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  • Camaro Motorsports Heritage Grows with ZL1 Garage 56 Edition

    Camaro Motorsports Heritage Grows with ZL1 Garage 56 Edition

    DETROIT – While three of the world’s most accomplished drivers are set to pilot the Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend, 56 enthusiasts will get to own a car inspired by this incredibly special race car. The production 2024 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 Edition, which will be available later this year, celebrates the legendary effort to run a NASCAR Cup Camaro ZL1 at Le Mans.

    The Garage 56 project is a collaboration between NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet, Goodyear and IMSA — bringing together the winningest team, manufacturer and tire in NASCAR’s 75-year history.

    “Even though Chevrolet has been racing since its inception in 1911, we’ve never done anything quite like Garage 56,” said General Motors President Mark Reuss.

    Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

    The race car vision began when NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France recognized an opportunity to showcase the capability of the NASCAR Next Gen car before a global audience. Garage 56, introduced at Le Mans in 2012 as a single-entry class reserved for innovative and extraordinary vehicles, provided the right venue for a NASCAR Cup Series car built to withstand 24 hours of maximum-effort driving to compete.

    Longtime Chevrolet partner Hendrick Motorsports, all-time leader in NASCAR Cup Series championships and race wins, was selected to field the team and construct the Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 race car. Renowned drivers Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion; Jenson Button, 2009 Formula One World Champion; and multi-time Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller will drive the Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 at Le Mans.

    Goodyear, both the official tire of NASCAR and the tire manufacturer for all sixth generation Camaro variants, provides Goodyear Eagle tires for the Garage 56 race car.

    Chevrolet’s Motorsports Competition Engineering team brought more than two decades of Le Mans knowledge, experience and success with Corvette Racing to help optimize the Garage 56 race car.

    Chevrolet engineers are also heavily involved in what may be the most memorable aspect of the Garage 56 Camaro: the throaty, all-American roar produced by the R07 Small Block V-8. The R07 serves Chevrolet teams in the NASCAR Cup Series, and the variant used in Le Mans was developed and tested to maximize performance and durability for the 24-hour race.

    Converting the Cup Camaro ZL1 to the Garage 56 race car required specific functional lighting, new aero treatments and a standout livery. The GM Motorsport Design Studio executed this vision with help from Hendrick Motorsports to bring Camaro’s signature proportions to the racetrack.

    2024 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 Edition

    Renderings of the 2024 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 Edition were shown publicly for the first time today in France during a “Meet the Team” event at Le Mans highlighting the race program and the race car.

    During talks between leadership from Chevrolet and collaborators at NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, Goodyear and IMSA, it quickly became clear that such a special race car needed to be accompanied by a production car representing yet another significant accomplishment in Camaro’s storied motorsports heritage. Chevrolet’s Performance Design Studio was again tapped to distill the essence of the race car into a limited-edition road car.

    “When adapting a race car appearance into a production car, you want to showcase themes, proportions and colors without making the car look out of place on the street,” said Marc Mainville, senior manager, GM Motorsport Design Studio. “The Garage 56 Edition captures the feeling of the race car while allowing the car’s athletic lines to be in the forefront.”

    The design starts with the new-for-2024 Riptide Blue exterior color and adds a graphics package that pulls in colors and themes from the race car, including thin gold stripes that accent a larger white stripe running from hood to rear decklid. On the hood, just beyond the nose of the Camaro, is the NASCAR 75th Anniversary logo — matching the logo’s prominent placement on the race car. The gold and white stripes become an accent to the monochromatic stars and stripes visuals that start on the engine cowl on the hood and extend to the roof.

    A special Garage 56 badge is located on the front fenders, replacing the Camaro badging, and a Hendrick Motorsports logo is added to the sail panels in a similar position to the ones on the race car. Satin mirrors and a black fuel door with carbon fiber inserts are additional exterior highlights, while the interior receives Garage 56 emblems on the floormats and a Garage 56 steering wheel badge.

    Each car will come with three additional graphics that buyers can choose to equip their Garage 56 Editions with that represent the collaborators and are drawn from their decal positions on the race car: a NASCAR windshield header decal, white Goodyear front wheel arch decals and door decals displaying 24, the number run on the race car.

    The Garage 56 Edition also features unique aero, with the front fascia of the Camaro ZL1 1LE featuring dive-planes like the race car, and a NASCAR Cup car-style wicker bill spoiler on the decklid.

    Like the race car, the production car’s power comes from the Small Block engine family. The Camaro ZL1’s 650hp LT4 V-8 is under the hood, and the Camaro rides on Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperCar rubber.

    In the spirit of Garage 56, the Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 Edition will be in a class of its own with only 56 cars to be produced for the U.S. market.

    Hitting the track and the showroom

    After months of testing, the Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, beginning at 10 a.m. ET, Saturday, June 10.

