CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 23) — A loose nut inside of the right rear shock was determined to be the culprit in a forgettable start to the 2022 season for Pro Stock driver Troy Coughlin Jr. Fortunately, the problem has been quickly corrected, leaving the third-generation pro anxious to prove himself at this weekend’s NHRA Arizona Nationals. “It was a fluke thing, something that rarely happens, but it’s been fixed by our good friend Adam Lambert at Precision Racing Suspension and we are all very determined to rebound with a big weekend at Wild Horse Motorsports Park,” Coughlin said. “Once the guys started analyzing the data it became apparent something was hurting us early in each pass. It was a simple process of elimination from there and they discovered that loose nut in the right rear shock that had backed-off, which was throwing off the balance of the car. “Phoenix will be the perfect place to get past this and turn in a big result. It’s a long season and there will always be races that don’t live up to your expectations. How we react is key.”

Sun Devil Auto, a local group of service centers in the Phoenix area, will ride prominently on the rear quarter panels of the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro in Phoenix. The Elite team also will host a group of Sun Devil Auto employees on race day to show appreciation for their hard work and dedication to the company. “Great to have Sun Devil Auto on board,” Coughlin said. “We all share a love of drag racing, automobiles and the inner workings of engines and such and it’ll be fun to show them the extreme edge of mechanics we have in our Pro Stock car. It always blows people away, especially those with knowledge of engines, to see the pieces of these massive 500-inch Pro Stock motors. I’m happy to have them come visit. “Mark Ingersoll and the rest of the crew, Kyle Bates, Ricky Calloway, and Kelly Murphy, are the best the business and I fully expect us to be back in contention this weekend. We’ll take nothing for granted and do all the work we need to do each round to put ourselves in the best position possible come race day.”

World of Outlaws CASE Late Models to run at The Rev, March 11-12

MONROE, LA – Feb. 23, 2022 – With traveling teams and fans in mind, heavy persistent rainstorms throughout the week creating oversaturated grounds at Magnolia Motor Speedway and The Rev have forced World of Outlaws and track officials to cancel this weekend’s events.

Both events will not be made up. However, fans can look forward to the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models doubleheader at The Rev, March 11-12.

Those who purchased a ticket in advance to Friday’s event at Magnolia Motor Speedway and Saturday’s event at The Rev will receive a face-value credit to their MyDirtTickets.com account to be used towards any World of Outlaws event available at WorldofOutlaws.com/tix. That credit can be used toward the upcoming World of Outlaws CASE Late Model event at The Rev.

If a credit to your account does not work for you, then you have until March 23 to request a refund. For more details email tickets@dirtcar.com if you have further questions. Click here for refund request.

