THE MONTH AHEAD: Busy March Ready to Bring 2026 World of Outlaws Season Back to Life

February 26, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

CONCORD, NC (February 26, 2026) – The Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals in early February may officially signal the start of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car season, but the month of March is when the campaign truly comes alive.

After a few weeks off, The Greatest Show on Dirt is set to tackle a stretch of 10 races in 28 days that will take the world’s best Sprint Car drivers to eight tracks in seven states. It starts with a return to Florida and journeys along the country’s southern rim before wrapping up in the Midwest.

Let’s look at where to find the World of Outlaws in March:

Volusia Speedway Park | Bike Week Jamboree (March 1-2): The “Sunshine State” welcomes the tour on the first day of the month as the World of Outlaws are set to bring some four-wheel flavor to Florida’s Bike Week. Whether you’re local to the area or a biker who rode in from afar, Barberville, FL’s Volusia Speedway Park is the place to be on the evenings of Sunday-Monday, March 1-2. David Gravel swept last year’s Bike Week Jamboree.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Talladega Short Track | Dega Duel (March 6): It’s a quick turnaround after Volusia as the teams have just three days off before it’s race day at Eastaboga, AL’s Talladega Short Track. The 1/3-mile dirt track sits down the street from its pavement counterpart, the 2.66 mile Talladega Superspeedway. It’ll mark Talladega’s 14th time hosting the World of Outlaws. The track is home to David Gravel’s first victory (2011). Current full-timers Michael “Buddy” Kofoid and Bill Balog are also former Talladega winners.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Magnolia Motor Speedway | Black Ice Brawl (March 7): The only Mississippi visit of the year brings the tour to Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS. The Series’ first stop at “The Mag” in 2021 was topped by Sheldon Haudenschild. More dates followed in 2023 and 2025, and this year will mark the first time Magnolia has hosted the World of Outlaws in consecutive seasons.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Kennedale Speedway Park | Cowtown Classic (March 13-14): Mid-March takes the World of Outlaws to their home state as Kennedale Speedway Park plays host for a full weekend of action. Carson Macedo claimed the Series debut at Kennedale in 2024. Last year continued the tradition of Californians conquering the “Lone Star State” track as Fresno’s Giovanni Scelzi and Penngrove’s Buddy Kofoid split victories.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Lawton Speedway | Sooner Stampede (March 20): An all-Oklahoma weekend opens at Lawton Speedway. The “Sooner State” oval appeared on the schedule twice during the inaugural season in 1978, with Rick Ferkel and Sammy Swindell bagging the wins. The track was frequently visited through the early 1980s before a long hiatus and has since become a staple once again with Daryn Pittman, Carson Macedo, and Buddy Kofoid claiming the trio of trips in the 2020s.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Creek County Speedway | Creekadega 40 (March 21): Yes, Oklahoma, it’s happening. The Greatest Show on Dirt is invading “Creekadega.” The World of Outlaws will make their debut at Sapulpa, OK’s Creek County Speedway to close the “Sooner State” weekend. Combine the best Sprint Car drivers with this bullring, and the result promises to be a thriller. The American Sprint Car Series has delivered many exciting races at Creek County over the years.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

US 36 Raceway | KC Classic (March 27): Sprint Car fans across the country rejoiced when this “Show-Me State” gem was put back on the World of Outlaws calendar. Sprint Cars at US 36 Raceway simply do not miss, and the Osborn, MO track is set to start a weekend in the Midwest. Jac Haudenschild won the Series debut at US 36 in 2006, and the place seems to suit the Haudenschild style as his son Sheldon boasts a pair of victories there (2020 and 2023).

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

81 Speedway | Tallgrass Tussle (March 28): The first of three scheduled nights in Kansas on the 2026 calendar punctuates the month of March. Park City, KS’ 81 Speedway is the destination. Sammy Swindell dominated the opening chapter of the track’s history with the World of Outlaws by winning the first five races. Ten-time champion Donny Schatz has a pair of 81 scores (2006 and 2017), and Rico Abreu topped the two most recent visits.

THE MONTH AHEAD: Busy March Ready to Bring 2026 World of Outlaws Season Back to Life

CONCORD, NC (February 26, 2026) – The Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals in early February may officially signal the start of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car season, but the month of March is when the campaign truly comes alive.

After a few weeks off, The Greatest Show on Dirt is set to tackle a stretch of 10 races in 28 days that will take the world’s best Sprint Car drivers to eight tracks in seven states. It starts with a return to Florida and journeys along the country’s southern rim before wrapping up in the Midwest.

Let’s look at where to find the World of Outlaws in March:

Volusia Speedway Park | Bike Week Jamboree (March 1-2): The “Sunshine State” welcomes the tour on the first day of the month as the World of Outlaws are set to bring some four-wheel flavor to Florida’s Bike Week. Whether you’re local to the area or a biker who rode in from afar, Barberville, FL’s Volusia Speedway Park is the place to be on the evenings of Sunday-Monday, March 1-2. David Gravel swept last year’s Bike Week Jamboree.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Talladega Short Track | Dega Duel (March 6): It’s a quick turnaround after Volusia as the teams have just three days off before it’s race day at Eastaboga, AL’s Talladega Short Track. The 1/3-mile dirt track sits down the street from its pavement counterpart, the 2.66 mile Talladega Superspeedway. It’ll mark Talladega’s 14th time hosting the World of Outlaws. The track is home to David Gravel’s first victory (2011). Current full-timers Michael “Buddy” Kofoid and Bill Balog are also former Talladega winners.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Magnolia Motor Speedway | Black Ice Brawl (March 7): The only Mississippi visit of the year brings the tour to Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS. The Series’ first stop at “The Mag” in 2021 was topped by Sheldon Haudenschild. More dates followed in 2023 and 2025, and this year will mark the first time Magnolia has hosted the World of Outlaws in consecutive seasons.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Kennedale Speedway Park | Cowtown Classic (March 13-14): Mid-March takes the World of Outlaws to their home state as Kennedale Speedway Park plays host for a full weekend of action. Carson Macedo claimed the Series debut at Kennedale in 2024. Last year continued the tradition of Californians conquering the “Lone Star State” track as Fresno’s Giovanni Scelzi and Penngrove’s Buddy Kofoid split victories.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Lawton Speedway | Sooner Stampede (March 20): An all-Oklahoma weekend opens at Lawton Speedway. The “Sooner State” oval appeared on the schedule twice during the inaugural season in 1978, with Rick Ferkel and Sammy Swindell bagging the wins. The track was frequently visited through the early 1980s before a long hiatus and has since become a staple once again with Daryn Pittman, Carson Macedo, and Buddy Kofoid claiming the trio of trips in the 2020s.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Creek County Speedway | Creekadega 40 (March 21): Yes, Oklahoma, it’s happening. The Greatest Show on Dirt is invading “Creekadega.” The World of Outlaws will make their debut at Sapulpa, OK’s Creek County Speedway to close the “Sooner State” weekend. Combine the best Sprint Car drivers with this bullring, and the result promises to be a thriller. The American Sprint Car Series has delivered many exciting races at Creek County over the years.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

US 36 Raceway | KC Classic (March 27): Sprint Car fans across the country rejoiced when this “Show-Me State” gem was put back on the World of Outlaws calendar. Sprint Cars at US 36 Raceway simply do not miss, and the Osborn, MO track is set to start a weekend in the Midwest. Jac Haudenschild won the Series debut at US 36 in 2006, and the place seems to suit the Haudenschild style as his son Sheldon boasts a pair of victories there (2020 and 2023).

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

81 Speedway | Tallgrass Tussle (March 28): The first of three scheduled nights in Kansas on the 2026 calendar punctuates the month of March. Park City, KS’ 81 Speedway is the destination. Sammy Swindell dominated the opening chapter of the track’s history with the World of Outlaws by winning the first five races. Ten-time champion Donny Schatz has a pair of 81 scores (2006 and 2017), and Rico Abreu topped the two most recent visits.

For tickets and more event information, CLICK HERE.

Xtreme Outlaw Midgets Shift Focus to Premier Events

February 26, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

CONCORD, NC (Feb. 26, 2026) – After succeeding in its mission to help elevate Midget racing and the drivers in the division, the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets presented by Toyota will continue that initiative in a new fashion this year.

Maintaining the goal of putting Midget racers in front of large crowds, Xtreme Outlaw will shift its focus to hosting premier events only, while also supporting two regional series.

Two of the most important tracks to the Xtreme Outlaw brand will, again, present a stage for Midget racers from across the country to showcase their talents in front of thousands, as the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets will join the Ironman 55 Weekend with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, Aug. 7-8, and return to Millbridge Speedway, Nov. 2-3, for the World Championship lead-up to the World of Outlaws World Finals.

“Our goal with Xtreme is always to help elevate dirt Midget racing and help showcase the rising talent of the sport, which has been a tremendous success when you look at the budding careers of former Xtreme drivers like Jade Avedisian, Ryan Timms, Taylor Reimer, Jacob Denney, and more,” said Tyler Bachman, Xtreme Outlaw director of events. “It’s exciting to see what we’ve accomplished in a short time with Xtreme since its inception in 2022. As the economy of Midget racing shifts, this new focus allows us to continue our goals and bring the best talent in Midget racing to fans around the world.”

In addition to hosting the premier events, Xtreme/DIRTcar will also serve as the sanctioning body for the Xtreme Dirt Midget Association and the Centennial Midget Series – formerly the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association, the oldest Midget association in the country.

The Xtreme Outlaw Midgets have been part of the Ironman 55 Weekend at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park since its debut season in 2022. The first five Xtreme races at the high-banked Missouri track saw five different winners, including eventual Series champions Cannon McIntosh and Jade Avedisian. In total, seven different drivers have won during the Ironman weekend – McIntosh, Avedisian, Chance Crum, Michael Pickens, Karter Sarff, Cameron Key, and 2025 Series champion Jacob Denney.

After the success of the World Championship event at Millbridge last year, it only made sense for the Series to again help serve as the prelude to World Finals at the track that helped launch the Series. The Xtreme Midgets debuted at the Salisbury, NC track on May 24, 2022, and saw Gavan Boschele claim the inaugural victory.

Like I-55, Millbridge has had three Series champions score a win at the track, including McIntosh, Denney, and inaugural champion Zach Daum. The other two winners at the track include Sarff and Taylor Reimer, who became the first women to earn a national dirt racing victory.

The events at I-55 and Millbridge will pay $4,000 to win on the first night and $5,000 to win on the final night.

To keep up with the latest event info, visit the Xtreme Outlaw site and follow the Xtreme Outlaw social channels.

Where can you watch the Xtreme Outlaw Midget events? All live on DIRTVision.

Xtreme Outlaw Midgets Shift Focus to Premier Events

CONCORD, NC (Feb. 26, 2026) – After succeeding in its mission to help elevate Midget racing and the drivers in the division, the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets presented by Toyota will continue that initiative in a new fashion this year.

Maintaining the goal of putting Midget racers in front of large crowds, Xtreme Outlaw will shift its focus to hosting premier events only, while also supporting two regional series.

Two of the most important tracks to the Xtreme Outlaw brand will, again, present a stage for Midget racers from across the country to showcase their talents in front of thousands, as the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets will join the Ironman 55 Weekend with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, Aug. 7-8, and return to Millbridge Speedway, Nov. 2-3, for the World Championship lead-up to the World of Outlaws World Finals.

“Our goal with Xtreme is always to help elevate dirt Midget racing and help showcase the rising talent of the sport, which has been a tremendous success when you look at the budding careers of former Xtreme drivers like Jade Avedisian, Ryan Timms, Taylor Reimer, Jacob Denney, and more,” said Tyler Bachman, Xtreme Outlaw director of events. “It’s exciting to see what we’ve accomplished in a short time with Xtreme since its inception in 2022. As the economy of Midget racing shifts, this new focus allows us to continue our goals and bring the best talent in Midget racing to fans around the world.”

In addition to hosting the premier events, Xtreme/DIRTcar will also serve as the sanctioning body for the Xtreme Dirt Midget Association and the Centennial Midget Series – formerly the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association, the oldest Midget association in the country.

The Xtreme Outlaw Midgets have been part of the Ironman 55 Weekend at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park since its debut season in 2022. The first five Xtreme races at the high-banked Missouri track saw five different winners, including eventual Series champions Cannon McIntosh and Jade Avedisian. In total, seven different drivers have won during the Ironman weekend – McIntosh, Avedisian, Chance Crum, Michael Pickens, Karter Sarff, Cameron Key, and 2025 Series champion Jacob Denney.

After the success of the World Championship event at Millbridge last year, it only made sense for the Series to again help serve as the prelude to World Finals at the track that helped launch the Series. The Xtreme Midgets debuted at the Salisbury, NC track on May 24, 2022, and saw Gavan Boschele claim the inaugural victory.

Like I-55, Millbridge has had three Series champions score a win at the track, including McIntosh, Denney, and inaugural champion Zach Daum. The other two winners at the track include Sarff and Taylor Reimer, who became the first women to earn a national dirt racing victory.

The events at I-55 and Millbridge will pay $4,000 to win on the first night and $5,000 to win on the final night.

To keep up with the latest event info, visit the Xtreme Outlaw site and follow the Xtreme Outlaw social channels.

Where can you watch the Xtreme Outlaw Midget events? All live on DIRTVision.

ARTICLE: https://xtremeoutlawseries.com/news/xtreme-outlaw-midgets-shift-focus-to-premier-events/FAN 101: https://about.dirtcar.com/

Race Week Briefing: Circuit of The Americas

February 26, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Zizzo Racing Celebrates Rahn Tobler Upcoming Hall of Fame Induction

February 26, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Sheppard Returns to Wieland Winter Nationals Victory Lane at Ocala

February 26, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Sheppard Returns to Wieland Winter Nationals Victory Lane at Ocala

OCALA, FL (February 25, 2026) – It took Brandon Sheppard nine years to return to Victory Lane at Ocala Speedway, but on Wednesday night the New Berlin, Illinois driver captured the 30-lap Wieland Winter Nationals feature for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing. Sheppard earned his third career victory at Ocala and his first since 2017, driving the Rocket 1 to a 0.583-second win over Hudson O’Neal. Devin Moran finished third, with Brandon Overton and Clay Harris rounding out the top five. Kyle Bronson powered around the outside of the front row to grab the early lead, with Sheppard settling into second. Bronson, who was seeking his first Lucas Oil Series win since the 2021 Silver Dollar Nationals, maintained a steady two-car-length advantage through the opening laps. However, as he exited Turn 4 to complete Lap 6, Bronson suddenly slowed with apparent drivetrain issues. Sheppard, closing quickly on the bottom, made slight, unavoidable contact as Bronson decelerated. The caution flag waved as Bronson headed to the hot pit, ending his night. Sheppard inherited the lead, with O’Neal and Overton in pursuit until a caution on Lap 18 reset the field. Two laps after the restart, Moran slipped past Overton for third. The final 10 laps featured an intense three-car battle as Sheppard, O’Neal, and Moran navigated heavy lapped traffic. Both challengers closed in, but Sheppard cleared a slower car on the white-flag lap, giving him just enough breathing room to secure the win at the checkers. The victory marked Sheppard’s 37th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series triumph. He also broke a tie with Don O’Neal for fourth place on the all-time Georgia-Florida Speedweeks win list with his 25th victory.“It felt good to see the checkered flag,” Sheppard said. “We definitely had some stuff messed up on the front end from the contact with Kyle. I felt terrible about that. It looked like he missed it a little bit, and I was filling the gap on the bottom when we came together. I hate that for him, but we had a really fast car again tonight. It was just one of those deals where we got out front. My dad said last night I was messing around too much in lapped traffic, so this one’s for him.” With the win, Sheppard became the winningest Rocket 1 driver during Georgia-Florida Speedweeks over the last 25 years, earning his 11th victory and breaking a tie with Josh Richards. “I was running a different line in Turns 1 and 2 than I expected,” Sheppard added. “I would enter on the bottom and slide across the middle. I kept waiting for it to change because I knew it might go away at some point. I felt good on both the bottom and the top and was just trying to maintain speed. With the front end being jacked up, it was wherever the car put me. Turns 3 and 4 were tougher because I needed to carve down the hill and come off lower and straighter, and I struggled with that late in the race.”O’Neal, who was seeking his second career win at Ocala, closed the gap in the final laps but settled for second. “Sheppy had a good race car,” O’Neal said. “I felt like we were pretty maneuverable and could really build momentum down the back straightaway. The longer the race went, the better I felt. I gained on him late, and lapped traffic definitely played a factor. I got caught behind Ross (Robinson), and I just wasn’t able to capitalize with a lap or two to go.” Moran, who started eighth, advanced to third on Lap 20 and joined the late-race battle to round out the Big River Steel Podium. “I felt like my car was really good again,” Moran said. “I jumped the cushion in the heat race, got into the wall, and let Hud get by me, and that really dictated our night. You have to start up front here. I know they’re working hard on the track night in and night out, and I’m sure they’ll have it figured out by the end of the week.” The winner’s Mark Richards Racing, Rocket Chassis is powered by a Durham Racing Engine and sponsored by Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ace Metal Works, Performance Grading, Petroff Towing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Franklin Enterprises, Gunter’s Honey, Stiles Marine and Maintenance, Collins Brothers Towing, and Fox Shocks. Completing the top 10 were Drake Troutman, Brian Shirley, Garrett Alberson, Carson Ferguson, and Ricky Thornton Jr. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter NationalsWednesday, February 25, 2026Ocala Speedway | Ocala, FL Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Brandon Overton | 14.288 secondsFast Time Group B: Garrett Alberson | 14.141 seconds (Overall) Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 3. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[3]; 4. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[5]; 5. 09-Michael Leach[4]; 6. 11-Josh Rice[7]; 7. 32J-Justin Weaver[6]; 8. 18-Chase Junghans[8]; 9. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9]; 10. 12L-Dave Loudin[10] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 6-Clay Harris[2]; 2. 13-Dallon Murty[1]; 3. 19M-Brenden Smith[3]; 4. 15K-Cody Overton[4]; 5. 7-Ross Robinson[7]; 6. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[5]; 7. 17SR-Brody Smith[8]; 8. 6B-Adam Boyd[10]; 9. (DNS) 22-Daniel Hilsabeck; 10. (DNS) 111-Max Blair
Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[2]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 3. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]; 4. 22*-Drake Troutman[3]; 5. 3S-Brian Shirley[6]; 6. 10-Garrett Smith[5]; 7. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[8]; 8. 77-Preston Luckman[7]; 9. 15-Clay Stuckey[10]; 10. 79-Cory Hedgecock[9]
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[1]; 2. 99-Devin Moran[2]; 3. 58V-Daulton Wilson[3]; 4. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 5. 8-Dillon McCowan[6]; 6. 60-Dan Ebert[5]; 7. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[8]; 8. 81F-Jadon Frame[7]; 9. 93L-Cory Lawler[9]; 10. 55-Eli Johnson[10] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[4]; 2. 7-Ross Robinson[2]; 3. 11-Josh Rice[3]; 4. 09-Michael Leach[1]; 5. 32J-Justin Weaver[5]; 6. 17SR-Brody Smith[6]; 7. 12L-Dave Loudin[11]; 8. C4-Freddie Carpenter[9]; 9. 18-Chase Junghans[7]; 10. 6B-Adam Boyd[8]; 11. (DNS) 22-Daniel Hilsabeck; 12. (DNS) 111-Max Blair
UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 8-Dillon McCowan[2]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[1]; 3. 10-Garrett Smith[3]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[4]; 5. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[6]; 6. 81F-Jadon Frame[8]; 7. 15-Clay Stuckey[9]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[10]; 9. 55-Eli Johnson[12]; 10. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[5]; 11. 77-Preston Luckman[7]; 12. (DNS) 79-Cory Hedgecock Wieland Winter Nationals Feature Finish (30 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 1 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $7,0002 – 4 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $3,5003 – 8 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $2,0004 – 5 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $1,5005 – 3 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $1,4006 – 14 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – $1,3007 – 20 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $1,2008 – 6 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $1,1009 – 10 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $1,00010 – 17 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $95011 – 7 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – $90012 – 13 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – $85013 – 11 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $80014 – 9 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – $75015 – 24 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $72516 – 18 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $70017 – 19 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $70018 – 12 – 58V – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $70019 – 22 – 10 – Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – $65020 – 15 – 15K – Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – $62521 – 2 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $72522 – 23 – 9 – Michael Leach – Sun River, MT – $60023 – 21 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $60024 – 16 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $600 Race Statistics Entrants: 40Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Brandon SheppardMD3 Lap Leaders: Kyle Bronson (Laps 1-6); Brandon Sheppard (Laps 7-30)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Brandon SheppardWieland Feature Winner: Brandon SheppardMargin of Victory: 0.583 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: Tyler Erb (Lap 3); Josh Rice (Lap 5); Kyle Bronson (Lap 6); Ross Robinson (Lap 18)MyRacePass Series Provisionals: n/aFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O’Neal, Devin MoranPenske Shocks Top 5: Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O’Neal, Devin Moran, Brandon Overton, Clay HarrisBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O’Neal, Devin MoranPEM 4th Place Feature: Brandon OvertonDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Clay HarrisWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Brian ShirleyWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Dallon MurtyVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Brenden SmithXS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Dan EbertHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Brian Shirley (Advanced 13 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Brandon Sheppard (24 Laps)Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon SheppardMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Brandon OvertonO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Kyle Bronson | Lap 3 | 14.468 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Kyle BronsonVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Brandon SheppardOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Danny WhiteARP Engine Builder of the Race: Durham Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Rocket ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Drake Troutman | 14.5629 secondsTime of Race: 17 minutes 09 seconds

Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–St Pete Advance

February 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIES Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit St. Petersburg, FloridaRace AdvanceFebruary 27-March 1, 2026
DETROIT (February 25, 2026) – The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES kicks off with the traditional spring break party – the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – with Chevrolet looking to win their tenth manufacturer title since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012, and their 17th all-time manufacturer crown since 1979.
A dozen drivers, including 2025 second-place championship finisher and 2024 winner at this event, Pato O’Ward, will represent the Bowtie brand to start the season on the demanding 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit.
“After a strong finish to the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, we’re eager to get back on track and compete for a tenth manufacturers’ title since 2012,” said GM Motorsports – IndyCar Program Manager Andrew Schutter. “An extension to our supplier agreement, the spring break party atmosphere, and massive crowds, provide our engineers a little extra energy as we kick off our season in St. Petersburg. Our talented engineers, teams, and drivers have worked together during the off-season to find every possible hundredth-of-a-second gain that will make the difference in the ultra-competitive field in 2026. ”
Highlights of the 2026 season include the Indianapolis 500, where Chevrolet will be going for their 14th trip to victory lane, a return to Phoenix Raceway in a doubleheader with NASCAR, new street circuits in Arlington, Texas, Markham, Ontario, and Washington, D.C., and visits to iconic tracks across the country as part of the 18-race schedule.

Chevrolet on the Streets of St. Petersburg
Chevrolet-powered drivers have won nine of the 14 NTT INDYCAR SERIES held on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012, with Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet winning in 2024. Seven drivers and three teams have combined for the nine wins, with Team Penske’s seven wins leading all squads.Only drivers from Team Penske have won the pole on the palm tree-lined circuit on the edge of Tampa Bay, with the ‘Captain’s’ men wearing Bowties winning ten of the 14 poles since 2012. A driver representing Team Chevy has stood on the podium 25 times since 2012, while 16 drivers representing six teams have led 754 laps across those 14 races.

Starting the year off on a high note Since 1946, Chevrolet-powered cars have won the first race of the year (against competition) on 16 occasions, and eight of the 14 season-opening races since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012.
Juan Pablo Montoya (2015 & 2016), Rick Mears (1989 & 1990) and Mario Andretti (1987 & 1988) are the drivers with multiple Chevrolet-powered wins in season-opening races. Team Penske (1989, 1990, 1992, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022, & 2024) has ten wins in the first race of the year, leading the way for Team Chevy.

Notable Numbers
6 – the number of different countries represented by Team Chevy drivers – United States (6) – Denmark (2) – Brazil (1) – Mexico (1) – Netherlands (1) – New Zealand (1)9 – the number of wins by current Team Chevy teams, Arrow McLaren and ECR12 – the number of drivers representing Team Chevy in the season-opening NTT INDYCAR SERIES race13 – the number of driver championships won by Chevrolet all-time26.7 – the average age of the dozen Chevrolet-powered drivers in the 2026 season opener – Josef Newgarden is the elder statesman at 3532 – the number of wins by Josef Newgarden, the winningest Team Chevy driver all-time 40 – the number of different drivers that have won INDYCAR races while powered by Chevrolet124 – the number of Bowtie-backed wins by Team Penske since their first at Pocono Raceway by Rick Mears in 1987127 – the number of wins by Chevrolet since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012141 – the number of earned poles by Chevrolet-powered teams since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012237 – the number of wins by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time245 – the number of earned poles by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time362 – the number of podiums by Chevrolet-powered teams since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012676 – the number of podiums by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time

Making his Team Chevy return
One of those season-opening winners, James Hinchcliffe, returns to the street circuit where he won the first race of the 2013 NTT INDYCAR SERIES while piloting a Chevrolet-powered Dallara. The Canadian will make his NASCAR debut on Saturday, stepping behind the wheel of the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series.

James Hinchcliffe crosses the line in the No. 27 Andretti Global Chevrolet to win Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the first race of the 2013 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season (Photo: INDYCAR)

“It’s awesome,” said Hinchcliffe after the win in 2013. “There’s been a lot of talk about it in the off-season, when that first one was going to come, what we had to do to get there My answer was always the same. We had to minimize the mistakes. The team is good, the car is good, the engineers are good. We proved last year the team is capable of winning. It’s down to me on any given Sunday to minimize mistakes.
“We capitalized on restarts. The last restart was on blacks, everyone around us was on reds. Helio made a mistake. I thought I would lead for a couple laps, but he would catch up. For that many laps on technically the slower tires took everything out of me.
“I was so happy to get it done and get Go Daddy its first win in IndyCar, Chevrolet back in Victory Circle, one, two, three on the podium, podium sweep. My teammate on the podium. It’s just a helluva day.”

