Torgerson Proving He Belongs Among the Best with Shark Racing

March 5, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

EASTABOGA, AL (March 5, 2026) – Ashton Torgerson stood on the frontstretch of Volusia Speedway Park on Monday night sounding like he’d been there before.

But the reality is, he hadn’t. The 19-year-old had just secured his first career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series podium with an impressive drive from sixth to second. Some of the names he passed to get there? A few of the sport’s best like David Gravel, Carson Macedo, and Sheldon Haudenschild.

Still, the 19-year-old acted as if it was another day on the job, hands stoically clasped behind his back while giving what seems as if it may be the first of many top three interviews.

Eyebrows were raised last April when Shark Racing announced they were bringing Torgerson aboard. Could this relatively unproven teenager hold his own in the Sprint Car hotbed of Pennsylvania? He quickly silenced critics with many impressive results including a win at BAPS Motor Speedway and top 10 in Eldora Speedway’s Kings Royal. And now the driver that’s mature beyond his years is already showing he belongs with The Greatest Show on Dirt.

Monday’s result isn’t the only proof. That was just one of the trio of top 10s he collected during the season’s first five races at Volusia. He also set Simpson Quick Time on the first night of the campaign. It’s clear the consistency is there, and the Bike Week Jamboree finale made it clear this kid is going to contend for wins.

“I was pretty good there early on, sat there around fifth or sixth,” Torgerson explained. “Then I really figured out the track, and the car came to me a little bit better. There at the end, I don’t know if I really could’ve done anything different to get the lead but hats off to Macri. He was quick, but I definitely feel like I had something for him.”

This is an opportunity Torgerson doesn’t intend to squander. Bobby and Jacob Allen saw something in him that many didn’t. He doesn’t want to let them down. He’s honoring “Scruffy” every time he hits the track.

The early standings for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year presented by Five Star Bodies already show Torgerson with a 40-point advantage over his closest competitor, Scotty Thiel. There’s a long way to go, but all those who questioned Torgerson receiving this chance are much quieter these days.

“It’s surreal to have this crew behind me and believe in me,” Torgerson said. “It’s a rookie season with the Outlaws, so it’s going to be a lot of ups and downs. This is definitely one of the ups. I can’t thank my crew enough. They work their tails off for me.”

Torgerson’s rookie season rolls into Eastaboga, AL’s Talladega Short Track on Friday, March 6 and Columbus, MS’ Magnolia Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 7. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.

Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.

Torgerson Proving He Belongs Among the Best with Shark Racing

EASTABOGA, AL (March 5, 2026) – Ashton Torgerson stood on the frontstretch of Volusia Speedway Park on Monday night sounding like he’d been there before.

Still, the 19-year-old acted as if it was another day on the job, hands stoically clasped behind his back while giving what seems as if it may be the first of many top three interviews.

Torgerson’s rookie season rolls into Eastaboga, AL’s Talladega Short Track on Friday, March 6 and Columbus, MS’ Magnolia Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 7. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

Where can you see the World of Outlaws in 2026? Click to see the full schedule.

Where can you watch every World of Outlaws race? Live on DIRTVision.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/torgerson-proving-he-belongs-among-the-best-with-shark-racing/

Uncategorized

Progressive American Flat Track Announces 2026 Broadcast Schedule

March 5, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Briar Bauman (No. 3) leads the field at Springfield Mile in 2025. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

Progressive American Flat Track Announces 2026 Broadcast Schedule

Briar Bauman (No. 3) leads the field at Springfield Mile in 2025. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 5, 2026) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, unveils the series’ broadcast schedule for the 2026 campaign. Since debuting on FOX Sports platforms in 2022, Progressive AFT has experienced significant growth in national visibility and audience reach. That momentum carries into 2026, with FS1 once again serving as the primary broadcast home for the series, complemented by a special broadcast window on FOX for the Nashville Short Track. The proven model introduced in recent seasons will remain in place, with each Progressive AFT round presented as a one-hour premiere telecast on FS1. In many instances, broadcasts will air the weekend following the event, maintaining premium weekend time slots and frequently aligning with major motorsports programming to maximize exposure. A highlight of the 2026 schedule is the Nashville Short Track, which will receive national network coverage on FOX. The one-hour telecast is set to air Saturday, June 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT), delivering Progressive AFT to a broad over-the-air audience. 2026 Progressive AFT Broadcast Schedule:FS1 – Saturday, March 14 – Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I – 8:30 a.m. ET (5:30 a.m. PT)FS1 – Saturday, March 21 – Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA II – 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, March 29 – Yamaha Atlanta Short Track – 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT)FS1 – Saturday, May 2 – Ventura Short Track – 10:30 a.m. ET (7:30 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, May 10 – Silver Dollar Short Track – 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, May 24 – Throttlefest – 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, May 31 – Williams Grove Half-Mile – 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT)FOX – Saturday, June 13 – Nashville Short Track – 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, July 5 – Lima Half-Mile I – 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, July 12 – Lima Half-Mile II – 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT)FS1 – Saturday, July 18 – DuQuoin Mile – 9:00 a.m. ET (6:00 a.m. PT)FS1 – Saturday, August 15 – Jackpine Gypsies Super TT – 12:30 p.m. ET (9:30 a.m. PT)FS1 – Saturday, August 22 – Jackpine Gypsies Short Track – 12:30 p.m. ET (9:30 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, August 30 – Peoria TT – 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, September 13 – Springfield Mile I – 10:00 a.m. ET (7:00 a.m. PT)FS1 – Sunday, September 20 – Springfield Mile II – 11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT) The 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season will launch with the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I & II at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, March 5 and Friday, March 6. How to Watch FOX Sports and FloRacing are home to Progressive American Flat Track programming. For the 2026 season, all races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. FloRacing provides livestreaming coverage of every Progressive AFT round at https://flosports.link/aft.

Uncategorized

AN OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME FOR VANDERGRIFF

March 5, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

GAINESILLE, FLA. (MARCH 5, 2026) – Jordan Vandergriff heads into this weekend’s AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway as a rookie in the already talent-stacked Funny Car ranks but that doesn’t mean the driver of John Force Racing’s Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet doesn’t have a large target on his back at the same time.

The California native and Atlanta-area resident has taken over the reins of the Cornwell Tools program which has won the previous two NHRA Funny Car championships for John Force Racing. That’s a tall order for any driver, let alone one with just 13 Top Fuel starts, but the confidence Vandergriff exudes during his on-the-job Funny Car training leaves little doubt he’ll be up to the task in front of him.

The third-generation drag racer has spent the time since his hiring was announced last December solely focused on being as prepared as possible for the Gatornationals. He attended Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School at Gainesville Raceway, learning the specifics of driving a Funny Car as opposed to the dragster, and spent six days testing at the central Florida facility getting into a rhythm with his new crew lead by Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker.

Quotes

What are your feelings knowing that all the planning and preparation comes down to Q1 this Friday?

“We are done testing, the next run for me is going to be Q1 and I feel ready. I feel like we tested very well. We had a really strong test session last week, and yesterday we had two runs and one of them was a strong run. I feel prepared and I’ll be ready for Q1 on Friday.”

What has your life been like from the time the announcement was made last December and now?

“A lot of visualization, for sure … mental preparation. For those months that I couldn’t get in the race car yet, I would think about it over and over and over again. And then at the test session last week, hopping in and just trying to bring those visualizations that I had to the racetrack. I think it translated pretty well. We made 11 runs and eight of them full passes. We then came out yesterday and made two runs, one of them a full pass. So, it was a lot of preparation, a lot of getting used to the car and going to Frank Hawley’s school, as well. It really, really prepared me well.

How is the team coming together?

“Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker are my crew chiefs and it’s a great duo. They work well together. They’ve worked together for a lot of years. Chris has been a mentor for Bunker, so that relationship is very strong, and Chris leading us is the right guy. He’s the right guy for this job, and I’m super excited to have him, and he’s doing it the right way. We’ve made very good test runs, all thanks to him and the Cornwell Quality Tools team. We’re all new, but we’re coming together. Our camaraderie is great already, which is good coming into the first race of the year. So, we’re really, really confident in what we’ve got going, and it should be really good.”

Jordan Vandergriff	Race Result	Qualified	Event Round Record
2019 (TF)	2^nd round	15^th	1-1
2025 (TF)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A

Number starts: 0

Wins: 0

No. 1 qualifier: 0

Final rounds: 0

Event Round Record: 1-1

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 1:30 and 4 p.m. ET on Friday, March 6, and the final two qualifying rounds on Saturday, March 7 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 8.

AN OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME FOR VANDERGRIFF

Quotes

What are your feelings knowing that all the planning and preparation comes down to Q1 this Friday?

What has your life been like from the time the announcement was made last December and now?

How is the team coming together?

Jordan Vandergriff	Race Result	Qualified	Event Round Record
2019 (TF)	2^nd round	15^th	1-1
2025 (TF)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A

Number starts: 0

Wins: 0

No. 1 qualifier: 0

Final rounds: 0

Event Round Record: 1-1

Track & TV Schedules

The first round of the Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout takes place at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, with the semifinals slated for 2:15 p.m. and the final round at 3:30 p.m. A special Callout broadcast will also air at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1.

Uncategorized

DEJORIA READY FOR DREAM COME TRUE

March 5, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (MARCH 5, 2026) – Gainesville Raceway holds a very special space in Alexis DeJoria’s nitro Funny Car career which will only expand as she prepares to make her John Force Racing debut in the Bandero Premium Tequila Chevrolet SS Funny Car at the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.

It was her new car owner, 16-time NHRA Funny Car Champion John Force, who signed off on her Funny Car license prior to her 2011 rookie season. And it was the same John Force whom she lined up against at the 2012 Gatornationals, beating her hero to the finish to earn her first Funny Car round win.

The six-time Funny Car race winner and six-time No. 1 Qualifier now has the opportunity to compete for her legendary racing hero and she’s made the best of it in pre-season testing, already eclipsing her personal career record speed with a lap of 337.24 mph two weeks ago. DeJoria has every reason to believe her 13^th season of NHRA Funny Car competition will be her best ever and just the beginning of a successful new chapter of her career.

Quotes

You’re now through two full tests at John Force Racing so what are your thoughts on your performance and how the how the team is coming along?

We’ve tested a lot prior to the first race of the season. We made 13 runs the first week, and we’ve made three, four, five runs for this second week of testing. I feel very confident in my abilities and in my team’s abilities. I have the utmost faith in this race car. It’s the best race car I’ve ever driven. We’ve had great runs. We’ve had not so great runs, but we’ve learned and we’ve progressed, and this Bandero team is ready.

Now that you’re part of John Force Racing, how much more does it mean to you to be driving for your hero, John Force?

Honestly, it’s a dream come true. I’ve watched John Force Race since I was 16 years old, sitting in the stands. People like him, and Del Worsham, Funny Car drivers like that, is really what drew me to the sport. John Force signed my Funny Car license, so to be able to say that I’m racing for this man, uh, the legend John Force, to be running the big John Force X on my race car is surreal and I feel very honored.

It’s a new team to but you have some familiar faces in crew chief Mike Neff and others. How does that help the whole process in getting used to working for a different team?

Ideally, you want to keep the same the same crew, the same team … familiarity. Everybody knows each other. Everybody works well together. So that’s really what you want. I did tell everybody, before we made the move over, that the door is open. I would have loved for everyone to come along. About half the guys came and that was fantastic. We got Zippy (Neff) and Phil (Zwart), who’s been with me since day one when I started. We have Jeff (Accacian). We have James (Naumann) and we have Binion (Jones) and a couple new guys and they’ve all gelled right away. I think we’re going to have a great year.

Alexis DeJoria	Race Result	Qualified	Event Round Record
2011 (FC)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2012 (FC)	2^nd round	10^th	1-1
2013 (FC)	2^nd round	10^th	2-2
2014 (FC)	1^st round	14^th	2-3
2015 (FC)	2^nd round	11^th	3-4
2016 (FC)	1^st round	11^th	3-5
2017 (FC)	1^st round	11^th	3-6
2018	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2019	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2020(FC)	2^nd round	5^th	4-7
2021 (FC)	2^nd round	2^nd	5-8
2022 (FC)	1^st round	5^th	5-9
2023 (FC)	Semi-finals	9^th	7-10
2024 (FC)	2^nd round	7^th	8-11
2025 (FC)	Semi-finals	7^th	10-12

Number starts: 12

Wins: 0

No. 1 qualifier: 0

Final rounds: 0

Event Round Record: 10-12

Track & TV Schedules

DEJORIA READY FOR DREAM COME TRUE

Quotes

You’re now through two full tests at John Force Racing so what are your thoughts on your performance and how the how the team is coming along?

