Category: XFINITY Series PR

NASCAR XFINITY Series Press Release

  • Toyota Racing – NXS Indianapolis Post-Race Report – 08.12.23

    Toyota Racing – NXS Indianapolis Post-Race Report – 08.12.23

    GIBBS DRIVES TO XFINITY SERIES WIN IN INDIANAPOLIS
    Kaz Grala earns third straight road course top-10 finish

    SPEEDWAY, Ind. (August 12, 2023) – Ty Gibbs earned his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory of the season, and 12th of his career at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on Saturday evening. The Cup Series rookie will go for the weekend sweep from the 10th starting spot tomorrow.

    Kaz Grala continued his recent road course performance surge as the Boston-native finished ninth. It is his third consecutive road course top-10 run and fifth top-10 finish of the season, which ties Grala’s most in a single Xfinity Series season with still 13 races to go in the year.

    Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
    NASCAR Xfinity Series
    Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
    Race 20 of 33 – 151.2 miles, 62 laps

    TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

    1st, TY GIBBS

    2nd, Sam Mayer*

    3rd, AJ Allmendinger*

    4th, Austin Hill*

    5th, Justin Allgaier*

    9th, KAZ GRALA

    11th, ALEX LABBE

    13th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK

    26th, CONNOR MOSACK

    28th, SAMMY SMITH

    *non-Toyota driver

    TOYOTA QUOTES

    TY GIBBS, No. 19 He Gets Us Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

    Finishing Position: 1st

    Did it feel like it was about time?

    “Yeah, definitely felt like it was about time. It’s really cool to get one here at the Brickyard. I grew up racing go-karts in New Castle right down the street, so really special to me. Thank you to He Gets Us – all glory to Jesus Christ. Awesome car, great car. Thank you to Jason Ratcliff (crew chief). Jason did such a great job. This is so special to me.”

    Can you talk about racing nearby and the thoughts of possibly racing here one day?

    “It’s really cool. I raced go-karts right down the street with a bunch of kids – some of them are in INDYCAR now – we’re all adjusting to this level, so really special. We got the Brickyard, let’s go.”

    What does do for your tomorrow?

    “Go win.”

    Do you feel like you know the track better?

    “I think track time is great, so thank you to He Get Us, Monster Energy, Toyota, to all of these guys. Thank you to Mitch Covington, Dave Gowland. Let’s go.”

    KAZ GRALA, No. 26 Toyota Outfitters Toyota GR Supra, Sam Hunt Racing

    Finishing Position: 9th

    Solid run all day, and another top-10 finish. Can you talk about your race?

    “Yeah, I’m feeling good about where Sam Hunt Racing’s road course program is right now. To be honest with you, I don’t think today was even our best day, and it was still a top-10. I think that is when you know that you are in a good spot right now with what you have working set-up wise, communication wise. Really proud of everyone on the team. Our ToyotaOutfitters.com Supra was fast on the long on the run, okay on the short run. I think maybe one adjustment away from possibly being a top-five car. We started to lose a little bit of brake there at the end. The pedal started going to the floor a little bit and that cost me a couple of spots in the end, but all-in-all, still a solid day – imagine a good points day, so I’m pleased with the outcome. Indy is a big deal, so cool to run well here.”

    About Toyota

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

    Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 24 electrified options.

  • Joe Graf Jr. | RSS Racing Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Preview

    Joe Graf Jr. | RSS Racing Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Preview

    RSS Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
    Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course | Pennzoil 150

    Fast Facts

    No. 38 RSS Racing Team:

    Driver: Joe Graf Jr.

    Primary Partner(s): No. 38 G-Coin® Ford Mustang

    Manufacturer: Ford Mustang

    Crew Chief: Steve Addington

    Spotter: Joe Campbell

    Engine: Roush-Yates Engines

    Driver Championship Point Standings: 22nd

    Team Championship Point Standings: 25th

    Notes of Interest:

    Settling In: After spending the last three seasons with SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt (2020 – 2022), Joe Graf Jr. moved to RSS Racing during the offseason where he’ll spend the majority of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series season competing for the Sugar Hill, Ga.-based team.

    In addition to RSS Racing, Graf will also compete in a limited NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule driving the No. 19 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing.

    Welcome Aboard: Joe Graf Jr. and RSS Racing welcome G-Coin® as the primary partner of the team’s No. 38 Ford Mustang for Saturday afternoon’s Pennzoil 150.

    Indianapolis marks the 22nd race of the 2023 Xfinity Series season and 17th race overall from 2021 to 2023 where G-Coin®, a product that brings gold into the digital age, making it accessible and giving it true utility will be the primary partner.

    G-Coin is serving as a primary partner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Joe Graf Jr. at RSS Racing for the third time this season.

    Sponsor Intel: G-Coin® (gcoin.com) is a digital title to real physical gold, where 1 G-Coin® equals 1 gram of a 99.99% pure, ethically sourced Responsible Gold™ kilobar.

    G-Coin® allows for easy savings and sending of real gold with zero transaction fees and near instantaneous settlement times.

    With G-Coin®, users can now effortlessly buy, sell, and monitor the value of their gold from the convenience of their smartphone.

    Download the app from Google Play or the Apple App Store and Go for Gold!

    Thanks For Your Support: With a little more than 63 percent of the 2023 Xfinity Series season complete, Joe Graf Jr. and RSS Racing would like to thank their associate marketing partners: ArmsList.com, AVOID, Bass Reaper Bait Company, Bucked Up Energy Drink, CoverSeal, EAT SLEEP RACE Apparel, fgrACCEL, G-Coin®, GTECHNIQ, JACOB Companies, Lefcourt Brothers Racing, Love Motorsports, Model Electronics and ShopRite for their continued support.

    Catch Him On The Dial: Before Joe Graf Jr. straps into his No. 38 G-Coin® Ford Mustang on Saturday, the RSS Racing driver will be featured on “The Frontstretch” on SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel 90 with host Pat Patterson on Saturday morning, August 12, 2023, at approximately 10:00 a.m. ET.

    Graf will also spotlight a commercial featuring G-Coin® in several spots throughout the weekend, including the full four-hour program on Sunday, August 13, 2023.

    Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Pennzoil 150 will mark Graf’s second Xfinity start at the 2.439-road course.

    In his previous effort, Graf delivered a track-best of 26th after starting 29th for SS GreenLight Racing with Jeff Lefcourt during the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

    Joe Graf Jr. Xfinity Series Road Course Stats: At NASCAR Xfinity Series tracks classified as a road course, Graf has competed in 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series races with an average starting position of 30.8 and an average result of 26.9.

    Michigan International Speedway | Cabo Wabo 250 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Michigan International Speedway, Graf hunted his second top-10 finish of the season.

    After qualifying his No. 38 Gtechniq Marine Ford Mustang 28th, a strong start to the race for Graf and the RSS Racing team was thwarted when he was hit by another competitor which caused extensive damage to the front-end of his Ford Mustang.

    Graf was able to salvage the remainder of the race with a 27th-place result at the checkered flag.

    Sneaker Mania: Along with the adrenaline of the Motorsports competition, Joe Graf Jr. also has a vogue for hype sneakers. In his current collection, he owns and wears at least 90 limited edition sneakers – and his collection continues to grow monthly.

    The current estimated value of his collection tops $100,000.

    From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Steve Addington is Joe Graf Jr.’s crew chief.

    He will be crew chief for his 285th NASCAR Xfinity Series race as crew chief on Saturday and his second at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix.

    In his previous 284 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected 11 wins, 10 poles, 68 top-five and 118 top-10 finishes.

    Hello From The Other Side: Graf Jr. has two teammates at RSS Racing.

    Veteran Ryan Sieg will drive the No. 39 CMRroofing.com Ford Mustang, while younger brother Kyle Sieg will drive the No. 28 US RSS Racing Ford Mustang.

    Ryan Sieg is set to make his 323rd career Xfinity Series start overall and fourth at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

    Kyle Sieg is poised to make his 39th career Xfinity Series start and first at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

    Follow on Social Media: For more on Joe Graf Jr. visit JoeGrafRacing.com, like him on Facebook (Joe Graf Jr.), follow him on TikTok (@JoeGrafJr), Twitter (@JoeGrafJr) and Instagram (@joegrafjr).

    For more on RSS Racing, please like them on Facebook (RSS283839) and follow them on Instagram (@rss283839) and Twitter (@RSS283839).

    Joe Graf Jr. Quoteboard:

    On The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course: “I have been working really hard to improve my road racing craft and I hope I’m able to showcase that with a solid result in Saturday afternoon’s race.

    “I haven’t raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course since 2020, but I remember the race being a lot about track position and car control. My goal during practice is to rekindle myself with the layout and get a good zone and then try to leave nothing on the table for qualifying.

    “From there, it’s about bringing home a top-20 finish or better for our No. 38 G-Coin® team. I was a bit disappointed about Michigan last week considering how fast our car was, so a top-20 finish would be a great rebound for our RSS Racing team and definitely give us some much-welcome momentum for Watkins Glen next weekend.”

    On The 2023 Season: “As we press on during the second half of the NASCAR Xfinity Series, it is important for me to utilize what I have learned with the RSS Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing teams and apply that behind the wheel.

    “We started the year off really strong but then fell a little bit. We’re slowly but steadily trying to put ourselves in a good position for the end of the summer and into the fall.

    “I just need to continue to stay focused, communicate with my team and utilize the knowledge that I’ve gained over the past three years to recover and have my best Xfinity Series season yet.”

    Race Information:

    The Pennzoil 150 (62 laps | 151.22 miles) is the 22nd of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Saturday, August 12, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Qualifying is set to immediately follow practice beginning at 10:00 a.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag later that afternoon, shortly after 5:30 p.m. with live coverage on the USA Network, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (Eastern).

    About RSS Racing:

    RSS Racing fields multiple entries in the NASCAR Xfinity Series led by mainstay driver Ryan Sieg.