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series 2022 season resumes at Cotton Bowl Speedway, in Paige, TX, for the Texas Two-Step on March 4-5. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 27, 2022) – Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team earned their second consecutive victory Sunday at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. John Force moved the PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevy Camaro SS to seventh in points with a semifinal finish while Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team had a quarterfinal appearance and Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster had a first round exit. For the first time in his career, Robert Hight and the Auto Club Chevy team have started the season with back-to-back victories as they worked their way to the 55th win of Hight’s career, his second at the Arizona Nationals. The three-time championship team started the day in the No.2 qualifying position racing Paul Lee. Hight would handle his Chevrolet to a 3.864-second pass at 329.42 mph while Lee would smoke the tires for a 9.484 setting Hight up to run against long-time rival Bob Tasca III. The Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham led Auto Club team would rally to 3.855-second pass at 330.55 mph to send Tasca’s 3.922 at 332.84 packing. With the win, Hight would have a semifinals battle against boss and 16-time champion John Force. Hight would keep it consistent, taking his Auto Club Funny Car to a 3.847-second pass at 326.63 mph while Force would struggle keeping traction to run 7.231 at 86.59. In the finals it would be John Force Racing versus Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) as Hight lined up with Matt Hagan. Hight would deliver another on par run at 3.837-seconds and 330.39 mph to deny TSR their first team win. Hagan would have a 4.045-second pass at 267.00 mph after shutting off near the 600-foot mark. “This is amazing. You have no idea what it’s like to win one race. I still feel that the Funny Car class is the toughest class out here. From top to bottom, it’s stacked and any given weekend, anyone could step up and win. So, to go and win two in a row in this day and age, that is amazing,” Hight said. “And if you look back to this strong string of runs that we’re on: five in a row at Auto Club Raceway in the .80s, come her and have seven runs in the .80s, that’s pretty impressive what Jimmy and Chris and the whole Auto Club team came up with over the winter. Even yesterday when the track was 107° and we went up there and ran .84, you don’t surprise Jimmy very often, and that run surprised him, and it surprised me too. I’m very fortunate to drive this thing right now. It’s what you dream about and it’s not going to get any easier from here on out. You’ve got big battles – last weekend with Capps, this weekend with Hagan, and you’re going to see a lot of these battles all year long. We just hope we’re up for it.” The turnaround continued for John Force and the BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevy as they pedaled their way to a 4.250-second pass at 211.93 mph to better Jeff Arend’s 5.950 at 116.09. In the second round, Force would catch reigning world champion Ron Capps on the starting line. Force’s 3.902 at 329.42 with a .052 reaction time would better Capps’ 3.869 at 327.74 and a .121 reaction time.  The win pitted Force against teammate and president of John Force Racing Robert Hight in the semifinals. Force would run into tire smoke for only a 7.231-second run at 86.59 in the PEAK Chevy while Hight would run 3.847 at 326.63. “Not a bad weekend for this PEAK Chevy. Qualified decent you know, right there at No. 3,” Force said. “We went some rounds and if I have to lose, well then, I’d rather it be to Robert and that Auto Club car. They’re really something right now, and Brittany and Austin, they’re right in it too. We’ll keep on building, keep working. Danny Hood, Tim Fabrisi, they really pour themselves into this car. So, I’m looking forward to getting to Gainesville and going after it again.” Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac team picked things up from qualifying to lay down an impressive 3.694-second pass at 321.96 mph in their first round of eliminations to end the day for Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / RMT team and their 4.105 at 248.02. The victory would line Force up with rival and four-time reigning champion Steve Torrence in the quarterfinals. Despite having solid reaction times throughout the start of the NHRA Camping World season, Force would come up short on a hole shot loss to Torrence. Force would handle the Flav-R-Pac dragster to a 3.709-second run at 330.31 mph with a .132 reaction time but be bettered by Torrence’s 3.710 at 325.92 with a .075 light. “Tough day for this Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team out here in a Phoenix. We qualified sixth and lined up with Austin Prock first round. We got past him but got beat in the second round. It was driver error. It’s tough – I got beat on a holeshot. We’ll pack up and head to the next one, put this one behind us and move forward.” Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / RMT team have their race day cut short after their woes from qualifying follow them into first round. Qualified No. 11 and matched with teammate Brittany Force in the first round, Prock would pedal to a 4.105-second pass at 248.02 mph but it wouldn’t be enough for Force’s 3.671 at 333.49. “Not the weekend we wanted but it was a weekend of growth. We learned a lot and had a tough first round match-up with Brittany. We had to go out there with our guns loaded and try to run a 3.65. We left hard and had the best sixty-foot on anyone all weekend, but the tires just came loose,” Prock said. “It was a good opportunity for me to learn and I got it to recover and got it down there. I learned a little bit on my end and the crew chiefs learned. We’re going to go to Gainesville and try to go to the finals again.” The 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season continues March 11-13 with the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 26, 2022) – Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team were consistent throughout qualifying at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park to secure the No. 2 position on Saturday evening. John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevy are just behind Hight sitting No. 3. In Top Fuel, Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy dragster improved to No. 6 while Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team are No. 11. Hight and the Auto Club team continued to perform at a high-caliber Saturday going 3.848-seconds at 330.47 mph to be quickest of the session and gain three bonus qualifying points. In the final session, just after being bumped into the No. 2 spot, Hight would maintain his consistency to take the Auto Club Chevy to an impressive 3.839 pass at 333.00 mph that would come up second quickest for an additional two points. They’ll enter race day No. 2 off their Friday night 3.838-second run.  “I said I didn’t think that 3.838 from Friday was going to hold, but I’m proud of how this Auto Club Chevy is running,” said Hight who will face Paul Lee first round. “It’s all about being consistent. That’s how you win races and how you win championships. Right now, after these two weekends so far, we have the best of both worlds, quick and consistent. It’s a dream come true to drive a car like this. It’s been a while.” John Force and the BlueDEF PLATINUM team are qualified No. 3 thanks to their 3.851-second run at 332.02 mph from Friday night. Saturday, the PEAK team had a couple of bouts with tire smoke first going 8.530-seconds at 74.66 mph and then 9.074-seconds at 78.11 mph. “We’ll get it figured out. This PEAK team with Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi. We’ll be okay. We’re in the show, might not have been pretty but we made it,” said Force who will line up with Jeff Arend first round. “We’re all in. Just going to keep fighting our way through. Robert looks good over there with Auto Club and Brittany with Flav-R-Pac and Austin with Montana Brand, the have Frank Tiegs here getting to see his cars run. We’ll put on a show tomorrow for all these fans that came out here.” Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac dragster team improved Saturday going 3.694-seconds at 321.96 mph to start the day as the quickest of the pack and pick up three-bonus points. They would move themselves into the No. 3 position before putting a holeout to run 3.799 at 300.20 in the third session and being bumped to No. 6. “Wrapping up qualifying and ended up number six so, unfortunately, we face our teammate Austin Prock,” Force said. “Overall looking at the weekend, yes, we did struggle, but we also qualified No. 2 for the Pep Boys NHRA All-Star Top Fuel Callout that’s happening in Gainesville in a couple weeks so that’s good news. Even though we struggled, anything can happen. I’ve got a solid team with David Grubnic and Mac Savage. We have some things to work out, and I’m hoping we can do that tomorrow first round and have a long race day.” Coming into the day sitting No. 13, Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / RMT team kept things interesting by going 4.915-seconds at 145.52 mph and being bumped out of the top-16 in their first run of the day. In their last effort, Prock handled the Montana Brand / RMT dragster to a 3.739 pass at 324.83 with an engine explosion to jump into the No. 11 spot. “This Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team struggled the first two runs this weekend,” Prock said. “We made a decent last one, but we destroyed pretty much every component on the race car, so we’re pretty frustrated with that. But we’ll be here late tonight and be ready to go in the morning.” Eliminations at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. Television coverage of eliminations will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and air at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 25, 2022) – Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team found themselves in the low qualifier position once again Friday night at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevy picked things up to land in the No. 2 spot. In Top Fuel, Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster team are currently No. 4 while Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team are sitting No. 13. Coming off a win and No. 2 qualifying position at the season-opening Winternationals, Robert Hight and the Auto Club Chevy team didn’t skip a beat rocketing to a 3.838-second pass at 332.18 mph, mimicking their efforts from one week prior when they ended Friday night in the No. 1 spot. “It’s a good feeling to have this Auto Club team come out here and run like this. Just about every run we’ve made down the track this whole year has been in the 3.80s, so that’s pretty impressive, but we’re under really good conditions. You know when you come to Phoenix and the temperatures are like this, you better hold on,” Hight said. “Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham did a really good job and hit it just right. We had a really good run to come off of, the final round we ran 3.861 in Pomona, and we had just been here two weeks ago testing and we ran 3.86. We knew we were going to have to step it up but we also had the luxury, when you’re in the back of the pack, to be able to watch what the other cars are doing and plan ahead, and we did that.” Looking to make a complete turnaround from their season opener results, John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF Chevy laid down a stout 3.851-second pass at 332.02 mph as the second pair down the racetrack. Their pass would put a target on their back as the rest of the 16-car field took their try. It would take teammate Robert Hight as the last pair to bump the 16-time champion into the No. 2 spot. “I’m alive. It was a good day. That’s better,” Force said. “Unless something crazy happens, we’re in the show. That’s all that matters. Let’s you breathe easier knowing you have two passes tomorrow that you can use to get ready for race day. This PEAK Chevrolet, it ran good, consistent, here at testing too so I’m feeling good.” After finishing runner-up a week prior, Austin Prock and his Montana Brand / RMT dragster team ran into tire smoke but they weren’t alone. Their 5.886-second pass at 107.56 mph was still enough for the No. 4 position. “Not the ideal start, especially coming off of last weekend, but we got thrown some really tough track conditions. It was getting cool, and the track was getting really tight really fast with the sun coming down,” Prock said. “We made it through the trouble areas where everyone else was throwing up, tried to send a bomb at it and the track wouldn’t take it. For not going down the track, this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team is pretty happy because we know why. Tomorrow we’re going to go up there and do what we did in Pomona.” Most of the 15-car Top Fuel field had issues with the cooling racetrack. That included track record holder Brittany Force and her Flav-R-Pac dragster team. It would be almost immediate smoke as they coasted to an 8.667-second pass a 78.28 mph to sit No. 13. “Coming out of Pomona, we found some problems with this Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy dragster that we think we’ve fixed coming into Arizona,” Force said. “Unfortunately, we struggled on that first run, a lot of people did. It was a great track, but we didn’t get the car down there. We get two more tomorrow and we’ll push and get it moved up.” Qualifying at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park continues Saturday with runs at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. Television coverage will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning with qualifying shows Saturday at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb 24, 2022) – Now in his 47th career NHRA season, John Force and his PEAK / BlueDEF Platinum Chevrolet Camaro SS team enter this weekend’s Arizona Nationals optimistic as they head to a track at which Force has unprecedented success. Coming off a disappointing performance in the season-opening Winternationals where hequalified 16th and had a first-round exit, Force and his PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevy team will try to get back on track at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, a track on which he was quickest in pre-season testing just two weeks ago. “Pomona, home track, that was difficult. Not the showing we wanted but as a team owner, it was a good weekend, Brittany with Flav-R-Pac and Monster No. 1, Robert and Auto Club with the win and Austin getting Montana Brand into the finals,” Force said. “This PEAK BlueDEF team, we know we’ll be okay. Something just didn’t quite add up in Pomona, but I know Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi, they have this Chevrolet dialed in. We showed what we could do at testing. So, I’m not worried. I’m excited.” Force not only dominated testing, but he has won more races at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park than anyone else. His eight wins (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2005) are three more than anyone else in any category. From 1994 through 2002, he missed the final round only once in 1998. In addition to his eight wins, he has been runner-up six times, most recently in 2016. He has started the Arizona Nationals from the No. 1 qualifying position eight times (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2010 and 2014). In 2020, his most recent appearance at Phoenix, he reached the semifinals. “A lot of good racing at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park,” Force said. “I’m looking forward to seeing the fans, we haven’t had the chance to put on a show for them in two years. It’ll be good to be back. We’ll put on a show and hopefully get this PEAK Chevy in the winner’s circle. It’s the plan, it’s always the plan, just gotta go out there one run at a time and get it done.” Qualifying at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park begins Friday with the first session at 5 p.m. and continues Saturday with runs at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. Television coverage will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning with qualifying shows Saturday at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 24, 2022) – Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster team are mixing things up in the NHRA Top Fuel category. Heading to the NHRA Arizona Nationals, the second race on the Camping World Drag Racing Series tour, sitting No. 2 in points, Prock and his team are proving they more than deserve to be amongst the Top Fuel elite. After nearly two years out of the seat, Prock raised eyebrows on the final day of pre-season testing when his Montana Brand / RMT dragster team made two promising passes, including a 3.685-second pass at 333.66 mph that would be the best of the Top Fuel class. The testing performance was only a prerequisite to what the team would accomplish at the season-opening Winternationals. Prock would qualify No. 4 before taking the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist dragster to the runner-up finish, only narrowly dropping the final to Justin Ashley in a battle between the 2019 and 2020 winners of the Auto Club’s Road to the Future Award.  “It’s been a great start to the year. This Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team was pulled together quickly but we’ve put in the work and I thought we did an excellent job in Pomona,” Prock said. “I’m really happy with how this year has started. It’s going to be a long, fun year and I’m really looking forward to it. We have some good momentum coming from the last two weekends.” This will only be Prock’s third competitive appearance at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, however, Prock made his first pass in a Top Fuel dragster at the facility. Prock earned his Top Fuel license in a frenzy ahead of his rookie 2019 season on the final day of testing in Arizona. In his first competitive try at Wild Horse Pass, Prock would qualifying sixth before making a quarterfinal appearance. In 2020 Prock would have a first-round exit. “I’m looking forward to Phoenix. It’s a special spot for me, it’s where I got my Top Fuel license in 2019,” Prock said. “Now I’m back, living my dream again and I’m pumped. We’re coming off two really good weekends including testing here. It’s going to be a good weekend. I think this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team has a lot of really good weekends in its future.” Qualifying at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park begins Friday with the first session at 5 p.m. and continues Saturday with runs at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. Television coverage will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning with qualifying shows Saturday at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 24, 2022) – Brittany Force will change things up at this weekend’s NHRA Arizona Nationals running her Flav-R-Pac Frozen Fruits and Vegetables livery for the first time in the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. Heading to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park sitting No. 3 in the points standings, the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team will be looking to capitalize on their season-opening success. Seeming to pick up right where they left off, Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac team are coming off a strong season-opening performance at the Winternationals. The David Grubnic and Mac Savage led team entered race day from No. 1 for the 33rd time in Force’s career and the 19th time in her last 30 starts. “I’m glad to have the first race of the season under my belt. This Flav-R-Pac team had a good weekend at our season opener in Pomona with a No. 1 qualifier and semi-final round appearance,” Force said. “We have a great team around us with David Grubnic, Mac Savage and all our guys. We’re working well together and I’m very proud of what we accomplished at the Winternationals.” Force will be trying to earn John Force Racing’s first win at the Arizona Nationals outside of the Funny Car class. Although she has not yet won the event, she did reach the final round in 2014, 2016 and 2017. In her most recent appearance, she set both ends of the track record (3.643 seconds at 337.92 mph on Feb. 23, 2020) before a quarterfinal exit. “Our Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team just came from testing at Wild Horse Pass and David Grubnic and Mac Savage liked our numbers. So, we all feel confident returning to that track,” Force said. “I’m looking for a strong weekend and our first win of the season.” Qualifying at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park begins Friday with the first session at 5 p.m. and continues Saturday with runs at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. Television coverage will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning with qualifying shows Saturday at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET.

