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Racing Notebook

Racing Notebook – Tuesday, January 28

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1 year ago

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PITTSBURGH, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Scott Dixon wins his 3rd Rolex watch, a recap of Kyle Busch’s Rolex 24 At Daytona as well as some NASCAR, IndyCar and Local Racing News are in today’s Racing Notebook:

SCOTT DIXON WINS THIRD ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA

Five-time NTT IndyCar Series Champion Scott Dixon is the 15th driver in Rolex 24 At Daytona history to win three overall victories in the twice-around-the-clock endurance event.

Dixon picked up his third Rolex watch this wekeend as one of the co-drivers in Wayne Taylor Racing’s winning No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R (pictured above).  Only six drivers have won more.

Dixon, who drives the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing in the NTT IndyCar Series, claimed overall Rolex 24 victories in 2006 and 2015 with Chip Ganassi’s team, which did not field an entry this year.

“We had times during the race with adversity, but the team was able to rebound with strategy and the driver lineup just worked through it in a calm manner, which is hard to do,” said Dixon.  “I’ve been a part of many 24-hour races in my career, but to come back from the many deficits we had in this race showed the absolute commitment from the team.  I’m really proud to be a part of the team, and I have to thank Chip (Ganassi) for letting me join Wayne (Taylor), Max (Angelelli) and everyone at Konica Minolta.  We’re Winners, that’s all that counts.”

Dixon went from Daytona to Australia to compete in the fames Bathurst 12-hour sports car race.  Dixon will co-drive the No. 76 Aston Martin of R-Motorsport with Jake Dennis and Rick Kelly.

KYLE BUSCH IMPRESSES IN ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA DEBUT

Kyle Busch participated in his first Rolex 24 At Daytona endurance race this past weekend, getting behind the wheel of AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3.

Busch completed four driving stints encompassing more than 6-hours behind the wheel.  Busch was fast enough to make up last on track and had the fastest lap in the car up until the last driver change.

“There was a lot going on and a lot to learn and kind of pick-up on and figure out,” said Busch.  “Overall it was good.  We had a lot of fun, I enjoyed it.  Unfortunately we just got a little behind with a brake change, had some issues on the right-front caliper.  I guess that got us a little farther back than we wanted to be.”

Busch’s team owner, 1996 IndyCar Champion Jimmy Vasser, was glad to have the defending NASCAR Cup Series Champion behind the wheel.

“A great team effort,” said Vasser, who drove for Chip Ganassi Racing from 1995-2000.  “With the troubles we had, nobody gave up, everybody pitched in and speaking on Kyle, he impressed.  I’m not sure why he impressed.  He’s a NASCAR Champion.  He’s won more NASCAR races in the modern day than anybody but it takes a lot of confidence and guts to jump into a discipline that he’d never really done before and he did it with ease.  He was really, really impressive.”

KYLE KIRKWOOD JOINING ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT

Kyle Kirkwood, the 2019 Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires Champion is joining the Andretti Autosport Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires team for the 2020 season. The rookie stand-out will drive the No. 28 car for the reigning championship team.

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“We are very excited about the addition of Kyle to our Indy Lights program,” said Michael Andretti, CEO and Chairman, Andretti Autosport. “We’ve followed Kyle’s career from when he started in 2018 with the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship and have been impressed with his success in every race that led to his Indy Pro 2000 Championship last year. As a championship-caliber team, Kyle displays the desire and talent that we look for in our drivers and are excited to see him hit the track for the 2020 Indy Lights season.”

“I am ecstatic that I can now say I am competing in Indy Lights with Andretti Autosport this season,” said Kirkwood. “They have established a winning program in Indy Lights and we plan on carrying that reputation throughout 2020.”

Kirkwood will take to the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, for the Indy Lights season opener March 13 – 15.

ARROW McLAREN SP PARTNERS WITH MISSION FOODS

Arrow McLaren SP and Mission Foods are teaming up in a multi-year partnership in the NTT IndyCar Series.

Mission, the leading manufacturer of the world’s best-selling tortillas, wraps, flatbreads and other food products, will be represented on the team firesuit and crewshirts and the nose, cockpit side, in-car camera view and tire ramp of the car. The Mission brand will also be carried by team drivers Oliver Askew’s and Pato O’Ward’s firesuits and helmets.

