Category: Other Series Racing

Other series racing

A pair of top 4 finishes at Road Atlanta for Sedgwick and PT Autosport

BRASELTON, Georgia (October 15, 2024) – PT Autosport with JDX Racing scored a pole position and top four finishes in a typically hard-fought pair of Porsche Carrera Cup North America races at Road Atlanta last weekend.

Driver Alex Sedgwick heads to the doubleheader season finale at Circuit of the Americas this weekend holding second position in the point standings but by a slim margin over the exceptionally competitive field.

Sedgwick and the JDX team came into the weekend determined to hold that position in the title chase on Road Atlanta’s challenging 12-turn, 2.540-mile road course located an hour northeast of Atlanta. Job one was setting up the No. 98 PT Autosport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car to handle the high-speed corners and elevation changes through the pair of 40-minute races in varying temperatures and track conditions.

The team worked on the car through two practice sessions on Wednesday – one in cooler morning conditions and the other in the late afternoon, which meant that the day mirrored the conditions the team would experience in each race. Sedgwick handled the track well, overcoming a few issues to post the second quickest time in practice one and the fifth fastest in practice two.

In qualifying Friday morning, Sedgwick fought oversteer early in the session – while still posting the second quickest time. As the team contemplated bringing Sedgwick in for fresh Michelin tires, he posted a lap of 1:20.998 that put him into P1, a time that held through the remainder of the season for his fourth pole of the year.

“We had a few problems to work through yesterday,” said Sedgwick. “Cody (Wollenslegal), my crew chief, worked hard to figure things out but it did mean that we were going into qualifying a bit blind. But it was good – the car just had a bit of a different balance. It was early in the day, which meant the track was fairly cold, so it just took a bit longer than expected to get everything up to where it needed to be. But it all kind of came together and I just managed to get a lap in time before we had the red flag.”

Taking the green flag later Friday afternoon, Sedgwick got a good jump at the start but lost the lead in Turn 2 when the car behind got the draft. He stuck to his bumper and made a move at the top of Turn 11 – but with the leader putting a wheel off and losing momentum, with the top three going three wide coming down the hill. Sedgwick got the worst of the ensuing chaos, heading into Turn 1 in fourth position but ready to pounce, until a full course caution shortly thereafter slowed the action.

With 15 minutes remaining, the race returned to green, but with the top four back on the gas quickly, Sedgwick couldn’t make a move. Battling steering issues, he took the checkered flag in fourth position.

“Bit of a missed opportunity there,” said Sedgwick. “It wasn’t a great first lap, but we were in a position to recover from it. We had the pace to get back to the lead, but I got blocked a few times. That’s how close these cars are, how close everyone is. You don’t get a lot of opportunities to move forward or make a gain.”

Sedgwick started race two in third position and at the drop of the green, the top four – also the top four in the series point standings – began jockeying for prime real estate through the first several corners. When the dust settled, Sedgwick once again lay in fourth, but looking for a different result from the day before.

On lap five, Sedgwick and points leader Loek Hartog commenced a side-by-side, tooth-and-nail battle, with each driver taking the lead clear ahead, but with the other coming back. With the points leader seemingly determined to crash, Sedgwick wisely settled in behind to look for a more reasonable option, but with a substantial amount of tire degradation which left him no choice but to settle for fourth.

“I got a good start, a really good launch, to the point where I was thinking I was going to get into second by the first corner,” said Sedgwick. “But the outside lane got a good push and I found myself significantly further back. I raced my teammate through three corners but then had to fall into line in fourth. But there wasn’t a lot of racing room to be had out there and late in the race I’d used up my tires, so fourth was all I had. Disappointing, but we’ll come out swinging at COTA.”

PT Autosport team principal Jason Myers appreciated the chance to race at historic Road Atlanta and despite the difficulties in each race, came away with plenty of positives from the weekend – and hopefully plans for Sedgwick’s future.

“Every time I come to this track feels like the first time,” said Myers. “I forget just how magical this place is. The rolling hills, the elevation, the fans. Alex’s weekend started out great with him taking pole by a decent margin. After that it was a bit unfortunate, with Alex securing two fourth place finishes after being met with some tough racing out there. Thankfully, the weekend’s low points were polarized by a series of meetings from interested parties in regards to Alex’s 2025 and beyond plans. While the race this coming week at COTA is our immediate priority, our sights are now focused firmly on the future – and where to take our young superstar in the obviously upward trajectory of his career.”

PT Autosport would like to thank partners STEAM Sports Foundation, Classic Car Club Manhattan and New Jersey Motorsports Park, as well as JDX Racing partners Byers/Porsche Columbus, and Renier Construction.

PT Autosport and the Porsche Carrera Cup North America head straight to Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas next week for the season finale doubleheader in support of the Formula One United States Grand Prix. The races will be broadcast live in the U.S., on IMSA.tv, the NBC Peacock streaming app and PorscheCarreraCup.us.

About PT Autosport — Discover Unique Talent. Develop Champions.

PT Autosport, based at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ, campaigns rising star Alex Sedgwick (UK) in the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup North America series with JDX Racing, 2022 Aspiring Driver Shootout winner Henry Drury (UK) in the Toyota GR Cup North America series with Precision Racing LA.

PT Autosport is dedicated to providing merit-based motorsport industry opportunities for diverse individuals with high integrity, grit, and coach-ability, achieved through a development program for young aspiring drivers, engineers, mechanics, and other professionals. The first step of this process is applying for the annual Aspiring Driver Shootout, in which aspiring drivers aged 18-23 can compete for a team racing partnership with the team.

A rigorous evaluation process of applicants determines the final competitors for the driver shootout. The winner earns financial support of up to $250,000 ($50,000 guaranteed) to pursue their racing career. The review process also provides the team the chance to identify unique talent for other roles in motorsport, including race engineers, mechanics, and professionals.

PT Autosport is building a community that fosters the development of young talent to find a place where they can make an impact in the motorsport community as a career.

PT Autosport social media

Instagram: @pt_autosport
TikTok: @ptautosport
Twitter: @PtAutosport
Facebook: PT Autosport
YouTube: PT Autosport

October 15, 2024
EVENT RECAP: Wright Motorsports Petit Le Mans Podium Hopes Dashed in Final Hour Incident

BATAVIA, Ohio. (October 14, 2024) – Fresh off the high of securing the Fanatec GT World Challenge America championship title and winning the Indianapolis 8 Hour, Wright Motorsports entered Petit Le Mans with high expectations for a strong finish to the season. Unfortunately, their hopes of celebrating on the podium at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta were shattered in the final hour. An incident with less than one hour remaining in the ten-hour IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race sidelined the No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R with terminal damage. The contact ended an impressive first season in the championship for drivers Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer.

“We came into Petit Le Mans with a lot of momentum and optimism, but racing can be cruel sometimes,” said Team Owner John Wright. “The crew put in a phenomenal effort, and our drivers were at their best. It’s hard to end the season like this, but I’m incredibly proud of everything we’ve achieved this year. The potential we showed today and throughout the season only makes us hungrier for next year.”

Adelson began the final race of the year from 13th on the grid, determined to replicate the team’s stellar performance from the Indianapolis 8 Hour just weeks ago. A quick, efficient first pit stop by the crew vaulted the Porsche two spots to 11th, bringing them within reach of the top ten. Adelson continued his charge forward, closing out the first hour in eighth place.

Jan Heylen, the No. 120’s endurance race specialist, then took over driving duties, maintaining the team’s momentum by climbing four more spots to fourth early into his first run. He completed his opening stint in second place, setting the stage for a strong run to the checkered flag. Skeer took over next, expertly bringing the Porsche to the lead during the second quarter of the ten-hour endurance finale.

Throughout the remaining hours, the Wright Motorsports trio rotated through driving duties with flawless execution in the pits, keeping the No. 120 Porsche in the fight for a podium finish. However, with just under 52 minutes remaining and while running in the top five, the Wright Porsche was involved in contact with a stopped car on the track. The heavy damage forced an early end to what had been a promising day.