    RSS Racing has competed in NASCAR events since 2009 from its headquarters in Sugar Hill, Ga.

  • Brett Moffitt | AM Racing Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Preview

    Brett Moffitt | AM Racing Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Preview

    AM Racing | NASCAR Xfinity Series
    Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course | Pennzoil 150

    Fast Facts

    No. 25 AM Racing Team:

    Driver: Brett Moffitt

    Primary Partner(s): AM Technical Solutions (AMTS)

    Manufacturer: Ford Mustang

    Crew Chief: Joe Williams Jr.

    Spotter: Tony Raines

    Chassis Intel: AMR Chassis No. 079

    Engine: Roush-Yates Engines

    Driver Championship Point Standings: 15th

    Team Championship Point Standings: 17th

    Notes of Interest:

    Fitting In: After spending the past several seasons as a full-time team in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series, AM Racing will embark on its inaugural journey in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season with driver Brett Moffitt for the entire 33-race tour continuing with Saturday afternoon’s Pennzoil 150 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

    The race signifies the fifth race of the second half of the 2023 Xfinity Series season for the Statesville, N.C.-based organization.

    Future Focused: With AM’s inaugural Xfinity journey set to continue in the Badger State, the team has chosen veteran driver Brett Moffitt to lead the team’s campaign from the driver’s seat aboard the No. 25 Ford Mustang.

    Moffitt, a native of Grimes, Iowa hails numerous starts across all three of NASCAR’s National Series, including the 2018 Truck Series championship with Hattori Racing Enterprises.

    Moffitt, 30, arrives on the scene at AM Racing after a stint at Our Motorsports.

    Partner Intel: The Statesville, N.C.-based team will sport the signage of AM Technical Solutions on the No. 25 Ford Mustang for the 22nd of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races this season.

    Headquartered in Austin, TX, AM Technical Solutions (AMTS) was founded in 1994.

    AM Technical Solutions is a Global Architecture, Engineering & Construction firm specializing in the high-tech markets. AMTS has managed over $20B of global capital projects for over 170 different customers in 24 countries and across five continents.

    AM Minute: Last weekend was another busy summer weekend for AM Racing.

    In addition to the NASCAR Xfinity Series team being in action at Michigan International Speedway, so was the team’s ARCA program.

    ARCA Menards Series rookie Christian Rose qualified his No. 32 West Virginia Tourism | Secure Testing Services Ford Mustang 10th and worked throughout the race to improve the handling of his race car to claim seventh at the checkered flag.

    In AM Racing’s Dirt Division, there were in action last weekend at County Line Speedway in Elm City, N.C. where Austin Wayne Self delivered a second-place finish.

    This weekend Self is back in action at Fairgrounds Raceway in Boone, N.C.

    Thanks For Your Support: With more than 63 percent of the 2023 season complete, AM Racing and Brett Moffitt would like to thank their associate marketing partners for their support: AIRBOX Air Purifier, CForce Bottling Company, Flying Circle, Kreuz Market, Lane Frost Brand, Mechanix Wear and Mobil 1.

    AMerican Heroes: NASCAR and its fans have always put Patriotism and American Pride at the forefront of every race weekend. That same passion runs just as deep at AM Racing, a team whose family lineage is deeply rooted in the Armed Forces and First Responders workforce.

    We’re a team whose blood bleeds Red, White and Blue every day, which is why we are proud to launch, AMerican Heroes.

    At AM Racing, it is our mission to recognize and highlight the men and women who continue to put their lives on the line every day, as well as honoring and paying respect to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.

    We are a nation that is united by one flag, which represents all the liberties and freedoms that we would not be able to enjoy without the sacrifices of those willing to answer the call.

    Continuing with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course this weekend, AM Racing will carry the AMerican Heroes livery, which will continue for the remainder of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series seasons.

    The team will work to salute all the men and women, past and present, who truly deserve the title of Hero, every weekend.

    Brett Moffitt Xfinity Series Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Speedway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s Pennzoil 150 will mark Moffitt’s fourth start at the 2.439-road course.

    In his previous three efforts, Moffitt delivered a track-best of 16th after starting 17th for Our Motorsports during the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

    Brett Moffitt Xfinity Series Road Course Stats: At NASCAR Xfinity Series tracks classified as a road course, Moffitt has made 18 starts throughout his career earning one pole, one top-five and two top-10 finishes. He also holds an average finishing position of 23.8.

    Brett Moffitt NASCAR Xfinity Series Career Stats: In 105 career Xfinity Series starts, Moffitt has earned three top-five and 29 top-10 finishes, including a second-place outing at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February 2021. During that tenure, he also holds an average finishing position of 17.5.

    He earned a career-best Xfinity Series qualifying effort of fourth earlier this year at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway with AM Racing.

    In addition to 103 Xfinity Series starts, he has achieved 45 NASCAR Cup Series and 92 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series starts to his credit.

    Michigan International Speedway | Cabo Wabo 250 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Michigan International Speedway, Brett Moffitt and the AM Racing team chased their seventh top-10 finish of the season.

    The weekend started off hot with Moffit practicing his No. 25 AM Technical Solutions Ford Mustang inside the top five.

    The team was able to qualify a respectable 12th on Friday afternoon giving the organization a good vibe for the 250-mile race on Saturday.

    Unfortunately, from the drop of the green flag, Moffitt was plagued by handling woes. Despite numerous attempts to combat the handling of the race car, Moffitt could never find the balance he was looking for.

    Despite the fight for comfort, Moffitt was able to earn a respectable 17th-place lead-lap finish in the Irish Hills of Michigan.

    In 21 races this season, Moffit has delivered one top-five, six top-10s, 13 top-15s, 15 top-20s and an average finish of 16.3.

    From the Pit Box: Industry veteran Joe Williams is Brett Moffit’s crew chief.

    He will be crew chief for his 120th NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday and his fourth at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Grand Prix.

    In his previous 119 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts, he has collected one win (Auto Club Speedway | February 2022), eight top-five and 27 top-10 finishes.

    Follow on Social Media: For more on AM Racing, please visit AMRacingteam.com, like their Facebook page (AM Racing), or follow them on Instagram and Twitter @AMRacingNASCAR.

    For more on Brett Moffitt, please visit BrettMoffitt.com, like his Facebook page (Brett Moffitt Racing), or follow him on Instagram (@brett_moffitt_racing) and Twitter (@brett_moffitt).

    Brett Moffitt Quoteboard:

    On The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course: “I am optimistic about the Pennzoil 150 this weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. Our AM Racing team has been able to showcase a lot of speed on the road courses this season, even if we haven’t always been able to transfer that speed into strong finishes.

    “I feel confident about this weekend with our No. 25 AM Technical Solutions Ford Mustang. My crew chief Joe (Williams) had a strong performance last year with a top-five finish and I’m confident we can have a similar performance and perhaps even contend for the win on Saturday afternoon.”

    On 2023 Season Outlook: “We have just past the halfway point of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series and I feel like we have a lot to be proud of. I believe as the season has marched on, our team has gotten stronger and I believe the results have showcased that.

    “We’ve had a little bit of the hiccups the last two weeks, but we are not going to let that detour us from what we have accomplished in our first year together. We are regrouped from Michigan and ready for battle at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

    “With the Playoffs on the horizon, we are doing everything in our power to either point our way in or fight our way into Victory Lane so we can take up one of the coveted 12 spots and really bring some attention to our AM Racing team.”

    Race Information:

    The Pennzoil 150 (62 laps | 151.22 miles) is the 22nd of 33 NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2023 schedule. Practice begins on Saturday, August 12, 2023, from 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Qualifying is set to immediately follow practice beginning at 10:00 a.m. The 38-car field will take the green flag later that afternoon, shortly after 5:30 p.m. with live coverage on the USA Network, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (Eastern).

    About AM Racing:

    AM Racing is a multi-tiered, multi-faceted Motorsports program headquartered in Statesville, N.C.

    Established in December 2015, AM Racing is prided on faith, honesty and intelligent performance.

    The family-owned team will compete in the ARCA Menards Series, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN® Truck Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series and various Dirt Modified events in its seventh year of competition.

    The team has named Brett Moffitt, Christian Rose and Austin Wayne Self as their primary drivers for the 2023 Xfinity, ARCA Menards Series and Dirt Modified seasons respectively.

  • TEAM CHEVY NASCAR RACE ADVANCE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course / Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park

    TEAM CHEVY NASCAR RACE ADVANCE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course / Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park

    TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
    Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course / Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park
    Indianapolis, Indiana
    August 11-13, 2023

     CHEVROLET SETS SIGHTS ON UNIQUE TRIPLEHEADER IN INDIANAPOLIS

    For the third consecutive year, the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS), NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) and NTT INDYCAR SERIES will convene to compete at one of the most iconic venues in motorsports – Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). Located within the “racing capital of the world”, the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course first hosted the unique tripleheader weekend in 2021 and continues to be the only venue in motorsport’s history to see NASCAR’s premier series and North America’s top open-wheel racing series compete at the same track on the same weekend.

    Chevrolet’s rich history at Indianapolis Motor Speedway dates back to the track’s early races which saw the manufacturer’s co-founder, Louis Chevrolet, and his brothers compete. Over 111 years later, Chevrolet is gearing up to compete in the NCS, NXS and INDYCAR series at the circuit – the only manufacturer that will be represented in all three events.

    Chevrolet will head into the weekend as the circuit’s defending winners in both of NASCAR’s top series with victories recorded by Tyler Reddick (No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1) in the NCS and AJ Allmendinger (No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS) in the NXS. While falling one spot short of the triumph in INDYCAR’s spring appearance at the circuit, Chevrolet will make its return to the venue for the first time since Josef Newgarden drove Chevrolet to the victory in the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 earlier this year.