What They’re Saying:
Caio Collet, No. 4 COMBITRANS AMAZONA Chevrolet:HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO MAKE YOUR FIRST INDYCAR START?“Very excited. I think the team has put in a lot of work, and so have I. We have been checking as many boxes as we can to prepare for the race as best we can, and I feel ready to attack the challenge. It is a dream coming true. A little bit anxious about it, but taking it day-by-day. Hopefully we can start off with a great race weekend.”
Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 HOMES FOR OUR TROOPS Chevrolet:“I think Chevy’s done a lot of development through the winter, and from what I can tell, in Sebring and at the Open Test in Phoenix, I feel pretty good about some of the things that they’ve accomplished. It’s going to be hard to tell where everybody stacks up but I’ve been quite comfortable with Chevrolet, and y I’m looking forward to returning with them to the grid.”
Arrow McLaren Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“I’m really looking forward to getting back to racing and kicking off the season this weekend in St. Pete. It’s always a great atmosphere down there, and it’s a place where we’ve had success in the past. We had a really strong year in 2025, but the offseason has been all about preparing to take that next step in 2026. That mission starts this weekend.”
Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“It’s been a busy offseason of training for me. I was fortunate to get a lot of track time with the endurance racing along with simulator time, meetings with the crew, our recent tests in Sebring and Phoenix. I’m ready to put all that work to the test in St. Pete and get back to NTT INDYCAR SERIES racing.”
Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“I’m eager to get on track this weekend. My focus is always on getting better, progressing, learning. I’m looking forward to continuing that progress into Year 2 at Arrow McLaren, starting with St. Pete. It’s been a full offseason of prep including two recent quality tests, and we’re ready to go and deliver a strong result.”
ECR
Alexander Rossi, No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet:“Last week’s Phoenix test was a great first showing of how hard everyone at ECR has worked over the offseason. Now it is finally time to get the season started with the first race of the year and I could not be more excited. St. Pete is always a fun challenge with an unpredictable race, and I can’t wait to get out there and see what the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet can accomplish.”Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet: “I’m excited to get back on track in St. Pete with Splenda Stevia! ECR has done an incredible job over the offseason preparing and I’m looking forward to building on last year’s progress. We had a very solid test at Phoenix as a team and now we want see our hard work come together in the season opener!”

Team and Driver Previews:
We sent out extensive team and driver previews earlier this week that you can read here:A.J. Foyt Racing Arrow McLaren ECR Juncos Hollinger Racing Team Penske

Tune-In Guide:
FridayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 1:30pm (ET)/12:30pm (CT)/11:30am (MT)/10:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218
SaturdayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218
SundayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9am (ET)/8am (CT)/7am (MT)/6am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (100 laps) – noon (ET)/11am (CT)/10am (MT)/9am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Chevrolet history on the Streets of St. Petersburg
Wins – 9
2024 – Pato O’Ward – Arrow McLaren2022 – Scott McLaughlin – Team Penske2020 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2019 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2016 – Juan Montoya – Team Penske2015 – Juan Montoya – Team Penske2014 – Will Power – Team Penske2013 – James Hinchcliffe – Team Penske2012 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske

Podiums: 25
Chevrolet driver podiums on the Streets of St. Petersburg: Will Power (5), Josef Newgarden (4), Helio Castroneves (3), Pato O’Ward (3), Simon Pagenaud (3), Juan Montoya (2), Marco Andretti (1), James Hinchcliffe (1), Ryan Hunter-Reay (1), Tony Kanaan (1), Scott McLaughlin (1)
Chevrolet team podiums on the Streets of St. Petersburg: Team Penske (18), Andretti Global (3), Arrow McLaren (3), Chip Ganassi Racing (1)
Laps Led: 754
Chevrolet driver laps led on the Streets of St. Petersburg: Will Power (213), Scott McLaughlin (127), Josef Newgarden (83), Helio Castroneves (73), Juan Montoya (71), Simon Pagenaud (64), James Hinchcliffe (26), Christian Lundgaard (23), Pato O’Ward (23), Oriol Servia (16), Rinus VeeKay (13), Ryan Briscoe (9), Jordan King (5), Tomas Enge (4), JR Hildebrand (3), Mike Conway (1)
Chevrolet team laps led on the Streets of St. Petersburg: Team Penske (640), Arrow McLaren (46), Andretti Global (26), ECR (19), Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (16), Panther Racing (7)

CHEVROLET IN THE NTT INDYCAR SERIESFirestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit St. Petersburg, FloridaRace AdvanceFebruary 27-March 1, 2026
DETROIT (February 25, 2026) – The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES kicks off with the traditional spring break party – the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – with Chevrolet looking to win their tenth manufacturer title since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012, and their 17th all-time manufacturer crown since 1979.
A dozen drivers, including 2025 second-place championship finisher and 2024 winner at this event, Pato O’Ward, will represent the Bowtie brand to start the season on the demanding 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit.
“After a strong finish to the 2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, we’re eager to get back on track and compete for a tenth manufacturers’ title since 2012,” said GM Motorsports – IndyCar Program Manager Andrew Schutter. “An extension to our supplier agreement, the spring break party atmosphere, and massive crowds, provide our engineers a little extra energy as we kick off our season in St. Petersburg. Our talented engineers, teams, and drivers have worked together during the off-season to find every possible hundredth-of-a-second gain that will make the difference in the ultra-competitive field in 2026. ”
Highlights of the 2026 season include the Indianapolis 500, where Chevrolet will be going for their 14th trip to victory lane, a return to Phoenix Raceway in a doubleheader with NASCAR, new street circuits in Arlington, Texas, Markham, Ontario, and Washington, D.C., and visits to iconic tracks across the country as part of the 18-race schedule.

Chevrolet on the Streets of St. Petersburg
Chevrolet-powered drivers have won nine of the 14 NTT INDYCAR SERIES held on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012, with Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet winning in 2024. Seven drivers and three teams have combined for the nine wins, with Team Penske’s seven wins leading all squads.Only drivers from Team Penske have won the pole on the palm tree-lined circuit on the edge of Tampa Bay, with the ‘Captain’s’ men wearing Bowties winning ten of the 14 poles since 2012. A driver representing Team Chevy has stood on the podium 25 times since 2012, while 16 drivers representing six teams have led 754 laps across those 14 races.

Starting the year off on a high note Since 1946, Chevrolet-powered cars have won the first race of the year (against competition) on 16 occasions, and eight of the 14 season-opening races since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012.
Juan Pablo Montoya (2015 & 2016), Rick Mears (1989 & 1990) and Mario Andretti (1987 & 1988) are the drivers with multiple Chevrolet-powered wins in season-opening races. Team Penske (1989, 1990, 1992, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022, & 2024) has ten wins in the first race of the year, leading the way for Team Chevy.

Notable Numbers
6 – the number of different countries represented by Team Chevy drivers – United States (6) – Denmark (2) – Brazil (1) – Mexico (1) – Netherlands (1) – New Zealand (1)9 – the number of wins by current Team Chevy teams, Arrow McLaren and ECR12 – the number of drivers representing Team Chevy in the season-opening NTT INDYCAR SERIES race13 – the number of driver championships won by Chevrolet all-time26.7 – the average age of the dozen Chevrolet-powered drivers in the 2026 season opener – Josef Newgarden is the elder statesman at 3532 – the number of wins by Josef Newgarden, the winningest Team Chevy driver all-time 40 – the number of different drivers that have won INDYCAR races while powered by Chevrolet124 – the number of Bowtie-backed wins by Team Penske since their first at Pocono Raceway by Rick Mears in 1987127 – the number of wins by Chevrolet since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012141 – the number of earned poles by Chevrolet-powered teams since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012237 – the number of wins by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time245 – the number of earned poles by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time362 – the number of podiums by Chevrolet-powered teams since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012676 – the number of podiums by Chevrolet-powered cars in INDYCAR all-time

Making his Team Chevy return
One of those season-opening winners, James Hinchcliffe, returns to the street circuit where he won the first race of the 2013 NTT INDYCAR SERIES while piloting a Chevrolet-powered Dallara. The Canadian will make his NASCAR debut on Saturday, stepping behind the wheel of the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series.

James Hinchcliffe crosses the line in the No. 27 Andretti Global Chevrolet to win Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the first race of the 2013 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season (Photo: INDYCAR)

“It’s awesome,” said Hinchcliffe after the win in 2013. “There’s been a lot of talk about it in the off-season, when that first one was going to come, what we had to do to get there My answer was always the same. We had to minimize the mistakes. The team is good, the car is good, the engineers are good. We proved last year the team is capable of winning. It’s down to me on any given Sunday to minimize mistakes.
“We capitalized on restarts. The last restart was on blacks, everyone around us was on reds. Helio made a mistake. I thought I would lead for a couple laps, but he would catch up. For that many laps on technically the slower tires took everything out of me.
“I was so happy to get it done and get Go Daddy its first win in IndyCar, Chevrolet back in Victory Circle, one, two, three on the podium, podium sweep. My teammate on the podium. It’s just a helluva day.”

What They’re Saying:
Caio Collet, No. 4 COMBITRANS AMAZONA Chevrolet:HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO MAKE YOUR FIRST INDYCAR START?“Very excited. I think the team has put in a lot of work, and so have I. We have been checking as many boxes as we can to prepare for the race as best we can, and I feel ready to attack the challenge. It is a dream coming true. A little bit anxious about it, but taking it day-by-day. Hopefully we can start off with a great race weekend.”
Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 HOMES FOR OUR TROOPS Chevrolet:“I think Chevy’s done a lot of development through the winter, and from what I can tell, in Sebring and at the Open Test in Phoenix, I feel pretty good about some of the things that they’ve accomplished. It’s going to be hard to tell where everybody stacks up but I’ve been quite comfortable with Chevrolet, and y I’m looking forward to returning with them to the grid.”
Arrow McLaren Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“I’m really looking forward to getting back to racing and kicking off the season this weekend in St. Pete. It’s always a great atmosphere down there, and it’s a place where we’ve had success in the past. We had a really strong year in 2025, but the offseason has been all about preparing to take that next step in 2026. That mission starts this weekend.”
Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“It’s been a busy offseason of training for me. I was fortunate to get a lot of track time with the endurance racing along with simulator time, meetings with the crew, our recent tests in Sebring and Phoenix. I’m ready to put all that work to the test in St. Pete and get back to NTT INDYCAR SERIES racing.”
Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:“I’m eager to get on track this weekend. My focus is always on getting better, progressing, learning. I’m looking forward to continuing that progress into Year 2 at Arrow McLaren, starting with St. Pete. It’s been a full offseason of prep including two recent quality tests, and we’re ready to go and deliver a strong result.”
ECR
Alexander Rossi, No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet:“Last week’s Phoenix test was a great first showing of how hard everyone at ECR has worked over the offseason. Now it is finally time to get the season started with the first race of the year and I could not be more excited. St. Pete is always a fun challenge with an unpredictable race, and I can’t wait to get out there and see what the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet can accomplish.”Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet: “I’m excited to get back on track in St. Pete with Splenda Stevia! ECR has done an incredible job over the offseason preparing and I’m looking forward to building on last year’s progress. We had a very solid test at Phoenix as a team and now we want see our hard work come together in the season opener!”

Team and Driver Previews:
We sent out extensive team and driver previews earlier this week that you can read here:A.J. Foyt Racing Arrow McLaren ECR Juncos Hollinger Racing Team Penske

Tune-In Guide:
FridayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 1:30pm (ET)/12:30pm (CT)/11:30am (MT)/10:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218
SaturdayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218
SundayNTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9am (ET)/8am (CT)/7am (MT)/6am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (100 laps) – noon (ET)/11am (CT)/10am (MT)/9am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Chevrolet history on the Streets of St. Petersburg
Wins – 9
2024 – Pato O’Ward – Arrow McLaren2022 – Scott McLaughlin – Team Penske2020 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2019 – Josef Newgarden – Team Penske2016 – Juan Montoya – Team Penske2015 – Juan Montoya – Team Penske2014 – Will Power – Team Penske2013 – James Hinchcliffe – Team Penske2012 – Helio Castroneves – Team Penske

Podiums: 25
Chevrolet driver podiums on the Streets of St. Petersburg: Will Power (5), Josef Newgarden (4), Helio Castroneves (3), Pato O’Ward (3), Simon Pagenaud (3), Juan Montoya (2), Marco Andretti (1), James Hinchcliffe (1), Ryan Hunter-Reay (1), Tony Kanaan (1), Scott McLaughlin (1)
Chevrolet team podiums on the Streets of St. Petersburg: Team Penske (18), Andretti Global (3), Arrow McLaren (3), Chip Ganassi Racing (1)
Laps Led: 754
Chevrolet driver laps led on the Streets of St. Petersburg: Will Power (213), Scott McLaughlin (127), Josef Newgarden (83), Helio Castroneves (73), Juan Montoya (71), Simon Pagenaud (64), James Hinchcliffe (26), Christian Lundgaard (23), Pato O’Ward (23), Oriol Servia (16), Rinus VeeKay (13), Ryan Briscoe (9), Jordan King (5), Tomas Enge (4), JR Hildebrand (3), Mike Conway (1)
Chevrolet team laps led on the Streets of St. Petersburg: Team Penske (640), Arrow McLaren (46), Andretti Global (26), ECR (19), Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (16), Panther Racing (7)

Manufacturer History on the Streets Of St. Petersburg
Wins (with competition)
9 – Chevrolet (2024, 2022, 2020, 2019, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012)6 – Honda (2025, 2023, 2021, 2018, 2017, 2005)
Poles (with competition)
10 – Chevrolet (2025, 2024, 2023, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2012)5 – Honda (2023, 2021, 2018, 2014, 2005)
Historical Chevrolet in the INDYCAR SERIES information INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturer Championships (since 1979)Chevrolet-Powered Wins in the Twin-Turbo 2.2L V6 Era (2012-present)Chevrolet-Powered Wins – All-Time

TOP FIVE STORYLINES: ASCS Leads Charge Over Challengers in Sonoran Clash Finale

February 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

CASA GRANDE, AZ (Feb. 25, 2026) — Opening weekend of Arizona’s newest open-wheel racing spectacle is complete, and the stars of the American Sprint Car Series are ready for another two nights of action in the inaugural Sonoran Clash.

Central Arizona Raceway’s 3/8-mile confines in Casa Grande, AZ, hosts the national 360 Sprint Car series for the second consecutive weekend this Saturday–Sunday, Feb. 28–March 1. A $4,000 grand prize is on the line for the winner Saturday night, while Sunday’s winner will pocket $6,000.

Avanti Windows & Doors has sponsored a points fund for the event, which awards $4,000 to the driver with the most points after all Feature events have been completed. The runner-up in points will receive $3,000, third place gets $2,000, and $1,000 goes to fourth. Matt Covington currently tops the standings with a 27-point lead over Sam Hafertepe Jr.

Pit gates will open each day at 2 p.m. (MT). Grandstands open at 4 p.m., and Hot Laps are set for 6 p.m. with Qualifying and racing to follow. Adult GA tickets are $35, seniors/military are $30, kids ages 11–17 are $20 and children 10-and-under are free.

Tickets can be purchased at the track on race day. If you can’t make it to the track, how can you watch the action? Every American Sprint Car Series race is live on DIRTVision.

NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN — For the first time in nearly five years, Matt Covington is the American Sprint Car Series points leader.

Covington, of Glenpool, OK, has vaulted into the lead of the national championship standings with a runner-up finish on Saturday and his first win of the season Sunday at Central Arizona Raceway. His closest competition, six-time and defending Series champion Sam Hafertepe Jr., finished third on Saturday before a 19th-to-fourth drive on Sunday, putting him five points behind Covington in the current Series standings.

The last time Covington sat atop the American Sprint Car Series points tally was during the 2021 season, when he and eventual champion Blake Hahn engaged in a tight battle for the lead for several races. His return to the top of the 360 Sprint Car world comes in pursuit of his first national championship, which he’s been chasing for over a decade.

Covington also leads the Sonoran Clash event points standings by 27 over Hafertepe. The driver with the most points after Sunday’s main event will claim a $4,000 bonus, courtesy of Avanti Windows & Doors.

ANOTHER SHOT — Justin Peck asserted dominance over his 360 cubic-inch brethren with a win last Saturday night but was bitten by misfortune while leading on Sunday. He’ll be back in action this weekend with plans to reclaim what could have been back-to-back wins on the national circuit.

Peck, 27, of Monrovia, IN, scored his fourth full-points paying Series win in his last four such starts on Saturday, taking the lead from Covington at the halfway point and driving off to the $4,000 victory. The following evening, Peck led the opening 13 laps before his right-front tire went flat under caution, sending him to the infield, resulting in a DNF.

Peck currently sits fifth in the Sonoran Clash points standings.

RACING ROYALTY — After debuting with the American Sprint Car Series last weekend, Wyatt Miller is set to return to competition at Central Arizona in pursuit of more laps for his budding open-wheel career.

Miller, 14, of Statesville, NC, is the grandson of motorsports legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. Since his debut in Outlaw Karts in 2020, Miller has won several open-wheel races in both karts and Micro Sprints — most notably topping the Restricted A-Class main event at the prestigious Tulsa Shootout in 2024. He’s also produced a standout motorsports resume as an early teenager with starts in asphalt Late Models and off-road trucks, notably winning the 2025 AMSOIL Champ Off-Road Pro Spec championship.

Miller made his full-size Sprint Car debut last September at Creek County Speedway, finishing third in the local Champ Sprints division, and logging another two starts at Vado Speedway Park in 360 action in November. Last weekend, Miller got his first taste of competition in the national 360 Sprint Car world, logging finishes of 11th and 13th in a field of 34 drivers.

HEATING UP — After taking a hard crash in the season opener at Volusia Speedway Park, Kyler Johnson got a solid rebound weekend at Central Arizona.

Johnson, 22, of Quinter, KS, rolled out a brand-new car for Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, which ended up suffering frame damage in a rollover crash, forcing the team to a backup for the rest of the event. For Central Arizona, the team prepared that same car, making it their primary machine for 2026, and hit their stride in the desert with finishes of seventh on Saturday before leading 10 laps of Sunday’s main event and finishing second.

That runner-up finish ties Johnson’s career best with the American Sprint Car Series — a mark which he reached twice last year — and seeds him third in the Sonoran Clash points standings.

YOUNG GUNNER — Fifteen-year-old Levi Hillier turned several heads in his American Sprint Car Series debut over the weekend and is projected to return for more action this Saturday–Sunday.

The Burlington, WA-native jump-started Saturday’s program by setting Quick Time in Qualifying and later finishing fifth in the main event. The following night, Hillier showed speed again in the main event, starting fourth and crossing the finish line third to bank his first career national Sprint Car series podium finish.

Those results have ranked he and the Rudeen Racing No. 26R fourth in the Sonoran Clash points standings – 32 points behind leader Covington.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE

• Saturday–Sunday, Feb. 28–March 1, at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, AZ

TRACK FACTS

• High-banked, 3/8-mile oval
• Track Record — 13.924 seconds set by Levi Hillier on Feb. 21, 2026

ON THE INTERNET
X — @ASCSRacing
Instagram — @ascs_racing
Facebook — @AmericanSprintCarSeries
YouTube — @AmericanSprintCarSeries
DIRTVision — DIRTVision.com (Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (5/35 Races)

Matt Covington (392pts)
Sam Hafertepe Jr. 387pts (–5)
Kyler Johnson 353pts (–39)
Brock Zearfoss 341pts (–51)
Whit Gastineau 338pts (–54)
Seth Bergman 326pts (–66)
Ryder Laplante 324pts (–68)
Hank Davis 315pts (–77)
Brogan Carder 273pts (–119)
Austyn Gossel 267pts (–125)

FEATURE WINNERS (4 Drivers):

Tyler Courtney (2 wins)
Brady Bacon, Justin Peck, Matt Covington (1 win)

FEATURE LAPS LED (8 Drivers)

Justin Peck (27 laps)
Austin McCarl (21 laps)
Brady Bacon, Matt Covington (18 laps)
Cameron Martin (16 laps)
Brian Brown (13 laps)
Kyler Johnson (10 laps)
Cole Macedo (7 laps)
Tyler Courtney (6 laps)

QUICK TIME AWARDS (4 Drivers)

Sam Hafertepe Jr., Chris Martin, Levi Hillier, Kyler Johnson (1 award)

HEAT RACE WINNERS (15 Drivers)

Whit Gastineau, Chris Martin, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Matt Covington (2 wins)
Brady Bacon, Tyler Clem, Emerson Axsom, Brian Brown, Cole Macedo, Garen Linder, Colby Copeland, Justin Peck, Nick Parker, Hank Davis, Ryder Laplante (1 win)

DASH APPEARANCES (22 Drivers)

Whit Gastineau (4 appearances)
Tyler Courtney, Brian Brown, Sam Hafertepe Jr. (3 appearances)
Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Brady Bacon, Davie Franek, Chris Martin, Matt Covington, Justin Peck, Kyler Johnson, Levi Hillier (2 appearances)
Brock Zearfoss, Cameron Martin, Cole Macedo, Tyler Clem, Hank Davis, Ryder Laplante, Nick Parker, Colby Copeland, Garen Linder (1 appearance)

SMITH TITANIUM LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (5 Drivers)

DJ Christie, Matt Covington, Tyler Clem, Whit Gastineau, Sterling Cling (1 win)

HARD CHARGER AWARDS (5 Drivers)

Ryder Laplante, Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo, Sam Hafertepe Jr., DJ Netto (1 award)

PODIUM FINISHES (11 Drivers)

Tyler Courtney, Brady Bacon, Austin McCarl, Matt Covington (2 podiums)
Cole Macedo, Brock Zearfoss, Emerson Axsom, Justin Peck, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Levi Hillier, Kyler Johnson (1 podium)

2026 SCHEDULE + WINNERS

Race Number. Day, Date / Track / City, State / Winner (Total Wins)

TOP FIVE STORYLINES: ASCS Leads Charge Over Challengers in Sonoran Clash Finale

CASA GRANDE, AZ (Feb. 25, 2026) — Opening weekend of Arizona’s newest open-wheel racing spectacle is complete, and the stars of the American Sprint Car Series are ready for another two nights of action in the inaugural Sonoran Clash.

Central Arizona Raceway’s 3/8-mile confines in Casa Grande, AZ, hosts the national 360 Sprint Car series for the second consecutive weekend this Saturday–Sunday, Feb. 28–March 1. A $4,000 grand prize is on the line for the winner Saturday night, while Sunday’s winner will pocket $6,000.

Avanti Windows & Doors has sponsored a points fund for the event, which awards $4,000 to the driver with the most points after all Feature events have been completed. The runner-up in points will receive $3,000, third place gets $2,000, and $1,000 goes to fourth. Matt Covington currently tops the standings with a 27-point lead over Sam Hafertepe Jr.

Pit gates will open each day at 2 p.m. (MT). Grandstands open at 4 p.m., and Hot Laps are set for 6 p.m. with Qualifying and racing to follow. Adult GA tickets are $35, seniors/military are $30, kids ages 11–17 are $20 and children 10-and-under are free.

Tickets can be purchased at the track on race day. If you can’t make it to the track, how can you watch the action? Every American Sprint Car Series race is live on DIRTVision.

NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN — For the first time in nearly five years, Matt Covington is the American Sprint Car Series points leader.

Covington, of Glenpool, OK, has vaulted into the lead of the national championship standings with a runner-up finish on Saturday and his first win of the season Sunday at Central Arizona Raceway. His closest competition, six-time and defending Series champion Sam Hafertepe Jr., finished third on Saturday before a 19th-to-fourth drive on Sunday, putting him five points behind Covington in the current Series standings.

The last time Covington sat atop the American Sprint Car Series points tally was during the 2021 season, when he and eventual champion Blake Hahn engaged in a tight battle for the lead for several races. His return to the top of the 360 Sprint Car world comes in pursuit of his first national championship, which he’s been chasing for over a decade.

Covington also leads the Sonoran Clash event points standings by 27 over Hafertepe. The driver with the most points after Sunday’s main event will claim a $4,000 bonus, courtesy of Avanti Windows & Doors.

ANOTHER SHOT — Justin Peck asserted dominance over his 360 cubic-inch brethren with a win last Saturday night but was bitten by misfortune while leading on Sunday. He’ll be back in action this weekend with plans to reclaim what could have been back-to-back wins on the national circuit.

Peck, 27, of Monrovia, IN, scored his fourth full-points paying Series win in his last four such starts on Saturday, taking the lead from Covington at the halfway point and driving off to the $4,000 victory. The following evening, Peck led the opening 13 laps before his right-front tire went flat under caution, sending him to the infield, resulting in a DNF.

Peck currently sits fifth in the Sonoran Clash points standings.

RACING ROYALTY — After debuting with the American Sprint Car Series last weekend, Wyatt Miller is set to return to competition at Central Arizona in pursuit of more laps for his budding open-wheel career.

Miller, 14, of Statesville, NC, is the grandson of motorsports legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. Since his debut in Outlaw Karts in 2020, Miller has won several open-wheel races in both karts and Micro Sprints — most notably topping the Restricted A-Class main event at the prestigious Tulsa Shootout in 2024. He’s also produced a standout motorsports resume as an early teenager with starts in asphalt Late Models and off-road trucks, notably winning the 2025 AMSOIL Champ Off-Road Pro Spec championship.

Miller made his full-size Sprint Car debut last September at Creek County Speedway, finishing third in the local Champ Sprints division, and logging another two starts at Vado Speedway Park in 360 action in November. Last weekend, Miller got his first taste of competition in the national 360 Sprint Car world, logging finishes of 11th and 13th in a field of 34 drivers.

HEATING UP — After taking a hard crash in the season opener at Volusia Speedway Park, Kyler Johnson got a solid rebound weekend at Central Arizona.

Johnson, 22, of Quinter, KS, rolled out a brand-new car for Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, which ended up suffering frame damage in a rollover crash, forcing the team to a backup for the rest of the event. For Central Arizona, the team prepared that same car, making it their primary machine for 2026, and hit their stride in the desert with finishes of seventh on Saturday before leading 10 laps of Sunday’s main event and finishing second.

That runner-up finish ties Johnson’s career best with the American Sprint Car Series — a mark which he reached twice last year — and seeds him third in the Sonoran Clash points standings.

YOUNG GUNNER — Fifteen-year-old Levi Hillier turned several heads in his American Sprint Car Series debut over the weekend and is projected to return for more action this Saturday–Sunday.

The Burlington, WA-native jump-started Saturday’s program by setting Quick Time in Qualifying and later finishing fifth in the main event. The following night, Hillier showed speed again in the main event, starting fourth and crossing the finish line third to bank his first career national Sprint Car series podium finish.