Despite the disappointing finish, the team’s performance at Petit Le Mans capped off a remarkable rookie season for Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer. The duo secured two podium finishes at Sebring International Raceway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and earned a dominant victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Wright Motorsports will return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2025, with further details to be announced in the coming months.

Wright Motorsports
Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series and international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy, and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012, 2013, and 2015, and went on to win the Pirelli World Challenge Overall, Sprint, Team, and Manufacturer’s titles in 2017. In 2020, the team captured the GT World Challenge America Am championship. In 2021, Wright Motorsports had a wildly successful season, capturing nine championships across their five racing efforts.

October 15, 2024
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing Teams and Mercedes-AMG Sweep All Six 2024 IMSA GT Daytona (GTD) Championships

After Season-Ending Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta

BRASELTON, Georgia – Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing teams and Mercedes-AMG completed a perfect six-for-six IMSA GT Daytona (GTD) class 2024 championship sweep Saturday in the season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Winward Racing’s steady run to eighth place as the highest finishing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of the three competing in Saturday’s 10-hour race put the final touch on a dominating season for the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 and Mercedes-AMG that led the team, driver and manufacturer standings all year after a season-long performance that was the best overall in the four-class IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series.

The year started with Winward’s second Rolex 24 At Daytona GTD victory in four years when the full-season pairing of Russell Ward and Philip Ellis were joined by teammates Indy Dontje – the team’s IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) addition this season – and Daniel Morad in adding the victory to go along with 2021’s GTD win in America’s premier 24-hour race. Ward, Ellis and Dontje captured the “36 Hours of Florida” with another strong performance for the win one race later in the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the Winward Racing and Mercedes-AMG season-long run of success was on.

Winward won the first sprint race of the season at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in May and followed it with its third-straight Michelin Endurance Cup triumph in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen in June.

Amid Winward’s strong opening volley of four race wins – the most by a single team in any WeatherTech class in 2024 – in the year’s first five races, the No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 team stepped up to carry Mercedes-AMG’s honors in April’s Grand Prix of Long Beach with a third-place finish. In addition to Mercedes-AMG driver Maximilian Götz joining the team for the Rolex 24 opener, the No. 32 was driven in the full season this year by Mikael Grenier, Kenton Koch and Mike Skeen.

The No. 32 team and drivers entered the championship conversation in both the WeatherTech Championship and IMEC with a late season-run of success that included the team’s first career IMSA win at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) in August and a third-place finish one race later in the six-hour race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

While Winward edged out the No. 32 team’s attempt to secure its second-straight IMEC GTD titles, the late surge elevated Grenier and the Korthoff Preston team to third place in the final full-season GTD driver and team championships.

The No. 32’s third-place finish at Indy was also enough for Mercedes-AMG to clinch both the WeatherTech and IMEC GTD manufacturer championships one race before Saturday’s Petit Le Mans finale. The WeatherTech GTD championship was the first for Mercedes-AMG since entering North American competition in 2017 while the IMEC manufacturer crown was the second in a row and fifth for the Silver Star following previous titles last year and three straight from 2017 through 2019.

With the manufacturer titles wrapped up, the four remaining GTD championships were on the line at Road Atlanta and Winward walked away with them all. Leaving nothing to chance, Winward raced to the finish in its most challenging event of the year even though both the WeatherTech GTD team and driver titles were mathematically clinched with the retirement of the first GTD competitor early in the race. Even if Winward would have been the next to retire, they still would have earned enough points to lock down the championships thanks to this year’s dominating season.

As it was, Winward finished Petit Le Mans for the first time in four attempts to put the crowning touch on its first season of seeing the checkered flag at every race in the championship as well.

Winward’s wrap up of the IMEC titles took a little longer to seal at Petit, but ultimately their nearest challengers – including Korthoff Preston – couldn’t amass enough points in the race’s three segments to surpass the slight edge Winward held going into the race.

All four GTD championships – driver and team titles in both WeatherTech and IMEC – were firsts for Winward and its drivers in its third full-season of top-tier IMSA competition.

In total, the Winward and Korthoff Preston teams combined for a WeatherTech Championship series-leading five Mercedes-AMG GT3 victories and four more podium finishes in this season’s 10 races.

The most competitive Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Customer Racing performance of the Petit Le Mans weekend came in Friday’s qualifying session that saw the trio of Mercedes-AMG GT3 entries in the race earn the pole and three of the top four qualifying positions. Ellis clocked in third fastest for Winward, Skeen was fourth quickest with Korthoff Preston, but the GTD pole went to Scott Andrews in a breakout performance in the No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Contesting the five race IMEC championship this year, Andrews and Lone Star secured their first career IMSA poles, and the team was primed for its best race of the season in its Petit Le Mans debut. Andrews led the opening race laps from the pole only to have a hard-to-explain spin in turn five just minutes into the race. The No. 80 went two laps down after the incident and never had a decent chance of making up the gap as Saturday’s race was one of the most caution-free editions of Petit Le Mans on record. The team and drivers Andrews, Salih Yoluç and Rui Andrade fought to the end for a 10th place finish.

The substantial haul of championship honors, as well as several performance awards for in-season achievements, were presented to the Winward and Korthoff teams and drivers and executives from Mercedes-Benz USA and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport in Sunday night’s WeatherTech Night of Champions at Chateau Elan near Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Christoph Sagemüller, Head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport: “First of all, congratulations to Winward Racing and our three drivers on winning the GTD class championship. This great success means a lot to us as a brand and concludes our most successful season in IMSA since the start of our Customer Racing program. With Korthoff Preston Motorsports, Lone Star Racing and Winward Racing, we have strong teams at our side in North America, who together are responsible for this success with every single result. Many thanks to everyone who represented our brand so well throughout the season.”

Stefan Wendl, Head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing: “I’ve been at the Motul Petit Le Mans, and it was a great end to the season in a wonderful family atmosphere. I can only thank everyone involved. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 scored its victories at the beginning of the season, but also impressed with good results on more difficult race weekends. Last weekend was not only a very successful one in America, but also in Europe. In Barcelona, Winward Racing with Lucas Auer and Maro Engel won the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup driver and team championships in a thrilling finale.”

Russell Ward, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “This is the first championship for Winward Racing here in the USA. It’s an amazing feeling. This is the end goal. You want to win and be competitive, but all of us have an eye on the championship. It is really a testament to the hard work of the crew. Lots of long nights, hard nights, and they deserve this after all of the non-stop work. Nobody sees that. We arrive at races and the car is well prepared, the trailer is organized and ready and everything looks good. They are constantly working 12 hours a day to keep everything perfect. We really have the easiest jobs. We just show up and drive, didn’t put a wheel wrong and had the Mercedes-AMG GT3 to do it, but the crew guys are the ones who really make it happen. This is for them.”

Philip Ellis, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “I’m super thankful to be here with Winward Racing. The team made it really easy this year. They did such a perfect job. We always had a great car, a great strategy and they were always on it in the pit box. We were one step ahead of the competition, and as drivers we just had to bring it home. I think we did the heavy lifting earlier this year in the first part of the season, but we had some more difficult races at Indianapolis and also here at Petit Le Mans. We still kept it together. We didn’t really put a foot wrong and won the championship.”

Indy Dontje, Driver – No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It is just really cool to see what Winward Racing is today from how it started seven years ago. Winning an IMSA championship is an incredible achievement. I had a small part of it, only in the endurance cup, but to win that championship also, for me, is something really special. At the beginning of the year, we won almost every race. That was a big part of it and really helped a lot. All of the guys really did it in the opening endurance events, but the team and Russell and Philip really did a nice job in all of the sprint races. We were a bit on the back foot in the last two rounds, but we managed to do it and won the team and driver championships in both the full season and the endurance cup, so I am really happy for that.”

