OCALA, FL (July 19, 2023) — It has been too long in Josh Hart’s opinion since his team parked the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster in the winner’s circle. The third-year pro from Ocala, Florida, started the season winning the biggest payday of the year taking home the Pep Boys Top Fuel Allstar Callout, top prize at the Gatornationals across the country from Pacific Raceway. Since that weekend Hart has raced to a runner-up finish at the Gerber Collision & Glass Rt. 66 Nationals in Chicago. This weekend Hart and his team are looking to connect the figurative dots, winning at the furthest point from his home base.

Josh Hart and R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery

“This Western Swing is a monster and getting our team to the Northwest Nationals is no easy task,” said Hart, who has two Top Fuel national event wins to his credit. “I have a great team led by crew chief Ron Douglas and assistant crew chief Dave Gaterell. Those two guys have a plan for the Western Swing and we made some strides in Denver and I think we will make another move in Seattle. This three-race stretch is a great proving ground for the Countdown.”

Last year in his first Northwest Nationals Hart powered the R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster to the No. 8 spot on the qualifying sheet and then raced to the quarterfinals. He beat the most recent winner Clay Millican in the first round and then dropped a close race to eventual 2022 world champion Brittany Force in the second round. Last weekend Hart bowed out in the quarterfinals at the Mile High Nationals starting from the No. 10 spot. He upset Leah Pruett in the first round with a stellar reaction time sealing the win and then he lost a coin-flip race to Doug Kalitta in the second round.

“There are no easy rounds anymore,” said Hart. “You have to be at the very top of your game when you pull up to the starting line. I have been working on my reaction times and my starting line procedure. Every little thing you do in the car affects the elapsed time. If you don’t pull up to the water box with a winning attitude you might as well hand the win to your opponent. Every single team that will be racing in Seattle has a legitimate shot at winning the race.”

This season has seen some of the closest Top Fuel racing action and toughest competition in recent memory. Since Hart made the jump from a successful Top Alcohol Dragster career to Top Fuel the level of performance from the teams and drivers has made a dramatic leap forward. Young drivers have stepped up their game and returning champions have continued to put pressure on everyone. The influx of quality part-time competitors has also made earning round wins a tough business for all the teams. Hart has completely rebuilt his operation since his rookie season of part-time competition thanks to his partnership with Chris Armstrong.

“Adding Chris to the mix has given us some buying power we didn’t have during my rookies season,” said Hart. “We are still an independent team, but we have the financial foundation thanks to our R+L Carriers and TechNet sponsorships and Chris’ support to compete at the highest level. We are keeping an eye on our budget but when we need to get parts or add pieces, we can do that. These race cars chew up money almost as fast as they go through nitromethane fuel.”

Hart will open the race weekend as one of the featured stars at the Northwest Nationals FanFest on Thursday night, July 20, at Dave & Busters in Auburn, Washington. The track is hosting a free fan event with Hart and a handful of NHRA competitors meeting fans and signing autographs at the free event from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.

“I love participating in the FanFests before a race,” said Hart. “Our fans are very passionate and as a young team I think they like to see new faces. We host a huge car show and driver autograph session at Burnyzz Speed Shop, my main business, before the Gatornationals and it is a blast. I am looking forward to meeting the fans, taking some pictures, and signing autographs. On Friday we will get down to business.”

The Northwest Nationals will get underway with one qualifying session on Friday, July 21, followed by two sessions on Saturday, July 22. Final eliminations will begin at 10:30 a.m. PT with the race being broadcast nationally on FOX.
 

BRITTANY FORCE LOOKING TO TAKE FLAV-R-PAC TOWINNERS CIRCLE AT NORTHWEST NATIONALS

KENT, Wash. (July 19, 2023) – Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster team are looking for their first victory of the 2023 season at this weekend’s Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals. Still fourth in points, victory at Pacific Raceways would solidify their championship defense as well as be the icing on the cake for their sponsor’s title event. In 2022 Force started race at the Northwest Nationals from the No. 1 qualifying position and set a track speed record of 332.43 mph on the way to a runner-up finish. It was her best performance at Pacific Raceways where previously she had qualified No. 2 and had three quarterfinal finishes. The two-time and reigning NHRA Top Fuel champion is trying to become the seventh different John Force Racing driver to hoist the winner’s trophy at Pacific Raceways.  “Seattle is next on the list for the Western Swing and this Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team is excited to get there with Flav-R-Pac being the title sponsor of the event. Our boss Frank Tiegs is going to be there along with a bunch of Flav-R-Pac employees and family are going to be there so we’re looking forward to it,” Force said. “I’m getting to go in a little early on Thursday and do some media around Seattle and really get to talk up this race to hopefully get as many fans out to the track as possible. I’m also really looking forward to getting to meet some of the Seattle Storm WNBA players. I’ll be going to their game on Thursday, and they’ll be out at the track on Friday. “Most importantly this weekend, we need to turn out luck around,” Force continued. “We struggled a little bit in Denver on race day. We went out early in the first round. So we’ll be looking for some good qualifying runs and going rounds on race day.” Thanks to four semifinal appearances and four No. 1 qualifiers, including at the most recent event, the final running of the Mile-High Nationals in Denver, Force is only 21 points outside of the top three and 126 points away from the top spot with four regular season races left until the NHRA Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six-race playoffs. The Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways begins with qualifying Friday at 4:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2:15 and 4:45 p.m. Eliminations are slated to begin Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Television coverage of the event begins with qualifying shows Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Eliminations will be aired Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET on FOX Broadcasting Network.

July 19, 2023

As Harrison Burton and the No. 21 DEX Imaging team head to Pocono Raceway for Sunday’s HighPoint.com400, they are hoping history repeats itself.

The Wood Brothers have three Cup wins on the 2.5-mile Tricky Triangle, including their most recent victory, with Ryan Blaney at the wheel of their iconic Ford in 2017. And crew chief Brian Wilson has two Cup wins as an engineer – with Kurt Busch in 2007 and Brad Keselowski in 2011- and another as a crew chief in the Xfinity Series with driver Austin Cindric in 2021. (All of Wilson’s Pocono victories came with cars and drivers from Team Penske, which shares an alliance with the Wood Brothers.)

Burton also has previous success at Pocono having won an ARCA race there in 2018.

Wilson said he’s optimistic headed into this weekend after Burton and the No. 21 team showed some decent speed in Monday’s rain-delayed race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“Last weekend in Loudon was a step forward for our short-track program,” Wilson said. “The previous races with the low-downforce aero package have been a challenge for us. Our Ford post-race reports showed several stints with average lap times in the top 20 and 15.   “We also set a season high on quality passes for this track type.”
 
Wilson is further heartened by the DEX Imaging team’s performance at Pocono in 2022.
 
“We look back on last year’s performance when we were able to lead a few laps during the race,” he said. “We’ll continue to build on recent Intermediate-style races where we’ve been able to connect the corner better for Harrison and produce competitive performances. 

 “I’m confident the DEX Ford will have a great weekend.”

Wilson added that the tire combination will be another factor in the team’s preparation for and strategy during the race.
 
“Goodyear will bring the same right-side tire as last season’s race, but have a new and more durable left side,” he said. “This combination will also reduce the stagger measurement for the race. Rebalancing this will be a focus, but one we’ve dealt with often this season.”
  
Wilson said that in addition to the decisions teams must make related to tires, the races at Pocono always bring unique strategy options. 
 
“I expect that this year’s tire and aero will allow for the same,” he said. “I’ve always been excited to see how the race unfolds at Pocono.” 
 
Practice for the HighPoint.com 400 is set for Saturday at 2:35 p.m. Eastern Time and will be followed immediately by qualifying.
 
Sunday’s 160-lap race is scheduled to get the green flag just after 2:30 p.m. with TV coverage on USA Network.
 
Stage breaks are planned for Laps 30 and 95.  
 

MORRISON, Colo. (July 12, 2023) – Defending event champions, Robert Hight and the Cornwell Tools / AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS team, enter this weekend’s Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals with sights set on the final Wally at famed Bandimere Speedway. Hight has a long-standing history with Bandimere Speedway, the Mile-High Nationals was one of the two races he won en route to Rookie-of-the-Year recognition in 2005. He also won the race in 2010, 2014, 2017 and 2022 and started from the No. 1 qualifying position in 2005, 2007 and 2019. When the three-time world champion takes the tree in the first round of race day on Sunday, it will mark his 400th career start. He also hit his 300th career start at Bandimere Speedway in 2017. “I’ve always loved the challenge of racing the Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway. I’m going to be sad to see it go but I’m looking forward to defending the win from last year and getting that last Wally at Bandimere. I know the Bandimere Family isn’t done with drag racing and they’ll find a new spot to build on their legacy,” Hight said. “Doing well this weekend will set the tone for this Cornwell Tools team through the whole Western Swing. We want that win, it’s the only way to set us up for a potential sweep. This weekend can get us set up for a strong finish through the end of the regular season. The Countdown to the Championship is coming up quick and now is the time to start gaining momentum. ” Hight is five-for-five when taking his Cornwell Tools Camaro to the final round at Bandimere Speedway and has won more rounds (37 with only 12 losses) at the Mile-Highs than in any other race in the series. With two wins and two No. 1 starts already this year, High has extended to 18 the number of consecutive seasons (in which he has contested the championship) in which he has won at least one race and qualified at the front at least once.

