7th Inning Stretch Festival headliner comes full circle

When country music’s Chris Lane appears at the 7th Inning Stretch Festival on the eve of the 2023 American Legion World Series on Aug. 9, Shelby, N.C., will not only be welcoming a former American Legion Baseball player but a popular musician with local ties.

Chris Lane and his twin brother, Cory, were former Kernersville, N.C., Post 36 standouts who played collegiately for the Charlotte 49ers alongside former Shelby Post 82 standout Adam Floyd.

“I grew up going to Legion games as a kid and couldn’t wait to get to high school so I could be on the team,” Chris Lane said. “Some of my favorite memories of my life were made playing for Post 36. We had a heck of a team for those two years I played and count it a blessing I was a small part of representing Kernersville Legion.

“I was blessed to play for some great coaches and incredibly talented players and made lifelong friendships along the way.”

Chris Lane played outfield and shortstop and Cory Lane second base for Kernersville. Both were 2003 graduates of Glenn High School and longtime Post 36 head coach Chad Loflin was an assistant coach when the twins helped Kernersville resume its program in 2002 and 2003 after two years without a team.

In 2002, Kernersville advanced to the North Carolina Area III semifinals against South Rowan. Even in a 3-2 series defeat, the Lanes had starring roles as Chris Lane had two doubles and two triples in an 8-7, 10-inning opening game victory and Cory Lane had a home run in an 11-7 loss in the decisive fifth game. Both brothers had at least one hit in all five games of the series.

“They were two of the fastest kids I’ve ever coached,” said Loflin, who guided Post 36 to 2010 Area III, North Carolina and Southeast Regional titles before finishing fifth in that year’s ALWS in Spokane, Wash. “They would’ve played further if Chris didn’t have to have two knee surgeries.

“Cory was the best infielder I’ve ever coached. I think the (Cincinnati) Reds would’ve drafted him but you know how connected twins are and he told them he wouldn’t go pro unless his brother could go with him.”

After their final American Legion Baseball games, Chris and Cory Lane moved on to have impressive careers playing for the Charlotte 49ers from 2004 to 2007. And for their first three seasons, they played alongside 2002 Burns High graduate Adam Floyd, who played on Shelby Post 82’s 2001 N.C. state championship team and its 2002 Southeast Regional runner-up team.

Floyd played middle infield with Cory Lane while Chris Lane played outfield for the 49ers.

Cory Lane finished his career as Charlotte’s all-time career leader in triples (30) and among the top 10 in career hits (269), career runs (197), career total bases (419), career sacrifice bunts (21), career sacrifice flies (14), career games (216) and career starts (206). Chris Lane, whose injuries limited him to 172 games, finished his career ranked first all-time in career sacrifice bunts (41).

“Playing with them was really cool,” Floyd said. “On the road, we always went out with them and their families to eat dinner. So our families got to know each other.

“They were really good baseball players. Chris had those knee injuries — one in high school and one at Charlotte.”

Loflin, who is a family friend of Lane’s bass player, Brandon Matthews, knew nothing of the Lanes’ interest in music until the twin brothers auditioned for “American Idol” in 2008.

While the Lanes didn’t make it to the show’s finals in Hollywood, they soon were signed to a contract after one of their mixtapes was given to a music producer and the Chris Lane Band’s first album was released in 2012.

Chris Lane embarked on a solo career in 2014, with seven singles hitting the charts.

“His coming to the 7th Inning Stretch is really a full circle moment for me,” said Floyd.

“You know, you grow up and do this really cool thing by playing Division I baseball with these guys and you become friends. And then, all of a sudden, you’re living your life like I am as a teacher and these guys are all over the radio and are super famous.

“Now they’re coming back to your hometown as stars.”

The American Legion has a great story to share

Dear American Legion Family Members and Friends,

The heart and soul of The American Legion is found at the post level. That’s where dedicated American Legion Family members serve their communities, states and nation.

It’s where members preserve the memories of those who have fallen. They lead Memorial Day commemorations, carry out honor guard duties and more.

It’s where posts raise funds to support those in need. These donations go toward providing college scholarships, raising the spirits of disabled veterans and providing immediate grants to fellow Legionnaires recovering from natural disasters.

It’s where members mentor our youth in our many wholesome activities. This dedication is critical to developing the leaders of tomorrow in government, business and even Major League Baseball.