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 24, 2022) – Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team are on top of their game as they head to the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park Feb. 25-27. The Auto Club team enter the second of 22 events on the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season riding the momentum of a win at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. It was a statement 54th career victory for Hight and the Auto Club team at the NHRA season-opening Winternationals after finishing 2021 unsatisfied in the No. 8 position. Now the points leader, Hight, with Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham at the helm of his Chevrolet, has already extended to 17 the number of seasons in which he has won at least one tour event. The three-time championship team heads to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park just two weeks after a successful pre-season test session at the facility that led to their victory last weekend. “That wasn’t a lot of fun last year. Since Jimmy Prock came back, we’ve been in the thick of things every year. Won two championships, set records,” Hight said. “These Auto Club guys stayed focused, worked really hard in the off season and looked at what bit us last year. If you look at our runs in testing and what we did in Pomona, I think they’ve found it and they’ve fixed it. I’m happy. We definitely have more consistency than we had last year. I can only see it getting better.” Hight has won at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports once in an all-JFR showdown with then teammate Mike Neff in 2012. He was the runner-up at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in 2007, 2008 and 2014 and was the No. 1 qualifier in 2007 and 2019. He earned the No. 1 spot in 2007 with a time of 4.636 seconds that remains the quickest ever at the quarter mile distance at which races were contested until June of 2008. In his most recent Arizona appearance in 2020, he qualified No. 3 before being upset in the first round. “I feel really good about going to Arizona this weekend. It’s hard not to. We had a great test session here just a couple weeks ago and last weekend with the win,” Hight said. “We know it’s not going to be easy, going after wins and ultimately a championship. We have to work race by race, run by run. This Auto Club Chevy team is up to the task though. We’re on a mission, we’re focused and we’re going to do the best we can.” Qualifying at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park begins Friday with the first session at 5 p.m. and continues Saturday with runs at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations are slated for 11 a.m. on Sunday. Television coverage will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning with qualifying shows Saturday at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Feb 22, 2022 | Featured, Julie Nataas, Race Results

Randy Meyer Racing’s Julie Nataas started her 2022 NHRA season with a quarterfinal finish this weekend at 62nd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals after defeating Trevor Larkin in the first round.

Nataas started out qualifying with two tire-smoking efforts, but Randy Meyer dug deep for the final session and tuned her dragster to a 5.289-second pass at 277.20 mph.

Going into raceday in the No. 5 qualifying spot, Julie faced up against No. 12 qualifier Trevor Larkin. Julie crossed the finish line, going low the round, with a stout 5.214, 276.92 to defeat Larkin’s 5.539, 248.02. That run would give her lane choice over her second-round competitor Madison Payne. 

Second round, Julie unfortunately turned on the red light against Payne. Although she went red, Julie still laid down an exceptional 5.294, 241.41 to Payne’s 5.619, 221.38.

“I always love starting the season at my favorite track, but we didn’t have the weekend we wanted,” said Julie. “We struggled a little getting down the track in qualifying. Randy turned it around for our last qualifier and we were able to qualify in the top part of the field. Unfortunately, we had an early exit with a red light DQ. It was not the way I wanted to start the season. At least we know we have a really good car going into Belle Rose, LA this weekend.I have put the red light behind me and ready to put the OTG/Right Trailers/Lucas Oil dragster in the winners circle for the first time in 2022.”

