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Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Heads into Final Stretch of 2023 Season Starting at Maple Grove Raceway

READING, Pa. (Sept. 13, 2023) – With only four races left in the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown 2023 NHRA season, competition amongst Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Ford Mustang Cobra Jets and Dodge Mopar Challenger Drag Paks is at an all-time high heading into this weekend’s Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.
 
Coming off a monumental win at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park over Labor Day weekend, Jesse Alexandra and his Barton Engines COPO Camaro are more motivated than ever to close the 172-points gap between himself in fourth place and Aaron Stanfield in the lead.


Jesse Alexandra, Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown U.S. Nationals winner, photo courtesy of Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

 

“I am still walking on a cloud for sure after that U.S. Nationals win. Surrounding myself with good people has really made this all happen. I am only the guy pushing on the go pedal but I’m very lucky to have great people around me,” Alexandra said. “We have been moving up the last few races for sure. There is a massive amount of talent in this class that can make a move forward at any time. We just have to keep working hard and do our best. Hopefully we get a little luck, too.”
 
Alexandra will also enter the weekend with a target in his back thanks to his most recent victory. With the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Bounty Program, whoever defeats Alexandra in eliminations will earn a $1,000 bonus that can carryover from race to race and increases by $1,000 as it does. Alexandra is the most recent winner of the bounty after he defeated Stephen Bell in the finals. Bell was the Norwalk, Ohio event winner.
 
Hoping for some hometown luck to repeat as event champion is reigning world champion David Barton and his Retail Fixture / Sawmill Auto Chevy COPO. Barton is currently sitting 10th in the points standings, 272 behind Stanfield and looking for a late season surge to keep his chances of repeating his world title.
 
“This season we have been working on a number of things and I feel like we are making progress,” said Barton, a Robesonia, Pa. native. “I have been coming to Maple Grove Raceway since I was a little kid. Last year it was cool to have all our friends and family here as well as the employees from the shop when we won and basically clinched the championship. The competition is so fierce in this class. This year everyone has stepped up and we have four races to make a move.”


David Barton, 2022 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Pep Boys NHRA Nationals winner, photo courtesy of Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

 
Point leader Aaron Stanfield is followed by Norwalk Nationals winner Stephen Bell as the tour heads to Maple Grove Raceway. Stanfield has been holding off a handful of drivers for the points leading including Alexandra and Barton, with two runner-up finishes to start the season and a win at the Thunder Valley Nationals. Bell will be looking for his second Wally trophy this weekend.  
 
Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown action at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway begins with qualifying Friday at 1:15 and 4:45 p.m. Eliminations will begin Saturday at 5:30 p.m. following a third round of qualifying at 11:45 a.m. Sunday will feature the final three rounds with the quarterfinals at 12:10 p.m., semifinals at 1:30 and finals at approximately 2:35 p.m.
 

Chevy racing–NASCAR–Bristol advance

Bristol, TennesseeSeptember 14-16, 2023

CUE THE LIGHTS With all three NASCAR national series now officially in playoff competition, the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS), NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) will head to one of the most iconic short-tracks in motorsports – Bristol Motor Speedway. The first time this season competing on the track’s concrete surface, the 0.533-mile Tennessee oval holds an integral position on each series’ playoff schedule – opening the Round of Eight for the NCTS, the first race of the NXS playoffs and the first elimination race of the NCS playoffs.  
Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway: Chevrolet is the winningest manufacturer across all three NASCAR national series at Bristol Motor Speedway – earning 46 NCS wins, 36 NXS wins and 10 NCTS wins. The manufacturer has been victorious in the past two NXS visits to the Tennessee short-track with Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger in 2021 and, most recently, one year ago with JR Motorsports and Noah Gragson. 
FIRST ELIMINATION RACE FOR THE NCS PLAYOFFSSaturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race will mark the first elimination race for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs – determining the 12 drivers that will continue in the championship title run. Only two drivers have solidified their spots into the Round of 12, including Team Chevy’s Kyle Larson, who claimed an early ticket to the next round with his win in the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway. The 31-year-old California native followed up the win with another strong run at Kansas Speedway – recording a stage win and leading a race-high 99 laps en route to his series-leading 12th top-five finish of the season. Larson was able to maintain the top position in the points standings, now holding a six-point lead over second.   The current points standings sees four Team Chevy playoff contenders at a double-digit advantage over the playoff cutline. Despite suffering from a spin early in last Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway, William Byron was able to rally back to a 15th-place finish – still holding the fourth position in the standings with a 41-point cushion above the cutline. Kyle Busch was also able to overcome early weekend struggles in the Midwest – starting from the rear of the field and driving to a seventh-place finish, leaving Kansas Speedway seventh in the standings and 24-points above the cutline. Rounding out the top-eight of the standings is Ross Chastain, entering this weekend’s elimination race 18-points above the playoff bubble. 
A look at Team Chevy’s playoff contenders heading into the Round of 16 elimination race at Bristol Motor Speedway. 
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 1st in Playoff Standings* Advanced to Round of 12 by virtue of a win at Darlington RacewayVictories: 3Top-Fives: 12 (series-leading)Top-10s: 14Laps Led: 778Average Finish: 15.1Stage Wins: 4 At Bristol Motor Speedway: Wins: 1Top-Fives: 4Top-10s: 9Average Finish: 12.786 (second-best)
Of Note: ·       The 2023 season marks Larson’s seventh appearance in the NCS playoffs. ·       Larson has one NCS Regular Season Championship and one NCS Driver Championship title to his name – both coming in 2021. ·       The 31-year-old California native has made it to the Championship Four once – the season that delivered the Team Chevy driver his first championship title in NASCAR’s top series (2021). In his other playoff appearances, Larson reached the Round of Eight (2019), Round of 12 (2017, 2018 and 2022) and Round of 16 (2016).·       During the playoff era (2004-present), the 2021 season saw Larson earn a series-leading five post-season victories – tying the record set by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart in 2011. 
William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 4th in Playoff Standings; 41 points above the cutlineVictories: 5 (series-leading)Top-Fives: 10Top-10s: 14Laps Led: 877 (series-leading)Average Finish: 12.6Stage Wins: 8 (series-leading) At Bristol Motor Speedway: Top-Fives: 2Top-10s: 3Average Finish: 16.250 Of Note: ·       The 2023 season marks Byron’s fifth consecutive appearance in the NCS playoffs. ·       Bryon’s career-best finish in the NCS playoffs came in 2022, finishing the season sixth in the final points standings.·       Among Byron’s nine career wins in NASCAR’s premier series, five have come at tracks in the playoffs, including each of the final four races.·       While he was eliminated in the Round of Eight last season, it’s projected to be his strongest trio of tracks in the post-season – having found victory lane at all three venues (Las Vegas Motor Speedway – March 2023; Homestead-Miami Speedway – Feb. 2021; Martinsville Speedway – April 2022). 
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 – 7th in Playoff Standings; 24 points above the cutlineVictories: 3Top-Fives: 8Top-10s: 15Laps Led: 233Average Finish: 13.8Stage Wins: 2 At Bristol Motor Speedway:  Wins: 8 (series-leading)Top-Fives: 14Top-10s: 19Poles: 2Average Finish: 13.667
Of Note: ·       In his debut season with Richard Childress Racing and his return to the Bowtie brigade, 2023 marks Busch’s 16th appearance in the NCS playoffs. ·       Busch is one of only two active drivers with multiple championships to his name – taking the title in 2015 and 2019. ·       In Busch’s 63 career wins in NASCAR’s top series, eight of those triumphs have come in the post-season. ·       The 38-year-old Nevada native has made it to the Championship Four on five different occasions – most recently in 2019 en route to his second title. 
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 – 8th in Playoff Standings; 18 points above the cutlineVictories: 1Top-Fives: 7Top-10s: 10Laps Led: 482Average Finish: 14.9Stage Wins: 5 At Bristol Motor Speedway: Top-10s: 1Average Finish: 23.333
Of Note: ·       The 2023 season marks Chastain’s second appearance in the NCS playoffs. ·       Chastain’s first time competing in the NCS playoffs came in 2022 – going on to advance to the Championship Four and ultimately leading Team Chevy with a runner-up finish in the final points standings.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Camaro ZL1 – 15th in Playoff Standings; 22 points below the cutlineWins: 1Top-Fives: 2Top-10s: 7Laps Led: 25Average Finish: 16.9 At Bristol Motor Speedway:  Top-Fives: 4Top-10s: 6Average Finish: 18.278
Of Note: ·       The 2023 season marks Stenhouse Jr.’s second appearance in the NCS playoffs. His first time competing in the playoffs came in 2017, ultimately ending the season 13th in the final points standings.·       The 35-year-old Mississippi native was the first driver to claim a playoff berth this season following his win in the 2023 Daytona 500.·       One of Stenhouse Jr.’s three career NCS victories was recorded at Talladega Superspeedway (May 2017) – one of the three tracks in the Round of 12.·       Stenhouse Jr. has already put together a career season in 2023, heading into the post-season with a career-best average finish of 16.9.
BUSCH AT BRISTOL Undoubtedly a favorite to contend for the win at Bristol Motor Speedway is Team Chevy’s Kyle Busch. In his two-time championship career, the 38-year-old Nevada native has recorded a series-leading nine NASCAR Cup Series wins at “The Last Great Colosseum” – eight coming on the traditional concrete surface and one on the dirt. Of those wins included a milestone victory for Chevrolet in March 2007 with Busch taking a Hendrick Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet to the win in the debut of the “Car of Tomorrow” and delivering the manufacturer its 600th all-time NCS win. The former champion has found success across all three NASCAR national ranks at Bristol Motor Speedway, also adding nine NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins to his resume. Within that time span, Busch successfully accomplished a “Bristol Triple” on two separate occasions – sweeping the NCTS, NXS and NCS events in a single weekend in the 2010 and 2017 seasons. The feat made Busch the first and only driver in NASCAR history to win all three national series races in a single weekend.  
A WINNING PERCENTAGEFor much of the 2023 season, Chevrolet has led the series in wins across all three NASCAR national series. Taking it one step further, the manufacturer currently holds a win count that is double its manufacturer competitors combined. Chevrolet sits at 14 wins in 28 NASCAR Cup Series points-paying races (Toyota – eight; Ford – six) and 13 wins in 26 NASCAR Xfinity Series races (Toyota – 10; Ford – three) – a winning percentage of 50 percent in each series. In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Christian Eckes’ win at Kansas Speedway last weekend delivered the manufacturer to its 12th win in 19 races (Ford – five; Toyota – two), bringing its winning percentage to 63.2 percent in the series. The season’s success has kept Chevrolet consistently atop each manufacturer’s points standings, with the Bowtie brand inching closer to its fifth-ever manufacturer championship sweep across all three NASCAR national series. 
HILL CLAIMS FIRST NXS REGULAR SEASON TITLEIn only his second full-time season in the series, Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill earned his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series Regular Season Championship. Heading into the series’ regular season finale at Kansas Speedway last weekend, the 29-year-old Georgia native held a 23-point lead over second and was able to secure the title following his series-leading 15th top-five finish of the season. With the playoff standings reset, the Team Chevy driver will enter the opening round in the second position and just 10 points out of the lead.  The NXS’ seven-race post-season schedule sees each style of race track in which the series competes, but the diverse lineup of venues doesn’t phase Hill’s confidence in his title chances. In fact, among his eight wins in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and six in the NXS, he’s found victory lane at each race track configuration including superspeedways, 1.5-mile intermediate ovals, a short-track on dirt and a road course.  CHEVROLET DOMINATES NXS PLAYOFF FIELDFollowing the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular season finale at Kansas Speedway, Team Chevy’s Daniel Hemric and Parker Kligerman nabbed the two remaining positions in the series’ 12-driver playoff field. Hemric, a former champion in the series, held a 55-point advantage over the cutline leading into Kansas and merely needed to start the event to clinch his playoff spot. It was a greater task at hand for Kligerman, who sat on the outside looking in ahead of the regular season finale. With no new winner, Kligerman was able to point his way into his first career NXS playoff appearance after driving his No. 48 Big Machine Camaro SS to a fourth-place finish.  With the addition of Hemric and Kligerman, nine Team Chevy drivers will compete for the 2023 NXS driver championship – giving the manufacturer 75 percent of the playoff field. Five different Chevrolet teams are represented in this season’s post-season competition, including Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill and Sheldon Creed; JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry and Sam Mayer; Kaulig Racing’s Chandler Smith and Hemric; Jordan Anderson Racing’s Jeb Burton; and Big Machine Racing’s Kligerman.  The first opportunity for Team Chevy’s playoff contenders to claim an early berth into the Round of Eight comes in Friday’s Food City 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. A very diverse opening round sees the series take on the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile”, followed by the 1.5-mile intermediate oval of Texas Motor Speedway and concluding with the 2.28-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course.  
AND THEN THERE WERE EIGHT.. In a three-wide battle during the final restart of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Round of 10 elimination race at Kansas Speedway, it was Team Chevy’s Christian Eckes that came out on top – piloting his No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Silverado RST to the front and leading the final two circuits en route to his third win of the season. Eckes is now the third driver to hit the three-win mark in the series this season, joining the likes of fellow Team Chevy drivers Grant Enfinger and Carson Hocevar.   The series’ Round of Eight gets underway Thursday with the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics at Bristol Motor Speedway. With the playoff standings reset, Chevrolet continues to occupy 50 percent of the playoff field with Eckes, Enfinger and Hocevar sitting in the second and fourth positions, respectively. NCTS rookie Nick Sanchez also pointed his way into the round, entering Bristol in the eighth position in the standings and only 16-points below the cutline. 
BOWTIE BULLETS:·       Chevrolet will pace the field in the tripleheader race weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Silverado RST lead the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in Thursday’s UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics; the Camaro SS 1LE will lead the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Friday’s Food City 300; and the Camaro ZL1 will lead the NASCAR Cup Series in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race.
·       Victories by active Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol Motor Speedway include:Kyle Busch – eight wins (2019, ’18, ’17, ’11, ’10, ’09 sweep, ’07)Kyle Larson – one win (2021)
·       Chevrolet has recorded a manufacturer-leading 46 NASCAR Cup Series wins at Bristol Motor Speedway. Chevrolet’s first win at the track came in July 1971 with Charlie Glotzbach, with the bowtie brand going on to win seven in a row. 
·       Since the debut of the 16-driver playoff field and elimination rounds to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014, at least five Chevrolet drivers were represented in the playoffs each season.
·       In 28 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race this season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (14), top-fives (61), top-10s (119), stage wins (20) and laps led (2,730). Chevrolet’s 2023 NCS win count is double its manufacturer competitors combined.
·       Chevrolet leads the series in wins across all three NASCAR national series this season with 14 victories in 28 NASCAR Cup Series races, 13 victories in 26 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and 12 wins in 19 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races – all with a win percentage of at least 50%.
·       With Kyle Larson’s win in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener at Darlington Raceway, Hendrick Motorsports now sits at 299 all-time victories in NASCAR’s premier series – all recorded with Chevrolet.
·       Chevrolet’s series-leading 14 NASCAR Cup Series wins this season have been recorded by drivers from four different Chevrolet teams: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (JTG Daugherty Racing), Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing), William Byron and Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) and Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing).
·       Chevrolet drivers have recorded 20 of the 56 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: William Byron (eight; series-leading), Ross Chastain (five), Kyle Larson (four), Kyle Busch (two) and Chase Elliott (one).
·       Chevrolet continues to sit atop the manufacturer points standings in all three NASCAR national series, leading by 67 points in the NASCAR Cup Series, 72 points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 62 points in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
·       Chevrolet has swept the Manufacturer Championships across all three NASCAR national series in a single season four different times (2012, 2005, 1998, 1996).
·       With its 41 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championships, 33 NASCAR Cup Series Driver’s Championships, and 847 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title of winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.  
FOR THE FANS:·       Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Bristol Motor Speedway.  ·       Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles at the Team Chevy Racing Display including: Silverado 1500 ZR2, Silverado 2500HD High Country Diesel, Tahoe RST, Equinox Premier, Colorado Z71 2.7L, Corvette Coupe 3LT Z51, Camaro ZL1. ·       Fans can also view Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Camaro ZL1 show car.  
Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:Thursday, September 14•          Nick Sanchez: 1 p.m. •          Grant Enfinger, Rajah Caruth, Daniel Dye: 1:30 p.m. •          Matt DiBenedetto: 2 p.m. •          Christian Eckes & Jake Garcia: 2:15 p.m. •          Carson Hocevar & Bayley Currey: 2:30 p.m.  Friday, September 15•          Austin Hill: 1 p.m. •          Parker Kligerman: 4:45 p.m. •          Chandler Smith: 5 p.m.  •          Sheldon Creed: 5:15 p.m. •          Brandon Jones: 5:30 p.m.  Saturday, September 16•          Ross Chastain: 3:15 p.m. •          Austin Dillon: 3:30 p.m. •          Alex Bowman: 3:45 p.m. •          Chase Elliott: 4 p.m.  •          Kyle Busch: 4:45 p.m.  Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation: •          Thursday, September 14: 12 p.m. – 7 p.m. •          Friday, September 15: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. •          Saturday, September 16: 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. 
TUNE IN:NASCAR Cup Series: Bass Pro Shops Night Race Saturday, September 16, at 7:30 p.m. ET(USA Network, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Xfinity Series: Food City 300Friday, September 15, at 7:30 p.m. ET(USA Network, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: UNOH 200 presented by Ohio LogisticsThursday, September 14, at 9 p.m. ET(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)
QUOTABLE QUOTES:ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 WORLDWIDE EXPRESS CAMARO ZL1What are some of the challenges with Bristol?“You can’t control much at Bristol other than your own car, most of the time. It’s happening so fast and you can’t see around the corner to the next straightaway. Something silly can happen. The cars are under immense stress and we as drivers are under stress. Its so loud for the crew chiefs and engineers, spotters and everything is so tightly packed in there. We aren’t as in control at Bristol as we are at some of the other tracks.”
Why do people like coming to Bristol so much?“It’s an awesome place. If I wasn’t driving in a Cup car, I would still be there because I went the Bristol night race before I ever raced. And then when I was running in the truck series, I would stay over for the Cup race because the race is so awesome. If I wasn’t racing in it, I would definitely be in the stands with friends.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1Larson on racing at Bristol Motor Speedway:“The night race at Bristol (Motor Speedway) is one of my favorites. It’s such a prestigious track and race. The fans always show out there and it’s a great atmosphere. I’ve had some good runs on the concrete track, including a win in the Valvoline Chevy in 2021. Valvoline is back this weekend and it would be great to get another win before the round of 12!”

CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1Daniels on racing at Bristol Motor Speedway:“Our team has great momentum right now. It’s been nice to have two good runs the past two weeks, but there is certainly a lot of racing left ahead in the playoffs. We’ve got to stay focused and stay grounded. We take every week as it comes and this week is at Bristol (Motor Speedway) which is just an amazing track. I love Bristol, Kyle loves Bristol. He’s always just super good at Bristol in anything that he drives. The team’s been executing well and hopefully we have a fast Chevy to be in contingency there at the end. I’m sure it’s going to be an exciting race.”

KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 CHEDDAR’S SCRATCH KITCHEN / ALSCO UNIFORMS CAMARO ZL1Why is the Bristol pavement race your favorite?“Bristol concrete is my favorite track just because I’ve always enjoyed that racetrack. I’ve always enjoyed watching it as a kid on TV and seeing all the races there. And then it being a short track and high banked is cool and fun and reminds me of some tracks that raced at as a kid coming up through the ranks. I look forward to going there. Bristol is a challenging track. You’ve got to be on top of your game all the time. You can really push the car and try to get the most out of it on the bottom or on the top. I’ve always loved being on the bottom there and have found most of my wins from the bottom but still you’ve got to be agile and move around.”
Pitting at Bristol is unique with the frontstretch and backstretch pit roads. How difficult is that and how big of a challenge is that since this is the only time all year you do it? “Pitting at Bristol is unique because you have two pit roads, the frontstretch and the backstretch. Typically, you don’t really pit there under green a whole lot but if you did you have only one pit road, so you’ve got to remember if you’re on the backstretch or frontstretch where you would come off of the racetrack and get down to get to pit road. It’s not that big of a deal but I’ve always had my pit selection be on the backstretch just so there’s never any confusion so we’ll see if we can get that pit selection that I prefer.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA GOLD FILTERS CAMARO ZL1Elliott on the unique environment of Bristol: “My favorite (track), I would say, and probably my favorite race of the year. I just think that the environment up there is so unique and it’s so different. I love going (there). It’s close to home and up in the mountains of Tennessee. It’s just a cool deal from top to bottom. And they’ve always done a good job up there making that environment fun and energetic for the drivers and the fans. I think when that’s the case, everybody has more fun.”

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA GOLD FILTERS CAMARO ZL1Gustafson, crew chief of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, on the Next Gen car at Bristol and what to expect on Saturday night: “It’s hard to say. We’ve had one race there with this car and it seemed ok. The tire’s changing slightly for this race, so that’s always a bit of an unknown. We’ll see what that has in store for us and how it affects the racing. Hopefully, there’s multiple lanes. To me, when we have multiple lanes and the top comes in, the racing’s better and you have more opportunity to pass.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 BARGER PRECAST CAMARO ZL1“Bristol was a really good race for us last year. We had a really strong run, a top-10 finish, and I was very happy with the car. Over the last couple months, we’ve found more speed in our race cars, and I’m look forward to getting back to Bristol with the same aero package and everything as last year. I’m excited to get on track and hopefully have a strong run.”

CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 42 SUNSEEKER RESORTS CAMARO ZL1You’ve had two top-20 finishes in two weeks with the Club, so what has been the biggest factor in acclimating yourself with the NextGen car? Do you think the Truck Series race will help you prepare for 500 laps on Saturday?“The last two weeks has been a lot of fun, being able to now race a Cup car and truck on the same weekend have just helped myself become better and more in the rhythm lately. Super excited to run a lot of laps at Bristol, the truck isn’t too far away from the Cup car in terms of throttle points and the track stays the same, so looking for a good showing on Friday to get me as up to speed as I can for 500 laps on Saturday night with my No. 42 LEGACY M.C. group.”

ERIK JONES, NO. 43 U.S. AIR FORCE CAMARO ZL1“Bristol has always been fun for me. I’ve come so close there a couple of times to winning that night race and really would love to close that one out. It is always one of my favorite races. The Bristol night race is one that I tell people all the time, ‘If you haven’t been to a NASCAR race, try and make it out to that one.’ It is one of my favorites of the year and one that I have been really close to winning before, so hoping we can close it out.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 SCOTT BRAND CAMARO ZL1“Going into Bristol, just survive. I feel like watching the Playoffs there last year, just surviving 500 laps really hits the nail on the head. There were so many parts failures and crashes in that race last year.
For me, Bristol is by far my favorite racetrack, and I’m going to not overthink or overdrive my favorite track. I’ll make sure I put myself in a good position all night. I’ve never run Bristol in the Playoffs. So, it will be the first time for me to race it in the Playoffs at the Colosseum.
It’s an intense racetrack. 15 second laps. You’re on edge all the time. You’re constantly pushing your car to its limits whether you run the bottom or top of the racetrack. You also have to look super far ahead. I’ve had a crash well in front of me take me out because you just can’t get slowed down in time. Every battle there is super intense and we’re ready for battle with our No. 47 SCOTT Brand Camaro.”

CHASE PURDY, NO. 4 BAMA BUGGIES SILVERADO RSTEven though you didn’t get the result you wanted, does showing speed last week at Kansas build confidence?“I think some of the struggles I’ve had this year have been from some of my execution. We showed up for practice and we were fast in practice and the fastest one in qualifying and sat on the pole. Those are the kind of things that we’ve had to improve on, and we did a good job of that at Kansas. We’re hoping to bring that same pace and execution to Bristol.”
Do you enjoy racing at Bristol?“Yeah, it’s a really neat place to go race. We had a lot of speed this past weekend at Kansas and the weekend before at Milwaukee. We’re hoping to bring that same speed into Bristol, a high-banked short track, more of my wheelhouse. Like I’ve mentioned before, Kansas and Bristol are two of my favorites. I’m really excited to get there and get a little redemption after our weekend in Kansas and have a race where we execute as a team to our capability and reach our full potential. It seems like we are a little bit snake bitten with our luck and the weeks that our Bama Buggies Silverado is really fast we have something go wrong like it did last week with the loose wheel. I’m just excited to get to Bristol.”
What does it take to be fast at Bristol?“Well, if it’s anything like last year, I feel like the driver who qualifies up front and can wrap the bottom the best is going to be the one to beat there. It’s so hard to pass there, so qualifying is very crucial. Track position will be everything this weekend.”

CHRISTIAN ECKES, NO. 19 GATES HYDRAULICS SILVERADO RSTEckes on beginning the second round at Bristol with momentum:“We performed really well as a team in the first round, but we need to do it all over again now. Bristol is one of the most demanding tracks that we go to, but I have all the confidence in our Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet, Charles (Denike), and our entire team that we can keep this momentum going. Last week was a big moment for our team to win a playoff race at Kansas after running so well for the last couple months. We’re all focused on continuing to do the things that got us here and hopefully we can be one of the trucks to beat at the end of the night at Bristol.”

GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 CHAMPION POWER EQUIPMENT SILVERADO RSTHow much pressure, if any, are you putting on yourself in the Round of 8? Which race is going to be the most important to shine in?“Obviously this Round of 8 is tough, and we have three very different tracks in this round. Our GMS team puts a lot into every race, but we’ve put everything we have into Bristol. It’ll be important to have speed, but it’s just as important to have a truck that you can drive hard every lap. Everything happens so fast at Bristol so you have to be on your game all race long. GMS Racing has had a lot of success at Bristol in the past, and we are hoping to add to that on Thursday.”

RAJAH CARUTH, NO. 24 WENDELL SCOTT FOUNDATION SILVERADO RSTHas anyone given you any advice for preparing for a double duty weekend at a physically-demanding track like Bristol?“Double duty shouldn’t be too much of a challenge this weekend. I prepare just as diligently as I would for any other race weekend, and having had a few doubleheaders under my belt certainly helps. This weekend at Bristol, I feel a really good opportunity is in place for us at a track that both myself and Chad have a great track record at.”

JAKE GARCIA, NO. 35 QUANTA SERVICES SILVERADO RSTGarcia on his second start on Bristol’s concrete:“I love short track racing, so it’s always exciting when these races come up on the schedule. Bristol is such a different short track than most and everything happens so quickly. You really need to stay on your toes and be able to find a rhythm quickly once the green flag drops. Our Quanta Services Chevrolet has been really fast the last few weeks, but we need to execute through the whole race on Thursday. 200 laps goes by really fast at Bristol, but we’re looking forward to the challenge and hopefully we can be up front at the end of the night.”

DANIEL DYE, NO. 43 CHAMPION CONTAINER SILVERADO RSTYou’ve had the chance to race at Bristol a few times in the past, so do you like this track? What do you think is going to be the most important goal for you on Thursday night?“I like Bristol for the most part, for sure. Having two ARCA races under my belt is going to be helpful, I also ran fourth there in a Super Late Model as well a couple years ago, so I’ve got quite a few laps around that joint. Just looking forward to getting there with Champion Container on board. It’s their last race with us for this year, and it’s been a pleasure having them at the racetrack. I think one of the most important things will be track position. You hear that about a lot of places on our schedule, but Bristol is so tiny and fast, so we have to make sure that we can turn well enough to get under guys and pass them, but we also have to qualify good and maintain our track position.”

