Years Chevy really good. We were able to battle back from 25th and drive up into the top-10. We made the most out of it, which was really cool. Two top-10s, back-to-back, and hopefully we can do the same thing at Nashville (Superspeedway).”

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Kubota Camaro ZL1

Finished: 10th

“Overall, I think we ended up about where we were going to be if we ran the whole race in the dry. I feel like we just have some fundamental things to work on, like sliding my front-tires too much with slicks on in the dry, wets on in the wet and wets on in the dry. I just need to slide my tires less. But all-in-all, happy to salvage a top-10 finish. We’ll regroup and get ready for Nashville (Superspeedway).”

 

About Chevrolet

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Cadillac at The Glen: Runner-up finish

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Official Release
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No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R pushes through six hours of mixed conditions

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (June 23, 2024) – Battling both Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) competition and the elements, Cadillac Racing came away with a hard-fought second place Sunday in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen.

Renger van der Zande and Sebastien Bourdais shared seat time in the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R through high humidity at the late-morning race start, intermittent rain in the middle sections of the contest, a deluge that brought out a 40-minute red flag and a race to the finish to earn their fourth podium in six IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races.

“Congratulations to Cadillac Racing team and the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R on their runner-up finish in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen. Every member of the team can be very proud of their efforts on preparing the racecar for success, from both a technology and durability standpoint,” said John Roth, global vice president of Cadillac. “The podium finish today showcases the remarkable capabilities, expertise and determination of the Cadillac Racing team.”

With a drying track and GTP competitors back on Michelin slicks following the red flag stoppage, the final green flag flew to create a 16-minute, 25-second sprint on the 3.4-mile, 11-turn Watkins Glen International road course. Van der Zande, who qualified second a day earlier, overtook the pole-winning No. 40 Acura ARX-06 on the restart for second in the running order and challenged the leading No. 7 Porsche 963 through every corner and took the checked flag 0.749 of a second arrears.

Cadillac Racing has earned at least one podium finish in all six races, including a 1-2 finish at Long Beach. The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R remains second in the GTP team/driver championship standings.

Bourdais and van der Zande, along with Pipo Derani and Jack Aitken, drivers of the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, faced similar driving conditions a week earlier during the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R’s fortunes turned surrounding its second round of service stops. First, with Aitken behind the wheel and an 11-second advantage over the second-place runner, the racecar spun exiting Turn 5 and Aitken was overtaken for the lead. He pitted on the next lap for service and a driver change to Derani.

With Derani on new tires, the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R made light contact with traffic and ran off course in Turn 1, necessitating an unscheduled pit stop for tires and a nose change. The sequence put the hybrid Cadillac a lap down that it was unable to recover. The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R placed eighth.

Round 7 of the IMSA GTP season will be contested Aug. 2-4 at the 4-mile, 14-turn Road America. The 2-hour, 40-minute IMSA SportsCar Weekend will be streamed on Peacock for the U.S. audience and IMSA.tv for the global audience at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 4.

For editorial use: Cadillac Racing photos from the race weekend at The Glen

No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R wins Front Runner Award

The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R team earned the VP Racing Fuels Front Runner Award in the GTP class, which is given to the team that leads the most laps in the most races through the first half of the season. Chip Ganassi Racing director of operations Mike O’Gara accepted the award on behalf of the team during prerace activities.

What they’re saying

No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R

Renger van der Zande: “It was really enjoyable to fight for the win. Congrats to the car that won, and I think we’re happy to be P2. We had a good start and had speed in the car on the dry track, but it faded away a bit. We were doing OK until the rain came. And when the track dried out and we were on slicks, we gave it our all. We’ll take the points home to go into the final few races of the championship.”

Sebastien Bourdais: “It was a really tricky race. I felt like there were a lot of chances to take when it was sprinkling on dry tires. I didn’t feel comfortable because with that hard tire if you misjudge it and you fence the car the race is over. I was torn because I knew I was losing time, but I knew we can’t take the chances right now. It’s really not my forte to play casino with how much grip you’re going to get on the corner when you don’t know how much rain came down from the last time you came around. We made the switch to slicks after the rains and I feel comfortable there. It’s drying. We made good gains and were back in the fight. Overall, Renger did an awesome job at the end and he just executed. We’ll just keep digging and stacking up points and hopefully we’ll get even.”

