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Best Folding Electric Bikes from Ridstar

By
SM
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Europe is now a hub for folding e-bikes, inventions that work amazingly in areas where space is limited, and a majority of commuters use public transit for commuting in and around town on a daily. In recent time, more commuters are going for the two-wheel option specially powered by batteries to travel around town to work and running various errands.

This instance is particularly notable in regions that have invested in the installation of modern bike lanes.

While there are various renowned e-bike manufacturers around the globe, Ridstar has set the pace as among the most reliable foldable e-bike providers globally and for a good reason. However, the main question remains: why would we need to go for foldable e-bikes despite the ample spaces available in our living areas?

Versatility is the answer! The collapsible aspect of the Ridstar foldable e-bikes makes them a convenient option that occupies less space and can easily be transported in SUVs or cars without needing bike racks. If you are in the market for foldable e-bikes, our review has outlined the best folding e-bikes from Ridstar highlighting their unique features to help you identify the most suitable for you.

Here are the top 3 best foldable e-bikes from Ridstar.

1. H20 PRO RIDSTAR FOLDABLE E-BIKE

If you are in the market for a reliable foldable e-bike to scale across all mountain, and city roads, then the H20 Pro is your best pick. With a decent battery that offers you the convenience of charging from whatever location, you can move around with utmost confidence. The scenario gets better knowing that your battery will be fully charged in a mere 6 hours allowing you to travel for as much as 70 miles before your next charge.

The H20 Pro e-bike features an assortment of features that include a transmitter taillight and headlights, flexible saddle, and handle-bars that you can adjust to your preference. it is specially designed to suit both urban trails and mountain scaling and with its class of superior-performance features, it is safe to admit that this is among the best e-bikes from Ridstar.

Furthermore, you will like that its superb foldable design means that you can load it and carry it virtually anywhere without worrying about it occupying too much space in your vehicle and with its notably wide tires, you can use it to traverse a wide array of roads with utmost safety, comfort, and convenience.

Features

  • 31mph top speed
  • Decent 48v/23ah battery capacity
  • Powerful 1500w motor (peaking at 2000w)
  •  Foldable

Pros

  •  Fat all-terrain tires
  • Foldable
  • Affordable
  •  Removable & fast-charging Battery
  •  Unique design

2. RIDSTAR H20 FOLDABLE E-BIKE

Price, design, and convenience with superb advantages all at an affordable price is the best way to describe the H20 Ridstar e-bike model. With a carefully crafted blend of lightweight and sturdy materials along with superb fork suspension makes this a smooth, comfortable, and reliable ride across town! This H20 bike is notable for its amazing foldable design that can fold in less than 10 seconds allowing you to easily fit this unit into your vehicle’s trunk in an instant.

You can now have a smooth ride experience anytime, anywhere courtesy of this wonderful foldable e-bike. It comes with a powerful brushless motor rated 1000w and a fast-charging 48v battery for utmost riding reliability. Considering that you can charge this unit fast only taking between 4-6 hours maximum time to fully charge, you can be up and running in no time. Its fork cab ne locked to enhance control and handling in various terrains while also minimizing overall weight, rendering the journey more effortless and entertaining.

What’s more, it is made of ultra-light material that makes this bike easy to pick up, and to access when commuting in various public spaces like offices and elevators. Ideally, it is a must have for any foldable e-bike enthusiast.

Notable Features

  • Fat (20×4”) Tires
  • Brushless (1000W) Motor
  • Dual Disk Brakes
  • Dual (48V) Battery
  • 7-speed gear shifting
  • Max (28MPH) Speed
  • 35 Miles Max Range
  • Dual (Front & Rear) Hydraulic Suspension

Pros

  •  Easily Foldable
  • All-Road Terrain bike
  • Powerful Motor (1000w)

3. RIDSTAR DC26 (FOLDABLE) E-BIKE

Terrain warrior is the best way to describe the latest addition into the e-bike foldable collection from Ridstar. Yes, the DC26 is a superior electric bike specially designed to suit mountain riding with minimal challenges. It comprises a high-performance design and configurations that include a decent 70-pound weight-class for smooth riding and transportation, adjustable saddle and handle bars for convenience, and a decent battery capacity for optimal performance.

It is fitted with fat all-terrain tires that allow you to move around different terrains, a detachable battery that takes a few hours to fully charge while allowing you to travel about 75 miles at a top speed of 37mph!

Also included in the package is a superbly-designed shock absorbing system that features quality absorption material. This means that you have the confidence to travel at high speeds without worrying about the road bumps on your way, since it will help you maintain both safety and stability on your course. Finally, although somewhat expensive, considering the abundance of features on it, it is a worthwhile investment if you are looking to achieve an unmatched cycling experience.

Notable Features

  • Decent Weight (70 pounds)
  • Reliable & detachable (48V/20AH) Battery
  • Smart LCD Meter
  • Powerful (2000w max) motor
  • Top speed of 37mph & 75-mile range on its battery
  • Adjustable handlebars and saddle

Pros

  • Reliable shock absorbers
  • Foldable
  • Superb design
  • Powerful motor

Final Word

The foldable e-bike that you choose should not only match your personal needs, but also make financial sense! Ideally, the unique e-bikes have found popularity for several reasons including their superb space-saving build, flexibility, and portability, among many other user-specific reasons.

Nonetheless, despite all these bikes coming from the Ridstar global brand, it is worth noting that they are not equally designed hence the need to research and identify the e-bike that perfectly suits your needs.

If you’re just starting out, we hope that this folding e-bike guide will offer you a reliable starting point. With these few models and others available in our e-bike catalog, you can easily find the perfect fit that is worth your investment.

Happy Riding!