    The Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 Edition will enter production later this year at GM’s Lansing Grand River Assembly facility in Michigan1.

    About Chevrolet

    Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. 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.

  • Palou Pads Points Lead with Precise Winning Drive in Detroit

    Palou Pads Points Lead with Precise Winning Drive in Detroit

    DETROIT (Sunday, June 4, 2023) – Precision paid off for Alex Palou on Sunday in Detroit.

    NTT P1 Award winner Palou used his smooth driving style to prevail on one of the toughest circuits in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, capturing the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on the streets of Detroit. Spaniard Palou kept the lead during two late restarts in the No. 10 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda of Chip Ganassi Racing and beat the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet of Will Power to the finish by 1.1843 seconds.

    It was the sixth career victory for 2021 season champion Palou and his second in the last three races this season, as he also won the GMR Grand Prix on May 13 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

    “The No. 10 Ridgeline Lubricants car was on point today,” Palou said. “Super proud of the job we did. It was tricky there at the end, man, with those (worn) tires couldn’t really get to temperature (on restarts).”

    Felix Rosenqvist finished a season-best third in the No. 6 onsemi Arrow McLaren Chevrolet after muscling past teammate Alexander Rossi during a spirited duel in the closing laps on the nine-turn, 1.7-mile temporary street circuit.

    Six-time series champion Scott Dixon finished fourth in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, putting two CGR cars in the top four. Rossi rounded out the top five in the No. 7 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

    Palou led from the drop of the green flag in the 100-lap race under sunny skies. He stretched his advantage to 9.1 seconds by Lap 21 after starting on the Firestone alternate tires, whose softer compound has more grip but less durability. Power started seventh on Firestone primary tires and used the longer wear on those tires to cut Palou’s lead to 1.5 seconds by Lap 29.

    At that point, Chip Ganassi Racing elected to call Palou to the pits for Firestone primary tires, the same rubber as Power. Six laps later, Power pitted for the first time, opting for his mandatory run on Firestone alternates that use sustainable rubber from the guayule shrub, and handed the lead back to Palou.

    After Power blended back into the race from his stop, Palou gradually built his lead to four seconds. But that gap evaporated on Lap 43 when Pato O’Ward crashed in Turn 9 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.

    Palou held off Power on the restart on Lap 49, but the caution flag flew during the first lap of green after the restart when rookie Sting Ray Robb went deep into the runoff area in Turn 3 in the No. 51 biohaven Honda.

    The ensuing restart on Lap 56 was about the only spot of bother all day for Palou. Power, on grippier alternate tires, dove under Palou for first in the Turn 3 hairpin at the end of the long back straightaway. Palou’s car seemed to pause at the exit of that corner, apparently due to a problem that forced him to cycle through the emergency electronics mode on the wheel before normal service was restored.

    Reigning and two-time series champion Power had pulled away to a 2.8-second lead over Palou two laps after that restart. But Palou collected himself, focused forward and dove under Power in Turn 3 on Lap 65 to regain the lead.

    “We had an issue that was probably my fault, but then we got stuck there,” Palou said. “I couldn’t really upshift. Proud that we got it back and that we got another win this year.”

    After the field cycled through its final pit stops, Palou led by nearly five seconds when Romain Grosjean crashed in Turn 4 in the No. 28 DHL Honda on Lap 82, triggering another full-course caution. Palou held off Power on that restart on Lap 87, another on Lap 91 after David Malukas crashed in the No. 18 HMD Trucking Honda during the previous restart and yet again on a final restart on Lap 96 after Santino Ferrucci’s No. 14 Sexton Properties/AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet and Robb’s car went deep into the Turn 3 runoff while dueling for position.

    There was plenty of muscular driving and contact over the last five laps, including Dixon running into the rear of Power’s car on the final restart and spirited, aggressive swaps of position by Arrow McLaren teammates Rosenqvist and Rossi. Palou levitated in front of the mayhem and cruised to victory, leading 74 of the 100 laps.

    “I did everything I could to get Palou,” Power said. “He was just too quick, man. Too good today.”

    Palou will split $10,000 with Chip Ganassi Racing and his chosen charity, The American Legion, for his victory as part of the PeopleReady Force For Good Challenge. He has won two of the three legs needed to earn a $1 million bonus, with a win on the road course at IMS and the street circuit at Detroit. Palou can secure the bonus with a win in any of the three remaining three oval races, a doubleheader July 22-23 at Iowa Speedway and Aug. 27 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

    The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR on Sunday, June 18 in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

  • Siegel Drives to Sweet Redemption with First Career Win in Detroit

    Siegel Drives to Sweet Redemption with First Career Win in Detroit

    DETROIT (Sunday, June 4, 2023) – Just 24 hours after one of the most heartbreaking races of his career, sweet redemption came Sunday for Nolan Siegel.

