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  • No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 Team Enters the Penultimate Round of 2024 at Home Race in Indianapolis

    No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 Team Enters the Penultimate Round of 2024 at Home Race in Indianapolis

    INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (September 17, 2024) – The Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team heads to its’ first home race with the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). The new six-hour race will mark the penultimate event of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) as the season ends with two endurance events.

    Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal will return to pilot the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 as they enter their first home race as a driver duo in IWSC after the pair competed in Lamborghini Super Trofeo (LST) in 2023 around IMS. Marcelli and Formal will be looking to secure a positive result at the endurance event, as the team seeks to find a formula for the longer races of the season. Formal will also return to double duty as a driver for the No. 1 WTRAndretti Lamborghini Huracán LST as he remains in the championship hunt in the PRO category for Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America.

    Marcelli and Formal will also be joined by Graham Doyle as he returns as the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup co-driver. Doyle has continued to show impressive pace in the LST North America series as he competes in the No. 10 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán LST and will also compete in double duty during the IMS weekend with two LST races.

    “For our GTD program, I’m looking forward to seeing them do well at Indy,” said Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, WTRAndretti. “They’ve found a bit of speed after recently testing at Road Atlanta. Between Kyle and Danny, and Graham joining for these last two races, I think it should be a good weekend for the team and I’m really looking forward to going back to another endurance race – I love the long-distance races.”

    The No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 team will have its first on-track action at IMS with practice at 11:15 a.m. ET on Friday, September 20 followed by qualifying on Saturday, September 21, at 3:40 p.m. ET. The TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks is set for a 11:40 a.m. ET start for the six-hour event with broadcast beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET on Peacock followed by NBC broadcast through the checkered flag live at 3 p.m. ET.
    No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 Drivers
    Kyle Marcelli: “It’s wild to think we have just two races remaining on the schedule. In this business, the years go by quick! We continue to evolve as a team, learn and of course push ourselves to improve. There’s no question we have all the tools we need to be successful, and the fact that we have not been on the podium has everyone a bit disappointed. But I have the upmost faith in this program, it’s just a matter of time. Maybe the home track advantage will play into our favor, and we will find ourselves in the winner’s circle. Rest assured, that’s our only objective. We also look forward to the new six-hour challenge at Indianapolis and welcome the return of Graham Doyle to the line-up.”

    Danny Formal: “Indy six-hour this week and I’m super excited for this race. I’m going to be racing in Super Trofeo and the GTD at our team’s home race, so super excited for that. We had really good results last year and a great test recently in the Super Trofeos. I’m ready to get back with the endurance team on the GTD side with Graham, Kyle and myself, we are ready to get the top five the team deserves in an endurance race. Graham has improved drastically this season, and I think we have all the ingredients to be up there and fighting and put the No. 45 DEX Imaging Lamborghini Huracán EVO2 where it belongs – fighting for the top five or even maybe for podium. Super excited to get back with the WTRAndretti team, get back to the home race and try to get the result that we truly deserve.”

    Graham Doyle: “In a season where the endurance events have seemed to slip our grasps, I believe Indy will be a turning point for the No. 45 endurance crew. While this is the maiden six-hour event at Indy, I believe our drivers and crew know the track and car allowing us the opportunity to not only to display a competitive car but push for a chance to make it onto the podium.”

    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.

  • WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06 GTP Teams Head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway

    WTRAndretti Acura ARX-06 GTP Teams Head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway

    INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (September 17, 2024) – The Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (WTRAndretti) pair of Acura ARX-06 GTPs shift back to endurance racing action with the inaugural TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks six-hour event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). After returning to the IMS Road Course in 2023, the WTRAndretti team are ready to put on a show at the team’s home track with both Acura ARX-06 GTPs and alongside teammates in the GTD class and Lamborghini Super Trofeo – totaling up to seven WTRAndretti cars on track throughout the weekend.

    Aiming to pick up from where they left off, Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 enter Indianapolis following a pole position and podium result at Road America last month. With experience driving the Acura ARX-06 at IMS in 2023, Taylor and Albuquerque will look for the podium after earning a top five result in last year’s event. The mission remains the same for the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 crew: to win the remaining two events left on the calendar.

    For Louis Delétraz and Jordan Taylor, the No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 team looks to bounce back after a promising weekend turned challenging at Road America. Although the pair has not raced together in the Acura ARX-06 GTP at Indianapolis before, Taylor last time in a prototype car at IMS saw him starting from pole position and Delétraz earned a podium finish in LMP2 in 2023’s Battle on the Bricks. Like their No. 10 teammates, it’s all about winning and the best result possible to finish the final races this season.
    The WTRAndretti duo of Acura ARX-06 GTPs will take to the IMS Road Course starting with practice on Friday, September 20th, at 11:15 a.m. ET. Qualifying is set for 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 21st, live on Peacock. On Sunday, September 22nd, the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks six-hour endurance event will see the green and clock countdown begin at 11:40 a.m. ET with coverage on Peacock followed by NBC on air at 3 p.m. ET.
    Wayne Taylor, Team Principal, WTRAndretti: “Since we are out of the points race for the championship, we are going to try to win these last two races. It will also be the end of our partnership with HRC so we would like to go out on top. We had a good test at Indy a few weeks ago so I’m feeling positive that we should have a good car and go for the win. Indy is a new endurance race, so I’m looking forward to it – I love the long-distance races.”

    No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 GTP Drivers
    Ricky Taylor: “We had a great test there last month and have certainly improved ourselves since last year, six hours will prove a different challenge, and we are up for it. Indy is a very unique circuit and whether or not the similarities in duration to the Watkins Glen six hour will translate, only time will tell. We will prepare our best and learn as much as we can to make educated decisions for the race. It was great fun last year to see all of the support from family and friends of the WTRAndretti team, it is something we don’t always get to see or share. With this event becoming one of the championship’s marquee events, it will make it even more enjoyable to share with everyone.”

    Filipe Albuquerque: “Indianapolis’s going to be a new type of race for us, a six-hour race. Our last endurance race would’ve been a nice one – the two WTRAndretti cars were leading the race before the last 20 minutes, so we were looking good and competitive. We were also competitive and got pole position in the last sprint race at Road America, so it seems like we are getting faster and faster. We’ve been very competitive and of course we want to be competitive at Indianapolis. Safety cars and cautions will play a huge role in strategy, but we had a good test there and we got a good feeling of the car. One thing that can play in our favor is that we are not fighting for the championship so when others will be taking care of their championship and not taking as much risk because they have a bigger picture, we don’t. So, this can maybe play in our favor and a lot of motivation to go for the win for sure.”

    No. 40 DEX Imaging Acura ARX-06 GTP Drivers
    Louis Delétraz: “I’m excited for the Indianapolis 6-Hour because it’s our home race and also now an endurance race. Six hours at Indy will be a new challenge, the characteristics of track make it interesting with traffic. We have tested at the track with WTRAndretti, and the Acura ARX-06 was great. We have nothing to lose, and we want to win the last two races to finish the year strong!”

    Jordan Taylor: “We had a great test at Indy a few weeks ago, so I’m looking forward to getting back there and seeing how we stack up. It is our home race as a team, so it’ll be great having a lot of family and friends out there supporting us at such a legendary track. We had great speed at the last race in Road America but weren’t able to capitalize on it in the race. Hopefully this week we will be in such a strong position again to fight for the win.”

    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.

  • Cadillac aims for endurance title advantage

    Cadillac aims for endurance title advantage

    Defending champion enters six-hour Indianapolis race second, third in standings

    DETROIT (Sept. 17, 2024) – Cadillac Racing will seek to add another signature victory in program history when it returns to iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the penultimate race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

    New for the second edition of the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks is extension of the September 22 race duration from 2 hours, 40 minutes to six hours on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course. The event, featuring 11 Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) entries in the 56-car field across four classes, is the fourth in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup series. The 10-hour Petit Le Mans on October 12 closes out the calendar.

    Cadillac Racing is the defending and five-time IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC) Manufacturer champion, while the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R run by Action Express Racing claimed the team and driver titles in 2023. Cadillac and the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R contingent are second in their respective categories entering the race that awards points at the three-hour mark and checkered flag.

    “It’s nice that the championship will now finish with two endurance races in a row, which can create a lot of interesting battles and different strategies around not only the overall championship but also the endurance championships,” said Pipo Derani, the 2023 GTP champion and endurance race champion who will share driving duties in both races with Jack Aitken and Tom Blomqvist.

    The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R driven by Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande are a close third in the IMEC GTP standings. The duo, who tested on the road course earlier this summer, have qualified in the top three in all seven races including earning the pole at Laguna Seca.

    Bourdais, who co-drove to the overall victory in the inaugural NASCAR Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series race at Indianapolis in 2012 and is a 10-time INDYCAR starter on the road course, said driving in the congested field spread across the four classes is a “game of patience.”