Now that you’re part of John Force Racing, how much more does it mean to you to be driving for your hero, John Force?

It’s a new team to but you have some familiar faces in crew chief Mike Neff and others. How does that help the whole process in getting used to working for a different team?

Alexis DeJoria	Race Result	Qualified	Event Round Record
2011 (FC)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2012 (FC)	2^nd round	10^th	1-1
2013 (FC)	2^nd round	10^th	2-2
2014 (FC)	1^st round	14^th	2-3
2015 (FC)	2^nd round	11^th	3-4
2016 (FC)	1^st round	11^th	3-5
2017 (FC)	1^st round	11^th	3-6
2018	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2019	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2020(FC)	2^nd round	5^th	4-7
2021 (FC)	2^nd round	2^nd	5-8
2022 (FC)	1^st round	5^th	5-9
2023 (FC)	Semi-finals	9^th	7-10
2024 (FC)	2^nd round	7^th	8-11
2025 (FC)	Semi-finals	7^th	10-12

Number starts: 12

Wins: 0

No. 1 qualifier: 0

Final rounds: 0

Event Round Record: 10-12

Track & TV Schedules

Uncategorized

FROM SIDELINES TO SENIORITY JUST FINE WITH BECKMAN

March 5, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (MARCH 5, 2026) – One year ago, Jack Beckman was looking forward to beginning his first full season as the driver of the PEAK Chevrolet SS but 2026 finds the 2012 NHRA Funny Car Champion as John Force Racing’s most tenured driver and just as motivated, if not more so, to earn victory in this weekend’s AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

Beckman finished third in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing point standings on the strength of two victories. It was his first full season of competition since taking over for the injured John Force midway through 2024 and not racing at all the previous three seasons.

The California native and drag racing historian knows how to get it done at the Gatornationals, winning the 2018 Funny Car title and earning No. 1 Qualifier spots in 2016, 2018 and last season. But this season’s Funny Car field is as strong as ever, including John Force Racing newcomers Alexis DeJoria and Jordan Vandergriff.

Beckman may have suddenly found himself as the senior representative of John Force Racing’s driver lineup this season, an unexpected but greatly appreciated turnaround from where he was just two years previous, and he and the PEAK SQUAD have every reason in the world to take full advantage of the opportunity.

Quotes

How is knowing you are now the senior member of the John Force Racing driver lineup?

When I came over in 2024, the other drivers didn’t need any driving tips. Jordan Vandergrift’s doing just fine. I’m pitted right next to him and we can certainly bounce things off of each other. With Alexis, I think it’s just making her feel warm and welcome at JFR after coming from a completely different environment. And similar for Josh Hart who is going from being a team owner and calling all the shots to being a hired gun. So, hopefully, I can make that transition smooth for everybody there.

What are your initial thoughts about the season-opener at Gainesville?

I’m still wrapping my head around, Gainesville being the season opener. Ss a West Coast guy, Pomona always was the first race on the tour, and this is my second time leading off the season at Gainesville, which is which is still very odd to me. But there are some great things that go along with coming to Gainesville, including the International Drag Race Hall of Fame inductions this Thursday. I’m getting to be a part of that again as a presenter, where I’ll be inducting legendary announcer Bob Frey who has become a very close friend of mine. He’s an icon of the sport and somebody of I’ve admired for more than 30 years.

As an historian of the sport, what does it mean to you to be able to do such things, to do induct and emcee different events like you’ve told me about?

I was in Long Beach, California, last Sunday emceeing a celebration of life for Ed Iskendarian, who lived to be 104 years old and truly was the last one of the first generation of drag racers. Don Garlitz and Don Prudhomme were speakers on that panel so I got to spend time with the people that were 10 feet tall when I was a kid and have done as much to this sport as anybody that’s ever put a helmet on. And I drive for John Force so I have tons of these ‘pinch me’ moments. I just got invited to participate in the nitro school Friday with Kenny Bernstein so, just when I think I have everything I’ve ever wished for, a bunch more cool things happen, and I’m enjoying the ride thoroughly.

How do you feel about the PEAK SQUAD going into this season kickoff?
We made between preseason testing, which was a week and a half ago and pre-race testing, which we just elected to do one day and only needed to make two runs. The PEAK SQUAD made 13 test runs at Gainesville in the last month. I am super comfortable because we truly treated it like a test. We checked our backup parts. We checked new parts, we changed some things in the fuel system. We truly tested parts that should make us a better car, and we’ve made eight runs between 3.86 and 3.93 seconds. I am about as confident as somebody can be rolling into the first race of the year. There is no rust. I’ve been able to stand on the throttle 13 times in the last two weeks.

Jack Beckman	Race Result	Qualified	Event Round Record
2005	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2006	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2007 (FC)	DNQ	21^st	0-0
2008 (FC)	2^nd round	6^th	1-1
2009 (FC)	1^st round	9^th	1-2
2010 (FC)	1^st round	10^th	1-3
2011 (FC)	Semi-finals	2^nd	3-4
2012 (FC)	Semi-finals	2^nd	5-5
2013 (FC)	Semi-finals	11^th	7-6
2014 (FC)	2^nd round	3^rd	8-7
2015 (FC)	2^nd round	5^th	9-8
2016 (FC)	Semi-finals	1^st	11-9
2017 (FC)	2^nd round	8^th	12-10
2018 (FC)	Winner	1^st	16-10
2019 (FC)	Semi-finals	6^th	18-11
2020(FC)	2^nd round	9^th	19-12
2021	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2022	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2023	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2024	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2025 (FC)	2^nd round	1^st	20-13

Number starts: 15

Wins: 1 (2018)

No. 1 qualifier: 3 (2016, 2018, 2025)

Final rounds: 1 (2021)

Event Round Record: 20-13

Track & TV Schedules

FROM SIDELINES TO SENIORITY JUST FINE WITH BECKMAN

Quotes

How is knowing you are now the senior member of the John Force Racing driver lineup?

What are your initial thoughts about the season-opener at Gainesville?

As an historian of the sport, what does it mean to you to be able to do such things, to do induct and emcee different events like you’ve told me about?

Jack Beckman	Race Result	Qualified	Event Round Record
2005	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2006	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2007 (FC)	DNQ	21^st	0-0
2008 (FC)	2^nd round	6^th	1-1
2009 (FC)	1^st round	9^th	1-2
2010 (FC)	1^st round	10^th	1-3
2011 (FC)	Semi-finals	2^nd	3-4
2012 (FC)	Semi-finals	2^nd	5-5
2013 (FC)	Semi-finals	11^th	7-6
2014 (FC)	2^nd round	3^rd	8-7
2015 (FC)	2^nd round	5^th	9-8
2016 (FC)	Semi-finals	1^st	11-9
2017 (FC)	2^nd round	8^th	12-10
2018 (FC)	Winner	1^st	16-10
2019 (FC)	Semi-finals	6^th	18-11
2020(FC)	2^nd round	9^th	19-12
2021	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2022	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2023	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2024	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A
2025 (FC)	2^nd round	1^st	20-13

Number starts: 15

Wins: 1 (2018)

No. 1 qualifier: 3 (2016, 2018, 2025)

Final rounds: 1 (2021)

Event Round Record: 20-13

Track & TV Schedules

Uncategorized

HART SLOWS DOWN TO SPEED UP NHRA CAREER

March 5, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (MARCH 5, 2026) – For a man driven to stay busy and achieve success in every aspect of his life, Josh Hart couldn’t be happier to be just the driver for John Force Racing’s Burnyzz Speed Shop / Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster team headed into the season-opening AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

Hart was an owner-driver the first five seasons of his Top Fuel career but sold his racing operation at the end of last season when the opportunity arose to drive for Force’s 24-time championship organization after two-time NHRA Top Fuel Champion Brittany Force put her racing career on hold to start a family.

He found success early with his own team, winning the Gatornationals in his class debut in 2021 and once more his rookie season but, with the growth of his Burnyzz Speed Shop and the addition of two children to his family, Hart realized he couldn’t devote enough time and energy as a team owner to make it the success he strove for.

The decision proved to be fruitful on the first test pass two weeks ago at Gainesville Raceway, with Hart eclipsing the 340-mph barrier in the Dave Grubnic/John Collins-tuned dragster for the first time in his career. The strong performance continued throughout the week of testing as well as the past two days leading into the Gatornationals.

Quotes

What are your overall thoughts on how testing went going into this weekend’s Gatornationals.

I’m feeling very, very confident. I’m blessed to be a part of JFR. The communication between myself, David Grubnic, John Collins and the team is something that I’ve never been privy to. They tell me what they’re testing and they communicate better than anybody I’ve ever met so I feel very blessed and very excited. To put it into context, my slowest full test run was faster than my career best and I think we made 13 full runs.

What was it like to make that first 340 mph pass two weeks ago?

I mean, it was an absolutely breathtaking ride. It’s something you can’t really explain. It pulls so hard, but it was so smooth that you knew you were just on a mission. And when I got out of the car and they said my first pass ever was 340 mile an hour. I mean, what else could you ask for? That’s a testament to how good this team really is.

You’re obviously a very driven man who wants to succeed in everything you do. What has it been like to let go of the team owner reins and just focus on being a driver when you’re at the racetrack.

It’s kind of like when you have an elephant standing on your chest. It feels so relieving to know that you don’t have to deal with the day-to-day stuff. Again, it’s a great testament to what John Force has built because it’s hard. It’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of struggles. A lot of little things. It’s like death by a thousand razor blades. So, the fact that he is still out there and still willing to put in the time and the effort and all the money that it takes to fund this thing says it all. That man is drag racing.

You won the Gatornationals in your adopted state in your very first Top Fuel race. What memories come back to you five years later? What are those memories now 5 years later?

It absolutely is coming back. I mean, to see Burnyzz on the side of the car is something I’m excited about it. To me, it was like last year. Let’s get this chapter closed, and now we’re starting the new chapter and I hope it starts just the same. And I hope that it just keeps going up and up together. I think it definitely will as the team continues to gel together. We’re only going to get stronger.

Josh Hart	Race Result	Qualified	Event Round Record
2021 (TF)	Winner	8^th	4-0
2022 (FC)	1^st round	11^th	4-1
2023 (FC)	1^st round	7^th	4-2
2024 (FC)	2^nd round	12^th	5-3
2025 (FC)	1^st round	9^th	5-4

Number starts: 4

Wins: 1 (2021)

No. 1 qualifier: 0

Final rounds: 1 (2021)

Event Round Record: 5-4

Track & TV Schedules

HART SLOWS DOWN TO SPEED UP NHRA CAREER

Quotes

What are your overall thoughts on how testing went going into this weekend’s Gatornationals.

What was it like to make that first 340 mph pass two weeks ago?

Josh Hart	Race Result	Qualified	Event Round Record
2021 (TF)	Winner	8^th	4-0
2022 (FC)	1^st round	11^th	4-1
2023 (FC)	1^st round	7^th	4-2
2024 (FC)	2^nd round	12^th	5-3
2025 (FC)	1^st round	9^th	5-4

Number starts: 4

Wins: 1 (2021)

No. 1 qualifier: 0

Final rounds: 1 (2021)

Event Round Record: 5-4

Track & TV Schedules

Uncategorized

Davenport Returns to Victory Lane at Golden Isles with Wieland Winter Nationals Triumph

March 5, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Davenport Returns to Victory Lane at Golden Isles with Wieland Winter Nationals Triumph

