DALLAS, TX (October 11, 2023) — Honorary Texan Buddy Hull is building his Top Fuel program on determination, humility and fun. The Illinois transplant has spent decades in the Dallas area building a number of successful businesses putting himself in a position to chase his dream of Top Fuel stardom and success in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. The former professional powerlifter harbors no illusions that the road to success would be paved with roses, but he also was not expecting as many thorns as he has experienced this season heading into the 38th annual NHRA Texas Fall Nationals, the final four-day event of the wildly popular Stampede of Speed. Hull who opened the 10-day motorsports and music extravaganza as one of the four professional drivers racing in the inaugural Texas Invitational match race last Saturday and Sunday.

 
“I am a very positive person, but my patience is really being tested this season,” said Hull. “We have such high expectations I sometimes forget we are a part-time team that is learning every race. I have the mentality that we can race with anyone and if you are going to be successful at this level you must have that mindset. Unfortunately, we aren’t there yet and we just have to keep our heads down and do the work. I have all the confidence in my team led by Mike Guger we will get there.”
 
Hull has raced in a handful of NHRA national events this season all across the country. He has had highs and lows but throughout the season he has kept a smile on his face and continued to grow his fan base and engage with fans of all ages. The previous two races he swapped out his traditional black and white Methanol Moonshine and Vertex Roofing Top Fuel dragster for a wild green and purple HULL’K Top Fuel dragster to wow young fans and feed is passion for the Incredible Hulk. At the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis over Labor Day and two weeks ago at the Midwest Nationals in St. Louis Hull’s HULL’K Top Fuel dragster was the hit of the pits.
 
“I wanted to do something kids would get excited about in an effort to make them drag racing fans,” said Hull. “We had so many people coming up and getting photos with the dragster they didn’t care how fast we ran. They just wanted to see the car and talk about why I love the Hulk. We are doing a great deal with the Down Syndrome Foundation of North Texas for the Texas Fall Nationals just because we saw the chance to help the organizations.”
 
Hull will be racing to raise awareness and donations for the Down Syndrome Partnership of North Texas during the Stampede of Speed and the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex, October 6-15. The ultimate goal is to raise $50,000 for the organization through corporate and fan donations. Hull is confident that the support and funds will make an immediate difference.

 
“I met with the folks from Down Syndrome Partnership of North Texas and I immediately knew we needed to get involved with them,” said Hull, who has also supported breast cancer charities as well as anti-bully initiatives. “This organization has been working with families and caregivers for almost two decades and I just really felt the need to get involved. Fans that make a donation through the Buddy Hull Racing Fund Raising landing page will get their name on my race car for the Stampede of Speed and I would love to see the car covered.”
 
The Buddy Hull Racing Fund Raising page can be found here and several groups and companies have come together to make this possible. Fralicks Warehouse Solutions and Chick-Fil-A Mansfield have been instrumental in designing the look of Hull’s Top Fuel dragster as well as outfitting the team in Down Syndrome Partnership of North Texas uniforms.
 
The Down Syndrome Partnership of North Texas supports individuals with Down syndrome, their families and caregivers in achieving the universally desired goals of self-fulfillment, pride in one’s achievements, inclusion in the community, and reaching one’s fullest potential through social and educational activities. DSPNT has been serving families in North Texas (Tarrant, Johnson, Hood, Parker, and Wise counties) since 1995.  Their programs serve families and individuals with Down syndrome through all stages of life – from diagnosis through adulthood.
 
Hull will be on track looking to put his Down Syndrome Foundation of North Texas Top Fuel dragster in the sixteen-car field starting on Friday at 5 p.m. with his first qualifying run followed by a second run at 8 p.m. On Saturday Hart will take to the track at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. The final eliminations for the quickest 16 Top Fuel teams will commence at noon on Sunday with the race broadcast airing nationally on FS1.
 

ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 11, 2023) – The 2023 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown season begins to wind down with the Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex, the second to last event on the schedule. The penultimate race of the season will be one of the highlight classes during the Stampede of Speed with the championship on the line.
 
Points leader Aaron Stanfield and his Stanfield Racing Engines Chevrolet COPO Camaro enter the weekend as the defending event champions, and it was their only event victory of the 2022 season where they finished third in the points.

Points leader Aaron Stanfield is on the cusp of his third Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown world championship, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

 
“Last year getting the win at the Texas Fall Nationals was big for us to head into the offseason,” said Stanfield. “We didn’t have the season we were hoping for but when you win the last race of the year you have a good feeling going into the winter.”
 
Now with two wins in 2023, Stanfield has a 112-point lead on the rest of the COPOs, Ford Cobras and Dodge Drag Paks in the field. With only two events left, a strong showing at Texas Motorplex could give Stanfield all the momentum he needs to become a three-time world champion.
 
“I am not thinking about the championship right now,” said Stanfield. “We want to come to the Texas Motorplex and make good runs. The weather will be really good and the competition will be tough. I know a lot of people will be testing before the race. We just have to take it one round at a time and see where we wind up at the end of the day.”
 
Looking to slow Stanfield’s bid for a second championship is Stephen Bell and his Stanfield Racing COPO. Bell raced his way to victory at the Norwalk, Ohio event and has two runner-up finishes on the season, the first at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis Indiana and the second at the most recent event in in St. Louis, the Midwest Nationals.
 
“The fun part is Aaron and I are best friends. I gauge every season on a couple things, if I get a win and if we are competitive at most races,” said Bell. “We’ve had a good year this season. I have finished up in the points for a couple years and we are chasing that first championship. I am appreciative of Greg and Aaron Stanfield for giving a customer like me a car that can compete for the championship. This weekend – if it is in the cards – we can try and close the gap on Aaron.

“We will need some good fortune. Aaron is the class of the field and we have an outside chance, but regardless of the outcome we have had a great season. I love the mental challenge of leaving my normal world and competing in these Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown races,” added Bell.
 
Carrying the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Bounty on his back is Mark Pawuk and the Empaco Equipment Dodge Drag Pak. Pawuk had a dominating weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway picking up the No. 1 qualifying position, winning the bounty from Aaron Stanfield and picked up his first Factory Stock Showdown victory. Pawuk will carry the bounty until a competitor is able to defeat him in eliminations.
 
“It felt great to finally get an NHRA win in my Empaco Equipment Dodge Drag Pak and I would love to make it two in a row,” said the Pawuk Family Racing team owner/driver. “We’ve gone to several final rounds and had many late-round finishes on race day in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown events, but it feels really good to have checked that box of first NHRA Factory Stock win in St. Louis. I just want to say a huge thank you to all of our tremendous partners from Empaco Equipment, Emil Pawuk and Associates, Inc. and Seabreeze North Corporation, Ohio CAT and its Ohio Cat The Rental Store division, Enerco Mr. Heater, Summit Racing Equipment, and Mickey Thompson Tires & Wheels. I also want to acknowledge Red Line Oil and VP Racing Fuels, and our newest partners who joined our program this year, E3 Spark Plugs and Cometic Gaskets.”

 Mark Pawuk is looking to make it two wins in a row this season, photo credit Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

Competition in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown class begins with qualifying Friday at 3:30 and 6:15 p.m. Eliminations are slated to start Saturday with round one at noon, round two at 3:30 and round three at 6:00 p.m. They’ll continue Sunday with semifinals at 3 and finals at 4:15 p.m.
 

ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 11, 2023) – Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster team enter this weekend’s Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex sitting 10th in the NHRA Camping World points standings. With only three events left in the season, they’ll be looking for a jump in performance to finish 2023 on a good note. The Texas FallNationals is one of two events in which Prock has qualified No. 1, the other being in Sonoma, California this year. Last year, Prock rode that No. 1 start into the final round for a runner-up finish that contributed to his 10-position jump in the Countdown to the Championship. He started the 2022 Countdown sitting 13th before finishing third. “This Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team had a successful event in Dallas last year and we are hoping for that again. This is a big one, everyone wants to leave with a truck full of cowboy hats,” Prock said. “We tested last week to get dialed in to go for a strong last three-race stretch. We made three nice passes, progressively getting quicker. I feel very confident heading to Dallas. The conditions should be similar to the test session so I’m hoping to drop the door strong. We may be out of the championship hunt but we’re not out of the Wally hunt.” Prock, driving for the new crew chief tandem of Chris Cunningham and Joe Barlam, has had success this season. The Montana Brand team has the only Top Fuel victory for JFR thus far winning the spring Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte. Prock shared the winner’s circle with his crew chief dad, Jimmy Prock, and teammate Robert Hight. In addition to their win at the in Charlotte, the Montana Brand team also made it to the finals of the Winternationals in Pomona, California. Competition at the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex begins with qualifying Friday at 5 and 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 and 5 p.m. Eliminations will begin Sunday at noon. Television coverage of the event will air Sunday on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with a qualifying show at 1 p.m. ET and eliminations at 3 p.m. ET.

The Series battles at Senoia Raceway before making its debut at Rome Speedway

SENOIA, GA – OCTOBER 11, 2023 – A mid-October doubleheader in the South awaits the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series as it travels to Georgia for the first time this season.

The two-night trip to the Peach State kicks off with the Billy Clanton Classic at Senoia Raceway on Saturday, Oct. 14 in a 50-lap Feature paying $15,000-to-win.

Then, the Series heads North for its debut at Rome Speedway in Rome, GA, for the World of Outlaws ARP Southeast Showdown. Drivers will battle for $10,000 in a 40-lap Feature.

If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision, either online or with the DIRTVision app.

Here are the storylines to watch this weekend:

Closing In: After sweeping the weekend at Brownstown Speedway and Fairbury Speedway, Bobby Pierce is on the cusp of his first World of Outlaws CASE Late Models championship. The Oakwood, IL driver enters the weekend with a 156-point lead over Chris Madden and could mathematically secure the championship entering the World of Outlaws World Finals at the Dirt Track at Charlotte Nov. 1-4. 

Pierce also has the chance to break the single-season wins record if he wins all five of the remaining races on the 2023 schedule. That record is currently held by four-time Series champions Brandon Sheppard and Josh Richards (18).

A win this weekend would be his 19th career Series victory.

Bulldog Country: A Georgia doubleheader means a return home for 2015 Series champion Shane Clanton. 

The Billy Clanton Classic at Senoia is a race in his dad’s honor—one he’s won twice in its seven-year history. He also has more top fives than any other driver in the event (4). 

Clanton has also succeeded at Rome, scoring two Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series wins in 2006 and 2010. 

If he sweeps the weekend, Clanton will become the fourth driver in Series history to reach 50 wins.

Back to the Gumbo: Saturday night marks the fourth appearance for the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models at Senoia Raceway—known for its gumbo clay.

In the three Series events at the track, Sheppard and Chris Madden won the first two in 2017 and 2018 before Ashton Winger held off Madden to win in 2021.

Kyle Bronson also has victories at the track, winning the Peach Bowl in 2021 and 2022.

A Triumphant Debut: The World of Outlaws ARP Southeast Showdown at Rome Speedway is the Series debut at the 1/2-mile red clay oval. It’s also the first 1/2-mile track the World of Outlaws have raced at since DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. 

Along with Clanton, Madden has found success at Rome with four wins at the track, including two national touring Series victories.

Fourteen-time World of Outlaws winner Dale McDowell, who’s expected to attend this weekend, has two victories at Rome in 2023, winning a Spring Nationals Series race in May and a Hunt the Front Super DIRT Series race last month.

A Six-Way Dance: Entering last weekend’s races at Brownstown and Fairbury, positions four through nine in the Series standings were separated by 62 points. That number has shrunk to 42.

Bronson moved up two spots to fourth after a fifth and sixth-place finish. However, he leads Ryan Gustin by eight points, while Nick Hoffman and Brian Shirley are 10 points out of fourth.

Tanner English and defending Series champion Dennis Erb Jr. are still in striking distance, sitting 38 and 42 points behind Bronson. 

As the drivers continue to battle for positions, there’s a $32,000 difference between fourth and ninth. The driver who finishes fourth wins $75,000, while the driver who finishes ninth gets $43,000.

For a complete look at the Series points standings, CLICK HERE.

WHEN AND WHERE  

Senoia Raceway (3/8-mile) in Senoia, GA on Oct. 14
Rome Speedway (1/2-mile) in Rome, GA on Oct. 15

ONLINE   
Senoia Raceway: www.senoiaraceway1969.com

Rome Speedway: www.raceromespeedway.com

TRACK RECORDS
Senoia Raceway: 12.684 by Brandon Overton 
Rome Speedway: 12.789 by Billy Moyer

On the Internet   
World of Outlaws CASE Late Models Series   
Twitter – Twitter.com/WoOLateModels – @WoOLateModels   
Instagram – Instagram.com/WoOLateModels – @woolatemodels   
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsLateModelSeries   
YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws   
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month   

FEATURE WINNERS: (14 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

1. Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-14
2. Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-3
   Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-3
   Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-3
3. Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-2
   Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-2
4. Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-1
   Cory Hedgecock, Loudon, TN-1
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
   Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC-1
   Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-1
   Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL-1
   Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1
   Ricky Thornton Jr., Martinsville, IN-1

HEAT RACE WINNERS (38 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

1. Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-21
2. Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-17
3. Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-9
   Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-9
4. Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL-8
5. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-7
6. Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-6
   Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC-5
7. Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-5
8. Ricky Thornton Jr, Martinsville, IN-4
   Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-4
   Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-4
9. Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY-3
   Drake Troutman, Hyndman, PA-3
   Tanner English, Benton, KY-3
10. Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-2
    Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-2
    Gordy Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-2
    Max Blair, Centerville, PA-2
    Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, PA-2
    Todd Cooney, Des Moines, IA-2
    Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-2
    Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-2
11. Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-1
    Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-1
    Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
    Jensen Ford, Johnson City, TN-1
    Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA-1
    Chris Ferguson, Mt. Holly, NC-1
    Mike Norris, Sarver, PA-1
    Doug Drown, Wooster, OH-1
    Ryan Montgomery, Fairmont, WV-1
    Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, NM-1
    Daniel Hilsabeck, Earlham, IA-1
    Daulton Wilson, Fayetteville, NC-1
    Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL-1
    Jake Timm, Winona, MN-1
    Adam Stricker, Batavia, OH-1
    Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL-1

LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (41 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

1. Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-5
2. Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-4
3. Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, NM-3
   Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-3
4. Mark Whitener, Middleburg, FL-2
   Chub Frank, Bear Lake, PA-2
   Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-2
   Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, NM-2
   Daulton Wilson, Fayetteville, NC-2
   Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL-2
   Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-2
   Chad Simpson, Mt. Vernon, IA-2
   Garrett Smith, Eatonton, GA-2
   Jesse Wisecarver, Zanesville, OH-2
   Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC-2
5. Jimmy Owens, Newport, TN-1
   Tanner English, Benton, KY-1
   Mike Norris, Sarver, PA-1
   Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-1
   Ricky Thornton, Jr, Martinsville, IN-1
   Mike Spatola, Manhattan, IL-1
   Carson Ferguson, Concord, NC-1
   Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, NM-1
   Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, PA-1
   Alex Ferree, Saxonburg, PA-1
   Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1
   Dan Stone, Thompson, PA-1
   Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL-1
   Kip Hughes, Enid, OK-1
   Daniel Hilsabeck- Earlham, IA-1
   Tad Pospisil, Norfolk, NE-1
   Donny Schatz, Fargo, ND-1
   Shane Edginton, East St. Paul, MB-1
   Dustin Sorensen, Rochester, MN-1
   James Rice, Verona, KY-1
   Jake Timm, Winona, MN-1
   Ethan Dotson, Bakersfield, CA-1
   Dustin Sorensen, Rochester, MN-1
   Dillon McCowan, Urbana, MO-1
   Matt Lux, Franklin, PA-1
   Cody Laney, Torrance, CA-1
   Gordy Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-1
   Adam Stricker, Batavia, OH-1
   Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-1
   Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-1

PODIUM FINISHES (22 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Podiums

1. Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-21
2. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-12
3. Tanner English, Benton, KY-9
   Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-9
4. Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-7
   Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-7
5. Ricky Thornton Jr., Martinsville, IN-6
6. Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-5
   Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC-5
7. Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY-3
   Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-3
   Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-3
   Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-3
   Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL-3
8. Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-2
9. Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
   Cory Hedgecock, Loudon, TN-1
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
   Max Blair, Centerville, PA-1
   Dustin Sorensen, Rochester, MN-1
   Jimmy Owens, Newport, TN-1
   Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-1

FOX FACTORY HARD CHARGER (15 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – H.C.

1. Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-7
2. Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-5
3. Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-4
4. Gordy Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-2
   Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL-2
   Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-2
5. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-1
   Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-1
   Ricky Thornton Jr., Martinsville, IN-1
   Wil Herrington, Hawkinsville, GA-1
   Tanner English, Benton, KY-1
   Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA-1
   Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL-1
   Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-1
   Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-1
   Todd Cooney, Des Moines, IA-1
   Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-1
   Tyler Erb, New Waverly, TX-1

SIMPSON RACING PRODUCTS QUICK TIMES (14 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTs

1. Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-5
   Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-5
   Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-5
2. Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-4
3. Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-3
4. Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-3
5. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-2
6. Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-1
   Drake Troutman, Hyndman, PA-1
   Jake Timm, Winona, MN-1
   Mike Norris, Sarver, PA-1
   Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-1
   Kyle Bronson, Brandon FL-1
   Daniel Hilsabeck, Earlham, IA-1
   Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC-1
   Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-1
   Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL-1

CASE FEATURE LAP LEADERS (26 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Laps Led

1. Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-564
2. Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-182
3. Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-134
4. Tanner English, Benton, KY-82
5. Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC-80
6. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-79
7. Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-77
8. Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-65
9. Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY-60
10. Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-55
11. Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-40
12. Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL-35
13. Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-29
14. Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-28
15. Ricky Thornton Jr., Martinsville, IN-25
16. Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-15
    Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-15
17. Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, PA-14
18. Cory Hedgecock, Loudon, TN-10
19. Ryan Montgomery, Fairmont, WV-6
    Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-6
    Adam Stricker, Batavia, OH-6
20. Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-4
21. Gordy Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-1
    Dustin Sorensen, Rochester, MN-1

2023 World of Outlaws Late Model Schedule & Winners

1. Thursday, Jan. 19 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Devin Moran (1)
2. Friday, Jan. 20/ Volusia Speedway Park/ Barberville, FL/ Devin Moran (2)
3. Thursday, Feb. 16/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Bobby Pierce (1)
4. Saturday, Feb. 18/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/Hudson O’Neal (1)
5. Thursday, April 20/ 411 Motor Speedway/ Seymour, TN/ Cory Hedgcock (1)
6. Friday, April 21/ Talladega Short Track/ Eastaboga, AL/ Tanner English, Kyle Bronson/Brandon Overton*
7. Saturday, April 22/ Talladega Short Track/ Eastaboga, AL/ Brandon Overton (1)
8. Thursday, May 4/Mississippi Thunder Speedway/Fountain City, WI/Brandon Sheppard, Cade Dillard*
9. Friday, May 19/Marion Center Raceway/Marion Center, PA/Ryan Gustin(1)
10. Tuesday, May 23/ Stateline Speedway/Busti, NY/ Nick Hoffman (1)
11. Thursday, May 25/ Sharon Speedway/ Hartford, OH/Chris Madden (1)
12. Friday, May 26/Sharon Speedway/Hartford, OH/Ryan Gustin (2)
13. Saturday, May 27/Sharon Speedway/Hartford, OH/Chris Madden (2)
14. Thursday, June 1/ Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL/Bobby Pierce (2)
15. Friday, June 2/ Tri-City Speedway/Granite City, IL/Kyle Bronson (1)
16. Saturday, June 3/ Paducah International Raceway/Paducah, KY/Brian Shirley (1)
17. Friday, June 23/81 Speedway/Wichita, KS/ Brandon Sheppard, Bobby Pierce*
18. Saturday, June 24/81 Speedway/ Wichita, KS/ Dennis Erb Jr. (1)
19. Sunday, June 25/ Off Road Speedway/ Norfolk, NE/ Bobby Pierce (3)
20. Tuesday, June 27/ Mason City Motor Speedway/Mason City, IA/ Bobby Pierce (4)
21. Thursday, June 29/ Red River Valley Speedway/West Fargo, ND/ Mike Marlar (1)
22. Friday, June 30/ River Cities Speedway/Grand Forks, ND/ Ryan Gustin (3)
23. Saturday, July 1/ I-94 emr Speedway/ Fergus Falls, MN/ Bobby Pierce (5)
24. Friday, July 14/ Ponderosa Speedway/ Junction City, KY/ Mike Marlar (2)
25. Saturday, July 29/ Fairbury Speedway/ Fairbury, IL/ Ricky Thornton Jr. (1)
26. Tuesday, Aug. 1/Boone Speedway/Boone, IA/Bobby Pierce (6)
27. Thursday, Aug. 3/Cedar Lake Speedway, New Richmond, WI/Bobby Pierce (7)
28. Friday, Aug. 4/Cedar Lake Speedway/ New Richmond, WI/Chris Madden (3)
29. Saturday, Aug. 5/Cedar Lake Speedway/New Richmond, WI/Bobby Pierce (8)
30. Thursday, Aug. 24, Davenport Speedway/ Davenport, IA/Bobby Pierce (9)
31. Friday, Aug. 25, Davenport Speedway/Davenport, IA/Bobby Pierce (10)
32. Saturday, Aug. 26, Davenport Speedway/Davenport, IA/Brandon Sheppard (1)
33. Friday, Sept. 1, Mississippi Thunder Speedway/Fountain City, WI/Brandon Sheppard (2)
34. Saturday, Sept. 2, Deer Creek Speedway/ Spring Valley, MN/Bobby Pierce (11)
35. Friday, Sept. 29, Atomic Speedway/Chillicothe, OH/Mike Marlar (3)
36. Saturday, September 30, Atomic Speedway, Chillicothe, OH/ Bobby Pierce (12)
37. Friday, October 6, Brownstown Speedway, Brownstown, IN/Bobby Pierce (13)
38. Saturday, October 7, Fairbury Speedway, Fairbury, IL/Bobby Pierce (14)

ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 11, 2023) – Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster team enter this weekend’s Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex sitting within striking distance at seventh in the points standings, just 138 points back from the lead with three events left in the season. Force and her Flav-R-Pac team are still looking for their first win of the season, but they have picked up four No. 1 qualifying positions and made four semifinal appearances while also picking up a runner-up finish in Topeka, Kansas. A solid weekend at Texas Motorplex just outside of Dallas would put the Flav-R-Pac team back in the thick of a heated points battle. “We head to the Stampede of Speed next in Ennis, Texas and this entire Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team is excited to get there. It’s a fun event; it’s filled from the start of the week to the end of the weekend with a fanfest, fifteen thousand dollars is on the line for being low of Friday and then raceday on Sunday,” Force said. “We are looking forward to getting this team back out there, making some good runs, chasing down some money, making up some ground to move up in the standings and having some fun while we’re doing it.” Force is the Texas Motorplex track record holder for both time at 3.637 seconds set on Oct. 8, 2021, and speed at 336.30 mph set on Oct. 16, 2022. Force and the Flav-R-Pac team have qualified No. 1 for the Texas FallNationals in two of their last three appearances (2019 and 2021) and won the event in 2017 from the No. 5 spot. Last year, she started No. 3 and had a quarterfinal exit. Competition at the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex begins with qualifying Friday at 5 and 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 and 5 p.m. Eliminations will begin Sunday at noon. Television coverage of the event will air Sunday on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with a qualifying show at 1 p.m. ET and eliminations at 3 p.m. ET.

OCALA, FL (October 11, 2023) — Josh Hart will be rolling into the Texas Motorplex looking to recapture his early season momentum. The team owner and driver has been battling a variety of issues throughout the first three races of the playoffs and the always optimistic entrepreneur has his eyes set on reversing his luck during the Stampede of Speed and NHRA Texas Fall Nationals. Driving the Brakes for Breasts Top Fuel dragster Hart is eager to get on track for four qualifying runs.

“I am glad we are getting two runs on Friday and two on Saturday,” said Hart. “Every team needs as much data as possible and when you only get one run on Friday it makes for a long day and honestly if you don’t make a hero run you are out of luck. It puts you behind and it’s tough to catch up. Our plan is to roll off the trailer on Friday and take advantage of that first run. Hopefully it sets us up to make a run at that low ET bonus money the track puts up.”

On Friday night Hart and the rest of the Top Fuel field will be running for a $15,000 bonus put up as part of the Friday Night Live qualifying night. The money is presented to the team that makes the quickest run of the second qualifying session. Throughout the session the driver that has the lowest elapsed time has the money and a seat on the low ET saddle at the top end of the race track. They hold onto the money and the seat in the saddle until someone runs quicker or they win the bonus.

“When you roll up to the starting line you are focused on the task at hand, but you also take a quick peak at the jumbotron to see who is in the saddle,” said Hart, a two-time Top Fuel nationals event winner. “I would love to grab that $15,000 and add it to our Pep Boys Top Fuel Allstar Callout winnings. The Texas Motorplex has a ton going on this weekend from a huge Fanfest on Thursday to the Friday Night Live to just the whole atmosphere at the track. It is one of the biggest races of the year and one I definitely want to win.”

This season has seen Hart win the Pep Boys Top Fuel Allstar Callout at the Gatornationals and race to the final round of the Gerber Collision & Glass Rt 66 Nationals outside of Chicago. Those two highlights have bracketed some close calls and narrow margins of defeat in the semifinal rounds of a handful of races.

“We have come up on the wrong side to too many races this season,” said Hart. “I have put all that behind me and I am looking at these last three races as a mini playoff. I want to try and move up as high as possible in Dallas and Las Vegas. You never know what can happen in Pomona with 30 points available per round. The key will be having a good race at the Texas Fall Nationals. I know we have the team that can get it done.”

The Brakes for Breasts Top Fuel dragster will be in action this weekend and at the end of the month at the Nevada Nationals from The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. For the third consecutive season NHRA Top Fuel championship contender Hart will be racing pink in support of the Brakes for Breasts charity campaign aligned with his primary sponsor TechNet Professional, an elite network of automotive repair shops across North America.
 
Hart and his team are also raising money through the sale of special edition Brakes for Breasts T-shirts on the team’s website. Fans can click here to purchase. All proceeds from the sale of the T-shirts and specialty caps will go to Brakes for Breasts. Hart hopes his efforts with the Brakes for Breasts Top Fuel dragster and the additional social and media promotion will help raise awareness around the 1 in 8 women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Donations from fans and TechNet customers are funding critical research to put the brakes on breast cancer, with 100% of donations going toward funding the breast cancer vaccine research fund at the Cleveland Clinic. Since 2019, TechNet Professional shops have raised over $90,000 for this great cause and fans can donate directly to TechNet Nation’s team donation page here.
 
Hart will be on track looking to put his Brakes for Breasts Top Fuel dragster at the top of the field starting on Friday at 5 p.m. with his first qualifying run followed by a second run at 8 p.m. On Saturday Hart will take to the track at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. The final eliminations for the quickest 16 Top Fuel teams will commence at noon on Sunday with the race broadcast airing nationally on FS1.

Avedisian leads McIntosh by 11 points heading into final three-race weekend

TULSA, OK (Oct. 10, 2023) – Twenty-nine races in the books, and it all comes down to this. Championship weekend for the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota is here.

The battle for the $25,000 championship title has reached its boiling point. Frontrunner Jade Avedisian took the lead in the standings by 11 points over Cannon McIntosh following the main event at Red Hill Raceway four weeks ago and will lead the charge into Oklahoma for the final three races of the season this Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 12-14.

The high-banked, 1/8-mile bullring of Port City Raceway will kick things off Thursday night with the fourth running of the Donnie Ray Crawford Sooner State 55, featuring a 55-lap, $5,555-to-win main event that honors the late Oklahoma Micro Sprint and Midget racer who was killed in 2012.

The Series pivots to Oklahoma City for racing Friday-Saturday at I-44 Riverside Speedway in the 19th annual Charlene Meents Memorial, honoring the late MARA Midget Series staff member with back-to-back 30-lap Feature events to cap the season – $4,000 to Friday’s winner and $5,000-to-win Saturday. A formal celebration will be held in Victory Lane following Saturday’s program, where the 2023 Xtreme Outlaw Series champion will be crowned.

All three events are co-sanctioned by the POWRi National and POWRi West Midget Leagues, which will also crown their season champions at the conclusion of Saturday’s main event. Additionally, the Xtreme Outlaw-POWRi Challenge Series champion will be recognized for their efforts in co-sanctioned races throughout the year, awarding a $2,500 bonus check to the driver atop the final points standings of the 11-race slate.

Tickets for all three events will be on sale at the gate on race day. If you can’t make it to the track, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

Here are the drivers to watch and storylines to follow this weekend:

A CHANCE FOR HISTORY – Carrying an 11-point lead in the standings, Jade Avedisian heads into the final race weekend with a chance to make motorsports history and become the first-ever female national Midget series champion.

The 17-year-old racer from Clovis, CA, has piloted the Mobil 1, LynK/Toyota #71 for Keith Kunz Motorsports to five Feature wins, 14 top-fives and 23 top-10 finishes in 26 starts so far this year. A fourth-place run in the most recent Series event at Red Hill Raceway four weeks ago boosted her back into the points lead for the first time since August, marking the third time she and Cannon McIntosh have swapped the points lead this season.

One year ago, Avedisian came into Xtreme Outlaw championship weekend and did not get off to the start she wanted, finishing ninth at Port City and 13th in the first night at I-44. However, she rebounded Saturday night and triumphed over the Xtreme Outlaw/POWRi field for the second time that season, leading all 35 laps to score the win in the season finale at I-44.

Since that night, she’s developed her skills immensely, working with KKM car chief Jarrett Martin throughout the 2023 season to become a heavy favorite to win the points championship.

STILL IN THE GAME – Though he’s lost the Series points lead, Cannon McIntosh’s hopes of winning the Series championship are still alive and well.

McIntosh, 20, of Bixby, OK, dropped back 11 points behind Avedisian following a sixth-place finish in the last Series event at Red Hill and now faces an uphill battle to win his first career national Midget series championship. Fortunately, he’ll be among the most experienced drivers on the roster this weekend, having grown up racing Micro Sprints at Port City and being a multi-time Midget Feature winner there as well as I-44.

McIntosh won two POWRi West/National Midget races at Port City in 2020 and was scheduled to start inside Row 2 in last year’s Xtreme/POWRi Feature before dropping out early due to mechanical problems. At I-44, he’s a two-time POWRi Feature winner (2018, 2020), and won the Xtreme Outlaw debut at the 1/5-mile last year.

ALL ABOUT THE TEAM – Rarely in motorsports is a different driver and owner hoisting a championship trophy at season’s end. But there is potential for it this year with the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series, as Zach Daum and Trifecta Motorsports currently sit 21 points out of the lead in the Series’ team points standings.

After Daum replaced Kyle Jones in the seat of the #7U car in June, he’s not only kept Trifecta in the hunt for the team championship, but also ascended his own name into the running for the drivers championship. With nine-straight top-five finishes in the last 10 Series events, he’s climbed back from what was a 278-point deficit at the end of May to where he now sits 67 points from the top of the top of the drivers standings.

Over championship weekend, Trifecta will field two cars for the first time this season in Xtreme Outlaw events. Daum will pilot the flagship Blackjack Express, Spike/Stanton #7U, while Micro Sprint racer Peter Smith, of Las Cruces, NM, will take control of the RVB Express, Spike/Stanton #5U in his national Midget series debut at Port City.

NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS – The POWRi National and POWRi West Midget Leagues wrap up their 2023 seasons alongside the Xtreme Outlaws on Saturday at I-44. Cannon McIntosh currently leads the POWRi National standings by 120 over Karter Sarff with a shot to take the $15,000 champion’s check after Saturday’s main event.

POWRi’s championship weekend begins with a visit to Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, OK, on Wednesday, Oct. 11, and will finish-up with the three remaining co-sanctioned events with the Xtreme Outlaws Thursday-Saturday. The main event Saturday at I-44 will also mark the final race of the Xtreme Outlaw-POWRi Challenge Series, which consisted of all 11 co-sanctioned races between the two national tours in 2023, and awards $2,500 to the driver with the most points in the separately kept standings at the end of the Feature.

Zach Daum currently leads the Challenge Series standings by five points over Jade Avedisian. POWRi West Midget League points leader Michelle Decker, of Guthrie, OK, is also projected to be in attendance to clinch her first career POWRi championship.

ANYBODY’S GAME – While the championship battle has largely revolved around Avedisian and McIntosh this season, each of the top five drivers in the Xtreme Outlaw standings are mathematically still in contention to win the title.

Jade Avedisian, Cannon McIntosh, Gavin Miller, Zach Daum and Chase McDermand have all combined for 21 Feature wins in the 26 Xtreme Outlaw Series races contested thus far. That’s over 80 percent distributed across five drivers, and any one of them could win any of the remaining races. To add to that – Daum, McIntosh and Avedisian swept the three championship weekend Features across both tracks last year. However, there is one other Xtreme Outlaw full-timer that will be a heavy favorite to win this weekend.

Taylor Reimer currently sits one spot outside of the top five in points. The 23-year-old from Tulsa, OK, returns to Port City Thursday night – her home track, one she’s won numerous Micro Sprint Features at prior to the hiatus from motorsports she took nearly 10 years ago. In last year’s running of the Sooner State 55, she advanced 10 positions in the main event from her 18th starting spot to finish 10th.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

When and where
Thursday, Oct. 12 at Port City Raceway in Tulsa, OK
Friday-Saturday, Oct. 13-14 at I-44 Riverside Speedway in Oklahoma City, OK

On the internet
Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota
Twitter – @Xtreme_Outlaw
Instagram – @XtremeOutlaw
Facebook – @XtremeOutlawSeries.WRG

Live broadcast
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com. Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month.

