Author: Official Release

Cadillac provides experience for drivers

Vesti, Eastwood, Juncadella drive the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R in WEC rookie test

MANAMA, Bahrain (Nov. 3, 2024) – For Frederik Vesti, Daniel Juncadella and Charlie Eastwood, the opportunity to drive the Cadillac Racing Hypercar V-Series.R during the FIA World Endurance Championship rookie test was “an experience.”

The group totaled 103 laps in two sessions on the 3.36-mile (5.412km), 15-turn at the Bahrain International Circuit.

“It was really positive. I expected to have a difficult car to drive as I’ve heard in the past about these cars, but I think I had a lot of confidence with the car. For sure, there is some technique that needs to be fine-tuned,” said Vesti, who will make his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut in the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R in January at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

The 2023 FIA Formula 2 Championship vice-champion and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One reserve driver will be a new teammate of Earl Bamber and Jack Aitken with the Action Express Racing-run Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) program. He turned 30 laps, with a best of 1 minute, 52.513 seconds.

Bamber, who teamed with Alex Lynn and Sebastien Bourdais to drive the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R to sixth place in the WEC season-ending Bapco Energies Eight Hours of Bahrain less than 12 hours earlier, set up the hybrid racecar in the two-hour morning session with a chart-topping lap of 1:49.566. The time stood up through the three-hour afternoon session.

The Cadillac Hypercar moved up one position on the points table post-race after a podium finisher was penalized and dropped in the classification.

Eastwood and Juncadella also enjoyed a productive outing with TF Sport and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R. The No. 81 Corvette of Eastwood, Tom Van Rompuy and Rui Andrade were runners-up in the LMGT3 class, just ahead of the No. 82 Z06 GT3.R trio of Juncadella, Hiroshi Koizumi and Sebastien Baud.

Eastwood turned 34 laps with a best of 1:52.512, while Jucadella got in 30 laps with a best of 1:52.719.

The 2025 WEC season begins Feb. 28 with the Qatar1812Km at the Lusail International Circuit, preceded Feb. 21-22 by the annual Prologue.

What they’re saying

Frederik Vesti: “I’m extremely happy to get my first laps in the Cadillac. It was really positive. I expected to have a difficult car to drive as I’ve heard in the past about these cars, but I think I had a lot of confidence with the car. For sure, there is some technique that needs to be fine-tuned. It’s a heavy car compared to what I’m used to. There are a lot of systems to use to help to go quicker so that’s something that I need to get into in the winter before starting next year, which I’m really excited about. (about difference in cars he’s driven) It’s a fairly big change. I can’t drive directly on instinct. I have to think a bit more as I jump in a car like this, but with more laps and test days I’m sure I’ll get it. (advice from Bamber, teammate in IMSA in 2025) Earl helped me a lot to set up the car, using his suit and seat. I’m looking forward to working with him in 2025.”

Charlie Eastwood: “First test in Hypercar, what an experience and what an honor to have the chance to do it. Big thanks to GM, Corvette and the team for setting this up. The car was great to drive. So fast on the straights, which we see in the races as they come past the GT cars like we’re stopped. A tricky car to drive and complex as well, and I think once you start to drive it more and more it will come quite rewarding. I had a really good last run in the car, good consistency throughout the run, which isn’t straightforward here in Bahrain. All in all, just loved the experience and hopefully it’s not my last time.”

Daniel Juncadella: “It was great to get the experience driving a high-downforce car. It’s been seven, eight years since I drove a high-downforce car and I enjoyed it a lot. It was great to get my first test in this kind of car, so thankful Cadillac and Chip Ganassi Racing for giving me the opportunity. It was a great way to finish off the season after yesterday’s great result. Looking forward to more in the future.”

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

November 3, 2024
Wolf Motorsports and Co-Drivers Koreiba and French Win Third HSR Prototype Challenge Presented by IMSA Race of The Season Friday at Daytona
- Alex Koreiba and James French Pad HSR Prototype Challenge Championship Lead with Overall and Pro-Am Victory in the 90-Minute Race in the No. 25 Wolf Motorsports Ligier JS P320
- Fourth Different Am-Class Winner of the Season as Mirco Schultis and Lucas Lasserre Charge to the Class Victory and Fourth Overall in the No. 70 Mishumotors Ligier JS P320 in HSR PC Challenge Debut
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (November 3, 2024) – Winning teammates Alex Koreiba and James French drove the No. 25 Wolf Motorsports Ligier JS P320 to a series-leading third Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Prototype Challenge presented by IMSA overall and Pro-Am race win Friday night at Daytona International Speedway (DIS). The 90-minute race set the stage for the start of this weekend’s HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour Presented by Mission Foods which is currently in its final hours of competition at DIS.

Round five of the Inaugural six-race HSR Prototype Challenge presented by IMSA season, Koreiba and French added the convincing victory at the “World Center of Racing” to earlier triumphs this season in the HSR Mitty at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and at the HSR Watkins Glen Classic 6 Hour weekend in June.

Koreiba started from the pole and lost some ground early with a balky shifter issue, but he rebounded to retake the lead. He joined French in taking control of the race for the final hour, although their nearest championship rivals, John Reisman and Eric Curran in the No. 74 Hudson Historics Ligier JS P320, typically kept the pressure on until the end. Curran was closing on French in the race’s final minutes, but the Wolf Motorsports driver withstood the pressure for a 2.536 seconds margin of victory.

Third in Pro-Am and overall went to the sister Hudson Historics No. 47 Ligier JS P320 of Bob Neapole and Guy Cosmo who matched their season-best finish after previously securing a third-place showing at The Glen in June.

While Koreiba, French and the Wolf team have won three of the year’s five Pro-Am races to date, PC Challenge parity has been the order in the Am division. The fourth different winner of the season emerged at Daytona with veteran and versatile road racing driver Mirco Schultis co-driving to the class win and fourth overall with Lucas Lasserre in the the No. 70 Mishumotors Ligier JS P320.

