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  • ABEL Motorsports looks to continue momentum at Portland

    ABEL Motorsports looks to continue momentum at Portland

    Abel and Sundaramoorthy head to the final INDY NXT by Firestone road course race looking to build on dual podium finishes last weekend at the WWTR oval

    SPEEDWAY, IND. (August 21, 2024) – After a 2,000-mile trek from the oval near St. Louis, Mo. to Portland International Raceway, the ABEL Motorsports pair of drivers is ready to build on last weekend’s INDY NXT by Firestone momentum as the season – and the championship battle – draws to a close.

    Jacob Abel (Louisville, Ky.) and Yuven Sundaramoorthy (Oconomowoc, Wis.) both scored podium finishes on the World Wide Technology Raceway oval last weekend, with Abel second and Sundaramoorthy taking his first series podium in third. Now the attention turns to the final road course race of the season, the 35-lap race on PIR’s flat but tricky 1.964-mile, 12-turn circuit – with rain possible early in the weekend.

    Abel and Sundaramoorthy have each raced at Portland four times previously. Abel contested two USF Pro 2000 races in 2019, finished fourth in INDY NXT in 2022, and 16th last year (caught up in an opening lap incident).

    “I’m excited to get back to Portland, and back on a road course,” said Abel. “Anything can really happen in this race – it’s almost like qualifying doesn’t really matter, because something always happens in Turn 1. And if weather is going to be an issue Friday, we need to make the most of whatever dry track time we do get. I think that plays a little bit to my experience, in changing conditions. If we do go into qualifying or the race for the first time on a dry track, I’ve been there before and driven on it in just about every condition, so I know what to expect.”

    Sundaramoorthy holds rookie status in the INDY NXT series, and the Portland weekend marks only the second track this season that he has raced at before in the Dallara IL-15. He finished 10th in last year’s race – like Abel, he was also involved in the opening lap incident but was able to continue the race. Sundaramoorthy raced at Portland in four other junior formula series races: two USF2000 races in 2019 and two USF Pro 2000 races in 2022.

    “I really like Portland – it’s a fun track and we were super-fast there last year,” said Sundaramoorthy. “Unfortunately, we got caught in the lap one incident, so we ran the whole race a lap down, but it made for good practice – and the last time I went to a track that I’d been to before in this car (WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where he earned two top four finishes), we did really well, so it should be even better this time. If it stays dry, we should have a good chance, but if it rains, that’s one more learning experience – and I’m pretty confident in my ability in the wet as well.”

    ABEL Motorsports thanks partners ABEL Construction Company, Advance Ready Mix, Boyd Cat®, S Team Motorsports, Quest Global and OMP for their continued support.

    The INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland takes the green flag Sunday, August 25 at 1:10 p.m. ET. The race will be streamed live in the U.S. on Peacock, while international viewers can watch via INDYCARLIVE, with INDYCAR Radio available at indycar.com and on Sirius XM.

    About ABEL Motorsports: Team principal Bill Abel began racing motocross in 1972, earning numerous championship titles as he continued the family racing tradition. In 2015, ABEL Motorsports was launched, starting in the USF2000 series and building up the junior open wheel ladder. The team captured the inaugural Formula Regional Americas Championship with driver Kyle Kirkwood in 2018.

    ABEL Motorsports currently competes in the INDY NXT by Firestone series, the official development series for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, led by third-generation driver Jacob Abel. The team made its INDYCAR debut in 2023 with driver RC Enerson in the Indianapolis 500. For more information visit the official team website at abelmotorsports.com.

    About Abel Construction Company: ABEL Construction is one of the largest general contractors in Kentucky, holding licenses in thirteen states. The company has offices in Lexington, Kentucky and Indianapolis, Indiana, with the corporate office in Louisville. Their expertise spans many areas, including general contracting, construction management, design-build, Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), and facilities maintenance.

    Abel Construction has helped build some of the region’s most recognizable landmarks. Their projects cover diverse sectors, including automotive, healthcare, post-secondary education, commercial, food/beverage, tech, and industrial/manufacturing. They prioritize client satisfaction, focusing on efficient project delivery regardless of size or cost. The company’s skilled professionals utilize cutting-edge technology and software to ensure successful outcomes. abelconstruct.com/.

    ABEL Motorsports social media

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  • EVENT PREVIEW: Wright Motorsports Rolls into GT-Only WeatherTech Weekend

    EVENT PREVIEW: Wright Motorsports Rolls into GT-Only WeatherTech Weekend

    BATAVIA, Ohio. (August 21, 2024) – Wright Motorsports heads back to VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) this weekend for the next round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR. After a second-place finish at VIR last month in the Fanatec GT World Challenge, the team is well-prepared to fight for another strong result in the WeatherTech Championship with the No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R.

    “We’ve had a strong season so far, and coming off a great result at VIR last month gives us a lot of confidence heading into this weekend,” said John Wright, Team Owner of Wright Motorsports. “Our team has been working hard, and we believe the car is in a great spot to compete for another podium. Adam and Elliott have shown tremendous growth this season, and I’m excited to see what we can achieve together at this GT-only event.”

    Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer have piloted the green and yellow Porsche to a podium finish twice so far this season, and this weekend, the pair aspire to nab their first IMSA WeatherTech win. Twenty-three entries will compete in the GT-only weekend, with 14 of them making up the GTD class in which Wright competes. Sunday’s two-hour, 40-minute race will be the last sprint event of the 2024 season, with just the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta remaining.

    VIRginia International Raceway is a favorite among drivers and fans alike, known for its challenging layout and picturesque setting. The 3.27-mile circuit features 17 turns and a mix of high-speed straights and technical sections that test both driver skill and car setup.

    The Michelin GT Challenge at VIR will begin on Sunday at 12:10 PM ET, streaming live on Peacock and airing live domestically on the USA Network. Fans outside the United States can stream live on imsa.com/tvlive. For event information, visit imsa.com.

    EVENT SCHEDULE | All Times Eastern

    Friday, August 23

    2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Practice One

    Saturday, August 24

    1:00 PM – 1:30 PM Practice Two
    1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Autograph Session
    4:50 PM – 5:05 PM Qualifying

    Sunday, August 25

    11:00 AM – 11:50 AM Open Grid Fan Walk
    12:10 PM – 2:50 PM Michelin GT Challenge at VIR

    Adam Adelson

    I’m super excited to be racing at VIR for the second time this year. It’s my favorite track. I’ve always looked up and admired to those IMSA weekends where they just put the GT cars on a pedestal, where I think they deserve to be there. There are such amazing vehicles, and to just be in racing there is a dream come true for me. I’m really excited.

    Elliott Skeer

    There is nothing better than GT racing in North America, and to do it at a place like VIR truly represents old-school GT racing at its finest. It is definitely going to be an incredible event, and just having SRO recently there really makes me feel prepped and ready to go for what the IMSA WeatherTech fight can be. Definitely everything in my life is leading up to try to win an IMSA event, and I can’t really think of a better one to try and get it at than VIR.

    Wright Motorsports
    Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series and international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy, and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team, and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship. In 2021, Wright Motorsports had a wildly successful season, capturing nine championships across their five racing efforts.

  • JR Motorsports — NXS Daytona Preview

    JR Motorsports — NXS Daytona Preview

    JR Motorsports Team Preview
    TRACK – Daytona International Speedway (2.5 mile tri-oval)
    NXS RACE – Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola (100 laps / 250 miles)
    TUNE IN – USA, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90 at 7:30 p.m. (ET)

    Sam Mayer

    No. 1 Carolina Carports Chevrolet

    Mayer 2024 NXS Stats

    Starts: 21

    Wins: 2

    Top 5s: 7

    Top 10s: 10

    Laps Led: 118

    Avg. Finish: 17.7

    Points: 13th

    • Sam Mayer will head back to Daytona International Speedway this weekend for his seventh NASCAR Xfinity Series career start at the 2.5-mile-superspeedway.
    • The Franklin, Wis. native has a total of 22 NXS starts on tracks measuring two miles or larger in length, earning four top-five and seven top-10 finishes.
    • The 21-year-old’s best finish on the superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega came in the fall of 2022 where Mayer earned a runner-up finish at the Alabama track.
    • Carolina Carports is back on board the No. 1 Chevrolet for its third time this season with the young driver and their second appearance at Daytona.

    Sam Mayer

    “We’re ready to head back to Daytona this weekend and hopefully turn some of that bad luck around down there. JR Motorsports has always brought some incredible superspeedway cars and I know that all four of us will be strong again when we get there. It’s great to have Carolina Carports back onboard our No.1 as well and hopefully we can have a repeat of what we did with them in Texas and come home in Victory Lane on Friday night.”

