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Author: Official Release

  • RECAP: Wright Motorsports Battles the Heat, Keeps Points Lead at VIR

    RECAP: Wright Motorsports Battles the Heat, Keeps Points Lead at VIR

    ALTON, Va., (July 23, 2024) – Rounds seven and eight of the Fanatec GT World Challenge America series brought the heat but Wright Motorsports persevered to leave the weekend still the overall points leaders in their No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R. Drivers Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer fought high temperatures and great pressure from the competition at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) to secure a second and fourth place result in the pair of races, leaving the event with a 16-point lead in the championship.

    “The season continues to wind down, but you won’t see this group lifting at all,” said Team Owner John Wright. “They put in a great performance to keep us running up front on track and in the points. We still have several races to go, and we remain focused forward on securing this championship.”

    Following heavy morning storms, Adam Adelson started the first of the team’s two-weekend races from fifth place on Saturday. While his stint was wrought with cautions, Adelson kept the No. 120 Porsche out of trouble and in a competitive position. He pitted near the halfway point for the mandatory stop, allowing Skeer to take over. The Wright Motorsports crew once again excelled in pit lane, and the green and yellow Porsche beat two PRO-class competitors out of pit lane, advancing to third for the restart. Skeer gained an additional spot during his stint, and with big-picture points in mind, he safely brought the car to the checkered flag in second place.

    Feeling positive after yet another podium finish, Wright Motorsports started race two from second place with Skeer behind the wheel. He navigated the first and third place Corvettes battling for position and kept the team Porsche safe in second place. He pitted under caution and Adelson jumped in with a full tank of fuel and fresh set of tires, ready to race to the end. The Wright Motorsports crew again performed at the top of their game in pit lane, beating the field out to restart the race from the lead. After a duel with the DXDT Racing Corvette for position, the Wright Porsche fell victim to contact from the ST Racing BMW, forcing Adelson off track. With less than ten laps to go and an eye on the points, Adelson masterfully recovered, rejoining the race in fifth place. Ultimately, the team finished in fourth place, concluding a solid weekend for the championship effort.

    Just five races remain in the 2024 championship, with the final three events to be hosted at Road America (August 2-4), Barber Motorsports Park (September 6-8), and Indianapolis Motors Speedway (October 4-6).

    DRIVER QUOTES

    Adam Adelson

    That was a rollercoaster of a weekend. It was a grueling one with mixed conditions and the impending threat of rain the entire time. As always, the Wright Mtotorpots guys executed with us flawlessly. They gave us an amazing setup to be able to fight at the front of the field, and an excellent strategy. We had a great result on Saturday, which I am so proud of. Sunday was shaping up to be an amazing result as well until a competitor made a move that was not going to work. That’s racing. I’m proud of our performance and Sunday was one of my better drives. I’m confident in how I performed against a bunch of veteran professionals. Elliott was great as always.

    Elliott Skeer

    It’s the fourth weekend of our SRO America effort this year, and it was a hot one here at VIR with the mixed conditions. Ultimately, we can be very proud with how we executed the whole race weekend. On Saturday, we did what we feel like was the best we could. So, we’re very happy with the overall result. It was a clean race, and a strong race. Sunday got a little spicey out there and Adam and I were hanging on with everything we had. Ultimately, a couple of factors that were out of our control helped us, and some hurt us. I haven’t been prouder of Adam holding off the other cars as long as he did. The end result doesn’t show the performance of the team, but I’m proud of everyone at Wright and Porsche for the effort this weekend.

    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.

  • EIGHT STAR RIDERS SET FOR GETTRX NHRA PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE ALL-STAR CALLOUT AT SONOMA RACEWAY

    EIGHT STAR RIDERS SET FOR GETTRX NHRA PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE ALL-STAR CALLOUT AT SONOMA RACEWAY

    SONOMA, Calif. (July 22, 2024) – Featuring a host of world champions and standout riders, the eight-bike field is set for this weekend’s GETTRX NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout, with the specialty race grabbing the spotlight as part of the 36th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals at scenic Sonoma Raceway.

    The fan-favorite facility plays host to the eight riders aiming for big money and bragging rights in the unique bonus race, which takes place on Saturday at Sonoma Raceway. Defending world champion Gaige Herrera has the top seed, which gives him the first pick in the GETTRX NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout, while the riders seeded second through eighth are six-time world champion Matt Smith, Hector Arana Jr., Jianna Evaristo, Steve Johnson, who is making his 500th career start this weekend in Sonoma, Angie Smith, Chase Van Sant, who won on Sunday in Seattle, and John Hall, who slipped into the final spot.

    It’s a standout lineup in the unique specialty event, which starts with the actual callout process on Friday at 2 p.m. PT on stage in the fan zone in the media. Herrera, who is the defending Callout winner, will select his first-round opponent, getting his pick of seven other riders. If Smith isn’t selected, he will get the next pick, followed by Arana until the first-round matchups are set.

    The winning rider who makes the quickest run in the opening round will also get a chance to select their semifinal opponent, adding even more intrigue to the specialty race.

    The first round of the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout takes place at 12 p.m. PT, with the semifinals at 1:45 p.m. and the finals at 2:55 p.m. A special broadcast highlighting the specialty race will take place at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on Saturday on FS1.

    Herrera, who is also the points leader on the strength of six wins in the first seven PSM races, is after back-to-back wins in the Callout. But Van Sant, who is seeded seventh for the second straight year, ended Herrera’s NHRA-record streak of 11 straight victory and 46 consecutive round wins with a victory on Sunday in Seattle. Evaristo is making her first appearance in the Callout, while both Matt and Angie Smith have proven to be successful in bonus races. Johnson is on the verge of an historic start and would love to win the Callout during his 500th start, while Arana Jr., who is also sponsored by GETTRX, and Hall have proven plenty capable of going rounds this year as well.

    Full schedule for the GETTRX NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout (ET):

    Friday, July 26

    2:00 PM – NHRA All-Star Pro Stock Motorcycle Call Out selections in the Fan Zone.
    2:30 PM– NHRA All-Star Pro Stock Motorcycle Call Out Autograph Session at the GETTRX Display in the Fan Zone.

    Saturday, July 27

    12:00 PM – NHRA All-Star Pro Stock Motorcycle Callout opening round
    1:45 PM- NHRA All-Star Pro Stock Motorcycle Callout semifinals
    2:55 PM – NHRA All-Star Pro Stock Motorcycle Callout finals

    2024 GETTRX NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle All-Star Callout Final Standings

    1. Gaige Herrera
    2. Matt Smith
    3. Hector Arana Jr.
    4. Jianna Evaristo
    5. Steve Johnson
    6. Angie Smith
    7. Chase Van Sant
    8. John Hall

    (Note: Herrera will get the first selection for the opening round, followed by the next-highest seeded driver until matchups are set.)

    Last year, Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), J.R. Todd (Funny Car) and Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all took home NHRA Wally trophies in Sonoma. This year’s race will again be broadcast on both FOX and FS1, including eliminations coverage starting at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 28 on FOX.

    In Top Fuel, Ashley will be on the hunt for his second straight Sonoma win and third win of 2024. He’ll be up against points leader and reigning world champion Doug Kalitta, who has three wins on the season. Also in the mix will be past Sonoma winners Shawn Langdon, Antron Brown and Steve Torrence, as well as Clay Millican and NASCAR legend Tony Stewart.

    Funny Car’s Todd has two wins in each nitro category from the facility and would like to capitalize on his past success. To collect another win, he’ll need to get past points leader Austin Prock, who joined the Funny Car ranks this season, as well as Norwalk winner Bob Tasca III and defending world champion Matt Hagan, who each have two wins this season, and Ron Capps.

    The Pro Stock class will make its return to Sonoma after a year off in 2023. Reigning champion Erica Enders, six-time Sonoma winner Greg Anderson, points leader Dallas Glenn, Seattle winner Jeg Coughlin Jr. and two-time 2024 winner Aaron Stanfield will all be ready to pick up a win in wine country.