“We are very excited and proud to partner with the Arrow McLaren SP team in the NTT IndyCar series and continue our involvement with McLaren Racing,” said Juan Gonzalez, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mission Foods.  “Both brands have a tremendous commitment to quality and the partnership gives us a great opportunity to interact with our consumers in a fun and exciting environment.”

TICKETS ON SALE FOR “FGL FEST” AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Tickets are on sale now for FGL Fest, the exciting concert headlined by global music superstars Florida Georgia Line on Saturday, July 4 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The concert takes place during the annual Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard Powered by Florida Georgia Line race weekend, July 3-5 at IMS. Other artists in the star-studded lineup will be announced soon.

“FGL Fest” is one of the highlights of the exciting, revamped event on Fourth of July weekend.

Tickets are available at IMS.com or by calling the IMS Ticket Office at 317-492-6700. General admission starts at $45, with Front Stage Concert Pit tickets $85 and VIP Concert tickets $195. All tickets include admission to all NASCAR action that day, including the historic inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series sponsored by Pennzoil on the IMS road course and NASCAR Cup Series practice. Buy tickets now, as prices will increase closer to the show.

GEORGE AND FEREE HONORED AT LERNERVILLE SPEEDWAY BANQUET

Rod George and Ed Ferree are the newest members of the Lernerville Speedway Hall of Fame.  Both were inducted into the HOF this past weekend at Lernerville’s award banquet.

George’s career featured 45-Sprint Car Feature wins along with 2-track Championships.  Ferree scored over 20-Late Model wins and back-to-back Championships in 1985 and 1986.

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Racing Notebook

Racing Notebook: Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr on Atlanta Front Row; Autotrader extends with Team Penske

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4 weeks ago

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March 20, 2021

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Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

PITTSBURGH, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – NASCAR has set the starting positions in the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series for this weekend’s races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Autotrader is extending their partnership with Team Penske.  The Stadium Super Truck Series is coming back to the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Hamlin And Truex Jr On Atlanta Cup Front Row:

  • Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr are on the front row for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Folds Of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  NASCAR sets the starting field using their Metric data formula.  Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski make up row 2.  Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson make up row 3.  There have been five different winners so far in five NASCAR Cup Series races in 2021. Atlanta Cup Starting Lineup
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Cindric And Burton On Xfinity Series Front Row:

  • Team Penske’s Austin Cindric and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Jeb Burton are on the front row for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series EchoPark 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  AJ Allmendinger and Brandon Brown make up row two followed by Harrison Burton and Justin Allgaier. Atlanta Xfinity Starting Lineup

Nemechek And Busch On Camping World Truck Series Front Row:

  • John Hunter Nemechek and his boss/team owner Kyle Busch will start on the front row for Saturday afternoon’s Fr8Auctions 200 NASCAR Camping World trucks series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  Nemechek beat his boss last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  Level Green PA’s Norm Benning will start 37th. Atlanta Truck Starting Lineup

Autotrader Extends Partership With Team Penske:

  • Autotrader is extending their partnership with Team Penske. The partnership renewal includes an increase in races where the Autotrader brand will serve as primary sponsor for the Ford Mustangs driven by both 2012 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Brad Keselowski and 2018 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Joey Logano. Keselowski and Logano will compete in the Autotrader orange and blue colors for a total of six races during the 2021 season, starting this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where Keselowski will race the No. 2 Autotrader Ford.
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Racing Notebook

Racing Notebook: Sheetz Partners With Richmond; Carshop Joins Team Penske; Moose Fraternity Partners With CGR

Published

4 weeks ago

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March 19, 2021

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Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

PITTSBURGH, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Richmond Raceway and Sheetz are continuing their partnership plus Team Penske announces a new partner as CarShop joins Austin Cindric’s program and Moose Fraternity partners with the No. 42 of Chip Ganassi Racing.