KENNINGTON SCORES TOP FIVE FINISH IN CASTROL EDGE DODGE

By
Official Release
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DJ Kennington racing the #17 Castrol EDGE Dodge at Edmonton International Raceway. Photo Credit: Matthew Manor

July 28, 2024. DJ Kennington, driver of the #17 Castrol EDGE Dodge, showcased his skill and determination during round eight of the NASCAR Canada Series at Edmonton International Raceway this Saturday night.

Kennington had speed right from the start of the day, impressing in practice and securing a solid seventh place starting position for the 300-lap feature event. As the race commenced in front of packed grandstands, the #17 Castrol EDGE Dodge quickly moved into the top five.

Midway through the first 150 laps, Kennington battled with handling issues and suspected a tire problem that continued until the scheduled mid-race break. The Castrol team sprang into action, adding fuel, changing tires, and making crucial handling adjustments.

When the race restarted Kennington had to fight his way through lapped traffic and was just outside the top five. In the closing stages Kennington’s Castrol EDGE Dodge came alive and with the free pass from a late caution was back on the lead lap. He continued his charge and scored a fifth-place finish at the checkered flag.

DJ Kennington Quotes: “Today was a good day. The Castrol car was fast right from the start. I thought I had a tire going down in the race, but we found it was an issue with tire stagger. We had to restart the second half behind cars we were ahead of, not sure why that happened. But the car was great in the closing laps. We got a break and got back on the lead lap, and we were moving forward. Great job by the whole Castrol team today, thanks to all the fans for coming out.”

Next up:
DJ Kennington and the Castrol Edge Dodge team will be race next at the historic Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres in Trois Rivieres, QC on Sunday August 11th.

TV & Live Streaming
The NAPA 300 will be broadcast on TSN and on RDS2, dates and times TBD. All races are streamed live on TSN+ and through FloRacing in the United States.

Race fans can follow DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team on their official social media platforms:

Twitter www.twitter.com/@djkracing
Instagram www.instagram.com/djkracing
Website www.djkracing.ca
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DJKenningtonRacing/

Nicolas Ambiado Gets First-Career FR Americas Win at NJMP

By
Barry Albert
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#55 Nicolas Ambiado, Velox USA, Speed Factory, TLink, Allegro,

MILLVILLE, N.J. (July 28, 2024) – Nicolas Ambiado secured his first Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) win in Race 2 at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP). The 16-year-old Chilean driver finished second in the last two rounds, finally breaking through to run away with the win—and a 10-second margin of victory—this morning.

Notes of Interest:

  • Nicolas Ambiado secured his first-career FR Americas win on Sunday morning. He began racing the Ligier JS F3 chassis last season at the age of 15, while competing in Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA).
  • Titus Sherlock earned his fifth podium of the season with his second-place finish on Sunday morning. Once as high as third in the championship battle, Sherlock continues to chip away at the points lead after missing both races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last month.
  • Patrick Woods-Toth took over the points lead with his third-place finish in Race 2. The result marks his 10th podium in 13 races this season.
  • Today’s win marked the first victory for the Speed Factory / Velox USA team in FR Americas.
  • After finishing second in yesterday’s event, Nicolas Ambiado (No. 55 LIQUI MOLY Ligier JS F3) set the fast lap of the race to roll off the starting grid first at NJMP on Sunday morning. With a clean start, Ambiado jumped out front to control the race, while the field fought for position behind him. Titus Sherlock (No. 31 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) and Patrick Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) immediately engaged in battle mode when the lights went out, with fourth-place starter Sherlock challenging second-place starter Jett Bowling (No. 02 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) through Turn 1 to claim the position by the time they reached Turn 2. Woods-Toth started third, initially falling to fourth, but pulled to the inside of Bowling as they raced down the frontstretch to complete lap 1, securing the third position. From there, the race stayed fast and green.

With the perfect setup for this morning’s track conditions, Ambiado methodically hit his marks, opening a gap on the field—a full second within the first lap, nearly six seconds within the first 10 minutes, and ultimately 10-plus seconds by the time the checkered flag waved. Behind him, Sherlock felt the pressure of Woods-Toth, with less than a half second separating the two during the closing laps, but Sherlock was ultimately able to hold off his opponent, crossing the finish line in the same order they ran the majority of the race: Ambiado, Sherlock, Woods-Toth.

“I’m very happy,” said Ambiado atop the podium. “I had a very good setup today—thanks to my team, my dad, Velox USA. I had a good gap over second, and was able to take the victory. I have to thank my sponsors—LIQUI MOLY—and obviously SpeedTour, FR Americas, and SVRA.”

Patrick Woods-Toth Wins Thrilling Race 3 at NJMP

MILLVILLE, N.J. (July 28, 2024) – Patrick Woods-Toth won a nail-biting Race 3 at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP). Racing wheel-to-wheel with Nicolas Ambiado (No. 55 LIQUI MOLY Ligier JS F3) for nearly the entire race, Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) was able to hold off Ambiado’s advances to win the final Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) race of the New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour weekend.

Notes of Interest:

Patrick Woods-Toth returned to the top step of the podium for the first time since Round 9 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway six weeks ago.
With his second-place result, Nicolas Ambiado added another podium to his tally, having finished inside the top-three positions a total of six times, including all three races this weekend.
Third-place finisher Jett Bowling has secured podiums in each of the last three FR Americas weekends, including Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and New Jersey Motorsports Park.
With three podiums this weekend—including his first FR Americas win and two runner-up finishes—Nicolas Ambiado 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.
Race 3 for FR Americas was wild from the start. Race 2 winner Ambiado led the field down the starting grid with Woods-Toth to his outside, but when the lights went out, it was Woods-Toth who got the perfect jump to take control of the field. Ambiado was under immediate pressure from Titus Sherlock (No. 31 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3), who jumped to the outside after lining up third, but it was a tight squeeze as Hayden Bowlsbey (No. 22 IGY6 Motorsports / Save22 Ligier JS F3) also tried to make a move on the outside, making it three wide. The three touched wheels, causing suspension damage on Sherlock’s car and leaving him stranded on the outside of Turn 1. A full-course caution followed as safety crews worked to swiftly remove Sherlock’s Crosslink Kiwi machine, allowing the race to restart just one lap after the safety car picked up the field.

