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| SRX Series equally prepared 700-horsepower 396ci V8 with 530 ft-lb of torque Ilmor-powered cars dive into Turn 1 on the dirt short track at Eldora in from of grateful fans. They are grateful to be able to see accomplished drivers from many disciplines race for bragging rights - doesn't get much better than this. Image Credit: Mike Arning - True Speed PR via SRX (2021) |
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| Famed IndyCar career driver Marco Andretti has rarely been captured so happy at a race track as he was captured here after winning against the star-studded driver field at Slinger, Wisconsin. Image Credit: Mike Arning - True Speed PR via SRX (2021) |
Camping World SRX Series Season Finale
Round 6 of 6 – Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway – July 17 LIVE on CBS
WHAT: Camping World SRX Series (Round 6 of 6)
WHERE: Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, Tennessee
WHEN: 8 p.m. EDT on Saturday, July 17
DISTANCE: Feature consists of 77 laps (preceded by two 12-minute heat races, which sets starting lineup)
CARS: Purpose-built SRX racecars
TV: LIVE on the CBS Television Network with streaming on Paramount+ Premium at 8 p.m. EDT on Saturday, July 17
● Host: Lindsay Czarniak
● Booth: Allen Bestwick (play-by-play) and James Hinchcliffe (driver analyst)
● Pit Reporter: Matt Yocum
● Roaming Analyst: Brad Daugherty
● Producer: Pam Miller
● Director: Jim Cornell
THE TRACK: Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway (.596-mile, paved oval)
● Banking: 18 degrees in the turns; 3 degrees on the straightaways
● Width: 60 feet on frontstretch, 50 feet on backstretch and in corners
● Frontstretch Length: 720 feet
● Backstretch Length: 680 feet
SPOTTER GUIDE: Car color, car number, driver and series they represent
● Black: No. 98 of Marco Andretti (INDYCAR)
● Teal: No. 18 of Bobby Labonte (NASCAR)
● Yellow: No. 2 of Ernie Francis Jr.(TRANS AM)
● Red: No. 3 of Helio Castroneves (INDYCAR and IMSA)
● Lime Green: No. 13 of Paul Tracy (INDYCAR)
● Purple: No. 9 of Bill Elliott (NASCAR)
● Magenta: No. 48 of Tony Kanaan (INDYCAR)
● White: No. 94 of Chase Elliott (NASCAR)
● Indigo: No. 17 of Willy T. Ribbs (TRANS AM, IMSA and INDYCAR)
● Patriotic: No. 1 of Hailie Deegan (NASCAR)
● Orange: No. 14 of Tony Stewart (NASCAR, INDYCAR and USAC)
● Blue: No. 15 of Michael Waltrip (NASCAR)
ROUND 1: June 12 at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Connecticut (half-mile, paved oval)
● Feature Winner: Doug Coby (Local All-Star)
● Heat Race No. 1 Winner: Greg Biffle (Ringer)
● Heat Race No. 2 Winner: Doug Coby
ROUND 2: June 19 at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa (half-mile, dirt oval)
● Feature Winner: Tony Stewart
● Heat Race No. 1 Winner: Tony Stewart
● Heat Race No. 2 Winner: Scott Bloomquist (Ringer)
ROUND 3: June 26 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio (half-mile, high-banked, clay oval)
● Feature Winner: Tony Stewart
● Heat Race No. 1 Winner: Tony Stewart
● Heat Race No. 2 Winner: Marco Andretti
ROUND 4: July 3 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Indiana (.686-mile, paved oval)
● Feature Winner: Ernie Francis Jr.
