No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet Camaro
- Shane van Gisbergen qualified 26th for the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway.
- Van Gisbergen quickly drove his way to 22nd by lap six, when the first caution flew. Reporting the No. 97 was loose and was beginning to lack grip, Van Gisbergen entered the top 20, 12 laps into the race. Staying consistent, Van Gisbergen continued to work his way through the field, ending Stage 1, 11th.
- At the stage break, the No. 97 team opted to come to pit road for fresh tires, fuel and adjustments. Van Gisbergen started Stage 2 in 11th. Continuing to battle tight handling, Van Gisbergen maintained position throughout the stage. The No. 97 WeatherTech Chevrolet took the green and white checkered, 13th.
- The No. 97 team chose to pit during the stage break for fresh tires, fuel and adjustments. Van Gisbergen started the final stage, 12th. For the first time in the event, Van Gisbergen broke into the top 10 with 27 laps remaining in the race. Van Gisbergen raced in the top 10 the remainder of the race, taking the checkered flag 7th.
“That was really fun! My low run speed was really good and coming here for the second time, I felt way more comfortable. This is the toughest track but one of my favorites. The car was handling really well and I kept learning every lap. It was a great race overall and proud of my 97 Kaulig Racing team.”
– Shane van Gisbergen
No. 11 Call811.com Chevrolet Camaro
- Josh Williams qualified 30th for the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway.
- Williams moved into 26th by the race’s first caution on lap six. Restarting on lap nine, he continued his forward momentum and took 21st place on lap 14. On lap 30, debris brought on the race’s second caution, and Williams, following the leaders, stayed out. Restarting with 10 laps to go in Stage 1, Williams progressed into the top 20, finishing in 18th.
- During the stage break, Alloy Employer Services crew chief, Eddie Pardue, called the No. 11 Chevy into the pits for tires, fuel, and air pressure and wedge adjustments. He restarted in 16th on lap 53, but a car in the wall brought the caution back out immediately. Firing off again on lap 58, Williams began chasing down the top 15, feeling more comfortable with his Camaro’s lateral grip. He broke into 15th on lap 79 and then passed the No. 39 for 14th with two laps to go in Stage 2. He finished there, taking the green-white-checkered on lap 90.
- After pitting for tires and fuel, Williams restarted from 13th on lap 96 for the final stage. He lost four spots over the ensuing 10 laps to fall to 17th but took back 16th shortly thereafter. After teammate AJ Allmendinger’s flat right-front tire brought out the yellow flag to set up overtime, Williams pitted for tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. He restarted in 13th, but after getting stalled in traffic, he finished in 16th place.
“We were having a good run before the car reacted real weird to an adjustment, and we weren’t able to continue moving forward. That wasn’t the finish we deserved.”
– Josh Williams
No. 16 LeafFilter Chevrolet Camaro
- AJ Allmendinger qualified fourth for the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway.
- The first caution came on lap six when Allmendinger reported from fourth place his No. 16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevy was tight rolling center on the bottom but entry was good. On lap 28, Allmendinger reported the rear had faded and the car was tight. He maintained position in the top five for the duration of the opening stage and went on to finish in third.
- Under the stage break, Allmendinger came to pit road for four tires, fuel and air pressure and track bar adjustments. The No. 16 restarted in third place on lap 53. On lap 88, Allmendinger asked his crew chief, Alex Yontz, for more turn on the next pit stop. He finished third in the second stage and came to pit road for an air pressure and track bar adjustments prior to the final stage.
- The No. 16 restarted in fourth place on lap 97 and had fallen to sixth, his first time out of the top five, on lap 99. On lap 105, Allmendinger reported his Chevy was still tight. On lap 115, Allmendinger rejoined the top five. The caution came out on lap 143 after the No. 16 blew a right front tire and was slow on the track. The team came to pit road for right side tires and repairs. Allmendinger finished 27th.
“Disappointing end to our day for the No. 16 team. We’re proud of the car we brought to the track this weekend; we had a top three LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevy all day until we cut a tire there at the end. We’ve been working hard and making improvements but unfortunately, the finishes haven’t shown that.”
– AJ Allmendinger
Kaulig Racing PR
