January 2021 & One Week until Navara-R Livestream

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January 2021, the start of another great year ahead of us. Filled with activities and workshop antics. We are still crazy busy here at SB Motorsport, with four builds happening all at the same time.

To start off, the build you will all know and love from the hype back in 2020 when we released the #Navara-R to the world!  We’re working steadily towards completion day for our one-off, fully custom Nissan Navara with the epic Nissan GT-R VR38 engine and running gear. With trips to our new partner @WaltonMotorsport for the Turbo & Exhaust pipework, and our longterm sponsor @ForgeMotorsportfor the cooling side of things. This is going to be one hell of a creation! If you don’t know what we’re on about, check out our build page on the website. Link Below. https://www.baggsyboy.com/navara-r

Next up, the #LSXR35 is getting an overdue overhaul. With current events being quiet and having some down-time over the winter off season, SB Motorsport owner  –   Steve ‘Baggsy’ Biagioni suggested now would be a great time to strip and rebuild the GT-R. After four years of hard graft, the fire breathing beast will be back in 2021 with a new look… a completely new look.

For our third build in 2021, the #S13V8 has been pulled out of storage after being a demo car in America for a few events over the last 2 years. We have slight modifications and set-up changes in mind for this to become a very competitive drift weapon for whatever 2021 throws at us.

And lastly, the fourth build we’re currently working on is the #SB350z. This will be our newest streetcar. Full build info coming soon on this!

News about our #PS13V8, which is currently resting in a container in Oman. We are waiting for updates from the Oman International Drift Championship and when the event can happen safely.

Mission CTRL: Navara-R Livestream is back next week!  24th February! We’re rolling on the last Wednesday of the month in 2021. So schedule us in, 7:30pm on the @BaggsyBoyUK Facebook page.

Baggsy – “Keeping busy with multiple builds is a great start to our 2021 season as a team! Living with the current down time during this pandemic is possibly what we needed to take some time and reset our goals for the new year.” “With rebuilding the GT-R and working towards completion on the Navara-R, we are currently stronger than ever & we can’t wait to show you the results when events start happening again soon!” “It’s a shame we aren’t in Oman right now enjoying the heat and putting on a show in the OIDC, but the correct precautions are being taken so we can stay safe. I look forward to heading over there soon though and battling it out for that top step” www.baggsyboy.com www.sbmotorsport.com

New events will fill the canceled West Coast dates and will be announced soonCONCORD, NC – Feb. 17, 2021 – State and local restrictions, due to the pandemic, have forced the cancellation of the Spring West Coast Swing, providing new dates for Magnolia Motor Speedway and The Rev, along with soon-to-be-announced dates for new events.With COVID-19 restrictions throughout the West Coast limiting the availability of fans at tracks, World of Outlaws officials were forced to cancel the entire West Coast Swing for the spring only – this includes:-March 4 at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas -March 12-13 at Arizona Speedway -March 20 at Perris Auto Speedway -March 21 at Santa Maria Raceway -March 26-27 at Thunderbowl Raceway -April 2 at Merced Speedway -April 3 at Ocean Speedway -April 9-10 at Vado Speedway ParkThose who purchased a ticket in advance to any of the West Coast events will receive a face-value credit to their MyDirtTickets.com account to be used towards any World of Outlaws event available at WorldofOutlaws.com/tix. If a credit to your account does not work for you, you have 30 days to CLICK HERE to be taken to the refund request page.Magnolia Motor Speedway and The Rev will replace the now-canceled Arizona Speedway doubleheader with Magnolia taking place on Friday, March 12, and The Rev taking place on Saturday, March 13.If you already purchased tickets for Magnolia and The Rev, those tickets can be used for the new dates. If you are unable to make it to the rescheduled dates, you have 30 days to request a refund through this link CLICK HERE.The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series 2021 season continues Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26-27, at Cotton Bowl Speedway for the Texas Two Step. You can get tickets to that event by clicking HERE.New events, in place of the West Coast events – which will be announced soon – will take place after Cotton Bowl and bring the tour back to its original schedule with Lawton Speedway on Friday, April 16, and Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Saturday, April 17. You can get tickets for those events by clicking HERE.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 for $299/year or the monthly FAST PASS subscription for $39/month.

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.

February 17, 2021

Matt DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team will be back at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday for the second points race of the 2021 Cup Series season and the team’s second race this year on the Speedway’s 3.61-mile, 14-turn road course.

Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 takes the spot on the schedule normally held by Auto Club Speedway in California, where concerns about the ongoing pandemic led to the race being moved to Daytona.
 
DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team raced on the road course on Feb. 9 in the non-points Busch Clash and finished 10^th.
 
DiBenedetto said he was glad to get in 35 laps in race conditions on the Daytona course as he and the team prepare for the seven points-paying road-course races this season.
 
“Road courses are where we’re working the hardest to improve,” he said. “Our team is very well rounded between superspeedways, intermediates and short tracks, but we just haven’t been able to get the exact feel I’m looking for on road courses. 
 
“I’m glad we got to run the Clash. That helps us evaluate what we need to improve our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang. We’re hoping to have a solid outcome on Sunday and get a good finish to build on.”
 
DiBenedetto said that while he was disappointed to be knocked out of the Daytona 500 before having a chance to show the speed of the No. 21 Mustang, he’s still very bullish on 2021.
 
“It was definitely not the way we want to start the season, but it’s early, and this weekend gives us a chance to go out there and redeem ourselves,” he said. “We’ve got a string of really, really good tracks coming up. We need to take advantage of that and continue to build on the momentum we had at the end of last season.”

There will be no practice or qualifying for Sunday’s 70-lap race, which will have Stage breaks at 16 and 34 laps.
 
FOX will carry the TV broadcast, and the green flag is set to fly just after 3 p.m. Eastern Time.
 

Duck River Raceway Park and Smoky Mountain Speedway set to host ‘The Most Power Late Models on the Planet’ in MarchLEWISBURG, TN – Feb. 17, 2021 – After five days of racing in Florida, the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series will turn its attention to a doubleheader weekend in Tennessee.The Series on Friday, March 5, will make its seventh appearance at Duck River Raceway Park, in Lewisburg, TN, and on Saturday, March 6, will make its 10th appearance at Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, TN for the Tennessee Tipoff.The first five races of the 2021 season have set the stage for several exciting storylines heading into the next two events – including rookie contender Kyle Strickler currently leading the points after two wins in the first five races, Ricky Weiss continuing to tune his new self-made Sniper Chassis and Dennis Erb, Jr. off to a strong start.One of the most surprising storylines is three-time defending champion Brandon Sheppard still in search of a win and top-five finish. He and his Rocket1 Racing team will be hungrier than ever to find their way back to the top when the season continues in Tennessee, currently sitting sixth in the championship standings. Sheppard earned his first win at Duck River in 2019 but has yet to visit Victory Lane at Smoky Mountain with the Series.A win for Sheppard during the doubleheader weekend would mark a historic moment in his career. It would be his 70th career World of Outlaws win. He’s currently eight wins behind Josh Richards, who has collected the most trophies in Series history with 77. Richard’s 77th career World of Outlaws win came at Duck River last year.However, there has yet to be a repeat winner at the quarter-mile track. The previous winners include:2020 – Josh Richards 2019 – Brandon Sheppard 2017 – Mike Marlar 2016 – Dale McDowell 2014 – Darrell Lanigan 2013 – Eric WellsAt Smoky Mountain, 2004 Series champion and Tennesse-resident Scott Bloomquist is the only repeat winner with the World of Outlaws. Of his 33 career Series victories, two of them came at the 4/10-mile track in 2015 and 2016. Since Bloomquist’s last win in 2016, there have been five different winners at the track – the Series’ most recent winner Brandon Overton won in 2017, Chris Madden and Dale McDowell won in 2018, Jimmy Owens won in 2019 and 2018 Series champion Mike Marlar won there last year.With the level of competition displayed in the first five races at Volusia Speedway Park, fans can expect to see more of that thrilling action from The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet at both Tennessee tracks. Especially with $10,000-to-win on the line at Duck River and $12,000-to-win on the line at Smoky Mountain.Duck River Raceway Park Tickets: CLICK HERE Smoky Mountain Speedway Tickets: CLICK HEREIf you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision with the annual Platinum FAST PASS subscription for $299/year or the monthly FAST PASS subscription for $39/month.

