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Cadillac earns first WEC pole position

No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R tops Hyperpole field for the Six Hours of Fuji

FUJI, Japan (Sept. 14, 2024) – The plush mallard duck perched on the roof of the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R in the garage at Fuji Speedway is an object lesson and team mantra – maintain a calm, businesslike approach while paddling furiously.

That is what Cadillac Racing has done in its 14-race FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) program spanning two seasons — maintain focus and determination through ups and downs, highs and lows to extract the best from the racecar and individuals.

A milestone nearly as tall as nearby Mount Fuji was attained Saturday as Alex Lynn drove the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R to the team’s first WEC pole position.

“Congratulations to the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R on securing pole position in qualifying for the Six Hours of Fuji,” said John Roth, global vice president of Cadillac. “We are excited to get back on the track and compete for the overall win tomorrow.”

Lynn recorded a best lap of 1 minute, 28.901 seconds on the 2.835-mile, 12-turn circuit with 55 seconds left in the 10-minute Hyperpole session. He advanced to the 10-car shootout by topping the lap time chart in the 12-minute Hypercar qualifying of the assembly of 18 cars. The Hyperpole field was separated by .688 of a second.

“It feels so good. Honestly, we’ve tried so hard all year,” Lynn said. “I have to say this car is amazing on one lap. Massive congrats to Cadillac. I just wanted to give the team a pole position this year. We came so close so many times and I’m so proud to have finally done it.”

It is the fifth consecutive race that the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R powered by the purpose-built 5.5-liter V8 engine has qualified in the top four and third time this season that it has qualified on the front row, though second for the 24 Hours of Le Mans was met with a grid penalty. P3 at Bahrain was the highest qualifying effort in the inaugural season of the Cadillac LMDh platform.

Lynn and Earl Bamber are coming off a season-high fourth-place finish after qualifying third two weeks ago at Circuit of the Americas and will be aiming to match the qualifying spot in the race.

About the race

Green flag is at 11 a.m. Japanese Standard Time Sunday/10 p.m. ET Saturday. MotorTrend TV’s live coverage (in U.S.) is from 9:30-11 p.m. Saturday and 3-4:30 a.m. Sunday. Full live streaming coverage will be on the FIA WEC app and the MAX app in the U.S. RadioLeMans.com will stream the full race.

For a different perspective

Watch the Six Hours of Fuji from the perspective of No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R drivers Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn at 10 p.m. ET Saturday. WATCH

Media resources: Cadillac Racing photo gallery | ’24 WEC statistics

Qualifying quotes

Alex Lynn: “It feels so good. Honestly, we’ve tried so hard all year. I have to say this car is amazing on one lap. Massive congrats to Cadillac. I just wanted to give the team a pole position this year. We came so close so many times and I’m so proud to have finally done it. I still have nightmares of that Le Mans night, missing it by a tenth. Nothing is given for free. If you can start up front in these races, it’s a big advantage. The tire preparation has been a big part of extracting the maximum over one lap. It’s a fantastic racecar that Cadillac has built us. We’re still trying to figure out how to make it just as fast over six hours or even 24. We know how to make it fast, it’s just getting it to do that for the whole time, being at that speed for the whole time. I feel confident that we should be finding some good points tomorrow. We haven’t changed our mentality. We know we’re quite good in qualifying, but 99 percent of our focus has been on the race. Hopefully, all that work we’ve put in will stand us in good stead tomorrow when the lights go out. The track is pretty good. It’s quite hot out here this year, so that’s always a challenge trying to set the car up for multiple temperatures throughout tomorrow’s race.”

Earl Bamber: “Alex has been doing a fantastic job the last 18 months in quali. He’s put us in the best possible position tomorrow. I’m going to take the start and hopefully we can get through Turn 1 and start a good race. It’s been building with this program. We’ve been working really hard, chipping away at the details and we’re slowly getting into the window. COTA was a great race for us, so hopefully we can continue that momentum. (about two drivers in six-hour races): We think it’s an advantage. We get a lot more track time during the weekend. COTA was really tough because of the heat but I think we both did a good job. Tomorrow will be a humid one, but I think we can manage it.”

Laura Wontrop Klauser, GM sports car racing program manager: “I could not be prouder of the team and drivers with all the effort they’ve put in to getting us to Hyperpole here at Fuji. We are so excited to take the green tomorrow and will be shooting to finish in the same position we started.”

Stephen Mitas, team manager: “Wonderful result today for the team. It’s been a long time coming. It’s been an interesting two years as we built up to this. Alex was mega, team was mega, so looking forward to a great race tomorrow.”

September 14, 2024
CORVETTE RACING AT FUJI: Front-Row for TVR, No. 81 Z06 GT3.R

Koizumi starts seventh as both TF Sport Corvettes make Hyperpole for first time

GOTEMBA, Shizuoka, Japan (September 14, 2024) – Tom Van Rompuy and TF Sport’s No. 81 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R will start on the front row of the LMGT3 category for the Six Hours of Fuji as both of the team’s Corvettes made the 10-minute Hyperpole session for the first time this year.

Van Rompuy posted the second-fastest time in Saturday’s 10-minute Hyperpole session that set the top 10 spots on the grid ahead of the seventh round for the FIA World Endurance Championship. He set a best lap of 1:40.975 (101.097 mph) in the Corvette that he shares with Rui Andrade and factory driver Charlie Eastwood to miss the Z06 GT3.R’s second pole position of the season by just 0.082 seconds.

The biggest story, however, was both TF Sport Corvettes making Hyperpole, thanks to Hiroshi Koizumi’s strong performance in the No. 82 Z06 GT3.R. The Japanese driver advanced for the first time while Van Rompuy finished in the top-10 for the third straight event and fifth time this season.

Koizumi’s best lap at his home track came on his final effort – a 1:41.310 (100.724 mph) – in the Corvette that he will drive with Sebastien Baud and Corvette factory driver Daniel Juncadella. It equaled the best starting spot for the No. 82 Z06 GT3.R of the season, matching the position at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Both Corvettes were within 0.3 seconds in the first 12-minute qualifying session ahead of Hyperpole, showing the continued strength in pace and performance of the Z06 GT3.R.

TF Sport is coming off a strong showing two weeks ago at Circuit of The Americas, where the No. 82 finished eighth in class – thanks to Juncadella’s strong performance in the final three hours – and the No. 81 ran as high as second before being hit by another LMGT3 competitor.

As evidenced by qualifying, momentum is on the side of TF Sport heading to Fuji Speedway. It’s a track the team knows well, having scored two race wins, a runner-up and a pair of pole positions in its previous four trips to the 2.84-mile, 16-turn circuit less than two hours outside Tokyo.

The Six Hours of Fuji is scheduled for 11 a.m. Japanese Standard Time (JST) on Sunday / 10 p.m. ET on Saturday. MotorTrend TV will air live television coverage from 9:30-11 p.m. ET on Saturday plus 3-4:30 a.m. ET on Sunday. Full live streaming coverage of the race will be available on the FIA WEC app and the MAX app in the U.S. Radio Le Mans also will stream audio coverage of Sunday’s race.

