Batavia, OH (January 14, 2022) – Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series officials are excited to announce the Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Quest for Cash bonus in 2022. As part of the Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup, the Quest for Cash includes a potential bonus of $50,000, another bonus at $100,000 and a top bonus of $250,000. These bonuses are available to drivers that maintain perfect attendance with the series for the entire season and are based on a driver’s performance at the fourteen (14) Crown Jewel Cup Events in 2022. If a driver wins six (6) of the fourteen (14) Crown Jewel Cup events in 2022, that driver will receive a $50,000 bonus. A driver that wins eight (8) of fourteen (14) Crown Jewel Cup events will earn a $100,000 bonus and if a driver can win eleven (11) of the fourteen (14) Crown Jewel Cup events, that driver will earn a whopping $250,000 bonus.** The Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup is a fourteen (14) race mini-series within the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series schedule. First place winnings for the fourteen (14) Arizona Crown Jewel Cup events in 2022 comes to an extraordinary $718,000. The Arizona Sport Shirts Quest for Cash rewards series drivers that compete in the Crown Jewel Cup events in 2022. The first Crown Jewel Cup event in 2022 will be the 53rd Annual Hillbilly 100 at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, WV on Friday April 8th paying $30,000 to win. “With the added bonus possibilities, these fourteen (14) Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup events on the 2022 schedule will be even more rewarding and lucrative for the drivers that follow the series in 2022,” stated Wayne Castleberry, Marketing and Sales for Lucas Oil Motorsports. “We are very proud to be a part of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and continue our support to all racers, tracks, and great fans. We are very excited to add the Quest for Cash bonus to the Crown Jewel Cup mini series and offer some big bucks as bonus to the racers that follow the Lucas Oil Series, ” Gerald Newton, Arizona Sport Shirts. Arizona Sport Shirts will continue to have a presence at each and every Lucas Oil Series event in 2022 with the Official Merchandise Trailer of the series onsite at all series events. You can also purchase the Official Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series merchandise at their extensive online store at: https://www.gottarace.com/collections/lucas-oil-late-model-dirt-series Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Event Schedule:April 8, 2022- Tyler County Speedway- 53rd Annual Hillbilly 100- $30,000 to winMay 28, 2022- Lucas Oil Speedway- Show-Me 100- $50,000 to winJune 4, 2022- West Virginia Motor Speedway- Historic 100- $50,000 to winJune 18, 2022- Smoky Mountain Speedway- Mountain Moonshine Classic- $50,000 to winJune 25, 2022- Lernerville Speedway- Firecracker 100- $50,000 to winJuly 3, 2022- Muskingum County Speedway- 21st Annual July 3rd Race- $30,000 to winJuly 9, 2022- Deer Creek Speedway- Gopher 50- $50,000 to winJuly 23, 2022- I-80 Speedway- Silver Dollar Nationals- $53,000 to winAugust 13, 2022- Florence Speedway- North/South 100- $75,000 to winAugust 20, 2022- Batesville Motor Speedway- Topless 100- $50,000 to winAugust 27, 2022- Port Royal Speedway- Rumble by the River- $50,000 to winSeptember 4, 2022- Tyler County Speedway- 54th Annual Hillbilly 100- $30,000 to winSeptember 17, 2022- Knoxville Raceway- Late Model Nationals- $50,000 to winOctober 15, 2022- Portsmouth Raceway Park- Dirt Track World Championship- $100,000 to win **A minimum of 11 of the scheduled 14 Crown Jewel Cup races must be completed during the 2022 season with a minimum of 24 cars entered at each of those events. To be eligible, the driver must have perfect attendance in all Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series races in 2022. About Arizona Sports Shirts:Founded more than four decades ago, Arizona Sport Shirts has provided bold, unique, and effective apparel for race teams, businesses, and special events. Today, Arizona Sport Shirts continues its commitment to providing cutting edge apparel and merchandise found nowhere else. More information on Arizona Sport Shirts, including online ordering details, is available at: www.ArizonaSportShirts.com.
About Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt SeriesFounded in 2005, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series showcases the talents of the top dirt late model drivers from across the country. In 2022, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will sanction 65 events across 18 states, including some of the biggest marquee events in the industry, providing dirt slinging, sideways, door-to-door racing action lap after lap. The series receives national exposure through a television package filmed, produced and edited by Lucas Oil Production Studios. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events will be streamed live on MAVTV Plus, with broadcasts on MAVTV Motorsports Network.
Dodge//SRT and Mopar are partnering with Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) for the team’s inaugural season in the 2022 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series
Nine-time Top Fuel national event winner Leah Pruett will drive a TSR Top Fuel dragster with Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection livery throughout the season, continuing a partnership with Dodge//SRT and Mopar that started in 2016
Three-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion (2011, 2014, 2020) Matt Hagan continues his partnership with Dodge//SRT and Mopar that began in 2009
Hagan will carry the Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection colors on his Tony Stewart Racing Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
Hagan has driven a Dodge Charger Funny Car in 293 races, earning 39 career wins, 32 runner-up finishes and 43 No. 1 qualifier positions
Announcement opens sixth “garage door” of the Dodge Never Lift campaign, which provides a two-year road map to the brand’s electrified performance future
January 14, 2022, Auburn Hills, Michigan – Dodge//SRT and Mopar announce their support of the newest team in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series, Tony Stewart Racing (TSR). Dodge//SRT and Mopar will be primary sponsors for Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett and three-time Funny Car World Champion Matt Hagan in TSR’s inaugural 2022 NHRA season.
Today’s announcement opens the sixth “garage door” of the Dodge Never Lift campaign, a 24-month road map to the brand’s electrified performance future. The Dodge 24 Months of Muscle calendar can be viewed at Dodgegarage.com/never-lift.
“The Dodge brand has a long history of competing in and supporting motorsports.” says Tim Kuniskis, Dodge Brand Chief Executive Officer – Stellantis. “For nearly a decade, NHRA drag racing has been our primary motorsports focus, helping deliver products like the Dodge Demon, 1320 and Super Stock; cars that resonate with the Brotherhood of Muscle. These vehicles will hold a place in muscle-car history for years to come. The Dodge brand embodies the philosophy of the ‘last tenth,’ and we are not done pushing the performance envelope. So, we are extremely excited to partner with Tony Stewart and his drag racing team to help take Dodge to the next level. Tony is a racing legend with an attitude, personality and competitive drive that aligns perfectly with our goals.”
“I’m really pleased to have Dodge//SRT and Mopar as partners with our new NHRA venture as manufacturer and sponsor for our two entries in Top Fuel and Funny Car with Leah and Matt,” says Tony Stewart, TSR team owner. “It shows confidence in your program when an OEM wants to be on your team and for you to help support their program as well. They have obviously had a great relationship with both drivers for the last few years and to be able to continue that association is key to this team’s success and a huge benefit to the continuity for everyone involved. Having that kind of history definitely helps flatten the learning curve while raising expectations for our inaugural NHRA season. It’ll be nice to work with Dodge and Mopar again after sharing success together in USAC and the World of Outlaws nearly two decades ago. We are certainly setting the bar high and look forward to being competitive from the start.”
TSR was formed in November 2000. Since its inaugural season in 2001, TSR has earned 27 owner championships – 14 in USAC, nine in the World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Car Series, and four in the All Star Circuit of Champions TQ Midgets. TSR will embark upon its first NHRA campaign in 2022 while simultaneously running its sprint car program for a 22nd straight season. TSR’s NHRA and sprint car entries will operate out of its existing 25,000-square-foot facility in Brownsburg, Indiana.
Pruett’s and Hagan’s nitro-fueled drag cars will have primary branding throughout the season that spotlights the recently announced Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection programs.
The Dodge Power Brokers dealership program is the exclusive source for all new Direct Connection performance parts, including tuner, stage and performance kits for the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and race-ready kits for the Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak. Dodge Power Brokers dealership staff will be trained to deliver a performance-focused customer service experience.
Pruett first joined forces with Dodge//SRT and Mopar in 2016 and has consistently competed among the top contenders in each of the last five seasons. The 33-year-old Redlands, California, native has nine Top Fuel national event victories, nine runner-up finishes, 12 No. 1 qualifier honors in 172 races, a career best elapsed time run of 3.631 seconds and a best speed of 334.15 miles per hour. She will drive the Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel dragster this year.
“It was very important to me to continue the close relationship I’ve had with Dodge//SRT and Mopar in this new journey with Tony Stewart Racing,” says Pruett. “I’m appreciative of the support that Dodge and Mopar, and all their fans, have shown me these past few years and I’m proud to fly their colors as we move forward together and work to bring home wins and a championship in 2022. Having Direct Connection branding on my dragster this season is really exciting because it has such a rich history of success at the drag strip with racers like Don Garlits, and it’s amazing to help continue to build on that legacy and introduce it to a new generation of Dodge enthusiasts.”
In addition to carrying on the legacy of drag-racing innovator and multi-time champion Garlits, representing Direct Connection has personal meaning to Pruett.
“While Dodge//SRT was developing the new Drag Pak, we were also testing and developing some of the stage kits,” Pruett said. “It seemed almost unbelievable that an OEM would make available various stage kits capable of adding so much additional power, all while maintaining the car’s warranty. To be on the presenting side of a massive program that I contributed to, while watching it progress in pure secrecy, makes me incredibly proud to run Direct Connection and Power Brokers on my Top Fuel dragster.”
Dodge//SRT and Mopar continue their long relationship with three-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion Hagan with primary sponsorship of his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car. The brands have supported Hagan since his rookie year in 2009.
With Dodge//SRT and Mopar on board, Hagan has vied for the Funny Car crown as either championship points leader or challenger heading into a season finale on seven occasions, including the 2021 season. Together, they have competed in 293 races, earning 39 Wally trophies, 32 runner-up finishes, and 43 No. 1 qualifier positions with a career best elapsed time run of 3.799 seconds and his best speed is 338.85 mph.
The 38-year-old from Christiansburg, Virginia, will drive his TSR HEMI®-powered machine dressed with Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection branding throughout the 2022 season.
“I’m so grateful to have represented and shared so many successes with Dodge//SRT and Mopar for most of my career and to say I’m excited to continue our relationship in this next chapter with Tony Stewart Racing is an understatement,” says Hagan. “I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead and introducing our passionate fans to a new-look livery featuring Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection.
“My family has been a Dodge dealer since 1979 and we’re really proud of that. We’re also ready to celebrate Mopar’s 85th anniversary this year as we battle for a championship with a few wins along the way.”
The 2022 NHRA Camping World Series season kicks off February 17-20 with the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, California, the first of 22 events on the schedule and broadcast on FOX and FS1.
DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News
Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.
@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram
The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.
Dodge//SRT
For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.
Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT versions of every model across the lineup. For the 2022 model year, Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world, and the Dodge Durango SRT 392, America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV. Combined, these three muscle cars make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.
In 2020, Dodge was named the “#1 Brand in Initial Quality,” making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). In 2021, Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market) — making it the only domestic brand ever to do so two years in a row.
Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.
A simple combination of the words MOtor and PARts, Mopar offers exceptional service, parts and customer-care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, Mopar has evolved over nearly 85 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.
Mopar made its mark in the 1960s during the muscle-car era with performance parts to enhance speed and handling for both on-road and racing use. Later, Mopar expanded to include technical service and customer support, and today integrates service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance customer and dealer support worldwide.
Complete information on Mopar is available atwww.mopar.com. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visitwww.stellantis.com.