WAYNESVILLE, GA (March 4, 2026) – Jonathan Davenport scored his first win at Golden Isles Speedway since February 6, 2016, on Wednesday night, leading all 30 laps of the Wieland Winter Nationals feature for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing. The victory marked Davenport’s fifth career win at Golden Isles. He led a hard-charging Hudson O’Neal across the finish line in a caution-free feature — the third such race of the season for the series. Davenport held more than a three-second lead for much of the second half of the race until O’Neal trimmed the advantage to just over a second in the closing laps. Brandon Sheppard, who was seeking his first career win at Golden Isles, finished third, followed by Devin Moran. Max Blair earned the Hoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race honors, finishing fifth after starting 12th. The win was the 93rd Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory of Davenport’s career. The Blairsville, Georgia native and three-time series champion captured his first Golden Isles win in 10 years and his first victory of the 2026 season. “It was my first lap led of the year,” Davenport said. “It just feels like we could never get any air on the front of this car. I started on the front row in Arizona, but we could never get the start we needed and just didn’t have the car to come back to the front. My guys gave me an awesome car tonight, and this one is definitely for them. We wrecked that car on Thursday at Ocala, and they worked their tails off and drove a lot more miles than they should have to fix it.” “The race car was awesome tonight. They’ve done a great job widening the track back out, especially going into turn one. They took a lot of the cup out of turn two, so we didn’t have to run up there as much and could let the bottom come in a little bit. The biggest difference was tires — Hudson and I were a little different from the other guys up front. I knew I needed to get the lead and get some clean air.” O’Neal, who will enter Thursday night’s action as the Midwest Sheet Metal points leader, charged from eighth to finish second. “More than anything, I was following those guys on the bottom, and I felt like I was better than them running sixth or seventh, wherever I was,” O’Neal said. “So I moved to the top and started passing a few of them. Then I got back down behind (Mark) Whitener and kept trying to peek under him, but I couldn’t quite make it work. I think that was when the top finally cleaned off a little bit, and we started making really good time up there.” “I was able to move around, and I thought the race track turned out awesome. We could race all over it with different tire choices — from the softer tires on the inside to literally rubbing the right-rear tire on the wall.” Sheppard rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. “We finished tonight — that’s all I’m going to say,” Sheppard said. “The last few nights at Ocala, we had some unfortunate situations, and we had a really fast car there. The track was awesome tonight, our car was really fast, and we had another consistent night.” The winning Double L Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Ace Doran Hauling and Rigging, Nutrien Ag Solutions, ASC Warranty, Mark Martin Automotive, and Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas. Completing the top 10 were Tyler Erb, Brian Shirley, Mark Whitener, Garrett Alberson, and Brandon Overton. In the companion Crown Vic feature, Brody Collins of Hilliard, Florida, led all 15 laps for the victory. Collins inherited the pole position when his father, Johnny, scratched from the feature due to mechanical issues. Daniel Baldwin finished second, followed by J.O. Nobles, Chase Collins, and Kevin Hildebrand. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter NationalsWednesday, March 4, 2026Golden Isles Speedway | Waynesville, GA Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Ricky Thornton, Jr. | 15.189 seconds (Overall)Fast Time Group B: Garrett Alberson | 15.380 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[5]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[6]; 3. 19M-Brenden Smith[2]; 4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 5. 55-Benji Hicks[10]; 6. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 7. 11-Josh Rice[7]; 8. 09-Michael Leach[4]; 9. 79-Cory Hedgecock[9]; 10. (DNS) 88-Trent Ivey Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[4]; 2. 5-Mark Whitener[1]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 4. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[7]; 5. 93-Carson Ferguson[6]; 6. 8-Dillon McCowan[9]; 7. 7-Ross Robinson[3]; 8. 16-Tyler Bruening[8]; 9. 13-Dallon Murty[5]; 10. (DNS) 157-Mike Marlar
Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 3S-Brian Shirley[3]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 3. 6-Clay Harris[2]; 4. 97-Cody Overton[4]; 5. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[7]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 7. 60-Dan Ebert[6]; 8. 4G-Tripp Gerrald[8]; 9. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9]; 10. (DNS) 93L-Cory Lawler
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 71-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 3. 111-Max Blair[5]; 4. 10-Garrett Smith[3]; 5. 16B-Ross Bailes[7]; 6. 388-Jackson Hise[6]; 7. 81F-Jadon Frame[8]; 8. 555-Brock Pinkerous[9]; 9. 14-Trey Mills[4]; 10. (DNS) 77-Preston Luckman Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 93-Carson Ferguson[2]; 2. 55-Benji Hicks[1]; 3. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[3]; 4. 13-Dallon Murty[10]; 5. 7-Ross Robinson[6]; 6. 88-Trent Ivey[11]; 7. 09-Michael Leach[7]; 8. 16-Tyler Bruening[8]; 9. 8-Dillon McCowan[4]; 10. 11-Josh Rice[5]; 11. (DNS) 79-Cory Hedgecock; 12. (DNS) 157-Mike Marlar
UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[1]; 2. 16B-Ross Bailes[2]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[5]; 5. 81F-Jadon Frame[6]; 6. 388-Jackson Hise[4]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[11]; 8. 14-Trey Mills[10]; 9. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9]; 10. 555-Brock Pinkerous[8]; 11. 4G-Tripp Gerrald[7]; 12. (DNS) 77-Preston Luckman Wieland Winter Nationals Feature Finish (30 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 1 – 49 – Jonathan Davenport – Blairsville, GA – $7,0002 – 8 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $3,5003 – 4 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $2,0004 – 3 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $1,5005 – 12 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $1,4006 – 11 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $1,3007 – 2 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $1,2008 – 7 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – $1,1009 – 6 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $1,00010 – 5 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $95011 – 10 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $90012 – 14 – 97 – Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – $85013 – 13 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $80014 – 16 – 10 – Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – $75015 – 9 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $72516 – 18 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – $70017 – 15 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – $70018 – 23 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – $70019 – 17 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $65020 – 21 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $62521 – 19 – 55 – Benji Hicks – Mount Airy, NC – $62522 – 24 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $60023 – 22 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $60024 – 20 – 16B – Ross Bailes – Clover, SC – $600 Race Statistics Entrants: 40Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Jonathan DavenportMD3 Lap Leaders: Jonathan Davenport (Laps 1-30)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Jonathan DavenportWieland Feature Winner: Jonathan DavenportMargin of Victory: 1.194 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: n/aMyRacePass Series Provisionals: n/aFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon SheppardPenske Shocks Top 5: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, Max BlairBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Jonathan Davenport, Hudson O’Neal, Brandon SheppardPEM 4th Place Feature: Devin MoranDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Max BlairWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Brian ShirleyWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Clay HarrisVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Ricky Thornton, Jr.XS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Brenden SmithHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Cody Overton (Advanced 2 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Jonathan Davenport (30 Laps)Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Hudson O’NealMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Hudson O’NealO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Hudson O’Neal | Lap 6 | 15.964 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Mike MarlarVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Hudson O’NealOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Cory FostvedtARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Hudson O’Neal | 15.3089 secondsTime of Race: 8 minutes 18 seconds

Uncategorized

chevy racing–INDYCAR–Phoenix advance

March 4, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES Good Ranchers 2501-mile, Phoenix Raceway short ovalAvondale, Arizona Race AdvanceMarch 6-7, 2026

DETROIT (March 4, 2026) – Chevrolet-powered cars have visited INDYCAR victory lane at Phoenix Raceway ten times, but the sacred place in Chevrolet racing history goes far beyond the wins at the historic one-mile oval.
In 1969, George Follmer drove a Cheetah powered by a Chevrolet Z/28 engine to the brand’s first NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory outside the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
In 1986, Al Unser, while driving for Team Penske, made the first start for a Chevrolet factory-backed INDYCAR engine. The venerable 2.65L turbocharged V8 built by Ilmor would go on to win 86 races over the next eight seasons of Championship Auto Racing Teams competition.
The Detroit brand will add one more piece of lore to the history books in 2026, when Chevrolet is the only brand to compete in all four races at Phoenix Raceway this weekend. A dozen NTT INDYCAR SERIES entries will join 18 NASCAR Cup Series entries, 30 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series entries and 18 ARCA Menards Series entries, for a total of 75 Chevrolet-powered entries across the four races.
“Chevrolet is proud to be the only manufacturer powering the field across all three races this weekend,” said Jim Campbell, Vice President, Performance and Motorsports Commercial Operations, General Motors. “Our heritage has been built on both stock car and open-wheel competition, and Phoenix Raceway is a great example of that legacy. Chevrolet has earned 27 NASCAR Cup Series wins and three championships at Phoenix, along with 10 additional NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victories and two more titles. In INDYCAR competition, Chevrolet-powered drivers have added 10 wins at this track. That shared success reflects the strength of our teams, our technology and our commitment to winning across every discipline in which we compete.”

An unlikely winner
A year-old chassis with a 320-cubic-inch Chevrolet and 35-year-old sports car veteran Follmer at the wheel didn’t garner much attention against brand-new chassis powered by turbocharged Offenhauser and Ford engines driven by names like Andretti, Foyt and Unser.
Follmer, a star in sports cars, and his one-year-old Cheetah, powered by an Al Bartz, of Traco fame, built engine sourced from a Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 and costing only $5,500, got their attention after qualifying on the outside of the front row alongside Al Unser.

Factory-backed effort makes debut
On April 6, 1986, the 2.65L turbocharged V8 Chevrolet, which terrified Championship Auto Racing Teams competitors in the late 1980s and early 1990s, made a surprise debut at the season opener at Phoenix Raceway with Al Unser behind the wheel of Team Penske’s No. 11.
The PC-15 had just arrived in the Arizona desert from England a few days earlier, and after fitting the new Chevrolet powerplant, had only completed a three-lap shakedown at nearby Firebird Raceway Park. The initial plan was only to have Unser, who legend has it lost a coin flip with Mears over who would drive the new combination, only in practice before switching to the known quantity, a March powered by a Cosworth.
More on the first factory-backed effort by Chevrolet in INDYCAR as we approach the 40th anniversary of its debut.

Short oval success
Over the long haul
Wins
Between George Follmer’s stunning victory by three laps at Phoenix Raceway in 1969, through NTT INDYCAR SERIES wins by Pato O’Ward (Iowa Speedway), Christian Rasmussen (Milwaukee Mile) and Josef Newgarden (Nashville Superspeedway), Chevrolet has had tremendous success on the short ovals,* driving to victory lane 55 times. Twenty-five drivers have won on short ovals for Team Chevy, but one stands out. Josef Newgarden, the driver of the No. 2 Astemo Team Penske Chevrolet, leads the next closest driver, Team Penske legend Rick Mears, by nine. Team Penske has 54.5% (30 of 55) of Chevrolet-powered wins and is one of 17 teams with wins on short ovals. Bowtie adorned engines have won races at nine short ovals, with Iowa Speedway (14), the Milwaukee Mile (12) and Phoenix Raceway (10) all reaching double digits in trips to victory lane.
PolesBetween Jim Hurtubise, at the treacherous Langhorne Speedway in 1963 and Power (World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway), Newgarden (Iowa Speedway) and O’Ward (Nashville Superspeedway) last year, Chevrolet power has won the pole at short ovals 55 times. Will Power and Mears lead the 18 drivers that have won the pole on short ovals with 11 a piece Even more impressive than their win percentage, Team Penske, one of 13 teams to win poles with Chevrolet power, has 74.5% (41 of 55) of those inside front row starts. Bowtie adorned cars have scored poles at a baker’s dozen tracks, with the 13 at Iowa Speedway leading the way.
Even better recently
Since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012, Chevrolet-powered drivers and teams have dominated on short ovals (Iowa Speedway, the Milwaukee Mile, Nashville Superspeedway, Phoenix Raceway, and World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway) In those 14 seasons Chevrolet power has:
Won 31 of 40 racesStarted on 30 of 40 polesStood on 85 of 120 podiumsLed 7973 of 10250 laps

Notable Numbers
6 – the number of different countries represented by Team Chevy drivers – United States (6) – Denmark (2) – Brazil (1) – Mexico (1) – Netherlands (1) – New Zealand (1)9 – the number of wins by current Team Chevy teams, Arrow McLaren and ECR12 – the number of drivers representing Team Chevy in the season-opening NTT INDYCAR SERIES race13 – the number of driver championships won by Chevrolet all-time26.7 – the average age of the dozen Chevrolet-powered drivers in the 2026 season opener – Josef Newgarden is the elder statesman at 3532 – the number of wins by Josef Newgarden, the winningest Team Chevy driver all-time 40 – the number of different drivers that have won INDYCAR races while powered by Chevrolet70.8 – percentage of short oval podiums Team Chevy has stood on since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 201275 – percentage of short oval races where Team Chevy won the pole since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 201277.5 – percentage of short oval races won by Team Chevy since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 201277.8 – percentage of laps led in short oval races since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012124 – the number of Bowtie-backed wins by Team Penske since their first at Pocono Raceway by Rick Mears in 1987127 – the number of wins by Chevrolet since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012142 – the number of earned poles by Chevrolet-powered teams since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012237 – the number of wins by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time246 – the number of earned poles by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time362 – the number of podiums by Chevrolet-powered teams since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012678 – the number of podiums by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time3034 -laps led on short ovals by Josef Newgarden while powered by Chevrolet since 2012 5350 – laps led by Team Penske drivers on short ovals since 2012