TF SPORT POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES

TOM VAN ROMPUY, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – STARTS SECOND IN LMGT3: “It’s a very good starting position. Thanks to the team for keeping on working on the setup to give me a really good car. It felt really good and felt good on the lap. It’s really tight, but we’re on the front row. It’s a good position from where to start tomorrow, and hopefully we can gain one more.

“It was a really tight qualifying session, and everyone was bunched tight together. We have a really strong car especially for the race tomorrow. We are in a really, really good window. So I’m really happy with the result today, and we will fight for a podium and try to go for a win tomorrow.”

RUI ANDRADE, NO. 81 TF SPORT CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Things are really good so far. FP1 was a little tricky for everyone because the track was pretty dirty. As it cleaned up and into FP2, I think the car balance shifted a lot. For us, we learned the car is still quite strong. From the changes we made already for COTA, we saw that we had a lot of pace and were happy with the progression things had taken. We’ve maintained that for Fuji. It’s a completely different track with different characteristics, but the Corvette still seems quick and strong compared to our competition, so I’m happy with that.”

(Race prospects) “It’s hard to say. Everyone always has a little bit left in the bag. The most important thing is the feeling that we have in the car and the car balance. We were quite happy at the end of FP2. There are still some small tweaks to be made, but it’s always good when you can end a Friday on a high note and you don’t have so much left to do on setup with Free Practice Three and qualifying. Now it’s about fine-tuning things. It was warmer today and closer to race conditions so it was good to see for our race setup.”

HIROSHI KOIZUMI, NO. 82 TF SPORT CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – STARTS SEVENTH IN LMGT3: “I was happy to get into my first Hyperpole! I was aiming for pole position but ended up with P7. In tomorrow’s race, we will win it! This is my first race at Fuji in a year but in a new car with the Corvette and my team at TF Sport. So I’m feeling both excited and nervous! I haven’t had very good results so far this year, but I’ll do my best to achieve a slightly better result for the Japanese fans here at my home track. Our aim is for the podium and hopefully the top step.”

DANIEL JUNCADELLA, NO. 82 TF SPORT CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Since COTA, we have been very competitive. The Corvette has been very nice to drive, and we have been up there for every session. Unfortunately we couldn’t get a result in the COTA race due to some penalties. Now here for Hiroshi at Fuji, he can really feel it’s his home race and he has some extra performance in him! This is a great starting position, and we have high expectations for tomorrow.”

About Chevrolet
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September 14, 2024
PROCK, ASHLEY, ENDERS & M. SMITH OPEN PLAYOFFS WITH PROVISIONAL NO. 1 SPOTS AT PEP BOYS NHRA NATIONALS

READING, Pa. (Sept. 13, 2024) – Funny Car points leader Austin Prock made the fastest run in his career on Friday at Maple Grove Raceway, powering to the provisional No. 1 spot for John Force Racing at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals.

Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 15th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. It is also the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Prock, who has been the No. 1 qualifier 10 times in the first 14 races this season, went 3.849-seconds at 338.43 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS, posting a career-best speed and just missing out on the track record. Prock opens the Countdown to the Championship playoffs in the points lead, looking for his sixth win of the season. He comes in on a good note after winning the U.S. Nationals in Indy and put on a spectacular show on Friday at Maple Grove Raceway.

“That was some classic Reading drag racing right there,” Prock said. “This place is always fast, lot of trees around here, the air is always pretty mongo and they gave us a great racetrack tonight. That was pretty stout to go No. 1 again and run a career-best speed. It definitely got all of it. I’m really proud of this team, and it was a heck of a way to start the playoffs today.

“I knew it left hard, and just past the Christmas tree I felt the tire just a hair and it cleared up. I probably got about 200 feet out and I started feeling it trying to make that move inside and I had quite a bit of wheel turning left all the way down the (track). When I tossed the laundry, my brother (Thomas) got on the radio, they were going nuts and that was really special. It was great to hear and the team is really proud of that today.”

Alexis DeJoria enjoyed a strong pair of qualifying sessions, qualifying second with a 3.867 at 336.40, while Prock’s JFR teammate, Jack Beckman, is third after his pass of 3.869 at 330.80.

Racing close to home, Top Fuel’s Justin Ashley put on an impressive show under the lights on Friday, bolting to the provisional No. 1 spot with a run of 3.713 at 333.49 in his 11,000-horsepower Scag Power Equipment/Toyota dragster. If that holds, it would be Ashley’s first No. 1 qualifier of the season and the sixth in his career. Ashley enters the Countdown to the Championship second in points and with plenty of momentum, winning recently in Brainerd. He’s also eager to push on a show this weekend in front of plenty of family and friends.

“I think we did a good job during Q1 of positioning ourselves to a point where we could be a little more aggressive in Q2. That was the key,” Ashley said. “When you go out there that first run, you want to set that baseline so you have the ability to be a little more aggressive and go after that No. 1 spot. We stayed after Indy, we did some testing, we did some testing after Brainerd.

“The whole team has just been chipping away at it for this reason, for this very moment. We want to make sure we’re prepared when the Countdown comes. It’s day one of the Countdown, but we feel good about where we’re at with everything. Maybe it will hold tomorrow, maybe it won’t, but those three bonus points were critical.”

Tony Schumacher made a big jump to second after going 3.733 at 328.70 and points leader Doug Kalitta is third with a run of 3.736 at 335.73.

In Pro Stock, Erica Enders made a strong opening statement at Maple Grove Raceway, taking the provisional No. 1 spot with a run of 6.535 at 210.34 in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Scag Power Equipment car. The defending world champion is after her sixth No. 1 qualifier this season and the 40th in her career, but Enders, a six-time world champ, has her eyes on the bigger prize. She’s after her first victory of the season since the opener in Gainesville – which would also be her 50th national event win – as Enders aims to win a seventh world title and third in a row.

“I’m feeling confident after Indy last week. We didn’t win, our team went to the finals and raced each other, I lost in the semis and I was .014 on the tree,” Enders said. “I feel like my driving has been a lot better and we have a great racecar. We’ve had one all year.

“We put a new bullet in for today and we went right to the top right off the trailer, and it held through the second session. That’s extremely encouraging. Everybody wants to start the Countdown off on the right foot. If you get in too big of a hole it’s hard to dig yourself out. There’s a lot of racing to go, a lot of points to accumulate, and a lot of tough competition but definitely the right foot and I’m proud to be there.”

Greg Anderson moved to second with a run of 6.537 at 209.23 and points leader Dallas Glenn went to third after going 6.540 at 208.91.