I appreciate all the hard and meaningful work conducted by posts throughout the year, which will undoubtedly continue this summer. At the same time, we also want to recognize your dedication. Additionally, we want to have as thorough a documentation as possible to tell the real success story of The American Legion.

That is why it is so important to have as complete of a Consolidated Post Report (CPR) as possible. These are not just to record what large posts do in their communities. Small- and medium-sized posts also have great successes to share. If your post fulfills honor guard duties, participates in a youth program, holds a Memorial Day or other remembrance service, teaches flag etiquette or does any of the other American Legion initiatives, we want to know about it.

June 30 is the target date for finishing CPRs. As of today, National Headquarters has only received and recorded 2,869 CPRs from our 12,112 American Legion posts, for a completion rate of 23.7%. Many departments established a deadline of mid-June for 100% CPR reporting to the department. National Headquarters stands ready to tabulate those immediately upon receipt at Geiger Operations Center.

Posts may submit their reports via an online form at MyLegion or download this form and then mail (or fax) the CPR to their departments.

Thank you for what you do every day to fulfill our obligation to community service, from coast to coast and beyond.

Vincent J. “Jim” Troiola

National Commander

The American Legion

Indiana post revisits National Headquarters to make $50,000 NEF donation

When American Legion Post 355 Adjutant Guy Clemons called National Membership Engagement Coordinator Michele Steinmetz in early May, he asked if she was sitting down for the news he was about to share.

The Indianapolis post had visited National Headquarters in April to make a $5,000 donation to the National Emergency Fund (NEF). Now, the post wanted to make an even greater donation to NEF – $50,000.

“It’s nice to be giving money back,” Clemons said during the check presentation June 6 on the fourth floor of National Headquarters. “That’s what we’re here for, to help our brothers and sisters. That’s what we feel like we’re doing.”

The $50,000 donation was brought forth at a recent membership meeting and passed unanimously. Those who attended the April donation were so appreciative of the kindness shown to them by national staff that they left the building in downtown Indianapolis inspired to give more. “We hadn’t even gotten to the truck yet and we said, ‘We need to give them more money,’” Clemons said.

The combined $55,000 donation by Post 355 in only two months will help the National Emergency Fund provide financial assistance to qualified Legionnaires, posts and Sons of The American Legion members impacted by a declared natural disaster. Legionnaires and Sons receive up to $3,000 and posts receive up to $10,000. Learn more about the NEF here.

The $50,000 check was presented by Post 355 Commander Dwayne Sloan to National Treasurer Shawn Long and National Vice Commander Kenneth C. Hylton of Indiana in the National Executive Room at National Headquarters. Sloan said the ability to give such a significant grant “feels really good. It’s great the money goes 100 percent to the veterans and families, and to the posts.”

In appreciation of their generous donation, Hylton presented Post 355 members with a framed certificate of appreciation, and a National Commander Vincent J. “Jim” Troiola pen, challenge coin and lapel pin. The post also received a print of the Legion’s centennial lithograph, titled “Legacy and Vision,” created by Texas artist Matt Hall that depicts a World War I doughboy and a post-9/11 generation warrior gazing at each other on a battlefield under The American Legion emblem. The poster is signed by the artist and National Commander Troiola.

“This is all to help veterans and the veteran families and American Legion posts that get hit by disaster,” Sloan said. “That’s why we want to do it.”

 

 

 

Flag that survived fire re-presented to family of veteran it honored

Last winter, an apartment fire in Claremont, N.H., destroyed all of Levi Blake’s possessions, with the exception of two: the flag presented to Levi’s family at the funeral for his father, Vietnam War U.S. Army veteran Levi Leo Blake Jr., and Levi Jr.’s dog tags.

Levi Jr., a member of Claremont American Legion Post 29, died in 2009. His son, a member of Sons of The American Legion Squadron 29, still remembers what it felt like when he realized the flag had survived the fire.

“Goosebumps. That’s the first thing that comes to mine,” Levi said. “The fact is, everything in that fire was a 110-percent total loss. The flag case burned around the flag, but the flag didn’t burn. You figure it would. That flag shouldn’t have survived, but it did.”

Later on, Levi mentioned to members of Post 29 that his father’s flag had survived, but the display case had not. He asked whether or not something could be done to clean the flag.