    Rookie Siegel earned his first career INDY NXT by Firestone victory on the streets of Detroit, taking the lead on Lap 2 from his No. 3 starting spot in the No. 39 HMD Motorsports with DCR car and holding off his rivals on two restarts. Siegel crossed the finish line .6559 of a second ahead of championship leader and teammate Christian Rasmussen in the No. 6 HMD Motorsports with DCR machine.

    SEE: Race Results

    Siegel, 18, who graduates from high school this Friday in Northern California, led by more than five seconds with two turns to go in the first race of the INDY NXT by Firestone Detroit Grand Prix on Saturday when a driveshaft broke while the checkered flag was waving. He limped across the finish in eighth place in the 45-lap race won by Reece Gold.

    “It’s absolutely amazing,” Siegel said. “Yesterday was obviously super disappointing. I think we deserved two (wins) this weekend. But to get it today after what happened yesterday, it’s not losing – it’s how you come back from a loss like that and how you come back from a bad day. We came back from a bad day and won.

    “I think that shows a lot about our team, and I think we’re going to be up here a lot more.”

    Pole sitter Louis Foster finished third in the No. 26 Copart/USF Pro Championship car Sunday, followed by Andretti Autosport teammate Hunter McElrea in the No. 27 Smart Motors car. Danial Frost rounded out the top five in the No. 68 HMD Motorsports with DCR machine.

    Foster and Rasmussen drag-raced down the long back straightaway on E. Jefferson Avenue at the start of the 45-lap race on Lap 2 after the initial start was waved off, with Rasmussen on the outside. Both drivers went wide in the Turn 3 hairpin corner at the end of the straight, leaving an opening for Siegel to dart through for the lead.

    Siegel then showed the same smooth speed and composure on display Saturday when it appeared he was cruising to victory, building a gap of one second before the field bunched for a full-course caution on Lap 15 when Jagger Jones hit the barrier at the exit of Turn 2 in the No. 98 Lead Sled car fielded by Cape Motorsports.

    Rasmussen pulled on the outside of Siegel in the Turn 3 hairpin on the ensuing restart on Lap 20, but Siegel stayed tight to the apex of the corner and kept the lead. Siegel then gradually drove away from the field, building a lead of 1.6 seconds when Kyffin Simpson hit the barrier in Turn 9 in the No. 21 HMD Motorsports with CGR car, triggering the third and last full-course caution of the race.

    The race was decided on a two-lap dash to the checkered after the restart on Lap 44. Siegel got a good jump on E. Jefferson Avenue and never was challenged into the Turn 3 hairpin, pulling away over the last two trips around the nine-turn, 1.7-mile temporary street circuit with no mechanical gremlins before the finish.

    Rasmussen kept the championship lead with his runner-up finish by just two points over the surging Siegel, 178-176.

    The next race is the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Road America on Sunday, June 18 in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

    INDY NXT by Firestone Detroit Grand Prix Race 2 Results

    1. (3) Nolan Siegel, 45, Running
    2. (2) Christian Rasmussen, 45, Running
    3. (1) Louis Foster, 45, Running
    4. (5) Hunter McElrea, 45, Running
    5. (8) Danial Frost, 45, Running
    6. (11) James Roe, 45, Running
    7. (6) Ernie Francis Jr., 45, Running
    8. (7) Colin Kaminsky, 45, Running
    9. (9) Jacob Abel, 45, Running
    10. (10) Enaam Ahmed, 45, Running
    11. (18) Matteo Nannini, 45, Running
    12. (4) Reece Gold, 45, Running
    13. (13) Toby Sowery, 45, Running
    14. (12) Rasmus Lindh, 45, Running
    15. (17) Christian Bogle, 44, Running
    16. (14) Jamie Chadwick, 40, Running
    17. (19) Kyffin Simpson, 33, Contact
    18. (16) Josh Green, 30, Running
    19. (15) Jagger Jones, 14, Contact

    Race Statistics
    Winner’s average speed: 79.506 mph
    Time of Race: 00:55:51.8030
    Margin of victory: 0.6559 of a second
    Cautions: 3 for 11 laps
    Lead changes: 1 among 2 drivers

    Lap Leaders:
    Foster, Louis 1
    Siegel, Nolan 2 – 45

  • Dominant trucks hand Enfinger Gateway victory in late wreck

    Dominant trucks hand Enfinger Gateway victory in late wreck

    MADISON, Ill. — It was Zane Smith’s race to lose.

    He stayed out to take the lead in the final 30 laps of the Toyota 200 at World Wide Technology Raceway. Even with four new tires, Grant Enfinger wasn’t eating into his lead. Smith’s car was just too strong on medium to long runs.

