BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 29, 2026) – Jordan Vandergriff was born and raised in Southern California but, living in Atlanta the past few years, he’s accepted Georgia as his adopted home state and is looking for a little Southern “home cooking” to put the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team into the winner’s circle at the inaugural NHRA Southern Nationals, May 1-3 at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Adel, Ga.

The 31-year -old Funny Car rookie continues to build on the list of positives achieved in just the first four races of 2026. Vandergriff earned semifinal finishes at Gainesville and Pomona, a second-round finish at last week’s three-round 4-Wide Nationals, a Friday No. 1 Qualifier at Pomona, and his first Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win at Charlotte.

Vandergriff maintained his fifth-place position in 2026 Funny Car point standings after the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals. He’s just 14 points behind Chad Green in fourth place and 40 behind J.R. Todd in third.

In one previous NHRA Southern Nationals start (2019 at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.), Vandergriff qualified fifth in Top Fuel, then defeated Pat Dakin and Leah Pruett in the first two rounds before losing his semifinal matchup against Brittany Force. He has a 2-1 overall event round record.

John Force Racing Southern Nationals statistics

• Atlanta was the site of the first all-JFR final round (April 21, 1996), in which Tony Pedregon dealt John Force one of the six losses he suffered over the course of a 19-race season.
• On April 27, 2008, Ashley Force Hood became the first woman to win a Funny Car race in the NHRA series when she beat her dad in the Atlanta final.
• Overall, five different JFR drivers won 14 times in the Atlanta version of the Southern Nationals, the last win in 2018 when Courtney beat Matt Hagan.
• John Force raced in the final round of the final race at Atlanta in 2021, losing to Bob Tasca III. 

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after four of 20 races are: 1. Ron Capps, 369; 2. Matt Hagan, 327; 3. J.R. Todd, 299; 4. Chad Green, 276; 5. Jordan Vandergriff, 262; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 235; 7. Spencer Hyde, 221; 8. Jack Beckman, 213; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 170; 10. Dave Richards, 138.

Quotes

Is there any extra motivation in trying to win an inaugural event?

“The motivation for me is that it’s technically my home state race since I live up the road from Adel in Atlanta. It’s close to home and it’s close to my heart. It’s a new track so our Cornwall Quality Tools team will have to figure it out just like everybody else.”

Is there any adjustment you have to make from four wide back to two, or is it just muscle memory?

“I don’t think so. I think the transition is going to be fine. The four-wide race is such an anomaly, especially this year, with it being the only one. You really only have to focus for one race and then we go back regular two-wide racing in Georgia and the rest of the season so I think I’ll just catch it in stride.”

How do you prep for an inaugural NHRA national event with minimal or possibly zero information about the track to work with?

“With every track, especially South Georgia this year, I do a couple of things. I always go up and look at the starting line. I get views down both lanes, kind of crouch down and see where my eye line’s going to be. A big thing, too, is going down to the top end of the racetrack, seeing where the turnoffs are, and what the shutdown area looks like if there’s anything tricky or different down there, how big the gap is to get off the track. It’s the shutdown area, too. Everything, not just the racing surface, comes into account.”

What are your thoughts on the Southern Nationals being part of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series again?

“I ran Top Fuel in the Southern Nationals in 2019 with my family’s team and sponsorship from my family’s company, Hedman Hedders. My whole family was there, my parents, my grandfather, my uncle Bob so it means a lot. Georgia means a lot to the Vandergriff family so, racing again in Georgia means the world to me and my family. And like I said, I want to get it done there for everybody.”

Track & TV Schedules

 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 3 and 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 1, with the final two rounds Saturday, May 2, at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 3.

VANDERGRIFF DRIVEN BY ADOPTED HOME STATE OPPORTUNITY

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 29, 2026) – Jordan Vandergriff was born and raised in Southern California but, living in Atlanta the past few years, he’s accepted Georgia as his adopted home state and is looking for a little Southern “home cooking” to put the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team into the winner’s circle at the inaugural NHRA Southern Nationals, May 1-3 at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Adel, Ga.

The 31-year -old Funny Car rookie continues to build on the list of positives achieved in just the first four races of 2026. Vandergriff earned semifinal finishes at Gainesville and Pomona, a second-round finish at last week’s three-round 4-Wide Nationals, a Friday No. 1 Qualifier at Pomona, and his first Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win at Charlotte.

Vandergriff maintained his fifth-place position in 2026 Funny Car point standings after the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals. He’s just 14 points behind Chad Green in fourth place and 40 behind J.R. Todd in third.

In one previous NHRA Southern Nationals start (2019 at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.), Vandergriff qualified fifth in Top Fuel, then defeated Pat Dakin and Leah Pruett in the first two rounds before losing his semifinal matchup against Brittany Force. He has a 2-1 overall event round record.

John Force Racing Southern Nationals statistics

• Atlanta was the site of the first all-JFR final round (April 21, 1996), in which Tony Pedregon dealt John Force one of the six losses he suffered over the course of a 19-race season.
• On April 27, 2008, Ashley Force Hood became the first woman to win a Funny Car race in the NHRA series when she beat her dad in the Atlanta final.
• Overall, five different JFR drivers won 14 times in the Atlanta version of the Southern Nationals, the last win in 2018 when Courtney beat Matt Hagan.
• John Force raced in the final round of the final race at Atlanta in 2021, losing to Bob Tasca III. 

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after four of 20 races are: 1. Ron Capps, 369; 2. Matt Hagan, 327; 3. J.R. Todd, 299; 4. Chad Green, 276; 5. Jordan Vandergriff, 262; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 235; 7. Spencer Hyde, 221; 8. Jack Beckman, 213; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 170; 10. Dave Richards, 138.

Quotes

Is there any extra motivation in trying to win an inaugural event?

“The motivation for me is that it’s technically my home state race since I live up the road from Adel in Atlanta. It’s close to home and it’s close to my heart. It’s a new track so our Cornwall Quality Tools team will have to figure it out just like everybody else.”

Is there any adjustment you have to make from four wide back to two, or is it just muscle memory?

“I don’t think so. I think the transition is going to be fine. The four-wide race is such an anomaly, especially this year, with it being the only one. You really only have to focus for one race and then we go back regular two-wide racing in Georgia and the rest of the season so I think I’ll just catch it in stride.”

How do you prep for an inaugural NHRA national event with minimal or possibly zero information about the track to work with?

“With every track, especially South Georgia this year, I do a couple of things. I always go up and look at the starting line. I get views down both lanes, kind of crouch down and see where my eye line’s going to be. A big thing, too, is going down to the top end of the racetrack, seeing where the turnoffs are, and what the shutdown area looks like if there’s anything tricky or different down there, how big the gap is to get off the track. It’s the shutdown area, too. Everything, not just the racing surface, comes into account.”

What are your thoughts on the Southern Nationals being part of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series again?

“I ran Top Fuel in the Southern Nationals in 2019 with my family’s team and sponsorship from my family’s company, Hedman Hedders. My whole family was there, my parents, my grandfather, my uncle Bob so it means a lot. Georgia means a lot to the Vandergriff family so, racing again in Georgia means the world to me and my family. And like I said, I want to get it done there for everybody.”

Track & TV Schedules

 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 3 and 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 1, with the final two rounds Saturday, May 2, at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 3.

Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 from 9:30 – 11 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 2, a second qualifying show Sunday, May 3, from 1 – 2 p.m. ET and eliminations from 7 – 10 p.m. ET.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 29, 2026) – Josh Hart and the John Force Racing Speedmaster Top Fuel team look to bounce back from an early exit last week in Charlotte when they unload for the May 1-3 NHRA Southern Nationals, the inaugural national event at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Adel, Ga.

The 2026 Gatornationals Top Fuel winner qualified second and ran a strong and competitive 3.753 seconds at 333.16 mph in his Round 1 quad at last Sunday’s NHRA 4-Wide Nationals. Unfortunately, Tony Stewart’s 3.727-second run and Billy Torrence’s 3.731-second pass prevented Hart from moving to the next round.

Hart and the Speedmaster Top Fuel team are fifth in the Top Fuel point standings, 31 behind Tony Stewart for fourth place and 34 behind Leah Pruett for third.

In one previous NHRA Southern Nationals Top Fuel start (2021 at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.), Hart qualified fourth, then beat Arthur Allen in the first round before losing to Brittany Force in the second. He has a 1-1 overall event round record. He also earned the 2018 NHRA Southern Nationals Top Alcohol Dragster title at Atlanta Dragway.

John Force Racing Southern Nationals statistics

• Atlanta was the site of the first all-JFR final round (April 21, 1996), in which Tony Pedregon dealt John Force one of the six losses he suffered over the course of a 19-race season.
• On April 27, 2008, Ashley Force Hood became the first woman to win a Funny Car race in the NHRA series when she beat her dad in the Atlanta final.
• Overall, five different JFR drivers won 14 times in the Atlanta version of the Southern Nationals, the last win in 2018 when Courtney beat Matt Hagan.
• John Force raced in the final round of the final race at Atlanta in 2021, losing to Bob Tasca III. 

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings after four of 20 races are: Doug Kalitta, 373; 2. Shawn Langdon, 350; 3. Leah Pruett, 297; 4. Tony Stewart, 296; 5. Josh Hart, 265; 6. Maddi Gordon, 238; 7. Justin Ashley, 208; 8. Billy Torrence, 187; 9. Antron Brown, 163; 10. Clay Millican, 146.

Quotes

Is there any extra motivation in trying to win an inaugural event?

“Always, always. I like South Georgia Motorsports Park so I’m really happy that they’ve added it into the circuit. It’s just proof that NHRA is expanding. Nothing would be nicer than putting that inaugural trophy on my mantle.”

Is there any adjustment you have to make from four wide back to two, or is it just muscle memory?

“It’s really just muscle memory. Try to run your own race. Keep your eye on the bulb. Stay in your lane and it doesn’t matter who’s in the other lane.”

How do you prep for an inaugural NHRA national event with minimal or possibly zero information about the track to work with?

“You can do as much research as you want, but until you make that first run, you don’t really know what the track’s going to be capable of so it really levels the playing field.”

What are your thoughts on the Southern Nationals being part of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series again?

“I was one of the very few that was blessed in Top Alcohol Dragster to win the Southern Nationals and double up with Courtney Force (Funny Car) in the winner’s circle for Advance Auto Parts. I was proud that I was able to get one of those national event trophies before they closed the track where the Southern Nationals ran. So I’m very happy that they’re bringing this race on as the Southern Nationals so that I can pick up where I left off.”

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 3 and 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 1, with the final two rounds Saturday, May 2, at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 3.

HART HAS INAUGURAL SOUTH GEORGIA TF TITLE IN SIGHT

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 29, 2026) – Josh Hart and the John Force Racing Speedmaster Top Fuel team look to bounce back from an early exit last week in Charlotte when they unload for the May 1-3 NHRA Southern Nationals, the inaugural national event at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Adel, Ga.

The 2026 Gatornationals Top Fuel winner qualified second and ran a strong and competitive 3.753 seconds at 333.16 mph in his Round 1 quad at last Sunday’s NHRA 4-Wide Nationals. Unfortunately, Tony Stewart’s 3.727-second run and Billy Torrence’s 3.731-second pass prevented Hart from moving to the next round.

Hart and the Speedmaster Top Fuel team are fifth in the Top Fuel point standings, 31 behind Tony Stewart for fourth place and 34 behind Leah Pruett for third.

In one previous NHRA Southern Nationals Top Fuel start (2021 at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.), Hart qualified fourth, then beat Arthur Allen in the first round before losing to Brittany Force in the second. He has a 1-1 overall event round record. He also earned the 2018 NHRA Southern Nationals Top Alcohol Dragster title at Atlanta Dragway.

John Force Racing Southern Nationals statistics

• Atlanta was the site of the first all-JFR final round (April 21, 1996), in which Tony Pedregon dealt John Force one of the six losses he suffered over the course of a 19-race season.
• On April 27, 2008, Ashley Force Hood became the first woman to win a Funny Car race in the NHRA series when she beat her dad in the Atlanta final.
• Overall, five different JFR drivers won 14 times in the Atlanta version of the Southern Nationals, the last win in 2018 when Courtney beat Matt Hagan.
• John Force raced in the final round of the final race at Atlanta in 2021, losing to Bob Tasca III. 

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings after four of 20 races are: Doug Kalitta, 373; 2. Shawn Langdon, 350; 3. Leah Pruett, 297; 4. Tony Stewart, 296; 5. Josh Hart, 265; 6. Maddi Gordon, 238; 7. Justin Ashley, 208; 8. Billy Torrence, 187; 9. Antron Brown, 163; 10. Clay Millican, 146.

Quotes

Is there any extra motivation in trying to win an inaugural event?

“Always, always. I like South Georgia Motorsports Park so I’m really happy that they’ve added it into the circuit. It’s just proof that NHRA is expanding. Nothing would be nicer than putting that inaugural trophy on my mantle.”

Is there any adjustment you have to make from four wide back to two, or is it just muscle memory?

“It’s really just muscle memory. Try to run your own race. Keep your eye on the bulb. Stay in your lane and it doesn’t matter who’s in the other lane.”

How do you prep for an inaugural NHRA national event with minimal or possibly zero information about the track to work with?

“You can do as much research as you want, but until you make that first run, you don’t really know what the track’s going to be capable of so it really levels the playing field.”

What are your thoughts on the Southern Nationals being part of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series again?

“I was one of the very few that was blessed in Top Alcohol Dragster to win the Southern Nationals and double up with Courtney Force (Funny Car) in the winner’s circle for Advance Auto Parts. I was proud that I was able to get one of those national event trophies before they closed the track where the Southern Nationals ran. So I’m very happy that they’re bringing this race on as the Southern Nationals so that I can pick up where I left off.”

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 3 and 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 1, with the final two rounds Saturday, May 2, at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 3.

Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 from 9:30 – 11 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 2, a second qualifying show Sunday, May 3, from 1 – 2 p.m. ET and eliminations from 7 – 10 p.m. ET.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 29, 2026) – John Force Racing’s Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team rolls into the May 1-3 NHRA Southern Nationals with minimal performance records to work from but South Georgia Motorsports Park, hosting its inaugural NHRA national event, is a facility driver Alexis DeJoria has fond memories of from early in her drag racing career.

The six-time NHRA Funny Car event winner competed at South Georgia Motorsports Park in March 2011 when she competed in the Top Alcohol Funny Car class of the NHRA Southeast Division meet. She qualified second (5.446 seconds at 267.91 mph) and won the first two rounds before her day ended in the semifinals against Mickey Ferro.

DeJoria’s first-round win at last week’s NHRA 4-Wide Nationals was the 200^th of her Funny Car career. Her first round win came at the 2012 NHRA Gatornationals where she defeated her current team owner and 16-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion John Force in Round 1 before losing to current John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman.

Her NHRA 4-Wide Nationals performance moved the Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team up one position, to sixth, in the NHRA Funny Car point standings. DeJoria is 30 points behind John Force Racing teammate Jordan Vandergriff for fifth place and 44 behind Chad Green in fourth.

In six previous NHRA Southern Nationals Funny Car starts (2012-2016, 2021 at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.), DeJoria earned one No. 1 Qualifier (2014) and a 1-6 overall round record.

John Force Racing Southern Nationals statistics

• Atlanta was the site of the first all-JFR final round (April 21, 1996), in which Tony Pedregon dealt John Force one of the six losses he suffered over the course of a 19-race season.
• On April 27, 2008, Ashley Force Hood became the first woman to win a Funny Car race in the NHRA series when she beat her dad in the Atlanta final.
• Overall, five different JFR drivers won 14 times in the Atlanta version of the Southern Nationals, the last win in 2018 when Courtney beat Matt Hagan.
• John Force raced in the final round of the final race at Atlanta in 2021, losing to Bob Tasca III. 

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after four of 20 races are: 1. Ron Capps, 369; 2. Matt Hagan, 327; 3. J.R. Todd, 299; 4. Chad Green, 276; 5. Jordan Vandergriff, 262; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 235; 7. Spencer Hyde, 221; 8. Jack Beckman, 213; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 170; 10. Dave Richards, 138.

Quotes

Is there any extra motivation in trying to win an inaugural event?

“I raced at South Georgia Motorsports Park back when I was in Top Alcohol Funny Car so I do have a little bit of history there. But, with it being the inaugural national event, everybody’s gonna want to win the very first one there. I’m very excited to go back to South Georgia and to have a new track on the NHRA national event schedule.”

How do you prep for an inaugural NHRA national event with minimal or possibly zero information about the track to work with?

“I raced there but that was a long time ago. I only can remember my grandmother leaning against the fence watching me, both my grandma and my grandpa, God rest his soul. My grandma is turning 98 next month and my lasting memory is my grandparents looking through the fence, watching me run that car down the racetrack.”

Is there any adjustment you have to make from four-wide back to two, or is it just muscle memory?

“There really isn’t. It’s kind of like when you when we used to race in Denver. You have one setup for that race because that’s the only race like it. Same with the four-wide. I’m just looking forward to getting back to normal.”

What are your thoughts on the Southern Nationals being part of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series again?

“The big races with lots of history like the Southern Nationals are important and we love them. We need more people to come see the race because once you see it, you’re hooked. There is absolutely nothing like it on the planet.”

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 3 and 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 1, with the final two rounds Saturday, May 2, at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 3.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS FOR DEJORIA AT SGMP

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 29, 2026) – John Force Racing’s Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team rolls into the May 1-3 NHRA Southern Nationals with minimal performance records to work from but South Georgia Motorsports Park, hosting its inaugural NHRA national event, is a facility driver Alexis DeJoria has fond memories of from early in her drag racing career.

The six-time NHRA Funny Car event winner competed at South Georgia Motorsports Park in March 2011 when she competed in the Top Alcohol Funny Car class of the NHRA Southeast Division meet. She qualified second (5.446 seconds at 267.91 mph) and won the first two rounds before her day ended in the semifinals against Mickey Ferro.

DeJoria’s first-round win at last week’s NHRA 4-Wide Nationals was the 200^th of her Funny Car career. Her first round win came at the 2012 NHRA Gatornationals where she defeated her current team owner and 16-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion John Force in Round 1 before losing to current John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman.

Her NHRA 4-Wide Nationals performance moved the Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car team up one position, to sixth, in the NHRA Funny Car point standings. DeJoria is 30 points behind John Force Racing teammate Jordan Vandergriff for fifth place and 44 behind Chad Green in fourth.

In six previous NHRA Southern Nationals Funny Car starts (2012-2016, 2021 at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.), DeJoria earned one No. 1 Qualifier (2014) and a 1-6 overall round record.

John Force Racing Southern Nationals statistics

• Atlanta was the site of the first all-JFR final round (April 21, 1996), in which Tony Pedregon dealt John Force one of the six losses he suffered over the course of a 19-race season.
• On April 27, 2008, Ashley Force Hood became the first woman to win a Funny Car race in the NHRA series when she beat her dad in the Atlanta final.
• Overall, five different JFR drivers won 14 times in the Atlanta version of the Southern Nationals, the last win in 2018 when Courtney beat Matt Hagan.
• John Force raced in the final round of the final race at Atlanta in 2021, losing to Bob Tasca III. 

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after four of 20 races are: 1. Ron Capps, 369; 2. Matt Hagan, 327; 3. J.R. Todd, 299; 4. Chad Green, 276; 5. Jordan Vandergriff, 262; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 235; 7. Spencer Hyde, 221; 8. Jack Beckman, 213; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 170; 10. Dave Richards, 138.

Quotes

Is there any extra motivation in trying to win an inaugural event?

“I raced at South Georgia Motorsports Park back when I was in Top Alcohol Funny Car so I do have a little bit of history there. But, with it being the inaugural national event, everybody’s gonna want to win the very first one there. I’m very excited to go back to South Georgia and to have a new track on the NHRA national event schedule.”

How do you prep for an inaugural NHRA national event with minimal or possibly zero information about the track to work with?

“I raced there but that was a long time ago. I only can remember my grandmother leaning against the fence watching me, both my grandma and my grandpa, God rest his soul. My grandma is turning 98 next month and my lasting memory is my grandparents looking through the fence, watching me run that car down the racetrack.”

Is there any adjustment you have to make from four-wide back to two, or is it just muscle memory?

“There really isn’t. It’s kind of like when you when we used to race in Denver. You have one setup for that race because that’s the only race like it. Same with the four-wide. I’m just looking forward to getting back to normal.”

What are your thoughts on the Southern Nationals being part of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series again?

“The big races with lots of history like the Southern Nationals are important and we love them. We need more people to come see the race because once you see it, you’re hooked. There is absolutely nothing like it on the planet.”

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 3 and 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 1, with the final two rounds Saturday, May 2, at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 3.

Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 from 9:30 – 11 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 2, a second qualifying show Sunday, May 3, from 1 – 2 p.m. ET and eliminations from 7 – 10 p.m. ET.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 29, 2026) – The slow start to the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season for Jack Beckman took a sharp turn in the right direction last Sunday with his runner-up finish in the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals and it’s the spark from that strong showing that the PEAK SQUAD will carry to South Georgia Motorsports Park on May 1-3 for the renewal of the NHRA Southern Nationals.

The 37-time NHRA Funny Car winner finished third in his second-round quad at zMax Dragway near Charlotte, N.C. Dave Richards crossed the finish line second but was disqualified for his car making contact with the retaining wall before the finish line. That moved Beckman into the final round, where he had a 0.058 reaction time and ran 3.917 seconds at 329.50 mph to Ron Capps’ winning run of 3.905 seconds at 334.90 mph (0.054 reaction time).

The final-round appearance extended to 19 the number of consecutive seasons Beckman has raced in at least one final round in every season he has competed in the Funny Car class beginning in 2006.

Despite not taking the victory, the performance moved Beckman from 10^th to eighth in the Funny Car point standings. The PEAK SQUAD is 10 points behind Spencer Hyde in seventh place, 22 behind John Force Racing teammate Alexis DeJoria in sixth and 52 behind JRF teammate Jordan Vandergriff in fifth.

The 2012 NHRA Funny Car World Champion’s runner-up finish last Sunday qualified the PEAK SQUAD to participate in this week’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. The race-within-qualifying event will take place Saturday, May 2, at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. ET during the third and fourth rounds of Funny Car qualifying.

In 13 previous NHRA Southern Nationals starts (2007-2019 at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.), Beckman earned two wins (2009, 2011) a runner-up finish and No. 1 Qualifier in 2016, and an 18-11 overall round record.

John Force Racing Southern Nationals statistics

• Atlanta was the site of the first all-JFR final round (April 21, 1996),  in which Tony Pedregon dealt John Force one of only six losses he suffered over the course of a 19-race season.
• On April 27, 2008, Ashley Force Hood became the first woman to win a Funny Car race in the NHRA series when she beat her dad in the Atlanta final.
• Overall, five different JFR drivers won 14 times in the Atlanta version of the Southern Nationals, the last win in 2018 when Courtney beat Matt Hagan.
• John Force raced in the final round of the final race at Atlanta in 2021, losing to Bob Tasca III. 

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after four of 20 races are: 1. Ron Capps, 369; 2. Matt Hagan, 327; 3. J.R. Todd, 299; 4. Chad Green, 276; 5. Jordan Vandergriff, 262; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 235; 7. Spencer Hyde, 221; 8. Jack Beckman, 213; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 170; 10. Dave Richards, 138.

Quotes

Is there any extra motivation in trying to win an inaugural event?

“There’s only one first but, in many cases, we’ve had a whole bunch of ‘last’ aces. But you know for a fact if you win the inaugural, that never changes. I won the inaugural race at zMax Raceway. In 2008. It’s an awesome trophy that can never be taken away. There’s only one first.”

Is there any adjustment you have to make from four wide back to two, or is it just muscle memory?

“It’s an un-adjustment, right? For a few years we had two 4-Wide races and, for a few years, they were back to back. So, there was a chance to get into a rhythm for 4-Wide. It’s a one and done now so there’s really no adjustment needed.”

How do you prep for an inaugural NHRA national event with minimal or possibly zero information about the track to work with?

“I tested at South Georgia a couple times 15 years ago. A lot of people will ask about going into this certain racetrack, and the unique thing about drag racing is the racetracks aren’t all that unique. They’re all 60 feet wide with each of the two lanes 30 feet wide, excluding the four-wide tracks, straight, level, and one thousand feet long for the nitro categories. But they all have idiosyncrasies and unique characteristics.

“We have our tracks specialist, Lanny Miglizzy. When he gets to a track, he’s probably been there 20 times or more so he usually starts off with the notes he had last year. But we don’t have notes on Valdosta so the great thing about that is it’s equal for everybody. We’re going to roll in to South Georgia and it’s gonna be new to all of us. For the first time in NHRA’s 75-year history, we have four national events on tracks that we have not raced NHRA national events on before so it’s going to be really interesting.”

What are your thoughts on the Southern Nationals being part of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series again?

“It’s a big deal. I raced in Atlanta (Commerce, Ga,.) multiple times until the track closed but, as a kid growing up reading National Dragster, those places seemed faraway and legendary. Atlanta was always a unique track because it had a wall on the right side. You can always tell from the starting line pictures that was the Southern Nationals. Now we’re going to have the Southern Nationals at a different venue but I think it’s important to be in that marketplace. There are a lot of friendly folks in that area so I’m glad we’re giving them an opportunity to not have to travel as far to see us race.”

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 3 and 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 1, with the final two rounds Saturday, May 2, at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 3.

BECKMAN’S SEASON LOOKING UP HEADING TO SOUTHERN NATS

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 29, 2026) – The slow start to the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season for Jack Beckman took a sharp turn in the right direction last Sunday with his runner-up finish in the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals and it’s the spark from that strong showing that the PEAK SQUAD will carry to South Georgia Motorsports Park on May 1-3 for the renewal of the NHRA Southern Nationals.

The 37-time NHRA Funny Car winner finished third in his second-round quad at zMax Dragway near Charlotte, N.C. Dave Richards crossed the finish line second but was disqualified for his car making contact with the retaining wall before the finish line. That moved Beckman into the final round, where he had a 0.058 reaction time and ran 3.917 seconds at 329.50 mph to Ron Capps’ winning run of 3.905 seconds at 334.90 mph (0.054 reaction time).

The final-round appearance extended to 19 the number of consecutive seasons Beckman has raced in at least one final round in every season he has competed in the Funny Car class beginning in 2006.

Despite not taking the victory, the performance moved Beckman from 10^th to eighth in the Funny Car point standings. The PEAK SQUAD is 10 points behind Spencer Hyde in seventh place, 22 behind John Force Racing teammate Alexis DeJoria in sixth and 52 behind JRF teammate Jordan Vandergriff in fifth.

The 2012 NHRA Funny Car World Champion’s runner-up finish last Sunday qualified the PEAK SQUAD to participate in this week’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. The race-within-qualifying event will take place Saturday, May 2, at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. ET during the third and fourth rounds of Funny Car qualifying.

In 13 previous NHRA Southern Nationals starts (2007-2019 at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.), Beckman earned two wins (2009, 2011) a runner-up finish and No. 1 Qualifier in 2016, and an 18-11 overall round record.

