Kaulig Racing’s Justin Haley Will Throw Ceremonial First Pitch at Today’s Cleveland Indians Game
LEXINGTON, Ohio (August 7, 2019) — The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, August 9-10, for the B&L Transport 170 at Mid-Ohio. This is the seventh straight year that NASCAR’s rising stars will compete on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course in Lexington, Ohio.
Eight races in total will be on track this weekend. The event features its usual strong Ohio connections with many drivers, teams and team crew members hailing from the Buckeye State. Saturday, August 10th’s 75-lap B&L Transport 170 at Mid-Ohio, serves as Round 21 of 33 of the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series and will be the second of four road courses races on the season.
Kaulig Racing, the NASCAR Xfinity team owned by Northeast Ohio entrepreneur Matt Kaulig, who was born in Columbus, raised in Cincinnati, then moved to Chicago, was a star quarterback at the University of Akron and fields the No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro entry for Justin Haley. Currently ninth in the season standings, Haley will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Cleveland Indians game this afternoon.
“I’ve thrown out a first pitch at one other baseball game, but it wasn’t the MLB! It was the Daytona Tortugas who are an affiliate of the Reds,” said Haley. “I actually practiced at the shop the week before with a couple of the guys, so I am excited to throw out a pitch for the Cleveland Indians!
“To me, there isn’t any extra motivation this week. I want to win every week, no matter where we are racing,” he continued. “There’s definitely a lot of pressure going to Mid-Ohio with over 500 guests from LeafFilter, and I’m excited to contend for a win for them.”
Austin Cindric, who finished second at Mid-Ohio last year for Team Penske after leading 59 laps, is looking for redemption at Mid-Ohio after relinquishing the lead late to Justin Allgaier on Lap 72. He just notched his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Watkins Glen last weekend. Cindric is the grandson of Jim Trueman, the late former owner of Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the 1980s.
“Winning at Mid-Ohio would mean a great deal. Not only as redemption from losing the lead late in the race last year, but as one of my favorite racetracks,” explained Cindric, driver of the No. 22 Ford Mustang. “That track is very significant to my family, so it would be very special.
“I am confident that we can pick up from where we left off last year with our PPG Ford Mustang,” he said. “Obviously coming off some good momentum from our win this past weekend at Watkins Glen, but the job is still the same, and I'm excited for another go.”
With two different races for its four categories (TA, SGT & GT and TA2) on Saturday’s schedule, Trans Am presented by Pirelli will feature multiple drivers from Ohio. They include Larry Funk (Oberlin) in GT, David Pintaric (Canfield) in TA, Aaron Quine (Wadsworth) in TA2, Amy Ruman (Stow) in TA, Jeff Wood (Athens) in TA2, and Alex Wright (Mount Vernon) in TA2. Additional features on the weekend schedule are tripleheader races for the F4 United States Championship Powered by Honda and two races for Robby Gordon’s Stadium SUPER Trucks to close out the day on both Friday and Saturday.
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course offers an exceptional value. General admission is $60 for the weekend. Tickets purchased at the gate are $5 additional for tickets. Reserved trackside motorhome spaces and camping are available. Children 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by a ticketed adult, plus there is free parking on site. Visit midohio.com or call 419-884-4000, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. ET, to purchase tickets in advance.
The complete B&L Transport 170 at Mid-Ohio weekend schedule is available on midohio.com. Follow the event on social media with #XfinityMO.
ABOUT MID-OHIO SPORTS CAR COURSE
A comprehensive motorsports facility in Lexington, Ohio, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course sits on 330 acres and features a permanent road-racing circuit with two primary track configurations: 2.4-mile, 15-turn or 2.258-mile, 13-turn layout. Located 60 miles north of Columbus and 75 miles south of Cleveland near Mansfield, the natural terrain road course is commonly referred to as the “Most Competitive in the U.S.” and annually hosts a diversity of locally, regionally and nationally sanctioned race events for amateur, club and professional drivers and riders. It is also home to The Mid-Ohio School, featuring over 20 driving and riding courses, for teenagers to professional racers using Honda vehicles. Opened in 1962, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is owned and operated by Green Savoree Racing Promotions since 2011, just the raceway’s third private ownership group in its history.
For more information, visit midohio.com, ‘like’ its Facebook page @MidOhioSportsCarCourse or follow updates on Twitter @Mid_Ohio and Instagram @officialmidohio.
