Katherine Legge To Returns to NASCAR

To The NASCAR Xfinity Series

 

With one of the most diverse careers in motorsports, spanning everything from INDYCAR / Indy 500, IMSA sports cars and NASCAR to testing a Formula 1 car, Katherine Legge will return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series for four races this season, beginning with this weekend’s Henry 180 at Road America. She will also be entered in the upcoming Xfinity Series races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen International, and Charlotte Motor Speedway, all with SS Greenlight in the #07 Chevrolet.

 

“The Indy 500 made me realize that life and racing careers are too short not to go for it,” said Legge. “My interest and passion is to continue to break new ground in motorsports. I’ve been proactive over the last year in thinking about what I want to do in my career and how I can accomplish those things. I’m so thankful to [SS Greenlight team co-owner] Bobby Dotter for the opportunity; and to Wayne Auton, Mike Helton, and Jim France, for welcoming me back to NASCAR, especially at one of my favorite tracks, Road America.”

 

In May, Legge made history with her Indy 500 qualifying run, turning the fastest single lap and four-lap qualifying average by a female driver in the 107-year history of the Indianapolis 500. Her four-lap average of 231.070 eclipsed the mark of 229.439 set in 2002. Legge became the ninth woman to compete in the Indy 500 in 2012; and in 2023 was the only woman in the race, generating 50 million media impressions for her third start in the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

 

“Female athletes are the rarest of birds because they are able to transcend audiences in a way that their male counterparts cannot, said Klint Briney, Legge’s agent. “At the Indy 500 this year, we saw unprecedented demand around Katherine from media outlets and major advertisers. It signals a sea change in our sport and highlights a new and emerging audience for figures like Katherine. We’re very optimistic about her future, as she’s racing now more than ever before and see great potential in maximizing her opportunities on and off the racetrack.”

 

Legge currently competes full-time in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Series driving the #66 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22. She has scored four top-10 finishes this season, including finishing fourth in the 24 Hours of Daytona. She also brought NSX its first ever win worldwide in Detroit in 2017.

 

The springboard to her professional career was winning the Toyota Atlantic series season opener in Long Beach in 2005, in her first career start, to become the first woman to win a developmental open-wheel race in North America. She also won that season at Edmonton and San Jose, finishing the season 3rd in the points championship and subsequently turning pro and moving up to Champ Car. She spent three seasons in Europe driving for Audi in the premier DTM series, and was a key part of the DeltaWing project in the American Le Mans Series. Formula One offered her a test in 2005 at Vallelunga Circuit in Italy.

 

In 2018, Legge competed in four NASCAR Xfinity Series races: at the Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course, Richmond Raceway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, and Road America, where she had her best finish of 14th out of 40 entries. For her return this year, her #07 machine will carry sponsorship from ref-ology + Blast Equality Collab (BEQ), Team Schuler of Compass Real Estate and the Women’s Premier Basketball Association (WPBA).

 

Blast Equality Collab, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded by Shelley Russi is a leadership collaboration taught through the lens of diverse sports experiences. Blast Equality Collab aims to help members and partners learn how to put people first while making decisions with a higher degree of integrity and accuracy by having to do it in real-world game/event situations. We partner with, and receive donations from, entities where our members are provided opportunities to put into practice Embodied Leadership at the intersection of Sports + Officiating, and beyond.

 

“Katherine Legge and SS Greenlight Racing embody the Blast Equality Collab (BEQ) Mission,” said Russi. “This opportunity to collaborate with Katherine, who trail blazes throughout the world, makes her the perfect fit to drive the SS Greenlight 07 at Road America. Katherine is a powerful sports figure who aligns with the BEQ Embodied Leadership vision. Alongside Team Schuler, we are supporting the first Black Woman-owned, FIBA certified league in California where the WPBA is generating opportunity for WPBA players to land contracts internationally/domestically, in a playing capacity or in leadership roles impacting corporate culture.”

 

Following this weekend’s Henry 180 NASCAR Xfinity Series Road America 180 on July 22 (televised on NBC at 3:00 PM ET), Legge’s remaining 2023 schedule will include:

 

• · Road America IMSA SportsCar Weekend Aug. 6 (USA Network, 11:00 AM ET).
• · NASCAR Xfinity Pennzoil 150 presented by Advance Auto Sports on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Aug. 12 (USA Network, 5:30 PM ET).
• · NASCAR Xfinity Shriners Children’s 200 at Watkins Glen International on Aug. 19 (USA Network, 3:30 PM ET).
• · IMSA SportsCar Michelin GT Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway on Aug. 27 (USA Network, 2:00 PM ET).
• · IMSA SportsCar Battle on The Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Sept. 17 (NBC, 1:00 PM ET).
• · NASCAR Xfinity Drive for the Cure 250 presented by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina on Oct. 7 (NBC, 3:00 PM ET).
• · IMSA SportsCar Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Oct. 14 (USA Network, 6:30 PM ET).

Practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Road America 180 will begin on Friday, July 28 at 5:05 PM, with qualifications following at 6:05 PM, and the race on Saturday, July 29 at 3:00 PM ET. All on-track action can be seen on NBC or NBC’s Peacock Premium streaming service.

 

We’re super excited to have @katherinelegge in the #07 @refology @WomensPBA Chevrolet Camaro for @roadamerica !!

