September 9, 2023

Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Menards/MasterForce Mustang are set to start 29th in Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Burton took that spot with a lap at 175.473 miles per hour in qualifying on Saturday afternoon.

In practice prior to qualifying he was 33rd on the speed chart with a best lap at 173.986 mph, which came on the third of the 15 laps he ran in the session.

Sunday’s 400-mile, 267-lap race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 2 p.m. (3 p.m. Eastern) with Stage breaks planned for Laps 80 and 165. 

USA Network will carry the live TV coverage.

NASCAR CUP SERIES KANSAS SPEEDWAYHOLLYWOOD CASINO 400 QUALIFYING REPORT SEPTEMBER 9, 2023

Five Camaro ZL1’s Post Top-10 Qualifying Times

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10 STARTING LINEUP:  POS.   DRIVER2nd     Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL14th      Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL16th      Ross Chastain, No. 1 Kubota Camaro ZL18th      Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Camaro ZL19th      William Byron, No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1 TOP-FIVE UNOFFICIAL STARTING LINEUP:  POS.  DRIVER1.        Christopher Bell (Toyota)2.        Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)3.        Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota)4.        Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)5.        Tyler Reddick (Toyota)

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Sept. 9, 2023) – Team Chevy’s Kyle Larson will take the green-flag from a front-row starting position in tomorrow’s Hollywood Casino 400. The 31-year-old California native posted the third-fastest lap in Round One of Group B qualifying, following up the performance with a lap-time of 30.029 seconds, at 179.826 mph, in the final round to take his No. 5 HendrickCars.comCamaro ZL1 to the second position on the speed chart. Already sealing his fate into the Round of Eight with his triumph at Darlington Raceway last weekend, Larson has added momentum heading into tomorrow’s race with the driver leading Chevrolet to a runner-up finish in the series’ spring appearance at the 1.5-mile Kansas oval.

The 20-minute practice session proved to be a challenge for a few of the Team Chevy playoff drivers. After climbing to the second position on the leaderboard in his practice session, William Byron brought his Chevrolet to pit road to diagnose a potential mechanical issue. The No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1 team was able to make repairs to post a qualifying lap, but will be forced to start at the tail of the field for tomorrow’s event. Byron still proved to have the speed to be a contender, taking his Chevrolet to the final round of qualifying and ultimately posting the eighth-fastest lap. “I was coming off of (turn) four coming down the front straightaway and the wheel just kind of jerked to the left and it felt like I unloaded the wheel, so I knew it was something steering-related,” said Byron. “Unfortunately at first, we couldn’t really find it, and then when we started messing with the wheel sitting on pit road, it was a broken right-front suspension piece. It’s a pretty substantial suspension component. We’ve never had that happen – probably just from running really fast around here. Our Raptor Chevrolet had a lot of pace there. I felt really good about our car.”

Joining Larson and Byron in the final round of qualifying included their Hendrick Motorsports’ teammate Chase Elliott, who took his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 to fourth-place qualifying effort. Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain and Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon qualified in the sixth and eighth positions, respectively, to give three Chevrolet teams spots in the top-10 of tomorrow’s starting lineup.  The Hollywood Casino 400 – race two of the Round of 16 – will take the green flag tomorrow, September 9, at 3 p.m. ET. Live coverage of the 400-mile race can be found on the USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

ROSSBURG, OH (Sept. 8, 2023) – The Land of Lincoln had a night at Eldora Speedway.

Illinois racing favorites Bobby Pierce and Brian Shirley were triumphant in their respective World 100 preliminary Feature events Friday night – Pierce for the fourth time in his career and Shirley for the first.

The multi-time DIRTcar Late Model national champions bagged a couple $12,000 checks for their efforts and a maximum 300 points in the Every Lap Matters format, which, in part, determines Saturday’s Heat Race lineups before the $53,000-to-win main event.

Group A Prelim Feature – Bobby Pierce

While he had to come from sixth to win on Thursday, Pierce afforded himself a spot on the outside front row for the drop of the green on Friday. The 26-year-old from Oakwood, IL, took the lead on the opening lap but quickly encountered resistance from behind.

Thursday night Feature winner Hudson O’Neal ran Pierce down inside the first five laps and threw a big slide job on him entering Turn 1, completing the pass out of Turn 2 and driving off with the lead on Lap 5.

“He was right on me [the lap before],” Pierce said. “I felt like I was kinda holding him up, honestly.

“I didn’t expect that. It was all-of-a-sudden, and then I shot up [the track] to try to get the cushion and get some run on him, but I pushed and had to lift out of it.”

A restart slightly before the halfway point restacked the field and put Pierce on O’Neal’s bumper. O’Neal took off with the lead again, but only briefly. He went into Turn 1 at speed after completing Lap 12, but suddenly slowed and veered up the track toward the outside wall, bringing out the caution.

The Rocket1 Racing machine had blown a right-front tire. O’Neal came to the work area to change it, and did return for the restart, but was only able to get back to 13th by the checkered.

Now armed with the lead and a fast car underneath him, Pierce led the rest of the way unchallenged for his fourth World 100 prelim Feature win.

“Hudson – he was getting through them corners pretty well; he was a little better than us,” Pierce said. “We had the luck on our side, for sure. We just happened to be that car that was there in the right place.”

Feature – Group A (25 Laps): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[2]; 2. 22-Chris Ferguson[7]; 3. 99-Devin Moran[5]; 4. 1W-Daulton Wilson[11]; 5. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[15]; 6. 18-Shannon Babb[6]; 7. 9-Nick Hoffman[20]; 8. 58-Garrett Alberson[18]; 9. 10-Joseph Joiner[13]; 10. 1T-Tyler Erb[23]; 11. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[21]; 12. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[24]; 13. 1-Hudson O’Neal[4]; 14. 17M-Dale McDowell[9]; 15. 49-Jonathan Davenport[3]; 16. 111-Steven Roberts[12]; 17. 12-Jason Jameson[8]; 18. 25B-Mike Benedum[1]; 19. 11H-Spencer Hughes[16]; 20. 22S-Gregg Satterlee[22]; 21. 42-Matt Sheppard[14]; 22. 4G-Kody Evans[17]; 23. 3-Austin Neely[19]; 24. 39-Tim McCreadie[10]

Group B Prelim Feature – Brian Shirley

Fifteen-plus years of chasing Eldora crown jewel Feature wins, but no big trophies for Brian Shirley. That drought ended Friday night, when the four-time DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion finally broke through to Victory Lane in dramatic fashion.

Shirley, 42, of Chatham, IL, took the lead from outside polesitter Ricky Thornton Jr. on Lap 2 and paced the field around through Lap 14, when the race’s final caution flag was displayed. Shirley got a solid restart, but Thornton did not go away.

After winding up the momentum on the top side, Thornton pulled the trigger on Lap 19 with a big slide job on Shirley in Turns 1-2 and made it stick, securing the lead down the backstretch. He kept the lead in-tact through Lap 23, but coming to the white flag with lapped traffic directly in his path, Thornton’s gap shrank to nothing with Shirley pedaling hard behind him.

“I wasn’t for sure, but I saw that [Thornton] didn’t go to the top of [the lapped cars], so I knew he was gonna get slowed down,” Shirley said. “I felt like I knew how much better I was on that bottom.”

Shirley used his bottom-groove momentum to drag race Thornton down the backstretch and pulled even with him getting into Turn 3. Thornton slid up to the top while Shirley stuck to the bottom with a lapped car right in front of him. The two drag raced to the line, and in a photo finish, Shirley had inched ahead of Thornton by .057 seconds to win the race and his first career Eldora crown jewel Feature of any kind.

“I thought that lapped car was gonna be in the way because of how much speed I was getting off the corner,” Shirley said. “I just said we gotta try and get as close as we can to that lapped car without wrecking him, and then when I looked up to that board and saw that we were in first, I was just in shock. Couldn’t believe it.”

Reflecting on all his years of taking bi-annual trips to Rossburg, OH, for Eldora’s biggest events and coming up empty handed for so long, Shirley thanks and points to his crew members at Bob Cullen Racing who worked so hard to be the difference he needed to finally break through to the iconic Victory Lane stage for the first time in his career.

“It’s a little bit of relief for all the hard work,” Shirley said. “People don’t see… there’s three of us. Me, Devin and Aaron – we work just as hard as anybody else. I’m not saying we’re any better or any less than anybody. But I promise you, as far as effort, our effort goes in just as hard as anybody.”

Feature – Group B (25 Laps): 1. 8S-Brian Shirley[3]; 2. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 3. 87-Chris Madden[4]; 4. B5-Brandon Sheppard[9]; 5. 2S-Stormy Scott[7]; 6. 19R-Ryan Gustin[13]; 7. 25-Shane Clanton[12]; 8. 88-Trent Ivey[5]; 9. 157-Mike Marlar[8]; 10. 25F-Jason Feger[10]; 11. 79-Donald McIntosh[6]; 12. 10S-Garrett Smith[23]; 13. 4-Brandon Overton[16]; 14. 7R-Kent Robinson[22]; 15. S21-Seth Daniels[19]; 16. 22R-Will Roland[15]; 17. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[11]; 18. 187-David McCoy[14]; 19. 214-Haiden Cowan[1]; 20. 24D-Michael Brown[18]; 21. 6-Tyler Nicely[21]; 22. 5-Ross Bailes[24]; 23. 1N-Casey Noonan[20]; 24. 40B-Kyle Bronson[17]

UP NEXT

The 53rd running of the World 100 reaches its boiling point Saturday, Sept. 9, when the DIRTcar Late Models take on the half-mile one final time in 2023, fighting for the iconic globe trophy and a shot at the $53,000 grand prize. Heat Races and Last Chance Showdowns will take the final cars into the lineup before the 100-lap main event goes green.

No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R impresses with another start in top half of Hypercar field

OYAMA, Japan (Sept. 9, 2023) – The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R will start the Six Hours of Fuji – the sixth round of its inaugural season in the FIA World Endurance Championship — from the third row following qualifications at Fuji International Speedway. Alex Lynn recorded a best lap of 1 minute, 28.770 seconds on the 16-turn, 2.84-mile (4.563-kilometer) road course declared wet for the 15-minute session and held the provisional pole midway through the stint. He returned to pit lane with 3 minutes left and seven laps in the books as rain intensified.

The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R qualified fifth for the second consecutive race and fourth time this season. Cadillac Racing has qualified in the top half of the Hypercar field four times. Lynn, who also drove the hybrid racecar in qualifying in the last WEC outing at Monza, was .053 of a second behind the fourth-place car. His best lap was more than 2 seconds quicker than any of the 120 total laps in the three free practice sessions. “I think the team operationally has been fantastic. The result at Le Mans suggests the team is working very well,” team manager Stephen Mitas said. “Monza, operationally, was fantastic. The result does not reflect what was going on in the background. Every weekend the team is getting better and the car is getting better, and we’ll keep pushing forward.”

Fuji International Speedway* 2.84 miles/4.563 kilometers, 16 turns (10 right, six left)* Round 6 of 7* Cadillac to start on inside of Row 3 Different view: Watch the six-hour race via the No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R in-car camera Media resourcesFuji guide: Bios, statistics, inside the Hypercar, moreDid you know?: Cadillac Racing event notesPhotos: Cadillac on track

The No. 7 Toyota Gazoo Racing, with former Cadillac Racing DPi endurance race driver Kamui Kobayashi behind the wheel, earned its second pole award in a row and fourth of the season with a lap of 1:27.794. The No. 2 Cadillac V-Series.R will aim for its second podium finish of the season. The reliability of the racecar with the distinctive sound of its 5.5-liter V8 naturally aspirated engine has led to four top-five finishes. It is one of only five Hypercars to be running at the finish of every race. Cadillac Racing is third in the Hypercar Manufacturer Championship standings. The Six Hours of Fuji for the FIA World Endurance Championship is scheduled for 11 a.m. JST Sunday /10 p.m. ET today. The race will air live in the U.S. on MotorTrend with live streaming coverage of the race and qualifying on the MotorTrend Plus app. Radio Le Mans will broadcast the race.

Alex Lynn, who made his FIA WEC debut at Fuji International Speedway in 2016, drove in qualifying: “The session started with mixed conditions. After we got some heat in the tires, the pace picked up and by the fourth lap I was able to get a gap and post the qualifying lap. With weather moving across the circuit, there wasn’t much to be gained in the closing minutes. We’ve shown in previous races that starting fifth in not a detriment, so we’ll continue to work on the car and hopefully be in position at the end for another podium.”

OYAMA, Japan (Sept. 9, 2023) – Corvette Racing’s Ben Keating put the team’s No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R on the GTE Am pole position Saturday ahead of Sunday’s Six Hours of Fuji – the sixth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Keating, who is teaming with Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone, set a best lap of 1:38.338 (103.769 mph) in the championship-winning C8.R. Corvette Racing clinched the GTE Am Drivers and Teams titles in the last WEC round at Monza, Italy and is seeking its fourth victory of the season.

