The driver of the Roth Motorsports No. 83 puts on a clinic in traffic for his ninth Huset’s score

BRANDON, SD (September 5, 2026) – There are few things more reliable in life than Michael “Buddy” Kofoid being fast at Huset’s Speedway.

As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, you can rely on the Penngrove, CA native to be up front when the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series heads to Brandon, SD. It’s where he got his first win with the Series in 2022 and has been on a tear ever since.

Saturday’s L.G. Everist Huset’s Shootout presented by Ace Ready Mix prelim proved to be no different for Kofoid and the Roth Motorsports No. 83 team. Steven Snyder Jr. led early in the Three Stooges Racing No. 51, but it took Kofoid only seven laps to find his way into the lead. The 24-year-old then set a torrid pace, disposing of lapped cars as quick as he caught them on his way to a commanding victory and $15,000 payday.

“It was pretty hectic,” Kofoid said of lapped traffic. “Not as much as the leader, but I do enjoy traffic when it’s like that. It’s a little more nerve wracking when you’re leading. You don’t know really where they’re gaining or how hard you need to push it. I feel like I picked off quite a bit of them pretty quick. Then there was a point when I got to racing with some of those guys, and we were kind of evened out. I was thinking I needed to get going, and then we had the red. I knew we had seven laps to go. I knew I was probably going to get four or five clean laps, and then it was just a matter of going wherever they weren’t but making sure I had enough speed to where if I didn’t want to be in the preferred groove that I was making good speed and hitting it right.”

It was a major victory for Kofoid in a number of ways. First, it was his 12th of the season with The Greatest Show on Dirt, which already matches his total for all of 2025. It gave him nine at Huset’s alone, tying him with Mark Kinser for second most all-time and moving him within one of equaling Sammy Swindell for the most. Kofoid has collected 26-percent of his 34 career World of Outlaws checkered flags at the South Dakota 3/8 mile. Looking ahead to Sunday, Kofoid is second in points heading into the $25,000-to-win Huset’s Shootout finale and positioned well to chase the big payday.

Garet Williamson and the Fischer Motorsports team finished runner-up for the second straight night and are third in points heading into Sunday’s finale.

A day after winning Friday’s opener, Sheldon Haudenschild rounded out the podium in the KCP Racing/NOS Energy Drink No. 18. The Wooster, OH native is the high point man best set up to go after $25,000 Sunday night.

Logan Schuchart and Steven Snyder Jr. completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

David Gravel grabbed the Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night.

Gravel then clocked his fifth straight Simpson Quick Time and 23rd of the year in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to Ryan Timms (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Christopher Thram (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Two), Garet Williamson (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Buddy Kofoid (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Steven Snyder Jr.

Snyder Jr. also topped the Toyota Dash.

Chris Windom won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Donny Schatz drove from 25th to 16th to take the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Spencer Bayston was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Emerson Axsom collected Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race honors.

Steven Snyder Jr. clocked the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Conner Morrell.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars battle for $25,000 at Huset’s Speedway’s L.G. Everist Huset’s Shootout presented by Myrl & Roy’s Paving on Sunday, Sept. 6. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.

Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps): 1. 83-Michael Kofoid[2]; 2. 23-Garet Williamson[3]; 3. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[4]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart[6]; 5. 51-Steven Snyder Jr[1]; 6. 10-Ryan Timms[7]; 7. 17-Spencer Bayston[9]; 8. 2-David Gravel[13]; 9. 41-Carson Macedo[10]; 10. 24T-Christopher Thram[8]; 11. 17B-Bill Balog[15]; 12. 2C-Cole Macedo[14]; 13. 27-Emerson Axsom[18]; 14. 83JR-Sam Henderson[20]; 15. 7S-Chris Windom[21]; 16. 15-Donny Schatz[25]; 17. 19-Kaleb Johnson[11]; 18. 16C-Skylar Gee[16]; 19. 6-Bryce Lucius[17]; 20. 3-Kelby Watt[22]; 21. 11M-Brendan Mullen[19]; 22. 45X-Ashton Torgerson[23]; 23. 8-Jacob Hughes[24]; 24. 28M-Conner Morrell[12]; 25. (DNF) G5-Gage Pulkrabek[5]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

SURPRISE, SURPRISE: Kofoid Claims Saturday’s Huset’s Shootout Prelim

The driver of the Roth Motorsports No. 83 puts on a clinic in traffic for his ninth Huset’s score

BRANDON, SD (September 5, 2026) – There are few things more reliable in life than Michael “Buddy” Kofoid being fast at Huset’s Speedway.

As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, you can rely on the Penngrove, CA native to be up front when the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series heads to Brandon, SD. It’s where he got his first win with the Series in 2022 and has been on a tear ever since.

Saturday’s L.G. Everist Huset’s Shootout presented by Ace Ready Mix prelim proved to be no different for Kofoid and the Roth Motorsports No. 83 team. Steven Snyder Jr. led early in the Three Stooges Racing No. 51, but it took Kofoid only seven laps to find his way into the lead. The 24-year-old then set a torrid pace, disposing of lapped cars as quick as he caught them on his way to a commanding victory and $15,000 payday.

“It was pretty hectic,” Kofoid said of lapped traffic. “Not as much as the leader, but I do enjoy traffic when it’s like that. It’s a little more nerve wracking when you’re leading. You don’t know really where they’re gaining or how hard you need to push it. I feel like I picked off quite a bit of them pretty quick. Then there was a point when I got to racing with some of those guys, and we were kind of evened out. I was thinking I needed to get going, and then we had the red. I knew we had seven laps to go. I knew I was probably going to get four or five clean laps, and then it was just a matter of going wherever they weren’t but making sure I had enough speed to where if I didn’t want to be in the preferred groove that I was making good speed and hitting it right.”

It was a major victory for Kofoid in a number of ways. First, it was his 12th of the season with The Greatest Show on Dirt, which already matches his total for all of 2025. It gave him nine at Huset’s alone, tying him with Mark Kinser for second most all-time and moving him within one of equaling Sammy Swindell for the most. Kofoid has collected 26-percent of his 34 career World of Outlaws checkered flags at the South Dakota 3/8 mile. Looking ahead to Sunday, Kofoid is second in points heading into the $25,000-to-win Huset’s Shootout finale and positioned well to chase the big payday.

Garet Williamson and the Fischer Motorsports team finished runner-up for the second straight night and are third in points heading into Sunday’s finale.

A day after winning Friday’s opener, Sheldon Haudenschild rounded out the podium in the KCP Racing/NOS Energy Drink No. 18. The Wooster, OH native is the high point man best set up to go after $25,000 Sunday night.

Logan Schuchart and Steven Snyder Jr. completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

David Gravel grabbed the Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night.

Gravel then clocked his fifth straight Simpson Quick Time and 23rd of the year in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to Ryan Timms (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Christopher Thram (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Two), Garet Williamson (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Buddy Kofoid (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Steven Snyder Jr.

Snyder Jr. also topped the Toyota Dash.

Chris Windom won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Donny Schatz drove from 25th to 16th to take the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

Spencer Bayston was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Emerson Axsom collected Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race honors.

Steven Snyder Jr. clocked the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Conner Morrell.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars battle for $25,000 at Huset’s Speedway’s L.G. Everist Huset’s Shootout presented by Myrl & Roy’s Paving on Sunday, Sept. 6. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.

Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps): 1. 83-Michael Kofoid[2]; 2. 23-Garet Williamson[3]; 3. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[4]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart[6]; 5. 51-Steven Snyder Jr[1]; 6. 10-Ryan Timms[7]; 7. 17-Spencer Bayston[9]; 8. 2-David Gravel[13]; 9. 41-Carson Macedo[10]; 10. 24T-Christopher Thram[8]; 11. 17B-Bill Balog[15]; 12. 2C-Cole Macedo[14]; 13. 27-Emerson Axsom[18]; 14. 83JR-Sam Henderson[20]; 15. 7S-Chris Windom[21]; 16. 15-Donny Schatz[25]; 17. 19-Kaleb Johnson[11]; 18. 16C-Skylar Gee[16]; 19. 6-Bryce Lucius[17]; 20. 3-Kelby Watt[22]; 21. 11M-Brendan Mullen[19]; 22. 45X-Ashton Torgerson[23]; 23. 8-Jacob Hughes[24]; 24. 28M-Conner Morrell[12]; 25. (DNF) G5-Gage Pulkrabek[5]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/surprise-surprise-kofoid-claims-saturdays-husets-shootout-prelim/

INDIANAPOLIS (September 5, 2026) — Points leader Jonathan Allegrucci drove his Mustang Cobra Jet to the No. 1 qualifier at the most prestigious drag race in the country today, the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals. This is Allegrucci’s third No. 1 qualifier of the racing season, but first since the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals. His quickest run came today in the opening qualifying session when he crossed the finish line with an improved time of 7.714 seconds at 179.54 mph.
 
“It doesn’t feel real yet. Going No. 1 wasn’t the plan,” said Allegrucci. “When we looked at the entry list, we didn’t think it was going to happen. But we made four perfect runs, and the car’s just been great. The adjustments have been great, and we were able to just keep building.”

Jonathan Allegrucci drove his Ford Mustang Cobra Jet to the No. 1 qualifier spot today at the NHRA U.S. Nationals outside Indianapolis. Photo credit: Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

JONATHAN ALLEGRUCCI RUNS TO FLEXJET FACTORY STOCK SHOWDOWN
NO. 1 AT NHRA U.S. NATIONALS

INDIANAPOLIS (September 5, 2026) — Points leader Jonathan Allegrucci drove his Mustang Cobra Jet to the No. 1 qualifier at the most prestigious drag race in the country today, the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals. This is Allegrucci’s third No. 1 qualifier of the racing season, but first since the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals. His quickest run came today in the opening qualifying session when he crossed the finish line with an improved time of 7.714 seconds at 179.54 mph.
 
“It doesn’t feel real yet. Going No. 1 wasn’t the plan,” said Allegrucci. “When we looked at the entry list, we didn’t think it was going to happen. But we made four perfect runs, and the car’s just been great. The adjustments have been great, and we were able to just keep building.”

Jonathan Allegrucci drove his Ford Mustang Cobra Jet to the No. 1 qualifier spot today at the NHRA U.S. Nationals outside Indianapolis. Photo credit: Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

Alex Anderson made a solid pass of 7.719 seconds at 178.52 in the third qualifying session, followed by James Betz who improved from his best Friday time but slid three spots running 7.723 seconds at 178.76 mph. Reigning Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown world champion Mark Pawuk jumped to No. 4 from No. 17 with 7.744 seconds at 179.90 mph run.
 
In the final session, Allegrucci held on to the top spot and will go into race day with a competition bye. He made a solid run in the last session but was slightly off the three quickest runs of the final session. If he is able to secure the race day win, it will be his first U.S. Nationals title. Jason Dietsch ran 7.769 seconds at 176.74 mph followed by Richard Hord’s 7.771 seconds at 176.19 mph and Raymond Nash with a run of 7.793 seconds at 175.55 mph.
 
“We just have to do us,” said Allegrucci. “We have to forget everything else. Just do what we did in qualifying. Look at the weather. Look at the data. Adjust the suspension, the tune and just do us. Don’t worry about anything else. Racing Flexjet Factory Stock is the only thing I’ve ever dreamed of doing. I love all the aspects of drag racing, but this is by far my love, and I don’t think it gets any better.”
 
On Friday night during qualifying there were no major changes from the first session which saw James Betz and his Ford Mustang Cobra Jet run the quickest time of Friday, a 7.822 second pass at 172.10 mph.
 
Norwalk and defending U.S. Nationals winner Taylor Dietsch will head into the first round of eliminations tomorrow with the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown $1,000 bounty on the line. Tony Scott will have the first chance to grab the bonus cash if he can turn on a win light in the first round. Other notable first round match-ups include No. 2 in Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown points Raymond Nash versus Mike Clark, and reigning champion Pawuk versus Kim Shirley.
 
The first round of eliminations at the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals will begin Sunday morning with three rounds of eliminations for the all-run field. Monday will feature the semifinals and final round. Fans can follow the racing action at www.nhra.com.
 
First Round Match-ups
 
First Round Match-ups
No. 1 Jonathan Allegrucci vs. BYE
No. 2 Alex Anderson vs. No. 23 Richard Ingram
No. 3 James Betz vs. No. 22 Carl Tasca
No. 4 Mark Pawuk vs. No. 21 Kim Shirley
No. 5 Scott Libersher vs. No. 20 Mike Lloyd
No. 6 Raymond Nash vs. No. 19 Mike Clark
No. 7 Jason Dietsch vs. No. 18 Matthew Hartman
No. 8 Ricky Hord vs. No. 17 Kyle Pawuk
No. 9 David Janac vs. No. 16 David Davies II
No. 10 Doug Hamp vs. No. 15 Rouven Dawson
No. 11 Taylor Dietsch vs. No. 14 Tony Scott
No. 12 Lee Hartman vs. No. 13 Doug Duell
 
Flexjet Bounty Program
Gatornationals (Gainesville, Fla.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Jonathan Allegrucci, defeated Mark Pawuk (2025 Flexjet world champion)
 
NHRA 4-Wide Nationals (Charlotte, N. C.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Raymond Nash, defeated Ricky Hord (2026 Gatornationals winner)
 
Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 Nationals (Chicago, Illinois)
$1,000 bounty was not claimed with Allegrucci’s victory
 
Super Grip Thunder Valley Nationals (Bristol, Tenn,)
$2,000 bounty was not claimed with Allegrucci’s victory
 
Norwalk Nationals (Norwalk, Ohio)
$3,000 bounty claimed by Taylor Dietsch, defeated Jonathan Allegrucci (2026 Chicago and Bristol winner)
 
 
2026 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Results
Gainesville – Ricky Hord, winner; David Janac, runner-up
Charlotte – Jonathan Allegrucci, winner; Jason Dietsch, runner-up
Chicago – Jonathan Allegrucci, winner; Jason Dietsch, runner-up
Bristol – Jonathan Allegrucci, winner; Raymond Nash, runner-up
Norwalk – Taylor Dietsch, winner; Jonathan Allergrucci, runner-up
 

SATURDAY RECAP – INDIANAPOLIS Race 14 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

HEAT, RAIN PLAY FACTORS IN DAY 2 OF BIG GODeJoria’s Night Stalker body destroyed in Q3 but repair work underway

SATURDAY RECAP – INDIANAPOLISRace 14 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

HEAT, RAIN PLAY FACTORS IN DAY 2 OF BIG GODeJoria’s Night Stalker body destroyed in Q3 but repair work underway

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Sept. 5, 2026) – More unseasonably hot weather and then rain at Indianapolis Raceway Park kept the John Force Racing teams guessing about the best way to get down the track Saturday during Day 2 of the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals. At day’s end, it’s positioning on the qualifying sheet that counts most and the John Force Racing team are positioned as follows: No. 3 – Jack Beckman and the PEAK 1996 John Force championship tribute Chevrolet SS Funny Car team; No. 5 – Alexis DeJoria and the Bandero Café Night Stalker Chevrolet SS Funny Car team; No. 9 – Josh Hart and the Speedmaster Top Fuel team; No. 10 – Jordan Vandergriff and the Cornwell Tools chrome patriotic stars and stripes Chevrolet SS Funny Car team. Beckman, DeJoria, and Hart did not improve on their Q1 runs while Vandergriff used his Q3 run of 4.002 seconds at 315.45 mph to move from 12th to 10th. DeJoria provided what was, unfortunately, the most spectacular run of the day in Q3 when the engine in the Night Stalker Chevy dropped cylinders during the run and backfired at the finish line. The explosion damaged the body beyond repair but John Force Racing is still planning on giving the fans the Night Stalker livery for Monday’s first round of eliminations. Vandergriff lined up against J.R. Todd in Saturday’s first qualifying session, which also served as a semifinal race for the Mission Foods 2Fast2Tasty Challenge. Both cars lost traction early but each driver pedaled in the hope of regaining traction. The Cornwell Tools Chevy lost traction again and shut off while Todd pedaled a second time and gathered up enough steam to make it the finish line for the win. The box score shows Vandergriff ran 5.427 seconds at 148.10 mph to Todd’s 4.538 seconds at 264.55 mph. Sunday will feature the final two rounds of qualifying at 12 and 2:45 p.m. ET. The PlayNHRA All-Star Funny Car Call Out is scheduled for 12:45 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 4 p.m. The first round of eliminations for the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept 7. Quote from Jack Beckman, PEAK 1996 John Force Tribute Chevrolet SS Funny Car: “It was a little bit frustrating in Q3 to have run earlier with a really hot track temperature, have the rain drop the track temperature by 20 degrees and then watch all those cars have a shot at a much cooler race track when qualifying resumed. We were fortunate that we stayed third after all that, only dropping two spots. If the forecast is fairly accurate, tomorrow’s first run should give us an equalizer and maybe a chance to step on it to get back to the pole position. Our focus tomorrow will be threefold: gobble up all the qualifying points possible, win three rounds to lock up the Funny Car Call Out, and gather data for Monday.” Quote from Alexis DeJoria, Bandero Café Night Stalker Chevrolet SS Funny Car: “We were in the right lane and took off okay. I was in the groove when I started to feel a little vibration but I was still going forward in the groove. It dropped a cylinder on the left side at about half track and it moved around a little but I was still going forward. We then dropped a cylinder on the right side but the guys couldn’t see it because the sun was glaring so bad and they didn’t shut the car off. I didn’t know so I just took it to the finish line … and there goes the Night Stalker. I’m OK. I’ve definitely been through worse and I’m just glad I was able to keep it off the wall and save the chassis. We have a backup body and we’re working to have a second set of Night Stalker vinyl to have another body ready for Monday’s eliminations. That’s all we have to do. I absolutely love this paint scheme so we’ll make it work.” Quote from Jordan Vandergriff, Cornwell Tools Chrome Stars & Stripes Chevrolet SS Funny Car: “It’s been a strange day. You just don’t see this kind of heat very often in Indiana at the Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals. I’ve been to the last few and I can’t remember it being this hot. We ran into some unique conditions: being on the starting line ready to qualify, getting called back for rain and lightning, and then going back to make the run with changed conditions. We expect better than a 4 flat but we have two more shots at it tomorrow in what should be cooler conditions. We’ll be all right.” Quote from Josh Hart, Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster: “Record breaking heat for the U.S. Nationals means no record breaking speed or elapsed time to be had for the Speedmaster team or anyone else in the Top Fuel field. Tomorrow’s final two qualifying runs will set the field and it looks like temperatures are falling in our favor.”

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIESMission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey2.238-mile, 11-turn Weather Raceway Laguna Seca road courseMonterey, CaliforniaSaturday Qualifying ReportSeptember 5, 2026 MONTEREY, California (Sept. 5, 2026) – Scott McLaughlin, in the No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevy, earned Chevrolet’s 250th pole in the final race of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. McLaughlin’s earned his third pole of the season and 14th of his career, moving into a tie for fifth on the Team Chevy all-time list with Michael Andretti and Danny Sullivan.  “Oh, it was pretty solid,” said McLaughlin. “It wasn’t my best lap, but it was good enough for a pole. I said all week, the car-the last couple of days-the car has had really good speed, just almost effortless speed. I’m really proud of the guys. I lost my voice, because I’m yelling so much, so I’m really proud of everyone. Long race tomorrow for the Dex Chevy. That’s 250 poles for Team Chevy. So I’m really proud for them. Hopefully we can transition this to a win.” Jim Hurtubise was the first Chevrolet-powered pole winner, using a Chevrolet small-block originally built for the Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport at the one-mile dirt oval at Langhorne Speedway.  “Congratulations to Scott McLaughlin and Team Penske on securing Chevrolet’s 250th INDYCAR pole,” said Mark Stielow, Director – Motorsports Competition Chevrolet Programs. “Two hundred and fifty poles is more than a number—it reflects Chevrolet’s enduring commitment to performance and the collective effort of our engineers, partners, teams and drivers. This is a significant achievement for everyone who has helped build Chevrolet’s INDYCAR legacy. To accomplish this milestone at the iconic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, helps us end the 2026 season on a high note”  Will Power (47 poles), Team Penske (160 poles) and Iowa Speedway (15 poles) lead the driver, team and tracks on the all-time earned pole list for Chevrolet.  Since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012, Chevrolet power has won 58.2% (146) poles.  Chevrolet-powered earned pole notes Mission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey qualifying results:

Alexander Rossi in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet qualified 4th, his best road or street course qualifying result of the season

What They’re Saying – Mission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet qualified on pole, Chevrolet’s 250th pole in INDYCAR:“Oh, it was pretty solid. It wasn’t my best lap, but it was good enough a pole. I said all week, the car-the last couple of days-the car has had really good speed, just almost effortless speed. I’m really proud of the guys. I lost my voice, because I’m yelling so much, so I’m really proud of everyone. Long race tomorrow for the Dex Chevy. That’s 250 poles for Team Chevy. So I’m really proud for them. Hopefully we can transition this to a win.” Alexander Rossi, No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet qualified 4th:“Road courses have been a big struggle for us, really all season. At a test we had a couple of months ago, we really understood something we hadn’t prior to that and have just been building off of it. This sport is so challenging, there’s no magic pill or overnight fix, it’s just a process. Sometimes we have to really go through it before we find our way out. The No. 20 Java House Chevrolet has been through a lot this season so it’s nice to get a decent qualifying on the books before the year comes to a close. The group behind me is an amazing group who just keeps pushing forward each weekend. Huge thanks to the whole ECR organization, and congrats to Team Chevy on their 250th pole. Tomorrow is a great opportunity for ECR to end this season in a really special way.” Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet qualified 5th:“We just kept improving the car through the weekend so far. I actually thought we had a chance to pull off the pole on the used Firestone Reds that were on the car. We wanted to save an extra set of new Reds for the race. I think ultimately it’s going to be a tire degradation race, and maybe the alts are faster but we don’t really know quite yet so we wanted the option. We know we need to finish ahead of the 27 car and 5 car to secure second in the championship, and we felt that was the best route to have both sets on deck for the race tomorrow. I’m proud of the team with what we pulled off in Qualifying.” David Malukas, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet qualified 6th:“The past month, with this injury flair up with the wrist coming out of Mid-Ohio. This past month we’ve had this drop in form and all these races. It’s more just surviving. I’ve got two days left here where we’re testing a lot of good stuff with the Verizon Chevy. Qualifying is easy on the wrist. You only push for two laps and then it gets to recover. But these races take a toll. We’re doing what we can. Tomorrow is going to be about surviving. Hopefully this wrist can take one more. This is a tough one on it. The team has done a good job and hopefully we can finish it off on a high note.” Caio Collet, No. 4 Combitrans Amazonia Chevrolet qualified 12th:“I think it was a pretty decent qualifying. Another fast 12. We were really happy in Q1 with the strategy, and also I did a really good lap. Then in Q2,  we tried to make the car better but I think it didn’t really work well. Also we got a bit out of sequence with the guys in front, so I didn’t really have a clean lap, which is a bit unfortunate. But I think it would not have changed much because I have the engine penalty anyway. So two or three spots, I think I could have done a P8 or P7 maybe but still with the engine penalty, we will still start a little bit outside the top 10. I think we have a pretty decent race car, and hopefully we can move forward tomorrow.” Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet qualified 13th:“We’re focused on the race now, starting 12th. Today was a bit underwhelming based on what I thought we could accomplish in Qualifying today. We just missed it there by a smidge to transfer, bummer.” Nolan Siegel, No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet qualified 16th:“It didn’t feel too bad, just missed it on the execution a little bit. It’s disappointing because we’ve been strong all weekend up until now. I just ended up in kind of a funky spot on track, didn’t get the tires in the right window and then didn’t execute the session as well as we needed to. So, missed it by just a couple hundreds and Kind of been the story of our year. So, we’ll be in it tomorrow and, have a car for it. Excited to finish the season strong.” Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 Splenda Stevia Chevrolet qualified 18th:“That was a difficult qualifying session, especially after we had a fairly strong practice session and felt like we had a good car underneath us. It’s a bit disappointing to qualify 18th, but we know we have the pace to move forward. We’ll have to fight our way through the field tomorrow, but I’m confident we can make up some ground and have a strong race to finish the season!” Rinus VeeKay, No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Chevrolet qualified 19th:“That was a tough qualifying.  I think we just struggled there to get the balance right with the track progression with the car on reds.  We just missed it unfortunately.  Starting 19th with a time that is only four tenths off  P1.  So it wasn’t terrible. Just with how tight it is, we just missed the ball a little bit.  Not ideal, but we’ve race from the back to the front this year.  Looking forward to doing that again.  I think we can have a great weekend.” Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet qualified 20th:Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet qualified 21st:“Just really standard qualifying. Nothing to really say about it. Just obviously missing speed. So we’ll figure out what’s going on and go from there.” Sting Ray Robb, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger – Goodheart Chevrolet qualified 25th:“Really frustrating qualifying.  But it’s the best car we’ve had all weekend.  We made some steps forward, and I think we have a good idea what we need for the race.  But tomorrow is a new day but we won’t have a warm-up.  See how it plays out. I think the degradation is going to big here compared to the past couple of seasons at Laguna Seca. The aggregate level has changed a lot over the past couple of years.  So back to maybe 2022 grip level because I had my best finish here in INDY NEXT, winning by 11 seconds.  So that would be really cool if we could run it back.”