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES FIRESTONE GRAND PRIX OF ST. PETERSBURG STREETS OF ST. PETERSBURG, FL TEAM CHEVY DRIVER PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT FEBRUARY 22, 2022 WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON 5G TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET, was the guest on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES ZOOM conference with motorsports media. Full transcript: THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. Great to see everyone here today. As you know, it’s race week for the NTT INDYCAR Series. Sunday the season opener on the streets of St. Petersburg for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Pete presented by RP Funding.
Our guest today know a thing or two about winning at St. Pete. Joining us, Will Power, who will be in the No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet. Power won at St. Pete back in 2014, but also a remarkable nine-time pole winner on the street layout, and it is great to have Will with us.
THE MODERATOR: Will, the wait is over. How much do you look forward to going back to St. Pete for the opener?WILL POWER: Yeah, very much looking forward to it. I’ve been training very hard in the off-season. I reckon the team has found some pretty good stuff, so has Chevy, so it’s a track I love.I didn’t have a very good qualifying there last year, so looking to make it to that Firestone Fast Six and more so looking to contend for the win.
THE MODERATOR: I’m assuming that is a treasured item behind you; is that the St. Pete surfboard you’ve got there?WILL POWER: Yes, it is. It’s right there. I want to get another one. Helio has got three of them, if you can believe it. And he’s got four 500s. Just between them, three of them and four 500s.  He’s still going, still going. It’s unbelievable, man.
Q.Obviously you’ve been in this a long time, still competing, eyeing records, Will the all-time pole record in the NTT INDYCAR Series, do you ever get nostalgic about the way your career has gone and continued to go?WILL POWER: Yeah, I look back on my career and I just feel so blessed and lucky to have had a career in INDYCAR and have been successful. And to be with the team, with Penske for this long, yeah, I look back and feel like, man, it’s just very, very fortunate.And also to have raced and been teammates with guys like Helio who will be regarded as one of the all-time greats, four Indy 500 wins, and he taught me a lot. I always say it, when he left Penske, he was the quickest I had ever seen him.When I first came there I was very fast, and Helio kept getting quicker and quicker and quicker and I couldn’t match him when he was at his best. Yep, cool for him to be back full time. I think it’s great at his age. I think that is just so awesome that he’s still performing at this level.
THE MODERATOR: Man, I just heard the phrase “at his age” about Helio. Just sayin’.WILL POWER: I think it’s great for anyone in their 40s. If Helio is still as fast as he is, I have zero, he, no excuses, no excuses.
Q.To be able to start the season the week after the Daytona 500, it kind of adds a little momentum for the INDYCAR start because the two big races in the same state separated a week apart. What do you think of having it like that from here on out?WILL POWER: Yeah, I didn’t even — yeah, okay. Yeah, usually we’re a week or two later than this.
Q.Sometimes even later.WILL POWER: Yeah, it’s good. I think now that NASCAR and INDYCAR has collaborated a little bit with the INDYCAR road course race, there’s a little bit of crossover there with the fans.Hopefully that brings more viewers and more spectators to the track. Yeah, it’s good for motorsport as a whole. The more popular motorsport becomes, the better it is for all of us, not matter the series.Yep, hoping to see a full crowd there, full capacity. It’s been a couple years. I think it’ll be a great weekend.
Q.Will, obviously you’ve been extremely successful at St. Pete. What do you put that down to?WILL POWER: Yeah, you can never put it down to just one thing. I’d say there’s been — I’ve raced there in many different styles of cars, as INDYCAR has evolved and changed over the years. The setups have been quite different. It’s a technical track, but you know, it’s like any other track. You’ve got to get all the little bits right, all the sectors right, and obviously the setup right. Then it’s up to you to put the lap together.Yeah, I think that track I’ve had more poles there than any other track, so there might be something to just — flows well for me there that those happen. Like Indianapolis for Helio, just seems to flow well for him. But, yeah, I can’t really say there’s one particular thing that makes me quick there.
WILL POWER: I was going to say to you I can’t believe — Helio has been up on me and he’s about to get the pole, and I get him always in Turn 10. I don’t know what it is. I did that to Newgarden, as well, got him by 100th. Last year I didn’t see the exit wall and I bent the toe link and I crashed over the finish line. I tried to get it flat and it was all wobbly and I it spun, so it finally got me.
Q.I know you think very highly of INDYCAR and you believe it’s one of the strongest series in the world. It’s at this weird place right now where it’s growing and it’s bigger and European drivers want to come to INDYCAR. But at the same time, Herta and O’Ward want to go to F1. What is INDYCAR right now to you guys? When you look at the series, where do you think it stacks up?WILL POWER: Yeah, you know, obviously Formula 1 is the pinnacle when you look at the level of money and television coverage around the world that it has. So if you’re a young driver, it’s somewhere you would love to go and have experienced that series.But as far as competing and competition and parity, there’s no other open wheel series in the world like INDYCAR. It is more competitive than Formula 1, not because the drivers are better but simply because the cars are all exactly the same. You’ve got so many drivers and teams that have been around for so long in these same cars that it is really, really tough.You don’t even have to take my word for that. Just look at the practice sheets and the qualifying times. You can mathematically work that out yourself, that INDYCAR is more competitive than Formula 1.Formula 1 you compete possibly just against one person, which is your teammate, but maybe this year they have more parity. The drivers are not — I’m not saying that INDYCAR drivers are better. That’s not true. I’m just saying that the formula is more competitive, and I think the formula is better for fans, honestly. You never know who’s going to win.However, because of the different styles of tracks, with ovals, with short ovals, with street courses, you definitely blend so many different talents, and you can still have, as we have today, drivers just not going for one style of racing.You create more competition, create more buzz, and yes, that’s why INDYCAR has continued going on the right direction.Now, with Penske Corp taking care of the series, hopefully now with the pandemic just passed over, I do believe INDYCAR can concentrate to becoming what it used to be 30 years ago, 30, 40 years ago.
Q.Will, it seems like over the last few years you’ve really come on strong the middle to the end of the season, and you’ve always felt that if you had a strong start to the season you’d be more of a championship contender. Is that your mindset going into this weekend, is you have to fire off on the season really, really well?WILL POWER: Yeah, I was like that last year, as well. Yes, very focused on the beginning of the season. I have to say I feel like I’m fitter than I was last year. I feel — like I said before, I think the team has done some good development.I think Chevy has found some good stuff, as well, on the drivability side. We’ll see. I’m maximum effort. Every race counts for the same amount of points. But that is true, for whatever reason we have struggled early in the season.Not last year. I guess we had a couple of good results early on and then it wasn’t that special. But, yeah, can’t really — we’ve looked at every reason why that is. I feel like I’ve got a very good crew. I’ve got all the stuff, all the tools available to start really strong, and, yeah, be a contender from the beginning.
Q.Why do you feel like you’re more fit than you’ve ever been? Did you change something up over the off-season? Are you doing a different workout routine?WILL POWER: Yeah, well, slightly different, yes. You know, obviously the science is changing all the time and there’s new ways, better ways, more efficient ways to work out.Definitely stronger and fitter than I have been. I wouldn’t say ever. I’ve been pretty high at some times, but right there. I’m stronger for sure and just as fit.
Q.The last three years, the winner of the season opener has gone on to win the championship. Do you feel like — one, why is that, and do you think that that can be the same case again this year, that our winner this weekend could eventually be the champion?WILL POWER: Yeah, I reckon what happens is that you don’t — for one, you’re way more focused because you’re leading the championship and you’re focused on not making a mistake instead of focused on trying to win.I think that’s some of the psychology behind it, is that you’re not trying to claw back. You set a pretty good base, boom, you’ve got big points and you adjust, nicely maintaining those points instead of desperately trying to claw back to get back in the game.I reckon that’s some of the reason that that happens.
Q.The new marketing campaign target fans not just in the Midwest, but seems to challenge fans outside of that market from where I am in New York to Texas. And if you had to let’s say have 15 to 30 seconds to pitch the series to someone that doesn’t know about INDYCAR, what would you say and what can fans expect to see in 2022?WILL POWER: Yeah, you’re not going to find a more competitive racing series in the world. You know, it’s open wheel racing, so they’re purpose-built race cars. We go to tracks like Indianapolis where in qualifying we’re doing 240 miles an hour and 300,000 people will be watching on race day.We need to get it out there as much as possible because the product is so good and you race on so many different disciplines. You have road courses, street courses, superspeedways, and Bullring short ovals.You never know who’s going to win, you never know who’s going to be on pole, and you really don’t know who’s going to win the championship until the last race and sometimes the last lap.It’s a great product, and it has been growing over the last decade. It’s like significantly grown since I started in INDYCAR, and the teams and the drivers are the highest standard that I’ve ever seen.It’s a great series. It really is. It’s a great series, and I hope that we continue to push to get it out to the public.
Q.Will, what do you think about the situation that befell you’re your compatriot Oscar Piastri? Year after year this guy became the F2 and F3 champion and still didn’t get to Formula 1. Wouldn’t it be better for Europeans if Oscar was in an INDYCAR this season?WILL POWER: Yeah, I think I understand your question. Yeah, Oscar Piastri certainly deserved to be in Formula 1 this year having won back-to-back titles in Formula 3, then F2 first year out as a rookie.And then not to be in Formula 1, to me the system is sort of broken. Why? Why do they spend all this money to run something like F2 and you win the championship the first year, and I’m going to say the budget for that has got to be 2 million Euros or something like this, and not get a Formula 1 seat?I think he deserves to be in Formula 1. He should be in Formula 1. I can understand why he wouldn’t want to come over to INDYCAR, because he’s worked his whole career. I’d have to say I was kind of disappointed that he didn’t get a ride.So we’ll see what happens. It’s a total travesty if he doesn’t end up in Formula 1 next year because then he’ll probably won’t ever end up in Formula 1, which is just such a shame.
Q.What have you and Team Penske learned from the race in Detroit last year?WILL POWER: I heard Detroit, so it must have had something to do with the car not starting. Yeah, that was massively disappointing. I so badly wanted to win that. It was such a hot day, too, so I would have got to go dive in that fountain.It would have been perfect. I don’t want to win on a cold day where you’ve got to get in the fountain. I want to win on a hot, hot day like that. Had I won, man, five to go, I mean, Ah, how bad is that?
Q.We have a Chevy driver here. How do you think the engine competition is going to play out this season? Do you feel it in general depends on the type of tracks? Have you in the Chevy camp found something?WILL POWER: Yeah, it’s definitely — I would say it’s very close. Very, very close. Yes, we have definitely improved our engine on the drivability side, there’s no question. We certainly have more tools at our disposal in that respect.Very close. Very, very close. I mean, we’ve seen Honda be a bit better at some of the tighter street courses, but obviously in qualifying at Indy, a Honda has been better recently. But it’s very close. No one has a big advantage. It’s pretty good.It’s going to be interesting. It’s going to be definitely a big battle again this year, Chevy against Honda. That’s why it’s become so competitive, the series, because even the best scenario, INDYCAR makes sure that everybody is running really, really close and it comes up to the teams, it comes up to the drivers in the end, and that’s why it’s competitive.
Q.Will, your reflection on Penske culture?WILL POWER: Yeah, it starts from the top down. You see the way Roger runs his corporation, the business, any business that he’s in, and like he always says, it’s human capital. It’s the people that you invest in. He always has a very good team at the top, and that filters all the way down through the whole organization to really anyone doing anything within the shop.Great people preparing the cars. You’ve got great people doing development behind the scenes, and you’re expected to win. Roger expects the team to win. That’s why last year was so disappointing on the INDYCAR side, because we did win but we didn’t win enough, and we weren’t competitive enough at Indianapolis.Certainly went into this last off-season really, really digging deep, and the whole team looked at everything and has done some great development.Hopefully that translates on to the track. It’s a super competitive series and environment right now, so you can never know. But Roger expects all of us on the INDYCAR side to be contending for a championship.
Q.It was March 13, 2020, when this race got shut down because of COVID. At that time I think there was like five cases in Hillsboro County and there was a lot of panic back then. At that particular time only the die-hards knew who Alex Palou was and Jimmie Johnson was a NASCAR driver. Here we are two years later, Jimmie Johnson is an INDYCAR driver, Alex Palou is an INDYCAR champion. Talk about how different the world is today in INDYCAR than it was at this point two years ago before the shutdown.WILL POWER: Yeah, I mean, it’s not really — I would say it’s only got more competitive. I mean, yeah, obviously Palou is a champion. No one knew who he was in 2020, and Jimmie Johnson is running full-time in INDYCAR, even doing the ovals. Yeah, things changed very quickly.But as far as the competition and the teams, it’s pretty similar. Everyone has had this car for quite a while, and they’ve developed it to the nth degree. That’s why you’re seeing these ridiculously close qualifying sessions and a different winner every week and different pole sitter every week. Yeah, it’s making a very interesting series.
Q.Are you amazed in spite of the pandemic that INDYCAR flourished both on track and financially?WILL POWER: I reckon you couldn’t really name — well, you could name more than 10 drivers almost. You could almost name 10 guys that you would say would be a contender for the championship, so it’s anyone’s guess really.You know Newgarden will be up there. You know that Palou coming in for his third year will be up there. Herta, Rossi, the two McLaren drivers, the Rahal drivers, the Shank drivers. There’s so many good guys now, it’s really, really, really hard to pick.
THE MODERATOR: One of the best in St. Pete. Hopefully that continues this weekend. Thank you so much for your time.

