STILL ALIVE IN THE DRIVE FOR 5: GORDON CAN WALK AWAY WITH SPRINT CUP TITLE ON SUNDAY

Nov. 19, 2015 – Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 just might be the biggest race of Jeff Gordon’s life. And it just so happens that it’ll likely be his last.

Jeff Gordon

If he can finish ahead of Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. in the final event of his last full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Gordon will walk away with his fifth NSCS championship. Already fourth on the all-time championships list, the No. 24 Chevrolet driver would end his career behind only Jimmie Johnson (six championships), Richard Petty (seven) and Dale Earnhardt (seven) in the NASCAR record books.

Luckily for Gordon, he’s performed well at Homestead-Miami Speedway where the Ford EcoBoost 400 will be held. In 16 starts at the 1.5-mile track, he boasts one win (6.2%), seven top fives (43.8%) and 12 top 10s (75.0%). He finished 10th at Homestead last year after leading a race-high 161 laps.

Gordon gutted his way into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup as its 13th seed, qualifying on points. He’s upped his performance in NASCAR’s playoffs, leading all drivers in average finish (7.7) and top-10 finishes (8, tied with Joey Logano), highlighted by his win at Martinsville.

A Gordon championship would not only be his first since 2001, but his first in the Chase era (2004-present). If he wins the title on Sunday, Gordon’s 14-year gap between championships would surpass 2016 NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Labonte’s record 12-season drought between titles.

Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports team already owns the NSCS record with 11 NSCS titles.

Source: NASCAR

 

 

CHAMPIONSHIP FAVORITE HARVICK HOPES TO BECOME SECOND DRIVER TO WIN CONSECUTIVE CROWNS

Nov. 19, 2015 – Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title-winner Kevin Harvick enters Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 Championship Round race (3 p.m. ET on NBC) as the favorite to take home his second straight series crown. If he finishes ahead of fellow Championship 4 drivers Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr., Harvick will become the 11th person in NASCAR history to win consecutive NSCS titles.

Harvick heads to Homestead as its reigning race winner. He had to finish first to win the championship last year, otherwise runner-up Ryan Newman would have taken home the title. In 14 career starts at Homestead, Harvick has one win (7.1%), six top fives (42.9%) and 12 top 10s (85.7%). His 7.6 average finish at the 1.5-mile track ranks first among active drivers. He also owns the fourth-best driver rating (102.5) and average running position (10.0) among active drivers at Homestead.

At Phoenix on Sunday, Harvick placed second – his 15th top-two finish of the season and the most in the NSCS since Jeff Gordon posted 19 in 1998.

A loop statistician’s dream, Harvick leads the NSCS in average running position (7.3; Next-best driver: Kyle Busch, 9.2), fastest laps (1,370; Next-best driver, Brad Keselowski, 650), laps led (2,248; Next-best driver: Joey Logano, 1,359) and driver rating (118.9; Next-best driver: Kyle Busch, 107.1).

A Harvick championship would be the third for Stewart-Haas Racing, which has won titles with Harvick (2014) and Tony Stewart (2011).

 

 

NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHIES ARRIVE IN MIAMI; ZOO MIAMI CHEETAH PICKS NSCS CHAMPION

Homestead-Miami Speedway is in Championship form, welcoming the NASCAR industry to South Florida for Ford Championship Weekend.

An honor guard poses with the NASCAR championship trophies in Miami

Nov. 18, 2015 – As part of that, the NASCAR premier series’ trophies arrived at Landmark Aviation at Miami International Airport this morning, where they were brought in by the Homestead Police Honor Guard. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series trophy, XFINITY Series trophy and Sprint Cup Series trophy were then placed on a Brinks truck, where they headed to Zoo Miami for the “Wildlife Prognosticator” event.

The trophies arrived at Zoo Miami for an event featuring Koda, a two-year-old cheetah and the official Zoo Miami “Wildlife Prognosticator.” In a partnership with Homestead-Miami Speedway and Zoo Miami, Koda picked from the Championship 4 drivers diecast cars – Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., and Kyle Busch – and made his prediction on who he thought would win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship this Sunday, ultimately picking the defending champion Harvick.

A Brinks Security truck arrives at Zoo Miami with the NASCAR championship trophies

“I’ve got to be honest with you, we had an animal make a pick last year, a binturong, and he picked the guy that came in fourth place,” Zoo Miami Communications Director and Goodwill Ambassador Ron Magill said. “So we fired him, he’s done. So we thought we’d bring in the cheetah. The cheetah is the fastest land animal there is, seems to be a no-brainer, so we thought hopefully he can pick who is going to be the fastest car. If he picks wrong, next year we might do it with a tortoise.”