    But then Lawless Alan threw a monkey wrench into the runaway operation with a spin with 10 laps to go.

    Now it’s anyone’s race.

    With six to go, Ty Majeski powers off Turn 2 and pulls inside of Smith.

    Even down the backstretch.

    Even entering Turn 3.

    Disaster.

    “Low air pressures and we had the splitter bent, got into Turn 3 obviously trying to get ahead of the No. 38, hit the splitter, had to check up, and went up the racetrack,” Majeski said. “Obviously when you go up the racetrack, his side took the air from mine, and I went around and wrecked us both.”

    As a result, Enfinger passed underneath the wreck to retake the lead and drove onto victory.

    “I don’t know if we were just on the limit right there on the end, but I think Ty just did what I did last year to Zane,” Enfinger said.

    Smith spoke to Majeski after the race, both to see if someone got into him and just what his plan was.

    “I saw an interview earlier where at this track he has more experience here than any others,” he said. “He still races like it’s his first time here. We see time and time again that the guy on the bottom has to be a little conservative, and that’s why the leaders always choose the top.”

    Ultimately, it doesn’t hurt either Smith or Majeski, points-wise. Majeski leaves Gateway second, one point behind Corey Heim (who missed Saturday’s race with an illness). Meanwhile, Smith remains fourth, with two wins to book his ticket to the playoffs.

    It doesn’t ease the heartbreaking loss for Smith, however.

    “I mean, I kind of did it to myself staying in this series,” he said. “It is pretty unbelievable how scary some of these guys are. We’ve just had, now, four bad weeks – some self-inflicted, but our day obviously snowballed once we get around some of these guys. It’s just frustrating.”

  • Rookie Gold Earns First Career Win after Detroit Heartbreak for Siegel

    Rookie Gold Earns First Career Win after Detroit Heartbreak for Siegel

    DETROIT (Saturday, June 3, 2023) – Rookie Reece Gold earned a dramatic first career victory Saturday, passing the crippled car of leader Nolan Siegel on the final straightaway with the checkered flag waving at the INDY NXT by Firestone Detroit Grand Prix.

    Gold drove his No. 10 HMD Motorsports with DCR car to victory by .2974 of a second over the No. 98 Lead Sled car driven by fellow rookie Jagger Jones, grandson of 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones. Veteran Ernie Francis Jr., driving with a surgically repaired broken wrist, finished third in the No. 99 HMD Motorsports with Force Indy car, .5169 of a second behind Gold.

    “I don’t know what happened to Nolan,” Gold said. “That sucks. They ran a great race. I’m super happy to get my first win. Thank you to the team. Everyone at HMD has done an amazing job.

    “Yeah, never give up. That was a crazy ending.”

    All three podium finishers earned the first top-three results of their respective INDY NXT by Firestone careers. Francis became the first Haitian American driver to earn a podium finish in the INDYCAR development series.

    Jacob Abel finished fourth in the No. 51 Abel Motorsports machine. Rookie Enaam Ahmed drove to a career-best finish of fifth in the No. 47 Rickshaw Rocket machine, joining his Cape Motorsports teammate Jones in the top five.

    While Gold celebrated his first win, the polar opposite emotion was endured by Siegel. He led by more than five seconds on the last of the 45 laps around the nine-turn, 1.7-mile temporary street circuit when his No. 39 HMD Motorsports with DCR car slowed suddenly with two turns to go due to an apparent broken driveshaft.

    Siegel guided the wounded machine through Turns 8 and 9 in the lead with the checkered flag in the air, but the podium finishers and a host of other cars passed him on the short straightaway to the flag stand. Siegel ended up eighth.

    The finish was especially cruel considering the gap Siegel built after passing Gold with a classic inside-out maneuver in Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 39. Gold and Siegel went side by side into the left-hand hairpin Turn 3 at the end of the long back straightaway. Siegel was on the outside in Turn 3, giving him the preferred inside line into the right-handed Turn 4.

    Siegel completed the pass and then drove away over the next six laps, adding nearly one second per lap to the gap, before calamity struck with two corners left.

    Gold, who started third, and Siegel, who started fourth, became the class of the field after pole sitter Louis Foster and No. 2 starter Hunter McElrea were involved in a first-lap incident that triggered the first of the two caution periods in the race.

    McElrea’s No. 27 Smart Motors car hit the rear of Andretti Autosport teammate Foster’s No. 26 Copart/USF Pro Championship machine entering Turn 3 after the green flag, spinning Foster backward into the wall and out of the race. McElrea was assessed with a stop-and-go penalty for avoidable contact and ended up finishing seventh.

    From there, Gold and Siegel controlled the front of the field, with Gold leading by anywhere from one-half to one second until about 10 laps to go. Then Siegel clawed back the gap and drove right on to Gold’s gearbox before passing Gold for the lead in Turn 4 on Lap 39.