Those results have ranked he and the Rudeen Racing No. 26R fourth in the Sonoran Clash points standings – 32 points behind leader Covington.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE

• Saturday–Sunday, Feb. 28–March 1, at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, AZ

TRACK FACTS

• High-banked, 3/8-mile oval
• Track Record — 13.924 seconds set by Levi Hillier on Feb. 21, 2026

ON THE INTERNET
X — @ASCSRacing
Instagram — @ascs_racing
Facebook — @AmericanSprintCarSeries
YouTube — @AmericanSprintCarSeries
DIRTVision — DIRTVision.com (Platinum annual FAST PASS for $299 or monthly FAST PASS for $39/month)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (5/35 Races)

Matt Covington (392pts)
Sam Hafertepe Jr. 387pts (–5)
Kyler Johnson 353pts (–39)
Brock Zearfoss 341pts (–51)
Whit Gastineau 338pts (–54)
Seth Bergman 326pts (–66)
Ryder Laplante 324pts (–68)
Hank Davis 315pts (–77)
Brogan Carder 273pts (–119)
Austyn Gossel 267pts (–125)

FEATURE WINNERS (4 Drivers):

Tyler Courtney (2 wins)
Brady Bacon, Justin Peck, Matt Covington (1 win)

FEATURE LAPS LED (8 Drivers)

Justin Peck (27 laps)
Austin McCarl (21 laps)
Brady Bacon, Matt Covington (18 laps)
Cameron Martin (16 laps)
Brian Brown (13 laps)
Kyler Johnson (10 laps)
Cole Macedo (7 laps)
Tyler Courtney (6 laps)

QUICK TIME AWARDS (4 Drivers)

Sam Hafertepe Jr., Chris Martin, Levi Hillier, Kyler Johnson (1 award)

HEAT RACE WINNERS (15 Drivers)

Whit Gastineau, Chris Martin, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Matt Covington (2 wins)
Brady Bacon, Tyler Clem, Emerson Axsom, Brian Brown, Cole Macedo, Garen Linder, Colby Copeland, Justin Peck, Nick Parker, Hank Davis, Ryder Laplante (1 win)

DASH APPEARANCES (22 Drivers)

Whit Gastineau (4 appearances)
Tyler Courtney, Brian Brown, Sam Hafertepe Jr. (3 appearances)
Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Brady Bacon, Davie Franek, Chris Martin, Matt Covington, Justin Peck, Kyler Johnson, Levi Hillier (2 appearances)
Brock Zearfoss, Cameron Martin, Cole Macedo, Tyler Clem, Hank Davis, Ryder Laplante, Nick Parker, Colby Copeland, Garen Linder (1 appearance)

SMITH TITANIUM LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (5 Drivers)

DJ Christie, Matt Covington, Tyler Clem, Whit Gastineau, Sterling Cling (1 win)

HARD CHARGER AWARDS (5 Drivers)

Ryder Laplante, Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo, Sam Hafertepe Jr., DJ Netto (1 award)

PODIUM FINISHES (11 Drivers)

Tyler Courtney, Brady Bacon, Austin McCarl, Matt Covington (2 podiums)
Cole Macedo, Brock Zearfoss, Emerson Axsom, Justin Peck, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Levi Hillier, Kyler Johnson (1 podium)

2026 SCHEDULE + WINNERS

Race Number. Day, Date / Track / City, State / Winner (Total Wins)

Thu, Jan. 29 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tyler Courtney (1)
Fri, Jan. 30 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tyler Courtney (2)
Sat, Jan. 31 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brady Bacon (1)
Sat, Feb. 21 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Justin Peck (1)
Sun, Feb. 22 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Matt Covington (1)

Golden Isles Speedway to Host Wieland Winter Nationals Finale March 3-7

February 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Golden Isles Speedway to Host Wieland Winter Nationals Finale March 3-7

BATAVIA, Ohio (February 25, 2026) – Golden Isles Speedway will welcome teams and fans from across the country for the highly anticipated Wieland Winter Nationals finale, set for March 3–7 at the renowned 4/10-mile dirt oval. On Tuesday, March 3, the pit gate will open at 2:00 PM, followed by an Open Practice from 6:00 – 8:00 PM for all competing divisions. The remainder of the weekend, the pit gates will open at 2:00 PM each day, followed by general admission gates at 3:00 PM. The on-track excitement is slated for 5:30 PM each day with Hot Laps. A complete program is on the docket each night for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, with Wednesday’s 30-lap A-Main event paying $7,000-to-win, Thursday’s 40-lap feature boasting $10,000 to the winner, Friday’s 50-lap A-Main paying $12,000-to-win, and Saturday’s 50-lap finale awarding $25,000 to the winner. In addition to the headline division, a strong lineup of support divisions will round out the week’s competition, including Crown Vics (Wednesday & Thursday), 602 Late Models (Thursday & Saturday), and 604 Late Models (Friday & Saturday), showcasing both regional standouts and emerging talent throughout the Southeast. Golden Isles Speedway is a 4/10-mile red clay oval located off U.S. Hwy. 82 in Waynesville, Ga. just 14 miles west of I-95. To purchase tickets, camping, or find more information about Golden Isles Speedway, please visit GISDirt.com. For the latest news, results, championship standings, and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, please visit LucasDirt.com. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Purses:Wednesday, March 4: 1. $7,000, 2. $3,500, 3. $2,000, 4. $1,500, 5. $1,400, 6. $1,300, 7. $1,200, 8. $1,100, 9. $1,000, 10. $950, 11. $900, 12. $850, 13. $800, 14. $750, 15. $725, 16. $700, 17. $700, 18. $700, 19. $650, 20. $625, 21. $625, 22. $600, 23. $600, 24. $600 = $30,775 Thursday, March 5: 1. $10,000, 2. $5,500, 3. $3,500, 4. $2,700, 5. $2,500, 6. $2,300, 7. $2,200, 8. $2,100, 9. $2,050, 10. $2,000, 11. $1,600, 12. $1,400, 13. $1,200, 14. $1,000, 15. $950, 16. $925, 17. $900, 18. $875, 19. $850, 20. $825, 21. $800, 22. $800, 23. $800, 24. $800 = $48,575 Friday, March 6: 1. $12,000, 2. $6,000, 3. $3,500, 4. $2,800, 5. $2,500, 6. $2,300, 7. $2,200, 8. $2,100, 9. $2,050, 10. $2,000, 11. $1,600, 12. $1,400, 13. $1,200, 14. $1,100, 15. $1,050, 16. $1,000, 17. $1,000,18. $1,000, 19. $1,000, 20. $1,000, 21. $1,000, 22. $1,000, 23. $1,000, 24. $1,000 = $52,800 Saturday, March 7: 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 Golden Isles Speedway Crown Vic Purses:Wednesday, March 4: 1. $400, 2. $200, 3. $100, 4. $75, 5. $50, 6. $40, 7. $40, 8. $40, 9. $40, 10. $40, 11. $40, 12. $40, 13. $40, 14. $40, 15. $40, 16. $40, 17. $40, 18. $40, 19. $40, 20. $40, 21. $40, 22. $40, 23. $40, 24. $40 = $1,585 Thursday, March 5: 1. $400, 2. $200, 3. $100, 4. $75, 5. $50, 6. $40, 7. $40, 8. $40, 9. $40, 10. $40, 11. $40, 12. $40, 13. $40, 14. $40, 15. $40, 16. $40, 17. $40, 18. $40, 19. $40, 20. $40, 21. $40, 22. $40, 23. $40, 24. $40 = $1,585 Friday, March 6: 1. $500, 2. $300, 3. $200, 4. $100, 5. $75, 6. $50, 7. $50, 8. $50, 9. $50, 10. $50, 11. $50, 12. $50, 13. $50, 14. $50, 15. $50, 16. $50, 17. $50, 18. $50, 19. $50, 20. $50, 21. $50, 22. $50, 23. $50, 24. $50 = $2,125 Golden Isles Speedway 602 Late Model Purses:Thursday, March 5: 1. $800, 2. $500, 3. $450, 4. $350, 5. $300, 6. $250, 7. $200, 8. $150, 9. $125, 10. $100, 11. $100, 12. $100, 13. $100, 14. $100, 15. $100, 16. $100, 17. $100, 18. $100, 19. $100, 20. $100, 21. $100, 22. $100, 23. $100, 24. $100= $4,625 Saturday, March 7: 1. $1,500, 2. $700, 3. $600, 4. $500, 5. $400, 6. $350, 7. $300, 8. $250, 9. $200, 10. $150, 11. $150, 12. $150, 13. $150, 14. $150, 15. $150, 16. $150, 17. $150, 18. $150, 19. $150, 20. $150, 21. $150, 22. $150, 23. $150, 24. $150 = $7,050 Golden Isles Speedway 604 Late Model Purses:Friday, March 6: 1. $1,500, 2. $700, 3. $600, 4. $500, 5. $400, 6. $350, 7. $300, 8. $250, 9. $200, 10. $150, 11. $150, 12. $150, 13. $150, 14. $150, 15. $150, 16. $150, 17. $150, 18. $150, 19. $150, 20. $150, 21. $150, 22. $150, 23. $150, 24. $150= $7,050 Saturday, March 7: 1. $2,500, 2. $1,000, 3. $700, 4. $600, 5. $500, 6. $450, 7. $400, 8. $350, 9. $300, 10. $200, 11. $200, 12. $200, 13. $200, 14. $200, 15. $200, 16. $200, 17. $200, 18. $200, 19. $200, 20. $200, 21. $200, 22. $200, 23. $200, 24. $200 = $9,800 About WielandIn addition to supporting motorsports, Wieland Metal Services offers one of the most extensive selections of permanently available metal products in the industry today. Our portfolio includes copper, copper alloys, aluminum, and other high-performance metals in strip and cut-to-length forms. We maintain a full range of copper and brass alloys, aluminum alloys, and stainless steel in strip, sheet, coil, and foil forms, complemented by extruded and cast semi-finished products such as rods, bars, tubes, wires, and profiles. With over twenty specialized service options across North America, we provide custom finishing capabilities and value-added services including precision metal slitting, blanking, plate cutting, tinning, and electroplating, metal coatings, traverse winding, and cut-to-size services for bars, rods, and tubes. These solutions serve customers across diverse technology sectors with uncompromising demands for precision and performance.

Jacob Lehmann to contest Mission AFT SuperTwins events with Weirbach Racing

February 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Jacob Lehmann (No. 14) racing at Indy Mile in 2020. [Photo: Scott Hunter for AMA Pro Racing]

Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

Posted on behalf of Weirbach Racing SAN ANTONIO, TX (February 25, 2026) – Weirbach Racing is pleased to announce the sponsorship support of Jacob Lehmann for 2026, in Progressive American Flat Tracks’ Mission AFT SuperTwins division, aboard the teams Kawasaki powered machines. Jacob Lehmann, an accomplished KICKER AFT Singles rider collected a win at Castle Rock TT in 2012, followed by another win at the famous Peoria TT in 2014, and his last podium finish was 2nd place in 2018 at the Buffalo Chip TT. Jacob has continued to run select Twins and Singles events over the last few years and is looking to get in the mix this season with a renewed focus. Jacob’s take on the upcoming season, “I am really excited to join Weirbach Racing the 2026 season. I’m looking forward to working with a great group of guys with plenty of experience. My goals for 2026 is to run in the top 10.” He added, “I am incredibly appreciative of this opportunity to not only ride for Weirbach, but also for Ted’s willingness for me to design components and contribute to the development of the motorcycle to best suit my comfort and preferences.” Ted Weirbach commented, “When Jacob relocated to the San Antonio from the Pacific Northwest a few years back, we quickly became good friends and started working together as well as contesting some of the local events. Jacob is a very talented technical rider that also knows his way around the shop, as he is a very skilled mechanic. We feel that we can compete, have a great time at the track, and continue our history of supporting the future success of the sport, along with helping the younger generation of riders.” In that vein, Jacob plans to stay in Illinois for the week following the Duquoin National to assist and coach young riders during the Amateur Nationals. Weirbach Racing is lending sponsorship support in 2026 to the very talented Dillon Durelle, who will be competing in the amateur 450 Road to AFT class and subsequent AFT ProSport 450 events. Weirbach Racing will continue support of Modesto California’s Michael Inderbitzin, for select races in the Mission AFT SuperTwins class. In the inaugural year of the Production Twins class in 2018, Inderbitzin book ended the summer with wins aboard the Weirbach Racing Kawasaki twins at both Springfield Miles. The “team” Steve Ottmers, Jacob Lehmann and Ted Weirbach, went to work this year reconstructing our original Kawasaki Twin that Dick Weirbach created in 2012. Ted found and repurchased the C&J frame back in 2023 and the team has been working on its return for 2026 in memory of Dick Weirbach’s legacy. Weirbach Racing would like to thank our sponsors: CP Carillo, Spectro Oils, Cometic, Regina Chain, Engine Ice, Motion Pro, Shorai, Lehmann Racing, Durelle Racing, General Engineering. About Weirbach RacingWeirbach Racing is run by Ted Weirbach and was established by his father Dick Weirbach who passed away in 2022. Weirbach Racing was founded in 2000 and is committed to the success and development of up and coming professional riders. In 2009, the inaugural year of the AMA Pro Singles Championship, Weirbach Racing’s James “the Rocket” Rispoli took second place overall and in 2011 Mikey Martin won the Pro Singles Championship. Other notables to ride for Dick & Ted are Briar Bauman, Bronson Bauman, Henry Wiles, Sammy Halbert, Aaron King, Jesse Janisch, and Davey Durelle and Rob Pearson and Wyatt McGuire to name a few. Check their web site for more information on Instagram @weirbachracing

Jacob Lehmann to contest Mission AFT SuperTwins events with Weirbach Racing

Jacob Lehmann (No. 14) racing at Indy Mile in 2020. [Photo: Scott Hunter for AMA Pro Racing]

Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

Posted on behalf of Weirbach Racing SAN ANTONIO, TX (February 25, 2026) – Weirbach Racing is pleased to announce the sponsorship support of Jacob Lehmann for 2026, in Progressive American Flat Tracks’ Mission AFT SuperTwins division, aboard the teams Kawasaki powered machines. Jacob Lehmann, an accomplished KICKER AFT Singles rider collected a win at Castle Rock TT in 2012, followed by another win at the famous Peoria TT in 2014, and his last podium finish was 2nd place in 2018 at the Buffalo Chip TT. Jacob has continued to run select Twins and Singles events over the last few years and is looking to get in the mix this season with a renewed focus. Jacob’s take on the upcoming season, “I am really excited to join Weirbach Racing the 2026 season. I’m looking forward to working with a great group of guys with plenty of experience. My goals for 2026 is to run in the top 10.” He added, “I am incredibly appreciative of this opportunity to not only ride for Weirbach, but also for Ted’s willingness for me to design components and contribute to the development of the motorcycle to best suit my comfort and preferences.” Ted Weirbach commented, “When Jacob relocated to the San Antonio from the Pacific Northwest a few years back, we quickly became good friends and started working together as well as contesting some of the local events. Jacob is a very talented technical rider that also knows his way around the shop, as he is a very skilled mechanic. We feel that we can compete, have a great time at the track, and continue our history of supporting the future success of the sport, along with helping the younger generation of riders.” In that vein, Jacob plans to stay in Illinois for the week following the Duquoin National to assist and coach young riders during the Amateur Nationals. Weirbach Racing is lending sponsorship support in 2026 to the very talented Dillon Durelle, who will be competing in the amateur 450 Road to AFT class and subsequent AFT ProSport 450 events. Weirbach Racing will continue support of Modesto California’s Michael Inderbitzin, for select races in the Mission AFT SuperTwins class. In the inaugural year of the Production Twins class in 2018, Inderbitzin book ended the summer with wins aboard the Weirbach Racing Kawasaki twins at both Springfield Miles. The “team” Steve Ottmers, Jacob Lehmann and Ted Weirbach, went to work this year reconstructing our original Kawasaki Twin that Dick Weirbach created in 2012. Ted found and repurchased the C&J frame back in 2023 and the team has been working on its return for 2026 in memory of Dick Weirbach’s legacy. Weirbach Racing would like to thank our sponsors: CP Carillo, Spectro Oils, Cometic, Regina Chain, Engine Ice, Motion Pro, Shorai, Lehmann Racing, Durelle Racing, General Engineering. About Weirbach RacingWeirbach Racing is run by Ted Weirbach and was established by his father Dick Weirbach who passed away in 2022. Weirbach Racing was founded in 2000 and is committed to the success and development of up and coming professional riders. In 2009, the inaugural year of the AMA Pro Singles Championship, Weirbach Racing’s James “the Rocket” Rispoli took second place overall and in 2011 Mikey Martin won the Pro Singles Championship. Other notables to ride for Dick & Ted are Briar Bauman, Bronson Bauman, Henry Wiles, Sammy Halbert, Aaron King, Jesse Janisch, and Davey Durelle and Rob Pearson and Wyatt McGuire to name a few. Check their web site for more information on Instagram @weirbachracing

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE Circuit of The Americas / Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

February 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

February 28 – March 1, 2026

All three NASCAR national touring series will make the shift to left- and right-hand turns this weekend as the sport faces its first road racing event of the 2026 season.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

For the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS), the third stop on the schedule will take the pair to the Lonestar State to pay its annual visit to Circuit of The Americas (COTA). The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) will split off from its companion series to make their much-anticipated street course debut by accompanying the NTT INDYCAR Series at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The weekend marks the start of back-to-back crossover events as the NTT INDYCAR Series will join NASCAR once again at Phoenix Raceway next weekend, with Chevrolet boasting as the only manufacturer that will compete in both series.

A WEEKEND OF ‘FIRSTS’ FOR THE NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES For the first time in history, the streets of St. Petersburg will welcome a NASCAR-sanctioned event as the Craftsman Truck Series will make its street course debut. The series will compete alongside the NTT INDYCAR Series as they look to kick-off their 2026 season. The unique doubleheader weekend gives Chevrolet an extra boast over its competitors as the only manufacturer that will compete in both events.

Hinchcliffe Heads Back to a Familiar Place for His NASCAR Debut: Saturday’s event will feature a star-studded lineup, including former NTT INDYCAR driver, James Hinchcliffe, who will team up with Spire Motorsports to pilot the No. 77 Chevrolet entry. The venture will mark the Ontario, Canada, native’s first-ever NASCAR start, but it comes at a place he knows very well. Hinchcliffe is a six-time NTT INDYCAR Series winner, with his first-career victory coming at the St. Petersburg circuit in 2013. The driver will be well-equipped to make a strong splash into the NASCAR world with Spire Motorsports coming off a one-two finish in the NCTS last weekend at EchoPark Speedway.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·       Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Circuit of The Americas: William Byron: one win (2024) Ross Chastain: one win (2022)Chase Elliott: one win (2021)
·        In five appearances for both the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Circuit of The Americas, Chevrolet leads both divisions with three NCS wins and four-straight NOAPS wins.
·        In 23 NASCAR Cup Series road racing events in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads the series with 17 victories – recorded by eight drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations.
·        Shane van Gisbergen, the NASCAR Cup Series most recent road course winner (Charlotte ROVAL- Oct. 2025), heads into the weekend with five-consecutive road course wins – a record that sits just behind career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon’s all-time record streak of six-straight road course triumphs.
·        Chase Elliott leads the NASCAR Cup Series’ active drivers with seven wins on road courses – a record that also ranks him third all-time behind NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine wins) and Tony Stewart (eight wins).
·        In 146 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 67 victories – a winning percentage of 45.9%.
·        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 Circuit of The AmericasDuraMax Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyneSunday, Mar. 1, at 3:30 p.m. ETFOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts SeriesCircuit of The AmericasFocused Health 250Saturday, Feb. 28, at 3 p.m. ETCW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 NASCAR Craftsman Truck SeriesGrand Prix of St. PetersburgOnlyBulls Green Flag 150 at St. PetersburgSaturday, Feb. 28, at 12 p.m. ETFOX, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet With COTA, track limits is a storyline. How do you manage kind of understanding what that is and pushing the line?“I grew up watching stock car racing in NASCAR, where you race grass to grass. If it was paved, you were on it, aside from super speedways. And COTA is the road course where that is not the case. We make those esses as straight as we can and cut Turn 19 as much as possible. I’m good with track limits, as long as they are enforced consistently and constantly. Make a rule. Continue to enforce it and put someone there that can see it, put some sort of technology with cameras, or automated systems, or whatever it takes. Figure out how to officiate it every time, consistently, all weekend. Whether its practice, qualifying, or the race, make the calls. They’re tough calls to make, but if we mess up, make that call instantly. Don’t wait. It needs to be very black-and-white.” How do you manage the chaos of Turn 1? It’s a pretty wild corner. What’s it like from your perspective?“I don’t manage it very well. I’ve been spun out there in the O’Reilly Series race and I’ve spun people out. It’s very challenging to find your brake marker. Restarts are a different speed than the normal laps. It helps now with the restarts all being moved back towards turn 20 but definitely challenging. I’ve made more than my fair share of mistakes. The track was designed to build a lot of speed, have a ton of braking potential with the uphill elevation climb to Turn 1, and then trying to make a turn back the other way is really difficult. But when you get it right, it’s very rewarding.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat are your thoughts on racing at Circuit of The Americas?“Racing in Austin, Texas is fun. It’s an exciting and technically challenging road course with lot of havoc created in Turn One. I feel like the key to having a good race will be having solid pit stops and keeping our Breztri Chevrolet clean.”  How tough is it to gain momentum at the start of the season?“To get going in the first part of the season is tough. You want a fast start for your team and partners, and we didn’t get that the last two weeks with the wrecks. We need to come out of this weekend with a good finish, just to feel confident that we can get back into the swing of things with points. With two drafting tracks and a road course, the meat of the schedule starts in Phoenix. That’s where you feel like more is in your control. There is a lot in your control at road courses as well, and we have put a lot of effort into COTA. I feel like our Breztri Chevrolet should be able to go out there and compete.”   Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat are your thoughts on the new layout at COTA, and how does it change the racing for both the drivers and the fans?“Man, every time we come back to COTA it just gets better. The new layout really makes the corners come alive, it’s exciting for the fans, and honestly, it’s just as exciting for me in the car. You’ve got to be aggressive, you’ve got to be precise, and that’s what makes this place special. For me, the new 20-turn layout is more technical and strategic, keeping me more focused with every lap. I am excited to get back out there.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletHow excited are you coming back to Circuit of The Americas after last season’s performance?“Looking forward to COTA, I always love going there. We really had a good car last year at COTA. We were on the right side of strategy and coming to pit road when we did. We had a four second gap to the next guy behind us for the last couple laps of the race, and I don’t think they would have caught us. Unfortunately, a yellow came out and I had to try to race it out through a couple of restarts. Our two lap older tires were just enough that Christopher Bell was able to get us, so we gracefully faded to fifth.” How big of a factor do you expect tire falloff and strategy to be this weekend?“I think there will be a good amount of tire falloff and more than what we’ve seen in years past. Last year, we saw a good bit of tire falloff. I just mentioned how we only had two lap older tires than Christopher Bell, and he was able to outrace me at the end of the race. Tires are going to be more paramount this weekend. You might see guys, if there’s a late caution with 10 to go, that got three or four lap old tires might come, pit, and try to drive back through the field and hope that the front guys burn their stuff up. Fresher tires more times than not, especially with more horsepower you’re going to want them.”      Jesse Love, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat are you looking forward to on the Cup side this weekend, and what will be key for you to have a successful race?“On the Cup side, I’m looking forward to the challenge of it and continue to learn from racing these Cup races. I’ve learned a lot from the ones I ran last year and I’m just excited for a new challenge and learning new things and aggressively trying to adapt to the things that I learn throughout the weekend. Obviously, it’s going to be really important to do the little things right this weekend as always with the Cup stuff. For me, I just want to control the things I can control, and it would be very cool to be in position to capitalize on some crazy restarts at the end and see what kind of finish we can get out of it.”   Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet“COTA is the first road course of the year, so we are all excited to get there. It brings you a little bit of everything, from slow speed corners to high-speed corners to big breaking zones. So, it challenges you in a lot of ways and it will be really interesting to see how the new 750 horsepower in my Chevrolet Camaro relates to the racing there and seeing how much tire fall off we get throughout the weekend. So it will be a really interesting race and hopefully my Haas Factory Team can adapt to it fast.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“Atlanta was a tough one for us. Nobody likes ending their day early. We regrouped and we’re ready for COTA with Ram Self Storage on the car this week.”   Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet“Our No. 48 team is ready to get to COTA. We’ve had a tough start to the season with two drafting tracks back-to-back and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We’ve put together some really solid races at COTA and we’re preparing to do that again to build confidence in our team early in the season.”   Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet“Road racing is where I did a lot of my growing up and learning how to race. There was a lot of back and forth between stock cars and GT cars and sportscars over the years as I found my place in NASCAR. So I’m always, ‘The more the merrier,’ when it comes to road racing. There are a lot of things you can’t really learn about a road course until you’re in a car that’s really been built to attack a road course, and the current Cup car drives a lot more like a sportscar than they ever have before. They’re somewhere in between a TA and a TA2 car in the Trans Am Series. Obviously, we have a lot more horsepower than a TA2 car, but not quite the downforce and maneuverability that a TA car has. The thing that causes a bit more chaos in our road races compared to the more traditional road-racing series is the fact that these cars are so durable, and they’re handling a lot better than the previous cars did. It’s led to a lot of beating and banging, and it’s really become a left-and-right-turn short-track race more than a road-course race.”   Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletHow can you maximize your weekend at COTA?“I’m looking forward to going to COTA, obviously having a road course early in the season is beneficial, especially for me. The first handful of races are places we have had success, even though Daytona and Atlanta didn’t play out the way we wanted to. I am excited to get to COTA, especially with my background. We had some good speed and opportunities on the two drafting tracks so far, but now we can learn where we have improved our road-course program from last year. We had three top-five finishes on road courses and a penalty at COTA last year potentially cost us a fourth, but this weekend we will have a lot of opportunities to score some big points, and race for a win with Katz Coffee onboard.”   Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat is it about Circuit of the Americas that you like so much?“COTA is just super-fun, especially since they shortened the course. I really enjoy the shortened course. It has created really good racing and has a short track type feel to it now. Except for the frontstretch you don’t really have straightaways anymore. It’s just so unique. You’ve got a new passing zone now with Turn 6A, that cut through is a great passing zone and as a driver. And as a driver you’re doing more: you’re turning more and you’re in a corner more often. It’s a lot of fun.” Comment on the chaos of the restarts entering Turn 1. “Those restarts can get pretty chaotic in Turn 1. Hopefully I’m on the better end of that this year and we can get through Turn 1 a little cleaner. Turn 1 is wild and anything can happen. You can go four, five and even six-wide but you’ve got to do your best not to put yourself in a bad spot. With that said, there’s a lot of opportunities to make moves and gain positions. It’s always crazy but you’ve got to try and stay out of the chaos and make it through there. Unfortunately, I didn’t last year, and it ended up hurting my race. The elevation changes there are crazy. It’s like going up a rollercoaster and you’re able to brake so deep because of it.” Do you notice the fans at COTA?“You can see them for sure. It’s cool to have fans everywhere, whether it’s on the hill in turn 1 or watching from the stadium section. You can watch that race from just about anywhere and see every part of the track. For the fans it’s got to be really cool to walk around and see different parts of the track and get to experience the race from a different corner each lap.” On running the NOAPS race with JR Motorsports: “I’m really looking forward to my first start this season in the Roto-Rooter Chevrolet with JR Motorsports this weekend. The race at Circuit of the Americas was such a huge one for us last year and I can’t wait to be back with that group and work with Rodney Childers this weekend. COTA is a really cool track and now that NASCAR is racing the short course it gets pretty intense and chaotic. There’s not a lot of time to rest. You’re always in a corner and it’s also unique because of the track limits. You’re having to manage that at all times through the esses and everywhere. It takes an immense amount of focus to get around there and be consistent and not make mistakes that can end your day really quickly. I’m excited to go back there.”    Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletSixth-place finish in Atlanta, your best finish to date in the Cup Series on an oval, how much momentum do you and the team have headed to COTA this weekend?“It’s always promising. These oval races, we are making big gains, and we weren’t really in position to score stage points last year very often. So now we are able to do that in Daytona and Atlanta, it’s very promising. These road courses, we just go and have fun, they are like a holiday for us. We just go and enjoy ourselves and hopefully come away with a lot of points and a great result.” Turn one at COTA is crazy. How do you play defense going into that turn?“It’s a tough one. There are so many options there for lines and protecting. It’s a hard restart to get right. Then, the next corner goes the opposite way, so you’re kind of always on defense there trying to be in the best spot before going into those esses, before it single files out. It’s very physical in that turn and there isn’t much room for error.” What does the bypass in the new COTA layout add to the race? “It just gives everyone more passing opportunities and more laps. You get to use the better part of the track more often. It was cool when they (NASCAR) first thought about doing the short cut, they wanted to do what we did in V8 Supercars in 2013, and it was terrible through there. But what they came up with, using the next cut through, made another passing zone and a pretty tough corner off the backstraight. I thought it was a good change.”

