Frontstretch Newsletter: Road America Gets Underway; Ricky Taylor On WeatherTech 240 Pole

Published: Fri, 07/02/21

Frontstretch Newsletter: July 2, 2021
Volume: XV, Edition CX

What to Watch: Friday

- Today begins on-track activity at Road America. Xfinity Series teams will be practicing today at 4 p.m. ET. That session will air live on NBCSN. Meanwhile, Cup teams will be loading into the paddock this afternoon (Road America does not have physical garages). There will also be additional support sessions on track.

- In Watkins Glen, there is a full day of racing, starting off with IMSA Prototype Challenge, then Michelin Pilot Challenge and finally, the WeatherTech 240 at the Glen for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The WeatherTech 240 at the Glen will air live on NBCSN starting at 6 p.m.

FOLLOW THE FRONTSTRETCH THIS WEEKEND THROUGH OUR COLLEAGUES:

MID-OHIO:

Christopher DeHarde (@CDeHarde)

WATKINS GLEN:

Phil Allaway (@Critic84)

Also, don't forget to follow our Twitter page, @Frontstretch as well for updates!!

TV Schedule: Here

Around the World in Motorsports: July 1-2

- Red Bull's Max Verstappen was quickest in Free Practice No. 1 Friday morning at the Red Bull Ring. Verstappen's lap of 148.271 mph was a quarter of a second faster than Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. was third, followed by Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas and AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda.

Current FIA Formula 2 Championship points leader Guanyu Zhou made his Free Practice debut Friday, running for Alpine in place of Esteban Ocon. Zhou was 14th quickest despite setting his best lap on medium tires.

There were no red flags in the session, but Aston Martin's Lance Stroll had quite the time of it. He spun twice in the session, but avoided the barriers both times.

- Free Practice No. 2 saw the Mercedes squad re-assert themselves after being trounced by Verstappen for the past couple of weeks. Lewis Hamilton was fastest in the session with a lap at 149.695 mph to top the session. Hamilton's lap was nearly two-tenths of a second faster than Bottas. Verstappen was third, then the Aston Martins of Stroll and Sebastian Vettel.

There were no red flags during the session, but McLaren's Lando Norris did have a spin late in the session. He ended up ninth quickest.

- The Super DIRTcar Series was scheduled to race Thursday night at Land of Legends Raceway (formerly Canandaigua Motorsports Park), but persistent rains resulted in the card being wiped out. The race has been rescheduled to July 20.

Today's Top News:

Derek Griffith Making 1st Truck Start at Gateway for KBM

Kyle Busch Motorsports announced Thursday that late model and part-time ARCA Menards Series racer Derek Griffith will make his Camping World Truck Series debut at World Wide Technology Raceway in the No. 51 Toyota.

Ricky Taylor Earns 2nd Straight Watkins Glen Pole

Wayne Taylor Racing's Ricky Taylor claimed his second pole in a row Thursday evening in Watkins Glen with a lap at 135.912 mph around the 3.4-mile road course.

Olivier Pla Fastest in Wild and Woolly Glen WeatherTech Practice

Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian's Olivier Pla was fastest in the sole WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice with a lap at 112.487 mph. The session was held in full wet conditions and was stopped three times due to on-track incidents.

Dillon Machavern Wins Sahlen’s 120 at the Glen Pole

Turner Motorsport's Dillon Machavern will start Friday's Sahlen's 120 at the Glen on the pole after turning in a lap at 106.530 mph Thursday evening. Harry Gottsacker won the pole in TCR.

Eric Foss Quickest in Rain-Shortened Sahlen’s 120 Practice

Sketchy was the word of the day during IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge practice Friday at Watkins Glen International. In a session shortened due to heavy rains, Murillo Racing's Eric Foss was fastest overall at 95.755 mph.

iRacing Pro Invitational Series to Be Discontinued for the Rest of 2021

SportsBusinessJournal's Adam Stern is reporting that the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series will be cut short, effective immediately, with five of 10 races complete.

Photos are courtesy of Nigel Kinrade Photography, NASCAR Media via iRacing and our own Phil Allaway.