The Greatest Show on Dirt Returns to Two Early-Season Favorites

COLUMBUS, MS – February 22, 2022 – One weekend on the sidelines was more than enough; It’s time to get the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series back on track.

A Dirty South doubleheader awaits The Greatest Show on Dirt this weekend with a pair of second-ever appearances coming in Mississippi and Louisiana. It’s the first of 36 consecutive weeks of racing as the Series’ 90-race grind gets underway.

Magnolia Motor Speedway has first honors with a Friday night under the lights in Columbus, MS. A four-hour ride to the west takes teams to The Rev in Monroe, LA for a Saturday night showdown.

MAGNOLIA TICKETS (Friday)
THE REV TICKETS (Saturday)

Before DIRTVision brings you all the coverage, let’s look at some of the top storylines entering this weekend.

WHO’S NEXT: For the 27th time in 45 seasons and third consecutive year, the World of Outlaws has opened a season with at least three different winners to get the ball rolling. Fresh off the DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park, fans saw a trio of triumphs split by Donny Schatz, Sheldon Haudenschild, David Gravel.

Plenty of other stout options remains viable to keep the streak alive with names like Brad Sweet, Carson Macedo, Logan Schuchart, James McFadden, Kasey Kahne, Spencer Bayston, Kraig Kinser, Jacob Allen, Brock Zearfoss, Jason Sides, Bill Rose, Noah Gass, and others still chasing their first checkered flag of 2022 this weekend.

The all-time record remains eight different winners to start the 2015 season – Pittman, Schatz, Sweet, Stewart, McCarl, Brown, Kaeding, Abreu.

MAG-NIFICENT: For being known as a Late Model track, The Mag sure brings the Sprint Car faithful out in droves when the World of Outlaws comes to town. Last year’s Series debut at the Mississippi gumbo 1/3-mile was met with plenty of fanfare as Logan Schuchart and Shark Racing saw their perfect night stopped by Sheldon Haudenschild thanks to a late-race slidejob in lap traffic aboard the NOS Energy Drink #17.

REV-VED UP: Transitioning from asphalt to dirt, The Rev enjoyed a national coming-out party last year when David Gravel & Brad Sweet fought tooth and nail in a race of the year contender which featured 13 lead changes. Both fans and racers alike have high hopes for this return to country-music star Dylan Scott’s promotion on Saturday night.

STARTING STRONG: Only four drivers escaped Volusia’s DIRTcar Nationals with a top-10 finish in every Feature, and more specifically, only one man left with a top-five finish from every night. That momentum will be crucial in carrying these teams through the early portion of the 90-race schedule.

• David Gravel and Big Game Motorsports unloaded out of the box with immense speed, scoring a fourth, a second with a broken shock, and a dominating win to start the year with the Big Gator Championship. Now the Watertown, CT native returns to the site of one of his most impressive 2021 victories with a chance to keep the streak alive.
• Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing backed up their second-half performance of 2021 by starting the new year with a season-opening win at Volusia. The 10-time Series champion is at full strength aboard the Advance Auto Parts, Carquest Auto Parts, Ford Performance #15 with wins and consistency the only thing on his mind.
• Sheldon Haudenschild and Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing had no luck at Volusia in 2021 but pulled a 180 to leave Florida with finishes of 10th, first & fourth this year. The NOS Energy Drink #17 now returns to The Mag as the defending winner with a chance to become the first repeat winner of the new season.
• James McFadden and Roth Motorsports immediately clicked with their new partnership beginning with runs of ninth, sixth, and third at Volusia. After missing the opening six races of last year, the Australian is bound and determined to fully capitalize on a complete World of Outlaws campaign in 2022.

REDEMPTION: For Kasey Kahne, this weekend allows an opportunity to redeem himself from last year’s trip to these tracks and his last run at Volusia. He suffered a violent crash into the fence during the Last Chance Showdown on Saturday, February 12, but has taken his extra time off to recover and make sure he’ll be at 100% for round four of 90+ in his first full-time attempt with the World of Outlaws.

When it comes to The Mag & The Rev, these southern venues saw two of Kahne’s most brilliant moments in 2021 when he subbed for James McFadden aboard the Karavan Trailers #9. The Enumclaw, WA native drove all the way from 23rd to fifth at The Mag and earned the pole position at The Rev before finishing sixth. This year, it’s about finishing the job and securing his first-career Series win.

‘TIL YOU CAN’T: The Dirty South Swing brings Noah Gass of Mounds, OK back to the site of his first-ever World of Outlaws appearance at The Mag and his first-ever World of Outlaws Feature start at The Rev. The only difference in that 365-day span is this time the ambitious 18 year old is returning as a full-time competitor with the Series.

Along with crew chief Cody Cordell & Robby McQuinn, Gass’ decision to dive headfirst into the pool of Outlaws can be as simple as looking at Cody Johnson’s hit single ‘Til You Can’t. They’ve got a chance and they’ve taken it.

REBOUND RATE: For half of last year’s top-10 championship finishers, it wasn’t exactly the start to 2022 they had dreamed of at DIRTcar Nationals. This weekend’s stop at Magnolia and The Rev is their next chance to rebound and build their momentum with a long season ahead.

• Fresh off a championship podium in 2021, Carson Macedo and Jason Johnson Racing struggled to get the new year going with the only highlight of Volusia being a fourth-place finish on Friday. The Albaugh #41 boys look for new at The Mag and The Rev, where a DNF & seventh-place run plagued them in 2021.
• A DNF in Friday’s Feature at Volusia stole Logan Schuchart’s chance at scoring three top-10 finishes to start the year. The good news for the Shark Racing, DuraMax #1S is that this team was dominant at Magnolia last year, nearly sweeping the night before ending up second to Haudenschild.
• Kraig Kinser’s results of 22nd, 19th & 23rd are not indicative of the speed in the Mesilla Valley Transportation #11K. The Bloomington, IN native was running second on the final night at Volusia and tracking down leader David Gravel before a lost tire sent him careening into the wall.
• Brock Zearfoss of Jonestown, PA consistently improved at Volusia, upping his game from 17th to 14th to 11th by the final night. The #3Z driver ended 2021 with a stellar runner-up result at Charlotte and looks to relocate that speed and build his momentum sooner rather than later in 2022.
• Jacob Allen battled an up-and-down week between DNFs and top-five finishes at Volusia. The Mag and The Rev offer a chance at consistent stability for the Hanover, PA native as he continues to run the Bobby Allen #1A tribute design in 2022.

NEW CHALLENGE: Of 15 full-time Outlaws, Spencer Bayston of Lebanon, IN, Bill Rose of Plainfield, IN, and James McFadden of Alice Springs, NT are the only three that will face The Mag and The Rev for the first time this weekend. That number was drastically different last year when the Series debuted at both tracks, but now the majority have turned laps and built a notebook at these southern circles.

For Bayston, the leading Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year contender can at least lean on his CJB Motorsports #5 crew chief Barry Jackson, who raced at both tracks last year with Brent Marks at the wheel. For Rose, who is returning to full-time status after a 2021 season spent recovering from surgery, he’ll head into this weekend looking to regain some momentum. For McFadden, he missed last year’s race while traveling from Australia, but has the advantage of building off strong runs by Kahne in the #9.

OUTSIDERS VS. OUTLAWS: Along with the standard cast of characters of full-time Outlaws, a group of invaders will join the swing through the Dirty South this weekend at Magnolia and The Rev.

