PEVELY, MO (April 7, 2026) – I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park is perfect for Sprint Car racing.

A high-banked bullring that produces blistering 10-second laps early in the night before slicking off and widening out to leave plenty of room for huge slide jobs and crossovers. What more could you ask for?

All eyes are on the Pevely, MO 1/3-mile dirt track as it’s this weekend’s target for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series. The Federated Auto Parts Spring Classic brings the world’s best Sprint Car drivers to I-55 for two nights (April 10-11) of action. I-55 is currently tied with Silver Dollar Speedway as the sixth most visited track in Series history with 79 races and will take sole possession of that spot this weekend.

The event brings the tour back to life after taking Easter off and signals the start of a huge stretch of racing as the World of Outlaws is busy for the next 12 consecutive weekends as the season ramps up.

Along with the action on track, there will be plenty for fans to enjoy off track too. There will be an autograph session in the midway from 4-4:30 p.m. with several drivers at their merchandise trailers. Comedian Jerry Wayne Longmire will be at the track all weekend, and will hold a meet and greet at the World of Outlaws merchandise trailer on Saturday from 4-4:30 p.m.

Following the autograph session, Wes Irwin will host interviews in the midway from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. with Longmire, Carson Macedo, and Donny Schatz.

BUY TWO-DAY I-55 TICKET PACKAGE HERE
BUY FRIDAY I-55 TICKETS HERE
BUY SATURDAY I-55 TICKETS HERE

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVision

Let’s check out the biggest stories to watch at I-55:

MACEDO ON THE MOVE

Carson Macedo needed a good weekend after a disastrous trip to Oklahoma, and that’s exactly what he got.

The Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 won on Friday at US 36 Raceway. A night later, Macedo overcame a rough Qualifying effort by ripping from 22nd to fourth. The most important part of that huge charge? He passed David Gravel, who finished sixth. The two nights allowed Macedo to chop 10 points out of Gravel’s championship lead. The Lemoore, CA native now trails the two-time and defending titlist by 48.

I-55 ranks among Macedo’s best tracks and gives him a chance to cut into Gravel’s advantage even more. He’s finished on the podium in 10 of his last 14 tries there, including four victories. A pair of those triumphs came last year.

BUDDY’S COMING BACK

Macedo isn’t the only competitor clawing his way toward Gravel. Many circled Michael “Buddy” Kofoid and Roth Motorsports as the combination most capable of potentially dethroning Gravel and Big Game Motorsports in 2026, but the month of March didn’t quite start according to plan.

Mechanical woes on the final night of Volusia Speedway Park’s Bike Week Jamboree left them with a 27th-place result. A crash while leading late at Kennedale Speedway Park dropped Kofoid to 20th. Then, more issues with the No. 83 at Lawton Speedway forced them to salvage an 11th. The trio of results dropped them to sixth in points, staring down nearly a 100-point gap to Gravel atop the standings.

But since then, Kofoid and the Roth crew have built some serious momentum. The night after Lawton, the Penngrove, CA native came home second at Creek County Speedway. Then came another runner-up at US 36 Raceway before a thrilling victory at 81 Speedway. That gave Kofoid three straight top two finishes and allowed him to climb to fourth in the standings with the margin between he and Gravel down to 82 markers.

And now, Kofoid heads to a track where he’s the most recent winner, looking to keep chipping away. The 24-year-old topped last year’s Ironman 55 for his first score at I-55. He’s also only missed the top 10 there once in his last nine tries.

PEVELY PROWESS

Along with Macedo and Kofoid, several more current World of Outlaws drivers have enjoyed success at I-55.

Among them is the man they’re all chasing, David Gravel. The Watertown, CT native owns a pair of Pevely checkered flags. The first came in 2016 with CJB Motorsports. The most recent was in 2024 with his current Big Game bunch.

There was a time when Sheldon Haudenschild was just about unbeatable at I-55. During a stretch from 2019 to 2021, Haudenschild claimed four races in nine tries. This weekend will mark his first visit to the facility since joining forces with KCP Racing.

Donny Schatz has a trio of I-55 triumphs under his belt. The first was with his family-owned organization in 2006. The next two (2015 and 2024) were aboard the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing No. 15. This weekend, he’ll aim to park the CJB Motorsports ride in Victory Lane.

Logan Schuchart has twice conquered I-55. The Hanover, PA driver hoisted the Ironman 55 dumbbell in 2018 before taking the Federated Auto Parts No. 1S back to Victory Lane in last year’s Spring Classic finale.

Spencer Bayston topped the Night Before the Ironman in 2023 during his days with CJB Motorsports. The Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing pilot also won an I-55 POWRi Midget race in 2020.

NEARLY KNOTTED UP

Emerson Axsom and Ashton Torgerson have asserted themselves as the early favorites for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year presented by Five Star Bodies, and the battle looks destined to be a fight all the way to World Finals.

The two have traded the lead multiple times over the past few weeks. Currently, Axsom leads Torgerson by a slim two markers. Both have had a handful of impressive outings. Axsom and the Klaasmeyer/Petry Motorsports crew have gotten rolling lately with three top 10s in the last five races, including a fifth at US 36 Raceway. Torgerson started strong with a trio of top 10s at Volusia, highlighted by a runner-up in the Bike Week Jamboree finale.

The two rookies have made four appearances at I-55 apiece. Torgerson’s are split between Sprint Cars and Midgets. The Glendale, AZ native took the Shark Racing No. 1A to a pair of top 10s during last year’s Ironman 55 weekend and did the same in a Keith Kunz Motorsports ride with the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets presented by Toyota in 2024. All four of Axsom’s I-55 efforts have been aboard a Sprint Car, with his top result being a seventh with KCP Racing in 2025.

FULL HOUSE

In addition to the 17 full-time World of Outlaws drivers, fans can expect many more competitors to pack the I-55 pit area. Last year’s Spring Classic welcomed a whopping 62 entries.

After nearly securing his second World of Outlaws win at 81 Speedway, Ryan Timms plans to be in action again this weekend. While his I-55 Sprint Car experience is limited, the Knoxville Nationals champion does boast a trio of Xtreme Outlaw Midget podiums at the 1/3 mile.

Missouri’s own Brian Brown has the Federated Auto Parts Spring Classic on his schedule. “Blackjack” was on the I-55 podium with the World of Outlaws in 2012.

Tanner Thorson is expected to invade I-55 in the Rod Gross Motorsports No. 88. The Minden, NV native claimed a POWRi Midget race at the Pevely, MO oval in 2015 and drove from 17th to second in last year’s Ironman 55 finale.

Sioux Falls, SD’s Kaleb Johnson will debut with Heidbreder Motorsports this weekend. The former Huset’s Speedway track champion got his first look at I-55 last year and will be back for more laps.

These four will be joined by many more in Pevely, MO this weekend.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE 
Friday-Saturday, April 10-11 at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park in Pevely, MO

AROUND THE TURN
Friday, April 17 at Jacksonville Speedway in Jacksonville, IL (TICKETS)
Saturday, April 18 at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, IN (CALL 812-768-6025 FOR TICKETS)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (11/85 Races):
1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports No. 2 (1532 PTS)
2. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 (-48 PTS)
3. Sheldon Haudenschild – KCP Racing No. 18 (-74 PTS)
4. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports No. 83 (-82 PTS)
5. Donny Schatz – CJB Motorsports No. 15 (-90 PTS)
6. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing No. 1S (-108 PTS)
7. Garet Williamson – Fischer Motorsports No. 23 (-160 PTS)
8. Chris Windom – Sides Motorsports No. 7S (-188 PTS)
9. Cole Macedo – TwoC Racing No. 2C (-196 PTS)
10. Bill Balog – B2 Motorsports (-196 PTS)

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (7 Drivers):
3 Wins – David Gravel
2 Wins – Anthony Macri, Michael Kofoid
1 Win – Spencer Bayston, Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz, Carson Macedo

FEATURE LAPS LED (15 Drivers):
44 Laps Led – Bill Balog
40 Laps Led – Anthony Macri
36 Laps Led – Michael Kofoid
35 Laps Led – Donny Schatz
34 Laps Led – David Gravel
32 Laps Led – Carson Macedo
28 Laps Led – Ryan Timms
25 Laps Led – Sheldon Haudenschild
18 Laps Led – Brady Bacon
10 Laps Led – Spencer Bayston, Cole Macedo
6 Laps Led – Brian Brown, Brock Zearfoss
5 Laps Led – Logan Schuchart
1 Lap Led – Christopher Thram

PODIUM FINISHES (13 Drivers):
8 Podiums – David Gravel
6 Podiums – Carson Macedo
5 Podiums – Michael Kofoid
3 Podiums – Anthony Macri
2 Podiums – Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz
1 Podium – Spencer Bayston, Ashton Torgerson, Bill Balog, Scott Bogucki, Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo, Ryan Timms

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

HEAT RACE WINNERS (15 Drivers):
9 Heat Wins – David Gravel
5 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild
3 Heat Wins – Logan Schuchart, Carson Macedo, Ashton Torgerson, Michael Kofoid, Bill Balog
2 Heat Wins – Anthony Macri, Donny Schatz, Cole Macedo
1 Heat Win – Chase Dietz, Justin Peck, Tanner Holmes, Scott Thiel, Emerson Axsom

TOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (29 Drivers):
10 Dashes – David Gravel
9 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild
7 Dashes – Michael Kofoid
5 Dashes – Carson Macedo
4 Dashes – Anthony Macri, Logan Schuchart, Ashton Torgerson, Bill Balog
3 Dashes – Emerson Axsom, Donny Schatz
2 Dashes – Brent Marks, Tanner Holmes, Garet Williamson, Kasey Jedrzejek, Scotty Thiel, Ryan Timms, Kerry Madsen, Cole Macedo
1 Dash – Brian Brown, Chase Dietz, Justin Peck, Parker Price-Miller, Brock Zearfoss, Bryce Lucius, Spencer Bayston, Christopher Thram, Brady Bacon, Chris Windom, Sam Hafertepe Jr.

MICRO-LITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (6 Drivers):
3 LCS Wins – Donny Schatz
2 LCS Wins – Michael Kofoid, Chris Windom
1 LCS Wins – Cameron Martin, Bill Balog, Blake Hahn

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (7 Drivers):
2 Hard Chargers – Garet Williamson, Donny Schatz, Michael Kofoid, Carson Macedo
1 Hard Charger – Chris Windom, Giovanni Scelzi, Spencer Bayston

ACME FASTEST LAP AWARDS (9 Drivers):
2 Fastest Laps – Michael Kofoid, Bill Balog
1 Fastest Lap – Anthony Macri, Brock Zearfoss, Sheldon Haudenschild, Carson Macedo, Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo, Ryan Timms

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

2026 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE & WINNERS:
Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner
Wed, Feb 4 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Spencer Bayston (1)
Fri, Feb 6 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Michael Kofoid (1)
Sat, Feb 7 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Anthony Macri (1)
Sun, March 1 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
Mon, March 2 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Anthony Macri (2)
Fri, March 6 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL / Donny Schatz (1)
Fri, March 13 / Kennedale Speedway Park / Kennedale, TX / David Gravel (1)
Fri, March 20 / Lawton Speedway / Lawton, OK / David Gravel (2)
Sat, March 21 / Creek County Speedway / Sapulpa, OK / David Gravel (3)
Fri, March 27 / US 36 Raceway / Osborn, MO / Carson Macedo (1)
Sat, March 28 / 81 Speedway / Park City, KS / Michael Kofoid (2)
Fri, April 10 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
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.

TOP FIVE STORYLINES: World of Outlaws Season Refires with I-55’s Federated Auto Parts Spring Classic

PEVELY, MO (April 7, 2026) – I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park is perfect for Sprint Car racing.

A high-banked bullring that produces blistering 10-second laps early in the night before slicking off and widening out to leave plenty of room for huge slide jobs and crossovers. What more could you ask for?

All eyes are on the Pevely, MO 1/3-mile dirt track as it’s this weekend’s target for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series. The Federated Auto Parts Spring Classic brings the world’s best Sprint Car drivers to I-55 for two nights (April 10-11) of action. I-55 is currently tied with Silver Dollar Speedway as the sixth most visited track in Series history with 79 races and will take sole possession of that spot this weekend.

The event brings the tour back to life after taking Easter off and signals the start of a huge stretch of racing as the World of Outlaws is busy for the next 12 consecutive weekends as the season ramps up.

Along with the action on track, there will be plenty for fans to enjoy off track too. There will be an autograph session in the midway from 4-4:30 p.m. with several drivers at their merchandise trailers. Comedian Jerry Wayne Longmire will be at the track all weekend, and will hold a meet and greet at the World of Outlaws merchandise trailer on Saturday from 4-4:30 p.m.

Following the autograph session, Wes Irwin will host interviews in the midway from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. with Longmire, Carson Macedo, and Donny Schatz.

BUY TWO-DAY I-55 TICKET PACKAGE HERE
BUY FRIDAY I-55 TICKETS HERE
BUY SATURDAY I-55 TICKETS HERE

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVision

Let’s check out the biggest stories to watch at I-55:

MACEDO ON THE MOVE

Carson Macedo needed a good weekend after a disastrous trip to Oklahoma, and that’s exactly what he got.

The Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 won on Friday at US 36 Raceway. A night later, Macedo overcame a rough Qualifying effort by ripping from 22nd to fourth. The most important part of that huge charge? He passed David Gravel, who finished sixth. The two nights allowed Macedo to chop 10 points out of Gravel’s championship lead. The Lemoore, CA native now trails the two-time and defending titlist by 48.

I-55 ranks among Macedo’s best tracks and gives him a chance to cut into Gravel’s advantage even more. He’s finished on the podium in 10 of his last 14 tries there, including four victories. A pair of those triumphs came last year.

BUDDY’S COMING BACK

Macedo isn’t the only competitor clawing his way toward Gravel. Many circled Michael “Buddy” Kofoid and Roth Motorsports as the combination most capable of potentially dethroning Gravel and Big Game Motorsports in 2026, but the month of March didn’t quite start according to plan.

Mechanical woes on the final night of Volusia Speedway Park’s Bike Week Jamboree left them with a 27th-place result. A crash while leading late at Kennedale Speedway Park dropped Kofoid to 20th. Then, more issues with the No. 83 at Lawton Speedway forced them to salvage an 11th. The trio of results dropped them to sixth in points, staring down nearly a 100-point gap to Gravel atop the standings.

But since then, Kofoid and the Roth crew have built some serious momentum. The night after Lawton, the Penngrove, CA native came home second at Creek County Speedway. Then came another runner-up at US 36 Raceway before a thrilling victory at 81 Speedway. That gave Kofoid three straight top two finishes and allowed him to climb to fourth in the standings with the margin between he and Gravel down to 82 markers.

And now, Kofoid heads to a track where he’s the most recent winner, looking to keep chipping away. The 24-year-old topped last year’s Ironman 55 for his first score at I-55. He’s also only missed the top 10 there once in his last nine tries.

PEVELY PROWESS

Along with Macedo and Kofoid, several more current World of Outlaws drivers have enjoyed success at I-55.

Among them is the man they’re all chasing, David Gravel. The Watertown, CT native owns a pair of Pevely checkered flags. The first came in 2016 with CJB Motorsports. The most recent was in 2024 with his current Big Game bunch.

There was a time when Sheldon Haudenschild was just about unbeatable at I-55. During a stretch from 2019 to 2021, Haudenschild claimed four races in nine tries. This weekend will mark his first visit to the facility since joining forces with KCP Racing.

Donny Schatz has a trio of I-55 triumphs under his belt. The first was with his family-owned organization in 2006. The next two (2015 and 2024) were aboard the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing No. 15. This weekend, he’ll aim to park the CJB Motorsports ride in Victory Lane.

Logan Schuchart has twice conquered I-55. The Hanover, PA driver hoisted the Ironman 55 dumbbell in 2018 before taking the Federated Auto Parts No. 1S back to Victory Lane in last year’s Spring Classic finale.

Spencer Bayston topped the Night Before the Ironman in 2023 during his days with CJB Motorsports. The Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing pilot also won an I-55 POWRi Midget race in 2020.

NEARLY KNOTTED UP

Emerson Axsom and Ashton Torgerson have asserted themselves as the early favorites for the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year presented by Five Star Bodies, and the battle looks destined to be a fight all the way to World Finals.

The two have traded the lead multiple times over the past few weeks. Currently, Axsom leads Torgerson by a slim two markers. Both have had a handful of impressive outings. Axsom and the Klaasmeyer/Petry Motorsports crew have gotten rolling lately with three top 10s in the last five races, including a fifth at US 36 Raceway. Torgerson started strong with a trio of top 10s at Volusia, highlighted by a runner-up in the Bike Week Jamboree finale.

The two rookies have made four appearances at I-55 apiece. Torgerson’s are split between Sprint Cars and Midgets. The Glendale, AZ native took the Shark Racing No. 1A to a pair of top 10s during last year’s Ironman 55 weekend and did the same in a Keith Kunz Motorsports ride with the Xtreme Outlaw Midgets presented by Toyota in 2024. All four of Axsom’s I-55 efforts have been aboard a Sprint Car, with his top result being a seventh with KCP Racing in 2025.

FULL HOUSE

In addition to the 17 full-time World of Outlaws drivers, fans can expect many more competitors to pack the I-55 pit area. Last year’s Spring Classic welcomed a whopping 62 entries.

After nearly securing his second World of Outlaws win at 81 Speedway, Ryan Timms plans to be in action again this weekend. While his I-55 Sprint Car experience is limited, the Knoxville Nationals champion does boast a trio of Xtreme Outlaw Midget podiums at the 1/3 mile.

Missouri’s own Brian Brown has the Federated Auto Parts Spring Classic on his schedule. “Blackjack” was on the I-55 podium with the World of Outlaws in 2012.

Tanner Thorson is expected to invade I-55 in the Rod Gross Motorsports No. 88. The Minden, NV native claimed a POWRi Midget race at the Pevely, MO oval in 2015 and drove from 17th to second in last year’s Ironman 55 finale.

Sioux Falls, SD’s Kaleb Johnson will debut with Heidbreder Motorsports this weekend. The former Huset’s Speedway track champion got his first look at I-55 last year and will be back for more laps.

These four will be joined by many more in Pevely, MO this weekend.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE 
Friday-Saturday, April 10-11 at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park in Pevely, MO

AROUND THE TURN
Friday, April 17 at Jacksonville Speedway in Jacksonville, IL (TICKETS)
Saturday, April 18 at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, IN (CALL 812-768-6025 FOR TICKETS)

CURRENT CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (11/85 Races):
1. David Gravel – Big Game Motorsports No. 2 (1532 PTS)
2. Carson Macedo – Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 (-48 PTS)
3. Sheldon Haudenschild – KCP Racing No. 18 (-74 PTS)
4. Michael Kofoid – Roth Motorsports No. 83 (-82 PTS)
5. Donny Schatz – CJB Motorsports No. 15 (-90 PTS)
6. Logan Schuchart – Shark Racing No. 1S (-108 PTS)
7. Garet Williamson – Fischer Motorsports No. 23 (-160 PTS)
8. Chris Windom – Sides Motorsports No. 7S (-188 PTS)
9. Cole Macedo – TwoC Racing No. 2C (-196 PTS)
10. Bill Balog – B2 Motorsports (-196 PTS)

NOS ENERGY DRINK FEATURE WINNERS (7 Drivers):
3 Wins – David Gravel
2 Wins – Anthony Macri, Michael Kofoid
1 Win – Spencer Bayston, Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz, Carson Macedo

FEATURE LAPS LED (15 Drivers):
44 Laps Led – Bill Balog
40 Laps Led – Anthony Macri
36 Laps Led – Michael Kofoid
35 Laps Led – Donny Schatz
34 Laps Led – David Gravel
32 Laps Led – Carson Macedo
28 Laps Led – Ryan Timms
25 Laps Led – Sheldon Haudenschild
18 Laps Led – Brady Bacon
10 Laps Led – Spencer Bayston, Cole Macedo
6 Laps Led – Brian Brown, Brock Zearfoss
5 Laps Led – Logan Schuchart
1 Lap Led – Christopher Thram

PODIUM FINISHES (13 Drivers):
8 Podiums – David Gravel
6 Podiums – Carson Macedo
5 Podiums – Michael Kofoid
3 Podiums – Anthony Macri
2 Podiums – Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz
1 Podium – Spencer Bayston, Ashton Torgerson, Bill Balog, Scott Bogucki, Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo, Ryan Timms

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

HEAT RACE WINNERS (15 Drivers):
9 Heat Wins – David Gravel
5 Heat Wins – Sheldon Haudenschild
3 Heat Wins – Logan Schuchart, Carson Macedo, Ashton Torgerson, Michael Kofoid, Bill Balog
2 Heat Wins – Anthony Macri, Donny Schatz, Cole Macedo
1 Heat Win – Chase Dietz, Justin Peck, Tanner Holmes, Scott Thiel, Emerson Axsom

TOYOTA DASH APPEARANCES (29 Drivers):
10 Dashes – David Gravel
9 Dashes – Sheldon Haudenschild
7 Dashes – Michael Kofoid
5 Dashes – Carson Macedo
4 Dashes – Anthony Macri, Logan Schuchart, Ashton Torgerson, Bill Balog
3 Dashes – Emerson Axsom, Donny Schatz
2 Dashes – Brent Marks, Tanner Holmes, Garet Williamson, Kasey Jedrzejek, Scotty Thiel, Ryan Timms, Kerry Madsen, Cole Macedo
1 Dash – Brian Brown, Chase Dietz, Justin Peck, Parker Price-Miller, Brock Zearfoss, Bryce Lucius, Spencer Bayston, Christopher Thram, Brady Bacon, Chris Windom, Sam Hafertepe Jr.

MICRO-LITE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (6 Drivers):
3 LCS Wins – Donny Schatz
2 LCS Wins – Michael Kofoid, Chris Windom
1 LCS Wins – Cameron Martin, Bill Balog, Blake Hahn

KSE HARD CHARGER AWARDS (7 Drivers):
2 Hard Chargers – Garet Williamson, Donny Schatz, Michael Kofoid, Carson Macedo
1 Hard Charger – Chris Windom, Giovanni Scelzi, Spencer Bayston

ACME FASTEST LAP AWARDS (9 Drivers):
2 Fastest Laps – Michael Kofoid, Bill Balog
1 Fastest Lap – Anthony Macri, Brock Zearfoss, Sheldon Haudenschild, Carson Macedo, Brady Bacon, Cole Macedo, Ryan Timms

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

2026 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE & WINNERS:
Day, Date / Track / Location / Winner
Wed, Feb 4 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Spencer Bayston (1)
Fri, Feb 6 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Michael Kofoid (1)
Sat, Feb 7 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Anthony Macri (1)
Sun, March 1 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Sheldon Haudenschild (1)
Mon, March 2 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Anthony Macri (2)
Fri, March 6 / Talladega Short Track / Eastaboga, AL / Donny Schatz (1)
Fri, March 13 / Kennedale Speedway Park / Kennedale, TX / David Gravel (1)
Fri, March 20 / Lawton Speedway / Lawton, OK / David Gravel (2)
Sat, March 21 / Creek County Speedway / Sapulpa, OK / David Gravel (3)
Fri, March 27 / US 36 Raceway / Osborn, MO / Carson Macedo (1)
Sat, March 28 / 81 Speedway / Park City, KS / Michael Kofoid (2)
Fri, April 10 / I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park / Pevely, MO
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-world-of-outlaws-season-refires-with-i-55s-federated-auto-parts-spring-classic/

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 8, 2026) – With the cancellation of last November’s NHRA Finals, Jack Beckman’s incredibly successful albeit circuitous winning streak is still intact for he and the John Force Racing PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car team heading into the April 8-10 NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

Beckman has won his last four starts at Pomona (2019 Finals, 2020 Winternationals, 2024 Finals, 2025 Winternationals) and is 19-1 in his last five appearances at the track. The more than three years’ gap is the result of his fulltime return to his job as an elevator repairman after his previous team shuttered at the end of the 2020 season. In addition, his two NHRA Super Comp national event wins happened at the Winternationals in 1998 and 2003.  