ANUARY 11, 2022 Corvette Racing drivers Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg – teammates in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R – met with members of the media during a Zoom conference call Tuesday to discuss the team’s entry into the new GTD PRO class for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the transitions to a new spec of the Corvette C8.R, the outlook for the 2022 Rolex 24 At Daytona and other topics. FULL TRANSCRIPT: ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.RHOW BIG OF AN ADJUSTMENT TRANSITIONING TO GTD PRO?“Adding ABS is the biggest change for us. IMSA and Corvette Racing are doing a good job of adjusting a GTLM car into a GTD car. There has been a lot of work together to put together all the data and get our Corvette to the GT3 spec. The biggest difference is the tire for this year. We will have to adapt to that. A lot of the speed differences in previous years were due to the confidential tire to the customer tire, basically.” WHAT’S MOST APPEALING ABOUT THE NEW CLASS AFTER BASICALLY RACING YOURSELVES LAST YEAR?“It’s obviously good race against another 12 or 13 cars. When there are so few cars, strategy can go away a little bit. But now you have to pay attention to those who may not be in contention but can gamble big on strategy to come up to the front toward the end of the race. There are a lot of strategies to play there, and that’s where our engineers will be a really good tool to have. We’re very good at that. Who knows… with two Corvettes, we can split strategies like we did last year. It’s going to be tougher but it’s not the first time we have competed against a lot of cars.” THERE ARE NOW TWO CLASSES – GTD PRO AND GTD – THAT RUN WITH IDENTICAL EQUIPMENT ON IDENTICAL TIRES. HOW WILL THAT DYNAMIC PLAY OUT?“It will be interesting, for sure. I’m not used to that, and knowing we aren’t racing for the same result will be different. There could be a point where a GTD car is leading the GT field and end up winning the race. It will be strange for most of us. I don’t know if they are planning to split the classes in the pit stops or something. For sure, there will be a lot of play out. If you are leading, you’re going to want to have a ton of GTDs between you and the next PRO car. It’s going to be difficult to play out, especially on strategy. If you decide to stop at the same time and you end up all the way at the back of the GTD field, it will make things even tougher. We don’t know how it will play out.” REVIEWING LAST YEAR’S FINISH AND POSITIVE COVID TEST. IS THERE A RISK OF RUNNING JUST A THREE-DRIVER LINEUP?“It’s going to be tough for sure. The good thing about it being that late in the race, Nicky and Jordan could finish with no problem. I suspect that is what everyone is thinking. We definitely need to stay COVID-free for the next two or three weeks.” WERE YOU SURPRISED TO LEARN NICK TANDY WAS JOINING THE TEAM FOR LAST YEAR? WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT HIM WHILE HE WAS WITH PORSCHE AND ALSO SO FAR WITH HIM BEING WITH THE TEAM?“I raced against Nick for many years in different cars which at times made things a little bit not easy, but easier. There would be races when he would be more competitive than us or the other way around. But we kind of always found ourselves together many, many times fighting for the win. But now with Nick being in the same car makes things a little bit different in that all the advantages you had in the past, now he has them too. So it was the difference between us would be even smaller and it is trickier to find a weak point to be ahead. The addition of him on the team was great because it just gave us a ton more information and feedback. That brought the whole Corvette team further up. It also made us – Jordan, Nicky and myself – have to be even stronger if we wanted to beat them. I think overall it made Corvette Racing stronger which is the main thing.” JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.RON THE SIZE OF GTD PRO FIELD FOR ROLEX 24.“It’s super exciting. The last couple of years, the field was getting smaller and smaller in GTLM. Now with IMSA moving to GTD PRO, we’re very excited. In moving to a new class, there is going to be a lot to learn for us with our car and converting it over to the spec. But if anyone is up to the task, it’s Corvette Racing. We did a couple of days testing last year after Petit Le Mans with the car to get a better understanding of the tire, ABS and what we have to run this year. We’re also spending lots of time in the simulator as well. We’re all looking forward to it. It’s going to have the competition with lots of manufacturers in the class. Thirteen cars in the class… every one of those cars I’ve seen so far can win the race. It definitely will be a big battle. At the end of the day it’s still a 24-hour race. I’m sure with a lot of those drivers and teams, they’re going to want to lead a lot and throughout the night. We just need to rely on our history and experience and knowing that we need to be there at the end just like last year. The fight comes down to the last couple of hours. We need to get through the night with a strong, safe car and go for the win at the end.” WHAT’S MOST APPEALING ABOUT THE NEW CLASS AFTER BASICALLY RACING YOURSELVES LAST YEAR?“We’re looking forward to the competition. The last couple of years, we were mainly racing our teammates. BMW and Porsche were there, but when you get down to racing just your teammate, those are the toughest guys to race. They have similar equipment and the same tools as you, plus they’re great drivers. You know they’re going to get the most out of it. You also don’t want to make any mistakes rub them. I’m looking forward to having 13 cars to battle. I’ve missed battling on starts and restarts, the strategy wars… that’s my biggest thing. I missed the actual racing side of what we had in the past.” IN BASIC TERMS, WHAT ARE THE CHANGES YOU’VE MADE TO THE CAR TO BRING IT INTO THE GT3 WINDOW?“The biggest things are the ABS and customer tires. There are a lot of little details that IMSA is making us do to get the C8.R closer. The car wasn’t designed for the class so they’re trying to make it as even as possible. The biggest aspect is understanding the way the tire works. The team has spent so many years with Michelin to develop the confidential tire to work properly for our car. Now we’re moving to a tire that will work for a front-engine, mid-engine and rear-engine car. Understanding how the way that works and maximizing it for not just one lap but for over a stint will be a huge thing to learn. ABS is another thing to understand the brake wear with that system. It’s good to have someone like Nicky who has so much GT3 experience who can lend a hand for Antonio and I who don’t have as much experience as he does in this type of car to understand what it’s supposed to feel like and how we make the most of that. There will be a lot of learning. Antonio and I spent two days in the car at VIR after Petit Le Mans last year to get a feel for things. I’m sure the Corvette Racing guys went back, studied all the data and made their developments. There have been other drivers in the sim developing those items that we were working on since then. I think we’ll have a good package for Daytona.” HOW DID IT FEEL TO DRIVE?“It still felt just like a Corvette, which is nice. The C8.R has been really successful since it came out with the mid-engine layout. The biggest thing was understanding how the way the tire worked, the window that it works in, how you use it, how much you can slide it, the temperature window that it works in. Those little details are good to understand. The tire degradation is going to be a different aspect for us. The ABS was different – just maximizing it in how much pressure to use, how consistent you can be if you’re pushing the brake pedal too hard. Little details like that were good to get a feel for last year before we go to the Roar where most of the work is for the Rolex and not really for car development or driver development.” CORVETTE RACING EXPERIMENTED WITH ABS AT DETROIT LAST YEAR. HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU HAVE NOW?“It’s the same system but there have been more development since then. Detroit was an experiment for Antonio and me to get a feel for it, plus Nick (Tandy) and Tommy (Milner). That was a unique event for us where we didn’t have any competition and were free to do it. So we chose to get some miles on the car with it, see how we felt and see what kind of feedback we could give the team to develop it. We took that to the simulator and the VIR test, where we did some more developments to increase the capability of the system. It helped to get a little bit of a head start during the season last year, and I think we’ll still be learning and developing it through the Roar and Rolex.” HOW MUCH HAS THE SIM HELPED WITH DEVELOPMENT OF THE ABS AND LEARNING THE NEW MICHELIN CUSTOMER TIRE?“The drivers were probably spoiled with how good the GTLM tires could be! But at the same time it created a lot of stress during a weekend on what tire to use, when to use it, what the other car is going to do and what the other teams were going to do. Now everyone is on the same playing field. I have a big trust in the team that we are going to maximize the tire’s capability. We have a lot of smart people that can do that. I have a lot of confidence going to that spec tire that our team will do a great job with it. We work with Michelin a lot with our simulator to get a better understanding of it.” HOW MUCH TIME ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND SORTING OUT WHO IS WHO? WHAT CARS ARE GTD PRO, AND WHAT CARS ARE GTD AM?“We know Andy Lally won’t be letting anyone by. Other than that, we all keep track of what races are going on where and we know drivers pretty well… who to look out for, who we can trust on track and who we have to be more careful around. But there are a lot of different color cars coming and a lot of different manufacturers. I’ll definitely be studying before and during the weekend to see who’s who. Our guys usually make notes on drivers on-track of who to look out for so when we do get in the race, they will say to us we are coming up on the 18 car with this driver, be careful of them. They do a good job of helping us with that. They keep us out of trouble as much as possible. It’s the same thing with Prototypes when they are going by with who is in what car so we know who to leave a little more of a gap to than other guys.” WERE YOU SURPRISED TO LEARN NICK TANDY WAS JOINING THE TEAM FOR LAST YEAR? WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT HIM WHILE HE WAS WITH PORSCHE AND ALSO SO FAR WITH HIM BEING WITH THE TEAM?“I didn’t so a whole lot of racing against him over the years. We were always in a different class. But obviously I knew a lot about him before he came in and knew he would be a huge asset to the team and a huge competitor to Antonio and I for the championship, especially when it was mostly down to our two cars to win the championship. But it is always interesting to have someone new come in to the team especially with that much experience and success to see how they operate when you are so close to them and see how they work. He is definitely a hard worker. You always hear rumors about different drivers, but seeing him in person you understand why he is as strong as he is. He is always working… looking at data, looking at video trying to find every little bit which made us do the same thing last year. Like Antonio said, we had the same equipment and we were trying to find an advantage on everyone else. I looked at more data and video last year than I probably ever had trying to find little advantages in qualifying and the races to see where we could make it up. I think having guys like that elevates everyone’s game.” IS IT MORE FUN TO HAVE A BIGGER FIELD, MORE CARS OUT THERE?“I think it is more fun to have a high grid count with quality cars. I think it becomes more difficult when you get some filler cars with lesser drivers and teams. It makes it difficult when you have some drivers who aren’t as experienced on the track in such a high-profile event, especially when we are going to have such a competitive field in our class. Say we come through in the middle of the night with 13 GTD PRO cars and you come up on someone with lesser experience who doesn’t know how to get out of the way. It can cause a lot of confusion on-track and incidents. We do have a big, quality field with all the GTD Pro cars. They all have amazing lineups and teams. I haven’t looked too hard into the Pro-Am categories. But as Nicky said earlier, we are here to put on a show for fans as well and that creates entertainment. Sometimes you need that in a race. Sometimes you need someone slower to hold up another guy to make a pass. That creates a little more opportunity. We’re all looking forward to it. The offseason has been pretty short but at the same time it seems too long. We are all excited to get back to the track and back to racing.” NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.RHOW IS IT COMING BACK TO DAYTONA AS DEFENDING RACE WINNER?“It’s not going to be easy, it seems. Like it has been said, the field is so big. There are lots more cars and not just in GTD PRO but also all the other GTDs creating one big class so we’re all driving against each other with similar speed. It will be very exciting and way more difficult to win it than last year. So let’s see. I’m excited to go again. It feels super good to already have one watch on my wrist, but let’s try to add a second one.” WHAT’S MOST APPEALING ABOUT THE NEW CLASS AFTER BASICALLY RACING YOURSELVES LAST YEAR?“It’s nice to have a bigger class just to have more actual racing and overtaking. In Europe, we have a couple of very big GT3 races, and I think this one is heading in that direction in terms of very big GT3 fields. It’s also a very nice thing to see for the spectators. It should be a very cool race.” THERE ARE NOW TWO CLASSES – GTD PRO AND GTD – THAT RUN WITH IDENTICAL EQUIPMENT ON IDENTICAL TIRES. HOW WILL THAT DYNAMIC PLAY OUT?“For me, it reminds me of what we have in Europe where you have a Pro-Am class. That makes it quite difficult because it’s hard to always know who is in the car at that time. It always feels like it is one big class together. Everyone will fight each other, so I think that is what we will see in the race. I wish that some of the Pro-Am cars in Europe sometimes would just let you pass since we are racing our own race anyway. But unfortunately it doesn’t work like that there and I don’t think it will work like that in Daytona. So I think it’s going to be a big mess but also an amazing show.” LOOKING AT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS CAR INTO THE GT3 PLATFORM, YOU ARE THE ONE WITH EXPERIENCE WITH ABS AND THE OTHER DIFFERENT ELEMENTS, DO YOU FEEL MORE PRESSURE THIS YEAR?“No. Not really. I did some driving after Petit Le Mans with the car already with ABS and honestly it felt quite good straightaway. Of course, we have to do some work, but I think some of these packages in terms of hardware have been tested so much over in Europe already. I don’t think it will take so long to get so competitive. I think some of that kind of stress is already away. Of course, there are some details that need to be tweaked. But I don’t feel too much more pressure. Maybe I can give a little bit more input than before and that feels nice. But other than that, the team is full of really smart guys so they don’t really have to depend on me for that.” YOU’VE MENTIONED THAT THE COMPETITION BETWEEN THE GTD PRO AND THE GTD AM IS GOING TO BE MUCH TIGHTER. HOW DO YOU SEE THAT PANNING OUT DURING THE COURSE OF THE RACE WITH THE DPI CARS COMING THROUGH? WILL IT BE MORE DISTRACTING AND WILL YOU BE IN RACES AROUND YOU AND THEY WILL HAVE A SLIGHTLY HARDER TIME GETTING AROUND YOU?“Yes, I definitely think so. There are simply more cars to get around. For us to get around the GTDs – which are effectively in a different class but a similar speed – it is going to make for a lot of fighting on-track and we are going to side-by-side with DPis also wanting to pass. In the past with GTLM, the differences were bigger so it was easier to pass or to just say I’m going to wait on this opportunity and I’ll take the next one. Now I think it is going to be more do-or-die sometimes, and I think it is really important for us to contain ourselves and wait until the end of the race. But I think it is going to make for a lot of fights on-track and a lot of action on TV.”