Pacing the field The sleek and luxurious 2026 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray will pace the Good Ranchers 250 at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday afternoon. Electrified all-wheel-drive technology, 655-hp combined, indulgent leather seating, functional and intuitive technology, including 6.6-, 12.7-, and 14-inch screens, and a full suite of modern safety features combine to create an unrivaled blend of performance, creature comforts, and security.
Fan Friendly Fans can visit Team Chevy Display in Fan Zone near Gate 2 and behind the grandstands to check out the INDYCAR and NASCAR show cars, along with a full line-up of new vehicles, including the Colorado Trailboss, Corvette E-Ray, Equinox Active, Equinox EV RS, Tahoe Z71, Traverse Z71, Silverado 1500 RST, and Silverado EV. Hours are 11:30 am – 7 pm on Friday, 9 am – 5:30 pm on Saturday, and 8 am – 1 pm on Sunday. NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver appearances Saturday:Rinus VeeKay: 10 am – 10:15 amRyan Hunter-Reay: 10:15 am – 10:30am NASCAR O’Rielly Auto Parts and Cup series appearances Saturday:Parker Retzlaff: 3:15 pm – 3:30 pmSheldon Creed & Sam Mayer: 3:30 pm – 3:45 pmJeremy Clements: 3:45 pm – 4:00 pm Sunday:Connor Zilisch: 8:30 am – 8:45 amRoss Chastain: 8:45 am – 9:00 amKyle Busch: 9:05 am – 9:20 amMichael McDowell: 9:20 am – 9:30 am Ricky Stenhouse Jr: 9:30 am – 9:45 amKyle Larson: 9:45 am – 10:00 amWilliam Byron: 10:00 am – 10:15 am

What They’re Saying
A.J. Foyt RacingCaio Collet, No. 4 COMBITRANS AMAZONA Chevrolet:How did the Phoenix test go and what did you learn from it?”The test at Phoenix Raceway was very productive. It was all about getting comfortable with the rhythm of a short oval and understanding how the car reacts. We focused getting comfortable with the changes and what I need to be confident and quick, also understanding the weight jacker adjustments, and how small balance changes affect tire degradation over a run. It was a valuable step in building confidence on ovals.”
Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 HOMES FOR OUR TROOPS Chevrolet:How did testing go?”It was up and down. I mean, we unrolled pretty good. We made some small changes. We didn’t really run much. We had a couple of issues with the brake pedal. Then we had rain interrupt the session on the second day. We were continuing to build on the oval car, just making it better to drive, more compliant. Just little things, we didn’t really learn anything massive, I don’t think we needed to.” Arrow McLaren Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“I’m excited to head back to Phoenix after testing there a few weeks back. We learned a lot at the test, so I’m confident we can take that forward and be competitive this weekend. It’s nice to get a new oval on the calendar. The track is a nice mix of some other ovals that we’ve raced.”
Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“As a group, we really made some good progress at the open test in February. I feel good about our setup, and I think we’ll be as strong as we have been on other short ovals. We built a foundation and had good pace on primary tires in St. Pete. Now we just need to build on that and convert that speed into more points this weekend.”
Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“We got off to a strong start last weekend with a podium and obviously want to keep the momentum going into Phoenix, but of course, we’re always pushing for more. I’m looking forward to attacking ovals this season, and I think overall we had a good test here recently. With St. Pete, Phoenix and then Arlington, this is an important opening stretch, so let’s keep it going.”
ECRAlexander Rossi, No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet:“I love this schedule and being back on track this weekend. It allows us to put the past behind us and focus on an exciting weekend where we are returning to Phoenix for the first time in eight years. We had a great team test there and I look forward to doing it for real when we get back!”
Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet:“I am looking forward to getting back to short oval racing at Phoenix! The test there went really well for ECR, and ovals were definitely a strength for the No. 21 last year. We showed a lot of potential at times in St. Pete, even if we didn’t come away with the result we wanted. We’re fully focused on bouncing back at Phoenix for Round 2 of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship!”

Tune-In Guide
FridayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 10am (ET)/9am (CT)/8am (MT)/7am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 2pm (ET)/1pm (CT)/noon (MT)/11am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218
Saturday Good Ranchers 250 (250 laps) – 3pm (ET)/2pm (CT)/1pm (MT)/noon (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Chevrolet history at Phoenix Raceway General Motors Wins – 15
Chevrolet Wins – 10
2018 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2017 – Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske2016 – Scott Dixon – Chip Ganassi Racing2002 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske1992 – Bob Rahal – Rahal Hogan Racing1991 – Arie Luyendyk – Doug Shierson Racing1990 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1989 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1988 – Mario Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1969 – George Follmer – George Follmer
Oldsmobile Wins – 5
2001 – Sam Hornish – Panther Racing2000 – Buddy Lazier – Hemelgarn Racing1999 – Scott Goodyear – Panther Racing1998 – Scott Sharp – Kelley Racing1997 – Jim Guthrie – Blueprint Racing
General Motors Poles – 13
Chevrolet Poles – 8
2017 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske2016 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske2002 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske1991 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1990 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1989 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1988 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1987 – Mario Andretti – Newman Haas Racing
Oldsmobile Wins – 5
2001 – Greg Ray – Team Menard2000 – Greg Ray – Team Menard1999 – Greg Ray – Team Menard1998 – Jeff Ward – ISM Racing1997 – Tony Stewart – Team Menard
General Motors Podiums – 39
Chevrolet Podiums: 25
Driver Podiums:  Bob Rahal (3), Emerson Fittipaldi (2), Rick Mears (2), Simon Pagenaud (2), Will Power (2), Al Unser Jr. (2), Mario Andretti (1), Helio Castroneves (1), Gil de Ferran (1), George Follmer (1), Scott Dixon (1), Roberto Guerrero (1), JR Hildebrand (1), Sam Hornish (1), Arie Luyendyk (1), Josef Newgarden (1), Danny Sullivan (1), Jimmy Vasser (1)
Team Podiums: Team Penske (12), Galles Racing (4), Chip Ganassi Racing (1), Doug Shierson Racing (1), ECR (1), George Follmer (1), Granatelli Racing (1), Hayhoe Racing (1), Newman Haas Racing (1), Panther Racing (1), Rahal Hogan Racing (1)
Oldsmobile Podiums: 14
Driver Podiums: Scott Goodyear (2), Buddy Lazier (2), Tony Stewart (2), Billy Boat (1), Jim Guthrie (1), Davey Hamilton (1), Donnie Beechler (1), Sam Hornish (1), Eliseo Salazar (1), Scott Sharp (1) Jeff Ward (1)
Team Podiums: A.J. Foyt Racing (3), Panther Racing (3), Hemelgarn Racing (2), Team Menard (2), Blueprint Racing (1), Cahill Racing (1), Kelley Racing (1), Pagan Racing (1)
General Motors Laps Led: 2977
Chevrolet Laps Led: 1990
Driver Laps Led: Rick Mears (247), Bob Rahal (242), Mario Andretti (198), Helio Castroneves (174), Scott Dixon (155), Paul Tracy (151), Will Power (139), Arie Luyendyk (129), Simon Pagenaud (119), Michael Andretti (88), Sam Hornish (67), Al Unser Jr. (65), Juan Montoya (56), Danny Sullivan (53), Josef Newgarden (32), George Follmer (29), Gil de Ferran (15), Kevin Cogan (13), Emerson Fittipaldi (10), Eliseo Salazar (7), Tomas Scheckter (1)
Team Laps Led: Team Penske (996), Newman Haas Racing (286), Rahal Hogan Racing (200), Chip Ganassi Racing (155), Doug Shierson Racing (129), Panther Racing(68), Galles Racing (68), Kelley Racing (39), George Follmer (29), Patrick Racing (13),  A.J. Foyt Racing (7)
Oldsmobile Laps Led: 987
Driver Laps Led: Tony Stewart (212), Sam Hornish (140), Scott Goodyear (134), Scott Sharp (94), Jim Guthrie (74), Greg Ray (61), Buddy Lazier (45), Billy Boat (41), Stephan Gregoire (36), Eddie Cheever (28), Jeff Ward (25), Kenny Brack (24), Al Unser Jr. (22), Mark Dismore (14), Affonso Giaffone (13), Robbie McGehee (11),  Robbie Buhl (5), Helio Castroneves (4), Gil de Ferran (3), Donnie Beechler (1)
Team Laps Led: Panther Racing (274), Team Menard (273), Kelley Racing (104), Blueprint Racing (74), Galles Racing (46), A.J. Foyt Racing (45), Hemelgarn Racing (45),  Dick Simon Racing (36), Team Cheever (28), ISM Racing (25), Chitwood Motorsports (13), Treadway Racing (11), Team Penske (7), Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (5), Cahil Racing (1)

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIESGood Ranchers 2501-mile, Phoenix Raceway short ovalAvondale, Arizona Race AdvanceMarch 6-7, 2026

DETROIT (March 4, 2026) – Chevrolet-powered cars have visited INDYCAR victory lane at Phoenix Raceway ten times, but the sacred place in Chevrolet racing history goes far beyond the wins at the historic one-mile oval.
In 1969, George Follmer drove a Cheetah powered by a Chevrolet Z/28 engine to the brand’s first NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory outside the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
In 1986, Al Unser, while driving for Team Penske, made the first start for a Chevrolet factory-backed INDYCAR engine. The venerable 2.65L turbocharged V8 built by Ilmor would go on to win 86 races over the next eight seasons of Championship Auto Racing Teams competition.
The Detroit brand will add one more piece of lore to the history books in 2026, when Chevrolet is the only brand to compete in all four races at Phoenix Raceway this weekend. A dozen NTT INDYCAR SERIES entries will join 18 NASCAR Cup Series entries, 30 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series entries and 18 ARCA Menards Series entries, for a total of 75 Chevrolet-powered entries across the four races.
“Chevrolet is proud to be the only manufacturer powering the field across all three races this weekend,” said Jim Campbell, Vice President, Performance and Motorsports Commercial Operations, General Motors. “Our heritage has been built on both stock car and open-wheel competition, and Phoenix Raceway is a great example of that legacy. Chevrolet has earned 27 NASCAR Cup Series wins and three championships at Phoenix, along with 10 additional NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victories and two more titles. In INDYCAR competition, Chevrolet-powered drivers have added 10 wins at this track. That shared success reflects the strength of our teams, our technology and our commitment to winning across every discipline in which we compete.”

Manufacturer History at Phoenix International Raceway
Wins 17 – Cosworth (1987, 1986 #2, 1986 #2, 1985, 1984 #2, 1984 #1, 1983, 1982 #2, 1982 #1, 1981 #2, 1981 #1, 1980, 1979 #2, 1979 #1, 1978 #2, 1977 #1, 1976 #2)15 – General Motors (Chevrolet & Oldsmobile)13 – Offenhauser – (1976 #1, 1975 #1, 1974 #2, 1974 #1, 1973, 1972 #2, 1972 #1, 1968 #2, 1968 #1, 1967#1, 1965 #1, 1964 #2, 1964 #1)12 – Ford (1996, 1995, 1993, 1971 #2, 1971 #1, 1970 #2, 1970 #1, 1969 #2, 1967 #2, 1966 #2, 1966 #1, 1965 #2)10 – Chevrolet (2018, 2017, 2016, 2002, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1969 #1)5 – Oldsmobile (2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997)2- DGS (1978 #1, 1977 #2)2 – Honda (2004, 2003)1 – Toyota (2005)1 – Ilmor (1994)1- Foyt (1975 #2)
Poles
18 – Cosworth (1986 #2, 1986 #1, 1985, 1984 #2, 1984 #1, 1983, 1982 #2, 1982 #1, 1981 #2, 1981#1, 1980, 1979 #2, 1979 #1, 1978 #2, 1978 #1, 1977 #2, 1977 #1, 1976 #1)14 – Offenhauser (1976 #2, 1975 #1, 1974 #2, 1974 #1, 1973, 1972 #2, 1972 #1, 1971 #2, 1971 #1, 1968 #2, 1968 #2, 1967 #1, 1965 #2, 1964 #1)13 – General Motors (Chevrolet and Oldsmobile)13 – Ford (1996, 1995, 1993, 1992, 1970 #2, 1970 #1, 1969 #2, 1969 #1, 1967 #2, 1966 #2, 1966 #1, 1965 #1, 1964 #2)8 – Chevrolet (2017, 2016, 2002, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1987)5 – Oldsmobile (2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997)4 – Honda (2018, 2005, 2004, 2003)1 – DGS (1975 #2)1 – Ilmor (1994)
Historical Chevrolet in the INDYCAR SERIES information INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturer Championships (since 1979)Chevrolet-Powered Wins in the Twin-Turbo 2.2L V6 Era (2012-present)Chevrolet-Powered Wins – All-Time

Uncategorized

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Phoenix Advance

March 4, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE Phoenix Raceway March 5-8, 2026

A two-race west coast swing kicks off this weekend for the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series with the pair traveling to the desert for their first of two appearances at Phoenix Raceway this season.