Have news for Frontstretch? Don't hesitate to let us know; email us at frontstretcheditors@googlegroups.com with a promising lead or tip.

Newsletter Exclusive:

Frontstretch Folio: Jockey Made in America 250 presented by KwikTrip

by Phil Allaway

This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to Road America for the first time since the 1950s for 62 laps of action. Some sports car sprint races don't last that long.

Coverage of the Jockey Made in America 250 presented by KwikTrip starts with Countdown to Green at 2 p.m. on NBC, immediately after the NTT IndyCar Series Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio. Race coverage starts at 2:30 p.m. and the green should be around 2:45 p.m.

Records and facts

The only previous race for the now-NASCAR Cup Series at Road America took place on Aug. 12, 1956. This was a 63-lap race on a 4.1-mile circuit. This is the same circuit that teams will be racing on this weekend. It's just been re-measured a few times since then.

In that race, Tim Flock was the beneficiary of bad luck. Speedy Thompson was leading with 10 laps to go when his engine turned traitor on him. Flock took the lead when Thompson retired and held on to win. Flock finished 17 seconds ahead of Billy Myers (uncle of Chocolate Myers). Fireball Roberts was third, then Paul Goldsmith in a Smokey Yunick Pontiac and Joe Eubanks.

Track Facts
Track / Race Length: 4.048-mile road course, 62 laps (250.976 miles)
Banking: Variable

Grandstand Seating: n/a
Pit Road Speed: 40 mph
Pace Car Speed: 45 mph
Opened: 1955 (only previous Cup race in 1956)

Website: http://www.roadamerica.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoadAmerica

Twitter: http://twitter.com/roadamerica

Say What?!

"Yeah, I’m excited about it, and I just love going to new race tracks so being able to add a track to the Cup schedule, I think is really cool. Road America is a great venue. It’s always put on really good Xfinity races, so I’m expecting the Cup race to be great as well.

"I think a lot of people are noticing how narrow the track [is], that’s for sure. It’s very unique in that aspect for stock cars, but you still have enough room to move around and race too. I think a lot of them have simulator laps and Kyle (Busch), I think came up here and tested as well. They are world class race car drivers. They will figure it out. Honestly, they haven’t really reached out to me, but I’m sure they are going to be tough to beat whenever they get here." - Christopher Bell

"I’m excited for this road course. I finished sixth there in the Xfinity Series in 2017. I had a good run and felt like it was one of my best road course races in that series overall. I expect more of the same this weekend in the Cup car. You just want to make sure that the car turns well and that you’re good in the braking zones. For us as a team, I think we will start off getting back to the basics of road course racing. We’ve had some bad luck recently but normally we’re really good at this style of racing. I’m excited that it’s another new track for the series and I think it will race really well for our cars." - William Byron

"Road America is tough. I have only been there twice with the NASCAR Xfinity Series

and it is a tough place. It is such a big track. There are a lot of places to gain and lose time. You can really get behind on your laps pretty quickly. You have to be focused and really make sure you are executing every part of the race track; making the most lap time as you can that entire lap and there are always places that you can do better. It is challenging as a driver, but it is fun.

“Plus, it is an awesome location. I love going up there because the fans are always excited. I am excited to see what the turnout is going to be for the NASCAR Cup Series race." - Erik Jones

Phil Allaway is the Newsletter Manager for Frontstretch. He can be reached via e-mail at phil.allaway@frontstretch.com. Photo is courtesy of Nigel Kinrade Photography.

Today at Frontstretch:

4 Burning Questions: Charters & More Charters

by the Frontstretch Staff

4 Burning Questions: Charters & More Charters

by Michael Finley

Fire on Fridays: These 5 Drivers Have the Best Shot of Winning Road America

by Kevin Rutherford

NASCAR 101: Chip Ganassi Racing in NASCAR Through the Years

by Beth Lunkenheimer

Stock Car Scoop: Trackhouse Buys Chip Ganassi Racing

by Adam Cheek and Bryan Nolen

Monday at Frontstretch.com:

We'll have recaps and breakdowns of all the action from Road America, Mid-Ohio and Watkins Glen for your pleasure.

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