Top Fuel — Steve Torrence, 3.749 seconds, 324.44 mph def. Brittany Force, 13.165 seconds, 24.39 mph.

Funny Car — Tim Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 3.912, 320.36 def. Ron Capps, Dodge Charger, 3.946, 326.63. 

Pro Stock — Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.626, 206.01 def. Kyle Koretsky, Camaro, 6.613, 206.35. 

Pro Stock Motorcycle — Eddie Krawiec, Buell, 6.844, 198.58 def. Angelle Sampey, Suzuki, 6.880, 195.51. 

Top Alcohol Dragster — Jackie Fricke, 5.164, 278.98 def. Matthew Cummings, 5.396, 254.76. 

Top Alcohol Funny Car — Doug Gordon, Chevy Camaro, 5.492, 267.59 def. Shane Westerfield, Camaro, Foul – Red Light. 

Competition Eliminator — Jim Greenheck, Chevy Camaro, 7.504, 179.33 def. Frank Aragona, Roadster, 7.466, 156.08. 

Super Stock — Matt Morris, Chevy Cavalier, 9.748, 129.79 def. Gary Emmons, Chevy Camaro, 10.036, 126.12. 

Stock Eliminator — Matt Lisa, Chevy Camaro, 10.959, 117.89 def. Todd Hoven, Dodge Coronet, 9.826, 133.58. 

Super Comp — Nick Isenhower, Dragster, 8.894, 184.17 def. Mike Jirousek, Dragster, Foul – Red Light. 

Super Gas — Edmond Richardson, Chevy Camaro, 9.890, 148.71 def. Tim Gillespie, Ford, Foul – Red Light. 

Super Street — Larry Paden, Chevy S-10, 10.958, 143.55 def. Trevor Larson, Chevy Corvette, 10.963, 148.25. 

Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers — Jimmy Lewis, Pontiac Pontiac GXP, 6.356, 221.89 def. Allen Firestone, Chevy Camaro, 6.589, 209.85. 

Top Dragster presented by Vortech Superchargers — Zach Sackman, Dragster, 6.114, 227.88 def. Bradley Johnson, Dragster, 6.113, 224.10. 

Top Fuel Harley — Ryan Peery, Weekend, 6.696, 196.16 def. Tyler Wilson, JIR, 7.072, 159.63. 

Pro Modified — Jeffery Barker, Toyota Camry, 5.742, 251.67 def. Steve Jackson, Chevy Camaro, 5.785, 248.29. 

Factory Stock Showdown — Jesse Alexandra, Chevy Camaro, 7.841, 178.33 def. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 12.557, 82.51. 

NASCAR CUP SERIES DARLINGTON RACEWAY COOK OUT SOUTHERN 500 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES & QUOTES SEPTEMBER 5, 2021
TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER2nd     KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE3rd     ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 42 MCDONALD’S CAMARO ZL1 1LE 6th      KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE 10th    AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1 1LE 12th    RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 KROGER/HERSHEY’S S’MORES CAMARO ZL1 1LE  TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS: POS.  DRIVER1st      Denny Hamlin (Toyota)2nd     Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)3rd     Ross Chastain (Chevrolet)4th      Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota)5th      Kevin Harvick (Ford)
The NASCAR Cup Series season continues next weekend at Richmond Raceway for the Federated Auto Parts 400 Salute to First Responders on Saturday, September 11, at 7:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES: KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 2ndYOU USED THE VIDEO GAME MOVE DOWN IN 3 AND 4; IT ALMOST WORKED.“Yeah. Yeah. I kind of — we got to the white, and I was like, well, I haven’t been able to gain on him now, I’m going to try something. Honestly got to his bumper too quick. I was hoping he was going to run that diamond to kind of be safe and I could skirt to his outside, but gave everything I had. “I didn’t want to wreck him, I just wanted to try to get to his outside there, but he did a great job not really making any mistakes during the last run, and I was having to push really hard in second to try and just stay with him. “Was hoping we’d catch some sort of traffic, but we never really did. Our HendrickCars.com Chevy was really good out front, just in traffic I would get stuck. Like in traffic I just got stuck really bad, and then there at the end losing control of the race really hurt us, but all-in-all a great day, good points day. Pit crew did great. Cliff (Daniels) made some good changes in the car, so try again next week.” WE KNOW IT’S BEEN A GREAT YEAR FOR YOU, BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO START OFF THE PLAYOFFS THIS WAY? YOU’VE LED THE MOST LAPS, YOU’RE RIGHT IN CONTENTION AT THE END. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THIS TEAM GOING THROUGH THESE PLAYOFFS TO MAKE A CHAMPIONSHIP RUN TO HAVE A GREAT START?“Yeah it’s good to get a good start. I think everybody’s, you know, nervous getting ready for the final 10 and just the anticipation of how it’s going to go. So good to get a good first week in and build some momentum and some confidence within the team, so hopefully go to Richmond, be a little bit better than we were earlier in the year.” ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 42 MCDONALD’S CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 3rdTHROUGHOUT THE SOUTHERN 500 HERE TONIGHT THERE WAS ALL THE PLAYOFF CARS AND THEN THERE WAS ROSS CHASTAIN IN CONTENTION FOR THE WIN. WHAT A GREAT NIGHT FOR YOU GUYS. WHAT MORE DID YOU NEED TO MAYBE CHALLENGE THAT NO. 11 AND NO. 5?“A better driver. I can go fast. I just can’t quite race with them, and it starts with my restarts. I’ve got some work to do there, so I gave up the outside to take the bottom to be safe and then Kyle rolls around me.Was able to make one last charge there at him at the end, but yeah, I just need to clean up a few things. This McDonald’s car, I think it was the fastest car here tonight, so it’s humbling to come with this CGR group these final 10 races here, a place where my career kind of took a totally different trajectory three years ago, and to have people like Clover and the Moose (Fraternity) and Advent Health on board supporting me and still letting me race three years later, it means the world. I’ve just got to clean up some more, though.” WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS PLACE FOR YOU? I REMEMBER BACK IN 2018 WHEN YOU HAD THAT AMAZING RUN FOR GANASSI HERE AT DARLINGTON. YOU’VE BEEN SO CLOSE TO WINNING HERE TWICE IN THE XFINITY SERIES. TALK ABOUT THIS PLACE, HOW GOOD IT IS FOR YOU AND ALSO THE COMPETITION LEVEL OF NOW DOING THIS ON THE CUP SIDE.“Yeah, it’s hard to say. I feel like I’ve put in work, but I always feel behind, so I never feel fully prepared. So I’m not going to say that. I’m going to say it’s probably a lot of hot Saturday nights in south Florida racing at 417 Speedway. We don’t run up against the fence there, but it’s as sideways as we are here at Darlington, and I didn’t run up against the fence at all tonight. A lot of Florida Saturday night short tracks and a lot of older, wiser guys and other racers down there that taught me a lot. To come back here now three years later for the people that supported me then and put me in that car, we’re still here and we’re still fighting, and it means the world.” KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 6th“That’s what was most impressive was the speed. It was fun to lead laps and be up front. It just seemed like we were juggling a ball of yarn and it was somewhat unraveling the whole race; whether it was the lane choice or a pit stop. And then handling, we were a little bit loose there and a little bit tight there. That last run, everything was back where we needed it; but I threw away all the track position with a couple of fender rubs.”
“We gave away a few points. I would have loved to have had a shot at trying to win it. We might have ended up wrecked, but we gave away three or four points tonight. Not all that bad. It’s a great way to start the Playoffs with this kind of speed in the No. 1 Monster Energy Chevy. That’s what I’m really proud about with my guys.  AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 10th“I’m proud of everyone on the Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevy team tonight. To get a top-10 after all of the challenges we faced is a really good night and shows how hard this team works. We started off the race a little too free in the Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet, so we pitted during the first caution for adjustments, which really helped our handling issues. Even though we started from the rear, we were able to race our way into the top-10 before finishing the stage 13^th. We lost a little something in Stage 2 after the 18 came down on us. We got some fender damage that affected our handling the rest of the night. We also had a bad vibration in the second half of the stage and it took all we had to stay on the lead lap to finish out the stage. It was great get a top-10 after a rough few weeks. I just wish we could have seen what we could have done without that body damage because the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevy was fast tonight.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 GOOD SAM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 13thHOW WAS YOUR RUN?“I feel like we were probably a top 20 car most of the day. We struggled. We made some adjustments to get it back and I thought we did a pretty good job keeping up with the race track and everything. But we just have to keep working. It was a good education day, but we didn’t have a lot of speed. So, we have to keep working to make more speed.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHILDRESS VINEYARDS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 18th YOU STARTED THIS RACING LOOKING LIKE A TOP 5 CAR, BUT IT SORT OF WENT AWAY FROM YOU. WHERE DID IT START TO GO AWAY?“That’s a great question. I have no idea. I think we would have been able to not fall as far as we did in our Childress Vineyards Chevrolet, but I have no idea. It’s happened to me a few times here. I try to bring back a different approach every time, but I keep missing.” YOU ARE UP AGAINST THE BEST OF THE BEST HERE. YOU PRIDE YOURSELF IS BEING ONE OF THOSE TOP 16, BUT WHAT IS IT LIKE TRYING TO FIND THAT LAST LITTLE BIT IN THE PLAYOFFS?“Well, it’s a head-scratcher because we were running there towards the end of the day. I mean we haven’t been running back there all year. It’s definitely frustrating. I know everyone really pushes when the Playoffs get here to be performing at our best level. We did the same but just weren’t even close.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 26th “I got into the wall into turn one. I was just really loose. The 8 (Tyler Reddick) got to us. I don’t know if he carried me off into the corner or if I just got loose. Either way, it’s just part of it. I just got loose and ended up in the wall right rear first and had damage. And then, that’s what eventually cut the tire to end up in the wall in turn three.”
THE NEXT RACE IS RICHMOND AND YOU WON THERE. IS THAT COMFORT OR CAN YOU NOT LOOK AT IT THAT WAY? “I don’t think we have any comfort going forward the next two weeks. I think we’re going to places that we know we can be strong at. But this is a place where we felt like we should have been pretty strong at and our night was over five laps into the race. We didn’t do a good job capitalizing on it, even from that point on. We left points on the table. My guys did a good job of fixing the car enough to drive it the rest of the night. We just need to be a lot better than we were tonight.”
DO YOU FIND ANY SOLACE IN THE FACT THAT A LOT OF PLAYOFF DRIVERS HAD ISSUES TONIGHT THAT ARE GOING TO FINISH DOWN IN THE STANDINGS? IT COULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH WORSE POINTS NIGHT FOR YOU THAN WHAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN. “Yeah, it helps I guess. It makes the points picture look better, but I don’t necessarily feel any better about anything because of it. Pretty frustrated with myself to grab the wall that early, but that’s Darlington and that’s Playoff racing.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA/CHILDREN’S CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 326; Finished 31st  WHAT A TOUGH WAY TO END THE NIGHT. IT MAYBE WASN’T THE BEST NIGHT THAT YOU WANTED. HOW QUICKLY DID YOU KNOW THE TIRE WAS GOING DOWN? “Yeah, just as soon as I was turning the corner. Just really appreciate NAPA for letting us run this special scheme and making it a special weekend for some of these kids from Children’s (Healthcare of Atlanta).”“On my end, just made way too many mistakes. That’s what you deserve when you make that many mistakes. Onward.” 
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE, Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 200; Finished 34th FIRST OF ALL, ARE YOU OKAY? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT HAPPENED? ‘Yeah, I’m fine. That was a big hit. It looked like on that pit stop, it looked like we dropped the jack and the left front was still finishing up. I took off and everything felt okay. I went to pass the No. 00 (Quin Houff) or somebody down the front stretch; and was just about to turn into (Turn) 1 and the left front went down. There was nothing we could do. The guys did an awesome job to fix it. We were running like Top-12, I think, even with all the (earlier) right rear damage and it’s just terrible. I don’t know, man. That sucks.”

