·         Direct Connection, the Dodge brand’s exclusive new source of factory-backed performance parts, offers $10,000-to-win contingency rewards for Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak racers

·         Direct Connection Contingency Program will put a $10,000 winner’s purse up for grabs for Drag Pak racers at NHRA Factory Stock Showdown and NMCA Factory Super Cars events

·         Direct Connection will also help racers build their own custom Drag Pak with 13 race-ready kits, four graphics packages and Direct Connection catalog performance “recipes”

·         Contingency program also extends long-running support for NHRA grassroots racers in additional classes who win or runner-up while using specified Direct Connection parts

·         Direct Connection parts available for purchase through Dodge Power Brokers dealers starting March 9, 2022

·         Direct Connection Contingency Program builds on momentum of the Dodge Never Lift campaign, a two-year road map to the brand’s performance future

·         Dodge 24 Months of Muscle Never Lift calendar can be viewed at Dodgegarage.com/never-lift

·         For complete information and details on the Direct Connection Contingency Program, visit DodgeGarage.com/racing-hq or NHRARacer.com

February 16, 2022,  Auburn Hills, Mich. – Dodge is putting its money where its parts are when it comes to Direct Connection, the brand’s exclusive new source of factory-backed performance parts. The Direct Connection Contingency Program will offer Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak racers $10,000 to win at National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Factory Stock Showdown and National Muscle Car Association (NMCA) Factory Super Cars events, giving Drag Pak competitors multiple shots at taking home a five-figure winner’s purse during the 2022 season.

 
The $10,000 purse, the largest available contingency award from a manufacturer in both NHRA Factory Stock Showdown and NMCA Super Cars classes, will be up for grabs for Drag Pak drivers at 14 total events. The NHRA Factory Stock Showdown schedule includes eight stops during the 2022 season, while NMCA Factory Super Cars will feature a slate of six races.
 
The Direct Connection Contingency Program continues the march forward of the Dodge Never Lift campaign, which offers a 24-month road map to the brand’s performance future. The Dodge 24 Months of Muscle Never Lift calendar can be viewed at Dodgegarage.com/never-lift.
 
Last month, the Never Lift campaign announced the Dodge brand’s partnership with Tony Stewart Racing, which will feature Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett and three-time Funny Car World Champion Matt Hagan carrying Direct Connection and Dodge Power Brokers colors in professional competition. With the announcement of the new contingency program, the reach of Direct Connection extends to provide support for drag racers in the amateur ranks.
 
“Dodge remains committed to the grassroots racers and enthusiasts who build our brand, and the $10,000-to-win Direct Connection Contingency Program is a perfect pipeline to feed the spirit and enthusiasm that fuels us,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand CEO – Stellantis. “We’re not only offering our Drag Pak drivers Direct Connection performance parts to help them dominate, but we’re also rewarding those who compete and win with the largest contingency award available in NHRA Factory Stock Showdown and NMCA Factory Super Cars.”
 
In addition to the new $10,000-to-win Drag Pak purse, the Direct Connection Contingency Program will also offer $1,000 for each victory and $500 for a runner-up by a Drag Pak driver in the NHRA Stock and Super Stock classes. The program will also continue the long-running support from Dodge and Mopar for a variety of grassroots NHRA racers competing in the Stock, Super Stock, Super Gas and Super Street classes. The Dodge Top Finisher Award will again provide monetary rewards to the Stock, Super Stock, Super Gas and Super Street class drivers of Dodge, Chrysler or Plymouth race cars that advance the furthest in eliminations at 22 NHRA national events.  
 
Racers carrying the Direct Connection decal and using specified parts, including the brand’s valve covers, intake manifolds and Drag Pak engine assembly, will also receive monetary rewards for victories or runner-up finishes in NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing competition.
 
Complete details and rules for the 2022 Direct Connection Contingency Program are available at DodgeGarage.com/racing-hq or NHRARacer.com.
 
Direct Connection for Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak Racers

The new Direct Connection performance parts lineup will offer 13 race-ready kits and four graphics packages for the Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak, a factory-built, turn-key drag car for NHRA and NMCA competitors. The new Direct Connection parts catalog, available now for download at DodgeGarage, also includes suggested Direct Connection performance “recipes” to help Drag Pak racers dial-in their race cars.
 
Direct Connection parts for the Drag Pak will be available for purchase through the new Dodge Power Brokers dealer network – the authorized source for Direct Connection parts with staff trained to deliver performance-focused customer service – starting March 9, 2022. For customers with parts questions, the Direct Connection hotline is live now at (800) 998-1110 with tech support available straight from the performance experts.
 
Direction Connection race-ready kits and graphics packages for the Drag Pak include: 

• NHRA 7.50 ET Certified Body Kit  
• 354 cu. in. Supercharged HEMI® Engine
• Race Drive Line Kit 
• RaceTech Base Seat Kit 
• RaceTech Head Restraint Seat Kit 
• Bogart Base Wheel/Tire Kit 
• Weld Racing Beadlock Lightweight Wheel/Tire Kit 
• Exterior Kit 
• Interior Kit 
• Race Suspension Kit 
• Body Electrical and Fuel Kit
• Engine Controller Kit 
• Engine Systems Kit 
• Graphics (four available unique packages)

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News

Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.
 

The Marshalltown, IA driver held off challenges from Devin Moran, Tim McCreadie, and Brandon Sheppard on the path to victory BARBERVILLE, FL – February 15, 2022 – Ryan Gustin came into DIRTcar Nationals with one mission— to win a race for his friend and sponsor Leon Ramirez.  The Marshalltown, IA driver accomplished that mission Tuesday at Volusia Speedway Park, holding off several challenges to grab the $7,000 payday and his first DIRTcar Nationals win.  Tears flowed from Gustin’s eyes as he spoke in Victory Lane, winning in honor of Ramirez, who passed away last Sunday.   “This one right here is for Leon Ramirez,” Gustin said. “He was a very good friend, a great sponsor, and this one’s for the whole Ramirez family. I wanted to win one really bad for them, and we did it. Hopefully, we can keep on doing it.” Gustin charged through the field at the first green flag, driving from sixth to second in one lap. At that point, only Brandon Sheppard stood between him and the checkered flag.  A restart with 16 laps to go gave Gustin the opportunity he needed—setting up a battle for the top spot.  Gustin outran Sheppard and Tim McCreadie in the middle of an epic three-wide war, taking advantage through Turns 1 and 2 and thundering down the backstretch with the lead.   While a victory was close, Devin Moran hoped Gustin’s chances would slip away. The Dresden, OH driver used the bottom to try and pass him, but nothing stopped the Iowa campaigner from taking the checkered flag.  The emotional win also boosted Gustin’s confidence as his crew found something to build on. “It feels really good,” Gustin said. “We’ve been working really hard; I think we stumbled upon some things that work really good. I just can’t thank everyone enough who’s behind this.”  Moran finished second, one night after a third-place run. After back-to-back podium finishes, he currently leads the chase for a “Big Gator” trophy. The defending DIRTcar Nationals Champion hoped Gustin would make a mistake but couldn’t get past him in the end. “[Gustin] just did a good job,” Moran said. “I tried to get him to make a bigger mistake than what he did, but congratulations to them guys; I know it’s a big win for them. “We’re just staying consistent; the car is just really, really good, and we just got to keep working on it. I can’t quite finish the corner, so there’s some things we need to work on.” Tanner English crossed the line third, moving up eight spots from his eleventh starting position. The Benton, KY driver, stated the restarts were critical to his ascension through the field. “The restarts helped out a bunch for me,” English said. “I knew I had a good car, but we just had to get close to them so I could pass them, and we just rolled around the bottom, and I didn’t see anyone else as low as I was.” Ashton Winger finished fourth, and Tim McCreadie rounded out the top five.  Ryan Gustin accomplished the mission he set out for himself at DIRTcar Nationals—giving himself a boost of confidence along the way. It’s a win he’ll never forget, celebrating on the Volusia stage with Leon Ramirez smiling down.  The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series takes center stage for the rest of the week as the “Big Gator” quest continues. They’ll be joined on the card by the Super DIRTcar Series. 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. Feature (30 Laps): 1. 19R-Ryan Gustin[6]; 2. 9-Devin Moran[8]; 3. 99-Tanner English[11]; 4. 89-Ashton Winger[3]; 5. 39-Tim McCreadie[5]; 6. 44-Chris Madden[16]; 7. 17M-Dale McDowell[9]; 8. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 9. 16-Tyler Bruening[25]; 10. 111V-Max Blair[18]; 11. 15-Donny Schatz[23]; 12. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[10]; 13. 18D-Daulton Wilson[13]; 14. 31-Tyler Millwood[1]; 15. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[17]; 16. 11-Gordy Gundaker[26]; 17. 157-Mike Marlar[12]; 18. 58-Mark Whitener[19]; 19. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[4]; 20. 76-Brandon Overton[14]; 21. 8-Kyle Strickler[22]; 22. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[15]; 23. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[7]; 24. 97C-Cody Overton[24]; 25. 3S-Brian Shirley[20]; 26. 25-Shane Clanton[21]

DIRTcar Racing is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Chevy Performance Parts, and NAPA Auto Parts (SDS). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), ASI Race Wear (SDS), Bassett Racing Wheel, Bell Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, Bicknell Racing Products (SDS), Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux (SDS), Cometic Gasket (SDS), COMP Cams, Fast Shafts, Fox Factory, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, K1 Race Gear, KSE Racing Products, MSD, Mulit FireX, Quarter Master, Schoenfeld Headers, Summit Racing Equipment, Swift Springs, Velocita USA, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wrisco-Wieland Metal Services (Exclusive Racing Aluminum). Along with manufacturer sponsors, including: FIREBULL, Intercomp, and Racing Electronics.

Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series Closes Out Spectacular Opening EventBARBERVILLE, FL – February 15, 2022 – The Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series presented by Low-E Insulation wrapped up a historic two days at Volusia Speedway Park on Tuesday night.Not one, but two DIRTcar Nationals gator trophies were handed out and a big $10,000 check was on the line for the 35 gassers who supported the debut of the new Series.In the end, nobody could touch Thomas Meseraull. The San Jose, CA native led all 30 laps at the Barberville, FL 1/2-mile in dominating fashion, never receiving a single challenge even when forced to handle two green-white-checkered finishes to close out the Feature.Crossing the line with a 0.953-second margin of victory, T-Mez controlled the entirety of the race with a much more commanding lead aboard the Chris Dyson owned and Sean Michael wrenched #20M than what the final box score shows. In classic T-Mez fashion, his post-race interview was full of theatrics and sound bites.”Hats off to Sean Michael for believing in me,” Meseraull said. “I’ve torn up a lot of stuff, even this week, but here we are on the frontstretch. All you haters can hate all you want, but I keep on winning races. I kept thinking $10,000-to-win, so you better crash it before you even think of giving it up. I just kept giving it all she had, this thing was on rails tonight.”While T-Mez cashed a five-figure check, CJ Leary of Greenfield, IN scored the inaugural DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator Championship for the Xtreme Outlaw Series. The Michael Motorsports pilot was the most consistent driver with finishes of first and fifth, good enough to win him his first career golden gator.”This is really special to win the first one,” noted Leary, who also won Monday’s debut. “We weren’t good enough to get the win tonight, but winning this Big Gator is pretty damn cool. Now we’ve got a little one and a big one!”The most intriguing storyline of the week came in the form of Brady Bacon and Dennis Gile. On Monday, Gile broke a driveline (thus breaking his foot) and leaving Bacon with nowhere to go as they collided and sent Bacon flipping into the fence. On Tuesday, they were suddenly teaming up together for a run at the gator.Bacon climbed aboard Gile’s #13 and showed speed right out of the box, setting QuickTime in his group and eventually earning high point man honors. The Broken Arrow, OK native advanced from sixth to second and had a chance at T-Mez on the final restarts, but fell just short of bringing “Big Money Brady” to Xtreme Outlaw victory lane.”We’re just making lemonade out of lemons,” Bacon said flipping on Monday and running second on Tuesday. “I can’t thank Dennis and his whole team enough for letting me run this car, otherwise I would’ve been up there in the standings. A huge thank you to the Xtreme Outlaw Series for putting this on and giving us some extra races for good money. We tried giving it a little hail mary on the bottom, but there just wasn’t enough left to get a run at Thomas.”Closing out the podium with his second-straight TJ Forged Hard Charger Award was Chase Stockon, advancing from 10th to third aboard the KO Motorsports, Hutson John Deer #5S. Of 15 drivers committed to the full schedule, the Fort Branch, IN native will leave Volusia as the early-season favorite at claiming the inaugural $20,000 Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car championship.”We’ve got a lot of momentum on our side right now,” Stockon said. “Hopefully, we can finish out the Florida swing and keep rolling with the Xtreme Outlaw guys. My guys have given me such awesome pieces both nights down here.”Robert Ballou and CJ Leary rounded out the top-five at Volusia, while Shane Cottle, Carson Short, Justin Grant, Shane Cockrum, and Alex Bright finished out the top-10 on Tuesday night.UP NEXT – The Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series presented by Low-E Insulation will next compete in early April alongside the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series. A Missouri doubleheader is on tap with trips to US-36 Raceway in Osborn, MO on Friday, April 8 and Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, MO on Saturday, April 9.Xtreme Sprint Car Results (30 Laps): 1. Thomas Meseraull (2); 2. Brady Bacon (6); 3. Chase Stockon (10); 4. Robert Ballou (8); 5. CJ Leary (5); 6. Shane Cottle (1); 7. Carson Short (13); 8. Justin Grant (9); 9. Shane Cockrum (4); 10. Alex Bright (12); 11. Charles Davis Jr. (17); 12. Briggs Danner (14); 13. Mario Clouser (16); 14. Wesley Smith (20); 15. Logan Seavey (15); 16. Cole Bodine (7); 17. Jake Swanson (3); 18. Matt Westfall (21); 19. Landon Simon (11); 20. Braxton Cummings (22); 21. Brandon Mattox (18); 22. Dustin Clark (19).NEW Championship Standings (2/14 Races): 1. CJ Leary (441); 2. Robert Ballou (-14); 3. Chase Stockon (-19); 4. Justin Grant (-20); 5. Carson Short (-27); 6. Thomas Meseraull (-47); 7. Shane Cottle (-48); 8. Alex Bright (-53); 9. Charles Davis Jr. (-66); 10. Shane Cockrum (-67).

The Xtreme Outlaw Series is brought to fans by important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Low-E Insulation (Presenting sponsor of the non-wing Sprint Car Series), Racing Electronics (Official Radio Supplier), and SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider). Other partners include:  DRC Chassis, Pace Dyno Services, TJ Forged and Whitz Racing Products.

