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NASCAR refiles counterclaim against 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports

NASCAR requested the opportunity to amend its countersuit against Front Row Motorsports, 23XI Racing and Curtis Polk, received it on Thursday morning and officially filed it in the Western District of North Carolina on Thursday night. Like the previous version, much of the claims are redacted, including whichever new items NASCAR wanted to provide Judge […]

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NASCAR requested the opportunity to amend its countersuit against Front Row Motorsports, 23XI Racing and Curtis Polk, received it on Thursday morning and officially filed it in the Western District of North Carolina on Thursday night.

Like the previous version, much of the claims are redacted, including whichever new items NASCAR wanted to provide Judge Kenneth D. Bell.

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The basis of the countersuit includes what was filed in March, that the teams themselves violated antitrust laws in how they banded together under Polk to negotiate with the Sanctioning Body, while also tampering with television rights negotiations with FOX Sports in the form of an attempted boycott of the 2023 Daytona 500 qualifying races as planned by the 23XI Racing co-owner.

The key lines, remaining from the March filing is as follows.

“Beginning no later than June 2022, Counterclaim Defendants engaged in a conspiracy and agreement in unreasonable restraint of interstate trade and commerce, constituting a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1. Curtis Polk knowingly and actively orchestrated and participated in this illegal conspiracy, while working as a member of the TNC on behalf of the (Race Team Alliance) and aiding 23XI’s and Front Row’s participation in the scheme, also constituting a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1.”

NASCAR is (still) arguing that ‘23XI, Front Row, and their co-conspirators are horizontal competitors and separate economic actors who agreed to join together to collectively negotiate with NASCAR’ which would be different than a collectively bargained position from entities that are equal participants, like players of a stick and ball sport.

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It says that Polk and the two teams pressured the other teams to participate in a boycott of a qualifying race, the 2024 Duel at Daytona, and ‘agreed to a scheme to pressure NASCAR to accept their collusive terms’ and interfered with negotiations with broadcast partners over contract extensions.

“On information and belief, Polk organized this threatened boycott in order to harm NASCAR, including NASCAR’s relationships with its broadcast partners,” the filing stated.

NASCAR also claims that the teams and Polk engaged in ‘active threats and coercive behavior in order to maintain their per se illegal cartel.’ The counter-suit claims that such ‘collusive conduct achieved its goals’ and that horizontal competitors jointly negotiating is a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act.

This is the second time that NASCAR has called someone involved in the suit ‘a cartel,’ making the reference to RTA executive director Jonathan Marshall in court in January as he sat in a proceedings over the preliminary injunction decision that ultimately granted both teams charter status this season.

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Even though the teams did not sign the charter extension, federal district judge Kenneth D. Bell sought to maintain the status quo from before suit was filed through a trial that is set for December 1.

The injunction was also granted because the teams successfully argued that they would suffer irreparable harm if they were not recognized as charter teams in 2025 as drivers and sponsors both had opt-out clauses. The judge also waived a provision in the charter agreement that prevented teams from suing NASCAR, deciding that such an inclusion was likely a violation of federal antitrust laws.

That injunction decision has been appealed by NASCAR to the fourth circuit court in Richmond, Virginia. That hearing will take place on Friday morning at 8 a.m.

The complete new document, redacted as it may be, can be found below.

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Lawsuit timeline

23XI Racing, Front Row decline to sign NASCAR’s final 2025-2031 charter document
Why 23XI, Front Row filed a lawsuit against NASCAR
23XI, Front Row makes his case in antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR
Richard Childress says he had ‘no choice’ but to sign charter document
How drivers feel about the lawsuit
Michael Jordan comments on his team’s lawsuit against NASCAR
Meet NASCAR’s antitrust defense lawyer
NASCAR files injunction to be included in charter system through lawsuit
NASCAR motions against team’s preliminary injunction request
NASCAR, teams consent to redacting charter details in filings
Teams make case for injunctive relief, expedited discovery
NASCAR’s lengthy rebuttal to injunction, lawsuit
Teams respond to NASCAR response over injunction
23XI, Front Row and NASCAR go to court over injunctions
Judge rules against teams preliminary injunction request
Denny Hamlin says 23XI may not race next year
What preliminary injunction denial means for lawsuit
NASCAR drops ‘lawsuit release clause’ in open agreement
Appeal timeline rebuttal filed by NASCAR
Why 23XI may not have to race in the Clash without charters
Teams drop appeal, may re-file in district court
23XI, Front Row re-file injunction request
NASCAR opposes expedited timeline
France, NASCAR motion to dismiss, deny SHR charter transfer request
NASCAR says injunctive request still fails to show irreparable harm
Teams say NASCAR went back on its word over SHR charters
23XI, Front Row respond to NASCAR’s motion to dismiss
Judge orders NASCAR to issue charters to 23XI, Front Row
NASCAR plans to appeal injunction ruling; other details
Judge grants partial stay of injunction in blunt response to NASCAR
Teams accuse NASCAR of petulance in response to delay request
Why Judge Bell did not delay his injunction order
NASCAR wants 23XI, FRM to post bond covering 2025 charter pay
Both sides meet in court to argue motion to dismiss, bond payment
Judge rules against NASCAR’s motion to dismiss, trial on schedule
Injunction appeal formally filed by NASCAR
NASCAR files counterclaim
Why NASCAR is counter-suing the teams
Denny Hamlin responds to NASCAR countersuit
23XI, Front Row file for NASCAR counterclaim dismissal
NASCAR accuses district judge of faulty legal ruling
23XI, Front Row subpoena F1 financial documents