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion will be decided this Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway at the Ford EcoBoost 400. Harvick, Gordon, Truex and Busch will battle it out amongst a full field of 43 cars and whichever of the four finish the highest will claim the 2015 Championship title.

Koda the cheetah chooses Kevin Harvick as the 2015 NSCS champion

“You can expect a lot of thrilling racing this weekend, not just on Sunday but also on Friday and Saturday,” Homestead-Miami Speedway President Matthew Becherer said. “Last year, all four guys in the Championship 4 during the Ford EcoBoost 400 ran within the top five all day, I expect exactly the same this year. In fact, don’t be surprised if the new champion is also the winner of the Ford EcoBoost 400.”

Homestead-Miami Speedway has been the host of the championship race each year since 2002 and as a community partner, Zoo Miami was part of the fun by having Koda, an African cheetah from South Africa, join all of the “experts” in predicting this year’s winner.

Homestead-Miami Speedway will host the season-ending races in the NASCAR’s three premier series – the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, XFINITY Series and Camping World Truck Series – this weekend during Ford Championship Weekend (November 20-22). Tickets for the Ford EcoBoost 200 and Ford EcoBoost 300 still remain, and can be purchased by calling (305) 230-5255 or by visiting www.HomesteadMiamiSpeedway.com. The Ford EcoBoost 400 is officially sold out.

Source: Homestead-Miami Speedway

 

 

CHEVROLET WELL REPRESENTED IN CHAMPIONSHIP RACE AT HOMESTEAD

2015 Manufacturer Champions Head to Homestead Looking to Collect more Hardware

DETROIT – Nov. 18, 2015 – The time has come – the final race of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season is at hand.  Chevrolet will be well represented in the 267-lap/400-mile championship battle at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Team Chevy drivers occupy three of the four spots in final battle for the title. Each one has a unique story that will potentially be fulfilled in the award-winning Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Kevin Harvick returns to Homestead at the defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. Driving his No. 4 Budweiser/Jimmy John’s Chevy SS, Harvick is racing to become the 11th driver in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history to win back-to-back titles.

Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, Jeff Gordon enters Homestead looking for his fifth series title.  The race will mark the final time he will climb behind the wheel of his No. 24 AXALTA Chevrolet SS racecar as a full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver.  Gordon has made 796 consecutive Cup Series starts, earned 93 wins, and 81 poles; all behind the wheel of Chevrolets.

Martin Truex, Jr. heads to Homestead chasing a dream.  The driver of the No. 78 Chevrolet SS could make Furniture Row Racing the first single-car team to win the championship since Dale Earnhardt, Sr. in 1994.

All three Chevrolet SS drivers enter the final race of the season armed with all the tools, data and engineering support that the Chevrolet competition team can provide.  The three championship contenders are looking to take the Bowtie Brand to Victory Lane for the 16th time this season and earn Chevrolet its 31st NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver’s title.

The southern Florida track’s asphalt has aged well over the hot Florida summers.  The track boasts multiple grooves and progressive banking which allows for plenty of side-by-side racing.  As the competitors and teams race from afternoon to evening, they will have to adjust to an ever-changing track and manage their tires so they have enough for a late-race caution which could provide an edge in the final laps of the 400-mile race.

Chevrolet drivers and teams have won the last three consecutive races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, and have won three of the last four races at the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway.

One championship title has already been decided.  With Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s win at Phoenix International Raceway last weekend, the brand collected its 13th consecutive, 39th overall NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Manufacturers’ Championship.

The 267-lap/400-mile Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m., ET on Sunday November 22. Live coverage will be available on NBC, MRN, Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 90 and NASCAR.com.

 

 

CARLOS MUÑOZ RETURNING TO ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT IN 2016

Nov. 17, 2015 – Munoz Returning to Andretti Autosport in 2016: Carlos Munoz will return to the No. 26 Honda with Andretti Autosport for the 2016 Verizon IndyCar Series season, the team announced.

Carlos Munoz, Andretti Autosport Honda

Munoz, who turns 24 on Jan. 2, will join teammates Marco Andretti and Ryan Hunter-Reay for the third successive year on the starting grid March 13 for the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

“I’m really happy to be able to return for another year. The 2016 schedule looks really nice and we hope to fight for an Indy 500 win and a championship,” said Munoz, the 2013 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year when he started on the front row and finished second in his Verizon IndyCar Series debut.

Munoz, who resides in Miami, posted his maiden Verizon IndyCar Series win this past season at Belle Isle. He added two other top-five finishes (fifth at Iowa Speedway and Pocono Raceway) in the final four races of the season.

