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Author: Official Release

CUSTER WINS NASCAR XFINITY SERIES EXPLORE THE POCONO MOUNTAINS 225

Points leader Cole Custer lands his first win of the season to solidify his NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs position.

LONG POND, Pa. (July 13, 2024) – Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer took a pivotal step toward defending his NASCAR Xfinity Series title by securing his first victory of the season in Saturday’s Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 at Pocono Raceway.

Custer outdueled Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports following a restart with four laps remaining to end an 18-race winning drought and earn his second win at “The Tricky Triangle” in his last five visits. He also became the seventh full-time driver to win this season and more in command of securing one of the 12 Xfinity Series Playoffs berths. Custer had led the series points the last six races heading into Pocono, but still felt unfulfilled despite his strong campaign.

“I’m the points leader, but I’ve never been this frustrated being the points leader because we haven’t gotten a win yet,” Custer said. “To finally get one and for everything these guys have done to bring such a fast piece here means a lot. I think we can really take it to them in the Playoffs.”

With 35 laps remaining, it was shaping up to be a shootout between Custer, William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports along with defending race winner Austin Hill and Jesse Love, both of Richard Childress Racing.

The foursome all pitted under green-flag conditions in the ensuing laps while Allgaier was among a handful of drivers who gambled to stay out with the possibility of rain approaching. A caution came out with 20 to go and Allgaier already had 25 laps on his tires. It seemed like Allgaier would have no chance of holding off the group, but he did a masterful job in doing so, including another restart with 12 laps remaining.

Custer finally overtook Allgaier on Lap 82 of 90, but the eighth and final caution came out two laps later to give Allgaier another shot at an improbable win. The restart came with four laps remaining and Allgaier got a great jump from the inside position. Custer and Allgaier went side by side before Custer made the pass on the backstraight. Custer would extend the advantage and secure a .670-second win over Allgaier for his fifth consecutive top-seven finish at Pocono dating to his win in 2019.

Byron finished third, polesitter Sheldon Creed of Joe Gibbs Racing finished fourth and Taylor Gray, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series full-time driver making a start with JGR, took fifth.

“This is such a hard place to win at; I mean you’ve never seen such a turnout at a race track. There are so many fans here who are hardcore about racing; this is a really special place for every team member and every driver to win because it’s so hard,” Custer said. “These guys brought a really fast race car, and we were able to take advantage of it. It was as hectic as you can get (on the restart) and I wish it wasn’t, but we kept our cool and made the most of it.

“We had such a fast car here I think we’ve been building and building all year, so we just got to keep it rolling. This is an unbelievable group that just keeps its cool and even on the tough days we’ve been able to make the most of it and figure out what to do next.”

NEXT UP: Sunday will close out the race weekend with The Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA (2:30 p.m., TV: USA Network, Radio: MRN, SiriusXM).

For tickets or additional information about The Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA, please visit www.poconoraceway.com.

About Pocono Raceway

Pocono Raceway, also known as ‘The Tricky Triangle,’ is family-owned and situated in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. In business for over 50 years, the Raceway hosts multiple, national motorsports events including the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series events each year. The facility’s calendar also consists of over 200 events including Elements Music & Arts Festival and a wide range of non-motorsports entertainment, car clubs and racing schools. Pocono Raceway is recognized as the world’s first, privately-owned solar-powered sports facility. Their 25-acre, three-megawatt solar farm provides the energy needs of the Raceway, as well as, adds electricity to the local power grid. Each member of our raceway staff is committed to creating exciting experiences and lifelong memories. For more information, please visit www.poconoraceway.com.

July 13, 2024
Stewart-Haas Racing: Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 from Pocono — COLE CUSTER WINS!!

STEWART-HAAS RACING
Explore the Pocono Mountains 225
Date: July 13, 2024

Event: Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 (Round 19 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (2.5-mile oval)
Format: 90 laps, broken into three stages (20 laps/20 laps/50 laps)

Race Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)
Stage 2 Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)

SHR Race Finish:

● Cole Custer (Started 8th / Finished 1st, Running, completed 90 of 90 laps)
● Riley Herbst (Started 18th / Finished 11th, Running, completed 90 of 90 laps)

SHR Points:

● Cole Custer (1st with 716 points)
● Riley Herbst (7th with 560 points, 156 out of first)

Victory Notes:

● Cole Custer’s victory at Pocono marked SHR’s 26th Xfinity Series victory, its first of the season, and its third at Pocono.
● This was SHR’s 102nd overall victory (69 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series wins, six non-points-paying NASCAR Cup Series wins, 26 Xfinity Series wins and one ARCA Menards Series West win)
● This was Custer’s 14th career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory and his 13th with SHR.

SHR Notes:

● Custer earned his first victory of the season and his second victory in six career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Pocono.
● Custer has only finished outside of the top-10 once at Pocono in the Xfinity Series.
● Custer has earned six top-10s in the past seven races.
● Custer finished second in Stage 1 to earn nine bonus points and won Stage 2 to earn 10 more bonus points and one playoff point.
● Custer led two times for 25 laps to increase his laps-led total at Pocono to 122.
● Herbst earned his 12th top-15 of the season and his fourth top-15 in five career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Pocono.
● Herbst has only finished outside the top-15 once at Pocono in the Xfinity Series.
● Herbst finished seventh in Stage 1 to earn four bonus points and fourth in Stage 2 to earn seven more bonus points.

