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Featured interviews from SpeedwayMedia.com

  • Mason Mingus Is Digging His Sophomore Truck Season

    Mason Mingus Is Digging His Sophomore Truck Season

    Mason Mingus is not only digging his sophomore season in the Camping World Truck Series, but is also digging his sponsor ‘Call 811.’

    As far as his season to date, the driver of the No. 15 Chevrolet Silverado for Billy Boat Racing, who is racing at Pocono this weekend, thinks that it has gone “pretty good so far.”

    “We’ve had our ups and downs so far but I think we’re definitely heading in the right direction,” Mingus said. “I’m definitely excited for the rest of the season. We’ve got a good crew in place now.”

    “My new crew chief Brandon McSwain came on at Texas has been doing a great job since that race. Everybody is working well together and building nice trucks.”

    “Usually it’s pretty tough to have someone step in and crew chief mid-season,” Mingus said. “But it’s been pretty seamless and he’s done a great job.”

    “As far as communication goes, we’ve been on the same page. He’s pretty young, only 25 years old. So, he’s not much older than me so I think that helps from a communication standpoint. It’s been an easier transition than we all expected.”

    “So, I’m really excited for this race and what’s coming.”

    While Mingus is digging this stretch of the race season, he definitely would like to put the early part of it in his rear view mirror.

    “The biggest challenge has been the first part of the season,” Mingus said. “We had some setbacks and didn’t make the first race of the season at Daytona due to the group qualifying situation that we were put in. We had a good truck there but just didn’t get it in the draft in qualifying.”

    “A couple things we had to go through at the beginning of the season were tough but now that we are building good trucks, we’re having a lot faster equipment, as well as opportunities to run up front.”

    The young racer is also digging moving through the ranks of racing as he has throughout his career to date. He started his racing career when he was seven in quarter midgets and has progressed to Late Models, ARCA and now the Truck Series.

    “For whatever reason, I really wanted to start racing,” Mingus said. “I kept bugging my dad about it and then when I got into that quarter midget, I fell in love with it from there.”

    “Nobody in my family raced except my uncle. But I didn’t even know about that until I started racing. For whatever reason, it just really interested me.”

    “I started there and moved up to different series and then got into Pro and Super Late Models and then into ARCA. Once I started racing, I did find out my uncle raced local short tracks. He had quit by the time I was born. But he did come back and I got to race against him. So, that was pretty cool.”

    “I won, but I had the better equipment. They took the good parts and put them all on my car. He got cheated a little bit I think.”

    Digging is also a part of Mingus’ sponsorship as well. He promotes “Call 811,” the underground damage prevention phone line, with the tagline “Call before you dig”.

    “Call 811, they’ve been on board with me just about since I started racing,” Mingus said. “My dad owns a construction company in Tennessee so he was actually on the Board at 811. So, we developed a relationship there.”

    “Basically they come out and locate underground utilities. So, my Dad used them a lot for his business because they need to locate underground utilities before they dig. A lot of people like my dad and those involved in construction already know this, but Call 811 is trying to get that same message out to the public.”

    “People who want to put in a new mailbox or plant a tree need to know to Call 811 because there may be dangers underground. That’s the message we are trying to get across to the general public and to race fans sitting in the stands.”

    “Call 811 got on board with me when I was twelve years old and from there we’ve gotten more and more states on board. We’ve got about ten or twelve states onboard right now.”

    “Every race track we go to, we have people asking us what Call 811 is. We travel so much across the country so to be able to educate so many people in the matter of a race season is pretty cool.”

    “This is a great organization to call that can potentially save lives and money as far as damages.”

    While Mingus is digging his current Truck ride, hoping to better his career best finish of ninth this year, he is also hoping to at some point take that next step into an even bigger series.

    “As far as the next step, we’ll take it as it comes,” Mingus said. “I’d love to be in an Xfinity car but obviously my ultimate goal is to race on Sunday in the Cup Series.”

    “But we have to take it one step at a time. Right now we are just worried about the remainder of the Truck season and trying to run as well as we can. We want to run upfront and contend for the wins as much as we can.”

    “So, we’ll see what comes next year.”

  • Austin Hill Taking NASCAR Next Step to New Hampshire

    Austin Hill Taking NASCAR Next Step to New Hampshire

    Austin Hill, a 21 year old driver from Georgia and member of the NASCAR Next Class of 2015, will be taking his next step by racing in New Hampshire in the K&N Pro Series East race this weekend. Hill is racing full time in that series, as well as competing for the championship in his family-owned team.

    “I cannot wait to get back behind the wheel at New Hampshire,” Hill said. “Last year, we were really good and I think we have a great shot at winning there.

    “I think we are going to have a great setup and I expect to see this No. 22 A&D Welding Don Rich Ford back in the winner’s circle.”

    Hill has done well so far in the K&N Pro Series East, starting the season off with a bang with a win. Although he sits second in the point standings, the young racer is not satisfied with his performance since the season-opening win and is looking to improve as he heads to the Granite State.

    “We started off the year real good with a win at New Smyrna,” Hill said. “We had a couple of good races afterwards and the last couple of races, we’ve been just a little bit off. We’re trying to get back on track.

