Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road/E-Z-GO Chevrolet Team Hang On at Martinsville Speedway For 23rd-Place Finish

23rd   14th

“That’s not the finish we wanted in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road/E-Z-GO Chevrolet at Martinsville Speedway tonight, but we hung on all race and tried our hardest. We just missed the balance. For most of the race, we were too tight and the car just wouldn’t turn. Even though our team worked on our Chevy all race, we never got it. It’s not what we wanted, but I’m proud of this team for never giving up. We’ll go to Phoenix Raceway and finish this season off.”-Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick and No. 8 MotorTrend Team Show Perseverance During Martinsville Speedway Run

24th   17th

“This was only my second time at Martinsville Speedway in four years, and I definitely learned a lot today in the No. 8 MotorTrend Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. We fought pretty much the same problem all day, just too tight in the turns from about two-thirds of the way in through the exit. My team did everything they could today, and we tried every adjustment we could think of to loosen our car up but nothing seemed to stick. Our changes would help for a handful of laps on each restart, but then the track would rubber up and the tightness would return every time. Not our day, but I’m thankful for my team for sticking with it all race long and continuing to fight. We’ll look to finish out the season strong at Phoenix Raceway next weekend.” -Tyler Reddick

NARC NEWSLINE – November 1, 2020, By Jim Allen… Here’s something that has never been said in the 61-year history of the Northern Auto Racing Club during the month of October:  “Welcome to our third race of the season!”  Such was the case when the King of the West Fujitsu 410 Sprint Car Seriespulled through theKeller Auto Speedwaypit gate in Hanford on October 10^th.   Rest assured, we all agree that having only three races before Halloween sucks on many different levels, but what we have lacked in quantity, we have made up for with quality. I know that sound like a cliché’ marketing slogan but it would pass my polygraph test.  And be thankful because without that, we would all be shuffling like a Zombie down the Tequila aisle at Bevmo! or be in desperate need of strong prescription meds.

The inaugural Morrie Williams Legends Tributelived up to that mantra of a good quality event.  For the first time since … well … I really can’t remember … if ever… we ran a pair of twin 20-main events on the same program.  The first one straight up by times, and the second completely inverted by the finish of the first 20.  Yup, the fast guys charging from the back reminiscent of the 1970’s non-wing days of NARC.  If you were nostalgic enough, you were probably walking through the pit area looking for the likes of LeRoy Van Connect, Hank Butcher, Rick Horton, and Johnny Anderson.

It’s not every day that you can drop this type of event on a NARC King of the West racing schedule.  But without a 2020 championship being pursued, and everyone eager to honor the late great Morrie Williams,it became a reality.  It started at the top with promoter Peter Murphydoing what he does best by putting on his “Sprint Car Ambassador”hat and talking it up.  This included many conversations with local officials who are basically handcuffed by PP (Pandemic Politics) in Sacramento.  But with less than a month remaining before the scheduled race day, it was cleared for launch.  At that point, Ashley Smithcaffeinated-up and hustled extra sponsorship support for the show that eventually sported a healthy $28,000 purse.  Not bad for having to run only 10 extra action-packed feature event laps.

What made this event really, really work was an exceptional multiple-line racing surface that promoted great wheel-to-wheel racing.  Although he will never admit it before the event, Peter Murphywas a little stressed because he knew an excellent track surface was 100% mandatory for this 20/20 in 2020.  A hooked up first 20, followed by a rubber-down back 20 would have been disastrous.  In the end, Murphy deserved a nice frosty Fostersbeer for what he delivered!  Drivers were charging from deep in the pack and it was “edge of the seat” type of open wheel entertainment.

One of the best things about this show was it had a storybook ending that few could have predicted.  After all, what are the odds of two different Williams Motorsports white ZERO cars winning the two features?  (Well, that one might actually have good odds.)  And what is the numerical probability that one of those winning cars was towed to Hanford on an open trailer?  That hasn’t happened at a NARC race since the early 1990’s.  Kyle Hirst’s cushion-riding final lap, wheel-hopping photo finish over Mitchell Faccintohad America vaulting off their couches with a massive beer-spilling adrenalin rush.  It was the sixth lead change in the first 20-laps.  Dominic Scelzi’ s methodical charge to the front in the second main after starting 11^thwas a gem also.  You can chalk up some of that success to a pair of master crew chiefs by the name of Sean GrealyandAshley Smith.  In the end, it was a great Katie Scott, Hirst, Scelzi, Grealy, Smith& crew photograph in victory lane that served as a perfect legends tribute to Morrie Williams. Two races, two winners. Kyle Hirst and Dominic Scelzi got it done! Photo by Ashley Grealy.

MORRIE WILLIAMS RACE NOTES:  One of the more impressive performances was by 2005 series champ Sean Beckerin the Dan Monhoff#35 machine.  He started 10^thand took the lead from Kyle Hirstin the late going of the first event, only to have the caution wave and revert back a lap.  That got Hirst sitting high in the seat with his elbows-up the rest of the way.  Becker ended up with a front row seat for the crazy Hirst/Mitchell Faccintowheel-to-wheel scuffle at the checkered.  The “Shark” started 17^thin the second feature and fought his way to fourth.  That was good enough to finish second in the overall standings, only one spot behind Tim Kaeding. … Speaking of Kaeding, he was on a mission during the final laps of the night, getting past Becker and Ryan Robinsonduring the last 1 ½ laps.  That was worth an additional $1000 and something everybody needs, a Budweiseracoustic guitar. … Iowa’s Austin McCarlwas the featured driver in the Roth Motorsports 83JRand was a rocket from the first second he stomped on the loud pedal.  He set quick time, picked off his heat race, and claimed the Sunnyvalley Bacondash to start on the pole. At this point, it looked like he was going to pull a “Spencer Baystonrepeat of June 20th” and sweep the night.  But racing is unpredictable, otherwise we would be doing something else on our weekends.  He ended up eighth and fifth in the two 20’s. …

… Earning the Hardcharger award proved to be lucrative.  Sean Becker(10^thto 3^rd) and Tim Kaeding(16^thto 2^nd) ended up with the honors.  Each pocketed $400 from Swift Metal Finishingand Alan Cade, plus a Hoosierright rear tire. … Two-days before the event, Tarlton Motorsportsannounced that Bud Kaedingwas their driver for the Morrie Williams event.  Wasn’t expecting that?  The familiar BK Racing 69sported a 360 powerplant which he used to claim the Kings of Thunder 360 Cotton Classicrace over Mr. Scelzi. … Yes, that was Sean Grealy sporting white coveralls honoring Mr. Williams. …  No tire changes were allowed during the intermission unless the team wanted their car to start the second 20 at the very back (even behind the lapped cars).  Most knew it, but some got sidetracked.  The Country Buildersteam inadvertently changed a LR tire and had to start dead last in feature number two. Otherwise, Kyle Offillwould have started in the fourth row. … When Stan Greenbergand Mitchell Faccintowere asked if they were considering a RR tire change during intermission, they answered they couldn’t if they wanted to.  Their spare was on their 360.  The Williams Motorsports team changed the RR on Hirst car after the win figuring they had nothing to lose.  Hirst pulled off only 11 laps in with motor issues. … Yes, that was Burt Foland Jr.driving a 410-powered sprint car. … Ryan Robinsonled the first 15-laps of the second feature in Mike Phulps #56. … Blake Carrickwas impressive battling for the lead midway through the first main.  He finished fifth.  Tanner Carrickfinished sixth in the second race. …  Kyle Hirst captured Friday nights Kings of Thunder 410 feature at Hanford.  Yes, that was Sean Watts who set quick time. …

… We would like to thank all the sponsors of the event once again.  They include:  EMADCO, Southern Pacific Farms, Fujitsu General, Tiner/Hirst Enterprises, Ashley Smith, Johnstone Supply, Floracing.com, Kistler Racing Engines, Prior Engineering, Kimo’s Tropical Car Wash, Hoosier Tire West, Roth Motorsports, Dan Bandy, Kevin Shearer Design and Peter Murphy. …

NARC NOTES:  We know there isn’t a NARC-KWS championship points race this season due to the COVID challenged schedule.  But, if there was, Tim Kaedingand car owners Joshua Bates/Roger Hamiltonwould be on top of the standings.  Kaeding leads Mitchell Faccintoby five points and the car owner duo has a three-point advantage over Tarlton Motorsports.  Kaeding will be competing with the Outlaws at the season finale, so the mythical 2020 championship driver’s battle is up for grabs.  The Bates-Hamilton team is expected to announce their cameo driver soon.  No matter what happens, this will be a great trivia question a decade or two down the road: “Who won the 2020 NARC King of the West championships that didn’t count?”… Dennis Rothwas presented with the prestigious Dave Bradway Jr. Inspirational Trophyat Hanford.  Roth’s contributions to sprint car racing could easily fill a Hall of Fame. Team Manager Todd Venturaaccepted the award on his behalf because Dennis was home nursing a sore back.  However, he was watching the presentation on Floracing.com.…

… It’s also time for a random shout out to Keller Motorsportsmotor sponsor Mike Mitchell Construction.  He is a General Contractor out of Paso Robles who actively supports the 410-motor program of the Keller’s and driver JJ Ringo.  This sport isn’t cheap, and we need all the Mike Mitchell’s we can get.  Thank him if you get a chance (www.mitchellconst.com).  Better yet, do business with him if the opportunity presents itself.  Please support those who support sprint car racing. …  Mike Andreettaand Chris Goodwill be presenting the Billy Albini Mechanic of the Year Awardat the season finale.  Expect this award to recognize past crew chief superheroes as well as current ones because there are a lot of noteworthy candidates that need to be put on a pedestal. …  Enjoyed a nice conversation with Greg DeCairesin the Hanford pits.  DeCaires just finished up radiation cancer treatments and is now in the recovery mode – ready to tackle regular life again and go back to work.  What started out as a little lump became serious, but he got a jump on it and got treated  We traded cancer recovery stories and concluded that we were glad we both acted fast.  Not to provide any medical advice here, but we ask that all of you race fans do the same.  Go to the doctor and get a physical once a year.  You’ll live longer! … The 2021 season opener?  How about March 13^that Kern County Raceway Park!…

WHAT’S NEXT?  Well, the only thing better than three NARC King of the West410 races in 2020, would be four.  Stockton Dirt Trackpromoter Tony Noceti, who has been chomping at the bit since March to get the lights turned on, finally got an approval to stage a racing event (without mufflers no less.)  It will be the November 7^thTribute to Gary Patterson.  Are the grandstands open for front gate general admission?  NO …, BUT …, that’s not any fault of anyone in the racing community.  However, and this is a big HOWEVER, there will be two types of pit passes offered to accommodate an “in person” experience.  Stay with me here and read between the lines.  All racing team participants, diehard fans and people staying in the pit area will purchase the normal (HOT) pit pass.  For this event, there will also be a COLD PASS sold at the front gate tunnel for race fans/sponsors/fanatics.  A $30 cold pass will get you into the pits until racing gets underway around 5:00 p.m.

At that point, all “Cold-Passers” will be funneled back into the main grandstand area, where they can safely enjoy the 37^thAnnual GP race, along with 360 racing on the 4/10^thmile dirt oval. Make sense?  It’s what has to be done to play within the regulations that were provided.

As part of our standard public service announcement, please note that the normal California COVID-19 safety protocols are in full effect:  Wear a mask, practice social distancing, and don’t sing, chant, chew tobacco, bob for apples, share a Kleenex, sit at a bar, spit out your gum or sunflower seeds, French kiss a homeless person, play a kazoo, get your nails done, trade bodily fluids in the parking lot, travel to Wuhan, use a friends toothbrush or earplugs, pick your teeth with a business card, work out with gym equipment, cough, sneeze, touch your face, hold hands, or … use a plastic straw or bag.  And for God’s sake, if you don’t feel good, please stay at home, and watch the festivities on Floracing.com

Coming to you live from Auburn, CA.  See ya.