Beckman is currently 10^th in the 2026 Funny Car standings after Round 1 losses at Gainesville (to JFR teammate Jordan Vandergriff) and Phoenix (to Daniel Wilkerson).

Overall, John Force Racing drivers have won 32 times in three events at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip (17 times in the Winternationals, 14 times in the Finals plus Force’s win in the 50^th Anniversary NHRA Nationals in 2001).

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings are: 1. Chad Green, 174; 2. Spencer Hyde, 156; 3. Ron Capps, 151; 4. J.R. Todd, 140; 5. Matt Hagan, 135; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 126; 7. Jordan Vandergriff, 125; 8. Paul Lee, 111; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 107; 10. Jack Beckman, 64.

Quotes

What would it mean for you to win NHRA’s 1000^th Funny Car race?

“Not only am I a drag racing historian, I am also part of the history. NHRA is hosting a panel discussion at the museum on race weekend with the milestone winners, and numbers 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, are all alive and as far as I know will all be there. I’m number 600. I had forgotten the fact that I’m part of the fabric of the milestone race wins that got us to 1,000. There’s never any extra incentive to win a race, because you just want to win a race, and they’re the same size trophies at every race … except for this year being NHRA’s 75th anniversary. NHRA stepped up the appearance of the winners’ trophies this year, and tracks have lately been giving an additional trophy, kind of the flavor of the event there, and so I’m sure this one for the 1000^th is going to be incredible.”

I just I didn’t think I’d be a part of this. I mean, I’ve done 30 races for John Force Racing, so 31 races ago I wasn’t racing. The fact that I’m back in the cockpit to have a chance to win the 1,000^th Funny Car race is the greatest news.” 

“Pomona happens to be my home track, just happens to be the 1,000^th Funny Car race, and I happen to be the defending race champion. I’m hoping that the planets are going to line up. I’ve won the Winternationals the last two times I’ve been there. One of them was 2020 and the other one was 2025 so, for me, I’d love this to be a three-peat there. I’ve actually won at Pomona the last four times I’ve raced there so I’d like to make it five in a row. There’s just a three-and-a-half-year gap in between. It’s kind of a nice feeling to be a part of this history. Maybe I haven’t thought about this too much but I’m a historian that’s also getting to put my thumbprint on some of the history. That’s pretty cool.”

Stats

Pomona1	Race Result	Round Wins	Round Loss	Qualified	Event Record
2005	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2006	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2007 (FC)	1st round		Loss to J. Arend	6th	0-1
2008 (FC)	2nd round	Def. J. Toliver	Loss to C. Pedregon	15th	1-2
2009 (FC)	2nd round	Def. C. Pedregon	Loss to R. Hight	8th	2-3
2010 (FC)	Semi-finals	Def. T. Pedregon Def. D. Worsham	Loss to J. Force	7th	4-4
2011 (FC)	1st round		Loss to R. Capps	9th	4-5
2012 (FC)	2nd round	Def. Bob Bode	Loss to G. Densham	2nd	5-6
2013 (FC)	1st round		Loss to T. Lesenko	2nd	5-7
2014 (FC)	1st round		Loss to T. Johnson Jr	8th	5-8
2015 (FC)	DNQ	N/A	N/A	18th	5-8
2016 (FC)	2nd round	Def. J. Hale	Loss to J. Force	1st	6-9
2017 (FC)	2nd round	Def. C. Pedregon	Loss to M. Hagan	8th	7-10
2018 (FC)	Semi-finals	Def. B. Tasca Def. T. Wilkerson	Loss to R. Hight	3rd	9-11
2019 (FC)	Runner-up	Def. P. Burkart Def. C. Pedregon Def. T. Johnson Jr	Loss to R. Hight	2nd	12-12
2020 (FC) ***60th Winternationals	Winner	Def. S. Densham, R. Capps, A. DeJoria, J. Force		2nd	16-12
2021	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2022	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2023	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2024	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2025 (FC)	Winner ***300th FC Win for John Force Racing	Def. J. Diehl, C. Green, M. Hagan, D. Wilkerson		4th	20-12

Starts: 14

Wins: 2 (2020 & 2025)

No. 1 Qualifiers: 1 (2016)

Event Round Record: 20-12

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features qualifying at 1:30 and 4 p.m. PT on Friday, April 10, and the final two rounds on Saturday, April 11 at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, April 12.

BECKMAN FOCUSED ON CONTINUING POMONA SUCCESS, PT. 2

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 8, 2026) – With the cancellation of last November’s NHRA Finals, Jack Beckman’s incredibly successful albeit circuitous winning streak is still intact for he and the John Force Racing PEAK Chevrolet SS Funny Car team heading into the April 8-10 NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

Beckman has won his last four starts at Pomona (2019 Finals, 2020 Winternationals, 2024 Finals, 2025 Winternationals) and is 19-1 in his last five appearances at the track. The more than three years’ gap is the result of his fulltime return to his job as an elevator repairman after his previous team shuttered at the end of the 2020 season. In addition, his two NHRA Super Comp national event wins happened at the Winternationals in 1998 and 2003.  

Beckman is currently 10^th in the 2026 Funny Car standings after Round 1 losses at Gainesville (to JFR teammate Jordan Vandergriff) and Phoenix (to Daniel Wilkerson).

Overall, John Force Racing drivers have won 32 times in three events at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip (17 times in the Winternationals, 14 times in the Finals plus Force’s win in the 50^th Anniversary NHRA Nationals in 2001).

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings are: 1. Chad Green, 174; 2. Spencer Hyde, 156; 3. Ron Capps, 151; 4. J.R. Todd, 140; 5. Matt Hagan, 135; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 126; 7. Jordan Vandergriff, 125; 8. Paul Lee, 111; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 107; 10. Jack Beckman, 64.

Quotes

What would it mean for you to win NHRA’s 1000^th Funny Car race?

“Not only am I a drag racing historian, I am also part of the history. NHRA is hosting a panel discussion at the museum on race weekend with the milestone winners, and numbers 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, are all alive and as far as I know will all be there. I’m number 600. I had forgotten the fact that I’m part of the fabric of the milestone race wins that got us to 1,000. There’s never any extra incentive to win a race, because you just want to win a race, and they’re the same size trophies at every race … except for this year being NHRA’s 75th anniversary. NHRA stepped up the appearance of the winners’ trophies this year, and tracks have lately been giving an additional trophy, kind of the flavor of the event there, and so I’m sure this one for the 1000^th is going to be incredible.”

I just I didn’t think I’d be a part of this. I mean, I’ve done 30 races for John Force Racing, so 31 races ago I wasn’t racing. The fact that I’m back in the cockpit to have a chance to win the 1,000^th Funny Car race is the greatest news.” 

“Pomona happens to be my home track, just happens to be the 1,000^th Funny Car race, and I happen to be the defending race champion. I’m hoping that the planets are going to line up. I’ve won the Winternationals the last two times I’ve been there. One of them was 2020 and the other one was 2025 so, for me, I’d love this to be a three-peat there. I’ve actually won at Pomona the last four times I’ve raced there so I’d like to make it five in a row. There’s just a three-and-a-half-year gap in between. It’s kind of a nice feeling to be a part of this history. Maybe I haven’t thought about this too much but I’m a historian that’s also getting to put my thumbprint on some of the history. That’s pretty cool.”

Stats

Pomona1	Race Result	Round Wins	Round Loss	Qualified	Event Record
2005	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2006	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2007 (FC)	1st round		Loss to J. Arend	6th	0-1
2008 (FC)	2nd round	Def. J. Toliver	Loss to C. Pedregon	15th	1-2
2009 (FC)	2nd round	Def. C. Pedregon	Loss to R. Hight	8th	2-3
2010 (FC)	Semi-finals	Def. T. Pedregon Def. D. Worsham	Loss to J. Force	7th	4-4
2011 (FC)	1st round		Loss to R. Capps	9th	4-5
2012 (FC)	2nd round	Def. Bob Bode	Loss to G. Densham	2nd	5-6
2013 (FC)	1st round		Loss to T. Lesenko	2nd	5-7
2014 (FC)	1st round		Loss to T. Johnson Jr	8th	5-8
2015 (FC)	DNQ	N/A	N/A	18th	5-8
2016 (FC)	2nd round	Def. J. Hale	Loss to J. Force	1st	6-9
2017 (FC)	2nd round	Def. C. Pedregon	Loss to M. Hagan	8th	7-10
2018 (FC)	Semi-finals	Def. B. Tasca Def. T. Wilkerson	Loss to R. Hight	3rd	9-11
2019 (FC)	Runner-up	Def. P. Burkart Def. C. Pedregon Def. T. Johnson Jr	Loss to R. Hight	2nd	12-12
2020 (FC) ***60th Winternationals	Winner	Def. S. Densham, R. Capps, A. DeJoria, J. Force		2nd	16-12
2021	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2022	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2023	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2024	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2025 (FC)	Winner ***300th FC Win for John Force Racing	Def. J. Diehl, C. Green, M. Hagan, D. Wilkerson		4th	20-12

Starts: 14

Wins: 2 (2020 & 2025)

No. 1 Qualifiers: 1 (2016)

Event Round Record: 20-12

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features qualifying at 1:30 and 4 p.m. PT on Friday, April 10, and the final two rounds on Saturday, April 11 at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, April 12.

Television coverage on Sunday, April 12, 2026, includes a qualifying show from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET on FS1 and eliminations from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 8, 2026) – It was at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip that John Force Racing’s Jordan Vandergriff got his first taste of the sensory overload that is NHRA drag racing and it’s there during the April 8-10 NHRA Winternationals that the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car driver hopes earn his first event win in the sanctioning body’s 1,000^th Funny Car race.

This weekend will be the first time the California native has competed in the Winternationals but he does have prior experience at the legendary drag strip. In the last event of his 11-race Top Fuel rookie season, at the 2019 NHRA Finals, Vandergriff beat Austin Prock in Round 1 before losing to Leah Pruett in the second.

Vandergriff sits seventh in the Funny Car point standings after the season’s first two races. He earned a semifinals finish at the season-opening Gatornationals in his John Force Racing debut and a second-round showing two weeks later in the Arizona heat.

Overall, John Force Racing drivers have won 32 times in three events at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip (17 times in the Winternationals, 14 times in the Finals plus John Force’s win in the 50^th Anniversary NHRA Nationals in 2001).

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings are: 1. Chad Green, 174; 2. Spencer Hyde, 156; 3. Ron Capps, 151; 4. J.R. Todd, 140; 5. Matt Hagan, 135; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 126; 7. Jordan Vandergriff, 125; 8. Paul Lee, 111; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 107; 10. Jack Beckman, 64.

Quotes

What are your thoughts on competing in the Winternationals for the first time at your home track?

“Pomona is my track is my hometown track. It’s the track I grew up going to and it holds a special place in my heart because it’s where drag racing was introduced to me. I’ve only run there once before, in my rookie year at the Finals. So, this will be my second time there and I can’t wait to be in the Cornwell Tools Funny Car.”

“Pomona was where I first got the feel for the speed and what it was about. It was the heyday of Tony Schumacher, when he was winning everything and John Force was winning everything. It was just a different era of drag racing when I was growing up, and now, to be ushering in this new era of drag racing at Pomona is unreal. So, I can’t wait to go back.”

What would it mean to you to earn your first event win in NHRA’s 1,000^th Funny Car race?

“Getting my first win in the NHRA’s 1000^th Funny Car race, at my hometown track, would be amazing. I think you couldn’t write a script any better than that, and Hollywood’s not too far away. It just would be unbelievable for it to happen and we’re going there with the idea that it’s going to happen. We have a good Cornwell Tools Chevy, and the weather should come into the wheelhouse, so we’ll be ready. Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker (crew chiefs) will tune that thing up and I’m going to hop in it and try to get that win.”

What is your assessment of the Cornwell Tools team’s progress two races into the 2026 season?

“The Cornwell team is great. Chris Cunningham leading us with Jason Bunker, and the team has really come together very quickly. We’re all really good friends already and I think that’s part of it. You know, you have to be good friends. You work together. you respect each other. That will usher in good results. But it all starts with Chris Cunningham. He is the right guy to be leading us. We’ve experienced some good results so far. We’re seventh of the points and I think we’ve done better than what seventh points looks like, honestly. I think we’ve performed well in these first two races.”

Stats

Pomona1	Race Result	Round Wins	Round Loss	Qualified	Event Record
2019 (TF)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2025 (TF)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Starts: 0

Wins: 0

No. 1 Qualifiers: 0

Event Round Record: 0-0

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features qualifying at 1:30 and 4 p.m. PT on Friday, April 10, and the final two rounds on Saturday, April 11 at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, April 12.

VANDERGRIFF EYES FIRST IN NHRA’s 1000th

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 8, 2026) – It was at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip that John Force Racing’s Jordan Vandergriff got his first taste of the sensory overload that is NHRA drag racing and it’s there during the April 8-10 NHRA Winternationals that the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car driver hopes earn his first event win in the sanctioning body’s 1,000^th Funny Car race.

This weekend will be the first time the California native has competed in the Winternationals but he does have prior experience at the legendary drag strip. In the last event of his 11-race Top Fuel rookie season, at the 2019 NHRA Finals, Vandergriff beat Austin Prock in Round 1 before losing to Leah Pruett in the second.

Vandergriff sits seventh in the Funny Car point standings after the season’s first two races. He earned a semifinals finish at the season-opening Gatornationals in his John Force Racing debut and a second-round showing two weeks later in the Arizona heat.

Overall, John Force Racing drivers have won 32 times in three events at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip (17 times in the Winternationals, 14 times in the Finals plus John Force’s win in the 50^th Anniversary NHRA Nationals in 2001).

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings are: 1. Chad Green, 174; 2. Spencer Hyde, 156; 3. Ron Capps, 151; 4. J.R. Todd, 140; 5. Matt Hagan, 135; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 126; 7. Jordan Vandergriff, 125; 8. Paul Lee, 111; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 107; 10. Jack Beckman, 64.

Quotes

What are your thoughts on competing in the Winternationals for the first time at your home track?

“Pomona is my track is my hometown track. It’s the track I grew up going to and it holds a special place in my heart because it’s where drag racing was introduced to me. I’ve only run there once before, in my rookie year at the Finals. So, this will be my second time there and I can’t wait to be in the Cornwell Tools Funny Car.”

“Pomona was where I first got the feel for the speed and what it was about. It was the heyday of Tony Schumacher, when he was winning everything and John Force was winning everything. It was just a different era of drag racing when I was growing up, and now, to be ushering in this new era of drag racing at Pomona is unreal. So, I can’t wait to go back.”

What would it mean to you to earn your first event win in NHRA’s 1,000^th Funny Car race?

“Getting my first win in the NHRA’s 1000^th Funny Car race, at my hometown track, would be amazing. I think you couldn’t write a script any better than that, and Hollywood’s not too far away. It just would be unbelievable for it to happen and we’re going there with the idea that it’s going to happen. We have a good Cornwell Tools Chevy, and the weather should come into the wheelhouse, so we’ll be ready. Chris Cunningham and Jason Bunker (crew chiefs) will tune that thing up and I’m going to hop in it and try to get that win.”

What is your assessment of the Cornwell Tools team’s progress two races into the 2026 season?

“The Cornwell team is great. Chris Cunningham leading us with Jason Bunker, and the team has really come together very quickly. We’re all really good friends already and I think that’s part of it. You know, you have to be good friends. You work together. you respect each other. That will usher in good results. But it all starts with Chris Cunningham. He is the right guy to be leading us. We’ve experienced some good results so far. We’re seventh of the points and I think we’ve done better than what seventh points looks like, honestly. I think we’ve performed well in these first two races.”

Stats

Pomona1	Race Result	Round Wins	Round Loss	Qualified	Event Record
2019 (TF)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2025 (TF)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Starts: 0

Wins: 0

No. 1 Qualifiers: 0

Event Round Record: 0-0

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features qualifying at 1:30 and 4 p.m. PT on Friday, April 10, and the final two rounds on Saturday, April 11 at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, April 12.

Television coverage on Sunday, April 12, 2026, includes a qualifying show from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET on FS1 and eliminations from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 8, 2026) – Los Angeles native Alexis DeJoria is using her hometown roots as the inspiration for her and her John Force Racing Bandero Quality Tequila Chevrolet SS Funny Car team to end up in winner’s circle at the conclusion of the April 8-10 NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip and, in doing so, capture victory in the sanctioning body’s 1000^th Funny Car race.

DeJoria is currently sixth in the Funny Car point standings after two of 20 races on the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Calendar. She finished runner-up in her John Force Racing debut at the Gatornationals and went out in the first round at Phoenix two weeks later to JFR teammate Jordan Vandergriff.

Bandero team crew chief Mike Neff has experienced the ultimate success at the Winternationals during his initial stint at John Force Racing. The Hemet, Calif., native was the crew chief for John Force when he won the Funny Car class in 2013 and qualified No. 1 in 2014.

Overall, John Force Racing drivers have won 32 times in three events at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip (17 times in the Winternationals, 14 times in the Finals plus John Force’s win in the 50^th Anniversary NHRA Nationals in 2001).

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings are: 1. Chad Green, 174; 2. Spencer Hyde, 156; 3. Ron Capps, 151; 4. J.R. Todd, 140; 5. Matt Hagan, 135; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 126; 7. Jordan Vandergriff, 125; 8. Paul Lee, 111; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 107; 10. Jack Beckman, 64.

Quotes

What’s it like racing at your home track?

“I’m looking forward to racing in Pomona, looking for redemption after that finish in Phoenix. We started off really strong, went to the finals at the first race of the season and then dropped down by losing first round in Phoenix. So, I’m definitely looking for redemption and Pomona’s always kind of been one of my home tracks because I’m a California native born and raised. I’ve never won there before so that’s always been on my bucket list. So, we’ll see what happens this weekend but I’m hoping for the best and continuing our early success with this Bandero team.”

“Pomona is where I first saw Funny Cars in person. I went there for the Winternationals when I was 16. I’ve also gone there for swap meets and stuff for my personal car collection but that was the first time I had ever seen professional drag racing in person and John Force in particular.”

What would winning NHRA’s 1000^th Funny Car race mean to you?

“Winning the 1000^th Funny Car race would be incredible. There’s the special trophy getting a special trophy and the prestige and obviously just the history of that racetrack. The whole year is significant for NHRA with the 75^th anniversary, but Pomona, that’s the place I’ve always wanted to win. and I’ve been to the finals (2021 In-N-Out Burger Finals), qualified number one (2014 Finals) but never got the trophy so we’ll see.”

How has the Bandero team progressed so far this season?

“Oh gosh. I think the Bandero team is gelling really well and for a brand new team that says a lot. I’m very, very grateful to be on such a successful team. You can just tell early on who’s going get along with who and where troubles happen, but I really haven’t seen any of that go down. We’re really blessed and I can’t wait to see what we’re going to achieve in our future, especially in the immediate future by going out there and having a good showing in Pomona.”

Stats

Pomona1	Race Result	Round Wins	Round Loss	Qualified	Event Record
2011 (FC)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2012 (FC)	1st round		Loss to J. Force	11th	0-1
2013 (FC)	1st round		Loss to J. Gray	10th	0-2
2014 (FC)	1st round		Loss to G. Densham	3rd	0-3
2015 (FC)	1st round		Loss to R. Capps	11th	0-4
2016 (FC)	2nd round	Def. J. Campbell	Loss to D. Worsham	4th	1-5
2017 (FC)	1st round		Loss to T. Johnson Jr	7th	1-6
2018	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2019	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2020(FC)	Semi-finals	Def. P. Lee, R. Hight	Loss to J. Beckman	11th	3-7
2021 (FC)	2nd round	Def. J. Rupert	Loss to J. Campbell	6th	4-8
2022 (FC)	2nd round	Def. J. Campbell	Loss to C. Pedregon	5th	5-9
2023 (FC)	2nd round	Def.  J. Arend	Loss to M. Hagan	2nd	6-10
2024 (FC)	DNQ	N/A	N/A	17th	6-10
2025 (FC)	1st round		Loss to M. Hagan	9th	6-11

Starts: 11

Wins: 0

No. 1 Qualifiers: 0

Event Round Record: 6-11

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features qualifying at 1:30 and 4 p.m. PT on Friday, April 10, and the final two rounds on Saturday, April 11 at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, April 12.

DEJORIA’S HOMETOWN EDGE TO CAPTURE NHRA’S 1000TH

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 8, 2026) – Los Angeles native Alexis DeJoria is using her hometown roots as the inspiration for her and her John Force Racing Bandero Quality Tequila Chevrolet SS Funny Car team to end up in winner’s circle at the conclusion of the April 8-10 NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip and, in doing so, capture victory in the sanctioning body’s 1000^th Funny Car race.

DeJoria is currently sixth in the Funny Car point standings after two of 20 races on the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Calendar. She finished runner-up in her John Force Racing debut at the Gatornationals and went out in the first round at Phoenix two weeks later to JFR teammate Jordan Vandergriff.

Bandero team crew chief Mike Neff has experienced the ultimate success at the Winternationals during his initial stint at John Force Racing. The Hemet, Calif., native was the crew chief for John Force when he won the Funny Car class in 2013 and qualified No. 1 in 2014.

Overall, John Force Racing drivers have won 32 times in three events at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip (17 times in the Winternationals, 14 times in the Finals plus John Force’s win in the 50^th Anniversary NHRA Nationals in 2001).

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car point standings are: 1. Chad Green, 174; 2. Spencer Hyde, 156; 3. Ron Capps, 151; 4. J.R. Todd, 140; 5. Matt Hagan, 135; 6. Alexis DeJoria, 126; 7. Jordan Vandergriff, 125; 8. Paul Lee, 111; 9. Daniel Wilkerson, 107; 10. Jack Beckman, 64.

Quotes

What’s it like racing at your home track?

“I’m looking forward to racing in Pomona, looking for redemption after that finish in Phoenix. We started off really strong, went to the finals at the first race of the season and then dropped down by losing first round in Phoenix. So, I’m definitely looking for redemption and Pomona’s always kind of been one of my home tracks because I’m a California native born and raised. I’ve never won there before so that’s always been on my bucket list. So, we’ll see what happens this weekend but I’m hoping for the best and continuing our early success with this Bandero team.”

“Pomona is where I first saw Funny Cars in person. I went there for the Winternationals when I was 16. I’ve also gone there for swap meets and stuff for my personal car collection but that was the first time I had ever seen professional drag racing in person and John Force in particular.”

What would winning NHRA’s 1000^th Funny Car race mean to you?

“Winning the 1000^th Funny Car race would be incredible. There’s the special trophy getting a special trophy and the prestige and obviously just the history of that racetrack. The whole year is significant for NHRA with the 75^th anniversary, but Pomona, that’s the place I’ve always wanted to win. and I’ve been to the finals (2021 In-N-Out Burger Finals), qualified number one (2014 Finals) but never got the trophy so we’ll see.”

How has the Bandero team progressed so far this season?

“Oh gosh. I think the Bandero team is gelling really well and for a brand new team that says a lot. I’m very, very grateful to be on such a successful team. You can just tell early on who’s going get along with who and where troubles happen, but I really haven’t seen any of that go down. We’re really blessed and I can’t wait to see what we’re going to achieve in our future, especially in the immediate future by going out there and having a good showing in Pomona.”