JACK WOOD, NO. 51 ROWDY MANUFACTURING SILVERADO RSTWhere does Bristol rank on your list of favorite tracks?“I’ve run there a couple times. It’s a pretty cool venue, it’s tough to race around, it’s tough to pass there. I think our trucks are going to be good. For me, I am just mentally preparing on how I’m going to run up front and what I want to do on restarts. Running both the truck race and ARCA race will be a long day for me running 400 laps. I’m just trying to get prepared to go out and have ourselves a good weekend.”
How beneficial will it be to you to run the ARCA race before the Truck Series race?“Hopefully it will be very beneficial. I think every time I’ve done it this year it has helped me knock the rust off, especially at a track that I haven’t been to since last year. Hopefully the ARCA car will be good, and we can go out and make laps and run up front the whole race. It’s really just to compliment what we’re doing in the truck and if it can help us just five percent than it’s more than worth it.”
What are your goals for the rest of the season?“I just want to put together four solid races to end the year on a high note. I think we just need to turn the tide. We’ve shown speed most weeks and there’s just things that have happened that have kept us from reaching our full potential with our finishes — some of it being my own doing and some of them random things that happen like a pit gun breaking in the middle of a stop last week.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2022): 41First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15) Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2021): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2023 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 14Poles: 8Laps Led: 2,730Top-five finishes: 61Top-10 finishes: 119Stage wins: 20·       Ross Chastain – 5 (Daytona), (Auto Club x2), (Dover), (Darlington)·       William Byron – 8 (Las Vegas x2), (Phoenix), (COTA), (Richmond), (Dover), (Charlotte), (Watkins Glen)·       Kyle Larson – 4 (Phoenix), (Bristol Dirt), (Pocono), (Kansas)·       Chase Elliott – 1 (Talladega)·       Kyle Busch – 2 (WWTR), (Sonoma) CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 847 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 742Laps led to date: 248, 274Top-five finishes to date: 4,282Top-10 finishes to date: 8,831                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,181           Chevrolet: 847           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 826                                                                      Ford: 726           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 178

CAREER YEAR: Maturity, Strong Team Leading Rico Abreu to Remarkable 2023

The Californian is enjoying home stretch during a year filled with victories all over the countryHANFORD, CA (September 14, 2023) – On Friday night at Kings Speedway’s Tom Tarlton Classic, Rico Abreu returns to where his Sprint Car career began amid the best season of his career.And not just where his career began, but with the same Series. Believe it or not, the St. Helena, CA native’s first race behind the wheel of one of the winged beasts was against the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars. “March of 2011 at the Outlaw race in the spring was my first ever,” Abreu said. “We were actually going to rent the track on the day after. The Outlaws were going to Tulare the following day and started at Hanford. It was going to rain (the next day), so we just said we might as well buy a pit pass and go run laps. It was a pretty cool experience for me to have my first race be an Outlaw race.“I held off Donny Schatz in Hot Laps,” Abreu added with a laugh.Fast forward 12 years, and Abreu has come a long way. World of Outlaws victories. Chili Bowl triumphs. Wins all over the country from a career that blossomed in California. But with all of his accomplishments over more than a decade in a Sprint Car, no season can parallel his 2023 performance.Abreu has racked up 10 Sprint Car victories this season, half of which have come against The Greatest Show on Dirt. Entering this year, the 31-year-old owned nine Series victories and never tallied more than two in one season.In World of Outlaws competition, he’s making trips to Victory Lane at some of the toughest tracks to do so. Twice he’s topped battles against the Pennsylvania Posse including a night when a whopping 49 cars checked in at Lincoln Speedway. He bested a field of 41 at Eldora Speedway in May. The prestige of the Jason Johnson Classic also went to Abreu when he came out on top at 81 Speedway.And it’s not only that Abreu is winning at a high rate. His consistency is also as strong as ever. The Rico Abreu Racing #24 has been on the World of Outlaws podium 13 times in 2023. That’s enough to be tied for the fourth most even though he’s only competed in 63% of the races.“It’s definitely a career best year for me,” Abreu said. “The consistency and things I’ve learned as a race car driver developmental wise have just matured me and being able to process things while I’m racing and just focusing on not putting myself in bad positions on the race track and a little more give and take instead of forcing things to put us in bad spots.”That maturity has also extended beyond the racetrack itself for Abreu. While he’s normally running up front, he and the team value the down nights. Instead of being frustrated, they use them to learn for the next time.“Some nights you’re off a little bit, and there’s nothing to hang your head about those nights,” Abreu said. “They’re all just learning curves as a team. I think those nights are more important than the nights that you win because that’s what you learn the most from.”One of the largest contributors to Abreu’s success is Ricky Warner. The legendary crew chief joined his race team at the beginning of last year. The pairing began to gather momentum toward the end of 2022 before coming out of the gates hot this year and not slowing down. Listen to any of Abreu’s Victory Lane interviews this year, and he’s quick to credit Warner’s critical thinking abilities.“I think his attention to detail to little things throughout the race team when it comes to driver communication,” Abreu said of Warner’s qualities. “Ricky has a really good eye of seeing the balance of the race car where if I’m off a little bit on my communication side of setup to where I think we need to be. I think he just has a great system and gets along with everybody, which is a huge plus for the team. He’s just a good balance. I think he gets our car really close, but where he really excels is he keeps my confidence up as a race car driver. Confidence is so key in our sport.”With Warner leading the way, Zack Middlebrooks, and Brady Forbrook completing the trio working on the car, and Abreu behind the wheel, the #24 has become one of the fastest cars in the country this year.And now they head to the track where it all started for Abreu with as strong a shot as anyone at what would be a special win. He’s won at Kings Speedway three times with the Northern Auto Racing Club. He’s won there with the Sprint Car Challenge Tour. And now he hopes to top The Greatest Show on Dirt and pocket $21,000.“The unique thing about Hanford is I was really hot and cold there,” Abreu said. “And then over the years as I’ve been there we’ve gotten better and better with different crew chiefs and myself as a driver. It’s such a tricky track with no walls and a fast paced (Turns) 3 and 4 and a slower speed (Turns) 1 and 2. I’m just really looking forward to getting there. They’ve got great car counts in that central California area. They’ve got really passionate race fans.”For tickets to the Tom Tarlton Classic at Kings Speedway, CLICK HERE. Abreu will also make the trip to Placerville Speedway on Saturday night for the Federated Auto Parts 49er Gold Rush Classic. For tickets, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the action live on DIRTVision.

RUNNING WIDE OPEN: Cade Dillard Navigates Racing, Business In Busiest World of Outlaws Season

The Robeline, LA driver is 11th in points entering the Outlaw Invasion at Atomic Speedway

CHILLICOTHE, OH – September 14, 2023 – The 2023 season isn’t Cade Dillard’s first full-time season with the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series. But it’s been his busiest.

While many full-time drivers focus solely on racing, that isn’t true for the Robeline, LA Driver. He’s also balancing his time at the track with his business—CDR Race Cars. It’s one of his many challenges as the Series swings into fall at Atomic Speedway Sept. 29-30.

“It’s tough,” Dillard said. “It’s probably why you don’t see me run 100-plus races a year. I love racing and love what I do, but I’m lucky to be able to drive for someone like [Shane Sprinkle] who’s respectful of my time with my family and my business. 

“We take a lot of pride in what we do with our modified program. We started this deal about a year and a half ago with the intention of building a handful for some of my closer customers, and it blew up way faster than I intended. We’re on car number 25 right now, and with a lot of deposits in, it’s going to get us well into next year.”

That wide-open approach to his business and racing comes amid a mid-season chassis change. Earlier this year, Dillard bought a Longhorn Chassis, and It didn’t take long for him to find success. He won a preliminary Feature at the Dairyland Showdown at Mississippi Thunder Speedway. 

Since then, he’s been trying to find the right comfort level behind the wheel.

“It was good right out of the box,” Dillard said. “I got a win, and from then on out, it’s just been getting myself comfortable, what I like, and what adjustments I make throughout the night. I just kind of did all of my setup-related stuff on my own, so the main thing is getting myself comfortable, and in the last few weeks, I feel like we’ve made a lot of headway.

“We’ve had good speed early in the night in Qualifying and Heat Races. But I had to figure out where I was going wrong with the adjustments I made later in the night. Hopefully, it’ll lead to some more speed in the Feature.”

One factor that has eased the stress of balancing a chassis change and his business is the consistency of his crew. Donnie Pederson has been his crew chief since 2016, and the two have found plenty of success together—including Dillard’s four World of Outlaws victories. Pederson is also responsible for the team’s weekly maintenance, a vital part of racing on a national tour.

“We’ve obviously shared a lot of success together,” Dillard said. “He keeps our stuff very nice, and we never have mechanical failures because of something falling off. Some stuff is out of our hands that may cause a DNF, but anything related to his job we’ve never suffered a DNF for. That makes a big difference in running for points.

“He’s been a huge part of our success. For a while, it’s been just me and him.”

However, in 2023, it hasn’t been just Dillard and Pederson.

Colbey Richman joined the team in 2023, bringing experience to Dillard’s racing operation after working with four-time World of Outlaws champion Josh Richards. Dillard said the addition to his team has been a great asset.

“He’s a hard worker. He keeps our rig and everything looking nice and clean,” Dillard said. “Our tires. He’s always ahead of them. He’s always looking for ways to improve what he does. Everybody just gets along good, and everything is clicking pretty good right now.

“I just have a really good group of guys right now. It’s a plus to have them, and it definitely makes my life much easier.”

As the team builds momentum toward the World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Nov. 1-4, Dillard isn’t satisfied with his 2023 results. However, he said he’s starting to feel more comfortable behind the wheel of his Longhorn, which has him looking ahead to 2024.

“It was a struggle swapping cars in the middle of the year,” Dillard said. “Before that, I felt like I’ve never been the best in Florida, so I always get behind there. Naturally, I’d like to have some better runs and more wins than we’ve had. My car owners deserve better results than we’re getting, but we’re working hard. 

“Am I satisfied right now? No. But getting acquainted with a new car in the middle of the season just took me time to figure out what I needed.  I wouldn’t give myself the best grade, but it’s definitely got me looking forward to next year. We’ve been building a notebook with these Longhorns, and I feel like we’ve found a lot of speed the last few weeks.”

Dillard is closing in on the end of his busiest season as a World of Outlaws CASE Late Models driver, with a chance to claim a top 10 spot in the final points standings. He trails 2015 Series champion Shane Clanton by 60 points with nine races remaining and has an opportunity to earn $40,000 at season’s end—a $3,000 bump from where he is now.

No matter where he finishes, though, he’ll work until that checkered flag flies at Charlotte.

We’re wide open all the time,” Dillard said.

Dillard and the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models return to action on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 29-30, for the Outlaw Invasion at Atomic Speedway. For Tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

Dominic Scelzi Posts Top Fives in California and Top 10s in Washington During World of Outlaws West Coast Swing

Inside Line Promotions – CHICO, Calif. (Sept. 14, 2023) – Dominic Scelzi has produced a pair of successful weekends with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series during its annual West Coast Swing.

Scelzi earned three top 10s in four races in Washington State before capturing back-to-back top fives last weekend in his home state of California.

Labor Day Weekend featured four races in a five-day span in The Evergreen State. Scelzi kicked off the Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals at Skagit Speedway in Alger by advancing from 14 th to ninth on Aug. 31. The following night he maneuvered from 12 th to seventh before ending the event with a 16th-place finish during the finale on Sept. 2.

“The goal was to be in the top 10 every night,” he said. “The first night the track was really rough and hooked up. We moved forward and I could run pretty much anywhere on the track. We were running seventh and I was trying for a top five. We hit a hole wrong and fell back. Thursday night was our best night. It was really slick and wide and we got going on the bottom early. We drove up to seventh and I was really happy with that. The last night we were passing for a dash spot in a heat race and got run through the infield. That took us from possibly being in the dash to finishing fourth in our heat. We had to start 15 th in the feature and it was really hard to pass. We were ripping around the top and it was the same speed as the bottom.”

Scelzi headed to Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma on Sept. 4. He capped the night with a 10th-place result.

“In the main event we ran between seventh and 10 th the entire race,” he said. “We’d get going and get by some guys and then fade and get passed. We had a really good restart to get to seventh with about 10 laps to go. Then we had a restart at the end and I tried to make a hero move to get to sixth and wasn’t able to clear the slider. When I slid up to the cushion I didn’t get off the corner well and got passed by a few cars.”

The team headed to Silver Dollar Speedway last Friday for preliminary action of the Gold Cup Race of Champions. Scelzi timed in 12 th quickest and advanced a spot in a heat race to finish third, giving him the 10 th starting position in the A Main.

“We didn’t have the speed we needed in qualifying,” he said. “When you’re not up to full potential the Outlaws expose that. Going 12 th quickest wasn’t anything to be too upset with, but I felt we should have been better. I fell back to fifth on the start of the heat race and had to race my way to third. In the feature the track was slick and wide. We were really, really good. I was able to run the top and the bottom. We were really solid and had good speed. At the very end we were pretty much on the bumper on the leader and second. If things go a little different maybe we win. I just wish we could have started a little further forward to have put ourselves in a better position to compete for the win.”

The third-place outing ranked Scelzi as the top driver not locked into Saturday’s program, but that changed as he won a heat race to advance into the dash.