The victory came in the PC Challenge series debut for Schultis and his Mishumotors team while their teammate Lasserre had a successful first visit to Daytona in just his second career race in the United States. A native of France, Lasserre is a winning competitor in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. His only previous racing appearance in the U.S. was 15 years ago when, as a multiple European stock car champion, he earned an invitation to compete in the Toyota All-Star Showdown stock car race at Irwindale Raceway in California.

Second in Am and completing the overall top five was the duo of Gary Ball and Nigel Greensall in the in the No. 73 Ligier JS P320. Greensall took the checkered flag one spot ahead of the No. 86 One Motorsports Ligier JS P3 of Dave House and Mikel Miller, who were sixth overall and third in Am.

Am championship leaders Tobias Lutke and Travis Hill in the No. 22 TWOth Autosport Ligier JS P3 finished fourth in class at Daytona but join only the Pro-Am leaders Wolf Motorsports as multiple race winners this season. Both class points leaders will go into next month’s season-ending race at Sebring International Raceway with “champion-elect” status after garnering enough points at Daytona to secure the titles in both divisions.

The Sebring three-hour season finale takes place Sunday, December 8 as a feature race that is part of the year-end Mission Foods HSR Classic 12 Hour Pistons & Props, Presented by Allen Jay Automotive Network.

Alex Koreiba, Driver – No. 25 Wolf Motorsports Ligier JS P320: “I was thinking at the start that we were going to have to go to Sebring to win a championship with our shifting issue. All confidence went out the window when I went into Turn 1 and I couldn’t get out of sixth gear. I just did everything I could in the car, was even doing heel-and-toeing at one point trying to make a downshift, but when we got some temperature in there the problem cleared itself in a way. The plan was to run as long as possible to give James the best car he could have at the end with fresh sticker tires and low fuel. Wolf Motorsports has given us an unbelievable car. It’s hard to believe it’s our first year in an LMP3 car. They have absolutely mastered this car. I can’t thank the team enough for all that they have done.”

James French, Driver – No. 25 Wolf Motorsports Ligier JS P320: “The main challenge we had was a little shifting issue at the start. Alex had the same issue on the out lap. It was stuck in sixth gear for about a half a lap, and that doesn’t really give you great exits out of the corners. They say problems don’t fix themselves, but this one miraculously kind of did! Once the shifting sorted itself, the car really came into a good balance. I felt some pressure from our closest rival in the championship at the end. Every time I didn’t get a shift, I would lose a couple of seconds here and there. As you go through Turn 3, you can see him in Turn 1, and I could see him closing. I definitely felt some pressure, but once it sorted itself out, we got rolling and the car balance was amazing.”

Eric Curran, Driver – No. 74 Hudson Historics Ligier JS P320: “This is a lot of fun. John Reisman said ‘hey, I am buying an LMP3 car, let’s go racing again,’ and he brought me out of retirement. It is the perfect environment, I love coming back to HSR – spent a lot of time here over the years – and obviously Daytona is wonderful. We are getting better and better. The Hudson Historics guys have been working hard all year on these things. I love this program and the whole concept. I thought we might have had something for them at the end, but I pushed a little too hard on the rear tires early on. Didn’t have quite enough grip at the end but I love it. IMSA supporting HSR, now let’s get a bigger field of these LMP3 cars. I’ll get back in this and do some more of these.”

Mirco Schultis, Driver – No. 70 Mishumotors Ligier JS P320: “This was our first time in Prototype Challenge and we just came here to have fun and to look into next season. It was a night race, here in Florida and we had to do it. I like the championship a lot. It’s a nice format.”

Lucas Lasserre, Driver – No. 70 Mishumotors Ligier JS P320: “It was a great time here to share this with Mirco. He is my friend, and we have done a lot of things in Europe together, but it was my dream to compete here at Daytona. It was just magical and my eyes are wide open!”

About HSR: An International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) property, Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) was formed in the mid-1970s with an event at Road Atlanta. There was one goal then and it remains true today: to celebrate the race cars from the past. As a “time machine” of sights and sounds, HSR provides a venue for competitors and spectators alike to share in the wonderful history and excitement created by the cars that competed at race tracks around the world. HSR currently sanctions eight vintage and historic racing events at some of the world’s most renowned race tracks, including Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and more. The complete schedule and full event information can be found on HSR’s website at www.HSRRace.com. Look for the HSR Channel on YouTube and follow HSR on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HSRrace/ and on Twitter and Instagram at @HSR_race. A dedicated website for the Classic 24 Hour at Daytona presented by IMSA is available at www.Classic24hour.com.
November 3, 2024
PROCK SETS SINGLE-SEASON NO. 1 QUALIFIER RECORD IN FUNNY CAR; B. FORCE, ANDERSON & HERRERA ALSO TAKE TOP SPOTS AT FORD PERFORMANCE NHRA NATIONALS

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 2, 2024) – Funny Car points leader Austin Prock broke John Force’s record for most No. 1 qualifiers in a single season on Saturday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, powering to his 14th top spot of the 2024 season at the 24th annual Ford Performance NHRA Nationals.

Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the 19th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Prock just missed a track E.T. record on Saturday in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS, going 3.817-seconds at 327.98 mph to secure his 14th No. 1 position in 19 races for John Force Racing.

It’s a thrilling moment for Prock, who has seven wins this season, and it has a chance to be an event bigger weekend for the points leader. He’ll open eliminations against Tim Gibbons on Sunday, with a chance to also clinch his first career Funny Car world championship. Prock will take a 148-point lead over Jack Beckman into Sunday. If he finishes three rounds ahead of Beckman, he will clinch the championship in Las Vegas.

“It’s really special for the team, my dad, Thomas, and Nate Hildahl have been doing a great job,” Prock said. “I don’t really feel it’s fair that I get all the glory. Those are the guys that made it happen. They gave me a great race car to drive all 14 of those races, and I’m really happy to get the job done for them.