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Champion Motorsports Executive Steps Down After Antisemitic Text Message

BOCA RATON – A South Florida luxury car dealership is facing intense backlash after one of its top executives allegedly sent an antisemitic slur to a potential customer in a text message. Naveen Maraj, co-owner of Champion Motorsports in Pompano Beach, has reportedly stepped down from his managerial and operational duties following the incident. […]

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BOCA RATON – A South Florida luxury car dealership is facing intense backlash after one of its top executives allegedly sent an antisemitic slur to a potential customer in a text message. Naveen Maraj, co-owner of Champion Motorsports in Pompano Beach, has reportedly stepped down from his managerial and operational duties following the incident.





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The controversy erupted after Boca Raton resident John Wolff received a message from Maraj referring to him as a “Jew cu-t.” The slur, sent via text and later made public by BocaNewsNow.com, sparked outrage in the local community and beyond.

Champion’s General Manager Mike Peters released a statement Friday night attempting to contextualize the message as a product of what he described as a long-standing personal friendship between Maraj and Wolff. However, Wolff has firmly disputed that claim, telling reporters that the two hadn’t communicated in over six years.

“To suggest that we had the sort of relationship where it’s okay to call me something like that is absurd,” Wolff said.

In the company’s statement, Peters acknowledged the offensive nature of the language used and said Maraj would no longer be involved in daily operations or management decisions at Champion.

“Intent does not negate impact,” the statement read. “The language used was inappropriate and does not reflect the standards of conduct or mutual respect that has been a part of the Champion culture for over 38 years.”

Despite the resignation announcement, state records reviewed by BocaNewsNow.com show Maraj remains listed as an officer of the company.

The incident is now under review by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which monitors and responds to cases of antisemitism nationwide.

Meanwhile, Braman Porsche in West Palm Beach—owned by Norman Braman, whose family are Jewish immigrants from Europe—has been highlighted as an alternative by local Jewish community leaders. Braman’s dealership has longstanding ties with Jewish organizations across South Florida.

The fallout serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of hate speech, particularly in professional environments. It also raises questions about ownership accountability and the distinction between personal conduct and corporate culture.

As the community awaits further developments, Champion Motorsports may face ongoing scrutiny not only for the slur itself but for how it chooses to respond in the days ahead.

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NASCAR Truck Series Window World 250 at North Wilkesboro

Chandler Smith emerged victorious in a wild finish, where Layne Riggs spun Corey Heim for the race lead. Smith was able to scoot past them both and scored his second win of the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. Here are the complete race results for the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Window World 250 […]

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May 18, 2025

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Chandler Smith emerged victorious in a wild finish, where Layne Riggs spun Corey Heim for the race lead. Smith was able to scoot past them both and scored his second win of the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Here are the complete race results for the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Window World 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Race 10 of 25.

Fin

Truck

Driver

Laps

Status

1

38

Chandler Smith (x)

255

Running

2

34

Layne Riggs

255

Running

3

18

Tyler Ankrum

255

Running

4

19

Daniel Hemric

255

Running

5

9

Grant Enfinger (S2)

255

Running

6

98

Ty Majeski

255

Running

7

17

Gio Ruggiero #

255

Running

8

45

Kaden Honeycutt

255

Running

9

07

Kyle Busch (i)

255

Running

10

7

Sammy Smith (i)

255

Running

11

15

Tanner Gray

255

Running

12

13

Jake Garcia

255

Running

13

66

Luke Baldwin

255

Running

14

52

Stewart Friesen

255

Running

15

71

Rajah Caruth

255

Running

16

81

Connor Mosack #

255

Running

17

11

Corey Heim (S1)