    “In a six-hour race, I guess there will be more management because it will come down to what happens at the last safety car, so it might be a bit easier to manage frustration. In a 2-hour, 40-minute race, it’s trying to get track position the whole time,” said Bourdais, the four-time Indy car champion.

    Blomqvist made two starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May in INDYCAR competition: finishing 23rd on the road course and 31st in the Indianapolis 500. He co-drove to sixth place in the 2023 IMSA GTP race on the IMS road course with another manufacturer.

    “You’ve got to be patient and pick your moments carefully, especially when the track gets crowded. Having raced here last year in IMSA and this year in INDYCAR, I feel confident in knowing the nuances of the track, but it’s always evolving and, with managing traffic, balancing risk and reward will be a key factor in the race,” he said.

    Peacock and IMSA.tv will stream qualifications at 3:35 p.m. ET Saturday. Peacock (in U.S.) and IMSA.TV (outside U.S.) will stream flag-to-flag action at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, with NBC telecasting the final three hours starting at 3 p.m.

    IMSA Radio (imsa.com), RadioLeMans.com will broadcast qualifications and be joined by SiriusXM (XM 206, Web/App 996) for the race.

    Cadillac Racing 2023 at Indianapolis (2-hour, 40-minute race):

    • Seventh (No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R) start fourth – Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande
    • Fourth (No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R) start eighth – Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims

    What they’re saying

    No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R

    Sebastien Bourdais: “Physically, it’s hard. It’s a track that doesn’t give you much rest and it’s seriously difficult in traffic. There are a lot of sections on the track where you can’t pass. Once you get into turn 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 you got to wait all the way until the backstraight and same thing when you get to 7, 8, 9, 10. If you don’t clear just before you get to the long right, the marbles build up and you can’t pass either. There are few places to clear traffic and it’s really a game of patience because if you try to force the issue it can go sour pretty fast. You have to be careful but at the same time you can’t be too careful. In a 2-hour, 40-minute race, you can’t take it that easy. In a six-hour race, I guess there will be more management because it will come down to what happens at the last safety car, so it might be a bit easier to manage frustration. In a 2-hour, 40-minute race, it’s trying to get track position the whole time. You’re fighting for a couple tenths and then you give up 5 seconds on a lap because you get stuck behind a GT or something for six corners. It’s a tough one.”

    Renger van der Zande: “It’s one of those tracks where strategy and track position will play a big role. It’s a fun track on your own. It’s not a typical IMSA track either. I did the 8 hours of Indy as well; finished second. It’s not the most exciting track but it’s the home for a lot of race teams, including our team. It’s a home race for them, so it’s a home race for me. I’m looking forward to Indy. The tough part for us in this part of the season is the hard tire, which we focused on getting it better and found some setup stuff that worked.”

    No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

    Pipo Derani: “Indianapolis six hours will be a new challenge as it enters the endurance rounds of the championship. It’s also a very peculiar racetrack, one that can create a lot of marbles off track. It’s most likely going to create a very interesting endurance event, and I am looking forward to that. I also think it’s nice that the championship will now finish with two endurance races in a row, which can create a lot of interesting battles and different strategies around not only the overall championship but also the endurance championships. Last year we had a relatively strong race car apart from the Porsches who were on a league of their own and we weren’t so quick in qualifying. We will be looking to unlock some speed this year and hope that we can fight the Porsches during the race.”

    Jack Aitken: “Indianapolis may be a new track for me, but it’s one I know from the simulator and having watched quite a few races there, so I’m not too concerned about getting up to speed. Going to a six hour this year will mean a bit more strategy playing out over the race, and as always traffic management will be a huge part of the game. Competing at such a historic venue will always be a cool outing, and Indy is a bit of a home away from home at this point, thanks to the Dallara simulator being just next to the Speedway.”

    Tom Blomqvist: “Racing at Indy is always a special experience, and the new six-hour format definitely changes things and adds a new challenge for everyone. The circuit is tight and technical, so traffic management will be crucial to a strong result. Overtaking can be challenging, but there are a few decent spots to make moves, particularly heading into Turn 1 and on the backstretch. You’ve got to be patient and pick your moments carefully, especially when the track gets crowded. Having raced here last year in IMSA and this year in INDYCAR, I feel confident in knowing the nuances of the track, but it’s always evolving and, with managing traffic, balancing risk and reward will be a key factor in the race. To be back working with the team, Pipo and Jack is fantastic and I’m optimistic about our chances. We’re currently second in the Endurance Cup standings, so the goal for the last two rounds is to maximize every opportunity for points and try to win the title.”

  • Fuji frustration for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing

    Fuji frustration for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing

    Toyota City, Japan, Sept 17, 2024 – (JCN Newswire) – TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s winning run on home ground came to an end despite a valiant effort in a dramatic 6 Hours of Fuji, the penultimate round of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

    An intense team effort, committed driving and bold strategy put the GR010 HYBRIDs in the fight for victory despite their revised power and weight parameters at Fuji, but TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s run of six consecutive home wins ultimately ended in frustration.

    In front of 65,800 enthusiastic fans, a battling drive from Sébastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa in their #8 GR010 HYBRID looked to have earned a podium until a late penalty dropped them down to 10th place.

    The #7 GR010 HYBRID of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck de Vries had led with two hours to go but were forced to retire due to accident damage. That effectively ends the World Championship challenge of Kamui and Nyck with one race remaining.

    The team found itself on the back foot from the opening stages. Either side of a lap-two safety car, Sébastien dropped from second to fourth while Mike also lost ground from fourth on the grid, and spent the first stint in fifth, behind the #8.

    Further position changes saw the second hour end with Mike still in fifth, but Sébastien now sixth, although those positions were swapped soon after when the #7 GR010 HYBRID suffered tyre degradation, causing it to pit earlier than planned. Nyck took over while Brendon replaced Sébastien soon after.

    Despite the tough start, the team’s fuel and tyre strategy started to pay off. After half distance, Nyck overtook the #15 BMW and the #50 Ferrari then overhauled the #6 Porsche in the pits to lead. The #8 also made progress and Brendon boldly passed two Ferraris before handing over to Ryo, who joined the podium fight.

    After almost four hours of intense competition, Kamui took over for two stints to hunt down the victory, with both cars now in a stronger strategic position in terms of fuel and tyres than their rivals. But a virtual safety car early in the fifth hour took away that advantage by giving all Hypercars the chance to pit and lose less time compared to doing so under racing conditions.

    A 90-minute sprint to the flag saw Ryo initially hold third before the #35 Alpine overtook. The #7 fared worse when Kamui and the #5 Porsche made contact in the battle for eighth. Damage to the rear suspension and bodywork could not be repaired in time, so the car was retired with an hour remaining.

    Ryo pushed hard to bring the #8 back onto the podium in the final hour, overtaking both JOTA Porsches and then moving into a comfortable third after a penalty for the #35 Alpine. But with 16 minutes to go, the #8 incurred its own drive-through penalty, for an incident with the leading #6 Porsche, and Ryo finished 10th, 58.879secs behind the winner.

    Despite the very frustrating result, the team is already focused on retaining its manufacturers’ title in a showdown in Bahrain on 2 November when the fight for the World Championship will be concluded. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is just 10 points behind leaders Porsche going into the eighth and final race of 2024.

    Kamui Kobayashi (Team Principal and driver, car #7):

    “It was a very tough race. The second safety car brought us into a difficult situation. After that I tried to fight with Porsche #5 for a couple of laps, but our lack of straight-line speed was clear, so he tried to overtake through the first three turns. On the inside of turn three we both committed to the corner in the same moment and could not avoid contact. Unfortunately, we then had another contact, and the damage was too heavy to repair. It definitely was not our day, and I feel sorry for our home fans who supported us so much. Hopefully we will come back strong for the last race in Bahrain.”

    Mike Conway (Driver, car #7):

    “It’s been a pretty rough day on both cars. Unfortunately for car #7 we had contact and the car was not repairable, so we didn’t score any points which is bad for our drivers’ championship, and as a team we didn’t score well for the manufacturers’ either. It’s obviously frustrating and not the result we wanted for our home fans and all the partners and Toyota colleagues who support us here. But there is one round to go and it’s a longer race, with more points available, so we will do our best to come back fighting.”

    Nyck de Vries (Driver, car #7):

    “It is a tough pill to swallow for the whole team. It has been hard all weekend. We were aware that our race pace was not good enough to challenge at the front based on our speed alone and that we needed to execute the best possible race to score good points for both championships. We had a great strategy to do just that but unfortunately due to the race circumstances, we didn’t pull it off. That is a real pity.”