Scott McLaughlin celebrates pole #250 for Team Chevy with his Team Penske crew

NTT INDYCAR SERIES News ConferenceSaturday, September 5, 2026Scott McLaughlinPress Conference THE MODERATOR: Scott McLaughlin joins us. Third NTT P1 award of the season.Congratulations. 250 by the way for Team Chevrolet. Another big milestone there. Your thoughts. It was close. SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, no, it was close. I don’t know if all of us did a really good lap. That’s what is so hard about Laguna. If you can do it enough, be committed in the right spots. Yeah, I felt like from the jump this weekend, we’ve come with a philosophy we’ve been working on the last, I don’t know, four months or something like that, basically since our Mid-Ohio test. Been feeling better and better. Put it all together today. Really proud of Raul, my engineer. We’ve been clicking. I’ve been saying it. It just feels really good right now. Really proud for him and the team. Proud for Chevrolet. That’s fantastic. To be the guy that’s won 249 and 250 as well. We’ve had some good times together, for sure. Here’s to many more. Really proud. Felt like a lot of hard work. It’s been hard the last couple years, especially on road courses, not only for me but the team. I feel like we’re really starting to just find a bit of direction. We got a long way to go to be consistent week in, week out as well. We’re working hard. Really proud. THE MODERATOR: Strong qualifying performances like this, is that something going into the off-season that you can hang your hat on a little bit? SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: The biggest thing for us was road courses was almost our hurdle, bogey. We felt good on short ovals, felt good at Indy. On street tracks I feel like I’ve had really good speed there from the jump. I haven’t really worried about that car. The road course car is something we’ve really struggled with, and this tire. Personally, but I think as a team as well, now just to get a pole is a really good motivating thing for the whole team. We have a long way to go for tomorrow. There’s no doubt I think we’ve got great pace on both compounds. We’ll sue where it leads. Really, really happy for Raul, to be honest. This is his pole. He’s a great friend of mine. Had an up-and-down season just like I have the last few. Just really cool to see him happy and jovial. THE MODERATOR: Questions for Scott. Q.  You and Raul on the new driver-engineer relationship, second half of the season, that curve is going up. What’s working now? What have you found?SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, he’s just at lot more comfortable with the tire, with the car, how the tracks change. Yeah, temperature adjustment. So finicky in INDYCAR, you can miss it just by a bee’s thing. If you just miss it, you’re off, you’re out. There’s been a couple times where we’ve had pretty good pace and we’ve missed the Fast 12. It doesn’t show our pace. I’m so happy to have qualified well for him today and prove that the trajectory, where we’ve been going with the car is great. Like I said, this is his pole more than anything. Q.  Can you share how great race engineers engineer the cars, but the most successful ones the engineer is engineering the driver…SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: We’re very good friends. My wife calls him my second wife. We text all the time (smiling). We’re always talking and thinking about the car and the race car. We’re talking about the 500 today. It’s great to have a guy like that Ben was like that for me, but he was very engineering, where Raul is probably a little bit more, like, driver. Helps me with a little bit driving. Why can’t you do that? What do I need to do with the car to make you do that? He calls me out if I’m slow here, whatever. That’s a good thing. Not that Ben didn’t do it, but just a little bit different way we do it. I’ve learned a lot about the race car this year, what different parts do. I think the guy next to me before is where he excels. Raul has known him since he was like four years old. I have a bit of a book in terms of how good he is. It’s been nice to learn off that a bit because everyone needs to race to his level. Q.  Are you sick?SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I yelled way too much on the in-lap. I just lost my voice. I was great this morning. Fine. Good as gold. Q.  You see Alex here, if he wins, it’s like okay, another win. Already won the title. What would a win for you and your team mean or do for your season?SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: It would mean a lot. Obviously I want that more than anything. You’ve seen the last events how hard I want it, how aggressive I want to be. Like, it’s not about forcing anything. I’m just dotting our Is, crossing our Ts. I think we’re on a great trajectory right now. You’re chasing Alex. You’re chasing what they do. Their excellence is high. They don’t miss a beat. He’s qualified on the front row again, he’s going to be a contender tomorrow. He does that week in, week out. We need to get to that level. It’s nice to win a race here or there, but I want to be competing week in, week out. That’s the only way to win a championship. Absolutely, I want to win the race. I want to win races in the future. I know we can. We have the speed. It’s all about getting that consistency back, which I think we’re slow getting back. Q.  To win it in the last race of the year before the long off-season, would that almost be like a mic drop moment for you?SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Make not mic drop, but it would be a really good motivating feature. I think this is great, the pole. We’ve been really executing well in our race. To have track position tomorrow is a great start. We’ll see what we’ve got. Q.  Looking at today and then looking at yesterday, the ambient temperature and track temperature are pretty consistent across the hour and a half. You’d have to assume that’s going to be the same tomorrow. Is that going to play into the tire deg as well, pit stops, two tire compounds? Are we going to see lots of choices available?SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: It’s going to be interesting. I feel great on both compounds. It’s going to be how they both deg. It’s nice to have a consistent temperature more for the baseline, you can trust those reads you get each time you’re on track. Unsure until this afternoon when we got in practice how it’s going to react the long runs. But it has been helpful to be pretty consistent with the balance and know roughly what I need from the car. Q.  Looking at the season as a whole, having the pole in the first race, obviously here, it’s got to be a confidence booster long-term for you?SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, no, for sure. It’s an awesome deal. I’m proud of that. I’m too inconsistent. I need to be more consistent throughout the whole season if I’m going to compete with these guys. I have the speed. I don’t doubt that by any means. I know I can win races. I’ve done it before. If I want to win a championship, which is the ultimate goal, I need to be better in the mid-season and consistent throughout the whole season. THE MODERATOR: St. Pete seems like a long time ago. SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: It does. THE MODERATOR: Get some warm tea for the throat and best of luck tomorrow.SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Thank you.

Tune-In Guide Sunday, September 6Mission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey (95 laps) – 2:30pm (ET)/1:30pm (CT)12:30pm (MT)/11:30am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren) celebrates on the podium at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 2025

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIESMission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey2.238-mile, 11-turn Weather Raceway Laguna Seca road courseMonterey, CaliforniaSaturday Qualifying ReportSeptember 5, 2026 MONTEREY, California (Sept. 5, 2026) – Scott McLaughlin, in the No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevy, earned Chevrolet’s 250th pole in the final race of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. McLaughlin’s earned his third pole of the season and 14th of his career, moving into a tie for fifth on the Team Chevy all-time list with Michael Andretti and Danny Sullivan.  “Oh, it was pretty solid,” said McLaughlin. “It wasn’t my best lap, but it was good enough for a pole. I said all week, the car-the last couple of days-the car has had really good speed, just almost effortless speed. I’m really proud of the guys. I lost my voice, because I’m yelling so much, so I’m really proud of everyone. Long race tomorrow for the Dex Chevy. That’s 250 poles for Team Chevy. So I’m really proud for them. Hopefully we can transition this to a win.” Jim Hurtubise was the first Chevrolet-powered pole winner, using a Chevrolet small-block originally built for the Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport at the one-mile dirt oval at Langhorne Speedway.  “Congratulations to Scott McLaughlin and Team Penske on securing Chevrolet’s 250th INDYCAR pole,” said Mark Stielow, Director – Motorsports Competition Chevrolet Programs. “Two hundred and fifty poles is more than a number—it reflects Chevrolet’s enduring commitment to performance and the collective effort of our engineers, partners, teams and drivers. This is a significant achievement for everyone who has helped build Chevrolet’s INDYCAR legacy. To accomplish this milestone at the iconic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, helps us end the 2026 season on a high note”  Will Power (47 poles), Team Penske (160 poles) and Iowa Speedway (15 poles) lead the driver, team and tracks on the all-time earned pole list for Chevrolet.  Since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012, Chevrolet power has won 58.2% (146) poles.  Chevrolet-powered earned pole notes Mission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey qualifying results:

Alexander Rossi in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet qualified 4th, his best road or street course qualifying result of the season

What They’re Saying – Mission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet qualified on pole, Chevrolet’s 250th pole in INDYCAR:“Oh, it was pretty solid. It wasn’t my best lap, but it was good enough a pole. I said all week, the car-the last couple of days-the car has had really good speed, just almost effortless speed. I’m really proud of the guys. I lost my voice, because I’m yelling so much, so I’m really proud of everyone. Long race tomorrow for the Dex Chevy. That’s 250 poles for Team Chevy. So I’m really proud for them. Hopefully we can transition this to a win.” Alexander Rossi, No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet qualified 4th:“Road courses have been a big struggle for us, really all season. At a test we had a couple of months ago, we really understood something we hadn’t prior to that and have just been building off of it. This sport is so challenging, there’s no magic pill or overnight fix, it’s just a process. Sometimes we have to really go through it before we find our way out. The No. 20 Java House Chevrolet has been through a lot this season so it’s nice to get a decent qualifying on the books before the year comes to a close. The group behind me is an amazing group who just keeps pushing forward each weekend. Huge thanks to the whole ECR organization, and congrats to Team Chevy on their 250th pole. Tomorrow is a great opportunity for ECR to end this season in a really special way.” Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet qualified 5th:“We just kept improving the car through the weekend so far. I actually thought we had a chance to pull off the pole on the used Firestone Reds that were on the car. We wanted to save an extra set of new Reds for the race. I think ultimately it’s going to be a tire degradation race, and maybe the alts are faster but we don’t really know quite yet so we wanted the option. We know we need to finish ahead of the 27 car and 5 car to secure second in the championship, and we felt that was the best route to have both sets on deck for the race tomorrow. I’m proud of the team with what we pulled off in Qualifying.” David Malukas, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet qualified 6th:“The past month, with this injury flair up with the wrist coming out of Mid-Ohio. This past month we’ve had this drop in form and all these races. It’s more just surviving. I’ve got two days left here where we’re testing a lot of good stuff with the Verizon Chevy. Qualifying is easy on the wrist. You only push for two laps and then it gets to recover. But these races take a toll. We’re doing what we can. Tomorrow is going to be about surviving. Hopefully this wrist can take one more. This is a tough one on it. The team has done a good job and hopefully we can finish it off on a high note.” Caio Collet, No. 4 Combitrans Amazonia Chevrolet qualified 12th:“I think it was a pretty decent qualifying. Another fast 12. We were really happy in Q1 with the strategy, and also I did a really good lap. Then in Q2,  we tried to make the car better but I think it didn’t really work well. Also we got a bit out of sequence with the guys in front, so I didn’t really have a clean lap, which is a bit unfortunate. But I think it would not have changed much because I have the engine penalty anyway. So two or three spots, I think I could have done a P8 or P7 maybe but still with the engine penalty, we will still start a little bit outside the top 10. I think we have a pretty decent race car, and hopefully we can move forward tomorrow.” Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet qualified 13th:“We’re focused on the race now, starting 12th. Today was a bit underwhelming based on what I thought we could accomplish in Qualifying today. We just missed it there by a smidge to transfer, bummer.” Nolan Siegel, No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet qualified 16th:“It didn’t feel too bad, just missed it on the execution a little bit. It’s disappointing because we’ve been strong all weekend up until now. I just ended up in kind of a funky spot on track, didn’t get the tires in the right window and then didn’t execute the session as well as we needed to. So, missed it by just a couple hundreds and Kind of been the story of our year. So, we’ll be in it tomorrow and, have a car for it. Excited to finish the season strong.” Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 Splenda Stevia Chevrolet qualified 18th:“That was a difficult qualifying session, especially after we had a fairly strong practice session and felt like we had a good car underneath us. It’s a bit disappointing to qualify 18th, but we know we have the pace to move forward. We’ll have to fight our way through the field tomorrow, but I’m confident we can make up some ground and have a strong race to finish the season!” Rinus VeeKay, No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Chevrolet qualified 19th:“That was a tough qualifying.  I think we just struggled there to get the balance right with the track progression with the car on reds.  We just missed it unfortunately.  Starting 19th with a time that is only four tenths off  P1.  So it wasn’t terrible. Just with how tight it is, we just missed the ball a little bit.  Not ideal, but we’ve race from the back to the front this year.  Looking forward to doing that again.  I think we can have a great weekend.” Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet qualified 20th:Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet qualified 21st:“Just really standard qualifying. Nothing to really say about it. Just obviously missing speed. So we’ll figure out what’s going on and go from there.” Sting Ray Robb, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger – Goodheart Chevrolet qualified 25th:“Really frustrating qualifying.  But it’s the best car we’ve had all weekend.  We made some steps forward, and I think we have a good idea what we need for the race.  But tomorrow is a new day but we won’t have a warm-up.  See how it plays out. I think the degradation is going to big here compared to the past couple of seasons at Laguna Seca. The aggregate level has changed a lot over the past couple of years.  So back to maybe 2022 grip level because I had my best finish here in INDY NEXT, winning by 11 seconds.  So that would be really cool if we could run it back.”

Scott McLaughlin celebrates pole #250 for Team Chevy with his Team Penske crew

NTT INDYCAR SERIES News ConferenceSaturday, September 5, 2026Scott McLaughlinPress Conference THE MODERATOR: Scott McLaughlin joins us. Third NTT P1 award of the season.Congratulations. 250 by the way for Team Chevrolet. Another big milestone there. Your thoughts. It was close. SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, no, it was close. I don’t know if all of us did a really good lap. That’s what is so hard about Laguna. If you can do it enough, be committed in the right spots. Yeah, I felt like from the jump this weekend, we’ve come with a philosophy we’ve been working on the last, I don’t know, four months or something like that, basically since our Mid-Ohio test. Been feeling better and better. Put it all together today. Really proud of Raul, my engineer. We’ve been clicking. I’ve been saying it. It just feels really good right now. Really proud for him and the team. Proud for Chevrolet. That’s fantastic. To be the guy that’s won 249 and 250 as well. We’ve had some good times together, for sure. Here’s to many more. Really proud. Felt like a lot of hard work. It’s been hard the last couple years, especially on road courses, not only for me but the team. I feel like we’re really starting to just find a bit of direction. We got a long way to go to be consistent week in, week out as well. We’re working hard. Really proud. THE MODERATOR: Strong qualifying performances like this, is that something going into the off-season that you can hang your hat on a little bit? SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: The biggest thing for us was road courses was almost our hurdle, bogey. We felt good on short ovals, felt good at Indy. On street tracks I feel like I’ve had really good speed there from the jump. I haven’t really worried about that car. The road course car is something we’ve really struggled with, and this tire. Personally, but I think as a team as well, now just to get a pole is a really good motivating thing for the whole team. We have a long way to go for tomorrow. There’s no doubt I think we’ve got great pace on both compounds. We’ll sue where it leads. Really, really happy for Raul, to be honest. This is his pole. He’s a great friend of mine. Had an up-and-down season just like I have the last few. Just really cool to see him happy and jovial. THE MODERATOR: Questions for Scott. Q.  You and Raul on the new driver-engineer relationship, second half of the season, that curve is going up. What’s working now? What have you found?SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, he’s just at lot more comfortable with the tire, with the car, how the tracks change. Yeah, temperature adjustment. So finicky in INDYCAR, you can miss it just by a bee’s thing. If you just miss it, you’re off, you’re out. There’s been a couple times where we’ve had pretty good pace and we’ve missed the Fast 12. It doesn’t show our pace. I’m so happy to have qualified well for him today and prove that the trajectory, where we’ve been going with the car is great. Like I said, this is his pole more than anything. Q.  Can you share how great race engineers engineer the cars, but the most successful ones the engineer is engineering the driver…SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: We’re very good friends. My wife calls him my second wife. We text all the time (smiling). We’re always talking and thinking about the car and the race car. We’re talking about the 500 today. It’s great to have a guy like that Ben was like that for me, but he was very engineering, where Raul is probably a little bit more, like, driver. Helps me with a little bit driving. Why can’t you do that? What do I need to do with the car to make you do that? He calls me out if I’m slow here, whatever. That’s a good thing. Not that Ben didn’t do it, but just a little bit different way we do it. I’ve learned a lot about the race car this year, what different parts do. I think the guy next to me before is where he excels. Raul has known him since he was like four years old. I have a bit of a book in terms of how good he is. It’s been nice to learn off that a bit because everyone needs to race to his level. Q.  Are you sick?SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: I yelled way too much on the in-lap. I just lost my voice. I was great this morning. Fine. Good as gold. Q.  You see Alex here, if he wins, it’s like okay, another win. Already won the title. What would a win for you and your team mean or do for your season?SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: It would mean a lot. Obviously I want that more than anything. You’ve seen the last events how hard I want it, how aggressive I want to be. Like, it’s not about forcing anything. I’m just dotting our Is, crossing our Ts. I think we’re on a great trajectory right now. You’re chasing Alex. You’re chasing what they do. Their excellence is high. They don’t miss a beat. He’s qualified on the front row again, he’s going to be a contender tomorrow. He does that week in, week out. We need to get to that level. It’s nice to win a race here or there, but I want to be competing week in, week out. That’s the only way to win a championship. Absolutely, I want to win the race. I want to win races in the future. I know we can. We have the speed. It’s all about getting that consistency back, which I think we’re slow getting back. Q.  To win it in the last race of the year before the long off-season, would that almost be like a mic drop moment for you?SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Make not mic drop, but it would be a really good motivating feature. I think this is great, the pole. We’ve been really executing well in our race. To have track position tomorrow is a great start. We’ll see what we’ve got. Q.  Looking at today and then looking at yesterday, the ambient temperature and track temperature are pretty consistent across the hour and a half. You’d have to assume that’s going to be the same tomorrow. Is that going to play into the tire deg as well, pit stops, two tire compounds? Are we going to see lots of choices available?SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: It’s going to be interesting. I feel great on both compounds. It’s going to be how they both deg. It’s nice to have a consistent temperature more for the baseline, you can trust those reads you get each time you’re on track. Unsure until this afternoon when we got in practice how it’s going to react the long runs. But it has been helpful to be pretty consistent with the balance and know roughly what I need from the car. Q.  Looking at the season as a whole, having the pole in the first race, obviously here, it’s got to be a confidence booster long-term for you?SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Yeah, no, for sure. It’s an awesome deal. I’m proud of that. I’m too inconsistent. I need to be more consistent throughout the whole season if I’m going to compete with these guys. I have the speed. I don’t doubt that by any means. I know I can win races. I’ve done it before. If I want to win a championship, which is the ultimate goal, I need to be better in the mid-season and consistent throughout the whole season. THE MODERATOR: St. Pete seems like a long time ago. SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: It does. THE MODERATOR: Get some warm tea for the throat and best of luck tomorrow.SCOTT McLAUGHLIN: Thank you.