On Saturday, Keating was just 0.035 seconds clear of Sarah Bovy in the No. 85 Porsche of the Iron Dames team. The top half of the class was very close with the six fastest GTE Am cars separated by just 0.673 seconds around the 2.84-mile, 16-turn circuit at the base of Mount Fuji. Keating claimed his third pole position of the season and eighth in the class since the start of 2021 – more than any other GTE Am driver. It was difficult for the full field of 36 cars to get a read on the track during the three practice sessions. Friday’s opening practice and Saturday’s final practice were in mixed conditions with periods of rain and dry weather. That left Friday’s second practice as the only fully dry running ahead of qualifying. Still, Corvette Racing engineers made good use of each session with the conditions uncertain heading into qualifying with a variety of tuning and chassis changes in hopes of finding a good balance in the Corvette for not just the 15 minutes but also Sunday’s six-hour race. As in previous races, the C8.R will race at Fuji with a level of rewards weight due to its successes earlier this year: 15 kilograms for winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 15 kilograms for leading the championship, plus 10 extra kilograms added to the car’s minimum weight ahead of the previous round at Monza for a total of 40 kilograms – 10 less than at the Italian round.

CORVETTE RACING MEDIA INFORMATION Corvette Racing media information is updated and available ahead of the FIA WEC’s Six Hours of Fuji. Materials include Corvette Racing event advance and quotes, Corvette Racing stats and figures, Corvette Racing racecar comparisons, Corvette Racing Fast Facts, driver biographies and Corvette Racing photography, among other items.

The Six Hours of Fuji is scheduled for 11 a.m. JST on Sunday / 10 p.m. ET on Saturday. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage, as will the FIA WEC app. Radio Le Mans also will stream audio coverage Sunday’s race.

BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – POLE-WINNER: “I don’t know why (race engineer) Tyler Neff has to wait until qualifying to give us the really good setup! I went more than two seconds per lap faster in qualifying today than I have at any other time this weekend. It’s because the setup is that much better. It was so confidence-inspiring. I could really push the car without losing grip, even on a damp track. I don’t know what they did, but the car was really nice to drive. I wasn’t expecting to be on the pole. It’s always so much fun to be that close with Sarah. She did a good job. I thought I had a pretty good lap and then the team said she did a 1:38.3, and I came across the line at a 38.3 and not knowing who was going to be in front. It was super, super close. Last year being with TF Sport and being teammates with Satoshi Hoshino in the Aston Martin… this is his home track and where he lives. I’m really happy for him to come in P3. It was a little bit of a reunion at tech after qualifying seeing Sarah and Hoshino down there. It’s a lot of fun. This season continues to be a fairy-tale season. Every time you think it can’t get any better, it keeps getting better. I’m just trying to soak up and enjoy every last minute.“It was exciting before we left. They asked me what I thought, and I thought it would be the best thing to go out on a drying wet tire. To me, the frontstraight looked wet. We watched every car around me put on slicks, and so the engineers made the decision to go with slicks from the get-go. When I got around on the back half of the track, it was a lot drier than it was on the frontstraight. I came on the radio and congratulated them on making the right call. It was a matter of bringing them up to temperature slowly and not over-driving in the damp conditions. But you only have a 15-minute window to get them up to temperature and take advantage of the peak of the tire to get those extra few tenths.“We made some big sweeping changes on the car. We had been chasing it a little bit. I give the engineers such a hard time because it seems like it’s the same at every race we go to! We’re not exactly sure where we are, but when we get to qualifying I have a really, really strong setup on the car. We made some really big changes and they got it really right. The car felt really good. I felt like I could really attack the corners without feeling like I’m walking on eggshells. Especially in Sector Three, you have to be able to have confidence going through there if you’re going to be fast. It’s the first time I’ve felt that here, and the car felt really good.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “As always, it was Ben and Sarah putting on a good show. We had to wait until her last lap to be finished, and Ben did an amazing job. To be fair, I didn’t predict him to be on pole because we were struggling quite a bit in the mixed conditions, but he once again delivered! I’m super happy with that.“It’s always nice in Fuji. The location at Mount Fuji is an awesome place and Japan is one of my favorite places to go. So I always love coming to Fuji, and we’re looking forward to racing here. We’ve been struggling a little bit with the weather conditions as everyone else has. It’s always in between… wet-dry-wet-dry… We haven’t really gotten any valuable data yet, so it will be interesting in the race. You’re right below the mountain and right on the edge of where it starts. It wasn’t supposed to rain today and it’s been wet the whole day because the clouds just keep sitting here. It’s weird and difficult to prepare for this. You go with certain predictions and they just do whatever they want.”

NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “This is really cool. Being in Japan for the first time, the people are great and the culture is so different. I’m really enjoying it and getting used to it. The track is really fun to drive. It’s really tricky; almost all the last sector is difficult to find where the lines are, so it is tough. But it is better than I expected. We have a great car and we worked through all the sessions. And now Ben has taken pole! It’s been really good so far, and we’re all very happy.”

2023 FIA World Endurance Championship – GTE Am (After five of seven events)Driver Standings1. Ben Keating/Nicky Catsburg/Nico Varrone – 1452. Michelle Gatting/Rahel Frey/Sarah Bovy – 673. Ahmad Al Harthy/Charlie Eastwood/Michael Dinan – 654. Christian Ried/Julien Andlauer/Mikkel Pedersen – 605. Benjamin Barker/Michael Wainwright/Riccardo Pera – 54 Team Standings1. No. 33 Corvette Racing – 1452. No. 85 Iron Dames – 673. No. 25 ORT by TF – 654. No. 77 Dempsey-Proton Racing – 605. No. 86 GR Racing – 54 CORVETTE RACING AT Fuji: By the Numbers• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 25 years of racing: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette• 3: Number of GTE Am wins in four FIA WEC races this season for Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nico Varrone with the No. 33 Corvette C8.R• 13: Hours difference between Fuji and Detroit in the Eastern Time Zone. That means the race will begin Sunday morning in Japan but late Saturday night Eastern Time• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001• 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen• 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship• 40: Kilograms of success ballast for the Corvette C8.R at Fuji – 15 for winning Le Mans, 15 for leading the GTE Am championship and 10 additional kilograms added to the car’s minimum weight by the organizers• 127: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 115 in North America, nine at Le Mans and three in the FIA WEC• 280: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999• 359,884.24: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon and more than halfway back! Corvette Racing at Fuji (wins in bold)2022No. 64 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 5th in GTE Pro

Kofoid outduels fellow Californian – Justin Sanders – in the final laps to top final Gold Cup prelim

CHICO, CA (September 8, 2023) – Silver Dollar Speedway delivered yet again.

The northern California bullring is known for providing some of the most intense, wheel-to-wheel battles in Sprint Car racing. And that’s exactly what the Chico, CA quarter mile offered on Friday night.

The second and final prelim of the Curb Records Gold Cup Race of Champions presented by Riebes Auto Parts gave the fans a battle they’ll not soon forget. Two California heavyweights trading blows. A race coming down to the wire. And the outcome not being decided until the final lap.

When the dust settled at Silver Dollar Friday night, Buddy Kofoid arose triumphant after a fierce duel with Justin Sanders. After losing the lead coming to the white flag, Kofoid ripped back by Sanders on the final circuit to secure a World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car victory in his home state. The grandstands erupted as one of their own climbed atop the wing of the California-based Roth Motorsports machine following a classic finish.

For the Penngrove native who has always held Gold Cup close to his heart, the victory brought out emotion amid the celebration.

“I grew up coming to the Gold Cup as a kid,” Kofoid said. “It was a family tradition for us to take the week off work and the week off school. We would stay here when I was four, five, six, seven, eight years old, so this race is super special to me. And to do it in the Dennis and Teresa Roth-owned #83JR is pretty damn cool.”

When the green flag flew, the war commenced right away between Kofoid and Sanders. Pole-sitter Chase Randall slipped back on the initial lap while Kofoid and Sanders traded the top spot multiple times. On the second circuit Kofoid looked under Sanders in Turns 1 and 2, but the yellow flag flew as they were side by side for a spinning Jonathan Allard.

On the restart Sanders was able to inch ahead, but Kofoid never let the Mittry Racing #2X leave his sights. Another caution on Lap 8 set up a pivotal restart.

Sanders maintained his advantage exiting Turn 2, but it was Spencer Bayston who stuck the bottom perfectly to get a massive launch down the back straightaway. Bayston slipped ahead of both of the top two and went high in Turns 3 and 4. Kofoid responded by throwing a huge slide job on the two to grab the top spot.

Once he took over the lead, Kofoid began to put some distance between himself and Bayston. Meanwhile, Sanders stalked the CJB Motorsports #5 in search of an opportunity to move back into the runner-up spot.

On Lap 22, the gap he needed opened as Sanders utilized a big run out of Turn 2 to slip by Bayston heading into the next set of corners. From there, the pursuit of Kofoid was on.

Sanders quickly began to cut into the lead little by little. A tenth or two was trimmed each lap as the duo navigated traffic until Sanders was on the tail tank of the Roth #83JR. 

On Lap 29, Sanders gave the top in Turns 1 and 2 a try and was able to pull alongside Kofoid on corner exit before Kofoid nosed ahead as they roared into the next set of corners with the white flag in sight. Sanders again committed to the top and was able to clear Kofoid to take the lead as he raced across the line for the white flag.

Heading into Turn 1, Sanders had to dive under a lapped car and slipped up slightly off the bottom at the apex of the corner. Kofoid, who had been running the bottom every lap on that end of the racetrack, fully sent his machine at the cushion and nailed it perfectly to rip by Sanders off of Turn 2.

With the lead secured, Kofoid protected in the final set of corners to earn his first trip to World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Victory Lane since joining the legendary Roth Motorsports that’s long called Fresno, CA home.

“When we got to traffic, there were a couple guys that were just good enough that I couldn’t spring in front of them and put them away,” Kofoid explained. “Then I heard Justin, but I didn’t want to get off the bottom. I tried it once and didn’t feel good at all and moved right back down. I was content with the middle-top in (Turns) 3 and 4 because I could feel it cleaning off. Then I heard him and saw him, and then I saw the white (flag) and thought just my luck. Then I sent it on the top and that was the best it felt on the top all day. I kind of got lucky but also just had a really good car and great people working on it that allowed me to maneuver last minute and to pick him back off.”

On top of the victory, Kofoid also earned enough points to secure one of the two remaining spots for Saturday’s important Toyota Racing Dash.

Sanders came home with a bittersweet runner-up. The Aromas, CA native was three-quarters of a lap away from his first trip to World of Outlaws Victory Lane, and the defeat was a tough pill to swallow. But on the bright side, he snagged the final lock-in to the Dash for the finale to position himself strongly for a chance at $25,000 on Saturday.

“I still don’t know if I would’ve went to the top on that last lap going into (Turn) 1,” Sanders said. “Honestly, when I ripped around those guys and got in front of Jonathan (Allard), I thought I was going to be clear. Buddy just kicked it into another gear and ripped around us coming off of (Turn) 2.”

Dominic Scelzi came home third to complete a second consecutive all California native podium sweep. The Fresno, CA pilot wheeled the Scelzi Motorsports #41 from 10th to earn a strong result in his home state.

“We were good. We were really good actually,” Scelzi said. “We’ve got to figure out the first half of the night. We’ve got to qualify better. I don’t know what I was doing in the Heat Race. I tried to be a hero on the start and missed the slider. I think I was just trying a little too hard. Jimmy (Carr) gave me an awesome race car tonight, especially in the Feature. The way the racetrack played out, we just kept getting better and better.”

Spencer Bayston and Rico Abreu rounded out the top five.

Abreu also earned the KSE Racing Hard Charger as he drove from 21st to fifth.

Tanner Carrick came out on top of Low-E Insulation Qualifying to claim Simpson Performance Products QuickTime honors.

CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat One went to Chase Randall. NOS Energy Drink Heats Two through Four were topped by Justyn Cox, Ryan Bernal, and Justin Sanders.

Rico Abreu won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars return to Silver Dollar Speedway for the $25,000-to-win, $2,000-to-start finale of the 69th Gold Cup Race of Champions on Saturday, September 9. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the racing live on DIRTVision.

RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 83JR-Michael Kofoid[3]; 2. 2X-Justin Sanders[2]; 3. 41S-Dominic Scelzi[10]; 4. 5-Spencer Bayston[4]; 5. 24-Rico Abreu[21]; 6. X1-Michael Faccinto[12]; 7. 22-Ryan Bernal[16]; 8. 2-David Gravel[6]; 9. 15-Donny Schatz[9]; 10. 5V-Colby Copeland[11]; 11. 57W-Chase Randall[1]; 12. 88N-DJ Netto[13]; 13. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[7]; 14. 42X-Justyn Cox[17]; 15. 1T-Tanner Holmes[23]; 16. 9-Kasey Kahne[22]; 17. 83T-Tanner Carrick[8]; 18. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[14]; 19. 51-Shane Hopkins[24]; 20. 0-Jonathan Allard[5]; 21. 46JR-Joel Myers Jr[19]; 22. 7-Ashton Torgerson[15]; 23. 115-Nick Parker[18]; 24. 25S-Seth Standley[20]

LA FARGEVILLE, NY (SEPT. 8, 2023) – In a field laden with heavy talent, Tim Fuller used decades of experience and driving intuition to navigate through the competition and score the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series win at Can-Am Speedway Friday night.

At the start, defending DIRTcar 358 Modified Series champion Dave Marcuccilli led the way, followed by Jordan McCreadie.  Lance Willix II and Matt Caprara were in an immediate battled for third place.

After the first restart on Lap 5 of the 50-lap matchup, the competitors returned to their same positions, with Caprara applying heavy pressure to McCreadie for second place. As the focal point stayed on the battle for second, defending track champion Tim Fuller was steadily making his way up the ranks. By Lap 6, he had climbed his way into fourth place, lying in wait for any potential mistakes by those in front.

Marcuccilli lengthened his lead to a straight away by Lap 12, chipping away at the hopes of other drivers for a potential challenge as the race wore on. But Fuller was not to be dissuaded, as he ran tight on the inside of Caprara, passing him for third around Turn 1.

He didn’t stop there. As  second place McCreadie ran high and wide off Turn 4, Fuller’s #19 machine did not skip a beat. He staying tight to the inside and passed the 2023 Glen Ridge Motorsports track champion to move up another spot. Then, the yellow lights came on as Willix II unexpectedly came to a stop off Turn 2, bringing Marcuccilli’s commanding lead to a temporary halt.

When the green flag dropped once more, Fuller started right where he left off, aggressively challenging Marcuccilli and forcing him to make a move. He planted himself on the inside lane that had worked for him up until that point, while Marcuccilli moved up running high and wide. It was too generous of a gesture to the veteran driver, as Fuller passed into the lead on Lap 29.

He did not waver for the next 10 laps, continuing with his winning formula. On Lap 38, he clipped an implement tire lining the track, shaving a small distance off of his lead. But that was the only error that Fuller committed, as he navigated his way through lapped traffic. Marcuccilli valiantly pursued him through the field, but did not have enough speed to close the gap.

The Watertown, NY resident crossed the finish line first, capturing the $4,500 payday. It was his his eighth career DIRTcar 358 Modified Series win.

”(Dave) Marcuccilli set quite a pace there,” Fuller said. “I just kept picking them off. I knew it would come later as the race went on…it worked out. It’s really tough to make up that kind of time. I knew lapped traffic was going to play a part. I’m just very fortunate.”

Marcuccilli held on behind him, recording the runner-up finish.

“It just took a couple laps for me to get going,” Marcuccilli said. “I missed the bottom down there when I was racing with (Fuller)…he runs really good here. I was lucky enough to start up front. We’ll take it.”

Super DIRTcar Series rookie Felix Roy continued showing the marked improvement that has emerged over the course of the season. After starting in 12th, he charged his way up to seventh place by Lap 26. After he fired hard on the last restart of the race, he rocketed up four positions to third where he eventually finished.

“It was tough,” Roy said. “I started 12th and I slowly gained position. I got a good final restart. At the end, I had something for Dave (Marcuccilli), but in lapped traffic he started to gain some space on me. I’m happy with third.”

Erick Rudolph finished in fourth and Zach Payne finished in fifth.

UP NEXT: The DIRTcar 358 Modified Series heads to Weedsport Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 9, for the 75-lap, $5,000-to-win, Cavalcade Cup Weekend.

DIRTcar 358 Series Feature 50 Laps 

1. 19-Tim Fuller[8]; 2. M1-Dave Marcuccilli[1]; 3. 91-Felix Roy[12]; 4. 25R-Erick Rudolph[17]; 5. 7Z-Zachary Payne[11]; 6. 49-Billy Dunn[14]; 7. 29-Matt Caprara[5]; 8. 39-Ryan Bartlett[19]; 9. 6M-Mat Williamson[27]; 10. 01-Chris Raabe[20]; 11. 35-Mike Mahaney[10]; 12. 28-Jordan McCreadie[2]; 13. 21C-Taylor Caprara[7]; 14. 38J-Jarrett Herbison[23]; 15. 66X-Carey Terrance[6]; 16. 18W-Scott Webb[18]; 17. 45R-Preston Forbes[16]; 18. 3-Chris Mackey[25]; 19. 31-Lance Willix[3]; 20. 55-Matt Woodruff[22]; 21. 7S-Shaun Shaw[9]; 22. 3RS-Dalton Slack[24]; 23. B2-Bob Henry Jr[26]; 24. 9-Tyler Meeks[15]; 25. 66W-Derek Webb[30]; 26. 21-Andrew Howard[13]; 27. 117-CJ Castelletti[29]; 28. R70-Ryan Arbuthnot[4]; 29. (DNF) 60-Jackson Gill[21]; 30. (DNF) 5-Amy Holland[28]

LA FARGEVILLE, NY (SEPT. 8, 2023) – Hometown racer David Rogers stood victorious in the Can-Am Victory Lane after capturing his second DIRTcar Sportsman Series win at the track in less than a month.

From the drop of the green flag, the race was a battle for positions with nothing given away easily. Starting on the pole for the night’s 30-lap, $2,000-to-win, John Burr Memorial Feature, Rogers shot out in front to pace the field. He was followed closely by outside pole sitter Xavier Andrews with Cedric Gauvreau in third behind them.

The two front runners ran tightly together before Rogers cleared Andrews after Lap 3, giving himself distance from the field. Gauvreau and Andrews then began a battle of their own for second place that lasted for a handful of laps. Gauvreau won the battle moving into second, seemingly gunning for Rogers next.

Unbeknownst to them, Jessica Power had started a run of her own behind them. After Gauvreau pulled into the pits with mechanical issues on Lap 15, the Kingston, ON driver was bumped into third behind Andrews. She then immediately hammered down on the inside lane, running it as tight as possible, pulling even with him coming off Turn 4. After a burst of speed down the front stretch, she edged by the #0 machine, taking over second with 12 laps remaining.

Power continued forward full throttle, immediately challenging Roger’s lead. After running less than a car length behind him, still hugging the inside lane tight as possible, she clipped an implement tire lining the racetrack, sending her front left tire clear off the track.

The mishap gave Rogers breathing room as she retained control of her vehicle and the race stayed under green. But she relentlessly pursued the race leader, coming within half a car length on Lap 24 on another attempt to pass him on the inside of Turn 2. Rogers played defense and blocked her attempt, passing down low to the inside to do so.

As the last five laps ticked off the counter, Rogers ran the track without error, navigating through lapped traffic. He crossed the finish line first, scoring his second DIRTcar Sportsman Series victory at Can-Am this season and third overall.

“I could hear (Power) a couple times, but I was just a little tight,” Rogers said. “Earlier, we weren’t any good. So, we took all the shocks and springs and changed them. I moved the front end, I moved the rear end, and I told (my crew guy) we’re going wholesale changes here.”

Power finished in second, falling just shy of her first DIRTcar Sportsman Series victory.

“We threw everything we had at Dave (Rogers),” Power said. “He did a great job. The car was a rocket tonight. It was the fastest it’s been all year, so, I can’t complain.”

Andrews finished in third to round out the podium, recording one of his best finishes at the track. He had not seen a competition at Can-Am since prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We didn’t really know what to expect here,” Andrews said. “I don’t think we’re the best right now, but we ran pretty good and I’m happy with it…there’s some tough competition here. We put a really good night together.”

Gavin Eisele finished in fourth and Mike Fowler finished in fifth to round out the top five.

Chris Corbett was the recipient of a free Hoosier Tire.

UP NEXT: The DIRTcar Sportsman Series will next travel to Weedsport Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 9 for the Sportsman Classic.

DIRTcar Sportsman Series (30 Laps): 1. 44-David Rogers[1]; 2. 52-Jessica Power[4]; 3. 0-Xavier Andrews[2]; 4. 18-Gavin Eisele[3]; 5. 410-Mike Fowler[6]; 6. 92-Andrew Buff[9]; 7. 35B-Brennan Moore[12]; 8. 64-Tyler Corcoran[11]; 9. 57H-Remington Hamm[8]; 10. 38-Zach Sobotka[19]; 11. 31B-Ryan Dolbear[16]; 12. 34-Eric Nier[7]; 13. 63M-Franklin Mackin[21]; 14. 30-Nick Root[23]; 15. FOX28-Tyler Stevenson[22]; 16. 34K-Keegan Nier[14]; 17. 03-Joshua Jock[10]; 18. 66B-Jason Bruno[27]; 19. 95-Kearra Backus[29]; 20. (DNF) 98-Chris Corbett[28]; 21. (DNF) 2-Taylor Doxtater[26]; 22. (DNF) 38JR-Jason Parkhurst Jr[25]; 23. (DNF) 6-Brian Hudson[13]; 24. (DNF) 01-Zach Buff[24]; 25. (DNF) 22-Cedric Gauvreau[5]; 26. (DNF) 1D-Paul DeRuyter[20]; 27. (DNF) 32RS-Ryan Shanahan[17]; 28. (DNF) 29-Nick Heywood[15]; 29. (DNF) 99R-Anthony Rasmussen[18]

Over 30 real-life Midget drivers included with 2023 Season Update of World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing

CONCORD, NC (Sept. 8, 2023) – Most people can only dream of seeing themselves immortalized behind screens in a digital world of video game pixels.

Today, the stars of the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota and their competitors live out that dream as part of the 2023 Season Update to World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing on Xbox and PlayStation.

The 2023 Season Update, made available for purchase on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on Aug. 15, includes each of the full-time drivers on the Xtreme Outlaw Series plus several other national Midget series racers and a few extra surprises. The full roster of drivers included with the update is listed below.

Several drivers on the full-time Xtreme Outlaw Series roster have taken time since the update’s release to try the game out for themselves and expressed their appreciation in being involved.

The Series’ all-time winningest driver – 16-year-old Jade Avedisian of Clovis, CA – said the outpouring of support from her friends and fans racing with her virtual Mobil 1, LynK/Toyota #71 for Keith Kunz Motorsports in the game has been constant.

“I get a few DMs a week about how good the game is and that they picked me to play,” Avedisian said. “To be on a video game is really cool; I would have never expected to be on a video game.”

Like Avedisian, defending Series champion Zach Daum noted the experience of being repeatedly recognized in a new digital world of motorsports entertainment.

“As soon as it was released, I was getting pictures sent to me from people I didn’t even know,” Daum, 32, of Pocahontas, IL, said. “Like, ‘Hey I’m racing you!’

“That’s cool, don’t crash. Hopefully, you win.”

While he’s not the gamer he used to be, Daum recalls his more youthful days in motorsports playing the fan-favorite World of Outlaws: Sprint Cars 2002 title and hopes to pass the fun of gaming on to his own kids.

“I remember being a kid playing that – we’d be at Quarter Midget races, grand national races where you’d be there all week and somebody had it set up at their trailer and you’d play all week,” Daum said. “That was really fun.

“Hopefully in the next couple years, I can get my boy Remy – he’ll play it. I don’t want him playing a bunch of video games, but I wouldn’t mind it if he played racing games.”

Dave Mac-Dalby Motorsports teammates Cannon McIntosh and Austin Barnhill have long been avid players of racing video games and were thrilled with the opportunity to have their own place in the newest and most advanced dirt motorsports game to date.

“It’s cool to not only see us, but other competitors we’ve raced with,” McIntosh, 20, of Bixby, OK, said. “It’s a different deal when you’re in it. Seeing kids online that enjoy it and get to play as you, it’s a cool feeling.”

“Growing up playing NASCAR games and Sprint Car games, it’s kinda shocking that Midgets just now came into the video game side of things,” Barnhill, 23, of Mooresville, NC, said. “On an actual console game, it’s really cool to see it finally take off, especially while [McIntosh] and I are in the middle of running the Series. Getting to be in it makes it that much cooler.”

While the drivers agree the game plays great in their hands, World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing is a hit with the younger fanbase – one that will eventually fill the seats of future Midget rides in real life.

“If that draws in 10 kids to the races now because they play us on their Xbox or PlayStation, that’s cool,” Daum said. “It can only help grow the sport.”

“A little kid that plays and races their favorite car on there, and then they want to be able to watch it on TV, and they tell their parents about It – I feel like you get so many more people involved with the sport of Midget racing,” McIntosh said.