Stats

Pomona1	Race Result	Round Wins	Round Loss	Qualified	Event Record
2011 (FC)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2012 (FC)	1st round		Loss to J. Force	11th	0-1
2013 (FC)	1st round		Loss to J. Gray	10th	0-2
2014 (FC)	1st round		Loss to G. Densham	3rd	0-3
2015 (FC)	1st round		Loss to R. Capps	11th	0-4
2016 (FC)	2nd round	Def. J. Campbell	Loss to D. Worsham	4th	1-5
2017 (FC)	1st round		Loss to T. Johnson Jr	7th	1-6
2018	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2019	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2020(FC)	Semi-finals	Def. P. Lee, R. Hight	Loss to J. Beckman	11th	3-7
2021 (FC)	2nd round	Def. J. Rupert	Loss to J. Campbell	6th	4-8
2022 (FC)	2nd round	Def. J. Campbell	Loss to C. Pedregon	5th	5-9
2023 (FC)	2nd round	Def.  J. Arend	Loss to M. Hagan	2nd	6-10
2024 (FC)	DNQ	N/A	N/A	17th	6-10
2025 (FC)	1st round		Loss to M. Hagan	9th	6-11

Starts: 11

Wins: 0

No. 1 Qualifiers: 0

Event Round Record: 6-11

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features qualifying at 1:30 and 4 p.m. PT on Friday, April 10, and the final two rounds on Saturday, April 11 at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, April 12.

Television coverage on Sunday, April 12, 2026, includes a qualifying show from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET on FS1 and eliminations from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 8, 2026) – Speedmaster (www.speedmaster79.com), the global leader in high-performance automotive parts and motorsports culture, has increased its partnership to full primary sponsorship of John Force Racing’s Top Fuel Dragster team driven by Josh Hart in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

Speedmaster was announced as a co-primary partner with Hart’s Burnyzz Speed Shop on Jan. 28 of this year. Both Speedmaster and Burnyzz Speed Shop will continue to have brand identification on all four of John Force Racing’s teams throughout the year.

The Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster will make its debut at the April 10-12 NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

“I’ve never had a sponsor contribute so much so fast,” said Hart. “The partnership is beyond just parts and sponsorship for the race car. We quickly became friends. We quickly understand each other’s businesses. Jason’s been great. The whole Speedmaster team has really been kind of rallying behind this. He mentioned to me that this is a lifelong dream of his to be a primary sponsor on a Top Fuel car with John Force Racing. The fact that we were able to collaborate and put it together as quickly as we did is absolutely epic. Speedmaster stepping into the primary spot alleviates some pressure on me, puts them in the spotlight, which is what they deserve and, hopefully, it’s a long-term partnership for years to come.”

Hart won the 2026 NHRA season-opening Gatornationals on March 8 in his John Force Racing debut. A second-round finish two weeks later at the Arizona Nationals finds the team second in the point standings heading into the Winternationals.

Overall, John Force Racing drivers have won 32 times in three events at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip (17 times in the Winternationals, 14 times in the Finals plus John Force’s win in the 50^th Anniversary NHRA Nationals in 2001).

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings are: 1. Doug Kalitta, 176; 2. Josh Hart, 174; 3. Shawn Langdon, 170; 4. Leah Pruett, 158; 5. Maddi Gordon, 152; 6. Tony Stewart, 108; 7. Antron Brown, 107; 8. Tony Schumacher, 101; 9. Billy Torrence, 78; 10. (tie) Justin Ashley, 65 and Shawn Reed, 65.

Quotes

What is your assessment of the 2026 season just two races in?

“Even though we went out in the second round at Arizona, I think, as of right now, I may have already eclipsed all of my round wins from last year already this year. So, for me, this early season has been very positive. There’s a lot of momentum, a lot of excitement. The track was hot in Arizona so we can’t beat everybody up over that. And we know that the conditions in Pomona are always good. So, I’m very confident. I think we’ll be right there in the Top 5 as far as qualifying goes, which will change our stars on race day. And we’ll get this Speedmaster team right back in line.”

How is the communication on the team coming together with this new program?

“It’s a collaborative effort where we have to make a risk-versus-reward assessment before we make every run. So, in qualifying, if we’re happy with where we qualified, maybe we don’t push as hard. Maybe we try to get better data. If we’re not happy where we are in qualifying, we may push harder knowing that we potentially can smoke the tires, but we have a shot at improving our qualifying position. And those types of educated decisions amongst the Speedmaster team and myself is something that you can’t find everywhere. A lot of people do not operate that way so I’m very proud of the communication and definitely feeling a very good vibe between me and the team.”

Stats

Pomona1	Race Result	Round Wins	Round Loss	Qualified	Event Record
2021 (TF)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2022 (TF)	2nd round	Def S. Langdon	Loss to B. Force	9th	1-1
2023 (TF)	1st round		Loss to S. Torrence	9th	1-2
2024 (TF)	1st round		Loss to B. Torrence	14th	1-3
2025 (TF)	2nd round	Def J. Ashley	Loss to S. Langdon	6th	2-4

Starts: 4

Wins: 0

No. 1 Qualifiers: 0

Event Round Record: 2-4

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features qualifying at 1:30 and 4 p.m. PT on Friday, April 10, and the final two rounds on Saturday, April 11 at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, April 12.

SPEEDMASTER TO FULL PRIMARY ON HART’S TOP FUELER

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (APRIL 8, 2026) – Speedmaster (www.speedmaster79.com), the global leader in high-performance automotive parts and motorsports culture, has increased its partnership to full primary sponsorship of John Force Racing’s Top Fuel Dragster team driven by Josh Hart in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

Speedmaster was announced as a co-primary partner with Hart’s Burnyzz Speed Shop on Jan. 28 of this year. Both Speedmaster and Burnyzz Speed Shop will continue to have brand identification on all four of John Force Racing’s teams throughout the year.

The Speedmaster Top Fuel Dragster will make its debut at the April 10-12 NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

“I’ve never had a sponsor contribute so much so fast,” said Hart. “The partnership is beyond just parts and sponsorship for the race car. We quickly became friends. We quickly understand each other’s businesses. Jason’s been great. The whole Speedmaster team has really been kind of rallying behind this. He mentioned to me that this is a lifelong dream of his to be a primary sponsor on a Top Fuel car with John Force Racing. The fact that we were able to collaborate and put it together as quickly as we did is absolutely epic. Speedmaster stepping into the primary spot alleviates some pressure on me, puts them in the spotlight, which is what they deserve and, hopefully, it’s a long-term partnership for years to come.”

Hart won the 2026 NHRA season-opening Gatornationals on March 8 in his John Force Racing debut. A second-round finish two weeks later at the Arizona Nationals finds the team second in the point standings heading into the Winternationals.

Overall, John Force Racing drivers have won 32 times in three events at In-N-Out Pomona Dragstrip (17 times in the Winternationals, 14 times in the Finals plus John Force’s win in the 50^th Anniversary NHRA Nationals in 2001).

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel point standings are: 1. Doug Kalitta, 176; 2. Josh Hart, 174; 3. Shawn Langdon, 170; 4. Leah Pruett, 158; 5. Maddi Gordon, 152; 6. Tony Stewart, 108; 7. Antron Brown, 107; 8. Tony Schumacher, 101; 9. Billy Torrence, 78; 10. (tie) Justin Ashley, 65 and Shawn Reed, 65.

Quotes

What is your assessment of the 2026 season just two races in?

“Even though we went out in the second round at Arizona, I think, as of right now, I may have already eclipsed all of my round wins from last year already this year. So, for me, this early season has been very positive. There’s a lot of momentum, a lot of excitement. The track was hot in Arizona so we can’t beat everybody up over that. And we know that the conditions in Pomona are always good. So, I’m very confident. I think we’ll be right there in the Top 5 as far as qualifying goes, which will change our stars on race day. And we’ll get this Speedmaster team right back in line.”

How is the communication on the team coming together with this new program?

“It’s a collaborative effort where we have to make a risk-versus-reward assessment before we make every run. So, in qualifying, if we’re happy with where we qualified, maybe we don’t push as hard. Maybe we try to get better data. If we’re not happy where we are in qualifying, we may push harder knowing that we potentially can smoke the tires, but we have a shot at improving our qualifying position. And those types of educated decisions amongst the Speedmaster team and myself is something that you can’t find everywhere. A lot of people do not operate that way so I’m very proud of the communication and definitely feeling a very good vibe between me and the team.”

Stats

Pomona1	Race Result	Round Wins	Round Loss	Qualified	Event Record
2021 (TF)	Did Not Compete	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2022 (TF)	2nd round	Def S. Langdon	Loss to B. Force	9th	1-1
2023 (TF)	1st round		Loss to S. Torrence	9th	1-2
2024 (TF)	1st round		Loss to B. Torrence	14th	1-3
2025 (TF)	2nd round	Def J. Ashley	Loss to S. Langdon	6th	2-4

Starts: 4

Wins: 0

No. 1 Qualifiers: 0

Event Round Record: 2-4

Track & TV Schedules

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features qualifying at 1:30 and 4 p.m. PT on Friday, April 10, and the final two rounds on Saturday, April 11 at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. PT on Sunday, April 12.

Television coverage on Sunday, April 12, 2026, includes a qualifying show from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET on FS1 and eliminations from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

FARMER CITY, IL (April 8, 2026) – April 11, 2025, will always stand out as one of the most special days of Ethan Dotson’s racing career.

The Bakersfield, CA native was nearly a year into his stint as the driver of the ASD Motorsports No. 74X and had completed eight races in his rookie campaign with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision. The results had been decent, but a true breakout moment on the national Late Model scene eluded him.

Then came the 2025 Illini 100 at Farmer City Raceway.

Friday’s opening night didn’t produce anything out of the ordinary to start. Dotson timed in fifth in his Qualifying group, then finished third in his Heat Race to start ninth in the main event. But once the green flag flew in the Feature, it didn’t take him long to start plotting his way to the front.

Dotson got some help early with several frontrunners falling out of contention. Jason Feger and Ryan Gustin collided on the first lap, then Devin Moran ran into a slowing lap car while leading the race. By a Lap 14 restart, Dotson was up to third.

As the race wore on, it turned into a battle between best friends in Dotson and fellow Modified ace Drake Troutman. Both drivers were chasing their first World of Outlaws triumph, and on that night, it was Dotson’s turn to reach the checkered flag first.

“[Farmer City] wasn’t one of those places I felt like I was substantially better at,” Dotson said of his expectations going into the weekend. “But I feel like those tracks out there kind of fit my driving style a little bit better. A little more moisture, up on the wheel and stuff. But it’s definitely one of the places I look forward to going to every year.”

That Farmer City score was far from the first major victory of Dotson’s career. He’s a former IMCA Super Nationals champion, a career-defining accomplishment for anyone who has it on their resume. Dotson has topped some of the biggest races on the DIRTcar side of the Modified world as well, including the World Short Track Championship and the Emil and Dale Reutimann Memorial.

But the goal was always to compete and win at the highest level of Late Model racing, and last year’s victory meant accomplishing that lifelong mission.

“It’s pretty high, honestly,” Dotson said. “I mean, our first Outlaw race is pretty special to anyone, I think. Especially to me.”

In the 12 months since that night, the focus for Dotson has been replicating that magic. He picked up a win at Central Arizona Raceway during the Wild West Shootout in January, but the quest for World of Outlaws win number two is still ongoing.

That isn’t to say Dotson hasn’t had speed – he’s stood on the podium three times since Farmer City last year, and he enters this weekend having finished top 10 in six of the last eight Series races. But consistency isn’t enough. Dotson wants to prove to the world that he belongs, and the ASD team made the right decision in hiring him. The way he sees it, the only way to do that is to become a regular in World of Outlaws Victory Lane.

“We run decent, but just not as many wins as I’d like to see,” Dotson said. “I’m not satisfied. I want to be top three every night and winning some races. We’re just going to keep working harder until we can get there.”

Dotson and the rest of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision will resume the 2026 season at Farmer City Raceway on Friday-Saturday, April 10-11. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

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

Dotson Returning to Site of First World of Outlaws Win Hungry to Repeat

FARMER CITY, IL (April 8, 2026) – April 11, 2025, will always stand out as one of the most special days of Ethan Dotson’s racing career.

The Bakersfield, CA native was nearly a year into his stint as the driver of the ASD Motorsports No. 74X and had completed eight races in his rookie campaign with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision. The results had been decent, but a true breakout moment on the national Late Model scene eluded him.

Then came the 2025 Illini 100 at Farmer City Raceway.

Friday’s opening night didn’t produce anything out of the ordinary to start. Dotson timed in fifth in his Qualifying group, then finished third in his Heat Race to start ninth in the main event. But once the green flag flew in the Feature, it didn’t take him long to start plotting his way to the front.

Dotson got some help early with several frontrunners falling out of contention. Jason Feger and Ryan Gustin collided on the first lap, then Devin Moran ran into a slowing lap car while leading the race. By a Lap 14 restart, Dotson was up to third.

As the race wore on, it turned into a battle between best friends in Dotson and fellow Modified ace Drake Troutman. Both drivers were chasing their first World of Outlaws triumph, and on that night, it was Dotson’s turn to reach the checkered flag first.

“[Farmer City] wasn’t one of those places I felt like I was substantially better at,” Dotson said of his expectations going into the weekend. “But I feel like those tracks out there kind of fit my driving style a little bit better. A little more moisture, up on the wheel and stuff. But it’s definitely one of the places I look forward to going to every year.”

That Farmer City score was far from the first major victory of Dotson’s career. He’s a former IMCA Super Nationals champion, a career-defining accomplishment for anyone who has it on their resume. Dotson has topped some of the biggest races on the DIRTcar side of the Modified world as well, including the World Short Track Championship and the Emil and Dale Reutimann Memorial.

But the goal was always to compete and win at the highest level of Late Model racing, and last year’s victory meant accomplishing that lifelong mission.

“It’s pretty high, honestly,” Dotson said. “I mean, our first Outlaw race is pretty special to anyone, I think. Especially to me.”

In the 12 months since that night, the focus for Dotson has been replicating that magic. He picked up a win at Central Arizona Raceway during the Wild West Shootout in January, but the quest for World of Outlaws win number two is still ongoing.

That isn’t to say Dotson hasn’t had speed – he’s stood on the podium three times since Farmer City last year, and he enters this weekend having finished top 10 in six of the last eight Series races. But consistency isn’t enough. Dotson wants to prove to the world that he belongs, and the ASD team made the right decision in hiring him. The way he sees it, the only way to do that is to become a regular in World of Outlaws Victory Lane.

“We run decent, but just not as many wins as I’d like to see,” Dotson said. “I’m not satisfied. I want to be top three every night and winning some races. We’re just going to keep working harder until we can get there.”

Dotson and the rest of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision will resume the 2026 season at Farmer City Raceway on Friday-Saturday, April 10-11. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

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

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/dotson-returning-to-site-of-first-world-of-outlaws-win-hungry-to-repeat/

SALINA, OK (April 7, 2026) — Oklahoma. Home to the nation’s largest Micro Sprint hotspot, the Chili Bowl Nationals, and the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS). This weekend, the national 360 Sprint Car stars are coming home for a visit to one of the state’s fastest tracks and toughest regional competition.

Salina Highbanks Speedway hosts the Series for the 15th time in track history this Saturday, April 11, in a $4,000-to-win showdown with the ASCS Sooner Region. The 3/8-mile, high-banked oval will be the battleground for the event, which serves as the Sooner Region season opener and the eighth points race of the year on the national championship circuit.

The local B-Mod, Factory Stock and Pure Stock classes will also be in action to support. Tickets and pit passes will be sold at the track on race day. For all other event information, including important times and ticket prices, click here.

If you can’t be at the track, how can you watch the action? Every American Sprint Car Series race is broadcast live on DIRTVision.

Here are the drivers to watch for and storylines to follow this weekend:

STILL SEARCHING — Six-time and defending Series champion Sam Hafertepe Jr. comes into Salina as the current points leader by 40 over Matt Covington, still looking for his first Feature win of 2026.

Hafertepe, 40, of Sunnyvale, TX, leads all drivers with five top fives and six top-10 finishes through the first seven races of the season, but has yet to reach Victory Lane. He’s come close three times, landing on the podium in three of the four races contested in the inaugural Sonoran Clash at Central Arizona in February.

Fortunately, Hafertepe has been strong in the Hill’s Racing Team No. 15H at Salina, as he comes into the track as the defending race winner after topping Seth Bergman and Sean McClelland there one year ago, matching the other win he scored in 2014.

KING OF THE SOONERS — Racing alongside Hafertepe will be another six-time and defending champion of the ASCS Sooner Region in Sean McClelland.

The 51-year-old Tulsa native will open his 360 Sprint Car season at Salina after clinching his most recent Sooner Region championship in November, making him the championship-winningest driver in Region history. So far in 2026, McClelland has made two Sprint Car starts, both at Creek County Speedway, with both the 410 and 305 cubic-inch engines under the hood.

One year ago, McClelland gave the national Series regulars a challenge at Salina, starting fourth on the grid and finishing third to Bergman and Hafertepe. History is on his side at the track as well, with five career top-five finishes recorded in OCRS 305 Sprint Car action and one win.

NO. 1 CONTENDER — Seven races into the season, Matt Covington sits only 40 points behind Hafertepe for the Series points lead and remains Hafertepe’s biggest competition for the national points championship.

Covington, 36, of Glenpool, OK, is the only current Series championship chaser who has been to ASCS Victory Lane so far this year, taking the checkered flag on the second night of action at Central Arizona. That night, he took control of the points lead but relinquished it to Hafertepe after the two races the following weekend.

Historically, Covington has yet to see to the success at Salina like some of his competitors with only two top-five finishes in eight career starts, but those two standout runs were his two most recent. He drove seventh-to-fourth with the national tour in 2023 before a 10th-to-fifth run there one year ago.

BOUNCING BACK — After starting the season in Florida without a single top-10 finish, Seth Bergman has climbed back into a groove of consistency as of late, coming into Salina riding a streak of four-straight top-10 finishes.

Bergman, the 2024 Series champion from Snohomish, WA, opened his 2026 campaign with finishes of 15th and 21st in the two of three Features he started at Volusia Speedway Park in January. But Central Arizona was a turnaround with four-straight top-10 results, including a best fourth place in the finale on March 1.

This trend upward looks good to continue this weekend, considering the runner-up finish he scored at the track one year ago.

OKLAHOMA’S FINEST — Whit Gastineau is currently riding one of the biggest waves of success in his career and is poised to continue it this Saturday.

The 41-year-old from Moore, OK, is currently sitting sixth in the Series points standings with four top-10 finishes over the first seven races. Though his plans to chase the ASCS national schedule remain fluid at this point, he’s shown his worthiness to compete against the full-time stars after bagging two Feature wins in October 2025 and qualifying for all three main events at Volusia with two top-10 results.

He’s seen success at Salina as well, posting two OCRS 305 wins, 13 top-fives and 16 top-10s in 23 career starts. One year ago, Gastineau earned a third-place spot on the starting grid before a late-race incident cut his race short.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE 

• Saturday, April 11 at Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, OK

TRACK FACTS

• High-banked, 3/8-mile oval
• Track Record — 13.353 seconds set by Blake Hahn on August 26, 2023

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 (7/35 Races)

1.        Sam Hafertepe Jr. (664pts)

2.        Matt Covington 624pts (–40)

3.        Kyler Johnson 597pts (–67)

4.        Seth Bergman 569pts (–95)

5.        Hank Davis 567pts (–97)

6.        Whit Gastineau 541pts (–123)

7.        Levi Hillier 535pts (–129)

8.        Justin Peck 531pts (–133)

9.        Ryder Laplante 518pts (–146)

10.  Austyn Gossel 473pts (–191)

FEATURE WINNERS (5 Drivers):

1.        Tyler Courtney, Justin Peck (2 wins)

2.        Brady Bacon, Levi Hillier, Matt Covington (1 win)

FEATURE LAPS LED (9 Drivers)

1.        Justin Peck (52 laps)

2.        Levi Hillier (30 laps)

3.        Austin McCarl (21 laps)

4.        Brady Bacon, Matt Covington (18 laps)

5.        Cameron Martin (16 laps)

6.        Brian Brown (13 laps)

7.        Kyler Johnson (10 laps)

8.        Cole Macedo (7 laps)

9.        Tyler Courtney (6 laps)

QUICK TIME AWARDS (4 Drivers)

1.        Sam Hafertepe Jr. (3 awards)

2.        Chris Martin, Levi Hillier, Kyler Johnson (1 award)

HEAT RACE WINNERS (19 Drivers)

1.        Matt Covington (3 wins)

2.        Whit Gastineau, Chris Martin, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Justin Peck (2 wins)

3.        Brady Bacon, Tyler Clem, Emerson Axsom, Brian Brown, Cole Macedo, Garen Linder, Colby Copeland, Nick Parker, Hank Davis, Ryder Laplante, JJ Hickle, Seth Bergman, Kyler Johnson, Alex Hill (1 win)

DASH APPEARANCES (25 Drivers)

1.        Sam Hafertepe Jr. (5 appearances)

2.        Whit Gastineau, Levi Hillier, Kyler Johnson, Matt Covington (4 appearances)

3.        Tyler Courtney, Brian Brown, Justin Peck (3 appearances)

4.        Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Brady Bacon, Davie Franek, Chris Martin (2 appearances)

5.        Brock Zearfoss, Cameron Martin, Cole Macedo, Tyler Clem, Hank Davis, Ryder Laplante, Nick Parker, Colby Copeland, Garen Linder, JJ Hickle, Seth Bergman, Alex Hill (1 appearance)

SMITH TITANIUM LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (6 Drivers)

1.        Braxton Weger (2 wins)

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

HARD CHARGER AWARDS (7 Drivers)

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

PODIUM FINISHES (12 Drivers)

1.        Justin Peck, Sam Hafertepe Jr. (3 podiums)

2.        Tyler Courtney, Brady Bacon, Austin McCarl, Matt Covington, Levi Hillier (2 podiums)

3.        Cole Macedo, Brock Zearfoss, Emerson Axsom, Kyler Johnson, JJ Hickle (1 podium)

2026 SCHEDULE + WINNERS

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

1.        Thu, Jan. 29 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tyler Courtney (1)

2.        Fri, Jan. 30 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tyler Courtney (2)

3.        Sat, Jan. 31 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brady Bacon (1)

4.        Sat, Feb. 21 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Justin Peck (1)

5.        Sun, Feb. 22 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Matt Covington (1)

6.        Sat, Feb. 28 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Justin Peck (2)

TOP FIVE STORYLINES: American Sprint Car Series Meets Sooner Region at Salina Highbanks

SALINA, OK (April 7, 2026) — Oklahoma. Home to the nation’s largest Micro Sprint hotspot, the Chili Bowl Nationals, and the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS). This weekend, the national 360 Sprint Car stars are coming home for a visit to one of the state’s fastest tracks and toughest regional competition.

Salina Highbanks Speedway hosts the Series for the 15th time in track history this Saturday, April 11, in a $4,000-to-win showdown with the ASCS Sooner Region. The 3/8-mile, high-banked oval will be the battleground for the event, which serves as the Sooner Region season opener and the eighth points race of the year on the national championship circuit.

The local B-Mod, Factory Stock and Pure Stock classes will also be in action to support. Tickets and pit passes will be sold at the track on race day. For all other event information, including important times and ticket prices, click here.

If you can’t be at the track, how can you watch the action? Every American Sprint Car Series race is broadcast live on DIRTVision.

Here are the drivers to watch for and storylines to follow this weekend:

STILL SEARCHING — Six-time and defending Series champion Sam Hafertepe Jr. comes into Salina as the current points leader by 40 over Matt Covington, still looking for his first Feature win of 2026.

Hafertepe, 40, of Sunnyvale, TX, leads all drivers with five top fives and six top-10 finishes through the first seven races of the season, but has yet to reach Victory Lane. He’s come close three times, landing on the podium in three of the four races contested in the inaugural Sonoran Clash at Central Arizona in February.