     GOING FOR THREE-FOR-THREE

    Since the NASCAR Cup Series made its debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in 2021, Chevrolet has been the only manufacturer to find its way to victory lane at the circuit. The inaugural NCS event (August 2021) at the circuit saw road course ace AJ Allmendinger drive Kaulig Racing to the organization’s first win in NASCAR’s premier series. One year later, the manufacturer found its way back to victory lane with Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 team. The win capped off a Team Chevy weekend sweep in Indianapolis with Allmendinger taking the win in the NXS and GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger scoring the win in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ (NCTS) playoff opener at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP).

    Momentum sits on the side of the Bowtie brand when it comes to making left- and right-hand turns. One month ago, Chevrolet swept the top-five finishing positions in the Chicago Street Race – led by Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen who took the victory in his first-ever NASCAR start. Drivers from four different Chevrolet teams accompanied van Gisbergen in the top-five including Kaulig Racing’s Justin Haley (second), Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson (third and fourth, respectively) and Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch (fifth).


    THREE DRIVERS TABBED FOR INDY TEAM CHEVY CROSSOVER

    An elite group of Chevrolet drivers have made the crossover into the NASCAR national ranks in 2023 – with three different series in which the manufacturer actively competes in having been represented in NASCAR Cup Series competition thus far this season. Sunday’s Verizon 200 at the Brickyard will once again feature a star-studded lineup, including three international superstars that will be behind the wheel of a Camaro ZL1:

    Shane van Gisbergen etched his name into motorsports’ history after taking the victory in his NCS debut in the Chicago Street Race – becoming the first driver since 1963 to win in his first career NCS start. The three-time Supercars Champion will return to the seat of Trackhouse Racing’s No. 91 Camaro ZL1 this weekend for his second start in NASCAR’s top series. The Auckland, New Zealand, native competes full-time in the Supercars Championship in the No. 97 Camaro ZL1 for Triple Eight Racing Engineering – holding the title as the fourth-most successful driver in the series with 79 career wins and three championship titles (2016, 2021 & 2022). Van Gisbergen is also on the horizon of his first career start on a NASCAR oval with the Chevrolet driver also slated to compete in Friday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

    Brodie Kostecki will become the second Supercars Championship driver to make his NCS debut this season. The Perth, Western Australian, native will pilot the No. 33 Camaro ZL1 this weekend – a third entry for Richard Childress Racing. Kostecki currently competes full-time in the Supercars Championship in the No. 99 Erebus Racing Camaro ZL1 – currently sitting atop the series’ points standings with a 41-point lead. While new to the NASCAR national ranks, Kostecki has previous stock car experience in the United States – making 16 starts in the ARCA Menards Series East in 2013-14.

    Two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller will fill the seat of the No. 42 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Camaro ZL1 for the next two NCS road course races. A veteran sports car racer, Rockenfeller has a history with LMC co-owner Jimmie Johnson – competing together in IMSA with Action Express for two seasons and, most recently, teammates in the Garage 56 program. An integral part in the development of the Garage 56 program, Rockenfeller was one of three drivers that piloted the Camaro ZL1 NASCAR Cup Series stock car at the French endurance classic.


    GARAGE 56 CAMARO ZL1 TO MAKE FIRST APPEARANCE SINCE LE MANS COMPETITION

    For the first time since competing in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 will be making a special appearance during the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course race weekend. Situated at the Chevrolet Racing Display in the facility’s fan plaza, fans will have the opportunity to view the actual stock car that recently competed in the French endurance classic.

    Chevrolet partnered with NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, IMSA and Goodyear to develop a modified version of the Camaro ZL1 NASCAR Cup Series stock car to compete as a Garage 56 entry. The effort marked the first time a NASCAR stock car competed at Le Mans since 1976 – with the Camaro ZL1 running 285 laps and taking the checkered flag in the prestigious endurance race. Three legendary drivers of multiple sport disciplines shared the driver’s seat of the entry including Mike Rockenfeller, who is set to compete in the NCS event at the IMS Road Course this weekend.

    Chevrolet played an integral part in the Garage 56 project, including being the heart of the Camaro ZL1 with the NASCAR R07 cast-iron V8 engine – utilizing the same block, castings and pistons used in current NCS competition. Engineers and designers from Chevrolet also worked with the project’s partners to integrate working headlights, taillights, aerodynamic devices, cooling ducts for the brake system and other accessories for the car.


    PLAYOFF HOPEFULS WITH ROAD COURSE SUCCESS

    Three opportunities lie ahead for drivers to clinch a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs – two of which come in back-to-back road course races. Of the drivers on the playoff bubble include three Team Chevy drivers that have found success in road course racing and will go into the next two races as early favorites to be the next driver to ‘win and advance’ into the 16-driver NCS playoff field.

    Sitting 19th in the points standings, AJ Allmendinger knows his way to victory lane at both of the next two circuits. The 41-year-old California native has two career NCS wins to his name – his first coming in August 2014 at Watkins Glen International with JTG Daugherty Racing, and most recently, in August 2021 when he drove his Kaulig Racing Chevrolet to the win in the NCS’ debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. On top of his two career NCS road course wins, the Chevrolet driver has also amassed 11 career road course victories in the NASCAR Xfinity Series – making him the only driver in series’ history to hit a double-digit win count on road courses.

    Chase Elliott – who sits 22nd in the points standings – leads the series with seven career road course victories in NASCAR’s premier series. The 27-year-old Georgia native also ranks third on the NCS’ all-time road course wins list behind NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine) and Tony Stewart (eight). Two of his series-leading road course victories came at Watkins Glen International, including his first career NCS triumph (August 2018).

    Following a top-10 finish at Michigan International Speedway, Daniel Suarez continues to inch his way closer to the playoff picture with the Chevrolet driver now sitting in the 18th position in the points standings and only five points below the cutline. Suarez became a first-time winner in NASCAR’s premier series on a road course circuit – taking the victory at Sonoma Raceway in 2022.


    DEFENDING ON NXS ROAD COURSES

    One year ago, Chevrolet collected its first NASCAR Xfinity Series win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course – a victory by road course phenom AJ Allmendinger and the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS team. The manufacturer’s first trip to victory lane in the series at the circuit was celebrated by a top-four sweep – recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet teams.

    The Bowtie brand is also the series’ most recent winner when it comes to making left- and right-hand turns – courtesy of JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer’s victory at Road America just two weeks ago. The victory marked the manufacturer’s second NXS road course win of the season – the first coming at Circuit of The Americas in March (AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS).

    GREEN FLAG ON THE NCTS TITLE RUN

    Five drivers from five different Chevrolet teams are set to compete for the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship title with the first of three races in the Round of 10 taking place Friday night at the Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The NCTS has competed at the 0.686-mile short-track 18 times with Chevrolet collecting a series-leading 10 victories at the venue. The manufacturer’s most recent triumph at the track came one year ago – a race that saw GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger take the win and the first spot in the NCTS’ Playoffs Round of Eight.

    Heading into the series’ title run, Chevrolet’s Carson Hocevar, Christian Eckes and Grant Enfinger – each already making repeat visits to victory lane this season – sit in the third through fifth positions, respectively, in the playoff standings. NCTS rookie Nick Sanchez (eighth) and Matt DiBenedetto (ninth) were two of four drivers that pointed their way into the post-season.


    BOWTIE BULLETS:

    · Chevrolet will pace the field during the tripleheader race weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course:

    NASCAR Cup Series: Camaro ZL1
    NASCAR Xfinity Series: Camaro SS 1LE
    NTT INDYCAR Series: Corvette Stingray Z51 convertible

    · Chevrolet has won both NASCAR Cup Series races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course with AJ Allmendinger (No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS) in 2021 and Tyler Reddick (No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1) in 2022.

    · Chevrolet has made its way to victory lane in 16 of the past 20 NASCAR Cup Series road racing events – dating from Chase Elliott’s victory at Watkins Glen International in August 2019 to Shane van Gisbergen’s victory at the Chicago Street Race in July 2023. Within that time span, the manufacturer notched a streak of 11 consecutive road course wins in the series – a run that started with Elliott’s victory in NASCAR’s debut at Circuit of The Americas in May 2021.

    · An elite group of Chevrolet drivers that have made the crossover into the NASCAR national ranks this season including Shane van Gisbergen and Brodie Kostecki (Supercars Championship), Mike Rockenfeller (Garage 56), Jordan Taylor (IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing) and Conor Day (NTT INDYCAR Series).

    · Three of the six repeat winners in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season come from Team Chevy:

    William Byron: series-leading four wins (Las Vegas, Phoenix, Darlington & Atlanta 2)
    Kyle Busch: three wins (Auto Club, Talladega, WWTR)
    Kyle Larson: two wins (Richmond & Martinsville)

    · In 23 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race this season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (12), top-fives (50), top-10s (97), stage wins (18) and laps led (2,398).

    · Chevrolet leads the series in wins across all three NASCAR national series this season with 12 victories in 23 NASCAR Cup Series races, 11 victories in 21 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and 10 wins in 16 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races – all with a win percentage of at least 50%.

    · With William Byron’s win at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports now sits at 297 all-time NASCAR Cup Series victories – all recorded with Chevrolet.

    · Chevrolet’s series-leading 12 NASCAR Cup Series wins this season have been recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet teams: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing), Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing), William Byron and Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) and Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing).

    · Chevrolet drivers have recorded 18 of the 46 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: William Byron (seven; series-leading), Ross Chastain (five), Kyle Larson (three), Kyle Busch (two) and Chase Elliott (one).

    · Chevrolet continues to sit atop the manufacturer points standings in all three NASCAR national series, leading by 53 points in the NASCAR Cup Series, 56 points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 51 points in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

    · Chevrolet has swept the Manufacturer Championships across all three NASCAR national series in a single season four different times (2012, 2005, 1998, 1996).

    · With Grant Enfinger’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win at World Wide Technology Raceway, GMS Racing is now the winningest Chevrolet organization in NCTS’ history with 44 all-time wins in the series.

    · With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 845 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.