“The Granddaddy of ‘Em All” set to boast $1 million-plus purse and pay a historic $185,000 to winKNOXVILLE, IA (July 12, 2023) – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series’ biggest crown jewel of the season is set for a historic year and massive payouts throughout the field.The 62nd NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s, Aug. 9-12, will boast a record high $1,158,655 four-day purse with Saturday’s main event paying $185,000 to win and paying $15,000 to start. The first driver to not qualify through the B-Main will even earn $10,000.Known as “The Granddaddy of ‘Em All,” the event has already garnered national attention this year, placing third on USA Today’s 10Best Reader’s Choice list for Best Motorsports Race – behind only the Indianapolis 500 and Formula 1’s U.S. Grand Prix. The Nationals also ranked higher than the likes of NASCAR’s Daytona 500, INDYCAR’s Grand Prix of Long Beach, the Rolex 24 at Daytona and more.Ten-time World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz won his 11th Knoxville Nationals title last year – now one away from tying Steve Kinser’s all-time record of 12 Nationals victories. Back behind the wheel of the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15, he’ll be poised to chance history against more than 100 of the best Sprint Car drivers from around the world – including current leading World of Outlaws championship contenders Brad Sweet (2018 Nationals champion), David Gravel (2019 Nationals champion) and Carson Macedo.What you need to know: Track: 1/2-mile in Knoxville, IA Track Record: 14.351 seconds by Brian Brown on 5/22/21 More Event InfoDaily Times (CT): 8 a.m. Knoxville Raceway Ticket Office opens 10 a.m. Vendors Open in Fan Zone 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m. Fan Forums at National Sprint Car Hall of Fame 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. Autograph Sessions at National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Noon Food Vendors Open 2 p.m. Pit Gate Opens 5:00 p.m. Grandstands Open 7:15 p.m. Hot LapsTickets: Available HEREPrevious Knoxville Nationals winners: 2022 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 13 2021 – Kyle Larson on Aug. 14 2019 – David Gravel on Aug. 10 2018 – Brad Sweet on Aug. 11 2017 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 12 2016 – Jason Johnson on Aug. 13 2015 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 15 2014 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 9 2013 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 10 2012 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 11 2011 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 13 2010 – Tim Shaffer on Aug. 14* 2009 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 16* 2008 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 9* 2007 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 11* 2006 – Donny Schatz on Aug. 12* 2005 – Kraig Kinser on Aug. 14* 2004 – Danny Lasoski on Aug. 14 2003 – Danny Lasoski on Aug. 16 2002 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 10 2001 – Danny Lasoski on Aug. 11 2000 – Mark Kinser on Aug. 12 1999 – Mark Kinser on Aug. 14 1998 – Danny Lasoski on Aug. 15 1997 – Dave Blaney on Aug. 17 1996 – Mark Kinser on Aug. 17 1995 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 19 1994 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 20 1993 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 21 1992 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 15 1991 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 17 1990 – Bobby Allen on Aug. 18 1989 – Doug Wolfgang on Aug. 19 1988 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 13 1987 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 15 1986 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 16 1985 – Doug Wolfgang on Aug. 17 1984 – Doug Wolfgang on Aug. 11 1983 – Sammy Swindell on Aug. 13 1982 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 15 1981 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 15 1980 – Steve Kinser on Aug. 17 1979 – Ron Shuman on Aug. 11 1978 – Doug Wolfgang on Aug. 12 1977 – Doug Wolfgang on Aug. 13* 1976 – Eddie Leavitt on Aug. 14* 1975 – Eddie Leavitt on Aug. 9* 1974 – Dick Gaines on Aug. 10* 1973 – Kenny Weld on Aug. 11* 1972 – Kenny Weld on Aug. 12* 1971 – Jan Opperman on Aug. 14* 1970 – Joe Saldana on Aug. 15* 1969 – Ken Gritz on Aug. 16* 1968 – Ray Lee Goodwin on Aug. 10* 1967 – Thad Dosher on Aug. 12* 1966 – Jay Woodside Aug. 14* 1965 – Kenny Weld on Aug. 14* 1964 – Kenny Weld on Aug. 8* 1963 – Greg Weld on July 20* 1962 – Jerry Richert on July 21* 1961 – Roy Robbins on July 29* (* indicates non-World of Outlaws event)If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch the 62nd NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s with DIRTVision’s annual Platinum FAST PASS.

FAMILY ROAD TRIP ON TAP FOR SCRAPPERS RACING 

DURING NHRA WESTERN SWING 

Event: 

Mile-High Nationals

            Bandimere Speedway; Morrison, Colorado

Scrappers Racing Competitors:

            Mike Salinas, Top Fuel

            Jianna Evaristo, Pro Stock Motorcycle

MORRISON, Colorado (July 12, 2023) – The NHRA teams are focused on one of the most grueling stretches of races of their season, the western swing. Teams leave their race shops – most of which are in the Midwest — and head west for Colorado, Washington and California over a three-week stint.

But for the Salinas family, the western swing offers a unique opportunity to step away from the daily rigors of business operations and take to the open road together on their motorcycles. Top Fuel driver, Mike Salinas and one of his daughters, Pro Stock Motorcycle rider, Jianna Evaristo along with brother and uncle, Carl Salinas, departed their home in San Jose, California early Monday morning to make their way ultimately to the first stop of the western swing – Bandimere Speedway in Colorado.

“This ride was something that we really wanted to do as a way to not focus on the business for a few weeks, but instead focus on our time together,” said Mike Salinas. “All we have is time and we know our businesses are in good hands while we are enjoying time on the road. Monica (Salinas) will join us for the ride from Denver to Seattle and then from Seattle to Sonoma so that will be great as well. She had to stay back and handle some things this week but is looking forward to getting out here with us soon.”

The trio made their way to Las Vegas on day one, departing northern California at 4:00 AM in order to attempt to avoid riding in the hottest part of the day while the west coast endures sweltering conditions. After some rest and relaxation, it was off to Utah on day two where the temperatures exceeded the 100-degree mark for much of the ride making it mandatory for the group to stop several times to hydrate. But venturing through the Zion National Park and into Moab, Utah proved to be an unforgettable experience.

– more –

“We definitely battled the heat in Utah,” said Jianna Evaristo. “It was hotter than I’ve experienced on a ride before. We’ve historically tried to schedule one big family ride each year and this was a part of the country we hadn’t been able to visit before and with the three races back-to-back, this was a great opportunity to see some beautiful parts of the country together. Of course, with the heat and the crazy time schedules, I’m definitely living on caffeine and sugar so I’ll have to work on my detox after Sonoma!”

As the group made it into Colorado on Wednesday, the focus will shift to this weekend’s events at Bandimere Speedway, which will also mark the last time the series will compete in the historical Mile-High Nationals. Mike will continue his quest for his second Wally of the 2023 season while Jianna will compete in this weekend’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in Pro Stock Motorcycle after making it to the semi-final round in Norwalk, Ohio three weeks ago.

“Bandimere Speedway is a really challenging racetrack for the crew chiefs and the tuners,” said Salinas. “All of the competitive teams bring equipment special to Bandimere because you need it for the elevation and the tuning we do for the weekend. We have different blowers and headers just to name a few, but so much rests on just making the right calls and for me as a driver, do what you can to get down the track clean without blowing anything up.”

“It’s a shame that this is the last time we’ll race here as the Bandimere family has been wonderful to us all over the years, but we’re happy for them to enter the next chapter of their lives and we know they’ll still come see us all at races when they can,” continued Salinas. “All of us at Scrappers Racing would love to bring home a win at our last visit to this great facility.” 

Following this weekend’s events in Colorado, the Salinas family will be joined by Mom, Monica to continue their motorcycle journey and head north to Pacific Raceways outside of Seattle, Washington. As Jasmine Salinas continues to be focused on getting licensed for Top Fuel competition for the 2024 season, she is also competing this weekend in her Top Alcohol car at the regional event in Columbus, Ohio.

Jul 12, 2023 | Featured, Megan Meyer, Pre-Race Releases, Rachel Meyer

Halfway through the Nitro Chaos series 2023 season, the Randy Meyer Racing Team sits in second place with flagship driver, Megan Meyer in the GUNK-sponsored “Nitro Queen Bee” injected nitro dragster after winning the previous event in Eddyville, Iowa. Teammates Rachel Meyer and Matt Sackman, with only 1 race appearance each, currently sit 14th and 22nd out of 30 entries before their second race competition this weekend for the return to Nitro Chaos at historic Mo-Kan Dragway.

Mo-Kan, a home track for the Meyer sisters who grew up racing junior dragsters at the eighth-mile dragstrip, hosted their first Nitro Chaos event last year where the Randy Meyer Racing Team swept the event scored the top qualifying spots and the win and runner up. “This was our first time racing with our big, 4,000-horse power dragsters at a smaller track like this, and growing up I didn’t think that would be possible,” said Megan. “But Carl and the Mo-Kan team did a great job improving the safety and facility to have a great race for us. Winning the 2022 Nitro Chaos race planted a seed in my head to continue with the series as it grows. I hope we can score another win here this weekend and solidify my championship chase.”

This year, her little sister, Rachel, will have her first chance to compete at her home track in the powerful nitro-injected dragster, also sponsored by GUNK cleaners and engine degreaser, when she’s not removing and installing the clutch system in her dragster. “I’m really excited to be out at my home track in the big car; I’m hoping we have a good weekend with some solid A to B passes, and hopefully I can pick up a Nitro Chaos win over my sister,” Rachel claimed. This will be Matt Sackman’s first time racing at Mo-Kan Dragway as he will be behind the wheel of the OTG dragster previously driven by Julie Nataas. Matt will also be the clutch mechanic on his dragster when he’s not driving.

Before the chaos begins, the team will be visiting Pittsburg State University’s Bicknell Family Center for the Arts for a display with Megan’s dragster for fans to come see up-close and explore the “Full Throttle In Print” art gallery on Thursday, July 13th from 5-7pm CT. The art gallery will be open to the public through September.

CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES

HONDA INDY TORONTO

TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA

TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE

JULY 14-JULY 16, 2023

DETROIT (July 12, 2023) – The 10th round of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR Series season sees Team Chevy hit the streets for the fourth of five street circuit events, the Honda Indy Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, this weekend. Racing around the tight 11-turn, 1.786-mile/2.874-kilometer course at Exhibition Place, Chevrolet seeks to add to their seven wins, seven earned NTT P1 Pole Awards, and 599 laps led.

Sweeping the podium three times since 2012 in the V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era at Toronto, including in 2014 for both Race 1 and Race 2, as well as 2015’s race, the Bowtie brand boasts 19 podiums in total at Honda Indy Toronto.

Finishing on the podium in 2022’s event, Felix Rosenqvist, driver of the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, noted anticipation of this year’s event, saying, “It’s good to be back in my favorite city in the world. I love Toronto, and I love the track there. I’ve had some of my best career highlights there, including my first podium finish with the team last year, so I’m excited to return.”

With two victories and a pole award in Toronto, Josef Newgarden, driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet, said of the annual event and Canadian fans, “It’s definitely a crowd favorite. We love the city, [and] we love the fans. They’re normally very knowledgeable on the history of INDYCAR.” In discussing the course, Newgarden continued saying “It’s a tough street circuit, a challenge for all of us. For our team, it’ll be a great opportunity to hopefully have a good weekend, good points for the championship and try to roll into the summer with more strength.”

“We’re all excited to return to the Streets of Toronto,” said Rob Buckner, IndyCar Program Manager for Chevrolet at General Motors. “Canada has always been INDYCAR country, and the enthusiasm of the fans is infectious at Toronto. The lakefront location adds to the atmosphere.

“The stretch of different types of tracks the Chevrolet-powered teams compete on in June and July every season provides multiple opportunities to showcase the flexibility of the cars to maximize performance on different configurations as well as the talent of the drivers to perform well,” continued Buckner. “As at any street race, execution and strategy are key at Toronto. Qualifying and track position will play huge roles in the outcome of the race. We’re ready to go all-out and help our teams start up front and stay there come Sunday.”

The Honda Indy Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada kicks off with Practice 1 Friday, July 14 at 3 p.m. ET, with Practice 2 starting Saturday at 10:35 a.m. ET. Qualifications and the Firestone Fast Six also take place Saturday, starting at 2:50 p.m. ET. A final warm-up will start race day Sunday at 10:15 a.m. ET. All practice and qualifying will be live on Peacock, INDYCAR Radio, and SiriusXM Channel 160. The 85-lap, 151.81-mile race Sunday, July 16 will take the green flag at 1:30 p.m. ET live on Peacock.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (QUOTES):

Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Chevrolet at Team Penske:

“Excited to go to Toronto. It’s definitely a crowd favorite. We love the city, we love the fans. They’re normally very knowledgeable on the history of INDYCAR. It’s a tough street circuit, a challenge for all of us. For our team, it’ll be a great opportunity to hopefully have a good weekend, good points for the championship and try to roll into the summer with more strength.”

Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Chevrolet at Team Penske:

“For me, it’s my second year going into Toronto. Always love street circuits, and Toronto has so much history. Going there is a lot of fun and they put on an awesome event. The Canadian people really make the event, and it’s always a buzz. So, I’m excited to go back there and have another crack at a really cool race track.”

