• Dodge//SRT and Mopar entries made their first qualifying runs under the lights on Friday night at Bandimere Speedway for the Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals Presented by Pennzoil near Denver
• Reigning Funny Car World Champion Matt Hagan charged to provisional No.1 qualifier position in a quest for his first win of the season and a coveted first Wally trophy at the Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals aboard his Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Funny Car
• Despite a setback in Friday qualifying Leah Pruett stills seeks to repeat her 2017 and 2018 No. 1 qualifier performances at Denver to put her DSR Mopar Dodge SRT Redeye Top Fuel dragster atop the eliminations ladder for Sunday’s Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals
• Pruett and teammate Mark Pawuk took their Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak vehicles for two runs in Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown (FSS) Friday qualifying as the eight race series makes its Denver debut

July 16, 2021, Morrison, Colorado – Dodge//SRT and Mopar entries kicked off the 41^stedition of the Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals Presented by Pennzoil, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series event held near Denver, Colorado, with Friday night qualifying runs under the lights at Bandimere Speedway.

Reigning Funny Car World Champion Matt Hagan charged to provisional No.1 qualifier position aboard his Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Funny Car in his quest to earn his first national event win of the 2021 NHRA season and a coveted Wally trophy at the Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals. Hagan powered his Mopar to the top spot with a 3.966-second elapsed time run at 319.22 mph at the picturesque drag strip known as Thunder Mountain set 5,800 feet above sea-level. While a win at his sponsor’s title event has eluded him in 12 previous attempts, Hagan best performances on the all-concrete track include No. 1 qualifier position in 2010 and a runner-up finish in 2011.

Running alongside Hagan in the adjacent lane was DSR teammate Ron Capps who powered his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to the provisional No.3 spot with 3.986 second pass at 318.09 mph. Capps previously took home No.1 qualifier honors and a Wally trophy from Bandimere in 2009 along with three runner-up finishes (1998, 2007, 2018) in 23 attempts. Capps has qualified in the top-five at every event so far this year aboard his HEMI®-powered Hellcat.

While fellow Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat driver Cruz Pedregon powered off early on his first run, he and his Snap-on Tools Pedregon Racing team remain in high spirits after consistent improvements this season resulted in a trip to the winner’s circle at the previous event in Norwalk, Ohio. In 27 Funny Car appearances at Bandimere Speedway, Pedregon has won twice (1993 and 2013), posted three runner-up finishes (2003, 2004, and 2006) and two No. 1 qualifier positions (2011 and 2013).

While DSR Top Fuel pilot Leah Pruett wasn’t able to make her first run of the weekend after a mechanical issue on the burnout, she wasn’t discouraged and expects to make some solid passes on Saturday evening aboard her Mopar Dodge//SRT Redeye dragster in an effort to repeat her No. 1 qualifier positions in both 2017 and 2018 resulting in a runner-up finish and a win respectively. She also set the current track record elapsed time run of 3.733 seconds in optimal cooler conditions in 2017.

Pruett was also back at the wheel of her 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak for two Friday qualifying sessions at the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown (FSS) debut at Denver, the fourth event of the eight-race series and is looking forward to running two more qualifying laps on Saturday to improve on her best pass of 8.991 sec. at 154.21 mph. Fellow DSR-prepared Drag Pak driver Mark Pawuk took his Empaco Equipment Dodge Challenger for two consistent runs that put him among the top-five with a best pass of 8.330 sec. at 164.73 mph.

All the on-track action at the Dodge//SRT Mile High Nationals Presented by Pennzoil will be live streamed via NHRA.TV throughout the weekend, while FS1 will provide television highlights of qualifying on Saturday, July 17, from 2-3 p.m. ET  and Sunday, July 18, from 3-4 p.m. ET, with coverage of Sunday’s elimination rounds from 4-7 p.m. ET. This weekend’s event kicks off the NHRA’s three-race western swing which includes Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California, and Pomona Fairplex in Pomona, California, over consecutive weeks.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES

FUNNY CAR:

Matt Hagan, DSR Pennzoil Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye

(No. 1 Qualifier – 3.966 seconds at 319.22 mph) 

Qualifying 1: 3.966 sec./ 319.22 mph

Okay, we’re back, baby, we’re back! Dickie Venables is putting the tune-up up here on the mountain, and the car felt great and ran great. It ran on all eight cylinders and I can’t ask for anything more than that. It’s the Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals, we’re running the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye, and it’s time we put this thing in the winner’s circle after more than a decade of trying.”

Ron Capps, DSR NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat

(No. 3 Qualifier – 3.986 seconds at 318.09 mph)

Qualifying 1: 3.986 sec./ 318.09 mph

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

(No. 10 Qualifier – 7.657 seconds at 82.65 mph)

Qualifying 1:  7.657 sec./ 82.65 mph

TOP FUEL:

Leah Pruett, DSR Pennzoil Mopar Dodge//SRT Dragster  

(No. 13 Qualifier – No Time)

Qualifying 1: No Time

FACTORY STOCK SHOOTOUT:

Leah Pruett, 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak –

(No. 13 Qualifier – 8.991 seconds at 154.21 mph)

Qualifying 1: 8.991 sec. / 154.21 mph

Qualifying 2: 11.831 sec. / 78.16 mph

Mark Pawuk, Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak– Factory Stock Shootout

(No. 5 Qualifier – x seconds at x mph)

Qualifying 1: 8.381 sec. / 164.75 mph

Qualifying 2: 8.330 sec. / 164.73 mph

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

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

Milner second in GTLM qualifying as rain looms for Saturday’s all-GT race

LAKEVILLE, Conn. (July 16, 2021) – Jordan Taylor claimed the overall pole position for the Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park on Friday to lead a 1-2 result for Corvette Racing.Taylor, driving the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R with Antonio Garcia, set a best GT Le Mans (GTLM) lap of 49.958 (106.216 mph) in a 15-minute session for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Saturday’s 3:10 p.m. ET race, with rain predicted, will be an all-GT affair with GTLM and GT Daytona (GTD) headlining IMSA’s return to Lime Rock Park. Taylor and teammate Antonio Garcia enter Lime Rock after back-to-back victories at Watkins Glen and lead the GTLM Drivers Championship, as does Chevrolet in the Manufacturers standings. Taylor outqualified Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette by just 0.142 seconds. Milner and Nick Tandy were second in the most recent GTLM race at Watkins Glen behind the No. 3 C8.R but were in winning positions in both races at The Glen. They also won the non-points Detroit round in mid-June. Corvette Racing is a five-time winner at Lime Rock but this is the first race the seven-turn, 1.474-mile circuit for the Corvette C8.R, a shot at an overall race victory during one of the busiest races on the calendar. Like Watkins Glen within the last month, Lime Rock Park was one venue at which the Corvette C8.R didn’t compete during its debut season. That didn’t impact the team during the back-to-back weekends at Watkins Glen, however, when Corvette Racing took the race win, pole position and fastest race lap in both the six-hour enduro and two-hour, 40-minute sprint race. The Northeast Grand Prix from Lime Rock Park will air at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 17 with live streaming coverage on TrackPass and NBC Sports Gold at 3:05 p.m. ET. Live audio coverage from IMSA Radio will be available on IMSA.com, Sirius 216, XM 202 and SiriusXM Online 992.

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM POLE-WINNER: “It’s been a busy day. It’s the first time with the C8.R at Lime Rock. Unfortunately we didn’t race here last year, so we’re learning a lot. We had a dry session, a damp session and then qualifying. So we’ve proved that the car is good in all conditions here. It was a good lap to get the pole, and the guys have done a good job leading into this weekend. It’s a new track for us with this car so rolling off the truck strong was important. It was good but we’ve been making some changes to see how the car reacts. So far so good but tomorrow could be a different story.”MORE ON QUALIFYING: “Today was a busy day with two practices and qualifying. It’s the first time we’ve had the C8.R here at Lime Rock, so a lot of work went into this weekend with a lot of preparation. We rolled off the truck very strong. We made some changes through Practice Two even though it was damp to get a read on it. Obviously in qualifying the car was quite strong. The biggest thing was just finding a clear lap with the GTD cars on track. Obviously it’s been a good run for the 3 car so far this season, but at the same time the 4 car has been on our tail every weekend. It’s good to have that intra-team battle. I think we’ll have that all day tomorrow.”RACING FOR OVERALL VICTORY THIS WEEKEND: “I was thinking about that this morning. When you go to the drivers’ briefing, the front-row guys usually go and talk to the Race Director because you’re leading the field. It will be different not having anyone in front of us and not having prototypes coming around in traffic. In one aspect, it will be easier without the traffic but at the same time the intensity will be super-high just because you’re flat-out the whole time. It’s difficult to pass the GTD guys so it will be tricky in traffic. I think strategy could come into play tomorrow. It should be a good race.”PLACES FOR IMPROVEMENT: “Today was messy with the conditions. Antonio started this morning on new tires, and I got in on older tires. The afternoon session was damp so I drove on rain tires and then in the intermediate conditions we went to slicks. Everyone in GTLM was kind of figuring out what it was like on new tires in the dry here. We weren’t here last year so there’s a lot to learn. For me, there was a lot of experimenting. Brake points were different. Carrying speed through Turn Six and Turn Seven… I had a couple of big moments just because I thought I could carry a lot more speed than I actually could. But it’s good to have that in my pocket for tomorrow to know where the limits are.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – QUALIFIED SECOND IN GTLM: “We just missed it a bit with the setup. We’re still working on getting the balance where we need to be. Tomorrow is going to be the challenge if it’s dry with the high temps and the tire degradation. If it’s wet, which is looking likely, that presents its own challenges as well. We got some good work in today but the majority will come tomorrow in warmup to make any last-minute improvements.”

Mario Farnbacher runs second-fastest in pro-driver qualifying session
Till Bechtolsheimer and Jeff Kingsley post top-10 efforts in their qualifying runs

Lime Rock, CT. (July 16, 2021) – Mario Farnbacher and Till Bechtolsheimer led the way for Acura today at Lime Rock Park, in qualifying for Saturday’s Northeast Grand Prix, a GT-only round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Piloting his Compass Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo, Farnbacher battled with Jack Hawksworth for maximum championship points in the “pro” driver qualifying, but ended the 15-minute session second in the GTD class, by the narrow margin of just 0.048 seconds.

In the first half of IMSA’s unique GTD qualifying format, for Bronze and Silver-rated drivers, Till Bechtolsheimer headed the Acura effort, qualifying ninth in the Gradient Racing Acura he will share with Marc Miller. Farnbacher’s co-driver, Jeff Kingsley, will start 10th; with the Magnus Racing with Archangel duo of Andy Lally and John Potter starting 13th.

IMSA Northeast Grand Prix Honda GTD Qualifying Results/Starting Positions
9th GTD – #66 Till Bechtolsheimer, Marc Miller, Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo
10th GTD – #76 Jeff Kingsley, Mario Farnbacher, Compass Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo
13th GTD – #44 John Potter, Andy Lally, Magnus Racing with Archangel Acura NSX GT3 Evo

Quote
Mario Farnbacher (#66 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo): Earned second-place qualifying points in his session; co-driver Jeff Kingsley will start 10th: “We made big progress with the car throughout the day. We made some big changes to the car [after the first practice], but unfortunately the second practice was interrupted [by rain, lightning], so it was difficult to compare. There were some big question marks for us heading into qualifying, but were able to do a good lap [second fastest]. We’ll take the championship points and prepare for tomorrow.”