Tune-In Guide Sunday, September 6Mission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey (95 laps) – 2:30pm (ET)/1:30pm (CT)12:30pm (MT)/11:30am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren) celebrates on the podium at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 2025

Chevrolet at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Chevrolet wins at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca: 5 1993 – Paul Tracy – Team Penske1991 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1990 – Danny Sullivan – Team Penske1989 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1988 – Danny Sullivan – Team Penske Chevrolet poles at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca: 8 2023 – Felix Rosenqvist – Arrow McLaren2022 – Will Power – Team Penske1993 – Emerson Fittipaldi – Team Penske1991 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1990 – Danny Sullivan – Team Penske1989 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1988 – Danny Sullivan – Team Penske1987 – Mario Andretti – Newman Haas Racing Chevrolet podiums at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca: 22 Chevrolet podiums at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca by driver: Mario Andretti (3), Danny Sullivan (3), Al Unser Jr. (3), Michael Andretti (2), Rick Mears (2), Will Power (2), Emerson Fittipaldi (1), Christian Lundgaard (1), Scott McLaughlin (1), Josef Newgarden (1), Bob Rahal (1), Alexander Rossi (1) and Paul Tracy (1)  Chevrolet podiums at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca by team: Team Penske (11), Newman Haas Racing (5), Galles Racing (3), Arrow McLaren (2), Rahal Hogan Racing (1) Chevrolet laps led at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca: 556 Chevrolet laps led at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca by driver: Danny Sullivan (156), Michael Andretti (86), Mario Andretti (83), Paul Tracy (81), Rick Mears (52), Will Power (29), Pato O’Ward (15), Al Unser Jr. (14), Felix Rosenqvist (11), Nolan Siegel (11), Josef Newgarden (10), Alexander Rossi (10), Emerson Fittipaldi (7), Callum Ilott (1), and Simon Pagenaud (1) Chevrolet laps led at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca by team: Team Penske (332), Newman Haas Racing (169), Arrow McLaren (47), Galles Racing (14), Patrick Racing (4), and Juncos Hollinger Racing (1) Manufacturer History at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Wins (with competition): 9 – Honda (2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2000, 1997, 1996)5 – Chevrolet (1993, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988)5 – Cosworth (1987, 1986, 1985, 1984, 1983)4 – Ford (2001, 1999, 1998, 1992)1 – Ilmor (1994)1 – Mercedes (1995)1 – Toyota (2002) Poles (with competition): 8 – Chevrolet (2023, 2021, 1993, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1987)7 – Honda (2025, 2024, 2021 2019, 2001, 2000, 1996)5 – Ford (1999, 1998, 1997, 1995, 1992)4 – Cosworth (1986, 1985, 1984, 1983)1 – Ilmor (1994)1 – Toyota (2002)

Dallas Daniels (No. 1) leads Briar Bauman (No. 3) and Kody Kopp (No. 12) during the 2026 Caterpillar Springfield MIle I.  [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing] Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

Dallas Daniels Conquers Caterpillar Springfield Mile I, Repeats as Grand National Champion

Dallas Daniels (No. 1) leads Briar Bauman (No. 3) and Kody Kopp (No. 12) during the 2026 Caterpillar Springfield MIle I.  [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing] Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 5, 2026) – A destiny promised is now a destiny realized. Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07) joined the exclusive ranks of multi-time Grand National Champions with a victorious performance in Saturday’s Caterpillar Springfield Mile I at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois.   Racing in front of his home-state fans at the crown jewel of the Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, Daniels once again did exactly what he needed to do when it mattered the most.  Main Event 1 The Mission AFT SuperTwins competitors lined up for the season’s third and final Mission Triple Challenge contending with not just one another but near-triple-digit temperatures to boot. That extreme heat carried over into the competition, which was scorching hot from the opening lap.  An initial ten-lap sprint properly set the tone for the day with an eight-rider lead pack scrapping for top honors as the contest settled in. Two-time Grand National Champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 Super.com/RWR/Rocket Doctor Harley-Davidson XG750R) grabbed the holeshot but was immediately overhauled by last year’s hero of Springfield, Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods Honda CB750 Hornet).   Daniels took his turn at the front soon after but saw Lowe and Fisher simultaneously rip past on either flank with seven laps to go. Those three would then proceed to slowly stretch out an advantage over the remainder of the field.  Fisher kicked in up another gear late, shaking free over the final two laps to claim an unchallenged victory in the first of three Mission Triple Challenge Main Events.  Daniels edged Lowe for second by just 0.059 seconds, while KICKER AFT SuperTwins champion Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07) did his part to help out his teammate, drafting past Bauman and Kody Kopp (No. 12 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) on the final lap to steal away fourth.  Main Event 2 An even better race played out in the 15-lap Main Event 2 – and one that ultimately proved to have massive championship implications.  From the early going, this one was a six-rider affair. Fisher immediately dropped to the back of the group following a poor start from pole that sent him spinning up the track, while Daniels powered under Lowe to secure the lead.  Daniels proceeded to control the race from the front but never had room to breathe with Lowe, Drane, Kopp, Bauman, and Fisher running in tight formation on his rear wheel.  With four laps remaining, title hopeful Bauman raised his hand, indicating a problem. Moments later, he pulled out of the race, further opening the door for Daniels’ quest for a second-consecutive crown.   He raced through that opening to close out Main Event 2, holding Lowe at bay by 0.111 seconds to claim the win.  Kopp edged former 450cc rival Drane for third while Main Event 1 winner Fisher came home fifth, finishing just 0.564 seconds off the win despite struggling to keep his bike tidy and low in the rematch.  Behind, Declan Bender (No. 70 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) ran a lonely race to sixth, with Hunter Bauer (No. 24 G&G Racing Yamaha MT-07), Chad Cose (No. 49 PRO Roofing/Parker Racing Yamaha MT-07), Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), and Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Roof Systems KTM 790 Duke) rounding out the top ten.  Main Event 3 While his shattered championship aspirations couldn’t be resurrected, Bauman did get a significant measure of revenge in Main Event 3.  Starting from the back of the field, Bauman clawed his way into contention, slotting into sixth after the opening lap.  Working a slightly higher line, the RWR Harley-Davidson ace continued to pick his way forward, taking his position at the front of a seven-rider pack shortly after the race hit its half-way point.  Meanwhile, Daniels had bigger concerns, finding himself in a dogfight with Fisher, Lowe, and Drane as he calculated what he needed to do to secure the day’s overall win and the 2026 Grand National Championship along with it.  While Fisher repeated his Main Event 2 fade, Lowe and Drane didn’t go anywhere. Bauman managed to break the draft with Daniels, Lowe, and Drane racing side-by-side for second over the contest’s final three laps.  Once in position, Daniels again proved a difficult quarry. And he indeed came home in second, finishing some 0.289 seconds behind Bauman and 0.059 seconds ahead of Lowe.  That (2-1-2) was all Daniels needed to do to lock down the Caterpillar Springfield Mile I overall win and another #1 plate.   The victory was Daniels’ fourth in a row and moved him equal with Bauman at six on the season. Afterward, he said, “It was a tough year. It was really long, and it was hard. The guys I’m racing against are so good. Each year you expect to take a step (forward), but your competition does too. I didn’t know if it was going to happen today. “I could talk about the day, or I could talk about the season, but really, I want to thank my whole team. The Estenson Racing Monster Energy Yamaha team – Tommy Hayden and Tim Estenson – gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to come out here and do what I love and make a living doing it. I also want to thank all of my supporters… This year came together late, but winning four in a row and the Springfield Mile, it’s awesome.   “This is an emotional time for me. I dreamed of this for a long time. It’s cool.”  Lowe finished the day second overall (3-2-3) to claim his first podium of the season. Meanwhile, Bauman’s victory more than made up for his second race 15th, springing him all the way up to third (5-15-1) on the combined order. Fisher finished fourth (1-5-6) with Drane rounding out the top five (4-4-4).  With one race to go, Daniels now holds an unassailable 27-point lead over Bauman (295-268). Kopp is third at 261 and still well within striking distance of second heading into Sunday’s finale.  KICKER AFT Singles Two-time KICKER AFT Singles champion Tom Drane (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) continued his unprecedented revision of the record books with yet another Springfield Mile performance to remember.  Saturday’s Main Event was predictably frenetic with a huge pack of motivated riders holding the throttle wide open around the fabled Mile. A red flag brought the action to a momentary halt after promising rookie Charlie Jaques (No. 110 J&M Logging/Miller Racing Honda CRF450R) crashed from fourth after briefly running in the lead.  When the race resumed, it took shape as a five-rider breakaway. Kage Tadman (No. 28 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) did manage to open up a gap of more than a half-second as the race took the halfway flags but was quickly hunted down by the chasing Drane, Chase Saathoff (No. 88 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450), Trevor Brunner (No. 21 JMC Motorsports/Fairway GMC KTM 450 SX-F), and Logan Eisenhard (No. 66 Mark Tepper Racing/Pags Powersports KTM 450 SX-F).  All but Eisenhard held the lead at one point or another as the contenders rehearsed last-lap strategies with the laps ticking away. Eisenhard finally fell off the lead pack with less than a minute to go, as the jockeying continued at the front.  As the last lap opened, Tadman sailed ahead of Drane entering Turn 1 to reclaim the lead but was helpless as Drane rushed back by on the entrance to Turn 3.  Drane tucked in low coming off of Turn 4, hoping to beat his pursuers to the checkered flag. The gambit worked, as he blasted past the checkered flag mere fractions of a second ahead of second-placed Saathoff (.037 seconds back) and third-placed Brunner (0.067 seconds back).  The victory was the Estenson Racing star’s ninth of 2026, establishing a new single-season wins record for the category. It also upped the Australian’s Mile win streak to seven and his Springfield-specific streak to six.  Tadman, despite leading on the final lap and finishing just 0.085 seconds back of the win, didn’t even earn himself a trip to the podium in fourth.  Eisenhard managed to come home with a top five but only just, as Evan Kelleher (No. 31 Schaeffer’s Motorsports KTM 450 SX-F) closed in to finish 0.035 seconds behind him in sixth.  Walker Porter (No. 10 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) battled from the back to an eventual seventh, while Jordan Beaulac (No. 156 Picotte Motosport/Dofralex GASGAS MC 450F), Jett Katarzy (No. 117 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450), and Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Memphis Shades/Corbin Seats Yamaha YZ450F) completed the top ten.  Next Up The 2026 Progressive AFT season will conclude tomorrow with the second half of this weekend’s double finale, the Caterpillar Springfield Mile II.  Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/meespromotions/events/day-2-springfield-2026-165643 to secure your seats now.

Front row start for Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA at COTA September 5th, 2026 – Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA will start the Lone Star Le Mans in second position, for the latest round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Seventeen cars took to the track for the twelve minutes of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Hypercar qualifying, and with LM GT3 qualifying session having occurred ahead of Hypercar qualifying, the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) surface was rubbered-in nicely. However, it would be the hot surface temperature that would be the biggest element the drivers had to contend with as they tried to keep their tyres in the optimum performance window. Aitken, in the No.38 progressed to Hyperpole. In one of the closest contested qualifying sessions this season, Aitken took provisional pole after his first lap in Hyperpole and was on the way to improving in his second when Giovinazzi displaced him by a few tenths of a second. The deltas were positive and Aitken was set to make the improvements needed in his second lap to take the No.38’s first pole of the season, only to set an identical lap time to Giovinazzi: a 1:52.445.  As the laps matched to a thousandth of a second, the car that set the time first got positioned ahead giving the No.38 second on the starting grid for the Lone Star Le Mans. Despite a strong showing in FP3, the No.12 had a difficult qualifying session and was unable to progress to Hyperpole. The No. 12 will line up 15th in class. The No.12 car will be driven by Will Stevens, Norman Nato and Ricky Taylor and the No.38 car will be driven by Jack Aitken, Sebastian Bourdais and Earl Bamber. The race is scheduled for 1300 local time on Sunday September 6th.

Front row start for Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA at COTA September 5th, 2026 – Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA will start the Lone Star Le Mans in second position, for the latest round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Seventeen cars took to the track for the twelve minutes of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) Hypercar qualifying, and with LM GT3 qualifying session having occurred ahead of Hypercar qualifying, the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) surface was rubbered-in nicely. However, it would be the hot surface temperature that would be the biggest element the drivers had to contend with as they tried to keep their tyres in the optimum performance window. Aitken, in the No.38 progressed to Hyperpole. In one of the closest contested qualifying sessions this season, Aitken took provisional pole after his first lap in Hyperpole and was on the way to improving in his second when Giovinazzi displaced him by a few tenths of a second. The deltas were positive and Aitken was set to make the improvements needed in his second lap to take the No.38’s first pole of the season, only to set an identical lap time to Giovinazzi: a 1:52.445.  As the laps matched to a thousandth of a second, the car that set the time first got positioned ahead giving the No.38 second on the starting grid for the Lone Star Le Mans. Despite a strong showing in FP3, the No.12 had a difficult qualifying session and was unable to progress to Hyperpole. The No. 12 will line up 15th in class. The No.12 car will be driven by Will Stevens, Norman Nato and Ricky Taylor and the No.38 car will be driven by Jack Aitken, Sebastian Bourdais and Earl Bamber. The race is scheduled for 1300 local time on Sunday September 6th.

What they’re saying:No. 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA, Jack Aitken: “I didn’t think it would be that close to pole! Can’t get much closer than that! P2 is a very good position for us to start tomorrow. In these hot conditions it has been tough to get more than one lap out of the tyres, but the team did a great job to fine tune things after FP3 and we’ve put ourselves on the front foot for tomorrow so we’ll see how it goes.” No.12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA, Norman Nato: “A very difficult qualifying. I don’t really know what happened yet, we still need to investigate. This morning we were quite competitive in free practice, we ended up P6 and had a few tenths to find. So we just tried to optimise and make a couple of changes for qualifying. Unfortunately it didn’t work out at all for some reason which I don’t have the answer for yet. I lost a lot of lap time compared to this morning. It caught us a little bit by surprise, to be honest, so we need to investigate and try our best for tomorrow.” Cadillac Racing Programme Manager, Keely Bosn: “Today we performed extremely well despite the heat. I think the field today that we saw in qualifying was extremely tight and Cadillac came out there on top, setting an identical lap time to pole. Right now, we’re showing a lot of promise for the race tomorrow. We’ll work on our overall strategy for both cars tonight, their set-ups, and we’ll see how things go tomorrow here in our home country.”

CORVETTE RACING AT COTA: All Eyes ForwardTF Sport Corvette teams hoping to work their way into the points Sunday AUSTIN, Texas (September 5, 2026) – TF Sport’s pair of Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will look to race their way up the grid Sunday from the xth and xth row of LMGT3 at the start of the six-hour Lone Star Le Mans at Circuit of The Americas for the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Peter Dempsey qualified the No. 34 Racing Team Turkey by TF Corvette that he drives with Salih Yoluc and Charlie Eastwood 12th in the 12-minute preliminary qualifying session. The trio won the most recent round at Interlagos in Brazil in July – the second straight win the championship for a TF Sport Corvette. Saturday marked just the second time this year that the red No. 34 did not advance to the 10-minute Hyperpole session to set the first 10 spots on the grid.

TF Sport’s Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs, the 2027 Corvette Grand Sport X and 2027 Corvette Grand Sport

Home-state hero Ben Keating will start 17th in the championship-leading No. 33 Corvette Z06 GT3.R that he shares with Nicky Catsburg and Jonny Edgar. The trio were winners at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and – as the result of some missed races – sit 1-2-3 in the Drivers Championship with Edgar ahead of Catsburg, followed by Keating. Points-paying finishes are the goal in Sunday’s race, which will be run in the extreme heat under the Texas sun. The last two races have largely been mistake-free by TF Sport, with the team hoping for another similar performance combined with excellent tire management and an air-conditioned Corvette cockpit to keep the drivers cool. The Corvette Z06 GT3.R already is a winner at Circuit of the Americas, having won in GT World Challenge America competition in 2024 and 2025. As a program, Corvette Racing has five victories in both IMSA and SRO competition. Three generations of Corvette – C6.R, C7.R and Z06 GT3.R – have won at the circuit. The six-hour Lone Star Le Mans race for the FIA World Endurance Championship is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT on Sunday. Live streaming coverage of the race plus timing and scoring is available through a subscription on FIA WEC Plus with additional live streaming on the HBO Max app in the U.S. Radio Le Mans also will provide live streaming audio coverage of the race as well.

CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES

BEN KEATING, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Because we’re leading the championship and won Le Mans, we have more success ballast than anyone else. Different cars carry the weight differently and different tracks deal with the weight differently. (In practice, the balance of the car feels really good and the car feels really good; we’re just slow. I think this is one of those tracks… where the weight really affects the car more than others. It affects us here more than at Sāo Paulo, for example. But I expect it to be very hot on raceday. Hopefully that ends up leveling the playing field a little bit. The Corvette traditionally has been good on its Goodyear tires, and it keeps the driver pretty cool in comparison to some of the other cars in the field. We’re hoping that we can sneak up on it at the end of the day and if we can limit track-limit penalties and have a clean race.”(On championship perspective with no extra-points races left) “Clearly it is an advantage. If you win Le Mans as a double-points race and there aren’t any (extra) points races, then winning Le Mans becomes a much bigger deal for the championship. It’s an advantage to us as a team that there aren’t longer races. I do like the longer races and I wish we were doing them. From the championship standpoint it’s a clear advantage. Right now in the Drivers Championship, we’re first, second and third. It’s fun to think about but it will be pretty difficult for me to end up in third place by the time we get to the end of the season. But I do think Jonny (Edgar) has a really good chance at staying up there. We get the opportunity to lose some weight most likely after this weekend, so hopefully we will be a little more competitive to finish it out.”

JONNY EDGAR, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “This weekend, we knew before we started it was going to be difficult. Getting any points in the race will be good. Qualifying isn’t too important. We haven’t been in the top-10 all year and it’s obviously gone pretty well in the races so far. We’re all hoping to have a clean race tomorrow. We all expected it to be difficult but if we have no mistakes and no penalties, there’s still a chance to get some points.”

PETER DEMPSEY, NO. 34 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s incredible to be back here as a race-winner. One of the goals we had this year was to win as many races as we can. To get the first one in Interlagos was great. Now the pressure is on to try and keep the performance where we need it to be so we can get some points back on the cars ahead of us in the championship. So we’re still pushing as hard as we can.”(On the Corvette A/C system) “For COTA, I’m not going to complain (about the heat) at all! Some of our competitors don’t have any A/C out there so I can only imagine what it’s like. Thankfully the Corvette has a great system in the car to help keep us cool.”

CORVETTE RACING AT COTA: All Eyes ForwardTF Sport Corvette teams hoping to work their way into the points Sunday AUSTIN, Texas (September 5, 2026) – TF Sport’s pair of Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will look to race their way up the grid Sunday from the xth and xth row of LMGT3 at the start of the six-hour Lone Star Le Mans at Circuit of The Americas for the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Peter Dempsey qualified the No. 34 Racing Team Turkey by TF Corvette that he drives with Salih Yoluc and Charlie Eastwood 12th in the 12-minute preliminary qualifying session. The trio won the most recent round at Interlagos in Brazil in July – the second straight win the championship for a TF Sport Corvette. Saturday marked just the second time this year that the red No. 34 did not advance to the 10-minute Hyperpole session to set the first 10 spots on the grid.

TF Sport’s Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs, the 2027 Corvette Grand Sport X and 2027 Corvette Grand Sport

Home-state hero Ben Keating will start 17th in the championship-leading No. 33 Corvette Z06 GT3.R that he shares with Nicky Catsburg and Jonny Edgar. The trio were winners at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and – as the result of some missed races – sit 1-2-3 in the Drivers Championship with Edgar ahead of Catsburg, followed by Keating. Points-paying finishes are the goal in Sunday’s race, which will be run in the extreme heat under the Texas sun. The last two races have largely been mistake-free by TF Sport, with the team hoping for another similar performance combined with excellent tire management and an air-conditioned Corvette cockpit to keep the drivers cool. The Corvette Z06 GT3.R already is a winner at Circuit of the Americas, having won in GT World Challenge America competition in 2024 and 2025. As a program, Corvette Racing has five victories in both IMSA and SRO competition. Three generations of Corvette – C6.R, C7.R and Z06 GT3.R – have won at the circuit. The six-hour Lone Star Le Mans race for the FIA World Endurance Championship is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT on Sunday. Live streaming coverage of the race plus timing and scoring is available through a subscription on FIA WEC Plus with additional live streaming on the HBO Max app in the U.S. Radio Le Mans also will provide live streaming audio coverage of the race as well.

CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R POST-QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES

BEN KEATING, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Because we’re leading the championship and won Le Mans, we have more success ballast than anyone else. Different cars carry the weight differently and different tracks deal with the weight differently. (In practice, the balance of the car feels really good and the car feels really good; we’re just slow. I think this is one of those tracks… where the weight really affects the car more than others. It affects us here more than at Sāo Paulo, for example. But I expect it to be very hot on raceday. Hopefully that ends up leveling the playing field a little bit. The Corvette traditionally has been good on its Goodyear tires, and it keeps the driver pretty cool in comparison to some of the other cars in the field. We’re hoping that we can sneak up on it at the end of the day and if we can limit track-limit penalties and have a clean race.”(On championship perspective with no extra-points races left) “Clearly it is an advantage. If you win Le Mans as a double-points race and there aren’t any (extra) points races, then winning Le Mans becomes a much bigger deal for the championship. It’s an advantage to us as a team that there aren’t longer races. I do like the longer races and I wish we were doing them. From the championship standpoint it’s a clear advantage. Right now in the Drivers Championship, we’re first, second and third. It’s fun to think about but it will be pretty difficult for me to end up in third place by the time we get to the end of the season. But I do think Jonny (Edgar) has a really good chance at staying up there. We get the opportunity to lose some weight most likely after this weekend, so hopefully we will be a little more competitive to finish it out.”

JONNY EDGAR, NO. 33 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “This weekend, we knew before we started it was going to be difficult. Getting any points in the race will be good. Qualifying isn’t too important. We haven’t been in the top-10 all year and it’s obviously gone pretty well in the races so far. We’re all hoping to have a clean race tomorrow. We all expected it to be difficult but if we have no mistakes and no penalties, there’s still a chance to get some points.”

PETER DEMPSEY, NO. 34 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s incredible to be back here as a race-winner. One of the goals we had this year was to win as many races as we can. To get the first one in Interlagos was great. Now the pressure is on to try and keep the performance where we need it to be so we can get some points back on the cars ahead of us in the championship. So we’re still pushing as hard as we can.”(On the Corvette A/C system) “For COTA, I’m not going to complain (about the heat) at all! Some of our competitors don’t have any A/C out there so I can only imagine what it’s like. Thankfully the Corvette has a great system in the car to help keep us cool.”

