Rachel Meyer Returns to Full-Time Competition with Semifinal Finish at 2026 IHRA Season Opener

March 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Mar 23, 2026 | Featured, Race Results, Rachel Meyer

Rachel Meyer-Curl made a strong statement in her return to full-time competition this weekend, driving the Hedinger’s Equipment / NGK Spark Plugs & Ignition Coils Top Alcohol Dragster as the IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series kicks off its 2026 season at Darana Motorsports Park in Benson, NC.

With 13 competitive dragsters on the property battling for just eight qualifying spots, Meyer and the Randy Meyer Racing team delivered when it counted. After a clean and consistent qualifying effort, Meyer secured the No. 5 position with a smooth 3.53-second pass at 223 mph in the eighth mile during the second qualifying session.

Rolling into eliminations, Meyer faced Tom Fox Jr. in the opening round. In a side-by-side matchup, Meyer got the win with a strong 3.50-second run, edging out Fox’s 3.53 to advance to the semifinals.

In the second round, Meyer continued to show consistency behind the wheel, running a 3.52 at 228 mph. Despite the solid performance, she came up just short in a close race against Jamie Noonan, who posted a 3.49 in a tight, side-by-side finish.

The semifinal result marks an impressive return for Meyer in her first race back to a full-time schedule in IHRA competition, showing both speed and consistency against a competitive field.

“With 13 cars on the property, I’m proud of our team for making it down to the final four,” said Meyer. “We stuck the tire second round and it slowed us down, but the next race is only a few weekends away and hopefully we can come away with a win. I can’t thank my family, crew, sponsors, and IHRA enough for the opportunity.”

Rachel Meyer Returns to Full-Time Competition with Semifinal Finish at 2026 IHRA Season Opener

Mar 23, 2026 | Featured, Race Results, Rachel Meyer

The semifinal result marks an impressive return for Meyer in her first race back to a full-time schedule in IHRA competition, showing both speed and consistency against a competitive field.

The team will look to build on this momentum as they head to the next IHRA event in Richmond, continuing Meyer’s pursuit of success in her return season.

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Chevy Racing–Martinsville

March 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE Martinsville SpeedwayMarch 28-29, 2026

The first half-mile track of the season is on the horizon for the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series as the pair will venture to Virginia to take on Martinsville Speedway this weekend.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

This will mark the sport’s first of two appearances at the infamous Virginia short-track this season, with all three national touring series returning to the venue in October for the penultimate race of the Chase. Martinsville Speedway’s history in NASCAR is unmatched – standing tall as the only track that’s hosted a Cup Series race since the division’s inception in 1949. For Chevrolet, the .526-mile Virginia venue is statistically the manufacturer’s most successful track on the NASCAR circuit with a series-leading 62 victories and 57 poles at the sport’s highest level. William Byron was the most recent driver to add to those tallies when the Charlotte, North Carolina, native drove his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to both the pole and the race win in the series’ most recent visit to the track (Oct. 2025). It was an effort that carried the Team Chevy driver to his third-straight Championship Four appearance.

“The Paperclip” also holds a special place in the legacy of two of Chevrolet’s longest-standing team partners. For Hendrick Motorsports, Martinsville Speedway is the site that delivered the organization its first-ever Cup Series victory (Geoff Bodine; Apr. 1984) – beginning its journey towards becoming the winningest organization in series’ history. Richard Childress Racing also added to its already storied history book one year ago when Austin Hill drove the organization to its milestone 100th all-time win in NASCAR’s second-level series during the series’ spring visit to the track.

BYRON BACK TO DEFENDWilliam Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team are quickly finding early-season consistency. With a third-straight top-eight finish, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native left the “Lady in Black” with a two-position gain in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings to now sit sixth in the rankings. With momentum on his side, what better place to knock-out the team’s first win of the season than at the track where his last visit turned into a near dominate weekend – sweeping the pole, both stages and the race win to earn a spot in the Championship Four for the third consecutive season. Byron has made 16 career Martinsville starts under the Hendrick Motorsports banner – tallying nine top-eight results, including three trips to victory lane.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·        Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Martinsville Speedway:  William Byron – three wins (2022, ‘24, ‘25)Kyle Busch – two wins (2016 & ‘17)Kyle Larson – one win (2023)Alex Bowman – one win (2021) Chase Elliott – one win (2020)

·        In 154 NASCAR Cup Series races at Martinsville Speedway, Chevrolet has recorded 62 victories and 57 pole wins – both of which are series-leading records. Among those victories includes wins in four of the eight races contested in the Next Gen era at the track, including William Byron’s three career victories at the track and Kyle Larson’s triumph in the spring 2023 event.

·        With Justin Allgaier and JR Motorsports win in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Darlington Raceway, Chevrolet remains undefeated this season with six-straight wins – setting the record for the longest season-opening streak by a single manufacturer in the division’s history.

·        In 150 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 67 victories – a winning percentage of 44.67%.

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

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

TUNE-IN:NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400Sunday, Mar. 29, at 3:30 p.m. ETFS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts SeriesNFPA 250Saturday, Mar. 28, at 3:30 p.m. ETCW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat comes to mind when you think about Martinsville?“Brandon McSwain (crew chief) has won there before with the 24 team. I hope I have the next two decades to keep trying to win it. I want to be better there. I’ve been working on things in the simulator to try and be better there and help my driving. No matter how the car is, it could be tight or loose, or whatever it wants to be, there’s things that I inherently do that just aren’t great there with the wheel and pedal. I’m working to be better.” How cool is it to have a unique trophy like the grandfather clock at Martinsville?“I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know Clay Campbell (Martinsville Speedway President) up there a little bit and go to breakfast with him. Hearing him tell stories of his family’s history in and around Martinsville and the legacy he wants to continue on is really cool. That grandfather clock is a real thing you can take home when you win which is so cool. Everything in that track is built on the foundation around NASCAR and what the France family and the Campbell family have done together. The grandfather clock is something that I want. I want it really bad, and I’ll work a really long time to try to take one home.” Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet“I’m looking forward to Martinsville Speedway. I think we made some ground there at the end of the race last time we were there. I felt like our car was pretty good, so we can build off of that. Martinsville’s a fun track. I can’t wait to get there and try to chase after the grandfather clock.” Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Coming off your second top-10 of the season, how are you feeling heading into Martinsville?“I am so proud of this No. 7 Spire Motorsports team. We are bringing really fast cars to the track, and I am super excited to keep the momentum going and to keep building off what we have done in the past six weeks. Martinsville is a place that I love, but in the past few years, it’s been very bad for me. I’m looking forward to working with my group of guys and hopefully, I can turn my numbers around there.” Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet At Martinsville, how do you balance aggressiveness?  “Martinsville is a tricky track. It has concrete surface in the corners, so it changes a lot during the race. When you have these long runs, and you get these rubber build ups, especially when it’s over 70 degrees outside, you get the clumping of the rubber on the racetrack, so you have to start searching around and trying to find a groove that your car will really work in. Obviously, the shortest way around is always the fastest way around, because there’s not really much momentum that you can build up on the outside at Martinsville. It’s a paper clip and its very stop and go. But then when you have cautions, all that rubber gets cleaned off and you’ve got to start all over again. So, a lot of changes happening there at Martinsville.” What makes Martinsville great? “There’s always action at Martinsville. It’s a great racetrack with close quarters action. Fans are right on top of the speedway seeing the cars up close and personal. It’s always great going back to a short track atmosphere that we all grew up racing somewhere. I grew up in late models at the local short tracks that were half mile or smaller like Martinsville so it’s fun going there.” Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing ChevroletHow important is Martinsville to you?“Martinsville is a great racetrack. I’ve always performed well there. I feel like last year was one of our best racetracks for our team, speed-wise, and I think this year with the new package, it’s going to be even more exciting. I can’t wait to get out there and see how this car performs with more horsepower than Martinsville has had before.” AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet What do you think about Martinsville Speedway?“I think it’ll be interesting to see if it’s different with the more horsepower now. As they soften the tire, tire wear has become an issue there, so it would be curious with more horsepower if it kind of goes back somewhat like the old cars. It’s always a tough racetrack to figure out with these cars, in the sense of all the shifting you do and that fine line of getting the thing to turn but still being able to drive off. But it’s a fun race, especially when you’re good and have a car to win with—it’s a really fun racetrack.” What type of mindset do you have heading into this historic short track?“Your mindset is that it’s going to be a battle. You’re always going to be surrounded by cars. It’s important to have patience, try to stay calm, and not get yourself in trouble there. At the end of the day, hopefully we go out there, have a good practice, and qualify well. Track position is so important there. Short tracks have probably been our toughest with this car, trying to figure it out. Hopefully we can go there and have a solid day. I feel like the last couple of years we’ve at least made gains to be more competitive, and I like that. Hopefully we keep doing that.” Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet What is the key to having a successful day on Sunday? What’s the biggest difference from the O’Reilly Series race? “Getting into the corner hard is going to be important. Your entry speed needs to be fast to not give up under braking, but you also need to be able to put throttle down on exit. When I look at data, the guys who win the race have top entry speed and top exit speed, but their center speed isn’t great. Not worrying as much about the center has also made us pretty good on the O’Reilly side, so maybe that transfers over. Shifting will be the biggest difference because we won’t do that on Saturday. That will be a learning experience for everyone with the new 750hp package though.” Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet “I think we are all looking forward to Martinsville this weekend. Last year it was a pretty strong track for us, qualified sixth there in the fall and had a solid run throughout the day. So hopefully we can build off that and get a solid run under our belt to start the season for the HaasTooling.com Chevrolet Camaro.” Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“Martinsville can be a long day, but our guys have been working hard in the shop to get the No. 47 ready. It’s great having Jack Link’s back with the new paint scheme and we’re looking forward to getting on track.” Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet“There’s a lot of strength needed for driving a racecar, especially when it comes to braking. It takes a lot of brake pressure to extract 700-800 pounds of braking force into the corner. And at Martinsville, we’re doing that 800 times over the course of 400 laps. It’s about being on your game from start to finish, where you’re as good on lap 400 as you were on lap one. The biggest thing is going to be qualifying and track position. Tires equalize pretty quickly at Martinsville, and 40-50 laps into a run, everyone’s pretty much running the same time, whether it’s first or 36^th. Whatever you can do to start strong and either maintain track position or improve on restarts, that’s where most of your progress is going to be made throughout the day.” Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat makes Martinsville so special, and what have you learned since your first start there?“Martinsville is one of those tracks where I feel like if I can win there, I’ve truly arrived as a Cup Series driver. It’s such a unique and technical place, and short-track racing isn’t something I grew up doing like a lot of these guys. You’re beating and banging all race long, and you have to keep your guard up the whole race. It’s also a track with a lot of history for me since that’s where I made my first Cup Series start. It’s a tough place to get around with how high the intensity is. You don’t get much time to catch your breath and reset. We’ve been able to find a good groove in practice and qualifying, but the smallest mistake can ruin your day. Hopefully, we can continue to build on that speed and put together a complete weekend at Martinsville.” Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletHow does a day like you had at Darlington boost your confidence heading into Martinsville?“I’m just glad we positioned ourselves for a good qualifying metric for Martinsville. We normally really struggle at Martinsville, but I think we can take good advantage of the good qualifying draw and set ourselves up for a good day. We need to continue to stack these kinds of finishes. It will be very important as we head down the stretch of the schedule into the summer.” We are coming into the third short-track race of the year with the higher horsepower and lower downforce package. Do you believe it has been playing to your advantage?“We were super-fast at Bowman Gray, and had a good speed at Phoenix, but we just haven’t gotten a hold on Martinsville. The guys have been working hard at it, and our cars are getting better. I think you will see comers and goers like we did last week at Darlington, and think if things play out right, we can roll late in the final run.” Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat is it like to race at Martinsville?“I enjoy Martinsville. It hasn’t treated me the best in the past. I feel like we’ve been really, really fast there. I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be a different style race in the Cup car. The race is a lot longer so trying to stay alive and stay on the lead lap I think people race a little differently in Cup than they do in the O’Reilly Series so I’m looking forward to seeing what that’s like. That race is always a crazy one. A track that short creates chaos but it’s a lot of fun. I’m excited to go there. We have Choice Privileges on our No. 88 Chevrolet and it’s going to be fun to have them at the track this weekend. I’m just going to take it all in and hopefully qualify well and put ourselves in position to have a good day on Sunday.” How do you think the racing will be at Martinsville this weekend since the cars will have more horsepower like Darlington?“I’m not sure. A lot of guys say they feel a huge difference but at the end of the day it’s only 80 horsepower. It’s enough to make a difference but not enough to be a complete game changer. I’m curious to see if it puts things in the driver’s hands.” How do you keep your emotions in check with the tight racing at Martinsville? “You definitely have to manage your emotions at Martinsville. Tempers can flare and it’s easy to get frustrated. Sometimes you’ve just got to let things go. If somebody moves you up the track you’ve got to let them go and get them back the next lap and not go into the next corner and completely wreck them. It’s tough at times when you’re getting your back bumper beat off to just let it happen but at the end of the day there’s not a lot you can do.” How tricky is it to navigate pit road at Martinsville?“It’s really tough in Cup. I felt like I was used to having easier pit stalls in the O’Reilly series. When you go to Sundays, it’s a little tougher to manage that. I don’t always get the best pit stalls, and it’s changed the complexion of pit road and how difficult it is to manage that each and every week.” Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletUsually, drivers that excel on road courses, pick up Martinsville (Speedway) pretty quickly because it’s a technical track. How do you feel your progression has been at Martinsville?“It’s one of my better tracks for sure. It’s a little difficult having the left foot braking and down shifting, that is not something I’m used to. I feel like Martinsville is one of my stronger one. I really look forward to going there. The racing gets a bit crazy, but in general it’s one of my favorite tracks.” What have you learned about restarts in the Cup Series?“There is a lot more take than there is give, so certainly I’ve gotten a lot better at putting myself in a better spot, try not to get taken advantage of. Last year I was really conservative for the first half of the year. This year and even the end of last year, I got a lot better at putting myself in good places and not getting swallowed up.”

Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series StatisticsManufacturer Championships:Total (1949-2025): 44First title for Chevrolet: 1958Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)Most recent: 2025 Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Driver Championships:Total (1949-2025): 34First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)Most recent: Kyle Larson (2025)Driver and Manufacturer Championship Sweeps: 29 Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2025 Event Victories:Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007) 2026 STATISTICS: Wins: 0Poles: 1Laps Led: 261Top-Fives: 11Top-10s: 20Stage Wins: 2 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 881 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 767Laps led to date: 256,995Top-fives to date: 4,447Top-10s to date: 9,171 Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date: General Motors: 1,215 Chevrolet: 881 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: 208

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCEMartinsville SpeedwayMarch 28-29, 2026

The first half-mile track of the season is on the horizon for the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series as the pair will venture to Virginia to take on Martinsville Speedway this weekend.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

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Wood Brothers Racing–Race Week Briefing: Martinsville Speedway

March 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

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THE MONTH AHEAD: April Agenda Brings World of Outlaws to Four States in Three Weeks

March 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

CONCORD, NC (March 25, 2026) – April is almost here, and that means plenty more dirt tracks across the nation are preparing to open the gates for the first time in 2026.

Next month’s slate will feature the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision’s first trip outside the southeast of the year to Illinois. From there, the tour travels south once more for a weekend in Alabama before returning to the Midwest for a swing through Iowa and Wisconsin.

Here’s a look at what’s ahead:

Farmer City Raceway | Illini 100 (April 10-11): As has become tradition over the past two decades, the Illini 100 once again holds the title of being the first national-level dirt track race of the season in Illinois.

Billy Moyer won the inaugural World of Outlaws race at Farmer City Raceway on Aug. 14, 2006, before the date shifted to April in 2007 – the slot it has remained in ever since. The first Midwest bullring of the season has produced a flurry of spectacular moments over the years, including the unforgettable finish in 2024 between Nick Hoffman and Bobby Pierce that saw both cars sliding off the track as they crossed the line.

Farmer City also has a knack for producing first-time winners, as three drivers have earned their first World of Outlaws victory in the Illini 100. Two of them did it on the same weekend in 2021, when Mike Spatola won his first and only Series race to date on Friday before Pierce broke through for his first of 45 wins and counting on Saturday. Last year, it was Ethan Dotson’s turn to score the biggest Late Model win of his career in his first full-time season as an Outlaw.

Talladega Short Track | Alabama Gang 100 (April 24-25): Once the sun goes down on NASCAR weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, the action continues across the street at Talladega Short Track.

The weekend begins with a $12,000-to-win opener on Friday night. Then on Saturday, approximately an hour after the conclusion of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at the big track, Late Models will hit the track to commence the $25,000-to-win finale.

The inaugural edition of the race honoring southern legends Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison and Red Farmer went to Brandon Overton in 2023. Rain washed out the event in 2024, but it returned in 2025 with Pierce earning his first Talladega victory.

While there have only been a pair of World of Outlaws races in Talladega’s storied history, plenty of current Outlaws are no stranger to success on the Alabama red clay. Ryan Gustin is a former winner of the track’s signature Ice Bowl held every January, while Tim McCreadie, Ethan Dotson and Trey Mills all have Talladega wins on their resume.

Independence Motor Speedway | Independence Late Model Showdown (April 28): When the dust settles at Talladega, there won’t be much time to rest with the next stop on tour only three days away.

Teams will make the trek north to Iowa for a Tuesday night visit to Independence Motor Speedway, which will be the seventh World of Outlaws race contested at the 3/8-mile. Josh Richards won the first one in 2011 before Darrell Lanigan reigned supreme, winning three years in a row between 2012 and 2014. It would be five years before the Series returned in 2019 for a race won by Brandon Sheppard, then five more until the latest trip in 2024 which Pierce topped.

The midweek showdown will be a special one for Gustin, as it will be the first of six home-state World of Outlaws races in 2026 for the Iowa native. The “Reaper” turned plenty of laps at Independence in his Modified days and finished seventh in his only World of Outlaws start there in 2024.

Mississippi Thunder Speedway | Dairyland Showdown (April 30-May 2): The late-spring visit to southwest Wisconsin has become an annual staple of the World of Outlaws schedule in recent seasons to usher in racing season in the upper Midwest.

The Timm family along with promoter Tyrone Lingenfelter have poured loads of time, effort and money into turning Mississippi Thunder Speedway into a destination facility, and they’ve been rewarded with strong crowds and excellent racing at the Dairyland Showdown and throughout the season. The sixth-annual running of the event will include a pair of $10,000-to-win preliminary nights on Thursday and Friday leading into Saturday’s $40,000-to-win finale.

Not only is the Mississippi Thunder winners list a who’s who of modern-day stars, the track has also produced eight different winners in 10 points-paying World of Outlaws Features. Sheppard and Hoffman are the only two multi-time victors, while Pierce, Gustin, Chris Madden, Jonathan Davenport, Mike Marlar and Tyler Erb have also found Victory Lane.

Find tickets and more information for every World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision event in 2026 by clicking here.

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

THE MONTH AHEAD: April Agenda Brings World of Outlaws to Four States in Three Weeks

CONCORD, NC (March 25, 2026) – April is almost here, and that means plenty more dirt tracks across the nation are preparing to open the gates for the first time in 2026.

Here’s a look at what’s ahead:

Talladega Short Track | Alabama Gang 100 (April 24-25): Once the sun goes down on NASCAR weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, the action continues across the street at Talladega Short Track.

Find tickets and more information for every World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision event in 2026 by clicking here.

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

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/the-month-ahead-april-agenda-brings-world-of-outlaws-to-four-states-in-three-weeks/

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TOP FIVE STORYLINES: Major Midwestern Stretch Begins with US 36, 81 Speedway Weekend

March 24, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

OSBORN, MO (March 24, 2026) – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is ready to hit the ground running in America’s Heartland.

An extended stay in the Midwest is ahead for The Greatest Show on Dirt. Stops in Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa are all ahead in the next month for the country’s best Sprint Car drivers.

It begins this weekend as Osborn, MO’s US 36 Raceway makes a popular return to the schedule for the KC Classic on Friday, March 27. The “Show-Me State” oval never fails to produce some of the best Sprint Car racing fans can find anywhere.

Then it’s one state west as the spotlight shines on Park City, KS’ 81 Speedway on Saturday, March 28. The Tallgrass Tusslebrings the World of Outlaws to the track just north of Wichita for the 16th time in Series history.

BUY US 36 TICKETS HERE
BUY 81 TICKETS HERE

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVision

Let’s look at the biggest stories to watch this weekend:

DOES THE STREAK STAY ALIVE?

There isn’t a lot David Gravel hasn’t done at this point in his career, but he checked off another box over the Oklahoma weekend.

The two-time and defending champion swept the races at Lawton Speedway and Creek County Speedway. Combine those with his Kennedale Speedway Park score from the prior Friday, and you get the first three-race World of Outlaws win streak of Gravel’s career. It’s also allowed Gravel and Big Game Motorsports to stretch their advantage atop the standings to 58 markers.

Friday presents Gravel the chance to be the first driver to win four in a row since Brad Sweet in early April of 2021. Recent history favors the Watertown, CT native considering he claimed the last US 36 visit in 2024. Should he get the job done in Missouri, he’ll go for the first five-race streak since Donny Schatz pulled it off in March of 2017. He’s yet to win at 81, but he’s been on the podium all three times he’s raced there.

BRAWL FOR SECOND

Gravel might be stretching his legs at the top, but it’s a donnybrook the runner-up spot knowing if Gravel slips at all, they can pounce. Only 38 points separate five drivers.

Carson Macedo currently sits second, but he and Jason Johnson Racing fought some struggles in Oklahoma. A spin at Lawton turned a potential podium into a 16th-place finish. Qualifying and Heat Race problems at Creek County left them playing catch up, and Macedo salvaged a top 10 after starting 22nd. The Lemoore, CA native has been to US 36 on three occasions and never finished worse than seventh. Over at 81, he was runner-up in his 2023 debut before slipping to ninth in 2024.

Six straight finishes of eighth or better have allowed Sheldon Haudenschild and KCP Racing to climb to third. The new combination sits just six markers shy of Macedo for second. Haudenschild won his first two US 36 appearances (2020 and 2023) and was primed to make it three straight in 2024 before an incident in traffic. The Wooster, OH native has improved with each visit to 81 – 12th in 2017, seventh in 2023, and fourth in 2024.

Donny Schatz and CJB Motorsports are beginning to click and sit fourth in points as a result. They’ve pieced together four consecutive top 10s including a pair of podiums. Seven trips to US 36 have yielded five top 10s for Schatz highlighted by a 2024 runner-up. Among the current crop of 17 full-time World of Outlaws drivers, Schatz is the only one with a victory at 81, and he’s topped a pair at the Kansas track.

The fifth spot belongs to Logan Schuchart. The Shark Racing No. 1S has been solid all year with seven top 10s through nine races and nearly picked up a victory at Creek County until slipping to fifth in the final laps. The Pennsylvanian owns a pair of top fives in four US 36 appearances. His best result at 81 in three tries is seventh.

Michael “Buddy” Kofoid sits sixth after some mechanical woes and crashes have hampered the championship contender early in the campaign. He did rebound with a Creek County runner-up on Saturday in the Roth Motorsports No. 83. Kofoid podiumed at the 2024 trip to US 36. He also bagged a top five at 81 the same season.

SHOW-ME STATE SOPHOMORE

Three of the next four races are in the state of Missouri, which means it’s time for some home games for Garet Williamson.

It begins on Friday with US 36, which is only about 150 miles from his hometown of Columbia, MO. The Series sophomore finished second with the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) there in 2021. After the Kansas tilt Saturday and Easter weekend off, the tour returns to the “Show-Me State” for a weekend (April 10-11) at Pevely, Mo’s I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park. He’s been in the top 10 in two of his last four races at I-55.

Williamson is off to a solid start in his second season with The Greatest Show on Dirt. He’s got an average finish of 10.89 and holds down the seventh spot in points after nine races.

THE NIGHTMARE IS KNOCKING

The start of Bill Balog’s third World of Outlaws season didn’t go according to plan in Florida, but he’s quickly turned things around and is knocking on the door of Victory Lane.

The turnaround began with a sixth-place run at Talladega. Then “The North Pole Nightmare” led the most laps and nearly won at Kennedale before being passed by David Gravel in the final corner. The latest sign of progress was leading 13 laps and a top 10 finish at Creek County.

Balog gets two more opportunities to score that first victory of the season this weekend. He’s yet to crack the top 10 at either track on the agenda, but recent momentum suggests that could change.

ROOKIE CHECK-IN

The battle for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year presented by Five Star Bodies is living up to the hype.

Ashton Torgerson pulled ahead early thanks to three top 10s in the first five races including a runner-up at Volusia Speedway Park. But then Emerson Axsom came alive with back-to-back top 10s at Kennedale and Lawton while Torgerson struggled. That gave Axsom the top spot only for Torgerson to reclaim it after a ninth at Creek County. A mere six points now separates the two.

Behind the top two, it’s Kasey Jedrzejek, Scotty Thiel, and Scott Bogucki completing the standings of the 2026 rookie class. Bogucki made a statement over the weekend by driving from ninth to second at Lawton for his first Series podium.