Poster designed by @ScunchoCreative pic.twitter.com/BTJYKFJ3Di

— SS GreenLight Racing (@SSGLR0708) July 27, 2023

 

source: BRANDed PR Media

Noah Gragson Fined and Loses Points

Rough Driving at Road America

 

NASCAR officials penalized Noah Gragson after rough driving during last Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Road America, docking him 30 points in the drivers’ standings and fining him $35,000 for violating Sections 4.4.C&E: NASCAR Member Code of Conduct. JR Motorsports also was hit with a 30-point deduction in the owner standings.

 

Gragson remains in fourth place in the Xfinity Series standings, but his gap over teammate Josh Berry in fifth place has been reduced to five points. Gragson is a two-time winner this season, with victories at Phoenix and Talladega.

 

Gragson was a central figure in touching off a 13-car crash during the Henry 180, making retaliatory contact with his No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in a battle with Alpha Prime Racing’s Sage Karam. The aftermath of Gragson’s bump clogged the track in the Moraine Sweep section of the 4.048-mile course in the 25th of 48 laps, and Brandon Brown was shaken up in the wreck.

 

Gragson was not penalized during the race, but he was summoned to the Xfinity Series hauler for a post-race consultation with competition officials. Tuesday morning, Elton Sawyer — NASCAR’s vice president of officiating and technical inspection — hinted in an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that punishment was possible with the release of the midweek penalty report.

 

“We have additional information post-race that we didn’t have immediately after the race when we were speaking with Noah,” Sawyer told SiriusXM. “So again, we’ll look at it internally (Tuesday), what we’ve done in the past and in similar situations, but all things are on the table. And during the event, you know, it could rise to a level that you park a vehicle. It can rise to a level that we hold them for several laps. In this particular case, you know, we elected to speak with Noah post-race to make sure we had all the information and facts that we needed. And again, we’ll take a deeper dive into that incident (Tuesday) morning.”

 

Statement from @EarnhardtKelley on today's penalty: pic.twitter.com/uaLrh6iFES

— JR Motorsports (@JRMotorsports) July 6, 2022

 

Karam, making just his seventh Xfinity start, finished 31st after the early exit for his No. 45 Chevy. His post-race anger was echoed by team owner Tommy Joe Martins, who said: “I would be embarrassed to be associated with (Gragson). How many times is he going to publicly apologize? Now he’s trying to act like he’s a bad dude, tough guy. Like are you kidding me, that’s the softest thing I’ve ever seen. I’ll tell you what’s tough, trying to come out here and racing with a budget that’s less than a quarter of what they’re doing.”

 

Gragson continued to an eighth-place finish, and remained defiant in post-race interviews. “It’s one thing if you’re faster than someone,” Gragson said Saturday, “but to throw it off in there and run you off the race track in the corner, door you, run you off the track. Finally, after the third time, I’m over it. It’s not the ideal situation for him and his team, but two or three times, I’m done with it.”

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr., co-owner of JR Motorsports, appeared on SiriusXM on Wednesday and said, “I was shocked, to be honest with you, when I saw Noah make that decision. I was just completely shocked and in a bit of disbelief not only that he made that choice but that he, you know, that it created such an accident and got so many other guys involved.”

 

 

 

Gragson, 23, is in his fourth full season of Xfinity Series competition, notching seven career victories so far for JR Motorsports. He made his Cup Series debut earlier this year in the Daytona 500.

 

source: NASCAR Media

NASCAR / ARCA /SRX Race Weekend Recap (Road America, Irwindale, Stafford)

Winners: Tyler Reddick (Cup); Ty Gibbs (Xfinity); Jack Drew (ARCA West) plus Ryan Newman(SRX) 

 

NASCAR Cup

Tyler Reddick Holds Off Chase Elliott

 

It was a dogfight between two drivers, pure and simple.

 

It was Tyler Reddick who outdueled pole winner Chase Elliott in the intense mano-a-mano battle in Sunday’s Kwik Trip 250 at Road America.

 

The victory was Reddick’s first in the NASCAR Cup Series, making him the fifth first-time winner this season. As the 13th different winner this year, Reddick shrank the Playoff bubble by one position.

 

“I definitely knew he was fast, but we could stay with him on the long run, which told me if we cycled through that last … that pit sequence, we’d be close or get around him (on pit road), (and) we’d have a great shot.

 

“Didn’t quite get around him. We were within reach. Thankfully, just waited for the right opportunity and was able to take advantage of it in Turn 6.”

 

“What better place than Road America?” Reddick said. “I love the fans. I love this race track. Being here on 4th of July weekend is just so special, and just a huge shoutout to (sponsor) 3Chi and the special paint scheme we had this weekend.

 

 

"Either he cried himself to sleep because I beat his favorite driver Chase Elliott, or he's just really tired."@TylerReddick's son Beau was asleep in victory lane. 😅 pic.twitter.com/sT6NJFhUyk

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 3, 2022

 

Pole: Chase Elliott

Click Here for Race Results  

Next Race: The Cup Series will return on Sunday, July 10th for the Quaker State 400 Presented By Walmart at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 

 

 

NASCAR Xfinity

Ty Gibbs Overtakes Kyle Larson For The #Win

 

With a masterful pass of pole winner Kyle Larson on the final lap of overtime, Ty Gibbs won Saturday‘s Henry 180 at Road America.