For more information about World of Outlaws: Dirt Racing and the 2023 Season Update, and to purchase your copy of the game, visit WorldofOutlawsGame.com.

Midget Driver Roster

Zach Daum
Jade Avedisian
Cannon McIntosh

Chase McDermand

Taylor Reimer
Gavin Miller

Hayden Reinbold
Austin Barnhill
Mitchel Moles

Kyle Jones

Corbin Rueschenberg

Tyler Robbins

Chance Crum

Ethan Mitchell

Thomas Meseraull

Mariah Ede

Kyle Bielman

Cooper Williams

Daison Pursley

Logan Seavey

Laci Ferno

Daniel Whitley

Bryant Wiedeman

Andrew Felker

Casey Shuman

Gary Taylor

Chase Johnson

Brad Loyet

Rip Jetson

Ryan Timms

Buddy Kofoid

Concludes at Port Royal in OctoberPORT ROYAL, PA (Sept. 8, 2023) – Port Royal Speedway will host the final round of the World of Outlaws versus PA Posse battle this year during the Nittany Showdown doubleheader, Oct. 6-7.World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series stars will face the best local talent from around Pennsylvania for two straight nights with Friday night’s race paying $10,000 to win and Saturday’s finale paying $15,000 to win.Pennsylvania’s Anthony Marci led the PA Posse charge at the Nittany Showdown last year, sweeping the weekend – his first two World of Outlaws victories. He’s also the only PA Posse driver to have won a World of Outlaws race this year with his win at Lincoln Speedway in May. However, Marci won’t be behind the wheel of his family’s #39M car at Port Royal for his repeat attempt.Ten-time World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz has the most World of Outlaws victories at the track with four (2004, 2017, 2018, 2019). Kyle Larson is the closest behind him with three, including his win at the track in July of 2022.The World of Outlaws have the upper hand on the PA Posse this year, having won three of the Pennsylvania events (Brad Sweet at Williams Grove Speedway in May, David Gravel at BAPS Motor Speedway in July and Logan Schuchart at Williams Grove in July).What you need to know: More Event InfoTrack: 1/2 mile in Port Royal, PA Track Record: 14.868 seconds by Brian Brown on Oct. 10, 2018Times (ET): Friday 4 p.m. Pit and Grandstand Gates Open 6:30 p.m. Hot Laps/Qualifying -Racing to followSaturday 1 p.m. Pit and Grandstand Gates Open 5:30 p.m. Hot Laps/Qualifying -Racing to follow *Times subject to change with Flex ScheduleTickets: Available HERELast Race Video Recap (8/8/22): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G76IHXUn38Previous Winners: 2022 –Kyle Larson on July 20, Anthony Macri on Oct. 7 & Oct. 8 2021 – Kerry Madsen on Oct. 8, Spencer Bayston on Oct. 9 2020 – Kyle Larson on Oct. 9, Kyle Larson on Oct. 10 2019 – Donny Schatz on Oct. 25 2018 – Donny Schatz on Oct. 28 2017 – Donny Schatz on Oct. 14 2016 – Logan Schuchart on Oct. 15 2015 – Brad Sweet on Oct. 24 2014 – Ryan Smith on Oct. 25 2004 – Donny Schatz on Sept. 29 2003 – Jason Meyers on Oct. 2 2002 – Brad Furr on Sept. 29 2001 – Danny Wood on Sept. 27 1987 – Doug Wolfgang on May 27 1986 – Don Kreitz, Jr., on May 28 1979 – Lynn Paxton on July 25If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY WEATHERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA SALINAS, CALIFORNIA TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE SEPTEMBER 8-10, 2023 CHEVROLET LOOKS TO WRAP THE 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES SEASON IN LAGUNA SECA DETROIT (September 7, 2023) – The final race of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR Season wraps up a wild and competitive year at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca where Chevrolet has seen one NTT P1 Pole Award but still seeks a victory since the series return after in 2019. With three podium finishes and 35 laps led in the three events in four years the Bowtie brand has competed in, Team Chevy looks to end the season, and 95-lap, 212.61-mile race in Victory Lane. INDYCAR returned in 2019, the V6 2.2-liter liter twin-turbo injected era of Chevrolet has competed at Laguna Seca three times in four years at the legendary natural terrain road course and facility. With five Chevrolet-powered Indy cars finishing in the top-10 of 2022’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey, including Josef Newgarden (second), Will Power (third), and Scott McLaughlin (sixth) of Team Penske, as well as Arrow McLaren INDYCAR’s Felix Rosenqvist (fourth) and Pato O’Ward (eighth). Reflecting back on the event, O’Ward said of Laguna Seca, “It’s an enjoyable track to drive, even though I haven’t had the result there in the NTT INDYCAR Series that I’ve been hoping for the last couple of years. Hopefully, this time is the charm. The track is repaved, so I’m looking forward to that new challenge and making it a good one for all of us on the team.” Wrapping up the season with five wins and five earned pole awards heading into this weekend’s race at Laguna Seca, in addition to 1,212 laps led and 23 podiums in 2023, Chevrolet caps off the season after earning the Bowtie brand’s fifth Indianapolis 500 victory in the V6 era, and 12th in manufacturer history. Overall, Chevrolet holds 111 race wins in the V6 era since 2012, and 126 earned pole awards in addition to five Indianapolis 500 victories. The Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey from WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca kicks off the weekend with first practice on Friday, Sept. 8 at 5:30 p.m. ET. A second practice opens Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, with qualifications and the Firestone Fast Six following at 5 p.m. ET. Sunday’s 95-lap, 212.61-mile race takes the green flag live on NBC at 3 p.m. ET. All practice and qualifying will be live on Peacock, INDYCAR Radio, and SiriusXM Channel 160.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES):Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:“One last rodeo for the 2023 season. It’s an enjoyable track to drive, even though I haven’t had the result there in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES that I’ve been hoping for the last couple of years. Hopefully, this time is the charm. The track is repaved, so I’m looking forward to that new challenge and making it a good one for all of us on the team.” Felix Rosenqvist, No. 6 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:”I’m pumped for the last race of the season. Laguna is a place where I’ve enjoyed a lot of success, and coming off a strong result in Portland, the only aim for me will be to try and get that first win of the season for Arrow McLaren.” Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:”I can’t believe the end of the year is already here. It seems like just yesterday was my first day with the team. While there have been ups and downs, I’m happy with what we’ve accomplished and hope to get a win before we head into what will be an intense offseason.” Gavin Ward, Race Director at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:“We’re heading into the final race weekend of 2023 with our heads held high. It was good to get Felix (Rosenqvist) and the No. 6 team on the podium last weekend, marking the 10th podium for Arrow McLaren this season. We’ll start this week testing out the new surface at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and then hopefully wrap up on a high note come race day.” Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 20 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:“WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca has always been one of those tracks at the top of my list. Even though I really enjoyed the low-grip old surface, I look forward to the challenge ahead with the repaved surface. We’ll need to work through finding a new approach, both on car setup and from behind the wheel.” Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:“I am excited to go back to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca! It’s going to be very nice to be back in the car, especially coming off a weekend like we did in Portland. I love the track and I am looking forward to experiencing the repave! It’s something no one is really accustomed to yet, so it’s great that we have a day of testing as well. It’s a good time to have another good race and hopefully get a top-five – we were pretty close last weekend! Last race of the season, let’s make it a good one!” Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:“This is definitely a very challenging track to drive, (and) testing here is going to be very helpful for me. The last time I was here I was testing and that was in 2021. That was also on the old track, so I’m excited to see what the repave is like. I think the best passing zone is either the last corner or the first corner. Other than that, someone needs to make a mistake or you just need to be outright a lot faster to make a pass. I will say that if you make a pass in the Corkscrew, it is incredibly rewarding! It’s just incredibly difficult.” Benjamin Pedersen, No. 55 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:“This track has been here for a very long time. The nature of Monterey is very special with the elevation change at the track, which makes it very challenging. The new pavement changes will be very exciting for everyone because it’s new and fresh. The degradation of the tires is going to be a completely different topic. …With how much deg there is with the low grip track, it’s usually very hard on tires, but with the new surface, I think that resets that. I think it will be very similar to Road America in regards to surface and degradation, but we will see here with the upcoming test and race weekend. “Into Turn 2 is a pretty decent passing area and the top of the corkscrew can be very good. Otherwise, I think being on different strategies and fresh tires is what makes being able to pass easier.” Callum Ilott, No. 77 Chevrolet at Juncos Hollinger Racing:“This weekend will be my third race at Laguna Seca. The last time here we were having a great run; I started second and was battling inside the top-five before an unfortunate mechanical failure. That shows we’ve had great speed at this track before. “There has been a resurfacing of the track which will make it alittle bit of a challenge to get to grips with the set-up of the car this weekend, but luckily we have the test day on Thursday to work with that. “It’s an exciting track, it should be super fast and hopefully we can match that with a super fast car.” Agustin Canapino, No. 78 Chevrolet at Juncos Hollinger Racing:“As it’s the last race of the season this weekend, I’m really proud to look back on my first year in INDYCAR. Thank you to everybody in the team for all of their hard work this season, and especially to Ricardo and Brad for giving me this opportunity. “We want to end the season strongly and will battle hard to finish within the Leaders Circle. Despite different situations costing us points during the year, we have shown the pace to end with a Leaders Circle spot. I’ll try my best this weekend to try and achieve this goal, and will give 100% as always. “Laguna Seca is another new circuit for me which will be tough, especially as it’s a really tricky track. But I will prepare well to end the season in the best possible way.”

CHEVROLET AT LAGUNA SECA (V6 era), since INDYCAR’s 2019 return:Wins: 0 Pole Awards: 12018: Will Power Podiums at Laguna Seca by Team Chevy: 3, since the 2019 return to Laguna Seca Laps Led at Laguna Seca by Team Chevy: 35 laps led since the 2019 return to Laguna Seca

2023 CHEVROLET BY THE NUMBERS:198: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR.  111: Wins in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012.  126: Earned poles since 2012.  7: Manufacturer Championships since 2012.  7: Driver/entrant champions since 2012.  12: Indianapolis 500 victories by Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 5: Indianapolis 500 wins by Chevrolet since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era. 26: Wins by Will Power since 2012 – all with Chevrolet power – most of any driver with the same manufacturer.  14: Consecutive seasons with at least one win by Will Power, including the past 11 with Chevrolet power.  9: Wins from the pole by Will Power with Chevrolet power since 2012, most by any driver.  46: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver.*Will Power’s career total of 70 poles makes him the all-time pole winner in INDYCAR.

September 7, 2023

After an encouraging, but ultimately disappointing Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Menards/MasterForce team are headed to Kansas Speedway hoping to continue improving their team, now headed by crew chief Jeremy Bullins.

“Even though Darlington didn’t end like we wanted it to, there were still a lot of positives to take away from the weekend,” Bullins said. “We had a solid practice, and even though qualifying didn’t go like we needed it to, we dug out of the hole in the race and had ourselves solidly in the top 15 before we got caught up in a wreck.”

Bullins said he’s looking forward to taking another step forward with the team as they compete in the Hollywood Casino 400. 

“Kansas will be a great opportunity to work with Harrison and learn what he likes to feel at the intermediate-style race tracks as we look to improve our overall performance,” he said. “With the Playoffs in full swing teams are bringing out their best, so it gives us a good chance to judge where we stack up and figure out what we need to work on to get better.”

Also this weekend, Burton and the Menards/MasterForceteam are honoring a Cancer Hero, the late Karen Morgan of Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

The Honor A Cancer Hero program is put on by the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation and AdventHealth. Last year the program raised more than $110,000 to be used to support integrative therapies for women and children undergoing cancer treatments.

In January of 2019, Morgan, who retired early from her job as an insurance agent to care for her parents, went to the doctor for what initially appeared to be minor symptoms but was soon diagnosed with Grade 4 Glioblastoma, the worst brain cancer. She continued to try to be a caregiver for her father even as she needed care herself.

She passed away on May 28, 2020 at the age of 55.

Mrs. Morgan was nominated for the Cancer Hero program by her husband Wayne Morgan, who chose Harrison Burton and the Wood Brothers team to represent her.

“She would have been proud to have her name on such an iconic car,” Mr. Morgan wrote of his wife, who was a NASCAR fan and followed the sport as long as she was able.

Practice for the Hollywood Casino 400 is set for Saturday at 11 a.m. (noon Eastern Time) to be immediately followed by qualifying.

Sunday’s 267-lap race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 2 p.m. (3 p.m. Eastern) with Stage breaks planned for Laps 80 and 165.

USA Network will carry the TV coverage all weekend.