No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

Jack Aitken: “I think the race started with so much promise. I had a pretty average first lap, dropped down to fourth (from qualifying third) and it was a case of being patient. The race was coming more and more to us and we picked them off one by one to get to the lead. I felt quite comfortable and everything was going smooth. Then, just a misjudgment by me in the Bus Stop caught the car at a bad angle and had a half-spin. It was not the end of the world; dropped us down to fourth – back where we started. Then it kind of had a cascade of events. Pipo (Derani) had an incident on his outlap with a couple of other cars and picked up some damage, and we just never really got back into the race, which is a bit surprising. Strategically, it didn’t fall our way. Pretty painful race for us, especially with the way it started. We’ll carry on, enjoy the break and come back to Road America fresh.”

Tom Blomqvist: “It was a tough day for the team. It was kind of pear-shaped. The race was going so well, then kind of derailed. Jack (Aitken) did an incredible first two stints and around the pit cycle we had two little incidents that put us a lap down. But in these races, a lap down, maybe you’re on the cusp of being out of contention but you normally bank on getting that back. The other guys played their hand and kept us a lap down, and there really wasn’t an opportunity to get it back with the yellows. I was on slicks, wets, did a lot of yellow laps and not any dry laps. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do much to help out there.”

Crawford Takes Dominant F2 Feature Race victory at Barcelona

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Official Release
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Barcelona (ESP), JUNE 20 - 23 2024 - Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona - Catalunya. Jak CRAWFORD #7 Dams. © 2024 Dutch Photo Agency

19-year-old Texan qualifies second, takes fourth in Sprint Race

BARCELONA, Spain (23 June 2024) – After some tough racing luck in the previous rounds, Jak Crawford needed a bounce-back weekend for his FIA Formula 2 season and he got it in Barcelona, taking a commanding victory in the Feature Race after placing fourth in Saturday’s Sprint Race in Round 6 of the championship.

The 19-year-old Texan scored his first F2 Feature Race triumph, having won last year’s Sprint Race at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria.

Boosted by his pace and perfect strategy calls by DAMS Lucas Oil, Crawford backed up his pre-race prediction that he would be fighting for the victory in the 37-lap race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. 

The victory skyrocketed him to fourth from 10th in the F2 standings with 62 points. 

“Honestly, this is huge, getting a double-podium for the team,” Crawford said. “Our season has not been going well in the last few rounds, and this was a perfect weekend with the qualifying and the Feature Race. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Starting on soft-compound tires from the outside of the front row for the Feature, Crawford went off in second position. He was the first driver using the alternate tire to pit, rejoining the event in 17th place on the harder compound. When the pole sitter pitted three laps later, Crawford caught and passed him in Turn 3 on his out lap.

That put Crawford in seventh, but in the virtual race lead as the first-place driver using the alternate strategy. Gradually, the leaders pitted for their mandatory stops. The last driver on the harder compound came in with nine laps remaining, giving Crawford the overall lead by 3.6-seconds. From there, it was a matter of managing the pace and the tires as Crawford went unchallenged for the victory. 

“Honestly, at the beginning of the race, I didn’t think I was doing so well,” Crawford said. “I was not very quick on the soft and I had degradation, so I was forced to box early because third place would have overtaken me. But we nailed the strategy when we did the undercut. I had two of my quickest out laps, and I was able to gap the guys behind me. I was pushing. That put me in front, and from there it was managing the tires. There was always some doubt. Luckily, we were able to save the tires and stay consistent for the whole race.”

Crawford demonstrated strong pace all weekend. Fourth in Friday’s practice, he used a late flying lap to post the second-fastest time in qualifying. 

“Practice was good and we seemed to have quick speed straight-away,” he said. “Qualifying is a different story. We were quite far off the pace. We put on a new set of tires and made a quick change, which was sort of a shot in the dark, and it was exactly what we needed. We just missed the pole by two-thousandths of a second, and it was a great result.

“We’ve always said we needed a clean qualifying and we’ll be up there, and that’s exactly what happened. We were fighting for pole, but we know our strength is in the race.”