2026 FIA World Endurance Championship PointsLMGT3 Drivers Standings1. Jonny Edgar – 762. Nicky Catsburg – 723. Ben Keating – 544. Riccardo Pera/Richard Lietz/Yasser Shahin – 495. Anthony McIntosh/Daniel Harper/Parker Thompson – 436. Charlie Eastwood/Peter Dempsey/Salih Yoluc – 43 LMGT3 Teams Standings1. No. 33 TF Sport – 762. No. 92 The Bend Manthey – 493. No. 69 Team WRT – 434. No. 34 Racing Team Turkey by TF – 435. No. 21 Vista AF Corse – 42 CORVETTE RACING AT COTA: By the Numbers• 2: Consecutive race wins for TF Sport in FIA WEC competition: 24 Hours of Le Mans (No. 33 Corvette) and Six Hours of Sāo Paulo (No. 34 Corvette)• 3: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at COTA since 2013 – Corvette C6.R (2013), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and the mid-engine Corvette C8.R – which raced at COTA for the first time in WEC competition in 2020 – and Z06 GT3.R, both of which are eighth-gen Corvettes• 5: Class wins at COTA for Corvette Racing entries in two championships: IMSA and GT World Challenge America. The latest came in 2025 from DXDT Racing in GT World Challenge America Pro-Am• 11: Wins this year for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R including two earlier this year at Circuit of The Americas• 15: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001• 35: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Chang International Circuit (Thailand), Daytona, Detroit, Fuji, Houston, Imola, Indianapolis, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Lusail International Circuit (Qatar), Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sāo Paulo (Brazil), Sebring, Sepang International Circuit (Malaysia), Sonoma, Spa-Francorchamps, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen• 44: Number of drivers to win races in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. The latest to join the list were TF Sport’s Peter Dempsey and Salih Yoluc at Sāo Paulo in WEC• 73: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year• 86: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999. Steller Motorsports’ Lenny Ried joined the list at the 24 Hours of Spa• 159: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 119 in IMSA, 10 at Le Mans, six in the FIA WEC, 13 in GT World Challenge America, three in GT World Challenge Asia, GT America and the European Le Mans Series, and one in IGTC/GT World Challenge Europe• 387: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999• 6,256.04: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 12 previous events at Circuit of The Americas• 511,683.39: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. The program went over the half-million mark at this year’s 24 Hours of Spa Corvette Racing at Circuit of The Americas (wins in bold)2013 IMSA – No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GTNo. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 11th in GT 2014 IMSA – No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 9th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 10th in GTLM 2014 FIA WEC – No. 65 Corvette C7.R: Tommy Milner/Jordan Taylor/Ricky Taylor – 7th in GTE Pro (FIA WEC entry) 2015 IMSA – No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen: 6th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner: 8th in GTLM 2016 IMSA – No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen: 3rd in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner: 5th in GTLM 2017 IMSA – No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen: 1st in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner: 7th in GTLM 2020 FIA WEC – No. 63 Corvette C8.R: Jan Magnussen/Mike Rockenfeller: 6th in GTE Pro 2024 SRO America – No. 63 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Tommy Milner/Alec Udell – 1st, 1st in GTWC ProNo. 08 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Bryan Sellers/Scott Smithson – 6th, 11th in GTWC Pro-Am 2024 FIA WEC – No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Charlie Eastwood/Rui Andrade/Tom Van Rompuy – 8th in LMGT3No. 82 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Daniel Juncadella/Sebastien Baud/Hiroshi Koizumi – 17th in LMGT3 (DNF) 2025 SRO America – No. 11 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Blake McDonald/Matt Bell – 1st, 3rd in GTWC Pro-AmNo. 50 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Ross Chouest/Aaron Povoledo – 8th, 11th in GTWC Pro-AmNo. 50 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Ross Chouest – 4th, 3rd in GT America SRO3 2025 FIA WEC – No. 33 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Daniel Juncadella/Jonny Edgar/Ben Keating – 7th in LMGT3No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Charlie Eastwood/Rui Andrade/Tom Van Rompuy – 2nd in LMGT3 2026 SRO America – No. 50 Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Ross Chouest – 3rd, 5th in GT America SRO3

Connor Zilisch, driver of the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Darlington Raceway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

NASCAR Cup SeriesDarlington RacewayTeam Chevy Driver QuotesSeptember 5, 2026

Connor Zilisch, driver of the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Darlington Raceway.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes:  You raced in Florence last night, as I understand. How did that go?“It was fun. It was hot. It was a very hot two days, but it was good to get back grassroots racing, racing with everybody at JR Motorsports. I’ve never raced late models for them before, but when Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) texted me and asked me if I wanted to do it, it was a pretty easy answer for me. So yeah, other than the fact that it was miserably hot, it was fun.”    You mentioned the heat. Some guys tolerate the heat, some guys don’t seem to be bothered by it, some guys absolutely hate really hot days. Where do you kind of fall on that list?“I mean, I’d much rather it be 70 degrees outside than 100. But as a racecar driver, you’re an athlete and you get used to this. You get used to these circumstances, and you build a tolerance for it. Am I going to sit here and say that I love racing when it’s very, very hot? No, but it’s part of our job, and I don’t mind it.”   I wondered if you could talk a little bit about Trackhouse’s approach for these last 10 races. I know you guys want to win every race, obviously, and for Shane (van Gisbergen), that was heartbreaking last week for him. But you all kind of also have different reasons and different things that maybe you want to accomplish through the end of the season. Could you just kind of talk about the team’s approach to these last 10 races?“Yeah, I mean, we have nothing to lose at this point. I’ve kind of been in that situation for a few weeks now that I knew I wasn’t going to have a chance to make the Chase, but my mindset’s kind of stayed the same all year, at least in my point of view of just going out every weekend and trying to learn as much as I can. Now with all three cars not being in the Chase, we certainly have a lot of room to explore, try new things and show up to the track differently, and I’m doing that this weekend. We brought a new package, different to anything we’ve ever had with the Next Gen car, so I’m excited to see how it goes.  It’s just kind of trial by error. I mean, you have to try these things to learn and get better. If you keep showing up to the track inside the same box, you’re never going to get better. You’re never going to grow. And as a team, we understand that, so we’re willing to try things and really see what moves the needle for us.”   Going back to yesterday’s race at Florence, is that the first time you’ve ever been to an oval that doesn’t have a wall down the backstretch?“I’ve raced at Florence a few times before, but it was fun when I did the track walk when we first got there. I walked the track with Shane (van Gisbergen). He was literally laughing from the moment we stepped onto the racetrack, all the way around the racetrack, sending videos to his friends in New Zealand, like, look at this track I’m racing at. He thought it was the craziest thing ever, but I think he enjoyed it.”   Obviously, I know you’re still focused on 2027 after this, but is there maybe like a checklist or whatever that maybe you got from Hendrick after you signed saying, hey, we would like to see you, you know, approach this and so on from a growth standpoint before you get the opportunity to run the car the following year?“No, they’ve kind of stayed pretty far out of that. You know, I’m sure things will ramp up as we get closer to 2028, but we haven’t gotten into those conversations yet.”    With Hendrick Motorsports lined up now in 2028, have they begun to have any active input in planning things like Truck and O’Reilly starts and other elements of your ongoing driver development?“No, we haven’t had really any conversations yet about things that they’re going to do to try and help me. You know, I’m sure that’ll come in the next few months and as we get closer to 2028. But right now, I’m pretty focused with what we’re doing at Trackhouse and trying to make our cars better in the present”   It sounds like things went over as well as they could have when you told Justin (Marks) about this decision. You know, we hear all rumors anytime a driver has another situation lined up of like how it changes dynamics of meetings, how it might affect their role and their relationship with their teammates. Does it feel any different walking into the Trackhouse shop, in terms of how you interact with the other people there and how you fit into the team since that came out?“No, it doesn’t. And that’s kind of the approach I wanted to have going into the situation. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. It’s never easy when you leave a relationship that you created over the past few years. It’s not easy, and it wasn’t an easy conversation for me to have with Justin (Marks) either. But I knew that, you know, I had the option to let somebody else tell Justin or for me to go talk to Justin face-to- face and tell him, and I chose the high road, I guess, and went and talked to him myself and was just honest with him. I think he appreciated that and understood where I’m coming from and my point of view, and there’s no resentment from any sides. I’m going to give 110% for the next 16 months, however long I have left, with Trackhouse, and I expect the same back from everybody there in the shop and everybody who works at Trackhouse. You know, we still have a lot of work left to do together, a lot of races to race. And, you know, it wouldn’t help either side to give up on each other. I appreciate Justin; his understanding, his willingness to continue to work hard for me, and I’m excited to work hard for them for the rest of the time we have left.”    When everybody looks at racing, they look at statistics. But I don’t think a lot of people realize the psychological aspect of the sport. How has going into other series helped you stay up psychologically with this really tough Cup season that you’ve had? I’ve talked to drivers in the past and they start doubting themselves and they get down and all, so how has driving in these other series helped you?“Yeah, it’s good whenever I go race in a Truck race, an O’Reilly race, whatever it may be. I feel like I’ve run up front in every one of those that I’ve done, and I remember that I still know how to do it, I haven’t changed and I didn’t lose what I had last year. So it’s nice to be able to go and do that.  I take a lot of pride in running well on Friday’s and Saturday’s, but at the end of the day, my job is to finish well on Sunday. I know that, and I know that I have a job to do on Sunday and I’ve got to get better. That’s something that I know, and I’m prepared to do that, continue to learn, grow and become a better racecar driver.”    Are you planning on running the Rolex in 2027? And secondly, when you spoke with Rick (Hendrick), I know people have asked you about running the Indianapolis 500, but is doing the Rolex and some of those sportscar races, did that come up with Rick going forward?“Yeah, it did. The Rolex is something that I really like doing every year. It’s before our season. It’s kind of out of the way, and it’s honestly one of my favorite races that I get to do out here. I see Bozi looking at me funny… he looks like he wants me to race too (laughs).   So, yeah, I definitely think that’s something that I personally have a lot of interest in and a race that I love doing every year, so hopefully we can make that happen. I loved doing it with Cadillac last year. That was really cool. We’d love to do that again, but I’m not sure how the cards will all align this year.”

The 32-year-old equals his winningest season after a fantastic battle with last season’s Rookie of the Year

BRANDON, SD (September 4, 2026) – The heat in the South Dakota air could only be eclipsed by the action on track Friday night at Huset’s Speedway.

The L.G. Everist Huset’s Shootout presented by D&I Railroad prelim opened three nights of World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series action at the Brandon, SD track and set the stage for a thrilling weekend. Garet Williamson and Sheldon Haudenschild lined up on the front row and gave the fans what they came to see.

It was Williamson taking the early advantage as Haudenschild slipped to third behind David Gravel. But it didn’t take Haudenschild long to recover as he ripped back around the two-time champion on the fifth lap and set his sights on the Fischer Motorsports No. 23 up front.

Haudenschild quickly reeled Williamson in and looked for the right time to make the move. The moment arrived on Lap 12 as Williamson slipped in Turns 3 and 4, and the KCP Racing/NOS Energy Drink No. 18 rocketed around on the top. Williamson returned fire with a slide job in Turns 1 and 2 that Haudenschild countered with a crossover. The fight wasn’t over yet as Williamson came back a few circuits later with another slider that cleared, but Haudenschild managed to drive under him to retain the top spot before a yellow flag cooled the action.

The ensuing restart allowed Haudenschild some clean air and breathing room as battles raged on behind. Both Williamson and Michael “Buddy” Kofoid tried to make a late run at Haudenschild in traffic, but neither had enough as the Wooster, OH native snagged the checkered flag and $15,000.

“I didn’t mind running second there to Garet,” Haudenschild said of the early portion of the race. “We got to lappers and were able to get by him. Then you don’t really want to see the restarts I feel like. I got to lappers, and it took me that whole last section to get by the 19. I couldn’t get him, and then you know they’re coming as soon as you kind of start slowing to their pace. But yeah, I was good. I could put my right rear right in that grippy spot on both ends. I felt like I had good drive.”

The win is Haudenschild’s ninth of 2026, matching his highest total for a season with The Greatest Show on Dirt. He’s up to 55 for his career with the World of Outlaws. Five of those have come at Huset’s, which equals it with Beaver Dam Raceway for the winningest track on Haudenschild’s résumé. He’s also the high point man after the Huset’s Shootout opener, and a solid Saturday should set him up nicely to chase Sunday’s $25,000 prize.

Garet Williamson slid by Kofoid in the final set of corners to take the runner-up spot and notch his fourth podium in the last six races with Fischer Motorsports.

Buddy Kofoid brought the Roth Motorsports No. 83 home third for his 25th podium of the 2026 campaign.

David Gravel and Carson Macedo completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

Bill Balog laid down the Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night.

David Gravel grabbed his fourth straight Simpson Quick Time and 22nd of the season in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to David Gravel (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Logan Schuchart (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Two), Sheldon Haudenschild (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Garet Williamson (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Sheldon Haudenschild.

Garet Williamson topped the Toyota Dash.

Cole Macedo won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Ryan Timms went to the Federated Car Care Work Zone and made it back out to wheel from 18th to eighth and earn KSE Racing Products Hard Charger honors.

Bill Balog was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Emerson Axsom earned the Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.

Sheldon Haudenschild clocked the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Conner Morrell.

UP NEXT: It’s another $15,000-to-win L.G. Everist Huset’s Shootout prelim for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars on Saturday, Sept. 5 to help set the stage for the $25,000-to-win finale on Sunday, Sept. 6 at Brandon, SD’s Huset’s Speedway. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.

Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.

FEATURE RESULTS

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps): 1. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[2]; 2. 23-Garet Williamson[1]; 3. 83-Michael Kofoid[7]; 4. 2-David Gravel[3]; 5. 41-Carson Macedo[10]; 6. 17-Spencer Bayston[6]; 7. 17B-Bill Balog[5]; 8. 10-Ryan Timms[18]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart[4]; 10. 27-Emerson Axsom[15]; 11. 51-Steven Snyder Jr[9]; 12. 2C-Cole Macedo[21]; 13. 3-Kelby Watt[20]; 14. 7S-Chris Windom[11]; 15. 15-Donny Schatz[14]; 16. 45X-Ashton Torgerson[12]; 17. 24T-Christopher Thram[17]; 18. 13-Mark Dobmeier[22]; 19. 19-Kaleb Johnson[16]; 20. 8-Jacob Hughes[23]; 21. 16C-Skylar Gee[13]; 22. 16-Riley Goodno[19]; 23. 28M-Conner Morrell[24]; 24. 16D-Sean Rayhall[8]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

BRINGING THE HEAT: Haudenschild Outduels Williamson for Huset’s Shootout Opener Win

The 32-year-old equals his winningest season after a fantastic battle with last season’s Rookie of the Year

BRANDON, SD (September 4, 2026) – The heat in the South Dakota air could only be eclipsed by the action on track Friday night at Huset’s Speedway.

The L.G. Everist Huset’s Shootout presented by D&I Railroad prelim opened three nights of World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series action at the Brandon, SD track and set the stage for a thrilling weekend. Garet Williamson and Sheldon Haudenschild lined up on the front row and gave the fans what they came to see.

It was Williamson taking the early advantage as Haudenschild slipped to third behind David Gravel. But it didn’t take Haudenschild long to recover as he ripped back around the two-time champion on the fifth lap and set his sights on the Fischer Motorsports No. 23 up front.

Haudenschild quickly reeled Williamson in and looked for the right time to make the move. The moment arrived on Lap 12 as Williamson slipped in Turns 3 and 4, and the KCP Racing/NOS Energy Drink No. 18 rocketed around on the top. Williamson returned fire with a slide job in Turns 1 and 2 that Haudenschild countered with a crossover. The fight wasn’t over yet as Williamson came back a few circuits later with another slider that cleared, but Haudenschild managed to drive under him to retain the top spot before a yellow flag cooled the action.

The ensuing restart allowed Haudenschild some clean air and breathing room as battles raged on behind. Both Williamson and Michael “Buddy” Kofoid tried to make a late run at Haudenschild in traffic, but neither had enough as the Wooster, OH native snagged the checkered flag and $15,000.

“I didn’t mind running second there to Garet,” Haudenschild said of the early portion of the race. “We got to lappers and were able to get by him. Then you don’t really want to see the restarts I feel like. I got to lappers, and it took me that whole last section to get by the 19. I couldn’t get him, and then you know they’re coming as soon as you kind of start slowing to their pace. But yeah, I was good. I could put my right rear right in that grippy spot on both ends. I felt like I had good drive.”

The win is Haudenschild’s ninth of 2026, matching his highest total for a season with The Greatest Show on Dirt. He’s up to 55 for his career with the World of Outlaws. Five of those have come at Huset’s, which equals it with Beaver Dam Raceway for the winningest track on Haudenschild’s résumé. He’s also the high point man after the Huset’s Shootout opener, and a solid Saturday should set him up nicely to chase Sunday’s $25,000 prize.

Garet Williamson slid by Kofoid in the final set of corners to take the runner-up spot and notch his fourth podium in the last six races with Fischer Motorsports.

Buddy Kofoid brought the Roth Motorsports No. 83 home third for his 25th podium of the 2026 campaign.

David Gravel and Carson Macedo completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

Bill Balog laid down the Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night.

David Gravel grabbed his fourth straight Simpson Quick Time and 22nd of the season in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

Heat Races belonged to David Gravel (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Logan Schuchart (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Two), Sheldon Haudenschild (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Garet Williamson (Golf Cart Services Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Sheldon Haudenschild.

Garet Williamson topped the Toyota Dash.

Cole Macedo won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Ryan Timms went to the Federated Car Care Work Zone and made it back out to wheel from 18th to eighth and earn KSE Racing Products Hard Charger honors.

Bill Balog was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

Emerson Axsom earned the Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.

Sheldon Haudenschild clocked the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Conner Morrell.

UP NEXT: It’s another $15,000-to-win L.G. Everist Huset’s Shootout prelim for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars on Saturday, Sept. 5 to help set the stage for the $25,000-to-win finale on Sunday, Sept. 6 at Brandon, SD’s Huset’s Speedway. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.

Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.

FEATURE RESULTS

NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 Laps): 1. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[2]; 2. 23-Garet Williamson[1]; 3. 83-Michael Kofoid[7]; 4. 2-David Gravel[3]; 5. 41-Carson Macedo[10]; 6. 17-Spencer Bayston[6]; 7. 17B-Bill Balog[5]; 8. 10-Ryan Timms[18]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart[4]; 10. 27-Emerson Axsom[15]; 11. 51-Steven Snyder Jr[9]; 12. 2C-Cole Macedo[21]; 13. 3-Kelby Watt[20]; 14. 7S-Chris Windom[11]; 15. 15-Donny Schatz[14]; 16. 45X-Ashton Torgerson[12]; 17. 24T-Christopher Thram[17]; 18. 13-Mark Dobmeier[22]; 19. 19-Kaleb Johnson[16]; 20. 8-Jacob Hughes[23]; 21. 16C-Skylar Gee[13]; 22. 16-Riley Goodno[19]; 23. 28M-Conner Morrell[24]; 24. 16D-Sean Rayhall[8]

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/bringing-the-heat-haudenschild-outduels-williamson-for-husets-shootout-opener-win/

BELGRADE, MT (September 4, 2026) — All Sam Hafertepe Jr. needed to win at Gallatin Speedway was one corner.

The American Sprint Car Series kicked off the final leg of Frontier Speedweek with a 25-lap Feature that was worth the wait for race fans in the National Tour’s first race at the track since 2021.

The reigning Series champion started the night in sixth while Kyler Johnson and Matt Covington set the front row. Johnson and Covington held the front two spots through the first two turns, then both drivers slipped off the bottom of Turns 3-4 while Seth Bergman and Hafertepe stayed glued to pass Covington for podium positioning. 

On the next lap, Bergman muscled around Johnson for the lead while Hafertepe stayed in third place behind Johnson.

As Bergman and Johnson’s pace around the bottom became affected by lap traffic, Hafertepe drifted his Hill’s Racing No. 15H towards the middle lane to rebuild momentum. He began creeping closer to Johnson for the runner-up spot through the bottom, then made his move at the halfway mark. Hafertepe got below Johnson off the exit of Turn 2, then outgassed him across the backstretch to secure second place on Lap 14.

Bergman’s struggles became Hafertepe’s gains through the final five laps as the Oklahoma Chillers-sponsored No. 23 was stuck to the bottom with a lapped car directly in front. The Sunnyvale, TX native cut the distance to 0.4 seconds with four laps remaining and kept his car in the middle lane.

As the white flag waved, Bergman continued attempting to make an opening around the lapped car while Hafertepe reached his right-rear tire down the backstretch. While Bergman ran to the middle as Hafertepe drifted higher into Turns 3-4, Hafertepe’s pace in the higher groove overwhelmed Bergman and Hafertepe drove to his fifth victory of the 2026 campaign by a 0.198-second margin.

“That was awesome,” Hafertepe said. “There is nobody I’d like to race beside more than Seth out here. He probably could have shoved it in there as hard as I did. But he didn’t do it. He tried, and we got a lot of respect for each other. 

“He was a sitting duck, just trying to navigate the lapped cars, and you’re the leader out front. It’s hard to know where to be; I’ve been that guy that’s got passed at the end too. Hats off to him for a hell of a race, and hats off to my guys.”

Bergman took a heartbreaking runner-up finish, and Johnson made up the night’s podium. Covington finished fourth, and Cole Schroeder picked up fifth for his second top five of the swing.

With Hafertepe’s win and Covington’s fourth, the Texan retook the points lead by a 14-point margin with seven races left in the 2026 ASCS National Tour campaign.

Recap Notes:

Quick Time Award: Sam Hafertepe Jr. (11.174 sec.)

Heat Race Winners: Seth Bergman, Austyn Gossel, Kyler Johnson

Honest Abe Roofing Dash Winner: Kyler Johnson

Hard Charger Award: Sheldon Bender (+8)

UP NEXT: The American Sprint Car Series will close Frontier Speedweek with two nights of Montana Roundup at Electric City Speedway on Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 5-6.

OH MY HAFERTEPE: Last Turn Thriller Drives Sam Hafertepe Jr to Victory at Gallatin BELGRADE, MT (September 4, 2026) — All Sam Hafertepe Jr. needed to win at Gallatin Speedway was one corner.