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

New dates for Magnolia Motor Speedway and The Rev will be announced soonCOLUMBUS, MS – Feb. 16, 2021 – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series doubleheader weekend at Magnolia Motor Speedway and The Rev is postponed and new dates will be announced this week.Magnolia Motor Speedway, in Columbus, MS, and The Rev, in Monroe, LA, initially scheduled for this weekend (Friday, Feb. 19, and Saturday, Feb. 20), have experienced extreme winter weather, projected to continue throughout the weekend, forcing the postponement.Those who have already purchased tickets to race at Magnolia and/or The Rev can use those tickets for the rescheduled dates. Once the new dates are announced, if you are unable to make it to the rescheduled dates, you’ll have 30 days to request a refund through this link CLICK HERE.The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series returns to racing Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26-27, for the Texas Two Step at Cotton Bowl Speedway. For tickets, CLICK HERE.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 for $299/year or the monthly FAST PASS subscription for $39/month.

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.

A Total of 62 POWRi Racing Events will Enjoy Coverage Across MAVTV Plus and the Motorsports Network

CORONA, Calif. (February 16, 2021) – MAVTV Motorsports Network is committed to showcasing grassroots racing in America.  To further that commitment, MAVTV has announced it will be the exclusive home for POWRi Racing and all of its series’ in 2021.   POWRi Racing brings a powerful brand of open-wheel racing to MAVTV, including its Lucas Oil National Midgets, WAR Sprints, and its Outlaw Micro Sprints.  In all, 62 POWRi Racing events will enjoy coverage across the MAVTV Motorsports Network.

“We are thrilled to announce MAVTV Motorsports Network will become the exclusive home for all POWRI Racing in 2021,” said Morgan Lucas, President, Lucas Oil Products. “This exciting partnership with POWRi Racing extends our relationship with the organization and allows us to increase the exposure for all of its series through the recently rebranded MAVTV Plus subscription service and the traditional MAVTV Motorsports Network.” Every race for the National Midgets, as well as WAR Sprints, Outlaw Micro Sprints and POWRi West Midgets will be shown live on the new MAVTV Plus platform.

Several races will also receive tape-delayed programs on MAVTV, including the Lucas Oil National Midget Series, the WAR Sprints from Lucas Oil Speedway, and the Keith Kunz Giveback Classic for Micros in October at Port City Raceway in Oklahoma.   “This is an exciting day for POWRi Racing,” said Kenny Brown, Owner and President of POWRi Racing. “This continues the partnership we have enjoyed with Lucas Oil and its family of companies.  Now our racers and supporters will receive an incredible amount of exposure through the MAVTV Motorsports Network.  I believe the live coverage for our series’ on MAVTV Plus will be an important part of the future of our racing.”   The first POWRi event scheduled for live coverage on MAVTV Plus is the season opener for the Lucas Oil National Midget Series on March 19-20 at Monarch Motor Speedway in Wichita Falls, TX.

MAVTV Plus is built on the foundation established by Lucas Oil Racing TV and replaces the latter, effective immediately. The rebrand of the digital service will be seamless to subscribers, who will continue to receive access to a uniquely diverse collection of automotive and racing content catered directly to motorsports enthusiasts, including the ARCA Menards Series, GNCC Racing Series, Late Model Dirt Series, Pro Pulling League, ASCS Sprint Car Series, GT4 America and much more. As part of the launch, existing subscribers received a two-month extension on their current plan. A yearly subscription to MAVTV Plus, which gives viewers access to all of the Live racing, along with the MAVTV library of content, is priced at $99.99. MAVTV Plus is also offered as a monthly subscription at $6.99 and includes access to select scheduled live events and the MAVTV library. The app is available for download on major mobile and streaming devices, and can also be accessed via an internet browser. Additional information for both current and new subscribers can be found at www.MAVTVPlus.com. The MAVTV Plus on-demand streaming service is designed to complement the existing MAVTV Motorsports Network and will feature all types of motorsports programming. From both live and archived race events to automotive restoration shows, MAVTV Plus will provide nothing but the best motorsports content.MAVTV 2021 Chili Bowl Nationals Schedule