All five rookies are separated by only 72 markers.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE
Friday, March 27 at US 36 Raceway in Osborn, MO
Saturday, March 28 at 81 Speedway in Park City, KS

AROUND THE TURN
Friday-Saturday, April 10-11 at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park in Pevely, MO (TICKETS)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (9/85 Races):
1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports No. 2 (1250 PTS)
2. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 (-58 PTS)
3. Sheldon Haudenschild – KCP Racing No. 18 (-64 PTS)
4. Donny Schatz – CJB Motorsports No. 15 (-84 PTS)
5. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing No. 1S (-92 PTS)
6. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports No. 83 (-96 PTS)
7. Garet Williamson – Fischer Motorsports No. 23 (-140 PTS)
8. Chris Windom – Sides Motorsports No. 7S (-148 PTS)
9. Spencer Bayston – Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing No. 17 (-156 PTS)
10. Bill Balog – B2 Motorsports (-162 PTS)

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (6 Drivers):
3 Wins – David Gravel
2 Wins – Anthony Macri
1 Win – Spencer Bayston, Michael Kofoid, Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz

FEATURE LAPS LED (13 Drivers):
44 Laps Led – Bill Balog
40 Laps Led – Anthony Macri
35 Laps Led – Donny Schatz
34 Laps Led – Michael Kofoid, David Gravel
25 Laps Led – Sheldon Haudenschild
18 Laps Led – Brady Bacon
12 Laps Led – Carson Macedo
10 Laps Led – Spencer Bayston
6 Laps Led – Brian Brown, Brock Zearfoss
5 Laps Led – Logan Schuchart
1 Lap Led – Christopher ThramPODIUM FINISHES (11 Drivers):
7 Podiums – David Gravel
5 Podiums – Carson Macedo
3 Podiums – Anthony Macri, Michael Kofoid
2 Podiums – Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz
1 Podium – Spencer Bayston, Ashton Torgerson, Bill Balog, Scott Bogucki, Brady Bacon

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS QUICKTIME AWARDS (6 Drivers):
3 Quick Times – David Gravel
2 Quick Times – Sheldon Haudenschild
1 Quick Time – Logan Schuchart, Ashton Torgerson, Kasey Jedrzejek, Brady Bacon

HEAT RACE WINNERS (14 Drivers):
7 Heat Wins – David Gravel
5 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild
3 Heat Wins – Logan Schuchart, Carson Macedo, Ashton Torgerson
2 Heat Wins – Anthony Macri, Michael Kofoid, Bill Balog
1 Heat Win – Chase Dietz, Justin Peck, Tanner Holmes, Donny Schatz, Scott Thiel, Emerson Axsom

TOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (28 Drivers):
8 Dashes – David Gravel
7 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild
5 Dashes – Michael Kofoid
4 Dashes – Anthony Macri, Carson Macedo, Logan Schuchart, Ashton Torgerson
3 Dashes – Bill Balog
2 Dashes – Brent Marks, Tanner Holmes, Garet Williamson, Kasey Jedrzejek, Donny Schatz, Emerson Axsom, Scotty Thiel
1 Dash – Brian Brown, Chase Dietz, Justin Peck, Parker Price-Miller, Ryan Timms, Brock Zearfoss, Kerry Madsen, Bryce Lucius, Spencer Bayston, Christopher Thram, Brady Bacon, Chris Windom, Sam Hafertepe Jr.

MICRO-LITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (4 Drivers):
3 LCS Wins – Donny Schatz
2 LCS Wins – Michael Kofoid, Chris Windom
1 LCS Wins – Cameron Martin

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (6 Drivers):
2 Hard Chargers – Garet Williamson, Donny Schatz, Michael Kofoid
1 Hard Charger – Chris Windom, Giovanni Scelzi, Carson Macedo

ACME FASTEST LAP AWARDS (7 Drivers):
2 Fastest Laps – Michael Kofoid, Bill Balog
1 Fastest Lap – Anthony Macri, Brock Zearfoss, Sheldon Haudenschild, Carson Macedo, Brady Bacon

RACE READY CLOTHING HOTTEST LAP OF THE NIGHT AWARDS (7 Drivers):
2 Hottest Laps – Logan Schuchart, David Gravel
1 Hottest Lap – Austin McCarl, Brent Marks, Cole Macedo, Buddy Kofoid, Emerson Axsom

TOP FIVE STORYLINES: Major Midwestern Stretch Begins with US 36, 81 Speedway Weekend

OSBORN, MO (March 24, 2026) – The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is ready to hit the ground running in America’s Heartland.

BUY US 36 TICKETS HERE
BUY 81 TICKETS HERE

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVision

Let’s look at the biggest stories to watch this weekend:

DOES THE STREAK STAY ALIVE?

There isn’t a lot David Gravel hasn’t done at this point in his career, but he checked off another box over the Oklahoma weekend.

BRAWL FOR SECOND

Gravel might be stretching his legs at the top, but it’s a donnybrook the runner-up spot knowing if Gravel slips at all, they can pounce. Only 38 points separate five drivers.

SHOW-ME STATE SOPHOMORE

Three of the next four races are in the state of Missouri, which means it’s time for some home games for Garet Williamson.

Williamson is off to a solid start in his second season with The Greatest Show on Dirt. He’s got an average finish of 10.89 and holds down the seventh spot in points after nine races.

THE NIGHTMARE IS KNOCKING

The start of Bill Balog’s third World of Outlaws season didn’t go according to plan in Florida, but he’s quickly turned things around and is knocking on the door of Victory Lane.

Balog gets two more opportunities to score that first victory of the season this weekend. He’s yet to crack the top 10 at either track on the agenda, but recent momentum suggests that could change.

ROOKIE CHECK-IN

The battle for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year presented by Five Star Bodies is living up to the hype.

All five rookies are separated by only 72 markers.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (6 Drivers):
3 Wins – David Gravel
2 Wins – Anthony Macri
1 Win – Spencer Bayston, Michael Kofoid, Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz

MICRO-LITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (4 Drivers):
3 LCS Wins – Donny Schatz
2 LCS Wins – Michael Kofoid, Chris Windom
1 LCS Wins – Cameron Martin

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (6 Drivers):
2 Hard Chargers – Garet Williamson, Donny Schatz, Michael Kofoid
1 Hard Charger – Chris Windom, Giovanni Scelzi, Carson Macedo

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)
Sat, March 14 / Kennedale Speedway Park / Kennedale, TX (Postponed)
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
Sat, March 28 / 81 Speedway / Park City, KS
Fri, April 10 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Sat, April 11 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Fri, April 17 / Jacksonville Speedway / Jacksonville, IL
Sat, April 18 / Tri-State Speedway / Haubstadt, IN
Fri, April 24 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Sat, April 25 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Fri, May 1 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH
Sat, May 2 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Tues, May 5 / Lincoln Speedway / Abbottstown, PA
Fri, May 8 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Sat, May 9 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Fri, May 15 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
Sat, May 16 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
Sat, May 23 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Sun, May 24 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Fri, May 29 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND
Sun, May 31 / Nodak Speedway / Minot, ND
Fri, June 5 / Hartford Speedway / Hartford, MI
Sat, June 6 / Plymouth Dirt Track / Plymouth, WI
Sun, June 7 / Angell Park Speedway / Sun Prairie, WI
Fri, June 12 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Sat, June 13 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Wed, June 17 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Thurs, June 18 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Fri, June 19 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Sat, June 20 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Fri, June 26 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Sat, June 27 / Cedar Lake Speedway / New Richmond, WI
Fri, July 10 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI
Sat, July 11 / Wilmot Raceway / Wilmot, WI
Tues, July 14 / Attica Raceway Park / Attica, OH
Fri, July 17 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
Sat, July 18 / Eldora Speedway / Rossburg, OH
Tues, July 21 / Ohsweken Speedway / Ohsweken, ON, Canada
Wed, July 22 / Ohsweken Speedway / Ohsweken, ON, Canada
Sat, July 25 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY
Sun, July 26 / Weedsport Speedway / Weedsport, NY
Wed, July 29 / BAPS Motor Speedway / York Haven, PA
Fri, July 31 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Sat, Aug 1 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Fri, Aug 7 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Sat, Aug 8 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
Wed, Aug 12 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA*
Thurs, Aug 13 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA*
Fri, Aug 14 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA*
Sat, Aug 15 / Knoxville Raceway / Knoxville, IA
Fri, Aug 21 / Ogilvie Raceway / Ogilvie, MN
Sat, Aug 22 / Jackson Motorplex / Jackson, MN
Fri, Aug 28 / River Cities Speedway / Grand Forks, ND
Sat, Aug 29 / Red River Valley Speedway / West Fargo, ND
Fri, Sept 4 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Sat, Sept 5 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Sun, Sept 6 / Huset’s Speedway / Brandon, SD
Fri, Sept 11 / Belleville High Banks / Belleville, KS
Sat, Sept 12 / Dodge City Raceway Park / Dodge City, KS
Mon, Sept 14 / El Paso County Raceway / Calhan, CO
Fri, Sept 18 / Stockton Dirt Track / Stockton, CA
Sat, Sept 19 / Stockton Dirt Track / Stockton, CA
Fri, Sept 25 / Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway / Bakersfield, CA
Sat, Sept 26 / Ventura Raceway / Ventura, CA
Fri, Oct 2 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Sat, Oct 3 / Williams Grove Speedway / Mechanicsburg, PA
Thurs, Oct 8 / Millstream Speedway / Findlay, OH
Fri, Oct 9 / Mansfield Speedway / Mansfield, OH
Sat, Oct 10 / Sharon Speedway / Hartford, OH
Fri, Oct 16 / Lincoln Park Speedway / Putnamville, IN
Sat, Oct 17 / TBA
Fri, Oct 23 / Texarkana 67 Speedway / Texarkana, AR
Sat, Oct 24 / Texarkana 67 Speedway / Texarkana, AR
Wed, Nov 4 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Thurs, Nov 5 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Fri, Nov 6 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC
Sat, Nov 7 / The Dirt Track at Charlotte / Concord, NC

Uncategorized

TOP FIVE STORYLINES: March Southern Swing Wraps Up with Stops at East Alabama, Senoia

March 24, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

CONCORD, NC (March 24, 2026) – It’s been a busy start to the 2026 season for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision, and the grind rolls on in Alabama and Georgia.

The last of three-straight March weekends in the south lies ahead, beginning with the highly anticipated return to East Alabama Motor Speedway on Friday, March 27. The track best known as the home of the National 100 hasn’t hosted the World of Outlaws since 2006, but the two-decade drought ends this week with a $12,000-to-win showdown at the “Playground of Power.”

From there, teams will make the 90-minute drive north to Senoia Raceway for the 2026 edition of the Billy Clanton Classic on Saturday, March 28. The $20,000-to-win event will be the fifth visit by the World of Outlaws to the “gray clay” oval, but the first in March after the last two were contested in the fall.

In addition to the World of Outlaws, the itinerary will also include Hobby Stocks and Road Warriors at East Alabama and 602 Late Models and 602 Chargers at Senoia.

GET EAST ALABAMA TICKETS

SENOIA TICKETS SOLD AT TRACK ONLY

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVISION

Here are this week’s top storylines:

TWO-HORSE RACE: The statistics make one thing clear with a dozen races in the books in 2026 – there’s Bobby Pierce and Nick Hoffman, and then there’s everyone else.

The top two drivers are separated by 14 points leaving Magnolia Motor Speedway last weekend, while third-place Tim McCreadie is already 100 points behind Hoffman in second. In terms of average finish, Pierce and Hoffman are neck-and-neck at 3.58 and 3.75, respectively, but no one else is in the single digits.

However, both drivers have gotten to those positions in vastly different ways. Pierce has struggled early in the night on several occasions, which has resulted in a 10.75 average starting spot that’s more than five spots worse than Hoffman’s 5.67. Not to worry though, as Pierce’s 86 positions gained in Features is the best in the Series. While Pierce has been slicing his way through the field night after night, Hoffman has been enjoying his time up front, leading more than twice as many laps as Pierce at 140 to 61.

Friday’s race at East Alabama could be anyone’s game – Hoffman has never been to Phenix City, while Pierce’s only appearance there was eight years ago during his brief stint driving for Dunn-Benson Motorsports. There’s much more recent data to look at for Senoia though, as Pierce has finished outside the top 10 only once in his five starts there over the past two years, while Hoffman only has one top 10 in three Senoia starts in the same time frame.

NEVER GAVE UP: Dennis Erb Jr. and crew chief Heather Lyne already had a reputation of being one of the most hardworking tandems in the Late Model pits, and they lived up to it last week.

Their weekend in Tennessee was nothing short of a nightmare. Erb was an innocent bystander in the Heat Race incident at Volunteer Speedway between Kyle Strickler and Ethan Dotson that left the right-front corner of his car badly damaged. The next night at Smoky Mountain Speedway, Erb got turned around on the backstretch and was T-boned at full speed by race leader Brandon Overton. Erb was uninjured, but had to load up his second wrecked car in as many nights.

That amount of destruction occurring with only six days to prepare for the next stop on tour would have marked the end of a full-time World of Outlaws bid for many teams, but not Erb’s. They spent the week assembling new cars at the Rocket Chassis shop in Shinnston, WV, and didn’t hit the road for Magnolia until 9 p.m. Thursday. Twelve hours of driving later, the No. 28 hauler rolled into the pit area at about 4 p.m. on Friday afternoon.

Erb’s Friday results weren’t anything to write home about, but Saturday brought a big turnaround with a Heat Race win and a Feature that saw him run as high as third before finishing seventh. Both of this weekend’s venues could bring chances for him to build on that showing. Erb has attended the National 100 at East Alabama almost every year since 2002 and has a 2016 win and 11 top fives under his belt in the event. Up at Senoia, he’s recorded a top five and six top 10s in 10 appearances since 2021.

MR. PHENIX CITY: However, the other Erb has emerged as the true master of East Alabama in recent years.

Tyler Erb made his first National 100 start in 2019, and the track instantly fit him like a glove. He finished runner-up in his East Alabama debut before returning in 2022 and doing it again. “Terbo” has since won the last two editions of the race in 2024 and 2025, while his only “down year” was a fifth-place run in 2023.

Erb’s Senoia statistics aren’t quite at that level, but are noteworthy nonetheless. He finished runner-up to Brandon Sheppard in the track’s first World of Outlaws race in 2017, one of Erb’s seven second-place finishes before finally winning his first Series race at Atomic Speedway one year later. Erb’s only Senoia win came with the Southern Nationals Series in 2018, and he finished fourth last time he was there for the Peach State Classic last November.

HOME GAME: For Todd Morrow, Friday will be as close as he gets to racing at home during his MD3 Rookie of the Year campaign with the World of Outlaws.