NASCAR CUP SERIES XFINITY 500 MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT NOVEMBER 1, 2020
JIMMIE JOHNSON, ALLY ‘SIGN FOR JIMMIE’ CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media and discussed nearing the end of the 2020 season, his goals looking ahead, his primary sponsor for 2021 INDYCAR and partners for other special events on his wish list, and more. Full Transcript: WHAT EMOTIONS ARE YOU FEELING RIGHT NOW?“I’m excited, honestly. It’s been an amazing journey and one that I could have never dreamed of; and to be here at the end of it going out on my terms and when I choose to go out. With the great support of Hendrick Motorsports, Ally, friends & family, partners, and everybody involved, I’m excited. I’m happy. I’m in a great head space. I’m excited to be at one of my best tracks. The sun is out, thankfully; unlike last week and I’m excited to get going.”
YOU’VE TALKED ABOUT MAYBE DOING SOME ONE-OFF NASCAR RACES IN THE FUTURE. NOW THAT YOU’VE GOT THE SPONSORSHIP SORTED OUT ON THE INDYCAR SIDE OF THINGS, HAVE YOU HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND WHERE DOES THAT STAND?“Yeah, nothing directly. The whole group understands some options that could be out there, but we’ve all been so busy trying to finish up the current NASCAR season and just trying to get prepared for the start of the INDYCAR season for next season, that nothing has really materialized yet. So, to be determined. I hope to get something kind of moving on the Rolex 24. That’s certainly high on my list for next year. But again, with my plate being so full wrapping up and then just trying to get started on the INDYCAR side, I haven’t had a chance to work on much of that, either.”
WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR TWO DECADES IN THE CUP SERIES, DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS? DO YOU WISH YOU COULD GET A DO-OVER ON ANYTHING OR WISH YOU COULD RE-DO AN ENTIRE SEASON OR WISH YOU COULD HAVE ONE RACE BACK?“I think do-overs; I’m not sure about regrets. I’ve always felt like mistakes made really give you a chance to learn and grow. And although the last three years really haven’t been how I wanted them to go or expected them to go. I’ve done a lot of learning and soul searching on my own and feel like I’ve had a lot of personal growth through it all. So, I’m thankful for that. There are some moments in time that I wish I could do over or handle differently, but no real regrets at the end of the day.”
EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT WHAT A NICE GUY YOU ARE. PEOPLE ALSO SAY THAT NICE GUYS FINISH LAST. HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO MESH THE TWO?“I think if you just be yourself, ultimately you’re going to be the best that you can be. Anybody that’s trying to be nice and isn’t, is going to fall short. And it plays the same way in the other direction. And I think you’re personality and the way you treat people and handle things, not only impacts your live specifically, but it also attracts like-minded people to be around you and the teams that you drive for and the sponsors that you have. When I look at the big picture you see all these other variables where like-minded people have assembled together and we’re able to do what we do. So, it’s a saying and I think I understand why; because competition is fierce and you have to be cutthroat at times, but I think I’m one of quite a few examples that if you just be yourself, and do your thing, you can be respectful and kind to others and still succeed in a competitive sport.”
DO YOU THINK THAT WAS PART OF YOUR ATTITUDE EARLY JUST BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T HAVE SUCCESS IN THE XFINITY SERIES?“Yes, Xfinity; and then I would back up to my ASA days, different moments in time in my off-road days, my motocross days; I’ve had patterns my whole life where things started slowly and then I was able to have my moment. And it goes all the way back to my earliest years of racing on dirt bikes. And then I’d also have to put my family dynamic in there; how I grew up and my parents and my siblings and just the way we lived our lives and interacted with others.”
ON THE SPONSOR-SIDE, YOU’VE BEEN PRETTY FORTUNATE WITH LOWES AND ALLY. HOW DID THE CARVANA SPONSORSHIP COME TOGETHER FOR YOU IN INDYCAR AND WHAT WAS YOUR ROLE IN THAT?  HOW SATISFYING WAS THAT TO PUT TOGETHER?“It was certainly satisfying. And, as I understood the hurdles, I had in front of me to go INDYCAR racing, I went to my contact lists and my friends, far and wide; some in North Carolina, some in New York, and some out in Colorado. I just started conversations with people that I knew were plugged into corporate America, if you will. And that led to some other phone calls and eventually phone calls to the Carvana folks. And quick in the conversations with them, I could sense that Ernie Garcia, the founder of Carvana, could really identify the opportunity here. Although he is not very familiar with auto racing and sports marketing in that sense, he could understand kind of the life story going on or my journey and the opportunity within all of that. And within short order, they expressed a verbal interest and wanted to move forward with things.
“So, I’m very pleased, obviously, to have them. It’s a tough world out there right now with the pandemic. And to find such an amazing sponsor with such reach and understanding of this opportunity was really special to us. And then we’re certainly looking forward to a few more partners to come on-board with the INDYCAR program; and then as I move into some other one-off events, we’ll need other partners for that stuff as well. Through our search in my office and the contacts that we have, what I’ve accumulated on a digital platform standpoint, clearly success on track, and this opportunity to tell a story in transitioning from NASCAR to other forms of racing, creates a unique opportunity for many marketers, that at least I could call on and they would listen to you. Finding those right partners are just so important.”
WAS THERE EVER A FEAR THAT YOU MIGHT NOT COME UP WITH SPONSORSHIP? WOULD THAT HAVE DE-RAILED THE INDYCAR DEAL OR WERE YOU JUST THAT CONFIDENT YOU WOULD FIND SOMEBODY?“I’ve really felt good about things. I wasn’t sure, I didn’t feel in my heart that we would have a sole primary sponsor for INDYCAR. I felt like selling it in three, four-race blocks or four, three-race blocks, might be the way to go about it and the way we would get to the finish line. But as soon as we spoke to Carvana, we understood that if they came in they would come in on a big level. And that kind of changed our thought process then.”
YOU MENTIONED THE ROLEX 24 EARLIER. DO YOU WANT TO RUN IT AGAIN BECAUSE IN EIGHT STARTS YOU STILL HAVEN’T GOTTEN THE WATCH? TO GET THAT WATCH, WOULD THAT JUST BE SOMETHING YOU COULD ADD TO YOUR RESUME? IS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU?“Oh, without a doubt. The fact that I’ve been second twice fuels that fire a bit more (laughs). And, in these bucket lists items involve marquee events and Le Mans and the Rolex 24, those are on the top of any auto racer’s list. They’re still on mine although I’ve been in the Rolex 24 quite a few times; I just want to go back and do it. These marquee events and unique opportunities like this really sound fun and exciting to me moving forward.”
OTHER THAN THE INDY 500, IS THERE ONE TRACK IN PARTICULAR, FROM AN INDYCAR STANDPOINT, THAT CALLS YOUR NAME OR SOMETHING YOU’VE ALWAYS SAID, THAT’S THE ONE?“There are quite a few that are really interesting. But as a kid, I just knew so much more what was going on in California. And the track in Monterey was always so picturesque and unique and different with the corkscrew; so that was really high on my list. But then as I started dreaming of a professional racing career, the Long Beach Grand Prix was an event that I would go to in order to get face time with everyone at Chevrolet. Showing up there and thinking of racing and wondering if I could have a professional career, changed my experience at that track. So, I think those two tracks are probably the most meaningful ones for me right now as I look forward to my schedule next year.”
TWO YEARS AGO, THIS WAS THE RACE WHERE YOU ANNOUNCED THE ALLY PARTNERSHIP. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? WHAT HAS YOUR RELATIONSHIP BEEN LIKE WITH THEM? DO YOU EXPECT TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AFTER YOUR NASCAR CAREER?“I really do. We’re working on what that arrangement will look like. I feel like we just have so many synergies together and share so much in common with our identity or brand identity if you will. I’ve become very close with the executive staff at Ally. They’re not only working friends, but I have friendships and relationship with them and have been integrated into their company in a very unique and fun way. So, I really see the relationship continuing on longer. And I’m very happy for Mr. Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports and the long relationship that they’ll have with Ally. I think they’re signed-up through 2023, if I remember right. It clearly makes a lot of sense from a B-to-B standpoint. But then again with Ally’s presence in Charlotte and their CEO living there in town and just the relationship we’ve all built; especially Rick (Hendrick) and the Ally folks. I would anticipate Ally being around at Hendrick Motorsports for a long time and hopefully with me, for many years to come, as well.”
REGARDING THE CHOOSE RULE, THE WAY THE CARS HAVE BEEN LINING UP HAS BEEN RATHER EVEN. WHY HAS THAT BEEN THE CASE?“I don’t know. I’m running it through my mind. I think you’re probably right. You probably have stats to prove that (laughs). I don’t know. I think ultimately, we just wanted that opportunity to choose what happens. You see some of these races play out because you had a strong car and you didn’t have a chance to pick the right lane or you didn’t come off pit road in the right spot or drivers were dragging their feet to try to be even or odd for what needed on that particular race track. So just to take all that out seemed like a cleaner and easier way to go about it. And the conversation was bounced around for quite a few years. In the end, once we tried it, we realized there wasn’t a great affect and it’s pretty simple to manage. And everybody feels like they chose their own destiny. So, it just kind of negates any reason to argue and it’s turned out really well.”

Taylor Sets GTLM Record in Pole Position RunGavin to start third in another strong showing for Corvette C8.R at new track

MONTEREY, Calif. (Nov. 1, 2020) – Corvette Racing’s Jordan Taylor captured pole position and set a GT Le Mans track record in the process Sunday morning ahead of the Monterey Sports Car Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Taylor, driving the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, set the fastest time in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTLM category – 1:21.483 (98.876 mph) – as he and teammate Antonio Garcia look to close out the class Drivers and Team championships. It was the fifth pole position of 2020 for Corvette Racing, fourth in a row for the No. 3 Corvette and fourth of the season for Taylor. He broke the previous GTLM qualifying record by 0.074 seconds. Oliver Gavin will line up behind Taylor on the GTLM grid after qualifying third in class with the No. 4 Corvette. His best lap of 1:21.853 (98.429 mph) was only 0.370 from the other C8.R and barely a tenth-of-a-second from starting second with teammate Tommy Milner; the No. 4 pairing is second in GTLM points heading into today’s next-to-last round of the season. The Monterey Sports Car Championship is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET today with same-day television coverage on NBCSN beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET. TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold will offer live streaming of the full race starting at 4 p.m. ET. In addition, IMSA Radio will broadcast the race on IMSA.com, which also will host live timing and scoring. The race also will air on XM channel 202 and SiriusXM Online 972.

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTLM POLE-WINNER: “It was good. This is more of a championship-focused weekend, but we have a competitive Corvette and we saw that right out of the box. We led both practice sessions and obviously we led qualifying. The C8.R is definitely quick and has pace. The race will be a much different story with tire degradation and things like that. We wanted to get track position early on like this, so the qualifying went well for that. The year has been going incredibly well… our fourth pole in a row. We’re trying to close out the season on a strong point.” MOOD OF THE TEAM CLOSING IN ON CHAMPIONSHIP BUT SEEING NEWS ABOUT OLIVER GAVIN IN 2021:“It’s business as usual. The news about Oliver was disappointing for everyone, but he’s in great spirits. He’s a racer and is at the track wanting to win the race. It was a small talking point at the start of the weekend, but once the weekend started with practice, it was back to business as usual, trying to work on the cars and race strategy. Sebring will be his last full-time race with the team, so that one might be a little bit different. But it’s almost more special to have that one be his final race.” ADAPTING TO THE TRACK WITH NO PREVIOUS TESTING: “It’s similar to Mid-Ohio. The track is low-grip so the car is moving around a lot more. The tire compounds are similar for what you want to use. We were able to do a day at the simulator, which was a big help to get the setup in the window where we wanted it. I think we’ve tried two setup changes on our car and have gone back to where we started the weekend. It was crucial to have that day to get up to speed for Tommy and I. When we got here, the car was right where we wanted it and we were strongest right out of the box. This was good proof of the simulator working again.” ON POTENTIALLY CLINCHING THE GTLM CHAMPIONSHIP TODAY: “The week off between Petit Le Mans and now, it was on my mind. But as soon as you’re in the car, you want to do the best job possible and be quickest. Now we’re on pole and our mentality is to win the race. We have a competitive car so we can race for the win. I don’t think points are going to be really at the top of our minds most of the day. It’s going to be about maximizing the results with what we have.”

2020 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTLM Standings (After Nine of 11 Events) Driver Standings1. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2932. Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 2653. Jesse Krohn/John Edwards – 2614. Bruno Spengler/Connor De Phillippi – 2595. Fred Makowiecki/Nick Tandy – 2326. Earl Bamber/Laurens Vanthoor – 222 Team Standings1. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 2932. No. 4 Corvette Racing – 2653. No. 24 BMW Team RLL – 2614. No. 25 BMW Team RLL – 2595. No. 911 Porsche GT Team – 2326. No. 912 Porsche GT Team – 222 Manufacturer Standings1. Chevrolet – 3042. BMW – 2883. Porsche – 2514. Ferrari – 28 CORVETTE RACING AT WEATHERTECH RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA: By the Numbers• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for more than 20 years: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette.• 3: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at Laguna Seca since 1999 – Corvette C5-R (1999-04) Corvette C6.R (2005-2013) and the Corvette C7.R (2014-2019). The new mid-engine Corvette C8.R will make it four starting this weekend.• 4: Career victories at Laguna Seca for Oliver Gavin – all with Corvette Racing.• 7: Number of Laguna Seca victories for Corvette Racing dating back to 2004.• 10: Laguna Seca victories for the current Corvette Racing for the current driving lineup – Oliver Gavin (four), Antonio Garcia (three) and Tommy Milner (two) and Jordan Taylor (one).• 11: Drivers who have competed for Corvette Racing at Laguna Seca. Of those, seven went on to win at Monterey.• 11: Victories at Laguna Seca for Chevrolet in IMSA competition.• 12: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001.• 21: Number of GT Le Mans wins in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing since the start of 2014.• 25: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen.• 29: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999.• 113: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 105 in North America and eight at Le Mans.• 236: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999.• 12,292.10: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 19 previous trips to Laguna Seca. That represents 5,575 laps or nearly 725 trips along historic 17-Mile Drive on the Monterey Peninsula.• 310,644.74: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is nearly halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history – at 622,268 miles.

·        Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) driver Ron Capps drove his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to the No.1 spot in the final qualifying session of the 2020 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Drag Racing season at the Dodge NHRA Finals Presented by Pennzoil

·        Capps earned his first No.1 qualifier position of the season and taking it away from the provisional pole sitter and points leader Matt Hagan at The Strip at Las Vegas Speedway

·        No. 2 qualifier Hagan leads No. 4 seed Tommy Johnson Jr. and No. 10 Jack Beckman into the final elimination rounds of the 2020 season to determine the NHRA world champion among the top-three DSR Dodge Funny Cars

·        Leah Pruett will launch her Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Top Fuel dragster from the No. 6 position in her quest to secure a top-three finish in the championship 

·        Pruett starts her Mopar Drag Pak from No.3 spot in Factory Stock while teammate Mark Pawuk looks for runner-up finish in the Factory Stock Showdown championship to close out the 2020 season.

October 31, 2020, Las Vegas, Nev. – The final qualifying sessions of the 2020 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Drag Racing Series season have been completed at the Dodge Finals Presented by Pennzoil with Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Funny Car pilot Ron Capps taking his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat to the No. 1 qualifier position. Capps and his DSR teammates, Matt Hagan, Tommy Johnson Jr. and Jack Beckman head into the final eliminations rounds of the season battling for the Funny Car world championship with a points-a-half format to determine the winner among them.

Capps earned his first No.1 qualifier honors of the season, the 25^th of his career, in the final session with a 3.902-second elapsed time pass at 327.98 mph to dislodge the provisional pole sitter and the defending race winner Hagan. Capps has taken home five Wally trophies (2001, 2005, 2009, 2011 and 2012) from The Strip at Las Vegas Speedway and will start his quest for another against Chris Morel in the first round.

With the qualifying result Capps added four bonus points to his total which has him fourth in the standings that the four DSR Dodge Funny Car have dominated all season-long with an undefeated streak of 13 national event wins that stretches back to October 2019.

Hagan’s 3.911-second pass at 327.82 mph was enough to keep his Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye No. 2 on the ladder. Looking to secure his third championship title, the Mopar driver will begin his drive through eliminations with a first round match against Cruz Pedregon.

Should he be successful, the biggest challenge of the day could be a quarterfinal pairing with teammate and fellow championship contender Beckman who qualified tenth and would need to beat Hagan for his own chance to vie for the title.

Johnson Jr qualified fourth with a solid 3.915-second pass at 319.14 mph aboard his MD Anderson Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, earning bonus points in both sessions for posting the fourth and third quickest runs, respectively, and will look to turn on four win lights on Sunday to earn his first Funny Car championship title. 

Trailing the points leader by 45 and 52 markers respectively, Johnson and Beckman would both have to finish two rounds ahead of Hagan for a chance to win the Funny Car crown. With both on opposite sides of the ladder, that could also set up an all-DSR Dodge final round showdown for both the national event win and the Funny Car world championship.

Last year’s No. 1 Top Fuel qualifier at the Fall Vegas event, Leah Pruett set the second quickest run in the first session by driving her “Demon-possessed” Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye dragster to a 3.791 sec./ 322.04 mph run. That lap was good enough to keep her in the top half of the ladder when her second run didn’t go as planned and will see her line up against Chris Karamesines in the opening round. From her No. 6 position, Leah hopes to make a run for her first event win of the season and boost her back into the top-three in the standings to finish the season in which she was part of the championship conversation until the very end. 

Pruett will also close out the season with a No. 3 Factory Stock Showdown starting position for her Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak after setting the second quickest run in the first session and then improving on her second lap with a 7.976 sec./170.00 mph pass. She’ll meet up with Kevin Skinner in the opposite lane for her first run on Sunday. 

Meanwhile, her Factory Stock Showdown DSR Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak teammate Mark Pawuk, after two difficult qualifying sessions without a clean run, finds himself starting from 15^th place on the ladder. He will line up his Empaco Equipment Drag Pak against No. 2 qualifier Aaron Stanfield who clinched the Factory Stock Showdown championship last weekend after their semi-final match-up at the Mopar Express Lane Spring Nationals. Pawuk will be looking to win that rematch to help him secure a runner-up finish in the Factory Stock Showdown championship.

The 2020 NHRA season concludes at the Dodge NHRA Finals in Las Vegas with FS1 broadcasting the action on Sunday, Nov. 1. Qualifying highlights will air from 2-4 p.m. ET and then eliminations from 4- 7 p.m. ET will feature live coverage of the final rounds.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES: 

Jack Beckman, Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
(No. 10 Qualifier – 3.996 seconds at 309.70 mph)
Qualifying 1: 4.983 sec./ 153.37 mph  

Qualifying 2: 3.996 sec./ 309.70 mph

“You can strategize and worry yourself into the ground trying to figure out where you should qualify to be the most advantageous. Sometimes it’s easier to put your blinders on and go up there and try to get data for the car. Low and behold, the ladder turned out exactly the way we needed it. If we go out and win the race we will be the champions. We will get to face Matt Hagan early in eliminations and if they beat us more power to them. And if we beat them we’re going to keep marching on. This is going to be one of the most exciting Sunday’s of my entire career. This is the site where I got my first nitro win back in 2006 and if this is the end of my career this would be the perfect place to close it out.”

Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Funny Car  
(No. 2 Qualifier – 3.911 seconds at 327.82 mph)
Qualifying 1: 3.911 sec./327.82 mph 

Qualifying 2: 6.026 sec./ 113.06 mph

“We ended up No. 2 and made a great first run out here at (Las) Vegas and ended up No. 2. If we get there, we could see (Jack) Beckman second round. We just need everything to fall in place. We have a great opportunity with a great race car and Vegas has been very kind to me. We’ve been lucky. We want to keep that going, but it’s drag racing and you just never know and that’s why the fans buy tickets to see what’s going to happen. This Dodge SRT Redeye Hellcat is hauling the mail and I’m fortunate to be driving it.”

Tommy Johnson Jr., MD Anderson Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
(No. 4 Qualifier –  3.915 seconds at 319.14 mph)

Qualifying 1: 3.939 sec./ 310.98 mph 

Qualifying 2: 3.915 sec./ 319.14 mph

“I’m happy with how qualifying played out. We have a really good, consistent race car and we’re ok for tomorrow to go some rounds. So far, everything is going as planned and we’ll go out tomorrow and see if we can click off four more like we did the last race and see how it all falls after that.”
 
Ron Capps, Pennzoil NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
(No. 1 Qualifier – 3.902 seconds at 327.98 mph)
Qualifying 1: 3.958 sec./ 324.20 mph

Qualifying 2:  3.902 sec./ 327.98 mph

“A great job (Rahn) Tobler, Dustin (Heim) and the guys. We obviously brought this car out under extreme circumstances for the final round in Gainesville and it won, and then we brought it out again in Houston and came close to winning last Sunday. Honestly, we had never warmed the car up until today. Both those final rounds we didn’t get to warm the car up because we were under such pressure and time constraints. Tobler decided to run this car and I kept telling him how much I like this car and I love driving it and my lights are good and it feels right. Low and behold, it went out and made a nice, safe run. We had some DSR parts we wanted to try on the first lap, so we had to back it down a bit and just get down there. And then everything was right to plan with the NAPA Know How we talk about and it went up there and leaned on the tune-up and that number popped up. It probably had more in it, but at the time that’s what he was trying to do. For me, I wanted to get a Camping World hat and obviously a win would be great, but to steal the No. 1 spot at the last race of the year is a big feather in the cap. Now time to do some big stuff tomorrow.”

Leah Pruett, Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Top Fuel Dragster  
(No. 6 Qualifier – 3.791  seconds at 322.04 mph)

Qualifying 1: 3.791 sec./ 322.04 mph 

Qualifying 2: 6.414 sec./ 103.29 mph

“One of our favorite things to do is race at (Las) Vegas. We have a strong history of qualifying well and going deep into the rounds. We laid down a solid Q1 pass and were excited about the foundation that allowed us to put the coals to it for Q2. Unfortunately, we had about 24 extra seconds on the line idling which drowned more than a gallon of fuel and these cars are very sensitive to weight and I had the front tires in the air much longer than normal and when they came down we smoked the tires. We had it set up to run a high .60, low .70 and go to the No. 1 spot. We can’t change the variables from that Q2 run, but we are ready for a very long Sunday and finish the season in a strong manner.”

Mark Pawuk, Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak– Factory Stock Shootout
(No. 15 Qualifier – 9.346 seconds at 168.22 mph)

Qualifying 1: 9.346 sec./168.22 mph 

Qualifying 2: 21.467 sec./ 47.63 mph

“Coming into the last race of the season, we were really looking forward to making some good laps, but unfortunately we couldn’t get the car to hook up either session today. So, the car is going to have to go down the race track tomorrow. We qualified way down in the field and we’ll be running one of the fastest cars in round one. I’m going to do the best I can. I know my crew will be there for me and we’ll tune this Drag Pak Hemi up and try to knock out one of the top qualifiers.”

Leah Pruett, Mopar Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak – Factory Stock Shootout 
(No. 3 Qualifier – 7.976 seconds at 170 mph)
Qualifying 1: 7.989 sec. /170.17 mph

Qualifying 2: 7.976 sec./ 170.00 mph

“The car ran really good on both runs and that puts us deep in the field like we want. We’ve never race El Bandito in (Las) Vegas before. We need some win lights on Sunday and a little gold man. We’ve got the car and the setup for it just like we’ve been preaching all season and it’s finally here. This would be a good way to wrap up this 2020 Factory Stock (Showdown) season. We have a lot of confidence heading into Sunday. We want a strong day in both Factory and Top Fuel and I feel good.”

Late Race Incident Spoils Top-10 Run For Myatt Snider and The No. 21 TaxSlayer Chevrolet Team at Martinsville Speedway

23rd   22nd

“It felt really good to be back with Richard Childress Racing and this entire No. 21 TaxSlayer team today at Martinsville Speedway. We had great speed, but we battled the handling of our TaxSlayer Chevrolet throughout the day. I just could not get the car to rotate through the center how we needed it to. My crew chief, Andy Street, played some great strategy to get us towards the front in the final stage and I was able to drive up inside the top-five. We ended up getting turned around in the pack after a pit stop, which really set us back. That incident led to us losing a lap, but we battled back to be in position for the free pass. I was really hoping we would catch a late yellow, so we could get our lap back and make our way back towards the front, but unfortunately, it just didn’t play in our favor. I am still really proud of our team. We had a really nice looking Halloween TaxSlayer scheme this weekend and I wish we could have gotten the finish we deserved. I am looking forward to finishing the year strong next weekend at Phoenix.”  -Myatt Snider

Longest serving, most accomplished driver in Corvette Racing program history

DETROIT (October 31, 2020) – Chevrolet and Corvette Racing are paying tribute to the accomplishments of Oliver Gavin, who will step away from full-time competition with the program at the end of 2020. Gavin, one of sports car racing’s biggest stars, has been part of Corvette Racing since 2002 and will complete his 18th full-time season with the team at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in two weeks. The first race for Gavin with Corvette Racing took place at Sebring in 2002, and he was promoted to full-time status the following year. Gavin’s list of accomplishments with Corvette Racing is unmatched. He has more starts (201), championships (five), race wins (51), 24 Hours of Le Mans victories (five) and pole positions (25) than any other driver in program history. He also has won five times at both Sebring and Petit Le Mans with Corvette Racing and captured the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2016 to begin his latest championship run. “To have been with the same team for 19 seasons has been an immense privilege, and I thank from the bottom of my heart each and every person who has shared that journey with me,” Gavin said. “It’s been an amazing run, and I’ve been very lucky to have been able to drive at such a high level for so long. I’m extremely proud of what we’ve achieved together, especially the championship wins and milestone victories at Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring, among others. I’m also very proud of the part I played in developing four generations of Corvette race cars for both IMSA and at Le Mans, and I look forward to exploring opportunities to represent Chevrolet and Corvette Racing in the future.”

In addition to his competitive record, Gavin also has been a fundamental part in the development of every generation of racing Corvette during his tenure with the program. His efforts in the Corvette C5-R laid the groundwork for the GT1- and GT-spec versions of the C6.R. Gavin was heavily involved in testing and development of the C7.R and mid-engine C8.R. He won an IMSA championship, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Rolex 24 At Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring with the Corvette C7.R. “Oliver Gavin is a name that is synonymous with Corvette Racing,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President, Performance and Motorsports. “He has been one of the sport’s greatest drivers and a fantastic representative of Chevrolet for nearly two decades – on the track, working with our Corvette production engineers, and engaging Corvette owners and fans around the world.” Gavin claimed the first pole position for the C8.R at Daytona in July, and he and Milner won the next event at Sebring in their No. 4 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Corvette C8.R. They stand second in the GT Le Mans Drivers’ Championship entering this weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship event at Laguna Seca. “All of us at Chevrolet thank Oliver for his nearly 20 years of contributions to Corvette Racing,” Campbell added. “No driver at Corvette Racing has started more events, captured more championships or won more races. Oliver’s success has brought great improvements over the years not just to Corvette Racing, but also to every Corvette that sits in an owner’s driveway. We are hopeful of creating more of those opportunities with Oliver into the future.” Details on Corvette Racing’s complete driver roster for 2021 will be confirmed at a later date.

SPEEDWAYRIDGEWAY, VIRGINIA NOVEMBER 1, 2020

MARTINSVILLE: RACE #35NASCAR’S three national series head to the .526-mile oval of Martinsville Speedway to close out the Playoffs’ Round of Eight and the last opportunity for drivers to punch their ticket for the Championship Four in each series. For the second time this season, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Martinsville, Virginia, short track for the Xfinity 500. The 500-lap, 263-mile event will be the 144th race in the track’s history for NASCAR’s premier series and the first time that Martinsville has held the elimination race for the Round of Eight. 
The Playoff tripleheader kicks off under the lights with the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series’ NASCAR Hall of Fame 200 tonight, October 30th, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Day two is an appearance by the NASCAR Xfinity Series with the Draft Top 250 on Saturday, October 31st, at 3:30 p.m. ET, the first time the series has been at Martinsville Speedway since 2006. To conclude the weekend. The NASCAR Cup Series’ Xfinity 500 will wrap up the Playoff Round of Eight cut-off weekend on Sunday, November 1st, at 2:00 p.m. ET. 
As NASCAR returns to Martinsville Speedway, up to 1,000 fans will be welcomed back to the venue and have the chance to experience the three days of Playoff racing action in-person. 
ROUND OF EIGHT: THE ELIMINATION RACE  It all comes down to 500-laps around the .526-mile paperclip-shaped oval of Martinsville Speedway to set the field for the series’ championship. Martinsville Speedway has held three different spots on the post-season schedule since the beginning of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2004. It’s the third different track to be positioned as the ninth event in the Playoff stretch, joining Darlington Raceway (2004) and Phoenix Raceway (2005-2019).  Three Team Chevy drivers have their eye on the final three spots left in the Championship Four and their opportunity to compete for the title of the NASCAR Cup Series Champion. Going into the Round of Eight elimination race at Martinsville Speedway, here’s where the Team Chevy drivers currently sit in the Playoff standings, as well as key statistics at the track:  Alex Bowman, No. 88 Planters Camaro ZL1 1LE – 5th in Standings (4,095 points)Victories: 1 (Auto Club Speedway)Top-Fives: 6; Top-10’s: 14; Laps Led: 439; Average Finish: 14.9Stage Wins: 4 At Martinsville: Top-10’s: 2; Average Finish: 22.0 Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE – 6th in Standings (4,095 points)Victories: 3 (Charlotte Motor Speedway, Daytona Road Course, Charlotte Road Course)Top-Fives: 13; Top-10’s: 20; Laps Led: 858; Average Finish: 12.3Stage Wins: 9At Martinsville: Top-Five’s: 3; Top-10’s: 5; Laps led: 193; Average Finish: 13.4 Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE – 8th in Standings (4,039 points)Victories: 1 (Las Vegas Motor Speedway)Top-Fives: 6; Top-10’s: 18; Laps Led: 142; Average Finish: 15.9Stage Wins: 1 At Martinsville: Wins: 2; Top-Five’s: 3; Top-10’s: 8; Laps Led: 464; Average Finish: 20.1 Coming off last weekend’s NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series win at Texas Motor Speedway, GMS Racing and Team Chevy’s, Sheldon Creed, secured his position in the Championship Four. Joining teammate Brett Moffitt, Team Chevy enters into the Round of Eight cut-off race with two spots clinched in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway and the chance to win the series title. 
After a wild conclusion in the Lone Star state, three spots are still up for grabs for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Four. Of the eight playoff contenders left in title contention, five of those are occupied by Team Chevy drivers. For their first appearance at the track since 2006, the series finds their trip to Martinsville Speedway as their final shot to seal their fate into the championship weekend at Phoenix Raceway. 
Heading into the Round of Eight finale, here are where the Team Chevy drivers sit in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff standings: 
NASCAR GANDER RV & OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES1.        Sheldon Creed, No. 2 GMS Racing Silverado: Clinched by Win2.        Brett Moffitt, No. 23 GMS Racing Silverado: Clinched by Win3.        Zane Smith, No. 21 GMS Racing Silverado: 3,108 points / +12 points8.        Tyler Ankrum, No. 26 GMS Racing Silverado: 3,029 points / -79 points
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES3.        Justin Allgaier, No. 7 JR Motorsports Camaro SS: 3,097 points / +8 points4.        Justin Haley, No. 11 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS: 3,093 points / +4 points6.        Ross Chastin, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS: 3,078 points / -15 points7.        Noah Gragson, No. 9 JR Motorsports Camaro SS: 3,069 / -24 points8.        Ryan Sieg, No. 39 RSS Racing Camaro SS: 3,050 points / -43 points BOWTIE BULLETS:·       Victories by active Team Chevy drivers at Martinsville Speedway include:Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE, has nine wins (2004, ’06, ’07-twice, ’08, ’09, ’12, ’13, & ’16)Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE has two wins (2002, & ’14)
·       The first win for Chevrolet at Martinsville Speedway came in 1957, when Buck Baker parked his Chevrolet 150 ‘Black Widow’ stock car in victory lane. Through NASCAR’s history at the .526-mile oval, other models that have scored a win include Bel Air, Biscayne, Impala, Monte Carlo, Lumina, Impala SS and SS. Of the 143 NCS races held at the oldest track on the NASCAR circuit, a Bowtie brand has visited victory lane 56 times, the most of any other manufacturer. 
·       Hendrick Motorsports and Team Chevy driver, Chase Elliott, heads into the final race of the Round of Eight leading Playoff drivers in a variety of statistical categories through eight Playoff races: Most points earned (307), stage points earned (93), most laps in the top-five (1,374), and most laps in the top-10 (2,006). Teammate, Alex Bowman, has had an impressive run in his first Round of Eight run in his six-year Cup Series career. Bowman holds the best average finish in the Playoffs thus far with an 8.3 and ties for the lead of top-10 finishes in the Playoffs with six. 
·       In 143 NASCAR Cup Series events held at the .526-mile venue, Chevrolet has captured 53 poles, 262 top-five’s, 500 top-10’s and 27,429 laps led. 
·       Hendrick Motorsports leads the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at Martinsville Speedway with 24 wins: Jeff Gordon (nine), Jimmie Johnson (nine), Darrell Waltrip (four), Geoffrey Bodine (one) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (one).
·       Heading into his final race in his full-time NASCAR Cup Series career at Martinsville Speedway, Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet driver, Jimmie Johnson, tops the leaderboard in a variety of categories in his 37 career starts:o  Johnson leads the series in victories at Martinsville Speedway with nine. With a win this weekend, Johnson can become the third driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to record 10 or more wins, joining Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip.  o  Johnson leads the series in runner-up finishes at Martinsville Speedway with four, top-five finishes with 19, and top-10 finishes with 25. o  Among active drivers, Johnson leads the series in average finishing position with a 9.3. 
STARTING LINE-UP:For the remainder of the 2020 NCS season, the starting lineups will be determined by a competition-based formula, combining the following metrics from the previous race event: 15% of a fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race position and 35% of the Owner points position.  Here are Team Chevy’s top-20 starters for Sunday’s Xfinity 500: 3rd      Alex Bowman, No. 88 Planters Camaro ZL1 1LE5th      Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE8th      Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE13th    William Byron, No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 1LE14th    Austin Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Camaro ZL1 1LE17th    Tyler Reddick, No. 8 MotorTrend Camaro ZL1 1LE18th    Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Kroger Camaro ZL1 1LE TUNE-IN:NBC will telecast the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, November 1st, at 2:00 p.m. ET. Live coverage of the 263-mile, 500-lap event for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of Eight elimination race can also be found on the NBC Sports Gold app, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. 
QUOTABLE QUOTES:ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 PLANTERS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 5th IN STANDINGS“The only way to make the final four is to go out this weekend and get the win. We have been really focused on Martinsville not knowing the outcome of the first two events of the Round of 8. I am confident in this No. 88 team and I am confident in Greg (Ives). This is what we have been working for all year, to go for a championship in Phoenix. While we were in Texas, the crew back at Hendrick Motorsports was dialing in our Martinsville Chevrolet and getting it ready to race. We have all been putting in the work needed to get the job done and that is what we plan on doing.” CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 6th IN STANDINGS“Both fortunately and unfortunately we have been in this position a few times. I think at the same time it’s not something where you need to go hit a homerun, we just need to go win. I don’t think you have to hit homeruns to win races. We will treat it like a normal race weekend because that is what it is and we will give it our best shot to make it to the final four. If we just do our thing and improve on the last couple of Martinsville trips, take our notebook and try to improve upon it, I think we can contend for a race win. Still one race left in the round so it’s certainly not over. I’m looking forward to it.” WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 12th IN STANDINGSBYRON ON HOW TO APPROACH RACING AT MARTINSVILLE:“I’ve really enjoyed going to Martinsville even more recently since I’ve really started to figure it out I feel like. It has an interesting rhythm to it, and once you figure it out it’s just a lot of fun and a cool track in general. There really is no room to move around that much. And while rhythm is a key there, you need to know the areas of the track that you want your car to be good in as well. There is a lot of factors that make speed there. It’s just figuring out that rhythm that you need to go fast.” TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 MOTORTREND CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 19th IN STANDINGSWHAT ARE SOME LESSONS FROM THE RACE WE HAD AT MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT YOU CAN APPLY TO THIS WEEKEND? “We had a really good Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE the last time we went to Martinsville Speedway and learned a lot about the track that I think will help us this time around. The race we had back in June was my first time back at Martinsville since 2016, so I had to adapt quickly to figure out how to get around there in a Cup car since we went into that race without any practice. The track changed a lot over the course of that race, a lot more than we were expecting, so we’ll take that into account when setting up our strategy for it this time around. This is one of my crew chief’s favorite tracks, so we’re all looking forward to getting back there in our No. 8 MotorTrend Chevrolet to see what we can do.” 