    Also on the schedule for this year’s Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals is the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock.

    The event also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League Shootout, Street Legal and Top the Cops exhibitions as well.

    As always, fans get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet in Sonoma. Fans get a unique chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. They can also visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

    NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:30 and 6:45 p.m. PT on Friday, July 26 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, July 27 at 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. PT on Sunday, July 28. Television coverage includes eliminations on FOX at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday.

    To purchase tickets to the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals, fans can visit www.sonomaraceway.com or call 800-870-7223. For more information about NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.

    About Mission Foods

    MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

    About NHRA

    NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

  • Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing First-Year Teams Regulator Racing and P1 Groupe with RENNtech Motorsports Win in Virginia

    Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing First-Year Teams Regulator Racing and P1 Groupe with RENNtech Motorsports Win in Virginia

    Regulator Racing and P1 Groupe with RENNtech Motorsports Break Through for Maiden Victories with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing Sunday at VIRginia International Raceway

    DANVILLE, Virginia – First-year Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams Regulator Racing and P1 Groupe with RENNtech Motorsports each broke through for their first race wins with the Silver Star Sunday at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR). Jeff Burton and Philip Ellis co-drove the No. 91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 to the overall and Pro-Am class win in Sunday’s featured Fanatec GT World Challenge powered by AWS 90-minute race while Alex Vogel and Matt Bell improved an award-winning 23 race positions in the No. 43 P1 Groupe with RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 to secure a come-from-behind Pro-Am class victory in the one-hour Pirelli GT4 America race. The victories highlighted a competitive run of six podium finishes across three SRO America racing series for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams this weekend at VIR.

    Veteran SRO America “Am” competitor Burton and top-rated Mercedes-AMG Motorsport professional driver Ellis hit it off in their first race together at last year’s Intercontinental GT Challenge Indianapolis 8 Hour. They reunited for a full-season campaign in this year’s Fanatec GT World Challenge Pro-Am division with the new Regulator Racing entity, and both the team and its drivers made headlines since the very first race weekend as the first competitors to fully embrace this year’s new rule opening up race-starting driver selections.

    In previous seasons, the professional drivers, like Ellis, in each Pro-Am pairing were required to start each weekend’s Sunday race in addition to filling the second or race-closing driver slot in the opening round of each doubleheader event schedule.

    While the majority of the competition has held to the traditional rotation, Regulator has shaken things up with its reverse driver strategy. Ellis starts each weekend’s first race and then steps in as the closer in the final contest, racing against primarily Silver and Bronze Am drivers both days. Burton in turn has honed his skills battling in his race stints against mainly professional drivers.

    The strategy has come close to paying off several times this year but clearly worked the best to date at VIR where Burton, showing solid and improved pace, turned some of his most competitive laps of the season. The team finished third in Saturday’s opening race to set the stage for Sunday’s victory.

    After a strong opening stint by Burton, Ellis took over and immediately controlled the competition. He moved the No. 91 into first in Pro-Am just minutes into his stint and clearly had the pace to race into the overall lead. The team and drivers didn’t hesitate in going for it, and Ellis passed the winning Pro-class competitor with 11 minutes to go and went on to seal the first overall win for a Pro-Am team in GT World Challenge America this season with a 1.290 seconds margin of victory.

    The P1 Groupe with RENNtech Pirelli GT4 win earlier on Sunday saw a similar charge to the front by Vogel and Bell. Rebounding from a disastrous weekend up to that point – the No. 43 twice returned to the paddock on the back of a wrecker and Vogel didn’t have a chance to qualify Saturday due to car damage – it all came together for the P1 Groupe and RENNtech team and drivers in Sunday’s final 60-minute race.

    Starting from the back but staying out of trouble in his race-opening stint, Vogel passed several cars while keeping the No. 43 clean and avoiding the numerous contact and off-course incidents that sidelined many competitors. Bell took over at halfway and soon worked his way into the Pro-Am top five.

    The final run to the front came after a late restart with just six minutes remaining, and Bell passed four competitors in the span of just over two laps to seal the first win for he and Vogel and the P1 Groupe operation.

    Both winners were presented with the EBOOST Super Fuel Hard Charger Award for improving the most positions in their respective races. In addition to Vogel and Bell passing 23 cars, Burton and Ellis earned the honor for advancing five positions in the GT World Challenge race.

    All three competing Mercedes-AMG GT4 teams at VIR reached the podium at some point in the weekend’s Pirelli GT4 races. In addition to P1 Groupe’s win, Michael Auriemma and co-driver Matheus Leist finished second in Pro-Am Saturday in the No. 89 RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4. In the same race, Jake Cowden drove solo to a third-place Silver-class finish in the No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4. Cowden was permitted to drive solo in this weekend’s race after his teammate Demi Chalkias was sidelined due to an illness.

    The VIR weekend’s other podium player was GT America powered by AWS championship contender Jason Daskalos who recovered from an early incident, due to a technical malfunction, which sidelined him in Saturday’s race for a third-place finish Sunday in the No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.

    Next up for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport customer teams in SRO America competition is an all-series weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 16 – 18.

    Jeff Burton, Driver – No. 91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It is nice that something finally worked out for us. Philip took the Pro-Am lead, but we wanted to go for it all and get the overall win too. It has been a lot of work, but it is just so much fun to race with a guy like Philip out there, who is just unbelievable, and with the relationship we have built. What a great teacher he is. He can really help somebody like me, an ‘Am’ driver. There are really just no words to say how cool this is.”

    Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “This is perfect. This is the opportunity we have all been waiting for with our reverse-driver strategy. It didn’t quite work out in the first race, but on Sunday it was actually quite perfect. It was really a fun race, and Jeff did a great job as well. We have been working hard to get us together on pace. We struggled a bit in our first race at Sonoma but since then it has just been an uphill trend, and it shows. We didn’t hesitate to go for the overall win and never would.”

    Jason Daskalos, Driver – No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “We had a left-rear ABS wheel sensor issue on Saturday at the start of the race and went sliding into a tire barrier at 100 mph. The crew guys were literally up all night, they didn’t get back until almost 4 a.m., but these CRP guys are amazing. We got back on track today and built back some of our championship cushion. It was down to two points after Saturday, we got it back to eight with Sunday’s finish, but we have built the lead to 15 points before, and we will do it again. That’s what we are going to do.

    Alex Vogel, Driver – No. 43 P1 Groupe by RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “We made the RENNtech guys’ jobs really hard. Saturday was a fiasco, and they had to do a lot of work to get it back. They did an amazing job. Matt told me to just shake Saturday off, stick with these guys and do what the car will do, and what you know how to do, and as the race went on, I started to build confidence. It was great. Everything went as good as it could go.”

    Matt Bell, Driver – No. 43 P1 Groupe by RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “Alex did an awesome job, particularly after one of my mistakes in qualifying that kept him from qualifying, and we had to start in the back. Alex just followed some other fast guys around that were also back there, and he did a great job keeping the tires clean. When I got in, the car still felt super fresh. The predictability and the endurance in the Mercedes-AMG GT4 are really its strong points. The platform is amazing. We have pieced this thing back together all weekend, and it is as strong as a tank. It has been a while since I felt like a race car driver. My last professional start since this season was in 2017, but I just did a lot of driver coaching and met a lot of amazing people along the way. If you are not in there doing this stuff regularly in competition, your competitive edge does fade, it softens, but these guys have given me the opportunity this year and given me a good enough car that I can gain some of that confidence back.”

    Michael Auriemma, Driver – No. 89 RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “The RENNtech Mercedes-AMG GT4 was running really well this weekend. Matheus and I both had really good lap times, good competitive times. It was good to be back up on the podium.”

    Matheus Leist, Driver – No. 89 RENNtech Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “All in all, a very good weekend. We put in on pole, Michael was second in his qualifying and his pace overall was amazing. The Mercedes-AMG GT4 was very good, we had a lot of pace, and felt like we could fight for the lead.”