● Heat Race No. 1 Winner: Scott Speed (Ringer)
● Heat Race No. 2 Winner: Helio Castroneves
ROUND 5: July 10 at Slinger Speedway in Slinger, Wisconsin (quarter-mile, high-banked asphalt oval)
● Feature Winner: Marco Andretti
● Heat Race No. 1 Winner: Marco Andretti
● Heat Race No. 2 Winner: Greg Biffle (Ringer)
DRIVER CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: After Round 5 of 6
1. Tony Stewart (199 points)
2. Ernie Francis Jr. (161 points, -38)
3. Marco Andretti (155 points, -44)
4. Bobby Labonte (145 points, -54)
5. Helio Castroneves (140 points, -59)
6. Tony Kanaan (139 points, -60)
7. Michael Waltrip (93 points, -106)
8. Paul Tracy (90 points, -109)
9. Bill Elliott (66 points, -133)
10. Willy T. Ribbs (63 points, -136)
Note: Points are awarded in both heats and the feature. In each heat, the winner receives a maximum of 12 points. Second place earns 11 points with every position in descending order receiving one fewer point, with the 12th-place finisher earning one point. Points increase in the feature, with the winner receiving 25 points, second place 22 points, third place 20 points, fourth place 18 points, fifth place 16 points, sixth place 14 points, seventh place 12 points, eighth place 10 points, ninth place eight points, 10th place six points, 11th place four points and 12th place two points.
CREW CHIEF CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: After Round 5 of 6
1. Todd Parrott (399 points)
2. Local Legends (391 points, -8)
3. Jeff Hammond (319 points, -80)
4. Mike Beam (297 points, -102)
5. Tony Eury Jr. (171 points, -228)
Note: Ricky Turner is the local legend crew chief at Nashville. The Dawsonville, Georgia-native is a former driver who went from winning races in Late Model stock cars to serving as the winning crew chief for Late Model drivers, most notably with Chase Elliott. Turner was a part of Elliott’s grand slam in 2013 when he became the first driver to win all four majors on the Super Late Model circuit – the All-American 400 at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, the Winchester 400 at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway, the World Crown 300 at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Georgia, and the Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida.
NASHVILLE GUEST STAR: CHASE ELLIOTT
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia, United States
Social: IG: @chaseelliott9 / Twitter: @chaseelliott / Facebook: @ChaseElliott
● Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion, driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.
● Winner of 13 NASCAR Cup Series races, seven on road courses, and also a five-time winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and a three-time winner in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
● Qualified on the pole nine times in the NASCAR Cup Series, including the 2016 and 2017 Daytona 500.
● Earned NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year honors in 2016.
● Won 2014 Xfinity Series championship, the first rookie to win a NASCAR national series title and the youngest driver (at 18 years of age) to win that series title.
● Voted NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver by fans in 2018, 2019 and 2020, a distinction his father, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, won a record 16 times.
● Bill Elliott, the 1988 NASCAR Cup Series champion, and Chase, the 2020 champion, are the third father-son duo to win NASCAR championships, joining Lee and Richard Petty, and Ned and Dale Jarrett.
● Before his NASCAR career, became the first driver to win the largest short-track races in the United States – the All-American 400, the Winchester 400, the Snowball Derby and the World Crown 300.
NASHVILLE GUEST STAR: HAILIE DEEGAN
Hometown: Temecula, California, United States
Social: IG: @HailieDeegan / Twitter: @HailieDeegan / Facebook: @ HailieDeegan4 / TikTok: @HailieDeegan
● Substituted for Tony Kannan June 19 at Knoxville and July 10 at Slinger. In SRX debut at Knoxville, finished third in the first heat, fifth in the second heat, and second in the feature to winner Tony Stewart. At Slinger, Deegan finished eighth in the first heat, second in the second heat and fourth in the feature.
● Three-time winner in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, and was the first female to win a race in the series.
● Currently competes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
● At just 19 years old, leads all NASCAR drivers – male and female – in fan engagement on social media.
● Daughter of Brian Deegan, a championship-winning motocross rider, off-road racer and Gold medal-winning X-Games athlete.
THE REGULARS:
MARCO ANDRETTI
Hometown: Nazareth, Pennsylvania, United States
Social: IG: @marcoandretti / Twitter: @marcoandretti
● Won the fifth round of the Camping World SRX Series race July 10 at Slinger. It was Andretti’s first victory in a racecar featuring a roof and fenders.
