QUARTERFINAL FINISH CAPS NORWALK FOR JOSH HART

QUARTERFINAL FINISH CAPS NORWALK FOR JOSH HART NORWALK, OH (June 25, 2023) --- Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster team were racing the shadows of a major distribution hub for his primary sponsor this weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. Last year Hart raced to a runner-up finish and the owner of Burnyzz Speed Shop in Ocala, Florida, was looking to grab one more win light this year. Through two days of qualifying Hart entered race day at the No. 6 qualifier with a strong racecar. Josh Hart and R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, photo credit Auto Imagery “We lost a session on Friday because of the rain, but we got two shots at the track yesterday,” said Hart. “We are tracking down a few issues with the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster and I felt good going into race day. There are no easy rounds so we were ready for Spencer Massey in the first round.” In the opening session both dragsters left the starting line and Massey almost immediately overpowered the racetrack. Hart made a smooth run that got him to the finish line 3.785 seconds after he launched at 326.643 mph. His winning effort set up a quarterfinal race with the reigning Top Fuel champion Brittany Force. Hart was first off the line but as he was accelerating Force pulled beside him and eventually pulled away for the win. She made the quickest pass of the round and matched the track speed record on her pass. Hart crossed the finish line with a 3.774 second pass at 328.54 mph just behind Force’s 3.729 second run. “We are fighting an issue with our clutch and that had hurt us the past couple of races,” said Hart. “The good news is we have some time before the Western Swing starts for the team to figure it out. I feel really comfortable in the car and I know once we get past this issues we’ll be in good shape. We were right there in the Chicago final and we have made good runs in Bristol and here in Norwalk.” The R+L Carriers Top Fuel team will be back in action at Bandimere Speedway for the final Mile-High Nationals, July 14-16, in Morrison, Colorado. Qualifying Results Q1: 3.707 sec, 328.14 mph; Qual. 4 Q2: 3.796 sec, 324.59 mph; Qual. 5 Q3: 3.771 sec, 327.27 mph; Qual. 6 Bonus Points: 0 Race Results First Round Josh Hart, R+L Carriers dragster, (.079), 3.785, 326.63 mph def. Spencer Massey, Commercial Metal Fabrication dragster, (.053), 4.576, 172.10 mph Second Round Brittany Force, Monster Energy dragster, (.071), 3.729, 333.58 mph def. Josh Hart, R+L Carriers dragster, (.068), 3.774, 328.54 mph Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten - Top Fuel 1. Justin Ashley 726 2. Steve Torrence 629 3. Leah Pruett 620 4. Brittany Force 590 5. Austin Prock 588 6. Antron Brown 531 7. Mike Salinas 504 8. Josh Hart 487 9. Doug Kalitta 442 10. Shawn Langdon 398 About R+L Carriers Based in the United States, R+L Carriers is a Global Freight Transportation and Logistics company that has remained family-owned and operated since 1965. R+L Carriers offers one of the most comprehensive networks of nationwide service centers for LTL, Truckload, Expedited and Cross-Border Shipping. In addition to its core value-added shipping solutions, R+L Carriers has a portfolio of services that extends to International Supply Chain Management, Warehousing and Customs Brokerage. Learn about R+L Carriers: rlc.com | Media: media@rlc.comCopyright © 2023 Werner Communications, All rights reserved. Media Contact: Elon Werner 214-244-1184 elon@elonwerner.com Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

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CARUSO EXITS NORWALK EARLY,

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CARUSO EXITS NORWALK EARLY, READY FOR DENVER

NORWALK, OHIO (June 25, 2023) --- No car, race or driver can be perfect 100 percent of the time. That was the hard pill that Pro Stock driver Camrie Caruso had to swallow, when she red-lit in the first round of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park against Deric Kramer. “That was a tough round to lose when you look at what happened in the other lane and how well we ran,” said Caruso, the 2022 NHRA Rookie of the Year. “I didn’t do anything differently in the first round and I wasn’t distracted, but it was still a learning opportunity for the next time I’m up against a tree.”