John Force Racing Southern Nationals statistics

• Atlanta was the site of the first all-JFR final round (April 21, 1996),  in which Tony Pedregon dealt John Force one of only six losses he suffered over the course of a 19-race season.
• On April 27, 2008, Ashley Force Hood became the first woman to win a Funny Car race in the NHRA series when she beat her dad in the Atlanta final.
• Overall, five different JFR drivers won 14 times in the Atlanta version of the Southern Nationals, the last win in 2018 when Courtney beat Matt Hagan.
• John Force raced in the final round of the final race at Atlanta in 2021, losing to Bob Tasca III. 

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after four of 20 races are: 1. Ron Capps, 369; 2. Matt Hagan, 327; 3. J.R. Todd, 299; 4. Chad Green, 276; 5. Jordan Vandergriff, 262; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 235; 7. Spencer Hyde, 221; 8. Jack Beckman, 213; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 170; 10. Dave Richards, 138.

Quotes

Is there any extra motivation in trying to win an inaugural event?

“There’s only one first but, in many cases, we’ve had a whole bunch of ‘last’ aces. But you know for a fact if you win the inaugural, that never changes. I won the inaugural race at zMax Raceway. In 2008. It’s an awesome trophy that can never be taken away. There’s only one first.”

Is there any adjustment you have to make from four wide back to two, or is it just muscle memory?

“It’s an un-adjustment, right? For a few years we had two 4-Wide races and, for a few years, they were back to back. So, there was a chance to get into a rhythm for 4-Wide. It’s a one and done now so there’s really no adjustment needed.”

How do you prep for an inaugural NHRA national event with minimal or possibly zero information about the track to work with?

“I tested at South Georgia a couple times 15 years ago. A lot of people will ask about going into this certain racetrack, and the unique thing about drag racing is the racetracks aren’t all that unique. They’re all 60 feet wide with each of the two lanes 30 feet wide, excluding the four-wide tracks, straight, level, and one thousand feet long for the nitro categories. But they all have idiosyncrasies and unique characteristics.

“We have our tracks specialist, Lanny Miglizzy. When he gets to a track, he’s probably been there 20 times or more so he usually starts off with the notes he had last year. But we don’t have notes on Valdosta so the great thing about that is it’s equal for everybody. We’re going to roll in to South Georgia and it’s gonna be new to all of us. For the first time in NHRA’s 75-year history, we have four national events on tracks that we have not raced NHRA national events on before so it’s going to be really interesting.”

What are your thoughts on the Southern Nationals being part of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series again?

“It’s a big deal. I raced in Atlanta (Commerce, Ga,.) multiple times until the track closed but, as a kid growing up reading National Dragster, those places seemed faraway and legendary. Atlanta was always a unique track because it had a wall on the right side. You can always tell from the starting line pictures that was the Southern Nationals. Now we’re going to have the Southern Nationals at a different venue but I think it’s important to be in that marketplace. There are a lot of friendly folks in that area so I’m glad we’re giving them an opportunity to not have to travel as far to see us race.”

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 3 and 5:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 1, with the final two rounds Saturday, May 2, at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 3.

Television coverage includes qualifying on FS1 from 9:30 – 11 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 2, a second qualifying show Sunday, May 3, from 1 – 2 p.m. ET and eliminations from 7 – 10 p.m. ET.

TEAM CHEVY ADVANC ETexas Motor SpeedwayMay 1-3, 2026

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Courtesy of a pair of first-time winners in their respective divisions, Chevrolet carries the momentum of a weekend sweep towards the next stop on the 2026 NASCAR schedule: Texas Motor Speedway. The 1.5-mile Fort Worth-based oval will celebrate its 30th anniversary weekend by welcoming all three NASCAR national series back to its facility for the sport’s first and only appearance of the season. The Bowtie brand has tallied a combined 52 victories across all three NASCAR national series at Texas Motor Speedway including 18 Cup Series wins, 14 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series wins and 20 Truck Series wins.

Chevrolet’s trek towards its series-leading 18 Cup Series triumphs at Texas Motor Speedway started in March 1999, the series’ third-ever appearance at the track, when Hendrick Motorsports and Terry Labonte earned the manufacturer’s first trip to victory lane. Throughout its three-decade history with NASCAR, the track has become home to an elite list of monumental moments for Chevrolet, highlighted by Jimmie Johnson’s 2012 victory that delivered the manufacturer its 700th all-time Cup Series win. Hendrick Motorsports also shares in the milestone memories at the Texas oval with William Byron’s 2023 victory marking the organization’s 300th all-time win in NASCAR’s premier series. Chevrolet’s most recent Cup Series win came in 2024 when Chase Elliott drove the Bowtie brand to its fourth-straight win at Texas Motor Speedway – a victory that also set the series’ record for the longest win streak by a single manufacturer at the track.

Chevrolet will head into the tripleheader weekend as the track’s defending winners in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Kyle Larson, the series’ most recent Texas winner, is slated to make his fourth start in the second-level division this weekend as the Team Chevy driver will reunite with crew chief, Mardy Lindley, and the No. 88 JR Motorsports team.

Both companion series will see a trio of Team Chevy Cup Series regulars on their respective entry lists. Joining Larson in Saturday’s Andy’s Frozen Custard 340 includes Connor Zilisch, who will return to the seat of the No. 1 Chevrolet to complete JR Motorsports’ five-car lineup. The 2013 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion, Austin Dillon, will pilot a third entry for Richard Childress Racing for his first appearance in the series of the season. A familiar face will be calling the shots from atop the No. 3 pit box, with Dillon’s Cup Series car chief, Ryan Chism, set to make his crew chief debut.  In the Craftsman Truck Series, the two-truck Spire Motorsports lineup will feature the track’s 2023 and 2024 winners, Carson Hocevar and Kyle Busch. Fellow Team Chevy driver, Ross Chastain, will be back behind the reigns of the No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet for his third Truck Series start of the season.

WEEKEND OF FIRST-TIMERS Chevrolet is coming off its second NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series doubleheader sweep of the 2026 season – a feat accomplished by a pair of first-time winners.

In an always thrilling trip to Talladega Superspeedway, it was Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar that survived the ‘Big One’ and a three-lap dash to the finish to make his first career trip to victory lane at NASCAR’s highest level. Competing in his third full-time campaign in the division, it was only a matter of time before the Michigan native etched his name into history as a Cup Series winner. In 91 career starts, Hocevar has earned six top-five finishes, three of which have come just this season. The victory was enough to push Hocevar into the top-10 of the points standings for the first time this season with the No. 77 team ranked eighth heading into the Texas race weekend. The 1.5-mile oval has produced a set of ‘firsts’ for the young Team Chevy driver including his first career Cup Series pole (2025) and his first career Craftsman Truck Series win (2023).

O’Reilly Auto Parts Series ‘Rookie of the Year’ contender, Corey Day, led just one lap around the 2.66-mile Alabama superspeedway, but it was the most important one of the race. Sitting at the top of the leaderboard on the final lap when the caution came out, the California native went on to earn his first trophy in the NASCAR national ranks. His rookie campaign has been nothing short of impressive. In 11 races this season, Day has collected nine top-10s to lead the series with fellow Team Chevy drivers and series veterans, Justin Allgaier and Sheldon Creed.

TOP-10 TALLY Chevrolet’s second NASCAR Cup Series win of the season was celebrated by a strong contingency of drivers representing the Bowtie brigade among the top of the leaderboard. First time winner, Carson Hocevar, led Chevrolet to six top-10 finishes. It marked the second time this season a manufacturer has placed six cars in the top-10 of a Cup Series event, but Chevrolet took it one step further by achieving the highest representation of different organizations within those results. In addition to Spire Motorsports’ victory, Hendrick Motorsports earned two top-fives with Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott, while Hyak Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain and Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch rounded out the top-10.

CHASTAIN LOOKING FOR A MOMENTUM-BUILDING WEEKENDA challenging start to the season took a turn in the right direction for Ross Chastain and the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend. Earning points in each stage, including the Stage Two win, the Florida native went on to take home a strong seventh-place finish and the team’s second top-10 of the season. Chastain carries that burst of confidence to a track where he’s seen success in recent history, including runner-up results in two of the past three Cup Series events. Chastain will also have extra seat time around the Texas oval under his belt when he takes the green flag for Sunday’s race with the Team Chevy driver also piloting a Silverado RST for Niece Motorsports in Friday’s Truck Series event.

DILLON SET FOR NOAPS RETURNThe 2013 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion, Austin Dillon, will make his return to the series this weekend to pilot a third entry for Richard Childress Racing. The North Carolina native boasts a strong resume at the 1.5-mile oval, highlighted by top-10 results in each of his 11 career O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts and an average finish of 5.7. In the Cup Series, Dillon is one of eight active past Texas winners with his 2020 victory, and he has driven the No. 3 Chevrolet to top-eight results in the series’ past two visits to the track.

ECKES READY TO GO BACK TO BATTLE The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will resume its 2026 tour this weekend with the trip to Texas Motor Speedway marking the start of its seven-race stretch. Leading the charge for Chevrolet in the points standings is McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes, who was able to close the gap to the leader to just 17-points after a strong points day and his third top-five finish of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway. While Eckes is still looking for his first win of the season, his Texas stats prove that opportunity could very well come this weekend. In his five career starts at the track, the New York native has qualified in the top-10 in each event; earned seventh-place or better points in every stage; and collected a pair of runner-up finishes.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Chevrolet will serve as the official pace vehicle for the tripleheader weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, with the Corvette Stingray pacing the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Silverado RST pacing the Craftsman Truck Series.  ·        Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Texas Motor Speedway: Kyle Busch – four wins (2020, 2018, 2016, 2013)Chase Elliott – one win (2024)William Byron – one win (2023) Kyle Larson – one win (2021)Austin Dillon – one win (2020) ·        In 45 NASCAR Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded a series-leading 18 victories. The Bowtie brand has earned victories in five of the past seven Cup Series races at the 1.5-mile oval, including a record-setting streak of four-straight, recorded from 2021-2024.  ·        At Talladega Superspeedway, Chevrolet tallied six top-10 finishes, marking the second time this season a manufacturer has placed six cars in the top-10 of a Cup Series event. The Bowtie brand took it one step further by achieving the highest representation of different organizations within those results with five Chevrolet organizations placing drivers in the top-10.  ·        With seven-straight victories to start the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, Chevrolet set the record for the longest season-opening streak by a single manufacturer in the division’s history.  ·        In 154 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 69 victories – a winning percentage of 44.8%. ·        Chevrolet is coming off its 29th all-time sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series championship titles – capturing its 34th driver championship and 44th, and fifth consecutive, manufacturer championship in 2025.  ·        With its 44 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championships, 34 NASCAR Cup Series driver championships, and 883 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history. FOR THE FANS: Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Texas Motor Speedway, which features a variety of vehicles including: Tahoe Z71, Silverado EV, Silverado LD High Country, Equinox ACTIV, Corvette Z06, Colorado Trail Boss, Traverse Z71, Silverado HD LTZ and a Kyle Larson No. 5 Camaro ZL1 show car.  Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:Friday, May 1: 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Saturday, May 2: 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 3: 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.  Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:Friday, May 1 ·        Tyler Ankrum & Kris Wright: 4:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. ·        Grant Enfinger: 4:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. ·        Andres Perez de Lara & Conner Jones: 5:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. ·        Toni Breidinger & Dawson Sutton: 5:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2 ·        Anthony Alfredo: 11:00 a.m. – 11:10 a.m. ·        Parker Retzlaff: 11:10 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. ·        Rajah Caruth & Carson Kvapil: 11:20 a.m. – 11:35 a.m. ·        Justin Allgaier & Sammy Smith: 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ·        Sheldon Creed & Sam Mayer: 12:00 p.m. – 12:15 p.m.  Sunday, May 3·        Ross Chastain: 9:50 a.m. – 10:05 a.m. ·        Austin Dillon: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. ·        Carson Hocevar: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. ·        Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: 10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. ·        Alex Bowman: 11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. ·        Shane van Gisbergen: 11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. ·        Chase Elliott: 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series Würth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLYSunday, May 3, at 3:30 p.m. ETFS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90  NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts SeriesAndy’s Frozen Custard 340Saturday, May 2, at 3:30 p.m. ETCW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90  NASCAR Craftsman Truck SeriesSpeedyCash.com 250Friday, May 1, at 8 p.m. ETFS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletCan you explain why Texas has been there, has become so treacherous over the last couple of years? “They knocked the banking out of turns one and two, so they slid the apron way inward towards the infield, and now it’s like a one lane apron where it used to be five lanes wide. The outside wall is still at the same spot but when they brought the banking so far inside towards the infield, it flattened it out and to me it feels like a yo-yo. You go way down in speed in turns one and two, and then you’re way up in speed in turns three and four and it’s this constant give and take. The car goes through such a different load. In the end your car is pushed down to the ground harder in turns three and four and then it’s very up out of the racetrack, long one and two feels like with the open entry of turn one and just not as much angle in the asphalt. So yeah, in all the series it’s challenging.” Is Texas the most challenging track to race on?“For me, I would say New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the most challenging to make speed on and then probably Texas. Those two are on the top my list for me, personally.” Do you like going to Texas?“I like going to Texas Motor Speedway. The track is fun to drive and it’s very challenging. There’s also a lot to do in the area – good food, fun at the Stockyards and places like that. I’ve finished runner-up there a couple of times so I’m hoping for a strong weekend. It’s the home track for Kubota and they’re on my car this weekend so it would be awesome to get them into victory lane at their home track.”   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat are your thoughts on Texas Motor Speedway? “The place is fast and it’s big. You’ve got to go out there and commit to Turns 3 and 4. It’s one of the fastest tracks we go to all year long. I have confidence going in there for sure. We’ve just got to go out there, qualify well, execute, and make it happen when it counts.” What’s one moment at Texas Motor Speedway that sticks out to you? “There are a lot of memorable moments at Texas Motor Speedway, but one that really sticks out is winning against my teammate, Tyler Reddick, there a couple years back in the NASCAR Cup Series. We were battling out those restarts at the end. We weren’t a great car that day. We were probably a 10th-12th place car, and both of us decided to take two tires to get up front and tack control of the race. And then, with clean air our cars took off. My confidence was high. We just kept having restarts and were able to make it happen.”  What do you enjoy most about being in Texas? “I love Texas. I grew up hunting down here as a kid. I have a lot of memories deer hunting with my grandfather, so I fell in love with the state early on. I’ve had some success at Texas Motor Speedway. Texas is a cool place. I feel more like a cowboy when I’m there. Some of our bull riders on the PBR Teams Series are based in the Fort Worth area, so I get to visit them and do a little racing also.”    Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat do you like about Texas Motor Speedway and what is going to be a challenge for you?“Texas is definitely a good racetrack, It’s very fast. It gets tricky in Turns 1 and 2 because Turns 3 and 4 are so much different with the banking and load. Sometimes you have to make a compromise in one of the corners to be fast. It’s impossible to be perfect in both turns, so it’s going to be tricky, but good. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve had some success there in the past and I’m looking to carry that on with the No. 7 team.”   Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletHow do you balance each corner being so different at Texas Motor Speedway?  “Texas Motor Speedway is a tough place. Turns 1 and 2 being really wide, and kind of flat, and then Turns 3 and 4 being a little bit narrower, but also being really, really fast with a lot of banking. You’ve got to set up for Turns 1 and 2 and you’ve got to set up for the end of the racetrack where you’re off the throttle the most, and then just take what you can get at the other end. It’s a little bit of a compromise at that place, but it’s fun to race there. You’ve got to really work on your runs through Turns 3 and 4 and down the front straightway to make those moves getting into Turn 1.”  Turns 1 and 2 are very different from Turns 3 and 4. How do you approach that racetrack from a setup perspective with two very different turns? “At Texas Motor Speedway you have to sort of focus on Turns 1 and 2 because that’s the end of the racetrack where you’re out of the throttle, and you want to be out of the throttle the least amount possible, and then you just take whatever the car gives you in Turns 3 and 4. That’s how we focused our setups the last couple of years. Last year I felt like we were really good. We had a great car. We made some air pressure adjustments to it during the race, we got faster and we were up towards the front. I thought I had a shot to go race for the win, and I was like ‘this is my moment, Larson is slow, he’s vulnerable, I better go get him.’ I tried too hard in the middle of Turns 3 and 4, hit the bump and spun myself out. So, it’s hard to get it all right there all day long.”  What’s the toughest part about driving at Texas Motor Speedway? “The last couple of years, the bump in Turns 3 and 4 have certainly been the tricky part for us. We had some really good speed there last year. We were running in third place chasing down the leaders, trying to make some moves to win the race. I pushed pretty hard after a restart and the car bottomed out, spun out on me and we ended up backed in the fence. That’s the unfortunate part about Texas Motor Speedway, just how on edge you are and how tricky it is to just make sure you keep the grip in your racecar. Some of those bumps have gotten worse over time, which is fine. It’s character. It’s good to have some of that. You just got to be able to know how to attack, when to attack and how hard to attack. I misjudged that last year and put ourselves in a bad spot of spinning out. That’s something we’ll focus on this time around.” What’s the vibe when you come down to Texas for a race? “The party scene at Texas is like no other. It always has great camping, great nightlife—you can always hear everybody playing their music and having a good time, enjoying the camaraderie of the area and what that brings. We’ve been fortunate enough the last few years to have good weather. I’m hoping for that again.”   Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing ChevroletAfter Sunday’s season-best 13th-place finish at Talladega, what do you expect for Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway?“We needed a good finish, and we had to work hard to earn it at Talladega. We made some execution mistakes early, fell a lap down and spent most of the race working to get back on the lead lap. We came close a few times but finally got it done at the end. Nobody panicked and nobody gave up. We know we are better than our finishes this season, so maybe Talladega will be the turning point. We can get back on track Sunday at Texas.” What are your thoughts on Texas Motor Speedway?“We had a lot of success there in the Truck Series, and I would love to transfer that success to the Cup program. It’s a fast, tough track — just what you would expect in Texas. It also feels good to return to a track where we have had success and feel confident.”   AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing ChevroletAfter having speed at Kansas Speedway, how do you feel about Texas?“Texas is a unique 1.5-mile track. Turns 1 and 2 are very flat, while Turns 3 and 4 are high-banked, allowing you to run wide open in qualifying. It’s a place where we had a lot of speed last year. After Kansas and the speed we found there, we’re looking forward to this weekend and hoping to carry that momentum forward. I feel like we can be pretty competitive, but it’s definitely a tough racetrack. Track position is critical because passing is very difficult, so practice and qualifying will be especially important. Overall, it’s a track I enjoy, and after Kansas, it feels like our intermediate program is heading in the right direction. This is a race where we should have a solid shot at being competitive.”   Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“Texas is always a place where track position and execution matter so much, and having a new partner like Ōnin Staffing on board makes this weekend even more exciting. It’s their first race with us, and we’re looking forward to putting together a strong run for them and our No. 47 team. The guys have been working hard, and hopefully we can give Ōnin Staffing a great first weekend with Hyak Motorsports.”   Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet“Texas is kind of like a hybrid between Kansas, Vegas and Charlotte. And to take it a step further, it’s kind of similar to Darlington where you’re probably not going to have your balance happy in both ends of the racetrack because they’re so wildly different. You might get the car handling well in (turns) three and four, but you’re not going to like what it’s doing in (turns) one and two. Track conditions are going to play a big part in whether you’re running the top or the bottom at Texas. If you focus on just running one lane, you’re probably going to get a bad read for what you need throughout the race as rubber builds up. And then, over in (turns) one and two, depending on the speed of the race, you may or may not be shifting, so there’s a lot of variables that you really have to be aware of and implement in practice to get a good balance, a good read for all the different scenarios that can happen in the race.”   Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletHow have the challenges developed at Texas Motor Speedway over the years?“The bump in Turn 4 on the high side is a big challenge, especially during restarts. It took us out in 2024 so you just need to be aware of how you hit that bump. The track is very fast paced and can be intimidating to this day, even as it ages, because the speeds are so high and these cars are right on the razor edge. Now, you have some of that character with those bumps, and our cars are so low that when you bottom out, they can take off on you. I wasn’t the only car to back it into the fence there while trying to get clear in the past few years. You have to hit it just right in Turn 4. We saw a few other guys do that recently, as well. Traditionally, Cup guys don’t make a ton of mistakes, but we have seen a lot of hiccups at Texas. I think it really proves how challenging this track is. It’s still one of those places that can take your breath away.”   Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletComing off you first win, how do you refocus on the task at hand this weekend?“I feel good about it. Obviously, we were on the pole last year and had speed, and I won my first ever truck race there. We have a lot of momentum and excitement behind us right now, while we go into a track that it is realistic to be up front and contend all day. We have been looking forward to and circling Texas for a couple weeks, so what happened last weekend is really an added bonus.” You won your first truck race, earned your first Cup Series top 10 and won your first Cup Series pole at Texas. Why has it been such a good track for you throughout your career?“I don’t really know, it just works out. The two ends are different, which makes you keep thinking about the line you are going to run and how you will make it through the corner. It is a really fast place with a high grip levels, and on the Cup Series side, we really excel at tracks with similar characteristics. It has just been a good place for me and I look forward to going every year.”   Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletThis is your first race at Texas Motor Speedway. What has the preparation been like?“I’m excited for this weekend. I’ve never raced at Texas before so I’m glad I’m getting some seat time with JR Motorsports before Sunday’s race in our Choice Privileges Chevrolet. It’s definitely a unique track. Both ends are very different and it’s one of the few tracks on the schedule that I haven’t been to. It’s certainly going to be a challenging weekend figuring it out on the fly, but I feel like I’ve had to do that quite a bit in the past 18 months. Texas is pretty much single groove. It widens out a little bit but for the most part you’re not getting up to the top of the racetrack at all. There are certainly a lot of nuances between the two corners. I look forward to the challenge of figuring it out. We’re making some changes with the cars and trying to do things differently this time around and hopefully we can see some results.”    How long will it be before you see some of those changes make it to the racetrack?“This weekend. We’ve been working really hard to make things different. If we keep showing up the racetrack the same, it’s not going to change and we know that. It’s certainly something that we must focus and work hard on.”  At the mile-and-a-half tracks, what is the major difference between the Cup car and the O’Reilly Series car? Is it difficult to go back and forth between the two cars?“I would say the amount of yaw that you carry through the corner in the O’Reilly car versus the Cup car. You can hang it out a little bit more, drive it over the limit and be able to make speed doing that whereas in the Cup car you’re toting that line the entire time. There certainly are a lot of differences, but for me, track time is track time. I don’t really struggle to go back and forth because they are so different. It’s almost tougher when you’re racing two race cars and they are very similar. That’s when it becomes tough and it’s hard to go back and forth between the two.”   Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat are you looking forward to at Texas Motor Speedway?“Texas is a tough track, but I’m looking forward to getting better at it as the weekend goes on. It’s been tough for me in the past in the O’Reilly car and Cup car, so our focus has just been trying to see where we can improve from last year and what will make us the most competitive.” Do you approach this mile and a half track different than any other intermediate track?“No, but it’s difficult because one end of the track is so different from the other end. You have to compromise a little bit on set up. But trying to get the most out of your car every lap is important, so practice will be all about learning and getting the best feel for the car before the race.”

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCETexas Motor SpeedwayMay 1-3, 2026

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

Courtesy of a pair of first-time winners in their respective divisions, Chevrolet carries the momentum of a weekend sweep towards the next stop on the 2026 NASCAR schedule: Texas Motor Speedway. The 1.5-mile Fort Worth-based oval will celebrate its 30th anniversary weekend by welcoming all three NASCAR national series back to its facility for the sport’s first and only appearance of the season. The Bowtie brand has tallied a combined 52 victories across all three NASCAR national series at Texas Motor Speedway including 18 Cup Series wins, 14 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series wins and 20 Truck Series wins.

Chevrolet’s trek towards its series-leading 18 Cup Series triumphs at Texas Motor Speedway started in March 1999, the series’ third-ever appearance at the track, when Hendrick Motorsports and Terry Labonte earned the manufacturer’s first trip to victory lane. Throughout its three-decade history with NASCAR, the track has become home to an elite list of monumental moments for Chevrolet, highlighted by Jimmie Johnson’s 2012 victory that delivered the manufacturer its 700th all-time Cup Series win. Hendrick Motorsports also shares in the milestone memories at the Texas oval with William Byron’s 2023 victory marking the organization’s 300th all-time win in NASCAR’s premier series. Chevrolet’s most recent Cup Series win came in 2024 when Chase Elliott drove the Bowtie brand to its fourth-straight win at Texas Motor Speedway – a victory that also set the series’ record for the longest win streak by a single manufacturer at the track.

Chevrolet will head into the tripleheader weekend as the track’s defending winners in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Kyle Larson, the series’ most recent Texas winner, is slated to make his fourth start in the second-level division this weekend as the Team Chevy driver will reunite with crew chief, Mardy Lindley, and the No. 88 JR Motorsports team.

Both companion series will see a trio of Team Chevy Cup Series regulars on their respective entry lists. Joining Larson in Saturday’s Andy’s Frozen Custard 340 includes Connor Zilisch, who will return to the seat of the No. 1 Chevrolet to complete JR Motorsports’ five-car lineup. The 2013 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion, Austin Dillon, will pilot a third entry for Richard Childress Racing for his first appearance in the series of the season. A familiar face will be calling the shots from atop the No. 3 pit box, with Dillon’s Cup Series car chief, Ryan Chism, set to make his crew chief debut.  In the Craftsman Truck Series, the two-truck Spire Motorsports lineup will feature the track’s 2023 and 2024 winners, Carson Hocevar and Kyle Busch. Fellow Team Chevy driver, Ross Chastain, will be back behind the reigns of the No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet for his third Truck Series start of the season.

WEEKEND OF FIRST-TIMERS Chevrolet is coming off its second NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series doubleheader sweep of the 2026 season – a feat accomplished by a pair of first-time winners.

In an always thrilling trip to Talladega Superspeedway, it was Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar that survived the ‘Big One’ and a three-lap dash to the finish to make his first career trip to victory lane at NASCAR’s highest level. Competing in his third full-time campaign in the division, it was only a matter of time before the Michigan native etched his name into history as a Cup Series winner. In 91 career starts, Hocevar has earned six top-five finishes, three of which have come just this season. The victory was enough to push Hocevar into the top-10 of the points standings for the first time this season with the No. 77 team ranked eighth heading into the Texas race weekend. The 1.5-mile oval has produced a set of ‘firsts’ for the young Team Chevy driver including his first career Cup Series pole (2025) and his first career Craftsman Truck Series win (2023).

O’Reilly Auto Parts Series ‘Rookie of the Year’ contender, Corey Day, led just one lap around the 2.66-mile Alabama superspeedway, but it was the most important one of the race. Sitting at the top of the leaderboard on the final lap when the caution came out, the California native went on to earn his first trophy in the NASCAR national ranks. His rookie campaign has been nothing short of impressive. In 11 races this season, Day has collected nine top-10s to lead the series with fellow Team Chevy drivers and series veterans, Justin Allgaier and Sheldon Creed.