    Justin Allgaier

    No. 7 Hellmann’s / Sam’s Club Chevrolet

    Allgaier 2024 NXS Stats

    Starts: 21

    Wins: 2

    Top 5s: 7

    Top 10s: 13

    Laps Led: 554

    Avg. Finish: 12.7

    Points: 2nd

    • Justin Allgaier returns to Daytona as the most recent winner in the NXS, having gone to Victory Lane last weekend at Michigan International Speedway.
    • Allgaier is also the defending winner of the summer event at Daytona, scoring the win in a dramatic photo finish last year to earn his first victory at “The World Center of Racing.”
    • Accompanying the win, Allgaier has scored eight top fives and 13 top 10s at Daytona. Additionally, the JRM driver has earned a combined 12 top fives and 20 top 10s in 44 career NXS starts on the sister tracks of Daytona and Talladega.
    • This weekend marks the return of the “Mayo Missile” for the second consecutive race, as Hellmann’s adorns the No. 7 Chevrolet in a co-branded effort with Sam’s Club.

    Justin Allgaier

    “Daytona is always a place that I look forward to going to. Anything can happen there and I know that we will have an extremely quick Hellmann’s / Sam’s Club Chevrolet when we unload on Friday. Hopefully we can keep our nose clean and avoid any potential trouble out there and work well with our JRM teammates to come home with a shot at the win. I know that this group is ready to go.”

    Sammy Smith

    No. 8 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet

    Smith 2024 NXS Stats

    Starts: 21

    Wins: 0

    Top 5s: 4

    Top 10s: 11

    Laps Led: 55

    Avg. Finish: 15.6

    Points: 10th

    • Sammy Smith will head to Daytona this weekend for his fourth NXS start on the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
    • In nine combined starts at the drafting tracks of Darlington, Talladega and Atlanta Motor Speedway, Smith has twice earned a best finish of 10th, coming in the last two NXS events at Atlanta.
    • According to NASCAR’s Loop Data statistics, Smith is ranked fourth for quality passes with 800 so far this season.
    • The No. 8 JRM Chevrolet will display CDT, Inc, a Lake City, FL-based company on the TV panel this weekend. CDT is a trucking company that provides trucking service using flatbed and climate controlled trailers primarily serving the southeastern United States.

    Sammy Smith

    “This No. 8 JR Motorsports crew brought a really strong car to Michigan last weekend and I’m glad I was able to get more seat-time on a speedway track right before heading back to Daytona. It helped to build my confidence so I’m looking forward to getting our Pilot Flying J Chevrolet out there under the Friday-night lights to see what we can do.”

    Brandon Jones

    No. 9 Menards / Turtle Wax Chevrolet

    Jones 2024 NXS Stats

    Starts: 21

    Wins: 0

    Top 5s: 1

    Top 10s: 5

    Laps Led: 30

    Avg. Finish: 19.7

    Points: 14th

    • Brandon Jones has made 17 starts at the 2.5-mile facility and has amassed two top-five and five top-10 finishes. His best finish of third came in the season-opening race of 2019.
    • At the two superspeedways of Talladega and Daytona, Jones has a combined five top-five and nine top-10 finishes in 29 total starts at the two tracks.
    • On tracks measuring 2 miles or longer in length in the NXS, Jones has accumulated eight top fives and 24 top 10s in 58 total starts.
    • Jones’ long time partner Turtle Wax, America’s favorite car care brand for over 75 years, will adorn the hood of his No. 9 Camaro this weekend. This will be their first appearance on the hood at Daytona.

    Brandon Jones

    “We didn’t have the finish we hoped for last weekend, but now we are looking forward to turning it around in Daytona. Superspeedway racing can be unpredictable so this No. 9 team has been working hard to make sure we are prepared for whatever happens. Being in the final stretch before the playoffs we need to put ourselves in position to potentially lock in that spot. I know this team will give me a fast Menards/Turtle Wax Chevrolet, so hopefully we can be up front when it counts.”

    JRM Team Updates

    JR Motorsports at Daytona International Speedway: JR Motorsports has competed at Daytona International Speedway a combined 112 times with the NXS since its first trip there in 2006. In those starts at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, the organization has recorded eight wins, 29 top fives, and 45 top 10s, with an average finish of 16.1. The eight victories mark the most of any track in the NXS for the organization.

    Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier and Brandon Jones will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Legacy MC souvenir rig on Friday, August 23 from 4:40 p.m. to 5:05 p.m. ET.

  • CORVETTE RACING AT VIR: Taking the (Overall) Spotlight

    CORVETTE RACING AT VIR: Taking the (Overall) Spotlight

    Corvette brings strong history to IMSA season’s only GT-only race

    DETROIT (August 21, 2024) – Corvette Racing’s summer stretch in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship wraps up with the series’ lone GT-only race of the season – the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR.

    Three of the first-year Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs are set for Sunday’s two-hour, 40-minute sprint race: Nos. 3 (Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims) and 4 (Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg) for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in GTD PRO plus AWA’s No. 13 GTD entry (Orey Fidani and Matt Bell).

    The trio of Z06 GT3.Rs will look to continue Corvette Racing’s incredibly strong history at the 3.27-mile, 17-turn road course that sits on the Virginia-North Carolina border.

    Corvettes have made a habit of being at the front and – more often than not – winning at Virginia International Raceway. The program’s IMSA factory team has won six times at the circuit since 2012, and DXDT Racing swept both rounds of GT World Challenge America there earlier this year with Milner, a Virginia native.

    He ranks second in IMSA VIR wins among active drivers with three. The only driver with more is Garcia with four, including last year with Jordan Taylor in the No. 3 Corvette C8.R. In addition, Sims (2018 GTLM) and Bell (2020 IMSA Prototype Challenge) have one VIR victory to their credit. Meanwhile, Fidani is set for his first WeatherTech Championship start at VIR, and Catsburg will make his debut at the circuit.

    A victory this weekend by either Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports or AWA would give the Z06 GT3.R its second (or third in the event of a sweep) IMSA win this year. The GTD PRO effort also is on a streak of two consecutive pole positions and four in the last five races, a strong showing for the first-year Corvette.

    In GTD, AWA is coming off a season-best, fifth-place finish the last time out at Road America. A repeat – or besting that result – at VIR would solidify Fidani’s lead in the Bob Akin Award standings, with the highest points-scoring Bronze driver at the end of the year earning an automatic entry to the following year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

    The Michelin GT Challenge at VIR is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 25. The race will air live on USA starting at noon ET with live streaming on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions beginning with Friday afternoon’s opening practice at IMSA.com with the race call also on XM 206 and SiriusXM Online 996.

    CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

    ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I can divide VIR into three parts – from Turn One to before the Esses, then from there to the Oak Tree corner. I really like the last part of the lap from the backstretch all the way to start/finish. It’s very challenging with how aggressive you need to at the end of the backstraight, and down the hill into the last corner is really challenging but fun. I love it there. We’ve had a lot of success there. I’ve won with Jan there and with Jordan. It’s another great track for Corvette Racing, so let’s see if we can add to that this week.”

    ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It has been a few years so I’m looking forward to going back to VIR. I’ve won once and probably should have won twice. I really like the place. It has a lovely flow to it. From Turn Three pretty much all the way up to Oak Tree Corner, it’s so fun and challenging. Some are flat-out and some are ones where you have a small lift to balance the car. The entry off the backstretch is great with compressions, crests, camber changes and things. It’s really cool.

    “There are a bunch of complicated corners that you need to get right and compile them all to get a good laptime. They’re tough corners where if you get it wrong, you can hemorrhage two- or three-tenths without blinking. It’s a very unforgiving track, which is great. It adds an extra dimension where you know you have to get it right. As with other American tracks, it’s a place where sometimes you have to be brave and step into the slight unknown to get the performance. If something goes wrong, you’ll know very, very quickly, which is good.”

    TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “This is a reason for a lot of drivers why VIR ends up being one of their favorite tracks – because there are so many sequences of corners and sections of the track that are all unique in their own way. They all present their own challenges, and it all culminates in the challenge of driving these cars and getting the most out of them. It’s a place where if the car isn’t just right, you can have big moments. It’s a fun, fun sequence of corners all the way around. The car and the driver are doing a lot of work. VIR is a playground for these racecars to do that for the whole lap.”

    NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m really excited to go to VIR. It’s a track that I’ve never been to. I’ve done quite a lot of laps on the simulator and it seems pretty awesome with cool, flowing corners, high speeds and elevation changes. It’s something that I’ve been looking forward to for awhile. I’ve always watched the races from there. I remember some cool moves from Nick Tandy shoving a Porsche out of the way not too long ago when he was in a Corvette, which was awesome. It’s always a challenge going to a new track but it should be good. VIR seems like a unique place – one of the American tracks that stands out and that drivers love. I usually enjoy these types of tracks so I’m looking forward to it.”

    AWA PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

    MATT BELL, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The last time I was at VIR, I won! So I’d like to do that again. I was in the 2020 LMP3 championship. It’s been a good circuit for me. I’ve tested there a few times but that was the only time I’ve raced there, and I’m one-for-one so let’s see if we can do the same.”

    “It’s a pretty iconic circuit. You have a lot of high-commitment corners. The Esses obviously are pretty famous. Hogpen – the last two corners – is my personal favorite section of the track coming into the frontstraight. It’s a high-commitment track. Corvettes have had a lot of success there in the past. I’ve had some fun watching old videos of IMSA there the last few years and the Corvettes battling the Porsche there and knocking them down a peg or two. So yeah, I’d like to go and do the same.