    Sébastien Buemi (Driver, car #8):

    “It was a bit of a disaster for us. We had a solid start, considering we were a bit slower than our rivals. I had no chance to race into turn one because the acceleration of the other cars was much better. But we came back into it, then got unlucky with the safety car. Without the drive-through penalty we would have finished on the podium which would have been an acceptable result. We’ll analyse everything, regroup and come back stronger in Bahrain.”

    Brendon Hartley (Driver, car #8):

    “We had a pretty clean race. Séb did a great job looking after the tyres which gave us a real chance based on our strategy. We didn’t have the pace of our competitors, but we did our best. A big thanks to the team because everyone fought hard. It was an important race for us and in the end we came up short for many different reasons. But we will keep our heads up and fight back in Bahrain for the manufacturers’ championship. Huge thanks to everyone here in Japan who has supported us this week, the Toyota colleagues, partners and all the fans.”

    Ryo Hirakawa (Driver, car #8):

    “Obviously it is a really disappointing day. We wanted to have a good race in front of our fans and partners but it didn’t turn out that way. We tried everything and at one point it looked promising, but then things went against us. There is one race remaining and hopefully we can finish on a high by winning the championship; we are going to keep fighting. Thanks to the team for their hard work all week, and special thanks to our partners and fans for all the support.”

    6 Hours of Fuji – Result

    1st #6 Porsche Penske (Estre/Lotterer/Vanthoor) 213 laps
    2nd #15 BMW M Team WRT (Vanthoor/Marciello/Wittmann) +16.601secs
    3rd #36 Alpine Endurance Team (Lapierre/Schumacher/Vaxiviere) +42.321secs
    4th #93 Peugeot TotalEnergies (Jensen/Müller/Vergne) +45.846secs
    5th #12 Hertz Team JOTA (Stevens/Ilott/Nato) +49.689secs
    6th #38 Hertz Team JOTA (Button/Hanson/Rasmussen) +51.916secs
    10th #8 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing +58.879secs
    DNF #7 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing

    About Toyota

    Toyota strives to be a strong corporate citizen, engaging with and earning the trust of its stakeholders, and to contribute to the creation of a prosperous society through all its business operations.

    Our corporate principles form the basis of our initiatives, reflect values that enable action, and drive our mindset.

  • Louis-Philippe Dumoulin Eager to compete in the NASCAR Canada Season Finale in Front of Quebec Fans

    Louis-Philippe Dumoulin Eager to compete in the NASCAR Canada Season Finale in Front of Quebec Fans

    EventGrande Finale XPN 250
    TrackAutodrome Montmagny (Montmagny, Quebec), September 22nd, 2024
    BroadcastTSN + app (live) | TSN (tape delayed) | RDS (tape delayed) | FloRacing (USA)
    Race5 :30 PM E.T. – nascar.ca/race-center/

    Trois-Rivières (Quebec), September 16th, 2024.- For the first time in its history, the NASCAR Canada series will present its final round in Quebec, on Sunday, September 22 at the Autodrome Montmagny Speedway, east of Quebec City. Previously, two events in Ontario, at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and then on the Delaware Speedway oval, marked the end of the summer races. Two races that offered different scenarios for three-time series champion Louis-Philippe Dumoulin.

    At Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Mosport), the WeatherTech 200 race unfortunately ended short for Dumoulin, who suffered an engine overheating problem on the fourteenth of 51 laps, after qualifying eighth. A week later at Delaware Speedway, the driver of the car #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare | Omnifab was back at the front of the field: ninth on the starting grid, he completed the 200 laps of the race with a new Top 5. “After the disappointment of Mosport, the Delaware race was really good, it put our team back at the forefront, our usual position in the series,” explains Louis-Philippe Dumoulin.

    Even though he has already won at Delaware Speedway in the past, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin knew that this 2024 edition would not be the easiest. The final result is therefore significant: “Delaware Speedway is not the track on which our car is at its best. We are missing two tenths of a second per lap to aim for victory. It seems small but the level is incredibly high in NASCAR Canada series this season and that’s what makes the difference.” Dumoulin adds: “I fought throughout the race, I never wanted to give up a single tenth of a second, a single position. I knew that if I managed to get into the top 5, I could hope for a podium if a full-course yellow came out in the final laps. There was no late yellow, but I still managed to fight in the group of drivers battling between third and eighth place and I am very proud, for the entire team of the #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare | Omnifab car, to have achieved this result after two difficult events.”

    Before the grand finale of the season on September 22 in Montmagny, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin obviously intends to finish the season in the best possible way. In the championship standings, he can still hope to finish in the top four, but he is 19 points behind 4th place, while having a 20-point lead over 6th position. So that is not where the stakes are. “We went to test at the Autodrome Montmagny a few days ago, in preparation for this finale. It went well, I’m confident for the race,” says Louis-Philippe.

    For him, the fact that the NASCAR Canada series is presenting its season finale in Quebec for the first time in its history has a major impact: “I remember the packed grandstands at the Autodrome Chaudière of Vallée-Jonction in early June. I’m sure it will be like that in Montmagny. Performing on tracks in eastern Quebec is a privilege that NASCAR Canada offers to drivers and even more so to fans. I’m sure it will be a great event. For my part, I’m going to give my best to end the season on a high note. This 2024 season hasn’t always been easy for Dumoulin Compétition, but we’ve also had some very good races. Finishing on the podium would be truly wonderful!” concludes the driver of the #47 WeatherTech Canada | Groupe Bellemare | Omnifab car.

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    Groupe Bellemare is a 3rd generation family business that has been serving clients since 1959. Today, the company has more than 500 employees and provides them with an innovative work environment facilitating work-family balance and a healthy and safe quality of life. With over a half century of experience and its sustained R&D efforts, the Company offers high-quality products and services in areas as diverse as concrete, abrasives and minerals, dimensional load transportation, and recycling. Groupe Bellemare is also very involved in its industry and attaches great importance to its social and environmental role as a member of the business community. Groupe Bellemare makes a positive contribution to the quality of life of citizens in the communities it serves by supporting numerous social causes and promoting local purchasing through its responsible procurement practices. For more information, visit groupebellemare.com

    Omnifab has joined Dumoulin Compétition in June 2023. In less than twenty years, Omnifab has made its place in the mechanical manufacturing industry in Quebec. They have earned this place by offering a unique turnkey solution to large companies and SMEs that want to modernize their production line or have their industrial equipment repaired. No matter your industry, you can count on Omnifab team to manufacture custom industrial machinery or solve your mechanical problems with great precision, in a timely manner and with quality components, as pledged. Visit omnifab.ca for more information.

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    Dumoulin Competition

    Jean-François and Louis-Philippe Dumoulin founded the Dumoulin Competition Race Team in 2009. Working with financial, marketing, logistics and sports management experts, they built up a solid business structure. Dumoulin Competition prepares its own race cars in-house since 2016. Their motto: “Passion – Performance – Partnerships” expresses their will to perform on the track and offer their partners maximum visibility and profitability in return for their commitment. Their vision: To become Canada’s leader in motorsports through on-track performance, an entrepreneurial spirit and human values. dumoulincompetition.com

  • ABEL Motorsports Back on INDY NXT podium to close season

    ABEL Motorsports Back on INDY NXT podium to close season

    Yuven Sundaramoorthy scores best INDY NXT by Firestone season finish of his rookie season

    LEBANON, Tenn. (15 September, 2024) – Yuven Sundaramoorthy saved the best for last, moving from 11th to second through the INDY NXT by Firestone field to capture his top series finish to date in the 65-lap Music City Grand Prix at Nashville Speedway.

    Rain halted series qualifying on Saturday midway through the session, with Sundaramoorthy (No. 22 Optima Batteries/Clarios/ABEL Motorsports) at the top of the speed charts. The cancellation meant the field would start based on points, with Jacob Abel (No. 51 ABEL Construction) starting second, Sundaramoorthy 11th and Taylor Ferns (No. 55 Bradford Allen/ABEL Motorsports) 18th. Knowing he had the speed, Sundaramoorthy was determined to go for the win.

    But drama started even before the green flag, as Abel experienced a steering wheel failure, with the wheel refusing to click into place. He immediately came to pit lane for a new one – which meant he took the green from the back of the 18-car field.

    At the drop of the green, Sundaramoorthy headed straight for the high line, moving up to seventh by lap three then using the low line to steadily continue passing cars as he took third on lap 17.

    Abel also began making moves, up to 15th by lap 10 and 13th by lap 19. But unfortunately for Ferns, an issue brought her to pit lane on lap 20, ending her day.

    By lap 28, the leaders had caught the tail of the field, and Sundaramoorthy balanced getting through traffic and tracking down the two leaders – all while laying down lap times one or more miles an hour quicker. After a multiple-laps battle, Sundaramoorthy made a move in Turn 1 to take second, while Abel moved into the top 10, taking eighth position several laps later.