In 2014, Munoz recorded five top-five finishes and earned the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award. He competed for Andretti Autosport in Indy Lights in 2013, posting four victories on the way to placing third in the championship.

“Carlos has been part of the Andretti family of drivers for several years now,” team owner Michael Andretti said. “We’re really pleased with his growth as a driver and look forward to a competitive 2016.”

 

 

LAMBORGHINI SUPER TROFEO WORLD FINAL BEGINS THURSDAY!

It’s “the Running of the Bulls” – Sebring style!

Nov. 17, 2015 – Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo drivers and teams from around the world will converge this week (Nov. 19-22) at Sebring International Raceway to race for the title of World Final champion.

All three Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Series – Europe, Asia and North America – will come to Sebring for the final rounds in an exciting four day battle on the legendary 3.74-mile Sebring circuit. Admission is only $5 per day on Thursday, Friday and Sunday; $10 on Saturday. Sorry, no overnight camping. Please note racing ends on Sunday at 12:30 pm. Green Park will not be open for this event but spectators will have access to the paddock via the two pedestrian bridges over the front straight. In addition, ticket prices include parking!

The exciting final weekend at Sebring will start with free practices for all series on Thursday, Nov. 19, followed by qualifying for each series’ final two regular-season rounds. Those final two rounds will take place Friday, Nov. 20 with North America running solo and Europe and Asia running combined rounds.

Qualifying for the World Final races will take place Saturday morning, Nov. 21. The World Final will be split into two fields. The Huracan Pro and Pro-Am drivers will compete together, and the Huracan Amateur and Gallardo drivers will race together.

The first two World Final races, one for each group, will take place Saturday afternoon with the conclusion Sunday, Nov. 22 (racing concludes Sunday at 12:30 pm). The World Final Champions will be decided based on combined performance from the two races, with tiebreakers in place.

Source: Sebring International Raceway

 

 

TICKETS ON SALE FOR THE 64TH 12-HOUR CLASSIC, MARCH 16-19

Nov. 17, 2015 – Tickets are now on sale for the 64th running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida. The greatest tradition in American endurance racing runs March 16-19, 2016.

The 2016 edition should be one of the most exciting ever at Sebring with the debut of the new Ford GT in the GT Le Mans class, plus new GT3 cars from Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, Audi, Lamborghini, Nissan and many others. The Prototype class will feature the debut of new P2 machines and the return of last year’s Sebring-winning Action Express DP team.

Gates open at 6 am on Wednesday, March 16th. A wide variety of tickets are available for Sebring, and remember that children 12 and under are always admitted free. For complete information visit sebringraceway.com or call 800.626.7223.

CLINCH SCENARIOS FOR HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY

Nov. 17, 2015 – Below are the finishes each driver/owner/manufacturer needs in this weekend’s races at Homestead-Miami Speedway to clinch their respective championships, regardless of the finish of any other driver/car/manufacturer.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (Sunday, Nov. 22 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC)

Driver

The first to the finish line among the Championship 4 – Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. – will win the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship.

Owner

The same rule applies to the owner championship, which involves the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet.

Manufacturer

Chevrolet has officially clinched the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championship.

 

NASCAR XFINITY Series (Saturday, Nov. 21 at 2:45 p.m. ET on NBC)

Driver

Chris Buescher leads Chase Elliott by 18 points. He will clinch the 2015 NASCAR XFINITY Series driver championship with a finish of 13th or better; or 14th with at least one lap led; or 15th and the most laps led.

Owner

The No. 22 Team Penske Ford has officially clinched the 2015 NASCAR XFINITY Series owner championship.

Manufacturer

Ford leads Chevrolet by six points. Ford will clinch the Bill France Performance Award if its top-finishing car finishes second while leading at least one lap.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (Friday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. on FOX Sports 1)

Driver

Erik Jones leads Tyler Reddick by 19 points. Jones will clinch the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship with a finish of 15th or better; or 16th with at least one lap led; or 17th and the most laps led.

Owner

The No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota leads the No. 19 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford by 19 points. The No. 4 will clinch the owner championship with a finish of 15th or better; 16th with at least one lap led; or 17th and the most laps led.

Manufacturer

Toyota has officially clinched the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series manufacturer championship.

Source: NASCAR

 

 

TAYLOR BROTHERS TO TACKLE LE MANS AS THIRD DRIVERS FOR CORVETTE RACING

Preparations well under way for attempt at ninth class victory at 24 Hours

• Jordan Taylor part of winning Le Mans lineup in 2015 and returns for fifth straight year
• First start for Corvette Racing at Le Mans for Ricky Taylor
• Corvette Racing full-season drivers to lead charge again at Le Mans

DETROIT Nov. 17, 2015 – Corvette Racing has confirmed its lineup for next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans with brothers Jordan and Ricky Taylor as third drivers in the team’s two Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs. They will join full-time Corvette Racing teammates Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen, Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner in the 84th running of the 24 Hours race in France.