The Bowtie brand’s return to the one-mile oval sparks some pristine memories from its most recent visit to the venue with Phoenix Raceway serving as the site that delivered the manufacturer its 34th Cup Series Driver Championship and 23rd O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Driver Championship.

A Special Weekend for Chevrolet: The weekend will feature a rare crossover between two of motorsport’s most competitive series – NASCAR and the NTT INDYCAR Series. For Chevrolet, the weekend is an opportunity to display its diverse profile in both stock car and open-wheel racing with the Bowtie brand boasting as the only manufacturer that will compete in all four events. A combined total of 75 Team Chevy drivers are entered for this weekend’s competition including 18 in the NASCAR Cup Series, 30 in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, 15 in the ARCA Menards Series and 12 in the NTT INDYCAR Series. Chevrolet has had a long history of success at the one-mile desert oval, including three championship-clinching performances and 27 wins in the Cup Series and two championships and 10 wins in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. In INDYCAR, the Bowtie brigade earned its first win on an oval in 1969 at Phoenix Raceway, also marking its first of 10 all-time wins at the track.

MAKING MOVES With the first road course event in the books, the NASCAR Cup Series points standings sees three fresh faces in the top-10 – all of which come from the Chevrolet camp. Capitalizing on their road racing prowess, Shane van Gisbergen, AJ Allmendinger and Michael McDowell all earned top-10 results at Circuit of The Americas to propel each of them to a double-digit jump in the standings heading into the west coast swing. Leading the charge was the 36-year-old Auckland, New Zealand, native that drove his No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet to his season-best runner-up finish in the Lone Star State – marking back-to-back top-five results to kick-off the season. The finish, along with a 45-point day, was enough to push Van Gisbergen up 11 spots to fifth in the standings. Allmendinger and McDowell each earned their best finish of the season at COTA and will head to Phoenix ranked eighth and ninth, respectively, in the points standings.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Chevrolet will serve as the official pace vehicle for the NASCAR, NTT INDYCAR and ARCA Menards Series race weekend at Phoenix Raceway, with the Corvette Stingray leading each series to the green flag in their respective events.

·        As the only manufacturer that will compete in all four events at Phoenix Raceway, a combined total of 75 Team Chevy drivers are entered for this weekend’s competition including 18 in the NASCAR Cup Series, 30 in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, 15 in the ARCA Menards Series and 12 in the NTT INDYCAR Series.

·        Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Phoenix Raceway:   Kyle Busch – three wins (2019, 2018, 2005)Ross Chastain – one win (2023)William Byron – one win (2023)Kyle Larson – one win (2021)Chase Elliott – one win (2020)

·        In 59 NASCAR Cup Series races held at Phoenix Raceway, Chevrolet has recorded 27 victories, including a record-setting streak of 10 straight – earned by six different drivers between 2005-2010.

·        In 147 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 67 victories – a winning percentage of 45.6%.

·        Chevrolet is coming off its 29th all-time sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series championship titles – capturing its 34th driver championship and 44th, and fifth consecutive, manufacturer championship in 2025.

·        With its 44 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championships, 34 NASCAR Cup Series driver championships, and 881 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history.

FOR THE FANS: · Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Phoenix Raceway, which will feature a variety of vehicles including: Tahoe Z71, Silverado 1500 RST, Silverado EV, Colorado Trail Boss, Traverse Z71, Equinox EV RS, Corvette E-Ray, Equinox ACTIV, and NASCAR and INDYCAR show cars.

Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display: Saturday, March 7Rinus VeeKay: 10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.Ryan Hunter-Reay: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.Parker Retzlaff: 3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Sheldon Creed & Sam Mayer: 3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Jeremy Clements: 3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 8Connor Zilisch: 8:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. Ross Chastain: 8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Kyle Busch: 9:05 a.m. – 9:20 a.m. Michael McDowell: 9:20 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Ricky Stenhouse Jr: 9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Kyle Larson: 9:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. William Byron: 10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation: Friday, March 6: 11:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Saturday, March 7: 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 8: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series Straight Talk Wireless 500Sunday, Mar. 8, at 3:30 p.m. ETFS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts SeriesGOVX 200Saturday, Mar. 7, at 7:30 p.m. ETCW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 NTT INDYCAR SeriesGood Ranchers 250Saturday, Mar. 7, at 3 p.m. ETFOX ARCA Menards SeriesGeneral Tire 150Thursday, Mar. 5, at 6 p.m. ETFS1 and FOX One

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat are your thoughts on Phoenix Raceway?“Phoenix Raceway is a tough place. We’ve tried. We’ve worked hard, really hard, to try and get our cars better there. I’m looking forward to the challenge of it. You try and turn it into a short track, but the aero platform in the car really matters. One end of the track is flat, one end is banked, and you’re just trying to get the car neutral in both. So, you’re constantly working on it, but we’re always optimistic every time we go to Phoenix Raceway. We are committed to getting better.” Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletThree races into the season with Spire Motorsports, how are you feeling about the team’s performance, and how has your experience behind the wheel been so far?“My experience has been very good. I feel like we started off strong in Daytona and Atlanta. We have good speed and momentum. I am very pleased with Spire Motorsports. We are pushing ourselves to get better and better each week. You never know, you can work very hard, have all these meetings, communications, and chemistry, but you just never know exactly where you are going to stack up. I am impressed with the structure and speed at Spire. I was expecting to be fast, but this is faster than what I was expecting. In Daytona, I probably had the fastest superspeedway car I’ve ever been in. I still am learning the team and car, but so far to this point I am very impressed with what we are bringing to the racetrack.” Who will you be rooting for in INDYCAR, and what do you think about crossover races with NASCAR?”“I have a couple of friends in the IndyCar series — my amigo Paisano Pato, who I’ve known for over 20 years and also Scott McLaughlin. I’ll definitely be rooting for them. I think the INDYCAR Series is amazing. I really love watching those guys race. INDYCAR has a different fan base than NASCAR, which makes it great to bring families together to enjoy both series. I really enjoyed crossing over between the two at Indianapolis – it was a lot of fun – and I’m looking forward to doing it again.” Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat makes racing at Phoenix unique compared to other tracks? tomorrow“Phoenix Raceway is a really cool racetrack because it’s only a mile in length, but it still races like a big track. Some of the most exciting opportunities at Phoenix to set up passes and make moves are on restarts. Everybody is so close together at the dogleg, which is really unique because it lends itself to ten wide racing where you can be ten lanes wide with grooves to operate in. You’re going to venture to get away from everybody that’s around you, but it all funnels down to about two to three lanes wide when you get to the corners, so it gets pretty tight when you get into the turns. You want to make your passes right after the restarts.” How does the flat layout of the track affect the way you drive the track? “Phoenix being a flat racetrack, has ten degrees of banking at one end and four degrees of banking on the other, so it’s pretty flat. You basically feel like you’re on ice and drifting around the track keeping as much speed possible and making sure you got a good handling racecar, one that grips the track better than everyone else so you can go out there, pass them and win.” Do you think teams will be more conservative on tires this weekend compared to last November’s race? “I think you’ll see a more conservative approach with tires this weekend, just because it’s the beginning of the season, and people wanting to take care of their equipment and try to get through the West Coast swing. So, you definitely don’t want to be tearing up too much equipment.” AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing ChevroletWhat is your mindset going into Phoenix after having a tough race the last time there? “Phoenix is a racetrack that for whatever reason, whether racing in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly NASCAR Xfinity Series) or the NASCAR Cup Series, it’s just a racetrack that as a company we have struggled at in the past. You know, I think it’s about going there and trying to have realistic expectations. We are just trying to be better and have speed. We do want to have a solid improvement from where we have typically been there and put on a good showing for Campers Inn RV.” What is the best approach? “We know we are going to face some challenges, but it’s how we handle them and stay positive that matters most. Over the next few weeks, we’ll really get to see where we stand as a race team with our cars. Our focus is making the most of every weekend and that’s unloading with speed, improving through practice/qualifying and getting better when it counts in the race.” How are you feeling after receiving medical attention from the heat upon exiting your race car at COTA last Sunday? “I feel okay. I was just a little sore earlier in the week, but otherwise, really, I feel pretty good now. All things considered, we got a solid top-10 finish out of the day at COTA, some stage points, and gained spots in the points standings.” Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat are your overall thoughts of driving a Cup Series car for the first time at Phoenix Raceway?“I’m looking forward to being back in the United Rentals Chevrolet this weekend. Based on my time in the simulator, I’m not sure how much the O’Reilly car is going to help me on the Cup side with the shifting differences and techniques of how you drive the Cup car. My approach will certainly be different from the O’Reilly race on Saturday to the Cup race on Sunday. Practice will be key to stay ahead of the racetrack. The track changes a lot in temperature and the way rubber is laid down, so we need to make sure we are not fighting the track and focusing only on the drivability of our car. You have to know where the track is going to go which we have gotten better with on the O’Reilly side. In that car, you want to be a couple numbers free in practice, because the track is going to tighten up as the race goes on. I’m not sure if that will translate to the Cup car, but that will be something to pay attention to. If we can get a decent qualifying effort, stay out of trouble, and play strategy at the end of the race, we should end up with a good finish.” What is the expectation for the No. 33 team this weekend at Phoenix Raceway?“We’ve been able to finish inside the top-10 before, although it was on a road course. A top-15 would be a great day, a top-20 would be a good day. In my opinion, we are past having the goal of just completing all of the laps. With the amount of times I’ve run on the Cup side now, we need to perform and have good results. If we can do that and finish around our teammates, the No. 3 and the No. 8, it would be a good day for us.” Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet“I think everyone is looking forward to going to Phoenix, as it’s going to be the first true test of the year from an oval standpoint. So we are looking forward to see how our HaasTooling.com Chevrolet Camaro will truly start the year off.” Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“We’re really excited to welcome Pylon Aviation to the team this weekend in Phoenix. Bringing a new partner on board is always a big deal for everyone at Hyak Motorsports — it gives us extra motivation to go out and perform. We take a lot of pride in representing our partners the right way, both on and off the track. Hopefully we can put together a strong run and give Pylon Aviation something to celebrate in their first race with us.” Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet“Phoenix has always been a difficult racetrack. It’s not really a short track because it’s so wide and so fast. It kind of blends the lines of an intermediate, downforce-style track into a short track. Like a short track, we’re doing a lot of shifting at Phoenix, and there are different ways to approach the corners in regard to how many times you’re shifting and where you’re shifting. Loose is fast at Phoenix, and the setups there are very aggressive. You’ve got to run the car mechanically free, so you never feel good around Phoenix. Even though it’s only a 312-lap race, it feels like a very long 312 laps. You’re out of breath at the end of it.” Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletPhoenix and Las Vegas will be your first traditional ovals of the year, what are you expecting?“I feel like with Phoenix and Vegas you start to see and feel where you are as a team, because you go back-to-back on superspeedways and then a road course with Circuit of the Americas. They are all important. They all count points, but you don’t know really where you stack up on your overall program until you get through all those different types of tracks. So, building off last year, our Phoenix package was good. We finished in the top 10 last fall and we were fast. We have good notes and a good baseline going into Phoenix this weekend.” Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat is your outlook heading into the next few weeks?“We are right where we want to be heading into this part of the schedule. Anything can happen at Daytona and Atlanta, and road courses aren’t my favorite, but we are still 10th in points with some really good tracks coming up for us. We qualified really well with MINER at Phoenix last year, but got caught up in someone else’s mess. We excel at the 1.5-mile tracks like Vegas, and we ran in the top 10 at the Southern 500 last year. I’m excited to get into the heart of the schedule.” Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat is your assessment of the first three Cup races this season? How different is the racing in Cup versus the O’Reilly Series?“I feel like it’s aggressive in Cup, but when I was coming through the field at COTA there were a lot more guys who were generous than I remember on Saturdays. Even when you get to the top-10, guys aren’t racing you when they know that you’re faster. On Saturdays I feel like every guy races you hard for every spot, even if you’re a second faster. I can’t say the restarts are any less aggressive in Cup because I got taken out twice last Sunday. The Cup guys are all really smart. I feel like they make a lot more intelligent move to put you in bad spots. It’s a lot harder to make up positions in those moments than it is on Saturday.” What are your thoughts entering Phoenix this weekend?“I’m excited to go back to Phoenix and I love racing there. That track is awesome and the restarts are crazy. It’s wide and there’s a lot of room to make moves and move around to change the balance on your car. I’m looking forward to getting out there and sharing the track with IndyCar this weekend. We’ll get to see them in person for the first time in a few years, probably since the Indy road course. I’m looking forward to seeing the friends that I have in the IndyCar paddock.” Can you describe what the restarts are like at Phoenix going from the flat surface back up on the banking?“Even in the O’Reilly Series there were times you had to pull your helmet back down because pulling back onto the track is so aggressive. It’s a big bump coming back up on the racetrack after getting down on the dogleg. The restarts at Phoenix are just crazy. I feel bad for the spotters having to call however many wide you are, how many are outside of you and how many are inside. It’s always chaotic there. I’m looking forward to seeing how it is with the Cup guys.” Is running at the very bottom on Turn 1 an option at Phoenix?“It’s an option but you have to have a tire advantage on the cars ahead of you to make it work. If you are on similar tires to the people around you and you go down there, you’re going to come off Turn 2 going what feels like 20 miles an hour slower and everybody is going to be blowing by you on the outside. It’s risky. You’ve got to get clear and be able to take other people’s momentum. If you exit Turn 2 all the way down by the wall, that’s where you’re going to get yourself into trouble.” Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletYou’ve only started your NASCAR career a little over two years ago. Now you have 11 road course wins across the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. How cool is that?“It’s been pretty awesome! I’ve had a whole lot of fun racing here. Every year I’ve enjoyed it so much and it doesn’t seem like a grind. I got to the end of last year and I was tired, but I had a week off and I was ready to get going again (laughs). There is such a great group of guys and girls at Trackhouse, and it makes racing every weekend so enjoyable.” You are starting to head to some tracks for the second and third time. What do you want to do better as you approach these tracks in the 2026 season?“There are a couple of tracks I really struggle at for some reason, Phoenix is one of them. It’s a type of track I need to improve myself. I know my car can do it, but that racing is so much more tough with not a lot of practice. It’s hard, but that is where I need to get better personally. Then, just continue to keep growing at the bigger tracks. I felt like we’ve made some real progress there, so we need to keep it going.” You talk about set-up and different stuff like that, how different is it when you have that year in the Cup Series under your belt?“You just learn what you want and need from a car. My driving style was very different to most, I guess. The way I make the car work or want it to work is very different to others. We noticed a lot of trends which took a while to get everyone to adjust to. I adjusted a bit but now we’re sort of coming my way a bit, which has kind of helped me. It’s interesting. The cars are set up so different to what I’m used to, and I’m still trying to understand what I need or want from the car.”

