BATAVIA, Ohio (February 23, 2026) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing is excited to announce the return of the highly anticipated Most Popular Driver Contest, giving fans across the country the opportunity to vote for their favorite driver throughout the 2026 season. The annual contest celebrates the passion and loyalty of dirt racing fans while recognizing the drivers who make the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series one of the premier touring series in motorsports. Voting will take place online and will remain open through the final stretch of the season. The driver receiving the most fan votes will be officially crowned the Velocity Manufacturing Group Most Popular Driver at the year-end awards ceremony and will receive a $500 cash bonus. “Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series fans are some of the most dedicated in all of motorsports,” said Series Director Rick Schwallie. “The Velocity Manufacturing Group Most Popular Driver Contest gives them a direct voice in honoring the driver who has made the biggest impact on and off the track.” Velocity Manufacturing Group, a leader in high-performance racing components and fabrication solutions, becomes the title sponsor of the Most Popular Driver contest for the first time. “At Velocity Manufacturing Group, we’re proud to support the drivers and the fans who fuel this sport,” said Co-Owner Steve Maynard. “This contest is about celebrating the connection between competitors and the fans that support them week in and week out.” Fans can cast their votes by visiting the official Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series website and following the contest link. Voting will continue through December 1, 2025. To be eligible for the 2026 Velocity Manufacturing Group Most Popular Driver Award, a driver must maintain 100% attendance on the tour. Fans may vote for one (1) eligible driver per ballot submission. Voting is limited to one (1) vote per person. For the latest news, results, championship standings, and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, please visit LucasDirt.com. About Velocity Manufacturing GroupAt Velocity Manufacturing Group, our vision is clear: Use our skills, knowledge, and decades of experience in motorsports, aerospace, and defense to deliver high-quality, precision-manufactured products. Velocity Manufacturing Group is driven by a commitment to excellence, innovation, and reliability. Our goal is not just to participate in these industries, but to become a trusted supplier of precision manufacturing solutions, helping advance the next generation of aerospace, defense, and motorsports technologies. Visit Velocity Manufacturing Group online at VelocityMFG.com.

Voting Open for Velocity Manufacturing Group Most Popular Driver Contest

BATAVIA, Ohio (February 23, 2026) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing is excited to announce the return of the highly anticipated Most Popular Driver Contest, giving fans across the country the opportunity to vote for their favorite driver throughout the 2026 season. The annual contest celebrates the passion and loyalty of dirt racing fans while recognizing the drivers who make the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series one of the premier touring series in motorsports. Voting will take place online and will remain open through the final stretch of the season. The driver receiving the most fan votes will be officially crowned the Velocity Manufacturing Group Most Popular Driver at the year-end awards ceremony and will receive a $500 cash bonus. “Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series fans are some of the most dedicated in all of motorsports,” said Series Director Rick Schwallie. “The Velocity Manufacturing Group Most Popular Driver Contest gives them a direct voice in honoring the driver who has made the biggest impact on and off the track.” Velocity Manufacturing Group, a leader in high-performance racing components and fabrication solutions, becomes the title sponsor of the Most Popular Driver contest for the first time. “At Velocity Manufacturing Group, we’re proud to support the drivers and the fans who fuel this sport,” said Co-Owner Steve Maynard. “This contest is about celebrating the connection between competitors and the fans that support them week in and week out.” Fans can cast their votes by visiting the official Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series website and following the contest link. Voting will continue through December 1, 2025. To be eligible for the 2026 Velocity Manufacturing Group Most Popular Driver Award, a driver must maintain 100% attendance on the tour. Fans may vote for one (1) eligible driver per ballot submission. Voting is limited to one (1) vote per person. For the latest news, results, championship standings, and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, please visit LucasDirt.com. About Velocity Manufacturing GroupAt Velocity Manufacturing Group, our vision is clear: Use our skills, knowledge, and decades of experience in motorsports, aerospace, and defense to deliver high-quality, precision-manufactured products. Velocity Manufacturing Group is driven by a commitment to excellence, innovation, and reliability. Our goal is not just to participate in these industries, but to become a trusted supplier of precision manufacturing solutions, helping advance the next generation of aerospace, defense, and motorsports technologies. Visit Velocity Manufacturing Group online at VelocityMFG.com.

DRAG RACE BRACKET BONANZA LAUNCHES ‘MAJOR MOMENTS’ TO LET FANS DECIDE GREATEST MOMENTS IN NHRA HISTORY Season-long fan voting experience begins today with Top Fuel bracket DALLAS (February 23, 2026) — Drag Race Bracket Bonanza (DRBB), the free fantasy game built for NHRA fans, is launching an exciting new season-long feature for 2026: the Major Moments brackets, a fan-driven celebration of the most iconic events from 75 years of NHRA drag racing. Beginning today, DRBB will roll out seeded brackets featuring the Top 64 major moments in each professional class: Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle.  Throughout the 2026 season, fans will vote to determine which moments advance, ultimately narrowing each class down to its ultimate moments. The season will culminate in a final Overall Bracket, where players will crown the single greatest moment in NHRA history, comprised of the top 16 finishers from the four classes fan selected brackets.   The first bracket, Top Fuel, is now open and will remain live through March 6, leading into the historic Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.   After each bracket closes, DRBB will publicly release the fan-voted results, giving the NHRA community a chance to see how opinions stack up and fueling debate across the sport.   “Our goal is to bring fans into the conversation about the moments that define NHRA history,” said Elon Werner, creator of Drag Race Bracket Bonanza. “Every fan has their own list of unforgettable runs, upsets, records and championships. The Major Moments brackets give them a voice, and we’re excited to see the discussions, debates and passion it sparks all season long.”   The Major Moments schedule for 2026:Top Fuel Bracket: February 23 – March 6 (leading into the Gatornationals)Pro Stock Bracket: March 30 – April 10 (between the Arizona Nationals and the Winternationals)Pro Stock Motorcycle Bracket: May 18 – May 29 (between the Route 66 Nationals and the Potomac Nationals)Funny Car Bracket: June 29 – July 17 (between the Norwalk Nationals and the Sonoma Nationals)Overall Bracket: August 24 – September 5 (between the Brainerd Nationals and the U.S. Nationals)  The Major Moments brackets add a new layer of engagement to DRBB’s already popular free-to-play fantasy experience, giving fans a fun, ongoing reason to stay connected to the sport and to each other throughout the season. By releasing each round of fan voting publicly, DRBB hopes to ignite spirited conversations among friends, families and the broader NHRA community about what truly stands as the greatest moments in drag racing history.   Fans can begin voting in the Top Fuel Major Moments bracket today at DragRaceBracketBonanza.com. They can find an example video of the bracket on the DRBB YouTube channel.

Matt Covington Victorious in Sonoran Clash Night 2 at Central Arizona Raceway

CASA GRANDE, AZ (Feb. 22, 2026) — If there’s a fast top line around a dirt track, Matt Covington is sure to find it and use it to get to the front.

Covington, 36, of Glenpool, OK, blasted around the 3/8-mile oval of Central Arizona Raceway Sunday night en route to victory on night #2 of the American Sprint Car Series’ inaugural Sonoran Clash, making the pass on Kyler Johnson for the lead in the closing laps — reminiscent of their battle at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park last September, which ended in similar fashion.

“I feel bad for those guys; those guys are my friends, and I’ve stole two from him,” Covington said. “They’re doing so good, and [Johnson’s] gonna get there, it’s just traffic — you get it with experience. I didn’t do a very good job of it last night.”

Saturday night’s winner Justin Peck took command of the race early from the pole, jumping out to a 2.5-second lead over Johnson in traffic. That was until the caution flag was thrown 14 laps in, erasing Peck’s deficit and restacking the field on his bumper for the restart. Or so it seemed.

As the lights on the pace truck went out and the field prepared to resume racing, Peck ducked into the infield with a flat right-front tire, surrendering the lead to Johnson with Whit Gastineau and Covington right on his heels.

On the restart, Johnson took off strong and built up a sizable lead as Covington got by Gastineau down the backstretch on Lap 18. Seven laps later, Covington had erased his gap of over 1.5 seconds to Johnson and drove into Turn 3 with great speed on the top side. Rounding the fourth corner with Johnson committed to the bottom lane, Covington zoomed past Johnson into the lead as he crossed the start/finish line to complete Lap 25.

Now with the top spot, Covington paraded the field around the final five circuits without challenge en route to the $6,000 payday and the 23rd Series victory of his career.

“I really can’t believe we won this thing tonight,” Covington said. “The car was great.”

“I feel like we’ve really got things figured out right now. We’ve been off. We kinda got our butts kicked at Volusia — it’s a different track, a tough track. But we got a good rebound, and the rest of the year is looking up for us.”

Johnson held on to finish second while 15-year-old Levi Hillier banked his first career national Sprint Car series podium with a third-place run.

Johnson was the fastest car of all 34 entrants in Qualifying with a lap time of 14.032.

Heat Races were won by Nick Parker, Matt Covington, Hank Davis and Ryder Laplante.

The Honest Abe Roofing Dash was won by Justin Peck, and the Smith Titanium Last Chance Showdown was won by Sterling Cling.

UP NEXT

The American Sprint Car Series is back in action at Central Arizona Raceway, Sat–Sun, Feb. 28–March 1, for the finale of the Sonoran Clash.

Tickets for the event will be sold at the gate. If you can’t attend, stream live on DIRTVision.

Matt Covington Victorious in Sonoran Clash Night 2 at Central Arizona Raceway

CASA GRANDE, AZ (Feb. 22, 2026) — If there’s a fast top line around a dirt track, Matt Covington is sure to find it and use it to get to the front.

Covington, 36, of Glenpool, OK, blasted around the 3/8-mile oval of Central Arizona Raceway Sunday night en route to victory on night #2 of the American Sprint Car Series’ inaugural Sonoran Clash, making the pass on Kyler Johnson for the lead in the closing laps — reminiscent of their battle at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park last September, which ended in similar fashion.

“I feel bad for those guys; those guys are my friends, and I’ve stole two from him,” Covington said. “They’re doing so good, and [Johnson’s] gonna get there, it’s just traffic — you get it with experience. I didn’t do a very good job of it last night.”

Saturday night’s winner Justin Peck took command of the race early from the pole, jumping out to a 2.5-second lead over Johnson in traffic. That was until the caution flag was thrown 14 laps in, erasing Peck’s deficit and restacking the field on his bumper for the restart. Or so it seemed.

As the lights on the pace truck went out and the field prepared to resume racing, Peck ducked into the infield with a flat right-front tire, surrendering the lead to Johnson with Whit Gastineau and Covington right on his heels.

On the restart, Johnson took off strong and built up a sizable lead as Covington got by Gastineau down the backstretch on Lap 18. Seven laps later, Covington had erased his gap of over 1.5 seconds to Johnson and drove into Turn 3 with great speed on the top side. Rounding the fourth corner with Johnson committed to the bottom lane, Covington zoomed past Johnson into the lead as he crossed the start/finish line to complete Lap 25.

Now with the top spot, Covington paraded the field around the final five circuits without challenge en route to the $6,000 payday and the 23rd Series victory of his career.

“I really can’t believe we won this thing tonight,” Covington said. “The car was great.”

“I feel like we’ve really got things figured out right now. We’ve been off. We kinda got our butts kicked at Volusia — it’s a different track, a tough track. But we got a good rebound, and the rest of the year is looking up for us.”

Johnson held on to finish second while 15-year-old Levi Hillier banked his first career national Sprint Car series podium with a third-place run.

Johnson was the fastest car of all 34 entrants in Qualifying with a lap time of 14.032.

Heat Races were won by Nick Parker, Matt Covington, Hank Davis and Ryder Laplante.

The Honest Abe Roofing Dash was won by Justin Peck, and the Smith Titanium Last Chance Showdown was won by Sterling Cling.

UP NEXT

The American Sprint Car Series is back in action at Central Arizona Raceway, Sat–Sun, Feb. 28–March 1, for the finale of the Sonoran Clash.

Tickets for the event will be sold at the gate. If you can’t attend, stream live on DIRTVision.

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 95-Matt Covington[6]; 2. 45X-Kyler Johnson[2]; 3. 26R-Levi Hillier[4]; 4. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[19]; 5. 7-Brock Zearfoss[11]; 6. 88R-Ryder Laplante[7]; 7. 2-Whit Gastineau[5]; 8. 88N-DJ Netto[15]; 9. 15-Nick Parker[8]; 10. 23-Seth Bergman[9]; 11. 7C-Colby Copeland[16]; 12. 31BW-Braxton Weger[14]; 13. 11J-Wyatt Miller[12]; 14. 88C-Brogan Carder[24]; 15. 2J-Zach Blurton[10]; 16. 2B-Garrett Benson[22]; 17. 88-Terry Easum[23]; 18. 23N-Skylar Gee[18]; 19. 77X-Alex Hill[13]; 20. 16G-Austyn Gossel[20]; 21. 26-Justin Peck[1]; 22. 34-Sterling Cling[17]; 23. 17GP-Hank Davis[3]; 24. 22-Garen Linder[21]

Event: Autotrader 400Location: EchoPark Speedway, Hampton, GeorgiaDate: Sunday, February 22, 2026Start: 10thFinish: 38th Josh Berry and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team showed early speed in Sunday’s Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway near Atlanta before being swept up in a multi-car crash shortly after the start of Stage 2. The damage sustained in the Lap 82 incident was too severe for the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse to continue, resulting in a 38th-place finish. Berry started 10th and quickly established himself as a contender, running inside the top five and climbing as high as second during Stage 1. The promising start, however, unraveled early in the second segment and dropped him from 13th to 25th in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings. “It looked like I faded up a little bit to give the 20 room, and Ty [Gibbs] went to make a move it looked like and we got together,” Berry said. “It’s just a racing deal at Atlanta.” Berry said it’s unfortunate to drop out of a race so early. “In this style of racing I think all of us just want to make it out with a decent finish,” he said. “We were able to do that last week [in the Daytona 500], and we were able to do that in the Duel, but not so lucky this time.” Despite the result, Berry was encouraged by the overall pace of his Mustang. “I felt like I was really strong at the beginning,” he said. “We got pretty tight at the end of the first run and tried to make it better. We probably made it worse at the start of [the second Stage]…You lose a little bit of track position, and your car handles so much worse that it’s hard to tell. That’s why we all race so hard to stay up front…because the cars drive so bad in mid-pack, but yet you have no choice. “Overall, the guys did a good job. We had a really good car here last year. I think we have a little bit of work to do coming back here in the summer, but overall, the guys do a really good job here.” Berry and the Wood Brothers team now shift their focus to next Sunday’s DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas near Austin, Texas.

Chastain Leads Chevrolet to Four Top-Six Finishes in Overtime Finish at EchoPark Speedway

In an overtime attempt, it was Team Chevy’s Ross Chastain that drove his No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet to a third-place finish – marking his first top-five finish of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. The 33-year-old Alva, Florida, native led the Bowtie brigade to four top-six results with Spire Motorsports Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarez in the fourth and fifth positions, respectively, and Trackhouse Racing Shane van Gisbergen in sixth.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Race Recap: With rain washing out yesterday’s qualifying session for the NASCAR Cup Series, the starting lineup was set by the rulebook – putting Team Chevy’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Chase Elliott on the second row to lead the Bowtie brigade to the green-flag at EchoPark Speedway. The beginning laps of Stage One saw the majority of the field settle into their double-file formation. But it was Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar that quickly started to make a march through the field – sitting among the top-five of the race’s biggest movers as the No. 77 made his first appearance in the top-10 within just the first 10 laps of the race. But the run went south at the midway point of the opening stage when Hocevar tagged the wall – quickly losing positions before the Michigan native opted to hit pit road with the threat of a tire going down. The 60-lap stage went on caution-free with the reigning champion, Kyle Larson, turning a 16th-place starting position into a battle for the stage win with a pair of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, with the California native ultimately leading the Chevrolet camp to the first green-white checkered flag in the third position. Among the five Team Chevy drivers that earned points in the opening stage included rookie Connor Zilisch, who made an impressive charge through the field from 31st to a ninth-place result in Stage One.  Following a podium result in Stage One, the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet picked up two positions to win the race off pit road – inheriting a front-row position to start the next 100-lap run. With the first natural caution of the day falling at Lap 82 and sitting within the fuel window, the majority of the field hit pit road for a gas-and-go stop. Maintaining a position in the top-five throughout much of Stage Two, Larson put his No. 5 Chevrolet in prime position for the battle for the stage win. But a fight to the line saw Larson make contact with the No. 97 that ultimately saw his hopes for his first drafting-track win come to an end.  Two-time EchoPark Speedway winner, William Byron, entered the final run of the race with a pair of back-to-back top-four stage points. With the gamble for four tires called by new crew chief, Brandon McSwain, the fresh set paid early dividends for the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team with Ross Chastain making a quick climb back into the top-five with 50 laps to go. With multiple players battling for the lead, a multi-car incident mid-pack led to an overtime attempt to finish the 400-mile event. Leading the Bowtie brigade to the green-flag was the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet of Carson Hocevar, who made the ultimate rebound from his Stage One troubles to a true contender for the win. Lining up for a second overtime attempt saw Hocevar take the outside lane of the front-row with a pair of Team Chevy drivers, Chastain and Daniel Suarez, in tow. But it was Chastain that was able to maneuver his Chevrolet-powered machine up to the third position on the final lap to lead the manufacturer to the checkered-flag.

Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 ResultsPos.     Driver 3rd – Ross Chastain4th – Carson Hocevar5th – Daniel Suarez6th – Shane van Gisbergen Chevrolet’s season statistics with two NASCAR Cup Series races complete: Wins: 0Poles: 1Top-Fives: 5Top 10s: 6Stage Wins: 0

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Circuit of The Americas with the DuraMax Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne on Sunday, March 1, at 3:30 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

NASCAR Cup SeriesEchoPark SpeedwayAutotrader 400Team Chevy Post-Race ReportFebruary 22, 2026

Chastain Leads Chevrolet to Four Top-Six Finishes in Overtime Finish at EchoPark Speedway

In an overtime attempt, it was Team Chevy’s Ross Chastain that drove his No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet to a third-place finish – marking his first top-five finish of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. The 33-year-old Alva, Florida, native led the Bowtie brigade to four top-six results with Spire Motorsports Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarez in the fourth and fifth positions, respectively, and Trackhouse Racing Shane van Gisbergen in sixth.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Race Recap: With rain washing out yesterday’s qualifying session for the NASCAR Cup Series, the starting lineup was set by the rulebook – putting Team Chevy’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Chase Elliott on the second row to lead the Bowtie brigade to the green-flag at EchoPark Speedway. The beginning laps of Stage One saw the majority of the field settle into their double-file formation. But it was Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar that quickly started to make a march through the field – sitting among the top-five of the race’s biggest movers as the No. 77 made his first appearance in the top-10 within just the first 10 laps of the race. But the run went south at the midway point of the opening stage when Hocevar tagged the wall – quickly losing positions before the Michigan native opted to hit pit road with the threat of a tire going down. The 60-lap stage went on caution-free with the reigning champion, Kyle Larson, turning a 16th-place starting position into a battle for the stage win with a pair of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, with the California native ultimately leading the Chevrolet camp to the first green-white checkered flag in the third position. Among the five Team Chevy drivers that earned points in the opening stage included rookie Connor Zilisch, who made an impressive charge through the field from 31st to a ninth-place result in Stage One.  Following a podium result in Stage One, the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet picked up two positions to win the race off pit road – inheriting a front-row position to start the next 100-lap run. With the first natural caution of the day falling at Lap 82 and sitting within the fuel window, the majority of the field hit pit road for a gas-and-go stop. Maintaining a position in the top-five throughout much of Stage Two, Larson put his No. 5 Chevrolet in prime position for the battle for the stage win. But a fight to the line saw Larson make contact with the No. 97 that ultimately saw his hopes for his first drafting-track win come to an end.  Two-time EchoPark Speedway winner, William Byron, entered the final run of the race with a pair of back-to-back top-four stage points. With the gamble for four tires called by new crew chief, Brandon McSwain, the fresh set paid early dividends for the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team with Ross Chastain making a quick climb back into the top-five with 50 laps to go. With multiple players battling for the lead, a multi-car incident mid-pack led to an overtime attempt to finish the 400-mile event. Leading the Bowtie brigade to the green-flag was the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet of Carson Hocevar, who made the ultimate rebound from his Stage One troubles to a true contender for the win. Lining up for a second overtime attempt saw Hocevar take the outside lane of the front-row with a pair of Team Chevy drivers, Chastain and Daniel Suarez, in tow. But it was Chastain that was able to maneuver his Chevrolet-powered machine up to the third position on the final lap to lead the manufacturer to the checkered-flag.

Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 ResultsPos.     Driver 3rd – Ross Chastain4th – Carson Hocevar5th – Daniel Suarez6th – Shane van Gisbergen Chevrolet’s season statistics with two NASCAR Cup Series races complete: Wins: 0Poles: 1Top-Fives: 5Top 10s: 6Stage Wins: 0

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Circuit of The Americas with the DuraMax Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne on Sunday, March 1, at 3:30 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Post-Race Driver Quotes: Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletFinished: 3rd“I needed the No. 19 (Chase Briscoe) to not push the No. 45 (Tyler Reddick) into Turn One there, but he followed him because that was his best bet. And then the No. 45 pulled us down the backstretch like supersonic. That was insane how fast that car with the damage pulled the lane down the backstretch. We were all wide-open and we couldn’t gain anything.  We needed to be turning better with our No. 1 Wendy’s Chevy today. We were just a little too tight in traffic, and then even in clean air, we were scrubbing the fronts too much. We were never quite good enough to get control of the race. We’re always trying to cycle forward. Brandon McSwain (crew chief) made some great calls from the pit box.”   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 29th “Our Morgan & Morgan Chevrolet was plenty fast to have a great finish today but we ended up with damage in Stage 2. I was in the middle line following my teammate, Kyle Busch, and all of the sudden someone clipped me. We spent the rest of the race salvaging what we could, and our Richard Boswell-led team did a great job making adjustments to give us a shot at a decent finish. Unfortunately, we got clipped again in the closing laps of the race. It was just wrong place, wrong time. I hate it for our No. 3 team and everyone at RCR, ECR and CT Springs because they are putting in the work. We will keep focusing on what we can control and hopefully the luck turns.”   Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletSidelined by damage sustained in an accident coming to the green-white checkered flag to end Stage Two. Finished: 32nd“I just messed up. I knew the No. 45 (Tyler Reddick) was inside of me at one point of the corner, but I got clear of him. I didn’t quite realize that the No. 97 (Shane van Gisbergen) had gotten inside of him. So once I was clear, I just wanted to cut distance and short-cut my way to the stage finish. The No. 97 was out of my mirror. I just hung a quick left and ran right into him. There was nothing anyone else did wrong, it was all on me.  I hate it for this No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet team. We had a great Chevy. I felt like up until that point, I was doing a pretty good job. As always, we’re just trying to build our notebook up on these places. I know we crashed, but I feel like we are still getting better and better when we come to drafting tracks, especially here at Atlanta.”    Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 5th “Honestly, I thought we were in an amazing spot for that last restart. The No. 77 (Carson Hocevar) was leading the top lane and the No. 1 (Ross Chastain) was in front of me. I thought we were in a beautiful spot to make it work. The No. 97 (Shane van Gisbergen) was on my left side and pushed me wide. I felt like that broke down the top lane a little bit. I’m not sure, but I feel like we could have done a little bit better. I feel like we gave that one away because we were in the perfect spot.  But overall, I’m very, very proud of everyone at Spire Motorsports. I couldn’t be prouder, honestly. This team just continues to fight; continues to show up and continues to get better. They never doubt that we can make the car better. I can’t thank everyone at Chevrolet and the Hendrick Engine Shop for the power under the hood. We just need to keep cleaning a few things up to keep getting better, but very excited for the start of the season.”   Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletSidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage TwoFinished: 34th  “I just didn’t have the best of exits off of Turn Two and I was a little crooked getting to the wall. I just got rammed by the No. 4 (Noah Gragson); no check-up or anything. He didn’t give me an opportunity to make sure I was straight before hitting me or get into me gently to just try and get the momentum back going again. He just drove right through me. It sucks for this No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet team and everyone at Richard Childress Racing. I thought we had a really good Chevy. We definitely would have finished better than where we were.”   William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 28th “I just didn’t have much grip, so I was searching for air and got loose. It was on me. I was just pushing hard and had to kind of put myself in some weird spots. I didn’t have any steering, so the further I got down the track, I just kept turning to the right. When I slowed down, I was just hoping I could get back to pit road, but then I got clocked.  It was a wild race. It was getting really wild there at the end. I felt like I was in a good spot to at least get a good finish. I don’t think I was going to be able to lead with the damage I had, but I was just trying to mix myself into the top-five. I think I was probably fifth or sixth there. It was crazy, but nothing out of the ordinary, really. Overall, I enjoyed it. Our No. 24 Raptor Chevrolet was pretty good all day.”   Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports ChevroletSidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage Two. Finished: 35th “I couldn’t really see a lot in front of me. All of a sudden, the No. 35 (Riley Herbst) turned sideways in front of us. I locked up my brakes as hard as I could, but our No. 47 Chef Boyardee Chevy just came to a stop. We were having some fueling issues and that’s just what kind of got us back further than where we wanted to be. We’ll have to go take a look at that. But I was having a blast. It’s a lot of fun out there. We made a few changes that I felt made our Chevy way better. We worked our way back up there in the later part of Stage Two, so bummed how it ended. We’ll regroup and get ready for COTA.”   Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 4th “I was really happy with this No. 77 Spectrum Chevrolet. Our car was really fast to go from two laps down to getting stage points and finishing fourth. Overall, it was a good points day for us. I was taking every run I could. I’m sure I owe people apologies, but I think we’re all battling for spaces and runs. At the end, all four tires were straight. My toe was knocked out, but it was still pretty fast. Pretty excited about a strong start to the season.”   Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletSidelined by damage sustained in an accident in the final stage. Finished: 30th“I couldn’t see much, really. I was behind the No. 48 (Alex Bowman). He checked up and I just didn’t quite have enough time to check up. I couldn’t see what was going on in front of the No. 48. He had a gap in front of him and he could see it. It’s unfortunate for the No. 88 Tootsies Orchid Lounge Chevrolet team. We were making moves and getting up towards the front. It’s just unfortunate for it to end like that.”

CASA GRANDE, AZ (Feb. 21, 2026) — Justin Peck’s excellence in American Sprint Car Series competition with Rudeen Racing cannot be understated.

Peck, 27, of Monrovia, IN, raced his way from third to the lead in 12 laps Saturday night at Central Arizona Raceway to claim victory on opening night of the inaugural Sonoran Clash. In doing so, he banked his fourth full-points paying Feature win with the Series in his last four such starts (excluding 360 Knoxville Nationals), going back to his sweep of all three season-opening events at Volusia Speedway Park in 2025.

For the national 410 Sprint Car standout, it was another dominant display of speed and skill in traffic over his 360 cubic-inch brethren.

From third on the starting grid, Peck held his position behind second place Colby Copeland through the first eight circuits around the 3/8-mile oval. When Copeland slipped high off Turn 4 on Lap 9, Peck was in position on the bottom to drive by in the open lane on the bottom and quickly set his sights on leader Matt Covington, who was over a second ahead in lapped traffic.

In only three laps, Peck erased the gap to the No. 95. Similar to Copeland, Covington slipped off the bottom lane at the exit of Turn 2 with Peck in his tracks. Peck had entered Turn 1 in the top lane and pointed the Rudeen Racing No. 26 back to the bottom off Turn 2, slipping underneath Covington as they raced down the backstretch.

Peck won the drag race to Turn 3 and took the lead away for good on Lap 12. A restart with 19 laps completed gave Covington one shot to get the lead back, but he was unsuccessful as Peck’s speed carried him to his fourth career American Sprint Car Series victory.

“I went in on the top, [Covington] went in on the bottom, the lapped car lifted really bad and he had to slide across the racetrack, so that let me carry momentum and cut across and get underneath of him,” Peck said. “It felt like we had really good pace there; going through traffic, I was just kinda picking them off one at a time. Was just trying to keep it in clean air and it worked out for us.”

Covington held on to finish second while six-time and defending Series champion Sam Hafertepe Jr. raced his way to claim the final podium spot from seventh on the starting grid. 2024 Rookie of the Year Hank Davis crossed in fourth after starting eighth, while 15-year-old Levi Hillier rounded-out the top five.

Hillier was the fastest of all 34 drivers in Qualifying with a lap of 13.924.

Heat Races were won by Sam Hafertepe Jr, Garen Linder, Colby Copeland and Justin Peck.

Covington won the Honest Abe Roofing Dash, while Whit Gastineau won the Smith Titanium Last Chance Showdown.

UP NEXT

The American Sprint Car Series concludes the first of two race weekends in the inaugural Sonoran Clash at Central Arizona Raceway on Sunday, Feb. 22. Hot Laps are scheduled for 4 p.m. MT.

Tickets will be sold at the track. If you can’t be there, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

Justin Peck Wins Opening Night of Inaugural Sonoran Clash at Central Arizona

CASA GRANDE, AZ (Feb. 21, 2026) — Justin Peck’s excellence in American Sprint Car Series competition with Rudeen Racing cannot be understated.

Peck, 27, of Monrovia, IN, raced his way from third to the lead in 12 laps Saturday night at Central Arizona Raceway to claim victory on opening night of the inaugural Sonoran Clash. In doing so, he banked his fourth full-points paying Feature win with the Series in his last four such starts (excluding 360 Knoxville Nationals), going back to his sweep of all three season-opening events at Volusia Speedway Park in 2025.

For the national 410 Sprint Car standout, it was another dominant display of speed and skill in traffic over his 360 cubic-inch brethren.

From third on the starting grid, Peck held his position behind second place Colby Copeland through the first eight circuits around the 3/8-mile oval. When Copeland slipped high off Turn 4 on Lap 9, Peck was in position on the bottom to drive by in the open lane on the bottom and quickly set his sights on leader Matt Covington, who was over a second ahead in lapped traffic.

In only three laps, Peck erased the gap to the No. 95. Similar to Copeland, Covington slipped off the bottom lane at the exit of Turn 2 with Peck in his tracks. Peck had entered Turn 1 in the top lane and pointed the Rudeen Racing No. 26 back to the bottom off Turn 2, slipping underneath Covington as they raced down the backstretch.

Peck won the drag race to Turn 3 and took the lead away for good on Lap 12. A restart with 19 laps completed gave Covington one shot to get the lead back, but he was unsuccessful as Peck’s speed carried him to his fourth career American Sprint Car Series victory.

“I went in on the top, [Covington] went in on the bottom, the lapped car lifted really bad and he had to slide across the racetrack, so that let me carry momentum and cut across and get underneath of him,” Peck said. “It felt like we had really good pace there; going through traffic, I was just kinda picking them off one at a time. Was just trying to keep it in clean air and it worked out for us.”

Covington held on to finish second while six-time and defending Series champion Sam Hafertepe Jr. raced his way to claim the final podium spot from seventh on the starting grid. 2024 Rookie of the Year Hank Davis crossed in fourth after starting eighth, while 15-year-old Levi Hillier rounded-out the top five.

Hillier was the fastest of all 34 drivers in Qualifying with a lap of 13.924.

Heat Races were won by Sam Hafertepe Jr, Garen Linder, Colby Copeland and Justin Peck.

Covington won the Honest Abe Roofing Dash, while Whit Gastineau won the Smith Titanium Last Chance Showdown.

UP NEXT

The American Sprint Car Series concludes the first of two race weekends in the inaugural Sonoran Clash at Central Arizona Raceway on Sunday, Feb. 22. Hot Laps are scheduled for 4 p.m. MT.

Tickets will be sold at the track. If you can’t be there, stream every lap live on DIRTVision.

Feature (25 Laps): 1. 26-Justin Peck[3]; 2. 95-Matt Covington[1]; 3. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[7]; 4. 17GP-Hank Davis[8]; 5. 26R-Levi Hillier[5]; 6. 23-Seth Bergman[9]; 7. 45X-Kyler Johnson[4]; 8. 15-Nick Parker[10]; 9. 34-Sterling Cling[14]; 10. 88N-DJ Netto[18]; 11. 11J-Wyatt Miller[12]; 12. 2-Whit Gastineau[17]; 13. 22-Garen Linder[6]; 14. 01-Carson McCarl[11]; 15. 7-Brock Zearfoss[19]; 16. 88R-Ryder Laplante[23]; 17. 17W-Elijah Gile[21]; 18. 31BW-Braxton Weger[16]; 19. 88-Terry Easum[24]; 20. 88C-Brogan Carder[25]; 21. 16G-Austyn Gossel[20]; 22. 2J-Zach Blurton[26]; 23. 12J-John Clark[22]; 24. 4-Tuesday Scearce[15]; 25. 2B-Garrett Benson[13]; 26. 7C-Colby Copeland[2]

O’Neal Outduels Overton in Saturday’s Wieland Winter Nationals at All-Tech

LAKE CITY, FL (February 21, 2026) – Hudson O’Neal charged from his fourth starting position to take the lead with 20 laps remaining in Saturday night’s 50-lap Wieland Winter Nationals feature at All-Tech Raceway, capturing his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory of the season. O’Neal had to survive a late-race caution with five laps to go after third-running Mark Whitener climbed the wall in turn four. Whitener, who led a race-high 26 laps, suffered right-front suspension damage in the incident and was unable to finish. On the ensuing restart, O’Neal held off Brandon Overton to secure his first career victory at All-Tech in 13 appearances at the Florida facility. Overton crossed the line second, just 0.804 seconds behind the third-generation driver. Clay Harris capped off a strong week at All-Tech with his second podium finish, taking third. Garrett Alberson finished fourth, followed by Carson Ferguson in fifth. Harris jumped to the early lead in the $15,000-to-win feature as weather loomed from the northwest, pacing the field for the first three laps before Whitener took control. Whitener, who entered the weekend as the driver in the field with the most competitive laps at All-Tech, was seeking his first career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory. The race’s first caution flew on lap 17 for Michael Leach. Whitener maintained the lead on the restart, with O’Neal running second after starting fourth. O’Neal stalked Whitener until lap 30, when he executed an inside move off turn four to take command. Whitener settled into second as Overton began applying pressure. Overton briefly took over the runner-up spot on lap 36, but Whitener reclaimed the position a lap later. Overton finally secured second for good on lap 41, dropping Whitener to third. Four laps later, Whitener’s bid for his first LOLMDS podium ended when he climbed the wall in turn four, bringing out the race’s second and final caution. With five laps remaining and a single-file restart ahead, O’Neal executed flawlessly to fend off Overton and seal the victory. The win marked O’Neal’s 35th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series triumph. The 2023 series champion also recorded his fifth overall victory of the season, making him the early-season winningest driver in the nation. “I definitely didn’t want to see that caution,” said the Martinsville, Indiana native in Lucas Oil Victory Lane. “I felt like I had a good race car, but the top getting into turn one was so far out there that it really opened me up to a slide job if I didn’t get a good restart. I just focused on hitting my marks and making sure I pinched that last tire and got as low as I could down the front straightaway. “I tried to create as much separation as possible. I really thought Whitener was going to be hard to beat. He was running that top really well and was on the ragged edge. I was just trying to pace myself. Luckily, I found something on the bottom in lapped traffic, and it all worked out. I’ve never won here before, so it’s a great feeling to win somewhere new.” Overton, who is returning for another full season with the series, admitted All-Tech has traditionally been a challenging venue for him. Still, he leaves the track with a five-point championship lead heading to Ocala next week. “We’ll take it because this was supposed to be our tough week,” Overton said. “We set fast time in our group every night, won two heats, and were on the podium two nights. This place is super tricky. I think I had a winning car tonight. I struggled early on the bottom — the first couple of laps I tried to poke my nose down there and they just drove around me on the top. Once I moved up, we were really good. Congrats to Hudson and Clay — they’ve been fast all weekend.” Harris finished the week at All-Tech with a second- and third-place finish and believes a mistake on Thursday likely cost him a shot at three podium results. “I just couldn’t run that top like those other guys could,” Harris said. “I hit the tractor tire with the right front and it knocked the toe out, ripped the steering wheel out of my hands. I had to gather it back up and get it back together. Then there at the end, I guess I decided to hit it again.” The winning Todd and Vickie Burns/SSI Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Big River Steel, Wheeler Metals, Merrill Bonding Company, Professional Concrete Cutting and Drilling, O’Neal’s Salvage and Recycling, Lineal Contracting, Beeman Lumber, Lucas Oil, Sunoco Race Fuels, Seven Spurs Ranch, Penske Racing Shocks, and Indiana USSSA Fast Pitch Softball. Completing the top ten were Frank Heckenast Jr., Devin Moran, Brandon Sheppard, Cory Hedgecock, and Kyle Bronson. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter NationalsSaturday, February 21, 2026All-Tech Raceway | Lake City, FL Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Brandon Overton | 17.135 seconds (Overall)Fast Time Group B: Brian Shirley | 17.325 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 2. 7-Ross Robinson[2]; 3. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 4. 11-Josh Rice[4]; 5. 15-Clay Stuckey[5]; 6. 15K-Cody Overton[8]; 7. 31-Tyler Millwood[7]; 8. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[9]; 9. (DNS) 388-Jackson Hise; 10. (DNS) 24-Tyler Wyant Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 5-Mark Whitener[1]; 2. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[2]; 3. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 4. 8-Dillon McCowan[6]; 5. 19M-Brenden Smith[5]; 6. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[9]; 7. 77-Preston Luckman[3]; 8. 4-Kale Green[8]; 9. 79-Cory Hedgecock[7] Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 6-Clay Harris[2]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 3. 1-Brandon Sheppard[4]; 4. 111-Max Blair[6]; 5. 40B-Kyle Bronson[7]; 6. 13-Dallon Murty[8]; 7. 16-Tyler Bruening[5]; 8. 32J-Justin Weaver[10]; 9. 93L-Cory Lawler[3]; 10. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[9] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[1]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[2]; 3. 09-Michael Leach[5]; 4. 44-Chris Madden[3]; 5. 81F-Jadon Frame[6]; 6. 12R-Ryan Payne[8]; 7. 60-Dan Ebert[7]; 8. 6B-Adam Boyd[9]; 9. (DNS) C4-Freddie Carpenter Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 19M-Brenden Smith[2]; 2. 79-Cory Hedgecock[10]; 3. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[7]; 4. 31-Tyler Millwood[5]; 5. 4-Kale Green[8]; 6. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[4]; 7. 15-Clay Stuckey[1]; 8. 15K-Cody Overton[3]; 9. 77-Preston Luckman[6]; 10. (DNS) 388-Jackson Hise; 11. (DNS) 24-Tyler Wyant UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[1]; 2. 13-Dallon Murty[3]; 3. 60-Dan Ebert[6]; 4. 81F-Jadon Frame[2]; 5. 16-Tyler Bruening[5]; 6. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[11]; 7. 32J-Justin Weaver[7]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]; 9. 6B-Adam Boyd[8]; 10. 12R-Ryan Payne[4]; 11. C4-Freddie Carpenter[10] Wieland Winter Nationals Feature Finish (50 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 4 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $16,1002 – 1 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $7,7003 – 2 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $5,7004 – 8 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $4,7005 – 11 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $3,7006 – 21 – 99JR – Frank Heckenast Jr – Frankfort, IL – $2,5007 – 9 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $3,6008 – 10 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $3,0009 – 19 – 79 – Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – $2,90010 – 18 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $2,10011 – 22 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $2,70012 – 13 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $2,50013 – 6 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $1,60014 – 14 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $1,50015 – 16 – 44 – Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – $1,40016 – 5 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $1,30017 – 17 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $1,90018 – 23 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $2,20019 – 3 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – $1,00020 – 7 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $1,70021 – 15 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $1,00022 – 12 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – $1,00023 – 20 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – $1,00024 – 24 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $1,700 Race Statistics  Entrants: 38Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Brandon OvertonMD3 Lap Leaders: Clay Harris (Laps 1-3); Mark Whitener (Laps 4-29); Hudson O’Neal (Laps 30-50)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Mark WhitenerWieland Feature Winner: Hudson O’NealMargin of Victory: 0.804 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: Michael Leach (Lap 17); Mark Whitener (Lap 45)MyRacePass Series Provisionals: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Cory LawlerFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Overton, Clay HarrisPenske Shocks Top 5: Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Overton, Clay Harris, Garrett Alberson, Carson FergusonBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Overton, Clay HarrisPEM 4th Place Feature: Garrett AlbersonDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Carson FergusonWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Devin MoranWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Dan EbertVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Brian ShirleyXS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Chris MaddenHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Frank Heckenast, Jr. (Advanced 15 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Mark Whitener (26 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Hudson O’NealMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin MoranO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Mark Whitener | Lap 21 | 19.792 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Mark WhitenerVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Hudson O’NealOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Jason DurhamARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Brian Shirley | 16.8697 secondsTime of Race: 22 minutes 58 seconds Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 690 – $13,9002 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 685 – $22,1003 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 675 – $21,2004 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 650 – $15,9005 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 575 – $7,5006 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 575 – $12,6007 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 550 – $5,9008 – 79 – Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – 545 – $6,4009 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 545 – $6,50010 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 535 – $7,00011 – 3s – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 535 – $5,10012 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 520 – $5,15013 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – 515 – $5,30014 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 510 – $4,25015 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 495 – $5,40016 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 415 – $3,60017 – 44 – Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – 405 – $3,20018 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 395 – $2,12519 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – 390 – $2,10020 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 385 – $2,40021 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – 380 – $1,15022 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 375 – $3,50023 – 77 – Preston Luckman – Coos Bay, OR – 375 – $2,02524 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 375 – $1,27525 – 81F – Jadon Frame – Winchester, TN – 355 – $1,20026 – 31 – Tyler Millwood – Kingston, GA – 355 – $1,20027 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 355 – $1,20028 – 32J – Justin Weaver – Clearspring, MD – 350 – $1,00029 – 15 – Clay Stuckey – Shreveport, LA – 330 – $30030 – 99JR – Frank Heckenast Jr – Frankfort, IL – 315 – $2,60031 – 388 – Jackson Hise – Ocala, FL – 310 – $1,80032 – 24 – Tyler Wyant – Oil City, PA – 310 – $1,80033 – 6B – Adam Boyd – Riverview, FL – 310 – $30034 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 300 – $95035 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – 295 – $30036 – 15K – Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 260 – $1,15037 – 4 – Kale Green – Pelion, SC – 230 – $20038 – 12R – Ryan Payne – Pennsboro, WV – 195 – $100

CLEWISTON, FL (February 21, 2026) – If Hendry County Motorsports Park wasn’t on the national radar before this weekend, it most definitely is now.