Australia’s “Knoxville Nationals” level event will feature World of Outlaws stars, Jan. 21-23
Warrnambool, VIC, Australia – Jan. 11, 2022 – Say Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic to any Sprint Car driver and you’ll see the same level of joy and excitement in their expressions as if mentioning the Knoxville Nationals. To them, it’s equally special… just down under.
DIRTVision, the premier source for dirt racing broadcasts, will live stream Australia’s biggest Sprint Car event from Premier Speedway in Warrnambool, VIC, featuring stars from the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series tour to fans across North America, Jan. 21-23.
“It’s a big deal,” 2019 Knoxville Nationals champion David Gravel said. “I did it early in my career before I made a name for myself. The people are so welcoming in Australia. The Classic is a huge party. It’s a lot of fun. They pack the place completely full. Had a lot of good memories there. A lot of fun. It was a good getaway.”
The Grand Annual Classic first ran in 1973 and has grown into the most prestigious Sprint Car event in Australia, regularly featuring more than 100 of the best Sprint Car drivers across the world. Among those on that list is several World of Outlaws stars who found glory during the Classic:
Jac Haudenschild (1981-82) Danny Smith (1983, 1985, 1987-89, 1996) Jack Hewitt (1991) Brooke Tatnell (1995, 1999, 2009) Danny Lasoski (2000) Donny Schatz (2001-02) Joey Saldana (2003) Kerry Madsen (2005, 2007-08) Shane Stewart (2010) Tim Kaeding (2014) Kyle Hirst (2015) James McFadden (2017, 2020)
“It’s Australia’s version of the Knoxville Nationals,” Schatz said. “Going there you hear all about it, all the hype. The venue, the fan interaction, it’s the closest thing for us to Knoxville Nationals. It’s also a lot of fun. There’s a lot of cars, they split the nights up, run one night, and then come Saturday you have the alphabet soup.
“Very fortunate to have won it a couple of times. I’ve always enjoyed going. It’s always been a great event. [Premier Speedway] has always been a fun racetrack. It’s definitely a destination.”
BARBERVILLE, FL – January 10, 2022 – More money than ever will be on the line for World of Outlaws Late Model teams in 2022.
On top of an increase 2022 points fund, a nearly million-dollar bonus program was announced in December for both World of Outlaws series, giving the top-12 full-time Late Model drivers in each Feature extra cash. This money adds to nightly payouts and the year-end points fund.
The bonus will be paid monthly, and all full-time drivers are eligible in exchange for increased fan interaction and promotion of the Series.
Excitement for the new program has spread throughout the field of 2022 competitors, including with four-time Series champion Josh Richards – returning to the Series for the first time since 2017.
“I think it’s great; I’m glad the Outlaws stepped up,” Richards said. “I think with all the races next year, I’ll be anxious to see 365 days from now how everything shook out, but that’s really big because the purses really haven’t changed a lot since I started way back in ’04.
“To see that bonus program and loyalty program help for the Platinum guys is always a big help and being a Series regular and supporting a series helping the drivers and teams out is all we can ask for.”
Since all full-time drivers are eligible for the bonus program, it’s enticing both Series veterans and rookies.
Benton, KY’s Tanner English, stated it’s a big incentive for him to run the tour in 2022.
“When you look at these points deals, the show-up money sounds good and all, but realistically you only get that every time you move,” English said. “If you’re getting a bonus every time you race, that’s big.
“Instead of just getting that show-up money one time for that race at a weekend at Volusia, if we get that bonus money every night and its performance-based, that’s even better.”
One of the incentives with the program is how it helps on the road. Gordy Gundaker, another Rookie of the Year contender, stated how the program will benefit him during the grueling 10-month schedule.
“It’s a huge deal for us just because of the expense that goes into traveling up and down the road,” Gundaker said. “But this being our first year, it just entices us, even more, to get on the road and do the whole thing.”
Second-year World of Outlaws full-time driver Ryan Gustin has already seen the amount of travel the Series will do in 2022 and believes the money helps with the cost of getting the cars on the track.
“Anytime you can have more money coming in is huge,” Gustin said. “These cars are really expensive to run; they’re not cheap.”
The incentives of the new program have drivers ready to push toward the front at every race in 2022. If they can maximize their performance throughout the season, they could cash-in on a record $125,000 payout for winning the championship.
Along with the monthly bonus money, the top-12 drivers in points will see more than a half-million dollars between them—with each position getting at least a $5,000 increase.
That increase shows how valuable each position will be during the 50-plus race season.
The World of Outlaws Late Models kickoff their 2022 season Jan 20-22 at Volusia Speedway Park as part of the Late-Model-Palooza known as Sunshine Nationals.
Farmer City wins Track of the Year, Track Enterprises claims Promoter of the Year
SPRINGFIELD, IL – Jan. 8, 2022 – The year-end championship banquet for the 2021 DIRTcar Racing season is in the books, and the stars came out to help celebrate.
An evening of good friends, family, food and fun culminated with the recognition of each of the national champions and some very special award winners. Emcee Rick Eshelman led in procession of the ceremony, first calling regional and national points fund check winners to the stage before diving into the champions and special awards.
2021 DIRTcar National Champions
Late Model – Bobby Pierce UMP Modified – Nick Hoffman Pro Late Model – Jose Parga Pro Modified – Owen Steinkoenig UMP Sportsman – Wes McClara Stock Car – Nick Macklin Factory Stock – Trevor Isaak Sport Compact – Joshua Hawkins
Each year, two of the most prestigious awards are presented to both a DIRTcar-sanctioned track and promoter that demonstrate outstanding abilities to provide top-quality racing entertainment, elevate competitor participation and host special events that bring out the best in fan attendance.
In a year that needed the support of DIRTcar tracks, their staff and officials more than ever, two of DIRTcar’s most recognizable entities were successful in each of those areas last season and came to the stage to have their achievements honored.
For their efforts in operating Lincoln Speedway on Friday nights and Macon Speedway every Saturday night throughout the season, Track Enterprises, Inc. was presented with the 2021 DIRTcar Promoter of the Year Award. The group, headed by well-known racing promoter Bob Sargeant, also hosted several UMP Modified shows last season at the famed half-mile Terre Haute Action Track.
Adam Mackey came to the stage and accepted the award on Track Enterprises’ behalf and was thrilled to receive the news of the company’s achievement.
“Hosting in upwards of 60 DIRTcar events, it’s a privilege to be able to do that,” Mackey said. “Joining the likes of each of the previous Promoter of the Year Award winners means a lot with all of the events that we do and all the successes that we’ve had.”
Next, the staff of Farmer City Raceway was called to the stage to receive their trophy as 2021 DIRTcar Track of the Year. Noted for the exciting, multi-groove, multi-division racing in their Friday Night Lightsweekly program, the quarter-mile bullring hosted several special DIRTcar events last season and provided fans with some memorable finishes.
Track announcer Tyson Graves spoke about what it meant to the FCR management and staff to have the success that they did in 2021, and shared in the surprise with the rest of the team when they were called onstage.
“The guys here at Farmer City put their heart and soul into this place, week-in and week-out,” he said. “From track prep, to mowing the grass and dealing with the weather they get dealt, Farmer City had spectacular racing week-in and week-out and it is awesome to be noticed and awarded for the efforts.”
The entire DIRTcar Racing family would like to thank each of the drivers, tracks, promoters, sponsors, officials and crews that contributed to making the 2021 season another great success. Here’s to an even greater 2022!
1/9/2022 – Alex Nieten) … Silly season delivered an early Christmas present last month when Tarlton Motorsports announced Mitchell Faccinto would be the team’s primary driver in 2022 with Drew Warner filling the role of crew chief, and the duo have prioritized chasing the NARC Fujitsu General Sprint Car championship.
Faccinto makes the move after an eight-year run aboard Stan Greenberg’s No. 37, the ride he wheeled to his three career NARC feature victories and many others in the 360 ranks of the West Coast.
Warner will add another team to his already impressive resumé. The bright mechanical mind has enjoyed positions with other pillars of the California racing scene such as Roth Motorsports, Rico Abreu Racing and most recently Netto Family Motorsports. From 2016 to early 2018, Warner also worked for the aforementioned Stan Greenberg where he was teamed with Faccinto.
The two now head to the team originally formed by Tom Tarlton and now overseen by his son, Tommy, whose all-black sprint car has become as iconic as any on the West Coast.
While the two were happy in their previous homes, certain factors led to their current opportunity with one of California’s most successful sprint car teams. An uncertain future of the No. 37 machine and a can’t-miss shot to drive the No. 21 helped prompt Faccinto’s move.
“At the end of last year, I was unsure of what was going to happen,” Faccinto explained. “The Tarltons, they had a couple different drivers in their car. I talked to Tommy about what their plans were for 2022, and he really wasn’t sure, either. So, we kind of put our heads together on who we should try to get for crew chief if we were going to put a whole thing together.