 

Larson took the white flag in the lead, but Gibbs had a better run down the frontstretch and dogged Larson‘s No. 17 Chevrolet through Turns 1 and 2. Gibbs took advantage of an opening to the inside in Turn 3 and powered his No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota past Larson for the lead and the win.

 

“This is just awesome,” Gibbs said, who had just beaten the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion head-to-head. “I can‘t believe it. This is just wonderful.”

 

“I think we were a little bit faster in the first half of the track… Hopefully, a lot of people were watching. It‘s cool to be here, a cool race against some Cup Series guys. Hopefully, that says something.”

 

 

🏁🏁🏁🏁 pic.twitter.com/iXN0mjSSPi

— Ty Gibbs (@TyGibbs_) July 3, 2022

 

Pole: Kyle Larson

Click Here for Race Results  

Next Race: The Xfinity Series will return on Saturday, July 9th for the Alsco Uniforms 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 

 

 

NASCAR Trucks

Off Weekend for the Camping World Truck Series

Next Race: The Truck Series will return on Saturday, July 9 for the O'Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. 

 

 

ARCA - West

Jake Drew wins at Irwindale for Third Straight West Victory

 

Jake Drew made a statement Saturday night in the face of anybody who felt inclined to discredit his pair of victories in the previous two ARCA Menards Series West races.

 

Drew, the 22-year-old Sunrise Ford Racing driver from Fullerton, California, dominated the NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame and picked up his third consecutive West Series victory. Unofficially, he led all 154 laps at Irwindale Speedway.

 

He did so on the heels of winning back-to-back road course races in the West Series, the first at Portland International Raceway on June 4 for his maiden West Series victory, and the second at Sonoma Raceway on June 11. Both wins came in races that were shortened, the first by weather conditions and the second by time constraints.

 

“Three in a row — it’s incredible. I feel on top of the world,” said Drew, whose win at Irwindale marked his first ARCA victory on an oval track. “This is a dream come true.”

 

“I have a great team around me, and I’ve learned so much the last year and a half,” Drew said. “I feel like these last couple of races, pieces have really started to click in my head. I think experience is showing right now.” 

 

Here are the @reeses Sweet Move of the Race nominees from @Irwindale_Spdwy! pic.twitter.com/ULtXcHgLhX

— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) July 3, 2022

 

Pole: Jake Drew

Click Here for Race Results  

Next Race: The ARCA Series (a Sioux Chief Showdown Race) will return on July 8th for the Dawn 150 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. 

 

 

Superstar Racing Experience

NASCAR’s Ryan Newman Wins His First SRX Race at Stafford Motor Speedway

 

Former NASCAR star Ryan Newman passed IndyCar driver Marco Andretti with four laps to go in the 75-lap event and held on to take the checkered flag, joining Helio Castroneves and defending SRX champion Tony Stewart as winners in the first three races of the six-race season.

 

“It’s just so special,” Newman told CBS Sports of both the win and that his two daughters, Brooklyn and Ashlyn, were on hand to cheer him on. “To have these two girls right here, nobody knows what that means to me.

 

“I got a good dive in between (turns) 3 and 4 and I learned yesterday (during Friday’s practice) it’s easier to pass in 3 and 4 than 1 and 2. So that’s where I put my effort and we were able to pull it off.”

 

 

A night the Newman family will never forget. 💙#CampingWorldSRX | @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/kjqz00CBFA

— Superstar Racing Experience (@SRXracing) July 3, 2022

 

Pole: Hailie Deegan

Click Here for Race Results   Next Race: The SRX Series will return on July 9th at Nashville Fairgrounds

 

source: NASCAR Media

NASCAR Road America Recap

Winners: Chase Elliott (Cup); Kyle Busch (Xfinity); Jesse Love (ARCA West) plus Ernie Francis, Jr. (SRX)

 

Chase Elliott Surges to Cup Series Win at Road America

 

After one event in “exile,” Chase Elliott once again is King of the Road.

 

The reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion passed Kyle Busch for the lead on Lap 46 of 62 and cruised to victory in Sunday’s Jockey Made in America 250 Presented by Kwik Trip, the first Cup race at the 4.048-mile road course in 65 years.

 

“Just really proud of our team for overcoming some adversity early and having to start in the back, having good pit stops,” said Elliott, who restarted fifth on Lap 46 after the final caution of the race for Anthony Alfredo’s spin into a Turn 1 gravel trap.

 

“Had a really fast NAPA Chevrolet. Just so proud. We’ve had a rough few week, so it feels really good.”

 

Happy 4th everybody! I hope everyone had themselves as good of a day as we did in Wisconsin! I’m about to trade in the #A_SHOCenergy for some 🍺…
🇺🇸#di9 pic.twitter.com/jtOUArYF4F

— Chase Elliott (@chaseelliott) July 5, 2021

 

 

Kyle Busch Rallies from Pair of Detours for Xfinity Series win at Road America

 

Taking advantage of a late wreck that foiled other contenders — not to mention fresher tires for the final six-lap green-flag run — Kyle Busch won Saturday’s Henry 180 at Road America, claiming his fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series victory in four starts this season.

 

On Lap 41 of 45, Busch took the lead from AJ Allmendinger, whose No. 16 Chevrolet was struggling on older tires.

