Round 11: American 700 XI Thread

[f1fan]

Kenny: Once again Thunderweek is upon us here at the Auto Club Speedway! Hopefully this year I can qualify with the #91 Blue Flare car!

[CJ Racing]

Chris Dodd: "It's been a very bumpy road to get here, but CJ Racing is ready... Our Goal: To make the American 700. We have 11 chances to do so..."

David Levin: "This race will be very difficult for me, seeing as this is the only race of the season where both CJ Racing and Levin-Friedmann Motorsports will be on the same track, at the same time... I am prepared for the challenge, and hopefully both teams can preform to their highest level."

Javele McGee: *Whispers* "Shh... Don't say my name out loud, SHAQ might hear me..."
SHAQ: "Hey look, it's JAVELE MCGEE!!!!!"
J.McGee: "...RUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!"

[FitzwaterAustralia59]

So ready for the American 700 race weekend

[Finnish909]

Shock Jr.: "Well this quickly became a true family affair. My DAD is here!"
Shock Sr.: "There's my boy! Surprise! I'm joining you and your friends as well as that Kenny fellow!"
Shock Jr: "...Let's hope we get in the 700 if not, Baxter's at best I want to race you."
Shock Sr.: "Deal... Let's just see where fate will go."

JF: "...My son did a very good job racing is behind off. I'm hopeful for his future to be brighter after this race."
Finguy: "Dad I'm right here..."
JF: "Who is that on your shoulder?"
Finguy: "...Your granddaughter..."
JF: "...Did you and that Roz-"
Finguy: "I have my goal! You have yours... Let's just get into the 700."
JF: "I like the sound of that. Be careful though... Those ForzaVette guys are gunning for you."
Finguy: "I herd... Which is why I have Iris around to keep them away."
JF: "How's a child going to protect you?"
Finguy: "Her mother."

Psytomi: "We have our equipment back into it's peak condition. What Vernier tried to do for us was something of a foot in the right direction. Let's hope we get one of our drivers in the big show."

Johnson: "Let's get in again."

Thenos: "...I'm relevant right?"

[f1fan]

[EugeneDemax24]

American 700 Session D Qualifying session Video:

[EugeneDemax24]

[EugeneDemax24]

[nhood53]

I already know who the two drivers who won't race are!
Jon Bunnell and Michonda Standinghouse.
Haddix will be in the A700 on speed.
Vernio is in the Baxter race, unless some miracle happens!

[EugeneDemax24]

[EugeneDemax24]

[FitzwaterAustralia59]

My Qualifying lap wasn't enough to make it in The Top 40. Need a miracle in the Qualifying race to make it in the Show

[CJ Racing]

Dodd: "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"

Turbo: "What an awesome car that CJ Racing put together for the A700, so happy right now!"

B. Gurion: "G-d is so good, so thankful for all the hard work and dedication by the Levin-Friedmann Motorsports team to put together a car that could be fast enough to make this race, and a huge thank you to CJ Racing for helping us make it here."

David Levin: "While I unfortunately did not qualify for the A700, I am extremely proud of this entire group of drivers, from CJ Racing and LFM, to have 4 cars in total qualify in the top 40 spots, and 11 cars in the LCQ's, is something that I did not ever expect. This has been a great ride so far, and hopefully we can continue it!"

[f1fan]

Rain expected for Saturday

After Friday Night's session, the weather for the American 700 race day is looking to take a turn for the worse. The plan for tomorrow is that at 10:00AM the Richard Baxter: You Tried Hard race will begin. That 200 mile race would be followed by the two 100 mile last chance qualifying races at 12:00PM and 2:00PM. The American 700 is set to start at 7:00PM tomorrow. 

However, weather forecasts call for rain chances all day tomorrow, peaking with a 95% chance of rain at around 11:30AM extending all the way through to around 9:00PM. This is great southern California, which has been experiencing a pretty nasty drought lately. However, for race fans it may mean that on track activities may be either cancelled or postponed until Sunday in which the weather looks better.

ARCSOA CEO Vijay Pushanda laid out a guideline for what will happen if on track activity is halted tomorrow. 

"If rain affects the qualifying races we will scrap them, and fall back on one-off qualifying rule 5.2A, where the highest two drivers in time that haven't made the race, will get in. So if rain affects the qualifying race, both Donny Thompson, and Tristan Wilhoit would make it into the 41st and 42nd spots respectively." 

Pushanda also mentioned the consolation race, "Sponsorship allegations mandates that we run the consolation race. Our original plan was to flip the times for the consolation race and the Last Chance qualifying races. However, the Baxter cooperation will not allow us to do so. Therefore we are kind of in between a rock and a hard place. We may get the Baxter race off tomorrow, but the LCQ's are looking shaky at best." 

Pushanda then was asked about the American 700 itself. Pushanda stated, "Looking at the weather forecast, and knowing what a pain it can be to dry the Auto Club Speedway, I might be betting on the green flag flying at 1:00PM on Sunday. However, we will definitely try our hardest to get the main event in on Saturday night. I do not want to see an American 700 end early. However, at 350 miles, the race is official. So if it rains beyond that, we could call the race early. I don't want to, be we will! However, if the weather looks really glum late into the night, and it's dry at 7:30PM for the green, I will be more likely inclined to postpone it to Sunday at 1:00PM." 

The American 700 has never raced during the day at Fontana for the entirety of the race before. The 4th running of the American 700, which was run at Indianapolis, is the only American 700 up to this point, entirely run during the day. The Season 19 running of the race, also ended under the sunlight due to rain Saturday night, mid-way through the race.

Pushanda stated, "If the Baxter race gets rained out, it will be run at 10:00AM on Sunday. However, we are looking at the weather situation closely, and are monitoring it completely. We can only hope that we see all on track action tomorrow, but I am doubting it."

[f1fan]

[nhood53]

The way the A I raced in that Baxter race was the worst race I've ever seen!

[MrKyleCollins]

The way the A I raced in that Baxter race was the worst race I've ever seen!

I loved it xD
Guess everybody has opinions though.

[CJ Racing]

The Baxter race was a joke.... An utterly amazing joke that was so hilariously stupid that it should come back every season solely based on how hilariously terrible it was LOL

[f1fan]

[nhood53]

Great run by Haddix thought we might have won it had not been for those three lapped cars!

[FUEL]

Noah Hart: Pretty ridiculous how some drivers have no idea how to control their cars under caution. Completely ruined our day.

[f1fan]

Sean: I love this race... I can't get mad about it. Duncan stomped everyone today. I don't think he had the best car. But everyone who could seriously challenge him fell out early on. So Duncan took control of the race because no one could touch him. 

Sean: The only complaint on the race that I had was on Beka Haddix. She has talent, there's no questioning it, but she looked way out of her depth there. She's fast, but she looked really paranoid around other cars. She never really made moves, she just held her line. There were a couple of times where we could have had a run to the front, but Haddix wouldn't go. It was almost as if she was scared in the pack. Either that, or she wasn't used to the media attention she was getting by qualifying 4th in a car that should have qualified 164th.

[FitzwaterAustralia59]

Petronas didn't have a great race. Off to the next race

[MrKyleCollins]

Collins: Great day! For my first A700 I couldn't be prouder of the #3 team. Congrats to Duncan, wish I never got lapped so I could've potentially beat him. I was most impressed with Ziki though. Never raced in ARCSOA since S18, comes in with a developmental Lamborghini, and finishes second.

[AAllen22]

Alex: "Had a great race, stayed out of trouble, we just didn't have the car to beat Duncan. I am glad we got to lead for some time. That last yellow ended our chances, but it was still a good day."

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