“Obviously, with Drew, I think he was really good with Netto’s deal, so being as close as we are I thought that was the best option,” Faccinto continued. “It happened really quick. It kind of started as just an idea because the season was still going. They (Tarlton) still had Carson (Macedo) racing here, so everything was really up in the air. I had a couple options open but mostly for 360 rides. Before I committed to any of those, I wanted to make sure I had a 410 ride set because that was my main priority. Obviously the Tarlton ride is top tier for California. I think it’s going to be good. I think we should be able to compete every night, and I appreciate Tom and Tommy giving me the opportunity.”
With D.J. Netto’s elevated role in his family business, the Netto Ag team made plans to scale back in 2022, but Warner wanted his racing calendar to grow to benefit his development.
“D.J. is becoming really busy. He’s taking over all of Netto Ag, taking over the family business,” Warner said of his motivation. “He’s just maybe having to slow down a little bit on racing. He still wants to race and still plans on racing as much as he can, but it’s just not quite the schedule that I was looking to do to help myself grow. I talked to the Netto’s for a long time about it and kind of got their blessing.
“Long term, Tommy, he expects Tarlton Racing to be around many, many years to come,” Warner continued. “It’s something that he really enjoys. He wants this program that his father created to keep growing… He just has a lot of potential in his program, and it’s something that I really take on the challenge of helping. They are about as top tier as it comes in California, and I look forward to the challenge of putting my name on that and helping it keep growing.”
For Faccinto, 2022 will mark his first complete attempt at a NARC crown. The Hanford native has contested roughly 65% of the series races over the last eight years, topping out at 15 of 19 (79%) events in 2019. This year’s NARC campaign showcases 27 nights of racing.
Warner is fresh off helping guide Netto to a runner-up finish in NARC points, marking the 2019 champ’s second consecutive top-two result in the standings. Other noteworthy achievements of Warner and Netto’s 2021 include a win in the Dave Helm Classic and a podium in the Trophy Cup standings.
Back when Faccinto and Warner worked together at Greenberg’s operation, Faccinto produced arguably his best stretch with NARC. They amassed 17 top-10s in 23 starts with the West Coast’s premier series, and Faccinto picked up his first win in October of 2017 at the Cotton Classic.
“At that time, my dad was still crew chief on the 37 as he has been the whole eight years I’ve been there,” Faccinto said of when he and Warner first partnered. “Drew came in. He had never been a crew chief yet, so my dad kind of let him do his own thing, and they basically worked together the whole time and bounced ideas off each other which really seemed to help.
“I think the thing with me and Drew is we’re obviously really close friends, but we’re able to separate what happens at the track compared to what happens away from the track,” Faccinto added. “If he sees something I’m doing wrong or I’m doing different than other drivers, he’s not afraid to tell me. And if I feel something that’s wrong with the car that I don’t like then I’m not afraid to tell him. We both want to win.”
The two briefly joined forces again near the end of this past year when Netto’s team fielded a second car for Faccinto at the Trophy Cup and a couple other races. To nobody’s surprise, they found speed as Faccinto led many laps during prelim night two of the Trophy Cup before settling for third. They capped the three-night event with a top-10 in the standings.
“Mitchell, he’s really grown into his own out here in California,” Warner said of his driver’s progress. “He’s become one of the most consistent drivers I think you could say. He finishes races, and that’s what you got to do to win a championship like we’re going to try to do with NARC.”
On top of his familiarity with Faccinto, Tarlton Motorsports has added another piece who has given Warner a hand during previous roles.
“I’m excited that we were able to get Shane Watts on board with us as well,” Warner said. “I’ve worked with him in the past at Rico’s, and he helped out a little with me at Netto’s. He brings a lot to the table and makes my life easier.”
Faccinto and Warner will have some big shoes to fill and lofty expectations entering the year with Tarlton Motorsports. The team is one of the most successful in California, claiming two NARC titles in the last six years with drivers, Carson Macedo and Kyle Hirst, and narrowly missing a third in 2018 with Shane Golobic. On the mechanical side, Warner will fill the void left by longtime Tarlton crew chief, Paul Baines, who joined Roth Motorsports for 2022.
Even though the new opportunity comes with high expectation, the pair of Hanford residents are feeling much more excitement than pressure. And they aren’t shy about stating their goal of putting the Tarlton car back atop NARC with plenty of checkered flags and a title.
“The number one goal is to go out and win the NARC championship,” Faccinto said. “And number two would be to go be competitive every night. I know how Tommy wants his car to get around the track. He wants you to be on the hammer every race, every time around the track to be out there and give it 100-percent… He wants to see his cars win, and that’s what me and Drew want to do. We want to be able to go out and win right away.
Lake View, Cherokee on deck next weekend for Xtreme Series stars
NICHOLS, SC – Jan. 8, 2022 – With four races remaining on the schedule, the chase for the 2021-22 Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series championship has come alive, and it’s a classic battle of rookie-versus-veteran.
In one week’s time, the winter Super Late Model tour heads to South Carolina for a pair of races on Sat-Sun, Jan. 15-16. Lake View Motor Speedway and Cherokee Speedway will see the return of points leader Ross Bailes, who has Xtreme Series wins at both venues, as well as Super Late Model rookie Carson Ferguson.
Bailes leads Ferguson by only eight points in the standings after the first three races, which amounts to a small handful of Feature positions. Third-place Ben Watkins is 13 points out of the lead and has also shown his championship potential with two top-five finishes in three starts.
After a runner-up finish to inaugural champion Chris Madden in the 2019-20 season, Bailes knew this would, one year, be his championship trophy to hoist. This season might just be the one.
“I feel like we’re deserving of it,” Bailes, of Clover, SC, said. “It’s our time to get one under our belt. But it’s not going to be an easy task; those guys are loaded for bear just like we are.”
He and the team started out strong, leading all 50 laps of the Palmetto State 50 to taste victory in the season opener at Lancaster Motor Speedway. Though he did finish seventh the following day in the Blue Gray 100 at Cherokee and a strong runner-up at I-75 Raceway in December, he feels he left valuable championship points on the table in those races.
“That was big,” Bailes said of the importance of his win at Lancaster. “It would have been really big to get the other two, and I feel like I had a legit shot at both of them. At Cherokee, we led 70-something laps, and at I-75 we led all but the last two. That was a hard pill to swallow, not getting those wins.”
In his career, Bailes has piloted a few of the Southeast’s best Super Late Model rides – most notably the Cowpens, SC-based Barry Wright Race Cars house chassis in two separate stints. At intermittent intervals over the past three seasons, Bailes has piloted the familiar blue-black #79 Longhorn Chassis, backed by former racer Billy Hicks. Together, they’ve won many races around the Southeast, and are now eyeing their first championship.
“He knows that I’m gonna give it 100 percent every time I go to the track,” Bailes said of driving for Hicks. “If we don’t win, he gets it. He’s not like, ‘why didn’t you win?’ He takes it on the chin, and we work to try and figure out how we can improve ourselves.”
With all the rising Super Late Model talent in the Southeast, none have made a bigger splash on the scene over the past few months than 21-year-old Carson Ferguson. The former full-time Crate racer from Lincolnton, NC, turned the heads of everyone in the pit area in the season opener, when he drove all the way from 15th on the starting grid to a fourth-place finish on the big, half-mile of Lancaster in his Super Late Model debut.
Backed by the resources of national championship-winning Late Model team owners Donald and Gena Bradsher and expertise of shock builder Wesley Page, Ferguson went on to another fourth-place run in the Blue Gray 100 at Cherokee before bagging a third-place from ninth at I-75 last month.
He has only three Super Late Model starts under his belt, boasting an average finish of 3.7. That’s an outstanding statistic, considering the talent and experience of his opponents over those races, but he’s not letting that go to his head.
“Trying to find Victory Lane and be as consistent as we can is our main goal right now,” Ferguson said. “Being able to finish top-three… we’re just trying to finish races, really.”
And finish races he has. Among the 22 that started, Ferguson was one of two drivers to finish all 100 laps of the Blue Gray on a single set of tires, showing he and the team’s ability to conserve and strategize.
“At Cherokee, just being able to make all 100 laps, and being the only one to do it [on one set of tires] with Chris Madden was a big confidence booster for me and the team,” Ferguson said.
As a former Crate Late Model racer, there’s been a learning curve in moving up to the Super ranks. You wouldn’t know it by watching him, but Ferguson said he’s certainly noticed it in the seat and has been using it to his advantage.
“There’s the Crate side of things; it’s so hard to pass in a Crate car,” he said. “I used to watch [Brandon] Overton all year before I was able to get in a Super, and I didn’t understand how he could be so patient.
“Just having the extra horsepower to [use] whenever you hit the moisture on the track, it’s a lot easier to get around somebody whenever they miss it.”
Winning the Xtreme Series championship in his first attempt could be the giant spark Ferguson needs to jumpstart his Super Late Model career. Though he knows the stiff competition he’s up against has the experience, he also knows he and his team are up to the challenge.
“Ross [Bailes] has got a lot of experience, and he and [Billy] Hicks are really good paired-up together,” Ferguson said. “I definitely won’t be sad for second in points, but we’re always going to go into it looking for the win. We’re not going to run second; we’re going to win.”
Bailes’ only Super Late Model championship came at the regional level in 2018 when he clinched his first Carolina Clash Super Late Model Series title. He’s been hungry for more ever since, and if any Feature wins over the next four races don’t fulfill his appetite, his second career regional championship will.
“You’ve got to go to win every single race,” Bailes said. “We’re gonna try to win Lake View, we’re gonna try to win Cherokee. If we win both of those, that’s gonna be the deciding factor.”
Don’t miss the two points leaders in action with the rest of the Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series regulars next weekend, at the track or streaming live on DIRTVision.
DETROIT (Jan. 7, 2022) – An all-star lineup of drivers will campaign the twin Cadillac DPi-V.R race cars for Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) in its second season of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Daytona Prototype international (DPi) competition. Renger van der Zande will co-drive theNo. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R with Sebastien Bourdais for the full season. They will be joined by six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon and 2021 NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou for the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona to comprise a “Champions Cadillac” lineup. Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn will be the full-time co-drivers of the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R and will be joined by Kevin Magnussen and Marcus Ericsson for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.“Our Cadillac drivers lead by example,” Chip Ganassi Racing Managing Director Mike Hull said. “Each have already won on the world stage. They unselfishly mirror each other’s performance on and off track. Their equal experience combined with skill set is driven through zero agenda. “In today’s world of equal performance standards, the driver’s contribution is the ultimate separator. Our roster has eight of the very best in equal Cadillacs. Bamber, Bourdais, Ericsson, Dixon, Lynn, Magnussen and van der Zande — this group drives as one.” Van der Zande, entering his second season with the team, has accumulated 15 wins and the 2016 Prototype Challenge (PC) championship in an IMSA career dating to 2013. He co-drove a Cadillac DPi to victory in the 2019 and 2020 Rolex 24 At Daytona and in the 2018 and 2020 Motul Petit Le Mans. In 2021, van de Zande co-drove the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R with Magnussen to victory in the Chevrolet Sports Car Classic at The Raceway on Belle Isle. Bourdais, a four-time INDYCAR champion, returns to the Ganassi team where he drove in its GT Le Mans (GTLM) program from 2016-19 – including a historic class win at the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans. Bourdais has driven a Cadillac DPi-V.R the past two seasons for JDC-Miller MotorSports, earning a victory at Sebring. Lynn is also a Twelve Hours of Sebring winner in a Cadillac DPi, picking up the trophy in 2017. The versatile driver was the GP3 Series champion in 2014 and the British Formula Renault champion in 2010 and 2011 among notable accomplishments. Bamber, who co-drove the No. 1 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R in the 2021 season finale, is a two-time winner at Le Mans as part of the Porsche LMP1 program. He drove to the 2019 WeatherTech Championship GTLM title. Chip Ganassi Racing full-time Cadillac DPi lineupNo. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R – Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais· Dixon, in his ninth season of part-time IMSA competition, is a four-time winner of the Rolex 24 At Daytona (2006, 2015, 2018 and 2020). The 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner is in his 22nd season driving for CGR – the longest tenure for a driver in team history (1990-present)· Magnussen’s experience driving the Cadillac DPi-V.R will be an asset to the No. 02 team as he co-drove the No. 1 No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R in 2021, scoring one victory No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R – Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn· Palou recently tested in the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R in advance of his inaugural IMSA race. In 2021, Palou became the first Spaniard to win an INDYCAR title· Ericsson will be making his IMSA WeatherTeach Sports Car Championship debut in the Cadillac DPi-V.R. The native of Sweden earned two victories in 16 NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in 2021 with Chip Ganassi Racing On-track activity begins Jan. 21 at Daytona International Speedway with the Roar Before the Rolex 24 in preparation for the 60th anniversary of the 24-hour race Jan. 29-30.