Official Release: Koretsky Motorsports | Michael Waltrip Brewing Company | Maple Grove Raceway

September 7, 2023

MOHNTON, PENNSYLVANIA | BRISTOL, VIRGINIA (September 7, 2023) – Kyle Koretsky wants to go fast and is ready to “Shake & Bake” his way to victory to start the NHRA Countdown to the Championship at Maple Grove Raceway.

Koretsky, along with Michael Waltrip Brewing Company’s CEO/President Bryan Sperber & Chief Fun Officer Michael Waltrip announced today a new partnership that will kick off at the upcoming Pep Boys NHRA Nationals and continue later this month at the betway NHRA Carolina Nationals.

Michael Waltrip Brewing Co. recently announced the distribution of their beer in Pennsylvania with Stockertown Beverage and all involved agree this is the perfect way to introduce the NHRA fans to Talladega Light, along with being less frightening than driving with a live cougar in the car

“We are so thrilled to be partnering with Kyle and his team to help announce our newest beer, Talladega Light,” said Michael Waltrip. “I love watching the intense action that is drag racing. Green light, hammer down, hold on. And I love participating in the enjoyment of Talladega Light. Pop a top, take a sip and relax.  Both sound fantastic. Let’s go Kyle! Shake and Bake our way to victory in Maple Grove and Charlotte.”

Along with partnering on Koretsky’s Pro Stock entry, the pairing hopes to soon announce additional collaborations including a music festival at Maple Grove Raceway. 

“We are so proud to be able to support and partner with Kyle and his family,” said Bryan R. Sperber. “They are racers like Michael and having our brand on Kyle’s Pro Stock car at Maple Grove and zMAX is really special. This is a big moment for our company and we can’t wait to see our Talladega Light brand in the Winner’s Circle.”

Koretsky is looking forward to big things both on and off the track.  After making it to the final in Brainerd and the semi-finals in Indianapolis, Kyle believes a win is coming soon as he comes up on the 2-year anniversary of his first Pro Stock victory at zMAX Dragway.

“I am really excited to work with Bryan, Michael and everyone at MWB,” said Kyle Koretsky. “Adding a great brand and helping to bring Talladega Light to the great fans at Maple Grove is awesome. I have some of the greatest partners in the sport like Lucas Oil and another recent addition of Ace Aero and this is a perfect fit.”

MWBC’s, Talladega Light will be available along with Bristol Sunshine at both Maple Grove Raceway & zMAX Dragway.

“I’m just a big hairy American winning machine. If you ain’t first, you’re last.” Koretsky added. “It’s time to start collecting Wally’s and show what this car and this team is capable of.”

About Michael Waltrip Brewing Company:

Michael Waltrip Brewing Company, was founded in 2020, as a premium beer company that celebrates creating memories with family and friends in the fun-loving style of its founder, iconic motorsports champion Michael Waltrip. Since its inception, the company has grown into a multi-faceted lifestyle brand with operations in beer, hospitality, live entertainment, and licensed products.

The Michael Waltrip Brewing Co. line up of beers, now distributed in 10 states, include Talladega Light lager and Bristol Sunshine Tangerine Ale.  MWBC is distributed in Pennsylvania by Stockertown Beverage.

The Company operates its signature brewery and taproom in historic downtown Bristol, VA, and recently announced a partnership to expand the Michael Waltrip Taproom concept to 100 locations with the first store opening in Concord, NC in 2023.

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Sep 5, 2023 | Featured, Julie Nataas, Race Results

The Randy Meyer Racing (RMR) Top Alcohol Dragster team raced to a runner-up finish at the 2023 Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals and leave Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and claimed back the Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster National Championship Points lead with drivers Julie Nataas and Hunter Green.

Nataas entered eliminations as the No. 3 qualifier with a 5.247-second pass at 374.61 mph and Green as the No. 4 qualifier with a 5.263 ET at 274.89 mph. Nataas matched-up against Jasmine Salinas in the first round on Sunday. Nataas would have the win before leaving the starting line with Salinas going red by .116 seconds. Unfortunately Green was knocked out in the first round losing to Karen Stalba on a holeshot.

Nataas won the first round with a 5.274-second run at 274.78 mph to earn lane choice over Tony Stewart in the second round. Nataas and the OTG dragster left the starting line first and steadily pulled away to run the team’s best pass of the weekend at 5.206-seconds and 283.73 mph to defeat Stewart who also ran his best of the weekend at 5.259 at 270.97. Her win along with Shawn Cowie’s first-round loss would put RMR and Nataas back in the national championship points lead.

In the semifinals on Monday afternoon, Nataas took on John Paul Gutierrez. Gutierrez would leave the line first but Nataas would chase him down with a 5.249-second pass at 283.61 mph bettering Gutierrez’s 5.318 at 270.86.

In only the second an all-female U.S. Nationals Top Alcohol Dragster final round, Nataas faced off against Madison Payne. It was the first time Nataas had seen Payne in a final round but the fourth time the pair have raced against each other. Nataas had a disappointing redlight start of .211 seconds to hand Payne the victory. For the record, Nataas crossed the finish line at 5.566-seconds and 219.08 mph while Payne smoked the tires and slowed to a 10.073 pass at 85.76 for the win.

“My foot left before my head wanted to in the finals. It’s one of those things you can’t explain. It Just happens,” said Nataas who has reached the U.S. Nationals final round for two consecutive years. “I wish we could have gotten the extra points for winning, but we did leave with the points lead after a really important win over Tony Stewart second round I’m sure we are going to have a lot more of those races before the season is over. It’s exciting.”

RMR will continue their championship campaign at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals in Reading, PA with the Aussie Fiona Crisp and newcomer Mike Lewis after competing at the NHRA Lucas Oil Division 5 drag race in Earlville, IA with Fiona Crisp in the OTG nitro machine.

Sep 5, 2023 | Featured, Julie Nataas, Race Results

The Randy Meyer Racing (RMR) Top Alcohol Dragster team raced to a runner-up finish at the 2023 Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals and leave Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and claimed back the Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster National Championship Points lead with drivers Julie Nataas and Hunter Green.

Nataas entered eliminations as the No. 3 qualifier with a 5.247-second pass at 374.61 mph and Green as the No. 4 qualifier with a 5.263 ET at 274.89 mph. Nataas matched-up against Jasmine Salinas in the first round on Sunday. Nataas would have the win before leaving the starting line with Salinas going red by .116 seconds. Unfortunately Green was knocked out in the first round losing to Karen Stalba on a holeshot.

Nataas won the first round with a 5.274-second run at 274.78 mph to earn lane choice over Tony Stewart in the second round. Nataas and the OTG dragster left the starting line first and steadily pulled away to run the team’s best pass of the weekend at 5.206-seconds and 283.73 mph to defeat Stewart who also ran his best of the weekend at 5.259 at 270.97. Her win along with Shawn Cowie’s first-round loss would put RMR and Nataas back in the national championship points lead.

In the semifinals on Monday afternoon, Nataas took on John Paul Gutierrez. Gutierrez would leave the line first but Nataas would chase him down with a 5.249-second pass at 283.61 mph bettering Gutierrez’s 5.318 at 270.86.

In only the second an all-female U.S. Nationals Top Alcohol Dragster final round, Nataas faced off against Madison Payne. It was the first time Nataas had seen Payne in a final round but the fourth time the pair have raced against each other. Nataas had a disappointing redlight start of .211 seconds to hand Payne the victory. For the record, Nataas crossed the finish line at 5.566-seconds and 219.08 mph while Payne smoked the tires and slowed to a 10.073 pass at 85.76 for the win.

“My foot left before my head wanted to in the finals. It’s one of those things you can’t explain. It Just happens,” said Nataas who has reached the U.S. Nationals final round for two consecutive years. “I wish we could have gotten the extra points for winning, but we did leave with the points lead after a really important win over Tony Stewart second round I’m sure we are going to have a lot more of those races before the season is over. It’s exciting.”

RMR will continue their championship campaign at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals in Reading, PA with the Aussie Fiona Crisp and newcomer Mike Lewis after competing at the NHRA Lucas Oil Division 5 drag race in Earlville, IA with Fiona Crisp in the OTG nitro machine.

Kansas SpeedwayKansas City, KansasSeptember 8-10, 2023All three NASCAR national series will make the journey to the Midwest for the final time this season to Kansas Speedway – marking the first time since July that the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS), NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) will convene for a tripleheader at the same track.

Chevrolet at Kansas SpeedwayIn the NASCAR Cup Series, the Bowtie brand has accumulated a series-leading 13 victories in its 35-race history at the 1.5-mile oval. The manufacturer’s first of those wins came in the series’ debut at the track in September 2001 with career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon. The NASCAR Hall of Famer went on to take his No. 24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo to victory lane at Kansas Speedway again one year later – making him one of only four drivers in series’ history to post consecutive wins at the track. The manufacturer’s most recent NCS win at the track also came with Hendrick Motorsports – recorded by Kyle Larson in his championship season (Oct. 2021).  Chevrolet has claimed five NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and nine NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins at Kansas Speedway. In both series, the manufacturer will head into the weekend as the defending winners at the track with victories courtesy of JR Motorsports and Noah Gragson in the NXS (Sept. 2022) and GMS Racing’s Grant Enfinger in the NCTS (May 2023).

NCS PLAYOFF UPDATE: ONE DOWN, TWO TO GOTeam Chevy’s Kyle Larson started the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs on the best note possible by taking the win in one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events – the Cook Out Southern 500 – earning an automatic advancement into the Round of 12. Larson posted a strong points day in the series’ playoff opener at Darlington Raceway – piloting his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 to top-three finishes in both stages en route to his third points-paying win of the season.  Entering the post-season as the top-seeded driver, Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron was able to maintain the top position in the points standings with a 45-point cushion over the cutline. Despite a disappointing qualifying effort, Byron was able to drive No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 to a top-five finish in Stage Two – ultimately taking the checkered flag in the fourth position for the team’s 10th top-five finish of the season.  Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 will be the second of three races in the NCS’ Round of 16 – marking just the second time that Kansas Speedway has held the position on the post-season schedule for NASCAR’s premier series.

A look at Team Chevy’s playoff contenders heading into race two of the Round of 16:

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 1st in Playoff Standings* Advanced to Round of 12 with win at Darlington RacewayVictories: 3Top-Fives: 11 (series-leading)Top-10s: 13Laps Led: 679Average Finish: 15.5Stage Wins: 3 At Kansas Speedway: Wins: 1Top-Fives: 6Top-10s: 9Average Finish: 13.471 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. ·       Larson has wins at all three of the tracks in the Round of Eight – two of which have come in the series’ most recent appearance at the track (Homestead-Miami Speedway – Oct. 2022; Martinsville Speedway – April 2023).

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – 2nd in Playoff Standings; 45 points above the cutlineVictories: 5 (series-leading)Top-Fives: 10Top-10s: 14Laps Led: 877 (series-leading)Average Finish: 11.6Stage Wins: 8 (series-leading) At Kansas Speedway: Top-Fives: 2Top-10s: 7Poles: 1Average Finish: 14.000 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; 20 points above the cutlineVictories: 3Top-Fives: 8Top-10s: 14Laps Led: 233Average Finish: 14.0Stage Wins: 2 At Kansas Speedway: Wins: 2Top-Fives: 10Top-10s: 14Average Finish: 15.467 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 – 10th in Playoff Standings; 13 points above the cutlineVictories: 1Top-Fives: 7Top-10s: 10Laps Led: 482Average Finish: 15.0Stage Wins: 5 At Kansas Speedway: Top-Fives: 1Top-10s: 3Average Finish: 18.778 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.·    Chastain has collected top-10 finishes in the NCS’ last three races at Kansas Speedway, including a best-finish of fifth in the May 2023 event.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Camaro ZL1 – 15th in Playoff Standings; four points below the cutlineWins: 1Top-Fives: 2Top-10s: 7Laps Led: 25Average Finish: 16.7Stage Wins: 0 At Kansas Speedway: Top-10s: 1Average Finish: 19.667 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 16.7.

