The Greatest Show on Dirt Races on Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

GRAND FORKS, ND – August 25, 2021 – A busy stretch of three races over the next five nights awaits the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.

It all starts tonight as The Greatest Show on Dirt returns to River Cities Speedway for the third time this season, hoping to complete its first event at the Grand Forks, ND bullring. David Gravel was QuickTime at the track in June, but North Dakota native Donny Schatz is certainly the favorite to defend his home turf again.

A seven-hour drive to Greenwood, NE awaits on Thursday, then the FVP Platinum Battery Showdown goes off on Friday night at I-80 Speedway. Championship leader Brad Sweet enters as the most recent winner at the 4/10-mile oval and looks to extend his point lead in pursuit of his third-straight World of Outlaws title.

Another 550-mile drive on Saturday to Rapid City, SD will lead the Outlaws into a Sunday showdown at Black Hills Speedway. Carson Macedo, who is third in points and in need of a fresh start, will enter as the defending winner aboard his Jason Johnson Racing #41.

By the end of the weekend when the Outlaws head west for a three-week swing in Washington and California, only 19 races will remain in the championship chase.

RIVER CITIES TICKETS (Wed.)
I-80 TICKETS (Fri.)
BLACK HILLS TICKETS (Sun.)

Here are some of the top storylines to follow:

DAKOTA DOMINANCE: No driver on the World of Outlaws tour takes defending their home turf to the next level as much as Donny Schatz. Last weekend, the Fargo, ND native won just a few minutes away from his house at Red River Valley Speedway. It was his 23rd win in his home state and the 301st of his iconic career, a win that was almost even sweeter than his milestone 300th.

Tonight, Schatz gets one more race at arguably his best track on tour, River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND. Previously known as “The Minot Missile,” Schatz has contested all 26 World of Outlaws Features at the bullring with monumental success. He’s won 12 of those races (46% winning percentage) and returns as the favorite tonight to make it 13 wins. With the Ford Performance Engine hitting on all cylinders, the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15 will be a threat everywhere we go over the next two months.

CHIPPING AWAY: All that remains in 2021 is 22 races for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, and the championship battle is far from over. Sure, Brad Sweet has held a tight grasp on the top spot since March, but David Gravel and his Big Game Motorsports #2 team are kicking it into high gear as they cut the deficit down to -120 after winning on Sunday night.

What’s on the line? Simply put, history, glory, prestige, and money. The things every Outlaw desires.

For Sweet and the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts #49, they’re chasing a third-consecutive title, something that only legends Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz have accomplished. For Gravel, he’s trying to climb the mountaintop for the first time in his career, which would make him the 11th driver in history to become an Outlaw champion.

From now until the conclusion of the World Finals, 75 days is all that remains in the season. Another weekend in the Dakotas, a three-week trip to the west coast, a return out east, a southeastern double, and the season finale, along with other challenges stand in the way.

TIME TO SHINE: A pair of full-time World of Outlaws drivers recorded season-best efforts on Sunday night at Huset’s Speedway.

Wayne Johnson of Oklahoma City, OK won his Team Drydene Heat Race and won the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash to earn his first pole position in more than seven years. He led 13 of the first 14 Feature laps before falling to finish seventh, his best run of 2021 aboard the Two-C Racing entry. The seventh-place finish is Wayne’s 19th top-10 of his Outlaw career and his best result since June of 2013 at Kokomo. It’s the second time in the last month that the 50-year-old Johnson has stole headlines with his performance.

Along with the #2C, the #1A also opened eyes on Sunday night. Hanover, PA’s Jacob Allen charged forward to put his Shark Racing, Drydene Performance Products #1S on the podium for the first time this season. His third-place finish the 12th podium finish of his career and gives him more momentum heading into a weekend where we visit Black Hills and I-80, two places that Allen has led laps at and nearly won before.

SETTLING IN: Assigned to the Roth Motorsports, Beef Packers #83 for the remainder of the 2021 season, Kasey Kahne has taken little time settling into his new ride. After a top-10 performance at the Knoxville Nationals, the former NASCAR Cup Series star rattled off another QuickTime and New Track Record at Red River Valley. They’ve had immense qualifying speed, but struggles with Heat Race starts forced Kahne to miss both Dashes last weekend.

He’ll have three more opportunities this week to finetune the new combination before the Enumclaw, WA native returns to his home state for four straight nights on September 3-6.

RESET BUTTON: The case could be made that Huset’s Speedway is Carson Macedo’s kryptonite. The Lemoore, CA native debuted at the Brandon, SD last September and ran second in his first appearance, although it was a race haunted by tire trouble. In four starts since then, three of them coming this year, Macedo has yet to finish better than 14th at the 1/3-mile oval. He was leading on Sunday night when a lap traffic incident stripped him of a potential eighth win of the year.

An 18th-place effort officially ended Macedo’s streak of 20 consecutive top-10 finishes and sent him falling to third in the championship at -162 behind Sweet. With three races over the next five nights, Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing #41 will look to hit the reset button and start fresh with a new streak as we hit the homestretch of the 2021 season.

THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM: Mother Nature has done her best to deter the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars away from Grand Forks this year. She sent a massive downpour of rain following Slick Woody’s Qualifying in June and offered severe thunderstorms last Friday night. However, Wednesday’s forecast looks great, albeit chilly, as the Outlaws prepare to visit the always-thrilling bullring for the 27th time in Series history.

ALL CHARGED UP: Friday’s FVP Platinum Battery Showdown puts Greenwood, NE’s I-80 Speedway in the spotlight. It marks the 33rd Series event at the 4/10-mile, but only the fifth race within the last decade. Championship leader Brad Sweet enters as the most recent winner at the track, overtaking Jacob Allen last August and surviving a green-white-checkered finish to beat Carson Macedo and Logan Schuchart.

HEADING WEST: On Sunday, a visit to Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, SD will officially mark the journey west. A three-week swing with four straight nights through Washington and four more nights in California will bring The Greatest Show on Dirt back to the West Coast for the first time since the fall of 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This Week at a Glance – When and Where

Wednesday, August 25 at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND
Friday, August 27 at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, NE
Sunday, August 29 at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, SD

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

Around the Turn: Following this weekend, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series takes The Greatest Show on Dirt to the west coast for a three-week swing. It all starts with four straight nights in Washington highlighted by the Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals (Sept. 3-5) and a Monday night stop at Grays Harbor Raceway (Sept. 6).

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (14 Drivers):
14 wins – Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #49
8 wins – David Gravel, Big Game Motorsports #2
7 wins – Carson Macedo, Jason Johnson Racing #41
7 wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing #17
4 wins – Aaron Reutzel, Roth Motorsports #83
3 wins – Kyle Larson, Silva Motorsports #57
3 wins – Logan Schuchart, Shark Racing #1S
2 wins – Kerry Madsen, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #14
2 wins – Brent Marks, Brent Marks Racing #19
2 wins – Donny Schatz, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15
1 win – James McFadden, Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #9
1 win – Dave Blaney, Dave Blaney #10
1 win – Spencer Bayston, Sam McGhee Motorsports #11
1 win – Tyler Courtney, Clauson-Marshall Racing #7BC

FEATURE LAPS LED (27 Drivers):
296 laps – Brad Sweet
256 laps – Sheldon Haudenschild
188 laps – Aaron Reutzel
189 laps – David Gravel
186 laps – Carson Macedo
181 laps – Donny Schatz
174 laps – Logan Schuchart
72 laps – Kyle Larson
63 laps – Kerry Madsen
57 laps – Tyler Courtney
36 laps – James McFadden
33 laps – Spencer Bayston
29 laps – Giovanni Scelzi
27 laps – Brent Marks, Sam Hafertepe Jr.
13 laps – Wayne Johnson
11 laps – Sye Lynch
10 laps – Jacob Allen, Brock Zearfoss, Parker Price-Miller
9 laps – Austin McCarl
3 laps – Ian Madsen
1 lap – Kasey Kahne, Kraig Kinser, Brandon Spithaler, Dave Blaney, Brian Brown

SLICK WOODY’S QUICKTIME AWARDS (20 Drivers):
12 QuickTimes – David Gravel
7 QuickTimes – Sheldon Haudenschild
5 QuickTimes – Brad Sweet, Logan Schuchart
4 QuickTimes – Kerry Madsen
3 QuickTimes – Aaron Reutzel
2 QuickTimes – James McFadden, Kasey Kahne, Cory Eliason, Giovanni Scelzi, Parker Price-Miller, Sam Hafertepe Jr.
1 QuickTime – Carson Macedo, Kraig Kinser, Danny Dietrich, Anthony Macri, Brian Brown, Brock Zearfoss, Rico Abreu, Sye Lynch

DRYDENE HEAT RACE WINNERS (39 Drivers)
24 Heat Wins – David Gravel
20 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo
16 Heat Wins – Donny Schatz, Aaron Reutzel
13 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild
12 Heat Wins – Brad Sweet, Logan Schuchart
10 Heat Wins – James McFadden
6 Heat Wins – Brian Brown
5 Heat Wins – Kerry Madsen
4 Heat Wins – Brock Zearfoss, Kraig Kinser, Giovanni Scelzi, Tyler Courtney
3 Heat Wins – Jason Sides, Wayne Johnson, Ian Madsen, Anthony Macri, Sam Hafertepe Jr.
2 Heat Wins – Jacob Allen, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Larson, DJ Netto, Parker Price-Miller
1 Heat Win –  Danny Dietrich, Hunter Schuerenberg, Lance Dewease, Brandon Spithaler, Tim Kaeding, Jack Dover, Scotty Thiel, Paul McMahan, Daryn Pittman, Justin Peck, Jac Haudenschild, Sye Lynch, Chad Trout, TJ Stutts, Brent Marks

PODIUM FINISHES (27 Drivers):
27 Podiums – Brad Sweet
18 Podiums – Carson Macedo
17 Podiums – David Gravel, Donny Schatz
16 Podiums – Sheldon Haudenschild
12 Podiums – Logan Schuchart
10 Podiums – Aaron Reutzel
7 Podiums – James McFadden
6 Podiums – Kerry Madsen, Brent Marks
5 Podiums – Giovanni Scelzi
3 Podiums – Brian Brown, Lance Dewease, Kyle Larson
2 Podiums – Kraig Kinser, Cory Eliason, Anthony Macri, Danny Dietrich, Tyler Courtney
1 Podium – Jacob Allen, Justin Peck, Brian Brown, Anthony Macri, Dave Blaney, Spencer Bayston, Daryn Pittman, Paulie Colagiovanni, Austin McCarl, Sam Hafertepe Jr.

2021 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Schedule & Winners

No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Fri, Feb. 5 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brad Sweet (1)
2. Sun, Feb. 7 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Logan Schuchart (1)
3. Fri, March 5 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Carson Macedo (1)
4. Sat, March 6 / East Bay Raceway Park / Tampa, FL / Aaron Reutzel (1)
5. Fri, March 12 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
6. Sat, March 13 / The Rev / Monroe, LA / David Gravel (1)
7. Fri, March 19 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Sheldon Haudenschild (2)
8. Sat, March 20 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Brad Sweet (2)
9. Sat, March 27 / Lake Ozark Speedway / Eldon, MO / Brad Sweet (3)
10. Fri, April 2 / I-55 Raceway / Pevely, MO / Brad Sweet (4)
11. Sat, April 3 / I-55 Raceway / Pevely, MO / Brad Sweet (5)
12. Fri, April 9 / Kokomo Speedway / Kokomo, IN / James McFadden (1)
13. Sat, April 10 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN / Carson Macedo (2)
14. Fri, April 22 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN / David Gravel (2)
15. Sun, April 24 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN / David Gravel (3)
16. Thur, April 29 / Jacksonville Speedway / Jacksonville, IL / Brad Sweet (6)
17. Fri, April 30 / I-70 Motorsports Park / Odessa, MO / Brad Sweet (7)
18. Sat, May 1 / I-70 Motorsports Park / Odessa, MO / Brad Sweet (8)
19. Sat, May 8 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Brent Marks (1)
20. Sat, May 8 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Sheldon Haudenschild (3)
21. Wed, May 12 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Brad Sweet (9)
22. Fri, May 14 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Carson Macedo (3)
23. Sat, May 15 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Aaron Reutzel (2)
24. Tues, May 18 / Bridgeport Speedway / Swedesboro, NJ / Logan Schuchart (2)
25. Fri, May 21 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / David Gravel (4)
26. Sat, May 22 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH / Dave Blaney (1)
27. Mon, May 31 / Lawrenceburg Speedway / Lawrenceburg, IN / Kyle Larson (1)
28. Sat, June 5 / Granite City Speedway /Sauk Rapids, MN / David Gravel (5)
29. Fri, June 11 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Carson Macedo (4)
30. Sat, June 12 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Carson Macedo (5)
31. Thur, June 17 / 34 Raceway / West Burlington, IA / Brad Sweet (10)
32. Fri, June 18 / Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway / Dubuque, IA / Donny Schatz (1)
33. Sat, June 19 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, WI / Sheldon Haudenschild (4)
34. Mon, June 21 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / David Gravel (6)
35. Tues, June 22 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / Aaron Reutzel (3)
36. Thur, June 24 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / Kerry Madsen (1)
37. Fri, June 25 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / Kerry Madsen (2)
38. Sat, June 27 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / Logan Schuchart (3)
39. Fri, July 2 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / Brad Sweet (11)
40. Sat, July 3 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / Brad Sweet (12)
41. Sat, July 10 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI / Brad Sweet (13)
42. Tues, July 13 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Spencer Bayston (1)
43. Wed, July 14 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Carson Macedo (6)
44. Sat, July 17 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Tyler Courtney (1)
45. Sat, July 17 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Kyle Larson (2)
46. Sun, July 18 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Carson Macedo (7)
47. Tues, July 20 / Lernerville Speedway / Sarver, PA / Brad Sweet (14)
48. Fri, July 23 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Sheldon Haudenschild (5)
49. Sat, July 24 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Brent Marks (2)
50. Fri, July 30 / Ransomville Speedway / Ransomville, NY / Aaron Reutzel (4)
51. Sat, July 31 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY / David Gravel (7)
52. Fri, August 6 / I-55 Raceway / Pevely, MO / Sheldon Haudenschild (6)
53. Sat, August 7 / I-55 Raceway / Pevely, MO / Sheldon Haudenschild (7)
54. Sat, August 14 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Kyle Larson (3)
55. Sat, August 21 / Red River Valley Speedway / Fargo, ND / Donny Schatz (2)
56. Sun, August 22 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / David Gravel (8)