A year after winning at Maple Grove Raceway to open the playoffs, Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Matt Smith is off to a strong start this year, going 6.801 on both passes and posting a top speed of 199.49 on his Denso Auto Parts Buell. That puts him in the provisional No. 1 position as the six-time world champion looks to claim his fifth No. 1 spot this season. Smith, who has three career wins at Reading, has come on strong at a key time in the season, winning in Sonoma, and was pleased with his first runs in the Countdown to the Championship on Friday.

“The first run was pretty good and the second run, we should have run .79, maybe a high .78 but the bike got stuck in fourth gear out there,” Smith said. “All in all, we had a great run and I can’t say enough. We got everything turned up. We got the high-side rev limiter turned way up or I’d have hit the limiter there. It’s one of them deals, it’s the Countdown. We’re going for seven [championships], and we’ve got to throw everything we’ve got at it.

“We brought everything we’ve got for our Denso Buell and we’re going to keep digging, try to keep going, and we’ll see. I think we might put another motor in for tomorrow. We have a brand-new piece that’s really, really good on the dyno and I need to get some tune-ups on it and try to get it right for the Countdown.”

Points leader and defending world champion Gaige Herrera is currently second after going 6.804 at 198.55 and his teammate, Richard Gadson, is in third with a run of 6.807 at 197.45.

Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

MOHNTON, Pa. — Friday’s results after the first two of four rounds of qualifying for the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, 15th of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Qualifying will continue Saturday for Sunday’s final eliminations.

Top Fuel — 1. Justin Ashley, 3.713 seconds, 333.49 mph; 2. Tony Schumacher, 3.733, 328.70; 3. Doug Kalitta, 3.736, 335.73; 4. Tony Stewart, 3.741, 328.46; 5. Shawn Langdon, 3.741, 324.59; 6. Steve Torrence, 3.754, 332.18; 7. Clay Millican, 3.762, 331.36; 8. Josh Hart, 3.763, 328.78; 9. Jasmine Salinas, 3.768, 330.15; 10. Brittany Force, 3.770, 329.75; 11. Ida Zetterstrom, 3.779, 329.10; 12. Antron Brown, 3.784, 326.87; 13. Billy Torrence, 3.806, 321.35; 14. Dan Mercier, 3.881, 311.56; 15. Doug Foley, 4.680, 158.11; 16. Shawn Reed, 5.339, 134.64. Not Qualified: 17. Smax Smith, 6.606, 88.22; 18. Rit Pustari, 9.942, 82.50.

Funny Car — 1. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 3.849, 338.43; 2. Alexis DeJoria, Toyota GR Supra, 3.867, 336.40; 3. Jack Beckman, Camaro, 3.869, 330.80; 4. Bob Tasca III, Ford Mustang, 3.878, 331.53; 5. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 3.890, 336.65; 6. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.897, 331.36; 7. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.906, 323.89; 8. Chad Green, Mustang, 3.910, 325.69; 9. Blake Alexander, Mustang, 3.934, 326.56; 10. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 3.955, 326.48; 11. Buddy Hull, Charger, 4.033, 303.16; 12. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.091, 264.70; 13. Joe Morrison, Charger, 4.339, 215.72; 14. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 5.223, 141.65; 15. Jim Campbell, Chevy Monte Carlo, 5.768, 119.55; 16. Mike Smith, Mustang, broke.

Pro Stock — 1. Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.535, 210.54; 2. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.537, 209.65; 3. Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.540, 209.26; 4. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 6.541, 209.88; 5. Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 6.547, 209.65; 6. Jerry Tucker, Camaro, 6.554, 210.14; 7. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.555, 208.91; 8. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.560, 208.62; 9. Cristian Cuadra, Ford Mustang, 6.562, 210.01; 10. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.563, 209.23; 11. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.570, 209.69; 12. Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.572, 209.62; 13. Camrie Caruso, Camaro, 6.576, 208.94; 14. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.585, 209.30; 15. Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.585, 208.97; 16. Derrick Reese, Mustang, 6.586, 209.10. Not Qualified: 17. Cory Reed, 6.593, 208.97; 18. Brandon Miller, 6.638, 208.14.

Pro Stock Motorcycle — 1. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.801, 199.49; 2. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.804, 198.55; 3. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.807, 197.45; 4. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.820, 198.29; 5. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.859, 194.60; 6. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.869, 194.55; 7. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.884, 196.87; 8. John Hall, Beull, 6.892, 195.73; 9. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.898, 197.16; 10. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.922, 194.24; 11. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.939, 192.96; 12. Geno Scali, Suzuki, 6.974, 194.80; 13. Ron Tornow, Victory, 7.046, 193.57; 14. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 7.674, 137.25.

September 14, 2024
NHRA AT READING: Team Chevy Race Advance | Notes & Quotes
CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2024 PEP BOYS NHRA NATIONALS
MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY
READING, PENNSYLVANIA
TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE | NOTES & STATS
SEPT. 13-15, 2024

CHEVROLET AND JOHN FORCE RACING KICK OFF THE COUNTDOWN READY TO MARCH TOWARD TITLES IN BOTH FUNNY CAR AND TOP FUEL

Notes:
- Team Chevy kicks off the Countdown to the Championship with John Force Racing this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway Sept. 13-15, for the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals in Reading, Penn.
- Austin Prock, driver of the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, currently leads the championship points standing after a stellar season so far with five wins to date in 2024, including the U.S. Nationals. Additionally, he’s captured 10 No. 1 qualifiers this year, giving him a career total of nine victories and 13 No. 1 qualifiers.
- Jack Beckman, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car and racing on behalf of sidelined team owner and driver John Force, joins Prock in fighting for a Funny Car World Championship and currently sits sixth, 76 points back from Prock in first.
- Securing her spot in the Countdown to the Championship while competing at Indianapolis, Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, is looking to Reading coming off of a strong effort at U.S. Nationals that saw her capture her second No. 1 qualifier of 2024 and 48th of her career. She currently sits ninth in the championship standings 93 points behind first.
- Additionally competing at Reading this weekend, Dallas Glenn leads Greg Anderson in the Pro Stock championship standings, 25 points separating the two.
- Competing this weekend in addition to Pro Stock, the Chevrolet COPO Camaro drivers of the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown also race this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway. For FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown, Reading is the penultimate event of their 2024 season, as they inch closer to closing out their year and crowning a champion. Chevrolet COPO Camaros sits in first and third respectively. David Janac leads over second by 22 points, with Stephen Bell behind Janac in third with 48 points between the two.
Quotes:

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

“(I’m) excited to get back to the track. We’ve been hard at it in the race shop preparing for the Countdown to the Championship. It’s been a great year so far, and we are looking to keep it up for this 6-race dash. Our Chevrolet Camaro has been hot all year long and definitely feels good rolling into the playoffs off a win. Our attention is ahead, one moment at a time.”