Scott Andrews, Driver – No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3: “Winning the pole, most importantly, was great for the morale of the team as we have had a really fast car but a difficult season. I was really privileged to get the opportunity to qualify the car, but I kind of went hero to zero in a bit of a way. That was pretty much the story of our whole year in the Michelin Endurance Cup. We had a rocket ship. AJ Petersen and all the boys all did such a good job with our Mercedes-AMG GT3. We all work really hard behind the scenes to make sure the car is really fast. This weekend we showed that, but we also showed how knife-edge it can be as well to have a fast setup here. We really don’t know what happened in turn five in the opening stint. The car just took a weird set to the right, I corrected it, and it just snapped back the other way. It was just really strange, really weird, but it was fun driving back through the field. We really needed a bunch of yellow flags to get back on the lead lap for good, but they never came. Then, unfortunately during the race with some traffic and whatever else, we got some damage, and the front splitter was basically just completely gone, not doing anything. It was just surviving after that, but we brought it home to the finish.”

October 14, 2024
Orion180 Insurance and MoneyGram Haas F1 Team Announce New Multi-Year Partnership
Collaboration focused on the Drive for Precision, Agility, and Excellence

Melbourne, Florida, Oct. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Orion180, a leader in innovative insurance solutions today announced a multi-year partnership with the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team. The insurance trailblazer and America’s Formula 1 team will commence their multi-year partnership from the team’s home race, the United States Grand Prix, held at the Circuit of The Americas, on October 18-20.

Orion180 has achieved unprecedented growth in the homeowners insurance market through proprietary technology, real-time data, compassion, and transparent underwriting to offer insurance solutions in even the highest-risk regions of the United States. The company provides significant value to customers and agency partners by offering customizable policies and exceptional customer service over the phone and through its easy-to-use MY180 app. Orion180’s unconventional data and customer-driven approach to insurance has earned them a place in the Inc. 5000 list for two consecutive years and a 4.9-star Google rating across the states it serves.

Orion180 and MoneyGram Haas F1 Team have remarkable synergies as challengers in their respective lanes, capable of achieving more by focusing on innovation, efficiency, and performance. As part of the partnership, Orion180’s logo will adorn the VF-24 as well as race suits, and team kit from the 2025 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The company will engage in cross-team collaborations and events, and a host of dynamic activations in marquee races across the United States.

“I’m delighted to welcome Orion180, one of the fastest-growing and innovative U.S. insurers, as the latest long-term partner of MoneyGram Haas F1 Team,” said Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal at MoneyGram Haas F1 Team. “Orion180 understands the value of charting a different course to compete with the top incumbents, something we fully understand competing at the pinnacle of motorsport. We welcome their trust in how we are evolving and look forward to delivering great value to them throughout our partnership.”

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, a team that perfectly reflects our own path to success and core values of precision, agility and excellence,” said Ken Gregg, CEO and Founder of Orion180. “We are winning against much larger and better-known brands through our thoughtful, more proactive and innovative insurance solutions that closely mirror what customers need today in a difficult homeowners market.”

For more information on the official partnership between MoneyGram Haas F1 Team and Orion180, visit www.orion180.com/HaasF1.

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, currently seventh overall in the Constructors’ Championship just three points off of sixth place (34-31pts), returns to home soil for Round 19 of the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship – the United States Grand Prix, hosted at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, 18-20 October.

About Orion180:

Orion180 is a people-focused, technology-driven insurance brand that offers proprietary technology, real-time data, and straightforward underwriting practices, enabling independent insurance agents to provide their customers with a premier insurance experience.

Orion180’s operating companies are:
- Orion180 Insurance Co., a surplus lines (non-admitted) insurance company domiciled in Indiana and doing business in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina.
- Orion180 SelectInsurance Co., an admitted insurance company domiciled in Indiana that is approved to provide coverage in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and Ohio.
Orion180 has developed its own proprietary mobile application and technology platform, MY180, while also supporting third-party data integrations with insurance industry partners. Orion180’s vision is to be the global premier provider of insurance solutions. Our mission is to deliver an exceptional insurance experience through innovative technology, unparalleled customer service, and a comprehensive suite of product solutions.

Info – www.Orion180.com

About MoneyGram Haas F1 Team:

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team debuted in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship in 2016, becoming the first American Formula 1 team since 1986. Founded by industrialist Gene Haas, MoneyGram Haas F1 Team is based in the United States on the same Kannapolis, North Carolina, campus as his championship-winning NASCAR team, Stewart-Haas Racing. Haas is the founder of Haas Automation, the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America, and he is chairman of MoneyGram Haas F1 Team.

Info – www.haasf1team.com
October 14, 2024

Toyota Gazoo Racing North America NHRA Texas Fall Nationals Nationals Post-Race Report – 10.13.24

JUSTIN ASHLEY WINS TEXAS FALL NATIONALS FOR FOURTH WIN OF 2024 SEASON
Toyota claims 16th Top Fuel win last 19 races

ENNIS, Texas. (Oct. 13, 2024) – From the No. 12 seed to start eliminations, Justin Ashley captured his fourth Wally Trophy of 2024 by winning the Texas Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex in Ennis. Ashley went through a stout lineup on his way to victory Sunday, having to defeat Antron Brown, Shawn Langdon, Tony Schumacher and Clay Millican – all winners during the season – for the event win. It’s career win number 15 of Ashley’s career and is also Toyota’s 16th Top Fuel win in the last 19 NHRA races. With his triumph, Ashley also takes over the Top Fuel points lead from Toyota teammate, Brown, with just two races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship.

In his home race at Texas Motorplex, Steve Torrence made the semifinals Sunday but fell to Ashley in a hotly contested penultimate round. Shawn Langdon and Billy Torrence, who made his 100th career NHRA start today, were the other Toyota Top Fuel Dragsters to advance past round one.

In Funny Car, Ron Capps made the finals for the second consecutive race and the sixth time this season but fell in the end to Matt Hagan. Capps maintained fourth position in the Funny Car points standings after today’s results. His GR Supra Funny Car teammates, J.R. Todd and Alexis DeJoria, were eliminated in the first round on Sunday.

The final round appearances by Ashley and Capps on Sunday also mark 41 consecutive NHRA event final rounds for Toyota in either Top Fuel and/or Funny Car.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is next on track at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with eliminations set for Sunday, November 3.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series
Texas Motorplex
NHRA Texas Fall Nationals
Race 18 of 20

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Justin Ashley	SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Winner	W (3.775) V. A. Brown (3.776) W (3.951) V. S. Langdon (4.274) W (3.806) V. T. Schumacher (3.817) W (3.773 – holeshot) V. C. Millican (3.662)
Steve Torrence	CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Semi-finals	W (3.756) V. K. Baldwin (6.121) W (3.881) V. B. Torrence (5.491) L (3.777) V. C. Millican (4.245)
Shawn Langdon	Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Second Round	W (3.724) V. J. Salinas (3.745) L (4.274) V. J. Ashley (3.951)
Billy Torrence	CAPCO Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Second Round	W (3.773) V. J. Hart (6.903) L (5.491) V. S. Torrence (3.811)
Doug Kalitta	Mobil 1 Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L (4.954) V. C. Millican (3.740)
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L (3.776) V. J. Ashley (3.775)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Finalist	W (3.912) V. D. Richards (12.205) W (3.945) V. B. Alexander (9.718) W (3.900) V. A. Prock (No Time) L (3.934) V. M. Hagan (3.943 – holeshot)
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	First Round	L (5.059) V. C. Pedregon (4.017)
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero CaféToyota GR Supra Funny Car	First Round	L (No Time) V. D. Wilkerson (3.908)

*= Non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

JUSTIN ASHLEY, SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, SCAG Racing

TF Final Result: Winner

It seems like you make these wins seem so easy. How do you do it?