    Slight contact between two cars on lap 53 prodcuced the only yellow of the race, bringing the leaders together with lapped cars behind. Going green with seven laps remaining, Sundaramoorthy stapled himself to the leader, looking for a way by, but at the checkered flag, he was happy with the second-place finish – and a positive start to his 2025 season with the team.

    “That’s everything I could have hoped for,” said Sundaramoorthy. “The ABEL team gave me the best car. If quali hadn’t been rained out, I think we would have checked out, but Louis (Foster) ran a perfect race, he didn’t give me an opening. He was breaking the draft as he needed to do and I just couldn’t hold it. I didn’t warm my tires up enough initially on the restart so the first couple of laps were a bit sketchy but once I got rolling, I just caught him. I think we should have had a go there at the end, but I made the pass in the wrong corner and that was that.

    “But this has been a great learning year for me,” continued Sundaramoorthy. “I signed a two-year deal with the team so we always knew that was the focus. But the second half of the year, I felt super comfortable. I can’t wait for next year.”

    An eighth-place finish was not how Abel wanted to end his INDY NXT – and his junior formula – career, but looking back over a season that includes 10 podiums and three wins in 14 races, and second place in the championship battle, he knows that he’s made a statement as he looks toward a move to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

    “When I left pit lane, I turned the wheel and it wouldn’t click into place,” said Abel. “I don’t know what it was but it was just something mechanical. Definitely not how I wanted my INDY NXT career to end, but we made a few moves through the field and hopefully showed what we can do when things don’t go our way.

    “I’m proud of the entire team this season – everyone on the team worked so hard to get me where I got in the end, I’m glad we were able to do this as a group. Some of these guys have been with me through my whole junior formula career so I’m happy with how the season went – that obviously wasn’t how it was supposed to end but I’m really proud of everything.”

    Team principal Bill Abel looked back on the season for his two full-time drivers, noting the progression that both Abel and Sundaramoorthy have accomplished.

    “In my mind, this season exceeds our expectations,” said Abel. “The championship didn’t quite go like we wanted it to, but Jacob led the first part of the season and was never out of second place, so that’s a pretty good run at it. We had the pace to win today, Yuven showed that.

    “And I think one of the big achievements for us is watching Yuven’s progression this season, from where he started to the way he finished up,” said Abel. “That’s what we predicted with him, similar to what we’ve seen with Jacob over the last three years. Yuven will be back with us next, definitely one of the championship contenders. We hope to have a few other drivers with him to help him that effort, drivers that are going to be really good, able to share good supporting data and video. It’s exciting – the team is in a really good spot.”

    The race might not be a “home” one for the Speedway, Ind.-based team, or for Louisville, Ky.-based ABEL Construction, but family, friends and employees made it feel like one, as over 125 people gathered in the team’s hospitality area and in the grandstands for the race.

    “We really appreciated everyone who came out,” said Abel. “It was great to see all the ABEL Construction shirts everywhere!”

    ABEL Motorsports thanks partners ABEL Construction Company, Advance Ready Mix, Boyd Cat®, S Team Motorsports, Quest Global and OMP for their continued support.

    The first event of the 2025 season for ABEL Motorsports and the INDY NXT by Firestone series will be the Chris Griffis Memorial Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Friday, October 18. Live timing and scoring of the test will be available at racecontrol.indycar.com.

    About ABEL Motorsports: Team principal Bill Abel began racing motocross in 1972, earning numerous championship titles as he continued the family racing tradition. In 2015, ABEL Motorsports was launched, starting in the USF2000 series and building up the junior open wheel ladder. The team captured the inaugural Formula Regional Americas Championship with driver Kyle Kirkwood in 2018.

    ABEL Motorsports currently competes in the INDY NXT by Firestone series, the official development series for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, led by third-generation driver Jacob Abel. The team made its INDYCAR debut in 2023 with driver RC Enerson in the Indianapolis 500. For more information visit the official team website at abelmotorsports.com.

    About Abel Construction Company: ABEL Construction is one of the largest general contractors in Kentucky, holding licenses in thirteen states. The company has offices in Lexington, Kentucky and Indianapolis, Indiana, with the corporate office in Louisville. Their expertise spans many areas, including general contracting, construction management, design-build, Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), and facilities maintenance.

    Abel Construction has helped build some of the region’s most recognizable landmarks. Their projects cover diverse sectors, including automotive, healthcare, post-secondary education, commercial, food/beverage, tech, and industrial/manufacturing. They prioritize client satisfaction, focusing on efficient project delivery regardless of size or cost. The company’s skilled professionals utilize cutting-edge technology and software to ensure successful outcomes. abelconstruct.com/.

    ABEL Motorsports social media

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  • Alex Palou: 2024 NTT IndyCar Series Champion

    Alex Palou: 2024 NTT IndyCar Series Champion

    A year after joining an exclusive club of 28 competitors to record multiple championships in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES division, Alex Palou elevated his status to another exclusive club, this time comprised of 13 names who have recorded three or more championships in IndyCar at the conclusion of an eventful and strong 2024 season.

    Palou, a native of Sant Antoni de Vilamajor, Spain, muscled through a season that was highlighted with two race victories, six podiums, three poles, 263 laps led and an average-finishing result of 6.5 throughout the 17-race schedule. Despite finishing outside the top-10 mark during the final two-scheduled events of the season, including an 11th-place run during the season-finale event at Nashville Superspeedway, Palou was not overthrown by a pair of Team Penske competitors (Scott McLaughlin and Will Power) serving as his title rivals as he wrapped up the big crown by 31 points.

    The start of the 2024 season featured an overhaul to Palou’s No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) Dallara-Honda livery as DHL ended its dozen-year partnership with Andretti Global by joining forces with CGR to serve as a primary sponsor for Palou. By then, the Spaniard was coming off his dominant season to date, where he won his second IndyCar championship and notched career-high season stats in race victories (five), podiums (10) and laps led (379) along with a personal-best average-finishing result of 3.7.

    When the 2024 season commenced at the Streets of St. Petersburg for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg during the second weekend of March, Palou kicked off his quest to win his third IndyCar title by initially finishing in sixth place. He would later be promoted to fourth place amid a massive penalty and disqualification layout levied on Team Penske and its race-winning competitor Josef Newgarden along with third-place finisher Scott McLaughlin due to both violating the IndyCar’s “Push to Pass” parameters.

    Then during IndyCar’s inaugural $1 Million Challenge at The Thermal Club in Thermal, California, in late March, Palou capped off a dominant weekend where he was the fastest competitor during the event’s practice sessions and led all the laps during both his heat event and the main event to win. He would proceed to notch his first podium result of the season at the Streets of Long Beach and finish fifth at Barber Motorsports Park, the site where he achieved his maiden IndyCar victory in 2021.

    Palou then commenced the series’ month of May competition at Indianapolis Motor Speedway by notching his first points-paying victory of the 2024 season in the Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis’ Road Course venue. The victory was enough for him to assume the points lead for the first time of the season. After qualifying in 14th place for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500, Palou would proceed to finish in fifth place during the main event.

    Despite stumbling to a 16th-place result during the following Grand Prix weekend at the Streets of Detroit which caused him to lose the championship lead, Palou responded with three consecutive top-four runs that allowed him to reassume the lead. Mired within the three-race span was his second victory of the season in the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, which marked his second victory at the venue overall.

    The series’ doubleheader feature at Iowa Speedway that occurred during the second weekend of July featured mixed results for Palou, who wrecked out of the first event and was strapped with his first DNF of the season in 23rd place. Initially having his points lead decrease from 48 to 37, the Spaniard would lose another two points during the second Iowa feature of the weekend despite rallying to finish second behind Will Power.

    Over his next four starts, Palou finished no lower than fifth while he picked up another podium result by finishing second at Portland International Raceway in late August. Despite Power winning at Portland during the four-race stretch, Palou both increased and maintained his points lead to 43 points.

    Then after finishing 19th during the second of a Milwaukee Mile doubleheader feature in late August, Palou had his points lead cut to 10 points over Power as Scott McLaughlin, Power’s teammate, kept himself within the championship game after he won the second Milwaukee feature. Despite qualifying in 24th place for the season-finale event at Nashville Superspeedway, where he started 20 spots behind Power and 15 spots behind McLaughlin, Palou quickly took care of early business by mathematically eliminating McLaughlin from title contention by starting the race.

    Then on Lap 13 of 206 of the finale, Power’s hopes for a third IndyCar championship and second in three seasons evaporated due to the Australian making an unscheduled pit stop under green to have a lap belt adjusted as he lost multiple laps in the process. Despite continuing, Power could only work his way up to 24th place in the final running order as he was trapped eight laps down. For Palou, he cruised his No. 10 DHL Honda entry to an 11th-place run, which was enough to wrap up the title by 31 points over Colton Herta, who leap-frogged McLaughlin and Power to end up a career-best second place in the final standings.