“We have a great car. We have one of the best cars on the property right now, and we have a potential to do really good tomorrow. The job’s not finished. We’re close, but there’s a long ways to go, so we just have to keep fighting. I’ve been driving really good this weekend and they’ve been doing a great job tuning so we just got to do that tomorrow.”

Beckman made a strong run in the final session under the lights, going a career-best 3.821 at 330.47 to qualify second. Paul Lee took third after going 3.845 at 327.35.

Force went even quicker on Saturday, securing a double-up in qualifying for John Force Racing with a pass of 3.660 at 334.98 in her 11,000-horsepower Chevrolet Accessories dragster. It also handed Force her fifth top spot of the season – and the third in the past four races – and the 51st in her career, and the two-time world champion made a pair of stellar runs on Saturday.

That bodes well for Sunday, as Force looks for her first win since the 2022 campaign. She’ll open eliminations against Josh Hart, looking for yet another Las Vegas triumph. Force dipped into the 3.60s three times in qualifying and with favorable temperatures on Sunday, the standout would love to have four runs in that range during eliminations.

“David Grubnic, John Collins, this entire Chevrolet team we’re very happy with our performance this weekend,” Force said. “We qualified No. 1 and three out of the four runs we got down there in the .60s, so that’s pretty outstanding. That’s what our team used to do, so we’re definitely getting back to our older team.

“After not getting this team to a winner’s circle, now two years, and to do it here at a racetrack where we’ve had success, would be great. I have a lot of good memories here, not just wins, but No. 1 qualifiers, watching my sisters win here, my dad win here, so to get a win here, that’s what we’re chasing now. We’ve been chasing a win all season long. We have two races left our team. All we want to do is get to that winner’s circle. My dad’s here this weekend, so I know we’re all fighting for that.”

Shawn Langdon qualified second with a 3.672 at 328.30 in the final session under the lights, while defending world champion Doug Kalitta made a big move in the fourth session, qualifying third with a 3.674 at 334.57. Points leader Justin Ashley qualified seventh and will take a 44-point lead into raceday over Antron Brown and a 65-point advantage over Langdon, who gained 11 points in qualifying.

In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson enjoyed an even better day in what he has deemed a must-win weekend, going even quicker as he clinched the No. 1 qualifying spot with a run of 6.596 at 206.89 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. That came during the opening session on Saturday, giving the five-time champ his seventh No. 1 spot this season and 131st in his career.

It has a chance to be a great weekend for the winningest driver in class history on Sunday, but Anderson will need to go four rounds for that to be the case. He’ll start raceday against Chris McGaha, looking for his first win since April. More importantly, it’s a chance to track down KB Titan Racing teammate and points leader Dallas Glenn, who will open raceday with a 48-point advantage over Aaron Stanfield and 84 points more than Anderson, who made up six points in qualifying.

“We made three great runs before the last one so my race car in on point,” Anderson said. “Tomorrow is going to be a hell of a battle. This late in the year the intensity is ratcheted up and by the end of the day, my season will either be alive or over. I like pressure. I live for these moments and I need four 20-point rounds tomorrow to stay in this. When I wake up, I hope I feel like an 18-year old kid and I hope I drive like one.

“It’s so much tougher to win now. There are 16 cars qualified and it wouldn’t be a shock to see any of them win. Right now, [the competition] is the best it’s ever been and it’s great to be a part of it.”

David Cuadra secured the second spot with a run of 6.605 at 206.51 and Stanfield took third after a run of 6.609 at 205.66. Points leader Glenn qualified fifth.

Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Gaige Herrera made a strong move on Saturday as he looks to get closer to a second straight world championship, taking the No. 1 position with a run of 6.813 at 198.20 on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. That gives the points leader his ninth No. 1 qualifier of the season and his 23rd over the past two seasons. He made the quickest run in both sessions on Saturday, taking back any advantage Matt Smith had on Friday.

Herrera will open eliminations against Kahea Woods, adding to his points lead on Saturday. He’s now 63 points ahead of Smith and the two standouts could be headed for a final-round showdown in Las Vegas on Sunday.

“We struggled a bit yesterday with an engine malfunction in Q2, so when we came out this morning and ran 6.81 I was a little shocked,” Herrera said. “That run actually felt slow. We did score some little [qualifying] points. We gained one point on Matt and that’s big.

“We always say we don’t count points and I try not to take it too seriously but at the end of the day, we all want that grand prize. It’s hard to block out but your do your best. I’ve been enjoying this year a lot more than last. I’m trying to have fun and the championship is a bonus at the end of it.”

M. Smith qualified second with a 6.822 at 198.70 and Angie Smith took third after a run of 6.850 at 197.59.

Eliminations for the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals begin at 11 a.m. PT on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

LAS VEGAS — Sunday’s first-round pairings for eliminations for the 24th annual Ford Performance NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 19th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Pairings based on results in qualifying, which ended Saturday. DNQs listed below pairings.

Top Fuel — 1. Brittany Force, 3.660 seconds, 334.98 mph vs. 16. Josh Hart, 3.801, 328.46; 2. Shawn Langdon, 3.672, 328.30 vs. 15. Jasmine Salinas, 3.791, 329.34; 3. Doug Kalitta, 3.674, 334.57 vs. 14. Ida Zetterstrom, 3.786, 324.12; 4. Steve Torrence, 3.676, 333.74 vs. 13. Tony Schumacher, 3.769, 328.46; 5. Clay Millican, 3.700, 324.75 vs. 12. Billy Torrence, 3.743, 330.80; 6. Tony Stewart, 3.703, 332.59 vs. 11. Antron Brown, 3.735, 323.27; 7. Justin Ashley, 3.705, 331.94 vs. 10. Spencer Massey, 3.728, 324.12; 8. Shawn Reed, 3.715, 327.74 vs. 9. Travis Shumake, 3.724, 323.12.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Scott Palmer, 3.839, 307.09; 18. Lex Joon, 3.902, 268.28; 19. Will Smith, 4.053, 292.14.