Phenix City is only an hour from his home in Penton, AL, and he turned plenty of laps there during his time as a regional racer. Most of them have come under Southern All Stars sanctioning, with his best results being a pair of top fives in 2015 and 2022. Senoia is also a special place for Morrow, as it was the site of his first World of Outlaws Feature start last year.

Morrow has kept his expectations modest ever since announcing his full-time World of Outlaws plans, but he’s already began showing signs of progress. He finished in a career-best 13th at Volunteer and could have reset that mark on Saturday at Magnolia until he was caught up in an early-race crash after starting 12th.

WINGER’S PLACE: You would be hard-pressed to name a driver who defends their home track better than Ashton Winger at Senoia.

The Hampton, GA driver took down the Outlaws in their last two appearances at Senoia in 2021 and 2025. Those wins are merely the tip of the iceberg, as his 11 total Super Late Model wins at Senoia also include six with the Southern All Stars, two with the Southern Nationals and one on the former Fall Nationals tour.

Despite skipping the entirety of Speedweeks and not starting his season until a Southern All Stars show at Penton Raceway on March 6, Winger has already began heating up in 2026. He finished fourth at Penton before heading to Magnolia for his first national starts of the year and ran fourth again on Friday. Saturday was shaping up to be even better, as he went toe-to-toe with Jonathan Davenport early and led for a moment before dropping to sixth at the finish.

WHEN AND WHERE:
Friday, March 27 at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL
Saturday, March 28 at Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA

CURRENT POINT STANDINGS:
1. Bobby Pierce (1624 points)
2. Nick Hoffman (-14)
3. Tim McCreadie (-114)
4. Tyler Erb (-115)
5. Ryan Gustin (-121)
6. Daulton Wilson (-125)
7. Drake Troutman (-149)
8. Ethan Dotson (-150)
9. Dennis Erb Jr. (-193)
10. Dustin Sorensen (-193)

FEATURE WINNERS (7):
Nick Hoffman – 3
Bobby Pierce – 3
Hudson O’Neal – 2
Brandon Sheppard – 1
Tim McCreadie – 1
Chris Madden – 1
Mike Marlar – 1

FEATURE TOP FIVES (18):
Nick Hoffman – 10
Bobby Pierce – 9
Brandon Sheppard – 4
Tim McCreadie – 4
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 4
Tyler Erb – 4
Drake Troutman – 4
Hudson O’Neal – 3
Chris Madden – 3
Ryan Gustin – 3
Dennis Erb Jr. – 2
Ethan Dotson – 2
Dale McDowell – 2
Jonathan Davenport – 2
Mike Marlar – 1
Ashton Winger – 1
Daulton Wilson – 1
Brandon Overton – 1

FEATURE LAPS LED (16):
Nick Hoffman – 140
Chris Madden – 73
Bobby Pierce – 61
Hudson O’Neal – 45
Jonathan Davenport – 45
Mike Marlar – 39
Tim McCreadie – 28
Drake Troutman – 26
Ryan Gustin – 22
Brandon Sheppard – 18
Brandon Overton – 12
Michael Leach – 10
Sam Seawright – 5
Dale McDowell – 4
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 2
Ashton Winger – 1

BILSTEIN POLE AWARDS (9):
Nick Hoffman – 3
Chris Madden – 2
Drake Troutman – 1
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 1
Ryan Gustin – 1
Jonathan Davenport – 1
Brandon Overton – 1
Sam Seawright – 1
Michael Leach – 1

SIMPSON QUICK TIME AWARDS (8):
Chris Madden – 5
Hudson O’Neal – 1
Drake Troutman – 1
Tyler Erb – 1
Brandon Overton – 1
Cody Overton – 1
Sam Seawright – 1
Michael Leach – 1

HEAT RACE WINS (24):
Chris Madden – 7
Nick Hoffman – 6
Tyler Erb – 5
Bobby Pierce – 4
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 3
Drake Troutman – 3
Ryan Gustin – 3
Brandon Overton – 3
Hudson O’Neal – 2
Brandon Sheppard – 2
Mike Marlar – 1
Jonathan Davenport – 1
Dale McDowell – 1
Dennis Erb Jr. – 1
Daulton Wilson – 1
Donald McIntosh – 1
Michael Leach – 1
Sam Seawright – 1
Austin Smith – 1
Dan Ebert – 1
Blair Nothdurft – 1
Cody Overton – 1
Dustin Sorensen – 1
Tristan Chamberlain – 1

LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (16):
Dennis Erb Jr. – 3
Josh Rice – 3
Bobby Pierce – 2
Ethan Dotson – 2
Tim McCreadie – 1
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 1
Daulton Wilson – 1
Jake Timm – 1
Michael Leach – 1
Dallon Murty – 1
Carson Ferguson – 1
Luke Morey – 1
Cody Overton – 1
Tristan Chamberlain – 1
Logan Zarin – 1
Cory Hedgecock – 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
Saturday, March 28 / Senoia Raceway / Senoia, GA
Thursday, April 9 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL (Practice)
Friday, April 10 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL
Saturday, April 11 / Farmer City Raceway / Farmer City, IL
Friday, April 24 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL
Saturday, April 25 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL
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-march-southern-swing-wraps-up-with-stops-at-east-alabama-senoia/

EVENT INFO: Chattahoochee Clash, Billy Clanton Classic
TRACK INFO: East Alabama Motor Speedway, Senoia Raceway

TOP FIVE STORYLINES: March Southern Swing Wraps Up with Stops at East Alabama, Senoia

CONCORD, NC (March 24, 2026) – It’s been a busy start to the 2026 season for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision, and the grind rolls on in Alabama and Georgia.

In addition to the World of Outlaws, the itinerary will also include Hobby Stocks and Road Warriors at East Alabama and 602 Late Models and 602 Chargers at Senoia.

GET EAST ALABAMA TICKETS

SENOIA TICKETS SOLD AT TRACK ONLY

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVISION

Here are this week’s top storylines:

TWO-HORSE RACE: The statistics make one thing clear with a dozen races in the books in 2026 – there’s Bobby Pierce and Nick Hoffman, and then there’s everyone else.

NEVER GAVE UP: Dennis Erb Jr. and crew chief Heather Lyne already had a reputation of being one of the most hardworking tandems in the Late Model pits, and they lived up to it last week.

MR. PHENIX CITY: However, the other Erb has emerged as the true master of East Alabama in recent years.

HOME GAME: For Todd Morrow, Friday will be as close as he gets to racing at home during his MD3 Rookie of the Year campaign with the World of Outlaws.

WINGER’S PLACE: You would be hard-pressed to name a driver who defends their home track better than Ashton Winger at Senoia.

WHEN AND WHERE:
Friday, March 27 at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, AL
Saturday, March 28 at Senoia Raceway in Senoia, GA

FEATURE WINNERS (7):
Nick Hoffman – 3
Bobby Pierce – 3
Hudson O’Neal – 2
Brandon Sheppard – 1
Tim McCreadie – 1
Chris Madden – 1
Mike Marlar – 1

SIMPSON QUICK TIME AWARDS (8):
Chris Madden – 5
Hudson O’Neal – 1
Drake Troutman – 1
Tyler Erb – 1
Brandon Overton – 1
Cody Overton – 1
Sam Seawright – 1
Michael Leach – 1

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/top-five-storylines-march-southern-swing-wraps-up-with-stops-at-east-alabama-senoia/

EVENT INFO: Chattahoochee Clash, Billy Clanton Classic
TRACK INFO: East Alabama Motor Speedway, Senoia Raceway

FAN 101: https://about.worldofoutlaws.com/

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THE FESTIVAL OF POWER Santa Pod Raceway Fri.3-Sun.5 April 2026

March 24, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

THE FESTIVAL OF POWERSanta Pod RacewayFri.3-Sun.5 April 2026 The Festival of Power launches Santa Pod Raceway’s 60^th Anniversary season with an Easter weekend chock-full of family entertainments underpinned by championship drag racing on two and four wheels. On-track, fast and loud action is the order of the day. Four supercharged, nitro-burning Funny Cars are the headline act, battling for the early lead in 2026’s Funny Car Cup. These volatile beasts each punch out more than 10,000 horsepower and shake the ground. The class speed record stands at over 300mph. A pair of similarly powered Top Fuel Dragsters will limber up in preparation for the coming season’s FIA European Championship. From Sweden comes the reigning champion, Susanne Callin, piloting Santa Pod’s own Slick Tricks Racing dragster. From Scotland comes a Top Fuel newcomer: Colin Millar is already a famous face whose Flyin’ Fyfer is one of the dominant entries in the wild Outlaw Anglia class. Now the Scotsman bids to earn a Top Fuel licence with a graduated series of observed runs throughout the weekend. No less fast and loud, the Festival of Power is renowned for the spectacle of its flame-and-thunder Jet Car show – and there will be an extraordinary motorcycle powered by steam, yes, steam. See it to believe it. Martin Hill’s Fireforce Jet Car stable will be represented by Fireforce 3, a Jet Funny Car, and Fireforce 5, a Jet Dragster. Roger Goring brings his Firestorm Jet Funny down from Yorkshire and Julian Webb’s Spiderman is another Jet Dragster. Oklahoma Willy is the name of a gleaming, road-legal Volkswagen pickup that motors up to the start line under its own piston power then lights up the Rolls-Royce fighter jet engine sitting behind the driver’s cab for a flame-throwing, afterburner-popping display as its blasts towards the finish line. A motorcycle driven by steam? Whoever would have thought of that? Graham Sykes did. Yorkshireman Sykes is one of those canny engineers who sees the world from a different angle and has designed and built a steam-powered rocket bike that can actually out-accelerate a Top Fuel Dragster. It’s a spectacular sight when it goes and it’s as net-zero as any powered vehicle can be. Ebullient Pro Mod cars contesting the opening round of the FuelTech Motorsport UK British Drag Racing Championship headline a full programme of national championship classes on two and four wheels. There’s an entry list of almost 300 and free access to the paddock allows spectators a close-up view of all the pitside activities. Off-track, the Live Action Arena is a focus for Monster Truck and stunt riding and driving displays. World record-holding stunt driver Terry Grant will be in action with his eye-popping precision driving show and Moto Syndicate is a brand-new FMX crew featuring former Red Bull and Nitro Circus performers, while Fusion Extreme puts on a pedal-powered jump box and ramp show. Sim Drive Five let you race sitting still, courtesy of their cutting-edge race simulators, or you can indulge in a little Bull Axe Throwing, while a Dinosaur Walkabout, Mini Monster Trucks, inflatables, a climbing wall and visits from Bing and Peppa Pig are among the attractions to entertain the kids, plus an array of funfair rides. Camping for free overnight? There’s an abundance of food and drink to sustain you and live music to keep you dancing the night away once the racing winds down. The Festival of Power is an event for all the family – championship drag racing on the track and all manner of entertainments alongside. The Festival takes place over Easter weekend, from Friday 3^rd to Sunday 5^th April (not Easter Monday). Tickets are bookable only online or by phone – visit https://santapodtickets.com/p/fop or telephone the Box Office at 01234 782828. Full event information can be found at https://santapod.co.uk/events/festival-of-power/#StarsOfTheShow.

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Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Set for Ohio-Indiana Swing at Atomic and Brownstown

March 24, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Set for Ohio-Indiana Swing at Atomic and Brownstown

BATAVIA, Ohio (March 23, 2026) – The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing continues its 2026 campaign with a doubleheader weekend, bringing the nation’s top dirt late model drivers to Atomic Speedway in Ohio and Brownstown Speedway in Indiana. The weekend action begins Friday, March 27 at Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe, Ohio, with the running of the Buckeye Spring 50, featuring a $15,000-to-win main event. The following night, Saturday, March 28, the series heads west to Brownstown Speedway for the 29th Annual Indiana Icebreaker, boasting a $25,000 winner’s prize. Both events mark the first Midwest appearances of the 2026 season following the traditional Speedweeks in the Southeast, where drivers battled through a grueling early-season slate to build momentum in the championship chase. The pit gate at Atomic Speedway will open at 12:00 PM (noon), followed by general admission gates at 3:00 PM. All gates at Brownstown Speedway will open at 12:00 PM (noon). Dirt Draft Hot Laps are slated to begin at 5:00 PM each day, followed by Allstar Performance Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and a 50-lap main event. Atomic Speedway is located at 2535 Blain Highway in Waverly, Ohio – just off S.R. 23, six miles south of Chillicothe. For more information about Atomic Speedway, including how to purchase discounted tickets in advance, please visit AtomicSpeedway.net. Brownstown Speedway is located one mile southeast of Brownstown, Ind., on S.R. 250 at the Jackson County Fairground. To purchase tickets in advance or find more information about Brownstown Speedway, visit the track’s website at BrownstownSpeedway.com. The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing has seen four different winners in the first 11 events of the 2026 season. Among those victors are the top two in the championship standings – Hudson O’Neal and Devin Moran – with three victories each. Brandon Overton, Clay Harris, and Ricky Thornton Jr. round out the top five in championship standings. For the latest news, results, championship standings, and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, visit LucasDirt.com. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Purses:Buckeye Spring 50: 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 29th Annual Indiana Icebreaker: 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:Atomic SpeedwayLeft Rear/Fronts – Hoosier (90) NLMT2, (90) NLMT3Right Rear – Hoosier (92) NLMT2, (92) NLMT3, (92) NLMT4
Brownstown SpeedwayLeft Rear/Fronts – Hoosier (90) NLMT2, (90) NLMT3Right Rear – Hoosier (92) NLMT3, (92) NLMT4