Race Notes:

● Cole Custer won the Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 to score his 14th career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his first of the season, and his second at Pocono. His margin over second-place Justin Allgaier was .670 of a second.
● There were eight caution periods for a total of 30 laps.
● Thirty-one of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Custer remains the championship leader after Pocono with a 51-point advantage over second-place Allgaier.

Sound Bites:

“This means so much. These guys have worked so hard this year and just haven’t gotten that final result. It’s awesome to get it here at Pocono. This is such an awesome race track that is hard to win at. I can’t thank all of them enough. An unbelievable car. Doug Yates gave us awesome Roush Yates horsepower. Ford, we got a win in the Ford Mustang Dark Horse finally. We’re pumped about that. We’re ready to try to carry this into the playoffs. I couldn’t be here without Gene Haas and everyone at Haas Automation and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing. It is an awesome day.” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“We really did have a fast No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang. We did what we had to do. Run up front, get stage points. In the final stage though, the green flag pit road penalty killed our day. I hate it for my guys because this was a mistake on my part. We were a top-five car, and I think we could’ve contended for the win. Luckily, we were able to recover for an 11th-place finish. We’ll move ahead to Indianapolis.” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Indianapolis 250 on Saturday, July 20 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway The race begins at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by USA and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

July 13, 2024
CORVETTE RACING AT CTMP: Pole for Sims, No. 3 Corvette

Pair of Z06 GT3.Rs start up front in GTD PRO for Chevrolet Grand Prix

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada (July 13, 2024) – Alexander Sims claimed his first pole position of the season and the third for the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship this season in qualifying for Sunday’s Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Sims shattered the GTD PRO track record Saturday in Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ No. 3 Z06 GT3.R – a 1:14.373 (119.027 mph) lap that was nearly seven-tenths of a second under the previous mark. He and teammate Antonio Garcia are coming off a third-place finish in the team’s last race at Watkins Glen.

Tommy Milner was third in GTD PRO and fourth among all 22 production-based GT cars in Saturday’s 15-minute session. His best lap in the No. 4 Corvette Z06 GT3.R was a 1:15.105 (117.866 mph) as he and teammate Nicky Catsburg look for their second podium finish of the year.

The team’s goal Sunday, though, is the first GTD PRO victory for the first-year Z06 GT3.R. The Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller squad has shown strong form throughout the season, and CTMP would be a fitting place to break through. The program has recorded 12 class victories at the track formerly known as Mosport, including last year for Garcia in a Corvette C8.R.

In GTD, AWA’s Orey Fidani qualified 11th in class in the home race for the local team and its No. 13 Corvette. He and Matt Bell are on a nice streak of their own with three top-10 finishes in the last four races going back to Sebring in March.

A podium finish and a larger lead for Fidani in the Bob Akin Award standings are the primary goals. Fidani leads that championship, which goes to the highest points-scoring Bronze driver at the end of each race. The season winner earns an automatic entry to the following year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. ET on Sunday, July 14. The race will air live on the USA Network plus stream live on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will stream the call of the race at IMSA.com along with XM 206 and SiriusXM Online 996.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – GTD PRO POLE-WINNER: “Moments like that with the car around Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – which is an incredible circuit that I absolutely love – with low fuel and new tires and a beautiful Corvette working well… I got a couple of really nice laps there from a driving point of view. I had clear laps with not much traffic. It was a real blast and really, really good fun.”

“It’s great to do this on a weekend that Chevrolet is backing. The whole Pratt Miller and Corvette Racing team gave me such a good car. We had a few ups and downs through practice and weren’t quite sure in which direction to go with. We picked the direction on the 3 Corvette, and it looks like it worked pretty well.”

“It’s just a lovely mix of high-speed corners here. You need to be brave. As with many tracks in America compared to the more conventional F1 circuits in Europe where you don’t get rewarded as much for being brave, here you really, really do. I took some risks out there. The car just came alive in qualifying trim. The Corvette’s been working through practice as well. To run on new tires and low fuel and get some clear laps without traffic, which is something I didn’t have during practice to get a real good feeling of. It’s an absolute honor and privilege to be able to experience those moments.”

“It’s lovely to have the fan support that we do. It’s really incredible the support that Chevrolet and Corvette have here along with so many circuits to be honest as well. When I wasn’t racing for Corvette, it was always Corvette that had the longest lines of fans out for the autograph sessions and stuff. Now to be representing them is lovely and to drive here has been wonderful.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – QUALIFIED THIRD IN GTD PRO: “Our starting spot is good. We took a calculated risk for qualifying in trying something with the setup of the car based on Practice One and Practice Two to get both Nicky and I a bit more comfortable in some ways. I think we went a little bit too far with that. The gap to Simsy is bigger than I’d like, obviously. I think some of the performance loss is down to us trying something different. We didn’t use qualifying as another practice session but we certainly took a bigger step than we normally would. Third in class and fourth of the GT cars is pretty good. This will be a strategy race, for sure. It’s hard to pass here so doing smart things with the strategy is going to be big. The key will be to keep the car in one piece. Being such a high downforce track, aero is very important here. Keeping all the bits on the front is important, so that will be my job – not to hurt the car, keep in a good position and see what our guys on the pit wall can work their magic with.”