“We did what we needed to do in the prelim night,” he said. “We had great speed on Saturday and won the heat race to make the dash. The curb was really treacherous in the dash. We made a pass for fifth through turns one and two and then a yellow flag came out. We restarted sixth and didn’t get a great restart and fell to seventh. In the main event they reworked the track too much and it was one lane around the bottom. We had to be patient and wait for guys in front to move up. Once we got to fifth the top started to come into play and I was able to get back by Brad (Sweet). The last five or six laps me and Buddy (Kofoid) were racing pretty hard and (Justin) Sanders was right in front of us, but I wasn’t able to put Buddy away and we finished fourth.

“We weren’t stellar in Washington. In Chico we were really strong. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t maximize our speed. We were better than third on Friday and fourth on Saturday, but when you race with the best in the world you have to maximize your performance. It was my best Gold Cup finish and the best month of September I’ve had in many years so there’s a lot to be happy with.”

The World of Outlaws West Coast Swing concludes with races this Friday at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif., for the Tom Tarlton Classic and Saturday at Placerville Speedway in Placerville, Calif., for the World of Outlaws 49er Gold Rush Classic.

“We’re going to two places I have a lot of laps at,” he said. “I’m excited to get to Hanford and I’m really hoping we can continue the speed we’ve been having. Fingers crossed we can battle for at least a couple more top 10s.”

QUICK RESULTS –

Aug. 31 – Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. – Qualifying: 22; Heat race: 4 (6); Feature: 9 (14).

Sept. 1 – Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. – Qualifying: 12; Heat race: 3 (3); Feature: 7 (12).

Sept. 2 – Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. – Qualifying: 15; Heat race: 4 (4); Feature: 16 (15).

Sept. 4 – Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash. – Qualifying: 13; Heat race: 3 (5); Feature: 10 (7).

Sept. 8 – Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif. – Qualifying: 12; Heat race: 3 (4); Feature: 3 (10).

Sept. 9 – Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif. – Heat race: 1 (1); Dash: 7 (6); Feature: 4 (7).

SEASON STATS –

43 races, 11 wins, 29 top fives, 35 top 10s, 39 top 15s, 42 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Friday at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif., for the Tom Tarlton Classic and Saturday at Placerville Speedway in Placerville, Calif., for the World of Outlaws 49er Gold Rush Classic with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.GaryScelziMotorsports.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DominicScelzi41

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Scelzi41

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Jacksonville, Highland, Red Hill to Set Stage for Championship Weekend

CONCORD, NC (Sept. 13, 2023) – A tripleheader weekend in Illinois will set the stage for the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota as drivers march closer toward the end of the season and championship weekend in October.

A return to Jacksonville Speedway (Jacksonville, IL) will kick things off Friday, Sept. 15, followed by first-time Xtreme Outlaw Series events at Highland Speedway (Highland, IL) and Red Hill Raceway (Sumner, IL) on Saturday and Sunday. Each program will pay $4,000 to the winner, featuring 30-lap events Friday-Saturday and a 25-lap main event on Sunday.

The points battle has tightened between Cannon McIntosh and Jade Avedisian, who are separated by only seven points with third-place Gavin Miller and fourth-place Zach Daum both inside of 75 points back.

With six races left, this weekend’s races will be crucial in setting up everyone’s scenarios heading into the final weekend next month as the chase the 2023 title, worth $25,000.

Tickets for all three of this weekend’s races will be available at the gate on race day. If you can’t make it to your favorite track, stream all the action live on DIRTVision.

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

CLOSING IN – Only six races stand between Cannon McIntosh and his first career national Midget series championship. But his seat is getting warmer.

McIntosh holds the Series points lead by seven over Jade Avedisian coming into the weekend. That advantage once stood at 121 points over Gavin Miller prior to the summer break in June and has since been cut down as a result of only six top-five finishes and two podiums in the 13 races contested since then. Prior to the break, McIntosh had only two finishes outside the podium.

Despite he and Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports’ roller-coaster moments this season, they have plenty of reasons to be confident. In addition to winning a POWRi National Midget race at Jacksonville last year, McIntosh will finish-up the season in his home state of Oklahoma next month – a three-race swing that begins with his old home track Port City Raceway and ends with two races at I-44 Riverside Speedway, where he won on Friday night last year.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN – On Friday, Jade Avedisian returns to Jacksonville Speedway for the second time since her history-making first national Midget series Feature win in June of last year.

Since that night, the 16-year-old Californian has gone on to become the Series’ all-time winningest driver, compiling five Toyota Racing Feature wins this year to go with the two races she topped in 2022. Avedisian currently sits second in the Series points standings, only seven behind leader McIntosh.

She comes into the three-race weekend riding high on the momentum of a win in the last Series race at Paragon Speedway two weeks ago and will need to at least keep pace with McIntosh in all three races if she and Keith Kunz Motorsports are to have a shot as the points championship in Oklahoma next month.

BACK IN BLACK – For the first time since Appalachian Midget Week, Kyle Jones rejoins the Series roster Friday and Saturday night behind the wheel of the Dan Minear-owned, Spike/Stanton #16.

Jones, 29, of Kennedale, TX, has made 11 starts with the Series this season, compiling four top-fives and seven top-10 finishes in that span. He tied his best finish of the season on a national Midget tour on Aug. 9 at Action Track USA in Pennsylvania in a Ripper/PME #60x owned by North Carolinian John Levecque. That night, he led laps in the Feature and brought home a third-place finish.

The last time he drove the Minear #16, he led laps as well, spending most of the Toyota Racing Feature at Southern Illinois Raceway out front before Avedisian passed him on a late restart for the win. Though he did not get the result he was hoping for, the run showed his ability to be competitive in any car at any track – an attribute he’ll need to bring with him again this weekend as he shoots for his first career national Midget Series win.

HOME GAME – If there’s anything Zach Daum needs at this point in the season on his path to a possible repeat as Series champion, it’s a three-pack of races in his home state.

Daum, 32, of Pocahontas, IL, will get exactly that this weekend, piloting the Trifecta Motorsports #7U at a few tracks where he’s won before – Jacksonville and Highland. The open-wheel veteran won a POWRi Illinois Speedweek show at Jacksonville in 2016 and has notched multiple top-five finishes in Midget events there since. As for Highland, Daum once took the checkers in a local Micro Sprint event at the 1/4-mile oval nearly 10 years ago.

Lately, Daum has been on a remarkable surge, collecting six top-five finishes – including two wins – in the last seven Series events. These runs have been part of his larger, near season-long climb back up from the depths of the points standings, where he now sits fourth – 75 points out of the lead.

SHARK SIGHTING – Twenty-year-old Karter Sarff, of Mason City, IL, will join the Series roster this weekend, looking for a rebound from his last time out with the Xtreme Outlaws.

Sarff was victorious at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 4, winning the Toyota Racing Feature over Daum and Avedisian for his third national Midget series victory. His next Xtreme Outlaw weekend outing was not as fruitful, posting finishes of 18th and ninth three weeks ago at Davenport Speedway.

Sarff is trying to regain the POWRi National Midget League points lead that he once had after McIntosh took it with his top-five runs in Davenport. Though POWRi is not in action this weekend, Sarff will be tuning-up his machine for the final POWRi shows, co-sanctioned with Xtreme Outlaw championship weekend in October.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE


When and where
Friday, Sept. 15 at Jacksonville Speedway in Jacksonville, IL
Saturday, Sept. 16 at Highland Speedway in Highland, IL
Sunday, Sept. 17 at Red Hill Raceway in Sumner, IL


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. Cannon McIntosh: 4742 points | Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports #08
  2. Jade Avedisian: 4735 points (-7) | Keith Kunz Motorsports #71
  3. Gavin Miller: 4670 points (-72) | Keith Kunz Motorsports #97
  4. Zach Daum: 4667 points (-75) | Trifecta Motorsports #7U
  5. Chase McDermand: 4624 points (-118) | Mounce/Stout Motorsports #40
  6. Taylor Reimer: 4486 points (-256) | Keith Kunz Motorsports #25K
  7. Hayden Reinbold: 4063 points (-679) | Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports #19AZ
  8. Austin Barnhill: 2999 points (-1743) | Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports #17B
  9. Chance Crum: 2910 points (-1832) | Rudeen Racing #26
  10. Ethan Mitchell: 2497 points (-2245) | Bundy Built Motorsports #19M


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


Toyota Feature laps led (16 drivers)
101 laps – Jade Avedisian
88 laps – Zach Daum
80 laps – Cannon McIntosh
73 laps – Chase McDermand
72 laps – Ryan Timms
59 laps – Daniel Whitley
41 laps – Karter Sarff
36 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
4 laps – Jesse Love
1 lap – Nick Drake


Whitz RC Racing Products Quick Time Awards (14 drivers)
4 awards – Cannon McIntosh
2 awards – Ethan Mitchell, Daniel Whitley, Chase McDermand, Zach Daum, Ryan Timms, Taylor Reimer
1 award – Gavin Miller, Hayden Reinbold, Jesse Love, Kevin Thomas Jr, Joe B. Miller, Corbin Rueschenberg, Briggs Danner


Heat Race winners (21 drivers)
9 wins – Jade Avedisian, Chase McDermand
8 wins – Cannon McIntosh
6 wins – 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
1 win – Austin Barnhill, Shane Cottle, Thomas Meseraull, Kyle Jones, Rico Abreu, Briggs Danner, Chase Johnson


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 (12 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


DIRTVision Hard Charger Awards (18 drivers)
2 awards – Hayden Reinbold, Kyle Jones, Taylor Reimer, Zach Daum, Cannon McIntosh
1 award – Mitchel Moles, Chase Johnson, Ryan Timms, Chance Crum, Gavan Boschele, Chase McDermand, Shane Cottle, Cooper Williams, Jerry Coons Jr, Jade Avedisian, Steve Buckwalter, Gavin Miller, Trevor Cline


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


Top-10 finishes (45 drivers)
21 top-10s – Cannon McIntosh, Gavin Miller
20 top-10s – Jade Avedisian
19 top-10s – Chase McDermand, Zach Daum
15 top-10s – Taylor Reimer
9 top-10s – Chance Crum, Hayden Reinbold
7 top-10s – Kyle Jones, Ethan Mitchell
6 top-10s – Ryan Timms
5 top-10s – Landon Brooks, Daniel Whitley, Karter Sarff, Austin Barnhill
4 top-10s – Gavan Boschele, Thomas Meseraull, Corbin Rueschenberg
3 top-10s – Chase Johnson, Briggs Danner, Cooper Williams
2 top-10s – Shane Cottle, Chase Briscoe, Kevin Thomas Jr, Branigan Roark, Andrew Felker, Jerry Coons Jr, Mariah Ede, Daison Pursley, Tim Buckwalter, Mitchell Davis, Kyle Beilman, Trevor Cline
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


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)

AUSTIN PROCK AND MONTANA BRAND LOOKING FOR REPEAT VICTORY AT MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY

READING, Pa. (Sept. 13, 2023) – Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster team will be looking for some of that same magic they found last year as they enter this weekend’s Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway and the start of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship. Prock is the defending champion at Maple Grove Raceway, an event he won last year from the No. 4 starting position and in which he beat Steve Torrence, Antron Brown and Justin Ashley, the top three starters in this year’s playoffs, in the final three rounds. Prock starts the Countdown from the No. 7 position, that’s five better than he started a year ago when he finished third, equaling the most positions gained in the history of the playoffs, matching Robert Hight’s jump from 10th to first in 2009. “There’s no better feeling than coming into a race as the defending champ, especially when it’s the first race of the Countdown. I’m looking forward to Friday and getting odd on a good foot at Maple Grove Raceway,” Prock said. “We had another successful pre-Countdown test session in Indy and I believe it will show this weekend. We’re focused and ready to make another championship run with this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team.” Prock earned the only Top Fuel win this season for John Force Racing when he doubled up alongside Robert Hight at the Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte. It was Prock and Hight who also doubled up last season at Maple Grove. This season, the Montana Brand team also made it to the finals of the Winternationals and earned a No. 1 qualifying position at the Sonoma Nationals Competition at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway begins with qualifying Friday at 3 and 6 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations will be run Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Television coverage of the first of six NHRA Countdown to the Championship events begins with qualifying shows Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Eliminations will be covered by FOX Broadcasting Network with shows Sunday at either 4:30 p.m. or 2:00 p.m. ET, check your local listings. 

BRITTANY FORCE AND MONSTER ENERGY READY TO START CHAMPIONSHIP DEFENSE AT MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY

READING, Pa. (Sept. 13, 2023) – Brittany Force and her Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster team aren’t letting their No. 5 points position put a damper on their shot at a second consecutive Top Fuel world championship as they kick off the NHRA Countdown to the Championship at this weekend’s Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.
Force won her first championship starting the Countdown from the No. 6 position in 2017. In that same year, she picked up the victory at Maple Grove Raceway. The Monster Energy team will be looking for their third consecutive No. 1 qualifying position at the facility. Force was also No. 1 in 2015 and 2019, when she set the current NHRA Top Fuel elapsed time national record at 3.623 seconds.
“After a day of testing in Indy following the U.S. Nationals, our Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team is ready to head to the first race of Countdown at Maple Grove Raceway. We figured out some of our issues and it was a very successful test session. Our goals haven’t changed heading into Reading and the Countdown; we want to make four solid runs to qualify in the top 5 and go some rounds on race day. We’re ready to start chasing down that No. 1 points spot. Going in No. 5 wasn’t our plan but we’re up for the challenge.”
Force, who is one of only three women to win multiple Countdown to the Championship races, and the Monster Energy team are starting the Countdown on the hunt for their first win of the 2023 season. They earned their No. 5 starting spot with four No.1. qualifying positions, a runner-up finish at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kansas and four semifinal finishes.
Competition at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway begins with qualifying Friday at 3 and 6 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations will be run Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Television coverage of the first of six NHRA Countdown to the Championship events begins with qualifying shows Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Eliminations will be covered by FOX Broadcasting Network with shows Sunday at either 4:30 p.m. or 2:00 p.m. ET, check your local listings.