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

“Now that I’ve ‘knocked the rust off’ with a quarter-final and then a semi-final finish at my first two races, it’s time for the Countdown to the Championship! With back-to-back-to-back events, I look forward to getting even more comfortable and climbing further up in the standings in our PEAK Chevy. We now are less than four rounds out of first place, with a car and a team that are capable of winning EVERY race. I can’t wait to get my first win for John [Force] soon!”

BRITTANY FORCE, DRIVER OF THE MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET TOP FUEL DRAGSTER:

“I’m thrilled to be heading into the first race of The Countdown in Reading this weekend. We enter in the number nine position and our competition is the toughest I’ve experience in my career. I’m proud of our Monster Energy team’s fight to clinch our position in Indy. We’ve made major progress throughout our season and one of our best races of the year was this past weekend at the US Nationals. The great thing about The Countdown is everyone’s points reset; so starting at Maple Grove every driver has an opportunity at chasing the championship. I feel confident coming into a racetrack where we’ve previously won and set the national ET record (3.623 seconds), but we have no room for mistakes. The plan is to continue qualifying in the top spot and go rounds on race day.”

How to Watch:

The Pep Boys NHRA Nationals from Maple Grove Raceway airs first with qualifying on Friday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Sunday sees Saturday’s qualifying air at 12:30 p.m. ET on FS1, with Finals following at 2 p.m. ET on FOX. Coverage streams live throughout the weekend on NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

TEAM CHEVY BY THE NUMBERS:

1,463: Round wins for John Force (1st all-time). (Three round wins have been captured by Jack Beckman in Brainerd and Indianapolis while racing on behalf of Force who is currently recovering from an on-track incident).

626: Round wins for Robert Hight; 13th all-time. Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), sits 12th, with 632.

167: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for John Force (1st all-time).

166: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins since 1967.

84: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Robert Hight (6th all-time). Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) is fifth with 88.

86: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins with the Camaro SS body.

48: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Brittany Force.

28: Number of NHRA championships Chevrolet holds as a manufacturer since entering the first in 1966. This is the seventh-consecutive award and ninth in 11 seasons. No other manufacturer has won it more than Chevrolet.

26: Wins by John Force in a Chevrolet-bodied Funny Car.

20: Chevrolet career Top Fuel wins in NHRA.

16: Number of Chevrolet career wins by Brittany Force.

7: Number of Funny Car driver championships.

2: Number of Top Fuel driver championships.

Austin Prock, driver of the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car – Countdown to the Championship Media Availability Transcript:

(Moderator) Brian Lohnes of NHRA: What does a good U.S. Nationals mean for a team entering the countdown as the number one seed?

Austin Prock: Well, I think any race weekend you go into coming off of a win gives you a little bit more, you know, a little bit of pep into your step. But yeah, winning the U.S. Nationals, that was pretty special for me and my family. And we’re excited for the countdown. Nothing matters that we’ve done to, you know, this point. Everything restarts. And we’ve got to go into these next six races and just do the same job we’ve been doing. Our lead got tightened up quite a bit. And we just got to go and execute and really perform better than we have all year long.

Moderator Lohnes: How personal was your performance on race day at Indy for you, like, to just put that thing behind you? I know good race car drivers don’t linger on things that happened in the past, but how important was it for you to really kind of drive it down to a pro on Monday at Indy?

Austin Prock: It was exactly what I wanted to do. You know, I wanted to go out there and prove to myself that, I can take a hit and bounce right back up from it.

I said during the week of the U.S. Nationals after we won, that was the best driving performance I’ve probably had in my career. You know, from doing the burnout perfectly straight, to staging, to leaving the starting line, to keeping the thing in the groove run for run; I was on the money. That felt really good. And, you know, that’s kind of the performance I expect out of myself, and that’s what I want to have these next six races. That’s what it’s going to take to win this championship.

Phil Burgess, National Dragster: So, Austin, you’ve been in the countdown before, obviously in Top Fuel, first year in Funny Car, and obviously your first year leading the points. Can you talk about the attitude you have when you come in the countdown and you’re not the top seed and you’ve got ground to make up versus being in the front and not necessarily protecting the lead, but maybe racing differently?

Austin Prock: Well, I don’t think we’ll race any different. You know, you’ve got to block that out. But I was actually talking to Chris Cunningham [former crew chief and current co-crew chief for Jack Beckman] this afternoon at the shop, and I was like, “ ..I’ve always said this countdown format, it’s the same for everyone. But I always come in at the lower end of the stick, you know, and I always believed that it was the same for everyone. Well, coming in this year, when you have a 348 point lead or whatever it was, and, you know, you get it taken away all the way down to essentially less than one round because you can’t even count 40 points as two rounds anymore because there’s points and a half in Pomona. I was like, it’s really not the same for everyone. I feel like it’s the same for everyone if you’re like fifth or sixth down, you know, then it kind of like tightens everything back up.

Joe Costello, WFO Radio: We are looking at one of the best battles that maybe we will ever see in Funny Car, or maybe not, if you’re able to dominate the playoffs the way you were the regular season. So, I’d like to hear you talk a little bit about the competition, if you would.

Austin Prock: Yeah, I think the biggest threat is my teammate, Jack Beckman in that PEAK race car, that PEAK Chevrolet, that thing, that thing’s wicked. On Sunday [in Indianapolis], we were going blow for blow for low E.T. each round and they nicked us a few times. And I don’t know if you guys saw on Sunday, Jack was mowing the tree down. I think he was 62 and 64 or 67 first and second round.

That car is going to be tough, you know, so I hope it’s a battle to the finish between the two of us. That would be really special for John Force Racing and great for John Force and great for Jack Beckman and that whole team—Danny Hood and Chris Cunningham.

They worked really hard on that race car all year and, you know, kind of got thrown for a loop and had to sit out a few races. And when they came back, they were swinging for the fence and the thing was sticking. So that’s definitely exciting to see from a team standpoint.

But there’s a lot of good race cars out there. I mean, Bob Tasca, he can rip and he can drive really well, too. So you’ve got him. You can never count out (Ron) Capps. You can never count out Hagan. You know, Hagan, I feel like a lot of people have been sleeping on him a little bit this year and you can’t count him out. I mean, he’s a four-time champion.

He’s an excellent driver and Dickie is, he’s one bad dude. So I think everybody’s in for a treat, this countdown to the championship. The conditions are going to, you know, cool off and the air is going to come to everyone and it just promotes better racing. You know, when we get in these conditions where the racetrack’s really good and the air is really good, the field just really tightens up. So it’s going to be hard to say who’s going to be your toughest opponent, but I know these two Chevrolet Camaro SS’s at John Force Racing are going to be stout.