AWA POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES

OREY FIDANI, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – QUALIFIED 11TH IN GTD: “Qualifying 11th here at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, my home track, is a great feeling. The car’s handling was superb, and the team did an excellent job preparing it. While I’m happy with today’s result, I’m eager to push for an even better finish in tomorrow’s race. The support from the home crowd means a lot to me and everyone on the team, and we are ready to give it our all.”

July 13, 2024
No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 to Start Seventh in GTD at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
BOWMANVILLE, Ontario, Canada (July 13, 2024) – The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 GTD for Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) tackled their first and only international qualifying session of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) with Kyle Marcelli securing the seventh starting position for the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP). Marcelli’s qualifying strategy was interrupted by an early red flag, which caused the team difficulties in finding clear track for a key lap. However, Marcelli was still able to secure a top-ten start in the tight GTD field with a fast lap time of 01:15.807.

The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team are set to compete in Chevrolet Grand Prix, which will see the green flag fly at 11:05 a.m. ET on Sunday, July 14th for the two hour and 40-minute event. Broadcast for the sprint race from Canadian Tire Motorsport Park will be featured on Peacock and IMSA Radio.

TOP FIVE GTD STARTING GRID
1. No. 12 Vasser Sullivan (Lexus RC F GT3) F. Montecalvo, P. Thompson (117.937 mph)
2. No. 27 Heart of Racing Team (Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo) R. De Angelis, S. Pumpelly (117.533 mph)
3. No. 96 Turner Motorsports (BMW M4 GT3) R. Foley, P. Gallagher (117.157 mph)
4. No. 32 Korthoff/Preston Motorsports (Mercedes-AMG GT3) M. Skeen, M. Grenier (117.087 mph)
5. No. 70 Inception Racing (McLaren 720S GT3 EVO) B. Iribe, F. Schandorff (116.951 mph)
6. No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 (Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2) K. Marcelli, D. Formal (116.775 mph)
Kyle Marcelli, No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2: “It was a disappointing qualifying session. I think it all went sideways with the red flag at the beginning, although everyone is in the same situation. We came back to pit lane, and it just shrunk the time on the clock. I thought it was the right call to do a long hold, knowing that we already did a warmup lap on our tires, and they come in early. We were going to do a long hold and push right away. That was my plan, and there was nobody in sight, but of course, right at the end of my first push lap, we came up on four cars stopped in turn eight, so I had to abandon the lap, which wrecked the next one as well trying to find a gap. So now I had four or five laps on my tires before I was able to put a lap time on the board, and it was only good enough for seventh, and I think we’re all a little disappointed.”

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

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

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

WTRAndretti’s long term partnerships include Lamborghini Squadra Corse, DEX Imaging, Harrison Contracting Company and Gainbridge.
July 13, 2024
Toyota Racing NXS Post-Race Recap – Pocono 07.13.24

CREED, GRAY EARN TOP-FIVE FINISHES IN XFINITY SERIES RACE AT POCONO
Results give Creed his eighth top-five of 2024; second for Gray

LONG POND, Pa. (July 13, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing’s Sheldon Creed and Taylor Gray notched top-five finishes in Saturday’s Pocono Mountains 225 at Pocono Raceway, finishing in fourth and fifth position, respectively. After claiming his first pole with Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing Saturday morning, Creed fell back early in Stage 1, but managed to stay within the top-10 in the 20-lap stage and for most of the 90-lap race. A few late cautions and restart opportunities gave the driver of the No. 18 GR Supra a shot at victory, but he settled for fourth, earning him his eighth top-five of the 2024 season.

In just his eighth career Xfinity Series start, Gray claimed his second career top-five with today’s result. The 19-year-old Toyota Development Driver qualified fourth but had to start at the rear of the field for unapproved pre-race adjustments. Overcoming the adversity, Gray drove his No. 19 GR Supra methodically through the field to end up in fifth at the day’s end.

The Xfinity Series is back in action next weekend as NASCAR returns to Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. Coverage begins next Saturday, July 20, at 3:30 p.m. EST on USA Network.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Pocono Raceway
Race 19 of 33 – 225 Miles, 90 Laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Cole Custer*
2nd, Justin Allgaier*
3rd, William Byron*
4th, SHELDON CREED
5th, TAYLOR GRAY
15th, CHANDLER SMITH
16th, COREY HEIM
19th, RYAN TRUEX
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

SHELDON CREED, No. 18 Friends of Jaclyn Foundation Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 4th

How important is this result for you and your race team?

“Yeah, always happy with a top-five. Had to battle there, the first half (of the race) was a struggle. Sat on the pole and fell really hard, just way too tight there. And then, jumped the fence and kind of free the rest of the day, but was able to capitalize on some good restarts there at the end and get myself in position and held on. I don’t know if I was a fourth-place car at the end, but just fortunate to have good restarts there at the end and kind of fall into line. Proud of everyone, going to keep working. Another top-five is great, but still searching for that first win.”