Among the expected are headliners like Rico Abreu, Tyler Courtney, Cory Eliason, Brent Marks, Brian Brown, Giovanni Scelzi, Aaron Reutzel, Sam Hafertepe Jr, Ayrton Gennetten, Derek Hagar, Carson Short, Carson McCarl, Brian Bell, and more.

This Week at a Glance – When and Where

Friday, February 25 at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS
Saturday, February 26 at The Rev in Monroe, LAB

On the Internet
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series
Twitter – @WorldofOutlaws
Instagram – @WoOSprint
Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsSprintCarSeries
YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws
DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (3 Drivers):
1 win – Donny Schatz, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15
1 win – Sheldon Haudenschild, Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing #17
1 win – David Gravel, Big Game Motorsports #2

FEATURE LAPS LED (4 Drivers):
52 laps – David Gravel
25 laps – Donny Schatz
7 laps – Brad Sweet
1 lap – Sheldon Haudenschild

SLICK WOODY’S QUICKTIME AWARDS (3 Drivers):
1 QuickTime – David Gravel, Aaron Reutzel, Cory Eliason

HEAT RACE WINNERS (11 Drivers):
2 Heat Wins – Aaron Reutzel
1 Heat Win – Jacob Allen, Carson Macedo, David Gravel, Sheldon Haudenschild, Brad Sweet, Tyler Courtney, Cory Eliason, Brock Zearfoss, James McFadden, Kraig Kinser

PODIUM FINISHES (8 Drivers):
2 Podiums – David Gravel
1 Podium – Donny Schatz, Brad Sweet, James McFadden, Sheldon Haudenschild, Kyle Larson, Aaron Reutzel, Brent Marks

2022 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Schedule & Winners
No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Thur, Feb. 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Donny Schatz (1)
2. Fri, Feb. 11 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
3. Sat, Feb. 12 / Volusia Spe

Bailes, Ferguson and Watkins separated by 13 points

LAVONIA, GA – Feb. 22, 2022 – Break’s over. The Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series is back in action this weekend with a doubleheader at Lavonia Speedway.

The stars of the Southeast Super Late Model racing scene will converge on the familiar red dirt surface for two separate 40-lap, $5,000-to-win shows this Fri-Sat, Feb. 25-26, for the fourth and fifth races of the 2021-22 campaign.

Lavonia has been a stop on the Xtreme circuit in each of its first two seasons, spawning two different winners – Zack Mitchell won in 2019 and Michael Brown took the checkers in 2020. If completed, this will be the first two-day stretch of action at the same track in Series history. This will add a unique element not yet seen on the tour, giving teams the opportunity to improve on their performance from the first night on the same track.

Stock 8s and 602 Chargers join the Super Late Model program on Friday, while Modified Streets and 602 Late Models will support on Saturday. Tickets will be on sale at the gate each day; gates open at 4pm Friday and 3pm Saturday. If you can’t make it out to watch in person, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

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

TOP DOG – Current Series points leader Ross Bailes takes an eight-point lead into the weekend, aiming for his second career regional Super Late Model championship and first with the Xtreme Series.

He’s been strong at Lavonia over the past 12 months, winning two of his last three starts at the three-eighths mile. He conquered former Xtreme Series winner Michael Brown in a 40-lap, Carolina Clash-sanctioned event at the track last April, then came back in July and scored another win against several of the same Southeast Super Late Model regulars he’ll face again this weekend.

BACK IN THE SADDLE – Super Late Model rookie Carson Ferguson continues his chase for the championship after a couple of weeks out of the driver’s seat.

Ferguson took a Derek Dent-owned, Crate-engine Late Model to Victory Lane at Golden Isles Speedway in late January to kick off his Georgia-Florida Speedweeks run, followed by an appearance at All-Tech Raceway in the Paylor Motorsports #93 Super Late Model the following weekend. He again showed strength against a national-level field, qualifying for two of three Features he attempted that weekend.

FLASHBACK – Sitting 13 points out of first place, Ben Watkins has a big opportunity to make up ground in the standings this weekend at a track he’s had prior big-stage success at.

The 33-year-old racer from Lancaster, SC, scored the biggest win of his career last September at Lavonia, defeating the big guns of the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series in a 40-lap shootout for $10,000. He led every lap and held off Rookie of the Year Tyler Bruening and defending Outlaws champion Brandon Sheppard to do it.

Though he’s never competed with the Xtreme Series at Lavonia, finishes of second, sixth and fourth in the first three races thus far have poised him to be up front once again.

GOIN’ DOWNTOWN – The last time the Xtreme stars visited Lavonia, Michael Brown went to Victory Lane and claimed his first career win with the Series. He’s projected to defend the trophy this weekend against many of the same names he beat that day.

His first outing of 2022 did not go as expected – dropping out after two laps of the Winter Freeze event at Screven Motor Speedway – but the McLeod Racing #2,4-D team does have two top-five finishes in two Xtreme starts thus far and is poised to back them up at Lavonia.

WHITE/BLUE DEBUT – Cody Overton is expected to make his Xtreme Series debut this weekend behind the wheel of the Jeff Mathews Motorsports Rocket Chassis #97.

The 25-year-old from Evans, GA, is taking on his first full-time year of Super Late Model racing after several years in the Crate-engine ranks. He’s looking to build off a Georgia-Florida Speedweeks campaign that saw him make multiple Features against a slew of national-touring stars. It’s back to the red dirt, Southeastern facilities he’s more used to racing on this weekend, which should put him right in the hunt for a Super Late Model win.

Taking to the sands of Oman once again, Baggsy and the SB Motorsport crew spend 2 full weekends in the Persian Gulf sultanate to contest the final two rounds of the Oman International Drift Championship, facing competition from across Europe, the Middle East and even Central America!

OIDC Round 2!

In between workshop sessions building up the amazing Navara-R, Baggsy and the SB Motorsport crew took another trip to the Sultanate of Oman to take part in Rounds 2 and 3 of the Oman International Drift Championship, doing 2 rounds in one trip! Easily qualifying in the Top 32, Baggsy blitzed past Alwaleed Zaki Mahmoud in his own PS13, then in the Top 16 faced down the challenge from Sebastian Fontijn in his BMW E36 2JZ.

In the Top 8, Baggsy forced a crucial mistake from Ukrainian racer Tymer Lypskyi and his BMW to ride into the Top Four, where he faced Ahmad Daham in his S14. After a super tough couple of runs, Daham was successful and Baggsy headed to the head-to-head battle for the final spot on the podium!

To take third place, Baggsy would have to see off Kuwaiti racer Ali Mustafa Makhseed and his GT86. In the lead position for the first run, Makhseed pulled no punches but Baggsy held him off with style! Starting in the chase position for the second run, Baggsy gave as good as he got, with a strong, aggressive run that kept Makhseed busy looking in his mirrors!

As strong as Baggsy drove, the judges decided it was too close to call – so it went to another pair of races with a One More Timecall! Baggsy started in the lead position again, and the race saw the cars so close it was hard to tell them apart – until Makseed had to shut down in the middle of the run! Taking a 5 Minute Rule to dive into the pits, Makhseed’s crew couldn’t get the car back on the track in time, giving Baggsy the win and his second podium of 2022!

Catch up with Round 2 of the OIDC here!

OIDC Round 3!

The following weekend, Baggsy and the SB Motorsport teamwere back in action! The quick turnaround time meant the teams could stick around between the events and enjoy the sights – in between wrenching sessions on the V8 PS13, of course!

Easily qualifying well into the Top 32, Baggsy faced Samer Sabeh and his BMW from Lebanon for his first battle. Taking a sweet victory meant that the Top 16 battle would see Baggsy take the PS13 against Nassar Al Harbali from El Salvador in his 350Z. Two big mistakes from his opponent gave Baggsy the easy win, putting him straight into the Top 8!

Taking on Clint van Oort from The Netherlands and his S14 saw Baggsy in the lead position, with Clint charging hard and contacting the SB Motorsport PS13, forcing a competition time out due to a bent steering arm. With 10 minutes available to work, it was all hands to the pump to get Baggsy back out on the track to get him into the Top 4. Running a hyper aggressive line on the chase run, Baggsy absolutely cranked up the volume to 11, running straight at Clint’s back bumper, knocking on his door and wowing the judges to take the win and progress to the Final Four!

Baggsy was determined to own the podium this time, and even with Ukraine’s Rostyslav Rarahovskyi and his GT86 in the way, there would be no stopping the SB Motorsport PS13! With Baggsy in the lead position for the first run, Rostyslav made a slight error in the first turn but more than made up for it in the rest of the run, slamming his car right on Baggsy’s door and racing him across the finish. In the chase position for the second run, the judges couldn’t make a decision and called for a One More Time! In the second battle, Rarahovskyi sliced into the tyres, giving Baggsy the win!