Fortunately, Hafertepe has been strong in the Hill’s Racing Team No. 15H at Salina, as he comes into the track as the defending race winner after topping Seth Bergman and Sean McClelland there one year ago, matching the other win he scored in 2014.

KING OF THE SOONERS — Racing alongside Hafertepe will be another six-time and defending champion of the ASCS Sooner Region in Sean McClelland.

The 51-year-old Tulsa native will open his 360 Sprint Car season at Salina after clinching his most recent Sooner Region championship in November, making him the championship-winningest driver in Region history. So far in 2026, McClelland has made two Sprint Car starts, both at Creek County Speedway, with both the 410 and 305 cubic-inch engines under the hood.

One year ago, McClelland gave the national Series regulars a challenge at Salina, starting fourth on the grid and finishing third to Bergman and Hafertepe. History is on his side at the track as well, with five career top-five finishes recorded in OCRS 305 Sprint Car action and one win.

NO. 1 CONTENDER — Seven races into the season, Matt Covington sits only 40 points behind Hafertepe for the Series points lead and remains Hafertepe’s biggest competition for the national points championship.

Covington, 36, of Glenpool, OK, is the only current Series championship chaser who has been to ASCS Victory Lane so far this year, taking the checkered flag on the second night of action at Central Arizona. That night, he took control of the points lead but relinquished it to Hafertepe after the two races the following weekend.

Historically, Covington has yet to see to the success at Salina like some of his competitors with only two top-five finishes in eight career starts, but those two standout runs were his two most recent. He drove seventh-to-fourth with the national tour in 2023 before a 10th-to-fifth run there one year ago.

BOUNCING BACK — After starting the season in Florida without a single top-10 finish, Seth Bergman has climbed back into a groove of consistency as of late, coming into Salina riding a streak of four-straight top-10 finishes.

Bergman, the 2024 Series champion from Snohomish, WA, opened his 2026 campaign with finishes of 15th and 21st in the two of three Features he started at Volusia Speedway Park in January. But Central Arizona was a turnaround with four-straight top-10 results, including a best fourth place in the finale on March 1.

This trend upward looks good to continue this weekend, considering the runner-up finish he scored at the track one year ago.

OKLAHOMA’S FINEST — Whit Gastineau is currently riding one of the biggest waves of success in his career and is poised to continue it this Saturday.

The 41-year-old from Moore, OK, is currently sitting sixth in the Series points standings with four top-10 finishes over the first seven races. Though his plans to chase the ASCS national schedule remain fluid at this point, he’s shown his worthiness to compete against the full-time stars after bagging two Feature wins in October 2025 and qualifying for all three main events at Volusia with two top-10 results.

He’s seen success at Salina as well, posting two OCRS 305 wins, 13 top-fives and 16 top-10s in 23 career starts. One year ago, Gastineau earned a third-place spot on the starting grid before a late-race incident cut his race short.

THIS WEEKEND AT A GLANCE

WHEN AND WHERE 

• Saturday, April 11 at Salina Highbanks Speedway in Salina, OK

TRACK FACTS

• High-banked, 3/8-mile oval
• Track Record — 13.353 seconds set by Blake Hahn on August 26, 2023

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 (7/35 Races)

1.        Sam Hafertepe Jr. (664pts)

2.        Matt Covington 624pts (–40)

3.        Kyler Johnson 597pts (–67)

4.        Seth Bergman 569pts (–95)

5.        Hank Davis 567pts (–97)

6.        Whit Gastineau 541pts (–123)

7.        Levi Hillier 535pts (–129)

8.        Justin Peck 531pts (–133)

9.        Ryder Laplante 518pts (–146)

10.  Austyn Gossel 473pts (–191)

FEATURE WINNERS (5 Drivers):

1.        Tyler Courtney, Justin Peck (2 wins)

2.        Brady Bacon, Levi Hillier, Matt Covington (1 win)

FEATURE LAPS LED (9 Drivers)

1.        Justin Peck (52 laps)

2.        Levi Hillier (30 laps)

3.        Austin McCarl (21 laps)

4.        Brady Bacon, Matt Covington (18 laps)

5.        Cameron Martin (16 laps)

6.        Brian Brown (13 laps)

7.        Kyler Johnson (10 laps)

8.        Cole Macedo (7 laps)

9.        Tyler Courtney (6 laps)

QUICK TIME AWARDS (4 Drivers)

1.        Sam Hafertepe Jr. (3 awards)

2.        Chris Martin, Levi Hillier, Kyler Johnson (1 award)

HEAT RACE WINNERS (19 Drivers)

1.        Matt Covington (3 wins)

2.        Whit Gastineau, Chris Martin, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Justin Peck (2 wins)

3.        Brady Bacon, Tyler Clem, Emerson Axsom, Brian Brown, Cole Macedo, Garen Linder, Colby Copeland, Nick Parker, Hank Davis, Ryder Laplante, JJ Hickle, Seth Bergman, Kyler Johnson, Alex Hill (1 win)

DASH APPEARANCES (25 Drivers)

1.        Sam Hafertepe Jr. (5 appearances)

2.        Whit Gastineau, Levi Hillier, Kyler Johnson, Matt Covington (4 appearances)

3.        Tyler Courtney, Brian Brown, Justin Peck (3 appearances)

4.        Emerson Axsom, Austin McCarl, Brady Bacon, Davie Franek, Chris Martin (2 appearances)

5.        Brock Zearfoss, Cameron Martin, Cole Macedo, Tyler Clem, Hank Davis, Ryder Laplante, Nick Parker, Colby Copeland, Garen Linder, JJ Hickle, Seth Bergman, Alex Hill (1 appearance)

SMITH TITANIUM LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (6 Drivers)

1.        Braxton Weger (2 wins)

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

HARD CHARGER AWARDS (7 Drivers)

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

PODIUM FINISHES (12 Drivers)

1.        Justin Peck, Sam Hafertepe Jr. (3 podiums)

2.        Tyler Courtney, Brady Bacon, Austin McCarl, Matt Covington, Levi Hillier (2 podiums)

3.        Cole Macedo, Brock Zearfoss, Emerson Axsom, Kyler Johnson, JJ Hickle (1 podium)

2026 SCHEDULE + WINNERS

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

1.        Thu, Jan. 29 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tyler Courtney (1)

2.        Fri, Jan. 30 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Tyler Courtney (2)

3.        Sat, Jan. 31 / Volusia Speedway Park / Barberville, FL / Brady Bacon (1)

4.        Sat, Feb. 21 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Justin Peck (1)

5.        Sun, Feb. 22 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Matt Covington (1)

6.        Sat, Feb. 28 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Justin Peck (2)

7.        Sun, March 1 / Central Arizona Raceway / Casa Grande, AZ / Levi Hillier (1)

FARMER CITY, IL (April 7, 2026) – April has arrived, and that means race season is here in the “Land of Lincoln.”

As it has for the past two decades, the Illini 100 is back as the first major dirt track event of the year in Illinois and the first Midwest stop of the season for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision.

A practice night on Thursday, April 9, will give teams a chance to get acclimated to the black-dirt 1/4-mile before racing begins on Friday, April 10. A $12,000 prize will be up for grabs in the 40-lap lid lifter ahead of the finale on Saturday, April 11, which pays $25,000 to the winner of the 60-lap contest.

In addition to the World of Outlaws, the Illini 100 will also play host to the season opener for the MARS Modified Championship powered by Summit Racing Equipment.

GET TICKETS

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVISION

Here are this week’s top storylines:

SEPARATED BY THREE: The margin at the top of the points table remains razor thin entering the first Illinois bullring battle of the year.

Bobby Pierce and Nick Hoffman had already established themselves as the top two drivers in tour prior to the last weekend of racing at East Alabama Motor Speedway and Senoia Raceway, and they further proved that point by the end of the southern doubleheader. Hoffman took command late to pick up his fourth win of the year at East Alabama before Pierce matched him one night later at Senoia.

One glance at the stat sheet tells the story – Pierce and Hoffman’s average finishes of 3.7 and 3.5, respectively, are both more than six spots better than anyone else. They’ve combined to lead 233 laps in Features this season, more than double the rest of the full-time roster combined. They’re also the only two drivers to clear six figures in race winnings, while the next closest competitor is Tim McCreadie at $55,000.

This weekend’s visit to Farmer City is a special one for both drivers. The track is less than an hour away from Pierce’s home in Oakwood, IL, while Hoffman grew up a few hours down the road in Belleville, IL, prior to moving to North Carolina, and has experienced plenty of Farmer City success in both a Late Model and a DIRTcar UMP Modified. Both men are former World of Outlaws winners at the track, and they were the two main characters in one of Farmer City’s most thrilling moments in 2024 when Hoffman went sliding off the track to beat Pierce to the line.

FIRST WIN INCOMING?: Few would have predicted that 14 races into the season, Ryan Gustin would still be searching for his first victory of 2026.

The Marshalltown, IA driver hasn’t had a bad season to this point. His four top fives and eight top 10s have him fourth in points entering Farmer City, 137 markers behind Pierce out front and 21 back from McCreadie in third. Gustin has won four Heat Races this year, which has translated to a 9.36 average starting spot that is the second-best in the Series behind Hoffman. His only issue has been staying up front, as his 10.29 average finish means he’s the only driver in the top 10 in points with a negative Feature plus/minus.

If this is going to be the weekend Gustin breaks into Victory Lane, he’ll need a big turnaround from his past results at Farmer City. A fifth-place run in 2023 is his only top five in seven World of Outlaws starts there, and his last four starts have yielded finishes of 16th, 21st, 12th and 14th.

OH SO CLOSE: One of the highlights of the tour’s last weekend of competition was Daulton Wilson nearly becoming the 105th different winner in World of Outlaws history.

“Big Perm” made all the right moves at East Alabama to keep Hoffman behind him until he jumped the cushion in Turn 4 coming to the two-to-go signal, giving Hoffman all the room he needed to squeeze by and delay Wilson’s maiden victory to another day. That run, along with several more like it, has him fifth in the standings, one point clear of Tyler Erb in the battle for the last spot in the top five.

Despite growing up in Fayetteville, NC, Wilson has grown fond of the Illinois bullrings in recent years. Prior to his runner-up at East Alabama, Wilson’s World of Outlaws career best was third on four occasions, one of them being the 2024 Prairie Dirt Classic at nearby Fairbury Speedway. Back at Farmer City, Wilson will be making his first World of Outlaws start at the track this weekend, but has a pair of top 10s to his credit from the track’s Illinois Speedweek date in 2023 and with the DIRTcar Summer Nationals in 2025.

BACK FOR MORE: If Wilson can get the job done this weekend, it wouldn’t be out of line for the Illini 100. Three drivers have won their first World of Outlaws race at Farmer City – Pierce and Mike Spatola on back-to-back nights in 2021, then Ethan Dotson last year.

Twelve months later, the driver of the ASD Motorsports No. 74X is still chasing win number two. There have been a few close calls, including a trio of podiums at Norman County Raceway and Senoia Raceway last season and at Hendry County Motorsports Park in February. However, he did score a win at Central Arizona Raceway during the Wild West Shootout against a field that featured World of Outlaws regulars like Pierce, Gustin, Tyler Erb and more.

Outside of Dotson’s highlight reel run-ins with Kyle Strickler, the opening weeks of the season have seen him be a consistent presence toward the front of the field with six top 10s in the last eight races dating back to his Hendry County runner-up. That leaves Dotson seventh in points ahead of Farmer City, due in large part to his 79 positions gained in Features, the second-best mark in the Series behind Pierce at +93.

FIGHTING ILLINI: Illinois is known for having one of the toughest contingents of regional Late Model racers in the country, many of whom will hit the track for the first time in 2026 this weekend.

Leading the way is Bloomington, IL’s Jason Feger, who earned the Midwest triple crown last season with titles from the Summer Nationals, MARS Late Model Championship and the DIRTcar national standings. He’s already done some racing in 2026 down under in New Zealand, but will make his first North American start of the season at Farmer City.

One of the state’s most popular drivers, Shannon Babb, is also set to bring his offseason to an end. The Moweaqua, IL driver is coming off a two-win 2025 campaign and is a two-time World of Outlaws winner at Farmer City in 2007 and 2014.

Other Illinois favorites expected this weekend include Brandon Sheppard, Brian Shirley, Ryan Unzicker, Frank Heckenast Jr., McKay Wenger and more.

WHEN AND WHERE:
Friday-Saturday, April 10-11, at Farmer City Raceway in Farmer City, IL

CURRENT POINT STANDINGS:
1. Bobby Pierce (1909 points)
2. Nick Hoffman (-3)
3. Tim McCreadie (-116)
4. Ryan Gustin (-137)
5. Daulton Wilson (-153)
6. Tyler Erb (-154)
7. Ethan Dotson (-175)
8. Drake Troutman (-180)
9. Dustin Sorensen (-228)
10. Dennis Erb Jr. (-238)

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

FEATURE TOP FIVES (18):
Nick Hoffman – 12
Bobby Pierce – 10
Chris Madden – 5
Tim McCreadie – 5
Brandon Sheppard – 4
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 4
Tyler Erb – 4
Drake Troutman – 4
Ryan Gustin – 4
Hudson O’Neal – 3
Jonathan Davenport – 3
Ethan Dotson – 2
Ashton Winger – 2
Daulton Wilson – 2
Dennis Erb Jr. – 2
Dale McDowell – 2
Mike Marlar – 1
Brandon Overton – 1

FEATURE LAPS LED (17):
Nick Hoffman – 157
Bobby Pierce – 76
Chris Madden – 73
Hudson O’Neal – 45
Jonathan Davenport – 45
Mike Marlar – 39
Daulton Wilson – 37
Tim McCreadie – 28
Drake Troutman – 26
Ryan Gustin – 22
Ashton Winger – 22
Brandon Sheppard – 18
Brandon Overton – 12
Michael Leach – 10
Sam Seawright – 5
Dale McDowell – 4
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 2

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

SIMPSON QUICK TIME AWARDS (10):
Chris Madden – 5
Bobby Pierce – 1
Hudson O’Neal – 1
Tyler Erb – 1
Drake Troutman – 1
Jonathan Davenport – 1
Brandon Overton – 1
Michael Leach – 1
Sam Seawright – 1
Cody Overton – 1

HEAT RACE WINS (26):
Nick Hoffman – 8
Chris Madden – 7
Bobby Pierce – 5
Tyler Erb – 5
Ryan Gustin – 4
Drake Troutman – 3
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 3
Brandon Overton – 3
Hudson O’Neal – 2
Brandon Sheppard – 2
Jonathan Davenport – 2
Daulton Wilson – 2
Tim McCreadie – 1
Mike Marlar – 1
Dennis Erb Jr. – 1
Dale McDowell – 1
Ashton Winger – 1
Sam Seawright – 1
Cody Overton – 1
Tristan Chamberlain – 1
Dan Ebert – 1
Austin Smith – 1
Dustin Sorensen – 1
Blair Nothdurft – 1
Michael Leach – 1
Donald McIntosh – 1

LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (19):
Dennis Erb Jr. – 3
Josh Rice – 3
Bobby Pierce – 2
Ethan Dotson – 2
Tim McCreadie – 1
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 1
Daulton Wilson – 1
Michaerl Leach – 1
Logan Zarin – 1
Cory Hedgecock – 1
Jake Timm – 1
Tristan Chamberlain – 1
Cody Overton – 1
Dallon Murty – 1
Carson Ferguson – 1
Luke Morey – 1
Dalton Cook – 1
Shane Clanton – 1
Michael Page – 1

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

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/top-five-storylines-first-midwest-weekend-of-2026-brings-world-of-outlaws-to-farmer-city/

EVENT INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/schedule/event-info/?event=4549445
TRACK INFO: https://www.farmercityracing.com/

TOP FIVE STORYLINES: First Midwest Weekend of 2026 Brings World of Outlaws to Farmer City

FARMER CITY, IL (April 7, 2026) – April has arrived, and that means race season is here in the “Land of Lincoln.”

As it has for the past two decades, the Illini 100 is back as the first major dirt track event of the year in Illinois and the first Midwest stop of the season for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision.

A practice night on Thursday, April 9, will give teams a chance to get acclimated to the black-dirt 1/4-mile before racing begins on Friday, April 10. A $12,000 prize will be up for grabs in the 40-lap lid lifter ahead of the finale on Saturday, April 11, which pays $25,000 to the winner of the 60-lap contest.

In addition to the World of Outlaws, the Illini 100 will also play host to the season opener for the MARS Modified Championship powered by Summit Racing Equipment.

GET TICKETS

WATCH LIVE ON DIRTVISION

Here are this week’s top storylines:

SEPARATED BY THREE: The margin at the top of the points table remains razor thin entering the first Illinois bullring battle of the year.

Bobby Pierce and Nick Hoffman had already established themselves as the top two drivers in tour prior to the last weekend of racing at East Alabama Motor Speedway and Senoia Raceway, and they further proved that point by the end of the southern doubleheader. Hoffman took command late to pick up his fourth win of the year at East Alabama before Pierce matched him one night later at Senoia.

One glance at the stat sheet tells the story – Pierce and Hoffman’s average finishes of 3.7 and 3.5, respectively, are both more than six spots better than anyone else. They’ve combined to lead 233 laps in Features this season, more than double the rest of the full-time roster combined. They’re also the only two drivers to clear six figures in race winnings, while the next closest competitor is Tim McCreadie at $55,000.

This weekend’s visit to Farmer City is a special one for both drivers. The track is less than an hour away from Pierce’s home in Oakwood, IL, while Hoffman grew up a few hours down the road in Belleville, IL, prior to moving to North Carolina, and has experienced plenty of Farmer City success in both a Late Model and a DIRTcar UMP Modified. Both men are former World of Outlaws winners at the track, and they were the two main characters in one of Farmer City’s most thrilling moments in 2024 when Hoffman went sliding off the track to beat Pierce to the line.

FIRST WIN INCOMING?: Few would have predicted that 14 races into the season, Ryan Gustin would still be searching for his first victory of 2026.

The Marshalltown, IA driver hasn’t had a bad season to this point. His four top fives and eight top 10s have him fourth in points entering Farmer City, 137 markers behind Pierce out front and 21 back from McCreadie in third. Gustin has won four Heat Races this year, which has translated to a 9.36 average starting spot that is the second-best in the Series behind Hoffman. His only issue has been staying up front, as his 10.29 average finish means he’s the only driver in the top 10 in points with a negative Feature plus/minus.

If this is going to be the weekend Gustin breaks into Victory Lane, he’ll need a big turnaround from his past results at Farmer City. A fifth-place run in 2023 is his only top five in seven World of Outlaws starts there, and his last four starts have yielded finishes of 16th, 21st, 12th and 14th.

OH SO CLOSE: One of the highlights of the tour’s last weekend of competition was Daulton Wilson nearly becoming the 105th different winner in World of Outlaws history.

“Big Perm” made all the right moves at East Alabama to keep Hoffman behind him until he jumped the cushion in Turn 4 coming to the two-to-go signal, giving Hoffman all the room he needed to squeeze by and delay Wilson’s maiden victory to another day. That run, along with several more like it, has him fifth in the standings, one point clear of Tyler Erb in the battle for the last spot in the top five.

Despite growing up in Fayetteville, NC, Wilson has grown fond of the Illinois bullrings in recent years. Prior to his runner-up at East Alabama, Wilson’s World of Outlaws career best was third on four occasions, one of them being the 2024 Prairie Dirt Classic at nearby Fairbury Speedway. Back at Farmer City, Wilson will be making his first World of Outlaws start at the track this weekend, but has a pair of top 10s to his credit from the track’s Illinois Speedweek date in 2023 and with the DIRTcar Summer Nationals in 2025.

BACK FOR MORE: If Wilson can get the job done this weekend, it wouldn’t be out of line for the Illini 100. Three drivers have won their first World of Outlaws race at Farmer City – Pierce and Mike Spatola on back-to-back nights in 2021, then Ethan Dotson last year.

Twelve months later, the driver of the ASD Motorsports No. 74X is still chasing win number two. There have been a few close calls, including a trio of podiums at Norman County Raceway and Senoia Raceway last season and at Hendry County Motorsports Park in February. However, he did score a win at Central Arizona Raceway during the Wild West Shootout against a field that featured World of Outlaws regulars like Pierce, Gustin, Tyler Erb and more.

Outside of Dotson’s highlight reel run-ins with Kyle Strickler, the opening weeks of the season have seen him be a consistent presence toward the front of the field with six top 10s in the last eight races dating back to his Hendry County runner-up. That leaves Dotson seventh in points ahead of Farmer City, due in large part to his 79 positions gained in Features, the second-best mark in the Series behind Pierce at +93.

FIGHTING ILLINI: Illinois is known for having one of the toughest contingents of regional Late Model racers in the country, many of whom will hit the track for the first time in 2026 this weekend.

Leading the way is Bloomington, IL’s Jason Feger, who earned the Midwest triple crown last season with titles from the Summer Nationals, MARS Late Model Championship and the DIRTcar national standings. He’s already done some racing in 2026 down under in New Zealand, but will make his first North American start of the season at Farmer City.

One of the state’s most popular drivers, Shannon Babb, is also set to bring his offseason to an end. The Moweaqua, IL driver is coming off a two-win 2025 campaign and is a two-time World of Outlaws winner at Farmer City in 2007 and 2014.

Other Illinois favorites expected this weekend include Brandon Sheppard, Brian Shirley, Ryan Unzicker, Frank Heckenast Jr., McKay Wenger and more.

WHEN AND WHERE:
Friday-Saturday, April 10-11, at Farmer City Raceway in Farmer City, IL

CURRENT POINT STANDINGS:
1. Bobby Pierce (1909 points)
2. Nick Hoffman (-3)
3. Tim McCreadie (-116)
4. Ryan Gustin (-137)
5. Daulton Wilson (-153)
6. Tyler Erb (-154)
7. Ethan Dotson (-175)
8. Drake Troutman (-180)
9. Dustin Sorensen (-228)
10. Dennis Erb Jr. (-238)

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

FEATURE TOP FIVES (18):
Nick Hoffman – 12
Bobby Pierce – 10
Chris Madden – 5
Tim McCreadie – 5
Brandon Sheppard – 4
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 4
Tyler Erb – 4
Drake Troutman – 4
Ryan Gustin – 4
Hudson O’Neal – 3
Jonathan Davenport – 3
Ethan Dotson – 2
Ashton Winger – 2
Daulton Wilson – 2
Dennis Erb Jr. – 2
Dale McDowell – 2
Mike Marlar – 1
Brandon Overton – 1

FEATURE LAPS LED (17):
Nick Hoffman – 157
Bobby Pierce – 76
Chris Madden – 73
Hudson O’Neal – 45
Jonathan Davenport – 45
Mike Marlar – 39
Daulton Wilson – 37
Tim McCreadie – 28
Drake Troutman – 26
Ryan Gustin – 22
Ashton Winger – 22
Brandon Sheppard – 18
Brandon Overton – 12
Michael Leach – 10
Sam Seawright – 5
Dale McDowell – 4
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 2

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

SIMPSON QUICK TIME AWARDS (10):
Chris Madden – 5
Bobby Pierce – 1
Hudson O’Neal – 1
Tyler Erb – 1
Drake Troutman – 1
Jonathan Davenport – 1
Brandon Overton – 1
Michael Leach – 1
Sam Seawright – 1
Cody Overton – 1

HEAT RACE WINS (26):
Nick Hoffman – 8
Chris Madden – 7
Bobby Pierce – 5
Tyler Erb – 5
Ryan Gustin – 4
Drake Troutman – 3
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 3
Brandon Overton – 3
Hudson O’Neal – 2
Brandon Sheppard – 2
Jonathan Davenport – 2
Daulton Wilson – 2
Tim McCreadie – 1
Mike Marlar – 1
Dennis Erb Jr. – 1
Dale McDowell – 1
Ashton Winger – 1
Sam Seawright – 1
Cody Overton – 1
Tristan Chamberlain – 1
Dan Ebert – 1
Austin Smith – 1
Dustin Sorensen – 1
Blair Nothdurft – 1
Michael Leach – 1
Donald McIntosh – 1

LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINS (19):
Dennis Erb Jr. – 3
Josh Rice – 3
Bobby Pierce – 2
Ethan Dotson – 2
Tim McCreadie – 1
Ricky Thornton Jr. – 1
Daulton Wilson – 1
Michaerl Leach – 1
Logan Zarin – 1
Cory Hedgecock – 1
Jake Timm – 1
Tristan Chamberlain – 1
Cody Overton – 1
Dallon Murty – 1
Carson Ferguson – 1
Luke Morey – 1
Dalton Cook – 1
Shane Clanton – 1
Michael Page – 1

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

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/top-five-storylines-first-midwest-weekend-of-2026-brings-world-of-outlaws-to-farmer-city/

EVENT INFO: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/schedule/event-info/?event=4549445
TRACK INFO: https://www.farmercityracing.com/

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

Brad Sweet Named Grand Marshal of Silver Dollar Short Track

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 7, 2026) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, has named Brad Sweet as Grand Marshal of the Silver Dollar Short Track at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California, on May 2, 2026. A Grass Valley, California native, Sweet won five consecutive World of Outlaws championships from 2019 to 2023 and ranks among the series’ all-time winningest drivers. His resume includes victories in marquee events such as the Knoxville Nationals and multiple Kings Royal wins. Sweet is also the co-founder of High Limit Racing, where he claimed the series championship in 2024 before stepping away from full-time competition following the 2025 season. The event carries added significance as Sweet is a co-owner of Silver Dollar Speedway alongside Kyle Larson and Colby Copeland. He will take part in pre-race ceremonies as Progressive American Flat Track returns to one of the West Coast’s premier dirt track venues. Fans will also be treated to high-flying action from the Trashed Kids FMX stunt show, along with bar-banging racing from the Mission AFT SuperTwins class. Reigning KICKER AFT Singles winner and Northern California native Kage Tadman is set to return in search of a repeat victory. Fans can purchase tickets now at https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-silver-dollar-short-track-168776 and experience the excitement of Progressive American Flat Track in Chico, California. Next Up Progressive American Flat Track begins the California swing with the Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track at Ventura Raceway on April 25.

