• Acura to continue championship-winning partnership with ORECA
• Sixth generation Acura Prototype, ARX-06, to compete in 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
• Wayne Taylor Racing, Meyer Shank Racing to run ORECA-based Acura ARX-06 LMDh prototypes

TORRANCE, CA (December 6, 2021) – Acura Motorsports today confirmed it will collaborate with ORECA [ORganisation Exploitation Course Automobiles] to design and develop the new, electrified Acura ARX-06 LMDh prototype.

            Acura also will continue its partnerships with the proven, race- and championship-winning Meyer Shank Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing organizations to campaign hybrid-powered Acura entries in the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

            “It is a pleasure to announce we will continue our association with ORECA into the new, electrified LMDh era,” said David Salters, president and technical director of Honda Performance Development, the North American racing arm of Acura Motorsports.  “We’ve enjoyed a very successful partnership with ORECA in the current Acura ARX-05 program, including winning the IMSA DPi Manufacturers’ Championship in both 2019 and 2020; and IMSA’s Michelin Endurance this season.”

            In addition to sweeping all three major IMSA DPi championships in both 2019 and 2020 – for Manufacturers, Drivers and Teams – Acura scored its first overall win at the Rolex 24 at Daytona this year with Wayne Taylor Racing.  Additional podium finishes for MSR and WTR at Sebring, Watkins Glen and the Petit Le Mans in 2021 resulted in a sweep of IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup titles for the manufacturer and WTR.

            “We expect the technical challenges of LMDh to be great, and competition among all of the manufacturers and teams to be intense.  But that’s why Acura and HPD are involved in motorsport.  Together with ORECA and our excellent partner teams, we’re truly excited to be a part of IMSA at the dawn of the LMDh era.”

The Acura ARX-06 will be the latest in a line of endurance prototypes to be fielded by the company dating back to 1991, just five years after the 1986 launch of the Acura brand.  Based on the ORECA LMDh chassis, the ARX-06 will feature Acura-specific bodywork, aerodynamics and internal combustion power unit.  

About Acura Motorsports

Acura Motorsports programs have been integral to the Acura brand since its launch in 1986. The rich legacy of Acura sports car racing includes the 1991, 1992, and 1993 IMSA Camel Lights manufacturer/driver championships; and the 2009 American LeMans manufacturer, driver, and team championships in both the LMP1 and LMP2 classes. Acura currently campaigns the ARX-05 DPi in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and won the team, manufacturer, and driver championships in both 2019 and 2020. The NSX GT3 Evo, available through HPD for North American customers, won multiple championships in 2019-20 in both the IMSA and SRO World Challenge series.

About Honda Performance Development

Honda Performance Development, Inc. (HPD), has a rich heritage creating, manufacturing, and supporting Honda Racing and Acura Motorsports customers since 1993.  From pinnacle racing in INDYCAR and IMSA Sports Cars to commercial racing programs, HPD powers the dreams of professional and amateur racers from age 4 to 40+. HPD is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and leads all of Honda and Acura’s high-performance racing programs in North America. HPD specializes in the design and development of powertrain, chassis, electronics and performance parts, as well as technical and race support. HPD offers parts and race support to Honda and Acura amateur and professional motorsports racers, and is continually expanding its palette of racing programs that make Honda racing products available to all racing styles, from karting and Quarter Midgets to the highest levels of pro racing.

Batavia, OH (December 5, 2021) – Entering the 18th season, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will reach another milestone, with over six million in cash – an increase of over one million dollars from 2021 – being awarded to teams throughout 2022.  This 2022 schedule includes 65 A-Main events, at 34 different venues, in 18 states. Teams on this year’s tour will be racing for over $4.8 million in A-Main purse money alone, continuing to set the bar higher year after year.  In addition to the generous number of high-paying events in 2022, next year’s Lucas Oil National Champion will receive a monumental $150,000. Second-place in the championship standings will earn $75,000, while third-place garners $50,000. The year-end points fund for the Top-12 in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will total more than $500,000 in 2022. In all, there will be $4,841,020 in A-Main purse money, a total of $390,600 handed out in Winners Circle funds over the course of the season to the Top-12 teams with perfect attendance, $530,000 awarded at the year-end banquet for Championship points, another $83,500 in money at the banquet for various awards and point categories, $93,750 in non-qualifier purse money throughout the year, $129,800 in B-Main purse money, and an additional $23,000 for the Wrisco Winternationals and Sunoco Road to Wheatland point funds. An unprecedented number of $20,000 or more to win events are on the series schedule this season, 17 in total with 11 paying $50,000 or more; up from three in 2021. Beginning earlier in the season than ever before, the long list of $20,000+ A-Main events begins on March 12th with The Tennessean at 411 Motor Speedway. Due to persistent rains during the 2021 Hillbilly Hundred weekend, the 53rd Hillbilly Hundred will be contested on April 9th paying $30,000-to-win. The 30th Annual Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 has increased from $30,000, to $50,000-to-win in 2022 on May 28th. The series has at least one $20,000 or more to win event on all but two scheduled weekends on the schedule, for the remainder of the year after the Show-Me 100.  On June 3rd-4th, West Virginia Motor Speedway hosts the two-day Historic 100 with teams competing for $15,000-to-win on Friday and $50,000-to-win on Saturday. The following weekend is another $50,000 event, the Mountain Moonshine Classic Presented by Lazydays RV at Smoky Mountain Speedway. Continuing the trend, Lernerville Speedway is home to the 16th Annual Firecracker 100 Presented by Big River Steel, also paying $50,000 to the winner, $20,000 more than in years past. Muskingum County Speedway stepped up to the plate with the previous announcement of a $30,000 event on Sunday, July 3, following three, $3,000 preliminary events on Saturday. The following weekend, Deer Creek Speedway joined suit with an increase in prize money to $50,000 for the main event of the NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50. I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, NE is once again hosting the Imperial Tile Silver Dollar Nationals, paying $53,000-to-win on July 23rd.  The increased 40th Annual Sunoco North/South 100 at Florence Speedway will now pay $75,000-to-win on August 13th, followed by Batesville Motor Speedway’s 30th Annual COMP Cams Topless 100 Presented by Nutrien Ag Solutions now paying $50,000-to-win on August 20th. The series will then travel over 1,000 miles to Port Royal Speedway. With a new format, The Rumble by the River will be a two-day program with two $5,000-to-win events on Friday which will line up Saturday’s $50,000 finale. September 4th, Tyler County Speedway will host the 54th Hillbilly Hundred, paying $30,000-to-win.  The Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway will again pay $50,000-to-win following two preliminary nights. Brownstown Speedway’s 42nd Annual Jackson 100, pays $20,000-to-win the following weekend, as does the October 1st, 34th Annual Pittsburger at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. Since 2011, the series schedule has concluded with the Dirt Track World Championship and 2022 is no exception. The 42nd Annual Dirt Track World Championship, paying $100,000-to-win will again be hosted by Portsmouth Raceway Park.

Bailes, Ferguson, Hedgecock and more take aim at $5,000 top prize

SWEETWATER, TN – Nov. 30, 2021 – Round three of the 2021-22 Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series campaign takes to the Volunteer State this Saturday, Dec. 4, for its first-ever appearance at I-75 Raceway.

A $5,000 check is on the line as the Xtreme Series stars battle it out for 40 laps around the 3/8-mile oval. Pit gates open at 10am, grandstand gates at noon. Hot Laps are scheduled for a 1:30pm start time.

If you can’t be at the track, stream every lap live with a FAST PASS subscription to DIRTVision presented by Drydene.

Here are the drivers to watch and the storylines to follow this weekend…

79 IS FINE – With reigning champion Chris Madden not in contention for a third consecutive title this winter, the door is wide open for a new head to don the Xtreme Series crown. Leading the way through the first two races is none other than the current points leader, Ross Bailes.

The Clover, SC-native holds a three-point advantage over second-place drivers Carson Ferguson and Ben Watkins coming into I-75. With one Series victory already this year, Bailes’ best chance to win his second career regional Super Late Model championship is on the horizon.

Bailes has already done some homework on I-75, notching a fifth-place finish at the track in October. He’ll take the Billy Hicks-owned #79 to Tennessee on Saturday, searching for his first Super Late Model win in the state since 2019.

WELCOME TO THE LEAGUE – Super Late Model racing’s newest breakout has had himself quite a successful first few outings.

Piloting a Donald Bradsher-backed Longhorn Chassis, Carson Ferguson shined in his Super Late Model debut in the season opener at Lancaster with a fourth-place run from 15th on the starting grid. The next day, the 21-year-old from Lincolnton, NC, once again climbed to fourth and held it together through all 100 laps of the Blue Gray 100 at Cherokee Speedway, setting him second in the points standings.

After a $10,500 sweep in Georgia with his 604 Crate Late Model last weekend, Ferguson’s ready to get back behind the wheel of a Super on Saturday, chasing his first win with 850+ horses under the hood.

HELLO, SWEETWATER – The first-ever visit to I-75 marks the seventh different track the Xtreme Series has visited since its inception in 2019. The most recent track debut happened at the half-mile Lancaster Motor Speedway two weekends ago, where Ross Bailes scored the win in the season opener.

I-75 has hosted Super Late Model racing five times in 2021 with several different regional series. Many of the same drivers who took part in those events are projected to compete again against the Xtreme stars on Saturday.

DEPTH CHART – A host of regional and local talent is projected to make up Saturday’s roster, including perfect-attendance drivers Carder Miller, Cory Lawler, Gary Dillon, Daulton Wilson, Ethan Wilson, Tim Vance and David Yandle.

Ray Cook, Stacy Boles, Christian Hanger, Craig Greer, Steve Smith, Dakota Smith, David Payne, Eli Beets, David Crabtree and Colton Profitt have each made their presence known over the regular season and are expected to represent their locales for the final time at I-75 this season.

HOME GAME – When it comes to Super Late Models at I-75 in 2021, one man has consistently stood over the rest.

Corey Hedgecock, of Loudon, TN, has been nothing short of stellar at the venue this season with two wins and no finishes worse than fourth over five starts. His most recent triumph came last month in regional competition, where he led all 50 laps of the Tennessee Fall Nationals and bagged a grand total of $15,000 – the richest payday of his career.

The 29-year-old regional racer has one previous Xtreme Series start, which came on December 7, 2019, at Volunteer Speedway, where he finished ninth.

Shares Excitement for 2022 VenturesThe Dresden, OH driver scored four World of Outlaws Late Models wins in 2021BARBERVILLE, FL – November 30, 2021 – Devin Moran’s journey through 2021 is one he’ll never forget.During his 75-race campaign, the Dresden, OH driver found Victory Lane four times with the World of Outlaws Late Models and 14 times overall for the year. As he looks toward the 2022 season, only one word could describe 2021 to him: Fun.  “Obviously, it was a lot of fun,” Moran said. “To go out there and have the success we did, it was a lot of fun to go out there and have a lot of good runs.” One of his four Series wins came during the World of Outlaws return to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Bristol Bash. “The Mailman” passed Ricky Weiss with less than 10 laps remaining to score the $25,000 victory.  The sword trophy he earned at “The Last Great Colosseum” meant more because it’s a milestone his family had yet to accomplish.  “That Bristol deal was pretty cool,” Moran said. “It was the first time going back to Bristol since I think 2002, and that’s one event where my dad [Donnie Moran] didn’t get a win. To get that win at Bristol and get that sword was an awesome feeling.” While those fun victories in 2021 are something Moran won’t forget, he’s already looking ahead to 2022. He hasn’t cemented his 2022 schedule yet but does have a starting point. He’ll join the World of Outlaws when they open the year at Sunshine Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL, on Jan. 20-22.  “People just keep on coming out with these big-money races,” Moran said. “I don’t know what we’re going to do, but we’re going to go down to Speedweeks, Volusia, East Bay, and Volusia, and then we’ll just kind of see how it goes on from there.” Sunshine Nationals Tickets: CLICK HERE Despite not having his schedule nailed down, the Ohio driver is looking forward to one World of Outlaws weekend in particular—when the Series returns to Atomic Speedway April 22-23.  “I will definitely be there,” Moran said. “I love Atomic; I’m glad the World of Outlaws are finally going back there, and we’re racing for good money there.” READ MORE: 2022 SCHEDULE: WORLD OF OUTLAWS LATE MODELS PREPARE FOR JAM-PACKED CAMPAIGN THROUGH 16 STATES  The Moran family and money go together, as his dad Donnie is known as the “Million Dollar Man.” One of the DIRTcar events he’s looking forward to the most is on June 9 at Eldora Speedway for the Eldora Million.  Donnie Moran won the only other Eldora Million in 2002, and Devin hopes to keep the event in the family name.  “We both have big smiles on our faces because if I can find a way to get that done and keep it in the Moran name, it would be career-changing for myself, Tye Twarog [Car owner], and Wylie [Brother],” Moran said. “If I can get that done, it’d be the greatest thing I could ever do, and it’d be really special.”  While there are six months until the Eldora Million, Moran and his crew are busy trying to get things ready for the season opener at Volusia. That meant his brother and crew chief Wylie stayed home while Devin raced in Cherokee Speedway’s Blue Gray 100 as part of the Drydene Xtreme DIRTcar Series.   “Unfortunately, he didn’t get to come down to Cherokee, but he was [in Ohio] getting stuff ready for Speedweeks and Sunshine Nationals in the middle of January,” Moran said. “It’s a blessing in disguise; sometimes we bicker a little bit, but we love what we do getting to spend time together. We can communicate without really even communicating, so to have that type of relationship with my brother, not many people have that connection, so it definitely gives us an advantage.”  Moran hopes to keep that family connection going in 2022, no matter what type of schedule the season brings. Even though he hasn’t set a destination, he hopes the journey brings him more success.  If you can’t make it to the event, watch live on DIRTVision – available either online or through the DIRTVision App.