Current championship points standings (view full standings)

1. Jade Avedisian: 5369 points | Keith Kunz Motorsports #71
2. Cannon McIntosh: 5358 (-11) points | Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports #08
3. Gavin Miller: 5309 points (-60) | Keith Kunz Motorsports #97
4. Zach Daum: 5302 points (-67) | Trifecta Motorsports #7U
5. Chase McDermand: 5269 points (-100) | Mounce/Stout Motorsports #40
6. Taylor Reimer: 5125 points (-244) | Keith Kunz Motorsports #25K
7. Hayden Reinbold: 4629 points (-740) | Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports #19AZ
8. Austin Barnhill: 3251 points (-2118) | Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports #17B
9. Chance Crum: 2910 points (-2459) | Rudeen Racing #26
10. Ethan Mitchell: 2497 points (-2872) | Bundy Built Motorsports #19M

Toyota Feature winners (9 drivers)
6 wins – Chase McDermand (Mounce/Stout Motorsports)
5 wins – Jade Avedisian (Keith Kunz Motorsports), Zach Daum (Trifecta Motorsports)
4 wins – Cannon McIntosh (Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports)
2 wins – Karter Sarff (Sarff Racing)
1 win – Jesse Love (Chad Boat Industries), Daniel Whitley (Abacus Racing), Daison Pursley (Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports), Gavin Miller (Keith Kunz Motorsports)

Toyota Feature laps led (18 drivers)
101 laps – Jade Avedisian
88 laps – Zach Daum
95 laps – Cannon McIntosh
112 laps – Chase McDermand
72 laps – Ryan Timms
59 laps – Daniel Whitley
46 laps – Karter Sarff
45 laps – Gavin Miller
33 laps – Kyle Jones
30 laps – Daison Pursley
26 laps – Thomas Meseraull
22 laps – Shane Cottle
21 laps – Ashton Torgerson
11 laps – Hayden Reinbold
6 laps – Taylor Reimer
4 laps – Jesse Love
1 lap – Nick Drake, Brayton Lynch

Whitz RC Racing Products Quick Time Awards (15 drivers)
5 awards – Chase McDermand
4 awards – Cannon McIntosh
2 awards – Ethan Mitchell, Daniel Whitley, Zach Daum, Ryan Timms, Taylor Reimer
1 award – Gavin Miller, Hayden Reinbold, Jesse Love, Kevin Thomas Jr, Joe B. Miller, Corbin Rueschenberg, Briggs Danner, Jade Avedisian

Heat Race winners (24 drivers)
11 wins – Chase McDermand
9 wins – Jade Avedisian 
8 wins – Cannon McIntosh, Zach Daum
5 wins – Hayden Reinbold
4 wins – Gavin Miller
3 wins – Ethan Mitchell, Daison Pursley
2 wins – Chance Crum, Nick Drake, Corbin Rueschenberg, Andrew Felker, Daniel Whitley, Ryan Timms, Kyle Jones
1 win – Austin Barnhill, Shane Cottle, Thomas Meseraull, Rico Abreu, Briggs Danner, Chase Johnson, Daniel Adler, Taylor Reimer, Brayton Lynch

High-points honors (15 drivers)
4 honors – Cannon McIntosh
3 honors – Chase McDermand
2 honors – Daniel Whitley, Jade Avedisian, Gavin Miller
1 honor – Chance Crum, Rico Abreu, Landon Brooks, Briggs Danner, Hayden Reinbold, Kyle Jones, Andrew Felker, Daison Pursley, Zach Daum, Ryan Timms

Last Chance Showdown wins (13 drivers)
2 wins – Kyle Jones
1 win – Landon Brooks, Karter Sarff, Howard Moore, Ryan Timms, Taylor Reimer, Henry Chambers, Chance Crum, Chase Briscoe, Mitchell Davis, Cannon McIntosh, Corbin Rueschenberg, Daniel Adler

DIRTVision Hard Charger Awards (19 drivers)
2 awards – Hayden Reinbold, Kyle Jones, Taylor Reimer, Zach Daum, Cannon McIntosh, Chase McDermand, Jade Avedisian
1 award – Mitchel Moles, Chase Johnson, Ryan Timms, Chance Crum, Gavan Boschele, Shane Cottle, Cooper Williams, Jerry Coons Jr, Steve Buckwalter, Gavin Miller, Trevor Cline, Brayton Lynch

Podium finishes (17 drivers)
12 podiums – Zach Daum
11 podiums – Chase McDermand
10 podiums – Cannon McIntosh, Jade Avedisian
9 podiums – Gavin Miller
7 podiums – Taylor Reimer
3 podiums – Daniel Whitley, Ryan Timms
2 podiums – Shane Cottle, Kyle Jones, Hayden Reinbold, Karter Sarff
1 podium – Thomas Meseraull, Ashton Torgerson, Landon Brooks, Jesse Love, Jerry Coons Jr, Daison Pursley

Top-10 finishes (49 drivers)
24 top-10s – Cannon McIntosh, Gavin Miller
23 top-10s – Jade Avedisian
22 top-10s – Zach Daum
21 top-10s – Chase McDermand
18 top-10s – Taylor Reimer
10 top-10s – Hayden Reinbold
9 top-10s – Chance Crum
8 top-10s – Kyle Jones
7 top-10s – Ethan Mitchell
6 top-10s – Ryan Timms, Karter Sarff
5 top-10s – Landon Brooks, Daniel Whitley, Austin Barnhill, Cooper Williams, Thomas Meseraull
4 top-10s – Gavan Boschele, Corbin Rueschenberg
3 top-10s – Chase Johnson, Briggs Danner, Trevor Cline, Mitchell Davis
2 top-10s – Shane Cottle, Chase Briscoe, Kevin Thomas Jr, Branigan Roark, Andrew Felker, Jerry Coons Jr, Mariah Ede, Daison Pursley, Tim Buckwalter, Kyle Beilman, Brayton Lynch
1 top-10 – Mitchel Moles, Daniel Adler, Sam Johnson, Rico Abreu, Ashton Torgerson, Don Droud Jr, Nick Drake, Jesse Love, Trey Marcham, Joe B. Miller, Preston Lattomus, Bryan Stanfill, Dekota Gay, Joe Wirth, Gunnar Setser

2023 Schedule & Winners – Race No. Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Fri, March 10 / Southern Illinois Center / Du Quoin, IL / Cannon McIntosh (1)
2. Sat, March 11 / Southern Illinois Center / Du Quoin, IL / Jade Avedisian (1)
3. Fri, April 14 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Cannon McIntosh (2)
4. Fri, May 5 / Humboldt Speedway / Humboldt, KS / Chase McDermand (1)
5. Sat, May 6 / 81 Speedway / Park City, KS / Chase McDermand (2)
6. Tue, May 22 / Millbridge Speedway / Salisbury, NC / Cannon McIntosh (3)
7. Wed, May 23 / Millbridge Speedway / Salisbury, NC / Cannon McIntosh (4)
8. Thu, June 1 / Tri-City Speedway / Pontoon Beach, IL / Jesse Love (1)
9. Fri, June 2 / Wayne County Speedway / Wayne City, IL / Zach Daum (1)
10. Sat, June 3 / Wayne County Speedway / Wayne City, IL / Zach Daum (2)
11. Fri, July 21 / Doe Run Raceway / Doe Run, MO / Zach Daum (3)
12. Sat, July 22 / Southern Illinois Raceway / Marion, IL / Jade Avedisian (2)
13. Sat, July 29 / Atomic Speedway / Chillicothe, OH / Jade Avedisian (3)
14. Sun, July 30 / Brushcreek Motorsports Complex / Peebles, OH / Daniel Whitley (1)
15. Fri, Aug. 4 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Karter Sarff (1)
16. Sat, Aug. 5 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Jade Avedisian (4)
17. Tue, Aug. 8 / Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway / Newmanstown, PA / Chase McDermand (3)
18. Wed, Aug. 9 / Action Track USA / Kutztown, PA / Chase McDermand (4)
19. Fri, Aug. 11 / Path Valley Speedway Park / Spring Run, PA / Daison Pursley (1)
20. Fri, Aug. 25 / Davenport Speedway / Davenport, IA / Zach Daum (4)
21. Sat, Aug. 26 / Davenport Speedway / Davenport, IA / Gavin Miller (1)
22. Fri, Sept. 1 / Paragon Speedway / Paragon, IN / Zach Daum (5)
23. Sat, Sept. 2 / Paragon Speedway / Paragon, IN / Jade Avedisian (5)
24. Fri, Sept. 15 / Jacksonville Speedway / Jacksonville, IL / Karter Sarff (2)
25. Sat, Sept. 16 / Highland Speedway / Highland, IL / Chase McDermand (5)
26. Sun, Sept. 17 / Red Hill Raceway / Sumner, IL / Chase McDermand (6)

Inside Line Promotions – FRESNO, Calif. (Oct. 10, 2023) – Only one month remains on the 2023 racing schedule for Dominic Scelzi, who returns to action this weekend at a pair of tracks close to home.

Scelzi plans on racing this Friday at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif., and Saturday at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif.

“We have a lot of laps at both tracks and have won a lot of races at both tracks,” he said. “This is our last race of the year in Hanford and it’s our final tune-up for the Trophy Cup the following weekend in Tulare so we’re aiming to compete for a couple of wins this weekend.”

Friday’s show will feature both the 410ci and 360ci divisions for the make-up show of the Cotton Classic and Morrie Williams Memorial.

Scelzi has finished inside the top five during all four 410 winged sprint car main events this year at Kings Speedway, where he has one win, two third-place outings and a fifth-place finish. He also garnered results of third, fourth and 19 ^th during a trio of 360 starts.

“We’ve been competitive almost every race in Hanford this season,” he said. “It’s one of the tracks we’ve raced the most so we’re hoping for a racy track. If we can get that I feel confident we can be competitive.”

The event at Thunderbowl Raceway on Saturday is a 360 sprint car race featuring the Kings of Thunder. Scelzi has only spent one weekend at the track this season, registering a 20^th-place finish during his lone 360 start as well as a third-place run and a 10^th-place result in a pair of 410 features.

“We haven’t been able to race in Tulare since April and we had some misfortune the last time we were there,” he said. “We were leading a feature when a competitor ran into us. So we’re looking forward to getting back there and hopefully competing for a win. It’ll also be good to get tuned up for Trophy Cup, which is one of our favorite events each year.”

SEASON STATS –

46 races, 11 wins, 31 top fives, 37 top 10s, 41 top 15s, 44 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Friday at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif., and Saturday at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif.

OCALA, FL (October 10, 2023) — For the third consecutive season NHRA Top Fuel championship contender Josh Hart will be racing pink in support of the Brakes for Breasts charity campaign aligned with his primary sponsor TechNet Professional, an elite network of automotive repair shops across North America. Hart will debut the 2023 Brakes for Breasts Top Fuel dragster at the Stampede of Speed and NHRA Texas Fall Nationals, October 6-15 at the famed Texas Motorplex, outside of Dallas, Texas. Hart will not only be chasing his first world championship in the pink 11,000 horsepower TechNet land rocket but he will also be promoting TechNet repair shops who will be raising funds for breast cancer research. Hart will also race the Brakes for Breasts Top Fuel dragster at the Nevada Nationals at the end of the month at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
 
“I am very proud to be associated with TechNet and the Brakes for Breasts program,” said Hart, a two-time Top Fuel winner. “This program does an amazing job of raising donations for breast cancer research and engaging the thousands of TechNet shops and their customers. I can’t wait to get this TechNet Top Fuel dragster on the track and into the winner’s circle. We have supported this program for a number of years and I really feel like we are making a difference.”
 
Part of the Advance Auto Parts portfolio of brands, TechNet Professional Automotive Service features a network of more than 16,000 repair shops across the U.S. and Canada. TechNet shops are locally owned and focused on delivering exceptional customer care and service. Shops that are part of TechNet Nation employ highly skilled and trained staff while also using quality parts from Carquest, DieHard® batteries and other leading brands. Shops also participate in important charitable initiatives in the communities they serve, such as Brakes for Breasts.
 
“Josh has been an incredible advocate of our Brakes for Breasts campaign, and we’re excited to feature TechNet’s involvement in the program for Josh’s next two NHRA events,” said Lauren Beaulieu, Advance’s vice president of professional marketing. “With October serving as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re hoping the presence of Josh’s car encourages NHRA fans to get screened or make a contribution to support women’s health and life-saving breast cancer vaccine research.”

 
Hart and his team are also raising money through the sale of special edition Brakes for Breasts T-shirts on the team’s website. Fans can click here to purchase. All proceeds from the sale of the T-shirts and specialty caps will go to Brakes for Breasts. Hart hopes his efforts with the Brakes for Breasts Top Fuel dragster and the additional social and media promotion will help raise awareness around the 1 in 8 women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Donations from fans and TechNet customers are funding critical research to put the brakes on breast cancer, with 100% of donations going toward funding the breast cancer vaccine research fund at the Cleveland Clinic. Since 2019, TechNet Professional shops have raised over $90,000 for this great cause.
 

