Posted on by Brandon White

Of the drivers who have developed their skills at Hickory Motor Speedway, Jack Ingram remains one of the most efficient in the track’s storied history,

The late NASCAR Hall of Famer tallied two championships at Hickory in 1968 and 1971 before carrying that success into the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where he picked up eight of his 31 victories at the facility, including his first and last career wins.

When Ingram passed away last year, Hickory general manager Kevin Piercy elected to recognize his impact on both the track and NASCAR by organizing the inaugural Jack Ingram Memorial 111 on June 11 that will pay $5,011 to the winning driver. Ingram, of course, found most of his success driving the No. 11 car.

“Jack Ingram was kind of my childhood hero growing up,” Piercy said. “I was a big fan of his and watched him win many races, so it’s great that Hickory Motor Speedway will have the opportunity to honor someone that meant so much to me.”

FloRacing: Watch all the on-track action at Hickory Motor Speedway

When Piercy first started attending races at Hickory during his childhood, he knew immediately that Ingram was different than the other competitors on track.

In the early days of the Xfinity Series, Ingram regularly had to contend with other seasoned veterans that included Sam Ard, Tommy Ellis and fellow Hickory track champion Tommy Houston, all of whom pushed Ingram to his limits at the short tracks, intermediates and superspeedways.

Watching Ingram battle it out with those veterans as both a fan and pit crew member at Hickory are among Piercy’s favorite childhood memories, as it allowed him to gain an appreciation for Ingram and how he would utilize every part of the track to gain an advantage over his competition.

“[Ingram] was a tenacious racer,” Piercy said. “When you saw his car pull into the racetrack, everybody knew he was the car to beat. I have memories of him kicking that left front tire down off the corner and kick up a little dirt because he was so low on the track.

“Jack Ingram was a hard charger, competitive, a fan favorite and a winner. He set the standard for how things should be done in [the Xfinity Series].”

NASCAR Hall of Famer Jack Ingram will be honored at Hickory Motor Speedway this weekend with a 111-lap Late Model Stock feature. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

Although stock car racing has undergone significant changes since Ingram last raced at Hickory, Piercy said the qualities he displayed on track are still prevalent in the current group of competitors that race at the track on Saturday nights.

One driver who views Ingram as a source of inspiration is current Hickory Late Model Stock points leader Landon Huffman, who comes from a proud racing heritage at the facility himself with his father Robert being a two-time track champion in 1988 and ’89.

Like Ingram did, Huffman primarily works on his own cars and utilizes volunteer help in order to race every weekend, a practice he is starting to see dwindle as more money and resources are poured into short track racing around the United States.

While Huffman cannot compare himself to Ingram or his accomplishments, he said the Hall of Famer perfectly embodies what a racer should strive to be and is thrilled to see Hickory honor his legacy with a marquee event.

“Jack is the iron man,” Huffman said. “He’s a grassroots racer who worked on his own equipment. Anytime racers of this time period get to honor someone like Jack or race in an event that memorializes their competitive nature, it’s pretty special. We don’t have many people in our current time that do things like Jack did.”

RACING REFERENCE: Career NASCAR stats for Ingram 

NASCAR Hall of Fame Jack Ingram (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Huffman sees the Jack Ingram Memorial 111 as a de facto replacement for the Dwight Huffman Memorial that ran at Hickory from 2008-11. He is confident this race will bring more notoriety to Hickory and become a crown jewel event alongside the Bobby Isaac Memorial and the Fall Brawl.

Unlike the other two races, the Jack Ingram Memorial 111 falls in the middle of the season, meaning Huffman is going to place an equal amount of emphasis on bagging the $5,011 race-winning paycheck while simultaneously protecting his points lead over William Sawalich, Charlie Watson and others.

A larger entry list will only add to the challenge of winning the Jack Ingram Memorial 111 for Huffman, but he feels comfortable about the speed his car possesses and wants nothing more to proudly represent grassroots racing by taking home a checkered flag in a race dedicated to Ingram.

“It’s always great to win one of these big races,” Huffman said. “I won the Limited [Late Model] portion of the Bobby Isaac Memorial in 2011, and that was my first ever win. I’ve won a lot of races at Hickory since then but haven’t had the privilege of winning one of the big races. I would gladly take the Jack Ingram Memorial as my first big win at Hickory.”