Cadillac Racing high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use. About CadillacA leading luxury auto brand since 1902, Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio that features distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac’s media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com. About Chip Ganassi RacingChip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 30 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include four cars in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, two cars in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series and one entry in Extreme E. Overall, his teams have 21 championships and over 230 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400, eight Rolex 24 At Daytonas, the Twelve Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ganassi boasts a state-of-the-art race shop facility in Indianapolis with a corporate office in Pittsburgh.
Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Battle Begins at Volusia on February 10-12
CONCORD, NC – January 6, 2022 – With the season-opening DIRTcar Nationals still over a month away, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series roster is continuing to take shape.
Today, Noah Gass of Mounds, OK announced his intention to hit the road and go full-time with The Greatest Show on Dirt in 2022. The teenager will pilot his family-owned Arrowhead Electric, Big G Transport, Triple-X/Claxton #20G across the near 90-race slate this season.
He’ll be waging war with Kasey Kahne (KKR #9) and Spencer Bayston (CJB #5) in the chase for Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year honors.
“Being only 18-years-old, this is about as cool as it gets,” Gass said. “Being able to run with the best of the best every weekend all over the country, I mean how badass is that to say. It’s The Greatest Show on Dirt for a reason, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
Less than a year removed from his World of Outlaws debut in March of 2021, Gass has shown signs of improvement all throughout his first 25 events with the Series. Things started slowly by only making three Features in his first 13 attempts, but quickly improved with 10 starts over his last 12 races, including a career-best 12th-place finish at River Cities (ND) in August.
A fellow “Sooner State” native along with Oklahoma City’s Wayne Johnson, Gass rose through the ranks with experience in Micro Sprints, Midgets, and Sprint Cars of the wingless and winged variety. Last year alone he scored a pair of Interstate Racing Association (IRA) victories in Wisconsin and earned several top-fives with the Midwest Open Wheel Association (MOWA) in Illinois.
“It’s definitely not going to be easy going on the road full-time, but if it was then everyone would do it,” Gass mentioned. “We are going to have our challenges, so it will be important to stay positive and keep our team morale and attitude up. We have a lot of goals going into the 2022 season and we’re ready to get it going at Volusia.”
“I have complete confidence in Cody [Cordell] and Robert [McQuinn] that they’re going to work hard to make sure I have a great car every night,” he continued. “We are not as big as most of the teams on the road and we know that, but we’re not going to let it hold us back at all.”
Gass, along with Johnson, will both enjoy their lone homecoming of the upcoming campaign on April 1 at Lawton Speedway. Tickets for the only World of Outlaws showcase in Oklahoma this year are available HERE.
NARC NEWSLINE, January 6, 2022, By Jim Allen … It’s been a busy off-season for the Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC) and many of this organizations New Year’s resolutions are about to become reality in 2022. That means more races with one of the most aggressive and big-show laden schedules in recent memory. The 27-event campaign is set to roll into 15 different facilities, including five which are not even in California. No, that is not a misprint. Yes, the NARC sprint cars will be headed to Oregon and Washingtona couple of times this year.
The game plan was to maximize the 410-sprint car racing footprint on the West Coast. This can be best interpreted as streamlining rules with other national touring groups and competing for big-purses with a schedule that is not as choppy as it has been in recent years. All we need for total success is for this pandemic to fade away, weather to cooperate, and fans to come out and support us with big numbers. That’s not much to ask.
The Stockton Dirt Track bookends of this annual crusade are the April 2nd $6,000 to win “Duel at the Dirt Track” and the November 5th39th Annual Tribute to Gary Patterson. And like an Oreo cookie, there is a whole lot of good stuff in between. Whether it’s the Peter Murphy Classic and Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial or the Morrie Williams Twin-20’s and the Howard Kaeding Classic, it’s all got star power. Another overdue and very welcome addition to the schedule is the creation of the October 15th $8,300 to win Dennis Roth Classic. Few, if any, can match the contributions this man has made to open wheel racing, and it is an honor to put him on the pedestal. The David Tarter Memorial in Chico is also back as a 410 race on April 30th and the second-annual winged & non-wing Anthony Simone Classic will cash out at $10,000 to the winger winner. Here is a collection of other schedule highlights:
FASTEST FOUR DAYS IN MOTORSPORTS – PACIFIC NORTHWEST EDITION: This four-day blast was three-years in the making. It was originally planned for 2020, but somebody ate a raw bat in Wuhan and coughed and we all had to stay home. And 2021 was too soon to take any chances. So here we are in 2022 with the Fastest Four Days in Motorsports headed to the Pacific Northwest over the Memorial Day weekend (May 26-29.) And let me tell you, the promoters up there view us as a breath of fresh air and are more excited to see us than Cousin Eddie was to see the Griswold’s visit in National Lampoons Vacation.
This adventure features $5,000 to win shows at Southern Oregon Speedway (May 26 – Central Point, OR), Willamette Speedway (May 27 – Lebanon, OR); and a pair at Bert Johnson’s Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington (May 28-29). That’s a Thursday through Sunday for those of you taking notes. Monday is a rain date if needed. Tickets can be purchased online shortly, and camping is going to be available across the board. With that in mind, it’s time to expand your horizons by marking your calendar for a trip to some new places.
There are tentative plans for a point fund and a special bonus for a four-race sweep by a single team. Also, a special BBQ/luncheon by the Elma Auto Racing Hall of Fame is being worked into the two-day show at Grays Harbor. More on that later.
As far as race teams go, the first 15 NARC teamsfrom California to officially commit to the FFDM will EACH be paid $1000 in travel money and have a guaranteed (minimum) winnings of $2,500 for the four-day road trip. A commitment is an email (info@NARC410.com) and a 2022 membership. So far, and this is the first “official” announcement outside of our December 14th Zoom general meeting, DJ Netto (Netto 88N), Willie Croft (Croft 29), Bud Kaeding (Kaeding 69), Mitchell Faccinto (Tarlton 21), Billy Aton (Aton26), Joel Myers Jr. (Vertullo 83V) and Mike Phulps 56 car (Driver TBA) are among those committed. The next eight will come just as quick. Membership forms can be found at NARC410.com
50TH ANNUAL JIM RAPER DIRT CUP: What is happening up at Skagit Speedway in Burlington, WA these days is simply amazing. As we all know, once businessman and car owner Kevin Rudeen gets involved with a project, it reaches a whole new level. Rudeen and car owner Mike Anderson purchased the place from Steve Beitler and added Hanford’s Peter Murphy to the promotional team. Now they are figuratively – “off to the races.” Their company is appropriately named “Fifty-five Promotions,” tying the three together via car numbers. Rudeen is best-known for his number 26 car; Anderson owns the Shaylen Raye 18, and Murphy and the number 11 go together like peanut butter and jelly. Add it all up and there is a plan to totally transform Skagit into a West Coast version of Knoxville or Eldora. Or to clarify even further, a West Coast 410 version of Knoxville or Eldora. Think about that for a second! That’s pretty cool!
What’s even better than that is the NARC sprint cars are involved. The June 23-25th Dirt Cup are King of the West championship points races. Although the total purse amounts haven’t been published, the three-day show is expected to pay close to a quarter of a million dollars, including a $50,000 payday to the 50th Anniversary Jim Raper Dirt Cup winner. Those both would be NARC records. And once again, the Dirt Cup is back as a 410 event.
To help support the Dirt Cup process, the new Brad Sweet-Kyle Larson-Colby Copeland venture at Silver Dollar Speedway booked a Friday night (June 17th) “Road to the Dirt Cup” Chico event. Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon follows that up with a “Battle at the Bullring” Saturday show on the 18th. Those two are also NARC events. And just to make sure nobody gets bored hanging out during the week, Fifty-Five Promotions has added a non-sanctioned Monday night show at Skagit.
When you start working together the pieces, you can see there are wonderful things on tap for 410 sprint car racing on the West Coast. You’ve got NARC’s efforts, promoters stepping up to make 410 racing more lucrative, plus Skagit’s efforts, and Brad Sweet’s plan to rebuild the Gold Cup to its three-days of Outlaws glory days. Those are all WINS and we are just getting started.
OTHER SCHEDULE NOTES: When not dodging rainstorms this winter, Rick Faeth has been busy with improvements at Petaluma Speedway. This includes reshaping the 3/8-mile oval and making changes that will improve competitor safety. … The Louie Vermeil Classic is still looking for a “temporary” place to call home. According to the official NARC calendar, the two-day NARC/USAC-CRA extravaganza is slated for September 3-4th but still shows as “location TBA.” There are no plans for a LVC sequel in Chico. In a true test of our patience, and the challenging work of Tommy Hunt, Calistoga Speedway and the Napa County Fairgrounds are still stuck in non-operational bureaucracy limbo. (It’s California, try to act surprised!) In the meantime, the popular event is homeless. Keep your fingers crossed and hope HMC Promotions makes an announcement soon.
Not that anyone wants it, but in my opinion, the longer the city of Calistoga doesn’t hear the sounds of motors, the greater the chance it has of listening to a construction site building over-priced condominium’s on what was once the greatest half-mile track in the Golden State. While we wait, someone needs to secure the future use of corn harvester. If the half-mile does get an eventual greenlight, it will take a significant amount of work to mow down the cornstalk-tall weeds on what was once the racing surface. … Schedules can be downloaded on the NARC410.com website. Speaking of which, our website is in the process of getting a facelift. It’s going to be even easier to get the information you need.
RULE CHANGES: NARC has changed the existing tire rule to the Hoosier “H-series” tire package. This is a move that had been on the Hoosier table for a few years, but the timing wasn’t right. However, tire shortages made it an easy transition away from the HTW tires. Team will have until June 1st to burn off any existing HTW inventory, before the H15 and H12 tire package becomes mandatory. This will allow for an easy tire and wheel conversion for local teams when the Outlaws come to town. Teams can begin running these tires at the season opener if they desire. All the other winged sprint car sanctioning bodies and tracks in California have adopted the same rule. … There is also a strong push to only allow “flat-top” wings and make “dish-top” wings obsolete. A handful of tracks will require the flat wings at their tracks (similar to a specific muffler rule), after June 1st. NARC will make flat-top wings mandatory in 2023, since wearing out wings is harder than burning off tires. (“Hey buddy, you need to flip at least once before June 1st!”) … Fire suppression systems are highly recommended this season and will be required next year. Competitor safety is key to our success.
