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Elliott Battles to 21st-Place Finish after Early Incident in the Clash
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By NAPA
Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Josh Berry made his third start for Hendrick Motorsports as the fill-in driver of the No. 9 link hidden, please login to view Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 as Chase Elliott continues to recover from a fractured tibia. It was Berry’s fifth career NASCAR Cup Series start. He rolled off the grid from the 21st position and took the opening stage to adapt to superspeedway-style racing in the Next Gen car, ending stage one in 28th. The Hendersonville, Tennessee, native improved to 11th in stage two. During the final stage of the race, Berry was battling inside the top 10 when he was involved in a multi-car incident on lap 190. The team made repairs and Berry was able to rebound for an 18th-place finish.
Josh Berry qualified 21st for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. It was Berry’s third race filling in for the injured Chase Elliott as he continues to recover from a fractured tibia. Berry took the green flag for his first Cup Series superspeedway-style race and used the opening laps to get a good feel for his Chevrolet. The 32-year-old driver was scored in 20th when the first caution flag of the race was displayed on lap 11. Opting not to pit, Berry lined up in that same position after choosing the top lane and battled inside the top 25 once the race resumed. Berry got shuffled to the back of the main pack on lap 42, but was undeterred from the loss of track position as he made his way back up to 28th to close out the stage at lap 60.
During the stage break, Berry reported to the team that the NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet was a little free on entry, but the balance got better on the longer run. Interim crew chief Tom Gray called the Hendersonville, Tennessee, native to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Berry took the green flag for stage two from the 26th position on lap 68 and continued his forward progress, settling in behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson in the 21st position. Berry was running in 15th when teams began making scheduled green-flag pit stops on lap 127. The driver of the No. 9 stayed out until Gray called him in for a fuel-only stop on lap 138. Back out on the track, Berry made his way to as high as ninth before taking the green-and-white checkered flag in 11th to end stage two.
The No. 9 team made a stop for four tires and fuel under the stage-ending caution, sending Berry back out to start the final stage in 17th. After beginning the stage in the top lane, he made a move to the bottom and used that to his advantage to work his way to 10th on lap 182. Berry continued to race inside the top 10 until a multi-car incident occurred on lap 190, collecting the No. 9 Chevrolet. The NASCAR Xfinity Series regular was able to drive the NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet away and brought it to pit road for repairs. The team worked hard over the course of two pit stops to fix up the front-end damage, and Berry lined up 25th for the lap 200 restart. Less than 10 laps later another incident brought out the yellow flag, giving the team another opportunity to work on the No. 9. Berry was scored in the 23rd position for the restart on lap 216 and reported early in the run that the NAPA Auto Parts Camaro felt better after the most recent repairs. He battled hard in the final stint of the race, climbing his way back inside the top 20 and ultimately scoring an 18th-place finish in the 260-lap event.
“I thought it was a solid day for the No. 9 NAPA Chevy,” Berry said. “I feel like we definitely improved. We got up there in the top 10 and we were pretty solid before that wreck. After that, the car was just a little too damaged to be too aggressive. All-in-all, we finished the race, learned a lot and had some fun.”
Start / Finish: 21 / 18
Next Race: Sunday, March 26, Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas
How to Watch or Listen: FOX, PRN and SiriusXM
NAPA:
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By NAPA
The first week of March took the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series back to where the 2023 season started: Barberville, Florida. While the annual Bike Week kicked off in nearby Daytona Beach, 23 competitors arrived at Volusia Speedway Park to compete in the Spring Showdown as well as to make up a rained out race from the Dirtcar Nationals three weeks prior.
Brad Sweet, driver of the No. 49
link hidden, please login to view sprint car, was eighth in the qualifying order and hit the charts at 13.930 seconds, placing him seventh overall. That put the Big Cat third to start in Heat Race 1. With a relatively wet track at the green flag of the first heat race, cars quickly spread out and made passing difficult. Sweet finished his heat race where he started in third place.
Placed seventh to start the feature, Sweet and the No. 49 team were looking to advance. At the start, Sweet was shuffled back to ninth when his line was slower on the start. The four-time and defending series champion made every attempts to move forward, but the track was still too fast, and cars were lapping the circuit in a single lane. Battling dirty air from cars ahead, the NAPA No. 49 crossed the checkers in ninth place.
The second portion of Sunday night’s event included the make-up Dash and A-main from the rained-out Saturday night of the Dirtcar Nationals three weeks prior. With a chance to improve the car for the current track conditions, Sweet and the NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 team saw a shot at redemption. Rolling off sixth in the six-lap Dash offered Sweet a six-lap opportunity to earn improve his starting spot in the A-main. From the drop of the green flag, Sweet’s NAPA machine came to life and launched him up to third place. Sweet looked to gain another spot but ran out of time.