HEBRON, Ohio (August 24) — A record number of seven members of Team JEGS will be participating in this year’s recently-added JEGS Performance Summer Fling presented by Optima Batteries at National Trail Raceway, the home track of the famous Coughlin clan.  From six-time world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr., to 20-year-old rookie Super Comp driver Jack Coughlin, the entire yellow-and-black contingent will be fighting for glory throughout the four-day, action-packed meet. Jeg Jr. will be doubling-up each day, as he plans to compete in both his JEGS.com dragster and the crowd-favorite JEGS.com Chevy II wagon.  A student at Ohio State University, Jack will allow his father Mike, a three-time Division 3 champion, to pinch-hit for him until he breaks free from his classes later in the week. Joining Jeg Jr., Mike and Jack will be Pro Stock ace Troy Coughlin Jr., who, like Jeg Jr., will compete in two cars, a dragster and a Corvette Roadster. His sister Paige and cousin Makenna Brown will round out the team in their own dragsters as soon as their school week ends. This is the first time in the 12-year history of the “Fling” series of bracket races that four events are taking place in one season. Like the other races, competitors can pick and choose what races they want to contest, with newcomers allowed a single timed run at the start to gain data on the track.

Wednesday features the FST Carburetors “Wednesday Warm-Up” which awards the winner a cool $15,000. American Race Cars have posted the prize money for two $25,000-to-win races, one Thursday and another Friday.  The No. 1 race everyone has their eyes on is the ATI Performance Main Event, where someone will walk away with a whopping $100,000 top prize. Saturday’s final, sponsored by FuelTech, is worth $25,000 to the victor. One-off “Dragster vs. Door Cars” and “Dragster vs. Dragster races” will fill out the schedule each day. Additionally, more than $50,000 in products will be given away. There also will be various bonuses available for drivers recording .00X and .000 reaction times.  In honor of Fling co-founder Kyle Seipel, who passed away earlier this year, there will be a racer selected for the :”Never Give Up” award, for overcoming the most adversity to race at this event. This special honor includes a custom crystal plaque and $1,000, courtesy of the Summer Fling and Rob’s Automotive, Collision and Towing. Families will enjoy the kid’s Fun Zone, which comes complete with a water slide, bounce house, kiddie pools, water balloons, water guns, and ice pops to keep everyone cool. All of the action will be streamed live as it happens on MotorManiaTV.com at no cost, thanks to sponsorship from Strange Engineering.  More information can be found at www.BracketRaces.com, the Spring Fling Bracket Races Facebook page, or by texting the word “COLUMBUS” to 74121 for race info and updates.

Batavia, OH (August 24, 2021) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series returns to Port Royal Speedway for three days of the Rumble by the River. This will be the largest three-day purse in the history of the Port Royal Speedway for the Late Model division, with a total of over $200,000 on the line. Thursday, August 26th is $10,000-to-win for 30 laps; Friday, August 27th is $12,000-to-win for 40 laps; and 50 laps on Saturday, August 28th that will pay $30,000-to-win, twice what the finale paid in 2020. A new addition for 2021, there will be a 20 lap, $2,500-to-win non-qualifier race for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series drivers on Saturday, August 28th. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be joined by Limited Late Models on Thursday. The Mid-Atlantic Modified division will serve as support with full shows on both Friday and Saturday. In 2020, the three days of the Rumble by the River saw three different winners, each a major force to be reckoned with: Tim McCreadie, Inclement Weather, and Kyle Larson. Both completed A-Main events saw plenty of action and left fans on their feet at the half-mile oval better known as “The Speed Palace.” In Lucas Oil Victory Lane McCreadie said, “This is as close to home as I get. You could tell these fans are excited, I am happy!” The pit gates will close at 3:30 PM ET and reopen at 4:00 PM ET each day. The general admission gate will also open at 4:00 PM ET each day with a 6:00 PM ET driver’s meeting, 6:30 PM ET Hot Laps.  Track Information:Port Royal SpeedwayPhone Number: 717-527-2303Location: 308 W. 8th St., Port Royal, PA 17082Directions: Two miles south of US Rt. 322 just off PA Rt. 75 in Port Royal. Pit entrance on Fourth St., General Admission on Sixth and Eighth St.Website: www.portroyalspeedway.com Tire Rules:Thursday, August 26th & Friday, August 27thLeft Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1300Right Rear – Hoosier (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 tires.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Saturday, August 28thLeft Rear/Fronts – Hoosier Rib (28.5) 1300, (28.5) 1425Right Rear – Hoosier (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 Non-Qualifiers Race, competitors may use 3 new tires.*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. Thursday, August 26th Rumble by the River A-Main Purse (30 laps):1. $10,000, 2. $5,500, 3. $3,500, 4. $2,700, 5. $2,500, 6. $2,300, 7. $2,200, 8. $2,100, 9. $2,050, 10. $2,000, 11. $1,600, 12. $1,400, 13. $1,200, 14. $1,000, 15. $950, 16. $925, 17. $900, 18. $875, 19. $850, 20. $825, 21. $800, 22. $800, 23. $800, 24. $800. = $48,575 Friday, August 27th Rumble by the River A-Main Purse (40 laps):1. $12,000, 2. $6,000, 3. $3,500, 4. $2,800, 5. $2,500, 6. $2,300, 7. $2,200, 8. $2,100, 9. $2,050, 10. $2,000, 11. $1,600, 12. $1,400, 13. $1,200, 14. $1,100, 15. $1,050, 16. $1,000, 17. $1,000, 18. $1,000, 19. $1,000, 20. $1,000, 21. $1,000, 22. $1,000, 23. $1,000, 24. $1,000. = $52,800 Saturday, August 28th Rumble by the River A-Main Purse (50 laps):1. $30,000, 2. $15,000, 3. $10,000, 4. $8,000, 5. $6,000, 6. $5,000, 7. $4,000, 8. $3,000, 9. $2,750, 10. $2,600, 11. $2,500, 12. $2,475, 13. $2,450, 14. $2,425, 15. $2,400, 16. $2,375, 17. $2,350, 18. $2,325, 19. $2,300, 20. $2,250, 21. $2,200, 22. $2,150, 23. $2,100, 24. $2,000. = $118,650 Saturday, August 28th Non-Qualifier Race:1. $2,500, 2. $1,250, 3. $750, 4. $600, 5. $500, 6. $475, 7. $450, 8. $425, 9. $400, 10. $375, 11. $350, 12. $325, 13. $300, 14. $275, 15. $250, 16. $250, 17. $250, 18. $250, 19. $250, 20. $250, 21. $250, 22. $250, 23. $250, 24. $250. = $11,475

About Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt SeriesFounded in 2005, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series showcases the talents of the top dirt late model drivers from across the country. In 2021, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will sanction 59 events across 18 states, including some of the biggest marquee events in the industry, providing dirt slinging, sideways, door-to-door racing action lap after lap.  The series receives national exposure through a television package filmed, produced and edited by Lucas Oil Production Studios. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events will broadcast on four networks including CBS, NBC Sports, CBS Sports Network and the MAVTV Motorsports Network.   The in your face excitement of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is second to none in motorsports. For more information, including the latest news, tour schedule, driver information, and more, visit the official website at: www.LucasDirt.com.