Fast Facts
Saturday’s two-hour, 40-minute Northeast Grand Prix is the first of two IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship stand-alone events for the production-based GTLM and GTD classes. The second GT-only race will take place at Virginia International Raceway in October.

IMSA’s Prototype category is not a part of the IMSA weekend at Lime Rock, but the Acura ARX-05s will return to the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for the following round, August 6-8 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Where to Watch the Northeast Grand Prix
Same-day television coverage from Lime Rock Park begins at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 17, on the NBC Sports Network. Complete, flag-to-flag race coverage also will be available NBC Sports Gold TrackPass, on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App with NBCSN authentication.
Fans can listen in to audio commentary via IMSA.com, RadioLeMans.com and Sirius XM Radio [Sirius 216, XM 202, SiriusXM Online 992]; and follow the race live via in-car cameras, IMSA Radio and timing & scoring available worldwide on IMSA.com and the IMSA mobile device App.

Acura Motorsports social media content and video links from Lime Rock Park can be found on Instagram (www.instagram.com/hondaracing_hpd), Twitter (twitter.com/HondaRacing_HPD) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD). Additional features and long-form videos can be found on the Honda Racing/HPD YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV).

July 16, 2021

With their mid-season slump starting to look like a thing of the past, Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are headed to New Hampshire Motor Speedway hoping to post their third top-10 finish this month, and DiBenedetto will be seeking his third-straight finish of sixth or better on the Magic Mile in Loudon.

DiBenedetto finished fifth at New Hampshire in 2019 driving for his previous team then was sixth last year in the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang. He said he feels good about his prospects in Sunday’s Foxwoods Resort Casino 301.

“New Hampshire is a place I always have circled off as being excited to go to,” he said. “I love the low downforce/high horsepower races the most. It fits my driving style for sure.”
 
“Our cars have been strong there so I’m excited to see if we can go contend for the win.”
 
Sunday’s 301-lap race is relatively short compared to others on the Cup schedule, and that offers some opportunities for strategy calls that might not work in a longer event.

“It’s a pretty short race, and sometimes strategy is big if cautions fall at odd times,” DiBenedetto said.

DiBenedetto added that he believes the No. 21 team, which is coming off top-10 finishes at Atlanta and Road America, has developed good chemistry between driver, crew chief and crew and is poised to lead laps and compete for race wins.

“We are in the best position we have ever been to go out there and feel like we can absolutely win.”
 
With no practice or qualifying this weekend, DiBenedetto is set to start 14th on Sunday, as starting positions were determined based on the teams’ performances in the most recent race, at Atlanta Motor Speedway where DiBenedetto finished ninth.
 
The Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 is set to start just after 3 p.m. Eastern Time with TV coverage on NBCSN. Stage breaks are scheduled for Laps 75 and 185.
 

Pierce slides English in closing laps to finish ahead again, extends points lead MUSKEGON, MI – July 15, 2021 – For as hard as he and his team worked to get their first win, Ashton Winger made his second career DIRTcar Summer Nationals victory look like he’d done it a hundred times before with a clean sweep of Thursday night’s visit to Thunderbird Raceway. The 21-year-old Hell Tour rookie was fastest in Hot Laps, set quick time in Qualifying, won his Heat Race and the 40-lap Feature to collect his second $5,000 check of the season in front of a packed house, watching him emerge victorious in Victory Lane to his signature Hulk smash-like roof dance celebration. Winger also topped all of the Michigan DIRTcar Late Model regulars in the field, who showed up in full-force to help create a stacked 42-car field. Despite their best efforts to defeat the Summer Nationals regulars, they were unable to best the Georgia boy, who crossed the line a near five seconds over second-place Bobby Pierce. Winger started on the outside pole and trailed polesitter Tanner English, of Benton, KY, in the early going. And unlike most tour rookies, Winger did not need a caution to track down the leader. In fact, not a single yellow flag was displayed in the race that took just under 10 minutes to complete. “I was a little worried on the start. Anytime we’re going to a racetrack with a little bit harder tire, it’s a gamble,” Winger, of Hampton, GA, said in Victory Lane. Winger held onto the middle-high groove around the third-mile oval and got a great run to English’s outside on Lap 15. A smooth exit off of Turn 4 was enough to nip English at the line and give him his first lap led in the race. From there on out, it was domination time in any lane he chose. “I moved around a little bit whenever Tanner [English] had to move around some of them guys. I found a line that was good for me, and really I could maneuver all over, but I was just lucky the cards fell the way they did… shoot, three or four cautions there and we could be looking at a different scenario,” Winger said. Behind him, a war was waging for the runner-up spot between English and Pierce. Pierce, of Oakwood, IL, began pounding the high side of the speedway, working his way toward English’s bumper. His first pass for second came in a cluster of slower cars on Lap 26, just barely crossing the stripe before English to be scored second on that lap. But English had the clearer lane around the bottom and drove away with the spot. Pierce reeled him back in as traffic cleared up, and with just seven laps remaining, he put a big slide job on English in Turns 3-4 to take the spot back for good and increase his points lead yet again. English finished right behind in third, but lost another five points in the standings as he chases his first career Summer Nationals crown. UP NEXT The Summer Nationals Late Models are back in action Friday night at Hartford Raceway for the first $10,000-to-win show of the weekend. Catch all the action live on DIRTVision presented by Drydene. ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results) Feature (40 Laps) 1. 12-Ashton Winger[1]; 2. 32-Bobby Pierce[8]; 3. 81E-Tanner English[2]; 4. 55-Jeep Van Wormer[3]; 5. 4-Travis Stemler[4]; 6. 91-Rusty Schlenk[9]; 7. M14-Brandon Thirlby[10]; 8. 21N-Logan Nickerson[7]; 9. 23V-Ryan Vanderveen[18]; 10. 74-Mitch McGrath[5]; 11. 14G-Joe Godsey[11]; 12. 6M-Dona Marcoullier[6]; 13. 27-Eric Spangler[13]; 14. 48-Tim Lance[15]; 15. 15-Dave Baker[17]; 16. 16-Garrett Wiles[12]; 17. 87-Rich Neiser[21]; 18. 1S-Andrew Sprague[16]; 19. 19X- Cody Bauer[20]; 20. 21S-Tom Sprague Jr[14]; 21. 14R-Jeff Roth[19]; 22. 148-Tim Lance Jr[22] FOURTEEN AND COUNTING: Hoffman Breaks Single-Season Wins Record with Thunderbird Checkers When Nick Hoffman set out on the trail of the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals this year, it wasn’t just to try and win his third-straight, fourth career championship – he was also aiming to break his own record of 13 wins in a single season. After Thursday night’s dominating exhibit at Thunderbird Raceway, he can consider it done and history made, as he’s now the sole owner of 14 wins in one season. As if that weren’t impressive enough, he did it in exactly that many starts, too. And he’s not done yet. “I don’t actually know how many races are left, but I’d like to get into the 20s,” Hoffman, of Mooresville, NC, said in Victory Lane. “Just take it one night at a time and go from there.” Similar to Wednesday night at Circle City, Hoffman started third and did not lead the opening laps. Polesitter Curt Spalding jumped out to the early lead with Jacob Poel behind him. While Poel rolled the low-middle groove of the super slick, third-mile oval, Hoffman dug to his inside and took the spot away as they clicked off Lap 5. It wasn’t five laps later before Hoffman did the same thing to Spalding for the lead. “I was trying to roll Jacob through the middle and just couldn’t get by him, so I chose to get back to the bottom,” Hoffman said. “When I was riding behind Curt, I was like, ‘well this race is probably going to be won in lapped traffic,’ and then he slipped up in Turns 3-4.” Now with the lead and a preferable glass-smooth track underneath him, Hoffman cruised to the checkers with a whopping 8-plus second gap to Spalding at the line. Jeffrey Erickson finished third, Hunt Gossum ran fourth while Poel slipped back to fifth. UP NEXT The Summit Modifieds are back in action Friday night at Hartford Raceway for another battle against Michigan’s finest UMP Modified talent. Catch all the action live on DIRTVision presented by Drydene. ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results) Feature (25 Laps) 1. 2-Nick Hoffman[3]; 2. 5CS-Curt Spalding[1]; 3. 1E-Jeffery Erickson[5]; 4. 99-Hunt Gossum[4]; 5. 82-Jacob Poel[2]; 6. 38- Mitchell Hunt[6]; 7. 8C-Corey Bevard[8]; 8. 65-Todd Sherman[9]; 9. 92-Caleb Kill[12]; 10. 25-Josh Lolmaugh[11]; 11. 19- Chad Bauer[10]; 12. 4-Logan Beckwith[17]; 13. 1*-Wyatt Baker[18]; 14. 14-Mark Shook[15]; 15. 26P-Nathan Patrick[14]; 16. 21-Tom Sprague Jr[7]; 17. 81-Rick Swartout[22]; 18. 42-Bob Baldwin[16]; 19. 0-Darrick Guikema; 20. 9-Garrett Rons[20]; 21. 4M-Tim Monroe[19]; 22. 12M-John McClure[13]

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.