    FOR THE FANS:

    · Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Plaza at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

    · Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles at the Team Chevy Racing Display including: Silverado 2500HD, Silverado 1500 ZR2, Tahoe Z71, Blazer RS, Corvette E-Ray Coupe, Colorado Trail Boss, Trailblazer ACTIV, Camaro ZL1.

    · Fans will also have a special viewing of the Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 – the first public appearance of the race car since competing at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans.

    Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:

    Friday, August 11

    · Josef Newgarden, Will Power, Scott McLaughlin: 3:05 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.

    Saturday, August 12

    · Nick Sanchez: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

    · Brodie Kostecki: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

    · Rinus VeeKay, Ryan Hunter-Reay: 11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

    · Callum Ilott, Agustin Canapino: 11:45 a.m. – 12 p.m.

    · Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi, Tony Kanaan: 12:30 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.

    Sunday, August 13

    · Shane van Gisbergen: 10:50 a.m. – 11:05 a.m.

    · Alex Bowman: 11:05 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.

    · Kyle Busch: 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

    · Chase Elliott: 12 p.m. – 12:15 p.m.

    · William Byron: 12:30 p.m. – 12:45 p.m.

    Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:

    · Friday, August 11: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

    · Saturday, August 12: 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

    · Sunday, August 13: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.


    TUNE IN:

    · NASCAR Cup Series: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course

    Verizon 200 at the Brickyard

    Sunday, August 13, at 2:30 p.m. ET

    (NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

    · NASCAR Xfinity Series: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course

    Pennzoil 150 presented by Advance Auto Parts

    Saturday, August 12, at 5:30 p.m. ET

    (USA Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

    · NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park

    TSport 200

    Friday, August 11, at 9 p.m. ET

    (FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

    · NTT INDYCAR Series: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course

    Gallagher Grand Prix

    Saturday, August 12, at 2 p.m. ET

    (USA Network, INDYCAR Radio and SiriusXM Channel 160)


    QUOTABLE QUOTES:
    ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL1

    Now looking back on it, do you think Shane (van Gisbergen) was maybe sandbagging a little (laughs) going into Chicago?

    “No, I don’t think so. Shane was the new guy going into Chicago so he didn’t get first pick of the simulator times for that weekend. He went Thursday night to the simulator when the haulers were already gone and they couldn’t change the car. I got to see some of the stuff once we got to the track, and obviously after practice and qualifying we saw that he was good and looked through some of his stuff.”

    You’ve won at COTA; do you feel like your road course game is pretty good going into the next two weeks?

    “It’s a constant evolution and labor of love. I had never turned right before until I was in the Truck in 2013 at Mosport. I realized that weekend I had a lot of work to do. I’m not satisfied with how I turn right at all. Shane opened our eyes to a lot of things and we’ve looked at that. Going to tracks without walls everywhere like Chicago and tracks that I’ve been to before like the next two coming up will help. It’s constant work for me though. I’ve been putting in the work so we’ll see if it pays off.”

    Will you feel less like a pinball going into Turn 1 at Indy since NASCAR has altered restart zone at Indy road course?

    “I didn’t feel like one last year because I took the other way which is now a stop and go penalty. It’s trying to help make us look like the incredible race car drivers that we all are so I think it will be good.”

    AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 THE COWBOY CHANNEL CAROLINA COWBOYS CAMARO ZL1

    How do you approach the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course race given the points situation you are in?

    “At this point, we can’t make it into the NASCAR Playoffs on points. We have to win. That gives us the opportunity to be aggressive, and to make moves and strategy calls that maybe you otherwise wouldn’t if you were racing for points. We’re going to be aggressive. Anybody can win right now, including us, so we have to really focus. We’ve had moments throughout the season where we’ve been really fast. Things have to line up and we have to have a perfect day in order to get to Victory Lane. That means I have to do my job; the pit crew has to do their job and the strategy has to play out. In the SIM, I’ve been pretty good at the Indianapolis Road Course. It was a little surprising, actually, how the track came to me right away. I’d like to surprise some people at a road course.”

    You have the Cowboy Channel and the Carolina Cowboys on your car this weekend. What does that mean to you, to be able to represent the western lifestyle at a NASCAR race?

    “Man, I love having the Carolina Cowboys and the Cowboy Channel on our Chevy this weekend. It’s really the intersection of my two favorite things. Racing, obviously, takes up a lot of my time, but so do my western interests. I’m always watching the Cowboy Channel and the Cowboy Channel Plus app, so I really want to thank Patrick Goetsch and everyone on his team for this opportunity. I also can’t wait to highlight the Carolina Cowboys on the car. I hope everyone is able to come out to our home event at the Greensboro Coliseum Sept. 22-24. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster.”

    KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1

    What challenges arise with competing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course?

    “I would say the challenges at the Indy Road Course are the visuals, especially braking visuals in traffic. It’s so flat and a lot of corners are so slow that when the track gets hot and it gets slick it really slows down a lot. Trying to keep the tires on the car under braking and also under acceleration is a challenge. It’s really flat and you’re always trying to make sure that you can go as fast as you can, carry as much speed as you possibly can, but keep the brakes on the car because there’s a lot of heavy braking areas at the Indianapolis Road Course.”

    The restarts going into Turn 1 at Indy are chaotic. How do you protect your position and stay out of trouble?

    “Restarts going into Turn 1 are chaotic. The best way to protect yourself is to stay all the way to the inside to the right-side of the racetrack and not let anybody to your inside. You can be the guy that kind of forces everybody off into Turn 1 and puts them in the grass because if you’re on the outside and get put off in the grass then you’re losing spots. That happened to me last year, but hopefully moving the restart zone a little bit will kind of help that calamity and calm everything down.”

    There are no stage cautions on road courses this season. Do you think that’s a good move?

    “No stage cautions at road courses I think is a smart way to go. Last year everybody would always pit before a stage caution would come out. Then when the caution came out nobody would pit or guys would actually flip the stages where they would run it long and not pit and take the points then they’d have to come in and pit. It just makes it a heck of a lot more simple to run it out and allows there to be more strategy within the race for when guys want to pit, if they want to make it a two-stop race or a three-stop race. I think that’s a good move.”

    You have two wins at Indy on the oval. How special would it be to win on the road course?

    “I’ve got two wins on the Indy oval so it would be really cool to win on the Indy road course to have won at multiple layouts at the same venue. I look at the Charlotte Roval as kind of the same thing there too, with winning on the big track and I would love to be able to win on the Roval there. The Indianapolis Road Course is still sacred ground and what that place means history-wise with everything from the Pagoda to celebrating by kissing the bricks. It would certainly be cool to chalk up another win there and have it be on the road course.”

    CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1

    Elliott on racing on the Indianapolis Road Course:

    “For me personally, I feel like it is one of the harder ones, if not the toughest for me. Most road courses that we go to have a little bit of character at some point, little bit of banking or a little bit of something. That place is just flat. Not really a lot of character to the road itself. Imperfections, bumps. Things like that. Just a very flat road course, which I find challenging because it’s hard to find ways to be different.”

    ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1

    Gustafson on the team’s outlook for the remainder of the regular season:

    “Our goal is the same as it’s always been. Go out and execute to the best of our ability, minimize mistakes and be in position to battle for the win at the end. We have three great opportunities coming up to be able to do that and Chase (Elliott) is one of the best at being able to tune out all the noise and focus on the task at hand.”

    AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 KAULIG RACING CAMARO ZL1

    “The last two years at Indy have been really special. To be able to kiss the bricks in the Xfinity Series and Cup Series has been a dream come true. Our road course stuff hasn’t quite been where we need it to be, but we are definitely working hard on it. We were close last year on the Cup side and if we get to Indy and unload well, we can have a shot to go win the race.”

    JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1

    “I’m really excited to go back to my home track at Indianapolis. I’ve had some really great finishes in both the Xfinity Series and Cup Series since we started running the road course, so I’m looking forward to hopefully another great run with my friends and family there.”

    MIKE ROCKENFELLER, NO. 42 SUNSEEKER RESORTS CAMARO ZL1

    “I’m looking forward to this weekend at Indy in a NASCAR Cup car. I have been at the LEGACY M.C. shop all week working with Luke (Lambert) and the team trying to accomplish everything we need to do to get ready for this weekend – it’s been busy. It’s a short week and this came together very fast but we are feeling good about things. I’m excited to drive for Jimmie Johnson and Maury Gallagher and hope we can get a great finish in the No. 42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet.”

    ERIK JONES, NO. 43 ALLEGIANT CAMARO ZL1

    “Indy has been different the last couple of years since it’s now a road course, but still going to the track itself and having the chance to be there is always a lot of fun. Last year, we ended up being in a spin that cost us track position at the end of the day, and we didn’t come home with the finish we wanted. However, we still felt like it was an okay day with a decent car that got up there. Regardless of that outcome, I feel like our road course performance has been improving. In Chicago, I believe we didn’t get the finish we deserved, but our car had a lot more speed than our previous attempts at road courses. So, I am excited to get there and hopefully secure a top-10 finish at a road course.”

    SHANE VAN GISBERGEN, NO. 91 ENHANCE HEALTH CAMARO ZL1

    “It (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course) will certainly be different than the Chicago Street Course. I’ll need to get up to speed quickly, but we plan a lot of simulator time and I know (No. 91 Crew Chief) Darian (Grubb) will be thoroughly prepared for Indy.

    We have got to come in and do our best, but you also have got to race with respect, as well. These guys are fighting for their championship every week, so I have got to come in and stay out of trouble.”

    DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 FREEWAY.COM CAMARO ZL1

    What are your thoughts going to Indianapolis?

    “We just have to be smart. We need to do what we do and stay out of trouble and get good finishes. When we are in sync we are a team that is hard to beat.

    Our goal at Michigan was to have a good execution race, and build some momentum heading into Indianapolis where we know we are going to be good. I think we did that and are in a pretty good spot.

