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  • Heim wins the XPEL 225 at Circuit of The Americas

    Heim wins the XPEL 225 at Circuit of The Americas

    Corey Heim has enough fuel to capture his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) win of the season on Saturday in the XPEL 225 at Circuit of The Americas (COTA).  Heim and the Tricon Garage No. 11 Toyota led a race-high of 31 laps for his win at the 3.41-mile road course and the sixth of his NCTS career.

    “On the last lap of the last restart, I stuttered a little bit on the right-handers because the fuel pick up is on the other side. The whole fuel load would go to the other side. I thought I was going to be out by the time I came around, but luckily I had a couple of left-handers at the end of the course, and I had fuel, but regardless of that, I’m super thankful for everyone at TRICON Garage, Toyota Racing.” Heim said. 

    “I worked my butt off for this one. With the one (road course) race a year for the Truck Series, I felt like it was just so important for me to prove my road course ability. I knew I needed to capitalize on today, and I did. After it was done with all of the late cautions, I was glad it was over, and it was time to celebrate. It definitely means a lot,” Heim added.

    Teammate Taylor Gray recovered from an early penalty and stretched his fuel mileage to finish second in the Tricon’s No. 17 Toyota.  The second-place finish ties his career-best with a runner-up finish and also gives TRICON Garage their first 1-2 finish.

    “I can’t thank everyone at TRICON Garage enough for bringing me a really good JBL Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. I thought I ruined our race at the beginning of the race by getting that penalty, but just can’t thank all of our guys enough. We put ourselves in position and Jeff (Hensley, crew chief) did a great job with the strategy, just couldn’t attack on those last couple of laps. Something to figure out on how to give him a little bit of a tougher race at the end, but those guys executed all day long, and we have to keep executing ourselves,” said Gray.

    Ty Majeski finished third. Polesitter and rookie Connor Zilisch recovered from a lap down and finished fourth after overshooting the first turn on the first lap, and NASCAR Cup Series regular Ross Chastain rounded out the top five.

    The rear-end housing broke off the No. 04 Roper Racing Chevrolet driven by Marco Andretti, bringing out the red flag and extending the race by four laps.

    Heim leads the series standings by 10 points over Majeski, Tyler Ankrum is third, Gray fourth, and Rajah Caruth rounds out the top-5 in the standings after five races.

    The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series heads to Martinsville Speedway for the Long John Silver’s 200 on April 5th for the sixth race of the season at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

    NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race – XPEL 225
    Circuit of The Americas
    Austin, Texas
    Saturday, March 23, 2024
    (Pos, Driver, Make, Laps)

    1. Corey Heim, Toyota, 46.
    2. Taylor Gray, Toyota, 46.
    3. Ty Majeski, Ford, 46.
    4. Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet, 46.
    5. Ross Chastain(i), Chevrolet, 46.
    6. Jack Hawksworth, Toyota, 46.
    7. Ben Rhodes, Ford, 46.
    8. Christian Eckes, Chevrolet, 46.
    9. Dean Thompson, Toyota, 46.
    10. Tanner Gray, Toyota, 46.
    11. Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 46.
    12. Grant Enfinger, Chevrolet, 46.
    13. Jack Wood, Chevrolet, 46.
    14. Jake Garcia, Ford, 46.
    15. Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 46.
    16. Bayley Currey, Chevrolet, 46.
    17. Timmy Hill, Toyota, 46.
    18. Nick Sanchez, Chevrolet, 46.
    19. Stefan Parsons, Chevrolet, 46.
    20. Stewart Friesen, Toyota, 46.
    21. Carter Fartuch, Ford, 46.
    22. Chase Purdy, Chevrolet, 46.
    23. Matt Crafton, Ford, 46.
    24. Matt Mills, Chevrolet, 46.
    25. Tyler Ankrum, Chevrolet, 46.
    26. Dale Quarterley, Toyota, 45.
    27. Layne Riggs #, Ford, 43.
    28. Daniel Dye, Chevrolet, 42.
    29. Bret Holmes, Chevrolet, 42.
    30. Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, 42.
    31. Marco Andretti, Chevrolet, Suspension, 40.
    32. Thad Moffitt #, Chevrolet, 39.
    33. Lawless Alan, Ford, Rear Gear, 34.
    34. Vicente Salas, Chevrolet, Transmission, 33.
    35. Mason Massey, Chevrolet, Brakes, 32.
  • William Byron captures Cup Series Pole at Circuit of the Americas

    William Byron captures Cup Series Pole at Circuit of the Americas

    William Byron won the Busch Light Pole at Circuit of the Americas and will lead the field to green Sunday afternoon in the Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. It’s his first pole this season, his 13th career pole and his second-straight pole at the 3.426-mile track.