In the Final run to decide the winner and 2nd place, Baggsy would once again face off against Ahmad Daham from Jordan – the same racer who knocked him out just a week before! Leading out for the first race, Baggsy smoked out Daham a couple of times, forcing small errors from the S14 driver. In the second race, with Baggsy chasing, Daham made a minor mistake in the first turn leading Baggsy off-track, and with a quick decision from the judges it was a WIN FOR BAGGSY and the SB Motorsport PS13!

Hitting the podium in all three rounds, as well as winning the last round meant that Baggsy took the overall win in the 2022 Oman International Drift Championship!

Watch the full THIRD round of OIDC competition right here!

And that’s it from the Oman International Drift Championship!Thank you to the Oman Automobile Association for the great organisation and being wonderful hosts!

Baggsy – “I am so proud of the SB Motorsports team, they are such pros, being out here for two weeks and prepping the PS13 perfectly for every run. I took these rounds one battle at a time, focused and just had fun with it. It’s been a wonderful trip to Oman and we can’t wait to come back next year! Now we’re looking forward to the next competition and the rest of 2022 – bring it on! “Be sure to check out the new episode of the epic Navara-R buildfeaturing the amazing SB Motorsports team!”

The Dresden, OH driver beat Chris Madden by one point to earn his second “Big Gator” trophy. BARBERVILLE, FL – February 22, 2022– Actor Jeremy Irons once said, “We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they’re called memories. Some take us forward, they’re called dreams.”For 27-year-old driver Devin Moran, and his brother Wylie, those dreams are memories made together. But when Devin returns to World of Outlaws CASE Construction Late Models Equipment in April, his Tye Twarog Racing team will have a different look.   The conclusion of DIRTcar Nationals signified the end of Wylie’s time as Devin’s full-time crew chief to focus on his car detailing business. Despite taking on a new journey, the younger Moran is adamant he’ll still be at his brother’s side.  “It’s not the end,” Wylie Moran said. “We’ll always be together, and I’ll always be at the races quite a bit. I just won’t be at the shop every day, won’t be at every single race, but I’ll still be around making sure things are flowing alright.” While the end of their time together is bittersweet, the bond between the two is stronger than ever. Devin couldn’t be more excited about Wylie’s new venture.  “Don’t get me wrong, he’ll still be going to a lot of races,” Devin Moran said. “I’ll be dragging his ass all over the country. “He’s got a new journey he wants to venture off to, and we’re as high as we can get in this sport. I mean, we can win bigger and better races, obviously. But we’re to the point where we’re running really good, so I’m glad for him, and I’m excited for him to start his new deal, too.” The brotherly tandem ended on a high note, grasping another “Big Gator” trophy together on the Volusia Speedway Park Stage. Devin Moran’s second DIRTcar Nationals triumph also finished one of the best stretches in the Dresden, OH driver’s career–scoring three wins, 15 top fives, and 18 top 10’s in 20 races.  Devin’s excitement for his return to “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile” began before DIRTcar Nationals started, oozing with confidence from his 2021 triumph. Despite ending the week with a 12th-place finish, he’s taking his second “Big Gator” in stride.  “I was really excited to get here because of how fun it was to race here last year,” Devin Moran said. “To come out of here with a second big gator, we can’t complain.” “The Mailman” built his run toward a second DIRTcar Nationals title on consistency. While he didn’t find Victory Lane, he opened the week with four straight podium finishes—a third and three straight seconds. Moran stated it was a testament to his team and how dialed-in his Longhorn Chassis was throughout the week.  “I felt like we were really good all week,” Moran said. “We were good Friday and just had to start in the back, and I messed up in my Heat Race, and it was hard to pass [Saturday].  “I felt like we were really good [Saturday]. We just couldn’t do anything. But it’s the way it is; we take our wins and go home and be excited for the rest of the season.” The bond between Devin and his brother Wylie is one of the reasons the Tye Twarog Racing team consistently earns strong results. It’s also one of the reasons Moran had a top-performing car in Florida.  Wylie and the rest of Moran’s crew put their blood, sweat, and tears into the entire month.  The younger of the two brothers reflected on their accomplishments, speaking with a hint of exhaustion. It’s been phenomenal down here,” Wylie Moran said. “We’ve slaved away, we’re exhausted, worn down, but you just have to keep plugging away every day. We’ve had late nights, early mornings, long days; we haven’t had a day off in weeks.  “[Saturday] is the 36th day we’ve been in Florida, and it’s just a grind and to be able to win all of Lucas Oil Speedweeks, all of [DIRTcar Nationals], it’s just, it’s phenomenal.” The sons of the “Million Dollar Man” Donnie Moran have already put together a career many people dream about. When Devin and Wylie look back into their time machines, they’ll be filled with memories about how they accomplished their dreams together.  Moran returns to World of Outlaws CASE Late Models competition when the Series travels to Atomic Speedway in Waverly, OH April 22-23.  The World of Outlaws CASE Late Models return to action on March 11-12 for their first appearance at The Rev in Monroe, LA. For Tickets: CLICK HERE. If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online on with the DIRTVision App.

The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: CASE Construction Equipment (Official Construction Equipment), DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, Fox Factory (Hard Charger Award), MSD, Penske Racing Shocks, Quarter Master, Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award), Swift Springs, and Wrisco–Wieland Metal Services (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including Dirt Car Lift, Capital Race Cars, FIREBULL, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, Reliable Painting, Rocket Chassis, and Sea Foam.Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, NC, is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws NOS® Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.

CLEVELAND, OH (February 22, 2022) — As excitement begins to build for the 2022 Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown D H Davies Racing® (DHDR) has added Bilstein as primary sponsor on David Davies’ Dodge Challenger Drag Pak entry for all eight national events. Recognized as the premier factory stock class in the country, the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown will start at the historic Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida, March 11-13. BILSTEIN will be represented on the front quarter-panel of Davies’ 170 mph Drag Pak as well as his firesuit and crew apparel at every national event.

“We are excited to add BILSTEIN to our Factory Stock program with our Dodge Challenger Drag Pak entry,” said Davies, who competed at select events in 2021. “This category has a massive hardcore following and the competition level is off the charts. Fans love the class because of the look and power of the race cars. Real race enthusiasts love it because we are producing a ton of power and trying to keep it all on the track.”

Throughout the season the Factory Stock Showdown series will be contested at NHRA national events in Charlotte (NC), Richmond (VA), Bristol (TN), Norwalk (OH), Indianapolis (IN), Reading (PA) and Dallas (TX). The Factory Stock Showdown category has delivered thrilling action each year, with top drivers competing for the prestigious Wally trophy driving Chevrolet COPO Camaros, Ford Cobra Jets and Dodge Challenger Drag Paks. 

“It’s very exciting to see BILSTEIN products as part of the DHDR 2022 Season running aluminum body adjustable shocks from BILSTEIN’s special edition line from Wesley Motorsports,” says Fabian Schmahl, President and CEO of thyssenkrupp BILSTEIN of America. “DHDR has taken the DragPak and pushing it to the limits of what it was built to do… win drag races. BILSTEIN is no stranger to winning and is looking forward to this season and building our relationship with Dave and his team.”

The Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown Bounty Program is also set to return this year. Established during the 2021 season, the program puts a “bounty” on the winner of the previous event. If someone beats that driver at the next event, they will receive a $1,000 prize. If that same driver doesn’t lose at the next event, the bounty is increased to $2,000 for the next race. In 2021, the bounty was up for grabs at each event and the previous race winner lost in eliminations at the following event. Heading into the Gatornationals there is a $2,000 bounty on Aaron Stanfield the winner of the final two events in 2021. The bounty program helped draw increased fan and driver interest in the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown class, giving the category plenty of momentum heading into the 2022 NHRA season.

2022 Constant Aviation NHRA Factory Stock Showdown Schedule

March 11-13       AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla.

April 29-May 1   NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, zMAX Dragway, Charlotte, NC

May 13-15          Virginia NHRA Nationals, Virginia Motorsports Park, Richmond, Va.

June 17-19          NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn.

June 23-26          Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio.

Aug 31–Sept. 5  Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis, IN

Sept. 15-18         NHRA Nationals, Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa.

Oct. 13-16           NHRA Fall Nationals, Texas Motorplex, Dallas, Texas

Sent on behalf of Waters Autobody Racing

ALBION, N.Y. (February 22, 2022) – Waters Autobody Racing is thrilled to announce the powerful 1-2 lineup of Tanner Dean and Ryan Wells as it sets its sights on a return to race-winning form during the 2022 Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER season.