    “We’re still looking good as far as the points since the leader had a bad race at Columbus. That tightened everybody back up. So, we’re just trying to keep our heads up and get closer to that points lead.

    “The K&N Series is so tight that if you miss it by a tenth, you could be in 10th. It is close competition there and we’re just trying to find that balance.

    “All we’re looking for is to win races and whatever happens in the points happens. If you think too much about points when you’re racing, that will screw you up. You’ll start trying to figure out who you have to finish in front of. If you go in thinking you need to win every race, the points will take care of themselves.

    “As long as we can get a couple more wins and top-fives, we can close it up and it will be a good points battle at the end of the year.”

    In addition to taking his next step in racing at New Hampshire, Hill is actively working on his racing career through the NASCAR Next program.

    “This is my second year in the NASCAR Next program,” Hill said. “Last year, we did a lot and went to a lot of places and met new people. It’s been a great help, particularly in the media training. Doing interviews has been helpful because when I first got into the program, I could tell that I wasn’t doing as good as I should.

    “I still have a lot to learn, but I feel like I’ve improved in that aspect. I’ve gotten my name out there a lot more through the NASCAR Next program. It showcases the young talent coming up through the ranks and hopefully one day I can move from Trucks to Xfinity to Cup.

    “I think the NASCAR Next program is helping me do that and hopefully I can battle the likes of Jimmie Johnson one day.”

    Hill’s love of racing runs deep. In fact, it goes all the way back to the day he was born when his father would hold him and watch the races on television every Sunday. And that lifelong love and passion is what drives the up-and-coming racer to yearn for that next level.

    “My Dad always used to watch the races on Sunday,” Hill Said. “So, every Sunday was mine and his day to watch the races together. I thought it was so cool seeing the cars race at 200 miles per hour so I kept telling him I wanted to race.

    “We were at the Georgia State Fair when I was five years old. There was little quarter midget that a guy was advertising and my Dad talked to him a little bit. We ended up going through a class to see if you were ready to control the car.

    “On my sixth birthday, he bought me that quarter midget and I got into racing that way. From the first race, I fell in love with it and ever since then I just wanted to race.

    “My idol is Jeff Gordon and I wanted to be like him. At first, my Dad thought this was going to be a hobby but here we are today and this is my 15th year racing. And we’re still just trying to make it to that next level.”

    Hill is also taking a big next step off the track as well.

    “Me and my wife are expecting to have our baby in November,” Hill said. “I’m really excited about it. It’s going to be hard and fun at the same time. At first we were a little bit nervous, thinking about raising a child. We’ve raised three dogs, but this will be different. But I think we’ll be just fine.

    “We found out two weeks ago that it will be a girl. My wife has already shopped for clothes and the baby already has enough clothes to last until she is two or three years old. We got the crib the other day and we’re excited to put that together.”

    The NASCAR Next driver will be leaving the wife and crib-building soon, however, and will take that next step to New Hampshire. He will race in the K&N Pro Series East race, the United Site Services 70, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 17th.

  • NASCAR BTS: Hendrick Engineer Tom Gray

    NASCAR BTS: Hendrick Engineer Tom Gray

    Ever wonder about those engineers atop the pit box next to the crew chiefs working away on their computers during the race?  This week’s NASCAR Behind the Scenes focuses on one such engineer, Tom Gray, who works with Jeff Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports Team 24.

    “I’m the race engineer for the No. 24 car and my primary duties are looking at the simulation and working on race setups,” Gray said. “In layman’s terms, it’s kind of like finance. We look at graphs and try to boil what is happening on the track down to numbers.

    It’s very much number crunching, turning Jeff’s feelings and the reactions of the cars into numbers and graphs. We compare those back and forth in order to optimize the setup. It’s an iterative process to optimize the car’s set up.

    Basically, it’s a combination of speed and handling and Jeff’s feel and combining that all together.”

    Much of Gray’s work, as with the other race engineers, does revolve around not only watching action on the track but also analyzing it all through technology.

    “There are different kinds of programs we use for analysis,” Gray said. “Each team kind of has its own proprietary simulation package. It really does look like a stock graph, like when you think in terms of market trends. That’s how we digest amounts of data quickly.

    My wife likes to call it ‘looking at colored, squiggly lines.’ That’s pretty much what we do on a daily basis.”

    So, just how did Gray get into the business of race engineering?

    “It’s a funny story,” Gray said. “My grandfather owned Mario Andretti’s sprint car. And my dad also drove sprint cars. I drove stock cars. So, we kind of have had a long family legacy I guess in racing. I’ve always been around it from a young age. So, I grew up racing go-karts and progressed to stock cars.

    I went to school at Purdue University and graduated from there. I worked in the ASA Series and crew chiefed an ARCA car. And then I got my start through the ARCA Series when we bought old Evernham cars. I met a few people from Evernham Motorsports and then later got a job there. I worked with them until 2008 and then made the move to Hendrick.