● Third-generation racer, son of INDYCAR champion Michael Andretti and grandson of the legendary Mario Andretti.
● Racing select NTT INDYCAR Series races in 2021 (which included the Indianapolis 500).
● Winner of the 2006 INDYCAR Series Rookie of the Year.
● Tested for Honda Racing’s Formula One program in 2006 and 2007.
● Purchased childhood home in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and runs a successful real-estate business.
● Prepared to run the 2020 New York Marathon before the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellation of the event.
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| IndyCar and 4-Time INDY500 Champion Helio Castorneves in pre-race game face. Image Credit: Mike Arning - True Speed PR via SRX (2021) |
HELIO CASTRONEVES
Hometown: São Paulo, Brazil
Social: IG: @heliocastroneves / Twitter: @h3lio / Facebook: @h3lio
● Four-time and reigning Indianapolis 500 winner (2001, 2002, 2009 and 2021).
● Winner of the 2021 Rolex 24 at Daytona with co-drivers Filipe Albuquerque, Ricky Taylor and Alexander Rossi.
● Credited with beginning the tradition of climbing the fence after a race win, which he did after scoring his first career INDYCAR victory at the 2000 Detroit Grand Prix.
● Mirror Ball Trophy winner on Season 5 of Dancing With The Stars in 2007, alongside partner Julianne Hough.
BILL ELLIOTT
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia, United States
Social: Twitter: @billelliott9 / Facebook: @billelliott
● Affectionately known as “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville”.
● Won the 1988 NASCAR Cup Series championship and is a two-time Daytona 500 winner (1985 and 1987).
● Still holds the track qualifying records at Daytona International Speedway (210.364 mph) and Talladega Superspeedway (212.809 mph), both set in 1987.
● Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015.
● Voted NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver by fans a record 16 times.
● Father of reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott. They are the third father-son duo to win NASCAR championships, joining Lee and Richard Petty, and Ned and Dale Jarrett.
ERNIE FRANCIS JR.
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
Social: IG: @erniefrancisjr / Twitter: @erniefrancisjr
● Won the fourth round of the Camping World SRX Series race July 3 at Lucas Oil Raceway. It was Francis’ first career win on an oval.
● Winningest driver in the 55-year history of the SCCA Trans Am Series, all while being just 23 years old.
● At 16, became the youngest champion in Trans Am history and is the youngest professional driver to win seven consecutive championships.
● One of his most impressive performances came in the 2018 Trans Am race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. He had to miss qualifying because of a NASCAR commitment, but still won the race from the back of the grid.
● Has made select starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR K&N Series.
● Grandfather immigrated to New York City from Haiti five decades ago.
● Counts Willy T. Ribbs as a mentor and, like Ribbs, making a name for himself in Trans Am.
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| IndyCar Champion Tony Kanaan with Tony Stewart. Image Credit: Mike Arning - True Speed PR via SRX (2021) |
TONY KANAAN
Hometown: Salvador, Brazil
Social: IG: @tkanaan / Twitter: @tonykanaan / Facebook: @tonykanaan
● Won the 2004 INDYCAR championship.
● Winner of the 2013 Indianapolis 500.
● Splitting 2021 NTT INDYCAR Series season with seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson in Chip Ganassi Racing’s No. 48 entry, competing in all of the series’ oval races.
● Lebanese ancestry but grew up in Brazil; member of racing “Brat Pack” with Dario Franchitti, Max Papis and the late Greg Moore.
● Fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and English.
● Avid triathlete and has completed Ironman event in Hawaii.
BOBBY LABONTE
Hometown: Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Social: IG: @bobby_labonte44 / Twitter: @bobby_labonte
● Won the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series championship and 1991 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
● Won 2001 International Race of Champions (IROC) title, which was the precursor to SRX.
● Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020.
● Is a television analyst for FOX, specifically FS1’s RaceDay.
● Competes in the Southern Modified Auto Racing Tour (SMART).
● Founded Longhorn Chassis in 2010 with his brother, Terry, building dirt late model racecars. (Terry is a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, earning titles in 1984 and 1996.)