On learnings from last year and what can be applied to a second race…

“I think the more laps I can do, the better for me. We did as many laps as we could, and qualified in the Firestone Fast Six last year; we were really strong. But I know with that experience under my belt, and how I know the race travels in that, I feel like we can go better again. It’s just going to be laps and making the most of what I know from last year, and studying what I learned.”

With Detroit returning to the streets, and having St. Pete and Long Beach, what do you feel you’ve learned and can also apply to a second event in Toronto for you?

“I think what we learned with Firestone, and the tires, that’s a big deal. Toronto always comes at a time when everyone is really on top of their setups with street courses, and the tires and stuff, so I’m excited to go there. I think we’re going to have a really strong package regardless.”

Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“We’re back to street racing, so I expect it to be a fight just like every other street course that we go to. Anything can happen. I always look forward to going to Toronto; it’s a nice city with a great atmosphere, and we have awesome Canadian fans.”

Alexander Rossi, No. 7 Chevrolet at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“First and foremost, I’m really excited to be back here in Toronto for the race. This city always brings an amazing crowd and energy that fuels all of us at the track. The street course in Toronto is tight and technical, but that’s exactly what makes it so challenging and rewarding. We’ve had great pace on street courses this year, and we need to continue that trend to gain back the couple spots we’ve lost in the championship over the past two events.”

Gavin Ward, Race Director at Arrow McLaren INDYCAR:

“Toronto is a special event, not only for me with it being run on the streets in my hometown but also for the Canadian team members we have, including part-owner Ric Peterson. I remember riding my bike over to this track when the thought of making a living in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES was just a dream. Now to be here ready to fight for the pole and the win is “pinch-me” stuff. The Canadian winters serve up some bumpy roads that keep our damper experts busy, and the long blast down the Lakeshore serves up some great racing. Let’s go have some fun.”

Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 20 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:

“Toronto has always been a huge hit on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar with some of the most passionate fans we race in front of. The Canadian fans make this event what it is! This will be my first street course race behind the wheel of the No. 20 BITNILE.COM Chevy, so we’ll be working through our long test list of items in both practice sessions ahead of qualifying.”

Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Chevrolet at Ed Carpenter Racing:

“I am very excited to go to Toronto! I like the city a lot, it’s so nice to be up there. I love the atmosphere surrounding the race and the track itself, there’s so much to look forward to this weekend! It’s another street course, which creates great opportunities for us. I am planning on staying out of the chaos and getting a good result for BITNILE.COM! Hopefully, we are up to speed right away and can turn the season around.”

Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:

“I very much enjoyed racing at the Toronto Street course in 2019. We definitely had a strong weekend considering it was my first time there as a rookie. I do very much look forward to coming back to Toronto even though the car is different and I’m in a different team. We’ve been working very hard and very diligently, on our street course set up to try and improve from the team last year. Unfortunately, this is one of the few tracks I can’t practice on my simulator so I will be relying off of old videos and notes.”

Benjamin Pedersen, No. 55 Chevrolet at AJ Foyt Racing:

“This will be my first time in Toronto. I haven’t raced there in any Junior Formula series, but I am really excited to learn a new track and it looks like a very enjoyable street circuit. We will be racing against guys that have a lot of experience, guys that have literally been there for 20 years. The team has had a lot of success in the past on street circuits so I am excited to see what we can accomplish together.

“In terms of prep, the big thing is looking at video and data and trying to get as much sim time as possible. It will really be just getting up to speed as quickly as possible, getting the car in a window where it is performing and getting the most lap time out of it as possible. I am really focused on giving the team a strong result.” 

CHEVROLET AT TORONTO (since 2012):

Wins in Toronto: 7

2012: Ryan Hunter-Reay

2014 (Race 1): Sebastian Bourdais

2014 (Race 2): Mike Conway

2015: Josef Newgarden

2016: Will Power

2017: Josef Newgarden

2019: Simon Pagenaud

Pole Awards at Toronto: 7

2014 (Race 1): Scott Dixon

2014 (Race 2): Helio Castroneves

2015: Will Power

2016: Scott Dixon

2017: Simon Pagenaud

2018: Josef Newgarden

2019: Simon Pagenaud

Podiums at Toronto by Team Chevy: 19*

*Chevrolet swept the podium three times in the 2012 V6 2.2-liter twin turbo direct injected era at Toronto, including in 2014 for both Race 1 and Race 2, as well as 2015’s race.

Laps Led at Toronto by Team Chevy: 599

2023 CHEVROLET BY THE NUMBERS:

191: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR. 

109: Wins in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012. 

121: 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. 

44: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver.

*Will Power’s career total of 68 poles makes him the all-time pole winner in INDYCAR.

MORRISON, Colo. (July 12, 2023) – Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster team enter the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, the first of three events on a stretch of races dubbed the NHRA Western Swing, on a hot streak sitting fifth in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series points standings. Stretching back to the 2022 Countdown to the Championship, Prock and his Montana Brand team have been on a tear. In their last 15 starts, the Montana Brand dragster has gone to the finals five times with three wins while forging a 27-12 record. After winning two of six races in last year’s Countdown and jumping from 12th to third in the final standings, he has become a bona fide championship contender this season on the strength of a victory in the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at Charlotte and a runner-up finish in the Winternationals. “I’m excited for the Western Swing and hitting the road with my Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team. I feel like we have a really strong package right now to where we can have a beneficial points performance the next three races,” Prock said. “I’m hungry as ever for another Wally, I would love to get the win in Denver up on the mountain for the last NHRA race at Bandimere Speedway.” Coming off his second consecutive semifinal finish, first in Bristol, Tennessee and then Norwalk, Ohio, Prock will also be competing once again in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge during Saturday qualifying. Prock will have a chance at a rematch against Norwalk event winner Leah Pruett. The Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway begins with qualifying Friday at 4:30 and 8:00 p.m. and Saturday at 3:30 and 7:00 p.m. The Mission Food #2Fast2Tasty Challenge will be contested during qualifying Saturday at approximately 3:50 with the final at 7:25 p.m. Eliminations are slated to begin Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Television coverage of qualifying will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) Friday at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET. Eliminations coverage will be on FOX Broadcasting Network Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET.

MORRISON, Colo. (July 12, 2023) – Brittany Force and the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster team enter this weekend’s Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway sitting fourth in points as they compete for their first win of the season. This is only the second season in the two-time and reigning world champion’s career that she has reached the 10th race of the year without a victory, the first was her 2015 rookie year. A win this weekend would not only be the first for the 2023 season but would also mark Force’s first victory at Bandimere Speedway, a fan-favorite track just outside of Denver that is hosting it’s final NHRA National event this weekend. In her last two starts at the historic facility, Force started race day from the No. 1 qualifying position but came up short in the second round each time. En route to her first No. 1 in Denver, Force set the track elapsed time record at 3.717 seconds (July 17, 2021). “This Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team heads to Denver next to begin our NHRA Western Swing which is my favorite part of the year. Unfortunately, Bandimere Speedway is closing, so it’s definitely bittersweet. This is s race track I’ve been going to since I was a baby. I remember coming here with my sisters watching my dad race,” Force said. “Now to be up here on the mountain running, there’s just nothing like this racetrack. We’re really upset to see it go away but this team wants to end on a good note. We’ve made some good memories there, but we’ve never won the thing, so we’d like to turn it around and win this weekend.” Despite still looking for a win, Force and her David Grubnic and Brandon Hazelton tuned dragster team have earned three No. 1 qualifying starts at the season-opening Gatornationals and both Four-Wide events in Las Vegas and Charlotte. The Monster Energy team has also had five semifinal points finishes in the last seven events including the most recent in Norwalk, Ohio earning them a spot in this weekend’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. Force will have a rematch against her semifinal opponent and points leader Justin Ashley when she begins Saturday qualifying. The Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway begins with qualifying Friday at 4:30 and 8:00 p.m. and Saturday at 3:30 and 7:00 p.m. The Mission Food #2Fast2Tasty Challenge will be contested during qualifying Saturday at approximately 3:50 with the final at 7:25 p.m. Eliminations are slated to begin Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Television coverage of qualifying will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) Friday at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET. Eliminations coverage will be on FOX Broadcasting Network Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET.

QUINCY, MI (July 12, 2023) – Four-straight weeks of Late Model and UMP Modified racing have brought the 38th annual DIRTcar Summer Nationals Hell Tour down to its final week of competition, where the overall Late Model points champion will be crowned in the season finale as the tour ventures east.

Jason Feger, the 2010 Summer Nationals champion from Bloomington, IL, claimed his second weekly points title in Week 4, highlighted by three runner-up finishes, besting young Georgian Ashton Winger by 20 points at the end of the five-race stretch. Winger was also strong throughout the week and scored a $10,000 victory in a thrilling end to Saturday’s Feature at Highland Speedway, putting him in command in the overall championship standings by 17 points over Feger.

The DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals also ventures into its fifth week of racing and will visit a lineup of tracks home to a slew of new competitors to the roster. Points leader Tyler Nicely further padded his lead in Week 4, winning his fourth Feature of the season Tuesday at Tri-City Speedway and posting two more podium finishes later in the week to bring him up to a 380-point lead in the standings.

Week 5 Schedule
Thursday, July 13 – Butler Motor Speedway (Quincy, MI)
Friday, July 14 – Hartford Speedway (Hartford, MI)
Saturday, July 15 – Oakshade Raceway (Wauseon, OH) [25th annual Birthday Race]
Sunday, July 16 – Wayne County Speedway (Orrville, OH)

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: CLICK HERE for DIRTcar Summer Nationals Late Models and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals overall points standings.

Tickets for each Week 5 event will be sold at the gate on race day. If you can’t make it to your favorite tracks, watch all the action live on DIRTVision.

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

THE HOME STRETCH – With only four races left on the Late Model schedule, Ashton Winger is inching closer to his first career Summer Nationals championship.

When the summer began, the 23-year-old from Senoia, GA, set out on the road with the entire 28-race stretch on his schedule and the overall points championship as his ultimate goal. Five Feature wins, 11 top-fives and 17 top-10 finishes in 20 races have put him atop the overall points standings by 17 over Jason Feger. For his efforts thus far, Winger banked the Week 3 points championship, adding another $10,000 to his hefty winnings total.

Though he’ll face a roster of tough local racers in Michigan and Ohio this week, Winger has had success on the Hell Tour in both states in the past, claiming victory during his last full-time season in 2021 at both Oakshade Raceway (OH), Thunderbird Raceway (MI), Tri-City Motor Speedway (MI) and Merritt Speedway (MI).

FAMILIAR FACE – After coming so close to his first career Summer Nationals win in the first three weeks of the tour, Drake Troutman has regrouped and is headed back out on the Hell Tour trail for the final week in search of that elusive first victory.

Troutman, 18, of Hyndman, PA, turned heads early this summer, consistently running up front and competing for wins in several races but was unable to break through to Victory Lane after multiple flat tires, crashes and the wrath of stiff competition.

First, there was the blown tire while leading at Moberly Motorsports Park. Then another flat ruined his top-three run going at Davenport Speedway the following night. He settled for third a few nights later at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 after a three-way battle for the lead in the closing laps, then was involved in a hard crash with Kye Blight in a Heat Race the next night at Lincoln Speedway. Next came the last-race pass from Ashton Winger to spoil Troutman’s party at Benton Speedway, and another blown tire ruined his late-race lead at Paducah International Raceway the next night.