MUSICAL CHAIRS: If you didn’t pick it off earlier in this column, we have some new faces in new places. David Vertullo, who has a great reputation for providing top young talent (aka – Kyle Larson & others) a shot in the big show, has partnered up with 15-year Joel Myers Jr. in 2022. It should be an interesting pairing with a nightly shot at victory lane. … Mitchell Faccinto is now the man in black in the Tarlton Motorsports 21. With longtime Tarlton crew chief Paul Baines moving up the road to the Roth Motorsports team, Mitchell will have brother-in-law Drew Warner turning the wrenches. An early season prediction for this team will see Mitchell doubling his three career NARC-KWS victories this season. … That means DJ Netto is looking for a crew chief. … Sean Becker and Chase Johnson are looking for 410 rides. … Stan Greenberg has an open seat in his #37 car. …
NARC NOTES: Open wheel racing lost two of its icons in December with the passing of promoter John Padjen and car owner Clyde Lamar. Their exploits were legendary and helped shape sprint car racing in California. May we continue to build on the foundation they helped lay. … MyRacePass.com will be the official scoring software for NARC this season. Drivers need to go online and claim their profile, if they haven’t already done so. … Tire prices are going up, but then again, what isn’t going up? … Here’s a trivia question we hope we never want to hear in our lifetime: “Who won the last race ever run at Calistoga?” … All of our races will be on Floracing.com.
And finally …, as part of our five-year business plan, NARC (Northern Auto Racing Club) is going to play more prominently in our marketing from this point forward. Yes, we are still going to crown a “King of the West,” but this is now officially the NARC Fujitsu General Sprint Car Series. For 410 sprint car racing to continue to thrive in the future, we need to continue to build on the club environment. This encourages the support and input of its members with the continuing goal of putting on the best show in California. There is power in numbers. Help us do that!
BARBERVILLE, FL – January 5th, 2022 – Attempting a journey for the first time will have its ups and downs, especially if that journey lasts eleven months.
Five drivers, each with different levels of experience, take their first step toward World of Outlaws Late Models glory when the Series opens its season Jan. 20-22 at Volusia Speedway Park, as part of the Late-Model-Palooza known as Sunshine Nationals.
Gary Dillon, Kyle Hammer, Max Blair, Gordy Gundaker, and Tanner English have all thrown their hat in the ring to compete for Rookie of the Year in 2022.
Gundaker, who made a name for himself racing in Illinois, knows it’ll be a fun uphill climb.
“Across the board, it’s obviously going to be tough,” Gundaker said. “Running this deal isn’t supposed to be easy, but running with guys like Max and Tanner, and Hammer and Dillon is going to be a lot of fun.”
All five drivers will travel to new venues throughout the season. But each will have a home region advantage at some point throughout the season, adding another level of difficulty to the battle.
“They are definitely good competitors in their area, no doubt,” English said. “Max can hardly be beat in his area it seems like, and Gordy’s good around home, and they are tough for sure. They’ll be right there with us, and I feel like we’ll have a real good battle between all of us.”
Despite the strengths of each Rookie of the Year contender racing at home; veterans and former champions will try to keep them out of Victory Lane.
Western Pennsylvania’s Max Blair, who has three Series wins to his credit knows while he may have an advantage at home, that’s not the case for most of the schedule.
“There’s a lot more nights that everyone else has a bigger advantage than I do,” Blair said. “There’s a lot of the racetracks that I’ve never even seen before.
“I’m hopeful. But you have to be real about it at the same time with what we’re getting ready to go do here.”
North Carolina’s Gary Dillon is taking a different approach to the season. He only has a few Super Late Model races under his belt, including a World Finals appearance and with the Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series over the winter.
This year, he’s looking for a change of pace. A faster pace.
“I want to just try to get away from the drama of Limited Late Model racing and try to accomplish something,” Dillon said. “Maybe try to go full-time and get Rookie of the Year possibly and run for that. Just a different change of scenery; I’m not getting any younger.
“It’s definitely a challenge, but I mean, any of this stuff is a challenge. “You’re not running against Mom and Pop anymore; it’s a serious thing.”
Illinois driver Kyle Hammer is going all-in on the 2022 season, including a new Longhorn by Wells in his stable. He’s optimistic about getting a good start at Sunshine Nationals because of his experience in a Modified.
“I’m looking forward to it, really,” Hammer said. “Last year, we went there for the first time in a modified, and had a couple of good runs, made all but one of the A-mains, and actually locked into the big Modified show from our qualifier.
“We were running good there before we had a mechanical failure, but I think we’ll be alright there and especially having seven nights being able to fine-tune it by the end of the last night.”
Hammer and the four other Rookie hopefuls kick off their journey of ups and downs January 20-22 as the main Late Model attraction of Sunshine Nationals at Volu
The St. Charles, MO driver will compete for Rookie of the Year honors this season
BARBERVILLE, FL – December 31, 2021– When the sun rises on the 2022 World of Outlaws Late Models season, a burst of orange from the Midwest will hit Volusia Speedway Park for the first time.
Gordy Gundaker’s maiden voyage with the Series kicks off at Sunshine Nationals Jan 20-22, as he starts his ascension toward Rookie of the Year honors.
The St. Charles, MO driver, has competed against the best the World of Outlaws has to offer on numerous occasions, but it’s the first time he’ll strap on his helmet in a Late Model at “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile.” Despite having little experience, he’s excited to get behind the wheel of his orange number #11 machine.
“I’m really excited to get down there,” Gundaker said. “I’ve never raced a Late Model there, but I’ve raced a Modified, and I’ve been there a thousand times with Dad over the years, and the last couple of years I’ve been there helping Nick Hoffman when he races there.”
Gundaker is one of five drivers running for Rookie of the Year in 2022, including Max Blair, Kyle Hammer, Gary Dillon, and Tanner English. While he’s excited to compete against all of them this season, battling with English brings a sense of familiarity.
“Me and Tanner grew up together, and obviously our dads raced together, and we’ve been against each other now for six, seven, eight years, and we race each other hard and always will,” Gundaker said. “It should be a lot of fun; it should be a lot of good competitiveness, but I think it’s going to make the Series even better.”
One of the drawing points for Gundaker to join the World of Outlaws was the 2022 schedule. The Series returns to several tracks he already has experience at and will make a trip to Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, IL—a venue operated by his parents.
“That was something we looked at when we signed up to do this deal,” Gundaker said. “We’ve been to a lot of tracks, and the Series is coming to Mom and Dad’s place (Tri-City Speedway) this year. Pevely, Fairbury, Farmer City, last year we went up to Fountain City (Mississippi Thunder Speedway) with the Outlaws and went to Boone with the Outlaws, so the nice thing is we already have a bit of a notebook going at these places.
Sprint Cars will run 14 races presented by Low-E Insulation; Midgets have 12-race schedule
CONCORD, NC – December 30, 2021 – More pieces of the puzzle are coming together as the Xtreme Outlaw Series prepares for its inaugural season in 2022, announcing today schedules for the Xtreme Outlaw Sprints presented by Low-E Insulation and the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets.
“Since we announced the Xtreme Outlaw Series earlier this month, the momentum has continued to build,” said Brian Carter, World of Outlaws and DIRTcar Racing CEO. “Drivers have already committed to run each series, now we’re continuing that momentum by announcing schedules and sponsorship, with more to come as interest in each division is at a very high level.”
The Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Cars presented by Low-E Insulation will consist of 14 events, with the series champion taking home $20,000. The Xtreme Outlaw Midgets are set for 12 events with their series champion taking home $10,000. In efforts to work with existing sanctions bodies, the Series will closely follow POWRi/USAC rule books, with a few small changes. Mandatory head and neck restraints, containments seats, along with the World of Outlaws’ wheel cover rule will be in place.
XTREME OUTLAW SPRINTS
Kicking off the 14-race slate for the Xtreme Outlaw Sprints presented by Low-E Insulation is the debut on Monday & Tuesday, Feb. 14-15, during Volusia Speedway Park’s DIRTcar Nationals, where the Series will race with DIRTcar Late Models and the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds.
The non-wing stars will also race alongside the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars on April 8-9 at Missouri’s US-36 Raceway and Lake Ozark Speedway and join the World of Outlaws Late Models for a weekend at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on June 24-25.
Another six standalone shows are scheduled for Lake Ozark (June 10-11), Illinois’ Jacksonville Speedway (Sept. 9) and Spoon River Speedway (Sept. 10), and Ohio’s Atomic Speedway (Oct. 7-8).
The season finale for the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Series will go out with a bang featuring a $5,000-to-win and $10,000-to-win weekend on October 28-29 with the location being announced soon.
Championship points fund is as follows: 1. $20,000; 2. $10,000; 3. $6,000; 4. $5,000; 5. $4,500; 6. $4,000; 7. $3,500; 8. $3,000; 9. $2,500; 10. $2,000.
XTREME OUTLAW MIDGETS
The Xtreme Outlaw Midgets will support the World of Outlaws Late Models at five races including the season opener at Farmer City (IL) Raceway on April 1-2, a Sunday show at Jacksonville (IL) Speedway on June 26, and a doubleheader at Davenport (IA) Speedway on Aug. 26-27.
On Monday & Tuesday, May 23-24, the Midgets will travel to North Carolina’s Millbridge Speedway for a star-studded event ahead of NASCAR’s huge Memorial Day Weekend events at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The already prestigious Ironman 55 will grow bigger and better in 2022 as the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets join the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars for a trip to Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on August 5-6.
An Oklahoma tripleheader will conclude the season with October 13 at Tulsa’s Port City Raceway —owned by 2005 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year Shane Stewart — and then October 14-15 at Oklahoma City’s I-44 Riverside Speedway.
Championship points fund is as follows: 1. $10,000; 2. $7,000; 3. $5,000; 4. $4,000; 5. $3,000; 6. $2,500; 7. $2,000; 8. $1,500; 9. $1,200; 10. $1,000.
Xtreme Outlaw Sprints presented by Low-E Insulation 2022 Schedule:
Mon-Tues, Feb. 14-15: Volusia Speedway Park (Barberville, FL) – $5,000/$10,000 Fri, April 8: US-36 Raceway (Osborn, MO) – $5,000 Sat, April 9: Lake Ozark Speedway (Eldon, MO) – $5,000 Fri-Sat, June 10-11: Lake Ozark Speedway (Eldon, MO) – $5,000/$6,000 Fri-Sat, June 24-25: Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 (Pevely, MO) – $5,000/$6,000 Fri, September 9: Jacksonville Speedway (Jacksonville, IL) – $5,000 Sat, September 10: Spoon River Speedway (Canton, IL) – $5,000 Fri-Sat, October 7-8: Atomic Speedway (Waverly, OH) – $5,000/$6,000 Fri, October 28: TBA – $5,000 Sat, October 29: TBA – $10,000
Xtreme Outlaw Midgets 2022 Schedule:
Fri-Sat, April 1-2: Farmer City Raceway (Farmer City, IL) – $4,000/$4,000 Mon-Tues, May 23-24: Millbridge Speedway (Salisbury, NC) – $4,000/$4,000 Sun, June 26: Jacksonville Speedway (Jacksonville, IL) – $4,000 Fri-Sat, August 5-6: Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 (Pevely, MO) – $4,000/$5,000 Fri-Sat, August 26-27: Davenport Speedway (Davenport, IA) – $4,000/$4,000 Thur, October 13: Port City Raceway (Tulsa, OK) – $5,500 Fri-Sat, October 14-15: I-44 Riverside Speedway (Oklahoma City, OK) – $4,000/$5,000
BARBERVILLE, FL – January 5th, 2022 – Attempting a journey for the first time will have its ups and downs, especially if that journey lasts eleven months.