● Owns a Red Mango yogurt shop on the campus of Duke University.
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| Willy T. Ribbs takes selfie with Helio Castroneves. Image Credit: Mike Arning - True Speed PR via SRX (2021) |
WILLY T. RIBBS
Hometown: San Jose, California, United States
Social: Twitter: @willyribbs
● First African-American to compete in the Indianapolis 500 (1991 and 1993) and the first African-American to test a Formula One car (1986 with Brabham in Estoril, Portugal).
● Winner of the 1977 Dunlop/Autosport Star of Tomorrow Formula Ford 1600 championship.
● A 17-race winner in the SCCA Trans Am Series. Was the 1983 Trans Am Rookie of the Year on the strength of five wins and finished second in the series championship to teammate David Hobbs.
● Won 10 IMSA GTO races driving for the legendary Dan Gurney.
● Showed versatility by competing in Trans Am, IMSA, INDYCAR and various NASCAR divisions, including the Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series.
● Made 46 INDYCAR starts between 1990-1994.
● After retiring from racing, became a professional shooter in the National Sporting Clays Association. Ribbs’ son, Theodore, is also a professional shooter.
● In the Disney Channel cartoon The Proud Family, character Penny proud and her friends attend Willy T. Ribbs Middle School, where the mascot is “Racer.”
● Ribbs was the subject of the 2020 Netflix documentary, Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story.
TONY STEWART
Hometown: Columbus, Indiana, United States
Social: IG: @tsrsmoke / Twitter: @tonystewart / Facebook: @tonystewart / YouTube: @tonystewart14
● Swept the two Camping World SRX Series dirt-track races June 19 at Knoxville and June 26 at Eldora.
● Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (2002, 2005 and 2011), 1997 INDYCAR Series champion and four-time USAC champion.
● Stewart is the first and only driver to win championships in stock cars, Indy cars and open-wheel Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown cars.
● Co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, winner of two NASCAR Cup Series championships (2011 and 2014).
● Owner of Tony Stewart Racing, winner of 26 championships – 14 in USAC, nine in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and three in the All Star Circuit of Champions TQ Midgets.
● Inducted into numerous halls of fame, including the NASCAR Hall of Fame (2020), the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Hall of Fame (2020), the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2019), the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame (2019), the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame (2019), the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame (2018), the USAC Hall of Fame (2016) and the National Midget Racing Hall of Fame (2001).
● Formed the Tony Stewart Foundation in 2003.The 501(c)(3) organization’s goal is to raise funds primarily distributed to serving three specific groups – chronically ill and physically disabled children, animals that are endangered or at-risk, and drivers injured in the sport of motor racing. To date, the Foundation has awarded nearly $7 million to assist charitable initiatives for more than 150 well-qualified organizations throughout the United States.
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| Former Penske Championship IndyCar driver Paul Tracy. Image Credit: Mike Arning - True Speed PR via SRX (2021) |
PAUL TRACY
Hometown: Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Social: IG: @paultracyofficial
● Current NBC TV commentator for its INDYCAR broadcasts.
● Won the 2003 INDYCAR championship.
● Finished second to Helio Castroneves in the 2002 Indianapolis 500.
● Has competed in NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, and dabbled in professional downhill mountain bike racing.
MICHAEL WALTRIP
Hometown: Owensboro, Kentucky, United States
Social: IG: @mwr55 / Twitter: @mw55 / Facebook: @michaelcwaltrip
● Two-time Daytona 500 winner (2001 and 2003).
● Younger brother of three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip.
● Color commentator for FOX’s broadcasts of NASCAR Xfinity and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, as well as pre-race commentator for FOX’s broadcast of NASCAR Cup Series races.
● Author of a New York Times best-seller in 2011, In the Blink of an Eye: Dale, Daytona, and the Day that Changed Everything. A documentary film adaptation was released in 2019.
● An avid runner, competed in the 2000 Boston Marathon.
● Participated in season 19 of Dancing With The Stars in 2014.
[ht: CBS & Camping World SRX Series]