BY THE NUMBERS ON INTERMEDIATESSince the debut of the Next Gen cars at the beginning of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, Chevrolet has been poised to be a frontrunner on the intermediate ovals. Of the nine tracks ranging between 1.250-miles and 1.540-miles in length, the manufacturer is the series’ most recent winner at seven of those venues – four of which hold a spot in the post-season:

·       Texas Motor Speedway (1.5-miles): Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 – Oct. 2022·       Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5-miles): Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – Oct. 2022·       Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-miles): William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – Mar. 2023·       W.W.T.R. (1.25-miles): Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1 – June 2023·       Nashville Superspeedway (1.333-miles): Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Camaro ZL1 – June 2023·       Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-miles): William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – July 2023 ·       Darlington Raceway (1.366-miles): Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 – Sept. 2023

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS ON HORIZON OF MILESTONE WIN WITH CHEVROLETKyle Larson’s win at Darlington Raceway not only took the Hendrick Motorsports engine department to its 500th all-time NASCAR national series win, but also brought Hendrick Motorsports just one win away from another milestone victory with the organization now sitting at 299 NASCAR Cup Series wins.   A partner with Rick Hendrick since the inception of the team, each of Hendrick Motorsports’ wins have come in a Chevrolet. Hendrick Motorsports’ first triumph in NASCAR’s premier series came in April 1984 with Geoff Bodine, and the organization has since won at least one race in all but one season since it was founded, including an active streak of 38 in a row (1986-2023). The winningest manufacturer in series’ history, Chevrolet has accumulated 847 all-time NCS wins. Hendrick Motorsports is credited with a handful of milestone triumphs for the Bowtie brand, delivering the manufacturer its milestone 400th, 500th, 600th, 700th and 800th victories in NASCAR’s premier series – each recorded by a different driver:  ·       400th win: Sept. 9, 1994 – Terry Labonte (Richmond Raceway)·       500th win: Aug. 12, 2001 Jeff Gordon (Watkins Glen International)·       600th win: March 25, 2007 – Kyle Busch (Bristol Motor Speedway)·       700th win: Nov. 4, 2012 – Jimmie Johnson (Texas Motor Speedway)·       800th win: May 23, 2021 – Chase Elliott (Circuit of The Americas) Chevrolet’s most recent milestone victory (Elliott at Circuit of The Americas in 2021) also brought Hendrick Motorsports to its 268th NCS victory – tying Petty Enterprises’ all-time wins record in the series. The organization ultimately broke the record one week later with Kyle Larson at Charlotte Motor Speedway, making Hendrick Motorsports the winningest organization in NCS history.

HILL EYES FIRST CAREER NXS REGULAR SEASON TITLERichard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill came just one spot short of another win at Darlington Raceway, but the Team Chevy driver’s runner-up finish helped him maintain the top spot in the NASCAR Xfinity Series points standings ahead of this weekend’s regular season finale at Kansas Speedway.  In only his second full-time season in the series, the 29-year-old Georgia native has been a top contender for the title throughout the season. In 25 races this season, Hill has collected four wins, as well as a series-leading 14 top-fives and 18 top-10s. Heading into Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300, Hill holds a 23-point advantage over second place as the Team Chevy driver looks to secure his first career NXS regular season championship title.

Two More Team Chevy Drivers Clinch Post-Season Bid

Following a pair of top-10 finishes at Darlington Raceway, JR Motorsports’ Josh Berry and Richard Childress Racing’s Sheldon Creed also clinched their spots in the NXS 12-driver playoff field. Berry made his first post-season appearance last season – making his way to the Championship Four in his first full-time season in the series. Also in his second full-time season in the NXS, the playoff bid will be Creed’s first time competing in the series’ playoffs.  Of the 10 drivers that have already clinched a playoff berth, seven come from the Chevrolet camp. Joining Berry and Creed with a guaranteed spot in the post-season includes Austin Hill, Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer, Chandler Smith and Jeb Burton – all of which have logged at least one victory this season. In the tight battle for the final two post-season positions, Kaulig Racing’s Daniel Hemric currently sits 11th in the playoff standings with a 55-point cushion over the cutline. While on the outside looking in, Big Machine Racing’s Parker Kligerman is 13th in the playoff standings, but only at a one-point deficit outside the playoff bubble.

FIRST ELIMINATION RACE OF NCTS PLAYOFFSThe NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ Playoffs Round of 10 will conclude at Kansas Speedway with two championship contenders being eliminated following Friday night’s Kansas Lottery 200. Four drivers are already assured a spot in the next round, including Team Chevy’s Grant Enfinger and Christian Eckes.  Enfinger and the No. 23 GMS Racing Silverado RST team is Kansas Speedway’s most recent NCTS winner – collecting his first of now three wins on the season in the series’ spring appearance at the track. The 38-year-old Alabama native solidified his spot in the next round after driving to a dominating win in the second race of the Round of 10 at the Milwaukee Mile. Joining Enfinger with a guaranteed spot in the Round of Eight is McAnally-Hilgemann’s Christian Eckes. The 22-year-old New York native has had a stout showing in the opening round – collecting podium finishes in each of the first two races.

Two of the four remaining positions above the cutline are occupied by Team Chevy drivers with Niece Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar sitting in the fifth position (+56 points) and Rev Racing’s Nick Sanchez in the eighth position (+3 points) in the playoff standings.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·       Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Kansas Speedway:  Kyle Busch – two wins (2021, 2016)Kyle Larson – one win (2021)Chase Elliott – one win (2018) ·       In 35 NASCAR Cup Series races at Kansas Speedway, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 13 victories and 13 poles.  ·       Only four drivers in NASCAR Cup Series history have captured consecutive wins at Kansas Speedway, one of which being career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon. The NASCAR Hall of Famer drove the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to the win in the series’ first two races at the track (2001, 2002). ·       Chevrolet won the inaugural race at Kansas Speedway in both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, courtesy of Jeff Gordon (NCS – September 2001) and Ricky Hendrick (NCTS – July 2001). ·       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. ·       Three of the six repeat winners in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season come from Team Chevy:William Byron: series-leading five wins (Las Vegas, Phoenix, Darlington, Atlanta 2 & Watkins Glen)Kyle Busch: three wins (Auto Club, Talladega, WWTR)Kyle Larson: three wins (Richmond, Martinsville & Darlington 2) ·       In 27 points-paying NASCAR Cup Series race this season, Chevrolet continues to lead the series in wins (14), top-fives (59), top-10s (114), stage wins (19) and laps led (2,572). Chevrolet’s 2023 win count is now more than double its manufacturer competitors combined. ·       Chevrolet leads the series in wins across all three NASCAR national series this season with 14 victories in 27 NASCAR Cup Series races, 13 victories in 25 NASCAR Xfinity Series races and 11 wins in 18 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 19 of the 54 NASCAR Cup Series stage wins this season: William Byron (eight; series-leading), Ross Chastain (five), Kyle Larson (three), Kyle Busch (two) and Chase Elliott (one). ·       Chevrolet continues to sit atop the manufacturer points standings in all three NASCAR national series, leading by 72 points in the NASCAR Cup Series, 77 points in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 54 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.

TUNE IN:NASCAR Cup Series: Hollywood Casino 400 Sunday, September 10, at 3 p.m. ET(USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90) NASCAR Xfinity Series: Kansas Lottery 300Saturday, September 9, at 3 p.m. ET(NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Kansas Lottery 200Friday, September 8, at 9 p.m. ET(FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90)

QUOTABLE QUOTES:ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 KUBOTA CAMARO ZL1What is your outlook on Kansas with it being the second race of the playoffs?“Second race of the playoffs – it’s come up quick. Kansas is a mile-and-a-half which is totally different from last weekend’s race. This first round of the playoffs has a mix of tracks. Obviously, we want to win and score a lot of points to help us advance to the next round. Everyone has that goal though. All we can do is keep focused on our car and our team and the results will fall where they may.” Do you feel more confident coming back to the playoffs this year?“I’ve got 140 employees at Trackhouse that are going to battle for Daniel (Suarez) and I. Whether or not we have a playoff banner on the window or not, it doesn’t change the caliber or rocket ship they are about to put on the track for Daniel and I. We just go about our stuff, and we don’t hide from anything. I don’t have a higher or lower confidence level. I know that I learned a lot last year.” AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS CAMARO ZL1What are your thoughts on Kansas Speedway?“Kansas Speedway is a fun track to race at. Running the top line is fun and restarts are always exciting and crucial to picking up positions early. I’ve run well at Kansas Speedway in the past and picked up a 10th-place finish earlier this year in the spring.” KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1Larson on racing at Kansas Speedway:“I would say leading into the playoffs I had really no confidence in myself. I think having a good run at Darlington helps but it’s only one weekend. I’m not going to get too far ahead of myself. I want to focus on putting some solid weeks together. I know we are capable of it- we’ve done it before. I just want to remind myself that I can do it consistently and I know that we (the No. 5 team) can do it consistently. There are some good tracks for us coming up and hopefully we can get that confidence up and build some momentum. We got off to a good start. I hope we can keep it rolling here at Kansas (Speedway).” CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1Daniels on racing at Kansas Speedway:“It was such a special moment to get the win (at Darlington). I think all of us would want to spend a little more time enjoying it. As grateful as we are to have had the day that we did (last) Sunday- that’s the nature of the playoffs and we are really eyes forward making sure we take advantage of the next nine weeks. Our work is not done. We still have a few points in Kansas and (at) Bristol (Motor Speedway) that we need to go get. We need to put our best foot forward and we’ve got to keep doing that for the next nine weeks. The job is far from complete.” KYLE BUSCH, NO. 8 CASEY’S GENERAL STORES CAMARO ZL1What makes Kansas so different than the other mile-and-a-half racetracks? “The Kansas Speedway mile-and-a half is similar to Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the old Chicagoland Speedway but they all definitely have their differences. To me, Kansas Speedway is unique because it has the progressive banking now but it’s also still in the D shape. It has similarities to Homestead-Miami Speedway, but it’s definitely come on as the last few years have gone by where you venture up towards the wall and the wall pretty much becomes the primary lane that you choose to run in. You can make a little bit of time in the lower lane, but it’s only for a lap or two that you can do that and then you better figure out a way back up in the line.” Is Kansas Speedway a temperature sensitive track?“Kansas Speedway is not necessarily a temperature sensitive racetrack. It’s more of a rubber sensitive racetrack. I remember going there a few years ago with Trucks and the ARCA cars ran before us and it was super, super slick wherever the ARCA cars ran. And then when we ventured outside of that rubber it seemed to have normal grip again. That can definitely be tricky.” AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 NUTRIEN AG SOLUATIONS CAMARO ZL1“I’m looking forward to getting back to Kansas this weekend. We had a solid run there in the spring so hopefully we can unload like we did earlier this year, continue to gain momentum and build on our program.” CARSON HOCEVAR, NO. 42 SUNSEEKER RESORTS CAMARO ZL1With a good run under your belt in the cup car and plenty of experience at Kansas, how prepared do you think you are for this weekend?“Myself and the No. 42 team had a great 500 mile debut of working together; they got me up-to-speed and felt like we have been doing it longer than we have. So I’m very happy on what we could accomplish in a short amount of time, and excited to have some momentum and a little more confidence heading to Kansas. Luke and everyone was happy with their package in the spring, so I’m excited to plug myself in and see what we can this weekend!” ERIK JONES, NO. 43 ALLEGIANT CAMARO ZL1“Kansas has been an up-and-down track for me, but I like racing there. It is so wide, so it gives you the opportunity to move around a lot and run so many different grooves, so it is always fun to go there as a driver and search around to try and see what is going to be best while having some fun and moving up and down. I feel like we can go run well there; our mile-and-a-half stuff has been good all year, so hoping to have a good race.” RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 DILLONS / NOS ENERGY DRINK CAMARO ZL1“We’ve got to qualify well. Qualifying well means everything at these mile-and-a-half racetracks especially Kansas (Speedway). Kansas is wide and you can race all over, but the dominant lane is the top lane. So, if you can set yourself up in qualifying, be in the top 10, as long as your car is decent you almost guarantee yourself some stage points in that first stage. Then you try to keep that track position throughout the rest of the race. There is not a ton of strategy as far as tires go and your just better off qualifying well. I’ve ran good at Kansas before, and Bristol is my favorite track by far. I feel good about the next two races in the Playoffs and looking forward to getting on track with our Dillons/NOS Camaro.” CHASE PURDY, NO. 4 BAMA BUGGIES SILVERADO RSTWill going back to Kansas for a second race be beneficial to you?“I think it’s exciting for all of us on the No. 4 team and everyone at KBM because we had a lot of speed there the first time. We were set for a really solid day — probably one of our more solid days. I thought we had a chance to win that race and then we just had some misfortune happen and bad luck. I’m really excited to get back there and have high expectations. We have nothing to lose and were only chasing wins so we’re going to do whatever we can to do that.” Coming off a solid outing at Milwaukee, does that reinvigorate confidence in you?“It does. It’s not only good for me but all the guys on this No. 4 team. All of us do our part to do the best we can and when we have a result like that, it resembles the hard work we put in. When we have a good day at the racetrack it puts momentum back on our side and we’re all really excited to go to Kansas.” Do you enjoy racing at Kansas?“I do. I think it’s fun from a driver’s point of view and from a spectator perspective because of the different lanes you can run. Most places you go to only have a lane or two to work with, but Kansas is like five lanes wide so there’s just a whole bunch to work around. You can really go anywhere and race with anybody, so it makes the racing exciting, and you don’t feel as handicapped.” CHRISTIAN ECKES, NO. 19 PEAK / NAPA NIGHTVISION SILVERADO RSTEckes on returning to Kansas with a guaranteed spot in the Round of 8:“Having two good weeks under our belt and locking into the second round takes the pressure off for sure. We can kind of race care free this weekend and just race to win with our PEAK / NAPA NIGHTVISION Chevrolet. It’s been a while since we were able to score any playoff points, so we’d like to win a stage and winning the race is always our goal. We had a fast truck at Kansas in the spring and didn’t get the finish we wanted. Hopefully we’ll have a couple things fine-tuned and we can execute the entire night on Friday.” GRANT ENFINGER, NO. 23 CHAMPION POWER EQUIPMENT SILVERADO RSTHow big of a relief was it to lock yourself into the Round of 8 following the win at Milwaukee last race?“Being able to lock into the next round allows our team to be more aggressive for Kansas. We had a great Chevy there earlier this year, and we are able to bring back that same truck. I’m proud of our GMS Racing / Champion Power Equipment team, and feel confident that we can go to Kansas and grab another win.” RAJAH CARUTH, NO. 24 WENDELL SCOTT FOUNDATION SILVERADO RSTIn May, you were able to run up front and contend for the race win. What were you able to learn in that race that you can use to your advantage in our second time at Kansas?“I’ve had Kansas circled all year. I learned so many valuable lessons in the spring race, but none more important than not letting emotions cloud my decision-making. I took myself out of a potential race-winning run by racing too hard early on, and I’ve thought about that race every day since then. Not only have I developed largely over the summer, but my team has as well; so redemption in Kansas City has a nice ring to it.” JAKE GARCIA, NO. 35 QUANTA SERVICES SILVERADO RSTGarcia on returning to Kansas for the second time:“We had a great truck at Kansas earlier this spring, so our whole team is looking forward to going back. We’ve been pretty consistent lately and have had quite a bit of speed. Hopefully we can continue that this week with our Quanta Services Chevrolet. I’ve felt comfortable the second time around at some these tracks, so we have a great opportunity to build on our run from the spring race and run inside the top-five on Friday night.” DANIEL DYE, NO. 43 RACE TO STOP SUICIDE SILVERADO RSTAs the season winds down with only five races left, what are some of the goals that you actively want to accomplish before it’s all said and done?“I think it would be great to get a top-10 finish before we round out the year with our No. 43 team. We’ve been close so many times this season, but have had trouble finishing off the races. That’s something that we all really want to do, especially as I finish out my rookie year and begin to prepare for another season in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series next year. I’ve learned a lot, but would really like to get a top-10 before the year is over. We should have a good shot this weekend in Kansas, because our truck had plenty of speed here in the spring. I had a lot of fun in that race, and feel like I can take some of that into this weekend.” JACK WOOD, NO. 51 HIVE FIVES FOUNDATION SILVERADO RSTYou’ve shown speed on the mile-and-a-halves this year. Are you excited to go to Kansas?“Yeah, I think it’s kind of the last normal mile-and-a-half track on the schedule this season for us, so obviously the KBM mile-and-a-half stuff has historically been really fast as an organization. At the first Kansas race I think they were a little bit off, so everyone on the No. 51 team and really KBM as a whole has put in a lot of work to get the stuff right going back to Kansas. I feel like out of all the races this year, I’ve put in the most time preparing for this one and trying to get in contact with as many guys as I could to be prepared to go out and have a good showing.” What did you learn observing the first Kansas race from behind the scenes at the track while Kyle was driving?“I sat on the pit box for the whole race to see firsthand how Brian (Pattie, crew chief) and Darren (Fraley, engineer) call the race. From that side of it, it was good for me to get that perspective on what they are doing throughout a race. I think one of the biggest things I’ve had to kind of work on this year is just giving better feedback and trying to be quick with what I can give them since practice is so short and I’m trying to learn as much as I can as quickly as I can. I got to sit and watch Kyle kind of do his thing and watched the different lines that he was using. Really the biggest thing for me is that I can go back and watch the 51 truck from the spring race and look at SMT data with Kyle driving it. I think I’ve been able to learn a lot of what he’s doing, his controls in the truck and I think a lot of that stuff, as far as my preparation, is going to help quite a bit.”