The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings® Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Drydene (Official Motor Oil), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), iRacing (Official Online Racing Game), Morton Buildings (Official Building), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider) VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel); in addition to contingency sponsors, including: Arizona Sport Shirts/Gotta Race, ARP (Automotive Racing Products), Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, MSD, Penske Racing Shocks, Quarter Master, Slick Woody’s (Quick Time Award), and Wrisco (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Capital Race Cars, FireAde, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, K1 Race Gear, Racing Electronics, Reliable Painting, and Rocket Chassis.

(11/24/2021 – Alex Nieten) Fresno, CA… If you’ve heard any of Dominic Scelzi’s more than 20 victory lane interviews from 2021, then you’ve undoubtedly heard him offer gratitude to crew chief, Jimmy Carr.

Carr has played a vital role in engineering Scelzi’s historic West Coast racing season that culminated in a NARC-King of the West Fujitsu General Sprint Car title with six victories, 13 podiums and 16 top-fives in the 21-race season. Carr himself earned NARC’s prestigious Billy Albini Mechanic of the Year courtesy of the team’s performance.

The Canadian’s racing ventures started back in 1982 when he began wheeling a sprint car at Washington’s Skagit Speedway before expanding his travels south to California a few years later. In 1991 Carr took on the World of Outlaws and earned rookie of the year honors. Driving and mechanical roles at Williams Motorsports and Roth Motorsports in the late ‘90s preceded Carr’s most notorious endeavor to date, a lengthy tenure with Tony Stewart Racing.

“In ’99 we basically started, from the ground up, building Tony Stewart Racing,” Carr reflected. “It was a shop in Missouri, a truck and trailer and everything. We actually, in 2000, did a bunch of testing. Danny Lasoski ran the car some. I ran the car some. We were testing for the World of Outlaws. Then in 2001, Tony Stewart Racing began competing for championships in the World of Outlaws, and we won the very first year.”

The team experienced boundless success over the next two decades with Carr helping oversee operations before he moved to his current role with Scelzi Motorsports last year. Though his official partnership with the No. 41 team only began in 2020, Carr’s friendship with the family dates to when Dominic was still in diapers.

“I’ve known Gary and Julie (Scelzi) basically before their kids were even born,” Carr said. “I met them when I first came to work for Dennis Roth out here in 1998. That winter we were out here working and got to know Gary, and the relationship has stuck for all these years. Gary actually came to a test where we were at and got in my car and raced it around Manzanita a little bit. I think Dominic was maybe two years old at that point.”

Nowadays the quiet Carr can be found in California pit areas on cool Pacific evenings, a hoody draped over his head as he surveys Scelzi’s No. 41 machine and the Golden State’s heavy racing surfaces, a welcome shift to his roots.

“It’s awesome because it’s going back to racing at racetracks that I cut my teeth on,” Carr said. “It’s good for both sides of the partnership for me because I can help him (Scelzi) with when I raced at these racetracks, and I can also help him with setup.”

The partnership has clearly clicked with Scelzi’s career year. Heading into 2021, Scelzi had collected a respectable 27 sprint car victories over his first nine years of racing. In year 10, he’s nearly doubled that mark, adding 22 to his career total including the six with NARC that led the series this season.

Carr’s first task in ushering his driver to this substantial leap was getting Scelzi comfortable on areas of the track he might’ve not been in previous years.

“When I first started helping him, I kind of threw him under the bus,” Carr said with a laugh. “I threw him out there as a typical California guy, head straight to the cushion and go up and lean on it. So, I shamed him into moving off the cushion, and now he loves it. He searches all over the place.”

The positive influence has been evident each night Scelzi’s hits the track. Many times over the course of the season Scelzi steered his machine out of the preferred groove, searching for grip and often finding it.

The Fastest Four Days in Motorsports race at Stockton stands out as a prime example. After an early race restart, Scelzi kept faith in the lowline as the five cars ahead of him all went to the cushion. Just a handful of laps later, Scelzi snatched the lead and went on to win, a tangible testament to Carr’s impact.

Carr believes that the necessary talent and drive have always been present with Scelzi, and that what he needed was simply a car that would allow him to demonstrate those talents. Carr’s efforts have helped Scelzi ascend to a level that’s put him ahead of the competition.

“All Dominic really needed was something that went around the racetrack pretty easily every night,” Carr explained. “He’s got determination that a lot of kids don’t have, and he’s got great ability. He’s a super driver.

“He’s been doing it long enough now that when it starts to play out in your mind in slow motion, then that’s when everybody else is really in trouble,” Carr continued. “Everything is happening at normal speed to him where everybody else, they’re behind. He’s never behind. He’s always in full control and ahead of what’s going to happen. And all he needed was just a car that was capable of doing what he wanted it to do.”

Moving forward the pairing don’t plan to take their foot off the gas. The seasoned Carr has been around long enough to know the sprint car racing world is constantly evolving, and if they don’t remain diligent the rest of the pack may catch up quickly despite their 2021 dominance.

“I’ve been around forever and seen a lot of stuff,” Carr said. “It’s a learning curve every time you hit the racetrack. In my whole career of doing this it’s always changing. You’re always learning, and Dominic and I are learning together. There’s always something that we can be better at. The nice thing about dirt track racing is your notes don’t mean crap most of the time because you never ever go to the same place twice and it’s the same.”

Heading into 2022 the No. 41 team will enter as the defending NARC-King of the West champions with the best of the West Coast aiming to unseat them. With Scelzi and Carr continuing to sharpen their dynamic, though, the task will be tough. After working with him for just two seasons, Carr has already gained the utmost confidence in his driver.

“He’s (Dominic) sure caught on quick,” Carr said. “He’s learned how to win very quick.”

Santa Pod announces 2022 season schedule
Santa Pod Raceway has unveiled a full 2022 calendar of events running from March to November and embracing its usual array of championship drag races, modified car shows, specialist and family events. Public track days (Run What Ya Brung and Drift What Ya Brung) will extend throughout the year from January to December.
In a normal year, 400,000 people pass through Santa Pod’s gates to attend more than 75 events. 2020’s planned programme was halted abruptly by the pandemic’s arrival before a reduced, socially-distanced schedule was completed. 2021’s programme was also significantly truncated early in the season. A full, unrestricted schedule is anticipated in 2022.
Booking for the season will open on Wednesday 1^st December.
Calendar highlights include the first and last rounds of the FIA/FIM European Drag Racing Championships, returning after Covid cancellations in 2020 and 2021. The first round – The Main Event – retains its usual late-May weekend, Thursday 26^th to Sunday 29^th, rather than switching to the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday a week later. The European Finals, 8^th-11^th September, brings the international racing season to a close.
UK national drag racing championships on two and four wheels begin with the annual Festival of Power over Easter weekend (Friday 15^th to Sunday 17^th April) and conclude with the National Finals on the 24^th and 25^th September. The Motorsport UK British Drag Racing Championship (the Pro Mods) will be contested over six rounds, beginning and ending on those dates.
Historic drag racing takes centre stage over three weekends, with the Nostalgia Nationals (3^rd to 5^thJune) and the Hot Rod Drags (16^th to 18^th September) book-ending the 11^th annual Dragstalgia summer fiesta, 8^th-10^th July.
July is also the month for the season’s biggest festival event, Bug Jam (22^nd-24^th July), the largest of several popular Volkswagen celebrations. Other marques featured with their own dedicated events throughout the year include Vauxhall, BMW and Ford, while enthusiasts for French, Japanese, American and German car cultures are also well served. Another major festival, USC (Ultimate Street Car), takes place over the 5^th-7^th August weekend.
Dial-In Day, the occasion for interested newcomers to learn about, and try their hand at, entry-level bracket racing, takes place on Saturday 5^th March.
The complete calendar of events, including Run and Drift What Ya Brung public track days, can be found at www.santapod.co.uk/calendar.php.

Crew Members Justin Adams, Rob Beattie & Gary Patellaro Move to #83 with J-Mac

CONCORD, NC – November 22, 2021 – After a highly-successful rookie season, James McFadden has announced he’s coming back for more.

The Alice Springs, NT, AUS native will transition from the Kasey Kahne Racing #9 and drive the Roth Motorsports #83 full-time with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series in 2022.

This announcement comes following a stellar 2021 season for J-Mac, who produced two wins, earned Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award honors, and finished seventh in the championship standings albeit missing the first six races.

“After having experienced my rookie season on the World of Outlaws tour, I’m excited to have another shot at it,” James McFadden told Petersen Media. “Running the World of Outlaws is a dream come true, and to have the opportunity to run for Dennis and Teresa Roth and their Roth Motorsports team at this level is a privilege. Roth has a rich history with the World of Outlaws, and the Roth family has given so much to the sport over the years. I am thankful that they believe in me and have presented this opportunity.”

It will be a rather similar setting for the five-time World Series Sprint Car champion as he brings veteran crew chief Justin Adams and crew members Rob Beattie and Gary “Woodman Patellaro along with him to the #83. The entire foursome worked together this season and in the past on the KKR #9.

“I’m so happy to have a bit of familiarity right away as Crew Chief Justin Adams is also making the jump with me,” McFadden continued. “We have built up a great dynamic over the last three years and consistency is huge in being successful as a team, so I am excited and ready to rip.”

It’s not only another chance at the ultimate title, but it’s a chance to drive for one of the most storied teams in the history of Sprint Car racing.

McFadden will try to become the 15th driver to win a World of Outlaws race for Roth, attempting to join the likes of Lasoski, Saldana, Shaffer, Swindell, Kinser, Kaeding, Haudenschild, Stewart, McMahan, Gravel, Hirst, Eliason, Pittman, and Reutzel.

“First and foremost, our entire organization wants to thank Kasey Kahne for everything he did for our team from August on,” Dennis Roth said in the Petersen Media release. “He did a nice job for us, and we greatly appreciate him finishing our season out. We would also like to thank Grant, Tony, and Gage for all of their hard work and dedication to our organization as well. Looking forward, we are all really excited to welcome a very talented driver in James McFadden aboard. James has been very successful over the course of his career in his native Australia and has really made a name for himself in the United States over the last few seasons. James and Justin Adams are proven winners, and we look forward to seeing them have a great year for us.”

The motto of 2022 is simple: unfinished business. Crew Chief Justin Adams believes they can accomplish their goals with this move.

“Getting back to Roth Motorsports after a successful 2021 season, I feel like I have some unfinished business and look forward to handling that with James McFadden this season,” Adams told Petersen Media. “I am looking forward to working with Dennis Roth again and am really thankful he has provided a great opportunity to continue to expand on what James and I have built the last few seasons together. I feel like we really started to hit on some things at the end of the season, and I am excited to get back to work and represent the famed Roth Motorsports No. 83.”

The new pairing of James McFadden and Roth Motorsports will have to wait until the 2022 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car season rolls around to hit the track.

LIVERPOOL, NY — It was a night of revelry and celebration as the stars of the Super DIRTcar Series and DIRTcar Northeast gathered for a party two years in the making. Four DIRTcar Series champions, rookies of the year, and Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship stars were all honored at this year’s championship banquet with $250,000 in prize money handed out. 

Matt Sheppard took the mantle of defending Super DIRTcar Series champion back from rival and Canadian star Mat Williamson, who has held it since 2019. Sheppard, from Waterloo, NY, collected his eighth Super DIRTcar Series championship trophy in addition to a $40,000 check in front of his family, friends, and racing peers. 

“I am sitting up here thinking about where we are today and where we were back then,” Sheppard said to the night’s host Shane Andrews. “Twenty years ago I was bombing around a burgundy 1979 Chevy pickup truck. I was driving for Steve Paine and I had none other than Matt Janczuk in my backseat because he’s got nothing better to do and I can’t find anyone else to go to the races with me. Here we are 20 years later.”

“It’s crazy how time flies,” Sheppard said wistfully. “It seems like yesterday.”

Billy Dunn was honored for his first career DIRTcar 358 Modified Series championship that was worth $6,000 defeating Ronnie Davis III and Jordan McCreadie, who finished second and third. Everyone will remember his beaten and bodiless modified crossing the finish line to complete the Salute to the Troops 150 at NAPA Super DIRT Week to win the title.

Dunn had an outstanding year, nearly defeating Tim Fuller for the track championship at Can-Am Speedway. 

“It’s really cool,” Dunn said. “It’s been a long time since a Can-Am Speedway regular won the 358 title,” Dunn noted. “There was a time when it was the small block track to be at.”

Dunn capped his championship with a wild finish at Oswego finishing sans body. 

“I don’t know if it was determination or just dumb but there were only a few laps left and we were on the lead lap,” he told Andrews. “I owed it to our guys who put so much work in to finish that race.”

Matt Janczuk broke through in 2021 winning the overall DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series championship, worth $3,000, for the first time as well as his second Central Region title in two years. 

Janczuk has been at it for a long time and owes his passion to the great racing family tradition the Janczuks have. 

“I started like everyone did in the stands,” Janczuk said. “I was there in my car seat watching my grandpa run Street Stocks back in the day. We’ve been racing since then. It’s great to get up on stage and celebrate some accomplishments. It’s a family tradition starting with my grandfather and it’s just been a lot of work to get to where we are.” 

Chad Jeseo, track champion at Lebanon Valley Speedway and Albany-Saratoga Speedway, won the DIRTcar Pro Stock Series title on the back of his DIRTcar Pro Stock 50 win at Oswego Speedway in October.  His Series Championship came with a $2,000 top prize.

“To finish the way we did I can’t say enough about the team and everything. It was just a great season. It’s a long season. We start in April and race through October. We all fight for the title.” 

Chris Hile was named the Super DIRTcar Series rookie of the year. “The Hiledriver” finished in the top 10 in Series points with four top fives and seven top 10s. He also picked up a guaranteed start at NAPA Super DIRT Week for finishing second to Matt Sheppard at Lebanon Valley Speedway. 