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Wood Brothers Racing–Race Report: Darlington Raceway

March 24, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

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HYDE RUNNER-UPS IN PHOENIX, MOVES INTO NO. 2 SPOT IN FUNNY CAR STANDINGS

March 24, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

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Dylan Winefsky Makes Most of Hometown Arizona Nationals

March 24, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

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John Force Racing–Phoenix Saturday

March 24, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

NO DESERT MAGIC FOR JFR AT FIREBIRDHart, Vandergriff bow out in Rd. 2 while Beckman and DeJoria’s days end after first

CHANDLER, Ariz. (March 22, 2026) – Firebird Motorsports Park proved to be an unfortunate Achilles’ heel for John Force Racing as none of its four teams advanced further than the second round of eliminations Sunday in the FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals. The Burnyzz Speed Shop / Speedmaster Top Fuel team with Josh Hart and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team with Jordan Vandergriff were eliminated in the second round of competition while the PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car of Jack Beckman and the Bandero Premium Tequila Chevrolet SS Funny Car of Alexis DeJoria bowed out in Round 1. Hart defeated Justin Ashley in Round 1 (4.000 seconds to 4.115) to set up the second-round matchup with Leah Pruett. Hart got the holeshot (.075 to .098) but hazed the tires midway through the run, slowing to 4.081 seconds at 275.62 mph to Pruett’s 4.887 at 319.52. “The Burnyzz Speed Shop / Speedmaster dragster struggled big time in the heat, but the bottom line for me is I’m getting better at the lights and racing is fun again. “I’m super proud to be a very small part of such an awesome team, so proud of John Force Racing and the entirety of this group. We’re off to California.” Vandergriff got the automatic win in Rd. 1 when DeJoria red-lit and then went on to run the second-quickest pass of the session (3.984 seconds at 318.62 mph), giving him lane choice for Rd. 2 against Matt Hagan. Hagan took the holeshot by one-hundredth-of-a-second and they were even halfway through the run when both cars smoked the tires. Both drivers tried to pedal but their engines had clicked off so they coasted across the finish line, Hagan taking the win at 4.621 seconds at 189.71 mph to Vandergriff’s 4.650 at 181.86. “We were having a good side-by-side run until we both smoked the tires at half-track,” said Vandergriff. “It felt clean early, and then I felt it start to pull the tires loose. I lifted and tried to give it a stab again but there was nothing there. I think if I had more runs, I might have caught it quicker. But you know what? I’m just a few runs into this career here and I think I’m doing okay so far.” As was the case at Gainesville two weeks prior when Vandergriff and Beckman faced each other in the first round, the all-John Force Racing first-round matchup at Firebird meant that one car would not advance to the second round of eliminations. This time it was DeJoria and the Bandero Premium Tequila Chevrolet SS Funny Car team. “It was a tricky weekend for the Bandero Chevy team,” said DeJoria. “We weren’t able to make any full pulls down the racetrack and we were lucky to get in on our first run Friday, going 4.08, smoking the tires and having to drive a bit at the top end. This morning, we had to race, one of our teammates, Jordan Vandergriff so we knew at least one of us is going to the 2nd round, but it always sucks when you have to go up against a teammate. It’s been ridiculously hot out here. I feel really bad for the guys. They’ve been working so hard, and there’s 106 degree weather, just so I could go out there and not do my job on the starting line.” Beckman had lane choice as the No. 2 Qualifier, left the starting line just six-thousandths-of-a-second (.085 to .091) after Wilkerson. The Peak SQUAD Chevy SS was driving away past half-track but slowed nearing the finish line, which allowed Wilkerson to sneak past at the lights. Beckman ran 4.021 seconds at 273.88 mph to Wilkerson’s 4.001 seconds at 322.06 mph. “We heard a piston and it could have happened as early as the burnout,” said Beckman. “These things are very finicky on the burnout. We’re going to address that moving forward to Pomona. The car was on low ET of the meet, and I know everybody says that, but if you look at our numbers, we are 200ths quicker than every single car out there to 660 foot. And then what happens is, as the pistons stops sealing, the combustion gases get down into the oil pan. NHRA mandates a pan pressure switch so when it gets to a certain level, it disconnects the throttle. That is in place to prevent all that pressure from pushing the oil and gaskets out onto the racetrack. I get it. It bit us on that run. We needed 30 more feet of acceleration and we would have got it done but it’s something we can address. We’ve gotten beaten up, two races this year. I don’t think we’re gonna get beaten up next race.” The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings after two races are: 1. Doug Kalitta, 176; 2. Josh Hart, 174; 3. Shawn Langdon, 170; 4. Leah Pruett, 158; 5. Maddi Gordon, 152; 6. Tony Stewart, 108; 7. Antron Brown, 107; 8. Tony Schumacher, 101; 9. Billy Torrence, 78; 10. (tie) Justin Ashley, 65 and Shawn Reed, 65.
The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings after two races are: 1. Chad Green, 174; 2. Spencer Hyde, 156; 3. Ron Capps, 151; 4. J.R. Todd, 140; 5. Matt Hagan, 135; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 126; 7. Jordan Vandergriff, 125; 8. Paul Lee, 111; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 107; 10. Jack Beckman, 64. Next EventThe third of 20 events on the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is the April 10-12 Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, Calif.

Race Recap:
Stage One: A pair of Hendrick Motorsports teammates, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, led the Bowtie brigade in Saturday’s qualifying session – sweeping the second row of the starting lineup for the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. With the opening stage turning into a long green flag run, the field quickly approached its first trip to pit road as the stage closed in on the halfway mark. Larson, who maintained a top-four running position throughout the run, was called to pit road on Lap 39 for a fresh set of four tires and fuel. The green flag pit sequence expanded over the next 10 laps, with the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team making their way back up into the fourth position. Among those who made a gain in position during the green flag pit cycle included Team Chevy’s William Byron, who jumped five spots to make his first appearance in the top-10 of the race. Despite struggling with the handling of his No. 5 Chevrolet, Larson held onto a strong points run in the opening stage – taking the first green-white checkered flag in the fifth position.

Stage Two: With track position at a premium, the No. 5 pit crew delivered – earning the reigning champion three positions to win the race off pit road and a position on the front row to start Stage Two. Electing the outside lane, a masterful restart and clean air was enough for Larson to take over the top position and lead his first laps of the race. Settled into the lead, the first natural caution of the day flew. With the lead pack hitting pit road, the No. 5 pit crew led the way once again. Losing the battle on the restart, Larson overcame similar handling issues to maintain a top-three running position en route to the second green-white checkered flag – leading fellow Team Chevy drivers, Byron and Daniel Suarez, with back-to-back top-10 stage points.

Final Stage: Under the stage break, the Cliff Daniels-led team continued to go to work on their Chevrolet-powered machine with the pit crew continuing to give Larson valuable track position during their visit to pit road. But a caution near the 200-lap marker saw a shakeup in pit strategy. With the leaders opting to make another stop, a handful of cars chose track position, including Suarez – a decision that ultimately led the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet team to their highest running position of the race. Holding strong among those with fresher tires, Suarez settled into the sixth position as the field approached what ended up being the final green flag pit cycle of the race. As the lap countdown hit 54 to go, the field began to hit pit road, with Byron and Larson among the first group of cars to make their stop. With the cycle deemed complete just after 10 laps around the ‘Lady in Black’, the Hendrick Motorsports duo re-entered the top-10. But it was Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar that was making a monstrous charge in the closing laps. With seven-lap fresher tires, the Portage, Michigan, native was clicking off the fastest laps among the leaders – climbing up to the fourth position to earn his career-best Darlington finish.

Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 ResultsPos. Driver
4th – Carson Hocevar7th – Daniel Suarez8th – William Byron

Chevrolet’s season statistics with six NASCAR Cup Series races complete:
Wins: 0Poles: 1Top-Fives: 11Top 10s: 20Stage Wins: 2

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season continues at Martinsville Speedway with the Cook Out 400 on Sunday, March 29, at 3:30 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Post-Race Driver Quotes: Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletFinished: 16th “An up and down day for our No. 1 Moose Chevrolet team. We had a loose handling car, but were pretty good on the long runs. The guys had a few good pit stops and gained some track position to race around the top-10. We had a couple mishaps that set us back with an issue on the right side during a stop, and around halfway through race, I got a speeding penalty on pit road. The guys worked hard to give us a lead lap finish, but we just didn’t have enough in the end to contend for more. I felt that we had a top-10 car today, just not the result to show.”   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 25th “Our No. 3 team had another solid start to the weekend with qualifying inside the top-10, which puts us in a better spot to start the race and have a better pit stall selection. Once the race started, we just went to battle with our Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Long Beard XR Chevrolet. Tires are key at this place with the fall off and we tried to play strategy in Stage 3, hoping for a quick caution. Unfortunately that didn’t fall our way but we netted out where we were before, maybe a few positions lower. The balance was extremely tight at the end so we powered through to the checkered.”   Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 7thThis was your career-best Cup Series finish here at Darlington Raceway. How important are these strong runs early in your tenure with Spire Motorsports? “Listen, from the outside, I was looking at Spire Motorsports, and in my mind, they were the fastest-growing team. I was always curious — what are they doing to grow that quick? But as the year went along and we put a deal together, I started to understand more and more. The culture of the team is pretty incredible. There are great people here; the structure’s solid, and I’m just really happy and proud to be a part of this organization. And the best part is that they just continue to grow. We’re not even close to our full potential, so we just have to keep doing our thing; keep building, and get better and better.” That last run, you were in the top-10, then dropped back a little, but climbed up to seventh. What was that final run like?“Really, that was about all that we had. Maybe we could have found it a little sooner, but we got a bit too tight at the end. Just so proud of this No. 7 NationsGuard Chevrolet team. They did an incredible job all day long. I feel like every single week, if we look at our numbers and we can get a little bit better, that’s all I can ask for. We’re not trying to hit home runs right now, we’re just putting one step in front of the other, and that’s how progress happens.”   Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 21st“Today wasn’t our day. We had a good practice and qualifying session with the No. 8 BetMGM Chevrolet, but that didn’t convert once we got out on Darlington Raceway this afternoon. With that said, the team never quit and we made some adjustments that at times let us race inside the top-15. It’s time now to focus on Martinsville and continuing to make strides with the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.”

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 8th“Man, I was working hard in there. That was tough. We’re still trying to figure things out with this body, but we definitely are making baby steps. This is just a tough race in general, though, but this No. 24 Raptor Chevy team fought hard.”   Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 4thYou captured your career-best Darlington result with a fourth-place finish. Do you walk away today satisfied with what you and your team did? “Super proud of this No. 77 Chili’s Marg Machine Chevrolet team. It hasn’t been a lack of effort, but just a lack of luck that takes us out of finishes, so it’s nice to take one today. Chili’s put a lot of effort into this throwback scheme, so it’s great to give it a good run.”  There were a lot of unknowns about the package and the tire going into this race. What do you make of it? “I had fun. Our Chevy was good. It didn’t feel crazy different, but it seemed like it was way different for everyone else and we were able to pass a lot of cars. That was beneficial for us, for sure.”   Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletFinished: 18th “It was a solid day in Darlington for this No. 88 Red Bull Chevrolet team. We got a lap down early, but we were able to get the wave around and get our lap back. We stayed on the lead lap for the rest of the day, so that was a positive way to end the day. It’s definitely a little unfortunate that we weren’t able to make up as much ground as we would have liked there at the end, but a top-20 is a solid day. It’s good to at least get the ball rolling in the right direction after a few bad weekends.”
  Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletFinished: 14th“Decent result! We didn’t qualify very well but the guys did an awesome job tuning up my WeatherTech Chevrolet and as the race went on, it got better and better. Good day, onto Martinsville next weekend.”

NASCAR Cup SeriesDarlington RacewayGoodyear 400Team Chevy Post-Race ReportMarch 22, 2026

Carson Hocevar Makes Late-Race Charge to Earn Career-Best Finish at Darlington Raceway

Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar made an impressive late-race charge to take home his career-best NASCAR Cup Series finish at Darlington Raceway – driving his No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet to a fourth-place finish in the Goodyear 400. The Portage, Michigan, native led the Bowtie brigade to three top-10 results at the ‘Track Too Tough To Tame’. Spire Motorsports’ Daniel Suarez and Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron each drove their Chevrolet’s to points in each stage en route to a seventh- and eighth-place finish, respectively.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 ResultsPos. Driver
4th – Carson Hocevar7th – Daniel Suarez8th – William Byron

Chevrolet’s season statistics with six NASCAR Cup Series races complete:
Wins: 0Poles: 1Top-Fives: 11Top 10s: 20Stage Wins: 2

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NASCAR Cup Series Darlington Raceway Goodyear 400 Team Chevy Post-Race Report March 22, 2026

March 24, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

NASCAR Cup SeriesDarlington RacewayGoodyear 400Team Chevy Post-Race ReportMarch 22, 2026

Carson Hocevar Makes Late-Race Charge to Earn Career-Best Finish at Darlington Raceway

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 ResultsPos. Driver
4th – Carson Hocevar7th – Daniel Suarez8th – William Byron

Chevrolet’s season statistics with six NASCAR Cup Series races complete:
Wins: 0Poles: 1Top-Fives: 11Top 10s: 20Stage Wins: 2

NASCAR Cup SeriesDarlington RacewayGoodyear 400Team Chevy Post-Race ReportMarch 22, 2026

Carson Hocevar Makes Late-Race Charge to Earn Career-Best Finish at Darlington Raceway

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 ResultsPos. Driver
4th – Carson Hocevar7th – Daniel Suarez8th – William Byron

Chevrolet’s season statistics with six NASCAR Cup Series races complete:
Wins: 0Poles: 1Top-Fives: 11Top 10s: 20Stage Wins: 2

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Travis Shumake’s Arizona Nationals Debut Full of Promise for Future Events

March 24, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

PHOENIX, Ariz. (March 22, 2026) — Phoenix native Travis Shumake returned to Firebird Motorsports Park with several goals as he made his Legacy Nitro Funny Car debut during the FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals this weekend. The second-generation driver was racing to honor his late father Funny Car standout Tripp Shumake and he was representing long-time Arizona area sponsor Fry’s Food Store as well as Kroger Health, Red Line Oil and Yates Buick and GMC.