    Christian Rasmussen overcame a Lap 1 pit stop to replace a damaged front wing and left-front Firestone tire on his No. 6 HMD Motorsports with DCR car and rallied to finish ninth. That was enough to keep the championship lead by 15 points over Siegel, 138-125.

    Race 2 of the doubleheader is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET Sunday (live, Peacock and INDYCAR Radio Network).

    INDY NXT by Firestone Detroit Grand Prix Race 1 Results

    1. (3) Reece Gold, 45, Running
    2. (8) Jagger Jones, 45, Running
    3. (14) Ernie Francis Jr., 45, Running
    4. (10) Jacob Abel, 45, Running
    5. (11) Enaam Ahmed, 45, Running
    6. (18) Christian Bogle, 45, Running
    7. (2) Hunter McElrea, 45, Running
    8. (4) Nolan Siegel, 45, Running
    9. (5) Christian Rasmussen, 45, Running
    10. (13) James Roe, 45, Running
    11. (15) Jamie Chadwick, 45, Running
    12. (6) Rasmus Lindh, 45, Running
    13. (9) Kyffin Simpson, 45, Running
    14. (16) Matteo Nannini, 45, Running
    15. (7) Josh Green, 40, Mechanical
    16. (12) Colin Kaminsky, 39, Running
    17. (19) Toby Sowery, 30, Mechanical
    18. (17) Danial Frost, 21, Contact
    19. (1) Louis Foster, 0, Contact

    Race Statistics
    Winner’s average speed: 79.448 mph
    Time of Race: 00:55:54.2862
    Margin of victory: 0.2974 of a second
    Cautions: 2 for 8 lap
    Lead changes: 3 among 3 drivers

    Lap Leaders:
    McElrea, Hunter 1 – 5
    Gold, Reece 6 – 38
    Siegel, Nolan 39 – 44
    Gold, Reece 45

  • Palou Masters Tricky Detroit for Second Consecutive Pole

    Palou Masters Tricky Detroit for Second Consecutive Pole

    DETROIT (Saturday, June 3, 2023) – Alex Palou spent plenty of time in the runoff areas Friday afternoon and Saturday morning while finding the limits of grip and speed on the new Streets of Detroit circuit.

    That education in practice paid off Saturday, as 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Palou will start the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on Sunday from the best position – pole.

    2021 series champion Palou earned his third career pole and second in a row – he also won the NTT P1 Award for the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge last month – in the No. 10 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing. His best lap of 1 minute, 1.8592 seconds with 70 seconds left in the Firestone Fast Six withstood a handful of attempts to topple it.

    “We started on used greens (Firestone alternate tires) that we used in the Fast 12, and it didn’t feel really good,” Palou said. “I was concerned if we were going to be able to make two laps or not, but super happy. My first pole on street course. We had a great car since the beginning.

    “It’s going to be a tough day tomorrow, for sure. I got off (course) a lot in practice. We were wanting to see where the limit was. We found it. But man, it’s a crazy track.”

    Live coverage of the 100-lap race on the bumpy, tight, nine-turn, 1.7-mile temporary street circuit in downtown Detroit starts at 3 p.m. ET Sunday on NBC, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

    Scott McLaughlin will join championship leader Palou on the front row after his best lap of 1:02.1592 in the No. 3 Gallagher Insurance Team Penske Chevrolet.

    Romain Grosjean qualified third at 1:02.2896 in the No. 28 DHL Honda. Six-time series champion Scott Dixon, who led practice Saturday morning, will join Grosjean in Row 2 after qualifying fourth at 1:02.4272 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

    Newly crowned Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Josef Newgarden overcame the fatigue of a hectic week of celebration and media and sponsor activities after his dramatic Indy victory to qualify fifth at 1:02.5223 in the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet. Marcus Ericsson rounded out the Firestone Fast Six at 1:02.6184 in the No. 8 Huski Ice Spritz Honda.

    McLaughlin was one of the last drivers on a flying lap during the Firestone Fast Six but couldn’t eclipse Palou’s best lap.

    “Credit to him – great lap,” McLaughlin said. “Man, this is a tough old joint here. You’re wheeling it pretty hard. We just didn’t quite have it, but this is a great result for us in the Gallagher Chevy. This is a real tough challenge.”

    Marcus Armstrong was the top qualifier among the four rookies in the field, 11th in the No. 11 The American Legion Honda at 1:02.2958.

    Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear Qualifying Results

    1. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 01:01.8592 (95.734)
    2. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 01:02.1592 (95.271)
    3. (28) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 01:02.2896 (95.072)
    4. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 01:02.4272 (94.862)
    5. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 01:02.5223 (94.718)
    6. (8) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 01:02.6184 (94.573)
    7. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 01:02.1817 (95.237)
    8. (60) Simon Pagenaud, Honda, 01:02.1860 (95.230)
    9. (6) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 01:02.1937 (95.219)
    10. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 01:02.2564 (95.123)
    11. (11) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 01:02.2958 (95.063)
    12. (27) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 01:04.6075 (91.661)
    13. (7) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 01:02.5714 (94.644)
    14. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 01:02.1911 (95.223)
    15. (20) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 01:02.9522 (94.071)
    16. (77) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 01:02.2644 (95.111)
    17. (29) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 01:03.0017 (93.997)
    18. (45) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 01:02.6495 (94.526)
    19. (55) Benjamin Pedersen, Chevrolet, 01:03.1599 (93.762)
    20. (78) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, 01:02.9071 (94.139)
    21. (18) David Malukas, Honda, 01:03.2126 (93.684)
    22. (14) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 01:02.9589 (94.061)
    23. (06) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 01:03.3879 (93.425)
    24. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 01:03.4165 (93.383)
    25. (30) Jack Harvey, Honda, 01:03.7728 (92.861)
    26. (51) Sting Ray Robb, Honda, 01:03.7496 (92.895)
    27. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 01:03.8663 (92.725)
  • The White Zone: Waivers in NASCAR are a joke

    The White Zone: Waivers in NASCAR are a joke

    MADISON, Ill. — NASCAR, how does this make sense?

    If you slept under a rock, this week, NASCAR parked Chase Elliott, after he intentionally wrecked Denny Hamlin, Monday, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was nakedly blatant and the SMT data of the wreck reinforced that.

    NASCAR handled it, correctly. After it suspended Bubba Wallace, last season, for doing the same thing to Kyle Larson at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, it couldn’t not give Elliott the same penalty, without inciting a mutiny in the garage.

    But then NASCAR shot itself in the foot by giving him a waiver.

    So let me get this straight: Elliott’s actions in the Coca-Cola 600 (correctly) warranted a one race suspension, but he’s still playoff-eligible?

    How?!

    The only real penalty, effectively, is he gets one less race to make the playoffs.

    And he’s not the first.

    Johnny Sauter got a waiver, after NASCAR parked him for wrecking Austin Hill under caution at Iowa Speedway in 2019. And while not a wreck, NASCAR suspended Josh Williams for parking his car on track at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March.

    Both received waivers.

    OK, I get that there’s more to a race team than the driver. The pit crew, the crew chief and spotter didn’t put Hamlin in the wall. Furthermore, it’s probably not good for sponsorship, if you penalize the whole team for the actions of one individual.

    And if NASCAR approved all waiver requests, I’d respect that point more.

    With that said, however, the league’s denied waiver requests.

    In fact, at press time, the league’s denied just three request for a playoff waiver.

    Spencer Gallagher’s denial makes sense, but Kaz Grala and Grant Enfinger’s don’t. They were circumstances beyond their control.

    Yet according to the heads in Daytona, substance abuse and missing a race for lack of sponsorship are stronger grounds for a waiver denial than intentionally wrecking another driver.

    So I ask again, NASCAR, how does this make sense?

    For as much flak as NASCAR (rightfully) gets for inconsistent officiating, granting playoff waivers to drivers suspended for intentionally wrecking others is one precedent NASCAR should break.

    And if this isn’t grounds for a waiver denial, then waivers are a joke.

    But at the end of the day, as the late Ed Coombs told me, “It’s their show to **** up.”

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

  • ‘Little Gator’ Breaks Through In Alsco Uniforms 300

    ‘Little Gator’ Breaks Through In Alsco Uniforms 300

    • Justin Allgaier scored JR Motorsports’ first NASCAR Xfinity Series win of the season in Monday night’s Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, The win was Allgaier’s first at Charlotte in 21 Xfinity Series starts
    • John Hunter Nemechek finished second with Cole Custer, Austin Hill and Ty Gibbs completing the top five
    • Fans can buy tickets to upcoming speedway events at charlottemotorspeedway.com

    CONCORD, N.C. (May 30, 2023) – Justin Allgaier expertly managed fuel, tires and patience in the final laps of Monday’s Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and was rewarded with his and JR Motorsports’ first victory of the NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

    In a race rescheduled from Saturday due to inclement weather – and later moved to after Monday’s Coca-Cola 600 due to rain showers – Allgaier led a race-high 84 laps and beat John Hunter Nemechek to the finish line by 7.83 seconds. Cole Custer, Austin Hill and Ty Gibbs rounded out the top five. Gibbs also ran Monday’s Coca-Cola 600, finishing 26th after being involved in an accident.

    Allgaier stretched his final fuel run long enough to maintain the lead for the final 33 laps without losing focus and letting Nemechek or Custer close in on him.

    Allgaier’s win was the 20th of his Xfinity Series career.