Tire management was crucial in Friday’s Sprint Race. With the top-10 qualifiers inverted (plus a penalty), Crawford was gridded eighth but fell back to ninth at the start – holding that position for 12 of the 22 laps to preserve his tires. As laps clicked down, he worked his way forward. Crawford passed three contenders – including one on the final lap – and added two positions due to rivals’ track limits violations to take fourth.

“I had a good start, but I lost two positions on the first lap, which was unfortunate,” he said. “We had really good speed throughout the race, and it was lots of fun.”

Crawford will not have much time to savor his victory, with F2 traveling to Austria for the June 29-30 races at Spielberg, where he finished first and eighth last year. Then, it’s on to Silverstone the following weekend.

“Spielberg is where I won last year, and where I had my Formula 1 test,” he said. “Going back there with confidence from Barcelona makes it even better. This was perfect timing, it’s huge to have the momentum with four race weekends coming up in five weeks.”

Ryan Shehan Sweeps Weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

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LEXINGTON, Ohio (June 23, 2024) – With a victory in Sunday’s Race 2 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Ryan Shehan (No. 66 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) swept the weekend in Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas). The 19-year-old Texan entered the Mid-Ohio SpeedTour as the championship points leader, and extended his lead with two additional wins this weekend.

Notes of Interest:

  • Ryan Shehan won his second race of the weekend, and fourth of 2024, during Race 2 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Sunday.
  • Nicolas Ambiado recorded his career-best finish with his second-place result. Previously, the Velox USA/Speed Factory driver had two third-place finishes.
  • Patrick Woods-Toth recorded his eighth podium of 2024 with his third-place finish. The Canadian is tied with Shehan for the most podium finishes this season.
  • Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport has won 10 of the 11 FR Americas races to date in 2024. Shehan and Woods-Toth have won four races apiece for the organization, with Titus Sherlock winning two additional events.
  • Finishing on the podium in three of the last four races, Jett Bowling was awarded the Omologato Perfectly-Timed Move of the Race and recognized by the stewards for an outstanding performance this weekend. The award includes a bespoke Omologato timepiece.

With track conditions continuing to improve after morning showers soaked the racing surface, teams and drivers were given the option to choose either Hankook racing slicks or rain tires for Sunday’s feature race. The whole field opted for racing slicks, and Nicolas Ambiado (No. 55 TLink / Allegro Ligier JS F3) led everyone down the starting grid after recording the fastest lap in yesterday’s event. When the lights went out, Ambiado wiggled, giving Shehan sole control of the race as they entered Turn 1. While the top-three drivers all flanked out, with Shehan, Ambiado and Patrick Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) racing nose to tail, Hayden Bowlsbey (No. 22 IGY6 Motorsports / Save22 Ligier JS F3) had a great jump off the block to move from his sixth-place starting position up to fourth before they exited the first turn.

The race remained fairly calm, with drivers hitting their marks and logging laps until a full-course caution slowed the pace with 10 minutes left on the clock. Landan Matriano Lim (No. 73 739Racing Ligier JS F3) appeared poised to have one of the best finishes of his career, spending the majority of the day running in the fifth position, however, a spin in Turn 9 resulted in him getting stuck in the gravel and requiring a tow from safety crews. A quick retrieval allowed the race to resume with just over three minutes left on the clock, giving the drivers one last chance at mixing up the running order.

Shehan timed his restart perfectly, keeping Ambiado in his mirrors. Woods-Toth stayed just off the Chilean’s rear wing, with just one second separating the top three drivers. By the time they reached the checkered flag, Shehan beat Ambiado across the line by just 0.452 seconds, while Woods-Toth finished third.

“We’re on the racing line on the outside, so I think that helped quite a bit,” said Shehan from the top step of the podium. “I just got a good start and was able to hold it around the outside of Nico [Ambiado]. It was a good race after that, but it was pretty stressful. The track was pretty slick after the rain this morning, and the tires weren’t too happy. So, it was stressful, but I was able to hold on. I have to thank the whole Crosslink Kiwi team, my engineer, my mechanic, my parents and my sponsors.”