Funny Car — 1. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.817, 327.98 vs. 16. Tim Gibbons, Ford Mustang, 4.021, 291.51; 2. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.821, 330.47 vs. 15. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Camry, 4.014, 313.00; 3. Paul Lee, Dodge Charger, 3.845, 327.35 vs. 14. Steven Densham, Mustang, 4.001, 312.06; 4. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.848, 328.94 vs. 13. Dave Richards, Mustang, 3.966, 317.42; 5. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.857, 325.37 vs. 12. Jason Rupert, Mustang, 3.953, 317.42; 6. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.859, 325.14 vs. 11. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.924, 326.40; 7. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.860, 330.96 vs. 10. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, 3.918, 330.96; 8. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.898, 327.82 vs. 9. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.904, 321.04.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Chad Green, 4.052, 312.64; 18. Buddy Hull, 4.090, 311.27; 19. Chris Morel, 4.169, 262.39; 20. John Hale, 4.941, 174.55; 21. Terry Haddock, 5.892, 116.51.

Pro Stock — 1. Greg Anderson, Chevy Camaro, 6.596, 206.89 vs. 16. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.667, 205.94; 2. David Cuadra, Camaro, 6.605, 206.51 vs. 15. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.648, 204.82; 3. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.609, 205.66 vs. 14. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.645, 205.47; 4. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.614, 206.83 vs. 13. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.643, 204.85; 5. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.615, 205.29 vs. 12. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.638, 205.85; 6. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.618, 205.41 vs. 11. Fernando Cuadra Jr., Camaro, 6.636, 205.94; 7. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.621, 206.89 vs. 10. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.633, 205.22; 8. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.631, 205.57 vs. 9. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.631, 205.38.

Did Not Qualify: 17. Kenny Delco, 6.671, 206.10; 18. Derrick Reese, 6.673, 205.22; 19. Joey Grose, 6.702, 204.60.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.813, 198.20 vs. 16. Kahea Woods, Suzuki, 7.135, 187.99; 2. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.822, 198.70 vs. 15. Clayton Howey, Suzuki, 7.093, 189.42; 3. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.850, 197.59 vs. 14. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.991, 192.17; 4. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.857, 195.93 vs. 13. Malcolm Phillips Jr., Suzuki, 6.980, 188.44; 5. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.864, 195.90 vs. 12. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.949, 191.10; 6. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.870, 197.48 vs. 11. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.941, 194.24; 7. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.876, 196.33 vs. 10. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.937, 194.74; 8. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.878, 196.76 vs. 9. John Hall, Beull, 6.899, 196.64.

November 3, 2024

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America Las Vegas Fall Nationals Post-Qualifying Report – 11.02.24

LANGDON, KALITTA AND TORRENCE IN PRIME SPOTS FOR LAS VEGAS NATIONALS
NHRA Countdown to the Championship reaches penultimate eliminations

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 2, 2024) – Eager to close the gap in the Top Fuel points standings with just two races remaining, Shawn Langdon earned the No. 2 seed for Sunday’s Las Vegas Fall Nationals after posting a 3.672 elapsed time in the final qualifying session on Saturday. This is the fourth consecutive race Langdon has qualified within the top six of Top Fuel, as well as the sixth time in the last seven events. Landon currently sits in third position in the Top Fuel points standings, 76 points behind the lead, as he aims for his second world championship with the NHRA season nearing its conclusion.

Langdon’s teammate and defending Top Fuel world champion, Doug Kalitta, earned the third overall qualifier for Sunday, followed by Steve Torrence in fourth. Justin Ashley, the Top Fuel points leader, will be No. 7 to begin tomorrow and his closest competitor in the championship fight, Antron Brown, is the 11th seed.

Ron Capps leads the Toyota GR Supra Funny Car contingent by earning the seventh seed heading into Sunday. Coming off consecutive final round appearances in the last two races, Capps is also looking to close on those in front of him in the points standings, beginning tomorrow in the fourth position. J.R. Todd qualified in the eighth position and Alexis DeJoria will fire off 10th on Sunday.

Tomorrow’s eliminations from The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway begin at 2 p.m. EST with live TV coverage beginning at 5 p.m. EST on FS1.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Fall Nationals
Race 19 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Brittany Force*	Chevrolet Top Fuel Dragster	1st	J. Hart
Shawn Langdon	Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	2nd	J. Salinas
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	3rd	I. Zetterstrom
Steve Torrence	CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	4th	T. Schumacher
Justin Ashley	SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	7th	S. Massey
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	11th	T. Stewart
Billy Torrence	CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	12th	C. Millican

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Austin Prock*	Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Funny Car	1st	T. Gibbons
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	7th	A. DeJoria
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	8th	C. Pedregon
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Café Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	10th	R. Capps

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

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

TF Qualifying Result: 2nd

How are you feeling heading into tomorrow’s eliminations?

“The car’s really making great runs – great job by Brian (Husen, crew chief) and this whole Kalitta Air Careers Toyota team. We put ourselves in a pretty good spot on the ladder, and we feel like we’ll be able to control our own destiny. The car’s looking good and running well – that gives me a lot of confidence so I’m pretty excited for tomorrow.”

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

FC Qualifying Result: 7th

Describe your outlook for tomorrow’s eliminations.

“Yeah, obviously, the weekend has shown strange (Las) Vegas weather, and for these race cars, ideal conditions. In Saturday night’s (qualifying) run, we were throwing everything at it to see if we could go the quickest we’ve ever gone here (Las Vegas). You know, sometimes, you have to find that edge and back up a little bit. I’d rather do that on Saturday night, then have it happen Sunday morning. No matter what, we always try to have lane choice in the first round and being in the top eight, it does that for us. And it’s a whole new day tomorrow, but it’s going to be cool conditions. They say windy, probably some of coolest conditions we’ve seen on race day in (Las) Vegas in a long, long time. So, I have a lot of confidence in our NAPA Auto Care team with Guido (Dean Antonelli, crew chief) and our GR Supra was flying right off the trailer. I always feel good about it. We have some ground to make up. We have less than two rounds (worth of points) from second place (in the points standings), and I think this is going to be a great time to pull a lot of points together.”