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.
September 13, 2024
Firestone To Continue as NTT INDYCAR SERIES Exclusive Tire Supplier through Long-Term Extension
- Bridgestone announces its Firestone brand will remain the sole tire supplier for all NTT INDYCAR SERIES races, including the Indianapolis 500.
- Firestone will also continue as the entitlement partner and official tire supplier for INDY NXT by Firestone, as well as an official partner of the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
- The agreement reinforces collaboration between Bridgestone and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to help advance developments toward sustainable racing innovation.
INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024) – Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) and Penske Entertainment today announced a long-term extension to Firestone’s role as the exclusive tire supplier of all INDYCAR-sanctioned racing. The agreement will keep Firestone as the sole tire supplier for all NTT INDYCAR SERIES races, the INDY NXT by Firestone developmental series, and the annual Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

Firestone is currently in its 25th consecutive season as the exclusive tire supplier for the series. The extension reinforces Bridgestone’s ongoing commitment to driving innovation through motorsports. The Firestone brand continues its rich history in open-wheel racing, dating back more than a century.

“At Bridgestone, motorsports are our passion – always have been and always will be. This is particularly true for our Firestone brand, which has been part of world-class racing since winning the first Indy 500 in 1911,” said Paolo Ferrari, executive chairman and CEO, Bridgestone Americas. “We believe motorsports are the ultimate challenge for premium performance and a proving ground for advancing in our goals toward sustainable innovation. Our relationship with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES has been a critical part of these efforts, and we are proud to keep driving forward together.”

Through the Firestone brand, Bridgestone has worked closely with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and partners across the paddock to help advance developments in more sustainable racing. Bridgestone incorporated certain materials made from hard-to-recycle plastics and palm oil waste residue in Indy 500 race tires in 2023 and 2024. The company has also used guayule-derived natural rubber in the sidewall of alternate race tires the past two seasons.

Bridgestone’s motorsports initiatives are aligned with the company’s long-term sustainability goals. They also demonstrate alignment with INDYCAR’s efforts to work toward making the sport more sustainable.

“Our relationship with the team at Bridgestone continues to set an industry standard for success and innovation,” said Roger Penske, chairman of Penske Corporation. “Firestone has been a foundational partner for our sport, from the very first Indy 500 to now, playing an integral role in the development of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and its highly competitive racing. We’re extremely proud to carry this long-term partnership forward into a very exciting and productive future together.”

The long-term extension includes Firestone’s role as presenting sponsor and sole tire supplier of the top-tier development series, INDY NXT by Firestone. The brand signed as presenting sponsor of INDY NXT in 2023 to help the sport develop the next generation of racing talent and engage new audiences. The agreement also renews Firestone’s status as official partner and tire supplier of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the largest spectator sporting facility on the planet.

The announcement reinforces Bridgestone’s investment and commitment to its workforce in Northeast Ohio. All Firestone Firehawk race tires are designed and manufactured at the Bridgestone Advanced Tire Production Center (ATPC) in Akron. The facility opened in 2022 across the street from the Bridgestone Americas Technology Center (ATC). This proximity allows the Firestone Race Tire Engineering team to work side-by-side with other tire engineers to transfer insights from racing into other innovation workstreams.

In addition to providing tire technology and on-track support, Firestone will continue its role as a key partner in the marketing and promotion of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone. The brand’s comprehensive, season-long activation features fan engagement, sponsorships and signage at multiple venues. It also includes robust social and digital media programs, traditional media and hospitality.

Bridgestone motorsports activities are leveraged globally as co-creation platforms to help deliver the values of the Bridgestone E8 Commitment. This corporate commitment outlines eight areas where the company is focused on contributing to a more sustainable world. The ongoing relationship with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES supports the values of emotion, energy, ecology and empowerment.

For more company news, visit BridgestoneAmericas.com.

About Bridgestone Americas, Inc.:

Bridgestone Americas, Inc. is the U.S.-based subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, a global leader in tires and rubber, building on its expertise to provide solutions for safe and sustainable mobility. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Bridgestone Americas employs more than 50,000 people across its worldwide operations. Bridgestone offers a diverse product portfolio of premium tires and advanced solutions backed by innovative technologies, improving the way people around the world move, live, work and play.

About INDYCAR:

INDYCAR is the Indianapolis-based governing body for North America’s premier open-wheel auto racing series, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, and its developmental series, INDY NXT by Firestone. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES features an international field of the world’s most versatile drivers – including two-time and reigning series champion Alex Palou, two-time series champion Will Power, six-time series champion Scott Dixon and two-time series champion and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden – who compete on superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses. The 2024 season consists of 17 races in the United States and Canada and is highlighted by the historic Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, INDY NXT by Firestone, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader. For more information on INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, please visit www.indycar.com. For more information on INDY NXT by Firestone, please visit www.indynxt.com.
September 12, 2024
FORD PERFORMANCE NAMED TITLE SPONSOR OF NHRA NATIONALS IN LAS VEGAS

Annual race at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 12, 2024) – NHRA officials announced today that Ford Performance has been named the title sponsor of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series fall race in Las Vegas.

The 24th annual Ford Performance NHRA Nationals, which takes place Oct. 31-Nov. 3 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, serves as the penultimate event of the 20-race 2024 season and also the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, meaning plenty will be on the line in Las Vegas.

For nearly 25 years, the fall race in Las Vegas has provided spectacular action and an incredible atmosphere as the championship picture comes into view. Fans can expect more of the same at the impressive facility in 2024 as all the stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will head to the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals with big goals and big performances on their minds.

“We appreciate going to Las Vegas Motor Speedway and are excited about the opportunity to partner with them and NHRA on this event,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “We know that drag racing fans from all over the country travel to Las Vegas for this weekend, and there’s no doubt they’re going to get their money’s worth. It’s going to be a great show as always.”

“Ford Performance has been a mainstay in all forms of motorsports for decades,” LVMS President Chris Powell said. “The name and the ubiquitous blue-oval Ford logo have become synonymous in drag racing, backing some of the greatest drivers in the sport’s history. We’re thrilled to welcome Ford Performance as a first-time partner in our November NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship playoff event.”

Ford Performance is also a partner for Funny Car standout Bob Tasca III, who will look to be in the championship hunt for a second consecutive year. Tasca, who won recently in in Sonoma, has three wins this season in his 11,000-horsepower Ford Mustang, including at the spring race in Las Vegas, and is currently second in points entering the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) each won the fall race in Las Vegas last year. This season’s race will be broadcast on FS1, including eliminations on Sunday, Nov. 3.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ford Performance as the title sponsor of the NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway,” NHRA Vice President and Chief Development Officer Brad Gerber said. “This is such an important race on our schedule and all eyes will certainly be on Las Vegas this fall, and it’s exciting to have a partner like Ford Performance on board for this huge event.”

Enders has dominated The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway over the years, as her 10 wins at the fan-favorite facility are the most in NHRA history. Tony Schumacher’s eight wins are the most in Top Fuel, while Ron Capps’ six victories in Funny Car is tied for the most at the track with John Force and Hight. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hector Arana Jr. leads active riders with three victories, including a win in 2022.

The Ford Performance NHRA Nationals also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which includes some of the sport’s top drivers, and the Summit Racing Series ET Finals, where national champions will be crowned. The event also serves as the season-finale in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock.