Kevin Root was awarded the DIRTcar Big Block Modified divisional rookie of the year. He raced weekly at Brewerton Speedway and followed the Super DIRTcar Series tour accumulating 3,244 points, which placed him in 14th. 

Chuck McSpirit was the rookie of the year in the DIRTcar Pro Stock division with his strong finishes at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park, Ajay Potrzebowski Jr. picked up the DIRTcar Sportsman Modified division rookie of the year award, and Tom Collins Jr. capped his 2021 with rookie of the year honors in the DIRTcar 358 Modifieds. 

There were five DIRTcar Sportsman Modified regions in 2021, each paying $500 to the winner. The regional champions were Matt Janczuk (Central), Cameron Tuttle (West), Robert Delormier (North), Brad Rouse (Canada West), and Andrew Buff (East). 

The Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship titlists were also honored including Matt Sheppard (Big Block) who received $5,000, Mat Williamson (358) took home $3,000, Andrew Buff (Sportsman Modified) and Chad Jeseo (Pro Stock) received $1,000 each, with Dante Mancuso (4 Cylinders) grabbing a $500 top prize. 

●       National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) “Countdown to the Championship” playoff series concludes this weekend with three Dodge Charger SRT Hellcats headed for a dramatic final showdown to determine the winner of the Funny Car World Championship at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California

●       With a second world championship title within sight, Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) pilot Ron Capps drives his HEMI®-powered machine into the Auto Club NHRA Finals with a two- and three-round advantage, respectively, over teammate Matt Hagan and fellow Dodge Funny Car driver Cruz Pedregon

●       With his Direct Connection Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat second in points heading into the finale, Hagan relishes the challenge and opportunity to battle for a fourth Funny Car world championship in his final event with the DSR team

●       Fresh off his second win of the season that put him back in the championship mix, Pedregon ranks third in the Funny Car standings, with 187 points available in the racing weekend

●       DSR driver Leah Pruett is focused on repeating her drive to the winner’s circle at Pomona aboard the Direct Connection Top Fuel dragster; her aim is to secure a top-five finish and close out the 2021 NHRA season on a positive note

November 12, 2021, Pomona, California – The dramatic final showdown of the 2021 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Camping World Drag Racing Series season lines up this weekend at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, with the spotlight shining on three Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Funny Cars battling for the World Championship crown.

Fresh off his runner-up finish at the Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas, Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) pilot Ron Capps, a 27-year veteran seeking his second World Championship, drives his HEMI®-powered Funny Car into the Auto Club NHRA Finals with the class lead over teammate Matt Hagan (58 points) and fellow Dodge Funny Car driver Cruz Pedregon (83 points). 

Capps first parked his NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat atop the leaderboard in August at the rescheduled Pomona Winternationals event with one of his two victories this season in the ultra-competitive class that has seen 10 different event winners. Capps wheeled his way to the semifinals or beyond at 11 of 19 events this season. Bolstered by three runner-up performances, four No. 1-qualifier honors and 35 round wins, the veteran racer jostled with Hagan for the lead in the last six of seven playoff events. When the final win light turns on Sunday, Capps will assuredly be in the top five for a 15th season.

“We’ve qualified well throughout the year and have been consistently strong all season and now here we are, running for a championship,” says Capps, who takes nothing for granted following four runner-up season finishes in 1998, 2000, 2005 and 2012 before securing his first championship in 2016. “(Crew chiefs Dean) ‘Guido’ (Antonelli) and (John) Medlen and our NAPA AutoCare team, we came together quickly like a duck to water at the beginning of the season and it just felt like a natural fit. They’ve gotten to know me and our last race in Vegas was a perfect example of how well we all work together because as much pressure as there was on race day, especially with all of the other top Countdown cars going out early, they really knew how to loosen me up and keep me in the right frame of mind. They’ve certainly helped me and my driving throughout the year. The big key for us this weekend is just to continue what we’ve been doing.”

The season finale features a unique format that increases the points payout to 1.5, with a maximum of 187 points up for grabs for the event. While there are myriad of scenarios, with 30 points awarded for each round win, Hagan needs to go at least two rounds further than Capps to have a chance at the season title while Pedregon needs to win three rounds more than Capps to claim the big trophy.

Three-time and reigning World Champion Hagan stages his Direct Connection Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat for the final “Countdown to the Championship” playoff event ready for the battle to retain his crown after his team earned four wins, three runner-up finishes, three top-qualifier awards and 32 round wins this year. 

“We’re heading into Pomona fighting for a championship and I’ve been on both sides of this battle,” says Hagan, who has vied for the Funny Car crown as either leader or challenger heading into the season finale seven times, winning three (2011, 2014 and 2020). “My first championship I just had to show up and go two rounds to be crowned a champion, similar to what Ron (Capps) has to do this year. Last year we were going into the last race two rounds ahead and this year we’re going in two rounds behind so it’s nothing new for us. Ithink we have to be super aggressive rolling into qualifying and get some valuable points. The game plan is just really run hard, run smart and be aggressive. We’ve got nothing to lose. This is Ron’s to lose, honestly, and ours to win.” 

Hagan relishes being in contention for his fourth Funny Car title, particularly after missing two events (recovering from illness) and a pair of  uncharacteristic consecutive first-round exits at the last two playoff events. Hagan and his Mopar Dodge//SRT crew are motivated by the opportunity to rebound from those challenges and make an aggressive final sprint for the Wally and championship trophies in his final event with DSR. 

“We’ve had two bad races in a row in the Countdown and that’s been a big hit,” says Hagan.“It’s unfortunate but we’ve just got to bounce back. We want to show what we can do here. I’m going in there with the attitude that we’re going to kick everybody’s teeth in and put in our mouthpiece and get back in the fight. I want to win. I’m very passionate about what I do. I want to leave DSR with a fourth championship. We’re all competitors. I’m very aggressive about it. (Crew Chief) Dickie (Venables) is going to be aggressive. I’m coming in there full steam ahead. I’m pumped up. I’m ready to go and fired up about it. I want to go race and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Pedregon, the final contender in the three-way Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat battle for the 2021 Funny Car title, is driving into the season finale straight from the winner’s circle at the Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas. The Cruz Pedregon Racing owner and driver found himself back in the title fight after the team earned their second Wally trophy and fourth final round appearance of the season, in addition to a No. 1-qualifier position and 30 round wins.

“To be in this position is really great but I really try not to get caught up in the points possibilities because I want to enjoy this,” says Pedregon, who is vying for a third world title (1992 and 2008) and looking to finish among the top three for a ninth time in three decades of Funny Car racing. “With points-and-a-half in play, we’re not even guaranteed to finish in the top three. It’s pretty open-ended but after winning (the Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas) we’re back in it. We’re going to come out swinging at Pomona and see who is the last man standing. Just to be in the conversation for a change really is a victory for me.”

Competing among the top contenders in the Top Fuel category all season long, DSR pilot Pruett may have fallen out of the title hunt recently but that won’t stop her from pursuing a second win at Pomona’s Fairplex facility this year and closing out the season with her fifth consecutive top-five finish in the standings. 

“For those not inside the nucleus of the championship hunt, this final race really reveals what kind of warrior you are — you’re either one that gives up in the last bit of the marathon or the one that charges to the end with surprising spirit,” says Pruett, who aims to take  her Direct Connection themed dragster out on a positive note. “I know this is a fighting team that is pushing and striking every which way we can to the final round of the final season of our final race with DSR. That is who we are and how we will finish out this season in the Direct Connection Top Fuel Dragster.

“There are some years I think we deserved to finish higher and just fell short at the end,” adds Pruett. “This weekend, having our eyes on the No. 5 finisher spot would be a direct reflection of our performance overall. There is no blaming the Countdown or made-up excuses. We have not been the highest performing team this season but we have been the most relentless. A top-5 finish for the fifth consecutive year would be a good ending to an intensely grateful run with DSR.”

The Auto Club NHRA Finals will air on FS1 on Sunday, Nov. 14, with qualifying coverage scheduled from 2-4 p.m. ET, then immediately followed by the eliminations telecast featuring live coverage of the final rounds from 4-7 p.m. ET to close out the 2021 NHRA Camping World Series season.

NHRA Championship Points Standings:
Following the Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
  
FUNNY CAR (season wins in parentheses)

1. Ron Capps (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 2,585 (2)

2. Matt Hagan (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 2,527 (3/1-Tommy Johnson Jr.)

3. Cruz Pedregon (Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat) – 2,502 (2)

4. J.R. Todd – 2,447 (1)

5. John Force – 2,430 (3)

6. Bob Tasca III – 2,417 (2)

7. Robert Hight – 2,412 (2)

8. Alexis DeJoria – 2,380 (1)

9. Tim Wilkerson– 2,282 (1)

10. Blake Alexander– 2,184

TOP FUEL (season wins in parentheses)

1. Steve Torrance – 2694 (10)

2. Brittany Force – 2,589 (1)

3. Mike Salinas – 2,522 (1)

4. Justin Ashley – 2,506 (2)

5. Billy Torrence – 2,411 (2)

6. Leah Pruett (Mopar Dodge//SRT) – 2,343 (1)

7. Clay Millican – 2,302 

8. Antron Brown – 2,285 (1)

9. Shawn Langdon – 2,260

10. Doug Kalitta – 2,211

Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown

1. Aaron Stanfield – 768

2. David Barton – 484

3. Leah Pruett (Mopar Drag Pak) – 461

4. Jesse Alexandra – 456

5. John Cerbone – 441

6. Stephen Bell – 412

7. David Janac – 377

8. Mark Pawuk (Mopar Drag Pak) – 358

9. Leonard Lottig – 315

10. Doug Hamp – 312

EVENT RECAP: Round 8

We went straight from Irwindale into a week of SEMA! Thank you for your patience on this Final 2021 Race Report. Irwindale is a home track for our team and RAD DAN navigated it with such precision. RAD DAN started out so strong in Top 32 with the advantage after throwing down an aggressive chase lap. We came head to head with the heartbreaking experience of mechanical failure at the worst time during Dan’s lead lap, he was more than halfway through the run and on his way to win the battle until he felt his transmission give way in 4th gear. It wasn’t our time but we will be ready to come back stronger next year! We cannot thank you enough for your support of making another season possible. It is a sincere privilege to represent each of your brands through our race program and we look forward to building future plans with you!ROUND 8 VIDEO RECAP – Download Available In Gallery!

(11/6/2021 – Alex Nieten) Stockton, CA… Nothing could stop Corey Day Saturday night at the 38th Annual Tribute to Gary Patterson hosted by the Stockton Dirt Track.

The 15-year-old led from flag to flag en route to his second career NARC-King of the West Fujitsu Sprint Car victory aboard the Meyers Constructors No. 14.

The victory completed a hot streak to end Day’s season. Some bad luck forced to ascending star to wait until his ninth series start before earning his first top-10, but Day hasn’t missed the top-10 in the four starts since earning his first, including the pair of wins.

Though nothing tops the significance of a first win, the Stockton triumph held an important layer that was absent from Day’s inaugural victory relating to his car’s owner.

“This feels great,” Day said in victory lane. “Jason (Meyers) wasn’t even there for the first one at Hanford, so I’m glad he could be here for this one.”

Courtesy of claiming the Sunnyvalley Bacon Dash, Day led the field to green with the defending series champion, D.J. Netto, to his outside. Netto got the initial jump, but an incident between Rico Abreu and Tim Kaeding before the first lap had been completed that left Kaeding spun in turn two brought the field back together for a complete restart.

Day would not be denied on the restart, darting ahead of Netto and setting sail in the early stages. Back behind the leaders, Tim Kaeding, who was wheeling a Steve Kinser Quaker State No. 11 tribute paint scheme for Bates Hamilton Motorsports, began a furious charge from the tail after his opening lap mishap. Just a few laps after the restart, TK entered the top-10.

The race’s first red flag flew on lap five for Richard Brace Jr. who tipped over in turn three. Brace Jr. was unharmed.

Racing was quickly halted again on the restart for Mitchel Moles who slowed in turn two. The caution flying before another lap was complete necessitated a single file restart with 26 to go.

Again, Day quickly jumped out to a strong advantage when racing resumed as Shane Golobic, Netto and Dominic Scelzi battled for the runner-up spot. Netto slipped off the track on the backstretch, allowing Golobic and Scelzi by, and the trio would settle in that order for a bit.

The green flag run saw Day forced to negotiate slower cars for the first time of the race. Knowing how fast his machine was, the teenager wasn’t concerned navigating lapped traffic. In fact, he knew it would probably play to his advantage.

“We were just really good, so we could get around lapped cars pretty good,” Day explained. “I was hoping I could get around some lapped cars and have a buffer between me and D.J. (Netto) or Shane (Golobic) or whoever was in second.”

Slicing through the slower cars worked exactly as Day had hoped until the race’s second red flag came out on lap 12. While running second, Shane Golobic flipped wildly in turn three, collecting Dominic Scelzi and Justin Sanders and ending the trio’s night. All three were okay.

Following the red flag, Day led a few new names who had joined the top-5 after the accident wiped out three of the top competitors. Among those nearing the top of the leaderboard was Tim Kaeding who slotted into fourth on the restart, continuing his climb from the lap one spin.

The 30-lap Fujitsu Feature’s final yellow flag flew with 12 to go when Geoffrey Strole slowed in turn three.

While Day made the race for the lead anti-climactic by pulling away from Rico Abreu in the latter stages, drama developed when Netto again got tripped up on the backstretch, dropping him to fifth and moving Tim Kaeding up to third. Netto came in two markers ahead of TK in the battle for second in points, and Kaeding owned the tie breaker based on wins.

Netto maintained composure after his error, and with just two laps remaining threw a slider on Sean Becker to claim fourth, enough to earn him second in the standings just one point ahead of Kaeding.

Day ultimately held on to win comfortably over Abreu, the only challenge to his triumph coming in the form of his machine’s amount of methanol.