    Jake Cowden, Driver – No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4: “It was an awesome race Saturday, but I really missed my teammate Demi out there. We hope she gets better soon. Our Mercedes-AMG GT4 was feeling great. I burned off the tires a little bit early on, trying to keep up with the leader, but through the heat we held it together and brought it home in P3. This was a huge confidence booster. Thank you so much to John Farrow and the entire JMF Motorsports team.”

  • ARCA Menards Series / ARCA Menards Series East at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park: Circle City 200 Post-race Notes

    ARCA Menards Series / ARCA Menards Series East at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park: Circle City 200 Post-race Notes

    ARCA Menards Series / ARCA Menards Series East at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park:
    Circle City 200 Post-race Notes

    • Connor Zilisch (No. 28 Silver Hare Development Chevrolet) took the lead from reigning ARCA Menards Series East champion William Sawalich (No. 18 Starkey/Sound Gear Toyota) on a restart with 21 laps remaining to win the Circle City 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway Park. It is his third ARCA Menards Series win in three starts in 2024 and his fourth win in the ARCA Menards Series East.
    • With the victory, Zilisch unofficially stretched his lead in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings to 22 points over Sawalich with only races at The Milwaukee Mile and Bristol Motor Speedway remaining.
    • ARCA Menards Series championship leader Andres Perez (No. 2 Max Siegel Inc. Chevrolet) matched his best career series finish in second. Perez unofficially leads the series standings by 46 points over runner-up Greg Van Alst (No. 35 Zaki Ali Trial Attorney/CB Fabricating Ford). Van Alst, who missed practice at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park while he was practicing for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, finished eighth.
    • Lavar Scott (No. 6 Max Siegel Inc. Chevrolet) finished fourth, his second consecutive top-five finish and fourth of the season. Scott has unofficially closed to within one point of Van Alst in the battle for second in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings.
    • Giovanni Ruggiero (No. 20 JBL Audio Toyota) finished fifth, his fifth top-five finish in six ARCA Menards Series East races and his fifth top-five finish in five ARCA Menards Series starts. Ruggiero unofficially remains third in the East standings, 35 points out of the lead.
    • Kris Wright (No. 15 FNB Corporation Toyota) finished sixth, his second consecutive top-five finish after a streak of three consecutive races outside of the top 15. Wright has unofficially climbed to fourth in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings, 65 points out of the lead.
    • Marco Andretti (No. 17 Group 1001 Chevrolet) finished seventh, his best ARCA Menards Series finish in an oval track. Andretti went on to finish 25th in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series nightcap later in the evening. Andretti was the highest finishing driver of the four who did double duty on Friday night; Dean Thompson (No. 55 Thompson Pipe Group Toyota) was ninth, Tyler Tomassi (No. 93 Tomassi Law Toyota) was 17th, and Lawless Alan (No. 33 AUTOParkIt Ford) was involved in a late-race accident and finished 23rd.
    • Isaac Johnson (No. 34 Endress + Hauser Ford) finished tenth, his first career top-ten finish in four career series starts.
    • Toni Breidinger (No. 25 Raisin’ Canes Toyota) was involved in a lap 173 crash while battling for sixth; she was relegated to 24th at the finish and unofficially dropped two positions to sixth in the ARCA Menards Series standings.
    • Zachary Tinkle (No. 11 Racing for Rescues Toyota) finished eleventh and maintained fourth in the ARCA Menards Series East standings. Tinkle joined crew chief Todd Parrott at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday as Parrott was honored by the track as a winning crew chief of the Brickyard 400; Parrott won the race with driver Dale Jarrett in 1996 and the duo was the first to “kiss the bricks” after their victory.
    • The race was slowed by seven caution flags for 44 laps.
    • The next race for the ARCA Menards Series is the Salem ARCA 200 on Saturday, July 27. The race will be televised live on FS1 and streamed live on FloRacing starting at 8 pm ET.
    • The next race for the ARCA Menards Series East is the Sprecher 150 at The Milwaukee Mile on Sunday, August 25. The race will be televised live in FS1 and streamed live on FloRacing at 2 pm ET/1 pm CT.

    About ARCA
    The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum in Toledo, Ohio, and acquired by NASCAR in April 2018, is the leading grassroots stock car sanctioning body in the United States. Bridging the gap between NASCAR’s top three national touring series and weekly and regional tour racing all across the country, the organization sanctions over 100 races per year in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, ASA STARS National Tour, ASA CRA Super Series, ASA Midwest Tour, ASA Southern Super Series plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways. For more information about ARCA visit www.arcaracing.com, or follow ARCA on Facebook (@ARCARacing) and Twitter (@ARCA_Racing).

    About Menards
    A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 236 stores in 15 states. Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building. You’ll find a large selection of lumber, roofing, siding, construction blocks, trusses, doors and windows, plus cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, paint, plumbing supplies and more. To complete the job, Menards has quality hand tools, power tools, fasteners, electrical tools plus storage options and supplies for everyone from the weekend warrior to the pro!

    Menards has what you need to complete your outdoor projects and keep your yard in tip-top shape including mowers, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers and more, plus a beautiful garden center stocked with plants, shrubs, trees, landscaping tools, grass seed, fertilizer options, outdoor décor and patio furniture. Menards also has everyday essentials like health & beauty products, housewares, pet and wildlife supplies, automotive items and even groceries. And at Christmas, an Enchanted Forest display area with impressive trees, lighting, decorations, ornaments, inflatables and more.
    Menards is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too! For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.

  • Team HRC with Japan Post Wins 45th Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race

    Team HRC with Japan Post Wins 45th Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race

    FIM Endurance World Championship

    MIE, Japan, July 22, 2024 – (JCN Newswire) – Honda factory team(1) Team HRC with Japan Post (CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE SP: Takumi Takahashi / Teppei Nagoe / Johann Zarco) has won the 2024 FIM(2) Endurance World Championship “Coca-Cola” Suzuka 8 Hours Road Race 45th Annual Event (Suzuka 8 Hours) held at the Suzuka Circuit in Mie, on Sunday, July 21.

    This victory marks Team HRC’s third consecutive Suzuka 8 Hours victory, and Honda’s 30th win at the event. In addition, team rider Takumi Takahashi has become the outright record holder with six Suzuka 8 Hours wins, while Teppei Nagoe and Johann Zarco celebrate their first win at the event.

    In timed qualifying on July 19 (Fri), Team HRC with Japan Post was third fastest, gaining entry to the Top 10 Trial to determine the top ten grid spots among the ten fastest qualifiers. In the Top 10 Trial on July 20 (Sat), Team HRC with Japan Post, represented by Takahashi and Zarco, was once again third fastest.

    The race started at 11:30 am on the 21st (Sun). Similar to last year, Takahashi was the team’s starting rider. Once the initial battles had settled by Lap 11, Takahashi gained the lead, and gradually pulled away from the field. Zarco and Nagoe also rode consistently throughout the race to widen the gap. Despite incurring a 40 second penalty in the closing stages, Takahashi rode the Team HRC with Japan Post bike to the checkered flag at 7:30 pm, completing a record-breaking 220 laps for the team’s third consecutive victory.

    Takumi Takahashi | Team HRC with Japan Post

    “I am relieved to have won the Suzuka 8 Hours for the sixth time, and achieve Honda’s 30th win. Thanks to my best teammates, the staff, and all the fans who cheered me on. Without them, I could not have made it. I would like this to be the beginning of a good offer from HRC to win even more. If I’m given the opportunity, I would like to try to win the Suzuka 8 Hours again.”

    Teppei Nagoe | Team HRC with Japan Post

    “Last year when I was on the second place podium, I wanted to win one day, but I didn’t think it would happen a year later. I was given the opportunity to ride for HRC, which I have always dreamed of, and with my strong teammates, we were able to achieve Honda’s third consecutive win and 30th overall victory. The view from the top podium spot was the most beautiful I have ever seen. I understand that as a rider I still have some growing to do. This win encourages me to work hard so that I can win on my own merit.”