Austin Dillon And The No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Team Overcome Challenges to Earn Solid Top-10 Finish at Darlington Raceway

10th

21st

17th

“I’m proud of everyone on the Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevy team tonight. To get a top-10 after all of the challenges we faced is a really good night and shows how hard this team works. We started off the race a little too free in the Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet, so we pitted during the first caution for adjustments, which really helped our handling issues. Even though we started from the rear, we were able to race our way into the top-10 before finishing the stage 13th. We lost a little something in Stage 2 after the 18 came down on us. We got some fender damage that affected our handling the rest of the night. We also had a bad vibration in the second half of the stage and it took all we had to stay on the lead lap. It was great get a top-10 after a rough few weeks. I just wish we could have seen what we could have done without that body damage because the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road Chevy was fast tonight.” -Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick And The No. 8 Childress Vineyards Team Still In Solid Contention In The NASCAR Playoffs With Top-20 Finish at Darlington Raceway

18th

7th

12th

“Our Childress Vineyards Chevrolet was pretty good at the start of the race, and it was great to battle competitively in the top-10 during much of the early half of the race. I could see the other Playoff drivers having problems around me and I was hoping it was going to push us over the edge to break through and get going in the right direction. Unfortunately, two different strategies came into play during the final stage and ours was not the strategy that prevailed. Once we lost our track position it was a downhill slide. Our Camaro was tight and loose in the same corner and I wasn’t sure how to help my team fix it. By the end of the race, handling was significantly better but we were trapped a lap down and didn’t get a timely caution to return to the lead lap. This Richard Childress Racing team is strong and we proved that by making the Playoffs. We will go to Richmond and Bristol these next two weeks and do what is needed to advance.”  -Tyler Reddick

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (September 5, 2021) — Today Alexis DeJoria and the Bandero Premium Tequila/ROKiT raced to the semifinals at the biggest race of the season, the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, from the No. 7 qualifier position. After only one qualifying run DeJoria and her Bandero ROKiT Toyota team knew they would have to be at the top of their game and race in completely different conditions to earn another U.S. Nationals title. She previously won the event’s 60th edition in 2014.

“We only got one run in qualifying and ended up seventh with a good pass,” said DeJoria. “Going into race day, it was completely different conditions, but my guys always give me a good Bandero Camry. We had Blake Alexander, who beat us at the last race at Brainerd, so I wanted to redeem myself and luckily, we did. We went out there and got a little out of the groove and pedaled it a little bit and we got the win.”

The first-round match-up with Alexander went DeJoria’s way when she drove around him after he got loose and lost traction. She was able to get her Camry Funny Car out in front and hold on for the win even as she pedaled her car at the top end.

Facing Bob Tasca III in the quarterfinals set DeJoria up against a seasoned veteran with a good racecar. She took another win light with a strong 3.963 second run at 318.17 mph. As DeJoria was pulling away in her Toyota Funny Car Tasca was smoking the tires. The team knew they needed to dig deep and they were able to blast to the finish line first.

“In the second round against Bob Tasca, who had run a 3.88 in qualifying, we went out there and made a good run all the way down the track in the right lane,” said DeJoria. “That lane had been problematic for a lot of teams today, but not for us and that was a big win. It was a confidence builder for the entire team.” 

With a chance at her second U.S. Nationals final round on the line DeJoria pulled up beside Ron Capps in the semifinals. The 2014 U.S. Nationals champion was giving up lane choice, but her team had managed to navigate tricky track conditions all day. She took a strong starting line advantage with a .077 reaction time but as the racecars approached the finish line Capps was able to get the nose of his Funny Car out in front.

“We had Ron Capps, we left on him, but we just got out-run,” said DeJoria. “We’re leaving here in seventh place and entering the Countdown where points get re-set.”

With seven races in the Countdown playoff DeJoria and her Bandero ROKiT Camry Funny Car team are building momentum at the perfect time. Over the last six races the team has reached a final round and two more semifinals including today’s strong performance. 

Qualifying Results

Q1: 3.915 sec, 321.88 mph; Qual. 7

Bonus Points: 0

Race Results

First Round
Driver                                  Qual       R/T         ET           MPH 
Alexis DeJoria                   7             .114       4.128     257.14 (W)         

Blake Alexander                               10           .067       6.081     110.88

Second Round
Driver                                  Qual       R/T         ET           MPH 
Alexis DeJoria                   7             .104       3.963     318.17 (W)

Bob Tasca III                      2             .098       7.877     96.65     

Semifinal Round
Driver                                  Qual       R/T         ET           MPH 
Alexis DeJoria                   7             .077       3.992     323.04

Ron Capps                          6             .091       3.909     327.74 (W)

Camping World Funny Car Regular Season Top Ten

1. Ron Capps, 981

2. John Force, 938

3. Bob Tasca III, 937

4. J.R. Todd, 931

5. Robert Hight, 867

6. Matt Hagan, 865

7. Alexis DeJoria, 835

8. Cruz Pedregon, 825

9. Tim Wilkerson, 801

10. Blake Alexander, 519

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (September 5, 2021) — Battling through a tough line up composed of a rising star and three former world champions, Tim Wilkerson raced to his second NHRA U.S. Nationals title in front of a packed house today at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis. Driving and tuning his Levi, Ray & Shoup Summit Racing Ford Mustang with only one qualifying session under his belt, Wilkerson made consistent runs to earn his 21^st career win and first in over five years.

“I go out there and just run the car,” said Wilkerson, in the media center after the final. “I just race the lane and I don’t really care who is in the other lane. I am an old guy. I have been here for 25 years. I was in the finals in 1997 and won in 2004. It scuffed a piston in 2012 when Mike Neff beat me. I was half a car ahead of him when it shut off. This place loves me. It really does. I usually run well here. I won a lot of races in my alcohol car here. This place and we have a good relationship. It always treats me well.”

 Wilkerson gave the credit for his success throughout the day to his car chief Richard Hartman and his crew members.

“My guys are who I am really happy for,” said Wilkerson. “Most of the guys on this team besides Richard have never won a race period. Those guys are all new to me. That is what really makes me happy. I think we have been to six finals with all those kids, and I couldn’t get that monkey off my back.”

“I am pretty proud of my guys. We had a lot of adversity today. We put three motors in that car. We had an oil pump malfunction in the semis. It had no oil pressure from two seconds until the end. I don’t know how it didn’t break. Thank god for those rods and that good crankshaft because they were still together,” added Wilkerson.   

Racing second generation driver Bobby Bode in the first round had Wilkerson confident but also wary of the young driver. Wilkerson knew Bode had a quick racecar and the veteran knew the first round would be tricky with different track conditions. This was the first time these two drivers have matched up in eliminations. Both race cars had issues on their run, but it was Wilkerson getting the win after he gave his Ford Mustang Funny Car a quick pedal to regain traction as he accelerated down the track. He was able to generate enough power to get to the finish line first even though he had had no power and was coasting. 

Wilkerson had the luxury of watching three pairs of racecars hit the track before his quarterfinal race against 16-time Funny Car champion and U.S. Nationals No. 1 qualifier John Force. In a dominant race Wilkerson made a smooth, quick run, in front of a tire smoking Force. He got to the stripe first with a 3.974 second pass and raced to the semifinals against Cruz Pedregon.

In the past six races leading up to today’s race Pedregon and Wilkerson have raced each other three times with Wilkerson looking for his first win this season against the two-time Funny Car champion. In Topeka, Wilkerson collided with Pedregon severely damaging both race cars during qualifying. Today Wilkerson made another solid pass in front of a tire smoking opponent to race to his first final round of the season. Wilkerson’s winning time of 3.983 seconds was just slightly slower than his quarterfinal pass and showed what a good handle he had on his race car which was making its debut this weekend.

“This is a brand-new car,” said Wilkerson. “That is the car I crashed into Cruz with at Topeka. (Chassis builder) Murf McKinney did a good job for me. We picked that thing up last Tuesday. We spent all day Tuesday and half the day Wednesday putting it together. We drove over Thursday morning and won the race.”

“We were almost financially devastated by all that,” added Wilkerson. “That body that I wrecked with Cruz was brand new. It had two runs on it and I junked it. We came to the U.S. Nationals with one body. Chad Green is sort of my team car and he said I could use his old Mustang body so at least I have something to run if something happens. We are going into the Countdown with one body and we will see how it goes.”

With one more opponent standing between his team and the winner’s circle Wilkerson threw caution to the wind and tuned up his race car to make its best run of race day. In the past Wilkerson by his own admission had missed opportunities for wins by being conservative in the final round. Today he would not take the chance against Capps. In a monster effort Wilkerson took the win with a 3.912 second run in the right lane to outrun Capps’ 3.946 second run. 

“Capps has used me up the last two or three years. I think we have had him in three or four finals. I waited for him one year at Gainesville because they were having problems and he and (crew chief) Rahn Tobler just spanked me. My wife told me they ran 3.90 in the semifinals and I told my guys they ain’t ready for us in the finals and they better run 3.90 again if they want to beat us. We have a good car.”

“I am not saying I was sandbagging all day, but I was making sure I was going down the track,” said Wilkerson. “We are in the finals and I know what NHRA is going to do for us. They bit me before tuning that track up. I went up there thinking it was crummy. This time I told Richard we are going to plan on that track being great because they are going to tune it up. We are at Indy and they are going to do a good job for us. I ran that thing like it was trying to run a night run.”

“We have a twenty-four hour rule, after twenty-four hours it doesn’t matter. Win, lose or draw. I just go up there and try to run my car. My guys do such a terrific job. You can see our car very rarely does anything wrong. There is a lot of emotion today. We are not a rich team. I have one Ford Mustang body left. One. That is the one that just won the U.S. Nationals,” said Wilkerson.

Qualifying Results

Q1: 3.949 sec, 324.28 mph; Qual. 8

Bonus Points: 0

Race Results

First Round
Driver                          Qual    R/T      ET        MPH 
Tim Wilkerson             8          .107     4.611   218.72 (W)

Bobby Bode                9          .081     6.289   112.25

Second Round
Driver                          Qual    R/T      ET        MPH 
Tim Wilkerson             8          .088     3.974   297.81 (W)

John Force                  1          .077     9.041   88.13

Semifinal Round
Driver                          Qual    R/T      ET        MPH 
Tim Wilkerson             8          .089     3.983   325.37 (W)

Cruz Pedregon            4          .068     8.704   87.34

Final Round
Driver                          Qual    R/T      ET        MPH 
Tim Wilkerson             8          .088     3.912   320.36 (W)