“We started to run out of fuel there with about four to go,” Day revealed. “So, I had to drop down to the bottom and go through the rubber there, so I’m glad it didn’t run completely out of fuel and we were able to seal the deal.”

Rico Abreu held on for second in his Rowdy Energy No. 24. Abreu claimed the runner-up spot back in the season opener at Stockton and capped the year at the same track in the same position.

“Restarts is really where I kind of exceled on picking guys off,” Abreu said. “My car was a little bit free, and the cushion had some whoops and ruts that really upset my car. The race went on and I started searching and didn’t want to be the guy last in line when it laid rubber.”

Tim Kaeding completed his impressive rally to finish third in the Steve Kinser tribute car.

“On the initial start I got tight and Rico got into me a little bit there. It was a racing deal, no hard feelings,” Kaeding said. “It was an honor to drive for Steve (Kinser) at one point and to be able to drive this car and come from the back to the front.”

Though his night ended in a DNF, Dominic Scelzi had such a wide point lead that he only needed to show up and make a qualifying lap to lock up his first series title. Scelzi occupied the winner’s circle at night’s end in front of his damaged machine as the newest NARC-KWS champion.

“Dammit, I wasn’t going to get emotional,” a choked up Scelzi said. “You look at all the names that have won this thing, Brent Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Tim Kaeding, Bud Kaeding, Ronnie Day. I mean there’s so many amazing champions of this series that this has just been a pipe dream for me for a long time. This caps off this whole season as the most amazing year of my life.”

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ibrDrbacqKk%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26fs%3D1%26hl%3Den-US%26autohide%3D2%26wmode%3Dtransparent

FUJITSU GENERAL USA FEATURE (30 laps): 1. Corey Day 14 2. Rico Abreu 24 3. Tim Kaeding 11 4. D.J. Netto 88N 5. Sean Becker 83V 6. Joel Myers Jr. 46JR 7. Austin McCarl 88 8. Ryan Bernal 21 9. Willie Croft 29 10. Ryan Robinson 56 11. Billy Aton 26 12. Bud Kaeding 69 13. Sean Watts 98 14. Blake Carrick 38B 15. Tim Estenson 14T 16. Geoffrey Strole 09S 17. Shane Golobic 17W 18. Dominic Scelzi 41 19. Justin Sanders 57 20. Mitchel Moles 83 21. Richard Brace Jr. 2R
HOOSIER TIRE LAP LEADERS: Day 1-30
SWIFT METAL FINISHING HARDCHARGER: Ryan Robinson 19th to 10th

ARP FAST QUALIFIER (21 cars): Corey Day 14.203

BROWN AND MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS HEAT ONE (8 laps): Myers Jr., Golobic, Day, Becker, Watts, Robinson, Estenson

FUJITSU GENERAL USA HEAT TWO (8 laps): T. Kaeding, Sanders, McCarl, Bernal, Moles, Croft, Brace Jr.

FLORACING.COM HEAT THREE (8 laps): Abreu, Scelzi, Netto, Carrick, B. Kaeding, Aton, Strole

SUNNYVALLEY “POWERED BY BACON” TROPHY DASH (6 laps): Day, Netto, Scelzi, Golobic, Myers Jr., T. Kaeding

Richard Childress Racing at Phoenix Raceway… In 129 starts at Phoenix Raceway, Richard Childress Racing has scored six NASCAR Cup Series victories with drivers Ryan Newman (2017), Kevin Harvick (2013, 2012, Mar. 2006, Nov. 2006) and Dale Earnhardt (1990). The Welcome, N.C. organization has also found success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with three wins by drivers Elliott Sadler (2012), Clint Bowyer (2007) and Kevin Harvick (2006).  Catch the Action… The NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship race will be televised live Saturday, November 6, beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.  The NASCAR Cup Series Championship race will be televised live Sunday, November 7, beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET on NBC and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

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Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Dow Coatings Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Phoenix Raceway… Dillon has 15 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Phoenix Raceway to his credit, earning two top-10 finishes. He earned his best finish of eighth at the track in November 2018. Dow brings a science and engineering crew who is driven by limitless curiosity to the RCR Team… Dillon and the RCR team are again supported by Dow’s materials science expertise and technologies this season. Backed by the power of data analysis and virtual modeling, Dow develops and manufactures high-performance components and materials custom-made for the No. 3 car. Dow and RCR’s partnership has expedited innovation and shortened testing time in the automotive industry by recreating in the lab one of the most extreme environments – the racetrack. After eight years of collaboration, Dow scientists and RCR engineers are continuing to work together to make the No. 3 car faster, safer and more precise. Stay up to date with Dow’s exciting developments at www.dow.com/sportsand follow us on Twitter @DowSports & @DowNewsroom. Welcome, Dow Coating Materials… Dow Coating Materials is the most innovative coatings raw material supplier in the world; driving fundamental shifts in the coatings industry and moving the market as the expert’s expert in coatings solutions. Through its mission of collaboration, inspiration, innovation and growth, the business provides material products, science, technology, and manufacturing solutions to the architectural and industrial coatings industry worldwide. Dow Coating Materials manufacturing and R&D footprint spans across all major geographic markets where Dow does business. For more information, please visit https://www.dow.com/en-us/industries/consumer/paints-and-coatings.  AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:What are your thoughts on Phoenix Raceway?“Phoenix Raceway is a tough short-track and one of those places that you hit it or you don’t. I’m thankful that we have practice this weekend because this track is challenging, especially with no practice. I’m looking forward to Phoenix, because it’s such a fun track for drivers. It can be a really good place for the No. 3 Dow Coatings Camaro ZL1 1LE team. We’re planning to end the season on a high note.”

Tyler Reddick and the No. 8 BetMGM Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at Phoenix Raceway… Reddick has three NASCAR Cup Series starts at Phoenix Raceway. The Corning, California native was on track for a strong finish during the 2020 spring event at the desert one-mile oval, racing as high as second and mainly in the top-five before a tire issue took him out of the race early during the final stage. Reddick also has five previous NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at the milelong track, finishing third in both races last year and collecting two top-10 finishes in 2018. He also has three NASCAR Truck Series starts and two top-10 finishes at the Avondale, Arizona track.  About BetMGM… BetMGM is a market leading sports betting and gaming entertainment company, pioneering the online gaming industry. Born out of a partnership between MGM Resorts International and Entain (formerly GVC), BetMGM has exclusive access to all of MGM Resorts’ U.S. land-based and online sports betting, major tournament poker, and online gaming businesses. Utilizing Entain’s U.S.-licensed, state of the art technology, BetMGM offers sports betting and online gaming via market leading brands including BetMGM, Borgata Casino, Party Casino and Party Poker. Founded in 2018, BetMGM is headquartered in New Jersey. Meet Reddick and Dillon… As part of the Grand Opening of the first permanent in-casino Sports Book in the state of Arizona, Gila River Hotels & Casinos joins with their partners at BetMGM to welcome drivers Tyler Reddick and Austin Dillon for the kick-off celebration. The drivers will take part in the weekend of events with a special Q & A with Fans on Friday, November 5 from 5 – 7 p.m. local time to help christen the new room located at Vee Quiva Hotel & Casino in Laveen, Arizona. Fans in town for NASCAR’s Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway will get to spend time hearing from and asking questions of both drivers and can take photos with the BetMGM show car which will be located in the casino. The new BetMGM Sportsbook at Vee Quiva features seating for over 100 guests inside and outside on the patio, with 25 large screen displays including a 12×12 foot media wall, self-betting kiosks and a sports wagering counter. All located just off the new Loop 202 highway and a short drive from the track.  TYLER REDDICK QUOTE: What are your thoughts heading to the final race of the season at Phoenix Raceway? “I’m looking forward to closing out the season on a high note at Phoenix Raceway. It’s obviously a big weekend for not only the championship four, but for every team to have a good memory to head into the offseason with. Phoenix has been one of those tracks where we have had speed at times and then other times we have missed it a little bit. I’m going to do everything I can to put 110% effort into the car and preparation to close this year out on a positive note. I’m really motivated to get that done for our BetMGM team. One last hoorah in this Gen 6 car before we put them up on a shelf and go play with a new car.”

Myatt Snider and the No. 2 TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro at Phoenix Raceway… Snider has three career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Phoenix Raceway, earning a best finish of 11th earlier this season. The Charlotte, N.C. native has also competed in two NASCAR Truck Series race at the one-mile, D-shaped oval.  About TaxSlayer… TaxSlayer makes online tax filing accessible for millions of Americans, with an easy-to-use platform and unlimited support at a fraction of the cost of the competition. Trusted for over 50 years, the Augusta-based tech company successfully completed more than 10 million federal and state e-filed tax returns in 2020 and processed $15 billion in refunds. TaxSlayer achieved a 4.5/5 TrustScore on consumer review site Trustpilot, with 87% of its customers rating the tax filing platform Great or Excellent. For more information, visit www.TaxSlayer.com. MYATT SNIDER QUOTE:What are you looking for at Phoenix Raceway this weekend? “I definitely want to finish out the season strong for TaxSlayer and this Richard Childress Racing team. It has been a pleasure driving the No. 2 Chevrolet this year and while I’m looking forward to a new adventure next season, me, Andy Street and all of the guys on this team still have one more race to get the best finish possible. Phoenix Raceway can be a handful at times, but I enjoy the challenge. To end the year with a full weekend of practice and qualifying will only make our performance stronger during the race.”