    “I feel really happy with the way the week’s gone and I feel very fresh going into this race,” Byron said. “We’ve just got to go through the process of the race. Just manage the runs, have enough long-run speed. I feel we got a good balance with our car. We’ve been struggling to have smooth races, so this is a good start.”

    The Hendrick Motorsports driver was fastest overall in his No. 24 Chevrolet during practice Saturday and he carried that momentum over to earn the top spot in the qualifying session with a lap of 94.696 mph.

    Ty Gibbs will join him on the front row in the No. 54 Toyota as 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick will start third in the No. 45 Toyota. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell (No. 20 Toyota) and Spire Motorsports’ Corey LaJoie (No. 7 Chevrolet) claimed the remaining top five starting spots. It will be LaJoie’s best Cup Series career starting position.

    Ross Chastain, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott and Bubba Wallace rounded out the top 10.

    The highest qualifying Ford was the No. 2 Team Penske Ford driven by Austin Cindric who will start 11th. Rookie Shane van Gisbergen will start 12th in the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet.
    You can tune into the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX with radio coverage provided by PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

    Notes:

    Kyle Larson was late to the qualifying session as the Hendrick Motorsports team had to change a rotor. Larson will start Sunday’s race in 15th.

    Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi, who will be making his second NASCAR start, qualified 25th in the No. 50 23XI Racing Toyota.

    1.   William Byron
    2.   Ty Gibbs
    3.   Tyler Reddick
    4.   Christopher Bell
    5.   Corey LaJoie
    6.   Ross Chastain
    7.   Martin Truex Jr.
    8.   Denny Hamlin
    9.   Chase Elliott
    10. Bubba Wallace
    11. Austin Cindric
    12. Shane Van Gisbergen
    13. Justin Haley
    14. A.J. Allmendinger
    15. Kyle Larson
    16. Kyle Busch
    17. Alex Bowman
    18. Carson Hocevar (R)
    19. Daniel Suarez
    20. Chris Buescher
    21. Austin Dillon
    22. John Hunter Nemechek
    23. Kaz Grala (R)
    24. Ryan Preece
    25. Kamui Kobayashi
    26. Todd Gilliland
    27. Michael McDowell
    28. Ryan Blaney
    29. Harrison Burton
    30. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
    31. Josh Berry (R)
    32. Chase Briscoe
    33. Daniel Hemric
    34. Zane Smith (R)
    35. Joey Logano
    36. Brad Keselowski
    37. Timmy Hill
    38. Erik Jones
    39. Noah Gragson
  • Kyle Larson wins Xfinity Series pole at Circuit of the Americas

    Kyle Larson wins Xfinity Series pole at Circuit of the Americas

    Kyle Larson set a track record during qualifying at Circuit of the Americas and won the pole for Saturday’s Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 with a lap speed of 92.946 mph in the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

    “I think I’ve gotten the pole every time I’ve run the (No.) 17 car,” Larson said following qualifying. “It hasn’t translated to a win yet. I’m still trying to get a grasp of things. It’s going to be tough. SVG (Shane van Gisbergen), he’s still got a lot to learn about the car and he’s already second quick.”

    Rookie Shane van Gisbergen will start beside Larson on the front row after a qualifying lap of 92.65 mph. He will also compete in Sunday’s Cup Series EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix.

    Ty Gibbs (92.537 mph), Chandler Smith (92.211 mph) and AJ Allmendinger (92.188 mph) rounded out the top five. Sage Karam, Sheldon Creed, Cole Custer, Daniel Hemric and Sam Mayer completed the top 10 fastest drivers in the qualifying session.

    Notes:
    Daniel Hemric filled in for Josh Williams, awaiting his child’s birth.
    Preston Pardus and Kaz Grala did not qualify for Saturday’s race at COTA.