    Johann Zarco | Team HRC with Japan Post

    “I am happy to have achieved our goal. I am satisfied that the race was perfect from start to finish, exactly as I wanted it to be. I am honored to have won as an HRC rider. Takahashi rode a great and impressive race. Nagoe increased his pace every time he rode. I’m grateful to have ridden with these two riders. I hope to try again next year if my schedule permits!”

    Teruaki Matsubara | Team HRC with Japan Post team manager

    “First of all, I am relieved that we finished safely, and I am very happy that Takahashi was able to achieve his sixth Suzuka 8 Hours win. Our three riders were great together, and with the performance of the updated bike, we were able to progress smoothly from the test to the finish line. I believe Honda achieved its 30th Suzuka 8 Hours win thanks to all the fans who supported us.”

    Koji Watanabe, President of Honda Racing Corporation

    “I would like to sincerely thank the three Team HRC with Japan Post riders, team staff, and everyone involved for overcoming the pressure and achieving the feat of winning the Suzuka 8 Hours for the third year in a row. Takumi Takahashi achieved his sixth Suzuka 8 Hours win, an outstanding record. Zarco and Nagoe, who raced for us in the Suzuka 8 Hours for the first time, also contributed a lot to this victory. We would like to thank Japan Post Co., Ltd. and all the other sponsors who supported our participation. HRC will continue the challenge to meet the expectations of motorsports and Honda fans, and we look forward to your continued support.”

    (1) Factory team: Racing team managed by the bike manufacturer
    (2) FIM: Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme

    For more information, visit https://global.honda/en/newsroom/news/2024/c240721eng.html.

    News URL: https://www.acnnewswire.com/press-release/english/91859/

    URL: https://plus.google.com/110355594819754396833 | Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/HondaJP | Twitter : https://twitter.com/HondaJP | Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/user/HondaJPPR | Linkedin : https://jp.linkedin.com/company/honda

  • Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Indianapolis

    Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Race Report – Indianapolis

    Brickyard 400 Presented by PPG: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
    Indianapolis, IN – July 21, 2024

    AUSTIN CINDRIC No. 2 DISCOUNT TIRE FORD MUSTANG

    START: 38TH STAGE ONE: 37TH STAGE TWO: 27TH FINISH: 7TH POINTS: 19TH

    RACE RUNDOWN: Austin Cindric drove to a solid seventh-place finish at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday afternoon as the NASCAR Cup Series made its much-anticipated return to the 2.5-mile oval layout. The No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang took the green flag from the rear of the field after sustaining damage during Saturday’s qualifying session that needed to be addressed with repairs. Once the 400-mile race fired off, Cindric provided a balance update 10 laps in, reporting that the car was a little on the tight side. He made his first trip down pit road on Lap 36 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment, but was docked for speeding, forcing him to serve a pass-through penalty. After finishing 37th, one lap down, at the end of Stage 1 and unable to take the wave around, the former NASCAR Xfinity Series champion returned to pit road for service and adjustments to help him get down into the corners better. In the second segment, through multiple cautions, Cindric was able to rejoin the lead lap as he continued to be challenged by a tight race car. He ultimately finished 27th in Stage 2, and the No. 2 team opted to stay out at the break, gaining 14 positions ahead of the restart. As fuel strategy discussions came into play and various incidents took place late in the Brickyard 400, Cindric steadily inched forward to close out the weekend with a strong seventh-place result.

    CINDRIC’S THOUGHTS: “I did my race team zero favors today with qualifying as poorly as I did putting it in the wall and then speeding on the first pit stop. Good rally by everybody. I felt like our Discount Tire Ford Mustang Dark Horse was quick today, we just had to get it in the right place on the race track. We saved fuel and [crew chief] Brian [Wilson] did the right things with strategy and we earned a good result because of it. I wish it would have gone green there at the end because I think I would have gotten a few more spots with the fuel situation. Overall, a nice reward going into a little break here.”

    RYAN BLANEY No. 12 MENARDS/ATLAS FORD MUSTANG

    START: 7TH STAGE ONE: 3RD STAGE TWO: 4TH FINISH: 3RD POINTS: 5TH

    RACE RUNDOWN: Ryan Blaney and the No. 12 Menards/Atlas team nearly played their strategy to perfection Sunday in the Cup Series’ return to the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, ultimately settling for a third-place finish. The result marks the 12-team’s sixth top-10 in the last seven races while Blaney notched his first-career top-five at Indianapolis in his seventh Cup Series start on the 2.5-mile oval. Blaney worked his way into the top-five in the first 20 laps before crew chief Jonathan Hassler made the call to split the opening stage in half by calling the Menards/Atlas Ford to pit road on lap 27 for right side tires and fuel. Once the green flag pit cycle was complete with just under 10 to go in the segment, Blaney made his way back to through the field to cross the line third at the conclusion of Stage 1. With varying strategies taking place throughout the field, Blaney restarted the second stage from 17th, but another two-tire call from Hassler following the caution on lap 68 vaulted Blaney to eighth in the running order. Blaney continued his charge forward in the closing laps of Stage 2, making his way back inside the top-five on lap 87 en route to a fourth-place finish in the second 50-lap segment. After a four-tire stop at the final stage break, Blaney lined up 22nd to take the green flag when he was forced to the top of a three-wide battle into turn one, resulting in contact to the left rear that unraveled a multi-car incident but left Blaney largely unscathed. With cosmetic damage the only detriment to Blaney in the incident, he hit pit road for fuel only as the 12-team packed it full in order to make it to the end without another stop. A caution on lap 125 in the middle of the green flag cycle saw Blaney jump to fourth on the leaderboard before the green flag came back out with 30 laps to go. Despite saving fuel over the course of the final run, Blaney found himself running second to the No. 6 who had pitted for fuel earlier in the cycle. Hassler made the call to Blaney that he was cleared to run hard with 12 laps to go as the No. 5 began to make his charge to the leaders. Blaney continued to close the gap to the No. 6 as the trio battled for the lead coming to two to go when the caution flag flew, setting up a green-white-checkered finish. After choosing the outside of row one for the first overtime attempt, the No. 6 – on the inside of row one – decided to peel off onto pit road behind the pace car as he ran out of fuel coming to green, allowing the No. 5 to move up to the front row alongside Blaney. A multi-car incident behind the leaders in turn one of the restart prompted a lengthy red flag as Blaney prepared to race for the win from the outside of row one once again. After taking the green, Blaney battled side-by-side with the No. 5 but ultimately was shuffled to third in the running order by the time they made their way out of turn two before the caution came out on the final lap, culminating in a third-place finish.

    BLANEY’S THOUGHTS: “It was hard fought. I thought we had a really good shot to win today. I appreciate Menards and Atlas and Ford and the 12 group for putting us in position. Our car was fast and I thought we had really good strategy. We were the front guy of having to save a little bit of gas but I thought we put ourselves in a great spot. I knew [Brad Keselowski] was probably going to run out if it went green. We came to the restart and I couldn’t believe they stayed out. There was no way they were going to make it. So I obviously chose the top because he might run out in the restart zone. And he winds up coming to the green so he gets to go to pit road and [Kyle Larson] gets promoted. Luck of the day right there I guess. I don’t even know what to get mad about. I am mad about losing this race because I thought we were in the perfect position. Once I lost control of the race, obviously I would have been on the bottom, but I thought [Keselowski] would run out in the restart zone or on the back straightaway. It stinks to lose it that way. I appreciate the effort. I hate we don’t get to celebrate with Mr. Penske and with everyone from Penske here. That stings a lot. We just have to keep going, that is all we can do.”