Sweet and Gravel’s title battle headline The Greatest Show on Dirt’s Kansas invasionWICHITA, KS (October 10, 2023) – The home stretch of the 2023 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car campaign hits the Heartland this week.The Midwest is set to welcome The Greatest Show on Dirt one last time this year for a Kansas doubleheader. First up is the second and final trip of the season to Wichita, KS’s 81 Speedway on Friday, October 13. The next night brings the year’s lone appearance at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City for the Micro-Lite Harvest Rumble.This year’s World of Outlaws campaign is down to only seven races to go, and the intensity heats up more and more as that tally dwindles. The championship is still up for grabs. Battles throughout the standings are ongoing. And everyone wants at least one more trip to Victory Lane before the season wraps up in a month. The “Sunflower State” is the place to be this weekend as these stories continue to unfold.BUY 81 TICKETSBUY LAKESIDE TICKETSLet’s look at the weekend’s top storylines:A BATTLE BREWING: Right when it looked as if Brad Sweet might comfortably pull away to his fifth consecutive World of Outlaws championship, David Gravel said not so fast. Two nights at Port Royal Speedway saw Gravel knock 22 markers off Sweet’s advantage, bringing the gap down to a manageable 68.Sweet’s brief history at 81 Speedway has been up and down. The Grass Valley, CA native posted a top five in his first attempt there in 2017, but a Feature accident there earlier this year left him with a 14th place run, his fourth lowest finish of the season. Over at Lakeside the Kasey Kahne Racing pilot has been incredibly consistent with top 10s in all 10 of his Series attempts highlighted by a 2016 victory.Gravel has been stout at 81 Speedway in limited appearances with a pair of podiums to his credit in two Feature starts. In his last six Series starts at Lakeside, the Watertown, CT driver has missed the top 10 only once and notched his best finish at the track (third) in the most recent World of Outlaws visit last season.The duo will battle this weekend as Gravel looks to close in even more with the title-deciding World Finals on the horizon (November 1-4).HOT SAUCE: Kansas City may be known for BBQ sauce, but the city’s dirt track – Lakeside Speedway – has been all about Hot Sauce recently. The driver who goes by the spicy moniker – Giovanni Scelzi – has been on fire (pun intended) at the 4/10-mile.Two years ago, Scelzi topped the World of Outlaws at Lakeside for his third career win with The Greatest Show on Dirt and first since joining his current team – KCP Racing. The Fresno, CA native followed up that performance by leading 15 laps before finishing second in the 2022 appearance. Scelzi also topped a Lakeside race this year back in April.Scelzi and KCP roll into the Kansas weekend amid one of the best rookie campaigns in Series history. They currently reside fourth in points, and if they stay where they’re at, Scelzi will equal Jeff Swindell (1981) and Brad Doty (1982) for the best Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year season. DOUBLE DONNY: Only one active World of Outlaws competitor has won at both 81 Speedway and Lakeside Speedway, and it comes as no surprise that the driver is Donny Schatz.The pilot of the Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing #15 has not only been to Victory Lane at both facilities, he’s done so twice at each. Schatz collected checkered flags at 81 Speedway in 2006 and 2017. At Lakeside, his two victories came four years apart in 2015 & 2019.The Fargo, ND native will look to continue his winning ways at the Kansas tracks to bounce back from an fortunate weekend at Port Royal.J-MAC’S BACK: Last year leading into this weekend of racing, James McFadden was still in search of his first victory of the season aboard the Roth Motorsports #83. The Alice Springs, NTR, Australia native finally found Victory Lane in the 65th race of the season at Lakeside to deliver Dennis Roth’s 99th Series win as a car owner.Fast forward a year, and McFadden’s season looks entirely different than it did a year ago. The 34-year-old enters Kansas having already more than doubled his career World of Outlaws win total. McFadden is currently tied for the third most victories this season (six).McFadden will look to repeat at Lakeside and become the first since Steve Kinser in 2010-2011 to top back-to-back races at the Kansas City oval. A win at either track this weekend would give him sole possession of the most wins (seven) for an Australia native in a single World of Outlaws campaign.20 WINNERS?: This past weekend Tyler Courtney and Zeb Wise gave us 19 different Feature winners with the World of Outlaws in 2023, moving the Series within one of a mildly rare milestone.It’s been six years (2017) since 20 different competitors have topped a main event with The Greatest Show on Dirt. The feat has only been reached nine times in the Series’ 45 seasons of history.As far as contenders to potentially push the total to 20, a trio of current full-time Series competitors are without a win this year including two-time career Feature winner – Brock Zearfoss. Other strong competitors without a win this year that are still expected to compete again before the season’s end include Justin Peck, Cory Eliason, Parker Price-Miller, and more.If you can’t make it to the track this weekend, catch all of the racing live on DIRTVision.THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCEWHEN AND WHEREFriday, Oct. 13 at 81 Speedway in Wichita, KSSaturday, Oct. 14 at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, KSON THE INTERNETWorld of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series Twitter – @WorldofOutlaws Instagram – @WoOSprint Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsSprintCarSeries YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/monthCURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (65/72 Races):1. 49 – Brad Sweet (8802PTS) 2. 2 – David Gravel (-68PTS) 3. 41 – Carson Macedo (-128PTS) 4. 18 – Gio Scelzi (-442PTS) 5. 1S – Logan Schuchart (-446PTS) 6. 15 – Donny Schatz (-508PTS) 7. 17 – Sheldon Haudenschild (-536PTS) 8. 5 – Spencer Bayston (-742PTS) 9. 3Z – Brock Zearfoss (-1270PTS) 10. 7S – Robbie Price (-1782PTS)NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (19 Drivers):10 wins – David Gravel (Big Game Motorsports #2), Brad Sweet (Kasey Kahne Racing #49)6 wins – James McFadden (Roth Motorsports #83), Carson Macedo (Jason Johnson Racing #41), Logan Schuchart (Shark Racing #1S), Rico Abreu (Rico Abreu Racing #24)4 wins – Kyle Larson (Silva Motorsports #57)3 wins – Donny Schatz (Tony Stewart/Curb Agajanian Racing #15), Sheldon Haudenschild (Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing #17)2 wins – Buddy Kofoid (CMS Racing #11, Roth Motorsports #83JR)1 win – Brady Bacon (TKH Motorsports #21), Anthony Macri (Macri Motorsports #39), Brian Brown (Brian Brown Racing #21), Gio Scelzi (KCP Racing #18), Spencer Bayston (CJB Motorsports #5), Corey Day (Jason Meyers Racing #14), Brent Marks (Murray-Marks #19), Tyler Courtney (Clauson Marshall Racing #7BC), Zeb Wise (Rudeen Racing #26)FEATURE LAPS LED (25 Drivers):335 laps – Brad Sweet239 laps – James McFadden234 laps – Rico Abreu195 laps – Carson Macedo193 laps – David Gravel172 laps – Logan Schuchart118 laps – Kyle Larson114 laps – Buddy Kofoid108 laps – Sheldon Haudenschild102 laps – Donny Schatz62 laps – Brent Marks57 laps – Gio Scelzi40 laps – Spencer Bayston, Corey Day24 laps – Brian Brown19 laps – Tyler Courtney18 laps – Lance Dewease15 laps – Cole Macedo11 laps – Anthony Macri, Daryn Pittman10 laps – Cory Eliason3 laps – Brady Bacon, Danny Varin, Justin Peck1 lap – Austin McCarlSIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS QUICKTIME AWARDS (17 Drivers):14 QuickTimes – Carson Macedo13 QuickTimes – David Gravel5 QuickTimes – Logan Schuchart, Rico Abreu3 QuickTimes – Sheldon Haudenschild, Buddy Kofoid, Brad Sweet2 QuickTimes – Anthony Macri, Bill Balog, Justin Peck, Gio Scelzi, Tanner Holmes1 QuickTime – Brian Brown, Donny Schatz, James McFadden, Jacob Allen, Kyle LarsonHEAT RACE WINNERS (46 Drivers):29 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo28 Heat Wins – David Gravel19 Heat Wins – Brad Sweet15 Heat Wins – Logan Schuchart14 Heat Wins – Donny Schatz, James McFadden13 Heat Wins – Buddy Kofoid12 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Gio Scelzi, Rico Abreu7 Heat Wins – Spencer Bayston5 Heat Wins – Jacob Allen, Justin Peck, Brent Marks, Brian Brown4 Heat Wins – Cory Eliason3 Heat Wins – Anthony Macri, Bill Balog, Parker Price-Miller2 Heat Wins – Brock Zearfoss, Noah Gass, Kerry Madsen, Robbie Price, Tim Kaeding, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Tyler Courtney1 Heat Win – Danny Dietrich, Freddie Rahmer, Mark Dobmeier, Kasey Kahne, Austin McCarl, Lachlan McHugh, Ryan Timms, Tim Estenson, Kyle Larson, Shane Stewart, Lance Dewease, Cole Macedo, Chase Randall, Ian Madsen, Tanner Holmes, Dominic Scelzi, Kalib Henry, Dylan Bloomfield, Justin Sanders, Zeb WiseTOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (51 Drivers):44 Dashes – Carson Macedo42 Dashes – David Gravel40 Dashes – Brad Sweet30 Dashes – Logan Schuchart28 Dashes – Gio Scelzi25 Dashes – James McFadden24 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild22 Dashes – Donny Schatz, Rico Abreu18 Dashes – Spencer Bayston17 Dashes – Buddy Kofoid9 Dashes – Brent Marks8 Dashes – Jacob Allen, Cory Eliason, Brock Zearfoss7 Dashes – Justin Peck6 Dashes – Tyler Courtney, Brian Brown5 Dashes – Anthony Macri, Robbie Price, Kasey Kahne, Corey Day4 Dashes – Justin Sanders, Parker Price-Miller3 Dashes – Danny Dietrich, Kyle Larson, Cole Macedo, Tanner Holmes2 Dashes – Garet Williamson, Austin McCarl, Bill Balog, Dominic Scelzi, Aaron Reutzel, Freddie Rahmer, Lance Dewease, Devon Borden1 Dash – Brady Bacon, Chad Trout, Dylan Norris, Cap Henry, Stuart Brubaker, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Shane Stewart, Danny Varin, Ian Madsen, Shane Golobic, Kalib Henry, Dylan Bloomfield, Daryn Pittman, Sye Lynch, Zeb WiseMICROLITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (36 Drivers):4 LCS Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Spencer Bayston, Robbie Price3 LCS Wins – Noah Gass, James McFadden, Gio Scelzi2 LCS Wins – Parker Price-Miller, Logan Schuchart, Carson Macedo, Brock Zearfoss, Tim Estenson, Donny Schatz, Kerry Madsen1 LCS Win – Hunter Schuerenberg, Wayne Johnson, Ryan Timms, Ayrton Gennetten, Kraig Kinser, Freddie Rahmer, Henry Malcuit, Cole Macedo, Aaron Reutzel, Sye Lynch, Cory Eliason, Tyler Courtney, Rico Abreu, Jacob Allen, Daryn Pittman, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Jamie Veal, Kaleb Johnson, Lachlan McHugh, Tanner Holmes, Austen Wheatley, Buddy Kofoid, Danny DietrichKSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (35 Drivers):6 Hard Chargers – Sheldon Haudenschild5 Hard Chargers – James McFadden, Donny Schatz4 Hard Chargers – Brock Zearfoss, Rico Abreu, Tyler Courtney3 Hard Chargers – Brad Sweet, Logan Schuchart, Danny Dietrich2 Hard Chargers – Justin Peck, David Gravel, Spencer Bayston, Corey Day, Robbie Price1 Hard Charger – Gio Scelzi, Blake Hahn, Buddy Kofoid, Joe B. Miller, Kyle Larson, Hunter Schuerenberg, Kyle Moody, Freddie Rahmer, Skylar Gee, Cole Duncan, Austin Pierce, Brenham Crouch, Tim Kaeding, Jacob Allen, Caden Englehart, Zeb Wise, Carson Macedo, Dale Blaney, Tasker Phillips, Brent Marks, Kaleb Johnson, Tanner HolmesPODIUM FINISHES (30 Drivers):31 Podiums – David Gravel27 Podiums – Brad Sweet18 Podiums – Carson Macedo15 Podiums – Rico Abreu14 Podiums – Logan Schuchart13 Podiums – Donny Schatz10 Podiums – Sheldon Haudenschild, James McFadden9 Podiums – Buddy Kofoid7 Podiums – Gio Scelzi6 Podiums – Kyle Larson, Brent Marks4 Podiums – Spencer Bayston3 Podiums – Brian Brown, Jacob Allen, Corey Day2 Podiums – Tyler Courtney1 Podium – Danny Dietrich, Kasey Kahne, Devon Borden, Parker Price-Miller, Brady Bacon, Anthony Macri, Garet Williamson, Dave Blaney, Tanner Holmes, Justin Sanders, Dominic Scelzi, Daryn Pittman, Zeb WiseTOP 10 FINISHES (62 Drivers):57 Top 10s – Brad Sweet55 Top 10s – Carson Macedo54 Top 10s – David Gravel43 Top 10s – Gio Scelzi42 Top 10s – Logan Schuchart41 Top 10s – Sheldon Haudenschild38 Top 10s – Donny Schatz37 Top 10s – Spencer Bayston35 Top 10s – James McFadden33 Top 10s – Rico Abreu25 Top 10s – Buddy Kofoid15 Top 10s – Justin Peck14 Top 10s – Jacob Allen, Brent Marks11 Top 10s – Tyler Courtney10 Top 10s – Kasey Kahne, Cory Eliason8 Top 10s – Kyle Larson7 Top 10s – Brock Zearfoss, Danny Dietrich6 Top 10s – Brian Brown, Corey Day, Tanner Holmes5 Top 10s – Dominic Scelzi, Justin Sanders4 Top 10s – Zeb Wise, Lance Dewease3 Top 10s – Anthony Macri, Bill Balog, Cole Macedo, Chase Randall, Freddie Rahmer, Parker Price-Miller2 Top 10s – Aaron Reutzel, Blake Hahn, Brady Bacon, Robbie Price, Tim Kaeding, Shane Golobic, Dave Blaney, Dale Blaney, Cole Duncan, Daryn Pittman1 Top 10 – Devon Borden, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Joe B. Miller, Hunter Schuerenberg, Brandon Rahmer, Chad Trout, Cap Henry, Stuart Brubaker, Skylar Gee, Austin McCarl, Garet Williamson, Shane Stewart, Larry Wight, Noah Gass, Rusty Hickman, Kerry Madsen, Jason Solwold, Chase Johnson, T.J. Stutts2023 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE & WINNERS:No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)1. Fri, Feb 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (1)2. Fri, Feb 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (2)3. Sat, Feb 11* / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / James McFadden (1)4. Sun, March 5 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Carson Macedo (1)5. Mon, March 6 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / David Gravel (3)6. Sat, March 18 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Rico Abreu (1)7. Fri, March 24 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL / Buddy Kofoid (1)8. Sat, March 25 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS / Brad Sweet (1)9. Fri, March 31 / Devil’s Bowl Speedway / Mesquite, TX / Brad Sweet (2)10. Sat, April 1 / Devil’s Bowl Speedway / Mesquite, TX / James McFadden (2)11. Fri, April 7 / U.S. 36 Raceway / Osborn, MO / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)12. Sat, April 8 / 81 Speedway / Wichita, KS / Rico Abreu (2)13. Fri, April 14 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Brad Sweet (3)14. Fri, April 28 / Tri-City Speedway / Granite City, IL / David Gravel (4)15. Sat, April 29 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN / Brady Bacon (1)16. Fri, May 5 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Logan Schuchart (1)17. Sat, May 6 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Rico Abreu (3)18. Wed, May 10 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Anthony Macri (1)19. Fri, May 12 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Brad Sweet (4)20. Fri, May 19 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Donny Schatz (1)21. Sat, May 20 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH / Donny Schatz (2)22. Fri, May 26 / Atomic Speedway / Chillicothe, OH / Brad Sweet (5)23. Sat, May 27 / Atomic Speedway / Chillicothe, OH / Carson Macedo (2)24. Mon, May 29 / Lawrenceburg Speedway / Lawrenceburg, IN / James McFadden (3)25. Fri, June 2 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND / David Gravel (5)26. Sat, June 3 / Ogilvie Raceway / Ogilvie, MN / Carson Macedo (3)27. Fri, June 9 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Brian Brown (1)28. Sat, June 10 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / David Gravel (6)29. Fri, June 16 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, WI / Gio Scelzi (1)30. Sat, June 17 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, WI / Sheldon Haudenschild (2)31. Wed, June 21 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / Kyle Larson (1)32. Thurs, June 22 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / James McFadden (4)33. Fri, June 23 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / Logan Schuchart (2)34. Sat, June 24 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / David Gravel (7)35. Fri, June 30 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / Brad Sweet (6)36. Sat, July 1 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / David Gravel (8)37. Sat, July 8 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI / Carson Macedo (4)38. Tues, July 11 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Kyle Larson (2)39. Fri, July 14 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Carson Macedo (5)40. Sat, July 15 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Donny Schatz (3)41. Thurs, July 20 / BAPS Motor Speedway / York Haven, PA / David Gravel (9)42. Fri, July 21 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Logan Schuchart (3)43. Sat, July 22 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Rico Abreu (4)44. Sun, July 30 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY / David Gravel (10)45. Fri, Aug 4 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Spencer Bayston (1)46. Sat, Aug 5 / Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 / Pevely, MO / Kyle Larson (3)47. Sat, Aug 12 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Kyle Larson (4)48. Thurs, Aug 17 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / James McFadden (5)49. Fri, Aug 18 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / James McFadden (6)50. Sat, Aug 19 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / Carson Macedo (6)51. Fri, Aug 25 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND / Logan Schuchart (4)52. Sat, Aug 26 / Red River Valley Speedway / West Fargo, ND / Logan Schuchart (5)53. Thurs, Aug 31 / Skagit Speedway / Burlington, WA / Sheldon Haudenschild (3)54. Fri, Sept 1 / Skagit Speedway / Burlington, WA / Rico Abreu (5)55. Sat, Sept 2 / Skagit Speedway / Burlington, WA / Brad Sweet (7)56. Mon, Sept 4 / Grays Harbor Raceway / Elma, WA / Logan Schuchart (6)57. Sat, Sept 9 / Silver Dollar Speedway / Chico, CA / Corey Day (1)58. Fri, Sept 15 / Kings Speedway / Hanford, CA / Brad Sweet (8)59. Sat, Sept 16 / Placerville Speedway / Placerville, CA / Buddy Kofoid (2)60. Fri, Sept 22 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Rico Abreu (6)61. Sat, Sept 23 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH / Brad Sweet (9)62. Fri, Sept 29 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Brad Sweet (10)63. Sat, Sept 30 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Brent Marks (1)64. Fri, Oct 6 / Port Royal Speedway / Port Royal, PA / Tyler Courtney (1)65. Sat, Oct 7 / Port Royal Speedway / Port Royal, PA / Zeb Wise (1)

10-hour race brings end of Corvette C8.R era in IMSA championship DETROIT (October 10, 2023) – Corvette Racing will close its 25th season with a race where it badly wants to return to Victory Circle: Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and the finale of this year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The 10-hour endurance race isn’t just the close of the IMSA season; it also closes the era of the Corvette C8.R, which Corvette Racing has fielded since 2020. The race also marks a point of transition to a factory-supported effort for what will become the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R customer program for 2024 – including two Corvette GT3 cars for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports.

But first things first. There’s no better way to end the season and the life of the C8.R by winning Petit Le Mans for the first time since 2010. Full-season teammates Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor welcome back Tommy Milner with the trio sharing the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R in the GT Daytona (GTD) PRO category. Garcia and Taylor – twice winners this year – still have a remote chance to secure the GTD PRO Drivers, Manufacturers and Teams titles for themselves, Chevrolet and the No. 3 C8.R squad, respectively. A second-place points finish looks more likely as the No. 14 entry only needs to start the race to win the championship. That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to race for in the Corvette camp. A victory at 2.54-mile, 12-turn Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta would mean a first victory in Petit Le Mans for both Garcia and Milner, plus give Taylor a victory in his final event with Corvette Racing before returning to prototype competition next year. A total of 53 cars in five classes make up the entry list for the Road Atlanta round, including eight entries for GTD PRO. Add that to the roller-coaster nature of the track – plus going from day to night – and the risk for incidents and accidents goes up. That will put a premium on car consistency and reliability in addition to patience by each of the three Corvette drivers. Chevrolet On Display at Road AtlantaIn addition to the many series and events competing during the Petit Le Mans weekend, race fans will have plenty to see and experience from Chevrolet. The Chevrolet Motorsports Display will be full of Chevy vehicles that spectators can learn more about throughout the weekend. The Chevrolet Motorsports Display opens at 8 a.m. Thursday through Saturday and is located in the Fan Midway above the Road Atlanta main paddock. Numerous Chevrolet vehicles and other highlights include: • The 2024 Corvette GT3.R race car that will compete next year in IMSA, the FIA World Endurance Championship at SRO’s GT World Challenge• The 2024 Corvette E-Ray convertible and cutaway chassis, plus a Corvette C8.R engine• Additional Chevrolet products such as Colorado ZR2, Camaro ZL1 1LE, Silverado 1500 RST, Traverse Premier Redline and Tahoe Z71, plus a variety of Chevrolet Performance parts and accessories• An opportunity to receive a 2023 Chevrolet Motorsports t-shirt The 10-hour Petit Le Mans from Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is scheduled for 11:40 a.m. ET on Saturday, October 14. The race will air live on USA beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET and with the full race stream beginning at 11:35 a.m. on Peacock inside the United States and IMSA.com outside the U.S. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions beginning with Thursday’s opening practice at IMSA.com with the race call also on XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992.

CORVETTE RACING MEDIA INFORMATION Corvette Racing media information is updated and available ahead of IMSA’s Petit Le Mans from Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Materials include Corvette Racing event advance and quotes, Corvette Racing stats and figures, Corvette Racing racecar comparisons, Corvette Racing Fast Facts, driver biographies and Corvette Racing photography, among other items.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “This is the same situation as last year. Not being able win this race in the past is always in the back of my mind. We’re also coming off a poor performance at Indianapolis, which wasn’t a very promising preview. That doesn’t mean I’m giving up. I’m definitely going to go for the win. I hope we have a chance; that’s all I ask. Just to have a chance and then it’s up to us if we can manage to win or not.”End of the C8.R era: “The average results with this car have been really, really good. We managed to win very important races like Daytona, Le Mans, Sebring… I’ve managed to win two championships with Jordan and win the big races. I’m happy that I’ve been part of this project since Day One. I started testing in the simulator several years ago. Being part of the whole process of developing that car was special. I’m happy that what we’ve built and developed has gone on to win so many big races and championships.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Ever since I’ve been Antonio’s teammate, this one has always been on the top of my list and it’s been on the top of my list, as well. Usually the races you go for every year are Daytona, Sebring and Petit Le Mans plus the championship. Those all kind of stand alone as ones you want to win because they are big-ticket items. Corvette Racing hasn’t won at Road Atlanta in many years, and this must be the only race on the planet that Antonio hasn’t won; I know how badly he wants to win it. And with this being my last race with the team and the program, it would be amazing to have a nice send-off like that. Everyone is fully focused with the championship out of reach, so we can take all the risks on track and on strategy to go for the win. The C8.R has won every major endurance race that it’s done – it’s just missing Petit Le Mans. It would be amazing to check off that last box on this last weekend for this car.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It’s always felt busy around Road Atlanta because of the nature of the track, which is what makes it fun to drive and fun to race on. When you add 50-something cars, it’s going to be chaotic for sure. With it always being the last race of the year, championships on the line, and drivers and teams who are planning to get a little bit of experience before the next season show up, it all makes the race very hectic and even the practices hectic. Bu it’s always been one of my favorite events. The track is amazing and it provides an awesome atmosphere. I’m excited to back in the Corvette. I’ve been away from racing since March although I’m watching everything. But it’s different when you’re directly involved. I’m looking forward to getting back in the C8.R, go racing again and getting back into the rhythm of it.“Thankfully I haven’t been just sitting at home twiddling my thumbs during the season. I’ve been in the test car and doing quite a bit in that. More than anything, I’m excited about getting back in a racing environment. I haven’t had that since March. The urgency of getting up to speed, the urgency of getting a read on the racecar and getting back into the rhythm of having traffic to deal with… those will all be good to get back into that rhythm again. From driving the racecar, I don’t think that will be any difference. The intensity of a race weekend is what I’ve missed.”