The American Sprint Car Series kicked off the final leg of Frontier Speedweek with a 25-lap Feature that was worth the wait for race fans in the National Tour’s first race at the track since 2021.

The reigning Series champion started the night in sixth while Kyler Johnson and Matt Covington set the front row. Johnson and Covington held the front two spots through the first two turns, then both drivers slipped off the bottom of Turns 3-4 while Seth Bergman and Hafertepe stayed glued to pass Covington for podium positioning. 

On the next lap, Bergman muscled around Johnson for the lead while Hafertepe stayed in third place behind Johnson.

As Bergman and Johnson’s pace around the bottom became affected by lap traffic, Hafertepe drifted his Hill’s Racing No. 15H towards the middle lane to rebuild momentum. He began creeping closer to Johnson for the runner-up spot through the bottom, then made his move at the halfway mark. Hafertepe got below Johnson off the exit of Turn 2, then outgassed him across the backstretch to secure second place on Lap 14.

Bergman’s struggles became Hafertepe’s gains through the final five laps as the Oklahoma Chillers-sponsored No. 23 was stuck to the bottom with a lapped car directly in front. The Sunnyvale, TX native cut the distance to 0.4 seconds with four laps remaining and kept his car in the middle lane.

As the white flag waved, Bergman continued attempting to make an opening around the lapped car while Hafertepe reached his right-rear tire down the backstretch. While Bergman ran to the middle as Hafertepe drifted higher into Turns 3-4, Hafertepe’s pace in the higher groove overwhelmed Bergman and Hafertepe drove to his fifth victory of the 2026 campaign by a 0.198-second margin.

“That was awesome,” Hafertepe said. “There is nobody I’d like to race beside more than Seth out here. He probably could have shoved it in there as hard as I did. But he didn’t do it. He tried, and we got a lot of respect for each other. 

“He was a sitting duck, just trying to navigate the lapped cars, and you’re the leader out front. It’s hard to know where to be; I’ve been that guy that’s got passed at the end too. Hats off to him for a hell of a race, and hats off to my guys.”

Bergman took a heartbreaking runner-up finish, and Johnson made up the night’s podium. Covington finished fourth, and Cole Schroeder picked up fifth for his second top five of the swing.

With Hafertepe’s win and Covington’s fourth, the Texan retook the points lead by a 14-point margin with seven races left in the 2026 ASCS National Tour campaign.

Recap Notes:

Quick Time Award: Sam Hafertepe Jr. (11.174 sec.)

Heat Race Winners: Seth Bergman, Austyn Gossel, Kyler Johnson

Honest Abe Roofing Dash Winner: Kyler Johnson

Hard Charger Award: Sheldon Bender (+8)

UP NEXT: The American Sprint Car Series will close Frontier Speedweek with two nights of Montana Roundup at Electric City Speedway on Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 5-6.

Where can you find Electric City info? Click here.

FRIDAY RECAP – INDIANAPOLIS Race 14 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

IT’S ANOTHER FAST JACK FRIDAY AT INDYDeJoria slots into fourth, Hart eighth and Vandergriff 12th after early shutoff

FRIDAY RECAP – INDIANAPOLISRace 14 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

IT’S ANOTHER FAST JACK FRIDAY AT INDYDeJoria slots into fourth, Hart eighth and Vandergriff 12th after early shutoff

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Sept. 5, 2026) – For the second consecutive year, Jack Beckman and the PEAK SQUAD earned the low qualifier position in Friday’s extremely hot night session of the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park in Indianapolis. The two-time U.S. Nationals champion (2015, 2020) maneuvered the 12,000-horsepower PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car down the track with a run of 3.937 seconds at 326.79 mph. The PEAK Chevy is sporting the iconic black-and-white flame job paint scheme at the Big Go that team owner John Force’s car carried at the 1996 NHRA season finale to honor his dominant sixth championship season. Beckman is seeking his third No. 1 Qualifier of the season and 36th of his career. Alexis DeJoria put the Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car, carrying Force’s infamous Night Stalker paint scheme from the early 1970s, into the fourth position with a run of 3.947 seconds at 329.26 mph. Josh Hart put the Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster in the No. 8 spot with a safe but solid run of 3.812 seconds at 323.50 mph. Jordan Vandergriff qualified 11th in the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car with an early shutoff run of 4.082 seconds at 263.67 seconds after unveiling a patriotic chrome stars and stripes paint scheme right before the run in the starting line area. Saturday’s qualifying sessions are scheduled for 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. ET. The final two qualifying rounds are scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 6 at 12 and 2:45 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept 7. Quote from Jack Beckman, PEAK 1996 John Force Tribute Chevrolet SS Funny Car:“It’s awesome to be No. 1 qualifier when there are 16 cars, but I don’t want to say it’s essential when there are 23 cars – it just sets you right. It’s a unique race because we get five qualifiers. It’s the only event where we’re only scheduled for one run on Friday, and we only get one night session. This might be an interesting weekend. Sunday, it looks like the forecast is a lot more favorable. Maybe there’s a chance to swing harder than that, and I hope there is. “It’s so rewarding when you step on the throttle on one of these things, and it just keeps motoring down there. I don’t know if ours mixed a cylinder up – it wasn’t a great mile an hour, but it was efficient.” Quote from Alexis DeJoria, Bandero Café Night Stalker Chevrolet SS Funny Car: ‘The Friday night qualifying session for the U.S. Nationals is always one you want to run well in. There’s always a lot of Funny Cars attempting to make the show which is always exciting for the category. So, to run a solid number on the very first qualifying run is key. The Bandero Café Chevy, with its awesome Night Stalker paint scheme, ran very well and we earned a championship point in the process. We are very blessed to be running the Night Stalker livery on our car this weekend. It was John’s very first nitro Funny Car so I thought it was the perfect throwback scheme for us.” Quote from Josh Hart, Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster: “That was a solid first run for the Speedmaster team at the Big Go. We went right down Broadway, a safe A to B run on a very hot race track. We needed some solid date. The driver has lost 20 pounds which means the car has lost 20 pounds. I know David Grubnic (crew chief) has a plan, especially as it looks like the temperatures should be cooling down tomorrow and even more for Sunday. Then it will be time to turn the wick back up.” Quote from Jordan Vandergriff, Cornwell Tools America’s 250th Anniversary Chevrolet SS Funny Car: “It was super cool unveiling the Cornwell Quality Tools chrome Stars and Stripes livery before Q1. It looked great under the lights and I can’t wait for the fans to see it tomorrow in the sunlight. I’m honored to be part of the Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals and everything we’re doing here with them. “The run launched clean but then I had to drive it a little bit because it started spinning. I felt something wasn’t right and then it clicked itself off at about 800 feet and coasted across the finish line. We’ve looked at the data and it shows we dropped a cylinder early so we were down on power the entire run. But we live to fight another day and, looking at the weather forecast, we feel confident we’ll have a chance or two to go quicker than that these next two days.”

Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Chevrolet Newsroom

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIESMission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey2.238-mile, 11-turn Weather Raceway Laguna Seca road courseMonterey, CaliforniaFriday Practice ReportSeptember 4, 2026 MONTEREY, California (Sept. 4, 2026) – Pato O’Ward, a winner twice at Milwaukee Mile last weekend in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, continued his stellar run of form. The winner at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course earlier this year was the fastest Team Chevy driver on the Primary (Black) Firestone Firehawk racing tires and, on the Alternate (Red) Firestone Firehawk racing tires, ended as the third-quickest driver on the two types of tires.  Scott McLaughlin in the No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet ended up as the second-best driver wearing a Bowtie, and the fourth-best all-time. O’Ward was the quickest of the six Chevrolet-powered drivers in the first forty minutes, when all 25 drivers were eligible and spent the session on the Primary (Black) Firestone Firehawk racing tires.  He was joined by Santino Ferrucci (No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet), Nolan Siegel (No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet), Alexander Rossi (No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet), McLaughlin, and David Malukas (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet) in the top 10.  Mission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey practice results:

Christian Lundgaard gets the checkered flag at Road America in June

Road Course King?  Team Chevy dominated the oval crown during the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES, while similarly ceding the street circuit title to our competitors at Honda, leaving the title of road course king to be decided at the iconic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.  Across the first five natural terrain road course races at Barber Motorsports Park, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and Portland International Raceway, Team Chevy’s Christian Lundgaard, driving the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, leads series champion Álex Palou by six points on natural terrain road courses. The pair are 50 points clear of another Chevrolet-powered driver, David Malukas (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), and by over 100 points clear of Rinus VeeKay (No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet), who has the ninth most points.  Natural Terrain Road Course Points Through Five Natural Terrain Road Course Races

RANKDRIVERRD CSE PTS1Christian Lundgaard2072Álex Palou2013David Malukas1574Kyle Kirkwood1375Will Power1366Pato O’Ward1157Felix Rosenqvist1108Josef Newgarden1099Rinus VeeKay10710Graham Rahal10311Scott Dixon10212Kyffin Simpson9513Scott McLaughlin9414Marcus Ericsson8415Santino Ferrucci8216Marcus Armstrong7517Louis Foster7418Alexander Rossi7319Nolan Siegel7320Dennis Hauger – R6321Caio Collet – R6322Romain Grosjean5923Christian Rasmussen5424Mick Schumacher – R4925Sting Ray Robb48

Lundgaard’s average finish of 3.0 includes a pair of wins at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and Road America, along with podiums at Barber Motorsports Park and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with a worst finish of ninth at Portland International Raceway.  Palou’s average finish of 3.4 includes wins at Barber Motorsports Park and Portland International Raceway, along with a trio of fifth-place finishes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Road America and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Palou’s average starting position of 2.6 leads Lundgaard’s 10.4, with Lundgaard making up 49 total positions in the five races.  Average Finishing Position Through Five Natural Terrain Road Course Races

1Christian Lundgaard3.02Álex Palou3.43David Malukas5.64Kyle Kirkwood6.45Will Power7.46Josef Newgarden10.67Scott Dixon11.08Rinus VeeKay11.09Pato O’Ward11.810Felix Rosenqvist11.811Scott McLaughlin12.412Graham Rahal12.813Nolan Siegel13.614Santino Ferrucci14.215Marcus Ericsson14.216Louis Foster15.817Marcus Armstrong16.018Alexander Rossi16.219Kyffin Simpson16.820Caio Collet17.421Dennis Hauger17.822Romain Grosjean18.223Christian Rasmussen19.824Mick Schumacher20.225Sting Ray Robb20.4

Christian Rasmussen in the No. 21 Splenda Stevia Chevrolet at the Mission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey

NTT INDYCAR SERIES News Conference Friday, September 4, 2026Christian RasmussenPress Conference THE MODERATOR: Currently joined by Christian Rasmussen. Sixth quick in the group one session. Best finish of ninth last year last year at Laguna Seca. You claim this is the first time you’ve been in on a post-practice news conference. CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: True story (smiling). First time I’ve been invited. You should invite me (smiling). THE MODERATOR: What do you make of the start for your weekend? CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: I think it was all right. Definitely found a lot of pace on the red tires. We were struggling a little bit on the blacks. Man, you only get one chance at it. The tire deg increases year to year here. That is no joke this year. Like, tire deg is very, very big. Once you’re past that first run, you’re never going to find that same lap time again. Felt decent on the reds. Yeah, I think we got some pace in it. THE MODERATOR: Might make things kind of spicy on Sunday. CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Usually makes for a good race, right? THE MODERATOR: We’ll open it up for questions. Q.  Can you tell us something about the traffic situation here. Compared to any other kind of championship, especially in Europe, the INDYCAR season is ending very early. Do you have any other races coming up? CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: I have nothing scheduled as of right now. I usually do Daytona start of the year, the 24 Hours. Planning to do that. That’s about it.You said the traffic situation? Q.  Yes.CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: In the race? Q.  Yes.CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Well, that’s a thing. Hopefully you’re not part of it and you’re the one going through it (smiling). No, I think it’s similar to other places. I could see that it might be a little bit more this year, if it’s super high deg, that some cars are going to fall off more than others. It’s a thing to manage. If you’re fast enough, you’re on the good side of it. Q.  (No microphone.)CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Well, I think we’ve all seen the clip, right? I think there’s a couple year to year, right? It’s definitely a tough, tough passing zone. Q.  There seems to be traffic everywhere except for the leader. A lot of times we see the leader start on the pole, run off into the distance. What can possibly be done to make it a more competitive race in terms of catching the leader?CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Get a different leader (smiling).No, yeah, I don’t know. It’s a good question. But is it that much different than any other race with traffic? I think it’s very much a track length kind of a thing, right? I feel like anywhere we go, if it’s on a shorter track, there’s only going to be so many seconds between each car. I feel like it kind of evens out, right? Q.  How valuable has it been for ECR to not have to worry about any driver lineup drama because everybody is known who is going to be back in 2027?CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Yeah, a lot of stuff is going on out there right now. For me personally, it feels very nice to be locked in and just know that I’m going to stay with this organization for the foreseeable future. It excites me. It excites me where we’re going as a team. Again, this year has been super tough, but not necessarily the team’s fault all of it. Again, we’re still building. We’re still getting better. I think there’s a lot of opportunities for us to improve things for 2027, a lot of things in the works.I’m excited to see what’s ahead for us. Q.  Do you put yourself in a decent enough position when it comes to the leaders circle that you can go out and race and not worry about points? If so, is this weekend about next year as much as this year?CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: I think this weekend is about taking ourselves in the off-season on a good note. I think obviously Milwaukee was super good for us in terms of the leaders circle. I mean, we’re not mathematically out of it, but we’re pretty safe, which is a good feeling. We’re just going into this weekend trying to get the maximum out of it, like we are every weekend, hopefully finish the year on a good note before we go into the off-season. Q.  Good momentum entering this weekend with what happened in Milwaukee. What does that do heading into the off-season confidence-wise after the unfortunate season you had this year?CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Again, it’s hard to say, right? There is so many times this year that, like, we’ve just been caught out being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Like Markham where Dixon got spun right in front of us. Same thing in Detroit where we kind of got taken out from the back. I think both places we were fairly competitive. I think we have been competitive in a lot of places, but just haven’t really had the chance to show it.I think it’s just about bringing that into next year. Then again, yeah, hopefully finish the year off strong here. Yeah, hopefully finish off the season strong here so we have something to be proud of going into the off-season. Q.  There’s been a lot of talk about the season finale. Where do you feel a season finale in INDYCAR belongs?CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: I love being out here on the west coast. Q.  You mentioned tire deg and stuff like that. This practice session we just had is roughly about the same time as when the race is going to take place. Potentially look at the same type of heat range. The thing you see here a lot is people dipping a wheel off the edge of the track, gravel coming onto the track. Is that going to play a part in the tire deg scenario?CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: I don’t know. I think it’s just this place, like, year to year, you just see it. I was looking at it before the session, kind of was looking at Q2, Fast 12 times from year to year. It’s in between a second and second and a half slower from 2023 to 2024, and the same from 2024 to 2025. Every year I think the tarmac, I don’t know what it is. It’s really rough around here. It takes a big dip year to year. I think we’ll see the same this year. THE MODERATOR: Christian, thanks for coming in.

Tune-In GuideSaturday, September 5NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 1pm (ET)/noon (CT)/11am (MT)/10am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice – 8pm (ET)/ 7pm (CT)/6pm (MT)/5pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Sunday, September 6 Mission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey (95 laps) – 2:30pm (ET)/1:30pm (CT)12:30pm (MT)/11:30am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren) celebrates on the podium at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 2025

Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 2026

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CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIESMission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey2.238-mile, 11-turn Weather Raceway Laguna Seca road courseMonterey, CaliforniaFriday Practice ReportSeptember 4, 2026 MONTEREY, California (Sept. 4, 2026) – Pato O’Ward, a winner twice at Milwaukee Mile last weekend in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, continued his stellar run of form. The winner at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course earlier this year was the fastest Team Chevy driver on the Primary (Black) Firestone Firehawk racing tires and, on the Alternate (Red) Firestone Firehawk racing tires, ended as the third-quickest driver on the two types of tires.  Scott McLaughlin in the No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet ended up as the second-best driver wearing a Bowtie, and the fourth-best all-time. O’Ward was the quickest of the six Chevrolet-powered drivers in the first forty minutes, when all 25 drivers were eligible and spent the session on the Primary (Black) Firestone Firehawk racing tires.  He was joined by Santino Ferrucci (No. 14 Homes For Our Troops Chevrolet), Nolan Siegel (No. 6 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet), Alexander Rossi (No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet), McLaughlin, and David Malukas (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet) in the top 10.  Mission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey practice results:

Christian Lundgaard gets the checkered flag at Road America in June

Road Course King?  Team Chevy dominated the oval crown during the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES, while similarly ceding the street circuit title to our competitors at Honda, leaving the title of road course king to be decided at the iconic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.  Across the first five natural terrain road course races at Barber Motorsports Park, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Road America, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and Portland International Raceway, Team Chevy’s Christian Lundgaard, driving the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, leads series champion Álex Palou by six points on natural terrain road courses. The pair are 50 points clear of another Chevrolet-powered driver, David Malukas (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet), and by over 100 points clear of Rinus VeeKay (No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet), who has the ninth most points.  Natural Terrain Road Course Points Through Five Natural Terrain Road Course Races

RANKDRIVERRD CSE PTS1Christian Lundgaard2072Álex Palou2013David Malukas1574Kyle Kirkwood1375Will Power1366Pato O’Ward1157Felix Rosenqvist1108Josef Newgarden1099Rinus VeeKay10710Graham Rahal10311Scott Dixon10212Kyffin Simpson9513Scott McLaughlin9414Marcus Ericsson8415Santino Ferrucci8216Marcus Armstrong7517Louis Foster7418Alexander Rossi7319Nolan Siegel7320Dennis Hauger – R6321Caio Collet – R6322Romain Grosjean5923Christian Rasmussen5424Mick Schumacher – R4925Sting Ray Robb48

Lundgaard’s average finish of 3.0 includes a pair of wins at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and Road America, along with podiums at Barber Motorsports Park and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with a worst finish of ninth at Portland International Raceway.  Palou’s average finish of 3.4 includes wins at Barber Motorsports Park and Portland International Raceway, along with a trio of fifth-place finishes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, Road America and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Palou’s average starting position of 2.6 leads Lundgaard’s 10.4, with Lundgaard making up 49 total positions in the five races.  Average Finishing Position Through Five Natural Terrain Road Course Races

1Christian Lundgaard3.02Álex Palou3.43David Malukas5.64Kyle Kirkwood6.45Will Power7.46Josef Newgarden10.67Scott Dixon11.08Rinus VeeKay11.09Pato O’Ward11.810Felix Rosenqvist11.811Scott McLaughlin12.412Graham Rahal12.813Nolan Siegel13.614Santino Ferrucci14.215Marcus Ericsson14.216Louis Foster15.817Marcus Armstrong16.018Alexander Rossi16.219Kyffin Simpson16.820Caio Collet17.421Dennis Hauger17.822Romain Grosjean18.223Christian Rasmussen19.824Mick Schumacher20.225Sting Ray Robb20.4

Christian Rasmussen in the No. 21 Splenda Stevia Chevrolet at the Mission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey

NTT INDYCAR SERIES News Conference Friday, September 4, 2026Christian RasmussenPress Conference THE MODERATOR: Currently joined by Christian Rasmussen. Sixth quick in the group one session. Best finish of ninth last year last year at Laguna Seca. You claim this is the first time you’ve been in on a post-practice news conference. CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: True story (smiling). First time I’ve been invited. You should invite me (smiling). THE MODERATOR: What do you make of the start for your weekend? CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: I think it was all right. Definitely found a lot of pace on the red tires. We were struggling a little bit on the blacks. Man, you only get one chance at it. The tire deg increases year to year here. That is no joke this year. Like, tire deg is very, very big. Once you’re past that first run, you’re never going to find that same lap time again. Felt decent on the reds. Yeah, I think we got some pace in it. THE MODERATOR: Might make things kind of spicy on Sunday. CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Usually makes for a good race, right? THE MODERATOR: We’ll open it up for questions. Q.  Can you tell us something about the traffic situation here. Compared to any other kind of championship, especially in Europe, the INDYCAR season is ending very early. Do you have any other races coming up? CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: I have nothing scheduled as of right now. I usually do Daytona start of the year, the 24 Hours. Planning to do that. That’s about it.You said the traffic situation? Q.  Yes.CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: In the race? Q.  Yes.CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Well, that’s a thing. Hopefully you’re not part of it and you’re the one going through it (smiling). No, I think it’s similar to other places. I could see that it might be a little bit more this year, if it’s super high deg, that some cars are going to fall off more than others. It’s a thing to manage. If you’re fast enough, you’re on the good side of it. Q.  (No microphone.)CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Well, I think we’ve all seen the clip, right? I think there’s a couple year to year, right? It’s definitely a tough, tough passing zone. Q.  There seems to be traffic everywhere except for the leader. A lot of times we see the leader start on the pole, run off into the distance. What can possibly be done to make it a more competitive race in terms of catching the leader?CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Get a different leader (smiling).No, yeah, I don’t know. It’s a good question. But is it that much different than any other race with traffic? I think it’s very much a track length kind of a thing, right? I feel like anywhere we go, if it’s on a shorter track, there’s only going to be so many seconds between each car. I feel like it kind of evens out, right? Q.  How valuable has it been for ECR to not have to worry about any driver lineup drama because everybody is known who is going to be back in 2027?CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Yeah, a lot of stuff is going on out there right now. For me personally, it feels very nice to be locked in and just know that I’m going to stay with this organization for the foreseeable future. It excites me. It excites me where we’re going as a team. Again, this year has been super tough, but not necessarily the team’s fault all of it. Again, we’re still building. We’re still getting better. I think there’s a lot of opportunities for us to improve things for 2027, a lot of things in the works.I’m excited to see what’s ahead for us. Q.  Do you put yourself in a decent enough position when it comes to the leaders circle that you can go out and race and not worry about points? If so, is this weekend about next year as much as this year?CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: I think this weekend is about taking ourselves in the off-season on a good note. I think obviously Milwaukee was super good for us in terms of the leaders circle. I mean, we’re not mathematically out of it, but we’re pretty safe, which is a good feeling. We’re just going into this weekend trying to get the maximum out of it, like we are every weekend, hopefully finish the year on a good note before we go into the off-season. Q.  Good momentum entering this weekend with what happened in Milwaukee. What does that do heading into the off-season confidence-wise after the unfortunate season you had this year?CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: Again, it’s hard to say, right? There is so many times this year that, like, we’ve just been caught out being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Like Markham where Dixon got spun right in front of us. Same thing in Detroit where we kind of got taken out from the back. I think both places we were fairly competitive. I think we have been competitive in a lot of places, but just haven’t really had the chance to show it.I think it’s just about bringing that into next year. Then again, yeah, hopefully finish the year off strong here. Yeah, hopefully finish off the season strong here so we have something to be proud of going into the off-season. Q.  There’s been a lot of talk about the season finale. Where do you feel a season finale in INDYCAR belongs?CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: I love being out here on the west coast. Q.  You mentioned tire deg and stuff like that. This practice session we just had is roughly about the same time as when the race is going to take place. Potentially look at the same type of heat range. The thing you see here a lot is people dipping a wheel off the edge of the track, gravel coming onto the track. Is that going to play a part in the tire deg scenario?CHRISTIAN RASMUSSEN: I don’t know. I think it’s just this place, like, year to year, you just see it. I was looking at it before the session, kind of was looking at Q2, Fast 12 times from year to year. It’s in between a second and second and a half slower from 2023 to 2024, and the same from 2024 to 2025. Every year I think the tarmac, I don’t know what it is. It’s really rough around here. It takes a big dip year to year. I think we’ll see the same this year. THE MODERATOR: Christian, thanks for coming in.