Batavia, OH (July 15, 2021) – After 14 Brandon Ford TV Races, the points battle is heating up. The Brandon Ford TV Race Challenge will award points to drivers at the televised events broadcast on Network TV within the series schedule in 2021. The winner of the Brandon Ford TV Race Challenge will receive a $10,000 cash award, while second and third will receive $3,000 and $2,000 respectively at the year-end awards banquet. There have been several movers and shakers within the Brandon Ford TV Challenge Point category. Tim McCreadie, Josh Richards, and Mike Marlar are three drivers that have continued to move up the ladder since Speedweeks until now. Hudson O’Neal has remained in one of the top two spots, while Kyle Bronson moved from fifth into fourth after the Clash at the Mag weekend at Magnolia Motor Speedway.  McCreadie has not finished outside of the top ten in a TV Challenge race or series points race since Speedweeks, so it is no surprise that he sits on top of both categories. Other than a 15th place finish on Friday at the Clash at the Mag, Richards hasn’t finished outside of the top five in a TV Challenge race since Speedweeks. Competition continues in the Brandon Ford TV Challenge during the remainder of July during races in Granite City, IL (Tri-City Speedway), Wheatland, MO (Lucas Oil Speedway), and Greenwood, NE (I-80 Speedway) for nearly $650,000 in purse money on the line over the next two weeks. This year’s NAPA Know How 50 on Friday, July 16th will be taped for broadcast on MAVTV Motorsports Network, CBS Sports Network, and NBCSN, later in the year. Saturday, July 17th’s 15th Annual CMH Diamond Nationals will be taped for broadcast on MAVTV Motorsports Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, and NBCSN, later in the year. Both nights will be live on MAVTV Plus streaming service. Teams will be back at it for five nights of racing at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, NE. Tuesday, July 20th and Wednesday, July 21st will be a pair of $7,000-to-win shows to line up for Thursday’s $30,000-to-win Al Belt Custom Homes I-80 Nationals. On Friday, July 23rd, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series teams will compete in two rounds of heat races to line up for Saturday’s $53,000-to-win Imperial Tile Silver Dollar Nationals. Tuesday, July 20th through Friday, July 23rd will be taped for a delayed broadcast on MAVTV Motorsports Network. Saturday’s show is not only taped for delayed broadcast on MAVTV Motorsports Network, but also for CBS Sports Network and NBCSN. All five nights of racing from I-80 Speedway will also be live on MAVTV Plus streaming service. With 18 Network TV races remaining, Tim McCreadie leads over Hudson O’Neal, while Josh Richards, Kyle Bronson, and Mike Marlar round out the top five in the Brandon Ford TV Race Challenge standings. For a complete list of standings visit: https://lucasdirt.com/points/2021-points Brandon Ford, the World’s Largest Volume Ford Dealer, provides the Official Pace Truck of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. In 2021, Brandon Ford expanded their partnership of the premier national tour to include support of the TV Race Challenge. The talent of the nation’s top dirt late model drivers will be put on display along the way, not only at each venue during the live streams on MAVTV Plus, but also during the 32 broadcast events on the MAVTV Motorsports Network, 14 events on CBS Sports Network, 5 events on CBS, and 12 events on the NBC Sports Network. Brandon Ford, located in Tampa, FL, has won Ford’s prestigious President’s Award 17 years in a row, saluting the top-performing Ford and Lincoln dealerships that pursue excellence in the highest levels of customer satisfaction in both sales and service. Brandon Ford has one of the largest inventories of new and pre-owned vehicles in the nation. To learn more about Brandon Ford or if you are interested in purchasing a vehicle, visit: www.brandonford.com.

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.

Richard Childress Racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway…  In 130 NASCAR Cup Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has recorded four wins with drivers Robby Gordon (2001), Kevin Harvick (2006), and Clint Bowyer (2007 & 2010) and secured 16 top-five and 42 top-10 finishes. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the the “Magic Mile”, the Welcome, N.C. organization has earned one win, 15 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes over 50 starts.  Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series’ Loudon 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be televised live Saturday, July 17, beginning at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  The NASCAR Cup Series’ Loudon 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be televised live Sunday, July 18, beginning at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN and will be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

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Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at New Hampshire Motor Speedway… Dillon has made 11 previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, earning his best finish of eighth in July 2015. In six NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the track, Dillon has earned four top-five and five top-10 finishes. Dillon is a former winner at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Truck Series, winning the race from the pole position in 2015. About Chevrolet… Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com. AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:What are your thoughts on New Hampshire Motor Speedway?“New Hampshire Motor Speedway has always been a really fun track. I love going there. It’s a flat track. Entry is fun there. It’s different. It’s a different type of feel than what we have anywhere. You slide the left rear into the corner and you pick up the right front and the first person to get back to the gas is going to be good.” If you were to win Loudon the Lobster, the monster trophy that’s given out to drivers when they win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, what would you do with it?“Oh man. I’d probably get a fish tank and keep him in it. I’d give him a good home so that he could live out his days comfortably as a trophy.”

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Cat #WeDigLandscaping Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at New Hampshire Motor Speedway… Reddick has one previous NASCAR Cup Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, finishing 10th at the “Magic Mile” last year. Reddick also has one top-five finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at New Hampshire (2019), as well as one top-five and two top-10 finishes (2016, 2014) in the NASCAR Truck Series. About Cat Next Gen Mini Hydraulic Excavators and NALP… The 302.7 CR, 303 CR and 303.5 CR featured on RCR’s No. 8 Chevrolet represent the just launched 2.7-3.5 ton class machines and are built on the Next Generation platform offering a consistent operator experience throughout the Cat 1.5-10 ton mini excavator range. Each new model offers industry-first features as standard including stick steer, cruise control, operator adjustable settings and easy serviceability with a tilt-up canopy or sealed and pressurized cab – all design enhancements made with the operator in mind to increase efficiency, serviceability and comfort and lower costs. Additionally, the car features customer names from National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) and Milton Cat to recognize key landscaping companies who work in the field each and every day and rely on mini excavators to get their work done. We thank these customers, NALP and Milton Cat who are vital to the growth and development of our products. TYLER REDDICK QUOTE: You earned a top-10 finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in your rookie Cup season without any practice beforehand. What do you make of going back to the “Magic Mile” this weekend with one Cup race there under your belt?“New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a track that I’ve had to work really hard at to understand how to run better and get around there properly. I put a lot of work in over the off-season to be better at places like short tracks and road courses where you use a lot of brake, and New Hampshire is a track where you definitely need to manage your brakes well. We’ve done a really good job this year improving at tracks I found challenging before, so I’m excited to see what that means for New Hampshire this Sunday. I’m looking forward to the race, but I also know it’ll take a solid day from start to finish to remain in contention. Track position is important this weekend and executing all the little details perfectly when you have good track position is what it takes to run well and potentially win at Loudon, which is what we’re striving for with the No. 8 Cat #WeDigLandscaping Chevrolet.”

Myatt Snider and the No. 2 Crosley Furniture Chevrolet Camaro at New Hampshire Motor Speedway… Snider will make his first career start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this Saturday. The 26-year-old driver has never competed on the 1.058-mile oval in any series, but has spent time with both Richard Childress Racing Cup Series drivers – Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick – to prepare for his track debut. About Crosley Brands… For over 30 years, Crosley Brands has been a leader in the nostalgic electronics category. From their beginning in the premium incentive industry, Crosley Brands developed their own exclusive product lines and built solid relationships with some of the most well-known catalogers and retailers in the business. Today, Crosley Brands is known for two brands – Crosley Radio and Crosley Furniture. At the front lines of the Vinyl Revolution, Crosley Radio seeks to bring new life to a classic medium, with its revolutionary line of turntables to its new series of high-fidelity units. Building on a legacy of entrepreneurship, Crosley Furniture delivers quality products at competitive prices, without sacrificing style. From the patio to the kitchen, bath, entryway and beyond, Crosley Furniture offers over 1,800 indoor and outdoor furniture items in a variety of categories and designs. For more information, please visit www.crosleybrands.com. MYATT SNIDER QUOTE:You have never raced previously raced at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. What have your preparations looked like leading into this race? “The good thing is that Richard Childress Racing is a very experienced organization when it comes to running Xfinity Series cars at New Hampshire. I have been leaning on both of our Cup guys – Austin Dillon and Tyler Reddick – to get their advice on how to approach the track. It has been extremely helpful to understand what to expect at a flat track like Loudon and how to get faster throughout the race. My crew has a lot of experience at New Hampshire as well, so there is a wealth of experience that I’m able to pull from.”  “I also think this weekend should play into some of my strengths as a short track racer. I grew up racing at Martinsville Speedway, so I think that will play into our speed on Saturday and it should be a good result for our Crosley Furniture team.”

Second-Generation Driver Set to Race in NASCAR Cup Series in Iconic No. 21 Ford Mustang
STUART, VA (July 15, 2021) – Harrison Burton, a second-generation driver and four-time NASCAR Xfinity Series race winner, will pilot the famed No. 21 Ford Mustang for Wood Brothers Racing beginning in 2022, the team announced today. Burton will become the latest driver in a long list of legendary names that have piloted the No. 21 Ford for the Woods when he takes over the seat beginning at the 2022 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Austin Cindric, who had previously been announced as the driver for the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford Mustang in 2022, will now move over to Team Penske to drive the team’s No. 2 Mustang, opening the door for Burton to make a jump to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time.

Burton, the son of former NASCAR Cup Series driver and current NBC race analyst Jeff Burton, has been a mainstay in NASCAR’s lower divisions since arriving on the scene in the Truck Series at just 18 years of age in 2019. In 2020, Burton won four races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (Fontana, Homestead, Texas and Martinsville) en route to a seventh-place finish in the final point standings and series Rookie of the Year honors.

This season, the 20-year-old Burton has five top-fives and 11 top-10 finishes in 18 races and sits fifth in the Xfinity Series point standings.   

“Since I began racing quarter midgets, the hope and goal was always to become a full-time driver in the NASCAR Cup Series,” said Burton. “Now, I get to do this with one of the most storied teams in NASCAR history in the Wood Brothers and with an association with Ford Motor Company and Ford Performance. I don’t think I could have dreamt of a better situation to put myself in when it comes to the start of my NASCAR Cup Series career. Add to that the technical alliance with Team Penske and the knowledge I’ll gain from working with their drivers and I’m really excited for 2022 and the future. This is a great opportunity for me and I can’t thank Eddie and Len Wood enough for giving me this chance.”  

Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active NASCAR team and one of the winningest teams in series history. The team currently has 99 victories at NASCAR’s top level, with the likes of David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Neil Bonnett, Dan Gurney, AJ Foyt and Buddy Baker all visiting Victory Lane with the team. The organization also currently enjoys a technical relationship with Team Penske, which will continue into 2022, along with major support from Ford Performance. 

Sponsorship for the No. 21 will be announced at a later date, but will once again include support from Ford Quick Lane and Motorcraft. 

“As a team owner, you always want to keep an eye for the future and what’s best for your organization in hopes to set yourself up for success long-term,” said team President and Co-Owner Eddie Wood. “As things have progressed and changed over the last few months, we had the chance to look at what our options are and when we determined that Harrison would be available for our team, we wanted to jump at the opportunity to work with him. Harrison is young, but comes from a family full of successful race car drivers. The advice and support they can offer to Harrison as he makes this transition will be very important to his success. What a lot of us forget is that he is not even 21 years old yet and has only been racing in both the Truck Series and Xfinity Series for a couple of years. So when we looked at the future and finding someone to build our program around, Harrison seemed like a great option.”

“We are quite excited to begin working with Harrison and 2022 is perfect timing,” said team Co-Owner Len Wood. “With the introduction of the new NextGen car next year, we have the ability to grow with him and build our program around what he wants. We don’t want to say it puts him on a level playing field, because there are a lot of great drivers in the Cup Series, but having a rookie come in at the same time a new car is introduced will help build us a solid foundation and hopefully get us off to a strong start.”

Additional details surrounding the 2022 season, including partners, will be announced at a later date.