NASCAR CUP SERIES XFINITY 500 MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT OCTOBER 30, 2020 CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference and discussed his mindset going into Martinsville on Sunday, how he feels about it being a cutoff race, his thoughts on 2021 Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Larson, and more. Full Transcript: REGARDING THE GEORGIA TEAMS, THE ATLANTA BRAVES AND THE BULLDOGS NOT HAVING THE BEST OCTOBER, HOW MIGHT YOU CHANGE THAT TREND?“I hope we can help with that trend, for sure. It’s been a rough go. The Braves had such a good series with the Dodgers, and then for the Dodgers to go on and win like they did, it was pretty frustrating. But yeah, hopefully we can try to help that, I guess, in a sense. We’ll find out here on Sunday.” WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE WHEN YOU GO INTO THE LAST RACE OF THE YEAR AND YOU ARE OUT OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE? DO YOU ALWAYS LEAVE THERE THINKING YOU JUST DON’T WANT TO DO THIS AGAIN THIS WAY?“Yeah, it certainly is motivating for sure. As you go into that last weekend and you’re not a part of it you still want to try to get that race win and you’re still there battling; but at the same time, it is still disappointing; especially being just knocked out like six days ago like the way it was last year. Yeah, it’s an unfortunate way to kind of end the year but that’s the way it is. If you’re not good enough or don’t have a good stretch of races there in each round, you’re not going to make it. So that’s just part of it.” WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT YOUR NEW TEAMMATE, KYLE LARSON? HAVE YOU SPENT MUCH TIME TOGETHER OR WILL THIS BE LIKE THE FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL WHEN YOU FINALLY GET TOGETHER?“I’m really excited, first off, for Kyle; and having an opportunity and getting a second chance. I think he really is a good dude and there’s really nothing that I’ve seen in my time around him that would lead me astray. Otherwise, I think everybody makes mistakes. It wasn’t good, but at the same time I think he’s taken the right path to grow a lot and I do think he’s grown a lot in more ways than just that. So, I think he’s going to be a good addition. I think he’s going to have a lot of success much like he was already having before he left. And, I haven’t spent a ton of time around Kyle over the years. We came from different worlds, but we’ve inadvertently raced against each other along the way in K&N; I don’t think we ran any Trucks but my first season in Xfinity I think he was either full time or still racing a lot before they changed the rules. I’ve raced with him a bunch, but I can’t say I have a really close friendship or anything with him off the track. So, I’m looking forward to getting to know him better and trying to improve Hendrick Motorsports as a whole.” WHEN THIS SEASON IS OVER, HAVE YOU THOUGHT MUCH ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO TO DECOMPRESS?“Yeah, I think right now I’m on the NASCAR thing and trying to focus on the end of the season and hopefully finishing out on a really high note. So, I think that’s kind of where my head is right now is we will have a great opportunity going to Martinsville this weekend still in the hunt and hopefully give ourselves a chance the next week at Phoenix. So, all eyes are on that right now and it’s all that matters. So, I’m looking forward to that first.” THE FOUR DRIVERS ABOVE THE CUTLINE HAVE COMBINED FOR 23 OF 34 WINS THIS YEAR. GOING INTO MARTINSVILLE, THOSE ARE THE GUYS EVERYBODY IS CHASING. IS THAT SURPRISING THAT THEY’VE BEEN THE GUYS LEADING THE WAY?“No. Who’s in right now? You’ve got Joey (Logano), Kevin (Harvick), Denny (Hamlin) and Brad (Keselowski). Those are very familiar faces to the Final Four and that’s not by happenstance. So, they’re obviously very good and they’ve obviously asserted themselves as the top drivers and teams over the course of the last number of years; especially since this points format has been implemented. So, hopefully we can change that course this weekend.” MARTINSVILLE, IN THE PLAYOFFS, ALWAYS SEEMS TO HAVE QUITE A FEW MOMENTS THESE PAST YEARS. IS THERE ANY REASON NOT TO EXPECT MORE OF THE SAME NOW THAT IT IS THE CUTOFF RACE WITH THE LAST CHANCE TO GET TO PHOENIX?“Yeah, I think it’s a great place for it. Who knows how the race will shape up?  A lot of circumstances kind of led to some of those big moments and the timely cautions and things of that nature, so who knows? I certainly couldn’t tell you whether it’ll be fireworks or not, but my goal is to be fast enough where you don’t allow fireworks. And that’s the best way to deal with that.” ARE YOU STRESSED? AND IF SO, HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH IT?“To be really honest with you, I feel good. I feel probably better than I ever have and as relaxed as I ever have. Coming into that last opportunity, that ‘last chance Sunday’ as I’ve called it the last couple of years, I’m looking forward to it. I think the more that you can embrace that moment and embrace that situation and really enjoy that time, the better you’ll be prepared for a Final Four one day if you ever get there. So, that’s kind of the way I feel about it and am really just excited to have the opportunity and I’m looking forward to the challenge.” WHEN RICK HENDRICK WAS BEING ASKED ABOUT KYLE LARSON DOING DIRT RACING, HE MENTIONED YOU MIGHT WANT TO BE DOING SOME MORE OUTSIDE RACING, TOO. IS THAT BECAUSE YOU’RE JUST RACING ONE DAY A WEEK IN NASCAR OR IS IT JUST FOR FUN?“Great question. For me, I’ve had a lot of interest to go and go back and run short track stuff over the past number of years I’ve said that. I’ve said that a lot. I just haven’t had the right opportunities and I haven’t been able to do the things the way I want to do them. So, it’s not necessarily the racing one day a week thing. I’ve had the interest when we were at the track more, aside from this year; but I think now I’ve been able to kind of at least get some ideas of things that I want to do. I’m not sure exactly how timely it will be, but I want to do it kind of my way and I want to do it the way that I think is right. Until I can do it that way, I won’t. That’s just kind of the way I am. So, I’m looking forward to doing some more racing and I really, really want to and I’m excited about it. I’m just not exactly sure when, but would love to.”” WHAT IS THE ART OF RACING AT MARTINSVILLE? WHAT’S THE CHALLENGE TO PASS THERE?“Martinsville is such a tough place and it’s a place that I’ve really struggled at in the past. We’ve had some good runs there too; but it’s such a knife edge of getting your car perfect at that place. You’re asking to make such a sharp turn and you’re also asking to go from a really slow corner and accelerate at a pretty high rate back up on the straightaway, which can be hard on the rear tires as well. So, you’re just getting all those things married up and right is very tough. And then the passing side of things, I feel like has gotten really hard. I feel like it’s gotten harder over the past couple of years for whatever reason. I feel like some guys are starting to drive the track more similarly which makes it really hard to be different. And when you’re just kind of the same as the guy in front of you, although you might be able to make a little bit more time than him in certain areas if you’re driving the track with the same technique, it makes it very challenging to pass a guy. But that’s also what’s made some of these races very entertaining at the same time. So, I don’t exactly know what that is or why that is; but it certainly is a tough place.” WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE OF PLAYOFF RACING AT MARTINSVILLE?“I don’t necessarily know that it’s any different. I want to go win a regular season race really bad, too. So, I can’t say that I’m going to try any harder on Sunday than I would have in the spring. I feel like I’m trying really hard as is. So, I don’t really see it being really much different from the added challenge. I think that for us we’re in a position where we really need to go win and in the spring race, we needed to go win then too. We needed those five bonus points then. So, I think it will all be very similar.” INAUDIBLE“I certainly think that the team that wins that very first race in the Round of 8 and is locked-in, you have more time to think about what car you’re going to take to the final race. You have more time to massage on it. Yeah, I definitely think that could be a slight advantage. I’ve never really thought about that. I think that’s a great point. I do think that would be a slight advantage in car selection and time to tweak on those really, really small fine-tuning items that could potentially add up to make a difference. So, I can see that being a help. I can also see momentum being big, too. If you get on a roll, I could see winning Martinsville being a big momentum-booster for that team, whoever wins on Sunday, to propel them and have a really good shot the following week too. So, I think it’s really about how you ride the wave if you are that team that can win that very last race in the Round of 8.” IN THE PAST, YOU’VE GONE FROM PHOENIX TO HOMESTEAD. THIS YEAR IT’S TWO 750 HORSEPOWER TRACKS. DO YOU THINK THAT MIGHT CHANGE IT A LITTLE BIT, TOO, THIS WEEK SO YOU COULD TAKE A SIMILAR CAR?“You know, I’m not sure on that. I definitely think it’s great that we’re ending the season on two 750 tracks. I’m a bigger fan of that, I think, in deciding our champion in the final two races. So, that has my vote; not that I get one, but I really like it a lot. And I’m looking forward to seeing that too. Could you potentially take your Martinsville car to Phoenix? Maybe. You might. Yeah, that might be a good thing from the car-side and performance-side as well. That would be kind of a toss-up and one of those decisions you have to make pretty fast.”

Richard Childress Racing at Martinsville Speedway… In 175 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has earned four pole awards and posted seven victories with drivers Dale Earnhardt (five times), Ricky Rudd (1983) and Kevin Harvick (2011). RCR Chevrolet teams have earned 30 top-five and 63 top-10 finishes at Martinsville dating back to the team’s first start there on April 10, 1972. Richard Childress, a former driver in NASCAR’s top division, contributed four of those top-10 finishes from 1976-1978. The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to Martinsville Speedway this weekend after a 14-year hiatus from the Virginia short track. The Welcome N.C. organization’s only two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the half-mile paperclip came in 2006. Kevin Harvick scored the victory, followed by a runner-up finish from Clint Bowyer. Collectively, Harvick and Bowyer combined to lead 207 out of the 250 laps en route to a 1-2 finish for RCR. Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series Draft Top 250 at Martinsville Speedway will be televised live Saturday, October 31, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  The NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway will be televised live Sunday, November 1, beginning at 2 p.m. ET on NBC and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

This Week’s Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road/E-Z-GO Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Martinsville Speedway… In 13 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Martinsville Speedway, Dillon earned his best finish of fourth in April 2016 at the half-mile short track after starting deep in the field from the 29th spot. He also has a fifth-place finish at the track (April 2017). He has made four appearances at the track in the NASCAR Truck Series, earning his best finish of third in October 2011. Tracker Off Road… Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE prominently features TRACKER ATVs, a game-changing new line of all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides offering breakthrough performance, service and value in the off-road industry. TRACKER OFF ROAD was born out of a powerhouse partnership formed between Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER founder Johnny Morris and Textron Specialized Vehicles, bringing together the undisputed world leader in boating with a global leader in innovation and technology.  Bass Pro Shops… Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com/. E-Z-GO… E-Z-GO is an iconic, world-renowned brand in golf cars and personal transportation vehicles. Products sold under the E-Z-GO brand include RXV® and TXT® fleet golf cars, Freedom® RXV and Freedom TXT personal golf cars, E-Z-GO Express™ personal utility vehicles, and the 2Five® street-legal low-speed vehicle. Known for innovation in electric-vehicle technology, E-Z-GO’s newest offerings include the ELiTE series of lithium-ion powered golf cars and PTVs, and the company’s exclusive 72-volt AC electric powertrain found in its latest Express series vehicles. Founded in 1954 in Augusta, Ga., E-Z-GO became part of Textron Inc. in 1960, and today operates as part of the company’s Textron Specialized Vehicles division. AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:How do you feel about short tracks like Martinsville Speedway?“I love going to Martinsville Speedway. Martinsville is one of those places where you go through so many emotions during the course of the race. Someone might bump you and that give-and-take can get frustrating. It’s a short little paper clip, with hard-braking corners. Earlier this year I got cooked at Martinsville Speedway because we had a tire go down before the race even started. I love that it’s one of the NASCAR Playoff cut off races this year. That will make it a blast for fans to watch.”

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 MotorTrend Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Martinsville Speedway… Tyler Reddick has one NASCAR Cup Series start at Martinsville Speedway, finishing 16th at the short track earlier this year. Reddick also has six NASCAR Truck Series starts at the track, during which he had two top-five and three top-10 finishes.  About MotorTrend’s NASCAR 2020: Under Pressure… From learning how to communicate with their teams remotely due to Covid-19, to the cultural themes of social change and standing united, watch as NASCAR navigated one of its most tumultuous seasons in history in the all-new docuseries “NASCAR 2020: Under Pressure”, premiering Saturday, October 31, on the MotorTrend App, the only subscription streaming service dedicated entirely to the motoring world. As the first major sport in the U.S. to re-open, “NASCAR 2020: Under Pressure” provides an all-access inside look at all of the major themes of the 2020 season with a sharp focus on who will qualify for the 16 playoff spots, and how they were each eliminated on the road to crowning the 2020 NASCAR Cup Champion. The all-new 7-part docuseries streams on the MotorTrend App beginning Saturday, Oct. 31. About MotorTrend Group… MotorTrend Group is the largest automotive media company in the world, bringing together Discovery’s fast-growing MotorTrend TV, formerly Velocity, and a vast automotive digital, direct-to-consumer, social, and live event portfolio, including MOTORTREND, HOT ROD, ROADKILL, AUTOMOBILE, and more than 20 other industry-leading brands. With a monthly audience of 26 million across web, TV, and print, and 110 million social followers, culminating in 2 billion monthly content views across all platforms, the company encompasses television’s #1 network for automotive superfans, a leading automotive YouTube Channel, and the MotorTrend App, the only auto-dedicated subscription video-on-demand service. MotorTrend serves to embrace, entertain, and empower the motoring world. Subscribe to the MotorTrend App and start your free trial now! Stream more than 3,600+ hours of the best in automotive entertainment and access the entire MotorTrend library from original series, hit shows from MotorTrend, live events, motorsports and more. Watch the best series, classic races, exciting documentaries and more with the NASCAR Collection from “NASCAR 2020: Under Pressure”, The MotorTrend 500: NASCAR Heads West, The Wood Brothers and more, all ad-free across your favorite devices anytime, anywhere. TYLER REDDICK QUOTE:What are some lessons from the race we had at Martinsville Speedway earlier this year that you can apply to this weekend?“We had a really good Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE the last time we went to Martinsville Speedway and learned a lot about the track that I think will help us this time around. The race we had back in June was my first time back at Martinsville since 2016, so I had to adapt quickly to figure out how to get around there in a Cup car since we went into that race without any practice. The track changed a lot over the course of that race, a lot more than we were expecting, so we’ll take that into account when setting up our strategy for it this time around. This is one of my crew chief’s favorite tracks, so we’re all looking forward to getting back there in our No. 8 MotorTrend Chevrolet to see what we can do.”