    The Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 will be broadcast on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET on FS1 with radio coverage provided by PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

  • Hellmann’s and JR Motorsports Extend Through 2026 Season

    Hellmann’s and JR Motorsports Extend Through 2026 Season

    Longest-tenured JRM Partner to be Featured on the No. 7 Chevrolet for Six races per season, as well as Dale Jr.’s 2024 Return to the NXS at Bristol in the No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 21, 2024) – JR Motorsports and Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, the number one selling mayonnaise brand, announced today a multi-year extension on their partnership that will carry through the conclusion of the 2026 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, which will mark the 18th-consecutive year that the two organizations have been paired together. In addition to the landmark renewal, JRM today confirmed that NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be making his return to Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday, Sept. 20, for his annual NXS event behind the wheel of the Hellmann’s-branded No. 88 Chevrolet, while full-time driver Justin Allgaier will showcase a Hellmann’s primary scheme in six races with the No. 7 team during the 2024 season.

    “We are grateful for Unilever and Hellmann’s continued support and partnership,” said Earnhardt Jr. “They have played a huge role in our organization and our success ever since the early days of JR Motorsports, both on and off the track. They are a huge component to every part of our company, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the future holds.”

    Unilever began its partnership with JRM in 2009, when the organization was a two-car operation. Now, 16 years later, Unilever is the longest-tenured partner for JRM and one of the longest-running partners in all of NASCAR, where it will continue to utilize JRM’s partnership to market their Hellmann’s brand in key markets across the country. Additionally, Unilever will also become a partner with Dirty Mo Media and their growing library of content.

    “On behalf of Hellmann’s and Unilever, we’re honored to continue our partnership with JR Motorsports and Dale Earnhardt Jr., and see the Hellmann’s logo around the track for the 2024 season,” said Chris Symmes, Senior Marketing Director for Dressings & Condiments at Unilever North America. “Dale has always been a great supporter of our brand and we’re proud to support him as he returns to the racetrack.”

    Earnhardt Jr.’s return to Bristol will further extend his streak of racing a Unilever-branded Chevrolet in every year since the partnership began in 2009. Last season, he drove the No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet in Bristol, where he led for 47 laps.

    Allgaier has also continued to find success with Hellmann’s, visiting Victory Lane three times in the Unilever-branded Chevrolet in 2023 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Daytona International Speedway and at Martinsville Speedway. The thrilling victory at Martinsville additionally propelled Allgaier into a Championship 4 appearance.

    Details on the schedule and track locations for the races with Allgaier and the No. 7 Hellmann’s team will be forthcoming.

    About Unilever in North America:

    Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty &Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 127,000 employees and generated sales of €59.6 billion in 2023.

    Our leading brands in North America include Dove, Hellmann’s, Vaseline, Degree, Axe, TRESemmé, Knorr, Magnum, Ben & Jerry’s, Nutrafol, Liquid I.V., Paula’s Choice, and Dermalogica.

    For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit unileverusa.com.

    For more information on Unilever Canada and its brands visit unilever.ca.

    ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:
    JR Motorsports is the racing operation co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Fame member and 15-time Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Miller and NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick. Now in its 23rd year of overall competition, JR Motorsports competes in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series where it currently fields four full-time teams and earned championships in 2014, 2017 and 2018. The company also owns seven titles in regional Late Model divisions with consecutive championships in2022-23 and a prized national title in 2020. To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.

  • Denny Hamlin wins Throwback Classic FOOD CITY 500 Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway

    Denny Hamlin wins Throwback Classic FOOD CITY 500 Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway

    BRISTOL, Tenn. (March 17, 2024) — Denny Hamlin won a true NASCAR Cup Series throwback classic Sunday in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway as teams were presented with a challenging track that ultimately forced teams to pay close attention to their tire wear.

    Virginia native Hamlin led 13 times for 163 laps to take his first Food City 500 win and fourth victory at Bristol. It is his second win in a row at The Last Great Colosseum, as he won here last September in the opening round of the Playoffs.

    The thrilling race set a NASCAR short track record for lead changes at 54 with 16 different drivers holding the lead at some point. The previous record at Bristol for lead changes was 40 in 1991. Only five cars finished on the lead lap.

    The race also set the social media world abuzz as racing experts across the media spectrum, including NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., as well as thousands of vocal fans and others weighed in talking about how exciting the racing was. Earnhardt tweeted that this race was the “…most exciting short track race we’ve had with the Next Gen.”