The track’s inaugural visit by the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision reached its conclusion with two of the sport’s modern-day titans putting on a show for a Swamp Cabbage 100 trophy.

At the end of 60 laps of back-and-forth racing, Nick Hoffman held off Bobby Pierce to score his third World of Outlaws win of the year and swing the momentum back in his favor leaving Florida.

“This place was really good,” said Hoffman, who carries a 10-point lead over Pierce into the next stop on tour at Volunteer Speedway on March 13. “I had my doubts, I will say. Tonight’s track, the racing surface was great. Had a little bit of character, but I feel like that’s what evened it out a little bit. I didn’t plan on this, I can tell you that. I thought if I can get through this weekend with a couple decent points nights, but man, this is badass.”

After Pierce wrestled the lead away from Bilstein Pole Award winner Sam Seawright early on, Hoffman got his first look at the lead 14 laps in when he rolled the bottom of Turns 3 and 4 well enough to nose in front going into Turn 1. The next time around, Hoffman jumped the cushion in Turn 2 and let Pierce get back by, but he was bailed out by a caution for a slowing Eli Johnson that handed the lead back to Hoffman.

Late in the race, most of the field had migrated to Hoffman’s preferred inside groove, leaving the top wide open for Pierce to put a last-ditch effort together. Pierce used a strong run off the top of Turn 2 to cross down under Hoffman going into Turn 3, and Hoffman responded by moving up top himself to keep it side-by-side. The duo soon came up to the slower car of Tristan Chamberlain, and Hoffman kept Pierce pinned behind the No. 20TC long enough to clear him and get back to the bottom.

With a clear track to settle the race, Hoffman kept it low while Pierce went back to the cushion on the final lap. There wasn’t quite enough juice on the top for Pierce to make the Hail Mary work, and he came up a car length short to Hoffman at the flag stand.

“If [Pierce] was going to get it, he was going to have to earn it,” Hoffman said. “I just knew that bottom was starting to clean up and get pretty good, so he threw caution to the wind and was going for it.”

Ryan Gustin finished third for his best result of the season in World of Outlaws competition, while Drake Troutman and Ethan Dotson rounded out the top five.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision continues the 2026 season in east Tennessee at Volunteer Speedway (Friday, March 13) and Smoky Mountain Speedway (Saturday, March 14). Get tickets in advance by clicking here.

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

RACE NOTES:

Tyler Erb set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Sam Seawright won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Sam Seawright won Jarrett Rifles Heat 1.

Nick Hoffman won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Bobby Pierce won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Logan Zarin won the Last Chance Showdown.

Sam Seawright won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Luke Morey won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Daulton Wilson won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Bobby Pierce was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Ryan Gustin was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Drake Troutman was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Ethan Dotson was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Dustin Sorensen was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Tyler Erb was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Dennis Erb Jr. was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Boom Briggs was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Sam Seawright was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Daulton Wilson was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Luke Morey was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Brent Larson was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Jake Timm was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Christian Augspurger was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Hoffman Beats Pierce to the Flag in Swamp Cabbage 100 Duel at Hendry County

CLEWISTON, FL (February 21, 2026) – If Hendry County Motorsports Park wasn’t on the national radar before this weekend, it most definitely is now.

The track’s inaugural visit by the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision reached its conclusion with two of the sport’s modern-day titans putting on a show for a Swamp Cabbage 100 trophy.

At the end of 60 laps of back-and-forth racing, Nick Hoffman held off Bobby Pierce to score his third World of Outlaws win of the year and swing the momentum back in his favor leaving Florida.

“This place was really good,” said Hoffman, who carries a 10-point lead over Pierce into the next stop on tour at Volunteer Speedway on March 13. “I had my doubts, I will say. Tonight’s track, the racing surface was great. Had a little bit of character, but I feel like that’s what evened it out a little bit. I didn’t plan on this, I can tell you that. I thought if I can get through this weekend with a couple decent points nights, but man, this is badass.”

After Pierce wrestled the lead away from Bilstein Pole Award winner Sam Seawright early on, Hoffman got his first look at the lead 14 laps in when he rolled the bottom of Turns 3 and 4 well enough to nose in front going into Turn 1. The next time around, Hoffman jumped the cushion in Turn 2 and let Pierce get back by, but he was bailed out by a caution for a slowing Eli Johnson that handed the lead back to Hoffman.

Late in the race, most of the field had migrated to Hoffman’s preferred inside groove, leaving the top wide open for Pierce to put a last-ditch effort together. Pierce used a strong run off the top of Turn 2 to cross down under Hoffman going into Turn 3, and Hoffman responded by moving up top himself to keep it side-by-side. The duo soon came up to the slower car of Tristan Chamberlain, and Hoffman kept Pierce pinned behind the No. 20TC long enough to clear him and get back to the bottom.

With a clear track to settle the race, Hoffman kept it low while Pierce went back to the cushion on the final lap. There wasn’t quite enough juice on the top for Pierce to make the Hail Mary work, and he came up a car length short to Hoffman at the flag stand.

“If [Pierce] was going to get it, he was going to have to earn it,” Hoffman said. “I just knew that bottom was starting to clean up and get pretty good, so he threw caution to the wind and was going for it.”

Ryan Gustin finished third for his best result of the season in World of Outlaws competition, while Drake Troutman and Ethan Dotson rounded out the top five.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision continues the 2026 season in east Tennessee at Volunteer Speedway (Friday, March 13) and Smoky Mountain Speedway (Saturday, March 14). Get tickets in advance by clicking here.

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

RACE NOTES:

Tyler Erb set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Sam Seawright won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Sam Seawright won Jarrett Rifles Heat 1.

Nick Hoffman won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Bobby Pierce won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Logan Zarin won the Last Chance Showdown.

Sam Seawright won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Luke Morey won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Daulton Wilson won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Bobby Pierce was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Ryan Gustin was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Drake Troutman was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Ethan Dotson was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Dustin Sorensen was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Tyler Erb was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Dennis Erb Jr. was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Boom Briggs was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Sam Seawright was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Daulton Wilson was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Luke Morey was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Brent Larson was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Jake Timm was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Christian Augspurger was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Feature (60 Laps): 1. 9-Nick Hoffman[4]; 2. 32-Bobby Pierce[6]; 3. 19R-Ryan Gustin[2]; 4. 22*-Drake Troutman[12]; 5. 74X-Ethan Dotson[7]; 6. 19-Dustin Sorensen[10]; 7. 1-Tyler Erb[5]; 8. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[13]; 9. 99B-Boom Briggs[14]; 10. 16-Sam Seawright[1]; 11. 58V-Daulton Wilson[9]; 12. 49M-Luke Morey[21]; 13. B1-Brent Larson[3]; 14. 49-Jake Timm[18]; 15. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[15]; 16. 12-Ryan Montgomery[11]; 17. 9M-Tim McCreadie[16]; 18. 35-Christian Augspurger[20]; 19. 55E-Eli Johnson[8]; 20. 14-Trey Mills[17]; 21. 46-Doug Horton[24]; 22. T1-Todd Morrow[22]; 23. 18I-Jason Intoppa[23]; 24. 1Z-Logan Zarin[19]

Daniel Suarez, driver of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media onsite at EchoPark Speedway in advance of NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

NASCAR CUP SERIESECHOPARK SPEEDWAYTEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTESFEBRUARY 21, 2026

Daniel Suarez, driver of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet, met with the media onsite at EchoPark Speedway in advance of NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Media Availability Quotes:  Last week was your first week with Spire Motorsports. You are former winner here at EchoPark Speedway. So, as we come into this second race of the NASCAR season, just tell us a little bit about your experiences last week in Daytona and what you’re looking forward to today. “Honestly, I couldn’t be happier. Everyone at Spire Motorsports has been nothing but great to me. Not just this year, but really since last year, because all the work started the first week of November. We had a little bit of a busy off season, but I’m very happy that all the work and the work that really the team has been doing even before my time is showing. We have had very fast cars, really, since the first time I jumped in one of these things in the test at North Wilkesboro, and then the same thing in the Clash. And then at Daytona, it was the case again, so I’m super excited. I couldn’t be happier. I have a great group of guys, not just working very hard at the shop, but also traveling to the race weekends. It’s always fun to have a group of guys like this to go to battle every single weekend.”  Daniel, this track has been really good to you, with the exception of last year’s crashes. But is there anything in particular you like about this track? Just fits your style, or what? “You know, when they changed the configuration of the racetrack, I would say that 80 percent of the drivers were very negative about it. I would say that I was part of the 20 percent, just because I like new things. I like new challenges, and every time I see something new, for me, it’s a sign of an opportunity. So, that’s just the way that I approach it, and it just works out for us. You know, obviously, this is, for me personally, I don’t see this as a mile-and-a-half, and I don’t see this as a superspeedway. It’s like a hybrid, and just the fact that it’s completely different, I enjoy that a lot. And obviously, you know, this place has treated me well. Last year, we just didn’t do as good of a job as we have in the past for a few different reasons, but we know what the reasons are, and I’m making sure that we don’t make the same mistakes again.”   What is it about this track that you have had the success that you have because it’s been long going that you’ve done well here. Do you just find yourself suited to that style of racing? Is it whatever it is in the universe here in Atlanta? What do you say? “Honestly, I don’t know. I mean, really, since before the configuration, I used to do pretty well here. I think, honestly, half of the battle is mental. You know, when you come into this place, and you’re already like, oh man, there is a high chance I’m going to crash, I feel like there is a good percentage that you’re going to crash. So, I think I just try to enjoy it and have fun. I’ve been fortunate enough that I have had good race cars here, as well. It’s not just myself… it’s an entire army behind me. I’ve been fortunate enough to have good race cars here in the past, and we’ve been able to take advantage of that. But, like I said, we also made mistakes last year. We got a little bit too greedy, myself and our decisions last year, and it just didn’t pay off. So, it’s a balance, right? I believe that I’m good here, and last year, I don’t have anything to show for it.  So, it’s a combination that you have to have between driver and the car, and I believe that we’re going to have another shot at it tomorrow because based on everything I have seen from Spire Motorsports, they were also very, very sporty here. It’s been a lot of fun to do our homework preparing into this weekend.”  In a couple weeks at Phoenix, both INDYCAR and NASCAR will be there. Do you view that as any sort of opportunity to kind of help increase the NASCAR fan base among Hispanics who might be more in tune to INDYCAR?“Yeah, Bob (Pockrass), I think that’s a great question. I think it’s an amazing opportunity, and I’m super excited to continue to explore these double duties or whatever you want to call it with INDYCAR. I think INDYCAR is an amazing series. I really, really love watching those guys. I have a couple good friends racing that series and it’s fun. I believe that the fan base that they have is actually quite different than NASCAR. I’m not saying that it’s better or worse, it’s just different. So, doing these double duties, I think it’s fun because you bring these two different fan bases together to watch NASCAR and INDYCAR. I enjoyed it when we did it back in Indianapolis. I thought it was a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to do it again, and hopefully it can be the beginning of bringing new opportunities because I don’t see why we shouldn’t do it more often. INDYCAR, like I said, is a great series. They continue to grow, and they continue to get better. Obviously, NASCAR is the same way. We are the biggest motorsports in the country, and I don’t know who doesn’t want to be racing with NASCAR. I mean, it’s a no-brainer. So, I think it’s amazing that we get to do it with a series like INDYCAR.”  No Mic…“Yeah, but it’s okay, you know? We are heavier, and we have more horsepower. It’s just different. It’s a different kind of racing. We are just a more physical kind of race. I mean, you know that. But yeah, I mean, INDYCAR’s, they are super-fast. They are super, super fast, especially on ovals. But yeah, they are going to make us look like we are running in bicycles (laughs), but it’s just completely different things. I mean, their race cars weigh maybe 25-30 percent of what ours weigh, so it’s just a completely different game.”   You’ve had to make several transitions through your career, going from one team to another. What have you learned over the course of your career that made the transition from Trackhouse Racing to Spire Motorsports easier than maybe it had been before?“You know, the biggest thing that I have learned — I’ve been fortunate or unfortunate enough to make this transition a few times, as you mentioned. But the biggest thing I have learned is that everything is about the people. It doesn’t really matter what kind of banner or what name they have. If you don’t have the right people in place, it’s going to be tough, and that’s the one thing that, honestly, I truly, truly love about Spire Motorsports, is that they have amazing people from top to bottom and I really enjoy that. I really love to see their values and what is important for them. There is a reason why they have the word ‘respect’ on pretty much everything that they do, and that’s the biggest value that they have. That goes, like I said, from top to bottom.  You know, in the last couple years, and I have mentioned this several times, I have seen Spire Motorsports as the fastest growing organization out there. When you’re on the outside looking in, you always wonder, what are they doing? Now that I’ve been part of this organization for a couple months, I understand what they are doing. You know, it’s everything about the details and about people. I’m just very, very proud and fortunate to be part of the journey with them.”   You were at JGR when Chris Gabehart was there. What do you see him bringing to Spire Motorsports?“Yeah, you know, actually, Chris (Gabehart) and I, we fought for the championship back in 2016. He was the crew chief for Erik Jones, and I was with Scott Graves. He’s extremely smart and extremely competitive. At the time, he was a crew chief. I have nothing but respect for him. Obviously, you know, I never really got to work with him… only one race, actually, in 2017. I have nothing but respect for him. He was extremely fast in 2016. He was the biggest threat for us to win the championship with Erik Jones. So, I have nothing but respect for everything that he has done in his career.”  Daniel, a few of your fellow competitors have begun to be more outspoken about how tired they are of getting beat by SVG on road courses, and they’re starting to put in even more work, if that’s possible. As we look ahead to COTA next weekend and the upcoming road courses. where do you stand on that? Are you trying to do anything different? “Yeah… listen, SVG is very good. He’s been doing road course racing for a long time. He’s very experienced, as well. So, it’s a perfect combination, right? Like, he’s been doing this for a long time. He has probably the most experience on the entire field combined in road course racing. But guess what? He’s human. So, as far as I know, every human here is beatable. So, we’re working very, very hard to get there. I know SVG actually fairly well, and I know he has a lot of strengths. But he also has weaknesses. I know that there are ways to get there, but you have to be very good, as well. I know I can get there. I have been there actually in the past. So, it’s going to be fun. It’s a good challenge. You know, I love challenges. I think that it’s not going to be easy because he has set the bar pretty high. But like I said, he’s human, and I believe that not just myself, but there is many organizations out there, many drivers, that are working very hard to catch up on him. And listen, he’s been doing a good job, not just as a driver, but also he has brought a lot of new ideas from Australia about how to set up the car. It’s not just about him jumping into any race car and winning. It’s not just like that. It’s him making the car do things that he’s used to in Australia.  He has done an amazing job; credit to him. But it’s just an opportunity for us to continue to learn from that and continue to get better.”  Did you learn anything last weekend with the new Chevy body about racing on the speedways that was different from last year, maybe can help you at Talladega?“Yeah, Chris (Knight), that’s a great question. A few weeks ago, I was talking to Michael McDowell. In superspeedway racing, honestly, I felt like I was always on the verge of crashing when I was at Trackhouse Racing, and I didn’t know why I was like that. But I was always very, very edgy. Having conversations with Michael, he said, man, our cars are extremely good. You’re going to be surprised. So, going to Spire Motorsports for the first time at a superspeedway, I mean, I had probably one of the best cars I ever had, especially in the draft and getting pushed. So, for me, it’s a little bit tricky to understand. Is it the setup package that Spire has had for a while because Michael kind of like called it before it happened, or the body, or the combination of both. But regardless of what it is, because I don’t really care, the fact is that my car drove amazing and I’m super excited for that. and I know that part of that is going to translate to here in Atlanta, as well., and obviously to Talladega. So, I’m super excited for that.”   Speaking of Atlanta, are you still OK with just coming to Atlanta on race weekends and qualifying and not having a practice session?“Yeah, I’m OK with that. I’m OK with that because I think that even if we’re practicing, I don’t think that we’re going to really do pack racing anyway. We’re going to try to find some raw speed. So, I’m OK with that. I think that it’s a little bit tricky that teams have to travel on Friday for tech when we have to only pretty much go qualify and race, but that’s the schedule. Some people don’t love it, but it’s part of it, I guess.” 

CLEWISTON, FL (February 20, 2026) – Hendry County Motorsports Park didn’t take long to make a fan out of Bobby Pierce.

In the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision’s debut race at the south Florida track, the “Smooth Operator” charged his way to the front for his first Series win since August of 2025.

It’s the second year in a row that Pierce has won his first World of Outlaws race of the year at the first stop after Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. Last year, that occasion came at Smoky Mountain Speedway in March. This year, it came in the same state six days after leaving Volusia Speedway Park.

A different red car looked like the one to beat early in the night, as Drake Troutman earned the Simpson Quick Time Award in Qualifying, won his Heat Race and pulled the Bilstein Pole Award. The World of Outlaws sophomore outdueled Nick Hoffman early in the Feature to hold the lead until the No. 32 came knocking.

After disposing of Hoffman in third and second-running Daulton Wilson, Pierce made it side-by-side for the lead on the outside of Troutman on Lap 8. A strong run off of Turn 2 the next time around put Pierce in command, and he stretched his lead to north of five seconds until Tyler Erb went around in Turn 1 to bring out the only caution of the night with five laps remaining.

Ethan Dotson emerged as Pierce’s closest challenger on the restart, but Pierce held strong on the cushion and drove home to the checkers.

“I was really nervous because the track was really getting where, I feel like the bottom and the top were the same speed,” Pierce said after the 43rd World of Outlaws win of his career, breaking a tie with Billy Moyer for fifth on the all-time wins list. “The lap cars, I was just staying right there with them, I wasn’t really passing them. I was pretty nervous on the restart, Dotson there on my inside. Luckily, I got a good exit off of [Turn] 2, and then from there on, it was just hit my marks, hit my marks, don’t jump the cushion. It got to the point where you had to get up on it to really get any traction because it got a black slick lane below it. Pretty hard track to drive, but a fun track, fun event.”

Dotson, Wilson and Troutman all recorded season-best finishes with the World of Outlaws in second, third and fourth, respectively, while Hoffman occupied the last spot in the top five.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision returns to Hendry County Motorsports Park on Saturday, Feb. 21, for the 60-lap Swamp Cabbage 100 finale. Tickets will be available at the gate.

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

RACE NOTES:

Bobby Pierce set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Drake Troutman won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Drake Troutman won Jarrett Rifles Heat 1.

Bobby Pierce won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Daulton Wilson won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Luke Morey won the Last Chance Showdown.

Drake Troutman won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Dustin Sorensen won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Daulton Wilson won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Ethan Dotson was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Daulton Wilson was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Drake Troutman was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Nick Hoffman was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Tim McCreadie was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Dustin Sorensen was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Sam Seawright was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Ryan Gustin was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Jake Timm was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Tyler Erb was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Boom Briggs was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Tristan Chamberlain was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Christian Augspurger was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Logan Zarin was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Pierce Collects First World of Outlaws Trophy of 2026 in Hendry County Debut

CLEWISTON, FL (February 20, 2026) – Hendry County Motorsports Park didn’t take long to make a fan out of Bobby Pierce.