Driving Dave Benjamin’s Nostalgia Funny Car Shumake made three qualifying attempts but missed making the eight-car field. Shumake has plans to build on this experience to race more Legacy Nitro Funny Car national events including plans for a possible appearance at the historic Winternationals, the 1000^th Funny Car event in NHRA’s 75-year history.

Travis Shumake and the Fry’s Food Store Funny Car made a solid effort at the NHRA Arizona Nationals,
photo credit SR Driven Media

Travis Shumake’s Arizona Nationals Debut
Full of Promise for Future Events

PHOENIX, Ariz. (March 22, 2026) — Phoenix native Travis Shumake returned to Firebird Motorsports Park with several goals as he made his Legacy Nitro Funny Car debut during the FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals this weekend. The second-generation driver was racing to honor his late father Funny Car standout Tripp Shumake and he was representing long-time Arizona area sponsor Fry’s Food Store as well as Kroger Health, Red Line Oil and Yates Buick and GMC.

Driving Dave Benjamin’s Nostalgia Funny Car Shumake made three qualifying attempts but missed making the eight-car field. Shumake has plans to build on this experience to race more Legacy Nitro Funny Car national events including plans for a possible appearance at the historic Winternationals, the 1000^th Funny Car event in NHRA’s 75-year history.

Travis Shumake and the Fry’s Food Store Funny Car made a solid effort at the NHRA Arizona Nationals,
photo credit SR Driven Media

“I came into this event wanting to qualify and make a solid impression,” said Shumake, who holds professional licenses in Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Car. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and I am pleased we improved on our runs from Q1 to Q2. In the last session I couldn’t get the car into reverse and we missed our shot at that last run. I think we have a much quicker run ready to go and you never know what can happen in drag racing. I want to thank Dave Benjamin for the opportunity to drive the Fry’s Food Store Funny Car this weekend. The car looked amazing.”

In the opening qualifying session on Friday Shumake made a shakedown run to get acclimated to the new racecar posting a 11.903 second at 64.22 mph run to get on the qualifying sheet. In the second round with track temperatures soaring past 140 degrees Shumake and the Fry’s Food Stores Funny Car stepped up with a solid 5.892 second run at 137.64 mph. On Saturday in the final qualifying session Shumake was looking to run quicker that 4.921 seconds and following his burnout he could not get his race car into reverse and had to shut off on the starting line.

“A year ago we set the top speed of eliminations in Top Fuel running 330.88 mph and this year we were making a big change in categories. This sport is very humbling,” said Shumake. “I learned a lot and we got a ton of attention for Fry’s Food Stores and Kroger Health. I got more comfortable in the Funny Car every time I strapped in. I know this won’t be my last Legacy Nitro Funny Car race.”

On Saturday morning Shumake along with NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car superstars Ida Zetterstrom and Julie Nataas signed autographs in the Kroger Health display that featured Shumake’s Fry’s Food Stores Top Fuel dragster as well as other race cars. The trio spent time with fans taking photos and also promoting Kroger Health initiatives to hundreds of Arizona Nationals fans.

“The Saturday morning autograph session was tremendous,” said Shumake. “We talked with so many fans about the Fry’s Funny Car, my dad and also all the cool things Kroger Health is doing. Having Ida and Julie there was great and I think we started a lot of race fans days on a positive note before it go too hot. I was also able to talk with fans about our Fry’s Top Fuel dragster.”

The race weekend appearance was made possible through the continued support of Fry’s Food Stores, which has partnered with Shumake for multiple seasons.

“Fry’s has always believed in the hometown story,” Shumake said. “They understand how special Phoenix is to me and why honoring my dad here matters so much. They have been an amazing supporter of my drag racing career and the sport in general.”

The next opportunity for Shumake to race in the Legacy Nitro Funny Car Series will be the historic NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California, April 9-12, 2026. For more information visit www.nhra.com.

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CREEKADEGA CHAOS: Gravel Tops Wild Creek County Debut for Third Straight Win

March 24, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

The Oklahoma bullring meets the hype as Balog, Kofoid, Gravel, and Schuchart all lead before Gravel prevails

SAPULPA, OK (March 21, 2026) – Creek County Speedway was circled on many calendars when the 2026 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series schedule dropped.

The Sapulpa, OK bullring is loved in the region. It’s tight racing. It’s multiple grooves. It’s white knuckles non-stop. Throw the best Sprint Car drivers in the world on “Creekadega,” and it’s bound to deliver. That’s exactly what happened Saturday night.

The Greatest Show on Dirt visited the “Sooner State” oval for the first time, and fans were treated to 40 laps of wildly intense Sprint Car racing. A total of four different drivers led as some of the most elite wheelmen battled it out at the Creekadega 40.

Bill Balog and Logan Schuchart swapped the top spot through the opening circuits. Then it was Michael “Buddy” Kofoid motoring by near the halfway point. Next it was David Gravel’s turn at the top in the second half. Schuchart resurged as race dwindled to less than 10 laps remaining and ripped the fence around Gravel on Lap 33. But the two-time and defending champion didn’t get rattled. He remained committed to the bottom and rolled back by three circuits later. That was all she wrote as Gravel held off a late charge from Kofoid to win the Series debut at Creek County.

“I’ve got to thank my guys Pete (Stephens), Luke (Vaughn), Zach (Patterson), and Cody (Jacobs) for giving me a great race car at a place we’ve never been to before,” Gravel said. “You don’t know how it’s going to go. Not a lot of footage to watch on YouTube or DIRTVision. We qualified good then drew the eight (for the Dash), but we weren’t giving up. We wanted to get a row, and we were able to get fifth, and I was really happy with that because I knew they were going to till the bottom. I felt like we could get to fourth right away and were able to. Really, a couple cautions didn’t go our way. I felt like we were in front of Bill and in front of Logan, and the cautions came out, so I felt like we had to earn that one.”

The night marked Gravel’s third consecutive victory with the World of Outlaws aboard the Big Game Motorsports No. 2, the first time he’s topped three in a row. The Watertown, CT native is now up to 123 career victories, breaking a tie with Danny Lasoski to give him sole possession of sixth all-time.

Buddy Kofoid shook off some recent struggles by claiming the runner-up spot with the Roth Motorsports crew. Donny Schatz made a late run in the CJB Motorsports No. 15 to snag the final spot on the podium.

Spencer Bayston and Logan Schuchart completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

David Gravel clocked his second Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night in 2026.

Gravel followed that with his third Simpson Race Products Quick Time of the year.

Heat Races belonged to David Gravel (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Bill Balog (DIRTVision Heat Two), Ashton Torgerson (WIX Filters Heat Three), and Sheldon Haudenschild (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Four).

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Bill Balog.

Balog also topped the Toyota Dash.

Chris Windom won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Carson Macedo marched from 22nd to 10th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

A ninth-place finish gave Ashton Torgerson the Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.

Bill Balog laid down the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap with a 12.356.

Sheldon Haudenschild was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Scotty Thiel.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series heads to the Midwest with visits to Osborn, MO’s US 36 Raceway on Friday, March 27 and Park City, KS’ 81 Speedway on Saturday, March 28. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

CREEKADEGA CHAOS: Gravel Tops Wild Creek County Debut for Third Straight Win

The Oklahoma bullring meets the hype as Balog, Kofoid, Gravel, and Schuchart all lead before Gravel prevails

SAPULPA, OK (March 21, 2026) – Creek County Speedway was circled on many calendars when the 2026 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series schedule dropped.

Spencer Bayston and Logan Schuchart completed the top five.

NIGHTLY NOTES

David Gravel clocked his second Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night in 2026.

Gravel followed that with his third Simpson Race Products Quick Time of the year.

The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Bill Balog.

Balog also topped the Toyota Dash.

Chris Windom won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.

Carson Macedo marched from 22nd to 10th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.

A ninth-place finish gave Ashton Torgerson the Five Star Bodies Rookie of the Race.

Bill Balog laid down the ACME Trading Company Fast Lap with a 12.356.

Sheldon Haudenschild was the Tub O’ Towels Seventh Place Finisher.

The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Scotty Thiel.

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

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

FEATURE RESULTS:

NOS Energy Drink Feature (40 Laps): 1. 2-David Gravel[5]; 2. 83-Michael Kofoid[3]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz[9]; 4. 17-Spencer Bayston[11]; 5. 1S-Logan Schuchart[2]; 6. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[6]; 7. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[8]; 8. 17B-Bill Balog[1]; 9. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[7]; 10. 41-Carson Macedo[22]; 11. 23-Garet Williamson[4]; 12. 21H-Brady Bacon[14]; 13. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[15]; 14. 23B-Seth Bergman[13]; 15. 27-Emerson Axsom[18]; 16. 12X-Landon Crawley[12]; 17. 7S-Chris Windom[21]; 18. 2C-Cole Macedo[17]; 19. 74-Xavier Doney[16]; 20. 51-Scott Bogucki[10]; 21. 6-Kasey Jedrzejek[20]; 22. 28M-Conner Morrell[24]; 23. 32-Bryce Lucius[19]; 24. 16C-Scotty Thiel[23]

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O’Neal Comes From Behind at Magnolia to Top Duel at the Mag Finale

March 24, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

COLUMBUS, MS (March 21, 2026) – What a difference 24 hours makes.

Hudson O’Neal’s weekend at Magnolia Motor Speedway got off to a tumultuous start on Friday night with engine trouble in Qualifying. With no points to worry about, the K&L Rumley Enterprises team sat out the remainder of the night to change the powerplant and prepare for Saturday’s program.

That decision paid off almost instantly on the final night of the Duel at the Mag, as O’Neal topped the charts in Qualifying and won his Heat Race in commanding fashion. But the bad luck wasn’t over quite yet.

While racing it out toward the front with the likes of Jonathan Davenport, Dale McDowell and Ashton Winger, the No. 6 suffered some nose damage that the crew elected to fix in the work area under a Lap 25 caution, sending O’Neal to the rear with 35 laps remaining.

Within a dozen laps, O’Neal was already back in the top 10, and he got the cautions he needed late to prevent the leaders from getting out of range. A restart 17 laps prior to the finish put him right on Davenport’s tail, and he soon got to the inside of the No. 49 while Bobby Pierce pounded the cushion in a three-wide battle for the lead.

He couldn’t make that move stick, but he kept working the inside and eventually prevailed over Davenport. O’Neal had one more scare when the nose folded in again coming to the white flag, but he managed to hold on long enough to score the fifth win of his career with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision and his second of 2026.

“I just tried my best to stay in that bottom and under caution, just roll around that inside and keep the load off the left-front to keep it out of the dirt,” O’Neal said regarding his plan to minimize the impact of the damage. “I thought our race was over whenever we pitted. We weren’t very good for the first 10 or so laps, and then it just felt like the slicker it got, we just kept coming around a little bit. We were a little too tight early in the race and just kept getting better and better as it went on.”

Davenport knew he had a shot on the last lap with O’Neal’s issues, but his Hail Mary attempt in the final set of corners wasn’t enough to earn World of Outlaws win number 19.

“I thought I had a run on Hudson there the last lap coming off [Turn] 2,” Davenport said. “I knew if I could hit [Turns] 3 and 4 just perfect, but I was going to have to give it everything. I just went in there and got a little too tight and got in the fence and let Bobby by. Anyway, wasn’t concerned with second there, we was going to try to win.”

Pierce put together an impressive charge of his own, as he needed a Last Chance Showdown win to punch his ticket to the Feature before climbing from 17th to second for FOX Factory Hard Charger honors. Behind Davenport in third, Nick Hoffman and Tyler Erb rounded out the top five.

UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision wraps up March with another weekend in the southeast at East Alabama Motor Speedway on Friday, March 27, and Senoia Raceway on Saturday, March 28. For more information on both events, click here.

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

RACE NOTES:

Jonathan Davenport set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Hudson O’Neal won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Hudson O’Neal won Heat 1.

Dale McDowell won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Dennis Erb Jr. won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Jonathan Davenport won Jarrett Rifles Heat 4.

Bobby Pierce and Michael Leach won the Last Chance Showdowns.