Woods-Toth maintained the lead when the race resumed, getting a clean restart as the green flag waved. With Ambiado in his tracks, mere tenths separated the two frontrunners for nearly the first half of the race. Carrying speed down the frontstretch, Ambiado had a few opportunities to try to find a way around Woods-Toth as they raced toward Turn 1, but Woods-Toth stayed on defense and was able to hold off Ambiado’s challenges.

When the checkered flag waved, Woods-Toth led the way, followed by Ambiado in second and Jett Bowling (No. 02 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) in third. Bowling had started the race in fifth, but the Turn 1 incident on the opening lap gave him the perfect opportunity to capitalize on the situation and earn his fourth podium of the season.

“It’s nice to be back [on the top step],” said Woods-Toth from the podium. “We worked pretty hard at the last two races and had a little bit of tough luck, but we just had to put it together. Finally, we had a good race today. Nicolas [Ambiado] was super fast all weekend. When he was out front [in Race 2], we couldn’t even see him anymore. This race was a tough race. I had to pull all my karting defense moves, but it turned out well for us in the end. I have to thank the team at Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport, Orlando, FSMQ, Ron Fellows, my family, my friends and everybody that supports me.”

FR Americas visits Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for its penultimate round of the 2024 championship, August 29-September 1. Live timing and scoring can be accessed on the Race Monitor app, and additional news and updates about F4 U.S. are available on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

NHRA AT SONOMA: Team Chevy Race Recap | Notes & Quotes

By
Official Release
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CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2024 DENSO NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS
SONOMA RACEWAY
SONOMA, CALIFORNIA
TEAM CHEVY RACE RECAP | NOTES & STATS
JULY 28, 2024

JOHN FORCE RACING AND CHEVROLET RACE TO THE SEMIFINAL ROUND AT SONOMA WITH AUSTIN PROCK AND BRITTANY FORCE

Chevrolet Captures Pro Stock Wally with Aaron Stanfield and Super Stock Win with Jim Grossi

Notes:

  • Austin Prock, driver of the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, fell to Bob Tasca, III in a tight semifinal round at Sonoma with his run of 3.901 seconds E.T. at 333.99 mph to Tasca, III’s 3.931 seconds E.T. at 336.15 mph.
  • While he didn’t capture the Wally trophy this weekend, Prock did win his fifth-straight Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge Saturday and sixth overall, pocketing bonus points and a cash prize with his defeat of J.R. Todd is the first round and Blake Alexander in the second.
  • Prock maintains his sizeable lead over Tasca, III in second in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Championships standings heading to Brainerd.
  • Capturing both his 128th career No. 1 qualifier and fourth of the season, Greg Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock, also captured his second straight Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory with his run of 6.595 seconds E.T. at 204.94 mph.
  • Racing to her third semifinal round of the season and 39th of her career, Brittany Force and her Monster Energy Chevrolet Top Fuel team showed progress during the weekend in Sonoma despite being defeated by Antron Brown.
  • Aaron Stanfield, driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock machine, captured his third win of the season and 11th career Wally trophy. Stanfield’s win is Chevrolet’s 393rd since 1970 in Pro Stock and 274th in the Camaro.
  • In his second start after transitioning from Pro Stock Motorcycle to Pro Stock, Cory Reed made his final round debut with KB Titan Racing, facing off against Stanfield and Elite Motorsports in his 20th career final round.
  • In Super Stock, Jim Grossi defeated Justin Lamb in his bright orange Chevrolet Corvette, to capture the Sonoma Nationals Wally with his pass of 8.500 seconds E.T. at 156.43 mph.
  • Wrapping four qualifying sessions Saturday evening, Prock powered to the No. 4 qualifying position heading into race day, running 3.872 seconds E.T. at 335.07 mph. Force’s run Friday held for the No. 3 qualifying position for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals.
  • Force led the John Force Racing duo in qualifying Friday, racing to a provisional No. 2 spot with her run of 3.668 seconds E.T. at 335.57 mph.

Quotes:

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

“I had my best light of the weekend. You shouldn’t even be staring up there to be honest (at the bulbs). John Force taught me that. We made a good run, and they (Bob Tasca, III) made an outstanding run. He had the top bulb out; that’s seven inches, and that’s seven-hundredths. So, he probably went .86, .87, and we probably ran .90 straight up. It sucks to get beat by a (thousandth), but I mean, I’m so proud of this Cornwell Tools Chevrolet team, but when you get beat by a (thousandth), you get beat by a (thousandth). Hopefully, it goes our way the next time.”

BRITTANY FORCE, DRIVER OF THE MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET TOP FUEL DRAGSTER:

“Overall, this was a really good weekend for this Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac / Cornwell Tools / HendrickCars.com / PEAK Chevy team. We made quite a bit of progress. Our goal was to qualify in the top five. We qualified third. We were pretty consistent during qualifying. Race day, first round, we laid down a .68, which was an outstanding run for this team. Then we came out second round, ran a .74. The track was heating up. We slowed it down a little, but another solid, clean run. We made a semifinal round appearance. Unfortunately, we got beat by Antron Brown. It’s a tough team over there, tough competitor. We gave it our all, but with the track heating up, we drove into smoke. I let the car settle and tried to pedal it. I could see him too far out ahead of us, so we just let that one go. We will pack up, and actually we will head to Norwalk [for Night Under Fire match race] next, where we can keep continuing figuring this car out and getting her ready for closing in on this countdown.”