    JOEY LOGANO No. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD MUSTANG

    START: 12TH STAGE ONE: 14TH STAGE TWO: 32ND FINISH: 34TH POINTS: 15TH

    RACE RUNDOWN: Joey Logano was collected in a multi-car incident in the opening laps of the final stage Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to bring his day to an abrupt end, culminating in a 34th-place finish. The 22 team was the top car among those on the same strategy Sunday afternoon, as crew chief Paul Wolfe opted to run long during the opening stage while others split the stage in half. Once Logano worked his way up to fourth in the running order during the green flag pit cycle, Wolfe called the Shell-Pennzoil Ford to pit road on lap 38 for a four tire stop and a round of adjustments. Logano made his way back to 14th in the running order by the end of Stage 1, but the choice to run long allowed him to stay out during the stage break and restart from the outside of row two. Following a pair of cautions and a call for right side tires only under yellow, Logano charged his way back into the top-five by lap 85 before Wolfe called him to pit road with four to go in the stage in order to need only one more stop for fuel to make it to the checkered flag and flip their track position before the start of the final stage. Logano managed to come off pit road in front of the leader and avoided going a lap down prior to the end of Stage 2, resulting in a 32nd-place finish in the segment. About half the field hit pit road during the stage break as teams continued to vary their strategies to set themselves up for the final run of the afternoon as Logano lined up 16th to take the green flag. Following a caution on lap 105, Logano lined up 13th and a multi-car incident unraveled in the row behind him on the entry of turn one, sending the No. 84 into Logano’s left rear quarter panel and sending him head-on into the outside wall, bringing an end to the No. 22 team’s day before they had a chance to see their strategy play out.

    LOGANO’S THOUGHTS: “It seems like they were three wide a couple of rows behind me and the wreck caught me, unfortunately. It looks like [Carson] Hocevar sent it down the center and just kind of stuffed it in there late. Unfortunately it caught up to me. He right reared Jimmie [Johnson] into my left rear and nosed our Shell-Pennzoil Mustang into the wall. It is a bummer. You come here to Indy once a year and all you dream of is kissing the bricks. My team gave me a great race car and we were the leader of our strategy and that is kind of all you can hope for, to get to the lead of your strategy. And we were going to have a shorter pit stop and we were going to try to gain some spots the restart as a lot of guys were staying out. We could have a shorter stop than them and that is when we were going to cycle back up to the front, hopefully, but we never got to see it through.”

    The NASCAR Cup Series takes a two-week break before returning to action on Sunday, August 11 for the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET on USA, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

  • Keselowski’s Fuel Run Comes Up Short in Indy After Leading 35 Laps

    Keselowski’s Fuel Run Comes Up Short in Indy After Leading 35 Laps

    Buescher Earns P22 Finish After Two-Straight Tire Issues in Early Stages

    SPEEDWAY, Ind. (July 21, 2024) – Brad Keselowski led the Brickyard 400 with less than five laps remaining Sunday afternoon, but a caution with two to go sent the race into NASCAR Overtime, where the No. 6 ran out of fuel, ultimately spoiling his chances of a win. He went on to finish 21st, while Chris Buescher overcame two-straight flat tires early to get back on the lead lap and finish 22nd.

    Keselowski led 35 laps in total – second-most of any driver – as fuel mileage was the difference in a race that went into two NASCAR Overtimes, ultimately ending under yellow, despite a car unable to continue with still two laps remaining.

    6 Recap
    With a qualifying effort of 26th, the No. 6 team needed a strategy move at some point in the race to flip the track position. They opted for an early strategy play, keeping Keselowski on track in the middle of the first pit cycle as he pitted from the lead at lap 41. However, he was penalized for violating the pit exit rule, and was forced to complete a pass through pit road.

    After finishing the stage in 36th, Keselowski began the second stage from that spot, needing a yellow to get back on the lead lap. That came when the caution flew at lap 68 as the No. 6 went on to finish the stage in 21st.

    Then, as pit cycles continued to play out in the early part of stage three, the Fastenal team made its bets early, keeping Keselowski on track throughout. He restarted eighth at lap 115 and was up to third by lap 124. He stayed out under that caution, ultimately leading the field back to green at lap 130.

    From there, it was fuel save mode for the Body Guard Ford as Keselowski maintained the top spot. Needing to pit with less than five to go, the caution flew at lap 158 – two shy of the checkered – which extended the race to the first NASCAR Overtime attempt, at the time. Keselowski remained on track, but ran out of fuel coming to the restart zone, forcing him to pit road.

    The race went into another NASCAR Overtime restart, but was ruled official under caution after 167 laps.

    17 Recap
    Buescher had the misfortune of two separate flat tire issues early in Sunday’s 400-mile race. After qualifying 23rd, the No. 17 Castrol Edge Ford experienced the first flat tire just after lap 35. After the team put four fresh tires on, Buescher again had a flat left rear just a handful of laps later, setting him off the pace to the leaders.

    From there, Buescher had to climb an uphill battle to get back on the lead lap, but scenarios continued to not fall his way throughout much of the afternoon. The late cautions ultimately put him back on the lead lap where he went on to finish 22nd.

    Up Next
    The sport takes two weeks off for the Olympics, with racing action set to return Sunday, Aug. 11 at Richmond Raceway.

    About RFK Racing
    RFK Racing, in its 37th season in 2024, features an ownership lineup pairing one of the sport’s most iconic names, Jack Roush, along with NASCAR Champion, Brad Keselowski, and Fenway Sports Group owner John Henry. Roush initially founded the team in 1988 and it has since become one of the most successful racing operations in the world, propelling him to be the first NASCAR owner to amass three hundred wins and capturing eight championships, including back-to-back NASCAR Cup titles in 2003 and 2004. Keselowski, a former owner in the NASCAR Truck Series, is the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion. In 2007, Roush partnered with Henry, who also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox, English Premier League’s Liverpool F.C., and the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins, to form Roush Fenway Racing. Off the track, RFK is a leader and proven winner in NASCAR marketing solutions, having produced multiple award-winning social media, digital content and experiential marketing campaigns. Visit rfkracing.com, and follow the team on all social platforms @rfkracing.

  • PROCK, S. TORRENCE, J. COUGHLIN JR. & VAN SANT PICK UP WINS AT NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS

    PROCK, S. TORRENCE, J. COUGHLIN JR. & VAN SANT PICK UP WINS AT NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS

    SEATTLE (July 21, 2024) – Funny Car points leader Austin Prock powered to his fourth win of the season for John Force Racing on Sunday at Pacific Raceways, defeating first-time finalist Paul Lee in the final round of the 35th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals.

    Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Chase Van Sant (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won at the 11th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

    In the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Maddi Gordon became the 100th different female winner in NHRA history, picking up her first career national event victory in Top Alcohol Funny Car. Gordon is in her rookie season in the Top Alcohol Funny Car ranks.

    “This is amazing. It doesn’t get any better than this,” Gordon said. “This is a dream. I’m a brand new driver and this is amazing. I couldn’t be more thankful and it just feels great.”

    Prock went 3.875-seconds at 334.57 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS in the Funny Car finals to get past Lee and pick up his eighth career win as part of another incredible weekend. The pass in the finals was his fourth consecutive run in the 3.80s on Sunday, as Prock, who was also the No. 1 qualifier, defeated Cruz Pedregon and J.R. Todd earlier in the day.

    The first-year Funny Car standout became just the fourth driver in NHRA history to win in both Funny Car and Top Fuel in Seattle, following up his 2019 Top Fuel win at the facility, which was his first career victory.

    “This whole Cornwell Tools team is just doing such a great job and given me an opportunity to go out and compete for wins every weekend, and we’ve been going a lot of rounds lately. I just hope we can keep it up throughout the rest of the year,” Prock said.

    “I didn’t drive all that hot this weekend. I was consistent but consistently slow on the starting line, so they did an outstanding job and they really carried the team. They’ve been doing a great job of that this year and it sure has been fun.”

    In advancing to his first career final round, Lee got past Jeff Diehl, defending world champion Matt Hagan and Blake Alexander.