Ron Capps                   6          .075     3.946   326.63

Camping World Funny Car Regular Season Top Ten

1. Ron Capps, 981

2. John Force, 938

3. Bob Tasca III, 937

4. J.R. Todd, 931

5. Robert Hight, 867

6. Matt Hagan, 865

7. Alexis DeJoria, 835

8. Cruz Pedregon, 825

9. Tim Wilkerson, 801

10. Blake Alexander, 519

The New Berlin, IL driver is one win away from tying Josh Richards for the most wins all-time. BULLS GAP, TN – September 4,  2021 – Brandon Sheppard’s quest toward World of Outlaws history took another step forward Saturday night at Volunteer Speedway. But without some luck, it might not have happened. Sheppard was fortunate enough to draw the outside pole, putting him on the front row with Championship rival Chris Madden. The New Berlin, IL driver, used the outside lane to his advantage, launching ahead of Madden in Turn 2 and holding on for his eighth win of the season.  The “Rocket Shepp” gave himself a chance to win after making sure he finished his Drydene Heat Race in a redraw spot.  “I really wanted to win that Heat Race, but I knew as long as I finished in the top two, we’d get into the redraw,” Sheppard said. “With this tire rule we’re on here this weekend, it’s kind of hard to pass, so just getting a good starting spot and getting out front early has been key all weekend.”  The win is Sheppard’s 77th World of Outlaws triumph—one win away from tying Josh Richards at the top of the all-time wins list (78). Even though he’s knocking at history’s door, it’s not something that’s on his mind.   “It’s really cool, but I just try not to think about it, you know, because when you think about it, it’s gets in your head, and then you want to win too bad, and then it messes you up,” Sheppard said.  Madden crossed the line second, but not without adversity. The Feature needed three attempts at the initial green flag, including one where the Gray Court, SC driver, received severe body damage to the left side of his car.  Ricky Weiss wheel-hopped Madden’s left rear on one of the attempts, hooking them together as cars wrecked behind them. Both drivers continued, but Madden was upset with what happened despite the runner-up finish.  “Me and [Sheppard] tried two or three times and had perfect starts with no problems,” Madden said. “It’s just the guys behind us can’t do what they’re supposed to do.”  Michael Chilton rounded out the podium for the Salvisa, KY driver’s best career World of Outlaws finish.  While most of the field was running the top, Chilton was one of the few cars taking a chance on the bottom. “I was just beating the hell out of the cushion in [Turn 1 and 2], and then I kind of found a brown streak down in the bottom of [Turn 3 and 4],” Chilton said. “I could make some speed down there, and it seemed like no one else was down there; I had clean air down there, and I got a good drive off the corner and made some ground on some guys.” Tyler Bruening finished fourth—his second top-five of the weekend. Dennis Erb Jr. crossed the line fifth.   Brandon Sheppard has six races left in 2021 to try and grab a piece of World of Outlaws history. Even though he’s on the doorstep, Rocket1 Racing is taking things one race at a time.  “We just keep on doing our thing and keep racing, and the wins are going to come whenever they come,” Sheppard said.  UP NEXT: The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet travel to The Rev in Monroe, LA, for a doubleheader on Sept. 24-25.  Morton Buildings Feature (40 Laps)-1. 1-Brandon Sheppard [2][$10,000]; 2. 44-Chris Madden [1][$6,000]; 3. 97-Michael Chilton [4][$3,500]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening [10][$2,800]; 5. 28-Dennis Erb [11][$2,500]; 6. 17M-Dale McDowell [3][$2,300]; 7. 1G-Ryan King [12][$2,200]; 8. 51-Mack McCarter [20][$2,100]; 9. 99B-Boom Briggs [14][$2,050]; 10. 7-Ricky Weiss [5][$2,000]; 11. 34-Ellery Leake [18][$1,600]; 12. 79-Ross Bailes [6][$1,400]; 13. 9-Dusty Carver [24][$1,200]; 14. 71-Pierce McCarter [22][$1,100]; 15. 37-Drew Kennedy [21][$1,050]; 16. 1H-Vic Hill [13][$1,000]; 17. 19R-Ryan Gustin [8][$1,000]; 18. 3-Austin Neely [16][$1,000]; 19. 126-Kaede Loudy [15][$1,000]; 20. 21K-Dakotah Knuckles [23][$1,000]; 21. 28W-Jim Whisler [17][$1,000]; 22. 57-Zack Mitchell [7][$1,000]; 23. 83-Jensen Ford [9][$1,000]; 24. B1-Brent Larson [19][$1,000] Hard Charger: 51-Mack McCarter[+12] Qualifying –1. 79-Ross Bailes, 12.533; 2. 44-Chris Madden, 12.62; 3. 1-Brandon Sheppard, 12.697; 4. 97-Michael Chilton, 12.71; 5. 7-Ricky Weiss, 12.719; 6. 17M-Dale McDowell, 12.738; 7. 1H-Vic Hill, 12.781; 8. 28-Dennis Erb, 12.825; 9. 21K-Dakotah Knuckles, 12.848; 10. 3-Austin Neely, 12.879; 11. 19R-Ryan Gustin, 12.889; 12. 71-Pierce McCarter, 12.89; 13. 57-Zack Mitchell, 12.908; 14. 51-Mack McCarter, 12.934; 15. 83-Jensen Ford, 13.014; 16. 16-Tyler Bruening, 13.049; 17. 99B-Boom Briggs, 13.176; 18. 1G-Ryan King, 13.208; 19. B1-Brent Larson, 13.256; 20. 9-Dusty Carver, 13.339; 21. 34-Ellery Leake, 13.638; 22. 82-Eston Whisler, 13.732; 23. 28W-Jim Whisler, 13.795; 24. 126-Kaede Loudy, 13.894; 25. 52-Troy Eads, 14.151; 26. N6-Blonde Bomber, 14.284; 27. 37-Drew Kennedy, NT

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

The 2021 Scheid Diesel Extravaganza was held Aug 27-28, in Lyons Indiana. Scheid Diesel’s 25th annual event was a success despite temperatures in the 90’s and a couple of potential pop-up showers. One of the many benefits of Waglers Motorsports Park is all events are much closer! Together we are committed to improving the spectator & competitor experience each year. Additional people movers (tractors and wagons with seating) were available to transport spectators from the parking lot to the main event area this year. The parking lot field was planted in grass (thanks to Premier Ag), with a bridge crossing into the event to keep spectators safer and off the road. A spectator tent was sponsored by Complete Outdoor of Terre Haute, a huge blessing with the high temps! Many food concessions were readily available. There were over 100 trucks that participated in the dyno contest with highest hp reaching 1477Hp and 2151 Ft Lbs Tq from a 2008 Dodge diesel pickup on diesel fuel only! Almost 100 participants in the Show N Shine, our thanks to Purdue Diesel Club in organizing this event, they always do a great job! Lucas Oil Pro Pulling had 159 hooks Friday and 172 hooks Saturday with over $71,000 paid out in prize money. Outlaw Diesel Super Series was non stop diesel action as well Friday and Saturday with records being set and $28,000 in prize money going to the winners!! Vendor row was packed with approximately 50 companies being represented from all over the US!! We cannot wait to see what 2022 brings with the 26th Scheid Diesel Extravaganza being held on Aug 26-27, so start making your plans to attend now!!

Results

KKR #9 Team Builds New Car, Changes Engine in Hot Laps, Rallies to Win Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals Opener

ALGER, WA – September 3, 2021 – The racing gods threw everything they could at the Kasey Kahne Racing #9, but James McFadden was not to be denied.

From Sunday’s brutal crash followed by an 18-hour drive to a near-complete re-build of their operation to a spur-of-the-moment engine change, there isn’t much that crew members Justin Adams, Gary [Woodman] Patellaro, and Rob Beattie didn’t overcome this week.

In the end, all of the blood, sweat, and tears took them to victory lane for the second time this season, as McFadden conquered Washington’s Skagit Speedway upon his first visit to the 3/10-mile bullring.

His opening triumph of the Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals gives him four World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series wins, most notably tying the Northern Territory boy with fellow Australian Ian Madsen of New South Wales for 68th on the All-Time Wins List.

In a positive spin of the evening for Enumclaw, WA’s Kasey Kahne – who ran 13th in his Outlaws debut at his home track – he still made it to victory lane as a team owner. In fact, KKR’s fifth win at the Alger, WA facility (2 with Saldana, 2 with Pittman) makes them the winningest team at the track over Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing.

“It’s rewarding to rebound like this, especially after the big drama at the last race,” McFadden mentioned. “These guys worked their butts off this week. The long drive here, then the day we had yesterday, then the motor change, just so much has happened. How fast they changed that motor tonight might’ve won us this race.”

Indeed, the timing of the engine change ended up playing a huge role in McFadden’s win. They began the process following the second of three Hot Lap sessions and barely beat the clock to make it to staging for their 14th qualifying spot. McFadden ultimately timed in fourth-quick and joked “I didn’t have any time to think about screwing it up.”

From there he transferred to the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash and then finished second to earn his fourth front row start of the year.

Before James gave his baby boy Maverick McFadden his first-ever wing dance, he had to survive a relentless attack from Sheldon Haudenschild. J-Mac officially led all 30 laps, but it wasn’t without a ferocious challenge from the NOS Energy Drink #17.

The duo ran 1-2 for the entirety of the race, splitting their battles between lap traffic and clean air restarts. Haudenschild got close on Lap 10 with the aid of backmarkers but struggled to find room to make his move on the #9. He had another shot on Lap 22 with more traffic looming, but a caution set the stage for an eight-lap dash to the finish.

With both gassers committed to the tall cushion, Haudenschild stalked McFadden and patiently waited to strike at the right time. He saved his moment for the 30th and final lap, following McFadden to the curb in turn one and setting himself up for a last-corner slide job at the win. However, the #17 slipped over the cushion in turn two and caught the wall, killing Haudenschild’s momentum and taking away his chance at a sneak attack.

Ultimately, Haudenschild fell short of McFadden by 0.514-seconds at the checkered flag.

“I could hear him,” McFadden said of Haudenschild’s run. “Obviously, Sheldon is gonna pound it, so I knew getting the start was crucial. I thought if I could short-slide myself and hit the cushion coming off that I would be okay. I’ve never raced here, but it seems pretty narrow and I tried to play that to my advantage as the leader. I wanted to run a little harder, but felt I should protect at the end.”

It wasn’t back-to-back wins, but Sheldon Haudenschild did extend his wildly impressive four-race top-two streak by claiming runner-up honors. The NOS Energy Drink #17 has been firing on all cylinders recently with crew members Kyle Ripper, Drew Brenner and Stephen Hamm-Reilly clicking down the homestretch.

“James did an awesome job, a near-perfect race for him,” Haudenschild said. “I wanted to get more traffic, but the cautions just fell at the wrong times. I planned on stalking him and waiting for the right shot. I saw the white flag and knew I needed to rip it, but I ruined my run at the slide job when I slipped high and caught the wall. We’ve got an incredibly great car right now, though. We’ll try to build on that the rest of the week.”

Rounding out the podium at the Alger, WA 3/10-mile was David Gravel aboard the Big Game Motorsports #2. The Watertown, CT native cut four points off the championship lead, leaving him -116 points behind Sweet with 18 races remaining.

Donny Schatz finished fourth aboard the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15, making it seven straight top-four finishes for the 10-time champion. Points leader Brad Sweet and his Kasey Kahne Racing #49 team rallied from a rough qualifying effort to earn KSE Racing Hard Charger honors with a 10th-to-fifth bid.

Closing out the top-10 on night one of the Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals was Logan Schuchart in sixth, Carson Macedo in seventh, Jacob Allen in eighth, Washington local Jason Solwold in ninth, and Californian Rico Abreu in tenth.

UP NEXT (Sat-Sun): The Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals continues tomorrow at Washington’s Skagit Speedway and then concludes on Sunday night when the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series competes for a $25,000 top prize.

NOS Energy Drink Feature Results (30 Laps): 1. 9-James McFadden [2][$10,000]; 2. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [1][$5,500]; 3. 2-David Gravel [4][$3,200]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [3][$2,600]; 5. 49-Brad Sweet [10][$2,350]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [8][$2,150]; 7. 41-Carson Macedo [5][$2,100]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [13][$1,950]; 9. 18-Jason Solwold [11][$1,900]; 10. 24-Rico Abreu [7][$1,850]; 11. 55-Trey Starks [9][$1,400]; 12. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [15][$1,200]; 13. 83-Kasey Kahne [12][$1,000]; 14. 21P-Robbie Price [16][$1,000]; 15. 11K-Kraig Kinser [6][$1,000]; 16. 7-Tyler Thompson [18][$1,000]; 17. 18T-Tanner Holmes [19][$1,000]; 18. 44W-Austen Wheatley [17][$1,000]; 19. 7S-Jason Sides [14][$1,000]; 20. 22X-Brock Lemley [20][$1,000]; 21. 75-Brian Boswell [21][$1,000]; 22. 99-Malachi Gemmer [22][$1,000]; 23. 2C-Wayne Johnson [23][$1,000]. Lap Leaders: James McFadden 1-30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 49-Brad Sweet[+5]

NEW Championship Standings (63/81 Races): 1. Brad Sweet (8,284); 2. David Gravel (-116); 3. Carson Macedo (-164); 4. Donny Schatz (-220); 5. Sheldon Haudenschild (-240); 6. Logan Schuchart (-312); 7. James McFadden (-716); 8. Kraig Kinser (-970); 9. Brock Zearfoss (-1216); 10. Jacob Allemn (-1448).