Teams Prepare for Thursday’s $175,000/Win Kings RoyalROSSBURG, OH – July 15, 2021 – Carson Macedo has created a habit of shining at the biggest venues in Sprint Car racing lately.Entering this season – as he transitioned to the Jason Johnson Racing #41 – Macedo had never won a World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series race at Williams Grove Speedway, Knoxville Raceway, or Eldora Speedway. It’s now July, and he’s won at all three iconic facilities.The Big E was his latest breakthrough on Wednesday night, dominating the Jokers Wild to earn his first-ever trip to victory lane in Rossburg, OH.Most impressive in his route of the daunting 1/2-mile was in fact, his opening 1/2-mile of the feature. Starting sixth, Macedo took it four-wide at the flag stand, darted to the bottom of turn one to steal another spot, and then cleared a slide job into turn three to pass five cars and take the lead on the opening lap.Once into the lead, Macedo set the cruise control and ran off into lap traffic. He encountered several restarts, but nothing could stop the Lemoore, CA native. He survived to score his sixth victory of the season and 12th of his World of Outlaws career.”It’s a really good time to be quick right now,” Macedo mentioned. “This crew is firing on all cylinders. Philip Dietz is one of the best in the business, and we’ve got Clyde Knipp and Nate Repetz both doing a killer job as well. I told Phil at the beginning of the year that I really wanted a win at Eldora. This is one of my favorite tracks, but I’ve never been able to get it done here until now.”Macedo’s $10,000 Jokers Wild win came against the largest field (57 cars) of the season for The Greatest Show on Dirt. Even more cars are expected to pile into the pit area tomorrow as the 38th Kings Royal offers a $175,000 payday to the man who wins it all.On Wednesday, it was all about fine-tuning your equipment with big money on the line come Thursday.”Our half-mile package is incredible right now,” Macedo spoke on the #41. “Philip does such a great job 0f watching the car and understanding what I need. You have to have a really well balanced car to win at places like this, and we’ve really got our balance figured out right now. I can cut nice, smooth laps without too much effort.”After starting on the pole position, Brian Brown settled for a second-place finish to kick off the four-night stretch at Eldora. His resurgence comes amid a change in personnel as he brought uncle and National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Danny Lasoski on board to take over Crew Chief duties. The decision has immediately paid off.”You know I haven’t smiled in awhile,” Brown candidly spoke. “It’s so good to be in contention for a win against these guys. Up front and on TV is where the #21 and our partners belong. This is only night one and I’m pumped. Driver error cost me the lead and let Carson get by, but its awesome to be this good this early here.”David Gravel rounded out the podium on Wednesday night with a last-lap pass lifting him over Kerry Madsen for the third spot.”I hurt myself on the start, but the car really came around and came to life at the end,” Gravel noted. “That makes me feel good heading into these next three nights. Tomorrow is a whole different ball game, so we’ll see what kind of hand we’re dealt.”Kerry Madsen aboard the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #14 and Aaron Reutzel in the Roth Motorsports #83 closed out the top-five.Also finishing in the top-10 was four-time winner Ian Madsen in sixth, eight-time winner Rico Abreu in seventh, five-time winner Brent Marks in eighth, 27-time winner Paul McMahan in ninth, and 21-time winner Kyle Larson with a 21st-to-1oth run worthy of the KSE Racing Hard Charger Award.UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will be back at Eldora Speedway tomorrow, Thursday, July 15 for the 38th running of the Kings Royal. A unique format awaits The Greatest Show on Dirt with $175,000 going to the winner and the right to be called King.NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 41-Carson Macedo [6][$10,000]; 2. 21-Brian Brown [1][$6,000]; 3. 2-David Gravel [5][$3,500]; 4. 14-Kerry Madsen [4][$2,800]; 5. 83-Aaron Reutzel [7][$2,500]; 6. 49X-Ian Madsen [8][$2,300]; 7. 24-Rico Abreu [14][$2,200]; 8. 19M-Brent Marks [18][$2,100]; 9. 5-Paul McMahan [2][$2,050]; 10. 57-Kyle Larson [21][$2,000]; 11. 49-Brad Sweet [9][$1,600]; 12. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [10][$1,400]; 13. 15-Donny Schatz [15][$1,200]; 14. 18-Giovanni Scelzi [22][$1,100]; 15. 11-Spencer Bayston [24][$1,050]; 16. 39-Daryn Pittman [11][$1,000]; 17. 10-Zeb Wise [12][$1,000]; 18. 1S-Logan Schuchart [23][$1,000]; 19. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [3][$1,000]; 20. 11K-Kraig Kinser [25][$]; 21. 9-James McFadden [16][$1,000]; 22. 7BC-Tyler Courtney [19][$1,000]; 23. 26-Cory Eliason [17][$1,000]; 24. 15H-Sam Hafertepe [13][$1,000]; 25. 10B-Dave Blaney [20][$1,000]. Lap Leaders: Carson Macedo 1-25. KSE Hard Charger Award: 57-Kyle Larson[+11]NEW Championship Standings (43/81 Races): 1. Brad Sweet (6,046); 2. Carson Macedo (-120); 3. David Gravel (-132); 4. Sheldon Haudenschild (-224); 5. Donny Schatz (-244); 6. Logan Schuchart (-248); 7. Aaron Reutzel (-378); 8. James McFadden (-674); 9. Kraig Kinser (-784); 10. Brock Zearfoss (-1016).Photo – Trent Gower

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink® Sprint Car 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), NOS Energy (Official Energy Product), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); contingency sponsors include ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, KSE Racing Products (Hard Charger Award), MSD and Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award); manufacturer sponsors include FireAde, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, and Racing Electronics.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 all World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.

Career Victory No. 35 ties Pierce with Shirley for fourth-most all-time

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – July 14, 2021 – As a three-time DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion, Bobby Pierce knows a lot of the tracks on the schedule like the back of his hand. And while no driver in the pit area had any major abundance of laps around the Circle City Raceway, Pierce showed he knew it better than anyone else in the field Wednesday night, earning his eighth win of the season in his second-ever appearance at the quarter-mile bullring.

Pierce was on the roster for the only other Super Dirt Late Model race contested at the newly constructed Circle City facility back in early June, where he finished 12th against the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series stars. It was a solid first go at the all-new facility, but Pierce knew when he came back for the Hell Tour stop, he’d have the advantage over any driver getting their first look at the track.

“Just knowing the shape of the racetrack is huge,” Pierce, of Oakwood, IL, said in Victory Lane. “Where the wall comes in, where it comes out, and where the infield is – just the entire shape of the track. You get the feel of the banking, where it might dip and where it doesn’t, and really use that to your advantage.”

Pierce powered to the lead from the pole at the drop of the green and immediately took off, opening up a small gap over Spencer Hughes in the early going. The race’s lone caution flag flew 15 laps in and restacked the field, but Pierce was feeling the racey track conditions and his car setup and galloped away from the pack once again.

“[The track] really impressed me a lot tonight. The top came in, and I think if I started a little farther back, I could’ve maneuvered around and got to the front. So, big thanks to everyone with the racetrack – they did a hell of a job,” Pierce said.

At the drop of the checkered, Pierce’s lead stretched over seven full seconds in traffic. In Victory Lane, Pierce credited his crew for a heads-up tire decision in the eleventh hour, swapping out the softer Hoosier LM20 they had on earlier for the harder LM40 just before go-time.

“We were all scrambling around back there in the pit area, deciding on which tire to run, and I think we chose right,” Pierce said.

Behind him, an intense battle for the two remaining podium spots was boiling over between Hughes, Tanner English and Joe Godsey. Hughes maintained the runner-up spot for most of the race until English caught him in traffic and began trading passes back-and-forth for the spot. While those two were at war, Godsey came creeping up on the bottom and took the spot away from them both on Lap 34.

Hughes regained the position to Godsey’s outside and held it again until the final lap, where Godsey snuck by him on the bottom once again and beat him to the line to notch his best career Summer Nationals finish of second. Hughes settled for third while English and three-time DIRTcar Late Model national points champion Rusty Schlenk, making his first Hell Tour appearance of the season, rounded out the top-five.

UP NEXT

More Summer Nationals action is on deck for Thursday night, July 15, when the DIRTcar Late Model drivers hit Thunderbird Raceway in Muskegon, MI, for another $5,000-to-win showdown in the first of six races in the state of Michigan this season. Catch all the action live on DIRTVision presented by Drydene.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)

Feature (40 Laps) 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[1]; 2. 14G-Joe Godsey[10]; 3. 11H-Spencer Hughes[4]; 4. 81E-Tanner English[6]; 5. 91-Rusty Schlenk[3]; 6. 12-Ashton Winger[9]; 7. 1G-Devin Gilpin[2]; 8. 74-Mitch McGrath[11]; 9. 25-Jason Feger[7]; 10. P3S-Steve Peeden[16]; 11. 20C-Duane Chamberlain[8]; 12. 38-Thomas Hunziker[15]; 13. 48-Tim Lance[18]; 14. 16-Rusty Griffaw[14]; 15. 15G-Jamie Grochowski[21]; 16. 14R-Jeff Roth[20]; 17. 20-Jim Plotts[17]; 18. 248-Brandon Lance[19]; 19. 14B-Britan Godsey[22]; 20. 37-Rob Mayea[12]; 21. C9-Steve Casebolt[5]; 22. (DNS) 148-Tim Lance Jr

THIRTEEN DREAM: Hoffman Ties Own Single-Season Wins Record with W at Circle City

Nicely leads opening laps, nearly passes Hoffman in home stretch

Thirteen starts. Thirteen wins. But this one was Nick Hoffman’s closest win yet.

After redrawing third-best before the debut Feature for the DIRTcar Summit Racing EquipmentModified Nationals at Circle City Raceway Wednesday night, Hoffman had his consecutive laps-led streak broken at 290 when polesitter Tyler Nicely led the opening four circuits to a three-car battle for the lead around the brand-new quarter-mile oval.

“I was really worried about that redraw,” Hoffman said in Victory Lane. “Obviously, I had to pass somebody tonight, so Facebook should be pumped up about that.”

Outside polesitter Dylan Woodling had a stellar run going on the outside and swiped the lead away on Lap 5. But soon after reaching the backstretch, his #3w appeared to lose power instantly as he slowed into Turns 3-4, giving up the lead to Hoffman still with 20 laps left.

Hoffman took off on the restart and opened up a solid gap over Nicely as he approached lapped traffic. He maintained this advantage until the closing laps, where the traffic got two and three-deep in front of him. Hoffman struggled to cleanly maneuver through them at first, and Nicely was able to close the gap completely with under five laps remaining.

“[Crew member Shawn] showed me I had a pretty decent size lead, and then it went to nothing. I could see [Nicely] down there, and I just had to use that one lapped car up off of Turn 4… I gotta go, y’know? They’re having their own race, you can’t blame them for that. It’s just, at some point, you gotta go, and I got a little aggressive with him and tore it up a bit,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman did make contact with one of the slower cars to get by, but he was able to maintain the lead. A final restart with one lap left restacked the field and gave Nicely one final chance at the three-time champ, but Hoffman pulled away at the drop of the green to his 51st career Summit Modified win – one that also tied his own record for most in a single season.

Nicely finished second while Dillon Nusbaum crossed in third. Tommy Sheppard Jr. earned the Hard Charger honors, coming from 20th to finish fourth after breaking a transmission before his Heat Race.

