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Toyota Racing NCS Post-Race Recap – Pocono 07.14.24

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Official Release
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DENNY HAMLIN FINISHES RUNNER-UP IN STRONG SHOWING AT POCONO
Reddick, Truex Jr. and Wallace also earn top-10 finishes for Team Toyota

LONG POND, Pa. (July 14, 2024) – At one of his most successful tracks, where he holds the track record with seven career wins, Denny Hamlin drove his No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE to a second-place finish Sunday afternoon at Pocono Raceway in the Great American Getaway 400. Hamlin started the day in fourth position and was upfront throughout the 160-lap race around the “Tricky Triangle,” finishing second in Stage 1, winning Stage 2 and leading a total of 31 laps. Though there was a bevy of late-race cautions that jumbled up the field, Hamlin was unable to catch the leader by the checkered flag, finishing just 1.3 seconds back. Sunday’s result is Hamlin’s eighth top-five of the season.

Joining Hamlin inside the top-10 were Camry XSE teammates Tyler Reddick (6th), Martin Truex Jr. (8th) and Bubba Wallace (10th). Truex led 14 laps on the day and won Stage 1, with Hamlin and Reddick right behind him. Ty Gibbs started the day from pole position and led 21 laps in the early going but had his day end early with mechanical issues.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway next Sunday, July 21, for the return of the Brickyard 400. Coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Pocono Raceway
Race 21 of 36 – 160 Laps, 400 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Ryan Blaney*
2nd, DENNY HAMLIN
3rd, Alex Bowman*
4th, William Byron*
5th, Joey Logano
6th, TYLER REDDICK
8th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
10th, BUBBA WALLACE
12th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
14th, ERIK JONES
27th, TY GIBBS
28th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
*non-Toyota driver 

TOYOTA QUOTES

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Mavis Tire Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

Great day and fast car, but did it feel like you just ran out of laps there at the end?

“Yeah, always. You never lose one, just run out of laps or you run out of time, right? No, hats off to this whole Mavis Tires and Brakes team. Dave (Sorbaro), the CEO and 100 associates were here today, so we were proud to host them. Would’ve loved to give them a victory, but second is close and at least, it’s good to get back on track. We’ve had some slides over the last month-and-a-half.”

How much strategy goes into this race and what made the difference there?

“It was when the 12 (Ryan Blaney) jumped the stage and we stayed out there to win the stage. That was the moment he was able to jump us and from that point on, not enough laps to reel him back in.”

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

Finishing Position: 6th

Walk us through your race today.

“Yeah, most of the day was (pause.) Stage 1 and Stage 3 were decent for us. Stage 2 was a bit of a struggle. Unfortunately, we just didn’t have any good restarts in the middle portion there and gave up on some points. But all in all, it was a solid day and we closed the gap to the points lead. And obviously, Denny (Hamlin) closed in on us a little bit. Overall, solid day and great points day.”

BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 Leidos Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 10th

How was your day today?

“It’s about points, so we didn’t capitalize on points, but the 1 (Ross Chastain) had a bad day, the 54 (Ty Gibbs) had a bad day. It was a nice rebound. Usually, it’s the opposite. We start really good and end up fading and giving up a lot track position. Here, we were able to call a good strategy and hang on. We just didn’t have the car. The 6 (Brad Keselowski) drove it down into (turn) one and I was going to race the heck out of him and I realized I was going to crash and he was going to keep going. It’s pretty eye-opening of how far we’re off. Going to have a good debrief tomorrow. All in all, I was trying to have fun the first stages, that’s what I said I was going to do. Was trying my butt off and here we are.”

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.

CORVETTE RACING IN BRAZIL: Progress Continues for TF Sport

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Official Release
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Pair of Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs contend for season-best finishes at São Paulo

SÃO PAULO, Brazil (July 14, 2024) – TF Sport’s pair of Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs showed their potential as the team’s FIA World Endurance Championship campaign continued to show improvements heading into the season’s stretch run… and a home race for the Corvette in the United States.

The No. 81 TF Sport trio of Tom Van Rompuy, Rui Andrade and Corvette factory driver Charlie Eastwood placed eighth in the 17-car LMGT3 field at the end of the Six Hours of São Paulo. It was their best result since the season’s second race at Imola. But the Brazil round also showed that podium finishes are likely on the horizon in the team’s first year with the Corvette platform.

Van Rompuy began eighth in LMGT3 but moved up two places in the opening 10 minutes. He was on his way into the top-five before he was hit by one of the GT3-class Porsches moments later and spun off the track. The No. 81 Corvette rejoined in 14th.

That put the No. 82 Z06 GT3.R of Hiroshi Koizumi as the lead Corvette, having moved to ninth from his 13th-place starting spot. Both he and Van Rompuy drove double-stints to start the race with both Corvettes in the top-10 by the time TF Sport made their first driver changes two hours in.

Andrade took over the No. 81 Corvette and was involved in a multi-car battle for fifth place with four cars racing within four seconds of each other. Meanwhile, Sebastien Baud took over the No. 82 Z06 GT3.R, which had to serve a drive-through penalty before the driver swap. Baud showed good pace and made the driver change factory driver Daniel Juncadella to go the rest of the way. Unfortunately on his way out onto the track, a mechanical problem sidelined the Corvette after 133 laps.

That left the No. 81 to battle the balance of the GT3 field. Andrade ran in the top five before handing over to Eastwood to drive nearly two-and-a-half hours to the end. Eastwood continued to contend for a top-five finish before an unfortunate penalty during a full-course caution period near the five-hour mark. He continued to show the potential of the Z06 GT3.R with the sixth-fastest lap of the 49 LMGT3 drivers in the race.

TF Sport’s next race in the FIA WEC is the Lone Star Le Mans from Circuit of The Americas in Austin from August 30-September 1.

TF SPORT POST-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – FINISHED EIGHTH IN LMGT3: “It was a tough race for us. The positive is the pace was really strong. A couple of things didn’t go our way with Tom getting caught up in a racing incident, which really put us on the back foot trying not to go a lap down. A late drive-through really took us out of it. Ultimately we were eight seconds from P4, but that meant P8. It was a super-strong performance with the car. It was really positive but unfortunately a couple things didn’t go our way.”

RUI ANDRADE, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – FINISHED EIGHTH IN LMGT3: “There are some positives to take from today. We had some contact for Tom early. It was tough to manage my pace in my double-stint. Charlie looked incredibly quick at the end, so the car was definitely strong. If you take out the penalty and the contact, we could have been fighting for the podium. That’s the first time this year that we can say that, so that’s a big positive. The Corvette felt good all weekend and had no issues. We’ve taken some good steps forward. The pit stops were fine and we had no problems there. It’s tough to take when it doesn’t go your way but we have some positives to look at.”

TOM VAN ROMPUY, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – FINISHED EIGHTH IN LMGT3: “It’s true that today we had a strong car. It was in good shape today. But we had the bad luck of one of the Porsches kicking us off the track and had a spin. So we had come all fighting from the back. We got it back to eighth after my double-stint. Then we had a couple of other things like a drive-through for a penalty under full-course yellow. The potential is there, and we showed it today with the Corvette. Everything just needs to fall together and we’ll get a good result. Hopefully in the next three races we can put it all together.”

DANIEL JUNCADELLA, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Unfortunately coming out of the pits, I had a technical issue and the car wasn’t able to keep running. We’ll have to analyze to see what happened. It’s a shame because the car was running really well. Seb was really fast in that stint. It wasn’t meant to be this time.”

SEBASTIEN BAUD, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “We started well. It was a good qualifying result of the season for Hiroshi. For myself, I think it was a very good run. The car was good and fast. I liked it a lot. I tried to manage the tires to help with the degradation. The Corvette was good on this track. Unfortunately we had a mechanical problem that stopped us. I’m sorry for Dani because he didn’t get to drive today. We’ll try and come back stronger for COTA and the home race for Corvette. I hope we finish in the top-five. I really want a podium. The car is strong and the team is strong. We just need a chance to get up there, stay focused and keep pushing.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes – Ryan Blaney Wins at Pocono (NCS Post Race Quotes)

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series Post Race Quotes
Great American Getaway 400 | Pocono Raceway
Sunday, July 14, 2024

RYAN BLANEY TAMES THE TRICKY TRIANGLE

  • Ryan Blaney won his second race of the season and the 12th of his career today at Pocono Raceway.
  • The Cup victory is Blaney’s second at Pocono with the first coming with the Wood Brothers in 2017.
  • Ford has now won 6 of the last 10 races, including Joey Logano’s win in the All-Star Race.
  • Today’s win is Ford’s 733rd all-time in NASCAR Cup Series competition
  • It also marks Team Penske’s 97th series win with Ford.