TAYLOR GRAY, No. 19 Operation 300 Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

Take us through your day and how you managed the top-five result today?

“Yeah, honestly, just managed the day and executed the day. It stunk having to start in the back. I think we had better than a fifth-place car, truthfully. Just kind of stuck in the back, couldn’t really go anywhere, and trapped for a while. Once we got some clean air there at the end, felt we were pretty good there. Can’t think my Joe Gibbs Racing guys enough. They brought me a really fast GR Supra, almost as fast as Xfinity internet, and just need a little more and mostly just track position.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 49,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 34 million cars and trucks at our nine manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 10th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 28 electrified options.

Through its Driving Possibilities initiative, the Toyota USA Foundation has committed to creating innovative educational programs within, and in partnership with, historically underserved and diverse communities near the company’s U.S. operating sites.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

July 13, 2024
Ford Performance Notes and Quotes – Cole Custer Wins at Pocono
Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series Post Race Quotes
Pocono Mountains 225 | Pocono Raceway
Saturday, July 13, 2024

UNOFFICIAL FORD FINISHING RESULTS

1st – Cole Custer
11th – Riley Herbst
12th – Ryan Sieg
20th – Kyle Sieg
24th – Matt DiBenedetto
27th – Josh Berry
29th – Mason Massey
34th – Blaine Perkins
- Cole Custer won the Explore The Pocono Mountains 225, his 14th victory in 162 NASCAR Xfinity Series races.
- This is his first victory and 15th top-10 finish in 2024.
- This is his second victory and fifth top-10 finish in six races at Pocono Raceway.
- Custer leads the point standings by 51 points over Justin Allgaier.
COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse (Finished 1st)

VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW

“This means so much. These guys have worked so hard this year and just haven’t gotten that final result. It is awesome to get it here at Pocono. This is such an awesome race track that is hard to win at. I can’t thank all of them enough. An unbelivable car. Doug Yates gave us awesome Roush Yates horsepower. Ford, we got a win in the Ford Mustang Dark Horse finally. We are pumped about that. We are ready to try to carry this into the playoffs. I couldn’t be here without Gene Haas and everyone at Haas Automation and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing. It is an awesome day.”

NORMALLY AT A TRACK LIKE THIS YOU DON’T THINK OF BEATING AND BANGING, BUT YOU HAD TO DO THAT WITH THE RESTART WITH FOUR TO GO, WHAT WAS THAT BATTLE LIKE? “You never know what you are going to get. You just don’t know how they are going to push on the restarts, if you are going to get the push or they are. It didn’t work out well on the front stretch but we had such a great car that we were able to rebound from it. Justin (Allgaier) is such an awesome guy to race with. He races hard but we were able to race clean with each other and it is awesome to get wins like that.”

YOUR TEAM ASKED YOU WHAT YOU NEEDED AND YOU SAID CLEAN AIR. WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT THIS CAR AND TEAM AND COMMUNICATION TODAY? “It is unbelievable. JT and these guys, like I said, they have been working so hard. I have told people that we are the points leader but I have never been so frustrated being the points leader because we hadn’t gotten a win yet. To get that, and everything these guys have done to bring a really fast piece here means a lot and I think we can really take it to them in the playoffs.”

POST RACE PRESS CONFERENCE

YOU RACE WITH JUSTIN A LOT, YOU KNOW HOW RESPECTFUL HE IS. I THINK HE PROBABLY WOULD SAY THE SAME ABOUT YOU. I ASSUME THERE WASN’T ANY WORRY ABOUT ANY ROUGH DRIVING AT THE END OF THE RACE, BUT YOU GUYS WERE PRETTY CLOSE AND YOU WERE RACING PRETTY HARD. WHAT WAS THAT BATTLE LIKE FOR YOU?

“Well, I mean, Justin, like you said, he’s the epitome of a clean racer but hard. I mean, he’s going to give you all he’s got and it’s not going to be easy, but he’s going to be clean, he’s not going to make stupid mistakes usually, and it’s awesome to race with Justin because he’s, I think a Cup level talent, he just never had the right opportunity but, he’s just a first-class racer and to be able to race with him and everybody in this series, I think us getting our first win this year really shows how hard this series is at this point. So it’s definitely awesome to win against great competitors.”

DID IT TAKE LONGER THAN YOU THOUGHT TO GET YOUR FIRST ONE?

“Yes. At the end of the day, we as a program, we think we can go win every weekend and we just haven’t done that this year for whatever reason. We’ve been close a lot of times, we just haven’t been able to finish the deal and today, to have such a fast race car, all our guys did a great job and to finally seal the deal means a ton.”

BACK IN 2019 YOU HAD YOUR FIRST WIN HERE, BUT HOW MUCH MORE MEANINGFUL IS THIS WIN HERE TONIGHT COMPARED TO THAT FIRST TIME AROUND?