This Week’s No. 21 Taxslayer Chevrolet Camaro at Martinsville Speedway… Myatt Snider will return behind the wheel of the No. 21 TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Saturday will mark Snider’s first Xfinity Series start at the Virginia short track. Snider has three career Truck Series starts at the half-mile speedway. He finished in the top-10 in all three of his previous starts, including a third-place finish in 2018.  About TaxSlayer… TaxSlayer makes online tax filing accessible for millions of Americans, with an easy-to-use platform and unlimited support at a fraction of the cost of the competition. Trusted for over 50 years, the Augusta-based tech company successfully completed more than 10 million federal and state e-filed tax returns in 2020 and processed $15 billion in refunds. TaxSlayer achieved a 4.5/5 TrustScore on consumer review site Trustpilot, with 87% of its customers rating the tax filing platform Great or Excellent. For more information, visit www.TaxSlayer.com. MYATT SNIDER QUOTES:You are back with RCR to run the final two races of the season. What kind of excitement level do you have entering Martinsville Speedway this weekend?“Absolutely, I am very blessed to have this opportunity to finish off the season with Richard Childress Racing. It has been a really interesting year for me personally, with a lot of new experiences, going to new tracks and bouncing back and forth between teams throughout the season. I am just very thankful to be back in the No. 21 TaxSlayer Chevrolet this weekend to compete at one of my favorite tracks, Martinsville Speedway. We have a really cool Halloween scheme with TaxSlayer on board this weekend, so hopefully we can park it beside a clock at the end of the day Saturday.” You have some strong stats at Martinsville Speedway from your NASCAR Truck Series starts. What is it specifically about Martinsville that seems to fit your driving style so well?“Martinsville Speedway is one of the best short tracks on the schedule. I’ve had the opportunity to run races at Martinsville in late models and trucks for several years now, so even though this is my first start in an Xfinity Series car there, I still have a lot of laps and experience under my belt. It’s just a lot of fun. It has got a nice combination of hard-braking zones and getting back hard on the gas. It also requires a lot of patience out of the driver, so I think the one who can be the most patient and most intelligent with taking care of the car will find themselves in a really good position to win this race. Hopefully, that will be us.”  What are your expectations coming into this weekend at Martinsville Speedway? What will you consider a good day?“Honestly, I think with how both myself and the entire No. 21 team have advanced this year our expectation is to go out and contend for the win this weekend. My crew chief, Andy Street, and our entire RCR team have been bringing extremely fast race cars to the track every week, and I don’t expect that to change at all. We’re all going to give it 100 percent this weekend, and hopefully, we’ll be right there contending for the win at the end of the day with our TaxSlayer Chevrolet.”

Ryan Tuerck leads, Fredric Aasbo third heading into key Dallas weekend

DALLAS, Texas (October 29, 2020) – The Papadakis Racing Toyota team will be fighting for podiums at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend as the Formula Drift series heads to Toyota’s backyard for a critical doubleheader.

“I’m excited to be returning to compete in the hometown of Toyota’s North American headquarters,” said Fredric Aasbo, who pilots the team’s all new Rockstar Energy Drink Toyota GR Supra. “The crowd here is always really welcoming and it’s great to see so many familiar faces in the stands.”

Texas Motor Speedway is located just 30 miles from Toyota North America in Plano.

Team drivers Ryan Tuerck and Aasbo are first and third in the points and in a close fight for the title. Only 44 points separate the Top 5 drivers in the standings, with Toyota chasing points leader Ford for the Auto Cup and team partner Nitto Tire out front in the Tire Cup. There has been a Papadakis Racing Toyota on the podium at every stop this year.

Tuerck has shown consistent performance in his first season with Papadakis Racing, driving the new Gumout / Nitto Tire / Mobil 1 Toyota Corolla Hatchback. He has earned three podiums in four rounds and is leading the championship points heading into the Dallas stop. He is hoping to capitalize on his momentum this weekend with his first win of the year.

Aasbo came out of the gate hard in 2020 with an opening-round victory in his all-new Rockstar Energy Drink Toyota GR Supra. Already the most winning driver in series history, Aasbo’s latest victory pushes his career wins total to 14.

Watch a Papadakis Racing recap to see the technical side of the first victory for the Rockstar Energy Drink Toyota GR Supra here: https://youtu.be/zyRYmPE8M8o

Formula Drift competition is streamed live online across the series’ social media channels and this season has seen record Livestream tune-in and social engagement. Stream and content views for Rounds 3 and 4 achieved 3.7 million views on YouTube alone, and Formula Drift’s social media engagement has led all other major racing series in the USA.

Aasbo joined Papadakis Racing in 2011 and earned the series crown in 2015. He started his Formula Drift career in 2010 as a privateer in a Mark IV Supra and comes full circle this season as he takes his first victory in his all new Toyota GR Supra. He finished fourth in Texas last year when an opponent crashed him into the trackside barrier and badly damaged his car.

Tuerck is a leading social influencer and top-tier driver with a career 17 podiums. His down-home charm, commitment to the sport’s grassroots, and talent in front of the camera have brought him a social fanbase of over a million followers. Earlier this year, he retired his previous chassis, a powerful Toyota 86.

The Papadakis Racing team began drifting in 2004 and is the most winning team in Formula Drift history, earning the 2015 title with driver Aasbo, as well as back-­to-back championship titles with driver Tanner Foust in 2007 and 2008.

Ryan Tuerck leads the points in the Gumout / Nitto Tire / Mobil 1 Toyota Corolla Hatchback; Fredric Aasbo is currently third in the Rockstar Energy Drink Toyota GR Supra. 

(Photo: Toyota Racing)

October 28, 2020

After 500 miles of racing and 72 hours and 28 minutes of rain delay at Texas Motor Speedway, Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Menards/Richmond Water Heaters team are headed home with an eighth-place finish in the AutoTrader 500.

DiBenedetto and the Menards/Richmond team started the race on Sunday afternoon from the 14^th position and ran as high as second before rain halted the action after 52 laps with DiBenedetto in 14th place.

When racing finally resumed on Wednesday afternoon, he began working his way forward and finished the first 105-lap Stage in 10^th place, earning one bonus point.
 
As the second stage wound down, crew chief Greg Erwin elected to stay on the track as others pitted. DiBenedetto eventually assumed the lead before making his stop with seven laps remaining in the Stage.

While the move prevented DiBenedetto from earning Stage points in the second Stage, it allowed him to leapfrog to fourth place before the drop of the green flag to start the final segment.

DiBenedetto ran in the top five for the early portion of the stage but eventually yielded a few spots. Still, the decision to go for track position at the end of the second Stage allowed the Menards/Richmond team to score its ninth top-10 finish of 2020.
 
“It was a good, solid day all around for our Menards/Richmond team,” DiBenedetto said. “Our Mustang was a little better in the warmer temperatures, and as it got colder it cost us a little bit of speed. But the crew made a couple of adjustments that really helped, especially in Turns One and Two.”
 
DiBenedetto said he was appreciative of the efforts of Erwin and spotter Doug Campbell.
 
“Greg made some good calls, and Doug was really busy spotting all day which helped us keep our track position and end up with a good finish.”
 
DiBenedetto said he did have a few close calls at the start of the race, especially when he drove in the areas where the PJ1 traction compound had been applied.
 
“I had a couple of moments where I slipped the tires,” he said. “That was pretty hairy, but once the track got some heat in it, things were a lot better.”
 
DiBenedetto and the team moved up one spot in the points standings to 14^th as they head home to prepare for Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway, the home track of the Wood Brothers.
 

• Four Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) Dodge Charger SRT Hellcats will battle for the Funny Car world championship in a final showdown of the 2020 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Drag Racing season at the Dodge NHRA Finals Presented by Pennzoil
• DSR drivers Matt Hagan, Tommy Johnson Jr., Jack Beckman and Ron Capps look to put exclamation mark on the team’s Funny Car domination by driving a Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat into the winner’s circle for an undefeated season record and extend their 13 consecutive national events win streak
• Leah Pruett looking to drive her Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Top Fuel dragster to the winner’s circle and a secure a top-three finish in the championship at the Dodge NHRA Finals at The Strip at Las Vegas Speedway
• Mark Pawuk eyeing a win and a runner-up finish in the Factory Stock Showdown championship with his DSR Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak to close out the 2020 season. 

October 29, 2020, Auburn Hills, Mich. – A Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat from the Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) stable will be crowned the 2020 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Drag Racing Series Funny Car World Champion this weekend at the Dodge Finals Presented by Pennzoil. While that is a certainty, there is still heightened anticipation and drama heading into the season finale with much left to be determined on the track at The Strip at Las Vegas Speedway.

First and foremost, intrigue remains heading into the Dodge NHRA Finals regarding which of the four DSR drivers will be crowned Funny Car World Champion as Matt Hagan (842 points), Tommy Johnson Jr. (800 points), Jack Beckman (799 points) and Ron Capps (679 points) sit 1-2-3-4 respectively atop the standings where they jostled for position all season long while dominating the category. With the adoption of a format awarding points-and-a-half for the final event of the season, all four are still mathematically in contention with 183 points up for grabs. However, the focus is sharply on the three-way battle between Hagan, Johnson, and Beckman, as just 43 points separates them.

“I have a lot of confidence in our team, and our car, and what we’re doing,” says Hagan who will run the sinister looking Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye paint scheme for the final time this season in tribute to the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world. “We’ve made up a lot of ground in a little bit of time. We’ve done what we needed to do to put ourselves in this position to have the points lead.”

Having won the Funny Car title in 2011 and 2014, Hagan takes nothing for granted even if he comes into the weekend as the defending winner of the event and with the points advantage.

“I just want to go out there this weekend at the Dodge NHRA Finals Presented by Pennzoil and treat it like a regular race,” adds Hagan. “We want to qualify well and take it one round at a time, and if we can do that, we’ll be successful. We’re 43 points ahead, but with the points-and-a-half deal things can really turn quickly, but I’d rather be leading than following, and that’s where we’re at right now. We’ve got to keep digging, stay focused, and go rounds in Vegas, and if all goes according to plan, I’m looking forward to partying hard Sunday night and celebrating with my team.”

The possibility of an undefeated season looms large for the DSR foursome. They will stage their HEMI®-powered Funny Cars for this weekend’s Dodge NHRA finals having won every national event this year leading up to the season finale with Beckman and Johnson both having earned three Wally trophies, while Hagan and Capps have a pair each. While the season schedule was shortened to 11 national events due to the pandemic, the feat is still worthy of note as it is merely an extension of a streak that began in October of 2019 and has already set the NHRA record for most consecutive wins by a team at 13 national titles, surpassing the previous mark of 10 set by the same lineup of DSR drivers in 2017.

Of this season’s 10 national event wins to date, the DSR teammates have battled head-to-head in the final round on six occasions. Johnson has been involved in four of those six Hellcat versus Hellcat finals, the latest of which was last weekend in Houston at the Mopar Express Lane SpringNationals, which resulted in his third win and a chance to vie for the Funny Car title at the season finale for the first time in his career.

“I’m excited to come into Vegas with a shot at this championship and the team has had a great season,” says Johnson who has finished top-three in points on four occasions, including a runner-up finish in the 2016. “It’s a track where I have had some success and do pretty well at. I’m a round-and-a-half behind Matt (Hagan), and Jack (Beckman) is right on our heels. To see the dominance that the Don Schumacher Funny Cars have had all season is really exciting. I think we are all excited to see if we can’t close out the season and sweep all the races with the DSR Funny Cars.”

Funny Car World Champion in 2012, Beckman finished runner-up last year and came back strong again this season with a category-leading five final round appearances, winning three Wally trophies, two of them against DSR teammates. He hopes to collect some hardware on Sunday as well.

“It’s probably going to be one of the most thrilling conclusions ever and I fully expect the Funny Car championship is probably going to go down to the final round of the final race on the final day of the season,” says Beckman. “For a fan that’s amazing and from a driver’s perspective that’s the deal you want; to be in it going into the last race of the season.

“As long as we win the race and Matt (Hagan)’s car is not in the other lane for the final round, I would consider that as perfect a year to a season as I’ve ever had, so I’m very much looking forward to this.”

Capps first climbed into a Funny Car in 1997 and captured his world championship in 2016. At the conclusion of the 2020 NHRA season he will have finished Top 10 in points for 16 consecutive seasons and earned a Wally from every NHRA drag strip he has raced in his illustrious career. Should he finish out the year in fourth place or better, this year will mark the 14^th time he will have a wrapped up a season in the Top 5.  

After battling atop the Top Fuel standings all season long, Leah Pruett saw her championship hopes put on hold until next year after a quarterfinal holeshot loss at last weekend’s Mopar Express Lane SpringNationals at Houston Raceway Park. However, Pruett will still be pursuing a win in the finale in order to put her “Demon-possessed” Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye-themed dragster firmly in the top-three in the Top Fuel standings to improve upon the pair of career-best fourth place finishes posted the last two seasons. 

Pruett will also close out the season by also taking the wheel of her Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak in Factory Stock Showdown (FSS) competition alongside her teammate Mark Pawuk.

For Pawuk, while the winner of the FSS championship was determined last weekend at Houston after his semifinal matchup and loss to points leader Aaron Stanfield, he’ll work to secure a runner-up finish in the standings for the Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak with four more rounds of racing left on Sunday.

The 2020 NHRA season will conclude this weekend at the Dodge NHRA Finals in Las Vegas with FS1 television coverage airing on Sunday, Nov. 1, from 4- 7 p.m. ET and featuring live coverage of the final rounds.