“Divine intervention. This weekend speaks to God’s presence in our lives. I’m a little bit emotional about this one. We had unique circumstances, but our team came through. To be able to get a win for Team Toyota and to be able to double-up with Jeg (Coughlin, Jr.) and everyone at SCAG Power Equipment, this is a really special victory. This victory is because of Randy (Gloede, CEO of SCAG Power Equipment), Maria (Oldenburg, President of SCAG Power Equipment) and the team itself, the team working on this race car. Could not be prouder nor thankful!”

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

FC Final Result: Finalist

How would you describe your day and weekend?

“It’s been fun the last few races, climbing our way back up (the points standings). Just watching Guido (Dean Antonelli, crew chief) all season long, trying to figure out where we like the clutch, how comfortable he was with the tune up to get the car where he feels we can throw down with anybody in the pit area. With that being said, obviously coming off a final round in St. Louis a couple weeks ago, which is great to build off that momentum. Talked (after St. Louis) about how this race is a big-time momentum race, either good or bad. It’s great in some way with another final-round finish, but it almost hurts worse losing in the final and being that close. But I cannot say enough how happy I am with our NAPA Auto Care team. The conditions were so demanding and so tricky, that’s when it pays off to have the GR Supra body. We were able to trim it out a little in qualifying and go 3.86 and qualify really well. The big thing was, Sunday, being able to go down a tricky track. Felt like we had an advantage with the GR Supra. And getting to the final round. I haven’t talked to Guido yet about what the car did, just happy to go down all the runs we did with power. It’s a big-time, important thing. I mean, I said it’s a momentum race, so you build upon her, going to (Las) Vegas. So, it hurts now. I’ll be okay in a few hours (laughs), a little better tomorrow. And then by Tuesday, I’ll be even more mad at myself for not being able to cut a better light. That part hurts.”

About Toyota

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

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13^th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 29 electrified options.

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

October 13, 2024

ASHLEY, HAGAN, J. COUGHLIN JR. & HERRERA COLLECT KEY PLAYOFF WINS AT TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS
- Ashley moves into Top Fuel points lead
- Hagan wins in Dallas for second straight year
- Coughlin slips past longtime rival Anderson in PS
- Herrera nets 20th PSM win in just 34 starts
ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 12, 2024) – Justin Ashley moved into the Top Fuel points lead on Sunday at Texas Motorplex, holding off Clay Millican in the final round and winning in Dallas for the third time in four years at the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals.

Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 18th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and the fourth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Ashley went 3.773-seconds at 327.99 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Scag Power Equipment/Toyota dragster in the final round, defeating Millican on a holeshot thanks to a brilliant .026 reaction time on the starting line. Millican went a quicker 3.762 at 328.40 but couldn’t track down Ashley at the finish line. It is the fourth win this season and the 15th overall for Ashley, who defeated Antron Brown, Shawn Langdon and Tony Schumacher to reach the final round.

He qualified 12th, only make Friday’s first qualifying pass while observing Yom Kippur. But the team was prepared on Sunday with several standout runs and Ashley now has a 44-point lead over Antron Brown with two races remaining.

“This just speaks volumes of the kind of team we have,” Ashley said. “When I went up to them and told them my plan, the team rallied around me and we rallied together as a group. We’re one team and one family, and for them to understand my principles and having only one lap down the racetrack – I don’t think we had lane choice once today, our backs were against the wall, but Mike (Green, crew chief) and Tommy (DeLago) did an awesome job.

“It’s not over until it’s over, that much is for sure. You just have to keep swinging, and it’s best for us to not even look at the points. If we don’t take care of our business, it’s not going to matter anyway. It’s important to enjoy it, but once we leave here our focus has to immediately shift to Vegas. No matter what, this is far, far from over. We took a major step today, but it’s going to become more and more difficult. Just like it always does, it’s going to come down to Pomona.”

Millican advanced to the finals for the third time this season and the 25th time in his career by taking down defending world champ Doug Kalitta, Shawn Reed and Texan Steve Torrence.

Texas Motorplex continued to bring out the best in defending Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan, who won for the second consecutive year in Dallas for Tony Stewart Racing, defeating Ron Capps with a run of 3.943 at 327.65 in his 11,000-horsepower Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat. It is the third victory this season for Hagan and the 52nd in his career as he also moved to third in points, 168 back of leader Austin Prock.

After qualifying second, Hagan took down Bobby Bode, Cruz Pedregon and Daniel Wilkerson to reach the final round, utilizing a better .064 reaction time to hold off Capps’ run of 3.934 at 328.28. The team had struggled since Hagan last won in May in Chicago, but he was thrilled with how everyone performed in the warm conditions on Sunday, giving the team a much-needed late-season jolt.

“I was really on the chip, and I love Capps to death, but I was ready to cut his head off,” Hagan said. “You’re going in like a gladiator. You get to get on this crazy machine, and you never know what it’s going to do, but this is one of the cool things we get to do, drive something so unpredictable.

“But that’s why we love doing it. To get this win for Jason Johnson and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage, to pull down the win was huge. Life is about the people and the relationships we build along the way, that’s what really matters. We’ve surrounded ourselves with really smart people and I believe in my guys and my crew. Those core group of guys really mattered and I’ve been lucky to keep my core group together for so long.”

Capps advanced to the finals for the fifth time this season and the 152nd in his career by defeating Dave Richards, Blake Alexander and Prock. Prock will still take a commanding lead into Las Vegas, as he will lead Jack Beckman by 147 points heading into the final two races. Beckman, who has racing for drag racing legend John Force, did not compete on Sunday after waking up with vertigo-like symptoms.

In Pro Stock, Jeg Coughlin Jr. got the better of longtime rival Greg Anderson in the championship round, picking up his first win at Texas Motorplex in more than 20 years after slipping past Anderson with a run of 6.592 at 208.10 in his Scag Power Equipment car. Coughlin’s last win in Dallas came in 2002, but that all changed with a classic performance on Sunday. It gives Coughlin his fifth victory this season and the 69th in his career.

To get there, he knocked off Cory Reed, David Cuadra and Matt Hartford, but the performance was turned up in the final round against Anderson. It was a pair of five-time world champions, but Coughlin slipped past the veteran at the finish line. He’s fifth in points and was also thrilled to enjoy the first double-up victory for Scag Power Equipment.

“This feels fantastic,” Coughlin said. “For us, the cherry on top was for Justin Ashley and me to get our first double together as Scag teammates. I’m really eager to go celebrate with our team. It should be a big one. This Wally is going back to Mark Ingersoll. It’s quite remarkable what he’s gone through He’s on a good path to recovery, and he’s as strong as an ox for sure. We miss having him out here and look forward to him coming back more.

“Greg has always been the pinnacle since he got behind the wheel of a Pro Stock program. Today he had us outpaced, performance-wise, so we jokingly said we needed to pull a rabbit out of the hat before this final round – and fortunately we did. I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded with some amazing teams, amazing people. I think this weekend is another testament to that. I saw that win light come on, and I couldn’t have been more excited.”

Anderson, who was the No. 1 qualifier, reached the finals for the fourth time this year and the 180th in his career by taking down Fernando Cuadra Jr. and points leader Dallas Glenn. But Glenn did strengthen his points lead by knocking off Stanfield in the second round, taking a 54-point advantage over Stanfield into Las Vegas. Anderson jumped to third with his final-round appearance.

It was another dominant Dallas weekend for Pro Stock Motorcycle points leader Gaige Herrera, who won for the second year at Texas Motorplex after defeating rival Matt Smith in the final round with a run of 6.816 at 200.56 on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. With the win, Herrera picked up his 20th career victory, reaching that milestone quicker than any driver in NHRA history.

Herrera, who was also the No. 1 qualifier as part of a spectacular weekend, now has nine victories in 2024, taking a 62-point lead over Smith into the final two races of the season as he seeks a second straight championship. To reach the final round on Sunday, Herrera got past Chase Van Sant and Jianna Evaristo. Smith left the starting line first but ran into trouble as Herrera cruised to his second straight victory in the Countdown to the Championship.