    I started out as a shop-based engineer at Hendrick, not really traveling. I had had some race engineer experience at Evernham, so it was a quick progression. Once they find out you’ve traveled, it’s a quick progression because it takes a certain personality and a certain type of person to want to do this because of the rigorous schedule. When they find us, they are quick to put us on the road.

    And the rest is history.”

    As with every race team, Gray has experienced the highs and, unfortunately, the lows that professional auto sports brings.

    “My biggest accomplishment, growing up in Indianapolis, was winning the Brickyard,” Gray said. “Winning at Indy was amazing. It’s funny because I have pictures of my grandfather back when he was a chief mechanic at the track. They used to line up in front of the cars and take pictures, which was really neat and a cool tradition. So, to have a similar on the bricks and on pit road was really neat. We were all lined up kissing the bricks. That’s my biggest accomplishment.”

    Gray’s biggest challenge is one that he will be facing this week at Kentucky, a track where his driver has not yet won.

    “The biggest challenge for me comes with NASCAR rule changes and tires,” Gray said. “That’s very challenging. Every year it seems like you have to figure things out all over again. It’s good and I like the challenge. It keeps things interesting, but it is a challenge.

    These are very complicated things in general when you figure all the mechanical moving parts on the car, Jeff’s feel for the car, the tires and then the rule changes with the aero packages. And then you have to figure in how good it is not only in clean air but in traffic.

    And not only that, but you also have track conditions, temperatures, sunny, clouds. You have to take a step back every time and reorganize. And the quicker you can do that, the better you will perform.”

    While Gray acknowledged that he has one of the best drivers and one that will likely be in the Hall of Fame shortly, he also spoke to the importance of the race team and of the team itself, under the leadership of Rick Hendrick.

    “The driver has a lot to do with performance but having a good team is critical,” Gray said. “The product you bring to the track and how to balance that with your driver speaks volumes about how important each team is.

    You can have a great driver and an ill-prepared car and you won’t win the race. So, the team is definitely important so we strive to execute on a weekly basis. That’s a huge task for us and a challenge to balance it all out.”

    “The one thing I love about Rick Hendrick and working at Hendrick Motorsports is that it is a big family,” Gray continued. “Ethically to me, I thrive in an environment where people do care about the people they are working with and it is that type of an environment.

    Mr. H. always makes a point to treat his people very well. I think that’s important. This is a rigorous schedule. We work a lot together and it’s easy to get a bit catty with each other. So, letting people know they are doing a good job and are appreciated is important. So, ethically we are on the same page there.

    My dad owned a machine shop and he was very much a blue collar, hard worker. I believe that hard work is the key like my dad. You don’t get anywhere without hard work so I spend a lot of hours working at the shop and at the track and that is what Hendrick Motorsports is all about.”

    While Gray admitted to thoroughly enjoying his current role as race engineer, he also might like to try his hand at another job in the future.

    “I would say this job is close to my dream job,” Gray said. “But I would like to crew chief someday. But this job is pretty close to being my perfect role.

    It’s funny, when you are having a bad day, I remember that I get to race for a living. The fans are great so being at the track is a lot of fun.”

    For Gray, the role of race engineer is not only a dream job but has been a dream come true for him personally.

    “For me, growing up in Indianapolis, I got to see Jeff win his first Brickyard 400, the inaugural one,” Gray said. “I actually had a hat that I got signed by him.

    So, almost twenty years later, I wore that same hat and sat on his pit box,” Gray continued. “That was pretty awesome.

    Jeff laughed and told me that I made him feel old. I don’t know, it’s pretty awesome.

    To be able to work with guys like the caliber of Jeff Gordon, one of the all-time greats, I feel like is a privilege. I try to make the most of it every day.

    So, yes, I’ve been fortunate and this is awesome.”

     

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Sonoma

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Sonoma

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished sixth at Sonoma, passed by eventual winner Kyle Busch with six laps remaining. Johnson is fourth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 70 out of first.

    “Maybe we should have pitted during that final caution,” Johnson said. “But we had a strategy and we wanted to stick to it. I’m not one to question any decision Chad Knaus makes. If he says ‘Jump,’ usually I say ‘How high?’ Chad then says, ‘1/32 of an inch beyond NASCAR specifications.’

    “Busch was driving like a man possessed. He really took this Sonoma ‘making wine from grapes’ thing to heart and ‘stepped on it.’”

    2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished fourth at Sonoma, posting his eleventh top-five result of the year. He’s on top of the points standings with a 53-point lead on Martin Truex Jr.

    “Congratulations to Kyle Busch on his win,” Harvick said. “He’s one step closer to making the Chase. That means that Kyle, along with his brother Kurt, will both likely make the Chase. And just when I thought I was done with the ‘terrible two’s.’”

    3. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex’s day at Sonoma ended early when he was wrecked by David Ragan on lap 31. Truex finished 42nd, his worst finish of the year.

    “Ragan just plain ran me off the road,” Truex said. “He was driving that Michael Waltrip Racing No. 55 sponsored by Aaron Rents. I promise there will be revenge. Much like a sucker who rents furniture at outrageous interest rates from a place like that, there will be ‘hell to pay.’”