TOP-10 TALLY Chevrolet’s second NASCAR Cup Series win of the season was celebrated by a strong contingency of drivers representing the Bowtie brigade among the top of the leaderboard. First time winner, Carson Hocevar, led Chevrolet to six top-10 finishes. It marked the second time this season a manufacturer has placed six cars in the top-10 of a Cup Series event, but Chevrolet took it one step further by achieving the highest representation of different organizations within those results. In addition to Spire Motorsports’ victory, Hendrick Motorsports earned two top-fives with Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott, while Hyak Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain and Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch rounded out the top-10.

CHASTAIN LOOKING FOR A MOMENTUM-BUILDING WEEKENDA challenging start to the season took a turn in the right direction for Ross Chastain and the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend. Earning points in each stage, including the Stage Two win, the Florida native went on to take home a strong seventh-place finish and the team’s second top-10 of the season. Chastain carries that burst of confidence to a track where he’s seen success in recent history, including runner-up results in two of the past three Cup Series events. Chastain will also have extra seat time around the Texas oval under his belt when he takes the green flag for Sunday’s race with the Team Chevy driver also piloting a Silverado RST for Niece Motorsports in Friday’s Truck Series event.

DILLON SET FOR NOAPS RETURNThe 2013 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion, Austin Dillon, will make his return to the series this weekend to pilot a third entry for Richard Childress Racing. The North Carolina native boasts a strong resume at the 1.5-mile oval, highlighted by top-10 results in each of his 11 career O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts and an average finish of 5.7. In the Cup Series, Dillon is one of eight active past Texas winners with his 2020 victory, and he has driven the No. 3 Chevrolet to top-eight results in the series’ past two visits to the track.

ECKES READY TO GO BACK TO BATTLE The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will resume its 2026 tour this weekend with the trip to Texas Motor Speedway marking the start of its seven-race stretch. Leading the charge for Chevrolet in the points standings is McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes, who was able to close the gap to the leader to just 17-points after a strong points day and his third top-five finish of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway. While Eckes is still looking for his first win of the season, his Texas stats prove that opportunity could very well come this weekend. In his five career starts at the track, the New York native has qualified in the top-10 in each event; earned seventh-place or better points in every stage; and collected a pair of runner-up finishes.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Chevrolet will serve as the official pace vehicle for the tripleheader weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, with the Corvette Stingray pacing the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Silverado RST pacing the Craftsman Truck Series.  ·        Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Texas Motor Speedway: Kyle Busch – four wins (2020, 2018, 2016, 2013)Chase Elliott – one win (2024)William Byron – one win (2023) Kyle Larson – one win (2021)Austin Dillon – one win (2020) ·        In 45 NASCAR Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded a series-leading 18 victories. The Bowtie brand has earned victories in five of the past seven Cup Series races at the 1.5-mile oval, including a record-setting streak of four-straight, recorded from 2021-2024.  ·        At Talladega Superspeedway, Chevrolet tallied six top-10 finishes, marking the second time this season a manufacturer has placed six cars in the top-10 of a Cup Series event. The Bowtie brand took it one step further by achieving the highest representation of different organizations within those results with five Chevrolet organizations placing drivers in the top-10.  ·        With seven-straight victories to start the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, Chevrolet set the record for the longest season-opening streak by a single manufacturer in the division’s history.  ·        In 154 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 69 victories – a winning percentage of 44.8%. ·        Chevrolet is coming off its 29th all-time sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series championship titles – capturing its 34th driver championship and 44th, and fifth consecutive, manufacturer championship in 2025.  ·        With its 44 NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer championships, 34 NASCAR Cup Series driver championships, and 883 all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins, Chevrolet continues to hold the title as the winningest brand in NASCAR Cup Series history. FOR THE FANS: Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Texas Motor Speedway, which features a variety of vehicles including: Tahoe Z71, Silverado EV, Silverado LD High Country, Equinox ACTIV, Corvette Z06, Colorado Trail Boss, Traverse Z71, Silverado HD LTZ and a Kyle Larson No. 5 Camaro ZL1 show car.  Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:Friday, May 1: 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Saturday, May 2: 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 3: 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.  Team Chevy Driver Appearances at the Display:Friday, May 1 ·        Tyler Ankrum & Kris Wright: 4:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. ·        Grant Enfinger: 4:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. ·        Andres Perez de Lara & Conner Jones: 5:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. ·        Toni Breidinger & Dawson Sutton: 5:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2 ·        Anthony Alfredo: 11:00 a.m. – 11:10 a.m. ·        Parker Retzlaff: 11:10 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. ·        Rajah Caruth & Carson Kvapil: 11:20 a.m. – 11:35 a.m. ·        Justin Allgaier & Sammy Smith: 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ·        Sheldon Creed & Sam Mayer: 12:00 p.m. – 12:15 p.m.  Sunday, May 3·        Ross Chastain: 9:50 a.m. – 10:05 a.m. ·        Austin Dillon: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. ·        Carson Hocevar: 10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. ·        Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: 10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. ·        Alex Bowman: 11:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. ·        Shane van Gisbergen: 11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. ·        Chase Elliott: 11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series Würth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLYSunday, May 3, at 3:30 p.m. ETFS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90  NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts SeriesAndy’s Frozen Custard 340Saturday, May 2, at 3:30 p.m. ETCW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90  NASCAR Craftsman Truck SeriesSpeedyCash.com 250Friday, May 1, at 8 p.m. ETFS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletCan you explain why Texas has been there, has become so treacherous over the last couple of years? “They knocked the banking out of turns one and two, so they slid the apron way inward towards the infield, and now it’s like a one lane apron where it used to be five lanes wide. The outside wall is still at the same spot but when they brought the banking so far inside towards the infield, it flattened it out and to me it feels like a yo-yo. You go way down in speed in turns one and two, and then you’re way up in speed in turns three and four and it’s this constant give and take. The car goes through such a different load. In the end your car is pushed down to the ground harder in turns three and four and then it’s very up out of the racetrack, long one and two feels like with the open entry of turn one and just not as much angle in the asphalt. So yeah, in all the series it’s challenging.” Is Texas the most challenging track to race on?“For me, I would say New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the most challenging to make speed on and then probably Texas. Those two are on the top my list for me, personally.” Do you like going to Texas?“I like going to Texas Motor Speedway. The track is fun to drive and it’s very challenging. There’s also a lot to do in the area – good food, fun at the Stockyards and places like that. I’ve finished runner-up there a couple of times so I’m hoping for a strong weekend. It’s the home track for Kubota and they’re on my car this weekend so it would be awesome to get them into victory lane at their home track.”   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat are your thoughts on Texas Motor Speedway? “The place is fast and it’s big. You’ve got to go out there and commit to Turns 3 and 4. It’s one of the fastest tracks we go to all year long. I have confidence going in there for sure. We’ve just got to go out there, qualify well, execute, and make it happen when it counts.” What’s one moment at Texas Motor Speedway that sticks out to you? “There are a lot of memorable moments at Texas Motor Speedway, but one that really sticks out is winning against my teammate, Tyler Reddick, there a couple years back in the NASCAR Cup Series. We were battling out those restarts at the end. We weren’t a great car that day. We were probably a 10th-12th place car, and both of us decided to take two tires to get up front and tack control of the race. And then, with clean air our cars took off. My confidence was high. We just kept having restarts and were able to make it happen.”  What do you enjoy most about being in Texas? “I love Texas. I grew up hunting down here as a kid. I have a lot of memories deer hunting with my grandfather, so I fell in love with the state early on. I’ve had some success at Texas Motor Speedway. Texas is a cool place. I feel more like a cowboy when I’m there. Some of our bull riders on the PBR Teams Series are based in the Fort Worth area, so I get to visit them and do a little racing also.”    Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat do you like about Texas Motor Speedway and what is going to be a challenge for you?“Texas is definitely a good racetrack, It’s very fast. It gets tricky in Turns 1 and 2 because Turns 3 and 4 are so much different with the banking and load. Sometimes you have to make a compromise in one of the corners to be fast. It’s impossible to be perfect in both turns, so it’s going to be tricky, but good. I’m looking forward to it. I’ve had some success there in the past and I’m looking to carry that on with the No. 7 team.”   Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletHow do you balance each corner being so different at Texas Motor Speedway?  “Texas Motor Speedway is a tough place. Turns 1 and 2 being really wide, and kind of flat, and then Turns 3 and 4 being a little bit narrower, but also being really, really fast with a lot of banking. You’ve got to set up for Turns 1 and 2 and you’ve got to set up for the end of the racetrack where you’re off the throttle the most, and then just take what you can get at the other end. It’s a little bit of a compromise at that place, but it’s fun to race there. You’ve got to really work on your runs through Turns 3 and 4 and down the front straightway to make those moves getting into Turn 1.”  Turns 1 and 2 are very different from Turns 3 and 4. How do you approach that racetrack from a setup perspective with two very different turns? “At Texas Motor Speedway you have to sort of focus on Turns 1 and 2 because that’s the end of the racetrack where you’re out of the throttle, and you want to be out of the throttle the least amount possible, and then you just take whatever the car gives you in Turns 3 and 4. That’s how we focused our setups the last couple of years. Last year I felt like we were really good. We had a great car. We made some air pressure adjustments to it during the race, we got faster and we were up towards the front. I thought I had a shot to go race for the win, and I was like ‘this is my moment, Larson is slow, he’s vulnerable, I better go get him.’ I tried too hard in the middle of Turns 3 and 4, hit the bump and spun myself out. So, it’s hard to get it all right there all day long.”  What’s the toughest part about driving at Texas Motor Speedway? “The last couple of years, the bump in Turns 3 and 4 have certainly been the tricky part for us. We had some really good speed there last year. We were running in third place chasing down the leaders, trying to make some moves to win the race. I pushed pretty hard after a restart and the car bottomed out, spun out on me and we ended up backed in the fence. That’s the unfortunate part about Texas Motor Speedway, just how on edge you are and how tricky it is to just make sure you keep the grip in your racecar. Some of those bumps have gotten worse over time, which is fine. It’s character. It’s good to have some of that. You just got to be able to know how to attack, when to attack and how hard to attack. I misjudged that last year and put ourselves in a bad spot of spinning out. That’s something we’ll focus on this time around.” What’s the vibe when you come down to Texas for a race? “The party scene at Texas is like no other. It always has great camping, great nightlife—you can always hear everybody playing their music and having a good time, enjoying the camaraderie of the area and what that brings. We’ve been fortunate enough the last few years to have good weather. I’m hoping for that again.”   Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing ChevroletAfter Sunday’s season-best 13th-place finish at Talladega, what do you expect for Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway?“We needed a good finish, and we had to work hard to earn it at Talladega. We made some execution mistakes early, fell a lap down and spent most of the race working to get back on the lead lap. We came close a few times but finally got it done at the end. Nobody panicked and nobody gave up. We know we are better than our finishes this season, so maybe Talladega will be the turning point. We can get back on track Sunday at Texas.” What are your thoughts on Texas Motor Speedway?“We had a lot of success there in the Truck Series, and I would love to transfer that success to the Cup program. It’s a fast, tough track — just what you would expect in Texas. It also feels good to return to a track where we have had success and feel confident.”   AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing ChevroletAfter having speed at Kansas Speedway, how do you feel about Texas?“Texas is a unique 1.5-mile track. Turns 1 and 2 are very flat, while Turns 3 and 4 are high-banked, allowing you to run wide open in qualifying. It’s a place where we had a lot of speed last year. After Kansas and the speed we found there, we’re looking forward to this weekend and hoping to carry that momentum forward. I feel like we can be pretty competitive, but it’s definitely a tough racetrack. Track position is critical because passing is very difficult, so practice and qualifying will be especially important. Overall, it’s a track I enjoy, and after Kansas, it feels like our intermediate program is heading in the right direction. This is a race where we should have a solid shot at being competitive.”   Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“Texas is always a place where track position and execution matter so much, and having a new partner like Ōnin Staffing on board makes this weekend even more exciting. It’s their first race with us, and we’re looking forward to putting together a strong run for them and our No. 47 team. The guys have been working hard, and hopefully we can give Ōnin Staffing a great first weekend with Hyak Motorsports.”   Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet“Texas is kind of like a hybrid between Kansas, Vegas and Charlotte. And to take it a step further, it’s kind of similar to Darlington where you’re probably not going to have your balance happy in both ends of the racetrack because they’re so wildly different. You might get the car handling well in (turns) three and four, but you’re not going to like what it’s doing in (turns) one and two. Track conditions are going to play a big part in whether you’re running the top or the bottom at Texas. If you focus on just running one lane, you’re probably going to get a bad read for what you need throughout the race as rubber builds up. And then, over in (turns) one and two, depending on the speed of the race, you may or may not be shifting, so there’s a lot of variables that you really have to be aware of and implement in practice to get a good balance, a good read for all the different scenarios that can happen in the race.”   Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletHow have the challenges developed at Texas Motor Speedway over the years?“The bump in Turn 4 on the high side is a big challenge, especially during restarts. It took us out in 2024 so you just need to be aware of how you hit that bump. The track is very fast paced and can be intimidating to this day, even as it ages, because the speeds are so high and these cars are right on the razor edge. Now, you have some of that character with those bumps, and our cars are so low that when you bottom out, they can take off on you. I wasn’t the only car to back it into the fence there while trying to get clear in the past few years. You have to hit it just right in Turn 4. We saw a few other guys do that recently, as well. Traditionally, Cup guys don’t make a ton of mistakes, but we have seen a lot of hiccups at Texas. I think it really proves how challenging this track is. It’s still one of those places that can take your breath away.”   Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletComing off you first win, how do you refocus on the task at hand this weekend?“I feel good about it. Obviously, we were on the pole last year and had speed, and I won my first ever truck race there. We have a lot of momentum and excitement behind us right now, while we go into a track that it is realistic to be up front and contend all day. We have been looking forward to and circling Texas for a couple weeks, so what happened last weekend is really an added bonus.” You won your first truck race, earned your first Cup Series top 10 and won your first Cup Series pole at Texas. Why has it been such a good track for you throughout your career?“I don’t really know, it just works out. The two ends are different, which makes you keep thinking about the line you are going to run and how you will make it through the corner. It is a really fast place with a high grip levels, and on the Cup Series side, we really excel at tracks with similar characteristics. It has just been a good place for me and I look forward to going every year.”   Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletThis is your first race at Texas Motor Speedway. What has the preparation been like?“I’m excited for this weekend. I’ve never raced at Texas before so I’m glad I’m getting some seat time with JR Motorsports before Sunday’s race in our Choice Privileges Chevrolet. It’s definitely a unique track. Both ends are very different and it’s one of the few tracks on the schedule that I haven’t been to. It’s certainly going to be a challenging weekend figuring it out on the fly, but I feel like I’ve had to do that quite a bit in the past 18 months. Texas is pretty much single groove. It widens out a little bit but for the most part you’re not getting up to the top of the racetrack at all. There are certainly a lot of nuances between the two corners. I look forward to the challenge of figuring it out. We’re making some changes with the cars and trying to do things differently this time around and hopefully we can see some results.”    How long will it be before you see some of those changes make it to the racetrack?“This weekend. We’ve been working really hard to make things different. If we keep showing up the racetrack the same, it’s not going to change and we know that. It’s certainly something that we must focus and work hard on.”  At the mile-and-a-half tracks, what is the major difference between the Cup car and the O’Reilly Series car? Is it difficult to go back and forth between the two cars?“I would say the amount of yaw that you carry through the corner in the O’Reilly car versus the Cup car. You can hang it out a little bit more, drive it over the limit and be able to make speed doing that whereas in the Cup car you’re toting that line the entire time. There certainly are a lot of differences, but for me, track time is track time. I don’t really struggle to go back and forth because they are so different. It’s almost tougher when you’re racing two race cars and they are very similar. That’s when it becomes tough and it’s hard to go back and forth between the two.”   Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat are you looking forward to at Texas Motor Speedway?“Texas is a tough track, but I’m looking forward to getting better at it as the weekend goes on. It’s been tough for me in the past in the O’Reilly car and Cup car, so our focus has just been trying to see where we can improve from last year and what will make us the most competitive.” Do you approach this mile and a half track different than any other intermediate track?“No, but it’s difficult because one end of the track is so different from the other end. You have to compromise a little bit on set up. But trying to get the most out of your car every lap is important, so practice will be all about learning and getting the best feel for the car before the race.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series StatisticsManufacturer Championships:Total (1949-2025): 44First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)Most recent: 2025 Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Driver Championships:Total (1949-2025): 34First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most recent: Kyle Larson (2025)Driver and Manufacturer Championship Sweeps: 29 Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2025 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)                2026 STATISTICS:                                                                                                    Wins: 2Poles: 1Laps Led: 789Top-Fives: 18Top-10s: 34Stage Wins: 6 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 883 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 767Laps led to date: 257,523Top-fives to date: 4,454Top-10s to date: 9,185                                                                                                          Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date:                    General Motors: 1,217           Chevrolet: 883           Pontiac: 154           Oldsmobile: 115           Buick: 65            Ford: 848                                                                                          Ford: 748           Mercury: 96           Lincoln: 4            Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467           Dodge: 217           Plymouth: 191           Chrysler: 59            Toyota: 210

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Set for Doubleheader at Circle City and Florence

BATAVIA, Ohio (April 29, 2026) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing launches the month of May with a highly anticipated two-race swing, featuring events at Circle City Raceway in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Friday, May 1, followed by Florence Speedway in Union, Kentucky, on Saturday, May 2. On Friday, May 1, Circle City Raceway will host the series for a marquee event paying $15,000-to-win. Located at the Marion County Fairgrounds, the Indianapolis-area oval provides a challenging, multi-groove surface that is expected to produce thrilling side-by-side racing action. The evening’s program will also feature Crown Vic racing, adding a unique and entertaining support division to the card. The pit gates will open at 3:00 PM, followed by the general admission gates at 4:00 PM, and Hot Laps will begin at 7:00 PM. Circle City Raceway is conveniently located at 7300 East Troy Avenue on the Marion County Fairgrounds just off I-465 in Indianapolis. To purchase tickets in advance or find additional information, please visit CircleCityRaceway.com. The following night, the tour heads south to Florence Speedway for the 40th Annual Ralph Latham Memorial boasting a $25,000 top prize, continuing a long-standing tradition at one of the region’s most storied dirt tracks. Florence Speedway, situated just south of Cincinnati, has been a staple on the Lucas Oil schedule and routinely draws strong fields and enthusiastic crowds. In addition to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series main event, fans will also see Modifieds and Pro Late Models in action as part of a full night of racing. The pit gate opens at 2:00 PM on Saturday, and the main and back gates open at 5:00 PM. Hot laps begin at 6:00 PM. Florence Speedway is in Northern Kentucky off Interstate 71/75, approximately 25 miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio. Take KY exit 180 off I-71/75; west on US 42, nine miles to the track on the left. To purchase advanced tickets or find more information, visit FlorenceSpeedway.com. Fans can expect full racing programs at both venues, including Dirt Draft Hot Laps, Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and feature events showcasing the best dirt late model drivers in the country. Entering the weekend, defending series champion Devin Moran leads the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series national standings, holding a narrow 25-point advantage over Hudson O’Neal. Moran, who recently captured another victory at Georgetown Speedway—his fifth win of the season—has continued his strong early-season form as he looks to defend his title. O’Neal sits second and remains within striking distance, while Brandon Overton (third), Brandon Sheppard (fourth), and Max Blair (fifth) round out the top five in what has been a tightly contested championship race through the opening stretch of 2026. Ricky Thornton Jr., Clay Harris, Garrett Alberson, Kyle Bronson, and Carson Ferguson complete the current top ten. The Sunoco Race Fuels Road to Wheatland continues with the top fifteen drivers in the Series point standings after the Show-Me 100 feature on May 23rd will receive cash bonuses based on where they are in the point standings with the point leader receiving a $2,500 bonus. For the latest news, results, and championship standings from the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, please visit LucasDirt.com. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Purses:Circle City Raceway: 1. $15,000, 2. $7,000, 3. $5,000, 4. $4,000, 5. $3,000, 6. $2,500, 7. $2,400, 8. $2,300, 9. $2,200, 10. $2,100, 11. $2,000, 12. $1,800, 13. $1,600, 14. $1,500, 15. $1,400, 16. $1,300, 17. $1,200, 18. $1,100, 19. $1,000, 20. $1,000, 21. $1,000, 22. $1,000, 23. $1,000, 24. $1,000 = $63,400 Florence Speedway: 1. $25,000, 2. $10,000, 3. $6,000, 4. $4,000, 5. $3,500, 6. $2,700, 7. $2,500, 8. $2,300, 9. $2,200, 10. $2,100, 11. $2,000, 12. $1,900, 13. $1,800, 14. $1,700, 15. $1,600, 16. $1,500, 17. $1,500, 18. $1,500, 19. $1,500, 20. $1,500, 21. $1,500, 22. $1,500, 23. $1,500, 24. $1,500 = $82,800 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Tire Rule:Left Rear/Fronts – Hoosier (90) NLMT2, (90) NLMT3Right Rear – Hoosier (92) NRM NLMT3, (92) NRM NLMT4

INDEPENDENCE, IA (April 28, 2026) – Bobby Pierce’s meteoric rise through the record books reached another major milestone on Tuesday night.

The two-time champion of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision won for the sixth time in 2026 and the second time at Independence Motor Speedway. The win was also the 48th of his career with the Series, tying him with 2015 champion Shane Clanton for fourth on the all-time wins list.

The midweek clash was the Nick Hoffman show for most of the night, as “The Thrill From Mooresville” topped Hot Laps, Qualifying and his Heat Race before drawing the Bilstein Pole Award and leading the opening circuits. But a caution for a slowing Tyler Bruening gave Pierce the chance to pounce, and he took full advantage by diving to the bottom of Turn 1 on the restart and sliding up in front of Hoffman.

Once he was able to control the pace, Pierce remained strong around the cushion as the race wore on. Lap traffic looked to be Hoffman’s best chance of taking the lead back, but each time Pierce got close to the tail of the field, a caution put him back in clean air. At the end of 40 laps, Pierce was out front by a half-straightaway to score the victory and retake the points lead by four markers over Hoffman.

“I noticed [Hoffman] slipped just a little bit in Turn 1 on top,” Pierce recalled from his race-winning restart. “I had a good run coming off of [Turn] 4 on the restart. There was a lot of moisture down on the bottom of [Turn] 1 still, was able to get some grip down there and slingshot ahead of him. I was expecting to see him on my inside going into Turn 3, but luckily I pulled away down the backstretch. From then on, it was just hit my marks laps after lap on those restarts. Tried to get through lap traffic as best I could, but luckily I didn’t have to mess with that too much because the cautions kept coming out.”

Behind Pierce, the race was on for second when Tyler Erb ran down Hoffman. The duo was side-by-side at the white flag with Erb on the bottom and Hoffman up top, and Erb found enough grip down low to clear Hoffman exiting Turn 2 and hold him off for the final set of corners. His runner-up result was his best finish since finishing second in January at Volusia Speedway Park and his first podium since that night.

Fourth went to Drake Troutman, while Trey Mills finished in a career-best fifth for the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision will travel north for three nights at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in the Dairyland Showdown, Thursday-Saturday, April 30-May 2. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

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

RACE NOTES:

Nick Hoffman set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Nick Hoffman won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Nick Hoffman won Heat 1.

Jonathan Davenport won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Dallon Murty won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Bobby Pierce won Jarrett Rifles Heat 4.

Ethan Dotson and Dustin Sorensen won the Last Chance Showdowns.

Nick Hoffman won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Eli Johnson won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Trey Mills won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Tyler Erb was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Nick Hoffman was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Drake Troutman was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Trey Mills was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Garrett Alberson was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Jonathan Davenport was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Ethan Dotson was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Dustin Sorensen was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Cade Dillard was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Justin Duty was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Brent Larson was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Dennis Erb Jr. was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Blair Nothdurft was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Tim McCreadie was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Pierce Ties Clanton With 48th World of Outlaws Win at Independence

INDEPENDENCE, IA (April 28, 2026) – Bobby Pierce’s meteoric rise through the record books reached another major milestone on Tuesday night.

The two-time champion of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision won for the sixth time in 2026 and the second time at Independence Motor Speedway. The win was also the 48th of his career with the Series, tying him with 2015 champion Shane Clanton for fourth on the all-time wins list.

The midweek clash was the Nick Hoffman show for most of the night, as “The Thrill From Mooresville” topped Hot Laps, Qualifying and his Heat Race before drawing the Bilstein Pole Award and leading the opening circuits. But a caution for a slowing Tyler Bruening gave Pierce the chance to pounce, and he took full advantage by diving to the bottom of Turn 1 on the restart and sliding up in front of Hoffman.

Once he was able to control the pace, Pierce remained strong around the cushion as the race wore on. Lap traffic looked to be Hoffman’s best chance of taking the lead back, but each time Pierce got close to the tail of the field, a caution put him back in clean air. At the end of 40 laps, Pierce was out front by a half-straightaway to score the victory and retake the points lead by four markers over Hoffman.

“I noticed [Hoffman] slipped just a little bit in Turn 1 on top,” Pierce recalled from his race-winning restart. “I had a good run coming off of [Turn] 4 on the restart. There was a lot of moisture down on the bottom of [Turn] 1 still, was able to get some grip down there and slingshot ahead of him. I was expecting to see him on my inside going into Turn 3, but luckily I pulled away down the backstretch. From then on, it was just hit my marks laps after lap on those restarts. Tried to get through lap traffic as best I could, but luckily I didn’t have to mess with that too much because the cautions kept coming out.”

Behind Pierce, the race was on for second when Tyler Erb ran down Hoffman. The duo was side-by-side at the white flag with Erb on the bottom and Hoffman up top, and Erb found enough grip down low to clear Hoffman exiting Turn 2 and hold him off for the final set of corners. His runner-up result was his best finish since finishing second in January at Volusia Speedway Park and his first podium since that night.

Fourth went to Drake Troutman, while Trey Mills finished in a career-best fifth for the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision will travel north for three nights at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in the Dairyland Showdown, Thursday-Saturday, April 30-May 2. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

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

RACE NOTES:

Nick Hoffman set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Nick Hoffman won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Nick Hoffman won Heat 1.

Jonathan Davenport won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Dallon Murty won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Bobby Pierce won Jarrett Rifles Heat 4.

Ethan Dotson and Dustin Sorensen won the Last Chance Showdowns.