Five DIRTcar Hoosier Weekly Champions Crowned; Multiple First-timers

Season-long battles at tracks across the northeast have led to five new DIRTcar Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly champions.

Marc Johnson (DIRTcar Big Block Modified), Lance Willix II (DIRTcar 358 Modified), Andrew Buff (DIRTcar Sportman) Luke Horning (DIRTcar Pro Stock) and Daniel Joubert (DIRTcar 4-Cylinders) were declared the 2023 champions in their respective divisions. 

Johnson trailed leader Peter Britten by 10 points going into the final weekend of competition. The Guilderland, NY driver clinched his first Hoosier title with the Feature win on Sept. 1 at his home track Albany-Saratoga Speedway, giving him an eight-point advantage over Britten who was sidelined with a hand injury. 

“We’ve been consistent,” Johnson said. “We’ve got a lot of seconds, and a lot of top-fives.” 

The former full-time Series driver acknowledged the significance of his crew and their hard work helping him persevere through a challenging season. 

“My core guys stuck by me, and we plugged along,” Johnson said. “We were still consistent. I still know how to drive a race car. My guys still know how to work on cars. We were just spread a little thin this year.” 

Lance Willix II was the victor in the DIRTcar 358 Modified division, after winning a tight battle over runner-up Jordan McCreadie. It’s also the first Hoosier title for the Theresa, NY driver. 

“It means all the years of not running so good have finally paid off,” Willix II said. “This year I felt like we were more consistent, and it paid off. We were fast almost every night, and the end results show it.”

His Hoosier season saw success from the beginning, landing several victories early in the season. He finished with eight wins, 20 top-fives, and 24 top-10s in 31 starts. 

“We started the season off fast right out of the box, which is always good,” Willix II said. “We got wins at Can-Am, Airborne, and our home track Glen Ridge right off the bat. We had wins right there on opening night of each of them. We’re just trying to stay consistent. We had a few hiccups during the season of part failures, but we just tried to stay consistent and ended up getting the championship.” 

Willix II has now switched his focus to preparing his equipment for Super DIRT Week 51, Oct. 2-8, at Oswego Speedway. He’ll look to continue extending his impressive resume by battling for his first Salute to the Troops 150 title. 

Andrew Buff, of Latham, NY, edged out his younger brother Zach for the title in the DIRTcarSportsman. The 25-year-old delivered one of the most consistent seasons in the division, notching 34 top-five finishes in 42 starts. He also recorded nine wins. 

“Everybody in the northeast is involved in the (Hoosier title),” Buff said. “It’s basically who has the most consistent year…it’s awesome. The more racing you do, the better it helps. But it’s pretty cool to win it two times.” 

One of his favorite moments of the Hoosier season was when he and younger brother Zach scored wins on Sept. 2 at Fulton Speedway. The elder Buff won the makeup Feature, and the younger Buff took the checkers in the regularly scheduled Feature. 

“That was pretty cool that we were able to be on the front stretch down there together,” Buff said.

Transitioning towards the end of the year, Buff remains confident in his equipment and momentum going into the end of the year events like the Chevrolet Performance 75 at Super DIRT Week 51. 

“Knowing what a good race car we have together going into all the big races at the end of the year is definitely a confidence booster.” 

Over in the DIRTcar Pro Stock competition, “Cousin Luke” Horning took the title, defeating defending champion Chad Jeseo. Horning also saw a consistent season, finishing his Hoosier season with 10 wins and 17 top-five finishes in 25 starts. The Gloversville, NY driver was supported by a dominant run of six wins in a row at his home track Glen Ridge Motorsports Park. 

“Glen Ridge really helped me out a lot,” Horning said. “We’re really strong there. It’s been our home track for years. We have a lot of experience up there. We’re the all-time winner up there. We have six (wins) in a row right now, plus, we won three earlier in the season. So, we have a total of nine up there. That helped a lot with the Hoosier points. It’s a big deal. It’s a nice payout and a nice bonus.” 

Even though he came out on top, there were moments throughout the competition he wasn’t sure if he would. He said he felt the demands of the grind of the race season and how it affected his ability to compete up to his potential. But with a relentless attitude and a dash of luck at opportune moments, Horning was able to stay in the fight. 

“It seems like everything went well when we needed it to go well,” Horning said. “When we fell a little bit behind at Glen Ridge, the season turned around. We had someone buy us 10 tires. When things started to slow down a little bit, something came along to right the ship and get us in the right direction.” 

Securing the title has a significant meaning to Horning. It wasn’t just a race against local competitors. It was a race against the best DIRTcar Pro Stock drivers in the entire region.

“I really like (the Hoosier) title,” Horning said. “It’s the best of 16 races. You didn’t just beat your guys at Glen Ridge or (Albany-Saratoga). You beat the guys that run all the DIRT Series stuff and all their home tracks, even the places we don’t get to. It’s good to get your name out there a little more, too.” 

Along with finishing out DIRTcar Pro Stock Series action, Horning will also be preparing for another showing at Oswego Speedway for Super DIRT Week 51 to battle for his first DIRTcarPro Stock 50 title.

Daniel Joubert took the 4-Cylinders title, edging out runner-up Alex Riley by a mere three points. He finished with one win, nine top-fives, and 20 top-10’s in 20 starts.

To see Johnson, Willix, Buff and Horning compete in Super DIRT Week 51 at Oswego Speedway, CLICK HERE to get your tickets today. 

ROBERT HIGHT AND CORNWELL TOOLS LOOK TO DEFEND WIN AT MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY

READING, Pa. (Sept. 13, 2023) – Robert Hight and the Cornwell Tools / AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS team are well positioned sitting No. 3 in the points standings as they head into the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the first event in the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship. Hight and the Cornwell Tools Chevy return to Maple Grove Raceway as the defending Funny Car event champions. Hight had a commanding performance in 2022 with wire-to-wire success winning from the No.1 position. Hight also at Maple Grove in 2011 and qualified No. 1 in 2015 and 2017. The Cornwell Tools Camaro No. 3 points positioning comes off the strength of two wins at the Arizona Nationals and Charlotte Four-Wide events. He also has four No.1. qualifiers from the Route 66 Nationals, Thunder Valley Nationals, Heartland Nationals, and the most recent event, the U.S. Nationals where he also picked up a win in the All-Star Callout and had a semifinal finish. “I’m ready to get this Countdown going. This Cornwell Tools team is coming around at the right moment. We’ve found some consistency, the combination that Jimmy Prock is using, it’s responding to what he and Thomas Prock and Nathan Hildahl are doing,” Hight said. “It’s slight adjustments and it’s running well, the progress is showing and it’s perfect timing. Everything has reset and we’re sitting in a good spot to really take a swing at this fourth championship. I’m excited to get started.” Hight is looking to ride a No. 3 start to a fourth series championship that would put him in very select company. Only three Funny Car drivers have won as many as four championships – John Force, Don Prudhomme and Kenny Bernstein. Hight has won the opening event in the Countdown four times and twice has won the championship after doing so, both when the opening event was held in Charlotte in 2009, and 2017. Hight has won more Countdown races than any other Funny Car driver with 14 and he is the only driver in any category to have won the championship from a last-place start (No. 10 in 2009) and No. 1 (2019). He also won from No. 2 in 2017. Competition at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway begins with qualifying Friday at 3 and 6 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations will be run Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Television coverage of the first of six NHRA Countdown to the Championship events begins with qualifying shows Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Eliminations will be covered by FOX Broadcasting Network with shows Sunday at either 4:30 p.m. or 2:00 p.m. ET, check your local listings.

JIANNA EVARISTO FOCUSED ON CONSISTENCY IN FIRST COUNTDOWN APPEARANCE


JIANNA EVARISTO FOCUSED ON CONSISTENCY IN FIRST COUNTDOWN APPEARANCE

MIKE SALINAS AIMS TO BE HOT WHEN IT COUNTS IN THE COUNTDOWN

 Event

Pep Boys NHRA Nationals

            Maple Grove Raceway; Reading, Pennsylvania

Scrappers Racing Competitors:

            Mike Salinas, Top Fuel

            Jianna Evaristo, Pro Stock Motorcycle

READING, Penn. (Sept. 13, 2023) – This weekend’s Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway marks the kickoff to the 2023 NHRA Countdown to the Championship. For Scrappers Racing, it will be the fifth appearance in the post-season by Mike Salinas in the Top Fuel ranks. But for Jianna Evaristo, it will be her first quest at the Pro Stock Motorcycle championship in the post-season.

Evaristo has shown consistency during the 2023 season riding her Matt Smith Racing-powered Scrappers Racing Suzuki. The 26-year-old daughter of Top Fuel driver, Mike Salinas, has made two semi-final appearances this season including the season-opening race at Gainesville Raceway and then mid-season at Summit Raceway Park in Norwalk. While Evaristo is focused on her championship quest, maintaining that season-long consistency is the priority.

“I’m definitely excited about my first season competing in the Countdown,” said Evaristo. “But much of that excitement comes from earning my way into the Countdown this season. We’ve experienced a few hiccups this season too which have hindered our capability to go rounds like we know we can, but we feel we have those issues handled so we shouldn’t see those problems moving forward. This weekend’s event at Maple Grove really should be good if the weather forecast holds true with cool temperatures and low humidity. There will be some fast passes for sure if that’s the case. My main focus for this weekend and the races through the Countdown is really not the championship. Of course, I’ll be aware of it, but I need to focus on what I need to do to maintain my consistency and do what I need to do each time I go down the track.”

For the Scrappers Racing Top Fuel team and Salinas, this year’s Countdown is hopefully coming at a time where the team has been showcasing speed each time they take to the track. Salinas started the season with a win at the season-opening race at Gainesville as well as claiming the All-Star Top Fuel victory. From there, the team has acquired two number one qualifier spots at Chicago and Seattle, but a second win as eluded the organization after earning five victories in 2022.

But speed is something the team has certainly found and that was not showcased more than in Brainerd a few weeks ago when Salinas posted the fastest speed in history at the facility and third overall in Top Fuel in NHRA history with a speed of 338.26 mph. Salinas and crew chief, Rob Flynn look to use that speed to capitalize within the Countdown and contend for this year’s championship.

“We know we have the speed in our car and we’ve shown that in recent weeks,” said Salinas. “There have been some things we’ve worked on to get all the pieces working together with the speed that we’ve found and sometimes that results in tire shake or other issues and that’s what we’ve been working to rectify before we get into the Countdown. As a team, we know we can contend for this championship and that will all kickoff this weekend in Maple Grove. Of course, cool temperatures that are predicted would definitely be beneficial, but it would also help our competitors. Striking at the right time is key in this sport and we know we’re poised to get hot when we need to – hopefully starting this weekend!”

The Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway will kick off on Friday afternoon with the first round of pro stock qualifying at 2:00 PM ET followed by the first round of nitro qualifying at 3:00 PM ET.

JOHN FORCE AND PEAK CHEVY READY TO KICK OFF COUNTDOWN AT MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY

READING, Pa. (Sept. 13, 2023) – John Force and the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS team enter the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, the first race of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, sitting No. 9 in the points standings after the points reset and Force’s five championship bonus points were added.
Sitting only 99 points back from the lead, Force’s No. 9 position is the lowest he’s ever begun the six-race playoffs, matching his start from 2018 when he eventually went on to finish fourth. Force is among only five Funny Car drivers who have qualified for every Countdown, teammate Robert Hight is among the group. Force enters the Countdown looking for his first win of the season after the regular season delivered a runner-up finish at the rain-delayed New England Nationals in New Hampshire and a No. 1 qualifying spot at the Northwest Nationals near Seattle.
“It’s Countdown time, it’s exciting, everything resets. It’s like a fresh start. I know we’ve got some work to do, but it’s coming around. These last six races, we could make it. Daniel Hood, Tim Fabrisi, all these PEAK guys, I’ve got faith in them,” Force said. “Maple Grove Raceway has history, and its new owners have really put their heart into the facility. I’m excited to get back there, excited to get this Countdown started. I’m going for 17, that’s why I’m out here.”
Force has had considerable success at Maple Grove Raceway winning seven times across three different decades (1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2001 and 2013). Most recently, Force and the PEAK Chevy finished runner-up in 2021 and 2019. The 16-time champion has earned eight No. 1 qualifying positions at the facility and picked up wins from the top spot in 1990, 1994,2001 and 2013.
Competition at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway begins with qualifying Friday at 3 and 6 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations will be run Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Television coverage of the first of six NHRA Countdown to the Championship events begins with qualifying shows Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Eliminations will be covered by FOX Broadcasting Network with shows Sunday at either 4:30 p.m. or 2:00 p.m. ET, check your local listings.

Burton, Bullins Looking For Some Good Luck At Bristol


September 13, 2023


In the two weeks they’ve been paired as driver and crew chief, Harrison Burton and Jeremy Bullins seem to be making progress getting speed from the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang only to see potential good finishes derailed by crashes. 

Bullins figures it’s just a matter of time before Lady Luck smiles on the No. 21 team and the finishes will better reflect their performance.

“It would be easy to be disappointed with our finishes the last two weeks, but the reality is we had two solid races going that both ended in getting caught up with other cars and crashing,” Bullins said. “Once we get that bad luck behind us, I feel like we are ready to string together some good finishes.”

He’s hoping the change will begin this weekend in the 500-lap Bass Pro Shops Night Race on Bristol Motor Speedway’s high-banked, concrete, .533-mile oval.

“Bristol has always been a favorite track for me, and I was lucky to be there with the 21 team when they won back in 2001,” he said. “This race will be wild as a Playoff cut-off race, but hopefully we can make some good set-up decisions and good strategy calls and get ourselves in contention this week.”

Practice for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race is set for Friday at 4:35 p.m. Eastern Time to be followed by qualifying at 5:20.