Troutman has since regrouped with the team back in Pennsylvania, and even won a few local events during his week away. He’s got all four Summer Nationals races on his schedule for Week 5 and will be racing with plenty of vengeance in his heart as aims to right the wrongs he suffered at the hands of misfortune weeks ago and claim one of the biggest wins of his career.

BAUER POWER – Chad Bauer won the first two Summit Modified Features of his career last year in Michigan and Ohio. This year, he’s back for more in search of another trophy against the toughest UMP Modified racers in the region.

Bauer, of Farwell, MI, claimed victory in back-to-back weeks on the Hell Tour in 2022, winning the Modified portion of the 24th annual Birthday Race at Oakshade before returning to Victory Lane one week later at Merritt Speedway. Both wins were shining moments in the Modified career of the now-50-year-old Bauer, showcasing his skills behind the wheel against a deep field of younger talent.

In 2023, Bauer has taken command of the weekly DIRTcar-sanctioned Modified racing at Butler Motor Speedway with two Feature wins and the track points lead coming into the Summit Modified Nationals’ tour stop there on Thursday.

SUMMIT OF THE MOUNTAIN – When Tyler Nicely set out on the trail of the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals this summer, a hoisting of multiple Feature winner’s trophies and championship gold were the two foremost goals atop his list.

Nicely, 27, of Owensboro, KY, has four Feature wins in fourteen starts on tour this summer. Now all he needs is the series points championship, which he currently sits 380 points up on second-place Kyle Steffens.

The two-time regional champion has plans to travel to all four tracks on the schedule in Week 5 and will put his skills to the test against several tracks and drivers he doesn’t often compete against in Michigan and Ohio. These five races will be part of his last round of tune-ups before heading back to Fairbury Speedway, July 28-29, in search of his second Modified Prairie Dirt Classic win and his first career Summit Modified championship.

LOCAL STAR – When the Summer Nationals comes to Michigan, Dona Marcoullier is rarely off his game.

The 39-year-old from Houghton Lake, MI, won his first two Summer Nationals races at Tri-City Motor Speedway in the last three years, besting some strong regional and national-level talent at one of his home tracks. Both of the fan-popular wins were shining moments in the former Modified racer’s career and a testament to his skills around the Michigan tracks.

This year, Marcoullier is back for another shot at Hell Tour Victory Lane. He’s got seven wins so far this year in local action, all of which have come against the best Late Model talent Michigan has to offer.

BATAVIA, Ohio (July 12, 2023) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series continues their July swing through the Midwest with a doubleheader Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15 at Tri-City Speedway and Lucas Oil Speedway. The NAPA Know How 50 at Tri-City Speedway will be a complete program of Dirt Draft Hot Laps, Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Mains – capped off with a 50-lap, $12,000 to win main event for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. The Modified and B-Mods are also on the racing card at Tri-City Speedway, each vying for a $1,000 top prize. The pit gate will open at 12:00PM (noon) with the general admission gate opening at 5:30PM. On track action will begin at 6:30PM. All times are Central Time. Tri-City Speedway is a 3/8-mile oval located just across the Mississippi River 8 miles from Downtown St. Louis, MO in Granite City, IL. For more information, please visit www.tricityspeedway.net.  The 17th Annual CMH Diamond Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment at Lucas Oil Speedway features the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series along with the Lucas Oil Midwest Latemodel Racing Association (MLRA) as the country’s top Dirt Late Model Driver’s attempt to claim the $15,000 winner’s share of the purse and the prestigious Diamond Ring that goes with it. The Cedar Creek Beef Jerky USRA Modifieds will be in action gunning for a top prize of $1,000 to win. The O’Reilly Auto Parts USRA Stock Cars will also be in action gunning for a top prize of $750 to win.The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series/ Lucas Oil MLRA action on Saturday, July 15 will be a complete program of Dirt Draft Hot Laps, Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and the 50-lap, $15,000-to-win A-Main. The Pit Gates will remain open all day, closed and cleared at 3:30PM, and re-opened at 4:00PM. The General Admission Gate will open at 5:00PM. Hot Laps begin at 6:30PM. All times are Central Time. Lucas Oil Speedway is located at the intersection of Highway 83 and Highway 54 in Wheatland Missouri, about an hour North of Springfield and only about an hour and a half from Kansas City. For advance ticket purchases or more information about Lucas Oil Speedway, visit www.lucasoilspeedway.com. The 17th Annual CMH Diamond Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment will be the next bonus round if the Big River Steel Chase for the Championship presented by ARP. The Summit Racing Equipment Super Twelve locks in the top twelve drivers that will be eligible for or the record points fund of over $1,000,000.00. The current Big River Steel Chase for the Championship presented by ARP top twelve drivers are: Ricky Thornton Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Overton, Tim McCreadie, Jonathan Davenport, Devin Moran, Daulton Wilson, Max Blair, Tyler Erb, Earl Pearson Jr., Spencer Hughes, and Garrett Alberson. Summit Racing Equipment Super Twelve Payout: 1. $5,000, 2. $1,000, 3. $1,000, 4. $1,000, 5. $1,000, 6. $1,000, 7. $1,000, 8. $1,000, 9. $1,000, 10. $1,000, 11. $1,000, 12. $1,000 = Total $16,000 For the latest news, results, championship standings and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, please visit www.lucasdirt.com. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Purses:Tri-City Speedway – July 14: 1. $12,000, 2. $6,000, 3. $3,500, 4. $2,800, 5. $2,500, 6. $2,300, 7. $2,200, 8. $2,100, 9. $2,050, 10. $2,000, 11. $1,600, 12. $1,400, 13. $1,200, 14. $1,100, 15. $1,050, 16. $1,000, 17. $1,000, 18. $1,000, 19. $1,000, 20. $1,000, 21. $1,000, 22. $1,000, 23. $1,000, 24. $1,000 = Total $52,800 Lucas Oil Speedway – July 15: 1. $15,000, 2. $7,000, 3. $5,000, 4. $4,000, 5. $3,000, 6. $2,500, 7. $2,400, 8. $2,300, 9. $2,200, 10. $2,100, 11. $2,000, 12. $1,800, 13. $1,600, 14. $1,500, 15. $1,400, 16. $1,300, 17. $1,200, 18. $1,100, 19. $1,000, 20. $1,000, 21. $1,000, 22. $1,000, 23. $1,000, 24. $1,000, = Total $63,400 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Tire Rule:Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier (90) NLMT2, (90) NLMT3Right Rear – Hoosier (92) NLMT3, (92) NLMT4 *Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials and Heat Races

Drivers will contend for $15,000 paydays at Ponderosa Speedway and Brownstown Speedway

JUNCTION CITY, KY – JULY 12, 2023 – A Midwest doubleheader kicks off the Summer of Money in style for the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series. 

Boasting back-to-back $15,000 payday events, the weekend will bring the Series back to Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY on Friday, July 14 for the 50-lap Johnny Mulligan Classic and then to Brownstown Speedway in Brownstown, IN on Saturday, July 15, for the 40th annual Hoosier Dirt Classic 50-lap affair. 

If you can’t make it to the tracks, you can watch every World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model race live on DIRTVision.  

Here’s a look at the storylines entering this weekend: 

Operating at the Top: After winning three Features during World of Outlaws Heartland Speedweek, Bobby Pierce finds himself at the top of the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models standings—52 points ahead of Chris Madden. 

The Oakwood, IL driver has won more World of Outlaws Features than any other driver in 2023 (5), so far, and returns to Brownstown on Saturday, where he’s already won this season. 

Pierce won the Northern All-Stars event at the track in April and has a Hoosier Dirt Classic win with the DIRTcar Summer Nationals in 2021. He also won the Jackson 100 in 2018. 

The “Smooth Operator” has only finished outside the top 10 once in his last 14 World of Outlaws races and has four wins and 11 top fives in that stretch. 

Smokey and The Reaper: While Pierce is out front in the battle for the 2023 championship, two points separate Madden and Ryan Gustin in the standings. 

Gustin closed in on the Gray Court, SC driver with three top 10s in the final three races of World of Outlaws Heartland Speedweek, including a win at River Cities Speedway. 

Meanwhile, Madden bounced back with a fifth and sixth at River Cities and I-94 emr Speedway after a tough start to the Heartland swing. 

If Gustin wins this weekend, it’ll be his fourth Series win of 2023, while Madden is searching for his third. 

Looking to Strike: Reigning World of Outlaws CASE Late Models Rookie of the Year Tanner English has been close to scoring his first win of 2023, and this could be the weekend he gets over the hump. 

The Benton, KY driver has found success at both tracks throughout his career, including two wins at Ponderosa. He earned an Iron-Man Series win at the track last September and scored a MARS Series win in 2017. 

Meanwhile, at Brownstown, he finished fifth in the Northern All-Stars race won by Pierce earlier this year and won the track’s Hall of Fame Classic in 2020. He also scored a pair of wins there in 2017. 

A win this weekend would be English’s fourth World of Outlaws victory. 

Beware of the Champions: The last time the World of Outlaws raced at Ponderosa and Brownstown, a former Series champion found Victory Lane. 

Shane Clanton, the 2015 Series champion, won at Ponderosa in 2016, and defending champion Dennis Erb Jr. won at Brownstown in 2007. 

Erb returned to form during World of Outlaws Heartland Speedweek, earning a $30,000 victory at 81 Speedway. Clanton also found momentum in the Heartland, scoring back-to-back podiums at Off Road Speedway and Mason City Motor Speedway. 

However, those two aren’t the only champions who’ve won at Brownstown. Four-time Series champion Brandon Sheppard won the Indiana Ice Breaker in 2019 and 2021.  

While Erb is searching for win number two of the season, Clanton and Sheppard are both searching for their first World of Outlaws win of 2023.  

WHEN AND WHERE  

Ponderosa Speedway (3/8-mile) in Junction City, KY on July 14
Brownstown Speedway (1/4-mile) in Brownstown, IN on July 15

ONLINE   

Ponderosa Speedway: www.ponderosaspeedway.net  
Brownstown Speedway: www.brownstownspeedway.com

TRACK RECORDS

Ponderosa Speedway: 12.186 by Tim McCreadie on 4/30/21
Brownstown Speedway: 12.509 by Josh Richards on 3/20/21   

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

FEATURE WINNERS: (12 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

1. Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-5
2. Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-3
3. Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-2
   Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-2
4. Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-1
   Cory Hedgecock, Loudon, TN-1
   Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1
   Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC-1
   Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-1
   Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL-1
   Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1
   Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-1

HEAT RACE WINNERS (32 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

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

LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (26 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

1. Johnny Scott, Las Cruces, NM-3
   Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-3
2. Mark Whitener, Middleburg, FL-2
   Chub Frank, Bear Lake, PA-2
   Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-2
   Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-2
3. Jimmy Owens, Newport, TN-1
   Daulton Wilson, Fayetteville, NC-1
   Tanner English, Benton, KY-1
   Mike Norris, Sarver, PA-1
   Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-1
   Ricky Thornton, Jr, Martinsville, IN-1
   Mike Spatola, Manhattan, IL-1
   Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, NM-1
   Carson Ferguson, Concord, NC-1
   Garrett Smith, Eatonton, GA-1
   Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, NM-1
   Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, PA-1
   Alex Ferree, Saxonburg, PA-1
   Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1
   Dan Stone, Thompson, PA-1
   Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL-1
   Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL-1
   Kip Hughes, Enid, OK-1
   Daniel Hilsabeck- Earlham, IA-1
   Tad Pospisil, Norfolk, NE-1
   Donny Schatz, Fargo, ND-1
   Shane Edginton, East St. Paul, MB-1
   Dustin Sorensen, Rochester, MN-1

PODIUM FINISHES (19 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Podiums

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

FOX FACTORY HARD CHARGER (12 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – H.C.

1. Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-3
   Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-3
2. Gordy Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-2
   Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-2
3. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-1
   Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-1
   Ricky Thornton Jr., Martinsville, IN-1
   Wil Herrington, Hawkinsville, GA-1
   Tanner English, Benton, KY-1
   Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA-1
   Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL-1
   Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL-1
   Shane Clanton, Zebulon, GA-1

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

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

CASE FEATURE LAP LEADERS (22 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Laps Led

1. Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-130
2. Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-102
3. Tanner English, Benton, KY-82
4. Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-77
5. Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC-72
6. Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY-60
7. Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-54
   Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-54
8. Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-29
9. Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-28
   Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-28
10. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-23
11. Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL-18
12. Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-15
    Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-15
13. Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, PA-14
14. Cory Hedgecock, Loudon, TN-10
    Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-6
    Ryan Montgomery, Fairmont, WV-6
    Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-6
15. Ricky Thornton Jr., Martinsville, IN-1
    Gordy Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-1

2023 World of Outlaws Late Model Schedule & Winners

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

DENVER (July 12, 2023) – As they prepare for what will surely be a bittersweet weekend, the Elite Motorsports team, the largest professional team in drag racing, is focused on turning on as many win lights as possible as the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series takes to the track at Bandimere Speedway for the last time. At this weekend’s Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals, the Elite Motorsports Pro Stock fleet will be joined by its two Mountain Motor Pro Stock entries as well as several sportsman participants in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.  This weekend also marks the one-year anniversary of the passing of Royce Freeman Sr., the patriarch of the Freeman family including Elite Motorsports owner Richard Freeman. All drivers will be giving it their all as they remember the man whose dedication to the sport of drag racing left a larger-than-life legacy that continues to flourish. Pro Stock rookie Jerry Tucker will be competing at Bandimere Speedway for the first time. The talented driver will have a new sponsor on board this weekend as Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer will be featured prominently on his Camaro.  “After seeing the rendering last week, I can’t wait to see the car with the Elk on the hood and the Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer logo on the side when I get to the track,” said Tucker. Scott Woodruff from Elite Motorsports collaborated with Scott Brown Designs on the layout and the CEO of the company was thrilled with the rendering. The entire team is excited to welcome the folks from Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer to the track this weekend. Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer can be found in Colorado, Kansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Montana, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. Aaron Stanfield was the No. 1 qualifier and runner-up at the Mile-High Nationals last year and he’s looking forward to turning up the heat on the competition in his Janac Brothers / JC3 Energy Camaro this weekend. Interestingly, the skilled driver will be competing in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty specialty race against Matt Hartford, who won the final round against Stanflield in Denver last year. Troy Coughlin Jr. will also compete in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge against Dallas Glenn. This race-within-a-race offers semifinalists from the previous event a rematch during qualifying on Saturday.  Bo Butner, the 2017 Pro Stock world champion, is eager to get a win this season for his sponsor, Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage. His powerful Camaro has been performing consistently and Butner knows what it takes to compete in the unique conditions this track presents.  Five-time and current world champion Erica Enders has her eye on the prize as she prepares to take the mountain that has previously eluded her in her Pro Stock career. Bandimere Speedway is one of only a handful of facilities wherein Enders has yet to win in the Pro Stock category. The seasoned driver has demonstrated time and again that she performs best under pressure so she feels good about her chances of clinching the final win of the Bandimere era. Enders will also be competing in Mountain Motor Pro Stock along with team owner Richard Freeman. These powerful machines were built to handle the atmospheric challenges of Denver and Freeman won the last Mountain Motor Pro Stock event in Chicago. The Cuadra Boys, Fernando Cuadra Sr., Fernando Cuadra Jr. and Cristian Cuadra will be competing in their fleet of Corral Boots / Cuadra Pro Stock Mustangs, hoping to bring a win back to their home in Leon, Mexico. David Cuadra will be participating in the Top Sportsman category. Other Elite and Patterson-Elite entries in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series include Allen Firestone in Top Sportsman; Aydan Patterson, Ryan Montford, James Kunkel and Tim Nicholson, all in Super Stock; as well as Jay Storey who is competing in Stock and Super Stock.  NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals will feature two rounds at 3:30 and 7:00 p.m. MT on Friday, July 14 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, July 15 at 2:30 and 6 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. MT on Sunday, July 16. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, and then eliminations on FOX at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday. ***

Driver Quotes

Erica Enders”It’s hard to believe that this is the last time we will be heading to Bandimere Speedway. Visiting Denver has been a staple on our summer schedule since the mid-90s when we were racing Jr. Dragsters. The tradition continued through my entire sportsman and professional career. The Mountain is just flat-out special. The Bandimere family has not only done so much for the sport but they have also been so great on a personal level, to my family and me. We wish them nothing but the best as they venture out on their next journey. In the meantime, I would love nothing more than to win Denver, for my first time in Pro Stock, as the NHRA rolls into the gates for the last time. This one would be so meaningful and my guys and I will do everything in our power to leave Bandimere, Queen of the Mountain.”

Aaron Stanfield“Denver has treated us well in the past and after having several weeks off in a row, we are all eager to get back on the track! Everyone’s going to be bringing their A-game. I get to face off with Matt Hartford during qualifying for the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty challenge, which will be interesting since we were the two in the final round at the Mile Highs last year. I like it when the competition is intense like this, so I’m expecting positive results.”

Troy Coughlin Jr.”Team Yellow has been working hard to keep the car in good shape, along with the guys making some awesome headway in the engine room. Our plan is to focus on the process on making good clean runs and being the best we can be! It would be a huge honor to leave with the last Wally from Bandimere.”

Bo Butner“This is one of just a handful of tracks where we haven’t won yet, and we’d like to get that done for us, but really for Jason Johnson and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage. Denver is different, but it’s a really unique, cool racetrack. Winning there would mean a lot to anyone, especially because it sounds like this might be the last time we get to go there for a national event. We haven’t gotten our win yet for JHG with our car, and this weekend feels like a great time to get it done.”

Fernando Cuadra Sr.”The Cuadra Boys are excited to race for a final time at Bandimere Speedway. We want to create a great show for the fans and thank the Bandimere family for all they’ve done for the sport of drag racing.”

Fernando Cuadra Jr.”We are continuing to try new things to determine how we can improve performance and maintain consistency. As a driver, I’m always working on myself as well. This is a great team and I feel confident in our progress. Everything can change when we get into the altitude in Denver, so it’s going to be an exciting event!”

Cristian Cuadra”I began my Pro Stock career at Bandimere Speedway in 2019 and I’m really going to miss it. This track has been an important part of racing for so many years. We love the fans at Denver so this is going to be a really special race. I feel like everything is coming together for our team and a victory is close.”

David Cuadra”I’m going to be behind the wheel of my Top Sportsman car again this weekend. It was fun to be back in the category a few weeks ago in Norwalk and we learned a lot at that race. Bandimere Speedway is such an iconic track so it’s going to be hard to say goodbye to it. Everyone wants to walk away with the last win here so the competition will be fierce.”

Jerry Tucker“This is going to be bittersweet as it will be my first and last time to compete at Bandimere. But we’ve got Outlaw Beer riding with us this weekend and we are ready to bring some serious Elite thunder to the mountains!”

Photos

The Elite Motorsports team will be honoring the memory of Royce Freeman Sr. this weekend as they take to the track for the final time at Bandimere Speedway. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)

Erica Enders in her JHG / Melling Performance Camaro (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)

Jerry Tucker will sport the Outlaw Mile Hi Light Beer logos on his Pro Stock Camaro this weekend in Denver. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)

Troy Coughlin Jr. in. his JEGS.com Camaro (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)

Cristian Cuadra in his Corral Boots Mustang (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)

Fernando Cuadra Sr. in his Cuadra Mustang (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)

Fernando Cuadra Jr. will be back behind the wheel of his yellow Mustang this weekend at Bandimere Speedway. (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)

Bo Butner in his Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)

Aaron Stanfield in his Janac Brothers / JC3 Energy Camaro (Photo credit: Auto Imagery)

David Cuadra is returning to Top Sportsman this weekend for the Mile-High Nationals (Photo credit: Elite Motorsports)