Nick Hoffman won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Eli Johnson won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Trey Mills won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Tyler Erb was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Nick Hoffman was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Drake Troutman was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Trey Mills was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Garrett Alberson was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Jonathan Davenport was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Ethan Dotson was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Dustin Sorensen was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Cade Dillard was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Justin Duty was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Brent Larson was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Dennis Erb Jr. was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Blair Nothdurft was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Tim McCreadie was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Feature (40 Laps): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[4]; 2. 1-Tyler Erb[8]; 3. 9-Nick Hoffman[1]; 4. 22*-Drake Troutman[9]; 5. 14-Trey Mills[7]; 6. 58-Garrett Alberson[6]; 7. 49-Jonathan Davenport[3]; 8. 74X-Ethan Dotson[17]; 9. 19-Dustin Sorensen[18]; 10. 97-Cade Dillard[5]; 11. 15D-Justin Duty[11]; 12. B1-Brent Larson[19]; 13. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[14]; 14. 76-Blair Nothdurft[10]; 15. 55E-Eli Johnson[25]; 16. 13-Dallon Murty[2]; 17. 43-Derrick Stewart[15]; 18. 9M-Tim McCreadie[16]; 19. 25-Chad Simpson[21]; 20. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[23]; 21. 19R-Ryan Gustin[13]; 22. 58V-Daulton Wilson[20]; 23. 1Z-Logan Zarin[24]; 24. 32S-Chris Simpson[12]; 25. 16-Tyler Bruening[22]

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway ovalIndianapolis, IndianaOpen Test Day #1 ReportApril 28, 2026 Indianapolis (April 28, 2026) – The first day of the open test for the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge was led by Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, with Conor Daly fastest overall and Jack Harvey quickest with no tow. Daly’s fastest overall lap of the day in the No. 23 Dreyer & Reinbold Chevrolet was 225.394mph.  “Good to get back in the swing of things here. The team did a great job of preparing all winter for this day. It’s only Day 1 for us, but it was obviously a good day. Thankful to be working with Chevrolet again and also everyone at ARCO and Kingspan. It’s only Day 1, onto Day 2.”  *Note* – the average finishing position of the drivers who have led the first day of the eight previous Indianapolis 500 open tests since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012 is 3.0.  Harvey, in the No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Chevrolet, was the quickest driver on the Non-Tow timesheet, going 220.318mph without the help of another NTT INDYCAR SERIES car.  Scott McLaughlin in the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet was the quickest driver in the speed trap at the ‘Yard Of Bricks’ with a speed of 238.786mph, making seven of the eight quickest cars at’ The Brickyard’ powered by Chevrolet.  10 am-12 pm – Veteran Session  After strong thunderstorms overnight, the first day of the open test for the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge got underway on time at 10 am, with installation laps allowed for all 33 drivers in attendance. After the single lap, the track opened for two hours of veteran running.  Josef Newgarden, in the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet, was the quickest driver in the two hours of veteran running before lunchtime, going 223.415mph on his 28th of 29 laps, with Chevrolet-powered drivers holding down eight of the top ten spots. Joining Newgarden in the top ten were drivers representing five of the six Team Chevy squads that turned laps in the first two hours. Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet (3rd), Scott McLaughlin in the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet (4th), Santino Ferrucci in the No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet (5th), David Malukas in the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet (6th), Nolan Siegel in the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet (7th), Conor Daly in the No. 23 Dreyer & Reinbold Chevrolet, and Christian Rasmussen in the No. 21 ECR Chevrolet.  Alexander Rossi in the No. 20 ECR Chevrolet was the quickest Team Chevy driver without a tow, going 219.173mph without the aid of another car and driver, the second-best of the 22 drivers that appeared on the non-tow results. Daly was the quickest driver without help for most of the two-hour session, ending up as the third-best during the session.  A pair of Chevrolet-powered drivers, Pato O’Ward at 229.566mph in Turn 1, and Newgarden at the same speed in Turn 3, were the fastest drivers in the speed traps at the end of the 5/8ths of a mile straightaways.  “I love this place, exclaimed O’Ward. “Today, I was coming down the tunnel, knowing it was kind of the first day of May, I think it’s good to call it, is awesome. It’s awesome to be here. I genuinely love it more and more and more the longer that I get to come here, to have this opportunity to race at the Indy 500. That was our first run, basically, and it feels good, nothing feels strange, and I’m just happy to be back here.” noon-2 am – Rookie Orientation Program and Veteran Refreshers The next two hours of the first day of the Indianapolis 500 open test were set aside for the drivers who had to complete their Rookie Orientation Program and Veteran Refreshers.  Ryan Hunter-Reay, in the No. 31 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, was the first Team Chevy driver to complete his Veteran Refresher, finishing his 30 laps after only 37 laps of running. Team Chevy drivers Ed Carpenter, in the No. 33 ECR Chevrolet and Jack Harvey, in the No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, quickly completed their refreshers.  The pair of rookies representing Team Chevy, Caio Collet, in the No. 4 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet and Jacob Abel in the No. 51 Abel Motorsports Chevrolet, easily completed the three phases of the Rookie Orientation Program.  “I think it’s obviously the best thing I’ve ever done in my life,” said Collet with a huge smile on his face. “The first time that I ever came here, I saw the guys flying by. I was ‘oh, can I really do that?” Once I got in the car, the team did a phenomenal job prepping me to be here and also to do the laps. We got it all done. We got up to speed quite quickly, and I’m looking forward to running with other cars this afternoon.” The Brazilian driver ended the day as the busiest, completing 138 laps (345 miles) of the iconic oval.  Katherine Legge, in the No. 11 HMD Motorsports with A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet, was unable to complete her Veteran Refresher and will get an opportunity to get back on track during the lunch break between noon and 1 pm tomorrow.  2 pm – 6 pm  The final four hours of the test saw the field looking for groups of cars to simulate race running. The 32 drivers on the track were busy in the four-hour session, completing 1359 circuits of the iconic 2.5-mile oval. Veteran team owner Carpenter was the busiest Team Chevy driver, completing 76 laps of the 2.5-mile oval.

110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge test day #1 combined results

110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge test day #1 combined no-tow results

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway ovalIndianapolis, IndianaOpen Test Day #1 ReportApril 28, 2026 Indianapolis (April 28, 2026) – The first day of the open test for the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge was led by Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, with Conor Daly fastest overall and Jack Harvey quickest with no tow. Daly’s fastest overall lap of the day in the No. 23 Dreyer & Reinbold Chevrolet was 225.394mph.  “Good to get back in the swing of things here. The team did a great job of preparing all winter for this day. It’s only Day 1 for us, but it was obviously a good day. Thankful to be working with Chevrolet again and also everyone at ARCO and Kingspan. It’s only Day 1, onto Day 2.”  *Note* – the average finishing position of the drivers who have led the first day of the eight previous Indianapolis 500 open tests since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012 is 3.0.  Harvey, in the No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Chevrolet, was the quickest driver on the Non-Tow timesheet, going 220.318mph without the help of another NTT INDYCAR SERIES car.  Scott McLaughlin in the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet was the quickest driver in the speed trap at the ‘Yard Of Bricks’ with a speed of 238.786mph, making seven of the eight quickest cars at’ The Brickyard’ powered by Chevrolet.  10 am-12 pm – Veteran Session  After strong thunderstorms overnight, the first day of the open test for the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge got underway on time at 10 am, with installation laps allowed for all 33 drivers in attendance. After the single lap, the track opened for two hours of veteran running.  Josef Newgarden, in the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet, was the quickest driver in the two hours of veteran running before lunchtime, going 223.415mph on his 28th of 29 laps, with Chevrolet-powered drivers holding down eight of the top ten spots. Joining Newgarden in the top ten were drivers representing five of the six Team Chevy squads that turned laps in the first two hours. Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet (3rd), Scott McLaughlin in the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet (4th), Santino Ferrucci in the No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet (5th), David Malukas in the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet (6th), Nolan Siegel in the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet (7th), Conor Daly in the No. 23 Dreyer & Reinbold Chevrolet, and Christian Rasmussen in the No. 21 ECR Chevrolet.  Alexander Rossi in the No. 20 ECR Chevrolet was the quickest Team Chevy driver without a tow, going 219.173mph without the aid of another car and driver, the second-best of the 22 drivers that appeared on the non-tow results. Daly was the quickest driver without help for most of the two-hour session, ending up as the third-best during the session.  A pair of Chevrolet-powered drivers, Pato O’Ward at 229.566mph in Turn 1, and Newgarden at the same speed in Turn 3, were the fastest drivers in the speed traps at the end of the 5/8ths of a mile straightaways.  “I love this place, exclaimed O’Ward. “Today, I was coming down the tunnel, knowing it was kind of the first day of May, I think it’s good to call it, is awesome. It’s awesome to be here. I genuinely love it more and more and more the longer that I get to come here, to have this opportunity to race at the Indy 500. That was our first run, basically, and it feels good, nothing feels strange, and I’m just happy to be back here.” noon-2 am – Rookie Orientation Program and Veteran Refreshers The next two hours of the first day of the Indianapolis 500 open test were set aside for the drivers who had to complete their Rookie Orientation Program and Veteran Refreshers.  Ryan Hunter-Reay, in the No. 31 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, was the first Team Chevy driver to complete his Veteran Refresher, finishing his 30 laps after only 37 laps of running. Team Chevy drivers Ed Carpenter, in the No. 33 ECR Chevrolet and Jack Harvey, in the No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, quickly completed their refreshers.  The pair of rookies representing Team Chevy, Caio Collet, in the No. 4 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet and Jacob Abel in the No. 51 Abel Motorsports Chevrolet, easily completed the three phases of the Rookie Orientation Program.  “I think it’s obviously the best thing I’ve ever done in my life,” said Collet with a huge smile on his face. “The first time that I ever came here, I saw the guys flying by. I was ‘oh, can I really do that?” Once I got in the car, the team did a phenomenal job prepping me to be here and also to do the laps. We got it all done. We got up to speed quite quickly, and I’m looking forward to running with other cars this afternoon.” The Brazilian driver ended the day as the busiest, completing 138 laps (345 miles) of the iconic oval.  Katherine Legge, in the No. 11 HMD Motorsports with A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet, was unable to complete her Veteran Refresher and will get an opportunity to get back on track during the lunch break between noon and 1 pm tomorrow.  2 pm – 6 pm  The final four hours of the test saw the field looking for groups of cars to simulate race running. The 32 drivers on the track were busy in the four-hour session, completing 1359 circuits of the iconic 2.5-mile oval. Veteran team owner Carpenter was the busiest Team Chevy driver, completing 76 laps of the 2.5-mile oval.

110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge test day #1 combined results

110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge test day #1 combined no-tow results

NTT INDY NXT SERIES News ConferenceTuesday, April 28, 2026David MalukasPress Conference THE MODERATOR: David Malukas joins us. He’s got four top 10s here in 2026, coming off a sixth-place finish on the Streets of Long Beach. Currently third in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES points standings. P7 in that second session. I believe overall as well. 223 flat, maybe 223.8. What did you think of the day? DAVID MALUKAS: I thought it was great. There was some sitting around, trying to time when we can go out with other people and get some traffic running. But overall, I mean, it was awesome. Good first day back. It feels good to be back here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. THE MODERATOR: Your first time in a Penske car at IMS. What are your thoughts? DAVID MALUKAS: Oh, she’s fast. She’s good (smiling). Yeah, I mean, I felt very comfortable first few laps. I mean, yeah, the race running at the end there, so much confidence. Let’s just say I’m very excited for the 500 to come around.THE MODERATOR: Open up for questions. Q.  I noticed you and Scott were working on a little bit of tandem running. Was that part of the plan to kind of get that chemistry on track with Josef and Scott?DAVID MALUKAS: Yeah, we went out. All three of us, towards the afternoon, we all went a little bit different on three different programs. Me and Scott ended up back together with some race running at the end.We wanted to do it between the three of us, but kick-start everyone else, who is willing to join us. Thankfully we ended up getting Pato in that group as well. I actually felt like I was with Pato a lot today. Even after lunch, we went back out, me and him were swapping positions back and forth. We got a lot of data between each other. For the team it was good. Q.  After having driven for different teams in the past, how long did it actually take you to get comfortable behind the wheel of a Penske car here at the Speedway?DAVID MALUKAS: I mean, almost instantly. I don’t know. I felt so confident. It felt so good. For me it helps having an advantage having James on board. I worked with him last year at Foyt. We did an incredible 500 for us last season. We were able to work off of that previous setup, right? Went out, felt very similar to last year. Now even after today we already made some changes, some progress forward where I’m even more comfortable. I think that’s the good thing coming into this season. We’re not going off of this is a fresh start, let’s see where we’re going. We’re going off of this is what we had last year, now we can start there, continue working, finding more potential, more progress. Makes me even that much more confident coming into this 500. Q.  Driving a Penske car here at the Speedway, were you worried about getting too hyped up for it or playing it cool?DAVID MALUKAS: Actually, I was very chill, very calm. It’s still so early on, we’re just about scraping the month of May. It’s just the open test. We took things very slow to begin with. Nothing going crazy. If we feel one little thing that’s out of the ordinary, let’s pit, let’s figure out what’s going on, take our time. Today was a good day, but we took things very slow. No reason to rush. Very confident. Q.  A bit on the lighter side of things, did you know the month of May is National Bike Safety Awareness Month?DAVID MALUKAS: I knew that (smiling). Q.  Do you have any content plans for awareness?DAVID MALUKAS: I’m going to have to be joining all of that. I mean, I was wearing my safety gear. Make sure you double up on the safety gear and if it’s a bike you don’t know, make sure the front and back brake are not swapped. No more bikes for me (smiling). That would be crazy, imagine that. Hey, captain, how are you (laughter)? Q.  Can you describe what it’s like going from Foyt last year with the two cars to having three cars, two extra teammates? How beneficial is that coming into the month of May?DAVID MALUKAS: It’s massive. It’s so much more helpful. Even if you think about today, all three of us were on three different programs. We can trust each other. The good thing that we’ve learned so far in the beginning of this season is our setups are actually very similar to each other. We have full confidence in each other that if we try something different, we know whatever their setup is going to be, it’s actually going to relate to us. It’s a very good trio for us. By far for me the best chemistry I’ve had with teammates in any team I’ve been with. Yeah, even today, three different programs, learned so much. I’m very excited to head back now and hear what every driver has to say. Q.  As someone who has changed teams a few times, had to get adjusted to the 500, does it help just a little bit that you guys had Phoenix?DAVID MALUKAS: 100%, yeah. Any oval is going to be helpful to kick-start it for me, a new team. Of course, we saw the technical alliance, but there’s many things that are new.It feels very good. We had the Phoenix test and the race. For sure helped a lot with confidence going into today. I was able to go flat a lot quicker than any other time I’ve been here before, so… Q.  For today and obviously tomorrow’s running, what do you want out of these two days in comparison to what you want the first couple of days for practice?DAVID MALUKAS: More just getting comfortable, making sure everything with the car is up to par, that there’s no issues. It’s honestly a very chill two days, but we can get a lot of that early kind of baseline setup changes done. It’s just tough because right now the weather is not very correlated to how it’s going to be come month of May. More the heavy setup changes, quallie, all that, we’re going to save that for the month of May. At least now we can run through the checklist, make sure everything is working as it should so when we come back we have full confidence to go straight into it. Q.  You’ve had quite a different experience at all your races here. Do you feel like you’ve had all the experiences to put you in a position to potentially win the race? Anything you still need to work on on an individual perspective?DAVID MALUKAS: I think so. I’m still 24 and there’s a lot to learn. I think from all the perspectives I’ve had of this race, I’ve learned a lot. Especially last year, last season, it played in my head for months and months. Many nights I couldn’t sleep thinking back what I could have done differently. Those last 30, 20 laps after that last pit stop, it’s a completely different race, different ballgame. It’s something I’ve learned so much from, studied very much. I’m going to take that knowledge into this season. Now I’m not going to be nearly as flustered come that time. Q.  (Question regarding Football Manager.)DAVID MALUKAS: Still on the sidelines. Haven’t been able to restart it. I actually have recently been getting into Victoria 3. That’s my new itch right now. Eventually I’ll go back to Football Manager. I think what drew me out was the new FM 26 was not good, not up to par. Yeah, it drew me away. I’ll come back soon. Q.  Looking at the things that happened during the open test and the variables and the weather, how easy is it to get yourself confused even before you get to the month of May, not necessarily Penske, but any team? You can go down the wrong path pretty quick, can’t you?DAVID MALUKAS: 100%. That’s a good question. Yeah, I mean, for sure, even today you start from the morning session, go to this afternoon, you can make some small little change and the car will feel completely different. In those moments, I think it depends on the team, but if you have good people around you, good engineers, it’s definitely needed to stay calm and make sure that that change shouldn’t have actually been that massive. It’s probably not that big of a deal. I think it’s probably a little bit of track change, track progression with temperature. There’s no need to panic. Obviously for me, I feel like I’m surrounded by the best of the best when it comes to engineers and mechanics. They’ll always make sure to remind me to stay calm. Q.  From a driver’s point of view, you’re at an empty track today. A month or so the place is going to be full. Visibility-wise, does that change what you’re seeing in the car in terms of the crowd and everything else?DAVID MALUKAS: Not really, no. The only time that you kind of feel a little bit is maybe race day just seeing the whole crowd. It definitely is a little bit of a different perspective.No, I mean, I think you’re just so focused on what’s in front. Going 240, you’re already getting tunnel vision. Yeah, you’re so focused on what’s in front. I think if you’re going 230, 240, looking elsewhere, kudos to you. It’s not me (smiling). Q.  We have the Grand Prix coming up. The bus is packed up and in the driver lots. Makes you start to feel you’re at Indy for the next month, not traveling to various circuits, the mindset comes into play, you’re living at the track?DAVID MALUKAS: Oh, 100%, yeah. Definitely back at the track. I got my welcoming. I came back to Indy here around like 9, 9:30 p.m. I got to the bus. Hear the tornado sirens going off, maybe some hail. I was like, Oh, welcome back to Indy, welcome back to the Midwest. Already got my welcoming here. Feels like home. THE MODERATOR: Thanks for coming up.DAVID MALUKAS: Thank you.

ATTICA, OH (April 28, 2026) – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is setting its clock back to Eastern time.

After spending the last several weeks in the central region of the country, The Greatest Show on Dirt is “Buckeye State” bound. Ohio awaits the world’s best Sprint Car drivers this coming weekend.

The action opens at Attica Raceway Park on Friday, May 1, with the Kistler Engines Classic. Eldora Speedway is the only Ohio track that’s brought the World of Outlaws to town more often, as the tour is set for its 28th Attica trip. It’s the first of two visits with the Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic presented by dac Pet Products slated for Tuesday, July 14.

The weekend closes out in the northeast corner of the state at Hartford, OH’s Sharon Speedway on Saturday, May 2. It’s right behind Attica’s as Ohio’s third most visited track with 15 previous visits in the history books.

BUY ATTICA TICKETS HERE
BUY SHARON TICKETS HERE

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVision

Let’s look at the biggest storylines to watch unfold in Ohio:

HEADING HOME

It’s year 10 on the road with the World of Outlaws for Sheldon Haudenschild, but he’ll always be a “Buckeye” at heart. The 32-year-old was born in Wooster, OH and still calls the town home.

Ohio is where Haudenschild learned the ropes. He’s got plenty of laps at both tracks on the agenda as a result. Haudenschild has more than 60 appearances at Attica under his belt. The 1/3 mile is home to both his first 410 Sprint Car start (2009) and first 410 Sprint Car victory (2013). That was the first of three wins at Attica as he added a pair with the All Star Circuit of Champions (2015 and 2016). Sharon hasn’t seen Haudenschild quite as often, with just a dozen previous visits. He won in his fourth appearance at the track, claiming the 2015 Lou Blaney Memorial. He’s been on the podium in four of his six World of Outlaws races at Sharon.

This weekend marks Haudenschild’s first racing trip to his home state since teaming with KCP Racing. The beginning of the partnership has proven fruitful with a win and 10 top 10s so far in 2026. The combination sits fifth in points.

Haudenschild isn’t the only World of Outlaws driver heading to familiar territory this year, as Lagrange, OH’s Kasey Jedrzejek also heads home. The rookie is aboard Bill Rose’s No. 6 and already has a pair of top 10s to his credit this year. Like Haudenschild, his first career 410 Sprint Car score arrived at Attica.

BESTING THE BUCKEYES

The home state heroes may headline the weekend, but a man from North Dakota is known to steal the show when the tour ventures into Ohio.

No driver is more successful in World of Outlaws action at Attica than Fargo, ND’s Donny Schatz. He’s racked up five checkered flags, 11 podiums, and 19 top 10s in 21 tries. His average finish over that span is fifth on the dot. The speed hasn’t been quite the same at Sharon, but the 10-time champion is still stout. He won a 2008 American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) Regional race and topped a 2023 World of Outlaws visit. Three times he’s been a Sharon runner-up, too.

Schatz and CJB Motorsports head to Ohio aiming to continue their consistency. The Barry Jackson-wrenched No. 15 has been outside the top 10 just once in the last 11 races. Schatz is fourth in the standings, with Michael “Buddy” Kofoid only 24 markers ahead in third.

STRETCHING THE ADVANTAGE

Some early-season issues showed a potential chink in the armor, but Knoxville allowed David Gravel and Big Game Motorsports to stretch their advantage in the title fight.

With a massive 60-plus car field both nights over the weekend, the combination showed why they’re the best in the country. Gravel wheeled Tod Quiring’s No. 2 from sixth to second in the opener. Then there was no stopping him the next night with a front row starting spot as he led every lap to pick up his fourth win of the season. The two-time and defending champion is atop the standings with a 70-point lead.

The stats show no hints that Gravel may slow down this weekend. He’s bagged a trio of Attica trophies. Over at Sharon, he’s finished no worse than fourth in six tries since connecting with Big Game. The highlight is a 2024 win.

LINDERVILLE

The Linder family has become known for helping aspiring racers early in their careers, and a trio of current World of Outlaws California-born competitors made a stop at “Linderville” along the way, making Ohio a home away from home for them.

Carson Macedo was the first to come along. After driving for the Tarlton family in his home state, the Lemoore, CA driver packed his bags and headed east. Mike and Stephanie Linder welcomed Macedo as he carved out his path to the top in the 2010s. Their hospitality helped him to his current place with Jason Johnson Racing and status as one of the best in the sport. The 29-year-old is up to 59 career World of Outlaws wins. He’s been to Attica Victory Lane three times but is still chasing his first Sharon score, with a pair of ASCoC runner-ups being his best results.

Buddy Kofoid was the next to make his way from the “Golden State” to the “Buckeye State.” The Penngrove, CA phenom made his presence felt in Ohio with moments such as a 2020 Attica triumph. Kofoid won again at Attica in 2024, this time with the World of Outlaws and with his current Roth Motorsports team.

Carson’s brother, Cole Macedo, is the latest to pass through “Linderville” on the route to The Greatest Show on Dirt. He collected five victories at Attica over two seasons of local racing (2021 and 2022). Last fall he notched his best Sharon finish (sixth) aboard the TwoC Racing No. 2C.

O-H! I-O!

Ohio boasts one of the healthiest local Sprint Car scenes in the nation, meaning the World of Outlaws will have to face off with plenty of hungry natives to the region ready for a good showing under the bright lights.

All eyes will be on Dale Blaney Saturday at Sharon. Last fall, he drove from fifth to Victory Lane to become the oldest winner in Series history at 61 years of age and deliver one of the most popular moments of the season at his home track that his family owns. The No. 10 car owned by his brother Dave featured a unique wing and shock setup. We’ll see what the Blaneys have up their sleeve this weekend.

Over at Attica, Bellevue, OH’s Cap Henry is always one to watch. He already won the track’s season opener this year with ASCoC, his 29th win at the home of “Ohio’s Finest Racing.” With the World of Outlaws, Henry owns a pair of top 10s at Attica.

Findlay, OH’s Bryce Lucius has been making a name for himself over the past couple years. He got his first 410 Sprint Car win at Attica in March of 2024 and added two more since. The 19-year-old posted podiums in the track’s two races so far this season.

Expect many more capable competitors to represent the local contingent at least one night this weekend, including Creed Kemenah (Alvada, OH), Craig Mintz (Gibsonburg, OH), Zeth Sabo (Fremont, OH), Henry Malcuit (Strasburg, OH), Jordan Ryan (Castalia, OH), and Trey Jacobs (Wooster, OH).

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE 
Friday, May 1 at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, OH
Saturday, May 2 at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, OH

AROUND THE TURN
Tuesday, May 5 at Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, PA (TICKETS)
Friday-Saturday, May 8-9 at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA (TICKETS)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (16/86 Races):
1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports No. 2 (2238 PTS)
2. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 (-70 PTS)
3. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports No. 83 (-104 PTS)
4. Donny Schatz – CJB Motorsports No. 15 (-128 PTS)
5. Sheldon Haudenschild – KCP Racing No. 18 (-152 PTS)
6. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing No. 1S (-158 PTS)
7. Garet Williamson – Fischer Motorsports No. 23 (-264 PTS)
8. Cole Macedo – TwoC Racing No. 2C (-276 PTS)
9. Chris Windom – Sides Motorsports No. 7S (-280 PTS)
10. Spencer Bayston – Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing No. 17 (-320 PTS)

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (9 Drivers):
4 Wins – Michael Kofoid, David Gravel
2 Wins – Anthony Macri
1 Win – Spencer Bayston, Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz, Carson Macedo, Tyler Courtney, Brad Sweet

FEATURE LAPS LED (18 Drivers):
94 Laps Led – Michael Kofoid
78 Laps Led – David Gravel
44 Laps Led – Bill Balog
40 Laps Led – Anthony Macri
37 Laps Led – Tyler Courtney
35 Laps Led – Donny Schatz
32 Laps Led – Carson Macedo
28 Laps Led – Ryan Timms
26 Laps Led – Sheldon Haudenschild
25 Laps Led – Brad Sweet
18 Laps Led – Brady Bacon
10 Laps Led – Spencer Bayston, Cole Macedo
7 Laps Led – Kasey Jedrzejek
6 Laps Led – Brian Brown, Brock Zearfoss
5 Laps Led – Logan Schuchart
1 Lap Led – Christopher ThramPODIUM FINISHES (16 Drivers):
11 Podiums – David Gravel
8 Podiums – Carson Macedo
7 Podiums – Michael Kofoid
3 Podiums – Anthony Macri, Donny Schatz, Sheldon Haudenschild, Ryan Timms
2 Podiums – Spencer Bayston
1 Podium – Ashton Torgerson, Bill Balog, Scott Bogucki, Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo, Tyler Courtney, Emerson Axsom, Brad Sweet

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS QUICKTIME AWARDS (10 Drivers):
6 Quick Times – David Gravel
2 Quick Times – Sheldon Haudenschild
1 Quick Time – Logan Schuchart, Ashton Torgerson, Kasey Jedrzejek, Brady Bacon, Will Armitage, Michael Kofoid, J.J. Hickle, Brian Brown

HEAT RACE WINNERS (23 Drivers):
13 Heat Wins – David Gravel
7 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild
5 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo
4 Heat Wins – Michael Kofoid
3 Heat Wins – Logan Schuchart, Ashton Torgerson, Bill Balog, Emerson Axsom
2 Heat Wins – Anthony Macri, Donny Schatz, Cole Macedo
1 Heat Win – Chase Dietz, Justin Peck, Tanner Holmes, Scotty Thiel, Kasey Jedrzejek, Will Armitage, Rees Moran, Tyler Courtney, Brent Marks, Aaron Reutzel, Brian Brown, Rico Abreu

TOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (38 Drivers):
14 Dashes – David Gravel
12 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild
11 Dashes – Michael Kofoid
7 Dashes – Carson Macedo
5 Dashes – Ashton Torgerson, Emerson Axsom
4 Dashes – Anthony Macri, Logan Schuchart, Bill Balog, Kasey Jedrzejek, Cole Macedo, Ryan Timms
3 Dashes – Donny Schatz, Garet Williamson, Brent Marks, Kerry Madsen
2 Dashes – Tanner Holmes, Scotty Thiel, Spencer Bayston, Chris Windom, Brian Brown, Aaron Reutzel
1 Dash – Chase Dietz, Justin Peck, Parker Price-Miller, Brock Zearfoss, Bryce Lucius, Christopher Thram, Brady Bacon, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Will Armitage, Rees Moran, Bryce Norris, Tyler Courtney, Brad Sweet, Justin Henderson, J.J. Hickle, Rico Abreu

MICRO-LITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (10 Drivers):
3 LCS Wins – Donny Schatz
2 LCS Wins – Michael Kofoid, Chris Windom, Garet Williamson
1 LCS Wins – Cameron Martin, Bill Balog, Blake Hahn, Landon Crawley, Bryce Norris, Giovanni Scelzi

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (11 Drivers):
3 Hard Chargers – Donny Schatz
2 Hard Chargers – Garet Williamson, Michael Kofoid, Carson Macedo
1 Hard Charger – Chris Windom, Giovanni Scelzi, Spencer Bayston, Ryan Timms, Logan Schuchart, Brady Bacon, Sheldon Haudenschild

ACME FASTEST LAP AWARDS (12 Drivers):
4 Fastest Laps – Michael Kofoid
2 Fastest Laps – Bill Balog
1 Fastest Lap – Anthony Macri, Brock Zearfoss, Sheldon Haudenschild, Carson Macedo, Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo, Ryan Timms, Kasey Jedrzejek, Brad Sweet, Kelby Watt

RACE READY CLOTHING HOTTEST LAP OF THE NIGHT AWARDS (9 Drivers):
5 Hottest Laps – David Gravel
3 Hottest Laps – Michael Kofoid
2 Hottest Laps – Logan Schuchart
1 Hottest Lap – Austin McCarl, Brent Marks, Cole Macedo, Emerson Axsom, Tyler Courtney, Ryan Timms

TOP FIVE STORYLINES: Attica, Sharon Bring First Ohio Trip of 2026 for World of Outlaws

ATTICA, OH (April 28, 2026) – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is setting its clock back to Eastern time.