2023 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD PRO (After 10 of 11 events)Driver Standings1. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 3,4952. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 3,3073. Daniel Juncadella/Jules Gounon – 3,2684. Klaus Bachler/Patrick Pilet – 3,2305. Alex Riberas/Ross Gunn – 3,122 Team Standings1. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 3,4952. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 3,3073. No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 3,2684. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 3,3205. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 3,122 Manufacturer Standings1. Lexus – 3,4952. Chevrolet – 3,3073. Mercedes-AMG – 3,2684. Porsche – 3,2305. Aston Martin – 3,133 CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD ATLANTA: By the Numbers• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 25 years: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette• 3: Tracks where Corvette Racing has competed in each of its 25 years: Sebring International Raceway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and as of this weekend Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta• 4: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at Road Atlanta since 1999 – Corvette C5-R (1999-04) Corvette C6.R (2005-2013), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and the new-generation Corvette C8.R (2020-current), which made its Road Atlanta debut at September’s six-hour IMSA race in 2020• 10: Number of Road Atlanta victories for Corvette Racing dating back to 2000 – eight of those at Petit Le Mans• 10: Petit Le Mans wins for Chevrolet – eight in GT and two in Prototype. That ranks third among manufacturers in event history• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001• 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen• 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship• 127: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 115 in North America, nine at Le Mans and three in the FIA WEC• 282: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999• 41,826.42: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 27 previous trips to Road Atlanta. That represents 16,690 laps or more than 653 trips around Atlanta’s Interstate 285• 360,734.30: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon and more than halfway back! Corvette Racing at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta1999No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/John Paul Jr. – 5th in GTSNo. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Scott Sharp – 4th in GTS  2000No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/Justin Bell – 3rd in GTS (Fellows pole)No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 1st in GTS 2001No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Scott Pruett – 9th in GTSNo. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 1st in GTS (Pilgrim pole) 2002No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GTSNo. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 3rd in GTS (Pilgrim fastest race lap) 2003*No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 3rd in GTSNo. 4 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins – 1st in GTS 2003No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Franck Freon – 5th in GTSNo. 4 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins/Andy Pilgrim – 3rd in GTS 2004No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Max Papis – 2nd in GTSNo. 4 Corvette C5-R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GTS (Gavin pole, fastest race lap) 2005*No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell – 1st in GT1 (O’Connell pole, fastest race lap)No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GT1 2005No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Max Papis – 6th in GT1No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1 (Beretta pole, Gavin fastest race lap) 2006No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Max Papis – 4th in GT1 (O’Connell pole)No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GT1 (Gavin fastest race lap) 2007No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GT1No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Max Papis – 1st in GT1 (Gavin fastest race lap) 2008No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O’Connell/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1 (O’Connell pole, Magnussen fastest race lap)No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Max Papis – 2nd in GT1 2009No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell/Antonio Garcia – 6th in GT2No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Marcel Fässler – 4th in GT2 2010No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Johnny O’Connell/Antonio Garcia – 6th in GTNo. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen/Emmanuel Collard – 1st in GT (Magnussen fastest race lap) 2011No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner/Antonio Garcia – 17th in GTNo. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen/Richard Westbrook – 4th in GT 2012No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTNo. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 12th in GT 2013No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 6th in GT (Garcia/Magnussen ALMS GT title)No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 10th in GT 2014No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ryan Briscoe – 8th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Ryan Briscoe – 4th in GTLM 2015No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ryan Briscoe – 6th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Ryan Briscoe – 3rd in GTLM 2016No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 4th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 3rd in GTLM (Gavin/Milner clinch GTLM title) 2017No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 2nd in GTLM (Garcia/Magnussen clinch GTLM title)No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 4th in GTLM 2018No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Marcel Fässler – 8th in GTLM (Garcia/Magnussen clinch GTLM title)No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 2nd in GTLM 2019No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 4th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 7th in GTLM 2020**No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 5th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 2nd in GTLM 2020No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 2nd in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 4th in GTLM 2021No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 6th in GTLMNo. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy/Alexander Sims – 4th in GTLM (Sims fastest race lap) 2022No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 5th in GTD PRO * Two-hour, 45 minute races** Six-hour race

10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans holds keys to manufacturer, Cadillac V-Series.R titles

DETROIT (Oct. 10, 2023) – Cadillac Racing’s objective in the 26th Motul Petit Le Mans is clear cut: finish strong to reap championship rewards. To achieve the goal of holding the hardware at the conclusion of 10 hours of exhilarating and often stress-inducing racing Oct. 14 will require finishing ahead of the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) competition.  The points are that tight entering the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season finale on the 2.54-mile, 12-turn natural terrain Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta course that opened in 1970.

Cadillac Racing sits atop the standings in three of four categories:* GTP Driver/Team Championship: The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R holds a three-point lead. Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims teamed with Jack Aitken to win at Sebring and have scored two other podium finishes and two pole starts. Points are accumulated by GTP qualifying position and race finish. * IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup: Cadillac Racing paces the GTP manufacturer field entering the fourth race of the series buoyed by the win (Sebring) and runner-up (Watkins Glen) of the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R and the third-place finish (Daytona) of the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R driven by Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande and Scott Dixon. The No. 31 Cadillac leads the Team/Driver Championship by five points, with additional points awaiting at the four-, eight- and 10-hour marks. * IMSA GTP Manufacturer Champion: Cadillac Racing held the top spot until the most recent round at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and is eight points arrears. Points are added through GTP qualifying position and race result.

Cadillac Racing media resources* Race guide: Storylines, bios, statistics, a look at the hybrid GTP car and more* Did you know? Petit Le Mans race notes* Inside look: Title contender Pipo Derani previews raceCadillac V-Series.R featured in Forza Motorsport game released today. Video preview

Cadillac Racing is aiming for its fourth IMSA Manufacturer Championship and fifth IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturer Championship since 2017. Cadillac Racing has also recorded three Driver/Team Championships, four IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Driver Championships and two IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Team Championships since 2017. Derani is seeking his second Driver Championship since 2021. “It’s going to be an amazing last race in the first year of GTP, which I think is great for the fans and the sport that we arrive with the four manufacturers fighting for the championship,” said Derani, who co-drove to runner-up finishes in the 10-hour race the past two years and won in 2019. “You have to go for the win because that’s the only way to guarantee you the championship win, so it’s going to be interesting. We wanted to arrive here with a much bigger lead, but I believe others have the same thought where during different parts of the season they gave points like we did.” Peacock will provide flag-to-flag coverage Saturday for U.S. residents (IMSA.com/TVLive outside the U.S.) starting at 11:35 a.m. ET. USA will telecast the race from 6:30-10 p.m. Peacock and IMSA.com/TVLive will air qualifications Friday at 3:15 p.m. IMSA Radio will broadcast qualifying and the race on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com. The race broadcast on SiriusXM begins at 11 a.m. Saturday (XM 207 and web/app 992). Spectators can also tune in to 98.1 FM. See the 2024 V-Series lineup Spectators can view the exciting 2024 Cadillac V-Series vehicle portfolio at the Cadillac display in the midway. Vehicles include the track-capable Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, CT4-V Blackwing, Escalade-V, and CT5-V and CT4-V sport sedans. The special Road Atlanta Track Edition CT4-V will also be on display. Display hours are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and 8:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Saturday.What they’re sayingNo. 01 Cadillac V-Series.RSebastien Bourdais: “Looking forward to the last event. It’s been a weird season for the 01 Cadillac, so it would be good to finish on a high note and get the manufacturer championship for Cadillac. It’s a long race and you have the car balanced for the day and night. A fast car during the daytime doesn’t necessarily translate to being fast in the closing hour when it counts. This track is always adding an extra factor of getting comfortable to be able to go fast, and that confidence doesn’t come easy because it’s a very flowing track but also has quick corners that require commitment. So, the confidence level needs to be there to challenge the car to get it to that level. It is even more tricky when you add the traffic component.” Renger van der Zande: “Road Atlanta never disappoints; it’s always a big show. In America, if you want to see pure racing, Petit Le Mans is the one to watch. I’m looking forward to it. Our test days (in late September) are really helpful in understanding the car – not only for Petit Le Mans but also for next year. We’re still developing the car. It’s the last race of the season, where you really want to shine. (As a two-time winner) I know this place, so hopefully we’ll have a similar result.” Scott Dixon: “I’m really looking forward to Petit. It’s a fun, but difficult race. The confines of the track are pretty tight and then you’ve got a lot of issues from Turn 3 down the Esses into Turn 5. It can create some action, so you definitely have to be on your toes to make sure you give people space and not try to hurt the car. It’s a fun track and a crazy race, one that we’ve led lots of times but just haven’t won it. It’s one of the toughest races of the IMSA season. We’re with a great team with great teammates. Hopefully, we can keep it in one piece and finish off the season well.”

No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.RPipo Derani: “It’s going to be an amazing last race in the first year of GTP, which I think is great for the fans and the sport that we arrive with the four manufacturers fighting for the championship. You have to go for the win because that’s the only way to guarantee you the championship win, so it’s going to be interesting. We wanted to arrive here with a much bigger lead, but I believe others have the same thought where during different parts of the season they gave points like we did. You’re trying to have a good car during the day, but even more important now than before is a car that will react well at the end of the race. The gap now compared to the DPi is much bigger because we have so many more things to work on this car than the DPi, so there are so many more things that will influence for better or worse in the race.” Alexander Sims: “It was good to get laps and get a feeling for the track and car and start getting an understanding of the tire (during late September test). Going into the last race is rather exciting with the situation in the championship. It creates a great story, and you understand the importance of a single position change come the end of the race. With this being my third full season in IMSA, I know too well that races can turn on their head in the blink of an eye. We can only control what we can control and do the best job possible, managing risks accordingly during the race.” Jack Aitken: “I’m enjoying working again with the whole crew. Luckily, I hadn’t been away too long, so it didn’t take too long to get back up to speed. The championship situation is an interesting one because we have three different situations. In endurance, we are leading comfortably and just need to finish it. In overall, we are leading but it’s very tight and it’s basically a winner-take-all situation. And in the manufacturer championship, we need to make up a bit of a deficit. We’ll just try to have a clean race weekend and show the speed that we know we have and that should put us in the mix for the win.”

By Joe GrabianowskiOSWEGO, NY (Oct. 9, 2023) – Matt Janczuk joined Super DIRT Week Champions like Matt Sheppard, Dave Marcuccilli, and Kyle Inman on the all-time DIRTcar Sportsman Chevrolet Performance Feature winners list Monday afternoon.Janczuk, from Oneida, NY, has been chasing a Super DIRT Week championship for years with finishes of second and fifth in his last two runs at Oswego Speedway.“This is one of the things on the bucket list that I hadn’t checked off yet,” Janczuk noted.Janczuk captured the Fratto Curbing Outside Pole Award in Time Trials putting him in prime position to take a stab at the lead on Lap 1. When the green flag dropped on the 50-lap Chevrolet Performance Feature, Janczuk seized the opportunity to drive into the corner farther than 15-year-old pole-sitter Nicholas Root.He kept his foot down on the 602 Chevrolet Performance engine under the hood and powered into the lead.“This TEO Pro Car has been so good,” Janczuk said. “I couldn’t do it without my sponsors like Billy Whittaker Cars.”Thirty-six DIRTcar Sportsman poured into Turns 1 and 2 cleanly to start the race. However, on Lap 2 disaster struck mid-pack. Ryan Dolbear, Trevor Catalano, Jason Reome, and Jason Parkhurst Jr. careened into the Turn 4 wall blocking the track and necessitating a red flag.The race stopped and started several more times without a steady groove or serious incident but each restart gave drivers a chance to make ground.“The restarts were key,” Janczuk noted . “Nick (Root) was really good. I figured if I rolled the outside and be smooth he’d go through the hole and I’d beat him to Turn 1 but it didn’t always work out.”Not only did Janczuk come away with the victory but he was also the halfway leader awarding him a 602 Chevrolet Performace Engine in addition to his winnings.“What a testament to the team and all the fans for sticking it out,” Janczuk said. “Hats off to the track crew. I looked at the track yesterday and thought we were in trouble. What a great facility and thanks to DIRTcar for putting on the show. Man, what a race.”Jessica Power, from Kingston, ON, and Mike Fowler, from Fulton, NY, battled in and out of the top three before Zach Sobotka came charging in the final 10 laps.Unfortunately for Fowler, his championship run took a hit as the left front lost air late in the race. The No. 410 did everything to stay ahead of the pack but Fowler fell to 20th.After 50 laps of DIRTcar Sportsman action, Janczuk remained cream of the crop and stood on top of the Chevrolet Performance Feature podium. Root, from Geneva, NY, finished in his wake.Root started the week winning the SRI Performance/Stock Car Steel Pole Award. However, the driver and crew were concerned about a vibration. Putting all worries aside, Root planned his foot firmly on the accelerator to bring the field to green but Janczuk jumped him and never gave him another shot.“I had the expectations that Matt Janczuk was going to be one of the ones to beat,” Root said. “I had a really good car but I started to pick up that vibration again. I got some oil on the ground over there”The young racer was calm and collected despite the high stakes. Root survived and thrived at the extended 51st Super DIRT Week.“I have to thank my crew and all my sponsors. We’ve had a great year but now we’ll finish out this last race at Brockville, maybe Middletown, and see what we can do for the rest of the season.”The Hurricane Harvey 30 winner and Brewerton Speedway Track Champion Zach Sobotka crossed the line just behind the #30 of Root.Sobotka, from Parish, NY, drove from 11th to third in the 50 laps, left wishing weather didn’t shorten the race from its original 75 laps.“All those restarts gave me opportunities to make moves,” Sobotka said. “As soon as we hit 40 laps I knew it was time to start sending her into the corner. I just got up on the wall and never lifted. It just kept sticking for me. I don’t know how we could have made the car any better there. If we had more laps we could have caught them.”Another driver who made big moves was James Michael Friesen in the No. 72f. Friesen, from St. Catharines, ON, powered up 19 positions to claim the Penske Racing Shocks Hard Charger Award for $500.The DIRTcar Sportsman Series goes to Brockville Ontario Speedway to finish off its points championship. After that, all eyes are on the World Short Track Championship at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Oct. 26-28.Chevrolet Performance Feature (50 laps)  1. 33X-Matt Janczuk[2]; 2. 30-Nicholas Root[1]; 3. 38-Zach Sobotka[11]; 4. 33-Richard Murtaugh[4]; 5. 52-Jessica Power[5]; 6. 10%-Chad Edwards[18]; 7. 21C-Tanner Warner[7]; 8. Z8-JT Sperring[13]; 9. 35-Nelson Mason[15]; 10. 01-Zach Buff[6]; 11. 115-Dylan Madsen[14]; 12. 72F-James Friesen[31]; 13. FOX28-Tyler Stevenson[24]; 14. 64-Tyler Corcoran[22]; 15. 7M-Cody McPherson[27]; 16. B24-Brendan Gibbons[29]; 17. 18E-Gavin Eisele[35]; 18. 3A-Adam Hilton[8]; 19. 10-Karl Comfort[17]; 20. 410-Mike Fowler[3]; 21. 80-Dominic Roselli[20]; 22. 92-Andrew Buff[26]; 23. 38JR-Jason Parkhurst Jr[32]; 24. 5EJ-EJ Gallup[12]; 25. 28X-Stephen Marshall[23]; 26. 2-Taylor Doxtater[33]; 27. 1X-Willy Decker Jr[19]; 28. 95-Kearra Backus[34]; 29. 8-Kevin Chaffee[10]; 30. 29-Nick Heywood[30]; 31. 02-David Boisclair[9]; 32. 27-Jason Reome[21]; 33. 54T-Trevor Catalano[16]; 34. 31B-Ryan Dolbear[25]; 35. 23T-Scott Towslee[28]; 36. 66B-Jason Bruno[36]

Super DIRT Week is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Billy Whittaker Cars and Trux, CASE Construction Equipment, Chevrolet Performance and SIS Insurance. Other Super DIRT Week sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), A-Verdi, Area Auto Racing News, ASI Race Wear, Bart Contracting Inc, Best Western Plus-Oswego, Beyea Custom Headers, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, Bicknell Racing Products, ButlerBuilt, C&S Companies, CASE No.1 Engine Oil, City of Oswego, Clarion Hotel – Oswego, Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, Dig Race Products, Empire Golf Cars, Fast Line Performance, Fast Shafts, Firebull, Fox Factory, Gypsum Express, Hoosier Racing Tire, HYTORC of New York, Integra Racing Shocks, Intercomp, iRacing, Low-E Insulation, MSD, Oswego County, Penske Shocks, Racing Electronics, SRI / SCAS, Swift Springs, Toyota, Tracey Road Equipment, Velocita, VP Racing Fuels, and Wieland.  Special thanks to New York State.

Cadillac V-Series.R to carry over with two GTP cars in IMSA, one Hypercar in WEC

DETROIT (Oct. 9, 2023) — Cadillac Racing will roar into the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship seasons with the same car count as 2023. The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R and No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R will be on the grid for the nine-race IMSA Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) campaign that begins in January with the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The sister No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R will contest the eight-race FIA WEC season that begins in March in Qatar as Cadillac Racing’s sole Hypercar entry. Additional Cadillac Racing entries for the 92nd edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June will be announced by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.