Tune-In GuideSaturday, September 5NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 1pm (ET)/noon (CT)/11am (MT)/10am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice – 8pm (ET)/ 7pm (CT)/6pm (MT)/5pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Sunday, September 6 Mission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey (95 laps) – 2:30pm (ET)/1:30pm (CT)12:30pm (MT)/11:30am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren) celebrates on the podium at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 2025

Chevrolet at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Chevrolet wins at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca: 5 1993 – Paul Tracy – Team Penske1991 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1990 – Danny Sullivan – Team Penske1989 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1988 – Danny Sullivan – Team Penske Chevrolet poles at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca: 8 2023 – Felix Rosenqvist – Arrow McLaren2022 – Will Power – Team Penske1993 – Emerson Fittipaldi – Team Penske1991 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1990 – Danny Sullivan – Team Penske1989 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1988 – Danny Sullivan – Team Penske1987 – Mario Andretti – Newman Haas Racing Chevrolet podiums at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca: 22 Chevrolet podiums at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca by driver: Mario Andretti (3), Danny Sullivan (3), Al Unser Jr. (3), Michael Andretti (2), Rick Mears (2), Will Power (2), Emerson Fittipaldi (1), Christian Lundgaard (1), Scott McLaughlin (1), Josef Newgarden (1), Bob Rahal (1), Alexander Rossi (1) and Paul Tracy (1)  Chevrolet podiums at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca by team: Team Penske (11), Newman Haas Racing (5), Galles Racing (3), Arrow McLaren (2), Rahal Hogan Racing (1) Chevrolet laps led at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca: 556 Chevrolet laps led at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca by driver: Danny Sullivan (156), Michael Andretti (86), Mario Andretti (83), Paul Tracy (81), Rick Mears (52), Will Power (29), Pato O’Ward (15), Al Unser Jr. (14), Felix Rosenqvist (11), Nolan Siegel (11), Josef Newgarden (10), Alexander Rossi (10), Emerson Fittipaldi (7), Callum Ilott (1), and Simon Pagenaud (1) Chevrolet laps led at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca by team: Team Penske (332), Newman Haas Racing (169), Arrow McLaren (47), Galles Racing (14), Patrick Racing (4), and Juncos Hollinger Racing (1) Manufacturer History at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Wins (with competition): 9 – Honda (2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2000, 1997, 1996)5 – Chevrolet (1993, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988)5 – Cosworth (1987, 1986, 1985, 1984, 1983)4 – Ford (2001, 1999, 1998, 1992)1 – Ilmor (1994)1 – Mercedes (1995)1 – Toyota (2002) Poles (with competition): 8 – Chevrolet (2023, 2021, 1993, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1987)7 – Honda (2025, 2024, 2021 2019, 2001, 2000, 1996)5 – Ford (1999, 1998, 1997, 1995, 1992)4 – Cosworth (1986, 1985, 1984, 1983)1 – Ilmor (1994)1 – Toyota (2002)

JST Motorsports is 29th Team to Earn Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing Victory

ALGER, WASH. (September 3, 2026) – Ending a 29-race dry spell dating back to March, Tanner Thorson made his long-awaited return to Whiskey Myers Victory Lane with Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing on Thursday night at Skagit Speedway. Dominating all 30 laps of the Angel of the Winds Skagit Nationals opener, Thorson launched from the outside pole and quickly took the lead from pole sitter Tyler Courtney before never looking back. Finishing the race on a 24-lap run, Thorson mastered traffic down the stretch and build a lead big enough to never be challenged – crossing the stripe with a 1.553-second margin of victory. The win was extra special as it marked Thorson’s first High Limit win since JST Motorsports acquired the #88 in late July – making Jason & Shantel Tessier the 29th car owners to claim victory with Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing, the fourth new team this year. Thursday’s triumph marked the first win at Skagit Speedway for the Minden, Nevada native in his 10th try at the Alger, Washington oval. He exits the opening night of Skagit Nationals tied for high point man honors with 385 points. Following a win on Monday at Douglas County, Aaron Reutzel continued his strong recovery in the PNW with a fourth-to-second drive at Skagit Speedway. He’s tied with Thorson for high point honors this week and chopped Rico Abreu’s championship lead down to 32-points holding him off at the end. After five-straight High Limit wins at Skagit, Abreu’s incredible streak at the track finally came to an end as the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #24 finished third-from-fifth. Closing out the top-five on Thursday was Washington’s Trey Starks aboard his own #55X and Australia’s James McFadden in the Tarlton Racing #21. Also earning top-10 finishes at Skagit was Tyler Courtney (6th) in the Clauson-Marshall Racing #7BC, Tanner Holmes (7th) in the Buch Motorsports #13, Danny Sams III (8th) in the Randerson Racing #24D, Daison Pursley (9th) in the Kasey Kahne Racing #9, and Justin Sanders (10th) in the Demo Mittry #2X. THE ALL-IN NOTEBOOK (Thursday, September 3, 2026)Skagit Speedway (Alger, Washington)Night 1 of $126,000-to-win Angel of the Winds Casino Resort Skagit Nationals Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps – Trey Starks (11.473)Capitol Renegade QuickTime – Brent Marks (11.448)TJ Forged Heat One Winner – Tanner HolmesDMI Heat Two Winner – Justin PeckBR Motorsports Heat Three Winner – Kerry MadsenRod End Supply Heat Four Winner – Justin SandersWinters Performance B-Main Winner – Brent MarksDURST Dice Roll Driver – Kasey Kahne (10th-to-13th)Jake’s Golf Carts Fastest Lap – Aaron Reutzel (11.888 on Lap 4)Rod End Supply Hard Charger – Daison Pursley +14 (23rd-9th)Whiskey Meyers Victory Lane Visitors – JST Motorsports #88 (1st of season)CASM Win Sticker – Tanner Thorson (5th of career)Lap Leader(s) – Tanner Thorson 1-30 Interstate Batteries A-Main Results (30 Laps): 1. 88-Tanner Thorson[2]; 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel[4]; 3. 24-Rico Abreu[5]; 4. 55X-Trey Starks[6]; 5. 21-James McFadden[8]; 6. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[1]; 7. 13-Tanner Holmes[9]; 8. 24D-Danny Sams III[3]; 9. 9-Daison Pursley[23]; 10. 2X-Justin Sanders[12]; 11. 26-Justin Peck[11]; 12. 10-Dominic Gorden[14]; 13. 4-Kasey Kahne[10]; 14. 1C-Colton Heath[7]; 15. 55-Kerry Madsen[16]; 16. 21P-Robbie Price[22]; 17. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[24]; 18. 9R-Chase Randall[19]; 19. 19-Brent Marks[21]; 20. 26R-Levi Hillier[18]; 21. 5-Dominic Scelzi[13]; 22. 2XM-Max Mittry[20]; 23. 91-Chase Goetz[17]; 24. 77A-Levi Klatt[15] NEW Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing Championship Standings (After 39/54 Races):1. 2,287 pts – Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #24 (Rico Abreu)2. -32 pts – Ridge & Sons Racing #87 (Aaron Reutzel)3. -112 pts – Spire Motorsports #77 (Giovanni Scelzi)4. -161 pts – Clauson-Marshall Racing #7BC (Tyler Courtney)5. -185 pts – Rudeen Racing #26 (Justin Peck)6. -193 pts – Chase Briscoe Racing #19 (Brent Marks)7. -286 pts – JST Motorsports #88 (Tanner Thorson)8. -370 pts – Vermeer Motorsports #55 (Kerry Madsen)9. -447 pts – Buch Motorsports #13 (Tanner Holmes)10. -454 pts – Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #9 (Daison Pursley)11. -684 pts – Mosites Lynch Racing #42 (Sye Lynch)12. -694 pts – CJB Motorsports #5 (Brenham Crouch sub w/ Dominic Scelzi)13. -773 pts – Chase Randall Racing #9R (Chase Randall)14. -774 pts – Michael Dutcher Motorsports #17GP (Brock Zearfoss)15. -880 pts – Randerson Racing #24D (Danny Sams III) WHAT’S NEXT: The highest-paying event of the 2026 Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing campaign continues at Alger, Washington’s Skagit Speedway this weekend. Friday’s event (9/4) will be the $26,000-to-win, $2,000-to-start Rayce Rudeen Foundation Race before Saturday’s show (9/5) offers $126,000-to-win, $3,000-to-start in the Angel of the Winds Casino Resort Skagit Nationals. Tickets are available for purchase at SkagitSpeedway.com, or you can watch every event live on FloRacing.

 BELGRADE, MT (September, 3, 2026) — Home sweet home. 

Those words ring truer for Bozeman, MT’s Cole Schroeder as he’s followed the American Sprint Car Series through his first Frontier Speedweek, a six-race stretch between Montana and Wyoming. 

Before the trip through his home state, the ASCS Rookie of the Year contender has endured being outside of his comfort zone at the larger facilities on the National Tour. 

“We definitely learned and made a lot of progress on our bigger track package,” Schroeder said. “It’s helped a lot to go into some tracks where it’s more of my style of being mostly technical and small. That definitely helped us throughout the year, make a little more progress. We’ll just try to keep it in one piece and make more strides the rest of the year.” 

Before entering the first weekend of the swing at Big Sky Speedway and Sheridan Speedway, Schroeder earned his first three top-10 finishes of the year in consecutive races at Benton Speedway, Creek County Speedway, and 81 Speedway.  

During the hot summer months, Schroeder’s best performance came at Texarkana 67 Speedway, where he drove to a fourth-place finish for his first Series top-five. He also earned his first USCS Feature win on Independence Day weekend at Magnolia Motor Speedway. 

“Going to those tracks, it brought back to kind of being in California,” Schroeder said. “It was huge for us to get that win at Magnolia, then Texarkana was similar in being my way of racing with how small and technical it was. It’s where we excel more than others, and it’s important to capitalize on that.” 

The first night at Big Sky saw Schroeder make the Feature through the Last Chance Showdown, then earned Hard Charger honors with an eight-place charge to finish eighth.  

The final day saw immediate improvement from Schroeder after winning his Heat race and the Honest Abe Roofing Dash to start on the pole in the $10,000-to-win Feature. He ran inside the podium throughout the rain-shortened that rewarded him with a career-high second-place finish in the finale. 

“I feel great,” Schroeder said. “I wish we could’ve got a chance for the lead in traffic. Other than that, it was a great run, and hopefully we can carry the momentum throughout the rest of the couple weeks up here. It definitely brings a lot more confidence into the rest of the swing, and I’m happy to represent Montana like this. We’ll keep building off of it and see if we can pick off a win here or there.” 

While an accident on the final lap on Sunday at Sheridan ended his chances of a top-10 result after running in seventh, he’ll have an opportunity to regain the steam near his Bozeman home. On Friday, Sept. 4, the Series will travel to Belgrade, MT’s Gallatin Speedway before closing the weekend with the Montana Roundup at Electric City Speedway on Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 5-6. 

While Schroeder has visited the tracks, he’s never turned laps around them in a 360 Sprint Car. With his experience gained from the National Tour, he’ll use the growing notebook to complete the season with Rookie of the Year honors and a strong points finish. 

“I’m just gonna try to see what we can do out there to be there at the end,” Schroeder said. “To a point, just watching through the years of how the track progresses and being on top of it from that standpoint.  

“It’ll mean a lot to get Rookie of the Year and hopefully finish it out strong. If we can get lucky and push for a top five, it’s definitely helped us a lot running this year on the National level compared to staying local. Just for the learning and the growing from running against better drivers.” 

Schroeder will prepare for the final leg of Frontier Speedweek with Gallatin Speedway on Friday, Sept. 4, and Electric City Speedway for Montana Roundup on Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 5-6. 

Where can you find Gallatin info? Click here. 

Where can you find Electric City info? Click here. 

Where can you watch every lap of the American Sprint Car Series? Live on DIRTVision.

Cole Schroeder Savoring Time at Home, Closing on ASCS Rookie of the Year Honors in Final Stretch  BELGRADE, MT (September, 3, 2026) — Home sweet home. 

Those words ring truer for Bozeman, MT’s Cole Schroeder as he’s followed the American Sprint Car Series through his first Frontier Speedweek, a six-race stretch between Montana and Wyoming. 

Before the trip through his home state, the ASCS Rookie of the Year contender has endured being outside of his comfort zone at the larger facilities on the National Tour. 

“We definitely learned and made a lot of progress on our bigger track package,” Schroeder said. “It’s helped a lot to go into some tracks where it’s more of my style of being mostly technical and small. That definitely helped us throughout the year, make a little more progress. We’ll just try to keep it in one piece and make more strides the rest of the year.” 

Before entering the first weekend of the swing at Big Sky Speedway and Sheridan Speedway, Schroeder earned his first three top-10 finishes of the year in consecutive races at Benton Speedway, Creek County Speedway, and 81 Speedway.  

During the hot summer months, Schroeder’s best performance came at Texarkana 67 Speedway, where he drove to a fourth-place finish for his first Series top-five. He also earned his first USCS Feature win on Independence Day weekend at Magnolia Motor Speedway. 

“Going to those tracks, it brought back to kind of being in California,” Schroeder said. “It was huge for us to get that win at Magnolia, then Texarkana was similar in being my way of racing with how small and technical it was. It’s where we excel more than others, and it’s important to capitalize on that.” 

The first night at Big Sky saw Schroeder make the Feature through the Last Chance Showdown, then earned Hard Charger honors with an eight-place charge to finish eighth.  

The final day saw immediate improvement from Schroeder after winning his Heat race and the Honest Abe Roofing Dash to start on the pole in the $10,000-to-win Feature. He ran inside the podium throughout the rain-shortened that rewarded him with a career-high second-place finish in the finale. 

“I feel great,” Schroeder said. “I wish we could’ve got a chance for the lead in traffic. Other than that, it was a great run, and hopefully we can carry the momentum throughout the rest of the couple weeks up here. It definitely brings a lot more confidence into the rest of the swing, and I’m happy to represent Montana like this. We’ll keep building off of it and see if we can pick off a win here or there.” 

While an accident on the final lap on Sunday at Sheridan ended his chances of a top-10 result after running in seventh, he’ll have an opportunity to regain the steam near his Bozeman home. On Friday, Sept. 4, the Series will travel to Belgrade, MT’s Gallatin Speedway before closing the weekend with the Montana Roundup at Electric City Speedway on Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 5-6. 

While Schroeder has visited the tracks, he’s never turned laps around them in a 360 Sprint Car. With his experience gained from the National Tour, he’ll use the growing notebook to complete the season with Rookie of the Year honors and a strong points finish. 

“I’m just gonna try to see what we can do out there to be there at the end,” Schroeder said. “To a point, just watching through the years of how the track progresses and being on top of it from that standpoint.  

“It’ll mean a lot to get Rookie of the Year and hopefully finish it out strong. If we can get lucky and push for a top five, it’s definitely helped us a lot running this year on the National level compared to staying local. Just for the learning and the growing from running against better drivers.” 

Schroeder will prepare for the final leg of Frontier Speedweek with Gallatin Speedway on Friday, Sept. 4, and Electric City Speedway for Montana Roundup on Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 5-6. 

Where can you find Gallatin info? Click here. 

Where can you find Electric City info? Click here. 

Where can you watch every lap of the American Sprint Car Series? Live on DIRTVision.

ARTICLE:https://ascsracing.com/news/cole-schroeder-savoring-time-at-home-closing-on-ascs-rookie-of-the-year-honors-in-final-stretch/

BRANDON, SD (September 3, 2026) – Garet Williamson and Fischer Motorsports’ joint journey to River Cities Speedway Victory Lane started in south Texas.

A new Sprint Car team rolled into Cotton Bowl Speedway in March of 2024 with one goal. This team was born with the plan to compete at the sport’s highest level.

Curt and Devin Fischer, longtime supporters of Sprint Car racing, unleashed the Fischer Motorsports No. 23. Their first race? A weekend with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series in the “Lone Star State.” Their driver? A determined gasser out of Columbia, MO named Garet Williamson.

A year later they hit the road full-time with The Greatest Show on Dirt. Williamson went on to claim the coveted Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year presented by Five Star Bodies, but it didn’t come without some bumps in the road. Eventually, Fischer had a pivotal conversation with the team where crew chief Chad Cypert convinced him to loosen the reins a tad.

“He (Cypert) goes, ‘Here’s the deal. If you quit micromanaging the team and let me do my job, I’ll be fine,’” Curt Fischer recalled. “And that taught me a valuable lesson as an owner that I’ve got to let people do their own thing and do it to the best of their ability.”

Fast forward to early 2026, and the impact of that talk was felt in a big way. Williamson and Cypert wanted to swap chassis as they battled some sophomore struggles. Fischer gave them the green light to move to Triple X, and they’ve upped their game to another level ever since.

After only nine top 10s in the first 22 races and a 12.1 average finish in that span, Williamson has reeled off 23 top 10s in the last 32 races and upped his average result to 7.7 over the stretch. That also included several close calls where Williamson was handed heartbreak as he chased an elusive first World of Outlaws win. Finally, the 26-year-old broke through last Friday at River Cities Speedway, a culmination of Fischer’s faith in his team. Williamson, Cypert, Brady Donnohue, and Dakota Breeland finally stood in Victory Lane after beating the best of the best.

“He wanted a change in that car, and we did it and boy did he ever prove to be right,” Fischer said. “We’ve seen everything we ever wanted to see out of him. Now with the momentum that they’ve got going, he’s just rolling. He’s happy all the time. Our qualifying efforts are outstanding now no matter whether we draw an early pill or late pill it seems like. Racing has finally become a lot more fun for all of us.”

River Cities ripped the monkey off the back for Williamson and the Fischer crew. It feels like the start of something special, the first of many. Fischer’s patience and trust paid off, and now he gets to enjoy his team continue to cement itself as one of the best in the country only two years after they Texas two-stepped their way into the Sprint Car scene.

“They’ve created a special thing now,” Fischer said. “All I’ve done is sit back, try to answer questions when they have them, and pay the bills. After that, they’re on their own. And they’ve just done such a great job.”

Williamson’s sophomore World of Outlaws season with Fischer Motorsports continues this weekend in Brandon, SD at the L.G. Everist Huset’s Shootout on Friday-Sunday, Sept. 4-6. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.

Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.

‘A LOT MORE FUN’: Fischer’s Patience Pays Off with Williamson’s Success

BRANDON, SD (September 3, 2026) – Garet Williamson and Fischer Motorsports’ joint journey to River Cities Speedway Victory Lane started in south Texas.

A new Sprint Car team rolled into Cotton Bowl Speedway in March of 2024 with one goal. This team was born with the plan to compete at the sport’s highest level.

Curt and Devin Fischer, longtime supporters of Sprint Car racing, unleashed the Fischer Motorsports No. 23. Their first race? A weekend with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series in the “Lone Star State.” Their driver? A determined gasser out of Columbia, MO named Garet Williamson.

A year later they hit the road full-time with The Greatest Show on Dirt. Williamson went on to claim the coveted Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year presented by Five Star Bodies, but it didn’t come without some bumps in the road. Eventually, Fischer had a pivotal conversation with the team where crew chief Chad Cypert convinced him to loosen the reins a tad.

“He (Cypert) goes, ‘Here’s the deal. If you quit micromanaging the team and let me do my job, I’ll be fine,’” Curt Fischer recalled. “And that taught me a valuable lesson as an owner that I’ve got to let people do their own thing and do it to the best of their ability.”

Fast forward to early 2026, and the impact of that talk was felt in a big way. Williamson and Cypert wanted to swap chassis as they battled some sophomore struggles. Fischer gave them the green light to move to Triple X, and they’ve upped their game to another level ever since.

After only nine top 10s in the first 22 races and a 12.1 average finish in that span, Williamson has reeled off 23 top 10s in the last 32 races and upped his average result to 7.7 over the stretch. That also included several close calls where Williamson was handed heartbreak as he chased an elusive first World of Outlaws win. Finally, the 26-year-old broke through last Friday at River Cities Speedway, a culmination of Fischer’s faith in his team. Williamson, Cypert, Brady Donnohue, and Dakota Breeland finally stood in Victory Lane after beating the best of the best.

“He wanted a change in that car, and we did it and boy did he ever prove to be right,” Fischer said. “We’ve seen everything we ever wanted to see out of him. Now with the momentum that they’ve got going, he’s just rolling. He’s happy all the time. Our qualifying efforts are outstanding now no matter whether we draw an early pill or late pill it seems like. Racing has finally become a lot more fun for all of us.”

River Cities ripped the monkey off the back for Williamson and the Fischer crew. It feels like the start of something special, the first of many. Fischer’s patience and trust paid off, and now he gets to enjoy his team continue to cement itself as one of the best in the country only two years after they Texas two-stepped their way into the Sprint Car scene.