The Rock Hill, SC driver survived several restarts and a challenge from Tyler Bruening to find Victory LaneLAVONIA, GA– September 3, 2021 – In 2019, Ben Watkins blew a tire while leading a World of Outlaws Feature at Lancaster Speedway. It’s the heartbreak he thought he’d never fix.  Watkins finally got his redemption Friday night at Lavonia Speedway, leading all 40 laps to win the Charlie Mize Memorial. He’s the fifth driver to win his first career World of Outlaws Feature in 2021.    Watkins started on the outside pole next to Rookie of the Year contender Tyler Bruening, searching for his first World of Outlaws win. When the green flag dropped, the two thundered into Turns 1 and 2 side by side before Watkins carried his momentum around the 16 car, rocketing to the top spot down the back straightaway.  That wasn’t the last time Watkins saw Bruening, as the Decorah, IA driver peeked underneath him, pulling even with him in lap traffic on Lap 19. A caution on Lap 24 gave Watkins some breathing room, allowing him to take the race one lap at a time.  “When we caught lap traffic, they were two wide, and they were racing,” Watkins said. “With the dirty track, it kind of upset my car a little bit, and it was hard to maneuver through them. The way the cautions played out, I was not upset.” Three cautions plagued the second half of the 40 lap Feature, but they couldn’t have come at a better time for Watkins. He knew he had just enough laps to avoid dealing with traffic and another potential battle with Bruening.  “We had that restart with 11 [laps] to go, I believe it was, and I was hoping that was just enough time we wouldn’t catch lap traffic too bad,” Watkins said. “Right at the end, we caught them and had just enough of a lead to kind of settle in there, and it played out perfectly for us.”  Bruening, the top Rookie of the race, finished second, his best finish of the season. The Decorah, IA driver, knew he had his work cut out for him on the initial start since he was on the bottom.  “It was just a little slimy on the bottom, and you really just wanted to be on that outside groove,” Bruening said. “We put a whole night together, just one spot short in the end. We were really good all night long, and I’m really proud of the effort to come back from [Thursday].” Three-time and defending champion Brandon Sheppard crossed the line third, his 22nd podium finish of 2021. The New Berlin, IL driver, thought he might have had a chance if Watkins spent more time battling traffic. “I felt like we had a strong car, and once we got strung out there, it was hard to pass,” Sheppard said. “I was hoping for more time in lap traffic than what we had, just to be able to dice things up a little bit, but all in all, we’re happy with a top three.”  One night after winning $40,000 Cherokee Speedway, Brandon Overton finished fourth, and Zack Mitchell rounded out the top five. Ben Watkins earned his redemption Friday at Lavonia Speedway. It’s an opportunity he thought may never happen again and one he’ll cherish for the rest of his career.  “I didn’t really think I’d ever get another chance at it; these opportunities come few and far between,” Watkins said.  UP NEXT: The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet travel to Tennessee for the fourth time in 2021 for a stop at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, TN.  If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision – either online or through the DIRTVision App.Morton Buildings Feature (40 Laps)-1. 16W-Ben Watkins [2][$10,000]; 2. 16-Tyler Bruening [1][$6,000]; 3. 1-Brandon Sheppard [4][$3,500]; 4. 76-Brandon Overton [6][$2,800]; 5. 57-Zack Mitchell [5][$2,500]; 6. 18D-Daulton Wilson [7][$2,300]; 7. 79-Ross Bailes [15][$2,200]; 8. 7-Ricky Weiss [10][$2,100]; 9. 28-Dennis Erb [14][$2,050]; 10. 44-Chris Madden [13][$2,000]; 11. 42-Cla Knight [3][$1,600]; 12. 88-Trent Ivey [17][$1,400]; 13. 19R-Ryan Gustin [16][$1,200]; 14. 4-Ryan Wilson [23][$1,100]; 15. F1-Payton Freeman [8][$1,050]; 16. 1C-Kenny Collins [9][$1,000]; 17. 99B-Boom Briggs [20][$1,000]; 18. 1D-Brent Dixon [18][$1,000]; 19. B1-Brent Larson [11][$1,000]; 20. 22S-Nick Schlager [21][$1,000]; 21. 24D-Michael Brown [12][$1,000]; 22. 21-Will Harris [22][$1,000]; 23. 18E-Ethan Wilson [19][$1,000]; 24. 87-Walker Arthur [24][$1,000] Hard Charger: 4-Ryan Wilson[+9]Qualifying –1. 57-Zack Mitchell, 15.378; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard, 15.527; 3. 16W-Ben Watkins, 15.535; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening, 15.566; 5. 76-Brandon Overton, 15.679; 6. 42-Cla Knight, 15.751; 7. 7-Ricky Weiss, 15.761; 8. B1-Brent Larson, 15.767; 9. 1C-Kenny Collins, 15.769; 10. 18D-Daulton Wilson, 15.779; 11. F1-Payton Freeman, 15.804; 12. 24D-Michael Brown, 15.812; 13. 18E-Ethan Wilson, 15.825; 14. 88-Trent Ivey, 15.841; 15. 1D-Brent Dixon, 15.917; 16. 44-Chris Madden, 15.946; 17. 28-Dennis Erb, 15.97; 18. 79-Ross Bailes, 15.99; 19. 19R-Ryan Gustin, 15.999; 20. 99B-Boom Briggs, 16.031; 21. 87-Walker Arthur, 16.051; 22. 21-Will Harris, 16.119; 23. 4-Ryan Wilson, 16.201; 24. 22S-Nick Schlager, 16.248; 25. 22-Chris Ferguson, NT; DNS. O5-Corey Roulette, NT

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

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 03, 2021) – The John Force Racing team returned to the most prestigious event on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, the Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway, with finesse on Friday night. Both John Force with the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro and Brittany Force with the Monster Energy dragster took the provisional No. 1 positions while Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevy sit solidly in No. 3. John Force took the PEAK Camaro to a stellar 3.877-second pass at 330.72 mph under the lights in the first qualifying pass of the U.S. Nationals. Force is looking to secure his 12th No. 1 qualifying position at the historic facility, but his first since 2006. His 11 top spots are already more than at any other event in the series. “I’ve always loved this. Go out here in Indy at night, go down that racetrack, header fire on both sides, driving around weaving, yeah it’s a turn on,” Force said. “It’s a great night at Indy. Our teams are doing well. This PEAK Chevy, that Monster Energy dragster and Auto Club Camaro, we’re all running well, I’m proud of us.” Brittany Force and the Monster Energy team are once again in familiar territory after their stunning 3.684-second pass at 334.57 mph has them sitting at the top of the Top Fuel field. Force is performing to secure her sixth consecutive and eighth overall No. 1 this season. “Potentially eight No. 1 qualifiers, that’s pretty cool. It says a lot about this team, David Grubnic and Mac Savage and all these guys,” Force said. “We want No. 1 qualifiers, but we also want to win on race day. We had some luck a couple weeks back in Topeka, but we want to do it here, the biggest race of the season, Indy. I’ve been coming here since I was a baby, love this place and we want to get the win here.” The Automobile Club of Southern California Chevy was handled to a 3.889-second run at 329.67 mph by three-time champion Robert Hight to currently put them in the No. 3 qualifying spot heading into Saturday. Hight is going after his second No. 1 spot at Lucas Oil Raceway. “This was a good start to the weekend,” Hight said. “This Auto Club team put in some extra work after Brainerd, figured some things out and left testing really excited for what we think we can do. We’ll keep it up for tomorrow, go some rounds on Sunday and make up a couple of spots in the points on Sunday to start the NHRA Countdown in a prime position for another championship.” Qualifying at the Dodge//SRT NHRA U.S. Nationals continues Saturday with sessions at a revised time of noon and 5:45 p.m. ET. Eliminations are slated for 10 a.m. on Sunday. Television coverage for the weekend will continue Sunday at 9 a.m. ET on FS1. Eliminations television coverage will be live but split with a show at 11 a.m. ET on FS1 and a second show at 1 p.m. ET on FOX Broadcast Network.

New crew help, quest for new records propelled Illinois icon to dominant season

OAKWOOD, IL – Sept. 3, 2021 – At just 24 years of age, Bobby Pierce has now reigned supreme over the Midwest’s most grueling Dirt Late Model tour four times. But this one just might be his most impressive.

His fourth career DIRTcar Summer Nationals title run included 13 Feature wins, 23 top-fives and 25 top-10s in 28 starts, plus five weekly points titles for a grand total of $119,000 in first-place and championship earnings alone.

Pierce also set a new personal-best for wins in a single season – just two shy of fellow four-time champion Shannon Babb’s record of 15, which he established in 2005. To top it off, he finished with a 178-point advantage over runner-up Ashton Winger, all while having one less appearance than five of the other seven full-time drivers.

Overall, it was one of the most dominant and high-profile summers of his young career – one that began from the humble days of his early teens, with father and two-time Summer Nationals champion Bob right by his side.

“I’ve just gotta give a huge thanks to my dad, mostly,” Pierce said. “Starting me off pretty young, going to all these racetracks right in the beginning of my racing career. He pushed me to be the best that I could be, and it goes a long way.

“It’s been a long journey, even though I’m pretty young. It’s been a long journey so far, and I’m excited to maybe go on and get another four championships,” Pierce said.

But for the past three seasons, the Summer Nationals yard had been run by Illinois rival Brian Shirley. Pierce’s partial participation of the 2018 and 2020 tours, along with a runner-up effort in 2019, set up his chance for a return to the top in 2021.

On his climb back up the mountain from his home in Oakwood, IL, Pierce fended off some of the toughest full-time competitors from outside the state of Illinois the tour has seen in the last several years. Winger, Tanner English, even Devin Moran came out and scored two wins on tour over the 68-day stretch.

“For sure, Summer Nationals has its competition,” Pierce said. “Whether they think it or not, it definitely does. I think racing against that competition every night is what propels us to get better.”

Through all 1,240 laps of Feature competition, Pierce and his team sharpened their skills and only became more consistent as the season continued – most notably rattling off three-peat wins at Beaver Dam Speedway, Davenport Speedway and The Dirt Oval at Route 66 Raceway.

“I definitely feel like we’re more improved than we were last year,” Pierce said. “Even when we go to all these other races, we’ve been doing pretty good, qualifying good, running up front in the Features… Hopefully we can just keep that up.”

Their team got a few new additions for the tour, including tire prep specialist Kyle Albury and crew member Josh Raymond. The two joined forces with the Pierce father-son duo to make one of the most well-oiled machines in the pits.

“I give them an A, for sure. Everyone was working very hard. It’s definitely one of the toughest series when it’s super hot outside,” he said. “You have those long, late nights… we hit a deer early on [in the tour]… just stuff like that happens that you don’t expect.

“It made it pretty challenging with all the stuff thrown at us. And with that, we still ended up winning the points, and winning it by a lot. So, I’ve got to give everyone props for that.”

Twenty-eight races over any stretch of time is a lot for even the best Dirt Late Model teams in the country to take on, let alone perform at the top level every night. The tough courses, ranging from high-banked quarter-miles, to long, flat half-miles, are at the core of what makes the Summer Nationals unique. Pierce has been around the block several times now and knows that it’s a driver-crew-fortune combo.

“You’ve gotta be good, but you’ve gotta have some luck, too,” Pierce said. “You can’t have any failures and you’ve gotta qualify good every night. Every night’s a new battle within itself.”

“Just to be the fastest car every night is one thing, but you go to all these different places and track conditions – to be consistent is really key.”

Consistency wins championships, but records get the instant glory. Pierce owned 12 victories heading into the final four-race swing through Michigan, and won the first at Butler, but ultimately fell a few short of tying Babb’s record of 15.

Next year, he’ll start another quest to try and break it, while aiming for a fifth championship and the century mark in Feature wins.

“It could definitely maybe happen,” Pierce said. “If we don’t get that… if anything, it’s going to be a long time until I reach 100 wins, like [Shannon] Babb and [Billy] Moyer.”

Tense late-race restarts decided Lebanon Valley Speedway’s 101-lap Mr. DIRT Track USA

WEST LEBANON, NY – It all came down to one final lap and The Wild Child, Andy Bachetti, rose to the occasion. 

After 100 laps of high speed, high banked action at The Valley of Speed, the 101-lap, $25,500-to-win Mr. DIRT Track USA had yet to be decided. 

Larry Wight, who had led laps and fought inside the top three all race, slowed on the backstretch with a mechanical problem bringing out the caution flag on lap 100. 

Andy Bachetti, from Sheffield, MA, was able to hold off Matt Sheppard and Stewart Friesen to be the first across the finish line under the waving checkered flags. At the same time, Sheppard made the pass for second place on the final lap over Friesen and took home $6,000.

Bachetti now has five Super DIRTcar Series victories at Lebanon Valley Speedway (2004, 2004, 2008, 2013, 2021) which means he has Series wins in three different decades. 

He was extremely thankful for his hard-working crew and the clutch calls they made on the setup going into the Feature. 

“We were good all night,” Bachetti said about his #4 Big Block. “My team made the right calls tonight. We went with the right tire combination and the Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming machine was awesome.” 

It’s not all in the setup though. Lebanon Valley Speedway can use a racecar up very quickly without the proper care behind the wheel. 

“You have to keep the car square and straight,” said Bachetti. “You gotta keep the tires on. You gotta have a good enough car to get there. We had a lot of brake fade and a lot of issues. When I got here, we had a brake issue so was pumping the brakes a lot. Would get tight and push too but overall, it was a super way to end the year.”

Mike Mahaney, in the #35, brought the field to the green flag and raced to the lead in the first corner. Unfortunately, a brake failure caused Mahaney to overshoot the next corner and hit the wall. The car rolled down the track in front of the field and luckily no other drivers made contact with his prone racecar. 

The race restarted on lap seven with Larry Wight and Adam Pierson now on the front row. The #99L jumped to the lead and the #4 of Andy Bachetti followed by and into second place. Wight managed to hold off Bachetti until lap 20 when he finally got by. 

Meanwhile, Sheppard and Friesen started on the fifth row in ninth and 10th, respectively. Friesen followed in Sheppard’s footsteps up through the field.

“I got up through the field pretty good,” said Sheppard. “I was working on Larry Wight. I was a little faster, but I couldn’t quite get by him. I lost the spot to Stewie and then we had another restart. Tyler Dippel crashed into me and we lost a few more spots. We were able to fight back to the front though and got by Decker, Friesen, and others. I was just happy to get back to second.”