    “You have a technical Sector One where you have to really piece it together to make sure you’re on the right part of the track at the right time. Then it’s a big commitment for Sector Two up through the Esses at high-speed into Turn 10 – a high-speed left where if you get that wrong, you’re in for a world of hurt! Then you have the tricky last sector with Hogpen at the end. It still takes a pretty big commitment with the elevation change, and that always makes a circuit, and there’s plenty of it there. It’s another gem in the IMSA schedule.”

    OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’m really looking forward to coming back to VIR. It’s been a few years since I last raced there, I’ve spent time in the simulator getting back up to speed on the track. It is a true rollercoaster ride, and a lot of fun to drive. Following our strong finish at the last race in Road America, we’re eager to keep building off that. We continue to learn more and more about the car after each round, and we’ll be doing all we can to see further improvements.”

    2024 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Points

    GTD PRO Drivers Standings

    1. Laurin Heinrich – 2256
    2. Ross Gunn – 2180
    3. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 2083
    4. Alexander Sims/Antonio Garcia – 2066
    5. Bryan Sellers/Madison Snow – 2023
    6. Nicky Catsburg/Tommy Milner – 1961

    GTD PRO Teams Standings

    1. No. 77 AO Racing – 2256
    2. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 2180
    3. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 2083
    4. No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 2066
    5. No. 1 Paul Miller Racing – 2023
    6. No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 1961

    GTD PRO Manufacturers Standings

    1. Porsche – 2304
    2. Aston Martin – 2216
    3. Chevrolet – 2154
    4. Lexus – 2139
    5. McLaren – 2019

    GTD Drivers Standings

    1. Philip Ellis/Russell Ward – 2396
    2. Patrick Gallagher/Robby Foley – 2128
    3. Parker Thompson – 1870
    4. Mikael Grenier – 1796
    5. Albert Costa Balboa/Manny Franco – 1781
    6. Matthew Bell/Orey Fidani – 1559

    GTD Teams Standings

    1. No. 57 Windward Racing – 2396
    2. No. 96 Turner Motorsport – 2128
    3. No. 32 Korthoff/Preston Motorsport – 1796
    4. No. 34 Conquest Racing – 1781
    5. No. 12 Vasser Sullivan – 1677
    6. No. 13 AWA – 1283

    GTD Manufacturers Standings

    1. Mercedes-AMG – 2500
    2. Aston Martin – 2027
    3. Lexus – 2022
    4. BMW – 1970
    5. Porsche – 1963
    6. Chevrolet – 1798

    CORVETTE RACING AT VIR: By the Numbers

    • 3: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at VIR since 2012 – Corvette C6.R (2012-2013), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and the mid-engine Corvette C8.R – which raced at VIR for the final time in IMSA competition in 2023 – and Z06 GT3.R, both of which are eighth-gen Corvettes
    • 6: IMSA class wins at VIR for Corvette Racing. Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin won in ALMS GT competition in 2012, and Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen won overall in 2016 and 2017. Garcia and Jordan Taylor drove the C8.R to a win in 2020 and 2023 with Milner and Nick Tandy victorious in 2021.
    • 6: Overall VIR race wins for Corvette Racing – 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024. The first five came in IMSA competition with DXDT Racing winning once overall in June’s GT World Challenge America’s event as it swept the Pro class
    • 13: Number of VIR victories in IMSA for Chevrolet since 2002, including the American Le Mans Series and the Rolex Sports Car Series; that’s the most among manufacturers
    • 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
    • 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
    • 51: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. DXDT Racing’s Bryson Morris joined the list at Road America in GT World Challenge America
    • 71: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year
    • 135: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 116 in IMSA, nine at Le Mans, three in the FIA WEC and seven in GT World Challenge America
    • 301: Event starts by Corvette Racing entries since 1999, starting with that year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona. No. 300 came in early August at Road America in IMSA
    • 6,448.44: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 12 previous events at Virginia International Raceway
    • 386,963.37: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon and more than halfway back!

    Corvette Racing at VIR (wins in bold)

    2012

    No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 8th in GT (Garcia fastest race lap)

    No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GT (Clinched ALMS GT title)

    2013

    No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GT (Clinch GT team, manufacturer titles)

    No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GT

    2014

    No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 7th in GTLM (Taylor replaced Magnussen – injury)

    No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 9th in GTLM

    2015

    No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 6th in GTLM

    No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 8th in GTLM

    2016

    No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTLM (Magnussen pole)

    No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 9th in GTLM (Gavin fastest race lap)

    2017

    No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTLM

    No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM

    2018

    No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 2nd in GTLM

    No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM

    2019

    No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLM

    No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM

    2020

    No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTLM

    No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM

    2021

    No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM

    No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 1st in GTLM (Milner pole)

    2022

    No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTD PRO (Taylor fastest race lap)

    2023

    No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTD PRO

    2024 – GT World Challenge

    No. 63 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Tommy Milner/Alec Udell – 1st,1st in Pro

    No. 08 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Bryan Sellers/Scott Smithson – 6th, 3rd in Pro-Am

    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.

  • Interstate Batteries Racing: Christopher Bell August Daytona Advance

    Interstate Batteries Racing: Christopher Bell August Daytona Advance

    Christopher Bell
    Daytona Advance
    No. 20 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing

    Event Overview

    ● Event: Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Round 25 of 36)
    ● Time/Date: 7:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, August 24
    ● Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway
    ● Layout: 2.5-mile oval
    ● Laps/Miles: 160 laps/400 miles
    ● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 35 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 65 laps
    ● TV/Radio: NBC / MRN / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Notes of Interest

    ● Outrageously Dependable for 33 Years and Counting: Interstate Batteries has 11 primary sponsorships on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule in 2024, a similar number of schemes to last year’s expanded presence among all four Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Toyota Camry XSEs. Bell and Ty Gibbs have been slated for the majority of the Interstate Batteries races this season with eight primaries in all between the two drivers. Denny Hamlin piloted the Interstate Batteries machine for two races this season and Martin Truex Jr. once. After this weekend in Daytona, Bell will see Interstate return as co-primary sponsor on his No. 20 Camry in the season finale in November at Phoenix Raceway.

    ● Playoffs on the Horizon: Bell, the Oklahoma native, sits seventh in the driver standings with 703 points, 111 behind new leader Tyler Reddick. All four JGR entries are currently inside the top-10 in the standings with Hamlin fourth, Truex eighth and Gibbs 10th as the series heads to the penultimate race of the regular season this weekend at Daytona.

    ● Postseason Bound: Just two races remain in the NASCAR Cup Series regular season with Bell sitting second on the current playoff grid with three wins on the season. Bell has accumulated 25 total playoff points so far, which he can take to each round of the playoffs, a key factor in helping the No. 20 team reach its goal of making the Championship 4 for the fourth year in a row.

    ● Bell has nine career Cup Series starts on Daytona’s 2.5-mile oval. Of those eight starts, His best career points-paying finish came in the last two Daytona 500s in 2023 and earlier this year. With Bell currently sitting second on the playoff grid, he is looking to enter the playoffs as one of the favorites and build on the momentum of back-to-back appearances in the Championship 4 of the Cup Series Playoffs.

    ● Outside of the NASCAR Cup Series, Bell has made five career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Daytona. Bell has brought home two top-five finishes and four top-10s in those five Xfinity Series starts.

    ● End of Summer Battery Check: This part of the season is annually the hottest for Cup Series competitors with select race venues seeing warmer temperatures and families heading out on their late-summer road trips. Whether on the highway or the racetrack, the summer months can be taxing on both man and machine. Caring for the latter is one of the ways JGR founding partner Interstate Batteries leverages its NASCAR program, reminding consumers to have their batteries checked during the hot summer months at a local Interstate Batteries dealer prior to their summer road trips.

    Christopher Bell, Driver of the No. 20 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry XSE

    You now have two third-place finishes at Daytona the past two years. How do you approach the last laps of a race at Daytona?

    “It’s unbelievable. Anyone that has not driven in a Cup Series superspeedway race, I don’t feel like they understand the difference between lap one, even lap 120 to lap 160. The light switch goes off and the intensity just skyrockets, and guys just start pushing and shoving where you are not supposed to be pushing and shoving. The thing I hate about superspeedway racing is you never feel like you are in control in those moments when you are getting pushed around. It changes dramatically in those last couple of laps. I thought maybe we were going to get Interstate Batteries another Daytona 500 win in February. Can’t thank everyone enough over there who supports us and would love to finally have the race play out in our favor and get them back to victory lane at Daytona.”

    Do you have a spot that you want to be in those final laps?

    “Ultimately, you don’t want another manufacturer behind you because you are going to be left out to dry, but even if it is a teammate, you are not going to just get pushed to the end. The best thing you can hope for in the end is to have a shot. Everyone asks the magic question – would you like to be leading or second going into the last lap? Well both of them are going to have a shot to win, so either one of them is not too bad. You just want to have an opportunity to take the checkered flag and you have to be in the top so many rows to be able to do that.”