CONCORD, NC (April 3, 2026) — The American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) celebrates its 35th year of operation in 2026. But it’s more than just another commemorative milestone, it’s a numeric symbol of how 360 Sprint Car racing has forever been impacted.

Established by Chili Bowl Nationals and Tulsa Shootout founder Emmett Hahn, the nationally touring circuit has been providing dirt track racing fans across the country with affordable and entertaining winged open-wheel motorsports events since 1992. In that time, numerous regional counterparts have spawned under the ASCS banner as a result of the demand for more standardized Sprint Car competition around the Midwest.

Today, the flagship “National Tour” is home to some of the best 360 Sprint Car drivers in the nation, and in 35 years as the nation’s top choice for 360 cubic-inch engine racers, has served as the proving ground for many standout 410 Sprint Car talents.

But at the genesis of ASCS, the country’s Sprint Car landscape was messy and difficult for those with ambition to travel and race. So, Hahn decided to do something about it.

“At that time, there were a lot of 360s all over the country, and they had different rules and different (cylinder) heads,” Hahn said. “The 360s were already there, and basically, my goal was to get them all on the same set of rules where you could go anywhere in the country and race.”

By the early 1990s, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series had established itself as king of the open-wheel dirt track racing world with an elite roster of the sport’s most recognizable names following its schedule. Racing 410 Sprint Cars against the likes of Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Doug Wolfgang and several other Hall-of-Famers at the peak of their dominance at tracks on both coasts, night-after-night, from February to October was simply not possible for the working man.

With the rise in popularity of Sprint Car racing, a solution was needed to give the local and regional racers a traveling tour to follow. As former public relations manager and current Series Director Lonnie Wheatley recalls, the need for a 360-based organization was strong.

“I think, at some point, the 410s were just something the regular guy couldn’t go and do, and this gave people an opportunity where some other things were fading out, particularly around Oklahoma,” Wheatley said. “Andy Hillenburg was off doing a lot of 410 stuff and a lot of World of Outlaws stuff, and there were more and more of the guys around our part of the country that were getting into Sprint Car racing in one form or another. So, the formation of ASCS gave those guys a destination.”

Though joining the 360 ranks was a more practical option for most, the national 410 Sprint Car world remained the ultimate goal for the sport’s most ambitious drivers. To make a living traveling and racing against the best in the nation required a level of exceptional skill, perseverance and preparation that could not be attained from a typical local schedule.

There had to be middle ground — another steppingstone on the path to dirt track racing’s uppermost echelon — and Hahn’s vision for ASCS addressed this need, too.

“People that are looking to go run with the World of Outlaws — this is kind of a training ground for them. It teaches them how to travel going up-and-down the road and work out of a trailer,” Hahn said. “I remember Donny Schatz running with us in Florida, Andy Hillenburg’s run with us. All the big names that’s run — you take Daryn Pittman, Jason Sides, and all the people that have moved from ASCS and been successful with the World of Outlaws.”

With Hahn’s new cylinder head deal with BRODIX complete, the Series contested its first season not as nationally touring schedule but as a collection of regional races featuring tracks in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. Kansas native Garry Lee Maier was crowned the first national champion on the strength of 17 Feature wins.

Perhaps his biggest came in non-ASCS-sanctioned action in August of that year at Knoxville Raceway. Maier, who had finished runner-up in the inaugural 360 Knoxville Nationals one year prior, returned for the second edition of the marquee event equipped with his ASCS-spec configuration and bested a field of over 60 opponents to score the win.

Maier went on to run it back in 1993, again using ASCS-spec equipment — an accomplishment that may have done as much for Hahn’s new brand as it did for Maier’s own legacy.

“At the time, Garry Lee (Maier) was the Steve Kinser of 360s. He was as tough as they got,” Hahn said. “I think what eventually got ASCS over the hump was when Garry Lee went to the 360 Knoxville Nationals and won it with the spec head. I think that was a big turning point.”

“The first time I won it, it changed a lot of things in my racing,” Maier said. “When you win at Knoxville, it means everything. But like Emmett said, I think it helped ASCS a lot because they’re like, ‘Wow, he ran up here with these 12-headed motors and won.’ I think it changed ASCS a lot. I think it really helped him get on the map.”

As ASCS continued to expand into the 21st century, the names and faces changed right along with the times. The late 1990s were dominated by multi-time champions Tim Crawley and Terry Gray, but as the mid-2000s appeared, one driver they had raced with plenty before was about to begin the most defining years of his legacy.

By this time, American Sprint Car Series fans were already familiar with Hooks, TX-native, Gary Wright. The veteran already owned the Series’ all-time wins record but had never raced in pursuit of the national championship. That was until 2003 — a season in which he set the single-season wins record at 15 but fell one spot short of the points title after a traffic accident enroute to the track prevented him from competing in one event.

However, Wright avenged the missed opportunity the following season, clinching his first of four consecutive ASCS national championships and pushing his Feature wins total up to 119 by the end of 2007. At that point, the National Sprint Car Hall-of-Famer had learned countless things about many different tracks — another advantage racing the ASCS circuit offered to the up-and-comers.

“When you go to a little bullring 1/4-mile, and the next night you’re at a 1/2-mile, you’ve got to be versatile with getting your car right and you driving,” Wright said. “The young guys, like Daryn Pittman, Jason Johnson, Jason Sides, Wayne Johnson, Sam Hafertepe Jr, and Aaron Reutzel, they all started in ASCS.”

By the time Wright saw ASCS Victory Lane for the 128th and final time in 2011, another young Texan was beginning his own climb up the Sprint Car ladder — Aaron Reutzel. Only four years removed from his rookie ASCS campaign, Reutzel captured his first national ASCS crown in 2015 after several years on the grind.

“When he started, we had a mutual friend that said, ‘You need to help Aaron.’ It was just him and his dad, Aaron was very young,” Wright said. “They tried to run the national tour, and we helped them as much as we could to get them up to speed, but they beat him down. But then he went back home and ran a couple years in the Gulf South Region of ASCS. When he came back to the national series, he was ready to go then.

“I’m very good friends with Aaron and tickled to death at the success he’s having, but he learned how to travel and race with ASCS.”

As the Series marches on into the 2020s, the entertainment value with present-day stars Sam Hafertepe Jr, Matt Covington and Seth Bergman has stayed consistent. It’s a product that drivers, tracks and fans can afford to get involved with — exactly as its founding father intended at its inception, now 35 years ago.

“We’ve seen it all,” Hahn said. “We’ve raced on horse tracks. When Knoxville sanctioned with us years ago, that helped put us on the map. California was probably one of the later places to go with ASCS. Back in the heyday when we were running the national tour, we had like seven regions around the country at one time, and we had about 1,300 racecars on our engine rules.

“It’s gratifying to see what it’s done in 35 years.”

ASCS 35: How the American Sprint Car Series Helped to Transform the Open-Wheel Landscape

CONCORD, NC (April 3, 2026) — The American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) celebrates its 35th year of operation in 2026. But it’s more than just another commemorative milestone, it’s a numeric symbol of how 360 Sprint Car racing has forever been impacted.

Established by Chili Bowl Nationals and Tulsa Shootout founder Emmett Hahn, the nationally touring circuit has been providing dirt track racing fans across the country with affordable and entertaining winged open-wheel motorsports events since 1992. In that time, numerous regional counterparts have spawned under the ASCS banner as a result of the demand for more standardized Sprint Car competition around the Midwest.

Today, the flagship “National Tour” is home to some of the best 360 Sprint Car drivers in the nation, and in 35 years as the nation’s top choice for 360 cubic-inch engine racers, has served as the proving ground for many standout 410 Sprint Car talents.

But at the genesis of ASCS, the country’s Sprint Car landscape was messy and difficult for those with ambition to travel and race. So, Hahn decided to do something about it.

“At that time, there were a lot of 360s all over the country, and they had different rules and different (cylinder) heads,” Hahn said. “The 360s were already there, and basically, my goal was to get them all on the same set of rules where you could go anywhere in the country and race.”

By the early 1990s, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series had established itself as king of the open-wheel dirt track racing world with an elite roster of the sport’s most recognizable names following its schedule. Racing 410 Sprint Cars against the likes of Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Doug Wolfgang and several other Hall-of-Famers at the peak of their dominance at tracks on both coasts, night-after-night, from February to October was simply not possible for the working man.

With the rise in popularity of Sprint Car racing, a solution was needed to give the local and regional racers a traveling tour to follow. As former public relations manager and current Series Director Lonnie Wheatley recalls, the need for a 360-based organization was strong.

“I think, at some point, the 410s were just something the regular guy couldn’t go and do, and this gave people an opportunity where some other things were fading out, particularly around Oklahoma,” Wheatley said. “Andy Hillenburg was off doing a lot of 410 stuff and a lot of World of Outlaws stuff, and there were more and more of the guys around our part of the country that were getting into Sprint Car racing in one form or another. So, the formation of ASCS gave those guys a destination.”

Though joining the 360 ranks was a more practical option for most, the national 410 Sprint Car world remained the ultimate goal for the sport’s most ambitious drivers. To make a living traveling and racing against the best in the nation required a level of exceptional skill, perseverance and preparation that could not be attained from a typical local schedule.

There had to be middle ground — another steppingstone on the path to dirt track racing’s uppermost echelon — and Hahn’s vision for ASCS addressed this need, too.

“People that are looking to go run with the World of Outlaws — this is kind of a training ground for them. It teaches them how to travel going up-and-down the road and work out of a trailer,” Hahn said. “I remember Donny Schatz running with us in Florida, Andy Hillenburg’s run with us. All the big names that’s run — you take Daryn Pittman, Jason Sides, and all the people that have moved from ASCS and been successful with the World of Outlaws.”

With Hahn’s new cylinder head deal with BRODIX complete, the Series contested its first season not as nationally touring schedule but as a collection of regional races featuring tracks in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. Kansas native Garry Lee Maier was crowned the first national champion on the strength of 17 Feature wins.

Perhaps his biggest came in non-ASCS-sanctioned action in August of that year at Knoxville Raceway. Maier, who had finished runner-up in the inaugural 360 Knoxville Nationals one year prior, returned for the second edition of the marquee event equipped with his ASCS-spec configuration and bested a field of over 60 opponents to score the win.

Maier went on to run it back in 1993, again using ASCS-spec equipment — an accomplishment that may have done as much for Hahn’s new brand as it did for Maier’s own legacy.

“At the time, Garry Lee (Maier) was the Steve Kinser of 360s. He was as tough as they got,” Hahn said. “I think what eventually got ASCS over the hump was when Garry Lee went to the 360 Knoxville Nationals and won it with the spec head. I think that was a big turning point.”

“The first time I won it, it changed a lot of things in my racing,” Maier said. “When you win at Knoxville, it means everything. But like Emmett said, I think it helped ASCS a lot because they’re like, ‘Wow, he ran up here with these 12-headed motors and won.’ I think it changed ASCS a lot. I think it really helped him get on the map.”

As ASCS continued to expand into the 21st century, the names and faces changed right along with the times. The late 1990s were dominated by multi-time champions Tim Crawley and Terry Gray, but as the mid-2000s appeared, one driver they had raced with plenty before was about to begin the most defining years of his legacy.

By this time, American Sprint Car Series fans were already familiar with Hooks, TX-native, Gary Wright. The veteran already owned the Series’ all-time wins record but had never raced in pursuit of the national championship. That was until 2003 — a season in which he set the single-season wins record at 15 but fell one spot short of the points title after a traffic accident enroute to the track prevented him from competing in one event.

However, Wright avenged the missed opportunity the following season, clinching his first of four consecutive ASCS national championships and pushing his Feature wins total up to 119 by the end of 2007. At that point, the National Sprint Car Hall-of-Famer had learned countless things about many different tracks — another advantage racing the ASCS circuit offered to the up-and-comers.

“When you go to a little bullring 1/4-mile, and the next night you’re at a 1/2-mile, you’ve got to be versatile with getting your car right and you driving,” Wright said. “The young guys, like Daryn Pittman, Jason Johnson, Jason Sides, Wayne Johnson, Sam Hafertepe Jr, and Aaron Reutzel, they all started in ASCS.”

By the time Wright saw ASCS Victory Lane for the 128th and final time in 2011, another young Texan was beginning his own climb up the Sprint Car ladder — Aaron Reutzel. Only four years removed from his rookie ASCS campaign, Reutzel captured his first national ASCS crown in 2015 after several years on the grind.

“When he started, we had a mutual friend that said, ‘You need to help Aaron.’ It was just him and his dad, Aaron was very young,” Wright said. “They tried to run the national tour, and we helped them as much as we could to get them up to speed, but they beat him down. But then he went back home and ran a couple years in the Gulf South Region of ASCS. When he came back to the national series, he was ready to go then.

“I’m very good friends with Aaron and tickled to death at the success he’s having, but he learned how to travel and race with ASCS.”

As the Series marches on into the 2020s, the entertainment value with present-day stars Sam Hafertepe Jr, Matt Covington and Seth Bergman has stayed consistent. It’s a product that drivers, tracks and fans can afford to get involved with — exactly as its founding father intended at its inception, now 35 years ago.

“We’ve seen it all,” Hahn said. “We’ve raced on horse tracks. When Knoxville sanctioned with us years ago, that helped put us on the map. California was probably one of the later places to go with ASCS. Back in the heyday when we were running the national tour, we had like seven regions around the country at one time, and we had about 1,300 racecars on our engine rules.

“It’s gratifying to see what it’s done in 35 years.”

ARTICLE: https://ascsracing.com/news/ascs-35-how-the-american-sprint-car-series-helped-to-transform-the-open-wheel-landscape/

American Flat Track to Honor Chris Raschke with Special Tribute at Ventura Short Track

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 3, 2026) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, will honor the life and legacy of Chris Raschke at the upcoming Ventura Short Track with a special tribute, “Chris Raschke Day.” A record-holding land-speed racer, Raschke earned membership in both the 200 mph and 400 mph clubs, played a key role in the record-setting success of the Speed Demon team, and won the 2024 SCTA points championship at El Mirage. Beyond his accomplishments on the track, he was a respected figure within the American Flat Track community and a dedicated contributor to the sport through his work with ARP, leaving an impact that extended far beyond racing. In recognition of his lasting influence, Raschke will be named Grand Marshal in Memoriam for the event. His wife, Connie Raschke, will participate in the ceremony. As part of the tribute, Connie Raschke will be presented with a commemorative plaque during opening ceremonies. Created by Jostens, the plaque serves as a lasting symbol of Raschke’s contributions and the respect he earned throughout the industry. The event will honor Raschke’s legacy and his impact on the sport. The Ventura Short Track will take place at Ventura Raceway in Ventura, California, on April 25, 2026. For tickets, visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-ventura-short-track-168769.

CONCORD, NC (April 2, 2026) – Cole Macedo admits he hit a low point after Kennedale Speedway Park. 

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series sophomore got caught up in multiple hard crashes over two nights, straining his TwoC Racing team’s equipment supply.

But Macedo refused to let his head drop too far. The 26-year-old accepted responsibility for what happened on track and opted to join the team in Oklahoma to help the following week. That marked the first step toward a revitalizing stretch.

“It definitely can put a team down, crashing like we did at Kennedale there and crashing pretty much everything we had in the trailer,” Macedo said. “I was super thankful that they all stuck behind me and were understanding. I ended up staying out that week, and I think that meant a lot for the team and myself and everybody. I think it brought the atmosphere back up. They saw that I was there and helping. We all had a good time even as much as we were rebuilding race cars. We enjoyed hanging out together, and I think we built a little bit more of a relationship than we had.”

Since the troubles at Kennedale, Macedo and the group led by crew chief Wayne Johnson have been rolling. The Lemoore, CA native wheeled from 12th to ninth at Lawton Speedway, not far from the TwoC shop. The next night at Creek County Speedway didn’t go the way they hoped, but Macedo quickly rebounded. The following Friday at US 36 Raceway, he led laps before finishing sixth. A night later, Macedo bagged his first podium of 2026.

“We absolutely needed a couple good weekends,” Macedo admitted. “The Lawton, Creek weekend, I kind of just told myself like I’m just going to take anything I can get and not try too hard and crash. I just wanted to get through the weekend unscathed and get the ball rolling a little bit. Then last weekend, we obviously qualify good and put ourselves in position, and then you almost have to pounce then, right? Being up front, I pushed a little bit harder than I did the week prior because I was up front.”

A personal highlight of the recent run came at US 36. Cole got to line up on the front row of a World of Outlaws Feature with his older brother Carson right alongside. The two dueled for the top spot with experience eventually leading the elder Macedo to the front and the win. Despite not winding up in Victory Lane, it’ll still be an experience Cole treasures as he hasn’t been in a spot to battle his brother very often during their time in the sport.

“Me and Carson, we really haven’t got to race with each other a whole lot in our whole careers other than these last couple years,” Macedo said. “So, to be able to line up next to him there in the Dash and line up next to him in the Feature and kind of battle it out with my brother, it’s a super cool feeling. I’m sure my parents were sitting at home, and the rest of my family and the Tarlton family that kind of pushed us through, I’m sure they were sitting there watching us compete at the highest level and side by side, and I’m sure it was a super cool feeling for them. I know it was for me.”

Macedo and the TwoC group are piecing together momentum at the right time. After taking Easter weekend off, the tour hits a stretch that’s almost perfect tailored for this pairing. First up, I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park, a track where Macedo nearly won in his 2023 debut aboard the Tarlton Motorsports No. 21. Then there’s Jacksonville Speedway and Tri-State Speedway, a pair of 1/4 miles suited for any driver that grew up on California’s bullrings. Knoxville Raceway is next, and the historic 1/2 mile is where Macedo first drove the No. 2C and wheeled it from 16th to fifth. The month of May brings four races in Ohio, which effectively became Macedo’s home away from home when he moved in with the Linder family to pursue his racing dreams. As a result, he’s got plenty of experience at Attica Raceway Park, Sharon Speedway, and Eldora Speedway.

“I think that we’re hitting our stride at the right moment here,” Macedo said. “Looking at the schedule at the beginning of the year, this is the stretch of the schedule I was most excited about. Going to Knoxville where Wayne has lots of laps, Pevely where I’ve led laps and ran well in different cars, and obviously getting back to what I call home a little bit there in Ohio. Attica and Sharon, where I’ve had a lot of laps and had a lot of success. I’m very confident rolling in.”

Macedo and TwoC Racing resume the 2026 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car campaign at Pevely, MO’s I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park for the Federated Auto Parts Spring Classic on April 10-11. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

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

TURNING THINGS AROUND: Macedo, TwoC Racing on a Roll After Rough Start

CONCORD, NC (April 2, 2026) – Cole Macedo admits he hit a low point after Kennedale Speedway Park. 

The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series sophomore got caught up in multiple hard crashes over two nights, straining his TwoC Racing team’s equipment supply.

But Macedo refused to let his head drop too far. The 26-year-old accepted responsibility for what happened on track and opted to join the team in Oklahoma to help the following week. That marked the first step toward a revitalizing stretch.

“It definitely can put a team down, crashing like we did at Kennedale there and crashing pretty much everything we had in the trailer,” Macedo said. “I was super thankful that they all stuck behind me and were understanding. I ended up staying out that week, and I think that meant a lot for the team and myself and everybody. I think it brought the atmosphere back up. They saw that I was there and helping. We all had a good time even as much as we were rebuilding race cars. We enjoyed hanging out together, and I think we built a little bit more of a relationship than we had.”

Since the troubles at Kennedale, Macedo and the group led by crew chief Wayne Johnson have been rolling. The Lemoore, CA native wheeled from 12th to ninth at Lawton Speedway, not far from the TwoC shop. The next night at Creek County Speedway didn’t go the way they hoped, but Macedo quickly rebounded. The following Friday at US 36 Raceway, he led laps before finishing sixth. A night later, Macedo bagged his first podium of 2026.

“We absolutely needed a couple good weekends,” Macedo admitted. “The Lawton, Creek weekend, I kind of just told myself like I’m just going to take anything I can get and not try too hard and crash. I just wanted to get through the weekend unscathed and get the ball rolling a little bit. Then last weekend, we obviously qualify good and put ourselves in position, and then you almost have to pounce then, right? Being up front, I pushed a little bit harder than I did the week prior because I was up front.”

A personal highlight of the recent run came at US 36. Cole got to line up on the front row of a World of Outlaws Feature with his older brother Carson right alongside. The two dueled for the top spot with experience eventually leading the elder Macedo to the front and the win. Despite not winding up in Victory Lane, it’ll still be an experience Cole treasures as he hasn’t been in a spot to battle his brother very often during their time in the sport.

“Me and Carson, we really haven’t got to race with each other a whole lot in our whole careers other than these last couple years,” Macedo said. “So, to be able to line up next to him there in the Dash and line up next to him in the Feature and kind of battle it out with my brother, it’s a super cool feeling. I’m sure my parents were sitting at home, and the rest of my family and the Tarlton family that kind of pushed us through, I’m sure they were sitting there watching us compete at the highest level and side by side, and I’m sure it was a super cool feeling for them. I know it was for me.”

Macedo and the TwoC group are piecing together momentum at the right time. After taking Easter weekend off, the tour hits a stretch that’s almost perfect tailored for this pairing. First up, I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park, a track where Macedo nearly won in his 2023 debut aboard the Tarlton Motorsports No. 21. Then there’s Jacksonville Speedway and Tri-State Speedway, a pair of 1/4 miles suited for any driver that grew up on California’s bullrings. Knoxville Raceway is next, and the historic 1/2 mile is where Macedo first drove the No. 2C and wheeled it from 16th to fifth. The month of May brings four races in Ohio, which effectively became Macedo’s home away from home when he moved in with the Linder family to pursue his racing dreams. As a result, he’s got plenty of experience at Attica Raceway Park, Sharon Speedway, and Eldora Speedway.