UP NEXT

The Summit Modifieds are back in action Thursday night, July 15, at Thunderbird Raceway in Muskegon, MI, for another $1,500-to-win showdown in the first of six races in the state of Michigan this season. Catch all the action live on DIRTVision presented by Drydene.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS (view full results)

Feature (25 Laps) 1. 2-Nick Hoffman[3]; 2. 23C-Tyler Nicely[1]; 3. 17N-Dillon Nusbaum[5]; 4. T6-Tommy Sheppard Jr[20]; 5. 9H-John Demoss[6]; 6. 5CS-Curt Spalding[4]; 7. 2ND-Jake Leitzman[11]; 8. 16C-John Clippinger[10]; 9. 94-Matthew Cooley[8]; 10. 15J-Jimmy Hayden[13]; 11. JD3-Jack Dossey[7]; 12. 1H-Ben Harmon[12]; 13. 22W-Cody Wright[14]; 14. 8C-Corey Bevard[19]; 15. 38-Jeff Herbert[18]; 16. 66W-Jack Waldfogel[16]; 17. 44-Andy Sherley[15]; 18. 3W-Dylan Woodling[2]; 19. 25-Josh Lolmaugh[9]; 20. (DNS) 77T-John Turner

CHEVROLET AT DENVER What: Dodge/SRT Mile-High NHRA NationalsWhen: Friday, July 16-Sunday, July 18Where: Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, ColoradoTV: FS1 will telecast eliminations live at 4 p.m. ET July 18                                                       Chevrolet drivers enter Western Swing with momentumBandimere Speedway is first stop of three weeks of racing in a row
DETROIT (July 14, 2021) – National Hot Rod Association’s (NHRA) teams use the three-race Western Swing during the midsection of the regular season as a gauge of how they stack up in their respective categories entering the stretch run to the seven-race Countdown to the Championship.
“It’s where you want to really want things to start coming together,” said Robert Hight, driver of the Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car.Hight and teammate John Force, driver of the PEAK/BlueDEF Platinum Camaro SS, enter the first leg of the Western Swing at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, Colorado, with the momentum of advancing to the final round in five of the seven Funny Car events – winning three times.
“The air is a little different so there’s adjustments to be made but Denver sets the tone for the next two races, whether it’s riding the momentum or motivation to get after it,” added Hight, a four-time winner and three-time No. 1 Funny Car qualifier at the strip southwest of Denver.
This year, the Western Swing also includes stops at scenic Sonoma Raceway in northern California and Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California. All three events were not held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Denver is not part of the Pro Stock schedule this year. Drivers of the Chevrolet Camaro SS will catch up with the nitro divisions at Sonoma Raceway on July 23-25. Greg Anderson sits atop the standings with reigning champion Erica Enders in second. Both have two wins.
John Force is the only Funny Car driver to sweep the Western Swing (1994) and won the first two legs in 2016 before falling in the first round of eliminations at Seattle. John Force Racing has a swing sweep to its credit in 2016 when Hight won in Denver, Courtney Force prevailed in Sonoma and John Force wrapped up the victory in Seattle.
Force, who recorded victory No. 152 and 153 of his illustrious career earlier this season, is second in the Funny Car standings. Hight is fourth.
“It’s been a good season. This PEAK Chevy has been running really well. Daniel Hood and Tim Fabrisi, they have a handle on it,” said Force, who has an NHRA-record eight wins at the racetrack. “I just have to get out there and do my job, and that’s not easy with all these young guys out there running against me. I’ve got to work hard to keep up with them. It’s working so far.”
Brittany Force also heads to the mountains with momentum. The Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac team raced to their second runner-up finish of the season and set the track Top Fuel elapsed time record at the most recent event in Norwalk, Ohio, in the Chevrolet dragster. She is fourth in the driver standings.
David Barton and Aaron Stanfield, who have won Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown races this season in their Chevrolet COPO Camaros, highlight the field this weekend in the fourth race of the eight-event series.
FS1 will telecast eliminations live at 4 p.m. ET Sunday, July 18. 
CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPITTOP FUELBRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 1 qualifier in Las Vegas and Charlotte four-wide events; runner-up in Charlotte and Norwalk; semifinalist at last race at track): “After a couple weeks off our Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team is ready to get back to it. We head to the mountain for the Mile-High Nationals in Denver and coming off a runner-up finish in Ohio, we feel confident going into this next one and getting the Western Swing started. Our car has been running consistent and our team is ready for a win.”
FUNNY CAR:JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK/BLUEDEF PLATINUM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (two-time winner this season; No. 1 qualifier in Charlotte four-wide; second in points): “I’ve always loved racing in Denver. I’ve done well here so Denver must like me racing here, too. The fans are great and it’s a great show with Bandimere tucked into the mountain here. Hoping to add to those numbers, come up with a big win not just for me but for my sponsors. It’s going to be an exciting weekend especially with the night racing.”
ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (runner-up in two races, winner at Houston; No. 1 qualifier in Las Vegas four-wide; four-time winner at the track): “This Auto Club Chevy team is working hard. All the crew guys, Jimmy Prock, Chris Cunningham, they’re putting in the work. It was a long break, but we took advantage of the time, the team got a lot of work done at the shop to set us up for the three-race Western Swing. I enjoy the back-to-back race weekends, it gives teams and drivers a chance to get in a rhythm, get some momentum.”

Batavia, OH (July 14, 2021) – Tomorrow’s July 15th event at 34 Raceway has been canceled. An afternoon thunderstorm on an already heavily saturated facility has left the racing surface too wet for competition. The event will not be made up, but the remainder of the weekend is still on schedule at Tri-City Speedway and Lucas Oil Speedway. Friday, July 16th teams will travel to Granite City, IL for the NAPA Know How 50 at Tri-City Speedway. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will have a complete program of: Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heats, B-Mains, and 50 lap A-Main paying $12,000-to-win. The Modified and B-Mod classes will be joining the program which kicks off with Hot Laps at 6:30 PM. The Pit Gates will open at 12:00 PM (noon) and General Admission Gates open at 5:00 PM. For more information visit www.tricityspeedway.net As the final event of the weekend, the 15th Annual CMH Diamond Nationals at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO will have teams gunning for a $15,000 top prize along with the esteemed Diamond Ring. Along with a full program for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series/Lucas Oil MLRA, the USRA Mods and USRA Stock Cars are also on hand.  Hot Laps begin at 6:30 PM followed by Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heats, B-Mains, and a 50 lap A-Main. The Pit Gates will remain open all day, closed and cleared at 3:30 PM, re-opened at 4:00 PM. The General Admission Gate will also open at 4:00 PM. For more information or advance ticket purchases, visit www.lucasoilspeedway.com Tim McCreadie leads the Lucas Oil championship standings heading into the weekend. Jonathan Davenport sits in second, with Hudson O’Neal in third, and Kyle Bronson fourth. The points battle is tremendously close in positions five through ten, with only 95 points separating Josh Richards, Tyler Erb, Ricky Thornton Jr, Shane Clanton, Mike Marlar, and Jimmy Owens. Track Information:Tri-City SpeedwayPhone Number: 618-931-7836Location: 5100 Nameoki Road, Granite City, IL 62040Directions: I-270 to exit 4, then 0.5 mile south on SR 203Website: www.tricityspeedway.net Lucas Oil SpeedwayPhone Number: 417-282-5984Location: 700 E Hwy 54, Wheatland, MO 65779Directions: 0.2 mile south of US 54 on SR 83, then eastWebsite: www.lucasoilspeedway.com Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series July 16-17 Tire Rule:Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier (90) LM20Right Rear – Hoosier (92) LM40*Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Mains.*For the A-Main, competitors may use 2 new rear tires.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Event Purses:Tri-City Speedway: 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 Lucas Oil Speedway: 1. $15,000, 2. $6,500, 3. $3,500, 4. $3,000, 5. $2,500, 6. $2,400, 7. $2,300, 8. $2,200, 9. $2,100, 10. $2,000, 11. $1,600, 12. $1,400, 13. $1,300, 14. $1,200, 15. $1,050, 16. $1,000, 17. $1,000, 18. $1,000, 19. $1,000, 20. $1,000, 21. $1,000, 22. $1,000, 23. $1,000, 24. $1,000. = $57,050

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.

Jul 7, 2021 | Featured, Julie Nataas, Race Results

Julie Nataas scored her second win of the 2021 season at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Cavalcade of Stars event presented by Budweiser held in Norwalk, Ohio just one week after the NHRA Norwalk Nationals.

Julie qualified in the second position with a 5.19 ET at 271 mph, while teammate Matt Sackman, who was making his first appearance in Top Alcohol Dragster for this season, drove to a 5.21 ET at 279 mph for the number four spot. Julie was paired up against Duane Shields who smoked the tires as Julie ran a 5.28 ET at 275 mph for the round win. Matt did not have the same luck as the car slowed to a 5.34 ET at 266 mph to lose to Jasmine Salinas.

Julie went on to take down Robin Samsuel in the second round with an outstanding .005 reaction time for a holeshot victory, running a 5.35 ET at 269 mph. The team was able to improve to a 5.32 ET at 273 mph for the win in the final round against Jasmine Salinas. https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZoiosN4huWk

“We were looking to get the OTG dragster back to being consistent this weekend after some small bugs the last couple races,” said Julie. “Randy tuned the car to a 5.22 ET Friday night and two 5.19 ET runs on Saturday, but then the weather conditions changed for Sunday. The car slowed down a little, but we had our consistent car back.

“The 8-car field was stout, and I knew I had to be on top of my game to be able to go rounds and get the win. I was lucky in the second round of eliminations when I went a .005 on the tree. I knew right away I left early and was waiting for the red light to show up, but without the .005 reaction time we wouldn’t have gotten the win.

“It was awesome racing at America’s racetrack for 4th of July! Summit Motorsport Park put on a great show for all of us and fans were loving it.”

Julie and the Randy Meyer Racing Team will return to Columbus, Ohio for the JEGS SportsNationals for their next event on July 15-16th held at National Trail Raceway. Julie previously won this race in 2019, followed by Megan Meyer in 2020. The team is looking forward to putting the OTG Dragster back in the winner’s circle and extending their North Central Region points lead.