YORBA LINDA, Calif. (Feb. 16, 2021) – The John Force Racing team will make their much-anticipated return to NHRA Championship Drag Racing at the 2021 Camping World Series season-opening NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Fla. It was announced today that the 21-time championship team will feature three full-time hot rods driven by John Force, Robert Hight and Brittany Force. On 16-time world champion John Force’s PEAK / BlueDEF Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, Danny Hood, son-in-law to John Force, will continue as lead crew chief with Tim Fabrisi, long-time car chief for Force, moving up to assistant. Both were key players in John’s historic 150th and 151st national event wins. “Thank you to all of our sponsors and fans for sticking by us. I really realized how much I love this sport and I appreciate the chance to get back into my PEAK / BlueDEF Chevrolet,” said owner and CEO John Force. “We’re excited to be back racing and to have all of our sponsors with us. I’m looking forward to working with Camping World and can’t wait to see where the sport goes with them on board.” President of John Force Racing and three-time Funny Car world champion Robert Hight will continue to drive the Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS with his tandem of crew chiefs Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham. “I’m really looking forward to getting back to going rounds and winning races with this Auto Club team,” said Hight. “I know Jimmy [Prock] and Chris [Cunningham] and all our Auto Club guys are excited and ready to get going. I’m happy to be continuing John Force Racing’s over 20-year partnership with AAA and ultimately going after another championship.” Crew chiefs David Grubnic and Mac Savage will continue to tune 2017 Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force’s Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac dragster. The two sponsors will split the season as primary partners on the national record holding dragster.  “I can’t wait to get back to the racetrack with my Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team,” said Brittany Force. “We’ll be chasing down our first win of the season right out of the gate. This year I’m really looking forward to racing in Seattle with Frank Tiegs and Flav-R-Pac as the title sponsor.” In addition to PEAK / BlueDEF, Auto Club, Monster Energy and Flav-R-Pac, John Force Racing brings back its full roster of sponsors including Chevrolet, Cornwell Tools, Montana Brand, ParkerStore, Baldwin Filters, Gates Belts, Weld Racing, Simpson Race Products and Goodyear. John Force Racing will prepare for the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series opening race at PRO Winter Warm-Up March 5-7 at Palm Beach International Raceway. Limited tickets are available for the test session at racepbir.com. Tickets for the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals March 12-14 are on sale at nhra.com.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Doubleheader in South Carolina at Lake View, CherokeeFriesen to make tour debut, Overton returns and Strickler looks to continue success with new Longhorn NICHOLS, SC – Feb. 15, 2021 – This weekend, the stars and cars of the Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series head for the only doubleheader weekend on the schedule as the tour makes its debut at Lake View Motor Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 20, before its second visit of the season to Cherokee Speedway for the Frostbite 40 on Sunday, Feb. 21. With January and February’s long stretch of Late Model racing in Florida now complete, the Southeastern Super Late Model stars now turn their attention to the final three events on the docket for the 2020-21 Xtreme Series campaign. Several names are coming off wins and great finishes in the Sunshine State and will be looking to carry the momentum as the Series enters the back half of its schedule. If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision. Here are the top storylines to follow this weekend: AN EXTREME DEBUT – Super DIRTcar Series-turned-NASCAR Truck Series star Stewart Friesen will make his debut with the Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series this weekend behind the wheel of his Halmar International Longhorn Chassis #44. Friesen made his Dirt Late Model debut at All-Tech Raceway on Jan. 23 and picked up a top-10 in his most recent start at Bubba Raceway Park on Feb. 2. Since then, Friesen had a very successful outing with the Super DIRTcar Series at the 50th DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia last week, winning both of his Big-Block starts on Tuesday and Wednesday night. REDEMPTION TIME – Chris Madden has been finishing well as of late in Xtreme competition, notching a win and a podium finish since the rough end to his last visit to Cherokee in November for the season-opening Blue Gray 100. The current points leader led the latter portion of the race until Lap 92 when he blew a tire, leaving him with a 12th-place result. But Sunday’s Frostbite 40 is only 40 laps, which could be just the distance the defending Series champion needs to show the DIRTVision audience how to get it done at his home track. Madden most recently bagged two top-10 finishes with the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series in last week’s 50th DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia, also leading a great deal of laps in Thursday’s Feature. RIDING THE WAVE – Kyle Strickler has had quite the notable past month. The current runner-up in Series points scored his first career World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series victory at Volusia Speedway Park’s Sunshine Nationals in January, made the switch back to Longhorn Chassis with his PCC Motorsports team, won again with the Outlaws last Wednesday night at Volusia’s 50th DIRTcar Nationals and signed-up to go full-time with the tour as the current points leader. Strickler’s last Xtreme Series outing at Cherokee in November was a success, placing third behind only Benji Hicks and winner Brandon Overton after 100 laps. He’s only 17 points behind Madden in the Series standings, and with both drivers intending to compete in all six races, this battle certainly has the potential to come right down to the wire. BRINGING SEXY BACK – One start, one win. After taking a few races off to assemble his new cars for the 2021 season, Brandon Overton is expected to make his return to the Xtreme tour this weekend after a very successful Florida stretch that included two wins and five podium finishes. Overton also won the Xtreme tour opening Blue Gray 100 at Cherokee in November. YOUNG GUN SHOOTS – Daulton Wilson, of Fayetteville, NC, had himself a stellar Qualifying performance in the season’s second race at Volunteer Speedway, breaking the track record before going on to finish sixth in the Feature. One week later, he posted a career-best 4th-place effort at Lavonia, showcasing his true talent on the Southeast red clay. Wilson hasn’t finished outside of the top-10 yet, grabbing an 8th-place finish at Cherokee in November’s Blue Gray 100.

The Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: Drydene Performance Products (Official Motor Oil), ARP [automotive Racing products], Chevy Performance Parts, COMP Cams, DART, DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), FireAde, Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Intercomp, iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), MSD, Racing Electronics, SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) and VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel).

Inside Line Promotions – FRESNO, Calif. (Feb. 15, 2021) – Dominic Scelzi is embarking upon a California-focused schedule in 2021.

There will only be a select number of races outside of his home state and after earning a trio of top 10s during his season-opening tripleheader in Arizona last month, Scelzi kicks off his campaign in California this Saturday at Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford.

“Peter Murphy has done a great job there and we’re really looking forward to racing in Hanford a lot this year,” he said. “We haven’t been able to race there very often in recent years, but we have produced some great runs. I have four or five victories at the track in my career. It’s the track in California that races the most like the Midwest in my opinion.”

Scelzi has enjoyed a lot of successful outings at the dirt oval, where he has earned a handful of victories. His most recent trip to the Winner’s Circle at the track came last October when Scelzi captured the Morrie Williams Memorial after lining up 11^th.

“That was a special victory,” he said. “It was awesome because we were driving for Williams Motorsports so to win that in honor of Morrie meant a lot. Plus, to cap the weekend by charging from 11^th to pick up the win was certainly a confidence boost.”

Scelzi scored the win, a pair of top fives and a trio of top 10s in four features that weekend. He also produced a seventh-place showing during a 410ci winged sprint car event at Keller Auto Speedway last June.

“We’re looking for similar success this Saturday and to go after a win,” he said. “I think there will be a great car count with a lot of talented drivers so we will need to be strong from the time we unload.”

February 15, 2021

The 63^rd running of the Daytona 500 ended early for Matt DiBenedetto and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team.

DiBenedetto, who had started 23^rd, was running 18^th on Lap 15 when contact at the front of the field triggered a multi-car crash.

Although DiBenedetto initially steered past some of the spinning cars, he eventually was collected and wound up bouncing off several other drivers involved in the 16-car melee.

DiBenedetto was able to drive back to pit road just as the red flag was displayed first for lightning then continued for rain.

After a five-hour, 40-minute delay, the red flag was lifted, replaced by the caution flag. 

The Motorcraft/Quick Lane team went to work on the No. 21 Mustang, but the damage was too severe to continue.
 
DiBenedetto was able to overtake three drivers also involved in the wreck, but was forced out of the race due to NASCAR’s damaged vehicle policy. 
  
He was left with a 33^rd – place finish.
 
“We had a great piece,” he said. “This was not what we had planned.”
 
DiBenedetto added that he sensed trouble was ahead just prior to the crash and told his spotter Doug Campbell to help him get out of the pack. But before that could happen the spinning started.
  
“It was getting crazy,” he said.
 
The team will return to Daytona International Speedway next Sunday for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 on the track’s 14-turn infield road course.
 

Daytona Beach, FL – February 15, 2021 – Michael McDowell and Austin Cindric brought home two victories for Ford Motor Co., sweeping the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity races at Daytona. McDowell, from Front Row Motorsports, won his first Daytona 500 and NASCAR Cup Series race. While Cindric captured his first Xfinity win at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night for Team Penske.

“Congratulations to Michael, Drew, Jerry, Bob and the Front Row Motorsports organization for winning the Daytona 500,” said Doug Yates, President and CEO of Roush Yates Engines. “This was such an amazing weekend of racing, to win both the Cup and Xfinity races is such a blessing. Congrats, to Austin, Brian, Roger, and Team Penske for winning the Xfinity race and marking Roush Yates Engines’ 150th NASCAR Xfinity win. I’m so proud of our entire team and our partnership with Ford Performance to power these fast Fords.”