Pre-Race Notes

Elite Motorsports: Pre-race notesDodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High NationalsBandimere SpeedwayDenver, Colorado (July 22-25) The Elite Motorsports team, the largest team in professional drag racing, has expanded for 2023 and will field a total of ten entries for this weekend’s Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals in Denver. At this event, the Elite Pro Stock team will feature eight drivers including reigning and five-time world champion Erica Enders, Aaron Stanfield, Troy Coughlin Jr., Bo Butner, Fernando Cuadra Sr. and his sons, Fernando Jr. and Cristian, as well as newcomer Jerry Tucker. Enders and team owner Richard Freeman will also race in the Mountain Motor Pro Stock class with their Elite Camaro entries. The third Cuadra brother, David, will also be active in the Right Trailers Top Sportsman class. In the 19 Pro Stock events contested last season, Team Elite won 15 times and appeared in 26 of 38 possible final rounds. In addition to Erica Enders’ 10 wins, Aaron Stanfield collected three victories while Troy Coughlin Jr. earned his first two professional victories. Enders is coming off the most dominant season of her career that produced ten wins in 13 final round appearances and an astounding 55-9 record in elimination rounds. This season, Enders’ impressive roster of supporters includes Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage, Melling Performance, SCAG Power Equipment, PeopleLease and Mark Stockseth. During her professional career, Enders has accumulated 44 wins in 75 final rounds and has a round-win record of 446-247 for a .643 win percentage. Enders also has a win in Super Gas (2004 Houston) bringing her career total to 45 national event victories. Enders recently won the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tenn. After qualifying No. 1, Enders defeated Deric Kramer in the final round. Enders also set the low E.T. and top speed of the event with a best of 6.627 at 206.95. With this victory, Enders moved into the Top 10 for the first time this season. She is currently ranked No. 7 following a quarter-final finish in Norwalk. Enders has won at least one Pro Stock event at 17 different NHRA venues but has yet to win in Denver. This will be her last chance to do so as this is scheduled to be the final NHRA event at Bandimere Speedway. Last year at this event, Enders set the top speed for Pro Stock at 197.02 mph. On Friday, Enders is scheduled to join NHRA personality Jason Logan on the midway to participate in the popular 10 Questions session where fans can get to know their favorite NHRA stars.  Enders currently holds both the elapsed time and speed records for the NHRA Pro Stock class with bests of 6.450-seconds and 215.55 mph. The elapsed time record was set at the 2022 Gatornationals. If Enders wins three more events this season, she will surpass three-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Angelle Sampey as the sport’s winningest female driver. Sampey currently has 46 wins while Enders has 44 professional wins. Following an impressive fourth-place finish in 2022, Troy Coughlin Jr. has begun his fourth full season behind the wheel of the familiar yellow and black JEGS.com Camaro. Coughlin enjoyed a breakout season last year with back-to-back victories in Seattle and Topeka. Coughlin also went to final rounds in Phoenix, Reading and Las Vegas. Coughlin heads to Denver as the No. 4 ranked driver in the championship after a dominating win at the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals and a runner-up at the Four-Wide event in Las Vegas. Most recently a semifinalist in Norwalk, Coughlin has a 10-7 record in elimination rounds this season.  Coughlin and his Elite teammate Aaron Stanfield will also take part in the Mission Foods 2Fast2Tasty Challenge in Denver. The special event will be held on Saturday and features a race between the semifinalists of the previous Pro Stock event in Norwalk. Coughlin and Stanfield will be joined by Dallas Glenn and Matt Hartford. Earlier this season at the NHRA Arizona Nationals near Phoenix, Coughlin became the first winner of the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, a special event open to the four semifinal finishers from the previous event. Coughlin defeated Greg Anderson in the final with an elapsed time of 6.57, compared to Anderson’s 6.60, to capture the inaugural event victory. In addition to his three career Pro Stock victories, the multi-faceted Coughlin has won in Top Alcohol Dragster, Super Comp and Super Gas. Coughlin’s father, Troy Sr., is a 15-time national event winner in Pro Stock, Pro Mod and Super Gas. Including his uncles, John, Mike, and Jeg Jr., the Coughlin family has combined to win 132 national event titles. Coughlin’s career bests in Pro Stock are 6.515-seconds and 212.29 mph, set earlier this year at the season opener in Gainesville. Aaron Stanfield has also returned to the Elite team for another season behind the wheel of the Janac Bros/JC3 Energy Camaro. Stanfield, the son of five-time Super Stock world champ Greg Stanfield, is coming off a season where he was the third-ranked driver in Pro Stock. Last year, Stanfield earned Pro Stock wins in Phoenix, Bristol and the Fall Charlotte race to go with four runner-up finishes in Pomona, Epping, Norwalk and Denver. Stanfield finished the season with a 38-16 record in elimination rounds. So far this season, Stanfield has three semifinal and four quarterfinal finishes to his credit and he’s the No. 5 ranked driver in the class. Stanfield has also qualified a season-best of No. 2 at the most recent race in Bristol. Stanfield won back-to-back titles in the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown class in 2020 and 2021. He will continue to drive his Janac Bros.-owned COPO Camaro in that class and will also continue to race in the Wright Trailers Top Dragster class. All told Stanfield has 22 career wins in Pro Stock, Factory Stock, Super Stock, and Top Dragster. Stanfield’s career bests in Pro Stock are 6.457-seconds and 213.47 mph, both set in Gainesville 2022. Bo Butner is a two-time NHRA world champion in Pro Stock (2017) and Comp Eliminator (2006). He joined the Elite team last season as the driver of the Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Camaro. Last season, Butner drove to a ninth-place finish in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Pro Stock standings. Earlier this season in Phoenix, Butner drove to a runner-up finish in Pro Stock, reaching the final for the first time since the 2019 Richmond event. Butner defeated Erica Enders, Fernando Cuadra Jr. and Kyle Koretsky to reach his 26th career Pro Stock final. Butner is now ranked No. 10 in the Pro Stock standings, as Elite drivers hold five of the Top Ten spots. While he did not win a Pro Stock event last year, the multi-talented Butner did earn a pair of victories in the Super Gas class in Indy and Reading. Butner has 29 career national event victories including 11 in Pro Stock. He also has wins in Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Gas, and Super Street. Butner has also enjoyed success as a big-money bracket racer with a victory at the K&N Spring Fling Million in Las Vegas in 2021. Butner has won at least one national event title at 14 different facilities but not at Bandimere Speedway. He was a runner-up to Drew Skillman at the 2017 Mile-High Nationals. Butner’s career bests in Pro Stock are 6.475-seconds and 214.28 mph, set in Dallas (2015) and Gainesville (2017), respectively. The Cuadra family includes Fernando Sr., and his sons Fernando Jr. and Cristian. The Cuadra family is backed by Corral Handcrafted Boots and will continue to race Ford Mustangs under the Elite banner. David Cuadra has raced in Pro Stock this season but is entered in the Top Sportsman class this weekend. Fernando Sr. is a two-time national event runner-up with final-round appearances at the 2019 races in Reading and Pomona. Cristian Cuadra was also the runner-up to Enders at the 2022 four-wide event in Las Vegas and he was a semifinalist at the recent Bristol race. He comes into this weekend as the No. 9 ranked driver in Pro Stock. Earlier this season in Phoenix, Cristian Cuadra became the first Mexican-born NHRA racer to qualify No. 1 in a pro category when he drove his Elite-powered Corral Handcrafted Boots Mustang to a 6.552 pass. C. Cuadra is one of just 11 non-U.S.-born drivers to qualify No. 1 in a professional NHRA class and the only one to accomplish the feat in Pro Stock. The Cuadra family has career-best elapsed times of 6.515 (Fernando Jr.), 6.524 (Fernando Sr.) and 6.527 (Cristian) – all of them recorded in Gainesville. Their career-best speeds are 212.13 (Fernando Sr.), 211.43 (Cristian), and 210.73 (Fernando Jr.).  New to the Elite Pro Stock team this year is Jerry Tucker, who enjoyed a memorable debut in Gainesville. Tucker qualified his Elite Camaro in the No. 15 spot with a 6.573 and won the first round after teammate Enders encountered a mechanical issue. Tucker is coming off his first semifinal finish at the recent Chicago race and is No. 12 in the standings, just 26 points out of the Top 10. Tucker, of Lindsay, Okla., has spent the last 30 years racing everything from Sprint cars to Midgets and has also enjoyed success in drag racing. Tucker previously raced in the Top Sportsman class. Tucker is expected to be one of the leading contenders for the NHRA Rookie of the Year award. Collectively, the eight current team Elite drivers have combined to win 106 NHRA national event titles across all classes including 65 in the Pro Stock class. The Mountain Motor Pro Stock class will make an appearance at the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals with Elite drivers Erica Enders and Richard Freeman set to take part. The Mountain Motor Pro Stock cars feature large displacement engines and use either carburetors or fuel injection. Typically, they are quicker and faster than the traditional 500-inch Pro Stock cars with elapsed times in the 6.2-second range and speeds of well over 225 mph. Freeman was the winner of the most recent Mountain Motor Pro Stock race held at Route 66 Raceway near Chicago. Freeman defeated John Montecalvo in the final round and also recorded the top speed of the event at 226.96 mph.

CHICAGO (July 12, 2023) — Chicago firefighter, NHRA Funny Car team owner and driver, Chris King, has one race under his belt in 2023 and he is ready to get his Howards Cams/Competition Products Dodge Charger Funny Car back on track at the Dodge Mile-High Nationals, July 14-16. King shook off the cobwebs at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at the end of May, narrowly missing one of the quickest fields in NHRA history. It was his first national event since 2021 and King is looking to improve on that effort at Bandimere Speedway, the track where he made his professional debut.
 
“Bandimere is where it all started for me,” said King, who qualified No. 14 at the 2021 national event. “I want to make some more memories here. Our team got back in the shop after Chicago and my crew chief Terry Totten put a lot of time into this Funny Car. We got some help from Ron Capps’ crew chief Dean Antonelli and I can’t thank him enough. I love this sport because it really is like a big family. We want to be out here competing and there are guys like Guido who are willing to help make that happen.”

Funny Car driver and team owner Chris King ready for NHRA Mile High Nationals

 
King raced three races in 2021 and took 2022 off to build his program and look for a road map to success on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. This season the fireman and professional driver has targeted five NHRA national events including Chicago and Denver with the addition of Topeka (KS), Indianapolis (IN) and St. Louis (MO) to his slate of races. The goal is to qualify and build up data for an enhanced schedule in 2024.
 
“You need to be out here as much as possible to get data and also to show a sponsor what you can do for them,” said King. “We have some great partners and we talk with other companies every week. Our goal is to find partners that want to help an aggressive young team get to the next level. Our focus is on delivering on the track and off the track.”
 
A perfect example of outside of the box marketing and promotion activities King has brought to the sport include an event he organized in advance of the Chicago race in May. King took several NHRA drivers through the paces at the Robert Quinn Fire Academy today. He was joined by Pro Stock standout Camrie Caruso as well as Pro Mod drivers Lyle Barnett, JR Gray, Jerico Balduf and Mike Thielen for an afternoon of firefighting skill tests and challenges. The group was outfitted in full fire protection gear including air tanks which added just over 35 pounds to each driver plus a variety of firefighting tools before they took on the challenging “up and over” drill which included five flights of stairs up a run across the top of the training facility and then five flights of stairs down to the main floor. The group paused for a photo with the famed Chicago skyline in the background before continuing with more drills.
 
“The Chicago firehouse tour and skills day was something I always dreamed of doing,” said King. “We are going to continue to look for opportunities like that but right now we need to focus on this Howards Cams/Competition Products Dodge Charger Funny Car. I really think we can get this care competitive and win some rounds. Funny Car has never been tougher but there is also the opportunity for a single car team to succeed. That hasn’t always been the case.”
 
King’s race car also has a unique look thanks to the son of Funny Car world champion Jack Beckman. The car debuted in Chicago and King was thrilled with the reception the design by young artist and designer Jason Beckman received.
 
“I it was so cool to see people going nuts over Jason’s Funny Car,” said King. “I saw some of his work and thought it would be cool to get some designs from him. My sponsors and I loved the design that is on the race car so we couldn’t wait to show it off. I am looking forward to making a lot of passes with this design.”
 
The Howards Cams/Competition Products Dodge Charger Funny Car and King will get their first chance to make passes in Denver on Friday afternoon when qualifying for the Dodge Mile-High Nationals get underway. There will be two more qualifying sessions on Saturday with final eliminations for the 16 quickest Funny Cars commencing at 11 a.m. on Sunday. The race will be televised nationally on FOX Sunday evening.