“I said, ‘Bring it in,’” Post 29 honor guard commander Dennis Shea Jr. said. “When he brought it in, it was in a plastic bag, and it was soaking wet and smelled like a fire, obviously. We took it upon ourselves, (Post 29 Commander Steve Blish) and I, to take possession of that flag and told Levi not to worry about it, that we would have it cleaned and that we would get a new display case for him. And when did that, we would refold it.”

Shea said one of Post 29’s members, Joe Upperman, runs a series of laundry and dry-cleaning businesses in the area and cleaned it multiple times to make the flag presentable.

With Memorial Day approaching, Shea said the decision was made to return the flag to Levi during the post’s public observance of the holiday. “We could have done it two weeks before, but in order to have the whole honor guard there, and to present the flag, fold it and then present it to (Levi) with a crowd around, it seemed more appropriate to do it that way,” Shea said, adding that being able to give the flag back to Levi felt good.

“It was really emotional,” Shea said. “I’m usually the one in the honor guard that presents flags when there’s no military contingent available for a veteran’s funeral. So anytime I present a flag to a family member, it’s emotional.

“But this one was a little special in its own right because of the story and being involved with it from the beginning. And then being able to give this gentleman back his father’s casket’s flag, it’s special.”

It also was a special moment for Levi. “I felt beyond grateful and blessed,” he said. “Knowing that (the flag) is the only thing besides my father’s dog tags that survived the fire, I just know I was blessed. And I’m grateful for The American Legion. They’re just really good people, and I’m thankful for them.

“I don’t really know how to explain it, to be honest. I know my dad’s still with me, and I strongly feel that.”

In honor of D-Day leadership and sacrifice

American Legion National Commander Vincent J. “Jim” Troiola paid homage, in ceremonies leading up to the 79th D-Day anniversary, to combat officers who led U.S. troops in the World War II liberation of Normandy, France. He did so in the company of multiple U.S. officers leading America’s warriors today, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley.

Among the World War II leaders remembered prominently during ceremonies was Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr., founding leader of The American Legion, who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions while coming ashore in the first wave at Utah Beach on June 6, 1944.

A “Statue of Liberation” – first unveiled in a ceremony last year by then-National Commander Paul E. Dillard – was formally dedicated June 5, with completed plaques telling the story of the oldest officer to storm the beaches and break through Nazi defenses, first step in an 11-month march to victory in Europe in May 1945. Roosevelt Jr. died from a heart attack five weeks after the Normandy landings and was initially laid to rest in a temporary cemetery in Ste. Mere-Eglise, first town liberated by the Allies on D-Day. Troiola visited the grave of Roosevelt Jr. at the Normandy American Cemetery and also paid his respects in a June 4 speech near La Fiere Bridge.

“His leadership style was effective, and it was unorthodox,” Troiola told a crowd of active-duty troops, veterans, political leaders from the United States and France and spectators in the dedication ceremony. “When he came ashore at Utah Beach in the first wave on June 6, 1944, he was armed only with a sidearm and that cane of his. And he never drew the pistol. He just kept running across the beach, through enemy fire, delivering his men to safety, practically daring the Germans to gun him down. He was 56 years old.”

Troiola noted that the 26th U.S. president’s eldest son had been shot and gassed in World War I – before he set in motion plans to form The American Legion in 1919 – and that he considered it not just a duty or responsibility, but a privilege, to serve his country in times of war.

“He was just as willing in World War II, as he had been in World War I, to die for the causes he believed in – justice, freedom, democracy. It is no coincidence that these words are written into the Preamble of The American Legion’s Constitution … These causes have guided America’s largest organization of military veterans for over a century. In this day and age, it is both comforting – and rare – to know that certain things are timeless. That is why this Statue of Liberation is so important. That is why future generations must read these panels and learn from them.”

The second Statue of Liberation – to honor Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower – is scheduled for dedication in 2024, for the 80th anniversary of the liberation. The American Legion is the lead supporter of the Statues of Liberation project, along with Operation Democracy of Locust Valley, N.Y., Amis des Veterans Americains (AVA) of Normandy and the City of Ste. Mere-Eglise. Like the Roosevelt Jr. statue – sculpted by internationally acclaimed artist Pablo Eduardo of Gloucester, Mass. – the Eisenhower statue will contain metals from shell casings, mortars and other materiel recovered from the Normandy battlefields.