    Despite being aware of Power’s early issues, Palou did not hesitate nor let off the throttle for the remainder of the event on the track as he maximized all opportunities to cap off his championship season on a strong note.

    “We just had to keep on going,” Palou said on NBC. “I have to thank everybody working on the 10 car. Everybody at [Chip Ganassi Racing] back at the shop. Super proud. It’s been an amazing year and I’m happy we got the championship back home.”

    With his accomplishment, Palou, who became the first Spaniard to win an IndyCar title in 2021, became the first competitor to achieve three IndyCar championships and the first to defend a title since Dario Franchitti last made both accomplishments in 2011. Palou also delivered the fourth IndyCar drivers’ championship for Honda over the last six seasons and the 16th IndyCar title overall for Chip Ganassi Racing, which places the organization one title away from tying Team Penske for the most all-time at 17.

    Palou joins Louis Meyer, Ted Horn, Jimmy Bryan, Rick Mears, Al Unser, Bobby Rahal and Sam Hornish Jr. as competitors to currently have three IndyCar championships. The Spaniard is one away from tying Mario Andretti, Sebastien Bourdais and Franchitti for the third-most IndyCar titles all-time at four.

    Despite being pleased with adding another IndyCar championship to his resume, Palou sets his sights on being more competitive which would enable him to win more races compared to this season while also defending his crown.

    “What a year,” Palou said on the championship stage. “I think we’ve been really close. Just didn’t maximize in some places. We’ll learn from what we can improve from this year and hopefully next year, we can do it.”

    Palou’s 2024 IndyCar championship received high praise from team owner Chip Ganassi, whom Palou steered with to his 11 current victories and three championships in IndyCar since they first joined forces at the start of the 2021 season.

    “[Palou] never broke a sweat,” Ganassi said. “Just unbelievable [with] the way he drives. The way he came into our team a few years ago down in Alabama. Won his first race out. It’s been smooth sailing since. [The team] like winning. It helps.”

    With the NTT IndyCar Series’ teams and competitors entering an off-season period, Alex Palou’s quest to both win his fourth INDYCAR championship and defend his title is scheduled to commence at the Streets of St. Petersburg for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 2, 2025. While the event will be aired on FOX, the event’s start time remains to be determined.

  • Palou Claims Third Title; Herta Gets First Oval Win at Nashville

    Palou Claims Third Title; Herta Gets First Oval Win at Nashville

    LEBANON, Tenn. (Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024) – Alex Palou joined the immortals of more than a century of North American open-wheel racing Sunday, winning his third NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship at the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Presented by Gainbridge at Nashville Superspeedway.

    Palou finished 11th in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, more than enough to clinch his third Astor Challenge Cup in the last four years. His closest title rival, Will Power, went five laps down early in the race due to a disconnected seat belt in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet and finished 24th, eight laps down.

    “We just had to keep on going,” Palou said of his focus after he learned of Power’s troubles. “I have to thank everyone working on the 10 car. Super proud. It’s been an amazing year, and I’m happy we got the championship back home.”

    With the title race all but over just 13 laps into the 206-lap race due to Power’s troubles, Colton Herta hunted down and passed Pato O’Ward on Lap 202 to earn his first career oval victory in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian. Nashville-area resident Herta outraced O’Ward’s No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet to victory by 1.8106 seconds and climbed from fourth to a career-best second in the final NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings, 31 points behind champion Palou.

    It was the first oval victory for the Andretti team since Alexander Rossi won in 2018 at Pocono Raceway.

    “I’m so happy,” Herta said. “We knew we were going to have a hot rod in the race. It’s been an amazing year. I just saw I finished second in the championship, which is awesome. Hoping to do a little bit better next year.”

    Nashville-area resident Josef Newgarden finished third in the No. 2 Hitachi Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet. NTT P1 Award winner Kyle Kirkwood was fourth in the No. 27 AutoNation Honda of Andretti Global after leading a race-high 67 laps, while Scott McLaughlin rounded out the top five in the No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet.

    Palou’s list of accolades matches many of the all-time greats of INDYCAR SERIES racing. He became just the 13th driver in history to earn at least three championships and just the seventh to win three titles in four years; Dario Franchitti was the last – also for Chip Ganassi Racing – when he won three straight from 2009-11.

    Spaniard Palou, 27 years, 5 months, 14 days, became the second-youngest driver to win three INDYCAR SERIES championships. Only Sam Hornish Jr. was younger, 27 years, 2 months, 8 days in 2006.

    Chip Ganassi Racing also continued its climb into rare air, winning its 16th series championship, including four in the last five seasons. Only Team Penske has more, with 17 titles.

    Herta prevailed over O’Ward in a duel of differing strategies created by use of Firestone Firehawk alternate tires in addition to the standard primary tires. It was only the second time the softer, grippier red-sidewall alternates have been used on an oval in series history.

    O’Ward made his final pit stop at the end of Lap 161, taking the Firestone alternate tires for the mandatory second time. David Malukas was forced to pit from the lead on Lap 201 in the No. 66 AutoNation/Arctic Wolf Honda of Meyer Shank Racing, as he made his previous stop on Lap 139 and didn’t have enough fuel to make it to the finish.

    Meanwhile, Herta was hunting down O’Ward after he made his final stop at the end of Lap 180, 19 laps after O’Ward’s final trip to pit lane. Herta took more durable Firestone primary tires after using his two mandatory alternate sets earlier in the race and used that fresher rubber to claw ground on O’Ward, also helped by slower traffic blunting O’Ward.

    As Malukas was in pit lane for his final stop, Herta dove under the lapped No. 41 Goodheart Vet/Pray.com Chevrolet of A.J. Foyt Enterprises in Turn 1 at the start of Lap 202, with O’Ward on the outside in a nerve-fraying race for the win. O’Ward was forced slightly up the 1.33-mile concrete oval by the three-wide action, and that let Herta power past for the lead for good at the end of the back straightaway and into Turn 3.

    Herta never trailed thereafter for his second victory of the season – he also won on the streets of Toronto in July – and his ninth career victory. The decisive pass was one of 653 on track and 237 for position, records for the INDYCAR SERIES at this track in its return here for the first time since 2008.

    Meanwhile, Palou wasted no time from the drop of the green flag to erase the predicament he found himself in after qualifying Saturday. He only needed to finish ninth or better to clinch the title, but he started 24th in the 27-car field after qualifying a mystifying 15th and dropping nine spots on the starting grid due to a penalty for an unauthorized engine change after the race Sept. 1 at Milwaukee.

    Palou already had gained 10 spots, running 14th, when calamity struck Power on Lap 13. Power had started fourth – he needed to place third or better to have any mathematical chance of winning his third title – but had slipped to sixth when he called to his pit box on his radio that his lap belt dislodged.

    Power immediately pitted, and the field circled the track five times before the belt was fixed and Power was back on track. His title hopes were over.

    “I was driving down the front stretch there, and I just felt a pop on the lap belt,” Power said. “That’s a very abnormal thing. I don’t know what went wrong. Very strange failure. I’ve never had that before. You have engine failures, gearbox failures; I had a belt failure.

    “Disappointing, but big congrats to Alex. A tough guy to beat. Ganassi did a great job. It’s been fun racing those guys this year.”

    The 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season starts Sunday, March 2 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding at St. Petersburg, Florida, live on FOX and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

    Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Race Results

    LEBANON, Tenn. – Results Sunday of the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Presented by Gainbridge NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on the 1.33-mile Nashville Superspeedway, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):

    1. (9) Colton Herta, Honda, 206, Running
    2. (7) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 206, Running
    3. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 206, Running
    4. (1) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 206, Running
    5. (18) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 206, Running
    6. (14) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 206, Running
    7. (12) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 206, Running
    8. (8) Linus Lundqvist, Honda, 206, Running
    9. (5) David Malukas, Honda, 206, Running
    10. (6) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 205, Running
    11. (24) Alex Palou, Honda, 205, Running
    12. (10) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 205, Running
    13. (20) Jack Harvey, Honda, 205, Running
    14. (25) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, 205, Running
    15. (26) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 205, Running
    16. (13) Romain Grosjean, Chevrolet, 204, Running
    17. (11) Scott Dixon, Honda, 204, Running
    18. (27) Nolan Siegel, Chevrolet, 204, Running
    19. (21) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 204, Running
    20. (23) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, 204, Running
    21. (16) Pietro Fittipaldi, Honda, 204, Running
    22. (17) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 202, Running
    23. (19) Graham Rahal, Honda, 202, Running
    24. (4) Will Power, Chevrolet, 198, Running
    25. (15) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 136, Contact
    26. (22) Katherine Legge, Honda, 85, Contact
    27. (3) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 55, Contact