In the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision’s debut race at the south Florida track, the “Smooth Operator” charged his way to the front for his first Series win since August of 2025.

It’s the second year in a row that Pierce has won his first World of Outlaws race of the year at the first stop after Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. Last year, that occasion came at Smoky Mountain Speedway in March. This year, it came in the same state six days after leaving Volusia Speedway Park.

A different red car looked like the one to beat early in the night, as Drake Troutman earned the Simpson Quick Time Award in Qualifying, won his Heat Race and pulled the Bilstein Pole Award. The World of Outlaws sophomore outdueled Nick Hoffman early in the Feature to hold the lead until the No. 32 came knocking.

After disposing of Hoffman in third and second-running Daulton Wilson, Pierce made it side-by-side for the lead on the outside of Troutman on Lap 8. A strong run off of Turn 2 the next time around put Pierce in command, and he stretched his lead to north of five seconds until Tyler Erb went around in Turn 1 to bring out the only caution of the night with five laps remaining.

Ethan Dotson emerged as Pierce’s closest challenger on the restart, but Pierce held strong on the cushion and drove home to the checkers.

“I was really nervous because the track was really getting where, I feel like the bottom and the top were the same speed,” Pierce said after the 43rd World of Outlaws win of his career, breaking a tie with Billy Moyer for fifth on the all-time wins list. “The lap cars, I was just staying right there with them, I wasn’t really passing them. I was pretty nervous on the restart, Dotson there on my inside. Luckily, I got a good exit off of [Turn] 2, and then from there on, it was just hit my marks, hit my marks, don’t jump the cushion. It got to the point where you had to get up on it to really get any traction because it got a black slick lane below it. Pretty hard track to drive, but a fun track, fun event.”

Dotson, Wilson and Troutman all recorded season-best finishes with the World of Outlaws in second, third and fourth, respectively, while Hoffman occupied the last spot in the top five.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision returns to Hendry County Motorsports Park on Saturday, Feb. 21, for the 60-lap Swamp Cabbage 100 finale. Tickets will be available at the gate.

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

RACE NOTES:

Bobby Pierce set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Drake Troutman won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Drake Troutman won Jarrett Rifles Heat 1.

Bobby Pierce won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Daulton Wilson won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Luke Morey won the Last Chance Showdown.

Drake Troutman won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Dustin Sorensen won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Daulton Wilson won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Ethan Dotson was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Daulton Wilson was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Drake Troutman was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Nick Hoffman was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Tim McCreadie was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Dustin Sorensen was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Sam Seawright was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Ryan Gustin was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Jake Timm was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Tyler Erb was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Boom Briggs was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Tristan Chamberlain was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Christian Augspurger was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Logan Zarin was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Feature (40 Laps): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[3]; 2. 74X-Ethan Dotson[7]; 3. 58V-Daulton Wilson[5]; 4. 22*-Drake Troutman[1]; 5. 9-Nick Hoffman[2]; 6. 9M-Tim McCreadie[4]; 7. 19-Dustin Sorensen[16]; 8. 16-Sam Seawright[6]; 9. 19R-Ryan Gustin[12]; 10. 49-Jake Timm[11]; 11. 1-Tyler Erb[8]; 12. 99B-Boom Briggs[9]; 13. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[10]; 14. 35-Christian Augspurger[13]; 15. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[15]; 16. 49M-Luke Morey[19]; 17. B1-Brent Larson[17]; 18. 1Z-Logan Zarin[20]; 19. 14-Trey Mills[18]; 20. 8-Matthew Larson[14]; 21. 12-Ryan Montgomery[21]; 22. T1-Todd Morrow[22]; 23. 46-Doug Horton[24]; 24. 55E-Eli Johnson[23]

Moran Dominates Friday’s Wieland Winter Nationals at All-Tech

LAKE CITY, FL (February 20, 2026) – Defending Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Presented by FloRacing National Champion Devin Moran delivered a dominant performance Friday night, leading all 50 laps to win the Wieland Winter Nationals at All-Tech Raceway. Moran’s first series victory of the season came in a caution-free main event that lasted just over 17 minutes. The Dresden, Ohio native was so strong that he lapped up to the eighth-place car by the time he took the checkered flag. Clay Harris matched his career-best Series finish with a runner-up effort after starting eighth, while Brandon Overton rounded out the Big River Steel Podium in third. Brandon Sheppard finished fourth, with Hudson O’Neal completing the top five. Moran secured the 25th Lucas Oil Victory Lane appearance of his career. He held a lead of more than five seconds at one point and ultimately crossed the finish line 1.944 seconds ahead of Harris. “We have been just working and working,” Moran said. “I feel like we made the right changes — we just didn’t know because we’re doing some things that are a little unknown to us — and it was really, really good. This Longhorn Chassis… we showed up with this car last week at Volusia, and we just had to work on it. It wasn’t the car’s fault — it was just something we needed to figure out.” “I looked at the scoreboard and it still said 26 laps to go, and I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ I could maneuver really well. They were throwing those crumbs off the bottom, and I could run that middle really well. This place is so tricky. With the way the dirt is, if you get too sideways, you feel like you’re going to spin out — you’ve just got to drive it like you’re on asphalt. It’s Florida, baby — I love it.” Harris rebounded from Thursday night’s disappointment – when a potential second-place finish slipped away after contact with the Turn 2 wall – to secure his runner-up finish on Friday. “I didn’t quite send it in as hard as yesterday. I was a little more patient tonight,” Harris said. “Those last five laps I was driving as hard as I could on the bottom. I ran him (Moran) down a little bit, but those lapped cars were hard to get by. The off-season really helped us because it gave us more time to be prepared. We have all the motors we need for this year, I believe.” Overton, who led 15 laps on Thursday night, advanced from the 10th starting position to finish third.“I just knew what not to do after my heat race,” Overton said. “I guess I turned the knobs the wrong way or something. I’m not quite as good as I need to be, but at least we’re going forward. This is All-Tech — it’s just the craziest place. Congrats to Clay and Devin; they do a heck of a job.” The winning Roger Sellers, Double Down Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Big River Steel, Millwood Plumbing, C&W Trucking, Phillips CPA, Anthony’s Pizza, Bomag, CarSourceAuto.com, Hazen Services, McHugh Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Elliott Farms, and Pee Wee’s Wrecker Service. Rounding out the top ten were Mark Whitener, Ricky Thornton Jr., Cory Hedgecock, Max Blair, and Josh Rice. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter NationalsFriday, February 20, 2026All-Tech Raceway | Lake City, FL Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Tyler Wyant | 18.238 seconds (Overall)Fast Time Group B: Brandon Overton | 18.298 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[3]; 2. 79-Cory Hedgecock[2]; 3. 24-Tyler Wyant[1]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[7]; 5. 388-Jackson Hise[6]; 6. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 7. 40B-Kyle Bronson[9]; 8. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[5]; 9. 11-Josh Rice[4] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 13-Dallon Murty[2]; 3. 111-Max Blair[3]; 4. 15K-Cody Overton[7]; 5. 77-Preston Luckman[5]; 6. 32J-Justin Weaver[8]; 7. 58-Garrett Alberson[6]; 8. 09-Michael Leach[4]; 9. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9] Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 44-Chris Madden[2]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[3]; 3. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 4. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 5. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[5]; 6. 81F-Jadon Frame[9]; 7. 19M-Brenden Smith[8]; 8. 6B-Adam Boyd[10]; 9. 93L-Cory Lawler[6]; 10. 15-Clay Stuckey[7] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 5-Mark Whitener[2]; 2. 6-Clay Harris[3]; 3. 71-Hudson O’Neal[1]; 4. 7-Ross Robinson[4]; 5. 31-Tyler Millwood[7]; 6. 8-Dillon McCowan[6]; 7. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[8]; 8. 12R-Ryan Payne[9]; 9. 16-Tyler Bruening[5] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 388-Jackson Hise[1]; 2. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[3]; 3. 77-Preston Luckman[2]; 4. 11-Josh Rice[9]; 5. 58-Garrett Alberson[6]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 7. 32J-Justin Weaver[4]; 8. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[7]; 9. 09-Michael Leach[8]; 10. C4-Freddie Carpenter[10]V UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 81F-Jadon Frame[3]; 3. 31-Tyler Millwood[2]; 4. 19M-Brenden Smith[5]; 5. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[6]; 6. 8-Dillon McCowan[4]; 7. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]; 8. 6B-Adam Boyd[7]; 9. 15-Clay Stuckey[11]; 10. (DNS) 12R-Ryan Payne; 11. (DNS) 16-Tyler Bruening Wieland Winter Nationals Feature Finish (50 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 1 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $12,0002 – 8 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $6,0003 – 10 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $3,5004 – 3 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $2,9005 – 12 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $2,5006 – 4 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – $2,3007 – 18 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $2,2008 – 5 – 79 – Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – $2,1009 – 11 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $2,05010 – 25 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $1,10011 – 13 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $1,60012 – 14 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $1,40013 – 6 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $1,20014 – 23 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $1,10015 – 15 – 15K – Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – $1,05016 – 7 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – $1,00017 – 26 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $10018 – 19 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $1,00019 – 17 – 388 – Jackson Hise – Ocala, FL – $1,00020 – 20 – 81F – Jadon Frame – Winchester, TN – $1,00021 – 2 – 44 – Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – $1,00022 – 9 – 24 – Tyler Wyant – Oil City, PA – $1,00023 – 16 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $1,00024 – 21 – 77 – Preston Luckman – Coos Bay, OR – $1,00025 – 22 – 31 – Tyler Millwood – Kingston, GA – $1,00026 – 24 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $1,000 Race Statistics  Entrants: 37Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Devin MoranMD3 Lap Leaders: Devin Moran (Laps 1-50)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Devin MoranWieland Feature Winner: Devin MoranMargin of Victory: 1.944 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: n/aMyRacePass Series Provisionals: Garrett Alberson, Cory LawlerFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: Josh Rice, Kyle BronsonTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Devin Moran, Clay Harris, Brandon OvertonPenske Shocks Top 5: Devin Moran, Clay Harris, Brandon Overton, Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O’NealBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Devin Moran, Clay Harris, Brandon SheppardPEM 4th Place Feature: Brandon SheppardDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Hudson O’NealWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Wehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Dan EbertVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Carson FergusonXS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Cody OvertonHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Josh Rice (Advanced 15 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Devin Moran (50 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon SheppardMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Brandon SheppardO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Brandon Overton | Lap 10 | 19.766 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Carson FergusonVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Clay HarrisOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Chuck KimbleARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Cory Hedgecock |18.4322 secondsTime of Race: 17 minutes 18 seconds Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 480 – $17,6002 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 460 – $12,9003 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 450 – $6,2004 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 435 – $6,0005 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 380 – $3,4006 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – 380 – $4,3007 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 370 – $3,7008 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 370 – $3,8009 – 3s – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 360 – $3,50010 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 360 – $3,65011 – 79 – Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – 360 – $3,50012 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 355 – $6,80013 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 355 – $3,20014 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 330 – $2,15015 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 325 – $2,30016 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 285 – $1,90017 – 77 – Preston Luckman – Coos Bay, OR – 275 – $1,92518 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – 270 – $1,05019 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – 265 – $1,10020 – 388 – Jackson Hise – Ocala, FL – 260 – $1,80021 – 24 – Tyler Wyant – Oil City, PA – 260 – $1,80022 – 44 – Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – 250 – $1,80023 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 250 – $1,80024 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 250 – $27525 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 250 – $22526 – 32J – Justin Weaver – Clearspring, MD – 245 – $90027 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 235 – $1,10028 – 81F – Jadon Frame – Winchester, TN – 235 – $1,10029 – 31 – Tyler Millwood – Kingston, GA – 235 – $1,10030 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 230 – $20031 – 15 – Clay Stuckey – Shreveport, LA – 220 – $20032 – 6B – Adam Boyd – Riverview, FL – 210 – $20033 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – 205 – $20034 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 185 – $85035 – 15K – Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – 155 – $1,05036 – 4 – Kale Green – Pelion, SC – 115 – $10037 – 99JR – Frank Heckenast Jr – Frankfort, IL – 115 – $10038 – 12R – Ryan Payne – Pennsboro, WV – 100 – $0

LAKE CITY, FL (February 19, 2026) – Brandon Sheppard kicked off the 2026 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing season in winning fashion Thursday night, capturing the season opener during the Wieland Winter Nationals at All-Tech Raceway. Sheppard, who started sixth, charged to the lead on lap 16, taking the top spot from Brandon Overton. From there, he paced the remainder of the race, holding off defending series champion Devin Moran in the closing laps to secure his 36th career Series victory. Moran, who lined up alongside Sheppard in the third row, took over second on lap 30 and applied heavy pressure during the final ten laps. However, he fell just short at the finish line, crossing 0.544 seconds behind the winner. Hudson O’Neal completed the Big River Steel Podium in third after starting on the pole and rallying back from as far as sixth. Overton, who led the opening 15 circuits, finished fourth, while Hoker Trucking Hard Charger Carson Ferguson advanced from 19th to round out the top five. Overton set the early pace from his outside front-row starting position as a spirited battle for second unfolded between O’Neal and Clay Harris. Harris, seeking his first career LOLMDS victory, moved into second on lap 13 and began pressuring Overton for the lead. As Overton and Harris battled up front, Sheppard surged forward, slipping past both drivers on lap 16 to take command. Harris reclaimed second on lap 17 and continued his duel with Overton until misfortune struck. With 29 laps complete, Harris made contact with the wall in turn two, ending his night. Following the final restart, Sheppard maintained control out front. Ferguson briefly moved into second on lap 30 after an impressive charge through the field, but Moran quickly powered from fourth to second using the high side of the racetrack. Sheppard worked the low-to-middle groove while Moran rim-rode the cushion in pursuit. The final 11 laps ran caution-free, and Sheppard crossed the finish line to earn his first LOLMDS victory since August 15 at Batesville Motor Speedway in Arkansas. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane, Sheppard – back as a full-time tour competitor in 2026 – credited his team for the strong start to the season. “It definitely feels good,” Sheppard said. “We’ve had a really fast race car all of Speedweeks. We just needed a few things to go our way. Mark and the guys have been tweaking on this thing, working hard to get it exactly how I like it. About halfway through last year, I knew coming into this season we were going to be pretty good. It was just a matter of putting the whole package together. We even changed the motor today just as a precaution.” Moran, who made a late charge but could not mount a final-lap bid, noted the team’s recent improvements. “We just have to keep working on the race car,” Moran said. “We struggled really bad at Volusia last week, so we’re trying to find the right balance. We’ve definitely picked up speed – now we just need to fine-tune the balance. Sheppy and those guys did a great job. It’s refreshing to get back on the podium. On that caution, I noticed how much grip was up top and thought there was something there. On the restart, I about split them and ran that floater line, and it worked really well.” O’Neal, the 2023 series champion who finished fourth in last year’s championship standings, credited key restarts for his podium finish. “I had some good restarts,” O’Neal said. “I might have been a little too conservative early in the race and put myself in some tough spots. At one point I fell back to sixth and thought I might not even salvage a top five after starting on the pole. But we were able to work through some guys on that last restart, and the car was really good at the end.” Sheppard’s Mark Richards Racing Rocket Chassis is powered by a Durham Racing Engine and sponsored by Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ace Metal Works, Performance Grading, Petroff Towing, Franklin Enterprises, Fox Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Gunter’s Honey, Stiles Marine and Maintenance, and Collins Brothers Towing. Rounding out the top ten were Josh Rice, Dan Ebert, Brian Shirley, Kyle Bronson, and Mark Whitener. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter NationalsThursday, February 19, 2026All-Tech Raceway | Lake City, FL Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Hudson O’Neal | 17.874 seconds (Overall)Fast Time Group B: Brandon Overton | 17.977 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[1]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[4]; 3. 111-Max Blair[2]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[3]; 5. 93-Carson Ferguson[8]; 6. 44-Chris Madden[5]; 7. 79-Cory Hedgecock[6]; 8. 58-Garrett Alberson[7]; 9. 7-Ross Robinson[9] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 32J-Justin Weaver[1]; 2. 5-Mark Whitener[2]; 3. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[4]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening[9]; 5. 93L-Cory Lawler[3]; 6. 15-Clay Stuckey[5]; 7. 81F-Jadon Frame[8]; 8. 13-Dallon Murty[7]; 9. 12R-Ryan Payne[6] Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard[3]; 3. 388-Jackson Hise[2]; 4. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4]; 5. 09-Michael Leach[5]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[7]; 7. 8-Dillon McCowan[9]; 8. 31-Tyler Millwood[8]; 9. 4-Kale Green[6] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 6-Clay Harris[1]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[2]; 3. 11-Josh Rice[4]; 4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[5]; 5. 77-Preston Luckman[7]; 6. 24-Tyler Wyant[3]; 7. 19M-Brenden Smith[6]; 8. C4-Freddie Carpenter[8]; 9. 6B-Adam Boyd[9] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 44-Chris Madden[3]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[1]; 3. 79-Cory Hedgecock[5]; 4. 58-Garrett Alberson[7]; 5. 15-Clay Stuckey[4]; 6. 13-Dallon Murty[8]; 7. 7-Ross Robinson[9]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[2]; 9. 81F-Jadon Frame[6]; 10. (DNS) 12R-Ryan Payne UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 77-Preston Luckman[2]; 2. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 3. 24-Tyler Wyant[4]; 4. 09-Michael Leach[1]; 5. 4-Kale Green[9]; 6. 19M-Brenden Smith[6]; 7. 8-Dillon McCowan[5]; 8. 31-Tyler Millwood[7]; 9. 6B-Adam Boyd[10]; 10. C4-Freddie Carpenter[8] Wieland Winter Nationals Feature Finish (40 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 6 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $10,0002 – 5 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $5,5003 – 1 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $3,5004 – 2 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $2,7005 – 19 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $2,5006 – 12 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $2,3007 – 13 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $2,2008 – 8 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $2,1009 – 20 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $2,05010 – 7 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – $2,00011 – 9 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $1,60012 – 21 – 79 – Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – $1,40013 – 23 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $1,20014 – 16 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $1,00015 – 11 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – $95016 – 18 – 77 – Preston Luckman – Coos Bay, OR – $92517 – 14 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $90018 – 26 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $17519 – 15 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – $85020 – 25 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $12521 – 24 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $80022 – 4 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $80023 – 3 – 32J – Justin Weaver – Clearspring, MD – $80024 – 10 – 388 – Jackson Hise – Ocala, FL – $80025 – 22 – 24 – Tyler Wyant – Oil City, PA – $80026 – 17 – 44 – Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – $800 Race Statistics  Entrants: 36Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Hudson O’NealMD3 Lap Leaders: Brandon Overton (Laps 1-15); Brandon Sheppard (Laps 16-40)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Brandon SheppardWieland Feature Winner: Brandon SheppardMargin of Victory: 0.544 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: Chris Madden (Lap 14); Dillon McCowan, Jackson Hise (Lap 14 restart); Justin Weaver, Preston Luckman (Lap 16); Debris (Lap 19); Clay Harris (Lap 29)MyRacePass Series Provisionals: Garrett Alberson; Cory LawlerFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: Brenden Smith; Dillon McCowanTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, Hudson O’NealPenske Shocks Top 5: Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, Brandon Overton, Carson FergusonBehrent’s White Flag One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, Hudson O’NealPEM 4th Place Feature: Brandon OvertonDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Carson FergusonWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Dan EbertWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Max BlairVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Garrett AlbersonXS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Blair NothdurftHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Carson Ferguson (Advanced 14 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Brandon Sheppard (25 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon SheppardMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin MoranO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Brandon Sheppard | Lap 20 | 18.942 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Clay HarrisVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Devin MoranOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Danny WhiteARP Engine Builder of the Race: Durham Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Rocket ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Hudson O’Neal |18.0329 secondsTime of Race: 31 minutes 22 seconds Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 250 – $10,0002 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 230 – $3,5003 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 230 – $5,5004 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 220 – $2,7005 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 205 – $2,5006 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 200 – $2,3007 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 195 – $2,2008 – 3s – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 190 – $2,1009 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 185 – $2,05010 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – 180 – $2,00011 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 175 – $1,60012 – 79 – Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – 170 – $1,40013 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 165 – $1,20014 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 160 – $1,00015 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – 155 – $95016 – 77 – Preston Luckman – Coos Bay, OR – 150 – $92517 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 145 – $90018 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 140 – $17519 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 135 – $85020 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 130 – $12521 – 44 – Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – 125 – $80022 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 125 – $80023 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 125 – $80024 – 388 – Jackson Hise – Ocala, FL – 125 – $80025 – 24 – Tyler Wyant – Oil City, PA – 125 – $80026 – 32J – Justin Weaver – Clearspring, MD – 125 – $80027 – 15 – Clay Stuckey – Shreveport, LA – 120 – $10028 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 120 – $10029 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – 115 – $10030 – 4 – Kale Green – Pelion, SC – 115 – $10031 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 110 – $10032 – 31 – Tyler Millwood – Kingston, GA – 110 – $10033 – 81F – Jadon Frame – Winchester, TN – 105 – $10034 – 6B – Adam Boyd – Riverview, FL – 105 – $10035 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – 100 – $10036 – 12R – Ryan Payne – Pennsboro, WV – 50 – $0