Saturday’s 500-lap race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 7:30 p.m. with Stage breaks at Laps 125 and 250.

USA Network will carry the live TV coverage all weekend.

AFTER SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH DRAG RACE BRACKET BONANZA READY TO GIVE FANS WHAT THEY WANT DURING COUNTDOWN

DALLAS, TX (September 13, 2023) — After a successful launch during the 69th U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway Park in Indianapolis Drag Race Bracket Bonanza, the first dynamic bracket competition for drag racing fans, will be back in action this weekend during the Reading Nationals from Maple Grove Raceway. Fans will once again be able to fill out the complete competition brackets for Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle when qualifying concludes on Saturday evening. Brackets can be filled out until the first pair of Top Fuel dragsters fire up for the first round of eliminations at 10:30 a.m. ET.
 
“We had hundreds of drag racing fans fill out brackets for the U.S. Nationals from across the country and around the world. We had people playing in Europe and Australia showing how broad the interest and passion is for drag racing and the competition at the U.S. Nationals,” said Elon Werner, creator of Drag Race Bracket Bonanza. “It was great to see people talking about and sharing their brackets on social media before and during the race. Drag Race Bracket Bonanza brought another level of fan engagement to one of the most exciting and fan-friendly motorsports.”

       

 
Antron Brown, Ron Capps, Matt Hartford and Matt Smith all took home wins at the biggest drag race of the season and the fans playing Drag Race Bracket Bonanza were able to provide some interesting insight on the outcome of the race thanks to the data generation capabilities of the site. Once the brackets closed on Monday morning data showed that only two percent of the fans playing picked Brown, the No. 15 qualifier, to take the Top Fuel victory. Fans felt that Top Fuel point leader Justin Ashley was the favorite with 34 percent picking him to win his first U.S. Nationals title. Robert Hight was picked by 40.1 percent of the fans to win with eventual winner Capps garnering 19.2 percent of the fan picks. A whopping 75.3 percent of the players tabbed Gaige Herrera to get the win with eventual winner Matt Smith having a 5.2 percent chance. Finally, Erica Enders was the fans’ choice to win with 32.6 percent of the picks going her way and Hartford was a close second with 22.1 percent.

       

 
“I think what is going to be neat moving forward is seeing how fans’ confidence levels and personal feelings for drivers sways their picks,” said Werner. “Just like in all fantasy sports there are fans picking with their heads and fans picking with their hearts. We have seen more and more non-fans making picks with their own system. I love that people are excited about picking their brackets and earning some bragging rights. We had winners from all over the country and I hope we see the same diversity in winners following the Reading Nationals.”
 
The fan winners included overall winner Bob C. from Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Top Fuel winner DeMarcus R. from Dallas, Texas; Funny Car winner Jerry C. from Austin, Indiana; Pro Stock winner David G. from Kaufman, Texas and Pro Stock Motorcycle winner Brian H. from Williamstown, New Jersey. Each winner received their one-of-a-kind Drag Race Bracket Bonanza plaque signed by the U.S. Nationals winner in their respective category. The overall winner’s plaque was signed by all four winners as well as NHRA legend Don Prudhomme who was being celebrated by Funny Car winner Ron Capps. They also each received a sampling of beef jerky from Beef Jerky Unlimited and the overall winner received an autographed copy of Bob Wilber’s new book The Lost Manuscript, available for pre-sale now on Amazon.


DRBB Top Fuel U.S. Nationals winner Demarcus R. hold his Antron Brown signed plaque

 
Drag Race Bracket Bonanza will continue through the final six playoff races with event winners being recognized at each race and, at the end of the season, an overall countdown winner and runner-up will receive Drag Race Bracket Bonanza championship belts. For additional information fans can visit www.dragracebracketbonanza.com. Fans can follow Drag Race Bracket Bonanza social media for stats, updates, and info on Twitter/X at @dragracebb or Instagram and Facebook, @DragRaceBracketBonanza.
 
About Drag Race Bracket Bonanza
Drag Race Bracket Bonanza is the first dynamic bracket competition for drag racing fans. During the remaining 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series events fans will be able to fill out brackets for all four professional categories at the conclusion of professional qualifying. Developed and owned by Werner Communications, Drag Race Bracket Bonanza is the first fan-centric offering from the Dallas-based public relations and media services company.
 
About Werner Communications
Founded in 2022 by Elon Werner, Werner Communications is a full-service public relations and media services company focusing primarily on motorsports. A familiar face in the motorsports world and 30-year veteran of sports media relations, Werner oversees a host of clients on speedways across the country, including Maynard Ashley Racing, Josh Hart Racing, Caruso Family Racing, Buddy Hull Racing, Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown, the Texas Motorplex, and TMS Titanium. In 2014 Werner received the Jim Chapman Award, considered by many in the industry as the highest honor in racing public relations, for excellence in motorsports public relations. In 2023 he was recognized by National Dragster as one of 25 NHRA Movers, Shakers and Deal Makers.

ELITE MOTORSPORTS IS GEARED UP FOR COUNTDOWN COMPETITION

READING, Pa. (September 13, 2023) – The Elite Motorsports Pro Stock team is red-hot and ready for action as they enter the first race of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s version of the playoffs, at this week’s Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway. The competition in Pro Stock has been outstanding this year as six different drivers claimed victories in the 12 events contested through the regular season. 
All eight of the Elite Motorsports Pro Stock pilots are in contention for the championship. Points reset coming into the Countdown which means it’s anybody’s game now and the largest professional team in drag racing is hitting their stride at the right time. Now is the time to amp up the momentum and make every run count. The Elite Motorsports team plans to eagerly and earnestly vie for every possible point as they power through the final stretch of the season with renewed vigor. 
All eyes are on reigning and five-time Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders, who is looking for a repeat triumph after winning this event in Reading, Pa. last year. At the midpoint of the season, she was 15th in the points standings, but she and her powerful Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage / Melling Performance / SCAG Power Equipment Camaro catapulted to third by the time they completed the regular season two weeks ago in Indianapolis. Now, with only 32 points separating her from the lead, Enders is ready to do what she does best – embrace the pressure and race to victory. 
With two wins and one No. 1 qualifier to his credit this season, Troy Coughlin Jr. enters the Countdown from the fourth spot, only 41 points behind the first. There’s nowhere Coughlin would rather be than behind the wheel of his JEGS / White Castle Camaro, tearing up the track. Coughlin has proven his on-track aptitude time and time again, across multiple categories, and he plans to make some big moves this weekend. 
Aaron Stanfield knows what it takes to win and he is poised to pursue his first victory of the season in his Janac Bros / Melling Engine Parts / J3 Energy Camaro. He was recently crowned the overall Pro Stock winner of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge, a specialty event that provided semifinalists a rematch at the next event. That winning momentum will serve him well as he enters the Countdown from the No. 6 spot.
Rounding out the Elite Motorsports drivers currently in the Top Ten is Cristian Cuadra, who is ranked tenth in the Countdown standings. He’s been diligently testing in his Corral Boots Mustang to find additional power. His natural ability on the tree gives him a competitive advantage against whoever may be in the lane beside him, even (or perhaps especially) if it’s his brother or father.
Bo Butner claimed the Pro Stock world championship in 2017 and he would like nothing more than to land his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro in the winners circle this weekend. While he is currently ranked 11th in the standings, Butner knows how to compete strategically thanks to years of experience competing in sportsman categories.
Coming off of the first final round of his career at the prestigious U.S. Nationals two weeks ago, Fernando Cuadra Jr. is voracious in his resolve to elevate his position in the Countdown and finish the season on a high note. The talented driver wants to be the first Mexican-born driver to achieve a victory in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and with a new combination including the Camaro formerly piloted by multi-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr., he knows it’s coming soon. 
Pro Stock Rookie Jerry Tucker has experienced a stellar season, one that most rookie drivers would love to have. He’s qualified at every event and has defeated some of the best drivers in the category. As he enters the Countdown from the No. 13 position, Tucker knows that now is the time to amp things up in his Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer Camaro.
Elite Motorsports driver and patriarch of the Cuadra family, Fernando Cuadra Sr., has experienced a few bumps in his Pro Stock journey this season but that hasn’t stopped him from enjoying every minute of it. Getting to compete alongside his sons makes it all worth it. That said, he’s been looking for the right combination in his Corral Boots Mustang and the team feels they are on the right path.
In the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, David Cuadra will once again be competing in the Top Sportsman category. With stellar reaction times and a powerful machine underneath him, D. Cuadra has made a big statement among the sportsman ranks and he’s aiming to finish the season on a high note. 
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying for the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals will feature two rounds at 2 and 5 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 15, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 17. 
***
Driver Quotes
Erica Enders”We have reached the point in our season where everything matters. I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to this year’s countdown. We have battled our way from 15th in points to third in just a matter of a couple months. There is no doubt that the competition is tough and we are surrounded by some guys gunning for their first championship. This is where experience and heart will come into play and I wouldn’t want to go to battle with anyone else. We are Elite for a reason and we are ready!”
Aaron Stanfield“After winning our second Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge in our Janac Bros. / Melling Engine Parts / JC3 Energy Camaro, we know that we can land this machine in the winners circle. We are starting the Countdown just 60 points out from the lead, so now is the time to make some big moves.”
Troy Coughlin Jr.“Team Yellow is ready for the journey one race and one lap at a time with our goal to win a National Championship. My personal goal is to stay in the moment and get up on the wheel! At Team Elite, we love this time of year! It’s what we work for!”
Bo Butner“It’s awesome to go back to Maple Grove Raceway this weekend; we’ve had some great times there – including last year when we won Super Gas after we got the trophy at Indy. We won’t have the chance to go back-to-back this time in the Sportsman class, because we’re putting all our efforts into Pro Stock this weekend to start the Countdown on the best foot possible. We’re excited, and this is the time of year to really get excited because anything can happen.” 
Fernando Cuadra Sr.“The Cuadra Boys are ready for the Countdown! I’m so proud of all that my sons have accomplished this season. We have adjusted the airflow on our cars and keep testing to make them better and better. We are excited to return to Reading!”
Fernando Cuadra Jr.“After racing to a runner-up finish at the Big Go, I’m unbelievably excited to get back behind the wheel of this Camaro. I told my teammates that I finally felt like I could sleep again, after experiencing such a great weekend. I’ve got renewed confidence and a stronger vision for what I can accomplish in the Countdown. This Corral Boots Camaro is a mean machine and my crew is the best. As long as I stay focused on doing my job behind the wheel, I think you can expect big things from us over the next six races.”
Cristian Cuadra“We are continuing to fine-tune our car and I think we are finding some things that will take our performance to new levels. Finishing the regular season in the Top Ten was a really big deal for our team. Now that we know that we can accomplish big things, we want to turn up the heat in the Countdown to the Championship.”
Jerry Tucker“This is what it’s all about. We are entering the final stretch of the season and I could not be more proud of this team. When I started this adventure, I thought I knew what I was in for, but I had no idea. I’ve learned a ton and I want more than anything to finish strong for this Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer crew. Team Elite is ready to bring the heat!”
Photos
The Elite Motorsports fleet will be competing in multiple categories at the U.S. Nationals. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
Erica Enders is starting out the Countdown to the Championship from the No. 3 position. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
Troy Coughlin Jr. is starting out the Countdown to the Championship from the No. 4 position.. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
Aaron Stanfield is starting out the Countdown to the Championship from the No. 6 position.. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
Cristian Cuadra is starting out the Countdown to the Championship from the No. 10 position.. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
Bo Butner is starting out the Countdown to the Championship from the No. 11 position.. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
Fernando Cuadra Jr. is starting out the Countdown to the Championship from the No. 12 position.. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
Jerry Tucker is starting out the Countdown to the Championship from the No. 13 position.. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
Fernando Cuadra Sr. is starting out the Countdown to the Championship from the No. 16 position.. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
David Cuadra will compete in Top Sportsman this week. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)
Pre-Race Notes
Elite Motorsports: Pre-race notesPep Boys NHRA NationalsMaple Grove RacewayReading, Pa. (Sept. 15-17)
The Elite Motorsports team, the largest team in professional drag racing, has expanded for 2023 and will field a total of eight entries for this weekend’s Pep Boys NHRA Nationals in Reading, Pa. 
At this event, the Elite Pro Stock team will feature eight Pro Stock drivers including reigning and five-time world champion Erica Enders, Aaron Stanfield, Troy Coughlin Jr., Bo Butner, Fernando Cuadra Sr. and his sons, Fernando Jr. and Cristian, as well as newcomer Jerry Tucker. 
During her professional career, Enders has accumulated 45 wins in 76 final rounds and has a round-win record of 455-250 for a .645 win percentage. Enders also has a win in Super Gas (2004 Houston) bringing her career total to 46 national event victories.
Enders won two events this season in Bristol and Topeka. She defeated Deric Kramer in the Bristol final and more recently, topped Greg Anderson in Topeka. She currently has a 16-10 record in elimination rounds this season.
The Reading event marks the start of the Countdown to the Championship and all eight Elite Pro Stock drivers are eligible to win the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Pro Stock title. Enders is ranked No. 3 and is just 32 points behind leader Dallas Glenn and 7 points behind No. 2 Matt Hartford. 
Enders has won at least one Pro Stock event at 17 different NHRA venues including Maple Grove Raceway. She is the defending event champion, having defeated teammate Troy Coughlin Jr. in the finals last year. Enders was also a Reading finalist in 2021, giving her a round-win record of 7-1 over the last two seasons.
Enders currently holds both the elapsed time and speed records for the NHRA Pro Stock class with bests of 6.450-seconds and 215.55 mph. The elapsed time record was set at the 2022 Gatornationals.
If Enders wins one more event this season, she will surpass three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Angelle Sampey as the sport’s winningest female driver. Sampey currently has 46 wins while Enders has 45 professional wins and one sportsman win, tying her with Sampey.
Troy Coughlin Jr., the driver of the JEGS / White Castle Chevrolet Camaro, heads to Reading as the No. 4 ranked driver in the championship points standings after posting wins at the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals and the Dodge Power Brokers Mile-High Nationals in Denver to go with a runner-up at the Four-Wide event in Las Vegas. Coughlin has a 16-10 record in elimination rounds this season. He is just 41 points out of first place.
Earlier this season at the NHRA Arizona Nationals near Phoenix, Coughlin became the first winner of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge. He defeated Greg Anderson in the final with an elapsed time of 6.57, compared to Anderson’s 6.60, to capture the inaugural event victory.
In addition to his four career Pro Stock victories, the multi-faceted Coughlin has additional wins in Top Alcohol Dragster, Super Comp and Super Gas. He captured back-to-back Top Alcohol Dragster titles in Reading in 2018 and 2019.
Coughlin’s father, Troy Sr., is a 15-time national event winner in Pro Stock, Pro Mod and Super Gas. Including his uncles, John, Mike, and Jeg Jr., the Coughlin family has combined to win 133 national event titles.
Coughlin’s career bests in Pro Stock are 6.515-seconds and 212.29 mph, set earlier this year at the season opener in Gainesville.
Aaron Stanfield has also returned to the Elite team for another season behind the wheel of the Janac Bros / Melling Engine Parts / JC3 Energy Camaro. Stanfield, the son of five-time Super Stock world champ Greg Stanfield, is coming off a season where he was the third-ranked driver in Pro Stock.
So far this season, Stanfield has four semifinal and six quarterfinal finishes to his credit and he’s the No. 6 ranked driver in the class, 60 points out of the lead. Stanfield has also qualified a season-best of No. 2 at the race in Bristol. 
Stanfield was recently named the overall season Pro Stock winner of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge, a specialty event that featured a rematch between the semifinalists from the previous event. 
Stanfield won back-to-back titles in the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown class in 2020 and 2021, and he is the current championship leader in that class, which will be contested at Maple Grove Raceway. 
All told Stanfield has 22 career wins in Pro Stock, Factory Stock, Super Stock, and Top Dragster.
Stanfield’s career bests in Pro Stock are 6.457-seconds and 213.47 mph, both set in Gainesville 2022.
Bo Butner is a two-time NHRA world champion in Pro Stock (2017) and Comp Eliminator (2006). He joined the Elite team last season as the driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro.
Earlier this season in Phoenix, Butner drove to a runner-up finish in Pro Stock, reaching the final for the first time since the 2019 Richmond event. Butner defeated Erica Enders, Fernando Cuadra Jr. and Kyle Koretsky to reach his 26th career Pro Stock final.
Two weeks ago, Butner won his 30th national event title when he claimed the Super Gas victory at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals. Butner also won the Super Gas title at Indy in 2022 and won again in Reading, so he enters this event as the defending champion. 
Butner has 30 career national event victories including 11 in Pro Stock. He also has wins in Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Gas, and Super Street. Additionally, Butner has enjoyed success as a big-money bracket racer with a victory at the K&N Spring Fling Million in Las Vegas in 2021.
Butner has won at least one national event title at 14 different venues including Maple Grove Raceway. He won the Super Gas title last year and also won in Pro Stock in 2017, defeating Greg Anderson in the final. 
Butner’s career bests in Pro Stock are 6.475-seconds and 214.28 mph, set in Dallas (2015) and Gainesville (2017), respectively.
The Cuadra family includes Fernando Sr., and his sons Fernando Jr. and Cristian. The Cuadra family is backed by Corral Handcrafted Boots and will continue to race. 
Fernando Sr. and Cristian will continue to race Ford Mustangs under the Elite banner while Fernando Jr. recently made the switch to a Chevy Camaro. Fernando Jr. is driving an Elite entry previously raced by five-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr.
Fernando Sr. is a two-time national event runner-up with final-round appearances at the 2019 races in Reading and Pomona.
Fernando Jr. enters Reading on a high note after racing to the final round of the prestigious U.S. Nationals two weeks ago. Cuadra Jr. is the sport’s No. 12 ranked Pro Stock driver and enters the Countdown 128 points behind the leader. 
Cristian Cuadra was also the runner-up to Enders at the 2022 four-wide event in Las Vegas and he was a semifinalist earlier this year at the Bristol race. He comes into this weekend as the No. 10 ranked driver in Pro Stock, facing a 108-point deficit.
Earlier this season in Phoenix, Cristian Cuadra became the first Mexican-born NHRA racer to qualify No. 1 in a pro category when he drove his Elite-powered Corral Handcrafted Boots Mustang to a 6.552 pass. C. Cuadra is one of just 11 non-U.S.-born drivers to qualify No. 1 in a professional NHRA class and the only one to accomplish the feat in Pro Stock.
The third Cuadra brother, David, will be racing in the Right Trailers Top Sportsman class this weekend in his new Mustang. David has raced in both Pro Stock and Top Sportsman this season. He made his Pro Stock debut in Charlotte and also competed in Chicago, Bristol, Topeka, and Brainerd.
The Cuadra family has career-best elapsed times of 6.515 (Fernando Jr.), 6.524 (Fernando Sr.), 6.527 (Cristian) and 6.578 (David). Their career-best speeds are 212.13 (Fernando Sr.), 211.43 (Cristian), 210.73 (Fernando Jr.) and 209.39 (David).
New to the Elite Pro Stock team this year is Jerry Tucker, who enjoyed a memorable debut in Gainesville. Tucker qualified his Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer / Elite Motorsports Camaro in the No. 15 spot with a 6.573 and won the first round after teammate Enders encountered a mechanical issue. Tucker has a semifinal finish from Chicago and is No. 12 in the standings, just 138 points out of the lead.
Tucker, of Lindsay, Okla., has spent the last 30 years racing everything from Sprint cars to Midgets and has also enjoyed success in drag racing. Tucker previously raced in the Top Sportsman class. Tucker is one of the leading contenders for the NHRA Rookie of the Year award.
Collectively, the eight current team Elite drivers have combined to win 109 NHRA national event titles across all classes including 67 in the Pro Stock class. 
Media Contacts:Jessica Hatcher – Imagination 9 jessica@imagination9.com
Scott Woodruff – Elite Motorsportswoody@elitemotorsportsllc.com
Courtney Enders – Elite Motorsportscourtneyenders@icloud.com