    Race Statistics
    Winner’s average speed: 159.207 mph
    Time of Race: 01:43:15.2534
    Margin of victory: 1.8106 seconds
    Cautions: 3 for 31 laps
    Lead changes: 8 among 6 drivers

    Lap Leaders:
    Kirkwood, Kyle 1 – 53
    Newgarden, Josef 54 – 91
    Rossi, Alexander 92 – 123
    Newgarden, Josef 124 – 139
    O’Ward, Pato 140 – 160
    Herta, Colton 161 – 179
    Kirkwood, Kyle 180 – 193
    Malukas, David 194 – 201
    Herta, Colton 202 – 206

    NTT INDYCAR SERIES Point Standings:
    Palou 544, Herta 513, McLaughlin 505, Power 498, O’Ward 460, Dixon 456, Kirkwood 420, Newgarden 401, Ferrucci 367, Rossi 366, Lundgaard 312, Rosenqvist 306, VeeKay 300, Armstrong 298, Ericsson 297, Lundqvist 279, Grosjean 260, Rahal 251, Fittipaldi 186, Robb 185, Simpson 182, Rasmussen 163, Siegel 154, Malukas 148, Harvey 143, Daly 119, Agustin Canapino 109, Theo Pourchaire 91, Legge 61, Tom Blomqvist 46, Ed Carpenter 45, Toby Sowery 45, Callum Ilott 39, Luca Ghiotto 27, Helio Castroneves 26, Kyle Larson 21, Takuma Sato 19, Tristan Vautier 12, Juri Vips 11, Colin Braun 10, Ryan Hunter-Reay 6, Hunter McElrea 6, Marco Andretti 5

  • NHRA AT READING: Team Chevy Race Report | Notes & Quotes

    NHRA AT READING: Team Chevy Race Report | Notes & Quotes

    CHEVROLET IN NHRA
    2024 PEP BOYS NHRA NATIONALS
    MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY
    READING, PENNSYLVANIA
    TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT | NOTES & STATS
    SEPT. 15, 2024

    AUSTIN PROCK CAPTURES HIS 10TH CAREER NHRA VICTORY IN AN ALL-JOHN FORCE RACING AND CHEVROLET FINAL VERSUS JACK BECKMAN

    Chevrolet Races to Triple Wally Trophies in Reading with Prock’s Victory, Aaron Stanfield Winning in Pro Stock, and Scott Libersher in FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown

    Notes:

    • Austin Prock, driver of the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing, defeated teammate Jack Beckman, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, in an exciting final round at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Penn.
    • Prock’s lap of 3.896 seconds E.T. at 332.51 mph over Beckman’s 3.951 seconds E.T. at 330.88 mph was enough for the young gun to capture his 10th-career NHRA Wally trophy and sixth of 2024.
    • Prock capped off a perfect weekend after going No. 1 both Friday and Saturday evening, racing to his ninth final round of the 2024 season as well as his 17th of his NHRA career. Prock leaves Reading maintaining the Countdown to the Championship points lead, 86 over second place Bob Tasca, III.
    • Beckman, who is currently competing on behalf of team owner John Force, defeated Joe Morrison in Round 1, JR Todd in Round 2, and Alexis DeJoria in semifinals, to face teammate Prock and gain valuable points in the Funny Car Championship.
    • After qualifying No. 5 at Reading, Brittany Force faced a pedal fest against Steve Torrence in Round 1, unfortunately being defeated early in the day.
    • Prock captured his impressive 11th No. 1 qualifier of 2024 and first season in the Funny Car category, as well as his 14th career NHRA top qualifying spot, after his Q2 run Friday maintained the leading position through Saturday’s Q3 and Q4 rounds.
    • Friday’s two sessions of qualifying saw Prock go provisional No. 1 early in the weekend once again, with his monster Q2 run of 3.849 seconds E.T. at 338.43 mph putting him in the top spot heading into Saturday.
    • Aaron Stanfield, driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock, defeated teammate and six-time champion Erica Enders to claim the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals Wally in the Pro Stock category and Chevrolet’s 396th in the category since 1970.
    • Scott Libersher defeated fellow Chevrolet COPO Camaro competitor Stephen Bell in the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown, with Libersher running 7.755 seconds E.T. at 177.46 mph to Bell’s 7.797 seconds E.T. at 176.03 mph.

    Quotes:

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

    “I’ve done more in this one single season than my entire career, and it’s all kudos to these guys behind me. This Cornwell Tools Chevrolet team is unbelievable and I’m sure having fun. Today’s a special day. It’s my grandfather’s 81st birthday and we got him a win at Indy and we’ve got another one coming home. Very special and proud of that. Just so happy to be a part of Cornwell Tools and Chevrolet. To give us an opportunity to come live our dream, thank you sincerely from my family.”

    JACK BECKMAN, DRIVER OF THE PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR:

    “If we want to win the championship, Austin (Prock) is the target everybody’s chasing right now. We can’t spot him a round every race, but they did everything right this weekend. That car was the class of the field. Our PEAK Chevy went down the track every run, and top three in qualifying. We had two elimination rounds where it didn’t do what we asked it to do, but we got eight total runs and the crew chiefs are smart enough to be able to look at that and figure out what the car is wanting.

    Every run we make, even though this is a brand-new car that had never been down the track before me, and let’s call me a brand-new driver—I’m not John Force—every driver’s driving style is different, every car’s fingerprint is different. The more runs we can get with me driving, the better Tim (Fabrisi), Danny (Hood), and Chris (Cunningham) are going to be at making those calls. It’s such a wonderful feeling to have that much confidence in the car every time we tow to the line.

    “Even with Schumacher, when you go up to the lanes, it’s every team for themselves, and rightfully so. When you get back to the pits, you help out whoever you can help, but once we go up to race, your goal is to beat the car in the other lane, so that part of it hasn’t changed. It’s just, in my wildest dreams, I didn’t think I’d ever get to drive for John Force Racing, and I still look at that blue PEAK Chevrolet, and it takes a second to set in that I’m driving John Force’s race car. I don’t know how you put that into words.”

    SCOTT LIBERSHER, DRIVE OF THE MAITA MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET COPO CAMARO IN FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN:

    “I had full confidence that I would do well this weekend. I was kind of the silent guy sneaking up from the back. No one mentioned me much. I was getting a little irritated. I said I’m going to turn it up a little bit, and here we are. I’ve been trying to be very consistent with everything I do, and that (reaction time) was me being a little amped up and just all the adrenaline sure. Stephen (Bell) is a good friend of mine. We’ve congratulated each other on our wins. He was excited at Brainerd for me. We were coming around the corner, and (crew chief) David Barton was ready with the computer since they didn’t prep the track because they’re running late. We put our B tune in, and it worked out great. I drove hard and David tuned it up great.”

    AUSTIN PROCK, driver of the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car – End of Day Press Conference Transcript:

    In Reading a few years ago in Top Fuel, you guys rolled in here buried in points and won this race. That propelled you all the way up to a third-place finish, a Countdown you said several times you thought could’ve won you a Championship if you guys just did your job in the regular season. This year, you did that, and had a two-round lead before firing up a car today while now leaving with almost a whole race lead. What does that say about this team?

    “It just speaks volumes for how great this team is. My dad (Jimmy Prock), Thomas (Prock) and Nate Hildahl, and every one of these Cornwell Tools Chevy team boys, they just do a great job. They just keep their heads down and keep picking away at it and trying to be better and better every time we bolt this thing together. It sure does feel nice to get a win and make a little bit more of a gap on the points. We had an 18-round lead after Indy, and it gets taken to about two rounds. Feels good to stretch that back out.”

    You won here in Top Fuel and now in Funny Car. Your dad’s tuning career started here with Joe Amato. Talk about racing in the state of Pennsylvania and winning at Reading…

    “It’s got to be one of my favorite racetracks. The fans are always outstanding here. We love coming and seeing them. This is a diehard racing state. I love me some winged sprint car races and I know they do too. We love coming here, and winning in Top Fuel and Funny Car, that’s pretty amazing. We doubled up with my dad in 2022; we won in Top Fuel and he won in Funny Car. We doubled up on the same team today.”

    Outstanding day for the John Force Racing Funny Cars. Talk about that…

    “Outstanding day, outstanding week for both teams. Really proud of that PEAK team (and Jack Beckman). That Chevy Camaro is flying, and Jack (Beckman) is driving lights out. He’s definitely no one you can take lightly, and I’m proud to see that. All those guys are my friends over there, and it’s pretty cool racing him in the final round.”

    How to Watch:

    The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads next to zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, N.C. for the betway NHRA Carolina Nationals Sept. 20-22. Eliminations Sunday air at 3 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.

