ARP Racing News

Mopar Racing--Despite Difficult Day at Bristol Mopar Still on Top

ARP Trish — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:59:01 GMT

Despite Difficult Day at Bristol Mopar Still on Top

·         Mopar contingency falls short without representation past the second round of eliminations in both Pro Stock and Funny Car at Bristol Dragway
·         Gorlier presents Johnsons with Mopar President’s Award for outstanding contributions as brand ambassadors in front of hometown fans on Father’s Day
·         Hagan remains in the Funny Car championship points lead; all four DSR entries ranked in the top-five
·         Mopar Pro Stock drivers Johnson and Coughlin tied for second in points

Bristol, Tenn. (Sunday, June 16, 2013) – Eliminations on Father’s Day at the 13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals did not quite go as planned for the Mopar contingency, but while none of the Dodge entries in either class were able to advance past the second round at Bristol Dragway, a few positives remained. Despite the shortened race day, Matt Hagan and the “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” Don Schumacher Racing machine remain atop the leaderboard in the Funny Car points race, while Allen Johnson and Mopar teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. are tied for the second spot in the Pro Stock standings.

Another top highlight took place prior to first round action, as driver of the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger, Johnson along with his father and engine builder Roy Johnson, were presented with the “Mopar President’s Award” by Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. They were recognized in front of their hometown fans and family for their contributions as brand ambassadors, their five decades of loyalty, dedication and service to Mopar, and for bringing home a long sought after 2012 NHRA Pro Stock World Championship. Father and son are the first recipients of this special award.

On track the day started off well enough for the Greeneville, Tenn.-natives after qualifying the Mopar Express Lane Dodge Avenger in second spot on the eliminations ladder. Johnson won his first match-up against Lewis Worden but was defeated on a holeshot by Greg Anderson in the next round. Teammate Jeg Coughlin Jr. met the same fate with his own holeshot loss in round two against Erica-Enders Stevens.

The elder Johnson, who tunes the HEMI® engines for both Mopar team entries still felt that there are some positive to come away despite the losses.

“We had low e.t. of both rounds, so at least we didn’t get out run,” said Johnson. “We didn’t execute as well as we would have liked with the driving, but we still showed we have the power. You’ve got to remain positive in this class.”

The good news for the championship battle is that the points leader Mike Edwards also saw his day cut short after being upset in the second round by the eventual title winner Rodger Brogden, who in only his second NHRA final round appearance beat Erica Enders-Stevens by just 0.002 seconds to score his very first career Pro Stock victory.

The HEMI-powered entries of Vincent Nobile and V. Gaines both faltered in the first round and are now seventh and tenth in the rankings.

In Funny Car, after Don Schumacher Racing’s Jack Beckman qualified his Mopar second, setting a track-record speed in the interim, and teammate Hagan was seeded third in his “Magneti Marelli Offered by Mopar” entry, the elimination rounds held a few surprises. Beckman, along with Ron Capps and Johnny Gray all saw their Dodge Charger R/T eliminated in the first round of action with mechanical issues, while Hagan fell in the second. It was the first time in 31 events that a Mopar Funny Car entry did not reach the semifinals.

The good news is that despite the setbacks, the Funny Car points battle remains close and all four Mopars remain in the top-five.

Mopar teams now get set to take on the concrete challenge that awaits them at the inaugural Auto-Plus NHRA New England Nationals next weekend in Epping, New Hampshire, just north of Boston, on June 20-23.

© 2010-2012 Automotive Racing Products, Inc.

Richard Childress Racing--Michigan Post Race

ARP Trish — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 03:22:06 GMT

Michigan 400
Michigan International Speedway

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Michigan International Speedway
June 16, 2013

Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished second (Kevin Harvick), 10th (Jeff Burton), 11th (Austin Dillon) and 14th (Paul Menard).
Following the event at Michigan International Speedway, Harvick is now fourth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, trailing leader Jimmie Johnson by 62 markers, while Menard ranks 11th, 123 points back, and Burton sits 17th, 27 points out of the top 10.
The No. 29 team ranks fourth in the Sprint Cup Series owner championship point standings, with the No. 27 team 11th and the No. 31 team 18th.
According to NASCAR's Post-Race Loop Data Statistics, Harvick earned the fifth-best Driver Rating (104.30) and ranked eighth for Laps In The Top 15 (163).
Harvick's Average Running Position (9.77) ranked him seventh overall in the 43-car field.
Menard completed 59 Green Flag Passes and ranked third in the Closers category, gaining five positions in the final 20 laps of the 200-lap event.
Burton posted his fourth consecutive top-15 finish of the season.
Burton made 57 Green Flag Passes, 25 of which came while running in the top 15 (Quality Passes).
Dillon ranked third in the Closers category, advancing five positions in the final 10 percent of the race and was the sixth-Fastest Driver Late in a Run (187.392 mph).
Greg Biffle earned his first victory of the 2013 Sprint Cup Series season and was followed to the finish line by Harvick, Martin Truex, Jr., Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart.
The next Sprint Cup Series race is at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday, June 23. The 16th race on the 2013 schedule is slated to be televised live on TNT beginning at 2 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio.