DIRTcar Fall Nationals Registration Opened, Competitor/Fan Guide Available

LINCOLN, IL (Sept. 12, 2023) – The DIRTcar Fall Nationals returns to Lincoln Speedway in Lincoln, IL, in two weeks’ time – Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 28-30 – where national and regional points champions will be celebrated in the final event of DIRTcar Racing’s 40th anniversary season.

COMPETITOR GUIDE, REGISTRATION

DIRTcar Late Models, UMP Modifieds, Pro Late Models, Pro Modifieds and Stock Cars are scheduled to compete in this three-day event, which begins with a practice session for all five divisions Thursday evening, Sept. 28. Friday night features a full racing program for the DIRTcar Late Models, UMP Modifieds, Pro Modifieds and Stock Cars.

The Crate-engine DIRTcar Pro Late Models will join the Super Late Models, UMP Modifieds and Pro Modifieds on the docket for Saturday night in the second full night of racing, which serves as the final points night for each of the four divisions.

After competing at Lincoln on Friday, the DIRTcar Stock Cars will head south to Charleston Speedway in Charleston, IL, on Saturday and join the DIRTcar Factory Stocks and Sport Compacts in the track’s annual DIRTcar Street Stock Fall Nationals event, where the divisions’ regional and national champions will be decided.

Late Model, Pro Late Model, UMP Modified and Pro Modified teams who pre-enter for the DIRTcar Fall Nationals by Sept. 27 will receive a discount on their entry fee. Application form is attached to the event guide but online registration is available at https://www.myracepass.com/series/2056/registrations/8428.

Tickets and pit passes will be available at the track upon arrival on race day. Pit pass, general admission and camping pricing can be found below.

Pits             Pits                        Pits (11 & under)        Grandstand     Kids (11 & under)

Thursday         $30                  $10*                            FREE                FREE**

Friday              $40                  $20*                            $25                  FREE**

Saturday         $40                  $20*                            $25                  FREE**

  • 3-Day Pit Combo: $90
  • 2-Day Pit Combo: $70
  • 2-Day Grandstand Combo: $45

3-Day Camping with electricity – $75 (includes 30 amp electric)

3-Day Camping, no hookup – $50

For more camping info and to reserve a spot, contact: 217-764-3200

Hampton by Hilton and Comfort Inn & Suites of Lincoln, IL are the official host hotels of Lincoln Speedway. Call the Hampton by Hilton at (217) 732-6729 or Comfort Inn & Suites at (217) 735-5800. Mention Lincoln Speedway to receive the discounted rate.

Updates throughout the weekend can be found on the DIRTcar Racing social media channels; Facebook @DIRTcarTwitter @DIRTcarRacing and Instagram @dirtcar_official.

Ida Zetterström and Team RFMotorsport Double Up at Santa Pod Raceway

ALAND ISLANDS, FINLAND (September 12, 2023) —   Ida Zetterström and team RFMotorsport doubled up at Santa Pod Raceway, taking home the event win at the final FIA Top Fuel race of the year and securing the 2023 European Championship title with a 120-point lead over runner-up Susanne Callin. The event win was Zetterström’s fourth of the season, three of them being FIA events. 

 
“We just doubled up in the Edelbrock Performance Top Fuel at Santa Pod Raceway by winning the European Finals with a 3.91 in the dark and taking home the European Championship title,” said Zetterström. “I am incredibly proud of my RFMotorsports team and the performance we have shown this year, losing only one round all year, earning numerous No. 1 qualifiers, running consistently, and taking home the European records for both speed and ET as well as the overall Championship. Thank you to all our partners for an incredible year and now we’re going celebrate this championship.” 


Ida Zetterström during Santa Pod Raceway final race of 2023 European race season

 
Zetterström and her team were consistently strong and showed their pace straight from the start by setting two new European records at the first event of the season with a 3.77 second ET record and a new European speed record of 321.01 mph. The finals were delayed Sunday night after bad weather found its way to the track in the afternoon and pushed the last rounds of racing up by several hours. Zetterström and her team were able to maintain their focus and take another win and the championship.
 

Darrell Gwynn, Antron Brown and Mickey PrestridgeNamed Texas Motorplex Legends

ENNIS, TX (September 12, 2023) — The Texas Motorplex today announced drag racing Hall of Famer Darrell Gwynn, three-time Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown and long-time NHRA volunteer Mickey Prestridge have been named Texas Motorplex Legends in advance of the 2023 NHRA Texas Fall Nationals at the Stampede of Speed. The trio has made significant history at Texas Motorplex both on and off the track since 1986 when the first NHRA super-track held its inaugural event.
 
“These three individuals highlight what it means to be a Texas Motorplex Legend. It isn’t always about winning the most races. Darrell, Antron and Mickey have made a positive impact on Texas Motorplex’s fans, sponsors and the history of the facility,” said Christie Meyer Johnson, Texas Motorplex co-owner. “Darrell was the first driver to make a pass down our all-concrete racetrack and helped put our facility on the map. Antron won his first professional race here and has continued a winning legacy. Mickey has been a supporter of DRAW and has had a universal presence at events for decades.”
 
Darrell Gwynn’s first pass down the Motorplex quarter mile not only propelled him to the No. 1 qualifying position at the inaugural event, it also set NHRA national records for both time and speed at 5.261 seconds, 278.55 miles per hour.  Although he eventually lost to “Big Daddy” Don Garlits in the final round, he also posted the quickest time during eliminations at 5.272 seconds.  The following year, he beat Eddie Hill in the final round while lowering the NHRA record from 5.171 seconds to 5.084.  In four career appearances at the Motorplex, before his career was cut tragically short by an accident, he never failed to reach the final round, losing to Hill in the 1988 final and to Gary Ormsby in 1989.
 
“Being a Texas Motorplex Legend is a great feeling because we had so many great memories of racing and winning there in the 1980s. It means the world to me,” said Darrell Gwynn. “The Gwynn family racing team history at the Texas Motorplex is quite a story. We went there in 1986 when it first opened, and we knew that place was going to be fast. We heard all about it being built, this all-concrete drag strip. We just could not wait to get on it. As soon as we got on that magic strip at the Texas Motorplex we started setting records.”


Darrel Gwynn Texas Motorplex Legend

 
Antron Brown is one of five drivers to have won at the Motorplex in two different pro categories but is the only one of the five to have done so in Pro Stock Motorcycle and Top Fuel.  The others, Mike Dunn, Don “the Snake” Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein and Ed “the Ace” McCulloch, won in Funny Car and Top Fuel.  Brown’s 1999 Pro Stock Motorcycle win came in the briefly contested spring event and was the first win of his professional career in his very first start on the all-concrete Texas track.   He beat No. 2 qualifier Matt Hines in the semifinals and No. 1 qualifier Angelle Sampey in the final.  He added Top Fuel wins in 2012 and again in 2016, winning the latter from the No. 1 qualifying position.  
 
“This is a huge honor and I want to thank Billy Meyer and his family,” said Brown. “The Texas Motorplex is a special place for me because I won my first Pro Stock Motorcycle race in Dallas and that really helped put me on the map. Every year I go back I think of all the history there and now to be named a Texas Motorplex Legend I am part of that history.”


Antron Brown Texas Motorplex Legend

 
Mickey Prestridge has been a fixture at nearly every DRAW auction held during the Texas Fall Nationals and he and his wife Beth were named 2005 DRAW Person of the Year by the organization. His commitment to supporting and coordinating the audio efforts for a variety of events not just at the Texas Fall Nationals but across the country are legendary. His commitment to supporting teams, organizations like Racers for Christ, DRAW and the sanctioning body have improved the fan experience for decades.
 