UNOFFICIAL FORD FINISHING RESULTS
1st – Ryan Blaney
5th – Joey Logano
7th – Brad Keselowski
11th – Chris Buescher
15th – Chase Briscoe
18th – Austin Cindric
20th – Josh Berry
22nd – Justin Haley
24th – Michael McDowell
26th – Cody Ware
30th – Ryan Preece
31st – Harrison Burton
34th – Todd Gilliland
37th – Noah Gragson

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Wabash Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 1st) – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW

“I think things are just kind of falling into place for us. I feel like we have gotten to a great place on speed in the last two months, especially. I feel like we honestly had a couple races slip away from us which I thought we had a good shot at winning. It was nice to stick to the plan today and our plan was to have track position at the end. I knew our car was fast enough. I am super proud of the whole 12 team. The Wabash Ford Mustang was amazing. I appreciate Menards, Body Armour, the Wurth Group, Advance Auto Parts, DEX Imaging and everyone that makes this possible. It is so cool to win here again. I won here seven years ago for my first Cup win. The crowd, you guys were amazing. Thank you for being here all weekend.”

WOULD NINE-YEAR-OLD RYAN BLANEY BELIEVE THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TWO CUP WINS HERE? “

No, at the time I wasn’t thinking about that. I was trying to figure out how I was going to have fun that weekend and how to win that night. It was super special seven years ago to win here with the Wood Brothers and it is a special win here today. You love tracks that have special meaning to you, like your first win, and this place means so much to me. My fiancee and a ton of her family are here. I can’t wait to see them. I am so proud of the effort. I am looking forward to hopefully continuing this momentum to next week at the bosses track up in Indy.”

YOU TURNED IT ON AT THE RIGHT TIME TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP LAST YEAR. AS WE SIT HERE MID-JULY, IS THIS THE BEST THE 12 TEAM HAS BEEN? “I think we are in a better spot at this time this year than where we were last year at this point. I feel like our speed is better. Our execution is great. We are doing everything as a 12 group the best that we can. We have had some other unforeseen circumstances that have hindered some finishes and possible wins. I am so proud of this Team Penske group. All the men and women at the race shop, they work their butts off to try to get better and deal with the drivers when they say we need to get a lot better. I appreciate them and Roush Yates Engines and all the work they do and continue to do. Go U.S.A.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 5th)

“Overall, a top five, you have to be somewhat happy with that. We had speed there toward the end of the race and I think we could have run in the top two. I don’t know if we could have been better than Ryan or not, but it just took us too long to get the balance right. Once we got the track position and the balance close, I about wrecked it on the restart. Those spots there kind of ultimately cost us a chance to win it, but overall I am proud of the speed that we brought to a track like this. It makes me look forward to Indy a little bit more where we have some long straightaways again and it seemed like our car was decent on the straightaways this time.”

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

“I don’t know what happened. I haven’t seen a replay. All I know is we had a really good car for what started off as a completely bad day. It started to become a good day and then we got put in the back and that was that, so that is what you end up getting.”

TODD GILLILAND, No. 38 C.H. Reed Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Retired due to mechanical failure on lap 115)

WAS THE CAR GIVING YOU ANY INDICATION THERE WAS A PROBLEM?

“We fought with a little bit of brake shake through practice and a little at the beginning of the race. About five laps before that, my brake pedal started getting a little bit long. Then it just blew in the middle of the straightaway. I have never had that before. We have been really lucky. We have had some really well built Ford Mustangs coming out of Front Row Motorsports and haven’t had many mechanical issues the last three years. I thank those guys for giving us great cars. We will keep battling. Definitely not our best day to begin with and we have a lot of work to do but we will try to learn from it.”

NOAH GRAGSON, No. 10 Overstock.com Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Retired early due to accident on lap 14)

“I just got loose in turn one. We were battling and just got loose. Nobody got into me. I was all alone. I was just trying to make it until we got to the caution and could tighten it up a little bit but it just took off on me. It is definitely a bummer being out super early in the race but thanks to Overstock.com, and this whole 10 team. It hasn’t really been the weekend we hoped for through practice and qualifying and now into the race being out so early. Thanks to all the fans for their support. We will go on to Indy. Indy will be fun next week.”

“I was all by myself, we started off the race super loose and then it just kept getting worse and worse. I was trying to limp it to the end of the stage but it just took off on me in turn one. It is definitely a bummer. Oh well.”

CHEVROLET NCS AT POCONO: Post-Race Report

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Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
POCONO RACEWAY
THE GREAT AMERICAN GETAWAY 400
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
JULY 14, 2024

 Bowman Collects Podium Finish to Lead Chevrolet at Pocono Raceway

  • For the second consecutive weekend, Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman led Chevrolet to the checkered flag in NASCAR’s top division – driving his No. 48 Ally Best Friends Camaro ZL1 to a third-place finish in ‘The Great American Getaway 400’.
  • The podium result came after a solid top-10 qualifying effort in his No. 48 Ally Best Friends Camaro ZL1. The 31-year-old Tucson, Arizona, native ran steady in the top-10 through much of the race – collecting crucial points in both stages of the 400-mile event.
  • Bowman, who solidified a playoff berth with his win in the Chicago Street Race last weekend, has now earned six top-fives and 12 top-10s in 21 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series races this season.
  • A trio of Hendrick Motorsports teammates drove Chevrolet to top-10 finishes at Pocono Raceway, with Bowman leading William Byron (No. 24 Raptor High Heat Camaro ZL1) in the fourth position, and Chase Elliott (No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1) in the ninth position.
  • The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the 30th running of the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 21, at 2:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

 
TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10:
POS. DRIVER
3rd Alex Bowman
4th William Byron
9th Chase Elliott

WITH 21 POINTS-PAYING NASCAR CUP SERIES RACES COMPLETE:

Wins: 9
Poles: 7
Top-Five Finishes: 38
Top-10 Finishes: 79
Stage Wins: 12

 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:

Ross Chastain, No. 1 Busch Light Peach Camaro ZL1
Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage Two.
Finished: 36th

What started that at the exit of turn three? Did you feel something, or did it just get away from you?

“I just spun out.”

Was it loose or tight during the race, or was that a surprise that it spun out?

“I just flat spun out. We were all sliding around, but I just spun out.”

Talk about your frustration right now, obviously not what you wanted..

“It felt like it happened in slow motion. Yeah, obviously frustrated with myself, but can’t take it back now.”

Are you feeling momentum sliding away after the last couple of weeks, or are you worried now about the bubble at all?

“I’m just worried about why I spun out. I’m a racecar driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, I shouldn’t be doing that. You don’t see us do that too often, so when I do it myself, I’m as surprised as everybody else.”

Can you go back and look at data? How much will data tell you?

“Yeah, but I was in the seat. I felt it slip and I didn’t catch it.”

Was there anything about the balance of the race car that indicated that was possible?

“Oh yeah.. they’re Cup cars, they can always spin out. But we’re supposed to be good enough to catch it.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Zone/GetGo Camaro ZL1
Sidelined from damage sustained in an accident in the Final Stage.
Finished: 32nd

Busch on the accident that ended his day early:

“I just want to give thanks to all of our partners. Everybody at RCR, ECR, zone, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Lucas Oil, Chevrolet.. everybody that supports us. We’re having the opportunity to go out there and have some fun; try to continue to work on our program and build everything up. It’s just unfortunate circumstances. Thank you to Rowdy Nation, all the fans and everybody for their continued support. We’ll go back to work and get ready for Indianapolis.”

Any idea of what happened out there?

“That’s just racing these days.. it’s what happens.”