As laps clicked off towards halfway, Sheppard and Friesen got up to third and fourth. Only Larry Wight was in between Bachetti and Sheppard. 

Sheppard was determined to get around Wight to try reeling in Bachetti who kept amassing sizeable leads over the dueling rivals.

The #9s was all over the #99L from lap 40 to lap 59 when Kenny Tremont Jr. brought out the caution flag with a flat left rear tire. 

“I was working him high and low,” said Sheppard of his battle with Wight. “He was running a different line and it was working for him. It blocked the bottom and the top. I couldn’t get a great run on the top and or the bottom.”

On a lap 63 restart, Friesen got around Sheppard for third. Bachetti’s lead grew until lap 74 when Adam Pierson brought out the caution flag. When the field got back underway Friesen got up to third while Sheppard was shuffled back several positions after contacting Tyler Dippel. He who showed his displeasure with the #9s under caution. 

On lap 81, Kenny Tremont Jr. brought the caution out again. The running order was Andy Bachetti in first place, Larry Wight second, and Stewart Friesen in third with 20 to go.

Unfortunately, on the restart, Bachetti fired prior to the VP Racing Fuels starting point. The #4 was sent back a row and the restart was attempted again. 

“We kind of got a raw deal getting put back a row on the restart,” said Bachetti. “When you are the leader you should be able to restart like that.”

Luckily for Bachetti, Drellos came up lame on lap 92, and on the ensuing restart, the #4 took the lead back from Friesen one last time. 

There was stout competition for the overall hard charger award which goes to the driver who makes up the most positions from their starting spot. The 2021 Mr. DIRT Track USA Hard Charger was Peter Britten, a former force in Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship action at Lebanon, who started 25th and drove his #21A Big Block to sixth.

Erick Rudolph, as usual, also passed a lot of cars and drove his #25R up 18 positions and finished ninth. Local racer Kolby Schroeder did his hometrack fans proud picking up 15 spots to finish an impressive seventh against the best of the best. 

Next weekend, the Series runs a doubleheader at the Cavalcade Cup Weekend at Weedsport Speedway, Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 11-12). Night one is capped by a 60-lap $7,500 Super DIRTcar Series Feature before the Series takes to the ⅜ mile historic dirt track for 100 laps and $10,000. Get your tickets here or catch all the action live on DIRTVision. 

Feature (101 Laps)

1. 4B-Andy Bachetti [5][]; 2. 9S-Matt Sheppard [9][]; 3. 44F-Stewart Friesen [10][]; 4. 91D-Billy Decker [17][]; 5. 97H-Bobby Hackel [4][]; 6. 21A-Peter Britten [25][]; 7. 99S-Kolby Schroeder [22][]; 8. 42S-Kyle Sheldon [11][]; 9. 25R-Erick Rudolph [27][]; 10. 35L-LJ Lombardo [12][]; 11. 98H-Jimmy Phelps [28][]; 12. 88W-Mat Williamson [23][]; 13. 115-Kenny Tremont [24][]; 14. 3J-Marc Johnson [14][]; 15. 45J-Wayne Jelley [19][]; 16. 60B-Brian Berger [15][]; 17. 74H-JR Heffner [6][]; 18. 215p-Adam Pierson [2][]; 19. 2L-Jack Lehner [16][]; 20. 5H-Chris Hile [18][]; 21. 9D-Chase Dowling [30][]; 22. 99L-Larry Wight [3][]; 23. 35CC-Chris Curtis [21][]; 24. 111D-Demetrios Drellos [20][]; 25. 1T-Tyler Dippel [7][]; 26. 55B-Brett Hass [8][]; 27. 2RJ-Ronnie Johnson [13][]; 28. 98M-Eddie Marshall [29][]; 29. 32CC-Max Mclaughlin [26][]; 30. 35M-Mike Mahaney [1][]

Hard Charger Award: 21A-Peter Britten[+19]

ALGER, WA – September 4, 2021 – Brad Sweet is making a habit out of conquering the tracks that have haunted him for years.He finally won at Lincoln (PA) in May; he finally topped River Cities (ND) two weeks ago; and tonight, The Big Cat finally scored a Skagit Speedway victory that has eluded since he made his debut at the track 19 starts ago in 2010.It was a puzzling path to victory lane filled with lap traffic mayhem and an ever-changing 3/10-mile surface, but it was no task too tall for the NAPA Auto Parts #49. Sweet started third in the 30-lapper, slid by Donny Schatz for second on Lap 12, then drove right by David Gravel for the lead on Lap 22.The most troubling news for the field in Sweet’s 16th World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series win of the year (double his closest competitor) is his mention that the team, including Eric Prutzman, Joe Mooney & Andrew Bowman, “found something they’ve been missing over the last few weeks.”Saturday’s Skagit score, which marks wins at 42 different tracks with The Greatest Show on Dirt, brings Sweet to 74 career wins and leaves him only 10 away from reaching Stevie Smith to crack a legendary top-10 on the All-Time Wins List.Kasey Kahne Racing continued their perfect weekend in the boss’ home state as Sweet became the fourth driver to deliver a win at Washington’s Skagit Speedway, joining Joey Saldana (2), Daryn Pittman (2), and James McFadden (1).”I’ve always loved coming to Skagit,” Sweet told the fans. “We’ve got a great crowd and a great track this weekend. We’ve always been close here but seemed to finish second or third and just miss that little extra bit in the late going. I think we found something tonight, though. I could move around and get through traffic really well, and that’s what wins or loses these races. I felt like I could do things that I haven’t been able to do in weeks with this setup.”Halted by only one caution on Lap 8, Saturday’s 30-lapper was full of thick, tight, and troubling lap traffic. After earning a Series-best ninth pole position, Gravel jetted away to a 2.194-second lead at the halfway mark, but then traffic got tricky.Once Sweet cleared Schatz for the second spot, he quickly caught Gravel and applied pressure with the #2 struggling to make moves on the backmarkers.The winning move came on Lap 22 when Sweet aced the bottom of turns one and two and rolled right by Gravel, who was pinned on the high side. The #49 machine immediately checked out and ran to the win unchallenged over the last eight laps, but things got wild for the runner-up position as Gravel, Schatz, McFadden, and Haudenschild went wheel-to-wheel under a blanket and in traffic on the narrow 3/10-mile.Ultimately, Sweet took the checkered flag ahead by 2.336-seconds.”Sometimes it’s easier to be in second at a track like this,” Sweet noted. “It’s so much fun to race with guys like David, Donny, and everyone on tour right now. This is the toughest the World of Outlaws has been I think. Hopefully, we can come back tomorrow and get us $25,000.Sweet now only has four tracks with 10+ starts and zero wins: Williams Grove (PA), The Dirt Track at Charlotte (NC), Thunderbowl (CA) Raceway, and Tri-State (IN) Speedway. He’ll have a shot at the first two later this fall.Capitalizing on the wild lap traffic action, Donny Schatz clawed back from fourth and ended up second in Saturday’s 30-lapper. He’s up to eight consecutive top-four finishes aboard the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Ford Performance, Carquest #15.”That was a high-speed chess match,” Schatz said. “The car feels solid, so I think we should be good for tomorrow’s big show.”After leading the opening 21 laps, David Gravel of Watertown, CT slipped back to finish third-place for the third-straight race. He slipped back to fourth at one point amid the lap traffic chaos but recovered nicely for his 20th podium of the year in the Big Game Motorsports #2.”It’s a bummer to draw the one on back-to-back nights with zero wins to show for it,” Gravel admitted. “We got better today, so hopefully we’ll find a little more tomorrow with $25,000 on the line.”James McFadden, who won Friday’s opener at Skagit, finished fourth on Saturday and took home KSE Hard Charger honors in the Kasey Kahne Racing, Karavan Trailers #9. Sheldon Haudenschild drove the NOS Energy Drink, Stenhouse Jr. / Marshall Racing #17 to a fifth-straight top-five finish at the Alger, WA track.Rounding out the top-1o on night two of the Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals was Carson Macedo (6th) in the Jason Johnson Racing #41, Logan Schuchart (7th) in the Drydene Performance Products #1S, Brock Zearfoss (8th) in the Moose’s LZ Bar & Grill #3Z, Kasey Kahne (9th) in the Beef Packers #83, and Rico Abreu (10th) in the Rowdy Energy #24.UP NEXT (Sunday): The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will return to Washington’s Skagit Speedway tomorrow, September 5, for the $25,000-to-win finale of the Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals. On Labor Day,NOS Energy Drink Feature Results (30 Laps): 1. 49-Brad Sweet [3][$10,000]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [2][$5,500]; 3. 2-David Gravel [1][$3,200]; 4. 9-James McFadden [7][$2,600]; 5. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [4][$2,350]; 6. 41-Carson Macedo [6][$2,150]; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart [10][$2,100]; 8. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [9][$1,950]; 9. 83-Kasey Kahne [8][$1,900]; 10. 24-Rico Abreu [12][$1,850]; 11. 55-Trey Starks [11][$1,400]; 12. 2C-Wayne Johnson [15][$1,200]; 13. 11K-Kraig Kinser [14][$1,000]; 14. 18-Jason Solwold [17][$1,000]; 15. 44W-Austen Wheatley [16][$1,000]; 16. 21P-Robbie Price [18][$1,000]; 17. 7S-Jason Sides [5][$1,000]; 18. 18T-Tanner Holmes [19][$1,000]; 19. 99-Malachi Gemmer [22][$1,000]; 20. 7-Tyler Thompson [20][$1,000]; 21. 22X-Brock Lemley [21][$1,000]; 22. 1A-Jacob Allen [13][$1,000]; 23. 75-Brian Boswell [23][$1,000]; 24. 1J-Jack Eckard [24][$1,000]. Lap Leaders: David Gravel 1-21, Brad Sweet 22-30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 9-James McFadden[+3]NEW Championship Standings (64/81 Races): 1. Brad Sweet (8,434); 2. David Gravel (-122); 3. Carson Macedo (-176); 4. Donny Schatz (-224); 5. Sheldon Haudenschild (-250); 6. Logan Schuchart (-326); 7. James McFadden (-724); 8. Kraig Kinser (-996); 9. Brock Zearfoss (-1,232); 10. Jacob Allen (-1,492).Photo – Trent Gower

• Rain-shortened qualifying sets the field for the National Hot Rod Association’s (NHRA) 67th annual Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals in Lucas Oil Raceway
• Last year’s Top Fuel runner-up finisher at Indianapolis Leah Pruett will start from the No. 5 position on the eliminations ladder after a solid Friday evening qualifying run aboard her Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Dodge//SRT Redeye dragster
• Pruett will also race her Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak in Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown (FSS) from the No. 12 starting position in a competitive 22 car-field as she looks to double-up on trophies at the Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals
• Three-time U.S. Nationals Funny Car title winner Cruz Pedregon and his Snap-On Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat qualify No. 4 on the strength of his Friday qualifying pass
• Ron Capps positioned his DSR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car in the top half of the field with his Friday qualifying run as he sets his sights on earning an elusive Wally trophy at the “Big Go”.
• NHRA Funny Car points leader Matt Hagan recently tested positive for COVID-19 and withdrew from competing in the 2021 Dodge//SRT NHRA U.S. Nationals
• Tommy Johnson Jr. took over driving duties aboard the DSR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Funny Car in Hagan’s absence but did not qualify due to a mechanical issue on Friday and rain on Saturday

Indianapolis, Indiana, Sept. 4, 2021— Qualifying for the National Hot Rod Association’s (NHRA) 67th annual Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals proved to be more of a challenge than usual as rain washed out both Saturday sessions for most categories competing at Lucas Oil Raceway, resulting in elimination fields being set based on a single Friday evening run.

Leah Pruett, last year’s Top Fuel runner-up finisher at Indianapolis, will start her drive for another shot at a final round appearance from the No. 5 position on the eliminations ladder after taking her Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Dodge//SRT Redeye dragster for a solid qualifying pass under the lights. Her 3.755 second elapsed time (E.T.) run at 322.88 mph gives her lane choice over No. 12 seed, Joe Morrison. 

In Funny Car qualifying action, three-time U.S. Nationals Funny Car title winner Cruz Pedregon’s Snap-On Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat was the top HEMI®-powered entry starting from the fourth spot earned with a 3.896-second drive at 323.66 mph. The Cruz Pedregon Racing team owner and driver will have No. 13 seed Terry Haddock as his first round opponent on Sunday.