    About Chevrolet

    Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

  • PROCK, BROWN, STANFIELD & ARANA JR. START PLAYOFFS WITH WINS AT PEP BOYS NHRA NATIONALS

    PROCK, BROWN, STANFIELD & ARANA JR. START PLAYOFFS WITH WINS AT PEP BOYS NHRA NATIONALS

    READING, Pa. (Sept. 15, 2024) – In an all-John Force Racing final round in Funny Car, points leader Austin Prock powered past Jack Beckman on Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway, picking up his sixth victory of the season at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals.

    Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 15th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. It is the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

    Prock, who also qualified No. 1 for the 11th time in 15 races, went 3.896-seconds at 332.51 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS to get past Beckman’s 3.951 at 330.88. It extends the points lead for Prock, who won his second straight race and also earned his 10th career victory.

    He defeated Mike Smith, Chad Green and Bob Tasca III to reach the finals, and then delivered another consistent run in the final round, becoming one of only a handful of drivers to win in both Top Fuel and Funny Car and Maple Grove Raceway. Prock’s lead now stands at 86 points over Tasca heading into the final five races.

    “It feels great to rack up some points and get a little bit of a gap over second again. It definitely feels good,” Prock said. “This is the best way you can start out the Countdown – No. 1 qualifier, we got points almost every round and the car was flying today, and we ended up holding another Wally. Kudos to this Cornwell Tools team for allowing me to do this.

    “We saw the ladder last night and said we have two cars capable of meeting in the final round and that was the goal today and we executed perfectly. Jack drove his tail off today, and I’m really proud of him. He’s getting comfortable and becoming lethal in that car. He was mowing the tree down and that thing runs as good as any of these cars out here. It’s great to see him and the team having success right off the bat like they are.”

    Beckman, who is driving for John Force, reached his first final since returning in Brainerd after defeating Joe Morrison, J.R. Todd and then Alexis DeJoria on a wild and memorable pedalfest.

    The Top Fuel final round was a thriller, too, as Antron Brown picked up his fourth win of 2024 and the 78th in his career in his 11,000-horsepower Matco Tools/Toyota dragster thanks to a run of 3.798 at 327.27 in the championship round against Shawn Langdon. It made a tight field in the loaded category even tighter, as Brown pulled to within one point of leader Justin Ashley. With his final-round appearance, Langdon is just six points behind Ashley as well.

    But Sunday ultimately belonged to Brown, who again came to life during eliminations. He went a Sunday-best 3.723 in the opening round to defeat Jasmine Salinas and then knocked off Tony Schumacher and Dan Mercier to reach the final round. Facing off with Langdon, Brown delivered a stellar .043 reaction time and then held off Langdon in a terrific side-by-side race to win for the third time at Maple Grove Raceway as he aims to try and win his fourth world championship.

    “Going into raceday, we knew we were going to have something, but the track got a little bit trickier than we thought it was. It was medieval out there. A lot of people were spinning the tires, but we made it far enough down the track,” Brown said. “Brian Corradi, Mark (Oswald), all of our Matco boys gave me a car that went the distance. We were just better than everybody that we raced at that time. When we got to the final, we knew it was going to be a monster matchup.

    “I knew Shawn was going to run about the same E.T. and it was going to be who can leave the starting line. Lo and behold, I was able to keep my head down and we got a little bit of an advantage right there and the car outran him. It was one of those deals, we got the win and the car was smooth down the racetrack. It felt really good when that win light came on, we needed a start like that if we wanted to be in this race to win this championship.”

    Langdon advanced to the final round for the seventh time this season and the 45th time in his career after defeating Ida Zetterstrom, Tony Stewart and Ashley. Doug Kalitta, who was the points leader entering the Countdown, dropped to fourth after a first-round loss.

    In Pro Stock, there seems to be no stopping red-hot Aaron Stanfield, as he won for the fifth time this season, going 6.569 at 209.26 in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Janac Brothers car to defeat Elite Motorsports teammate and defending world champion Erica Enders on a holeshot in the final round. It’s also Stanfield’s second straight win and he moves into the points lead for the first time this season after picking up his 13th career win.

    To reach the final round, Stanfield defeated Troy Coughlin Jr., Chris McGaha and Dallas Glenn to reach the final round and set up the teammate versus teammate matchup. Stanfield went an impressive .017 on the starting line – on a day where he was also .012 and .014 in eliminations – and held off Enders at the finish to continue his recent roll. Stanfield has now won five of the last seven races.

    “It feels great. Momentum is real,” Stanfield said. “Things have been rolling our way and we’ve been getting those round wins when we need them to go our way. We did our job today, Erica and I and all our guys. We put both of our JHG/Melling cars in the final round there, and that was the goal.

    “When you start out No. 2, you know you’ve got a shot. I know the equipment I’m in, and I know how hungry my guys are to win. We definitely have a shot here, we just need to keep this momentum that we’ve got rolling.”

    Enders went to the final round for the fourth time in 2024 and the 82nd time overall after defeating Mason McGaha, Matt Hartford and longtime rival Greg Anderson. Stanfield’s lead now stands at nine points over Dallas Glenn, with Enders 35 points back.

    Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Hector Arana Jr. enjoyed a spectacular Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway, finishing it off with a 6.839 at 198.38 on his GETTRX Buell to defeat Richard Gadson in the final round. It is Arana’s first victory of the season and 19th in his career, and he had to go through some standouts to get it.

    Arana knocked off Jianna Evaristo and Angie Smith to reach the semifinals, and then got past points leader and defending world champion Gaige Herrera when Herrera went red. That set up a final-round duel with Gadson and Arana quickly tracked him down, winning at his home track for the third time in his career. The victory also pushed Arana into fourth in points, setting up the potential for a memorable late-season run for the veteran.

    “We have a great team and we have a great motorcycle that everybody works hard,” Arana Jr. “We tried a bunch of things this year leading up to the Countdown and now it’s time to turn it on. We collected everything, got it together, and here we are in the winner’s circle holding up a Wally. I couldn’t imagine a better day.

    “Fortunately for us, we were able to stay green and here we are in the winner’s circle. But we have some more power to make to fight with them. I came in here with confidence. We had a great bike and I said it all weekend, you have to have a good consistent bike in order to win the race, and that’s what we did.”

    Gadson advanced to the final round for the second time in his rookie season, defeating Geno Scali, Chase Van Sant and defending event winner Matt Smith. Herrera remains in the points lead, holding an 17-point advantage over M. Smith. Gadson is 19 points behind in third.

    The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action Sept. 20-22 with the 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.

    MOHNTON, Pa. — Final finish order (1-16) at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. The race is the 15th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

    TOP FUEL:

    1. Antron Brown; 2. Shawn Langdon; 3. Justin Ashley; 4. Dan Mercier; 5. Clay Millican; 6. Tony Stewart; 7. Tony Schumacher; 8. Steve Torrence; 9. Ida Zetterstrom; 10. Doug Foley; 11. Jasmine Salinas; 12. Smax Smith; 13. Josh Hart; 14. Billy Torrence; 15. Doug Kalitta; 16. Brittany Force.

    FUNNY CAR:

    1. Austin Prock; 2. Jack Beckman; 3. Bob Tasca III; 4. Alexis DeJoria; 5. Ron Capps; 6. J.R. Todd; 7. Chad Green; 8. Cruz Pedregon; 9. Matt Hagan; 10. Mike Smith; 11. Blake Alexander; 12. Jim Campbell; 13. Daniel Wilkerson; 14. Dave Richards; 15. Buddy Hull; 16. Joe Morrison.

    PRO STOCK:

    1. Aaron Stanfield; 2. Erica Enders; 3. Greg Anderson; 4. Dallas Glenn; 5. Cristian Cuadra; 6. Matt Hartford; 7. Camrie Caruso; 8. Chris McGaha; 9. Jeg Coughlin; 10. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 11. Mason McGaha; 12. Cory Reed; 13. Eric Latino; 14. Kenny Delco; 15. Jerry Tucker; 16. Deric Kramer.

    PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

    1. Hector Arana Jr; 2. Richard Gadson; 3. Gaige Herrera; 4. Matt Smith; 5. Angie Smith; 6. Steve Johnson; 7. Chase Van Sant; 8. Marc Ingwersen; 9. John Hall; 10. Geno Scali; 11. Chris Bostick; 12. Jianna Evaristo; 13. Ron Tornow; 14. Kelly Clontz.

    MOHNTON, Pa. — Sunday’s final results from the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. The race is the 15th of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

    Top Fuel — Antron Brown, 3.798 seconds, 327.27 mph def. Shawn Langdon, 3.803 seconds, 332.02 mph.

    Funny Car — Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.896, 332.51 def. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.951, 330.88.

    Pro Stock — Aaron Stanfield, Chevy Camaro, 6.569, 209.26 def. Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.557, 210.47.