Corvette Racing is the defending race winner in the GTE Pro class. In addition to going for a second straight victory, Corvette Racing will try for a ninth class win since 2001. Gavin, Milner and Jordan Taylor scored a victory in the No. 64 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R in June.

“The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a key part of Corvette Racing’s schedule,” said Mark Kent, Director, Chevrolet Racing. “Racing against the best teams, drivers and manufacturers in the world on the demanding 8.47-mile circuit is something that we look forward to each year. It allows us to demonstrate, on a global stage, the performance, reliability and efficiency of the Chevrolet Corvette. Corvette Racing has eight class championships at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and our goal is to repeat as champions in 2016. We hope that the addition of Ricky and the return of Jordan help us achieve our goal of a ninth class victory.”

Jordan Taylor is part of Corvette Racing’s Le Mans lineup for the fifth consecutive year. In addition to this year’s victory, he finished second with Garcia and Magnussen in 2014. Ricky Taylor will race at Le Mans with Corvette Racing for the first time; he will make his third start in the race and last competed there in 2014.

The Taylors have raced together the last two years in Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette Daytona Prototype. The pairing have played key roles in the development of the Corvette DP and won four races the past two years in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship – including a pair of victories this season.

Ricky Taylor claimed two pole positions in the 2015 TUDOR Championship, and Jordan Taylor is a past Driver’s Champion in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. They will drive the Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette DP again in the 2016 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Corvette Racing continues its preparation for the 2016 season in an open IMSA test today and Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway. Corvette Racing’s first race of the season is the 54th Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 30-31.

JORDAN TAYLOR, CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – LE MANS: “It’s always great to go back to Le Mans, especially with Corvette Racing. This time we go back looking to defend our victory from last year after one of the most mentally draining weeks that I’ve experienced. Looking back on the race, it’s amazing what the entire Corvette Racing team accomplished. I will never forget the feeling of being on the top step of the podium  and I know we all are going for the same result this year. The updated Corvette C7.R looks stunning and I can’t wait to get my first laps in it. Having Ricky be part of the team also is great, and I’m confident he will fit in and perform well. We’ve been a part of many big moments racing a Corvette DP in IMSA. Hopefully we can carry that over to Le Mans.”

RICKY TAYLOR, CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R – LE MANS: “I’m honored to be chosen to represent Chevrolet and Corvette Racing at Le Mans. I’ve raced there twice but nothing compares to going there as part of this team. It means a lot to me to have this opportunity, and I fully intend to support my teammates to the best of my abilities. Getting time in the Corvette C7.R this far ahead of the race is a huge benefit. This is a great car and it’s easy to see why it has had so much success. Le Mans is like no other race in the world. It was special to see Jordan, Oliver and Tommy stand on the podium after winning last year’s race. I hope we can join them there this time around.”

 

 

CHEVROLET WINS NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP

2015 Title is 13th Consecutive and 39th Overall for the Bowtie Brand

DETROIT November 17, 2015 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s victory in the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday clinched the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Manufacturers’

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS, celebrates his win Sunday, November 15, 2015 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase race at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Andrew Coppley/HHP for Chevy Racing)

Championship for Chevrolet. It marks the 13th consecutive year and 39th time overall that the Bowtie Brand has won the prestigious title in NASCAR’s premiere series. It is the third Manufacturers’ award for the Chevrolet SS race car.

“Winning the Manufacturers’ Championship is one of the goals we set at the beginning of every season,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “This award is the result of great teamwork by the owners, drivers, crew chiefs, crews and technical partners. Special thanks to the Chevrolet powertrain team, along with the engine shops at Hendrick Motorsports and Earnhardt-Childress Racing for delivering the right combination of power, fuel economy, and reliability throughout the entire season. Congratulations to everyone who has made this special achievement possible for Chevrolet.”

In the 35 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races run to date in the 2015 season, Chevrolet drivers and teams have captured 15 victories.  Chevrolet won its first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Manufacturers’ Championship in 1958.

The Team Chevy drivers who have contributed so far this year to the Manufacturers’ points that achieved the title for Chevrolet are: Jimmie Johnson (five wins), Kevin Harvick (three wins), Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (three wins), Kurt Busch (two wins), Jeff Gordon (one win), and Martin Truex, Jr. (one win).