DSR’s 27-year veteran driver Ron Capps also positioned his NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car in the top half of the field with a 3.907 second/326.08 mph effort to go into the final eliminations battle of the regular season as the No. 6 seed. Capps will have No. 11 Justin Schriefer in the next lane as he sets his sights on battling for the elusive Wally trophy from the only NHRA event he has never won.

As the DSR Funny Car team prepared to take to the staging lanes for Friday qualifying, the team announced that two-time U.S. Nationals winner and category points leader Matt Hagan had recently tested positive for COVID-19 and would not be competing in this year’s event. In his place, the team called upon Tommy Johnson Jr. to take on the driving responsibilities for Hagan’s Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Funny Car. Johnson was the easy choice after finishing second in the 2020 NHRA Funny Car World Championship with DSR with three wins and three No. 1 qualifier positions last season. 

Efforts to qualify the hard charging Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye for the prestigious Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals and add to Hagan’s point total were short-lived. Following a mechanical issue, found immediately after the burnout, that didn’t give Johnson the chance to take the tree, any opportunity to get in a run on Saturday was washed out by persistent rainfall. That left Johnson with no qualifying time and without a spot on the eliminations ladder, a situation that also unfortunately meant that no points would be awarded to Hagan. With the unique points-and-a-half format employed at this final regular season event, that drops the DSR driver several positions in the final battle for position in the Funny Car standings heading into the NHRA’s “Countdown to the Championship” which begins next weekend at the Mopar Express Lane Nationals in Reading, Pennsylvania.

In Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown (FSS), Pruett took her 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak for a 7.969 second run at 176.79 mph to earn the No. 12 spot on the eliminations ladder comprised of a competitive 22-car field. Following two runner-up finishes this season in consecutive events at Denver and Topeka, Pruett is seeking another FSS win at the U.S. Nationals to add to her 2018 Indy victory. By juggling stints aboard both her Top Fuel dragster and drag pak on Sunday, Pruett has the unique possibility of taking home two Wally trophies for Dodge at the world-renowned event to which the performance brand has lent its name as title sponsor for the first-time. 

Pruett will begin her day against DSR teammate and No. 13 seed David Davies and his 2021 Mopar Drag Pak after his best qualifying effort to date. He was among only a handful of FSS competitors that got in a second run on Saturday morning before rain showers claimed the day. 

Fellow DSR FSS driver Mark Pawuk, who finished runner-up at the last year’s event, was unfortunately not among that group as he could have benefitted from the opportunity to get in a second qualifying pass after finding himself in the final spot on the ladder following his Q1 run. Nevertheless, he will work to battle his way through the field aboard his 2021 Empaco Equipment Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak as it makes its maiden drive in competition this weekend.

Television coverage of the 67th annual Dodge//SRT NHRA U.S. Nationals will be broadcast on Sunday Sept. 5, on FS1 from 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. and then on the FOX national broadcast network from 1 – 4 p.m. EDT.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES

FUNNY CAR:

Tommy Johnson Jr., DSR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye

(Did Not Start) 

Qualifying 1: Did not run due to mechanical issue on the starting line

“It’s a bummer. I hate it for the guys. They worked so hard to make this happen, and make it successful in a tough situation. I hate it for them to not get a shot at this. After being out of the car for so long, it’s disappointing. To have that shot, and get to do a burnout and have an issue and not make it, and then not get to make a run at all, it’s just a bummer. I really wanted to have that feeling of throwing the ‘chutes. But, I appreciate the opportunity, and should DSR ever need a stand-in again, I’d welcome the chance to do my best to represent the them.”

Ron Capps, DSR NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

(No. 6 Qualifier – 3.907 seconds at 326.08 mph)

Qualifying 1: 3.907 seconds at 326.08 mph

“Indy is always a weird weekend in the sense that we’ve had a lot of first time winners in the past at the U.S. Nationals. If something strange is going to happen, it always seems to be around this race with so much history and so much going on. This weekend, we only had one qualifying run and the field is set. We had a little bit of drama with our leader in the points not being in the race, and so it just adds to the typical U.S. Nationals craziness. Sunday is going to be interesting because it’s supposed to warm up and we’re going to have conditions like we haven’t seen this weekend. That’s when you really appreciate having great crew chiefs that can adapt. That’s what I love about Guido (Dean Antonelli) and John Medlen. Our NAPA team has done so well in different conditions all year long, so we’re going to focus on our goal of reclaiming the points lead. There’s a lot of other teams saying that same thing, but we’re going to see if we can get it done tomorrow.”

Cruz Pedregon, Pedregon Racing Snap-on® Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

(No. 4 Qualifier – 3.896 seconds at 323.66 mph)

Qualifying 1:  3.896 seconds at 323.66 mph

“We’re qualified fourth with a 3.89 (second elapsed time run) at 323 mph which is a great first run off the trailer even if we pulled it back a little bit. We knew there was a good possibility of rain, so we weren’t pushing really hard, but it was still a great elapsed time. We would have liked to have had another shot at it. I talked to my crew chief JC (John Collins) and we were going to push it a little harder and try to move up the ladder a few more spots but we’ll take that fourth place. We’ll approach the race like all races even though we have just one run under our belts for this week. The track is solid and it’s similar to Brainerd (where we just ran) and we’re confident we can go out there tomorrow and put strings of good runs together. That’s the plan for the Snap-on Tool Dodge SRT Hellcat and we’re excited to see what happens.”

TOP FUEL:

Leah Pruett, DSR Pennzoil Mopar Dodge//SRT Dragster  

(No. 5 Qualifier – 3.755 seconds at 322.88 mph)

Qualifying 1: 3.755 seconds at 322.88 mph

“What a wild Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals that we’ve had. Not a lot of on-track action, but I’m proud of this team for coming out strong on our one and only qualifying hit to land us in the No. 5 position. We’re looking forward to a good elimination outing on Sunday. Our team does well when we have a strong start to the weekend, and for us, that started on Friday night, and it doesn’t get much bigger than this. We’re at our sponsor’s race in our team’s hometown, and it’s the U.S. Nationals. Of course, we want to go one step further than last year’s runner-up finish, but it all starts first round and it’s an early morning. We’ve got our hot rod tucked away, and ready to rip it on the strip tomorrow, and look forward to putting on a phenomenal show.”

FACTORY STOCK SHOOTOUT:

Leah Pruett, 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak 

(No. 12 Qualifier – 7.965 seconds at 166.70 mph)

Qualifying 1: 7.969 seconds at 176.79 mph

“Factory has very much emulated Top Fuel where we made a solid pass in the first session. It was tricky on the starting line, and we have some new gearing so that was our first run with this new set up. We had some issues right through the lights which cut our speed and our E.T. so we definitely would have qualified better than our .96, but, it was an easy fix and we look forward to seeing the results of that fix in the first round of eliminations. With a 32-car field and multiple rounds to go, I’m very confident in this team that has gone to back-to-back final rounds, and we know what a win looks like at the Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals with this Dodge Mopar Drag Pak team. I’m very impressed with how cohesive our Factory Stock program has been with the addition of David Davies and his Drag Pak. We’re all running three different packages so for (crew chiefs) Kevin Helms and A.J. Berge to keep them organized, and for all of us to have a solid shot at going rounds on Sunday, is impressive and makes me proud to work with this Mopar team. I’m looking forward to putting on more win lights tomorrow, and hopefully grabbing our second U.S. Nationals win.”

Mark Pawuk, Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak

(No. 22 Qualifier – 13.781 seconds. at 75.07 mph)

Qualifying 1: 13.781 seconds at 75.07 mph

“We were really looking forward to getting our new Empaco Equipment Dodge Drag Pak out on the race track this weekend. After overpowering the track on the first run, we weren’t qualified very well, and we were ready to go out and kick some butt this morning. I did my burnout and got ready to stage and then it started raining, and I didn’t get to make my run. Unfortunately, the rest of the day got washed out. It’s a big disappointment. Some of the class ran, and we were part of the group that didn’t get to make a lap. But, we’re qualified. My new car looks great. We’re going to keep plugging away until we get this thing figured out, and start winning some races.”

David Davies, D H Davies Racing Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak

(No. 13 Qualifier – 7.969 seconds at 176.79 mph)

Qualifying 1: 7.969 seconds. at 176.79 mph

“The extra work that the team put in leading up to the Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals has paid off. We had a successful first qualifying session that put us in the 10th spot leading into today’s second round of qualifying. We didn’t move the 2021 Drag Pak up the ladder in Q2 today, but still we made a successful pass that kept us in the ‘top 16’ in a very competitive field. Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn’t let the entire Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown class to complete their second qualifier so we’ll have to see how tomorrow shapes up. It’s good for the entire team to see the payoff from the lessons learned from Topeka, and we’re all looking forward to Sunday.”

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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. 

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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.

Mopar
Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) offers exceptional service, parts and customer care. Born in 1937 as the name of a line of antifreeze products, the Mopar brand has evolved over more than 80 years to represent both complete vehicle care and authentic performance for owners and enthusiasts worldwide.

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PORTSMOUTH, OH (September 4, 2021) – Current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship point leader, Tim McCreadie, won his second consecutive series race as he took the top spot in the River Days Rumble – presented by Pepsi on Saturday night at Portsmouth Raceway Park. McCreadie’s win was his fifth this season. Devin Moran finished second to McCreadie with Ricky Thornton Jr., Tyler Erb, and Jimmy Owens rounding out the top five. Kyle Bronson led the first four laps of the race until Bronson, Moran, and McCreadie went three-wide for the lead on lap five, with McCreadie emerging as the new first place car. Moran was able to challenge McCreadie after several of the restarts. Despite ten caution flags that slowed the action, McCreadie held the lead to the checkers by 2.8 seconds, for his 27th career series victory.  In Lucas Oil Victory Lane McCreadie was already thinking about the next race in the quest for his first Lucas Oil title. “It’s great to win here that’s for sure, but I am just going one race at a time. The car was pretty much flawless tonight, we are always working to make it better. This group of drivers are so tough. There are still a lot of races left to go in the season. I want to thank my car owners Donald and Gena Bradsher, they have given me everything I need. They are supportive whether we win or not; we could run second, fifth, or whatever and they are always positive. That is a great feeling to know that.” “With that many cautions you just have to be patient. It’s tough to start and get going and then the caution would come out. Taking the lead there early on was important. I just went for it, and it worked out. I figured maybe Devin or Kyle would go back to the outside and get by me, but no one ever did. It’s great to win in front of this crowd. Sometimes during the other races, I will come up there and sit with some of you. I remember sitting in the grandstands and rooting for my dad for several years.” Moran, looking for his third career Lucas Oil win and his first of the season, came home in second. “Our car was good for most of the race, we kind of faded there at the end, but we held on for second. I was able to stay with Timmy there for a long time, but those cautions kind of hurt my momentum. That one restart we went to the top and was running him down. I would go into one a little lower than him and we would make up even more ground. To finish second here hopefully gives us some good notes for when we come back here in October.”  Thornton Jr., the top Eibach Springs rookie this season in the series pitted during one of the caution flags to change a flat tire but came back to round out the podium. Yes, it was a nice comeback for us to come back to get third. The car was really good the last part of the race. We could get up there and run with Devin and I thought we had a shot to get second for a moment. To come from the back, I have to thank my crew for getting me back on the track after the flat.” The winner’s Donald and Gena Bradsher Paylor Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas, Bilstein Shocks, D&E Marine, Racing for Heroes, and The Aesthetic Haus. Completing the top ten were Hudson O’Neal, Spencer Hughes, Jonathan Davenport, Rod Conley, and Clint Keenan. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary River Days Rumble – presented by PepsiSaturday, September 4th, 2021Portsmouth Raceway Park – Portsmouth, OH Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Devin Moran / 14.516 seconds Fast Time Group B: Kyle Bronson / 14.496 seconds (overall)Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 9-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 81F-Brandon Fouts[2]; 3. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[5]; 4. 14-Josh Richards[6]; 5. 11R-Josh Rice[3]; 6. 55-Chuck Kimble[7]; 7. B1-Josh Bocook[8]; 8. 17ST-Shannon Thornsberry[4]Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 39-Tim McCreadie[1]; 2. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 3. 12J-Jason Jameson[5]; 4. 111-Steven Roberts[4]; 5. 20B-Todd Brennan[3]; 6. 71R-Rod Conley[6]; 7. 10-Mike Meyers[7] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[1]; 2. 1T-Tyler Erb[3]; 3. 25-Shane Clanton[4]; 4. 71-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 5. 11J-Jared Hawkins[6]; 6. 33K-Kevin Wagner[5]; 7. 73B-Charles Mullett[7]Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 11H-Spencer Hughes[2]; 2. 20-Jimmy Owens[3]; 3. 71C-RJ Conley[4]; 4. 4G-Kody Evans[5]; 5. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 6. 1B-Nick Bocook[7]; 7. 29-Clint Keenan[6] LINE-X B-Main #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 11R-Josh Rice[1]; 2. 11J-Jared Hawkins[2]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[4]; 4. 20B-Todd Brennan[3]; 5. 71R-Rod Conley[7]; 6. 29-Clint Keenan[12]; 7. 33K-Kevin Wagner[6]; 8. 10-Mike Meyers[11]; 9. 1B-Nick Bocook[8]; 10. 73B-Charles Mullett[10]; 11. 55-Chuck Kimble[5]; 12. B1-Josh Bocook[9]; 13. 17ST-Shannon Thornsberry[13]River Days Rumble Feature Finish (50 Laps):