    4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt finished seventh in the Save Mart 350 as Hendrick Motorsports drivers took positions 6, 7 and 8. Jimmie Johnson finished sixth, Kasey Kahne took eighth and Jeff Gordon came home 16th.

    “We’ve got Microsoft 10 sponsorship on the No. 88 car,” Earnhardt said. “That just shows you how times have changed in NASCAR. My father used to call some of his rivals tiny and weak, or ‘Microsoft.’

    “As you know, I became engaged a couple of weeks ago. I’m sure I disappointed a lot of female Junior Nation members. But let’s face it, I’m just a bit out of their league. I wouldn’t touch them with a 10-Foot Coors Light Pole,’ much less ask them to marry me.”

    5. Joey Logano: Logano finished fifth at Sonoma, posting his eighth top-five result of the year.

    “What a run by Kyle Busch,” Logano said. “With Sonoma being wine country and me being ‘Sliced Bread,’ I’d like to propose a ‘toast.’”

    6. Kurt Busch: Busch started second on the grid at Sonoma and finished second to younger brother Kyle Busch in the Toyota Save Mart 350.

    “Kyle celebrated with a glass of wine in Victory Circle,” Busch said. “And I’m so happy for him. People like it better when the Busch brothers are happy. When we’re not, it’s a case of fortified ‘whine.’”

    7. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski struggled to a 19th-place finish in the Toyota Save Mart 350.

    “Brian France wants to remove the Confederate flag from NASCAR,” Keselowski said. “And he’s not just whistling Dixie. But let’s be real. The one flag NASCAR needs to get rid of most is the yellow.”

    8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth started third at Sonoma and finished 21st as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch charged to the win.

    “Now all four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have a win this season,” Kenseth said. “This time, Kyle Busch drove his tail off, as opposed to his leg. Then he did donuts in Victory Lane and donuts are the closest he wants to get to the police these days.”

    9. Kasey Kahne: Kahne finished eighth in the Toyota Save Mart 350 at Sonoma, recording his sixth top 10 of the year.

    “Now that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is engaged,” Kahne said, “I’m now NASCAR’s most eligible bachelor. But I’m in no hurry to get hitched. Let’s just say I like to play the field, which means I’m currently involved with 43 women.”

    10. Kyle Busch: Busch won for the first time this year and a mere five weeks after returning from a broken leg suffered at Daytona in February, taking the Toyota Save Mart 350.

    “For those who doubted my ability after such an injury,” Busch said, “this win in Northern California wine country should put a cork in it.

    “The road course at Sonoma has more twists and turns than the Kurt Busch-Patricia Driscoll saga. I think Kurt now knows better than to get involved with an assassin. We’ll see whether women will know better than to get involved with an ass.”

  • David Ragan Road Rallies for LuMind Foundation

    David Ragan Road Rallies for LuMind Foundation

    In spite of all the changes in his life on the track, NASCAR driver David Ragan’s commitment off the track to raising money for the LuMind Research Down Syndrome Foundation has remained steadfast.

    So, on July 6th through July 8th, Ragan will jump out of his Michael Waltrip Racing No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine and into his road rally car to raise funds and awareness for Down Syndrome cognition research.

    This is the second year of the event, which features teams of decaled cars making ‘pit stops’ at various places, from its beginning at Darlington Raceway and Museum in South Carolina to the finish at various race shops in Charlotte, North Carolina.

    “It obviously was a great event last year so this will be the second annual event,” Ragan said. “It was such a success and everyone had such a good time that the LuMind Foundation decided to do it again in the southeast region. The participants really enjoyed learning about the history of NASCAR, spending time with some of the Hall of Famers, and it was a great chance to introduce people to the sport while raising some money for the Down Syndrome community.”

    While some of the teams may be repeats from the first annual event, there are also newbies who will be taking on the road rally challenge, including Ragan’s new race family at Michael Waltrip Racing.

    “We have some of the same people coming back for the second year, but we also have quite a few new people,” Ragan said. “I would say so far half to three-quarters of the ones who raced last year are coming back again. Then some folks that couldn’t make it last year are making it part of their schedule.

    “We try to keep it at that 20 to 25 team number. That’s a good number to visit the stops and travel in a decent manner.

    “They are starting at Darlington Speedway this year, with a tour of the race track and the museum there. Then they are going to Charlotte. There are a few of the same stops as last year, like Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Richard Childress Race shop and Hendrick Motorsports, but we added a few more new ones like Michael Waltrip Racing and the Go Pro Motorsports complex in Mooresville and the pit stop school in Mooresville as well.

    “The folks at MWR have been so accommodating with this. It all starts from the top and Michael certainly understands the relationship that we have with the fans. So, he goes above and beyond to accommodate any fan that comes to our shop like this.

    “The folks at Aaron’s have also been very good to work with as well. At Michael Waltrip Racing they are going to be checking things out at the shop, learning more about my new team and then they will have a short break there before heading to the Go Pro Motorsports complex.”

    Unfortunately, Ragan himself will have to interrupt his road rally schedule due to additional testing at Kentucky Speedway for the new rules package. But he will get by with a little help from his friends and family.