Sheppard Takes Wieland Winter Nationals Opener at All-Tech Raceway

LAKE CITY, FL (February 19, 2026) – Brandon Sheppard kicked off the 2026 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing season in winning fashion Thursday night, capturing the season opener during the Wieland Winter Nationals at All-Tech Raceway. Sheppard, who started sixth, charged to the lead on lap 16, taking the top spot from Brandon Overton. From there, he paced the remainder of the race, holding off defending series champion Devin Moran in the closing laps to secure his 36th career Series victory. Moran, who lined up alongside Sheppard in the third row, took over second on lap 30 and applied heavy pressure during the final ten laps. However, he fell just short at the finish line, crossing 0.544 seconds behind the winner. Hudson O’Neal completed the Big River Steel Podium in third after starting on the pole and rallying back from as far as sixth. Overton, who led the opening 15 circuits, finished fourth, while Hoker Trucking Hard Charger Carson Ferguson advanced from 19th to round out the top five. Overton set the early pace from his outside front-row starting position as a spirited battle for second unfolded between O’Neal and Clay Harris. Harris, seeking his first career LOLMDS victory, moved into second on lap 13 and began pressuring Overton for the lead. As Overton and Harris battled up front, Sheppard surged forward, slipping past both drivers on lap 16 to take command. Harris reclaimed second on lap 17 and continued his duel with Overton until misfortune struck. With 29 laps complete, Harris made contact with the wall in turn two, ending his night. Following the final restart, Sheppard maintained control out front. Ferguson briefly moved into second on lap 30 after an impressive charge through the field, but Moran quickly powered from fourth to second using the high side of the racetrack. Sheppard worked the low-to-middle groove while Moran rim-rode the cushion in pursuit. The final 11 laps ran caution-free, and Sheppard crossed the finish line to earn his first LOLMDS victory since August 15 at Batesville Motor Speedway in Arkansas. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane, Sheppard – back as a full-time tour competitor in 2026 – credited his team for the strong start to the season. “It definitely feels good,” Sheppard said. “We’ve had a really fast race car all of Speedweeks. We just needed a few things to go our way. Mark and the guys have been tweaking on this thing, working hard to get it exactly how I like it. About halfway through last year, I knew coming into this season we were going to be pretty good. It was just a matter of putting the whole package together. We even changed the motor today just as a precaution.” Moran, who made a late charge but could not mount a final-lap bid, noted the team’s recent improvements. “We just have to keep working on the race car,” Moran said. “We struggled really bad at Volusia last week, so we’re trying to find the right balance. We’ve definitely picked up speed – now we just need to fine-tune the balance. Sheppy and those guys did a great job. It’s refreshing to get back on the podium. On that caution, I noticed how much grip was up top and thought there was something there. On the restart, I about split them and ran that floater line, and it worked really well.” O’Neal, the 2023 series champion who finished fourth in last year’s championship standings, credited key restarts for his podium finish. “I had some good restarts,” O’Neal said. “I might have been a little too conservative early in the race and put myself in some tough spots. At one point I fell back to sixth and thought I might not even salvage a top five after starting on the pole. But we were able to work through some guys on that last restart, and the car was really good at the end.” Sheppard’s Mark Richards Racing Rocket Chassis is powered by a Durham Racing Engine and sponsored by Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ace Metal Works, Performance Grading, Petroff Towing, Franklin Enterprises, Fox Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Gunter’s Honey, Stiles Marine and Maintenance, and Collins Brothers Towing. Rounding out the top ten were Josh Rice, Dan Ebert, Brian Shirley, Kyle Bronson, and Mark Whitener. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter NationalsThursday, February 19, 2026All-Tech Raceway | Lake City, FL Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Hudson O’Neal | 17.874 seconds (Overall)Fast Time Group B: Brandon Overton | 17.977 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[1]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[4]; 3. 111-Max Blair[2]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[3]; 5. 93-Carson Ferguson[8]; 6. 44-Chris Madden[5]; 7. 79-Cory Hedgecock[6]; 8. 58-Garrett Alberson[7]; 9. 7-Ross Robinson[9] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 32J-Justin Weaver[1]; 2. 5-Mark Whitener[2]; 3. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[4]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening[9]; 5. 93L-Cory Lawler[3]; 6. 15-Clay Stuckey[5]; 7. 81F-Jadon Frame[8]; 8. 13-Dallon Murty[7]; 9. 12R-Ryan Payne[6] Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard[3]; 3. 388-Jackson Hise[2]; 4. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4]; 5. 09-Michael Leach[5]; 6. 40B-Kyle Bronson[7]; 7. 8-Dillon McCowan[9]; 8. 31-Tyler Millwood[8]; 9. 4-Kale Green[6] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 6-Clay Harris[1]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[2]; 3. 11-Josh Rice[4]; 4. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[5]; 5. 77-Preston Luckman[7]; 6. 24-Tyler Wyant[3]; 7. 19M-Brenden Smith[6]; 8. C4-Freddie Carpenter[8]; 9. 6B-Adam Boyd[9] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 44-Chris Madden[3]; 2. 93-Carson Ferguson[1]; 3. 79-Cory Hedgecock[5]; 4. 58-Garrett Alberson[7]; 5. 15-Clay Stuckey[4]; 6. 13-Dallon Murty[8]; 7. 7-Ross Robinson[9]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[2]; 9. 81F-Jadon Frame[6]; 10. (DNS) 12R-Ryan Payne UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 77-Preston Luckman[2]; 2. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 3. 24-Tyler Wyant[4]; 4. 09-Michael Leach[1]; 5. 4-Kale Green[9]; 6. 19M-Brenden Smith[6]; 7. 8-Dillon McCowan[5]; 8. 31-Tyler Millwood[7]; 9. 6B-Adam Boyd[10]; 10. C4-Freddie Carpenter[8] Wieland Winter Nationals Feature Finish (40 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 6 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $10,0002 – 5 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $5,5003 – 1 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $3,5004 – 2 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $2,7005 – 19 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $2,5006 – 12 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $2,3007 – 13 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $2,2008 – 8 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $2,1009 – 20 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $2,05010 – 7 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – $2,00011 – 9 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $1,60012 – 21 – 79 – Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – $1,40013 – 23 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $1,20014 – 16 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $1,00015 – 11 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – $95016 – 18 – 77 – Preston Luckman – Coos Bay, OR – $92517 – 14 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $90018 – 26 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $17519 – 15 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – $85020 – 25 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $12521 – 24 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – $80022 – 4 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $80023 – 3 – 32J – Justin Weaver – Clearspring, MD – $80024 – 10 – 388 – Jackson Hise – Ocala, FL – $80025 – 22 – 24 – Tyler Wyant – Oil City, PA – $80026 – 17 – 44 – Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – $800 Race Statistics  Entrants: 36Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Hudson O’NealMD3 Lap Leaders: Brandon Overton (Laps 1-15); Brandon Sheppard (Laps 16-40)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Brandon SheppardWieland Feature Winner: Brandon SheppardMargin of Victory: 0.544 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: Chris Madden (Lap 14); Dillon McCowan, Jackson Hise (Lap 14 restart); Justin Weaver, Preston Luckman (Lap 16); Debris (Lap 19); Clay Harris (Lap 29)MyRacePass Series Provisionals: Garrett Alberson; Cory LawlerFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: Brenden Smith; Dillon McCowanTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, Hudson O’NealPenske Shocks Top 5: Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, Brandon Overton, Carson FergusonBehrent’s White Flag One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Brandon Sheppard, Devin Moran, Hudson O’NealPEM 4th Place Feature: Brandon OvertonDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Carson FergusonWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Dan EbertWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Max BlairVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Garrett AlbersonXS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Blair NothdurftHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Carson Ferguson (Advanced 14 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Brandon Sheppard (25 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon SheppardMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin MoranO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Brandon Sheppard | Lap 20 | 18.942 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Clay HarrisVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Devin MoranOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Danny WhiteARP Engine Builder of the Race: Durham Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Rocket ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Hudson O’Neal |18.0329 secondsTime of Race: 31 minutes 22 seconds Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 250 – $10,0002 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 230 – $3,5003 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 230 – $5,5004 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 220 – $2,7005 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 205 – $2,5006 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 200 – $2,3007 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 195 – $2,2008 – 3s – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 190 – $2,1009 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 185 – $2,05010 – 5 – Mark Whitener – Middleburg, FL – 180 – $2,00011 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 175 – $1,60012 – 79 – Cory Hedgecock – Loudon, TN – 170 – $1,40013 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 165 – $1,20014 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 160 – $1,00015 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – 155 – $95016 – 77 – Preston Luckman – Coos Bay, OR – 150 – $92517 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 145 – $90018 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 140 – $17519 – 16 – Tyler Bruening – Decorah, IA – 135 – $85020 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 130 – $12521 – 44 – Chris Madden – Gray Court, SC – 125 – $80022 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 125 – $80023 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 125 – $80024 – 388 – Jackson Hise – Ocala, FL – 125 – $80025 – 24 – Tyler Wyant – Oil City, PA – 125 – $80026 – 32J – Justin Weaver – Clearspring, MD – 125 – $80027 – 15 – Clay Stuckey – Shreveport, LA – 120 – $10028 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – 120 – $10029 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – 115 – $10030 – 4 – Kale Green – Pelion, SC – 115 – $10031 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – 110 – $10032 – 31 – Tyler Millwood – Kingston, GA – 110 – $10033 – 81F – Jadon Frame – Winchester, TN – 105 – $10034 – 6B – Adam Boyd – Riverview, FL – 105 – $10035 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – 100 – $10036 – 12R – Ryan Payne – Pennsboro, WV – 50 – $0

BARBERVILLE, FL (February 19, 2026) – Michael “Buddy” Kofoid knew something wasn’t right.

Symptoms of sickness set in as he spent his off-season racing in Australia preparing for the 2026 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series campaign with Roth Motorsports, but this was no ordinary flu. A severe headache. Lethargy. Loss of appetite. Nausea. You name it, Kofoid likely felt it. Eventually, whatever was ailing him sent the 24-year-old to the emergency room.

“Honestly, the first day I knew it wasn’t normal,” Kofoid explained. “I don’t think I’ve ever had food poisoning, but I thought maybe it could’ve been that. But then pretty quickly I figured out it was probably something more serious than that, especially by the second or third day when I could barely even get out of bed.

“It actually started with a massive headache, and it never went away, and I just felt nauseous all day, could barely even eat, barely even drink. I just kind of suffered through the day and finished the race. It just kind of progressed and got worse and worse. I had to go to urgent care there and get some help and honestly kind of started to feel a little better leading up to when I had to fly home and was like maybe it’s starting to go away whatever this is.

“And then the second day home, that night, it was like a snap of a finger. It was way worse than it ever had been. The next morning, I felt really bad. I went from like a 98 (degrees) temperature to like a 101 in 30 minutes. And I was like OK this is probably serious now. I went to the hospital and was at the emergency room for like 12 hours and did every test pretty much known to man.”

The tests finally revealed a parasitic invasion and nearly necessitated surgery with the World of Outlaws season on the horizon.

“Long story short, I had some sort of bacterial, I don’t want to say infection, but a parasite type of thing,” Kofoid said. “I found out it came from most likely some sort of water or ice that I had while I was in Australia. That caused appendix inflammation and small bowel inflammation that they were really worried about. From being that sick, it caused a lot of issues and a lot of worries. I lost a decent amount of weight that I can’t afford to lose and just had no energy.”

The sickness sidelined Kofoid and forced him to axe the remainder of his off-season racing plans. This meant no Chili Bowl to chase a coveted Golden Driller. No returning to Australia for more Sprint Car seat time. Instead, his focus became healing and putting the weight back on as the annual trip to Florida neared.

And that’s exactly what Kofoid did. He regained energy and got himself in shape to chase a championship.

The Penngrove, CA native joined forces with Dennis and Teresa Roth’s team midway through 2023, hit the road with The Greatest Show on Dirt in 2024, and has cemented himself as a title contender. He came home fourth during his rookie campaign before rising to runner-up last year.

The season kicked off two weeks ago at Volusia Speedway Park, and Kofoid eliminated any concern or doubt that may have existed after falling ill. Bad luck had bitten Kofoid at Volusia in the past since teaming with Roth, but he came out swinging to make a statement. He got his first win at the 1/2 mile on the second night and finalized the week with a charge from 21st to fourth, nearly bagging the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator in the process. All positive results for the No. 83 group consisting of Dylan Buswell, Nate Knotts, and Gage Tyra came away happy with their performance.

“I feel like this was the first week where we were able to control our own destiny so to speak and not have something out of our control put a damper on it,” Kofoid said. “I’ve talked to some people, done interviews, or I’ll hear people say that I’m not really that great (at Volusia). And it’s like yeah, I mean, I hadn’t won there, but I ran second twice. I was leading a couple years ago and blew a tire with like nine (laps) to go. I ran podium there before and been fourth or fifth a couple times. So, I was like I don’t think I’m bad or lacking, just got to put the rest of it together or not have something go wrong for us. I feel like finally we were able to prove, and I was able to prove that we are good or we can be good here.”

One of the biggest storylines entering Volusia was whether or not Kofoid could hang with David Gravel at one of the two-time and defending champion’s best tracks. The years have proven you can’t win the title in Florida, but it certainly seems you can lose it. The standings show Kofoid and Gravel are knotted up at the top.

A long season remains, but Kofoid quieted the questioning for now. He proved he can circle Volusia as well as anyone. The frightening illness is behind him. He knows it won’t be easy, but he’s ready to put forth his best effort for a championship. It’s not just Gravel he’s battling on a nightly basis. It’s Carson Macedo, Donny Schatz, Logan Schuchart, Sheldon Haudenschild, and many more. But that’s why he wants it so bad. It’s the pinnacle of Sprint Car racing. The peak of the sport he’s loved his entire life.

“I’ve always wanted to be an Outlaw champion,” Kofoid said. “I feel like I’m in the best opportunity that I can be in to do that and the best position. For me, I’m into statistics a lot, too, and history. I would love to be Dennis and Teresa’s first Outlaw champion. That would mean the world to me, just for them and everything they’ve done.”

Kofoid and the Roth Motorsports team continue their title pursuit at Barberville, FL’s Volusia Speedway Park during the Bike Week Jamboree, March 1-2, before traveling to Alabama’s Talladega Short Track on March 6 and Mississippi’s Magnolia Motor Speedway on March 7. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

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

Event: Autotrader 400Date/Time: Sunday, February 22, 2026, 3 p.m. ETLocation: EchoPark Speedway, Hampton, GeorgiaLayout: 1.5-Mile OvalTV/Radio: FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR RadioWith a top-10 finish in the season-opening Daytona 500 in the books, Josh Berry and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team head into the second race of the 2026 season carrying early momentum that has been hard to come by in recent years.Despite the team’s rich history at Daytona – including five Daytona 500 victories – the Wood Brothers had not recorded a top-10 finish in the 500 since 2018, when Paul Menard crossed the line sixth. Berry’s ninth-place result not only ended that drought but also positioned him 12th in the Cup Series standings heading into Race 2. That early points cushion carries added significance under the current championship format, which no longer includes a win-and-you’re-in provision for the season-ending, 10-race, championship-deciding Chase.Berry said the focus now shifts to building on the speed shown in Speedweeks as the Cup Series moves to EchoPark Speedway for Sunday’s Autotrader 400. The 1.54-mile track, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, has taken on a superspeedway-style identity in recent seasons, putting a premium on drafting, execution and track position.“I’m proud of the speed we showed at Daytona,” Berry said. “The 21 team brought a fast Ford Mustang, and we were able to put ourselves in position throughout the week.“That’s something we want to carry into Atlanta. We qualified well there in both races last year and had cars capable of running up front, but the finishes didn’t reflect the speed we had.“Atlanta races similar to Daytona now, so hopefully we can build on what we learned last week and put together a complete race.”Berry’s qualifying efforts at Atlanta last season underscored that potential. He started third in the spring race and second in the summer event, but incidents in both races prevented the team from converting that speed into the finish it deserved.There is no practice scheduled at EchoPark Speedway prior to qualifying, which is set for Saturday at 11 a.m. ET. Sunday’s 400-mile, 260-lap race is slated to begin just after 3 p.m. ET with live coverage on FOX. Stage breaks are planned for Lap 60 and Lap 160.Saturday, February 21Josh Berry will participate in a 15-minute Q&A session at the Ford Stage at 1:00 p.m. in the fan zone at EchoPark Speedway.Josh BerryAge: 35 (Oct. 22, 1990)Hometown: Hendersonville, TennesseeCrew Chief: Miles StanleyIG: @joshberry88X: @joshberry

Cadillac Racing FIA WEC Hypercar contenders to be joined by Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing·      Four Corvettes – three from TF Sport, one from 13 Autosport – to make up 25-car LMGT3 grid DETROIT (February 19, 2026) – Three Cadillac V-Series.R race cars along with four Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will take part in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans with today’s release of the official entry list by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.

Cadillac Racing will challenge for overall victory with a trio of factory Cadillac V-Series.R race cars supported by experienced and championship-winning teams and drivers in the Hypercar class. For LMGT3, four Corvettes are part of a strong class that will feature 25 cars. “General Motors has the broadest and most diverse motorsports presence of any automaker in the world,” General Motors President Mark Reuss said. “Fielding seven cars at Le Mans reflects not only our competitive ambition, but our relentless drive to advance endurance, innovation and performance on a global stage.”Cadillac Racing at Le Mans:  Seeking victory with Three EntriesEvent organizer Automobile Club de l’Ouest extended three invitations to Cadillac Racing. In addition to the No. 12 and 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R entries from the World Endurance Championship (WEC), also on the grid will be the No. 101 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R, a full-season IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship entrant in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class. The Nos. 12 and 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R received automatic invitations based on full-season participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). JOTA Sport is in its second season of WEC Hypercar competition with Cadillac as a works team. Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, Sébastien Bourdais, Alex Lynn, Norman Nato and Will Stevens will be the drivers.The No. 101 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R will compete at Le Mans for the second time. Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque will be the drivers. In the 2025 WEC Hypercar competition, Cadillac finished fourth in the manufacturers’ championship and in July in Brazil the No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R won the event, while the No. 38 car was second. At Le Mans, Cadillac swept the front row with the No. 12 car taking the pole and the No. 38 qualifying second.  The Cadillac V-Series.R features a purpose-built Cadillac 5.5L DOHC V-8 engine developed by GM’s Performance and Racing Propulsion team based in Pontiac, Michigan. The racecar, co-developed by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing and chassis constructor Dallara, was informed by the Project GTP Hypercar that was unveiled in June 2022. It incorporates distinctive Cadillac design elements, such as vertical lighting and floating blades.Corvette Racing at Le Mans: Four of a KindFor the first time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, four entries from the Corvette Racing program will be on the grid for the June endurance classic. TF Sport, Corvette Racing’s full-season representative in the FIA WEC, will be present for the third year in a row with its Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs – the No. 33 of Nicky Catsburg, Jonny Edgar and Ben Keating plus the No. 34 of Charlie Eastwood Salih Yoluc and Peter Dempsey – that also will contest the full-season championship.  The team will also take up its automatic invitation from winning last year’s European Le Mans Series with another Corvette, which will sport the No. 66 for Le Mans. Running under the TF Sport banner, the effort also includes personnel from Johor Motorsports Racing with Prince Jefri Ibrahim, Afiq Ikhwan and Ben Green teaming together. From North America, 13 Autosport will take to the Le Mans grid with its No. 13 Corvette. Under the AWA banner in 2025, 13 Autosport owner/driver Orey Fidani won his second straight Bob Akin Award in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship to earn 13 Autosport a return trip to Le Mans this year. Fidani will team with IMSA teammates Matt Bell and Lars Kern.