FR Americas is back on track next month at New Jersey Motorsports Park for the New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour, July 25-28. Live timing and scoring for the event can be accessed on the Race Monitor app, and additional news and updates will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Foster Takes Firm Title Lead with Laguna Seca Sweep

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MONTEREY, Calif. (Sunday, June 23, 2024) – Louis Foster is the runaway train of INDY NXT by Firestone, as he earned his fourth victory in the last five races and took the championship lead with a triumph in the second race of the Grand Prix of Monterey doubleheader Sunday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Foster earned the doubleheader sweep at the picturesque Northern California circuit by driving his No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies car of Andretti Global to a 4.3962-second victory over the No. 18 HMD Motorsports car of rookie Caio Collet. Foster beat Collet to the checkered flag by 8.2445 seconds in Race 1 Saturday.

“Like I said yesterday, Andretti has given us an amazing car,” Foster said. “I’m just out there doing my thing. It’s been a great weekend. Sunny skies in California. You can’t ask for anything more. So, super, super happy with that.”

British driver Foster earned his fourth victory of the season and his sixth career victory in the INDYCAR development series. He leads Jacob Abel in the standings by 35 points, 345-310, as the two drivers were tied at 291 points entering this race.

This could be a turning point for the season with six races to go. Abel finished 11th in the No. 51 Abel Construction car fielded by Abel Motorsports, his worst result of the season. Abel was assessed with a drive-through penalty late in the 35-lap race for avoidable contact after an incident in the famous “Corkscrew” turn complex while battling for third with Reece Gold in No. 10 HMD Motorsports car.

Andretti Global also extended its winning streak to five races this season in INDY NXT. Foster won the second race of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course doubleheader on May 11, on the streets of Detroit on June 2 and both races this weekend, while Jamie Chadwick won June 9 at Road America.

Foster’s dominance was complete on this 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course, pulling off a “grand slam” sweep of every performance category. He led both practice sessions, won the pole for both races, led all 70 combined laps and turned the fastest lap of both races.

Rookie Bryce Aron earned his first career INDY NXT by Firestone podium result by finishing third in the No. 27 Jaguar Land Rover Chesterfield car fielded by Andretti Global. His previous best finish was eighth at Barber Motorsports Park and Road America.

First-year INDY NXT drivers took four of the top five finishing positions. Rookie Yuven Sundaramoorthy finished a career best-tying fourth in the No. 22 S Team Motorsports/Abel Motorsports car, with rookie Salvador de Alba Jr. rounding out the top five with a career-best fifth in the No. 2 Grupo Indi car of Andretti Cape INDY NXT.

Foster controlled the race from the start. The only suspense came during a restart on Lap 17 after the only caution period, but Foster eased away from Collet at the green flag and never was threatened to the checkered flag.

A potentially critical flashpoint in the championship chase came on Lap 28 when Gold and Abel went side by side through the “Corkscrew” in a fierce tussle for third place. The two drivers made contact, forcing Gold’s car into the air and off track. The suspension of Gold’s car broke when he landed on the asphalt, ending his race.

During that joust, Aron squeezed past both cars to take third and kept that position for the rest of the race.

Race officials then assessed Abel with a drive-through penalty on Lap 29, which dropped him from fourth to 13th place. Abel rallied to pass two cars over the closing six laps.

The next race is the Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio on Sunday, July 7 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2 Results

MONTEREY, Calif. (Sunday, June 23, 2024) – Results Saturday of the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2 event on the 2.238-mile WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, laps completed and reason out (if any):

  1. (1) Louis Foster, 35, Running
  2. (2) Caio Collet, 35, Running
  3. (5) Bryce Aron, 35, Running
  4. (6) Yuven Sundaramoorthy, 35, Running
  5. (11) Salvador de Alba Jr., 35, Running
  6. (14) Jamie Chadwick, 35, Running
  7. (9) Christian Brooks, 35, Running
  8. (15) Christian Bogle, 35, Running
  9. (13) Josh Pierson, 35, Running
  10. (8) Jack William Miller, 35, Running
  11. (4) Jacob Abel, 35, Running
  12. (19) Niels Koolen, 35, Running
  13. (18) Ricardo Escotto, 35, Running
  14. (16) Nolan Allaer, 35, Running
  15. (20) Lindsay Brewer, 35, Running
  16. (12) Callum Hedge, 34, Running
  17. (10) Myles Rowe, 33, Running
  18. (3) Reece Gold, 26, Contact
  19. (7) James Roe, 25, Mechanical
  20. (17) Jonathan Browne, 25, Running