    Pro Stock Motorcycle — Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.839, 198.38 def. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.874, 198.12.

    Top Alcohol Dragster — Angelle Sampey, 5.304, 273.83 def. Mike Coughlin, 5.307, 273.88.

    Top Alcohol Funny Car — Phil Esz, Chevy Camaro, 5.522, 262.23 def. Annie Whiteley, Camaro, 10.059, 118.44.

    Competition Eliminator — Don Eckel, Dragster, 6.942, 191.35 def. Al Ackerman, Dragster, 7.982, 164.55.

    Super Stock — William Kennedy, Pontiac Firebird, 10.449, 128.40 def. Joe Santangelo, Chevy Camaro, 9.729, 127.35.

    Stock Eliminator — Russell Linke, Chevy Camaro, 10.462, 118.00 def. Dan Fletcher, Camaro, 11.456, 103.55.

    Super Comp — Chris DePascale, Dragster, 11.071, 84.21 def. Shawn Fricke, Dragster, Foul – Red Light.

    Super Gas — David Morris, Chevy Camaro, 9.919, 166.70 def. Michael Handras, Chevy Cavalier, 9.989, 160.23.

    Top Sportsman — Brian Vollman, Cobalt, 7.369, 185.23 def. Michael Grafas, Corvette, 6.956, 197.28.

    Top Dragster — Alan Kenny, Dragster, 6.124, 212.96 def. Tim Gray, Dragster, 7.436, 180.07.

    Mountain Motor Pro Stock — Johnny Pluchino, Ford Mustang, 6.325, 223.50 def. John Montecalvo, Mustang, 6.326, 222.47.

    Factory Stock Showdown — Scott Libersher, Chevy Camaro, 7.755, 177.46 def. Stephen Bell, Camaro, 7.797, 176.03.

    MOHNTON, Pa. — Final round-by-round results from the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the 15th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

    TOP FUEL:

    ROUND ONE — Clay Millican, 3.821, 281.19 def. Josh Hart, Foul – Red Light; Steve Torrence, 5.987, 218.87 def. Brittany Force, 8.973, 70.93; Tony Stewart, 4.348, 230.96 def. Billy Torrence, 6.302, 180.33; Tony Schumacher, 3.759, 329.91 def. Doug Foley, 3.780, 327.51; Justin Ashley, 3.759, 328.22 def. Smax Smith, 4.823, 152.87; Dan Mercier, 3.931, 282.48 def. Doug Kalitta, 8.356, 101.84; Shawn Langdon, 3.753, 332.59 def. Ida Zetterstrom, 3.745, 327.74; Antron Brown, 3.723, 332.84 def. Jasmine Salinas, 4.338, 260.06;

    QUARTERFINALS — Mercier, 5.291, 261.32 def. S. Torrence, 7.014, 110.02; Ashley, 3.771, 330.72 def. Millican, 3.779, 329.58; Langdon, 4.076, 249.39 def. Stewart, 4.351, 212.56; Brown, 3.881, 295.79 def. Schumacher, 4.711, 174.28;

    SEMIFINALS — Brown, 4.268, 251.49 def. Mercier, 11.674, 55.82; Langdon, 3.813, 328.86 def. Ashley, 5.348, 133.10;

    FINAL — Brown, 3.798, 327.27 def. Langdon, 3.803, 332.02.

    FUNNY CAR:

    ROUND ONE — Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.878, 330.96 def. Dave Richards, Mustang, 13.242, 71.69; Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.875, 334.48 def. Mike Smith, Mustang, 4.211, 245.99; Alexis DeJoria, Toyota GR Supra, 3.940, 327.51 def. Jim Campbell, Chevy Monte Carlo, 4.886, 164.65; Jack Beckman, Camaro, No Time Recorded def. Joe Morrison, Dodge Charger, Foul – Centerline; Ron Capps, GR Supra, 3.898, 332.34 def. Buddy Hull, Charger, 13.461, 65.66; J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 3.943, 310.63 def. Matt Hagan, Charger, 3.934, 332.67; Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 6.130, 163.29 def. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 11.365, 83.72; Chad Green, Mustang, 4.131, 254.71 def. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 4.447, 199.37;

    QUARTERFINALS — Tasca III, 5.236, 164.39 def. Capps, Foul – Red Light; Prock, 3.892, 330.07 def. Green, 3.972, 318.09; DeJoria, 4.748, 169.15 def. Pedregon, 6.140, 109.18; Beckman, 3.917, 327.59 def. Todd, 3.947, 317.94;

    SEMIFINALS — Beckman, 6.652, 215.48 def. DeJoria, 6.723, 208.55; Prock, 3.931, 328.14 def. Tasca III, 4.619, 184.98;

    FINAL — Prock, 3.896, 332.51 def. Beckman, 3.951, 330.88.

    PRO STOCK:

    ROUND ONE — Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.577, 209.98 def. Deric Kramer, Chevy Camaro, 16.458, 50.92; Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.566, 209.04 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.587, 208.46; Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.571, 208.91 def. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 11.523, 76.96; Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.562, 208.94 def. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, Foul – Red Light; Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.561, 209.72 def. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.555, 209.82; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.529, 209.56 def. Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.574, 208.68; Erica Enders, Camaro, 6.558, 210.34 def. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.573, 208.88; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.526, 209.26 def. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.623, 207.82;

    QUARTERFINALS — Stanfield, 6.569, 208.75 def. C. McGaha, 11.661, 81.68; Enders, 6.554, 210.77 def. Hartford, 6.579, 208.97; Anderson, 6.555, 209.43 def. Caruso, 11.501, 75.87; Glenn, 6.538, 209.07 def. Cuadra, 6.570, 209.46;

    SEMIFINALS — Enders, 6.570, 209.92 def. Anderson, 6.581, 209.36; Stanfield, 6.562, 208.68 def. Glenn, 18.736, 41.58;

    FINAL — Stanfield, 6.569, 209.26 def. Enders, 6.557, 210.47.

    PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:

    ROUND ONE — Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.831, 194.58 def. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.906, 195.05; Angie Smith, Buell, 6.803, 200.68 def. John Hall, 6.888, 195.42; Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.833, 197.22 def. Marc Ingwersen, 6.845, 196.59; Hector Arana Jr, 6.832, 198.26 def. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, Foul – Red Light; Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.817, 198.58 def. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.901, 196.93; Matt Smith, Buell, 6.813, 200.08 def. Ron Tornow, Broke – No Show; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.858, 175.37 def. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, Broke – No Show;

    QUARTERFINALS — Herrera, 6.834, 199.23 was unopposed; Arana Jr, 6.812, 198.79 def. A. Smith, 6.822, 199.37; Gadson, 6.893, 196.82 def. Van Sant, 6.905, 194.04; M. Smith, 6.860, 198.17 def. Johnson, 6.896, 193.02;

    SEMIFINALS — Gadson, 6.872, 196.85 def. M. Smith, 16.441, 42.67; Arana Jr, 6.884, 195.62 def. Herrera, Foul – Red Light;

    FINAL — Arana Jr, 6.839, 198.38 def. Gadson, 6.874, 198.12.

    MOHNTON, Pa. — Point standings (top 10) following the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the 15th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series –

    Top Fuel

    1. Justin Ashley, 2,181; 2. Antron Brown, 2,180; 3. Shawn Langdon, 2,175; 4. Doug Kalitta, 2,148; 5. Steve Torrence, 2,123; 6. Clay Millican, 2,102; 7. Tony Stewart, 2,087; 8. Tony Schumacher, 2,085; 9. Brittany Force, 2,048; 10. Billy Torrence, 2,031.

    Funny Car

    1. Austin Prock, 2,250; 2. Bob Tasca III, 2,164; 3. John Force, 2,151; 4. J.R. Todd, 2,123; 5. Matt Hagan, 2,113; 6. Ron Capps, 2,108; 7. Alexis DeJoria, 2,082; 8. Blake Alexander, 2,068; 9. Chad Green, 2,067; 10. Daniel Wilkerson, 2,056.

    Pro Stock

    1. Aaron Stanfield, 2,209; 2. Dallas Glenn, 2,200; 3. Erica Enders, 2,174; 4. Greg Anderson, 2,163; 5. Jeg Coughlin, 2,095; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr., 2,078; 7. Cristian Cuadra, 2,072; 8. Jerry Tucker, 2,066; 9. Eric Latino, 2,042; 10. Mason McGaha, 2,037.

    Pro Stock Motorcycle

    1. Gaige Herrera, 2,198; 2. Matt Smith, 2,181; 3. Richard Gadson, 2,179; 4. Hector Arana Jr, 2,138; 5. Chase Van Sant, 2,102; 6. John Hall, 2,099; 7. Angie Smith, 2,096; 8. (tie) Jianna Evaristo, 2,063; Steve Johnson, 2,063; 10. Chris Bostick, 2,033.