It was a story book ending for McDowell, recording the Ford Mustang’s first Daytona 500 win and his first win in his 358th career start. McDowell is the eighth driver to get his first win at Daytona.   “I just can’t believe it,” McDowell commented. “The only thing I can think of is just God is so good. For so many years I’ve just been grinding it out trying to stay in this sport. Bob Jenkins gave me a great opportunity to go full-time in a competitive car and Drew Blickensderfer and my whole entire team we’ve been working so hard for years to get into this position and I’m so thankful to Love’s Travel Stops and Speeco and Ford, Doug Yates. All of my Ford partners out there. I just can’t believe it. I’m so thankful. It’s amazing.” The 500-mile, Great American Race all came down to the last lap. McDowell, following Ford teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski, found himself in position to take the lead after Logano and Keselowski had an on-track incident in Turn 3 of the final lap. McDowell took the lead, and it became a drag race to the checkered flag with Chase Elliott and Austin Dillon. After a video tape review, McDowell was announced the official winner, beating Elliott by over a car length as the raced ended under caution.

“There’s no better way to start the season than by winning NASCAR’s biggest race,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “There aren’t many things that Mustang hasn’t achieved in its storied history, but winning the Daytona 500 was one of them and we’re excited about adding that to the list.”   Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Kevin Harvick finished P4 and Cole Custer P11, while Team Penske teammates Logano and Keselowski finished P12 and P13 respectively.

Austin Cindric, in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford Mustang, brought home the first NASCAR Xfinity Series win of 2021. This marked Cindric’s first win at Daytona International Speedway, securing his position in the 2021 Playoffs to defend his 2020 Championship title.

In an overtime finish, the current NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion, Cindric held off a hard charging Brett Moffitt on the last lap, to take the checkered flag .104 seconds in front of Moffitt to record his ninth career win. This also marked the first Xfinity win at Daytona for team owner Roger Penske.   “What a way to kick off the season,” commented Cindric. “I’m really proud of the speed our boys brought with me in the Verizon 5G Ford Mustang. I really feel like over the no practice races we made our superspeedway cars better, so to be able to showcase that tonight makes me really proud, proud of the effort of the guys in the shop and obviously our road crew. To start off our season like this is incredible.”

Ford Performance teammates led a combined 67 laps out of the 122-lap race, led by Cindric with 28 laps and newcomer Ryan Sieg from RSS Racing with 23 laps before he was collected in an on-track incident to finish 31st. Jason White of NXT Motorsports finished tenth and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst finished 26th.

The NASCAR Series will be back at Daytona International Speedway this weekend to run the Road Course.  33 CHAMPIONSHIPS – 414 WINS – 371 POLES!

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER Off Road Chevrolet Team Narrowly Miss DAYTONA 500 Victory In Exciting Last-Lap Finish

3rd   4th 1st

“Oh man! That was so close. I don’t know what else I could have done, really. Justin Alexander and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops / TRACKER OFF Road Chevrolet team built a rocket. We scored a bunch of points over the entire weekend, which will be helpful as we head into the 2021 season. The manufacturers are so tight, and you’re running so close at the end. We had gotten to a point where we were in a decent position to put the Chevys in Victory Lane. We had two Chevys that finished second and third, but just needed a couple more feet to get one of us to Victory Lane. I can’t say enough about ECR, RCR and the effort everyone put into our superspeedway program over the off season. We struggled last year at Talladega Superspeedway, so we came back and worked on things. It was a lot of hard work by everyone during the off season and it paid off.”-Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 Lenovo Team Show Perseverance After Early On-Track Incident in DAYTONA 500

27th   29th 27th

“I’m proud of my No. 8 Lenovo team for sticking with it all night long to get as much out of our race as we could. We had such a solid No. 8 Lenovo Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE that my team worked so hard on over the last couple of months. It’s really unfortunate that we got caught up in one of the big ones early after just 15 laps of the DAYTONA 500. I hate it for all our partners and fans, but it’s part of racing here. My team did a great job repairing what they could and getting me back out there after that lengthy rain delay. Every point and position matters out here, so I’m glad we were able to get back out there to grab a few more spots and finish out the night. It’s not the clean start to the season that we wanted, but we’ll regroup. I look forward to coming back down here next weekend for the road course. We had a lot of speed during the Clash that we can capitalize on to get ourselves a good finish.” -Tyler Reddick