Like Huffman, Piercy anticipates a vibrant atmosphere for the inaugural Jack Ingram Memorial 111 and is doing everything possible to make sure the event becomes a mainstay for Hickory over the next several years.

For the first running, Piercy will have Ingram’s widow Aline Cole Ingram at the track as a special guest, while the Pontiac Grand Am that Ingram drove to victory on numerous occasions during his long career will pace the field during the parade laps.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has also been named as the grand marshal of the inaugural Jack Ingram Memorial 111 and will take part in an autograph session before the race. Other notable dignitaries for the event include Houston, as well as Harry Gant, Robert Pressley, L.D. Ottinger and Rex White.

Honoring the history of Hickory and NASCAR has been a key part of Piercy’s philosophy since he became the general manager of the track, and he hopes the Jack Ingram Memorial 111 helps newer fans gain the same appreciation he still has for Ingram and other drivers from the same era.

“These heroes need to be honored,” Piercy said. “People like Jack [Ingram] counted on the money to drive home. He came from the old school form of racing where you had to make your way in the sport, so we need to look back and make sure we don’t forget folks like Jack that paved the way for the future of stock car racing.”

While Piercy wishes Ingram could celebrate the race named after him, he takes pride in knowing that Ingram will always be remembered as one of the greatest drivers to ever take a lap at Hickory.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

In order to capture his final checkered flag at NASCAR’s top level, Tony Stewart literally shoved Denny Hamlin out of his way in the treacherous Turn 11 of Sonoma Raceway’s road course. Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet led the final 22 laps – the only laps it spent out front – and ultimately beat Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota to the finish line by 0.625 seconds. Hamlin, meanwhile, had led twice for a race-high 33 laps, still settling for second.

That race played out on June 26, 2016.

SONOMA: Watch all-time top finishes | GIFs of Turn 11’s turmoil

This Sunday (4 p.m. ET, FS1), Hamlin has the opportunity to tie Stewart at 15th on the all-time wins list at that same track out in California wine country. Stewart, of course, retired in 2016 after 18 full-time seasons and hasn’t competed in a NASCAR race since. Hamlin is in the midst of his 17th full run, so he’s still able to pile on victories.

The two drivers’ career numbers are actually rather similar – and vary on who leads in certain categories. Take a look below.

Screen Shot 2022 06 08 At 5.01.04 Pm

RELATED: All-time Sonoma winners | All-time Cup winners

In fewer starts, Hamlin has managed to tally more top-five finishes than Stewart. Hamlin matches Stewart in top 10s but falls short in runner-ups. It’s a mixed bag, yet somehow evens out.

Hamlin has led more laps but is one win short of Stewart. Stewart tallied win No. 48 at 42 years old. Hamlin did so at 41 – earlier this year at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Stewart hit 49 wins at age 45. Hamlin turns 42 in November.

They’ve both had 16 seasons with at least one win, though. They both won Rookie of the Year; Stewart in 1999, Hamlin in 2006.

This is where the two really differ: Stewart won three championships (2002, 2005 and 2011). A title still escapes Hamlin. His best final showing was second in 2010. He has had six top-four finishes in the final standings.

Granted, Hamlin has three Daytona 500s to Stewart’s zero.

And then reverse it again, if getting into specifics. Stewart has three wins at Sonoma. Hamlin, none.

SONOMA: Weekend schedule | Betting odds | Paint schemes

BetMGM lists Hamlin at 14-1 in its opening odds to win Sunday. Hamlin has only ever won on a road course once in his career, Watkins Glen International in 2016. He already owns two wins this year and has therefore already been granted a provisional berth into the 16-driver playoffs, which begin in 11 races. But he still sits 19th in the points standings due to an up-and-down regular season that sees him posting a 20.5 average finish. And points – specifically playoff points earned from winning stages or races – will keep his title chances alive.

Hamlin placed eighth in last year’s event at Sonoma. His best result there, ever: second to Stewart in 2016.

Posted on by Staff Report

Carson Hocevar announced Wednesday he will attempt to start Saturday’s DoorDash 250 (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM) at Sonoma Raceway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. However, Daniel Suárez will be on reserve standby should Hocevar not be able to fully return after a crash in last Saturday’s race at World Wide Technology Raceway.