 

Over the next four laps, the driver of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota widened his lead to 3.522 seconds at the finish over teammate Daniel Hemric, who ran second after passing Allmendinger for the runner-up spot.

 

“Obviously, tires — that was the saving grace for us,” said Busch, who got four new tires under caution on Lap 36. “We had a set of tires left over and (Allmendinger) didn’t.

 

“When we did put our last set of tires on, I wasn’t sure we’d be able to get through that many cars. I don’t know what happened on those last couple of restarts. I couldn’t really see what was happening. We were fortunate to get by that stuff and get through that stuff without any damage to our race car.”

 

"Tires were the saving grace." 🙏@KyleBusch used fresh tires to grab his 101st NASCAR #XfinitySeries win at @roadamerica! pic.twitter.com/XeFpSC1yHs

— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) July 3, 2021

 

Jesse Love Rallies at Irwindale For First West Series Win of 2021

 

Jesse Love spent the majority of Saturday night’s ARCA Menards Series West race at Irwindale Speedway trying and failing to catch pole-sitter Dean Thompson. The 2020 Late Model track champion at the half-mile oval outside of Los Angeles was the driver to beat.

 

All Love needed, it turned out, was the chance to muscle past Thompson on a short run. The defending West Series champ received that opportunity when a late caution catalyzed a restart with four laps to go, and he took advantage.

 

At the end of those four laps, the 16-year-old from Menlo Park, California, emerged as the winner of the NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by the West Coast Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame.

 

“My dad always told me the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result,” joked an elated Love after the race, referring to his repeated attempts to pass Thompson on the inside of Irwindale’s progressively banked corners before successfully doing so in the closing laps. “I’m so happy; it’s so awesome.

 

“I want to say thank you to everybody at Toyota, NAPA, all of my family and friends. I have a happy team owner. Thank you everybody.”

 

WINNER: @jesselovejr1's pass for the win at Irwindale 💪 pic.twitter.com/eY67LG3j8n

— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) July 4, 2021

 

 

Ernie Francis, Jr. Survives Late-Race Fireworks to Win SRX

 

Ernie Francis Jr., scored an emphatic victory in the Camping World SRX Series race Saturday night at Lucas Oil Raceway, beating NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Labonte in a two-lap shootout to the finish.

 

The cleanest race in the Camping World SRX Series’ short history devolved into a slugfest in the final 10 laps and Ernie Francis, Jr. had the biggest fists in route to his first series win at Lucas Oil Raceway. Scott Speed finished the podium in third.

 

“I’m totally speechless,” Francis told pit reporter Matt Yocum after the race. “This is incredible. Man those last 10 – 15 laps, they felt like an eternity out there. All the cautions. I was just focusing on getting a good restart. Me and Scott Speed went after it for a few laps there, side-by-side. I didn’t know how that was going to end up. Got a few donuts on the car, but I couldn’t be happier with it.”

 

 

source: NASCAR Media

NASCAR Cup Series Returns to Road America

Ends a Nearly 65 years Absence

• Race: Jockey Made in America 250 Presented by Kwik Trip 
• Place: Road America  
• Date: Sunday, July 4  
• Time: 2:30 p.m. ET  
• TV: NBC, 2 p.m. ET 
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio  
• Distance: 250 miles (62 Laps)
• Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 14)
• Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 29)
• Final Stage (Ends on Lap 62) 

 

The best place to start today’s road course action @roadamerica? From the pole. 😎@WilliamByron will lead the field to green in the @LibertyU Chevy! pic.twitter.com/nLF0tLDV7V

— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) July 4, 2021

 

For the first time in nearly 65 years, the NASCAR will return to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin to compete on the world famous Road America today, July 4 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The Jockey Made in America 250 Presented by Kwik Trip race marks just the second time in series history that Road America has hosted a Cup event.

 

Some 4th of July landscaping from @keselowski! 😯 pic.twitter.com/3mRKoRUzgi

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 4, 2021

 

In the early 1950’s, sports car races were being run on the streets in and around Elkhart Lake, but the state legislature banned racing on the public roads soon after. A man named Clif Tufte organized a group of local citizens and leaders of the Chicago Region of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). This group developed plans and sold stock to build a permanent racecourse. The overall vision of Road America grew out of the dreams of Tufte, a highway engineer, who chose 525 acres of Wisconsin farmland outside the Village of Elkhart Lake for the track. Ground broke for Road America in April of 1955 and the track’s first SCCA national race weekend was held later that same year (September 10, 1955).

 

At 4.048-miles in length, with 14 turns, the track is virtually the same today as it was when it was first laid out. The natural topography of the glacial Kettle Moraine area was utilized for the track, sweeping around rolling hills and plunging through ravines making it one of the most challenging tracks in the world.

 

The first, and up until this weekend, the only, NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America was on August 12, 1956. An estimated crowd of 10,000 braved terrible weather to watch the event. And in an unusual ruling, NASCAR limited the cars to 10 gallons of fuel at start the race.

 

The August 12, 1956, race was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tim Flock driving a Mercury for car owner Bill Stroppe. Flock led 17 laps of the 63-lap event, making just two pit stops en route to his win; his fourth victory of the 1956 season. Flock won with an average speed of 73.858 mph and did it in 3 hours, 29 minutes, and 50 seconds. He won the race by a 17 second margin of victory over second place. Bill Stroppe’s cars actually finished 1-2 in the race with Flock winning and his teammate Billy Myers finishing second.