    You have to keep in mind, with two road courses and a superspeedway, anything can happen. Sometimes with the strategy and the way people push and move around at the end of these races on road courses it can be a wild card. Obviously, anything can happen at Daytona as well. We just have to maximize every day and continue to work.”

    CHASE PURDY, NO. 4 BAMA BUGGIES SILVERADO RST

    With not being in the playoffs, how do you approach the rest of the season?

    “Honestly, more than ever we are hungrier, and our only goal is to go out and win races. At Richmond, I felt like we were on the wrong end of a judgement call and if we weren’t then we probably had the fastest truck there and had a good shot at the win. We need to move on from it and take it and let it fuel us for the rest of the season. We need to finish strong. We’re going to chase wins — we have nothing to lose now.”

    IRP has a unique configuration. How do you attack that track?

    “I’ve raced there two times before and had a shot at winning there a few years ago. It’s a track that I’m familiar with and have been able to be fast at. You need to have a truck that will keep turning and have good drive up off the corners. It’s just like every other worn-out short track; you have to take care of your stuff and be there at the end. Short tracks are my specialty, and we have a lot of them coming up on the schedule, so I’m really, really excited and hungrier than ever to try and get this Bama Buggies Silverado in victory lane.”

    CHRISTIAN ECKES, NO. 19 NAPA AUTOCARE SILVERADO RST

    Eckes his outlook for his third playoff run:

    “Our NAPA Auto Care team is looking forward to the challenge of racing for a championship. This week at IRP will definitely be a tough test for sure. I didn’t run the way I wanted to last year at IRP, but I’m confident in our No. 19 team and the effort everyone’s been putting in at MHR. We’ve adjusted our goals a little bit as the year has gone and we’ve won some races, been more consistent lately, and we know we’re capable of getting to Phoenix and racing for a championship. We’re focused on this week though and putting a solid night together at IRP.”

    GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 CHAMPION POWER EQUIPMENT SILVERADO RST

    You’ve got to feel good about returning to IRP after last season, so what did you learn during that race last year that will help your team be even better this time?

    “I’m excited to get the playoffs started, and I feel good about starting it out at IRP. Our GMS Racing guys are working hard to bring us just as good of a Champion Power Equipment Chevy as we had last year. I think that IRP is a great track for the Truck Series. It has multiple grooves we can choose, but it’s still a tough short track with a lot of character.”

    RAJAH CARUTH, NO. 24 WENDELL SCOTT FOUNDATION SILVERADO RST

    You’ve said that IRP is going to be one of the more challenging races for you personally, so can you say why that might be the case?

    “It’ll be a challenge for me mostly because short tracking isn’t something I consider myself to be exceptional at, meaning I’ve got to put twice as much emphasis on it as an oppose to my big track skill set, which I feel like I’m solid on so far. Certainly my expectations shift from the short to the big tracks. However I know that our team has race-winning pace at this track, as shown last year, so having that knowledge is going to be invaluable. Our Wendell Scott Foundation Born Driven paint scheme has one last ride with us this season, so I’m looking forward to running it again and hopefully we can finish off what we started in Nashville with this truck.”

    JAKE GARCIA, NO. 35 QUANTA SERVICES SILVERADO RST

    Garcia on his recent momentum entering IRP:

    “To get at top-five at Richmond felt great. That was probably the best complete weekend we’ve put together with our Quanta Services Chevrolet this season. It felt great to race in and around the top-five all night and we want to do the same thing this week at IRP. It’s a fun but challenging place. There are some different options with the variable banking but can make it difficult to pass too. Hopefully we can qualify well again like we have been recently and that’ll give us a good opportunity to race towards the front all night.”

    DANIEL DYE, NO. 43 BETTENHAUSENAUTO.COM SILVERADO RST

    Does having a strong finish at this track last year give you an extra boost of confidence heading back to IRP?

    “We were pretty fast last year at IRP in the ARCA race. The GMS guys brought us a really fast car, but it was a tricky place to figure out. As the race went on, I figured out how to pass other drivers as we had to kind of come up through the field from where we started. So I’m looking forward to getting back there knowing what I know now. It’s going to be cool to go there with Bettenhausen Automotive and have them on our truck with that cool sprint car throwback paint scheme. Hopefully we can have a good run; the trucks are a bit different than the ARCA cars, so they’ll probably turn a little bit better than how we were last year. Just got to be ready for that and make sure we can finish it off with a good result. Our speed has been building over the last couple of months, but we have to make sure that we can put it all together and finish the race where we run. It’s all going to be about building on it little by little, and continuing to improve on how we unload.”

    JACK WOOD, NO. 51 ROWDY MANUFACTURING SILVERADO RST

    How hard is it having breaks in your schedule behind the wheel of the No. 51 truck?

    “It has its ups and downs; it was nice to have time to kind of travel a little bit and spend time with friends and family. I’ll go to the simulator before the race this week and knock some of the rust off and try to get in some other vehicles before the race this weekend.”

    IRP has a unique configuration. How do you attack that track?

    “It reminds me a lot of a track that I grew up racing at in Southern California — Irwindale (Speedway). It’s a cool track to go to with the trucks and I think that it will race really well. Last year it was a struggle for me to get that place figured out, but the KBM stuff was really fast there last year and the short track program this year in general at KBM has been really strong, so I’m excited to go there with the 51 guys.”

    Do you approach this race differently with the 51 team being in the owner’s playoffs?

    “You think about it, but in the end, I just have to go out there and do my job. The trucks obviously have speed — Kyle’s been able to win the two races and bring home the 100th win for KBM. We are going to do our best to get the 51 team as far as we can in the owner’s playoffs and if we can just go out and execute, I think that we will be just fine.”


    Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics

    Manufacturers Championships:

    Total (1949-2022): 41

    First title for Chevrolet: 1958

    Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)

    Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022

    Drivers Championships:

    Total (1949-2021): 33

    First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)

    Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)

    Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021)

    Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021

    Event Victories:

    Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)

    2023 STATISTICS:

    Wins: 12

    Poles: 7

    Laps Led: 2,398

    Top-five finishes: 50

    Top-10 finishes: 97

    Stage wins: 18

    · Ross Chastain – 5 (Daytona), (Auto Club x2), (Dover), (Darlington)

    · William Byron – 7 (Las Vegas x2), (Phoenix), (COTA), (Richmond), (Dover), (Charlotte)

    · Kyle Larson – 3 (Phoenix), (Bristol Dirt), (Pocono)

    · Chase Elliott – 1 (Talladega)

    · Kyle Busch – 2 (WWTR), (Sonoma)

    CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:

    Total Chevrolet race wins: 845 (1949 to date)

    Poles won to date: 741

    Laps led to date: 247,942

    Top-five finishes to date: 4,271

    Top-10 finishes to date: 8,809

    Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:

           General Motors: 1,179
    
           Chevrolet: 845
    
           Pontiac: 154
    
           Oldsmobile: 115
    
           Buick: 65
    
    
    
           Ford: 824                                                           
    
           Ford: 724
    
           Mercury: 96
    
           Lincoln: 4
    
    
    
           Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
    
           Dodge: 217
    
           Plymouth: 191
    
           Chrysler: 59
    
    
    
           Toyota: 177


    Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

    About Chevrolet
    Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. 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.

  • Kaulig Racing Weekly Advance | Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course

    Kaulig Racing Weekly Advance | Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course

    Verizon 200 at the Brickyard
    Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
    NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
    Sunday, August 13 at 2:30 p.m. EDT on NBC

    • Kaulig Racing has made three NCS starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, earning its first-ever NCS victory in the inaugural Verizon 200 at the Brickyard in 2021 with AJ Allmendinger.
    • So far in the 2023 NCS season, Kaulig Racing has earned two top fives, nine top-10 finishes and led 30 laps.

    AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Dyna-Gro Seed Camaro ZL1

    • AJ Allmendinger has made two NCS starts at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and has earned one win, two top-10 finishes and led five laps.
    • Allmendinger earned Kaulig Racing’s first NCS win at the Inaugural Verizon 200 at the Brickyard in 2021.
    • So far in the 2023 season, Allmendinger has led one lap and earned three top 10 and seven top-15 finishes.

    “The last two years at Indy have been really special. To be able to kiss the bricks in the Xfinity Series and Cup Series has been a dream come true. Our road course stuff hasn’t quite been where we need it to be, but we are definitely working hard on it. We were close last year on the Cup side and if we get to Indy and unload well, we can have a shot to go win the race.” – AJ Allmendinger on Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course

    Justin Haley, No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1

    • Justin Haley has made two starts at his home track, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course with a best finish of eighth.
    • So far in the 2023 NCS season, Haley has earned one top five and five top-10 finishes with a best qualifying effort of third.
    • Haley’s best finish of the season came from his runner-up finish in the first-ever race at the Chicago Street Course where he led 23 laps, the most he has led in a single race.
    • After completing the 2023 Coca-Cola 600 and Alsco Uniforms 300, Haley now holds the record for the most NASCAR National Series miles completed in a single day by any driver in NASCAR history.

    “I’m really excited to go back to my home track at Indianapolis. I’ve had some really great finishes in both the Xfinity Series and Cup Series since we started running the road course, so I’m looking forward to hopefully another great run with my friends and family there.” – Justin Haley on Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course

    Pennzoil 150 presented by Advance Auto Parts
    Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
    NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
    Saturday, August 12 at 5:30 p.m. EDT on USA

    • Kaulig Racing has made nine NXS starts at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, earning one win, two pole awards, five top five and six top-10 finishes.
    • So far in the 2023 NXS season, Kaulig Racing has earned four wins, five pole awards, 15 top five and 34 top-10 finishes, with 528-laps led.

    AJ Allmendinger, No. 10 LeafHome Water Solutions Chevrolet Camaro

    • AJ Allmendinger has made three NXS starts at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and has earned one win, three top-five finishes, two pole awards and has led 52 laps.
    • Allmendinger won the 2022 Penzoil 150 at the Brickyard.
    • Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course will be Allmendinger’s fifth NXS start in the 2023 season. So far, he has earned two wins and one runner-up and four top-10 finishes.