RELATED: Hocevar in last-lap crash at Gateway | Truck Series standings

Hocevar was injured in a final-lap wreck in the Toyota 200, his No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet hit on the left side by the oncoming No. 5 Toyota of Tyler Hill. The 19-year-old was extracted from his crumpled truck, and he gave a thumbs-up signal to the crowd as he was helped to the ambulance on a stretcher.

NASCAR officials said later Saturday that Hocevar had been transported to a local hospital for evaluation. Team officials also later indicated Hocevar’s injuries involved his right lower extremity. An update Sunday afternoon from Hocevar’s social media channels said he was awaiting word from medical specialists regarding his ankle before providing further details.

Hocevar is in his second full season of Camping World Trucks competition. He has led multiple laps in five of the series’ last six races, and has a best finish this year of second place — achieved twice (Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt, Darlington Raceway).

The Truck Series has a practice scheduled for 6:05 p.m. ET on Friday at the 1.99-mile road course in Northern California. Hocevar and Suárez will both practice, according to a Trackhouse Racing press release.

Posted on by Track Release

This story originally appeared on Jan. 10, 2022:

There’s nothing like high speed turns at an iconic road course, and this year, NASCAR drivers will be flying down the Chute once again as Sonoma Raceway and NASCAR announced the return of the popular stretch of race track during the June 10-12 race weekend.

“We heard from many fans and drivers how much they loved it when we raced the Chute,” said Sonoma Raceway EVP and General Manager Jill Gregory. “The Carousel was part of the original course and we reverted back to it for our 50th Anniversary in 2019 and used it again in 2021. But we race to bring excitement and drama to the fans, and an overwhelming majority of them asked us to bring back the Chute.”

Since the Toyota/Save Mart 350 Cup race length will remain at 350 kilometers, the race will be extended from 90 laps to 110 laps, giving fans more opportunities to see the cars battle for position. It also sets Turn 7 up as a high-speed corner where many legendary passes and confrontations have occurred.

“It will be more exciting for the fans just because those are a couple of wild corners with some new hairy passing zones,” said 2021 NASCAR Champion and Toyota/Save Mart 350 race winner Kyle Larson. “Mistakes can be made in those corners when you’re bouncing over curves so the cars will be moving around a lot. It will be exciting. It will be pretty wild because you can go all the way to exit of Turn 4 on the other side of the curve and barely miss the wall.”

RELATED: Check out the 2022 schedule | See who has won at Sonoma

The Chute was constructed prior to the 1998 race and used in every Sonoma NASCAR event through 2018. This stretch of the raceway connects Turn 4 as the cars approach the top of the hill to Turn 7 as the cars prepare for the downhill march through the “S” turns. Martin Truex Jr. was the last driver to win on the Chute layout in 2018.

“Drivers and fans have missed the passing opportunities and close racing created by the Chute so we’ll be returning to that configuration for the NASCAR Cup Series and the return of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,” said Scott Miller, NASCAR Senior VP of Competition. “NASCAR has seen drama and incredible action at road course races, and we’re looking forward to even more intensity as the Next Gen race car debuts and the Chute returns at Sonoma.”

Stage breaks for the 110-lap Toyota/Save Mart 350 will be at laps 25 and 55. Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event will be 75 laps with stage breaks at laps 20 and 45. The General Tire 200 ARCA Menards Series West race will be run prior to the Truck race on Saturday.

Tickets for the June 10-12 race weekend are available at www.sonomaraceway.com. Ticket packages including weekend and single-day, camping and fun extras such as pit passes and scanners also are on sale now through the raceway’s website or by calling the box office at 1-800-870-RACE.

2022june8 Sonoma Map

Posted on by Brandon White

One of the most prestigious events at Marne Michigan’s Berlin Raceway, the Money in the Bank 150, is set to take place this week.

Despite being relatively new to Berlin’s calendar with the first running taking place in 2017, the Money in the Bank 150 has consistently attracted many of the best short track competitors from around the country while simultaneously bringing in stars from NASCAR’s top divisions like Kyle Busch, Stewart Friesen and others.

RELATED: Watch the Money in the Bank live on FloRacing

The influx of talent has barely impacted the stranglehold local Michigan drivers have had on the event. Battle Creek, Michigan, native Brian Campbell won the Money in the Bank 150 in 2018 and 2019, while current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitor Carson Hocevar, who is from Portage, Michigan, has been victorious in the last two runnings.