To purchase tickets to the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, call 800-644-4444 or visit www.lvms.com. For more information about NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com. For more info about Ford Performance, visit https://performance.ford.com/.

About Ford Performance

Ford Performance is based in Dearborn, Mich. It is responsible for Ford’s performance vehicle development and major racing operations globally, including NASCAR, IMSA, SRO British GT, FIA World Rally Championship, Supercars Championship, World of Outlaws, Ultra4, SCORE-International, FIA Rally-Raid, Formula Drift, NHRA, Rebelle Rally, Thailand Super Series and our latest commitment in Formula 1 with RedBull Ford Powertrains. Ford Performance also maintains a constantly evolving fleet of electric performance demonstrators to showcase the limits of electrification technology. In addition, the organization also oversees the development of Ford’s racing engines, as well as the outreach programs with all Ford Clubs and Ford enthusiasts. For more information regarding Ford racing’s activities, please visit Performance.Ford.com or follow @FordPerformance on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube.

About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

September 12, 2024
CHEVROLET INDYCAR AT NASHVILLE: Team Chevy Race Advance
CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
BIG MACHINE MUSIC CITY GRAND PRIX
NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY
LEBANON, TENNESSEE
TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE
SEPT. 13-15, 2024

CHEVROLET READY FOR THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES SEASON FINALE AT THE RETURN OF NASHVILLE SUPERSPEEDWAY

Team Chevy Enters the Weekend with Ninth Series’ Manufacturer Title Secured; Team Penske’s Will Power Looks to Fight for Career Third NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship
- Racing into Nashville Superspeedway this weekend for the final race of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, Chevrolet has clinched their ninth manufacturers’ title since 2012 in the 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 era, the third consecutive title for the Bowtie brand.
- Team Penske and Chevrolet-powered driver Will Power enters the season finale second in the standings, by 33 points, and has the potential to capture a third championship adding to his 2014 and 2022 top honors.
- Chevrolet heads into the season finale looking to add to 11 wins so far this year, including the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500, as well as eight NTT P1 Pole Awards, 28 podium finishes, and three swept podiums.
- Returning to the 1.33-mile D-shaped oval at Nashville Superspeedway for the first time since 2008, the 14-degree banked Middle Tennessee track will provide ample challenge to competitors for the 206-lap, 267.8-mile Big Machine Music City Grand Prix.
- Overall, Team Chevy has amassed 122 wins and 135 earned NTT P1 Pole Awards in the V6 era since 2012, in addition to seven wins and five earned poles in eight races with hybrid technology.
DETROIT (September 12, 2024) – Closing out the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, Chevrolet races to Nashville Superspeedway this weekend already securing their ninth Series’ Manufacturers title in the 2.2-liter twin turbo V6 era since 2012. Over that time, Team Chevy has captured 122 win and 135 earned NTT P1 Pole Awards, 11 of those victories and eight poles coming this year, including the prestigious 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500.

The 1.33-mile D-shaped oval will provide a challenge for competitors in the season-finale event, featuring a high-intensity 14 degrees of banking and many in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES field seeing the track for the first time in their careers. While a few are returning since the last event in 2008, including championship contender Will Power, driver of the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet, a new challenge awaits the drivers that includes a softer, alternate Firestone Firehawk tire in addition to the harder, black primary option.

“Looking forward to returning to Nashville, and hoping we’ll have a good shot at the championship,” said Power. “I really liked the test, really liked the track. It has a consistent banking, so the car is quite predictable through the corner. I just hope we can open a second lane, and we’re fighting for a championship. Nashville, we’ve had a taste of it. Have some ideas on what will do for car changes and to improve. The No. 2 Team Penske Chevy was pretty good (in the test). The car was reasonable. I felt like (Scott) Dixon was very strong which means the Ganassi cars will be very good there. It put more emphasis on Milwaukee, and ultimately seeing how this plays out.”

Over the season, Chevrolet has captured 11 victories including the prestigious 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 with one race remaining, totaling 122 wins so far in the V6 era since 2012, in addition to eight earned NTT P1 Pole Awards in 2024 that totals 135 earned top starting positions in the V6 era. Chevrolet additionally raced to three podium sweeps in 2024 at Road America, Iowa 1, and Milwaukee 1.

“Heading to Nashville this weekend, we’ve achieved our goal of capturing the manufacturers championship, winning the Indianapolis 500 and we’re prepared to give Will and Team Penske all the support we can to give him a solid opportunity to capture the driver’s title,” said Chevrolet INDYCAR Program Manager Rob Buckner. “We’re looking forward to the event and working with our teams to cap the season with another successful weekend. It’s sure to be an exciting race. I am very proud of the hard work and dedication by our Chevrolet engineers, drivers, and teams this year.”

The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix race weekend kicks off the two-day show with a stacked Saturday, including the first practice at 11 a.m. ET, followed by qualifications at 2:15 p.m. ET. High-line practice and final practice wrap on Saturday from 5:15 p.m. ET to 7 p.m. ET. Sunday’s season-finale 206-lap, 267.8-mile Music City Grand Prix from Nashville Superspeedway takes the green flag live on NBC at 3 p.m. ET. All practice and qualifying sessions are broadcast with Peacock, INDYCAR Radio, and SiriusXM Channel 218.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (Quotes):

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:

“I feel like turn one of Phoenix is very similar to Nashville, but it’s gonna be weird being on a concrete track for us, as well as a series. So, I am excited about that. It can be more abrasive on the tires. Should have less grip. We’re also going with the kind of like a road course package instead of the speedway wings which I found quite interesting. It’s the same package as Iowa. A little different from Gateway and Milwaukee where we ran the full road course package. At Nashville we won’t run the upper element on the rear wing so it’s a little less downforce than what we had at Milwaukee or Gateway. Obviously, having as many top 10s as we’ve had, plus now a pair of top five has been huge. You know, the car has been really, really good this year to drive and so has the team as a whole. We really just stepped it up, everything from engineering to mechanics, even myself. You know, we’ve all kind of taken a massive step forward.”

Sting Ray Robb, No. 41 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:

“I did a little bit of at home simulator using iRacing (in preparing for Nashville). Other than that, the experience is very limited. There are some trends and nuances that you can learn from this but it only gets you to about 90%. The last 10% (always the hardest to find) has to be done at the track; we are trying our best ahead of time to shorten the learning curve once we arrive in person. The closest experience I have is running at Texas Motor Speedway in 2023. The pressure is the same as it has been every other race. Our goal remains the same, and the preparation does not change. Our job is the same as it has been, it just so happens that it is the last one on the schedule. Trusting my instincts. It’s easy to overthink details sometimes but keeping it simple and trusting my experience and the team around me has gotten us a lot further at times than digging too deep in search for answers that sometimes reveal themselves.”