    “I’m going to have to miss that stop at MWR to test so some of our team and maybe my father will show everyone around,” Ragan said. “I’ve got a few teams myself with some friends and I’ll stop along the way and visit to have some fun with the group.

    “It certainly is a family affair. My mom, my father, and my older brother Adam, who has Down Syndrome, have a team representing Georgia and we have a team representing the Ragan part of North Carolina. Racing is in our blood but being a part of the Race for Research is a lot of fun and something my brother looks forward to.

    “There may be a little rivalry as far as raising the most funds. I’ve got a few more fans on my Facebook page and through Twitter so I may have a bit of an advantage there. But my Dad’s pretty savvy with all the NASCAR-related history so it should be a fun event.”

    Ragan is also passionate about the Race for Research Road Rally because he sees the need on a daily basis, as well as the need to call more attention to those impacted by Down Syndrome and their families.

    “There are a lot of charitable events in the NASCAR community that get a lot of attention,” Ragan said. “That says a lot about the NASCAR family because there are so many charities that are close to the hearts of drivers, race team owners and sponsors.

    “But they all rally around and anytime we ask for donations or visiting some of the shops, everyone is so accommodating. We’re all grateful that we are healthy enough to pursue our racing dreams all around the country so we enjoy giving back.

    “And the Down Syndrome community is something that is important to me because my older brother is affected. There are a lot of other families, whether at other shops, those that work for NASCAR, and even in the media group that are impacted by Down Syndrome. Once you start talking about it, a lot of people come out of the woodwork that are in the same boat as we are.”

    When the checkered flag flies on the final stop in the road rally, Ragan hopes that he will have accomplished his goals of raising dollars and awareness, as well as helping NASCAR fans have fun.

    “I’m hoping we can raise awareness and money for research for young kids and adults who have Down Syndrome,” Ragan said. “At the end of the day, this impacts so many families. It doesn’t get the notice or mentions that a lot of other disabilities get.

    “So, if we could just create an awareness and certainly some money to fund research, that is my number one goal. We achieved that last year, having raised over $100,000 which was a great amount. But we also raised awareness with folks that may not know or understand what the Down Syndrome community experiences. And that’s a great thing.

    “We hope that fans will check out the LuMindRaceforResearch.org website to learn more, make a general donation or donate to their favorite road rally team.

    “Just look into it, have some fun and if you are a NASCAR fan, it’s a great opportunity to get some behind the scenes visits to your favorite race shop or race track.”

     

  • Scott Dixon Unveils Jurassic World Livery, Looking for Second Straight Victory

    Scott Dixon Unveils Jurassic World Livery, Looking for Second Straight Victory

    On Thursday, June 11 at the Honda Indy Toronto, Scott Dixon unveiled a special Jurassic World livery for his No. 9 Dallara-Chevrolet entry for Chip Ganassi Racing Teams this weekend.

    “I’m excited,” Dixon commented on Thursday. “Toronto is always a fun event. It’s well-attended. The fans have a real love for the sport, and it’s cool to see. For us with the paint scheme for Jurassic World and the release of the movie being the same as the first day we go on track is going to be really cool. Hopefully we can carry some momentum from the Texas win, even though it’s a totally different track and situation. Anytime you can get a win, it’s good for team morale.”

    Jurassic World, the latest installment in Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park series opens in threatres nationwide on Friday, June 12. The 3D movie features stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Omar Sy, BD Wong and Irrfan Khann. Details about the movie can be found via the movie’s website at .

    Dixon enters this weekend on the heels of some momentum, scoring in the victory in last weekend’s Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway. It marked a highlight to what has been an up-and-down season as a result of some mechanical issues and wrecks along the way.

    “It’s been a little up and down,” the New Zealand driver commented. “I guess, as far as points to where we typically are, kind of good. But we’ve had some bad events. Obviously, with St. Pete, the mechanical failure that we had there with the air jacks, New Orleans was a bit of a wash-out and we picked the wrong strategy, getting taken out at Indianapolis road course, and the (Indianapolis) 500, the car was really good till we overheated at the end, kind of run out of contention at the end. The great thing about it is the car has been competitive at all the tracks that we’ve gone to. We just haven’t maximized it out every weekend.”

    The confidence is there, though, based on the strength that manufacture Chevrolet has shown with the new aero kits to date this season, having won the majority of the events in dominating style.

    “Chevy has done a phenomenal job,” Dixon stated. “I think, clearly, they’ve been the class of the field. With combinations, they’ve really thought through every situation at different tracks that we go to. They just had so many options that it made it accessible for the team to do well. Chevy and Pratt and Miller have done a phenomenal job.”

    He knows how to do well in Toronto, sweeping the pair of events on the streets of Exhibition Place in 2013. In 10 career starts in Toronto, he has three podiums and seven top-five finishes. Dixon admits that the track can be challenging, espically through turns five thru eight.

    “I really enjoy the last complex on to the front straight – nine thru 13, or whatever it is,” he added. “It’s just bumpy. Turn one is probably the most trickiest, as far as breaking and trying to carry the speed. It’s never one spot at a track like this and Toronto is one of those tracks that if you can get a lap right, it’s really rewarding.”