NASCAR CUP SERIES DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY DAYTONA 500 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES FEBRUARY 15, 2021 TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER2nd     CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE3rd     AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1 1LE6th      RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 COTTONELLE CAMARO ZL1 1LE 7th      ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 42 CLOVER CAMARO ZL1 1LE8th      JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 77 ADVENTHEALTH CAMARO ZL1 1LE TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS: POS.  DRIVER1st      Michael McDowell (Ford)2nd    Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)3rd     Austin Dillon (Chevrolet)4th      Kevin Harvick (Ford)5th      Denny Hamlin (Toyota) The NASCAR Cup Series season continues next weekend at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course with the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at Daytona on Sunday, February 21, at 3:00 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES:CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 2nd YOU WERE SIDE BY SIDE WITH MICHAEL MCDOWELL THROUGH THREE AND FOUR WHEN THE CAUTION CAME OUT. HOW CLOSE DO YOU THINK IT WAS RIGHT THERE?“I don’t think it was very close. I kind of got next to him and I saw the lights come on, so I knew it was over right then. Just a huge thanks to NAPA, Chevrolet and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports. I felt like we had a fast car. We weren’t as good as I thought we were on Thursday. I felt like we did a really good job executing today. Staying out of trouble – that’s not something I’ve done a very good job of here in this race, so I’m glad we could at least finish this one and have something to build on for when we come back and try to do better.” “The top was just so fast. It didn’t seem to matter who got down low; you couldn’t really make anything go. We all kind of tried at certain points in time; it just didn’t work out. Close – we finished one, so I’m pretty pleased with that.” AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER OFF ROAD CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 3rd YOU WERE BATTLING AT THE END, BUT JUST NOT QUITE ENOUGH TO GET YOUR SECOND DAYTONA 500. “Yeah, you know you’ve just got to be thankful to be around at those moments at the end. I pulled out to see if the bottom would work and just didn’t get enough of a run. It was close. I’ve got to thank all my sponsors like Bass Pro Shops and everybody that helps this program. We were here all weekend scoring points and that’s all I can ask for. Our team worked hard in the off-season with ECR power. What can I say? Chevy was really close. I had fun working with my guys tonight in the Chevy camp.” ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 42 CLOVER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 7th“A great way to kick off the year with this No. 42 car. This Clover Chevy was fast. We tore it up at the end- hit the wall a ton coming to the checkered, but still finished seventh.” “This was a great way to start the year. We got a few stage points. Thank you to everyone at Clover, McDonald’s, AdventHealth, Caregility – it was a good way to start. We worked well with our Chevy teammates. I still have some learning to do. I’m glad to get out of here and come back next week for the Road Course.” COREY LAJOIE, NO. 7 YOUTHEORY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 9th “Great way to start the year with our Spire Motorsports Chevy team. You always want to be in position to contend for a win, but to finish 9th in my first race with the team is exactly what we set out to do. Good start in points and we’ll continue to get stronger over the course of the year.” KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 NATIONS GUARD CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 10th“All-in-all a good day. I thought we were in an OK spot there at the end to get a top-five, if not, maybe a win if things worked out down the backstretch and through three and four. They all kind of started crashing in front of me. I almost made it through; I think I barely clipped the No. 2 (Brad Keselowski) car and then kind of slid all the way through three and four. Thought I might save it, couldn’t save it and started spinning. Lost some spots, but it was still a top-10.” “We finished top-10 in the Duel; got some points there. We were top-10 in both stages, so not a bad day for us. Would have liked to have been a little bit better, but anytime you can see the checkered flag, somewhat, at Daytona is always a good day. We’ll come back here next week and have some fun on the Road Course.”  KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 22nd“That was quite a finish; I just wish we could have been part of it. We had to ride around all day. Once you lose two laps, you’re pinned down. You have to stay just one lap down. Got stuck in the mud, had too much damage and never really got to race. All those boys started pushing way too hard, way too early, and we got wrapped up in it. It made for a long Speedweeks. It wasn’t the best Speedweeks I can remember.”“We’ll bounce back. We have another race here at the Road Course, then we’re down in Miami and then we’re out of Florida. We’ll dig out of this hole. We’re a great team; we’re ready for this.” WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 26th“It was a long day but I’m proud of my guys for being able to fix the car as well as they did so we could finish the race. Those spots we picked up were important. It would have been nice to pick up a few more, but that’s just how things go. We’ll regroup and focus on next week’s race at the road course.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 LENOVO CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 27th “I’m proud of my No. 8 Lenovo team for sticking with it all night long to get as much out of our race as we could. We had such a solid No. 8 Lenovo Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that my team had worked so hard on over the last couple of months. It’s really unfortunate that we got caught up in one of the big ones early after just 15 laps of the DAYTONA 500. I hate it for all our partners and fans, but it’s part of racing here. My team did a great job repairing what they could and getting me back out there after that lengthy rain delay. Every point and position matters out here, so I’m glad we were able to get back out there to grab a few more spots and finish out the night. It’s not the clean start to the season that we wanted, but we’ll regroup. I look forward to coming back down here next weekend for the road course. We had a lot of speed during the Clash that we can capitalize on to get ourselves a good finish.” ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 13; Finished 35th “It looks like the No. 10 (Aric Almirola) kind of got turned sideways there and I was the guy that got ran into. Bummer – I hate it for Ally. Obviously, we had a really fast Camaro. The Chevrolet’s were working good together; hopefully a Chevy still ends up in Victory Lane.” “Hats off to everybody at Hendrick Motorsports; they build some really fast race cars. Hate that superspeedway racing works out that way sometimes, but that’s just part of the game.” DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 IFLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 13; Finished 36th “Sadly, we got caught in someone else’s mistake early on, and even though I made it through the wreck, my car got killed on the grass. So frustrating, such a shame. But at the same time, I’m very excited for what is coming this year. I’m so fortunate to be part of such an amazing team that gave me a very fast 99 iFly Chevy Camaro. We’ll bring another fast race car next weekend and go back to battle”  JUSTIN MARKS, OWNER, TRACKHOUSE RACING/NO. 99 IFLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE“It’s part of the game here in Daytona. You got to be good but everyone knows you have to be lucky as well. Luck wasn’t quite on our side today but we are incredibly proud of the effort put forth to get to the track by Trackhouse Racing.” PITBULL, OWNER, TRACKHOUSE RACING/NO. 99 IFLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE“The great thing is Daniel is OK. He was running a great race at that point. We have many more races my friends!” ERIK JONES, NO. 43 ARMOR ALL CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident on lap 13; Finished 39th “Unfortunate end for the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports team in the Daytona 500; it’s not what we were hoping for by any means. The No. 43 Armor All Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE was fast to start. We had raced up there into the top-10 and I think we were just outside of it when the big wreck started. Bummed, but there’s 35 more races left this season to go back out and make up for it. We’ll work hard to try and make these points up here as we go and move onto the Daytona Road Course next week.”

Myatt Snider and the No. 2 TaxSlayer Chevrolet Team Open 2021 Season with Seventh-Place Finish at Daytona

7th   11th 6th

“A seventh-place finish is a great way to start the season for our No. 2 TaxSlayer team. Our Chevrolet Camaro was loose for the first half of the race, but my crew chief, Andy Street, made solid adjustments every time we came to pit road. The key to seeing the checkered flag in these superspeedway races is to miss the big wrecks. There were a couple close ones in the final stage, but we managed to keep the TaxSlayer machine clean. We didn’t have enough help during the green-white-checkered to make a big push on the inside lane, but to start our year with a top-10 and earn stage points are positives for our team. I am very thankful to be a part of Richard Childress Racing full-time and we will get after it again here next week on the road course. I think we will be really good then.” -Myatt Snider

Arizonian Andy Reinbold Looking to Bring Outlaw Glory Back to Home State MESA, AZ – Feb. 13, 2021 – In one month, The Greatest Show on Dirt invades The Valley of the Sun.Scheduled for Friday & Saturday, March 12-13, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will roll into town for a doubleheader weekend with the FVP Platinum Battery Showdown at Arizona Speedway.BUY TICKETS HERE (Arizona, 3/12-13)The Series has only contested four events at the Mesa, AZ 1/3rd-mile, but over the years it has quickly become a west coast favorite for Outlaw teams. The beautiful Arizona scenery combined with gorgeous weather, sell-out crowds, and superb on-track action is a recipe for excitement each spring.”I really enjoy that track,” World of Outlaws sophomore, Mason Daniel said. “The facility is top notch and the racing is always awesome. We were just there last month in January and it was a great learning curve for us. We figured out where we want the car for when the Outlaw races come around. I’m looking forward to getting back and seeing all the fans.”A staple on the schedule since 2016, Phoenix area fans have seen four different winners in four races since the World of Outlaws made their first trip, which was won by Oklahoman Shane Stewart. California superstar Rico Abreu topped the 2017 event before Outlaw veterans Donny Schatz (2018) and David Gravel (2019) scored their own wins. The 2020 event was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, only amping up the excitement for the 2021 return next month.The Mesa track is relatively new to the schedule, but Arizona’s history with the Outlaws dates back to the inaugural season in 1978. In total, 55 World of Outlaws Sprint Car features have been contested in the state of Arizona. Phoenix’s famed Manzanita Speedway hosted 38 shows from 1978 to 2009.Five other facilities including Tucson’s USA Raceway (8), Mesa’s Arizona Speedway (4), Chandler’s Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park (2), Somerton’s Cocopah Speedway (2), and Chandler’s Firebird International Raceway (1) have all hosted Outlaw shows.Way back in ’78 and ’79, Arizonian’s were well represented on their home turf, but have since been shut out from glory within their own borders. Tempe natives and sprint car legends, Ron Shuman and Lealand McSpadden, were both winners at Manzy. Since then, it’s been an Outlaw or an invader taking the desert by storm.Now, 40 some years later, a new Tempe, AZ team is focused on restoring that home state pride.With a highly-coveted rising star in 19-year old Buddy Kofoid at the wheel, Andy Reinbold and Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports are Arizona’s biggest hot shot looking to defeat the World of Outlaws. Just last month in an unsanctioned event at the Arizona Speedway, Kofoid and Reinbold were almost unstoppable together, winning two of three race against a field that included full-time Outlaws such as Donny Schatz, Aaron Reutzel, Mason Daniel, and more.”Winning at home is obviously super special to us,” Reinbold spoke on his Arizona heritage. “I’ve always been proud of the legacy of sprint car racing in Arizona. We’ve had the privilege to win some pretty big races all across the country with USAC and stuff, but an Outlaws win at our home track would be a damn cool moment.”Just three years ago, at the ripe age of 16-years old, Kofoid made his first and loudest impression against the Outlaws. In his just his sixth career start, the Penngrove, CA teenager put it on the pole at Silver Dollar Speedway’s Gold Cup. He did so with a beatdown of 4.9-second in the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash. Ultimately, he finished fifth in the main event, but more importantly he had made a name for himself.Next month, at the March 12-13 doubleheader, Reinbold and Kofoid will get their shot in the #19AZ with the World of Outlaws at Arizona Speedway.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 for $299/year or the monthly FAST PASS subscription for $39/month.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.