 

Road America will be the fourth of seven road courses on the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series schedule. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell won the first road course race of the season at the Daytona Road Course, followed by Hendrick Motorsport’s driver and 2020 series champion Chase Elliott won at Circuit of The Americas and then Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson won at Sonoma Raceway.

 

 

source: NASCAR Media

NASCAR Xfinity Series “Henry 180”

Fun Facts & News

• Race: Henry 180
• Place: Road America
• Date: Saturday, July 3
• Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
• TV: NBC, 2 p.m. ET
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: 182.16 miles (45 Laps)
• Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 10)
• Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 20)
• Final Stage (Ends on Lap 45)

Up Next: Left and right turns at Road America

It’s a Fourth of July weekend full of road-course racing in Wisconsin at Road America.  The 4.048-mile, 14-turn road course spread across 640 acres in Elkhart Lake has been home to 11 NASCAR Xfinity Series races. This season, the NASCAR Cup Series will head to Road America as well after the Xfinity Series kicks off the weekend Saturday afternoon with the Henry 180 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

 

Last weekend at Pocono Raceway, the Xfinity Series saw Austin Cindric holding off a hard-charging Ty Gibbs to capture his fourth victory of the season. Justin Allgaier finished third, Noah Gragson finished fourth and AJ Allmendinger rounded out the top five. There were six cautions for 21 laps and 11 lead changes. Cindric topped Gibbs crossing the finish line by 0.331 seconds.

 

This weekend, the NASCAR Xfinity Series will compete in practice and qualifying at Road America for the fourth time this season. All other lineups have been set by metric qualifying due to COVID-19 procedures at the start of the 2021 season.

 

The Xfinity Series first and only practice at Road America will be on Friday, July 2 at 4:05 p.m. ET on NBCSN and the qualifying session will be on Saturday, July 3 at 11:35 a.m. ET on NBCSN beginning at 12 p.m. ET.

 

👏👏👏 https://t.co/6flXIRGEiz

— Road America (@roadamerica) July 3, 2021

 

Can Road America’s Xfinity different winners streak continue?

Count ‘em up. A total of 11 different NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers have visited Road America’s Victory Lane in as many races and in this weekend’s Henry 180 will be on at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio we could see an 11th.

 

The top two different winner streaks by track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series belong to Road America (11 different winners) and Michigan (10 different winners).

 

The record for the most consecutive different winners a single track is 23, set at New Hampshire Motor Speedway between the 1990-2009 seasons.

 

Road America currently holds the longest active Xfinity Series different winners streak at 11 – dating back to the 2010 season.

 

Three former Xfinity Series Road America winners are entered this weekend – Austin Cindric, AJ Allmendinger, Jeremy Clements and Justin Allgaier.

 

Facts & Numbers: Road America

Saturday’s Henry 180 will be the 12th running of a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Road America. There have been six different pole winners and 11 different race winners. Only three of the 11 races have been won from the pole position including the inaugural race in 2010, won by Carl Edwards. And four of the 11 victors are entered this weekend.

 

Most recently, Austin Cindric won the race in 2020 at the road course and he’ll look to go back-to-back and two in a row after his win last weekend at Pocono Raceway. Cindric’s Road America win last season made him the youngest winner at 21 years, 11 months, six days.

 

The last race that was won from the pole was in 2013 by AJ Allmendinger, also marking his first career Xfinity Series victory. He will once again take on the track this weekend for Kaulig Racing.

 

Jeremy Clements is the other active driver who got their first Xfinity win at Road America. His win was in 2017.

 

JR Motorsport’s Justin Allgaier grabbed the win at Road America back in 2018. The veteran has made nine Xfinity series starts at Road America and leads the series in top-10 finishes in the 4.048-mile track.

 

In last season’s Road America race, Allmendinger finished second to Cindric followed by Chase Briscoe, Kaz Grala, Andy Lally, Noah Gragson, Ross Chastain, Preston Pardus, Ryan Sieg and Michael Annett. There were seven cautions for 15 laps and 13 lead changes with a Margin of Victory of 1.318 seconds. The average speed was 61.83 mph.

 

Grala, Lally and Pardus will all be back this weekend competing at Road America along with Allmendinger, Cindric, Gragson, Sieg and Annett who are fulltime in the Xfinity Series.

 

Of note, Kris Wright will run for Sam Hunt Racing in the No. 26 Toyota and veteran road ace Boris Said will run for Hattori Racing Enterprises.

 

NASCAR Cup Series regulars Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick will also compete this weekend – both for the first time at Road America. They will use their experience in the Xfinity Series to help them for the Cup Series race

 

.

 

source: NASCAR Media

Road America Schedule

Saturday - Xfinity Race / Sunday - #NASCAR Cup

Last Weekend’s NASCAR Events’ Recap

NASCAR Xfinity Series raced at Road America, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series battled at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, while both the K&N Pro Series East and West competed at Gateway Motorsports Park.

Derek Kraus celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the Monaco Gateway Classic

Derek Kraus Gets Redemption, Wins at Gateway

In the second of two combination races between the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West this season, Derek Kraus was able get the best of both those worlds in Friday night’s Monaco Gateway Classic presented by the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame at Gateway Motorsports Park, as he wound up in Victory Lane.