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: 2,572Top-five finishes: 59Top-10 finishes: 114Stage wins: 19·       Ross Chastain – 5 (Daytona), (Auto Club x2), (Dover), (Darlington)·       William Byron – 8 (Las Vegas x2), (Phoenix), (COTA), (Richmond), (Dover), (Charlotte), (Watkins Glen)·       Kyle Larson – 3 (Phoenix), (Bristol Dirt), (Pocono)·       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, 116Top-five finishes to date: 4,280Top-10 finishes to date: 8,826                                                                                                          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: 177

The previously scheduled events at 34 Raceway and I-75 Raceway have been cancelled

CONCORD, NC – September 6, 2023 – As the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series prepares for the Outlaw Invasion at Atomic Speedway at the end of September, changes have been made to its October schedule. 

The Series will make its long-awaited return to Brownstown Speedway in Brownstown, IN on Friday, Oct. 6, for a 40-lap, $10,000-to-win race. 

This comes after Series officials decided to cancel the West Burlington Showdown at 34 Raceway originally scheduled for that date. If you bought tickets in advance of the event, contact 34 Raceway for more information.

The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models will also make its debut at Rome Speedway in Rome, GA on Sunday Oct. 15, replacing the originally scheduled Oct. 13 event at I-75 Raceway – which was sold. The I-75 event will not be made up.

It’ll be the second time the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models will race at Brownstown, with defending Series champion Dennis Erb Jr. winning the only appearance in 2007. The Carpentersville, IL driver also has two DIRTcar Summer Nationals wins at the facility in 2013, and 2015.

Current Series points leader Bobby Pierce has also won at the 1/4-mile track, earning a DIRTcar Summer Nationals victory in 2021.

The Series will race for the first time ever at Rome, as the 1/2-mile track will be the second stop in Georgia, after the Billy Clanton Classic at Senoia Raceway the night before.                                                     

Here is the remaining World of Outlaws CASE Late Models schedule, leading up to the championship crowning World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Nov. 1-4.

DATE                                        TRACK

Sept. 29-30                             Atomic Speedway
Oct. 6                                      Brownstown Speedway
Oct. 7                                      Fairbury Speedway

Oct. 14                                    Senoia Raceway
Oct. 15                                    Rome Speedway
Nov. 1-4                                   The Dirt Track at Charlotte

For the latest on the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models, make sure to follow on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and at www.WorldofOutlaws.com.

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

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 8, 2023) – Don’t miss the televised premiere of Rounds 17 and 18 of the 2023 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. The Mission Springfield Mile I & II presented by Drag Specialties will air back-to-back on Sunday, September 10, starting at 10:00 a.m. ET (7:00 a.m. PT) only on FS1.

ROSSBURG, OH (Sept. 7, 2023) – Two of Dirt Late Model racing’s brightest young stars triumphed over a field of over 100 DIRTcar Late Model competitors Thursday night at Eldora Speedway.

Hudson O’Neal and Bobby Pierce were the stars of the show in the opening act of the 53rd World 100, taking the checkers by large margins in their respective Twin 25 main events. Both drivers have had success on the big stage at Eldora before – Pierce the 2016 World 100 winner and O’Neal a now three-time prelim Feature winner – and both added to that Thursday with matching $12,000 winner’s checks for their efforts.

Group A Prelim Feature – Hudson O’Neal

Going from the pole, O’Neal was rolling after a top-10 effort in Qualifying and a runner-up finish in his Heat Race. Though on the initial start, outside polesitter Jason Jameson got the better jump and raced into the lead on the opening lap.

A quick caution with two laps complete restacked the field with Jameson opting for the bottom lane for the restart, leaving O’Neal on the top. Jameson once again pulled ahead through Turns 1-2, but O’Neal came right back at him with a slide job in Turn 3.

Pulling ahead with the lead out of Turn 4, O’Neal turned on the afterburners and took off, stretching his lead out to over three seconds at its largest. The 23-year-old Indianan was not challenged the rest of the way as he cruised to his third career World 100 prelim Feature win.

Though he was handily ahead of his opponents, O’Neal’s competitive nature kept him pushing hard through the thick lapped traffic he encountered.

“I was nervous about the lapped traffic and giving them guys a shot to get to me,” O’Neal said. “I just tried to do everything I could to clear them as quick as possible. Any time I felt I got a run on them, I just went ahead and did it.”

Despite team owner Mark Richards’ multi-decade career in motorsports, he’s yet to triumph in Dirt Late Model racing’s biggest event. O’Neal said he’s enjoyed his first full-time season at the controls of the Rocket Chassis house car, and expressed his ambition to get the team their first World 100 victory this weekend.

“To get him a World – he doesn’t even have a globe – for sure, it’d be memorable,” O’Neal said. “It’d probably be the highlight of my career, highlight of his. I don’t know how to explain it; it’d be more than words.”

Feature – Group A (25 Laps): 1. 1-Hudson O’Neal[1]; 2. 12-Jason Jameson[2]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[5]; 4. 157-Mike Marlar[7]; 5. 18-Shannon Babb[3]; 6. 99-Devin Moran[10]; 7. 8S-Brian Shirley[6]; 8. 1W-Daulton Wilson[12]; 9. 58-Garrett Alberson[20]; 10. 40B-Kyle Bronson[15]; 11. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[11]; 12. 22S-Gregg Satterlee[17]; 13. 17M-Dale McDowell[18]; 14. 19R-Ryan Gustin[13]; 15. 20-Jimmy Owens[9]; 16. 111-Steven Roberts[14]; 17. 19M-Wil Herrington[19]; 18. 2S-Stormy Scott[21]; 19. 42-Matt Sheppard[22]; 20. 7-Ricky Weiss[24]; 21. 71C-RJ Conley[23]; 22. 214-Haiden Cowan[4]; 23. 22-Chris Ferguson[8]; 24. 22X-GR Smith[16]

Group B Prelim Feature – Bobby Pierce

Though he had a bit further to climb to get the lead, Pierce was unfazed in his charge to the front. A spot on the outside of Row 3 started him off, and after the first restart on Lap 2, he was behind only Tim McCreadie and leader Brandon Sheppard.

After winning the slide-job/crossover battle with McCreadie for second on Lap 3, Pierce reeled-in Sheppard within three laps and threw a big slide job of his own on Sheppard to take the lead in Turns 1-2. Sheppard took a look at a slide job to throw back at him in Turn 3, but Pierce was too fast on the top, and drove away with the lead on Lap 6.

“When [McCreadie] slid me back and I crossed him over so easily, I was like, ‘Man the car is really good,’” Pierce said. “’I thought the car was good, so I’m going to try and pass Brandon.’ I passed him and went on. It was like a slot car out there; it was fun to drive.”

From there, it was smooth sailing for the five-time DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion. The Oakwood, IL-native encountered plenty of lapped traffic but was not rattled once, stretching his gap up to almost five seconds in the closing laps as he cruised to victory.

“The car’s been great, it really fits me, and we’re all working super hard pulling lots of hours,” Pierce said. “Everyone’s really motivated to keep getting these wins. We’re not settling is the thing.”

Pierce is the winningest driver in Dirt Super Late Models thus far in 2023, now with 28 Feature wins in nearly 80 Feature starts – an honor he takes pride in as he chases his first win in the event since winning the 2016 edition at 18 years of age.

“I think we’ve got a target on our back for probably being one of the guys to beat,” Pierce said. “It’s a good feeling; hopefully them guys are a little scared.”

Feature – Group B (25 Laps): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[6]; 2. B5-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 3. 39-Tim McCreadie[3]; 4. 49-Jonathan Davenport[14]; 5. 87-Chris Madden[5]; 6. 25F-Jason Feger[8]; 7. 11H-Spencer Hughes[10]; 8. 11R-Josh Rice[16]; 9. 25-Shane Clanton[11]; 10. 187-David McCoy[1]; 11. 88-Trent Ivey[9]; 12. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[13]; 13. 24D-Michael Brown[4]; 14. 1T-Tyler Erb[19]; 15. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[20]; 16. 10S-Garrett Smith[22]; 17. 4-Brandon Overton[7]; 18. 10-Joseph Joiner[24]; 19. 00F-Carson Ferguson[17]; 20. 23-Cory Hedgecock[23]; 21. 8-Kyle Strickler[21]; 22. 15K-Cody Overton[12]; 23. 1C-Kenny Collins[18]; 24. 114-Jordan Koehler[15]

UP NEXT

The 53rd World 100 continues Friday, Sept. 8, with another Twin 25 program for DIRTcar Late Models, using the same format to accumulate points according to the Every Lap Matterssystem.

Ticket info for Friday and Saturday’s events is available at EldoraSpeedway.com.