Five drivers, each with different levels of experience, take their first step toward World of Outlaws Late Models glory when the Series opens its season Jan. 20-22 at Volusia Speedway Park, as part of the Late-Model-Palooza known as Sunshine Nationals.
Gary Dillon, Kyle Hammer, Max Blair, Gordy Gundaker, and Tanner English have all thrown their hat in the ring to compete for Rookie of the Year in 2022.
Gundaker, who made a name for himself racing in Illinois, knows it’ll be a fun uphill climb.
“Across the board, it’s obviously going to be tough,” Gundaker said. “Running this deal isn’t supposed to be easy, but running with guys like Max and Tanner, and Hammer and Dillon is going to be a lot of fun.”
All five drivers will travel to new venues throughout the season. But each will have a home region advantage at some point throughout the season, adding another level of difficulty to the battle.
“They are definitely good competitors in their area, no doubt,” English said. “Max can hardly be beat in his area it seems like, and Gordy’s good around home, and they are tough for sure. They’ll be right there with us, and I feel like we’ll have a real good battle between all of us.”
Despite the strengths of each Rookie of the Year contender racing at home; veterans and former champions will try to keep them out of Victory Lane.
Western Pennsylvania’s Max Blair, who has three Series wins to his credit knows while he may have an advantage at home, that’s not the case for most of the schedule.
“There’s a lot more nights that everyone else has a bigger advantage than I do,” Blair said. “There’s a lot of the racetracks that I’ve never even seen before.
“I’m hopeful. But you have to be real about it at the same time with what we’re getting ready to go do here.”
North Carolina’s Gary Dillon is taking a different approach to the season. He only has a few Super Late Model races under his belt, including a World Finals appearance and with the Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series over the winter.
This year, he’s looking for a change of pace. A faster pace.
“I want to just try to get away from the drama of Limited Late Model racing and try to accomplish something,” Dillon said. “Maybe try to go full-time and get Rookie of the Year possibly and run for that. Just a different change of scenery; I’m not getting any younger.
“It’s definitely a challenge, but I mean, any of this stuff is a challenge. “You’re not running against Mom and Pop anymore; it’s a serious thing.”
Illinois driver Kyle Hammer is going all-in on the 2022 season, including a new Longhorn by Wells in his stable. He’s optimistic about getting a good start at Sunshine Nationals because of his experience in a Modified.
“I’m looking forward to it, really,” Hammer said. “Last year, we went there for the first time in a modified, and had a couple of good runs, made all but one of the A-mains, and actually locked into the big Modified show from our qualifier.
“We were running good there before we had a mechanical failure, but I think we’ll be alright there and especially having seven nights being able to fine-tune it by the end of the last night.”
Hammer and the four other Rookie hopefuls kick off their journey of ups and downs January 20-22 as the main Late Model attraction of Sunshine Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park.
Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Battle Begins at Volusia on February 10-12
CONCORD, NC – January 6, 2022 – With the season-opening DIRTcar Nationals still over a month away, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series roster is continuing to take shape.
Today, Noah Gass of Mounds, OK announced his intention to hit the road and go full-time with The Greatest Show on Dirt in 2022. The teenager will pilot his family-owned Arrowhead Electric, Big G Transport, Triple-X/Claxton #20G across the near 90-race slate this season.
He’ll be waging war with Kasey Kahne (KKR #9) and Spencer Bayston (CJB #5) in the chase for Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year honors.
“Being only 18-years-old, this is about as cool as it gets,” Gass said. “Being able to run with the best of the best every weekend all over the country, I mean how badass is that to say. It’s The Greatest Show on Dirt for a reason, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
Less than a year removed from his World of Outlaws debut in March of 2021, Gass has shown signs of improvement all throughout his first 25 events with the Series. Things started slowly by only making three Features in his first 13 attempts, but quickly improved with 10 starts over his last 12 races, including a career-best 12th-place finish at River Cities (ND) in August.
A fellow “Sooner State” native along with Oklahoma City’s Wayne Johnson, Gass rose through the ranks with experience in Micro Sprints, Midgets, and Sprint Cars of the wingless and winged variety. Last year alone he scored a pair of Interstate Racing Association (IRA) victories in Wisconsin and earned several top-fives with the Midwest Open Wheel Association (MOWA) in Illinois.
“It’s definitely not going to be easy going on the road full-time, but if it was then everyone would do it,” Gass mentioned. “We are going to have our challenges, so it will be important to stay positive and keep our team morale and attitude up. We have a lot of goals going into the 2022 season and we’re ready to get it going at Volusia.”
“I have complete confidence in Cody [Cordell] and Robert [McQuinn] that they’re going to work hard to make sure I have a great car every night,” he continued. “We are not as big as most of the teams on the road and we know that, but we’re not going to let it hold us back at all.”
Sprint Cars will run 14 races presented by Low-E Insulation; Midgets have 12-race scheduleCONCORD, NC – December 30, 2021 – More pieces of the puzzle are coming together as the Xtreme Outlaw Series prepares for its inaugural season in 2022, announcing today schedules for the Xtreme Outlaw Sprints presented by Low-E Insulation and the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets.“Since we announced the Xtreme Outlaw Series earlier this month, the momentum has continued to build,” said Brian Carter, World of Outlaws and DIRTcar Racing CEO. “Drivers have already committed to run each series, now we’re continuing that momentum by announcing schedules and sponsorship, with more to come as interest in each division is at a very high level.”The Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Cars presented by Low-E Insulation will consist of 14 events, with the series champion taking home $20,000. The Xtreme Outlaw Midgets are set for 12 events with their series champion taking home $10,000. In efforts to work with existing sanctions bodies, the Series will closely follow POWRi/USAC rule books, with a few small changes. Mandatory head and neck restraints, containments seats, along with the World of Outlaws’ wheel cover rule will be in place.XTREME OUTLAW SPRINTSKicking off the 14-race slate for the Xtreme Outlaw Sprints presented by Low-E Insulation is the debut on Monday & Tuesday, Feb. 14-15, during Volusia Speedway Park’s DIRTcar Nationals, where the Series will race with DIRTcar Late Models and the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds.The non-wing stars will also race alongside the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars on April 8-9 at Missouri’s US-36 Raceway and Lake Ozark Speedway and join the World of Outlaws Late Models for a weekend at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on June 24-25.Another six standalone shows are scheduled for Lake Ozark (June 10-11), Illinois’ Jacksonville Speedway (Sept. 9) and Spoon River Speedway (Sept. 10), and Ohio’s Atomic Speedway (Oct. 7-8).The season finale for the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Series will go out with a bang featuring a $5,000-to-win and $10,000-to-win weekend on October 28-29 with the location being announced soon.Championship points fund is as follows: 1. $20,000; 2. $10,000; 3. $6,000; 4. $5,000; 5. $4,500; 6. $4,000; 7. $3,500; 8. $3,000; 9. $2,500; 10. $2,000.XTREME OUTLAW MIDGETSThe Xtreme Outlaw Midgets will support the World of Outlaws Late Models at five races including the season opener at Farmer City (IL) Raceway on April 1-2, a Sunday show at Jacksonville (IL) Speedway on June 26, and a doubleheader at Davenport (IA) Speedway on Aug. 26-27.On Monday & Tuesday, May 23-24, the Midgets will travel to North Carolina’s Millbridge Speedway for a star-studded event ahead of NASCAR’s huge Memorial Day Weekend events at Charlotte Motor Speedway.The already prestigious Ironman 55 will grow bigger and better in 2022 as the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets join the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars for a trip to Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on August 5-6.An Oklahoma tripleheader will conclude the season with October 13 at Tulsa’s Port City Raceway —owned by 2005 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year Shane Stewart — and then October 14-15 at Oklahoma City’s I-44 Riverside Speedway.Championship points fund is as follows: 1. $10,000; 2. $7,000; 3. $5,000; 4. $4,000; 5. $3,000; 6. $2,500; 7. $2,000; 8. $1,500; 9. $1,200; 10. $1,000.Xtreme Outlaw Sprints presented by Low-E Insulation 2022 Schedule:Mon-Tues, Feb. 14-15: Volusia Speedway Park (Barberville, FL) – $5,000/$10,000 Fri, April 8: US-36 Raceway (Osborn, MO) – $5,000 Sat, April 9: Lake Ozark Speedway (Eldon, MO) – $5,000 Fri-Sat, June 10-11: Lake Ozark Speedway (Eldon, MO) – $5,000/$6,000 Fri-Sat, June 24-25: Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 (Pevely, MO) – $5,000/$6,000 Fri, September 9: Jacksonville Speedway (Jacksonville, IL) – $5,000 Sat, September 10: Spoon River Speedway (Canton, IL) – $5,000 Fri-Sat, October 7-8: Atomic Speedway (Waverly, OH) – $5,000/$6,000 Fri, October 28: TBA – $5,000 Sat, October 29: TBA – $10,000Xtreme Outlaw Midgets 2022 Schedule:Fri-Sat, April 1-2: Farmer City Raceway (Farmer City, IL) – $4,000/$4,000 Mon-Tues, May 23-24: Millbridge Speedway (Salisbury, NC) – $4,000/$4,000 Sun, June 26: Jacksonville Speedway (Jacksonville, IL) – $4,000 Fri-Sat, August 5-6: Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 (Pevely, MO) – $4,000/$5,000 Fri-Sat, August 26-27: Davenport Speedway (Davenport, IA) – $4,000/$4,000 Thur, October 13: Port City Raceway (Tulsa, OK) – $5,500 Fri-Sat, October 14-15: I-44 Riverside Speedway (Oklahoma City, OK) – $4,000/$5,000Stay tuned to XtremeOutlawSeries.com or @Xtreme_Outlaw on Twitter for more details as the inaugural season approaches.For fans unable to make it to the track, you can watch Every Lap LIVE on DIRTVision.
The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink® Sprint Car Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Drydene (Official Motor Oil), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Morton Buildings (Official Building), NOS Energy (Official Energy Product), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Award), MSD and Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award); manufacturer sponsors include FireAde, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, and Racing Electronics.The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings® Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Drydene (Official Motor Oil), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Morton Buildings (Official Building), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors, including: Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, MSD, Penske Racing Shocks, Quarter Master, Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award), and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Capital Race Cars, FireAde, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, Reliable Painting, and Rocket Chassis.