    What was the difference in getting a third-place finish at Daytona in February and some of the other races that you’ve run there over the years?

    “I don’t know what to think of these speedway races. Adam Stevens, my crew chief, and I have a running joke, I say these races are 100 percent luck. I know that’s not true, but it seems like we’ve been struggling to get to the end of it. I know I’ve been a common denominator in a lot of the wrecks and, if you put yourself in a good spot and just be there to go for it on the final lap, anything can happen. Felt good that we were able to do that in February and hope we can do it again this weekend with our Interstate Batteries Camry and maybe not only be there at the end, but have a shot to win it this time.”

    How much of a help has it been in superspeedway racing to have a few more Toyotas since LEGACY MOTOR CLUB joined Toyota at the start of the 2023 season?

    “I think it is always positive to have more cars at speedway races. I think all of us Toyotas are going to do the best we can to help each other, but having two more cars in these races is definitely helpful for us as a whole.”

    No. 20 Interstate Batteries Team Roster

    Primary Team Members

    Driver: Christopher Bell

    Hometown: Norman, Oklahoma

    Crew Chief: Adam Stevens

    Hometown: Portsmouth, Ohio

    Car Chief: Chris Sherwood

    Hometown: Portsmouth, Virginia

    Spotter: Stevie Reeves

    Hometown: Speedway, Indiana

    Race Engineer: William Hartman

    Hometown: Laingsburg, Michigan

    Team Engineer: Chris Whitenight

    Hometown: Berwick, Pennsylvania

    Road Crew Members

    Truck Driver: John Maybry

    Hometown: Campobello, SC

    Mechanic: Wesley Lape Hometown: Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania

    Ride and Handling Engineer: Chris Chase

    Hometown: Nichole, New York

    Truck Driver: Glenn Funderburk

    Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina

    Mechanic/Tire Specialist: Bryce Bratton

    Hometown: Maiden, North Carolina

    Over-The-Wall Crew Members

    Gas Man: Peyton Moore

    Hometown: Buford, Georgia

    Jackman: Derrell Edwards

    Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland

    Tire Carrier: Jake Holmes

    Hometown: Westborough, Massachusetts

    Front Tire Changer: Blake Houston

    Hometown: Enochville, North Carolina

    Rear Tire Changer: Mike Hicks

    Hometown: China Grove, North Carolina

  • Mitsubishi Ralliart’s Triton Finishes in Fifth Place Overall in Asia Cross Country Rally 2024: Team Determined to Make a Comeback Next Year

    Mitsubishi Ralliart’s Triton Finishes in Fifth Place Overall in Asia Cross Country Rally 2024: Team Determined to Make a Comeback Next Year

    TOKYO, Aug 21, 2024 – (JCN Newswire) – Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (hereafter, Mitsubishi Motors) announced that Team Mitsubishi Ralliart, for which the company provides technical support, has won fifth place overall in the Asia Cross Country Rally (hereafter, AXCR) 2024, held in Thailand from August 11 to 17, with the Triton1 (T1 specification, or modified cross-country vehicle). The total distance covered was 2,075.54 kilometers (km), including 939.58 km2 of special stages, and Katsuhiko Taguchi finished in fifth place overall with a total time of 15 hours, 34 minutes and 52 seconds.

    In the overall standings, Kazuto Koide, who competed for the first time, placed 24th, and Sakchai Hantrakul placed 27th. Chayapon Yotha retired from first place overall in Leg 5, ending in 42nd overall.

    This year’s AXCR held its ceremonial start on August 11 at the landmark clock tower in Surat Thani, Thailand. The rally proper began with Leg 1 the following day, and Leg 2 took the participants from Surat Thani to Hua Hin, covering over 550 km and making it the longest section of the entire competition. Leg 3 was a special stage in the Hua Hin area, and with Leg 4, the rally headed to Kanchanaburi, on an undulating track through mountainous terrain. Leg 4 was the toughest special stage of the six days, as many teams struggled with the route over the mountains with rocky terrain, and more than 10 teams were penalized for failing to finish within the allowed time. Leg 5 was the longest special stage in this year’s competition, covering 228.87 km in the Kanchanaburi area, and the competition concluded with Leg 6 on August 17, finishing at Skywalk Avenue, close to the new tourist attraction Skywalk Kanchanaburi.

    This was the second year for Katsuhiko Taguchi, who started from seventh position. Although he had a hard time with the challenging course settings, he drove carefully and steadily to complete each day’s special stage and improved his position from eighth place overall last year to finish in fifth place overall.

    Sakchai Hantrakul started from 30th position and jumped up to fifth place in Leg 1, but was troubled by course errors and vehicle issues, finishing in 27th place.

    Kazuto Koide, who competed as an employee driver, struggled at first with the course, but he continued to drive steadily, demonstrating his adaptability and supporting his teammates who got stuck or had vehicle trouble. In the end, he finished in 24th place overall.

    The previous year’s 3rd place overall winner, Chayapon Yotha started furthest forward for Team Mitsubishi Ralliart and drove steadily, setting times that placed him in the top ranks day after day. By the end of Leg 4, which was the toughest of all the special stages, the Triton’s high off-road handling performance showed its true potential, putting him in the overall lead with a margin of over 20 minutes ahead of second place. However, due to vehicle trouble in Leg 5, he was unable to continue and had to retire from the rally.

    Comment from Hiroshi Masuoka, team director of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart

    “This year’s Triton was perfected with enhanced performance, showing powerful driving that covered the displacement gap with our rivals and even took the overall lead at one point. It is unfortunate that we were unable to win, but the Triton was able to fully demonstrate its excellent off-road capabilities that Mitsubishi vehicles have honed over the decades. After returning to Japan, Koide, an employee driver who had competed for the first time, and others will reflect the valuable data and knowledge gained from this rally in the development of production vehicles, adding a new chapter to our tradition of leveraging motorsports experience for vehicle development. We will undergo rigorous tests again, and Team Mitsubishi Ralliart will make a comeback next year. We would like to thank our sponsors for their generous support and our fans around the world for their enthusiastic cheering.”

    Comment from Katsuhiko Taguchi, driving Car #107 for Team Mitsubishi Ralliart

    “The 2024 Triton rally car was packaged at a high level and was just easy to drive. I am happy to have improved my position from last year, but I am also disappointed because I had a good feeling that I could aim for a higher position. We will use this years’ experience as feedback to further improve the driving performance of the Triton next year, so that we can stay competitive at the top.”

    Comment from Kazuto Koide, driving Car #137 for Team Mitsubishi Ralliart

    “The Triton rally car I drove was a 2023 model based on a production car and has a drive mode called 4LLc for rocky terrain. Using this mode, I was able to climb a nearly 40-degree incline without difficulty while towing my teammate’s car, and I was reminded once again of the high off-road performance of the Triton production car. I would like to feedback what I have learned as a driver through this rally to develop future Mitsubishi vehicles that are strong and dependable on rough roads.”

    1st: Mana Pornsiricherd (Toyota Hilux Revo) 14 hours 22 minutes 00 seconds
    2nd: Suwat Limjirapinya (Isuzu D-Max) 14 hours 25 minutes 47 seconds
    3rd: Thongchai Klinkate (Isuzu D-Max) 14 hours 36 minutes 24 seconds
    4th: Ikuo Hanawa (Toyota Fortuner) 14 hours 56 minutes 48 seconds
    5th: Katsuhiko Taguchi (Mitsubishi Triton) 15 hours 34 minutes 52 seconds
    6th: Olan Sornsirirat (Isuzu D-Max) 15 hours 35 minutes 34 seconds
    ・
    24th: Kazuto Koide (Mitsubishi Triton) 23 hours 08 minutes 37 seconds
    27th: Sakchai Hantrakul (Mitsubishi Triton) 24 hours 51 minutes 52 seconds
    42nd: Chayapon Yotha (Mitsubishi Triton) DNF (Did Not Finish)

    Comment from Kei Takeoka, an automotive journalist who accompanied Team Mitsubishi Ralliart with the Delica Mini support car

    “This year’s AXCR had rock sections and river crossings, making it far more challenging than I had imagined. Moreover, the course itself was difficult – the vigorous plants of Thailand grew wildly from the time the roadbook was created until the actual rally, so we had to drive through areas that did not look very much like roads. That must have made navigation difficult for the co-driver. I drove the Delica Mini support car, and everywhere we went, the Delica Mini and Delimaru, its official character, were very popular. Whenever we stopped in town, a photo session would start, and many people took videos while we were driving. The Delica Mini may become a very popular model in the Bangkok area. Of course, the Delica Mini was very capable on rough roads, and it was even reliable on Thailand’s red dirt off-roads, as well as cracked, pothole-filled paved roads.”