Race Statistics
Winners average speed: 105.715 mph
Time of Race: 00:44:27.4314
Margin of victory: 4.3962 seconds
Cautions: 1
Lead changes: 0

Lap Leaders:
Foster, Louis 1 – 35

Kaulig Racing Race Recap | Sci Aps 200

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AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevrolet Camaro

  • AJ Allmendinger started 22nd, as per the rule book, after qualifying for the Sci Aps 200 was canceled due to weather.
  • As the field made its pace laps, the cars came down pit road to follow suit with NASCAR’s damp weather protocol, to put wet condition tires on. While doing that, the No. 16 team made a track bar adjustment and cleaned the windshield. Upon re-entering the track, Allmendinger radioed that he had too much grip. A competition caution fell on lap 11 as the weather departed, allowing teams to put slick tires on. Allmendinger restarted 11th and advanced two positions until the caution fell on lap 29 for a stalled car. Restarting ninth, the field was brought under caution once again, this time after the No. 98 drove into the back of Allmendinger who inadvertently spun the No. 48. With six laps to go in stage one, the No. 16 Campers Inn RV Chevy restarted fifth. Gaining one more spot to earn seven stage points, Allmendinger finished the stage in fourth.
  • Allmendinger was considerably pleased with his No. 16 and stated that the car was rolling in the center well but was too free on exit. Pitting for tires, fuel and a tear off, he started stage two from the 21st position. As the stage proceeded, Allmendinger worked his way up to 13th before he radioed, “That’s all I’ve got, just no speed.” Blocked in by the No. 1 and No. 2, Allmendinger had trouble advancing, but managed to find something to gain one position and finish stage two in 13th.
  • Maintaining his grievances, Allmendinger continued to inform his team that he lacked “raw speed” and that he needed more turn in the center. Bringing the No. 16 to pit road for service, the Campers Inn RV team put on four tires and topped off on fuel. Starting the final stage 11th, Allmendinger settled in for the final 100 laps of the event. Prior to green flag pit stops, the No. 16 was running lap times comparable with the top-eight cars, all while running 12th. During his green flag pit stop, Allmendinger took four scuff tires, fuel and a slight air pressure adjustment. The caution flew with 12 laps to go, and Allmendinger was instructed to drive through the wreck. Unscathed and restarting 11th with six laps to go, Allmendinger maintained to finish the Sci Aps 200 in 11th.

“It was a tough day for our No. 16 team. We had a great car early on, but as the race continued, we lost mechanical speed and the handling went. We will continue to push through, and we’ll keep working hard for the finishes we deserve.” – AJ Allmendinger  

SHANE van GISBERGEN
No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro

  • Shane van Gisbergen started 28th, as per the rule book, after qualifying for the Sci Aps 200 was canceled due to weather.
  • The field began the race on wet-weather tires. The first caution of the day came out on lap 11 for a competition caution for the entire field to switch to slick tires. The No. 97 team took four tires and fuel, gaining seven positions on pit road and returning to the field in 17th place with 29 laps remaining in stage one. With 15 laps to go in the stage, the team opted to pit under caution to inspect the brakes and put on scuff tires used for one lap in Friday’s practice. Van Gisbergen crossed the green-and-white checkered flag to end stage one in 24th place.
  • The No. 97 WeatherTech team pitted during the stage break caution for four new tires, fuel, and adjustments. Van Gisbergen battled throughout the stage and held onto his position, finishing it in 24th.
  • Van Gisbergen pitted under the stage break caution for new tires, fuel & adjustments, starting Stage three in 18th. The No. 97 battled in the top 20 through the first 50 laps in the stage, reaching 17th. With 50 laps remaining in the race, the No. 97 team pitted under green for four tires and fuel. Van Gisbergen ran his fastest lap (31.207 seconds) of the race with 36 laps remaining. The first caution of the stage came out with 32 laps remaining, and Van Gisbergen opted to pit under yellow to get four scuffed tires, restarting 16th. Van Gisbergen took the checkered flag in 19th.