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCEPhoenix RacewayMarch 5-8, 2026

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series StatisticsManufacturer Championships:Total (1949-2025): 44First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)Most recent: 2025 Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Driver Championships:Total (1949-2025): 34First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most recent: Kyle Larson (2025)Driver and Manufacturer Championship Sweeps: 29 Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2025 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007) 2026 STATISTICS: Wins: 0Poles: 1Laps Led: 142Top-Fives: 7Top-10s: 11Stage Wins: 1 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 881 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 767Laps led to date: 256,876Top-fives to date: 4,443Top-10s to date: 9,162 Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date: General Motors: 1,215 Chevrolet: 881 Pontiac: 154 Oldsmobile: 115 Buick: 65 Ford: 847 Ford: 747 Mercury: 96 Lincoln: 4 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467 Dodge: 217 Plymouth: 191 Chrysler: 59 Toyota: 206

Uncategorized

Randy Meyer Racing Opens 2026 Season at NHRA Gatornationals, Looking to Defend Title

March 4, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Mar 3, 2026 | Featured, Pre-Race Releases

The 2026 NHRA season officially kicks off this weekend at the legendary NHRA Gatornationals, and Randy Meyer Racing (RMR) is heading to Gainesville looking to build on last year’s Gatornationals victory.

Matt Cummings, Florida-native, captured the win at this event in 2025, helping him secure a 2nd place in the national standings last year, setting the tone for a strong second season with RMR in 2026. As the defending event champions, the team returns motivated and ready to start the new year with the same momentum.

“It is so awesome to start the race season close to home,” Matt said. “We are going back to try and defend our 2025 GatorNats victory. It’s been too long since I have been with my team and in the dragster.”

While Matt looks to defend his title, this weekend marks a milestone for McKenna Bold as she makes her first career start at the Gatornationals. After an offseason focused on preparation, she’s ready to officially begin her 2026 NHRA championship campaign.

“Race one of the 2026 season is finally here and I couldn’t be more excited to be back with my team,” McKenna said. “All the hard work in the offseason leads to this so I know my guys are going to give me a great race car and I’ll try to do my best job behind the wheel. The goal heading into this weekend and really the entire year will be simple; take every race one round at a time and turn on as many win lights as possible, and hopefully collect some of the new 75th edition Wallys along the way.”

Off the track, fans have been getting their first look at McKenna’s new 2026 livery. The team recently installed the updated design on her Top Alcohol Dragster, and a full behind-the-scenes video of the wrap process is now live on YouTube, giving fans an inside look at how the new look came together.

To celebrate the new season, McKenna’s 2026 t-shirts are officially now in stock and now available to order! The new design highlights her 2025 regional championship and showcases the fresh dragster look that will debut this weekend. Orders are shipping now, just in time for race season.

Qualifying begins Thursday in Gainesville, with eliminations set for Saturday and Sunday. Fans can follow along on NHRA.tv and across RMR’s Facebook channel for updates throughout the weekend.

Randy Meyer Racing Opens 2026 Season at NHRA Gatornationals, Looking to Defend Title

Mar 3, 2026 | Featured, Pre-Race Releases

Qualifying begins Thursday in Gainesville, with eliminations set for Saturday and Sunday. Fans can follow along on NHRA.tv and across RMR’s Facebook channel for updates throughout the weekend.

The 2026 season starts now – and Randy Meyer Racing is ready to make it count.

Uncategorized

TOP FIVE STORYLINES: Dirty South Doubleheader Takes World of Outlaws to Talladega, Magnolia

March 4, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

EASTABOGA, AL (March 4, 2026) – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is ready for some southern hospitality.

After a Bike Week invasion of Florida, it’s a quick turnaround for The Greatest Show on Dirt as the tour makes its only stops of 2026 in Alabama and Mississippi this week.

First up is the Series’ 14th ever visit to Eastaboga, AL’s Talladega Short Track on Friday, March 6. The bullring sits just down the street from its pavement counterpart, the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway. Then it’s over to Columbus, MS’ Magnolia Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 7. “The Mag” has welcomed the country’s premier Sprint Car drivers on three previous occasions.

Thanks to AMKUS Rescue Systems, both races will be First Responder Nights. First responders will receive a $10 discount on their tickets and can get 20% off at the World of Outlaws merch trailer by showing their ID at the gates on race day.

It’s time to get dirty in the “Dirty South.”

BUY TALLADEGA TICKETS HERE
BUY MAGNOLIA TICKETS HERE

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVision

Let’s look at the top five storylines to watch unfold down south:

BACK WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

David Gravel has racked up a remarkable 120 World of Outlaws victories in his illustrious career, and he gets to head to where the winning began this weekend.

Rewind to October of 2011 when the World of Outlaws rolled into Talladega Short Track. Jason Meyers was riding a five-race win streak and powering toward his second consecutive championship. But his streak came to a halt when a 19-year-old from Watertown, CT wheeled by him and held off Donny Schatz for his first career checkered flag.

Now, Gravel returns to Talladega as the two-time and defending champion and seventh-winningest driver in Series history. He’s been to the Alabama oval twice since that night, finishing fourth in 2023 and runner-up a year ago with Big Game Motorsports.

Looking ahead to Saturday, Gravel has also been to Magnolia Victory Lane, topping last year’s visit.

Gravel currently leads the points and carries a run of four straight podiums into the weekend.

ICE IN HIS VEINS

The man who made Gravel settle for second last year at Talladega? That would be Bill Balog.

The “North Pole Nightmare” drove with ice in his veins around the 1/3 mile. Balog wheeled from fourth to the lead in his second-ever appearance at the track. The job wasn’t done there as he had to hold off a charging Gravel, but he managed to pull it off. His first World of Outlaws win since 2016 ignited a memorable campaign. He went on to top a trio of races and improve his statistics nearly across the board compared to his 2024 rookie season.

Balog could use a stout showing this weekend to shake off a slow start. He battled gremlins throughout Florida and is yet to crack the top 10 this season through five races.

CAN BUDDY BOUNCE BACK?

The season is still young, but Michael “Buddy” Kofoid needs a strong weekend.

If something could go wrong on Monday at Volusia Speedway Park for the championship contender, it did. Heat Race and Last Chance Showdown problems forced the Roth Motorsports crew to use a provisional. Then, after swapping cars for the Feature, the No. 83 wouldn’t fire for the main event. The resulting 27th-place finish dropped Kofoid to fourth in the standings and 46 markers behind point leader Gravel.

Fortunately for the 24-year-old, he’s heading into a stretch of tracks that have treated him well. He won at Talladega two years ago with CMS Racing. The Penngrove, CA native marched from ninth to fourth last year at Magnolia. Looking a little further ahead, Kofoid has been victorious at Kennedale Speedway Park, where the tour visits on March 13-14, and Lawton Speedway, which is the March 20 destination.

There’s no denying this is the scenario that Kofoid and company hoped to avoid, but with more than 80 races to go and this team proving they can get hot, their title hopes are far from over.

HAUD’S HEATING UP

It hasn’t taken long for the new pairing of Sheldon Haudenschild and KCP Racing to find their footing.

They didn’t get off to the quickest start at the season-opening Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, but the Bike Week Jamboree return to Volusia shows an entirely different story. Haudenschild dominated Sunday’s portion by leading every lap for the 47th World of Outlaws triumph of his career. He backed that up by starting on the pole and bagging a top 10 the next night.

Can the Wooster, OH native continue building momentum this weekend? The statistics nearly guarantee he’ll be up front at Magnolia on Saturday. Haudenschild topped the Series debut at the Mississippi track in 2021. He then finished third in both 2023 and 2025 to be the only driver to stand on the podium during all three World of Outlaws visits.

ROOKIE ON A ROLL

Many viewed Emerson Axsom as the immediate favorite for the 2026 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year presented by Five Star Bodies when he and Klaasmeyer/Petry Motorsports committed, but Ashton Torgerson has other plans.

The Glendale, AZ native was wildly impressive over the campaign’s first five races at Volusia with Shark Racing. It began with him setting Simpson Race Products Quick Time in the season opener and finishing the night with a top 10. During the Bike Week Jamboree, he finished seventh on Sunday then wheeled from sixth to second in the finale. Had the race been a lap or two longer, he might’ve been able to sneak by Anthony Macri for his first career World of Outlaws win.

Many new experiences await the 19-year-old in the near future. Of the seven tracks remaining in March, he’s raced at none of them in a Sprint Car. He does have some Midget laps at Creek County Speedway (March 21), US 36 Raceway (March 27), and 81 Speedway (March 28) under his belt that he hopes will help during those stops.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE
Friday, March 6 at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL
Saturday, March 7 at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS

AROUND THE TURN
Friday-Saturday, March 13-14 at Kennedale Speedway Park in Kennedale, TX (TICKETS)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (5/86 Races):
1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports No. 2 (-0 PTS)
2. Anthony Macri – Macri Motorsports No. 39M (-2 PTS)
3. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 (-8 PTS)
4. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports No. 83 (-46 PTS)
5. Sheldon Haudenschild – KCP Racing No. 18 (-50 PTS)
6. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing No. 1S (-54 PTS)
7. Garet Williamson – Fischer Motorsports No. 23 (-74 PTS)
8. Donny Schatz – CJB Motorsports No. 15 (-76 PTS)
9. Spencer Bayston – Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing No. 17 (-82 PTS)
10. Chris Windom – Sides Motorsports No. 7S (-82 PTS)

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (4 Drivers):
2 Wins – Anthony Macri
1 Win – Spencer Bayston, Michael Kofoid, Sheldon Haudenschild

FEATURE LAPS LED (8 Drivers):
40 Laps Led – Anthony Macri
25 Laps Led – Michael Kofoid, Sheldon Haudenschild
12 Laps Led – Carson Macedo
10 Laps Led – Spencer Bayston
6 Laps Led – Brian Brown, Brock Zearfoss
1 Lap Led – David GravelPODIUM FINISHES (7 Drivers):
4 Podiums – Carson Macedo, David Gravel
3 Podiums – Anthony Macri
1 Podium – Spencer Bayston, Michael Kofoid, Sheldon Haudenschild, Ashton Torgerson

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS QUICKTIME AWARDS (3 Drivers):
2 Quick Times – David Gravel
1 Quick Time – Logan Schuchart, Ashton Torgerson, Sheldon Haudenschild

HEAT RACE WINNERS (9 Drivers):
4 Heat Wins – David Gravel
3 Heat Wins – Logan Schuchart
2 Heat Wins – Anthony Macri, Carson Macedo, Ashton Torgerson, Sheldon Haudenschild
1 Heat Win – Chase Dietz, Justin Peck, Tanner Holmes

TOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (18 Drivers):
5 Dashes – David Gravel
4 Dashes – Anthony Macri
3 Dashes – Logan Schuchart, Ashton Torgerson, Carson Macedo, Sheldon Haudenschild
2 Dashes – Michael Kofoid, Brent Marks, Tanner Holmes
1 Dash – Brian Brown, Chase Dietz, Kasey Jedrzejek, Justin Peck, Parker Price-Miller, Ryan Timms, Garet Williamson, Brock Zearfoss, Kerry Madsen

MICRO-LITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (3 Drivers):
3 LCS Wins – Donny Schatz
1 LCS Wins – Michael Kofoid, Cameron Martin

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (4 Drivers):
2 Hard Chargers – Garet Williamson
1 Hard Charger – Michael Kofoid, Donny Schatz, Chris Windom

ACME FASTEST LAP AWARDS (5 Drivers):
1 Fastest Lap – Michael Kofoid, Anthony Macri, Brock Zearfoss, Sheldon Haudenschild, Carson Macedo

RACE READY CLOTHING HOTTEST LAP OF THE NIGHT AWARDS (3 Drivers):
2 Hottest Laps – Logan Schuchart
1 Hottest Lap – David Gravel, Austin McCarl, Brent Marks

TOP FIVE STORYLINES: Dirty South Doubleheader Takes World of Outlaws to Talladega, Magnolia

EASTABOGA, AL (March 4, 2026) – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is ready for some southern hospitality.