  • Graham Rahal Enters Honda Indy Toronto on Heels of Success

    Graham Rahal Enters Honda Indy Toronto on Heels of Success

    With three road/street course podium finishes, it’s no secret that Graham Rahal is entering this weekend with confidence on his side. That confidence offers Rahal not only a boost for himself, but a boost for the entire Rahal Letterman Lanigan race team.

    “Being as busy as this run of races has been, to have something to keep them positive and excited about is really good,” Rahal commented. “We have a lot more road/street course races to go so we got to try and keep up the formula that we’ve had going for the rest of the season. Just cause we’ve been there before doesn’t mean it’s going to continue to happen from here on out. So try to improve as much as we can and try to take the fight to the Penskes.”

    Keeping the consistency going won’t be easy, as the Honda Indy Toronto has proved to be challenging in the past. Rahal has ran showed speed and posted strong finishes in the past in Toronto, but has also found himself at the bottom end of the finishing order in the other seasons.  Being a tough track as a whole, Rahal says there’s no margin for error due to the concrete barriers being pretty darn close.

    “Particularly, I would say that turn one is bumpy but the whole last section – which is basically from the hairpin at the end of the straightaway all the way to the front straight –  is difficult as well,” he added.

    Rahal added that the challenges are what make it fun as it “separates the men from the boys come race-day a little bit”. Part of the challenge with a tough circuit, though is keeping the equipment together throughout the race, but also being aggressive enough to be in contention at the end. Rahal admits that it’s a hard balance, but it deals with evaluating each situation that you’re dealt on a individual basis.

    “I try to always take chances that I feel like I can win at, if that makes sense, versus taking chances that are more risky,” he explained. “So even if I feel like there’s an opportunity that they may be contact if I dive inside of someone, you try and put yourself in a position where it’s a good move and something that won’t take you out. Perhaps before in my career, and with others, just take more chances to try and get themselves in a better position without thinking of the long-term play of it. For me, now, we need to make it to the end.”

    The past two seasons when the Verizon IndyCar Series has headed to the city of Toronto, the challenge of the track would be doubleded with a pair of races. However, due to scheduling the Pan-Am Games, the weekend has been shortened back to a single event this weekend. Rahal commented that while the double-race format can be great for the fans in “getting the bang for the buck”, it makes it a tough weekend on the crew guys in making sure the car is prepared. He cited two weeks ago in Detroit, where they were not only faced with a double-header, but a wet forecast across the weekend.

    “Detroit was the longest weekend of everybody’s lives, I think, with the constant rain,” he stated. “That’s the worst case so unfortunately when you get put in that position, the last thing you want to do is two races.”

    Rahal added that for him, if they want to do two-races, he liked the format that was used last year when the first race in Toronto got postponed to the same day as the second race. Last season, Honda Indy Toronto officials ran two races on the Sunday as a result of Saturday’s rain-out, but with each race being a shorter distance than the normal 85 laps.

    “I thought it could work well, versus doing it over two days,” he commented. “The thing is we don’t get a lot of practice time anyways, and when you’re trying to throw two qualifying session, and practice, it really beats everybody up. Who knows where it could go in the future. Obviously with everything going on in the city, this year it’d be difficult, but I didn’t mind the two-race format.”

    Currently sitting fifth in points, Rahal looks to be en route to have his best season in the series to date, with regards to final points position.

    “It’s been a really good year,” he said. “I’ve been pretty pleased with the performance of the team and how things have gone. Obviously we’re halfway through here so we still have a lot of work to be done. So far, so good.”

    Rahal had some strong runs last year, highlighted by a podium in Detroit, but found himself in the deep end of the points standings at season’s end. One of the changes made before the season was the removal of his father Bobby Rahal from the pit box, which was a move made by the team as part of their approach to the season.

    “One of our keys this year was to keep our emotions aside,” Rahal commented. “I can get pretty fired up in the car at times, and when I would get fired up, he was just firing back at me on the pit stand and it didn’t work out a few times. So we decided this would be the best way forward.”

    Rahal added on Thursday in Toronto that one of the most frustrating things while working with his dad would be when Bobby would ask him to drive harder and pass the driver up ahead.

    “Its like ‘Are you freaking kidding me? I’m not cruising around; I’m trying to pass him’,” Rahal continued. “Those are the certain things that get you ticked off when you’re trying extremely hard, but you can’t make any headway. Of course, they come on the radio and say you need to try harder. We haven’t had that this year and fortunately, we’ve had some good runs and things so far.”

    Though while most have assumed Rahal’s success this year has been simply based on that one aspect, he says that’s not the case, but rather the work by the entire team as a whole.

    “The real factor to our success this year is the engineers and the guys behind the scenes, because those are the guys that really make this possible, particularly right now,” he commented. “Everybody is pretty worn out coming up here because it’s a long string of 10 or 11 weeks. Our guys are all sleep walking by this point. These guys have all done a real good job this year, and have really made the team turn around.”