Sheppard, Pierce, Bruening, Gustin, and more will battle for $50K over three nightsDAVENPORT, IA – August 24, 2021 – The banks of the Mississippi River will rumble this weekend as the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models return to Davenport Speedway in Davenport, IA. The Quad Cities 150 presented by Hoker Trucking features three nights of high-octane action and the potential for one driver to take home $50,000.   Thursday (Aug. 26) and Friday (Aug. 27) will be full shows, ending with a 40-lap, $10,000-to-win Morton Buildings Feature. The Series will use an “Every Lap Matters” format, meaning drivers score points based on Qualifying, Heat Races, and Features.  Those points determine the lineups for Saturday’s Drydene Heat Races, setting up Saturday’s 70-lap finale, paying $30,000-to-win.  If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision with the annual Platinum FAST PASS subscription for $299/year or the monthly FAST PASS subscription for $39/month. Here are some of the storylines to keep an eye on this weekend:  Home state Hawkeyes: The Quad Cities 150 at Davenport Speedway is the final chance for Tyler Bruening and Ryan Gustin to race in their home state for the 2021 World of Outlaws season.   This year, Gustin has found success on 1/4-mile tracks like Davenport, winning a preliminary event at the Prairie Dirt Classic at Fairbury Speedway. He also has three top-fives on bullrings in 2021.  Bruening, however, has struggled on 1/4-miles this season. The Decorah, IA driver hasn’t finished inside the top-10 on a bullring other than a third-place finish at Plymouth Speedway in June. Both drivers are still searching for their elusive first Morton Buildings Feature win. It would be a feather in the cap to their Rookie campaigns if either can bring home state fans to their feet this weekend with a win at Davenport.  The Chase for History: Only one driver stands between reigning Series champion Brandon Sheppard and World of Outlaws history.  Sheppard’s win Sunday at Eriez Speedway was his sixth victory of the season and 75th overall, putting him only three wins away from tying Josh Richards for most all-time (78). The New Berlin, IL driver, could accomplish that feat this weekend at Davenport Speedway if he sweeps all three events. Sheppard had a stranglehold on his competition at Davenport in 2020, winning all three World of Outlaws events at the track—including two on the 1/4-mile.  The “Rocket Shepp” has 27 top-fives, and 33 top-10’s in 39 starts and leads the Series standings by 158 points over Chris Madden.  1/4-mile Tune: The World of Outlaws has run six events on 1/4-mile tracks in 2021, so far, and no driver has won more of those events than Dennis Erb Jr.  In June, the Carpentersville, IL driver found Victory Lane at Circle City Speedway and backed it up with a win at River Cities Speedway in July. The “One Man Band” sits fourth in the season standings, on the strength of three victories, eight top-fives, and 17 top-10’s. Erb is coming off a fourth-place finish at Eriez Speedway on Sunday.  Bullring Operator:  Bobby Pierce has found Victory Lane twice with the World of Outlaws in 2021. One of those came at the Illini 100 at Farmer City Raceway, a 1/4-mile track like Davenport.  Farmer City isn’t the only 1/4-mile track the “Smooth Operator” has found success at this season. He also finished second to Kyle Larson during the Prairie Dirt Classic at Fairbury Speedway, and won a preliminary Feature.  Saturday’s 70-lap finale could also play into the Oakwood, IL driver’s favor. Both of his wins this season have come in races longer than 50 laps.    When and WhereAug. 26-28:  Davenport Speedway in Davenport, IAAbout the TracksDavenport Speedway is a 1/4-mile oval Previous Davenport Speedway winners2020 – Brandon Sheppard on May 29, May 30, & July 28 2019 – Jimmy Owens on July 24 2018 – Chad Simpson on July 24 2007- Brian Harris on May 9 2004- Brian Birkhofer on Aug. 10  OnlineDavenport Speedway: http://www.davenportiaspeedway.com   Track RecordDavenport Speedway 1/4-mile: 13.660 set by Spencer Hughes on 7/1/21On the Internet World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models Series Twitter – Twitter.com/WoOLateModels – @WoOLateModels Instagram – Instagram.com/WoOLateModels – @woolatemodels Facebook – Facebook.com/WorldofOutlawsLateModelSeries YouTube – Youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws DIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month Around the turn: The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet return to the Southeast for three nights at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, SC, Lavonia Speedway in Lavonia, GA, and Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, TN. CLICK HERE for tickets. Feature Winners: (20 Drivers) Rank- Driver- Hometown-WinsBrandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-6Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-4Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-3 Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-3Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-2 Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-2 Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-2 Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL-2 Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-2 Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA-2Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-1 Mike Spatola, Manhattan, IL-1 Josh Richards, Shinnston, WV-1 Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY-1 Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL-1 Rick Eckert, York, PA-1 Dave Hess, Waterford, PA-1 Ashton Winger, Senoia, GA-1 Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-1 Gregg Satterlee, Rochester Mills, PA-1 DRYDENE HEAT RACE WINNERS (52 Drivers) Rank- Driver- Hometown-WinsBrandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-17Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-13Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-8 Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-8Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-7Rick Eckert, York, PA-6 Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-6Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-5Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY-4 Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-4 Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-4 Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, WI-4 Max Blair, Titusville, PA-4Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-3 Ricky Weiss, Headingley, MB-3 Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA-3 Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL- 3 Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-3Devin Moran, Dresden, OH- 2 Ross Bailes, Clover, SC- 2 Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, TN-2 Mason Zeigler, Chalk Hill, PA-2 Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN-2 Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-2 Chad Simpson, Mt. Vernon, IA-2 Ashton Winger, Senoia, GA-2 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-2 Jimmy Owens, Newport, TN-2 Chub Frank, Bear Lake, PA-2Dale Mcdowell, Chickamauga, GA- 1 Darell Lanigan, Union, KY-1 Parker Martin, Milledgeville, GA-1 Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-1 Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-1 Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, AZ-1 Brian Shirley, Chatham, IL-1 Ryan Unzicker, El Paso, IL-1 Taylor Scheffler, Waukesha, WI- 1 Mike Spatola, Manhattan, IL-1 Kevin Weaver, Gibson City, IL-1 Josh Richards, Shinnston, WV-1 Dan Stone, Thompson, PA-1 Billy Moyer, Batesville, AR-1 Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL-1 Dave Hess, Waterford, PA-1 Chris Hackett, Erie, PA-1 Spencer Hughes, Meridian, MS-1 Mike Norris, Sarver, PA-1 Mark Whitener, Middleburg, FL-1 Stormy Scott, Las Cruces, NM-1 Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC-1 Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA-1 Wyatt Scott, Garland, PA-1 Last Chance Showdown Winners (41 drivers) Rank- Driver- Hometown-WinsRicky Weiss, Headingley, MB-4Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-3 Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA-3 Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-3 Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA-3Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-2 Rick Eckert, York, PA-2 Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-2 Dennis Erb, Jr., Carpentersville, IL-2 Chad Simpson, Mount Vernon, IA-2Ross Robinson, Georgetown, DE- 1 Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, TN-1 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-1 Brandon Overton, Evans, GA- 1 Mike Norris, Sarver, PA- 1 Stacy Boles, Clinton, TN-1 Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC-1 Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-1 Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-1 Chris Simpson, Oxford, IA-1 Jake Timm, Winona, MN-1 Taylor Scheffler, Waukesha, WI- 1 Gordy Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-1 Tyler Bare, Rockbridge Baths, VA-1 Trevor Gundaker, St. Charles, MO-1 Greg Oakes, Franklinville, NY-1 Mark Whitener, Middleburg, FL-1 Jared Miley, Pittsburgh, PA-1 Mike Benedum, Salem, WV-1 Darrell Lanigan, Union, KY-1 Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, PA-1 Chad Mahder, Eau Claire, WI-1 Cole Schill, West Fargo, ND-1 James Giossi, New Richmond, WI-1 Kevin Eder, Ashland, WI-1 Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL-1 Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, NC-1 Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-1 Lukas Postl, Shawano, WI-1 Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL-1 Chad McClellan, Stoystown, PA-1 Dutch Davies, Warren, PA-1PODIUM FINISHES (42 drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown – PodiumsBrandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-20Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-12Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-5 Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL- 5 Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL-5 Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA – 5 Brandon Overton, Evans, GA – 5 Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-5Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-4Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC – 3 Devin Moran, Dresden, OH-3 Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, IL-3Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL – 2 Rick Eckert, York, PA-2 Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, TN – 2 Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, WI-2 Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, GA-2 Ashton Winger, Senoia, GA-2 Max Blair, Titusville, PA-2 Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, CA-2 Dave Hess, Waterford, PA-2Darrell Lanigan, Union, KY – 1 Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, IN – 1 Ricky Thornton, Jr., Chandler, AZ – 1 Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, GA – 1 Mike Marlar, Winfield, TN-1 Ryan Unzicker, El Paso, IL-1 Mike Spatola, Manhattan, IL-1 Josh Richards, Shinnston, WV-1 Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY-1 Ross Bailes, Clover, SC-1 Ricky Weiss, Headingly, MB-1 Scott James, Bright, IN-1 Billy Moyer, Batesville, AR-1 Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-1 Dan Stone, Thompson, PA-1 Mike Norris, Sarver, PA-1 Mark Whitener, Middleburg, FL-1 Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS-1 Gregg Satterlee, Rochester Mills, PA-1 Kyle Hardy, Stephens City, VA-1 Chub Frank, Bear Lake, PA-1HARD CHARGER (23 drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown – H.C.Ricky Weiss, Headingly, MB – 4Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL – 3 Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-3Chase Junghans, Manhattan, KS – 2 Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-2 Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-2 Darrell Lanigan, Union, KY-2 Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-2 Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA – 2 Ross Robinson, Georgetown, DE-2Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-1 Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, AZ-1 Jason Jameson, Lawrenceburg, IN-1 Logan Martin, West Plains, MO-1 Dan Stone, Thompson, PA-1 Gregg Satterlee, Rochester Mills, PA-1 Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, IL-1 Pat Doar, New Richmond, WI-1 Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-1 Ron Berna, Green Bay, WI-1 Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL-1 Jason Feger, Bloomington, IL-1 Max McLaughlin, Mooresville, NC-1 Dave Hess, Waterford, PA-1 SLICK WOODY’S QUICK TIME Award (20 drivers) Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTsBrandon Sheppard, New Berlin, IL-5 Chris Madden, Gray Court, SC-4Kyle Strickler, Mooresville, NC – 2 Brandon Overton, Evans, GA-2 Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, IL – 2 Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, IL-2 Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, IA-2 Brent Larson, Lake Elmo, MN-2Kyle Bronson, Brandon, FL – 1 Devin Moran, Dresden, OH – 1 Donald McIntosh, Dawsonville, GA- 1 Taylor Scheffler, Waukesha, WI- 1 Billy Moyer, Batesville, AR-1 Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, PA-1 Rick Eckert, York, PA-1 Dave Hess, Waterford, PA-1 Mike Norris, Sarver, PA-1 Tyler Bruening, Decorah, IA-1 Cade Dillard, Robeline, LA-1 Bryan Bernheisel, Lebanon, PA-1 Matt Lux, Franklin, PA-12021 World of Outlaws Late Model Schedule & WinnersNo./ Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins) 1. Thursday, Jan. 14 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Kyle Bronson (1) 2. Saturday, Jan. 16 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Kyle Strickler (1) 3. Wednesday, Feb. 10 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Kyle Strickler (2) 4. Thursday, Feb. 11 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Devin Moran (1) 5. Friday, Feb. 12 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brandon Overton (1) 6. Saturday, March 6/ Smoky Mountain Speedway/ Maryville, TN/ Chris Madden (1). 7. Friday, March 26 / Cherokee Speedway / Gaffney, SC / Jimmy Owens/Brandon Sheppard 8.Friday, April 2/Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL/ Mike Spatola(1) 9. Saturday, April 3/ Farmer City Raceway/Farmer City, IL/Bobby Pierce(1) 10. Friday, April 9/Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN/Josh Richards(1) 11. Sunday, April 11/Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN/Devin Moran(2) 12. Friday, April 23/Richmond Raceway, Richmond, KY/Tim McCreadie(1) 13. Friday, April 30/Boone Speedway, Boone IA/Cade Dillard(1)/Shannon Babb(1) 14. Saturday, May 1/Boone Speedway, Boone IA/Bobby Pierce(2) 15.Friday, May 7/Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI/Brandon Sheppard(1) 16.Saturday, May 8/Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, WI/Chris Madden(2) 17. Friday, May 21/ Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, PA/Chris Madden(3) 18. Saturday, May 22/Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, PA/Chris Madden (4) 19. Friday, June 4/Circle City Raceway, Indianapolis, IN/Dennis Erb Jr. (1) 20. Saturday, June 5/Plymouth Raceway, Plymouth, IN/Rick Eckert (1) 21. Thursday, June 17/Stateline Speedway, Busti, NY/Dave Hess(1) 22. Thursday, June 24/Lernerville Speedway, Sarver, PA/Brandon Sheppard(2) 23. Friday, June 25/Lernerville Speedway, Sarver, PA/Brandon Overton(2) 24. Saturday, June 26/Lernerville Speedway, Sarver, PA/Brandon Overton(3) 25. Friday, July 9/Jackson Motorplex, Jackson, MN/Frank Heckenast Jr. (1) 26. Saturday, July 10/Jackson Motorplex, Jackson, MN/Dennis Erb Jr.(2) 27. Tuesday July 13/Gondik Law Speedway, Superior, WI/Brandon Sheppard (3) 28. Friday, July 16/River Cities Speedway, Grand Forks, ND/Dennis Erb Jr. (3) 29. Saturday, July 17/I-94 Sure Step Speedway, Fergus Falls, MN/Frank Heckenast Jr. (2) 30. Sunday, July 18/Red Cedar Speedway, Menomonie, WI/Brandon Sheppard (4) 31. Saturday, July 31/Fairbury Speedway, Fairbury, IL/Kyle Larson(1) 32. Tuesday, August 3/Outagamie Speedway, Seymour, WI/Cade Dillard (2) 33. Friday, August 6/ Cedar Lake Speedway, New Richmond, WI/Ashton Winger (1) 34. Saturday, August 7/ Cedar Lake Speedway, New Richmond, WI/Jonathan Davenport (1) 35. Thursday, August 19/Orange County Fair Speedway, Middletown, NY/Brandon Sheppard (5) 36. Friday, August 20/Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA/Gregg Satterlee(1) 37. Saturday, August 21/Sharon Speedway, Hartford, OH/Kyle Larson(2) 38. Sunday, August 22/ Eriez Speedway, Erie, PA/Brandon Sheppard(6)

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.

“Sertões rally is complete! Finisher pin this year, honestly it was a phenomenal race. The challenge was real, the competition is so fierce here. We finished 8th and I think everyday if you average it out, we lost less than 5 minutes a day. Overall, I think the top 30 racers were all within 45 minutes total for the whole rally. It’s pretty wild, if you lose 3 minutes on the day, you’re going to go from top 5 to 20th to 30th.

It was an amazing experience, the terrain was unbelievable, fast and crazy technical roads, it was just a lot of fun everyday. There was never a section of whoops or miserable section where you would get beat up in the RZR. It was all fun and fast.

All in all, the Polaris RZR did a phenomenal job, for having a bone stock RZR it really was good. I’m excited to come back and do it again. We made a lot of great friends, the competitors are fierce but they’re friendly as ever when we get to the bivouac. We met a lot of new friends. I just want to come back down to Brazil, it’s a beautiful country. Thank you to RZR for letting us come out here and accept the journey, and the complete RZR family for taking care of us while we were here. Thank you everybody and we’ll be back!” – Casey Currie

BROOKLYN, MI – August 23, 2021 – Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines won their seventh straight NASCAR Cup race at Michigan International Speedway with Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney in the FireKeepers Casino 400. This was Blaney’s second win of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Season and Ford retained the Michigan Heritage Trophy, presented to the winning manufacturer at the 2-mile track.

“This is such a big deal for our company, for our employees,” said Mark Rushbrook, the global director of Ford Performance. “To come here and race in front of all of our employees and their friends and families and have Ryan go get that win with Team Penske and Roush Yates power. We are taking the Heritage Trophy back to Dearborn.” “Congratulations to Ford, Ryan, Todd, Roger, and the entire No. 12 crew for the strong finish and making it 7 wins in a row at Michigan,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “We have always strived to finish strong at Michigan and this year was no exception. We are thankful for the continued leadership and commitment from Ford Motor Company and honored to power these Mustangs.”

Blaney started the race in third position but was quickly shuffled to mid-pack at the start of the race. Blaney and the No. 12 team continued to make adjustments and finished stage 1 & 2 just outside of the top 10. There were 20 lead changes throughout the race and the last half of the race came down to pit strategy and race execution. With 20 laps remaining, there was a brief caution for rain and another following a 7-car incident with 14 to go. With 8 laps remaining, Blaney was able to take the lead and hold off the hard charging second position by 0.077 seconds.

“We come up here every year and know it is important to the Blue Oval and the Ford family and Mr. Penske as well. It is a really big race for all of our group including the Penske side. To have Edsel here, I haven’t seen Edsel in over a year so it was great to have him out. I am excited to get him in victory lane. Everyone from Ford does so much for us. It really is a big family and I am just happy to be a part of it.” commented Blaney.

Matt DiBenedetto with Wood Brothers Racing finished P6, Brad Keselowski with Team Penske in P9, and Chase Briscoe with Stewart-Haas Racing finished P11.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series raced on Saturday at Michigan International Speedway while Ford Performance teammates finished in the top 12 as Riley Herbst with Stewart-Haas Racing finished in P7 and Ryan Sieg with RSS Racing finished P12.

NASCAR Cup and Xfinity series will race at Daytona International Speedway this upcoming weekend. This race will be the last regular season race for the Cup series while the Xfinity series has 4 remaining prior to the playoffs. Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola, and Kevin Harvick have clinched a spot in the playoffs.  33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 423 WINS – 383 POLES!

Top Fuel — Steve Torrence, 3.712 seconds, 323.74 mph def. Clay Millican, 3.729 seconds, 320.05 mph.

Funny Car — Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 3.923, 327.98 def. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 3.935, 324.83.

Top Alcohol Dragster — Rich McPhillips Jr., 5.194, 276.86 def. Joey Severance, Broke. 

Top Alcohol Funny Car — Kyle Smith, Ford Mustang, 5.496, 259.56 def. Bob McCosh, Chevy Camaro, 5.616, 262.23. 