CANANDAIGUA, NY – The anticipation has built and built. On Tuesday, July 20, the stars of the Super DIRTcar Series will return to action at Land of Legends Raceway for the $7,500-to-win Liberty 100. Seven-time champion Matt Sheppard, Erick Rudolph and Justin Haers are charging into the Series’ return in their home territory on a hot streak. Tim Sears Jr. is riding a wave of momentum after piling up checkered flags in Hoosier Racing Weekly Championship competition at Fulton and Brewerton Speedway. These storylines and more are on the card for Tuesday’s tour stop in Canandaigua, NY.LOCAL LADSThe ultimate hometown hero, Justin Haers, from Phelps, NY, has two DIRTcar Big Block Feature wins at Land of Legends Raceway already in 2021. He has one top-five and three top-10s in five Series races this year as well.Meanwhile, Erick Rudolph is clawing his way back into the Series points picture. A top-five finish at the Series’ last event and his home track, Ransomville Speedway, moved him to 10th overall in points.Last Saturday, Rudolph visited Victory Lane at Land of Legends for the first time this year in weekly racing and now leads the track’s points standings. That’s exactly what the Ransomville, NY native needed going into a busy time of the schedule. In the past, Rudolph has proven to be a consistent driver capable of piling up the points. He finished a close second to Matt Sheppard in 2018 in a duel that went down to the wire at NGK  NTK World of Outlaws World Finals. If the #25R can get on a roll starting now, race fans will likely see him climb the standings. While Sheppard, of Waterloo, NY, isn’t a constant presence at Land of Legends anymore, he’s still managed to pick up three Feature wins there so far in 2021. Few would doubt his ability to win another Liberty 100 at Canandaigua. The #9S parked it at the last Series race at the historic half-mile at DIRTcar OktoberFAST in 2020 – his third Series victory at the half-mile track.ROOKIE WATCHTim Sears Jr. is on fire in weekly racing. History has shown that drivers can take that success on the road once they adapt fully to 100-lap Feature races. The flashy yellow #83X came out swinging in 2021 but has slowed in Series competition recently. Sears Jr. only has three career starts at Canandaigua including one top-10. DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series star Kevin Root has yet to hit his stride with the Big Block Modified. However, Root has one top-10 this year at Land of Legends Raceway to build on going into the Series race.DID YOU KNOW?-There have been 110 Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modified entries over seven Series races so far in 2021. -Just 15 points separate positions third through seventh in the points battle.-Three out of the top-five in points have won Super DIRTcar Series championships. LAST TEN LAND OF LEGENDS SUPER DIRTcar WINNERS2020 – Matt Sheppard 2019 – Matt Sheppard 2018 – Danny Johnson 2016 – Tim Fuller 2015 – Matt Sheppard 2012 – Danny Johnson 2011 – Billy Decker 2009 – Tim Fuller 2008 – Alan Johnson/Billy Decker/Billy Decker 2007 – Brett Hearn/Brett HearnOn the InternetSuper DIRTcar SeriesTwitter – @SuperDIRTcarInstagram – @SuperDIRTcarFacebook – Facebook.com/SuperDIRTcarSeriesYouTube – Youtube.com/DIRTCarRacingDIRTVision – DIRTVision.com – Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/monthWhere to Watch If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision with the annual Platinum FAST PASS subscription or the monthly FAST PASS subscription.PHOTO: Joe Grabianowski

The Super DIRTcar Series is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel), Chevy Performance Parts, iRacing (Official Online Racing Game) and NAPA Auto Parts. Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), ASI Race Wear, Bicknell Racing Products, Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux, Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, Drydene, Fox Factory, MSD, and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: FireAde, Intercomp, and Racing Electronics.

The New Berlin, IL driver won by 0.180-seconds

SUPERIOR, WI – July 13, 2021 – Brandon Sheppard rose from his car in Victory Lane, waving to the crowd with confidence after winning Tuesday at Gondik Law Speedway. But the New Berlin, IL driver needed everything to go his way to collect $10,000.

A caution with two laps to go put Chris Madden on Sheppard’s heels, setting the stage for an epic duel. “Smokey” dove to the inside when the green flag dropped, pulling even with Sheppard down the back straightaway on the final lap. But Sheppard carried his momentum on the top of the racetrack, finding enough bite to beat Madden to the finish by 0.180 seconds.

It’s the “Rocket Shepp’s” 72nd career World of Outlaws triumph, one that needed some luck.

“[Madden] was in the good stuff on the backstretch so I let him stay with me there and I had to really charge into Turn 3 a lot harder than I wanted to,” Sheppard said. “I slid from the bottom and luckily there was a little bit up there on top in order for us to get ahold of to get back going again.

“Our car was really good, we were able to get the lead and control most of the race, but we didn’t need those last few cautions, that’s for sure.”

Sheppard extended his points lead for the third straight event— now 68 points ahead of Madden.

Even though Madden settled for second, he enjoyed racing Sheppard for the win. The Gray Court, SC driver stated how well his car hooked up to the track.

“We were pretty good in the middle and bottom, and [Sheppard] had found him a little strip I believe up top off the corner and he just got a big run,” Madden said.  “It was an awesome race, a fun race, and we had a really good car. If we would’ve been out front, we would’ve won.”

Sheppard wrestled the lead away from Dennis Erb Jr. on Lap 24, using that same outside lane that led him to victory. Erb crossed the line third—his fifth top five in the last nine races.

The Carpentersville, IL driver is thrilled with the finish but knew what kept him from reaching Victory Lane for the second straight race.

“[Tuesday] we were running really good, the car fired off real good but we just needed to be a little bit tighter late in the race,” Erb said. “All in all, we had a good night and kept it upfront all night. We’re happy with that and we’ll go on to the next one.”

Tyler Bruening, the top Rookie of The Race finished fourth. He extended his lead in the chase for Rookie of the Year to 120 points over Ryan Gustin, who finished sixth.

James Giossi, from New Richmond, WI rounded out the top-five.

Sometimes it takes a little luck to find your way to Victory Lane, but it’s something Brandon Sheppard won’t complain about. He’s inching closer to World of Outlaws history—six wins away from tying Josh Richards for most wins all-time (78).

UP NEXT: The Most Powerful Late Models on The Planet travel west to River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, ND on Friday, July 16.

Morton Buildings Feature (40 Laps)-1. 1-Brandon Sheppard [4][$10,000]; 2. 44-Chris Madden [6][$6,000]; 3. 28-Dennis Erb [2][$3,500]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening [3][$2,800]; 5. 11G-James Giossi [8][$2,500]; 6. 19R-Ryan Gustin [16][$2,300]; 7. 97-Jimmy Mars [13][$2,200]; 8. 22E-Kevin Eder [14][$2,100]; 9. 7-Ricky Weiss [9][$2,050]; 10. 519-Steve Laursen [1][$2,000]; 11. 11-Pat Doar [11][$1,600]; 12. 55C-Chad Mahder [19][$1,400]; 13. B1-Brent Larson [7][$1,200]; 14. 85-John Kaanta [5][$1,100]; 15. 28M-Sam Mars [22][$1,050]; 16. 44N-Darrell Nelson [21][$1,000]; 17. 99JR-Frank Heckenast [10][$1,000]; 18. 99B-Boom Briggs [23][$1,000]; 19. 31-Travis Budisalovich [12][$1,000]; 20. 16V-Derek Vesel [15][$1,000]; 21. 7H-Harry Hanson [17][$1,000]; 22. 21-Mike Bellefeuille [24][$1,000]; 23. 24L-Aaron Lillo [18][$1,000]; 24. 11D-Tim McMann [20][$1,000] Hard Charger: 19R-Ryan Gustin[+10]

Qualifying –1. B1-Brent Larson, 15.847; 2. 16-Tyler Bruening, 15.902; 3. 28-Dennis Erb, 16.002; 4. 1-Brandon Sheppard, 16.048; 5. 11G-James Giossi, 16.133; 6. 7-Ricky Weiss, 16.181; 7. 97-Jimmy Mars, 16.185; 8. 44-Chris Madden, 16.209; 9. 31-Travis Budisalovich, 16.227; 10. 99JR-Frank Heckenast, 16.24; 11. 22E-Kevin Eder, 16.393; 12. 21-Mike Bellefeuille, 16.393; 13. 85-John Kaanta, 16.399; 14. 7H-Harry Hanson, 16.434; 15. 16V-Derek Vesel, 16.435; 16. 55C-Chad Mahder, 16.445; 17. 99B-Boom Briggs, 16.472; 18. 11D-Tim McMann, 16.493; 19. 19R-Ryan Gustin, 16.559; 20. 11-Pat Doar, 16.561; 21. 519-Steve Laursen, 16.584; 22. 28M-Sam Mars, 16.617; 23. 6M-Jeff Massingill, 16.659; 24. 24L-Aaron Lillo, 16.659; 25. 44N-Darrell Nelson, 16.664; 26. 11B-Jody Bellefeuille, 16.925; 27. 54-Keith Niemi, 16.954

22-Year-Old Bayston Beats Brad Sweet Heads Up for Brad Doty Classic Title

ATTICA, OH – July 13, 2021 – Winning your first is always special. Winning your first against the best in the world? That’s “unbelievable” as Spencer Bayston said.

On Tuesday night, though, the 22-year-old Lebanon, IN native did just that at Attica Raceway Park. Leading the final 33 laps, Bayston kept himself calm, cool and collected with Brad Sweet breathing down his neck, and survived several restarts to score his first-career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car win in his 44th Series start.

The $10,000 payday was extra special being at the 33rd annual Brad Doty Classic with the legend in attendance to present Bayston with his hardware. He also delivered the first World of Outlaws win for young car owner Sam McGhee of Indianapolis, IN.

Bayston’s breakthrough came with the ultimate task: beating Brad Sweet heads up. The two-time and defending champion has made a habit of stealing wins late in the running, and the pressure was on when the #49 restarted alongside, and then behind Bayston’s #11.

Sweet threw several challenges at the up-and-coming star, but Bayston never wavered in clutch time. Following the final restart with 10 to go, Bayston cruised away to a 2.174-second margin of victory.

He climbed out to the roars of a packed crowd, stood atop the wing, and let his jubilant screams echo throughout the fairgrounds.

“This is something every kid dreams of when they grow up watching the World of Outlaws,” Bayston admitted. “You know I when I was a kid I thought these guys were like the NFL, the NBA, the best in the dirt world. I wanted to go out and compete against them, let alone actually beat them. It’s hard to describe. Wow.”

[Becoming the third and final leader in Tuesday’s 40-lap affair, Bayston executed a pitch-perfect restart on Lap 8 and successfully came out ahead of Logan Schuchart and Cory Eliason in a three-wide move out of turn two.

Capitalizing on every turning point of the race, Bayston’s bid for the lead came following contact between Schuchart and Tyler Courtney. The duo had gone back and forth while exchanging the lead in the first five laps, but they hit on Lap 5 and the result sent Courtney’s NOS Energy Drink TURBO #7BC spinning to a stop.

Ironically enough, Courtney falling wayside in pursuit of his first-career win is what helped open the door for Bayston to get his.

Once into command, Bayston initially checked out and built a sizable gap as he raced into lap traffic while Sweet dueled with Schuchart for second. The first of two restarts came on Lap 27 when fourth-running  Eliason spun to a stop and erased Bayston’s advantage.

He survived Sweet’s first attempt at the top spot, but the caution would fly again on Lap 30. However, being with 10 to go, the rules called for a single-file restart with Sweet stuck to the tail of Bayston. He gave it another shot entering turn one, but fell short and Bayston rode off into a sunset filled with glory.

“I was thinking about how many times I’ve watched DIRTVision and Brad stole the win on a late-race restart,” Bayston joked. “I tried to get in the zone as much as possible and just hit my marks. I knew that if I could get to the exit of turn two clean then I would be good. I knew that would win me the race. I was looking at the board every lap just counting down the laps and trying to remember to breath.”

The magnitude of the win wasn’t lost on the young man throughout post-race celebrations. He’s now the 146th driver in history to win a World of Outlaws race.

More importantly, its proof that his brand new relationship with Sam McGhee Motorsports is firing on all cylinders.

“I don’t know where to start with these guys,” Bayston said. “To come here with a team that I think we’ve ran 13 races together and do this is unbelievable. We’ve got a badass crew chief that’s younger me (Sam McGhee, 21) and we are all so fresh as a unit. We almost won an All-Star race our second night, then we won Sharon last week, and now we’ve got an Outlaw win.”