Menard Earns 14th-Place Finish at Michigan International Speedway

After his best qualifying effort of the season, Paul Menard started the No. 27 CertainTeed/Menards Chevrolet from the fourth position and captured a hard-fought 14th - place finish at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday. The early laps of the race looked promising as Menard quickly made his way to the second position on the first lap. The Eau Claire, Wis., native remained inside the top 10 until a lap-42 pit stop for right-side tires, fuel and a track bar and packer adjustment. Multiple cars elected not to take tires, or not pit at all, and Menard was forced to restart in the 22nd position. Starting mid-pack, Menard fought a loose-handling condition in traffic and the crew made a variety of chassis adjustments during the ensuing pit stops to help remedy the issue. The driver of the No. 27 Chevrolet steadily worked his way back toward the front and was running in 12th on lap 165 when crew chief "Slugger" Labbe called him onto pit road for a routine green-flag pit stop. Three laps after pitting, the caution flag flew for the final time causing Menard to fall a lap down to the leader, who had not yet come to pit road. Taking the "wave around" under caution, the 32-year-old driver was able to return to the lead lap restarting in 26th. On a mission to get back inside the top 15, Menard gained 12 spots in the remaining 27 laps to finish 14th. Menard now sits in the 11th spot in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings heading to Sonoma Raceway next weekend.

Start - 4th                       Finish - 14th                     Laps Led - 0            Points - 11th

PAUL MENARD QUOTE:
"We had a fast CertainTeed/Menards Chevrolet at the start of the race and began to battle handling issues as the laps wore on. We got caught behind later when the caution came out after we had just pitted under green-flag conditions and had to restart at the tail end of the lead pack. I have to give my guys credit, they never gave up and we were able to fight back and come home with a top-15 finish."


Kevin Harvick Hangs Tough to Finish Second at Michigan International Speedway

When the 200-lap, 400-mile race at Michigan International Speedway began on Sunday afternoon, Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet team lined up 21st for the initial green flag. The first pit stop on lap 22, for a pre-determined competition caution, allowed the team to make multiple adjustments to help the car's loose-handling condition. Throughout the race, crew chief Gil Martin called for pit stops taking on two and four tires at various times. This allowed the team to manage their tires during the race and avoid flats like other teams endured. For the last caution restart with 27 laps remaining, Harvick came off pit road in third with four tires, chassis adjustments and was topped off with enough fuel to go the remaining distance. During the final green-flag run, Harvick radioed in that he was feeling another vibration and didn't want to push the car and lose valuable track position. He jumped to second place, then lost the position and regained it to earn the runner-up finish. This was his fifth consecutive top-10 finish and moved the team up to fourth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.

Start - 21st         Finish - 2nd           Laps Led - 0          Points - 4th

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
"We had a few vibrations during the race and you just have to ride them out and stay in the race. Gil (Martin, crew chief) and the Budweiser Chevrolet team did a great job on pit road managing stops during the race. They just kept making good adjustments, with the biggest ones coming on the first pit stop. It was a good day for us, we fought through the vibrations to stay out there and came up with a good finish."


Jeff Burton Collects Third Top-10 Finish of 2013 Season at Michigan International Speedway

Jeff Burton and the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet team collected their third top-10 finish of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, finishing 10th in the 400-mile event at Michigan International Speedway. After starting the 200-lap affair from the 18th position, the South Boston, Va., native maintained a top-20 running position while battling with a loose-handling condition on his black and yellow machine. Burton was able to find speed in the latter stages of long green-flag runs, but the loose-handling condition plagued the Richard Childress Racing driver from passing other competitors on the track. Crew chief Luke Lambert directed the Caterpillar pit crew to make chassis and air pressure adjustments under multiple two and four-tire pit stops through the course of the event. As the race progressed, Burton began to showcase speed by posting top-five lap times. With just under 50 laps remaining, the 21-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winner worked his way into the top 15 and caught a break on lap 168 when the caution flag was displayed after many competitors had already made green-flag pit stops. Burton capitalized on the next restart and benefited from other competitors running out of fuel in the waning laps before crossing the finish line 10th for his fourth-consecutive top-15 result of the season. With the solid finish, Burton gained four positions and now sits 17th in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.

Start - 18th         Finish - 10th         Laps Led - 0           Points - 17th

JEFF BURTON QUOTE:
"The No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet team fought hard all day to bring home another solid finish. It turned out that tires made a huge difference and Luke (Lambert, crew chief) made all the right calls with adjustments as the track conditions changed. We continue to make progress with our 1.5-mile and two-mile track programs. Overall, it was a good points day for us."