William Byron, No. 24 Raptor High Heat Camaro ZL1
Finished: 4th

You ran up front all day. Didn’t get a chance to lead this race, but talk about how the race played out for you today.

“We were just kind of okay. Definitely had a decent No. 24 Raptor High Heat Chevy. Really good execution and everyone did a good job of just keeping their heads in it. Not every situation went our way with the strategy, but we were able to have decent restarts, especially at the end there, and just kind of maintained it to the end. Definitely a lot of things to dissect, but really proud of the team and just good to get a top-five, for sure.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Sugarlands Sippin’ Cream Camaro ZL1
Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in the final stage.
Finished: 33rd

Stenhouse Jr. on the accident that ended his day early at Pocono Raceway:

“I have no clue what happened. I was in the top lane. My team said the No. 8 (Kyle Busch) somehow ended up in the grass and came across the track. I don’t know how that happened. I feel like from where we started the day, our strategy was good. The speed in our No. 47 Sugarlands Sippin’ Cream Chevy was decent. We were inside the top-20, really, the whole second-half of the race. I thought we were in good position. We were on four tires there, while there were a lot of guys on two. I was hoping that was going to pay off later on in that run, but we didn’t really get a chance to see how that would work out.”

How frustrating is this? It’s a tough track anyways..

“Yeah, it’s so hard to pass. We’re all so close on speed, so track position is really all that matters. You have five cars that I feel like can drive through the field. Everybody else, if you put us sixth or seventh, we’ll kind of stay sixth or seventh. I think that’s the aggressiveness on the restarts; trying to get that track position, knowing this was towards the end of race. If you have good track position, then you can keep it and get a good finish. It’s just part of it.”

Did you have a visual of the No. 8 (Kyle Busch)?

“I saw him (Kyle Busch) at the last second. I went as high as I could, without getting too far up into the grey. I tried to throttle up to get by him, and he still just clipped me kind of in the left-rear there.”

Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1
Finished: 3rd

Bowman on this third-place finish at Pocono Raceway:

“We struggled with our car a lot in dirty air. Once we got clean air there in the end, I think most of our adjustments kind of hurt us a little bit; just got too free. Proud of my No. 48 Ally Best Friends Chevy team. It was a good run; we just needed a little bit more to get to the No. 12 (Ryan Blaney). Once I abused the right-rear tire for so long, it made Denny’s (Hamlin) job pretty easy to get around me. But yeah, it was a solid third-place day.”

Two excellent weeks in a row for the No. 48 team. Are you feeling it?

“Yeah, for sure. I think it was important to come here and have another good day after our win last week. We’re going to a special race track next weekend, so hopefully we can get the job done there.”

Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Worldwide Express Camaro ZL1
Finished: 16th

“It was an up-and-down day for the No. 99 Worldwide Express Chevy team. We didn’t have as much speed as we thought we would have. We were OK in clean air, but in traffic, for some reason we struggled a lot.. I feel like more than the competition. Overall, there were a few things we could do better, but we finished 16th. We’ll take that for the car we had and the speed we showed today. Yesterday, I thought we were going to be a little bit better, but we’ll go back; analyze everything and get better for next time.”

 
 

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.

Cicero Collects Mazda MX-5 Cup Win Number Two in Canada

By
Official Release
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BOWMANVILLE, Ont. CANADA (July 14, 2024) – With five minutes left in the Round 10 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, it didn’t look like a win was in the cards for Nate Cicero (No. 83 McCumbee McAleer Racing). Then, a series of events transpired that quickly launched Cicero from fifth to first. Joining him on the podium was rookie Julian DaCosta (No. 78 JTR Motorsports Engineering) and the driver with more Mazda MX-5 Cup starts than anyone else: Alex Bachoura (No. 33 Spark Performance).

In a déjà vu moment that echoed Saturday’s race finish, the driver who crossed the finish line first, was not declared the winner. Jeremy Fletcher (No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing) had been issued a 10-second penalty earlier in the race for contact with another car. With the time penalty assessed at the checkered flag, the win went to his teammate Cicero.

Another similarity to Saturday’s race was the number of cars in the lead pack. A train of 11 cars circulated the track nose-to-tail and Cicero was right in the middle of it.

“I was struggling a little bit coming onto the straight,” Cicero said. “With the pack stacking up, it was kind of hard to time your acceleration point if you’re in the middle of a pack. I was just trying to stay in my spot and keep working with Jeremy [Fletcher].”

At the front of the pack, polesitter Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) was working with teammate Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 JTR Motorsports Engineering) to keep the lead and hold off Saturday’s race winner, Westin Workman (No. 13 BSI Racing).

When contact damaged Jeansonne’s wheel and necessitated a pit stop, Workman began to take looks at Thomas for the win. It was about this time that Workman and Gresham Wagner (No. 5 McCumbee McAleer Racing) made contact, sending Wagner into the Turn Nine tires. This brought out the first of two full-course caution periods during the 45-minute race.

Workman resumed his fight with Thomas when the green flag came back out, but this time he was being pressured by Thomas’ teammate, Nathan Nicholson (No. 56 JTR Motorsports Engineering).

The trio came together in the same spot as Wagner’s crash. Unbelievably, nobody spun or hit the wall, but the three leaders all took evasive action to stay pointed straight. That was all Fletcher needed to go from fifth to first.

“I just saw a little bit of contact and they [Thomas, Nicholson and Workman] all went wide and Jeremy and I were able to go through,” Cicero said.

A lap later, the safety car was deployed again for Heather Hadley (No. 54 BSI Racing), who lost a wheel exiting Turn Eight, sending her sideways into the tire wall. Hadley walked away unscathed, but less than three minutes remained on the race clock, so the race ended under yellow.

Cicero was ecstatic as he crossed the finish line, but not for himself; he was unaware of Fletcher’s 10-second penalty.

“I was so happy for him [Fletcher] to get his first win and was celebrating with him across the line,” Cicero said. “No one told me that he had gotten a penalty. I feel for him. He’s going to get a win this year, probably multiple. He’s been super-fast even in the backup car, so I know he’ll get it soon.”

He continued to heap praise on his MMR teammates for helping him get the win and was greeted at the podium by Wagner, who was unharmed in his lap eight incident.

“(After Saturday’s race) I learned a lot about where to pass,” Cicero said. “Especially from watching my teammates’ videos and seeing what they’re doing different than me. We have four amazing drivers on the team. We’re all in the top 10 usually, so there’s a lot to learn for all of us and we can all help each other.”

The drivers sharing the podium with Cicero were equally surprised.

DaCosta, the runner-up, started the race dead last due to an engine change after Race 1. It is the rookie’s first podium finish.

“Yesterday was a bit more than heartbreaking,” DaCosta said. “Today definitely lifted everybody’s hearts and spirits and I want to thank everybody coming into this weekend. I’m really excited to be partnering with the Austin Hatcher Foundation and I think we have a lot ahead of us now and we’re gonna continue this positive energy for sure.”

Earlier this year Bachoura took over the record for the most MX-5 Cup race starts. After more than 100 races, he finished on the podium for only the second time Sunday. Bachoura was elated with the third-place finish. He knew incidents and penalties played a part but was rightly proud of his driving.

“It was unexpected,” Bachoura said. “I was in fourth and I knew the race finished, but when I heard there was a penalty and I was third, I was ecstatic. I love being lucky, but I did stick with the front pack the whole time. Sparky and Spark Performance gave me an amazing car. I felt like I had the fastest car in the turns. It was a really good car, good driving and a little bit of luck.”

Jeansonne went on to finish fourth, salvaging valuable championship points.

Woody Heimann (No. 82 JTR Motorsports Engineering) earned a career-best fifth place.

He was followed by Mazda Women in Motorsport Scholarship winner Sally Mott (No. 15 Spark Performance) who earned a career-best sixth.

Mazda MX-5 Cup teams have a break before Rounds 11 and 12 at VIRginia International Raceway, August 23 – 25.

All MX-5 Cup races are available to re-watch anytime on the RACER and IMSA YouTube channels.

About: The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. The series has been operated by Andersen Promotions since 2017 and is currently sanctioned by IMSA. Mazda-powered grassroots champions can earn Mazda scholarships for this pro-level series. The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup awards more than $1 million in prizes and scholarships.