The St. Charles, MO driver will compete for Rookie of the Year honors this seasonBARBERVILLE, FL – December 31, 2021– When the sun rises on the 2022 World of Outlaws Late Models season, a burst of orange from the Midwest will hit Volusia Speedway Park for the first time. Gordy Gundaker’s maiden voyage with the Series kicks off at Sunshine Nationals Jan 20-22, as he starts his ascension toward Rookie of the Year honors. The St. Charles, MO driver, has competed against the best the World of Outlaws has to offer on numerous occasions, but it’s the first time he’ll strap on his helmet in a Late Model at “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile.” Despite having little experience, he’s excited to get behind the wheel of his orange number #11 machine. “I’m really excited to get down there,” Gundaker said. “I’ve never raced a Late Model there, but I’ve raced a Modified, and I’ve been there a thousand times with Dad over the years, and the last couple of years I’ve been there helping Nick Hoffman when he races there.” Gundaker is one of five drivers running for Rookie of the Year in 2022, including Max Blair, Kyle Hammer, Gary Dillon, and Tanner English. While he’s excited to compete against all of them this season, battling with English brings a sense of familiarity. “Me and Tanner grew up together, and obviously our dads raced together, and we’ve been against each other now for six, seven, eight years, and we race each other hard and always will,” Gundaker said. “It should be a lot of fun; it should be a lot of good competitiveness, but I think it’s going to make the Series even better.” One of the drawing points for Gundaker to join the World of Outlaws was the 2022 schedule. The Series returns to several tracks he already has experience at and will make a trip to Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, IL—a venue operated by his parents. “That was something we looked at when we signed up to do this deal,” Gundaker said. “We’ve been to a lot of tracks, and the Series is coming to Mom and Dad’s place (Tri-City Speedway) this year. Pevely, Fairbury, Farmer City, last year we went up to Fountain City (Mississippi Thunder Speedway) with the Outlaws and went to Boone with the Outlaws, so the nice thing is we already have a bit of a notebook going at these places. “I’d like to think the Illinois tracks play more to my advantage than most just because of how many times I’ve raced there.” RELATED:World of Outlaws Late Models prepare for jam-packed campaign Despite his experience in the Midwest, he knows it’ll still be a challenge at every race on the schedule in 2022. “Obviously, Sheppard’s won a lot of races at those places, and Tanner’s good (in the Midwest),” Gundaker said. “But at the same time, we have to go out East and race at places I’ve never been or never thought of looking at. It’s going to be challenging, but it’s going to be good for us.” One of the tracks he’ll see for the first time is Port Royal Speedway during the season’s first Northeast swing. “I’ve heard a ton about Port Royal,” Gundaker said. “It seems like a place everyone talks about how awesome it is, and it’s something I’m really looking forward to. I’ve always wanted to get out to some of these race tracks I’ve never seen. It’s just something new and exciting for us. Before the Series travels across the country, it’ll have an extended stay in the Southeast as the first seven races are at Volusia. Gundaker knows a strong start is vital for his orange Late Model to burst onto the scene in 2022. “I’m just really pumped to get down there, and into warmer weather, that’s for sure, and I’m excited to kick the season off. If we can get down there and have some good runs and get out of there in one piece, that’s the main goal and obviously look forward to the long season.” Gundaker and the World of Outlaws Late Models open the curtain on the 2022 season Jan. 20-22, as the main attraction of Sunshine Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. SUNSHINE NATIONALS TICKETS: CLICK HERE If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch the World of Outlaws Late Models live on DIRTVision – either online or with the DIRTVision App.
The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings® Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Drydene (Official Motor Oil), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Morton Buildings (Official Building), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors, including: Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, MSD, Penske Racing Shocks, Quarter Master, Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award), and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Capital Race Cars, FireAde, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, Reliable Painting, and Rocket Chassis.Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, NC, is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws NOS® Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings® Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.
Sprint Cars will run 14 races presented by Low-E Insulation; Midgets have 12-race schedule
CONCORD, NC – December 30, 2021 – More pieces of the puzzle are coming together as the Xtreme Outlaw Series prepares for its inaugural season in 2022, announcing today schedules for the Xtreme Outlaw Sprints presented by Low-E Insulation and the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets.
“Since we announced the Xtreme Outlaw Series earlier this month, the momentum has continued to build,” said Brian Carter, World of Outlaws and DIRTcar Racing CEO. “Drivers have already committed to run each series, now we’re continuing that momentum by announcing schedules and sponsorship, with more to come as interest in each division is at a very high level.”
The Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Cars presented by Low-E Insulation will consist of 14 events, with the series champion taking home $20,000. The Xtreme Outlaw Midgets are set for 12 events with their series champion taking home $10,000. In efforts to work with existing sanctions bodies, the Series will closely follow POWRi/USAC rule books, with a few small changes. Mandatory head and neck restraints, containments seats, along with the World of Outlaws’ wheel cover rule will be in place.
XTREME OUTLAW SPRINTS
Kicking off the 14-race slate for the Xtreme Outlaw Sprints presented by Low-E Insulation is the debut on Monday & Tuesday, Feb. 14-15, during Volusia Speedway Park’s DIRTcar Nationals, where the Series will race with DIRTcar Late Models and the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds.
The non-wing stars will also race alongside the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars on April 8-9 at Missouri’s US-36 Raceway and Lake Ozark Speedway and join the World of Outlaws Late Models for a weekend at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on June 24-25.
Another six standalone shows are scheduled for Lake Ozark (June 10-11), Illinois’ Jacksonville Speedway (Sept. 9) and Spoon River Speedway (Sept. 10), and Ohio’s Atomic Speedway (Oct. 7-8).
The season finale for the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Series will go out with a bang featuring a $5,000-to-win and $10,000-to-win weekend on October 28-29 with the location being announced soon.
Championship points fund is as follows: 1. $20,000; 2. $10,000; 3. $6,000; 4. $5,000; 5. $4,500; 6. $4,000; 7. $3,500; 8. $3,000; 9. $2,500; 10. $2,000.
XTREME OUTLAW MIDGETS
The Xtreme Outlaw Midgets will support the World of Outlaws Late Models at five races including the season opener at Farmer City (IL) Raceway on April 1-2, a Sunday show at Jacksonville (IL) Speedway on June 26, and a doubleheader at Davenport (IA) Speedway on Aug. 26-27.
On Monday & Tuesday, May 23-24, the Midgets will travel to North Carolina’s Millbridge Speedway for a star-studded event ahead of NASCAR’s huge Memorial Day Weekend events at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The already prestigious Ironman 55 will grow bigger and better in 2022 as the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets join the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars for a trip to Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on August 5-6.
An Oklahoma tripleheader will conclude the season with October 13 at Tulsa’s Port City Raceway —owned by 2005 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year Shane Stewart — and then October 14-15 at Oklahoma City’s I-44 Riverside Speedway.
Championship points fund is as follows: 1. $10,000; 2. $7,000; 3. $5,000; 4. $4,000; 5. $3,000; 6. $2,500; 7. $2,000; 8. $1,500; 9. $1,200; 10. $1,000.
Xtreme Outlaw Sprints presented by Low-E Insulation 2022 Schedule:
Mon-Tues, Feb. 14-15: Volusia Speedway Park (Barberville, FL) – $5,000/$10,000 Fri, April 8: US-36 Raceway (Osborn, MO) – $5,000 Sat, April 9: Lake Ozark Speedway (Eldon, MO) – $5,000 Fri-Sat, June 10-11: Lake Ozark Speedway (Eldon, MO) – $5,000/$6,000 Fri-Sat, June 24-25: Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 (Pevely, MO) – $5,000/$6,000 Fri, September 9: Jacksonville Speedway (Jacksonville, IL) – $5,000 Sat, September 10: Spoon River Speedway (Canton, IL) – $5,000 Fri-Sat, October 7-8: Atomic Speedway (Waverly, OH) – $5,000/$6,000 Fri, October 28: TBA – $5,000 Sat, October 29: TBA – $10,000
Xtreme Outlaw Midgets 2022 Schedule:
Fri-Sat, April 1-2: Farmer City Raceway (Farmer City, IL) – $4,000/$4,000 Mon-Tues, May 23-24: Millbridge Speedway (Salisbury, NC) – $4,000/$4,000 Sun, June 26: Jacksonville Speedway (Jacksonville, IL) – $4,000 Fri-Sat, August 5-6: Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 (Pevely, MO) – $4,000/$5,000 Fri-Sat, August 26-27: Davenport Speedway (Davenport, IA) – $4,000/$4,000 Thur, October 13: Port City Raceway (Tulsa, OK) – $5,500 Fri-Sat, October 14-15: I-44 Riverside Speedway (Oklahoma City, OK) – $4,000/$5,000
Four-Time Champion Car Owner will Chase New Title as Driver of KKR #9
CONCORD, NC – December 22, 2021 – For the first time ever, Kasey Kahne is set to embark on a full-time campaign with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series in 2022.
Driving his own famed #9, Kasey will link up with his three-time and defending driver champion Brad Sweet to form a potent two-car team out of Kasey Kahne Racing’s Mooresville, NC shop.
“I’ve realized through my commitments as a team owner that I still want to race and challenge myself at this level,” Kahne said. “I am grateful to have propelled into the NASCAR ranks as quickly as I did, but sprint car racing has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, and this is the first chance I’ve had to dedicate myself to it full-time.”
The Enumclaw, WA superstar has long been associated with The Greatest Show on Dirt. Look no further than his Series debut at age 17 in 1997, his first entry fielded as a car owner in 2005, the first championship for KKR in 2013, and now the dynasty established with a hat trick from 2019-21 for proof on that.
Over his career, which has largely been consumed by 700+ starts and 31 victories across the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity & Truck Series, Kahne managed to fit in 140 World of Outlaws Features to this point. The bulk of that came just last year when he subbed for James McFadden in his #9 and piloted the Roth Motorsports #83, tallying 32 starts, 11 top-10 finishes, and 10 laps led.
A full-time slate with the Series is something he’s always dreamed of and will finally accomplish in 2022. Fans from coast-to-coast will have the opportunity to witness Kahne wheel a Sprint Car across 90+ nights of racing from February to November.
“The World of Outlaws puts the top competitors in the sport with the most grueling schedule; traveling to tracks nationwide, night-in and night-out,” Kahne added. “A lot of people don’t realize this is one of the toughest Series in the world, and I’m excited to finally be a part of it as a driver.”
Before stock car aspirations were even a thought, Kasey and the Kahne’s were Sprint Car junkies from the beginning. Between parents Kelly & Tammy, siblings Kale & Shanon, and cousins Willie & Kole, the family spent many nights together at Washington’s Skagit Speedway.
New avenues led him to Indianapolis to become the 2000 USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget champion and eventually to Charlotte as a full-timer in NASCAR by 2003. He enjoyed a lengthy 15-year career in the Cup Series before retiring in 2018 and returning to his roots: Sprint Car racing.
Karavan Trailers will return as a primary sponsor on the #9 and FuelMe will enter a new partnership as the official fuel supplier of Kasey Kahne Racing next year.
Headlined among 90+ nights of racing in 2022 for Kahne is iconic events such as the Knoxville Nationals, King’s Royal, Historical Big One, National Open, Gold Cup Race of Champions, High Bank Nationals, season-ending World Finals, and of course the season-opening DIRTcar Nationals, among many other shows.
Labor Day Weekend will also serve as a homecoming for the Enumclaw, WA native as Kahne returns to the Pacific Northwest for the booming Skagit Nationals (September 1-3) and a one-night stop at Gray’s Harbor Raceway on September 5.
Outside of teammate and reigning champion, Brad Sweet, Kahne will have to contend with the likes of 10-time champion Donny Schatz at Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, established stars David Gravel & Logan Schuchart, rising young guns Carson Macedo & Sheldon Haudenschild, veterans Kraig Kinser, Jason Sides & Wayne Johnson, and newer travelers like James McFadden, Brock Zearfoss & Spencer Bayston.