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

It’ll be my first time racing at Nashville Superspeedway at this weekend’s Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. I’m looking forward to closing out the season the right way. It’s been a rollercoaster, but we’ve had some great moments, so hopefully, we can create another one in Nashville.”

Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“I’m excited to get going this weekend at the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. We had a lot of speed and potential in Milwaukee, and I think we’ll be in a similar spot at the Nashville Superspeedway. I’m looking forward to putting it all together and producing a strong result in the season finale.”

Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:

“It’s pretty crazy to think that this is the final race of the year. I feel like the season just started, but here we are. This will be the end of my journey in papaya, but I can’t wait to end the season on a high note here in Nashville. It’s going to be a new venue for all of us, but I think we have an opportunity to have a great weekend.”

Gavin Ward, Team Principal at Arrow McLaren:

“The finale is here as we head down to Nashville for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. We’re excited for what we expect to be some great racing on this short oval, but also for all of the partner activation we’ll have this weekend, both on Broadway and at Nashville Superspeedway. Not wanting to blow our own trumpet, but our oval cars have been fast this year, so we’re looking to close the season out on a high note.”

Christian Rasmussen, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

“I am looking forward to racing at Nashville Superspeedway! It will be an interesting weekend with the majority of the grid having never been there. We’re going in with a tight points battle for Leaders Circle positions, so we’re fully focused on finishing the season off strong.”

Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:

“I am very excited for one more NTT INDYCAR SERIES race this year! It has been a crazy season and will end with a crazy last race with neither Christian (Rasmussen) or I ever having turned a lap at Nashville Superspeedway. It will be interesting, we have a bit of practice but we’ll be figuring it out on the fly! We’ve progressed so much through the season and earned a lot of Top 10s in the second half. I am looking forward to adding to that, getting some good points and hopefully moving up a few positions in the standings!”

Will Power, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet:

“Looking forward to returning to Nashville, and hoping we’ll have a good shot at the championship. I really liked the test, really liked the track. It has a consistent banking, so the car is quite predictable through the corner. I just hope we can open a second lane, and we’re fighting for a championship. Nashville, we’ve had a taste of it. Have some ideas on what will do for car changes and to improve. The No. 2 Team Penske Chevy was pretty good (in the test). The car was reasonable. I felt like (Scott) Dixon was very strong which means the Ganassi cars will be very good there. It put more emphasis on Milwaukee, and ultimately seeing how this plays out.”

Chevrolet at Nashville (V6 era since 2012, pre-hybrid):

Wins at Nashville: 0

Earned Pole Awards at Nashville: 0

Number of Team Chevy Podiums at Nashville: 0

Number of laps led by Team Chevy at Nashville (V6 era since 2018, pre-hybrid): 0

Of note: The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is returning to the 1.33-mile D-shaped Nashville Superspeedway for the first time since 2008, and this is the first race with the 2.2-liter twin turbo V6 engine, along with hybrid technology.

2024 CHEVROLET BY THE NUMBERS:

8: NTT INDYCAR SERIES race as V6 engine supplier with hybrid technology integration.

7: Wins in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES as V6 engine supplier with hybrid technology integration since mid-2024.

215: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR.

122: Wins in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012.

135: Earned poles since 2012. Chevrolet holds 140 pole awards in total, with five recorded based on points for weather.

5: Earned pole in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES as V6 engine supplier with hybrid technology integration.

9: Manufacturer Championships since 2012.

7: Driver/entrant champions since 2012.

13: Indianapolis 500 victories by Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

6: Indianapolis 500 wins by Chevrolet since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era.

35: Number of times Chevrolet has swept the podium in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era. In total, a manufacturer has swept the podium 56 times since 2012.

29: Wins by Will Power since 2012 – all with Chevrolet power – most of any driver with the same manufacturer.

9: Wins from the pole by Will Power with Chevrolet power since 2012, most by any driver.

46: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver.

*Will Power’s career total of 70 poles makes him the all-time pole winner in INDYCAR.

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.
September 12, 2024
GAIGE HERRERA STRIVES TO MAKE HISTORY AT MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY, DALLAS GLENN LOOKS TO KEEP PRO STOCK POINTS LEAD

READING, Pa. (Sept. 12, 2024) – In only his third season in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Gaige Herrera is just one win away from winning at all the tracks on the Pro Stock Motorcycle circuit. If he would win this weekend at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway to open the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, he would have race wins at all Pro Stock Motorcycle facilities.

Herrera, the reigning Pro Stock Motorcycle champion and rider of the RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki, has won seven of the nine motorcycle races this season, including most recently at the prestigious Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals.

He currently leads the points heading into the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs and is on a hunt for his second consecutive world title.

“Going up to Reading, that’s the one place I haven’t won yet, so I’m really determined to try to win this weekend,” said Herrera. “We just have to not take anything for granted. Last year, we obviously had the faster motorcycle out there and I think we relaxed a little bit maybe and it bit us in Reading. This year we’re going to go in focused on the main prize and that’s to be consistent each lap and do the best we can to have the best machine possible.”

Last season, Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all claimed wins in their respective categories and this year’s race will again be broadcast on FS1 and FOX, including elimination coverage on FOX on Sunday, Sept. 12 beginning at 2 or 4:30 p.m. ET (based on local listings). It is the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Herrera earned 11 wins in 2023, only missing Bristol, Norwalk, Indianapolis and Reading. This year, only Reading remains on his list. The only other two riders to win this season are 2023 Rookie of the Year Chase Van Sant, who won over Herrera in Seattle, and six-time champion Matt Smith, who won in Sonoma and opens the playoffs second in points.

“I feel like the whole class has tightened up,” said Herrera. “Last year was kind of unexpected to the whole class. Not only unexpected from myself, but to the whole class. What Vance & Hines and I were able to accomplish last year made everyone step up as a whole. This year the Countdown is going to be very interesting. (Matt Smith Racing) has a good group of bikes and my teammate Richard Gadson is solid, and Chase Van Sant is in there, too. All the riders and teams have really stepped up their game. The Countdown is going to be fun and I’m really looking forward to it.”

In the Pro Stock ranks, leader Dallas Glenn heads to Maple Grove Raceway with a 25-point lead over Aaron Stanfield in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro. Glenn has picked up three wins this season and is on the hunt for his first NHRA world championship. Stanfield has been hot the second half of the year, picking up four wins this summer, including Indianapolis.

Glenn enters the Countdown as the No. 1 seed for the second year and is determined to do everything he can to stay atop a talent-heavy category.

“It feels good to be No. 1 going into the Countdown for the second year in a row,” said Glenn. “We just want to leave the Countdown the way we entered it. We all know what we need to do. There are technical things we need to improve on, there’s also horsepower but moving forward, any time you are static in this class, you’re going backward. It’s constantly evolving, constantly moving forward.