    “The last two years at Indy have been really special. To be able to kiss the bricks in the Xfinity Series and Cup Series has been a dream come true. Our road course stuff hasn’t quite been where we need it to be, but we are definitely working hard on it. We were close last year on the Cup side and if we get to Indy and unload well, we can have a shot to go win the race.” – AJ Allmendinger on Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course

    Daniel Hemric, No. 11 Cirkul Chevrolet Camaro

    • Daniel Hemric has made two NXS starts at Indianapolis Road Course where he has an average finish of 17th.
    • Hemric currently sits eighth in the NXS standings and has earned four top five and 11 top-10 finishes so far in the 2023 season.

    “I’m excited to get to Indianapolis, especially with it being such a special track to race at. Kaulig Racing’s road-course program has been strong this year and I look forward to building on that this weekend.” – Daniel Hemric on Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course

    Chandler Smith, No. 16 Quick Tie Products Chevrolet Camaro

    • Chandler Smith will make his first NXS start at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in the Pennzoil 150 presented by Advance Auto Parts.
    • Smith currently sits seventh in the NXS points standings with one win, five top five and eight top-10 finishes.

    “I’m looking forward to the challenge of the Indy Road Course, and I hope to learn as much as I can to get up to speed quickly. It means a lot for our organization to run well there.” – Chandler Smith on Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course  

    About Kaulig Racing™

    Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and has won back-to-back regular-season championships. Before becoming a full-time NCS team, Kaulig Racing made multiple starts in the 2021 NCS season and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team expanded to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 with Justin Haley piloting the No. 31 Camaro ZL1, and an all-star lineup featured in the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. Haley will continue to drive the No. 31 full-time in 2023, alongside AJ Allmendinger, who will drive the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. The team will continue to field three, full-time NXS entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by an all-star lineup, the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Hemric, and the No. 16 Chevrolet driven by Chandler Smith. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

  • JR Motorsports — NXS Indy Road Course Preview

    JR Motorsports — NXS Indy Road Course Preview

    JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW:
    TRACK: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course
    RACE: Pennzoil 150 (62 laps / 151.22 miles)
    DATE: Saturday, August 12, 2023

    Broadcast Information – TV: 5:30 p.m. ET on USA / Radio: 5 p.m. ET on IMS Radio and Sirius XM Ch. 90

    Sam Mayer
    No. 1 Huck’s Market Chevrolet

    • Sam Mayer heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend where he will make his third NASCAR Xfinity Series start at the 2.439-mile road course.
    • In 14 starts on road courses, Mayer has raced his way to three top fives, nine top 10s and one victory, coming at Road America just two races ago for the first win of his NXS career.
    • Returning partner Huck’s Market will make its second appearance with Mayer at the Indy road course.

    Josh Berry
    No. 8 JARRETT Chevrolet

    • Fresh off a sixth-place finish in the last road-course outing at Road America, Berry will attack Indianapolis with the goal of adding another top finish this weekend.
    • On road courses in his NXS career, Berry has earned three top-five and eight top-10 results in 12 starts, with the best finish of third last season at Road America. He was 14th last year at IMS, leading five laps.
    • JARRETT returns to the No. 8 for Berry and crew chief Taylor Moyer at IMS. The Orrville, Ohio-based company was on the car last year at IMS as well.

    Brandon Jones
    No. 9 Menards/Ortho Tomcat Chevrolet

    • Brandon Jones has a victory on a road course in his career. The 26-year-old won at Watkins Glen International during an ARCA Menards Series race last season. He started second and led the most important lap – the last one – to claim the victory.
    • Jones has made three NXS starts on the road course at Indy and holds a best finish of 15th coming at this race last season.
    • Crew chief Jason Burdett has been atop the pit box for three races at the Indianapolis Road Course and has only one finish outside of the top 10.
    • Justin Allgaier
      No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet
    • In three previous NXS starts on the road course of Indianapolis, Justin Allgaier has earned a best finish of third, coming in this event last season.
    • Overall, Allgaier is a three-time winner in road-course competition in the NXS, having gone to Victory Lane at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal in 2012, and at MidOhio Sports Car Course and Road America in 2018 for JRM.
    • Allgaier is a former winner at Indianapolis, having earned the win at the hallowed oval during the 2018 season for JRM.
    • Miguel Paludo is set for his third and final start of the season for JRM behind the wheel of the No. 88 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet.
    • In two previous starts this year, Paludo has recorded a pair of 13th-place finishes at Circuit of the Americas and on the streets of Chicago.
    • Paludo has made one NXS start at the famed road course of Indianapolis, coming last season for JRM.
    • Overall, in eight career starts for JRM in the NXS, Paludo has earned a best finish of seventh, coming on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course in 2021.

    Driver Quotes

    “It is always fun going back road course racing. We had a really good car at Road America and I was able to get my first win, so I am looking forward to another road course this weekend. Excited to have Huck’s back on the car and hopefully we can put ourselves in a position to be able to contend for a win with them.” – Sam Mayer

    “It is always a special feeling getting to race at Indianapolis. Whether it is on the oval or on the road course, this is a race that is circled every year. We had a really strong BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet here last season, and with the speed we’ve had on road courses thus far in 2023, I feel extremely confident that we will have a strong Camaro on Saturday.” – Justin Allgaier

    “Indy is another road course where you have to have a car that handles well on different levels. Long straights, tight corners, so you need to be pretty good on all of them to finish well. We had a great race at Road America, and we’ve been solid on them all year long. Glad to have JARRETT back with us at Indy, and we’ll see if we can get a victory on Saturday.” – Josh Berry

    “The Indy Road Course is unique and has been pretty hectic in the past.We’ve had a lot of speed on road courses this year and I know Jason (Burdett, crew chief) and this No. 9 team are working hard to make sure this Menards/Tomcat Chevrolet is just as fast this weekend.” – Brandon Jones

    “I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of this No. 88 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet in Indy. This is such a special place and I can’t thank Rick (Brandt) and everyone at JR Motorsports enough for this opportunity to run these three events again this year. We just need to go out there and do the best we can to bring home a strong BRANDT one-two finish with our BRANDT teammate Justin (Allgaier.)”– Miguel Paludo

    JRM Team Updates

    • JRM at Indianapolis: JR Motorsports has competed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course 13 times in the NXS. In those starts at the 2.439-mile circuit, the organization has recorded four top fives and eight top 10s. Meanwhile, JRM has competed on the historic rectangle-shaped course 25 times in the NXS and recorded two wins, 10 top fives and 15 top 10s before the series made the switch to the road course. Justin Allgaier is the most recent winner after taking the checkered during the 2018 season.
    • Road Course Racing: JR Motorsports has competed on road courses a combined 207 times in the NXS, recording six wins, 53 top fives and 111 top 10s. The most recent win on a road course for the organization came with Sam Mayer earning his first career NXS win at Road America two weeks ago.
    • Souvenir Rig: JRM drivers Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry, Brandon Jones, Sam Mayer and Miguel Paludo will be signing autographs at the JR Motorsports / Legacy MC souvenir rig on Saturday, August 12 from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Colin Garrett Returns to Xfinity Series

    Colin Garrett Returns to Xfinity Series

    Mooresville, NC August 9th 2023 – Colin Garrett and SS Green Light Racing unite for the “Pennzoil 150” at Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course Saturday August 12th.

    Colin will put his skills to work in the #07 Chevrolet Camaro in his first start in the Xfinity series since 2021, with support from the 11/11 Veterans Project, Heal*Arious, MandatoryFunDay, Ashley Gutermuth, Ref-ology, and Women’s PBA.
    Although Colin has been away from the NASCAR scene for some time that hasn’t stopped him from dominating in a different series. Colin has been running in the SRO TC American series with Rooster Hall Racing, where he has captured two wins this year, one being Sonoma and the other being COTA He has not finished outside of the top 4 in the last 8 races, which has lead him to the points lead!

    July 29th, 2023 Colin was a special guest at the “Operation Heal*Arious” stand up comedy show in Fayettville NC, where Colin joined Ashley Gutermuth and MandatoryFunday on stage. Now they will be joining him on the stage at Indy!

    Colin has always been a supporter of our armed forces and veterans with his 11/11 Veterans Project. 11/11 Veteran Project is a for-purpose company dedicated to increasing access to existing resources that helped veterans, military families, and the disabled live healthy, happy lives. Profit generated go to promote worthy nonprofits and small businesses. We believe that the best way to combat suicide is a holistic approach that helps improve lives financially, mentally, and physically. Colin stated “This is personal for us. The 11/11 team has generations of military service dating back to the Civil War and Revolutionary War.” 11/11 Veterans Project has been very successful, and was also the first to pay for a veteran to receive stem cell treatment (treating MS caused by exposure to chemicals while on Active Duty).

    Make sure you dont miss Colin Garrett in action at Indianapolis Motor Speedway! The race will be held at 5:30 pm ET Saturday August 12th on USA Network!

    More About Our Partners
    Heal*Arious is a program used to improve psychological performance in people and organizations by using the power of therapeutic humor. This program was piloted for 36 weeks at the Ralph H, Johnson VA medical center, where it was used to help more than 6,000 individuals. Including Veterans, Corporate leaders, and professional athletes.

    Ashley Gutermuth is a stand up comedian who is the spouse of a United States serviceman. Ashley has been on many shows including SNL, Seinfeld, Police Academy, and Americas Got Talent. Ashley was nominated as the 2023 Armed Forces insurance Air force spouse of the year.

    MandatoryFunDay is a service member who has devoted over a decade in uniform. He is very popular on social media for his ability to bring positive light to other members of the armed services and veterans.

    Ref-ology is a top notch camp for officiating the sport of basketball. Ref-ology specializes in making individuals the best official they can be. The knowledge,skills and determination is what makes them a nationwide name in the coaching industry.