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE 64TH DAYTONA 500 DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA, FLORIDA FEBRUARY 20, 2022 TAKING THE GREEN FOR 2022The 2022 Daytona Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth officially kicks off the NASCAR season with action packed events across NASCAR’s three national series, with the finale being the “The Great American Race”: The 64th running of the Daytona 500. Speedweeks also marks the official points-paying debut of the Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS). Daytona Speedweeks kicks off on Tuesday, February 15, when the Next Gen Camaro ZL1 first hits the track for two sets of practice. On Wednesday, the stars of the NASCAR’s premier series will return for Daytona 500 Qualifying presented by Busch Light at 8:05 p.m. ET. Next on tap for the NCS are the Bluegreen Vacations Duels, taking the green under the lights on Thursday, February 17, at 7 p.m. ET. The two 60-lap, 150-mile events will determine the remaining starting lineup for Sunday’s Daytona 500. Friday, February 18, marks the first of three days of points-paying racing action at the 2.5-mile Florida superspeedway, starting with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season opener, the NextEra Energy 250, at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The ‘World Center of Racing’ has been the host of the season opener for the NCWTS since 2000. The excitement continues on Saturday with the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) season opening “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300” at 5 p.m. ET on FS1. Capping off the 2022 Speedweeks is the 64th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 20, at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX. “The Great American Race” will lead off the NASCAR Cup Series 36-race season for the 41st consecutive year. On February 14, 2022, Daytona International Speedway announced that the 2022 Daytona 500 is completely sold out. Prior to last season’s reduced capacity limitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event had five consecutive sellouts. LOOKING FOR ANOTHER FRONT ROW SWEEPA full season of qualifying returns to the NASCAR Cup Series after being limited to select events in 2021. The front row of the prestigious event has been swept by the Bowtie Brand an impressive 19 times, including nine of the last 11 years. For the second time in his four-season NCS career, Alex Bowman put his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on the pole in 2021. Chevrolet went on to take over the front row when Bowman was accompanied by his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, William Byron, and his No. 24 Chevrolet team. With the front row set by qualifying, Thursday’s two 60-lap, 150-mile Bluegreen Vacations Duels at Daytona will determine the starting lineup and fill the remaining opening spots of the 40-car field. Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon is the latest Chevrolet driver to score a Duel win when he took his No. 3 Chevrolet to victory lane in the 2021 event. EYES SET ON BACK-TO-BACK TITLESFollowing the 2021 season finale at Phoenix Raceway, Chevrolet closed the season with three titles: the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Manufacturer’s Championship; the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championship; and the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Championship. After a dominating performance during his debut season with Hendrick Motorsports – including double-digit wins and a Regular Season Championship – Kyle Larson captured his first-career NASCAR Cup Series Championship title, giving Chevrolet its 33rd NCS Driver Championship. It was a record year for the 29-year-old California native, becoming the 11th different driver in the modern era (1972-present) to score 10 wins in a single NCS season. The last time this feat was accomplished was in 2007, when career Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson won 10 times to go on to win his second of seven NCS Championship titles. The Chevrolet driver also led an impressive 2,581 laps during the 2021 season, breaking career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon’s record set in 2001. Momentum is on his side as the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet team has their eyes set on back-to-back titles. The 2021 season also brought Chevrolet its record-extending 40th NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championship. The Bowtie Brand won its first Manufacturer’s Championship in 1958, later recording a streak of 13 consecutive Manufacturer’s Championship titles between 2003 – 2015. Team Chevy drivers and teams earned 19 wins in the 36-race NCS schedule to lead all manufacturers, marking the most victories in a NCS season for Chevrolet since 2014.  For the second consecutive year, Chevrolet won the Bill France Performance Cup in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. This marks the 23rd Manufacturer’s Championship title in the series, the most of any other manufacturer. Of the 34-race NXS schedule, Chevrolet led all manufacturers in wins with 16. THE SEASON OF ‘NEW’A season full of new kicked off last weekend when NASCAR’s premier series took on the .25-mile track built within the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the traditional Busch Light Clash. Not only was it a new venue for the series, but the event marked the on-track competition debut of the NASCAR Next Gen cars. All eyes are set on the 2.5-mile high-banked superspeedway as the Daytona 500 officially starts the points-paying action for the Next Gen Camaro ZL1. “With the Clash race at the LA Coliseum behind us, it’s time to look forward to the points racing debut of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Camaro ZL1 Next Gen car,” said Pat Suhy, GM Manager, NASCAR Competition. “While there was an organizational test at the track in January, there wasn’t a full field of cars. Drivers practiced drafting together at that test at various times, but nowhere near as aggressively as we’ll see with 40 of them trying to win the biggest race of the season and lock themselves into the first round of the playoffs. The 2022 Daytona 500 is going to be an exciting learning experience for Chevrolet and our teams.” Chevrolet engineers and designers, alongside the Chevrolet race teams, worked closely together to develop the Next Gen Camaro ZL1, creating a race car that looks and performs more like the production Camaro. “The Daytona 500 is always an exciting start to the NASCAR Cup Series race season,” said Dr. Eric Warren, Chevrolet Director of NASCAR Programs. “This year that excitement is magnified by the introduction of the Next Gen Chevy Camaro ZL1. Everyone on the teams and OEM partners will be anxiously waiting for those first competitive laps in practice and qualifying where many years of testing and industry collaboration on this car ends and the drive to beat competitors begins. I am excited for the challenge a totally new car presents and we at Chevy look forward to bringing our engineering resources and racing heritage to the competition.” Bringing the track and the street closer together, the Next Gen Camaro ZL1’s new lower greenhouse, shortened deck lid and widened track width contribute to a coupe-like appearance. Like the production Camaro ZL1, the Next Gen Camaro ZL1 features hood air extractors to enhance track performance. With its fully symmetrical body design, the Next Gen Camaro ZL1 race car looks even more like the production Camaro. 2022 BOWTIE LINEUP UPDATESThe 2022 NASCAR Cup Series field will see a number of growing teams that will contribute to a stout Chevrolet driver lineup for the upcoming season. ·       Trackhouse Racing is entering into their second full-time season in NASCAR’s premier series, now fielding two full-time Camaro ZL1’s. After purchasing Chip Ganassi Racing’s NASCAR assets at the conclusion of the 2021 season, Trackhouse Racing is taking their team to the next level. Daniel Suarez will return to the team, piloting the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in his sixth season of NCS competition. The team’s second seat will be filled by Ross Chastain after previously driving for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021. The 29-year-old Florida native will be behind the wheel of the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the team. Chastain had a solid 2021 season in his Chevrolet, contending for the win on several different occasions and scoring his NCS career-best finish of second at Nashville. ·       Chevrolet teams, GMS Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports, will have a whole new look for the 2022 season. Team owners Maury Gallagher and Richard Petty have merged to form a new organization: Petty GMS Motorsports. The new team with field two Camaro ZL1’s full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driven by two familiar faces to the Bowtie Brand. Erik Jones will return to the seat of the iconic No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The team’s second entry will see the return of Ty Dillon to NCS competition, driving the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, a number that holds deep ties to the Petty family legacy. ·       Having much success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Kaulig Racing will also be taking on the NASCAR Cup Series, operating a two-car team for the 2022 season. Justin Haley is no stranger to NCS competition, previously scoring his first NCS win in 2019 at Daytona International Speedway driving the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet. The 22-year-old will make the jump from the NXS to NASCAR’s premier series, piloting the Kaulig Racing No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 full-time this season. The Chevrolet team’s second team, the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will see a rotation of familiar Team Chevy drivers, including AJ Allmendinger, Noah Gragson and Daniel Hemric. Kaulig Racing captured the attention of competitors in 2021 when AJ Allmendinger gave the team its first NCS win in the series’ debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in only the team’s seventh NCS start. BOWTIE BULLETS:·       NASCAR Cup Series victories by current Chevrolet drivers at Daytona International Speedway:Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Camaro ZL1, has one win (July 2017)Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Camaro ZL1, has one win (February 2018)Justin Haley, No. 31 Kaulig Racing Camaro ZL1, has one win (July 2019)William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1, has one win (August 2020) ·       Of the 149 appearances made in NASCAR’s premier series at the “World Center of Racing”, Chevrolet has recorded 48 wins, 51 poles, 222 top-five’s, 449 top-10’s, and led 8,092 laps. ·       Coming off of his first-career NASCAR Cup Series Championship title, Larson could potentially become just the sixth champion in NASCAR history to claim the Harley J. Early trophy the following season. He would join the company of NASCAR Cup Series Champions Dale Jarrett (2000), Jeff Gordon (1999), Cale Yarborough (1977), Richard Petty (1973) and Lee Petty (1959). ·       Chevrolet has sat on the pole for the Daytona 500 29 times, topping all manufacturers. This includes a string of nine consecutive years, a streak that holds the record over any manufacturer at the 2.5-mile Florida superspeedway. The Bowtie Brand has also swept the Daytona 500 front row 19 times in the event’s history, including nine of the past 11 years. ·       Chevrolet has captured the Daytona 500 victory 24 times, more than all other manufacturers. In addition, Chevrolet has won 93 times at the 2.5-mile Florida superspeedway across all three NASCAR National Series, making Chevrolet the winningest manufacturer at Daytona International Speedway in NASCAR history. ·       Hendrick Motorsports has won 14 Daytona 500 poles, the most of all teams in the NASCAR Cup Series: Ken Schrader (1988, 1989, 1990), Jeff Gordon (1999, 2015), Jimmie Johnson (2002, 2008), Mark Martin (2010), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2011), Chase Elliott (2016, 2017), Alex Bowman (2018, 2021), William Byron (2019). FOR THE FANS·       Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Daytona International Speedway. ·       Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: Tahoe RST Z71, Blazer RS, Colorado Z71​​, Corvette Z51​​, Camaro ZL1​​, Equinox RS​​, Silverado HC​, Silverado ZR2​.·       At the Chevrolet Display, fans can also view Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Camaro ZL1 show car. TEAM CHEVY QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS AT THE DISPLAY:Thursday, February 17·      Derek Kraus and Colby Howard: 2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.·      Carson Hocevar and Dean Thompson: 3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.·      Lawless Alan and Kris Wright: 3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Friday, February 18·      Myatt Snider: 12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.·      Grant Enfinger, Jack Wood and Thad Moffitt: 1:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.·      Sheldon Creed and Austin Hill: 1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.·      Noah Gragson: 2:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Saturday, February 19·       AJ Allmendinger and Landon Cassill: 9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.·       Brett Moffitt, Jeb Burton and Anthony Alfredo: 9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.·       Jesse Iwuji: 9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.·       Sam Mayer: 10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.·       Justin Allgaier: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.·       Josh Berry: 1:10 p.m. – 1:25 p.m. Sunday, February 20·       Daniel Suarez: 10:10 a.m. – 10:25 a.m.·       Corey LaJoie: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.·       Ross Chastain: 11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.·       Justin Haley and Daniel Hemric: 11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.·       Chase Elliott: 11:35 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.·       Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick: 11:50 a.m. – 12:05 p.m.·       William Byron: 12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:·       Thursday, February 17: 2:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.·       Friday, February 18: 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.·       Saturday, February 19: 8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.·       Sunday, February 20: 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. TUNE INFOX will telecast the 64th running of the Daytona 500 at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 20. FS1 will telecast the NASCAR Xfinity Series ‘Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300’ at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 19. FS1 will telecast the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy 250 at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, February 18. Live coverage for all three events will also be broadcasted on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. QUOTABLE QUOTES:ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 ADVENT HEALTH CAMARO ZL1 IF THERE IS ONE RACE YOU WANT TO WIN, WHICH ONE IS IT AND WHY? “The Daytona 500 because you’re not a Daytona 500 winner, you never hear that phrase. It’s Daytona 500 champion. It’s a single race. I’m from Florida and I hold Daytona as my home track. We always went to the summer race because we had watermelons in the ground in February. I almost don’t even like calling it the ‘Great American Race’ because it’s world renowned. It’s one of the crown jewel races in the world of auto racing.” WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST DAYTONA 500 EXPERIENCE LIKE? “When you’re in the car and hear the roar of the fans, and to think I sat in those grandstands as a kid…It gives me chills just to think about it.” AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS / TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1 LOOKING BACK NOW, WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU ABOUT YOUR DAYTONA 500 WIN? “A lot stands out about my Daytona 500 win. Mostly, how special it was to our entire organization. All of the people at RCR that have put so much into my career. Going to Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway is an epic feeling. It’s a dream come true. Nothing compares to that feeling of racing to the start/finish line and no one is in front of you. Everyone is behind you.” YOU’VE HAD SUCCESS AT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY. HOW DO YOU NEGOTIATE STAYING OUT OF THE WRECKS THROUGHOUT THE RACE SO THAT YOU CAN BE IN CONTENTION AT THE END? “It’s tough. It’s a game of putting yourself in position. I call it high-speed chess because you know at some point in time you’re going to be vulnerable. You hope that someone doesn’t take advantage of that too much and cause a big wreck. It’s one of those things where you are constantly moving and trying to guess the flow of the pack. I think the best place to be is in the front most of the time, but it’s impossible now with the way we race to keep yourself up there for the entire race. You see guys do it for long periods of time. Denny Hamlin has been pretty amazing at putting himself in the right position as of late. I’m going to do my best this time around to put ourselves in position for another shot at the Daytona 500.” DO YOU FEEL THE “BIG ONE” COMING, OR DOES IT HAPPEN SO FAST THAT YOU’RE JUST IN IT? “Sometimes you’re in it, and there is nothing you can do about it because you know time is running out and you’re in it either way. It’s an odd feeling knowing your putting yourself out there and something is about to happen. It’s an issue of timing. You’re hoping you just get through it. I’ve been fortunate to sneak through some of them, or be in front of some of them. You usually know when the intensity is rising and the pack is starting to get a little bit out of control. You try to do your best to give yourself an out or be in front of it.” KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1LARSON ON DAYTONA DRAFTING: “I wasn’t at Daytona for the test (in January), so I don’t know how the new Chevrolet drafts. I’ve watched video of past races and studied how I could have done things differently since I don’t usually finish well in these types of races. I seem to always end up in the middle of the mess, so I watched to see how others stay ahead of it.” CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1DANIELS ON DAYTONA PREPARATION: “Our team did not participate in the test (at Daytona in January), but we were able to follow a lot of what was going on in the test live. We had a lot of great feedback from our teams that were there and are absolutely leaning on them.” DANIELS ON DAYTONA 500 QUALIFYING WEDNESDAY NIGHT: “We’d love to qualify on the front row. Hendrick Motorsports cars have a great history of being on the front row because everyone here puts in a lot of hard work to build fast race cars. Wednesday night is important but, ultimately, we want to be in position to battle for the win on Sunday coming off turn four of the final lap.” COREY LAJOIE, NO. 7 BUILT.COM CAMARO ZL1“It’s the big one, The Daytona 500. Can’t wait to hit the track with our Built Bar Camaro. It’s been a long and grueling off season and I’m proud of the effort Spire Motorsports has been putting in to get us here. There are so many unknowns going into this race with the Next Gen car that our goal is to put together a solid week and be in position to take home the Harley J Earl trophy.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1 WHEN YOU THINK OF THE DAYTONA 500 AND ALL OF THE UNKNOWNS, LIKE “THE BIG ONE”, HOW DO YOU APPROACH SUCH A LONG RACE WITH MANY CHALLENGES? “When it comes to running the DAYTONA 500, it’s always a very interesting challenge. Every single lap of the entire race, you have to wager risk versus reward. Any moment on the racetrack, your race can end. You can make a decision that takes you from the lead to last. You can make a decision that wrecks your racecar. You can make a decision that leads to you being in a wreck. When it comes to this race, there are so many decisions you have to make from Lap 1 to Lap 200 that have to be absolutely perfect. One decision throughout that entire race, a race filled with thousands of decisions that are made in split-second moments, can dictate whether you win, lose or crash. Because of that, it makes it one of the most challenging races of the year. And it makes it one of the most exciting, too.” THE DAYTONA 500 ALWAYS PRODUCES EXCITING RACING BUT WITH THE NEW NEXT GEN CAR, WHAT ARE YOU ANTICIPATING HEADING INTO THE GREAT AMERICAN RACE? “Kicking off the season with the DAYTONA 500 is something special every single year. As a racecar driver, this race is one of the biggest, exciting, and highly anticipated races. With the new car, all of the teams are on a level playing field. We all had the same opportunities to test the car and work with our teams and manufacturers to prepare for the season. I’m excited to see all the hard work that RCR and Chevrolet have put into this car be on display on the track.” YOU’VE TALKED ABOUT NEVER REALLY SLOWING DOWN DURING THE OFFSEASON OR STOPPING TO TAKE A BREAK. WHAT DOES THAT DO FOR YOU AND YOUR PREPARATION HEADING INTO A NEW SEASON? “I’ve never really been one to slow down during the offseason because I want to keep improving and working during that time to get better for the next season. I spent a lot of my time working out and getting stronger all while learning more about the Next Gen car, participating in the tests and preparing for 2022. The goals are the same for me week in and week out, and that is to go out on the track, contend for wins, be up front and in the mix and leave with positive results. I feel like this is our year and couldn’t be more excited to get to Daytona for the 500.” THE PARTNERSHIP WITH RCR AND 3CHI IS ONE THAT IS VERY NEW AND VERY DIFFERENT IN THE NASCAR INDUSTRY. HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO REPRESENT THEM IN THE NO. 8 CHEVROLET? “The partnership with 3CHI is one that RCR is very proud of. A lot of hard work went into making it happen and I can’t thank NASCAR, 3CHI and my colleagues at RCR enough for all the time and effort they put into making this partnership come to life. 3CHI wanted to be a part of NASCAR throughout all of last year and we made it our goal to make it happen in 2022. I can’t wait to get that awesome paint scheme on track in a few days.” CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1ELLIOTT ON THE 2021 SEASON AND HOW THE TEAM CAN IMPROVE FOR 2022: “Not consistently winning, that was the piece we were kind of missing last year. I actually felt like we ran better last year in a lot of ways than we did in 2020. We just didn’t get hot at the end of the year. I was really proud of a lot of things that we did last season and I think we have a lot to build off of. If we can combine the consistency of last year with the number of wins we had in 2020, I think we really have a shot at another championship in 2022.” ELLIOTT ON THE RACING IN THE DAYTONA 500:“The 500 is a race that everyone wants to win. The history behind this event and just how special it is, it’s unlike any other race on the schedule. Last year, we came the closest we ever have (second place), but in the past things haven’t worked out so great for us.” ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1GUSTAFSON ON 2022 GOALS: “Our goal for a successful season never changes. We want to win the championship and win races. Be there in Phoenix (in November) to compete for it, so that’s really our main goal again. The steps to get there are different than they typically are. It’s going to start in a different place and end in a different place as far as what we’ll focus a lot of our energy on. But the goal is still the same, to be the best team in the series.” GUSTAFSON ON TACKLING 2022 WITH A NEW CAR: “It’s a new challenge with the car and what I’m most looking forward to is that challenge and then ultimately being successful. Taking that challenge and overcoming all the issues that are there and the challenge it creates and being able to be successful, be competitive and ultimately win. It’s always fun to get to the track. It’s been a busy offseason. I just like getting to the track and getting down to business.” DANIEL HEMRIC, NO. 16 HERITAGE POOL SUPPLY COMPANY CAMARO ZL1“I’ve been fortunate to have experience at Daytona over the last handful of years in many different series, but this year, I’m going into it with my new home, Kaulig Racing. We’ve been spending time preparing as a team during the offseason and building on relationships that attribute to the culture at this team. This is our first opportunity to officially do that, and given the history of Kaulig Racing’s success, especially at superspeedways, makes it even more exciting. I look forward to the chance to being part of this Kaulig Racing family, working with my teammates on the Xfinity side, as well as the cup side, and continue building towards the vision that Matt Kaulig, Chris rice and everyone at Kaulig Racing has built prior to me being here.” WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1BYRON ON WHAT RACING MAY LOOK LIKE IN THE DAYTONA 500 WITH THE NEW RACE CAR: “I think it’s going to be similar to what we normally see there. If anything, the test at Daytona in January was more aggressive than we thought it would be. I think the new car allows you to be a bit more aggressive than in the past. I do think the Duels may be somewhat calm just because guys don’t want to tear up their race cars since there’s not many backups available. But the DAYTONA 500 will be just as crazy as it normally is. No one is going to hold anything back and everyone is going to race as hard as they can. Everyone wants to win the DAYTONA 500.” BYRON ON HOW SPECIAL IT IS TO WIN AT DAYTONA: “It’s super special to get a win there in any series. Daytona is one of those places that you have to be aggressive to win. That night in (August) 2020 was a big deal for me, trying to get my first Cup Series win but also with the window we were up against to try and make the playoffs. It was stressful, but the DAYTONA 500 is a different feeling than the summer race. It’s a longer race that’s more about setting yourself up for the end. You use the race to learn throughout, but you still want to go for the stage wins to gain points and not start the season in a hole should something happen. You want to make it to the end first and foremost, but you want to really try stay up front all day, if possible, to put yourself in a good spot.” RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1FUGLE ON THE TEAM’S APPROACH TO DAYTONA: “We are one of only a handful of teams who participated in both tests at Daytona with the Next Gen car this off season. We have some really good notes from those sessions that I think we can apply and will give us a slight advantage heading in. That allows us to work on some more specific areas and changes to really get the car dialed in to William’s liking. I think there will be slight caution from everyone this week given the limited amount of cars teams have, but I think it’s not much more than the normal level of caution you have leading into Speedweeks and superspeedway racing where anything can happen at any moment.” JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1“This is an exciting weekend for myself and Kaulig Racing. I was fortunate enough to run both my first and Kaulig Racing’s first Daytona 500 together a couple years ago. To be entering our second Daytona 500 together, but this time to kick off our first, full Cup Series season together, is truly special. Kaulig Racing has been a huge part of my growth as a driver, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do together this year starting at the biggest race in motorsports.” RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER / IRISH SPRING CAMARO ZL1“For me, it’s like a new start to everything and we have a good opportunity as a team to get started on the right foot. Our No. 47 Kroger/Irish Spring Camaro drove good while we were down here for the test, and we did some drafting sessions that were beneficial. I think that will pay off come Sunday for the 500. We know temps will be warmer for the race and there are also a lot of unknowns for all of us. It will be interesting to see how much we are going to practicing pushing and then how the Duels will go. We’re really prepared, and my team worked hard making sure we have everything we need to be successful.”  ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1BOWMAN ON RACING IN THE DAYTONA 500: “I am excited to get to Daytona and kick off the season. Greg (Ives) and the guys back at the shop have been working super hard to get the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet ready for this week. Hopefully, we continue our streak of front row starts at the 500 and get the momentum rolling early. We just have to try and stay out of the mess and start the year with a win.” GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1IVES ON RACING IN THE DAYTONA 500: “Heading to Daytona is always a fun and exciting time. Not only are you getting the season started, but everyone here at Hendrick Motorsports always produces fast speedway Chevrolets, so I am looking forward to getting down there. We have started on the front row for four consecutive years because of what everyone does here at Hendrick Motorsports. Our main goal this year is to go down there and have a car capable of having speed and being there at the end. Whether that is pole-winning speed, I’m not sure, but our goal is to have a car that handles well and be there at the end when it counts at the 500. Having the Harley J. Earl trophy in your collection is something that is really cool, so hopefully we can add it to our shelves this year.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 TOOTSIES ORCHID LOUNGE CAMARO ZL1 WHERE IS TRACKHOUSE RACING IN ITS GROWTH?  “It is a process. I think today, thanks to a lot of people, we are in a pretty good spot. Last year, we started the season with a close partnership with RCR and without them we wouldn’t be here. It was a huge help to be able to start strong. Without that support, it is almost impossible to be competitive. There is so much information, so much data out there that require years and people and manufacturers to be able get. It’s a process. Trackhouse Racing, Justin Marks, Ty Norris, this great group of people, Pitbull they have done a great job you know. “We had to start the right way, like I said with help from Chevrolet and RCR. Now we are kind of like doing our own thing, but we are still under the umbrella of Chevrolet. It’s been great and I feel like when it comes to sponsors we have to do a good job, not just in the racetrack but also outside the racetrack. I feel like so far we have done a pretty decent job, but really we could push it and there is always room for improvement.” WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO WIN THE DAYTONA 500? “That’s why I race. Every driver in this sport wants to win a Daytona 500 and a championship. I have won the Xfinity title, and now is a good time to add more trophies to the trophy case.” WHAT WILL YOU DO IF YOU WIN THE DAYTONA 500? “We will spend the week at Tootsie’s in Nashville and hope we make it to Fontana for the next race!” Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics Manufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2021): 40First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15) Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2021): 33First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most Recent: Kyle Larson (2021) Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 814 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 723Laps led to date: 241,336Top-five finishes to date: 4,138Top-10 finishes to date: 8,555                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,148           Chevrolet: 814           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 811                                                                    Ford: 711           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 162