    Daily reportsDaily reports from August 11, the first day of the competition, to the last leg on August 17 are available on Mitsubishi Motors’ special AXCR website. www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/brand/ralliart/axcr/axcr2024/

    1. Sold as L200 in some markets
    2. The actual distance was shortened due to course changes.

    About Mitsubishi Motors

    Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (TSE:7211) — a member of the Alliance with Renault and Nissan — is a global automobile company based in Tokyo, Japan, which has about 28,000 employees and a global footprint with production facilities in Japan and the ASEAN region. Mitsubishi Motors has a competitive edge in SUVs, pickup trucks and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and appeals to ambitious drivers willing to challenge convention and embrace innovation. Since the production of our first vehicle more than a century ago, Mitsubishi Motors has been a leader in electrification — launched the i-MiEV, the world’s first mass-produced electric vehicle in 2009, followed by the Outlander PHEV, the world’s first plug-in hybrid electric SUV in 2013. With a target of increasing the sales ratio of electrified vehicles to 100% by 2035, Mitsubishi Motors will deliver models that embody Mitsubishi Motors-ness and contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society. For more information on Mitsubishi Motors, please visit the company’s website at www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/

  • LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Race Preview | Daytona International Speedway

    LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Race Preview | Daytona International Speedway

    CLUB ENTRY LIST

    JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
    POINT STANDINGS: 32ND

    ERIK JONES
    POINT STANDINGS: 27TH

    CLUB NOTES

    The NASCAR Cup Series returns to the birthplace of NASCAR for the second visit this year. With just two races before the NASCAR Playoffs begin, the Coke Zero Sugar 400 is sure to see hot action on track as those teams on the outside of the playoff bubble look to make it in.

    Recap of the First Visit: During the DAYTONA 500, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB kicked off the year with both entries finishing inside the top 10 with John Hunter Nemechek finishing in seventh and teammate Erik Jones finishing in eighth. CLUB co-owner Jimmie Johnson was caught up in an accident near the end of the event and wasn’t able to continue on.

    JHN Stats: Nemechek has lots of experience at Daytona across all three major racing series. In the Cup Series, he has four starts equaling two 11th place finishes, and most recently a seventh-place finish in this year’s DAYTONA 500. In the Xfinity Series, Nemechek scored one top-five and three top-10s in six starts. Nemechek has five starts in the Truck Series, leading 77 laps compiling one top-five and two top-10 finishes.

    Beshore Stats: Crew chief Ben Beshore is looking to get over the hump at Daytona. During his career as a NASCAR crew chief, Beshore had 13 total starts with six in the NASCAR Cup Series and seven in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In the NCS he has three top 10s to his resume while in the NXS he has three top-fives including two runner-up finishes.

    Ride Along: The No. 42 Pye-Barker Toyota Camry XSE will be carrying an on-board camera this weekend for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday. Be sure to tune into the race broadcast for a peek of what JHN sees during the race!

    EJ Stats: Jones has a decent record in the Cup Series at Daytona as he scored a thrilling win while racing the No. 20 for Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Coke Zero 400 in 2018. Jones only led one lap that night, and it was the final one. He has 15 starts at the 2.5-mile track and has led 61 laps en route to one win, two top five and four top-10 finishes. Jones finished eighth in the season-opening DAYTONA 500. He also has experienced Daytona in the NASCAR Trucks and Xfinity series.

    Elenz Stats: Crew chief Dave Elenz arrives to the superspeedway with three wins, all in the Xfinity series. Since arriving to Cup with Jones, Elenz has one top-10, which they earned this past February. All five of Elenz’s Cup starts have been with Jones in the No. 43 car.

    Martinsville Test: The No. 43 LEGACY M.C. team participated in a NASCAR test at Martinsville Speedway on Tuesday, August 20 in preparation for the upcoming event in November. LEGACY MOTOR CLUB was one of four teams participating in the test working on some items for NASCAR.

    Happy Birthday!: Rear tire changer on the No. 42 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety team, Chris Shuman celebrates a birthday on Tuesday, Aug. 20. Shuman hails from Conover, North Carolina

    Lending His Voice: Seven-time Cup Series champion Johnson will return to the track this weekend wearing an NBC polo, holding a microphone, as he joins NBC’s broadcast team for coverage of the 400-mile event at Daytona. Johnson was part of the NBC team for the Indianapolis 500 in May, and will report on Daytona, Talladega and Phoenix at the end of the season.

    Throwback to JJ Sweep: Johnson has 40 starts at the storied Daytona International Speedway throughout his career. He has two wins in the DAYTONA 500 (2006, 2013) and one in the Coke Zero 400 (2013). After sweeping both of the 2013 races, Johnson and his team decided to film a video on the frontstretch to celebrate and the video went viral at the time. Click HERE to relive the Harlem Shake in Daytona and and HERE to listen to how it came about.

    Partner Spotlight: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB partner, AdventHealth, is the official health care provider for the Daytona Tortugas, a minor league baseball team in the Daytona Beach area. The Tortugas recently hosted a “NASCAR Night” which promoted the sport as well as LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’S drivers, executives, and pit crew members. AdventHealth gave away No. 43 t-shirts as a nod to their partnership with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. See the link HERE to view the t-shirts: In addition, AdventHealth sponsors the Infield Care Center at Daytona International Speedway.

    Going for G.O.L.D.: Partners Dollar Tree and Family Dollar will honor store #8021 this weekend as a part of the company’s “Go for G.O.L.D.” (Grand Opening Look Daily) program. The Dollar Tree and Family Dollar primaries will highlight these stores on the deck lid of all three LEGACY M.C. entries throughout the race season. Store #8021 is located in Daytona Beach, Fla.

    PETTY 75TH ANNIVERSARY

    ABOUT PETTY 75th: The 2024 season marks a significant milestone in the history of the Petty family as they have helped define stock car racing for 75 years. Their commitment to the sport and the people who make it possible – behind the wheel, under the hood, in the back office, and beyond – has shaped the growth and success of NASCAR. Their LEGACY lives on with the countless fans, drivers, technicians, and team members they touched. Throughout 2024, LEGACY M.C. will celebrate the Petty family and share countless memories with friends and fans at racetracks across the country. 

    Petty Family Grand Marshalls: As announced this week, the Petty Family will serve as the grand marshals for Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

    This Week in Petty History: In light of the announcement that the NASCAR Cup Series will return to Bowman Grey Stadium for the NASCAR Clash next February, the “MadHouse” was the site of Richard Petty’s 100th career victory.

    The King’s Hat: The King’s Hat at Daytona International Speedway will be located inside the grandstands on Level 1 near the injector.

    CLUB QUOTES

    John Hunter Nemechek, Driver of the No. 42 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Camry XSE:

    “Racing at Daytona and restrictor plate racing in general is pretty fun. Earlier this year during the Daytona 500. We almost put ourselves in a position to have a shot to win the race with just a few laps left. Looking forward to going back there. We’ve been able to lead some laps at another Superspeedway this year (Talladega Superspeedway), so confident in our superspeedway program with our Toyota Camry XSE. But man, things can happen fast so hope to not get caught up in the “big one” and put yourself in good spots towards the end of the race and hopefully have some Toyota teammates to be able to work with and have a good strategy by saving enough fuel and be there at the end when it counts.

    My mindset going into the race is just to go out and do the best that we can as a team, everyone on the No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB team, we wanna go out and try and win the race. This is one of our opportunities, one of our final opportunities to win and lock ourselves into the playoffs. We’re gonna go out there and try and do that try and put ourselves in the spot that we need to that we feel like we need to and try and get a win ourselves in the playoffs — it would be huge to be able to do that. I don’t think anyone would really see that coming from the year that we’ve had so far so hopefully we can. We can do that and celebrate after Saturday night but looking forward to getting there looking forward to qualifying on Friday racing on Saturday and just overall trying to have a really solid weekend and then going down there to try and win.”

    Ben Beshore, Crew chief of the No. 42 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Camry XSE:

    “We have to win to get into the playoffs, this is one of our best shots to do that here in the next couple of weeks. Just because there is so much chaos and anything can happen in the draft. It’s more about being there at the end, car positioning, avoiding the wrecks and being in the right place at the right time. Hopefully we can capitalize on that. We’ve had some really good speedway races this year with the Daytona 500 finishing in the top 10 and leading some laps at Talladega [Superspeedway] so looking forward to it and hopefully we can put a good car underneath [John Hunter Nemechek].”

    “For us it will be about putting [Nemechek] in the best track position to begin Stage 3 or putting ourselves where we need less fuel at a pit stop under green during Stage 3; something where we can leapfrog our way to the front at the end of the race. We’re not concerned about stage points at all, getting caught up in an early wreck doesn’t make sense for us – we just need to be there at the end and position ourselves. Whether that is laying back in Stage 1 and preserving the car for the end and don’t want to get caught up in someone that has a different agenda.”

    Erik Jones, Driver of the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:

    “The strategy at Daytona is always a little tough. I think for us, we’ve kind of just raced all day most of the last few times we’ve been there. Just try to be up front and in contention and hopefully have a fast car, just show everybody that we’re quick enough to go up and work with and race for the win, so hopefully similar to that and battling up front all day long.”

    “When we won there in 2018, it was kind of an up and down day. We were involved in a wreck about halfway and lost a lap repairing damage and didn’t get back on the lead lap until late in the evening. It was kind of a last-minute win. We found our way to the front. There was a lot of carnage, a lot of chaos and we ended up in contention for it and I was able to grab my first Cup win at that point. It was pretty fun, would love to get back to Victory Lane there again and obviously get ourselves into the playoffs, so hopefully we can go and knock one out.”