“They’ve created a special thing now,” Fischer said. “All I’ve done is sit back, try to answer questions when they have them, and pay the bills. After that, they’re on their own. And they’ve just done such a great job.”

Williamson’s sophomore World of Outlaws season with Fischer Motorsports continues this weekend in Brandon, SD at the L.G. Everist Huset’s Shootout on Friday-Sunday, Sept. 4-6. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.

Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/a-lot-more-fun-fischers-patience-pays-off-with-williamsons-success/

INDIANAPOLIS (September 3, 2026) — Spencer Hyde will have an added challenge, and an added opportunity, when the Head Contractors and Engineers Funny Car rolls into Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park for the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals, September 4-7.   Hyde earned the eighth and final position in the PlayNHRA All-Star Funny Car Callout, putting him in an eight-car field of some of the biggest names in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Joining Hyde in the specialty event will be Jack Beckman, Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, J.R. Todd, Austin Prock, Alexis DeJoria and Chad Green.   The callout puts a unique twist on the traditional race weekend. The eight Funny Car drivers will make their first-round selections during a callout ceremony on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET, with each driver selecting his first-round opponent. For Hyde, the event marks his first specialty race since joining the NHRA Funny Car ranks.  Spencer Hyde and the Head Contractors and Engineers Funny Car are ready for the PlayNHRA All-Star Funny Car Callout, photo credit Innovation Creative Experts“I am excited to be in the callout,” said Hyde. “I wasn’t sure if we would make it but I am glad we hung on for that eighth spot. This will be my first specialty race and I remember watching specialty races in the past and thinking they were pretty cool.” The drivers will also participate in an autograph session Sunday at 9:30 a.m. before the first round of the PlayNHRA All-Star Funny Car Callout gets underway at 12:45 p.m. The winner of the specialty event will take home an $80,000 payday. With the first-round matchups determined by the drivers themselves, Hyde won’t know who he will face until the selections are made Saturday morning. Regardless of his opponent, the 2025 NHRA Rookie of the Year is confident in his chances. “There are seven other Funny Cars in this deal and with the callout you don’t know who you are going to get,” said Hyde. “I feel good about racing any of those cars and we’ll just have to see who we get. I know it will make Sunday pretty exciting and this is what makes Indy special.” The PlayNHRA All-Star Funny Car Callout adds another layer of excitement to an already action-packed U.S. Nationals weekend, NHRA’s traditional Labor Day weekend showcase and one of the most prestigious events on the drag racing calendar. Hyde and the Head Racing team, backed by Hyde Construction, OUTLAW Light Beer and the Caine Group, will also compete in the traditional Funny Car eliminations throughout the weekend as they look to close out the regular season on a strong note at the historic race known as ‘The Big Go.’ The Funny Car class will make one qualifying run on Friday, September 4 and then two more qualifying runs on both Saturday and Sunday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The top 16 quickest Funny Cars will battle it out for the Diamond Wally starting on Monday, September 7 at 10 a.m. ET. Qualifying and the All-Star Funny Car Callout show will be on FS1 and eliminations will air on FOX. For tickets or more information on the NHRA U.S. Nationals visit nhra.com.

INDIANAPOLIS (September 3, 2026) – The 72^nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals, September 4-7, will feature one of the largest contingents of Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series competitors in recent memory. Over two dozen Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Ford Mustang Cobra Jets and Dodge Challenger Drag Paks fill the entry list for what is shaping up to be a historic race to celebrate the NHRA’s 75^th anniversary. The 2026 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series has been dominated by Jonathan Allegrucci, from Scott Township, Pa., whose three wins and one runner-up finish over the past four races have given him a commanding points lead headed into the biggest race of the season.
 
“This is one of the biggest fields if not the biggest fields of Factory Stock racers I can think of,” said Allegrucci. “It’s the coolest thing in the world and that’s why we are doing it. Anyone who can relate to the class has to be excited to see all those Fords, Chevys and Dodges on the entry list. It is going to be awesome. My first trip to Indy was in 2013 and when you go under that arch that is a big feeling. It is not easy getting to Monday and it really is a privilege to race on Monday. I would give anything for it to be us.”

Points leader Jonathan Allegrucci will aim to race his Mustang Cobra Jet into the U.S. Nationals winner’s circle for the first time this weekend, photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

 In Norwalk second generation Factory Stock competitor Taylor Dietsch defeated Allegrucci and could be one of the many drivers to watch at Lucas Oil Raceway Park this weekend. The young drivers from Hicksville, Ohio, will carry the $1,000 Flexjet bounty into eliminations and will be looking to defend his U.S. Nationals title from 2025. The younger Dietsch will be joined by his father, Jason, as one of several potent 1-2 father son combinations on the entry list.
 
“This race will be so exciting and I can’t wait to get there,” said Taylor Dietsch. “I feel good being the defending event winner for the U.S. Nationals also coming into the race having won the Norwalk Nationals. There are a lot of tough competitors on the entry list and it’s cool to see some new names as well as some veteran racers on the entry list. Getting the special 75^th anniversary Diamond Wally at the U.S. Nationals would be awesome. There are four rounds of qualifying and then five rounds of eliminations so whoever wins will have earned it for sure.”

Norwalk winner Taylor Dietsch will be looking to win a second U.S. Nationals and defend the Flexjet $1000 bounty, photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase

 
Joining the Dietschs and their Ford Mustangs will be reigning Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series world champion Mark Pawuk and his son Kyle in their Dodge Drag Paks as well as Lee and Matt Hartman racing their Dodge Drag Pak and Chevrolet Camaro respectively.
                                       
Two-time U.S. Nationals winner Jesse Alexandra (2021 and 2023) returns to the class looking for his third U.S. Nationals title while two-time Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown world champion Pawuk is looking for his first win at the most prestigious drag race in the world.
 
Qualifying will get underway on Friday for the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series with two sessions on the schedule. On Saturday one more round of qualifying will be contested and the field will be set for an all-run round of eliminations. The Fords, Chevrolets and Dodges will have two rounds of eliminations on Sunday with the semifinals and final round on Monday. For information on the Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals visit www.nhra.com.
 
Flexjet Bounty Program
 
Gatornationals (Gainesville, Fla.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Jonathan Allegrucci, defeated Mark Pawuk (2025 Flexjet world champion)
 
NHRA 4-Wide Nationals (Charlotte, N. C.)
$1,000 bounty collected by Raymond Nash, defeated Ricky Hord (2026 Gatornationals winner)
 
Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 Nationals (Chicago, Illinois)
$1,000 bounty was not claimed with Allegrucci’s victory
 
Super Grip Thunder Valley Nationals (Bristol, Tenn,)
$2,000 bounty was not claimed with Allegrucci’s victory
 
Norwalk Nationals (Norwalk, Ohio)
$3,000 bounty claimed by Taylor Dietsch, defeated Jonathan Allegrucci (2026 Chicago and Bristol winner)
 
2026 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Results
 
Gainesville – Ricky Hord, winner; David Janac, runner-up
Charlotte – Jonathan Allegrucci, winner; Jason Dietsch, runner-up
Chicago – Jonathan Allegrucci, winner; Jason Dietsch, runner-up
Bristol – Jonathan Allegrucci, winner; Raymond Nash, runner-up
Norwalk – Taylor Dietsch, winner; Jonathan Allegrucci, runner-up
 
Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Point Standings
1.        Jonathan Allegrucci      524
2.        Raymond Nash            374
3.        Jason Dietsch              287
4.        David Davies II             268
5.        David Janac                 262
6.        Richard Hord                256
7.        Lee Hartman                235
8.        Scott Libersher             228
9.        Mark Pawuk                 223
10.      Doug Duell                   218
 
2026 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Schedule
 
Sept. 17-20: Inaugural Dodge NHRA Great Lake Nationals, Martin, Mich.
 
Oct. 2-4: 15th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals, St. Louis
 
Oct. 14-18: 41st annual Texas NHRA Fall Nationals, Dallas
 

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES Mission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey 2.238-mile, 11-turn Weather Raceway Laguna Seca road course Monterey, California Race Advance September 4-6, 2026 DETROIT (September 3, 2026) – The Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey, the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season finale, is the 18th race of the year and the sixth in the past five weeks.  The manufacturer and driver championships were wrapped up at the Milwaukee Mile, with Álex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) winning his fourth straight and fifth career Astor Cup.  There is still plenty to play for, though, with Chevrolet-powered drivers Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren), Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren) and David Malukas (Team Penske) battling HRC and Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood for second in the championship. Only four points separate Lundgaard, Kirkwood and O’Ward. The driver of the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet (Lundgaard) has a two-point lead over the driver of the No. 27 Sam’s Club Andretti Global Honda (Kirkwood), with the driver of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet (Pato O’Ward) four points adrift of his teammate and nipping at Kirkwood’s heels.  O’Ward has been the best driver during the frenzied run of six races in five weeks to end the season, scoring the most points in the field of 25 drivers. The 27-year-old is on his way to a fifth straight and seventh career top-five championship finish.  Points scored during the last five NTT INDYCAR SERIES races

RANKDRIVERPTS. LAST 5 RACES1Pato O’Ward1672Marcus Ericsson1573Christian Lundgaard1544Álex Palou1505Kyle Kirkwood1356Scott McLaughlin1337Will Power1318Rinus VeeKay1279David Malukas11010Josef Newgarden9811Romain Grosjean9212Kyffin Simpson9113Nolan Siegel8914Christian Rasmussen8515Felix Rosenqvist8316Scott Dixon8217Louis Foster7818Alexander Rossi7419Mick Schumacher – R7320Marcus Armstrong6821Santino Ferrucci6622Dennis Hauger – R6623Graham Rahal6224Caio Collet – R5625Sting Ray Robb52

David Malukas (Team Penske) began the oval portion of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season with a pole and ended it with the most points scored in the half-dozen left turn only races

Rounding Out The Ovals David Malukas (Team Penske) led a strong Team Chevy contingent for the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES oval crown, with Chevrolet-powered drivers taking five of the top points spots. Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren), twice a visitor to victory lane at the Milwaukee Mile last weekend, came close to Malukas, but the first-year Team Penske driver’s consistency paid off.  Malukas’s average finish in the six oval races was a series-best 3.5, including a quartet of podium finishes and a worst finish of seventh. O’Ward’s worst oval finish was 11th, and his average finish on the ovals was 4.7, the third lowest in the series.  Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske), like his teammate Malukas, used consistency to score the third most oval points and had an average oval finishing position of 4.3, the second-lowest. He finished inside the top five of the last five oval events on the calendar and had a worst finish of eighth in the first oval race of the year at Phoenix Raceway.  Josef Newgarden won oval races at Phoenix Raceway and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, but failed to finish the Indianapolis 500 and the second race at the Milwaukee Mile, limiting him to fourth in oval points scored.  Rinus VeeKay (Juncos Hollinger Racing) and Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren) rounded out the Bowtie brigade in the top ten of oval points.  Oval points scored at the six oval races during the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season

RANKDRIVEROVAL POINTS1David Malukas2252Pato O’Ward2223Scott McLaughlin2014Josef Newgarden1795Álex Palou1646Rinus VeeKay1517Felix Rosenqvist1498Marcus Ericsson1489Kyle Kirkwood14810Christian Lundgaard12911Marcus Armstrong12612Christian Rasmussen12313Santino Ferrucci11314Scott Dixon10515Kyffin Simpson9916Alexander Rossi9917Mick Schumacher – R9718Nolan Siegel8419Louis Foster7920Will Power7821Romain Grosjean7722Graham Rahal6523Sting Ray Robb6224Dennis Hauger – R6025Caio Collet – R44

Six of the top nine drivers ranked by average oval finish are part of Team Chevy Average oval finish at the six oval races during the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season

RANKDRIVERAVERAGE FINISH1David Malukas3.52Scott McLaughlin4.33Pato O’Ward4.74Rinus VeeKay95Kyle Kirkwood9.26Marcus Ericsson9.27Josef Newgarden10.78Álex Palou10.79Christian Lundgaard10.810Marcus Armstrong11.211Felix Rosenqvist11.512Santino Ferrucci12.813Christian Rasmussen13.214Scott Dixon14.215Mick Schumacher14.216Kyffin Simpson14.817Nolan Siegel1618Alexander Rossi1719Louis Foster1720Romain Grosjean17.721Will Power18.722Graham Rahal19.323Sting Ray Robb19.724Dennis Hauger20.325Caio Collet23.2

Tune-In Guide Friday, September 4NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 5pm (ET)/4pm (CT)/3pm (MT)/2pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Saturday, September 5NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 1pm (ET)/noon (CT)/11am (MT)/10am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice – 8pm (ET)/ 7pm (CT)/6pm (MT)/5pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Sunday, September 6Mission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey (95 laps) – 2:30pm (ET)/1:30pm (CT)12:30pm (MT)/11:30am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren) celebrates on the podium at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 2025

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES Mission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey 2.238-mile, 11-turn Weather Raceway Laguna Seca road course Monterey, California Race Advance September 4-6, 2026 DETROIT (September 3, 2026) – The Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey, the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season finale, is the 18th race of the year and the sixth in the past five weeks.  The manufacturer and driver championships were wrapped up at the Milwaukee Mile, with Álex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) winning his fourth straight and fifth career Astor Cup.  There is still plenty to play for, though, with Chevrolet-powered drivers Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren), Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren) and David Malukas (Team Penske) battling HRC and Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood for second in the championship. Only four points separate Lundgaard, Kirkwood and O’Ward. The driver of the No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet (Lundgaard) has a two-point lead over the driver of the No. 27 Sam’s Club Andretti Global Honda (Kirkwood), with the driver of the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet (Pato O’Ward) four points adrift of his teammate and nipping at Kirkwood’s heels.  O’Ward has been the best driver during the frenzied run of six races in five weeks to end the season, scoring the most points in the field of 25 drivers. The 27-year-old is on his way to a fifth straight and seventh career top-five championship finish.  Points scored during the last five NTT INDYCAR SERIES races

RANKDRIVERPTS. LAST 5 RACES1Pato O’Ward1672Marcus Ericsson1573Christian Lundgaard1544Álex Palou1505Kyle Kirkwood1356Scott McLaughlin1337Will Power1318Rinus VeeKay1279David Malukas11010Josef Newgarden9811Romain Grosjean9212Kyffin Simpson9113Nolan Siegel8914Christian Rasmussen8515Felix Rosenqvist8316Scott Dixon8217Louis Foster7818Alexander Rossi7419Mick Schumacher – R7320Marcus Armstrong6821Santino Ferrucci6622Dennis Hauger – R6623Graham Rahal6224Caio Collet – R5625Sting Ray Robb52

David Malukas (Team Penske) began the oval portion of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season with a pole and ended it with the most points scored in the half-dozen left turn only races

Rounding Out The Ovals David Malukas (Team Penske) led a strong Team Chevy contingent for the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES oval crown, with Chevrolet-powered drivers taking five of the top points spots. Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren), twice a visitor to victory lane at the Milwaukee Mile last weekend, came close to Malukas, but the first-year Team Penske driver’s consistency paid off.  Malukas’s average finish in the six oval races was a series-best 3.5, including a quartet of podium finishes and a worst finish of seventh. O’Ward’s worst oval finish was 11th, and his average finish on the ovals was 4.7, the third lowest in the series.  Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske), like his teammate Malukas, used consistency to score the third most oval points and had an average oval finishing position of 4.3, the second-lowest. He finished inside the top five of the last five oval events on the calendar and had a worst finish of eighth in the first oval race of the year at Phoenix Raceway.  Josef Newgarden won oval races at Phoenix Raceway and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, but failed to finish the Indianapolis 500 and the second race at the Milwaukee Mile, limiting him to fourth in oval points scored.  Rinus VeeKay (Juncos Hollinger Racing) and Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren) rounded out the Bowtie brigade in the top ten of oval points.  Oval points scored at the six oval races during the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season

RANKDRIVEROVAL POINTS1David Malukas2252Pato O’Ward2223Scott McLaughlin2014Josef Newgarden1795Álex Palou1646Rinus VeeKay1517Felix Rosenqvist1498Marcus Ericsson1489Kyle Kirkwood14810Christian Lundgaard12911Marcus Armstrong12612Christian Rasmussen12313Santino Ferrucci11314Scott Dixon10515Kyffin Simpson9916Alexander Rossi9917Mick Schumacher – R9718Nolan Siegel8419Louis Foster7920Will Power7821Romain Grosjean7722Graham Rahal6523Sting Ray Robb6224Dennis Hauger – R6025Caio Collet – R44

Six of the top nine drivers ranked by average oval finish are part of Team Chevy Average oval finish at the six oval races during the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season

RANKDRIVERAVERAGE FINISH1David Malukas3.52Scott McLaughlin4.33Pato O’Ward4.74Rinus VeeKay95Kyle Kirkwood9.26Marcus Ericsson9.27Josef Newgarden10.78Álex Palou10.79Christian Lundgaard10.810Marcus Armstrong11.211Felix Rosenqvist11.512Santino Ferrucci12.813Christian Rasmussen13.214Scott Dixon14.215Mick Schumacher14.216Kyffin Simpson14.817Nolan Siegel1618Alexander Rossi1719Louis Foster1720Romain Grosjean17.721Will Power18.722Graham Rahal19.323Sting Ray Robb19.724Dennis Hauger20.325Caio Collet23.2

Tune-In Guide Friday, September 4NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 5pm (ET)/4pm (CT)/3pm (MT)/2pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Saturday, September 5NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 1pm (ET)/noon (CT)/11am (MT)/10am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice – 8pm (ET)/ 7pm (CT)/6pm (MT)/5pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Sunday, September 6Mission Foods Grand Prix Of Monterey (95 laps) – 2:30pm (ET)/1:30pm (CT)12:30pm (MT)/11:30am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren) celebrates on the podium at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 2025

Chevrolet at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Chevrolet wins at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca: 5 1993 – Paul Tracy – Team Penske1991 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1990 – Danny Sullivan – Team Penske1989 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1988 – Danny Sullivan – Team Penske Chevrolet poles at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca: 8 2023 – Felix Rosenqvist – Arrow McLaren2022 – Will Power – Team Penske1993 – Emerson Fittipaldi – Team Penske1991 – Michael Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1990 – Danny Sullivan – Team Penske1989 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1988 – Danny Sullivan – Team Penske1987 – Mario Andretti – Newman Haas Racing Chevrolet podiums at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca: 22 Chevrolet podiums at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca by driver: Mario Andretti (3), Danny Sullivan (3), Al Unser Jr. (3), Michael Andretti (2), Rick Mears (2), Will Power (2), Emerson Fittipaldi (1), Christian Lundgaard (1), Scott McLaughlin (1), Josef Newgarden (1), Bob Rahal (1), Alexander Rossi (1) and Paul Tracy (1)  Chevrolet podiums at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca by team: Team Penske (11), Newman Haas Racing (5), Galles Racing (3), Arrow McLaren (2), Rahal Hogan Racing (1) Chevrolet laps led at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca: 556 Chevrolet laps led at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca by driver: Danny Sullivan (156), Michael Andretti (86), Mario Andretti (83), Paul Tracy (81), Rick Mears (52), Will Power (29), Pato O’Ward (15), Al Unser Jr. (14), Felix Rosenqvist (11), Nolan Siegel (11), Josef Newgarden (10), Alexander Rossi (10), Emerson Fittipaldi (7), Callum Ilott (1), and Simon Pagenaud (1) Chevrolet laps led at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca by team: Team Penske (332), Newman Haas Racing (169), Arrow McLaren (47), Galles Racing (14), Patrick Racing (4), and Juncos Hollinger Racing (1) Manufacturer History at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Wins (with competition): 9 – Honda (2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2000, 1997, 1996)5 – Chevrolet (1993, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988)5 – Cosworth (1987, 1986, 1985, 1984, 1983)4 – Ford (2001, 1999, 1998, 1992)1 – Ilmor (1994)1 – Mercedes (1995)1 – Toyota (2002) Poles (with competition): 8 – Chevrolet (2023, 2021, 1993, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1987)7 – Honda (2025, 2024, 2021 2019, 2001, 2000, 1996)5 – Ford (1999, 1998, 1997, 1995, 1992)4 – Cosworth (1986, 1985, 1984, 1983)1 – Ilmor (1994)1 – Toyota (2002)

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Aug. 2, 2026) – Alexis DeJoria will have a cadre of friends and family cheering her on at the Sept. 4-7 Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals and she’s hoping the Night Stalker tribute paint scheme on her John Force Racing Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car will provide that little something extra to put her in the Indianapolis Raceway Park winner’s circle on Labor Day Monday.

It was 1973 when John Force attempted to make his Funny Car debut in a rear-engine chain-drive entry at Irwindale (Calif.) Raceway. Force named it Night Stalker and created the unique paint scheme based on the 1972 made-for-TV movie starring the late Darren McGavin. It was a less than successful venture but Force went on to win the 2009 Night Under Fire at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, running a Night Stalker tribute paint scheme.

“We were at the shop one day and Alexis said the car her dad always loved the most was the Night Stalker,” said Force. “That was the rear-engined, chain-drive car with the driver out front that Jack Chrisman built and that I drove briefly in the early 1970s. The Night Stalker TV movie was big at the time so we painted ‘Night Stalker’ with a caped goblin on the side of it. Alexis loved the idea so that’s the paint scheme her Bandero Café Chevy will be running at the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals.”

DeJoria is currently eighth in the point standings and only 34 points out of sixth place going into the Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals, the final event of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series regular season. Each round of eliminations will be worth 30 points instead of the standard 20 points.

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after 13 of 20 races are: 1. Matt Hagan, 938; 2.  Jordan Vandergriff, 931; 3. Ron Capps, 926; 4. J.R. Todd, 916; 5. Jack Beckman, 864; 6. Austin Prock, 771; 7. Chad Green, 755; 8. Alexis DeJoria, 737; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 615; 10. Spencer Hyde, 610.

Quotes

How was the decision made for you to run the John Force Night Stalker paint scheme from back in the 1970s?

“I was really excited when I found out the other two John Force Racing Funny Cars were doing special liveries and wanted to be part of it. So, I asked if our team could do the Night Stalker paint scheme that was John Force’s very first nitro Funny Car back in the mid-1970s. The Bandero Café car is already black, but it’s just the fact that the Night Stalker is one of the coolest liveries I’ve seen from John Force’s camp. More than anything, I wanted to do it to show support for my new boss and my new team.”