• Dodge//SRT and Mopar are ready for a new season of National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing, beginning with the 62nd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, California, on February 17-20
• Dodge//SRT and Mopar partner with newly formed Tony Stewart Racing (TSR), continue relationship with drivers Leah Pruett in Top Fuel and Matt Hagan in Funny Car who will both sport new Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection primary branding on their race cars this season
• Three-time Funny Car world champion Hagan heads into a new season with Tony Stewart Racing and a new livery for his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, looking to power his way to Pomona’s winner circle for a seventh time
• Nine-time national event winner Pruett is excited to stage her new Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel dragster and defend her Winternationals victory last July
• Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection performance parts offerings will be on display in the NHRA Manufacturers Midway throughout the season, in addition to race simulators for enthusiasts to test their skills 
• All 22 NHRA national events will air on FOX or FS1 and will stream live on NHRA.TV
• For more information on Dodge and the 24-month Dodge Never Lift campaign, visit Dodge.com or DodgeGarage.com

February 15, 2022, Auburn Hills, Michigan — A new season, new team, new livery, new performance parts offerings for racers and enthusiasts, and a new track surface have Dodge//SRT (Street and Racing Technology) and Mopar brands excited to hit the throttle on the 2022 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series season February 17-20 with the season-opening 62nd annual Lucas Oil Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, California. 

Dodge//SRT and Mopar recently announced their partnership with the NHRA’s newest team, Tony Stewart Racing (TSR), which is set to make its competition debut in Pomona this weekend with Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection primary sponsorship of Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett and three-time Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan. 

The new Dodge Power Brokers program will roll out ready to serve as the exclusive source for all new Direct Connection, Dodge’s factory-backed performance parts program, and equipped with staff trained to deliver a performance-focused customer service experience.

“Dodge//SRT performance enthusiasts have plenty to look forward to this NHRA season as we launch our new partnership with Tony Stewart Racing,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge Brand CEO – Stellantis. “Fans will see the new Dodge Power Brokers and Direct Connection colors for us this year, and also have the chance to check out Direct Connection factory-backed performance products at the display in the Manufacturers Midway. It’s a brand new season, a brand new team with brand new Dodge programs we’re bringing to the NHRA.”

The Winternationals return as the traditional season opener for the NHRA’s 22-race calendar and will (literally) present a new level playing field for racers to kick off a season of tough competition with a freshly prepped track after the historic California dragstrip was ground and polished for its first facelift in 20 years. The action kicks off Friday, February 18, with one qualifying session for pro categories, followed by two more nitro runs on Saturday, February 19, and elimination rounds scheduled to start at 11 a.m. Pacific on Sunday, February 20.

Hagan, a three-time (2011, 2014, 2020) NHRA Funny Car World Champion, closed out the 2021 season as runner-up in the title fight after taking his 11,000-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye to a category-best four national wins to finish the year with a top-10 result for the 11th time in his career.  

While he begins the new chapter in his career with his new team and the new Dodge Power Brokers livery, Hagan is confident that he’ll benefit from the consistency provided by once again having his HEMI®-powered machine tuned by longtime crew chief Dickie Venables and fully expects to add to his 39 career victories tally that currently has him fifth on the all-time Funny Car win list. 

“I have an amazing crew headed by Dickie Venables, Mike Knudson and Alex Conaway who have been with me for many years and provide the confidence and expectation that even with a new team, we’re going into this weekend and a new season looking to win,” said Hagan, who is second on the win-list at the Pomona dragstrip with six victories (2018, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2011) and set the current 3.822-second track record run in 2017. “They’re pumped up, focused, excited and more motivated than ever before. We have renewed energy, a new livery and a great race car. We know we’re going to contend from the start and we’re focused on driving the Dodge Power Brokers Funny Car to the winner’s circle.”

Nine-time national event winner Pruett begins her 10th year of Top Fuel competition after a sixth consecutive season with a top-10 finish that included a win at the July edition of the 2021 Winternationals that came on the heels of her runner-up finish at Sonoma Raceway. She’ll work again with Neal Strausbaugh, who takes on crew chief duties for her TSR Dodge Power Brokers Top Fuel dragster along with Mike Domagala and car chief Ryan McGilvery. 

The California native has two career wins (2021 and 2017) at her hometown track, which is also the site of her quickest career run of 3.631-seconds in 2018, but she expects her first competition pass with the fledgling Tony Stewart Racing team to be just as memorable.

“After such extensive structuring, planning, and being alongside the team, working through ordering of parts, building of racecars and partner programs, I do truly believe that first burnout to turnout will be one of the most fulfilling passes I will have personally made,” said Pruett. “Stepping on the grounds of Pomona and rolling out our Dodge Power Brokers race cars will initially have the feeling of a win itself, but I am also ready for that moment to go away as soon as it comes, appreciate it, then welcome the feeling of a new era of competition. 

“We will be making every performance-enhancing attempt to defend last year’s Winternationals win but we are focused on the fundamentals and coming together as a new team. A win would be nothing short of magical but we’ll strive for creating continuity amongst our people and parts at a faster rate than anyone has seen before.”

Additional Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat drivers set to battle for national event wins and the Funny Car crown include two-time world champion Cruz Pedregon and reigning world champion Ron Capps.

Pedregon hopes this year to build on his Cruz Pedregon Racing team’s positive performance after driving his Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to the winner’s circle twice in 2021 and finishing fourth in the final standings. Capps will drive the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat into his 28th NHRA season of competition and also make his debut in the dual role of driver and team owner of Ron Capps Motorsports, all while looking to defend his second Funny Car world title. 

Dodge//SRT and Mopar Manufacturers Midway Exhibit

Fans attending national events are invited to visit Dodge//SRT and Mopar’s massive 4,800-square-foot display, one of the largest exhibits in the NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, where they can meet their favorite Dodge//SRT drivers for autographs and check out a selection of Direct Connection performance parts and vehicles. The interactive exhibit also features a pair of Dodge Challenger SRT Demon simulators to test their virtual race skills and experience a nitro run from the driver’s seat of the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car simulator. 