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 nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s 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 30 electrified options.

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

November 3, 2024

Toyota Racing – NXS Martinsville Post-Race Report – 11.02.24

ALMIROLA WINS THIRD RACE OF THE SEASON, PUTS 20 TEAM IN OWNER CHAMPIONSHIP 4 BATTLE
Chandler Smith comes just short of first Xfinity Series Championship 4 berth

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (November 2, 2024) – Aric Almirola completed the season sweep at Martinsville Speedway – winning his third race of the season, in just his 13th start, to clinch a spot in the owner Championship 4 in Phoenix. The 20 team will face the No. 7, 16 and 21 teams for the season-long title. Almirola has delivered the ninth win for the No. 20 team this season with Christopher Bell, John Hunter Nemechek and Ryan Truex each having two wins each.

Chandler Smith battled up front all day in his battle to make the Championship 4. He led 34 laps and finished third, which unfortunately was not enough to earn his own berth into next weekend’s championship race.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Martinsville Speedway
Race 32 of 33 – 250 Laps, 131.5 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, ARIC ALMIROLA
2nd, Sammy Smith*
3rd, CHANDLER SMITH
4th, Cole Custer*
5th, Justin Allgaier*
6th, SHELDON CREED
31st, BUBBA POLLARD
33rd, WILLIAM SAWALICH
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 20 He Gets Us Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

You scored the win and put the 20 team into the Championship 4.

“Wow. What an amazing race car. So proud of Tyler (Allen, crew chief) and all of the guys on this team. We had an amazing car here in the Spring, and we made a few tweaks to it because I wasn’t totally happy with it, honestly, in the Spring. We showed up yesterday and we were awful. I was like oh, no, what did we do, and they went to work last night and came up with a lot of changes to make to the car. It was so hooked up today. It would just do everything I wanted it to. This is such a special place. This is by far my favorite race track. I’m just so thankful. Thankful for Coach (Joe Gibbs), everyone at Toyota, TRD. Thank you He Gets Us. Thank you, God. There is so much more to it than just me and this race team. Just so lucky and blessed with this opportunity with so many partners – Go Bowling. I hate – they’ve been such a great partner of mine for such a long time, and we haven’t got them to victory lane. Just so thankful. Thankful to everyone at TRD, Toyota. Our GR Supra was fast – faster than the Xfinity internet today. Just what an amazing race car. I’m so proud – so, so proud. We are going to go race for an owner’s championship in Phoenix.”

CHANDLER SMITH, No. 81 QuickTie Products Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

Can you talk about the end of the race and conversation with Cole Custer?

“He thought he was in a must-win for the owners – which he was – but at the end of the day, I get that his dad has some high up role at SHR (Stewart-Haas Racing), so he probably values that a lot, but at the end of the day, I’m a driver. I’m in a must-win situation. He was not at that moment, and he didn’t even try to make the corner. Granted I moved him the lap before, but I’m beating his bumper off for the five laps before that. I gave him grace, before I finally shipped him, and then he doesn’t even try to give me a chance going into turn one. It is what it is. I’m super grateful God blessed me with a great group of men and women at Joe Gibbs Racing that have worked on this QuickTie Toyota. It is a bunch of fun. This car was hooked up at the very end, unfortunately, I was the focal point of us getting shipped because then we were behind the eight-ball and had to pass all of those cars again.”

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

Finishing Position: 6th

Can you walk me through your race and what more you needed there?

“We started off okay, and just kept making our car better and better there to have a shot at winning the race. Obviously, running second there and then we pitted and then I sped on pit road and had to go to the back. Kinda just pulled the gloves off and wanted to get back towards the front. Just made a few mistakes and I wheel hopped a few times, and I seemed to hit somebody every time I did it. I hate being that person. It is embarrassing being the guy that is just running into everyone. Definitely not who I want to be or how I want to race, just made mistakes trying hard and took people with me.”

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 nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s 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 30 electrified options.

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

November 2, 2024
Custer Clinches Spot in NXS Championship 4; Set to Defend his Title in Phoenix
Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Xfinity Series
National Debt Relief 250 | Saturday, November 2, 2024
Martinsville Speedway

Ford Performance Results:

4th – Cole Custer
11th – Riley Herbst
15th – Ryan Sieg
16th – Matt DiBenedetto
19th – Blaine Perkins
20th – Dylan Lupton
21st – Kyle Sieg
22nd – Mason Maggio
26th – Greg Van Alst

COLE CUSTER ADVANCES TO CHAMPIONSHIP 4
- Cole Custer’s fourth-place finish enabled him to qualify for the Championship 4 next week at Phoenix.
- Custer will be going for his second straight series championship and can become the ninth driver to win multiple series titles.
- Custer could also become the second Ford driver to win back-to-back championships, joining Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2011-12).
COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Haas Automation Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT WAS THE CONVERSATION WITH CHANDLER? “I guess he’s mad, but what comes around goes around. At the end of the day, he put us in the fence a few times this year. He used his bumper on me, so I used my bumper on him. It is what it is. You go and race for a championship and you’re put in these situations. I don’t mind doing it to him because he’s done it to me.”

HOW AGGRESSIVE DID YOU EXPECT HIM TO BE? “I expected him to be aggressive, but I can’t not be aggressive. I’m gonna race him just how he raced me the whole year.”

WHAT DID YOU TELL HIM? “I was racing for the owner’s. I was in a must-win just like him, so for him to come over here and say I don’t have a reason to race, that’s no reason at all.”

WITH YOU PAST HISTORY ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT HE WAS SHOCKED YOU RACED HIM THAT WAY? “No. I mean, it is what it is. You’re racing to go race for a championship. He put me in the wall a few times this year, this was the time it all came around.”