  • SOLID CHICAGO SHOWING HAS PARDUS READY FOR INDY

    SOLID CHICAGO SHOWING HAS PARDUS READY FOR INDY

    What: Pennzoil 150
    When: Saturday, Aug. 12, 5:30 p.m. Eastern
    Where: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (13 turns, 2.534 miles)
    Driver: Preston Pardus, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
    Car: No. 50 Chinchor Electric Chevrolet
    Crew chief: Dan Pardus
    Distance: Stages of 20, 20 and 22 laps (62 laps = 151.22 miles)
    Broadcast info: TV – USA; Radio – IMS Radio Network/Sirius XM Ch. 90

    INDIANAPOLIS – Optimistic is the way to describe Preston Pardus’ outlook heading into the famed ‘Brickyard’ on Saturday for the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Pennzoil 150.

    That’s because a 12th-place run on the streets of downtown Chicago was the best finish in nearly a dozen Xfinity starts for the three-time SCCA Spec Miata national champion. Couple that with the fact that the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the scene of his first Xfinity top 10 and the presence of a new engine under the hood, and it’s easy to understand why Pardus is eager about his impending outing.

    “We definitely needed a good run,” he said of the July 1 Chicago event. “It’s been awhile since we had a good run like that. It was nice for our confidence that we can still run semi-decent. That’s always a good thing. We can build off that, notebook-wise.”

    Pardus qualified 13th for a rain-shortened The Loop 121 in Chicago. The 12th-place finish was his best since an 11th at Road America almost exactly one year earlier.

    “We had quite a bit of pace in practice and qualifying. We were fast when we unloaded, and that’s really important when you’re going to a new track like Chicago. Even in the race we were really good, and just focused on keeping the car good and straight in the wet and dry conditions we were dealing with.”

    In the Brickyard, Pardus returns to a storied facility where he has experienced success and disappointment.

    Indy was the venue for two of Pardus’ three SCCA crowns, in 2017 and in 2021 in Spec Miata action.

    In 2020, in only his third Xfinity start, Pardus navigated his way to a 10th-place showing at Indy. The following year, he qualified 10th – at the time, a career best – but crashed on the second lap after hitting a curb and doing damage to the undercarriage of the car. Last year, he finished on the lead lap despite brake issues.

    Saturday’s 62-lap race on the 13-turn, 2.534-mile course will mark Pardus’ fourth Xfinity start of the season. He competed in his family-owned car at Circuit of The Americas in March, and in early June in a car fielded by series veteran Bobby Dotter at Portland.

    “We really don’t have to change the car much from Chicago for Indy,” Pardus said of the No. 50 Chinchor Electric Chevrolet. “The only thing we really changed for Chicago was some suspension stuff to be able to get over the bumpy streets they have there. We’ve just dialed it back a bit to a more traditional road-course set-up.”

    Pardus’ 2023 Indianapolis assignment begins Saturday morning with a 30-minute practice session. Qualifying ensues immediately afterward at 10:05 a.m. Eastern, and the race is slated for a 5:30 p.m. start.

  • Ford Performance NASCAR – Indianapolis Motor Speedway / Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park Advance

    Ford Performance NASCAR – Indianapolis Motor Speedway / Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park Advance

    INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY / LUCAS OIL INDIANAPOLIS RACEWAY PARK NOTES

    Friday, August 11 – NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series @ LOR, 9 p.m. ET (FS1)

    Saturday, August 12 – NASCAR XFINITY Series @ IMS, 5:30 p.m. ET (USA)

    Sunday, August 13 – NASCAR Cup Series @ IMS, 2:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

    Indiana is the all-inclusive stop for the three major NASCAR series entering a pivotal point in each of the series with playoffs on the line. While the Cup and Xfinity Series look to build at the Brickyard of the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Craftsman Truck Series will neighbor them at Lucas Oil Raceway Park.

    Chase Briscoe: “I feel like Indianapolis in general, for every race car driver, is special. But, when you’re a Hoosier and grew up about an hour away, there’s even more significance. I put a lot of pressure on myself to go to Indiana and perform. I get to race in front of a lot of fans and family that don’t get to see me the rest of the year. There is definitely a lot of emphasis on that weekend. I think it is for the whole field, but especially if you’re from Indiana.”

    Ryan Preece: “For me, I enjoy the road courses, and I think it’s another opportunity – for sure. I’ve always been a huge fan of the Brickyard and the oval, but I think the road racing definitely can kind of put a variable in there that maybe we can squeak one out.”

    Austin Cindric: “I’m excited for Indy. I think we certainly have some work to do on our road course package to get us into good enough form to win races. I think we have some good ideas coming into the week. It’s a really important stretch for me, to try to win to get into the playoffs. Winning in Indy would be a double whammy.”

    Todd Gilliland: “I think the next three races are super important. Looking at Indy though, this was probably our strongest race last year – unload to finish, and we finished fourth there. I think we can go there and honestly compete – Top-10 or top-five all day. Those are our expectations. We know, to make the playoffs, it’s going to be tough. But, we need to go out there and win one of these next three races. I think Indy can be a really magical place to do that.”

    Harrison Burton: “It’s a fun road course, and it’s one of my favorite road courses. My best finish in the Cup Series was there, so I’m trying to back that up when I go. Any time you can get on Indianapolis’ racetrack, it’s a special moment. It’s easy to take that for granted when you race at all these amazing places every weekend. But, it’s always special at Indy.”

    GURNEY IS FORD’S ALL-TIME ROAD COURSE WINNER

    NASCAR has competed on 16 different road courses during its history and Ford has had 21 drivers win 33 times overall. Dan Gurney leads the way with five, which included four straight wins at Riverside International Raceway from 1963-66 while driving for the Wood Brothers. Mark Martin, on the strength of three straight triumphs at Watkins Glen International from 1993-95, is second.

    FORD’S ALL-TIME CUP ROAD COURSE WINNERS

    5 – Dan Gurney

    4 – Mark Martin

    2 – Fireball Roberts, Marvin Panch, Parnelli Jones, Ricky Rudd, Marcos Ambrose

    1 – Chuck Stevenson, Eddie Gray, Richard Petty, A.J. Foyt, Bobby Allison, Bill Elliott, Davey Allison, Geoffrey Bodine, Ernie Irvan, Rusty Wallace, Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Ryan Blaney.

    FORD’S ACTIVE WINNERS

    There are three current drivers who have won a NASCAR Cup Series race on a road course with Ford. The most recent winner was Ryan Blaney, who captured the inaugural event at the Charlotte Roval in 2018. Kevin Harvick, who goes into this weekend with 25 career Ford victories, got his first with the Blue Oval in 2017 when he won at Sonoma. Joey Logano scored his Cup victory at Watkins Glen International in 2015, which completed a weekend sweep after he won the NASCAR XFINITY Series race one day earlier.

    OTHER FORD WINNERS

    Besides the drivers mentioned above, Ford has five other competitors who have won on a road course in either the NASCAR Cup or NASCAR XFINITY Series. Brad Keselowski (Watkins Glen NXS with Ford, 2013); Chris Buescher (Mid-Ohio NXS with Ford, 2014); Michael McDowell (Road America NXS, 2016); Chase Briscoe (Charlotte Roval, 2018 and Indianapolis, 2020); and Austin Cindric (Road America NXS, 2020).

    HERBST HOT AGAIN

    With only five races remaining in the regular season, Riley Herbst has picked a good time to regain the form that saw him start the campaign with six consecutive top-10 finishes. Herbst has registered finishes of fourth, fifth and sixth in his last three races and moved from 11th to 9th in the series point standings. That has resulted in him being 40 points ahead of the cutoff as he looks to join fellow Ford driver Cole Custer, who clinched his postseason spot after winning in Portland and Chicago, in the 12-driver playoff field.

    PLAYOFF OPENER

    The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series opens their postseason this weekend as the first of seven races to determine the 2023 champion takes place at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Ford has four drivers contending for the title, including three former series champions. Zane Smith is looking to defend his crown and make the Championship 4 for a fourth consecutive season while Matt Crafton is trying to tie NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. for the most career series titles with four. Crafton’s ThorSport teammate, Ben Rhodes, could become only the fifth driver to win multiple truck series championships while Ty Majeski tries to claim his first.

    FORD NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS

    AT THE BRICKYARD

    1996 – Dale Jarrett (Oval)

    1997 – Ricky Rudd (Oval)

    1999 – Dale Jarrett (Oval)

    2018 – Brad Keselowski (Oval)

    2019 – Kevin Harvick (Oval)

    2020 – Kevin Harvick (Oval)

    FORD’S NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS

    AT THE BRICKYARD

    2020 – Chase Briscoe (Road Course)

    2021 – Austin Cindric (Road Course)

    FORD’S NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES WINNERS AT LOR

    1999 – Greg Biffle

    2002 – Terry Cook

    2003 – Carl Edwards

    2006 – Rick Crawford

  • Kaulig Racing Post-Race Report | Michigan International Speedway

    Kaulig Racing Post-Race Report | Michigan International Speedway

    FireKeepers Casino 400

    Justin Haley, No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camaro ZL1

    • Justin Haley qualified 26th for the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
    • During the opening 10 laps of the race, Haley lost two spots, radioing that his No. 31 Chevy was too tight handling. When the first caution came out on lap 14, Haley reported he was better in the rubber but still tight. The No. 31 was one of the only cars to take four tires during the first caution. The next caution fell on lap 34 as Haley had made his way from the rear to 27th place. Haley stayed out and restarted as the fourth car on bottom with six to go in stage, going three wide during the final few laps before finishing the stage 14th.
    • Haley reported he had no grip in the front tires and pitted for four tires, fuel and a right-rear adjustment before starting the second stage as the 13th car on the outside. The first caution of the stage came out just after the restart before going back to green on lap 56. The stage went green for eight laps before the next caution came out with Haley sitting 20th. Under caution, Haley pitted for right side tires and fuel before restarting as the 13th car on the outside on lap 70. Rain began falling on lap 74, bringing out the caution and red flagging the race as Haley sat 28th. He radioed that he was way too tight. As the race resumed Monday, Haley pitted under caution for left-side tires and fuel before restarting as the 14th car on the outside on lap 83. The caution came back out on lap 104, and Haley relayed the handling on the No. 31 Chevy was handling fine but was slow in traffic. He pitted for qualifying scuffs before the green flag came back out on lap 108 for the remainder of the second stage. Haley finished the stage in 22nd.
    • After staying out during the second stage break, Haley started the final stage as the eighth car on the outside before the caution came out on the restart. The field went back to green on lap 134. As the green-flag pit stops cycled through, Haley made it as high as 11th before pitting on lap 173 for right-side tires. Haley was forced to save fuel for the remainder of the race, ultimately crossing the finish line 23rd.