“We’re very excited to dive into the second year of our Cadillac V-Series.R program. We are very proud of what we accomplished in the first year and we’ve learned so much racing in two series. We have a great foundation to build on,” said Laura Wontrop Klauser, GM sports car racing program manager. “Having 2024 as a carry-over year will allow us the opportunity to focus entirely on the car and understanding it better instead of having to balance car learning with new team and new series learning as we did in 2023.” Cadillac sits atop the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturer standings and is a close second in the IMSA GTP Manufacturer Championship entering the Petit Le Mans season finale Oct. 14 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Cadillac entries have recorded two victories, five other podiums and two pole starts through eight races. The GM luxury brand has compiled 29 wins since 2017 in IMSA and WEC prototype competition and 68 overall in North American sports car racing. The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R, with co-drivers Pipo Derani, Jack Aitken and Alexander Sims, leads both the IMSA GTP Driver/Team Championship and IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTP Driver/Team standings.  Cadillac is fourth in the WEC Manufacturers’ Championship following the Six Hours of Fuji on Sept. 10 in its maiden trip through the WEC calendar. The season concludes Nov. 4 with the Eight Hours of Bahrain at the Bahrain International Circuit. Cadillac Racing made a resounding return to Le Mans after a 21-year absence with the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R earning a podium finish and the No. 3 Cadillac V-Series.R placing fourth in the centenary race. The Cadillac V-Series.R is Cadillac’s third-generation prototype racecar and represents the fifth generation of the brand’s storied V-Series production vehicle lineup that includes the Cadillac Escalade-V and track-capable CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing. Cadillac Racing highlights Cadillac total wins in all classes/series since 2000: 68Cadillac total podiums in all classes/series since 2000: 221  IMSA GTP (5)  IMSA DPi (84)  FIA WEC (1)  World Challenge (126)  American Le Mans Series (5)Cadillac Manufacturer Championships in all series: 8   IMSA DPi (2021, 2018, 2017)   Pirelli World Challenge GT (2014, 2013, 2012)   SPEED World Challenge GT (2007, 2005)IMSA DPi Driver Championships: 2021, 2018, 2017IMSA DPi Team Championships: 2021, 2018, 2017IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Manufacturer Champion: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Driver Championships: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Team Championships: 2018, 2017Pirelli World Challenge GT Driver Championships: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012SPEED World Challenge GT Driver Championship: 2005

NASCAR CUP SERIES CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY R.C.BANK OF AMERICA ROVAL 400 TEAM CHEVY RACE WIN RECAP OCTOBER 8, 2023 Allmendinger Claims the Victory at the Charlotte ROVAL; Byron and Larson Advance to Round of Eight

·       Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger scored the first playoff upset of the season – taking his No. 16 Celsius Camaro ZL1 to the victory in the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.  ·       A four time winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, Allmendinger has now recorded 14 career road course victories at the NASCAR national level, with three coming in NASCAR’s premier series.   ·       Allmendinger delivered Chevrolet its series-leading fourth NASCAR Cup Series victory in the series’ sixth appearance at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.  ·       Chevrolet continues to lead the series with 16 NASCAR Cup Series victories this season, and 849 all-time victories in NASCAR’s premier series.  ·       Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson advanced to the NASCAR Cup Series Round of Eight. With the playoff standings reset, Byron maintains the top position of the standings, with Larson in the fourth position, heading into the next round.

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 8, 2023) – AJ Allmendinger drove his No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro ZL1 to the first playoff upset of the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) season – taking the win in the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. The 41-year-old California native put his road course skills on display early in the final stage of the pivotal postseason race – enduring five late-race restarts and leading the final 33 circuits en route to his third career NCS victory. Allmendinger became the seventh different driver from the fifth different Chevrolet team to reach victory lane in NASCAR’s premier series this season – delivering the manufacturer its 16th NCS triumph of 2023.  “You don’t know when you’re going to do it again. I love all the men and women at Kaulig Racing so much,” said an emotional Allmendinger. “My mom and dad, all my family and friends – those people see how much anguish and how much I put it on my shoulders when we’re struggling. It just means the world.”  Allmendinger had to hold-off a late race charge by a pair of fellow Team Chevy drivers, including playoff contender William Byron. Already solidifying his spot in the next round with his win at Texas Motor Speedway, Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team continues to prove to be a championship contender – collecting top-two finishes in all three races in the Round of 12. The 25-year-old North Carolina carries momentum into what is already slated to be his strongest round in the postseason – having a win on his resume at each of the next three tracks.

“Just proud of the whole team, said Byron. “The Z by HP Camaro was awesome. We definitely improved a lot as the race went on. Just good momentum. We’ve got to keep it rolling. I’d like to finish one-two-two in the next round, too. That would be ideal, but we just have to keep performing like this and we’ll be where we want to be.”

Entering the ROVAL weekend in a ‘must-win’ situation to advance into the next round, Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch stayed in contention all race long. The 38-year-old Nevada native collected top-10 finishes in both stages before ultimately taking the checkered flag in the third position in his No. 8 Lenovo Camaro ZL1 – bringing Chevrolet to its fifth podium sweep of the season.  Despite a challenging weekend, Kyle Larson became the second Team Chevy driver to advance into the Round of Eight. An incident early in Saturday’s practice session forced the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 team to a backup car and a starting position at the rear of the field for the 400-mile race. Scoring a top-five finish in Stage Two, the former series champion ended the race in the 13th position – earning enough points to continue in the championship title battle. With the playoff standings reset, Larson will join Byron in the top-four of the standings as the series enters the next round.

“It was a stressful weekend, but the No. 5 team and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports did a great job working hard on this backup car late last night,” said Larson. “I felt like our car was really good today. We were just pretty conservative there at times. I just didn’t want to make a mistake like I did last year and take ourselves completely out of it. It was just stressful there the final stage, but we were able to get in, which was the goal.”

The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of Eight will get underway at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway with the South Point 400 on Sunday, October 15, at 2:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

KAULIG RACING POST-RACE WIN PRESS CONFERENCE TRASCRIPT:  THE MODERATOR: We’ve now been joined by our Bank of America Roval 400 race-winning team. Quite a treat to have everyone here with us at one time. We’ve been joined by Chris Rice, who’s the president of Kaulig Racing; the race-winning driver, AJ Allmendinger; race-winning crew chief, Matt Swiderski, and at the very end of the table we have team owner Matt Kaulig. Congratulations to all of you. To kick us off, we’ll start with AJ. You had a great lead there at the end or toward the end, but also a lot of cautions, a lot of restarts. Take us through some of those final restarts and what was going through your mind? AJ ALLMENDINGER: Yeah, just with the new restart zone, just kind of unique as you kind of throttle up, we’re all going to be kind of bouncing off each other. It’s so narrow through there and everybody is trying to get it. When Ty got me kind of on that initial restart, it showed me what I did wrong, so it helped me a lot on the next couple of restarts of what to do. I thought the 54 might be the best car on longer runs there. I felt like if Kyle was behind me, like we had Kyle cover on the long runs because I had ran around him the whole race, and I knew the 24 had just kind of been lying back there 4th to 6th all day. I was just trying to get the lead and try to get a big enough gap because the only thing that we really struggled with was rear tires at the end of a long run, and that’s kind of what we were fighting. Those restarts may have helped the tire life, but I would always have a good-sized — enough of a lead that I thought I could pace myself and then you’d have to go through the restarts again.The biggest thing was trying to change it up just enough to time it right, and it’s track position-based, so I knew if I could get in the lead, it was going to make it a difficult challenge for them to get around me, and that was just always the focus on those restarts. Q. Chris and Matt, during the post-race celebration, AJ made it very clear how emotional he was because of all the anguish, the pain, everything he goes through, trying to help you guys grow. From your perspective, how much more impactful is it for you when you do see him have those emotional moments, especially on a track where he’s dominated in the Xfinity Series?CHRIS RICE: Before Matt talks, I’ll tell you, I’ve never met a race car driver so passionate about what he does, in and outside the race car, and I never met a race car driver that cares about an owner like he does. I’ve met a lot of race car drivers, and I’ve talked to a lot of race car drivers in my life, but I’ve never met somebody like AJ Allmendinger. I think he got run through the ringer so many times and nobody ever dug into his life and how he is and how he acts enough to understand him.I’ll tell you over the last month, he’s been very key and pivotal to everything we’re doing at Kaulig Racing. He knows everything we’re doing at Kaulig Racing, and he supports 98 percent of it I would say. He shouldn’t support it all because that’s what makes you better. With that being said, when you see the emotion out of me, it’s for everybody at Kaulig Racing, but it’s for him, it’s for Tara, it’s for his new kid, his son Aero, because five years ago, six years ago I called Matt Kaulig and said, let’s give AJ Allmendinger — actually Matt called me and said, let’s go get the best road course racer in the world and try to go win road course races, and we called AJ Allmendinger. He showed up in a Nebraska shirt. He didn’t know what he was going to do. He had no idea. We didn’t have a hotel room for him when he went to Watkins Glen. We got him disqualified two races in a row, and he still came back. He drove home from Daytona when he missed a race and he still came back. That’s the AJ we love, and when he gets emotional and he fires the crowd up, it’s about that. When he fusses us out about winning and not winning and what we’re going to do, how we’re going to get better, he called me when our Xfinity cars were terrible this year, and he said, do you know how bad you suck? I said, really? Yes, I do. I think I told Claire wherever she’s at, it’s unacceptable, and that’s because of this guy.For him to win and for him to be upset, we love it because we know how much he loves us. MATT KAULIG: I’d say I’m super proud of AJ Even standing in Victory Lane and looking at AJ celebrating and doing what he does, I’m just super proud of him. It makes me not emotional, but I’m just super proud of this team and what they’ve done. I don’t know if I’d say we — I don’t know what our expectations were actually this year, but I’d say we struggled, and I know these guys feel like they’re way better than we’ve actually performed, but even being able to get into Victory Lane today I think puts — is really big for this team and for AJ and for Matt and for Chris. So it’s really cool. Really proud. That’s how I felt actually just looking at AJ while he was celebrating, while he was doing all the interviews and while he was getting all the pictures taken. This guy has meant the world to me, meant the world to our team, and that’s how I feel. Q. First, over those final five laps, you had your head in your hands a lot watching that. What were the emotions going through you through those final cautions, and how much were you breathing over those final laps?CHRIS RICE: I wasn’t. I felt like I had let everybody down. I don’t know.I don’t get upset much. I smile a lot. That’s what it’s about. But I feel like I’ve let everybody down. I done a horrible job when we started the Cup team. Matt Swiderski believed in what we were doing, and I felt like I let everybody down. Everybody in Ohio, I let AJ down, and for AJ to dominate — it wasn’t just he showed up and led the last lap. He dominated the entire race.The pit crews have worked really hard at stepping up, and I didn’t breathe that much, and honestly, I spent a lot of time by myself. It’s an open mic thing, and I told Squid, and he could just hear me talking, I finally said, I’ll just shut up, and he said, no, keep talking, it helps me. I go to bed every night thinking about how can we make everybody better, and today shows that Matt Kaulig belongs in NASCAR. AJ Allmendinger belongs in a Cup car. Can we win every week? No, absolutely not. But can we contend? Yes, and that’s what I was thinking about, and I wasn’t breathing. Thank goodness for my health. Thank goodness for getting my health together because I think I spent the last 10 laps not breathing. Q. AJ, for those final laps, knowing how this season has been, the frustration that’s gone on with it, how were you keeping yourself mentally staying, okay, I’ve got Ty looking for his first win, William there behind you, Kyle trying to get to the Playoffs, as well. How do you keep yourself pumped up and knowing that, hey, I can win this?AJ ALLMENDINGER: Yeah, I try to study a lot of — not just the racetrack and things like that, but knowing where everybody is at in the Playoffs and what they’re racing for because you’re still going for a Cup win. Everybody is going to be aggressive, but there’s a different aggressive level and there’s desperation and there’s things like that. I’ve loved racing against Ty over the last, what, four years now, 2020 or whenever he started in the Xfinity Series. I feel like me and him get along great. Us going back and forth was a lot of fun.But with that said, you know what he’s lacing for, his first Cup win. It’s hard to do this. It’s freaking hard. I know there’s certain teams and certain drivers that get a lot of opportunities to go win Cup races, but there’s also a lot of drivers and teams that don’t. I knew Ty — I thought we raced fairly clean for knowing what we were battling for. I knew Kyle had to win to make the playoffs. I kept looking up at the board to see where he was at points-wise. Obviously I knew William was probably going to the next round. He’s going to be aggressive but maybe not desperate-aggressive. That was kind of what was playing in my head on who I was racing around. At the end of the day, for me, it’s about if I give everything I have, I make no mistakes and William gets around me and beats me, yeah, it sucks, but I go home and I look in the mirror and say, yep, better team, better driver beat me that day. The one thing I did not want to do was be that guy that made a mistake and let him by me, and that’s something that — this is what we all want, to be put in those pressure cooker moments, and if — these guys know. I struggle to believe in myself every day. It’s an ugly place sometimes. I always say I have the best life possible, and that’s why I’m miserable every day because it’s wake up, what the hell are you going to do to be better today. God, it’s ugly sometimes, but it’s the way I am. I won’t ever change. Those are the moments that I dream of, of knowing, hey, you got the best of the best in the world behind you, it’s on you to not let them by. I felt like I made a couple real small mistakes with the 24 behind me, the rear tires were starting to go, but those last seven, eight laps, that’s as perfect as I can drive a race car. Win or lose, but especially win, that’s the stuff that you walk in, you walk around with your chest out just that little bit because it’s very rare that I do that, but just walk around a little bit knowing when it’s time, I can be as perfect as possible. Q. AJ, going into this race, was there anything that you did differently in preparation or just kind of your confidence level with how strong you’ve been on road courses?AJ ALLMENDINGER: Yeah, me and squad talked about that if we won we might not make Vegas because we’re going to be hung over the whole week, so we really focused on that and where we were going to go — we’ll be in Vegas. I’m not sure we’ll be at the racetrack. So that was pretty much — CHRIS RICE: We’ve done that before and didn’t make it to the track. AJ ALLMENDINGER: That was our plan was trying to plan out Vegas if we won.No, you know, we know on the road courses, that’s our best opportunity to win a race. We’ve been good at other racetracks, and you ran inside the top 10 and things like that, but we know these are the races that we can shine. I felt like Squid and I and the engineers and really all the men and women at Kaulig Racing but really us, we focused on — what did we start, three, four weeks ago working on the sim and that’s all we worked on. It’s like, okay, Texas coming up, we don’t care. We’re going to focus on winning the Roval. I feel like that’s kind of what we did, and Squid, he’s got a tough job. He’s got to deal with me on the radio screaming at him constantly, how to be better, things like that. But that’s what I love about him is there’s no animosity after a race. There’s no ups and downs with him. He knows how much I care and how much I want us to be better. I think that’s — we put that effort in the last four weeks, and we unloaded yesterday, and the thing was fast, and we talked about it. We made small adjustments, he made great adjustments during the race, especially — every team has to be, but in our situation, you’ve got to be almost perfect in a race like this to win it. I felt like all of us, we were. Q. Going back to the restarts there, those last two, Kyle specifically, what’s the relationship that you guys have with each other, and obviously you knew what he was racing for. You kind of touched on that a little bit, but especially that penultimate restart he was able to clear Ty to move into second. How did that factor into how you had to defend against him specifically?AJ ALLMENDINGER: Yeah, I mean, good or bad to say, but I knew the guy I wanted behind me was Kyle because we were quicker than him, and I knew if I could get Kyle to second, I could probably just drive away. Kyle has been fantastic to me my whole career. But when I started driving for these guys, especially when we — in 2020 with the pandemic and not having any practice, Kyle Busch is a guy that I can call whether I’m racing against him in an Xfinity race or Cup race or whatever and I just say, hey, man, I need some advice or how do you drive this place or things like that, and he will call you back and for an hour explain every detail. There’s never a doubt in my mind that he’s telling me the truth. Like you know that he’s just going to do that, and I have that respect, and I have the same respect if he asks me a question about talking to him about it. I knew he was going to race hard. I knew what he was racing for. But I also didn’t think he’d come clean me out or anything on a restart like that. It was just about trying to lead into Turn 1 and not really give an opportunity to let him get to my bumper, and I knew once we could get through a couple of corners I could clear him and start driving away. That was always my focus, but yeah, I definitely was trying everything I could to get Kyle to second on the restart just to know that like that could give me enough of a gap to kind of settle in and drive away. Q. For Matt, yesterday AJ said that he wants to be in — that he’d prefer to be in the Cup Series full-time. We don’t know about his future next year. Obviously you guys are about trophy hunting. Why is it not a clear-cut decision to keep AJ in the Cup Series next year if that’s what you guys are about is winning races?MATT KAULIG: We do want to win races and we love AJ We haven’t all decided — actually we just haven’t announced yet exactly what we’re doing. I think we’re pretty clear on what we’re doing, we just haven’t announced anything. I actually defer most of these questions to Chris. Q. All right, Chris, will AJ Allmendinger be racing full-time in the Cup Series next year?CHRIS RICE: Wait for the announcement. MATT KAULIG: I don’t know if he can do it. I don’t know if he can win trophies. AJ ALLMENDINGER: Me? We have like, what, 20, 21 banners from me in the shop? CHRIS RICE: So when he wins, we’ve got to work tomorrow. When he won in Xfinity we could party. We don’t get to party with him. He won at Indy, we woke up the next day and he was green because he had been throwing up. We can’t do that now. We’ve got to think about our life and have a little fun. We’ve got to work tomorrow. AJ ALLMENDINGER: Sounds like a personal problem. Q. Looking at it from afar, why is it not a clear-cut decision when you have a talented driver who obviously can win at the Cup level?CHRIS RICE: It is a clear-cut decision, we just haven’t announced it yet. Q. Chandler Smith, is he going to be returning to the Xfinity Series program next year —AJ ALLMENDINGER: We’re celebrating a win here. CHRIS RICE: I got you. You should talk to his agent. Q. Has he asked for a buyout?CHRIS RICE: You should talk to his agent. AJ ALLMENDINGER: We also won a Cup race today, so that’s pretty cool. CHRIS RICE: I didn’t know we could win. Talk to his agent. Q. AJ, you just talked about how the intensity level that you carry yourself with and how you’re never going to change. I remember you talking after 2018, 2019 about how there was burnout associated with that, too. So I’m curious, how do you live with that sort of red line, and what is the sweet spot that you have to find to center yourself or whatever it needs to be for you to be at your peak optimal performance?AJ ALLMENDINGER: I’m first married to a unicorn, so Tara — CHRIS RICE: And she looks good. AJ ALLMENDINGER: Thanks. She’s gorgeous, yes, that’s part of the unicorn masterpiece of Tara. She supports me and puts up with all the ups and downs, and she’s just always there for whatever, comfort, leave me alone, whatever it may be. A lot of it comes from the whole organization, but these two guys really, and then over the last year and a half — I mean, I guess we call it two years now that we’ve ran, what, six races, seven races in ’21? So it’s things like that that — my goal has always been no matter what team I drive for, whether it’s the owner or crew chief, men and women, pit crew, all that, they understand how much I care. That’s the only thing I’ve ever cared about is for them — if they walk away and say, what do you think of AJ, they can say he’s an A-hole and he bitches too much, but damn, we know he cares. They know I’m going to lay everything I’ve got. I’ve been better — it’s really because of Matt and Chris, they allow me to be like that, and then when they see it kind of maybe going to the dark level of that, we go do something fun and they bring it back and we kind of start over again. But that’s it. This organization over the last five years — and I’ve said this before, but they’ve saved my life. Not just living day-to-day but the happiness of day-to-day because if 2018 would have been it, I did some cool things, but there’s always a, God, I wish I could have done some more.But because of them, I’ve won on every type of oval in Xfinity, got to kiss the bricks at Indy — CHRIS RICE: Twice. AJ ALLMENDINGER: We’ve just done a lot of really special things, and because of that, they’ve allowed — they’ve saved my happiness. Now if they wake up tomorrow and they’re like, hey, you’re old and you’re done, I can actually just be happy with everything that’s happened now in my career, and without them, I wouldn’t have had that. I would have always had that little bit of misery of not doing as much as I wanted. Q. Then as a follow-up for Chris but really any of you guys can answer. Because Chris has worked and been around so many racers your entire life, have you had to rewrite the rules for how you manage a driver when it comes to AJ because AJ is such a unique character?CHRIS RICE: A hundred percent. I mean, I have to not only manage him right, I’ve got to calm Squid down on Mondays, and that’s Matt Swiderski, his crew chief. Yeah, so you have to read every person, right. I think I told you this this morning. You’ve got to understand what you’re dealing with. We have five drivers or four drivers, Justin Haley, AJ, Daniel Hemric and Chandler Smith and Derek Kraus is our simulator driver plus he drives some Xfinity for us, and you’ve got to learn how to treat them all. I can’t treat Daniel Hemric and AJ Allmendinger the same. They’re just two totally different people, and they actually probably became best friends over the last couple of years.I think AJ worries more about Daniel’s career than Daniel does, and I think Daniel worries more about AJ’s career than he does. Yeah, what I’ve learned with AJ is you leave him alone when it’s time to leave him alone, but you also get in his ass when it’s time to get in his ass. He takes it. That’s the way it is. But the key to AJ is he knows we have his back no matter what. If you think about a stat, he’s won a NASCAR race over the last five years. He’s won in NASCAR in either the Xfinity Series or Cup Series, he’s won one race over the last five years. He’s won every single year he’s signed a contract for Kaulig Racing. That’s why we have his back. Q. Your post-race celebration up in the grandstands, I’m looking at a photo here, you were surrounded by every driver, uniform, sweatshirt, tee-shirt, hat possible. They were all loving on you, and then there’s this one guy that has an AJ Allmendinger shirt on, as well, just in case you missed him. But that was a crazy scene. What was it like being out there with those fans, and what made you think to do that?AJ ALLMENDINGER: I actually told Chris that I was going to do it. He said yesterday when I talked to him, said, what time are you getting to the track. I told him. He said, well, I might be going for a run. I said, yeah, the only run I’m planning on running is running into the crowd after we’re done racing. I think you see my emotion, and that’s real. It’s raw. I don’t want to be crying on TV, but it comes down to that’s how much I care. You know, I hope fans respect that. You don’t have to be a fan of mine, but I hope you respect how much I care and how much winning a race — the thing I hate most is watching somebody win a race and it’s because they win too much and they get out of the car, and they’re like, yay, and you’re like — they go, next, like okay, that’s how you know you win too much. Don’t get me wrong, I’d like to be like that. Yeah, it’s just raw emotion. You just want to go up there and celebrate. I think maybe part of it was the first couple of races I won with Kaulig Racing I didn’t celebrate with anybody. It was the pandemic. Turned around, I was like, hey, all right. Good job, AJ Hell, Atlanta, they weren’t even allowed in Victory Lane. I was just trying to have fun with it. It’s things — like I said, especially kids. You don’t have to be my fan, but I think we all love this sport. There’s a reason why we’re all in this sport, and it’s because at some point in your life, and a lot of it was when we were kids, you fell in love with it, for whatever reason why. To me to go up there and celebrate, especially when there’s kids up there, that’s memories — maybe it’s a kid that’s never been to a race and didn’t really care. Next thing you know they’re celebrating next to a driver. It’s pretty special. I don’t think about it in the time, but you just want to celebrate with everybody. It was cool — I told everybody coming to the start-finish line after, I said, all the men and women that are here, come celebrate with me on the front straight away, and then you go up there, and it’s just about making memories and having fun. Like I said, you don’t ever know if you’re going to win another Cup race, so you’ve got to celebrate like it’s your last. That’s why I celebrate, because you never know when it’s your last. I spent many years not even come close to winning. You’re never going to see me get out of the car, do the, hey, and walk away. It’s raw emotion. Q. AJ, your emotions are all over the place. You talk about how difficult it is for you and also how much you love it. I guess you guys already know what you’re doing and you’re not going to tell us, but I’m curious, you’re about a month into fatherhood. Let’s say you’re Jimmie Johnson and you can do anything you want and money is not a factor. What do you want to do, AJ?AJ ALLMENDINGER: I just want to keep racing with the Kaulig Racing Chevy. I’m not going anywhere. This will be the cars that whenever I’m done driving — Matt and Chris have given me the option of you keep doing this while you’re having fun and you’re enjoying it, and I’ve given them also the rule, keep me in the car as long as you want, as long as I’m bringing something to the race team. The moment I’m not, then it’s fair. I wouldn’t say we go our separate ways, but we do something different. But yeah, I love what I’m doing. When you see me not having fun, it’s because I want us to be better. More importantly, I want me to be better because that’s what I put on my shoulders is to be better for all of us, to make us better. That’s why you see so much emotion come out of me. Q. Matt, this is your second full-time season and your first Cup win as a full-time car owner. I know you have won a Cup race before, but is it harder than you thought it was going to be?MATT KAULIG: Yeah. I mean, I almost talk about it as being almost impossible. That’s actually how Chris and I talk about it. It’s like, these things are impossible to win just because the talent level of — the talent level of everybody on the teams, the drivers, the crew chiefs, the engineers, it’s the highest level of motorsports. It’s a really, really hard almost impossible thing to do. With AJ and with our team, we’ve actually now done it twice. You know, our goal, honestly, when I got into the sport eight years ago, nine years ago, our goal was to maybe try to win an Xfinity race, like one. It was a pretty surreal moment even standing there watching everybody run out to — like AJ said, to the start-finish line and congratulate AJI just stood on the pit lane or pit road or whatever and just watched everybody, and it’s a really surreal experience to say what all the men and women and drivers and everybody else at Kaulig Racing have done and experienced. We just won our second Cup race, and just how proud I am of Chris, how proud I am of AJ and of Matt, and again, all the men and women at Kaulig Racing for what they’ve accomplished over the last several years. But it’s just a really surreal experience, and I’m really proud of them. I’m proud of them for them. You know, as the laps were winding down when it was 15 to go and 10 to go and you were seeing everything play out today, I was just standing behind the pit box just thinking that and watching that. I’ve got my name all over it, there’s Kaulig Racing, there’s Kaulig companies everywhere, and there’s Leaf Filter, my company that I started in 2005 that’s all over the cars, and seeing all of our sponsors and seeing all the employees that have worked for us now for literally years, just really proud of them and proud for them of what they’re accomplishing. Really, really grateful. Q. AJ, this race seemed like there was a lot more action throughout the field, more natural cautions in the last two. Is that a result of racetrack, being an elimination race, desperation? What were your thoughts on that?AJ ALLMENDINGER: Yeah, I think obviously the stage breaks, they kind of bunch the field back up, and you’ve got the saying cautions breed cautions. But I think some of it’s the racetrack, as well. Especially in the infield, it’s easy to make a mistake and slap the fence, and it’s easy to get into somebody, and with where we’re at in the year, drivers, we’re all racing for something, whether it’s a championship, it’s trying to make it to the next round. It’s the best position possible in points, or you’re searching for a ride, everybody is kind of probably on edge. It’s a long season. I think that’s a lot of the reason you see so much aggression level, and then especially at the end of the race with all those cautions, it’s just going to — everybody is going to start taking and no gives. I think that’s probably a big reason of why. Q. Probably two of the most challenging road courses that you run on are here and at Indy, and you’ve won both. In a lot of ways, if it’s a tough race course, I guess you’re the guy that’s ready for the challenge. How do you describe being able to master both of those?AJ ALLMENDINGER: Well, it takes a great race car for sure. It takes everything kind of working out the right way. I’ve grown up road course racing. Part of what I love about it is I feel like I can — a driver can make a little bit of a different. It still takes an amazing race car to go out there and do it. I thought last year here we had a real shot to win the race, and it just didn’t play out the way we wanted it to, but a lot of it — a lot of the credit goes to Squid just because he works so hard at the shop kind of in the leadership role of overseeing the Cup program and kind of trying to figure out which direction we need to go. Obviously Chris has got — overseeing everything, but with Squid, we’ve had some road courses this year early in the year especially where we probably struggled a lot. Chicago was a race that we completely missed it and just struggled. But I feel like over the last few, we’ve had a lot of speed. Indy we missed it early in the weekend and put us behind, and the race just didn’t play out the way we wanted it to. Watkins Glen I thought maybe we had one of the cars to beat, just couldn’t get up front.So yeah, when we have a good race car and we do the things that we know we’re capable of doing, we know we can at least be up front at any type of racetrack, but as I said, we can go out there and win the race. THE MODERATOR: Thank you, guys, for spending some time with us. Congratulations again.