Austin Dillon Earns Career-Best NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Finish at Michigan International Speedway

Austin Dillon drove the No. 33 American Ethanol Chevrolet SS to an 11th-place finish in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Michigan International Speedway, posting his career-best finish in his seventh series start. The Richard Childress Racing driver started the 200-lap race from the seventh position, his best starting position in NASCAR's top tier division. The Welcome, N.C. driver spent the beginning of the race battling a loose-handling condition on his black and green Chevrolet. Working with crew chief Dr. Eric Warren, Dillon & Co. followed a pit strategy off-cycle from the race leader during the beginning and middle stages of the race. The team opted not to pit when the race leader and several front runners visited pit road under caution on lap 42, positioning Dillon in the second spot for a lap-45 restart. The rookie Sprint Cup Series driver was fast at the front of the field, maintaining pace within the top five for the next 30 circuits until he was pinned one lap down when the caution flag was displayed while pitting under green-flag conditions on lap 72. Dillon opted to take the "wave around" to gain his lap back and restarted 26th on lap 80. Although his car handled loose during the next run, Dillon continued to post fast lap times and move forward in the running order. He was scored in the 13th position when the caution flag was displayed on lap 168, prompting Dr. Warren to direct him down pit road for the final pit stop of the day. When entering his pit box, Dillon overshot his pit stall and had to be pushed back into his box, costing valuable seconds on pit road before the RCR team changed four tires and added Sunoco Green E15 fuel. Dillon was relegated to the 22nd position for the lap-173 restart, but assured his crew he planned to drive as aggressively as possible during the remaining laps of the event. Not to disappoint, Dillon gained 11 spots to finish a career-best 11th in the No. 33 American Ethanol Chevrolet.

Start - 7th          Finish - 11th                Laps Led - 0           Points - N/A

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE: "I'm very proud of the No. 33 American Ethanol team. The guys on the team did a great job all day. I'm looking forward to our next race together."

© 2010-2012 Automotive Racing Products, Inc.

Summit Racing--Anderson Debuts New Camaro with Positive Results in Bristol

ARP Trish — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 02:40:18 GMT

Anderson Debuts New Camaro with Positive Results in Bristol

BRISTOL, Tenn. (June 16, 2013) – Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson was eager to debut his brand new Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro at the 13th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, and an improved qualifying performance and semifinals finish boosted the Mooresville, N.C.-based driver's spirits on what was already bound to be a very special weekend.

Anderson came to Bristol Dragway, the place of his first win in 2001, intent on celebrating. On the agenda was a return to the winner's circle at the scenic facility where he also won in 2004, but it was also a weekend to honor his father, Rod Anderson, on his 80th birthday (Saturday, June 15th) and then again on Sunday – Father's Day.

Surrounded by family, Anderson wheeled the white Summit Racing Camaro to a strong 6.698 in the first session of qualifying and improved to a qualifying-best 6.671 at 206.57 mph in the second session. On day two of qualifying, Team Summit experimented with the set-up and established both ends of the spectrum with one conservative and one aggressive pass. Anderson qualified in the No. 7 position and landed a first-round meeting with Greg Stanfield, a driver notoriously quick off the starting line.

Naturally, 74-time national event winner Anderson knew exactly what it would take to leave his opponent empty handed at the end of the racetrack and clocked a stellar .005-second reaction to preface his 6.705 at 206.67 mph. Stanfield, however, all but handed Anderson the victory when he fouled out by leaving the starting line .023-second too soon.

In the second round, Anderson was again very much on his game and launched ahead of last season's Pro Stock champion Allen Johnson. The .022 to .037 starting line advantage was the decider, and Anderson won the round on a 6.723 to 6.715 holeshot.

"That round with A.J. was, quite honestly, probably the biggest round win I've had this year," said Anderson, who is currently 8th in the Mello Yello Series Pro Stock standings. "I felt good today. This was definitely a positive."

Although his day came to a close in the semifinals when he was again first to leave but unable to maintain the advantage over Erica Enders-Stevens (she won the round by .022-second with a 6.706 to 6.739), Anderson was rejuvenated by the progress found over the course of the weekend.

"Some days you wake up on the right side of the bed, and I felt good this morning and like I could do a decent job driving," said Anderson. "We won a couple of big rounds, and I would have liked to have gone all the way, but we're getting closer to where we need to be. For a new car, this was a good weekend.

"I'd also like to extend my congratulations to [event winner] Rodger Brogdon. He did a fantastic job, and I'm very happy for him. There is nothing like that first win, and he got that today. I had my very first one here, so I know what that feels like. I'm sure he's going to love Bristol just as much as I do.

"This weekend gave the Summit Racing team a little bit more hope," Anderson continued. "We'll go home to the KB Racing shop and work for the next three days as hard as we can to figure out what we need to do to improve the performance of our Camaros. The next race is a new one on the schedule, so it's new for everybody. Nobody will have a home-track advantage or more laps than anyone else. It will be a challenge for everybody, and if there is one thing that this Summit Racing team likes, it's a challenge."

© 2010-2012 Automotive Racing Products, Inc.