Rained out finale ices points for North Carolina Super DIRTcar Series racerBARBERVILLE, FL – Max McLaughlin walked into Volusia Speedway Park with one mission —  win races. He captured one victory, three top-fives and four top-10s to take the 50th DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator championship for the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds.The banner win came with a dose of redemption that had been on McLaughlin’s mind since he drove for Heinke-Baldwin Racing in 2017. “Not only have I wanted to win at this race track for a long time, but to get a DIRTcar Nationals championship is really special,” said McLaughlin, of Mooresville, NC. “I almost got one in 2017 when I tied with Brett Hearn. He ended up winning the final night which gave the championship to him. It’s been bothering me for a few years that we didn’t win it. Now, this makes up for it.”But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the multi-discipline race car driver at The World’s Fastest Half-Mile. The 20-year-old driver of the #32C made contact with seven-time Series champion Matt Sheppard in Turn 1, Lap 1 during the rain-delayed Feature on Feb. 11. McLaughlin went on to win the race with Sheppard finishing fifth, however the drivers were involved in an altercation afterward.  “I made a mistake hitting the water on Lap 1 and got into Sheppard and got punched in the face for it,” McLaughlin said. “That’s alright. Whatever. I got one black eye, one busted lip, and one DIRTcar Nationals championship.”Sheppard was penalized. McLaughlin now has his first two Super DIRTcar Series wins with the Sweentener’s Plus Big Block. “Thank you, Vic Coffey and everyone at the Sweetener’s Plus race team, for giving me the opportunity,” he said. “We won our first Heat Race of the week and I remember saying in an interview that this team has won here before and now it’s up to me and that’s what we did.”McLaughlin finished in an average position of 4.5 and accumulated 594 points in four completed 30-lap Features. Just behind him was The Franklin Flyer Billy Decker in his Gypsum Wholesalers Big Block who finished with 589 points. Decker had four top-five finishes to finish the week in second place overall which is a good indicator that the #91 will be contending for a Super DIRTcar Series championship in 2021. Michael Maresca finished in third place overall and came out with his first career Super DIRTcar Series win. The St. Lawrence Radiology #7MM is off to a strong start in 2021.Check out the final Big Gator championship points standings here.The Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds start up the championship points season at The Nasty Track, Can-Am Speedway, on Saturday, April 10. If you can’t make it to the track DIRTVision will have you covered for the broadcast. Be sure to follow us on social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also bookmark SuperDIRTcarSeries.com for the schedule, features, race reports, and more.

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.

With the help of a Florida couple, Moran made the trip to Florida for a career weekCONCORD, N.C. – A trip to Volusia Speedway Park for the 50th DIRTcar Nationals wasn’t initially on Devin Moran’s 2021 itinerary. His new gator-wide smile signified his joy of that change.Moran, 26, of Dresden, OH, claimed his first DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator championship on Saturday after an impressive display of consistency through the five rounds of Late Model races. If it wasn’t for a broken driveshaft on Wednesday, he could’ve finished on the podium in each event – he had finishes of third, second, 31st, first (his first Volusia win) and second.“It’s pretty cool,” Moran said about claiming his first Big Gator title. “It’s pretty unexpected, to be honest. At the start of the week, we weren’t even planning on coming down here. Then to run top three even night, except for that one DNF, which I think we had a shot to win, it just gives us a lot of confidence… To start out the year the way we have, it’s been a lot of fun and like I said, it gives us a lot of confidence.”If it wasn’t for Florida-residents Terry and Marry Ann Wright – who have been friends with Moran’s car owner for a while – Moran and his team would’ve skipped the prestigious event. They’ve been trying to get the team to come down for a couple of years and this year helped make it affordable for them, Moran said.“I’m glad they did because it definitely paid off,” he added.Bobby Pierce was his closest competitor in the championship hunt going into the final race – before Saturday’s event was canceled due to rain. He entered the night only nine points behind Moran and was on track to cut into that lead after setting Slick Woody’s Quick Time and starting on the outside pole of the Feature.However, as fate would have it, he suffered a motor issue and the team was unable to get a new one in before the Feature started. Pierce hoped in Reid Millard’s car for the Feature but pulled in early and was unable to finish, unofficially handing the Big Gator championship to Moran who finished second that night. He earned his first golden gator trophy the night before.Defending Big Gator champion and three-time defending World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series champion Brandon Sheppard finished second in over Big Gator points.“Like I said, it’s so unexpected,” Moran said. “First of all, with us not coming and then winning the whole week. It sucks with what happened with Bobby that he had to change motors and couldn’t… It’s a bummer that he couldn’t race. But we had a really consistent fast car all week. It’s a special thing to take home this gator with as unexpected as it was.”UP NEXT The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series, on Friday, March 5, will return to Duck River Raceway Park in Lewisburg, TN.If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision. FULL BIG GATOR POINTSplace#Fullname8-Feb9-Feb10-Feb11-Feb12-FebTOTAL19Devin Moran7075258075325232Bobby Pierce608026752826931Brandon Sheppard5565365545256440BKyle Bronson654241377025558Kyle Strickler 44806555244676Brandon Overton53552426802387OERick Eckert4947433660235816Tyler Bruening4730554951232958Ross Bailes44405344412221028Dennis Erb Jr3141356053220117Ricky Weiss29534953342181229VDarrell Lanigan43603729492181344Chris Madden30432151652101414Josh Richards513247284720515OScott Bloomquist2645454335194165Mark Whitener7536192538193173SBrian Shirley45386020271901897Cade Dillard41293831441831918Chase Junghans42283240391812020RTRicky Thornton Jr28517030 1792117MDale McDowell3234 70421782299BBoom Briggs37234238361762325Shane Clanton31333147321742456Tony Jackson Jr22314439371732539Tim McCreadie80492320 1722620Jimmy Owens40296535 1692771Hudson O’Neal 707523 16828B1Brent Larson27372041401652972Mike Norris39273321431633054David Breazeale34232845301603119RRyan Gustin31205124331593233Jeff Mathews30262242261463314BJohn Baker2539342423145346Blake Spencer2424303231141357RRoss Robinson29254022241403676NBlair Nothdurft28351820261273731Tyler Millwood2728222127125382Dan Stone38243922 1233914GJoe Godsey2627201925117406JRParker Martin35271834 11441OSRyan Scott25 2733291144289G.R. Smith25211922231104312Ashton Winger30212919 994421Billy Moyer Jr33222221 984542Chad Finley23261927 95463WBrennon Willard24252123 93473Mike Collins27241723 91487FJason Fitzgerald2625 25 764911Josh Rice282918  755025CDonnie Chappell292816  735114MReid Millard2423  2572521stJohnny Scott   2424485311HSpencer Hughes 2620  465414Gordy Gundecker  2125 46558Nick Allen2320   43567MMMichael Maresca36    36576HClay Harris  17  17