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE NASCAR CUP SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP PHOENIX RACEWAY AVONDALE, ARIZONA NOVEMBER 7, 2021RACE #36 – SEASON FINALE AT PHOENIX RACEWAYThe Championship 4 is set and a trip out west to Phoenix Raceway will determine the 2021 NASCAR Champions. Five Chevrolet drivers across NASCAR’s three national series will contend for titles during the NASCAR championship weekend at the 1-mile Arizona tri-oval. 
The action-packed championship weekend kicks off with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), where Team Chevy’s Zane Smith will vie for his first title in the Lucas Oil 150 on Friday, November 5, at 8 p.m. ET. AJ Allmendinger and Noah Gragson seek their chance at their first NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Driver Championship and the 22nd for Chevrolet on Saturday, November 6, at 8:30 p.m. ET in the 200-lap/200-mile championship race. The championship weekend and 2021 NASCAR season is capped off with the NASCAR Cup Series Championship on Sunday, November 7, at 3 p.m. ET.
Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, will aim to become the 11th different driver to win back-to-back championships in the 312-lap NASCAR Cup Series Championship race. Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, driving the No. 5 HendrickCars.comCamaro ZL1 1LE, will seek to hold his first Bill France Cup. Larson’s nine points-paying victories, which includes four in the Playoffs, is more than double each of the other championship contenders. The 2021 season marks the first time since the inception of the NCS Playoffs elimination-style format (2014) that Hendrick Motorsports has advanced two drivers into the Championship 4. Team Chevy has 24 wins in 50 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) races at Phoenix Raceway, including last November by Chase Elliott, in a victory that clinched his first-career Driver Championship and the 32nd for Chevrolet. 
A capsule look at Team Chevy in the NASCAR Cup Series title hunt:
Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 1LE Victories: 9 (field-high)Top-Fives: 19; Top-10’s: 25; Poles: 1; Laps Led: 2,474Average Finish: 9.3Stage Wins: 17At Phoenix (14 career NCS starts): Top-Fives: 5; Top-10’s: 8; Average Finish: 11.643Of Note: After a historic debut season with Hendrick Motorsports, Larson enters the season finale in a spot in the Championship 4 for the first time in his career. His previous best finish in the NCS standings was sixth in 2019. The Regular Season Champion has eight top-10 finishes, with a best of second in 2017, in 14 NCS starts at Phoenix Raceway. In the March 2021 NCS race at the track, Larson finished seventh. 
Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts ZL1 1LE Victories: 2Top-Fives: 14; Top-10’s: 20; Laps Led: 858; Average Finish: 11.5Stage Wins: 6At Phoenix (11 career NCS starts): Wins: 1; Top-Fives: 4; Top-10’s: 7; Average Finish: 11.152 Of Note: Elliott enters the season finale in a spot in the Championship 4 for the second consecutive year. The 2021 NCS season marks Elliott’s sixth consecutive year of being part of the Playoff field. Elliott would be the first driver to win consecutive NCS titles since career Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson’s record five in a row from 2006-2010. He would also be the 17th driver all-time in NCS history to win multiple championships; and join Kyle Busch as just the second active NCS driver to win more than one. Elliott won the November 2020 race at Phoenix to clinch the Driver Championship and has six other top-10 finishes in 11 starts at the track. 
CHEVROLET MAKES UP HALF OF NXS CHAMPIONSHIP 4NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) Regular Season Champion, AJ Allmendinger, and Noah Gragson lead the Chevrolet contingent into the series’ Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway. Gragson, driving the No. 9 JR Motorsports Camaro SS, entered into the Round of 8 elimination race at Martinsville Speedway in a must-win situation to advance. Leading a race-high 153 of 207 laps, Gragson took the lead in the first attempt at overtime on lap 201 to capture his third win of the 2021 season and advance to the Championship 4 for the first time in his NXS career. In five starts at Phoenix, Gragson has three top-10 finishes, with a best of second in the fall 2020 race. 
Joining Gragson in the NXS Championship 4 is AJ Allmendinger, driver of the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Camaro SS. 2021 marks the first full season that Allmendinger has competed in the series, as well as advancing to the Championship 4. The Chevrolet driver has taken his Camaro SS to victory lane 5 times this season, as well as earned the NXS Regular Season Championship to kick off his first Playoff run in the series. 
Following the penultimate race of the season at Martinsville, Chevrolet clinched its 23rd NASCAR Xfinity Series Manufacturer’s Championship. With 32 of 33 races complete, eight different Team Chevy drivers have contributed 16 wins: AJ Allmendinger (five wins), Noah Gragson (three wins), Justin Allgaier and Josh Berry (two each), and Justin Haley, Jeb Burton, Brandon Brown and Myatt Snider (one each). Michael Annett and Brett Moffitt also contributed points toward the championship.
“Chevrolet is honored to again win the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Manufacturer’s Championship,” said Dr. Eric Warren, Chevrolet Director of NASCAR Programs. “A special thank you goes to all of our Chevy teams and drivers for their tireless work that collectively secured this special recognition for Chevrolet. Being competitive at this level is vital for the development of drivers and crew members. This accomplishment is a testament of the teamwork between the GM NASCAR Competition Engineering team and the race teams that is required to be successful in one of NASCAR’s top series.”
SMITH DRIVES FOR TRUCK TITLEZane Smith captured the victory at Martinsville Speedway last weekend in the No. 21 GMS Racing Chevrolet Silverado to advance to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) Championship 4 for the second year in a row. Smith’s exciting overtime victory at Martinsville marked the 22-year-old driver’s first win of the 2021 season and third of his career in the series. In just his second full-time season in the NCWTS, Smith will represent the bowtie brand in the championship hunt, seeking to give Chevrolet its 15th NCWTS Driver Championship. 
CHEVROLET LEADS IN MAJOR CATEGORIESSecuring its series-leading 40th NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championship, Team Chevy drivers have earned 18 wins in 35 races in 2021. It marks the most victories in a season for Chevrolet since it won 20 in 2014. Team Chevy has also recorded manufacturer highs of 151 top-10 finishes, 4,425 laps led and 33 stage wins. 
Team Chevy drivers that have contributed wins this year include: Kyle Larson (nine), Alex Bowman (four), Chase Elliott (two), and AJ Allmendinger, William Byron and Kurt Busch (one each). Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Preece also contributed vital manufacturers points to help capture the Manufacturer’s Championship title for Chevrolet. 
“Winning championships is a goal we set for ourselves at the beginning of every season, and capturing the NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championship is one we value very much,” said Mark Reuss, General Motors President. “The competition every week is so close, so to be able to win this year, Chevy’s 40th since 1958, is a testament to all of the continued collaboration and teamwork by owners, drivers, crew chiefs, crews, Chevrolet engineering and technical partners at the engine shops. This year was a different approach—one that drew on the strength of one team. From the engineering of the car for aero to the engines and pit crews—the one team approach brought the best for our drivers each race. We look forward to carrying over this momentum to 2022 and the new NASCAR Next Gen Camaro ZL1.” TEAM CHEVY LOOKS FOR SIXTH POLE IN SEVEN RACESTeam Chevy drivers have earned the Busch Pole Award five times in the six races in which qualifying has been held this season. Title contender Kyle Larson has an average start at Phoenix of 7.2. Fellow championship contender Chase Elliott has an average start of 4.7, including the pole for the November 2020 race at Phoenix Raceway. CHEVROLET WRAPS UP 2021 “MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER” CAMPAIGN AT MARTINSVILLESince 2011, Chevrolet has partnered with the American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” initiative through dealership walks, national test drive promotions and national service rebate promotions. Again this year, Chevrolet supported the cause by pledging to contribute $350 for every lap run under caution, with a maximum of $50,000, during three NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) races during the month of October. 
The third and final NASCAR Cup Series event of the initiative took place last weekend during the NCS Playoffs Round of 8 elimination race at Martinsville Speedway. The specially-themed pink ”Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 served as the pace car for the NCS event at the .526-mile Virginia venue. Heading into the Martinsville race weekend, the running total sat at $28,700 following the first two races of the campaign at Talladega Superspeedway and Texas Motor Speedway. With 91 laps made under caution during the NCS Xfinity 500 race at Martinsville Speedway, the threshold was met, and Chevrolet will contribute a total of $50,000 towards the campaign. 
BOWTIE BULLETS·       Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 18 wins, 151 top-10 finishes and 4,425 laps led of 8,888 total this season.·       In addition to its 24 wins, Chevrolet has amassed 18 poles, 113 top-five and 220 top-10 finishes in the 50 races at Phoenix Raceway.·       NCS Championship 4 contenders Kyle Larson (29) and Chase Elliott (25) are more than 10 years younger than the two other Playoff drivers. ·       Elliott would be the 17th driver with multiple championships in NASCAR’s premier series.·       Hendrick Motorsports leads all teams with 11 wins at Phoenix Raceway.·       Hendrick Motorsports has an NCS-leading 13 Driver Championships among four drivers: Chase Elliott (2020), Jimmie Johnson (2016, ’13, ’10, ’09, ’08, ’07, ’06), Jeff Gordon (2001, ’98, ’97, ’95) and Terry Labonte (1996).·       Hendrick Motorsports has 16 NASCAR National Series Owner Championships (13 in the NASCAR Cup Series and three in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series).·       At the November 2015 race, Jimmie Johnson set the Phoenix Raceway qualifying record of 143.158 mph. ·       Kyle Larson paces all drivers with 2,474 laps led, which has eclipsed Jeff Gordon’s 2001 record for a 36-race NCS season (2,320) set in 2001.·       Kurt Busch is tied for the most starts (37) among active drivers at Phoenix Raceway.·       Five Team Chevy drivers have combined for 33 stage wins: Chase Elliott (Daytona RC, Michigan, Daytona2, Charlotte2, Las Vegas2 x2); William Byron (Homestead, Pocono2, Road America, Kansas2); Tyler Reddick (Road America, Indianapolis road course x2); Kurt Busch (Nashville Superspeedway, Pocono1, Atlanta2); Kyle Larson (Las Vegas, Atlanta x2, Kansas, Dover x2, Charlotte x3, Sonoma x2, Nashville, Darlington2, Bristol2, Las Vegas2, Texas2, Kansas2).
FOR THE FANS:

• Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Displays in the Fan Midway and Campground at Phoenix Raceway. 
• Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles at the Fan Midway including: 2021 Tahoe Z71, 2021 Silverado 1500 LT Trail Boss, 2021 Equinox Premier, 2021 Silverado 2500 LT and a 2021 Blazer RST. The Campground Display will feature a 2022 Camaro ZL1 and 2022 Colorado Z71. 
• The Chevrolet Display in the Fan Midway will also feature the first public showing of the All-New 2023 Corvette Z06. 
• Fans can also view Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE show car at the Chevrolet Display in the Fan Midway. 

TEAM CHEVY QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSIONS AT THE DISPLAY:Friday, November 5

• Chase Purdy, Jack Wood and Tyler Ankrum: 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 
• Carson Hocevar and Ryan Truex: 12:00 p.m. – 12:15 p.m. 
• Tate Folgeman: 12:45 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. 

 Saturday, November 6

• Brandon Brown: 10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. 
• Chase Elliott: 2:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. 
• Corey LaJoie: 2:20 p.m. – 2:35 p.m. 
• Josh Berry: 3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. 
• Sam Mayer: 4:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. 

 Sunday, November 7

• Erik Jones: 9:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. 
• Alex Bowman: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. 
• Tyler Reddick: 11:20 a.m. – 11:35 a.m. 

 Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation: 

• Friday, November 5: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 
• Saturday, November 6: 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. 
• Sunday, November 7: 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 

TUNE INNBC will telecast the 312-lap NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, November 7. Live coverage is also on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. NBCSN will telecast the 200-lap NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race at 8:30 p.m. ET Saturday, November 6. FS1 will telecast the 150-lap NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 at 8 p.m. ET Friday, Nov. 5. Live coverage of both is also on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. 
QUOTABLE QUOTES:KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 1st IN STANDINGSLARSON ON HIS MINDSET HEADING TO PHOENIX RACEWAY: “It’s definitely the most important race ever in my career. I’m fortunate that it’s at Phoenix. It’s a track I haven’t won at before, but I’ve had some really good runs there, and earlier this year we had a really, really good race car. I just made two mistakes and sped on pit road two different times. If I can clean up those mistakes, I think we’ll have a great shot to win as well as the other three guys who I’m sure I’ll be going up against. It’ll be tough, but I’m looking forward to a chance to race for a championship.”
CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE DANIELS ON USING NOTES FROM SPRING PHOENIX RACE: “The best experience that we have to go off of is the spring race that we had there. Our car was really fast. We had a couple of mistakes of Kyle speeding on pit road, and some of that was on us too just for getting the timing marks down. But we’ve learned from that and we have good notes from that race. Of course, great notes from Alan (Gustafson) and Chase (Elliott) winning the championship and winning the race there last year. So, those two recent data points of ourselves and our teammates are just great to have and great to go off of and build from.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 2nd IN STANDINGSELLIOTT ON IF THERE ARE LESSONS FROM LAST YEAR’S CHAMPIONSHIP RUN THAT HE WILL CARRY WITH HIM THIS SEASON: “I think a little bit of everything. We will look at obviously our car side of things from how we raced the last few years, not just that particular race last year. Then, obviously, the spring race in Phoenix – we have some things to look back at. So, I think we will definitely dive through every bit of that information that we have. I think from the mental side, having that experience of going and experiencing the emotions of the week and leading up to it and all those things, it is kind of nice to have been through that before. It didn’t really seem to matter last year so I don’t know that it really matters; I don’t know whether it really affects your performance or not, but there were things and experiences that I learned last year that I’ll try to carry forward to better myself and to better our team and that’s all you can do with that information.”
ELLIOTT ON BEING LOCKED INTO THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4:“Getting in that final four is really the goal every year. The goal is to go win the championship, so it’s just nice to have another shot. It wasn’t the exciting transfer walk-off type like it was last year but nonetheless, to have a shot to go race for to the championship is really all that matters to us right now. I would love to have won at Martinsville, but I feel like our teams in a good place, performing well over the last couple weeks so I am excited for the opportunity. That’s all I can ask for this time of year.”
ELLIOTT ON THE NO. 9 TEAM DYNAMIC: “I feel like we have a great team. I feel like our approach is very similar; I let him do his job and he lets me do my job. We don’t question it and I feel like it ends up being a really nice working relationship. Our team has grown and has changed a little bit over the course of my six years. I think that as you go, you evolve and you get to know people better, you start doing better. You start finding that little bit in each person that helps performance each week and it all adds up. So, we have a great group people. I am proud to have them and I am excited go to work this weekend.”
ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE GUSTAFSON ON COMPETING FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP AGAINST NO. 5 TEAM: “It makes it a lot of fun. It’s certainly more enjoyable for me and it gives you a little bit of comfort knowing that you have teammates who are going to be pushing the front and pushing forward to prove their cars, their pit crews, all of the above. It’s a fun time here and we are proud of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports and what they have been able to do in all phases of this organization. They are operating at a super high level. It’s a fun time and we certainly enjoy it.”
GUSTAFSON ON LOOKING BACK AT THE 2020 CHAMPIONSHIP NEARLY ONE YEAR LATER: “To me, it’s much more about 2021 than 2020. I’ve just been focused on trying to get in a position where we can do that again. I really haven’t had a chance to reflect on last year much or really even think about it. We are just focused on this season and trying to get ourselves and our team in the best position we can for this weekend. Certainly, there’s some things we learned going through last year and this season so far that we can apply, but as far as anything else, it’s just been keeping our eyes forward. We are looking forward to getting to Phoenix.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTOR CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 10th IN STANDINGSBYRON ON WHAT TO EXPECT RETURNING TO PHOENIX RACEWAY THIS SEASON: “When we went to Phoenix earlier this season, it was a good experimental race for us. It was still early on in the year, and we were still getting Rudy (Fugle) up to speed in the Cup Series. I think we learned a lot that race, but unfortunately not a ton will apply when we go back this weekend. With everything we’ve learned throughout the year, the car will be set up completely different and the track will handle differently, as well. The good thing is we will have practice this time around. With this being the final race, you know everyone will bring their best equipment, but we will have the time to really dial it in before the race. You just don’t want to cross the fine line of dialing yourself in or dialing yourself out.”
RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 RAPTOR CAMARO ZL1 1LE FUGLE ON WHAT THE TEAM HAS ACCOMPLISHED THIS SEASON: “It’s crazy to think that this is the last race of the season and that my ‘rookie’ year is coming to a close. I couldn’t be more proud of what we have accomplished as a team this year. I had a lot to learn coming in and everyone helped to get me up to speed. We won a race so early on and showed consistency throughout the rest of the year. This team as a whole, William included, has grown so much in just a short time to have a career-best year. There will be more to come; our chance will come. We would love to be heading to Phoenix in the hunt for a championship but we’re glad to have two teammates in the hunt representing Hendrick Motorsports, as well. We’ll all four be strong Sunday.”
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 14th IN STANDINGSWHAT DOES IT MEAN TO GET 4 WINS THIS YEAR AND ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THIS BREAKOUT YEAR?“Yes and no. It’s so frustrating to have this Playoff run go how it has gone. Last year we had a great Playoff run. We didn’t go into it with a lot of Playoff points, but we were extremely consist – finished pretty well in the points and had a good Playoffs and this year we’ve just had everything go wrong that could possibly go wrong. So, it was really special to at least get pointed in the right direction to try to end the season on a on high note and get a win after how the last couple of months have gone. Obviously, we’d rather be in the final four. I think it’s pretty obvious, that’s what everybody wants. We just haven’t had the consistency that needed to make that happen. It’s unfortunate but that’s just the way it went. So, we will work hard at trying to understand why that is. We’ve been trying to understand why that is for quite a while, so if we can get that dialed in we’ve proven we can win races. Anytime we have a shot at it, we tend to finish the job. So, (We will) just keep trying to continue to put ourselves in positions to win races try to dial in that consistency and will be really good.” 
GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE IVES ON THE APPROACH TO SUNDAY’S RACE AT PHOENIX: “Really similar. Obviously, they always talk about racing the Playoff guys with respect and I don’t think we race anybody with disrespect. So, whether you’re in Playoffs or not I don’t think it should matter. Obviously, you know, things happen on the racetrack and intentional, not intentional, we will be truthful about it. There was a time in the last few years Alex made a move and it was intentional, and he owned up to it, so track record should speak for that. But yeah, Phoenix, we have two teammates in in there, we have a guy we just had some controversy with, so I don’t expect us to raise you know Denny any different as well as our teammates any different than we have all year. For a position to win the race, it really comes down to whoever wants to go for second, right? In the end, we’re never going to put ourselves in a situation to ruin those guys opportunity to win a championship because we know at some point, we’ll be in that same scenario and want to get raced exactly how they would. So, in in the end, we’re just going to go out there have a nice calm, clean race, hopefully a fast car, and you know kind of let the driving and the speed dictate itself.” 
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 DOW COATINGS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 17th IN STANDINGSWHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON PHOENIX RACEWAY? “Phoenix Raceway is a tough short-track and one of those places that you hit it or you don’t. I’m thankful that we have practice this weekend because this track is challenging, especially with no practice. I’m looking forward to Phoenix, because it’s such a fun track for drivers. It can be a really good place for the No. 3 Dow Coatings Camaro ZL1 1LE team. We’re planning to end the season on a high note.”
ERIK JONES, NO. 43 RELLEVATE CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 24th IN STANDINGSTALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PHOENIX RACEWAY THAT STICK OUT TO YOU AS A DRIVER. “Phoenix (Raceway) is a cool place. I always like going there. It’s challenging as a driver because the two ends are so different. But it’s fun just moving around and trying different stuff. I think with the PJ-1 down it’s actually helped that track a little bit, just being able to move around and run some different lanes. As a driver, if you have a good car, I feel like you can always move through the field there, which is what you want to be able to do. At some places, that’s challenging. But Phoenix is one of those tracks where you can come through the field if you have a good enough car.”
“It’s fun. It’s another track that’s kind of like a road course, even though it’s an oval, and that makes for some fun racing.”
DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 GOOD SAM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 25th IN STANDINGSWHAT DID YOU THINK OF YOUR FIRST SEASON? “I think we had a good year. We had some good runs and we struggled at times as well, but that’s normal for a first-year team.
“I like how we work together and I know the future is bright. I wouldn’t want to be with any other team right now. I like our direction and can’t wait to get the 2022 season underway.”
COREY LAJOIE, NO. 7 SCHLUTER SYSTEMS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 29th IN STANDINGS“We’re rolling into Phoenix with the reigns off. Last race ever for the Gen 6 car. We know where we’re finishing in points, so we can get creative with strategy & be aggressive on restarts, more so than usual. We’ll certainly be respectful of the 4 guys chasing a championship, while also trying to end our 2021 season with the Schluter Systems Camaro on a high note. Phoenix is almost a blend of an intermediate track and short track with aerodynamics being important, but mechanical grip is at a premium as well.” Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series StatisticsManufacturers Championships:Total (1949-2021): 40First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15) 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 Drivers Championships:Total (1949-2020): 32First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most Recent: Chase Elliott (2020) 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 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2021 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 18Poles: 5Laps Led: 4,425Top-five finishes: 71Top-10 finishes: 151Stage wins: 33 – Chase Elliott (Daytona RC, Michigan, Daytona, Charlotte RC, Martinsville x2), William Byron (Homestead, Pocono 2, Road America, Kansas 1), Kyle Larson (Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Atlanta x2, Kansas, Dover x2, Charlotte x3, Sonoma x2, Nashville, Darlington, Bristol, Texas 2 Kansas 2,), Kurt Busch (Nashville, Pocono 1, Atlanta 2, Las Vegas 2), Tyler Reddick (Road America, Indy RC x2)  CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 813 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 722Laps led to date: 241,130Top-five finishes to date: 4,136Top-10 finishes to date: 8,553                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:           General Motors: 1,147           Chevrolet: 813           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 811                                                                    Ford: 711           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 162 