    If the pieces fall together over the course of the event, Rahal could possibly take the No. 15 Honda to victory lane, which would make a dream debut for new primary sponsor Rousseau Metal. While the Quebec-based company has been a long-time partner of RLL, this is the first race that they will be the primary sponsor for.

    “To have them step up is big for us, and great for this team,” Rahal commented. “Obviously, we’ve been through the ringer with sponsorship this year, Steak ‘n’ Shake carrying the primary most races. This was an empty one so it’s great to have Rousseau on board.”

  • Honda Indy President Charlie Johnstone Set For Free Friday, Action-Packed Weekend

    Honda Indy President Charlie Johnstone Set For Free Friday, Action-Packed Weekend

    When it was announced that Ontario would be hosting the 2015 Pan-Am Games, immediate concerns came about as to whether the Honda Indy Toronto would happen this season. Those concerns were immediately addressed as the event is happening as scheduled, just a month prior than normally scheduled. The Verizon IndyCar Series, along with five other divisions, will be hitting the streets of Toronto this weekend.

    “That’s the excitement of this weekend,” Honda Indy Toronto President Charlie Johnstone. “It’s not just about one series, it’s Super Trucks, Porche, the whole Road to Indy and it starts on Friday when Fan Friday.”

    On Fan Friday, fans are welcome to come down for ‘free’ and have access to entire event, whether grandstands or the support series’ paddocks. In return, track officials will be collecting donations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which the Honda Dealers Association will match in value.

    “It’s really about the whole festival atmosphere,” Johnston continued. “It’s getting people down to the sight and hear and the sounds of the IndyCars and see the drivers and get up close – that’s what creates that energy and excitement. The more that we can continue to get people down on the sight, it just continues for the next race and broadcast. They feel it, smell it and come back next year.”

    The event each year has been hosted at Exhbition Place, the same place that hosts the Canadian National Exhibition each year. The area is perfect with all forms of public transit, whether TTC or Go, having drop-offs located right outside the entrances.

    It isn’t something that just comes together quickly, though. Johnstone stated on Thursday that it takes seven weeks to build everything for the event, from constructing the grandstands to the placing the walls, to make the event happen. While that hasn’t been a challenge – the usual time span that they have – the games are set to bring a new challenge for the event staff. While they normally would have two weeks to move out, they’re going to have everything cleared out of Exhibition Place this year in six days.

    “We have three crews running 24/7,” Johnstone commented. “We have to get off the site for the Pan-Am Games. That’ll be a challenge for us, but we have a great team to do it and we’ll make way for the Pan-Am Games.”

    Beyond the simple scheduling of the event, the games have had an impact in the organization of the paddock.

    “We’re not without our challenges this year, working with the expansion of BMO Field, the hotel and then right in the middle of what was the IndyCar paddock, that’s where we got a beach volleyball court for the Pan-Am Games,” Johnstone explained. “This year, from an operation standpoint, is a little bit more challenging than it has been in the past. At the same time, we’ve known these things are happening, planning for them for a year. I always chuckle when people say, ‘What do you do for the rest of the year?’ We plan for these days and weeks leading into it. We have a great team in place, working hard, working with the folks at MLS, Pan-Am Games and Exhibition.”

    The IndyCar paddock has been shifted around, surrounding where the court building is taking place, versus the normal arrangement of season’s past. Beyond that, though, fans who have been down to the event before will be pleased to know that the locations of things like victory lane and the interactive exhibits haven’t changed.

  • Honda Indy Toronto Trophies Unveiled Ahead of Race Weekend

    Honda Indy Toronto Trophies Unveiled Ahead of Race Weekend

    On Wednesday, June 10, the trophies that will be given to the top-three finishers in the Honda Indy Toronto were unveiled.

    Honda Indy Toronto President Charlie Johnstone, along with William Ashley President Jackie Chiesa and KV Racing Technology driver Stefano Coletti pulled the covers off of the trophies as part of an unveiling ceremony at William Ashley’s flagship location at 55 Bloor Street in Toronto, Ontario.

    The 2015 Honda Indy Toronto marks the fifth year that William Ashley has sponsored the trophies, commissioning Waterford Crystals to craft the trophies.

    “It’s a wonderful national, global international event so we’re so happy to be the sponsor of the trophies,” Chiesa commented. “The trophies done by Waterford, which is a 230 year old Irish company. All the trophies are done by crafted by hand and you’ll see when we show you the first place winner trophy, it’s beautifully hand-engraved with the skyline of Toronto so it’s a wonderful artisan piece from Waterford.”

    The trophies are crystal shaped bowls, varying in size and depth of design, depending on the winner. The main winner’s trophy features two IndyCars on the front of the bowl, cut into the glass carefully, with the Toronto skyline along the back of the bowl. They’ve also incorporated the Honda Indy Toronto logo as the bottom of the stem. Up-close photos of the trophies can be viewed in the Speedway Media Photo Gallery.

    “The trophies are very unique, and present Toronto well,” Johnstone commented. “It’s very exciting to continue to work with Waterford Crystal and William Ashley.”