The Elk Grove, CA native rolls to 30th career World of Outlaws winATTICA, OH (July 11, 2023) – Another day, another moment of Kyle Larson showing he’s already one of the best to ever drive a Sprint Car.Through more than three decades of competition, no driver had been able to top back-to-back Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classics presented by Racing Optics. Nobody by the name of Kinser, Swindell, Blaney, or any of the other legendary figures of the sport could achieve the feat.On Tuesday night at Attica Raceway Park, a legend in the making changed that fact.Kyle Larson started second, took the lead on lap one and never looked back. The Elk Grove, CA native put together a perfect drive at the Ohio oval – leading all 40 laps on his way to his second consecutive and third overall win in the prestigious event. The victory was worth $15,000. Combine that with his Huset’s High Bank Nationals prelim triumph three weeks ago, and “Yung Money” has banked $35,000 in his two World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint car wins this year.Larson’s fourth overall Series victory at Attica gave him sole possession of the second most all-time – only one away from matching Donny Schatz’ record tally of five. He’s also only one away from matching Schatz in total Brad Doty Classic wins. The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion added to his astounding recent résumé at Attica with his fifth trip to Victory Lane in the last six starts.“I can’t believe nobody has gone back-to-back in the long history of this race, so that’s pretty special for sure,” Larson said. “Paul (Silva) definitely has the tune up for Attica. We’re always really fast when we come here nobody what series we’re in.”After marching his way from fourth to second in the Toyota Racing Dash presented by DAC Pet Products, Larson lined up outside the front row for the 40-lap Feature. The high line proved to be advantageous when the green lights came on as he powered around James McFadden for the lead. With the Ohio dirt sometimes creating dusty track conditions, Larson knew getting ahead early would be important.“Being good all throughout the night really helps at Attica because it’s hard to see when you’re out there,” Larson explained. “Thankfully for me I got the lead and you can at least see for about eight laps and then you catch traffic and it’s really tough.”An early restart with two laps complete allowed Sheldon Haudenschild to rip the cushion by McFadden into second. Once Haudenschild secured the runner-up spot, a race-long game of cat and mouse ensued.Haudenschild refused to let Larson escape, but Larson refused to let Haudenschild get too close. Each time a restart happened Larson would pull away slightly but Haudenschild kept him within his sights. Whenever the duo entered traffic, Haudenschild would close in before Larson cleared a slower car to add some cushion.Even though he appeared to work through traffic pretty well, Larson still found navigating it to be highly challenging.“I was making mistakes in (Turns) 3 and 4 because I would catch traffic or start to see them, and I’d slow down and try to drive easier,” Larson said. “Then I wouldn’t get my wheel spin when I needed and get swallowed up in the cushion. I wasn’t sure where Sheldon was behind me, but I figured he’d having a hard time seeing as well. When I got to the back bumper of traffic, that was really tough. The cushion in (Turns) 1 and 2 was really tall right in the center, taller than it typically is. And then on exit there was nothing, and you couldn’t see it. They were blowing across the bottom, and all the dust would end up at the top of the racetrack.”As the laps dwindled Larson made a slight mistake here and there but nothing detrimental. One final strong restart with nine laps to go sealed the deal as he cruised away to his 30th career World of Outlaws victory.“Things just worked out again,” Larson said. “But you have to have a great car to put yourself in position all night long. Thanks again to Paul.”Sheldon Haudenschild hung on for second to record his best Brad Doty Classic finish and also his fifth top five at Attica in Series competition. The result marked the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing driver’s second consecutive podium. While he was pleased with he and the team’s speed, he was left feeling hungry after coming so close to a win in one of his home state’s premier races.“We’ll keep working for sure. We want to win Doty’s race bad,” Haudenschild said. “My car was great there, and I kept Larson honest that whole time until the last restart really. I just got tight on the cushion…. It’s way more fun when you’re up here on the podium, so we’ll just keep working.”Arising from a chaotic battle to complete the top three was Carson Macedo. Like Haudenschild, Macedo’s effort was a second straight result on the podium. The Jason Johnson Racing driver continues to climb back into the championship fight after struggling slightly in the first weeks following his scary Knoxville crash.“I talked to (team members) Philip (Dietz), Clyde (Knipp), Nate (Repetz), and I feel like they did an incredible job,” Macedo said. “We did a pretty good job. It was a dog fight the whole race.”Donny Schatz and David Gravel rounded out the top five. Gravel’s top five while Brad Sweet finished 15th elevated Gravel into the points lead for the third time this season. His advantage sits at eight markers over Sweet. Macedo is 26 points behind Sweet.A 19th to sixth effort gave Zeb Wise the KSE Racing Hard Charger Award aboard the Rudeen Racing #26.For the ninth time in his career, Kyle Larson claimed the Simpson Performance Products QuickTime Award.CASE No.1 Engine Oil Heat One was topped by Larson (37th Heat Race win of career). Gill Construction Heats Two through Four went to Sheldon Haudenschild (90th of career), Shane Stewart (173rd of career), and James McFadden (41st of career).The Smith Titanium Brake Systems “Break of the Race” was given to Kerry Madsen. After charging from ninth in his Heat Race to fifth to transfer, mechanical issues ended his night early in the Feature.UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars roll to Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, OH where the historic half-mile will host a pair of major money race nights. On Friday, July 14 The Knight Before will take place at “The Big E” with a $20,000 payday on the line. The next night brings the 40th running of the Kings Royal where the winner will claim a massive $175,000 award. For tickets, CLICK HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, catch all of the action live on DIRTVision.RESULTS:NOS Energy Drink Feature (40 Laps): 1. 57-Kyle Larson[2]; 2. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[3]; 3. 41-Carson Macedo[5]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz[14]; 5. 2-David Gravel[8]; 6. 26-Zeb Wise[19]; 7. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[4]; 8. 83-James McFadden[1]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart[21]; 10. 71-Shane Stewart[6]; 11. 29-Cole Macedo[17]; 12. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[9]; 13. 9P-Parker Price Miller[7]; 14. 83JR-Michael Kofoid[11]; 15. 49-Brad Sweet[13]; 16. 5-Spencer Bayston[12]; 17. 55X-Daryn Pittman[15]; 18. 3J-Trey Jacobs[10]; 19. 9-Kasey Kahne[20]; 20. (DNF) 35-Stuart Brubaker[23]; 21. (DNF) 22-Brandon Spithaler[22]; 22. (DNF) 99-Skylar Gee[16]; 23. (DNF) 1A-Jacob Allen[25]; 24. (DNF) 3Z-Brock Zearfoss[24]; 25. (DNF) 55-Kerry Madsen[18]

DAVENPORT, Iowa (July 11, 2023) – Jonathan Davenport raced to victory in Tuesday night’s 40-lap Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event sponsored by C&J Trucking and HD Equipment at Davenport Speedway. It was Davenport’s first career win the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds oval. Devin Moran made it close at the end cutting an over three second deficit to within 0.680 seconds at the finish. Ricky Thornton Jr. the current Big River Steel Chase for the Championship presented by ARP leader was third followed by Hudson O’Neal and Brian Shirley, who earned the Todd Steel Building Hard Charger of the Race coming from 16th to round out the top five. Davenport, who led 35 of the 40 laps earned his 70th career win in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series which ranks third all-time in series history. A close call with 6 laps remaining would allow Moran to close the gap when Davenport slipped off the track in turn four. “When in doubt throttle out is what my crew chief told me last week. I had used all the lip up down here in four that you could, and I used a little bit too much that lap. I knew if I hit the brake pedal, I was going to turn right, and it would be even worse, so I just kept my foot in it. The thing about this team is we are never going to give up. We are continuously working. That’s how this sport goes somebody hits on a set-up and things start going their way. Ricky’s [Thornton] done an awesome job and Hudson [O’Neal] as well, every now and then we will stumble onto something and hopefully its in the right direction.” Moran, who started on the pole and led laps 6-10 was second at the line – falling one spot short of a perfect night at Davenport. “I just needed to get in front of him [Davenport] at the start of the race. I probably should have slid him into one and then I tried in three and four and got into him a little bit. They did a really good job I guess I wasn’t the kryptonite tonight. The car finally cleaned up some and we could start really making some speed. I thought he was going to smoke the wall. I saw his whole left side up in the air. Thanks to my crew for giving me such as great race car.” Thornton will maintain his series points lead heading into the next event at Tri-City Speedway on Friday night. “After the last couple of nights, I was just hoping not to get a flat. A third-place is awesome. I thought the track was going to stay faster longer than it really did with about five to go I thought I was going to have a shot around the bottom. We are happy with third it was a good points night for us. The tire choice was huge tonight. I am glad they came out and worked the track. I looked at and I thought wrong about the tires.” The winner’s Lance and Darla Landers, Double L Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and is sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions, Dyna Gro Seed, Lucas Oil Products, Bilstein Shocks, VP Fuels, Mark Martin Automotive, Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas, ASC Warranty, and Midwest Sheet Metal. Completing the top ten were Garrett Alberson, Tim McCreadie, Brandon Overton, Drake Troutman, and Max Blair. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Lucas Oil Late Models Presented by C & J Trucking / HD EquipmentTuesday, July 11, 2023Davenport Speedway – Davenport, IA Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Devin Moran / 13.330 seconds (overall)Fast Time Group B: Jonathan Davenport / 13.572 seconds  Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 3. 11-Spencer Hughes[3]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening[2]; 5. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[6]; 6. 99B-Boom Briggs[7]; 7. 99L-Jeff Larson[8]; 8. (DNS) 7-Ross Robinson Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[3]; 3. 18D-Daulton Wilson[2]; 4. 174-Ethen Dotson[5]; 5. 39-Tim McCreadie[6]; 6. 25-Chad Simpson[4]; 7. 91-Mike Guldenpfennig[8]; 8. 17-Tim Simpson[7] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 32C-Chris Simpson[5]; 3. 111B-Max Blair[4]; 4. 51-Matt Furman[7]; 5. 19R-Ryan Gustin[2]; 6. 29-Spencer Diercks[3]; 7. 42-Johnathan Huston[8]; 8. 15J-Justin Duty[6] AP1 Insurance Heat Race #4 (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 7T-Drake Troutman[3]; 2. 1H-Hudson O’Neal[5]; 3. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 4. 3S-Brian Shirley[7]; 5. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4]; 6. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[6]; 7. 10-Garrett Smith[2]; 8. 78S-Steve Stultz[8] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 (10 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[1]; 2. 39-Tim McCreadie[3]; 3. 19R-Ryan Gustin[2]; 4. 29-Spencer Diercks[6]; 5. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[8]; 6. 15J-Justin Duty[14]; 7. 99B-Boom Briggs[5]; 8. 99L-Jeff Larson[9]; 9. 17-Tim Simpson[13]; 10. 10-Garrett Smith[12]; 11. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4]; 12. 42-Johnathan Huston[10]; 13. 91-Mike Guldenpfennig[11]; 14. 78S-Steve Stultz[16]; 15. 7-Ross Robinson[15]; 16. (DNS) 25-Chad Simpson Lucas Oil Late Models Presented by C & J Trucking / HD Equipment Feature Finish (40 Laps):

Race Statistics Entrants: 32Terminal Maintenance & Construction Pole Sitter: Devin Moran         Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-5); Devin Moran (Laps 6-12); Jonathan Davenport (Laps 13-40)Wieland Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportArizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: n/aBrandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: n/aMargin of Victory: 0.680 secondsGorsuch Performance Solutions Cautions: Tyler Erb (Lap 12) Fast Time Provisional: n/aSeries Emergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Devin Moran, Ricky Thornton, Jr.Penske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Devin Moran, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Hudson O’Neal, Brian ShirleyTodd Steel Buildings Hard Charger of the Race: Brian Shirley (Advanced 11 Positions)Wilwood Brakes Lucky 7th Place Feature: Tim McCreadieDeatherage Opticians Lucky 13th Place Feature: Daulton WilsonEarnhardt Technologies Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (34 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Ricky Thornton, Jr.O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Max BlairEtchberger Trucking Fastest Lap of the Race: Jonathan Davenport (Lap 9 – 14.014 seconds)MD3 Tough Break of the Race: Tyler BrueningOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Cory Fostvedt (Jonathan Davenport)ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Hudson O’Neal (13.470 seconds)Time of Race: 12 minutes 36 seconds The Big River Steel Chase for the Championship Presented by ARP Point Standings:

(7/10/23 – Ben Deatherage) Sacramento, CA … The exciting 950-horsepower NARC 410 Sprint Cars will make their lone appearance of the season at Ocean Speedway this Saturday, July 15th for the extremely popular and lucrative Howard Kaeding Classic.  The 13th annual running of this prestigous event at the quarter-mile clay oval will payout a $40,000-plus purse with $6,900 going to the winner of the 30-lap headliner.