NASCAR CUP SERIESTEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY AUTOTRADER ECHOPARK AUTOMOTIVE 500 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE NOTES AND QUOTES OCTOBER 28, 2020

 TOP TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS:POS.   DRIVER5th      ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 ACRONIS CAMARO ZL1 1LE7th      KURT BUSCH, NO. 1 MONSTER ENERGY CAMARO ZL1 1LE11th    AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW SULLAIR CAMARO ZL1 1LE12th    RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE13th    WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1LE TOP FIVE UNOFFICIAL RACE RESULTS: POS.  DRIVER1st      Kyle Busch (Toyota)2nd     Martin Truex Jr. (Toyota)3rd      Christopher Bell (Toyota)4th      Ryan Blaney (Ford)5th      Alex Bowman (Chevrolet)UNOFFICIAL CURRENT PLAYOFF RANK (Following Race 8 of 10)POS.   DRIVER (* = Chevy Contender)                      1. Joey Logano (Ford) 1 Win2. Kevin Harvick (Ford) + 413. Denny Hamlin (Toyota) + 274. Brad Keselowski (Ford) + 255. * Alex Bowman (Chevrolet) – 256. * Chase Elliott (Chevrolet) – 267. Martin Truex (Toyota) – 368. * Kurt Busch (Chevrolet) – 81
The NASCAR Cup Series seasons continues at the Martinsville Speedway with the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, November 1st,^, at 2:00 p.m. ET, the elimination race for the Round of Eight. Live coverage can be found on NBC, the NBC Sports Gold app, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES:ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 ACRONIS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 5th“Not the day we really wanted. Had a really fast car, but pit strategy didn’t completely go our way. Some restarts were painful. When the sun came out, it was really fast. Some guys were really trimmed out and as cold as it was it seemed to really help them. Bummed out with fifth. I feel like we probably had the best handling race car and just came up a little short. Overall a good day and proud of everybody. So proud of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports for bringing really great driving cars to the track every week. Proud of everyone at Chevrolet and a big thanks to Acronis for being on board.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW SULLAIR CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 11th“What a week in Texas in the Dow Sullair Chevrolet. We came into this race with high expectations and the goal of backing up RCR’s 1-2 finish that we earned in July. We were thrown a few curve balls by Mother Nature. We started too the race too free, but still managed to position ourselves solidly in the top-10 before the race was postponed for weather. There were a lot of varying strategies going on tonight, but as always Justin Alexander made some great calls. We were so close to a top-10 finish tonight, but it’s just so hard to pass. If we would have had more front turn at the end of the race, I think we could have passed a couple of more cars, but we were just too tight at the end. Everyone on this Dow Sullair team did a great job this weekend, and I am proud of them for hanging in there through our three day rain delay. We’re off to Martinsville Speedway to try and grab another win before the end of the season.” RICKY STENHOUSE JR., NO. 47 KROGER CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 12th“I can’t thank the team enough for sticking out this rain delay and give us a solid night in our Kroger Chevrolet. We really worked on the handling and just got it better and better throughout the night and were able to run some really strong lap times. Traffic gave us a little bit of a challenge during the long run at the end, but once we made it through that it was all focus forward and we were able to keep gaining on it to the end. This is a quick turnaround to Martinsville, but I’m really happy with our momentum going into the final two races of the season.” WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 1L3 – Finished 13th“We finished 13th tonight. We had just really one bad run during the race and that buried us in traffic in mid-pack. We were just way too loose but once we got the handling better we were good. That last run we just couldn’t really pass even though the track was fast. Overall, I’m pretty happy with the way our No. 24 Liberty University Chevy drove for the majority of the race and hopefully we have a good run in Martinsville.”
TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CLARK PIPELINE SERVICES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 15th“That was a much longer race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway than anyone expected, but I’m glad we were able to leave with a 15^th -place finish with our No. 8 Clark Pipeline Services Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. It’s weird starting a race and then having such a long break before you’re able to finish it, but everyone managed the best they could. We had to fight a lot of changing track conditions today, and it was tough to nail down the right balance for our car. I started off on Sunday just way too loose, but after our first adjustment today it was like we had a completely different car. From then on, I was too tight in traffic and needed more help with entry into the turns. My spotter, Derek Kneeland, and crew chief, Randall Burnett, helped a lot with relaying information on what I could try to help my entry and get around the track better, which helped us capitalize on a top-15 finish on a day that we really had to fight for it. We’ll continue to push to get every spot we can during these last two races to finish the year on a high note.” RYAN PREECE, NO. 37 SCOTT BRAND CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 18th“Enduring the rain delay was definitely a new challenge, especially after starting the race on Sunday and thinking about what changes we could make when we got restarted again tonight. Trent Owens did an awesome job adjusting the handling throughout the race to give us something we could compete with at the end. Unfortunately, we had a bad pit stop and got trapped a lap down to only gain so much track position, but we were able to make some of that ground up at the end. I’m really proud of everyone that stuck with us and kept working on this Scott Brand Chevrolet and I’m excited to get to one of my favorite tracks, Martinsville Speedway, next weekend.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 HOOTERS GIVE A HOOT CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Finished 20th“I thought we were decent throughout the first part of the race and trying to kind of settle in there. I thought we settled into a decent spot. We certainly weren’t fantastic, but I thought we were better than we typically are out here. So, that was good. Kind of got going through the mid-portion of the race there. Was trying to gain some track position to get some stage points there in that second stage and had a tire come apart that I didn’t realize was coming apart. So, I had to come back down pit road and fix that. And then we settled into where we typically do out here and finished in the back.” BUBBA WALLACE, NO. 43 DOOR DASH CAMARO ZL1 1LE – Sidelined by accident on lap 61; Finished 38th“I just hate it for my guys for sitting around for four days to have the race taken away from us like that. We’ll wait, sit on the plane and wait to go home. I got two races left. It’s just unfortunate. The funny thing is, the only thing I could think about is ‘damn, I didn’t grab my hat – my mom’s going to be mad my hair looks bad’. Onto Martinsville.”

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow Sullair Chevrolet Team Earn 11th-Place Finish at Texas Motor Speedway

11th   12th

“What a week in Texas in the Dow Sullair Chevrolet. We came into this race with high expectations and the goal of backing up RCR’s 1-2 finish that we earned in July. We were thrown a few curve balls by Mother Nature. We started the race too free but still managed to position ourselves solidly in the top 10 before the race was postponed for weather. There were a lot of varying strategies going on tonight, but as always, Justin Alexander made some great calls. We were so close to a top-10 finish tonight, but it’s just so hard to pass. If we would have had more front turn at the end of the race, I think we could have passed a couple of more cars, but we were just too tight at the end. Everyone on this Dow Sullair team did a great job this weekend, and I am proud of them for hanging in there through our three day rain delay. We’re off to Martinsville Speedway to try and grab another win before the end of the season.”-Austin Dillon

Tyler Reddick and the Clark Pipeline Services Team Capitalize on Top-15 Finish at Texas Motor Speedway

15th   19th

“That was a much longer race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway than anyone expected, but I’m glad we were able to leave with a 15th-place finish with our No. 8 Clark Pipeline Services Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. It’s weird starting a race and then having such a long break before you’re able to finish it, but everyone managed the best they could. We had to fight a lot of changing track conditions today, and it was tough to nail down the right balance for our car. I started off on Sunday way too loose, but after our first adjustment today it was like we had a completely different car. From then on, I was too tight in traffic and needed more help with entry into the turns. My spotter, Derek Kneeland, and crew chief, Randall Burnett, helped a lot with relaying information on what I could try to help my entry and get around the track better, which helped us capitalize on a top-15 finish on a day that we really had to fight for it. We’ll continue to push to get every spot we can during these last two races to finish the year on a high note.”-Tyler Reddick

CHEVROLET AT LAS VEGAS What: Dodge NHRA Finals presented by Pennzoil When: Friday, Oct. 30-Sunday, Nov. 1 Where: The Strip at Las Vegas Motor SpeedwayTV: FS1 will telecast eliminations live at 4 p.m. ET Nov. 1                                                                                                     Chevrolet drivers take title chase drama to Las Vegas season finaleCamaro contenders have combined for 11 Pro Stock championships
DETROIT (Oct. 28, 2020) – Entering the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) season finale with the Pro Stock championship on the line isn’t foreign territory for Jeg Coughlin Jr., Erica Enders or Jason Line.
The three Chevrolet drivers, who have combined for 11 Pro Stock world titles, will seek to add to their trophy cases this weekend in the Dodge NHRA Finals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Enders, the 2019 series champion, takes a 55-point lead over both Coughlin and Line into the last of 10 events in the season abbreviated because of effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The finale will include a points-and-a-half structure, with a maximum value of 183.
Enders, driver of the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro SS, is a three-time winner this season. Both Coughlin, her teammate, and Line have one win and a pair of runner-up finishes. 
“We have to capitalize on our opportunity that’s in front of us,” said Enders, who seeks to become the first female to claim four NHRA professional category titles. “Having it come down to the wire is definitely exciting for the fans and keeps it exciting for us. We just have to do the best that we can and not get ahead of ourselves. 
“Our team has been in this position before, and we all know what’s at stake and what we have to accomplish. But when the pressure is on, we perform. We’re up for the challenge and we’re going to give it everything we’ve got.”
Pro Stock leader, closest pursuer entering final race the past five years2019 – Erica Enders 92 points over Jeg Coughlin Jr. … Enders won title2018 – Tanner Gray 140 points over Jeg Coughlin Jr. … Gray won title2017 – Greg Anderson 40 points over Bo Butner … Butner won title2016 – Jason Line 19 points over Greg Anderson … Line won title2015 – Erica Enders 222 points over Greg Anderson … Enders won title
Line and Coughlin, driver of the JEGS.com/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, are seeking to end their full-time racing careers on a high note. Both announced their plans before the start of the season. Line and Coughlin will remain integral members of their respective teams and racing-related businesses.
“We didn’t do a lot to help ourselves in the championship chase last week, but there’s definitely still a chance to win it with the silver Summit Racing Chevy Camaro,” said Line, a three-time Pro Stock champion. “I would really like that for all of us, for (team owner) Ken Black and for Summit Racing. It would be a nice going away present.”
Added Coughlin, a five-time Pro Stock champion who won the 2019 season finale and wound up runner-up to Enders: “Having two horses in the race is a real credit to everyone at Elite. Obviously, if you talk to me, I want to be the champ, and if you talk to Erica, she’s anxious to win it as well, but we also root for each other.
“I have tremendous faith in the team, and I know we’ll be holding nothing back. We’ve got nothing to lose. We’ll need a lucky break along the way, but we definitely have a decent chance to get it done if we do our jobs.”
Aaron Stanfield, who last week at Houston joined Pat Austin (’92 Phoenix) as the only drivers in NHRA history to score pro-sportsman wins in the same event, will seek his fifth SAM Tech.edu NHRA Factory Stock Showdown victory of the season. He locked up the title in the Janac Bros. Chevrolet COPO Camaro at Houston.
Stanfield, 25, of Bossier City, Louisiana, will also aim for his second Pro Stock victory. He defeated Coughlin in the Houston final round. 
FS1 will telecast eliminations at 4 p.m. ET Nov. 1.
CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT
PRO STOCK:
ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (points leader; three-time winner this season): “In years past, when our backs have been against the wall and the pressure is on, that when we seem to preform our best. I hope that trend continues. It’s kind of crazy that the season was so short, but I’m definitely glad to be back in the swing of things. It’s really nice to be back behind the wheel consecutive weeks. I’d rather be on the road going racing instead of sitting home thinking about it and wondering what’s going to happen.” 
JEG COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM/ELITE PERFORMANCE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (tied for second in points; runner-up at Houston; five-time winner at the track): “This is a final hurrah in many respects. There are three of us in the hunt for this championship, two from Elite Motorsports with Erica (Enders) and myself, and I know how much we’d all love to close out with a bang.”
JASON LINE, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (tied for second in points; has two wins in six final rounds at Las Vegas; has 51 Pro Stock victories in 105 final rounds): “It’s hard to believe this is it, the final race. I’ve been looking forward to it, but I’ve also been enjoying each of these last few races. It’s been an interesting season, without a doubt, and I’m thankful to have had my family with me so much this year. The circumstances that made that possible weren’t great, but having my family with me out here was special. It’s been a short season, but it hasn’t been an easy season, not by any means. But we’ve had some high points – seeing Matt Hartford win was one, for sure. We didn’t do a lot to help ourselves in the championship chase last week, but there’s definitely still a chance to win it with the silver Summit Racing Chevy Camaro. I would really like that for all of us, for Ken Black and for Summit Racing. It would be a nice going away present.”
GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 2 qualifier at Houston; has mathematical chance to win fifth Pro Stock championship): “I’ve been through many of those chases, like Jason Line is in right now, where it comes down to the last race. No lead is safe, and anything can happen. We know that anybody in the class can beat anyone in any round, so there’s no telling how this race is going to go. We’re still very much alive, and we’re going to give it all we’ve got to make sure we find a way for Jason to close the gap and win the championship. That’s the goal.”
BO BUTNER, JIM BUTNER AUTO, STRUTMASTERS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (2017 Pro Stock champion): “We’ve really tried to make the most out of this year, between bracket racing and doing as much racing as we can at NHRA events. We’ve had some success, but not as much as we’d like to. It would be nice to go to this race in Vegas and come away with a win or two. It’s always a good time racing in Vegas, and I’ve done pretty well there in the past. My first Comp win was there in 2001. We’ve got some good memories, but it’s time to make more.”

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 28) — Poker players in Las Vegas like to say all they need to win is a chip and chair. Less than two rounds off the championship lead entering a race that awards points and a half, five-time Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. has more than a single chip to throw in the pot, but in true Glitter Gulch style he still wouldn’t mind a visit from Lady Luck at this weekend’s 20th annual Dodge NHRA Finals. “This is a final hurrah in many respects,” said Coughlin, who will retire from full-time competition after this event. “There are three of us in the hunt for this championship, two from Elite Motorsports with Erica (Enders) and myself, and I know how much we’d all love to close out with a bang. “Having two horses in the race is a real credit to everyone at Elite. Richard Freeman (team owner) has put together an incredible group of the very best mechanics, crew chiefs and engine builders in the sport. Hopefully we can finish 1-2 again. Obviously, if you talk to me, I want to be the champ, and if you talk to Erica, she’s anxious to win it as well, but we also root for each other. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Both Coughlin and Line find themselves 55 points in arrears to Enders, the reigning and three-time series champion. NHRA officials decided to up the drama by awarding points and a half in Vegas, so there are multiple scenarios where Coughlin can regain the points lead he held earlier this season.  “I’m very excited,” Coughlin said. “I have tremendous faith in the team and I know we’ll be holding nothing back. We’ve got nothing to lose. We’ll need a lucky break along the way but we definitely have a decent chance to get it done if we do our jobs.” Coughlin is a five-time winner at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, having driven to the winner’s circle there in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2008 and 2009.  “I’ve reflected back on my 20-plus years in this class a lot in the last 8-9 months, ever since I committed to the decision to step away,” Coughlin said. “I’ve tried to use those collective memories to fuel my drive, and it’s worked out for the most part. We aren’t closing the book for good. We’ll still race occasionally; but at the same time I’m excited about spending a lot more time with my family and at JEGS. “The thing I’ll miss the most is the fans. Going back to the start of my career when I was racing in the sportsman ranks, they’ve always been so supportive of JEGS and our racing endeavors. There are even half a dozen kids out there named Jeg in our honor, which is just unreal. It shows the true passion of drag racing fans. No matter what happens moving forward, I will always be ready to help the sport grow.”

Acting as a wild card, Coughlin’s teammate and nephew Troy Coughlin Jr. has designs on blocking for his decorated uncle as he concludes his rookie year in the class. Troy Jr. has shown he can handle the job, having raced to the final round of the third Indy race this summer in his JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Ford Mustang. “If there’s any way I can help Uncle Jeg win the championship I’ll be there,” Troy Jr. said. “Rick (Jones) made some changes after qualifying in Houston and the car responded really well on race day. I know we have the capability to win rounds in Vegas and if we can knock out anyone going against Uncle Jeg, all the better.”

Coming off back-to-back regional championships in the Top Alcohol Dragster class, Troy Jr. has adapted well to the factory hot rod class. In just seven races, he’s climbed to 13th place overall. Ever the perfectionist, Troy Jr. says that while he’s learned a lot, he still has a long way to go in a category he describes as the toughest in the sport. “There’s a lot going on inside a Pro Stock car,” Troy Jr. said. “There’s a lot to do to get it down the track with a good run. You need an incredible amount of patience, focus and self-control. I’m trying to soak up as much as I can and learn the mechanics of what makes these cars run. You definitely need more than seven races to learn it all. “I’m excited about the future, even though we’re not sure what it holds. I know JEGS has a tremendous legacy in racing and I’ll do all I can to carry it forward. It’s a great way to relate to our customers because so many of them race.”

NHRA^® Team Report

Dodge^® NHRA Finals – Las Vegas

Pre-Race Report

Cruz Pedregon and team are looking ahead to the upcoming Dodge^® NHRA Finals in Las Vegas with the fortitude brought on by the tragic loss of a team member and co-crew chief in wanting to honor his memory. Eric Lane was killed in an off-track accident last week and the team has been fighting through the emotions to do what they say he would have wanted them to do in the last race of the season.

“It still hasn’t fully settled in with us, so we’re pressing on to implement so many of the things ‘Hop’ helped us with in doing away with the things that weren’t working on the car, keeping the good, and trying several new things,” Cruz says. “His impact during his short time with the team is already paying off in the success we had last weekend — making the best pass of our 2020 season and coming so close to a semi’s win only to be denied it by a one-second hole shot.”