“Oh, I mean, both were huge and both honestly were pretty exciting. Pretty late race cautions and things like that. So, honestly, whenever you get a win here is such a big deal because this is a hard track to win at. It’s a hard track for the teams to get the car right. It’s a hard track for the drivers to figure out and do their jobs. So you have to have the whole package here. And to have it all work out twice is amazing. And teams bring their best stuff here. It’s a really aero-sensitive racetrack. Horsepower means a lot. So you’re going to bring your best stuff here. And winning here really shows where your program is. And hopefully, you can carry it into playoffs.”

NOT ONLY IS THIS THE FIRST ONE FOR YOU AND FOR SHR, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST ONE IN XFINITY FOR FORD AFTER A VERY LONG WAIT, AND YOU GUYS HAVE COME VERY CLOSE. SO HOW GREAT IS IT, NOT ONLY FOR YOU, BUT FOR THE MANUFACTURER TO GET THE MONKEY OFF THE BACK?

“Oh, it’s huge. Honestly, going into the year, we wanted to be the first ones to win with the Mustang Dark Horse. We were close, but just weren’t able to make it happen earlier in the year. But to get a win with the Mustang Dark Horse is huge and huge for Ford. They’re just such a great company with Edsel and the whole Ford family. Everybody there makes you feel right at home. It’s awesome to really be in their corner and really muscle out a win for them.”

YOU’VE BEEN THE POINTS LEADER FOR THE LAST SEVEN RACES. YOU HAVE A 51-POINT LEAD. INCHING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON, ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT POINTS NOW OR IS IT JUST GO ALL OUT FOR A WIN?

“Yes and no. I mean, it made you feel really good when you didn’t run the best and still had a points lead. But at the end of the day, we’re here to win. That’s what we’ve got to focus on. That’s what the name of the game is. You have to win. That’s where the most bonus points are. That’s what it’s all about. So finally making that happen means a ton for our team and going into the playoffs. To win that regular season championship means a ton too. If we can hang on to that, the bonus points there will be huge. So we want it all though. We want to win and win the regular season championship.

WOULD YOU SAY THIS FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON IS A STATEMENT OR AN AUDITION IN ANY WAY OR JUST ANOTHER GREAT WIN?

“You audition every weekend in the Xfinity series, you know, that’s what this series is really. Everybody in this series is looking at how to get to the next level. So the more you can win, the more you can win championships, the more you can show that you can go out there and compete against the best, that’s speaks volumes. So I think we definitely have shown what we can do. We just got to try and piece everything together.”

I TALKED TO YOUR DAD, OBVIOUSLY A VERY HAPPY MAN OUT ON PIT ROAD, AND HE ASSURED ME YOU WILL HAVE A RIDE FOR NEXT YEAR. HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK THE WIN IN XFINITY HELPS YOUR PROSPECTS TO GET THAT CUP RIDE NEXT YEAR?

“It doesn’t hurt. Whenever you win, it’s definitely helpful. But at the end of the day, we don’t have anything for sure next year. It’s just you try and win as many races as you can and usually that works out for drivers. But you know, you try to go out there and do all you can. Try to do your homework during the week and work with your team to bring the fastest stuff you can. If you do enough things right and do the little things right usually things work out.

DO YOU TRY NOT TO ASK YOUR DAD ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW?

“We try and just keep it a little bit separate. You have to work with that dynamic, but at the end of the day it’s up to Gene Haas and what Gene wants to do. I really respect Gene and what he’s done in this sport. And he’s been a great owner. I think it’s awesome to get Gene trophies and wins. So I’m just really thankful to have the support from him.”

WHAT DID YOUR DAD SAY TO YOU AFTER THE RACE?

“He was excited. Whenever you see your family member win and be able to win with a family member is huge. And for our team too, I mean, obviously it’s not been the easiest year for Stewart-Haas, with everything that’s gone on. So to finally muscle out a win is huge to have that kind of benchmark and kind of perk throughout the year. So hopefully we can keep carrying this and maybe carry a little bit of momentum on the Cup side and see those guys get up there because I know that they’re gaining on it, it seems like. So, hopefully be able to take all our cars stronger in the playoffs.”

WE SAW A LOT OF ACTION TODAY OUT ON THE TRACK. DO YOU ANTICIPATE WE’LL SEE SOME OF THAT TOMORROW AS WELL?

“Oh yeah. It was fun today. There was so much strategy that went on and the restarts made it crazy But that Cup package, it’s all about dirty air and how it really packs the field up and makes it really hard to drive. So they’re they’re going to be two and three wide four wide at times. It’s a package that kind of promotes you have to go where they’re not. So I’m sure it will be a lot of chaos tomorrow.”

DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO CATCH JUSTIN IF HE WAS SAVING GAS?

“I didn’t know what the situation was, honestly. I knew that I think he was going to stretch it, but I didn’t know where he was at on the racetrack. I’d have to re-watch the race. I have no idea how to answer that question, honestly, because I don’t know how much time we were within him or anything. I was going to go as hard as I could. I think we were going to have a good shot at it. It was going to be close.”

WHEN YOU’RE RACING A DRIVER THAT THERE’S A PRETTY GOOD CHANCE YOU BOTH MIGHT BE IN THE FINAL FOUR TOGETHER. IS THERE ANY I’VE GOT TO WIN TO JUST SHOW THAT I’M GOING TO BE THE GUY TO BEAT?