    Dave Elenz, Crew chief of the No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE:

    “Daytona can be a wild card of a race. You try not to get caught up in chaos early so you can be there at the end to finish well. It’s a track that is unpredictable, but fortunately I’ve been able to visit Victory Lane there a few times. Hopefully we match our speed with strategy this weekend and get our No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE in Victory Lane.”

    PHOTO OF THE WEEK

    Erik Jones returned home to Byron, Michigan this past weekend. Prior to the race on Sunday, the NASCAR Cup driver begin the day with a send-off in downtown Byron supported by friends, family, and fans – a tradition now at every MIS visit. In addition to the send-off, Erik hosted an “Erik Jones Experience” outside of the track. This private tailgate included DJ, fun and games, and participants even heard not only from Erik but also Richard Petty during a “fireside chat” (Photo Courtesy, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB)

    BROADCAST INFO

    DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

    SATURDAY, AUGUST 24th @ 7:30 PM ET

    ABOUT OUR PARTNERS

    ABOUT DOLLAR TREE, INC.: Dollar Tree, a Fortune 200 Company, operated 16,622 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces as of October 28, 2023. Stores operate under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree Canada. To learn more about the Company, visit www.DollarTree.com.

    ABOUT PYE-BARKER FIRE & SAFETY: The U.S. leader in fully integrated life safety systems, Pye-Barker Fire & Safety provides complete fire protection and security systems nationwide. With over 200 locations and 6,000 team members nationwide, Pye-Barker is an industry leader and ranks No. 954 on the Inc 5000 and No. 9 on the SDM 100.

    ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice “Maury” J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. The CLUB competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series fielding the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE of John Hunter Nemechek, the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE of Erik Jones, and the No. 84 limited schedule entry for Johnson. LEGACY M.C. also competes in the Extreme E Series. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty “The King” serves as CLUB Ambassador. With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ on Facebook, X, Instagram and at www.LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com.

  • TRUEWERK Racing: Ryan Preece Daytona Advance

    TRUEWERK Racing: Ryan Preece Daytona Advance

    RYAN PREECE
    Daytona Advance
    No. 41 TRUEWERK Ford Mustang Dark Horse

    Event Overview

    ● Event: Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Round 25 of 36)
    ● Time/Date: 7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Aug. 24
    ● Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway
    ● Layout: 2.5-mile oval
    ● Laps/Miles: 160 laps / 400 miles
    ● Stage Lengths: Stage 1: 35 laps / Stage 2: 60 laps / Final Stage: 65 laps
    ● TV/Radio: NBC / MRN Radio / SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    Notes of Interest

    ● Ryan Preece comes to Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway for Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 NASCAR Cup Series race with some wind in his sails after an 11th-place finish last Sunday at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. It was Preece’s seventh top-15 of the season and it put him just 33 points away from cracking the top-25 in the championship standings.

    ● The Coke Zero Sugar 400 will mark Preece’s 10th career NASCAR Cup Series start at Daytona. His best result in nine previous races at the 2.5-mile oval is fourth, earned in the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400. A prelude to that performance came seven months earlier when he finished sixth in the Daytona 500.

    ● In last year’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona, Preece was involved in a frightening accident which started when he was running in a line of cars along the outside wall of the backstretch and was bumped by another car, turning his racecar into his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate, Chase Briscoe. Preece’s car then lifted off the ground and began flipping violently over the grassy area on the inside of the track, rolling over more than 10 times before finally coming to a rest. Despite the magnitude of the wreck, Preece climbed out of his damaged machine and walked to a waiting ambulance, which took him to nearby Halifax Health Medical Center for precautionary evaluations. After checking into the hospital late Saturday night, Preece walked out before 6 a.m. the next day and was back in his No. 41 Ford Mustang the following weekend for the NASCAR Cup Series’ next race at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

    ● Preece’s No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse is dressed for success this weekend at Daytona as it sports the colors of partner TRUEWERK. The direct-to-consumer performance workwear brand has outfitted Stewart-Haas from head to toe this season, with team members wearing the company’s high-performance gear at the track, in the gym and in the office as the official performance workwear, apparel and uniform provider for Stewart-Haas. TRUEWERK engineers the world’s highest-performance workwear and the company collaborated with Stewart-Haas to develop an all-new apparel collection, combining proven performers, such as the T1 WerkPants, redesigned classics like hoodies and polos, along with a new-to-market selection, specifically its S1 StormShell rain gear that saw action in the season-opening Daytona 500, which was postponed a day to due to rain. The company also secured naming rights for Stewart-Haas’ state-of-the-art campus training facility, known now as the TRUEWERK Performance Center.

    ● TRUEWERK, based in Colorado, is reimagining life and work in the trades by engineering the world’s most technically-advanced, high-performance workwear. Today’s trade professionals rely on workwear that keeps them safe, comfortable and capable of working at their best. By innovating technical fabrics that provide unmatched performance in hot weather or layer together in cold and inclement weather, TRUEWERK is proud to support the men and women across the trades who build tomorrow. TRUEWERK services customers in the U.S. and Canada on TRUEWERK.com and Amazon, and outfits businesses via its enterprise uniform program.

    Ryan Preece, Driver of the No. 41 TRUEWERK Ford Mustang Dark Horse

    You’ve had some good finishes at Daytona, including a pair of top-six runs in 2021 – sixth in the Daytona 500 and fourth in the Coke Zero Sugar 400. What are your expectations for your return to Daytona this weekend?

    “I think to keep all four tires on the ground would be a good one, as well as just finishing. Superspeedways, from a strategy standpoint, I think you want to take advantage of the stages just to try and get those points because those are guaranteed. Everything beyond that is not guaranteed. For us, I feel like we have to be aggressive, especially trying to get into the playoffs. That’s almost a wild card, but at the very least try and have an opportunity at getting max points that can really help your season.”

    Describe the intensity of racing at Daytona, especially with it being the second-to-last race of the regular season where, for many, it’s the last chance to earn a playoff berth.

    “I feel like, for most of us, Daytona is one of those racetracks where everybody sees it as an opportunity to sneak their way in, or get more points than at some other tracks where you don’t feel like your speed’s top-five or top-10. It gives you an opportunity to get stage points, so the intensity is way up, especially with it being the second-to-last race to get into the playoffs, and everybody feels like they have an opportunity to win. It’s a game of chess at that point.”

    What’s the patience level of drivers who are racing at Daytona in August compared to the Daytona 500 in February, when there’s still an entire season ahead?

    “I approach every race like it’s pretty much the same, but I’d be lying if I said the intensity isn’t up.”

    Does blocking remain the necessary evil it’s seemingly always been when it comes to superspeedway racing?

    “I think it just depends on your style. I think you have to throw a block, so yeah, it’s a necessary evil. But at the same time, you better be willing to accept the fact that you could wreck yourself as well as many others. I think there’s a time and a place for it. Lap one is certainly not it, lap 20 is certainly not it – hell, not even I think for a stage. It just depends on just how big of a block it is. But if it’s the last lap coming to the line and it’s the difference between you making the playoffs or not, then yeah, it’s necessary.”

    On the last lap of a race at Daytona, how smart do you need to be and how lucky do you need to be, as it seems that last 2.5 miles is the most treacherous part of the race?

    “I think all of the above. Everything matters.”

    No. 41 TRUEWERK Team Roster

    Primary Team Members

    Driver: Ryan Preece

    Hometown: Berlin, Connecticut

    Crew Chief: Chad Johnston

    Hometown: Cayuga, Indiana

    Car Chief: Jeremy West

    Hometown: Gardena, California

    Engineer: Marc Hendricksen

    Hometown: Clinton, New Jersey

    Spotter: Tony Raines

    Hometown: LaPorte, Indiana

    Over-The-Wall Members

    Front Tire Changer: Devin Lester

    Hometown: Bluefield, West Virginia

    Rear Tire Changer: Austin Chrismon

    Hometown: China Grove, North Carolina

    Tire Carrier: Chad Emmons

    Hometown: Tyler, Texas

    Jack Man: Sherman Timbs

    Hometown: Indianola, Mississippi

    Fuel Man: Dwayne Moore

    Hometown: Griffin, Georgia

    Road Crew Members

    Front End Mechanic: Joe Zanolini

    Hometown: Sybertsville, Pennsylvania

    Interior Mechanic: Robert Dalby

    Hometown: Anaheim, California

    Tire Specialist: Matt Ridgeway

    Hometown: Carrollton, Georgia

    Engine Tuner: Jimmy Fife

    Hometown: Orange County, California

    Transporter Co-Driver: David Rodrigues

    Hometown: Santa Clarita, California

    Transporter Co-Driver: Charlie Schleyer

    Hometown: Youngsville, Pennsylvania

  • Rhodes and Majeski Set for NASCAR Truck Series Playoffs

    Rhodes and Majeski Set for NASCAR Truck Series Playoffs

    Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
    NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
    Playoff Media Day
    Tuesday, August 20, 2024

    The 10 drivers competing for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship participated in a media day event this afternoon, including Ford drivers Ty Majeski and defending champion Ben Rhodes. Here are transcripts of their media sessions.