Race StatisticsEntrants: 29Lap Leaders: Kyle Bronson (Laps 1-4); Tim McCreadie (Laps 5-50)Wrisco Feature Winner: Tim McCreadieArizona Sport Shirts CJC – Presented by DirtOnDirt Feature Winner: n/aBrandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: n/aMargin of Victory: 2.881 secondsStop Tech Brakes Cautions: Todd Brennan (Lap 2); Steven Roberts (Lap 9); Jason Jameson (Lap 13), Josh Richards (Lap 13 restart); Josh Rice (Lap 14); Kyle Bronson (Lap 14 restart); Debris (Lap 34); Josh Richards (Lap 34 restart); RJ Conley (Lap 35); Earl Pearson, Jr. (Lap 40)Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: n/aSeries Emergency Provisionals: n/aAllstar Performance Fast Time Provisionals: Shannon Thornsberry; Kevin WagnerTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Tim McCreadie, Devin Moran, Ricky Thornton, Jr.Penske Shocks Top 5: Tim McCreadie, Devin Moran, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Tyler Erb, Jimmy OwensOptima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Advanced 16 Positions)Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Tim McCreadieHot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Tim McCreadie (46 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Tyler ErbEibach Springs Rookie of the Race: Ricky Thornton Jr.Dirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Tim McCreadie (Lap 5 – 15.163 seconds)Fast Shafts Tough Break of the Race: Kyle BronsonOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Philip Snelen (Tim McCreadie)ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Devin Moran (14.378 seconds)Time of Race: 61 minutes 14 seconds Lucas Oil Championship Points:

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

BATAVIA, OH (September 3, 2021) – The stars of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series are gearing up for a Labor Day weekend doubleheader in Portsmouth, Ohio and Middlebourne, West Virginia.  The action will kick off Saturday, September 4th when the tour returns to Portsmouth Raceway Park for the River Days Rumble – Presented by Pepsi. The event features a complete show of: Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and a 50-lap, $15,000-to-win main event. Saturday’s racing action at Portsmouth Raceway Park will also include full shows for the Modified and Sport Modified divisions. The pit gate will close at 1:30 PM ET and reopen at 2:00 PM ET with the general admission gate opening at 4:00 PM ET. Hot laps will begin at 7:00 PM ET with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. On Sunday, September 5th teams will return to Tyler County Speedway for the 53rd Annual Hillbilly Hundred – Presented by Arizona Sport Shirts, America’s oldest running dirt late model event. There will be a complete program for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, with a 100-lap, $30,000-to-win main event. The Legend Car Series and the Crate Late Models will also be in action on Sunday, September 5th. Other Hillbilly Hundred shenanigans will be taking place throughout the day with a “Best Hillbilly Themed Campsite” judging at 1:00 PM ET and a “Best Dressed Hillbilly” contest at 5:30 PM ET, to be judged by spectators in attendance. The pit gate will close at 1:30 PM ET and reopen at 2:00 PM ET, the general admission gates will also open at 2:00 PM with on track racing action beginning at 6:15 PM ET with hot laps.  Track and Event Information:Portsmouth Raceway ParkPhone Number: 740-354-3278Location: 25648 State Route 73, West Portsmouth, OH 45663Directions: 0.5 mile south of US 52 on SR 73, then right just before bridgeWebsite: www.portsraceway.com Tyler County SpeedwayPhone Number: 304-758-2660Location: 1 Boreman School Road, Middlebourne, WV 26149Directions: 3 miles south of Middlebourne, WV on SR 18Website: www.tylercountyspeedwayonline.com Tire Rules:Portsmouth Raceway Park:Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1300Right Rear – Hoosier (29.0) 1300 NRM, (29.0) 1300 NRMW, (29.0) 1425 NRM, (29.0) 1425 NRMW*Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Mains.*For the A-Main, competitors may use 2 new rear tires.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Tyler County Speedway:Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1300, (28.5) 1425Right Rear – Hoosier (29.0) 1300 NRM, (29.0) 1300 NRMW, (29.0) 1425 NRM, (29.0) 1425 NRMW*Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Mains.*For the A-Main, competitors may use 3 new tires.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Event Purses:River Days Rumble Purse (50 Laps): 1. $15,000, 2. $6,500, 3. $3,500, 4. $3,000, 5. $2,500, 6. $2,400, 7. $2,300, 8. $2,200, 9. $2,100, 10. $2,000, 11. $1,600, 12. $1,400, 13. $1,300, 14. $1,200, 15. $1,050, 16. $1,000, 17. $1,000, 18. $1,000, 19. $1,000, 20. $1,000, 21. $1,000, 22. $1,000, 23. $1,000, 24. $1,000. = $57,050 Hillbilly Hundred Purse (100 Laps): 1. $30,000, 2. $12,000, 3. $7,500, 4. $5,000, 5. $4,000, 6. $3,000, 7. $2,500, 8. $2,100, 9. $2,050, 10. $2,000, 11. $1,600, 12. $1,450, 13. $1,425, 14. $1,400, 15. $1,375, 16. $1,350, 17. $1,325, 18. $1,300, 19. $1,275, 20. $1,250, 21. $1,225, 22. $1,200, 23. $1,200, 24. $1,200, 25. $1,200, 26. $1,200. = $91,125

NASCAR CUP SERIES DARLINGTON RACEWAY COOK OUT SOUTHERN 500 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT SEPTEMBER 3, 2021
ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA/CHILDREN’S CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference in advance of this weekend’s Cook Out Southern 500 Darlington Raceway, where Gustafson will be calling his 600th career NASCAR Cup Series race. Press Conference Transcript:  MODERATOR: IN ADVANCE OF THIS WEEKEND’S RACE AT DARLINGTON, IT WILL BE YOUR 600TH START ATOP THE BOX. AS A CREW CHIEF, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES IN THAT ROLE THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER?“Yeah, I think you remember the wins, obviously. But I think for me, when I reflect back, it’s the different drivers, situations with the different drivers and the personalities, pit crew members. All those different things. I guess some of my favorites – obviously, the first win with Kyle (Busch) was a big one. The Chicago win with Mark (Martin) really stands out to me. The Brickyard with Jeff (Gordon). And then certainly Phoenix with Chase (Elliott). Those are, if I had to say the ones that I reflect on the most, probably stand out the most.” 
WHEN YOU HAD START NUMBER ONE, DID YOU EVER THINK YOU’D EVER GET TO 600?“No (laughs). I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t know I was even approaching 600 and then Morgan said something to me a couple months ago – ‘yeah, Darlington will be your 600th start’. I’m like, wow that’s crazy. I think when you start at one, you’re just hoping to get to two. And then you’re maybe kind of hoping to get to get to 30 and then you’re trying to make it two years. As you go, you’re just really trying to survive. This sport is obviously super competitive and a lot of times it’s more bad news than good news. So, you’re trying to do the best you can to prosper and survive.”
I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT DARLINGTON AND THE UNCERTAINTY OF THIS REPAVE IN TURN TWO. WITH THE XFINITY RACE BEFORE YOUR GARAGE EVEN OPENS, WILL YOU ALL BE IN A PARKING LOT SOMEWHERE MAKING ANY ADJUSTMENTS OR WILL YOU MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AT THE SHOP AND THE HAULER NOT EVEN LEAVE UNTIL SATURDAY NIGHT?“No – I don’t think we can make any significant adjustments based on the Xfinity race. I think we can make some minor adjustments. I don’t really feel like even if they run something way outside of what we expect – which I certainly don’t think that’s going to happen – it’s a difficult correlation. There’s not a direct correlation between the Xfinity cars are starting with this and we need to do that. It’s still a bit different. I think just in generalities, you’ll learn some things from the Xfinity race. That is a big unknown over there, but I don’t know that we can fix it based on their experience.”
GOING BACK TO YOUR 600TH START THIS WEEKEND, WHAT’S CHANGED FROM START ONE TO START 600 FROM ATOP THE PIT BOX? “It’s changed a lot in 600 starts. I was kind of reflecting on this the other day; just thinking about it. It’s something I usually haven’t thought about. When I first started, it was really the crew chief and the team, and man, you did everything. You did everything – spec the chassis builds; where you wanted your front clips; where you wanted your rear clips; where you wanted your frame rails; where you wanted to install the engine; what this car was going to run and the body specification when we just had the templates; how far you wanted to offset your tail; and what do you want to do with your roof. Not only did you have a vast amount of options, you had very little information to make those decisions with. I just remember back then, there was a lot of freedom and room to run; and certainly, a lot of uncertainty that came with that. Now, it’s much more granular. It’s very small stuff and we do it collaboratively.”
“What I’ve kind of seen transition through my career is racing was very team-oriented to start. Then, it became very organization-oriented. And now it’s kind of becoming very manufacturer-oriented. So, it’s just moving that direction to where it’s a much bigger concerted effort.”
I WANTED TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHERE THIS TEAM IS GOING INTO THE PLAYOFFS AS THE DEFENDING CHAMPIONS. CHASE (ELLIOTT) SAID THIS WEEK THAT NOTHING IS REALLY DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF MINDSET. HE SAID HE FEELS YOU ALL ARE IN A GOOD PLACE AND READY TO GO. YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?“Yeah, I agree. We’re ready to go; we’re ready to race. This is our favorite time of year and this is when you have to make it happen. I think we’re in a good position to do that. I’m excited to get going and execute. If we do that, we certainly all feel like it’s under our control. We’ve got the ingredients in place and the opportunity there to do it. We’re certainly excited to go do that and feel good about it. I think we’ve got a great opportunity to win races and be there at Phoenix.”
THERE’S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS COULD AND OBVIOUSLY SHOOT TO HAVE ALL FOUR CARS IN AT PHOENIX. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT GETS TALKED ABOUT AMONGST YOU ALL OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT JUST DOESN’T NEED TO BE SPOKEN ABOUT? IT’S OBVIOUSLY A GOAL FOR EVERYBODY.“Yeah, I think it’s just the goal for everybody. We’re certainly all going to do everything we can to make that happen. That’s just kind of a given. It’s what we try to do every year. It’s certainly never been done and it would be extremely, extremely difficult. But that’s our goal.”
BACK WHEN THE PLAYOFFS WOULD START AT LAS VEGAS OR CHICAGO, SOMEBODY WOULD DO REALLY WELL AND OF COURSE WE’D ALL BE LIKE ‘THAT’S THE CHAMPIONSHIP FAVORITE’ BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF 1.5-MILE TRACKS AND HOMESTEAD IS 1.5-MILE. NOW, THE FIRST THREE RACES ARE ALL 750 RACES. HOW MUCH SHOULD I READ INTO DARLINGTON AND/OR RICHMOND ON TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO’S GOING TO WIN THE TITLE.“That’s a great question. That is interesting because that’s another huge thing that’s changed throughout my career is the Playoffs. It used to be 10 cars. I can remember when it was 10, that was tough. It wasn’t 10 and a win. It was 10 on points and everything had to.. (inaudible).” “Yeah, it’s changed. The first rounds are maybe not the greatest indicator on who’s going to win. I think you have to be competitive at those rounds; certainly, you have to be really good. But the guy that’s strongest in the first round, I wouldn’t say would necessarily be the odds-on favorite to win the Championship, in my opinion. So, it’s hard to say. Richmond certainly configures like Phoenix, but races way different. So, I don’t know that you can draw a correlation there. You look at the Kansas, Texas, Martinsville round – you really can’t draw a whole lot of conclusions based on what we’re going to do in this first round. I would say more than the first round, probably just the whole body of work of the season would be a better indicator than the first round.”
YOU KNOW THE MEDIA; WE WANT TO PICK A FAVORITE RIGHT AFTER THE FIRST ROUND. DO YOU DO THAT IN-HOUSE OR DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ‘THAT’S JUST ONE RACE’ OR ‘THAT’S JUST THE FIRST TWO RACES – WE’VE GOT EIGHT TO GO’. “Yeah, 10 races is a long time. To me, every race brings an opportunity. Every race brings an opportunity to score stage points, win points and bonus points. Throughout these 10 weeks, you’re going to position yourself at every race to either improve your position, decrease your position or hold neutral. That’s the way I look at it. So, every race you’re trying to better position yourself throughout the standings and throughout the playoffs. It’s very individualistic. We go to win.. (inaudible). If we go win at Darlington, the only thing I’m going to take away is A) we have more bonus points and a better position for the next round. But past that, when we go and reset at Vegas, it doesn’t really matter. All that’s going to matter about Darlington is what bonus points we scored there. I mean there are lessons learned, but that’s every day. But I think in general, when you’re talking about the playoffs, it’s very individual per race.”