The American Legion national commander walked in the paths of heroes at Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc and Utah Beach during his trip. At the Lone Sailor Memorial, dedicated in 2022 in a project spearheaded by American Legion Department of France member Valerie Prehoda, Troiola placed a wreath and rendered a salute for those from his branch of service who made the ultimate sacrifice in Normandy.

Prior to his remarks at La Fiere Bridge, Troiola met with more than 30 World War II veterans in attendance for a parachute jump there. Among them was Louisiana Legionnaire Norris Morvant, who was taken by all the gratitude shown by the French. “This is wonderful,” he said. “I’m not only here for myself. I’m here for the people who didn’t come back.”

Another was 101-year-old Navy veteran Martin Vedelet of Fairfield, Ala., who has been an American Legion member since 1946. “This is great,” he said of the appreciation shown to him and his fellow veterans. “You see people from all walks of life in the service. I get a kick out of when one of them from the Army, Air Force or Marines tells me, ‘We thank you for helping us win the war.’”

He explained that growing up in the Great Depression prepared him and many of his fellow veterans for the challenges they would face in World War II. “We had to do without a lot of things, and it educated us on the importance of loving other people and depending on them, and letting them depend on you. That’s the reason they call us the ‘Greatest Generation.’”

Bartlett, Ill., Legionnaire Jack Kinyon, 100, who flew across nearly every hemisphere during his World War II service with the 503rd Army Air Corps, expressed gratitude to the Normandy citizens who treat U.S. veterans with such respect. “It feels good to be here in France,” he said, between signing autographs. “They are so gracious to us, kind to us, and it’s really a pleasure.”

“Normandy is a very special place,” Gen. Milley told attendees of the Statue of Liberation ceremony. “The echoes of D-Day continue to reverberate through our generations. Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword. All-Americans, Screaming Eagles, Big Red One, 29th Division, British Airborne. Eisenhower, Gavin, Mongtomery and, of course, Roosevelt Jr. These are not mere names. They are hallowed symbols of courage and resilience and sacrifice. They represent the countless brave souls who faced the fury of war on these beaches.”

Each of those officers, he explained, “represents the epitome of the servant leader. (Roosevelt Jr.) sought no comfort, despite his upbringing. He could have avoided combat, but he didn’t. He fought in World War I and World War II. Here, he was denied twice, and on his third request, he was finally allowed to accompany his troops ashore. He was a soldier’s solder. He landed a mile off course, but he opted to fight where he landed as his famous quote is, ‘We’ll start the war from right here.’

“He rallied those around him and steadied them when otherwise they would have been terrified by the sound of war. He was a soldier’s soldier. Today, we pay tribute to him, but not just him – all those who landed on these beaches and all those who fought in World War II because they fought for a much greater cause. They fought side by side. And they died side by side. They were united by a common purpose – the unyielding belief in the values of freedom and liberty. The legacy of this day, the true meaning of Normandy, is in the hearts of all those who understand the magnitude and bravery and live with the liberty that was granted to all of us. It reminds us that the freedoms we enjoy today were paid for in the blood of those on these beaches. May their names be forever etched in our memory … What has been paid for in blood must never be lost.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three principles to success

Air Force veteran April Shprintz is this week’s special guest in a new episode of The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast.

Named one of the Top 22 Entrepreneurs of 2023 by New York Weekly, April Shprintz is a business accelerator and leading sales expert who helps entrepreneurs and companies obtain increases in revenue while working less hours. Her approach is akin to not working harder, but smarter.

“It doesn’t have to be hard to be right,” she advised. “The more right it is, the easier it feels. And if you are swimming upstream, you’re not wrong, you’re just in the wrong stream.”

Shprintz left corporate American and developed her process, The Generosity Culture®. “It is the process I use to help scale businesses, whether it’s entrepreneurs or larger companies because it is the framework and really the foundation of everything I do.”

It has three principles:

• Pour into your people.

• Pour into your clients.

• Pour into your community.

“By doing those three things you can grow and scale your business incredibly quickly,” said Shprintz, who also hosts a top 10 “how to” podcast, “Winning Mindset Mastery.” Learn more about her background, business and more on her website.

Also on the episode, hosts Jeff Daly and Ashley Gutermuth offer their thoughts on:

• Navy SEAL recruits using performance-enhancing drugs.

• How you can participate in Be the One days, the first day of each month.

• An Army veteran’s viral Tik Tok video in which he expressed frustration about his VA health care. “I just want the care to continue.”