For a fourth season, the exhibit will also host Mopar Career Automotive Program (CAP) activations at seven NHRA national events, beginning at the NHRA Gatornationals in March. The Mopar CAP program is dedicated to recruiting, training, and placing the best service technicians in the industry in Stellantis dealerships. Students are invited to visit the informational booth which features a subject matter expert, program information, games and giveaways. More information is available at Moparcap.com.

NHRA on FOX and NHRA.TV

This season Dodge//SRT and Mopar brands will continue to partner with the NHRA as part of their multi-year full media package which includes NHRA on FOX commercials and integration. All 22 national events will be broadcast on either FOX or FS1. Non-stop track action will also stream live on NHRA.TV.

Winternationals television coverage will air on FS1 with qualifying highlights on Friday, February 18, at 10 p.m. and Sunday, February 20, at 7 a.m. Eastern. Three hours of eliminations will be broadcast Sunday on FS1 beginning at 10 p.m. Eastern.

DodgeGarage: Digital Hub for Drag Racing News

Fans can follow all the NHRA action this season at DodgeGarage, the one-stop portal for Dodge//SRT and Mopar drag-racing news. The site includes daily updates and access to an online racing HQ, news, events, galleries, available downloads and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dodgegarage.com.

@DodgeMoparMotorsports on Instagram

The @DodgeMoparMotorsports Instagram channel continues to share content capturing Dodge//SRT Mopar drivers on the track. Fans can see action from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series and NHRA Sportsman grassroots racers, competing in classes such as Factory Stock Showdown, Stock and Super Stock, as well as additional motorsports series.

Dodge//SRT

For more than 100 years, the Dodge brand has carried on the spirit of brothers John and Horace Dodge. Their influence continues today as Dodge shifts into high gear with muscle cars and SUVs that deliver unrivaled performance in each of the segments where they compete.

Dodge drives forward as a pure performance brand, offering SRT versions of every model across the lineup. For the 2022 model year, Dodge delivers the drag-strip dominating 807-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock, the 797-horsepower Dodge Charger SRT Redeye, the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world, and the Dodge Durango SRT 392, America’s fastest, most powerful and most capable three-row SUV. Combined, these three muscle cars make Dodge the industry’s most powerful brand, offering more horsepower than any other American brand across its entire lineup.

In 2020, Dodge was named the “#1 Brand in Initial Quality,” making it the first domestic brand ever to rank No. 1 in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). In 2021, Dodge brand ranked No. 1 in the J.D. Power APEAL Study (mass market) — making it the only domestic brand ever to do so two years in a row.

Dodge is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.

NHRA^® Team Report

NHRA Winternationals – Pomona, CA

Pre-Race Report

Cruz Pedregon and the Snap-on^® “Makers and Fixers” Dodge^® SRT^® Hellcat^® are coming off solid testing runs in Phoenix as he and the team gear-up for kick-off of the 2022 NHRA Season. This is Cruz’s 30th season to pilot a Nitro Funny Car backed by sponsor Snap-on for more than 25 of those years.

“I love the fresh energy I feel with this team, even as a seasoned driver. It was a big decision to bring J.C. (John Collins) and Rip (Reynolds) on last year, and man has that investment paid off. We finished fourth overall in 2021 with two great wins and some really close finishes. We took what we learned from our first year together and are improving on what we know works,” says Cruz, who has finished in the top five NHRA Funny Car standings 11 of his career seasons. “If you take a look at the results from testing where all our runs were threes and the best was 3.92, we can see that we’re chipping away at getting the Snap-on Dodge in the consistent place we need it to be for the Winternationals and the competitive season ahead. It’s a really exciting place to be.”

During the off-season, Cruz was in the shop every day but took time to race in the iconic Tulsa Chili Bowl on a quarter mile dirt track. Also, during the off-season, the team added Austin Hord and Nate Hamm. Austin spent time with DSR before joining Cruz Pedregon Racing, while Nate’s first track experience with a Nitro car was at testing.

The new look on Cruz’s Funny Car is an evolution from the 2021 design carrying the signature Snap-on red and black colors in a fade pattern keeping the company’s “S” wrench logo as a prominent feature. An updated Makers & Fixers logo and theme will once again highlight a call to the Makers and Fixers to share their stories at makersandfixers.com. The car’s bodies will remain the same as last year and carry Cruz’s chosen names of Gato Malo, bad cat; Gato Loco, crazy cat; and El Conquistador, the conqueror.

Follow Cruz and Snap-on on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

To see the latest Cruz news, like his Facebook page, where you can also check out his Vlog “Kickin’ It With The Cruzer.” Follow Cruz on Twitter and Instagram.

IMSA race winner to co-drive No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R entry

DETROIT (Feb. 15, 2022) – IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race winner and INDYCAR champion Ryan Hunter-Reay will co-drive the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R in the 70th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts.

Hunter-Reay, a resident of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will reconnect with full-season drivers Renger van der Zande and Sebastien Bourdais in the No. 01 Cadillac Racing entry fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing for the March 17-19 event on the 3.74-mile, 17-turn Sebring International Raceway road course. Hunter-Reay and van der Zande teamed with Jordan Taylor in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R to win the 2018 Petit Le Mans, finish second in the Twelve Hours of Sebring and earn the pole for the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona. Hunter-Reay, the 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner and 2012 INDYCAR champion with Chevrolet power, competed against Bourdais – a four-time INDYCAR champion – throughout his INDYCAR career that has covered 282 races over 18 years. “It’s beyond belief that Ryan Hunter-Reay is available to be a Cadillac teammate at Sebring. Chip Ganassi Racing has admired his ability to consistently win major globally recognized events. He has that special knack to be a separator,” Chip Ganassi Racing managing director Mike Hull said. “We’re excited that Ryan’s an integral part of our team at the Twelve Hours of Sebring.” Hunter-Reay also co-drove to the overall victory in the 2020 Twelve Hours of Sebring with Mazda Motorsports. “I’m thrilled to be joining Chip Ganassi Racing and returning to Cadillac for the 70th running of the Twelve Hours of Sebring,” Hunter-Reay said. “This is a tremendous opportunity to work with one of the very best teams and manufacturers in motorsports. Sebring is my home track, and the Twelve Hours of Sebring is one of those iconic events that you focus on as a competitor. After winning the 2020 race overall, I’ve been eager to get back with a top team and compete for another win.” Cadillac has won three of the five 12-hour races at Sebring International Raceway in DPi competition dating to 2017. The No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R, which started on the front row and placed third in the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 30, is the defending Twelve Hours of Sebring race winner. Tristan Vautier and Loic Duval return to co-drive the No. 5 Cadillac DPi-V.R with Richard Westbrook. The No. 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R, co-driven by van der Zande, Kevin Magnussen and Scott Dixon, finished fifth in the 2021 race at Sebring. This year, Magnussen will share driving duties with Earl Bamber and Alex Lynn in the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R. Chip Ganassi Racing INDYCAR drivers Alex Palou and Dixon joined van der Zande and Bourdais to co-drive the No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R in the 60th Rolex 24 At Daytona. Palou set the race lap record time.

The Chandler, AZ driver, led all 30 laps en route to his first Volusia Speedway Park VictoryBARBERVILLE, FL – February 14, 2022 – A year ago, Ricky Thornton Jr. seemed destined for his first DIRTcar Nationals win—until heartbreak struck. He lost the lead on a late-race restart, spoiling his chances for victory. History didn’t have a chance to repeat itself Monday night. The Chandler, AZ driver took advantage of a caution-free Feature, leading all 30-laps to score his first DIRTcar Nationals win at Volusia Speedway Park.  Thornton jumped to the roof of his car in Victory Lane, raising two fists into the Florida sky and letting out a joyful scream—knowing he got his redemption and the $7,000 paycheck.  “I felt like we almost had one last year, and we gave it away there late in the race,” Thornton said. “This is pretty awesome.”  While Thornton dominated the event, he knew he had to be sharp at the start of the race. “RTJ” lined up next to Brandon Overton, who won the last DIRTcar Nationals Feature in 2021.  Thornton powered ahead of Overton on the outside lane, grabbing a lead he’d never relinquish off Turn 2. The outside was where Thornton wanted to go, allowing him to set his own pace in the early stages of the Feature.  “I actually preferred starting on the outside; that way, I could run into [Turn 1] as hard as I wanted,” Thornton said. “It worked out for us; I got a really good start and got out in front of [Overton]. “I was trying to distance myself as much as I could; that way, once we did get to traffic and I had to slow down, they wouldn’t get by me. The top never really slowed down all the way, so it’s pretty awesome.”   As Thornton drove away from the field, Chris Madden charged from his eighth starting position to finish second. The Gray Court, SC campaigner, took the opposite approach from Thornton, using the bottom en route to a runner-up finish.  Madden felt he could’ve had a shot at the win if he had a better starting position.  “We needed to start closer to the front,” Madden said. “We qualified good tonight, inverted back, and then started, I think eighth there. “We had a really good racecar tonight. I’m really proud of my guys; I’m proud of our finish; I’m proud of our car and what we learned tonight. It was a great racetrack, and we had a fun race.” Defending DIRTcar Nationals champion Devin Moran crossed the line third—his 13th straight top-10 finish in 2022.  The Dresden, OH driver felt he wasn’t good enough on the outside to contend with both Thornton and Madden.  “Ricky was checked out pretty good, and I think Chris [Madden] was a little better than us,” Moran said. “We were probably a third-place car, we were too tight to run the top, and we just need to work on it a little bit and get it ready for tomorrow.” Pole-sitter Brandon Overton finished fourth, and Dale McDowell rounded out the top five.  Ricky Thornton Jr. didn’t back down from a second chance at winning his first Gator—giving him DIRTcar Nationals redemption. It’s a momentum that keeps his eyes on a larger prize—a “Big Gator” trophy on his mantle.  The quest for a “Big Gator” continues Tuesday night at Volusia Speedway Park as the Late Models return for their second night of action at DIRTcar Nationals. For tickets, CLICK HERE. The Super DIRTcar Series and the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Cars presented by Low-E Insulation will also join the racing card.  If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online on with the DIRTVision App. Feature (30 Laps): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 2. 44-Chris Madden[8]; 3. 9-Devin Moran[6]; 4. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 5. 17M-Dale McDowell[4]; 6. 16-Tyler Bruening[7]; 7. 1-Brandon Sheppard[3]; 8. 157-Mike Marlar[12]; 9. 25-Shane Clanton[11]; 10. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[13]; 11. 32-Chris Simpson[10]; 12. 29-Darrell Lanigan[5]; 13. 19R-Ryan Gustin[14]; 14. 18D-Daulton Wilson[17]; 15. 40B-Kyle Bronson[15]; 16. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[9]; 17. 89-Ashton Winger[24]; 18. 58-Mark Whitener[18]; 19. 36-Logan Martin[21]; 20. 11-Spencer Hughes[16]; 21. 14M-Morgan Bagley[22]; 22. 31-Tyler Millwood[19]; 23. 97-Cody Overton[23]; 24. 11B-Stacy Boles[20]

DIRTcar Racing is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Chevy Performance Parts, and NAPA Auto Parts (SDS). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), ASI Race Wear (SDS), Bassett Racing Wheel, Bell Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, Bicknell Racing Products (SDS), Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux (SDS), Cometic Gasket (SDS), COMP Cams, Fast Shafts, Fox Factory, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, K1 Race Gear, KSE Racing Products, MSD, Mulit FireX, Quarter Master, Schoenfeld Headers, Summit Racing Equipment, Swift Springs, Velocita USA, Wehrs Machine & Racing Products, Wrisco-Wieland Metal Services (Exclusive Racing Aluminum). Along with manufacturer sponsors, including: FIREBULL, Intercomp, and Racing Electronics.

37-Car Field Returns on Tuesday for $10,000 Payday in DIRTcar Nationals Special

BARBERVILLE, FL – February 14, 2022 – When we look back on the record books in 20-30 years, CJ Leary of Greenfield, IN will forever be the first winner in the history of the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series presented by Low-E Insulation.

Advancing from third to first in two laps, Leary finessed the middle of the Volusia Speedway Park 1/2-mile and shot by polesitter Carson Short in the early running. The 25-year-old Michael Motorsports pilot then survived a pair of restarts, a late rally by Short, and one final charge from Justin Grant to bank the $5,000 victory LIVE on DIRTVision.

“I’ve always wanted to run a Non-Wing car around here at Volusia,” Leary said in victory lane. “I came and got my ass kicked by the World of Outlaws a few years ago with the wing, so to come back and win a gator tonight is pretty cool. The place is a blast to race.”

The former USAC National Sprint Car champion will lead the star-studded 37-car field back to the Barberville, FL facility on Tuesday night with a $10,000-to-win DIRTcar Nationals Feature on tap for the newly-created Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Cars.

“This new Xtreme Outlaw Series is a great deal, and the timing is really perfect,” Leary acknowledged. “It’s awesome to see more non-wing races and more money available for us who have committed to the sport. Hats off to everyone behind this deal. We tried some stuff tonight and I think it worked, so I hope we can keep it up for $10,000 tomorrow.”

Chasing Leary to the line with a runner-up effort on Monday was Justin Grant of Ione, CA aboard the TOPP Motorsports, NOS Energy Drink #4. After starting fifth, JG fell back to seventh at the start but recovered quickly and made his way to the second spot by Lap 21. He continually took large chunks out of Leary’s lead with every passing lap, but the checkered flag cut his run short by 1.356-seconds.

“I spent a while tuning on the shocks and finally got it happy around halfway,” Grant noted on his Maxim #4. “We gave a couple of spots away early, but once we moved up the top we were really good. Just came up short at the end. We knew it was 25 laps when it started, so you can say five more laps all you want, but we need to get there faster.”

Closing out the podium was polesitter Carson Short of Marion, IL with a third-place effort. The former World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series winner led the first-ever Xtreme Outlaw Feature lap, but he saw his bid for the inaugural win slip away when his #21 caught the front stretch wall trying to track down Leary.

“It’s just so hard to judge things starting up front, especially at a place we haven’t seen these cars at lately,” Short mentioned. “CJ was so good in the middle when he got by me, so I started his mimicking his line and made some ground. Once I hit the wall after the caution those guys ran away from me and I just hung on. We’ll work on it to go for the big money tomorrow.”

Chase Stockon of Fort Branch, IN earned Hard Charger honors with an impressive 15th-to-4th run aboard the KO Motorsports, Hutson John Deere #5S. Rounding out the top-five at Volusia was Monday’s QuickTime qualifier and high point man Robert Ballou of Rocklin, CA.

Following them was Arizona’s Charles Davis Jr. in sixth, Pennsylvania’s Alex Bright in seventh, California’s Jake Swanson in eighth, and Indiana’s Dustin Clark & Shane Cottle in ninth & tenth.

Group Qualifying at the Volusia 1/2-mile was topped by Ballou (16.783), Short (16.855), Dennis Gile (16.942), and Matt Westfall (16.972). Heat Race victories went to Grant, Ballou, Clark & Leary with Meseraull & Westfall topping the Last Chance Showdowns.