ENNIS, TX (October 8, 2023) — Veteran Funny Car driver Terry Haddock took the win light over Top Fuel driver Mitch King tonight during the inaugural Texas Invitational match race to kick off the opening weekend of the 3^rd annual Stampede of Speed. Haddock outran fellow Funny Car competitor Jeff Diehl on Saturday in the opening round of the Texas Invitational to set up the monster tilt with King for the Texas Invitational championship belt. King advanced to the final by outrunning a tire smoking Buddy Hull on Saturday. After the win Haddock was thrilled to have put on an exciting show for thousands of concert goers as well as drag racing fans.

 Terry Haddock (second from left) celebrates with the Texas Invitational championship belt and his crew, photo by Werner Communications

“Any win is awesome, and I am super proud of my guys,” said Haddock, surrounded by his crew. “I am super grateful and thankful to the Meyer family for putting this event together. They are trying to grow the sport of drag racing and we need more people like them out here. This Stars of Texas event with the concerts, bull riding, drag racing is just awesome. We had so many people come up to our Funny Car that had never seen anything like it and now they are fans. This was a great two days of racing and music. I can’t wait to get to the Texas Fall Nationals.”
 
“I like racing Mitch King and those guys as well as Jeff Diehl and Buddy Hull. This was a great group of drivers to show off for the fans on Saturday and Sunday. When you can run a Funny Car against a Top Fuel dragster and do something different that’s a lot of fun. It was cool at the top end to see a Top Fuel dragster make the turn and pull up beside us. This was a great time,” added Haddock.
 
The Texas Invitational was a new addition to the already packed line up of the Stars of Texas Music Festival weekend. On Saturday fans were treated to a star-studded line-up of 90s country music stars capped off with great sets from Texas country legends Sawyer Brown and Clay Walker. Throughout the day fans were treated to junior bull riding and a variety of vendor booths. Between sets fans were thrilled by drag races and an awesome country music themed drone show. On Sunday more country music filled the sky with headliner Midland capping a fun-filled day that included a beautiful lantern release by thousands of the fans in attendance. There was also a beer expo, Jambo’s BBQ contest, and more bull riding.
 
“The first three days of the Stampede of Speed exceeded all our expectations with bigger crowds, great weather and so much exciting action on and off the track,” said Christie Meyer Johnson, co-owner of the Texas Motorplex. “This event will only get better next year with more acts, racing and satellite events. Our goal is to make this the destination event in October for racing, music and family fun for fans from across the country.”
 
The Stampede of Speed will continue for seven more days with highlight events including the Champions’ Dinner on Wednesday, October 11 and the Pre-Stage FanFest on Thursday, October 12 in downtown Waxahachie. The 39^th annual NHRA Texas Fall Nationals will start on October 12 as well and run through championship Sunday on October 15. For a complete schedule and ticket information fans can visit www.stampedeofspeed.com.
 

October 8, 2023

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang emerged from a rough-and-tumble race on the ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a 24th-place finish.

Burton started the 109-lap race on the 17-turn, 2.28-mile track from 31st place. He worked his way up to 25th by Lap 17, pitted a lap later and ended the first 25-lap Stage in 28th place.

It was like rinse and repeat in the second Stage as he worked his way back up to 26th, made a stop then ended that segment again in 28th.

In the third and final portion of the race he got up to 20th place with 15 laps remaining. The Motorcraft/Quick Lane team elected to pit for fresh tire at that point. Burton restarted 27th, and after dropping back initially he regained the lost ground and wound up 24th at the checkered flag.

Burton and the No. 21 team now turn their attention to next Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

NASCAR CUP SERIES CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROAD COURSE BANK OF AMERICA ROVAL TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT OCTOBER 8, 2023 Allmendinger Claims the Victory at the Charlotte ROVAL; Byron and Larson Advance to Round of Eight

·       Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger scored the first playoff upset of the season – taking his No. 16 Celsius Camaro ZL1 to the victory in the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.  ·       A four time winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, Allmendinger has now recorded 14 career road course victories at the NASCAR national level, with three coming in NASCAR’s premier series.   ·       Allmendinger delivered Chevrolet its series-leading fourth NASCAR Cup Series victory in the series’ sixth appearance at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.  ·       Chevrolet continues to lead the series with 16 NASCAR Cup Series victories this season, and 849 all-time victories in NASCAR’s premier series.  ·       Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson advanced to the NASCAR Cup Series Round of Eight. With the playoff standings reset, Byron maintains the top position of the standings, with Larson in the fourth position, heading into the next round.

AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Celsius Camaro ZL1 – Race Winner QuotesYou’ve won some big races in your life; why was this one so emotional?“Because you don’t know when you’re going to do it again. I love all the men and women at Kaulig Racing so much. First of all, hi to my beautiful wife and my new baby boy. I usually give these checkered flags away but I’m going to have to wrap this around Aero. My mom and dad, all my family and friends – those people see how much anguish and how much I put it on my shoulders when we’re struggling. It just means the world. I hate crying right now, but it’s a freaking Cup race, man. You don’t know when it’s ever going to happen again. Let’s go!” Does all the anguish make these moments worth it?“And more. This is why you do it. This is the only reason you do it. You fight. All the blood, sweat, tears, everybody at Kaulig Racing has just been such – I wouldn’t say a down year, but an up-and-down year. It’s our second year in the Cup Series. I can’t thank Celsius enough for coming on board. All of our partners – Nutrient Ag Solutions, Action Industries, Leaf Filter, Chevy, and ECR for everything that they do for us. Matt Kaulig, Chris Rice, Sparco and Arai Helmets, and Corby Concepts – everybody that allows me to do this. Especially Matt and Chris, I freaking love you guys so much.”  TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER1st      AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Celsius Camaro ZL12nd     William Byron, No. 24 HP Camaro ZL13rd      Kyle Busch, No. 8 Lenovo Camaro ZL18th      Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL19th      Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL110th    Ross Chastain, No. 1 Worldwide Express Camaro ZL1  The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of Eight will get underway at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway with the South Point 400 on Sunday, October 15, at 2:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on the NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES: Ross Chastain, No. 1 Worldwide Express Camaro ZL1Finished: 10th How do you come to terms with this playoff run and the fact that it’s ending here today? “We knew coming in that it was going to be tough. We put together a heck of a day for us on road courses this year in this No. 1 Worldwide Express Chevy. Lately, we’ve just been lacking speed and I can’t get over the curbs. There’s a lot of reasons. We’ve reverted on some of that through Watkins Glen (International) and to here (Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course) and it’s really paid off. I’m excited with the gains we’ve made. We came out of the box super strong in 2022 – won the first road course race in the Next Gen car. And then it just slowly kind of stepped back all the way until mid-season this year.  I can’t wait to get to work in the morning, to Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) and every race after that.” Austin Dillon, No. 3 Huk Performance Fishing Camaro ZL1Finished: 14th “I’m proud of everyone on the No. 3 Huk Chevrolet team for their effort today. We finished the race, what is more than we could say about the previous two weeks. Our Chevy was too tight on the right-hand turns all day, but by making adjustments on pit road throughout the day we got better at the end. It was a good recovery by our team. We got turned around mid-race and when the No. 4 car barreled into the No. 7 car who got into us. Overall, proud of the effort of this team.” Kyle Larson, No. 5 Valvoline / HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1Finished: 13th“It was a stressful weekend, but the No. 5 team and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports did a great job working hard on this backup car late last night. I felt like our car was really good today. We were just pretty conservative there at times. I just didn’t want to make a mistake like I did last year and take ourselves completely out of it. It was just stressful there the final stage, but we were able to get in, which was the goal.” Did you know that if Kyle (Busch) won, it was going to be a dog fight, and was the team keeping you updated of the points during the race? “Yeah, I had my eyes on the No. 8 (Kyle Busch), for sure. I was nervous on the restarts. I just assumed that the No. 54 (Ty Gibbs) and the No. 16 (AJ Allmendinger) would crash or something, and then he’d get in the lead and throw a wrench in everything. It worked out and I’m just happy to get through this round. I didn’t execute nearly good enough. We’re going to some great tracks for us in this next round and hopefully we’ll make it to Phoenix.”  Kyle Busch, No. 8 Lenovo Camaro ZL1 Finished: 3rdWhat more did you need, especially in that final run? “Just more overall grip. Those last couple of restarts, we were just fighting with traction up off the corners and with front-turn to be able to turn into the corners. We gave it a valiant effort. That was about what we thought we would get out of here, at least what I thought. We wanted to come in here and win. This team is capable of running and they gave me a great car today. The Lenovo Camaro was fast. We had good speed in it, just wasn’t able to hold on with the tires as long as I wanted to. We’ll take that. It rides on my shoulders anyway with the previous two weeks – not getting anything out of Texas (Motor Speedway) and not getting a whole lot out of Talladega (Superspeedway). Just bad circumstances, but we’ll fight on another day.”  William Byron, No. 24 HP Camaro ZL1Finished: 2ndThere were points where you looked like you were gaining on AJ Allmendinger. What more did you need? “Yeah, just one final run to get within a car-length there. The air buffer is kind of tough there with three to four car lengths. But once you get within one, you can kind of manipulate his car a little bit, so I was hoping for that. It’s been a great year for the No. 24 HP Chevy team and we’ve been great on all the road courses. I had that one shot with probably eight laps to go. AJ (Allmendinger) just did a good job blocking the chicane there. He didn’t miss his marks and it was too early to make a dive bomb to him.  Just proud of the whole team. The Z by HP Camaro was awesome. We definitely improved a lot as the race went on. It was good to have Z by HP on the car – a new partner for us, so that was really fun. Just good momentum. We’ve got to keep it rolling. I’d like to finish one-two-two in the next round, too. That would be ideal, but we just have to keep performing like this and we’ll be where we want to be.” Mike Rockenfeller, No. 42 Sunseeker Resorts Camaro ZL1Finished: 29th “Well that was definitely not the result that we wanted, but thanks to the team for the hard work. We didn’t have the pace, but then also we got caught up in the incident here in the last chicane. That definitely ended our race hopes, but yeah, it was a great experience to be back at the ROVAL. Everybody on our No. 42 team fought well, especially on pit lane. The boys kept us on the lead lap and that was pretty much all we could do. Thank you a lot to Jimmie Johnson and Maury Gallagher for giving me the call, and I wish Carson (Hocevar) and the Sunseeker Resort team well in the rest of the races this year.” Erik Jones, No. 43 Allegiant Camaro ZL1Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in the final stage. Finished: 36th “We’ve kind of struggled all year on road courses. We haven’t really had a good day on one this season, so I need to get better on my end – figure out what to do and how to race on them. With this car, I’ve never really had a great day on road courses, so it’s frustrating. The car is just different to drive on road courses, so just have to get better. Hopefully for next year, we can figure out what to do, get some more simulator time and dial it in.”

TEAM CHEVY RACE NOTES:  STAGE ONE: ·       Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez posted the third-fastest lap in Saturday’s qualifying session to lead Chevrolet to the green-flag in the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 12 elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. ·       After being forced to a backup car after an accident in Saturday’s practice session, Kyle Larson gained 15-positions in the opening 20 laps. Larson reported that his No. 5 Camaro ZL1 was tight in turns three-four and five-six as the field approached the first round of green-flag pit stops. Sitting in the 21st position, crew chief Cliff Daniels called Larson to pit road for four tires and fuel with five laps remaining in Stage One. ·       Entering the elimination race below the playoff cutline, crew chief Phil Surgen elected a pit strategy for track position in the opening stage. With much of the field coming to pit road for scheduled green-flag stops, Ross Chastain cycled up to the third position to collected eight points in Stage One. ·       Chastain led Chevrolet to five top-10 finishes in Stage One: 3rd      Ross Chastain, No. 1 Worldwide Express Camaro ZL16th      Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Aguas Frescas Camaro ZL17th      Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL18th      Kyle Busch, No. 8 Lenovo Camaro ZL110th     AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Celsius Camaro ZL1 STAGE TWO:·       Pitting prior to the end of Stage One, Daniel Suarez cycled back to the top of the leaderboard as the leaders came to pit road – ultimately taking a spot on the front-row to lead the field to the start of Stage Two. ·       Restarting from the third position, Chase Elliott quickly took over the top position in the opening laps of the stage. Leading 15 circuits in the stage, Elliott hit a milestone feat in his NASCAR Cup Series career – scoring 5,000 laps led in NASCAR’s top series. ·       Elliott continued to pace the field as another round of green-flag pit stops got underway in the closing laps of the stage. Crew chief Alan Gustafson called Elliott to pit road when a caution came out. Narrowly missing the commitment line, Elliott maintained his track position as the race leader, ultimately going on to take the Stage Two win. ·       Team Chevy Stage Two: Top-101st      Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL15th      Kyle Larson, No. 5 Valvoline / HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL16th      Ross Chastain, No. 1 Worldwide Express Camaro ZL110th     Kyle Busch, No. 8 Lenovo Camaro ZL1 FINAL STAGE / POST-RACE NOTES: ·       Finding his way to pit road during the stage break, crew chief Gustafson called for a four-tire and fuel stop on the No. 9 Camaro ZL1 with Elliott taking the green-flag for the final stage from the 26th position. ·       Pitting prior to stage end, strategy from atop the pit box put Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Camaro ZL1 team on the front-row for the start of the final stage. Taking the green-flag with 56 laps to go, Busch took the lead entering turn one – going on to lead six laps before a battle for the lead ensued with fellow Chevrolet driver AJ Allmendinger. ·       The four-time NASCAR Xfinity Series Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course winner made a pass for the lead – quickly pulling his No. 16 Camaro ZL1 to a 2.4 second lead with 45 laps remaining. Continuing under green-flag conditions, Allmendinger brought his Chevrolet to pit road for four tires and fuel – reentering the field with 38 laps to go. ·       Faced with a handful of cautions, Allmendinger continued to maintain the top position during each restart battle. The restart with 10 laps to go saw Team Chevy playoff contender Kyle Busch lineup alongside Allmendinger. Making contact as the pair led the field to the green-flag, Allmendinger ultimately came away with the lead exiting turn one. ·       Allmendinger was able to hold-off a hard charging William Byron and Kyle Busch to score a playoff upset – taking the checkered flag for his third career NASCAR Cup Series victory.

(10/9/23) Hanford, California … The high-powered NARC 410 Sprint Car Series, presented by NAPA Auto Parts, will invade Kings Speedway on Friday, October 13th for the rescheduled Morrie Williams Memorial race.  The highly-anticipated show, which features a pair of 20-lap feature events, was originally scheduled for September 30th, but was rescheduled due to uncooperative track conditions due to a water well issue.

The Morrie Williams Memorial is raced in honor of iconic California car owner Morrie Williams. Williams fielded an incredibly successful team that won NARC 410 Sprint Series titles in 2006, 2008, 2012, and 2017 with drivers Jonathan Allard and Bud Kaeding.  Established in 2020, the event runs twin main events, with an overall champion crowned at night’s end. The first feature lineup is based on the standard NARC 410 Sprint Car Series format. In contrast, the second main event is a complete inversion of the finishing order of the finish from the initial one. So, a driver that finished towards the back of the opening main could win the concluding feature. Past overall champions include Tim Kaeding (2020), Justin Sanders (2021), and Corey Day (2022).

“We are glad that we could get this race rescheduled and back on the calendar, especially this late into the season,” said Ashley Smith, longtime crew chief for the Williams Motorsports #0 team and Morrie’s son-in-law.  “This is a very special event and I think the twin feature format is always very entertaining.”

Friday’s show will also include the Kings of Thunder 360 sprint cars.

Who to Watch

Defending Morrie Williams Memorial winner Corey Day already has two 410 Sprint Car scores at Kings in 2023. He is coming off a remarkable World of Outlaws West Coast Swing, including winning the Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway for his first Outlaw win. The Clovis teenager also turned heads at the Knoxville Nationals by making the main event. “We’re leading points with NARC by a good margin, and going back to Hanford gets me excited with how consistent and good we’ve been there,” stated Day, “hopefully, we can extend our lead a little bit.”

2023 Dirt Cup winner Justin Sanders enters the Morrie Williams Memorial second in championship points and is looking to earn his second career overall title in this special race. Running the Mittry Motorsports #2X, the Aromas racer was fourth at the 49er Gold Rush Classic at Placerville Speedway and the runner-up at the Gold Cup to Day, with an impressive stint against the Outlaws in California.

Two-time defending NARC 410 Sprint champion Dominic Scelzi has been very fast at this event in years past and is third in the series points table. The Fresno phenom won the second feature in 2020 and the first one in 2021, as well as the Peter Murphy Classic finale in May. Scelzi is coming off a third-place performance in Hanford against the Outlaws at the Tom Tarlton Classic on September 15th.

2019 NARC champ D.J. Netto will make a big hometown stand to win his first Morrie Williams Memorial. Netto was the 2021 Dave Helm Memorial winner at Kings for his lone 410 triumph at the facility. He was an impressive second at the Kings of Thunder 360 event on September 14th, a week ago.

Jonathan Allard is expected to make his long-awaited 2023 debut with the NARC series. The three-time series champion, originally from Chico and now calling Waimauku, Auckland, New Zealand home, has four Kings Speedway wins since 2001, including last year’s Morrie Williams Memorial second main event. Allard drove for Morrie Williams from 2005-2013,

The Bates-Hamilton Racing #42X team is ready to get back to NARC 410 Sprint Series competition. Driven by Justyn Cox, earned two seventh-place results at Kings with the series in the spring. The Roseville racer is a force to be reckoned with, as he won the Dennis Roth Classic in April at Thunderbowl Raceway. He also has found a lot of speed in the summer by winning back-to-back 360 features at Placerville Speedway in early August.

Bud Kaeding is another former Williams Motorsports pilot and earned the team their last NARC 410 Sprint Car Series title in 2017. The third-generation Campbell native drove for Morrie Williams from 2014-2019 and has come very close to capturing his first NARC win of the current campaign and no doubt is a threat this weekend.

Also, look out for more stars of the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series circuit, including Chase Johnson of Penngrove, Oakley youngster Dylan Bloomfield, Benicia’s Billy Aton, and Tucson transplant Nick Parker. Several other Central Valley challengers, such as Fresno veteran Craig Stidham, Tipton’s Dawson Faria, and Gauge Garcia of Lemoore, will be on tap, among others.

Fan & Competitor Info

Kings Speedway is located at the Kings Fairgrounds at 801 S 10th Avenue in Hanford, CA.

Ticket prices are $25.00 for Adults, $20.00 for Seniors/Military (with valid I.D.)/Students (7-17), and Kids (6 and Under) are FREE. For online ticket purchases, log on to https://tinyurl.com/8m2jr6m7.  Additional information is available at www.racekingsspeedway.com.

Pit Gates open at 1:00 pm, Front Gates at 4:00, Hot Laps at 5:00, and Racing is scheduled to kick off around 6:00. Be sure to visit Pete’s Pub after the Front Gates open and take advantage of special deals on food and beverages before the races start.

The NARC racing format includes qualifying, four 8-lap heat races, an exciting six-lap trophy dash, a 12-lap last chance race, and two 20-lap NAPA Auto Parts-sponsored Morrie Williams Memorial main events.

The NARC 410 Sprint Series, presented by Napa Auto Parts, is the leading 410 Sprint Car tour west of the Rocky Mountains. Since 1960, they have enthralled countless thousands of fans from tracks up and down the Pacific Coast. For more information, visit their website at www.narc410.com or social media pages.

The Morrie Williams Memorial can be viewed live on Floracing.com, along with every NARC 410 Sprint Car Series race.

The NARC 410 Sprint Car Racing Series is also sponsored by Hoosier Racing Tires, Floracing.com, and NAPA Auto Parts. Associate and product award sponsors include Automotive Racing Products (ARP), Beacon Wealth Strategies-Raymond James Financial, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Bullet Impressions, D & D Roofing, Diversified Machine Inc., Johnstone Supply, Kaeding Performance Center, Kimo’s Tropical Car Wash, KSE Racing Enterprises, Lifeline LLC, Maxim Racing Products, Mettec Titanium, Pyrotect, Safecraft Safety Equipment, Saldana Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Scelzi Enterprises, SCI Racing Products, Starr Property Management, Sunnyvalley Bacon, System 1 Ignition, Ultra Lite Brakes, Williams Roofing, Wilwood Disc Brakes, and Winters Performance Products.

NARC 410 SPRINT CAR SERIES 
CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS
(AFTER 17 EVENTS IN 20-RACE SERIES – 10/8/23)

1. Corey Day, Clovis – 2239
2. Justin Sanders, Aromas – 2192
3. Dominic Scelzi, Fresno – 2190
4. Justyn Cox, Roseville – 2165
5. Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 2159
6. Dylan Bloomfield, Oakley – 2098
7. Billy Aton, Benicia – 2028
8. Chase Johnson, Penngrove – 2028
9. Nick Parker, Tucson, AZ (R) – 2017
10. Tanner Holmes, Central Point, OR – 1483
11. Joel Myers Jr., Sebastopol – 1465
12. DJ Netto, Hanford – 1453
13. Shane Golobic, Fremont – 1381
14. Cole Macedo, Hanford – 1354
15. Burt Foland Jr., San Jose (R) -1220
16. Colby Copeland, Roseville – 1207
17. Joey Ancona, Concord (R) – 1023
18. Kaleb Montgomery, Templeton (R) – 1010
19. Karl Hoffmans, Australia – 816
20. Andy Caruana, Australia – 799

Upcoming Events:
October 28th – The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park (Bakersfield) – Halloween Spectacular
November 4th – Stockton Dirt Track – 40th Annual Tribute to Gary Patterson

November 5th – Championship Celebration at the Brookside Country Club in Stockton, CA.

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (October 8, 2023) – A podium finish Saturday at Virginia International Raceway in his #16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang secured Chris Dyson’s third consecutive Trans Am by Pirelli National Series Championship. One race remains on the 2023 schedule, but Dyson now has an unassailable lead in the points standings. Simply scoring a 9th-place finish would have ensured the title, but while the race was dominated by 17-year-old guest driver Connor Zilisch, Dyson raced both hard and smart all the way through the 100-mile sprint, engaged in what the broadcast’s winner’s circle commentator called “the race to watch” for the other two podium positions with Austrian guest driver Ragginger and Justin Marks, the driver who has provided Dyson’s strongest head-to-head competition over the course of the season. After a back-and-forth battle with the pair Dyson passed Marks for third place with two laps remaining. His pursuit of Ragginger for second place came up less than three-tenths of a second short. “Those guys sure didn’t make it easy for me,” Dyson said after climbing from his car. “It was a hell of a fight! These cars are so amazing to race and especially at a fast and flowing track like VIR. Today was fantastic out there with Justin and Martin. I am pretty sure we had a P2 car but traffic was the wild card and no one was giving an inch. But it was clean and fair racing. A lot of trust and respect between the three of us. This third championship, it hasn’t quite sunk in yet. But I am so proud of the team’s efforts. We worked very hard for this one and to clinch the Drivers and Team Championships this way, with such a memorable race, it’s very meaningful to me.” Dyson’s three-peat of National Trans Am Series titles puts him in elite company. Prior to Dyson, only Tommy Kendall (1995-1997) and Ernie Francis, Jr. (2017-2020) had ever achieved that milestone in the series’ over half-century history.  Next Up: Circuit of the Americas The Trans Am Series’ next event is November 5-8 at Circuit of the Americas in Autin, Texas. COTA is the final round of the 2023 Trans Am by Pirelli season. “It will be great to be at COTA with championship decided,” Dyson said. “We will be totally focused on winning the race.” Dyson noted that the team will bring both the five-year-old GYM WEED Mustang that has carried him to his three championships as well as the new car the CD Racing team has been developing over the course of the season. “We have never paused our R&D on all fronts, and while we will most definitely celebrate today, pretty soon the attention turns to the future. You can never stand still in racing. COTA should give us a sense of where we stand looking ahead to 2024.”VIR Rebroadcast Schedule A 60-minute feature on the VIR race will be broadcast this Thursday at 9:00 p.m. ET to MAVTV’s 22 million North American linear households and 175 million connected devices. For more on Chris Dyson Racing, visit chrisdysonracing.com