Race Weekend Update
NEXT RACE: Bojangles Southern five hundred at Darlington Raceway, TV on Sunday on NBC at Three:30 p.m. PT
Crampton named driver of SealMaster Top Fuel dragster
Kalitta Motorsports named former Rookie of the Year and U.S. Nationals champ Richie Crampton the driver of the SealMaster Top Fuel dragster. He will begin his tenure for Kalitta Motorsports at the historic U.S. Nationals and will remain in the seat for the balance of the two thousand seventeen NHRA Mello Yello Haul Racing season.
The Top Fuel pilot takes over driving duties in the SealMaster Toyota dragster for Troy Coughlin Jr., who resigned his position with Kalitta Motorsports on Saturday evening.
‘It was a gigantic honor to get the call from Jim O (Oberhofer) asking if I could finish out the year with the team,’ said Crampton. ‘Connie Kalitta is a legend, and for me to get an chance like this is unreal. I am excited to leap into the SealMaster Toyota dragster and see what we can do. I never knew if I was going to be able to drive a Top Fuel dragster again, so I am enormously grateful for this chance.’
Crampton began his NHRA career in two thousand seven as a team member at Morgan Lucas Racing, eventually elevating himself to clutch specialist and car chief. However, Crampton had the desire to drive. Morgan Lucas Racing put Crampton in a Top Fuel rail in 2014, and Crampton had success almost instantaneously. Crampton scored the U.S. Nationals win in his rookie season on his way to the Auto Club Road To The Future trophy. In 2015, Crampton earned five victories and finished third in the final point standings. In seventy two career events, Crampton has earned seven wins, five No. One qualifiers and seventy career round wins.
SealMaster, the pavement maintenance industry’s one-stop source for materials, products and equipment, will proceed to back Kalitta Motorsports as Crampton’s primary sponsor. SealMaster has been a valued playmate of Kalitta Motorsports family since two thousand fourteen and a primary sponsor since 2016.
‘After talking with Connie Kalitta and SealMaster, we determined Richie Crampton would make a good fit to pack the seat of the SealMaster dragster,’ said Jim Oberhofer, Vice President of Operations, Kalitta Motorsports. ‘His driving practice as well as his overall skill of the dragster will make him a valuable asset to Kalitta Motorsports. We were blessed he was available to race in Indy.’
2nd four-wide event added to two thousand eighteen NHRA Mello Yello Series schedule
The NHRA Mello Yello Haul Racing Series will add a 2nd four-wide racing event in 2018, in April at The Disrobe at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, when the Denso Spark Ass-plugs NHRA Nationals joins the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, held annually since two thousand ten at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, on the season schedule.
The speedway announced plans to widen The Undress at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to four lanes, and construction is already under way in anticipation of April 4-6, two thousand eighteen event.
‘Four-wide haul racing has captured the interest of race fans and competitors at Charlotte’s zMAX Dragway,’ LVMS president Chris Powell said. ‘It’s arousing to give everyone on the West Coast a chance to see what fans back east have experienced for several years now. Four-wide haul racing was the vision of our chairman, Bruton Smith, and our chief executive officer, Marcus Smith. They are two of the key reasons that NHRA haul racing has become one of the most popular forms of motorsports in the world.’
NHRA officials voiced excitement about bringing four-wide NHRA Mello Yello Haul Racing Series to the west.
‘The excitement and sensory overcharge of four-wide haul racing is one of the most intense displays of motorsports in the country,’ said Peter Clifford, NHRA president. ‘We look forward to presenting the four-wide practice to the dedicated NHRA Mello Yello Haul Racing Series fans in Las Vegas and the surrounding states.’
Drivers John Force and Antron Brown have had success racing four broad, as each of them has posted victories at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte. Force won the first-ever Funny Car four-wide event in 2010, and Brown is a two-time four-wide winner in Top Fuel.
‘I’ve got to give credit to Bruton Smith for investing in the sport of NHRA haul racing,’ Force said. ‘His four-lane in Charlotte gave him two races, one with the two-lane in the Countdown and then the four-lane in the spring. It only makes sense that when he designed his Vegas track, from day one he planned on four lanes. That will permit those two races to be even more successful. So, good for you Bruton, and thank you from all of us at John Force Racing.’
NEXT RACE: This weekend’s U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis; finals live on FOX Monday at ten a.m. PT.
Newgarden pulls off another bold maneuver to win at Gateway
Josef Newgarden’s latest bold stir led the Team Penske driver to win in the Verizon IndyCar Series’ thrilling comeback to Gateway Motorsports Park and extend his championship lead.