This isn’t the first time that four Corvettes have taken on Le Mans in the same year. The brand’s first appearance at the French classic came in 1960 with a quartet of Corvettes – one of which won the GT class in the hands of John Fitch and Bob Grossman. Four Corvettes also appeared at the 2016 race including two factory cars from Corvette Racing in the GTE Pro class. The Corvette Z06 GT3.R starts with the same production chassis frame as the road-going Z06. Similar carbon-fiber splitters for front downforce, and the surface area from the top of the windshield to the rear of the Z06 remained intact on the Z06 GT3.R. That includes side air ducts behind the doors — directly inspired by Z06 production road car — that help to cool the engine, transaxle and rear brakes. The similarities carry over to the hand-built 5.5L, flat-plane crankshaft V8 engine in the Z06 GT3.R. Both originate from the Bowling Green factory with the racing version sharing 80 percent of the production content from the Z06 The 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for June 13-14 and will be the fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Cadillac, Corvette Have Strength in Numbers at Le Mans·       Cadillac Racing FIA WEC Hypercar contenders to be joined by Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing·      Four Corvettes – three from TF Sport, one from 13 Autosport – to make up 25-car LMGT3 grid DETROIT (February 19, 2026) – Three Cadillac V-Series.R race cars along with four Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will take part in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans with today’s release of the official entry list by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.

Cadillac Racing will challenge for overall victory with a trio of factory Cadillac V-Series.R race cars supported by experienced and championship-winning teams and drivers in the Hypercar class. For LMGT3, four Corvettes are part of a strong class that will feature 25 cars. “General Motors has the broadest and most diverse motorsports presence of any automaker in the world,” General Motors President Mark Reuss said. “Fielding seven cars at Le Mans reflects not only our competitive ambition, but our relentless drive to advance endurance, innovation and performance on a global stage.”Cadillac Racing at Le Mans:  Seeking victory with Three EntriesEvent organizer Automobile Club de l’Ouest extended three invitations to Cadillac Racing. In addition to the No. 12 and 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R entries from the World Endurance Championship (WEC), also on the grid will be the No. 101 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R, a full-season IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship entrant in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class. The Nos. 12 and 38 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R received automatic invitations based on full-season participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). JOTA Sport is in its second season of WEC Hypercar competition with Cadillac as a works team. Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, Sébastien Bourdais, Alex Lynn, Norman Nato and Will Stevens will be the drivers.The No. 101 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R will compete at Le Mans for the second time. Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque will be the drivers. In the 2025 WEC Hypercar competition, Cadillac finished fourth in the manufacturers’ championship and in July in Brazil the No. 12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA V-Series.R won the event, while the No. 38 car was second. At Le Mans, Cadillac swept the front row with the No. 12 car taking the pole and the No. 38 qualifying second.  The Cadillac V-Series.R features a purpose-built Cadillac 5.5L DOHC V-8 engine developed by GM’s Performance and Racing Propulsion team based in Pontiac, Michigan. The racecar, co-developed by Cadillac Design, Cadillac Racing and chassis constructor Dallara, was informed by the Project GTP Hypercar that was unveiled in June 2022. It incorporates distinctive Cadillac design elements, such as vertical lighting and floating blades.Corvette Racing at Le Mans: Four of a KindFor the first time at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, four entries from the Corvette Racing program will be on the grid for the June endurance classic. TF Sport, Corvette Racing’s full-season representative in the FIA WEC, will be present for the third year in a row with its Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs – the No. 33 of Nicky Catsburg, Jonny Edgar and Ben Keating plus the No. 34 of Charlie Eastwood Salih Yoluc and Peter Dempsey – that also will contest the full-season championship.  The team will also take up its automatic invitation from winning last year’s European Le Mans Series with another Corvette, which will sport the No. 66 for Le Mans. Running under the TF Sport banner, the effort also includes personnel from Johor Motorsports Racing with Prince Jefri Ibrahim, Afiq Ikhwan and Ben Green teaming together. From North America, 13 Autosport will take to the Le Mans grid with its No. 13 Corvette. Under the AWA banner in 2025, 13 Autosport owner/driver Orey Fidani won his second straight Bob Akin Award in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship to earn 13 Autosport a return trip to Le Mans this year. Fidani will team with IMSA teammates Matt Bell and Lars Kern.

This isn’t the first time that four Corvettes have taken on Le Mans in the same year. The brand’s first appearance at the French classic came in 1960 with a quartet of Corvettes – one of which won the GT class in the hands of John Fitch and Bob Grossman. Four Corvettes also appeared at the 2016 race including two factory cars from Corvette Racing in the GTE Pro class. The Corvette Z06 GT3.R starts with the same production chassis frame as the road-going Z06. Similar carbon-fiber splitters for front downforce, and the surface area from the top of the windshield to the rear of the Z06 remained intact on the Z06 GT3.R. That includes side air ducts behind the doors — directly inspired by Z06 production road car — that help to cool the engine, transaxle and rear brakes. The similarities carry over to the hand-built 5.5L, flat-plane crankshaft V8 engine in the Z06 GT3.R. Both originate from the Bowling Green factory with the racing version sharing 80 percent of the production content from the Z06 The 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for June 13-14 and will be the fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

CLEWISTON, FL (February 19, 2026) – Following his dominant week at Volusia Speedway Park during Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, Nick Hoffman stands out as dirt Late Model racing’s man to beat at the moment.

Recognition as the best in the nation isn’t a new feeling for the former DIRTcar UMP Modified superstar, but it’s the first time he’s had a serious case for the position since turning his full attention to Late Model racing in 2023. Now that he’s leaving Volusia with three wins and five top fives in six nights against a stacked 60-car field, Hoffman is feeling better than ever about remaining in the conversation at the top of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision for the rest of 2026 and beyond.

A Big Gator championship has often meant that a driver is in for one of the most memorable years of their career, and you don’t have to look back far for proof. In the past two seasons, 2024 Big Gator champion Brandon Sheppard went on to win his fifth World of Outlaws championship, while Ricky Thornton Jr. won his first World 100 nine months after topping Volusia last year.

“If you leave [Volusia] in bad shape, I mean, your whole year kind of goes to s**t,” Hoffman said. “McCreadie started off [2025] really bad, and at the end of the year, he was probably one of the best cars. You just look at that, if your February and March goes bad, it’s so hard to rebound in June, July, August, you know? As a brand-new team and stuff, this gets us all acclimated. We’re running good, so everybody’s in good spirits. Definitely helps us moving forward.”

The Tye Twarog Motorsports team is entering their fourth season on the road with the World of Outlaws with a fresh approach in more ways than one. Hoffman’s crew has a pair of new names, with Scott Fegter and Brayden Sebenoler joining Darin “D-Train” Townsend.

The other major change comes under the hood. Hoffman’s engines have previously come out of the Clements Racing Engines shop, but his three Volusia wins were powered by a Durham Racing Engines powerplant. Hoffman has no plans to abandon Clements, instead opting to bounce between two suppliers to keep his engine inventory as versatile as possible. It’s a strategy that has become more common in the Late Model pits in recent years, with the most notable example being Hoffman’s close friend, Jonathan Davenport.

“This is a brand-new [Longhorn Chassis], brand-new motor, first time with a Durham,” Hoffman said. “I’ve always ran Clements stuff, that’s what I ran at Sunshine [Nationals] was my Clements. We wanted to save this car for DIRTcar Nationals just because it was our freshest bullet, our freshest car. I just felt like this was more important than Sunshine was, and we were fortunate to run really well at Sunshine and then come here with a brand-new car. I unloaded this car at the Sunshine test and was really fast with it. Only ran three laps, but felt really good and really fast right out of the box. So, I was pretty confident coming into this week with this car and this package.”

Once DIRTcar Nationals race week arrived for the Late Models, Hoffman was entering his fourth-consecutive week on the Volusia property. He may not have competed in the nine nights of Modified competition at the event – aside from practicing Kenny Wallace’s car – but he was able to monitor track evolution night after night and listen to feedback from his Elite Chassis customers, which he credited with preparing him for whatever came his way when he got back behind the wheel.

“Every single night, I feel like they gave us something a little bit different,” Hoffman said. “Which is good, it’s what we expect, it’s what we want. We don’t want the same racetrack every single night. They did a good job. [Saturday], I just missed it a little bit and wasn’t quite good enough. All in all, the experience last week, adjusting on Modifieds and learning what the track does throughout the night definitely helped me for this week. At the end of the day, to win the Big Gator is a huge, monumental deal for me.”

With a month of racing at Volusia in the rearview, Hoffman will wrap up his winter trip to Florida with an entirely different challenge at Hendry County Motorsports Park for the inaugural Swamp Cabbage 100 (Friday-Saturday, Feb. 20-21). Like most drivers in this weekend’s field, Hoffman has never raced at Hendry County before, and he was also not present at last month’s open test session. Hoffman sees Thursday as the most important practice night of the season, as it will be his only chance to get up to speed at the track before defending his World of Outlaws points lead.

“I watched a little bit of that Modified [Speedweeks] race, and it’s interesting for sure,” Hoffman said. “It looks like a typical Florida racetrack as far as sandy, loose dirt, wheel spinning early in the night and then it looks like it does get slick later. But the wheel spin side is what worries me, I’m not very good in those conditions typically. We’ll just see what we’ve got. Our race car’s good, but it’s going to take a whole different package when you go there. So, I don’t really know what to expect.”

Hoffman and the rest of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision are headed to Hendry County Motorsports Park for the Swamp Cabbage 100 (Friday-Saturday, Feb. 20-21). Get tickets in advance by clicking here.

Hoffman Looks Back On DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator, Ahead to Hendry County Debut

CLEWISTON, FL (February 19, 2026) – Following his dominant week at Volusia Speedway Park during Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, Nick Hoffman stands out as dirt Late Model racing’s man to beat at the moment.

Recognition as the best in the nation isn’t a new feeling for the former DIRTcar UMP Modified superstar, but it’s the first time he’s had a serious case for the position since turning his full attention to Late Model racing in 2023. Now that he’s leaving Volusia with three wins and five top fives in six nights against a stacked 60-car field, Hoffman is feeling better than ever about remaining in the conversation at the top of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision for the rest of 2026 and beyond.

A Big Gator championship has often meant that a driver is in for one of the most memorable years of their career, and you don’t have to look back far for proof. In the past two seasons, 2024 Big Gator champion Brandon Sheppard went on to win his fifth World of Outlaws championship, while Ricky Thornton Jr. won his first World 100 nine months after topping Volusia last year.

“If you leave [Volusia] in bad shape, I mean, your whole year kind of goes to s**t,” Hoffman said. “McCreadie started off [2025] really bad, and at the end of the year, he was probably one of the best cars. You just look at that, if your February and March goes bad, it’s so hard to rebound in June, July, August, you know? As a brand-new team and stuff, this gets us all acclimated. We’re running good, so everybody’s in good spirits. Definitely helps us moving forward.”

The Tye Twarog Motorsports team is entering their fourth season on the road with the World of Outlaws with a fresh approach in more ways than one. Hoffman’s crew has a pair of new names, with Scott Fegter and Brayden Sebenoler joining Darin “D-Train” Townsend.

The other major change comes under the hood. Hoffman’s engines have previously come out of the Clements Racing Engines shop, but his three Volusia wins were powered by a Durham Racing Engines powerplant. Hoffman has no plans to abandon Clements, instead opting to bounce between two suppliers to keep his engine inventory as versatile as possible. It’s a strategy that has become more common in the Late Model pits in recent years, with the most notable example being Hoffman’s close friend, Jonathan Davenport.

“This is a brand-new [Longhorn Chassis], brand-new motor, first time with a Durham,” Hoffman said. “I’ve always ran Clements stuff, that’s what I ran at Sunshine [Nationals] was my Clements. We wanted to save this car for DIRTcar Nationals just because it was our freshest bullet, our freshest car. I just felt like this was more important than Sunshine was, and we were fortunate to run really well at Sunshine and then come here with a brand-new car. I unloaded this car at the Sunshine test and was really fast with it. Only ran three laps, but felt really good and really fast right out of the box. So, I was pretty confident coming into this week with this car and this package.”

Once DIRTcar Nationals race week arrived for the Late Models, Hoffman was entering his fourth-consecutive week on the Volusia property. He may not have competed in the nine nights of Modified competition at the event – aside from practicing Kenny Wallace’s car – but he was able to monitor track evolution night after night and listen to feedback from his Elite Chassis customers, which he credited with preparing him for whatever came his way when he got back behind the wheel.

“Every single night, I feel like they gave us something a little bit different,” Hoffman said. “Which is good, it’s what we expect, it’s what we want. We don’t want the same racetrack every single night. They did a good job. [Saturday], I just missed it a little bit and wasn’t quite good enough. All in all, the experience last week, adjusting on Modifieds and learning what the track does throughout the night definitely helped me for this week. At the end of the day, to win the Big Gator is a huge, monumental deal for me.”

With a month of racing at Volusia in the rearview, Hoffman will wrap up his winter trip to Florida with an entirely different challenge at Hendry County Motorsports Park for the inaugural Swamp Cabbage 100 (Friday-Saturday, Feb. 20-21). Like most drivers in this weekend’s field, Hoffman has never raced at Hendry County before, and he was also not present at last month’s open test session. Hoffman sees Thursday as the most important practice night of the season, as it will be his only chance to get up to speed at the track before defending his World of Outlaws points lead.

“I watched a little bit of that Modified [Speedweeks] race, and it’s interesting for sure,” Hoffman said. “It looks like a typical Florida racetrack as far as sandy, loose dirt, wheel spinning early in the night and then it looks like it does get slick later. But the wheel spin side is what worries me, I’m not very good in those conditions typically. We’ll just see what we’ve got. Our race car’s good, but it’s going to take a whole different package when you go there. So, I don’t really know what to expect.”

Hoffman and the rest of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision are headed to Hendry County Motorsports Park for the Swamp Cabbage 100 (Friday-Saturday, Feb. 20-21). Get tickets in advance by clicking here.

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

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES Phoenix Raceway 1.0-mile short oval Avondale, Arizona The Unser INDYCAR Open Test at Phoenix Raceway Session #2February 18, 2026 Avondale, Arizona (February 18, 2026) – ECR veteran Alexander Rossi in the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet turned a lap at 174.542mph (20.6524 seconds) during the afternoon on the second day of the Unser Open Test at Phoenix Raceway to lead the combined timesheet after a dozen hours on the iconic 1-mile oval. Five of the top six drivers across the two-day test were Chevrolet-powered, with Josef Newgarden in the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet, Christian Rasmussen in the No. 21 ECR Chevrolet, David Malukas in the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet and Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet all finishing the test in the top six..  Rossi led the morning session with a lap of 174.444mph (20,6370 seconds) during the three hours before lunch, leading a top five that saw four drivers sporting Bowties. Chevrolet has visited victory lane ten times at Phoenix Raceway. Rick Mears, twice and Team Penske, five times, are the winningest driver and team. Team Chevy drivers have stood on the podium at Phoenix Raceway on 25 occasions, with Bob Rahal’s three straight podiums in 1992, 1991 and 1990 leading all drivers. Team Penske leads all Chevrolet-powered teams with 12 podiums at the one-mile oval. Chevrolet and General Motors can surpass a pair of laps led milestones when they return for the Good Ranchers 250 in March. Bowtie-adorned cars have led 1990 laps at Phoenix Raceway, while drivers powered by General Motors have led 2977 laps in The Valley of the Sun. Rick Mears leads all drivers with 247 laps led.