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: 129Top-Fives: 5Top-10s: 6Stage Wins: 0 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 881 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 767Laps led to date: 256,863Top-fives to date: 4,441Top-10s to date: 9,157 Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date: General Motors: 1,215 Chevrolet: 881 Pontiac: 154 Oldsmobile: 115 Buick: 65 Ford: 847 Ford: 747 Mercury: 96 Lincoln: 4 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467 Dodge: 217 Plymouth: 191 Chrysler: 59 Toyota: 205

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCECircuit of The Americas / Grand Prix of St. PetersburgFebruary 28 – March 1, 2026

All three NASCAR national touring series will make the shift to left- and right-hand turns this weekend as the sport faces its first road racing event of the 2026 season.

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race Advances Chevrolet Newsroom

For the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (NOAPS), the third stop on the schedule will take the pair to the Lonestar State to pay its annual visit to Circuit of The Americas (COTA). The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) will split off from its companion series to make their much-anticipated street course debut by accompanying the NTT INDYCAR Series at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The weekend marks the start of back-to-back crossover events as the NTT INDYCAR Series will join NASCAR once again at Phoenix Raceway next weekend, with Chevrolet boasting as the only manufacturer that will compete in both series.

A WEEKEND OF ‘FIRSTS’ FOR THE NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES For the first time in history, the streets of St. Petersburg will welcome a NASCAR-sanctioned event as the Craftsman Truck Series will make its street course debut. The series will compete alongside the NTT INDYCAR Series as they look to kick-off their 2026 season. The unique doubleheader weekend gives Chevrolet an extra boast over its competitors as the only manufacturer that will compete in both events.

Hinchcliffe Heads Back to a Familiar Place for His NASCAR Debut: Saturday’s event will feature a star-studded lineup, including former NTT INDYCAR driver, James Hinchcliffe, who will team up with Spire Motorsports to pilot the No. 77 Chevrolet entry. The venture will mark the Ontario, Canada, native’s first-ever NASCAR start, but it comes at a place he knows very well. Hinchcliffe is a six-time NTT INDYCAR Series winner, with his first-career victory coming at the St. Petersburg circuit in 2013. The driver will be well-equipped to make a strong splash into the NASCAR world with Spire Motorsports coming off a one-two finish in the NCTS last weekend at EchoPark Speedway.

BOWTIE BULLETS:·       Active Chevrolet drivers with a NASCAR Cup Series win at Circuit of The Americas: William Byron: one win (2024) Ross Chastain: one win (2022)Chase Elliott: one win (2021)
·        In five appearances for both the NASCAR Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Circuit of The Americas, Chevrolet leads both divisions with three NCS wins and four-straight NOAPS wins.
·        In 23 NASCAR Cup Series road racing events in the Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads the series with 17 victories – recorded by eight drivers from four different Chevrolet organizations.
·        Shane van Gisbergen, the NASCAR Cup Series most recent road course winner (Charlotte ROVAL- Oct. 2025), heads into the weekend with five-consecutive road course wins – a record that sits just behind career Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon’s all-time record streak of six-straight road course triumphs.
·        Chase Elliott leads the NASCAR Cup Series’ active drivers with seven wins on road courses – a record that also ranks him third all-time behind NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (nine wins) and Tony Stewart (eight wins).
·        In 146 points-paying races in the NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen era, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 67 victories – a winning percentage of 45.9%.
·        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 Circuit of The AmericasDuraMax Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyneSunday, Mar. 1, at 3:30 p.m. ETFOX, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts SeriesCircuit of The AmericasFocused Health 250Saturday, Feb. 28, at 3 p.m. ETCW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 NASCAR Craftsman Truck SeriesGrand Prix of St. PetersburgOnlyBulls Green Flag 150 at St. PetersburgSaturday, Feb. 28, at 12 p.m. ETFOX, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90

QUOTABLE QUOTES:Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet With COTA, track limits is a storyline. How do you manage kind of understanding what that is and pushing the line?“I grew up watching stock car racing in NASCAR, where you race grass to grass. If it was paved, you were on it, aside from super speedways. And COTA is the road course where that is not the case. We make those esses as straight as we can and cut Turn 19 as much as possible. I’m good with track limits, as long as they are enforced consistently and constantly. Make a rule. Continue to enforce it and put someone there that can see it, put some sort of technology with cameras, or automated systems, or whatever it takes. Figure out how to officiate it every time, consistently, all weekend. Whether its practice, qualifying, or the race, make the calls. They’re tough calls to make, but if we mess up, make that call instantly. Don’t wait. It needs to be very black-and-white.” How do you manage the chaos of Turn 1? It’s a pretty wild corner. What’s it like from your perspective?“I don’t manage it very well. I’ve been spun out there in the O’Reilly Series race and I’ve spun people out. It’s very challenging to find your brake marker. Restarts are a different speed than the normal laps. It helps now with the restarts all being moved back towards turn 20 but definitely challenging. I’ve made more than my fair share of mistakes. The track was designed to build a lot of speed, have a ton of braking potential with the uphill elevation climb to Turn 1, and then trying to make a turn back the other way is really difficult. But when you get it right, it’s very rewarding.”

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat are your thoughts on racing at Circuit of The Americas?“Racing in Austin, Texas is fun. It’s an exciting and technically challenging road course with lot of havoc created in Turn One. I feel like the key to having a good race will be having solid pit stops and keeping our Breztri Chevrolet clean.”  How tough is it to gain momentum at the start of the season?“To get going in the first part of the season is tough. You want a fast start for your team and partners, and we didn’t get that the last two weeks with the wrecks. We need to come out of this weekend with a good finish, just to feel confident that we can get back into the swing of things with points. With two drafting tracks and a road course, the meat of the schedule starts in Phoenix. That’s where you feel like more is in your control. There is a lot in your control at road courses as well, and we have put a lot of effort into COTA. I feel like our Breztri Chevrolet should be able to go out there and compete.”   Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports ChevroletWhat are your thoughts on the new layout at COTA, and how does it change the racing for both the drivers and the fans?“Man, every time we come back to COTA it just gets better. The new layout really makes the corners come alive, it’s exciting for the fans, and honestly, it’s just as exciting for me in the car. You’ve got to be aggressive, you’ve got to be precise, and that’s what makes this place special. For me, the new 20-turn layout is more technical and strategic, keeping me more focused with every lap. I am excited to get back out there.”

Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletHow excited are you coming back to Circuit of The Americas after last season’s performance?“Looking forward to COTA, I always love going there. We really had a good car last year at COTA. We were on the right side of strategy and coming to pit road when we did. We had a four second gap to the next guy behind us for the last couple laps of the race, and I don’t think they would have caught us. Unfortunately, a yellow came out and I had to try to race it out through a couple of restarts. Our two lap older tires were just enough that Christopher Bell was able to get us, so we gracefully faded to fifth.” How big of a factor do you expect tire falloff and strategy to be this weekend?“I think there will be a good amount of tire falloff and more than what we’ve seen in years past. Last year, we saw a good bit of tire falloff. I just mentioned how we only had two lap older tires than Christopher Bell, and he was able to outrace me at the end of the race. Tires are going to be more paramount this weekend. You might see guys, if there’s a late caution with 10 to go, that got three or four lap old tires might come, pit, and try to drive back through the field and hope that the front guys burn their stuff up. Fresher tires more times than not, especially with more horsepower you’re going to want them.”      Jesse Love, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletWhat are you looking forward to on the Cup side this weekend, and what will be key for you to have a successful race?“On the Cup side, I’m looking forward to the challenge of it and continue to learn from racing these Cup races. I’ve learned a lot from the ones I ran last year and I’m just excited for a new challenge and learning new things and aggressively trying to adapt to the things that I learn throughout the weekend. Obviously, it’s going to be really important to do the little things right this weekend as always with the Cup stuff. For me, I just want to control the things I can control, and it would be very cool to be in position to capitalize on some crazy restarts at the end and see what kind of finish we can get out of it.”   Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet“COTA is the first road course of the year, so we are all excited to get there. It brings you a little bit of everything, from slow speed corners to high-speed corners to big breaking zones. So, it challenges you in a lot of ways and it will be really interesting to see how the new 750 horsepower in my Chevrolet Camaro relates to the racing there and seeing how much tire fall off we get throughout the weekend. So it will be a really interesting race and hopefully my Haas Factory Team can adapt to it fast.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet“Atlanta was a tough one for us. Nobody likes ending their day early. We regrouped and we’re ready for COTA with Ram Self Storage on the car this week.”   Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet“Our No. 48 team is ready to get to COTA. We’ve had a tough start to the season with two drafting tracks back-to-back and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We’ve put together some really solid races at COTA and we’re preparing to do that again to build confidence in our team early in the season.”   Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet“Road racing is where I did a lot of my growing up and learning how to race. There was a lot of back and forth between stock cars and GT cars and sportscars over the years as I found my place in NASCAR. So I’m always, ‘The more the merrier,’ when it comes to road racing. There are a lot of things you can’t really learn about a road course until you’re in a car that’s really been built to attack a road course, and the current Cup car drives a lot more like a sportscar than they ever have before. They’re somewhere in between a TA and a TA2 car in the Trans Am Series. Obviously, we have a lot more horsepower than a TA2 car, but not quite the downforce and maneuverability that a TA car has. The thing that causes a bit more chaos in our road races compared to the more traditional road-racing series is the fact that these cars are so durable, and they’re handling a lot better than the previous cars did. It’s led to a lot of beating and banging, and it’s really become a left-and-right-turn short-track race more than a road-course race.”   Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletHow can you maximize your weekend at COTA?“I’m looking forward to going to COTA, obviously having a road course early in the season is beneficial, especially for me. The first handful of races are places we have had success, even though Daytona and Atlanta didn’t play out the way we wanted to. I am excited to get to COTA, especially with my background. We had some good speed and opportunities on the two drafting tracks so far, but now we can learn where we have improved our road-course program from last year. We had three top-five finishes on road courses and a penalty at COTA last year potentially cost us a fourth, but this weekend we will have a lot of opportunities to score some big points, and race for a win with Katz Coffee onboard.”   Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletWhat is it about Circuit of the Americas that you like so much?“COTA is just super-fun, especially since they shortened the course. I really enjoy the shortened course. It has created really good racing and has a short track type feel to it now. Except for the frontstretch you don’t really have straightaways anymore. It’s just so unique. You’ve got a new passing zone now with Turn 6A, that cut through is a great passing zone and as a driver. And as a driver you’re doing more: you’re turning more and you’re in a corner more often. It’s a lot of fun.” Comment on the chaos of the restarts entering Turn 1. “Those restarts can get pretty chaotic in Turn 1. Hopefully I’m on the better end of that this year and we can get through Turn 1 a little cleaner. Turn 1 is wild and anything can happen. You can go four, five and even six-wide but you’ve got to do your best not to put yourself in a bad spot. With that said, there’s a lot of opportunities to make moves and gain positions. It’s always crazy but you’ve got to try and stay out of the chaos and make it through there. Unfortunately, I didn’t last year, and it ended up hurting my race. The elevation changes there are crazy. It’s like going up a rollercoaster and you’re able to brake so deep because of it.” Do you notice the fans at COTA?“You can see them for sure. It’s cool to have fans everywhere, whether it’s on the hill in turn 1 or watching from the stadium section. You can watch that race from just about anywhere and see every part of the track. For the fans it’s got to be really cool to walk around and see different parts of the track and get to experience the race from a different corner each lap.” On running the NOAPS race with JR Motorsports: “I’m really looking forward to my first start this season in the Roto-Rooter Chevrolet with JR Motorsports this weekend. The race at Circuit of the Americas was such a huge one for us last year and I can’t wait to be back with that group and work with Rodney Childers this weekend. COTA is a really cool track and now that NASCAR is racing the short course it gets pretty intense and chaotic. There’s not a lot of time to rest. You’re always in a corner and it’s also unique because of the track limits. You’re having to manage that at all times through the esses and everywhere. It takes an immense amount of focus to get around there and be consistent and not make mistakes that can end your day really quickly. I’m excited to go back there.”    Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletSixth-place finish in Atlanta, your best finish to date in the Cup Series on an oval, how much momentum do you and the team have headed to COTA this weekend?“It’s always promising. These oval races, we are making big gains, and we weren’t really in position to score stage points last year very often. So now we are able to do that in Daytona and Atlanta, it’s very promising. These road courses, we just go and have fun, they are like a holiday for us. We just go and enjoy ourselves and hopefully come away with a lot of points and a great result.” Turn one at COTA is crazy. How do you play defense going into that turn?“It’s a tough one. There are so many options there for lines and protecting. It’s a hard restart to get right. Then, the next corner goes the opposite way, so you’re kind of always on defense there trying to be in the best spot before going into those esses, before it single files out. It’s very physical in that turn and there isn’t much room for error.” What does the bypass in the new COTA layout add to the race? “It just gives everyone more passing opportunities and more laps. You get to use the better part of the track more often. It was cool when they (NASCAR) first thought about doing the short cut, they wanted to do what we did in V8 Supercars in 2013, and it was terrible through there. But what they came up with, using the next cut through, made another passing zone and a pretty tough corner off the backstraight. I thought it was a good change.”

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: 129Top-Fives: 5Top-10s: 6Stage Wins: 0 CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:Total Chevrolet race wins: 881 (1949 to date)Poles won to date: 767Laps led to date: 256,863Top-fives to date: 4,441Top-10s to date: 9,157 Total NASCAR Cup Wins by Corporation, 1949 to Date: General Motors: 1,215 Chevrolet: 881 Pontiac: 154 Oldsmobile: 115 Buick: 65 Ford: 847 Ford: 747 Mercury: 96 Lincoln: 4 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467 Dodge: 217 Plymouth: 191 Chrysler: 59 Toyota: 205

Legends in the Making: AFT Adventure Trackers Kick Off Expanded 2026 Schedule in Daytona

February 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Jesse Janisch (No. 33) battles with Austin Luczak (No. 188) during Jackpine Gypsies Short Track in 2025. [Photo: Hunter Scott for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system The seven-race 2026 AFT AdventureTrackers™ championship will open with the class contenders vying for a $7,500 purse in Daytona DAYTONA BEACH, FL (February 25, 2026) – The AFT AdventureTrackers™ title contenders charge into 2026 in search of glory as the class prepares to kick off its expanded championship slate at the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA II on Friday, March 6. This marks the first time the class has been featured on the bill when the Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, opens in Daytona. Now entering its third season, AFT AdventureTrackers was originally devised to provide the massively popular and fast-growing Dual Adventure segment a competitive outlet to demonstrate the bikes’ wide-ranging capabilities and impressive versatility even in near-stock guise. With a cadre of championship-caliber riders at the controls, the class has exceeded all expectations in terms of pure spectacle, as some of the series’ most notable athletes have repeatedly performed borderline miracles on these big-bore, 500-plus pound machines as they’ve tangled for checkered flags. AFT AdventureTrackers made its high-profile debut in a showcase event on the Streets of Sturgis in 2024. Last season, the category evolved into a thrilling four-race championship tilt packed into a timeframe of less than two weeks. During its brief existence, Dual Adventure bikes from Harley-Davidson, Honda, Suzuki, and Triumph have featured on AFT AdventureTrackers’ podiums, while decorated riders such as Dan Bromley and Jesse Janisch have logged shocking quick lap times and put on an incredible show in their heated battles for victory. And despite its relative newness, AFT AdventureTrackers has already added to its legend off the track as well. Hearkeni ng to the earliest days of motorcycle sport, there are numerous stories of these near-stock racebikes arriving at the track fresh from dealership showrooms, being ridden down Main Street at Sturgis straight from the podium, and even making a cross-country trek from one round to the next. This growing legend will be added to in 2026, as the class expands its footprint with a seven-round championship fight that will run from early March to late August with a $7,500 purse in play at each event.Next Up The Progressive AFT 2026 season begins with the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I & II at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, March 5 and Friday, March 6. To purchase Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I & II tickets, visit: https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack. Following the season opener, the series travels to Senoia Raceway for the Yamaha Atlanta Short Track on March 21. To purchase tickets for the Yamaha Atlanta Short Track, visit: https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-atlanta-short-track-165280.

Legends in the Making: AFT AdventureTrackers Kick Off Expanded 2026 Schedule in DaytonaJesse Janisch (No. 33) battles with Austin Luczak (No. 188) during Jackpine Gypsies Short Track in 2025. [Photo: Hunter Scott for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system The seven-race 2026 AFT AdventureTrackers™ championship will open with the class contenders vying for a $7,500 purse in Daytona DAYTONA BEACH, FL (February 25, 2026) – The AFT AdventureTrackers™ title contenders charge into 2026 in search of glory as the class prepares to kick off its expanded championship slate at the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA II on Friday, March 6. This marks the first time the class has been featured on the bill when the Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, opens in Daytona. Now entering its third season, AFT AdventureTrackers was originally devised to provide the massively popular and fast-growing Dual Adventure segment a competitive outlet to demonstrate the bikes’ wide-ranging capabilities and impressive versatility even in near-stock guise. With a cadre of championship-caliber riders at the controls, the class has exceeded all expectations in terms of pure spectacle, as some of the series’ most notable athletes have repeatedly performed borderline miracles on these big-bore, 500-plus pound machines as they’ve tangled for checkered flags. AFT AdventureTrackers made its high-profile debut in a showcase event on the Streets of Sturgis in 2024. Last season, the category evolved into a thrilling four-race championship tilt packed into a timeframe of less than two weeks. During its brief existence, Dual Adventure bikes from Harley-Davidson, Honda, Suzuki, and Triumph have featured on AFT AdventureTrackers’ podiums, while decorated riders such as Dan Bromley and Jesse Janisch have logged shocking quick lap times and put on an incredible show in their heated battles for victory. And despite its relative newness, AFT AdventureTrackers has already added to its legend off the track as well. Hearkeni ng to the earliest days of motorcycle sport, there are numerous stories of these near-stock racebikes arriving at the track fresh from dealership showrooms, being ridden down Main Street at Sturgis straight from the podium, and even making a cross-country trek from one round to the next. This growing legend will be added to in 2026, as the class expands its footprint with a seven-round championship fight that will run from early March to late August with a $7,500 purse in play at each event.Next Up The Progressive AFT 2026 season begins with the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I & II at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, March 5 and Friday, March 6. To purchase Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I & II tickets, visit: https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack. Following the season opener, the series travels to Senoia Raceway for the Yamaha Atlanta Short Track on March 21. To purchase tickets for the Yamaha Atlanta Short Track, visit: https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-atlanta-short-track-165280.

DRAG RACE BRACKET BONANZA BUILDS ON PEAK PERFORMANCE IN 2026

February 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

DRAG RACE BRACKET BONANZA BUILDS ON PEAK PERFORMANCE IN 2026

DALLAS (February 25, 2026) — Last year PEAK ramped up their already strong fan engagement presence by joining Drag Race Bracket Bonanza (DRBB), the free bracket game for drag racing fans, as title sponsor for the Route 66 Nationals and World Finals editions of the game as well as sponsor of the race recap email distributed to thousands of players throughout the DRBB season. In 2026 PEAK will continue DRBB sponsorship of the Chicago NHRA national event presented by PEAK and add DRBB sponsorship of the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals. In addition to the PEAK Performance email sponsorship PEAK will be providing 30 PEAK Top Fuel dragster die-casts as additional prizes for top finishers in the DRBB regular season.

“The support and engagement DRBB received last year from PEAK and the #PeakSquad was fantastic for our players,” said DRBB creator Elon Werner. “They had complete ownership of the Route 66 Nationals in Chicago on and off the track and the PEAK Performance post-race emails were our most impactful digital program for our thousands of players. Expanding the program to include Dallas as well as offering additional prizes for regular season player success will only make playing Drag Race Bracket Bonanza more fun for our players. PEAK will continue to be able to communicate with new and established fans through DRBB.”

PEAK has offered prize packs to the top five overall finishers from the Chicago race the past two seasons and that program will be expanding to include the Texas Fall Nationals. The #PEAKSquad league is one of the most active in the DRBB player universe. Through coordinated social media posts that include participation from John Force Racing driver Jack Beckman as well as other PEAK social media influencers the engagement with drag racing fans is next level.

“Drag Race Bracket Bonanza’s community are some of most engaged fans of the sport,” said Brian Bohlander, director of marketing – Sports & Partnership, Old World Industries (OWI). “The #PEAKSquad community thrives when we give them ways to get involved, and DRBB is the perfect platform to do that. The energy, the competition and the creativity make Drag Race Bracket Bonanza a natural fit for the PEAK brand and we’re excited to continue to grow together year after year.”

Headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, OWI continues to be a leading manufacturer of automotive and heavy-duty products under its PEAK and BlueDEF brands. The company has been a major sponsor in the NHRA for more than three decades, including as an official partner since the 2013 season. PEAK has also been a longtime sponsor of John Force Racing, which in 2026 includes Top Fuel driver Josh Hart, Funny Car world champion Jack Beckman along with Jordan Vandergriff and Alexis DeJoria.

DRBB players will have the chance to fill out their brackets for the Route 66 Nationals when qualifying ends at Route 66 Raceway on Saturday, May 16. They will then have until the first round of eliminations begins on Sunday, May 17, to submit their picks. Fans can follow DRBB on social media for cool stats, prize updates, and info on Twitter/X at @dragracebb or @DragRaceBracketBonanza on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. And they can watch the NHRA broadcast on FS1.

Moran Repeats Wieland Winter Nationals Opening Night Win at Ocala

February 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Moran Repeats Wieland Winter Nationals Opening Night Win at Ocala

OCALA, FL (February 24, 2026) – Devin Moran repeated his performance from one year ago, capturing the opening night of the 2026 Wieland Winter Nationals at Ocala Speedway on Tuesday night. The caution-free 30-lap feature took just eight minutes to complete. Moran, the defending Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion, took the lead on lap 14 from race-long leader Brandon Sheppard and went on to pace the final 16 circuits, earning his fourth career victory at Ocala. Sheppard, who was seeking his first Ocala win since 2017, finished second, followed by Clay Harris, Brandon Overton, and Hudson O’Neal. In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 26th time in his career, Moran earned $7,000 for the win. “No, honestly, Sheppy took off hard there. The dirt’s not hard, but it’s definitely a little gritty. I feel like you build a little bit of heat, so I was just trying to bide my time,” Moran said. “I know how this place is when you get to lapped traffic, and if you can maneuver, you’re going to be really good. My guys provided me with a Longhorn Chassis that could move anywhere on the race track, on either end. So, it was really cool.” Regarding his second win of the season — both coming in caution-free features — Moran discussed his approach to long green-flag runs. “Honestly, I’ve always been better on long green-flag runs. I’m able to find a rhythm and places on the track where I can make speed, and that’s what I did the whole race,” he said. “When you have a car you can maneuver through traffic, it’s so fun. If you have one you can’t, it just makes it tough. Bubba (Clem) and those guys did a great job giving us a track you could move around on. I just love being in Florida for the month.” Sheppard, who set overall fast time and won his heat race, was looking to complete a clean sweep of the night but settled for the runner-up finish. “I think we had a really fast car capable of winning the race,” Sheppard said. “Congrats to Devin — he did a really good job there. I pretty much gave it away in lapped traffic. I was trying to figure out where I could pass those guys because I hadn’t passed anyone yet. I went to the top one lap, and Devin was on me and made the most of it.” Harris, who scored two podium finishes last week at All-Tech, opened the week at Ocala by rounding out the Big River Steel Podium in third. “It’s a lot more fun when you can run up front to start off the year,” Harris said. “We definitely struggled last year — switching cars, switching teams — and I didn’t have much crew help at the beginning of the season. We’ve got a good team this year, good equipment, and good cars. I could run the bottom and kind of maintain, but I couldn’t really make the top work — it would just fall off.” The winning Roger Sellers, Double Down Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Big River Steel, Millwood Plumbing, C&W Trucking, Phillips CPA, Anthony’s Pizza, Bomag, CarSourceAuto.com, Hazen Services, McHugh Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Elliott Farms, Haulin’ Haskell’s, and Pee Wee’s Wrecker Service. Rounding out the top ten were Brian Shirley, Daulton Wilson, Tyler Erb, Max Blair, and Drake Troutman. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Wieland Winter NationalsTuesday, February 24, 2026Ocala Speedway | Ocala, FL Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Brandon Sheppard | 14.040 seconds (Overall)Fast Time Group B: Devin Moran | 14.227 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 3S-Brian Shirley[2]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 4. 58-Garrett Alberson[3]; 5. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]; 6. 09-Michael Leach[6]; 7. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[8]; 8. 18-Chase Junghans[9]; 9. 32J-Justin Weaver[7] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 6-Clay Harris[1]; 2. 111-Max Blair[5]; 3. 71-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 4. 60-Dan Ebert[3]; 5. 81F-Jadon Frame[8]; 6. 13-Dallon Murty[4]; 7. C4-Freddie Carpenter[7]; 8. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[6]; 9. (DNS) 12L-Dave Loudin
Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 99-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 76-Brandon Overton[3]; 3. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[2]; 4. 77-Preston Luckman[6]; 5. 10-Garrett Smith[9]; 6. 22*-Drake Troutman[5]; 7. 15-Clay Stuckey[7]; 8. 79-Cory Hedgecock[8]; 9. 93-Carson Ferguson[4]
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 58V-Daulton Wilson[1]; 2. 19M-Brenden Smith[2]; 3. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[3]; 4. 11-Josh Rice[6]; 5. 7-Ross Robinson[4]; 6. 15K-Cody Overton[8]; 7. 17SR-Brody Smith[5]; 8. 8-Dillon McCowan[7]; 9. 6B-Adam Boyd[9] Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[1]; 2. 81F-Jadon Frame[2]; 3. 13-Dallon Murty[4]; 4. 12M-Ryan Montgomery[5]; 5. 32J-Justin Weaver[9]; 6. C4-Freddie Carpenter[6]; 7. 18-Chase Junghans[7]; 8. 09-Michael Leach[3]; 9. (DNS) 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr; 10. (DNS) 12L-Dave Loudin
UNOH B-Main Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 10-Garrett Smith[1]; 2. 22*-Drake Troutman[3]; 3. 7-Ross Robinson[2]; 4. 15K-Cody Overton[4]; 5. 15-Clay Stuckey[5]; 6. 79-Cory Hedgecock[7]; 7. 17SR-Brody Smith[6]; 8. 8-Dillon McCowan[8]; 9. 6B-Adam Boyd[10]; 10. (DNS) 93-Carson Ferguson Wieland Winter Nationals Feature Finish (30 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 2 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $7,0002 – 1 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $3,5003 – 3 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $2,0004 – 6 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $1,5005 – 11 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $1,4006 – 5 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $1,3007 – 4 – 58V – Daulton Wilson – Fayetteville, NC – $1,2008 – 9 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $1,1009 – 7 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $1,00010 – 20 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – $95011 – 13 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $90012 – 8 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $85013 – 10 – 28 – Dennis Erb Jr – Carpentersville, IL – $80014 – 12 – 76N – Blair Nothdurft – Renner, SD – $75015 – 17 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $72516 – 16 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $70017 – 15 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $70018 – 14 – 77 – Preston Luckman – Coos Bay, OR – $70019 – 21 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – $65020 – 18 – 10 – Garrett Smith – Madison, GA – $62521 – 24 – 15K – Cody Overton – Thomson, GA – $62522 – 22 – 7 – Ross Robinson – Georgetown, DE – $60023 – 23 – 12M – Ryan Montgomery – Fairmont, WV – $60024 – 19 – 81F – Jadon Frame – Winchester, TN – $600 Race Statistics Entrants: 36Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Brandon SheppardMD3 Lap Leaders: Brandon Sheppard (Laps 1-13); Devin Moran (Laps 14-30)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Devin MoranWieland Feature Winner: Devin MoranMargin of Victory: 1.225 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: n/aMyRacePass Series Provisionals: n/aFast Time Provisional: n/aEmergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Devin Moran, Brandon Sheppard, Clay HarrisPenske Shocks Top 5: Devin Moran, Brandon Sheppard, Clay Harris, Brandon Overton, Hudson O’NealBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Devin Moran, Brandon Sheppard, Clay HarrisPEM 4th Place Feature: Brandon OvertonDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Hudson O’NealWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Daulton WilsonWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Garrett AlbersonVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: Dennis Erb, Jr.XS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Kyle BronsonHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Drake Troutman (Advanced 10 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Devin Moran (17 Laps)Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon SheppardMidwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Brandon OvertonO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Brandon Sheppard | Lap 1 | 15.098 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Michael LeachVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Devin MoranOuterwears Crew Chief of the Race: Chuck KimbleARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Devin Moran | 14.5937 secondsTime of Race: 8 minutes 00 seconds

Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Team Penske

February 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Team Penske’s season ended on a high note with Josef Newgarden (1st) and Scott McLaughlin (3rd) standing on the podium at the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix.

Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Chevrolet Newsroom

First year with Chevrolet:1968Years with Team Chevy: 1968, 1969, 1970, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2002, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, & 2026Driver Championships with Chevrolet: 1988 (Danny Sullivan), 2014 (Will Power), 2016 (Simon Pagenaud), 2017 (Josef Newgarden), 2019 (Josef Newgarden) and 2022 (Will Power)
Starts with Chevrolet-power:All-time: 1062Since Chevrolet’s return in 2012: 759
Wins with Chevrolet-power:All-time (rank): 124 (1st), with the first win by Rick Mears at Pocono Raceway in 1987 Since Chevrolet’s return in 2012 (rank): 87(1st), with the first win by Helio Castroneves on the Streets Of St. Petersburg in 2012Most Chevrolet-powered wins at Team Penske: Will Power with 30 wins
Poles with ChevroletAll-time (rank): 157 earned poles and 161 pole starts (1st), with the first by Mark Donohue at Sonoma Raceway in 1970Since Chevrolet’s return in 2012 (rank): 105 earned and 109 starts (1st), with the first earned pole by Will Power on the Streets Of St. Petersburg in 2012 Most Chevrolet-powered poles at Team Penske: Will Power, with 47 earned and 47 starts
Podiums with ChevroletAll-time (rank): 324 (1st), with the first podium by Mark Donohue on the Indianapolis Raceway Park Road Course Since Chevrolet’s return in 2012 (rank): 221 (1st), with the first podium by Helio Castroneves on the Streets Of St. Petersburg in 2012:Most Chevrolet-powered podiums at Team Penske: Will Power with 80 podiums Team Notes: Is one of two teams that have been part of Team Chevy since the Chevrolet brand returned to INDYCAR racing in 2012 124 of the team’s 246 NTT INDYCAR SERIES wins, which equates to 50.4%, have been powered by Chevrolet 157 of the team’s 308 NTT INDYCAR SERIES poles, which equates to 51.0%, have been powered by ChevroletMark Donohue, at Mosport International Raceway in 1968, made the first INDYCAR and Chevrolet-powered INDYCAR start for the team, starting 6th and finishing 4thA total of 19 drivers have made Chevrolet-powered INDYCAR starts for the team, with Will Power leading all drivers with 232 starts powered by the Bowtie at Team Penske.

Starts with Chevrolet: 181Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 32 (1st/1st) – his first win was at Barber Motorsports Park in 2015Earned Poles with Chevrolet: 19 earned poles/21 pole starts (first pole was at the Milwaukee Mile in 2015)Podiums with Chevrolet: 59 (first podium was at Barber Motorsports Park in 2015)
Strategist: Jonathan DiuguidRace Engineer: Luke MasonCrew Chief: Chad Gordon
Notable:Newgarden’s win at the Nashville Superspeedway in the final race of 2025o 32 career INDYCAR wins (all with Chevrolet), the 10th most on the all-time career listo At least one win in 11 consecutive INDYCAR seasons  After his third straight early exit in a row at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Newgarden did not give up on his seasono Newgarden moved from 19th in points to 12th after his win at the final in Nashvilleo The driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet led 27.7% of the laps in the final seven racesIs quickly moving up the all-time INDYCAR ranking lists:o 10th in wins (32)o 10th in laps led (4513)o T16th in poles (19)o 17th in podiums (61)o 17th in top 5s (87)o 20th in starts (232)President of Penske Racing, Jonathan Diuguid, will fill the role of Newgarden’s strategist, while Luke Mason and Chad Gordon continue as the two-time champion’s Race Engineer and Crew ChiefAt 35 years old, Newgarden is now the senior member of Team Penske, and the senior member of the Team Chevy contingent in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Quotable:
Q.  Your lowest finish last year since 2014. What are you looking to recover from that?“To be more consistent. For us we just can’t have as many bad results as we had. There’s a lot of them that could have been different. They’re not. So, we’ve just got to focus on being more consistent. It’s kind of simple to say that, but that’s just what it will come down to.
“If we don’t want to finish 12th in the standings, we’ve got to finish more races”.
Q.  I don’t want to call you the old guy on the team because you’re only 35; at the same time, once upon a time you were the guy that could lean on Simon, Helio, Juan for the month of May, Will. You’re the guy that people are going to be leaning on. How has that transition been for you?“Fine. You know what, I am the old guy totally. I can’t believe I’ve been doing this for 15 years. I’ve always had a strong sense for what I’ve wanted. That part is not going to change. When I was young, now I’m older, I’ll still have the same projection in my voice on what I think we need to be doing. That part is going to be similar.”

Starts with Chevrolet: 85Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 7 (T13th/T5th) – his first win was on the Streets Of St. Petersburg in 2022Earned Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 11 (9th/5th) – his first earned pole was on the Streets Of St. Petersburg in 2022Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 22 (13th/6th) – his first podium was at the Texas Motor Speedway in 2021
Strategist: Tim CindricRace Engineer: Raul PradosCrew Chief: Trevor Lacasse
Notable:Finished the season off strong with podiums at the Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway, and four straight top tensMcLaughlin led Team Penske in qualifying on eight occasions last year, besting his teammates Newgarden and Power, who led qualifying among the trio of drivers six and three times, respectively The No. 3 crew, also known as the “Thirsty Threes,” was the quickest group on pit road during four races, and the fourth best over the course of the season, with the over-the-wall group remaining the sameIs one of three full-time Team Chevy drivers in 2026, along with Pato O’Ward and Christian Rasmussen, to make all their starts with Chevrolet powerMcLaughlin will have a pair of new faces on the timing stand o Spainard Raul Prados, came to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES paddock in 2012, working with A.J. Foyt Racing until joining Team Penske and taking a key role in the team’s sports car effortso Tim Cindric, former Team Penske President and key figure in McLaughlin’s move to America, will be the strategist for the No. 3
Quotable:
Q. What are you looking forward to in 2026?“I guess you could say it’s a bit of redemption in some ways. It was a terrible year on my part last year. I felt like we left a lot on the table.”
“Then obviously Indy is the first one that comes to mind, but there was a lot of things that I sort of did last year. Looking back at Nashville, dropped that race from the lead; Detroit, hit Nolan; we were in a good spot.
“There are things I’ve got to tidy up, team has got to tidy up, but I think we’ve had a really good off-season, and honestly, the morale on the team is so high and so excited right now.
“There’s so much want to be back to where we want to be consistently, and I think there’s a refreshed sort of focus which has been really cool to be a part of and see. I’m really, really excited and just ready to go.”

Starts with Chevrolet: 17Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Earned Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 1 (T50th/T25th) – his first podium was at the Indianapolis 500 (IMS Oval) in 2025
Strategist: Travis LawRace Engineer: James SchnabelCrew Chief: Blaine Hardy
Notable:Malukas finished his lone season with A.J. Foyt Racing in 11th place in the standings, the best championship finish of his short career His season came to life with a second-place finish at the Indianapolis 500, after which his average starting position improved by 3.1 positions, and his average finishing position was 1.6 positions betterThe last three newcomers to Team Penske and their championship finishes:o 2015 – Simon Pagenaud – 11tho 2017 – Josef Newgarden – championo 2021 – Scott McLaughlin – 14thThe 24-year-old has moved from Chicago, Illinois, to Indianapolis, Indiana, to the Charlotte, North Carolina area, making it three cities in three years, this time to be closer to the Team Chevy shopWhile the team is new to Malukas, not all the faces on his timing stand will be unfamiliar, as his race engineer in 2025, James Schnabel, will make the move to the No. 12 with the driver
Quotable:
Q.  What do you think a successful 2026 looks like for you?“Consistency. I think that’s what really matters in INDYCAR. We have so many different circuits. You have street, road, ovals. Through all of it, they’re all just so different.
“To have consistency between all of them, that would be a successful year for me.”
Q.  Playing off of that, how important for a fast start — obviously 2024 you didn’t start until midsummer; last year your first top 10 came at Indy with that second-place finish, but there’s expectations for you this year as there’s always going to be on a Penske driver. How important is it for you to get off to that fast start?“Yeah, I think it’ll be important. But either way, like you said, since 2024 I’ve been jumping teams like crazy. I think a little bit more familiar on what it takes now as the priorities of jumping into a new team. I know what to run through it, but also not going to fret if things are taking some time and learning this new car, it’s not going to be the end of the world.
“It’s just going to be trying to make sure we’ll get there, because eventually we will ge there. We’ll learn it, as I have with any other car previously. Not really too pressured on that. I think it’ll be fine.”
Q.  How convenient is it that the Chevy simulator is just right up the street from you now?“It makes a world of difference because before you’d have to do a whole flight and multiple days. Now I can just drive right up there.
“And it’s a lot better because honestly, the big difference I’d say is just from an energy perspective because I would always do like the early morning flight and then go straight go the sim, so even just performance on the sim is definitely better now since I’m having a full proper sleep.”

The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season gets underway this week with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Tune-In Alert
Friday, February 27 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 1:30pm (ET)/12:30pm (CT)/11:30am (MT)/10:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Saturday, February 28 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Sunday, March 1NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9am (ET)/8am (CT)/7am (MT)/6am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (100 laps) – noon (ET)/11am (CT)/10am (MT)/9am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Team Penske’s season ended on a high note with Josef Newgarden (1st) and Scott McLaughlin (3rd) standing on the podium at the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix.

Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Chevrolet Newsroom

First year with Chevrolet:1968Years with Team Chevy: 1968, 1969, 1970, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2002, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, & 2026Driver Championships with Chevrolet: 1988 (Danny Sullivan), 2014 (Will Power), 2016 (Simon Pagenaud), 2017 (Josef Newgarden), 2019 (Josef Newgarden) and 2022 (Will Power)
Starts with Chevrolet-power:All-time: 1062Since Chevrolet’s return in 2012: 759
Wins with Chevrolet-power:All-time (rank): 124 (1st), with the first win by Rick Mears at Pocono Raceway in 1987 Since Chevrolet’s return in 2012 (rank): 87(1st), with the first win by Helio Castroneves on the Streets Of St. Petersburg in 2012Most Chevrolet-powered wins at Team Penske: Will Power with 30 wins
Poles with ChevroletAll-time (rank): 157 earned poles and 161 pole starts (1st), with the first by Mark Donohue at Sonoma Raceway in 1970Since Chevrolet’s return in 2012 (rank): 105 earned and 109 starts (1st), with the first earned pole by Will Power on the Streets Of St. Petersburg in 2012 Most Chevrolet-powered poles at Team Penske: Will Power, with 47 earned and 47 starts
Podiums with ChevroletAll-time (rank): 324 (1st), with the first podium by Mark Donohue on the Indianapolis Raceway Park Road Course Since Chevrolet’s return in 2012 (rank): 221 (1st), with the first podium by Helio Castroneves on the Streets Of St. Petersburg in 2012:Most Chevrolet-powered podiums at Team Penske: Will Power with 80 podiums Team Notes: Is one of two teams that have been part of Team Chevy since the Chevrolet brand returned to INDYCAR racing in 2012 124 of the team’s 246 NTT INDYCAR SERIES wins, which equates to 50.4%, have been powered by Chevrolet 157 of the team’s 308 NTT INDYCAR SERIES poles, which equates to 51.0%, have been powered by ChevroletMark Donohue, at Mosport International Raceway in 1968, made the first INDYCAR and Chevrolet-powered INDYCAR start for the team, starting 6th and finishing 4thA total of 19 drivers have made Chevrolet-powered INDYCAR starts for the team, with Will Power leading all drivers with 232 starts powered by the Bowtie at Team Penske.

Starts with Chevrolet: 181Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 32 (1st/1st) – his first win was at Barber Motorsports Park in 2015Earned Poles with Chevrolet: 19 earned poles/21 pole starts (first pole was at the Milwaukee Mile in 2015)Podiums with Chevrolet: 59 (first podium was at Barber Motorsports Park in 2015)
Strategist: Jonathan DiuguidRace Engineer: Luke MasonCrew Chief: Chad Gordon
Notable:Newgarden’s win at the Nashville Superspeedway in the final race of 2025o 32 career INDYCAR wins (all with Chevrolet), the 10th most on the all-time career listo At least one win in 11 consecutive INDYCAR seasons  After his third straight early exit in a row at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Newgarden did not give up on his seasono Newgarden moved from 19th in points to 12th after his win at the final in Nashvilleo The driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet led 27.7% of the laps in the final seven racesIs quickly moving up the all-time INDYCAR ranking lists:o 10th in wins (32)o 10th in laps led (4513)o T16th in poles (19)o 17th in podiums (61)o 17th in top 5s (87)o 20th in starts (232)President of Penske Racing, Jonathan Diuguid, will fill the role of Newgarden’s strategist, while Luke Mason and Chad Gordon continue as the two-time champion’s Race Engineer and Crew ChiefAt 35 years old, Newgarden is now the senior member of Team Penske, and the senior member of the Team Chevy contingent in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES
Quotable:
Q.  Your lowest finish last year since 2014. What are you looking to recover from that?“To be more consistent. For us we just can’t have as many bad results as we had. There’s a lot of them that could have been different. They’re not. So, we’ve just got to focus on being more consistent. It’s kind of simple to say that, but that’s just what it will come down to.
“If we don’t want to finish 12th in the standings, we’ve got to finish more races”.
Q.  I don’t want to call you the old guy on the team because you’re only 35; at the same time, once upon a time you were the guy that could lean on Simon, Helio, Juan for the month of May, Will. You’re the guy that people are going to be leaning on. How has that transition been for you?“Fine. You know what, I am the old guy totally. I can’t believe I’ve been doing this for 15 years. I’ve always had a strong sense for what I’ve wanted. That part is not going to change. When I was young, now I’m older, I’ll still have the same projection in my voice on what I think we need to be doing. That part is going to be similar.”

Starts with Chevrolet: 85Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 7 (T13th/T5th) – his first win was on the Streets Of St. Petersburg in 2022Earned Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 11 (9th/5th) – his first earned pole was on the Streets Of St. Petersburg in 2022Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 22 (13th/6th) – his first podium was at the Texas Motor Speedway in 2021
Strategist: Tim CindricRace Engineer: Raul PradosCrew Chief: Trevor Lacasse
Notable:Finished the season off strong with podiums at the Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway, and four straight top tensMcLaughlin led Team Penske in qualifying on eight occasions last year, besting his teammates Newgarden and Power, who led qualifying among the trio of drivers six and three times, respectively The No. 3 crew, also known as the “Thirsty Threes,” was the quickest group on pit road during four races, and the fourth best over the course of the season, with the over-the-wall group remaining the sameIs one of three full-time Team Chevy drivers in 2026, along with Pato O’Ward and Christian Rasmussen, to make all their starts with Chevrolet powerMcLaughlin will have a pair of new faces on the timing stand o Spainard Raul Prados, came to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES paddock in 2012, working with A.J. Foyt Racing until joining Team Penske and taking a key role in the team’s sports car effortso Tim Cindric, former Team Penske President and key figure in McLaughlin’s move to America, will be the strategist for the No. 3
Quotable:
Q. What are you looking forward to in 2026?“I guess you could say it’s a bit of redemption in some ways. It was a terrible year on my part last year. I felt like we left a lot on the table.”
“Then obviously Indy is the first one that comes to mind, but there was a lot of things that I sort of did last year. Looking back at Nashville, dropped that race from the lead; Detroit, hit Nolan; we were in a good spot.
“There are things I’ve got to tidy up, team has got to tidy up, but I think we’ve had a really good off-season, and honestly, the morale on the team is so high and so excited right now.
“There’s so much want to be back to where we want to be consistently, and I think there’s a refreshed sort of focus which has been really cool to be a part of and see. I’m really, really excited and just ready to go.”

Starts with Chevrolet: 17Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Earned Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 1 (T50th/T25th) – his first podium was at the Indianapolis 500 (IMS Oval) in 2025
Strategist: Travis LawRace Engineer: James SchnabelCrew Chief: Blaine Hardy
Notable:Malukas finished his lone season with A.J. Foyt Racing in 11th place in the standings, the best championship finish of his short career His season came to life with a second-place finish at the Indianapolis 500, after which his average starting position improved by 3.1 positions, and his average finishing position was 1.6 positions betterThe last three newcomers to Team Penske and their championship finishes:o 2015 – Simon Pagenaud – 11tho 2017 – Josef Newgarden – championo 2021 – Scott McLaughlin – 14thThe 24-year-old has moved from Chicago, Illinois, to Indianapolis, Indiana, to the Charlotte, North Carolina area, making it three cities in three years, this time to be closer to the Team Chevy shopWhile the team is new to Malukas, not all the faces on his timing stand will be unfamiliar, as his race engineer in 2025, James Schnabel, will make the move to the No. 12 with the driver
Quotable:
Q.  What do you think a successful 2026 looks like for you?“Consistency. I think that’s what really matters in INDYCAR. We have so many different circuits. You have street, road, ovals. Through all of it, they’re all just so different.
“To have consistency between all of them, that would be a successful year for me.”
Q.  Playing off of that, how important for a fast start — obviously 2024 you didn’t start until midsummer; last year your first top 10 came at Indy with that second-place finish, but there’s expectations for you this year as there’s always going to be on a Penske driver. How important is it for you to get off to that fast start?“Yeah, I think it’ll be important. But either way, like you said, since 2024 I’ve been jumping teams like crazy. I think a little bit more familiar on what it takes now as the priorities of jumping into a new team. I know what to run through it, but also not going to fret if things are taking some time and learning this new car, it’s not going to be the end of the world.
“It’s just going to be trying to make sure we’ll get there, because eventually we will ge there. We’ll learn it, as I have with any other car previously. Not really too pressured on that. I think it’ll be fine.”
Q.  How convenient is it that the Chevy simulator is just right up the street from you now?“It makes a world of difference because before you’d have to do a whole flight and multiple days. Now I can just drive right up there.
“And it’s a lot better because honestly, the big difference I’d say is just from an energy perspective because I would always do like the early morning flight and then go straight go the sim, so even just performance on the sim is definitely better now since I’m having a full proper sleep.”

The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season gets underway this week with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Tune-In Alert
Friday, February 27 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 1:30pm (ET)/12:30pm (CT)/11:30am (MT)/10:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Saturday, February 28 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Sunday, March 1NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9am (ET)/8am (CT)/7am (MT)/6am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (100 laps) – noon (ET)/11am (CT)/10am (MT)/9am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Juncos Hollinger Racing

February 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Sting Ray Robb on track during testing Phoenix Raceway

Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Chevrolet Newsroom

First year with Chevrolet: 2017Years with Team Chevy: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, & 2026Starts with Chevrolet-power: 138Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 1(T31st/9th), with the first podium by Conor Daly at the Milwaukee Mile in 2024
Notes:Rinus VeeKay (2019) and Sting Ray Robb (2020) both won USF Pro 2000 championships while driving for Juncos Hollinger Racing, and both drove for the Speedway, Indiana-based team in the INDY NXT by Firestone championshipA dozen drivers have made Chevrolet-powered INDYCAR starts for the team, with Callum Ilott leading all drivers with 36 starts powered by the Bowtie at Juncos Hollinger RacingA pair of Daves with Formula 1 experience lead racing operations at Juncos Hollinger Racingo Team Principal Dave O’Neill held team manager roles at Jordan, Marussia and Haas in Formula 1 prior to joining Juncos Hollinger Racing just before the 2024 seasono Technical Director David Brown, who joined Juncos Hollinger Racing prior to the 2025 season, spent over 20 years as a race engineer in Formula 1 with Williams, McLaren and Jordan, before a move to the United States where a short stint with RuSport in the Champ Car World Series led to technical director and race engineer roles in sports cars before a return to open wheel

Starts with Chevrolet: 80Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 1 (T27th/T15th) – his first win was on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in 2021Earned Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 2 (T24th/T12th) – his first pole was on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in 2020Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012) : 4 (T27th/15th) – his first pole was on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in 2020
Strategist: Dave O’NeilRace Engineer: Townsend LucasCrew Chief: Adam Farrer
Notable:Signing with Juncos Hollinger Racing is a homecoming for VeeKay, who spent two of his three seasons on the INDYCAR ladder with Ricardo Juncos’ teamo   In 2018, the Dutch driver won seven times, started on pole six times and stood on ten podiums on the way to the USF Pro Championshipo   Next up was the 25-year-old’s lone season of INDY NXT by Firestone, where he won six times, started on pole seven times and stood on 14 podiums on the way to second place in the championship. In seven NTT INDYCAR SERIES seasons, VeeKay has only finished 12th (2021 & 2022), 13th (2024) or 14th (2020, 2023 & 2025) in the championshipSix of his seven seasons, including his one win, two poles and four of five podiums, have been with Team Chevy Like his driver, VeeKay’s engineer Townsend Lucas also made his way to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES via Juncos Hollinger Racing’s ladder seriesTeam principal Dave O’Neill will serve as VeeKay’s strategist
Quotable:
Q.  You’re coming into JHR kind of having worked with the team before in the Road to Indy. Does that sense of familiar faces and the team and the name you know before give you a really good launching pad coming into 2026?“Yes, there’s definitely a few faces that I recognize from that time. Not too many, though. There’s been a lot of changes.
“But no, it’s been really good within the team so far. I’ve been in the shop a few times a week doing pit stops with the guys and just talking about life, which is a great way to get to know everybody.
“Yeah, I feel like I’ve got a good connection with my crew already, and within the engineering office, as well. I feel like we are ready for our first days on track. I already feel like I’ve been at this team for a while.”
Q.  You’re back with a Chevy power unit. How good does it feel to return back to normalcy after that one year of Honda with Dale Coyne?“Yeah, it still felt like an INDYCAR. It wasn’t completely different. It is nice to be back, though. I’ve spent so much time with Chevy power in the past that it’s just nice to be back, nice to use all the namings for all the tools that are in my head instead of just getting confused every time. That’s very nice.“Of course, I’ll find the biggest change of going back to Chevy when we go out on track.”

Starts with Chevrolet: 34Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0
Strategist: Ricardo JuncosRace Engineer: David BrownCrew Chief: Ryan Lall
Notable:The 2026 season will be Robb’s fourth in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, but it is the first time he’s returned to the same teamThe Idahoan finished ahead of where he started in 14 of 17 races in 2025, gaining a total of 45 positions, the fourth most in the series last yearRobb’s three seasons across the USF Pro 2000 and INDY NXT by Firestone championships with Juncos Hollinger Racing Ladder included seven wins, 17 podiums and the 2020 USF Pro 2000 title. Technical Director and former Formula 1 race engineer David Brown will guide Robb’s program from the technical side, and team owner Ricardo Juncos will call his strategyRobb and his wife Molly, recently bought a house in Indianapolis that they are renovating, and busy raising chickens
Quotable:Q.  You talked about the consistency of being with the same team. Has there been a lot of turnover at the team level as far as the staff or anything like that? Do you feel that’s fairly consistent, as well?“There hasn’t been a lot of turnover, thankfully. Mechanics-wise we have a solid group. I think we were one of the most reliable teams in the series last year, so that was really good to see.
“But our engineering staff has been what it was as last year, pretty much. I will, I think, be working with someone new, same person on the team but someone new to me on my car, which is fun.
“But yeah, the staff, they’re working well together, I think. The continuity from last year — I think to be fair, there was a few guys that were lost at the beginning of last season, went to other teams, and there was a bit of recovery to be done because of that.
“I think having the same group held together year to year is going to be a huge advantage.”
Q.  Looking at your stats from last year, your finishing position was higher than your starting position, which is awesome, but I think your average starting position was like 22, so what would it mean to be able to improve that, and do you think you can get more top 10s if you can start up higher in the field?“Yeah, qualifying is hugely important. You see issues with cars all the time where they can come from the back of the field. My race at Long Beach, I think we started 17th or 18th at that event and finished where we did. It’s not impossible by any means.
“But I did have my best qualifying results of the year last year. It’s just the consistency wasn’t there. I think just building that consistency in is probably our biggest focus this year. Still have those key performances that move us forward, but if we can build in that consistency and shrink that window of performance down, so to speak, I think that’s the key part of what we need to be able to do.”
Q.  How is home remodeling? Do you know what you’re doing?“Home remodeling has been fun. It’s nice being a homeowner. Molly and I, we’ve been settling in as much as we can in Indy. Obviously, she’s a local, so that’s been nice. We’ve got some chickens at home that we’ve been taking care of, so learning how to take care of chickens, having our own little farmstead going on here in Indianapolis has been good.
“Working on little things here and there. The racing season is coming up close so, Molly has a honey to-do list for me just about every day when I get home, which is nice. I’ve got things to do.”
Q.  What’s the most difficult thing about chickens?“Getting them not to peck each other. You never heard of the pecking order? I didn’t realize this was a thing. I thought it was just like a fun phrase. It’s a real thing.”
Q.  How many chickens are we talking?“11, currently.”