Check out this week’s episode, which is among more than 180 Tango Alpha Lima podcasts available in both audio and video formats here. You can also download episodes on iTunes, Google Play or other major podcast-hosting sites. The video version is available at the Legion’s YouTube channel.

 

 

A special month for The American Legion

The month of May was a special one for The American Legion. Throughout the month, American Legion members demonstrated their commitment to communities, states and nation, while the premier program, Be the One, took center stage at racing’s most notable event. Among the highlights:

1 — Place INDYCAR driver Alex Palou took at the GMR Grand Prix, driving the Legion’s Be the One car. Palou also took the pole position at the Indy 500 and led for 36 laps before rallying after a crash to take fourth overall.

1.4 million+ — Dollars awarded to American Legion Legacy Scholarship recipients, a record.

8,285 — Number of Memorial Day ceremonies with participation by American Legion posts during the previous May, according to the Consolidated Post Report, with roughly 70% of posts reporting.

The American Legion’s full May 2023 Membership Impact Report, as well as others from previous months, can be downloaded and viewed here.

Tillamook Post 47 remains active with membership growth

At the initiative of the Department of Oregon, American Legion Post 47 in Tillamook recently underwent a revitalization effort to re-energize the 104-year-old post with the goal of restoring its active role in the community. At its highest membership, Post 47 had over 700 members following the end of World War II. But over the years, membership declined steeply and the post became inactive.

At the launch of the revitalization effort in March 2023, the post roster stood at only five active members.  

As a result of the revitalization effort and the election of new post leadership, Post 47 now has over 52 members and is on the path to once again becoming a fully active post serving the community.

The growth in membership of Post 47 is “a testament to our veterans out there. They really want and need the fellowship of the Legion,” said Larry Emery, the new post adjutant and finance officer who transferred into the post to help get it back up and running.

“Public service is in my blood, and when I learned that they were trying to reactivate this post with its long history, I just thought that this is something maybe I can help make happen,” he said. “Once our programs are up and running, it will serve our many veterans and young people. I want us to be recognized as a very positive institution in Tillamook County.”

Membership growth at Post 47 is the result of former members renewing, transfers from the Department headquarters post and new members signing up. The effort of calling previous members on the post roster and transferring members is the work of the revitalization team that included National Membership Engagement Coordinator Michelle Steinmetz, Second Vice Commander Dan Burks, Department Commander Larry Wittmayer, Department 1st Vice Cory Brockmann, National Executive Committeeman Kevin Owens, National Vice Commander Douglas Uhrig of Wyoming, Renee Ohler and veteran service officer Jody Marsh.

“Our department leadership has always had the opinion of not closing posts because of poor attendance or difficulty getting members to step up and take an officer position,” said Department of Oregon Adjutant Flynn Phillips. “Tillamook Post 47 has had that problem for years and previous district commanders pleaded to close the post and every time were turned down. So once again, the idea of closing Post 47 came around and Dan Burks called upon Michelle (Steinmetz) for a full-court press revitalization.

“I firmly believe that a community without an American Legion post is missing what America is all about … someone to look to and thank for their freedom.”

It was seeing the Department of Oregon’s leadership wanting Post 47 to be an active part of the community again that got the attention of Emery and new Post 47 Commander Kevin Lindsey.

“Without them, we wouldn't be here,” Emery said. “So kudos to the department.”

Emery said Phillips has been “an outstanding resource for me. He’s a phone call away whenever I need him to help me learn the ropes. If the Department of Oregon leadership didn't have our backs, we could not succeed.”

Phillips said when Emery was elected post adjutant, he called department headquarters and “I immediately began getting him registered and signed up with a new MyLegion account. I started training him on using MyLegion and showed him how to access all the resources on the website.

“We had many calls back and forth over the next several days and weeks to make him more proficient. He also traveled to the department and always felt he learned something when he left. So now they have an active post that serves the local community.”

A goal of both Emery Lindsey is to get members engaged at the post and community level.

“My vision is to eventually see this post just being out there and helping the community,” said Lindsey, who gave an example of building wheelchair ramps for veterans.

With its inactivity over the years, national and department leadership visited businesses in the community to let everyone know who American Legion Post 47 is and its vision for being a part of the community again.  

“Everywhere they went there was enthusiasm in the community for this happening,” Emery said. “So that's why I am cautiously optimistic that we're going to succeed, and we're going to succeed through hard work.”