Find out more at http://www.mx-5cup.com.

Cadillac at Brazil: Battling back for solid result

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Official Release
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No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R holds distinction of only Hypercar to qualify in top 4 past 3 races

SAO PAULO, Brazil (July 14, 2024) – In what could have been a disappointing end to a promising start Sunday in the Rolex 6 Hours of Sao Paulo, the Cadillac Racing team battled back from a mid-race delay to challenge for a points-paying position.

Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn, driving the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R, didn’t put a wheel wrong and finished 13th in the fifth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) after an unscheduled pit stop in the hotly contested race among 19 Hypercar competitors diminished a run for the podium.

The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R qualified fourth to mark the third consecutive race it secured a top-four starting spot and earn the distinction of being the only Hypercar entry to qualify on the top two rows in each of the past three Hyperpole sessions.

Bamber held the starting position for the most part through his initial two stints on the tight and twisting 2.677-mile (4.409 km), 15-turn Autódromo José Carlos Pace circuit that significantly stresses right-side Michelin tires.

With 3 hours, 55 minutes left and running fourth in the 19-car order, Bamber gave way to Lynn for the middle section of the race. With four fresh tires, fuel and energy replenished, Lynn was in position to challenge the leaders. But two laps into the stint, he reported a vibration, and the Chip Ganassi Racing-run crew called him in for examination.

Though the issue was quickly resolved, Lynn dropped to the bottom of the running order and battled his way to 14th before handing off the wheel to Bamber to close out the final 1 hour, 31 minutes of the WEC’s return to Interlagos after a 10-year absence. Following the final service stop for right-side tires and fuel/energy with 39 minutes remaining, Bamber pushed without fuel concerns to the checkered flag.

The No. 8 Toyota GR010, which qualified second, won the race.

Lynn’s best lap in Hyperpole was only .256 of a second off the pole-winning time and .134 of a second from a third consecutive front-row start. The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R qualified second at Spa-Francorchamps and at Circuit de la Sarthe for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the previous outings.

For editorial use: Cadillac Racing photos from the Sao Paulo race weekend

The next WEC race is Sept. 1 at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, where Bamber is a two-time winner in WEC competition. Bamber and Lynn will participate in a two-day test next week at the circuit in preparation for the Lone Star Le Mans.

Alex Lynn: “We unfortunately had a problem on the pit stop where we had to come back in and reseat the right-front wheel and that took us out of contention for a good result today. That’s the margins in WEC. Any small error will cost you dearly, and unfortunately that was us today. I think we had a solid race, a solid car and good performance. It’s just a shame not to reward everyone for the efforts. (qualifying in top four in each of the past three races) It’s a credit to the team and credit for all the hard work we do. Certainly, on one lap we manage to pull out a good result. Now we just want to put it in the race.”

Earl Bamber: “We managed to fight back, have good car speed but seem to have misfortune every race. We need to work out some details, execute better so we can score some points.”

CORVETTE RACING AT CTMP: A Corvette 1-2 in Canada!

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Official Release
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Sims, Garcia lead way to first IMSA win for Z06 GT3.R in Chevrolet Grand Prix

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada (July 14, 2024) – Alexander Sims and Antonio Garcia led a 1-2 class finish for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R on Sunday as Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports swept to the top of GTD PRO in the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Sims and Garcia in the No. 3 Corvette delivered the first victory for the Z06 GT3.R in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The pairing began from pole position and led 109 of 113 laps en route to a 0.408-second victory over Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg in the No. 4 Corvette following a late-race restart.

“Congratulations to Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims and the No. 3 team on winning the Chevrolet Grand Prix today at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the first victory in IMSA with the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R,” said Scott Bell, Vice President, Global Chevrolet. “This is one of the world’s toughest categories of racing with a strong and deep field of GT manufacturers and teams. The high levels of performance, reliability and execution from the Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports drivers, crew and engineers were evident throughout the race. We congratulate them and the entire team for the hard-earned, 1-2 GTD PRO finish today.”

The Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports team has been knocking on the door of the elusive first win in the WeatherTech Championship since the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March with leads in the last five races. Milner and Catsburg gave the Z06 GT3.R its first podium finish at Laguna Seca with Garcia and Sims finishing third in the last round at Watkins Glen.

Closing the deal this weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was fitting as the Corvette Racing program won for the 13th time at the circuit. Garcia went back-to-back in class after scoring a victory last year with Jordan Taylor in the Corvette C8.R.

Sims and Milner each drove the first half of the race with Milner making the first move for a driver change to Catsburg in hopes of leap-frogging the sister Corvette. Sims pitted two laps later from the lead with Garcia re-emerging ahead of the No. 4 Corvette for the run to the end.

Garcia’s lead remained between five and seven seconds until a full-course yellow with 16 minutes to go. That bunched up the GTD PRO field with a number of GTD-class cars ahead of them at the restart. Both Garcia and Catsburg worked their way through the slower cars to keep their positions to the checkered flag.

AWA’s home race in the No. 13 Corvette ended early when it was pushed off-track and into the tires at Turn Three. Orey Fidani had climbed to second in GTD from 11th at the start before contact from behind sent the Corvette into the barriers. The Z06 GT3.R’s safety systems and chassis structure did their jobs as Fidani climbed out of his car under his own power. He was evaluated and released from the infield care center shortly thereafter.

Meanwhile the AWA team displayed the never-give-up spirit of the Corvette Racing program and attempted to get the car back into the race, but the damage was too great.

The next race for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R in IMSA is August 2-4 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – GTD PRO RACE WINNER: “This is huge for the entire Corvette program. I’m glad that we could finally get the first win in IMSA for the Z06 GT3.R and to get my first win with Alex. We just need to carry on like this and build on the things we have been doing. More wins will come.

“This ranks pretty high in my career. I got the first win for C7.R and C8.R, so this is brilliant! I’m happy with that! I’m so happy for the team. We’ve been so close. The pace has been there all year but we just didn’t quite make it or had issues or we weren’t in the right position. We’ve been knocking on the door for a long time. We finally got it to happen so I’m very happy for everyone at Corvette Racing and the Pratt Miller team.”

(On the late-race restart) “I thought about it right before the yellow. I was sure there was quite a big potential to have a yellow at the end. It seems like it always happens. I think I was being gentle with the tires that I had so I was able to push at the end. It was tough to be in the middle of the GTDs. They were fighting and we were fighting. But I was able to stay ahead of him. It was fantastic to bring a 1-2 for Corvette Racing.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – GTD PRO RACE WINNER: “It was nice. To be able to lead the race from the get-go is always the place you want to be. The pace of the Corvette has been good for most of the season, to be honest. We’ve definitely gotten stronger as the season has gone on. Everything worked really well from the start. Tommy got past the Lexus, so I knew I had him behind me. It’s always nice when you have your teammate right behind you. The car was working well all week. I felt like I was in a good rhythm. I love driving around this place. Antonio was a very good, safe set of hands to bring it home.”

“Superb. We’ve had some pace this year at times. The car has been so good today. We were able to execute a really nice race and to be able to generally manage things from the front which is what you generally want to do. The Corvette has worked super-well this weekend. Pratt Miller has done a great job. We nailed the strategy, coming up aces when we needed to. It’s been a wonderful weekend.”

(On the late restart against the No. 4 Corvette): “You never know what Nicky is going to do! He’s a bit of a wild card! He’s a fantastic driver as well. He’s the best of the best basically. I’m sure he knew what he was doing, and I’ve got full confidence in Antonio as well. They are the perfect guys to bring it home one-two for the team. We all know how important it is to get this result. It’s amazing to get two wins here, but I want more.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – RUNNER-UP IN GTD PRO: “I’m absolutely happy with this. There’s nothing better – a 1-2 for the team. Both cars executed really well today. We had fast cars, for sure, but we did everything right. We had decent qualifying too and that helped. The start of the race was pretty good for me in getting by the Lexus and then was into a lead-follow with Alex there for awhile. It got a little hectic with some of the rocket ships in our class passing us from five or six car-lengths back so I had to fight that off a little bit. It’s a great day for Corvette Racing and a great day for Pratt Miller Motorsports. We thought this racetrack would suit us pretty well which it certainly did. I’m glad that we as a whole team executed from top to bottom and got the result we deserved today.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – RUNNER-UP IN GTD PRO: “This is a great result for the team. I’m extremely happy because we’ve been waiting for this result for quite awhile. I’m glad we finally had everything going our way with the yellows and so on. I’m really, really happy because I feel we deserved this.”