Super Stock — Anthony Bertozzi, Pontiac Grand Am, 9.019, 146.46 def. Mike Mans, Pontiac Firebird, 8.769, 153.54. 

Stock Eliminator — Brett Speer, Chevy Nova, 10.510, 111.21 def. Russ Kramer, Plymouth Belvedere, 10.815, 121.57. 

Super Comp — Gary Stinnett, Dragster, 8.909, 179.49 def. Craig Schultz, Dragster, 8.904, 167.22. 

Super Gas — Luke Bogacki, Chevy Corvette, 10.541, 115.62 def. Dale Evens, Corvette, Foul – Red Light. 

Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers — Curt Harshfield, Chevy BelAir, 6.968, 184.77 def. Steve Jaeger, Chevy Monte Carlo, 6.796, 197.80. 

Top Dragster presented by Vortech Superchargers — Kendra Larson, Dragster, 7.088, 188.96 def. Holden Laris, Dragster, Foul – Red Light. 

Pro Modified — Jose Gonzalez, Chevy Camaro, 5.790, 246.03 def. Brandon Snider, Chevy Corvette, 5.812, 247.29. 

Mountain Motor Pro Stock — JR Carr, Chevy Camaro, 6.379, 209.88 def. John DeFlorian Jr, Camaro, Foul – Red Light.

Austin McCarl & Jacob Allen Earn First Podium Finishes of 2021

BRANDON, SD – August 22, 2021 – David Gravel has found a knack for shining bright when he plays in the boss’ backyard.

For the second time this season, the Watertown, CT native parked his Huset’s Speedway #2 in victory lane at none other than Huset’s Speedway, a track promoted by his Big Game Motorsports car owner – Tod Quiring.

His win ironically came just about 24 hours after the Watertown, CT native stated “they needed to get start getting some Outlaw wins” after running second at Red River Valley Speedway on Saturday night. He gave himself exactly what he wanted on Sunday, scoring his eighth win of the year and the 66th of his World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series career.

Becoming the fourth different leader with 11 to go, Gravel said Sunday’s Pioneer Bin Buster Bash simply played into his favor. He’s not entirely wrong as Carson Macedo spun in lap traffic, Wayne Johnson slipped back from the pole, and Austin McCarl knocked the jacob’s ladder out of the car when he hit the wall.

However, a win is a win; and with 22 races remaining in the championship chase, every single point matters.

“That was a wild race,” Gravel said. “I thought I was going to wreck a couple of times. I just bided my time and the race really played out in my favor. I think the lead really just got handed to me. All in all, really happy to get another win at Huset’s Speedway. I mean this place was closed down four years ago and look at it now. It’s incredible seeing this kind of crowd.”

Beyond Gravel, the storylines were plentiful on Sunday as The Greatest Show on Dirt survived an afternoon thunderstorm and beat incoming weather to conclude an epic night of racing.

First off, Wayne Johnson of Oklahoma City, OK earned his first pole position in seven years with the World of Outlaws. The 50-year-old sophomore led 13 of the first 14 laps before slipping to finish seventh, which is still a season-best result for the Two-C Racing team.

Secondly, there was A-Mac Austin McCarl. The son of T-Mac Terry McCarl started outside pole at a track he has dominated in 2021, giving himself and his dad to become the eighth father-son duo to win in World of Outlaws history. The #17A led nine laps through the halfway point, but contact with the wall dropped him from the lead and eventually to a career-best P2 run.

There was also the run of Jacob Allen on this night. The lovable Shark Racing driver drove by the likes of Kraig Kinser and Donny Schatz to earn his first podium finish of the 2021 season.

Once in command of the lead on Lap 24, Gravel never looked back. He easily survived a restart with four to go, and then a green-white-checkered finish, as he ultimately crossed the line with a 1.425-second advantage.

“For how much we rain got, the track was really good,” Gravel noted. “Hats off to the Huset’s Speedway crew on the job they did, and the Outlaws did a great job rushing us through to beat the weather.”

After leading nine laps, Austin McCarl of Altoona, IA ended up with a second-place finish, equalling his career-best with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.

“You know you’re doing something right when you’re disappointed with running second at an Outlaw show,” McCarl mentioned. I just got too aggressive in traffic, made the car too tight and when I hit the fence it knocked the ladder out. It hurts, but I beat myself. I think I can live with that, rather than something else taking it away from us.”

Claiming the final podium position was Hanover, PA’s Jacob Allen with his first top-three result of the year in his Shark Racing, Drydene Performance Products #1S.

“This feels great, man,” Allen said. “Huset’s is so much fun when it’s like this. Getting back on the podium with the Outlaws is awesome.”

Closing out the top-five at Huset’s was a red-hot Donny Schatz in fourth aboard the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15 and Kraig Kinser in fifth aboard the #11K with his third top-five finish of the season.

Rounding out the top-10 on Sunday night was James McFadden in sixth, Wayne Johnson with a season-best seventh, championship leader Brad Sweet in eighth, Sheldon Haudenschild in ninth, and Brock Zearfoss with his 15th top-10 of the year.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will take two days off before returning to North Dakota this Wednesday, August 25 for a makeup date at Grand Forks’ River Cities Speedway. After that, The Greatest Show on Dirt will head to Nebraska’s I-80 Speedway on Friday, August 27, and South Dakota’s Black Hills Speedway on Saturday, August 29.

NOS Energy Drink Feature RESULTS (36 Laps Due to Green-White-Checkered Finish) – 1. 2-David Gravel [4][$10,000]; 2. 17A-Austin McCarl [2][$6,000]; 3. 1A-Jacob Allen [7][$3,500]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [6][$2,800]; 5. 11K-Kraig Kinser [5][$2,500]; 6. 9-James McFadden [12][$2,300]; 7. 2C-Wayne Johnson [1][$2,200]; 8. 49-Brad Sweet [9][$2,100]; 9. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [13][$2,050]; 10. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [8][$2,000]; 11. 13-Mark Dobmeier [17][$1,600]; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart [10][$1,400]; 13. 18-Giovanni Scelzi [15][$1,200]; 14. 83-Kasey Kahne [11][$1,100]; 15. 3-Tim Kaeding [24][$1,050]; 16. 81-Jack Dover [18][$1,000]; 17. 19-Paige Polyak [14][$1,000]; 18. 41-Carson Macedo [3][$1,000]; 19. 27-Carson McCarl [20][$1,000]; 20. 16-Brooke Tatnell [23][$1,000]; 21. ACE-Dusty Zomer [19][$1,000]; 22. 47N-Marcus Dumesny [22][$1,000]; 23. O9-Matt Juhl [21][$1,000]; 24. 7-Justin Henderson [16][$1,000]. Lap Leaders: Wayne Johnson 1-7, 9-14; Carson Macedo 8, Austin McCarl 15-23; David Gravel 24-36. KSE Hard Charger Award: 3-Tim Kaeding[+9]

NEW Championship Standings (58/81 Races): 1. Brad Sweet (7,722); 2. David Gravel (-120); 3. Carson Macedo (-162); 4. Donny Schatz (-238); 5. Sheldon Haudenschild (-266); 6. Logan Schuchart (-304); 7. James McFadden (-712); 8. Kraig Kinser (-910); 9. Brock Zearfoss (-1190); 10. Jacob Allen (-1384).

Photo – Trent Gower

The New Berlin, IL driver is second on the all-time wins list with 75 World of Outlaws VictoriesERIE, PA – August 22, 2021 – A timely decision by reigning Series champion Brandon Sheppard brought him one step closer to history. The New Berlin, IL driver, was running second when a caution came out on Lap 2, giving him lane choice on the restart. Sheppard chose the outside, using his momentum to power around Dennis Erb Jr., and hold on for the win Sunday night at Eriez Speedway.  It’s the “Rocket Shepp’s” sixth win of the season and 75th World of Outlaws triumph of his career. He’s now in sole possession of second on the all-time wins list—three wins away from tying Josh Richards for the most all-time (78).  Sheppard knew his decision could be costly later in the race if he couldn’t wrestle the lead away from Dennis Erb Jr., who took the top spot on the initial green flag.   “I wasn’t that great at restarting on the bottom I didn’t feel like, and I thought [Erb] would restart on the bottom, so I knew I needed to choose the top,” Sheppard said. “I knew getting the lead early was going to be key later because the slicker the track got, the more tire wear would come into play.” Several cautions in the second half of the race halted Sheppard’s chances of driving away from the field. Even though he wasn’t worried about his tires, the “Rocket Shepp” was nervous about how quickly his car came to life on restarts.   “It took me a few laps to really get a good rhythm going and get a good line going to get rolling there, so I really hated seeing them cautions,” Sheppard said. “I didn’t think I was taking off very good on the restarts, and it was definitely stressing me out, but we were able to pull it off.” While Sheppard led most of the event, the hometown crowd locked their eyes on Eriez Speedway regular Dave Hess.  The Waterford, PA driver, who needed a provisional after an incident in his Drydene Heat Race, drove to second place after starting last.  It’s a finish Hess never expected, as he let the race come to him.  “The car was bad enough that we were real tempted just to load it,” Hess said. “The type of track it was when we got out there, I was just hoping to stay alive and get up through and get a top-10 out of it. Never did I believe we would get up to a podium finish.” Hess used both lanes throughout the Feature, but a timely switch around halfway was key to his ascension through the field.  “I felt like I needed to get toward the bottom around mid-race, and then we started picking them off down there,” Hess said. “I think one more restart or maybe another 10 laps, and maybe we could’ve at least gave Sheppard some competition and made a race out of it.”  Chub Frank, a 16-time World of Outlaws Feature winner, crossed the line third. “Chubzilla” stated he had a good car but couldn’t keep pace with Sheppard because of tire wear.  “We burnt the left rear tire up on them restarts trying to get back to second,” Frank said. “Where [Sheppard] was running is probably where I was going to have to run, and I think Hess was the only one who probably had a shot at it because he saved his left rear tire.”  Dennis Erb Jr. finished fourth, and Boom Briggs crossed the line fifth, inching ahead of Chris Madden on the final lap. The Bear Lake, PA driver felt the number of cautions prevented him from having a better finish.   “Longer green flag runs were definitely better for us; I just couldn’t get enough heat in that right rear tire,” Briggs said. “I never could get to the top where I wanted to go, but I just made that bottom work and ran around for 25 laps, and it paid off in the end.”  On the first restart, Brandon Sheppard’s choice paid dividends on his quest toward World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model history. The New Berlin, IL driver extended his points lead over Chris Madden to 158—shortening his path toward another Series Championship.  UP NEXT: The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet travel to Davenport Speedway in Davenport, IA, Aug. 26-28 for the Quad Cities 150 presented by Hoker Trucking.  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. 1-Brandon Sheppard [1][$10,000]; 2. 44H-Dave Hess [25][$6,000]; 3. 1X-Chub Frank [3][$3,500]; 4. 28-Dennis Erb [2][$2,800]; 5. 99B-Boom Briggs [13][$2,500]; 6. 44-Chris Madden [12][$2,300]; 7. B1-Brent Larson [9][$2,200]; 8. 111V-Max Blair [15][$2,100]; 9. X3-Wyatt Scott [5][$2,050]; 10. 19R-Ryan Gustin [7][$2,000]; 11. 19-Bob Dorman [21][$1,600]; 12. 16-Tyler Bruening [22][$1,400]; 13. 7-Ricky Weiss [11][$1,200]; 14. 29J-Jason Genco [20][$1,100]; 15. 40-Dutch Davies [19][$1,050]; 16. 9K-Mike Knight [10][$1,000]; 17. 29-Ken Schaltenbrand [17][$1,000]; 18. 111-Matt Lux [6][$1,000]; 19. 1Z-Logan Zarin [16][$1,000]; 20. 22-Greg Oakes [14][$1,000]; 21. B22-Bump Hedman [4][$1,000]; 22. 12B-Andy Boozel [18][$1,000]; 23. 7J-Kyle Bedell [23][$1,000]; 24. 76-Steve Kania [8][$1,000]; 25. 20-Doug Eck [24][$1,000] Hard Charger: 44H-Dave Hess[+23]Qualifying –1. 111-Matt Lux, 15.48; 2. 44H-Dave Hess, 15.611; 3. 1X-Chub Frank, 15.653; 4. 28-Dennis Erb, 15.658; 5. X3-Wyatt Scott, 15.675; 6. B1-Brent Larson, 15.693; 7. 19R-Ryan Gustin, 15.706; 8. 40-Dutch Davies, 15.77; 9. 1-Brandon Sheppard, 15.777; 10. 1Z-Logan Zarin, 15.893; 11. B22-Bump Hedman, 15.905; 12. 44-Chris Madden, 15.928; 13. 9K-Mike Knight, 15.946; 14. 76-Steve Kania, 15.947; 15. 12B-Andy Boozel, 15.966; 16. 99B-Boom Briggs, 15.973; 17. 22-Greg Oakes, 15.979; 18. 111V-Max Blair, 15.985; 19. 29J-Jason Genco, 16.037; 20. 7-Ricky Weiss, 16.062; 21. 16-Tyler Bruening, 16.084; 22. 20-Doug Eck, 16.1; 23. 29-Ken Schaltenbrand, 16.1; 24. 19-Bob Dorman, 16.137; 25. 7J-Kyle Bedell, 16.388; 26. 01W-Khole Wanzer, 16.729

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.

• Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) pilot Matt Hagan powered his Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car from a fourth place qualifying position at 39th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals to his second victory in the last five National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Series events
• Hagan captured his first victory at Brainerd International Raceway and his 38th career Funny Car Wally trophy in an all-Dodge final round showdown against No. 2 qualifier and fellow HEMI-powered driver Cruz Pedregon
• Runner-up finish for Cruz Pedregon and his Snap-On Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat after qualifying No. 2 with a career best elapsed time run of 3.874 seconds
• Ron Capps drove his DSR Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to a quarterfinal appearance and remains top-five in points and within 25 points of the lead heading into the final regular season event
• Leah Pruett and her DSR Mopar Dodge//SRT Dragster come away from Brainerd fourth in Top Fuel points standings heading to the NHRA’s prestigious Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis

Aug. 22, 2021, Brainerd, Minnesota – It was an all-Dodge final at the 39th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals with Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) pilot Matt Hagan powering the Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to his first victory at Brainerd International Raceway by defeating fellow HEMI®-powered driver Cruz Pedregon. It was Hagan’s 38th career Wally trophy and his second win of the 2021 NHRA Camping World Series season.

After qualifying No. 4 on the eliminations ladder, Hagan put together a string of consistent runs and round wins over Dale Creasy Jr., Paul Lee and Bob Tasca III to advance to his 69th career final round. That paired him with No. 2 qualifier Pedregon and his hard charging Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat for their first final round showdown in over ten years. 

Hagan’s quick 0.051-second reaction time gave the DSR Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat an early lead from which he never looked back on his way to a 3.923 second elapsed time run at 327.98 mph to defeat Pedregon’s 0.106-second light and solid 3.935 sec./324.83 mph pass and capture his second win in five national events.

Hagan’s two victories this season were both “firsts” in that they were both earned at venues at which he had never won. Earning the coveted Wally at the Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals in July and Sunday’s drive to the winner’s circle at Brainerd helped propel the defending NHRA Funny Car World Champion into the points lead for the first time this season with just one event remaining for racers to lock themselves into the “Countdown to the Championship” playoff.

That last race of the regular season will be the 68th edition of the NHRA’s cornerstone event and world’s biggest drag-racing competition – the Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend.

For their part, the Cruz Pedregon Racing team and the Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat have shown season-long consistent and steady improvement that included a win at the Norwalk event in June. Following up his semifinal appearance last weekend in Topeka, Kansas, Pedregon put his HEMI-powered ride No. 2 on the eliminations ladder with a career best 3.874-second pass at 324.67 mph. 

He then continued to impress with hard fought side-by side battles and round wins over Gary Densham, defending event champ Ron Capps and J.R. Todd with a series of 3.9-second runs (3.907/3.908/3.933) before adding another 3.935 effort in his loss to Hagan. With his runner-up finish, Pedregon remains eighth on the Funny Car leaderboard heading with one regular season event left.

DSR driver of the Pennzoil Synthetics/NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, Capps, qualified in the top half of the eliminations ladder for the 11th time in 12 events. The six-time and defending Brainerd champ was seeded seventh and lined up next to No. 10 John Force to kick off race day. Capps had the quicker start and a solid 3.953-second lap to turn on win lights against Force who had trouble early in his run. 

Capps’ quarterfinal match-up with Pedregon was a terrific side-by-side battle from start to finish with nearly identical launches – a 0.076-second reaction time to Pedregon’s 0.075 – and identical speeds at 325.45 mph, with the only difference coming at the stripe with Capps’ 3.935-second lap to Pedregon 3.908-second winning run. Capps leaves Brainerd ranked fifth in the Funny Car standings but less than one round out from the leader.

Also a defending event winner at Brainerd International Raceway, DSR’s Top Fuel pilot Leah Pruett kicked off qualifying looking strong and posting the second-best pass of the Q1 session. With what ended up being her quickest run of the weekend, a 3.789 second pass at 319.90 mph aboard her Mopar Dodge//SRT dragster, Pruett’s best qualifying lap also gave her a berth into the NHRA’s 2021 “Countdown to the Championship” ensuring she’ll finish the season in the Top 10 for a sixth consecutive year. While subsequent qualifying runs were hampered by a few issues that the DSR team worked to get resolved by race time, her first qualifying lap was good enough to put her eighth on the eliminations ladder. 

Pruett rolled her HEMI-powered machine to the start line for a first round matchup with No. 5 seed Justin Ashley, but saw her hopes of defending her event title go up in tire smoke right off the hit of the throttle. With just one event left before the playoffs begin, Pruett remains fourth in Top Fuel standings.

The NHRA Camping World Series now prepares to head to drag racing’s most prestigious event, the Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, September 1-5, which features a unique points-and-a-half format and will see racers jostling for position before the points are reset and the field tightens heading into the “Countdown to the Championship” playoffs.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES

FUNNY CAR:
Matt Hagan, DSR Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye
(No. 4 Qualifier – 3.891 seconds at 328.06 mph)
Round 1: (0.089-second reaction time, 3.911 seconds at 328.30 mph) defeats to No. 13 Dale Creasy Jr. (0.080/4.031/311.85)
Round 2: (0.070/ 3.928/323/27) defeats No. 5 Paul Lee (0.095/3.911/329.18)
Round 3: (0.065/3.932/328.30) defeats No.  Bob Tasca (0.076/3.940/329.10)
Round 4: (0.051/3.923/327.98) defeats No. 2 Cruz Pedregon (0.106/3.935/324.83)

“I’ve been racing for so long, and it’s great to knock this one off the list and add a Brainerd trophy to the shelf. We want to win every race, and at every race track, so I’m especially glad we got it done today. We’re trying to get where we should be. After coming off of such a strong championship run last year, you come out and expect to set the world on fire, and we just haven’t been able to do that. But (Crew Chief) Dickie Venables, you give the guy enough shots at the race track, he’s a bad man. I just want to do my job up there. I really pride myself in leaving the starting line really well, and it’s going to take these tough packages. You’re going to have leave good, and you’re going to have to race good, and that’s what we’re doing with this Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat.”

Ron Capps, DSR Pennzoil Synthetics/NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
(No. 7 Qualifier – 3.922 seconds at 325.22 mph)
Round 1: (0.050-second reaction time, 3.953 seconds at 323.35 mph) defeats No. 10 John Force (0.066/6.205/112.01)
Round 2: (0.076/3.935/325.45) loss to No. 2 Cruz Pedregon (0.075/3.908/325.45)

“We always talk about Brainerd being such a pivotal race heading into the Countdown. We have Indy coming up and that’s points and a half, but Brainerd always plays a huge role because it’s the second-to-last race before heading into the Countdown. You’ve got to come out of Brainerd with a good race car. We didn’t make up as many points as we wanted to this weekend, but we have a great race car. Dean Antonelli and John Medlen have been really focusing on clutch-wear these past couple of races, and we were really happy to run a .93 in the right lane, we just got beat by a quicker car in the left lane this weekend. The NAPA team did a great job, and it was fun carrying the Pennzoil colors again this weekend. Now we have a week off to focus on Indianapolis and the playoffs. Right now, the fans are getting a really good taste of what the Countdown to the Championship will be like this year. Not only are the points close right now, but the performance of the cars in the Funny Car category right now is something to behold.”

Cruz Pedregon, Cruz Pedregon Racing Snap-on® Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
(No. 2 Qualifier – 3.874 seconds at 324.67 mph)
Round 1: (0.135-second reaction time, 3.907 seconds at 326.56 mph) defeats No. 15 Gary Densham (0.092/4.253/270.75)
Round 2: (0.075/3.908/325.45) defeats No. 7 Ron Capps (0.076/3.935/325.45)
Round 3: (0.058/3.933/322.73) defeats No. 11 J.R. Todd (0.074/3.955/321.73)
Round 4: (0.106/3.935/324.83) loss to No. 4 Matt Hagan (0.051/3.923/327.98) 

“Great weekend overall for the Snap-on Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. To qualify in the second qualifying position with a career best 3.87 (second run) and then hammer out four runs in the 3.9-second range which were incredibly consistent runs in eliminations was very positive. Especially given that the track was a little warmer today than yesterday. It was just a strong effort all the way around and it shows that we’re coming into our own here going into the big race at the Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals. We’re not going to hang our heads because that was a close race in that final with (Matt) Hagan. You know I’d like to have that reaction time back a little bit. I miss the tree there a bit but overall it was just a solid effort by the team. I’m just proud of the guys.” 

TOP FUEL:
Leah Pruett, DSR Mopar Dodge//SRT Dragster
(No. 8 Qualifier – 3.789 seconds at 319.90 mph)
Round 1: (0.097-second reaction time, 4.472 seconds at 179.64 mph) loss to No. 5 Justin Ashley (0.056/3.765/326.32)

“I’m not sure if there’s an amusement park here at Brainerd, but we sure feel like we’re on a roller coaster with this season of highs and lows. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the number of runs for the team to stay on track is crucial. So, when we lost our third qualifying session lap to a mechanical malfunction, we were robbed of an opportunity to learn this tune-up and get better. What we had for Q3 is pretty much what we had for E1, and that’s a high sixty run and we were just outside of that window. The goal was to turn on win lights. We will not test before Indy’s Dodge//SRT NHRA U.S. Nationals, but we are real close to breaking through again and we have the confidence to do it. We appreciate the great fan support this weekend at Brainerd for our Mopar Dodge//SRT team and now we focus on Indy and the Countdown.”

NHRA Championship Points Standings:
Following the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway

FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)
1.Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 865 (1)
2. Bob Tasca III – 850 (2)
2. J.R. Todd – 850 (1)
4. John Force – 849 (3)
5. Ron Capps (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 840 (1)
6. Robert Hight – 782 (2)
7. Alexis DeJoria – 725
8. Cruz Pedregon (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 712 (1)
9. Tim Wilkerson– 631
10. Blake Alexander– 470

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)
1. Steve Torrance – 1212 (7)
2. Brittany Force – 829 (1)
3. Antron Brown – 791 (1)
4. Leah Pruett (Mopar Dodge//SRT) – 631 (1)
4. Mike Salinas – 631
6. Shawn Langdon – 620
7. Clay Millican – 519
8. Justin Ashley – 558 
9. Billy Torrence – 510 (1)
10. Doug Kalitta – 503  

Pat Caporali

Austin Dillon’s Strong Run in the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Inhalation Aerosol Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE Stalled by On-Track Incident at Michigan International Speedway

36th

26th

13th

“We came to Michigan International Speedway with the mentality that this would be a make-or-break race for the No. 3  BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® (budesonide, glycopyrrolate, and formoterol fumarate) Inhalation Aerosol team, and boy did we bring a rocket. I am so proud of everyone at RCR and ECR for everything they put into this Chevy. We came close to winning Stage 1. In Stage 2, I was trying to get as many Stage points as I could get and did a good job of side-drafting and came down to the apron. After the Start/Finish Line, I was starting to come up off the apron because it’s so rough down there. Since the stage was over, I figured by that point the No. 2 car would have given me a little room. He didn’t and it ruined our race. I don’t know why it happened, really. He just held me down there a bit too long. I’m thankful that the good Lord kept me safe today because that was a heck of a wreck. I hate it for BREZTRI and my guys, most of all. They built a rocket ship. They really wanted this one, and I did too. I think we would have had a shot to do something at the end with our race car. It’s the best race car we’ve brought to the track at RCR this year, I feel like. It’s a bummer but we’ve got Daytona left to try and win to secure a spot in the NASCAR Playoffs.” -Austin Dillon

NASCAR Playoff Hopes Still Alive For Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Chevy Accessories Team After Up-And-Down Day at Michigan International Speedway

29th

14th

11th

“Today was an up and down race for our Chevy Accessories team. I thought our car had good speed early and would have easily finished inside the top-10 with the lap times I was posting. During the beginning portion of the race, we lost track position and fought most of the race to get back. The car was a bit too tight in traffic, but Randall Burnett and the guys kept making it better. In the closing laps, I made it four-wide on the bottom, but I lost momentum, slid up on the track and lost a ton of positions. We avoided damage there, but unfortunately with less than 10 laps to go, my right rear tire was cut down and I spun. We were forced to pit under green for four tires and that cost us a solid finish. There is one race left at Daytona and we will give it everything we have as a team to get our No. 8 Chevrolet into the NASCAR Playoffs.”  -Tyler Reddick

The NARC King of the West Fujitsu Sprint Car Series reaches the centerpiece of the 2021 schedule this week when the Fastest Four Days in Motorsports (FFDM) will take teams and fans on a four-day tour of Nor-Cal.

This year marks the second edition of the FFDM. Tim Kaeding claimed the inaugural edition in 2019 by winning two of the four races, and COVID-19 regulations erased the 2020 FFDM from the calendar.  (ED NOTE:  The originally scheduled August 25th show at Placerville Speedway was canceled because the El Dorado County Fairgrounds were transformed into a staging are for firefighters and equipment battling the Caldor fire.)

Racing kicks off Thursday August 26th at Merced Speedway for Thursday Night Thunder. The following night takes the series to Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway for the third and final visit to the coastal bullring in 2021. Saturday the caravan will head to Stockton Dirt Track for the $6,000 to win Champion’s Classic that also features a $3,000 to win 360 sprint car show. The FFDM wraps up Sunday with the third series appearance at Petaluma Speedway this year.