WHAT ABOUT YOUR TEAM AND HOW THEY PERFORMED? “I’m so proud of this team. We brought everything we had today. They kept us in the fight, but JT and all the guys did a great job all year maximizing everything we had. I can’t thank Gene Haas and everybody at Haas Automation, Ford Performance. I can’t wait to go to Phoenix now and see what we can do.”

ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT CHANDLER LOOKING FOR RETRIBUTION NEXT WEEKEND AT PHOENIX? “It is what it is. I think at the end of the day he put us in the wall a few times this year. He kept us from winning a race, I feel like, at Kansas. He used the bumper on me, so I used the bumper on him. I don’t know how we’re not even, and then he punches me in the face. I can’t even tell if he really punched me in the face it was so soft, but we’ll go on to Phoenix.”

YOUR THOUGHTS ON PHOENIX NEXT WEEK? “At the end of the day, I feel like we have as good a shot as anybody. We’ve brought a lot a speed in the playoffs so far. We obviously won last year, so we just have to work some magic again.”

WHAT HAPPENED EARLY ON IN THE RACE WITH AJ ALLMENDINGER? “At the end of the day, with AJ I was in a situation where I had to beat everybody else on points and he was locked in. I got aggressive with him. I’m not gonna lie. I think he overreacted and started brake checking me and then he popped his tire, but, at the end of the day, I had to go and he didn’t have to go, so I had to do what I had to do.”

YOU WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A LOT OF STUFF TODAY. THAT’S JUST THE NATURE OF THIS BEING A CUTOFF RACE TO GET TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4, RIGHT? “Yeah. I mean, you just have to be aggressive. You have to fight for every point and you have to race how you get raced. That’s just how it is.”
November 2, 2024
CORVETTE RACING AT BAHRAIN: Two Podiums to Close 2024!

TF Sport’s No. 81 Corvette second, No. 82 Z06 GT3.R third in LMGT3

SAKHIR, Bahrain (Nov. 2, 2024) – TF Sport and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R climbed on the class podium to close the FIA World Endurance Championship with second- and third-place finishes after the Eight Hours of Bahrain.

The No. 81 Corvette of Charlie Eastwood, Tom Van Rompuy and Rui Andrade were runners-up in the LMGT3 class, just ahead of the No. 82 Z06 GT3.R trio of Daniel Juncadella, Hiroshi Koizumi and Sebastien Baud. Not only was it the first podium result for the Corvette GT3 program in this season’s championship, but it also is the first double-podium finish for the Corvette brand in FIA World Endurance Championship competition.

“Congratulations to TF Sport, team owner Tom Ferrier, the drivers and all the members of the team on today’s double-podium to close the FIA WEC season in Bahrain – the first in this championship for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R,” said Mark Stielow, Director, GM Motorsports Competition Engineering. “It has been exciting to watch the team continually work and extract more and more from their Corvettes at each event this year. This is a great way not just to end 2024 but also use this as a springboard to bigger and better things in 2025.”

After having potential podium finishes taken away in the previous two races, fortune finally went the way of the TF Sport squad in Bahrain. Both Corvettes led at one point, and the No. 81 ran in front six times for a race-high 121 laps.

The runner-up Corvette raced its way from eighth to first twice in the race – once in the opening hour and again following the race’s second safety-car period with less than two hours. Van Rompuy charged and passed six cars to go from eighth at the start to second by the end of his first stint. Eastwood emerged from the pitlane in the lead following the class pitstop cycle.

Both Eastwood and Andrade drove single stints to firmly establish the No. 81 Corvette by as much as 30 seconds at the end of the first driver rotation. Van Rompuy and Andrade drove double-stints in the middle of the race, but the first of two safety cars sent the race way from the No. 81 as it went from first down to eighth due to competitors behind the Corvette being on fresher tires.

Andrade survived and handed over to Eastwood with an hour, 45 minutes to go and the No. 81 Corvette in eighth place to set the stage for Eastwood’s charge.

The No. 82 Corvette had a thrilling drive-back of its own from early in the race. Koizumi picked up a spot from 10th at the start but was assessed a five-second, stop-and-go penalty for avoidable contact in the opening 20 minutes. That dropped Koizumi down to 16th but he, Juncadella and Baud clawed their way back toward the front over the next four hours.

While the safety cars hurt the chances for the No. 81, the opposite was true for the sister Corvette. Juncadella found himself in 10th with about 90 minutes to go. He worked his way forward just as rapidly as his factory teammate Eastwood and gained two spots coming out of a full-course yellow period to fourth just ahead of the seven-hour mark.

Juncadella made his final stop two laps after Eastwood and emerged from the pitlane just ahead of the sister Corvette with 40 minutes to go but ceded the position on colder and newer tires than the No. 81.

The 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship starts February 28 in Qatar.

TF SPORT POST-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The race was great from start to finish from us. We got super-unlucky with the first VSC and the timing of it. We weren’t able to change tires and most of the class were. We dropped down the order by the time of my last double-stint. Our pace on the first set of tires was really strong, and the same with the second set as well. I just came out close to the No. 60 Lamborghini who ended up passing me on the outlap then we got to the back of the 54 who hadn’t boxed and had a drive-through. So maybe a little bit of team owners to slow us down. We didn’t give up until the very end. We got it down to three seconds but it wasn’t enough. But ultimately for the team to finish with a double-podium is a fantastic result.”

TOM VAN ROMPUY, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “We started the season on a high with pole position at Qatar. In between we had some dips but we have finished on another high – two podiums today. I’m a very happy man. There has been great progression that we have made with the team. It was a great effort by everyone, my co-drivers and the team.”

RUI ANDRADE, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It kind of sums up our season again – a story of what could have been without the safety car. We were ahead by about 40 seconds and the race for us was in a good place. We were in a good rhythm and good pace. Tom, myself and Charlie did a really good job and I’m proud of what we did. I was kind of in no-man’s land because we didn’t take tires on my second stint. We were hoping the strategy would pay off, and Charlie got new tires and back into the lead. I’m really happy to finish the season with such strong races back-to-back-to-back. Since COTA, the car has been super-strong and the team has done a great job making it faster and faster. It’s good to end the season on a high.”