UP NEXT (Tues.) – The Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series presented by Low-E Insulation will battle for a $10,000 prize in Tuesday’s appearance at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL.

Xtreme Outlaw Feature (25 Laps) – 1. CJ Leary (3); 2. Justin Grant (5); 3. Carson Short (1); 4. Chase Stockon (15); 5. Robert Ballou (6); 6. Charles Davis Jr. (11); 7. Alex Bright (2); 8. Jake Swanson (16); 9. Dustin Clark (4); 10. Shane Cottle (8); 11. Mitchel Moles (13); 12. Shane Cockrum (10); 13. Thomas Meseraull (17); 14. Mario Clouser (14); 15. Briggs Danner (19); 16. Logan Seavey (12); 17. Wesley Smith (20); 18. Chad Boespflug (21); 19. Matt Westfall (18); 20. Kory Schudy (22); 21. Dennis Gile (7); 22. Brady Bacon (9). LAPS LED: Short 1; Leary 2-25. HARD CHARGER:Stockon +11.

NEW Championship Standings (1/14 Races) – 1. CJ Leary (229); 2. Justin Grant (-4); 3. Carson Short (-12); 4. Robert Ballou (-14); 5. Chase Stockon (-22); 6. Alex Bright (-27); 7. Charles Davis Jr. (-28); 8. Dustin Clark (-34); 9. Jake Swanson (-38); 10. Shane Cottle (-41).

Sent on behalf GOMR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.  (February 14, 2022) – GOMR (Grumpy Old Men Racing) is excited to announce it has signed Brandon Price to compete in the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle class aboard an Indian FTR750 for the 2022 Progressive American Flat Track season. 

GOMR – which previously competed as BriggsAuto.com Racing – will continue to be overseen by Johnny and Sarah Goad with mechanical assistance from Tom Draina and Caylee Goad, while Russ and Illene Briggs will provide the resources to back the operation. 

Price’s aggressive style and tremendous work ethic – supported by a veteran, savvy tuner in Johnny Goad – promises to make GOMR a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming season.

Price has demonstrated great potential in his first three years in the premier class, highlighted by runner-up Main Event results each season. It seems only a matter of time before the Maryland native smashes down the door and secures a maiden Mission SuperTwins victory. 

He finished his rookie season ranked 12th with three top fives, including a second place finish at Williams Grove. Price improved to sixth in 2020 on the strength of five top fives, with a runner-up result in Atlanta. And last season, he ended the year seventh overall with five more top fives, including a second-place near-win at Port Royal. 

Price, who previously competed for the Mission Roof Systems team, will continue to be supported by Jerry Stinchfield and Mission Foods in ‘22.

GOMR will also field rising star Tyler Scott in the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER class. Scott – the reigning MotoAmerica Junior Cup champion – will run a limited Progressive AFT schedule in conjunction with his roadracing efforts.

Before returning to the States to win the Junior Cup, Scott raced overseas in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and European Talent Cup. Prior to that, he’d established himself as a future flat track ace, earning the AMA Youth Dirt Track Racer of the Year Award on four occasions (2011, 2012, 2016, and 2017) along with 13 AMA Grand Championships at the amateur level.

Scott’s dad, former professional flat track racer Mike Scott, will serve as his builder/tuner, with Davey Loikits rounding out the crew.

BriggsAuto.com will continue in its long-time role as primary sponsor of GOMR with continued help from Martin Trucking. CD Martin is an avid dirt track fan/sponsor and enjoys helping young riders and competes in the vintage racing venue. Buddy and Miriam Pulliam of Precision Body Works will perform all the paint work and serve as a member of the pit crew on a limited basis. In addition to the long-standing sponsors, GOMR would like to thank Jerry Stinchfield and Roof Systems of Dallas, Texas, along with Juan Gonzales of Mission Foods, for their continued support of Brandon Price.

Reigning Pro Stock champion looking to reach milestone in 900th event of the class

DETROIT (Feb. 14, 2022) – Ninety days have passed quickly since Greg Anderson hoisted the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Pro Stock championship trophy for a fifth time. “I’m still smiling everywhere I go,” he said.With ample reasons. Anderson passed his mentor, Warren Johnson, last October as the all-time class leader with 98 victories. He added win No. 99 in the season finale on the way to wrapping up his first Pro Stock world championship since 2010. “It was a magical season in so many ways,” said Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS.

Seeking to join select companyNow, he’s looking to make more magic during the 2022 season that begins this weekend with the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.). His immediate goal is 100 wins, which will put him in select company. Sixteen-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force, driver of the BlueDEF Platinum Chevrolet Camaro SS, leads all drivers with 154 career victories. Sportsman drivers Dan Fletcher (105), Frank Manzo (105) and David Rampy (100) have also reached the milestone. “It’s far beyond belief. I’ve said it a million times that when I started this deal 20-some years ago I was hoping I could just win a race,” said Anderson, who piled up five wins in nine final-round appearances plus 12 No. 1 qualifier honors in 2021. “I didn’t have a plan of winning 50 races or 75 races or even 100 races. “It’s been quite a run. I guess we’ve overachieved our goals, but as you go along you set goals like that, achieve them, and start raising them. Once we got to 75, it was like, well, the next mark is the wins record for the class, which was 97. We set our goal on that and finally achieved that last year and that was tremendous. “To be honest, that 100 number just sounds a lot better than 97 or 98 or even 99,” he said. “We’ve got the record for the most wins in the class, but to get 100 is just a flat cool number, so I’m very much looking forward to it. I’m not thinking about it or worried about it because that’s the goal when you go to the racetrack is to win. I hope I can get it done at the first race out of the gate.” Chevrolet domination in classThat would be serendipitous. This weekend’s opening round of competition happens to be the 900th event in Pro Stock history and the 498th entered by Anderson.  Pro Stock Eliminator was introduced as an NHRA national event in January 1970, emerging from the popular Super Stock, Modified Production and Factory Experimental battles of the previous decade. Bill Jenkins, driving his ’68 big-block Chevrolet Camaro, was the first of 70 drivers to claim victory in the class by defeating Ronnie Sox in the final round at Pomona. Chevrolet has dominated the class with 347 wins, including 228 by the Camaro. The stout 2022 Camaro contingent is all but guaranteed to add to the total this weekend. Most Pro Stock drivers, including Anderson and his KB Racing teammates, tested last week in Arizona to get up to speed. “Every year when you go into Pomona, at least me, I’m very apprehensive and ask myself, ‘What have the other teams found?’ We’ve had almost three months to find some gains – and we’ve worked awfully hard – but you have no idea until you get to the first race what the other teams have done,” said Anderson, who will tie Bob Glidden for most wins in class history at seven with a victory in the Winternationals. “You can only control what you’ve done to prepare,” he said. “I know we’re going to be every bit as good or better than last year, and I have my hands full trying to beat my own team cars. The competition out there is incredible; the talent level is incredible. I’ll be looking forward to seeing how we stack up.” Around the bend, Anderson will be chasing his 900th elimination round win (he enters the season with 881 – second only to Force’s 1,387) — and down the road he’ll seek to earn his sixth Pro Stock title to tie Johnson for second to Glidden’s 10. “We had a great car all year long and I couldn’t have won if I didn’t have the horses,” Anderson said. “It’s a KB Racing team record. I wouldn’t be nothing without them. We’ll see what we can do this year, how we can improve.”

Chevrolet in Pro Stock347 wins: Camaro 228, Cobalt 54, Cavalier 36, Beretta 11, Vega 11, Monza 6, Lumina 1 17 driver championships103 wins in a row by a Camaro

DAVIDSON, N.C. (February 14, 2022) – Wally Brown Racing is excited to confirm that it has signed James Rispoli to ride for the team for the upcoming 2022 Progressive American Flat Track season.

Last month, WBR announced it was developing a KTM 890 Duke with plans to field it in a limited schedule in the Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines class.

Rispoli earned the 2020 Mission Production Twins championship on the strength of seven wins and four runner-ups and returns to the class following a season competing in the premier Mission SuperTwins category.

The hugely popular Rispoli is a fan favorite on dirt and pavement and on both sides of the Atlantic. Along with his extensive Progressive AFT achievements, the New Hampshire native is a two-time AMA Pro roadracing national champion, a British Superbike vet, and a two-time AMA Bonneville Salt Flat Land Speed Record holder.

“James is a great match for us this year,” said WBR team owner Wally Brown. “Testing is a critical part of building this race machine. We sought a rider that understands data and how it fits into a race program. With James’ extensive background in racing, we feel he is going to be a great asset to the team. Not to mention that he is a Production Twins Champion who has proven he can win on the track.”

Rispoli said, “I am really looking forward to working on this new project. After meeting Wally and learning more about his plan for 2022, I knew I wanted to be part of it. With his extensive background in four-wheeled racing, and my varied experiences on two wheels, we should make a great team. It’s going to be a lot of work, but with the support of Wally, and his team I am hopeful we will make great progress in a short period of time.”

Development is well underway of the Wally Brown Racing KTM 890 Duke with plans to debut at the Mission Red Mile I & II.

Brown said, “We plan to finish up the test bike and put it through the paces next month. The team is excited to see what James can do with it. Putting in test laps will be critical to completing our final product.”

The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet take Center Stage Feb. 16-19, DIRTcar Late Models on Feb. 14-15

BARBERVILLE, FL– February 14, 2022 – The yearly quest for a “Big Gator” is on at Volusia Speedway Park as the World of Outlaws Case Late Models make their second trip to the Florida this season for the 51st DIRTcar Nationals, Feb. 16-19.

On Wednesday, Feb. 16, the World of Outlaws return for the first of four DIRTcar Nationals 40-lap, $10,000-to-win Features, during the week. The held over 30-lap, $10,000-to-win Feature from January’s Sunshine Nationals will run at the end of Wednesday’s event. The DIRTcar Nationals Features will continue Feb. 17-19.

Also, before The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet take center stage, two nights of DIRTcar Late Model action kick off the week with a pair of 30-lap, $7,000-to-win Features Feb. 14-15. 

Drivers will accumulate points on all six nights to determine who adds a “Big Gator” trophy to their mantle. Wednesday’s Sunshine Nationals Feature won’t count toward the Big Gator Championship

The Super DIRTcar Series will join the Late Models all week, along with the debut of the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Cars presented by Low-E Insulation on Feb. 14-15.

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

Here are some of the storylines to keep an eye on entering DIRTcar Nationals:

Sheppard Rolls in Hot: Four-time and defending Series champion Brandon Sheppard is already off to a hot start in 2022. In January, he opened the season with two wins at the Wild West Shootout and backed it up with four wins across Florida. 

The “Rocket Shepp” is also no stranger to Victory Lane at Volusia, winning eight DIRTcar Nationals Features since 2017. Despite those wins, he’s hoping to rebound after his best finish was sixth at the Florida venue in 2021. 

He opened the 2022 season with a seventh-place finish at Sunshine Nationals and hopes to keep up that consistency during the seven-race week.

A World of Outlaws win at DIRTcar Nationals could give him a piece of World of Outlaws history, tying him with Josh Richards for most Series wins (78). 

Skyline’s the Limit: Skyline Motorsports has double the odds of walking away with a “Big Gator” at this year’s DIRTcar Nationals. 

Shane Clanton won the week-long chase in 2015, winning four out of five Features. The “Georgia Bulldog” has six DIRTcar Nationals victories and scored a top-10 when the Series visited Volusia in January.  

Meanwhile, his teammate, 2021 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year Tyler Bruening, has been consistent at The World’s Fastest Half-Mile. The Decorah, IA driver, has four straight top-10’s at Volusia, including three in 2021 which kicked off his third-place points finish. 

Bruening is still trying to find Victory Lane with the World of Outlaws for the first time. He’s found success on tracks a half-mile or larger, grabbing three top-fives and nine top-10s in 2021.  

Erb is the Word: BrandonSheppard isn’t the only Illinois driver who’s had a fast start to 2022. Dennis Erb Jr. also enjoys the Florida sun, especially after his second-place finish in the season opener at Sunshine Nationals. 

The Carpentersville, IL driver backed it up with a Florida Speedweeks victory earlier this month, showing he’ll be a contender among the best dirt Late Model racing has to offer. 

While he’s yet to win a Feature at DIRTcar Nationals, he’s scored two top-fives, and three top-10s in his last three races at The World’s Fastest Half-Mile.

If Erb, flanked by 2021 Crew Chief of the Year Heather Lyne, can keep his consistency going at Volusia, it could put him in a position to contend for his first World of Outlaws Case Late Models championship.

Viper Strike: The 2022 World of Outlaws Rookie Class has six drivers vying to be at the top of the list. But after one Feature, Max Blair stands above the rest. 

In January, Blair opened the season with an eighth-place finish—nine spots ahead of the next highest finishing rookie Gordy Gundaker.

The Centerville, PA driver leads the Rookie of the Year standings heading into DIRTcar Nationals—18 points ahead of Gundaker and 20 points ahead of Tanner English. 

While Blair has the early jump on his competition, five World of Outlaws Features are up for grabs at Volusia, and any of the six rookies could take advantage into The Rev in March.   

Heat Seeking Mailman: When the quest for the “Big Gator” begins on Monday, Devin Moran is looking to go back-to-back.  

The Dresden, OH driver has entered 13 races in 2022, grabbing three wins and eight top-fives. He’s only finished outside the top-10 once. 

While “The Mailman” finished 22nd in the season opener at Volusia Speedway Park during Sunshine Nationals, he was in the top-five when bad luck sidelined him during the 30-lap Feature. 

Moran has found success on half-mile tracks in the past—winning a Feature at DIRTcar Nationals in 2021 and backing it up with a victory at Bristol Motor Speedway last April. 

Return of the Mac: Dale McDowell opened his 2022 season in style, winning the season opener at Sunshine Nationals just four months after being diagnosed with cancer. 

The “Mac Daddy” will be back for DIRTcar Nationals and has a great chance to build off his victory.   

In his last 10 races at Volusia Speedway Park, McDowell has a win, three top-fives, and five top-10s. The Chickamauga, GA driver is searching for his fourth DIRTcar Nationals win—his last coming in 2018. 

He’ll also start on the outside pole of the held over 30-lap Feature from Sunshine Nationals.  

Georgia Gator Hunt: Brandon Overton has accomplished a lot in his dirt Late Model career, including a 2021 season that may go unmatched. 

But there’s one thing missing from “Big Sexy’s” trophy case—a Big Gator. 

Overton’s success on a half-mile track in 2021 is one for the record books, winning both Dirt Late Model Dream’s and the 51st World 100 at Eldora Speedway. He also grabbed his first DIRTcar National Feature win last season. 