After spending the last several weeks in the central region of the country, The Greatest Show on Dirt is “Buckeye State” bound. Ohio awaits the world’s best Sprint Car drivers this coming weekend.

The action opens at Attica Raceway Park on Friday, May 1, with the Kistler Engines Classic. Eldora Speedway is the only Ohio track that’s brought the World of Outlaws to town more often, as the tour is set for its 28th Attica trip. It’s the first of two visits with the Ohio Logistics Brad Doty Classic presented by dac Pet Products slated for Tuesday, July 14.

The weekend closes out in the northeast corner of the state at Hartford, OH’s Sharon Speedway on Saturday, May 2. It’s right behind Attica’s as Ohio’s third most visited track with 15 previous visits in the history books.

BUY ATTICA TICKETS HERE
BUY SHARON TICKETS HERE

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVision

Let’s look at the biggest storylines to watch unfold in Ohio:

HEADING HOME

It’s year 10 on the road with the World of Outlaws for Sheldon Haudenschild, but he’ll always be a “Buckeye” at heart. The 32-year-old was born in Wooster, OH and still calls the town home.

Ohio is where Haudenschild learned the ropes. He’s got plenty of laps at both tracks on the agenda as a result. Haudenschild has more than 60 appearances at Attica under his belt. The 1/3 mile is home to both his first 410 Sprint Car start (2009) and first 410 Sprint Car victory (2013). That was the first of three wins at Attica as he added a pair with the All Star Circuit of Champions (2015 and 2016). Sharon hasn’t seen Haudenschild quite as often, with just a dozen previous visits. He won in his fourth appearance at the track, claiming the 2015 Lou Blaney Memorial. He’s been on the podium in four of his six World of Outlaws races at Sharon.

This weekend marks Haudenschild’s first racing trip to his home state since teaming with KCP Racing. The beginning of the partnership has proven fruitful with a win and 10 top 10s so far in 2026. The combination sits fifth in points.

Haudenschild isn’t the only World of Outlaws driver heading to familiar territory this year, as Lagrange, OH’s Kasey Jedrzejek also heads home. The rookie is aboard Bill Rose’s No. 6 and already has a pair of top 10s to his credit this year. Like Haudenschild, his first career 410 Sprint Car score arrived at Attica.

BESTING THE BUCKEYES

The home state heroes may headline the weekend, but a man from North Dakota is known to steal the show when the tour ventures into Ohio.

No driver is more successful in World of Outlaws action at Attica than Fargo, ND’s Donny Schatz. He’s racked up five checkered flags, 11 podiums, and 19 top 10s in 21 tries. His average finish over that span is fifth on the dot. The speed hasn’t been quite the same at Sharon, but the 10-time champion is still stout. He won a 2008 American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) Regional race and topped a 2023 World of Outlaws visit. Three times he’s been a Sharon runner-up, too.

Schatz and CJB Motorsports head to Ohio aiming to continue their consistency. The Barry Jackson-wrenched No. 15 has been outside the top 10 just once in the last 11 races. Schatz is fourth in the standings, with Michael “Buddy” Kofoid only 24 markers ahead in third.

STRETCHING THE ADVANTAGE

Some early-season issues showed a potential chink in the armor, but Knoxville allowed David Gravel and Big Game Motorsports to stretch their advantage in the title fight.

With a massive 60-plus car field both nights over the weekend, the combination showed why they’re the best in the country. Gravel wheeled Tod Quiring’s No. 2 from sixth to second in the opener. Then there was no stopping him the next night with a front row starting spot as he led every lap to pick up his fourth win of the season. The two-time and defending champion is atop the standings with a 70-point lead.

The stats show no hints that Gravel may slow down this weekend. He’s bagged a trio of Attica trophies. Over at Sharon, he’s finished no worse than fourth in six tries since connecting with Big Game. The highlight is a 2024 win.

LINDERVILLE

The Linder family has become known for helping aspiring racers early in their careers, and a trio of current World of Outlaws California-born competitors made a stop at “Linderville” along the way, making Ohio a home away from home for them.

Carson Macedo was the first to come along. After driving for the Tarlton family in his home state, the Lemoore, CA driver packed his bags and headed east. Mike and Stephanie Linder welcomed Macedo as he carved out his path to the top in the 2010s. Their hospitality helped him to his current place with Jason Johnson Racing and status as one of the best in the sport. The 29-year-old is up to 59 career World of Outlaws wins. He’s been to Attica Victory Lane three times but is still chasing his first Sharon score, with a pair of ASCoC runner-ups being his best results.

Buddy Kofoid was the next to make his way from the “Golden State” to the “Buckeye State.” The Penngrove, CA phenom made his presence felt in Ohio with moments such as a 2020 Attica triumph. Kofoid won again at Attica in 2024, this time with the World of Outlaws and with his current Roth Motorsports team.

Carson’s brother, Cole Macedo, is the latest to pass through “Linderville” on the route to The Greatest Show on Dirt. He collected five victories at Attica over two seasons of local racing (2021 and 2022). Last fall he notched his best Sharon finish (sixth) aboard the TwoC Racing No. 2C.

O-H! I-O!

Ohio boasts one of the healthiest local Sprint Car scenes in the nation, meaning the World of Outlaws will have to face off with plenty of hungry natives to the region ready for a good showing under the bright lights.

All eyes will be on Dale Blaney Saturday at Sharon. Last fall, he drove from fifth to Victory Lane to become the oldest winner in Series history at 61 years of age and deliver one of the most popular moments of the season at his home track that his family owns. The No. 10 car owned by his brother Dave featured a unique wing and shock setup. We’ll see what the Blaneys have up their sleeve this weekend.

Over at Attica, Bellevue, OH’s Cap Henry is always one to watch. He already won the track’s season opener this year with ASCoC, his 29th win at the home of “Ohio’s Finest Racing.” With the World of Outlaws, Henry owns a pair of top 10s at Attica.

Findlay, OH’s Bryce Lucius has been making a name for himself over the past couple years. He got his first 410 Sprint Car win at Attica in March of 2024 and added two more since. The 19-year-old posted podiums in the track’s two races so far this season.

Expect many more capable competitors to represent the local contingent at least one night this weekend, including Creed Kemenah (Alvada, OH), Craig Mintz (Gibsonburg, OH), Zeth Sabo (Fremont, OH), Henry Malcuit (Strasburg, OH), Jordan Ryan (Castalia, OH), and Trey Jacobs (Wooster, OH).

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE 
Friday, May 1 at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, OH
Saturday, May 2 at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, OH

AROUND THE TURN
Tuesday, May 5 at Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, PA (TICKETS)
Friday-Saturday, May 8-9 at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, PA (TICKETS)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (16/86 Races):
1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports No. 2 (2238 PTS)
2. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 (-70 PTS)
3. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports No. 83 (-104 PTS)
4. Donny Schatz – CJB Motorsports No. 15 (-128 PTS)
5. Sheldon Haudenschild – KCP Racing No. 18 (-152 PTS)
6. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing No. 1S (-158 PTS)
7. Garet Williamson – Fischer Motorsports No. 23 (-264 PTS)
8. Cole Macedo – TwoC Racing No. 2C (-276 PTS)
9. Chris Windom – Sides Motorsports No. 7S (-280 PTS)
10. Spencer Bayston – Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing No. 17 (-320 PTS)

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (9 Drivers):
4 Wins – Michael Kofoid, David Gravel
2 Wins – Anthony Macri
1 Win – Spencer Bayston, Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz, Carson Macedo, Tyler Courtney, Brad Sweet

FEATURE LAPS LED (18 Drivers):
94 Laps Led – Michael Kofoid
78 Laps Led – David Gravel
44 Laps Led – Bill Balog
40 Laps Led – Anthony Macri
37 Laps Led – Tyler Courtney
35 Laps Led – Donny Schatz
32 Laps Led – Carson Macedo
28 Laps Led – Ryan Timms
26 Laps Led – Sheldon Haudenschild
25 Laps Led – Brad Sweet
18 Laps Led – Brady Bacon
10 Laps Led – Spencer Bayston, Cole Macedo
7 Laps Led – Kasey Jedrzejek
6 Laps Led – Brian Brown, Brock Zearfoss
5 Laps Led – Logan Schuchart
1 Lap Led – Christopher ThramPODIUM FINISHES (16 Drivers):
11 Podiums – David Gravel
8 Podiums – Carson Macedo
7 Podiums – Michael Kofoid
3 Podiums – Anthony Macri, Donny Schatz, Sheldon Haudenschild, Ryan Timms
2 Podiums – Spencer Bayston
1 Podium – Ashton Torgerson, Bill Balog, Scott Bogucki, Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo, Tyler Courtney, Emerson Axsom, Brad Sweet

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS QUICKTIME AWARDS (10 Drivers):
6 Quick Times – David Gravel
2 Quick Times – Sheldon Haudenschild
1 Quick Time – Logan Schuchart, Ashton Torgerson, Kasey Jedrzejek, Brady Bacon, Will Armitage, Michael Kofoid, J.J. Hickle, Brian Brown

HEAT RACE WINNERS (23 Drivers):
13 Heat Wins – David Gravel
7 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild
5 Heat Wins – Carson Macedo
4 Heat Wins – Michael Kofoid
3 Heat Wins – Logan Schuchart, Ashton Torgerson, Bill Balog, Emerson Axsom
2 Heat Wins – Anthony Macri, Donny Schatz, Cole Macedo
1 Heat Win – Chase Dietz, Justin Peck, Tanner Holmes, Scotty Thiel, Kasey Jedrzejek, Will Armitage, Rees Moran, Tyler Courtney, Brent Marks, Aaron Reutzel, Brian Brown, Rico Abreu

TOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (38 Drivers):
14 Dashes – David Gravel
12 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild
11 Dashes – Michael Kofoid
7 Dashes – Carson Macedo
5 Dashes – Ashton Torgerson, Emerson Axsom
4 Dashes – Anthony Macri, Logan Schuchart, Bill Balog, Kasey Jedrzejek, Cole Macedo, Ryan Timms
3 Dashes – Donny Schatz, Garet Williamson, Brent Marks, Kerry Madsen
2 Dashes – Tanner Holmes, Scotty Thiel, Spencer Bayston, Chris Windom, Brian Brown, Aaron Reutzel
1 Dash – Chase Dietz, Justin Peck, Parker Price-Miller, Brock Zearfoss, Bryce Lucius, Christopher Thram, Brady Bacon, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Will Armitage, Rees Moran, Bryce Norris, Tyler Courtney, Brad Sweet, Justin Henderson, J.J. Hickle, Rico Abreu

MICRO-LITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (10 Drivers):
3 LCS Wins – Donny Schatz
2 LCS Wins – Michael Kofoid, Chris Windom, Garet Williamson
1 LCS Wins – Cameron Martin, Bill Balog, Blake Hahn, Landon Crawley, Bryce Norris, Giovanni Scelzi

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (11 Drivers):
3 Hard Chargers – Donny Schatz
2 Hard Chargers – Garet Williamson, Michael Kofoid, Carson Macedo
1 Hard Charger – Chris Windom, Giovanni Scelzi, Spencer Bayston, Ryan Timms, Logan Schuchart, Brady Bacon, Sheldon Haudenschild

ACME FASTEST LAP AWARDS (12 Drivers):
4 Fastest Laps – Michael Kofoid
2 Fastest Laps – Bill Balog
1 Fastest Lap – Anthony Macri, Brock Zearfoss, Sheldon Haudenschild, Carson Macedo, Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo, Ryan Timms, Kasey Jedrzejek, Brad Sweet, Kelby Watt

RACE READY CLOTHING HOTTEST LAP OF THE NIGHT AWARDS (9 Drivers):
5 Hottest Laps – David Gravel
3 Hottest Laps – Michael Kofoid
2 Hottest Laps – Logan Schuchart
1 Hottest Lap – Austin McCarl, Brent Marks, Cole Macedo, Emerson Axsom, Tyler Courtney, Ryan Timms

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

*denotes unofficial split-field prelim race.

Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Cadillac Newsroom

DETROIT (April 28, 2026) – It’s already race four for the IMSA GTP Series as the three Cadillac Racing teams head to historic Laguna Seca Raceway for the Monterey Sportscar Championship.  The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R is entering Laguna Seca with five consecutive podium finishes including two wins coming last fall at Indianapolis and Road Atlanta then the team finished second in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, third last month at Sebring and second two weeks ago at Long Beach.  Drivers Jack Aitken and Earl Bamber are looking for a victory, as are the Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing with the No. 10 (Ricky Talyor and Filipe Albuquerque) and No. 40 (Jordan Taylor and Louis Deletraz).  Last weekend, Aitken and Bamber both took part in the half-marathon in Nashville, Tennessee with both finishing under two hours. And as competitive as they are along with the Taylor brothers and Albuquerque and Deletraz, all are looking for a victory and a podium finish out west.  Cadillac Racing has recorded 10 podium finishes at Laguna Seca, including victory in 2023, since joining IMSA prototype competition in 2017. In May 2024, Cadillac Racing swept the front row in qualifying, with Sebastien Bourdais setting the GTP track record of 1 minute, 12.445 seconds (111.212 mph) in earning the pole. Cadillac Racing has earned three poles (2024, 2018, 2017) in IMSA prototype competition at the track.

Cadillac Display Information:  Display Location: Lakebed Fan Zone Display Hours (Pacific Daylight Time):Friday, May 1:            9 am – 6 pmSaturday, May 2:        8 am – 5:30 pmSunday, May 3:          9 am – 4 pm Vehicles/Activations Details:Vehicles: CT4-V Blackwing, CT5-V Blackwing, Escalade-V, LYRIQ-V, OPTIQ-V, and VISTIQT-Shirt giveawayNew Cadillac Racing merchandise for sale

What they’re saying No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R Filipe Albuquerque: “Laguna Seca is a very special event. The track is awesome with a lot of elevation. Cadillac continues to show quick performance. We are working in the simulator together with Cadillac and Dallara understanding what we can do to react as quickly as possible for the next race. I’m convinced that we will get back to the speed that we showed in the beginning of the year, so bring on Laguna.”   Ricky Taylor: “Laguna has all of the challenges a racecar has to face in one circuit from extreme elevation change to high-speed compression, hard braking and low speed hairpins. The Cadillac V-Series.R is super adjustable and it is our job to maximize it on the race weekend.” No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R Jack Aitken: “Earl and I just finished a half marathon in Nashville this past weekend. Always a great thing to do with your teammate to build fitness and camaraderie. The half marathon was just the warmup for two hours and forty minutes of sprint racing in Laguna. It’s always a track I look forward to too, the elevation and high-speed nature make it an awesome lap. We had a strong race last year even if pace wasn’t the best, so we’re definitely looking to build on that this year and put down a fast car.” Earl Bamber: “It was awesome doing a half marathon last weekend with Jack. It was a little mini-team building that we started at the beginning of the year and the team is now coming off five straight podiums and we’re looking for more of that success. We’ll keep chipping away at the championship run for Whelen and Cadillac.” No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.RLouis Deletraz: “Laguna Seca is always a highlight on the calendar because it’s such a technical and unique track. We didn’t have the opportunity to test there, so we’ve spent a lot of time in the simulator, going through last year’s data and onboard footage to make sure we’re as prepared as possible when we hit the track. Laguna is a relatively smooth circuit, and I expect the Cadillac V-Series.R to handle the compressions and weight transfers very well, which is especially important through sections like the Corkscrew.”  Jordan Taylor: “The Cadillac V-Series.R seems to be strong on pretty much any type of track on the IMSA calendar, including Laguna Seca. The track was repaved a few years and gained a bunch of grip. I think each year that grip slowly degrades a bit and feels more and more like the old Laguna. So it’ll be important for us to adapt to the conditions quickly once we hit the track there on Friday.”

Cadillac heading out west looking for victory at Laguna Seca

Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Cadillac Newsroom

DETROIT (April 28, 2026) – It’s already race four for the IMSA GTP Series as the three Cadillac Racing teams head to historic Laguna Seca Raceway for the Monterey Sportscar Championship.  The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R is entering Laguna Seca with five consecutive podium finishes including two wins coming last fall at Indianapolis and Road Atlanta then the team finished second in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, third last month at Sebring and second two weeks ago at Long Beach.  Drivers Jack Aitken and Earl Bamber are looking for a victory, as are the Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing with the No. 10 (Ricky Talyor and Filipe Albuquerque) and No. 40 (Jordan Taylor and Louis Deletraz).  Last weekend, Aitken and Bamber both took part in the half-marathon in Nashville, Tennessee with both finishing under two hours. And as competitive as they are along with the Taylor brothers and Albuquerque and Deletraz, all are looking for a victory and a podium finish out west.  Cadillac Racing has recorded 10 podium finishes at Laguna Seca, including victory in 2023, since joining IMSA prototype competition in 2017. In May 2024, Cadillac Racing swept the front row in qualifying, with Sebastien Bourdais setting the GTP track record of 1 minute, 12.445 seconds (111.212 mph) in earning the pole. Cadillac Racing has earned three poles (2024, 2018, 2017) in IMSA prototype competition at the track.

Cadillac Display Information:  Display Location: Lakebed Fan Zone Display Hours (Pacific Daylight Time):Friday, May 1:            9 am – 6 pmSaturday, May 2:        8 am – 5:30 pmSunday, May 3:          9 am – 4 pm Vehicles/Activations Details:Vehicles: CT4-V Blackwing, CT5-V Blackwing, Escalade-V, LYRIQ-V, OPTIQ-V, and VISTIQT-Shirt giveawayNew Cadillac Racing merchandise for sale

What they’re saying No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R Filipe Albuquerque: “Laguna Seca is a very special event. The track is awesome with a lot of elevation. Cadillac continues to show quick performance. We are working in the simulator together with Cadillac and Dallara understanding what we can do to react as quickly as possible for the next race. I’m convinced that we will get back to the speed that we showed in the beginning of the year, so bring on Laguna.”   Ricky Taylor: “Laguna has all of the challenges a racecar has to face in one circuit from extreme elevation change to high-speed compression, hard braking and low speed hairpins. The Cadillac V-Series.R is super adjustable and it is our job to maximize it on the race weekend.” No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R Jack Aitken: “Earl and I just finished a half marathon in Nashville this past weekend. Always a great thing to do with your teammate to build fitness and camaraderie. The half marathon was just the warmup for two hours and forty minutes of sprint racing in Laguna. It’s always a track I look forward to too, the elevation and high-speed nature make it an awesome lap. We had a strong race last year even if pace wasn’t the best, so we’re definitely looking to build on that this year and put down a fast car.” Earl Bamber: “It was awesome doing a half marathon last weekend with Jack. It was a little mini-team building that we started at the beginning of the year and the team is now coming off five straight podiums and we’re looking for more of that success. We’ll keep chipping away at the championship run for Whelen and Cadillac.” No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.RLouis Deletraz: “Laguna Seca is always a highlight on the calendar because it’s such a technical and unique track. We didn’t have the opportunity to test there, so we’ve spent a lot of time in the simulator, going through last year’s data and onboard footage to make sure we’re as prepared as possible when we hit the track. Laguna is a relatively smooth circuit, and I expect the Cadillac V-Series.R to handle the compressions and weight transfers very well, which is especially important through sections like the Corkscrew.”  Jordan Taylor: “The Cadillac V-Series.R seems to be strong on pretty much any type of track on the IMSA calendar, including Laguna Seca. The track was repaved a few years and gained a bunch of grip. I think each year that grip slowly degrades a bit and feels more and more like the old Laguna. So it’ll be important for us to adapt to the conditions quickly once we hit the track there on Friday.”

Cadillac Racing WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca results 2025-2017 2025: Sixth (No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R) start ninth – Jack Aitken, Frederik Vesti         Seventh (No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R) start seventh – Jordan Taylor, Louis Deletraz         Eighth (No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Seies.R) start fourth – Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque2024: Second (No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R) start second – Pipo Derani, Jack Aitken         Fifth (No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R) start first – Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande2023: Overall winner (No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R) start sixth – Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande         Third (No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R) start fourth – Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims          2022: Third (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start sixth – Pipo Derani, Tristan Nunez          Fourth (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fifth – Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook          Fifth (No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R) start third – Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn          Sixth (No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fourth – Sebastien Bourdais, Renger van der Zande2021: Second (No. 01 Cadillac Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start third – Renger van der Zande, Kevin Magnussen         Third (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fourth – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr         Sixth (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fifth – Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval2020: Third (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fourth – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr          Sixth (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start eighth – Renger van der Zande, Ryan Briscoe          Seventh (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fifth – Sebastien Bourdais, Tristan Vautier          Eighth (No. 84 JDC-Miller MotorSports Cadillac DPi-V.R) start seventh – Stephen Simpson, Matheus Leist2019: Third (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fifth – Pipo Derani, Felipe Nasr          Fourth (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start third – Renger van der Zande, Jordan Taylor          Fifth (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R) start seventh – Filipe Albuquerque, Joao Barbosa        Eighth (No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Cadillac DPi-V.R) start eighth – Tristan Vautier, Misha Goikhberg         Ninth (No. 84 JDC-Miller MotorSports Cadillac DPi-V.R) start 10th – Stephen Simpson, Simon Trummer2018: Fifth (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start seventh – Felipe Nasr, Eric Curran        12th in class, 30th overall (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start first Renger van der Zande, Jordan Taylor         DNS (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start ninth — Filipe Albuquerque, Joao Barbosa2017: Second (No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R) start fourth – Eric Curran, Dane Cameron         Third (No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R) start first – Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor        Fifth (No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R) start second – Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi

Inside Line Promotions – TULARE, Calif. (April 28, 2026) – Dominic Scelzi is off to the best start of his racing career through the first three races of the season.

Despite being slowed by a handful of rainouts, Scelzi has made the most of his trio of starts by producing a win and three total top fives.

“I’m thrilled right now,” he said. “We’ve had great speed to start and have improved every night. Starting off the year with a win was great, but to go 10^th to fourth in our first 410 night and then to run second the next time out was confidence building.”

The season got underway on March 20 at Watsonville Speedway in Watsonville, Calif., where Scelzi qualified third quickest before he won both a heat race and the main event. It marked the first time in his career that he earned a season-opening victory.

“We led all 30 laps,” he said. “We kind of went uncontested, which was great. At the end of the race we caught lapped cars at an inopportune time, but I was able to make the right decisions. We had the fastest lap of the race and fastest average so I felt we were really efficient.”

Scelzi followed the triumphant performance by charging from 10^th to fourth place – tied for the third-most cars passed – on March 28 and by garnering a runner-up result on April 18 at Thunderbowl Raceway during a pair of NARC King of the West Sprint Car Series races.

“I think the season-opening win was a fantastic start and a breath of fresh air to get it off our plate,” he said. “Equally impactful as the win was to follow it up with two solid performances. Right now we have a good package. Even though we haven’t gotten to race much, it’s been good to be solid when we have been able to compete.”

Scelzi Motorsports has recorded a top-seven result during all three NARC King of the West Sprint Car Series races this season with Mitchel Moles placing seventh during the season opener.

“Between Todd Ventura and Brent Ventura and everyone at Roth Motorsports, it’s been a family effort this season,” Scelzi said. “While I’m not running for NARC points, a partnership between Scelzi Motorsports and Roth Motorsports will make sure at least one car is at each race and vie for the owner’s championship.” 

Scelzi will be in action this weekend during a NARC King of the West Sprint Car Series doubleheader with races on Friday at Watsonville Speedway and Saturday at Santa Maria Speedway in Santa Maria, Calif.

QUICK RESULTS –

March 20 – Watsonville Speedway in Watsonville, Calif. – Qualifying: 3; Heat race: 1 (1); Feature: 1 (2). 

March 28 – Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. – Qualifying: 10; Heat race: 3 (3); Feature: 4 (10). 

April 18 – Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. – Qualifying: 3; Heat race: 4 (4); Dash: 2 (2); Feature: 2 (2). 

SEASON STATS –

3 races, 1 win, 3 top fives, 3 top 10s, 3 top 15s, 3 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Dominic Scelzi Captures Season-Opening Victory for First Time in Career

Inside Line Promotions – TULARE, Calif. (April 28, 2026) – Dominic Scelzi is off to the best start of his racing career through the first three races of the season.

Despite being slowed by a handful of rainouts, Scelzi has made the most of his trio of starts by producing a win and three total top fives.

“I’m thrilled right now,” he said. “We’ve had great speed to start and have improved every night. Starting off the year with a win was great, but to go 10^th to fourth in our first 410 night and then to run second the next time out was confidence building.”