Rinus VeeKay on track during testing Phoenix Raceway

Sting Ray Robb on track during testing Phoenix Raceway

Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Chevrolet Newsroom

First year with Chevrolet: 2017Years with Team Chevy: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, & 2026Starts with Chevrolet-power: 138Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 1(T31st/9th), with the first podium by Conor Daly at the Milwaukee Mile in 2024
Notes:Rinus VeeKay (2019) and Sting Ray Robb (2020) both won USF Pro 2000 championships while driving for Juncos Hollinger Racing, and both drove for the Speedway, Indiana-based team in the INDY NXT by Firestone championshipA dozen drivers have made Chevrolet-powered INDYCAR starts for the team, with Callum Ilott leading all drivers with 36 starts powered by the Bowtie at Juncos Hollinger RacingA pair of Daves with Formula 1 experience lead racing operations at Juncos Hollinger Racingo Team Principal Dave O’Neill held team manager roles at Jordan, Marussia and Haas in Formula 1 prior to joining Juncos Hollinger Racing just before the 2024 seasono Technical Director David Brown, who joined Juncos Hollinger Racing prior to the 2025 season, spent over 20 years as a race engineer in Formula 1 with Williams, McLaren and Jordan, before a move to the United States where a short stint with RuSport in the Champ Car World Series led to technical director and race engineer roles in sports cars before a return to open wheel

Starts with Chevrolet: 80Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 1 (T27th/T15th) – his first win was on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in 2021Earned Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 2 (T24th/T12th) – his first pole was on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in 2020Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012) : 4 (T27th/15th) – his first pole was on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in 2020
Strategist: Dave O’NeilRace Engineer: Townsend LucasCrew Chief: Adam Farrer
Notable:Signing with Juncos Hollinger Racing is a homecoming for VeeKay, who spent two of his three seasons on the INDYCAR ladder with Ricardo Juncos’ teamo   In 2018, the Dutch driver won seven times, started on pole six times and stood on ten podiums on the way to the USF Pro Championshipo   Next up was the 25-year-old’s lone season of INDY NXT by Firestone, where he won six times, started on pole seven times and stood on 14 podiums on the way to second place in the championship. In seven NTT INDYCAR SERIES seasons, VeeKay has only finished 12th (2021 & 2022), 13th (2024) or 14th (2020, 2023 & 2025) in the championshipSix of his seven seasons, including his one win, two poles and four of five podiums, have been with Team Chevy Like his driver, VeeKay’s engineer Townsend Lucas also made his way to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES via Juncos Hollinger Racing’s ladder seriesTeam principal Dave O’Neill will serve as VeeKay’s strategist
Quotable:
Q.  You’re coming into JHR kind of having worked with the team before in the Road to Indy. Does that sense of familiar faces and the team and the name you know before give you a really good launching pad coming into 2026?“Yes, there’s definitely a few faces that I recognize from that time. Not too many, though. There’s been a lot of changes.
“But no, it’s been really good within the team so far. I’ve been in the shop a few times a week doing pit stops with the guys and just talking about life, which is a great way to get to know everybody.
“Yeah, I feel like I’ve got a good connection with my crew already, and within the engineering office, as well. I feel like we are ready for our first days on track. I already feel like I’ve been at this team for a while.”
Q.  You’re back with a Chevy power unit. How good does it feel to return back to normalcy after that one year of Honda with Dale Coyne?“Yeah, it still felt like an INDYCAR. It wasn’t completely different. It is nice to be back, though. I’ve spent so much time with Chevy power in the past that it’s just nice to be back, nice to use all the namings for all the tools that are in my head instead of just getting confused every time. That’s very nice.“Of course, I’ll find the biggest change of going back to Chevy when we go out on track.”

Starts with Chevrolet: 34Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0
Strategist: Ricardo JuncosRace Engineer: David BrownCrew Chief: Ryan Lall
Notable:The 2026 season will be Robb’s fourth in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, but it is the first time he’s returned to the same teamThe Idahoan finished ahead of where he started in 14 of 17 races in 2025, gaining a total of 45 positions, the fourth most in the series last yearRobb’s three seasons across the USF Pro 2000 and INDY NXT by Firestone championships with Juncos Hollinger Racing Ladder included seven wins, 17 podiums and the 2020 USF Pro 2000 title. Technical Director and former Formula 1 race engineer David Brown will guide Robb’s program from the technical side, and team owner Ricardo Juncos will call his strategyRobb and his wife Molly, recently bought a house in Indianapolis that they are renovating, and busy raising chickens
Quotable:Q.  You talked about the consistency of being with the same team. Has there been a lot of turnover at the team level as far as the staff or anything like that? Do you feel that’s fairly consistent, as well?“There hasn’t been a lot of turnover, thankfully. Mechanics-wise we have a solid group. I think we were one of the most reliable teams in the series last year, so that was really good to see.
“But our engineering staff has been what it was as last year, pretty much. I will, I think, be working with someone new, same person on the team but someone new to me on my car, which is fun.
“But yeah, the staff, they’re working well together, I think. The continuity from last year — I think to be fair, there was a few guys that were lost at the beginning of last season, went to other teams, and there was a bit of recovery to be done because of that.
“I think having the same group held together year to year is going to be a huge advantage.”
Q.  Looking at your stats from last year, your finishing position was higher than your starting position, which is awesome, but I think your average starting position was like 22, so what would it mean to be able to improve that, and do you think you can get more top 10s if you can start up higher in the field?“Yeah, qualifying is hugely important. You see issues with cars all the time where they can come from the back of the field. My race at Long Beach, I think we started 17th or 18th at that event and finished where we did. It’s not impossible by any means.
“But I did have my best qualifying results of the year last year. It’s just the consistency wasn’t there. I think just building that consistency in is probably our biggest focus this year. Still have those key performances that move us forward, but if we can build in that consistency and shrink that window of performance down, so to speak, I think that’s the key part of what we need to be able to do.”
Q.  How is home remodeling? Do you know what you’re doing?“Home remodeling has been fun. It’s nice being a homeowner. Molly and I, we’ve been settling in as much as we can in Indy. Obviously, she’s a local, so that’s been nice. We’ve got some chickens at home that we’ve been taking care of, so learning how to take care of chickens, having our own little farmstead going on here in Indianapolis has been good.
“Working on little things here and there. The racing season is coming up close so, Molly has a honey to-do list for me just about every day when I get home, which is nice. I’ve got things to do.”
Q.  What’s the most difficult thing about chickens?“Getting them not to peck each other. You never heard of the pecking order? I didn’t realize this was a thing. I thought it was just like a fun phrase. It’s a real thing.”
Q.  How many chickens are we talking?“11, currently.”

The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season gets underway this week with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Tune-In Alert
Friday, February 27 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 1:30pm (ET)/12:30pm (CT)/11:30am (MT)/10:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Saturday, February 28 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Sunday, March 1NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9am (ET)/8am (CT)/7am (MT)/6am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (100 laps) – noon (ET)/11am (CT)/10am (MT)/9am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

ECR drivers Christian Rasmussen and Alexander Rossi celebrate Rasmussen’s victory at the Milwaukee Mile

February 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Chevrolet Newsroom

First year with Chevrolet: 2012Years with Team Chevy: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, & 2026
Starts with Chevrolet-power: 432Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 9 (T4th/T2nd), with the first win by Ed Carpenter at California Speedway in 2012Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 6 earned poles and pole starts (T5th/4th), with the first pole by Ed Carpenter at the Indianapolis 500 (IMS Oval) in 2013Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 26 (6th/4th), with the first podium by Ed Carpenter at California Speedway in 2012 Team Notes: Is one of two teams that have been part of Chevrolet since the iconic Detroit, Michigan brand returned to racing in 2012 100% of the team’s all-time wins (9) and poles (6) have come with Chevrolet power A total of 16 drivers have made Chevrolet-powered INDYCAR starts for the team, with Ed Carpenter leading all drivers with 94 starts powered by the Bowtie at ECRFormerly known as Ed Carpenter Racing, the team’s name is now ECR.Currently headquartered on Georgetown Road in Indianapolis, Ind., the team will be moving into a newly constructed shop at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., prior to the beginning of the 2027 seasonThe team made some significant organizational changes over the offseasono Tim Broyles, the team’s first employee, has been promoted to Team Presidento Matt Barnes, another early hire, has been promoted to Vice President of Engineeringo Joining ECR as Team Manager is Derek Davidson, an experienced INDYCAR hand, who has served in every non-engineering competition roleo Joining ECR as Senior Project Engineer is Robert Gue, an experienced developmental engineer who has helped teams win three Indianapolis 500 pole positions, including in 2025 o Chase Campbell has joined the team in the role of Strength and Conditioning Coach and Pit Stop Coach. The team finished last year as the 14th and 20th-best teams on pit road

Starts with Chevrolet: 50Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 2 (T41st/21st) – his first podium was on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in 2023
Strategist: Ed CarpenterRace Engineer: Quentin MontigaudCrew Chief: Austin Shepherd
Noteable:The veteran finished off the season strong, with three straight top tens, including a pair of top five finishes, moving to 15th in the championship standings from 18thFinished better than his teammate in ten of 17 races, and outqualified him 11 to six Team Owner Ed Carpenter moved back into the role of Rossi’s strategist for the last few races of the 2025 season, and will continue in that role for this season (excepting the Indianapolis 500)Quentin Montigaud, a Frenchman who was most recently the Senior Tire and Simulation Performance Engineer, will move into the role of race engineer for Rossi
Quotable:Q.  When you had your post-season debrief meeting with the team, what was the general feeling? Did y’all feel like you accomplished what y’all set out to do?“Yes and no. I think we were pleasantly surprised with some aspects of the year, and felt we came up short in some others, which is probably the same for every team, right?
“I think what was generally quite good was qualifying performances, and then – at least on the 20 car side. And then a little bit of a disappointment on race day, just not quite turning the decent starting spots into big results.
“There’s been a lot of focus on that and our approach to how you manage a race. There’s been a lot of investment and time put into what we’re doing from a pit crew standpoint and the training that goes into that.
“The whole organization is just really looking at all of the boxes and making sure we’re ticking as many of them as humanly possible. Ted has given a very clear direction and expectation of what he wants from the whole team, drivers included.
“He wants a certain standard upheld, and that’s cool to be a part of ’cause there’s an expectation. There’s some pressure that goes along with that, but in the best kind of way.
“We’re all excited for the opportunity. Like I said, it’s hard to really talk about it too much because this is all just in conference rooms and meetings you’ve had. It’s not until you get to the track where you can really all put it into action.”
Q.  How do you contrast the position the team was in at the start of last season to the position the team is in now?“Expectations are much higher. I kind of talked about that before in terms of Ted has made it very clear that he’s involved in this, yes, because he loves the sport and yes, because he uses it as a good marketing arm for his products, but also because he’s a competitor and he’s here to win.
“I think the atmosphere within the organization, everyone is excited. Everyone believes that after a long time that we are now starting to get the pieces together to go out and compete with the best.“Now, does that happen overnight? Absolutely not. Are we all of a sudden going to be a CGR? No. Are we going to take a big step forward over where we have been? Yes”.

Starts with Chevrolet: 31Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 1 (T27th/T15th) – his first win was at the Milwaukee Mile in 2025Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0 Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 2 (T41st/21st) – his first podium was at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway in 2025
Strategist: Brent ‘Woody’ HarveyRace Engineer: Pete CraikCrew Chief: Jimmie Johnson
Notes:Rasmussen finished higher than he qualified in 12 of 17 races last year, gaining 62 spots from his qualifying spot across the 2025 season, the third most among the fieldo   He was particularly effective on ovals, where his average starting position was 22.6, and his average finishing position was 10.2 The Dane scored 173 points across the 2025 oval races, trailing only Álex Palou and Pato O’Ward in points scored in the six oval racesWas the third driver to win all three U.S. Open Wheel Championships on the way to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the USF2000 Championship (2020), the USF Pro 2000 Championship (2021) and the INDY NXT by Firestone Championship (2023). Grew up racing with, and is close friends with, fellow Danish and Team Chevy driver Christian Lundgaard
Quotable:Q.  If you had to pick one area that you think needs improving, what would it be?“I think for us on the (No.) 21 car, particularly, I think our qualifying pace wasn’t what we — our qualifying performance wasn’t what we wanted it to be. Also, a lot of effort has gone into that in the off-season to try and improve that. So also excited to see what that is going to amount to in 2026.
Q.  Obviously, a lot is made of your style of oval racing being a bit more on the edge than others, for example, especially by the broadcast. When you’re sitting in the car, do you feel you’re more on edge than others, and how do you know where the line is where you don’t go too far over that limit?“Yeah, it’s definitely something that you develop all the time and try to get better at judging and whatever.
“When looking at it, I think we did a pretty good job of it, not a perfect job of it. Obviously, Nashville we didn’t really get to see much other than the first corner. But also, overall I was the third highest scoring points on the ovals combined out of all the drivers in INDYCAR last year, so we must have done something right.“We’re honing, getting better all the time, but I think we’re on the right path at least.”

ECR drivers Christian Rasmussen and Alexander Rossi celebrate Rasmussen’s victory at the Milwaukee Mile

Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Chevrolet Newsroom

First year with Chevrolet: 2012Years with Team Chevy: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, & 2026
Starts with Chevrolet-power: 432Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 9 (T4th/T2nd), with the first win by Ed Carpenter at California Speedway in 2012Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 6 earned poles and pole starts (T5th/4th), with the first pole by Ed Carpenter at the Indianapolis 500 (IMS Oval) in 2013Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 26 (6th/4th), with the first podium by Ed Carpenter at California Speedway in 2012 Team Notes: Is one of two teams that have been part of Chevrolet since the iconic Detroit, Michigan brand returned to racing in 2012 100% of the team’s all-time wins (9) and poles (6) have come with Chevrolet power A total of 16 drivers have made Chevrolet-powered INDYCAR starts for the team, with Ed Carpenter leading all drivers with 94 starts powered by the Bowtie at ECRFormerly known as Ed Carpenter Racing, the team’s name is now ECR.Currently headquartered on Georgetown Road in Indianapolis, Ind., the team will be moving into a newly constructed shop at Grand Park in Westfield, Ind., prior to the beginning of the 2027 seasonThe team made some significant organizational changes over the offseasono Tim Broyles, the team’s first employee, has been promoted to Team Presidento Matt Barnes, another early hire, has been promoted to Vice President of Engineeringo Joining ECR as Team Manager is Derek Davidson, an experienced INDYCAR hand, who has served in every non-engineering competition roleo Joining ECR as Senior Project Engineer is Robert Gue, an experienced developmental engineer who has helped teams win three Indianapolis 500 pole positions, including in 2025 o Chase Campbell has joined the team in the role of Strength and Conditioning Coach and Pit Stop Coach. The team finished last year as the 14th and 20th-best teams on pit road

Starts with Chevrolet: 50Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 2 (T41st/21st) – his first podium was on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in 2023
Strategist: Ed CarpenterRace Engineer: Quentin MontigaudCrew Chief: Austin Shepherd
Noteable:The veteran finished off the season strong, with three straight top tens, including a pair of top five finishes, moving to 15th in the championship standings from 18thFinished better than his teammate in ten of 17 races, and outqualified him 11 to six Team Owner Ed Carpenter moved back into the role of Rossi’s strategist for the last few races of the 2025 season, and will continue in that role for this season (excepting the Indianapolis 500)Quentin Montigaud, a Frenchman who was most recently the Senior Tire and Simulation Performance Engineer, will move into the role of race engineer for Rossi
Quotable:Q.  When you had your post-season debrief meeting with the team, what was the general feeling? Did y’all feel like you accomplished what y’all set out to do?“Yes and no. I think we were pleasantly surprised with some aspects of the year, and felt we came up short in some others, which is probably the same for every team, right?
“I think what was generally quite good was qualifying performances, and then – at least on the 20 car side. And then a little bit of a disappointment on race day, just not quite turning the decent starting spots into big results.
“There’s been a lot of focus on that and our approach to how you manage a race. There’s been a lot of investment and time put into what we’re doing from a pit crew standpoint and the training that goes into that.
“The whole organization is just really looking at all of the boxes and making sure we’re ticking as many of them as humanly possible. Ted has given a very clear direction and expectation of what he wants from the whole team, drivers included.
“He wants a certain standard upheld, and that’s cool to be a part of ’cause there’s an expectation. There’s some pressure that goes along with that, but in the best kind of way.
“We’re all excited for the opportunity. Like I said, it’s hard to really talk about it too much because this is all just in conference rooms and meetings you’ve had. It’s not until you get to the track where you can really all put it into action.”
Q.  How do you contrast the position the team was in at the start of last season to the position the team is in now?“Expectations are much higher. I kind of talked about that before in terms of Ted has made it very clear that he’s involved in this, yes, because he loves the sport and yes, because he uses it as a good marketing arm for his products, but also because he’s a competitor and he’s here to win.
“I think the atmosphere within the organization, everyone is excited. Everyone believes that after a long time that we are now starting to get the pieces together to go out and compete with the best.“Now, does that happen overnight? Absolutely not. Are we all of a sudden going to be a CGR? No. Are we going to take a big step forward over where we have been? Yes”.

Starts with Chevrolet: 31Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 1 (T27th/T15th) – his first win was at the Milwaukee Mile in 2025Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0 Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 2 (T41st/21st) – his first podium was at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway in 2025
Strategist: Brent ‘Woody’ HarveyRace Engineer: Pete CraikCrew Chief: Jimmie Johnson
Notes:Rasmussen finished higher than he qualified in 12 of 17 races last year, gaining 62 spots from his qualifying spot across the 2025 season, the third most among the fieldo   He was particularly effective on ovals, where his average starting position was 22.6, and his average finishing position was 10.2 The Dane scored 173 points across the 2025 oval races, trailing only Álex Palou and Pato O’Ward in points scored in the six oval racesWas the third driver to win all three U.S. Open Wheel Championships on the way to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the USF2000 Championship (2020), the USF Pro 2000 Championship (2021) and the INDY NXT by Firestone Championship (2023). Grew up racing with, and is close friends with, fellow Danish and Team Chevy driver Christian Lundgaard
Quotable:Q.  If you had to pick one area that you think needs improving, what would it be?“I think for us on the (No.) 21 car, particularly, I think our qualifying pace wasn’t what we — our qualifying performance wasn’t what we wanted it to be. Also, a lot of effort has gone into that in the off-season to try and improve that. So also excited to see what that is going to amount to in 2026.
Q.  Obviously, a lot is made of your style of oval racing being a bit more on the edge than others, for example, especially by the broadcast. When you’re sitting in the car, do you feel you’re more on edge than others, and how do you know where the line is where you don’t go too far over that limit?“Yeah, it’s definitely something that you develop all the time and try to get better at judging and whatever.
“When looking at it, I think we did a pretty good job of it, not a perfect job of it. Obviously, Nashville we didn’t really get to see much other than the first corner. But also, overall I was the third highest scoring points on the ovals combined out of all the drivers in INDYCAR last year, so we must have done something right.“We’re honing, getting better all the time, but I think we’re on the right path at least.”

The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season gets underway this week with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Tune-In Alert
Friday, February 27 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 1:30pm (ET)/12:30pm (CT)/11:30am (MT)/10:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Saturday, February 28 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Sunday, March 1NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9am (ET)/8am (CT)/7am (MT)/6am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (100 laps) – noon (ET)/11am (CT)/10am (MT)/9am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Chevy Racing–INDYCAR–Pato O’Ward, Nolan Siegel, Christian Lundgaard

February 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

The No. 5, No. 6 and No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolets, that will be piloted by Pato O’Ward, Nolan Siegel and Christian Lundgaard during the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season (Image Courtesy of Arrow McLaren)

First year with Chevrolet: 2020Years with Team Chevy: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026Starts with Chevrolet: 254Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 9 (T4th/T2nd), with the first win by Pato O’Ward at Texas Motor Speedway in 2021Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 12 earned poles ( 3rd/2nd) with the first pole by Pato O’Ward at Road America in 2020Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 44 (2nd/4th), with the first podium by Pato O’Ward at Road America in 2020.
Notable:Arrow McLaren drivers accounted for 55.9% of Chevrolet’s manufacturer points in 2025, scoring 609 points, almost double any of the other Team Chevy squadsThe Tony Kanaan-led team finished the season with a Team Chevy best 12 podiums A total of 13 drivers have made Chevrolet-powered INDYCAR starts for the team, with Pato O’Ward leading all drivers with 98 starts powered by the Bowtie at Arrow McLarenArrow McLaren recently moved into their new home in Indianapolis, Indiana, the almost 90,000 square foot McLaren Racing Centero The space is three times the size of their former home, which was tight for their original 30 employees and it means the entire group of 120 employees can work out of one facility again o The new facility will allow the team to bring outsourced manufacturing in-house with a large fabrication area, including state-of-the-art 3D printing capabilities Arrow McLaren made two high-profile engineering hires in the off-seasono Eric Cowdin, Director of Engineering, is one of the most experienced engineers in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES paddock, and was Team Principal Tony Kanaan’s race engineer for much of his career, will lead the trackside engineering groupo Another engineer who was part of Kanaan’s 2013 Indianapolis 500 win at KV Racing Technology, Olivier Boisson, has joined the team as the Head of Damper Engineering, and will immediately help the team’s street circuit program

Starts with Chevrolet: 106Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 9 (T8th/4th) – his first win was at Texas Motor Speedway in 2021Earned Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 7 (11th/6th) – his first earned pole was at Road America in 2020Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 32 (6th/3rd) – his first podium was at Road America in 2020
Strategist: Nick SnyderRace Engineer: Will AndersenCrew Chief: Chris Nash
Notable:O’Ward finished in the top five of the championship in five of six full-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES seasonsO’Ward completed the first 1891 laps of the 2025 season, before a mechanical issue brought his hopes of a perfect season (100% of scheduled laps completed) to an endThe 26-year-old’s speed was consistent throughout the seasono O’Ward’s average fastest lap was 7.29, which trailed only champion Álex Palou o O’Ward had the fastest lap of the race twice (The Thermal Club and Iowa Speedway Race #1) and had one of the ten fastest laps in 15 of the 17 racesHe accounted for 38.9% of Chevrolet’s manufacturer points, leading all Team Chevy drivers in 2025O’Ward’s No. 5 crew, which finished third in the Firestone Pit Stop Performance Award standings last year, is unchanged for 2026Since 2020, when the Mexican driver joined Arrow McLaren, he is tied with Josef Newgarden and Will Power for most podiums by a Chevrolet-powered driver over those six seasons at 32
Quotable:
Q. You got a new shop now. That’s got to be a big asset to the whole overall program for next year because now you guys aren’t crammed in like a shoehorn over at the old shop. Does that momentum, do you sense that momentum that now the team has a lot more tools to work with than in the past?“Yeah, I mean, it feels like we’re going from a studio apartment to the penthouse considering where we were. Obviously in terms of atmosphere and motivation, we’re surrounded by just an HQ that’s a lot cooler. It excites you to go to work every day. You see the pictures and you see what we’ve been able to accomplish so far and so much more that we want to accomplish.
“All that means something even if it’s not like right in your face. It’s in your subconscious every day that you walk through there and see that.
“I think it’s coming at the perfect time. I would say probably a little bit late, but better late than never. It really is a cool part not just for me being able to see the journey of what the team was six years ago, this is my seventh season, I’ve been a part of that and they’ve been a part of my growth as well. That’s been very, very cool to see”
Q. Obviously you know Palou has been the guy to beat the last few years. You had your highest finish coming up second. What do you think it will take for you to get over the hump and win the series?“Get over the Palou hump?”Q. Yes.“The guy, we keep saying he can’t raise the bar the previous year. I have no idea how he’s going to raise the bar from last year. If he does, then I think everyone is toast. We got to keep chasing, keep on going and seeing how we can make him slow a little bit more. It’s been too easy for him.”

Starts with Chevrolet: 27Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Earned Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0
Strategist: Tim KeeneRace Engineer: Kate GundlachCrew Chief: Will Schneider
Notable: Before an unfortunate incident at Iowa Speedway in Race #1, Siegel had begun to string some solid results togethero Siegel had finished the previous two races at Road America and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 8th and 11th, moving from 21st to 17th in points, and was running 7th at the tricky short oval when he made contact with the outside wall with just over 25 laps remaining o Seigal qualified a season’s best 4th at Mid-Ohio and, after rolling off in 8th for Race #1, was due to start from inside the third row for Race #2The 21-year-old spent most of the off-season in LMP2 machinery, finishing third in class at the 2026 24 Hours Of Daytona, and finishing on the second step of the podium at the Asian Le Mans Series finale at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE Kate Gundlach will be Seigel’s race engineer for the second year in a row, but the Californian will have a pair of new faces on his timing stando Tim Keene, most recently a race strategist at Wayne Taylor Racing, spent time in management at Action Express Racing, Meyer Shank Racing, DeltaWing Racing Cars, and for a long time at Chip Ganassi Racing o Will Schneider, Seigel’s new crew chief, was promoted from the team’s No. 5
Quotable:
Q. Where do you feel you need to make gains after your first full year in the series?“I think for me, we had a lot of weekends where the pace was actually really good. Just the execution wasn’t quite there in a lot of different ways. For me, it’s been a learning experience being a part of such a big team and being a leader in that team.
“I think I’ve kind of grown in that role and gotten better in that role. That’s been a challenge, but something I’ve kind of embraced and really tried to learn from, again, my more experienced teammates, Tony. T.K. is really good at that, a good leader and someone that people want to work hard for. I think seeing that mindset from him has been helpful for me.
“I think from an actual driving standpoint, in INDYCAR I feel like there are very critical phases of the races. Some phases where you can kind of chill and save fuel, save tires, save yourself, then portions of the race during pit sequences where you really have to push. That’s where you really make a difference.“For me, kind of understanding when those critical phases are I think is important and something that I learned in 2025. There were a couple races where we lost some ground just from me kind of not reading the race properly from in the car.“I’ve reviewed all of that and I think that I can make big gains there for ’26.”