“So, we know what we need to do. I know there were some mistakes on my part in the Countdown last year. In Reading, I was .001 red first round, which is something you cannot do the first race of the Countdown. I did a good job of driving to get to the final in Charlotte and then in St. Louis, the car was just not really there. We had a couple other races where we just had some small parts failures but that’s racing. We know what needs to be done so we’re going to try to go up there and be as aggressive as possible. Drag racing is a very humbling sport. You can go from hero to zero in a heartbeat.”

Also in the Pro Stock mix is Greg Anderson, with two wins this season, and reigning champion Erica Enders who picked up a win in Gainesville. Defending Pep Boys NHRA Nationals winner Matt Hartford hopes returning to Maple Grove can rejuvenate his season. Others to watch include five-time champion Jeg Coughlin Jr., Epping winner Troy Coughlin Jr., Jerry Tucker and Cristian Cuadra.

In Top Fuel, Kalitta’s Reading win a year ago spurred his run to a world championship. He’ll look to make it two in a row, taking on the likes of Justin Ashley, who opens the playoffs second in points, Shawn Langdon, Steve Torrence, Antron Brown, Brittany Force, Clay Millican and Top Fuel newcomer Tony Stewart.

Funny Car’s Austin Prock has taken over driving duties for Hight and will look to keep rolling in Reading. He has five wins this season, entering the playoffs in the points lead while taking on the likes of Bob Tasca III, reigning champion Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, J.R. Todd and Funny Car veteran Jack Beckman, who is racing for John Force.

The event also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock.

Fans will be invited all weekend long to the Nitro Alley Stage, which is the main entertainment hub in the pits, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets, music and much more. Race fans at Maple Grove Raceway can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the event winners.

As always, fans get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet in Reading. Fans get a unique chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. They can also visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 2:30 and 5 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 13 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 12 and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 15. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, as well as at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sunday and eliminations on FOX at 2 or 4:30 p.m. ET (check local listings) on Sunday.

To purchase tickets to the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, fans can visit www.maplegroveraceway.com. All children 12 and under are admitted free in the general admission area with a paid adult. For more information on the NHRA, please visit www.NHRA.com.

About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

September 12, 2024
CHEVROLET IN INDYCAR: Chevrolet Wins 2024 INDYCAR Manufacturer Title

DETROIT (September 12, 2024) – For the third consecutive year Chevrolet has won the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturer Championship.

Winning the 2024 Manufacturer Championship marks the ninth time Chevrolet has captured the coveted award since its return to INDYCAR competition in 2012.

“This is a proud moment for everyone at Chevrolet. The effort by GM Motorsports competition engineering and Propulsion engineers, along with our partners at Ilmor, to deliver power and reliability in the Chevy 2.2 liter V6 INDYCAR engine has been outstanding,” said Mark Reuss, GM President.

“This Championship is truly a combined effort and could not have been accomplished without the teamwork, preparation, and execution of the five Chevrolet teams: Team Penske, Arrow McLaren, Ed Carpenter Racing, AJ Foyt Racing and Juncos Hollinger Racing. Congratulations to our teams and drivers, and thank you to INDYCAR for providing an incredibly competitive series.”

In the 13 seasons of the Chevrolet 2.2-liter V6 twin turbocharged INDYCAR engine, Team Chevy drivers have amassed 122 wins of the 215 races to date – an impressive 56.7%. Six of those wins have been in the Indianapolis 500.

All of Chevrolet’s full-time teams contributed valuable time and effort toward the ninth NICS Manufacturer Championship. Team Penske, with drivers Will Power, Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin; Ed Carpenter Racing, with drivers Rinus VeeKay, Christian Rasmussen and Ed Carpenter; Arrow McLaren, with drivers Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi, Callum Illot, Theo Pourchaire and Nolan Siegel; AJ Foyt Racing, with drivers Santino Ferrucci and Sting Ray Robb; and Juncos Hollinger Racing, with drivers Romain Grosjean, Agustin Canapino, and Conor Daly were instrumental in Team Chevy’s success.

Although having less than half of the total car count, Chevy-powered drivers maximized all their available support, engineering tools and simulator time to enable performance growth that translated to consistency and strong results.

In addition to the nine Manufacturer Championships, Chevrolet has won seven driver championships with Ryan Hunter-Reay (2012), Power (2014 and 2022), Scott Dixon (2015), Simon Pagenaud (2016) and Newgarden (2017 and 2019).

The Chevrolet 2.2-liter V6 engine powered drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 with Tony Kanaan (2013), Juan Pablo Montoya (2015) Will Power (2018), Simon Pagenaud (2019) and Josef Newgarden (2023 and 2024).

Previously, Chevrolet competed in Indy-style racing as a manufacturer of V8 engines from 1986-93 and 2002-05, powering 111 wins, one manufacturer championship in 2002, seven Indianapolis 500 wins and six driver championships.

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.

September 12, 2024
Sean Creech Motorsport shifts focus to Petit Le Mans effort

Florida-based LMP2 team to sit out Indianapolis round of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship to shift attention to the 10-hour season finale

JUPITER, Fla. (September 12, 2024) – Sean Creech Motorsport (SCM) has made the decision to forgo next week’s Indianapolis round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship to focus on attendance at the Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

In light of Lance Willsey’s decision to suspend his racing career, the team is actively discussing options with alternate sponsors and drivers to contest the season finale with the No. 33 SCM Ligier JS P217.

Team principal Sean Creech remains committed to the SCM team – and the team members who have been with him for as many as 30 years.

“First and foremost, we wish Lance the best,” said Creech. “Going forward, I am absolutely committed to keeping this team going, preferably in the LMP2 category. We’re in discussions with several drivers and sponsors and are open to additional options.”

SCM has proven itself in numerous sports car series, having won two Ferrari Challenge championships (2015 and 2016) and the 2018 IMSA Prototype Challenge (now the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge). In the WeatherTech series, SCM earned a victory in the 2022 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, and captured three straight second-place finishes in the Rolex 24 at Daytona (2021-2023).

The 27th annual Motul Petit Le Mans takes the green flag Saturday, October 12 at 12:10 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live in the U.S. on Peacock, NBC and USA Network. International viewers can watch via IMSA.TV, with IMSA Radio also available at IMSA.com.

About SCM

Team principal Sean Creech has competed in a multitude of sports car series from 1988 until the present day, including Group C, IMSA GTP, WSC, Grand-Am, SRO World Challenge, and IMSA. http://seancreechmotorsport.com/

About Focal One

One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime in the United States. The Focal One® HIFU Prostate treatment offers patients a non-invasive outpatient procedure to target prostate tissue while avoiding the common side effects such as loss of urinary continence and sexual function. The Focal One treatment uses high-performance, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to precisely target and ablate the prostate, allowing patients to quickly return to normal activities. http://www.focalone.com/

SCM Social Media

Instagram: @seancreechms
Twitter: @SeanCreechMS
Threads: @seancreechms
Facebook: Sean Creech Motorsport

September 12, 2024