Phoenix Raceway Combined Timesheet

What They’re SayingJosef Newgarden – No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet:“It was great to be back at Phoenix. I have a lot of fond memories of this place from the last race in 2018 when we ended up in Victory Lane. Hopefully we can have the same success at the doubleheader weekend coming up, which will be an amazing weekend of motorsports. And we actually have several crew members from 2018 so we know we can get it done, even if it is a new configuration. It’s a blast to race on, for sure and the XPEL Chevy had plenty of speed.” Scott McLaughlin – No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet: “I was a bit disappointed in the overall speed with the Gallagher Chevy following the first day of the test. We came back today and tuned it up. I felt really comfortable and competitive today, and ready to come back for the INDYCAR-NASCAR doubleheader weekend. The conditions were windy and cold today so that will give us something to think about before we come back, but I’m confident that we will get it all dialed in.” Caio Collet – No. 4 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet: Nice recovery today, are you starting to feel more comfortable?  “Yes, definitely. Today we analyzed a lot more data and tried to understand what the Penske guys were doing. I think they have pretty good knowledge. I’m trying to adapt my driving style to what they are doing, and I think it is beneficial. The qualifying sim that I did wasn’t exactly a qualifying sim. I’m just trying to get more comfortable with the procedure and so on. I think we can be competitive. Before that, it was a bit of a nightmare. I think being competitive is good to end the test on a positive note. Did some pit stops at the end to be ready for St. Pete.” Alexander Rossi – No. 20 ECR Chevrolet:How was the day?“We got through everything we wanted, and obviously, when you can do that it’s a good day. Of course, the top is good, and the team car. Christian’s car is also strong, so there’s nothing more I could ask for.” Does that give you lots of confidence coming back here in a few weeks?“It doesn’t take away confidence. But, it is 50 degrees, and if you look at the weather forecast, it”s going to be 85 degrees when we come back. We have a good baseline and it feels like we are on top of it.” Christian Rasmussen – No. 21 ECR Chevrolet:“We’re pretty happy in the ECR camp. Going one, two, here this afternoon, and Alex was P1 this morning. I was up there as well, even with a run where I had a bit of traffic. It’s safe to say we’re pretty excited about Phoenix.” Rinus VeeKay – No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:“Had a really first oval test with the team here at Phoenix. We hit the ground running. Really happy with the car and, made a lot of progress throughout the the 3 sessions in 2 days. So, yeah, I learned a lot for the race for sure. Really good qualifying case. You know, most important, really good long run pace. So, now really good time with the team. Final test, and well, St. Pete coming up. Very excited. We are ready.” Sting Ray Robb – No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:“Well, the Unser open test was interesting to say the least. I think this track is actually really fun. I like the layout. I think that it’s really easy in testing here to kinda get off the trail, and then you kinda have to find your way back. So I think we did a good job of finishing the two day test.” “On a good note, I think that we were in a good spot to end and we’ll come back with so we can roll off the truck strong. There’s definitely a lot to learn here. There is some of the big teams that, unfortunately, got a a few extra days on this since we’re tired testing gears, so they knew what was ahead of them. But I think with that, we did a very good job. I think both cars are very quick, and I think that we can roll off here and be in the top half of the field right away.” Nolan SiegelPress Conference THE MODERATOR: Nolan Siegel also joins us. He was P8 in that practice session, driving the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.Just your thoughts; it is your first time here at Phoenix Raceway. Did you enjoy it? NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, I really enjoyed it. I thought it’s a very fun track to drive, very unique. The two ends are quite different — three ends, I guess, are quite different from each other. It’s a challenge setup-wise, a challenge driving-wise, and yeah, very much enjoying myself here. I think it’s a cool location, as well. Good to hit this region. We had a ton of fans at the autograph session. I was surprised. We were all like, why are we doing an autograph session here, and then everyone showed up, and we were like, oh, that’s why. I think that’s a good look into what the race weekend is going to be like. Q. For the team, you led among the three. What kind of race car do you think you’ll have come back here in a couple weeks?NOLAN SIEGEL: I think we’ll be strong. I think we’ve been strong on all the short ovals pace-wise. I have full confidence that we’ll figure it out as a group. We have done a good job splitting kind of test items between the three cars.That’s the advantage obviously of having three cars, three strong teams that you trust feedback from. Learned a lot across the three cars over the two days, and I feel like we’re way, way better than where we started. It’s been cool to have Sebring and here as an opportunity to test so many sort of off-season developments that we’ve done, and I’m very optimistic looking into the year as a whole, but coming back here I think we’ll be as strong as we have been on other short ovals as a group. Q. Did you do sim work for this test, and if so —NOLAN SIEGEL: I did not. I did not do a lap on the sim here. Q. How did you get adjusted? Or did you just take a lap around the track in a passenger car and then go at it?NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, I mean, I say I didn’t do a lap on the sim. I didn’t do a lap on the real sim. I’ve jumped on iRacing and done it that way at home.No, we have — obviously the team has a long history, so we have some info from when we were here last in INDYCAR. Obviously it was a while ago, but some good resources there from the team. Watched the race replays from 2016 through 2018, got kind of as much on board as I could from there, and then walked the track, and it’s been really nice to have these two days to just get adjusted. Obviously when you’re at the race weekend and short on time, you have this pressure to get up to speed immediately when it’s a new place, and it was nice to have the test where you can take a run to kind of check the place out and try some different things, experiment a little bit. So it was a good opportunity for that. Q. Kind of curious, we know about the off-season talks that have happened with Kanaan saying some things and then what you had said at media day, and you’ve kind of put that aside since media day. I’m kind of curious, with all of that, is this maybe the most comfortable that you’ve felt getting into a race car just because of that experience and everything else, you’re able to kind of block that out and get in and run? Is that fair to say?NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah. I mean, I think honestly, people have made a really big deal about all of that, and I don’t think internally with me or Tony or any — it’s really not that big a deal for us. Nothing has changed. We still have a good relationship. I’m very comfortable. It’s been nice to run with the group that TK has helped put together on the 6 car. I think there’s some really good additions. He’s done a great job with that. Everything is good. I feel comfortable where I am, comfortable with the people I’m with. Working with Kate again; Andy, new performance engineer, has been doing a great job. Yeah, a lot of familiar faces, which is obviously comforting going into the season. A lot of really strong new faces. I think honestly, for me, I would say I’m at this point more comfortable and more confident with the group we have than I expected to be. It feels like a group that’s worked together for a long time. Yeah, I would say the comfort level is very high, and everyone is happy. Everyone is optimistic.I think there’s been some kind of drama created around all of that in the off-season that didn’t actually exist for us. It was just like kind of people spooling each other up. We’re chilling over here. We’re doing well. Q. To follow that up, from a performance standpoint in the car, doing some of that LMP2 running over the off-season and obviously coming into now having a couple — almost a couple of full-time seasons, several starts, how much of your comfort also is because of all of that experience in the off-season running and things like that coming in?NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, I think it was super helpful. Last year obviously we didn’t have this test, either, so it was just Sebring, and I hadn’t driven a race car for a long time, so you get in and it’s — I felt a little bit more rusty kind of than I would have liked, and I think a lot of people have that experience where you jump in and it takes a few runs to get comfortable, whereas this year it was just in and it felt normal right away. Same thing here, just comfortable and right into rhythm, and it eliminates some of that time to get readjusted.I think it was really helpful. It was also just a lot of fun. It’s nice to kind of come into the season having some good weekends recently where it’s just — the confidence is high, everything is comfortable. We’re excited to get going. I think it’s very positive as a whole. Q. You talked about just the comfort level with your team, with your guys. I’m curious now with Arrow McLaren’s new shop opening up, how comfortable are you in that new shop, and what’s been that experience for you?NOLAN SIEGEL: It’s great that the team has a new facility that I think sort of matches the rest of the program. Before it was a big program running out of a small space. I think it was maybe not the most comfortable for everyone. People were crammed into small offices. The cars were close together. It was definitely cramped. So it’s nice to have a bit more space now.It certainly looks the part, and everyone is settling in.I think people are still sort of getting used to the new space and getting used to things being different, but ultimately I think everybody is going to really enjoy it, and once everyone gets settled in it’s going to be a huge positive for us and just make things a bit easier on everyone. Q. A lot of the drivers have talked about the different tools that you have at your disposal and being able to do different things as you’re navigating different portions of the racetrack. Looking ahead towards the double-header weekend, for the NASCAR fans who don’t know, walk us through what you can do in the car throughout a lap.NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, on the ovals we have the weight jacker, which we don’t have on road courses, so we can change the balance with that weight jacker, which is a really nice tool to have through a stint. We’ve got the anti-roll bars, roll stiffness in the front and rear individually, so we can use a combination of all three of those tools. That’s been another nice thing to have this testing for, because you do these long runs and you can take some time to go through all of the different positions in the bars and move the jacker around and have time to feel it out before we get to the race. Definitely kind of increases the workload on the driver, but at the same time, if you have a problem, you do have an opportunity to try and make it better for yourself and try and fix it. I think that’s a really cool aspect to the long runs in INDYCAR. Q. With you guys coming right back here in a couple weeks, what do you feel like are the biggest things you were able to learn in these couple of days about the track in Phoenix?NOLAN SIEGEL: I think a big one is just as a driver having been here before, obviously coming into practice 1, you get to it right away. That’s big.Then nobody has been here in a long time, so having the opportunity to try tons of things across all three cars is super helpful. I think you get to a race weekend, and sometimes with the lack of time, you’re hesitant to take big swings at things and try kind of more experimental items just because you don’t have the time to get yourself way out of the window and then work your way back, whereas here, you can take a big swing at something and if it doesn’t work, that run wasn’t good, and whatever. You come back and try something else. It’s fun. I really enjoy testing for that reason, and it allows people to get a little bit more creative. I think we found some big, big things and got a good chunk better as a team with all three cars over these two days.Very confident with our starting point going into the race weekend. Certainly more confident with that starting point than I would have been coming to a new track without a test. Q. With there being four races in March, how important do you feel like it is to get off to a very good start in the first three or four races?NOLAN SIEGEL: It’s always important. I think it’s important for my confidence, for the group’s confidence. It’s always nice to go to St. Pete and have a good event and build some momentum going through the first bit of the season. I think at the same time, it’s still going to be a new group for us. It’s a lot of new people that are working together for the first time and there are going to be little kinks to iron out. We’re going to continue working through that and we’re going to continue working through our program. I’m quite confident that we’ll be strong in St. Pete. I’m really excited for St. Pete. But at the same time, if you’re not, then it doesn’t really change anything for us. We keep working through it the same way. We’ll see where we’re at. I’m confident that we’re going to be good, and we’ll try and just maximize the potential every weekend. But I think having three back-to-back races at the start of the season is actually going to be really nice. Normally you wait so long through the off-season, everyone is ready to go, you do your one race and you’re just back to waiting again, and I think everyone is ready to go and energized for those three weekends, and it’s nice to do those back-to-backs at the start of the season when everyone is excited for it and ready for it. Q. INDYCAR hasn’t been there in a while, but INDYCAR used to be there for a long time. Do you get the sense of the history of what that track means in INDYCAR? It’s kind of a little bit like Milwaukee to some degree. When you walk in there, you know the greats of the great have run at that track. It’s the same thing with Phoenix.NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, absolutely. I think this is kind of the heart of INDYCAR racing, right, these short ovals. It’s going to be a fun race, and it does definitely feel like it’s kind of back to the roots of series, which is really cool. Talking to — obviously we’ve got TK who’s raced here a ton; Ryan Hunter-Reay has been hanging around and has raced here a ton, as well. I obviously watched this race growing up and watched those guys racing here growing up, and it’s cool to hear their perspective having driven the previous generations of cars here. I really enjoy INDYCAR short oval racing. I think it does feel like the home for the series, and it just feels like this is what INDYCAR was meant for.Cool to have another short oval on the calendar, and it’s fun for it to be somewhere with so much INDYCAR history. Q. What about the unique characteristic of the dogleg coming out of Turn 4?NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, it’s interesting. I think the dogleg itself isn’t super exciting. It’s very easy flat, kind of just a straightaway. But what is different is Turns 3 and 4 are not full 180 degrees. It is kind of like a 90-degree corner that feels more like a road course corner. Having the mix of more standard sort of I would say Gateway feeling Turns 1 and 2 and then this kind of funky 90-degree big banked compression that feels like a road course is a very interesting combination and an interesting challenge to have the two of them.Really enjoy driving around this place so far. Q. What’s it going to be like for you — everybody has grown up seeing NASCAR on TV, to actually be at a short oval with NASCAR out there the same weekend as you guys?NOLAN SIEGEL: I think it’s awesome. I really enjoyed watching the NASCAR race here last year. It was awesome, awesome racing. Very exciting.I think if we can get some NASCAR fans interested in INDYCAR, get some INDYCAR fans interested in NASCAR and just kind of have an event that’s really fun and exciting for all of the motorsports fans in general that come out — I think the more eyes on INDYCAR, the better. The more eyes on NASCAR, the better. If we can just have this be a big weekend that boosts both series, gets people excited about short oval INDYCAR racing, I think that’s a great thing. So very excited about that. Q. You kind of mentioned earlier about Ryan and his impact on the team. How much have you been able to tap into his knowledge so far, and what role has he played outside of his role during the Indy 500?NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, I actually honestly haven’t been able to talk to him as much as I would like. He’s another great resource, and I’m very lucky to have so many experienced people around me that are so willing to help.I’ve had some short conversations with Ryan about just issues I’ve had here and whether that’s something he’s experienced and how he dealt with it, and I think there are some kind of track-specific things that are a little different from other places here and how to drive around those things and what we need to work on. It’s been nice to be able to have those chats with him, and I’m looking forward to talking to him more, and obviously when he gets in the car, it’ll be cool to listen to how he goes about things when he’s driving, as well. Q. Nolan, as a young guy, when you come to these tracks like Phoenix, Arlington, D.C., does that give you a competitive advantage with everyone starting from square one not having been here recently?NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, I don’t know. It is obviously tough being newer to the series and having so many people here that have been in it for so long and have so much experience, so I do think that coming somewhere new where everyone resets a little bit is good. At the same time, I wouldn’t say this is necessarily one of those places because we do have quite a few people here that raced here in 2018 I think was the last time we came. There are definitely still people with more experience, but yeah, I think going to new street circuits where everyone is learning and starting from scratch is probably not the worst thing for me. I don’t think it really makes a huge difference, but I would rather be closer on experience than further away. Q. You get to hang out with the D-backs tomorrow, right?NOLAN SIEGEL: Yes. Q. Do you know what you’re going to do?NOLAN SIEGEL: I don’t know. I was just told that I might have to do batting practice, which sounds like it could have the potential to be very embarrassing. Q. Can you take a 100-mile-an-hour heater?NOLAN SIEGEL: No, definitely not. I’ll do my best, and I will try not to hurt myself.Q. Do you have any experience with baseball at all?NOLAN SIEGEL: No. I think I played tee ball when I was maybe five or six years old, and that was the last time.

The Team Chevy drivers and teams head home to their shops for the weekend before making the journey to St. Petersburg, Florida, for the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Track action begins on February 27, and the race will get the green flag at 12:29 pm on March 1, airing on the FOX Network.

Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Chevrolet Newsroom

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIESPhoenix Raceway 1.0-mile short ovalAvondale, ArizonaThe Unser INDYCAR Open Test at Phoenix Raceway Session #2February 18, 2026 Avondale, Arizona (February 18, 2026) – ECR veteran Alexander Rossi in the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet turned a lap at 174.542mph (20.6524 seconds) during the afternoon on the second day of the Unser Open Test at Phoenix Raceway to lead the combined timesheet after a dozen hours on the iconic 1-mile oval. Five of the top six drivers across the two-day test were Chevrolet-powered, with Josef Newgarden in the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet, Christian Rasmussen in the No. 21 ECR Chevrolet, David Malukas in the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet and Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet all finishing the test in the top six..  Rossi led the morning session with a lap of 174.444mph (20,6370 seconds) during the three hours before lunch, leading a top five that saw four drivers sporting Bowties. Chevrolet has visited victory lane ten times at Phoenix Raceway. Rick Mears, twice and Team Penske, five times, are the winningest driver and team. Team Chevy drivers have stood on the podium at Phoenix Raceway on 25 occasions, with Bob Rahal’s three straight podiums in 1992, 1991 and 1990 leading all drivers. Team Penske leads all Chevrolet-powered teams with 12 podiums at the one-mile oval. Chevrolet and General Motors can surpass a pair of laps led milestones when they return for the Good Ranchers 250 in March. Bowtie-adorned cars have led 1990 laps at Phoenix Raceway, while drivers powered by General Motors have led 2977 laps in The Valley of the Sun. Rick Mears leads all drivers with 247 laps led.

Phoenix Raceway Combined Timesheet

What They’re SayingJosef Newgarden – No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet:“It was great to be back at Phoenix. I have a lot of fond memories of this place from the last race in 2018 when we ended up in Victory Lane. Hopefully we can have the same success at the doubleheader weekend coming up, which will be an amazing weekend of motorsports. And we actually have several crew members from 2018 so we know we can get it done, even if it is a new configuration. It’s a blast to race on, for sure and the XPEL Chevy had plenty of speed.” Scott McLaughlin – No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet: “I was a bit disappointed in the overall speed with the Gallagher Chevy following the first day of the test. We came back today and tuned it up. I felt really comfortable and competitive today, and ready to come back for the INDYCAR-NASCAR doubleheader weekend. The conditions were windy and cold today so that will give us something to think about before we come back, but I’m confident that we will get it all dialed in.” Caio Collet – No. 4 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet: Nice recovery today, are you starting to feel more comfortable?  “Yes, definitely. Today we analyzed a lot more data and tried to understand what the Penske guys were doing. I think they have pretty good knowledge. I’m trying to adapt my driving style to what they are doing, and I think it is beneficial. The qualifying sim that I did wasn’t exactly a qualifying sim. I’m just trying to get more comfortable with the procedure and so on. I think we can be competitive. Before that, it was a bit of a nightmare. I think being competitive is good to end the test on a positive note. Did some pit stops at the end to be ready for St. Pete.” Alexander Rossi – No. 20 ECR Chevrolet:How was the day?“We got through everything we wanted, and obviously, when you can do that it’s a good day. Of course, the top is good, and the team car. Christian’s car is also strong, so there’s nothing more I could ask for.” Does that give you lots of confidence coming back here in a few weeks?“It doesn’t take away confidence. But, it is 50 degrees, and if you look at the weather forecast, it”s going to be 85 degrees when we come back. We have a good baseline and it feels like we are on top of it.” Christian Rasmussen – No. 21 ECR Chevrolet:“We’re pretty happy in the ECR camp. Going one, two, here this afternoon, and Alex was P1 this morning. I was up there as well, even with a run where I had a bit of traffic. It’s safe to say we’re pretty excited about Phoenix.” Rinus VeeKay – No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:“Had a really first oval test with the team here at Phoenix. We hit the ground running. Really happy with the car and, made a lot of progress throughout the the 3 sessions in 2 days. So, yeah, I learned a lot for the race for sure. Really good qualifying case. You know, most important, really good long run pace. So, now really good time with the team. Final test, and well, St. Pete coming up. Very excited. We are ready.” Sting Ray Robb – No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:“Well, the Unser open test was interesting to say the least. I think this track is actually really fun. I like the layout. I think that it’s really easy in testing here to kinda get off the trail, and then you kinda have to find your way back. So I think we did a good job of finishing the two day test.” “On a good note, I think that we were in a good spot to end and we’ll come back with so we can roll off the truck strong. There’s definitely a lot to learn here. There is some of the big teams that, unfortunately, got a a few extra days on this since we’re tired testing gears, so they knew what was ahead of them. But I think with that, we did a very good job. I think both cars are very quick, and I think that we can roll off here and be in the top half of the field right away.” Nolan SiegelPress Conference THE MODERATOR: Nolan Siegel also joins us. He was P8 in that practice session, driving the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.Just your thoughts; it is your first time here at Phoenix Raceway. Did you enjoy it? NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, I really enjoyed it. I thought it’s a very fun track to drive, very unique. The two ends are quite different — three ends, I guess, are quite different from each other. It’s a challenge setup-wise, a challenge driving-wise, and yeah, very much enjoying myself here. I think it’s a cool location, as well. Good to hit this region. We had a ton of fans at the autograph session. I was surprised. We were all like, why are we doing an autograph session here, and then everyone showed up, and we were like, oh, that’s why. I think that’s a good look into what the race weekend is going to be like. Q. For the team, you led among the three. What kind of race car do you think you’ll have come back here in a couple weeks?NOLAN SIEGEL: I think we’ll be strong. I think we’ve been strong on all the short ovals pace-wise. I have full confidence that we’ll figure it out as a group. We have done a good job splitting kind of test items between the three cars.That’s the advantage obviously of having three cars, three strong teams that you trust feedback from. Learned a lot across the three cars over the two days, and I feel like we’re way, way better than where we started. It’s been cool to have Sebring and here as an opportunity to test so many sort of off-season developments that we’ve done, and I’m very optimistic looking into the year as a whole, but coming back here I think we’ll be as strong as we have been on other short ovals as a group. Q. Did you do sim work for this test, and if so —NOLAN SIEGEL: I did not. I did not do a lap on the sim here. Q. How did you get adjusted? Or did you just take a lap around the track in a passenger car and then go at it?NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, I mean, I say I didn’t do a lap on the sim. I didn’t do a lap on the real sim. I’ve jumped on iRacing and done it that way at home.No, we have — obviously the team has a long history, so we have some info from when we were here last in INDYCAR. Obviously it was a while ago, but some good resources there from the team. Watched the race replays from 2016 through 2018, got kind of as much on board as I could from there, and then walked the track, and it’s been really nice to have these two days to just get adjusted. Obviously when you’re at the race weekend and short on time, you have this pressure to get up to speed immediately when it’s a new place, and it was nice to have the test where you can take a run to kind of check the place out and try some different things, experiment a little bit. So it was a good opportunity for that. Q. Kind of curious, we know about the off-season talks that have happened with Kanaan saying some things and then what you had said at media day, and you’ve kind of put that aside since media day. I’m kind of curious, with all of that, is this maybe the most comfortable that you’ve felt getting into a race car just because of that experience and everything else, you’re able to kind of block that out and get in and run? Is that fair to say?NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah. I mean, I think honestly, people have made a really big deal about all of that, and I don’t think internally with me or Tony or any — it’s really not that big a deal for us. Nothing has changed. We still have a good relationship. I’m very comfortable. It’s been nice to run with the group that TK has helped put together on the 6 car. I think there’s some really good additions. He’s done a great job with that. Everything is good. I feel comfortable where I am, comfortable with the people I’m with. Working with Kate again; Andy, new performance engineer, has been doing a great job. Yeah, a lot of familiar faces, which is obviously comforting going into the season. A lot of really strong new faces. I think honestly, for me, I would say I’m at this point more comfortable and more confident with the group we have than I expected to be. It feels like a group that’s worked together for a long time. Yeah, I would say the comfort level is very high, and everyone is happy. Everyone is optimistic.I think there’s been some kind of drama created around all of that in the off-season that didn’t actually exist for us. It was just like kind of people spooling each other up. We’re chilling over here. We’re doing well. Q. To follow that up, from a performance standpoint in the car, doing some of that LMP2 running over the off-season and obviously coming into now having a couple — almost a couple of full-time seasons, several starts, how much of your comfort also is because of all of that experience in the off-season running and things like that coming in?NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, I think it was super helpful. Last year obviously we didn’t have this test, either, so it was just Sebring, and I hadn’t driven a race car for a long time, so you get in and it’s — I felt a little bit more rusty kind of than I would have liked, and I think a lot of people have that experience where you jump in and it takes a few runs to get comfortable, whereas this year it was just in and it felt normal right away. Same thing here, just comfortable and right into rhythm, and it eliminates some of that time to get readjusted.I think it was really helpful. It was also just a lot of fun. It’s nice to kind of come into the season having some good weekends recently where it’s just — the confidence is high, everything is comfortable. We’re excited to get going. I think it’s very positive as a whole. Q. You talked about just the comfort level with your team, with your guys. I’m curious now with Arrow McLaren’s new shop opening up, how comfortable are you in that new shop, and what’s been that experience for you?NOLAN SIEGEL: It’s great that the team has a new facility that I think sort of matches the rest of the program. Before it was a big program running out of a small space. I think it was maybe not the most comfortable for everyone. People were crammed into small offices. The cars were close together. It was definitely cramped. So it’s nice to have a bit more space now.It certainly looks the part, and everyone is settling in.I think people are still sort of getting used to the new space and getting used to things being different, but ultimately I think everybody is going to really enjoy it, and once everyone gets settled in it’s going to be a huge positive for us and just make things a bit easier on everyone. Q. A lot of the drivers have talked about the different tools that you have at your disposal and being able to do different things as you’re navigating different portions of the racetrack. Looking ahead towards the double-header weekend, for the NASCAR fans who don’t know, walk us through what you can do in the car throughout a lap.NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, on the ovals we have the weight jacker, which we don’t have on road courses, so we can change the balance with that weight jacker, which is a really nice tool to have through a stint. We’ve got the anti-roll bars, roll stiffness in the front and rear individually, so we can use a combination of all three of those tools. That’s been another nice thing to have this testing for, because you do these long runs and you can take some time to go through all of the different positions in the bars and move the jacker around and have time to feel it out before we get to the race. Definitely kind of increases the workload on the driver, but at the same time, if you have a problem, you do have an opportunity to try and make it better for yourself and try and fix it. I think that’s a really cool aspect to the long runs in INDYCAR. Q. With you guys coming right back here in a couple weeks, what do you feel like are the biggest things you were able to learn in these couple of days about the track in Phoenix?NOLAN SIEGEL: I think a big one is just as a driver having been here before, obviously coming into practice 1, you get to it right away. That’s big.Then nobody has been here in a long time, so having the opportunity to try tons of things across all three cars is super helpful. I think you get to a race weekend, and sometimes with the lack of time, you’re hesitant to take big swings at things and try kind of more experimental items just because you don’t have the time to get yourself way out of the window and then work your way back, whereas here, you can take a big swing at something and if it doesn’t work, that run wasn’t good, and whatever. You come back and try something else. It’s fun. I really enjoy testing for that reason, and it allows people to get a little bit more creative. I think we found some big, big things and got a good chunk better as a team with all three cars over these two days.Very confident with our starting point going into the race weekend. Certainly more confident with that starting point than I would have been coming to a new track without a test. Q. With there being four races in March, how important do you feel like it is to get off to a very good start in the first three or four races?NOLAN SIEGEL: It’s always important. I think it’s important for my confidence, for the group’s confidence. It’s always nice to go to St. Pete and have a good event and build some momentum going through the first bit of the season. I think at the same time, it’s still going to be a new group for us. It’s a lot of new people that are working together for the first time and there are going to be little kinks to iron out. We’re going to continue working through that and we’re going to continue working through our program. I’m quite confident that we’ll be strong in St. Pete. I’m really excited for St. Pete. But at the same time, if you’re not, then it doesn’t really change anything for us. We keep working through it the same way. We’ll see where we’re at. I’m confident that we’re going to be good, and we’ll try and just maximize the potential every weekend. But I think having three back-to-back races at the start of the season is actually going to be really nice. Normally you wait so long through the off-season, everyone is ready to go, you do your one race and you’re just back to waiting again, and I think everyone is ready to go and energized for those three weekends, and it’s nice to do those back-to-backs at the start of the season when everyone is excited for it and ready for it. Q. INDYCAR hasn’t been there in a while, but INDYCAR used to be there for a long time. Do you get the sense of the history of what that track means in INDYCAR? It’s kind of a little bit like Milwaukee to some degree. When you walk in there, you know the greats of the great have run at that track. It’s the same thing with Phoenix.NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, absolutely. I think this is kind of the heart of INDYCAR racing, right, these short ovals. It’s going to be a fun race, and it does definitely feel like it’s kind of back to the roots of series, which is really cool. Talking to — obviously we’ve got TK who’s raced here a ton; Ryan Hunter-Reay has been hanging around and has raced here a ton, as well. I obviously watched this race growing up and watched those guys racing here growing up, and it’s cool to hear their perspective having driven the previous generations of cars here. I really enjoy INDYCAR short oval racing. I think it does feel like the home for the series, and it just feels like this is what INDYCAR was meant for.Cool to have another short oval on the calendar, and it’s fun for it to be somewhere with so much INDYCAR history. Q. What about the unique characteristic of the dogleg coming out of Turn 4?NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, it’s interesting. I think the dogleg itself isn’t super exciting. It’s very easy flat, kind of just a straightaway. But what is different is Turns 3 and 4 are not full 180 degrees. It is kind of like a 90-degree corner that feels more like a road course corner. Having the mix of more standard sort of I would say Gateway feeling Turns 1 and 2 and then this kind of funky 90-degree big banked compression that feels like a road course is a very interesting combination and an interesting challenge to have the two of them.Really enjoy driving around this place so far. Q. What’s it going to be like for you — everybody has grown up seeing NASCAR on TV, to actually be at a short oval with NASCAR out there the same weekend as you guys?NOLAN SIEGEL: I think it’s awesome. I really enjoyed watching the NASCAR race here last year. It was awesome, awesome racing. Very exciting.I think if we can get some NASCAR fans interested in INDYCAR, get some INDYCAR fans interested in NASCAR and just kind of have an event that’s really fun and exciting for all of the motorsports fans in general that come out — I think the more eyes on INDYCAR, the better. The more eyes on NASCAR, the better. If we can just have this be a big weekend that boosts both series, gets people excited about short oval INDYCAR racing, I think that’s a great thing. So very excited about that. Q. You kind of mentioned earlier about Ryan and his impact on the team. How much have you been able to tap into his knowledge so far, and what role has he played outside of his role during the Indy 500?NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, I actually honestly haven’t been able to talk to him as much as I would like. He’s another great resource, and I’m very lucky to have so many experienced people around me that are so willing to help.I’ve had some short conversations with Ryan about just issues I’ve had here and whether that’s something he’s experienced and how he dealt with it, and I think there are some kind of track-specific things that are a little different from other places here and how to drive around those things and what we need to work on. It’s been nice to be able to have those chats with him, and I’m looking forward to talking to him more, and obviously when he gets in the car, it’ll be cool to listen to how he goes about things when he’s driving, as well. Q. Nolan, as a young guy, when you come to these tracks like Phoenix, Arlington, D.C., does that give you a competitive advantage with everyone starting from square one not having been here recently?NOLAN SIEGEL: Yeah, I don’t know. It is obviously tough being newer to the series and having so many people here that have been in it for so long and have so much experience, so I do think that coming somewhere new where everyone resets a little bit is good. At the same time, I wouldn’t say this is necessarily one of those places because we do have quite a few people here that raced here in 2018 I think was the last time we came. There are definitely still people with more experience, but yeah, I think going to new street circuits where everyone is learning and starting from scratch is probably not the worst thing for me. I don’t think it really makes a huge difference, but I would rather be closer on experience than further away. Q. You get to hang out with the D-backs tomorrow, right?NOLAN SIEGEL: Yes. Q. Do you know what you’re going to do?NOLAN SIEGEL: I don’t know. I was just told that I might have to do batting practice, which sounds like it could have the potential to be very embarrassing. Q. Can you take a 100-mile-an-hour heater?NOLAN SIEGEL: No, definitely not. I’ll do my best, and I will try not to hurt myself.Q. Do you have any experience with baseball at all?NOLAN SIEGEL: No. I think I played tee ball when I was maybe five or six years old, and that was the last time.