“It’s so crazy going into a race and never seeing the place before. Struggled a bit on the wets, but once we got back on the slicks, it was good. Had some fun, learned and got better and better every stage. Feeling pretty competitive on ovals, looking forward to next week.” – Shane van Gisbergen  

JOSH WILLIAMS
No. 11 Alloy Employer Services Chevrolet Camaro

  • Josh Williams started 17th, as per the rule book, after qualifying for the Sci Aps 200 was canceled due to weather.
  • After making one pace lap, NASCAR called all competitors down pit road to change to wet weather tires. After a 15-minute delay, Williams took the green flag and subsequently gained one spot over the first 11 laps. The caution came out to allow teams to change to slick tires, and after the No. 11 crew changed tires and added fuel, Williams fell to 22nd for the lap-17 restart due to being boxed in at his stall. He lost one position during the short green flag run before a stalled car on track brought out the yellow on lap 29. Williams stayed out and restarted in lap 33 in 19th, but another yellow came out on lap 36. He pitted for tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment and restarted in 29th with six laps to go in stage one. He finished the stage in 25th.
  • Williams rolled for the second stage from 11th on lap 52 but lost eight spots on the restart lap. He continued to fall down the order, leaving him to finish the all-green middle stage in 25th.
  • Williams pitted for tires, fuel, and a set of track bar and wedge adjustments during the stage break. He restarted in 22nd on lap 98 and made it to 21st by the time the yellow flag waved once again on lap 102. Firing back off in 21st on lap 106, Williams coasted there until the green flag pit cycle, stopping on lap 159 from 10th. He cycled out in 29th, and the caution came out shortly after on lap 168 while Williams was running in 28th. Restarting with 26 to go in 25th, he gained two spots before the yellow was displayed again two laps later. He pitted for tires, fuel and wedge and track bar adjustments, taking the green from 26th on lap 182. A wreck ensued in front of Williams, and he narrowly avoided it, leading to him restarting from 21st with 12 laps to go. Multiple start-and-stop cautions occurred over the remaining laps, ensuring the race ended in overtime. Williams crossed the line in 24th.

“We struggled really bad all day finding the right balance. All we can do is hope that we improve at the next one. Nashville’s a fun track, and I think we’ll do well there.” – Josh Williams  
 
About Kaulig Racing

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

Ryan Shehan Scores Third Win of 2024 in Race 1 at Mid-Ohio

By
Official Release
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Photo by Gavin Baker Photography

LEXINGTON, Ohio (June 22, 2024) – Ryan Shehan (No. 66 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) scored his third win of 2024 on Saturday afternoon, winning Formula Regional Americas Championship’s (FR Americas) Race 1 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Beating his teammate Patrick Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) by just 0.461 seconds, the two continue to be in a heated battle for the championship.

Notes of Interest:

  • Ryan Shehan earned his third FR Americas win of the season, and first at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
  • With his runner-up finish, Patrick Woods-Toth recorded his seventh podium in 10 races.
  • After earning his first-career podium at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week, Jett Bowling has now finished on the podium in each of the last three races.
  • Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport swept today’s podium, with Shehan finishing first, Woods-Toth in second, and Bowling in third.

Woods-Toth led the field down the grid after setting a new track record during this morning’s qualifying session. With Shehan to his outside, a slow jump by Woods-Toth off the starting block gave Shehan a clear lead as the field raced toward Turn 1. Third-place starter Nicolas Ambiado (No. 55 TLink / Allegro Ligier JS F3) also snuck around Woods-Toth to temporarily claim second; however, Woods-Toth got a run down the backstretch and pulled to the inside as they raced through Turn 4 to retake the runner-up spot.