On a personally significant level, it’s fitting that Bayston’s first-career World of Outlaws victory comes at the same place where he won his first-ever 410 Sprint Car race in 2017 – Attica Raceway Park.

Following Bayston to the stripe and finishing on the podium at the Brad Doty Classic was Brad Sweet aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing #49 in second and Carson Macedo aboard the Jason Johnson Racing #41 in third,

Advancing a whopping 18 positions, Donny Schatz unanimously secured the KSE Racing Hard Charger Award by driving the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15 from 22nd-to-fourth. Rounding out the top-five was early leader Logan Schuchart in the Shark Racing, Drydene Performance Products #1S.

Closing out the top-10 on Tuesday was the Kasey Kahne Racing #9 of James McFadden, the Clauson-Marshall Racing #7BC of Tyler Courtney, the Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing #17 of Sheldon Haudenschild, the Lane Racing #4 of Cap Henry, and the Big Game Motorsports #2 of David Gravel.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will convey to Eldora Speedway for a historic double Kings Royal. The Greatest Show on Dirt races Wednesday-Saturday at The Big E with $175,000 paydays available on Thursday and Saturday night. All of the action can be seen LIVE on DIRTVision.

NOS Energy Drink Feature (40 Laps): 1. 11-Spencer Bayston [3][$10,000]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet [4][$6,000]; 3. 41-Carson Macedo [7][$3,500]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [22][$2,800]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart [1][$2,500]; 6. 9-James McFadden [6][$2,300]; 7. 7BC-Tyler Courtney [2][$2,200]; 8. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [8][$2,100]; 9. 4-Cap Henry [14][$2,050]; 10. 2-David Gravel [10][$2,000]; 11. 3J-Trey Jacobs [19][$1,600]; 12. 10-Zeb Wise [13][$1,400]; 13. 48-Danny Dietrich [11][$1,200]; 14. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg [24][$1,100]; 15. 39-Christopher Bell [17][$1,050]; 16. 26-Cory Eliason [5][$1,000]; 17. 3Z-Brock Zearfoss [12][$1,000]; 18. 22-Brandon Spithaler [16][$1,000]; 19. 83-Aaron Reutzel [21][$1,000]; 20. O9-Craig Mintz [20][$1,000]; 21. 18-Cole Macedo [15][$1,000]; 22. 47N-Marcus Dumesny [18][$1,000]; 23. 70M-Henry Malcuit [23][$1,000]; 24. 57-Kyle Larson [9][$1,000]. Lap Leaders: Logan Schuchart 1-3, 6-7; Tyler Courtney 4-5; Spencer Bayston 8-40. KSE Hard Charger Award: 15-Donny Schatz[+18]

NEW Championship Standings (42/81 Races): 1. Brad Sweet (5,918); 2. Carson Macedo (-142); 3. David Gravel (-148); 4. Sheldon Haudenschild (-222); 5. Logan Schuchart (-234); 6. Donny Schatz (-240); 7. Aaron Reutzel (-390); 8. James McFadden (-654); 9. Kraig Kinser (-766); 10. Brock Zearfoss (-1,000).

Three Days, Three States, Three Big Events this Weekend

Batavia, OH (July 13, 2021) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series heads to the Midwest with a trio of races in three different states this weekend; Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri. The series returns to West Burlington, Iowa after a challenging 2020 forced several cancellations and a previously scheduled 2021 event was postponed due to weather. The $15,000-to-win CRST, The Transportation Solution 50 at 34 Raceway will feature a complete program of: Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and a 50-lap, $15,000-to-win main event.  The Stock Cars and Sport Mods will serve as support divisions at 34 Raceway. The pit gate will open at 3:00 PM, with general admission gates opening at 5:00 PM. A drivers meeting will take place at 6:00 PM followed by hot laps at 6:30 PM. For more information about 34 Raceway, visit: www.34Raceway.com The second stop in the triple header weekend takes teams to Granite City, IL for the NAPA Know How 50 at Tri-City Speedway. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will have a complete program of: Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heats, B-Mains, and 50 lap A-Main paying $12,000-to-win. The Modified and B-Mod classes will be joining the program which kicks off with Hot Laps at 6:30 PM. The Pit Gates will open at 12:00 PM (noon) and General Admission Gates open at 5:00 PM. For more information visit www.tricityspeedway.net As the final event of the weekend, the 15th Annual CMH Diamond Nationals at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO will have teams gunning for a $15,000 top prize along with the esteemed Diamond Ring. Along with a full program for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series/Lucas Oil MLRA, the USRA Mods and USRA Stock Cars are also on hand.  Hot Laps begin at 6:30 PM followed by Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heats, B-Mains, and a 50 lap A-Main. The Pit Gates will remain open all day, closed and cleared at 3:30 PM, re-opened at 4:00 PM. The General Admission Gate will also open at 4:00 PM. For more information or advance ticket purchases, visit www.lucasoilspeedway.com Tim McCreadie leads the Lucas Oil championship standings heading into the weekend. Jonathan Davenport sits in second, with Hudson O’Neal in third, and Kyle Bronson fourth. The points battle is tremendously close in positions five through ten, with only 95 points separating Josh Richards, Tyler Erb, Ricky Thornton Jr, Shane Clanton, Mike Marlar, and Jimmy Owens. Track Information:34 RacewayPhone Number: 319-752-3434Location: 10463 S Prairie Grove Rd. West Burlington, IA 52655Directions: Located about 6 miles west of Burlington, just North of Hwy. 34Website: www.34raceway.com Tri-City SpeedwayPhone Number: 618-931-7836Location: 5100 Nameoki Road, Granite City, IL 62040Directions: I-270 to exit 4, then 0.5 mile south on SR 203Website: www.tricityspeedway.net Lucas Oil SpeedwayPhone Number: 417-282-5984Location: 700 E Hwy 54, Wheatland, MO 65779Directions: 0.2 mile south of US 54 on SR 83, then eastWebsite: www.lucasoilspeedway.com Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series July 15-17 Tire Rule:Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier (90) LM20Right Rear – Hoosier (92) LM40*Must use the same set of 4 tires for Time Trials, Heat Races, and B-Mains.*For the A-Main, competitors may use 2 new rear tires.*Flat tire must be replaced with a used tire of the same compound and construction to retain starting position. Event Purses:34 Raceway: 1. $15,000, 2. $6,500, 3. $3,500, 4. $3,000, 5. $2,500, 6. $2,400, 7. $2,300, 8. $2,200, 9. $2,100, 10. $2,000, 11. $1,600, 12. $1,400, 13. $1,300, 14. $1,200, 15. $1,050, 16. $1,000, 17. $1,000, 18. $1,000, 19. $1,000, 20. $1,000, 21. $1,000, 22. $1,000, 23. $1,000, 24. $1,000. = $57,050 Tri-City Speedway: 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 Lucas Oil Speedway: 1. $15,000, 2. $6,500, 3. $3,500, 4. $3,000, 5. $2,500, 6. $2,400, 7. $2,300, 8. $2,200, 9. $2,100, 10. $2,000, 11. $1,600, 12. $1,400, 13. $1,300, 14. $1,200, 15. $1,050, 16. $1,000, 17. $1,000, 18. $1,000, 19. $1,000, 20. $1,000, 21. $1,000, 22. $1,000, 23. $1,000, 24. $1,000. = $57,050

Two-race weekend to feature Sportsman debuts of Jack & Clay Coughlin

HEBRON, Ohio (July 13) — As if this weekend wasn’t big enough for three-time champion Mike Coughlin with two major events taking place as part of JEGS Speedweek — the JEGS SPORTSnationals on Thursday and Friday and a Division 3 regional race on Saturday and Sunday — it will also mark the Sportsman debut for both of his sons, Jack and Clay. “My excitement level is off the charts,” Mike said. “I’m definitely ready to maintain our great start in Top Dragster but that really takes a back seat to the boy’s first races at this level. “Jack licensed last year in Super Comp and got in a bunch of passes at a bracket race but this is his first NHRA race. Clay completed his Super Stock licensing runs a week ago and did a great job. They have both taken to their respective classes very well and seem ready to go. If there are any nerves involved they certainly aren’t showing them.” The second annual JEGS Speedweek is sure to be as big or bigger than last year’s inaugural event, which was a great success despite the lingering restrictions of the COVID pandemic. Cars will hit the track as soon as Wednesday for an extended test-and-tune session, along with a Stock vs. Super Stock Shootout.

Aside from watching his sons go through their paces, Mike could have a huge weekend of his own in the JEGS.com Top Dragster. He currently leads the Division 3 points after just two events and is second in the JEGS Allstars ranking. Going deep into the eliminations rounds in both races this weekend would be a nice boost. “It would be great to get around Al Peavler II and pick up that spot on the JEGS Allstars team but he’s a great racer and will definitely be as fired up as we are this weekend,” Mike said. “It’ll be a challenge, but that’s what we love the most.  “Greg Cody, Tony Collier, Justin Beaver and Ryan Micke of ComSync have all three of these racecars ready to go so it’s just a matter of executing. I know a lot of friends, family and JEGS associates and their families will be on hand so we need to make them proud.”

On summer break from his studies at Ohio State University, 20-year-old Jack Coughlin says making his NHRA debut at National Trail Raceway is the best-case scenario. “It’s really neat to start my career at Trails because that’s where we all grew up,” Jack said of the facility that has been brought back to its former glory by new owner Jay Livingston. “Plus it’s a JEGS-sponsored weekend, which is big for the company. “I’m definitely feeling some nerves but I’m feeling a lot more excitement than anything else. I’d love to find some success but as much as I would like to win, I know I’m going up against racers who have been doing this since before I was born. There are so many top-level drivers and I’m sure they’ll all be there for a double-race weekend like this one. “I know I’ve got a great group around me. My dad, my uncle Jeg, T.J. (Troy Jr.), Paige, Greg Cody, Tony Collier and Justin Beaver have all been so encouraging and helpful and I hope that continues. It’s going to be intense, much more so than that bracket race, but I’ve been practicing as much as possible and I feel ready for what’s ahead.”

Being mechanically inclined, 16-year-old Clay Coughlin has spent as much time under the hood of his Chevy Cobalt Super Stocker as he has behind the wheel. So he has a unique perspective for a new driver as his debut looms. “I’m pretty good with my hands and I love the mechanical side of racing so I’m at the shop a lot helping out wherever I can,” Clay said. “When I finally started making passes on through to doing my licensing runs, I really started to understand all the things we’d been doing to the car. “I began with a rev-limiter on the engine, doing things like starting the car, executing burnouts, driving around through the pits, and then they progressively gave me more power as I got more comfortable. The car wasn’t super happy being restricted so as more power was added it was actually easier to drive.” With an emphasis on seat time, Clay says a successful weekend in his mind would include a few key things.

“If I could win a round or two, that would be big,” Clay said. “I need to get comfortable with someone being in the other lane and I need to get more acclimated to the car. As long as everyone is safe and we have fun, that would be great. “I’m feeling a little anxious because it’s a home race and all our friends and family, plus people from work, will be out there watching my every move but having their support is also a great deal. Without my family, my co-workers and Jeff Taylor, who is tremendous at what he does, I wouldn’t be racing, so definitely lots of thanks to everyone.” Multi-time world champion Jeff Taylor also will be competing for Team JEGS in the group’s Stock Eliminator Dodge Challenger Drag Pak.