Starts with Chevrolet: 17Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Earned Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 1 (T28th/T15th) – his first earned pole was at Portland International Raceway in 2025Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 6 (24th/12th) – his first podium was at The Thermal Club in 2025
Strategist: Kyle MoyerRace Engineer: Chris LawrenceCrew Chief: Todd Phillips
Notable:The Danish driver finished the season on a high note, scoring the second most points across the final five races of the season, which included a street circuit, two natural terrain road courses and a pair of ovalsLundgaard scored the second most points across the 11 road and street course races during the 2025 season, ending up with a finishing average of 7.4 on natural terrain road courses and a finishing average of 8.0 on street circuitsWith an average starting position of 9.9 and an average finishing position of 9.6, Lundgaard joined Álex Palou and O’Ward as the only three drivers to have average starting and finishing positions in the single digits Kyle Moyer, Arrow McLaren’s Director of Competition and a multi-championship and Indianapolis 500 winning strategist, will move to the No. 7 timing stand to work with LundgaardRyan Hunter-Reay, the team’s fourth Indianapolis 500 driver, as well as series champion and Indianapolis 500 winner, has spent time with the team in the off-season, primarily working with Lundgaard
Quotable:
Q. With yourself, obviously the goal is to get better across the board. Your oval game picked up significantly this past season. When you’re looking at eyeing wins, a championship push, where are the incremental places you feel you have to get better?
“There is not specific areas where I feel I personally need to take a big step. I think where we ended the ’25 season on ovals I think is really where we want to carry on from. I’ve done a lot of work at home in the simulator just doing laps because at the end of the day it’s the only thing we really can do.
“Had a lot of meetings within the team what do we need, what do I need, as a group, which direction do we need to take, setup, for it to help more. Again, it’s really just a progression. You can’t jump from A to F from one year. You really have to take it in small increments. I think that’s what the ’25 season was really for.
“As I said before, the 500 was the first race last year and it’s the one that counts the most. This year we have Phoenix before. I think looking at where we are in Phoenix will really determine where I am, where the team is, in May.”
Q. How much stronger of a team going into the month of May with a winner in Ryan Hunter-Reay?“You said it yourself, he’s a winner.”

The No. 5, No. 6 and No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolets, that will be piloted by Pato O’Ward, Nolan Siegel and Christian Lundgaard during the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season (Image Courtesy of Arrow McLaren)

Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Chevrolet Newsroom

First year with Chevrolet: 2020Years with Team Chevy: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026Starts with Chevrolet: 254Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 9 (T4th/T2nd), with the first win by Pato O’Ward at Texas Motor Speedway in 2021Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 12 earned poles ( 3rd/2nd) with the first pole by Pato O’Ward at Road America in 2020Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 44 (2nd/4th), with the first podium by Pato O’Ward at Road America in 2020.
Notable:Arrow McLaren drivers accounted for 55.9% of Chevrolet’s manufacturer points in 2025, scoring 609 points, almost double any of the other Team Chevy squadsThe Tony Kanaan-led team finished the season with a Team Chevy best 12 podiums A total of 13 drivers have made Chevrolet-powered INDYCAR starts for the team, with Pato O’Ward leading all drivers with 98 starts powered by the Bowtie at Arrow McLarenArrow McLaren recently moved into their new home in Indianapolis, Indiana, the almost 90,000 square foot McLaren Racing Centero The space is three times the size of their former home, which was tight for their original 30 employees and it means the entire group of 120 employees can work out of one facility again o The new facility will allow the team to bring outsourced manufacturing in-house with a large fabrication area, including state-of-the-art 3D printing capabilities Arrow McLaren made two high-profile engineering hires in the off-seasono Eric Cowdin, Director of Engineering, is one of the most experienced engineers in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES paddock, and was Team Principal Tony Kanaan’s race engineer for much of his career, will lead the trackside engineering groupo Another engineer who was part of Kanaan’s 2013 Indianapolis 500 win at KV Racing Technology, Olivier Boisson, has joined the team as the Head of Damper Engineering, and will immediately help the team’s street circuit program

Starts with Chevrolet: 106Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 9 (T8th/4th) – his first win was at Texas Motor Speedway in 2021Earned Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 7 (11th/6th) – his first earned pole was at Road America in 2020Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 32 (6th/3rd) – his first podium was at Road America in 2020
Strategist: Nick SnyderRace Engineer: Will AndersenCrew Chief: Chris Nash
Notable:O’Ward finished in the top five of the championship in five of six full-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES seasonsO’Ward completed the first 1891 laps of the 2025 season, before a mechanical issue brought his hopes of a perfect season (100% of scheduled laps completed) to an endThe 26-year-old’s speed was consistent throughout the seasono O’Ward’s average fastest lap was 7.29, which trailed only champion Álex Palou o O’Ward had the fastest lap of the race twice (The Thermal Club and Iowa Speedway Race #1) and had one of the ten fastest laps in 15 of the 17 racesHe accounted for 38.9% of Chevrolet’s manufacturer points, leading all Team Chevy drivers in 2025O’Ward’s No. 5 crew, which finished third in the Firestone Pit Stop Performance Award standings last year, is unchanged for 2026Since 2020, when the Mexican driver joined Arrow McLaren, he is tied with Josef Newgarden and Will Power for most podiums by a Chevrolet-powered driver over those six seasons at 32
Quotable:
Q. You got a new shop now. That’s got to be a big asset to the whole overall program for next year because now you guys aren’t crammed in like a shoehorn over at the old shop. Does that momentum, do you sense that momentum that now the team has a lot more tools to work with than in the past?“Yeah, I mean, it feels like we’re going from a studio apartment to the penthouse considering where we were. Obviously in terms of atmosphere and motivation, we’re surrounded by just an HQ that’s a lot cooler. It excites you to go to work every day. You see the pictures and you see what we’ve been able to accomplish so far and so much more that we want to accomplish.
“All that means something even if it’s not like right in your face. It’s in your subconscious every day that you walk through there and see that.
“I think it’s coming at the perfect time. I would say probably a little bit late, but better late than never. It really is a cool part not just for me being able to see the journey of what the team was six years ago, this is my seventh season, I’ve been a part of that and they’ve been a part of my growth as well. That’s been very, very cool to see”
Q. Obviously you know Palou has been the guy to beat the last few years. You had your highest finish coming up second. What do you think it will take for you to get over the hump and win the series?“Get over the Palou hump?”Q. Yes.“The guy, we keep saying he can’t raise the bar the previous year. I have no idea how he’s going to raise the bar from last year. If he does, then I think everyone is toast. We got to keep chasing, keep on going and seeing how we can make him slow a little bit more. It’s been too easy for him.”

Starts with Chevrolet: 27Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Earned Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0
Strategist: Tim KeeneRace Engineer: Kate GundlachCrew Chief: Will Schneider
Notable: Before an unfortunate incident at Iowa Speedway in Race #1, Siegel had begun to string some solid results togethero Siegel had finished the previous two races at Road America and the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 8th and 11th, moving from 21st to 17th in points, and was running 7th at the tricky short oval when he made contact with the outside wall with just over 25 laps remaining o Seigal qualified a season’s best 4th at Mid-Ohio and, after rolling off in 8th for Race #1, was due to start from inside the third row for Race #2The 21-year-old spent most of the off-season in LMP2 machinery, finishing third in class at the 2026 24 Hours Of Daytona, and finishing on the second step of the podium at the Asian Le Mans Series finale at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE Kate Gundlach will be Seigel’s race engineer for the second year in a row, but the Californian will have a pair of new faces on his timing stando Tim Keene, most recently a race strategist at Wayne Taylor Racing, spent time in management at Action Express Racing, Meyer Shank Racing, DeltaWing Racing Cars, and for a long time at Chip Ganassi Racing o Will Schneider, Seigel’s new crew chief, was promoted from the team’s No. 5
Quotable:
Q. Where do you feel you need to make gains after your first full year in the series?“I think for me, we had a lot of weekends where the pace was actually really good. Just the execution wasn’t quite there in a lot of different ways. For me, it’s been a learning experience being a part of such a big team and being a leader in that team.
“I think I’ve kind of grown in that role and gotten better in that role. That’s been a challenge, but something I’ve kind of embraced and really tried to learn from, again, my more experienced teammates, Tony. T.K. is really good at that, a good leader and someone that people want to work hard for. I think seeing that mindset from him has been helpful for me.
“I think from an actual driving standpoint, in INDYCAR I feel like there are very critical phases of the races. Some phases where you can kind of chill and save fuel, save tires, save yourself, then portions of the race during pit sequences where you really have to push. That’s where you really make a difference.“For me, kind of understanding when those critical phases are I think is important and something that I learned in 2025. There were a couple races where we lost some ground just from me kind of not reading the race properly from in the car.“I’ve reviewed all of that and I think that I can make big gains there for ’26.”

Starts with Chevrolet: 17Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Earned Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 1 (T28th/T15th) – his first earned pole was at Portland International Raceway in 2025Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 6 (24th/12th) – his first podium was at The Thermal Club in 2025
Strategist: Kyle MoyerRace Engineer: Chris LawrenceCrew Chief: Todd Phillips
Notable:The Danish driver finished the season on a high note, scoring the second most points across the final five races of the season, which included a street circuit, two natural terrain road courses and a pair of ovalsLundgaard scored the second most points across the 11 road and street course races during the 2025 season, ending up with a finishing average of 7.4 on natural terrain road courses and a finishing average of 8.0 on street circuitsWith an average starting position of 9.9 and an average finishing position of 9.6, Lundgaard joined Álex Palou and O’Ward as the only three drivers to have average starting and finishing positions in the single digits Kyle Moyer, Arrow McLaren’s Director of Competition and a multi-championship and Indianapolis 500 winning strategist, will move to the No. 7 timing stand to work with LundgaardRyan Hunter-Reay, the team’s fourth Indianapolis 500 driver, as well as series champion and Indianapolis 500 winner, has spent time with the team in the off-season, primarily working with Lundgaard
Quotable:
Q. With yourself, obviously the goal is to get better across the board. Your oval game picked up significantly this past season. When you’re looking at eyeing wins, a championship push, where are the incremental places you feel you have to get better?
“There is not specific areas where I feel I personally need to take a big step. I think where we ended the ’25 season on ovals I think is really where we want to carry on from. I’ve done a lot of work at home in the simulator just doing laps because at the end of the day it’s the only thing we really can do.
“Had a lot of meetings within the team what do we need, what do I need, as a group, which direction do we need to take, setup, for it to help more. Again, it’s really just a progression. You can’t jump from A to F from one year. You really have to take it in small increments. I think that’s what the ’25 season was really for.
“As I said before, the 500 was the first race last year and it’s the one that counts the most. This year we have Phoenix before. I think looking at where we are in Phoenix will really determine where I am, where the team is, in May.”
Q. How much stronger of a team going into the month of May with a winner in Ryan Hunter-Reay?“You said it yourself, he’s a winner.”

The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season gets underway this week with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Tune-In Alert
Friday, February 27 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 1:30pm (ET)/12:30pm (CT)/11:30am (MT)/10:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Saturday, February 28 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Sunday, March 1NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9am (ET)/8am (CT)/7am (MT)/6am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (100 laps) – noon (ET)/11am (CT)/10am (MT)/9am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Team owner A.J. Foyt with Santino Ferrucci after qualifying for the Indianapolis 500

February 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Chevrolet Newsroom

First year with Chevrolet: 1985Years with Team Chevy: 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2002, 2005, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, & 2026
Starts with Chevrolet-power:All-time: 407Since Chevrolet’s return in 2012: 319
Wins with ChevroletAll-time (rank): 1 (T14th), with the lone win by Airton Dare at Kansas Speedway in 2002Since Chevrolet return in 2012: 0Most Chevrolet-powered wins at A.J. Foyt Racing: Airton Dare with 1 win
Poles with ChevroletAll-time (rank): 1 earned pole and 1 pole start (T15th), by Santino Ferrucci at Portland International Raceway in 2024Since Chevrolet return in 2012 (rank): 1 earned pole and 1 pole start (T7th), by Santino Ferrucci at Portland International Raceway in 2024Most Chevrolet-powered poles at Team Penske: Santino Ferrucci with 1 earned pole and 1 pole start
Podiums with Chevrolet:All-time (rank): 7 (12th), with the first podium by Airton Dare at Texas Motor Speedway in 2002Since Chevrolet return in 2012 (rank): 5 (T7th) with the first podium by Tony Kanaan at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway in 2019 Most Chevrolet-powered podiums at Team Penske: Santino Ferrucci with 3 podiums
Notes: A.J. Foyt Racing, with its shop on Main Street in Speedway, Indiana, contributed 176 points to Chevrolet’s season-long haul in 2025, the third most among Team Chevy’s contingent of six teamsThe team continues to move up the grid, with David Malukas and Santino Ferrucci combining for their best two-car finish since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012, and their six combined top fives were tied for the most for the team since 1999 A total of 36 drivers have made Chevrolet-powered INDYCAR starts for the team, with Santino Ferrucci leading all drivers with 50 starts powered by the Bowtie at A.J. Foyt RacingHas one championship (1998 – Kenny Brack) and one Indianapolis 500 win (1999 – Kenny Brack) with General Motors brand Oldsmobile

Starts with Chevrolet: rookieWins with Chevrolet: rookiePoles with Chevrolet: rookiePodiums with Chevrolet: rookie
Strategist: Michael ArmbresterRace Engineer: Michael ArmbresterCrew Chief: Steve McKenzie
Notable: The 23-year-old rookie won four races and stood on 15 podiums while finishing 3rd and 2nd in the last two seasons of INDY NXT by Firestone competition Collet will be the 7th Brazilian to drive for the legendary team, joining Marco Greco (1996), Airton Dare, Felipe Giaffone, Vitor Meira, Tony Kanaan, and Matheus Leist Collet is the lone Team Chevy driver going for rookie of the year and will be matched up against Dennis Hauger (Dale Coyne Racing) and Mick Schumacher (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing), the Sao Paulo driver would be the sixth Brazilian to win INDYCAR Rookie of the Year, joining Gil de Ferran (CART 1995), Tony Kanaan (CART 1998), Airton Dare (INDYCAR 2000), Felipe Giaffone (INDYCAR 2001) and Raphael Matos (INDYCAR 2009Chevrolet has powered 31 INDYCAR wins by Brazilian drivers, including Emerson Fittipaldi (18), Helio Castroneves (7), Gil de Ferran (2), Tony Kanaan (2), Airton Dare (1), and Felipe Giaffone (1)
Quotable:
Another Brazilian driver in INDYCAR. There’s a long lineage there, a lot of history there, a lot of champions. Is it cool to wear the Brazilian flag in INDYCAR again?“Yeah, for sure. It’s a lot of proud to be representing Brazil. Like you said, a lot of good names that represented the country so well. A lot of wins, championships, Indy 500s. It’s a country with a lot of history, and hopefully I can be the next one carrying the flag.”
Q. Caio, as any rookie does, you’re going to be going for that Rookie of the Year this year. You raced against Dennis last year in NXT and he won that series. Going into the season, what do you think it’ll take for you to be the best of those three rookies?“Definitely, consistency. It’s what you need to win any championship or especially the rookie championship. I think the level this year is quite high. Dennis is someone that I’ve been racing since 2016 in go-karts, so I know him quite well, and obviously last year we had a pretty good battle all season long and have a lot of respect for each other.“Mick for sure is a driver that has a lot of experience and is very good and talented, so I think this year will be a nice battle between the three of us. Hopefully we can come out on top.”

Starts with Chevrolet: 52Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Earned Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 1 (T29th/T15th) – his first earned pole was at Portland International Raceway in 2024Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 3 (T29th/T16th) – his first podium was at the Indianapolis 500 (IMS Oval) in 2023
Strategist: Adam KolesarRace Engineer: Adam KolesarCrew Chief:  Nick Cooper
Notable:After finishing 9th in the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES title chase, Ferrucci fell to 16th in the standings, but that drop of seven positions doesn’t tell the entire storyo After a slow start to the season, an engineering change that saw performance engineer Adam Kolesar promoted to race engineer, led to four straight top five finishes, and a move from 15th to 9th in points o Despite being 10 pounds overweight, a slight miscalculation on the driver ballast cost the driver and team 26 points at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix o Contact during morning warm-up on a damp track in Toronto, meant the Connecticut driver missed the race and lost at least two more pointso If you add those 28 points to his season-ending total, Ferrucci would have moved into 10th on the points tableFerrucci exhibited excellent race craft all season long, gaining 98 positions from where he qualified, the most spots gained among the 27 full-time driversThe 27-year-old finished fifth in the Indianapolis 500, extending his steak of top ten finishes in the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” to seven years, and dropping his average Indianapolis 500 finish to an impressive 6.1 Ferrucci is heading into his fourth season with A.J. Foyt Racing, bringing consistency to both driver and team o The last time the iconic team had a four-year run with a driver was with Takuma Sato from 2013 through 2016o Ferrucci is scheduled to make his 100th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start at this year’s Indianapolis 500, which will be his 58th start with A.J. Foyt Racing
Quotable:
Q.  You obviously had some of the big highs last season, but where do you think some of the inconsistencies came in last year compared to the consistency we saw from you in 2024?“Yeah, I think some of the inconsistencies are kind of more on my side of things than anything else. I think the team really straightened everything out come the 500 to the end of the season. I kind of made some enforced errors in a couple of races, which kind of put us on a back foot.
“Being able to go through those and get everything sorted going into this year will be a big deal. I think having a more consistent platform this year with the team will be a big help and a big change for us as far as a steadier pace.
“I think there’s no reason as to why we can’t keep that same pace that we had in the middle of the season this year with a couple of podiums and top 5s.”
Q.  I know this is a kind of stability you’ve not really had in your INDYCAR career now being the fourth year with the same team. What’s this relationship with Foyt been like, and why is it different from what came before in your INDYCAR career?“Yeah, obviously every year we continue to build the team with Larry. I think me coming back and working with the engineers and mechanics, like I said, this is the first year — I talked with Larry, I think it’s one of the first years in a long time the team has had almost zero turnover, if any at all, year after year as far as mechanics and engineers go. So it’s a really big deal.
“We’re building something consistent, something that is competitive, and I’m just really happy to be a part of it, and with now the full-time sponsor of Homes For Our Troops, the livery won’t change all year, which is another big thing. Less work for the mechanics, less things to worry about come race weekends.“Very excited about all those things.”

The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season gets underway this week with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Tune-In Alert
Friday, February 27 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 1:30pm (ET)/12:30pm (CT)/11:30am (MT)/10:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Saturday, February 28 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Sunday, March 1NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9am (ET)/8am (CT)/7am (MT)/6am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (100 laps) – noon (ET)/11am (CT)/10am (MT)/9am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

Team owner A.J. Foyt with Santino Ferrucci after qualifying for the Indianapolis 500

Media Resources: Images | Media Advances | Chevrolet Newsroom

First year with Chevrolet: 1985Years with Team Chevy: 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2002, 2005, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, & 2026
Starts with Chevrolet-power:All-time: 407Since Chevrolet’s return in 2012: 319
Wins with ChevroletAll-time (rank): 1 (T14th), with the lone win by Airton Dare at Kansas Speedway in 2002Since Chevrolet return in 2012: 0Most Chevrolet-powered wins at A.J. Foyt Racing: Airton Dare with 1 win
Poles with ChevroletAll-time (rank): 1 earned pole and 1 pole start (T15th), by Santino Ferrucci at Portland International Raceway in 2024Since Chevrolet return in 2012 (rank): 1 earned pole and 1 pole start (T7th), by Santino Ferrucci at Portland International Raceway in 2024Most Chevrolet-powered poles at Team Penske: Santino Ferrucci with 1 earned pole and 1 pole start
Podiums with Chevrolet:All-time (rank): 7 (12th), with the first podium by Airton Dare at Texas Motor Speedway in 2002Since Chevrolet return in 2012 (rank): 5 (T7th) with the first podium by Tony Kanaan at World Wide Technology Raceway At Gateway in 2019 Most Chevrolet-powered podiums at Team Penske: Santino Ferrucci with 3 podiums
Notes: A.J. Foyt Racing, with its shop on Main Street in Speedway, Indiana, contributed 176 points to Chevrolet’s season-long haul in 2025, the third most among Team Chevy’s contingent of six teamsThe team continues to move up the grid, with David Malukas and Santino Ferrucci combining for their best two-car finish since the introduction of the 2.2L Twin-Turbo V6 in 2012, and their six combined top fives were tied for the most for the team since 1999 A total of 36 drivers have made Chevrolet-powered INDYCAR starts for the team, with Santino Ferrucci leading all drivers with 50 starts powered by the Bowtie at A.J. Foyt RacingHas one championship (1998 – Kenny Brack) and one Indianapolis 500 win (1999 – Kenny Brack) with General Motors brand Oldsmobile

Starts with Chevrolet: rookieWins with Chevrolet: rookiePoles with Chevrolet: rookiePodiums with Chevrolet: rookie
Strategist: Michael ArmbresterRace Engineer: Michael ArmbresterCrew Chief: Steve McKenzie
Notable: The 23-year-old rookie won four races and stood on 15 podiums while finishing 3rd and 2nd in the last two seasons of INDY NXT by Firestone competition Collet will be the 7th Brazilian to drive for the legendary team, joining Marco Greco (1996), Airton Dare, Felipe Giaffone, Vitor Meira, Tony Kanaan, and Matheus Leist Collet is the lone Team Chevy driver going for rookie of the year and will be matched up against Dennis Hauger (Dale Coyne Racing) and Mick Schumacher (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing), the Sao Paulo driver would be the sixth Brazilian to win INDYCAR Rookie of the Year, joining Gil de Ferran (CART 1995), Tony Kanaan (CART 1998), Airton Dare (INDYCAR 2000), Felipe Giaffone (INDYCAR 2001) and Raphael Matos (INDYCAR 2009Chevrolet has powered 31 INDYCAR wins by Brazilian drivers, including Emerson Fittipaldi (18), Helio Castroneves (7), Gil de Ferran (2), Tony Kanaan (2), Airton Dare (1), and Felipe Giaffone (1)
Quotable:
Another Brazilian driver in INDYCAR. There’s a long lineage there, a lot of history there, a lot of champions. Is it cool to wear the Brazilian flag in INDYCAR again?“Yeah, for sure. It’s a lot of proud to be representing Brazil. Like you said, a lot of good names that represented the country so well. A lot of wins, championships, Indy 500s. It’s a country with a lot of history, and hopefully I can be the next one carrying the flag.”
Q. Caio, as any rookie does, you’re going to be going for that Rookie of the Year this year. You raced against Dennis last year in NXT and he won that series. Going into the season, what do you think it’ll take for you to be the best of those three rookies?“Definitely, consistency. It’s what you need to win any championship or especially the rookie championship. I think the level this year is quite high. Dennis is someone that I’ve been racing since 2016 in go-karts, so I know him quite well, and obviously last year we had a pretty good battle all season long and have a lot of respect for each other.“Mick for sure is a driver that has a lot of experience and is very good and talented, so I think this year will be a nice battle between the three of us. Hopefully we can come out on top.”

Starts with Chevrolet: 52Wins with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 0Earned Poles with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 1 (T29th/T15th) – his first earned pole was at Portland International Raceway in 2024Podiums with Chevrolet (rank all-time/since 2012): 3 (T29th/T16th) – his first podium was at the Indianapolis 500 (IMS Oval) in 2023
Strategist: Adam KolesarRace Engineer: Adam KolesarCrew Chief:  Nick Cooper
Notable:After finishing 9th in the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES title chase, Ferrucci fell to 16th in the standings, but that drop of seven positions doesn’t tell the entire storyo After a slow start to the season, an engineering change that saw performance engineer Adam Kolesar promoted to race engineer, led to four straight top five finishes, and a move from 15th to 9th in points o Despite being 10 pounds overweight, a slight miscalculation on the driver ballast cost the driver and team 26 points at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix o Contact during morning warm-up on a damp track in Toronto, meant the Connecticut driver missed the race and lost at least two more pointso If you add those 28 points to his season-ending total, Ferrucci would have moved into 10th on the points tableFerrucci exhibited excellent race craft all season long, gaining 98 positions from where he qualified, the most spots gained among the 27 full-time driversThe 27-year-old finished fifth in the Indianapolis 500, extending his steak of top ten finishes in the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” to seven years, and dropping his average Indianapolis 500 finish to an impressive 6.1 Ferrucci is heading into his fourth season with A.J. Foyt Racing, bringing consistency to both driver and team o The last time the iconic team had a four-year run with a driver was with Takuma Sato from 2013 through 2016o Ferrucci is scheduled to make his 100th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start at this year’s Indianapolis 500, which will be his 58th start with A.J. Foyt Racing
Quotable:
Q.  You obviously had some of the big highs last season, but where do you think some of the inconsistencies came in last year compared to the consistency we saw from you in 2024?“Yeah, I think some of the inconsistencies are kind of more on my side of things than anything else. I think the team really straightened everything out come the 500 to the end of the season. I kind of made some enforced errors in a couple of races, which kind of put us on a back foot.
“Being able to go through those and get everything sorted going into this year will be a big deal. I think having a more consistent platform this year with the team will be a big help and a big change for us as far as a steadier pace.
“I think there’s no reason as to why we can’t keep that same pace that we had in the middle of the season this year with a couple of podiums and top 5s.”
Q.  I know this is a kind of stability you’ve not really had in your INDYCAR career now being the fourth year with the same team. What’s this relationship with Foyt been like, and why is it different from what came before in your INDYCAR career?“Yeah, obviously every year we continue to build the team with Larry. I think me coming back and working with the engineers and mechanics, like I said, this is the first year — I talked with Larry, I think it’s one of the first years in a long time the team has had almost zero turnover, if any at all, year after year as far as mechanics and engineers go. So it’s a really big deal.
“We’re building something consistent, something that is competitive, and I’m just really happy to be a part of it, and with now the full-time sponsor of Homes For Our Troops, the livery won’t change all year, which is another big thing. Less work for the mechanics, less things to worry about come race weekends.“Very excited about all those things.”

The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season gets underway this week with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
Tune-In Alert
Friday, February 27 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #1 – 1:30pm (ET)/12:30pm (CT)/11:30am (MT)/10:30am (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Saturday, February 28 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice #2 – 9:30am (ET)/8:30am (CT)/7:30am (MT)/6:30am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying – 4:30pm (ET)/3:30pm (CT)/2:30pm (MT)/1:30pm (PT) – FS2/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218Sunday, March 1NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warm Up – 9am (ET)/8am (CT)/7am (MT)/6am (PT) – FS1/ INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg (100 laps) – noon (ET)/11am (CT)/10am (MT)/9am (PT) – FOX/INDYCAR Radio Network/SIRIUSXM 218

TOP FIVE STORYLINES: Volusia’s Bike Week Jamboree Kicks World of Outlaws Campaign into High Gear

February 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

BARBERVILLE, FL (February 24, 2026) – Three weeks off is more than enough. The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is ready to get back to business.

The Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals ignited the 2026 campaign with a trio of wild races at Volusia Speedway Park in early February. After some time to regroup, The Greatest Show on Dirt is about to really get rolling.

The world’s best Sprint Car drivers are heading back to Volusia this coming week on Sunday-Monday, March 1-2 for the Bike Week Jamboree. As the name suggests, the four-wheel and two-wheel worlds collide as Sprint Cars join in on the fun of Florida’s famed Bike Week.

Fans don’t have only Sunday and Monday’s action to enjoy. World of Outlaws staff will be on site at Saturday’s DeLand Bike Rally offering giveaways. Brock Zearfoss plans to have his car and trailer on display and be signing autographs and taking photos.

The trip to the “Sunshine State” signals the start of the true grind for World of Outlaws teams. From now through the season-ending World of Outlaws World Finals on Nov. 4-7, there are only three scheduled off weekends as the tour takes teams to 80-plus races at more than 40 tracks in 22 states coast-to-coast along with a Canadian province. Let the fun begin.

BUY TWO-DAY VOLUSIA TICKET PACKAGE HERE
BUY SUNDAY VOLUSIA TICKETS HERE
BUY MONDAY VOLUSIA TICKETS HERE

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVision

Let’s look at the five biggest stories to watch during Bike Week:

KNOTTED UP

It’s a small sample size, but if DIRTcar Nationals is any indicator, we’re in for a fun championship battle in 2026.

Plenty of eyes were on Michael “Buddy” Kofoid to see if he could keep pace with David Gravel at Volusia, a track that’s historically one of Gravel’s best and not among Kofoid’s favorites. The result? Kofoid out-dueled Gravel to top the first points paying event of the season and bag his first gator. The next night Kofoid wheeled from 21st to fourth while Gravel again finished second, leaving the two tied atop the standings entering the Bike Week Jamboree.

Kofoid and his Roth Motorsports crew need to keep Gravel within sight for two more nights at Volusia. Gravel’s résumé at the 1/2 mile is remarkable. He’s made 29 appearances there since joining forces with Big Game Motorsports and racked up seven wins, 16 podiums, and finished outside the top five only four times. The Watertown, CT native swept last year’s Bike Week visit.

MARCHIN’ MACEDO

Gravel and Kofoid might’ve grabbed the headlines heading into 2026, but Carson Macedo doesn’t intend to let the title fight be a two-horse race. He hasn’t finished worse than third in points since teaming with Jason Johnson Racing in 2021 and fell just shy of besting Gravel in 2024.

The Lemoore, CA native was on the move during DIRTcar Nationals. He passed a total of 20 cars over the trio of races leading to three podiums. That was enough to slot him only four markers behind Kofoid and Gravel.

Volusia has been kind to Macedo over the years, especially with the recent addition of a March trip. He’s topped a pair of Bike Week races (2021 and 2023). The 29-year-old has never finished worse than seventh over seven Volusia Features during the month of March.

ON THE MOVE

Carson Macedo wasn’t the only driver that proved to have no issue passing cars during DIRTcar Nationals.

Donny Schatz debuted in the CJB Motorsports No. 15 and was a one-man show. The 10-time champion marched from 21st to fifth in the season opener. He backed that up with a 21st to sixth drive. Then in the finale, Schatz wheeled from 19th to 10th. Add it all up, and Schatz drove by a total of 40 cars in Feature competition, an average of 13.33 per night.

Spencer Bayston wasn’t far behind Schatz in the category. The Lebanon, IN native opened the year on top with a charge from 10th to victory aboard the Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing No. 17. He closed out the week with performances of 22nd to 10th and 25th to 14th.

Series sophomore Cole Macedo spent his week climbing, moving by a total of 27 cars across the trio of Features. The highlight was taking the TwoC Racing ride from 17th to ninth.

These three are worth keeping your eyes on no matter where they line up on the grid with two more nights at Volusia ahead.

SUNSHINE STATE RESET

Last month’s Florida visit may have provided plenty of promise for some, but others are ready for a reset this week as they look to rebound following a subpar start.

Sheldon Haudenschild opened his time with KCP Racing and couldn’t quite crack the top 10 during DIRTcar Nationals, his best outing an 11th on the final night. It’ll be no surprise if the Wooster, OH native comes back strong as he’s topped three races at the 1/2 mile.

Bill Balog also struggled for results at the season opening event. The “North Pole Nightmare’s” top drive was a charge from 20th to 12th. Balog proved he can have speed at Volusia a year ago, bagging a pair of top 10s. He’ll look to regain that form this weekend.

GOING SOUTH

Several more competitors are expected to join the cast of 17 full-time World of Outlaws competitors in Florida.

Anthony Macri plans to make the trip from Pennsylvanian as long as weather cooperates. He made the PA Posse proud last month by not only winning the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals finale worth $20,000 but also taking the Big Gator back to the porch.

Another Pennsylvania-based operation will venture south as Kreitz Racing has the Bike Week Jamboree on their schedule. They’ll have 2013 World of Outlaws champion Daryn Pittman behind the wheel of their famed No. 69K. The Oklahoman owns six Volusia victories spread across a trio of teams (Titan Racing, Kasey Kahne Racing, and Roth Motorsports).

Kerry Madsen and Vermeer Motorsports intend to fire off their 2026 in the “Sunshine State.” Volusia is home to the “Madman’s” first career World of Outlaws triumph, which he snagged in 2007 aboard the Selma Shell No. 11H.

Other drivers expected include Brent Marks (Myerstown, PA), Austin McCarl (Altoona, IA), Chase Randall (Waco, TX), and more.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE
Sunday-Monday, March 1-2 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL

AROUND THE TURN
Friday, March 6 at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL
Saturday, March 7 at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (3/86 Races):
1. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports No. 83 (382 PTS)
2. Anthony Macri – Macri Motorsports No. 39M (-0 PTS)
3. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports No. 2 (-0 PTS)
4. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 (-4 PTS)
5. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing No. 1S (-16 PTS)
6. Garet Williamson – Fischer Motorsports No. 23 (-18 PTS)
7. Donny Schatz – CJB Motorsports No. 15 (-24 PTS)
8. Parker Price-Miller – Bernie Stuebgen No. 71 (-38 PTS)
9. Spencer Bayston – Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing No. 17 (-40 PTS)
10. Cole Macedo – TwoC Racing No. 2C (-42 PTS)

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (3 Drivers):
1 Win – Spencer Bayston, Michael Kofoid, Anthony Macri

FEATURE LAPS LED (5 Drivers):
28 Laps Led – Anthony Macri
25 Laps Led – Michael Kofoid
10 Laps Led – Spencer Bayston
6 Laps Led – Brian Brown, Brock ZearfossPODIUM FINISHES (5 Drivers):
3 Podiums – Carson Macedo
2 Podiums – David Gravel, Anthony Macri
1 Podium – Spencer Bayston, Michael Kofoid

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

HEAT RACE WINNERS (7 Drivers):
3 Heat Wins – David Gravel, Logan Schuchart
2 Heat Wins – Anthony Macri
1 Heat Win – Chase Dietz, Carson Macedo, Justin Peck, Ashton Torgerson

TOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (16 Drivers):
3 Dashes – David Gravel, Anthony Macri, Logan Schuchart
2 Dashes – Michael Kofoid, Brent Marks
1 Dash – Brian Brown, Chase Dietz, Sheldon Haudenschild, Kasey Jedrzejek, Carson Macedo, Justin Peck, Parker Price-Miller, Ryan Timms, Ashton Torgerson, Garet Williamson, Brock Zearfoss

MICRO-LITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (2 Drivers):
2 LCS Wins – Donny Schatz
1 LCS Wins – Michael Kofoid

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (3 Drivers):
1 Hard Charger – Michael Kofoid, Donny Schatz, Garet Williamson

ACME FASTEST LAP AWARDS (3 Drivers):
1 Fastest Lap – Michael Kofoid, Anthony Macri, Brock Zearfoss

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

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

*denotes unofficial split-field prelim race.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/top-five-storylines-volusias-bike-week-jamboree-kicks-world-of-outlaws-campaign-into-high-gear/

TOP FIVE STORYLINES: Volusia’s Bike Week Jamboree Kicks World of Outlaws Campaign into High Gear

BARBERVILLE, FL (February 24, 2026) – Three weeks off is more than enough. The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series is ready to get back to business.

The Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals ignited the 2026 campaign with a trio of wild races at Volusia Speedway Park in early February. After some time to regroup, The Greatest Show on Dirt is about to really get rolling.

The world’s best Sprint Car drivers are heading back to Volusia this coming week on Sunday-Monday, March 1-2 for the Bike Week Jamboree. As the name suggests, the four-wheel and two-wheel worlds collide as Sprint Cars join in on the fun of Florida’s famed Bike Week.

Fans don’t have only Sunday and Monday’s action to enjoy. World of Outlaws staff will be on site at Saturday’s DeLand Bike Rally offering giveaways. Brock Zearfoss plans to have his car and trailer on display and be signing autographs and taking photos.

The trip to the “Sunshine State” signals the start of the true grind for World of Outlaws teams. From now through the season-ending World of Outlaws World Finals on Nov. 4-7, there are only three scheduled off weekends as the tour takes teams to 80-plus races at more than 40 tracks in 22 states coast-to-coast along with a Canadian province. Let the fun begin.

BUY TWO-DAY VOLUSIA TICKET PACKAGE HERE
BUY SUNDAY VOLUSIA TICKETS HERE
BUY MONDAY VOLUSIA TICKETS HERE

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVision

Let’s look at the five biggest stories to watch during Bike Week:

KNOTTED UP

It’s a small sample size, but if DIRTcar Nationals is any indicator, we’re in for a fun championship battle in 2026.

Plenty of eyes were on Michael “Buddy” Kofoid to see if he could keep pace with David Gravel at Volusia, a track that’s historically one of Gravel’s best and not among Kofoid’s favorites. The result? Kofoid out-dueled Gravel to top the first points paying event of the season and bag his first gator. The next night Kofoid wheeled from 21st to fourth while Gravel again finished second, leaving the two tied atop the standings entering the Bike Week Jamboree.

Kofoid and his Roth Motorsports crew need to keep Gravel within sight for two more nights at Volusia. Gravel’s résumé at the 1/2 mile is remarkable. He’s made 29 appearances there since joining forces with Big Game Motorsports and racked up seven wins, 16 podiums, and finished outside the top five only four times. The Watertown, CT native swept last year’s Bike Week visit.

MARCHIN’ MACEDO

Gravel and Kofoid might’ve grabbed the headlines heading into 2026, but Carson Macedo doesn’t intend to let the title fight be a two-horse race. He hasn’t finished worse than third in points since teaming with Jason Johnson Racing in 2021 and fell just shy of besting Gravel in 2024.

The Lemoore, CA native was on the move during DIRTcar Nationals. He passed a total of 20 cars over the trio of races leading to three podiums. That was enough to slot him only four markers behind Kofoid and Gravel.

Volusia has been kind to Macedo over the years, especially with the recent addition of a March trip. He’s topped a pair of Bike Week races (2021 and 2023). The 29-year-old has never finished worse than seventh over seven Volusia Features during the month of March.

ON THE MOVE

Carson Macedo wasn’t the only driver that proved to have no issue passing cars during DIRTcar Nationals.

Donny Schatz debuted in the CJB Motorsports No. 15 and was a one-man show. The 10-time champion marched from 21st to fifth in the season opener. He backed that up with a 21st to sixth drive. Then in the finale, Schatz wheeled from 19th to 10th. Add it all up, and Schatz drove by a total of 40 cars in Feature competition, an average of 13.33 per night.

Spencer Bayston wasn’t far behind Schatz in the category. The Lebanon, IN native opened the year on top with a charge from 10th to victory aboard the Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing No. 17. He closed out the week with performances of 22nd to 10th and 25th to 14th.

Series sophomore Cole Macedo spent his week climbing, moving by a total of 27 cars across the trio of Features. The highlight was taking the TwoC Racing ride from 17th to ninth.

These three are worth keeping your eyes on no matter where they line up on the grid with two more nights at Volusia ahead.

SUNSHINE STATE RESET

Last month’s Florida visit may have provided plenty of promise for some, but others are ready for a reset this week as they look to rebound following a subpar start.

Sheldon Haudenschild opened his time with KCP Racing and couldn’t quite crack the top 10 during DIRTcar Nationals, his best outing an 11th on the final night. It’ll be no surprise if the Wooster, OH native comes back strong as he’s topped three races at the 1/2 mile.

Bill Balog also struggled for results at the season opening event. The “North Pole Nightmare’s” top drive was a charge from 20th to 12th. Balog proved he can have speed at Volusia a year ago, bagging a pair of top 10s. He’ll look to regain that form this weekend.

GOING SOUTH

Several more competitors are expected to join the cast of 17 full-time World of Outlaws competitors in Florida.

Anthony Macri plans to make the trip from Pennsylvanian as long as weather cooperates. He made the PA Posse proud last month by not only winning the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals finale worth $20,000 but also taking the Big Gator back to the porch.

Another Pennsylvania-based operation will venture south as Kreitz Racing has the Bike Week Jamboree on their schedule. They’ll have 2013 World of Outlaws champion Daryn Pittman behind the wheel of their famed No. 69K. The Oklahoman owns six Volusia victories spread across a trio of teams (Titan Racing, Kasey Kahne Racing, and Roth Motorsports).

Kerry Madsen and Vermeer Motorsports intend to fire off their 2026 in the “Sunshine State.” Volusia is home to the “Madman’s” first career World of Outlaws triumph, which he snagged in 2007 aboard the Selma Shell No. 11H.

Other drivers expected include Brent Marks (Myerstown, PA), Austin McCarl (Altoona, IA), Chase Randall (Waco, TX), and more.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE
Sunday-Monday, March 1-2 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, FL

AROUND THE TURN
Friday, March 6 at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL
Saturday, March 7 at Magnolia Motor Speedway in Columbus, MS

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (3/86 Races):
1. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports No. 83 (382 PTS)
2. Anthony Macri – Macri Motorsports No. 39M (-0 PTS)
3. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports No. 2 (-0 PTS)
4. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 (-4 PTS)
5. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing No. 1S (-16 PTS)
6. Garet Williamson – Fischer Motorsports No. 23 (-18 PTS)
7. Donny Schatz – CJB Motorsports No. 15 (-24 PTS)
8. Parker Price-Miller – Bernie Stuebgen No. 71 (-38 PTS)
9. Spencer Bayston – Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing No. 17 (-40 PTS)
10. Cole Macedo – TwoC Racing No. 2C (-42 PTS)

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (3 Drivers):
1 Win – Spencer Bayston, Michael Kofoid, Anthony Macri

FEATURE LAPS LED (5 Drivers):
28 Laps Led – Anthony Macri
25 Laps Led – Michael Kofoid
10 Laps Led – Spencer Bayston
6 Laps Led – Brian Brown, Brock ZearfossPODIUM FINISHES (5 Drivers):
3 Podiums – Carson Macedo
2 Podiums – David Gravel, Anthony Macri
1 Podium – Spencer Bayston, Michael Kofoid

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

HEAT RACE WINNERS (7 Drivers):
3 Heat Wins – David Gravel, Logan Schuchart
2 Heat Wins – Anthony Macri
1 Heat Win – Chase Dietz, Carson Macedo, Justin Peck, Ashton Torgerson

TOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (16 Drivers):
3 Dashes – David Gravel, Anthony Macri, Logan Schuchart
2 Dashes – Michael Kofoid, Brent Marks
1 Dash – Brian Brown, Chase Dietz, Sheldon Haudenschild, Kasey Jedrzejek, Carson Macedo, Justin Peck, Parker Price-Miller, Ryan Timms, Ashton Torgerson, Garet Williamson, Brock Zearfoss

MICRO-LITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (2 Drivers):
2 LCS Wins – Donny Schatz
1 LCS Wins – Michael Kofoid

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (3 Drivers):
1 Hard Charger – Michael Kofoid, Donny Schatz, Garet Williamson

ACME FASTEST LAP AWARDS (3 Drivers):
1 Fastest Lap – Michael Kofoid, Anthony Macri, Brock Zearfoss

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

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

*denotes unofficial split-field prelim race.

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/top-five-storylines-volusias-bike-week-jamboree-kicks-world-of-outlaws-campaign-into-high-gear/

EVENT INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/schedule/event-info/?event=4548492
TRACK INFO: https://volusiaspeedwaypark.com/

Pierce Rounding Into Top Form After Win, Near Miss at Hendry County

February 25, 2026 ARP Trish Leave a comment

CLEWISTON, FL (February 24, 2026) – Like most of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision field, Bobby Pierce rolled into Hendry County Motorsports Park for the Swamp Cabbage 100 with no idea of what to expect.

He knew the sandy 1/3-mile would present a radically different challenge than the lightning-fast 1/2-mile at Volusia Speedway Park where the season began. But as Pierce has proven time and time again over the years, he views a blank notebook as an opportunity rather than an obstacle.

“I think I kind of have a little upper hand, because I like it when we go to new places that nobody really knows,” Pierce said. “Because this, for example, kind of reminded me of a couple Summer Nationals tracks and different things. Kind of reminded me of a New Zealand track, too. Had that shape and flatness to it; you kind of just go in there, lay over on the right-rear. So, I feel like I had a little upper hand. In a way, it felt like Gateway, as surprising as that sounds.”

Regardless of the hand Pierce was dealt by the track, he came into the weekend at Hendry County in need of a pair of strong showings. Three podium finishes in the three World of Outlaws nights at Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals was something to hang his hat on, but it still wasn’t enough to match the outright domination Nick Hoffman laid down at Volusia on his path to the Big Gator.

“Going into the last three nights of Volusia, we weren’t that great,” Pierce said. “And then we didn’t qualify good, but we made up for it every night in the Feature. So, it was like, ‘OK, we got third, third, second, that’s exactly what I needed to get back in the mix of the lead of the points, to have those good nights, because Nick was having those good nights, too. You know, he’s winning every night, so we needed that. That gave us a lot of confidence heading into here.”

So, when Pierce parked the No. 32 in Victory Lane on Friday night, there was no lack of reasons for the team to celebrate. It was Pierce’s first World of Outlaws win since August of 2025 at Arrowhead Speedway, which meant he finally surpassed Billy Moyer for fifth on the all-time wins list after spending six months tied with him. It was also Pierce’s first win anywhere since topping the final night of the Wild West Shootout over a month prior.

But most importantly, the win swung the momentum back in Pierce’s favor in what could shape up to be one of the most entertaining championship battles the World of Outlaws has seen in years.

“Practicing [Thursday], we were pretty good,” Pierce said. “And then [Friday], I drew a late pill, and I was like, ‘Oh man, that might hurt us.’ I had to really get up on the wheel to qualify. We got fifth, so I was like, ‘If we’re going out that late, we weren’t bad.’ And then once we made that bottom groove work in the Heat Race and made the last-lap pass on ‘T-Mac,’ it gave me a pretty good amount of confidence for the Feature. I don’t think anyone else was really able to stick down there good.

“Then in the Feature, it was a tire gamble, what are we going to go with? But I think everyone had the same thing out there. Fell back to fourth, I was a little worried, but the second I got to the top, I got rolling and was like, ‘OK, here we go, we can win this thing as long as the seas stay parted for us.”

There have also been some behind-the-scenes changes at Bobby Pierce Racing since their previous victory at Central Arizona Raceway in January. Shortly after that event, tire specialist Austin Hemmen informed Pierce of his decision to leave the team after five years to relocate to Scottsdale, AZ with his girlfriend, Christine Mahnke. That opened the door for someone new to join one of the most successful teams in modern-day dirt Late Model racing.

The role was filled by Florence, AL native Brilee Putnam, the son of regional Late Model racer Josh Putnam. One of the main job requirements at BPR is a willingness to have your picture taken in Victory Lane dozens of times per year, and Hendry County marked the first one with the new lineup.

“It’s great. We’ve got Darian [Delattre] doing tires now, Brilee, this is his first win with the team,” Pierce said. “Everyone’s working hard, jiving together well. It’s always tough when you get thrown those challenges of having to find more help, having to train. Austin did my tires, so to have to throw someone else on that job and then also have to find someone else on top of that, it was a bit of a challenge, but it worked out well.”

Pierce had the car on Saturday night to complete the weekend sweep, but he admittedly wasn’t aggressive enough at the right moments in the race to keep Hoffman behind him and ultimately came home second. Nevertheless, morale is high in the No. 32 camp going into the springtime schedule, which begins with a Tennessee doubleheader that is significant for Pierce at both ends.

His engines are built three miles from Volunteer Speedway at Vic Hill Race Engines in Mosheim, TN, and Hill has been instrumental in adding several major events to the track’s schedule in recent years, including a visit by the World of Outlaws for the first time in five years. Pierce’s on-track performances at “The Gap” haven’t been anything to write home about though, with a best finish of 11th in four starts. It’s a different story 90 minutes down the road at Smoky Mountain Speedway, where Pierce won in his first start at the track last March in World of Outlaws action and is looking to go back-to-back next month.

“We should have never lost the lead if I was just on the gas harder,” Pierce said of his Saturday run at Hendry County. “I’m just glad we were able to put on a show. Second’s really good, but of course I was going hard for the win. I’m just glad it was a good show.”

Pierce and the rest of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision will resume the 2026 season at Volunteer Speedway on Friday, March 13, and Smoky Mountain Speedway on Saturday, March 14. Tickets for both events are available in advance by clicking here.

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

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/pierce-rounding-into-top-form-after-win-near-miss-at-hendry-county/

EVENT INFO: Rocky Top Rumble, Tennessee Tipoff
TRACK INFO: Volunteer Speedway, Smoky Mountain Speedway

Pierce Rounding Into Top Form After Win, Near Miss at Hendry County

CLEWISTON, FL (February 24, 2026) – Like most of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision field, Bobby Pierce rolled into Hendry County Motorsports Park for the Swamp Cabbage 100 with no idea of what to expect.

He knew the sandy 1/3-mile would present a radically different challenge than the lightning-fast 1/2-mile at Volusia Speedway Park where the season began. But as Pierce has proven time and time again over the years, he views a blank notebook as an opportunity rather than an obstacle.

“I think I kind of have a little upper hand, because I like it when we go to new places that nobody really knows,” Pierce said. “Because this, for example, kind of reminded me of a couple Summer Nationals tracks and different things. Kind of reminded me of a New Zealand track, too. Had that shape and flatness to it; you kind of just go in there, lay over on the right-rear. So, I feel like I had a little upper hand. In a way, it felt like Gateway, as surprising as that sounds.”

Regardless of the hand Pierce was dealt by the track, he came into the weekend at Hendry County in need of a pair of strong showings. Three podium finishes in the three World of Outlaws nights at Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals was something to hang his hat on, but it still wasn’t enough to match the outright domination Nick Hoffman laid down at Volusia on his path to the Big Gator.

“Going into the last three nights of Volusia, we weren’t that great,” Pierce said. “And then we didn’t qualify good, but we made up for it every night in the Feature. So, it was like, ‘OK, we got third, third, second, that’s exactly what I needed to get back in the mix of the lead of the points, to have those good nights, because Nick was having those good nights, too. You know, he’s winning every night, so we needed that. That gave us a lot of confidence heading into here.”

So, when Pierce parked the No. 32 in Victory Lane on Friday night, there was no lack of reasons for the team to celebrate. It was Pierce’s first World of Outlaws win since August of 2025 at Arrowhead Speedway, which meant he finally surpassed Billy Moyer for fifth on the all-time wins list after spending six months tied with him. It was also Pierce’s first win anywhere since topping the final night of the Wild West Shootout over a month prior.

But most importantly, the win swung the momentum back in Pierce’s favor in what could shape up to be one of the most entertaining championship battles the World of Outlaws has seen in years.

“Practicing [Thursday], we were pretty good,” Pierce said. “And then [Friday], I drew a late pill, and I was like, ‘Oh man, that might hurt us.’ I had to really get up on the wheel to qualify. We got fifth, so I was like, ‘If we’re going out that late, we weren’t bad.’ And then once we made that bottom groove work in the Heat Race and made the last-lap pass on ‘T-Mac,’ it gave me a pretty good amount of confidence for the Feature. I don’t think anyone else was really able to stick down there good.

“Then in the Feature, it was a tire gamble, what are we going to go with? But I think everyone had the same thing out there. Fell back to fourth, I was a little worried, but the second I got to the top, I got rolling and was like, ‘OK, here we go, we can win this thing as long as the seas stay parted for us.”

There have also been some behind-the-scenes changes at Bobby Pierce Racing since their previous victory at Central Arizona Raceway in January. Shortly after that event, tire specialist Austin Hemmen informed Pierce of his decision to leave the team after five years to relocate to Scottsdale, AZ with his girlfriend, Christine Mahnke. That opened the door for someone new to join one of the most successful teams in modern-day dirt Late Model racing.

The role was filled by Florence, AL native Brilee Putnam, the son of regional Late Model racer Josh Putnam. One of the main job requirements at BPR is a willingness to have your picture taken in Victory Lane dozens of times per year, and Hendry County marked the first one with the new lineup.

“It’s great. We’ve got Darian [Delattre] doing tires now, Brilee, this is his first win with the team,” Pierce said. “Everyone’s working hard, jiving together well. It’s always tough when you get thrown those challenges of having to find more help, having to train. Austin did my tires, so to have to throw someone else on that job and then also have to find someone else on top of that, it was a bit of a challenge, but it worked out well.”

Pierce had the car on Saturday night to complete the weekend sweep, but he admittedly wasn’t aggressive enough at the right moments in the race to keep Hoffman behind him and ultimately came home second. Nevertheless, morale is high in the No. 32 camp going into the springtime schedule, which begins with a Tennessee doubleheader that is significant for Pierce at both ends.

His engines are built three miles from Volunteer Speedway at Vic Hill Race Engines in Mosheim, TN, and Hill has been instrumental in adding several major events to the track’s schedule in recent years, including a visit by the World of Outlaws for the first time in five years. Pierce’s on-track performances at “The Gap” haven’t been anything to write home about though, with a best finish of 11th in four starts. It’s a different story 90 minutes down the road at Smoky Mountain Speedway, where Pierce won in his first start at the track last March in World of Outlaws action and is looking to go back-to-back next month.

“We should have never lost the lead if I was just on the gas harder,” Pierce said of his Saturday run at Hendry County. “I’m just glad we were able to put on a show. Second’s really good, but of course I was going hard for the win. I’m just glad it was a good show.”

Pierce and the rest of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision will resume the 2026 season at Volunteer Speedway on Friday, March 13, and Smoky Mountain Speedway on Saturday, March 14. Tickets for both events are available in advance by clicking here.

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

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/pierce-rounding-into-top-form-after-win-near-miss-at-hendry-county/

EVENT INFO: Rocky Top Rumble, Tennessee Tipoff
TRACK INFO: Volunteer Speedway, Smoky Mountain Speedway

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

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