Up Next:

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series next heads to Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minn. for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Aug. 15-28. Eliminations air Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on FOX. Coverage of qualifying and the race stream live throughout the weekend on NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

About Chevrolet

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

DAMS Lucas Oil secures Feature Race podium at Spa-Francorchamps

By
Official Release
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DAMS Lucas Oil picked up another Feature Race podium, as Jak Crawford showed strong pace throughout the weekend to finish third in Spa.

In the Sprint Race, Crawford gained two places to secure fifth in a shortened event due to heavy rain. Less than half of the laps were completed, meaning he scored a point, while Juan Manuel Correa finished 17th.

On Sunday, the Aston Martin Driver Development Programme member lined up in fourth, retaining his position before pitting on Lap 9. Crawford then drove a solid stint on the medium tyre, setting an excellent pace throughout to secure the final step on the podium, his third top-three finish in the last five Feature Race.

In the #8 car, Correa would show good speed after going on the alternate strategy, pitting on Lap 17 before passing his way through the field to finish in 11th.

#7 Jak Crawford

“I’m delighted to get another Feature Race podium and to round off a very solid weekend. We looked strong despite the changing conditions throughout the weekend, so I’m pleased to deliver this podium for the team who have worked incredibly hard in this busy section of the season. We know how good of a race car we’ve got so I was always confident of achieving a result like this. It’s a brilliant way to go into the summer break and the aim is to come back from this time off even stronger.”

Results
Qualifying: 4th
Sprint Race: 5th (+1 point)
Feature Race: 3rd (+15 points)

#8 Juan Manuel Correa

“It was great to have some battles when we put on the soft rubber towards the end of the race, and I only just missed out on the top-10. It has been a challenging weekend from my side, but it could’ve ended in points, which shows the potential in the car. The schedule has been hectic recently, so the summer break will be good to assess the season so far, and we’ll hope to finish the year on a high.”

Results
Qualifying: 14th
Sprint Race: 17th
Feature Race: 11th

Charles Pic, Team Owner

“I’m happy for us to be on the podium again and to see Jak continuing his excellent form! We improved in qualifying, which is a big positive and we’ll look to learn from what we did differently for the remainder of the season. Jak was looking good for a strong haul of points on Saturday after making up positions at the start, but it was the right decision to end the race early with the worsening conditions. In the Feature Race, we lacked a bit of straight-line speed, and we need to analyse this issue, but Jak drove excellently to come third. With JM on the alternate strategy, we waited for a Safety Car which never came but he managed to make up a few positions to secure P11. It’s a great way to go into the break and the team deserves this for all their hard work over the last six weeks!”

Drivers’ Championship

  1. Isack Hadjar 165
  2. Gabriel Bortoleto 129
  3. Paul Aron 124

-5. Jak Crawford 100
-16 Juan Manuel Correa 31

Teams’ Championship

  1. Campos Racing 203
  2. Invicta Racing 203
  3. MP Motorsport 179
  4. Hitech Pulse-Eight 153

-6. DAMS Lucas Oil 131


About DAMS
DAMS is a professional racing team founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot, currently competing in FIA Formula 2, F1’s main feeder series. Ahead of the 2022 season, ex-F1 driver Charles Pic took control of the team. So far, 33 DAMS drivers have reached F1, with many more going on to become professional racing drivers. In its history, DAMS has won 15 drivers’ titles, 16 teams’ championships and has scored over 170 race victories.

Web: www.pole.uk.com
Facebook: /damsracing
X: @damsracing
Instagram: @damsracing
LinkedIn: /dams-lucas-oil
Web: www.damslucasoil.com

MATT SMITH WINS GETTRX PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE ALL-STAR CALLOUT WIN AT DENSO NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS

By
Official Release
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Kalitta, Tasca, Anderson and M. Smith get No. 1 spots in Sonoma

SONOMA, Calif. (July 27, 2024) – Six-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Matt Smith set a new track E.T. record on Saturday at Sonoma Raceway, defeating teammate Jianna Evaristo in the final round of the GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout as part of this weekend’s 36th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals.

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Smith all qualified No. 1 at the 12th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

In the final round of the specialty race, Smith went 6.655-seconds at 204.23 mph on his Denso Auto Parts Buell, defeating Evaristo’s 6.703 at 203.77 to win his first Callout race. Smith topped the track record he set earlier in the day – when he beat top seed Gaige Herrera in the opening round with a 6.662 – and also qualified No. 1 for the fourth time this season as he looks for his first event win of the season.

“I’m really thrilled. This is my first win in the GETTRX Callout but my third win in a specialty race,” Smith said. “We’ve had a tough year. We haven’t won a race, but we’ve been good on Saturdays. Now, we’ve got to be good on Sunday. This is a big payday, and it means a lot so I have to say thanks to Steve Bryson and GETTRX for putting this deal on.

“(Jianna) is going to be an excellent rider and I’m proud of what she’s doing. Before the final, I didn’t cut her any slack. We’ve both struggled to cut a light here, but I still told her I was going to spank her.”

Evaristo qualified second in PSM with a career-best 6.674 at 204.54 – also making the second-fastest pass in class history – and Herrera is third after going 6.688 at 202.55, which took place in the opening round of the Callout.

Top Fuel points leader Doug Kalitta fell in the final round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge to teammate Shawn Langdon, but he kept his No. 1 spot on the strength of Friday’s track-record 3.649 at 336.40 in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools/Toyota dragster. It handed the points leader his No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 58th in his career, as he looks to win in Sonoma for a sixth time in his career.