Post 47 meetings are held the third Wednesday of every month at 1 p.m. and are hosted by the Elks Club since the post doesn’t have a home. Through possible radio advertisement and putting flyers up in local businesses letting veterans know that Post 47 is here for them, Emery is hopeful to gain more members.

“The next step is to make ourselves known in the community and we are going to do that,” he said. “I think that to me the biggest motivation is my sense that Tillamook County in Oregon with its vast numbers of military veterans, really is going to welcome us. We just have to put ourselves out there in a meaningful way.”

Lindsey added, “I’m just ready to start having these meetings and getting things figured out and hopefully seeing this post blossom because I'm going to be here for a long time.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share with us how your state Legacy Run did

Last year, the national American Legion Legacy Ride raised a record $1.32 million for The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund. It was the eighth time the ride’s fundraising total had topped $1 million.

Assisting greatly in those fundraising efforts has been the dedication at the department level in conducting state Legacy Runs. Last year alone, five departments raised $83,000 or more. All of those conducted state Legacy Runs.

Some departments already have conducted their state rides, while others are coming soon. We want to hear about how your department’s state Legacy Run did.

Message our page, reply in the comments or email sbrooks@legion.org and let us know how your ride went: the number of participants, miles traveled, number of days and how much was raised. We'll be posting stories on legion.org and sharing them on the National American Legion Riders Facebook page as your info becomes available to us.

Palou wins again, Armstrong eighth in American Legion Honda in Detroit

A dominant May carried over into June for Chip Ganassi Racing’s (CGR) Alex Palou.

After winning the GMR Grand Prix, and then capturing the Indianapolis 500 pole and rallying for a fourth-place finish in that race, Palou followed with an impressive showing over the weekend in Michigan. Driving the No. 10 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda that carried American Legion branding, Palou captured the pole of Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on Saturday. He followed that up by leading Sunday’s race by as many as nine seconds at one point before holding off the field on two late restarts to cross the finish line by 1.18 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Will Power.

The win was the second of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season for Palou, who now leads CGR teammate Marcus Ericsson by 51 points in the series point standings. And it marked another strong day for the Ganassi entire team. Scott Dixon took fourth, while rookie Marcus Armstrong – driving the No. 11 American Legion Honda – was eighth and Ericsson ninth.

"The No. 10 Ridgeline Lubricants car was on point today,” Palou said via CGR media. “Honda gave us everything we needed in fuel mileage and all the power. I am super proud of the job we did. It was tricky at the end with those tires, I couldn't really get them up to temperature, but I am proud that we got another win this year.

“It's still too early to think about the championship. We'll keep focused on the next few races—there's a few that I really love coming up. We'll keep on pushing."

From the win, Palou will split $10,000 with Chip Ganassi Racing and his chosen charity, The American Legion, for his victory as part of the PeopleReady Force For Good Challenge. And with his win on the Indy road course and then Sunday’s street course victory, he is two-thirds of the way to earning a $1 million bonus for picking up victories on all three race courses. Palou can collect the bonus – which will be split with The American Legion – by getting wins at any on the three remaining oval races: a doubleheader July 22-23 at Iowa Speedway and Aug. 27 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Armstrong continued his strong rookie season, earning a spot in the Fast 12 during qualifications and starting Sunday’s race in 11th. He continued to move up during the race, picking up his second top-10 finish of the year and maintaining a 24-point lead over Agustin Canapino in the series’ rookie standings.

"It was a good race,” Armstrong said. “We stayed out of trouble. We didn't do anything too crazy. We had a lot of pace. I thought we were quicker than the cars ahead. I think we did make a couple of good on-track moves which was great.

“Ultimately, the car was amazing, and I think we're capable of a lot more which is a good sign for the future. Great job to the team all around."

Ericsson’s No. 8 Huski Ice Spritz Honda also featured American Legion branding over the weekend. He called Sunday a “tough day” but added, “The team did really good with strategy and pit stops, we got some overtakes to get us back in the top 10. Overall, a decent points day but disappointing. Congrats to Alex and the team on the win."

The next NTT INDYCAR SERIES race is the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America presented by AMR on Sunday, June 18, in Elkhart Lake, Wis.

In the two INDY NXT by Firestone Detroit Grand Prix races over the weekend, CGR developmental driver Kyffin Simpson drove the No. 21 American Legion /Ridgeline Lubricants car to a 13th-place finish on Saturday and 17th on Sunday.