“Today means a lot,” Herrera said. “I had more luck on my side today than performance, for sure. I was sleeping on one of the lights and Chase went red, and in the final there, Matt would have had me. Luck was definitely on my side, and I’d rather be lucky than good any day. My bike ran well all day with the heat, considering. I made a few little mistakes, but all in all, I’m glad to go home with the win and another cowboy hat.

“This Countdown has been pretty tight. We all know there was some trash talk, so for us to not have the performance advantage and get the win, it means a lot to me. This season, it just means a lot more each round win we get. This year has been a lot more pressure for me as a rider. Each round and win means so much more this time. I’m kind of just showing my real side and not holding it in anymore.”

Smith reached his fifth final round in 2024 and the 80th in his career thanks to round wins against Malcolm Phillips Jr., Marc Ingwersen and Hector Arana Jr.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Oct. 31-Nov. 3 with the 24th annual Ford Performance NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

ENNIS, Texas — Final finish order (1-16) at the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex. The race is the 18th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

TOP FUEL:
1. Justin Ashley; 2. Clay Millican; 3. Tony Schumacher; 4. Steve Torrence; 5. Shawn Reed; 6. Brittany Force; 7. Shawn Langdon; 8. Billy Torrence; 9. Jasmine Salinas; 10. Antron Brown; 11. Tony Stewart; 12. Ida Zetterstrom; 13. Doug Kalitta; 14. Spencer Hyde; 15. Josh Hart; 16. Krista Baldwin.
FUNNY CAR:
1. Matt Hagan; 2. Ron Capps; 3. Daniel Wilkerson; 4. Austin Prock; 5. Paul Lee; 6. Cruz Pedregon; 7. Chad Green; 8. Blake Alexander; 9. Bobby Bode; 10. Bob Tasca III; 11. Terry Haddock; 12. J.R. Todd; 13. Dale Creasy Jr.; 14. Dave Richards; 15. Jack Beckman; 16. Alexis DeJoria.
PRO STOCK:
1. Jeg Coughlin; 2. Greg Anderson; 3. Dallas Glenn; 4. Matt Hartford; 5. Fernando Cuadra Jr.; 6. Erica Enders; 7. David Cuadra; 8. Aaron Stanfield; 9. Cory Reed; 10. Mason McGaha; 11. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 12. Cristian Cuadra; 13. Jerry Tucker; 14. Camrie Caruso; 15. Chris McGaha; 16. Eric Latino.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:
1. Gaige Herrera; 2. Matt Smith; 3. Hector Arana Jr; 4. Jianna Evaristo; 5. Chase Van Sant; 6. Marc Ingwersen; 7. Angie Smith; 8. Steve Johnson; 9. Richard Gadson; 10. John Hall; 11. Malcolm Phillips Jr.; 12. Chris Bostick; 13. Ryan Oehler; 14. Geno Scali; 15. Ron Tornow.
ENNIS, Texas — Sunday’s final results from the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex. The race is the 18th of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel — Justin Ashley, 3.773 seconds, 327.99 mph def. Clay Millican, 3.762 seconds, 328.40 mph.

Funny Car — Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.943, 327.65 def. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.934, 328.28.

Pro Stock — Jeg Coughlin, Chevy Camaro, 6.593, 208.10 def. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.603, 210.13.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.816, 200.56 def. Matt Smith, Buell, 7.703, 125.55.

Top Alcohol Dragster — Matthew Cummings, 5.246, 279.71 def. Julie Nataas, 5.264, 272.18.

Top Alcohol Funny Car — Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.497, 266.86 def. Brian Hough, Camaro, 5.557, 266.45.

Competition Eliminator — Matt Harris, Pontinac Grand Am, 7.705, 175.83 def. Keith Mawhee, Chevy Cavalier, 8.059, 167.92.

Super Stock — Justin Picillo, Pontiac Tran Am, 9.401, 134.97 def. Craig Gualtiere, Chevy Cavalier, 9.455, 142.62.

Stock Eliminator — Michael Brand, Ford Mustang, 8.833, 152.54 def. Jimmy Hidalgo Jr., Pontiac GTO, 10.958, 114.31.

Super Comp — Kyle Secrest, Dragster, 8.875, 178.78 def. Michael Dalrymple, Dragster, 8.870, 183.98.

Super Gas — Tom Stalba, Chevy Corvette, 9.901, 154.77 def. Rusty Cook, Chevy, 9.894, 160.24.

Super Street — Jordan Pratt, Chevy Camaro, 10.897, no speed def. Alan Bush, Chevy Nova, 10.859, 154.35.

Top Sportsman — Michael Chitty, Chevy Cobalt, 6.571, 210.41 def. Macy Higgins, Chevy Camaro, 6.619, 207.49.

Top Dragster — Jim Prevo, Dragster, 6.305, 185.10 def. Brad Plourd, Dragster, 9.855, 85.03.

Factory X — Greg Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 7.074, 193.17 def. Jesse Alexandra, Camaro, 7.138, 190.93.

ENNIS, Texas — Final round-by-round results from the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, the 18th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL:

ROUND ONE — Tony Schumacher, 3.801, 322.37 def. Ida Zetterstrom, 4.082, 222.85; Justin Ashley, 3.775, 329.21 def. Antron Brown, 3.776, 324.96; Brittany Force, 3.766, 334.55 def. Spencer Hyde, Foul – Red Light; Shawn Reed, 3.753, 318.97 def. Tony Stewart, 3.817, 329.96; Shawn Langdon, 3.724, 332.20 def. Jasmine Salinas, 3.745, 326.49; Steve Torrence, 3.756, 333.21 def. Krista Baldwin, 6.121, 103.31; Steve Torrence, 3.756, 333.21 def. Krista Baldwin, 6.121, 103.31; Billy Torrence, 3.773, 329.48 def. Josh Hart, 6.093, 105.75; Clay Millican, 3.740, 333.16 def. Doug Kalitta, 4.954, 161.63;

QUARTERFINALS — Schumacher, 3.797, 326.16 def. Force, 3.790, 332.27; S. Torrence, 3.811, 325.80 def. B. Torrence, 5.491, 121.61; Millican, 3.759, 330.44 def. Reed, 3.775, 324.98; Ashley, 3.951, 291.00 def. Langdon, 4.274, 228.21;

SEMIFINALS — Ashley, 3.806, 327.51 def. Schumacher, 3.817, 323.93; Millican, 3.777, 329.40 def. S. Torrence, 4.245, 222.39;

FINAL — Ashley, 3.773, 327.99 def. Millican, 3.762, 328.40.

FUNNY CAR:

ROUND ONE — Blake Alexander, Ford Mustang, 3.879, 325.80 def. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 3.994, 303.91; Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 4.380, 275.23 def. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 4.404, 205.61; Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.974, 325.64 def. Bobby Bode, Mustang, 3.966, 321.80; Chad Green, Mustang, 3.992, 295.92 def. Jack Beckman, Camaro, Broke – No Show; Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.912, 328.42 def. Dave Richards, Mustang, 12.205, 70.29; Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.908, 323.46 def. Alexis DeJoria, GR Supra, Broke; Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 4.017, 315.55 def. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 5.059, 158.02; Paul Lee, Charger, 4.100, 246.72 def. Dale Creasy Jr., Charger, 5.678, 126.53;

QUARTERFINALS — Prock, 3.945, 327.92 def. Lee, 4.008, 314.95; Capps, 3.945, 307.34 def. Alexander, 9.718, 86.49; Wilkerson, 3.944, 322.74 def. Green, 5.544, 105.54; Hagan, 3.974, 327.44 def. Pedregon, 4.076, 252.53;

SEMIFINALS — Hagan, 3.965, 326.16 def. Wilkerson, 7.727, 96.18; Capps, 3.900, 328.83 def. Prock, Broke;

FINAL — Hagan, 3.943, 327.65 def. Capps, 3.934, 328.28.