WHEN AND WHERE

Feb. 16-19 – Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL

ABOUT THE TRACK

Volusia Speedway Park is a half-mile oval
Online – https://volusiaspeedwaypark.com

Previous Volusia Speedway Park Winners

2022- Dale McDowell on Jan. 21
2021 – Kyle Bronson on Jan. 14, Kyle Strickler on Jan. 16, Kyle Strickler on Feb. 10, Devin Moran on Feb. 11, Brandon Overton on Feb. 12
2020 – Brandon Sheppard on Feb. 12, Jimmy Owens on Feb. 13, Feb. 14 & Feb. 15
2019 – Brandon Sheppard on Feb. 13, Feb. 14, Feb. 15 and Feb. 16
2018 – Tim McCreadie – Feb. 14; Dale McDowell – Feb. 15; Scott Bloomquist – Feb. 16; Brandon Sheppard – Feb. 17
2017- Shane Clanton on Feb. 24; Don O’Neal on Feb. 25
2016 – Josh Richards on Feb. 18, 19; Shane Clanton on Feb. 20
2015 – Shane Clanton on Feb. 19, 20, 21
2014 – Casey Roberts on Feb. 20; Kyle Bronson on Feb. 22
2013 – Scott Bloomquist on Feb. 21; Billy Moyer on Feb. 22; Darrell Lanigan on Feb. 23
2012 – Dennis Erb Jr. on Feb. 23; Billy Moyer on Feb. 25
2011 – Scott Bloomquist on Feb. 17; Scott Bloomquist on Feb. 19
2010 – Josh Richards on Feb. 11; Brady Smith on Feb. 13
2009 – Josh Richards on Feb. 12; Steve Francis on Feb. 14
2008 – Josh Richards on Feb. 14; Billy Moyer on Feb. 16
2007 – Josh Richards on Feb. 17
2006 – Earl Pearson Jr. on Feb. 16; Steve Francis on Feb. 18; Chris Madden on Oct. 14
2005 – Billy Moyer on Feb. 17; Tim McCreadie on Feb. 19; Scott Bloomquist on Oct. 29
2004 – Steve Francis on Feb. 3; Bart Hartman on Feb. 4; Shannon Babb on Feb. 6; Scott Bloomquist on Feb. 8

TRACK RECORDS

Volusia Speedway Park- 15.645 set by Tim McCreadie on Feb. 14, 2018

On the Internet
World of Outlaws Case Construction 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

Around the Turn: The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet make their first appearance at The Rev in Monroe, LA March 11-12. CLICK HERE for Tickets.

Feature Winners: (1 Driver)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

1. Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA- 1

Heat Race Winners (6 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

1. Dale McDowell-Chickamauga, GA-2
   Chris Madden-Gray Court, SC-2
2. Brandon Sheppard- New Berlin, IL-1
   Devin Moran-Dresden, OH-1
   Ashton Winger, Hampton, GA-1
   Ross Robinson, Georgetown, DE-1

Last Chance Showdown Winners (4 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

1. Cade Dillard-Robeline, LA-1
   Hudson O’Neal- Martinsville, IN-1
   Max Blair, Centerville, PA-1
   Logan Martin, Plains, MO-1

Podium Finishes (3 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Podiums

1. Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-1
   Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1
   Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA-1

Fox Factory Hard Charger Award Winners (1 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – H.C.

1. Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-1

Slick Woody’s Quick Time Award Winners (1 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTs

1. Kyle Hammer, Clinton, IL-1
   Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-1

2022 World of Outlaws Late Model Schedule & Winners

No./ Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Thursday, Jan. 20 / Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL / Dale McDowell (1)
2. Thursday, Jan. 21/Volusia Speedway Park/Barberville, FL/

DIRTcar Nationals Gator Trophy and $10,000 Payday Awaits Star-Studded FieldBARBERVILLE, FL – February 13, 2022 – History will be made this week at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL as traditional sprint cars join the lineup at the 51st DIRTcar Nationals.The Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car Series presented by Low-E Insulation will officially make their grand entrance on Monday & Tuesday with both nights streaming LIVE on DIRTVision.A group of 15 drivers has already committed to the entire 14-race schedule with hopes of claiming the inaugural Series championship in 2022. Joining those full-timers in action this week is a laundry list of well-known superstars in the non-wing world who have their sights set on winning one of the sought-after gator trophies at DIRTcar Nationals.It all begins on Monday, February 14 with a $5,000-to-win program on Valentine’s Day, followed by a big $10,000-to-win special on Tuesday, February 15. Fans can BUY TICKETS HERE to secure a seat for this historic happening at The World’s Fastest 1/2-Mile.Here are some of the stars you can expect to see over the next two nights in Volusia.FULL-TIME DRIVERS:Anthony Nicholson of Bartlett, TN will drive his own DHR Suspension #16. The 35-year-old is a multi-time winner with the POWRi WAR Sprints and ASCS Elite Non-Wing Series.Chad Boespflug of Hanford, CA has teamed up with legendary crew chief Scott Benic in 2022. The nine-time USAC Sprint Car winner will wheel the famed #2B in Xtreme Outlaw action.Chase Stockon of Fort Branch, IN owns the USAC Iron Man record for most consecutive starts and now finds a new challenge in chasing the Xtreme Outlaw title aboard the KO Motorsports #5S.Cole Bodine of Rossville, IN has graduated from the micro sprint and midget ranks to a full-time sprint car schedule between Xtreme Outlaw and USAC. The 23-year-old runs the DCT Racing #57B.Dallas Hewitt of Troy, OH has planned a special throwback #21 in honor of his iconic uncle Jack Hewitt. He’s a multi-time BOSS Sprint Car winner with his set on the Xtreme Outlaw Series in 2022.Dennis Gile of Glendale, AZ spearheads a two-car operation this year with the Xtreme Outlaw Series. He’s a four-time ASCS Desert Series victor.Jason McDougal of Broken Arrow, OK runs alongside Stockon aboard the KO Motorsports #5M. J-Mac is already a multi-time USAC Sprint Car and Midget winner at 24 years old.Kory Schudy of Springfield, MO is fresh off a championship season with USAC MWRA and now turns his focus to an Xtreme Outlaw title aboard the Jon Sawyer owned #28.Kyle Shipley of Peoria, AZ will embark on a full season with Xtreme Outlaw driving the Michael Dutcher #17 across the 14-race campaign.Landon Simon of Tipp City, OH will run the True North Cannabis #24 throughout the year with Xtreme Outlaw. He’s a winner with both the USAC Sprint Cars and POWRi WAR Sprint Cars.Mario Clouser of Auburn, IL bagged the POWRi WAR Sprint Car championship in 2021, and now prepares for an Xtreme Outlaw title run in 2022 aboard the Eberhardt/Zirzow #6.Mitchel Moles of Raisin City, CA will run a second Gile #13M entry as the micro sprint standout begins expanding his career into midgets and sprints in 2022.Shane Cockrum of Benton, IL brings the Amati Racing #66 back to the national stage this year with veteran Davey Jones on the wrenches.Wesley Smith of Nixa, MO recorded a breakout year with 10 total wins between WAR and MWRA, now he’s taking the Carquest Auto Parts #44 on the road with the Xtreme Outlaw Series.Zach Daum of Pocahontas, IL is a three-time POWRi National Midget champion, but his 2022 journey focuses on the Xtreme Outlaw Sprint Car title with the McGarry Motorsports #31GATOR CHASERS: Alex Bright of Collegeville, PA is a 13-time USAC East Coast Sprint Car winner and heading to Florida with the Hummer Motorsports #20.Brady Bacon of Broken Arrow, OK is a four-time USAC National Sprint Car Champion and he’s pumped to get his first chance at a gator this week aboard the Wedgewood Motorsports #98.Briggs Danner of Allentown, PA has turned plenty of heads at 20 years old and will get his next chance to leave a large impression this week in the Heffner Racing #5G.Carson Short of Marion, IL has his #21 dialed in for two nights at Volusia this week with the chance at becoming the first driver to win with both the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and Xtreme Outlaw Series.C.J. Leary of Greenfield, IN heads south with the Michael Motorsports #77M and aims to kick off his 2022 campaign with a golden gator.Jake Swanson of Anaheim, CA made the move from the west coast to Indiana, but still represents Team AZ and looks to leave with the loot in the #21AZ.Justin Grant of Ione, CA will wheel the NOS Energy Drink, TOPP Motorsports #4 in pursuit of a potential $15,000 sweep only days after sweeping the USAC Midget opening weekend.Logan Seavey of Sutter, CA loves a big, slick 1/2-mile and gets just that this week as he brings the Baldwin-Fox #5 to Volusia for a shot at the Xtreme Outlaw gators.Matt Westfall of Pleasant Hill, OH runs the Marshall #33 as he’ll become the first driver to compete with both the World of Outlaws Late Models and Xtreme Outlaw Series.Robert Ballou of Rocklin, CA will try to bolster his already impressive resume with 31 USAC Sprint Car wins as he heads to Volusia with his sights set on the DIRTcar Nationals victory.Shane Cottle of Kokomo, IN gets to throttle the Hogue #39 at Volusia on Monday and Tuesday night.Thomas Meseraull of San Jose, CA will guide Chris Dyson’s #20 with Sean Michael on the wrenches.You can watch every lap of the Xtreme Outlaw Series debut LIVE on DIRTVision and follow along with lineups, results, live timing, points, and more on the MyRacePass app.Photo – Chris Owens

The Xtreme Outlaw Series is brought to fans by important sponsors and partners, including DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Low-E Insulation (Presenting sponsor of the non-wing Sprint Car Series), Racing Electronics (Official Radio Supplier), and SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider). Other partners include DRC Chassis, Pace Dyno Services, TJ Forged and, Whitz Racing Products.

Strickler second, Krup third in 30-lap main event BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 12, 2022 – An entire family of reptilian gold is headed back to Mooresville, NC, after yet another dominating DIRTcar UMP Modified performance at Volusia Speedway Park from the now seven-time DIRTcar Nationals champion, Nick Hoffman. Hoffman scored the win in Saturday’s Gator Championship Feature, the fourth of his career, giving him his seventh-straight Big Gator trophy as points champion of the division. No other driver has won more than two. Starting sixth, Hoffman had some work to do to get to the lead. Outside polesitter Kyle Strickler maintained the top spot through the first 11 laps before Hoffman caught him in traffic and blasted by on the bottom out of Turn 2.   “I got aero-tight a couple of times behind him, and then in lapped traffic too, when we were racing through,” Hoffman said of his chase with Strickler. “I just had to bide my time and slow down. I didn’t want to wear my tires out. We were killing tires earlier, so I didn’t know, being later in the night, how bad tires wear was going to be of an issue.” From that point forward, it was all Hoffman’s race to lose. He was never seriously challenged for the lead again. Meanwhile, the battle for second was heating up behind him. Strickler held second for a restart on Lap 13, but Will Krup made the most of the bottom lane that Strickler have him have at the drop of the green, swiping the spot away with a horsepower move down low. Krup’s time in second wouldn’t last, however, as Strickler got another chance on a restart at the halfway point. He ripped around the top groove and was able to carry enough momentum to get back around Krup on Lap 16. Looking back, Krup said he should’ve done more to miss a small patch in Turn 1 that upset the car, costing him some speed. “I clipped it a couple times off that restart once I got around him, and [Strickler] was able to roll back around me,” Krup said. “After that, I just kinda fell in line and tried to bring home a strong third-place finish.” Strickler gave it all he had to catch Hoffman in the final 10 laps but was unable to make up the gap. Hoffman’s lead was as large as four seconds at one point, further showcasing his dominance on the half-mile tracks. “Any of the places like this here or Eldora – those big places that you can just momentum and make speed through the corner ­­– I feel like that’s where my car is the best and it’s where I’m the best,” Hoffman said. After redrawing the sixth spot on the starting grid, Hoffman knew he was not going to be denied of his fourth Gator Championship Feature win. “Even with Kyle starting on the front row, I felt like my racecar was that good,” he said. “I had no doubt in my mind that my racecar was plenty good enough to do this deal from sixth.” Strickler crossed the line in second with a car he said he could handle, but just needed more speed. “We went a completely different direction for the Feature, and I got the feel I needed on the front-end, but we just weren’t stuck enough in the rear of the car,” Strickler said. Despite his relentless efforts to catch Strickler, Krup came up just a bit short. However, the podium finish goes down in the record books as one of his best-ever finishes in the Gator Championship at Volusia. “At the end of the race, I felt like I had a decent chance at [Strickler],” Krup said. “We kinda got in lapped traffic, but I couldn’t get around him. All-in-all, still a good run.” THURSDAY MAKEUP FEATURESSaturday’s program began with ten, 15-lap makeup Features from Thursday night’s postponed program. Winners:Feature 1 – Rob PitcherFeature 2 – Jonathan TaylorFeature 3 – Michael AltobelliFeature 4 – David StremmeFeature 5 – Justin AllgaierFeature 6 – Nick HoffmanFeature 7 – Jason GarverFeature 8 – Billy GreenFeature 9 – Tony AndersonFeature 10 – Rich Michael Jr. UP NEXT The UMP Modified portion of the 51st DIRTcar Nationals is complete, but DIRTcar Racing isn’t done at Volusia just yet. The event breaks on Sunday but will return to action on Monday with the DIRTcar Late Models alongside the debut of the Xtreme Outlaw Series Non-Wing Sprint Cars. Buy a ticket to watch it in person or stream every lap live on DIRTVision. Gator Championship (30 Laps): 1. 2H-Nick Hoffman[6]; 2. 8-Kyle Strickler[2]; 3. K9-Will Krup[3]; 4. 67-Garret Stewart[9]; 5. 99G-Hunt Gossum[11]; 6. 7-Justin Allgaier[10]; 7. 35-David Stremme[14]; 8. 5E-Rick Eckert[16]; 9. 8A-Austin Holcombe[13]; 10. 36-Kenny Wallace[4]; 11. 88C-Matt Crafton[17]; 12. 5CS-Curt Spalding[23]; 13. 12L-Lucas Lee[26]; 14. 1S-Brian Shaw[18]; 15. 21J-Clay Harris[5]; 16. 96M-Mike McKinney[33]; 17. 81-Steve Axtell Jr[19]; 18. 95-Michael Altobelli[29]; 19. 18L-Michael Long[8]; 20. 11M-Michael McGee[20]; 21. 242X-Dawson Cook[25]; 22. 90-Jason Beaulieu[21]; 23. 5-Jonathan Taylor[28]; 24. 7T-Evan Taylor[24]; 25. 242-Brandon Bollinger[30]; 26. 18-Eric Moon[27]; 27. 21A-Nick Allen[12]; 28. 24-Zeke McKenzie[1]; 29. 24H-Mike Harrison[7]; 30. 21D-Danny Schwartz[15]; 31. 14C-Rick Conoyer[22]; 32. 27G-Jason Garver[31]; 33. 00-Buzzie Reutimann[32]

DIRTcar Racing is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel), Chevy Performance Parts, iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, and NAPA Auto Parts (SDS). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), ASI Race Wear (SDS), Bassett Racing Wheel, Bell Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, Bicknell Racing Products (SDS), Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux (SDS), Cometic Gasket (SDS), COMP Cams, Drydene, Fast Shafts, Fox Factory, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, K1 Race Gear, KSE Racing Products, MSD, Mulit FireX, Quarter Master, Schoenfeld Headers, Summit Racing Equipment, Velocita USA, Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum), and Xceldyne. Along with manufacturer sponsors, including: FireAde, Intercomp, and Racing Electronics.