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.

WILL POWER DELIVERS ANOTHER CHEVROLET VICTORY AT IOWA SPEEDWAY

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Official Release
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CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
HYVEE ONESTEP 250
HY-VEE DOUBLEHEADER WEEKEND
IOWA SPEEDWAY
NEWTON, IOWA
TEAM CHEVY RACE TWO RECAP
JULY 14, 2024

WILL POWER DELIVERS ANOTHER CHEVROLET VICTORY AT IOWA SPEEDWAY
SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN SCORES PODIUM FINISH TO FOLLOW WIN ON SATURDAY

  • Will Power scored his second victory of the 2024 INDYCAR season capping off an all-Chevrolet weekend at Iowa Speedway
  • It is the 43rd win of Power’s NTT INDYCAR Series career, his second win of the season, his first at Iowa Speedway in 17 races and his first oval since Pocono 2019
  • Power’s first win this season was at Road America on June 9, 2024
  • Today’s victory is the seventh win of the season for Chevrolet in 11 INDYCAR races; it is the 117th win in 209 races in the V-6 era
  • Scott McLaughlin coming off his win in Saturday’s Iowa race finished third to close out the weekend with two podiums including a victory and a pole with a track record qualifying run
  • Team Chevy drivers scored six of the top-10 finishers in today’s HyVee One Step 250
  • A Chevrolet powered driver led 145 of the 250-lap race
  • Next on the 17-race NTT INDYCAR Series schedule for Team Chevy will be the Streets of Toronto, July 19-21, 2024

NEWTON, IOWA (July 14, 2024) – Will Power cured his win drought with his victory at Road America in June. But the Aussie driver who prided himself on learning to win on ovals had not won on that configuration since Pocono, 2019. Today, the two-time NTT

INDYCAR Series champion and the 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner checked that off his list with his win on Sunday at Iowa Speedway.

Power took the lead on a lap 209 in his familiar No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet in an overcut coming off pit lane ahead of then leader Alex Palou, and never looked back to take his 43rd career checkered flag.

The win moved Power to second in the standings with six races remaining on the season.

Scott McLaughlin won the pole for today’s race setting a track record of 17.0966/188.248 mph around the .875-mile oval in the middle of Iowa. McLaughlin brought his No. 3 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet to the finish line in third to complete the podium.

Chevrolet powered drivers had six drivers in the top-10 finishing positions. It is the seventh win of the season in 11 races. Chevrolet now leads the INDYCAR Manufacturer Championship standings 904 to 845 for our competition,

It was a solid weekend for Chevrolet scoring its 12th and 13th victory in 16 Iowa races for the 2.2 liter twin turbo V6 engine.

As the checkered flag flew for Power, a multi-car crash on the backstretch involving several cars including Ed Carpenter, No. 20 GuyCare Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, and the No. 41 Prayer.com AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet driven by Sting Ray Robb. Carpenter was seen, evaluated and released from the INDYCAR Mobile Medical Unit. Robb was awake, alert and moving but transported to local hospital for further evaluation. Updates will be given by the team.

Next on the 17-race NTT INDYCAR Series schedule for Team Chevy will be the Streets of Toronto, July 19-21, 2024

TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 RACE RESULTS:
Pos. Driver
1st Power
3rd McLaughlin
6th Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
7th Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Hitachi Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet
9th Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 askROI Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
10th Romain Grojean, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES)

MARK STIELOW, DIRECTOR MOTORSPORTS COMPETITION PROGRAMS:

“To win both races at Iowa Speedway is an incredible achievement for our Chevrolet INDYCAR engineering team, as well as all of the Chevy-powered teams. Congratulations to Will Power and the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet team on their victory in Race Two. Will drove a strong race, the strategy was excellent, and the crew delivered perfectly on pit lane. What a weekend for Scott McLaughlin and his No. 3 Chevrolet team on another podium. To deliver these results while adapting to the new hybrid technology for the first time on an oval demonstrates the dedication of the effort needed to get a new component introduced and working well in a very competitive series.

“We are prepared now to move to the Streets of Toronto and try to deliver these results again.”

WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON BUSINESS TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED RACE WINNER:

“Massive fuel save. Honestly, just sitting in the pack. We had a really good car, a really fast car, so just sat back to use that pace to save fuel. It was getting a massive number, and I knew once all those guys pulled in, I could go hard, and then we caught a yellow, which was sort of the thing we were hoping for. To sort of get those yellows, put us to the front, and then we were able to get better fuel behind (Alex) Palou and go a couple of laps longer than him and jump in. I’ve been trying to win this race for years, years. Over the moon. The guys did a great job. I felt bad for them yesterday when I accidentally buttoned off on the pit speed limiter. Ruined their day, but we’re right in the game. I want to thank Verizon, Chevy, such tremendous support. We’re going to fight this hard to the end.”

You’re 35 points back in the championship now. It’d been five years since you’ve won an oval. Was that starting to weigh on your mind a little?

“It was, actually. I thought coming into this season I was going to win an oval this year. I want to win an oval, and I want to win multiple races. We’re still pushing and getting it done. Thanks Ron, thank you.”

With the heat today, how are you physically?

“It was good. I’m fine, physically. It was a bit heavy at the end there, when we were pushing hard on tires, but yeah, it’s all good.

“We have such a great crew, great strategist, engineer. My group, I’m so lucky. I really am. I’ve got so much confidence in them. I felt so bad that I screwed it up for them yesterday by accidentally buttoning it off there. What a way to come back.”

In terms of the final stint once you blended back out, what was your mind set knowing (Alex) Palou was there?

“I knew that out lap would be okay, because it was such a hot day, it wasn’t at night. I just did everything I could to keep him behind, and I knew we had a good car. I felt like we were a bit better than him, just following him for that whole stint. I felt like we were stronger, and if we got in front, we could stay in front.”

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN, NO. 3 XPEL TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET – FINISHED 3RD:

“We probably caught the yellow just a bit at the wrong time there on the first run. A first and a third, I’ll take that. Best thing is I can have a beer now and enjoy the concert, so I’m excited. Got a lot of friends here, have a lot of people out here supporting the Thirsty 3’s. Nice to get the championship back on track and we’re right in the game.”

Championship now. Even a little more in it now after a solid weekend?

“Yeah, don’t sleep on us. I said that many times, don’t sleep on us. We’ll keep coming. We’ve got ovals that we like coming up, and I feel good on Toronto, too. I’m just going to keep driving the way I can, no mistakes, and execute the best I can and hopefully it bodes well. Ultimately, the two out front, Will (Power) and Alex (Palou) have been constantly field all year, so now it’s just to catch them and capitalize when they make mistakes.”

PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW MCLAREN CHEVROLET, FINISHED 6TH :

“Solid points weekend for the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Obviously Saturday was a lot better than Sunday was, but the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is all about consistency and getting those top-fives or at least as close as you can to those. We did that this weekend.”

JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 HITACHI ASTEMO TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, FINISHED 7TH:

“I really feel like the Astemo Chevy was the best race car in the field today. We just can’t qualify mid-pack on this racetrack right now and expect to be able to drive through the field. I think that will come back in a couple of years when the new pavement wears, or maybe there is something that INDYCAR and Firestone can come up with on a downforce/tire package that will extend the life of the second groove a bit. We were plenty fast today but just couldn’t find a way to finish off any passes. Still, we had two solid finishes after qualifying pretty poorly and that says a lot about this team.”

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 ASKROI ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 9TH:

“Coming into this weekend, P9 was the best result of the year. But then getting a P5 and P9 this weekend here in Iowa is really good. It’s a great points haul. After a few mechanical DNFs, I mean this is a great way to come back. This means a top-10 at every oval race so far this season.”