With 30 laps to contest in the feature, Sweet was ready to use all 900 horsepower the No. 49 car could offer to make his move to the front. With an ideal setup, Sweet proved quick as the field took off. Running the preferred line, the NAPA driver made several charges to pass the leader. Sweet ultimately crossed the line in second, the podium finish offering redemption for the team’s unremarkable outcome earlier in the evening.
Monday marked the second night of the Spring Showdown and the final night of racing in Florida for the 2023 season. With 23 cars signed into competition, Sweet went out 17th in qualifying and laid down a lap time of 13.668 seconds, good for ninth quickest overall. Starting third in Heat Race 3, Sweet knew he needed to pick up at least one spot to advance to the Fast Pass Dash. When the green flag dropped on his heat race, Sweet launched into second and held the spot, locking him into the Dash.
“We are struggling a little bit, but the Dash gets you those extra laps to get your car a little better,” Sweet said during the Dash draw. “Hopefully we can have a good finish with our NAPA Auto Parts car down here at Volusia. We’ve had a lot of fun, and I’ve been down here quite a bit, so hopefully we can finish strong.”
After drawing the fifth spot to start the Dash, Sweet had six laps to improve his starting spot in the A-main. At the drop of the green, Sweet drove around the outside to claim fourth, holding the spot to the checkered flag.
Sweet focused on making strides toward the front when he rolled off from fourth in the 30-lap A-main. The NAPA driver quickly advanced to third following the drop of the green flag. After a mid-race caution, the No. 49 spun its tires on the restart and fell back to sixth, where the NAPA team ultimately finished.
Sweet and the NAPA Auto Parts team will enjoy some days off before they make their way to Port Royal, Penn., for the next Outlaws event.
Start / Finish:
Sunday, Mar. 5, Spring Showdown: 7 / 9
Sunday, Mar. 5, Dirtcar Nationals make-up: 3 / 2
Monday, Mar. 6, Spring Showdown: 4 / 6
Points Standing / Total: 7th / 666 pts. (-56)
Next Race: Friday, March 10, Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, Penn.
How to Watch or Listen:
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By NAPA
After Chase Elliott suffered a fractured tibia in a snowboarding accident on Friday, NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Josh Berry was tapped to fill in as the driver of the No. 9 link hidden, please login to view Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Sunday’s Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In his first start in a Next Gen car, Berry adapted well, climbing from 32nd to 24th to round out stage one. The Hendersonville, Tennessee, native followed that up with a 26th-place finish in stage two before ultimately taking the checkered flag in 29th after battling through an issue with the throttle. After Chase Elliott suffered a fractured tibia in a snowboarding accident on Friday, NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Josh Berry was tapped to fill in as the driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet for Sunday’s Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Turning his first ever laps in a Next Gen car, Berry qualified in the 32nd position. After the green flag dropped, the 32-year-old took the opening laps to adapt and managed to gain a few positions before green-flag pit stops commenced. Once the field cycle through stops, Berry was scored in 26th. He continued his climb forward, taking the green-and-white checkered flag to end stage one in 24th at the conclusion of lap 80.
During the stage break, Berry radioed to the team that the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy’s balance was better than it had been on Saturday, but that the car was a little on the tight side. After a pit stop for four tires and fuel, he started stage two from 24th on lap 89 and lost a few spots after making slight contact with the wall. When green-flag pit stops ensued, the team called Berry in for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment on lap 122. Scored in 29th once pit stops cycled through, he reported that the No. 9 was much better. Berry pressed forward as the run went on and was scored in the 26th position to end stage two. Under the caution, he communicated to crew chief Alan Gustafson that the throttle pedal felt sticky. He added that he was struggling in dirty air as he was learning the new car.
Berry took the green flag for the final stage from the 28th position on lap 172 and was scored in 29th when the caution flag waved on lap 184. With the team being two laps down due to long green-flag runs throughout the race, Gustafson made the call for Berry to take the wave around to get one of the laps back. During the final stage Berry continued to report issues with the throttle and when a caution came out with just four laps to go, the team made a pit stop for four tires, fuel and attempted to make repairs. After further evaluation, the team determined that they wouldn’t be able to fix the issue and sent Berry back out for the overtime restart. He battled hard in those finals laps, ultimately taking the checkered flag in the 29th position.
“I learned a lot, especially in the first two stages,” Berry said. “I think we definitely saw at times we were running some pretty good lap times. Just struggled with dirty air; knowing where to put the car and how to do that. There’s a lot of learning to be done, but all-in-all, it was still a pretty good time.”