Elusive Volusia Victory Brings Gravel to 70 Career World of Outlaws Wins

BARBERVILLE, FL – February 12, 2022 – The Big Game Motorsports crew went big game hunting and got themselves a Big Gator Championship on Saturday night.

Following up finishes of fourth on Thursday and second on Friday, David Gravelput the ultimate exclamation point on his DIRTcar Nationals title with a downright dominating victory in Saturday’s Feature at Volusia Speedway Park. For his unrivaled performance over three nights, Gravel secured his second-career Big Gator Championship.

Earning the pole position with a DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash win, Gravel took the green flag, set the cruise control, and never let go until the Huset’s Speedway #2 crossed the checkered flag with a 1.114-second margin of victory. It was a big bounceback win for Tod Quiring’s operation, which is headed by reigning Crew Chief of the Year Cody Jacobs along with Trey Bowman & Zach Patterson.

The victory, which was Gravel’s first in World of Outlaws competition at Volusia and in Florida, came just 24 hours after losing a heartbreaker to Sheldon Haudenschild by 0.044-seconds. That was with only three shocks, though, and then they proved how lethal they were with a fully operational beast.

A now-resident of West Palm Beach, FL, Gravel collected his 70th career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series win at Volusia Speedway Park, which became the 40th track he’s won at.

Another eight months and 85+ races remain in the 2022 campaign, but this is no doubt the hottest start of Gravel’s career and arguably the most potential he’s had when it comes to putting all the pieces together to record that first career championship.

“This deal is hard, you know there’s a reason why there are only 10 champions in World of Outlaws history,” Gravel spoke on the early-season title outlook. “I’ve never done it before and I’ve been on the road since 2013 just learning every single season. We have to take it one race at a time. It’s definitely a confidence builder, but we realize this place is unique and unlike other places we’ll see.”

“It’s no doubt, though, that I’ve got one of the best car owners in the business and we’ve got a really good team on the road. I’m excited to really get into the swing of things.”

After starting on the outside pole, Kraig Kinser of Bloomington, IN chased Gravel for the opening half and was making headway in trying to track him down until the right rear let loose and sent the #11K careening into the wall on Lap 15.

From there, Brent Marks of Myerstown, PA assumed the runner-up and never let it go as he crossed the stripe with a Volusia career-best of second-place. It’s a strong start for the seven-time World of Outlaws winner who will embark on a true outlaw schedule – including 40+ dates with The Greatest Show in Dirt – in 2022 with the Murray-Marks #19.

“We had a really good car, but not as good as David,” Marks mentioned. “We needed more lap traffic to get to him. It’s been an amazing adventure so far with Murray-Marks, though. I normally struggle here so to run second-place tonight is pretty well for us.”

Rounding out the podium was James McFadden of Alice Springs, NT, AUS with a season-best third-place run in the Roth Motorsports #83. 

“Getting this new deal with Roth Motorsports on the podium so quick is awesome for us,” McFadden said. “It’s a privilege for me to come over and race in front of a crowd like this. We just have to keep taking advantage and building our momentum to chase the championship.”

Sheldon Haudenschild finished fourth aboard the Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing, NOS Energy Drink #17 and Brad Sweet ran fifth in the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts #49.

Closing out the top-10 on Saturday night at Volusia was Donny Schatz, Cory Eliason, Giovanni Scelzi, Logan Schuchart with a 22nd-to-ninth KSE Hard Charger run, and Carson Macedo in the tenth spot.

UP NEXT – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will enjoy next weekend at home before taking The Greatest Show on Dirt to the dirty south for a trip to Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS on Friday, February 25, and The Rev in Monroe, LA on Saturday, February 26.

NOS Energy Drink Feature (30 Laps) – 1. 2-David Gravel [1][$10,000]; 2. 19-Brent Marks [4][$6,000]; 3. 83-James McFadden [6][$3,500]; 4. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [9][$2,800]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [3][$2,500]; 6. 15-Donny Schatz [7][$2,300]; 7. 26-Cory Eliason [5][$2,200]; 8. 18-Giovanni Scelzi [11][$2,100]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart [22][$2,050]; 10. 41-Carson Macedo [17][$2,000]; 11. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [8][$1,600]; 12. 1A-Jacob Allen [24][$1,400]; 13. 11-Kerry Madsen [12][$1,200]; 14. 21-Brian Brown [14][$1,100]; 15. 8-Aaron Reutzel [13][$1,050]; 16. 5-Spencer Bayston [21][$1,000]; 17. 57-Kyle Larson [15][$1,000]; 18. 48-Danny Dietrich [16][$1,000]; 19. 3-Ayrton Gennetten [10][$1,000]; 20. 13-Justin Peck [20][$1,000]; 21. 55-Alex Bowman [18][$1,000]; 22. 7BC-Tyler Courtney [19][$1,000]; 23. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2][$1,000]; 24. 39M-Anthony Macri [23][$1,000]; 25. 6-Bill Rose [25][$]. Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 1S-Logan Schuchart[+13]

NEW Championship Standings (After 3/89 Races): 1. David Gravel (438); 2. Donny Schatz (-14); 3. Sheldon Haudenschild (-16); 4. James McFadden (-24); 5. Brad Sweet (-36); 6. Brent Marks (-38); 7. Carson Macedo (-42); 8. Aaron Reutzel (-44); 9. Cory Eliason (-48); 10. Kyle Larson (-50).

CHANDLER, Ariz. (Feb. 12, 2022) – The John Force Racing team wrapped three days of testing at Professional Racers Organization (PRO) Nitro Spring Training at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park on Saturday with gained confidence heading into the 2022 NHRA Camping World season. John Force and the PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS team were the highlight of the session leaving with top marks in Funny Car. Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California team made a statement while Brittany Force and the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team looked to build power and Austin Prock found his groove with the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team. Sixteen-time Funny Car world champion John Force led the four-car team with a series of four back-to-back runs in the 3.8s. After making a few planned shut-off passes on Thursday, Force and his Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi tuned PEAK BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS team laid down a 3.889-second pass at 321.88 mph on Friday followed by a 3.888 at 327.51. The momentum continued into Saturday’s test runs with Force handling his hot rod to an impressive 3.836-second run at 335.4 mph on Saturday morning. In the heat of the day, the PEAK BlueDEF team landed a 3.890 at 326.16 so close out their test session. “It’s great to back out here, back in the seat, back with my team, Danny Hood, Tim Fabrisi, all these young kids, it was a good couple of days,” said Force. “Four runs in the 3.8s for this PEAK Chevy, that’s really something, that makes you feel good going into the season opener. I’m feeling like everything is falling back into place. The problems, they’re figuring themselves out, we got Austin Prock back in a seat, Montana Brand back. Brittany over there with Monster and Flav-R-Pac for a couple more years, Robert with Auto Club and bringing on Powers Solar. I feel good being out here, I want to race, that’s why I’m here. I’m ready to get going.” Brittany Force and the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team took full advantage of the test session. Crew chiefs David Grubnic and Mac Savage tested various engine combinations looking to add to the performance they had in 2021. The team made nine attempts with planned shutoffs that showed quality early numbers including .816-seconds at 60 ft. and 2.075 at 330 ft. “It’s good to be back with my Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team out here at Wild Horse Pass doing some pre-season testing before Pomona kicks off in another week,” said Force. “We made nine runs throughout the three days. It was a little bit of a struggle, but we are testing a lot of different things. Our early numbers were great and we’re happy overall with how our testing went and we’re ready to get to Pomona.” Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS team were the first to make a full pass at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. The championship crew chief tandem of Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham wasted no time and went to 1,000 feet in their first attempt on Thursday morning. The Auto Club Chevy put up a 3.911-second pass at 323.11 mph to lead the Funny Cars. On Friday, Hight came in second quickest with a 3.879 pass at 331.26 mph The three-time champs closed things out with a solid 3.864 at 334.82. “It was great being back out in the Auto Club Chevy, back with my team, Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham,” said Hight. “We had to put in some hard work but ultimately we’re ready to get this season started. We don’t want a repeat of last year and we’re all on the same page. I think it’s going to be a good year. Jimmy coming out right away with a full pass, that’s how you know, he’s confident. We had some good runs, learned some things and now it’s time to get things going. I’m excited.” Making his return to the Top Fuel ranks, Austin Prock made two promising passes on the final day of testing. With a new team, new crew chief duo of Joe Barlam and Rahn Tobler and nearly two years out of the seat, the 2019 rooking of the year took the first two days of testing to get comfortable not just in the seat but with the team as well. An impressive final day of testing can squash any doubts of the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster not being a contender this season. In the heat, Prock went 3.73-seconds at 327 mph and followed it up with a stout 3.685 at 333.66 mph in the afternoon under slightly cooler conditions. “After today, I’m feeling pretty good. We had some bugs to work out the first two days; we have new crew chiefs, new crew and obviously I sat out almost two years,” said Prock. “With today’s results, I’m really looking forward to Pomona. We made two really solid passes, one in the heat and one when the track was cooler. I’m getting more comfortable every lap and starting to become myself again. Everyone did a really great job. Huge thanks to Joe Barlam and Rahn Tobler and all my guys for really working hard these past four weeks.” The John Force Racing team will head to Pomona, California where they’ll kick-off the 2022 NHRA Camping World Series at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Feb. 18-20.

Tampa, FL (February 12, 2022) – Devin Moran concluded a successful Georgia-Florida Speedweeks with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series as the 27-year-old Ohio resident took the final night of the 2022 Wrisco Industries Winternationals Presented by Lucas Oil on Saturday Night at East Bay Raceway Park. Moran made a daring move on a lap-34 restart to take the lead from Brandon Sheppard for his third win of the season. Sheppard was looking to make East Bay history with his fourth straight win, but he was involved in an accident with two other drivers which forced him out of the race. He was credited with a 21st place finish. Tyler Erb came home in second place followed by Mark Whitener, Tanner English, and Brandon Overton. Leading four of the five races this week at East Bay, Overton took the lead at the start of the 50-lap main event to lead the first two laps of the race. Sheppard led as a torrid battle for second was going on among four other drivers. Sheppard continued to stretch his lead out over his competitors, opening a nearly five second advantage. The first caution for rain on lap 28 halted the race for a few moments. When the race went back green Sheppard was still on point with Kyle Bronson and Moran trailing him. With the lap 34-restart Moran made the pass for the lead and then held off Erb in the last five laps of the race for his fifth career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the second time in his career at East Bay Moran pocketed $15,000 for the win in front of a huge crowd of spectators. “They did an awesome job on the track. I think the rain helped us because we had a softer tire on than almost everyone else. I am pretty much speechless; there for a while I didn’t know if we could do it or not. Like I said the rain brought some moisture back in the track. This car has been good all season long. We have been missing here just a little bit all week long. We tried something earlier in the night and it was pretty good.” “I knew I was going to have to do something special to beat that 1 car. He (Sheppard) was the best car all week long without a doubt. I felt the bottom cleaning up under that caution. When we got into one and I knew we were door-to-door with him (Sheppard) I was going to the fence to get the lead because I knew that might be my only shot. I knew I was going to have to move down the track and I just about gave it away to Terbo.” Erb equaled his best Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series finish of the year with a second-place run. “It was the craziest race I have ever been in; a race that rained and everything that happened there. Those last two or three cautions I didn’t need. I just wish it would have stayed green.” Whitener’s third-place run was his best of the Georgia-Florida Speedweeks. “We finally got the car to where I could drive it tonight. Just glad to be on the podium for my guys. It feels like a win with this tough crowd. I have got a lot of laps around here so we will take this as a victory.” The winner’s Tye Twarog Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by C&W Trucking, CarSourceAuto.com, Bilstein Shocks, Tri-Valley Equipment Sales, Accuforce Dynos and Testers, McHugh Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Fiat, Haulin’ Haskell’s, Eibach Springs, Red Oak Pub, Igimage.com, and Tommy Pope Construction. Completing the top ten were Ashton Winger, Ricky Thornton Jr., Jimmy Owens, Tyler Bruening, and Tim McCreadie. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wrisco Industries Winternationals Presented by Lucas OilSaturday, February 12th, 2022East Bay Raceway Park – Tampa, FL Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Brandon Overton / 14.471 seconds (overall)Fast Time Group B: Ashton Winger / 14.685 seconds Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 2. 71-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 3. 4G-Bob Gardner[6]; 4. 18J-Chase Junghans[7]; 5. 16N-Brian Nuttall Jr[8]; 6. 17SS-Brenden Smith[10]; 7. 27-Joe Denby[12]; 8. 99-Kyle Hardy[9]; 9. 48-Colton Flinner[4]; 10. (DQ) 0H-Dale Hollidge[2]; 11. (DNS) 11R-Josh Rice; 12. (DNS) 81-Jason Riggs Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 2. 58W-Mark Whitener[1]; 3. 16-Tyler Bruening[6]; 4. 39-Tim McCreadie[7]; 5. 3S-Brian Shirley[3]; 6. 2D-Dan Stone[4]; 7. 1Z-Logan Zarin[5]; 8. 76B-Blair Nothdurft[9]; 9. 16H-Clinton Hersh[8]; 10. 66C-Matt Cosner[10]; 11. 31-Ken Monahan[11]; 12. (DNS) J8-Jadon Frame Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 9-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 3. 99B-Boom Briggs[2]; 4. 71M-Pierce McCarter[5]; 5. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr[4]; 6. 7-Ross Robinson[9]; 7. 6S-Blake Spencer[7]; 8. 2S-Stormy Scott[8]; 9. 94-Jason Miller[6]; 10. 151-Kyle Lear[10]; 11. (DNS) 6B-Adam Boyd Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 44B-Colten Burdette[2]; 2. 89-Ashton Winger[1]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[4]; 4. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[3]; 5. 11-Spencer Hughes[5]; 6. 2X-John Henderson[6]; 7. 97-Cody Overton[8]; 8. 11AC-Trevor Collins[7]; 9. 93-Mason Oberkramer[9]; 10. 4-Kody Evans[10]; 11. 3-Brennon Willard[11] Wrisco Industries Heat Race #5 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[2]; 3. 1ST-Johnny Scott[6]; 4. 27M-Michael Lake[9]; 5. 20B-Todd Brennan[5]; 6. 18D-Daulton Wilson[3]; 7. 130-Chase Osterhoff[10]; 8. 22R-Will Roland[8]; 9. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[7]; 10. (DQ) 10-Garrett Smith[4]; 11. (DNS) 0J-Jake O’Neil Lucas Oil Heat Race #6 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 81E-Tanner English[1]; 2. 25-Shane Clanton[4]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens[2]; 4. 212-Josh Putnam[5]; 5. 1R-Josh Richards[7]; 6. 1G-Ryan King[8]; 7. 33-Jeff Mathews[3]; 8. 0G-Deshawn Gingerich[10]; 9. 5*-Bryant Dickinson[11]; 10. 0K-Freddie Carpenter[6]; 11. (DNS) 19M-Jason Hiett Fast Shafts B-Main #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 18J-Chase Junghans[1]; 2. 39-Tim McCreadie[2]; 3. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 4. 16N-Brian Nuttall Jr[3]; 5. 16H-Clinton Hersh[12]; 6. 17SS-Brenden Smith[5]; 7. 2D-Dan Stone[6]; 8. 76B-Blair Nothdurft[10]; 9. 0H-Dale Hollidge[13]; 10. 1Z-Logan Zarin[8]; 11. 66C-Matt Cosner[14]; 12. 31-Ken Monahan[16]; 13. (DNS) 27-Joe Denby; 14. (DNS) 99-Kyle Hardy; 15. (DNS) 48-Colton Flinner; 16. (DNS) 11R-Josh Rice; 17. (DNS) 81-Jason Riggs; 18. (DNS) J8-Jadon Frame UNOH B-Main #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[2]; 2. 7-Ross Robinson[5]; 3. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr[3]; 4. 11-Spencer Hughes[4]; 5. 11AC-Trevor Collins[10]; 6. 2S-Stormy Scott[9]; 7. 97-Cody Overton[8]; 8. 2X-John Henderson[6]; 9. 93-Mason Oberkramer[12]; 10. 3-Brennon Willard[16]; 11. 6S-Blake Spencer[7]; 12. 151-Kyle Lear[13]; 13. 94-Jason Miller[11]; 14. (DNS) 71M-Pierce McCarter; 15. (DNS) 4-Kody Evans; 16. (DNS) 6B-Adam Boyd DirtonDirt.com B-Main #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 212-Josh Putnam[2]; 2. 18D-Daulton Wilson[5]; 3. 27M-Michael Lake[1]; 4. 0J-Jake O’Neil[15]; 5. 10-Garrett Smith[13]; 6. 20B-Todd Brennan[3]; 7. 1G-Ryan King[6]; 8. 0G-Deshawn Gingerich[10]; 9. 1R-Josh Richards[4]; 10. 33-Jeff Mathews[8]; 11. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[11]; 12. 5*-Bryant Dickinson[12]; 13. (DNS) 130-Chase Osterhoff; 14. (DNS) 22R-Will Roland; 15. (DNS) 0K-Freddie Carpenter; 16. (DNS) 19M-Jason Hiett Lucas Oil Feature Finish (50 Laps):