    “That’s what I grew up doing at short tracks all around the mid-Atlantic, once it became a tire-management race, I liked our chances,” said Hamlin of his 52nd career Cup Series victory and first of the season. “This feels so good to win again at Bristol.”

    In a return to concrete for the Food City 500 from three consecutive years of dirt racing as NASCAR returned to its roots, the teams were faced with tire management and that fell right into the strengths for Hamlin and his crew chief Chris Gabehart.

    Goodyear used the same tire that ran without issue in the Night Race last season but this weekend with 15-degree cooler temps and a new tacky substance on the track, marbles (tiny rubber debris from wearing tires) accumulated all around the track and made racing at the top extremely difficult. With the uncommon wear becoming a factor, Goodyear did issue the teams one more set of tires near mid-race.

    “It was challenging, but a different kind of challenge,” Hamlin said. “I ran a certain pace and line and then made adjustments and Chris (Gabehart, crew chief) kept making the car better and giving me info and it allowed me to do my job better. You learned on the fly and just had to keep making adjustments and we kept getting better. It was a lot of fun for me.”

    Hamlin led all but one lap over the final 48 laps as he dueled with teammate Martin Truex Jr. through heavy lapped traffic. Truex ultimately finished second, tying his best-career Cup Series finish at Bristol in 34 career starts (also second at 2011 Night Race).

    “Apparently, that’s what I need to have happen here at Bristol to have a shot at winning,” Truex said. “I guess this tire management thing fit into my wheelhouse at Bristol. The key was coming out of the pits so close to Denny. We gave it a hell of an effort, but congrats to them. I had a lot of fun tonight.”

    Hamlin also had to overcome a hot start from his other teammate, Ty Gibbs, who led 137 laps and won the first two stages of the race. Many had predicted Gibbs as a top contender to win this race and he looked like he was on his way to his first career Cup win this afternoon in his No. 54 Gibbs Racing machine. Ultimately, though, experience proved to be the overriding factor.

    “This is the first time the driver played a huge role in a long, long time,” Hamlin said. “It’s a different philosophy than we are used to. Mostly cars on the bottom are running hard all the way around and then today there was driver technique that had to be a major part of it.

    “I’m so proud. I feel like I played a huge factor in the result. It’s one of the more-proud races I’ve had in my career.”

    Brad Keselowski finished third, followed by Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson in the top five. Last year’s dirt winner Christopher Bell finished 10th.

    Pole winner Ryan Blaney finished 16th. The highest finishing rookie was Josh Berry, who posted a 12th place finish in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing machine.

    In a note of interesting track history, Hamlin joins David Pearson (1968), Cale Yarborough (1974) and Kasey Kahne (2013) as winners who have all won at Bristol on St. Patrick’s Day.

    NASCAR Cup Series Race – Food City 500
    Bristol Motor Speedway
    Bristol, Tennessee
    Sunday, March 17, 2024

                1. (3)  Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 500. 
            2. (11)  Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 500. 
            3. (17)  Brad Keselowski, Ford, 500. 
            4. (29)  Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 500. 
            5. (10)  Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 500. 
            6. (26)  John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 499. 
            7. (34)  Chris Buescher, Ford, 499. 
            8. (5)  Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 499. 
            9. (19)  Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 499. 
            10. (12)  Christopher Bell, Toyota, 499. 
            11. (7)  Michael McDowell, Ford, 499. 
            12. (2)  Josh Berry #, Ford, 499. 
            13. (6)  Chase Briscoe, Ford, 498. 
            14. (25)  Ryan Preece, Ford, 498. 
            15. (36)  Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 498. 
            16. (1)  Ryan Blaney, Ford, 498. 
            17. (32)  Justin Haley, Ford, 498. 
            18. (28)  Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 498. 
            19. (33)  Kaz Grala #, Ford, 498. 
            20. (15)  Erik Jones, Toyota, 498. 
            21. (18)  Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, 498. 
            22. (4)  Joey Logano, Ford, 498. 
            23. (30)  AJ Allmendinger(i), Chevrolet, 498. 
            24. (31)  Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 498. 
            25. (14)  Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 498. 
            26. (24)  Todd Gilliland, Ford, 497. 
            27. (35)  Carson Hocevar #, Chevrolet, 497. 
            28. (20)  Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 496. 
            29. (9)  Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 496. 
            30. (23)  Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 495. 
            31. (21)  Austin Cindric, Ford, 495. 
            32. (13)  Harrison Burton, Ford, 495. 
            33. (27)  Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 495. 
            34. (22)  Noah Gragson, Ford, 494. 
            35. (8)  William Byron, Chevrolet, 492. 
            36. (16)  Zane Smith #, Chevrolet, Engine, 192.