Newgarden ended a daring pass of teammate Simon Pagenaud on the 218th of two hundred forty eight laps on the 1.25-mile oval and he went on to win the Bommarito Automotive Group five hundred introduced by Valvoline by 0.6850 of a 2nd over Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon. The triumph – Newgarden’s third win in the past four races and his fourth victory this season – permitted the 26-year-old Tennessean to thrust his points lead to thirty one over Dixon with two races remaining.
The race marked the Verizon IndyCar Series’ come back to the St. Louis region for the very first time in fourteen years. A packed main grandstand roared when Newgarden, in the No. Two PPG Automotive Refinish Team Penske Chevrolet, slipped inwards of Pagenaud, driving the No. One Menards Team Penske Chevrolet, heading into Turn 1. The cars touched mid-corner, forcing Pagenaud to slow as he moved up the track.
‘Simon gave me a lane to work with,’ said Newgarden, who used an exceptional crossover stir to pass teammate Will Power and win the Honda Indy two hundred at Mid-Ohio on July 30. ‘I had a good tow on him, put my car inwards in the opening, got about halfway alongside of him.
‘One thing I didn’t want to do was touch him too hard. I think if I would have stayed too far left, I would have hopped the curb and that would have taken both of us out,’ added Newgarden, pursuing his very first series championship in his sixth season and very first with Team Penske. ‘I attempted to get Simon to stir over a little when we were coming to the opening of the corner. We both had to slow up. Fortunately, (it) worked out well for us on the (No.) two car side.’
Pagenaud’s loss of momentum on the decisive pass opened the door for Dixon, in the No. Nine NTT Data Honda, to get past for 2nd place. Pagenaud, the reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champ, was understandably upset after completing in third place.
‘I think on a road course, that was a beautiful pass,’ Pagenaud said. ‘But we’re not on a road course. There, we are going 40-50 mph (slower). Here, we’re doing one hundred ninety (mph). It’s downright different story.’
Newgarden led one hundred seventy laps in collecting his seventh career win, delivering Team Penske its fifth straight victory and 10th this season. It was also the 196th Indy car win for the renowned team.
Dixon felt fortunate to finish 2nd, considering he began seventh and Team Penske had secured the very first four catches sight of in qualifying. Helio Castroneves gave Team Penske three of the top four finishers when he placed fourth in the No. Three Shell Fuel Prizes Team Penske Chevrolet. Castroneves led fifty two laps to become the fourth driver in Indy car history to surpass 6,000 laps led in a career.
Conor Daly finished fifth in the No. Four ABC Supply Chevrolet, the AJ Foyt Racing driver’s best finish in his very first season with the team and his best displaying since placing fourth last year at Watkins Glen.
The embark of the race was slowed by a pair of incidents. Tony Kanaan of Chip Ganassi Racing spun in Turn two on the tempo lap and backed his No. Ten NTT Data Honda into the SAFER Barrier. Kanaan went three laps down while the car was repaired and eventually finished 16th.
When the green flag did wave, pole sitter Power spun in almost the same place as Kanaan and hit the wall in the No. Twelve Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet on Lap 6. The cars of Ed Carpenter and Takuma Sato touched as they slowed to avoid Power, sending both into the wall as well. None of the drivers was injured but their races were over before the night had slightly begun.
‘It wasn’t a joy rail,’ Power said. ‘Josef went around the outside (to pass for the lead) and (I) got some of his dirty air and just lost it. Unfortunate. Very frustrating, unbelievably frustrating. . It was just slimy, super slimy.’
The Verizon IndyCar Series standings showcase Newgarden in the lead with five hundred forty seven points, Dixon 2nd with 516, Castroneves third at 505, Pagenaud fourth at five hundred four and Power fifth with 464. Graham Rahal (436 points), Alexander Rossi (422) and Sato (410) remain mathematically alive for the championship as well.
By completing 13th tonight, Dale Coyne Racing’s Ed Jones clinched Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors for the season.
NEXT RACE: The Verizon IndyCar Series comes back to act with the INDYCAR Grand Prix at The Glen; race airs live at ten a.m. PT Sept. Three on NBCSN.
- Wednesday Night Hauls, Top the Cops and Sonoma Drift come back this Wednesday. This marks the final Top the Cops event of the season.
- AFM hits the track Saturday and Sunday
- Labor Day Bracket Hauls on Monday, Sept. Four.