255

Running

18

88

Matt Crafton

254

Running

19

75

Patrick Emerling

254

Running

20

91

Jack Wood

254

Running

21

5

Toni Breidinger #

254

Running

22

1

Brent Crews

254

Running

23

99

Ben Rhodes

254

Running

24

77

Andres Perez de Lara #

253

Running

25

42

Matt Mills

253

Running

26

26

Dawson Sutton #

253

Running

27

44

Conner Jones

251

Running

28

76

Spencer Boyd

251

Running

29

33

Frankie Muniz #

248

Running

30

02

Jayson Alexander

242

Running

31

22

Tyler Tomassi

209

Out

32

67

Ryan Roulette

153

Out

33

2

Derek White

96

Out

34

6

Norm Benning

62

Out

# indicates Rookie of the Year contender
(i) indicates driver ineligible to score points
(S1) indicates Stage 1 winner
(S2) indicates Stage 2 winner
(x) indicates Xfinity Fastest Lap

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NASCAR All-Star Heat Race Results: May 17, 2025 (North Wilkesboro)

North Wilkesboro Speedway results from the heat races for the NASCAR All-Star Race Tomorrow, drivers will race for $1,000,000. 20 cars are locked into the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The field has been split into two heat races and the results from these races will set positions 1-20 in the All-Star feature. […]

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May 18, 2025

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North Wilkesboro Speedway results from the heat races for the NASCAR All-Star Race

Tomorrow, drivers will race for $1,000,000. 20 cars are locked into the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The field has been split into two heat races and the results from these races will set positions 1-20 in the All-Star feature.

View NASCAR All-Star heat race results below.

North Wilkesboro Menu
CARS (PLM): Prac/Qual | Race
CARS (LMSC): Prac/Qual | Race
Trucks: : Prac/Qual | Race
Cup : Prac/Qual | Heats | Lineup | Open | All-Star Race

North Wilkesboro TV Schedule

Heat 1
Report

Brad Keselowski and Alex Bowman set the front row for the first heat race of the day. 75 laps of stock car racing are up next…

Green flag, Keselowski clears Bowman via the outside lane off turn two. Bowman is dropping quickly through the field. Austin Dillon takes 2nd away.

67 to go, Reddick works under Dillon in the battle for 2nd. After several laps, Reddick clears him for 2nd.

45 to go, the competition caution is out.

Four cars head for the pit lane. Keselowski stays out and holds the lead.

Green, Keselowski leads Reddick off turn two. Byron is flying through the field on new tires.

32 to go, Byron works to the right rear of Reddick. He drives by on the outside, Byron to 2nd.

25 to go, Ross Chastain has joined the battle. Three car battle for the lead. Reddick clears Reddick for 2nd.

21 to go, Chastain rubs doors with Keselowski in the battle for the lead. Keselowski holds him off.

12 to go, Keselowski opens the gap. Byron and Blaney are all over Chastain in the battle for 2nd.

Brad Keselowski wins heat one at North Wilkesboro Speedway!

North Wilkesboro Speedway
Race Results (Heat 1)
May 17, 2025

Pos | Driver

1. Brad Keselowski

2. Ross Chastain

3. William Byron

4. Ryan Blaney

5. Alex Bowman

6. Josh Berry

7. Tyler Reddick

8. Austin Dillon

9. Ricky Stenhouse Jr

10. Justin Allgaier (Kyle Larson)

North Wilkesboro Speedway
Video Highlights (Heat 1)
May 17, 2025

Pending

Heat 2
Report

Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe set the front row for the final heat race of the day. 75 more laps of short track racing are up next…

Green flag, Bell is clear before turn one. Briscoe holds 2nd off turn two.

45 to go, the competition caution is out.

Briscoe stays out on old tires but he’s the only one as 9 other cars head for the pit lane. Bell wins the race to the pit exit but he only took two tires. Logano restarts 4th, the first car with four fresh tires.

Green, Bell drives it deep to the bottom and he clears Briscoe for the race lead. Briscoe is dropping quickly through the field.

34 to go, Briscoe is in the way and he’s turned off turn four with help from Daniel Suarez.

Green, Bell leads off turn two. Joey Logano slides Chase Elliott for 2nd into turn three.

10 to go, Bell leads Logano by 1.5 seconds. Logano is exploring lanes.

Christopher Bell wins heat two at North Wilkesboro Speedway!