DANI JUNCADELLA, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s great to finish the season on a high like this – second and third for the team. This is incredible and I’m happy for TF Sport and Corvette Racing. This is the best way to finish the season with two cars on the podium and third for myself, Hiroshi and Seb. This has been a long time coming and I think we deserve it. It was a hard race at the end. The Lamborghini behind me was flying and I had good duel with him for 25 to 30 minutes. It was a tough one but we made it and I’m really, really happy and proud about that.”

HIROSHI KOIZUMI, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “This is a great finish and great way to finish the season. I’m really happy with my race throughout. It was my first time at this track, and during practices I feel I did very well. So I’m very happy with the result and weekend.”

TOM FERRIER, TF SPORT OWNER: “I feel like this has been a long time coming. I think at COTA we could have had a podium and at Fuji we could have had a win were it not for some contact. So it’s really nice to finish in this way. To get both cars on the podium is a massive team effort. I’m incredibly happy for all the guys and girls who have worked so hard. It’s been a dry year for podiums but we’ve been getting better and better. Everyone at GM and Corvette Racing have been working tirelessly in the background. It’s a lovely result for everyone involved. It sets us up for next year with a good starting point. We should come out of the blocks firing on all cylinders.”

About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

November 2, 2024
Cadillac closes year with seventh place

No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R climbs six positions from qualifying spot in WEC finale

MANAMA, Bahrain (Nov. 2, 2024) – Cadillac Racing concluded its second season of FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Hypercar competition with a spirited drive to seventh place in the Bapco Energies Eight Hours of Bahrain.

Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn and Sebastien Bourdais co-drove the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R, which qualified 13th and started 12th in the 18-car field after a qualification infraction was levied on a competitor, in the race that transitioned from 89 degrees Fahrenheit ambient temperature at the mid-afternoon green flag to not considerably cooler at the checkered flag under the lights.

The result was the fourth top 10 of the season for the Chip Ganassi Racing-run team and 10th in its two-year run covering 15 races.

Energy and tire management on the abrasive 3.36-mile (5.412km), 15-turn racing surface that is original to the Bahrain International Circuit that opened in 2004 was significant throughout the 235-lap race to keep the hybrid Cadillac in points-scoring position.

Bamber climbed the ladder by overtaking the No. 83 AF Corse Porsche 963 with 24 minutes left and No. 38 Hertz Team JOTA with six minutes left to finish 55 seconds behind the winning No. 8 Toyota GR010.

The pole-sitting No. 8 Toyota GR010 won the race to clinch the Hypercar manufacturer title for Toyota Gazoo Racing. The No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 (Kevin Estre, Andre Lotterer, Laurens Vanthoor) won the drivers season championship. Hertz Team JOTA, which will become the Cadillac factory team in 2025, registered its second successive FIA Hypercar Team World Cup Championship for privateers.

Through the eight races totaling 72 hours and 1,859 laps, the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R displayed remarkable durability and speed. The Hypercar entry earned its maiden WEC pole position last month at Fuji Speedway and had a string of five races in which it qualified fourth or higher in Hyperpole.

Fourth place at Cadillac Racing’s home race at Circuit of The Americas in early September is the team’s best finish of the season.

The 2025 WEC season begins Feb. 28 with the Qatar1812Km at the Lusail International Circuit, preceded Feb. 21-22 by the annual Prologue.

For more than a century, racing has provided a testbed for Cadillac to transfer knowledge and technology between racecars and production vehicles, and a way to build a fanbase for the brand around the world.

The Cadillac V-Series.R marks the third-generation Cadillac prototype and the brand’s first hybrid electrified racecar. Codeveloped by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing and chassis constructor Dallara, the racecar incorporates key Cadillac V-Series production car design elements such as vertical lighting and floating blades.

What they’re saying

Earl Bamber: “It was a good race for us at the end. I think we maximized what we could today. I don’t think we had the best car, but we definitely maximized as a team and to come away with points is a great result. It’s definitely building and building each time out. I think if you told we’d get seventh when we started the race I think we’d take it, so I think it’s a good one.”

Sebastien Bourdais: “Given the circumstances because we struggled pretty much all week with rear grip for the most part and weren’t super confident going into the race and starting P13 was certainly a challenge because it’s so hard to pass around here. Earl (Bamber) did a heckuva job, particularly at the end on the medium (tires), and got us back to a very respectable P7 for a tough week. Not super happy with myself. I made a mistake on the full-course yellow and got a (drive-thru) penalty for it. I got the time back, but we still got the penalty. Overall, pretty satisfied with the result from where we started.”

Alex Lynn: “It’s been a tough weekend, but I think scoring points is a positive from where we started. We put on a strong performance and scored some good points. A good way to end the season.”

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

November 2, 2024
Toyota Racing – NCS Martinsville Quotes – Martin Truex Jr. – 11.02.24

Toyota Racing – Martin Truex Jr.
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (November 2, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was made available to the media on Saturday after winning the pole for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

It is Truex’s first pole of the season, second consecutive in this event and third overall at Martinsville Speedway. It is Toyota’s series-leading 13th pole of the season.

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Auto-Owners Insurance/Thank You Martin Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Are you having moments like this might be the last pole ever?

“Yeah, you definitely do. It’s here whether you like it or not or whatever. It was exciting today. It is always fun to be – anytime you win anything in this series it is always exciting. Practice was awesome, fun, and to be able to back it up in qualifying felt good. I still know how to go fast around here which is great. We just need to figure out how to go fast on the long run here tomorrow. We were off a little bit on that in practice, so we need to figure out how to find some of that, but so far, a great start to the weekend.”

What does the fan reaction to your pole mean to you?