Dodge//SRT and Mopar brands return to Bandimere Speedway July 16-18 as title sponsors of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series event, Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals Presented by Pennzoil, held near Denver, ColoradoSpanning four decades, the brands’ partnership with Bandimere Speedway is the longest active and continuous title sponsorship in all of motorsports and the second of five NHRA national events with Dodge//SRT and Mopar headline support in 2021Reigning Funny Car World Champion Matt Hagan will work to earn a coveted first Wally trophy from the Dodge//SRT Mile-High NHRA Nationals aboard his Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Funny CarLeah Pruett seeks to wheel her DSR Mopar Dodge//SRT Redeye Top Fuel dragster to a repeat performance of her 2018 successful run from No. 1 qualifier to winner and attempt to better her 2017 record elapsed-time pass of 3.733 seconds at Thunder MountainThe two Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak vehicles of Pruett and Mark Pawuk will compete in the fourth of the eight-race NHRA Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown specialty series

July 13, 2021 , Auburn Hills, Mich. – The familiar rumble of HEMI® power will once again reverberate through the Rocky Mountains July 16-18 as Dodge//SRT and Mopar brands return for a 32nd season as title sponsors of the Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals Presented by Pennzoil, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series event held at Thunder Mountain, otherwise known as Bandimere Speedway, near Denver, Colorado.

“Dodge//SRT is ready to get back to racing,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge Brand Chief Executive Officer – Stellantis. “Bandimere Speedway has been a part of our Brotherhood of Muscle for more than 32 years. In fact, it’s the longest standing event sponsorship in motorsports history. Our Rocky Mountain racing fans are going to get a great show. The Dodge//SRT Mile-High NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil is always one of the premier racing events in the West.”

While this will be the 41st edition of the NHRA event at the picturesque drag strip set 5,800 feet above sea-level, the brands’ partnership with Bandimere Speedway began in 1989 after a major track renovation and, following an extension announcement earlier this year, continues to be the longest active event title sponsorship in all of motorsports. This 2021 installment is the second of five national events with Mopar and Dodge//SRT headline support for the NHRA’s 70th anniversary season.
Following May’s Mopar Express Lane SpringNationals Presented by Pennzoil in Houston and this weekend’s activities, three more national events remain on the schedule this year:

• September 1-5 – Dodge//SRT U.S. Nationals (Indianapolis)
• September 10-12 – Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil (Reading, Pennsylvania)
• October 29-November 1 – Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil (Las Vegas)

A 4,800-square-foot exhibit at Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals in the NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway will be open to NHRA fans with a number of interactive displays, including a pair of Dodge Challenger SRT Demon simulators for those with a competitive spirit wanting to test their skills in a virtual race. Visitors will also have the opportunity to see and feel the experience of drag racing from the driver’s seat aboard an actual Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Funny Car simulator. The display will also feature a number of Dodge//SRT high-performance vehicles and an instructor from the Radford Racing School (formerly The Bondurant School) on site to provide driving tips and information about the SRT experience. Customers who buy a new SRT model receive one full-day session at Radford Racing School as part of the Dodge//SRT Package and have the opportunity to learn how to get the optimum performance from their new vehicles in a controlled environment. 

On-track action begins Friday at Bandimere Speedway with Dodge//SRT and Mopar backed entries working to take home Wally trophies and “home-event” bragging rights in Funny Car and Top Fuel categories, as well as Sportsman class Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown (FSS).

Reigning Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan will be working to secure not only his first victory of the 2021 season aboard the signature red, silver and black DSR Mopar Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye, but also an elusive first win at the long-time Denver event.

“Some of my best memories of coming to Denver for the Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals always involve the amazing crowd of people that are really passionate about the Dodge and Mopar brands coming together to celebrate pure muscle and horsepower,” said Hagan. It’s been a Dodge- and Mopar-sponsored race for a really long time and it’s always great to see fans coming out and support it and us. 

“I’ve obviously raced here a lot and haven’t won one yet, but I feel like I’ve been chasing down that win,” added the three-time Funny Car World Champion. “Bandimere Speedway is always tricky, but it’s time to win one for our sponsor and celebrate big. I think that we got a pretty good handle on the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat right now. I’m excited about getting there, getting qualified well, going rounds and running like a Hellcat and turning the win lights on in Denver.”

DSR teammate Ron Capps has qualified in the top-five at every event so far this year, but is looking to string together four solid elimination round runs aboard his HEMI-powered Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat on the all-concrete Bandimere dragstrip in order to take home another Wally to go with the one earned there in 2009. 

Fellow Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car driver Cruz Pedregon has two trips to the winner’s circle at Denver (1993 and 2013) and is coming off the high of a win at the previous NHRA event in Norwalk, Ohio, and looking to repeat quickly after seeing his Snap-on Tools Pedregon Racing team make consistent gains through the first seven national events of the season.

DSR Top Fuel pilot Leah Pruett seeks to power her sleek red, silver and black DSR Mopar Dodge//SRT Redeye Top Fuel dragster to a repeat performance of her 2018 successful run from No. 1 qualifier to winner, or perhaps even improve on her 2017 track-record elapsed time pass of 3.733 seconds.

“Hollywood is known for making movie magic, and this team has been known for making some of the greatest horsepower out of the thinnest Bandimere air, aka magic,” said Pruett. “We’ve had a challenging start to the season gaining the proper momentum but believe our undeniable capabilities paired with our nose to the grindstone in the shop and training work ethic will produce not only the results we expect but our Mopar fans do as well.

“The Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals has always been my most enjoyable event to compete at for a variety of reasons,” added Pruett. “Starting with being surrounded by dedicated like-minded Dodge//SRT and Mopar enthusiasts really brings the ultimate vibe. I am personally looking forward to our season taking a major turn for the competitive best, and believe the Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals is the perfect place to do it.” 

Pruett will also take the wheel of her 2021 Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak in FSS this weekend along with DSR teammate Mark Pawuk aboard the Empaco Equipment Dodge Challenger for the fourth contest of the eight-race Sportsman class specialty series. After setting the quickest and fastest speed record (7.806-second pass at 177.44 mph) aboard the most powerful drag pak ever built in the FSS season opener at the Gatornationals, the duo’s goal at this event and through the remainder of the season is to get the most out of each run and battle in the top 10 against a large competitive field.

While on-track action at Bandimere Speedway will be livestreamed via NHRA.TV throughout the weekend, FS1 will provide television highlights of qualifying on Saturday from 2-3 p.m. ET and Sunday, July 18 from 3-4 p.m. ET. Coverage of Sunday’s Dodge//SRT Mile-High Nationals Presented by Pennzoil elimination rounds will air on FS1 from 4-7 p.m. ET. The Denver-area stop kicks off the NHRA’s three-race western swing, which includes Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California, and Pacific Raceways in Seattle, Washington, over consecutive weeks.

· First race for mid-engine Corvette at scenic but tough 1.5-mile layout· Garcia, Taylor enter on two-race win streak· Milner revisits site of 100th Corvette Racing win

DETROIT (July 13, 2021) – With the wide-open spaces of Road America and Le Mans on the horizon, Corvette Racing will get a taste of short-track racing – sports car style – when it returns to Lime Rock Park this weekend. Saturday’s Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock is a GT-only event for Corvette Racing’s pair of mid-engine Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.Rs and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT competitors. The seven-turn, 1.474-mile circuit in the northwestern corner of Connecticut gives Corvette Racing, a five-time winner at Lime Rock, a shot at an overall race victory during one of the busiest races on the calendar. Race laps for GT Le Mans (GTLM) cars will be around 50 seconds during the two-hour, 40-minute race. If all goes according to plan, that means the pair of racing Corvettes will start to overtake slower GT Daytona (GTD) cars within 20 minutes of the green flag. Like Watkins Glen within the last month, Lime Rock Park was a venue at which the Corvette C8.R didn’t compete during its debut season. That didn’t impact the team during the back-to-back weekends at Watkins Glen, however, when Corvette Racing took the race win, pole position and fastest race lap in both the six-hour enduro and two-hour, 40-minute sprint race. Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor, co-drivers in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C8.R, swept the Watkins Glen weekends to extend their lead in the GTLM Drivers Championship as well as Chevrolet’s in the Manufacturers standings. They are ahead of No. 4 Corvette drivers Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy, who narrowly missing out on victories at The Glen. Taylor (2013 GRAND-AM DP) and Milner (2016 GTLM) each have previous victories at Lime Rock. Garcia (2018 GTLM) and Taylor (2010 GRAND-AM GT) have won pole positions at the track in the past. Garcia also set the fastest race lap in 2017, followed by Tandy doing the same in 2018 and 2019.  Corvette Racing will contest the Northeast Grand Prix from Lime Rock Park on July 16-17. The race will air at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 17 with live streaming coverage on TrackPass and NBC Sports Gold at 3:05 p.m. ET. Live audio coverage from IMSA Radio will be available on IMSA.com, Sirius 216, XM 202 and SiriusXM Online 992.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Lime Rock should be good for us. I don’t see any track where the C8.R shouldn’t be good. I’m looking forward to going back there. In a lot of ways it feels like the longest race of the year. You’re running three hours with 50-second laps so it’s very challenging. The 10 laps before you get into traffic are pretty calm. After that, it’s very tough. There is no rest there. In a good qualifying run if you run all session, could be a 20-lap attempt. That’s half-a-stint at most tracks we go to. Mentally it’s demanding because of that.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It’s been awhile since I’ve been to Lime Rock. The last time I raced there was 2013 in GRAND-AM when we won the race and the championship that weekend, so there are good memories. It’s a tough place and usually an intense race. I think every year I’ve watched the GT race, there have always been crazy battles with the different classes and how tough it is to pass. It’s one that’s been on the list that looks difficult so it will be a good experience. Pit stop execution will be huge. It’s a short lap and Lime Rock will be a track position race. Driver changes, tire changes and fueling will have to be the best of the year.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I have really great memories from Lime Rock in 2016 and getting the 100th win for Corvette Racing with Oliver Gavin. It obviously was a special day for me and the team. Lime Rock will be a good challenge to go there with the C8.R for the first time. It’s a pretty unique racetrack all things considered. In a lot of ways, it’s an oval so you set the car up to pretty much only turn right. We’ll have our work cut out to figure that out with a new car. Based on all the work we’ve done so far and all the results we’ve had, I don’t see there any real major hurdles to getting to a good spot.”

NICK TANDY, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I really like Lime Rock. The track is quick but it’s so intense. It reminds me a little bit of my short-oval background in that you’re always in the corners, you’re always in traffic. The car, the tire and the driver never get a break. You’re in traffic pretty much all the time. A stint at Le Mans is around 14 laps, and you get time to relax. A stint at Lime Rock is like 60 laps and there is constantly something going on. You feel it physically as a driver because it’s usually super-hot. It’s intense on the physical and mental sides. The GTLM cars being as fast as they are, it’s a good workout and good fun.”