Another talented entry list featuring an even mix of track favorites and short track standouts has been assembled ahead of this year’s Money in the Bank 150 on Wednesday evening, with the winner receiving a paycheck of at least $10,000 at the end of the night.

Below is everything you need to know about the 2022 Money in the Bank at Berlin Raceway.

Money in the Bank at Berlin
More than 30 cars have entered Wednesday’s Money in the Bank 150 at Berlin Raceway (Photo: Nic Antaya/ARCA Racing)

What TV channel is the Money in the Bank at Berlin Raceway on in 2022?

All feature racing action from the 2022 Money in the Bank at Berlin Raceway can be viewed live on FloRacing, the new streaming home of all NASCAR Roots properties.

The Money in the Bank at Berlin will not be shown on a television network.

Below is the complete schedule for Money in the Bank coverage on FloRacing.

Date Start time How to watch
Thursday, June 9 6:30 p.m. ET FloRacing

Money in the Bank at Berlin schedule

This year’s Money in the Bank at Berlin was scheduled to run Wednesday, June 8. But rain in the area Wednesday pushed the event to Thursday, June 9.

Tuesday was a practice and tech day for drivers and teams. NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron was fastest in practice.

Below is the complete race-day schedule for the 2022 Money in the Bank at Berlin Raceway.

(UPDATE: Wednesday’s race was postponed to Tuesday, June 9. Racing begins at 6:30 p.m. ET.)

  • Wednesday, June 8
Time Event
9:30 a.m. ET Pit pass window
10 a.m. ET Gates open
Noon ET Driver/spotter meeting
1 – 1:50 p.m. ET Practice 1
2 – 2:50 p.m. ET Practice 2
3:30 p.m. ET Qualifying tech
5:30 p.m. ET Qualifying (Single car, two laps)
6:30 p.m. ET Racing begins (FloRacing)
Money in the Bank at Berlin
Some of the drivers expected to compete in Wednesday’s Money in the Bank 150 include William Byron, Erik Jones and Ty Majeski. (Photo: Nic Antaya/ARCA Racing)

Entry list for 2022 Money in the Bank

The current entry list for the Money in the Bank 150 features more than 30 competitors.

Headlining the talented group of competitors is four-time NASCAR Cup Series winner William Byron, who has already enjoyed success behind the wheel of a Super Late Model this year with victories at Hickory Motor Speedway, New Smyrna Speedway and Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

Joining Byron on the entry list is fellow Cup Series competitor Erik Jones as well as 2020 Snowball Derby winner and current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Ty Majeski. Other notable entries include Bubba Pollard, Kyle Busch Motorsports development driver Sammy Smith and Tyler Reddick’s spotter Derek Kneeland.

Below is the complete list of drivers entered for the Money in the Bank 150.

Car No.  Driver
4 Erik Jones
6 Eric White
14 Mike Garvey
14 Kaden Honeycutt
14 Austin Nason
18 Chase Burda
20 Austin Hull
22 Evan Shotko
22 Sammy Smith
24 William Byron
24 Tyler Roahrig
24 Dylan Stovall
26 Bubba Pollard
28 Kevin Cremonesi
28 Scott Thomas
33 Albert Francis
37 Terry Senneker
45 Michael Simko
47 Brian Campbell
49 Luke Morey
53 Cole Butcher
53 Boris Jurkovic
57 Blake Rowe
71 Derek Griffith
77 Andrew Scheid
82 Tom Thomas
88 Trever McCoy
88 Nate Walton
90 Steve Dorer
90 Derek Kneeland
91 Ty Majeski
93 Austin Thom
101 Joe Bush
131 Kyle Crump

Money in the Bank purse payout

The total purse for the Money in the Bank 150 is $64,075.

Only 30 drivers will have an opportunity to race for the $10,000 paycheck that could potentially increase with lap sponsorships. The bottom 10 drivers in the final running order will each be awarded $1,200.

With plenty of money up for grabs, Wednesday’s Super Late Model feature is expected to be a battle as a diverse set of drivers look to visit Victory Lane and add to the Money in the Bank 150’s growing legacy.

Below is the complete purse distribution for the Money in the Bank 150 at Berlin Raceway.

