A CHANGE OF SCENERY: Max Blair Teams Up with Boom Briggs for 2023, Reflects on Rookie Season

The Centerville, PA driver earned two wins in his Rookie season with the World of Outlaws Late Models

CONCORD, NC – December 7, 2022 – Max Blair finally achieved his dream of running a national tour when he joined the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series in 2022. However, when the Centerville, PA driver unloads his Rocket Chassis at Volusia Speedway Park during Sunshine Nationals on Jan. 19-21, it comes with a change of scenery.

Earlier this year, Series veteran Boom Briggs announced Blair would join the Briggs Transport team in 2023—positioning the two Keystone State drivers as teammates.

For Blair, it’s a new atmosphere he’s excited about, primarily because of who he gets to work with.

“I’m excited. I can’t wait,” Blair said. “So far, working with Boom and Steve (Briggs) has been awesome. Working with Chub (Frank) has been awesome. When I shared the news, one of the coolest things growing up where I grew up in this little part of the country, I’m now getting the chance to run on a national tour with Rob Blair and Chub Frank in my corner. 

“That’s a pretty awesome thing for someone who grew up where I did.”

While a new team means some changes for Blair, some things will remain the same for the 32-year-old driver. 

His dad Rob also returns to the crew in 2023—a tandem that began when Max started racing. 

“I wouldn’t do it if Dad wasn’t with me,” Blair said. “We’ve done this together my entire life, and that’s the only way I know how to do it. I don’t think I would be able to do it if he wasn’t with me for multiple reasons. When me and Boom talked, that was the first thing we talked about. 

“I get to keep Trey (Armel) with me too. Last year was his first year going out on the road as a crew guy, and he’s learned a ton. He’s come a long, long way, and I’m excited. I can’t wait to get going.”

With a little more than a month until the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models season begins, Blair hopes to build off his third-place finish in the 2022 standings. 

Despite having two wins, 11 top-fives, and 26 top-10s, he stated he felt he could’ve been better after grading his season.

“Let’s go with a B,” Blair said. “I’m pretty happy with it. I mean, I ran third in points my first year, but we just had to be a little bit better there in the final stage of the year, and we could’ve come away with a rookie title and second. 

“I feel like I kind of let my guys down. We could’ve finished strong toward the end, but we kind of picked it back up at the end before Charlotte, but we weren’t consistent enough in the second part of the year.”

Even though he came up short in his bid for Rookie of the Year against Tanner English, he’s still excited for what’s to come in 2023—as he continues to sustain his dream no matter the scenery around him.

“I’m excited,” Blair said. “I’ve seen a lot of the places before and understand the grind a little bit more, maybe going into last year. Like I said, I raced a lot before. We just didn’t travel as much. The biggest thing we had to get used to was just driving up and down the road so much.”

Blair begins his tandem with Boom Briggs when the World of Outlaws CASE Late Models kick off their 2023 season at Volusia Speedway Park for Sunshine Nationals on Jan. 19-21. 

Longhorn Chassis Tops Miller Multimatic Chassis Builder’s Challenge

Longhorn Chassis Tops Miller Multimatic Chassis Builder’s Challenge
BATAVIA, Ohio (December 6, 2022) – The North Carolina-based Longhorn Chassis ruled the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series once again, winning the Miller Multimatic Chassis Builder’s Challenge for the second consecutive season. The Miller Multimatic Chassis builders challenge awarded points to over 30 unique chassis manufacturers in 2022. Points were awarded to the highest finishing driver of each manufacturer after every Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series A-Main.  Overall, Longhorn Chassis registered victories in 30 of the 2022 season’s 56 A-Main events and boasted six of the top ten drivers in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship standings. The Longhorn Chassis army was led by Tim McCreadie and the Paylor Motorsports team, who’s consistency brought them the tour’s $150,000 title and second consecutive championship. Longhorn Chassis will be recognized during the December 9th championship awards banquet at Lucas Oil Stadium. The top chassis manufacturer in 2022 will receive a new Miller Multimatic welder along with a $250 certificate from Summit Racing Equipment. 