Camrie Caruso and Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro, photo credit Innovative Creation Experts

The second-year pro made two clean, solid passes during qualifying, entering Sunday in the No. 9 spot. Rain kept the Pro Stock category from being able to make qualifying runs on Friday. Caruso planned to keep that momentum going during the rest of the race, but her foot got the best of her. “We had a good car in qualifying on Saturday,” said Caruso. “I wish the weather would have cooperated on Friday for us to get a couple of more passes. I think we could have qualified even higher with more runs. This Tequila Comisario Camaro with KB Titan Racing power is running really well. I felt good coming into the first round. I felt like I did before the Arizona Nationals but today didn’t go our way.” Norwalk was the second time that Caruso and Kramer have went head-to-head. The most recent time was in the first round at the NHRA Arizona Nationals in Phoenix, where Caruso beat Kramer and went on to pick up her first-ever NHRA event win. “Deric is a fantastic opponent and I’m sure we’ll have several more matchups,” said Caruso. “We are now tied in wins, which is even more motivation to be better and faster than him the next time.” If not for the red light, Caruso’s first round pass would have been strong, going 207.53 mph and reaching an elapsed time of 6.657 seconds. “It’s disappointing when one mistake messes up the entire run,” said Caruso. “But these things happen, and as my team likes to remind me, I can’t be too hard on myself all the time. I’m grateful for their support as I continue to improve as a racer.” Even with a tough first round loss, Caruso still has an optimistic outlook on the weekend and the rest of the season. She participated in the 4th annual #NorwalkNats Ice Cream Eating Contest and was able to interact with lots of fans. “I am going to put this race behind me and get ready for the next one,” said Caruso. We didn’t get hurt too bad in the points. I hate that we didn’t go more rounds today because the fans this weekend have been great, and I always like to put on a good show for them. But we’ll get it done next time.” Caruso is now No. 5 in points and is looking ahead to the Western Swing of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Series season. Qualifying Results Q1: 6.652 sec; 207.69 mph; Qual. 5 Q2: 6.628 sec; 207.66 mph; Qual. 9 Race Results First Round Deric Kramer, Get Biofuels Chevrolet Camaro, (0.035), 13.450, 65.84 def. Camrie Caruso, Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro, DQ- Redlight Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten – Pro Stock 1. Dallas Glenn 729 2. Matt Hartford 567 3. Deric Kramer 552 4. Troy Coughlin Jr 510 5. Aaron Stanfield 501 6. Greg Anderson 441 7. Erica Enders 430 8. Camrie Caruso 419 9. Cristian Cuadra 405 10. Bo Butner 376 About Camrie Caruso Camrie Caruso is a third-generation driver with Caruso Family Racing. The 25-year-old Pro Stock rookie is following the career path of her father, former Pro Mod racer Marc Caruso and her grandfather, “Papa Joe” Caruso, who competed in Super Gas, Top Sportsman, and Pro Mod. Racing a Chevrolet Camaro with KB Titan Racing Caruso, the reigning Rookie of the Year, will be chasing her first world championship in 2023. She first got behind the wheel of a race car when she was eight years old competing in the NHRA Junior Dragster League. She has continued to move up through the NHRA competition classes for over a decade rising to Top Alcohol Dragster as well as Elite Top Dragster and Pro Outlaw 632 in the PDRA. Caruso has a Finance degree as well as a Marketing degree from SUNY Empire State College. In 2018 she was recognized by Drag Illustrated magazine as a 30 Under 30, drag racing personality. For more information on Camrie visit www.camriecaruso.com and follow her on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

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ZIZZO WORKS AGAINST NEW CAR, HEAT IN

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ZIZZO WORKS AGAINST NEW CAR, HEAT IN NORWALK

NORWALK, OHIO (June 25, 2023) --- Drag racing can be an incredibly humbling sport, and Top Fuel driver TJ Zizzo experienced that firsthand this weekend at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park. Zizzo finished qualifying in the No. 17 spot, just barely missing the opportunity to compete on Sunday. It is the first time since the U.S. Nationals in 2013 that he did not make the top 16.