    Average Speed of Race Winner: 79.678 mph.
    Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 20 Mins, 41 Secs. Margin of Victory: 1.083 Seconds.
    Caution Flags: 9 for 98 laps.
    Lead Changes: 54 among 16 drivers.
    Lap Leaders: R. Blaney 1-2;J. Berry # 3-20;D. Hamlin 21-25;C. Elliott 26;T. Reddick 27-30;B. Wallace 31-40;J. Berry # 41-47;B. Wallace 48-52;D. Hamlin 53-60;C. Elliott 61-64;R. Blaney 65-68;K. Busch 69-73;R. Blaney 74;D. Hamlin 75-82;R. Blaney 83-88;D. Hamlin 89-119;T. Gibbs 120-130;R. Blaney 131;K. Larson 132-140;T. Gibbs 141-145;M. Truex Jr. 146-149;T. Gibbs 150-153;K. Larson 154-156;T. Gibbs 157-158;D. Hamlin 159-162;K. Larson 163-165;D. Hamlin 166;K. Larson 167-170;T. Gibbs 171-181;M. Truex Jr. 182;C. Buescher 183-199;C. Bell 200-223;M. Truex Jr. 224-235;C. LaJoie 236-239;C. Bell 240-243;J. Logano 244-248;T. Gibbs 249-256;M. Truex Jr. 257;T. Gibbs 258-284;M. Truex Jr. 285-317;D. Hamlin 318-322;T. Gibbs 323-364;D. Hamlin 365-372;M. Truex Jr. 373;D. Hamlin 374-379;C. Bell 380;D. Hamlin 381-398;T. Gibbs 399-425;D. Hamlin 426-447;M. Truex Jr. 448;B. Keselowski 449;A. Bowman 450-452;D. Hamlin 453-482;M. Truex Jr. 483;D. Hamlin 484-500.
    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Denny Hamlin 13 times for 163 laps; Ty Gibbs 9 times for 137 laps; Martin Truex Jr. 8 times for 54 laps; Christopher Bell 3 times for 29 laps; Josh Berry # 2 times for 25 laps; Kyle Larson 4 times for 19 laps; Chris Buescher 1 time for 17 laps; Bubba Wallace 2 times for 15 laps; Ryan Blaney 5 times for 14 laps; Joey Logano 1 time for 5 laps; Kyle Busch 1 time for 5 laps; Chase Elliott 2 times for 5 laps; Corey LaJoie 1 time for 4 laps; Tyler Reddick 1 time for 4 laps; Alex Bowman 1 time for 3 laps; Brad Keselowski 1 time for 1 lap.
    Stage #1 Top Ten: 54,5,17,6,42,12,19,20,41,4
    Stage #2 Top Ten: 54,6,22,42,20,19,11,5,23,41

  • The White Zone: Yeah, this race wasn’t good

    The White Zone: Yeah, this race wasn’t good

    EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of this story used the headline “The White Zone: Yeah, this race sucked.” After discussing it with Tucker, he understood this was too mean-spirited of a title. Furthermore, he rewrote several paragraphs for the same reason.

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Even IndyCar puts on lackluster races.

    I’ve worked enough NTT INDYCAR SERIES races to know what makes a good race. You won’t see bumping and banging, and multiple on-track lead changes like NASCAR. And if you understand and accept that, there’s a lot of fun to have with IndyCar. Which, in my opinion, is more strategy-heavy than NASCAR.

    But just like NASCAR, INDYCAR has doldrum days.

    All weekend, I heard beat writers and even NBC take potshots at Formula 1 for how stale and boring its product is (and rightfully so). Now by no means was Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Pete near the level of the Max Verstappen Invitational.

    But it had some elements of it.

    Josef Newgarden led 92 of 100 laps and won by a margin of roughly eight seconds. All the lead changes happened during pit stops. Three times, a driver braked wrong, overran a corner and a caution flew. In one case, Romain Grosjean clipped Linus Lundqvist in Turn 10 and put him in the tire barrier (for which, he served a pass-through penalty).

    Outside of that, Sunday’s race didn’t give me much to discuss.