The season got underway on March 20 at Watsonville Speedway in Watsonville, Calif., where Scelzi qualified third quickest before he won both a heat race and the main event. It marked the first time in his career that he earned a season-opening victory.

“We led all 30 laps,” he said. “We kind of went uncontested, which was great. At the end of the race we caught lapped cars at an inopportune time, but I was able to make the right decisions. We had the fastest lap of the race and fastest average so I felt we were really efficient.”

Scelzi followed the triumphant performance by charging from 10^th to fourth place – tied for the third-most cars passed – on March 28 and by garnering a runner-up result on April 18 at Thunderbowl Raceway during a pair of NARC King of the West Sprint Car Series races.

“I think the season-opening win was a fantastic start and a breath of fresh air to get it off our plate,” he said. “Equally impactful as the win was to follow it up with two solid performances. Right now we have a good package. Even though we haven’t gotten to race much, it’s been good to be solid when we have been able to compete.”

Scelzi Motorsports has recorded a top-seven result during all three NARC King of the West Sprint Car Series races this season with Mitchel Moles placing seventh during the season opener.

“Between Todd Ventura and Brent Ventura and everyone at Roth Motorsports, it’s been a family effort this season,” Scelzi said. “While I’m not running for NARC points, a partnership between Scelzi Motorsports and Roth Motorsports will make sure at least one car is at each race and vie for the owner’s championship.” 

Scelzi will be in action this weekend during a NARC King of the West Sprint Car Series doubleheader with races on Friday at Watsonville Speedway and Saturday at Santa Maria Speedway in Santa Maria, Calif.

QUICK RESULTS –

March 20 – Watsonville Speedway in Watsonville, Calif. – Qualifying: 3; Heat race: 1 (1); Feature: 1 (2). 

March 28 – Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. – Qualifying: 10; Heat race: 3 (3); Feature: 4 (10). 

April 18 – Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. – Qualifying: 3; Heat race: 4 (4); Dash: 2 (2); Feature: 2 (2). 

SEASON STATS –

3 races, 1 win, 3 top fives, 3 top 10s, 3 top 15s, 3 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Friday at Watsonville Speedway in Watsonville, Calif., and Saturday at Santa Maria Speedway in Santa Maria, Calif., with the NARC King of the West Sprint Car Series

DALLAS, TX (April 28, 2026) — This past weekend NHRA Funny Car driver and team owner Buddy Hull took on a new challenge on the drag strip beyond wheeling his 12,000-horsepower Nitro Funny Car on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. On Saturday night the fan-favorite driver got behind the wheel of a nitrous-fed ’06 Ford Mustang at the Clash of the Titans race at Xtreme Raceway Park in Ferris, Texas. Hull made a few shakedown test passes and then jumped right into competition, winning two rounds of the unique event before rain ended racing action.
 
“This was so much fun, and I am so appreciative to have the opportunity to race this Mustang,” said Hull, who was beaming with excitement following the round wins. “Any time you can hit the throttle and see a win light that is just fuel for my competitive nature. Nothing is like a Nitro Funny Car, but this nitrous-fed Mustang was a handful and so fun to drive. Also, all the other competitors were so cool and helpful. This is a whole new world, and I can’t want to do this again.”

 Buddy Hull turned on two win lights before rain ended his radial racing night on Saturday, photo credit Hull Racing

Buddy Hull Thrills Behind Wheel of
World Record Mustang

DALLAS, TX (April 28, 2026) — This past weekend NHRA Funny Car driver and team owner Buddy Hull took on a new challenge on the drag strip beyond wheeling his 12,000-horsepower Nitro Funny Car on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. On Saturday night the fan-favorite driver got behind the wheel of a nitrous-fed ’06 Ford Mustang at the Clash of the Titans race at Xtreme Raceway Park in Ferris, Texas. Hull made a few shakedown test passes and then jumped right into competition, winning two rounds of the unique event before rain ended racing action.
 
“This was so much fun, and I am so appreciative to have the opportunity to race this Mustang,” said Hull, who was beaming with excitement following the round wins. “Any time you can hit the throttle and see a win light that is just fuel for my competitive nature. Nothing is like a Nitro Funny Car, but this nitrous-fed Mustang was a handful and so fun to drive. Also, all the other competitors were so cool and helpful. This is a whole new world, and I can’t want to do this again.”

 Buddy Hull turned on two win lights before rain ended his radial racing night on Saturday, photo credit Hull Racing

This was the second radial event for Hull, who competed in a radial race that was held in conjunction with the 2025 Stampede of Speed at the Texas Motorplex. Dave Vasser, owner of Nitrous Outlet, promoted this event and is a fellow Texan which also appealed to Hull.
 
Hull raced the nitrous fed ’06 Ford Mustang that set the Ultra Street world record at the Battle of the Thrones event at Rockingham Dragway in April of 2024. While Hull didn’t set any world record times his performance on track was a solid effort.
 
“I have to thank Dave Vasser from Nitrous Outlet for promoting this race,” said Hull. “I have only raced radial cars one other time and this was a really cool experience. The car was flawless and you can tell that JD Campbell and his team at Dynamic Racing Solutions know their stuff.”
 
Hull, who has been racing professionally in Top Fuel and Funny Car since 2021, represented a host of sponsors that back him at the national level. The car sported the logos from Sam Pack, FS Performance, Gates Belts, Technocraft, Impact, Dynamic Racing Solutions, 360 Wraps, WS and Herricks & Campbell Racing, as well as Talkin’ Funny Cars with Buddy Hull and Drag Race Bracket Bonanza.
 

Media conference transcript with Corvette Racing factory driver heading to Monterey

Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports driver Tommy Milner met with members of the media via Zoom on Monday afternoon to discuss this weekend’s StubHub Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The Corvette Racing factory driver is a three-time winner at the circuit including twice with Corvette Racing (2012 and 2021). He and Nicky Catsburg are third in the GTD PRO Drivers Championship and placed third at this race in 2024. The team’s two Corvettes will compete at Laguna in a special throwback livery similar to the 2000 early-season Corvette C5-Rs. TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.RTell us a little bit about the throwback livery and what you’re looking forward to this weekend? “Yeah, obviously super, super cool livery from the team, joining some other teams this weekend. To throw it back to an earlier era of Corvette Racing. I think the response so far from the crew has been pretty positive, with some of them hoping that we can continue that for the rest of the season with that livery. A fun thing to do, especially with the history that Corvette Racing has and some of the details. If you look at the door panel there, it says Pratt Miller Motorsports Plus. So, kind of harkening back to some of the other sponsors that were on the door. Super cool to be in that car and fun for the fans to see something new every now and then.“For me, I’m excited to be at Laguna. I feel like Nicky and I have had a good start to the season so far, kind of building on some momentum from last year as well. The goal at times last year was just trying to get race wins. This year, both Nicky and I agreed that just getting points is more important than always going for outright race wins. It’s great to be in a good position and getting those points at the first two races. Obviously, a lot of racing happening there, 36 hours of racing, and to be at the front for most of that hopefully bodes well for the rest of the season. But now we kind of get into the meat of the season here in IMSA where these two-hour and 40-minute races will feel quick, and will feel short compared to those first two endurance races. So, really minimizing mistakes in the race, making sure that we have a good race car from the start to the finish. And, hoping to continue down the path of scoring points and going for a championship.”

I was going to ask you about the whole win situation. You obviously won in an SRO with the car, but not in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. What made you guys sort of change your focus to just collecting points? Was it a similar strategy to what Alex (Sims) and Antonio (Garcia) did last year? Are you trying to sort of replicate that kind of approach?

Corvette Racing Media Resources Documents | Statistics | Photos | Factory Driver Bios | Chevrolet Newsroom

“What happens a little bit as the year goes on – we had good races last year, but for one reason or another, we didn’t get a result to show for it – and then as the year builds, that frustration grows a little bit. You feel like those races that you had good races going and didn’t have the result to show for it, you start to reach a little bit to make something happen. Then that becomes your focus – just getting those wins. Which obviously for us, that didn’t work last year and in different years that I’ve won championships and years that I’ve had success and years that I haven’t had success.“I’ve been doing it long enough now that you realize that racing – as Doug Fehan always says – is 50 percent great team, great driver, great preparation, and 50 percent luck. Oftentimes, if you’re trying too hard to make something happen, then you’re not achieving what you’re setting out to do. So, if you think about putting yourself in the best position at the end of the race, whether that’s second, third, fourth, or whatever it may be, if you put yourself in that position, then you’re giving yourself a chance to win the race as opposed to trying to make something happen that maybe is not in the cards for that day. It goes both ways. You can have an extraordinary race and really overachieve in many ways and you get the win that way, but it was not working out that way for us last year.“So, a little bit of a different mentality. Again, I felt like we had chances to win last year that didn’t quite work in our favor. We’ve had chances to win both of the first races this year as well and it didn’t fall our way. So, not getting frustrated with that, leaning on the fact that we have good race cars, and we’ve had good races. One of these times, it will turn around. I’ve never been a very superstitious kind of person. I didn’t realize I hadn’t won in IMSA since 2020-2021. So it’s been a little while since then. Mostly, you lean back on the team’s performance, my performance, that kind of stuff. I’ve had some good races, had some bad ones too, but I think mostly, learning every race, trying to improve myself every race, continuing on that path and one of these days it will turn around for sure.”What are you looking forward to most? What’s the kind of an advantage that you guys can see in yourselves coming into Laguna that you guys can kind of take and hopefully eradicate that five-year win drought? “With Corvette Racing and Pratt Miller, it’s the strength of the team, the strength of the engineering staff there, all the men and women on the team. I’ve said since day one with this team that I feel like every time I’m at the track, they provide me a chance to win the race. Nicky and Sims are in the sim right now, the DIL (Driver In The Loop) sim in Charlotte. So, they’re getting some time trying to find as much laptime as they can with some setup options for us. We always lean on our strengths. And I feel like right now the team’s working well together, Nicky, myself, Alexander and Antonio as well, we gel well together and have a lot of fun at the racetrack and push each other to be better and better. That’s all we can do, is just focus on ourselves… figure out once we get going here, what our strengths and weaknesses are, and then from there build a plan for the race that we think is going to either keep us up front if that’s where we are pace-wise, or if we’re not quite the quickest then then looking for a strategy for the race that can provide us a chance to be more towards the front there as well. So, hopefully a little bit of good luck with that paint scheme from the days of the C5-R when that thing was winning everything. And really put our foot forward for the rest of the season, with the first of the sprint races here in IMSA.” What’s the one area track you think you can kind of gain the most with that Corvette as opposed to everybody else?“The way our Corvette has been this year, and in previous years as well, braking performance is quite strong. We have some of our aero back for this race so that’s always been a strength. So the drive up the hill, Turn Five and Turn Six, is usually pretty quick for us. Rainey Curve has been good. We’ll see how we look once we’re on the racetrack and how we compare, but that’s always been sort of our strengths. It’s tough, the drive up the hill. Laguna is not a very fast racetrack in the sense there’s not a long straightaway. We barely get into sixth gear there. But up the hill from Turn Five all the way to the Corkscrew still requires a pretty powerful engine to find laptime. So yeah, we’ll see how we fare once we get to the weekend.”

CORVETTE RACING AT LAGUNA SECA: Tommy Milner Q&AMedia conference transcript with Corvette Racing factory driver heading to Monterey

Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports driver Tommy Milner met with members of the media via Zoom on Monday afternoon to discuss this weekend’s StubHub Monterey SportsCar Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The Corvette Racing factory driver is a three-time winner at the circuit including twice with Corvette Racing (2012 and 2021). He and Nicky Catsburg are third in the GTD PRO Drivers Championship and placed third at this race in 2024. The team’s two Corvettes will compete at Laguna in a special throwback livery similar to the 2000 early-season Corvette C5-Rs. TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.RTell us a little bit about the throwback livery and what you’re looking forward to this weekend? “Yeah, obviously super, super cool livery from the team, joining some other teams this weekend. To throw it back to an earlier era of Corvette Racing. I think the response so far from the crew has been pretty positive, with some of them hoping that we can continue that for the rest of the season with that livery. A fun thing to do, especially with the history that Corvette Racing has and some of the details. If you look at the door panel there, it says Pratt Miller Motorsports Plus. So, kind of harkening back to some of the other sponsors that were on the door. Super cool to be in that car and fun for the fans to see something new every now and then.“For me, I’m excited to be at Laguna. I feel like Nicky and I have had a good start to the season so far, kind of building on some momentum from last year as well. The goal at times last year was just trying to get race wins. This year, both Nicky and I agreed that just getting points is more important than always going for outright race wins. It’s great to be in a good position and getting those points at the first two races. Obviously, a lot of racing happening there, 36 hours of racing, and to be at the front for most of that hopefully bodes well for the rest of the season. But now we kind of get into the meat of the season here in IMSA where these two-hour and 40-minute races will feel quick, and will feel short compared to those first two endurance races. So, really minimizing mistakes in the race, making sure that we have a good race car from the start to the finish. And, hoping to continue down the path of scoring points and going for a championship.”

I was going to ask you about the whole win situation. You obviously won in an SRO with the car, but not in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. What made you guys sort of change your focus to just collecting points? Was it a similar strategy to what Alex (Sims) and Antonio (Garcia) did last year? Are you trying to sort of replicate that kind of approach?

Corvette Racing Media Resources Documents | Statistics | Photos | Factory Driver Bios | Chevrolet Newsroom

“What happens a little bit as the year goes on – we had good races last year, but for one reason or another, we didn’t get a result to show for it – and then as the year builds, that frustration grows a little bit. You feel like those races that you had good races going and didn’t have the result to show for it, you start to reach a little bit to make something happen. Then that becomes your focus – just getting those wins. Which obviously for us, that didn’t work last year and in different years that I’ve won championships and years that I’ve had success and years that I haven’t had success.“I’ve been doing it long enough now that you realize that racing – as Doug Fehan always says – is 50 percent great team, great driver, great preparation, and 50 percent luck. Oftentimes, if you’re trying too hard to make something happen, then you’re not achieving what you’re setting out to do. So, if you think about putting yourself in the best position at the end of the race, whether that’s second, third, fourth, or whatever it may be, if you put yourself in that position, then you’re giving yourself a chance to win the race as opposed to trying to make something happen that maybe is not in the cards for that day. It goes both ways. You can have an extraordinary race and really overachieve in many ways and you get the win that way, but it was not working out that way for us last year.“So, a little bit of a different mentality. Again, I felt like we had chances to win last year that didn’t quite work in our favor. We’ve had chances to win both of the first races this year as well and it didn’t fall our way. So, not getting frustrated with that, leaning on the fact that we have good race cars, and we’ve had good races. One of these times, it will turn around. I’ve never been a very superstitious kind of person. I didn’t realize I hadn’t won in IMSA since 2020-2021. So it’s been a little while since then. Mostly, you lean back on the team’s performance, my performance, that kind of stuff. I’ve had some good races, had some bad ones too, but I think mostly, learning every race, trying to improve myself every race, continuing on that path and one of these days it will turn around for sure.”What are you looking forward to most? What’s the kind of an advantage that you guys can see in yourselves coming into Laguna that you guys can kind of take and hopefully eradicate that five-year win drought? “With Corvette Racing and Pratt Miller, it’s the strength of the team, the strength of the engineering staff there, all the men and women on the team. I’ve said since day one with this team that I feel like every time I’m at the track, they provide me a chance to win the race. Nicky and Sims are in the sim right now, the DIL (Driver In The Loop) sim in Charlotte. So, they’re getting some time trying to find as much laptime as they can with some setup options for us. We always lean on our strengths. And I feel like right now the team’s working well together, Nicky, myself, Alexander and Antonio as well, we gel well together and have a lot of fun at the racetrack and push each other to be better and better. That’s all we can do, is just focus on ourselves… figure out once we get going here, what our strengths and weaknesses are, and then from there build a plan for the race that we think is going to either keep us up front if that’s where we are pace-wise, or if we’re not quite the quickest then then looking for a strategy for the race that can provide us a chance to be more towards the front there as well. So, hopefully a little bit of good luck with that paint scheme from the days of the C5-R when that thing was winning everything. And really put our foot forward for the rest of the season, with the first of the sprint races here in IMSA.” What’s the one area track you think you can kind of gain the most with that Corvette as opposed to everybody else?“The way our Corvette has been this year, and in previous years as well, braking performance is quite strong. We have some of our aero back for this race so that’s always been a strength. So the drive up the hill, Turn Five and Turn Six, is usually pretty quick for us. Rainey Curve has been good. We’ll see how we look once we’re on the racetrack and how we compare, but that’s always been sort of our strengths. It’s tough, the drive up the hill. Laguna is not a very fast racetrack in the sense there’s not a long straightaway. We barely get into sixth gear there. But up the hill from Turn Five all the way to the Corkscrew still requires a pretty powerful engine to find laptime. So yeah, we’ll see how we fare once we get to the weekend.”

The throwback Corvettes look awesome. We know the team’s track record, we know your track record here, and I think it’s awesome to have this throwback weekend. I know people will say it’s a little bit late to the game compared to like NASCAR with the throwback weekend, but even still, no matter the timing, how important is it to have an event like this where we, you know, take a moment to honor the history of American sports car racing?“Yeah, no question. I think the idea was a great one. Sports car racing has been growing in popularity considerably over the last couple of years. Having been racing for a long time, one of my first wins in my career was 2005 at Laguna here, it’s been a long time for me, and when you think about what it was then and where we are now, it’s always been this general upslope in popularity. So, you can say that we’re late to the game in some ways, but I think it just tracks well with sports car racing. Obviously, there’s a huge history in the United States, but kind of in its current form to start to have teams that have been around for as long as they have. Obviously, Corvette Racing being the oldest kind of continuously running teams… there’s a lot of history there to pull from, from our side. And it’s one for the fans, right? Sports car racing has grown in popularity and we have a lot of new fans, and it’s fun to expose them to the not-so-distant past in some ways of sports car racing. I think in many ways, it encourages these new fans to take a look back at where sports car racing was 10/15/20 years ago and to see what it was like then. And, and I think in general, many fans. Many people in the paddock have great memories of those previous times, especially a lot of the Corvette Racing fans. So yeah, it’s great for us to be a part of that, great to kind of give a nod to the team of the past and hopefully make some of our own history this weekend.”

CONCORD, NC (April 27, 2026) – A huge week of Late Model racing in the Midwest is on the horizon.

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision is gearing up for a stretch of four races in five nights across two tracks in Iowa and Wisconsin. First up is the first midweek race of the 2026 season, a visit to Independence Motor Speedway on Tuesday, April 28, for a 40-lap, $12,000-to-win, showdown.

Following a travel day on Wednesday, one of the region’s marquee events lies ahead on Thursday-Saturday, April 30-May 2. Mississippi Thunder Speedway has become a favorite among fans and drivers in recent years, and the Dairyland Showdown has risen in stature right alongside it. The festivities begin with a pair of 30-lap, $10,000-to-win, shows on Thursday and Friday before Saturday’s 50-lap, $40,000-to-win, finale, the highest-paying World of Outlaws race of the season thus far.

The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet will be accompanied by the Karl Chevrolet Premier Late Model Tour, IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Stock Cars at Independence and the USRA Northern Lights Modified Series at Mississippi Thunder.

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Here are this week’s top storylines:

THE BATTLE RAGES ON: The way the championship battle has gone so far, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the points lead changed hands four more times this week.

Nick Hoffman and Bobby Pierce have remained neck-and-neck since the season began in Florida, and the gap sits at two points entering Independence. Last time the Series raced at the Iowa facility two years ago, Pierce picked up the win while Hoffman finished third.

Both men are former winners at Mississippi Thunder, as Hoffman won once in each of the last two years while Pierce was victorious in 2022. Even when they aren’t winning, they’re still running up front – it’s been three years since either of them finished off the podium in Fountain City.

WELCOME HOME: Ryan Gustin is getting his first chance of the year to race in his home state at the perfect time.

The Marshalltown, IA native hasn’t been pleased with how he’s started his sixth full-time World of Outlaws season, as he’s sitting sixth in points and is still searching for his first Series win of the year. Gustin had yet to win anywhere in 2026 until April 17, when he topped a Northern Allstars Late Model Dirt Series race at Paragon Speedway to generate some momentum.

But “The Reaper” wasn’t done there. Seven days later, Gustin met up with the MARS Late Model Championship at Brownstown Bullring on Friday night and bagged another trophy. Saturday’s agenda led him to Farmington Empire Speedway for a duel with the Midwest Late Model Racing Association (MLRA), which he won to collect an additional $5,000 and extend his win streak to three ahead of his return to the World of Outlaws circuit.

After years of racing at Independence in a Modified, Gustin made his first Super Late Model start there with the World of Outlaws in 2024 and finished seventh. Mississippi Thunder has been the better track of the two for Gustin historically, as he won a World of Outlaws race there two years ago to go along with his five United States Modified Touring Series victories at the track.

TERBO TIME: Tyler Erb may not have been racing full-time with the World of Outlaws over the past several years, but the Dairyland Showdown has still been an annual stop for the Best Performance Motorsports team just the same.

The New Waverly, TX native’s first trip to Mississippi Thunder in 2022 resulted in a pair of top fives. He collected another one in 2024, then broke through in the Friday portion of last year’s event for his fourth World of Outlaws win and first at somewhere other than Atomic Speedway.

Like Gustin, Erb is also seeking his first Series win of the season. The two are locked in a close points battle for the last spot in the top five, with Erb leading Gustin by five points ahead of his Independence debut on Tuesday night.

SORENSEN’S STOMPING GROUNDS: Outside of the July weekend at Deer Creek Speedway, Mississippi Thunder is as close as Dustin Sorensen gets to home while racing with the World of Outlaws.

The Rochester, MN driver is rolling into his home region ninth in points with 16 races complete in his third full-time season. Sorensen capped off Speedweeks with four-straight top 10s in Florida, but he proceeded to stumble a bit in the March southern swing. He’s made modest gains as of late, finishing 12th or better in his last three starts.

His rookie World of Outlaws season included a 13th-place run at Independence, while he has a best finish of sixth in five Feature starts at Mississippi Thunder. He does have two Late Model wins there with the Wisconsin-based Dirt Kings Late Model Tour to go along with his pair of USMTS triumphs.

SUPERMAN WATCH: A refreshed, independent schedule for Jonathan Davenport will take him north for four nights against the World of Outlaws this week.

The Blairsville, GA driver will get his first look at Independence on Tuesday, but he’s become fond of Mississippi Thunder in the few appearances he’s made there. Davenport scored the Friday win in his first Dairyland Showdown in 2022 but hasn’t made any planned visits since. That was until last year’s Ralph Latham Memorial at Florence Speedway rained out early enough for Davenport to pivot and make the eight-hour drive north to Mississippi Thunder for the Saturday finale, in which he finished ninth.

Other names expected to hit the track this week include Tyler Bruening, Dallon Murty, Jake Timm, Chad Simpson, Chris Simpson, Garrett Alberson, Cade Dillard and many more.

WHEN AND WHERE:
Tuesday, April 28, at Independence Motor Speedway in Independence, IA
Thursday-Saturday, April 30-May 2, at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, WI

CURRENT POINT STANDINGS:
1. Nick Hoffman (2198 points)
2. Bobby Pierce (-2)
3. Tim McCreadie (-139)
4. Daulton Wilson (-158)
5. Tyler Erb (-173)
6. Ryan Gustin (-178)
7. Drake Troutman (-192)
8. Ethan Dotson (-206)
9. Dustin Sorensen (-261)
10. Dennis Erb Jr. (-267)

FEATURE WINNERS (7):
Bobby Pierce – 5
Nick Hoffman – 4
Brandon Sheppard – 2
Hudson O’Neal – 2
Tim McCreadie – 1
Chris Madden – 1
Mike Marlar – 1

FEATURE TOP FIVES (18):
Nick Hoffman – 14
Bobby Pierce – 11
Brandon Sheppard – 6
Tim McCreadie – 6
Chris Madden – 5
Tyler Erb – 5
Ryan Gustin – 4
Daulton Wilson – 4
Drake Troutman – 4
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 4
Hudson O’Neal – 3
Jonathan Davenport – 3
Ethan Dotson – 3
Dale McDowell – 2
Ashton Winger – 2
Dennis Erb Jr. – 2
Mike Marlar – 2
Brandon Overton – 1

FEATURE LAPS LED (17):
Nick Hoffman – 157
Bobby Pierce – 95
Brandon Sheppard – 78
Chris Madden – 73
Drake Troutman – 47
Hudson O’Neal – 45
Jonathan Davenport – 45
Mike Marlar – 39
Daulton Wilson – 37
Tim McCreadie – 28
Ryan Gustin – 22
Ashton Winger – 22
Brandon Overton – 12
Michael Leach – 10
Sam Seawright – 5
Dale McDowell – 4
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 2

BILSTEIN POLE AWARDS (11):
Nick Hoffman – 3
Chris Madden – 2
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 1
Drake Troutman – 1
Ryan Gustin – 1
Jonathan Davenport – 1
Ashton Winger – 1
Daulton Wilson – 1
Brandon Overton – 1
Michael Leach – 1
Sam Seawright – 1

SIMPSON QUICK TIME AWARDS (11):
Nick Hoffman – 4
Chris Madden – 2
Drake Troutman – 2
Ryan Gustin – 1
Daulton Wilson – 1
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 1
Jonathan Davenport – 1
Ashton Winger – 1
Brandon Overton – 1
Sam Seawright – 1
Michael Leach – 1

HEAT RACE WINS (28):
Nick Hoffman – 10
Chris Madden – 7
Bobby Pierce – 6
Tyler Erb – 5
Brandon Sheppard – 4
Drake Troutman – 4
Ryan Gustin – 4
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 3
Brandon Overton – 3
Hudson O’Neal – 2
Daulton Wilson – 2
Jonathan Davenport – 2
Tim McCreadie – 1
Mike Marlar – 1
Ashton Winger – 1
Dale McDowell – 1
Dennis Erb Jr. – 1
Devin Moran – 1
Michael Leach – 1
Trey Mills – 1
Cody Overton – 1
Dustin Sorensen – 1
Tristan Chamberlain – 1
Sam Seawright – 1
Austin Smith – 1
Dan Ebert – 1
Blair Nothdurft – 1
Donald McIntosh – 1

LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (23):
Dennis Erb Jr. – 3
Josh Rice – 3
Bobby Pierce – 2
Ethan Dotson – 2
Tim McCreadie – 1
Daulton Wilson – 1
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 1
Ryan Gustin – 1
Michael Page – 1
Jake Timm – 1
Jason Feger – 1
Tristan Chamberlain – 1
Cody Overton – 1
Logan Zarin – 1
Carson Ferguson – 1
Shane Clanton – 1
Dalton Cook – 1
Dallon Murty – 1
Michael Leach – 1
Dan Ebert – 1
Cory Hedgecock – 1
Brian Shirley – 1
Luke Morey – 1

2026 WORLD OF OUTLAWS LATE MODEL SERIES PRESENTED BY DIRTVISION SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Jan. 21 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL (Practice)
Thursday, Jan. 22 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Chris Madden (1)
Friday, Jan. 23 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Hudson O’Neal (1)
Saturday, Jan. 24 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tim McCreadie (1)
Thursday, Feb. 12 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Nick Hoffman (1)
Friday, Feb. 13 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Nick Hoffman (2)
Saturday, Feb. 14 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brandon Sheppard (1)
Thursday, Feb. 19 / Hendry County Motorsports Park / Clewiston, FL (Practice)
Friday, Feb. 20 / Hendry County Motorsports Park / Clewiston, FL / Bobby Pierce (1)
Saturday, Feb. 21 / Hendry County Motorsports Park / Clewiston, FL / Nick Hoffman (3)
Friday, March 13 / Volunteer Speedway / Bulls Gap, TN / Mike Marlar (1)
Saturday, March 14 / Smoky Mountain Speedway / Maryville, TN / Bobby Pierce (2)
Thursday, March 19 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS (Practice)
Friday, March 20 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS / Bobby Pierce (3)
Saturday, March 21 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS / Hudson O’Neal (2)
Friday, March 27 / East Alabama Motor Speedway / Phenix City, AL / Nick Hoffman (4)
Saturday, March 28 / Senoia Raceway / Senoia, GA / Bobby Pierce (4)
Thursday, April 9 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL (Practice)
Friday, April 10 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL / Brandon Sheppard (2)
Saturday, April 11 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL / Bobby Pierce (5)
Tuesday, April 28 / Independence Motor Speedway / Independence, IA
Thursday, April 30 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI
Friday, May 1 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI
Saturday, May 2 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI
Wednesday, May 13 / Georgetown Speedway / Georgetown, DE
Thursday, May 14 / Selinsgrove Speedway / Selinsgrove, PA
Friday, May 15 / Marion Center Raceway / Marion Center, PA
Saturday, May 16 / Marion Center Raceway / Marion Center, PA
Sunday, May 17 / Bedford Speedway / Bedford, PA
Thursday, May 28 / Wayne County Speedway / Orrville, OH
Friday, May 29 / Mansfield Speedway / Mansfield, OH
Saturday, May 30 / Mansfield Speedway / Mansfield, OH
Friday, June 12 / West Virginia Motor Speedway / Mineral Wells, WV
Saturday, June 13 / West Virginia Motor Speedway / Mineral Wells, WV
Friday, June 19 / 141 Speedway / Maribel, WI
Saturday, June 20 / 141 Speedway / Maribel, WI
Monday, June 22 / Ogilvie Raceway / Ogilvie, MN
Wednesday, June 24 / I-94 emr Speedway / Fergus Falls, MN
Friday, June 26 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND
Sunday, June 28 / Nodak Speedway / Minot, ND
Tuesday, June 30 / Norman County Raceway / Ada, MN
Thursday, July 2 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Friday, July 3 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Saturday, July 4 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Wednesday, July 8 / Stateline Speedway / Busti, NY
Friday, July 10 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Saturday, July 11 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Friday, July 24 / Fairbury Speedway / Fairbury, IL
Saturday, July 25 / Fairbury Speedway / Fairbury, IL
Thursday, July 30 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Friday, July 31 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Saturday, Aug. 1 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Thursday, Aug. 20 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA (Practice)
Friday, Aug. 21 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA
Saturday, Aug. 22 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA
Wednesday, Aug. 26 / Southern Iowa Speedway / Oskaloosa, IA
Friday, Aug, 28 / Adams County Speedway / Corning, IA
Saturday, Aug. 29 / Shelby County Speedway / Harlan, IA
Friday, Sept. 25 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Saturday, Sept. 26 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Friday, Oct. 2 / Boothill Speedway / Greenwood, LA
Saturday, Oct. 3 / Boothill Speedway / Greenwood, LA
Friday, Oct. 23 / Modoc Speedway / Modoc, SC
Saturday, Oct. 24 / Modoc Speedway / Modoc, SC
Wednesday, Nov. 4 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Thursday, Nov. 5 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Friday, Nov. 6 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Saturday, Nov. 7 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC 

TOP FIVE STORYLINES: World of Outlaws Rolling North for Midweek Clash at Independence, Dairyland Showdown

CONCORD, NC (April 27, 2026) – A huge week of Late Model racing in the Midwest is on the horizon.