North Wilkesboro Speedway
Race Results (Heat 2)
May 17, 2025

1. Christopher Bell

2. Joey Logano

3. Chase Elliott

4. Kyle Busch

5. Chris Buescher

6. Daniel Suarez

7. Chase Briscoe

8. Austin Cindric

9. Harrison Burton

10. Denny Hamlin

North Wilkesboro Speedway
Video Highlights (Heat 2)
May 17, 2025

Pending

North Wilkesboro Speedway - NASCAR Cup Series - All-Star RaceNorth Wilkesboro Speedway - NASCAR Cup Series - All-Star Race
NORTH WILKESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 21: A general view of racing during the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 21, 2023 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
NASCAR All-Star Race
Starting Lineup
North Wilkesboro Speedway
May 18, 2025

Pos | Driver

1. Brad Keselowski

2. Christopher Bell

3. Ross Chastain

4. Joey Logano

5. William Byron

6. Chase Elliott

7. Ryan Blaney

8. Kyle Busch

9. Alex Bowman

10. Chris Buescher

11. Josh Berry

12. Daniel Suarez

13. Tyler Reddick

14. Chase Briscoe

15. Austin Dillon

16. Austin Cindric

17. Ricky Stenhouse Jr

18. Harrison Burton

19. Kyle Larson

20. Denny Hamlin

21. All-Star Open (Winner)

22. All-Star Open (2nd Place)

23. Fan Vote Winner

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North Wilkesboro Speedway | NASCAR



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Rivalry simmers after Chandler Smith’s NASCAR Truck win at North Wilkesboro

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (NASCAR Wire Service) — Chandler Smith owes Front Row Motorsports teammate Layne Riggs a vote of thanks after Saturday’s Window World 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway. After Riggs’ Ford slid up into the No. 11 Toyota of Corey Heim in Turn 2 of the final lap, Smith took the lead and held […]

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NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (NASCAR Wire Service) — Chandler Smith owes Front Row Motorsports teammate Layne Riggs a vote of thanks after Saturday’s Window World 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

After Riggs’ Ford slid up into the No. 11 Toyota of Corey Heim in Turn 2 of the final lap, Smith took the lead and held on for the win, his first at the 0.625-mile short track and his second of the season in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

Heim, who led 162 of 255 laps, left North Wilkesboro with a 17th-place finish and a percolating rivalry with Riggs, his nemesis throughout the race.

Riding on tires that were 68 laps older than Smith’s, Heim had the lead for the overtime restart on Lap 254. He quickly cleared Smith on his inside and Riggs behind him, but Riggs mounted a strong run through Turns 3 and 4 on the white-flag lap and steered to Heim’s inside.

Riggs slid up into Heim’s truck, which turned sideways as Smith claimed the lead and headed for the finish line with Riggs in his wake. Smith’s margin of victory over his teammate was 0.611 seconds.

The final overtime lap was the only one Smith led on Saturday in collecting his seventh career Truck Series win.

“I feel like this place tires kind of mattered but they also kind of didn’t,” said Smith, who started from the rear of the field after unapproved adjustments to fix a break issue in his No. 38 Ford. “I didn’t think we were as good as the 11—obviously we had a tire advantage on him there.

“That last restart, I did everything but the right thing. My teammate, Layne Riggs, executed perfectly, and we came out on the right end of the stick.”

Heim doubtless would take exception to the characterization “perfect execution.”

On a Lap 81 restart after the first stage break, Riggs ran Heim up toward the outside wall, handing the lead and ultimately the Stage 2 win to Grant Enfinger.

Then came the controversy in overtime.

After the race, Heim briefly expressed his displeasure to Riggs on pit road.

“He tried to do it to the 7 (Carson Hocevar) last week for the win, and mission accomplished for him, I guess, this week,” Heim said. “And it cost him one, too. I don’t know. We’ve given up so many of them this year, after dominating the race.

“The 38 (Smith) was the only other guy that was rightfully good. I felt like he deserved to win over anyone else, not the 34 (Riggs). I got really loose into (Turn) 3. Just struggled being loose on the short runs, and he had an opportunity to wreck me. Just disappointed.”

Predictably, Riggs had a different perception of the final lap.

“I feel like he got really loose into (Turns) 3 and 4 and kind of gave the bottom up, and we’re side by side on the frontstretch,” Riggs said. “I had a huge run, and I went bottom. I didn’t fence him. I slid him up the track and gave him one lane there.

“It’s North Wilkesboro on the last lap for a truck win. I feel like I didn’t really do anything wrong there.”

After the last-lap melee, Tyler Ankrum finished third, followed by Daniel Hemric and Enfinger. Defending series champion Ty Majeski, Giovanni Ruggiero, Kaden Honeycutt, Kyle Busch and Sammy Smith completed the top 10.