Dean and Wells are the perfect duo to accomplish exactly that in what’s a double reunification campaign; together they account for Waters Autobody Racing’s three National victories and a significant portion of the 15 podium finishes the team has accumulated since Dave and Rhonda Waters founded the team back in 2009.

Additionally, the squad is proud to confirm that it will continue its long association with KTM in ‘22 as Dean and Wells will compete for the ‘22 title aboard KTM 450 SX-F with support from KTM North America.

Hailing from Tacoma, Washington, Dean is nearly unbeatable when he’s at his best. The “Dean Machine” blasted onto the scene with a shocking win as a rookie at the Calistoga Half-Mile in 2017, and backed that up with two more wins on a Waters Autobody Racing KTM the following season.

Dean has more recently added a new level of consistency to his game to go with his blistering speed, resulting in top-ten championship rankings the past two seasons.

“I’m very excited to get back on the KTMs,” Dean said. “They fit my riding style the best, and being back with the Waters Autobody team is a great bonus. I’m honestly more excited for this season than I’ve ever been before.”

Wells is the definition of both a known quantity and a proven commodity. Due to the fact that both Wells and Waters Autobody Racing call Albion, New York, home, the Waters took an early interest in Wells’ career. He first rode for the team back in 2014, a season in which he earned the second of his nine career AFT Singles victories en route to third in the championship.

Wells would go on to claim the 2016 class crown in dominant fashion. He returned to Waters Auto Body in 2020 and earned three top fives, including a podium finish, before his season was cut short due to injury.

“I am pumped!” Wells said. “I need to show the flat track community that I still have the drive and passion to win in the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER class. I want to thank Rhonda and Dave Waters for continuing to believe in me and my ability to race for the podium.”

“Rhonda and I are very pleased to have Tanner and Ryan on our team again at the same time,” said Dave Waters. “All our Singles victories have been with these two, and we will be looking for more this year. KTM has been a great partner these past few years; they deserve our best, and that’s what we’re going to give them.”

NHRA^® Team Report

NHRA Arizona Nationals – Phoenix

Pre-Race Report

The Snap-on^® “Makers and Fixers” Dodge^® SRT^® Hellcat^® is in the hauler on the way to Phoenix, and Cruz Pedregon says he and the team are off to a “great start” this season, reviewing the data and building some new combinations for the Arizona Nationals.

“We’re feeling good about the program J.C. (John Collins) and Rip (Reynolds) put into place to get us into the semis in our first race of the season,” says Cruz who had his 600^th round win during the quarter finals Sunday. “We’re still knocking off some of the rust from a couple of months away from the track, but we’re getting the performance we want and consistent runs with the Snap-on Dodge. It’s a really competitive Funny Car field but watch for us to be a contender this weekend at Wild Horse Pass.”

Before hitting the road, Cruz enjoyed time at the track with family and friends and hosting franchisees of his primary sponsor Snap-on. This Thursday, Cruz will do a “ride-along,” stopping by shops and visiting customers, with Phoenix-area Snap-on franchisee Keith Davidson whose name will be on the side of Funny Car this weekend as the honorary “Nitro Franchisee.” Also, on the car will be the Snap-on “Makers & Fixers” theme to promote and elevate skilled trades. Learn more at makersandfixers.com. 

Inside Line Promotions – FRESNO, Calif. (Feb. 22, 2022) – Dominic Scelzi is riding a wave of confidence into the 2022 season following his career-best campaign last year.

Scelzi earned 22 feature triumphs and three sprint car championships in 2021. However, the consistency went far beyond just reaching Victory Lane a record number of times as Scelzi produced 49 top fives in 72 races.

“I feel very confident heading into this year,” he said. “We had a lot of success last year so one of the biggest differences this year will be that we are the ones being chased. We have a target on our back. That’s an exciting position to be in.”

It all begins this Saturday when Scelzi ventures to Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford, Calif., to compete in both the 410ci and 360ci winged sprint car divisions.

“We’ve enjoyed a lot of success throughout the years in Hanford,” he said. “It’s probably the most Midwest-type of track in California. It can get slick and wide. I feel like we thrive on tracks like that. I’m looking forward to getting this season started on a positive note at one of our favorite places to race.”

Scelzi earned six feature victories at Keller Auto Speedway last year, including sweeping the 410 and 360 features on May 14 and Oct. 8.

UP NEXT –

Saturday at Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford, Calif.

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.GaryScelziMotorsports.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DominicScelzi41

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

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Scelzi Enterprises

Scelzi Enterprises builds the finest utility truck bodies in the USA, including flatbed bodies, water truck bodies, custom truck bodies, service truck bodies and more. After nearly 40 years in business Scelzi Enterprises occupies 20 acres in South Fresno with additional pool and assembly locations in Oregon, Washington, and Southern California. For more information, visit http://www.SEInc.com.

“Scelzi Enterprises is a family business that has been around far before I was born,” Scelzi said. “Now I have a role there. It’s my daily job and something I really enjoy being a part of. It gives me a lot of pride to represent our family business on the side of our race cars.”

Scelzi would like to thank Red Rose Transportation, Inc., Whipple Superchargers, System 1, Red Line Oil, Fuel Delivery Services, Inc., FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Roth Motorsports, NAPA Auto Parts, Todd Jorgensen, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, K&N Filters, Sparco, Allstar Performance, Auto Meter, Meridian Steel, Kenny’s Components and Worldwide Bearings for their continued support.

February 21, 2022

A promising start to the Daytona 500 came to a premature end for Harrison Burton and the No. 21 Motorcraft Quick Lane/DEX Imaging team. 

While racing at the head of the pack in the closing laps of the opening stage, Burton lost control after a push from Brad Keselowski, and wound up flipping over before coming to rest on his wheels. The Motorcraft/DEX Mustang was too damaged to continue, but Burton was uninjured.

He was credited with a 39^th-place finish. 

In his first Daytona 500 week as a Cup Series driver, Burton qualified 10^th fastest then finished third in his Duel qualifying race but had damage from a last-lap crash. His Motorcraft/DEX crew made repairs to the No 21 Mustang, and he went out and ran the fastest lap in Saturday’s final practice session.

In the 500, he started eighth, dropped back to the midpack early but after a flawless pit stop at lap 39, he rejoined the race in the top five and maintained his position there until the lap 64 crash. Officially he led two times for a total of three laps.
 
Burton told reporters afterward that he was fine after the wreck.
 
“I’ve hit a lot harder before, that’s for sure,” he said. “It’s just unfortunate. I hate it for the Wood Brothers group. They brought a really fast Ford Mustang down here and ended up on our lid, so that’s never good.”
 
He said the push from Keselowski, which was intended to help both drivers, didn’t work out that way.

“The car didn’t take it the right way or got pushed in the wrong spot; I’m not sure,” Burton said. “I was looking out front to see what I had to do next to side draft the next guy that was on me, so just a bummer.”  
 
“I don’t really know what we could have done differently, but we’ll move on and get better from it.”

Burton said being upside down in a race car for the first time wasn’t as bad as it could have been. “Once I got backwards I just blew right over. The cockpit and everything is safe. I didn’t get hit hard at all. Luckily, all good there and we’ll move on.”

He said despite his early exit from the race, he and the Motorcraft/DEX team head to Auto Club Speedway with the confidence that comes from having a fast car in the season opener.
 
“At the end of the day everyone knew we were here,” he said. “We were leading when we crashed.”
 
“Our Wood Brothers group brought a fast Ford down here, and we were showing it.”

Burton made no apologies for racing hard as the first stage was coming to a close. 

“Stage points really matter, and as a rookie it’s big to get them, so I felt like I wanted to push for those,” he said. “I don’t know what I could have done differently. 
 
“It’s kind of hard to be in the lead and say, ‘Oh, I don’t want to be up here.’  You feel like that’s the safest spot.” 
 
Burton said he will study the incident that ended his run and learn from it.
 
“I feel like the people that always get better are ones that can look at themselves and learn from it, so that’s what I’m going to do, try and get better,” he said.
 
While the Wood Brothers team was disappointed with their own result, Eddie Wood and the rest of the team were among those celebrating Austin Cindric’s Daytona 500 win.

“We’re really happy for Austin, and for [crew chief] Jeremy Bullins and the entire Team Penske organization,” Wood said. “And what a great 85^th birthday present for Roger Penske.

“It’s a great day for all of us in the Ford Racing family.”