“I think that we’re hitting our stride at the right moment here,” Macedo said. “Looking at the schedule at the beginning of the year, this is the stretch of the schedule I was most excited about. Going to Knoxville where Wayne has lots of laps, Pevely where I’ve led laps and ran well in different cars, and obviously getting back to what I call home a little bit there in Ohio. Attica and Sharon, where I’ve had a lot of laps and had a lot of success. I’m very confident rolling in.”

Macedo and TwoC Racing resume the 2026 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car campaign at Pevely, MO’s I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park for the Federated Auto Parts Spring Classic on April 10-11. For tickets, CLICK HERE.

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

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

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/turning-things-around-macedo-twoc-racing-on-a-roll-after-rough-start/

CONCORD, NC — April 2, 2026 —  Over the 40 years of lore packed in the DIRTcar Summer Nationals, few drivers have been able to dominate the grind that mixes national and regional talent over a month-long span. 

Since the inception of the Hell Tour in 1986, there have been six drivers who have amassed a single-season win rate of 45% or higher. All six then went on to become some of the biggest stars of dirt Late Model racing. 

Let’s take a look at who’s part of the elite club: 

Scott Bloomquist (1990) 

Before he became one of the quintessential faces of dirt track racing, Bloomquist made his name known with a masterclass season to commence the final decade of the 20th century. 

Bloomquist earned his first touring championship in a year that saw him win 10 Features through 14 races, which has kept him at the top of the Summer Nationals single-season win rate with 71% through the 1990 campaign. 

The Mooresburg, TN driver went on to score his second consecutive Hell Tour title in 1991, then morphed into the “Dirt Track Dominator” with a career that highlights 10 national-touring championships between the Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Racing Series (1994-1995, 1998, 2000), Xtreme DIRTcar Series (2003), World of Outlaws Late Models presented by DIRTVision (2004), and Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models (2009-2010, 2016).  

In 2002, Bloomquist captured his third and final Summer Nationals title by outrunning Billy Moyer and Don O’Neal for a tour-record $100,000 check to cap off the highest-paying season of UMP’s history. 

Billy Moyer (1993, 1994, 1999, 2001) 

“Mr. Smooth” is a keystone figure of the Summer Nationals since his first of 101 Feature wins arrived in the inaugural race at Spoon River Speedway. 

Through the tour’s first seven years, Moyer took a Feature win in each year except 1988, but never finished as the champion. The statistic changed in 1993 when the Batesville, AR native bagged six wins in 12 Features to leave the season with the crown for the first time – a 50% winning percentage. 

Moyer took one step further in 1994 with nine triumphs across 13 events contested to clinch his second-straight honors with a 69%-win rate. In 1999, Moyer’s fourth Summer Nationals title came on the heels of a performance that saw 12 scores across 22 contests to close out the decade with a 54% winning percentage. His fifth of six career Hell Tour titles, which arrived in 2001, included a rating of 45% with an overall 10 victories in 22 races. 

Don O’Neal (2004)

The Martinsville, IN, racer came within striking distance of a Summer Nationals title by winning the most races in 2000 and 2003, falling short to Kevin Weaver and Moyer for the year’s title, respectively. 

In 2004, O’Neal was not going to be denied another chance at the crown by posting 11 wins in 22 races for an even 50% winning percentage. In the points fight, “The Real Deal” topped Shannon Babb by 242 points for his only “Hell Tour” championship. 

O’Neal used the lessons learned from the title-winning season to progress up to the Lucas Oil Late Models in 2005, capturing 46 Feature wins and the 2015 championship. 

Shannon Babb (2005, 2006) 

Shannon Babb has been a fixture in the most discussed moments in the Summer Nationals since he began racing dirt Late Models in the 1990s. 

Losing the 2004 championship formed a launching pad for the “Land of Lincoln” pilot to take liftoff in 2005 by dominating the trail with 15 wins in 27 races – the most by any Summer Nationals driver in a single year to snag his first title for a 55% single-season win rating. 

The “Moweaqua Missile” did not relinquish the throne in 2006 when he totaled an even 13 wins across 26 events to become a two-time Hell Tour champion by 163 points over Jeep Van Wormer. 

While Babb earned two more championships in 2011 and 2014, he owns the honor of being the all-time winningest Summer Nationals driver with 102 Feature triumphs scored across 27 years. 

Bobby Pierce (2016)

Growing up in the heart of the Midwest and being shown the ropes by his father, Bob Pierce – a two-time Hell Tour champion – Bobby Pierce used his teenage years to build versatility before rising to national prominence. 

The “Smooth Operator” won his first race on the tour in 2013, but missed out on taking the championship to Brandon Sheppard by a mere 15 points. Two years later, an 18-year-old Pierce captured his first Summer Nationals title by edging ahead of Billy Moyer Jr by 10 points.  

His best overall season with the Hell Tour came in 2016 when he bagged 11 wins across 24 races for a career-high 45% single-season win rate, culminating in his second straight Hell Tour championship.  

Pierce then scored his third consecutive crown in 2017 and two more in 2021 and 2022, solidifying his place as the second-highest all-time champion to Billy Moyer. In 2023, the Oakwood, IL driver joined the World of Outlaws Late Models, currently standing as a two-time champion (2023, 2025) and leading the 2026 Series points. 

Tyler Erb (2024) 

While most drivers begin their success on the Summer Nationals to help them move up the ladder to the national ranks, Tyler Erb forged a different path on his way to the hottest tour in dirt racing. 

The New Waverly, TX driver started his career in both the World of Outlaws and Lucas Oil Late Models before deciding to attempt the full slate in the 2024 edition. The choice for “Terbo” proved to be beneficial as he took home 11 Feature wins through 24 races for a 45% single-season win percentage, capturing his first career championship in what he coined the “Fun Tour.” 

Erb returned to the Summer Nationals in 2025 and took the checkered flag six times en route to a runner-up finish to Jason Feger. For 2026, the Best Performance Motorsports No. 1 returned to the World of Outlaws for the first time since 2018 and currently sits sixth in the points standings. 

The 40th anniversary of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals will begin at Brownstown Bullring on Tuesday, June 9, featuring the Super Late Models and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals.

BROWNSTOWN INFO

How can you watch every lap of the Summer Nationals? Live on DIRTVision.

BY THE NUMBERS: Breaking Down Four Decades of Dominant Summer Nationals Seasons

CONCORD, NC — April 2, 2026 —  Over the 40 years of lore packed in the DIRTcar Summer Nationals, few drivers have been able to dominate the grind that mixes national and regional talent over a month-long span. 

Since the inception of the Hell Tour in 1986, there have been six drivers who have amassed a single-season win rate of 45% or higher. All six then went on to become some of the biggest stars of dirt Late Model racing. 

Let’s take a look at who’s part of the elite club: 

Scott Bloomquist (1990) 

Before he became one of the quintessential faces of dirt track racing, Bloomquist made his name known with a masterclass season to commence the final decade of the 20th century. 

Bloomquist earned his first touring championship in a year that saw him win 10 Features through 14 races, which has kept him at the top of the Summer Nationals single-season win rate with 71% through the 1990 campaign. 

The Mooresburg, TN driver went on to score his second consecutive Hell Tour title in 1991, then morphed into the “Dirt Track Dominator” with a career that highlights 10 national-touring championships between the Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Racing Series (1994-1995, 1998, 2000), Xtreme DIRTcar Series (2003), World of Outlaws Late Models presented by DIRTVision (2004), and Lucas Oil Dirt Late Models (2009-2010, 2016).  

In 2002, Bloomquist captured his third and final Summer Nationals title by outrunning Billy Moyer and Don O’Neal for a tour-record $100,000 check to cap off the highest-paying season of UMP’s history. 

Billy Moyer (1993, 1994, 1999, 2001) 

“Mr. Smooth” is a keystone figure of the Summer Nationals since his first of 101 Feature wins arrived in the inaugural race at Spoon River Speedway. 

Through the tour’s first seven years, Moyer took a Feature win in each year except 1988, but never finished as the champion. The statistic changed in 1993 when the Batesville, AR native bagged six wins in 12 Features to leave the season with the crown for the first time – a 50% winning percentage. 

Moyer took one step further in 1994 with nine triumphs across 13 events contested to clinch his second-straight honors with a 69%-win rate. In 1999, Moyer’s fourth Summer Nationals title came on the heels of a performance that saw 12 scores across 22 contests to close out the decade with a 54% winning percentage. His fifth of six career Hell Tour titles, which arrived in 2001, included a rating of 45% with an overall 10 victories in 22 races. 

Don O’Neal (2004)

The Martinsville, IN, racer came within striking distance of a Summer Nationals title by winning the most races in 2000 and 2003, falling short to Kevin Weaver and Moyer for the year’s title, respectively. 

In 2004, O’Neal was not going to be denied another chance at the crown by posting 11 wins in 22 races for an even 50% winning percentage. In the points fight, “The Real Deal” topped Shannon Babb by 242 points for his only “Hell Tour” championship. 

O’Neal used the lessons learned from the title-winning season to progress up to the Lucas Oil Late Models in 2005, capturing 46 Feature wins and the 2015 championship. 

Shannon Babb (2005, 2006) 

Shannon Babb has been a fixture in the most discussed moments in the Summer Nationals since he began racing dirt Late Models in the 1990s. 

Losing the 2004 championship formed a launching pad for the “Land of Lincoln” pilot to take liftoff in 2005 by dominating the trail with 15 wins in 27 races – the most by any Summer Nationals driver in a single year to snag his first title for a 55% single-season win rating. 

The “Moweaqua Missile” did not relinquish the throne in 2006 when he totaled an even 13 wins across 26 events to become a two-time Hell Tour champion by 163 points over Jeep Van Wormer. 

While Babb earned two more championships in 2011 and 2014, he owns the honor of being the all-time winningest Summer Nationals driver with 102 Feature triumphs scored across 27 years. 

Bobby Pierce (2016)

Growing up in the heart of the Midwest and being shown the ropes by his father, Bob Pierce – a two-time Hell Tour champion – Bobby Pierce used his teenage years to build versatility before rising to national prominence. 

The “Smooth Operator” won his first race on the tour in 2013, but missed out on taking the championship to Brandon Sheppard by a mere 15 points. Two years later, an 18-year-old Pierce captured his first Summer Nationals title by edging ahead of Billy Moyer Jr by 10 points.  

His best overall season with the Hell Tour came in 2016 when he bagged 11 wins across 24 races for a career-high 45% single-season win rate, culminating in his second straight Hell Tour championship.  

Pierce then scored his third consecutive crown in 2017 and two more in 2021 and 2022, solidifying his place as the second-highest all-time champion to Billy Moyer. In 2023, the Oakwood, IL driver joined the World of Outlaws Late Models, currently standing as a two-time champion (2023, 2025) and leading the 2026 Series points. 

Tyler Erb (2024) 

While most drivers begin their success on the Summer Nationals to help them move up the ladder to the national ranks, Tyler Erb forged a different path on his way to the hottest tour in dirt racing. 

The New Waverly, TX driver started his career in both the World of Outlaws and Lucas Oil Late Models before deciding to attempt the full slate in the 2024 edition. The choice for “Terbo” proved to be beneficial as he took home 11 Feature wins through 24 races for a 45% single-season win percentage, capturing his first career championship in what he coined the “Fun Tour.” 

Erb returned to the Summer Nationals in 2025 and took the checkered flag six times en route to a runner-up finish to Jason Feger. For 2026, the Best Performance Motorsports No. 1 returned to the World of Outlaws for the first time since 2018 and currently sits sixth in the points standings. 

The 40th anniversary of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals will begin at Brownstown Bullring on Tuesday, June 9, featuring the Super Late Models and DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals.

BROWNSTOWN INFO

How can you watch every lap of the Summer Nationals? Live on DIRTVision.

ARTICLE: https://dirtcar.com/dirtcar-ump/by-the-numbers-breaking-down-four-decades-of-dominant-summer-nationals-seasons/

CONCORD, NC (April 1, 2026) – Two months into his first year on the road with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision, Logan Zarin is beginning to feel like he belongs.

Every newcomer to the tour expects to get kicked in the teeth on a regular basis, and Zarin was no different. The former regional racer in and around western Pennsylvania knew he was signing up for the toughest test of his career when he announced his bid for the MD3 Rookie of the Year Award, and he’s gotten exactly what he asked for.

However, the No. 1Z team has been making modest gains as of late. Zarin’s finishes have started to improve as a result, including a career-best 13th in his debut at Senoia Raceway last Saturday night.

“It’s going kind of like what we expected,” Zarin said of the first 14 races of his rookie campaign. “We knew we were going to struggle a little bit down at these southern tracks, but we’re finally starting to hit on something. Our results are starting to get a little better, so we’re just taking baby steps and just seeing what we can do.”

If competing against the best drivers in Late Model racing wasn’t a tall enough task, he’s been doing it in unknown territory nearly every night. The only track Zarin has raced at this year that he had been to before was Volusia Speedway Park, but even then, the new dirt laid down last year meant his notes from 2024 only meant so much.

“I’ve been leaning on Vinny Guliani [Longhorn Chassis shock consultant] a lot,” Zarin said. “He’s done this, he kind of points me in the right direction. And then just watching races on YouTube helps me a lot, just to kind of see what I need to do as the night goes on. Honestly, we just go into these races and try to qualify good, that just sets our whole rest of our night up.”

That’s a goal Zarin has been achieving more often in recent weeks compared to the opening stretch of the season. In the first nine races of the year, Zarin was relying on Last Chance Showdowns and provisionals almost every night, and the results yielded an average finish of 20.2 and three DNQs.

But his 14th-place run at Smoky Mountain Speedway on March 14 kicked off a new chapter. Since then, he’s started every Feature, improved his average finish by more than four spots to 16.0 and transferred out of his Heat Race at both East Alabama Motor Speedway and Senoia last weekend.

“We kind of hit on something a couple weeks ago,” Zarin said. “We’ve been fine tuning it, and then our results are definitely starting to show. Not having to run B-Mains all the time and getting decent finishes. Not what we want yet, but decent finishes in the Feature is starting to help. We’ve just got to keep fine tuning on this thing and eventually we’ll be up there at the front.”

It won’t be long until Zarin gets a break from constantly getting up to speed at new racetracks. The May schedule includes a five-night stint in the northeast featuring stops at Georgetown Speedway (May 13), Selinsgrove Speedway (May 14), Marion Center Raceway (May 15-16) and Bedford Speedway (May 17) – all of them being tracks the team has been to several times.

Zarin still has a few more new facilities to get through before he gets there, starting with Farmer City Raceway next Friday-Saturday, April 10-11. The Illinois weekend will be especially big for Zarin, as it will be his first time racing around one of the Midwest’s signature 1/4-mile, black-dirt bullrings. He knows it will be a whole new ball game, but one he’s embracing with open arms.

“Honestly, just do our best,” Zarin said on his goals for Farmer City. “We don’t have nothing to prove to anybody. We’re just out here racing, having fun. Just make the Features, run competitive and we’ll call that a win.”

Zarin and the rest of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision will resume the 2026 season at Farmer City Raceway on Friday-Saturday, April 10-11. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

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

“Finally Starting to Hit On Something”: Zarin Talks World of Outlaws Rookie Run

CONCORD, NC (April 1, 2026) – Two months into his first year on the road with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision, Logan Zarin is beginning to feel like he belongs.

Every newcomer to the tour expects to get kicked in the teeth on a regular basis, and Zarin was no different. The former regional racer in and around western Pennsylvania knew he was signing up for the toughest test of his career when he announced his bid for the MD3 Rookie of the Year Award, and he’s gotten exactly what he asked for.

However, the No. 1Z team has been making modest gains as of late. Zarin’s finishes have started to improve as a result, including a career-best 13th in his debut at Senoia Raceway last Saturday night.

“It’s going kind of like what we expected,” Zarin said of the first 14 races of his rookie campaign. “We knew we were going to struggle a little bit down at these southern tracks, but we’re finally starting to hit on something. Our results are starting to get a little better, so we’re just taking baby steps and just seeing what we can do.”

If competing against the best drivers in Late Model racing wasn’t a tall enough task, he’s been doing it in unknown territory nearly every night. The only track Zarin has raced at this year that he had been to before was Volusia Speedway Park, but even then, the new dirt laid down last year meant his notes from 2024 only meant so much.

“I’ve been leaning on Vinny Guliani [Longhorn Chassis shock consultant] a lot,” Zarin said. “He’s done this, he kind of points me in the right direction. And then just watching races on YouTube helps me a lot, just to kind of see what I need to do as the night goes on. Honestly, we just go into these races and try to qualify good, that just sets our whole rest of our night up.”

That’s a goal Zarin has been achieving more often in recent weeks compared to the opening stretch of the season. In the first nine races of the year, Zarin was relying on Last Chance Showdowns and provisionals almost every night, and the results yielded an average finish of 20.2 and three DNQs.

But his 14th-place run at Smoky Mountain Speedway on March 14 kicked off a new chapter. Since then, he’s started every Feature, improved his average finish by more than four spots to 16.0 and transferred out of his Heat Race at both East Alabama Motor Speedway and Senoia last weekend.

“We kind of hit on something a couple weeks ago,” Zarin said. “We’ve been fine tuning it, and then our results are definitely starting to show. Not having to run B-Mains all the time and getting decent finishes. Not what we want yet, but decent finishes in the Feature is starting to help. We’ve just got to keep fine tuning on this thing and eventually we’ll be up there at the front.”

It won’t be long until Zarin gets a break from constantly getting up to speed at new racetracks. The May schedule includes a five-night stint in the northeast featuring stops at Georgetown Speedway (May 13), Selinsgrove Speedway (May 14), Marion Center Raceway (May 15-16) and Bedford Speedway (May 17) – all of them being tracks the team has been to several times.

Zarin still has a few more new facilities to get through before he gets there, starting with Farmer City Raceway next Friday-Saturday, April 10-11. The Illinois weekend will be especially big for Zarin, as it will be his first time racing around one of the Midwest’s signature 1/4-mile, black-dirt bullrings. He knows it will be a whole new ball game, but one he’s embracing with open arms.

“Honestly, just do our best,” Zarin said on his goals for Farmer City. “We don’t have nothing to prove to anybody. We’re just out here racing, having fun. Just make the Features, run competitive and we’ll call that a win.”

Zarin and the rest of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision will resume the 2026 season at Farmer City Raceway on Friday-Saturday, April 10-11. Get your tickets in advance by clicking here.

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

ARTICLE: https://worldofoutlaws.com/latemodels/finally-starting-to-hit-on-something-zarin-talks-world-of-outlaws-rookie-run/

Media conference transcript ahead of return to DXDT Corvette at Long Beach Corvette Z06 GT3.R driver Robert Wickens met with members of the media via Zoom on Tuesday afternoon to discuss his return to DXDT Racing’s Corvette at the Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 17-18. He will pair with Mason Filippi in the No. 36 Corvette that will be equipped with Bosch’s electric braking system for Wickens, who made his GTD debut a year ago at Long Beach in the ground-breaking Corvette entry.  ROBERT WICKENS, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.RI don’t want to spoil the surprise. Rob, why don’t you tell us what you are going to be doing this year?“Yeah, So for 2026, we’re happy to announce that we’re continuing with DXDT Racing, Corvette and General Motors in the same calendar as we did in 2025. So I am going to be doing all five of the sprint rounds of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship alongside a former teammate, a good friend of mine, Mason Filippi. So it’s going to be an exciting season. I am hoping to continue the momentum that we started to create in 2025, although it feels like a lifetime ago now since I last drove the car in VIR. But really just excited to continue with DXDT Racing and Corvette and most importantly, with Bosch with my electronic braking system and my hand controls that help make the whole thing possible. “I’s not going to be easy. In a way, I almost felt more prepared last year, even though it was my first race in the Corvette. The last time I’ve driven the car was at VIR in early August. I am confident we have the right people to get up to speed quickly and hopefully we can have more success in Long Beach.”

Talk a little bit more about your relationship with Mason as teammates and friends previously.“Yeah, watching Mason’s career grow from 2022 onwards has been a fun journey. Obviously I entered the Michelin Pilot Challenge series in a different stage of my career than Mason. He’s a hard worker. He’s a great teammate to have and an asset to any team he’s a part of. So we’re really looking forward to working more hand-in-hand like at the Nürburgring 24 Hours (in 2025). We shared a car together and his feedback is amazing. He’s an A-class teammate. So we’re just really looking forward to starting this new journey together. He’s fresh in DXDT Racing and moving up into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship himself. He’s been very fast in the first two races, so we’re going to keep building momentum, keep moving forward. The goals are podium finishes for me in the sprint races, for sure.” I understand doing some quick research that Bosch has made some improvements through the hand braking system, What have they communicated to you? And how expect that it might help you say in Long Beach and other races going down the line?“Well, I think the thing to remember is that my actual controls that I am using are unchanged. But where we continue to evolve from the first test last year in Sebring and through all five of the sprint rounds was we were constantly developing the software to give me more feedback and more sensation from the braking system. That continues to change and evolve. That’s been kind of at the forefront of everything; how do I gain that kind of resolution to be more accurate with my braking applications at all different kinds of brake pressure? It’s not every track you don’t break fully into the ABS every single time. Each corner, each track brings its own challenges and that’s kind of what we’ve constantly been working on and tuning. It’s been a really fun journey and to have people like Bosch alongside me and the amazing men and women that support my program… I’m honored to represent them. It’s exciting to kind of see it all grow and hopefully in the future we can create a product that the next generation of disabled drivers can use.” More on the relationship with Mason Filippi.“Obviously Mason and I already have great chemistry. We talk every day. We were scheming and plotting throughout the whole winter on how we could be teammates for the full season together. Alec Udell was my teammate last year for the sprint races – an amazing driver and an amazing person. But there was always that get-to-know-you phase that we had when we first started working with each other where with Mason that’s just eliminated. I have a really good idea of how to communicate my feedback and driving styles and everything already, so we can hit the ground running in Long Beach. “It’s an exciting time. I feel like our driver lineup for the sprint races with DXDT Racing and Corvette is a strong one. I think it’s one that we can challenge for a lot of good results. We’re all just excited to get going. For me, it’s been what feels like an eternity of an offseason. I think it’s one of the longest I’ve ever not driven a car, so I’m just excited for the opportunity.”

CORVETTE RACING AT LONG BEACH: Robert Wickens Q&AMedia conference transcript ahead of return to DXDT Corvette at Long Beach Corvette Z06 GT3.R driver Robert Wickens met with members of the media via Zoom on Tuesday afternoon to discuss his return to DXDT Racing’s Corvette at the Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 17-18. He will pair with Mason Filippi in the No. 36 Corvette that will be equipped with Bosch’s electric braking system for Wickens, who made his GTD debut a year ago at Long Beach in the ground-breaking Corvette entry.  ROBERT WICKENS, NO. 36 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.RI don’t want to spoil the surprise. Rob, why don’t you tell us what you are going to be doing this year?“Yeah, So for 2026, we’re happy to announce that we’re continuing with DXDT Racing, Corvette and General Motors in the same calendar as we did in 2025. So I am going to be doing all five of the sprint rounds of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship alongside a former teammate, a good friend of mine, Mason Filippi. So it’s going to be an exciting season. I am hoping to continue the momentum that we started to create in 2025, although it feels like a lifetime ago now since I last drove the car in VIR. But really just excited to continue with DXDT Racing and Corvette and most importantly, with Bosch with my electronic braking system and my hand controls that help make the whole thing possible. “I’s not going to be easy. In a way, I almost felt more prepared last year, even though it was my first race in the Corvette. The last time I’ve driven the car was at VIR in early August. I am confident we have the right people to get up to speed quickly and hopefully we can have more success in Long Beach.”