The FFDM will be incentivized by a $8,000 point fund that will award $2,000 to the winner of the final standings and distribute the remainder among the drivers who finish 2nd-12th in points. Also, on top of the $6,000 to win race at Stockton, the other three events will all be $4,000 to win. Both the point fund and the heightened purses at Stockton will provide an opportunity for some drivers to have a very lucrative week!

On Thursday in Merced NARC will be joined by Mini Stocks, Mini Late Models and IMCA Northern SportMods. Friday at Ocean IMCA Sport Mods, Hobby Stocks and South Bay Dwarf Cars will share the card. Stockton will feature the $3,000 to win 360 sprint car event and NorCal Dwarf Cars. Joining NARC on Sunday in Petaluma will be Super Stocks, Dwarf Cars and Hardtops.

The entire four-day blitz of racing guarantees to offer plenty of excitement. Competitors will be vying for the extra money up for grabs alluded to above, and the situation atop the series standings may shake up. Dominic Scelzi currently holds a slim six-point lead over reigning champ DJ Netto, and just 15-markers behind Netto is 2015 titlist Bud Kaeding. For more information regarding drivers to watch and stories to follow this week, check out our FFDM Storylines and Stats here: https://narc410.com/2021/08/15/fastest-five-days-in-motorsports-story-lines-stats/

The NARC King of the West Hoosier Tire Format for the FFDM will feature ARP Bolts Fast Time Qualifying, 10-lap Brown and Miller Racing Solutions Heat Races (Stockton heat races will be 8 laps), a six-lap Sunnyvalley Bacon Trophy Dash and the 30-lap Fujitsu General USA Main Event.

At Merced the grandstands will open at 5:00 P.M. with racing set to begin at 7:00 P.M. Merced Speedway is located at 900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way Merced, CA 95341. For more information call 209-600-8382 or visit https://mercedspeedway.net.

On Friday night at Ocean Speedway Adult General Admission tickets will cost $25. Juniors ages 11-16 will be admitted for $20. Kids 6-10 can get in for just $10. Children 5 and under are free! Tickets can be purchased in advance at:https://www.eventsprout.com/event/final-points-night-friday-night-frenzy. Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds at 2601 E Lake Ave Watsonville, CA 95076. For more information call (831) 688-7223 or visithttps://oceanspeedway.com.

The Stockton Dirt Track pit gate is set to open at 3:00 P.M. on Saturday with the main gate set to follow at 5:00 P.M. Racing will get going around 7:00 P.M. Pit Passes are $40. Adult General Admission is $25. Kids ages 5-12, seniors 65 and older and military personnel with a valid ID will be admitted for $20. Kids 4 and under are free! Tickets can be purchased in advance at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/king-of-the-west-narc-fujistu-sprint-car-series-and-norcal-dwarf-cars-tickets-162479457431?aff=website. The Stockton Dirt Track is located on the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds at 1658 S Airport Way Stockton, CA 95206. For more information call 209-466-9999 or visit https://stocktondirttrack.com.

On Sunday in Petaluma the pit gate will open at 2:00 P.M. with the front gate opening at 4:00 P.M. Hot laps will kickoff at 5:00 P.M. with racing to follow at 6:00 P.M.

The Fastest Four Days in Motorsports can be viewed live on floracing.com along with the entire NARC King of the West Fujitsu Sprint Car schedule.

NARC King of the West Fujitsu 410 Sprint Car Series
Championship Points Standings (After nine events in 21-race series 8/24/2021)

1. Dominic Scelzi, Fresno – 1001
2. DJ Netto, Hanford – 995
3. Bud Kaeding, Campbell – 980
4. Tim Kaeding, San Jose – 967
5. Sean Becker, Roseville – 960
6. Billy Aton, Benicia (R) – 953
7. Sean Watts, Clovis – 927
8. Justin Sanders, Aromas – 730
9. Geoffrey Strole, Hanford (R) – 685
10. Shane Golobic, Elk Grove – 673
11. Mitchell Faccinto, Hanford – 632
12. Mitchel Moles, Raisin City – 607
13. Kenny Allen, Chico – 583
14. Willie Croft, Colfax – 530
15. Ryan Robinson, Foresthill (R) – 524
16. Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA – 524
17. Joel Myers Jr, Sebastopol (R) – 518
18. Mark Barroso, Merced – 491
19. Kyle Offill, Tracy (R) – 481
20. Kyle Hirst, Paradise – 427

The King of the West-NARC Fujitsu General USA Racing Series is also sponsored by Hoosier Racing Tires.  Associate and product award sponsors include Automotive Racing Products (ARP), Autometer, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Bullet Impressions, FloRacing.com, Johnstone Supply, Kaeding Performance Center, KSE Racing Products, Maxim, PAC Racing Springs, Pyrotect, Racing Optics, Saldana Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, SCI Racing Products, Swift Metal Finishing, Sunnyvalley Bacon, System 1 Ignition, Ultra Light Brakes, Wilwood Disc Brakes, and Winters Performance Products.

NASCAR CUP SERIES FIREKEEPERS CASINO 400 MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES & QUOTES AUGUST 22, 2021

TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER2nd     WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE 3rd      KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 CINCINNATI CAMARO ZL1 1LE 4th      KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE 8th      CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE 12th    RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER/MAXWELL HOUSE CAMARO ZL1 1LE TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS: POS.  DRIVER1st      Ryan Blaney (Ford)2nd    William Byron (Chevrolet)3rd     Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)4th      Kurt Busch (Chevrolet)5th      Denny Hamlin (Toyota)
The NASCAR Cup Series season continues next weekend at Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday, August 28, at 7 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES: WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 2ndWILLIAM, YOU PUT UP A MAJOR FIGHT THERE WITH LATE-RACE RESTARTS TRYING TO GET BY RYAN BLANEY. WHAT MORE DID YOU NEED TO MAKE THE PASS?“Just the 11 (Denny Hamlin) to stay with us. He tried to shuck us into one. I had to stay with him to not sacrifice my right rear. Once you get put three-wide middle, it’s game over. I gave up the lead trying to protect the top. Just didn’t have the loyalty there to kind of push me to the lead.”
“Overall, really good car. The No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet was extremely fast. Definitely know we can bring that to the Playoffs. Stinks to finish second, but feel like we had a really good car to go to battle with.” SAW YOU AND (KYLE) LARSON GET OUT OF THE CAR, BOTH SMILING, HIGH-FIVED A LITTLE BIT. WHAT WERE YOU DISCUSSING? DDI YOU HAVE A LOT OF FUN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF LAPS?“Yeah, it was fun; kind of like a speedway race. I was trying to back up to him about two to go. He kind of ran the bottom, so he didn’t have any momentum to push me.”
“Yeah, I don’t know what you do. You can only block so many lanes. I tried to block the top and cost myself first, but just part of it.” KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 CINCINNATI CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 3rdTHIRD FOR KYLE LARSON. IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO BE SO MUCH MORE. SO MANY MOVES BEING MADE OUT THERE. DESCRIBE WHAT IT’S LIKE RACING WILLIAM (BYRON) AND EVERYBODY ELSE TRYING TO GET THIS WIN. “Yeah the restart worked out a little better than I thought it was going to for me. The 11 (Denny Hamlin) tried to stick the 24 (William Byron) three-wide. They got loose. I got to the middle. I think came out third or something there. Was able to get to second.”
“Just made a couple bad moves, I guess. I think honestly just a little too patient behind the 12 (Ryan Blaney). Could have made some later, you know, dives I guess to the inside. Who knows. I need to watch the replay.”
“Just made a couple wrong moves, allowed William to get by me. Once I was in third, I hoped they would get racing, get side drafted. I was never close enough to William to help him generate a run on the 12. Ended up third. A good points day. Wish we could have had more, but all in all a good day for the Cincinnati Chevy.” THAT IS A HARD DECISION. YOU DON’T WANT THE DISASTER OF GETTING DUMPED IF THE MOVE ISN’T GOOD?“Yeah, I was probably honestly a little too — I had points on my mind a little bit too much. I’m looking in my mirror. I saw the 11 (Denny Hamlin) falling back some. I just didn’t want to screw it up really.”
“I felt like I had to weigh the risk versus reward. I could risk going for the win, not having it work out, end up 30 something and lose the point lead going into Daytona; or I could be a little bit more cautious, beat Denny by a couple spots, which is what we did.”
YOU HAVE TO HAVE THOSE POINTS ON YOUR MIND NEXT WEEK, TOO. GOT TO MAKE YOUR MIND HURT. “Yeah, I mean, I’m glad I gained some points on him today. But Daytona is Daytona. I don’t typically see the checkered flag I feel like too often there. We’ll see.”
“But glad to go in there with 28 points. If we could get a couple good stages there at Daytona, I would feel much better about it.” KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 4th“I had an excellent No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE thanks to Matt McCall (Crew Chief) and all my Chip Ganassi Racing guys. They’re digging hard. The first little sequence, I knew we had a good car today. I just made a couple of mistakes in the aero-situational events. It’s like a mini-superspeedway race out there. And then you have handling mixed in because it’s a 2-mile track.” 
“We did really good today. We were right in the mix. Fourth-place is bittersweet. I wanted to win so bad. I had three different plans in my head and I cannot believe a Chevy didn’t win today.” 
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 16th “Man, we definitely wanted to finish better for Ally at their home track. We received some damage early on and we just battled tight conditions throughout the race. Just really tight. We made some gains on pit road, which was what we needed. We will come back strong in Daytona for the final race of the regular season.”
ERIK JONES, NO. 43 MEDALLION BANK CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 18th“It ended up being an OK day; it was just up and down. We got caught a lap down early with a loose wheel. The middle part of the race, there just wasn’t much going on. It was good to get back on the lead lap and at least salvage a top-20 out of it for our Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Medallion Bank Camaro ZL1 1LE. We were just tight all day and couldn’t really get it to do much other than that. We’ll go on and see what we can learn from it. Hopefully, we’ll go to Daytona (International Speedway) and get a win.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BREZTRI CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined in accident with Brad Keselowski on Lap 121 – Finished 36thTHE STAGE WAS OVER. WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN YOU AND BRAD?“I was just trying to get as many Stage points as I could get right there and did a good job of side-drafting and came down to the apron and I’ve seen just one quick replay, but it was after the Start/Finish Line. I was starting to come up off the apron because it’s so rough down there. But I figured by that point, he would have given me a little room. I hate it. I’m thankful that the good Lord kept me safe today. That was a heck of a wreck, but I feel fine. I hate it for BREZTRI and my guys, most of all. The built a rocket ship. They really wanted this one, and I did too. Just working our tails off right there. I think we would have had a shot to do something there at the end with our race car. It’s the best race car we’ve brought to the track at RCR this year, I feel like. It’s just a bummer but we’ve got Daytona left and I just hate it. I don’t know why it happened, really. I thought I had a little room to come up and he just held me down there a little bit too long, I guess.” HOW DETERMINED ARE YOU TO WIN AT DAYTONA NEXT WEEK?“Very. The guys have worked so hard. You saw the equipment I had today and man it was so fast. I was having a blast out there racing like that. It’s fun to be able to do that. I’ve just got to thank ECR and RCR. But that one is probably done, and we’ll just bring another one next week to Daytona.”

BRAINERD, MN (August 22, 2021) — A week after he had one of the toughest races of his career during the Topeka Nationals Tim Wilkerson and the Levi, Ray & Shoup Summit Racing Ford Mustang Funny Car team showed why they are a team that will be contending for the 2021 Funny Car championship. In the final qualifying session Wilkerson made one of the quickest passes of his career and set a new personal speed record running 334.40 mph to jump from eleventh to third in Funny Car qualifying. It was a monster run that set the team up for a first round match up with Jim Campbell the No. 14 qualifier.

The cool Minnesota conditions gave Wilkerson and car chief Richard Hartman the opportunity to put a lot of power to the racetrack on race day. The team picked up in the first round right where they left off from Saturday’s final qualifying session’s 3.883 second pass. Wilkerson was first off the starting line and never trailed in the race. It was an impressive run for a team that had to rebuild their race car last weekend and spent the week on the road to get ready for this event. His winning time of 3.934 seconds at 314.75 mph setup for a great quarterfinal race against J.R. Todd.

(Photo courtesy of NHRA/National Dragster for media use only)

“That was a good run for the first round,” said Wilkerson. “We made a killer run last night and I knew conditions would be good this morning. You can’t take Jim Campbell lightly so we wanted to be sure we got down the track.”

Wilkerson and Todd were the last pair of the second round and they were separated by approximately 1/1000^th of a second on performance. In one of the closest races of the quarterfinals Todd narrowly edged out Wilkerson for the win. Once again Wilkerson posted a great 3.929 second run showing what a good handle he has on his Levi, Ray & Shoup Summit Racing Mustang Funny Car.

“We have a race car that can compete with anyone out here,” said Wilkerson. “I have to thank all the guys on the team that worked so hard after Topeka to get us ready for this race. We made some great runs and I feel good heading to Indy and going into the Countdown. The fans this weekend were amazing.”

For his efforts he effectively earned his twelfth consecutive berth in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship. Wilkerson will most likely officially clinch his playoff spot at the conclusion of qualifying in two weeks. This will mark the fourteenth consecutive year he has finished in the top ten.