Start / Finish: 32 / 29
Next Race: Sunday, March 12, Phoenix Raceway
How to Watch or Listen: FOX, MRN and SiriusXM
NAPA:
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By RockAuto
See what's new at RockAuto in the Early Edition of the March Newsletter!
Headlines at RockAuto: Expanded Engine Component Coverage New RockAuto Commercial Fuel Injection Trivia "Baffling Blinker" Blunder Diagnostic Process Help Bella's 2003 Ford Mustang GT And More...
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By NAPA
Chase Elliott started Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway from the 33rd position after qualifying was rained out and the starting lineup was determined by the rule book. The 27-year-old drove to a 10th-place finish in the first stage and took the green-and-white checkered flag in seventh to end the second stage. The 2020 Cup Series champion continued his climb forward in the final stage, earning a second-place finish in the 200-lap race in Fontana, California. Elliott now sits 14th in the point standings after the second event of the 2023 season, 43 points behind the leader. After a weekend full of rain in Fontana, California, the NASCAR Cup Series took the green flag on Sunday afternoon for its 200-lap race at Auto Club Speedway. Chase Elliott and the No. 9 link hidden, please login to view team started the race from the 33rd position after the lineup was set according to the rule book. It didn’t take long for Elliott to begin his climb forward. When the competition caution flag waved at the conclusion of lap 15, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native was scored in the 25th position. Under caution, Elliott reported that his NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was getting tight center off during the run. The team made its first pit stop of the day for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment.
Elliott was 25th after his pit stop and chose the top lane for the restart on lap 20. He made quick work of the cars ahead of him, charging his way to 12th by lap 41. Just one lap later the caution flag was displayed and crew chief Alan Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for four fresh tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. A fast stop by the No. 9 pit crew catapulted Elliott to seventh upon leaving pit road. The 2020 Cup Series champion chose the top lane once again. Elliott maneuvered his way to fifth on lap 49, but his No. 9 Chevrolet was too free as the run progressed and he was scored 10th at the conclusion of stage one on lap 65. During the stage-ending caution, the team made the call to reverse the previous adjustments during its pit stop for four tires and fuel in an effort to tighten up the NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet.
Elliott chose the top lane to start the second stage on lap 72 and was running in 13th when the caution flag waved just two laps later. The team made another stop for four tires and fuel and Elliott restarted just inside the top 15 on lap 79. He improved his position and made his way back up to 10th before the caution flag waved on lap 81. After opting to stay out on the track, Elliott was scored in eighth and took the top lane for the restart. Before the entire field could take the green flag, a multi-car incident brought out the yellow flag once again. Staying out for a second time, he took the top for the lap-91 restart. Elliott faded to 13th on lap 97, but as the run went on his Chevrolet came to life. The driver of the No. 9 powered his way to seventh before the green-and-white checkered flag waved to end stage two on lap 130. During the stage break, the team made a fast pit stop for four tires and fuel, gaining Elliott two positions.
The 27-year-old driver was scored in the fifth position following his pit stop and chose the top lane before the start of the final stage on lap 136. He was in that same spot when the caution flag was displayed on lap 141. Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for four tires and the team packed the No. 9 Chevrolet full of fuel. He lined up seventh for the choose cone and opted for the top lane. The field took the green flag for the restart with just 55 laps to go and Elliott continued to battle inside the top 10. He was back up to fifth on lap 149 and gained two more positions before scheduled green flag pit stops began around lap 165. Gustafson called Elliott to pit road on lap 167 for the team’s final pit stop of the day. On lap 175, the Hendrick Motorsports driver was in the fourth position with one car left to pit. He continued to track down the cars ahead of him, advancing to second on lap 182. Elliott drove hard in the final laps but ran out of time to battle for the lead. He ultimately took the checkered flag in the second position, his best career finish at the 2-mile facility. Kyle Busch claimed the victory. Elliott’s runner-up finish and stage points earned helped him improve to 14th in the Cup Series point standings. He is just 43 points behind the leader as the series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway next weekend.
“Just really proud of our team,” Elliott said. “We obviously didn’t run very good there toward the end of the year last year, and everybody really went to work hard over the winter to try and get better. I appreciate everybody on our NAPA team for just sticking with it and sticking with each other. I think we still have some work to do, but it was really nice to just see a lot of that hard work pay off and have the car driving like we were wanting it to do. That’s always a good thing. Appreciate everybody’s effort; everybody at Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet.”
Start / Finish: 33 / 2
Points Standing / Total: 14th / 49 pts. (-43)
Next Race: Sunday, March 5, Las Vegas Motor Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM
NAPA:
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