Sheetz Continues Partnership With Richmond Raceway:

  • Sheetz and Richmond Raceway are continuing their partnership for the 2021 season.  Sheetz is ‘The Official Convenience Store of Richmond Raceway’. In addition to Sheetz becomes the naming rights partner for ‘Richmond Nation’, the official season ticket program of the track. The official name of the season ticket program will now be ‘RICHMOND NATION presented by Sheetz’.
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CarShop Partners With Team Penske:

  • CarShop, an easy and fun way to buy like-new vehicles in-store or online, will partner with Team Penske’s reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Champion Austin Cindric and the No. 22 Ford Mustang team for the 2021 season. Beginning with this weekend’s NXS race at Phoenix Raceway, CarShop will be featured as the primary sponsor of the No. 22 Ford at several events this season, as Cindric and the team look to defend their series title.  CarShop, a wholly owned subsidiary of Penske Automotive Group, offers high-quality used vehicles with upfront, no-haggle pricing and a money-back guarantee.

Moose Fraternity Partnering With Chip Ganassi Racing:

  • The Moose Fraternity is partnering with Chip Ganassi Racing and the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro driven by Ross Chastain.  The Partnership includes several primary sponsor races as well as associate races for Moose Fraternity, who began a relationship with Chastain in 2020.  Members of the Moose conduct between $50 and $70-million worth of community service annually.

NASCAR Hires Martin As Vice-President:

  • NASCAR has named Eric Ryan their Vice President of Communications. In his new role, Ryan will provide leadership across strategic initiatives and day-to-day operations of the sanctioning body’s communications and public relations work. Based out of the company’s headquarters in Daytona Beach, Fla. and will report to Chief Communications & Social Responsibility Officer, Eric Nyquist.
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Racing Notebook

Racing Notebook: Chase Elliott on Pole Position For NASCAR Road Course Race; Sye Lynch Forms New Partnership and more

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2 months ago

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February 20, 2021

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PITTSBURGH, PA (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Chase Elliott is on the pole for race number 2 of the NASCAR Cup Series season plus Sye Lynch announces his 2021 plans; A new partnership forms between two former INDYCAR competitors; Weather postpones two World of Outlaws events and more in the latest edition of the Pittsburgh Racing Now Notebook.

Chase Elliott On Daytona Road Course Pole:

  • Hendrick Motorsports Chase Elliott will start from the pole position at this Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series road course race at Daytona International Speedway.  Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell will start second.  Austin Dillon and Denny Hamlin make up row 2. Chip Ganassi Racing’s Ross Chastain will start 9th in the No. 42 Chevrolet and Kurt Busch will start 17th in the No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet. The lineup is set by NASCAR’s Qualifying Metrics. Daytona Road Course Starting Lineup

Sye Lynch Partners With Josh Baughman:

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Michael Andretti and Michel Jourdain Team Up:

  • Michael Andretti is teaming up with Michel Jourdain are teaming up to field an entry in the Super Copa Championship.  The newly formed Andretti Jourdain Autosport team will be based in Mexico and contest the No. 1 car in the championship’s Touring Car division.  This new endeavor marks a seventh motorsport discipline for Andretti Autosport which also competes in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, IMSA LMP3 Prototype Challenge, the FIA Formula E Championship, Extreme E and Australian Supercars.

Transcard To Partner With Meyer Shank Racing At Nashville:

  • Transcard will partner with Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) and driver Helio Castroneves for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Music City Grand Prix in Nashville.  The inaugural Music City Grand Prix will be the second of six events for Castroneves with MSR.  Transcard is a leading global provider of solutions that help businesses, consumers, banks, and financial technology providers accelerate payments and related data. The Music City Grand Prix takes place August 6-8 on the streets of Nashville, TN.

Extreme Winter Weather Postpones WoO Events at Magnolia and The Rev:

  • The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series doubleheader weekend at Magnolia Motor Speedway, in Columbus, MS, and The Rev, in Monroe, LA, initially scheduled for this weekend (Friday, Feb. 19, and Saturday, Feb. 20), have been postponed due to extreme winter weather that is projected to continue throughout the weekend.

This Week on DirtVision:

  • The weather in parts of our country are frightful but there is racing action scheduled and DirtVision has it including the Drydene Extreme DIRTcar Series action from Lake View Motor Speedway on Saturday and Cherokee Speedway on Sunday.  Click here for the complete DirtVision schedule.
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