Sonoma Raceway – Speedway Sonoma LLC (via Public)
Results
28/08/2017 | News release | Distributed by Public on 28/08/2017 21:11
Race Weekend Update
NEXT RACE: Bojangles Southern five hundred at Darlington Raceway, TV on Sunday on NBC at Three:30 p.m. PT
Crampton named driver of SealMaster Top Fuel dragster
Kalitta Motorsports named former Rookie of the Year and U.S. Nationals champ Richie Crampton the driver of the SealMaster Top Fuel dragster. He will begin his tenure for Kalitta Motorsports at the historic U.S. Nationals and will remain in the seat for the balance of the two thousand seventeen NHRA Mello Yello Haul Racing season.
The Top Fuel pilot takes over driving duties in the SealMaster Toyota dragster for Troy Coughlin Jr., who resigned his position with Kalitta Motorsports on Saturday evening.
‘It was a enormous honor to get the call from Jim O (Oberhofer) asking if I could finish out the year with the team,’ said Crampton. ‘Connie Kalitta is a legend, and for me to get an chance like this is unreal. I am excited to leap into the SealMaster Toyota dragster and see what we can do. I never knew if I was going to be able to drive a Top Fuel dragster again, so I am utterly grateful for this chance.’
Crampton began his NHRA career in two thousand seven as a squad member at Morgan Lucas Racing, eventually elevating himself to clutch specialist and car chief. However, Crampton had the desire to drive. Morgan Lucas Racing put Crampton in a Top Fuel rail in 2014, and Crampton had success almost instantaneously. Crampton scored the U.S. Nationals win in his rookie season on his way to the Auto Club Road To The Future trophy. In 2015, Crampton earned five victories and finished third in the final point standings. In seventy two career events, Crampton has earned seven wins, five No. One qualifiers and seventy career round wins.
SealMaster, the pavement maintenance industry’s one-stop source for materials, products and equipment, will proceed to back Kalitta Motorsports as Crampton’s primary sponsor. SealMaster has been a valued playmate of Kalitta Motorsports family since two thousand fourteen and a primary sponsor since 2016.
‘After talking with Connie Kalitta and SealMaster, we determined Richie Crampton would make a good fit to pack the seat of the SealMaster dragster,’ said Jim Oberhofer, Vice President of Operations, Kalitta Motorsports. ‘His driving practice as well as his overall skill of the dragster will make him a valuable asset to Kalitta Motorsports. We were glad he was available to race in Indy.’
2nd four-wide event added to two thousand eighteen NHRA Mello Yello Series schedule
The NHRA Mello Yello Haul Racing Series will add a 2nd four-wide racing event in 2018, in April at The Unclothe at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, when the Denso Spark Corks NHRA Nationals joins the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, held annually since two thousand ten at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, on the season schedule.
The speedway announced plans to widen The Unwrap at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to four lanes, and construction is already under way in anticipation of April 4-6, two thousand eighteen event.
‘Four-wide haul racing has captured the interest of race fans and competitors at Charlotte’s zMAX Dragway,’ LVMS president Chris Powell said. ‘It’s titillating to give everyone on the West Coast a chance to see what fans back east have experienced for several years now. Four-wide haul racing was the vision of our chairman, Bruton Smith, and our chief executive officer, Marcus Smith. They are two of the key reasons that NHRA haul racing has become one of the most popular forms of motorsports in the world.’
NHRA officials voiced excitement about bringing four-wide NHRA Mello Yello Haul Racing Series to the west.
‘The excitement and sensory overcharge of four-wide haul racing is one of the most intense displays of motorsports in the country,’ said Peter Clifford, NHRA president. ‘We look forward to presenting the four-wide practice to the dedicated NHRA Mello Yello Haul Racing Series fans in Las Vegas and the surrounding states.’
Drivers John Force and Antron Brown have had success racing four broad, as each of them has posted victories at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte. Force won the first-ever Funny Car four-wide event in 2010, and Brown is a two-time four-wide winner in Top Fuel.
‘I’ve got to give credit to Bruton Smith for investing in the sport of NHRA haul racing,’ Force said. ‘His four-lane in Charlotte gave him two races, one with the two-lane in the Countdown and then the four-lane in the spring. It only makes sense that when he designed his Vegas track, from day one he planned on four lanes. That will permit those two races to be even more successful. So, good for you Bruton, and thank you from all of us at John Force Racing.’
NEXT RACE: This weekend’s U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis; finals live on FOX Monday at ten a.m. PT.