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

QUOTES FEBRUARY 13, 2021

GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE“In the 150s, we had a vibration issue that we had to investigate. We initially thought it was an engine issue, but fortunately it wasn’t. The team was able to diagnose and fix it. We didn’t get a whole lot of practice today, but Alex (Bowman) felt everything was fine. We can’t wait for the Ally Camaro to lead the field to green in tomorrow’s DAYTONA 500.”-Greg Ives, crew chief of the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE “Even though we didn’t get to make a timed lap in practice today, I’m still confident in the backup car the guys brought us. It’s actually the car we won Daytona with last year in August and then we ran it again at Talladega in the fall and got a top-five finish. It’s been fast every time it’s been on track, and I think it will be again when we get to the race tomorrow. We were still able to learn a lot in the Duel race on what we need for a setup and what we need security-wise with the handling. While we took a risk running up front during the Duel, those laps led only helped us learn more. Obviously we didn’t want to go to a backup car, but I think we’re still in a really good place for the 500. We’ll definitely be good to go.” RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE“I’m proud of the No. 24 team and all the guys at Hendrick Motorsports who helped us get the backup car turned around so quickly Thursday night and Friday morning. It’s not an ideal situation but it’s part of superspeedway racing. We were able to use Thursday’s race as more of a practice session and get a really good feel for what we need for Sunday. Everything we learned can be applied to the backup car, and at a track like Daytona, where you start isn’t a deal breaker. We just need to execute everything on Sunday to put ourselves in a position to be there in the end when it matters.”

St. Lawrence Radiology driver topped ‘Super’ Matt Sheppard and Billy Decker to claim DIRTcar Nationals glory 

BARBERVILLE, FL – Michael Maresca stomped his throttle at the drop of the green flag and drove wheel-to-wheel with seven-time Volusia Speedway Park winner and three-time Big Gator champion Matt Sheppard to capture his first career Super DIRTcar Series Feature win.

The Pierrepont, NY driver of the #7MM is the pride of the North Country back in New York after topping a DIRTcar Nationals podium crowded with Series championships and Gator trophy winners. Seven-time Series champion Matt Sheppard, from Waterloo, NY, finished second while three-time champ and Gypsum Racing driver Billy Decker finished third.

That’s the definition of a stout crowd. 

“Everyone’s dream, when they start racing in the Northeast, is to win a Super DIRTcar Series race and I finally won one,” Maresca said. “It’s cool to start the year off with a win and to get a Big Block win is especially awesome. It means a lot. I don’t think it’s set in yet. I try to go with the mindset that each race is the same but I’m sure tonight, when I’m lying in bed, I’ll think about all the struggles in the past and realize how awesome this is.”

Maresca, who raced a DIRTcar Late Model earlier in the week, has found speed in his Big Block around The World’s Fastest Half-Mile. 

“Our car had been consistent the last two nights,” he said. “We’ve made little tweaks here or there. We did some testing and the track really suited my style for those first 10 laps when it was really racy.

“We’ve been close the last couple of nights. Our first night was rough but we completely regrouped and went back after it.”

He’s found success with his setup using a new shock package on the #7MM. 

“I want to thank the guys at Penske Racing Shocks,” Maresca said. “They gave us a package to get around this place that’s working really good. There are only two of us here running them. My whole team just kept working and we got it done. I’m really happy to get this car in Victory Lane for those guys.”

When the green flag flew to start the 30-lap Feature, there was an immediate battle between the #9S of Sheppard and Maresca. Sheppard threw his Big Block to the outside but couldn’t execute the pass. 

“We had a really good race there,” Maresca said. “I figured Sheppard would be on the bottom but he came around the outside and I was able to clear him and move up. I think we had a really stout race car.”

Despite falling short of the win, Sheppard was pleased with his result. 

“It was a good night for us,” Sheppard said. “We gave Michael [Maresca] a run on the high side for a while but I just couldn’t get by him once he cleared down to the bottom. I think he was a little better than me anyway.”

Billy Decker has been wracking up podiums all week but, once again, needed a little more out of his Bicknell to get in a winning position. 

“We like parking on the front stretch but obviously we’d like to park down there,” said Decker, of Unadilla, NY. “The Gypsum Wholesaler car has been good. These guys work really hard. We’ve been consistent. We’ve had a rocket since we unloaded it. We didn’t always Time Trial well some nights but we raced really good every night which is important because we normally run really long races. We’re looking forward to it.” 

Max McLaughlin still leads the 50th DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator championship going into Saturday’s finale. Billy Decker rides in second while Maresca climbed into third. Both McLaughlin and Maresca have a chance to win their first Big Gator the same year as their first Little Gators. 

Billy VanInwegen picked up a strong fourth-place finish. He will be eager to come back for the 50-lap Feature while Peter Britten grabbed another top-five finish. 

Next up, on Saturday, Feb. 13, the final night of the 50th DIRTcar Nationals is set to pit the stars of the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds against each other for 50 laps and a $5,000-to-win prize. If you can’t make it to the track, watch live on DIRTVision. Hot Laps begin at 5:30pm (ET). 

Full results here. 

Feature (30 Laps)

1. 7MM-Michael Maresca [1][$4,000]; 2. 9S-Matt Sheppard [2][$2,000]; 3. 91-Billy Decker [4][$1,000]; 4. 4-Billy VanInwegen [7][$800]; 5. 21A-Peter Britten [5][$700]; 6. 30-Ryan Godown [3][$650]; 7. 98H-Jimmy Phelps [9][$600]; 8. 88-Mat Williamson [10][$550]; 9. 32C-Max McLaughlin [6][$500]; 10. 7F-Tim Fuller [8][$450]; 11. 19M-Jessey Mueller [13][$400]; 12. 25-Erick Rudolph [12][$375]; 13. 2-Jack Lehner [18][$350]; 14. 6-Matt Stangle [17][$325]; 15. 118-Jim Britt [11][$300]; 16. 8-Rich Scagliotta [16][$300]; 17. 14-CG Morey [14][$300]; 18. 16X-Dan Creeden [23][$300]; 19. 20-Brett Hearn [15][$300]; 20. 26-Derrick McGrew [19][$300]; 21. 48T-Dave Rauscher [27][$300]; 22. 1-Darwin Greene [22][$300]; 23. 46-Jeremy Smith [20][$300]; 24. 17D-Marcus Dinkins [25][$300]; 25. 1D-Tyler Dippel [21][$300]; 26. 23-Kyle Coffey [24][$300]; 27. B52-Brandon Hightower [26][$300] Hard Charger Award: 48T-Dave Rauscher[+6]