In memory of Lane, Cruz Pedregon Racing has established a GoFundMe that will help support Hop’s wife and the young daughter he left behind. The fund has really taken off through the generous contributions of the NHRA family and fans and those who knew the long-time drag racing professional.

Cruz notes that the focus of this race will be a continuation of the team’s efforts to remember their co-crew chief while making the final runs in this year’s Pink Fund tribute paint scheme in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Snap-on, the team’s primary sponsor, has dedicated a portion of sales to The Pink Fund over the past six years totaling $475,000 to meet non-medical expenses of individuals undergoing breast cancer treatment. For more information, check out ThePinkFund.org.

NASCAR CUP SERIES TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY AUTOTRADER ECHO PARK AUTOMOTIVE 500 TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT OCTOBER 27, 2020  ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 88 ACRONIS CAMARO ZL1 1LE, met with media via teleconference to discuss how he’s staying prepared to race during the rain delays, how the track conditions will change once racing gets back underway at Texas Motor Speedway, and more. Transcript:  WE JUST GOT OFF WITH JOEY LOGANO – HE WAS SAYING THAT HE’S EXTREMELY BORED RIGHT NOW. HE SAID HE’S WILLING TO DRIVE THE JET DRYER. I’M WONDERING WHERE YOU’RE AT RIGHT NOW, WHAT YOU’VE BEEN DOING DURING THIS DOWNTIME? ALSO, HOW ARE YOUR NERVES?“Yeah, should we just race the jet dryers? Are there enough of them for everybody? We could race the rental cars – there’s all kinds of stuff we could race here. Maybe just count points on that and send us home (laughs). It’s definitely boring – painful for everybody. Obviously, everybody is working hard to try to dry the race track and the weather just isn’t cooperating. So, bummed for everybody here. It’s the same for all of us – we’re all just sitting around, whether it’s NASCAR officials, track officials, or drivers. We’re all kind of in the same boat together.” “Nerves – I’m all good. I’m just hanging out. I haven’t really done much of anything. Just been on my computer. I went over to the gym underneath the suites and ran a little bit on a treadmill. But, yeah, feeling good. The car’s really fast – just want to get back to racing.” HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU’VE HAD TO WAIT THIS LONG? “No, not that I can think of. I’m trying to think – maybe quarter-midget racing as a kid, just because you don’t have jet dryers and stuff, and it takes pretty long to dry. I’ve been completely rained out and cancelled, but I’ve never sat somewhere this long. I don’t think we’ve ever had a forecast look this bad. It’s definitely a bummer.” NO MATTER WHEN THIS RACE GETS IN, WILL YOU FEEL BEHIND FOR MARTINSVILLE?“I’ll let you know when I find out if I’m going to get my sim time back that I was supposed to have this afternoon. That’s really the only thing that I feel behind on that I’m bummed out about missing. I feel like I can do all my normal prep work here. So, as far as being prepared, I’m not really missing anything, aside from the time I was going to spend in the simulator this afternoon. Hopefully we get home and I can get back in it somehow, but those schedules are hard to get and put out way in advance. So, I doubt that I’ll get back in it. That’s definitely a bummer.” HOW LONG IS A TYPICAL SESSION IN THERE?“I feel like I was going to be in there from like 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., so probably just two hours. Typically, I’m in there for either two- or three-hours sessions.” WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW IF YOU’RE GOING TO RACE IN TWO HOURS, TOMORROW OR WHENEVER, HOW DO YOU STAY SORT OF PREPARED, PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY, AS FAR AS I ASSUME YOU CAN’T JUST EAT A BUNCH OF CANDY AND COOKIES. NOT THAT JOSH WISE WOULD LET YOU ANYWAY, BUT HOW DO YOU SORT OF STAY READY TO GO AT ANYTIME?“Well, I had In-N-Out for dinner and pizza for lunch. So, the diet is out the window. I’m out of food, out of clothes, out of everything. I don’t know – it’s hard to feel like we’re going to race anytime soon, just with how wet it is. At times, I feel like ‘man, the track’s got to be getting dry because I can’t see it misting or raining from the bus’. But then I think Bob (Pockrass) tweeted the link of the track camera – maybe that was you or somebody tweeted the link to the track camera. I clicked on that and I’m like ‘oh no, it’s still wet’. I don’t know – I’ve really just been sitting around. I ran a little bit earlier and I feel like that helped kind of clear my head up a little bit. But it’s been pretty dang boring.” INAUDIBLE“For me, I think it doesn’t grow. I’m really confident in our race car for when we get back going. Obviously, we got the lead there and drove away from the field a little bit, so I know we have a really fast car. So, I’m really looking forward to that. Obviously, we’re buried a little bit on the track position now, but I’m just ready to go. I don’t know – I really haven’t done anything abnormal or different, besides kind of sit around and just work from my computer and work from inside the bus. Just trying to control the things I can control and the weather is not one of them, unfortunately.” JUST WONDERING – I ASKED JOEY LOGANO ABOUT THE CONDITIONS TO EXPECT ONCE THIS THING GETS DRY. HE SAID THE PJ1 TYPICALLY NEEDS HEAT TO BE EFFECTIVE. WHAT KIND OF A CURVEBALL IS THAT GOING TO THROW ONCE THIS THING GETS GOING?“Definitely a big one. It needs heat to get going, but the biggest problem is how treacherous it is at this race track before it gets going. And the way they laid it all the way to the wall, the first guy that gets up in it is probably going to crash. So, it’s going to be really treacherous and eventually, as it comes in, it will be the place to be again. It kind of got that way as we got rolling. But it’s going to be treacherous. I feel like out of the PJ1 was just a little freer than in the PJ1. So, probably everybody will be a little looser trying to run the bottom. Hopefully it gets moved up quick, but yeah, it’s going to be treacherous. Hard to navigate that because obviously it’s not a visual thing, it’s a feel thing, and you kind of just have to work it in. You want to wait for other people to do it. It’s pretty tough. Hopefully we’re on the good side of it.” TAKE ME BACK TO 2014 WHEN YOU SIGNED WITH BK RACING. YOU HAD THE FAST SEASON IN XFINITY IN 2013, HAD SOME SUCCESS. BUT IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, I DON’T THINK THAT WAS REALLY MUCH OF AN OPPORTUNITY. CAN YOU TAKE ME THROUGH HOW YOU ENDED UP AT BK RACING AND HOW DO YOU FEEL THAT OPPORTUNITY HELPED LEAD YOU ALONG IN THIS PATH THAT HAS WOUND IT’S WAY TO ENDING UP IN THIS RIDE AND, NEXT YEAR, THE NO. 48 CAR?“Yeah, honestly, one team called and didn’t ask for money. A lot of teams called and only one didn’t ask for money. And I didn’t have any money. That’s where I ended up and it was do that or sit on a couch. There wasn’t an opportunity to return to the Xfinity ride that I had in 2013. I feel like we really did a lot with a little in 2013 and outperformed where we should have been and did a really good job. We had a really good group of people and outperformed what we had financially.” “Going into the next year, I didn’t want to go Cup racing. I wasn’t ready to go Cup racing. I wanted to try to win races. Unfortunately, I needed to make a living at the same time and the only opportunity to do that was to go Cup racing. I did all that I could – I learned a lot, I got to make a lot of mistakes with nobody watching. I didn’t have much fun. I put a lot of pressure on myself and the pressure became trying to run top-25, and just trying to do better than the car was supposed to. And we did every now and then. But, obviously, yeah – a crazy set of circumstances to go from that to driving the No. 48 for Hendrick Motorsports. Driving for Tommy Baldwin the following year, that deal falling apart. Then, driving the simulator and getting called to fill in for Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) – it was a pretty wild couple of years there and definitely a lot of very uncertain times and stressful times. But to answer your question, one team killed and didn’t ask for money and that’s where I went.” ALSO, AS YOU SAID, YOU HAD SOME RESULTS THAT WERE BETTER THAN THE EQUIPMENT IN THAT FIRST YEAR. AS YOU NOTED, YOU WEREN’T READY FOR CUP. IN ONE SENSE, HOW DID YOU NOT WASH OUT? THOSE ARE PRETTY HIGH-STACKED ODDS AGAINST ANY YOUNG DRIVER WITH MINIMAL EXPERIENCE. WAS THERE SOMEBODY IN THE GARAGE THAT HELPED YOU OR WAS IT JUST A MATTER OF SCRATCHING AND CLAWING YOUR WAY AND JUST SURVIVING THAT YEAR SO PEOPLE RECOGNIZED YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID?“I feel like there were definitely a few guys that offered advice. I was pretty down early in the season and Jimmie Johnson was the first guy to come and talk to me. Just be like ‘man, you’re doing a really good job with that car’ just out of nowhere. I still have no clue why he did that. I talked to him about it a couple weeks ago and he was like ‘man, I just came up to lap you and you were completely sideways, driving the wheels off of it, and I felt like I needed to say something and tell you that you were doing a good job’. He was really supportive.” “Kurt Busch, I remember I think we were at Indy or somewhere like that, he just came up and started giving me advice. So, guys like that, their advice was really appreciated. I think the ‘how’ is just that I didn’t give up. I refused to give up. I didn’t have a backup plan, so I couldn’t give up. I wasn’t like ‘oh, I can go do this and I’ll be fine’. It was like, ‘you’ve got to keep doing this or you’re going to have to find another job and another way to pay for food’. So, yeah I didn’t give up and I refused to let it beat me. I felt pretty dang beat in the beginning of 2016 when I lost my ride. Obviously, had some races lined up with JR Motorsports to try to go and do that and try to win. And we ran really well in all those races, but obviously the opportunity to fill in for Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) is what got me here and it was a crazy set of circumstances. A lot of luck and really just never giving up.” YOU’VE BEEN TEASING US WITH PICTURES OF A WINGED-SPRINT CAR AND TAKING LAPS AROUND THE DIRT TRACK. WHAT’S THE LATEST?“Arizona in January. I’m not driving it – that’s the first question I get. I’m not driving it. Just quarantine boredom and decided to build a winged-sprint car. It’s been a lot of fun. We went and tested on Friday and CJ (Leary) was really fast right off the bat – as fast as anybody that’s tested during the day there. We were going pretty good. The track was right through the middle, not real worked in, so I was like ‘man, if there was ever a time to make some laps in one of these things, that would be now’. So, I went and made some laps. I think I ran like 7 or 8-laps and had a ton of fun. We’re going to start racing it here soon and have lot of fun doing it. That’s why I do that deal – to really just have fun and no expectations. I have a really, really good group of people that help me on those cars. We’ve never lost a party when we go dirt racing, so that’s what we’re going to go do this winter.” IS CJ LEARY GOING TO BE YOUR FULL-TIME DRIVER?“Yeah, I mean full-time when the car runs. I’m sure he’s still going to try and chase the USAC deal and do the non-wing stuff like normal. So, yeah we’ll run when we can. I have no clue – I mean we’ve pointed out three races that we’re going to run so far and they’re all in January. So, haven’t looked at any schedules any further out than that. Maybe go to Volusia in February and hit all those. But, yeah as far as I know, just going to race when we can.” DID YOU HAVE TO GET PERMISSION FROM THE BOSS TO RUN LAPS OVER AT THE DIRT TRACK?“Well, it was going to be one of those like ‘don’t tell anybody’ things. And then I posted a video on the internet and I was like ‘oh man, that probably wasn’t smart’. Nothing went wrong and I ran like 7 laps. I sent a video to Jeff Gordon and he said ‘that looks awesome’. So, yeah – I’ll ask for forgiveness (laughs).” DO YOU PLAN ON RUNNING CHILI BOWL WITH YOU AND CJ LEARY THIS YEAR?“No. So, CJ (Leary) will be there in my car and Jake Swanson is driving the car that I normally drive. Last year got pretty difficult between running the Race of Champions with CJ and me running, not having a crew chief, me crew chiefing CJ – it was just a lot of work for me to drive one of the cars and crew chief the other car. So, I decided honestly, I don’t have much business at Chili Bowl, just with only racing those cars once a year and a big lack of experience. The program kind of needed two driver that could help each other, instead of CJ trying to describe to me everything that I’m doing wrong every time I’m on the race track. Jake Swanson is going to drive and I think the two of them can really help each other, and try to put two cars in the show instead of just one.” A COUPLE OF THE OTHER DRIVERS SAID THEY WERE PLAYING VIDEO GAMES DURING THE DELAY. I KNOW YOU SAID THAT YOU’VE BEEN WORKING DURING ALL THIS. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING LIKE A NINTENDO SWITCH OR PLAYSTATION ON HAND IN CASE THAT’S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO?“I sure wish I did because I wouldn’t be working right now if I did (laughs). I don’t have anything. I have my laptop, my cell phone and cable TV. That’s about it, which has become expensive because I’ve just been ordering race car parts. Yeah, I don’t have anything, but I sure wish I did.” YOU GOT UP FRONT AND TOOK ADVANCE OF THE 4 (KEVIN HARVICK)’S MISFORTUNE. GOT UP FRONT, LED SOME LAPS, SO WHAT GIVES YOU THE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU CAN MAINTAIN THAT MOMENTUM GOING INTO TONIGHT, TOMORROW OR WHENEVER WE RACE AGAIN? WHAT GIVES YOU THE CONFIDENCE THAT THE NO. 88 WILL REMAIN CONSISTENT OUT THERE?“Just how good the car was. I was so happy with the race car. I was nervous going in, just because this is a place we’ve really struggled at in the past. We’ve really only had one really strong race here. Was really just looking forward to getting here and seeing how the car was going to be, and it was just really good off the bat. So, that gives me a lot of confidence. We were a little free, so I feel like the race track kind of gripping up will help us and we’ll just have to go from there. Obviously, the temperatures dropped tremendously. We’re now 18th instead of leading, so that’s something we’re going to have to overcome. Just looking forward to getting going.” I THINK THAT ONE RUN YOU MENTIONED WAS AT THIS EVENT LAST SEASON. IT WAS A FIFTH-PLACE RUN FOR YOU GUYS. DID YOU TAKE ANY LESSONS FROM THAT CAR? DID YOU TAKE ANY LESSONS FROM THAT SETUP GOING INTO THIS WEEKEND?“Yeah, I don’t know where we ended up exactly on setup. You would have thought that we could have taken lessons from that and been strong here earlier this year. That race, we were flat in the way – that was really rough. That was one of our worst mile-and-a-half that we’ve run in a long time. It was a cooler night that night, I believe, and I feel like we probably used some of that information. But our mile-and-a-half program has been really strong lately and I feel like we run pretty similar stuff most places we go on mile-and-a-halves. Different tire than then as well, so there’s a lot of variables that go into it. But it’s definitely good to have those notes in our notebook.” LOOKING AT YOUR SEASON SO FAR, HOW WOULD YOU GRADE WHERE YOU GUYS ARE RIGHT NOW?“Right now, I think we’re running great. The last two months or so have been really, really good for us. The summer was really rough and the beginning of the year was amazing. So, we’ve definitely had our fair share of ups and downs. But I would give our team a B+ or A-, just based on how well they’ve worked together. I think that’s a huge positive. Obviously, kind of falling off through the summer was painful for us all. But to see the guys buckle down and continue to work together in such a good way is really positive. I think how it’s improved lately- that’s been great. We still need to get a little better. Last week, we were right there, but not quite good enough. We need a little bit more to try to win these things. But the guys are doing a great job and we’re continuing to improve each and every week.” HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING OR HAVE  ANY SUGGESTIONS ON ANY SHOWS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT?“Yeah, I feel like the problem is I’ve already watched all the good Netflix stuff. So, I haven’t been watching anything. I’ve watched some YouTube videos, but honestly, I’ve been texting back and forth with my team on GroupMe quite a bit. I went and worked out a little bit. I haven’t watched like any TV shows or anything yet. I’m sure that’s going to come because I’m out of things to do. I’m out of parts to order. I got everything for a sprint car on the way and I’m definitely probably going to regret some of my financial choices here. I’m building so many race cars. But yeah, I haven’t watched anything. I wish I had something for you.”