Finishing Position Payout
1 $10,000
2 $7,000
3 $4,500
4 $3,500
5 $3,000
6 $2,750
7 $2,500
8 $2,400
9 $2,200
10 $2,000
11 $1,800
12 $1,700
13 $1,600
14 $1,500
15 $1,450
16 $1,400
17 $1,350
18 $1,325
19 $1,300
20 $1,200
21 $1,200
22 $1,200
23 $1,200
24 $1,200
25 $1,200
26 $1,200
27 $1,200
28 $1,200
29 $1,200
30 $1,200
Posted on by Dustin Albino

Over the past few years, road-course ringer Scott Heckert has figured out his path in racing. While it wasn’t ideal, he’s accepted the unexpected.

In 2014 and 2015, Heckert was on the list of potential drivers that could break out in NASCAR. Driving in the then-K&N Pro Series East for HScott Motorsports, the Connecticut native won four races, three of which were on road courses.

RELATED: Scott Heckert driver stats | Xfinity Series results

Although Heckert labels himself a road-course ringer, it’s a tad odd in a way.

“I’ve probably done more oval racing,” Heckert told NASCAR.com ahead of the inaugural Xfinity Series race at Portland. “Growing up, the first few things I did was go-kart racing and it was all road-course racing. I just have a knack for it, and it’s what I feel I’m more akin to.”

After his final two K&N wins in 2015, Heckert’s racing career took a turn. At the time, he believed the strength of the series was dwindling. In 2016, he made three NASCAR starts total, in a partnership with BJ McLeod Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing.

At the same time, Heckert fully switched over to road racing, competing in IMSA. As part of the Pirelli World Challenge GTS Series, he picked up two wins. The following season, he raced overseas in the Blancpain GT Endurance Series in a Mercedes-AMG GT3. He returned to IMSA for the 2018 season with Lone Star Racing.

“Those came up because of the strong performances I had on road courses in a stock car,” Heckert said. “It’s been a little bit back and forth, finding the opportunities that present themselves.”

Also in 2018, Heckert competed in a trio of Xfinity races for BJMM, including his oval debut at Chicagoland. His relationship with BJ McLeod dates to the early 2010s, when McLeod was an instructor at FinishLine Racing School in Florida.

Admittedly, McLeod isn’t the best road-course racer, so when an opportunity arises to put Heckert in one of his cars, he’s all over it.

“It’s nice to have a winning driver get in your car and drive it for what it’s worth,” McLeod said, “and it allows us to see where we’re at as a team and try to get better because we know what he’s telling us is what we need to do to try to be successful.”

Heckert, who has never run more than three Xfinity races in a season, was ready for more. He approached McLeod last year and came up with a five-race schedule that would keep everybody happy.

“We picked these because it fit within my day job schedule. I’ve known BJ for a long time; he was my first foray into full-body stock car racing in a super late model. It’s one of those examples of being good to the people who are good to you.”

During the week, Heckert can be found inside the confines of JR III Racing’s shop in Mooresville, N.C. There, he is one of the team’s engineers for its LMP3 cars in the IMSA Prototype Challenge Series.

While competing in the K&N Pro Series, Heckert attended Miami University in Ohio to earn an engineering degree. He feels as though having additional information can help him on the racing front.

“I like the mechanical side of things and have always felt like it helps me as a driver,” Heckert said. “My driving helps me as an engineer because you can correlate the two and understand when you’re driving what the engineer is going through, and when you’re the engineer you can connect with what the driver is feeling.”

Two years ago, Heckert was an engineer on Hailie Deegan’s ARCA Menards car for David Gilliland Racing. The only issue was, he still wanted to race.

“If you’re a NASCAR engineer, it’s really hard to also take advantage of your racing because you’re gone so many weekends,” Heckert said. “I wear a lot of hats at the (JR III) shop. That keeps me super busy, and luckily the owner over there — Billy Glavin — he’s a racer through and through and worked for Hendrick at one point. He gets it, so he’s very understanding and flexible. If I need to come race Portland or Indy, he’s supportive. It’s been a cool combination.”

Last weekend at Portland, Heckert stayed out of trouble and tied his best career Xfinity finish of 13th. This weekend at Sonoma, he will pilot the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports entry to make his first Cup start of the season.