    This year’s edition of the 85-lap event marks the first time that Coletti has raced on the streets of Exhibition Place in Toronto.

    “I’ve raced in Canada before, but I haven’t raced in Toronto,” he commented. “I think coming again to a street circuit, something that I like, so I just have to take it easy at the beginning, learn the track and see what we can do.”

    Nine races into his rookie season in the Verizon IndyCar Series, Coletti posted a best finish of eighth at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis in May. He calls it an up-and-down season thus far, with only two finishes inside the top-15.

    “The car has been fast,” he stated. “The problem is just haven’t had the luck to go with it. The speed is always there, so just have to put everything together and the results will come.”

    He’ll look to have a “clean, nice weekend without any problems” this weekend in hopes of taking home one of the three trophies on Sunday afternoon.

  • Megan Ruger Fulfills National Anthem Dream at Monster Mile

    Megan Ruger Fulfills National Anthem Dream at Monster Mile

    From singing music on the streets of Nashville to participating in The Voice competition, Megan Ruger fulfilled another dream of singing the National Anthem in one of her biggest venues yet, the NASCAR race track at Dover, Delaware.

    “It’s the toughest song to sing as everyone knows,” Ruger said. “So, to sing it in front of thousands of people and viewers, it is very nerve-wracking but it is also an accomplishment when you complete it.

    “When you hit the high notes and there is the intensity of the crowd, it is so neat. And to sing that song is very emotional because I am so respectful of our troops that serve for us.

    “I’ve been singing the National Anthem since I was sixteen years old at Veteran’s memorials, concert venues, before main acts, with honor guards. I’ve always sang it since I was young and that’s just been a part of me.”

    Ruger is a fan of motorsports, especially NASCAR, although this is her first time at an actual race at the uppermost level of the sport. She also had the ability to prepare and warm up for her National Anthem performance for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race by singing it at the XFINITY race on Saturday as well.

    “I love fast cars and speed and danger,” Ruger said. “But this is my actual first NASCAR race and so I’m really excited. I sang the National Anthem in the XFINITY race so I guess that was sort of a warm up of what race day is.

    I’ve always gone to stock car races back home and I have a couple of friends that race but nothing of this magnitude.”

    Ruger’s journey to the Monster Mile race track at Dover, Delaware has been an interesting, one that has taken her from street performances all the way to the national stage of the television show The Voice.

    “I moved to Nashville seven years ago from Wisconsin,” Ruger said. “I had been having a great time playing on Broadway in Nashville, which is the main strip where many singers get their start in Nashville.

    I learned a lot there, but I also learned that making a living there is very tough. There are a lot of great singers in Nashville. So, playing for tips was a very interesting lifestyle. You don’t pay your bills unless you make enough tips.

    So, when The Voice came around, I decided to do the show to try to take my career to the next level and to move from Nashville to a more nationwide audience. I wanted to win The Voice but I really wanted a car!

    But seriously, I wanted a team behind me so that’s why I did the show. It is difficult being a solo artist and having to do everything yourself, like doing my own booking, my social media, being the boss of the band. But now since the show, I have a manager working with me and a booking agent working with me. But I still do a lot on my own, which helps me as a businesswoman and growing artist and an adult.

    It’s definitely not easy. I had to get my band ready to go to Richmond where I’m doing a show after I sing the National Anthem. I’ll drive really fast like a NASCAR driver to get there.  I really wanted to go out on that track today!”

    Ruger is also hoping that her performance will continue to call attention to the cause featured in the NASCAR race at the Monster Mile, the FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks.

    “Pretty much ever since I’ve been thirteen years old, I’ve babysat for families and I love kids. There is a family I work with where the child has autism,” Ruger said. “I just love working with him because he is so full of joy.  It’s amazing to see how the family works together and I hope there is more awareness that comes from this to help families like them.”

    “I love working with kids, especially those with special needs. There is a place in my heart for kids like that.”

    Ruger acknowledged that she is as passionate about the strength of young women as she is about those with special needs. And she hopes that by singing the National Anthem in front of such a wide audience that she shows that girls truly can do anything.

    “I think it’s really important for a female to be strong,” Ruger said. “It should be more equal and girls should realize that they can do the same job that any guy can if you just put your heart, soul and mind into it.

    I think with young females today, they just need to find that passion and just go for it. I try to do that with girls in schools and told them to follow their dreams.  Every time I sign my name for a younger fan, I always write ‘Follow your dreams’ and I’m super passionate about that.

    You can show the world that you are more than they imagined. That’s one of my original songs actually.”

    So, what does singing the National Anthem at the NASCAR race in front of one of the biggest crowds, including her family, mean to Ruger?

    “If I could sum up how I feel about singing the anthem it would be blessed and grateful,” Ruger said. “I’m carrying my grandpa’s ashes with me. My grandma is watching me so it will be really cool that she will see that I have him with me.

    I’m just truly grateful and blessed that I can do what I do every day. And I’m hoping that I can make a change in the world somehow.

    I get kind of emotional singing the anthem. It’s just a very powerful song. I try to not over or under sing it.”

    “I hope I make Francis Scott Key happy.”