Devin Moran further extends his points lead in the Big Gator championship huntBARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 12, 2021 – The dread that flowed through Brandon Overton’s veins like snake venom was extracted Friday night with the help of a golden gator.Overton, who historically hadn’t run well at Volusia Speedway Park and had bad luck throughout the first few races of the 2021 50th DIRTcar Nationals – breaking a motor and wrecking a car – found his anti-venom and dominated the 40-lap World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Feature. The event was round three for the Series during the DIRTcar Nationals and round five for the Late Model Big Gator championship.He drew the fourth-place starting position but got to move up to the outside pole when Bobby Pierce – initially supposed to start second – had motor issues and moved to the rear in Reid Millard’s #14 car.Once Overton saw the green flag, he never saw his closest competitors again. He didn’t even feel their pressure as he had a half-a-track lead for most of the race with his #76 car. Overton led from green to checkered, picking up his 14th career World of Outlaws victory and first at Volusia Speedway Park.“Hell, man, I’m excited. I’ve been wanting one of these gators (trophies) for a long time,” said Overton, commonly known as Big Sexy. “I finally got me one.“I’ve had the lowest of lows here driving other people’s cars and my own stuff. I’ve never been really good here. So, to finally get it is a relief, I’m telling you. I dread every time I look at that schedule and see Volusia. I’m like, ‘God, I suck there.’ I don’t want to go there. But we keep working on it and working on it and we finally got it.”While Overton dominated, Devin Moran began dusting the Big Gator championship throne for himself to sit on. He had another impressive run, charging from eighth to second, powering around the outside of those in front of him. With that run, he’s nearly clinched the Big Gator championship as Pierce – his closest competitor – didn’t finish the race.Moran initially wasn’t even sure he was going to come to Volusia for the DIRTcar Nationals. His decision to come and play earned him his first Volusia Speedway Park win on Thursday and a strong chance of securing his first Big Gator trophy.“It really sucks for Bobby,” Moran said. “He was a lot better than me in that Heat Race. He was probably going to have something for Brandon there in the Feature. We just missed it a little bit. Got in the wall there a little bit halfway through and took me out of contention there… All in all it was still a good night.”Florida-native Kyle Bronson ran second for the majority of the event with Brent Larson having a career run in third behind him – looking to claim his first podium finish. The two began to cut into Overton’s four-second lead while the leader was stuck in traffic. But with five laps to go, hearts broke around the half-mile speedway when Larson’s left rear tire blew. He was able to finish but had to settle for a 16th-place finish.While Larson had to bear the weight of disappointment once again, he was still able to end the night with his head held high. Especially having won his second career Drydene Heat Race and beating current Series points leader Kyle Strickler to get it.“Strickler is leading point and undoubtedly the star here the past couple of weeks,” Larson said. “To be able to beat him going into (turn) one and beat him in that Heat Race is a big confidence builder.”Bronson, who won the Series’ season-opening race at Volusia during the Sunshine Nationals ended up settling for third. However, his run moved him up to second in Series points – currently 68 points behind Strickler, who finished sixth – his worst finish in the first five races of the season.“Our car has been good all week,” Bronson said. “We’ve just had stupid stuff happen. Broke a distributor cap. Should’ve ran in the top-five the other day and a tire blew out. Things just haven’t gone our way. We had a pretty fast car all week. Things just haven’t been great. Overall, these guys have been working hard and his Longhorn car has been good all week. We just have to be a little bit better.”While Overton was able to find his anti-venom at Volusia, three-time defending champion Brandon Sheppard is still looking for his. He finished 11th and fell to sixth in points – 80 points behind Strickler. He’s yet to secure a top-five finish this season. His championship rival last year, Ricky Weiss, was involved in a crash on the front stretch with six laps to go. It dropped him to a 22nd-place finish.All of them will have one more chance to claim a gator trophy on Saturday when the two-week-long DIRTcar Nationals comes to an epic conclusion.UP NEXT The World of Outlaws Morton Building Late Model Series, on Saturday, Feb. 13, will run the final night of the 50th DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park and crown a new Big Gator Champion. For tickets, click HERE.If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision.RESULTS Morton Buildings Feature (40 Laps) – 1. 76-Brandon Overton [4][$10,000]; 2. 9-Devin Moran [8][$6,000]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson [1][$3,500]; 4. 44-Chris Madden [7][$2,800]; 5. OE-Rick Eckert [6][$2,500]; 6. 8-Kyle Strickler [12][$2,300]; 7. 28-Dennis Erb [10][$2,200]; 8. 16-Tyler Bruening [11][$2,100]; 9. 29V-Darrell Lanigan [14][$2,050]; 10. 14-Josh Richards [18][$2,000]; 11. 1-Brandon Sheppard [13][$1,600]; 12. 97-Cade Dillard [15][$1,400]; 13. 72-Mike Norris [17][$1,200]; 14. 17M-Dale McDowell [19][$1,100]; 15. 58-Ross Bailes [23][$1,050]; 16. B1-Brent Larson [3][$1,000]; 17. 18-Chase Junghans [26][$110]; 18. 385-Mark Whitener [21][$1,000]; 19. 56-Tony Jackson [5][$1,000]; 20. 99B-Boom Briggs [24][$1,000]; 21. O-Scott Bloomquist [9][$1,000]; 22. 7-Ricky Weiss [20][$1,000]; 23. 19R-Ryan Gustin [16][$1,000]; 24. 25-Shane Clanton [22][$1,000]; 25. 6-Blake Spencer [27][$110]; 26. 54-David Breazeale [25][$110]; 27. OS-Ryan Scott [28][$110]; 28. 32-Bobby Pierce [2][$1,000]; Hard Charger Award: 18-Chase Junghans[+9]Qualifying Flight-A – 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson, 16.152; 2. 76-Brandon Overton, 16.165; 3. O-Scott Bloomquist, 16.313; 4. 56-Tony Jackson, 16.376; 5. OE-Rick Eckert, 16.405; 6. 16-Tyler Bruening, 16.415; 7. 1-Brandon Sheppard, 16.442; 8. 17M-Dale McDowell, 16.447; 9. 3S-Brian Shirley, 16.519; 10. 97-Cade Dillard, 16.521; 11. 72-Mike Norris, 16.552; 12. 54-David Breazeale, 16.596; 13. 33-Jeff Mathews, 16.619; 14. 58-Ross Bailes, 16.654; 15. 385-Mark Whitener, 16.755; 16. 1st-Johnny Scott, 16.772; 17. 14G-Joe Godsey, 16.901; 18. 6-Blake Spencer, 17.023; 19. 14B-John Baker, 18.482Qualifying Flight-B – 1. 32-Bobby Pierce, 16.138; 2. 8-Kyle Strickler, 16.148; 3. 9-Devin Moran, 16.43; 4. B1-Brent Larson, 16.546; 5. 28-Dennis Erb, 16.546; 6. 44-Chris Madden, 16.554; 7. 7R-Ross Robinson, 16.659; 8. 76N-Blair Nothdurft, 16.684; 9. 14-Josh Richards, 16.773; 10. 19R-Ryan Gustin, 16.807; 11. 29V-Darrell Lanigan, 16.811; 12. 18-Chase Junghans, 16.834; 13. 7-Ricky Weiss, 16.849; 14. 25-Shane Clanton, 16.85; 15. 31-Tyler Millwood, 16.983; 16. 99B-Boom Briggs, 17.216; 17. 14M-Reid Millard, 17.273; 18. 89-G.R. Smith, 17.464; 19. OS-Ryan Scott, 17.516

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