After a Bike Week invasion of Florida, it’s a quick turnaround for The Greatest Show on Dirt as the tour makes its only stops of 2026 in Alabama and Mississippi this week.

It’s time to get dirty in the “Dirty South.”

BUY TALLADEGA TICKETS HERE
BUY MAGNOLIA TICKETS HERE

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVision

Let’s look at the top five storylines to watch unfold down south:

BACK WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

David Gravel has racked up a remarkable 120 World of Outlaws victories in his illustrious career, and he gets to head to where the winning began this weekend.

Looking ahead to Saturday, Gravel has also been to Magnolia Victory Lane, topping last year’s visit.

Gravel currently leads the points and carries a run of four straight podiums into the weekend.

ICE IN HIS VEINS

The man who made Gravel settle for second last year at Talladega? That would be Bill Balog.

Balog could use a stout showing this weekend to shake off a slow start. He battled gremlins throughout Florida and is yet to crack the top 10 this season through five races.

CAN BUDDY BOUNCE BACK?

The season is still young, but Michael “Buddy” Kofoid needs a strong weekend.

There’s no denying this is the scenario that Kofoid and company hoped to avoid, but with more than 80 races to go and this team proving they can get hot, their title hopes are far from over.

HAUD’S HEATING UP

It hasn’t taken long for the new pairing of Sheldon Haudenschild and KCP Racing to find their footing.

ROOKIE ON A ROLL

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (4 Drivers):
2 Wins – Anthony Macri
1 Win – Spencer Bayston, Michael Kofoid, Sheldon Haudenschild

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS QUICKTIME AWARDS (3 Drivers):
2 Quick Times – David Gravel
1 Quick Time – Logan Schuchart, Ashton Torgerson, Sheldon Haudenschild

MICRO-LITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (3 Drivers):
3 LCS Wins – Donny Schatz
1 LCS Wins – Michael Kofoid, Cameron Martin

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (4 Drivers):
2 Hard Chargers – Garet Williamson
1 Hard Charger – Michael Kofoid, Donny Schatz, Chris Windom

2026 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE & WINNERS:
Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner
Wed, Feb 4 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Spencer Bayston (1)
Fri, Feb 6 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Michael Kofoid (1)
Sat, Feb 7 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Anthony Macri (1)
Sun, March 1 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
Mon, March 2 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Anthony Macri (1)
Fri, March 6 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL
Sat, March 7 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS
Fri, March 13 / Kennedale Speedway Park / Kennedale, TX
Sat, March 14 / Kennedale Speedway Park / Kennedale, TX
Fri, March 20 / Lawton Speedway / Lawton, OK
Sat, March 21 / Creek County Speedway / Sapulpa, OK
Fri, March 27 / US 36 Raceway / Osborn, MO
Sat, March 28 / 81 Speedway / Park City, KS
Fri, April 10 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Sat, April 11 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Fri, April 17 / Jacksonville Speedway / Jacksonville, IL
Sat, April 18 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN
Fri, April 24 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Sat, April 25 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Fri, May 1 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH
Sat, May 2 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Tues, May 5 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA
Fri, May 8 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Sat, May 9 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Fri, May 15 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
Sat, May 16 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
Sat, May 23 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Sun, May 24 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Fri, May 29 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND
Sun, May 31 / Nodak Speedway / Minot, ND
Fri, June 5 / Hartford Speedway / Hartford, MI
Sat, June 6 / Plymouth Dirt Track / Plymouth, WI
Sun, June 7 / Angell Park Speedway / Sun Prairie, WI
Fri, June 12 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Sat, June 13 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Wed, June 17 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Thurs, June 18 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Fri, June 19 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Sat, June 20 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Fri, June 26 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Sat, June 27 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Fri, July 10 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI
Sat, July 11 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI
Tues, July 14 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH
Fri, July 17 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
Sat, July 18 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
Tues, July 21 / Ohsweken Speedway / Ohsweken, ON, Canada
Wed, July 22 / Ohsweken Speedway / Ohsweken, ON, Canada
Sat, July 25 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY
Sun, July 26 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY
Wed, July 29 / BAPS Motor Speedway / York Haven, PA
Fri, July 31 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Sat, Aug 1 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Fri, Aug 7 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Sat, Aug 8 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Wed, Aug 12 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA*
Thurs, Aug 13 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA*
Fri, Aug 14 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA*
Sat, Aug 15 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Fri, Aug 21 / Ogilvie Raceway / Ogilvie, MN
Sat, Aug 22 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN
Fri, Aug 28 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND
Sat, Aug 29 / Red River Valley Speedway / West Fargo, ND
Fri, Sept 4 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Sat, Sept 5 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Sun, Sept 6 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Fri, Sept 11 / Belleville High Banks / Belleville, KS
Sat, Sept 12 / Dodge City Raceway Park / Dodge City, KS
Mon, Sept 14 / El Paso County Raceway / Calhan, CO
Fri, Sept 18 / Stockton Dirt Track / Stockton, CA
Sat, Sept 19 / Stockton Dirt Track / Stockton, CA
Fri, Sept 25 / Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway / Bakersfield, CA
Sat, Sept 26 / Ventura Raceway / Ventura, CA
Fri, Oct 2 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Sat, Oct 3 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Thurs, Oct 8 / Millstream Speedway / Findlay, OH
Fri, Oct 9 / Mansfield Speedway / Mansfield, OH
Sat, Oct 10 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Fri, Oct 16 / Lincoln Park Speedway / Putnamville, IN
Sat, Oct 17 / TBA
Fri, Oct 23 / Texarkana 67 Speedway / Texarkana, AR
Sat, Oct 24 / Texarkana 67 Speedway / Texarkana, AR
Wed, Nov 4 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Thurs, Nov 5 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Fri, Nov 6 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Sat, Nov 7 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC

Uncategorized

ROUSH YATES ENGINES FORMS TECHNICAL ALLIANCE WITH NEXTIVITY

March 4, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

MOORESVILLE, NC – March 4, 2026 – Roush Yates Engines and Nextivity announce a strategic technical partnership to enhance connectivity, communication, and operational efficiency across Roush Yates’ advanced manufacturing and engine development facilities.

Nextivity, based in San Diego, California, designs and develops intelligent cellular coverage solutions that deliver industry-leading performance, reliability, and network-safe signal amplification. Their award-winning CEL-FI systems are engineered to provide robust in-building cellular coverage for mission-critical environments, ensuring uninterrupted communication where precision and speed are paramount.

Through this partnership, Nextivity will support Roush Yates Engines (RYE) and Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions (RYMS) by providing advanced cellular coverage systems throughout their Mooresville, North Carolina facilities. Enhanced connectivity will strengthen real-time communication across engineering, machining, quality control, and race support operations, maximizing responsiveness in high-performance, time-sensitive environments.

“Nextivity is a technology-driven organization focused on delivering reliable connectivity solutions,” said Todd English, CEO of Roush Yates Manufacturing Solutions. “Seamless communication across our facilities is critical to maintaining our competitive edge in NASCAR and manufacturing solutions for various industries that include aerospace, defense, space, and medical. Aligning with innovative partners like Nextivity ensures our team can operate at peak efficiency without interruption.”

“As an industry technology leader, Roush Yates Engine and Manufacturing Solutions teams need seamless connectivity every minute of every day,” said Michiel Lotter, CEO of Nextivity. “Both in the factory and trackside, having a reliable network infrastructure keeps the team connected and focused on what they do best – helping their customers win. We are pleased to support Roush Yates through this partnership and look forward to integrating our ‘Do More with DAS’ IoT solutions into Roush Yates factories to enhance both communications and overall operations.”

ROUSH YATES ENGINES FORMS TECHNICAL ALLIANCE WITH NEXTIVITYMOORESVILLE, NC – March 4, 2026 – Roush Yates Engines and Nextivity announce a strategic technical partnership to enhance connectivity, communication, and operational efficiency across Roush Yates’ advanced manufacturing and engine development facilities.

This partnership reflects a shared commitment to innovation, performance, and continuous improvement, ensuring both organizations remain at the forefront of technology within motorsports and other industries.

Uncategorized

Harley-Davidson Returns as Official Partner of Progressive American Flat Track for 2026

March 4, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Briar Bauman (No. 3) and Brandon Robinson (No. 44) battle at Lucas Oil Speedway in 2025. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 4, 2026) — Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, is proud to announce the return of Harley-Davidson as an official partner for the 2026 season. This renewed collaboration brings one of the most iconic names in motorcycling history back to the forefront of the world’s premier dirt track racing series. The partnership reinforces the historic legacy between the Milwaukee-based manufacturer and the sport of flat track. As Progressive AFT prepares to launch its 2026 campaign, the involvement of Harley-Davidson ensures that fans will experience a deep connection to the brand’s racing heritage at events across the country. Throughout the season, the partnership will focus on enhancing the fan experience and celebrating the performance-driven culture that has defined Harley-Davidson for over a century. The return of Harley-Davidson follows a powerhouse 2025 performance that reestablished the brand as a dominant force in professional flat track. Throughout the 2025 Progressive AFT season, Harley-Davidson riders Briar Bauman and Brandon Robinson kept the XG750R at the front of the pack, combining for a series-leading nine victories. Their relentless performance and consistent podium finishes ultimately secured the 2025 Mission AFT SuperTwins Manufacturer Championship for Harley-Davidson, a title that underscores the brand’s deep-rooted engineering excellence and enduring commitment to America’s Original Extreme Sport. For more information about Harley-Davidson, visit https://www.harley-davidson.com.

Harley-Davidson Returns as Official Partner of Progressive American Flat Track for 2026

Next Up The 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season debuts at Daytona International Speedway Flat Track on Thursday, March 5 and Friday, March 6. To purchase Daytona Short Track I & II tickets, visit: https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack. After the season opener, the series will head north for the Atlanta Short Track at Senoia Raceway on March 21. Tickets are available now at https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-atlanta-short-track-165280 How to Watch FloRacing
For those that can’t catch the live action at the track, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive American Flat Track. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2026. FloSports is available by visiting https://flosports.link/AFT2026 or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast. FS1
FOX Sports will provide in-depth coverage of the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA doubleheader featuring rider features and thrilling onboard cameras. Stay tuned for an upcoming announcement regarding premiere airdates on FS1 and re-airs on FS2. The full listing of American Flat Track’s television premieres will be posted to the AFT website at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports.

Uncategorized

A Look Back at 24 Seasons of World of Outlaws History in the Volunteer State

March 4, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

CONCORD, NC (March 4, 2026) – There aren’t many states that play a more integral role in the history of dirt Late Model racing than Tennessee.

From Memphis to Bristol, the “Volunteer State” has delivered several of the sport’s most memorable moments and is home to some of its biggest stars. Since 1989, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision has been going to battle across the state, stopping at a dozen of Tennessee’s most recognizable tracks.

Ahead of next weekend’s return to two of them – Volunteer Speedway on Friday, March 13, and Smoky Mountain Speedway on Saturday, March 14, here’s a look at the places and faces that have shaped Late Model racing in Tennessee.

Smoky Mountain Speedway: No track in Tennessee has held more World of Outlaws races than Smoky Mountain Speedway.