Following finishes of 20th at Iowa and ninth at Evergreen, both where he ran out of fuel, the Stratford, Wisconsin, native was able to pull away late in the 120-lap event to earn his third K&N Pro Series win of the season and fourth of his career. It was a win he called his biggest.

“It was definitely a difficult night,” a relieved Kraus said. “About 15 laps into it, something with the spark plug went wrong, was really slow down the straightaways. We fell back, I don’t even know where we were, but we restarted the second stage in the back and drove up to third and caught the front two.”

. @derek9kraus Wins #KNEast #KNWest Combo Over @BMR_NASCAR Teammate @colerouse2 https://t.co/1uoPkJ9piI Inaugural K&N Pro Series Visit To @GatewayMSP pic.twitter.com/ALJUEAiBRA

— Bill McAnally Racing (@BMR_NASCAR) August 25, 2018

* * * * *

The starter waves the checkered flag as Harrison Burton (#51)
prepares to cross the finish line at Canadian Tire Mosport Park

Justin Haley Wins Thrilling Truck Playoff Race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series made the annual trip to Canada to open up their 2018 Playoffs at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

Despite missing the 2018 Playoffs, Todd Gilliland seemed almost destined to win his first career truck series race Sunday at CTMP. Taking the lead on Lap 53 from Johnny Sauter, it was smooth sailing for Gilliland, until a late race caution set up a thrilling NASCAR Overtime battle with his Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate and Playoff driver Noah Gragson. Gragson, who won both previous stages, dove to pass Gilliland in the final turn.

In similar shades to the move made by Chase Elliott in the 2013 race, the contact sent both Gragson and Gilliland spinning. The two trucks blocked the racetrack, causing a massive pile up coming to the checkered flag. The ensuing carnage allowed fellow Playoff driver Justin Haley to sneak through the wreckage and win the Chevrolet Silverado 250.

Hey @Justin_Haley_, how does it feel to advance in the #NASCARPlayoffs? pic.twitter.com/mgGvPClg1M

— NASCAR Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) August 26, 2018

The 19-year-old driver from Winamac, Indiana lead only a single lap all race long and it proved to be the most important one. With this victory, Haley claims his second checkered flag of the 2018 season.

"We were just in the right place at the right time" said Haley celebrating in Victory Lane. "I can’t thank everyone at GMS Racing enough; it was a truly blessed day."

* * * * *  

Justin Allgaier Celebrates with a Burnout After Winning the ‘Johnsonville 180’

Justin Allgaier Powers to Fourth Xfinity Win of 2018 at Road America

Continuing to make the most of his banner year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Justin Allgaier took advantage of a mistake by James Davison in the closing laps of the Johnsonville 180 to cruise to his fourth win of the season at the 4.048-mile road course of Road America.

Allgaier who used pit strategy throughout the 45-lap event to keep his No. 7 BRANDT Chevrolet Camaro up front elected to stay out when the final caution waved at Lap 38 when Josh Bilicki crashed in Turn 12.

The career year continues for @J_Allgaier as he takes his 4th #XfinitySeries win of the season at @roadamerica! pic.twitter.com/YzTTrel3X9

— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) August 25, 2018

But, a push from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell on the Lap 39 restart, Davison grabbed the lead entering Turn 1 from Allgaier – but the Australian made a mistake and overshot the corner in Turn 8 – handing the lead back to Allgaier who then cruised to a 5.303 second victory over Matt Tifft.

"The last restart there, (James Davison) kind of left before I did and (Matt Tifft) gave me a shot based on he didn't think (Davison) was going. I spun the tires really bad after I got hit," Allgaier said in Victory Lane. "I thought I had gave it away.

"Then when he made the mistake down in (Turn) 8, I knew I just had to be smooth and fast. This team is awesome. I told them on the radio after the race that it was an honor to drive these race cars. I can thank everyone enough that's on this race team and back at JR Motorsports."

Source: NASCAR.com

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Weekend Schedule For #NASCAR Xfinity, Truck and K&N Pro Series

Road America, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, and Gateway Motorsports Park

NASCAR Xfinity Series will be at Road America, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be at Canadian Tire, while both the K&N Pro Series East and West will race at Gateway Motorsports Park.

When you're a @NASCARHall of Famer, you can throwback to your own car.@BillElliott9 is running at @RoadAmerica in the @NASCAR_Xfinity race Saturday at 2:30PM ET on @NBCSN, and he's got a scheme from his time driving for Junior Johnson! pic.twitter.com/01TB098hh3

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 22, 2018

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series has this weekend off. Check out the full schedule below, which is subject to change.

FRIDAY, AUG. 24

ROAD AMERICA

• 1:35-2:25 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series first practice, NBC Sports App
• 3:35-4:55 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series final practice, NBC Sports App

GATEWAY MOTORSPORTS PARK

• 10:15-11:15 a.m.: NASCAR K&N Pro Series First Practice
• 1:30-3:00 p.m.: NASCAR K&N Pro Series Final Practice
• 5:30 p.m.: NASCAR K&N Pro Series Group Qualifying
• 9:15 p.m.: NASCAR K&N Pro Series Monaco Gateway Classic (Time Approx.)