    Looking for his first win of the season, Top Fuel’s Steve Torrence simply had to go back to Seattle, as the four-time world champion won for the second straight year at Pacific Raceways with a wild run of 3.963 at 279.79 in his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors dragster in the finals against Shawn Langdon. It is the 55th career win for Torrence, but the Texan had not won since his Seattle triumph a year ago.

    But he changed that after a spectacular weekend, qualifying No. 1 and then rolling through Ron Smith and defending world champion Doug Kalitta to reach the final round. Both Torrence and Langdon ran into difficulty during the run, but Torrence had enough at the finish line to claim the victory, moving to third in points. It is also Torrence’s third career win in Seattle.

    “I think we left pretty close to each other and I could hear him right there with me, and then I heard him start to go away. But you’re trying to hold it straight and you’re waiting on that light on the wall to come on and it took me forever to finally see it. We’ve been trying to win one of these for a long time,” Torrence said.

    “Our car definitely has shown a lot of promise to go out there and throw down when it needs to go fast. We’ve had a difficult time managing the power, so I think this weekend was exemplary of what we can do and what we need to do.”

    Langdon, who struggled in qualifying, rebounded in a big on Sunday, advancing to the finals for the third time in 2024 and the 43rd time overall with round wins against Justin Ashley, Josh Hart and Clay Millican. Langdon is second in points while Kalitta stayed comfortably in the points lead.

    In Pro Stock, Jeg Coughlin helped continue an impressive streak for Elite Motorsports, driving to his third victory of the season by taking down points leader Dallas Glenn in the final round with a run of 6.536 at 209.95 in his Scag Power Equipment/Outlaw Mile-High Light Beer/Elite Motorsports car. It’s the 68th career victory for the five-time world champ and also handed Elite Motorsports its fifth consecutive victory.

    Coughlin has been a huge part of that dominant stretch with two victories in that span and was on his game on Sunday, getting around Jerry Tucker, Eric Latino and Chris McGaha in the final round. He followed that with an .010 reaction time in the final round against Glenn, getting his second career victory at Pacific Raceways, with the first coming 22 years ago in 2002.

    “It feels fantastic. It’s just kind of a corny statement, but the team, as a whole has obviously done very well,” Coughlin said. “We’ve won all but three of the events this year, which is a real testament to our stamina and our abilities.

    “We’ve been struggling with some consistency and we really feel like we’ve turned the corner in multiple ways in the last two or three weeks, not because we’ve won the events, but because the cars have become more efficient, they’re accelerating better, and printing better time slips. So, you know, a real tip of the hat to our whole crew.”

    Glenn, who stayed in the points lead, advanced to the finals at his home track for the sixth time this season and the 23rd time in his career thanks to round wins against teammate Greg Anderson, Matt Hartford and Troy Coughlin Jr.

    Chase Van Sant made his own history and also ended a historic run in Pro Stock Motorcycle on Sunday, picking up his first career victory with a run of 6.720 at 201.31 on his Trick Tools Suzuki over defending world champion Gaige Herrera in the final round. It snapped Herrera’s record-breaking run of 12 straight victories and 46 consecutive round wins, a string that dated back to last September.

    Van Sant, though, was impressive throughout eliminations, taking down Brandon Litten, John Hall and Matt Smith. Van Sant left first on Herrera and led wire-to-wire in a rematch of the final round in Chicago this year. This time, though, Van Sant, the 2023 NHRA Rookie of the Year, got the best of Herrera, denying him any chance of an undefeated season and picking up a victory he won’t soon forget. Van Sant also moved to fourth in points with the win.

    “I got down to the top end and saw my win light on and I was just shaking my head,” Van Sant said. “We were down in the shutdown and Gaige yelled something at me and he pointed and I was like, ‘Man, I don’t know. Like is this real?’ I’ve gone up against Gaige five times and lost all five times, so to cut a light and get away early and outrun him just speaks volumes to how hard this team has been working kind of silently in the midst of all the drama in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

    “Gaige and I have known each other for a while and every time we raced, it’s been a lot of fun and I’ve enjoyed it. I was super happy for him breaking all of those records, but I told him “If I can end your streak, I will be the happiest person in the world.’”

    Herrera maintained a dominant points lead, advancing to his seventh final this season and 19th in his career after defeating Eiji Kawakami and Jianna Evaristo.

    The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action July 26-28 with the 36th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

    KENT, Wash. — Final finish order (1-16) at the 35th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways. The race is the 11th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

    TOP FUEL:

    1. Steve Torrence; 2. Shawn Langdon; 3. Clay Millican; 4. Doug Kalitta; 5. Jasmine Salinas; 6. Josh Hart; 7. Tony Schumacher; 8. Billy Torrence; 9. Shawn Reed; 10. Antron Brown; 11. Brittany Force; 12. Ron Smith; 13. Justin Ashley; 14. Tony Stewart.

    FUNNY CAR:

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

    PRO STOCK:

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

    PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

    1. Chase Van Sant; 2. Gaige Herrera; 3. Matt Smith; 4. Jianna Evaristo; 5. Richard Gadson; 6. John Hall; 7. Chris Bostick; 8. Steve Johnson; 9. Hector Arana Jr; 10. Eiji Kawakami; 11. Angie Smith; 12. Brandon Litten.

    KENT, Wash. — Sunday’s final results from the 35th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways. The race is the 11th of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

    Top Fuel — Steve Torrence, 3.963 seconds, 279.79 mph def. Shawn Langdon, 4.171 seconds, 216.79 mph.

    Funny Car — Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.875, 334.57 def. Paul Lee, Dodge Charger, 5.335, 138.06.

    Pro Stock — Jeg Coughlin, Chevy Camaro, 6.536, 209.95 def. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.541, 209.07.

    Pro Stock Motorcycle — Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.720, 201.31 def. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.754, 200.80.

    Top Alcohol Dragster — Casey Grisel, 5.253, 278.69 def. Jackie Fricke, 5.239, 275.00.

    Top Alcohol Funny Car — Madison Gordon, Chevy Camaro, 5.459, 268.49 def. Brian Hough, Camaro, 9.890, 35.68.

    Competition Eliminator — Ryan Warter, Pontiac Sunfire, 8.541, 143.80 def. Dustin Lee, Dragster, Foul – Red Light.

    Super Stock — Brad Burton, Pontiac Firebird, 9.385, 137.15 def. Jody Lang, Chevy Malibu, 10.856, 112.50.

    Stock Eliminator — Chris Hall, Chevy Camaro, 10.481, 123.09 def. Joe Sorensen, Camaro, 11.040, 117.96.

    Super Comp — Dale Green, Dragster, 8.919, 182.40 def. Steve Williams, Dragster, Broke.

    Super Gas — Michael Dalrymple, Chevy Camaro, 9.909, 165.64 def. Josh Mellof, Chevy Corvette, 9.885, 160.19.

    Super Street — Jeff Jackson, Ford Mustang, 10.919, 157.65 def. Francesca Ward, Chevy Camaro, 10.899, 139.78.

    Top Dragster — Ed Olpin, Dragster, 11.031, 74.12 def. Kacee Bootsma, Dragster, Foul – Red Light.

    Top Sportsman — Robert Strohm, Ford Mustang, 7.714, 175.41 def. John Ermish, Chevy Caviler, 6.897, 191.70.

    Junior Dragster Shootout — Braxton Bann, Halfscale, 7.901, 80.94 def. Hayden Colton, Bos, 7.908, 82.72.