“On that last run in Q4, we pushed a bit harder and it didn’t hold so Shawn ended up with the [Mission Challenge] win,” Kalitta said. “Even though I ran a 3.64 there were other cars that were close and tomorrow I don’t think it will be much hotter, so I expect a real battle.

“I’m actually a bit relieved because we now know how hard we can push and that should be a bit tomorrow. You might get one lucky round, but you need to be on your game. Shawn pushes me and he keeps me on my game especially now that both of our cars are as close as possible. He’s one of the best out there and he’s one up on me right now.”

Clay Millican jumped to second with a 3.664 at a track-record 338.26 and Brittany Force qualified third after going 3.668 at 335.57.

In Funny Car, Matt Hagan came close to bumping him out, but Bob Tasca III hung on to the No. 1 position in the loaded category, as Friday’s run of 3.839 at 338.43 in his 11,000-horsepower Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang held up. It gave the veteran his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 18th in his career, putting Tasca in a strong position to try and pick up another Sonoma victory.

He’ll open eliminations against Buddy Hull, keeping the top position after reigning world champ Matt Hagan went an identical 3.839 at a slower 330.49 to take the second spot. Ron Capps qualified third with a 3.864 at 332.43. Tasca did close qualifying with a stout 3.868 at a whopping 337.66, adding to his momentum for Sunday.

“We tried to run 340 mph this morning and it nearly put me into the wall so on the last run we slowed it way down to make a full pull,” Tasca said. “I say this all the time but you could take a fan in the stands, put them in one of these cars and tell them to keep it straight and on most runs they could do it. That was Q4 where the car did exactly what it was supposed to do.

“We’ve had some vibrant conversations in our trailer and a lot of discussions about going 340 mph. We have parts that are faster, but we had to be smart. This car is set up to win a championship and when it warms up, like today, we need to be smart.”

Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson made the most of Saturday morning’s conditions, shattering the track E.T. record and taking the No. 1 spot for the fifth time this season with a spectacular run of 6.491 at 211.20 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. It was nearly a picture-perfect run for the five-time world champion and Pro Stock’s winningest driver, earning his 128th career No. 1 qualifier in the process. Anderson has a Pro Stock-best six wins in Sonoma and will open raceday against Derrick Reese.

“I love coming here because it’s so fast but we have to rely on Mother Nature to do it for us,” Anderson said. “I love it when she shines on us like today and you can throw everything at it. I didn’t have a great day yesterday but today we had a turn of fortune. We made two great runs today.

“We have a good book on this place and when you come here, you don’t have to de-tune it. That’s a tribute to the guys in our engine shop. I love it here, from the track to the people – everyone is happy.”

Points leader Dallas Glenn took second with a 6.497 at 211.00 and Eric Latino is third with a 6.501 at 210.60.

Eliminations for the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals begin at 10:30 a.m. PT on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway.

SONOMA, Calif. — Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the 36th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway, the 12th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel — 1. Doug Kalitta, 3.649 seconds, 336.40 mph vs. 14. Ron August, 4.657, 165.29; 2. Clay Millican, 3.664, 338.26 vs. 13. Steve Torrence, 4.076, 218.05; 3. Brittany Force, 3.668, 335.57 vs. 12. Josh Hart, 3.755, 324.36; 4. Shawn Langdon, 3.677, 336.65 vs. 11. Tony Stewart, 3.748, 332.02; 5. Justin Ashley, 3.683, 333.91 vs. 10. Tony Schumacher, 3.733, 323.97; 6. Billy Torrence, 3.684, 332.92 vs. 9. Jasmine Salinas, 3.725, 329.10; 7. Antron Brown, 3.685, 336.40 vs. 8. Shawn Reed, 3.685, 330.39.

Funny Car — 1. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.839, 338.43 vs. 16. Buddy Hull, Dodge Charger, 4.081, 319.60; 2. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.839, 330.39 vs. 15. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Camry, 4.057, 289.94; 3. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.864, 332.43 vs. 14. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.040, 314.24; 4. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.872, 335.07 vs. 13. Steven Densham, Mustang, 4.013, 313.73; 5. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.887, 334.82 vs. 12. Dave Richards, Camry, 4.012, 307.09; 6. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.904, 327.66 vs. 11. Jason Rupert, Mustang, 3.984, 321.42; 7. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.908, 328.22 vs. 10. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.936, 320.89; 8. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 3.919, 331.28 vs. 9. Paul Lee, Charger, 3.921, 323.19.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Chris Morel, 4.099, 270.81; 18. Alex Miladinovich, 4.409, 231.40.

Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.491, 211.20 vs. 16. Derrick Reese, Ford Mustang, 6.587, 208.97; 2. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.497, 211.00 vs. 15. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.584, 209.14; 3. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.501, 210.60 vs. 14. Sienna Wildgust, Camaro, 6.567, 210.54; 4. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.505, 210.34 vs. 13. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.566, 209.43; 5. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.508, 211.49 vs. 12. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.539, 210.97; 6. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.515, 210.90 vs. 11. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.523, 209.88; 7. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.515, 210.28 vs. 10. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.520, 211.20; 8. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.516, 211.26 vs. 9. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.518, 211.63.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Joey Grose, 6.605, 208.07.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.655, 204.23 vs. 12. Eiji Kawakami, Suzuki, 7.055, 189.44; 2. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.674, 204.54 vs. 11. Clayton Howey, Suzuki, 6.996, 191.51; 3. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.688, 202.55 vs. 10. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.847, 197.80; 4. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.722, 202.42 vs. 9. John Hall, Beull, 6.806, 198.73; 5. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.724, 201.31 vs. 8. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.777, 197.19; 6. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.730, 201.34 vs. 7. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.761, 199.82.