Qualifying Results

Q1: 4.031 sec, 318.24 mph; Qual. 9

Q2: 4.008 sec, 321.12 mph; Qual. 11

Q3: 3.883 sec, 334.40 mph; Qual. 3

Bonus Points: +1 (3^rd quickest of Q3)

Race Results

First Round
Driver                          Qual    R/T      ET        MPH 
Tim Wilkerson             3          .112     3.934   314.75 (W)

Jim Campbell              14        .131     6.537   104.31

Second Round
Driver                          Qual    R/T      ET        MPH 
Tim Wilkerson             3          .079     3.929   320.97

J.R. Todd                      11        .067     3.931   326.87 (W)

Camping World Funny Car Top Ten

1. Matt Hagan, 865

2. Bob Tasca III, 850

2. J.R. Todd, 850

4. John Force, 849

5. Ron Capps, 840

6. Robert Hight, 782

7. Alexis DeJoria, 725

8. Cruz Pedregon, 712

9. Tim Wilkerson, 631

10. Blake Alexander, 470

Wilkerson Bounces Back with Strong Brainerd Nationals Performance

BRAINERD, MN (August 22, 2021) — A week after he had one of the toughest races of his career during the Topeka Nationals Tim Wilkerson and the Levi, Ray & Shoup Summit Racing Ford Mustang Funny Car team showed why they are a team that will be contending for the 2021 Funny Car championship. In the final qualifying session Wilkerson made one of the quickest passes of his career and set a new personal speed record running 334.40 mph to jump from eleventh to third in Funny Car qualifying. It was a monster run that set the team up for a first round match up with Jim Campbell the No. 14 qualifier.

The cool Minnesota conditions gave Wilkerson and car chief Richard Hartman the opportunity to put a lot of power to the racetrack on race day. The team picked up in the first round right where they left off from Saturday’s final qualifying session’s 3.883 second pass. Wilkerson was first off the starting line and never trailed in the race. It was an impressive run for a team that had to rebuild their race car last weekend and spent the week on the road to get ready for this event. His winning time of 3.934 seconds at 314.75 mph setup for a great quarterfinal race against J.R. Todd.

(Photo courtesy of NHRA/National Dragster for media use only)

“That was a good run for the first round,” said Wilkerson. “We made a killer run last night and I knew conditions would be good this morning. You can’t take Jim Campbell lightly so we wanted to be sure we got down the track.”

Wilkerson and Todd were the last pair of the second round and they were separated by approximately 1/1000^th of a second on performance. In one of the closest races of the quarterfinals Todd narrowly edged out Wilkerson for the win. Once again Wilkerson posted a great 3.929 second run showing what a good handle he has on his Levi, Ray & Shoup Summit Racing Mustang Funny Car.

“We have a race car that can compete with anyone out here,” said Wilkerson. “I have to thank all the guys on the team that worked so hard after Topeka to get us ready for this race. We made some great runs and I feel good heading to Indy and going into the Countdown. The fans this weekend were amazing.”

For his efforts he effectively earned his twelfth consecutive berth in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship. Wilkerson will most likely officially clinch his playoff spot at the conclusion of qualifying in two weeks. This will mark the fourteenth consecutive year he has finished in the top ten.

Qualifying Results

Q1: 4.031 sec, 318.24 mph; Qual. 9

Q2: 4.008 sec, 321.12 mph; Qual. 11

Q3: 3.883 sec, 334.40 mph; Qual. 3

Bonus Points: +1 (3^rd quickest of Q3)

Race Results

First Round
Driver                          Qual    R/T      ET        MPH 
Tim Wilkerson             3          .112     3.934   314.75 (W)

Jim Campbell              14        .131     6.537   104.31

Second Round
Driver                          Qual    R/T      ET        MPH 
Tim Wilkerson             3          .079     3.929   320.97

J.R. Todd                      11        .067     3.931   326.87 (W)

Camping World Funny Car Top Ten

1. Matt Hagan, 865

2. Bob Tasca III, 850

2. J.R. Todd, 850

4. John Force, 849

5. Ron Capps, 840

6. Robert Hight, 782

7. Alexis DeJoria, 725

8. Cruz Pedregon, 712

9. Tim Wilkerson, 631

10. Blake Alexander, 470

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATIOLUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS BRAINERD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, BRAINERD, MINNESOTA AUG. 22, 2021                                                                                                    Chevrolet points to regular-season finale at Indianapolis No. 1 qualifier Brittany Force sets Top Fuel track speed record at 334.98 mph

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 22, 2021) – Brittany Force drove the Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster to her fifth National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier in a row, broke her own track speed record and advanced to the semifinals of the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.
Force, who won for the 11th time in her career a week earlier, posted a track-record speed of 334.98 mph in earning her seventh top qualifier honor in 12 Top Fuel races as part of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series regular season. A streak of five No. 1s was last accomplished by Larry Dixon in 2009.
After a solo run in the first round of eliminations, Force ran low elapsed time of the event at 3.672 seconds in defeating Antron Brown. A mechanical issue early in her semifinal pass prevented the Chevy dragster from advancing to the final for the fourth time this season.
To win this championship, yes we need to win races, but if we keep hanging in there, going rounds, No. 1 qualifiers, I know we’re still in a good position,” she said.
Teammates John Force, the No. 10 qualifier in the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS, and No. 6 qualifier Robert Hight in the Automotive Club of Southern California Camaro SS, fell in the first round of Funny Car competition. Force has a 78-23 round record at Brainerd International Raceway, where he’s won 11 times.
Chevrolet Pro Stock drivers rejoin the schedule at the U.S. Nationals on Sept. 3-5 in Indianapolis. KB Racing’s Greg Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Camaro SS, is the points leader as he seeks to tie Warren Johnson’s class record of 97 wins. Five different drivers of the Camaro SS have won at least once through the 10 races.
Drivers of the Chevrolet COPO Camaro will also be in action in the sixth round of the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown. COPO Camaro drivers have won four of the events, most recently by John Cerbone at Topeka.FOX will telecast eliminations from the U.S. Nationals live at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 5.
CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT
TOP FUEL:
BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/ FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 1 qualifier, fell in semifinals): “We’re still looking into what happened on that last run. It shook really hard and it wasn’t going to drive through it, it was going to go into tire smoke. Still trying to figure out what went wrong on the run. Overall, it was a good day. We made a semifinal round appearance. To win this championship, yes we need to win races, but if we keep hanging in there, going rounds, No. 1 qualifiers, I know we’re still in a good position. It’s in our range, we’re chasing it down, we’re going after that championship.”
FUNNY CAR:
ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 6 qualifier, fell in first round; secured spot in Countdown to the Championship): “We’re definitely not where we want to be. Something happened, something mechanical, on that run. It shut off, I think it threw the clutch out of it. We have to get our act together. This is the time of the year where you better have everything together or you better be testing. That’s what this Auto Club Chevy is going to do.”
JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 10 qualifier, fell in first round; secured spot in Countdown to the Championship): “That run was pretty exciting. That’s why I drive a fuel Funny Car. End of the day, every point counts, every round counts. What counts is making the Countdown or you don’t have a chance at winning the championship, and we did that this weekend. Didn’t go the way we wanted today. My best car, Robert Hight, was out, and I was right behind him. Luckily, Brittany went some rounds.”

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 22, 2021) – Brittany Force and the Monster Energy team rode the momentum from their Topeka win and five consecutive No. 1 qualifiers to a semifinal finish Sunday at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway. It was an early day for both John Force Racing Funny Cars with Robert Hight and the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevy Camaro and John Force with the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevy going out in the first round. With her seventh No. 1 qualifying position of the season, Brittany Force and the Monster Energy dragster earned a bye first round of eliminations. Crew chiefs David Grubnic and Mac Savage took advantage of the stress-free run by going 3.680-seconds at 334.40 mph for lane choice over Antron Brown in the second round. The consistency continued as the Monster Energy team improved to run a stellar 3.672-seconds at 333.33 mph, the quickest pass of the event, to defeat Brown’s 3.771 at 315.78. The victory set Force up to run Clay Millican, a rematch from the final round at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka last weekend. The Monster Energy dragster would run into trouble almost immediately and have to shut off early for a 7.971-second run at 77.65 mph giving Millican and his 3.876 pass at 265.95 mph the win. “We’re still looking into what happened on that last run. It shook really hard and it wasn’t going to drive through it, it was going to go into tire smoke. Still trying to figure out what went wrong on the run. Overall, it was a good day, we made a semifinal round appearance. To win this championship, yes, we need to win races, but if we keep hanging in there, going rounds, No. 1 qualifiers, I know we’re still in a good position, it’s in our range, we’re chasing it down, we’re going after that championship.” After bumping up to the No. 6 qualifying spot off a clean 3.909-second run at 327.51 mph on Saturday evening, Robert Hight and the Auto Club Chevy experienced a mechanical issue down track in the first round. The Camaro would shut off near the finish line for Hight to record a 3.988-second pass at 274.05 mph and be bettered by J.R. Todd’s 3.970 at 321.73. “Well, we’re definitely not where we want to be that’s for sure. Something happened, something mechanical, on that run. It shut off, I think it threw the clutch out of it,” said Hight who secured his spot into the NHRA Countdown to the Championship this weekend. “We have to get our act together. This is the time of the year where you better have everything together or you better be testing. That’s what this Auto Club Chevy is going to do.” Coming into the race with the points lead off his third win of the season, John Force and the PEAK Chevy struggled in qualifying with only one clean pass Friday afternoon that had them No. 10. Their positioning would put them against longtime rival Ron Capps in the first round. Force would go on a wild ride mid-track, nearly hitting the wall but keeping the PEAK Camaro in his lane. With a 6.205-second run a 112.01 mph Force would be bettered by Capps’ 3.953 at 323.35. “That run was pretty exciting, that’s why I drive a fuel Funny Car. End of the day, every point, every round counts. What counts is making the Countdown or you don’t have a chance at winning the championship and we did that this weekend,” said Force who drops to fourth in the points. “Didn’t go the way we wanted today. My best car, Robert Hight was out, and I was right behind him. Luckily Brittany went some rounds. We’ll see you all at Indy.” The Dodge//SRT NHRA U.S. Nationals, the final race of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series regular season, takes place September 3-5 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis. Teams will earn points and a half at the event as a last effort to gain points positions before the Countdown to the Championship begins and the points reset.

Garcia, Taylor, Catsburg second in GTE Pro; No. 64 Corvette endures hard-luck race

LE MANS, France (Aug. 22, 2021) – The mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette C8.R finished on the class podium in its 24 Hours of Le Mans debut Sunday with the trio of Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg placing second in the No. 63 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C8.R. The debut of the mid-engine racing Corvette came a year later than originally planned due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. But the wait proved worth it with Corvette Racing showing its usual competitive spirit during its 21st race at Le Mans since 2000. “Today’s second-place result in GTE Pro for the No. 63 Corvette C8.R and drivers Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg is a significant achievement as we debuted the mid-engine Corvette C8.R at Le Mans,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S Vice President, Performance and Motorsports. “To be on the podium at Le Mans with the C8.R is very gratifying. It’s a testament to the hard work and determination of our Corvette production and racing teams.

“The support of Corvette owners and fans from around the world has been incredible,” Campbell added. “This race result is dedicated to our customers and supporters.” While the No. 63 Corvette ran in contention for the entire race, the No. 64 C8.R of Tommy Milner, Nick Tandy and Alexander Sims seemingly ran into nothing but bad luck. It began on the roll-off from the grid when Milner was hit from behind by the eventual class-winning Ferrari at the beginning of the formation lap. The contact broke part of the diffuser, but the No. 64 Corvette ran well early and even led in a wet start with Milner going to the fore. He and Tandy cycled through and kept the No. 64 C8.R in contention before the diffuser finally broke in the fifth hour shortly after Sims’ first stint. It was the first of three visits to the garage for the No. 64 team, which also had to repair part of the gearbox, clutch and the alternator. Milner, Tandy and Sims – who set a GTE Pro record race lap of 3:47.501 – finished sixth in class.

On the No. 63 Corvette side of the garage, all three drivers drove double stints to open the race. Each of the trio led for a time as well as the race began to evolve into primarily a battle between Corvette and Ferrari, although five cars remained on the lead lap in GTE Pro at the halfway point. Things began evolve into a two-car race into the final six hours between the No. 63 C8.R and No. 51 Ferrari. The Corvette team kept it close and was able to triple-stint its Michelin tires in the late going but couldn’t make up the necessary ground. The No. 63 Corvette did, however, complete the entire 24 hours without a change of brakes. Corvette Racing returns to action in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on Sept. 10-12 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTE PRO: “I don’t know if I prefer to be two seconds, 10 seconds, 40 seconds or three laps back. I think it hurts the same! We’ve been in that 30-second range between the two cars pretty much for 24 hours. I must say it does hurt a little bit. When you come so close, it’s difficult. But when you do your best, you run almost a perfect race and someone else does it a little better than you, you have to congratulate them. There is nothing we could do. I think we ran a perfect race regardless of our position. We finished second but very close for sure. They just did it 40 seconds better than us. I’m very happy for the team, the 63 crew, Jordan and Nicky – all six drivers had really, really good drives and helped develop this Corvette and for sure all the engineers. So even if the 64 had so much trouble, getting up to this point we have all been working together to get the most out of the C8.R. For sure, two of our cars up front would have put even more pressure on the 51. We were both alone so it was a one-on-one fight between Corvette and Ferrari. We were close. When you are up on the podium, you always want a tiny bit more. I would have liked to have given Corvette the first Le Mans win in the C8.R. Now we need to wait until next year and work harder.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R  – FINISHED SECOND IN GTE PRO: “That’s my fourth podium here. It’s hard to complain with a podium at Le Mans. But when you come this close, it’s difficult to take. The Corvette Racing guys did an amazing job. We didn’t have any issues with our car. We executed really well strategy-wise and in the pitlane and on the track, there were no mistakes. For our first run at Le Mans with the C8.R, we should be pretty proud of that to come home second against some cars that have run here the past few years. We learned a lot as a team and can come back stronger next year.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTE PRO: “It’s super nice. This is my third time at Le Mans, and the first two times we finished nowhere. To be in the fight right to the last lap was very cool. It went well. The C8.R was very good. I had some good stints and nothing really bad happened. I will go home with some positive feelings. P2 kind of feels like a loss, but on the way home I’ll be like, ‘We finished P2 at Le Mans. That’s not bad!’ We had a cool fight with the Ferrari, and I think we did well.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SIXTH IN GTE PRO: “It was a very frustrating race for us. It wasn’t taken away from us right at the start, but a pretty good indication looking at the damage from the contact before the race started with the Ferrari that it was going to be a big problem for us. It ended up being such that we had more problems after that. It’s hard to say if that initial damage caused some of the other problems we had. It’s very unfortunate and unlucky… unnecessary but in the end we turned it into a test session in a lot of ways. We tried to go as fast we could to learn as much as we could about the C8.R and find anything that in future may or may not be a problem. Our focus turned from going for a race win to helping the 63 guys do whatever it took to get them the win. Unfortunately that didn’t materialize; I think the Ferrari had just a little bit too much pace compared to everyone else. From our side, it’s disappointing but for the team, second place is a good result. It’s not the result we were all looking for but we can be happy about our performance today.”

