Tagliani gears up for NASCAR return with Team Penske - MotorSportsTalk

The car that won at both Road America and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2013 was the No. 22 Discount Tire Ford, wheeled both times by AJ Allmendinger in his year of racing various types of machinery.

The task is left to Alex Tagliani to match that or come close this year, as the veteran Canadian steps back into a Team Penske Nationwide car for the first time since 2011, when he started and finished second in his home race of Montreal.

For Tagliani, the NASCAR Nationwide appearances come in a year when he’s also raced in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship full-time in the Prototype Challenge class, a one-off Indianapolis 500 appearance in the No. 68 Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing Honda, and also launched his own team in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series of Tagliani Autosport.

“It is an honor to drive for Team Penske, especially the No. 22 Mustang and to be representing a brand such as Discount Tire,” Tagliani said heading into the weekend. “I appreciate the confidence Team Penske and Discount Tire has, letting me drive the car for them in two road course races and I am very excited to have the chance to test and race with such a great team and group of guys. Jeremy Bullins is an amazing crew chief so we are looking to have some strong results at Road America.”

Strong results have occurred at Road America before – Tagliani won at Road America in Champ Car in 2004.

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With three multiple winners now vying for the championship, the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Series heads to Round 11 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.

Chase Sexton earned his second victory of the season in Detroit when Aaron Plessinger fell on the final lap. Though he was penalized seven points for disobeying a flag, Sexton is third in the championship race. The Honda rider trails leader Cooper Webb (two victories) by 17 points, and defending series champion Eli Tomac (five wins) is three points behind Webb in second with seven races remaining.

Tomac won last year in Seattle on the way to his second season title.

Honda riders have a Supercross-leading 20 victories in the Seattle event but none at Lumen Field since Justin Barcia in 2013. Tomac and Barcia are the only past 450 Seattke winners entered in Saturday’s event.

Here are the pertinent details for watching Round 11 of the 2023 Supercross season in Seattle:

(All times are ET)

BROADCAST/STREAMING SCHEDULE: TV coverage of Round 11 will begin Saturday at 10 p.m. ET streaming on Peacock with a re-air Monday at 1 a.m. ET on CNBC. The Race Day Live show (including qualifying) will begin on Peacock at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday.

NBC Sports will have exclusive live coverage of races, qualifiers and heats for the record 31 events in SuperMotocross. The main events will be presented on Peacock, NBC, USA Network, CNBC, and NBC Sports digital platforms.

Peacock will become the home of the SuperMotocross World Championship series in 2023 with live coverage of all races, qualifying, and heats from January to October. There will be 23 races livestreamed exclusively on Peacock, including a SuperMotocross World Championship Playoff event. The platform also will provide on-demand replays of every race. Click here for the full schedule.

POINTS STANDINGS: 450 division l 250 division

ENTRY LISTS: 450 division l 250 division

EVENT SCHEDULE (all times ET):

Here are the start times for Saturday’s Supercross Round 11 in Seattle, according to the Monster Energy Supercross schedule from the AMA:

4:50 p.m.: 250SX Group B Qualifying 1
5:05 p.m.: 250SX Group A Qualifying 1
5:20 p.m.: 450SX Group A Qualifying 1
5:35 p.m.: 450SX Group B Qualifying 1
6:25 p.m.: 250SX Group B Qualifying 2
6:40 p.m.: 250SX Group A Qualifying 2
7:55 p.m.: 450SX Group A Qualifying 2
8:10 p.m.: 450SX Group B Qualifying 2
10:06 p.m.: 250SX Heat 1
10:20 p.m.: 250SX Heat 2
10:34 p.m.: 450SX Heat 1
10:48 p.m.: 450SX Heat 2
11:22 p.m.: 250SX Last Chance Qualifier
11:34 p.m.: 450SX Last Chance Qualifier
11:54 p.m.: 250SX Main Event
12:28 a.m.: 450SX Main Event