Alex Crosbie Secures First F4 U.S. Win in New Jersey

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#41 Alex Crosbie, Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport, , winner, Victory Lane

MILLVILLE, N.J. (July 27, 2024) – Alex Crosbie won a thrilling race at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) to earn his first-career victory in Formula 4 United States Championship (F4 U.S.) competition. After a highly-contested battle with his Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport teammate Nicolas Stati (No. 15 AGI Sport Ligier JS F422), Crosbie (No. 41 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) ultimately emerged the winner in Race 1 of the New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour weekend.

Notes of Interest:

  • Alex Crosbie brought home his first-career F4 U.S. win at New Jersey Motorsports Park on Saturday.
  • Nicolas Stati extended his perfect streak of podium finishes, with a top-three finish in each of the six rounds contested by F4 U.S. to date. The Australian is the only driver to finish on the podium in every round this season.
  • Barrett Wolfe finished third, marking his first-career podium and a career-best result. Previously, his best result was fourth, recorded in Round 4 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last month.
  • Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport swept the podium for the first time this season, with Crosbie winning his first race, Stati finishing second, and Wolfe earning his first F4 U.S. podium.
  • In a two-by-two rolling start, Stati led the field to the green flag. However, as has been the fashion for the 2024 season, the F4 U.S. field showed just how competitive the new Ligier JS F422 chassis and Ligier Storm engine can be, immediately jumping two- and three-wide as they raced toward Turn 1. Stati initially had the point, but by the time they reached Turn 1, fourth-place starter Pablo Benites Jr. (No. 44 Scuderia Buell Ligier JS F422) had pulled to his outside to overtake the lead. Initially pulling away to form a gap, it wasn’t long before Benites Jr. found himself back under pressure from Stati and Crosbie as the handling on his car started to fade. For 10 minutes, the three raced nose to tail, jockeying for position, with Stati and Crosbie eventually prevailing to claim first and second, respectively.

Pulling away from Benites Jr., the battle was on between the Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport teammates. Less than a second separated the two drivers for the final 20 minutes of the race, as they swapped positions back and forth until Crosbie finally emerged the leader and started racing toward the checkered flag. When they took the checkered flag, Crosbie edged Stati by just 0.490 seconds, with Benites Jr. crossing the line in third.

During post-race technical inspection, officials found that the No. 44’s car, and car plus driver, failed to make minimum weight. A post-race Stewards Decision was issued, which relegated Benites Jr. to fifth in the official results. As such, Barrett Wolfe (No. 13 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F422) was promoted to third place, to earn the final podium position.

“It was definitely a hard race,” said Crosbie from atop the podium. “Nicholas [Stati] made it difficult to get past and I couldn’t run away with it. I just had too much pressure from him, but it was definitely a great, clean race and we had a lot of fun. I’d like to thank my team—Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport—my engineer Matt, my mechanic Juan, everyone at home who’s supporting me, and of course my sponsor, Golden Homes New Zealand.”

F4 U.S. will feature a doubleheader at NJMP tomorrow, with lights out for Race 2 scheduled at 11:05 a.m. ET and Race 3 to follow at 4:25 p.m. ET. A live stream of the races from the New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour weekend will be available at YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV, with live timing and scoring accessed on the Race Monitor app. Additional news and updates will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Titus Sherlock Returns to FR Americas at NJMP, Takes Race 1 Win

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#31 Titus Sherlock, Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport. Photo by Gavin Baker Photography.

MILLVILLE, N.J. (July 27, 2024) – After missing the races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last month when an off during practice put an early end to his weekend, Titus Sherlock found redemption in Formula Regional Americas Championship (FR Americas) at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) on Saturday afternoon. Looking to regain his footing in the championship battle, Sherlock (No. 31 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) did just that, winning Race 1 of the New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour weekend in a race that stayed green from lights to checkered flag.

Notes of Interest:

  • Titus Sherlock earned his third win of the 2024 season when he took the checkered flag in Round 12 at NJMP on Saturday afternoon.
  • Patrick Woods-Toth sustained heavy damage to his Ligier JS F3 when he made impact with the Armco barrier during the closing minutes of qualifying on Saturday morning, but the Crosslink Kiwi Motorsports team was able to rebound with a third-place finish just a few hours later.
  • Nicolas Ambiado tied his career-best result with a runner-up finish in the opening race of the weekend. The Chile native also finished second in the series’ most recent round at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
  • Ricco Shlaimoun earned a career-best finish with his No. 25 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3, finishing seventh on Saturday afternoon.
  • After winning the pole during qualifying earlier this morning, Patrick Woods-Toth (No. 27 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3) led the field down the starting grid. However, it wasn’t an easy go for the championship contender, as his Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport team had a lot of work to do after Woods-Toth made impact with the Armco barrier during the closing minutes of qualifying, requiring extensive repairs to the car before the lights went out. Next to him on the starting grid was his teammate, Sherlock. The 19-year-old Texan entered Mid-Ohio third in points, but ranked fifth when the championship arrived in New Jersey after missing the last two rounds. Determined to make up for lost time, Sherlock had a great jump off the starting block and made the pass for the lead as they raced toward Turn 1. While Woods-Toth stayed close on Sherlock’s rear wing during the opening laps, he was unable to make a move on his teammate to regain the lead.

Behind them, third-place starter Nicolas Ambiado (No. 55 LIQUI MOLY Ligier JS F3) was under immediate pressure from Jett Bowling (No. 02 Crosslink Kiwi Motorsport Ligier JS F3), who lined up on the grid to his outside. With Bowling getting a solid start, he jumped ahead of Ambiado to claim the third spot. With Ambiado filling Bowling’s mirrors, the Chilean was finally able to complete the pass as they raced through Turn 1 five minutes into the event.