PRO STOCK:

ROUND ONE — Fernando Cuadra Jr., Chevy Camaro, 6.602, 209.02 def. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.665, 207.88; Matt Hartford, Camaro, 7.543, 174.11 def. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 22.546, 25.02; Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.583, 208.29 def. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.572, 210.06; David Cuadra, Camaro, 6.620, 208.04 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, Broke; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.559, 209.51 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.576, 209.93; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.543, 210.59 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, Broke – No Show; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.579, 209.39 def. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.615, 208.74; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.582, 209.38 def. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.601, 207.45;

QUARTERFINALS — Coughlin, 6.627, 208.03 def. D. Cuadra, 6.650, 208.03; Hartford, 6.616, 208.75 def. Enders, 6.613, 208.91; Glenn, 6.612, 209.27 def. Stanfield, 12.308, 71.61; Anderson, 6.568, 209.92 def. Cuadra Jr., 6.607, 207.89;

SEMIFINALS — Coughlin, 6.636, 207.19 def. Hartford, 8.204, 144.29; Anderson, 6.601, 209.50 def. Glenn, 6.619, 208.75;

FINAL — Coughlin, 6.593, 208.10 def. Anderson, 6.603, 210.13.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

ROUND ONE — Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.808, 199.96 def. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.830, 199.32; Angie Smith, Buell, 6.808, 202.54 def. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.949, 180.22; Marc Ingwersen, 6.845, 199.22 def. John Hall, Foul – Red Light; Hector Arana Jr, 6.808, 197.81 def. Ryan Oehler, 6.974, 194.30; Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.895, 200.76 def. Ron Tornow, Broke; Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.774, 196.88 def. Geno Scali, Suzuki, Foul – Red Light; Matt Smith, Buell, 6.776, 202.48 def. Malcolm Phillips Jr., Suzuki, 6.946, 194.34; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.758, 201.78 was unopposed;

QUARTERFINALS — Arana Jr, 6.851, 198.51 def. A. Smith, 6.896, 199.69; M. Smith, 6.788, 201.57 def. Ingwersen, 6.849, 198.51; Evaristo, 6.910, 199.13 def. Johnson, Foul – Red Light; Herrera, 6.818, 199.53 def. Van Sant, Foul – Red Light;

SEMIFINALS — Herrera, 6.835, 199.65 def. Evaristo, 7.010, 194.96; M. Smith, 6.878, 200.18 def. Arana Jr, 6.900, 197.57;

FINAL — Herrera, 6.816, 200.56 def. M. Smith, 7.703, 125.55.

ENNIS, Texas — Point standings (top 10) following the 39th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, the 18th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series –

Top Fuel
1. Justin Ashley, 2,422; 2. Antron Brown, 2,378; 3. Shawn Langdon, 2,346; 4. Steve Torrence, 2,334; 5. Tony Schumacher, 2,317; 6. Clay Millican, 2,308; 7. Doug Kalitta, 2,289; 8. Brittany Force, 2,232; 9. Tony Stewart, 2,181; 10. Billy Torrence, 2,167.
Funny Car
1. Austin Prock, 2,537; 2. John Force, 2,390; 3. Matt Hagan, 2,369; 4. Ron Capps, 2,357; 5. Bob Tasca III, 2,326; 6. Daniel Wilkerson, 2,238; 7. Blake Alexander, 2,234; 8. J.R. Todd, 2,223; 9. Chad Green, 2,210; 10. Alexis DeJoria, 2,177.
Pro Stock
1. Dallas Glenn, 2,517; 2. Aaron Stanfield, 2,464; 3. Greg Anderson, 2,427; 4. Erica Enders, 2,406; 5. Jeg Coughlin, 2,321; 6. Matt Hartford, 2,215; 7. Cristian Cuadra, 2,188; 8. Jerry Tucker, 2,182; 9. Troy Coughlin Jr., 2,175; 10. Eric Latino, 2,158.
Pro Stock Motorcycle
1. Gaige Herrera, 2,532; 2. Matt Smith, 2,470; 3. Richard Gadson, 2,371; 4. Hector Arana Jr, 2,347; 5. Chase Van Sant, 2,302; 6. Angie Smith, 2,262; 7. Jianna Evaristo, 2,247; 8. John Hall, 2,239; 9. Steve Johnson, 2,182; 10. Chris Bostick, 2,128.
October 13, 2024
NHRA AT DALLAS: Team Chevy Race Report | Notes & Quotes
CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2024 TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS
TEXAS MOTORPLEX
ENNIS, TEXAS
TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT | NOTES & STATS
OCTOBER 13, 2024

TEAM CHEVY FACES TOUGH TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS IN DALLAS WITH JOHN FORCE RACING

Jeg Coughlin, Jr. Captured Chevrolet’s 399th Wally trophy since 1970 in Pro Stock, with Greg Stanfield Capturing the Factory X Victory at Texas Motorplex

Notes:
- Jeg Coughlin, Jr. defeated Greg Anderson to claim Chevrolet’s 399th Pro Stock victory since 1970. Coughlin, Jr.’s win Sunday was the 106th victory of his career and this of 2024.
- Austin Prock, driver of the AAA/Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, raced to the semifinal round of Sunday’s Texas NHRA Fall Nationals after claiming his 13th No. 1 qualifier this season but didn’t make the run after facing issues on the burnout versus Ron Capps.
- Despite the early exit to his FallNationals, Prock still maintains the Championship standings lead heading into the penultimate event of the 2024 season, the NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nov. 1-3.
- Brittany Force, driver of the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, raced to Round 2 after claiming her 50th career No. 1 qualifier at the Texas Motorplex, but fell to Tony Schumacher.
- Prock raced his 13th also this season, tying J. Force with the most Funny Car No. 1 qualifiers in a single season. Additionally, Prock’s run of 3.813 seconds E.T. at 333.09 mph set a new track record Friday night in Q2 at Texas Motorplex, and was the eighth quickest Funny Car run in NHRA history, the best since 2017.
- B. Force raced to her 50th career NHRA No. 1 qualifier with her stout Q2 run of 3.667 seconds E.T. at 338.19 mph Friday night.
- Jack Beckman, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, faced vertigo-like symptoms Sunday morning that did not subside and was unable to compete in Sunday’s Texas NHRA FallNationals. Heading into race day Sunday, Beckman had qualified No. 3 and was competing on behalf of team owner and 16-time champion John Force in the Countdown to the Championship.
- Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock, captured his sixth No. 1 qualifier of 2024 and 130th of his career after his Friday evening Q2 run of 6.524 seconds E.T. at 208.99 mph held strongly through Saturday’s sessions to take the top spot.
- Greg Stanfield, in his Chevrolet COPO Camaro, defeated Jesse Alexandra to claim the Holley EFI Factory X Wally trophy during the Texas NHRA FallNationals.
Quotes:

AUSTIN PROCK, DRIVER OF THE AAA/CORNWELL TOOLS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR:

“I honestly don’t know what to say. This isn’t the end we had planned for our weekend with the AAA Camaro. My foot went all the way to the floor, so there was a good chance it broke the throttle cable or that the throttle link had disconnected. It was a quick disconnect. It was activated by ai, and I stopped and noticed that the throttle arm was moving and there was no change in RPM. So, I got on the radio, told them what was going on, and we tried reconnecting it, but we weren’t able to.”

CHRIS CUNNINGHAM, CREW CHIEF OF THE PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR:

“It is unfortunate for our PEAK team and our championship hopes, but we’ve been through this before and we are not giving up. This is what was best for Jack (Beckman) and his health. That comes first.”