Race StatisticsEntrants: 69Lap Leaders: Brandon Overton (Laps 1 – 2); Brandon Sheppard (Laps 3 – 33); Devin Moran (Laps 34 – 50)Wrisco Feature Winner: Devin MoranArizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: n/aBrandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: Devin MoranMargin of Victory: 0.653 secondsStop-Tech Cautions: Precipitation (Lap 28); Boom Briggs (Lap 33); Hudson O’Neal (Lap 34); Garrett Alberson, Stormy Scott, Brandon Sheppard (Lap 34 restart); Ross Robinson (Lap 44)Series Provisionals: Earl Pearson Jr, Stormy ScottFast Time Provisional: n/aSeries Emergency Provisionals: Spencer HughesTrack Provisionals: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Devin Moran, Tyler Erb, Mark WhitenerPenske Shocks Top 5: Devin Moran, Tyler Erb, Mark Whitener, Tanner English, Brandon OvertonOptima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Tim McCreadie (Advanced 12 Positions)Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Brandon SheppardHot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Brandon Sheppard (31 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Tyler ErbO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aDirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Brandon Sheppard (Lap 3 – 16.048 seconds)DirtonDirt.com Tough Break of the Race: Brandon SheppardOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Wylie Moran (Devin Moran)ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesMiller Multimatic Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Tanner English (14.703 seconds)Time of Race: 41 minutes 25 seconds Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings:

Wrisco Industries Winternationals Points:

*Results are unofficial until Close of Business on the Tuesday following Race Day*

Saturday program begins with 10 makeup Features from Thursday night

BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 11, 2022 – Of the 107 DIRTcar UMP Modified drivers in attendance for the 51st DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park, 20 are now locked into Saturday’s Gator Championship.

The top-10 finishers from the two Gator Qualifier Features have locked themselves into the grand finale, which will pay $5,000-to-win and award the iconic Big Gator trophy. The top-5 from each Qualifier have been locked into the redraw on Saturday, which will randomize the top-10 starting positions before the start of the 30-lap main event.

The five makeup Features added to Friday’s program, scheduled to race after the Gator Qualifiers, were canceled and will not be made up. The purse money for those five races has been added into the 10 makeup Features from Thursday night, which will kick off the Saturday program, beginning at noon Eastern.

GATOR QUALIFIER #1
Will Krup has been a DIRTcar Nationals regular for the past several years, but hadn’t been to Victory Lane in the event since 2017. That all changed Friday night, as he steered his Longhorn by Loenbro Modified #K9 to victory, thanks to a brilliant move on the bottom lane.

Krup trailed race leader Tyler Nicely in the opening laps but kept pace with him, waiting for the right moment to pounce and make the move. Krup had a great run going down low and powered around Nicely down the backstretch to take the lead on Lap 4.

Several caution flags were thrown from that point forward, including one for Nicely himself. He spun out in Turns 3-4 and was forced to go to the tail, but wouldn’t stay long as he retired early to the pit area. A few more caution flags in the proceeding laps forced the race past its time limit, making the race official with 11 laps completed.

“The racetrack is definitely a lot better than it was yesterday,” Krup said. “I’ve got to thank everyone who is a part of this deal. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to do this. The car was good. Sucks they cut it short, but we’ll take a win. It’s been a while since I won one of these gators, so it feels good to take one home.”

TOP 10 LOCKED-IN: Will Krup, Justin Allgaier, Mike Harrison, Garret Stewart, Zeke McKenzie, Hunt Gossum, Steve Stevenson, Austin Holcombe, Danny Schwartz and Matt Crafton.

GATOR QUALIFIER #2
When two of the winningest drivers in DIRTcar Nationals UMP Modified history square-off in a main event, it becomes a must-see show. Nick Hoffman and Kyle Strickler didn’t disappoint in the nightcap to Friday’s program.

Hoffman went from fourth to the lead on the opening lap and began to set the pace right away. The only driver that could keep up with him was his DIRTcar Nationals nemesis – Kyle Strickler.

Strickler caught Hoffman at the right time as they reached lapped traffic, cashing-in on a big run through Turns 3-4 and sliding up in front of him to take the lead at the flag stand. A caution came out just after they crossed the stripe, meaning Hoffman had to restart second.

But the six-time and defending Big Gator points champion hit the gas at the drop of the green and did what he does best, sailing past Strickler with a power move to the inside down the backstretch to regain the lead.

Another caution was thrown one circuit later, forcing the race past its time limit, making the running order official and Hoffman a Gator trophy winner for the 21st time in his career.

“I just had to get my elbows up,” Hoffman said. “Kyle drove by me and was pretty good out there. I just had to get back on the horse and ride on that restart to get back by him in Turns 1-2.

“He’s super-aggressive. We’ve raced against each other for almost 15 years now, and I love racing with him.”

TOP 10 LOCKED-IN: Nick Hoffman, Kyle Strickler, Kenny Wallace, Matt Long, Clay Harris, Nick Allen, David Stremme, Rick Eckert, Brian Shaw and Michael McGee.

The DIRTcar UMP Modified action wraps-up on Saturday, starting with the 10 makeup Features from Thursday at noon, followed by the regularly scheduled Gator Championship program. Buy a ticket to see it in person or stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

RESULTS

Gator Feature Group A (20 Laps): 1. K9-Will Krup[2]; 2. 7-Justin Allgaier[6]; 3. 24H-Mike Harrison[17]; 4. 67-Garret Stewart[3]; 5. 24-Zeke McKenzie[9]; 6. 99G-Hunt Gossum[12]; 7. 8A-Austin Holcombe[7]; 8. 21D-Danny Schwartz[14]; 9. 88C-Matt Crafton[19]; 10. 81-Steve Axtell Jr[10]; 11. 97-Mitch Thomas[13]; 12. 5CS-Curt Spalding[22]; 13. 463-Daniel Sanchez[24]; 14. 00D-David Reutimann[16]; 15. 90-Jason Beaulieu[25]; 16. 1R-Ryan Rackley[21]; 17. 242-Brandon Bollinger[27]; 18. 18-Eric Moon[23]; 19. 242X-Dawson Cook[26]; 20. 49-Billy Green[18]; 21. 0-Glenn Styres[28]; 22. 33M-Steve Stevenson[15]; 23. 72-Todd Neiheiser[20]; 24. 51-Brandon Green[5]; 25. 25-Tyler Nicely[1]; 26. 00EH-Steve Arpin[4]; 27. C8-Cole Perine[8]; 28. 77-Ray Bollinger[11]

Gator Feature Group B (20 Laps): 1. 2H-Nick Hoffman[1]; 2. 8-Kyle Strickler[7]; 3. 36-Kenny Wallace[5]; 4. 18L-Michael Long[2]; 5. 21J-Clay Harris[4]; 6. 21A-Nick Allen[6]; 7. 35-David Stremme[13]; 8. 5E-Rick Eckert[8]; 9. 1S-Brian Shaw[9]; 10. 11M-Michael McGee[16]; 11. 27G-Jason Garver[25]; 12. 6-Ryan Ayers[22]; 13. 24D-Jesse Dill[19]; 14. 7T-Evan Taylor[23]; 15. 95-Michael Altobelli[17]; 16. Z1-Zac Oedewaldt[11]; 17. 14C-Rick Conoyer[26]; 18. 5-Jonathan Taylor[20]; 19. 9PG-Percy Gendreau[28]; 20. 22B-Austen Becerra[3]; 21. 22J-John Baker[24]; 22. 99-Justin Haley[12]; 23. 12L-Lucas Lee[18]; 24. 32-Chad Roush[27]; 25. 96M-Mike McKinney[21]; 26. 65-Dylan Woodling[10]; 27. M20-Mike Potosky[15]; 28. 96P-Slade Parsons[14]

Three Lead Changes in Final Two Laps of Incredible Finish at Volusia Speedway Park

BARBERVILLE, FL – February 11, 2022 – The excitement of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series was on full display on Friday night.

Hosting a race of the year candidate at Volusia Speedway Park, the DIRTcar Nationals Feature was highlighted by three different leaders over the final two laps at the Barberville, FL 1/2-mile. Simply put, it was an instant classic.

Reigning champion Brad Sweet was in the catbird seat with two to go, then points leader David Gravel asserted himself as he led the white flag lap, but ultimately it was Sheldon Haudenschild inching out the victory by forty-four one-thousandths of a second (0.044) at the checkered flag.

The epic ending promptly sent the massive crowd into a frenzy at Volusia and lit social media ablaze with praise as the Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing, NOS Energy Drink #17 pulled into victory lane.

“What a wild race,” Haudenschild said to a standing ovation. “Man, that was so much fun. Those two were gassing it up and I can only imagine how it looked from the stands. I’m really looking forward to this year. We’ve got a great group focused on having fun and winning races.”

Haudenschild’s 23rd career World of Outlaws win gives the Wooster, OH native his second Golden Gator almost exactly four years after he won his first-career Feature at Volusia’s DIRTcar Nationals back in 2018.

Albeit a heartbreaker, Gravel’s runner-up effort was wildly impressive considering the circumstances. Losing the right front shock at halfway, the 29-year-old veteran never wavered and instead adapted to the ever-changing Big Game Motorsports #2.

The Watertown, CT native set Slick Woody’s QuickTime, won the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash, and led 22 of 30 laps, including at the white flag. However, the holes ate up his unbalanced machine coming to the checkered flag and created a big bobble, allowing Haudenschild to square him up and cross him over to edge him at the line by 0.044 seconds.

“I knew on that last restart with 16 to go that my right front shock was gone, but damn I wanted to win this race,” a motivated Gravel said. “When I could haul ass and get this thing to lay left it was still amazing, but when I slowed down and got into the holes that’s where I gave it away. We weren’t going to stop fighting for that one. I hope everyone enjoyed that!”

Although it’s only the second of 90+ races, a noteworthy feat is that Gravel escaped with the points lead for the first time in his World of Outlaws career. It’s a long road until the $200,000 championship check cashes after World Finals in November, but DG and Tod Quiring’s Big Game Motorsports group have proven they’re ready to reach the mountaintop.

Closing out the trio of tremendous drivers on Friday’s podium was Brad Sweet, who rebounded from a rough opening night 16th to finish third on night two. The Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts #49 controlled Laps 22-28, but costly mistakes in turns one and two combined with the pace of lap traffic ultimately cost The Big Cat his 75th career win.

“Wow, that was a really fun race,” Sweet noted afterward. “You hate to come up short, but Sheldon and David did a phenomenal job. I struggled as I got to traffic with my pace and couldn’t get off turn two as well as them. These last five to seven laps are what wins and loses races in this Series. I was searching and that’s not a feeling you want late in the going. We’ll get better for tomorrow.”

Earning their first top-five finishes of the season was Carson Macedo with a KSE Hard Charger Award from 16th to fourth in the Jason Johnson Racing #41, and Jacob Allen with an impressive fifth-place bid aboard the Shark Racing #1A.

James McFadden drove the Roth Motorsports #83 from 18th to sixth, Thursday’s winner Donny Schatz ran seventh in the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15, Tyler Courtney again finished eighth with his Clauson-Marshall Racing #7BC, Cory Eliason took the Rudeen Racing #26 to ninth-place, and Aaron Reutzel concluded the top-10 in his RSR #8.

UP NEXT (Sat) – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will conclude the 51st DIRTcar Nationals on Saturday night at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL. For those unable to attend, you can watch every lap LIVE on DIRTVision.

NOS Energy Drink Feature Results (30 Laps) – 1. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [2][$10,000]; 2. 2-David Gravel [1][$6,000]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet [4][$3,500]; 4. 41-Carson Macedo [16][$2,800]; 5. 1A-Jacob Allen [6][$2,500]; 6. 83-James McFadden [18][$2,300]; 7. 15-Donny Schatz [12][$2,200]; 8. 7BC-Tyler Courtney [3][$2,100]; 9. 26-Cory Eliason [10][$2,050]; 10. 8-Aaron Reutzel [8][$2,000]; 11. 19-Brent Marks [11][$1,600]; 12. 57-Kyle Larson [17][$1,400]; 13. 39M-Anthony Macri [21][$1,200]; 14. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [20][$1,100]; 15. 11-Kerry Madsen [5][$1,050]; 16. 9-Kasey Kahne [15][$1,000]; 17. 13-Justin Peck [22][$1,000]; 18. 5-Spencer Bayston [13][$1,000]; 19. 11K-Kraig Kinser [7][$1,000]; 20. 21-Brian Brown [14][$1,000]; 21. 20G-Noah Gass [26][$]; 22. 7S-Jason Sides [19][$1,000]; 23. 6-Bill Rose [25][$]; 24. 55-Alex Bowman [24][$1,000]; 25. 1S-Logan Schuchart [9][$1,000]; 26. 18-Giovanni Scelzi [23][$1,000]. Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-21, 29; Brad Sweet 22-28; Sheldon Haudenschild 30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 41-Carson Macedo[+12]

NEW Championship Standings (After 2/89 Races): 1. David Gravel (288); 2. Donny Schatz (-2); 3. Sheldon Haudenschild (-8); 4. Aaron Reutzel (-14); 5. Kyle Larson (-16); 6. James McFadden (-18); 7. Tyler Courtney (-20); 8. Carson Macedo (-22); 9. Anthony Macri (-24); 10. Brad Sweet (-26).