“Yes and no. At the end of the day, I’m just going to go try to go out and try and win no matter what it is, you know, whoever I’m racing. But I feel like that definitely speaks volumes when you’re able to win against good competitors. I think we had a tire advantage on Justin also there, if I remember right. So he had a little bit of a disadvantage there, but it was a hard race, and I’m really happy with how fast our car was. When we were able to get in clean air, we could really put some distance on him. So it was a cool day.”

CAN YOU JUST TAKE US THROUGH THAT LAST RESTART, HOW IT PLAYED OUT, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE BATTLES YOU HAD, NOT ONLY WITH JUSTIN, BUT WITH WILLIAM, BATTLING BACK AND FORTH FOR THE LEAD THERE.

“Yeah, it was really fun racing with William, you know, because he doesn’t race these cars all the time, so you could tell he was really fast. There were a few situations where I was like, man, I don’t know if that’s going to stick. You know, he’s not used to driving these cars every weekend, but he’s always an awesome guy to race with because he’s at the top of the sport right now. He’s one of the best, so to be able to race with him hard and have great competitors like that is awesome. It’s just such a crapshoot, honestly. On the final restart, you don’t know who’s going to get the best push and how it’s all going to work out. So you go in there and try and hope for the best that you’re going to have the lead off turn one, but sometimes it doesn’t work out. So we just had to keep our cool, and we had a fast enough car to recover from it.”

YOU NOW HAVE YOUR FIRST VICTORY OF THE SEASON IN THE BAG. YOU’RE ALSO LEADING THE XFINITY SERIES POINTS. WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO TO CARRY THIS MOMENTUM THROUGH THE NEXT 14 RACES AND WIN BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONSHIPS?

“We just have to keep doing what we’re doing. I think we do a great job as a team of communicating and doing the little things right. I think progressively just getting ourselves better and better and better. It’s easy when you’re not running how you need to to just start throwing things at it, but I feel like we did a great job of finding the root issues and how we go about our weeks and how we go about our pre-race stuff. So that’s a testament to our team. We just have to keep communicating how we do and keep fixing the little problems we have and we’ll be right there.”

YOU AND JUSTIN ALGEIR HAVE LED A LOT OF LAPS IN THIS YEAR, BUT ONLY HAVE ONE WIN TO SHOW FOR IT. DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE THE UNLUCKIEST DUO IN NASCAR RIGHT NOW?

“I don’t know. That’s a really tough question. We’ve definitely had some things not go our way. I’m not going to say I’m the unluckiest guy in NASCAR. I mean, whenever you have shots to win, I feel like I’m a pretty lucky person. So I feel like we just got to keep doing what we’re doing. I’m not going to blame luck on it. We have to make our own luck in a lot of ways. I think we made our own luck today, and we just have to keep doing that.”

WHEN YOU AND WILLIAM WERE MAKING YOUR WAY BACK TO THE FRONT AT THE END. WITH THE WAY EVERYTHING PLAYED ON THE RESTART, WILLIAM WAS NOT ABLE TO GET BY JUSTIN. WERE YOU KIND OF WATCHING IN THE MIRROR AND HOPING IT WOULD STAY THAT WAY? AND IF WILLIAM DID GET TO SECOND, HOW CLOSE DO YOU THINK HE COULD HAVE GOTTEN?

“It’s really hard to say. I mean, obviously I’m not driving William’s car, but the run before, I felt like we were able to get a pretty good lead on William, the run before. I felt confident in our car. I felt like we could beat the best out there with what we had. So once we got the lead, I just knew I just had to hit my marks, really. I was just focused on that. I don’t think it would have mattered who was behind me, honestly.”
July 13, 2024
GIBBS WINS NASCAR CUP SERIES POLE FOR THE GREAT AMERICAN GETAWAY 400 PRESENTED BY VISITPA
- Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing earns his second Cup Series pole of the season.
- Teammate Martin Truex Jr. qualifies third in his final start at Pocono Raceway.
LONG POND, Pa. (July 13, 2024) – Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing unseated defending polesitter William Byron as the final qualifier to earn the pole during Saturday’s NASCAR Cup Series qualifying for The Great Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA at Pocono Raceway.

Gibbs, the last to go among the 10 final-round qualifiers, recorded a lap of 170.039 miles per hour (52.929 seconds) around the 2.5-mile tri-oval to vault past provisional polesitter Byron. The pole was Gibbs’ second of the season and career, following his first coming at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. His previous best at Pocono in his two other visits was fifth last season.

Gibbs will lead the 37-car field to the green flag for The Great Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA on Sunday, beginning at 2:30 p.m. (TV: USA Network, Radio: MRN, SiriusXM).

“It’s a really big advantage especially for my pit crew and having the first pit stall. It’s really nice to have that spot to start in,” Gibbs said. “(Racing here), it’s like going down a highway and making a left through the trees (laughs). There’s a lot going on and at the same time you have a lot of time to rest. It’s really fun, and the way the track is laid out the characteristics of it are great. There’s a lot that goes into (being successful) here.”