BRITTANY FORCE, DRIVER OF THE HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET TOP FUEL DRAGSTER:

“Amazing effort from my HendrickCars.com team this entire weekend! Our car ran strong through qualifying, and we earned my 50th No. 1 qualifier. On race day, our performance remained strong, making two solid passes but the second round resulted in a hole shot loss which as a driver, weighs a lot because I must admit I let my team down. This is something I will continue to work on and aim to improve in Las Vegas. Our team does not quit. We will pull ourselves out of our most challenging season with a positive note on the west coast.”

Up Next:

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Nov. 1-3 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals. Eliminations air Sunday at 5 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Coverage of qualifying and the race stream live throughout the weekend on NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

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October 13, 2024
RISI COMPETIZIONE CAPTURES SECOND PLACE AT 2025 PETIT LE MANS

Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 No. 62:

Davide Rigon (ITA)
Daniel Serra (BRA)
Alessandro Pier Guidi (ITA)

(Braselton, Ga., October 12, 2024) … The No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 finished on the podium in second place in GTD Pro class, at today’s 27th Annual Motul Petit Le Mans 10-hour race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, the final round of the season for IMSA.

Drivers for today’s action-packed race were Ferrari GT factory drivers Italian Davide Rigon, Brazilian Daniel Serra, and Italian Alessandro Pier Guidi, who joined them for this final round. All three drivers competed together with Risi Competizione last year at Petit Le Mans, where they finished third on the podium.

The Houston, Texas-based Ferrari team also finished second in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) Championship, which they contested with all five endurance races this season. Risi Competizione trailed the winning team (Paul Miller Racing) by just two points, 43 to 41. The Risi Competizione team won the inaugural IMEC championship in 2022.

Although the team started today’s race from the 13th GTD Pro class position, their strategy to not pit during the first full course caution helped elevate them to second in class within the first 30 minutes of the race. They continued to run in the two positions most of the race, including leading many laps. There were a total of five cautions over the 10 hours with three within the first 90 minutes.

Serra clocked the team’s fastest lap in his final stint in the dark on Lap 388 out of a total of 413 laps with a time of 1:19.424.

The 2024 race stats for Risi Competizione this season included a class victory at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, a second-place finish at the 12 Hours of Sebring, 11th place at the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, ninth at the 6 Hours of Indianapolis and another second-place finish at Petit Le Mans today.

Risi Competizione has celebrated an excellent history at Road Atlanta, having won the inaugural Petit Le Mans in 1998 with a Ferrari 333 SP. The team then collected additional victories in 2008 and 2009 with the Ferrari 430 GT, and then in 2016 and 2019 with the Ferrari 488 GTE.

Quotes:

Daniel Serra, driver, No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3:

“We tried to win the IMEC championship, but we just weren’t able, but it was our third podium in five races, so it’s been a very nice season. It’s always great to race with Risi and I’m happy for the team that we could do a nice season.”

Davide Rigon, driver, No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3:

“Well, I’m happy for the podium because for sure we didn’t expect to be so close in the end. We were surprised that we had a good performance, and I have to say it’s a pleasure to drive with Ale and Daniel and with a super team in Risi. We did a great job all together. We had a mistake on strategy, expecting a safety car in the fourth hour that didn’t come, so we missed the points for that segment of the (IMEC) championship. Then in the eighth hour we just missed being in P1 at the time mark for the IMEC points again so that was a disappointment. But looking at the race as a whole, we gave everything we had. I drove always on the lmit and the car was good and fun to drive. The championship was amazing, but I expected more. It was a positive season overall, especially with the Daytona victory, and we hope to get Petit Le Mans next year.”

Alessandro Pier Guidi driver, No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3:

“We tried to win the race and the IMEC championship and unfortunately, we couldn’t do it. We made some small mistakes at the fourth and eighth hour to get the points needed, but we still earned a podium which is a great result. Every time at Petit we show our performance. We began the year with the win at Daytona and finished it with a second place here, so it’s been a positive season and we can look forward to the future.”

Sponsors for the 2024 season for Risi Competizione include Pennzoil, Ferrari of Houston, OMP Racing and DEA.

Risi Competizione Team Principal, Giuseppe Risi, has not yet made any official announcements for plans for the 2025 race season.

For more information and social media about the team, please see www.risicompetizione.com and follow us on Facebook/RisiCompetizione and Twitter @RisiComp and on Instagram/RisiComp.

October 13, 2024
No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 Secures Best Endurance Finish of the Year at MOTUL Petit Le Mans

BRASELTON, Georgia (October 12, 2024) – The Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) GTD team ended the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) season on a high note as the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 took its best finish of the season in an endurance race after finishing an impressive sixth in the 10-hour MOTUL Petit Le Mans.

Danny Formal started the race after his strong qualifying performance saw the black and red team starting in fifth at the historic Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Formal was quick to find his rhythm as he began to make progress through the field in his opening stint, running in the podium positions before handing the controls over to Graham Doyle in the first pit stop under caution.

Doyle immediately showed his progress as he took over for his fifth-career IWSC event with his first stint as one of his best throughout the season. A poorly timed caution and a drive-through penalty after contact saw the No. 45 fall off the lead lap, but Doyle kept the car within touching distance of the leaders throughout the remainder of his stint.

Kyle Marcelli took over for his first stint of the race and began making progress over the course of a grueling stint. Marcelli matched pace with leaders as he took on the traffic and the challenging turns of Road Atlanta before giving control back to Doyle.

Doyle completed his last stint of the 2024 IWSC season in impressive fashion, helping to close the gap to the cars on the lead lap, allowing the No. 45 car to stay competitive, despite being a lap down for multiple hours.

In the closing stages of the race, Marcelli and Formal traded turns in their effort to climb back through the field. Both drivers put in monster efforts to claw back in positions as the closing hours ran on. A late-race caution in the last hour allowed the team to regain the lead lap with 20 minutes remaining. Formal came to pit lane and the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini crew had a stellar pit stop, pushing the No. 45 into seventh. With under 30 minutes remaining, Formal battled hard and was able grab the sixth-place position to end an impressive and intense MOTUL Petit Le Mans.

“I’m really proud of the GTD program this weekend,” said Wayne Taylor, Team Principal of WTRAndretti. “Obviously, Petit Le Mans, a ten-hour race, is a very hard race. The team worked so well. All the drivers did a great job. Graham Doyle really sent the message that he’s meant to be in GTD now. I do think overall the relationship between WTRAndretti and Lamborghini is starting to gel, and I’m looking forward to next year.”

The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team in their inaugural GTD campaign accomplished pole position at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and two top five results on the season.
No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 Drivers:
Kyle Marcelli: “It was a great day for the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2. We finished sixth after ten hours and on the lead lap. Everybody executed flawlessly today! What a grueling race this was, almost caution free for what seemed like six hours. Every one of my stints was green flagged, so it just takes a lot of focus to run laps repetitively for three hours. Huge thanks to Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti and the whole No. 45 crew. It was a very hard-working season. We’ve constantly been putting pressure on ourselves to get better. We had a lot of speed today and I think we’re all pleased with that. Everybody on the box and the car did a great job, and it was an honor to be a part of it.”

Danny Formal: “What a race! I think our best race of the season. The team, the pit stops and all three drivers just drove phenomenally. Definitely Graham Doyle’s revelation; he did so, so well. Kyle with some crazy laps in the middle of the race. We passed a lot of cars, and the race pace was just incredible. The guys at WTRAndretti gave us a very fast Lamborghini tonight, and we finished sixth and on the lead lap. We were one lap down for nine hours in that race and got lucky with a yellow at the end and we just started passing cars. I got up to sixth place with two laps to go at the end. The car was phenomenal. So proud of the team, in our first season in GTD to finish Petit Le Mans, one of the hardest races in the world, in the top six. I’m so grateful to DEX Imaging, WTRAndretti and all the crew. “

Graham Doyle: “Sixth place at the end of the ten hours. Awesome drive by Danny there at the end and an awesome drive and effort by the whole team. It’s just been an amazing season, start to finish. It’s really great to end it on a high note like this and we can’t wait for next year. It means everything to finish on the lead lap for the second endurance race in a row. It just goes to show how amazing our team is. The strategy and everything that goes into this, all the hard work that these No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini guys put in. The results are really all because of them. I’m happy to see my progression from start to finish. Looking at the Rolex 24 then to the drive from today, it just shows that with hard work and everything the team is putting in, we can make a lot of progress. I’m looking forward to continuing my progress.”