Talk a little bit more about your relationship with Mason as teammates and friends previously.“Yeah, watching Mason’s career grow from 2022 onwards has been a fun journey. Obviously I entered the Michelin Pilot Challenge series in a different stage of my career than Mason. He’s a hard worker. He’s a great teammate to have and an asset to any team he’s a part of. So we’re really looking forward to working more hand-in-hand like at the Nürburgring 24 Hours (in 2025). We shared a car together and his feedback is amazing. He’s an A-class teammate. So we’re just really looking forward to starting this new journey together. He’s fresh in DXDT Racing and moving up into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship himself. He’s been very fast in the first two races, so we’re going to keep building momentum, keep moving forward. The goals are podium finishes for me in the sprint races, for sure.” I understand doing some quick research that Bosch has made some improvements through the hand braking system, What have they communicated to you? And how expect that it might help you say in Long Beach and other races going down the line?“Well, I think the thing to remember is that my actual controls that I am using are unchanged. But where we continue to evolve from the first test last year in Sebring and through all five of the sprint rounds was we were constantly developing the software to give me more feedback and more sensation from the braking system. That continues to change and evolve. That’s been kind of at the forefront of everything; how do I gain that kind of resolution to be more accurate with my braking applications at all different kinds of brake pressure? It’s not every track you don’t break fully into the ABS every single time. Each corner, each track brings its own challenges and that’s kind of what we’ve constantly been working on and tuning. It’s been a really fun journey and to have people like Bosch alongside me and the amazing men and women that support my program… I’m honored to represent them. It’s exciting to kind of see it all grow and hopefully in the future we can create a product that the next generation of disabled drivers can use.” More on the relationship with Mason Filippi.“Obviously Mason and I already have great chemistry. We talk every day. We were scheming and plotting throughout the whole winter on how we could be teammates for the full season together. Alec Udell was my teammate last year for the sprint races – an amazing driver and an amazing person. But there was always that get-to-know-you phase that we had when we first started working with each other where with Mason that’s just eliminated. I have a really good idea of how to communicate my feedback and driving styles and everything already, so we can hit the ground running in Long Beach. “It’s an exciting time. I feel like our driver lineup for the sprint races with DXDT Racing and Corvette is a strong one. I think it’s one that we can challenge for a lot of good results. We’re all just excited to get going. For me, it’s been what feels like an eternity of an offseason. I think it’s one of the longest I’ve ever not driven a car, so I’m just excited for the opportunity.”

As you’ve continued this journey, do you still get butterflies before you strap in the car and whatnot?“Yeah, you always do, right? I mean I think as soon as you don’t have the butterflies ahead of a race, I think it means you don’t really care anymore. I think about the build-up to the weekend. First practice is going to be kind of just business as usual. Depending who qualifies, that’s kind of where the butterflies start, right? Whether it’s myself or Mason qualifying, that’s to be determined. But at a track like Long Beach, you know track position is vital. So there is a lot of emphasis on that qualifying session itself. And that was the one when I think back to my Long Beach last year where I kind of kicked myself because I felt like I didn’t execute a good enough job, and that kind of set the groundwork for our ultimate results. So for sure the butterflies are still there. I haven’t been away from a racetrack since August. My work in IndyCar with Andretti Global as a driver coach there… I feel like I’m still at a racetrack every weekend but doing a slightly different role. So it’s going to be exciting to get the helmet on again, suit up and put my theories to the test.” What’s the preparation for you, since it has been such a long offseason to make sure that you’re as sharp as you can be in Long Beach?“Yeah, even though I wasn’t in Daytona and Sebring, I was still in constant dialogue with the team manager, Bryan Sellers, with pretty much all of the DXDT endurance drivers. So even though yeah I wasn’t driving the car, I am well aware of where the team’s at currently, where the strengths are, where we need to work. I think that the best way to prepare is just through good communication. I am probably going to find time here in my private life to try to do a little bit of iRacing to remind myself what Long Beach is like in a Corvette. But apart from that, it’s just a lot of watching onboard videos and stuff from 2025 when I did the race. So little refreshers on that, little laps of data to understand your gears and stuff, minimum speeds for each corner. And it’s pretty much all you can do.” You’ve made it clear in the past that you want to do endurance races. What do you need to show or what needs to happen in order for maybe next year we’re looking at Rob Wickens running the Rolex 24?Yeah, it’s a tricky one, right? Obviously when you are racing with a customer team in sports car racing, it tends to come with a price tag to it. It’s no discredit to any of the customer teams. It’s just kind of the circle of life of sports car racing, and I wasn’t able to put together the funds required to do a full season of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, as heartbreaking as it was. I felt like I showed some results that I am not a liability and that I can do all facets of the sport. Doing the 24 Hours of Nürburgring last year, I think, put the stamp on that… finishing second in class. The Bosch electronic hand-control system was perfectly reliable throughout the entire event on one of the most grueling tracks in the world. So, I am very confident that if I am given the chance to do the 24 Hours at Daytona in 2027 that there are frankly, no concerns. Everything has worked flawlessly to this date so far. So we just need to keep plugging, keep working away. But the main reality was I just ran out of time to find the funding to try to get where I wanted to be for 2026, which was a full season. So I am already thinking forward to ‘27. Frankly, it all starts with success, right? We we showed success in ’25, but kind of all at the wrong times… whether if it was a strong practice or, you know, in three or four of the five sprint races, we were in the top-three in the closing 30 minutes of the race and somehow came away empty-handed in all of them. The team does a great job. You can see it week in week out, whether if it’s endurance or sprint, they put themselves in position for success. Eventually tides will turn, and I am a strong believer that you create your own luck. As long as we keep pushing with the same work ethic, stuff will start going our way. Once we get the first one, everything will kind of fall into place.” At Long Beach, you were actually I think led FP2 Friday afternoon in your second session in the car. What did it mean to make such a jump from the first session to the second session? And, how much better do you think having a year’s worth of data and experience on this car at that track will help for Year Two?“That’s exactly it, right? First practice, I felt like I was just drinking from a fire hose. With the multi- class facet of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, I feel like I never really got a clear lap where I could really just find a rhythm. You’re constantly being passed by GTPs or trying to just find your way, It’s a shortened session with red flags and whatever… just life of sharing the track with 30-odd other cars. Having a chance to think between first practice and second practice made a world difference. My teammate, Tommy Milner last year at Long Beach, I leaned on him heavily on what I was doing wrong and what I needed to do differently to drive the car. And then in FP2, we finally just found a rhythm and I was able to find a lot of pace and ultimately go fastest in class, which kind of changed the whole expectations for the whole team ahead of qualy and ahead of the weekend. We were just hoping to be competitive, but we didn’t really know what that looked like. And then suddenly between practice and qualifying it was, maybe we’ll have a shot at pole with this thing. Unfortunately it didn’t happen, but this year I am going to have to get a little bit of rust off, right? Get back into the rhythm a little bit of driving a race car… the nuances of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R and obviously the control systems and just make sure that you are just at home with everything. But again, that’ll allow that starts with preparation. “I am pretty confident that I can start FP1 with the form I had through FP2 and qualifying into the race. The hardest thing about a street course is there is no room for error. For me in Practice One, I thought the importance was track time so I opted to err on the side of caution. And then once you look at data, you realize where the limit was with a great teammate like Tommy last year. So I know what I have to do. Track evolution is incredibly high on a street course like Long Beach, so also staying on top of that’s important. But I think this year in Long Beach is just going to be exciting. DXDT has a new primary partner, and Wealthspire has a special livery for Long Beach, so it’s going to be cool. Exciting times ahead, for sure.”.That was your first time at Long Beach in a covered car compared to Atlantics and IndyCar. How different was that in perception from like a wall standpoint?“It honestly wasn’t that different for me. Obviously, before coming back to Long Beach in an IndyCar, I spent a handful of years racing in DTM in a closed cockpit car where we had a street course called the Norisring on the calendar over there. So it’s understanding your surroundings; now you’re not in the center of the cockpit and seeing how close to a right-hand corner apex you can get. You gain that perception and that all came fairly natural. I think the big thing was obviously some of the curb usages in a GT3 car were quite a bit different than that of an IndyCar. There were a little bit of line variances and obviously, with the aids of traction control and a couple other things that we have in GT3, the lines changed definitely a little bit. But at the end of the day, it’s a racetrack. Especially on a temporary circuit like that. The line evolutions kind of all merges into the same thing because only one part of the track’s being used regularly. The lines all get really narrow. It doesn’t matter really if it was an IndyCar or a GT3; the biggest thing was some of the curb usages and apex curbs in the GT3. You could be a lot more aggressive than obviously you could with an IndyCar. But for the most part it was actually pretty similar.” Are you going to get a chance to head down to the shop and practice uh, driver changes with Josh (Gibbs), who I am guessing is invaluable as part of that process. He said there were certain things that he was trying to do as part of getting you in the car to make it as swift and easy as possible. Are there things that you are trying to do as well to make that as swift and easy as possible in that process?“Yeah, I mean for the most part, I try to make myself as lightweight as possible for the comfort of Josh and also for the expedience of everything. The big thing for me is I just try to be consistent with what I do, with where I grab, just to make everything routine. Getting me into the car is quite a bit of a different exercise than getting me out. But in the circumstance of putting me into the car, I really like Josh and I worked really hard on when he grabs me from the pit wall to run across. To put me in, he kind of grabs me from the same part of my leg each time because we learned sometimes that if he grabbed kind of underneath my knee there is a kind of a neurological response where it basically forces your knee to bend. What would end up happening is we were having a hard time getting my feet deep into the pedal box, and then my knees got caught under the steering column and were getting hung up. So the goal is to try to keep my legs as straight as possible. It all just takes time and practice. “We were pretty competitive with our driver change practices in Long Beach last year, but our evolution throughout the season was pretty impressive. By the end of the year at VIR, it was a sub-16-second driver change putting me into the car. That was something we could have only dreamed of at Long Beach last year. Similar to me getting in like driving again, there are definitely going to be some walkthroughs and maybe some slow driver changes to kind of get back into the rhythm of things. But once you kind of find that rhythm and you find what works and the ergonomics of the whole thing, it’s kind of like anything else, right? Slow is fast. As soon as you start rushing, that’s when you start making mistakes. I feel like in Long Beach, there’s so much precedent on the driver change itself that I think it’s really easy to try to rush it. So that’s going to be the most important thing is that we just have a smooth driver change. And we’ve proven that if we do, we’re not going to lose any time.” Now that the hardware from Bosch is fairly tested across different endurance races, different cars, it seems like you’re dialing in that software more and more. What would the future goal be? Do you have aspirations to go and maybe do some of these great GT3 races like Suzuka, Bathurst around the world? Maybe even take it to the IndyCar and return to the 500?“I mean, all of the above is the easy answer. For me, this whole journey of getting back to motorsport and driving with hand controls and kind of overcoming my paralysis, the goal was just to be evaluated as a good racing driver. When Bosch came on board with us as a partner, and we started working with their electronic braking modules… the system itself is quite modular, so it can go from car to car. Obviously, there’s going to be levels of adaptation from each car you drive, but for the most part it fits pretty much anywhere. We already know that the Bosch EBS system would fit inside of an IndyCar. We know it would fit inside of a GTP car, LMP2 car, various GT3s. We already know it fits in a TCR. But it’s not as simple as if you have it, you can just bolt it in and go. With homologations and everything in GT3, the brackets that you have to mount to install my system, it requires an amendment to the homologation for each chassis that I drive. We just have to be organized. I think opportunities are there. It’s just trying to be prepared. Once I couldn’t do the full season of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, I was already looking on how I can still get endurance experience. Trying to do the 24 Hours of Spa was high on my list, and I am still working toward that. So we’re going to try see what we can do. … But the important thing for me is now that I have Bosch by my side and a proven system, if there’s opportunities for other races with other teams I want to be considered as if I was just a normal driver. And that’s always been the goal.” Can the hand control system be adapted and used in the GM simulator? And if so, have you been able to utilize it?“It definitely can be. We haven’t utilized it yet mainly from time constraints and also just the amount of resources and supply. We have some spares for the racetrack, but we don’t have a full set that, for example, can just live on the driver-in-the-loop simulator that General Motors has at Pratt Miller, so we’re going to see what we can do. Obviously, I would love to prepare for a race event just like all these other guys that we’re racing against. But for the time being and definitely for Long Beach, that’s not available. So we’re just going to make do with what we have. To be honest with the twins growing up fast, it’s a bit of a hectic household over here! So finding time to go onto the sim in my basement’s hard to come by, but I am going to try ironing out some time to do some race prep for sure.” When you are making the shift from the Hyundai to the Corvette and getting used to the hand control on each, is it harder to adapt to the greater power in the Corvette or the fact that it’s the classic rear-wheel drive delivery as opposed to the front-wheel drive?“To be honest, driving a rear-wheel drive car felt more natural to me than driving a front-wheel drive in TCR. My entire career from karts until a TCR car, everything was rear-wheel drive for me. So it was more foreign for me to kind of learn the nuances of a front-wheel drive race car than it almost was driving with hand controls. Getting back into the Corvette and having a rear-wheel drive car where you can rotate the car on throttle, you feel like you just have a couple more tools in your tool belt to kind of get through the corner quickly. Obviously, there’s a few things I had to relearn and I’m still kind of trying to get used to it now. For example, my throttle resolution with the Corvette and the amount of horsepower that it produces, my initial throttle input will be a little too responsive or a little too much. And then I kind of activate traction control or I give myself a snap oversteer moment that I wasn’t expecting. So we’re going to keep working on that as well, similar to the braking system. The brakes are incredibly important but the throttle I think is decently important as well. So I think we’re going to keep working every aspect of this and just keep getting better.”

CONCORD, NC (March 31, 2026) — Seven races into the American Sprint Car Series’ (ASCS) 35th consecutive season of racing and it’s off to the Series’ homeland of Oklahoma to begin the spring racing lineup.

The national 360 Sprint Car circuit has been quiet since opening the season with three races at Volusia Speedway Park in January and the Series’ debut at Central Arizona Raceway for the inaugural Sonoran Clash in February. But the break is nearly over, and drivers ready to resume competition in the “Sooner State” in less than two weeks’ time.

Here’s a look at what’s coming up:

Salina Highbanks Speedway | Salina, OK | April 11 — After opening the season in Florida and Arizona, the Series looks forward to the first stop of the season in its home state of Oklahoma with a visit to Salina Highbanks on Saturday, April 11.

This 3/8-mile, high-banked oval presents drivers with some of the highest speeds they’ll encounter all season. Sam Hafertepe Jr. conquered the track in 2025, leading every lap over Seth Bergman and Sean McClelland en route to his second career Series victory at the track. The ASCS Sooner Region will co-sanction the event, bringing a host of local and regional talent into the event to challenge the nationally touring regulars for the $4,000 grand prize.

The Series has graced the Eastern Oklahoma-venue 14 times in its history. Texas native Paul White won the Series debut on May 9, 1998. Wayne Johnson, the 2000 Series champion, has won the most of any driver, garnering three total Feature wins — sweeping both visits in 2001 before winning the Series’ first time back after 11 years in 2012.

Other Feature winners include three-time Series champion Tim Crawley (May 1999), four-time Series champion Gary Wright (July 1999, 2000), five-time Series champion Jason Johnson (June 2012, August 2012), Jeff Swindell (2013), and fellow Series champions Blake Hahn (2015) and Jason Martin (2023).

The local B-Mod, Factory Stock, Pure Stock, and RWD/FWD Trophy Car classes will also be in action to support. Tickets and pit passes will be sold at the track on race day. For all other event information, including important times, click here.

How can you watch the American Sprint Car Series all season? Live on DIRTVision.

APRIL RACES: American Sprint Car Series Visits Salina Highbanks in Spring Kickoff

CONCORD, NC (March 31, 2026) — Seven races into the American Sprint Car Series’ (ASCS) 35th consecutive season of racing and it’s off to the Series’ homeland of Oklahoma to begin the spring racing lineup.

The national 360 Sprint Car circuit has been quiet since opening the season with three races at Volusia Speedway Park in January and the Series’ debut at Central Arizona Raceway for the inaugural Sonoran Clash in February. But the break is nearly over, and drivers ready to resume competition in the “Sooner State” in less than two weeks’ time.

Here’s a look at what’s coming up:

Salina Highbanks Speedway | Salina, OK | April 11 — After opening the season in Florida and Arizona, the Series looks forward to the first stop of the season in its home state of Oklahoma with a visit to Salina Highbanks on Saturday, April 11.

This 3/8-mile, high-banked oval presents drivers with some of the highest speeds they’ll encounter all season. Sam Hafertepe Jr. conquered the track in 2025, leading every lap over Seth Bergman and Sean McClelland en route to his second career Series victory at the track. The ASCS Sooner Region will co-sanction the event, bringing a host of local and regional talent into the event to challenge the nationally touring regulars for the $4,000 grand prize.

The Series has graced the Eastern Oklahoma-venue 14 times in its history. Texas native Paul White won the Series debut on May 9, 1998. Wayne Johnson, the 2000 Series champion, has won the most of any driver, garnering three total Feature wins — sweeping both visits in 2001 before winning the Series’ first time back after 11 years in 2012.

Other Feature winners include three-time Series champion Tim Crawley (May 1999), four-time Series champion Gary Wright (July 1999, 2000), five-time Series champion Jason Johnson (June 2012, August 2012), Jeff Swindell (2013), and fellow Series champions Blake Hahn (2015) and Jason Martin (2023).

The local B-Mod, Factory Stock, Pure Stock, and RWD/FWD Trophy Car classes will also be in action to support. Tickets and pit passes will be sold at the track on race day. For all other event information, including important times, click here.

How can you watch the American Sprint Car Series all season? Live on DIRTVision.

ARTICLE: https://ascsracing.com/news/april-races-american-sprint-car-series-visits-salina-highbanks-in-spring-kickoff/

Dan Bromley (No. 62) interviewed after winning the Mission Challenge during the Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track in 2025. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

Memphis Shades Named Entitlement Sponsor of Ventura Short Track and Presenting Sponsor of Nashville Short Track in 2026

Dan Bromley (No. 62) interviewed after winning the Mission Challenge during the Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track in 2025. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]Download high-resolution photo from AMA Pro’s Digital Asset Management system

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 31, 2026) — Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, today announced Memphis Shades as the entitlement sponsor of the Ventura Short Track on April 25 and the presenting sponsor of Nashville Short Track on June 6. The Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track brings flat track to Ventura Raceway on April 25, delivering the world’s best motorcycle riders to the ocean front property. The Nashville Short Track presented by Memphis Shades will take the series to Sons of Speed Nashville Short Track on June 6, bringing bar-to-bar racing to one of the series’ most vibrant markets. “Memphis Shades is excited to be part of American Flat Track. From supporting riders to being trackside, we believe in the impact racing has on the motorcycle community,” said Hillary Combest, Director of Sales and Marketing. “We’re proud to return as a sponsor of the Ventura Short Track and to be part of the Nashville Short Track in our home state of Tennessee this summer. We’re looking forward to both events and continuing to support the sport and its riders.” Memphis Shades is known for its American-made motorcycle windshields and fairings, with a reputation built on quality craftsmanship and rider-focused design. Its continued investment in ProgressiveAmerican Flat Track reflects a shared commitment to performance and the motorcycling community. For more information about Memphis Shades, visit https://memphisshades.com/aft. Next Up The 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season continues with the Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track at Ventura Raceway on April 25. For tickets to Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track, visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-ventura-short-track-168769.

Ricky Thornton Jr. Scores First Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Win of 2026