    KENT, Wash. — Final round-by-round results from the 35th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways, the 11th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

    TOP FUEL:

    ROUND ONE — Josh Hart, 3.742, 328.94 def. Antron Brown, 3.745, 330.07; Clay Millican, 3.713, 334.48 def. Shawn Reed, 3.726, 328.70; Tony Schumacher, 3.986, 326.00 def. Brittany Force, 4.271, 193.21; Doug Kalitta, 3.670, 337.41 def. Billy Torrence, 3.706, 320.05; Shawn Langdon, 3.743, 327.74 def. Justin Ashley, 4.685, 174.14; Steve Torrence, 3.749, 330.63 def. Ron Smith, 4.347, 264.75; Jasmine Salinas, 3.777, 330.31 def. Tony Stewart, 8.907, 84.70;

    QUARTERFINALS — Langdon, 3.721, 332.02 def. Hart, 3.779, 329.02; S. Torrence, 3.709, 333.58 was unopposed; Millican, 3.754, 331.12 def. Schumacher, 4.313, 197.77; Kalitta, 3.729, 325.06 def. Salinas, 3.738, 324.83;

    SEMIFINALS — Langdon, 3.771, 325.92 def. Millican, 3.737, 332.18; S. Torrence, 3.736, 330.15 def. Kalitta, 3.972, 246.39;

    FINAL — S. Torrence, 3.963, 279.79 def. Langdon, 4.171, 216.79.

    FUNNY CAR:

    ROUND ONE — Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.838, 331.85 was unopposed; Paul Lee, Dodge Charger, 3.918, 320.13 def. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Camry, Foul – Red Light; J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 3.930, 297.75 def. Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.243, 236.42; Gary Densham, Ford Mustang, 4.974, 200.11 def. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 5.276, 179.09; Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.868, 338.51 def. Chad Green, Mustang, 9.011, 58.71; Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.891, 327.43 def. Dave Richards, Camry, Foul – Centerline; Blake Alexander, Mustang, 6.258, 134.60 def. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 9.113, 54.39; Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.895, 315.49 def. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.918, 330.23;

    QUARTERFINALS — Todd, 3.867, 329.10 def. Tasca III, 3.915, 336.23; Prock, 3.880, 329.91 def. Pedregon, 3.922, 328.86; Lee, 3.923, 324.12 def. Hagan, 7.375, 110.96; Alexander, 4.073, 306.60 def. Densham, 4.255, 217.84;

    SEMIFINALS — Lee, 3.998, 324.20 def. Alexander, 4.500, 195.17; Prock, 3.884, 330.72 def. Todd, 3.921, 323.74;

    FINAL — Prock, 3.875, 334.57 def. Lee, 5.335, 138.06.

    PRO STOCK:

    ROUND ONE — Troy Coughlin Jr., Chevy Camaro, 6.578, 209.14 def. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.588, 196.82; Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.539, 209.26 def. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 8.077, 129.53; Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.560, 209.39 def. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.523, 208.59; Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.522, 208.23 def. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.529, 208.55; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.528, 209.79 def. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.514, 210.73; Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.561, 209.30 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, Foul – Red Light; Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.540, 209.56 def. Sienna Wildgust, Camaro, 6.573, 209.79; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.520, 209.85 def. Val Smeland, Camaro, 6.581, 209.49;

    QUARTERFINALS — C. McGaha, 6.563, 210.21 def. Delco, 6.622, 207.21; Coughlin, 6.538, 209.92 def. Latino, 6.560, 207.05; Glenn, 6.593, 209.46 def. Hartford, 6.563, 208.59; Coughlin Jr., 6.539, 210.31 def. Enders, 6.559, 209.10;

    SEMIFINALS — Glenn, 6.556, 209.72 def. Coughlin Jr., 6.552, 210.21; Coughlin, 6.537, 209.82 def. C. McGaha, 6.587, 209.23;

    FINAL — Coughlin, 6.536, 209.95 def. Glenn, 6.541, 209.07.

    PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

    ROUND ONE — Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.733, 201.52 def. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.862, 196.16; John Hall, 6.865, 197.94 def. Angie Smith, Buell, 7.530, 156.26; Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.748, 198.70 def. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.831, 195.90; Matt Smith, Buell, 6.709, 202.64 def. Hector Arana Jr, 7.015, 192.80; Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.735, 200.20 def. Brandon Litten, Foul – Centerline; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.744, 199.88 def. Eiji Kawakami, Suzuki, Foul – Red Light;

    QUARTERFINALS — Van Sant, 6.745, 199.55 def. Hall, 6.875, 198.44; Herrera, 6.737, 200.32 def. Evaristo, 6.704, 203.95; M. Smith, 6.735, 201.76 def. Gadson, 6.794, 197.59;

    SEMIFINALS — Herrera, 6.781, 200.17 was unopposed; Van Sant, 6.896, 197.86 def. M. Smith, Broke;

    FINAL — Van Sant, 6.720, 201.31 def. Herrera, 6.754, 200.80.

    KENT, Wash. — Point standings (top 10) following the 35th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways, the 11th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series –

    Top Fuel

    1. Doug Kalitta, 932; 2. Shawn Langdon, 812; 3. Steve Torrence, 773; 4. Justin Ashley, 762; 5. Antron Brown, 699; 6. Tony Schumacher, 600; 7. Clay Millican, 588; 8. Billy Torrence, 561; 9. Tony Stewart, 525; 10. Brittany Force, 464.

    Funny Car

    1. Austin Prock, 1,044; 2. (tie) Matt Hagan, 788; Bob Tasca III, 788; 4. J.R. Todd, 766; 5. John Force, 693; 6. Ron Capps, 601; 7. Daniel Wilkerson, 540; 8. Blake Alexander, 502; 9. (tie) Alexis DeJoria, 493; Paul Lee, 493.

    Pro Stock

    1. Dallas Glenn, 979; 2. Greg Anderson, 841; 3. Erica Enders, 828; 4. Aaron Stanfield, 750; 5. Jeg Coughlin, 743; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr., 617; 7. Jerry Tucker, 530; 8. Cristian Cuadra, 457; 9. Deric Kramer, 425; 10. Eric Latino, 398.

    Pro Stock Motorcycle

    1. Gaige Herrera, 845; 2. Matt Smith, 547; 3. Richard Gadson, 500; 4. Chase Van Sant, 470; 5. John Hall, 459; 6. Angie Smith, 386; 7. Jianna Evaristo, 352; 8. Hector Arana Jr, 333; 9. Steve Johnson, 253; 10. LE Tonglet, 233.
  • GMG Racing’s Washington and Sargent Win First Fanatec GT World Challenge America Race Saturday at VIR

    GMG Racing’s Washington and Sargent Win First Fanatec GT World Challenge America Race Saturday at VIR

    First-Year Teammates Kyle Washington and Tom Sargent Win a Thriller in Debut of New No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R

    DANVILLE, Virginia (July 21, 2024) – GMG Racing co-drivers Kyle Washington and Tom Sargent broke through for their first Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS race win Saturday at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R. The hard-fought Pro-Am-class victory was a last-to-first triumph that marked a string of initial milestones for the team and drivers in Fanatec GT World Challenge competition.

    Washington and Sargent scored their maiden wins together in their first full seasons of competition in Fanatec GT World Challenge. The victory also came in the debut of the team’s all-new Type 992 Porsche 911 GT3 R and was the first for longtime SRO America championship and race-winning team GMG Racing in the current era of GT World Challenge competition, which features twin 90-minute races each race weekend.

    “For Tom and Kyle to finally see success on the top step of the podium in their first seasons in Pro-Am in GT World Challenge America is well deserved for sure,” said GMG Racing Founder and Team Principal James Sofronas. “As I have frequently said this year and last year, Kyle is putting in the work. The team executed a perfect pit stop, and I think we even waited five seconds before the release. We are running on all cylinders as you have to, in order to win in the competitive Pro-Am class, and it takes a good Am driver – even though Kyle is really more of Masters driver – and he is mastering his craft. He is really enjoying the moment and truly deserves it.”

    Washington was forced to start the race last on GT World Challenge grid due to an electronic transponder issue in qualifying. Undeterred, he began picking off positions from the race start as several other competitors encountered mechanical issues and on-track incidents. Saturday’s race was run in dry conditions, but earlier and daily rain showers kept the VIR landscape soaked and treacherous for any competitor even slipping a wheel slightly off course.

    “It’s amazing,” Washington said. “The difficultly level today was 11 out of 10 on that track. One wheel off in the wet grass and you saw every time what would happen. Just total carnage, but we steered clear of all of it and we are just so happy to be here in victory lane.”