“When Christie called, I was in Denver at the Mile High Nationals and I thought I was being overcome by the altitude,” said Prestridge. “I have loved being involved with the NHRA for so many years and this is a great honor. You look at the people who have been named Texas Motorplex Legends and I’m sitting here in high cotton right now. I don’t know why I’m here but I’m glad to be here. This is great and I want to thank Billy Meyer and Christie and Barry Johnson for this honor.”


Mickey Prestridge Texas Motorplex Legend, photo by Auto Imagery

 
The Texas Motorplex Legends will be recognized and presented with their one-of-a-kind Legend spurs at separate ceremonies throughout the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals, October 13-15. For tickets to the Stampede of Speed or the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals visit www.stampedeofspeed.com.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: World of Outlaws go Two More Rounds With Cali Clique at Kings, Placerville

Tom Tarlton Classic puts $21,000 up for grabs at Kings, and Series makes highly anticipated return to PlacervilleHANFORD, CA (September 12, 2023) – One more weekend of California Dreamin’ awaits the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars in 2023.The Greatest Show on Dirt will carry a hotly contested points battle into a pair of “Golden State” facilities to wrap up this year’s west coast swing. First up is a Friday, Sept. 15 stop at Hanford, CA’s Kings Speedway for the Tom Tarlton Classic. As a nod to the longtime California car owner, the race will again award $21,00 to the winner. The next night takes the tour north where Placerville Speedway is waiting and ready to host the World of Outlaws for the first time in four years at the Federated Auto Parts 49er Gold Rush Classic.The World of Outlaws full-timers head into the weekend looking to rebound after being kept off the podium at Silver Dollar Speedway. And the Cali Clique aims to defend home turf at two more facilities.BUYS KINGS SPEEDWAY TICKETSBUY PLACERVILLE SPEEDWAY TICKETSLet’s look at the weekend’s top storylines:HOME IN HANFORD: Carson Macedo’s hometown of Lemoore, CA is a mere 10 miles down the road from Hanford, making Friday’s race as close to a home game as you can get for the World of Outlaws competitor. On top of the significance of racing where he’s from, the man that the race salutes – Tom Tarlton – played a major role in Macedo’s career.The father-son duo of Tom and Tommy Tarlton own the Fresno based Tarlton Motorsports, and Tom happens to be Macedo’s uncle while Tommy is his cousin. When Macedo was struggling early in his career, the two stuck behind him and helped him arrive at where he is today. The 27-year-old’s first World of Outlaws win came behind the wheel of the Tarlton #21 in 2014.Macedo has brought out his best talents each year for this event. The first wasn’t World of Outlaws sanctioned in 2020, but he was able to be in attendance and held off Kyle Larson for the triumph. The next year he went back-to-back. Last season his bid for a third straight $21,000 check fell a little short as he lost the lead late, so he’ll be hungry to climb back atop the podium this Friday.On a relevant note, it’ll be Carson’s brother – Cole – owning the honors of driving the Tarlton machine this weekend.SLIDIN’ INTO THE CENTRAL VALLEY: Friday’s race in Hanford is close to home for another team on the tour, too. Roth Motorsports brings a two-car stable to Kings Speedway, which is less than an hour south from their Fresno shop. James McFadden and Buddy Kofoid will pilot the pair of #83 machines with hopes of grabbing the trophy for Dennis and Teresa Roth.McFadden has competed five times at the Hanford oval, three times with the World of Outlaws and twice with the Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC), and been on the podium four times but is still chasing a win. Kofoid has never competed there with the World of Outlaws but has been in the top five with the Sprint Car Challenge Tour (SCCT) 360 Sprints.RETURN TO P-VILLE: Circumstances outside of Series and track control caused the cancelation of the Placerville Speedway date over the last three years, but the World of Outlaws are set to return to the bullring on Saturday for the first time since 2019.The night will mark the World of Outlaws’ 10th visit to the El Dorado County quarter mile since the first trip back in 1985. Through nine Placerville races to date, seven different drivers have gone to Victory Lane. The most recent five have yielded no repeat winners.Four years ago, when the World of Outlaws last rolled into Placerville, it was a California local claiming the checkered flag in the form of Shane Golobic. The Rocklin, CA driver is fresh off a sixth place showing at Gold Cup and will finally get the chance to defend his win this weekend.THE BIG CAT’S BACK: One driver especially looking forward to the return to Placerville is Brad Sweet. The four-time Series champion is originally from Grass Valley, CA and now calls the Placerville area home. Sweet has a hand in helping promote this Saturday’s race.Sweet has been stout recently at his home state bullring. In his last four Series starts at Placerville, he’s finished no worse than sixth and picked up a 2018 victory.“The Big Cat” rolls into the weekend with the points lead and looks to add more cushion to the 82-marker margin that separates him and David Gravel.OUTLAWS VS. CALI CLIQUE: The Cali Clique was clicking this past weekend in Chico, and the World of Outlaws hope to regain the upper hand on the rivalry with the “Golden State” gassers this weekend.At Kings, Logan Schuchart stands out as a prime candidate to score one for the World of Outlaws. He’s topped two of the last four Series visits including a wild charge from 19th in 2017. Donny Schatz and David Gravel are also former Hanford winners. The locals typically haven’t excelled at Kings, but Tim Kaeding did claim one for California in 2003.Over at Placerville, Donny Schatz (2015), David Gravel (2017), and Brad Sweet (2018) have won as World of Outlaws competitors and will be looking to do so again this Saturday.Corey Day leads the California locals fresh off topping Gold Cup for his first career World of Outlaws win. Now he heads to Kings, where he’s already won four times with NARC in his young career. The Clovis, CA native has bested NARC at Placerville as well.As previously stated, Shane Golobic is the most recent Series winner at Placerville. Since that 2019 triumph, the pilot of the NOS Energy Drink #17W has collected six Placerville wins in 360 Sprint Car competition.After bagging a pair of runner-ups at Gold Cup, Justin Sanders is hungrier than ever for that first World of Outlaws win. The Aromas, CA native owns a stout résumé at Placerville with 10 Sprint Car triumphs at the quarter mile since the beginning of 2021.If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the action live on DIRTVision.THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCEWHEN AND WHEREFriday, September 15 at Kings Speedway in Hanford, CASaturday, September 16 at Placerville Speedway in Placerville, CAON THE INTERNETWorld of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
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DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/monthCURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (57/72 Races):1. 49 – Brad Sweet (7686PTS) 2. 2 – David Gravel (-82PTS) 3. 41 – Carson Macedo (-106PTS) 4. 1S – Logan Schuchart (-322PTS) 5. 18 – Gio Scelzi (-356PTS) 6. 15 – Donny Schatz (-358PTS) 7. 17 – Sheldon Haudenschild (-452PTS) 8. 5 – Spencer Bayston (-580PTS) 9. 3Z – Brock Zearfoss (-1040PTS) 10. 7S – Robbie Price (-1422PTS)NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (16 Drivers):10 wins – David Gravel (Big Game Motorsports #2)7 wins – Brad Sweet (Kasey Kahne Racing #49)6 wins – James McFadden (Roth Motorsports #83), Carson Macedo (Jason Johnson Racing #41), Logan Schuchart (Shark Racing #1S)5 wins – 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)1 win – Buddy Kofoid (CMS Racing #11), 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)FEATURE LAPS LED (20 Drivers):261 laps – Brad Sweet209 laps – James McFadden204 laps – Rico Abreu195 laps – Carson Macedo193 laps – David Gravel172 laps – Logan Schuchart118 laps – Kyle Larson108 laps – Sheldon Haudenschild102 laps – Donny Schatz93 laps – Buddy Kofoid57 laps – Gio Scelzi43 laps – Brent Marks40 laps – Spencer Bayston, Corey Day24 laps – Brian Brown11 laps – Anthony Macri10 laps – Cory Eliason4 laps – Cole Macedo3 laps – Brady Bacon, Danny Varin1 lap – Austin McCarlSIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS QUICKTIME AWARDS (17 Drivers):13 QuickTimes – Carson Macedo10 QuickTimes – David Gravel5 QuickTimes – Logan Schuchart4 QuickTimes – Rico Abreu3 QuickTimes – Sheldon Haudenschild2 QuickTimes – Anthony Macri, Bill Balog, Justin Peck, Gio Scelzi, Brad Sweet, Tanner Holmes1 QuickTime – Brian Brown, Donny Schatz, Buddy Kofoid, James McFadden, Jacob Allen, Kyle LarsonHEAT RACE WINNERS (40 Drivers):28 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo23 Heat Wins – David Gravel15 Heat Wins – Brad Sweet14 Heat Wins – Donny Schatz12 Heat Wins – James McFadden, Buddy Kofoid, Logan Schuchart11 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild10 Heat Wins – Gio Scelzi9 Heat Wins – Rico Abreu7 Heat Wins – Spencer Bayston5 Heat Wins – Jacob Allen4 Heat Wins – Brent Marks, Justin Peck, Cory Eliason3 Heat Wins – Anthony Macri, Brian Brown, Bill Balog, Parker Price-Miller2 Heat Wins – Brock Zearfoss, Noah Gass, Kerry Madsen, Robbie Price, Tim Kaeding, Sam Hafertepe Jr.1 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 ScelziTOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (45 Drivers):38 Dashes – Carson Macedo36 Dashes – David Gravel34 Dashes – Brad Sweet27 Dashes – Logan Schuchart25 Dashes – Gio Scelzi22 Dashes – Donny Schatz21 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild20 Dashes – James McFadden18 Dashes – Rico Abreu, Spencer Bayston15 Dashes – Buddy Kofoid8 Dashes – Jacob Allen, Brent Marks, Cory Eliason, Brock Zearfoss5 Dashes – Anthony Macri, Justin Peck, Robbie Price, Kasey Kahne4 Dashes – Brian Brown3 Dashes – Danny Dietrich, Parker Price-Miller, Tyler Courtney, Kyle Larson, Corey Day2 Dashes – Garet Williamson, Austin McCarl, Bill Balog, Cole Macedo, Tanner Holmes, Justin Sanders1 Dash – Freddie Rahmer, Devon Borden, Aaron Reutzel, Brady Bacon, Chad Trout, Dylan Norris, Cap Henry, Stuart Brubaker, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Shane Stewart, Danny Varin, Ian Madsen, Shane Golobic, Dominic ScelziMICROLITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (33 Drivers):4 LCS Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Spencer Bayston, Robbie Price2 LCS Wins – Parker Price-Miller, Noah Gass, Logan Schuchart, Carson Macedo, Brock Zearfoss, Tim Estenson, James McFadden1 LCS Win – Gio Scelzi, Hunter Schuerenberg, Wayne Johnson, Ryan Timms, Ayrton Gennetten, Kraig Kinser, Freddie Rahmer, Henry Malcuit, Cole Macedo, Aaron Reutzel, Kerry Madsen, Sye Lynch, Cory Eliason, Donny Schatz, Tyler Courtney, Rico Abreu, Jacob Allen, Daryn Pittman, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Jamie Veal, Kaleb Johnson, Lachlan McHugh, Tanner Holmes, Austen WheatleyKSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (35 Drivers):5 Hard Chargers – Sheldon Haudenschild, James McFadden3 Hard Chargers – Tyler Courtney, Brad Sweet, Logan Schuchart, Rico Abreu, Brock Zearfoss2 Hard Chargers – Donny Schatz, Danny Dietrich, 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 (26 Drivers):26 Podiums – David Gravel24 Podiums – Brad Sweet16 Podiums – Carson Macedo13 Podiums – Donny Schatz, Logan Schuchart, Rico Abreu10 Podiums – Sheldon Haudenschild8 Podiums – James McFadden, Buddy Kofoid6 Podiums – Kyle Larson5 Podiums – Brent Marks, Gio Scelzi4 Podiums – Spencer Bayston3 Podiums – Brian Brown, Jacob Allen, Corey Day1 Podium – Danny Dietrich, Kasey Kahne, Devon Borden, Parker Price-Miller, Brady Bacon, Anthony Macri, Garet Williamson, Dave Blaney, Tanner Holmes, Justin SandersTOP 10 FINISHES (60 Drivers):51 Top 10s – Brad Sweet48 Top 10s – Carson Macedo47 Top 10s – David Gravel40 Top 10s – Gio Scelzi39 Top 10s – Logan Schuchart36 Top 10s – Sheldon Haudenschild35 Top 10s – Donny Schatz, Spencer Bayston32 Top 10s – James McFadden28 Top 10s – Rico Abreu23 Top 10s – Buddy Kofoid14 Top 10s – Jacob Allen11 Top 10s – Justin Peck, Brent Marks10 Top 10s – Kasey Kahne9 Top 10s – Cory Eliason8 Top 10s – Kyle Larson7 Top 10s – Tyler Courtney, Brock Zearfoss6 Top 10s – Brian Brown, Danny Dietrich5 Top 10s – Corey Day4 Top 10s – Tanner Holmes, Justin Sanders, Dominic Scelzi3 Top 10s – Anthony Macri, Bill Balog2 Top 10s – Aaron Reutzel, Blake Hahn, Brady Bacon, Parker Price-Miller, Robbie Price, Zeb Wise, Freddie Rahmer, Cole Macedo, Tim Kaeding, Chase Randall1 Top 10 – Devon Borden, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Joe B. Miller, Hunter Schuerenberg, Brandon Rahmer, Chad Trout, Lance Dewease, Cap Henry, Stuart Brubaker, Skylar Gee, Cole Duncan, Austin McCarl, Garet Williamson, Shane Stewart, Dave Blaney, Larry Wight, Dale Blaney, Noah Gass, Rusty Hickman, Kerry Madsen, Jason Solwold, Shane Golobic, Chase Johnson2023 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)