Less than a week after Rick Eckert won his first Series race at Hagerstown Speedway in 2004, “Scrub” rolled into Smoky Mountain and won for the second time in seven days in the track’s first World of Outlaws event. Following a nine-year break, the Series returned to the Maryville, TN oval in 2013 for a race that saw Shane Clanton fend off Steve Casebolt for the win.

Clanton’s victory kicked off a southern stranglehold on the track that lasted for nearly a decade. Between 2013 and 2022, all 10 World of Outlaws races at Smoky Mountain were won by a driver from Tennessee, Georgia or South Carolina. The streak ended in 2025, when Bobby Pierce went to Victory Lane in his Smoky Mountain debut to become the first non-southerner to conquer the track in World of Outlaws action in 21 years.

Volunteer Speedway: Nestled right off Interstate 75 in Bulls Gap, TN, Volunteer Speedway has been delivering some of the most entertaining racing in the region for decades.

The inaugural World of Outlaws race at “The Gap” ended with Brian Birkhofer taking the checkers in 2004. The 2007 schedule included a pair of trips to Bulls Gap, with Chris Madden winning in August and Steve Francis following in October. A two-night weekend in 2008 was split by Jimmy Owens and Shane Clanton, but it would be a decade before the track reappeared on the schedule in 2018 for a race won by Owens.

Volunteer was one of the first tracks the Series visited coming out of the COVID pause in June 2020. Brandon Sheppard won the first night of the doubleheader before Zack Mitchell claimed the finale, joining Birkhofer and Owens as the third driver to win their first World of Outlaws race in Bulls Gap. The most recent World of Outlaws race at the track came on Labor Day weekend in 2021, when Sheppard returned to Victory Lane for the eighth and final win of that championship season.

Tazewell Speedway: If you’re looking for a track with more banking on the straightaways than most tracks have in the corners, Tazewell Speedway is the place for you.

“The Bad Fast Taz” welcomed the World of Outlaws for the first time in 2010 for a 50-lap contest won by Shane Clanton. The following year, the festivities expanded to a two-night show on Independence Day weekend, culminating with a 101-lap main event won by Chris Madden.

The distance went back to 50 laps in 2012, and that year’s visit saw Bub McCool score his first of two World of Outlaws wins. Mike Marlar scored his maiden victory in 2014 before Billy Ogle Jr. pulled off a last-lap pass on Josh Richards in 2015, giving Tazewell its third-straight first-time World of Outlaws winner.

Clanton got the job done in 2017 to win the most recent Series race at Tazewell, but the track hasn’t been lacking in high-level Late Model racing in the years since. Tazewell has become a staple of the Southern Nationals schedule and is home to the Lil’ Bill Corum Memorial, with recent winners including Madden, Jonathan Davenport, Dale McDowell and Tyler Erb.

Duck River Raceway Park: Located an hour south of Nashville in Shelbyville, TN, Duck River was a regular stop for the tour throughout the 2010s.

These days, Eric Wells is best known as the owner of Infinity Chassis and Wells Motorsports, but the Kentucky native made his lone trip to World of Outlaws Victory Lane in Duck River’s first World of Outlaws race in 2013. Five more unique winners followed in the next five appearances, as Darrell Lanigan (2014), Dale McDowell (2016), Mike Marlar (2017), Brandon Sheppard (2019) and Josh Richards (2020) all made their way to Victory Lane. Richards’ triumph was an especially meaningful one, as it was his first World of Outlaws win in four years and his first since making the move from his family-owned Rocket1 Racing ride to Clint Bowyer Racing.

In the years since its last World of Outlaws race, Duck River’s schedule has included seven Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series races, as well as an inaugural visit by the DIRTcar Summer Nationals in 2025.

411 Motor Speedway: 411 has been a fan-favorite in the southeast for decades, but it did not have a spot on the World of Outlaws schedule until 2018. When the touring regulars finally came to town, they were greeted with one of east Tennessee’s finest in the form of Cory Hedgecock defending home turf for his first World of Outlaws win in his first Feature start with the Series.

Hedgecock was again in contention in 2019, leading laps early in the Feature before dropping out of the race with engine trouble and handing the lead to eventual winner Brandon Overton. Following Chris Madden’s win in 2020, 411 was absent from the schedule in 2021 and 2022, but it came back with a bang in 2023. After a three-way battle with Dale McDowell and Kyle Bronson, Hedgecock pulled the upset on the Outlaws for the second time.

That event stands as the most recent World of Outlaws stop at 411, as the track was sold in 2023 and has sat dormant since June 2024.

Bristol Motor Speedway: The idea of covering “The Last Great Colosseum” in dirt first became reality in 2000 and 2001 with a pair of race weekends for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series. Late Models were also on the card both years under Hav-A-Tampa sanction, as Dale McDowell, Scott Bloomquist and Jimmy Mars each scored wins.

When the concept was brought back 20 years later, the fendered side of the World of Outlaws family got to join in on the fun. The 2021 visit saw Josh Richards score the 78th and most recent Series win of his career in the opener before Devin Moran topped the finale. Jonathan Davenport went to Victory Lane on Friday in the 2022 edition, one year before returning to the Bristol dirt to make his NASCAR Cup Series debut with Kaulig Racing. Saturday’s race went to Ricky Weiss in what is also his latest Series victory.

In addition to the four World of Outlaws races contested at the track, Super Late Models were also part of the Bristol Dirt Nationals in 2021 and 2022, with Davenport, Chris Ferguson, Chris Madden and Dale McDowell each collecting wins. Current MD3 Rookie of the Year contender Trey Mills is also a former Bristol winner, as he won in a 602 Late Model in 2021 at age 12.

Atomic Motor Speedway: Touting itself as one of the fastest tracks in the region, the high-banked, 1/3-mile Atomic Motor Speedway in Lenoir City, TN, had plenty of experience hosting national-level Late Model racing with the Hav-A-Tampa Series throughout the 1990s and the early 2000s.

When the World of Outlaws was revived in 2004, Atomic made three appearances on that season’s schedule. Billy Moyer and Scott Bloomquist split a March doubleheader, while Bloomquist won when the Series came back in September.

The World of Outlaws never returned, but Atomic remained on the Southern All Stars schedule through its closure at the end of the 2006 season. The track was soon demolished and is now the site of a terminal for the Crete Carrier trucking company.

Memphis Motorsports Park: The Millington, TN facility is best known for its 3/4-mile paved oval that previously hosted the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, as well as its dragstrip that was an annual stop for the NHRA.

But at one time, Memphis was also home to dirt racing, originally on a 3/8-mile track that Billy Moyer won on in 1989. That track was demolished in the 1990s to make room for the pavement oval, and a new 1/4-mile dirt track was built on a plot of land once occupied by a go-kart track. Steve Francis won the lone World of Outlaws race held at the new facility in 2005, the last season of operation for the dirt track.

Milan Speedway: More than two decades after a visit by the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars in 1982, the Late Models swung through Milan as part of their rebirth season in 2004. Scott Bloomquist was the night’s victor, a crucial win on his way to collecting his first championship by 13 points over Steve Francis.

The following season in 2005 turned out to be Milan’s last year of operation. The track sat abandoned for several years afterwards until it was dismantled in 2011.

Clarksville Speedway: Tim McCreadie’s eight-win 2005 season still stands as the winningest of his World of Outlaws career, and the last of those triumphs came at Clarksville.

The World of Outlaws may have been a one-and-done at Clarksville, but the same can’t be said for the DIRTcar Summer Nationals. The Hell Tour was an annual invader from 1998 until the track’s closure in 2025, with names like Tony Stewart, Billy Moyer, Don O’Neal, Dennis Erb Jr. and Brandon Sheppard among the list of winners.

Clarksville was also famous for the Toilet Bowl Classic held every March, which attracted several of the sport’s biggest names who were looking to turn some early-season laps.

Wartburg Speedway: Independence Day weekend in 2010 was an unforgettable one for Wartburg fans, as it meant the long-awaited debut of the World of Outlaws at their home track.

In front of what was called the largest crowd in track history, Tim McCreadie led all 50 laps around the 1/4-mile bullring for his third Series win of the season. In the years since Wartburg’s lone World of Outlaws race, the track has primarily been a home for local and regional Crate Late Model racing. Open-motor Late Models have been a rare treat, although Wartburg did host the Southern All Stars for the first time in 2025 for a race won by Camaron Marlar.

Thunderhill Raceway Park: The latest addition to the list of Tennessee tracks that have hosted a World of Outlaws is Thunderhill, which joined the tour for the first time in 2024.

Originally set for a March date, rain pushed the event back to April, then to June due to further inclement weather. Once the skies finally cleared, Brandon Sheppard prevailed over Cade Dillard to score his first World of Outlaws win with the Longhorn Factory Team with Sheppard Riggs Racing, a combination that went on to claim the World of Outlaws championship at season’s end.

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision returns to Tennessee for the only time in 2026 for stops at Volunteer Speedway (Friday, March 13) and Smoky Mountain Speedway (Saturday, March 14). Get tickets for both events in advance by clicking here.

Want to watch the World of Outlaws? Stream every race live on DIRTVision.

Race-by-Race History
April 29, 1989 – Memphis Motorsports Park – Billy Moyer
March 13, 2004 – Atomic Motor Speedway – Billy Moyer
March 14, 2004 – Atomic Motor Speedway – Dale McDowell
March 27, 2004 – Volunteer Speedway – Brian Birkhofer
April 30, 2004 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Rick Eckert
Aug. 28, 2004 – Milan Speedway – Scott Bloomquist
Sept. 4, 2004 – Atomic Motor Speedway – Scott Bloomquist
July 22, 2005 – Memphis Motorsports Park – Steve Francis
Sept. 24, 2005 – Clarksville Speedway – Tim McCreadie
Aug. 23, 2007 – Volunteer Speedway – Chris Madden
Oct. 13, 2007 – Volunteer Speedway – Steve Francis
Aug. 20, 2008 – Volunteer Speedway – Jimmy Owens
Aug. 21, 2008 – Volunteer Speedway – Shane Clanton
July 2, 2010 – Wartburg Speedway – Tim McCreadie
July 3, 2010 – Tazewell Speedway – Shane Clanton
July 3, 2011 – Tazewell Speedway – Chris Madden
April 28, 2012 – Tazewell Speedway – Bub McCool
April 26, 2013 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Shane Clanton
April 28, 2013 – Duck River Raceway Park – Eric Wells
April 12, 2014 – Tazewell Speedway – Mike Marlar
May 18, 2014 – Duck River Raceway Park – Darrell Lanigan
April 11, 2015 – Tazewell Speedway – Billy Ogle Jr.
May 9, 2015 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Scott Bloomquist
April 8, 2016 – Duck River Raceway Park – Dale McDowell
May 7, 2016 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Scott Bloomquist
May 13, 2017 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Brandon Overton
May 14, 2017 – Duck River Raceway Park – Mike Marlar
June 2, 2017 – Tazewell Speedway – Shane Clanton
April 27, 2018 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Chris Madden
April 28, 2018 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Dale McDowell
June 1, 2018 – 411 Motor Speedway – Cory Hedgecock
June 2, 2018 – Volunteer Speedway – Jimmy Owens
March 22, 2019 – Duck River Raceway Park – Brandon Sheppard
March 23, 2019 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Jimmy Owens
Oct. 5, 2019 – 411 Motor Speedway – Brandon Overton
March 6, 2020 – Duck River Raceway Park – Josh Richards
March 7, 2020 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Mike Marlar
June 19, 2020 – Volunteer Speedway – Brandon Sheppard
June 20, 2020 – Volunteer Speedway – Zack Mitchell
Oct. 3, 2020 – 411 Motor Speedway – Chris Madden
March 6, 2021 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Chris Madden
April 9, 2021 – Bristol Motor Speedway – Josh Richards
April 11, 2021 – Bristol Motor Speedway – Devin Moran
April 29, 2022 – Bristol Motor Speedway – Jonathan Davenport
April 30, 2022 – Bristol Motor Speedway – Ricky Weiss
Sept. 2, 2022 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Jimmy Owens
April 20, 2023 – 411 Motor Speedway – Cory Hedgecock
June 20, 2024 – Thunderhill Raceway Park – Brandon Sheppard
March 14, 2025 – Smoky Mountain Speedway – Bobby Pierce

World of Outlaws Winners from Tennessee
Scott Bloomquist – Mooresburg, TN – 33
Jimmy Owens – Newport, TN – 21
Mike Marlar – Winfield, TN – 18
Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – 2
Billy Ogle Jr. – Knoxville, TN – 1

A Look Back at 24 Seasons of World of Outlaws History in the Volunteer State