Richard Childress Racing at Darlington Raceway… In 133 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington Raceway, Richard Childress Racing has found success at the ‘Lady In Black’ with eights victories, 24 top-five, and 43 top-10 finishes. The Welcome N.C. organization has yet to find victory lane in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the historic South Carolina speedway, but has accumulated 10 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes. Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway will be televised live Saturday, September 4, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN and will be broadcast live on the Motor Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  The NASCAR Cup Series’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway will be televised live Sunday, September 5, beginning at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN and will be broadcast live on the Motor Radio Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

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Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Darlington Raceway… Dillon has made 10 career starts in the NASCAR Cup Series at Darlington Raceway, posting a career-best second-place finish in September 2020, missing Victory Lane by a narrow margin over Kevin Harvick. Dillon also has a fourth-place finish in 2017. He finished 16th at the track earlier this year. Dillon has made three appearances at “The Lady in Black” in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, securing his best finish of fifth in 2012. The 2011 NASCAR Truck Series champion has two starts at the track in the Truck Series, earning his best finish of fifth in August 2010. About Tracker Off Road… Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE prominently features TRACKER ATVs, a game-changing new line of all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides offering breakthrough performance, service and value in the off-road industry. TRACKER OFF ROAD was born out of a powerhouse partnership formed between Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER founder Johnny Morris and Textron Specialized Vehicles, bringing together the undisputed world leader in boating with a global leader in innovation and technology.  About Bass Pro Shops… Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit www.basspro.com. AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:How does Darlington Raceway suit your driving style?“I think long races in the past have fit my racing style. There is plenty of time to make the car better during a long race, and all of our wins have come in races 500 miles or more. So, I think that bodes well for Darlington. We learned a lot in the Southern 500 last year that we can translate to this weekend. Darlington is a place that falls off, so tire management becomes important and I really like that. It’s nice that we’re going to place that long run speed matters a bit.”

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Childress Vineyards Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Darlington Raceway… Reddick has four NASCAR Cup Series starts at Darlington Raceway, with his best finish of seventh coming last year at NASCAR’s first race back after the season paused out of COVID-19 concerns. Reddick also has three starts at the ‘Lady in Black’ in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, collecting two top-five finishes. Time for the NASCAR Playoffs… Reddick punched his ticket into the 2021 NASCAR post season after a tight battle with his RCR teammate Austin Dillon at Daytona International Speedway last weekend. It marks the sophomore NASCAR Cup Series driver’s first appearance into the NASCAR Playoffs. About Childress Vineyards… Childress Vineyards is a premier winery located at the southern gateway of the Yadkin Valley in Lexington, North Carolina. Owned by Richard Childress, NASCAR team owner and Hall of Fame member, Childress Vineyards has been producing award-winning wines with the expertise of Winemaker Mark Frizsolowski. Open daily for tours, tastings, and lunch in the Bistro. Information about Childress Vineyards can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/childresswines/, on Twitter at @ChildressWines and on Instagram at Instagram.com/childresswines. TYLER REDDICK QUOTES:These first three tracks are ones where you’ve consistently fought for top 10s, top 5s. What is your confidence level heading into your first Playoffs? “It’s good. The nice thing is that we’re going back to a venue that we’ve been to earlier this season. The speed we had early at this race at Darlington in the beginning of summer was really promising. I’m excited for sure going into Darlington. But even more exciting, after all the chaos and everything at Daytona, our fifth-place finish at Daytona is going to help our starting position at Darlington. There’s only 13 points between myself and sixth right now, and with that tight of a spread I think we’re going to see a lot of shake up right away. We’re going to try to take advantage of that.”   Does the intensity level raise up?“Yes and no. I think I experienced this level of intensity for sure when we ran the Southern 500 last year. We at times were racing around a lot of Playoff cars all night long at Darlington, and Bristol especially once we were up in the top five. We weren’t racing for what those guys were, but we were still racing to try and have a good finish. So, I think the intensity’s there whether you’re in the Playoffs or not. When you’re a Playoff driver, you’re racing really hard with those other Playoff drivers. It seemed like the guys outside of the Playoffs understand what is going on, but they’re still going to race hard for their season. The give-and-take, the mark has moved a little bit from where it is in the regular season up until that point.  But I’d say either way you have it. It’s just shaped a little bit differently whether you’re in the Playoffs or not. Last year when I wasn’t, I felt like the Playoff drivers – as they should – were racing hard for every single spot. Essentially, this one or two points at the end of the year ultimately doesn’t dictate whether I make the next round or not. So, it is different, but I wouldn’t say it’s more intense. It’s just the intensity level is with a certain group of drivers on one side and another in the Playoffs.”

Myatt Snider and the No. 2 Crosley Brands Chevrolet Camaro at Darlington Raceway… Snider has three career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Darlington Raceway, the most recent coming earlier this season in the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. The 26-year-old earned a 10th-place finish in the fall race last season. About Crosley Brands… For over 30 years, Crosley Brands has been a leader in the nostalgic electronics category. From their beginning in the premium incentive industry, Crosley Brands developed their own exclusive product lines and built solid relationships with some of the most well-known catalogers and retailers in the business. Today, Crosley Brands is known for two brands – Crosley Radio and Crosley Furniture. At the front lines of the Vinyl Revolution, Crosley Radio seeks to bring new life to a classic medium, with its revolutionary line of turntables to its new series of high-fidelity units. Building on a legacy of entrepreneurship, Crosley Furniture delivers quality products at competitive prices, without sacrificing style. From the patio to the kitchen, bath, entryway and beyond, Crosley Furniture offers over 1,800 indoor and outdoor furniture items in a variety of categories and designs. For more information, please visit www.crosleybrands.com.  MYATT SNIDER QUOTE:With three weeks remaining before the Playoffs begin for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, what are you looking forward to? Where is your opportunity? “Darlington Raceway is one we have circled for sure. That place owes me one. Our No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro was really fast there in the spring earlier this season, but I made a rookie mistake and didn’t give myself enough room off the corner. I didn’t quite get a Darlington stripe, but I got a Daniel Hemric stripe because I ran right into his left rear without getting clear. I thought I was going to clear him, but the track narrows up fast off turn two in Darlington.”

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 04, 2021) – John Force and the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro and Brittany Force and the Monster Energy dragster will start race day at the Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals from the No. 1 qualifying spots in their respective categories. Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevy will start race day from the No. 3 spot. After making every attempt to overcome the inclement weather, NHRA officials had no choice but to cancel the final two qualifying sessions Saturday at Lucas Oil Raceway. On Friday night, John Force took the PEAK Camaro to a stellar 3.877-second pass at 330.72 mph to earn his 12th No. 1 qualifying position at the historic facility, his first since 2006. Force will be racing Sunday for his sixth win at the prestigious event. “Well, we were all watching the weather, even yesterday. This PEAK Chevy, we’re in the show, we knew that when we made the run last night at the end of the Funny Car field,” said Force who will race Dave Richards in the first round. “This is Indy so it’s still exciting. It’s still the race you want to win. Tomorrow will be beautiful, I can’t wait to see the fans in the stands and put on a show for them.” Brittany Force and the Monster Energy team landed their sixth consecutive and eighth overall No. 1 this season off a stunning 3.684-second pass at 334.57 mph. They’ll be chasing their second win of the season, first at the U.S. Nationals and 12th in Force’s career. “It’s the U.S. Nationals, there’s so much history behind this race. It’s always been the biggest race on our circuit and it’s the one race every team wants to come out and win,” said Force who faces Shawn Langdon first round. “I’ve heard people say a hundred times, ‘You have to win Indy. You can’t retire until you’ve done that.’ I’ve been chasing the Indy win, it’s the big one. We want to come out here and do it this weekend. We haven’t had luck here in the past but hoping to turn things around and end up in that winners circle.” Three-time world champion Robert Hight handled the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevy to a 3.889-second run at 329.67 mph to put him in the No. 3 qualifying spot and set them up to chase their fourth U.S. Nationals win. “Really wish we could have had at least one more run but we knew there was a possibility of weather coming in to today,” said Hight who will go head-to-head with Dale Creasy Jr. “Coming from testing at Brainerd to Indy and making that first run, that felt good. I’m not worried about tomorrow.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION DODGE/SRT NHRA U.S. NATIONALS LUCAS OIL RACEWAY AT INDIANAPOLIS, BROWNSBURG, INDIANA SEPT. 4, 2021                                                                                                    Chevrolet sweeps No. 1 qualifiers at U.S. NationalsBrittany Force (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car), Kyle Koretsky (Pro Stock) lead way BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 4, 2021) – Big performances by Team Chevy drivers on a clear Friday night at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis were crucial as the two remaining rounds of qualifications for the 67th U.S. Nationals were canceled Saturday, Sept. 4, because of persistent rain.
Chevrolet drivers earned No. 1 qualifier honors in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock for the third time in 11 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series events this season.
Brittany and John Force, who shared the winner’s stage for the first time three weeks ago, roared to the top of qualifying for the second time this season in their respective professional classes.
Brittany Force raced to her seventh consecutive No. 1 Top Fuel qualifier honor – and eighth in 13 races – with a 3.684-second pass at 334.57 mph in the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster.
Tony Schumacher in 2005 was the last Top Fuel racer to earn six top qualifiers in a row and he owns the record for most No. 1s in a season with 13. Force will aim for her second victory of the season, which would give her 200 career round wins, and secure the second seed for the seven-race Countdown to the Championship that begins next week.
“Eight No. 1 qualifiers, that says a lot about this team, ” said Force, who was the top qualifier in the 2019 U.S. Nationals. “We want No. 1 qualifiers, but we also want to win on race day. I’ve been chasing the Indy win. It’s the big one and we want to come out here and do it this week. We haven’t had luck here in the past but hoping to turn things around.
“I think we’re in a really good place. We’re No. 2 in points and our goal coming into this season was to be top three for the Countdown, where everything resets. It’s been a long season and we’ve put a lot of hard work into getting that No. 2 spot.”
Her father, John, has five Funny Car wins at the U.S. Nationals – tied for the most with Ed McCulloch – and took a step toward his sixth victory and the top seed for the Countdown by securing his second top qualifier of the season.Force, driving the PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS, turned in a 3.871-second pass. He last won the U.S. Nationals in 2019 for his 150th career victory, and all John Force Racing drivers did not compete in the 2020 event because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’ve always loved this. Go out here in Indy at night, go down that racetrack, header fire on both sides, driving around weaving,” said Force, who claimed the 162nd top qualifier of his career. “Our teams are doing well. This PEAK Chevy, that Monster Energy dragster and Auto Club Camaro, we’re all running well, I’m proud of us.”
Teammate Robert Hight, a three-time winner of the event, qualified third with a pass of 3.889 seconds in the Automobile Club of Southern California Camaro SS. 
“This was a good start to the weekend,” Hight said. “This Auto Club team put in some extra work after Brainerd, figured some things out and left testing really excited for what we think we can do. We’ll go some rounds on Sunday and make up a couple of spots in the points to start the NHRA Countdown in a prime position for another championship.”
Koretsky, runner-up at the most recent Pro Stock race at Topeka, Kansas, three weeks ago, picked up his initial No. 1 qualifier with a 6.572-second pass in the Lucas Oil/NitroFish Camaro SS.
“It’s huge for my self-confidence. It felt good when I made the run, and to come back and find out I’m No. 1 is great,” he said. “KB Racing supplies me with the best power out here. Who doesn’t want to be No. 1 at the U.S. Nationals? Our goal is to leave Indy top five and I’m confident we can do it.”
Elite Motorsports teammates Troy Coughlin Jr. and Erica Enders were Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, in the Camaro SS. KB Racing’s Greg Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Camaro SS, qualified seventh as he seeks to tie Warren Johnson’s class record of 97 career wins. Koretsky’s father, Kenny, was runner-up to Anderson at the 2004 U.S. Nationals.