Inside Line Promotions – BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Nov. 4, 2021) – Dominic Scelzi simply needs to sign in this Saturday during the King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Series season finale to secure his first career championship with the famed series.

“It’s an amazing accomplishment that we’ve been able to pull off,” he said. “We’ve had such an incredible season all around. We’ve won eight 410 races this year and 13 360 shows. We’ve won a bunch of big races. With the NARC Series we’ve been extremely consistent all year long. This was our goal at the beginning of the year. I felt like in 2019 we lost that championship in a really close battle. This year I wanted there to be no question and no doubt. We raced hard and raced a lot of good drivers all year long. The championship was the goal from Race 1 and now we’ve accomplished that.”

Scelzi kicks off a two-race weekend at Stockton Dirt Track in Stockton, Calif., on Friday with a 360ci winged sprint car event prior to the KWS-NARC season finale on Saturday.

Scelzi wrapped up a busy doubleheader with the series last weekend with a runner-up result at The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park on Saturday.

“We were really good all night,” he said. “I felt we were really fast. We were third quickest in qualifying and went from fourth to third in our heat race to make the dash. We ran fourth in the dash and started fourth in the main event, but the race track was narrow. You’d run around the bottom. Me and a couple of guys ran four wheels in the grip. We got to second and then turns three and four started to slick off so we moved to the middle lane. I got to Justin (Sanders) in traffic. I tried to make a move on him, but he got back by. I felt we had a car to win, but the track wasn’t conducive to passing so we settled for second.”

The weekend started on Friday at Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford, Calif., where Scelzi placed second in his first heat race and seventh in his second heat to open the Anthony Simone Classic. He ended the night with a charge from 19^th to 11^th in the main event.

“The track was extremely wet, basically the wettest we’ve seen it all year,” he said. “We rolled up to staging to be the first car to qualify and the timing loop went out. That meant instead of qualifying they did two heat races. We started on the pole of the first heat and got beat into turn one so we ran second. In the next heat I started last and the track was locked down so we didn’t pass anyone. That lined us up 19^th in the feature. It was difficult to pass unless guys would get too tight. We stayed patient and worked our way to 11^th to salvage a solid night.”

QUICK RESULTS –

Oct. 29 – Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford, Calif. – Heat race #1: 2 (1); Heat race #2: 7 (7); Feature: 11 (19).

Oct. 30 – The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield, Calif. – Qualifying: 3; Heat race: 3 (4); Dash: 4 (4); Feature: 2 (4).

SEASON STATS –

68 races, 21 wins, 46 top fives, 55 top 10s, 61 top 15s, 63 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Friday and Saturday at Stockton Dirt Track in Stockton, Calif., for the 38 ^th annual Tribute to Gary Patterson with the King of the West-NARC Fujitsu Series

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.GaryScelziMotorsports.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DominicScelzi41

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Scelzi41

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Meridian Steel 

Meridian Steel manufactures steel for a variety of uses, including 80 percent of the steel used by Scelzi Enterprises. For more information, visit http://www.MeridianSteel.com.

“Sam at Meridian Steel has been a supporter for us for several years and is tied in with our family business,” Scelzi said. “Not only is he a sponsor of our race team, but he enjoys racing in general. We’re grateful to have his support.”

Scelzi would like to thank Scelzi Enterprises, Red Rose Transportation, Inc., Whipple Superchargers, Fuel Delivery Services, Inc., System 1, Red Line Oil, Schoenfeld Headers, Roth Motorsports, NAPA Auto Parts, Todd Jorgensen, FK Rod Ends, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, K&N Filters, Sparco, Allstar Performance, Auto Meter, Kenny’s Components and Worldwide Bearings for their continued support.

DETROIT – (November 4, 2021) – Chevrolet has secured back-to-back Manufacturer’s Championships in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The 2021 achievement marks the 23rd time the bowtie brand has captured this prestigious honor, more than any other manufacturer. The triumph also marks the seventh time Camaro SS has earned the award since becoming Chevrolet’s flagship vehicle in the Xfinity Series in 2013. “Chevrolet is honored to again win the 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series Manufacturer’s Championship,” said Dr. Eric Warren, Chevrolet Director of NASCAR Programs. “A special thank you goes to all of our Chevy teams and drivers for their tireless work that collectively secured this special recognition for Chevrolet. Being competitive at this level is vital for the development of drivers and crew members. This accomplishment is a testament of the teamwork between the Chevrolet NASCAR Competition Engineering team and the race teams that is required to be successful in one of NASCAR’s top series.” Capping off the regular season, Chevrolet placed more contenders in the playoffs than any other manufacturer with seven drivers from four teams in the running for this year’s title. With 32 of 33 races complete, eight different Team Chevy drivers have contributed 16 wins: AJ Allmendinger (five wins), Noah Gragson (three wins), Justin Allgaier and Josh Berry (two each), and Justin Haley, Jeb Burton, Brandon Brown, and Myatt Snider (one each). Michael Annett and Brett Moffitt also contributed points toward the championship. The 2021 NASCAR Xfinity Series season will conclude at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, Nov. 6 for the series’ Championship race.

November 4, 2021

Sunday’s Cup Series season finale at Phoenix Raceway will mark Matt DiBenedetto’s 72^nd and final points race aboard the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang.

In his two years behind the wheel of the iconic No. 21 Mustang, DiBenedetto has scored six top-five and 20 top-10 finishes. He led 98 laps last year and 68 this time around, pushing the Wood Brothers past the 25,000 milestone for overall laps led.

DiBenedetto scored his career-best points finish of 13^th last year, and enters Sunday’s race in 19^th place and is assured of topping all his points finishes prior to joining the Wood Brothers team.
 
“This will be an emotional week for me,” DiBenedetto said. “I have genuinely appreciated every single time I’ve stepped foot in the 21 car. 
 
“I have always been a fan of the sport. I’m a first-generation racer. I didn’t have funding behind me, and if you told me as a kid that one day I would drive the 21 for the Wood Brothers I would have freaked out and wouldn’t have been able to believe it. 
 
“The amazing thing is that the Wood Brothers will be family for life, and I’m so thankful for them.
 
“I’m hoping we close out the year strong.”

Eddie Wood said he and his family appreciate all the effort DiBenedetto has put in during the past two years.

“We all thank Matt for his hard work and dedication,” Wood said. “Like all the drivers who have come before him, Matt will remain part of our history, and although this chapter is ending he’ll always be a part of the Wood Brothers racing family.” 
 
Wood also offered thanks to the crew chiefs who have worked with DiBenedetto over the past two seasons.
 
“Jonathan Hassler and Greg Erwin served us well the past two years,” Wood said. “We couldn’t do what we do with the efforts of people like Matt, Jonathan and Greg. 

“And we can’t say enough about the support we get from our sponsors, Motorcraft and Quick Lane as well as the Menards family and their vendors who have backed the No. 21 Mustang.”

Wood also offered his appreciation for his team’s alliance with Team Penske, and the contributions from Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines.
 
“It’s been a good couple of years,” Wood said.
 
Unlike most Cup Series races this season, there will be practice and qualifying prior to the start of Sunday’s 312-lap NASCAR Cup Series Championship. A practice session is set for Friday at 1 p.m. (4 p.m. Eastern Time). Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. (7 p.m. Eastern), and Sunday’s race is set to get the green flag just after 1 p.m. (3 p.m. Eastern), with TV coverage on NBC.
 
Stage breaks are set for Laps 75 and 190.
 

Late Model veteran ran second in Drydene World Short Track Championship debut

CONCORD, NC – Nov. 4, 2021 – For never having driven a DIRTcar UMP Modified before, a runner-up finish to the No. 1 ranked driver in the country last weekend was not too shabby of a debut for Chris Madden.

The Late Model star from Gray Court, SC, will wrap-up his third full-time season aboard the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series in the NGK NTK World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Thu-Sat, Nov. 4-6. But after a hectic and highly competitive 47 races behind the wheel thus far, Madden needed a getaway. One where he could let loose and have some fun, but still be on the racetrack.

In fact, he had just returned from vacation when he arrived at The Dirt Track last Friday afternoon, ready to strap into the seat of a UMP Modified for the first time in his Drydene World Short Track Championship debut.

By the time the weekend was out, Madden had Qualified better than 82 percent of one of the most stacked UMP Modified fields in event history, won his Heat Race, and topped it off with a second-place finish to three-time and defending DIRTcar national champion Nick Hoffman. Later that Saturday night, he ran third to Hoffman and Curt Spalding in the All-Star Feature.

But what did Madden, the accomplished Dirt Late Model veteran, want with the narrow-tired, open-wheeled style of the UMP Modified anyway? A challenge.

“I’ve always wanted to drive one because I’ve heard about [the car] having a big motor and no tire, no spoilers, and very little body to work with, compared to what I have,” Madden said. “I knew that it would be fun in the seat. It would be challenging to make all that happen.”

The man giving him that opportunity was Dan Davies, a Modified veteran from Warren, PA, and good friend to Madden.

“Being on the Outlaws deal in years past, [father] Ron and Dan always let me come by their shop and stay and work on my stuff at their shop,” Madden said. “They’re first-class people, and they took me in and treated me like I was part of their family.

“He gives us a shop to work out of and vehicles to drive to go do things during the week that we could normally do at home. They’ve just been really good people to me.”

Over the years, Davies and Madden formed a friendly and professional relationship that landed them in their new crew chief/driver positions for a big weekend out on one of the world’s most prestigious dirt track racing facilities. Madden said it took some convincing, but this year, he agreed to take on the task.

“Dan would always say ‘hey, come drive my Mod,’ and I would say, ‘man, I ain’t driving that thing, I’ve never driven one of them things,’” Madden said. “This year, we were getting ready to go on vacation, and his sister [Michelle Clanton] texted my wife, they’re real good friends, and said, ‘when are your vacation dates?’

“It was just a few seconds later my phone buzzed, and Dan had sent me a text and said, ‘you’re going to drive my Mod at Charlotte this year.’ And I just texted him back and said ‘okay.’”

The response to the news of their entry into the event was overwhelming. It even surprised the car owner.

“Honestly, it was just a couple friends that were gonna go have a good time,” Davies said. “I never thought more than that until [DIRTcar] posted on Facebook, and there were hundreds of likes, and I’m getting text messages.