Jonathan Davenport won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Bobby Pierce won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Daulton Wilson won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Bobby Pierce was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Jonathan Davenport was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Nick Hoffman was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Tyler Erb was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Ashton Winger was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Dennis Erb Jr. was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Daulton Wilson was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Tim McCreadie was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Trey Mills was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Austin Smith was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Spencer Hughes was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Ryan Gustin was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Dillard Hatchett was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Tristan Chamberlain was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

Feature (60 Laps): 1. 6-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 2. 32-Bobby Pierce[17]; 3. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 4. 9-Nick Hoffman[9]; 5. 1-Tyler Erb[11]; 6. 12-Ashton Winger[5]; 7. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[4]; 8. 58V-Daulton Wilson[23]; 9. 9M-Tim McCreadie[14]; 10. 14-Trey Mills[10]; 11. 11-Austin Smith[19]; 12. K3-Spencer Hughes[21]; 13. 19R-Ryan Gustin[13]; 14. 59-Dillard Hatchett[22]; 15. 74X-Ethan Dotson[8]; 16. 1Z-Logan Zarin[26]; 17. 09-Michael Leach[18]; 18. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[16]; 19. 16-Sam Seawright[7]; 20. 17M-Dale McDowell[3]; 21. 22*-Drake Troutman[6]; 22. B1-Brent Larson[25]; 23. 97-Cade Dillard[15]; 24. C6-Oakley Johns[20]; 25. T1-Todd Morrow[12]; 26. 19-Dustin Sorensen[24]

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/oneal-comes-from-behind-at-magnolia-to-top-duel-at-the-mag-finale/

TRACK INFO: https://magnoliadirt.com/

O’Neal Comes From Behind at Magnolia to Top Duel at the Mag Finale

COLUMBUS, MS (March 21, 2026) – What a difference 24 hours makes.

Davenport knew he had a shot on the last lap with O’Neal’s issues, but his Hail Mary attempt in the final set of corners wasn’t enough to earn World of Outlaws win number 19.

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

RACE NOTES:

Jonathan Davenport set the Dirt King Simulators Fastest Hot Lap.

Hudson O’Neal won the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Hudson O’Neal won Heat 1.

Dale McDowell won STAKT Products Heat 2.

Dennis Erb Jr. won Keyser Manufacturing Heat 3.

Jonathan Davenport won Jarrett Rifles Heat 4.

Bobby Pierce and Michael Leach won the Last Chance Showdowns.

Jonathan Davenport won the Bilstein Pole Award.

Bobby Pierce won the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award.

Daulton Wilson won the MD3 Rookie of the Race Award.

Bobby Pierce was the WELD Racing Second-Place Finisher.

Jonathan Davenport was the WIX Filters Third-Place Finisher.

Nick Hoffman was the ARP Fourth-Place Finisher.

Tyler Erb was the MSD Fifth-Place Finisher.

Ashton Winger was the Swift Springs Sixth-Place Finisher.

Dennis Erb Jr. was the Penske Racing Shocks Seventh-Place Finisher.

Daulton Wilson was VP Racing Fuels Eighth-Place Finisher.

Tim McCreadie was the Lifeline Ninth-Place Finisher.

Trey Mills was the COMP Cams 10th-Place Finisher.

Austin Smith was the Quarter Master 11th-Place Finisher.

Spencer Hughes was the Cometic Gaskets 12th-Place Finisher.

Ryan Gustin was the Quarter Master 13th-Place Finisher.

Dillard Hatchett was the ARP 14th-Place Finisher.

Tristan Chamberlain was the Arizona Sport Shirts 18th-Place Finisher.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/oneal-comes-from-behind-at-magnolia-to-top-duel-at-the-mag-finale/

TRACK INFO: https://magnoliadirt.com/

FAN 101: https://about.worldofoutlaws.com/

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CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Podium for No. 4 Corvette

March 24, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Methodical march forward for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in GTD PRO SEBRING, Fla. (March 21, 2026) – Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R raced its way to the podium in GTD PRO on Saturday as Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone placed third in class at the end of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

It was the second podium finish in three races for the No. 4 Corvette trio dating back to last year’s Petit Le Mans to close the 2025 season. They finished just off the podium in this year’s opener at Daytona, and with Saturday’s results are effectively second in the Drivers Championship among all full-season teams. The podium finish was the team’s first in the 12 Hours since winning the 2022 race in GTD PRO.

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

Catsburg crossed the finish line ahead of Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports teammate Alexander Sims in the No. 3 Z06 GT3.R. He and teammates Antonio Garcia and Marvin Kirchhöfer rebounded from a tough finish at Daytona, and Chevrolet earned second-place points for the Manufacturers’ Championship with the result.
The No. 3 Corvette started the race fifth and the No. 4 was seventh. Despite not being able to match the pace of most of the rest of the GTD PRO teams, the Corvette and Pratt Miller squad instead relied on the trusted formula of strategy and execution in the pitlane to gain a combined five spots at the end.
In GTD, the No. 13 Corvette of 13 Autosport teammates Matt Bell, Orey Fidani and Lars Kern placed sixth in class and claimed the race’s Bob Akin Award as the highest-finishing GTD entry with a Bronze-rated driver. The team marched up the order from 17th at the start to contend for the class podium late before two late full-course yellow periods in the final 90 minutes.
DXDT Racing’s Charlie Eastwood, Mason Filippi and Salih Yoluc placed ninth in class after leading the race for a majority of the race’s middle hours. The No. 36 Corvette rebounded from a pitlane penalty inside the final four hours to get back into the top-10 by race’s end.
DragonSpeed’s second race with the Corvette came to an unfortunate early end after Henrik Hedman was pushed off track and into the tire barriers by an LMP2 car just shy of the two-hour mark. Instead of folding, the team and the Corvette Racing customer support team worked tirelessly to return the Corvette to the track nearly three hours later so the team could log additional laps and data going into the rest of the season.
The next event for Corvette Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Saturday for GTP and GTD cars only. NBC will broadcast the race live at 4 p.m. ET with a live stream of the race on Peacock. IMSA Radio will provide live audio coverage on XM 206, Channel 996 on the SiriusXM app and IMSA.com.

CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R DRIVER QUOTESTOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “A good surprise. Going into the race and with what we were seeing from practice, we didn’t expect to be that far up. I wouldn’t say our expectations were low, but lately we’ve had some very fast cars here and we felt like we could race for the win. Today, we didn’t feel like that was going to happen. But as always, it doesn’t matter who has the fastest cars or the slowest cars. We still try to find a way to make something happen. Things definitely fell in our favor today. The Corvette was a little bit quicker and more competitive than we were expecting. Nicky and Nico did a phenomenal job – Nicky, at the end, especially. This race is always so messy at the end, and he did a great job. So a really, really good job and I’m super proud of the team. The 3 car guys did an amazing job too. We were sort of in front of each other at different stages of the race, and it just kind of fell in our favor at the end there.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “A pleasant surprise, definitely. It didn’t seem like we had much pace all week, and then luckily when we needed it, when the temperatures went down, the car came alive. Some of the restarts kind of went in our favor and the strategy, as well, because we were a bit on the back foot after getting an unlucky drive-through penalty. Then we had pace and I could fight. I think I passed the Ferrari, I passed the board, I passed the McLaren today, and then eventually the sister car. I could see that their tires were just a little bit outside of the window and mine were in the window. It’s really nice because the past couple of years we always had bad endings here. So it was nice to finally have a positive result.”

NICO VARRONE, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It was a great weekend and result for us. In practice and in qualifying, we thought we were a bit far behind the other manufacturers, but we mostly had a clean race and had a great racecar. The whole Corvette Racing team and Pratt Miller, they really nailed our setup. The car was flying, and I think we kept the race clean. A lot of others had issues and mistakes, so at the end it put us forward on the grid. Tommy and Nicky did a fantastic job. They were flying today, especially Nicky… his pace was amazing. So yeah, we maximized the points even more than we thought we could do with the pace we had. So that’s great… third and fourth for the team on a weekend where we weren’t so strong is amazing. I’m really happy for all the guys.”

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I think we have to be happy. After how it started with trying to hang on to match everyone out there, I think we carried on well with our car. We were not that far off setup-wise at the end of the race. So P3 and P4 is good for the Corvette team. It’s a shame that we didn’t really have a chance to go for the win. But these are the cases where, as we know from the past, that you take the best you can achieve. If that’s third, then we should take those. And whenever you have a chance to win, that’s the one you need to go for. But today was very good for points and I’m happy with that.”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It felt like we had more pace in our car during the day. Then as the night fell, it felt like the operating window on the 3 car was just really quite narrow. It was very tough to get right consistently lap after lap. So our pace wasn’t so strong, to be honest. But I’m really pleased for the 4 guys. Nicky was absolutely flying out there. They had it hooked up, so I’m pleased for them to get a podium and good team points. Obviously after Daytona, it’s just nice to get good solid points. Well done to the entire team.”

MARVIN KIRCHHÖFER, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I think if anyone would have told us before the race that P3 and P4 was going to be our result today, I think we would have all said yep, we would take that. So I’m very pleased with the result and very happy for the team. Scoring a podium is always nice so well done on the podium for the No. 4 car guys. Also a good result for us with P4 and definitely good for the championship run. So I hope the guys will continue in a strong way for the next races coming up. Obviously, we could not quite match the other manufacturers today, so definitely this is a result you will take and be happy with.”

GIACOMO ALTOE, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s obviously a huge disappointment. Our race was effectively ruined early on by a shocking move on Henrik – there is no word for that – and there was nothing he could do. The consequences could have been far worse.”The team did an incredible job to get the car back out on track. People can’t imagine what they accomplished in such a period of time. We were able to rely on the support of Corvette and Pratt Miller throughout.”When we returned to the race, our pace was strong even though we were clearly not in the best conditions. We have to take the positives from this pace and use it to build future success. Sebring is always a tough race, and we saw that again today. We’ll come back even stronger — we have everything we need to shine.”

CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Podium for No. 4 CorvetteMethodical march forward for Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in GTD PRO SEBRING, Fla. (March 21, 2026) – Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports’ No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R raced its way to the podium in GTD PRO on Saturday as Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone placed third in class at the end of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

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

ELTON JULIAN, DRAGONSPEED TEAM PRINCIPAL: “Most important from today is that Henrik is OK. It was a big incident and a big hit, but we know the Corvette is a very strong car and this is more proof. The team’s efforts to get the car back out were amazing. This is no surprise as I think everyone knows what our group is made of. Big thanks also to Corvette Racing and the Pratt Miller group for helping out. Everyone pulling together like that is really impressive, even in just our second race with Corvette. We’re back out there to complete as many laps as possible and keep learning about the car. You never know how things will play out at the end of the year so every lap and point is important.”

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No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Finishes Third in Sebring

March 24, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Cadillac Newsroom

SEBRING, Fla. (March 20, 2026) – Filipe Albuquerque, Will Stevens and Ricky Taylor, drivers of the No.10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R finished third in the 74th Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring. Cadillac Racing now has 106 podiums (22 GTP, 84 DPi) since joining IMSA prototype competition in 2017. They have also won or finished on the podium five of the last six races at Sebring. The race was dominated by the Penske Motorsports team with them finishing first and second. Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber and Fredreick Vesti from the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R for Action Express Racing finished fourth, while the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R driven by Louis Deletraz, Colton Herta and Jordan Taylor finished eighth.

Ricky Taylor passed Jack Aitken for third late in the event to get the final podium spot. The last podium finish for the No. 10 Cadillac V-Series.R was in September 2025 in the six-hour race at Indianapolis. Early in the race, Bamber was driving the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R under caution when the car was hit in the back by the No. 6 Penske Motorsports car, which forced the team to replace the damaged engine cover and tail. IMSA officials reviewed the incident but said it was inconclusive, so no penalties were handed down.

The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R was coming off two wins to end the 2025 season (Indianapolis and Road Atlanta) and then a second place effort in the 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona. The next IMSA GTP event is the Grand Prix of Long Beach (California) on April 18. The 100-minute race starts at 4:05 pm EDT (1:05 pm PDT) and will be broadcast on NBC and streamed live on Peacock. IMSA Radio will stream live audio coverage on XM 206, Channel 996 on the SiriusXM app and IMSA.com.