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

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

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

October 13, 2024
WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06 GTP Teams Close Out 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at MOTUL Petit Le Mans

BRASELTON, Georgia (October 12, 2024) – The Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) Acura ARX-06 GTP teams saw checkered flag fly on the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season with Saturday’s MOTUL Petit Le Mans. With ten hours of action-packed endurance racing, the team closed the chapter on their manufacturer partnership with Acura and Honda Racing Corporation US (HRC). WTRAndretti’s success with Acura and HRC was highlighted by their 2021 Rolex 24 at Daytona win, a Twelve Hours of Sebring victory in 2024 and seven additional impressive wins.

For the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06, Filipe Albuquerque handled the opening stint driving duties after qualifying in fifth position. An influx of cautions throughout the first hour and half of the ten hours, Albuquerque kept his nose clean and navigated in lap traffic to pit and give co-driver Ricky Taylor a solid top five running position. Taylor took control of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 and with a stretch of green flag running, the blue and black team found themselves in the lead trio of GTPs. At the six-hour to go mark, IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) co-driver, Brendon Hartley, climbed inside the No. 10 for his triple stint into the evening hours. Hartley pulled off an impressive stint staying within the leader as the halfway mark was reached. Hartley then made a masterful pass in Turn 10a to take the lead just shy of four hours remaining. Albuquerque took over for Hartley after his stout stint and continued to lead for nearly all his second on-track stint.

Now with nightfall, it was back to Taylor as the clock was under two hours remaining. Jockeying throughout lapped traffic, Taylor kept his distance to the leader within three seconds and a stellar pit stop by the No. 10 crew propelled the No. 10 back into the lead with a little over an hour remaining. Unfortunately, with under an hour remaining, the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 made contact with a GT car stopped on track in Turn 5 and damage from the contact ended the strong run for the blue and black team, finishing in ninth.

In the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06, Jordan Taylor tackled the start, from the seventh spot on the grid, for the MOTUL Petit Le Mans. As the first yellow flag flew, the No. 40 team made the decision to stay out while much of the GTP filed pitted – creating an alternate strategy early and cycling to lead. Taylor held steady for a double stint and handed over the No. 40 to his full-season co-driver, Louis Delétraz, for his first laps on race day. Delétraz ran within the front half of the GTP field, holding strong on the team’s alternate strategy. Just before the halfway point, IndyCar Vice Champion for Andretti Global and IMEC co-driver, Colton Herta, hopped into the No. 40 for his first MOTUL Petit Le Mans laps since 2020.

With the second half of the ten hours of racing on the horizon, Herta managed a triple stint and maintained to stay on the lead lap of the GTP field until a cut tire forced the team to pit. From that point, it was focusing on progressing forward once again while balancing traffic. With about two hours to go, Taylor hopped back into the car through the checkered flag. Attrition ahead of the No. 40 team placed the Taylor into the top five, but a penalty from the final caution of the race resulted in a stop-and-hold, sliding the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 back to seventh to finish.

Although the season didn’t end as expected, the WTRAndretti team boasted two victories with the Twelve Hours of Sebring and the Streets of Detroit, along with two pole positions and two podiums in the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, WTRAndretti: “This is the first year we’ve come into the final race not being in a position to win the championship and we could just go for the win. But unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. All the drivers in the No. 10 car did an outstanding job. It was very unfortunate what happened. Ricky had just taken the lead with 30 minutes to go, but literally as he took the lead, another car was stopped on the track and he had nowhere to go but straight into the stopped car. The No. 40 car were working their way back but unfortunately had a penalty in the closing hour. All three of them did fantastic in the No. 40 car as well. I think they all led for a certain period of time. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the result we wanted but thank you to everyone on the WTRAndretti and Acura and HRC.”

No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 GTP Drivers
Ricky Taylor: “First of all, I’m super proud of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 team. For the fourth year straight, they put us in a position to fight for the win. I think we were so much looking forward to ending the relationship with Acura and HRC on a high note. For me, since 2018, and for the team since 2021, we have so many good memories. It was a great partnership to work with, to combine such talented groups. I think this just proves how hard the sport is and how ruthless it can be. I think we can still look back on it and feel lucky we were able to work together for such a long time. And as a team we move on to next year and try this one again in twelve months. Maybe the sixth time’s the charm.”

Filipe Albuquerque: “There aren’t really words to describe this race. Brendon did an amazing job. We were leading. Ricky just took the lead in Turn 5, doing a great job, and there was just a car in front of him, so he crashed. It was impossible to avoid. Our competitors seem to have good luck in this race while we do not. For so many years, we leave here crying because of losing in heartbreaking ways. We were doing everything right and we need to be proud of that. But it’s just tiring and exhausting to come up completely empty, knowing that we did everything right. There is nothing to learn from this. It’s just a matter of going again. I feel sorry as well because it was our last race with Acura and HRC. They did great and the car felt amazing; we were fighting with the championship leaders. This race reflects our last three years in GTP: we do everything correctly, but the results seem to slip through our fingers. I just feel sorry for how we ended the last race with Acura and HRC, but I think it reflects our last three years well.”

Brendon Hartley: “I loved being back with Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti at Petit Le Mans. I had a good feeling this weekend that we had a shot at the win. I think we had a pretty faultless race up until that one-hour-to-go mark. Mechanics, engineers and drivers, I think we were all on it. We were fighting in the first two positions for the whole race. Ricky was just coming back on the Porsche, and we had the tire advantage. I think we had a really good shot at this win, and then Ricky was just completely unlucky. There was nothing he could do there; there was a car stopped in the middle of the road and he couldn’t see it. It’s kind of heart breaking. I’m still really desperate for the first win with WTRAndretti. I feel like we’ve come close so many times. This year in Sebring, second at Daytona last year and then Petit Le Mans a couple years ago. It just wasn’t meant to be. Today felt like what could’ve been. But big thanks to everyone. I really enjoyed it. I loved working with Ricky and Filipe again, the crew and the No. 40 drivers. It’s such a good atmosphere. Just disappointed we couldn’t end up with a win.”

No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 GTP Drivers
Louis Delétraz: “I think it was a crazy race. We’ve been fighting for six hours to stay on the lead lap after the first caution, where we were surprised to have no final wave-by and ended up over a minute behind the leaders. We came back; Colton and Jordan did a fantastic job. But a (tire) puncture put us right back to fighting for that lap. We almost made it, but in the end we did not. We tried everything to get our lap back. Today was either winning or seventh, and it was seventh. A huge thank you to HRC and Acura for the season. We all wish it could have been better, but I enjoyed meeting and working with all the talented people. I’m sure there will be a lot of success in the future.”

Jordan Taylor: “I think we had some promise today. Early on, we led a lot of laps, and the No. 10 car led a lot of laps. They just had a super unlucky event to take them out of the race, and we just had an unlucky puncture that took us out of contention. Kind of the name of our year. There was some hope here and there, but no results. Sebring was a great one to think back on, but I think we’re all looking forward to 2025.”

Colton Herta: “I always enjoy coming to this race and racing these endurance races. It’s something different from my main IndyCar schedule, and it’s fun to do with HRC and the Acura ARX-06. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed my time with the WTRAndretti team. You know, I hope I can come back in the future and win this great race.”

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

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

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

October 13, 2024

Category: Other Series Racing

TEAM CHEVY FACES TOUGH TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS IN DALLAS WITH JOHN FORCE RACING

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