“I texted David Stremme, who I’m really good friends with, and I’m like, ‘man, I really think I underestimated what might go on here.”

Their teamwork in the pit area was nearly unmatched, and the results speak for themselves. Two podium finishes in their first two starts together against the field they raced was remarkable, and their individual skills shined through.

“Dan’s a very intelligent guy, and understands a lot about a racecar,” Madden said. “I think he’s having fun just experimenting and working on it.”

“With him, knowing his experience and how to get around Charlotte, he’s got a bunch of laps around there, a second [place] was crazy awesome,” Davies said. “Everybody was pumped-up – his family was there; his crew guys were excited. It was very cool.”

After one day in the car, Madden could already tell the differences between the Modified and his Late Model.

“The biggest thing you fight is the eight-inch tires on it, it’s got no spoiler on it, and it’s got a big motor in it,” Madden said. “You fight having more motor than you do car.”

The outing in the Modified gave Madden a weekend of fun that he needed before turning the intensity back up in this weekend’s NGK NTK World of Outlaws World Finals at Charlotte. In these big races, his state of mind is a bit different.

“There’s a lot of stress on me when I Late Model race, being an owner,” Madden said. “But, I’ve got great sponsors that help me make that happen. Without them, I couldn’t do it, period. But, I still have to oversee all that stuff and make all the decisions and make sure everything’s going in the right direction.”

“Here, I’m just kinda driving and having fun at it. That’s what Dan said. He said we’re gonna have some fun, and I said okay.”

Davies echoed that sentiment, and recalls their post-race conversation that summed-up his driver’s first experience in the world of Modified racing.

“I asked him, ‘Did you have fun?’ and he smiled and said, ‘I had a blast,’” Davies said.

While the 2022 Drydene World Short Track Championship remains 51 weeks out, Madden was keen on the idea when asked if he’d consider doing it all again next year.

“Absolutely,” Madden said. “It’s something to do for the fun of it, and I like having fun racing.”

Nov 3, 2021 | Featured, Julie Nataas, Race Results, Rachel Meyer, Special Announcements

As the Randy Meyer Racing drivers Rachel Meyer and Julie Nataas stepped on property at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, they both had one main goal in mind: do whatever it takes to make sure the world championship comes home with Randy Meyer Racing. Rachel Meyer made good on that promise by winning the 21st annual Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil in her NTK Sensor Specialist Dragster while Julie Nataas inked a semifinal round appearance at the event.

Eliminations began on Saturday afternoon for both Randy Meyer Racing drivers. Julie qualified No. 2 and had a first round matchup against Gord Gingles. Right off the bat, Julie had a .010-second reaction time advantage over Gingles and with a 5.222, 271.68, she turned on the win light against his 5.413, 267.11. Rachel followed right behind with her matchup against Jasmine Salinas as she staged as the No. 1 qualifier. Just like Julie, Rachel got the holeshot on Salinas and took the win with a 5.283, 280.95 to Salinas’ 5.541, 261.88.

Second round, Julie used a 5.254-second pass at 272.89 mph to defeat Mitch Myers. Rachel Meyer clocked in with a 5.224, 280.43 to take out former world champion Joey Severance’s 5.291, 274.55. 

For the first time in NHRA history, the semifinal round was comprised of four female drivers. Rachel faced off against Kim Parker in eliminations and Julie was tasked with trying to take out Jackie Fricke to help her teammate out. Rachel clocked in with a 5.265, 280.95 and turned on the win light over Kim Parker’s slowed 5.448, 261.93 while Julie got the starting line advantage over Fricke but wasn’t able to hold her off with a 5.302, 275.51; Fricke’s 5.232, 68.97 advanced to the final round.

Dodge//SRT NHRA Nationals Presented By Pennzoil from Auto Imagery

In a winner-take-all scenario for the Top Alcohol Dragster World Championship, No. 1 in points Rachel Meyer staged up against No. 2 in points Jackie Fricke. Rachel had a starting line advantage of .006-seconds over Fricke and blazed the scoreboards with the quickest pass of the weekend for the win and her first world championship. Rachel clocked in with a 5.191, 281.01 to Fricke’s 5.260, 270.16 and with that win, Rachel’s name was inked in the history books as the 2021 Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion and the third consecutive world championship for Randy Meyer Racing. 

“I don’t even know where to start, you couldn’t have played out a better championship fight,” said Rachel. “I’m still on cloud nine over the face that we just won the Top Alcohol Dragster World Championship! Sitting in the car while we pulled up to the line my heart was racing, and I kept trying to calm my breath. But then there was a delay when Funny Car driver Brian Hough oiled down the track in front of us, so I started trying to do anything to get my mind off what was about to go down and calm myself down so i didn’t make any rookie mistakes. I even started singing the song ‘Impossible’ in my head since Jackie and Team Finke have been impossible to beat.

“I knew I had missed the tree some in the final round just because I was so nervous, but luckily we were about even on the tree and the car was on a great run we were able to seal the deal. I can’t thank my dad enough for all the hard work and dedication he puts into these cars. my crew guys: JJ, Rob, Ted, Kevin, Creig, Howard, Jeff, Doug, Rick, Caleb, Lucas, Kris, Dale, mom, and Julie enough for all they do for me at the races, and I want to say thank you to my sister Megan for all the behind scenes work she does for the team. I don’t think anything can really top this week with my wedding happening this weekend, and I know this smile is going to last a long time. A special thank you to all of our sponsors; NTK Sensors, NGK Spark Plugs, Lucas Oil, Technician.Academy, GUNK, ARP, Jiffy-Tite, and more.”

10 Win Season and Potential Championship Runner-Up in Year One Together

CONCORD, CA – November 2, 2021 – For six years, David Gravel has been a consistent championship contender with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy DrinkSprint Car Series.

His arrival at the mountaintop is almost expected at some point as it’s been conceived by fans to be only a matter of time. He took that next step towards that ultimate goal in 2021 with his move and immediate success with Tod Quiring’s Big Game Motorsports operation.

After four consecutive seasons (2016-19) of third-place finishes to the dynasties at Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing and Kasey Kahne Racing, Gravel is poised to finally break through for his first-ever runner-up result in the championship standings this year. Not only is a career-best finish on tap, but the Watertown, CT native kept his name in the title fight all the way down until the last two weeks of the 80-race grind.

Proof of his prowess is the three 10+ win seasons he has produced with three different teams, winning 18 with the CJB #5 in 2017, another 12 with the JJR #41 in 2019, and at least 10 with another two nights left in the Big Game #2 this year. He’s only the ninth driver in Series history to record three 10+ win campaigns, and he’s on an even shorter list with legends Doug Wolfgang and Joey Saldana as the few to record such a feat without a championship to their name.

He plans to change that, though. And Big Game Motorsports very may well be the recipe he needs to do it.

“The performance this year no doubt gives us a ton of confidence,” Gravel spoke on the first-year effort at Big Game. “This team hasn’t been at the Outlaw level for a while, but I feel like we came out of the gates swinging. If we can keep qualifying the way we do, we just need to work on our Feature runs and we’ll be better.”

All of the praise on the setup goes to crew members led by Cody Jacobs, Trey Bowman, and Scott Vogelsong. It’s a group that Gravel has complete faith in moving forward.”

“Going to these tracks more and more with Cody will be a gamechanger,” the driver added on his crew chief, an ultra-important dynamic for any team. “I’ve been out here for 8-9 years and have seen most of them, but for him, he hasn’t been to certain places in several years or maybe ever. Trey has been on tour for a while, so that’s good. Having a notebook and consistently building that for each track will only make us better. It should shorten that learning curve in the future.”

That’s as if the curve wasn’t already shortened enough. With Gravel at the wheel and Jacobs on the wrenches, Big Game was simply outstanding in the return to the tour.

Gravel’s 10-win campaign was highlighted by a monumental sweep at Bristol Motor Speedway, a pair of wins at the boss’ track at Huset’s Speedway, a thrilling triumph at The Rev, late-race victories at Attica, Granite City, Weedsport, and additional wins at Silver Dollar and Lernerville.

The 29-year-old leads the Series in Slick Woody’s QuickTime Awards (18), Team Drydene Heat Wins (32), DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash appearances (48), NOS Energy Drink Feature pole positions (10), and average start (5.99).

“I’m most proud of the fact that we hit double digits,” Gravel admitted. “To win 10+ races with the World of Outlaws is a really tough task even during an 80-race season. The competition is off the charts. It’s not an easy feat. I’ve been on a team that has won 18 races and came back the next year to only get five, so you don’t ever take it for granted. We started a little slow I think, but that was just growing pains getting accustomed to a new team.”

Year one for Gravel and Big Game will conclude this weekend (Thursday-Saturday) as the NGK/NTK World Finals consume The Dirt Track at Charlotte. Fans can BUY TICKETS HERE.

It’s arguably one of his best tracks on tour as he owns four total triumphs at the 4/10-mile, including a three-race stretch

“It’s a place that you have to qualify well,” Gravel noted on Charlotte. “I think Thursday is such a huge day with qualifying for both nights. You have to get yourself on the front row of Heat Races and that makes life much easier.”

If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch Gravel take on the NGK/NTK World Finals and all World of Outlaws events live on DIRTVision – either online or through the DIRTVision App.

Sprint Cars, Late Models & Big Blocks Converge for Epic Season Finale

CONCORD, NC – November 2, 2021 – It’s been a grueling nine-month path from coast-to-coast, but we finally made it. Welcome to the NGK/NTK World Finals.

The Dirt Track at Charlotte staple has been the season finale for 15 years now, serving as a must-see event with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars, World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models, and Super DIRTcar Big Blocks all merging together in one pit area for one epic weekend.

The festivities begin on Wednesday night with a Kickoff Party at the ZMax Dragway next to The Dirt Track. Fans can enjoy a special “PRN at the track” show from 6:30pm to 8:00pm with driver appearances, Q&As, and live music with Dirty Grass Soul playing from 8pm to 10pm.

On Thursday, on-track action begins with Hot Laps and two rounds of Slick Woody’s Qualifying for the NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars, as well as other racing events for Late Models and Big Blocks.

Two full racing programs for all three divisions will follow as Friday features the iconic three-division, four-wide salute, and then Saturday sees the crowning of champions in each class.

BUY TICKETS HERE

There’s a lot to look forward to, so here are some of the top storylines:

THREE-PEAT: The unofficial becomes official this week as Brad Sweet and Kasey Kahne Racing will secure their third consecutive World of Outlaws championship.

The dynasty of the NAPA Auto Parts #49 team continues to be on full display with The Greatest Show on Dirt, proven by their prowess in a 2021 season which many dubbed as the deepest field in Series history. Through 78 races ahead of World Finals, Sweet leagues the lead in Feature wins (16), laps led (333), podium appearances (34), top-five finishes (47), and average finish (5.37). Another critical factor in his march towards the title is that he’s the only driver to complete all 2,505 laps this season.

The Big Cat, a Grass Valley, CA native, will be completely transparent with you, though, and admit the 2021 season was partially a letdown for the KKR #49 squad. Yes, they’re full-timers with the Series and obviously pursue the $150,000 championship (upgraded to million-dollar points fund in 2022), but first and foremost they want the Crown Jewel wins. They want to take the Knoxville Nationals and the Kings Royal’s of the world, but it just wasn’t meant to be this year.

Nonetheless, another phenomenal year with Sweet joining Steve Kinser & Donny Schatz as the only men to ever win three straight titles with the World of Outlaws. Although the points are irrelevant, there is still plenty to fight for this weekend as Sweet chases his first-ever win at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

DOUBLE DOSE: One of the most unique aspects of the NGK/NTK World Finals is two rounds of Slick Woody’s Qualifying on Thursday night at the North Carolina 4/10-mile oval. To ease the weekend schedule with three premier divisions on the scene, the NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars will receive Hot Laps followed by a Friday session and a Saturday session of two-lap qualifying on Thursday evening.

The track record to watch for a lap of 11.860 seconds, set by Jeff “The Jet” Shepard more than two decades ago on October 6, 2001.

BATTLE FOR THIRD: The closest battle in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series point standings is the fight for third-place between Carson Macedo’s Jason Johnson Racing #41 and Donny Schatz’s Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15. The unique pair of opposites enter World Finals weekend separated by a mere four points with Macedo owning the edge.

It’s been a remarkable, almost unbelievable first-year campaign with JJR for Macedo of Lemoore, CA. The 25-year-old contested his third full season with the Series and set career-highs in literally every single statistical category. His 11-win season was highlighted by the $75,000 National Open, $25,000 Skagit Nationals, $21,000 Tom Tarlton Classic, and multiple victories at Knoxville, Eldora, and Williams Grove.

For Schatz, it’s been quite the opposite. The 10-time Series champion has grown accustomed to standing or at least being near the mountaintop, but there’s none of that in 2021. DNF’s through the first half of the year made his outstanding second-half surge null as the Fargo, ND native tried to claw his way out of a deep hole. The Charlotte master has won a record 13 races at the track and looks for more this weekend as TSR collects momentum heading into a hopefully resurgent 2022 season.

DIALED IN: Lately, when it comes to The Dirt Track at Charlotte, two men stand above the rest of the competition. Over the past five events, David Gravel and Logan Schuchart have worked together to completely lock everyone else out of victory lane.

Schuchart, who enters as the most recent Series winner from a $20,000 score at Devil’s Bowl last weekend, is also the most recent winner at The Dirt Track as he topped the 2020 finale dubbed as “Last Call.” The Hanover, PA native also drove the Shark Racing, Drydene Performance Products #1S to Charlotte glory during the 2019 and 2017 Patriot Nationals in May.

Gravel was extraordinary at the 4/10-mile when driving for Jason Johnson Racing over the past two years, collecting a 2019 World Finals sweep and marching to a third straight win in 2020. He even has a fourth Series victory at the track from 2017 when he piloted the CJB Motorsports #5. Now the championship runner-up is set to cap a stellar year one with the Big Game Motorsports #2 this weekend.