    Look, there was a lot of good from this weekend. This race drew an insanely huge crowd, which crowded pit road, pre-race. I found it more difficult than normal to move my way through the sea of people. Furthermore, St. Pete is an amazingly intimate venue. Everything’s centralized to an excellent walking distance radius of the deadline room and once you figure out the basic layout, it’s insanely easy to navigate.

    Would I come here to cover a race, again? ABSOLUTELY!

    Moreover, this race was probably an outlier.

    For now, however, the kickoff to the 2024 season could’ve been better.

    That’s my view, for what it’s worth.

  • Newgarden takes pole at St. Pete

    Newgarden takes pole at St. Pete

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Josef Newgarden told NBC’s Marty Snider, Friday, in the Mahaffey Theater that despite his Indianapolis 500 victory and wins on all but one oval, he was bummed to not win a pole in 2023.

    He rectified that in Race No. 1 of 2024.

    “Crazy proud,” he said. “I’m always proud of my team and even more so today. They deserve it. They’ve done a great job all off-season. They’ve done a great job in 2023 (sic), and I feel like we fell short in a lot of areas that we didn’t need to.”

    The two-time NTT INDYCAR Series champion scored his 17th career pole with a Firestone Fast Six time of 59.5714 (108.777 mph). He jumped to the top of the charts with just 15 seconds left in the final round. Besting Felix Rosenqvist, who broke Will Power’s track record in the second round.

    All of which came after a less than stellar performance in first practice, Friday. Newgarden’s team didn’t change much on the car after first practice.

    “We were sort of same car,” he said. “Just really putting it together better, and I think (second practice) was representative more so for where we were as a team.”

    Rounding out the top-six are Pato O’Ward, Colton Herta (who ran his fastest time in the final round on Firestone black tires, while the rest used greens*), Romain Grosjean and defending race winner Marcus Ericsson.

    Aside from Rinus VeeKay kissing the wall off Turn 10, nothing out of the ordinary happened during qualifying. Gusts of wind dragged debris onto the track, but that wound up a non-factor.

    * The green-banded Firestone tires are the same compound as the reds of years past, but with a different construction. How differently it performed was “hard to say.”

    “I felt like it was probably more of a lap two, lap three tire than the past,” Rosenqvist said. “I think here last time we were here it was like a lap one tire. It changes all the time kind of depending on the weather and the wind and what not.”

  • Dixon vs. father time

    Dixon vs. father time

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Scott Dixon took his seat at the podium inside the deadline room of the Mahaffey Theater. The six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion starts his 22nd season, Sunday.

    In most sports, an athlete’s performance peaks in their mid to late 20s. Whereas in auto racing, many drivers race well into their 40s. Mario Andretti raced full-time in IndyCar until 1994, at the age of 54. AJ Foyt ran his final race in 1996, at 61, in a 28th-place finish in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

    Furthermore, winning races isn’t just for the youth. Dixon, 43, capped off the 2023 season with three wins in the last four races.

    With that said, however, father time waits for nobody.

    “I think it’s different for everybody, depending on when they feel like they should be done with a sport,” Dixon said.

    Sometimes, a driver leaves a sport on top. While he didn’t win a fifth NASCAR Cup Series championship, Jeff Gordon, at 44, raced his way into the Championship 4 in his final full-time season in 2015.

    More often than not, however, a driver exits with a whimper.

    While Jimmie Johnson won his seventh championship in 2016, at 41, his performance declined as well. He finished less than half the races in the top-10 for the first time in his career and didn’t lead the most laps in a single race. Moreover, his results fell sharply in his final four full-time seasons. He went winless in his final three and missed the playoffs in his final two.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr., at 43, finished his Cup Series career in 2017 with no wins in his last two seasons. That, and a concussion cost him half of his penultimate season.

    Sometimes, a driver gets no say on how they go out. A wreck in the penultimate round of the 2013 IndyCar season forced Dario Franchitti, at 40, into an early retirement.

    So how much longer Dixon has is “hard to answer.”

    “I think you go until you feel like you don’t want to or maybe you’re not winning as much,” he said.

    In 21 years in INDYCAR, Dixon won at least one race in all but one. Last season, in addition to his three wins, he finished top-10 in all but one race and top-five in 11 of 17.

    For now, the New Zealand native shows no sign of decline. Aside from clocking in 12th in first practice.