Newgarden pulls off another bold maneuver to win at Gateway
Josef Newgarden’s latest bold stir led the Team Penske driver to win in the Verizon IndyCar Series’ thrilling come back to Gateway Motorsports Park and extend his championship lead.
Newgarden finished a daring pass of teammate Simon Pagenaud on the 218th of two hundred forty eight laps on the 1.25-mile oval and he went on to win the Bommarito Automotive Group five hundred introduced by Valvoline by 0.6850 of a 2nd over Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon. The triumph – Newgarden’s third win in the past four races and his fourth victory this season – permitted the 26-year-old Tennessean to thrust his points lead to thirty one over Dixon with two races remaining.
The race marked the Verizon IndyCar Series’ comeback to the St. Louis region for the very first time in fourteen years. A packed main grandstand roared when Newgarden, in the No. Two PPG Automotive Refinish Team Penske Chevrolet, slipped inwards of Pagenaud, driving the No. One Menards Team Penske Chevrolet, heading into Turn 1. The cars touched mid-corner, forcing Pagenaud to slow as he moved up the track.
‘Simon gave me a lane to work with,’ said Newgarden, who used an awesome crossover stir to pass teammate Will Power and win the Honda Indy two hundred at Mid-Ohio on July 30. ‘I had a good tow on him, put my car inwards in the opening, got about halfway alongside of him.
‘One thing I didn’t want to do was touch him too hard. I think if I would have stayed too far left, I would have leaped the curb and that would have taken both of us out,’ added Newgarden, pursuing his very first series championship in his sixth season and very first with Team Penske. ‘I attempted to get Simon to stir over a little when we were coming to the opening of the corner. We both had to slow up. Fortunately, (it) worked out well for us on the (No.) two car side.’
Pagenaud’s loss of momentum on the decisive pass opened the door for Dixon, in the No. Nine NTT Data Honda, to get past for 2nd place. Pagenaud, the reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champ, was understandably upset after ending in third place.
‘I think on a road course, that was a beautiful pass,’ Pagenaud said. ‘But we’re not on a road course. There, we are going 40-50 mph (slower). Here, we’re doing one hundred ninety (mph). It’s fully different story.’
Newgarden led one hundred seventy laps in collecting his seventh career win, delivering Team Penske its fifth straight victory and 10th this season. It was also the 196th Indy car win for the renowned team.
Dixon felt fortunate to finish 2nd, considering he embarked seventh and Team Penske had secured the very first four catches sight of in qualifying. Helio Castroneves gave Team Penske three of the top four finishers when he placed fourth in the No. Three Shell Fuel Prizes Team Penske Chevrolet. Castroneves led fifty two laps to become the fourth driver in Indy car history to surpass 6,000 laps led in a career.
Conor Daly finished fifth in the No. Four ABC Supply Chevrolet, the AJ Foyt Racing driver’s best finish in his very first season with the team and his best demonstrating since placing fourth last year at Watkins Glen.
The begin of the race was slowed by a pair of incidents. Tony Kanaan of Chip Ganassi Racing spun in Turn two on the tempo lap and backed his No. Ten NTT Data Honda into the SAFER Barrier. Kanaan went three laps down while the car was repaired and eventually finished 16th.
When the green flag did wave, pole sitter Power spun in almost the same place as Kanaan and hit the wall in the No. Twelve Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet on Lap 6. The cars of Ed Carpenter and Takuma Sato touched as they slowed to avoid Power, sending both into the wall as well. None of the drivers was injured but their races were over before the night had scarcely begun.
‘It wasn’t a joy rail,’ Power said. ‘Josef went around the outside (to pass for the lead) and (I) got some of his dirty air and just lost it. Unfortunate. Very frustrating, unbelievably frustrating. . It was just lubricious, super slimy.’
The Verizon IndyCar Series standings showcase Newgarden in the lead with five hundred forty seven points, Dixon 2nd with 516, Castroneves third at 505, Pagenaud fourth at five hundred four and Power fifth with 464. Graham Rahal (436 points), Alexander Rossi (422) and Sato (410) remain mathematically alive for the championship as well.
By completing 13th tonight, Dale Coyne Racing’s Ed Jones clinched Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors for the season.
NEXT RACE: The Verizon IndyCar Series comes back to activity with the INDYCAR Grand Prix at The Glen; race airs live at ten a.m. PT Sept. Three on NBCSN.
- Wednesday Night Hauls, Top the Cops and Sonoma Drift come back this Wednesday. This marks the final Top the Cops event of the season.
- AFM hits the track Saturday and Sunday
- Labor Day Bracket Hauls on Monday, Sept. Four.