FINISHING STRONG: For the rest of the Outlaws, World Finals offers a chance to end their year on a high note and build some momentum ahead of the short off-season and carry that into the 2022 season.

All seven of these drivers are in pursuit of their first-career win at The Dirt Track at Charlotte:

Sheldon Haudenschild (Wooster, OH)
James McFadden (Alice Springs, NT, AUS)
Kasey Kahne (Enumclaw, WA)
Kraig Kinser (Bloomington, PA)
Brock Zearfoss (Jonestown, PA)
Jacob Allen (Hanover, PA)
Wayne Johnson (Oklahoma City, OK)
Jason Sides (Bartlett, TN)

INVADERS ARRIVE: A whole crew of certified gassers is expected to make the haul to Concord, NC for this weekend’s season-ending event for the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. The doubleheader of $12,000/Win Features has turned into a destination event with teams from all across the country reuniting for one final time each year.

Spencer Bayston and CJB Motorsports will conduct their final weekend without platinum status as the pairing is set to go full-time with the Series in 2022. A 23-year-old Lebanon, IN native, Bayston won his first two career races this season and is amped up for a run at the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year Award in 2021 with the #5 team.

King Sunshine AKA Tyler Courtney eyes to conclude a sensation season in the winged world after earning the All Star Circuit of Champions title with Clauson-Marshall Racing. His NOS Energy Drink #7BC will have a hard time topping the $175,000 check from King’s Royal, but a second Outlaws score would certainly be welcomed in Charlotte.

Also in action is Shane Stewart back in the Team Trackhouse themed #71 by Indy Race Parts, Parker Price-Miller now at the Sam McGhee Motorsports #11, the PA Posse’s Danny Dietrich coming off the porch for a fun weekend, Brian Brown making the haul from Missouri to the site of his first career win, and Brent Marks set to debut his new ride with Murray-Marks Motorsports, among other drivers.

BEST OF ALL THREE WORLDS: The NGK/NTK World Finals is the one and only time you’ll see all three premier divisions of World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, World of Outlaws Late Models, and Super DIRTcar Big Blocks collide at the same track.

Leading the charge for The Greatest Show on Dirt, as you know, is soon-to-be three-time champion Brad Sweet, Tony Stewart Racing juggernaut Donny Schatz, and collage of rising stars like David Gravel, Carson Macedo, Logan Schuchart, Sheldon Haudenschild & James McFadden.

The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet are led by Brandon Sheppard, who is set to claim his fourth consecutive title with Rocket1 Racing. He brings notables such as Chris Madden, Ricky Weiss, Brandon Overton, Tim McCreadie, and others along with him to Charlotte this weekend.

Don’t forget about The Beasts of the Northeast either, as full-time stars such as champion-elect Matt Shepard, Mat Williamson, Bill Decker & Peter Britten welcome outsiders like McCreadie, Billy Pauch Jr, and Mike Gular, among others to do battle on the Queen City clay.

This Week at a Glance – When and Where

Thursday-Saturday, November 4-6 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in Concord, NC

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

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (14 Drivers):
16 wins – Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #49
11 wins – Carson Macedo, Jason Johnson Racing #41
10 wins – David Gravel, Big Game Motorsports #2
8 wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing #17
7 wins – Logan Schuchart, Shark Racing #1S
4 wins – Kyle Larson, Silva Motorsports #57
4 wins – Aaron Reutzel, Roth Motorsports #83
3 wins – Donny Schatz, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15
3 wins – Kerry Madsen, Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #14
2 wins – James McFadden, Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #9
2 wins – Brent Marks, Brent Marks Racing #19
1 win – Spencer Bayston, Sam McGhee Motorsports #11 / CJB Motorsports #5
1 win – Dave Blaney, Dave Blaney #10
1 win – Tyler Courtney, Clauson-Marshall Racing #7BC
1 win – Giovanni Scelzi, KCP Racing #18

FEATURE LAPS LED (30 Drivers):
333 laps – Brad Sweet
322 laps – Carson Macedo
296 laps – Sheldon Haudenschild
266 laps – Logan Schuchart
241 laps – David Gravel
220 laps – Donny Schatz
188 laps – Aaron Reutzel
114 laps – Kerry Madsen
97 laps – Kyle Larson
66 laps – James McFadden
63 laps – Spencer Bayston
57 laps – Tyler Courtney
39 laps – Brent Marks
33 laps – Giovanni Scelzi
27 laps – Sam Hafertepe Jr.
25 laps – Wayne Johnson
23 laps – Ayrton Gennetten
16 laps – Tanner Carrick
13 laps – Colby Copeland
11 laps – Sye Lynch
10 laps – Jacob Allen, Brock Zearfoss, Parker Price-Miller
9 laps – Kasey Kahne, Austin McCarl
3 laps – Ian Madsen
1 lap – Kraig Kinser, Brandon Spithaler, Dave Blaney, Brian Brown

SLICK WOODY’S QUICKTIME AWARDS (24 Drivers):
18 QuickTimes – David Gravel
7 QuickTimes – Sheldon Haudenschild, Logan Schuchart
6 QuickTimes – Brad Sweet
5 QuickTimes – Carson Macedo
4 QuickTimes – Kerry Madsen
3 QuickTimes – Aaron Reutzel
2 QuickTimes – James McFadden, Donny Schatz, Kasey Kahne, Cory Eliason, Giovanni Scelzi, Parker Price-Miller, Lance Dewease, Sam Hafertepe Jr.
1 QuickTime – Kraig Kinser, Jacob Allen, Danny Dietrich, Anthony Macri, Brian Brown, Brock Zearfoss, Rico Abreu, Sye Lynch, Logan Wagner

DRYDENE HEAT RACE WINNERS (45 Drivers)
32 Heat Wins – David Gravel
30 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo
25 Heat Wins – Donny Schatz
20 Heat Wins – Brad Sweet
17 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild, Logan Schuchart
16 Heat Wins – Aaron Reutzel
12 Heat Wins – James McFadden
8 Heat Wins – Brian Brown
7 Heat Wins – Kerry Madsen
5 Heat Wins – Kraig Kinser
4 Heat Wins – Brock Zearfoss, Jason Sides, Wayne Johnson, Giovanni Scelzi, Tyler Courtney, Ian Madsen
3 Heat Wins – Kasey Kahne, Anthony Macri, Lance Dewease, Brent Marks, Sam Hafertepe Jr.
2 Heat Wins – Jacob Allen, Kyle Larson, DJ Netto, Parker Price-Miller
1 Heat Win –  Danny Dietrich, Hunter Schuerenberg, Brandon Spithaler, Tim Kaeding, Jack Dover, Scotty Thiel, Paul McMahan, Daryn Pittman, Justin Peck, Jac Haudenschild, Sye Lynch, Chad Trout, TJ Stutts, Ryan Robinson, Blake Carrick, Ayrton Gennetten, Dylan Cisney, Logan Wagner, Spencer Bayston

PODIUM FINISHES (28 Drivers):
34 Podiums – Brad Sweet
26 Podiums – Carson Macedo
25 Podiums – Donny Schatz
24 Podiums – David Gravel
22 Podiums – Sheldon Haudenschild
20 Podiums – Logan Schuchart
12 Podiums – James McFadden
10 Podiums – Aaron Reutzel
8 Podiums – Kerry Madsen
6 Podiums – Brent Marks, Giovanni Scelzi
4 Podiums – Kyle Larson, Lance Dewease
3 Podiums – Brian Brown, Anthony Macri
2 Podiums – Kraig Kinser, Cory Eliason, Anthony Macri, Danny Dietrich, Tyler Courtney, Spencer Bayston
1 Podium – Jacob Allen, Justin Peck, Brian Brown, Anthony Macri, Dave Blaney, Daryn Pittman, Paulie Colagiovanni, Austin McCarl, Colby Copeland, Sam Hafertepe Jr.

2021 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Schedule & Winners

No. / Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner (Total Wins)
1. Fri, Feb. 5 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brad Sweet (1)
2. Sun, Feb. 7 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Logan Schuchart (1)
3. Fri, March 5 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Carson Macedo (1)
4. Sat, March 6 / East Bay Raceway Park / Tampa, FL / Aaron Reutzel (1)
5. Fri, March 12 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
6. Sat, March 13 / The Rev / Monroe, LA / David Gravel (1)
7. Fri, March 19 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Sheldon Haudenschild (2)
8. Sat, March 20 / Cotton Bowl Speedway / Paige, TX / Brad Sweet (2)
9. Sat, March 27 / Lake Ozark Speedway / Eldon, MO / Brad Sweet (3)
10. Fri, April 2 / I-55 Raceway / Pevely, MO / Brad Sweet (4)
11. Sat, April 3 / I-55 Raceway / Pevely, MO / Brad Sweet (5)
12. Fri, April 9 / Kokomo Speedway / Kokomo, IN / James McFadden (1)
13. Sat, April 10 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN / Carson Macedo (2)
14. Fri, April 22 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN / David Gravel (2)
15. Sun, April 24 / Bristol Motor Speedway / Bristol, TN / David Gravel (3)
16. Thur, April 29 / Jacksonville Speedway / Jacksonville, IL / Brad Sweet (6)
17. Fri, April 30 / I-70 Motorsports Park / Odessa, MO / Brad Sweet (7)
18. Sat, May 1 / I-70 Motorsports Park / Odessa, MO / Brad Sweet (8)
19. Sat, May 8 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Brent Marks (1)
20. Sat, May 8 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Sheldon Haudenschild (3)
21. Wed, May 12 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA / Brad Sweet (9)
22. Fri, May 14 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Carson Macedo (3)
23. Sat, May 15 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Aaron Reutzel (2)
24. Tues, May 18 / Bridgeport Speedway / Swedesboro, NJ / Logan Schuchart (2)
25. Fri, May 21 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / David Gravel (4)
26. Sat, May 22 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH / Dave Blaney (1)
27. Mon, May 31 / Lawrenceburg Speedway / Lawrenceburg, IN / Kyle Larson (1)
28. Sat, June 5 / Granite City Speedway /Sauk Rapids, MN / David Gravel (5)
29. Fri, June 11 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Carson Macedo (4)
30. Sat, June 12 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Carson Macedo (5)
31. Thur, June 17 / 34 Raceway / West Burlington, IA / Brad Sweet (10)
32. Fri, June 18 / Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway / Dubuque, IA / Donny Schatz (1)
33. Sat, June 19 / Beaver Dam Raceway / Beaver Dam, WI / Sheldon Haudenschild (4)
34. Mon, June 21 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / David Gravel (6)
35. Tues, June 22 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / Aaron Reutzel (3)
36. Thur, June 24 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / Kerry Madsen (1)
37. Fri, June 25 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / Kerry Madsen (2)
38. Sat, June 27 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN / Logan Schuchart (3)
39. Fri, July 2 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / Brad Sweet (11)
40. Sat, July 3 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI / Brad Sweet (12)
41. Sat, July 10 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI / Brad Sweet (13)
42. Tues, July 13 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH / Spencer Bayston (1)
43. Wed, July 14 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Carson Macedo (6)
44. Sat, July 17 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Tyler Courtney (1)
45. Sat, July 17 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Kyle Larson (2)
46. Sun, July 18 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Carson Macedo (7)
47. Tues, July 20 / Lernerville Speedway / Sarver, PA / Brad Sweet (14)
48. Fri, July 23 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Sheldon Haudenschild (5)
49. Sat, July 24 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Brent Marks (2)
50. Fri, July 30 / Ransomville Speedway / Ransomville, NY / Aaron Reutzel (4)
51. Sat, July 31 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY / David Gravel (7)
52. Fri, August 6 / I-55 Raceway / Pevely, MO / Sheldon Haudenschild (6)
53. Sat, August 7 / I-55 Raceway / Pevely, MO / Sheldon Haudenschild (7)
54. Wed, August 11 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / David Gravel (NP)
55. Thur, August 12 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Brian Brown (NP)
56. Fri, August 13 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Rico Abreu (NP)
57. Sat, August 14 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA / Kyle Larson (3)
58. Sat, August 21 / Red River Valley Speedway / Fargo, ND / Donny Schatz (2)
59. Sun, August 22 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD / David Gravel (8)
60. Wed, August 25 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND / Brad Sweet (15)
61. Fri, August 27 / I-80 Speedway / Greenwood, NE / Donny Schatz (3)
62. Sun, August 29 / Black Hills Speedway / Rapid City, SD / Sheldon Haudenschild (8)
63. Fri, September 3 / Skagit Speedway / Alger, WA / James McFadden (2)
64. Sat, September 4 / Skagit Speedway / Alger, WA / Brad Sweet (16)
65. Sun, September 5 / Skagit Speedway / Alger, WA / Carson Macedo (8)
66. Mon, September 6 / Grays Harbor Raceway / Elma, WA / Logan Schuchart (4)
67. Fri, September 10 / Silver Dollar Speedway / Chico, CA / David Gravel (9)
68. Sat, September 11 / Silver Dollar Speedway / Chico, CA / Logan Schuchart (5)
69. Sat, September 18 / Keller Auto Speedway / Hanford, CA / Carson Macedo (9)
70. Fri, September 24 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH / Logan Schuchart (6)
71. Sat, September 25 / Lernerville Speedway / Sarver, PA / David Gravel (10)
72. Fri, October 1 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Kyle Larson (4)
73. Sat, October 2 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA / Carson Macedo (10)
74. Fri, October 8 / Port Royal Speedway / Port Royal, PA / Kerry Madsen (3)
75. Sat, October 9 / Port Royal Speedway / Port Royal, PA / Spencer Bayston (2)
76. Fri, October 22 / Lakeside Speedway / Kansas City, KS / Giovanni Scelzi (1)
77. Fri, October 29 / Lawton Speedway / Lawton, OK / Carson Macedo (11)