    “It wasn’t exactly the finish we wanted, but we’ll take it after the adversity we fought. We fired off super tight and were just slow in traffic. We finally got the No. 31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet feeling pretty sporty by the end of the second stage; we just needed track position. Then at the end we were showing short on fuel, so we had to save quite a bit. Overall, not a bad finish.” – Justin Haley

    AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions FARMSMART Camaro ZL1

    • AJ Allmendinger qualified 24th for the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
    • In the opening stage, Allmendinger fell back to 26th by lap 13 when the first caution came out, reporting to his team that his overall balance wasn’t bad, but he lacked speed. Allmendinger came down pit road for fuel only and restarted 22nd on lap 19, before falling back to 27th by lap 35 when another caution came out. The team came down pit road for an air pressure adjustment to help Allmendinger with rear security. Restarting in 29th on lap 39, Allmendinger had more rear security after the adjustment, and he went on to finish stage one in 22nd.
    • Allmendinger stayed out under the stage break and restarted 11th on lap 50. When the caution came out on lap 51, Allmendinger was running ninth. After restarting ninth on lap 55, Allmendinger fell back to 12th by lap 62 where he was running when the caution came out on lap 64. Still overall happy with the balance of his No. 16 Nutrien Ag Solutions FARMSMART Chevy, Allmendinger asked for more rear security as he especially struggled in dirty air. The team came down pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Allmendinger restarted 20th on lap 69 and moved up to 15th by lap 70 where he was running when the red flag came out for rain on lap 74. The reminder of the FireKeepers Casino 400 was postponed until Monday, due to inclement weather. When the race resumed, Allmendinger stayed out under caution and restarted ninth on lap 82, holding his position until the caution came out on lap 102. Staying out under caution, the No. 16 Chevy restarted sixth on lap 107 and went on to finish the second stage in eighth, earning three stage points.
    • Under the stage break, Allmendinger came down pit road for four tires and fuel and restarted in 26th on lap 126. The caution came out on the first lap back to green, and Allmendinger restarted 18th on lap 133. Allmendinger drove up to 15th on the restart but lacked grip when racing in traffic, causing him to fall back to 21st by lap 147. As cars began green flag pit stops, Allmendinger drove up to 12th before coming down pit road on lap 164. He came back down pit road under green to tighten a loose lug nut and went on to finish 26th.

    “We had decent handling in our Nutrien Ag Solutions FARMSMART Chevy all weekend; we just struggled in traffic and overall lacked speed. Pit road mistakes definitely cost us today. We’re disappointed in our finish, but our focus right now is making our team better. We’re moving on to Indy; hopefully we can unload with speed and have a solid weekend.” – AJ Allmendinger  

    Cabo Wabo 250

    Ross Chastain, No. 10 Jockey Chevrolet Camaro

    • Ross Chastain qualified 11th for the Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway.
    • The first caution of the day came early after only four laps complete. Chastain maintained his starting position and radioed that his No. 10 Jockey Chevrolet was too loose. The next caution fell just one lap after the restart. Chastain avoided a wreck, and moved up to ninth, adding that the car was beginning to tighten up. The caution flag would come out two more times before the end of the stage. Chastain went on to finish 13th and radioed that his No. 10 Chevy began handling extremely tight from possible nose damage.
    • Upon pitting for a right-side adjustment, the team found a small hole in the right front of the nose. Chastain came back down pit road to allow the team to fix the hole before starting the second stage at the rear of the field. The first caution of the second stage came out just two laps after the restart. Chastain said his No. 10 Chevy had better rear grip. After going back green on lap 43, the stage remained green until the end. Chastain finished 14th after coming from the rear, but radioed to the team his No. 10 Chevy was once again too tight handling.
    • During the stage break, Chastain pitted for four tires, fuel, a wedge adjustment and an air pressure adjustment to free up the No. 10 Chevy. The No. 10 crew earned Chastain five spots on pit road to begin the final stage. With under 50 laps remaining in the race, Chastain continued furthering the gap to the cars behind him and was told his lap times were much better before making his final green-flag pit stop of the race on lap 98. The next caution came out with just 12 laps to go, as Chastain sat eighth. The race went back to green with seven to go. Chastain crossed the finish line in seventh place.

    “It was a battle all day. We were loose to start the race, and then it built really tight after we got some right-front-fender damage, so we had come back down after our first pit stop to fix that. The guys did a great job patching that up, and we were super fast on pit road. We were tight the second run, and I felt like we were really behind the curve after that. Finally on the last green-flag stop in stage three, we got it freed up and had a couple of good restarts to hang on and finish seventh. I felt like it was a really productive day.” – Ross Chastain

    Daniel Hemric, No. 11 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet Camaro

    • Daniel Hemric qualified 16th for the Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway.
    • The first caution of the day came out on lap four, and Hemric relayed to the team that his center-exit could be better. He was told to save fuel under caution before restarting 13th on lap 10. The caution came out again on lap 11, and the team elected to stay out. Hemric restarted as the fourth car on the inside lane with 14 laps to go in the opening stage. The caution came again on lap 19, and Hemric reported he needed front turn and help getting into the corner better. Hemric restarted 10th with seven laps to go in the stage. Still battling handling issues, Hemric finished the stage 12th.
    • During the stage break, Hemric came down pit road for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments. He restarted 17th when the green flag flew on lap 36. The caution flag came out on lap 38 and went back to green on lap 42 with Hemric sitting 13th. Hemric went on to finish the second stage 15th.
    • Hemric pitted at the stage break for four tires, fuel and adjustments. The team did a track bar and air pressure adjustment to help the balance of the car before restarting as the eighth car on the outside lane on lap 67. By lap 90, Hemric sat 15th as the green-flag pit stops began. He made his scheduled, green-flag stop on lap 98 for four tires and fuel. As the green-flag stops cycled through, Hemric moved up to 13th before the caution came out with 12 laps to go. The green flag came back out with just seven laps to go, as Hemric restarted 12th. He quickly jumped to 10th after the restart but was shuffled back to 15th where he finished the race.

    “It was a weekend of humbling experiences. We just struggled with the ability to make overall speed, as well as the ability to make speed with the balance. This weekend was a struggle, but I’m still proud of everyone on this No.11 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet team. We get another opportunity to bounce back in the weeks ahead.” – Daniel Hemric

    Chandler Smith, No. 16 Quick Tie Products Chevrolet Camaro

    • Chandler Smith qualified sixth for the Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway.
    • Smith jumped to fifth just after the initial start. The yellow flag flew on lap four, and Smith said under caution that his car was tight from mid-corner on. The race restarted on lap 10 with the No. 16 Quick Tie Products Chevy lined up third on the outside. Smith took fourth place, but the yellow flag waved for a second time one lap later. He again lined up third on the outside and moved into the top three on the green flag, but another caution was called with the subsequent restart on lap 24. Smith dropped back to fourth in the seven-lap dash to the first green-white-checkered flag, where he would finish the first stage.
    • Smith pitted for tires and fuel during the stage caution, and crew chief, Bruce Schlicker, instructed the pit crew to make an air pressure adjustment to loosen up the car. The No. 16 restarted seventh on the outside line on lap 37 and moved into 11th before another caution was signaled on lap 39. Smith made up two spots quickly following the lap-43 restart, but fell back to 11th, where he finished stage two.
    • After more adjustments — including adding more tape to the grille – during the team’s penultimate pit stop, Smith began the last stage in 13th on lap 67. He moved up as high as 11th before coming down pit road for his final, full-service stop of the race on lap 97. The team made a trackbar adjustment, and Smith cycled back to 11th. The race’s final yellow flag came out with 12 to go, leading to a restart with seven laps remaining, and Smith lined up seventh on the outside. On the final lap, Smith was hit in the left rear and sent into the outside wall, while battling with the No. 21 for 12th. He nursed the car home for a 20th-place finish.

    “We got the No. 16 Quick Tie Products Chevy as good as it could be by the final restart, but having to line up just outside the top 10 put us right in the middle of the craziness. The car got really aero-tight all day when running in traffic, and it felt like we were behind the eight-ball after the first stage when we restarted in the pack. I’m not thrilled with where we finished and how we ended up there, but we thankfully got a chunk of points in the first stage to make the ending not hurt as much.” – Chandler Smith  


    About Kaulig Racing™

    Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started and has won back-to-back regular-season championships. Before becoming a full-time NCS team, Kaulig Racing made multiple starts in the 2021 NCS season and won in its seventh-ever start with AJ Allmendinger’s victory at “The Brickyard” for the Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team expanded to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 with Justin Haley piloting the No. 31 Camaro ZL1, and an all-star lineup featured in the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. Haley will continue to drive the No. 31 full-time in 2023, alongside AJ Allmendinger, who will drive the No. 16 Camaro ZL1. The team will continue to field three, full-time NXS entries; the No. 10 Chevrolet driven by an all-star lineup, the No. 11 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Hemric, and the No. 16 Chevrolet driven by Chandler Smith. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.