Byron, of Hendrick Motorsports, will start second with his lap of 169.661 mph (53.047 secs.), which was just .118 mph shy of Gibbs’ qualifying run. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr., a two-time Pocono winner in his final Cup season, will start third (169.221 / 53.185) in his last start at Pocono Raceway. This marks his third top-three start in his last four races at “The Tricky Triangle.”

Joe Gibbs Racing secured three of the top four starting positions with Denny Hamlin starting fourth with his lap of 169.049 mph (53.239 secs.). It is the third consecutive top-eight start at Pocono for Hamlin, who owns a track-record seven wins including last season.

Rookie Josh Berry of Stewart-Haas Racing, making his first Cup Series appearance at this track, rounded out the top five with a lap of 169.135 mph (53.212 secs.).

For more information about The Great American Getaway 400 presented by VISITPA, please visit www.poconoraceway.com.

About Pocono Raceway

Pocono Raceway, also known as ‘The Tricky Triangle,’ is family-owned and situated in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. In business for over 50 years, the Raceway hosts multiple, national motorsports events including the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series events each year. The facility’s calendar also consists of over 200 events including Elements Music & Arts Festival and a wide range of non-motorsports entertainment, car clubs and racing schools. Pocono Raceway is recognized as the world’s first, privately-owned solar-powered sports facility. Their 25-acre, three-megawatt solar farm provides the energy needs of the Raceway, as well as, adds electricity to the local power grid. Each member of our raceway staff is committed to creating exciting experiences and lifelong memories. For more information, please visit www.poconoraceway.com.
July 13, 2024
Foster Scores First Oval Win, Expands INDY NXT by Firestone Lead

NEWTON, Iowa (Saturday, July 13, 2024) – Louis Foster couldn’t have asked for a better ending to Saturday’s INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway.

After patiently conserving his Firestone tires early in the 55-lap race, the series points leader swiped the lead from Andretti Global teammate James Roe with six-plus laps remaining and cruised to another victory in the No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies car.

Foster won for the fifth time in the past seven races, and his other two results in this stretch are second-place finishes. To cap Saturday, the 20-year-old English driver saw his series lead swell to 77 points as his two closest competitors – Jacob Abel and Caio Collet – incurred contact.

Abel was fortunate to keep his No. 51 Abel Construction machine out of further harm’s way, but he lost three laps with the pit stop for repairs. Earlier in the race, Collet spun his No. 18 HMD Motorsports entry in front of fellow rookie Myles Rowe, and their wall contact ended both of their races. Abel finished 15th, Rowe 18th.

Meanwhile, Foster motored on without issue.

“We discussed prior to the race we were going to save tires throughout, so I wasn’t trying to (challenge) James – I was letting him get a gap so I could save my tires,” Foster said. “Towards the end, there was enough laps left where I knew if I killed my tires it wouldn’t be too much of a big deal.

“I just kept (the car) on the outside and he lifted (off the throttle) and I stayed through. He gave me really good racing room.”

The victory was Foster’s first on an oval track. It was his seventh series race win over the past two seasons.

The race was shortened by 20 laps to help the drivers manage their tires on a hot afternoon at a track that recently had its corners repaved. Nearly the entire field eclipsed the series’ two-lap record in qualifying, and the pole was nearly 7 mph quicker than the mark set by Colton Herta in 2017.

Roe, who earned his first series pole, led the first 49 laps of the race in the No. 29 Topcon entry and tied his career best with a second-place finish. Salvador de Alba Jr. finished third in the No. 2 Grupo Indi of Andretti Cape INDY NXT to give Michael Andretti’s organization contingent a sweep of the top-three finishers.

“Cool, sweet,” Foster said of the Andretti sweep. “Obviously, really good car, really good day for Andretti and really good for the championship. Super happy.”

Rowe’s car was struck twice in the race’s first 13 laps. Coming to the green flag to begin the race, his No. 99 HMD Motorsports with Force Indy machine was struck from behind by the No. 40 Patterson Dental Haven Go by SAAM entry of Jack William Miller. Rowe spun to the inside without additional contact.

Rowe mounted a hard charge, advancing from the back of the 18-car field to grab the 10th position. But then, while following Collet, he didn’t have space to maneuver around Collet’s spinning car in Turn 1, and their contact took both cars to the outside wall. The damage to both machines was significant enough to end their days, although neither driver was injured.

With two laps remaining, Miller lost control of his machine in Turn 3 and hit the outside wall, causing the race to finish under caution. He also was not injured.

A pair of rookie drivers for HMD Motorsports rounded out the top five. Callum Hedge finished fourth, Christian Brooks fifth.

Four races remain in the season. Next up is the Aug. 17 race at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois.

July 13, 2024
CORVETTE RACING IN BRAZIL: Fourth Row Start for No. 81 Z06 GT3.R

Van Rompuy advances to third Hyperpole in five races; No. 82 Corvette starts 13th

SAO PAULO, Brazil (July 13, 2024) – Tom Van Rompuy and the No. 81 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R will start on the outside of the fourth row in Sunday’s Six Hours of São Paulo for the FIA World Endurance Championship. The TF Sport driver ended Saturday’s LMGT3 Hyperpole session in eighth in the Corvette that he will share with Rui Andrade and Corvette factory driver Charlie Eastwood.