SATURDAY, AUG. 25

ROAD AMERICA

• 12:35 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying, NBCSN
• 3 p.m.: NASCAR Xfinity Series Johnsonville 180 (45 laps, 182.16 miles), NBCSN

CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORT PARK

• 9:30-10:25 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice, No TV
• 11:35 a.m.-12:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice, No TV
• 6 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying, FS2

SUNDAY, AUG. 26

CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORT PARK

• 2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chevrolet Silverado 250 (64 laps, 157.37 miles), FS1 

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoff Opener comes to CTMP this weekend Aug. 24 - 26. On-track racing action around the clock, off-track action in the CTMP Marketplace featuring the Saturday Night Party & Fireworks. #ctmplife #NASCARPlayoffs #Chevy250 #TOTAL200 pic.twitter.com/2WqMPEfcAW

— CTMP (@CTMPOfficial) August 22, 2018

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Jeremy Clements Pulls Off the Spin and Win

Earns a Chase Playoff Berth

If you are like most NASCAR fans, you were glued to the television Sunday for the Xfinity Race at Road America yesterday in the ‘Johnsonville 180’. With Watkins Glen International and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the record books, this was the last road course remains on the NASCAR XFINITY Series 2017 schedule.

Driver Brendan Gaughan was the only previous series Road America winner entered in the race. Therefore, the odds of a new Road America winner was high. However, Jeremy Clements was not high on that list. After all, he had never won a #NASCAR Xfinity series race in his two hundred and fifty-five starts.

Jeremy drives for a family team he co-owns with his father Tony Clements. A less funded team, it was not surprising that his race vehicle is a Chevrolet that was built in 2008; the car he wrecked at Mid-Ohio two weeks earlier.

Therefore the task of winning in a top-level NASCAR event was not a simple one for Clements. It has been a decade since a driver with no Cup experience won a Xfinity race on a team with no Cup ties However, he held the race lead for a handful of laps when the leaders pitted early in the third stage and he was out in front for the one that mattered most in the 45-lap event.

“I was licking my chops,” Clements said. “I was just so excited, I couldn’t believe that the (win) was right there for me to get. 

Then with just two laps remaining, Jeremy Clements and Matt Tifft battled down the stretch at Road America. Both spin after making contact and spin. Clements manage to scramble back onto the track in first place and persisted there for the win.

“I was really beating a lot of guys out of those last two corners. Especially the last corner; I could get in really deep. That’s where I thought I could pass (Tifft) at. I should have maybe been a little more patient. But it was coming on the last lap. He’s probably mad though, and I’m sorry to him.”

Who is Jeremy Clements

FAST FACTS:  

• DOB: January 16, 1985
• Height: 5′8″
• Weight: 150 lbs.
• Hometown: Spartanburg, SC
• Racing Experience: Karts, Stock Four Cylinders, Modified Four Cylinders, Limited Late Models, Super Late Models, ARCA RE/MAX Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series
• Interests: Racing, Travel, Video Games and Movies

ABOUT JEREMY Jeremy Clements is carrying on a family tradition long rooted in NASCAR. He is the grandson of famed NASCAR owner and renowned engine builder, Crawford Clements. Jeremy’s uncle, Louis Clements, was a Championship Crew Chief with Rex White. 

Together, Crawford and Louis spent over 25 years making history with their engine development programs and ownership of race cars. Today his father and Jeremy Clements Racing Team owner, Tony Clements, continues to run Clements Automotive, a company started by Crawford in 1965. 

Clements Automotive is a recognized leader in racing and performance engine building specializing in building complete racing engines, cylinder head services, dyno testing, custom porting, and CNC machining for virtually all types of racing applications including ARCA, Pro Cup, Dirt Late Model, and nascar. With racing in his blood and plenty of horsepower in his daily life, Jeremy continues the tradition.

Jeremy has outgrown the label of a “young gun” and has shown longevity with his talent, distinctive style and charm.

EARLY YEARS Introduced to racing by his grandfather, Jeremy began his racing career at the age of seven in go-karts where he picked up 47 feature wins before successfully tackling the various ranks of dirt racing. Moving to Modified and Stock four-cylinders in 1999, Jeremy would rack up 59 wins and three track championships over the next three years. His dirt experience proved beneficial in transitioning the determined teen to asphalt racing.

LATE MODEL & ARCA RACING SERIES In 2002 Jeremy made his debut in the ARCA Series, driving the No. 3 for Broadway Motors (Ken Appling) at Talladega Superspeedway. He qualified 6th 2002 and 2003, Jeremy would run several ARCA races and continue to dominate on dirt running and finished 17th. Throughout the Super Late Models.

On July 24, 2004, Jeremy suffered an injury that threatened his racing career while running his No. 51 Late Model at 311 Speedway in Madison, NC. The torque arm broke under his car and sent a steel driveshaft piercing through his cockpit, almost removing his right hand. Initially doctors predicted that he would be lucky to have any movement at all in the hand. Jeremy underwent eight surgeries and months of physical therapy to regain use of his right hand. 

In July 2005, Jeremy returned to the dirt track almost exactly a year after his hand injury, testing his Late Model. During the remainder of the year he would race late models and returned to the ARCA series for two races. Jeremy continued to make strides towards his goal of running in NASCAR. In 2006 he started 10 ARCA races with Ken Appling, with 3 top 5 finishes and 1 top 10 finish. He was also selected by General Motors to participate in a three track test with Richard Childress Racing. 