    Parker Retzlaff ended the race in sixth, while Jeb Burton, Carson Hocevar, Brandon Jones and Sammy Smith completed the top 10.

    JUSTIN ALLGAIER, NO. 7 JR MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET (RACE WINNER): “This whole weekend’s been kind of a hectic weekend. To stand here tonight, to get a win, it’s truly special. To have 20 (Xfinity Series) wins in my career, it’s definitely not Kyle Busch-status, but to be in this sport, to be with a team like JR Motorsports and to have an opportunity to do this for a living and go to victory lane for seven straight years, it’s truly special. To win on Memorial Day, to be here, is just truly special. The car that we had today, I told the whole No. 7 team I’m so proud of the job they did.”

    JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, NO. 20 JOE GIBBS RACING TOYOTA (RUNNER-UP): “Hindsight’s 20/20, right? You could’ve raced (Allgaier) for it (instead of saving fuel), and you could’ve ran out. We had a goal to make it to the end there. I’m not sure how (Allgaier) made it. We’ll go back and look at some things. Still a solid finish for us.”

    COLE CUSTER, NO. 00 STEWART-HAAS RACING FORD (THIRD-PLACE FINISHER): “It was an interesting race. I felt like we had a really fast car. In the second stage, we really woke the car up. That was the first time this year where we really got it working. That gave us some hope that we can take that to the other places. I was saving as much as I could in that last stage.”

    TICKETS:
    Fans can buy tickets to upcoming speedway events at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling the ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267).

    KEEP TRACK:
    Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway by following on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app or online at CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com

  • Worth The Wait: Blaney Claims An Emotional Coca-Cola 600 Victory

    Worth The Wait: Blaney Claims An Emotional Coca-Cola 600 Victory

    • Ryan Blaney snapped a 59-race losing streak in winning Monday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway; Blaney’s win completed an Indianapolis and Charlotte Memorial Day weekend sweep for Team Penske
    • Polesitter William Byron finished second with Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick rounding out the top five
    • Fans can buy tickets to upcoming speedway events at charlottemotorspeedway.com

    CONCORD, N.C. (May 29, 2023) – Ryan Blaney’s 639-day wait between NASCAR Cup Series victories came to an emotional end on Monday, when Blaney dominated one of racing’s crown jewels: the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    Blaney led 163 of 400 laps in capturing a career-defining win – his second at Charlotte, after the 2018 Bank of America ROVAL™ 400. The driver of the No. 12 Team Penske Ford was a shock winner nearly five years ago, but no one who witnessed Monday’s race could be surprised by the outcome. Blaney started eighth, flexed his muscle early and emerged as the man to beat in the final 100 laps.

    Stage 4 became a battle for survival, as a spate of cautions and aggressive moves from those chasing Blaney turned up the excitement – but Blaney held his nerve over the final 20 laps. He beat polesitter William Byron to the finish by .663 seconds, with two-time Coca-Cola 600 winner Martin Truex Jr. third, Bubba Wallace fourth and Tyler Reddick fifth.

    Kyle Busch was sixth with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. seventh, Chris Buescher eighth, Austin Dillon ninth and Zane Smith 10th.

    While Monday’s race was kind to a third-generation star seeking a long-awaited victory, fate did not shine as brightly on several favorites. Defending race winner Denny Hamlin was involved in a crash with Chase Elliott on Lap 185 that knocked both front-runners out of the race.

    Kyle Larson, chasing his second Coca-Cola 600 win in three years, was in the hunt with 25 laps to go after having bounced off the wall earlier in the race but avoiding any serious damage.

    Larson’s bid for victory came to a sudden conclusion when he got loose in Turn 2, spun sideways and suffered race-ending damage in a multi-car accident that also collected Ty Gibbs and Joey Logano.

    Seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson – going for a record-tying fifth Coca-Cola 600 win – made his first Charlotte start in three years, but fell out of the race after an accident on Lap 164 and finished 37th.

    The race was slowed by 16 cautions for 83 laps. Byron won Stage 1, Chris Buescher won Stage 2 and Blaney captured Stage 3. Blaney’s win was the eighth of his Cup Series career and it marked the first in NASCAR Cup Series competition for his crew chief, Jonathan Hassler.

    RYAN BLANEY, NO. 12 TEAM PENSKE FORD (RACE WINNER): “I might shed a tear. Man, this is such a cool weekend. Obviously, Memorial Day weekend means a lot. Growing up here, watching my dad (Dave Blaney) racing here, to just run this race, let alone win it, I can’t believe it. A big weekend for Team Penske. I watched the Indy 500 (Sunday) and how that played out, and watched Josef (Newgarden) win his first one. Seeing (Team Owner Roger) Penske winning (Indianapolis 500) No. 19 was a really cool scene.