The Californian slips by Chase Johnson on Lap 22 for Silver Dollar Speedway winCHICO, CA (September 7, 2023) – California loves Kyle Larson. And Kyle Larson loves California.The Elk Grove, CA native’s talents were shaped by “The Golden State’s” bullrings. And Larson enjoys any opportunity to return to those racetracks. On Thursday night, the opportunity arose for Larson to return to Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, CA, and for the second year in a row, Larson gave his home state fans a show with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars.Fresh off a Southern 500 win with the NASCAR Cup Series last weekend, Larson flew to California for the opening prelim of the 69th Gold Cup Race of Champions. “Yung Money” lined up sixth for the 30-lap Feature, took the lead on the 22nd circuit, and drove away to the checkered flag for his 10th career win at the quarter-mile.Any win at the historic Silver Dollar Speedway is a special one for Larson. Last year he, Brad Sweet, and Colby Copeland formed SLC Promotions and took the reins of the facility. Their efforts have already restored a measure of Gold Cup’s former glory. And Larson stood proud in Victory Lane in front of an admiring crowd as the atmosphere continues to grow toward feeling like the Gold Cup of old thanks in large part to his passion for the sport.The only part that could make it any better for Larson? If he could stay to chase his third Gold Cup title, but NASCAR duties call.“Thanks to all the fans. I wish I could stay the rest of the weekend but got to get to Kansas tomorrow,” Larson said. “It’s just great to see Gold Cup growing again. It’s awesome. I hope to hear about everybody having fun at the glow party… You get a little FOMO. You wish you could be at two places at once. It’s tough, but I’m fortunate to be here for Wednesday and Thursday. I wasn’t supposed to run tonight, but things changed with my schedule and was able to stay for tonight.”While Larson began the main event back in sixth, it was Kalib Henry and Shane Golobic leading the field to green. But it was neither Henry or Golobic leading the opening lap. Fourth-starting Chase Johnson powered to third entering Turn 1 and went low while the front row starters opted for the high line. Johnson found enough grip to pull by Golobic going down the back straightaway and slide Henry for the lead in Turn 3.Johnson wasted no time pulling ahead after the massive move from fourth to first while Larson quickly began his charge by jumping from sixth to fourth on the opening lap and claiming third on the next circuit.At the front, Johnson drove away and even when first encountering traffic, he sliced through the slower cars to extend his lead. The Penngrove, CA native controlled the first half of the Feature.Right at the halfway point was when Larson roared to life behind the wheel of the #57. The two-time Gold Cup champion began to pressure Henry for second. Then on the 15th lap Larson ripped the top in Turns 1 and 2 to take over the runner-up spot. Once he claimed second, Johnson’s lead began to vanish. On the lap Larson passed Henry, he was 2.047 seconds behind. The next lap he slashed the gap nearly in half to 1.197 seconds. Three laps later it was down to three tenths as he began to show Johnson a nose here and there.On Lap 22 in traffic, the gap he needed opened as Larson ducked under Johnson exiting Turn 2 and cleared him heading into the next set of corners. Johnson tripped up on the cushion in Turn 4, and that was all Larson needed to drive away to the finish line with a four-second lead.While the win will cap Larson’s racing for the week at Gold Cup, he fully intends to keep an eye from afar as the California crown jewel continues to grow again.“I’ll for sure be tuned in on Saturday,” Larson said. “This is a race that I grew up coming to for so long. Won my first ever World of Outlaws race at this track in this event. This facility means a lot to me.”After Johnson’s mistake on the cushion, Shane Golobic was able to roll by to claim the second spot. The pilot of the Matt Wood Racing/NOS Energy Drink #17W finished runner-up to continue his impressive year at Silver Dollar. Golobic is at four wins and two seconds in six starts at the Chico oval. His performance throughout the night earned him enough points to claim one of two lock-in spots for Saturday’s Toyota Racing Dash. Golobic came away happy with his team’s continued speed but wishing he could try the start of the race over.“It just shows how fast this NOS Energy Drink #17W is,” Golobic said. “I didn’t do my job early in the race. You can’t go second to fourth and expect to do anything and let the #57 by early in the race. You’re going to be in trouble. I’ve got to clean that up. Really wish I could do that over to try again, but second is nothing to hang our heads about.”Completing the top three by way of a charge from 11th was Corey Day in the Jason Meyers Racing #14. The Clovis, CA teenager completed an all-California native podium sweep by continuing his recent impressive stretch. Day is up to four consecutive World of Outlaws top fives and three podiums in the last four races. With Larson unable to attend Saturday, Day moved into the other available spot in Saturday’s Dash.“We didn’t really have a good qualifying run there, and that hurt us in points,” Day said. “We needed to perform in that Feature, and that was about as good as I could do with no cautions. Glad we could be good at this place the first time here this year. We got rained out every single time we tried to come up here and race. Happy to run third our first night at this place for the biggest race of the year here.”Logan Schuchart and Brad Sweet rounded out the top five.Day’s efforts also earned him the KSE Racing Hard Charger.Carson Macedo grabbed another Simpson Performance Products QuickTime Award.CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat Race One went to Andy Forsberg. NOS Energy Drink Heats Two through Four were topped by Sean Becker, Giovanni Scelzi, and Cole Macedo.Dylan Bloomfield won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race was awarded to Chase Johnson. After leading the opening 21 laps, Johnson slipped back to seventh in the final rundown.UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars are right back at Chico, CA’s Silver Dollar Speedway on Friday, September 8 for the second prelim of the 69th Gold Cup Race of Champions ahead of Saturday’s $25,000-to-win, $2,000-to-start finale. For tickets, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the racing live on DIRTVision.RESULTS:NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 57-Kyle Larson[6]; 2. 17W-Shane Golobic[2]; 3. 14-Corey Day[11]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart[3]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet[5]; 6. 41-Carson Macedo[8]; 7. 24X-Chase Johnson[4]; 8. 83-James McFadden[7]; 9. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[9]; 10. 17M-Kalib Henry[1]; 11. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[12]; 12. 20G-Noah Gass[10]; 13. 21-Cole Macedo[16]; 14. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield[21]; 15. 6-Tim Kaeding[14]; 16. 92-Andy Forsberg[13]; 17. 7S-Robbie Price[17]; 18. 1-Chance Grasty[22]; 19. 2K-Gauge Garcia[19]; 20. 12J-John Clark[20]; 21. 55D-Dawson Hammes[23]; 22. 87-Ashlyn Rodriguez[24]; 23. 77-Ryan Lippincott[18]; 24. 7B-Sean Becker[15]

The Californian slips by Chase Johnson on Lap 22 for Silver Dollar Speedway winCHICO, CA (September 7, 2023) – California loves Kyle Larson. And Kyle Larson loves California.The Elk Grove, CA native’s talents were shaped by “The Golden State’s” bullrings. And Larson enjoys any opportunity to return to those racetracks. On Thursday night, the opportunity arose for Larson to return to Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, CA, and for the second year in a row, Larson gave his home state fans a show with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars.Fresh off a Southern 500 win with the NASCAR Cup Series last weekend, Larson flew to California for the opening prelim of the 69th Gold Cup Race of Champions. “Yung Money” lined up sixth for the 30-lap Feature, took the lead on the 22nd circuit, and drove away to the checkered flag for his 10th career win at the quarter-mile.Any win at the historic Silver Dollar Speedway is a special one for Larson. Last year he, Brad Sweet, and Colby Copeland formed SLC Promotions and took the reins of the facility. Their efforts have already restored a measure of Gold Cup’s former glory. And Larson stood proud in Victory Lane in front of an admiring crowd as the atmosphere continues to grow toward feeling like the Gold Cup of old thanks in large part to his passion for the sport.The only part that could make it any better for Larson? If he could stay to chase his third Gold Cup title, but NASCAR duties call.“Thanks to all the fans. I wish I could stay the rest of the weekend but got to get to Kansas tomorrow,” Larson said. “It’s just great to see Gold Cup growing again. It’s awesome. I hope to hear about everybody having fun at the glow party… You get a little FOMO. You wish you could be at two places at once. It’s tough, but I’m fortunate to be here for Wednesday and Thursday. I wasn’t supposed to run tonight, but things changed with my schedule and was able to stay for tonight.”While Larson began the main event back in sixth, it was Kalib Henry and Shane Golobic leading the field to green. But it was neither Henry or Golobic leading the opening lap. Fourth-starting Chase Johnson powered to third entering Turn 1 and went low while the front row starters opted for the high line. Johnson found enough grip to pull by Golobic going down the back straightaway and slide Henry for the lead in Turn 3.Johnson wasted no time pulling ahead after the massive move from fourth to first while Larson quickly began his charge by jumping from sixth to fourth on the opening lap and claiming third on the next circuit.At the front, Johnson drove away and even when first encountering traffic, he sliced through the slower cars to extend his lead. The Penngrove, CA native controlled the first half of the Feature.Right at the halfway point was when Larson roared to life behind the wheel of the #57. The two-time Gold Cup champion began to pressure Henry for second. Then on the 15th lap Larson ripped the top in Turns 1 and 2 to take over the runner-up spot. Once he claimed second, Johnson’s lead began to vanish. On the lap Larson passed Henry, he was 2.047 seconds behind. The next lap he slashed the gap nearly in half to 1.197 seconds. Three laps later it was down to three tenths as he began to show Johnson a nose here and there.On Lap 22 in traffic, the gap he needed opened as Larson ducked under Johnson exiting Turn 2 and cleared him heading into the next set of corners. Johnson tripped up on the cushion in Turn 4, and that was all Larson needed to drive away to the finish line with a four-second lead.While the win will cap Larson’s racing for the week at Gold Cup, he fully intends to keep an eye from afar as the California crown jewel continues to grow again.“I’ll for sure be tuned in on Saturday,” Larson said. “This is a race that I grew up coming to for so long. Won my first ever World of Outlaws race at this track in this event. This facility means a lot to me.”After Johnson’s mistake on the cushion, Shane Golobic was able to roll by to claim the second spot. The pilot of the Matt Wood Racing/NOS Energy Drink #17W finished runner-up to continue his impressive year at Silver Dollar. Golobic is at four wins and two seconds in six starts at the Chico oval. His performance throughout the night earned him enough points to claim one of two lock-in spots for Saturday’s Toyota Racing Dash. Golobic came away happy with his team’s continued speed but wishing he could try the start of the race over.“It just shows how fast this NOS Energy Drink #17W is,” Golobic said. “I didn’t do my job early in the race. You can’t go second to fourth and expect to do anything and let the #57 by early in the race. You’re going to be in trouble. I’ve got to clean that up. Really wish I could do that over to try again, but second is nothing to hang our heads about.”Completing the top three by way of a charge from 11th was Corey Day in the Jason Meyers Racing #14. The Clovis, CA teenager completed an all-California native podium sweep by continuing his recent impressive stretch. Day is up to four consecutive World of Outlaws top fives and three podiums in the last four races. With Larson unable to attend Saturday, Day moved into the other available spot in Saturday’s Dash.“We didn’t really have a good qualifying run there, and that hurt us in points,” Day said. “We needed to perform in that Feature, and that was about as good as I could do with no cautions. Glad we could be good at this place the first time here this year. We got rained out every single time we tried to come up here and race. Happy to run third our first night at this place for the biggest race of the year here.”Logan Schuchart and Brad Sweet rounded out the top five.Day’s efforts also earned him the KSE Racing Hard Charger.Carson Macedo grabbed another Simpson Performance Products QuickTime Award.CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat Race One went to Andy Forsberg. NOS Energy Drink Heats Two through Four were topped by Sean Becker, Giovanni Scelzi, and Cole Macedo.Dylan Bloomfield won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race was awarded to Chase Johnson. After leading the opening 21 laps, Johnson slipped back to seventh in the final rundown.UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars are right back at Chico, CA’s Silver Dollar Speedway on Friday, September 8 for the second prelim of the 69th Gold Cup Race of Champions ahead of Saturday’s $25,000-to-win, $2,000-to-start finale. For tickets, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the racing live on DIRTVision.RESULTS:NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps): 1. 57-Kyle Larson[6]; 2. 17W-Shane Golobic[2]; 3. 14-Corey Day[11]; 4. 1S-Logan Schuchart[3]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet[5]; 6. 41-Carson Macedo[8]; 7. 24X-Chase Johnson[4]; 8. 83-James McFadden[7]; 9. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[9]; 10. 17M-Kalib Henry[1]; 11. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[12]; 12. 20G-Noah Gass[10]; 13. 21-Cole Macedo[16]; 14. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield[21]; 15. 6-Tim Kaeding[14]; 16. 92-Andy Forsberg[13]; 17. 7S-Robbie Price[17]; 18. 1-Chance Grasty[22]; 19. 2K-Gauge Garcia[19]; 20. 12J-John Clark[20]; 21. 55D-Dawson Hammes[23]; 22. 87-Ashlyn Rodriguez[24]; 23. 77-Ryan Lippincott[18]; 24. 7B-Sean Becker[15]