·        Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) driver Tommy Johnson Jr. drove his MD Anderson Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car to his third win of the 2020 season at the Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals Presented by Pennzoil near Houston

·        Johnson’s victory puts him second in the standings and in contention for the Funny Car world championship for the first time in his career with just one race left in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Drag Racing Series season

·        DSR Funny Car drivers Matt Hagan, Johnson and Jack Beckman will battle for the crown next weekend at the Dodge NHRA finals in Las Vegas

·        DSR remains undefeated this season in Funny Car competition and extends the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat win streak to a record 13 consecutive national events since October 2019

·        Leah Pruett takes her Pennzoil Top Fuel dragster to a quarterfinal appearance 

·        No. 2 qualifier Mark Pawuk takes his Mopar Drag Pak to a second consecutive semifinal appearance in Factory Stock Showdown

October 25, 2020, Baytown, Texas – A clutch performance by Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) driver Tommy Johnson Jr. at the Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals Presented by Pennzoil not only gave the MD Anderson Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat driver his third Wally trophy of the year, but it kept him firmly in contention and fighting for his first Funny Car world championship with just one race left in the 2020 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Drag Racing Series season. 

From his sixth place seeding, Johnson began his run through eliminations with a first round win over Jim Campbell, followed by a close battle with J.R. Todd in the quarterfinals that advanced him into the semifinals to meet top-ranked Matt Hagan and his No. 2 seeded Pennzoil Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat for a match-up with critical championship implications. Johnson’s 3.941-second run to beat Hagan’s 3.981-second lap lessen the points margin between them in the standings and sent the MD Anderson Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat driver to his fourth final of the year.

Johnson continued to show his mettle against Ron Capps in a head-to-head battle for a Wally, marking the sixth time this season that DSR teammates would meet in a final elimination. 

Johnson double-bulbed his opponent, then by posted a 3.929-second pass at 321.04 mph to beat Capps’ 3.9520-second run at 325.14 mph for a three-thousandths-of-a-second margin of victory at the finish line. 

“It was a must-win,” said Johnson who moved up into the second place in the standings just 42 points behind Hagan and one point ahead of Jack Beckman heading into the Dodge NHRA Finals next weekend in Las Vegas. 

“I think we’ve been a thorn in their side a little bit because we just keep coming back every time. It’s like a heavyweight battle. We get back up and here we come again and keep swinging. Just really proud of these guys. They don’t quit. You can’t quit. It’s been a weird year and it’s been a good year for us. Three wins this year. Just super happy to see the fight in these guys.”

While Johnson finished third in the championship on three occasions (2014, 2015 and 2018) and runner-up in the 2016, this is the first time he has had a viable chance to win a championship with just one race remaining.

“This has got drama written all over it when we go to Vegas,” said Johnson of the three-way battle with his teammates thanks to a points-and-a half format that will likely only see a winner determined in the final round. “It’s probably our best shot. In the years past we have been third three times and been second once and we weren’t expected to be. We’re kind of like, ‘oh where they come from’ and this time we’re there and wanting to go.”

The victory at Houston Raceway Park has also kept DSR’s quad of Funny Cars undefeated this season, extending the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat win streak to 13 national events that dates back to October 2019. The DSR Dodge foursome continue to dominate the Funny Car championship rankings, occupying the top four spots with Hagan, Johnson, Beckman and Capps respectively heading into the season finale.

Capps for his part came into the penultimate race weekend fourth in the standings, and the Pennzoil/NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat driver did everything he could to do to remain in the fight. He upset the No. 1 qualifier Jack Beckman in the opening round, dropping his teammate to third in the standings with the loss. He then used a holeshot win to defeat Cruz Pedregon and advance to the semis where he crossed the finish line ahead of Alexis DeJoria but on fire after the engine expired, necessitating a swap to the backup car for the final against Johnson. While finishing runner-up doesn’t completely mathematically eliminate Capps from the battle for the crown, the Vegas odds are not on his side. 

From her third place spot in the Top Fuel standings, Leah Pruett was looking to keep championship hopes alive for her black and yellow Pennzoil dragster after qualifying in the top half of the eliminations ladder. A win over Lee Callaway meant a second round pairing with Billy Torrence with important points on the line. Both posted identical 3.708 second elapsed time runs, but her opponent’s quicker start brought Pruett’s day and championship hopes to end as it allowed category leader Steve Torrence to further his lead to an insurmountable 198-point margin.

The Factory Stock Showdown (FSS) championship was determined by a semifinal match-up that pitted the top-ranked competitors in the category. No. 2 qualifier Mark Pawuk and his Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak lined-up against points leader Aaron Stanfield but unfortunately saw a quick end to his race and title chase with a rare red-light start, thus handing Stanfield the round win and allowing him to also claim the FSS championship. While the title chase might be over for Pawuk, he will work to secure his No. 2 ranking with four more rounds of racing left to contest in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile Pawuk’s teammate Pruett qualified her Mopar Dodge Challenger Drag Pak 11th in a quest to post a win this season, but unfortunately saw an early end to her day after hitting the throttle in the opening round only to lose traction and watch her opponent turn on the win lights.

The 2020 NHRA season will conclude next weekend at the Dodge NHRA Finals in Las Vegas with television coverage to be broadcast on FS1 on Sunday, Nov. 1, from 4- 7 p.m. ET featuring live coverage of the final rounds.

ADDITIONAL NOTES and QUOTES: 

Jack Beckman, Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
(No. 1 Qualifier – 3.884 seconds at 328.14 mph)
Round 1: (0.086-second reaction time, 5.012 seconds at 207.88 mph) lost to No. 16 Ron Capps (0.055/4.158/320.51)

“A lot of cars struggled out there and we just didn’t capitalize on it. And you can say (Matt) Hagan was fortunate, but you can also say he did a good job catching the car and getting it to the finish line. This is the back breaker about drag racing. There’s no do-overs. You don’t to go back out for the rest of the race and earn some points. It’s sudden death and that’s a bitter pill. To have such a good car and come out here and qualify No. 1, our fate is not in our hands right now. We’re going to have to win (Las) Vegas and what Hagan does here and at Vegas will determine if he’s catchable. That’s the nature of our sport.”

“I’ve never been a fan of points-and-a-half. No round should be worth more than any other round and I’m consistent whether I’m leading or trailer. That’s the way they’re going to award the points, so in essence there’s the equivalent of six rounds worth of points up for grabs in Vegas. We’re going to have to hope Matt doesn’t go deep here or in Vegas. Ideally, we’d match up with him first round in Vegas and we could make up lot of rounds.”

“I’m back to being a dad tomorrow. I’m not going to dwell on this. All that does it sends failure programming and negative thoughts. I got that out of the way here at the track. I still love what I do for a living. We’re still got a great car and a great team and if Vegas is my last race, I want to go out holding a Wally trophy in my hands.”

Matt Hagan, Pennzoil Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car  
(No. 2 Qualifier – 3.907 seconds at 327.74  mph)
Round 1: (0.073-second reaction time, 4.286 seconds at 301.00 mph) defeated No. 15 Dave Richards (0.180/4.421/212.86

Round 2: (0.092/3.914/328.78) defeated No. 10 Blake Alexander (0.077/13.014/54.58)

Round 3: (0.040/3.981/321.12) lost to No. 6 Tommy Johnson Jr. (0.058/3.941/321.96)

“A really good weekend here in Houston with the Pennzoil colors again. We’d have liked to been in the final round, but we picked up some points this weekend. It was a close race with TJ (Tommy Johnson) in the semis and I have all the confidence in the world in my crew and Dickie Venables rolling into Vegas. I’m confident we’re going to do what we need to do and win this thing. I’ve been on both sides of it. I’ve led and chased and I’d rather lead than be chasing going into Vegas. It’s a hard task trying to make up points. I’m proud of my guys to put ourselves in the position to make some ground this weekend and extend the lead.”

Tommy Johnson Jr., MD Anderson Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
(No. 6 Qualifier – 3.973 seconds at  317.94 mph)

Round 1: (0.089 second reaction time, 6.373 seconds at 110.91 mph) defeated No. 11 Jim Campbell (-0.104/7.324/86.96)

Round 2: (0.057/3.934/327.51) defeated No. 3 J.R. Todd (0.078/3.979/326.00)

Round 3: (0.058/3.941/321.96) defeated No. 2 Matt Hagan (0.040/3.981/321.12)

Round 4: (0.065/3.929/321.04) defeated No. 16 Ron Capps (0.045/3.952/325.14)

“We’ve learned from our mistakes. We’ve been out here and won a race, then stumbled on the next one, so we can’t do that this time. We’ve got to go out there, go to Vegas where it’s points-and-a half (format) and it’s going to be a really interesting race. I’m just so proud of these guys. They just don’t quit. They keep fighting. To win in MD Anderson Cancer Center’s home town is just so special and happy to do it for Mopar and Pennzoil who are sponsoring this race. The Dodge Charger Hellcat is a pretty bad boy and I was pumped up for that final. I just said ‘We got to win this, we’ll just go do it.’ I’m happy we did it.”

“This Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat was running good all day. We didn’t qualify like we wanted to I mean, we qualified sixth and we weren’t quite on. Tricky track conditions in the first round, we shook (the tires) but got lucky with Jim Campbell red lighted first round. But (Crew Chief) John (Collins) and Rip (Reynolds) figured out the tune up after that and we come back out in the second round and made a nice run and had a big victory over J.R. Todd who ran really good first round so I knew we had to step it up. Big semifinal match against Matt Hagan with the championship coming down to just one more race to go. We had fallen back to third (in the standings) and little ways behind after we had a tough race in Dallas, but these guys never quit. We had to come in here and see it is a must-win and when you can do that and win, that shows you what caliber of a team you have behind you. I did my job and they did their job. Every time they think we’re out of it, we’re like a thorn in their side. We just keep coming. Just one race to go. You’ve got Hagan, me, and (Jack) Beckman in the points. All Dodge Hellcats. May the best man win.”

 
Ron Capps, Pennzoil NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Car
(No. 16 Qualifier – 5.295 seconds at 136.44 mph)
Round 1: (0.055-second reaction time, 4.158 seconds at 320.51 mph) defeated No. 1 Jack Beckman (0.086/5.012/207.88)

Round 2: (0.073/3.962/326.87) defeated No. 8 Cruz Pedregon (0.077/3.961/324.36)

Round 3: (0.103/4.160/247.38) defeated No. 5 Alexis DeJoria (0.087/5.175/142.10)

Round 4: (0.045/3.952/325.14) lost to No. 6 Tommy Johnson Jr. (0.065/3.929/321.04)

“We were trying to implement some new parts and do some testing and that’s hard to do with only two qualifying runs and you definitely don’t want to do that on Sunday. That put us behind. But I say it time and time again, coming in Sunday morning I’ve never not thought we had a chance at winning the race no matter what position we start from. We sure had the FOX Sports TV people scrambling to see when the last time someone won from the 16th spot. You hate to knock out a teammate in the championship, but it’s mano-a-mano up there and Sunday morning you have one of the leading cars in the points race, but we knew we were capable. It’s just one of those grind ‘em out days. These are those weekends where you look back at the end of the season and you sort of circle them and you remember that this is where most teams would have gone out early and we gutted out a lot of big round wins and 20 points here and there. When you’re running great and things don’t go wrong it seems a little easier. Today was one of those knock-down drag-out fights. The semifinals I stayed in the throttle and I didn’t see Alexis (DeJoria). In a nitro Funny Car, when you stay in the throttle bad things can happen when you stay in it and unfortunately we hurt the beautiful Pennzoil body. But fortunately, we have great sponsors with Pennzoil and NAPA Auto Parts and we have plenty of parts at DSR and we have four days to get to (Las) Vegas and do it again.”

Leah Pruett, Pennzoil Top Fuel Dragster  
(No. 6 Qualifier – 3.767 seconds at 324.20 mph)

Round 1: (0.069-second reaction time, 3.745 seconds at 321.65 mph) defeated No. 11 Lee Callaway (0.073/6.22/96.74)  

Round 2: (0.079/3.708/322.58) lost to No. 3 Billy Torrence (0.063/3.708/331.61)

“The highlight of this weekend is that we solved a lot of problems with the car after really starting over after St. Louis. That put us behind and we feel we’re now in front of it. We have a race car that is performing very well. We had some additional software problems and we’ve been on the good side of these holeshot wins, but sometimes you’re going to find yourself on the other side of it. The most exciting thing about it is that we have one of the top, fastest hot rods going into Vegas. We have done very well in Vegas. I think points-wise we’re out of the championship, but we still have our eyes on moving forward on a high note.”

Mark Pawuk, Empaco Equipment Mopar Drag Pak– Factory Stock Shootout
(No. 2 Qualifier – 7.814 seconds at 175.48 mph)

Round 1: (0.071-second reaction time, 7.900 seconds at 173.38 mph) defeated No. 13 Lindsay Wheelock (0.000/8.157/167.36)

Round 2: (0.006/7.901/173.09) defeated No. 8 Steven Bell (0.022/7.905/173.45)

Round 3: (-0.012/7.904/173.70) lost to No. 3 Aaron Stanfield (0.026/7.894/173.87)

“Another great weekend for the Don Schumacher Racing Empaco Equipment/Ohio CAT/Mr. Heater Dodge Drag Pak. Driver did his job second round, and unfortunately left a little bit early in the semis and the red light got us this weekend. But hey, another semifinal finish keeps us in the points. Unfortunately, we don’t have a shot at No. 1 anymore, but I think we are pretty solid at No. 2, and hopefully we can go to Vegas and carry this momentum for one more race. My last race I won as a professional, when I ran Pro Stock, was in Vegas in 2001. Would love to go back and win that race!”
 
Leah Pruett, Mopar Dodge Challenger Mopar Drag Pak – Factory Stock Shootout 
(No. 11 Qualifier – 7.955 seconds at 172.32 mph)
Round 1: (0.025-second reaction time, 8.611 seconds at 171.08 mph) lost to No. 4 John Cerbone (0.029/7.903/170.77)

“We’re glad our qualifier from St. Louis held to carry us over. We were really running out of options with our program so we decided to make a setup change during the week and no thanks to a delivery company, we didn’t get the parts we needed until late Saturday evening. We ran first round of eliminations rolling the dice with a setup we’ve never tested before and we had to go for it. We’re not in a position to test and it was the power we were looking for, but definitely too much. That’s given us good insight into Las Vegas. It’s a different mindset when you’re not chasing a championship and you’re chasing progression, that’s what I’ve seen. We have something to work from for Vegas. Mark is carrying the Mopar flag. We figured out some things with El Bandito (nickname for Pruett’s Drag Pak) and we’re feeling pumped.”

NHRA Championship Points Standings:

(Following the Mopar Express Lane SpringNationals Presented by Pennzoil)

FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)

1. Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 842 (2)

2. Tommy Johnson Jr. (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 800 (3)

3. Jack Beckman (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 799 (3)

4. Ron Capps (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 679 (2)

5. Bob Tasca III – 595

6. J.R. Todd – 584

7. Tim Wilkerson – 570 

8. Alexis DeJoria – 489

9. Cruz Pedregon – 388 

10. Paul Lee – 382

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)

1. Steve Torrance – 868 (4)

2. Doug Kalitta – 767 (1)

3. Billy Torrence – 675 (1)

4. Leah Pruett (Mopar Dodge//SRT) – 670 

5. Shawn Langdon – 544 (1) 

6. Antron Brown – 534

7. Justin Ashley – 485 (1)

8. Terry McMillen – 436

9. Tony Schumacher – 415 (1)

10. Clay Millican – 414