During the 2007 season, Jeremy started 12 ARCA races with Ken Appling, earning his first ARCA win at Nashville Superspeedway after qualifying second and leading 48 laps. He also earned 5 top 5 finishes and 2 top 10 finishes. In 2008, Jeremy ran seven races in the ARCA series with Ken Appling. He earned 2 top 5 finishes and 3 top 10 finishes and came close to repeating his 2007 win at Nashville Superspeedway, finishing in 2nd place.

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES Jeremy was one of the youngest drivers to ever qualify for a NASCAR Nationwide Series event at age 18, racing for Jerry Young at Pikes Peak on July 26, 2003. He finished the race in 31rst after an accident on lap 28 ended his day. 

Jeremy would return to the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2007, running 5 races with McGill Motorsports, driving the No. 36 Chevrolet. In 2008, Jeremy ran two races for this family team, driving the No. 50 at Gateway and Homestead. During 2009, he ran the first half of the season driving the No. 50 for his family team and the second half of the season for Johnny Davis in the No. 0. His best finish came at Auto Club Speedway on October 10, 2009, where he qualified 21rst and finished in 12th position. Jeremy Clements Racing/Clements Racing Engines was formed in 2010 giving Jeremy the opportunity to run a partial schedule funded by Boudreaux’s Butt Paste. Running under Johnny Davis on a very limited budget, the team qualified for 16 races, with Jeremy’s then best NNS career finish of 10th at Gateway International Raceway.

In 2011, the decision was made to move Jeremy full time into the NNS and run a full season driving the No. 51 for Jeremy Clements Racing. Although primary sponsorship was not secured, Jeremy and JCR remained competitive in the field, completing the season with 4 top 15 finishes and 7 top 20 As in 2011, the Team would again overcome limited sponsorship support and remain competitive on the track during the 2012 season.

Last year, Clements finished the season in fifteenth position – he is currently in seventeenth position. However, with his race victory, he earned a berth in the 2017 NASCAR XFINITY Series playoffs. 

Source

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Weekend Schedule for Road America

August 25-27

 

 

NASCAR XFINITY Series

• Next Race: Johnsonville 180
• The Place: Road America
• The Date: Sunday, Aug. 27
• The Time: 3 p.m. ET
• TV: NBC, 2:30 p.m. ET
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: 182.16 miles (45 laps); 
• Stage 1 - (Ends on lap 10),
• Stage 2 - (Ends on lap 20), 
• Final Stage - (Ends on lap 45)

The NASCAR Xfinity Series races this Sunday in the ‘Johnsonville 180’ at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. You can catch all the racing action on NBC at 3:00 p.m. ET

This is what @NASCAR_XFINITY's best will be racing for on Sunday! Tune into NBC at 3 PM ET for #NASCAR at @roadamerica! pic.twitter.com/4dsnY7fv7N

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) August 25, 2017

The SCCA Pro Trans Am and ARCA Series will share the road course with the Xfinity Series. Below is the Event Schedule:

Friday, August 25, 2017
7:00 AM		Gates Open To The Public Rain Or Shine.
8:00 AM		Trans Am Testing (TA, TA 3 & TA 4)
8:50 AM		Trans Am Testing (TA 2)
9:40 AM		ARCA Optional Test Session
10:30 AM		Trans Am Testing (TA, TA 3 & TA 4)
11:20 AM		Trans Am Testing (TA 2)
12:10 AM		ARCA Optional Test Session
12:50 PM		LUNCH
1:50 PM		Trans Am 1st Practice (TA, TA 3 & TA 4)
2:30 PM		Trans Am 1st Practice (TA 2)
2:30 PM 5:30 PM		Family Fun Hauler Activities At Plymouth High School
5:30 PM		Hauler Parade Through Plymouth To Track
Saturday, August 26, 2017
7:00 AM		Gates Open to the public rain or shine.
8:50 AM		ARCA 1st Practice
9:50 AM		Trans Am 2nd Practice (TA, TA 3 & TA 4)
10:20 AM		Trans Am 2nd Practice (TA 2)
11:05 AM		ARCA Final Practice
11:00- 11:45 AM		NASCAR Autograph Session at Victory Lane
1:00 PM		NASCAR #NXS 1st Practice
3:00 PM		NASCAR #NXS Final Practice
4:00 PM		Trans Am Qualifying (All Classes)
5:10 PM		ARCA Qualifying
6:00 PM		Campsite Contest Judging
Sunday, August 27, 2017
7:00 AM		Gates Open to the public rain or shine.
8:00 AM		Trans Am Driver Introductions (TA, TA 3 & TA 4)
8:05 AM		Trans Am Race (TA, TA 3 & TA 4)
9:15 AM		Trans Am Driver Introductions (TA 2)
9:20 AM		Trans Am Race (TA 2)
10:45 AM		NASCAR #NXS Qualifying (Multi-Vehicle/Two Rounds)
12:00 PM		ARCA Race (Timed Race)
1:30 PM		NASCAR #NXS Driver Introductions
2:14 PM		Johnsonville 180 NASCAR Xfinity Race (45 Laps, 182.16 Miles)

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#NASCAR Roundtable: Will there be a surprise winner at Road America? https://t.co/h4t1bQdSPm pic.twitter.com/tcD50GPQyW

— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) August 25, 2017