“He’s been successful in cars that are somewhat similar (to the Next Gen), not as heavy, but have a lot of the same tools to work with,” McLeod added. “We’re excited to see what his feedback is and how he can help the team with and make the road course program better.”

As for the future, Heckert has hit a nice balance in his lifestyle of having a full-time engineering role while getting to play around in select NASCAR races.

“I like engineering a lot, and I would love to do just as much driving as I can possibly fit in,” he stated. “I try to live at the track and drive as much as I can and have fun with whatever I’m doing. I hope for the driving side, if I can impress the right people and show that I deserve to be here, then a little more driving wouldn’t hurt anything.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

The hillside layout of Sonoma Raceway will have plenty of new mixed with a dash of the familiar when the NASCAR Cup Series returns to wine country this weekend. Foremost among the new is another road-course application for the Next Gen car, which will make just its second appearance at that track type this season.

The seventh-generation racer will get another test of its durability and performance in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 (4 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM). Early expectations assert that the style of racing may mimic that from earlier this year at Circuit of The Americas, the 20-turn twist palace in Austin, Texas.

“I would expect it to be just as aggressive. These cars allow us to do that,” said Joe Gibbs Racing’s Kyle Busch. “Everybody knows that all of these cars are the same – they all come from the same place. It’s up to you to make it go, and so you are going to push the car’s limits.”

RELATED: Weekend schedule | Buy Sonoma tickets

Those limits will get their pushing on a revised layout that has some recent familiarity. For the last two Sonoma races – 2019 and 2021, with a lost year in between because of the COVID-19 pandemic – the event was contested on the longer 2.52-mile configuration with the sweeping carousel. This year, the Cup Series will revert to the 1.99-mile short course used from 1998-2018, incorporating the chute spanning Turns 4 and 7.

Should the limit-pushing turn into actual pushing on the shorter circuit, the flex of the composite body panels should absorb some of the framming and bamming.

“It can take a beating,” said William Byron, who participated in a Goodyear tire test at the Watkins Glen International road course last month. “I think Watkins Glen is going to be really fast. You’re gonna have a hard time setting guys up, but I think if you get close, you’ll see big dive bombs. But yeah, Sonoma is a perfect track for this car – fall-off in the tires, but also really good brakes and really good transmission.”

Those beefed-up brakes and the transmission – changed with the new car to a five-speed sequential shift from the former H-pattern four-speed – should alter the shift rhythms and braking points that might be more customary to drivers. A handful of Cup Series drivers are double-dipping into the Camping World Truck Series for Saturday’s DoorDash 250 (7:30 p.m. ET) for extra track time – Alex Bowman, Harrison Burton, Austin Dillon, Ross Chastain and Busch among them.

MORE: Cup Series standings

From that list, Bowman and Chastain figured most prominently in the Next Gen road-racing debut at COTA. Chastain bruised his way past both Bowman and AJ Allmendinger to emerge from a three-car dice on the final lap and secure his first Cup Series win. Bowman held on for second, but Allmendinger – who prevailed in last weekend’s Xfinity Series debut at Portland International Raceway – dropped to 33rd at the finish.

Bowman also challenged for the Camping World Trucks win at COTA, showing signs of growth in the road-racing category.

“I think that’s just going to continue to bring confidence to Sonoma,” No. 48 crew chief Greg Ives told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio this week. “Obviously we’re going into more right-hand turns than left-hand turns but ultimately, I think the confidence of the braking zones, confidence of this car and how hard you can drive it is something that really suits Alex’s style. That’s the number one thing I have to do is just put a solid car under him. He gets better throughout the whole race as laps go down, and he’s gonna be running out there trying to better his craft and hopefully we can come out of there with a win.

“But all in all, strategies and sometimes luck when those cautions fall and if you’re on pit road are not in the right spot helps, but if you have a fast car, it definitely makes it easier. And I think Alex puts a lot of emphasis on trying to go there with a lot of confidence and a lot of speed. So, looking forward to getting there for sure.”

Posted on by IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — There’s lots of anticipation for the increased convergence coming in 2023 between the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship. But there are already plenty of IMSA-affiliated drivers and other story lines for IMSA fans to follow this weekend when the 24 Hours of Le Mans is staged for the 90th time.