Van Rompuy advanced to the Hyperpole session for the top-10 qualifiers in class for the third time in five races. He was sixth-fastest in the 15-minute qualifying session at 1:35.744 (100.662 mph) and posted a lap of 1:35.931 (100.476 mph) in Hyperpole.

His run was compromised by a red flag in the first half of the session that sapped some of the energy from his Goodyear tires but more critically by a slower car for the remaining eight minutes of green-flag time. Nevertheless, the pace of both TF Sport Corvettes has been strong and consistent in the first trip to the Interlagos circuit for the team and the first for the WEC since 2014.

Hiroshi Koizumi’s No. 82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R will start 13th after missing the Hyperpole session by just 0.143 seconds – a razor-thin margin in a very difficult class – with a lap of 1:36.169 (100.227 mph). He will drive with Sebastien Baud and Corvette factory driver Daniel Juncadella, who is the only of the trio who has previously raced at Interlagos.

The Six Hours of São Paulo is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, July 14. MotorTrend TV will air live television coverage with streaming coverage on the FIA WEC app and the MAX app in the U.S. Radio Le Mans also will stream audio coverage of the race.

TF SPORT POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES

TOM VAN ROMPUY, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – Qualified eighth in LMGT3: “Today was a good day. I think I did quite well in qualifying with P6 and had a purple sector in Sector Two. In Hyperpole I struggled to get a good gap to the car ahead of me, but at the end of my push lap and four corners from the end. At that point you have to commit to it otherwise the peak of the tires is gone. So I lost a bit of time. Then again it’s a long race and I feel confident about tomorrow. We have a good setup for the race, and I think it will be a struggle for everyone to keep the tires alive because this track is very rough on them. I have a good feeling. I’ll try to do a good double-stint to try and gain some places so we can contend for a top-five or even a podium tomorrow.”

HIROSHI KOIZUMI, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – Qualified 13th in LMGT3: “The gap to 10th place in qualifying was very small. I’m hoping to find some tenths of a second to move up in my stint. It was a good run for Tom in the other car. I want to make sure I can follow and stay close to the cars in front of me and hopefully gain some positions before my teammates get in the race.”

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.

July 13, 2024
Toyota NCS Pocono Quotes – Ty Gibbs – 07.13.24

Toyota Racing – Ty Gibbs
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

LONG POND, Pa. (July 13, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs was made available to the media on Saturday after earning the pole position for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway.

TY GIBBS, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

What does this pole mean for you?

“Yeah, it’s really good. It’s crazy how fast time goes by, that’s for sure and all that happens in between it. But it’s really cool to get the pole here. Really appreciate it and thanks to everyone that helps out. It was a fun qualifying session. I always have fun coming to Pocono. Hopefully we can go win it tomorrow.”

Is this any more special with how well you’ve run at Pocono in your career?

“Not a whole lot, really. I mean, I feel like I just really like this place and feel like my cars have always been really good here. It’s been fun and hopefully we can capitalize on it tomorrow.”

How would you describe your growth so far in your career?

“Yeah, definitely a lot for sure. Definitely a lot more experience more than anything. It’s been really fun and I really appreciate the whole crew. Really, really thankful. I’ve been blessed my career. It’s been a really fun time and it’s definitely how fast time goes by.”

Can you take us through your pole lap?

“Yeah, it was really good. I felt like I had a clean lap. I was a little nervous as we didn’t have a break between the two rounds, so didn’t feel like we had enough time to pull our stuff off, but it was still really good. I think that shows the speed of my car. But yeah, I feel like we’re really solid and my car handled really well. Three corners you have to put together and it’s tricky place in a way, but it’s a really fun place too. It keeps you on your toes, I guess.”

How much of an advantage is it to start from pole tomorrow?

“It’s a really big advantage, especially for my pit crew having the first pit stall is very important, getting out of it. So, it’s really nice to have that spot to start in. But besides that, we’re really solid. I feel like it is what is. Hammer down and try to go win tomorrow.”

What makes driving Pocono so fun?

“I mean, there’s a lot that plays into it. There’s really long straightaways here, so it’s like going down the highways with trees on your left. It’s a lot going on, but at the same time, you have a lot of time to rest. It’s really fun in how the track is laid out, the characteristics of the track are really great and how it works. I hope they don’t repave it and leave it how it is.”

Did you lean on Martin Truex Jr. or Denny Hamlin going into this weekend?

“Yeah, I don’t really talk to them before the races, really at the track unless I have something to talk about in the meetings. I really, always appreciated the teammates I’ve gotten to be with and there are a lot of great people, luckily. It’s been a lot of fun. Yeah, I talk to my teammates here casually, but not a whole lot as much as I used to do when I was completely young.”

What is your mindset with the remaining regular season races?

“Yeah, a win would definitely get us in the Playoffs. That’s our goal to go win and be smart outside of that. Go get great stage points and go win is the biggest thing. Takes care of about everything.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 26 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

July 13, 2024