ALMA, OH (March 29, 2026) – Ricky Thornton Jr. took the lead with five laps remaining, passing Brandon Sheppard and holding him off by just 0.167 seconds at the finish line to capture his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory of the season Sunday night at Atomic Speedway. Thornton, who also won last year’s Buckeye Spring Classic at Atomic, earned $15,000 for his 57th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory. Sheppard, who led the opening 45 laps, finished second. Brandon Overton reclaimed third from Josh Rice on the final lap to round out the Big River Steel podium. Rice and Max Blair completed the top five.Starting fourth, Thornton charged to his second overall win of 2026 and his first since the opening round of the Wild West Shootout in January. “I felt like Tyler (Erb) was really good early, and then I was racing Brandon (Overton), and I’m not sure what happened to him,” said the Chandler, Arizona native. “He got back around me off turn two and then slowed down – didn’t look like anything broke. On the restart, I debated whether to go top or bottom. I felt like the top would be better, but if the bottom got a run, they’d slide you. So I chose the top and drove as hard as I could into turn one to make sure Overton couldn’t slide me.” “I didn’t feel like I was any better than Shep, but once we got to lapped traffic, I thought those guys were racing hard and might hold me up. One of the lapped cars made a small mistake entering turn three, which slowed Shep just enough for me to get underneath him. From there, I just focused on not making a mistake. I wasn’t sure if we needed to go back to the bottom in turns one and two, but I tried it because Overton had almost passed me there earlier. It really picked up my pace. The track was different than usual, but it raced really well.” Sheppard, who led a combined 59 laps between Brownstown on Saturday and Atomic on Sunday, came within half a car length of Thornton at the finish. “We had a really good car – definitely capable of winning,” Sheppard said. “I got to the 19M and the 6, and they were running side-by-side and entering a little low. I couldn’t get enough of a run to make a move and got stuck there for too long. I knew someone had to be right behind me. Congrats to Ricky—he capitalized on my mistake. I’m disappointed in myself because my crew works their tails off and gives me a great race car every night. Still, this is the best we’ve been in the slick here in a long time, so we’re happy with the car.” Overton held off Rice after briefly losing third place late in the race. “I was catching the leaders by running a different lane,” Overton said. “I started ripping around the top and getting a good run. Josh slid me, so I knew I had to go. It was a heck of a race, and thanks to Josh for racing me clean. The track was awesome again – I’ve never been here when it wasn’t good.” Thornton’s Koehler Motorsports, Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and backed by Knight’s Companies, Hoker Trucking, Capital Waste, Certified Inspection Services, Strange Oval, SI Towing and Recovery, Coltman Farms Racing, and Sunoco Race Fuels. Completing the top ten were Hudson O’Neal, Garrett Alberson, Drake Troutman, Devin Moran, and Brian Shirley. Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Buckeye Spring 50Sunday, March 29, 2026Atomic Speedway | Waverly, OH Allstar Performance Time TrialsFast Time Group A: Drake Troutman | 13.217 seconds (Overall)Fast Time Group B: Garrett Alberson | 13.223 seconds Penske Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 2. 22*-Drake Troutman[1]; 3. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 4. 93-Carson Ferguson[3]; 5. 8-Dillon McCowan[6]; 6. 71C-RJ Conley[5]; 7. B1-Josh Bocook[8]; 8. S21-Seth Daniels[7] Summit Racing Products Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 2. 71-Hudson O’Neal[2]; 3. 13-Dallon Murty[3]; 4. 28-Tyler Carpenter[6]; 5. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[8]; 6. C4-Freddie Carpenter[4]; 7. 19M-Brenden Smith[5]; 8. 6-Clay Harris[7] Cool-It Thermo-Tec Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 3. 11-Josh Rice[3]; 4. 99-Devin Moran[4]; 5. 12J-Jason Jameson[5]; 6. 71R-Rod Conley[6]; 7. 00-Justin Cooper[7]; 8. 12L-Dave Loudin[8] Simpson Race Products Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[2]; 2. 111-Max Blair[1]; 3. 60-Dan Ebert[3]; 4. 40B-Kyle Bronson[4]; 5. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[5]; 6. 93L-Cory Lawler[7]; 7. (DNS) 1*-Kyle Moore Fast Shafts B-Main Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): 1. 12J-Jason Jameson[2]; 2. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[3]; 3. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[4]; 4. 71C-RJ Conley[5]; 5. C4-Freddie Carpenter[7]; 6. 8-Dillon McCowan[1]; 7. 71R-Rod Conley[6]; 8. 93L-Cory Lawler[8]; 9. B1-Josh Bocook[9]; 10. 19M-Brenden Smith[11]; 11. 6-Clay Harris[15]; 12. S21-Seth Daniels[13]; 13. 00-Justin Cooper[10]; 14. 12L-Dave Loudin[14]; 15. (DNS) 1*-Kyle Moore Buckeye Spring 50 Feature Finish (50 Laps):Pos – Start – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Earnings1 – 4 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – $16,3002 – 1 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – $7,9003 – 3 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – $5,9004 – 10 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – $4,9005 – 8 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – $3,9716 – 7 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – $3,8007 – 6 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – $3,3008 – 5 – 22* – Drake Troutman – Hyndman, PA – $2,3009 – 14 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – $3,60010 – 9 – 3S – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – $3,07111 – 12 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – $2,90012 – 11 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – $1,80013 – 20 – 71C – RJ Conley – Wheelersburg, OH – $1,60014 – 23 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – $2,40015 – 17 – 12J – Jason Jameson – Lawrenceburg, IN – $1,40016 – 16 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – $2,20017 – 24 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – $2,10018 – 19 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – $1,10019 – 13 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – $1,90020 – 22 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – $1,90021 – 21 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – $1,00022 – 18 – 20TC – Tristan Chamberlain – Richmond, IN – $1,00023 – 2 – 1T – Tyler Erb – New Waverly, TX – $1,10024 – 15 – 28 – Tyler Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – $1,000 Race Statistics  Entrants: 31Bilstein Shocks Pole Sitter: Brandon SheppardMD3 Lap Leaders: Brandon Sheppard (Laps 1-45); Ricky Thornton, Jr. (Laps 46-50)Hellraizer Jacks Halfway Leader: Brandon SheppardWieland Feature Winner: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Margin of Victory: 0.167 secondsHellraizer Jacks Cautions: Tyler Carpenter (Lap 12); Tyler Erb (Lap 12 restart)MyRacePass Series Provisional: Clay Harris, Brenden SmithFast Time Provisional: Emergency Provisionals: n/aTrack Provisional: n/aBig River Steel Podium Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Brandon Sheppard, Brandon OvertonPenske Shocks Top 5: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Brandon Sheppard, Brandon Overton, Josh Rice, Max BlairBehrent’s One-Lap-to-Go Top 3: Ricky Thornton, Jr., Brandon Sheppard, Brandon OvertonPEM 4th Place Feature: Josh RiceDiversified Machine 5th Place Feature: Max BlairWilwood Brakes 7th Place Feature: Garrett AlbersonWehrs Machine 11th Place Feature: Dan EbertVelocity Manufacturing 13th Place Feature: RJ ConleyXS Power Batteries 15th Place Feature: Jason JamesonHoker Trucking Hard Charger of the Race: Clay Harris (Advanced 6 positions)MD3 Most Laps Led: Brandon Sheppard (45 Laps)Sunoco Race Fuels Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin MoranO’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/aPro Fabrication Headers Fastest Lap of the Race: Brandon Sheppard | Lap 4 | 14.482 secondsFK Rod Ends Hard Luck Award: Tyler ErbVictory Fuel Power Move of the Race: Ricky Thornton, Jr.Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Anthony BurroughsARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Race EnginesMiller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn ChassisDirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Brandon Sheppard | 13.0675 secondsTime of Race: 19 minutes 03 seconds Big River Steel Championship Standings Presented by ARP:Pos – Car # – Competitor – Hometown – Points – Earnings1 – 99 – Devin Moran – Dresden, OH – 1625 – $107,5002 – 71 – Hudson O’Neal – Martinsville, IN – 1610 – $85,3003 – 76 – Brandon Overton – Evans, GA – 1530 – $40,7504 – 20RT – Ricky Thornton Jr – Chandler, AZ – 1525 – $50,3505 – 111 – Max Blair – Centerville, PA – 1450 – $34,8716 – 1 – Brandon Sheppard – New Berlin, IL – 1440 – $48,8007 – 6 – Clay Harris – Jupiter, FL – 1375 – $35,1008 – 58 – Garrett Alberson – Las Cruces, NM – 1350 – $29,8009 – 40B – Kyle Bronson – Brandon, FL – 1295 – $20,37510 – 11 – Josh Rice – Crittenden, KY – 1260 – $21,22511 – 3s – Brian Shirley – Chatham, IL – 1245 – $21,67112 – 93 – Carson Ferguson – Lincolnton, NC – 1235 – $22,45013 – 60 – Dan Ebert – Lake Shore, MN – 1205 – $21,87514 – 19M – Brenden Smith – Dade City, FL – 1080 – $15,10015 – 8 – Dillon McCowan – Urbana, MO – 1045 – $11,37516 – 22 – Daniel Hilsabeck – Earlham, IA – 1005 – $14,22517 – 13 – Dallon Murty – Chelsea, IA – 985 – $9,75018 – 93L – Cory Lawler – Hanover, PA – 890 – $9,32519 – C4 – Freddie Carpenter – Parkersburg, WV – 850 – $3,600

Event: Cook Out 400Location: Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway, VirginiaDate: Sunday, March 29, 2026Start: 3rdFinish: 10thJosh Berry and the No. 21 DEX team continued to build momentum Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, delivering a 10th-place finish in the Cook Out 400 to back up last week’s encouraging run at Darlington Raceway.Berry also collected nine stage points, bringing his total to 36 for the day and vaulting him seven positions in the standings to 25th.After a strong showing in practice and qualifying on Saturday, Berry rolled off third and maintained that position throughout the opening 80-lap stage to earn eight stage points.In the second stage, Berry slipped back slightly but remained inside the top 10, finishing 10th to add another point to his total.The final stage tested both driver and team, but Berry navigated it cleanly. Early in the run, he avoided a potential incident during a tight three-wide battle, keeping the No. 21 DEX Mustang Dark Horse pointed in the right direction and settling into 13th.Crew chief Miles Stanley and the DEX team opted for a long-run strategy during green-flag pit stops, allowing Berry to cycle to the lead on Lap 292 and pace the field for two laps before making his stop.Back on track in 13th, Berry worked his way forward over the closing laps, gaining three positions in the final 70 circuits to secure his second top-10 finish of the season, joining a ninth-place result in the season-opening DAYTONA 500.Following the off-weekend for Easter, Berry and the No. 21 team return to action at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 500 on April 12.

NASCAR Cup Series Martinsville Speedway Cook Out 400 Team Chevy Post-Race Report March 29, 2026

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

·        Chase Elliott took Chevrolet on its first trip to victory lane in the NASCAR Cup Series this season – claiming the checkered flag in the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. It also marks the first triumph for the new Camaro ZL1 racecar, which made its point-paying competition debut last month at Daytona International Speedway. ·        Taking the green flag from the 10th starting position, it was a call from atop the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet pit box in the final stage that put the team in contention. Opting to short-pit the final green flag pit cycle, crew chief Alan Gustafson brought the Dawsonville, Georgia, native to pit road on Lap 261. Maintaining position near the front of the field, Elliott earned a spot on the front-row for the restart with 67 laps to go – ultimately taking the lead and never looking back en route to his 22nd career win at NASCAR’s highest level.  ·        Elliott’s victory – Chevrolet’s 882nd all-time in NASCAR’s premier series – extends the manufacturer’s series-leading record to 63 all-time wins in the division at Martinsville Speedway, keeping the .526-mile Virginia venue the Bowtie brand’s most successful track on the NASCAR circuit.  ·        Chevrolet is the first manufacturer to drive to a weekend sweep this season, with JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier taking the win in yesterday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race to keep the Bowtie brand undefeated in the division with seven-straight victories.  RACE RECAP:  Stage One: Defending Martinsville winner, William Byron, flexed the speed of his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet during Saturday’s qualifying session – securing a front-row starting spot for the Cook Out 400. Taking the green flag for the opening 80-lap stage, the leaders quickly settled into a single-file formation as Byron found his spot in the runner-up position. It was just shy of the halfway point of Stage One that the leaders approached lap traffic, allowing Byron to quickly close the gap to then race leader, Denny Hamlin, and successfully make the pass for the top position on Lap 40 to lead his first laps of the race. A title battle between the pair saw Byron lead Team Chevy to the first green-white checkered flag with second-place stage points.   Stage Two: With most of the opening stage going caution-free, the stage break presented the first opportunity for teams to hit pit road. A quiet driver behind the wheel for the first run, Byron reported that he had a similar feeling in handling from yesterday’s practice session, with his 5/8-mark being where he was struggling the most. With a call for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment, the No. 24 pit crew kept the team’s track position to line up on the front-row for the start of Stage Two. Electing the top lane proved to challenge for Byron, ultimately falling to the fifth position when he found a gap to fill on the bottom lane. But the run was short-lived as the first natural caution of the day flew at Lap 105. With a mix of pit strategy mid-pack, Kyle Larson was among the group of drivers to make their second trip to pit road. Lining up in the 16th position, fresh tires paid dividends for the No. 5 team with Larson quickly climbing up the leaderboard to make his first appearance in the top-10 on Lap 129. The reigning champion went on to drive to the ninth position to take the second green-white checkered flag, joining fellow Team Chevy drivers, Byron and Shane van Gisbergen, who were among the group of drivers to earn points in both stages.  Final Stage: Progressively seeing gains in the handling of his No. 5 Chevrolet, crew chief Cliff Daniels called his driver to pit road under the stage break for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. A monstrous stop by the pit crew saw Larson make the biggest gain in the race off pit road among the top-10 drivers to line up in the sixth position to take the green flag for the final stage. Enduring a long green flag run to start the stage, Larson, Byron and Van Gisbergen sat strong in top-10 running positions as the field approached the first green flag pit cycle of the race. The lead pack were among teams to stretch the run the furthest, with Larson giving up the seventh position to make his way to pit road with 118 laps to go. With the cycle complete 10 laps later, it was Chase Elliott that capitalized on a short-pit strategy to make his way into the top position to lead the team’s first laps of the day. While on an alternate strategy, Elliott was still able to maintain the second position as the race fell under caution flag conditions at Lap 312 for debris. While much of the field opted for a trip to pit road, a gamble from atop the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team’s pit box saw Ross Chastain inherit the top position to lead the field to the restart. Despite having 30-lap older tires, Chastain was able to muscle his Chevrolet to the lead before a stack-up mid-pack led to another caution the following lap. With a pair of Chevrolet’s sitting on the front row for the restart, it was Elliott’s fresher tires that helped propel the No. 9 Chevrolet back to the lead as the race closed in on 60 laps to go. Elliott pulled away to a nearly one-second lead over the next 25-lap run as lap traffic was on the horizon. Elliott was able to masterfully maneuver through traffic to hold onto the top position and take his first checkered flag of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 ResultsPos.     Driver 1st – Chase Elliott5th – William Byron9th – Kyle Larson Chevrolet’s season statistics with seven NASCAR Cup Series races complete: Wins: 1Poles: 1Top-Fives: 13Top 10s: 23Stage Wins: 2

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season continues in two weeks at Bristol Motor Speedway with the Food City 500 on Sunday, April 12, at 3 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Post-Race Driver Quotes: Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletFinished: 16th “It was hard to pass today so track position was extremely important, obviously. We made a couple of calls to gain track position in our SafetyCulture Chevrolet which helped. There were a few different strategies in play today but overall, I feel like our car got better it was just so hard to pass. I’m looking forward to the off weekend and getting back in the car at Bristol.”   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 25th“We had a really fast Dow Coatings/Behr Chevrolet by the end of the race, so it’s unfortunate that our day played out the way it did. It’s taken us a lot of laps to get our car dialed in here, and we’re not sure if that’s because of the way the rubber lays down or what, but we will reset and figure it out. We opted to stay out instead of pit during a caution in Stage 1 and all of the cars behind us pitted, which ultimately caused us to lose track position and put us behind the rest of the race. This team is gritty and we won’t give up.”   Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 24th“This wasn’t the weekend for the No. 8 FICO Chevrolet here at Martinsville Speedway. From practice to qualifying to the race this afternoon we battled a loose car. The team never quit and now we’ll take what we’ve learned through the initial weeks of the season back to Welcome, NC, regroup and look to rebound after the week off.”   Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 1stAlan Gustafson (crew chief) made a great pit call to get you the track position. How did you find a way to hold off Denny Hamlin?“It was definitely a team effort. That was awesome. We’ve never had a win this early in the season. Just a really great team effort. So proud of Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and the whole No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet team. They did a great job all day.  We took a gamble. We were going to two-stop that last stage. I honestly think it was going to work out good for us either way. Just so proud of this team. Man, they put up with a lot (smiling). They have to put up with me all the time, and I just appreciate them for sticking with me. It’s lot of fun when days like this work out. Thank you to everybody at Hendrick Motorsports, Mr. Hendrick, Chevrolet and all of our partners for the support.”  When the caution came out, what went through your mind?“Yeah, I mean, this whole deal is really weird the way it all works. I told them there around half or three-quarters of the way through that I really didn’t dislike my balance, I just wish I could control my runs a little better. Fortunately, we got to lead on that last restart and fell into a really good pace. I think we probably needed a little bit more to be just the absolute best outright. We were really close. We were able to manage and save enough to get through traffic there at the end. It’s really cool when this stuff works out. To win these races is so tough. Just really grateful for the opportunity, as always. I never take it for granted. Trust me, this is a dream come true for me.”   William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 5th “We restarted ninth there and had to methodically work our way forward. I thought our No. 24 Cincinnati Chevy was pretty good that last run. The last two runs were probably our best runs of the day, so it was just about trying to manage that. I just tried to get as many spots as I could. Overall, I thought it was a good day. We had a mishap on pit road, and then those guys got the caution there with the two-stop and it kind of changed a lot of things.”    Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 33rd“Overall not a great day for our United Rentals team. Going out first in qualifying hurt us with our starting position and when you start deep in the field here at Martinsville, it’s a battle to not go down a lap early. Our Chevrolet initially fired off on the loose side and we made changes to tighten the car up. After the second stop, the balance swung the other way with being too tight and we couldn’t get it back to a neutral spot. Stage 3 was just eventful with a loose wheel under our green flag stop and then being involved in an accident. Hate it for our team, everyone at RCR, and our partners but we’ll work hard to be better next time.”    Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 18th “It was just an average day for this No. 71 Delaware Life Chevrolet team. We had good execution, but we just didn’t have enough speed. I just felt like we ran 20th all day long. We were 28th in practice, qualified 20th and finished 18th. We just didn’t have it this weekend, speed-wise. I felt like we executed well and did everything we needed to on pit road, but it just didn’t work out. Thank you to Spire Motorsports, Delaware Life and Chevrolet for the support. We’ll regroup over the off weekend and get ready for Bristol in a few weeks.”    Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletFinished: 11th “Ran in the top 10 all day but lacked overall grip and wasn’t able to hold position on the restarts. The 97 team brought a fast SuperFile Chevrolet, just wish we could’ve gotten a top 10 result. Collected some stage points and had a lot of fun! Great progress heading into the off weekend.”

NASCAR Cup SeriesMartinsville SpeedwayCook Out 400Team Chevy Post-Race ReportMarch 29, 2026

Chase Elliott Drives Chevrolet to First Win of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Season at Martinsville Speedway

MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom

·        Chase Elliott took Chevrolet on its first trip to victory lane in the NASCAR Cup Series this season – claiming the checkered flag in the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. It also marks the first triumph for the new Camaro ZL1 racecar, which made its point-paying competition debut last month at Daytona International Speedway. ·        Taking the green flag from the 10th starting position, it was a call from atop the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet pit box in the final stage that put the team in contention. Opting to short-pit the final green flag pit cycle, crew chief Alan Gustafson brought the Dawsonville, Georgia, native to pit road on Lap 261. Maintaining position near the front of the field, Elliott earned a spot on the front-row for the restart with 67 laps to go – ultimately taking the lead and never looking back en route to his 22nd career win at NASCAR’s highest level.  ·        Elliott’s victory – Chevrolet’s 882nd all-time in NASCAR’s premier series – extends the manufacturer’s series-leading record to 63 all-time wins in the division at Martinsville Speedway, keeping the .526-mile Virginia venue the Bowtie brand’s most successful track on the NASCAR circuit.  ·        Chevrolet is the first manufacturer to drive to a weekend sweep this season, with JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier taking the win in yesterday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race to keep the Bowtie brand undefeated in the division with seven-straight victories.  RACE RECAP:  Stage One: Defending Martinsville winner, William Byron, flexed the speed of his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet during Saturday’s qualifying session – securing a front-row starting spot for the Cook Out 400. Taking the green flag for the opening 80-lap stage, the leaders quickly settled into a single-file formation as Byron found his spot in the runner-up position. It was just shy of the halfway point of Stage One that the leaders approached lap traffic, allowing Byron to quickly close the gap to then race leader, Denny Hamlin, and successfully make the pass for the top position on Lap 40 to lead his first laps of the race. A title battle between the pair saw Byron lead Team Chevy to the first green-white checkered flag with second-place stage points.   Stage Two: With most of the opening stage going caution-free, the stage break presented the first opportunity for teams to hit pit road. A quiet driver behind the wheel for the first run, Byron reported that he had a similar feeling in handling from yesterday’s practice session, with his 5/8-mark being where he was struggling the most. With a call for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment, the No. 24 pit crew kept the team’s track position to line up on the front-row for the start of Stage Two. Electing the top lane proved to challenge for Byron, ultimately falling to the fifth position when he found a gap to fill on the bottom lane. But the run was short-lived as the first natural caution of the day flew at Lap 105. With a mix of pit strategy mid-pack, Kyle Larson was among the group of drivers to make their second trip to pit road. Lining up in the 16th position, fresh tires paid dividends for the No. 5 team with Larson quickly climbing up the leaderboard to make his first appearance in the top-10 on Lap 129. The reigning champion went on to drive to the ninth position to take the second green-white checkered flag, joining fellow Team Chevy drivers, Byron and Shane van Gisbergen, who were among the group of drivers to earn points in both stages.  Final Stage: Progressively seeing gains in the handling of his No. 5 Chevrolet, crew chief Cliff Daniels called his driver to pit road under the stage break for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. A monstrous stop by the pit crew saw Larson make the biggest gain in the race off pit road among the top-10 drivers to line up in the sixth position to take the green flag for the final stage. Enduring a long green flag run to start the stage, Larson, Byron and Van Gisbergen sat strong in top-10 running positions as the field approached the first green flag pit cycle of the race. The lead pack were among teams to stretch the run the furthest, with Larson giving up the seventh position to make his way to pit road with 118 laps to go. With the cycle complete 10 laps later, it was Chase Elliott that capitalized on a short-pit strategy to make his way into the top position to lead the team’s first laps of the day. While on an alternate strategy, Elliott was still able to maintain the second position as the race fell under caution flag conditions at Lap 312 for debris. While much of the field opted for a trip to pit road, a gamble from atop the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet team’s pit box saw Ross Chastain inherit the top position to lead the field to the restart. Despite having 30-lap older tires, Chastain was able to muscle his Chevrolet to the lead before a stack-up mid-pack led to another caution the following lap. With a pair of Chevrolet’s sitting on the front row for the restart, it was Elliott’s fresher tires that helped propel the No. 9 Chevrolet back to the lead as the race closed in on 60 laps to go. Elliott pulled away to a nearly one-second lead over the next 25-lap run as lap traffic was on the horizon. Elliott was able to masterfully maneuver through traffic to hold onto the top position and take his first checkered flag of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Team Chevy Unofficial Top-10 ResultsPos.     Driver 1st – Chase Elliott5th – William Byron9th – Kyle Larson Chevrolet’s season statistics with seven NASCAR Cup Series races complete: Wins: 1Poles: 1Top-Fives: 13Top 10s: 23Stage Wins: 2

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season continues in two weeks at Bristol Motor Speedway with the Food City 500 on Sunday, April 12, at 3 P.M. ET. Live coverage can be found on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Post-Race Driver Quotes: Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletFinished: 16th “It was hard to pass today so track position was extremely important, obviously. We made a couple of calls to gain track position in our SafetyCulture Chevrolet which helped. There were a few different strategies in play today but overall, I feel like our car got better it was just so hard to pass. I’m looking forward to the off weekend and getting back in the car at Bristol.”   Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 25th“We had a really fast Dow Coatings/Behr Chevrolet by the end of the race, so it’s unfortunate that our day played out the way it did. It’s taken us a lot of laps to get our car dialed in here, and we’re not sure if that’s because of the way the rubber lays down or what, but we will reset and figure it out. We opted to stay out instead of pit during a caution in Stage 1 and all of the cars behind us pitted, which ultimately caused us to lose track position and put us behind the rest of the race. This team is gritty and we won’t give up.”   Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 24th“This wasn’t the weekend for the No. 8 FICO Chevrolet here at Martinsville Speedway. From practice to qualifying to the race this afternoon we battled a loose car. The team never quit and now we’ll take what we’ve learned through the initial weeks of the season back to Welcome, NC, regroup and look to rebound after the week off.”   Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 1stAlan Gustafson (crew chief) made a great pit call to get you the track position. How did you find a way to hold off Denny Hamlin?“It was definitely a team effort. That was awesome. We’ve never had a win this early in the season. Just a really great team effort. So proud of Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and the whole No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet team. They did a great job all day.  We took a gamble. We were going to two-stop that last stage. I honestly think it was going to work out good for us either way. Just so proud of this team. Man, they put up with a lot (smiling). They have to put up with me all the time, and I just appreciate them for sticking with me. It’s lot of fun when days like this work out. Thank you to everybody at Hendrick Motorsports, Mr. Hendrick, Chevrolet and all of our partners for the support.”  When the caution came out, what went through your mind?“Yeah, I mean, this whole deal is really weird the way it all works. I told them there around half or three-quarters of the way through that I really didn’t dislike my balance, I just wish I could control my runs a little better. Fortunately, we got to lead on that last restart and fell into a really good pace. I think we probably needed a little bit more to be just the absolute best outright. We were really close. We were able to manage and save enough to get through traffic there at the end. It’s really cool when this stuff works out. To win these races is so tough. Just really grateful for the opportunity, as always. I never take it for granted. Trust me, this is a dream come true for me.”   William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 5th “We restarted ninth there and had to methodically work our way forward. I thought our No. 24 Cincinnati Chevy was pretty good that last run. The last two runs were probably our best runs of the day, so it was just about trying to manage that. I just tried to get as many spots as I could. Overall, I thought it was a good day. We had a mishap on pit road, and then those guys got the caution there with the two-stop and it kind of changed a lot of things.”    Austin Hill, No. 33 Richard Childress Racing ChevroletFinished: 33rd“Overall not a great day for our United Rentals team. Going out first in qualifying hurt us with our starting position and when you start deep in the field here at Martinsville, it’s a battle to not go down a lap early. Our Chevrolet initially fired off on the loose side and we made changes to tighten the car up. After the second stop, the balance swung the other way with being too tight and we couldn’t get it back to a neutral spot. Stage 3 was just eventful with a loose wheel under our green flag stop and then being involved in an accident. Hate it for our team, everyone at RCR, and our partners but we’ll work hard to be better next time.”    Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports ChevroletFinished: 18th “It was just an average day for this No. 71 Delaware Life Chevrolet team. We had good execution, but we just didn’t have enough speed. I just felt like we ran 20th all day long. We were 28th in practice, qualified 20th and finished 18th. We just didn’t have it this weekend, speed-wise. I felt like we executed well and did everything we needed to on pit road, but it just didn’t work out. Thank you to Spire Motorsports, Delaware Life and Chevrolet for the support. We’ll regroup over the off weekend and get ready for Bristol in a few weeks.”    Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing ChevroletFinished: 11th “Ran in the top 10 all day but lacked overall grip and wasn’t able to hold position on the restarts. The 97 team brought a fast SuperFile Chevrolet, just wish we could’ve gotten a top 10 result. Collected some stage points and had a lot of fun! Great progress heading into the off weekend.”