    BEN RHODES, No. 99 ThorSport Racing F-150 – WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU CAN DO THIS AGAIN AS THE NINTH SEED WITH ONLY TWO PLAYOFF POINTS? “Just the fact that we’ve done it. I think that’s gonna tell us we can do it again, and I don’t mean that rude in any way, it’s just that we have the blueprint. We’ve done it twice and we’ve done it when our back has been against the wall. We’ve done it when we had to get in on tiebreakers, where we had to do crazy strategy and we’d get in on a point. We’ve been put through the crucible. We’ve gone through the ringer and somehow we’ve found a way to still make it to the next round. I can thoroughly say that the pressure doesn’t get to us at all. If we make any mistakes, it will be just from sheer incompetence. It won’t be from nervousness or feeling any sort of pressure. I can say at the racetrack now that I feel pretty locked in with all of my guys. I’ve been pretty hard on some people and hard on myself, but I’ve been like that for years. I just try to demand the best that we can out of everybody and, of course, of myself. We ask a lot as far as accountability goes and I think that’s all needed right now, especially with our current situation. I feel good about it, I really do. The first round here, with these three races, are races that our stats don’t show well at, but they don’t show well at the first two simply because we had a mistake last year at Milwaukee. We got involved in a wreck at Bristol and then Kansas I think that got a little bit away from our setup, so we’ll work on that one. All in all, it’s a good round for us. If we just do our part, I think we can make it in just fine.”

    DO YOU THINK THE SPEED IS THERE AT THIS POINT? “Yeah, the speed can be there. We’ve got to unload a little closer, though. That’s kind of where we’re at with this Next Gen practice session. You have to unload off your transporter straight from the race shop perfect, and there’s no opportunity to really tune on the truck. There are a lot of times where I know what’s wrong, but I don’t have the tools available to me to fix it. When you’re at the racetrack, you’ve got packers, so you can adjust your bar load and the actual splitter gap. You can work on air pressures. You can work on spring rubbers, track bar, wedge – stuff like that. That’s all fine-tuning tools. It’s not really anything you can do to wholesale the truck or get it closer. You can’t change anything really, so it’s just something that we’ve got to do a little better job of unloading close and making sure that when we’re there the tools that are available to us actually help us rather than saying, ‘Well, there’s nothing in our toolbox we can do right now.’”

    HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT YOUR SITUATION GOING INTO THE PLAYOFFS. ANY STRESS? “I’ve been in a lot worse situations than Richmond, unfortunately, I guess, but, fortunately, struggles and suffering is what makes you a better person in life. By walking through those struggles and those challenges in past years, it’s made us pretty calm, or at least me pretty calm in the current situation. Right now, that’s my mindset and I just try to bring that about to everybody on my team. Everybody that has a hand in on this race track needs to be feeling the same way. They need to be calm, cool, collected and just ultimately focused on getting some points right now. Nothing has really changed since Richmond. I think the temptation to change comes after the checkered flag at Milwaukee. That’s where you have to see where you’re at and see what alterations need to happen.”

    WHAT CHALLENGES DOES MARTINSVILLE POSE AS AN ELIMINATION RACE RIGHT BEFORE THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4? “This is the priority right now, this first round, but, honestly, my eyes are still focused on the next round. That’s always the round that matters most is that final round before getting to Phoenix, so I’m already looking at that, just kind of like you mentioned. Martinsville is going to be a challenge, but it’s one of my favorite racetracks. We’ve been going there for so long and I actually started racing there in late models once upon a time, so I love that place. It is true, there’s nowhere to hide if you’re really slow, but if you’re fast, you can kind of hide wherever you like actually. That’s just the name of the game anywhere we go. Speed breed success and speed affords different opportunities and Martinsville is really no different in that regard. The problem with Martinsville being a playoff race though is, as a playoff driver, you can find yourself in trouble from the non-playoff drivers that don’t cut you any slack. Pretty much every time they’re more desperate that time of year to give themselves some success to their program, and when that happens you can find yourself in their way and they don’t care that you have a red spoiler. They’re worried about themselves as they should.”

    HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR SEASON TO DATE? “It hasn’t been a good season for us necessarily. From where my standards are and how we’ve been running, and the standards for the whole race team it’s been below what we want, but that’s OK. We have to be able to look at that and compartmentalize that and then apply whatever wisdom we know to garnering results and success. The minute we stop trying to look at it and being realistic that’s a problem, so realistically it hasn’t been the best season. Actually, in the past three years or so that we’ve made runs at championships, this has been the worst that we’ve entered into the playoffs and that comes from the bad regular season. I started out the first part of the season with Rich Lushes as my crew chief and now I have Doug Randolph, so there was a little bit of a swap up there, but as a whole, I’ve maintained my core group of guys and we’ve just been working on the same stuff. It hasn’t been the best, but I think we’ll be just fine. The biggest thing to realize right now going into the playoffs this first round is all about not making mistakes. Then after that you’ve got to have three absolutely perfect races for the next round.”

    IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN TALK TO DOUG ABOUT WHAT THIS PLAYOFF SCENARIO IS LIKE, OR YOU LET HIM STILL ADVISE YOU? “I think it goes both ways. I think that’s how a good, proper driver-crew chief relationship should work. He hasn’t been in the pressure cooker spotlight in a few years, but he has been around for a very long time. The best thing about Doug is he’s so calm, cool, collected under normal circumstances. That’s what we’ve worked under so far and the playoffs I’ve yet to see, but if he’s anything like his normal self, he should be just fine. Realistically, that’s what’s best for drivers are calm crew chiefs that can see an evaluate things clearly and make the best decision as it’s happening. And I think most of that comes from personal life, at least it does for me. If I’ve got a good personal life, good family life, good foundation, you can perform well under pressure and also a good race team. Our relationship with ThorSport Racing, Duke and Rhonda Thorson have been fantastic. They’ve been amazing to me and we just want to go win championships for them. They give us all the tools to do it and when you have support like that, it makes it easy to go out and not let the pressure get to you.”

    IS THE FIRST ROUND JUST A CASE OF NOT LOSING IT AND THEN BECOME MORE AGGRESSIVE IN THE SECOND ROUND? “You’ve got to be aggressive right away, but it’s got to be moderate. We see it every year. Some of the guys that come into the playoffs that maybe don’t have the experience or they’re just up on the chip drivers, they usually can throw away their chances in the first round and since there are only two being cut, the biggest thing to do is just have steady races. Something is going to happen unfortunate to somebody in this first round. It may only happen to one driver, it could happen to two, but those are the ones that will have the disadvantage, so the biggest thing is to have consistent races, get your stage points, and that will get you to the next round. After that, you’ve got to be perfect.”

    ARE YOUR CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHIES IN YOUR HOUSE? DO YOU LOOK AT THEM FOR MOTIVATION? “The trophies are there at the house, but I’m very much a ‘you’re only as good as your last race’ type of driver. We’ve got championships. That says it right here on the patch, but to me what happens in the past means nothing in the present or the future. The experience you take with you means a lot, but the accolades, to me, don’t really mean anything. I really very much function – the last race is what makes your career for you, so I approach everything that way. When I’m at home I really don’t have anything racing out in the house. My wife likes having that stuff around. She thinks it’s cool and that it’s something cool for our kids to talk about, but I really don’t like it in the house. I put all that stuff aside and when I go home I’m Ben the family guy, and then when I go to the race team I’m immersed in racing. I don’t really look back a whole lot, I guess.”

    TY MAJESKI, No. 98 ThorSport Racing F-150 – HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT STARTING THE PLAYOFFS AT WHAT COULD BE CALLED YOUR HOME TRACK? “It’s always special to go back to your home track. It’s nice to have a Wisconsin race on the NASCAR schedule. I feel like it’s such a honey hole and a great demographic for NASCAR fans and race fans in general. Hopefully, we keep going back. I think it would be a huge missed opportunity if there isn’t NASCAR in Wisconsin some way, shape or form. But it’s very special to go and kick off the playoffs in Milwaukee, a track that’s special to me. I’ve gotten a chance to win there a couple of times, so it would be a huge deal to go there and run well for not only myself, but Joe Shear, Jr. That’s his NASCAR home track so to speak as well from southern Wisconsin. I’m excited to go back there and hopefully we can carry our momentum.”

    NICK SANCHEZ SAID YOU ARE ONE OF THE TOP THREE DRIVERS HE HAS TO WORRY ABOUT. IS THAT HOW YOU VIEW YOURSELF GOING INTO THE PLAYOFFS? “Yeah, I do. I think we’re one of those top three contenders, for sure, especially coming off of these two wins. I think we’re probably carrying the most momentum in the series right now. I feel like maybe our valleys have been a little bit lower than the 19 and the 11, but I feel like our peaks have been similar, so as long as we can just peak at the right time and keep this momentum going, there’s no reason why we can’t be a competitor when we hopefully get to Phoenix. I feel good about where we’re at. Our team is in a really good spot. We’re working really well together right now. Obviously, coming off of two wins is a huge deal. Our 98 team always seems to peak right about playoff time, so we’re ready for another good playoff run.”