    “I thought, ‘Alright, the pressure’s off, now we can try to sweep.’ That’s the goal. Fortunately, we executed well enough to get it done. I’m looking forward to talking to Roger. … I figured there was going to be a yellow (at the end of the race). We survived another restart. I wanted green-flag runs, because our car was good on green-flag runs. I thought there was going to be a yellow and I’d have to fend him off on a restart again but fortunately, it went green (to the finish). We did a great job tonight. From the drop of the green flag, we were hooked up. We also did a great job of adjusting to the race track as it got darker, as the track temperature cooled off.”

    WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET (RUNNER-UP): “I thought (Blaney) was that strong. He and the Toyotas, I think the JGR guys and the No. 45 (Reddick), were all strong in the middle to the end of a run – really, any time they would get around us. We just needed a little bit. Our car was good, we could move around and get to the top five, but we’d kind of just stay there and not have enough pace to really get further than that, so that’s the way it goes sometimes. We’ll keep working.”

    MARTIN TRUEX JR., NO. 19 JOE GIBBS RACING TOYOTA (THIRD-PLACE FINISHER): “We got some track position, drove up there, had a shot at winning Stage 3 and felt really good at what we had there. We got some damage, at some point (on the splitter), in the final stage on a restart, the car got really tight from there, and we just had to crunch it from there. I wish I knew what could’ve been. I felt really good about the car from Stage 3, but all in all it was a good night, a lot of points. We have a lot of speed in our Bass Pro Camry. It went well, we just needed to execute a bit better and to not get that damage.”

    TICKETS:
    Fans can buy tickets for upcoming speedway events at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling the ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267).

    KEEP TRACK:
    Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway by following on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app or online at CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com

  • Newgarden steals Indy 500 victory

    Newgarden steals Indy 500 victory

    INDIANAPOLIS — Josef Newgarden walked into the DEX Imaging Media Center at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, talking about stocks.

    No, I didn’t make that up.

    “I am into finance,” he said. “I think it’s a great career path. It’s probably something I would be doing if I wasn’t driving cars. It’s kind of as simple as that. I won’t bore everybody, but I love that world. I think it’s super fun.”

    As Newgarden says this, the video screens both in the deadline room and around the track play a highlight package of his Indianapolis 500 victory.

    With one lap to go, Newgarden overtook Marcus Ericsson on the backstretch, using the same move Ericsson used to win in 2022.

    And Newgarden knew exactly how he wanted to celebrate.

    Go up in the stands.

    INDIANAPOLIS – MAY 28: Josef Newgarden, driver of the #2 Shell Chevrolet, celebrates with the fans in the stands, after winning the NTT IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 28, 2023, in Indianapolis. Photo: Karl Zemlin/Penske Entertainment

    He parked his car on the yard of bricks, exited his Team Penske Chevrolet and hopped through a crossover gate to celebrate with the fans.

    “Yeah, I knew exactly where the gap was,” he said. “I’d been over there many, many years. I’ve seen that photo, whole spot, and really it’s just like an access point that you can crawl under. It looks like it’s closed but there’s a way to get through. I knew exactly where I was going at the end of this race.”

    He wanted to go higher up, but thought better of it. So he hugged a couple of people and crawled back through the gap.

    “But it was really cool,” he said. “You just can’t beat the Hoosier hospitality, the energy that people bring here. It is second to none when it comes to a sporting event.”

    Meanwhile, his crew channels Helio Castroneves and hangs from the catch fence.

    Visibly crying as his crew wheeled his car to victory lane, he climbed out and followed through the traditional victory lane celebrations, from the wreath to drinking the milk.

    “The milk, I felt good about it,” he said. “It tasted so good. I love milk. I drink a lot of milk. So for me, the Indy 500 is kind of the greatest thing ever. Other people might not like to get milk after. That’s the choice I would have made, too. I love Louis Meyer. I love that he threw that up as a tradition. I’m a big milk guy.”

    Compare this to his 2016 post-race interview, after he finished third. He was dejected, frustrated, and in despair.

    Now, the newest Indianapolis 500 champion talked about how fascinated he is with finances.

    FULL DISCLOSURE: I asked him what fascinates him about finances.

    When Newgarden’s press conference wrapped up, he put the wreath back on and turned his focus to the rest of the season. As well as getting Roger Penske his 20th Indy 500 victory, next season.

    “I put my hand on his shoulder in Victory Lane and said, ‘Now we got to get 20,’” he said. “He was the first one to go, ‘Absolutely.’ He didn’t even take a breath. He was ahead of me in the thought process, as you know.

    “He’s eyes forward. It will be important. We need to come back. There’s still areas we can be better, so we’ll go and analyze after this weekend and see where we can improve. But we’ll come back ready to fight and get No. 20 for him.”