No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Finishes Third in Sebring

Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Cadillac Newsroom

What they’re saying No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R Filipe Albuquerque: “Really happy with the results and for the Cadillac WTR team. At Daytona we had something like this in the pocket, but unfortunately we weren’t there. The race was up and down, typical IMSA with a lot happening, but in the end, it was a great result for us. We were the best of the race. P3 feels like a win. Ricky in the end was a star, coming back, just a star. I loved it. The motivation is super high and we can’t wait for the next one.”
Will Stevens: “Super good result for the team. I think it shows the progress we are making, race by race. I think this whole weekend we had a good feeling. We had a strong package from the start and always felt that we were in contention to be upfront. We had a few setbacks in the middle of the race, but stuck with it and pushed to the end. Ricky did an awesome job in the final stint to make his way to third. Really happy for the Cadillac WTR team. I think this podium feels very good for everyone and is helpful to build the confidence going forward.” Ricky Taylor: “Really excited for the Cadillac WTR team. I think the result was the best we could hope for. The whole 10 car group and all of Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing are really hitting their stride in our second year with the Cadillac V-Series.R. I think we feel much more confident going into race weekends. I think we proved this weekend that we can make adjustments to the car for qualifying and the race. That momentum is going to build through the season even more, and now we’re looking forward to Long Beach.” No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R Jack Aitken: “Bit of a tough one for us. The team put us in a position to be up front and we had good work in pit lane. I think we had good strategy today but at the end of the day we just didn’t have the pace for whatever reason. We saw hints of it at the start of the race with dropping a couple of places off the bat, but it didn’t seem too bad, but then we weren’t able to make steps forward when the rest of the field increased the pace. We’ve got some work to do, but solid points and it could have been a lot worse.” Earl Bamber: “We just sort of battled all day and tried our best. Honestly, we had a good car at the start, but we didn’t have anything at the end. I don’t know if we had damage from our impact earlier in the race. We got torn up, no penalties accessed from race control which was surprising and that was about it.” Frederik Vesti: “Fourth place at Sebring for the second year in a row I think. Very frustrating end of the race but to be honest looking at the pace of the day we were fighting for a podium with P3 and it’s frustrating not to be there but we were close. But good points. On my personal side it been an awesome race with a lot of action. I was actually quite surprised how hard people were racing in a 12-hour race. We still have eight hours to go, and people were already banging doors and going for it. I got to drive into the night and see the sunset and then at night and had some good battles with a few cars. Thank you to Cadillac Racing and to Whelen for another good race and we see everyone at Long Beach.”No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R Louis Deletraz: “Disappointing result, only P8. I think we had a tough race. We spent a long time at the back, finally got the yellow we needed, got back close to the field and moved up to P5 before. Stayed there a long time, but yeah, we need to look for some answers; in the last 20 minutes, we just had slow pace, a lot of oversteer, and struggle to keep up. Not what we wanted. Congrats to the 10 for a podium! I think we actually had good pace a lot of time of the race. So we just need to put it all together next time.” Colton Herta: “Well today didn’t quite go the way we had expected. It was a tough day, especially during my stint. The improvements the team has continued to make since Daytona is there, just a few untimely yellows in the heat of the day made it tough to gain positions on track. The way the Cadillac V-Series.R drives on the bumps at Sebring was awesome and I enjoyed my time with the Cadillac WTR team to start the year and look forward to being back at Petit.” Jordan Taylor: “Obviously, a tough day for the 40 car; it seemed like none of the yellows went our way. They were always poorly timed, which was unfortunate. So it always felt like we were on the back foot, but, I think we had showed better pace than last year, which is a positive. Great to see the 10 car fighting for the podium there at the end, kind of the best of the rest. So we can leave here knowing that, we’re in the hunt now, in the mix in these races – just need to have some things go our way.”

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Daniels Headlines Yamaha’s Atlanta Sweep

March 24, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Dallas Daniels (No. 1) dominates the Yamaha Atlanta Short Track for his first win of the season. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

Daniels Headlines Yamaha’s Atlanta Sweep

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 21, 2026) – Reigning Mission AFT SuperTwins king Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07) successfully defended Yamaha’s home turf to complete a clean sweep of victories for the brand in Saturday night’s Yamaha Atlanta Short Track, Round 3 of the 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. Daniels entered the event saddled both with the pressure of a pair of second-place finishes in the DAYTONA double opener and a winless prior record at Senoia Raceway. Amping it up further was the fact that even though he earned pole position, his Yamaha MT-07 was flanked on the front row by a trio of threatening Harley-Davidson XG750Rs piloted by  two-time Grand National Champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Jacob Construction/Parts Plus Harley-Davidson XG750R), rookie sensation Kody Kopp (No. 12 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R), and perennial podium presence Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R). However, the knowledge that Bauman and Robinson beat him in Senoia, Georgia, to go 1-2 a year ago, and that class newcomer Kopp twice outclassed him in DAYTONA, was still not enough to rattle the unshakeable Daniels. The champ blasted into the lead from the start and spent the following eight minutes and two laps brushing off Kopp’s continual attempts to goad him into even a minor bobble in hopes of identifying a way past. Instead, Daniels locked down on the low line and never put a wheel wrong.  Kopp eased up late to stretch the difference to a deceptive 0.988 seconds. The victory was Yamaha’s first premier-class win at its home track and topped off an evening that earlier saw it claim its first and second triumphs in any class at the venue. “It was a tough race,” Daniels said. “We never stopped working all day, and I felt Kody right there the whole Main Event. I needed to keep my head down because I felt like my first half of the race was so strong. The track was so slippery, it was hard to hit your marks. I’m so pumped. This place has been nagging at me. I’ve had so many great battles here but just kept losing out, getting seconds and thirds.  “I want to give this one up to Yamaha. I wanted to win this one for them. We went up to the headquarters and to the plant this week, and everybody is so invested in this. It’s not just us – it’s everyone in a blue shirt. They want to see us win, and this one is for them.” Meanwhile, while Kopp could not break Daniels, his performance further solidified the early indications that he has the potential to emerge a full-blown title threat in his rookie campaign. Bauman – who guided the XG750R to its first-ever Mission AFT SuperTwins win in Senoia a year ago – returned to the box in Georgia, but only following a hugely entertaining scrap with Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke). Fisher reeled in Bauman by way of a hooked-up high line, ultimately passing the RWR pilot at half-distance. Bauman adjusted his lines in turn, and the two then engaged in a back-and-forth tilt to the checkered flag. Behind them, Robinson not only made it three Harleys in the top five, rookie Aidan RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust Advisors Harley-Davidson XG750R) made it four in the top six to close out a very strong showing for the brand on a night that Yamaha largely owned the spotlight. Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) finished in seventh, a mere 0.078 seconds adrift of RoosEvans, while Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods Honda CB750 Hornet), Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Parts Bros/D&D Cycles/Fairway Ford Aprilia Tuareg 660), and Henry Wiles (No. 911 J&M Logging/Ray C’s Harley-Davidson Kawasaki Ninja 650) combined to push the number of brands inside the top ten to six. Kopp’s DAYTONA double triumph keeps him ahead of Daniels in the early-season points race (65-61) with third-ranked Fisher some 22 points back of first. KICKER AFT SinglesWhat figured to be a showdown between reigning KICKER AFT Singles champion Tom Drane (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and the on-form Walker Porter (No. 10 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) turned into a masterclass courtesy of veteran ace Trevor Brunner (No. 21 KMA Racing/March Equipment Yamaha YZ450F). While Porter accomplished his initial goal of beating Drane to the holeshot, Brunner slipped in behind and hounded his less experienced adversary. Brunner made his move with just over four minutes to go, throwing his Yamaha underneath Porter’s Honda to grab hold of the lead. Porter was soon further victimized by a freight train consisting of Justin Jones (No. 91 Fairway Ford Chevy GMC Yamaha YZ450F), Chase Saathoff (No. 88 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450), and Drane, falling from first to fifth in a matter of just over a minute. While Jones creeped forward and Saathoff actively sought for an advantageous line in third, Brunner stayed strong and consistent at the front en route to a 0.721-second margin of victory. The win was the ninth of Brunner’s career and furthers his remarkable streak of winning at least one Main Event in each of his six career KICKER AFT Singles campaigns. “It was just incredible, “Brunner said. “As soon as I pulled off after that heat race, I looked at my mechanic, Jerimiah (Duffy), and said, ‘I know exactly what to do – this is shaping up to be exactly like my home track, Lawrenceburg Motorcycle Speedway.’ I put in that setup I ran every Friday night since I was three years old, and lo and behold, it worked.” Dark horse Jones held on to hand Yamaha a popular 1-2 with a huge contingent of the brand’s employees in attendance, while Saathoff backed up last year’s Senoia win with another podium at the track. Drane’s fourth saw his record-smashing podium streak snapped at 14. However, it was still good enough to keep him in the championship lead by six points over Brunner (56-50) and nine over Saathoff (47). Porter, meanwhile, lost one additional position late, getting dropped to sixth by teammate Kage Tadman (No. 28 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R). Tarren Santero (No. 75 Roof Systems/Vinson Construction Honda CRF450R), Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Memphis Shades/Corbin Seats Yamaha YZ450F), Jared Lowe (No. 63 Big R Racing/Vinson Construction Honda CRF450R), and Jordan Jean (No. 56 Ray C’s Harley Davidson Yamaha YZ450F) completed the top ten. AFT ProSport 450Sam Drane (No. 7 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) made it two-for-two in Road to AFT Amateur Invitationals with a walk-away win in the evening’s AFT ProSport 450 Main Event. Similar to his performance at the DAYTONA opener, Drane did so despite not winning the previous day’s AMA-sanctioned Mission Foods CTR Showcase Event. In fact, he didn’t even finish on the box on Friday, but it was a completely different story on Saturday. Drane rocketed off the start and left a field jam-packed with future stars in his wake, ultimately taking the checkered flag with a 2.385-second margin of victory. In doing so, he actually took the honors of delivering Yamaha its first Main Event race win at its home track. Fellow Australian Jake Paige (No. 55 Paige Racing GASGAS MC 450F) fought his way up to second with DAYTONA runner-up Ryder Bitz-Hay (No. 14 Bitz-Hay Racing KTM 450 SX-F) rounding out the podium. Cody Mishey (No. 26 Team Mishey Racing Honda CRF450R)  executed a late pass to take fourth away from Jett Katarzy (No. 17 1st Impressions Husqvarna FC450) as the two completed the top five. Next UpProgressive American Flat Track will head out to the Pacific Coast on Saturday, April 25, for stunning views and spectacular racing at the Ventura Short Track. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-ventura-short-track-168769 to purchase your tickets today. How to Watch FloRacingFor those that can’t catch the live action at the track, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive American Flat Track. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2026. FloSports is available by visitinghttps://flosports.link/AFT2026 or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.

FS1
FOX Sports coverage of the Yamaha Short Track, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, March 29, at 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT). The full listing of American Flat Track’s television premieres can be found at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports.

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John Force Racing–Phoenix Saturday

March 24, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

BECKMAN’S NO. 2 LEADS JFR IN PHOENIX HEATVandergriff #2Fast2Tasty Challenge runner-up, faces DeJoria in Rd. 1 and Hart qualifies 10^th

Photography: John Force Racing / Auto Imagery / Gary Nastase

BECKMAN’S NO. 2 LEADS JFR IN PHOENIX HEATVandergriff #2Fast2Tasty Challenge runner-up, faces DeJoria in Rd. 1 and Hart qualifies 10^th

CHANDLER, Ariz. (March 21, 2025) – Jack Beckman was John Force Racing’s standard bearer in qualifying for the FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals by posting the second-quickest Funny Car run, while JFR teammates Jordan Vandergriff and Alexis DeJoria will go head-to-head in Round 1 and Josh Hart qualified 10^th in Top Fuel for Sunday’s first-round matchups at Firebird Motorsports Park. Temperatures in the 90s and into triple digits continued to play a critical role in the success of the competitors in either nitro category getting down the track clean. Beckman’s best run in the PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car, 3.982 seconds at 323.97 mph, was made in Q1 Friday as was Vandergriff and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car team’s fifth-place run of 4.011 seconds at 288.21 mph and Alexis DeJoria’s run of 4.081 seconds at 298.47 mph in the Bandero Premium Tequila Chevrolet SS Funny Car for the 12^thspot. Josh Hart and the Burnyzz Speed Shop / Speedmaster Top Fuel team made their best run in Q3 Saturday morning with a time of 3.854 seconds at 328.30 mph in the semifinal round of the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. Hart got the holeshot but put a cylinder or two out down track allowing Justin Ashley to move past for the win. The two will pair up again in Sunday’s first round of eliminations. Vandergriff took the win in the first round of the Funny Car #2Fast2Tasty Challenge in Q3 when Chad Green turned on the red light. He then bowed out to JR Todd in the final round during Q4 when the Cornwell Tools Chevy hazed the tires while Todd was able to drive through similar circumstances. DeJoria grabbed the holeshot (.087 to .114) against Todd in her #2Fast2Tasty Challenge semifinal but drove into tire smoke just past the 300-foot mark and clicked it off. Beckman earned three bonus points for low ET of Q4 and will face Daniel Wilkerson in Sunday’s first round of eliminations which is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. PT. Quote from Jack Beckman, PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car:“The PEAK SQUAD had a really good run in the heat in Q4 and earned three points for low ET of the session. We were second low of the first session, fifth low of the third session, lowest of the last session and just overpowered it on Q2. We’ve been almost a polar opposite of Gainesville. In this one, we unloaded with a great run which set the tone and we made it three out of four times down track. I’m really confident. Tomorrow will be another hot and nasty day but, with an earlier start, first round might be where we see the quickest runs of the week. Our goal is to make ours and winning run and then we want to survive the attrition.” Quote from Jordan Vandergriff, Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car:“JR and I both spun at almost the same time in the #2Fast2Tasty final. It looked like the Cornwell Tools Chevy may have put out more than one cylinder but hey, we were close. That’s all you can ask for. So we’ll take that momentum into tomorrow and get the get the real win. I’m gonna race my teammate again, Alexis this time, but it’s meant to be what it’s meant to be.” Quote from Alexis DeJoria, Bandero Premium Tequila Chevrolet SS:“This has been a really interesting race for us so far. The 100-degree weather has been challenging, to say the least. But we’re in the show solid from Friday’s Q1 session so that’s great. We have just been trying to make runs A to B and ended up going against one of our teammates. So, like Jordan and Jack had to race first round at Gainesville, it’s me and Jordan. It’ll be a fun race one way or the other and one of us will be going to the second round.” Quote from Josh Hart, Burnyzz Speed Shop / Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster:“I have nothing but praise and love for the JFR team. We are second to none when it comes to communication, and the team and I collaboratively came together and said, ‘you know, we had to try something big. That communication is priceless. We went out there and it didn’t fall our way this time, but I’m sure it will many more times in the future. And, hey, you have to race everybody on race day anyway. We’ll run our lane and be just fine.” TV ScheduleTelevision coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 22, followed by eliminations coverage at 6:30 p.m. ET.

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