The four drivers raced nose to stern for the next 20 minutes, but as the clock ticked down, Ambiado started to close in on Woods-Toth. While Sherlock maintained a one-to-two second lead, Ambiado was within two tenths of second-place Woods-Toth. Stalking his gearbox and looking for the right opportunity to make his move, Ambiado finally got his chance, pulling side-by-side with Woods-Toth as they raced through Turn 8 on the final lap of the race, and completing the pass when Woods-Toth dropped two wheels off the racing surface.

When they took the checkered flag, it was Sherlock, followed by Ambiado and Woods-Toth.

“This is a hard track to overtake on, so I knew once I got the lead that I had a pretty good chance,” said Sherlock on the podium. “I just tried to do the most consistent laps I could and tried to save my tires. I can’t thank the whole team enough, as well as everyone that supports me, my uncle, everyone that comes out to the races, my family at home. A big thank you to my teammates for pushing me on after the Mid-Ohio crash, too. Thank you.”

FR Americas has back-to-back races on Sunday at NJMP. Race 2 will go green at 9:45 a.m. ET, followed by Race 3 at 2:30 p.m. ET. A live stream of the races from the New Jersey Lottery SpeedTour weekend will be available at YouTube.com/SpeedTourTV, with live timing and scoring accessed on the Race Monitor app. Additional news and updates will be posted on the series’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

PROCK, LANGDON & T. COUGHLIN JR. WIN MISSION #2FAST2TASTY CHALLENGE AT SONOMA RACEWAY

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SONOMA, Calif. (July 27, 2024) – Funny Car points leader Austin Prock won for the fifth straight time in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday at Sonoma Raceway, defeating Blake Alexander in the final of the bonus race at this weekend’s 36th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals.

Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel) and Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) also won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge at the 12th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

After failing to make it down the track during Friday’s two qualifying sessions, Prock and his John Force Racing team turned it around on Saturday, capped off by a run of 3.897-seconds at 332.10 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS in the final round of the bonus race against Alexander. It’s the fifth straight bonus race win for Prock, the Funny Car points leader, and the sixth overall this season, giving him an extra 20 points in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

“We definitely struggled yesterday but we turned it around today,” said Prock, who went 3.872 at 335.07 earlier in the day. “Six wins, that’s 20 points which is a whole round, and as we’ve seen, every point matters.

“We backed off on Q3 but that was a nice run (in the finals). That’s the run we wanted. I know I’m happy and I hope [my crew] is also happy. To win these bonus races is a big confidence booster. It’s more money for our crew and more points for the team. Both are important.”

In a wild Top Fuel final round in the bonus race, Shawn Langdon defeated his Kalitta Motorsports teammate, reigning world champion Doug Kalitta, to win his first Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge of the 2024 campaign. Langdon went 4.660 at 160.94 in his 11,000-horsepower Kalitta Air Careers/Toyota dragster, defeating Kalitta’s 7.028 at 113.52 as both cars ran into trouble. Kalitta suffered tire smoke almost immediately and Langdon coasted to the win.

It wasn’t the way he envisioned it, but Langdon will gladly take the bonus purse and championship points, hoping to turn it into a double-up weekend at one of his favorite tracks.

“This is the first win this season for me in this bonus race and it’s nice to get it out of the way and to race Doug in the final is even more special,” Langdon said. “We’ve got two Kalitta dragsters that are competitive and in the final we made a good run. In Seattle last week, we didn’t qualify where we wanted to, so it was nice to come here and make some nice runs to get some confidence for Sunday. Every little point matters and it’s nice for our crew to win these deals. It’s a nice reward for all they do.”

Troy Coughlin Jr. enjoyed his first Mission #2Fast2Tasty win of the year, defeating his uncle, Jeg Coughlin Jr., on a holeshot with a run of 6.529 at 211.63 in his JEGS.com/White Castle car. It’s the first bonus race win of the year for the younger Coughlin and the difference was his .024 reaction time, which proved to be enough to beat Jeg’s run of 6.522 at 211.26. It was enjoyable moment for Troy to race – and then beat – the five-time world champ, who also won last weekend in Seattle.

“This was tons of fun. It’s fantastic facing uncle Jeg especially at this majestic facility in front of these awesome fans,” Coughlin said. “Our team has worked their tails off to make these cars competitive. We’ve struggled a bit on race day but it’s coming together.

“I didn’t think that [.024 reaction time] would be enough but it was, this time. I’ve thought about racing with [Jeg] for about 28 years. It doesn’t matter if it’s a local race or a big bracket race or NHRA Pro Stock. It is great to race against him. To do this is a dream fulfilled.”

Eliminations for the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals begin at 10:30 a.m. PT on Sunday at Sonoma Raceway.

SONOMA, Calif. — Saturday’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge final results from the 36th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway.

Top Fuel Challenge — Shawn Langdon, 4.660 seconds, 160.94 mph def. Doug Kalitta, 7.028 seconds, 113.52 mph.

Funny Car Challenge — Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.897, 332.10 def. Blake Alexander, Ford Mustang, 3.936, 292.20.

Pro Stock Challenge — Troy Coughlin Jr., Chevy Camaro, 6.529, 211.63 def. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.522, 211.26.

SONOMA, Calif. — Final Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge round-by-round results from the 36th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway.

TOP FUEL CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Shawn Langdon, 3.677, 336.65 def. Clay Millican, 3.664, 338.26; Doug Kalitta, 3.679, 334.32 def. Steve Torrence, 4.080, 216.20;

FINAL — S. Langdon, 4.660, 160.94 def. D. Kalitta, 7.028, 113.52.