Nineteen full-time IMSA drivers and three teams are taking a break from their “day jobs” to compete at Le Mans, one of the world’s premier endurance races in company with the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts, and Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. There are also at least a dozen other names familiar to followers of the WeatherTech Championship through their frequent participation in rounds of IMSA’s Michelin Endurance Cup.

RELATED: NASCAR, Hendrick pursue Garage 56 in 2023 | More Le Mans coverage from IMSA

America’s strongest, most consistent and most patriotic hope lies with Corvette Racing, which has split its effort this year between the WeatherTech Championship and WEC, running one car in each series. That’s an indication of how seriously Corvette Racing takes Le Mans, a race in which it has earned the class victory eight times since 2001, the last coming in 2015.

The Jordan Taylor/Antonio Garcia/Nicky Catsburg entry finished second in class in 2021 in the Le Mans debut of the mid-engine Corvette C8.R, and Corvette Racing is using its full-time WEC presence this year to be better prepared for the slight differences in technical regulations, pit stop rules and other procedures between IMSA and WEC competition. The WEC version of the C8.R is also slightly different than the car that competes in the GTD PRO class in IMSA, with marginally more power, bespoke Michelin tires and the removal of ABS anti-lock braking.

Tommy Milner, Nick Tandy and endurance driver Alexander Sims finished second in the WEC 1000 Miles of Sebring in March and rank third in the 2022 WEC GTE point standings. With Le Mans awarding double points, it’s an important race for them in the overall context of the championship.

Sims was fastest in the Le Mans test day on Sunday, lapping the unique 8.47-mile circuit through the French countryside in 3 minutes, 54.001 seconds (130.239 mph) in the No. 64 Corvette. The seven-car GTE field was packed within half a second.

“For sure, having everything and everyone ready from doing the previous two WEC races has given us a head start,” observed Tandy. “We’re coming into Le Mans with the best level of preparation Corvette Racing has ever had, and we’ve definitely started with our best foot forward.”

“We’re racing a much different car in IMSA these days, so working with a different tire and no ABS is definitely an adjustment,” Taylor said after the No. 63 Corvette clocked a lap at 3:54.504. “It was nice that all of us got a good amount of running today.”

Here are some other IMSA-related story lines to follow at Le Mans:

Penske Preview: Team Penske has fielded a Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) in WEC this year in preparation for Porsche Penske Motorsport’s 2023 LMDh program that is expected to compete in both the WeatherTech Championship and WEC. Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr, both former WeatherTech Championship titlists, are teamed with Emmanuel Collard in the No. 5 ORECA.

Team player: Three-time WeatherTech Championship champion Ricky Taylor was nominated by chassis constructor ORECA as the reserve driver for all of its Le Mans entries. Taylor, who has made seven previous Le Mans starts, will share the No. 37 Cool Racing ORECA with Yifei Ye and Niklas Kruetten.

“Le Mans is a massive event,” Taylor said. “I think if you win the race, no matter which class, it goes right to the top of your resume.”

All-IMSA: United Autosport USA’s No. 23 LMP2 entry features a driver lineup comprised completely of WeatherTech Championship full-timers: Alex Lynn (No. 02 Cadillac Racing DPi), Oliver Jarvis (No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura DPi), and 16-year-old Josh Pierson (No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports LMP2) will split the 24 hours. Filipe Albuquerque (No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura DPi) is one-third of the driving team for United’s No. 22 entry.

LMGTE Pro is IMSA-Packed: Fifteen of the 21 drivers in the category have competed in a WeatherTech Championship race in 2022, including full-timers Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Felipe Fraga. The team fielding Fraga’s Le Mans entry – the No. 74 Ferrari 488 GTE EVO shared with Sam Bird and Shane Van Gisbergen – is also an IMSA full-timer. Riley Motorsports is the entrant of the No. 74 Ligier JS P320 that Gar Robinson drove to the 2021 IMSA Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) title.

The No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari at Le Mans features the same driver lineup of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado and Daniel Serra that finished second in GTD PRO in the 2022 Rolex 24.