It’s got to be a good thing that you’re looking at a lot of ovals coming up…

“Oh, definitely. This was kind of the start of oval season I call it, where we’re going into now. It’s also so great for the guys. Having those mechanicals, they feel terrible. Really, also, because of them, we moved forward in the race because of those great sequences. Big shoutout to the whole ECR crew. On to Toronto now.

“It was a crazy one. Started off a little 15th instead of 13th like yesterday. Got pinched on the start and lost a few positions. Just hung in during the race and really tried to maximize the pit sequences when guys started pitting and pushing out hard. Had some great pit stops again, just like yesterday. We had a really good race, and I think Chevy fuel mileage got us to go long and make sure we could push at the end. Happy, also happy that everyone is okay in that last lap crash. I had a front row seat for that and it was crazy, but another good day. Top-10 at every oval race so far this year, so it’s a good start.”

ROMAIN GROJEAN, NO. 77 JUNCOS HOLLINGER CHEVROLET, FINISHED 10TH:

“Very good. Sadly, the track was very hard to pass and it was all about strategy. Low deg. We did everything we could on fuel with the map on the Chevy out there and then pushing when we needed to. We optimized everything we could starting P16, so I’m happy with that. It’s another top-10 for the team, and very proud of all the work from Juncos Hollinger Racing and Chevrolet.”

SANTINO FERRUCCI, NO. 14 SEXTON PROPERTIES AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 11th:

“You know, I like this track a lot. I truly believe in the high side and making it work. We had a really great racecar. Bummed we couldn’t get back inside the top-10. Obviously, just missing out. I had a lot of fun. Honestly, I went wheel-to-wheel with Kyle (Kirkwood) for maybe three laps, just bumping off each other, and it was probably the most fun I’ve had in a racecar this year in this series. It was awesome. Hope everyone at the end of the race is okay. I can’t thank Sexton Properties, Chevrolet, and AJ Foyt Racing enough for a great racecar all weekend. Awesome, so we’ll get to 10th in the championship.”

NOLAN SIEGEL, NO. 6 ARROW MCLAREN CHEVROLET, FINISHED 14TH: “Race 2 was not quite what we’d hoped for. I didn’t get a great launch off the start and kind of got squeezed and lost a few spots and that was pretty much the whole race. I sat in the same position. I think the No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet was really good. There’s just not a lot you can do when it’s a one-lane race. The team did a good job. Everything was really good except the start, and that was that.”

ALEXANDER ROSSI, NO. 7 ARROW MCLAREN CHEVROLET, FINISHED 15th :

“It was kind of the same race as yesterday where track position was very important. We were pretty much running where we started. I’m not sure what exactly happened with the fuel load, but we had to go into a pretty crazy save mode there at the end. I think we were going to get there, but unfortunately there was an incident when I was beginning to lose fuel out of Turn 2 and it ended our day. It was very unfortunate, and I feel like we let two really good results get away from us. The cars were good, and I am just hoping Sting Ray is okay at this point.”

STING RAY ROBB, NO. 41 GOODHEART VET/PRAY.COM AJ FOYT RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 21st:

ED CARPENTER, NO. 20 GUYCARE ED CARPENTER RACING CHEVROLET, FINISHED 22nd: “This weekend was such a shame. The No. 20 GuyCare Chevrolet was actually really good last night into today. It’s just a terrible feeling getting two racecars torn up in less than 24 hours through really no fault of our own. We were running just fine, just a weird race, and with 20 laps to go last night and a half a lap to go today, we just get caught up in other peoples’ circumstances. What are you gonna do? The team is performing great. That’s kind of how this year has gone, we have great cars and have nothing to show for it. It’s just a shame what we’ve done to the racing. The asphalt didn’t help, there have been some decisions made that hurt the product. I hope the fans stick it out until we figure it out and come back better.”

AUGUSTIN CANAPINO, NO. 78 JUNCOS HOLLINGER CHEVROLET, FINISHED 25TH:

Will Power

Scott McLaughlin

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We welcome in Will Power, who led 50 of the 250 laps after starting 22nd. Simon Pagenaud-type numbers for you. Second win of the season. 43rd career win. First on an oval since Pocono in 2019. Back to second place in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES points standings.

Your thoughts on the day here.

WILL POWER: Yeah, I had a very good car. My plan from the beginning was to sit back and save a lot of fuel, just get the best possible number using the speed, lifting. In that gap, prayed for a yellow because I knew there would be out-laps. That would be when people would be prone to mistakes. That’s exactly what happened.

Even if it didn’t, we were just going to jump people by staying out. They come in. You’re just faster. Jump a few people to a sequence, as well. Either way we were going to go forward. But that was the big one, getting that yellow.

I felt like we had a better car than Alex. Set back, saved fuel again. Went long. Jumped him over in that sequence. Good in out-laps. Amazing stops as usual by my guys. They’re the best in pit lane. Don’t have to take my word for it. Just look at the times every time. I’m lucky with that.

THE MODERATOR: You knew pit stops were going to be crucial all weekend long.

WILL POWER: Yeah, qualifying, pit stops. I made a mistake in qualifying in the second lap of my run.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. As you said, it was important to get the caution when you did. Even more important I feel it was the overcut on Palou. You have to give credit to the pit crew for that.

WILL POWER: Yep, I definitely give credit to the pit crew all year. In the last three years, actually. In the ’22 championship, last year. They’re something I don’t have to worry about. I know if I hit my marks, it’s going to be an extremely fast stop.

Yeah, the car was great. My engineer did a great job with the car. Doing the overcut, I was pumping out some fast laps while Palou was leading me. Then I knew that we’d probably have a lap on him. We jumped him that way, too.

Fast in-lap, fast out-lap, fast pit stop. Good strategy, good car. That’s how you got to win in this series, and every now and then catch a Scott Dixon yellow (smiling). I need another 15 of them to catch up over the years. Any time I get one… hey, I’m owed about 15 of them from my early days (smiling).

Q. (No microphone.)

WILL POWER: If I hadn’t had the yellows. Colton Herta said to me, Dude, if you didn’t get caught out by yellows early in your career, you would be another 15 wins or something, 10 or 15 wins.

I’ll take them every time and not feel bad. I’ll be like, Yep, I deserve that (smiling).

Q. Do you feel it’s a resurgence, being involved in the championship battle now with only 35 points between you and Palou.

WILL POWER: Yeah, I had a tough year last year personally. My head wasn’t in the game. I was even considering if I should be racing at all because my wife was sick. It was just a throw-away year.

I’m back to the form of ’22, and I’m fighting for the championship. Yeah, got a great group on the car. I feel like we have a great chance here. Going to keep digging.

Q. Ryan Blaney won here a month ago. Scott McLaughlin won last night. Can you talk about what it’s like to be part of the success that Team Penske has had here this year?

WILL POWER: Yeah, we’ve had a very good time here for the last few years actually even though the track has changed significantly for the worse for INDYCAR. Yeah, it’s cool to have Blaney win, then Scott win, then me win.

It’s pretty funny that it played out like that. Yeah, it’s a team that works hard. It’s amazing the results that keep coming, but it’s not when you see how they work. It’s not like they waste money in any area. They run very lean but extremely efficiently.

I feel fortunate and lucky to be a part of that because if you look at it, there’s only two teams that win championships in this series, and Penske is one of them.

To be in one of these teams, but for me to be with Penske, yeah, I’m very fortunate.

Q. At the beginning of your career obviously this track was a little bit of a struggle for you. Can you walk through your process of now you’re a winner here, and does it mean anything extra to you to finally get a win here?

WILL POWER: It’s funny because I was trying to win this for so long. Even last year I finished second. I think I finished second a few times before the repave, trying really hard to win. I didn’t really think I’d win today.

You know how life goes, it just happens like that. Yeah, been trying to win this one for a long time. Stoked to tick that box. I’ve won a lot of races at a lot of tracks. When you tick a box at a track you haven’t won on, it feels pretty good.

Q. Second groove came in for a little while after the restart. What would it take to make that all day? Softer tires? Another notch of downforce?

WILL POWER: I just wonder if we’re just too heavy, the car is simply too heavy now. Then when we add the downforce, it overloads the tire. That’s sort of the predicament.

I feel like if we were 200 pounds lighter, you could run more downforce, run a softer tire. There’s a lot of things that would go toward being able to.