Busch’s efforts were hampered by a pair of pit road speeding penalties in his second start of the season.

Heim retained the series lead by 47 points over Chandler Smith in second heading to next Friday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.



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Starting lineup for Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — Twenty of the 23 spots have been set for Sunday night’s NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The final three spots will be determined Sunday in the All-Star Open (green flag at 5:38 p.m. ET). The winner and runner-up will advance, along with the fan vote winner, to the All-Star […]

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May 18, 2025

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NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — Twenty of the 23 spots have been set for Sunday night’s NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

The final three spots will be determined Sunday in the All-Star Open (green flag at 5:38 p.m. ET). The winner and runner-up will advance, along with the fan vote winner, to the All-Star Race (green flag at 8:14 p.m. ET).

The All-Star Race is 250 laps and pays $1 million to the winner.

NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race - Qualifying Heat

Heat races set the lineup for Sunday’s All-Star Race.

Brad Keselowski was the fastest in qualifying and won his heat race and will start first in the All-Star Race. He seeks his first All-Star Race win.

Christopher Bell won his heat and will start second in the All-Star Race.

Joey Logano won last year’s All-Star Race. Kyle Larson won the event in 2023, the first year it was held at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Larson will start at the rear Sunday because he missed qualifying and his heat race to practice and qualify for the Indianapolis 500.

Starting lineup for the All-Star Race

1. Brad Keselowski

2. Christopher Bell

3. Ross Chastain

4. Joey Logano

5. William Byron

6. Chase Elliott

7. Ryan Blaney

8. Kyle Busch

9. Alex Bowman

10. Chris Buescher

11. Josh Berry

12. Daniel Suarez

13. Tyler Reddick

14. Chase Briscoe

15. Austin Dillon

16. Austin Cindric

17. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

18. Harrison Burton

19. Kyle Larson (will move to the rear since Justin Allgaier qualified car)

20. Denny Hamlin

21. Winner of All-Star Open

22. Runner-up of All-Star Open

23. Fan vote winner





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Ford Performance NASCAR: Keselowski Wins Heat 1 – Speedway Digest

Ford Finishing Results: 1st – Brad Keselowski 4th– Ryan Blaney 6th – Josh Berry BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang Dark Horse – THAT WENT ACCORDING TO PLAN.  IS THIS A SHOT IN THE ARM FOR THIS TEAM?  “Yeah, it doesn’t hurt.  It’s been a good two days for everyone on this 6 […]

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May 18, 2025

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Ford Finishing Results:

1st – Brad Keselowski

4th– Ryan Blaney

6th – Josh Berry

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang Dark Horse – THAT WENT ACCORDING TO PLAN.  IS THIS A SHOT IN THE ARM FOR THIS TEAM?  “Yeah, it doesn’t hurt.  It’s been a good two days for everyone on this 6 crew and hopeful the other two cars can have good runs – the heat race and the Open so that we can get a great day for tomorrow.  It’s good to be starting up front with the Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang and to be running fast.  This is fun.”

YOU TRIED SOMETHING DIFFERENT.  WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THIS SETUP AND MAYBE TIRES.  DO YOU WANT TIRES TOMORROW?  “Those guys that put tires on, they were really hard to hold off. I had the preferred groove and just tried to use it to my advantage.  We’ll see if that’s the case tomorrow.”

KESELOWSKI WINNER’S PRESS CONFERENCE

IS THIS STILL A ONE-GROOVE TRACK?  “Oh, no.  It’s definitely not a single groove racetrack.  They were running me real hard.  We had good pace and that was a little bit of a dogfight, so I thought it was great racing.”

HOW MUCH FUN WAS IT RACING SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH THOSE GUYS FOR ALL THOSE LAPS?  “That’s what this is supposed to be.  It’s supposed to be a fun race and I think I ran beside the 45, the 1, the 24 for at least a dozen or maybe two dozen laps.  It was a good battle.  I’m glad that we came out on top, but that’s the way it’s supposed to be, right?”

BEING OUT FRONT YOU GET BETTER AIR BUT IS IT ALSO TIRE THING?  “Those guys were running hard and that’s what they’re supposed to do.  It’s always a battle on these short tracks to have the right balance between driving the car hard enough to stay up front, but not driving it too hard to run the tires off of it and that’s part of the challenge of being a race car driver and I welcome it.”

ARE YOU GOING TO NEED TIRES TOMORROW NIGHT?  “We’re gonna find out.  It’s always hard to say.  The track conditions are always changing, particularly when we’ll have the Open before the race tomorrow.  I suspect the track will just become more and more favorable to tire wear.”

Ford Performance PR



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