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision is gearing up for a stretch of four races in five nights across two tracks in Iowa and Wisconsin. First up is the first midweek race of the 2026 season, a visit to Independence Motor Speedway on Tuesday, April 28, for a 40-lap, $12,000-to-win, showdown.

Following a travel day on Wednesday, one of the region’s marquee events lies ahead on Thursday-Saturday, April 30-May 2. Mississippi Thunder Speedway has become a favorite among fans and drivers in recent years, and the Dairyland Showdown has risen in stature right alongside it. The festivities begin with a pair of 30-lap, $10,000-to-win, shows on Thursday and Friday before Saturday’s 50-lap, $40,000-to-win, finale, the highest-paying World of Outlaws race of the season thus far.

The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet will be accompanied by the Karl Chevrolet Premier Late Model Tour, IMCA Modifieds and IMCA Stock Cars at Independence and the USRA Northern Lights Modified Series at Mississippi Thunder.

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Here are this week’s top storylines:

THE BATTLE RAGES ON: The way the championship battle has gone so far, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the points lead changed hands four more times this week.

Nick Hoffman and Bobby Pierce have remained neck-and-neck since the season began in Florida, and the gap sits at two points entering Independence. Last time the Series raced at the Iowa facility two years ago, Pierce picked up the win while Hoffman finished third.

Both men are former winners at Mississippi Thunder, as Hoffman won once in each of the last two years while Pierce was victorious in 2022. Even when they aren’t winning, they’re still running up front – it’s been three years since either of them finished off the podium in Fountain City.

WELCOME HOME: Ryan Gustin is getting his first chance of the year to race in his home state at the perfect time.

The Marshalltown, IA native hasn’t been pleased with how he’s started his sixth full-time World of Outlaws season, as he’s sitting sixth in points and is still searching for his first Series win of the year. Gustin had yet to win anywhere in 2026 until April 17, when he topped a Northern Allstars Late Model Dirt Series race at Paragon Speedway to generate some momentum.

But “The Reaper” wasn’t done there. Seven days later, Gustin met up with the MARS Late Model Championship at Brownstown Bullring on Friday night and bagged another trophy. Saturday’s agenda led him to Farmington Empire Speedway for a duel with the Midwest Late Model Racing Association (MLRA), which he won to collect an additional $5,000 and extend his win streak to three ahead of his return to the World of Outlaws circuit.

After years of racing at Independence in a Modified, Gustin made his first Super Late Model start there with the World of Outlaws in 2024 and finished seventh. Mississippi Thunder has been the better track of the two for Gustin historically, as he won a World of Outlaws race there two years ago to go along with his five United States Modified Touring Series victories at the track.

TERBO TIME: Tyler Erb may not have been racing full-time with the World of Outlaws over the past several years, but the Dairyland Showdown has still been an annual stop for the Best Performance Motorsports team just the same.

The New Waverly, TX native’s first trip to Mississippi Thunder in 2022 resulted in a pair of top fives. He collected another one in 2024, then broke through in the Friday portion of last year’s event for his fourth World of Outlaws win and first at somewhere other than Atomic Speedway.

Like Gustin, Erb is also seeking his first Series win of the season. The two are locked in a close points battle for the last spot in the top five, with Erb leading Gustin by five points ahead of his Independence debut on Tuesday night.

SORENSEN’S STOMPING GROUNDS: Outside of the July weekend at Deer Creek Speedway, Mississippi Thunder is as close as Dustin Sorensen gets to home while racing with the World of Outlaws.

The Rochester, MN driver is rolling into his home region ninth in points with 16 races complete in his third full-time season. Sorensen capped off Speedweeks with four-straight top 10s in Florida, but he proceeded to stumble a bit in the March southern swing. He’s made modest gains as of late, finishing 12th or better in his last three starts.

His rookie World of Outlaws season included a 13th-place run at Independence, while he has a best finish of sixth in five Feature starts at Mississippi Thunder. He does have two Late Model wins there with the Wisconsin-based Dirt Kings Late Model Tour to go along with his pair of USMTS triumphs.

SUPERMAN WATCH: A refreshed, independent schedule for Jonathan Davenport will take him north for four nights against the World of Outlaws this week.

The Blairsville, GA driver will get his first look at Independence on Tuesday, but he’s become fond of Mississippi Thunder in the few appearances he’s made there. Davenport scored the Friday win in his first Dairyland Showdown in 2022 but hasn’t made any planned visits since. That was until last year’s Ralph Latham Memorial at Florence Speedway rained out early enough for Davenport to pivot and make the eight-hour drive north to Mississippi Thunder for the Saturday finale, in which he finished ninth.

Other names expected to hit the track this week include Tyler Bruening, Dallon Murty, Jake Timm, Chad Simpson, Chris Simpson, Garrett Alberson, Cade Dillard and many more.

WHEN AND WHERE:
Tuesday, April 28, at Independence Motor Speedway in Independence, IA
Thursday-Saturday, April 30-May 2, at Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City, WI

CURRENT POINT STANDINGS:
1. Nick Hoffman (2198 points)
2. Bobby Pierce (-2)
3. Tim McCreadie (-139)
4. Daulton Wilson (-158)
5. Tyler Erb (-173)
6. Ryan Gustin (-178)
7. Drake Troutman (-192)
8. Ethan Dotson (-206)
9. Dustin Sorensen (-261)
10. Dennis Erb Jr. (-267)

FEATURE WINNERS (7):
Bobby Pierce – 5
Nick Hoffman – 4
Brandon Sheppard – 2
Hudson O’Neal – 2
Tim McCreadie – 1
Chris Madden – 1
Mike Marlar – 1

FEATURE TOP FIVES (18):
Nick Hoffman – 14
Bobby Pierce – 11
Brandon Sheppard – 6
Tim McCreadie – 6
Chris Madden – 5
Tyler Erb – 5
Ryan Gustin – 4
Daulton Wilson – 4
Drake Troutman – 4
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 4
Hudson O’Neal – 3
Jonathan Davenport – 3
Ethan Dotson – 3
Dale McDowell – 2
Ashton Winger – 2
Dennis Erb Jr. – 2
Mike Marlar – 2
Brandon Overton – 1

FEATURE LAPS LED (17):
Nick Hoffman – 157
Bobby Pierce – 95
Brandon Sheppard – 78
Chris Madden – 73
Drake Troutman – 47
Hudson O’Neal – 45
Jonathan Davenport – 45
Mike Marlar – 39
Daulton Wilson – 37
Tim McCreadie – 28
Ryan Gustin – 22
Ashton Winger – 22
Brandon Overton – 12
Michael Leach – 10
Sam Seawright – 5
Dale McDowell – 4
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 2

BILSTEIN POLE AWARDS (11):
Nick Hoffman – 3
Chris Madden – 2
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 1
Drake Troutman – 1
Ryan Gustin – 1
Jonathan Davenport – 1
Ashton Winger – 1
Daulton Wilson – 1
Brandon Overton – 1
Michael Leach – 1
Sam Seawright – 1

SIMPSON QUICK TIME AWARDS (11):
Nick Hoffman – 4
Chris Madden – 2
Drake Troutman – 2
Ryan Gustin – 1
Daulton Wilson – 1
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 1
Jonathan Davenport – 1
Ashton Winger – 1
Brandon Overton – 1
Sam Seawright – 1
Michael Leach – 1

HEAT RACE WINS (28):
Nick Hoffman – 10
Chris Madden – 7
Bobby Pierce – 6
Tyler Erb – 5
Brandon Sheppard – 4
Drake Troutman – 4
Ryan Gustin – 4
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 3
Brandon Overton – 3
Hudson O’Neal – 2
Daulton Wilson – 2
Jonathan Davenport – 2
Tim McCreadie – 1
Mike Marlar – 1
Ashton Winger – 1
Dale McDowell – 1
Dennis Erb Jr. – 1
Devin Moran – 1
Michael Leach – 1
Trey Mills – 1
Cody Overton – 1
Dustin Sorensen – 1
Tristan Chamberlain – 1
Sam Seawright – 1
Austin Smith – 1
Dan Ebert – 1
Blair Nothdurft – 1
Donald McIntosh – 1

LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (23):
Dennis Erb Jr. – 3
Josh Rice – 3
Bobby Pierce – 2
Ethan Dotson – 2
Tim McCreadie – 1
Daulton Wilson – 1
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 1
Ryan Gustin – 1
Michael Page – 1
Jake Timm – 1
Jason Feger – 1
Tristan Chamberlain – 1
Cody Overton – 1
Logan Zarin – 1
Carson Ferguson – 1
Shane Clanton – 1
Dalton Cook – 1
Dallon Murty – 1
Michael Leach – 1
Dan Ebert – 1
Cory Hedgecock – 1
Brian Shirley – 1
Luke Morey – 1

2026 WORLD OF OUTLAWS LATE MODEL SERIES PRESENTED BY DIRTVISION SCHEDULE
Wednesday, Jan. 21 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL (Practice)
Thursday, Jan. 22 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Chris Madden (1)
Friday, Jan. 23 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Hudson O’Neal (1)
Saturday, Jan. 24 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tim McCreadie (1)
Thursday, Feb. 12 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Nick Hoffman (1)
Friday, Feb. 13 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Nick Hoffman (2)
Saturday, Feb. 14 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brandon Sheppard (1)
Thursday, Feb. 19 / Hendry County Motorsports Park / Clewiston, FL (Practice)
Friday, Feb. 20 / Hendry County Motorsports Park / Clewiston, FL / Bobby Pierce (1)
Saturday, Feb. 21 / Hendry County Motorsports Park / Clewiston, FL / Nick Hoffman (3)
Friday, March 13 / Volunteer Speedway / Bulls Gap, TN / Mike Marlar (1)
Saturday, March 14 / Smoky Mountain Speedway / Maryville, TN / Bobby Pierce (2)
Thursday, March 19 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS (Practice)
Friday, March 20 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS / Bobby Pierce (3)
Saturday, March 21 / Magnolia Motor Speedway / Columbus, MS / Hudson O’Neal (2)
Friday, March 27 / East Alabama Motor Speedway / Phenix City, AL / Nick Hoffman (4)
Saturday, March 28 / Senoia Raceway / Senoia, GA / Bobby Pierce (4)
Thursday, April 9 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL (Practice)
Friday, April 10 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL / Brandon Sheppard (2)
Saturday, April 11 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL / Bobby Pierce (5)
Tuesday, April 28 / Independence Motor Speedway / Independence, IA
Thursday, April 30 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI
Friday, May 1 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI
Saturday, May 2 / Mississippi Thunder Speedway / Fountain City, WI
Wednesday, May 13 / Georgetown Speedway / Georgetown, DE
Thursday, May 14 / Selinsgrove Speedway / Selinsgrove, PA
Friday, May 15 / Marion Center Raceway / Marion Center, PA
Saturday, May 16 / Marion Center Raceway / Marion Center, PA
Sunday, May 17 / Bedford Speedway / Bedford, PA
Thursday, May 28 / Wayne County Speedway / Orrville, OH
Friday, May 29 / Mansfield Speedway / Mansfield, OH
Saturday, May 30 / Mansfield Speedway / Mansfield, OH
Friday, June 12 / West Virginia Motor Speedway / Mineral Wells, WV
Saturday, June 13 / West Virginia Motor Speedway / Mineral Wells, WV
Friday, June 19 / 141 Speedway / Maribel, WI
Saturday, June 20 / 141 Speedway / Maribel, WI
Monday, June 22 / Ogilvie Raceway / Ogilvie, MN
Wednesday, June 24 / I-94 emr Speedway / Fergus Falls, MN
Friday, June 26 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND
Sunday, June 28 / Nodak Speedway / Minot, ND
Tuesday, June 30 / Norman County Raceway / Ada, MN
Thursday, July 2 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Friday, July 3 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Saturday, July 4 / Deer Creek Speedway / Spring Valley, MN
Wednesday, July 8 / Stateline Speedway / Busti, NY
Friday, July 10 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Saturday, July 11 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Friday, July 24 / Fairbury Speedway / Fairbury, IL
Saturday, July 25 / Fairbury Speedway / Fairbury, IL
Thursday, July 30 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Friday, July 31 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Saturday, Aug. 1 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Thursday, Aug. 20 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA (Practice)
Friday, Aug. 21 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA
Saturday, Aug. 22 / Maquoketa Speedway / Maquoketa, IA
Wednesday, Aug. 26 / Southern Iowa Speedway / Oskaloosa, IA
Friday, Aug, 28 / Adams County Speedway / Corning, IA
Saturday, Aug. 29 / Shelby County Speedway / Harlan, IA
Friday, Sept. 25 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Saturday, Sept. 26 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Friday, Oct. 2 / Boothill Speedway / Greenwood, LA
Saturday, Oct. 3 / Boothill Speedway / Greenwood, LA
Friday, Oct. 23 / Modoc Speedway / Modoc, SC
Saturday, Oct. 24 / Modoc Speedway / Modoc, SC
Wednesday, Nov. 4 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Thursday, Nov. 5 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Friday, Nov. 6 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Saturday, Nov. 7 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC 

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/top-five-storylines-world-of-outlaws-rolling-north-for-midweek-clash-at-independence-dairyland-showdown/

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 27, 2026) – Matthew Brabham and his #16 CD Racing GYM WEED Ford Mustang picked up at the green flag Sunday morning where they left off at the checker Saturday, leading the Trans Am field at California’s Sonoma Raceway. The race looked almost like an instant replay taken from the day before. Brabham started from pole, led flag to flag, and set the fastest race lap. “The team has given me such a great race car every weekend,” Brabham said as he walked to the GYM WEED Winners Circle following the race, adding that “it was a lot of fun racing with Paul (Menard, who finished second). Thanks to everyone on the team and especially to Chris (Dyson) for making this possible.” Brabham has now won the first four races of the 2026 Trans Am by Pirelli season, and five straight going back to the 2025 season finale at Circuit of the Americas in Texas. Over the course of his Trans Am career, until this year on a part-time basis, Brabham has won 12 of his 20 starts, all of them piloting a CD Racing entry. Since the halfway point of the Texas race, no other driver has led a lap. Menard, the defending series champion, gave Brabham his best shot today, trading fastest laps along the way. But according to his team owner, Paul Gentilozzi, whenever Menard tried to press Brabham for the race lead he overheated his rear tires and had to ease off. Brabham answered the challenge and set the fastest race lap just past the race’s three-quarter mark, almost a half second quicker than Menard’s best. By the end of the caution-free event, Brabham’s margin of victory was a comfortable 4.176 seconds. “That was an outstanding performance by Matt,” Dyson said afterwards.  “He is setting a brilliant standard each and every weekend. The team and I could not be happier with him. It is inspiring to all of us.”  It was a tough day and a challenging weekend for Brabham’s CD Racing teammate Rafa Matos and his #20 RACER / GYM SODA Ford Mustang. Matos was filling in for team owner Chris Dyson, who had planned to race at Sonoma but had to withdraw when he came down with a severe bout of flu earlier in the week. Matos starred in qualifying and helped the team lock out the front row for Saturday’s opening race. He challenged Brabham and took the lead early, but dropped out from a potential podium finish with a mechanical issue. Then during Sunday morning’s warmup, the engine in the #20 car dropped a cylinder. Despite the best efforts of the CD Racing crew, there wasn’t sufficient time to install a spare engine and get the car to the grid for the race start. “I’m in recuperation mode now,” said Dyson, “But the team’s great results this weekend take some of the sting out of not being able to drive myself and give us a lot of pride – and momentum. I’m looking forward to getting back into the #20 car soon. In the meantime I’m sure grateful to Rafa for being available to stand in for me.”   Lime Rock Park Next On Trans Am Calendar The next event on the Trans Am by Pirelli calendar is at the Dyson team’s home track, Connecticut’s Lime Rock Park, May 21-23. Chris Dyson won there from the pole in 2022 on his way to his second Trans Am championship, with Brabham finishing second. Dyson also won at Lime Rock in 2019 and 2021. Re-Broadcast of Sonoma Races Rebroadcasts of all Trans Am races are available on the Trans Am You Tube channel. Click here for more on Chris Dyson Racing.

Press InformationBRABHAM & CD RACING SWEEP SONOMA TRANS AM WEEKEND WITH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WINS  POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (April 27, 2026) – Matthew Brabham and his #16 CD Racing GYM WEED Ford Mustang picked up at the green flag Sunday morning where they left off at the checker Saturday, leading the Trans Am field at California’s Sonoma Raceway. The race looked almost like an instant replay taken from the day before. Brabham started from pole, led flag to flag, and set the fastest race lap. “The team has given me such a great race car every weekend,” Brabham said as he walked to the GYM WEED Winners Circle following the race, adding that “it was a lot of fun racing with Paul (Menard, who finished second). Thanks to everyone on the team and especially to Chris (Dyson) for making this possible.” Brabham has now won the first four races of the 2026 Trans Am by Pirelli season, and five straight going back to the 2025 season finale at Circuit of the Americas in Texas. Over the course of his Trans Am career, until this year on a part-time basis, Brabham has won 12 of his 20 starts, all of them piloting a CD Racing entry. Since the halfway point of the Texas race, no other driver has led a lap. Menard, the defending series champion, gave Brabham his best shot today, trading fastest laps along the way. But according to his team owner, Paul Gentilozzi, whenever Menard tried to press Brabham for the race lead he overheated his rear tires and had to ease off. Brabham answered the challenge and set the fastest race lap just past the race’s three-quarter mark, almost a half second quicker than Menard’s best. By the end of the caution-free event, Brabham’s margin of victory was a comfortable 4.176 seconds. “That was an outstanding performance by Matt,” Dyson said afterwards.  “He is setting a brilliant standard each and every weekend. The team and I could not be happier with him. It is inspiring to all of us.”  It was a tough day and a challenging weekend for Brabham’s CD Racing teammate Rafa Matos and his #20 RACER / GYM SODA Ford Mustang. Matos was filling in for team owner Chris Dyson, who had planned to race at Sonoma but had to withdraw when he came down with a severe bout of flu earlier in the week. Matos starred in qualifying and helped the team lock out the front row for Saturday’s opening race. He challenged Brabham and took the lead early, but dropped out from a potential podium finish with a mechanical issue. Then during Sunday morning’s warmup, the engine in the #20 car dropped a cylinder. Despite the best efforts of the CD Racing crew, there wasn’t sufficient time to install a spare engine and get the car to the grid for the race start. “I’m in recuperation mode now,” said Dyson, “But the team’s great results this weekend take some of the sting out of not being able to drive myself and give us a lot of pride – and momentum. I’m looking forward to getting back into the #20 car soon. In the meantime I’m sure grateful to Rafa for being available to stand in for me.”   Lime Rock Park Next On Trans Am Calendar The next event on the Trans Am by Pirelli calendar is at the Dyson team’s home track, Connecticut’s Lime Rock Park, May 21-23. Chris Dyson won there from the pole in 2022 on his way to his second Trans Am championship, with Brabham finishing second. Dyson also won at Lime Rock in 2019 and 2021. Re-Broadcast of Sonoma Races Rebroadcasts of all Trans Am races are available on the Trans Am You Tube channel. Click here for more on Chris Dyson Racing.

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Event: Jack Link’s 500Location: Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, AlabamaDate: Sunday, April 26, 2026Start: 26thFinish: 33rdThe stage lengths may have changed for Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, but the “Big One” remained as impactful as ever.That was the case for Josh Berry and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team, who were collected in a Lap 115 incident that resulted in a 33rd-place finish despite showing early speed and executing a solid opening strategy.Berry rolled off 26th after Saturday’s qualifying session was canceled due to rain, with the starting lineup set by the NASCAR Rule Book. The Wood Brothers Racing team opted for a one-stop strategy in Stage 1, which was extended to 98 laps, and it paid off with a sixth-place finish and five valuable stage points.Following a pit stop under caution, Berry restarted 12th to begin Stage 2 and was running inside the top 10 when the 26-car “Big One” broke out ahead of him. With nowhere to go, the No. 21 Ford Mustang Dark Horse sustained heavy damage, forcing the team to the garage for extensive repairs.After returning to the track later in the event, Berry was able to pick up several positions, ultimately gaining five spots from his running position prior to the incident to finish 33rd.Up next, Berry and the Wood Brothers head to Texas Motor Speedway for Sunday’s Würth 400, looking to rebound after a day that showed promise before being cut short.