With Shehan nearly two seconds ahead, Woods-Toth was in chase mode, focused on hitting his marks and chipping away at the gap. The top four strung out nose to stern, as Nicole Havrda (No. 6 Valley Kitchens Ltd / Colonial Countertops Ltd Ligier JS F3) and Hayden Bowlsbey (No. 22 IGY6 Motorsports / Save22 Ligier JS F3) engaged in a spirited multi-lap battle for fifth. Bowlsbey ultimately emerged with the position, overtaking Havrda as they raced through the Turn 4-5-6 complex. Justin Garat (No. 17 Speed Factory Ligier JS F3) snuck up on the two as they raced side by side during the earlier laps, and was able to stay tight on Bowlsbey’s rear wing to also pick up a position.

Meanwhile, Woods-Toth and Ambiado continued to gain on Shehan, with the gap down to just over half a second as the race neared its halfway point. A few minutes later, Ambiado began to slow on the course. The Chilean driver was able to limp around to pit lane, allowing the race to continue under green-flag conditions as the checkered flag neared. Jett Bowling (No. 02 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) had been quietly racing in the fourth position all afternoon, but was able to sneak into the third and final podium position as Ambiado came down pit lane.

As they crossed the finish line, Shehan led the way, followed by Woods-Toth in second and Bowling in third.

“I had a really good start,” said Shehan on the podium. “I just tried to stay consistent and not make any mistakes. Thankfully, I was able to bring it home. I’d like to thank the whole Crosslink Kiwi team, my engineer, my mechanic, all my sponsors, my parents—big thanks to everyone.”

FR Americas returns to the track tomorrow at 11:05 a.m. ET for their final race of the weekend. The race will be live streamed at YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV, with live timing and scoring accessible on the Race Monitor app. Additional news and updates from the Mid-Ohio SpeedTour will be posted on FR Americas’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Nicolas Stati Earns Second-Career Win in F4 U.S. in Mid-Ohio Race 1

By
Official Release
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Photo by Gavin Baker Photography

LEXINGTON, Ohio (June 22, 2024) – Nicolas Stati (No. 15 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) became the first repeat winner in Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) this season, earning his second-career win at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday afternoon.

Notes of Interest:

  • Nicolas Stati earned his second win in just four F4 U.S. starts with today’s race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
  • Daniel Quimby brought home his third podium of the year. The Australian previously earned a first- and second-place result at Road America last month.
  • Alex Crosbie earned his first-career podium with his third-place result in Race 1 at the Mid-Ohio SpeedTour.

In just its second weekend of competition, the Ligier JS F422 chassis and Ligier Storm engine once again proved to be powerhouses, with drivers racing nose to tail and engaging in intense battles throughout the course of the event. Stati led the field from flag to flag, but his run was not without challenge. Taking the green flag with second-place starter Daniel Quimby (No. 24 Cruise America / MIR Raceline / FIJI Airways / GalvanizeIns Ligier JS F422) to his outside, Quimby initially jumped to the point position as they entered Turn 1. However, Stati had the preferred position as they entered the Keyhole, and was able to retake the race lead as they exited the corner, while Pablo Benites Jr. (No. 44 Scuderia Buell Ligier JS F422) was tight on his bumper to challenge for second. As the field spread out, Stati took control of the race, and Benites Jr. trailed in second. However, it wasn’t long before Quimby pulled back to the gearbox of Benites Jr., looking for the right opportunity to make the pass. Nearly 10 minutes into the race, Quimby finally got his opportunity, pulling side by side with Benites Jr. as they raced down the frontstretch and completing the pass as they rushed through Turn 1.

With Quimby sailing by for second, Benites Jr. was under fire from Alex Crosbie (No. 41 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422), battling for the third position. Engaged in side-by-side racing, it wasn’t long before Connor Roberts (No. 46 ApexSpeed.com / Entropy Cellars Ligier JS F422) pulled up to join the fight. The race was near its halfway point when Roberts pulled three wide, racing toward the Keyhole to overtake fourth. Still wheel to wheel as they entered Turn 4, Roberts was to the outside of Benites Jr. when the two made contact, sending Roberts rolling into the gravel trap.

After a cleanup, the race resumed for a one-lap shootout to the checkered flag. Lincoln Day (No. 54 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS F422) dropped two wheels off the racing surface coming to the green flag, sending him into a spin, as did Barrett Wolfe (No. 13 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422), who had to react quickly behind him. Out front, the battle continued, with Quimby tight on Stati’s gearbox and looking for a chance to get around. With Quimby unable to complete the pass, it was Stati who led the field across the finish line. Quimby finished second, and Crosbie took third.