    Washington handed the No. 32 off to Sargent early when the pit window opened before the race’s halfway mark in a well-timed and perfectly executed pit stop by the GMG Racing team. Sargent rejoined the race and, after the competition cycled through their pit stops, was in second place and ready to challenge for the lead.

    Sargent kept close and constant pressure on as the race entered the final 30 minutes and moved to first when the leader was assessed a pit drive-through penalty for an earlier incident. Sargent led his first career GT World Challenge race laps, and the first of the season for GMG Racing, but the penalized leader was quick to rebound and mount a final challenge. The race went down to the wire in a nose-to-tail battle with Sargent prevailing for the victory after a frantic fight to the finish in the final two laps.

    “Ultimately, we did nothing wrong really, but I had to work for it on the last lap,” Sargent said. “I haven’t had to do that in a while, but it was good fun at the end. On the second to last lap, he got really close to me, and was actually pushing me down the backstraight. He was trying to do everything he could, I knew I was going to be close on the edge, I might have just dropped a wheel on the last lap, but I gave it everything I had to build a gap to keep me safe for the final half lap. It’s unbelievable, I truly can’t believe it, and it is just great for everybody on the team. It is important for everyone.”

    Sofronas has driven to several World Challenge race wins in various classes over the years, but Saturday’s milestone is the first victory for GMG Racing in the current era of SRO America’s GT3-based top-tier racing series.

    “I have to give a huge shout out to Tom,” Sofronas said. “That last lap in Turn 10 was a full 10/10ths, right on the edge, with second place just a car length off of him, and through that corner he gapped him by three car lengths. That was the difference, they couldn’t get close enough again to get a draft on the backstraight, and coming out of Oak Tree three lengths ahead was when I was like ‘Oh yeah, we are going to win this.’”

    Sofronas, Washington and the GMG team watched the drama of the race’s final minutes unfold from the pits.

    “We were all glued around the TV in our pit watching the last couple of laps when Tom had monster pressure from behind,” Washington said. “He was actually pushed going down the straight coming to the white flag, and on the last lap Tom was just out of this world. He went to the edge of every corner and got the gap that he needed and held it. That last lap was amazing, it was crazy and the kid has got it for sure.”

    Sargent has similar praise for Washington.

    “I take my hat off to Kyle,” Sargent said. “He never put a foot wrong, just quickly turned over laps, and then we had an absolutely perfect pit stop, the best we have done all year, and we have all been working really hard on those. We nailed that and from then on it was up to me to bring it home.”

    The GT World Challenge race win highlighted a solid weekend for GMG Racing that included Washington scoring top-five finishes in both doubleheader rounds of the GT America powered by AWS sprint race series. And in another weekend milestone, Jenson Sofronas, the 13-year-old son of James Sofronas and his wife Nargis Sofronas, made his national racing series debut in the Toyota Gazoo Racing North America (TGRNA) GR Cup Series driving the No. 41 GMG Racing Toyota GR86 Cup in collaboration with Lucas Racing. The youngest driver in the series, Sofronas finished both weekend races and qualified just one second off the second fastest competitor for Sunday’s final race.

    “We entered three cars this weekend, and I also watched our son race for the first time, so lots of emotions, and Kyle, Tom and Jenson all had great weekends,” James Sofronas said.

    About GMG Racing: Founded in 2001, GMG Racing quickly established itself as North America’s premier performance tuning facility. What began as a small 1,200 sq. ft. shop, maintaining two race cars, has grown into a 30,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art performance tuning, racing and service facility located in Santa Ana, California in Orange County and with a trackside motorsports facility at 28,000 sq. ft. currently being built at The Thermal Club. The staff, attention to detail, and passion are what make GMG the choice of professionals and enthusiasts worldwide. GMG, in its early years, was located directly across the street from Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA). This close proximity allowed GMG to build a strong relationship with the legendary racing brand which has helped us support our customers to the highest level possible. From club racing to Sebring, Daytona and Spa, GMG can take you as far as you want to go. More information can be found at www.gmgracing.com.

  • NHRA AT SEATTLE: Team Chevy Race Recap | Notes & Quotes

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

    CHEVROLET IN NHRA
    2024 NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS
    PACIFIC RACEWAYS
    KENT, WASHINGTON
    TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT | NOTES & STATS
    JULY 21, 2024

    AUSTIN PROCK AND JOHN FORCE RACING CONTINUE THEIR WINNING WAYS BY CAPTURING CHEVROLET’S 165TH FUNNY CAR VICTORY AT THE NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS

    Notes:

    • Austin Prock, driver of the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, raced to his fourth win in his seventh final round of the 2024 season and his first year in the category, as well as capturing his eighth career victory between Top Fuel and Funny Car.
    • Prock’s NHRA Northwest Nationals victory is Chevrolet’s 165th in Funny Car and 85th in the Camaro SS body.
    • Prock had a perfect weekend by capturing not only the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge but also the No. 1 qualifying position and the NHRA Northwest Nationals Wally trophy.
    • Prock leaves Seattle continuing his strong NHRA Championship Standings points lead, now at 1,044 total points and 216 over Bob Tasca, III in second, who has 828 points.
    • Brittany Force, driver of the Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, was eliminated by Tony Schumacher in Round 1 with her run of 4.271 seconds E.T. to Schumacher’s 3.986 seconds E.T. at 326.00 mph.
    • Dallas Glenn and Jeg Coughlin, Jr. faced off in the Pro Stock finals, with Coughlin, Jr. coming out the victor with his run of 6.536 seconds E.T. at 209.95 mph to Glenn’s 6.541 seconds E.T. at 209.07 mph.
    • Coughlin, Jr.’s win in Pro Stock was Chevrolet’s 393rd in the category as well as the 274th in the Camaro SS.
    • Capturing both his fifth Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge victory as well as his eighth No. 1 qualifier in 11 races, Prock powered to the top with his run on Friday night qualifying that held through Saturday’s Q3 and Q4.
    • Completing qualifying in her return at Pacific Raceways this weekend the Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, B. Force qualified No. 3 after her lap of 3.701 seconds E.T. at 333.08 mph.
    • Setting pace Friday night in the first true night qualifying session at Pacific Raceways, Prock powered to the provisional No. 1 position with his run of 3.838 seconds E.T. at 328.62 mph.

    Quotes:

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

    “It’s amazing, man. There’s nothing better than racing for family and racing for John Force. We just didn’t win today, we doubled up with John Force again here in Seattle (winning the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and NHRA Northwest Nationals). He told me before I got in here, he said hold the fort down for me and we did just that. Just an amazing day. Another big day for this Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS. This year has been unreal, man. I can’t even put into words all of the success we’ve had. It’s just been a blur, and I’ve just been hanging on. I wasn’t leaving (the starting line) that great all weekend, but I sure was consistent. I was 67, 67, 69, 69, so all staged shallow.”

    BRITTANY FORCE, DRIVER OF THE FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET TOP FUEL DRAGSTER:

    “I know it’s really unfortunate. We had a really good qualifying weekend. We’ve had a really good weekend so far. We qualified third and made four solid passes down the racetrack. We had a great ladder all day long but went out in the first round. I left good alongside Schumacher. We were out ahead, I couldn’t see him next to me, and the car just quit, pan pressure automatically shut our car off. We had no power. I was just coasting to the finish line, and Schumacher was able to get around us. It’s really unfortunate.

    This was a special weekend. There was a lot on the line. My dad’s at home watching. He’s not here. Frank Tiegs and Flav-R-Pac were on the car this weekend. We wanted to do well for them. I’ll hang out with the rest of the family, the rest of the day, and the fans, and cheer Austin Prock on.

    I’m really glad just to be back after, you know, after a month out of the seat, and be back with my team. It feels so good to be back with them and just get back in the swing of things.”

    Up Next:

    The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series next heads to Sonoma Raceway for the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals July 26-28. Eliminations air Sunday at 4 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.

    Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

    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.