Sheppard Handles Hagerstown Field on Sunday Night

HAGERSTOWN, MD (April 26, 2026) – Brandon Sheppard dominated Sunday night at Hagerstown Speedway, capturing the Conococheague 40 for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in commanding fashion. The New Berlin, Illinois native earned $10,000 for his third LOLMDS victory of the season, taking the lead from Brandon Overton on lap three and pacing the remainder of the race. Sheppard crossed the finish line more than five seconds ahead of Overton, with 11th-starting Hudson O’Neal rounding out the Big River Steel podium in third. Current championship points leader Devin Moran finished fourth, and Max Blair completed the top five. Overton led the opening two laps of the annual event, which marked the Series’ 16th appearance at Hagerstown Speedway, before Sheppard surged past him for the top spot on lap three. Once out front, Sheppard quickly built a commanding lead, reaching lapped traffic by lap nine. The race’s only caution came on lap 10, but it did little to slow his momentum. On the restart, Sheppard remained firmly in control, leading the rest of the way in a race that featured just one caution flag. The victory marked the 38th of Sheppard’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series career—and his first at Hagerstown Speedway. “It was awesome. Mark, Dan, Austin, Joel, Steve Baker, and everyone at Rocket Chassis have been working their tails off,” Sheppard said. “They’ve been giving me a great car night in and night out. There’s so much competition out here—you can have the fastest car and still not win—but I really feel like we’ve been fast all year. I don’t think I’ve felt bad at the track once this season.” “You never really know how big of a lead you have. My signal guy showed me it was comfortable, but I wasn’t overdriving. I was going as fast as my tires would allow. A couple of times I pushed hard and felt the left rear getting hot, so I backed it down and let it come back to me.” Overton, who was aiming for a clean sweep of the night, settled for the runner-up finish. “He (Sheppard) had a little different tire than we did. I probably tried to block him too early—I moved down and pushed up the track,” Overton said. “Hats off to them—they did a great job. We were good, just not quite good enough.” O’Neal, who started sixth row inside, closed the gap late and now sits 25 points behind Moran in the championship standings heading into next weekend’s events at Circle City Raceway and Florence Speedway. “We just needed to qualify better,” O’Neal said. “We weren’t very good in qualifying and probably over-adjusted for the rough conditions. We got back to our normal program for the feature and were really good. We just didn’t get a caution at the right time. I was able to close in during lapped traffic, but Brandon was able to navigate through and pull away. Thanks to Hagerstown and Lucas Oil for the effort—they gave us a great racetrack.” Sheppard’s winning Mark Richards Racing Rocket Chassis is powered by a Durham Racing Engine and backed by Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ace Metal Works, Performance Bodies, Petroff Towing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Franklin Enterprises, Gunter’s Honey, Stiles Marine and Maintenance, and Collins Brothers Towing. Completing the top ten were Ricky Thornton Jr., Brian Shirley, Kyle Bronson, and Carson Ferguson. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Conococheague 40Sunday, April 26, 2026Hagerstown Speedway | Hagerstown, MD Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Brandon Sheppard | 17.671 secondsFast Time Group B: Brandon Overton | 17.428 seconds (Overall) Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 3. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[2]; 4. 55-Jamie Lathroum[6]; 5. 66C-Matt Cosner[7]; 6. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[5]; 7. C4-Freddie Carpenter[3]; 8. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 11-Josh Rice[1]; 2. 111-Max Blair[2]; 3. 71-Hudson O’Neal[3]; 4. 32J-Justin Weaver[5]; 5. 58-Garrett Alberson[6]; 6. 8-Dillon McCowan[4]; 7. 15K-Kyle Lee[7]; 8. (DNS) 1C-Alex Ferree Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[4]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 4. 19M-Brenden Smith[5]; 5. 93-Carson Ferguson[2]; 6. 93L-Cory Lawler[7]; 7. 4-Gary Stuhler[6]; 8. (DNS) 66K-Justin Kann Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[1]; 2. 60-Dan Ebert[2]; 3. 22G-Gregg Satterlee[3]; 4. 27-Trever Feathers[4]; 5. 6-Clay Harris[5]; 6. 7-Ross Robinson[6]; 7. 11H-JT Spence[7] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 66C-Matt Cosner[1]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[3]; 3. 93-Carson Ferguson[2]; 4. 7-Ross Robinson[8]; 5. 8-Dillon McCowan[7]; 6. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[5]; 7. 11H-JT Spence[12]; 8. 4-Gary Stuhler[10]; 9. 93L-Cory Lawler[6]; 10. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[13]; 11. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9]; 12. 6-Clay Harris[4]; 13. (DNS) 15K-Kyle Lee; 14. (DNS) 66K-Justin Kann; 15. (DNS) 1C-Alex Ferree Conococheague 40 Feature Finish (40 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 1 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $10,9002 – 2 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $6,4003 – 11 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $4,8004 – 6 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $4,1005 – 7 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $3,4006 – 4 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $3,6007 – 5 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $3,1008 – 10 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $3,0009 – 19 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $2,95010 – 9 – 25Z – Mason Zeigler – Chalk Hill, PA – $2,00011 – 8 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $2,50012 – 12 – 22G – Gregg Satterlee – Indiana, PA – $1,40013 – 17 – 66C – Matt Cosner – Ridgeley, WV – $1,20014 – 15 – 32J – Justin Weaver – Clearspring, MD – $1,00015 – 14 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $1,85016 – 21 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $1,92517 – 24 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – $20018 – 13 – 55 – Jamie Lathroum – Mechanicsville, MD – $87519 – 3 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $1,75020 – 18 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $1,72521 – 16 – 27 – Trever Feathers – Winchester, VA – $80022 – 20 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $80023 – 25 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $1,70024 – 23 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $90025 – 22 – 12M – Ryan Montgomery – Fairmont, WV – $800 Race Statistics  Entrants: 31Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Brandon SheppardMD3 Lap Leaders: Brandon Overton (Laps 1-2); Brandon Sheppard (Laps 3-40)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Brandon SheppardWieland Feature Winner: Brandon SheppardMargin of Victory: 0.5733 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: Daniel Hilsabeck (Lap 10)MyRacePass Series Provisional: Clay Harris; Daniel HilsabeckFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: Freddie CarpenterTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Brandon Sheppard, Brandon Overton, Hudson O’NealPenske Shocks Top 5: Brandon Sheppard, Brandon Overton, Hudson O’Neal, Devin Moran, Max BlairBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Brandon Sheppard, Brandon Overton, Hudson O’NealPEM 4th Place Feature: Devin MoranDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Max BlairWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Brian ShirleyWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Dan EbertVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Matt CosnerXS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Brenden SmithHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Carson Ferguson (Advanced 9 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Brandon Sheppard (38 Laps)Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon SheppardMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin MoranO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: Dillon McCowanPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Brandon Sheppard | Lap 4 | 18.483 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Daniel HilsabeckVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Brandon SheppardOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Danny WhiteARP Engine Builder of the Race: Durham Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Hudson O’Neal | 17.521 secondsTime of Race: 18 minutes 18 seconds Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 2095 – $134,0492 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 2070 – $98,4003 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 1925 – $49,4504 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1910 – $64,6005 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 1875 – $44,1006 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 1850 – $56,3507 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 1685 – $39,9008 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 1670 – $34,7259 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 1655 – $26,07510 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 1620 – $28,80011 – 3s – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 1615 – $27,60012 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 1600 – $26,97513 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 1525 – $26,47514 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 1375 – $16,30015 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 1370 – $18,85016 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 1325 – $17,52517 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – 1145 – $5,10018 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 1140 – $10,525

RACE RECAP – CHARLOTTERace 4 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

BECKMAN FINISHES RUNNER-UP AT 4-WIDE NATSVandergriff and DeJoria finish in Rd. 2, Hart bows out in Rd. 1

RACE RECAP – CHARLOTTERace 4 of 20

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

BECKMAN FINISHES RUNNER-UP AT 4-WIDE NATSVandergriff and DeJoria finish in Rd. 2, Hart bows out in Rd. 1

CONCORD, N.C. (April 26, 2026) – Jack Beckman took advantage of a competitor’s misfortune in Round 2 of the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals to advance to the Funny Car final round and then went on to earn himself and his John Force Racing HendrickCars.com Chevrolet SS Funny Car team the runner-up spot at zMax Dragway near Charlotte. Beckman’s John Force Racing teammates Jordan Vandergriff (Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car) and Alexis DeJoria (Bandero Café Chevrolet SS Funny Car) were second-round finishers and Top Fuel teammate Josh Hart (HendrickCars.com Dragster) bowed out in the first round of the lone three-round, 4-wide competition on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule. The 2012 NHRA Funny Car World Champion spun the tires early and finished third in his second-round matchup with Matt Hagan, Vandergriff and Dave Richards but Richards’ car made contact with the retaining wall before crossing the finish line, forcing his disqualification and moving the HendrickCars.com team to the final round against Hagan, Ron Capps, and J.R. Todd. Beckman had his best reaction time of the event (0.058) and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car ran 3.917 seconds at 329.50 mph but it wasn’t enough to get around Capps’ 3.905-second run at 334.90 mph. The runner-up finish is the team’s best showing in the season’s first four races and advanced them from 10th to eighth in the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Funny Car point standings. “It was an eventful race day for John Force’s Funny Cars and it was really cool to get HendrickCars.com into our first final round of the year,” said Beckman. “We had a heck of a run: we had a great car, then we struggled. We found our car, then we struggled again but we were right where we needed to be in the final round. So, we’ll take a runner-up finish, we’ll take the points to go with that and we’ll move up in the standings some. That means when we unload five days from now, we know we have a car we can leave with the trophy there so we’re getting closer.” Vandergriff was the quickest in his Round 1 quad, with the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car running 3.874 seconds at 326.63 mph to advance to the second round. The 4-Wide Nationals #2Fast2Tasty Challenge winner lined up against Hagan, Beckman and Richards but smoked the tires almost immediately, slowing to a run of 9.698 seconds at 72.35 mph. The team maintained fifth place in the point standings. “That was definitely not what we were looking for there in the second round,” said Vandergriff. “It was maybe a little too much, a little too less, whatever it was. It’s a little disheartening when it shakes a little liked that. I checked all three lanes and was like, ’Okay, I might as well stay out of this one.’ But overall, it was a great weekend. Getting my first Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty win in a quad that included J.R. Todd, Matt Hagen, and Ron Capps was really huge for this Cornwell Quality Tools team. We have some momentum and we’re going to carry it into South Georgia next weekend.” DeJoria was the second quickest in her Round 1 quad, with the Bandero Chevrolet SS Funny Car running 3.962 seconds at 324.36 mph. In her Round 2 matchup against Capps, Todd and Chad Green, she ran 3.980 seconds, but crossed the finish line at just 296.89 mph. The teamed moved up one spot, to sixth, in the point standings. “The Bandero Chevy ran a little slower than we than we wanted to in the second round,” said DeJoria. “It didn’t drop a cylinder, but it was pushing me down track and I was getting really close to the center line. Luckily, it was at the very end of the run. I was giving the wheel input and it was just not reacting so, right before I thought I was going to cross the center line, I lifted and luckily missed it. In the end, it wouldn’t have mattered because we ran a 3.98. We’re doing good and just need to touch up on some areas to get going a little quicker. The performance is consistent. We’re getting down the racetrack. Now we just need to get to the finish line a little quicker.” Hart was the low qualifier in his quad for the first round of eliminations, lining up against Tony Stewart, Billy Torrance and Tony Schumacher. The cars had performed their burnouts and were about to stage when a light rain at the top end forced NHRA to halt the proceedings. When racing resumed, the HendrickCars.com dragster ran 3.753 seconds at 333.16 mph, but it wasn’t enough against either Stewart’s, 3.727-second posting or Torrence’s 3.731-second run. Schumacher was unable to repair a mechanical issue that occurred as the cars were initially being shut off for the rain so he did not compete in the first round of eliminations. “There are a lot of emotions on the starting line without all the extra chaos in that first round,” said Hart. “We’re running four wide, then we’re running three wide, then we’re running four wide again. I’m usually a lot better at focusing on what I have to do and usually we have a really, really strong car in those conditions but this time the combination, or lack thereof, in that realm put us out. I’m very disappointed for everyone involved with the HendrickCars.comprogram this weekend but I know that the John Force Racing group will get everything going again. I’ll refocus over the next couple of days and be ready when we get to Georgia next week.” The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings after four of 20 races are: Doug Kalitta, 373; 2. Shawn Langdon, 350; 3. Leah Pruett, 297; 4. Tony Stewart, 296; 5. Josh Hart, 265; 6. Maddi Gordon, 238; 7. Justin Ashley, 208; 8. Billy Torrence, 187; 9. Antron Brown, 163; 10. Clay Millican, 146. The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after four of 20 races are: 1. Ron Capps, 369; 2. Matt Hagan, 327; 3. J.R. Todd, 299; 4. Chad Green, 276; 5. Jordan Vandergriff, 262; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 235; 7. Spencer Hyde, 221; 8. Jack Beckman, 213; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 170; 10. Dave Richards, 138. NEXT RACEThe fifth of 20 races of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is the May 1-3 NHRA Southern Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Adel, Ga.

CHARLOTTE, NC (April 26, 2026) – No. 1 qualifier Jonathan Allegrucci took home all the hardware today at zMax Dragway winning the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals for the second year in a row. The driver from Scott Township, Pa. drove his Ford Mustang Cobra Jet to the winner’s circle in a tough quad that included two-time winners Jason and Taylor Dietsch, and Raymond Nash, driver of one of the most competitive Dodge Challenger Drag Paks. His winning time of 7.716 seconds at 178.42 mph was a strong showing to wrap up race day.   “Getting this win means a lot,” said Allegrucci. “Everyone thinks because you won last year, you’re going to come out and do it again. And it just puts the bullseye on your back, and we put more pressure on ourselves. I think it makes it much harder. We came out and qualified on the top spot and it just  gave us more pressure. And then the car started fighting us, showing us who’s boss.”  Jonathan Allegrucci (bottom) drives his Ford Mustang Cobra Jet off the starting line enroute to victory today at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, Photo credit Auto Imagery/Gary NastaseAllegrucci was the first off the starting line in the final and held off Jason Dietsch who was the No. 14 qualifier this weekend and scored two wins last year. Dietsch scored the runner-up finish in his first Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series race of the season racing his Mustang Cobra Jet to the finish line with a 7.722 second run at 166.93 mph. Semifinalists Nash and Taylor Dietsch tripped the finish line timers in 7.739 seconds and 9.007 seconds, respectively, today with a solid effort for their teams.   “We just said, ‘Hey, let’s go do the best we can and let the cards fall where they fall,’” said Allegrucci. “This was a tough day and that second round was really a turning point. We got by that quad and that really set us up for the day.”  With the win Allegrucci moves into the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series points lead and will carry the $1,000 bounty into the next national event. He also took home one of the diamond NHRA Wally trophies celebrating the NHRA’s 75th anniversary.  Jonathan Allegrucci celebrates at the top end after winning his second consecutive NHRA 4-Wide Nationals today. Photo credit: Auto Imagery/Gary Nastase“It’s amazing. Just feeling how heavy it is and looking at it, it’s something special to be able to get out here and do this,” said Allegrucci. “I didn’t think it’s ever possible. I knew we could run with this class and throw some punches here and there. I never thought we could be contending like this at this level. It’s all because of the guys behind us. It’s because of KSR. These guys are just top notch, and they make our job easier.”   Earlier in the day, Nash outran Gatornationals winner Ricky Hord in the third quad to take the $1,000 Flexjet Bounty and advance to the final quad along with Allegrucci. In a wild round following Nash’s win over Hord, Doug Duell, David Davies II and Jason Dietsch all left the starting line before the Christmas Tree activated leading to a unique outcome. The fourth participant of the quad, Taylor Dietsch, was declared the winner and Jason Dietsch also advanced because he was the last participant to leave early sliding him into the second winner position of that quad.   The Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series will be back in action at Route 66 Raceway outside Chicago from May 15-17, 2026.     Flexjet Bounty Program Gatornationals (Gainesville, Fla.) $1,000 bounty collected by Jonathan Allegrucci, defeated Mark Pawuk (2025 Flexjet world champion)   NHRA 4-Wide Nationals (Charlotte, North Carolina) $1,000 bounty collected by Raymond Nash, defeated Ricky Hord (2026 Gatornationals winner)   2026 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Results Gainesville – Ricky Hord, winner; David Janac, runner-up Charlotte – Jonathan Allegrucci, winner; Jason Dietsch, runner-up   Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Point Standings 1. Jonathan Allegrucci    196 2. Richard Hord             192 3. Raymond Nash          167 4. David Janac               145 5. Richard Bierie            142 6. David Davies II          131 7. Jason Dietsch            111 8. Lee Hartman              106 9. Doug Duell                 105 9. Matthew Hartman       105   2026 Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Schedule   May 14-17: 26th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals, Chicago   June 12-14: 25th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Bristol, Tenn.   June 25-28: 20th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Norwalk, Ohio   Sept. 2-7: 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis   Sept. 17-20: Inaugural Dodge NHRA Great Lake Nationals, Martin, Mich.   Oct. 2-4: 15th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals, St. Louis   Oct. 14-18: 41st annual Texas NHRA Fall Nationals, Dallas

NASCAR Cup SeriesTalladega SuperspeedwayJack Link’s 500Team Chevy Post-Race ReportApril 26, 2026

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

·        In a three-lap dash to the finish, Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar became a first-time winner in NASCAR’s premier series – taking the checkered flag in the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. The victory, Chevrolet’s second in the series this season, was celebrated by a manufacturer-leading representation in the top-10, with Hocevar leading Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott in the third and fourth positions, respectively; Hyak Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in sixth; Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain in seventh; and Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch in 10th.  ·        The victory marked the Bowtie brand’s series-leading 46th all-time NASCAR Cup Series win at Talladega Superspeedway. Chevrolet drivers have now earned the victory in five of the nine NASCAR Cup Series races held during the Next Gen era at the Alabama venue – a feat accomplished by five drivers from five different Chevrolet organizations.  RACE RECAP:  Stage One: With the lineup set by the rulebook, Kyle Larson turned last weekend’s season-best finish into a front row starting spot for the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Taking the green flag for Stage One, Larson drove his Chevrolet to the command position heading into Turn One, but it was Austin Dillion that quickly made his charge towards the front. Jumping to the outside to create a third lane, Dillon turned an 18th-place starting position into a battle for the lead in the opening laps. In just 20 laps, the lead pack saw a seven-car breakaway that included a trio of ECR-powered Chevrolet’s – led by Cody Ware in fifth, with the Richard Childress Racing teammates, Busch and Dillon, in tow. With the introduction of new stage lengths for drafting-style tracks, pit strategies saw the three lead pack Chevrolet-powered machines make their first trip to pit road on Lap 41 to start the green flag pit cycle. A mix bag of pit road calls saw the Richard Boswell-led team opt for a two-tire and fuel stop. Once the field cycled through, Dillon found his way back to the top lane and patiently went to work to climb back through the field – finding his way back up to the top position to lead the Bowtie brigade through the two-thirds mark of Stage One. A long opening stage saw a split between an one- and two-stop strategy. The No. 3 Chevrolet were among those that opted to make a second trip to pit road, leading a group of Chevrolet drivers for a scheduled stop on Lap 69 – ultimately cycling up to the 17th position to lead the two-stop strategy cars.  As the stage hit a single-digit lap countdown, there was still a group of cars that chose to stretch the green flag run. With fresh right-side tires and just enough fuel, the radio to Dillon told the Team Chevy driver to “go hard” for the push towards the first green-white checkered flag. With the top-nine cars stretching their fuel to make it a one-stop stage, it was Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain that led Team Chevy in 10th to end Stage One. Stage Two: The 40-lap Stage Two saw Chastain lead the field to the green flag from a position on the front row. With a shorter stage on the horizon, a sense of urgency quickly came across the field as the lead pack saw spurts of four-wide racing. Dicey moves at the front transpired into the “Big One” on Lap 115 that ultimately collected 26 cars. Among those with race-ending damage included the Hendrick Motorsports duo of Larson and Byron. Chastain remained in the battle for the lead throughout the remainder of Stage Two, with the 2022 Talladega winner going on to pick up the stage win. Final Stage: The start of the final stage saw six drivers from five different Chevrolet organizations sitting in the top-10 of the running order. For the first time of the day, Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar found his way to the front of the lead pack – trading position for the lead throughout the opening laps of Stage Three. Sitting back on the front row for the restart with three laps to go, Hocevar edged towards the lead with fellow Team Chevy driver, Alex Bowman, at his back bumper. Sitting in the top position as he led the field to the white flag, a wreck in the lead pack brought out the caution to ultimately end the race for Hocevar to pick up his first career win at NASCAR’s highest level.

Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 ResultsPos.     Driver 1st – Carson Hocevar3rd – Alex Bowman4th – Chase Elliott6th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 7th – Ross Chastain10th – Kyle Busch Chevrolet’s season statistics with 10 NASCAR Cup Series races complete: Wins: 2Poles: 1Top-Fives: 18Top 10s: 34Stage Wins: 7

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Texas Motor Speedway with the Würth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY on Sunday, May 3, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

NASCAR Cup SeriesTalladega SuperspeedwayJack Link’s 500Team Chevy Post-Race ReportApril 26, 2026

Carson Hocevar Drives to First Career NASCAR Cup Series Win at Talladega Superspeedway

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

·        In a three-lap dash to the finish, Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar became a first-time winner in NASCAR’s premier series – taking the checkered flag in the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. The victory, Chevrolet’s second in the series this season, was celebrated by a manufacturer-leading representation in the top-10, with Hocevar leading Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman and Chase Elliott in the third and fourth positions, respectively; Hyak Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in sixth; Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain in seventh; and Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch in 10th.  ·        The victory marked the Bowtie brand’s series-leading 46th all-time NASCAR Cup Series win at Talladega Superspeedway. Chevrolet drivers have now earned the victory in five of the nine NASCAR Cup Series races held during the Next Gen era at the Alabama venue – a feat accomplished by five drivers from five different Chevrolet organizations.  RACE RECAP:  Stage One: With the lineup set by the rulebook, Kyle Larson turned last weekend’s season-best finish into a front row starting spot for the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Taking the green flag for Stage One, Larson drove his Chevrolet to the command position heading into Turn One, but it was Austin Dillion that quickly made his charge towards the front. Jumping to the outside to create a third lane, Dillon turned an 18th-place starting position into a battle for the lead in the opening laps. In just 20 laps, the lead pack saw a seven-car breakaway that included a trio of ECR-powered Chevrolet’s – led by Cody Ware in fifth, with the Richard Childress Racing teammates, Busch and Dillon, in tow. With the introduction of new stage lengths for drafting-style tracks, pit strategies saw the three lead pack Chevrolet-powered machines make their first trip to pit road on Lap 41 to start the green flag pit cycle. A mix bag of pit road calls saw the Richard Boswell-led team opt for a two-tire and fuel stop. Once the field cycled through, Dillon found his way back to the top lane and patiently went to work to climb back through the field – finding his way back up to the top position to lead the Bowtie brigade through the two-thirds mark of Stage One. A long opening stage saw a split between an one- and two-stop strategy. The No. 3 Chevrolet were among those that opted to make a second trip to pit road, leading a group of Chevrolet drivers for a scheduled stop on Lap 69 – ultimately cycling up to the 17th position to lead the two-stop strategy cars.  As the stage hit a single-digit lap countdown, there was still a group of cars that chose to stretch the green flag run. With fresh right-side tires and just enough fuel, the radio to Dillon told the Team Chevy driver to “go hard” for the push towards the first green-white checkered flag. With the top-nine cars stretching their fuel to make it a one-stop stage, it was Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain that led Team Chevy in 10th to end Stage One. Stage Two: The 40-lap Stage Two saw Chastain lead the field to the green flag from a position on the front row. With a shorter stage on the horizon, a sense of urgency quickly came across the field as the lead pack saw spurts of four-wide racing. Dicey moves at the front transpired into the “Big One” on Lap 115 that ultimately collected 26 cars. Among those with race-ending damage included the Hendrick Motorsports duo of Larson and Byron. Chastain remained in the battle for the lead throughout the remainder of Stage Two, with the 2022 Talladega winner going on to pick up the stage win. Final Stage: The start of the final stage saw six drivers from five different Chevrolet organizations sitting in the top-10 of the running order. For the first time of the day, Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar found his way to the front of the lead pack – trading position for the lead throughout the opening laps of Stage Three. Sitting back on the front row for the restart with three laps to go, Hocevar edged towards the lead with fellow Team Chevy driver, Alex Bowman, at his back bumper. Sitting in the top position as he led the field to the white flag, a wreck in the lead pack brought out the caution to ultimately end the race for Hocevar to pick up his first career win at NASCAR’s highest level.

Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 ResultsPos.     Driver 1st – Carson Hocevar3rd – Alex Bowman4th – Chase Elliott6th – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 7th – Ross Chastain10th – Kyle Busch Chevrolet’s season statistics with 10 NASCAR Cup Series races complete: Wins: 2Poles: 1Top-Fives: 18Top 10s: 34Stage Wins: 7

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Texas Motor Speedway with the Würth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY on Sunday, May 3, at 3:30 p.m. ET. Live coverage can be found on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Post-Race Driver Quotes: Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletFinished: 7th“I thought we executed the day really well. We got really fortunate through a lot of scenarios. We were in the right lane there at the end to not get caught up in the last wreck.  There was an emphasis on stage points in January for this No. 1 team, and we’ve struggled getting up there. A point in Stage One and the Stage Two win was good. Brandon (McSwain, crew chief) has been on us to unload better so we can get stage points on downforce tracks. Overall, it was a great effort for this No. 1 Jockey VentraCool Air Chevrolet team.”   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 19th “Not the way we wanted our day to end but our Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Long Beard XR Chevrolet had speed. We were in position to have a shot at it on the last lap which is a positive. I went to the middle and next thing I know, I had contact from behind and around we went. We were still able to finish but it could have been a much better day. Still very proud of the effort from everyone at RCR and ECR.”   Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletSidelined by damage sustained in the “Big One” in Stage Two. Finished: 40th “There was a big stack-up and I was just in the middle of it. It was a bummer for this No. 5 Valvoline Chevrolet team. Just another Talladega result for us, but we got ourselves back there. I don’t know what happened on our first pit stop, but we didn’t get as much fuel in it that we needed to. I was saving fuel and got shuffled to the back. We had to take a little longer on the next pit stop, so we lost the draft and had to restart in the back to start Stage Two. It was starting to get hairy there at the start of the stage, so I wasn’t surprised to get wrapped up in that crash. It’s just an unfortunate end to the day.”    Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 10th “Solid run. We were good early, we just didn’t keep it clean all day. I felt like we had a really good race car early there, we got caught up in the wreck in the second stage and bent her up a little bit, but the guys were able to repair the Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet to get us back in the top 10. I hate it for Austin [Dillon], I think he was going to be a top 5 guy, but they got wrecked in that last one on the start finish, but good job to us. Definitely good to get a good finish. We wanted more, I felt like we were capable of more, but we’ve got to take the top 10 result right now and be happy with that.”   Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 4th “It was an OK day for the No. 9 Prime Video Chevrolet team. You try to do the best you can to execute and put yourself on those first couple of rows. We kept getting really close, but we just lacked a little bit there to put ourselves just one row forward. I think that would have made a big difference for us. Nonetheless, it was a solid day. Super happy for Carson (Hocevar, race winner). He’s been really close many times. Glad to get Team Chevy a win. Between Alex (Bowman) and everyone there on the bottom, I thought we were doing a good job keeping him in it. Happy it worked out for one of us.”   William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletSidelined by damage sustained in the “Big One” in Stage Two. Finished: 35th “I was just trying to get slowed down so I didn’t get any major impacts. It didn’t feel like I hit that hard, but somebody got me in the right-front and I got damage to the suspension. It was cool to have Phorm Energy on our Chevrolet this weekend. It’s a new partner for us, so I wish we could have gotten a better finish for them.  We didn’t have the best Stage One, in terms of how the strategy shook out. We kind of cycled back a little bit. We were just trying to get back towards the front, but we didn’t get the chance. It’s a bummer, but we’ll regroup and get ready for Texas (Motor Speedway) next weekend.”   Jesse Love, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 27th“Today was a bummer in our 1-800-PACK RAT Chevrolet. Even though we made it to the end of the race, our day ended pretty early after we ended up with damage in the Big One. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get it fixed up competitively. We were okay to start the race. We had to save fuel, and crashing is always a risk when you have to save fuel in the first couple of stages. Still thankful for the opportunity and looking forward to my next Cup race.”   Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 3rd“Just happy that we survived. I don’t have many big hits left in me, so coming home with a solid finish was nice. We found ourselves in a good spot and did what we could there at the end. Congratulations to Carson (Hocevar, race winner) and the No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team. It’s cool to get the win for Team Chevy and the Hendrick Engine Shop. We did all we could, and glad we could push hard to get a Chevrolet into victory lane. It was a solid weekend and we’re looking forward to building off it.”   Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 1stSince you’ve come to the Cup Series, you have done things your own way, and I’m just going to start with this victory celebration. Kind of your own way right here?“Yeah, I feel like every time I’ve ever just seen the crown, I never really got to hear them. I had this thought up for a while. I’ve messed it up every which way to not be able to do it. I didn’t care if it took 20 minutes or whatever, I was going to figure out how to do it. It took a while. I’m out of breath.  I am just so thankful. This is the biggest dream I have ever thought of. Thank you to everybody at Spire Motorsports, Jeff Dickerson and Chevrolet. I couldn’t have done it a better way. Hopefully my grandpa’s watching. My grandma passed away last year, so I’m so thankful that I can give my grandpa a trophy now. We rode the Dente today, that’s for sure. I mean just unbelievable… it’s a dream.”