No rest for the winners: Arriving somewhat late for the Le Mans test day Sunday was a small price to pay for three of the four winning drivers in Saturday’s Chevrolet Sports Car Classic, the WeatherTech Championship race at Belle Isle. Sebastien Bourdais (a Le Mans native who will co-drive the No. 10 Vector Sport LMP2) and Renger van der Zande (No. 66 Ferrari 488 GTE EVO LMGTE Am) shared the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) win in Detroit and, along with Ben Barnicoat, the GT Daytona (GTD) class winner (No. 56 Team Project 1 Porsche in LMGTE Am), all departed for Paris immediately after wrapping up their celebrations and media obligations.

Busman’s holiday: While the field for IMSA endurance races often includes full-time WEC drivers, the opposite phenomenon happens at Le Mans. The list of moonlighting IMSA full-timers not already mentioned includes DPi regulars Pipo Derani, Olivier Pla and Richard Westbrook, all driving for the Glickenhaus Hypercar team, plus Tristan Vautier (No. 44 ARC Bratislava LMP2). Steven Thomas is moonlighting from his full-season gig in the Era Motorsport LMP2 to co-drive the No. 45 Algarve Pro Racing LMP2.

Weather Tech Championship GTD PRO pilots Cooper MacNeil (No. 79 WeatherTech Racing) and Matt Campbell (No. 93 Proton Competition), along with GTD driver Jan Heylen (No. 88 Dempsey-Proton Racing), will all run Porsche 911 RSR-19s in the LMGTE Am class.

Other Le Mans drivers who have recently run IMSA races include defending WEC Hypercar champions Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez [No. 7 Toyota Gazoo Racing]; Laurens Vanthoor, Kevin Estre, Gianmaria Bruni and Frederic Makowiecki in LMGTE Pro [all in Porsches]; and Harry Tincknell, Zacharie Robichon, Mikkel Jensen and Ben Keating in LMGTE Am.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials reinstated Carson Ware on Tuesday, ending his suspension as part of a behavioral penalty issued last October.

Competition officials indicated Ware had “successfully completed the terms and conditions mandated for reinstatement.” The decision restores his NASCAR membership privileges.

Ware, 22, has competed in nine NASCAR Xfinity Series races, including six last season for a trio of teams. He was suspended Oct. 21, 2021 after his arrest earlier that day, when the Rowan County (N.C.) Sheriff’s Office gave him a $1,000 secured bond related to charges of assault on a woman, simple assault and damage to personal property.

NASCAR suspended Ware for violation of the Member Conduct Guidelines as outlined in the NASCAR Rule Book. Ware was also suspended by the SS Green Light Racing No. 17 team that had entered him in four races last year.

Also in the week’s penalty report, officials penalized the No. 13 ThorSport Racing team in the Camping World Truck Series for a single unsecured lug nut, found post-race at World Wide Technology Raceway. Carl Joiner Jr., crew chief for the No. 13 team and driver Johnny Sauter, was fined $2,500.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

Break out the old No. 19 gear. Cole Pearn is back on Joe Gibbs Racing’s roster.

The championship-winning crew chief has been added as an engineer to Martin Truex Jr.’s road team for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway (4 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The pairing is a familiar one, as Pearn and Truex spent five full-time seasons together from 2015-19. Their joint tenure was highlighted by the 2017 title after an eight-win year.

RELATED: All of Martin Truex Jr.’s career wins

James Small, who took over atop the box in 2020, is still listed as Truex’s crew chief. Small and Truex have won five races since then.

A Joe Gibbs Racing spokesperson said Pearn’s return would be a one-week arrangement. Nick Burton, the No. 19 team’s regular engineer, will miss this Sunday’s race to attend a wedding. That prompted Small to ask Pearn to fill in.

This won’t be the first time Pearn and Truex have been reunited since the former retired after the 2019 season. Pearn came back in 2021 as a spotter on the No. 19 team for the Round of 12 elimination race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which used the Roval layout. Like the Roval, where he finished 19th, Sonoma is also a road course.

Pearn and Truex earned 24 wins in total — three of which came on road courses. They won at Watkins Glen International in 2017 and at Sonoma in 2018 and 2019.

With 15 races down and 11 to go, Truex currently sits fifth in the regular-season standings, 37 points off leader Chase Elliott.

The catch, there have been 11 different winners so far. The playoff field allows only 16. And those with a win already have a provisional berth. That leaves five postseason tickets remaining.

Truex, as of right now, is not guaranteed a spot.

RELATED: Martin Truex Jr. mulling over NASCAR future