NICK TANDY, NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SIXTH IN GTE PRO: “Endurance racing is not an easy game. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. This time on our side of the garage, we didn’t have the smoothest of runs. But I really enjoyed the week. I’ve enjoyed being with Tommy and Alex being in the car again. I’m proud of how we managed to get the speed out of the car. Honestly, it’s probably the nicest racecar I’ve had to drive around this circuit – to be consistently fast and confidence-inspiring… I’m really proud of everyone who worked to give us a car with that performance. The reliability didn’t go our way this time, but we can be proud that we have one car on the podium. It’s a great experience with the new C8.R and hopefully we will come back fighting stronger next year.”

ALEXANDER SIMS NO. 64 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SIXTH IN GTE PRO: “Everybody comes here to win, knowing that even if you have a super-fast car, there are so many opportunities for things not to go perfectly – reliability, drivers making mistakes, slow zones and safety cars. There are so many factors, and this time we had a couple of those go against us. Nevertheless, to get my first finish at Le Mans was good. I got a lot of great experience with the C8.R . It was brilliant to drive through the entire race. It’s a shame not using that pace to fight for the podium positions. I’m proud of the whole team. The effort they put in was remarkable. They got the changes made in the pits very, very quickly for such big fundamental changes that needed to be done. Well done to the 63 car for getting the podium. On to the next one.”

THAT’S A WRAP: Winger Wins Sixth of Season, Pierce Crowned 2021 Champion at MerrittWinger wins weekly points title, passes English for second in overall standings LAKE CITY, MI – Aug. 21, 2021 – The start of the 36th annual DIRTcar Summer Nationals ushered in a new theme to the iconic Midwest dirt track racing circuit – evolution. A new schedule layout, a new championship format, a new points fund structure, new tracks… the list goes on. Two of the sport’s most talented, youthful drivers went through evolutions of their own over the course of the 29-race journey that spanned 28 tracks in nine states over two calendar months. All of it came to the forefront Saturday night in the season finale at Merritt Speedway. Bobby Pierce – the 24-year-old, newly crowned four-time Summer Nationals champion from Oakwood, IL – tasted evolution over time, seeing his already-decorated career cross into rare air with a fourth championship title, tying him for second-most in tour history with Brian Shirley and Shannon Babb. He also set a new personal best in single-season wins with 13 in 28 starts, or a win percentage of just over 46. “It’s been a while since I’ve won one of these, so to be back on top feels really nice,” Pierce said. Ashton Winger – the 21-year-old rising Super Late Model star from Hampton, GA – kicked off his campaign going through equipment, struggling to earn high-up finishes consistently. Fast forward to the end of August, and he put his Rocket Chassis #12 in the top-five in each of the last 12 races. Airforcealso put a cap on his season with a sixth Feature win Saturday night, collecting the Champions Week points title for an extra $2,000 and passing Tanner English in overall points to secure the runner-up rank. “First two weeks of this deal, I did nothing but crash,” Winger said. “We got the ball rolling a little bit there with a couple podiums, and I felt like we let a couple get away before we ended up winning our first one. “It’s been a really trying year. We had a really, really rough go at the beginning of the year. I’m really thankful that everything’s ended up the way it has. Hopefully, this is not our peak, and we’ve yet to reach that.” Winger began his night at Merritt on the right foot, winning Heat Race #3 and redrawing the pole for the Feature. Outside polesitter Travis Stemler, of Ionia, MI, got the jump on the outside groove and took the early lead, forcing Winger to find a way around him. “When Travis got me on the start there, I was beating myself up pretty bad for just not getting a better launch,” Winger said. While Winger chased down Stemler, consistently running the preferred bottom groove, Devin Moran found something on the middle-top side behind Winger and soon closed the gap to the #12. Winger immediately took notice, moved up to counter Moran’s run and wound-up finding more speed than he thought there would be. “I didn’t realize that top side would be as good as it was,” Winger said. “Hats off to the track crew – they made this thing as racey as it was.” Winger quickly reeled-in Stemler and made the pass for the lead as he crossed the stripe to complete Lap 17. Despite facing several waves of lapped traffic over the final 23 laps, Winger was able to maneuver through and maintain his gap to Moran, cruising across the line to collect the final $10,000 check of the season. Further back in the field was Pierce, who struggled to find the speed he needed to be a factor in the final Feature of the season. He wrapped up his 2021 Hell Tour campaign with a 12th-place result, but left with the biggest check of all, worth $29,000. “I’ve got to give a huge thanks to my dad, Bob Pierce Race Cars, all my crew guys that stuck it out with me this year. All my sponsors… it just takes a huge team effort. My mom, my girlfriend selling t-shirts, anyone that’s helped out there. Day-in and day-out in this heat, it’s a struggle, but when you’re running good, it’s a lot of fun,” Pierce said. The big checks on the wall of the garage look even better to those that helped win them, grinding it out on the trail of the Midwest’s most popular summertime Dirt Late Model series – the Hell Tour. Pierce has plenty of them, and he’s not even close to done with the 2021 racing season yet. “I think this is my 78th race this year,” Pierce said. “Everyone says the Summer Nationals is the ‘Hell Tour’ for a reason… well, we’ve been gone even more days than that. We don’t really get many days off.” And now what started 68 days ago is all said and done. The entire DIRTcar Racing family would like to thank each of the drivers, crews, sponsors, and fans that came out to support the Summer Nationals in its 36th consecutive year. Here’s to an even better 2022! ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results) Feature (40 Laps) 1. 12-Ashton Winger[1]; 2. 9-Devin Moran[3]; 3. 4-Travis Stemler[2]; 4. 42-Chad Finley[4]; 5. 81E-Tanner English[5]; 6. 83- Scott James[6]; 7. 27-Eric Spangler[9]; 8. 14G-Joe Godsey[8]; 9. 19X-Cody Bauer[7]; 10. 74-Mitch McGrath[10]; 11. 6M- Dona Marcoullier[11]; 12. 32-Bobby Pierce[12]; 13. 16B-Joey Burch[14]; 14. 4T-Andrew Terrill[16]; 15. M14-Brandon Thirlby[13]; 16. 11X-Ryan Lanphierd[17]; 17. 16-Mike Staszak[18]; 18. 03-JC Witherspoon[21]; 19. 38-Thomas Hunziker[22]; 20. 15G-Jamie Grochowski[20]; 21. 14R-Jeff Roth[19]; 22. (DNS) 21N-Logan Nickerson MIGHTY MICHIGAN: Poel Earns Eleventh Career Victory in Season Finale at MerrittErickson runner-up in three-straight nights, Hoffman clinches championship The outside groove was faster, and Jacob Poel knew it. With one quick decision and the throttle down just a bit longer on the straightaway, he seized the opportunity to make the pass – and it worked. Now in command with nine laps remaining, Poel looked as if he were going to cruise to his first DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals Feature win of the season, until the caution displayed with two-to-go. “I knew the track was probably better on the bottom, but under caution, I just kinda blew the crumbs off that middle and tried to get as much room as I could,” Poel said. But the Spring Lake, MI-driver stood his ground and defended the top spot from the wrath of Jeffrey Erickson on the green-white-checkered finish, who was starving for his first win with the tour after back-to-back runner-up finishes to pocket his first $1,500 Summit Modified check in the season finale at Merritt Speedway. Earlier in the race, Poel found the upper lane after getting stuck behind Brandon Bollinger. With the halfway point looming, he knew he had to go and make the move. “The track was a little dirty up there and I was like, ‘y’know, I didn’t come here to follow the leader and finish second, or even third,’” Poel said. With the win, Poel becomes the 10th driver to win a Feature with the tour this season. But doing most of the winning this year was a driver who put together the single most dominant season in Summit Modified history. It’s now official – Nick Hoffman has clinched his fourth career Summit Modified championship with an incredible 19 wins in 20 starts. He amassed 937 points – 23 shy of the maximum number of points a driver can earn under the new championship format. While he was unable to be with the tour to close out the season in Michigan as he originally planned, Hoffman is now cashing in on his stellar season and putting his talents to the test behind the wheel of the Scott Bloomquist Racing Late Model while the Hall-of-Fame driver recovers from injury. And now what started 68 days ago is all said and done. The entire DIRTcar Racing family would like to thank each of the drivers, crews, sponsors, and fans that came out to support the Summit Modifieds in its 11th year of competition. Here’s to an even better 2022! ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results) Feature (30 Laps) 1. 82-Jacob Poel[3]; 2. 1E-Jeffery Erickson[1]; 3. 19B-Chad Bauer[5]; 4. 92-Caleb Kill[12]; 5. 47-Collin Thirlby[11]; 6. 242- Brandon Bollinger[2]; 7. 77-Joe Rokos[7]; 8. 36-Kenny Wallace[6]; 9. 99-Hunt Gossum[13]; 10. 42B-Bob Baldwin[9]; 11. 15H-Austin Harnick[19]; 12. 99B-Brent Banning[14]; 13. 1*-Wyatt Baker[15]; 14. 74-Jacob Flickinger[16]; 15. 15-Dave Baker[8]; 16. 4J-Paul Johnson[10]; 17. 20-Kevin Miller[22]; 18. 32-Scott Boyd Jr[20]; 19. 18-Dan Wierman[21]; 20. 95-Chuck Powell[18]; 21. 18S-Jacob Stuhr[4]; 22. 9-Garrett Rons[17]

DIRTcar Summer Nationals is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Chevy Performance, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), FireAde, Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Indiana Decal Company, Intercomp, iRacing, Racing Electronics, SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), Summit Racing Equipment, and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Beyea Custom Headers, COMP Cams, Drydene, Fox Factory, Hoosier Racing Tire, MSD, Quarter Master, Summit Racing Equipment, VP Racing Fuels, and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum).

Summit Modified Nationals is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including : Summit Racing Equipment, Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, Chevy Performance, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), FireAde, Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Indiana Decal Company, Intercomp, iRacing, Racing Electronics, SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel). Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Bassett Racing Wheel, Bell Helmets, Beyea Custom Headers, COMP Cams, Drydene, Fast Shafts, Fox Factory, Hoosier Racing Tire, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, K1 Race Gear, KSE Racing Products, MSD, Mulit FireX, Schoenfeld Headers, Summit Racing Equipment, Velocita USA, VP Racing Fuels, Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum), and Xceldyne.

LE MANS, France (Aug. 22, 2021) – The final dice have been cast in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Corvette Racing part of what is shaping up to be a two-team battle for victory in the GTE Pro category. Jordan Taylor ran second in the No. 63 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R at the 18-hour mark and a little more than a minute behind the class-leading Ferrari. Taylor, Antonio Garcia and Nicky Catsburg were one of three cars still on the lead lap three-quarters into the race. Catsburg set the fastest GTE Pro lap of the race at the end of a storming triple stint with Garcia and Taylor each running strong doubles as the sun rose on Le Mans. Taylor was in the car as the clock struck 18 hours. More bad luck beset the No. 64 Mobil 1/SiriusXM C8.R of Tommy Milner, Nick Tandy and Alexander Sims. After being hit by another car rolling off the grid for the formation lap, the No. 64 Corvette lost time in the garage repairing its damaged diffuser plus repairs to the gearbox, clutch and alternator. It was classified as seventh in class with six hours to go.

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 63 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “The pace during the night was quite OK. It seems like we are right there. Let’s hope we stay close to the Ferrari and stay in touch. In the end, it’s going to be a hard battle but the C8.R feels good. When the fuel load is going down, the car gets quicker and I was lucky to be out there at the right time of day. The track is getting faster and faster. It was a nice stint to dawn. Last evening it started to rain and it took a very long time to dry up completely. There was a dry line but as soon as you had to overtake, it was very difficult. Now the track is getting drier and it’s easier to attack so you can push the limits and overtake. The track is in very good shape right now.”