The Team Chevy drivers and teams head home to their shops for the weekend before making the journey to St. Petersburg, Florida, for the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Track action begins on February 27, and the race will get the green flag at 12:29 pm on March 1, airing on the FOX Network.

Chevrolet at Phoenix Raceway  General Motors (Chevrolet and Oldsmobile) Wins – 15 Chevrolet Wins – 10 2018 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2017 – Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske2016 – Scott Dixon – Chip Ganassi Racing2002 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske1992 – Bob Rahal – Rahal Hogan Racing1991 – Arie Luyendyk – Doug Shierson Racing1990 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1989 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1988 – Mario Andretti – Newman Haas Racing1969 – George Follmer – George Follmer Oldsmobile Wins – 5 2001 – Sam Hornish – Panther Racing2000 – Buddy Lazier – Hemelgarn Racing1999 – Scott Goodyear – Panther Racing1998 – Scott Sharp – Kelley Racing1997 – Jim Guthrie – Blueprint Racing General Motors Poles – 13 Chevrolet Poles – 8 2017 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske2016 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske2002 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske1991 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1990 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1989 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1988 – Rick Mears – Team Penske1987 – Mario Andretti – Newman Haas Racing Oldsmobile Wins – 5 2001 – Greg Ray – Team Menard2000 – Greg Ray – Team Menard1999 – Greg Ray – Team Menard1998 – Jeff Ward – ISM Racing1997 – Tony Stewart – Team Menard General Motors Podiums: 39 Chevrolet Podiums: 25 Driver Podiums: Bob Rahal (3), Emerson Fittipaldi (2), Rick Mears (2), Simon Pagenaud (2), Will Power (2), Al Unser Jr. (2), Mario Andretti (1), Helio Castroneves (1), Gil de Ferran (1), George Follmer (1), Scott Dixon (1), Roberto Guerrero (1), JR Hildebrand (1), Sam Hornish (1), Arie Luyendyk (1), Josef Newgarden (1), Danny Sullivan (1), Jimmy Vasser (1) Team Podiums: Team Penske (12), Galles Racing (4), Chip Ganassi Racing (1), Doug Shierson Racing (1), ECR (1), George Follmer (1), Granatelli Racing (1), Hayhoe Racing (1), Newman Haas Racing (1), Panther Racing (1), Rahal Hogan Racing (1) Oldsmobile Podiums: 14  Driver Podiums: Scott Goodyear (2), Buddy Lazier (2), Tony Stewart (2), Billy Boat (1), Jim Guthrie (1), Davey Hamilton (1), Donnie Beechler (1), Sam Hornish (1), Eliseo Salazar (1), Scott Sharp (1) Jeff Ward (1) Team Podiums: A.J. Foyt Racing (3), Panther Racing (3), Hemelgarn Racing (2), Team Menard (2), Blueprint Racing (1), Cahill Racing (1), Kelley Racing (1), Pagan Racing (1) General Motors Laps Led: 2977 Chevrolet Laps Led: 1990 Driver Laps Led: Rick Mears (247), Bob Rahal (242), Mario Andretti (198), Helio Castroneves (174), Scott Dixon (155), Paul Tracy (151), Will Power (139), Arie Luyendyk (129), Simon Pagenaud (119), Michael Andretti (88), Sam Hornish (67), Al Unser Jr. (65), Juan Montoya (56), Danny Sullivan (53), Josef Newgarden (32), George Follmer (29), Gil de Ferran (15), Kevin Cogan (13), Emerson Fittipaldi (10), Eliseo Salazar (7), Tomas Scheckter (1) Team Laps Led: Team Penske (996), Newman Haas Racing (286), Rahal Hogan Racing (200), Chip Ganassi Racing (155), Doug Shierson Racing (129), Panther Racing(68), Galles Racing (68), Kelley Racing (39), George Follmer (29), Patrick Racing (13),  A.J. Foyt Racing (7) Oldsmobile Laps Led: 987 Driver Laps Led: Tony Stewart (212), Sam Hornish (140), Scott Goodyear (134), Scott Sharp (94), Jim Guthrie (74), Greg Ray (61), Buddy Lazier (45), Billy Boat (41), Stephan Gregoire (36), Eddie Cheever (28), Jeff Ward (25), Kenny Brack (24), Al Unser Jr. (22), Mark Dismore (14), Affonso Giaffone (13), Robbie McGehee (11),  Robbie Buhl (5), Helio Castroneves (4), Gil de Ferran (3), Donnie Beechler (1) Team Laps Led: Panther Racing (274), Team Menard (273), Kelley Racing (104), Blueprint Racing (74), Galles Racing (46), A.J. Foyt Racing (45), Hemelgarn Racing (45),  Dick Simon Racing (36), Team Cheever (28), ISM Racing (25), Chitwood Motorsports (13), Treadway Racing (11), Team Penske (7), Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (5), Cahil Racing (1) Manufacturer History at Phoenix International Raceway Wins  17 – Cosworth (1987, 1986 #2, 1986 #2, 1985, 1984 #2, 1984 #1, 1983, 1982 #2, 1982 #1, 1981 #2, 1981 #1, 1980, 1979 #2, 1979 #1, 1978 #2, 1977 #1, 1976 #2)15 – General Motors (Chevrolet & Oldsmobile)13 – Offenhauser – (1976 #1, 1975 #1, 1974 #2, 1974 #1, 1973, 1972 #2, 1972 #1, 1968 #2, 1968 #1, 1967#1, 1965 #1, 1964 #2, 1964 #1)12 – Ford (1996, 1995, 1993, 1971 #2, 1971 #1, 1970 #2, 1970 #1, 1969 #2, 1967 #2, 1966 #2, 1966 #1, 1965 #2)10 – Chevrolet (2018, 2017, 2016, 2002, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1969 #1)5 – Oldsmobile (2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997)2- DGS (1978 #1, 1977 #2)2 – Honda (2004, 2003)1 – Toyota (2005)1 – Ilmor (1994)1- Foyt (1975 #2) Poles18 – Cosworth (1986 #2, 1986 #1, 1985, 1984 #2, 1984 #1, 1983, 1982 #2, 1982 #1, 1981 #2, 1981#1, 1980, 1979 #2, 1979 #1, 1978 #2, 1978 #1, 1977 #2, 1977 #1, 1976 #1)14 – Offenhauser (1976 #2, 1975 #1, 1974 #2, 1974 #1, 1973, 1972 #2, 1972 #1, 1971 #2, 1971 #1, 1968 #2, 1968 #2, 1967 #1, 1965 #2, 1964 #1)13 – General Motors (Chevrolet and Oldsmobile)13 – Ford (1996, 1995, 1993, 1992, 1970 #2, 1970 #1, 1969 #2, 1969 #1, 1967 #2, 1966 #2, 1966 #1, 1965 #1, 1964 #2)8 – Chevrolet (2017, 2016, 2002, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1987)5 – Oldsmobile (2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997)4 – Honda (2018, 2005, 2004, 2003)1 – DGS (1975 #2)1 – Ilmor (1994

By Drag Illustrated

While ARP (Automotive Racing Products) has long been an NHRA Major Sponsor, posting for use of its head studs (or bolts) for all Sportsman categories at all National events, the company also supports grassroots racers in other venues.

At the upcoming Good Vibrations March Meet, to be held on March 5-8 at Famoso Dragstrip near Bakersfield, California, ARP is the presenting sponsor of Heritage T/F and Funny Car categories with cash awards to the event winners and quickest qualifiers. ARP is also providing a cash bonus for the No. 1 AA/Fuel Altered qualifier and the event winner.

On the opposite site of the country, ARP is lending its support to the Southeast Gassers Association and posting contingency awards at its 10-race schedule. The popular series pays homage to the wild, wheelstanding early iron that roamed the nation’s drag strips in the sport’s halcyon days. 

ARP is also continuing its support of the Contingency Connection, which offers benefits to grassroots competitors at a large number of tracks across the United States.

News

ARP Continues Support of Grassroots Drag Racing

ByDrag Illustrated

Published 1 day ago

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While ARP (Automotive Racing Products) has long been an NHRA Major Sponsor, posting for use of its head studs (or bolts) for all Sportsman categories at all National events, the company also supports grassroots racers in other venues.

At the upcoming Good Vibrations March Meet, to be held on March 5-8 at Famoso Dragstrip near Bakersfield, California, ARP is the presenting sponsor of Heritage T/F and Funny Car categories with cash awards to the event winners and quickest qualifiers. ARP is also providing a cash bonus for the No. 1 AA/Fuel Altered qualifier and the event winner.

On the opposite site of the country, ARP is lending its support to the Southeast Gassers Association and posting contingency awards at its 10-race schedule. The popular series pays homage to the wild, wheelstanding early iron that roamed the nation’s drag strips in the sport’s halcyon days. 

ARP is also continuing its support of the Contingency Connection, which offers benefits to grassroots competitors at a large number of tracks across the United States.

For additional information on the wide variety of ARP fasteners available for your race car or street machine download the new 2026 catalog at www.ARPcatalog.com or request a free printed copy. For personalized technical assistance call 800-826-3045.

DOUG FOLEY TRANSITIONS TO TEAM OWNER ROLE; 
GARY PRITCHETT NAMED 2026 TOP FUEL DRIVER

MOORESVILLE, NC (February 18, 2026) — Doug Foley Racing announced today that Doug Foley will transition from driving duties to a full-time team owner role beginning with the 2026 season. Gary Pritchett has been named driver of the team’s Top Fuel dragster.
 
“We are going to do a driver swap in 2026,” Foley said. “I am going to get out of the seat. And I just felt like we could be better all the way around and I kind of wanted to focus more on just taking the team to another level, and so I decided to get out of the seat.”

Gary Pritchett will take over Top Fuel driving duties for Doug Foley in 2026, photo courtesy of Doug Foley Racing 

DOUG FOLEY TRANSITIONS TO TEAM OWNER ROLE; 
GARY PRITCHETT NAMED 2026 TOP FUEL DRIVER

MOORESVILLE, NC (February 18, 2026) — Doug Foley Racing announced today that Doug Foley will transition from driving duties to a full-time team owner role beginning with the 2026 season. Gary Pritchett has been named driver of the team’s Top Fuel dragster.
 
“We are going to do a driver swap in 2026,” Foley said. “I am going to get out of the seat. And I just felt like we could be better all the way around and I kind of wanted to focus more on just taking the team to another level, and so I decided to get out of the seat.”

Gary Pritchett will take over Top Fuel driving duties for Doug Foley in 2026, photo courtesy of Doug Foley Racing 

Foley, a veteran Top Fuel competitor and multi-time IHRA event winner, said the move allows him to focus on strengthening the organization both competitively and commercially.
 
“I just didn’t feel like our team was at the level it could be, and that’s my goal to fix that,” Foley said.
 
The team will compete in a combination of NHRA and IHRA events in 2026. Foley said the hybrid schedule provides opportunities for growth while maintaining a competitive presence across both sanctioning bodies.
 
Pritchett, a former Top Alcohol Dragster competitor and longtime Top Fuel crew member, earned his Top Fuel license in 2015 under the guidance of crew chief Doug Kuch.
 
“Doug Kuch actually got me my Top Fuel license back in 2015 in Charlotte and coming full circle,” Pritchett said. “I feel like all the stars are kind of aligning and really excited for the opportunity.”
 
Pritchett said the opportunity represents a career milestone.
 
“It feels like I got the opportunity I’ve been waiting on my whole life,” he said.
 
Additional announcements regarding partnerships and testing plans for the 2026 season will be released in the coming weeks.

Hull Racing Adds Crew Chief Matt Bynum and
Focuses on Strong Start in Gainesville

DALLAS (February 19, 2026) — Team owner and Funny Car driver Buddy Hull is building his newly formed Hull Racing team on a foundation of performance, safety and strong relationships. The past two months have seen a flurry of activity in Hull’s race shop located just south of the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex by long-time crew chief Mike Guger and new addition veteran crew chief Matt Bynum. With two Funny Cars in the shop the tandem has been meticulously going over every part and piece of the operation preparing for their season debut at the historic Gatornationals, March 5-8, 2026. Hull is excited about the beginning of a new era in his career.
 
“I have been a team owner and a team driver but this new endeavor, Hull Racing, has me so excited for my future,” said Hull. “This is a family-owned team with my wife Madi and my son Maverick. We are building a program that I am very proud of. Having Matt join Mike to tune this Funny Car gives me a lot of confidence for the long term. Matt has a background like mine, and I am really looking forward to working with him and seeing the success he and Mike can have with this team.”

 Matt Bynum (left) and Buddy Hull are looking forward to getting season started in Gainesville,
photo credit Werner Communications

Hull Racing Adds Crew Chief Matt Bynum and
Focuses on Strong Start in Gainesville

DALLAS (February 19, 2026) — Team owner and Funny Car driver Buddy Hull is building his newly formed Hull Racing team on a foundation of performance, safety and strong relationships. The past two months have seen a flurry of activity in Hull’s race shop located just south of the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex by long-time crew chief Mike Guger and new addition veteran crew chief Matt Bynum. With two Funny Cars in the shop the tandem has been meticulously going over every part and piece of the operation preparing for their season debut at the historic Gatornationals, March 5-8, 2026. Hull is excited about the beginning of a new era in his career.
 
“I have been a team owner and a team driver but this new endeavor, Hull Racing, has me so excited for my future,” said Hull. “This is a family-owned team with my wife Madi and my son Maverick. We are building a program that I am very proud of. Having Matt join Mike to tune this Funny Car gives me a lot of confidence for the long term. Matt has a background like mine, and I am really looking forward to working with him and seeing the success he and Mike can have with this team.”

 Matt Bynum (left) and Buddy Hull are looking forward to getting season started in Gainesville,
photo credit Werner Communications

Bynum joins Hull Racing after years working on nitro Funny Cars with several top-level teams including Blake Alexander, Del Worsham and Alexis DeJoria. Bynum also has extensive success in the nostalgia Funny Car ranks.
 
“Funny Car is a premiere category and working with Buddy is something fresh and new,” said Bynum. “This is a chance to build on what I have been doing over the past several years. Buddy and I have the same mindset. We want to stay within ourselves and make full runs without smoking the tires. We are going to be consistent, safe and quick.”
 
Hull is proud to be working with one of the youngest crew chiefs in the sport and helping build the future of his team. Bynum, 34, has worked with some of the brightest minds in drag racing and he is eager to join Guger and continue to build a quality program.
 
“I am always looking to give young talent a chance to shine whether it is one the racetrack or with my business Vertex General Contractors,” said Hull. “I want to work with people who are hungry for success and have a great positive attitude. Matt has come into the shop and really continued to move us in the right direction. He and I have had several conversations about racing and life. This is going to be an exciting season for sure.”
 
Over the off-season Hull along with Guger and Bynum have been adding parts and inventory to their Funny Car team which includes a primary Funny Car along with a back-up Funny Car and all the supporting materials. Hull recently announced Red Line Oil as a sponsor and he has a marketing relationship with Five Star Ford, a major Dallas/Ft. Worth-based dealership. Additional sponsorship announcements will be made in the coming weeks leading up to the Gatornationals.