NARC 2023 SCHEDULE: CALIFORNIA STAPLES, HUGE NORTHWEST SWING HIGHLIGHT CAMPAIGN

(12/5/2022) Sacramento, CA… The NARC 410 Sprint Cars are set for another busy campaign in 2023 with the unveiling of a 24-race schedule for the West Coast’s best drivers and teams as the series enters its 63rd season of racing.

For the second straight year NARC will visit all three states that comprise the West Coast at tracks as far south as Bakersfield and all the way up north nearly to the Canadian border. Overall, 13 different facilities are on the calendar.

Teams will compete for more than $800,000 in prize money throughout the entirety of the schedule, plus another $50,000 in product and cash awards up for grabs.  Shares of a lucrative championship points fund will also be on the line.

March-ing Into Chico

The season opener will see the revitalization of a historic, fan-favorite race.

On March 18th the series kicks off the 2023 campaign with the return of Mini Gold Cup at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway.

Originally starting in 1987, the Mini Gold Cup has been a spring staple in California but took a brief hiatus after the 2019 edition. Throughout its history, the event has alternated between NARC and World of Outlaws sanctioning. With the 2023 edition being a NARC event, it again gives locals a shot at Mini Gold Cup glory and placing their name alongside some legends of sprint car racing.

The Classics

The state of California has established a handful of “Classic” races that have become fan-favorites, and per usual some of those coveted events have found a home on the NARC schedule.

The first of five Classics on the calendar is on the second weekend of April and will be the third edition of the Anthony Simone Classic at Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford on April 8th. The night honors the versatile driver known as “Mr. Excitement” and offers a $10,000 payday to the winner.

The very next weekend will be another lucrative event as Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway will host the second Dennis Roth Classic. As a nod to Roth’s iconic car, the feature winner will again be awarded $8,300. The Roth Classic has grown by a day for 2023 and will showcase two nights of racing on April 14th and 15th with the winner of the latter taking home the big check.

The wildly popular Peter Murphy Classic is set for May 12th and 13th and will take place at the site of the two aforementioned Classics. Night one will be at Thunderbowl Raceway with Keller Auto Speedway taking center stage for the $11,000 to win finale. Like last year, NARC will be joined by the Sprint Car Challenge Tour both nights.

Another one of the most anticipated races of the campaign can be found in July as the Howard Kaeding Classic continues as a summertime staple. Unlike recent years, the event will now feature two nights of the NARC 410 Sprint Cars at Ocean Speedway as opposed to 410s only partaking on the final night. “The HK” is slated for July 14th and 15th.

On August 26th the series heads to Stockton Dirt Track for the Champions Classic. After a cancellation this year due to the tire shortage, teams will be eager for its return and to fight for a $6,000 payday by visiting victory lane.

A Busy Road To Dirt Cup

For the second straight year NARC will hit the Road to Dirt Cup, but this year’s edition will include a few more stops and double as the Fastest Four Days in Motorsports.

In lieu of making a pair of trips to the Pacific Northwest like in 2022, the series will make one extended journey to make logistics easier on the teams.

The four straight nights of action begins on Thursday, June 15th at Central Point, Oregon’s Southern Oregon Speedway. The next night it’s up to Douglas County Dirt Track in Roseburg, Oregon, a track that was converted from pavement to dirt over the off-season under the new promotional leadership of Roseburg Racing Promotions. Night three is a visit to Lebanon, Oregon’s Willamette Speedway, where Justin Sanders set a new track record when NARC invaded last year. And the Road to Dirt Cup meets an end at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington on June 18th.

Overall, the trip promises to provide four fantastic nights of racing at four different facilities and will feature a special bonus to any driver that can sweep all four events.

Dirt Cup

After a wildly successful 2022 Jim Raper Memorial Super Dirt Cup, NARC will again support the West Coast crown jewel as it enters its second year of a return to 410 sprint cars at Burlington, Washington’s Skagit Speedway.

The Dirt Cup will again feature a trio of nights (June 22nd – 24th) with the final night’s winner taking home a whopping $50,000.

Last year the race attracted more than 40 competitors as promoters Peter Murphy and Kevin Rudeen restored a ton of prestige to one of the most historic events on the left-coast.