    HOW DO YOU LOOK BACK ON SOME OF THOSE CHALLENGING YEARS THAT ULTIMATELY LED TO THIS OPPORTUNITY? “I’m a big believer in everything happens for a reason. I feel like I learned a lot about not only myself, but how to navigate the NASCAR industry. There’s a lot of things that a lot of people don’t see from the outside looking in and how this business works behind the scenes. I think I just learned how to put myself in better situations and place myself and give myself a better path to success, not necessarily taking any opportunity that’s in front of me. I’m trying to look at that opportunity and understand where the team is at with whether it’s dollars or spending or different affiliations that they have with other teams. So, just looking at all of these opportunities as a whole and understanding where that team is at at that time is a big deal, and ensuring yourself success and a good opportunity. I think through those things, obviously, mentally it was not easy being a super successful late model driver and then coming into the NASCAR ranks and having what I call two failed opportunities, and then obviously landing on my feet at ThorSport was a huge deal for my career. I’m super thankful to have those failures because I felt like I learned a lot about myself as a person and as a driver to shape me up for success with ThorSport.”

    HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR REGULAR SEASON? “I think it’s been the timing of the racetracks and how the schedule lays out specifically for myself and the 98 team. Coming to Richmond and IRP are probably our two best tracks as far as myself and Joe Shear, my crew chief, obviously a really good short track crew chief. I feel like I excel on the short tracks, so it’s just been the timing of when those races are at in the schedule, and I feel like the playoff schedule really lays out well for us as a team. We’re obviously going to my home track in Milwaukee, and then to Bristol, which I’ve won at. Kansas I’ve run second at and Homestead and Martinsville I’ve won at Homestead and second at Martinsville. Obviously, Talladega is a little bit of a wildcard, so just the way the playoff tracks lay out is very, very good for our team. They’re all good tracks for us and I feel like we’re starting to peak at the right time here and put races together like we need to in order to advance through the rounds.”

    WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF RACING AT PHOENIX IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE? “It’s situational. Obviously, there’s a lot on the line. We’ve had very good trucks at Phoenix the last two races and obviously the 2023 Phoenix race turned into a race that none of us should be proud of from a series perspective. It was filled with yellows and people putting each other in bad situations, so we qualified second there and won the first stage. We had the speed to really win that race, so the finish has probably been skewed with how we’ve run there the last couple years. I think we’re as confident as we’ve ever been going back to Phoenix. We see a lot of similarities from Milwaukee to Phoenix. Probably the most similar track we can find to Phoenix is Milwaukee, so we’re trying something outside of our comfort zone package-wise going to Milwaukee and hopefully hit on it for Phoenix.”

    WHEN YOU RACED AS A KID IN THIS STATE WAS THERE A PART OF YOU THAT WANTED TO RACE AT THE MILWAUKEE MILE AND HOW HAVE YOU DONE THERE? “I’ve been to Milwaukee probably six or seven times. I have two wins there in a super late model and have my one Truck start, so I have some experience there. Obviously, it’s a race that really eluded me for a lot of years on the late model side. I think my first win there wasn’t until 2021 and I’ve been racing there since around 2014. I’ve raced there about once a year. There were a couple off years in there where the track shut down and we didn’t go there, but I have some experience there which helps. The rest of the series, having just gone back there last year, a lot of these guys either have no experience there or one race max, so I feel like it’s a home type track for me. I definitely probably have the most seat time there in the series and that’s always a help anytime you go to any of these racetracks.”

    HOW GOOD IS IT TO SEE MILWAUKEE GETTING BACK INTO THE BIG TIME RACING GAME? “As I said before, Wisconsin is such a great area for racing in general, whether it’s dirt racing or late model racing. There are a ton of fans up there and a lot of traction in motorsports up in Wisconsin. I think it would be a huge missed opportunity if NASCAR didn’t go there in some way, shape or form, whether it be Road America, Milwaukee or some other track. There are just a ton of fans up there that love racing, that are true hardcore race fans and I’m thankful to experience them all the time. I’m thankful enough to race up in Wisconsin on the late model side a ton and I know what those fans offer up there. I think Milwaukee was a huge success last year, at least visually from the infield. The stands were packed, which we don’t see at a lot of these Truck races, so hopefully we keep finding a way to go back to Wisconsin.”

    DOES IT CREATE ANY ADDITIONAL SENSE OF URGENCY THIS WEEKEND WHEN IT HASN’T BEEN ANNOUNCED IF THE SERIES WILL BE GOING BACK NEXT SEASON? “A little bit. Knowing that it might be the last race there we want to win. We want to go there and I’ve always wanted to win a NASCAR level race at my home track in Milwaukee, so there’s natural pressure obviously starting the playoffs and we do more to prepare for playoff races, just like any pro sport team. You start putting all of the effort that you have and all the resources that you have come playoff time. You always try to step up your game. It sort of is still business as usual. You show up to every racetrack to win, but try and cross your t’s and dot your i’s and put as much effort in as you can into all of these playoff races and not just Milwaukee. It would certainly be a special win if we were able to pull off three in a row and win at Milwaukee. It would probably be the most special win of my career.”

  • Toyota Racing – NCTS Playoff Media Day Quotes – Taylor Gray – 08.20.24

    Toyota Racing – NCTS Playoff Media Day Quotes – Taylor Gray – 08.20.24

    Toyota Racing – Taylor Gray
    NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Quotes

    CHARLOTTE (August 20, 2024) – TRICON Garage driver Taylor Gray was made available to the media today as part of the NASCAR Truck Series Playoff Media Day.

    TAYLOR GRAY, No. 17 JBL Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

    What type of advice have you got on how to handle the pressure of the Playoffs?

    “Honestly, just taking it a race at a time. Luckily, I think this first round of the Playoffs for our company as a whole has a pretty good set of tracks coming up, so more so, looking at a bigger picture. Yeah, just taking it one race at a time – focusing, and not changing much to what we’ve done all year long. Just show up to the race track prepared, and kind of just have to go through the weekend and do the same thing we’ve been doing all year long – I don’t know if much will change.”

    What do you feel like you have to do in the Playoffs that you haven’t done yet in the regular season?

    “The big thing is we are going to have to go and win races, starting in Milwaukee hopefully. If you go back and look, I think it is fair to say that we should have three wins on the side of our truck this year – just kind of failed to execute some of these races out, so I think the big thing is executing these races, especially executing at the end of these races and picking up some of those wins.”

    What has led to your upward performance this season?

    “I think the big thing is working with Jeff Hensley (crew chief) that is on the box and working with him as mentor and also as a crew chief – just kind of picking his brain and gain the experience that he has had over the years with racing. I think that is one of the biggest factors with me, running a lot better than I have in the past, is just having Jeff to work with and picking his brain, and also it is experience. This is my second year – I guess technically first full-time year in trucks – just gaining the experience and being better.”

    When you look ahead to the Playoffs are their tracks that you are looking forward too?

    “I think Kansas, Milwaukee is one of them coming up, Homestead – I’m really excited for. Bristol, I think we have a good package for Bristol. I think there is quite a bit of race tracks coming up for us that are really good race tracks for us. Whenever we do make it to that final round, Phoenix is a really good race track for our company as a whole.”

    Are there anything that your crew chief Jeff Hensley has explained to you about the pressure of the Playoffs?

    “Not a whole lot, I think for a lot of guys – it will be okay for a little bit, it really comes down those cut races, whenever you are on the cut line or somebody is in a must win situation, that is where you will see some crazy moves happen and you just have to be aware of that and be aware of who you are around, and not get in there mess, but that is Truck racing every weekend. We shouldn’t have many issues with that.”

    How has your pit crew helped your success this weekend?

    “In terms of pit crew stuff, I don’t know the exact stats – but I think we are either first or second on pit road by a good bit. I want to say the last time I heard we were first on average on pit road, that is obviously exciting. Those guys work their butts off and are really good at what they do. At terms of pit road stuff, I’m not really worried about it – those guys seem to perform pretty well.”

    Do you think a win in the Playoffs would help you reach your full potential?

    “I think winning fixes a lot of things and when you win, you get on this roll and this routine, where it seems like nothing can really go wrong, and when you get on that roll – I’ve experienced that back when we raced ARCA, I think I won three or four in a row, and I’ve experienced that. I know what it feels like. You feel like you are Superman, so to start that right now in the Playoffs, that would be huge to get us going rounds and make the Final 4 – that would be huge. To answer your question, winning fixes everything.”

    Did your Xfinity Series experience help you reach the Playoffs?

    “I don’t know if it helped me reach the Playoffs. I feel like we were in a pretty good spot throughout the year from the padding we build ourselves at the beginning of the year. Obviously, we had a rough stretch of races there in the summer months, but then started getting back on track here of late, I don’t know if it necessarily helped me, I think it helped me gain experience and get overall seat time to make me better as a driver, but in terms of just making the Playoffs, I don’t know that it helped me there.”

    About Toyota

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