  • NTT INDYCAR SERIES Unveils New Hype Spot To Open Season

    NTT INDYCAR SERIES Unveils New Hype Spot To Open Season

    ‘All American’ Star Michael Evans Behling Voices 2024 Thematic Scene Setter

    INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, March 6, 2024) – The NTT INDYCAR SERIES offers the most dynamic, competitive and challenging racing in motorsport, and its new promotional video brings all of the action, drama and intrigue to audiences as the new season prepares to launch this weekend.

    Narrated by actor and INDYCAR fan Michael Evans Behling, “Any Given Race Day” serves as a thematic scene-setter for the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, focusing on the hyper-unpredictability of race day while showcasing some of the series’ established stars, emerging contenders and fresh-faced newcomers.

    SEE: “Any Given Race Day” Video

    “Any Given Race Day” will run across digital and social platforms leading into Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding as part of a multichannel national media campaign.

    INDYCAR conceptualized and developed the spot internally and will partner with EchoPoint Media, an Indianapolis agency, as a paid media partner.

    Evans Behling is an Indiana native who stars on the long-running hit show “All American,” which begins its sixth season on The CW this spring.

    Live coverage of the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding begins at noon ET Sunday, March 10 on NBC, Peacock, Telemundo Deportes en Universo and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

  • Call811.com Digs in on Partnership with Josh Williams and Kaulig Racing

    Call811.com Digs in on Partnership with Josh Williams and Kaulig Racing

    Call811.com to serve as primary partner on No. 11 Chevy Camaro

     LEXINGTON, N.C. (March 5, 2024) – Kaulig Racing announces that Call811.com will be the primary partner for the No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro, driven by Josh Williams, for select races during the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) season.

    In addition to its primary races, Call 811.com will be an associate partner on the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevy for the 2024 NXS season.

    “We’re excited to have Call811.com join our team at Kaulig Racing,” said Chris Rice, team president. “Even in the short time I have known him, it’s been a lot of fun to work with Josh [Williams]. He’s passionate about his partners and we’re looking forward to continuing to grow those relationships this season.”

    Williams’ dedication to his partners has paid off in dividends.

    “We are proud to be riding along with Josh Williams again in 2024 as he makes an exciting jump to Kaulig Racing,” Sandra Holmes, Executive Director of Arizona 811, said. “We are happy to be a witness to Josh’s growth in the sport and are elated to have the Call811.com safety messaging in front of his ever-growing fan base in NASCAR. We are looking forward to seeing how this season unfolds!”

    Call811.com is the national online resource which helps to identify each state’s call-before-you-dig service for the coordination of markings for the approximate locations of buried utilities. Using the 811 process EVERY time, for EVERY dig, is essential to preventing serious injuries and loss of vital services resulting from damages to underground utilities.

    “Call811.com’s support has been important to get me to where I now am in my career,” Williams said. “Having my partners follow me to Kaulig Racing means a lot, and I’m excited to continue building our relationship.”

    Call811.com will make its first appearance as the primary partner on the No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevy Camaro at Phoenix Raceway in the aptly named Call811.com Every Dig. Every Time. 200.
     
    About Call811.com

    Call811.com is an easy online resource for finding out how to contact each state’s 811 center, and about the specific state’s digging law. Hitting a buried utility line while digging can cause serious injuries or death, costly repairs, civil penalties and fines, or disruption of vital utility services local communities rely on every day.

    Safety is in the hands of all homeowners/occupants, farmers, or contractors when beginning any digging project – big or small- deep or shallow. A few days before starting, using the free 811 process is required to request the approximate location of buried utilities to be marked with paint or flags, then wait the required timeframe to ensure all affected utilities have responded before ever putting a shovel in the ground. Once utility locations are identified, it is always necessary to dig with care according to each state’s requirements.

    In 2022, more than 25% of utility damages nationwide occurred because the 811 process was not used, even though the digger involved in most of those damages had used the process in the past. Everyone has the power to reduce the risk of damages by using the 811 process themselves or requiring contractors they hire to use it for EVERY DIG. EVERY TIME.”

    About Kaulig Racing™

    Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and has won back-to-back regular-season championships. Before becoming a full-time NCS team, Kaulig Racing made multiple starts in the 2021 NCS season and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team expanded to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and added a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. In 2024, the team will once again field two, full-time entries in the NCS and continue to field three, full-time NXS entries. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.