The race pays homage to Howard Kaeding, the patriarch of the legendary Kaeding racing family. Kaeding was victorious in 136 main events at the now-defunct San Jose Speedway, which is the record on the win list. He would win track titles at San Jose in 1973 and 1974 and boasted an incredible streak of seventeen consecutive wins, all while starting in the rear of the field.

“This is a great event that has been building some steam over the last couple of years,” commented Howard Kaeding’s grandson and event organizer, Bud, who drives the family-owned BK Racing number 69 sprint car. “The race itself is a good time, but the After Party on Friday night is a lot of fun too with all the help and hard work from the people at High Five Pizza.”  

The event features multiple sponsors and contributors to enhance the purse.

Companion divisions include the IMCA Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, and WMR Midgets. 

The track will open the weekend with a Friday night bout featuring the Ocean 360 Sprints, IMCA Northern SportMods, Hobby Stocks, and WMR Midgets.  

Once all the racing has concluded on Friday, there will be an after-party fully catered by the High Five Pizza Company. On Saturday at noon, the annual Howard Kaeding Luncheon will take place in the large tent in the pit area.  Both events benefit the NARC Benevolent Fund and will feature live music for entertainment. A suggested donation of a minimum of $20.00 would be appreciated for each function.

Who To Watch

Current NARC 410 Sprint Car Series point leader Corey Day of Clovis is looking to win his first career Howard Kaeding Classic. Day won the Pombo-Sargent Classic last year and hopes to earn his ninth victory on the campaign with the tour. 

Surprisingly, two-time defending NARC series champion Dominic Scelzi is also looking for his first Howard Kaeding Classic triumph. The Fresno racer’s lone Ocean Speedway win with NARC was in 2019 also at the Pombo-Sargent event. 

Justin Sanders has amassed three total NARC wins at Ocean, including last year’s Howard Kaeding Classic. Amazingly the Aromas ace has 50 career wins at the facility, including one this year in a 360 sprint car. His two other NARC wins at Watsonville were in 2016 and 2018. 

Justyn Cox returns to Ocean Speedway for the first time in a 410 c.i. powered car since 2016. The Roseville pilot has a fifth-place finish for his lone top five finish at the facility. 

Bud Kaeding has accumulated five NARC victories at Watsonville, including the 2014 and 2019 Howard Kaeding Classic. The third-generation Campbell star, and 2017 NARC champ, is the most recent 360 Sprint Car winner at Ocean entering the weekend. The 2021 360 track champion also scored additional wins in 2006, 2009, and 2010. 

Of all of Shane Golobic’s NARC wins, four have been captured at Watsonville, including two in 2017. Also grabbing triumphs in 2008 and 2016, the Fremont driver has yet to win a Howard Kaeding Classic. Could this be the year for the 2012 and 2014 Ocean track champion? 

Chase Johnson is coming off an electrifying performance at Petaluma Speedway, where he emerged victorious. Despite not winning a NARC show at Ocean, he does have a pair of thirds, earning those in 2016 and 2018.

Benicia regular Billy Aton has a lot of laps around the Watsonville bullring, including winning a wingless title in 2009. Aton managed to post a sixth-place finish in July of 2021 for his best run with the NARC series at the facility. 

Other drivers to note are Oakley teenager Dylan Bloomfield who will be making his NARC Ocean debut, as will Hanford’s Gauge Garcia. Tucson, Arizona, native Nick Parker, DJ Netto from Hanford, and Kaleb Montgomery from Templeton will return. Many more competitors are also expected to attend what no doubt will be a thriller of an event! 

Fan & Competitor Info

Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds at 2601 E Lake Avenue in Watsonville. The Pit Gates will open at noon on Saturday, Front Gates at 2:30 PM, and Racing kicking off at 5:00.  

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

The Howard Kaeding Classic will NOT be broadcast on Floracing.com

Former Howard Kaeding Classic Winners:
2011- Evan Suggs
2012- Jonathan Allard
2013- Jonathan Allard (2)
2014- Bud Kaeding
2015- Kyle Hirst
2016- Kyle Hirst (2)
2017- Buddy Kofoid
2018- Kyle Hirst (3)
2019- Bud Kaeding (2)
2020- Kyle Hirst (4)
2021- Sean Becker
2022- Justin Sanders

NARC 410 SPRINT CAR SERIES 
CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS
(AFTER 16 EVENTS IN 21-RACE SERIES – 7/10/23)

1. Corey Day, Clovis – 2110
2. Dominic Scelzi, Fresno – 2054
3. Justin Sanders, Aromas – 2053
4. Justyn Cox, Roseville – 2046
5. Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 2022
6. Dylan Bloomfield, Oakley – 1972
7. Chase Johnson, Penngrove – 1903
8. Billy Aton, Benicia – 1900
9. Nick Parker, Tucson, AZ (R) – 1896
10. Tanner Holmes, Central Point, OR – 1483
11. Joel Myers Jr., Sebastopol – 1465
12. Cole Macedo, Hanford – 1354
13. DJ Netto, Hanford – 1321
14. Shane Golobic, Fremont – 1238
15. Burt Foland Jr. (R) – 1104
16. Colby Copeland, Roseville – 1072
17. Joey Ancona, Concord (R) – 892
18. Kaleb Montgomery, Templeton (R) – 876
19. Karl Hoffmans, Australia – 816
20. Andy Caruana, Australia – 799

Upcoming Events:
August 26th – Stockton Dirt Track – Champions Classic
September 30th – Kings Speedway (Hanford) – Morrie Williams Twin-20’s Memorial

OCALA, FL, (July 11, 2023) — Josh Hart has lived his personal and professional life with passion and drive following the belief that “Anything’s Possible.” This weekend the independent Top Fuel team owner and driver from Ocala, Florida, will bring his R+L Carriers Top Fuel team to Bandimere Speedway for the NHRA Dodge Mile-High Nationals looking to become just the sixth Top Fuel driver to sweep the Western Swing. The grueling three races in three weekends stretch does not intimidate Hart but rather he is leaning into the challenge with hyper-focus and intensity. Josh Hart and R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster, photo by Gary Nastase/Auto Imagery“I think the key to success is being prepared and keeping a positive attitude,” said Hart, who raced to the final round of the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Nationals in Chicago. “This R+L Carriers Top Fuel team has been putting the pieces together to make a run for the championship and these summer months are where you can really make a move. I raced at Denver, Seattle and Sonoma for the first time in my career last year and now with more information and experience I feel really good coming back this year.” Last year in Denver Hart qualified No. 9 and upset No. 8 qualifier Doug Kalitta in the first round before outrunning Brittany Force in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals Hart’s first Mile-High Nationals ended in a close race against Shawn Langdon. Competing for the first time on the mountain Hart was quick on the tree and his R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster made consistently quick runs all day on race day. “I was proud of our efforts last year at Bandimere,” said Hart. “There were a lot of unknowns and I think we really rose to the occasion. We are an independent team and thanks to the support from our sponsors and team co-owner Chris Armstrong we are investing in our team to compete at the highest level. The competition is very tough, but I love the challenge. I have overcome a lot of hurdles to get here and this Western Swing is a great equalizer.” Following Denver the tour will immediately head to Seattle and then Sonoma. Those two national events are swapping positions from the 2022 schedule. For Hart and the R+L Carriers team the new line-up will not have an affect on their gameplan. Last year was their first full season attending every NHRA national event and halfway through their second full-time season the team is making strong improvements. They have more round wins in fewer races and they have fewer first round losses coming into this weekend’s Mile-High Nationals. “We are making progress for sure but this whole team wants to get back into the winner’s circle,” said Hart. “We got a great start to the season winning the Pep Boys Allstar Callout at the Gatornationals and then we got close in Chicago, but I feel like we could get on a roll any time. This would be a great race to get the first win of the season. I love Dodge and to win the final Dodge Mile High Nationals would be cool.” Hart and the rest of the Top Fuel class will have four qualifying runs beginning with two on Friday and two more on Saturday. The quickest 16 Top Fuel dragsters will battle it out on Sunday in front of a national television audience on FOX.

MOORESVILLE, NC (July 11, 2023) — Last year rookie Pro Stock driver Camrie Caruso was in full learning mode in her first appearance at famed Bandimere Speedway. The first-year driver was halfway through a season that would see her enter the Countdown in the Top Ten and ultimately clinch the 2022 NHRA Rookie of the Year honors. This year Caruso and the Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro return to the NHRA Mile-High Nationals with a national event win to her credit as well as a second No. 1 qualifier and a new team, KB Titan Racing. The 25-year-old from Mooresville, North Carolina, will be looking to capture the final Wally trophy presented to the Mile-High Nationals Pro Stock winner.

“I am excited to get back to Bandimere Speedway,” said Caruso. “Last year the whole season was a whirlwind. Every track was a new experience and I loved every minute of it. I learned a ton and this season I feel a lot more confident. I am looking forward to really getting after it at the Mile-High Nationals.”

Camrie Caruso and Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro, photo by Innovative Creation Exports

During the 2022 season Caruso, a third-generation drag racer, was leading her rookie team as both the driver and team owner along with family support from her father, mother and grandparents. The responsibilities gave the young professional a mountain of experience but now as part of the newly formed KB Titan Racing organization Caruso can focus solely on driving and sponsor relations.

“Last year was a lot for me but I was learning so much on the driving and the team operations sides. I love being part of KB Titan Racing because we have a great organization and I have awesome teammates,” said Caruso. “I have seen my driving take a huge step forward and our marketing partnerships are really taking off with Powerbuilt Tools, Big Jeff Audio, Hubsaver and of course Tequila Comisario.”

Prior to the Mile-High Nationals Caruso will spend Wednesday evening at Bevy’s Liquor World promoting the event and her relationship with Tequila Comisario. She will be signing bottles as well as autographs for fans who stop by Bevy’s between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Caruso’s Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro will also be on display. Promotional events and fan experiences have been the key to Caruso’s rise as a budding star of the NHRA.

“We have been trying to do more events to spend time with the fans and being able to have tequila tasting events or bottle signing events with Tequila Comisario has been great,” said Caruso. “We are looking to line up more events later this season. I am looking forward to the event on Wednesday because it will give us a chance to get some fans excited for the race and introduce them to Tequila Comisario.”

This year Caruso has made major strides winning her first race at the NHRA Arizona Nationals in March followed by a dominant qualifying performance at the NHRA Winternationals that saw the young driver secure her second career No. 1 qualifier. Caruso raced to the semifinals at Pomona and the quarterfinals at Bristol. Her Tequila Comisario Chevrolet has started race day in the top half of the field every race except for two national events.

“My Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro has been running really week in qualifying and I think we can make some good runs in Denver,” said Caruso. “I feel really comfortable in the car and the key is just getting everything to line up on race day like we were able to do in Arizona. This is the last Denver race and Pro Stock isn’t competing at Seattle and Sonoma so I want to leave Denver with some positive momentum going into the back part of the regular season.”

Caruso and the Pro Stock class will have two qualifying runs on Friday at 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and on Saturday they will hit the track at 2:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. The quickest 16 Pro Stock race cars will face off in eliminations at noon MT on Sunday. The race will be broadcast nationally on FOX.