What does it mean to be a Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals Funny Car Champion?

“If there’s one trophy above all that a team wants, it’s the one from the U.S. Nationals. My team and I won the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Nationals and that was special due to that fact that there will never be another 60th. The same can be said of this year’s 75^th.”

What are your memories of winning the 2014 U.S. Nationals?

“The 2014 season was a breakout year for us. Adding the Chevrolet Performance 60th Anniversary U.S. Nationals win was beyond belief, especially winning the final round against none other than the man himself, John Force. It was a daughter/father duo that day, from beating my friend and competitor at the time Courtney Force in the semifinals to beating John in the final. It was a very proud moment to beat the best in front of my family and friends on the biggest stage.”

What are your thoughts on participating in this year’s PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Call Out?

“I’ve been in quite a few of these grudge matches and came close to sealing the deal in 2014. It’s something that’s eluded us but we have a great chance this year to put ourselves in a position to do so this year.”

Appearances

On Sat., Sept. 5, DeJoria will sign autographs at the Cornwell Tools display on the midway from 10-10:30 a.m.; at 11 a.m., she will participate in the PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Call Out selection show in the Top Eliminator Club. On Sun., Sept. 6, DeJoria will sign autographs at the Mission Foods display on the midway from 9:30-10 a.m.; at 11 a.m., she will be interviewed on the NHRA Midway Stage with Top Fuel driver Ida Zetterstrom.

Track Schedule

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature one round at 6:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 4, two rounds at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 5 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 12 and 2:45 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept 7.

The first round of the Funny Car All-Star Callout takes place at 12:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, with the semifinals at 2:15 p.m. and the final round at 3:40 p.m. A special broadcast of the Callout takes place on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.

TV Schedule

Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 3 and 10:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, and eliminations at 12 p.m. on FS1 on Monday, shifting to FOX at 2 p.m.

Race Results

Indianapolis	Race Result	Round by Round Results	Qualified	Event Record
2012 (FC)	1st round	Lost to Jeff Arend	5th	0-1
2013 (FC)	1st round	Lost to Ron Capps	12th	0-2
2014 (FC)	Winner	Beat Cruz Pedregon, Blaze Alexander, Courtney Force, John Force	7th	4-2
2015 (FC)	1st round	Lost to Courtney Force	6th	4-3
2016 (FC)	1st round	Lost to Del Worsham	10th	4-4
2017 (FC)	1st round	Lost to Ron Capps	9th	4-5
2018	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A
2019	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A
2020 (FC)	1st round	Lost to Bob Bode	6th	4-6
2021 (FC)	Semi-finals	Beat Blaze Alexander, Bob Tasca; lost to Ron Capps	7th	6-7
2022 (FC)	1st round	Lost to Matt Hagan	10th	6-8
2023 (FC)	2nd round	Beat Bobby Bode; lost to Cruz Pedregon	3rd	7-9
2024 (FC)	2nd round	Beat Matt Hagan; lost to Austin Prock	9th	8-10
2025 (FC)	Semi-finals	Beat Bobby Bode, Matt Hagan; lost to Jack Beckman	4th	10-11

Wins: 1 (2014)

No. 1 Qualifiers: 0

Event Record: 10-11

2026 Results

Event	Qualify	Round by Round	Round Record	Points Position
Gainesville	11	Beat Cruz Pedregon, Spencer Hyde, J.R. Todd; lost to Chad Green	3-1	2
Phoenix	12	Lost Jordan Vandergriff	3-2	6
Pomona1	7	Beat Dave Richards; lost to Ron Capps	4-3	7
Charlotte	5	Won 1st Quad; lost 2nd quad	5-4	6
Valdosta	10	Beat Cruz Pedregon, Matt Hagan; lost to J.R. Todd	7-5	6
Chicago	12	Beat Spencer Hyde, Dave Richards, Matt Hagan; lost to Chad Green	10-6	6
Maryland	7	Lost to Ron Capps	10-7	6
Epping	3	Beat Cruz Pedregon; lost to Ron Capps	11-8	7
Bristol	2	Lost to Jordan Vandergriff	11-9	7
Norwalk	2	Beat Blake Alexander, Chad Green; lost to Ron Capps	13-10	7
Sonoma	7	Lost to Cruz Pedregon	13-11	7
Seattle	3	Lost to Dave Richards	13-12	8
Brainerd	8	Beat Dave Richards; lost to Jordan Vandergriff	14-13	8

DEJORIA TO RACE FORCE’S LEGENDARY NIGHT STALKER SCHEME AT U.S. NATIONALS

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Aug. 2, 2026) – Alexis DeJoria will have a cadre of friends and family cheering her on at the Sept. 4-7 Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals and she’s hoping the Night Stalker tribute paint scheme on her John Force Racing Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car will provide that little something extra to put her in the Indianapolis Raceway Park winner’s circle on Labor Day Monday.

It was 1973 when John Force attempted to make his Funny Car debut in a rear-engine chain-drive entry at Irwindale (Calif.) Raceway. Force named it Night Stalker and created the unique paint scheme based on the 1972 made-for-TV movie starring the late Darren McGavin. It was a less than successful venture but Force went on to win the 2009 Night Under Fire at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio, running a Night Stalker tribute paint scheme.

“We were at the shop one day and Alexis said the car her dad always loved the most was the Night Stalker,” said Force. “That was the rear-engined, chain-drive car with the driver out front that Jack Chrisman built and that I drove briefly in the early 1970s. The Night Stalker TV movie was big at the time so we painted ‘Night Stalker’ with a caped goblin on the side of it. Alexis loved the idea so that’s the paint scheme her Bandero Café Chevy will be running at the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals.”

DeJoria is currently eighth in the point standings and only 34 points out of sixth place going into the Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals, the final event of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series regular season. Each round of eliminations will be worth 30 points instead of the standard 20 points.

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after 13 of 20 races are: 1. Matt Hagan, 938; 2.  Jordan Vandergriff, 931; 3. Ron Capps, 926; 4. J.R. Todd, 916; 5. Jack Beckman, 864; 6. Austin Prock, 771; 7. Chad Green, 755; 8. Alexis DeJoria, 737; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 615; 10. Spencer Hyde, 610.

Quotes

How was the decision made for you to run the John Force Night Stalker paint scheme from back in the 1970s?

“I was really excited when I found out the other two John Force Racing Funny Cars were doing special liveries and wanted to be part of it. So, I asked if our team could do the Night Stalker paint scheme that was John Force’s very first nitro Funny Car back in the mid-1970s. The Bandero Café car is already black, but it’s just the fact that the Night Stalker is one of the coolest liveries I’ve seen from John Force’s camp. More than anything, I wanted to do it to show support for my new boss and my new team.”

What does it mean to be a Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals Funny Car Champion?

“If there’s one trophy above all that a team wants, it’s the one from the U.S. Nationals. My team and I won the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Nationals and that was special due to that fact that there will never be another 60th. The same can be said of this year’s 75^th.”

What are your memories of winning the 2014 U.S. Nationals?

“The 2014 season was a breakout year for us. Adding the Chevrolet Performance 60th Anniversary U.S. Nationals win was beyond belief, especially winning the final round against none other than the man himself, John Force. It was a daughter/father duo that day, from beating my friend and competitor at the time Courtney Force in the semifinals to beating John in the final. It was a very proud moment to beat the best in front of my family and friends on the biggest stage.”

What are your thoughts on participating in this year’s PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Call Out?

“I’ve been in quite a few of these grudge matches and came close to sealing the deal in 2014. It’s something that’s eluded us but we have a great chance this year to put ourselves in a position to do so this year.”

Appearances

On Sat., Sept. 5, DeJoria will sign autographs at the Cornwell Tools display on the midway from 10-10:30 a.m.; at 11 a.m., she will participate in the PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Call Out selection show in the Top Eliminator Club. On Sun., Sept. 6, DeJoria will sign autographs at the Mission Foods display on the midway from 9:30-10 a.m.; at 11 a.m., she will be interviewed on the NHRA Midway Stage with Top Fuel driver Ida Zetterstrom.

Track Schedule

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature one round at 6:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 4, two rounds at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 5 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 12 and 2:45 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept 7.

The first round of the Funny Car All-Star Callout takes place at 12:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, with the semifinals at 2:15 p.m. and the final round at 3:40 p.m. A special broadcast of the Callout takes place on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.

TV Schedule

Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 3 and 10:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, and eliminations at 12 p.m. on FS1 on Monday, shifting to FOX at 2 p.m.

Race Results

Indianapolis	Race Result	Round by Round Results	Qualified	Event Record
2012 (FC)	1st round	Lost to Jeff Arend	5th	0-1
2013 (FC)	1st round	Lost to Ron Capps	12th	0-2
2014 (FC)	Winner	Beat Cruz Pedregon, Blaze Alexander, Courtney Force, John Force	7th	4-2
2015 (FC)	1st round	Lost to Courtney Force	6th	4-3
2016 (FC)	1st round	Lost to Del Worsham	10th	4-4
2017 (FC)	1st round	Lost to Ron Capps	9th	4-5
2018	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A
2019	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A
2020 (FC)	1st round	Lost to Bob Bode	6th	4-6
2021 (FC)	Semi-finals	Beat Blaze Alexander, Bob Tasca; lost to Ron Capps	7th	6-7
2022 (FC)	1st round	Lost to Matt Hagan	10th	6-8
2023 (FC)	2nd round	Beat Bobby Bode; lost to Cruz Pedregon	3rd	7-9
2024 (FC)	2nd round	Beat Matt Hagan; lost to Austin Prock	9th	8-10
2025 (FC)	Semi-finals	Beat Bobby Bode, Matt Hagan; lost to Jack Beckman	4th	10-11

Wins: 1 (2014)

No. 1 Qualifiers: 0

Event Record: 10-11

2026 Results

Event	Qualify	Round by Round	Round Record	Points Position
Gainesville	11	Beat Cruz Pedregon, Spencer Hyde, J.R. Todd; lost to Chad Green	3-1	2
Phoenix	12	Lost Jordan Vandergriff	3-2	6
Pomona1	7	Beat Dave Richards; lost to Ron Capps	4-3	7
Charlotte	5	Won 1st Quad; lost 2nd quad	5-4	6
Valdosta	10	Beat Cruz Pedregon, Matt Hagan; lost to J.R. Todd	7-5	6
Chicago	12	Beat Spencer Hyde, Dave Richards, Matt Hagan; lost to Chad Green	10-6	6
Maryland	7	Lost to Ron Capps	10-7	6
Epping	3	Beat Cruz Pedregon; lost to Ron Capps	11-8	7
Bristol	2	Lost to Jordan Vandergriff	11-9	7
Norwalk	2	Beat Blake Alexander, Chad Green; lost to Ron Capps	13-10	7
Sonoma	7	Lost to Cruz Pedregon	13-11	7
Seattle	3	Lost to Dave Richards	13-12	8
Brainerd	8	Beat Dave Richards; lost to Jordan Vandergriff	14-13	8

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BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 2, 2026) – Josh Hart has made it a point in his professional and personal lives to make big dreams come true in big ways and a win for the Speedmaster Top Fuel team in the Sept. 4-7 Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park, long known as the Big Go, would be a big way to conclude the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series regular season.

The win would also make a big statement heading into the upcoming six-race Countdown to the Championship.

Hart won back-to-back Top Alcohol Dragster titles at the Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals in 2017 and 2018 while his best event finish in Top Fuel is a semifinal appearance in his rookie season of 2021. He sees this year as the opportunity to add his name to the list of Top Fuel winners and he’s been successful over the years in creating success from a strong belief in himself.

The Speedmaster team is seventh in the Top Fuel point standings, just 79 points out of fifth place. The Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals rewards 30 points for each round of eliminations instead of the standard 20 points so the gap to fifth is less than three rounds of competition instead of almost four.

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings after 13 of 20 races are: 1. Doug Kalitta, 1,232; 2. Shawn Langdon, 1,165; 3. Leah Pruett, 974; 4. Antron Brown, 808; 5. Maddi Gordon, 784; 6. Tony Stewart, 753; 7. Josh Hart, 705; 8. Billy Torrence, 655; 9. Justin Ashley, 609; 10. Clay Millican, 540.

Quotes

What are your thoughts on competing in the U.S. Nationals, in general, and more specifically about doing so in NHRA’s 75^th anniversary season?

“I think it’s probably a new plateau for anybody who wins the Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals. It’s like a whole new level for their career. The fact that you’re going to be forever in the history books to win at Indy is cool, but to win Top Fuel at the Big Go on the 75^th anniversary is just something one person will ever be able to accomplish.”

 What’s the Speedmaster team’s mindset going into the last race of the regular season less than three rounds out of fifth place and earning 1.5x points?

“We definitely need some things to fall in our favor. It’s been a tough season but I’m confident we’re going in the right direction. With the testing that we did in Brainerd, we’re more confident on a warmer track, which should be the case at Indy. We found some things that we needed to adjust and we made those adjustments so I think it will pay dividends going into this race. Being that close to fifth in the point standings and knowing that it’s one last push before it’s in our grasp, we’re definitely going to do everything we can to grab hold of it.”

Is there a common thread that motivates you both professionally and personally that’s allowed you to achieve the success you’ve had in your life and in your business dealings, both on the racetrack?

“When you come from extremely humble beginnings, there are lot of people who try to manage your expectations. People that tell you a dream is just a dream or a goal is just a goal. They can make you feel like it’s not possible. For example, my eighth grade music teacher said, ‘You’ll never be a drummer.’ I prided myself on being the best damn drummer I could possibly be. I told somebody in 2017 that I was going to drive a Top Fuel dragster, maybe even for John Force one day. I remember him just laughing hysterically at me. I sent my first time slip in a Top Fuel car to him in the mail. It’s now come full circle and I do drive for John Force in one of the fastest cars in the world. Anything is possible. I use that motivation in everything I do. I remember when I was starting Burnyzz and everybody just kind of laughed at me, even the family members. They tried to politically manage my expectations and hide behind the notion that they don’t want you to let yourself down. I think that’s complete BS. I think that if you really want it, I am proof that you truly can go out and get anything. Everything in your life is a product of someone else’s imagination. Why can’t it be yours?”

Weekend Appearances

Hart will be signing autographs Sat., Sept. 5, from 10-10:30 a.m. at the Cornwell Tools midway display.

Track Schedule

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature one round at 6:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 4, two rounds at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 5 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 12 and 2:45 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept 7.

The first round of the Funny Car All-Star Callout takes place at 12:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, with the semifinals at 2:15 p.m. and the final round at 3:40 p.m. A special broadcast of the Callout takes place on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.

TV Schedule

Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 3 and 10:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, and eliminations at 12 p.m. on FS1 on Monday, shifting to FOX at 2 p.m.

Race Results

Indianapolis	Race Result	Round by Round Results	Qualified	Event Record
2021 (TF)	Semi-finals	Beat Buddy Hull, Leah Pruett; lost to Brittany Force	4th	2-1
2022 (TF)	2nd round	Beat Doug Foley; lost to Brittany Force	8th	3-2
2023 (TF)	1st round	Lost to Shawn Langdon	8th	3-3
2024 (TF)	2nd round	Beat Tripp Tatum; lost to Clay Millican	12th	4-4
2025 (TF)	1st round	Lost to Tripp Tatum	8th	4-5

Wins: 0

No. 1 Qualifiers: 0

Event Record: 4-5

***2017 and 2018 U.S. Nationals Top Alcohol Dragster Champion

2026 Results

Event	Qualify	Round by Round	Round Record	Points Position
Gainesville	1	Beat Dan Mercier, Tripp Tatum, Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta	4-0	1
Phoenix	10	Beat Justin Ashley; lost to Leah Pruett	5-1	2
Pomona1	2	Beat Cameron Ferre; lost to Tony Stewart	6-2	4
Charlotte	4	Lost in 1st quad	6-3	5
Valdosta	9	Lost to Leah Pruett	6-4	5
Chicago	4	Beat Justin Ashley, Tony Stewart; lost to Shawn Langdon	8-5	5
Maryland	7	Lost to Clay Millican	8-6	5
Epping	3	Beat Rit Pustari; lost to Billy Torrence	9-7	4
Bristol	6	Lost to Doug Kalitta	9-8	6
Norwalk	2	Beat Scott Farley; lost to Clay Millican	10-9	7
Sonoma	8	Lost to Jasmine Salinas	10-10	7
Seattle	1	Bye, beat Tony Stewart; lost to Leah Pruett	12-11	7
Brainerd	10	Lost to Tony Stewart	12-12	7

HART KNOWS BIG GO IS A MUST DO FOR SPEEDMASTER TEAM

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 2, 2026) – Josh Hart has made it a point in his professional and personal lives to make big dreams come true in big ways and a win for the Speedmaster Top Fuel team in the Sept. 4-7 Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park, long known as the Big Go, would be a big way to conclude the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series regular season.

The win would also make a big statement heading into the upcoming six-race Countdown to the Championship.

Hart won back-to-back Top Alcohol Dragster titles at the Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals in 2017 and 2018 while his best event finish in Top Fuel is a semifinal appearance in his rookie season of 2021. He sees this year as the opportunity to add his name to the list of Top Fuel winners and he’s been successful over the years in creating success from a strong belief in himself.

The Speedmaster team is seventh in the Top Fuel point standings, just 79 points out of fifth place. The Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals rewards 30 points for each round of eliminations instead of the standard 20 points so the gap to fifth is less than three rounds of competition instead of almost four.

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings after 13 of 20 races are: 1. Doug Kalitta, 1,232; 2. Shawn Langdon, 1,165; 3. Leah Pruett, 974; 4. Antron Brown, 808; 5. Maddi Gordon, 784; 6. Tony Stewart, 753; 7. Josh Hart, 705; 8. Billy Torrence, 655; 9. Justin Ashley, 609; 10. Clay Millican, 540.

Quotes

What are your thoughts on competing in the U.S. Nationals, in general, and more specifically about doing so in NHRA’s 75^th anniversary season?

“I think it’s probably a new plateau for anybody who wins the Cornwell Quality Tools U.S. Nationals. It’s like a whole new level for their career. The fact that you’re going to be forever in the history books to win at Indy is cool, but to win Top Fuel at the Big Go on the 75^th anniversary is just something one person will ever be able to accomplish.”

 What’s the Speedmaster team’s mindset going into the last race of the regular season less than three rounds out of fifth place and earning 1.5x points?

“We definitely need some things to fall in our favor. It’s been a tough season but I’m confident we’re going in the right direction. With the testing that we did in Brainerd, we’re more confident on a warmer track, which should be the case at Indy. We found some things that we needed to adjust and we made those adjustments so I think it will pay dividends going into this race. Being that close to fifth in the point standings and knowing that it’s one last push before it’s in our grasp, we’re definitely going to do everything we can to grab hold of it.”

Is there a common thread that motivates you both professionally and personally that’s allowed you to achieve the success you’ve had in your life and in your business dealings, both on the racetrack?

“When you come from extremely humble beginnings, there are lot of people who try to manage your expectations. People that tell you a dream is just a dream or a goal is just a goal. They can make you feel like it’s not possible. For example, my eighth grade music teacher said, ‘You’ll never be a drummer.’ I prided myself on being the best damn drummer I could possibly be. I told somebody in 2017 that I was going to drive a Top Fuel dragster, maybe even for John Force one day. I remember him just laughing hysterically at me. I sent my first time slip in a Top Fuel car to him in the mail. It’s now come full circle and I do drive for John Force in one of the fastest cars in the world. Anything is possible. I use that motivation in everything I do. I remember when I was starting Burnyzz and everybody just kind of laughed at me, even the family members. They tried to politically manage my expectations and hide behind the notion that they don’t want you to let yourself down. I think that’s complete BS. I think that if you really want it, I am proof that you truly can go out and get anything. Everything in your life is a product of someone else’s imagination. Why can’t it be yours?”

Weekend Appearances

Hart will be signing autographs Sat., Sept. 5, from 10-10:30 a.m. at the Cornwell Tools midway display.

Track Schedule

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature one round at 6:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 4, two rounds at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 5 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 12 and 2:45 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept 7.

The first round of the Funny Car All-Star Callout takes place at 12:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, with the semifinals at 2:15 p.m. and the final round at 3:40 p.m. A special broadcast of the Callout takes place on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.

TV Schedule

Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 3 and 10:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, and eliminations at 12 p.m. on FS1 on Monday, shifting to FOX at 2 p.m.

Race Results

Indianapolis	Race Result	Round by Round Results	Qualified	Event Record
2021 (TF)	Semi-finals	Beat Buddy Hull, Leah Pruett; lost to Brittany Force	4th	2-1
2022 (TF)	2nd round	Beat Doug Foley; lost to Brittany Force	8th	3-2
2023 (TF)	1st round	Lost to Shawn Langdon	8th	3-3
2024 (TF)	2nd round	Beat Tripp Tatum; lost to Clay Millican	12th	4-4
2025 (TF)	1st round	Lost to Tripp Tatum	8th	4-5

Wins: 0

No. 1 Qualifiers: 0

Event Record: 4-5

***2017 and 2018 U.S. Nationals Top Alcohol Dragster Champion

2026 Results

Event	Qualify	Round by Round	Round Record	Points Position
Gainesville	1	Beat Dan Mercier, Tripp Tatum, Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta	4-0	1
Phoenix	10	Beat Justin Ashley; lost to Leah Pruett	5-1	2
Pomona1	2	Beat Cameron Ferre; lost to Tony Stewart	6-2	4
Charlotte	4	Lost in 1st quad	6-3	5
Valdosta	9	Lost to Leah Pruett	6-4	5
Chicago	4	Beat Justin Ashley, Tony Stewart; lost to Shawn Langdon	8-5	5
Maryland	7	Lost to Clay Millican	8-6	5
Epping	3	Beat Rit Pustari; lost to Billy Torrence	9-7	4
Bristol	6	Lost to Doug Kalitta	9-8	6
Norwalk	2	Beat Scott Farley; lost to Clay Millican	10-9	7
Sonoma	8	Lost to Jasmine Salinas	10-10	7
Seattle	1	Bye, beat Tony Stewart; lost to Leah Pruett	12-11	7
Brainerd	10	Lost to Tony Stewart	12-12	7

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