*On Tuesday, June 20th there will be a Dirt Cup Tune-Up race at Skagit, but it will not be a NARC event.

Making History

A pair of historic races with winners lists that read like a California Hall of Fame will again be a part of the NARC campaign with many drivers hungry to add their names in one of those coveted slots.

The 32nd Annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial Race will occur on June 3rd at the scenic Placerville Speedway, marking the third straight year the El Dorado County track has hosted one of the most prestigious races in California.  With lap money and other awards, this show features one of the largest one-day purses of the year.

The season finale will see a historical race enter another decade of existence as Stockton Dirt Track hosts the 40th Tribute to Gary Patterson on November 4th.

And More

A few other racetracks and events help complete the 2023 schedule.

Petaluma Speedway has a pair of dates with the Salute to First Responders set for May 20th and the Salute to Baylands Raceway Park scheduled for July 8th.

The second race of the season will be the fourth annual Asparagus Cup on April 1st at Stockton Dirt Track with the SCCT joining the card.

Silver Dollar Speedway’s second and final NARC race of 2023 will be on April 29th as the series will again partake in the David Tarter Memorial.

The fourth edition of the Morrie Williams Memorial will be run on September 30th at Keller Auto Speedway. The unique event will again showcase a twin-20 lap features to conclude the evening.

NARC will make its lone trip to The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park on October 28th for the Halloween Spectacular.

NARC 410 Sprint Cars 2023 Complete Schedule

March 18: Silver Dollar Speedway (Chico, CA) – Mini Gold Cup

April 1: The Stockton Dirt Track (Stockton, CA) – Fourth Annual Asparagus Cup w/SCCT

April 8: Keller Auto Speedway (Hanford, CA) – Anthony Simone Classic ($10,000 to win)

April 14: Thunderbowl Raceway (Tulare, CA) – Dennis Roth Classic

April 15: Thunderbowl Raceway (Tulare, CA) – Dennis Roth Classic ($8,300 to win)

April 29: Silver Dollar Speedway (Chico, CA) – David Tarter Memorial

May 6: RAIN DATE

May 12: Thunderbowl Raceway (Tulare, CA) – Peter Murphy Classic w/SCCT

May 13: Keller Auto Speedway (Hanford, CA) – Peter Murphy Classic ($11,000 to win) w/SCCT

May 20: Petaluma Speedway (Petaluma, CA) – Salute to First Responders

June 3: Placerville Speedway (Placerville, CA) – 32nd Annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial

June 15: Southern Oregon Speedway (Central Point, OR) – Fastest Four Days in Motorsports/Road to Dirt Cup

June 16: Douglas County Dirt Track (Roseburg, OR) – Fastest Four Days in Motorsports/Road to Dirt Cup

June 17: Willamette Speedway (Lebanon, OR) – Fastest Four Days in Motorsports/Road to Dirt Cup

June 18: Grays Harbor Raceway (Elma, WA) – Fastest Four Days in Motorsports/Road to Dirt Cup

June 22: Skagit Speedway (Burlington, WA) – Super Dirt Cup

June 23: Skagit Speedway (Burlington, WA) – Super Dirt Cup

June 24: Skagit Speedway (Burlington, WA) – Super Dirt Cup ($50,000 to win)

July 8: Petaluma Speedway (Petaluma, CA) – Salute to Baylands Raceway Park

July 14: Ocean Speedway (Watsonville, CA) – Night One of the 13th Annual Howard Kaeding Classic

July 15: Ocean Speedway (Watsonville, CA) – Night Two of the 13th Annual Howard Kaeding Classic

July 29: OPEN

August 26: The Stockton Dirt Track (Stockton, CA) – Champions Classic ($6,000 to win)

September 30: Keller Auto Speedway (Hanford, CA) – Morrie Williams Memorial Twin-20s w/SCCT

October 28: The Dirt Track at KCRP (Bakersfield, CA) – Halloween Spectacular

November 4: The Stockton Dirt Track (Stockton, CA) – 40th Annual Tribute to Gary Patterson w/SCCT

November 5: Championship Awards Celebration at Brookside Country Club (Stockton, CA)