“It was a tough race,” said Nicolas Stati from the podium. “The guys caught up to me in the second phase of the race, and then the safety car brought everyone back together. We had a one-lap dash to the checkered flag, but we were able to hold them off. I’d like to thank AGI and Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport—thanks for the awesome car.”

F4 U.S. will run a doubleheader tomorrow, with Race 2 scheduled for 8 a.m., followed by Race 3 at 2 p.m. ET. This weekend’s feature races from the Mid-Ohio SpeedTour will be live streamed at YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV. Live timing and scoring can be accessed on the Race Monitor app, and additional news and updates will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Teddy Musella Takes the Win in Race 1 at Mid-Ohio SpeedTour

By
Official Release
-

LEXINGTON, Ohio (June 22, 2024) – Teddy Musella (No. 25 Scuderia Buell Ligier JS F4) sailed away with the victory in the Ligier JS F4 Series’ (JS F4) first race of the Mid-Ohio SpeedTour on Saturday afternoon. Overtaking the polesitter Kekai Hauanio (No. 29 N.E.Where Transportation / New’T Racing Ligier JS F4) on the second lap, Musella kept his focus forward, opening a gap behind him and driving away toward the checkered flag.

Notes of Interest:

  • Teddy Musella earned his third win of the season by taking the victory in Race 1 at the Mid-Ohio SpeedTour.
  • Kekai Hauanio’s runner-up result marked his third-consecutive podium after winning Round 5 and finishing second in Round 6 at Road America last month. In total, Hauanio has recorded four podiums this season.
  • Bacon Zelenka’s third-place finish marks his fifth podium of 2024. He is tied with Musella for the most podium finishes this season.

When the lights went out, the field jumped out to a clean start. Polesitter Hauanio initially led the way, but Musella stayed tight on his rear wing, looking for the right opportunity to get around. By the time they reached Turn 9 on the second lap, Musella found his opportunity, diving to the inside of Hauanio and claiming the point position as they exited the corner. The two stayed nose to stern for the opening 10 minutes of the race, with less than a second separating them on the leaderboard. Behind them, battles were on, with Bacon Zelenka (No. 45 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) facing pressure from Maite Cáceres (No. 6 Abitab / Supermatch Ligier JS F4), Brad Majman (No. 95 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F4) and Drew Szuch (No. 28 Szuch Racing Ligier JS F4).

As things got sorted, the contests appeared to be Zelenka vs. Majman for third, and Cáceres vs. Szuch for fifth. Szuch slowed on the track, allowing Cáceres to easily claim the fifth position, while Zelenka and Majman continued to race wheel to wheel in front of her. With the clock ticking down, Majman pulled to Zelenka’s gearbox as they raced down the backstretch, before darting outside in Turn 4 to give himself the preferred position to race through Turn 5. Claiming the third spot, less than a half second separated the two, but that all changed two laps later when Majman lost control and spun on the exit of Turn 9 to give Zelenka back the position.

With the field spread out, Musella, Hauanio, Zelenka and Cáceres all raced toward the checkered flag. Their pace, however, was slowed with just three minutes left on the clock when a competitor spun in Turn 11, getting stuck in the gravel trap and bringing out the full course caution.

As they crossed the finish line, Musella led, with Hauanio and Zelenka in his wake.

“That was a good race,” said Musella. “My car was better at the beginning with Kekai [Hauanio], but I tried to maintain the pace throughout the race. At the end, I saw Kekai gaining. I pushed, but he had a better pace. I just want to thank everyone—my team, Scuderia Buell, my dad, and all the sponsors for helping me get to this point.”

JS F4 will contest a doubleheader tomorrow, with Race 2 scheduled at 9:40 a.m., followed by Race 3 at 3:10 p.m. ET. Feature races from this weekend’s Mid-Ohio SpeedTour will be streamed on YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV, with live timing and scoring from all sessions on the Race Monitor app. Additional news and updates will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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