“I am fine, but I am a little emotional,” said Zizzo, who raced to the semifinals at the Route 66 Nationals earlier this season. “This was a tough weekend. You get humbled in this sport pretty quickly. We knew there were a lot of great cars coming to Norwalk and it would be a challenge to qualify. I am disappointed, but I am also out here with my entire family, and we are doing this together which is the best.” Norwalk was Zizzo’s second race of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. In May, he competed in the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance in his hometown of Chicago. There in an upset he defeated the No. 1 qualifier Mike Salinas, and then advanced to the semi-final round of racing. In one of the best performances of his career, he set a new personal best elapsed time of 3.712 seconds.

“This weekend was the first race in a long time for us to compete in the heat,” said Zizzo. “We learned a lot and I think if we could have had one or two more runs, we would have made some big strides.” Prior to this season, Zizzo had not competed in an NHRA event since 2021. During that off-period, he made the decision to reinvest in his team with the addition of a new racecar, thanks to the generous support of NHRA Hall of Fame driver and team owner, Don Schumacher. “We’re still learning how to work with this new car,” said Zizzo. “We will work through it and get better. This is the best car I’ve ever ran with, we just need to get more runs underneath our belts to figure everything out.” The driver of the Rust-Oleum Rocket Top Fuel dragster made improvements with every round of qualifying. In round one he smoked the tires and lost traction early, and in round two he hazed the tires and had to click off. His third run started strong, until around half-track when the car began mixing up cylinders, resulting in a 3.963 second pass at 255.00 mph. “Friday was very wet, which makes everything more difficult,” said Zizzo. “It’s frustrating to smoke the tires when my guys worked hard all day. But we kept going at it on Saturday and did make some improvements. That’s how I know we are on the up and up.” Despite the frustrations and disappointments, Zizzo remains thankful for the support of his crew, his family and his sponsors, who he sees as true partners of his Rust-Oleum Top Fuel team. “We have sponsors to represent but they know what we are all about,” said Zizzo. “One race isn’t going to change that. The biggest positive is I am surrounded by great people and that is hands down the best part of this team. Even when we didn’t perform how we wanted to, no one was pointing fingers or upset at anyone. We are all working together and staying positive.” Zizzo will be back in action at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals on Aug. 30-Sep. 4. He’s excited to take what he learned in Chicago and Norwalk to the popular race in Indianapolis. “Our competitors know what our team is about, and everyone has been super supportive since we came back this season,” said Zizzo. “Norwalk was just our second race, and I can’t wait to get to Indy. It will be a fun weekend.” Zizzo is planning to race at three additional NHRA events in 2023, including the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis and the NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis. Qualifying Results Q1: 9.582 sec; 78.54 mph; Qual. 16 Q2: 4.882 sec; 145.66 mph; Qual. 17 Q3: 3.963 sec; 255.00 mph; Qual. 17 About Rust-Oleum For more than a century, Rust-Oleum has been a global leader in manufacturing innovative coatings that empower do-it-yourselfers and professionals alike across categories including small project paints, cleaners, primers, automotive, industrial, high performance coatings and wood care. Its wide breadth of brands and products include such trusted names as Rust-Oleum, Stops Rust®, Painter’s Touch®, Universal®, EpoxyShield®, Varathane®, Zinsser®, Watco®, MultiSpec®, X-I-M®, Krud Kutter®, RockSolid®, Wipe New®, Testors®, Seal-Krete®, Modern Masters®, Moldex®, Whink®, Miracle Sealants®, Roto-Rooter®, Mean Green®, Concrobium®, and Gator® Finishing Products. Visit rustoleum.com for more information. Follow Rust-Oleum on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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