FUNNY CAR CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Blake Alexander, Ford Mustang, 4.174, 231.08 def. Paul Lee, Dodge Charger, 10.853, 69.92; Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.872, 335.07 def. J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 4.671, 174.44;

FINAL — A. Prock, 3.897, 332.10 def. B. Alexander, 3.936, 292.20. A. Prock, 3.897, 332.10

PRO STOCK CHALLENGE:

ROUND ONE — Troy Coughlin Jr., Chevy Camaro, 6.518, 210.54 def. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.497, 211.00; Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.516, 210.41 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.539, 210.97;

FINAL — T. Coughlin Jr., 6.529, 211.63 def. J. Coughlin, 6.522, 211.26.

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Sonoma Post-Qualifying Report – 07.27.24

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KALITTA BREAKS SONOMA TRACK RECORD EN ROUTE TO TOP FUEL NO. 1 QUALIFIER
Shawn Langdon wins Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge for Team Toyota

SONOMA, Calif. (July 27, 2024) – As cool, ideal racing conditions set upon Sonoma Raceway Friday night, Doug Kalitta, posted a track record 3.649 elapsed time to capture the No. 1 qualifying spot for Sunday’s eliminations. The historic run under the lights gave Kalitta his fifth No. 1 qualifier of the 2024 season and the 58th of his legendary career. The defending Top Fuel world champion seeks his fourth win of the season tomorrow, the 56th of his career, while also hoping to extend his points lead as the Countdown to the Championship nears.

Shawn Langdon was the next highest Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, claiming the No. 4 seed for tomorrow. Langdon also defeated Kalitta in the Top Fuel Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge in the final round of qualifying, his first challenge win of the season and Toyota’s seventh in 2024.

In Funny Car, Ron Capps led the GR Supra Funny Car contingent, earning the No. 3 seed for tomorrow’s eliminations. Capps enters tomorrow’s eliminations just three rounds away from 900 in his career. J.R. Todd is the sixth seed for tomorrow and Alexis DeJoria is eighth.

Tomorrow’s eliminations at Sonoma Raceway begin at 10:30 a.m. PST with live TV coverage beginning at 4 p.m. EST on FOX.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
NHRA Sonoma Nationals
Sonoma Raceway
Race 12 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS 

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
Doug KalittaMac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster1stR. August Jr.
Shawn LangdonKalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster4thT. Stewart
Justin AshleySCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster5thT. Schumacher
Billy TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster6thJ. Salinas
Antron BrownMatco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster7thS. Reed
Steve TorrenceCAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster13thC. Millican

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS 

NameCarQualifying PositionFirst Round Opponent
Bob Tasca IIIFord Motorcraft Funny Car1st*B. Hull
Ron CappsNAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car3rdC. Pedregon
J.R. ToddDHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car6thJ. Rupert
Alexis DeJoriaBandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car8thP. Lee

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

TF Qualifying Result: 1st

What was the feeling of that track-record run?

“That was really cool. I got my first win here in Sonoma and I have a lot of cool history here. Alan Johnson (crew chief) puts a lot of thought into his tune-up, and he had a plan. He’s one bad dude. I could tell it was on a run and honestly, I was happy to be the first car out. I knew it would get cooler as the night went on and you never know what conditions might do. I thought it might have rattled a bit but not much. The car was hooked up and I managed to keep it in the middle, as straight as possible. This is one of the nicest tracks on the tour, and I love the layout with the road course. I’d love to get another win this weekend.”

Talk us through your team’s mindset today after yesterday’s performance.

“Yeah, on that last run, pushed it a little harder than we should’ve, but just trying to get a feel for what tomorrow’s going to bring. Yeah, so Shawn (Langdon) ended up with the Mission Foods (challenge win). So, we at least kept it in the family there, so that’s good. But no, the conditions were really good. Today, my 3.64, cars were really close to that. We obviously held on and it’s going to be some tough racing tomorrow, some close racing tomorrow. I don’t think it’s supposed to be much warmer than it was today, so it should be some great racing.”

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

TF Qualifying Result: 4th

You’re the eighth different #2Fast2Tasty challenge winner this season. How does it describe the competition?

“Yeah, it just shows how tough this class is. I mean, you have top-quality drivers, top-quality crew chiefs, top-quality teams and it’s awesome for the sport. It’s great to be a part of it, really, but it’s awesome to be a part of team Kalitta. Connie (Kalitta, team owner) has done such a great job over the years organizing this team, and right now, I feel we have two really good cars. Little anticlimactic on that final round. But looking at the numbers, I can see where Brian (Husen, crew chief) was trying to push it. He was trying to get up a little on the qualifying spot. But all-in-all, first one (#2Fast2Tasty challenge win) of the year. Obviously, we’ll take that. A couple playoff points too. Great job to Brian, the guys, everybody at Kalitta Air, Toyota, Revchem. It’s good to get that win.”

RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports

FC Qualifying Result: 3rd

How were these two days of qualifying and what’s your outlook for tomorrow?

“Yeah, obviously after the accident in Seattle last week, we really had no time with back-to-back weekends to here in Sonoma. Still proud of our NAPA team. We pulled out our, what is considered our backup GR Supra, but this is a 2022 world championship car that also won quite a few races in 2023. It was like putting an old shoe on, it really was. It was just comfortable, and it just went down the track every single run. Ran over 330 (mph) and again in that last qualifying session. Feel good, but a little apprehensive, right? You don’t want to get cocky. But just a great job by everyone involved. This is a tough swing – Seattle, then Sonoma. And then, have to get back to Indianapolis and the shop, and we have a lot of work to do. Just can’t thank everybody (enough) for helping us get our Toyota GR Supra back together with the short amount of time. And for my guys who put together a really great race car. Feel confident about Sunday but can’t be too cocky. So, hoping I’m talking to everyone about 4:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon.”

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.

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