I think that should be and probably is a big focus of the new car coming in a couple years, is to knock a lot of weight. It’s hard to, but I think they really need to focus on that.

Formula 1 is trying to do the same thing, trying to knock a lot of weight out of their car. If you saw the racing at the beginning of this year, which is the lightest we’ve been for a bit, a lighter gearbox casing and bell housing, it was pretty fierce, good, hard racing. It was a lot more moves and closer racing.

I just wonder if that’s what it is. Yeah, even with this package, yeah, maybe just a softer tire might just work with this downforce level. Just a softer tire. If it degrades, people go out. You can roll to the outside.

I don’t know what the answer is, but we certainly got to do something for next year. Yeah, we went from the best oval race we would have all season to potentially the least amount of passing, yeah.

Q. How gratifying or fun is it to win a race? You just kind of did your thing, it fell your way.

WILL POWER: Yeah. Once I saw the yellow come out, I thought that this is very good for us. At last saving a ton of fuel worked for me. I’ve had a few races this year where I’m definitely going longer than anyone and then a yellow falls before anyone pits. You’re like, Oh.

This time it worked out perfectly, which I had that feeling. If there’s going to be a yellow, it’s going to be through those sequences. So if you can go really long, someone is going to make a mistake on the apron, the out-lap, the in-lap, they’re going to have to go yellow.

Yeah, that was the plan. Starting where I was, knowing how hard it was to pass, my plan is I’m going to sit back and save as much fuel as I can.

Q. You mentioned the change in the racing style from last year. This race kind of reminded me of some of the recent races at Gateway. You really don’t try to overtake lap traffic. Can you describe what it’s like to manage the traffic?

WILL POWER: That was a tough balance. Like, I was basically backing the corner up and just getting on the throttle really early. Every time I would come out of the corner, it was a big run. He would close up there, which you couldn’t really do anything. It’s usually when someone gets a big run on you.

Trying to keep backing up. Five to go, a bunch of cars battling and started really to back up. This is going to be interesting, but I did my best. I was keeping an eye on him and just trying to keep that gap to get big exits.

Yeah, it is a pity. Clearly faster than the group in front of us. You just can’t do anything. You can take a bit of a risk. Two cars got by Palou and myself, lappers. You can do it. But if we ran hard, you couldn’t. We were sitting back, saving fuel. You simply need a second lane.

If there’s a coating we can use or something, but a second lane would like this race amazing, as it has been in years past.

I don’t know if you can speed up the degradation process of a track. I heard they’re going to resurface the whole thing in a couple years. Does that make it better for us? Maybe. Maybe you can start high. I don’t know.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Will.

WILL POWER: Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: Our third-place finishing driver as well, Scott McLaughlin. Backing up his win from last night.

Congratulations, Scott. Nice weekend. Track record, pole, couple podiums. Your thoughts on race two here this afternoon?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, as soon as I saw that car on the inside of the apron, I knew we were pretty much screwed. You have to stay long to eliminate risk of a yellow. As soon as the yellow came out, I pretty much knew that, yeah, Alex was going to get me, along with Will, who hadn’t pitted yesterday.

That is what it is. It’s the game. You have them, you lose them. It’s just part of it. Yeah, really proud, man. This weekend was just exactly what we needed. I feel like we built some really nice momentum. Hopefully we can keep carrying this for the rest of the year.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Without that caution, did you think you would have had a better shot?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I was on the undercut. At the end of the day, I mean, I would have come out in front of Alex. Will would have had to pit in a couple laps’ time. That’s just how it rolls, man.

Yeah, it’s part of the deal. You just roll with it. I’ve won a race by a delayed yellow. I’ve lost a race now. It’s just part of the deal. I think everyone will have one or two of those in their career.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: No, you definitely can (laughter). Don’t worry about that.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: That wasn’t a shot at you, by the way. I think you’re an INDYCAR driver.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: You’re like 75. Close.

ALEX PALOU: That’s good. We still have four chances this year, so…

Q. Do you think what’s happened here and what happened at Texas Motor Speedway, you can run the same road courses maybe as NASCAR, but it’s very difficult to run the same ovals because what they try to do to make their cars work on ovals seems to be a detriment for you guys?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: The outside lane can work in the first 5, 10. I saw Ericsson using it to get a pass on Will and a few other things behind these two.

But personally, like, Firestone do an amazing job for us. We need to somehow work a way to get the second lane to work. That’s after 30, 40 laps. Whether that’s a compound that goes on the racetrack or something that acts with our tire and allows us to continue running that second lane.

Like, that thing worked. I passed three cars today on the outside of the restart. Like, it does work. I think it will work through the race if you can just eliminate some of the excess rubber that goes on there.

I think the package could help. I think INDYCAR could go to work with downforce levels, working with Firestone on a few other things. But you just can’t blame the track because at the end of the day they have to repave this at some time. That’s just how it is.

If we can somehow get our cars working when a repave happens and know what we need to do to make it work, we won’t run into these issues.

I feel like we go into it and not do the right amount of study or whatnot to get it done and to get it to work. That’s not a shot at the sport, not a shot at anything. It’s working together with the amazing people and the geniuses we have up and down pit lane. It’s just a matter of making it work.

Q. Scott, tell me about points and championship. You came in 105 points down this weekend. You cut that almost in half. You’re in the game.

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, this bloke next to me doesn’t make many mistakes. When he does, you have to capitalize. You’re an INDYCAR driver (smiling).

No, I think we knew we would be there, thereabouts. Qualifying was our first objective. We managed to put ourselves in a good spot. I firmly believe, we probably would have led that race in the second stint as well and be under control as much as we did the first stint.

We could easily have gotten two wins, but we got two podiums and one win. That’s a great day. I come into some tracks now… Gateway, Toronto. Portland I’ve won before. I feel really strong the end of the season. A couple ovals as well. So, yeah, it’s anyone’s game.

Q. About what we could do to make the track better, I understand when you tested here two weeks ago you were really happy with what was happening then. You were using the second lane well. Is that not true?

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: No.

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 heartbeat, 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

No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 Earns Top-Six Finish at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

By
Official Release
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BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada (July 14, 2024) – The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team continued their momentum in the sprint portion of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, collecting a third-consecutive top six result in the three sprint events. Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti’s (WTRAndretti) GTD class debut at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park saw Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal bring home a solid result in an action-packed race.

Kyle Marcelli took the green flag for the Chevrolet Grand Prix from seventh on the GTD grid, and the native Canadian driver quickly took advantage of the car’s strength in the high-speed corners to move up two positions on track. After a full-course caution in the first 30 minutes saw a majority of the field pit, a strategy call to stay out was made which found Marcelli leading the GTD field when the race returned to green-flag conditions.

Marcelli pitted from first after an hour of racing, leading 11 laps, for Formal to take over for a long stint to the finish. However, an unlucky caution affected the team’s strategy, and Formal fell back to tenth with an hour to go. Formal was able to get back on track and move up the field, moving into seventh. After a late caution left only eight minutes of racing, a final overtake saw the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team move into sixth position for the remainder of the race.

“Great job by Kyle, Danny and our No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini GT3 EVO2 team today,” said Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, WTRAndretti. “Mosport is a tough track, and we did a great job given the challenges. We are improving steadily and looking forward to the next rounds to continue our momentum.”

The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team next heads to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Weekend on August 2-4, 2024.

No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 Drivers:
Kyle Marcelli: “I was really pleased with the first part of the race. I thought we were off to a good start, and we were up two spots on track. Then we made some bold strategy calls that put us right into the lead, so I thought the guys in the pit box did a fantastic job. I thought we were in really great shape. I’m a little confused on how some things shook out, so I’ll need to download afterwards to process the race. Danny did a heck of a job, doing an hour and 40 minutes in the car. This place is busy. It’s also mentally and physically exhausting, so really proud of him for the effort he put in. We’re still missing a bit of speed that we still have to find, but we’ll keep working and keep improving.”