“It is definitely always neat to see that. It is always humbling. Makes you proud. I don’t know that I’ve ever run over anyone here and got booed here on the way out, so that is helpful. (laughter) We’ve seen quite a few people do that over the years – so that’s part of it, I guess. I don’t know – I appreciate that, and everyone has treated me great over the years. Lot of good people in this sport. Lot of good people in the stands. I appreciate their support over the years, and hopefully, we can give them something to cheer about again tomorrow.”

Do you have any sense of what the tire wear is going to do tomorrow?

“I think we’ve seen quite a lot more tire wear today than we have with this car lately. Is it enough? I don’t know. You never know until the race starts. This place – you come here one day and you’re like this is what it is going to do, and then you come back the next day – and it is like, that is unexpected. This place is just very, very tricky. It is hard to know what is going to happen, but from what I’ve seen today, there is enough fall off, there is enough tire wear – stickers are way faster than 30, 40, 50 lap tires. Hopefully that continues. We need to make our tires last a little bit better, but I think across the field there will be plenty of tire wear and there will be guys that are fast in the beginning of runs and fall back.”

Are you considered about the rubber getting stuck in the throttle body like Denny had today?

“About as much as I’m concerned about getting hit by lightening (laughter). One-in-a-million. I don’t know how – that is – his number just came up. It’s nuts. That may never happen in 10 more years here. It is just crazy, bad luck.”

Does winning a pole sink in more here as you close out your full-time career?

“It definitely reminds you again about how much fun it is to be successful. Reminder that if you keep working hard, good things will eventually come your way. It has been a tough stretch here lately – especially, the last three or four months – a lot of disappointing days. A lot of days where things are going good, and one thing takes it away. It is frustrating, because from the outside looking in, it could look like we are not trying or that we gave up – we’re not running good or whatever, and that really hasn’t been the case. I’m proud of my guys for sticking with it and working hard. We’ve been trying hard, so even when you have a small victory like today, it is very cool and very special. In this series, it is so difficult, and it reminds you that you know how to go fast. That is always fun. I enjoyed today, and I know what I need for tomorrow. I just hope we can get there.”

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 nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s 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 30 electrified options.

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

November 2, 2024
Ford Performance Notes and Quotes – NCS Martinsville 2 Qualifying Quotes

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Xfinity 500 Qualifying | Saturday, November 2, 2024
Martinsville Speedway

Ford Performance Results:

4th – Chase Briscoe
6th – Harrison Burton
8th – Ryan Preece
11th – Josh Berry
12th – Joey Logano
13th – Todd Gilliland
14th – Ryan Blaney
17th – Michael McDowell
18th – Brad Keselowski
24th – Austin Cindric
25th – Noah Gragson
26th – Chris Buescher
33rd – Kaz Grala
34th – Corey LaJoie
35th – Josh Bilicki

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP YOURSELF OUT OF TROUBLE TOMORROW BECAUSE YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE THERE, OR WILL YOU BE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT? “I’ll still be in the middle of it, I’m sure. I still want to race. I mean, we still want to get what we can out of the day, but outside of that, you don’t want to make enemies, either. But, if we have a fast car and we can go win the race, let’s go win the race. Why not?”

BELL SAID THIS IS A TRACK YOU CAN’T FAKE IT. YOU’RE EITHER GOOD OR YOU’RE NOT. WHAT’S THE BIGGEST FACTOR THAT KEEPS YOU COMPETITIVE? “The field is getting closer than it used to be, but there was a point in time where it was Jimmie, Jeff, Denny everytime, and then Kyle Busch got in the middle of that for a little bit. The Next Gen car kind of switched some of that up to where those guys that just understood what Martinsville was and that’s why they won so many races because they understood this place and what it took from the race car to go fast through the whole race. What’s gonna happen when it rubbers up? What do they need to go fast, not just in practice or qualifying, but they always showed up in the race and it’s still a little bit like that, but it seems like the gap has closed up a lot, which is just competition. You can only retain an advantage for so long, but it seems like now there are still probably a handful of drivers that I can name off that will be strong, but you can sprinkle in a few others that will be right there, for sure.”

CHASE BRISCOE, No. 14 Mahindra Tractors Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “Obviously, I think we ended up fourth so we’ve got a good starting spot, but I’m kicking myself because I should have been on the front row. We’ve obviously got a good short run car. I don’t really know what to think about it on the long run, but the good thing is it’s pretty hard to pass here. Just being able to start in those first two rows will definitely help a lot, so hopefully we can manage that tomorrow. This has been a place that has been really, really good to us, so I feel like we’ve done everything but win here, so hopefully we can finally seal the deal tomorrow.”

HOW COOL WOULD IT BE TO WIN A GRANDFATHER CLOCK FOR THIS GROUP IN THE NEXT-TO-LAST RACE? “It would be super cool. I think even doing what we’ve done today is pretty cool. Literally, eight days from now our shop is locking the doors. We’re not even allowed back in, so for them to be able to come here and be quickest in our group the first round and, honestly, should have been quickest in the second round, too, is just a testament to everybody at SHR. They easily had every opportunity to give up and they haven’t done that. I’m proud of the effort of our guys. These last two races are really good tracks for us, so hopefully we can steal another one.”

RYAN PREECE, No. 41 Mohawk Northeast Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We have a really good car. I felt like usually we aren’t very good at qualifying, so it’s nice to start up front and have a good pit pick. It’s really important here at Martinsville, so now I feel like we have some really good Ford Mustang Dark Horses and tomorrow is 500 laps. We’ve just got to be smart about it and put it in a good place and hopefully be there at the end.”

HARRISON BURTON, No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “It’s been a good weekend so far and I’m just really proud of our group. There have been a million opportunities for these guys to quit on themselves, quit on me, quit on this team. We keep swinging the hammer because we know days like this are possible. I wish it came more often so I could keep doing it with this group, but we know we can do it, so it’s time to execute on it tomorrow.”

November 2, 2024