Danny Formal: “Well CTMP is done. It was my first actual time around this place. The hour and 40-minute-long stint was definitely interesting. It was a very long stint. The team did the best they could, and the car was mega in the high-speed corners. We were struggling in a place that the team can’t really do anything about. Overall, it was a good sixth place finish, and we gained one position over qualifying. Our strategy got thrown off for a little bit, and that hurt us, but it was cool to see the No. 45 car lead some laps around CTMP with Kyle behind the wheel. I’m super proud to be part of the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team. Road America and VIR are next, which are really familiar tracks for me and Kyle as we’ve run there many times in Lamborghini Super Trofeo, so super excited to get there. We’ll go back to the lab to make this thing a beast for Road America.”

ABOUT WTRANDRETTI
Andretti Global and Wayne Taylor Racing announced a new, long-term partnership in 2023 that combines the resources of the two championship-caliber teams to compete in IMSA’s top classes. In 2024, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) has expanded to a two-car GTP program as well as competes in the GTD class. Coming off its 2023 championship winning effort, WTRAndretti continues its Driver Development Program competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with a full stable.

WTRAndretti’s global motorsports enterprise boasts two IMSA driver championships (2013 and 2017), and back-to-back IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Championships (2020, 2021) which contributed to nine IMSA manufacturer championships for Acura, Pontiac, Corvette and Cadillac. In its brief 17-year history, WTRAndretti has accumulated multiple victories in sportscar racing’s most iconic events: Rolex 24 At Daytona, Twelve Hours of Sebring, Petit Le Mans, Mid-Ohio, Road America and the Six Hours of The Glen. With its back-to-back PRO Class Championship wins (2022, 2023), WTR also has ten North America Lamborghini Super Trofeo Championship titles and a Lamborghini World Finals title.

Andretti Global, a Championship-winning motorsports organization, competes in additional racing categories worldwide, including the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Extreme E, Australian Supercars and the Mexico SuperCopa Championship. Additionally, the racing enterprise commits to driver development through competition in INDY NXT by Firestone and through support of Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon’s racing careers.

WTRAndretti’s long term partnerships include Lamborghini Squadra Corse, DEX Imaging, Harrison Contracting Company and Gainbridge.

Power Climbs Through Field, Finally Wins at Iowa Speedway

By
Official Release
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Newton, IA - during the HyVee IndyCar Race Weekend in Newton, Iowa. (Photo by Joe Skibinski | IMS Photo)

NEWTON, Iowa (Sunday, July 14, 2024) – Add Iowa Speedway to the list of tracks where Will Power has won an NTT INDYCAR SERIES race.

Power put that one on his impressive list with a victory in Sunday’s Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade. In doing so, Team Penske’s two-time series champion pushed his career race win total to 43, giving him sole possession of fourth place in the sport’s history. Power tied Michael Andretti’s career total last month with a victory at Road America.

Sunday’s race was Power’s 19th attempt at the short oval east of Des Moines, Iowa. He had won an event-leading seven poles, but finishing second on four occasions, including last year, had been his best race result. His last oval-track victory was nearly five years ago at Pocono Raceway. He now has 10 career oval wins.

“I’ve been trying to win this race for years (and) years,” said Power, who started deep in the 27-car field due to brushing the wall in Saturday’s qualifying session. “So, I’m over the moon (happy).”

Power, 43, drove from the 22nd starting position and then received quick service from his No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet crew to beat series leader Alex Palou during the final exchange of pit stops under green conditions. Power’s time advantage over Palou in that sequence was about nine-tenths of a second, according to information collected by NTT DATA.

The separation between Power and Palou at the finish line was .3915 of a second.

Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin, the winner of Saturday night’s Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart, finished third. He led the race’s first 94 laps to push his two-night consecutive laps led total to 259.

McLaughlin lost Sunday’s lead when a caution came out on Lap 101 for Agustin Canapino’s stalled car in Turn 2. As Palou was on pit road at the time and Power hadn’t yet made his scheduled stop, those two drivers cycled to the front, pushing McLaughlin back to third.

Power rode behind Palou for 104 of the next 114 laps before overtaking him on the second pit stop. That was the difference in the race’s outcome on a sunny and hot Midwestern afternoon.

“Massive fuel (saving),” Power said of how he moved up through the field. “Honestly, (I was) just sitting in the pack. I had a really good car – a really fast car – so I sat back and used that pace to save fuel and get a massive (fuel) number.

“I knew once all those (frontrunners) pulled in (for pit service) I could go hard, and then we caught a yellow. That was sort of the thing we were hoping for, to get one of those yellows to put us to the front. Then we were able to get better fuel mileage behind Palou and go a lap longer than him and then jump in (to the pits).”

Said McLaughlin: “We probably caught the caution at the wrong time, (but) first and third (in the two races), I’ll take that.”

Dixon finished fourth in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing while Colton Herta fifth in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global w/Curb-Agajanian.

With the victory, Power cut Palou’s lead in the standings to 35 points with six races remaining.

As Power and Palou were crossing the finish line, a multicar crash coming off Turn 2 occurred. Sting Ray Robb ran over the back of Alexander Rossi’s car, vaulting Robb’s car high in the air vertically. Behind them, Ed Carpenter and Kyle Kirkwood spun and with Rossi, they ended up against the inside retaining wall with Carpenter’s car on top of Kirkwood’s.

Rossi, Kirkwood and Carpenter safely climbed from their damaged cars. Robb gave two thumbs up before being transported to a local hospital as a precaution for further evaluation.

Practice for the 12th race of the season, the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto, begins Friday at 3 p.m. ET at Exhibition Place in Toronto. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Christian Lundgaard earned his first series race victory last year on the temporary street circuit.

Sunday’s 85-lap race will air live on Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade Race Results

NEWTON, Iowa (Sunday, July 14, 2024) – Results Sunday of the Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on the 0.894-mile Iowa Speedway, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):

  1. (22) Will Power, Chevrolet, 250, Running
  2. (2) Alex Palou, Honda, 250, Running
  3. (1) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 250, Running
  4. (3) Scott Dixon, Honda, 250, Running
  5. (4) Colton Herta, Honda, 250, Running
  6. (7) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 250, Running
  7. (14) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 250, Running
  8. (8) Graham Rahal, Honda, 250, Running
  9. (15) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 250, Running
  10. (16) Romain Grosjean, Chevrolet, 250, Running
  11. (19) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 250, Running
  12. (13) Linus Lundqvist, Honda, 250, Running
  13. (9) David Malukas, Honda, 250, Running
  14. (11) Nolan Siegel, Chevrolet, 250, Running
  15. (6) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 249, Contact
  16. (12) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 249, Contact
  17. (18) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 249, Running
  18. (23) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 249, Running
  19. (25) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 249, Running
  20. (17) Pietro Fittipaldi, Honda, 249, Running
  21. (20) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, 248, Contact
  22. (26) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, 248, Contact
  23. (21) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 248, Running
  24. (24) Katherine Legge, Honda, 248, Running
  25. (10) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, 221, Mechanical
  26. (5) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 184, Mechanical
  27. (27) Conor Daly, Honda, 140, Mechanical

Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 154.768 mph
Time of Race: 01:26:38.7472
Margin of victory: 0.3915 of a second
Cautions: 12 laps
Lead changes: 6 among 4 drivers

Lap Leaders:
McLaughlin, Scott 1 – 94
Palou, Alex 95 – 100
Power, Will 101 – 106
Palou, Alex 107 – 203
Power, Will 204 – 205
Lundqvist, Linus 206 – 208
Power, Will 209 – 250

NTT INDYCAR SERIES Point Standings:
Palou 379, Power 344, O’Ward 327, Dixon 322, McLaughlin 315, Herta 299, Kirkwood 274, Rossi 265, Newgarden 247, Ferrucci 221, Rosenqvist 219, Ericsson 209, Lundgaard 203, Rahal 177, Grosjean 177, VeeKay 177, Armstrong 173, Lundqvist 156, Simpson 125, Fittipaldi 124, Robb 116, Rasmussen 104, Canapino 104, Harvey 80, Siegel 79, Pourchaire 75, Malukas 54, Blomqvist 46, Ilott 39, Carpenter 32, Ghiotto 27, Castroneves 26, Daly 26, Legge 24, Larson 21, Sato 19, Sowery 17, Vautier 12, Braun 10, Hunter-Reay 6, Andretti 5

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